While his performances speak for themselves and there has never been a question if he belonged, a run to the UFC – never mind one this long – was never something he imagined. 

“It was never my intention. That’s what I say sometimes, it is all God’s plan because I never thought about fighting UFC. I thought I like World Series [of Fighting] or Bellator – those were the doors I was kind of looking to go through,” Ferreira explained. “But I never thought about fighting in the UFC.”

Part of the reason he didn’t really consider fighting at the top oif the game was because he never thought MMA was going to be his occupation. While he wanted to dabble in it, he saw a different way of life for himself. 

“I never thought I was going to have mixed martial arts as a job. For me, my work was going to be, ‘oh, I gotta be just another Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coach – open a gym, be comfortable in this,” he said. “But looking back, it was a great experience and I never thought about it – 12 years in the UFC.”

Now, with plenty of experience under his belt, he’s not ready to pack it up. In fact, he’s feeling better than ever going into a bout with Billy Quarantillo this weekend. And that’s a bout, he believes, could win him another bonus. 

“He likes to throw down and I’m gonna be meeting him out there. So whatever is coming first, coming first. I want to put on Fight of the Night,” Ferreira said. “I know my last fight, it could have gone my way. I was there and I know he’s going to be the same way, thinking the same way. And so both, we’re going to have the same mentality. So I think we’ve got to meet in the middle and throw down – whoever is going to go down first.”

You can catch Ferreira’s fight with Billy Quarantillo as the co-main event of UFC Vegas 120. That fight card starts at 5pm EST and airs on Paramount+. 

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It hasn’t been the easiest run for Miller in the UFC. “Killer” Miller defeated Brogan Walker in the TUF 30 finale, then dropped back-to-back fights before picking up a win over Ivana Petrovic, only to stumble against Carli Judice last time out. The losses include one to Luana Santos, who is now a ranked bantamweight, while Miller remains at 125lbs.

Speaking to Cageside Press in a recent interview, Miller revealed that she has a different feeling coming into her latest fight.

“This is the most mellow I’ve been in a long time, so I look forward to seeing how that adheres in the cage,” Miller explained.

Miller attributes that mellow state to working with a sports psychologist with the UFC, and added as well that “I’ve kind of been through it with fights. For instance, the only fight I’ve ever been finished was Luana Santos, and she’s like ranked fourth in the bantamweight division right now.”

“I’ve faced girls a lot bigger than me, I’ve faced hard hitters, I’ve faced knockout artists; Carli Judice, where the world was expecting me to get finished in 30 seconds, and she couldn’t get even close to putting me away. In fact, she almost got subbed closer than I almost got knocked out.”

Ahead of UFC Vegas 120, she continued, “I just rebuilt my confidence. I believe that I belong in the UFC, and I’m just ready to perform. And I think that brings me a lot of peace, because so many times you’d be in your head, like ‘do I belong here? Am I good enough? Can I do it?’ And I know that I can do it. I know that I can put on a very exciting performance and get a finish.”

That’s not taking anything away from Ravena Oliveira, added Miller. “I just believe deep in my heart that this is my time.”

While Miller’s run in the UFC has been tough, she’s been through struggles outside of it as well, including losing her grandmother. Now, Miller’s fighting towards fulfilling a promise she made to her.

“Now I’m just prepared to sprout into a better athlete. When I won that fight [against Petrovic], I put my grandma’s ashes in Ocean Beach. I promised her I would take her ashes three places. And I’m choosing to do those three places after I win. One of them is Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that’s the beach she grew up in, she wants her ashes there.” The third spot is Minnesota, where Miller’s grandfather is buried.

“It’s not a pressure, it’s an excitement. When I win this fight, I get one step closer to taking all the places she wants to go,” Miller continued. “And that’s exciting for me, but really this fight is just about becoming a better fighter, and a better athlete, and showing the world the skills that I have. And really just shutting people up that say I’m not a killer and don’t deserve my nickname and stuff like that.”

Noting the fickle nature of fans and pointing out that they don’t know what’s happening in an athlete’s personal life, Miller added that “when you fall, they’ll kick you when you’re down, and when you thrive, they’ll tell you how much they love you. Really I just want to put a stamp on it and prove a point that I am a killer, and I do belong in the UFC.”

Watch our full interview with UFC Vegas 120’s Juliana Miller above.

