Ezra Elliot couldn’t have asked for a much tougher set of circumstances heading into UFC Oklahoma City, but none of it mattered once the cage door closed. Elliot put on a wrestling clinic against Damien Anderson, setting a UFC record for takedowns in a three-round fight while proving he belongs on the sport’s biggest stage.

“I was tired. Three days notice to make 145 pounds wasn’t the easiest,” Elliot told Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

“A super game opponent. If he wasn’t so good at grappling I’d probably get him out of there. He’s ranked in the world in grappling, one of the best grapplers in the world, and I went and put a wrestling clinic on him. Of course, I’d like to show some more things in my skillset, but with three days notice, had to go in and try to break him as good as I could.”

Elliot knew he was in for a tough test against Anderson and had plenty of respect for his opponent going into fight night. That made the dominant performance in his UFC debut all the more satisfying.

“Damien’s super game. I followed him for years. I respect him a ton. Once I got the matchup against him I knew it was going to be a tough fight. I didn’t know exactly what the game plan was going to be,” he said.

Elliot also explained why he missed weight ahead of his UFC debut, revealing he accepted the fight on just three days notice and had a massive cut to make. While he came up one pound short, he wasn’t making excuses after earning the victory.

“45’s not hard for me to make. You can tell I’m not a very big 45er, but with three days to make 145 pounds, I had to lose 18 pounds. I lost 17,” said Elliot.

“Missed by a pound and I had to give up some of purse for it. It is what it is. Come out, still got the win.”

Elliot didn’t have anyone specific in mind for his next fight, but he made one thing clear, he’s ready to get right back in there. Whoever the UFC puts in front of him next, he’s more than happy to welcome the challenge.

“No one off the top of my head. I wish I had a name for you guys right now,” he said.

“UFC just give me another name and I’ll keep taking them out, and we’ll keep going. This is my first performance with UFC, I heard I got the takedown record in a three-round fight. That’s cool. Hopefully get to show a little more notches in my game and get to finish this next fight.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Ezra Elliot above.

The post Ezra Elliot Explains Missed Weight, Dominant Wrestling Clinic Victory Over Anderson appeared first on Cageside Press.

Following the three-round fight, Lebosnoyani admitted to media outlets including Cageside Press that “honestly I think I built him up in my head a little more. I was surprised at how well I could hang in there with him.”

JPL wasn’t alone in his doubts, however, as he noted that “I think a lot of the people on social media thought I was going to lose this fight. He had a lot of hype, beat a lot of good guys, and it’s just a testament to what I’ve been doing my whole life, and the team that I have behind me. I wouldn’t be here without them.”

Despite the unanimous decision on the scorecards, some fans were calling the outcome a robbery. Maybe they mean upset, but either way Lebosnoyani took it in stride. “That’s 2-0 for me for robberies. Call me the American Bandit, because I’m going to steal every decision.”

“All I can say to that is that Phil Rowe’s parents fought tonight, and that’s all that really matters,” he added. Both Lebosnoyani and Ko defeated Rowe in their respective last fights.

What’s next for Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani? JPL isn’t a guy who follows fighting, and admitted that “I don’t know a lot of names in my division. They give me a name, and I say yes. I think all that I ask for is a little step up in competition every single time. I want to continue to push myself and to scare myself into getting better. Just looking forward to growing and having another opportunity to get another win in the UFC.”

Watch the full UFC Oklahoma City post-fight press conference with Jean-Paul   Lebosnoyani above.

The post Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani Says “Call Me the American Bandit” Following UFC Oklahoma City appeared first on Cageside Press.

McMillen (11-0) actually set a record for significant strikes in the featherweight fight, which started with him getting in Morales’ face before fighter introductions, and finished in the third round when Morales finally went down.

While he’s stated a desire to fight at Noche UFC next, a card that arrives in September, McMillen isn’t about to call anyone out it seems.

“I don’t really look at anybody else and like pick names unless they’ve got a belt around their waist. I don’t think anybody else in the division deserves my attention,” he exclaimed while speaking with Cageside Press and other media outlets. “So unless you’re wearing a belt, I don’t really give a f*ck who you are.”

