By Blue Corner
January 10, 2021 6:00 pm
Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-champ-jan-blachowicz-award-top-athletes-poland-fighter
MMA’s week out of the cage: Jan Blachowicz recognized among Poland’s top athletes
Conor McGregor predicts knockout of Dustin Poirier ‘inside 60 seconds’ at UFC 257
“Mystic Mac” is back with a prediction for the UFC 257 main event.
Ahead of his lightweight rematch with Dustin Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-5) this month, Conor McGregor has offered up his official estimation of what’s going to go down when the pair step inside the octagon.
After winning the first contest in less than two minutes at UFC 178 in September 2014, McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) is expecting an even quicker second clash with “The Diamond.”
On a snippet of the upcoming UFC 257 “Countdown” show, the Irishman said he expects Poirier to fall within the first minute.
“I like Dustin. I think he’s a good fighter,” McGregor said. “He’s even a great fighter. But great is still levels below me. I’ll knock Dustin out inside 60 seconds.”
McGregor has a history of being accurate with his pre-fight predictions. It’s not always gone according to plan, but more often than not, he’s proved to be on point.
In less than two weeks, the MMA world will know if he can do it again when he steps in the octagon with Poirier at UFC 257, which takes place Jan. 23 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/ufc-257-news-conor-mcgregor-mystic-mac-prediction-knock-out-dustin-poirier-60-seconds
Diego Sanchez confirms next UFC fight will be his last: ‘It’s time to heal not hurt’
After more than 15 years on the UFC roster, Diego Sanchez plans to hang up his gloves after this next fight.
Sanchez (30-13 MMA, 19-13 UFC), who won Season 1 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series in 2005, announced on Sunday that he’s prepared to put the professional MMA chapter of his life in the rear-view mirror after one more trip to the octagon.
In recent years, Sanchez has gone through a personal evolution. Guided by his mentor Joshua Fabia, who runs the School of Self Awareness, Sanchez has come to the conclusion that competitive fighting is no longer part of his journey, and he intends to move after a final swan song (via Twitter):
It’s my last fight my heart path has changed, it’s time to heal not hurt! One more Nightmare to give! It is honestly in @danawhite hands who I fight, I have no choice in it nor do the match makers #endofanera
— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) January 10, 2021
It’s my last fight my heart path has changed, it’s time to heal not hurt! One more Nightmare to give! It is honestly in @danawhite hands who I fight, I have no choice in it nor do the match makers #endofanera
Sanchez has said on other social media posts that he plans for his farewell contest to take place in April or May. It appears he’s willing to take on anyone in that bout.
“The Nightmare” made his official UFC debut in April 2005, beating Kenny Florian to become the inaugural “TUF” winner. It’s been a rollercoaster of a journey since, as he unsuccessfully challenged for UFC gold in 2009 but has picked up notable wins against the likes of Nick Diaz, Karo Parisyan, Martin Kampmann, Jim Miller, Mickey Gall and more in a remarkable career.
During the course of his 32-fight UFC tenure, however, Sanchez has absorbed 1,431 total head strikes, the second-most in company history behind B.J. Penn (1,434). He’s also one of two fighters in UFC history to fight in four separate weight classes, starting at middleweight and going all the way down to featherweight.
At 39, Sanchez is already a UFC Hall of Fame inductee in the “Fight Wing” for his memorable June 2009 war with Clay Guida. Once his career is over, he’s almost certain to join a second time on his own merits, as well.
Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/ufc-news-diego-sanchez-announces-retirement-plan-final-fight-heal-hurt
Video: Dan Hardy breaks down Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar at UFC on ABC 1
The UFC’s debut event on ABC will see a former featherweight champion look to re-establish his championship credentials against an in-form contender hoping to secure a shot at the 145-pound title.
The main event of UFC on ABC 1 will see former champ Max Holloway take on Calvin Kattar in a pivotal bout for the UFC’s 145-pound division, with Holloway (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC) keen to return to winning ways after losing out to current champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 251 via an agonizing split-decision last July.
Kattar (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC), meanwhile, has strengthened his case for a shot at the gold by putting together an impressive run of form. “The Boston Finisher” has won four of his last five, including finishes of Chris Fishgold, Ricardo Lamas and Jeremy Stephens. Most recently, he halted the six-fight winning streak of fellow contender Dan Ige at UFC on ESPN 13 in July 2020.
Ahead of their bout, former UFC welterweight title challenger and UFC analyst Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy invites us into “The War Room,” as he takes a deep dive into the matchup and offers his technical pointers ahead of the fight. Check out his pre-fight assessment via the video above.
UFC on ABC 1 takes place Saturday, Jan. 16 at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The event airs on ABC.
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/ufc-video-dan-hardy-breaks-down-max-holloway-vs-calvin-kattar-ufc-on-abc-1
UFC 257: See Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier’s physical transformations before rematch
With just two weeks until UFC 257, it means Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier have wrapped up – or all but wrapped up – vigorous training camps for their highly anticipated rematch.
Their first meeting, back in September 2014 at UFC 178, was a featherweight bout won by McGregor after he finished Poirier inside of two minutes. This time, McGregor and Poirier will do battle at lightweight with much higher stakes, as the winner very well could secure a title shot at 155 pounds.
There’s no question that both men have improved drastically since their first fight. A mental edge might tilt toward McGregor given the result. But what about physically? Will ring rust affect McGregor after a more than year-long layoff? Will the 10 pounds make a difference in the rematch for either man?
We’ll find out Jan. 23 on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi. In the meantime, check below to look back at McGregor and Poirier’s physical transformations over the course of roughly the past two months of training.
Nov. 16: Dustin Poirier
Nov. 20: Conor McGregor
Nov. 27: Dustin Poirier
Nov. 28: Conor McGregor
Dec. 4: Dustin Poirier
Dec. 9: Conor McGregor
Dec. 10: Dustin Poirier
Dec. 15: Conor McGregor
Dec. 23: Dustin Poirier
Dec. 30: Conor McGregor
Jan. 7: Dustin Poirier
Jan. 8: Conor McGregor
Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-257-conor-mcgregor-dustin-poirier-physical-transformation-progress