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Kicking off this UFC Vegas 120 edition of TTP is our interview with UFC lightweight, Diego Ferreira. Ferreira discusses his time off and how the 11 months helped him to improve. Plus, he discusses the joys of coaching and how he was able to spend more time helping his team grow in that time. With the focus back on him, we took a look at his fight for this Saturday. He takes on Billy Quarantillo and looks to get back on the right foot. He breaks down that fight and gives us a prediction for it.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC Vegas 120 (15:23)

After a pair of cards overseas, the UFC heads back to home sweet home inside of the META Apex. This card is headlined by Mateusz Gamrot as he looks to depend his spot in the rankings against fast-rising prospect Quillan Salkilld. Plus, in the co-main event, friend of the show Diego Ferreira takes on Billy Quarantillo in a lightweight banger. We’ll break down those fights as well as some of our other favorite fights on the main card. Plus, as always, we’re hitting you with an underdog and a plus-money parlay that we think will make your wallet fat this weekend. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Adam Livingston Interview (20:49)

Closing out this UFC Vegas 120 edition of TTP is our interview with Dana White’s Contender Series lightweight, Adam Livingston. The Long Island native discusses his first run on the show and discusses what he thought he needed to do to get back. All he did was hit a viral spinning back elbow KO that got him the call immediately. He talks about that KO blow and his rowdy cheering section. Plus, he gets into his upcoming fight on Contender Series where he takes on Hunter Smith.

The post TTP Ep. 543: Diego Ferreira, Adam Livingston, and UFC Vegas 120 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Fleury, in a rare instance, finds himself the co-main event for the fight card in Prague, Czech Republic. The main event features his partner, Lucie Pudilova, as she looks to get her hands on the bantamweight title. And with Fleury not wanting to miss the occasion, he knows his performance could be an important part of it.

“I will have to go back and do a medical, I assume,” Fleury said. “I’ve kind of been thinking about this. It’s about making my fight as clean as possible – getting out so that medical is as short as possible where they basically look at you and go, ‘yeah, you’re breathing, you’re healthy, you’re fine. Okay. Best of luck.’ And I can head back out and watch hers.”

He’s already considered the time that he’ll likely have for such events. While he’d like to map the whole thing out, he knows that the fight game is not an easy one to predict.

“There will probably be about 15 minutes between my fight ending and her fight starting.
So I will have a little bit of time, and I hope to God I don’t miss much of it because look, it’s fighting, man, it’s crazy, isn’t it?” he said. “We could both end up in the hospital that night – you never know how it’s all going to go. Hopefully I’ll go in and do it clean and I’m able to watch her whole fight.”

And while some might think he’d prefer to be the main event so that he could see what she’s doing, he’s actually happy to be in the co-main this weekend. He feels he simply wouldn’t be able to focus with her doing her thing out there.

“I don’t want to be thinking about her fight while I’m warming up and trying to sneak a peek. It’d be a massive distraction,” Fleury said, “It’s kind of selfish for me to want to be the first fight because she has to deal with that now with my fight, but I’m glad I won’t be warming up while she’s fighting.”

You can catch Fleury looking to get the job done clean as the co-main event to Oktagon 92 this Saturday. The fight card airs at 12:00pm EST and can be seen on Oktagon.tv.

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Kicking off this UFC Belgrade edition of TTP is our interview with Oktagon double champion, Will Fleury. Fleury discusses the change in opponents to his upcoming title fight. With Daniel Skvor falling out, he’ll now face interim middleweight champion Makhmud Muradov. He shares his excitement for both his fight and the fight of his partner, Lucie Pudilova. He also digs into the complicated logistics of trying to get to her fight after he finishes his own. Following all of that, he gives a breakdown of the fight and a prediction to watch out for.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC Belgrade (13:20)

Following one event overseas, the UFC stays on that side of the world for UFC Belgrade. The event is headlined by their home town star Uros Medic as he takes on a returning Daniel Rodriguez. Plus, in the co-main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz takes on surging prospect Navajo Sterling. We’ll break down those fights as well as some of our other favorite fights on the main card. Plus, as always, we’re hitting you with an underdog and a plus-money parlay that we think will make your wallet fat this weekend. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Alik Lorenz Interview (19:34)

Closing out this UFC Belgrade edition of TTP is our interview with Dana White’s Contender Series light heavyweight, Alik Lorenz. Lorenz discusses his first trip to Contender Series and shares the frustration of not getting to show off his skills. Having picked up a win in LFA this past March, he discusses the timeline of getting back in contact with the UFC for this shot. Then he digs into his thoughts on having the Apex experience under his belt already and what he thinks of his new opponent, Brazilian KO artist Mahamed Aly.