McMillen did face some adversity in the fight, ending up dropped early. Though he disputed just how much damage he took. “I wouldn’t call it dropped. I’ve been dropped before, I’m being dead honest, that little slip in the first round wasn’t really dropped. He did catch me with like a little jab, kind of bobbed my head. It wasn’t like I was rocked or anything like that, kind of slipped.”

As for the fight with Morales, McMillen sees it as “just another stepping stone for me.”

“I’ve been saying this since I was a little kid, I’m destined for greatness in this sport. I was born to do this, this is only the beginning,” he continued. “I know it sounds crazy, seems crazy to a lot of people on the outside looking in, but I think they would think I’m even crazier than they already think I am if they could see inside my mind and what I have planned for this sport, and where I’m going with it. This is only the beginning, I know I’m a lot better than I even showed tonight.”

McMillen plans to take the weekend off, then get back in the gym on Monday, looking to get even better. With two wins and two post-fight bonuses so far in his UFC career, that’s a scary thought.

Watch the full UFC Oklahoma City post-fight press conference with Tommy McMillen above.

The post UFC Oklahoma City’s Tommy McMillen: Besides Champs, Nobody “Deserves My Attention” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Usman (21-5) has now lost three of his last four, but the former welterweight champ appears ready to fight on, whether it’s at 170 or 185 pounds.

At 39, Usman hasn’t been all that active the past few years. That’s something he’d like to change, if the right opportunities are presented to him, he told media outlets including Cageside Press following UFC Oklahoma City at the Paycom Center on Saturday.

“I would like to be active, but I’m not one of those guys who’s just going to stick around here just for a fight, like I can’t do anything else. I can. I’ve got a family at home. And every time I come in here I represent not just myself, I represent my coaches, I represent my team, I represent my training partners, and my family. So I want to do that in the best way possible,” stated Usman. “I’m not one of these guys that’s just going to stick around just to come in there and fight and take lumps. If the opportunity is there and presents itself, I would love to get in here regularly, but gotta heal up some things and really do some work with the coaches.”

In response to the loss, Usman admitted that “it’s tough. It’s hard to be on this side of it, and I’m not used to being on this side. So it’s a tough one, but yeah. I hate to even bring up hearing that score or dealing with the score, because that’s one thing that I kind of pattern myself, I never care about the score because I’m dominating. And unfortunately tonight I was on the end of hearing the score, and I didn’t like it.”

The score Usman is referring to is the 50-45 one judge awarded to Du Plessis. The remaining two scored at least a round for Usman.

“It is what it is. I didn’t necessarily get going,” he continued. Usman noted that Du Plessis was big, strong and rangy, and referenced a pause in the action early where “I took kind of like a thumb punch in the eye early on and that kind of blurred the vision a bit. But no excuses. It is what it is.”

Watch the full UFC Oklahoma City post-fight press conference with Kamaru Usman above.

The post UFC Oklahoma City: Kamaru Usman Wants to Stay Busy, for Right Opportunities appeared first on Cageside Press.

CLD battered and bruised “The Killa Gorilla” across three rounds, though he couldn’t quite put the tough-as-nails Cannonier out.

“It feels good to have this momentum in the UFC right now. Jared Cannonier is called ‘The Gorilla’ for a reason, he’s a hard guy to put away,” Duncan (15-2) said while speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press following the event at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Saturday.

“Former title contender, challenger, fought some of the best in the middleweight division. So a win over him, I’d say that solidifies my position now in the rankings. Potentially a single digit next to the name, and some big fights ahead.”

CLD was surprised that Cannonier didn’t end up being put out by some of the heavy shots he landed. Including, at one point, a nasty spinning back elbow. “Credit to Jared. We knew it was going to be a tough fight, we know how he comes, he’s a tough fighter, he’s a veteran, he’s been here a long time, but I was still surprised by what he could take.”

Looking ahead, Duncan didn’t have any specific names to call out. “No one in particular, but I’ve got my eye on the whole division,” he noted. “If I make the [top 10] rankings, then there’s going to be nine names ahead, and I’ll welcome any of those nine names.”