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Kicking off this UFC Abu Dhabi edition of TTP is our interview with Dana White’s Contender Series featherweight, Tom Pagliarulo. Pagliarulo discusses getting his call to fight for his UFC contract this August. He’ll fight on week one against Ananias Mulumba. He gives us a quick breakdown of that fight and a prediction. Plus, he also talks about his move out to Colorado and what prompted moving his training camp there. He now works out of the brand new Tiger Beetle Martial Arts with Cory Sandhagen and Carrington Banks.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC Abu Dhabi (17:24)

After a few domestic fights, the UFC heads overseas for UFC Abu Dhabi. Headlining the card is former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev. He’ll face a late replacement, Bogdan Guskov, who steps in for an injured Khalil Rountree Jr. Plus, in the co-main event, former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg faces Ramazan Temirov. We’ll break down those fights as well as some of our other favorite fights on the main card. Plus, as always, we’re hitting you with an underdog and a plus-money parlay that we think will make your wallet fat this weekend. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Lex Ludlow Interview (24:08)

Closing out this UFC Abu Dhabi edition of TTP is our interview with BKFC cruiserweight contender, Lex Ludlow. The most hated man in combat sports discusses where his microphone abilities originate from. Between studying some of his favorite MMA fighters to idolizing the best trash talkers of professional wrestling history. He also digs into what went into his recent nine second knockout win at BKFC Liberty Brawl. Then he digs into what the future holds for him. Will it be a title shot in the cruiserweight division? Will it be a super fight with the biggest name in BKFC? He tells his preference.

The post TTP Ep. 541: Tom Pagliarulo, Lex Ludlow, and UFC Abu Dhabi appeared first on Cageside Press.

Her chance came quickly. Just a couple months removed from that contest, she was asked if she wanted to step in against Fatima Kline after her original opponent, Amanda Ribas fell out. The spot seemed as good as any for Ricci.

“Yeah it was a little rushed. Of course I was already in shape. I had a really hard camp with Virna. It wasn’t that long ago, the fight,” Ricci said. “So I was in shape and then I want to fight. I got the offer – like of course anybody anytime. I just want to get back to the octagon as soon as possible. Then, actually, I had to move a lot of things around and then get together with the team quick – I think it was perfect.”

In fact, she prefers that a camp be short everytime. While longer camps are more traditional, she feels the mental grind of those can take some of the joy away from fighting.

“You know sometimes when you have a long camp you’re like thinking of the fight like for so long,” she said. “Sometimes it gets boring, it’s hard. When you have a short camp, it’s just like right away – specific tuning, hard sparring. It’s actually pretty fun.”

Now with the hard work done, she’s ready to prove herself in the cage once again. And she’s not planning on just beating the prospect, but she’s planning on making a statement.

“She probably wants to try to keep the distance. I mean if she watches other fights too and then she’s probably expecting me to grapple her. I think who does their thing best is going to win the fight,” Ricci said. “I really want to get the finish against her and get my way back to being next for the title shot.”

You can catch her bout with Fatima Kline as part of the UFC Oklahoma City main card. The fight card begins at 5pm EST and airs on Paramount+.

The post UFC OKC’s Tabatha Ricci: Short Camp Was ‘Perfect’ appeared first on Cageside Press.

Following his first win in the octagon, Bashi has been sidelined for 13 months. Some of that was recovering from a minor injury in the fall that pulled him from a bout with Jamall Emmers. However, the rest of the time has been spent improving himself – which can be vital at this early stage of his career.

“I’ve been working just all parts of my game, from the stand-up game to the ground game, wall game, every single part of it,” Bashi said. “So even though I’ve been at this long layoff, it gave me enough time to grow and get better and better this last year. It was still good that it happened.”

That growth has been accelerated by work with two-time featherweight title challenger, Diego Lopes. The two have worked together for a year and a half, which has been big for his development as a fighter.

“I went out for his first [Volkanovski] fight, and then the Jean Silva fight, and then his last [Volkanovski] fight as well,” he explained. “So, I’ve known him for a couple years now, and it’s really good training, great training. Obviously, he’s one of the best in the world, so being able to spar with him when I’m out there and train with him and learn things from him is pretty big for me.”

And it’s not just the work inside the cage that has seen growth. Bashi notes that seeing Lopes carry himself outside of the cage has helped him as well.

“[He’s also helped outside of the cage] for sure. A hundred percent. The thing I like about him most is how humble he is,” Bashi explained. “He obviously has a very, very big name, but he’s super humble and he never shows off or nothing like that. Just a real nice guy, humble guy.”

With all of that training under his belt, Bashi is ready to show the world just what the new version looks like. He’ll get his first chance to at UFC Oklahoma City this Saturday. He fights Jose Miguel Delgado as part of the prelims. They air on Paramount+ starting at 5pm EST.

The post UFC OKC’s Austin Bashi on Diego Lopes’ Influence on Career appeared first on Cageside Press.

Starting with a chance encounter at one of his former schools, he found something that would become a huge part of his life.

“I went to a school that I attended when I was younger and it was an [Emotional and Behavioral Disorder] room – the same room that I was in – and I shared my story. But I didn’t know really how to yet. Through all the mumbling and the stuttering I said something just right to this young man where he believed in himself again,” Hines recalled. “He sat there talking for like 15 minutes when the teachers came and took him away and he had to go to his next class, the teacher comes up to me and says, that kid hasn’t said a word in two months. That hit me hard.”

It didn’t stop there for ‘Goozie’. He chased that feeling with another of his former stomping grounds and found that this was something important – and not just for him.

“That same week I went down to the county jail, another place that I attended when I was younger and I was talking to full grown men. Again, I was trying to share my story, but I didn’t know how to put it into words – I didn’t know how to put it to make sense,” he said “But I said just enough to where I saw that same look, but in a full grown man’s eyes and then that’s when I knew that my story mattered, my message mattered, my message could help people.”

And it was then the Hines knew he had to act. He signed up for public speaking courses and began to work on his craft.

“I made the move and went to a public speaking seminar where I met my speaking coach, where I met many other amazing people that have changed my life,” Hines said. “Everybody has a story that they can share, that can help somebody.”

While public speaking has been huge for him on a personal level, it’s also helped him in terms of his fight game. Having something outside of the cage, he said, allows him to focus on the things that really matter when he’s in there. And that has made him a dangerous fighter.

“I meet a lot of these guys that are so focused on winning, not for winning or not for bettering themselves, but to pay bills or to fix other problems in life. When you find yourself outside of the cage, when you find what really makes you happy, like public speaking, bro, that if I’m not fighting, I want to be public speaking. And that is me,” he explained. “But it creates so many other opportunities as well. Just learning who you are beyond what you do is so big. It gives me the confidence to where I when I’m in training camp now, I focus on getting better, exactly what I need to do.”

You can see the new and improved version this Saturday at UFC Oklahoma City. Hines fights RJ Harris on the prelim portion of the card, which begins at 5pm EST.

The post UFC OKC’s Alvin Hines Found Purpose Outside the Cage appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kicking off this UFC Oklahoma City edition of TTP is our interview with UFC strawweight contender, Tabatha Ricci. Ricci starts by giving us the lowdown on the progress of her new farm. She and Callum Walsh have added some new animals to the mix and gotten into plenty of hijinks – she details it all. Plus, we get into the growth from her most recent fight and the prep work for her short notice fight with Fatima Kline this weekend.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC Oklahoma City (11:42)

After a big numbered event in Vegas, the UFC heads back on the road for UFC Oklahoma City. The card is headlined by a pair of former champions when Dricus du Plessis faces Kamaru Usman. Plus, in the co-main event, another pair of middleweights look to stake their claim to a top spot when Jared Cannonier faces Christian Leroy Duncan. We’ll break down those fights as well as some of our other favorite fights on the main card. Plus, as always, we’re hitting you with an underdog and a plus-money parlay that we think will make your wallet fat this weekend. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Alvin Hines Interview (18:14)

Next up on this UFC Oklahoma City edition of TTP is our interview with UFC heavyweight, Alvin Hines. Hines discusses his year outside the cage and his intro into the world of public speaking. He feels that it has not only helped him in life, but has influenced his work inside of the cage. Then we dig into his fight with RJ Harris on Saturday.

Austin Bashi Interview (30:29)

Closing out this UFC Oklahoma City edition of TTP is our interview with UFC featherweight, Austin Bashi. Bashi discusses his work alongside of Diego Lopes. He shares how it’s guided him inside and outside of the cage. Now he looks to show all of that hard work when he faces Jose Miguel Delgado.

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