Later, CLD was asked about the pressure of being in the night’s co-main event, against a high-profile opponent like Cannonier. “There’s no more pressure than what I already put on myself. I try to be the best I can be, I put a lot of pressure on myself day in, day out to get that way; I’m very disciplined.”

And while he might not have an opponent in mind, Christian Leroy Duncan does have a date he’s eying. “I like the look of that Paris card [in September], it’s close to home, it’s not far away. Especially coming off of this fight, no injuries, the travel won’t be far, the time difference isn’t much. So depending on who’s available, and how I heal up from this, I’ll be ready to go then but we need to see the landscape of the division. See who is available, what fights are happening, then we can kind of eye up on what fights make sense next.”

Watch the full UFC Oklahoma City post-fight press conference with Jared Cannonier above.

The post UFC Oklahoma City: Christian Leroy Duncan Looking to Return in Paris appeared first on Cageside Press.

It was DDP’s first action since losing his title to Khamzat Chimaev last year, and the belt has since switched hands already. That, after Chimaev was upset by Sean Strickland just a few months back.

That has Du Plessis (24-3) open to fighting either Strickland (who he already has two wins over) or Chimaev, saying “absolutely” to both fights while speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press on Saturday.

“Stillknocks” also touched the on rivalry he’s had with fellow Africans Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman. The “beef” all kicked off a few years back ahead of Du Plessis’s bout with Adesanya, when he proclaimed that he was the first “real” African champ, because the others did not live on the continent.

“My man, I think it’s all respect. With me and Izzy, that whole thing got out of context. I think we have so much respect for each other after sharing the octagon,” Du Plessis said on Saturday. “I have respect for any man. After being in there with Usman tonight for five rounds, that man deserves all the flowers in the world for the career he has had. So does Adesanya. These are incredible, incredible athletes.”

“We as Africans, we inspire our whole continent. There’s not a lot of us in the UFC, especially at this level at the top.”

Du Plessis noted that the UFC Oklahoma City main event was just the second all-African headliner in UFC history. “I’ve had the honor of being part of both of those, and that’s a massive honor. Beef? There is no beef. We represent our continent, and we do so very proudly. And tonight, there was no beef tonight. It was two warriors going at it, and I think we showed that to the world.”

Watch the full UFC Oklahoma City post-fight press conference with Dricus Du Plessis above.

The post UFC Oklahoma City’s Dricus Du Plessis: “No Beef” With Fellow African Stars appeared first on Cageside Press.

A former welterweight champ, Usman was returning to 185lbs for the first time since losing to Khamzat Chimaev a few years back. And in the opening two rounds, he was rocked repeatedly, with seemingly everything Du Plessis threw doing damage.

Usman, however, was down but not out. Or more accurately, perhaps, he was too stubborn to quit, getting himself back in the fight in the third round. That and the final frame were a little closer, though he’d be rocked several more times. At 39, Kamaru Usman’s window in MMA is set to close any day now, but he proved he could go the distance with one of the best middleweights in the world on Saturday.

DDP took home the win after a strong performance that had him chasing the finish to the point of emptying the tank in the final round. He gets the victory, both men get $100,000 for their Fight of the Night showing.

Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC Oklahoma City went to Tommy McMillen and Felipe Franco. Both picked up TKO finishes in their respective fights.

All other finishers on the card pick up an extra $25,000 for their stoppage wins. Those would be Dione Barbosa and RJ Harris (Chase Hooper also secured a finish, but missed weight).

The post Hard-Fought Main Event Secures Fight of the Night at UFC Oklahoma City appeared first on Cageside Press.

The UFC President and CEO did make it to the event in the end, and addressed the media, including Cageside Press, following the headliner. Immediately on everyone’s mind, the performances of aging veterans Jared Cannonier and Kamaru Usman, both of whom suffered setbacks on Saturday. And, of course, Conor McGregor.

“Both guys performed and looked good. When you see the ‘holy sh*t these guys should retire’ fights, that’s not it,” White said of Usman, a former welterweight champ who moved up to middleweight, and Cannonier, an ex-title challenger at 185lbs.

On Kamaru Usman in particular, White added that “he’s accomplished so much, and he’s fighting literally the number one or two best guy in the world who is way bigger than he is. I think Kamaru has done enough in his career, it’s up to him [whether to retire].”

Deferring to the former welterweight champ, White added that “it’s not like he’s some young guy that hasn’t done anything. This guy has done it all.”

Then there was Conor McGregor. Since blowing out his knee a week ago in the main event of UFC 329, the MMA world has been waiting on the Irish star’s next move. Of course, he’s having surgery, and will be on the shelf a bit. That hasn’t stopped fans from speculating on a return opponent, now that the 38-year old has confirmed he will fight on.

“The Conor McGregor discussion isn’t even worth talking about. He’s gotta have knee surgery, he’s going to have to go through physical therapy, it’s all going to take time,” Dana White exclaimed on Saturday at the Paycom Center. Shutting down the Conor talk, he added “then when the doctor says you can start hardcore training again, then we start talking about Conor McGregor again.”

As for the exact injury McGregor suffered, which has been assumed to be ACL-related but has not been confirmed, “his knee is f*cked up,” stated White.

The post Dana White: “Conor McGregor Discussion Isn’t Worth Talking About” Til After Surgery appeared first on Cageside Press.

During Saturday’s UFC Oklahoma City broadcast, promotion officials announced the a Fight Night event will be held at the Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta on October 17, 2026.

No main event or other match-ups have been announced for the card, but you can bet there will be plenty of Canadian content involved. The UFC last visited Edmonton in 2024, with a card headlined by Brandon Moreno and Amir Albazi.

Canadian MMA is in the spotlight at the moment, with Niagara Falls, ON native Gillian Robertson challenging Mackenzie Dern for the UFC women’s strawweight championship next month. Jasmine Jasudavicius, Mike Malott, and Charles Jourdain have also established themselves among the next generation of Canadian UFC stars.

The 2026 version of UFC Edmonton (UFC Fight Night 290) will mark the promotion’s fourth trip to the Canadian city. They first visited the home of the Edmonton Oilers in 2017, with a second stop in 2019, before returning in 2024 after taking time off due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2 headlined UFC 215 in Edmonton in 2017, while Max Holloway vs. Frankie Edgar topped UFC 240 there in 2019.

The UFC’s first Canadian stop in 2026 saw them head to Winnipeg, MB back in April.

The post UFC Announces Return to Edmonton on Oct. 17 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Australia’s Nicoll was desperately in need of a win after starting his UFC run at 0-3; Coria was on the opposite trajectory and was 2-0 in the company to date.

To kick off the first round, Coria was on the hunt early, walking Nicoll down behind two clean uppercuts. Forced to move off the cage, Nicoll circled away from Coria’s power while mixing in the first level change of the fight. It was a quality shot that briefly brought Coria to the mat, but the young striker’s athleticism proved crucial as he quickly worked his way back to his feet. It wasn’t long before Nicoll returned to his grappling, however, as the Australian flyweight secured two more takedowns before the horn, capping off a tightly contested opening five minutes.

Coria was back on the gas in round two, pressuring Nicoll from the opening bell. The fight was briefly halted just 30 seconds into the round after Coria landed a groin strike. Nicoll recovered quickly and resumed the action, finding success on the feet with a high volume of low kicks. Coria soon answered with several clean shots along the cage, though the fight returned to the grappling exchanges with around two minutes remaining. The two continued trading dominant positions, but it was Nicoll who punctuated the round with a slam.

Round three began much like the previous two, with Coria applying steady pressure and outworking Nicoll on the feet. It appeared the favorite had Nicoll compromised but surprisingly let off the gas, allowing Nicoll to secure another takedown. This time, however, Coria showcased his submission game, threatening with multiple front chokes as he worked his way back to his feet. As the fight came to a close, Coria remained in control, cruising to a unanimous decision victory.

With his third straight UFC victory, Alden Coria has solidified his place among the promotion’s top prospects. The 4oz. Fight Club flyweight improves to 13-3 as a professional and appears destined for a step up in competition next time out.

For Stewart Nicoll, however, the outlook is far less encouraging, as he suffers his fourth consecutive UFC defeat.

Official Result: Alden Coria def. Stewart Nicoll via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

The post Alden Coria Dominates Nicoll, Extends UFC Win Streak to Three appeared first on Cageside Press.