After snapping Ziam’s own six-fight run, Nolan’s only sore spot, if any, was that he couldn’t finish the fight as he’d hoped coming in.

“I did think I was going to either chin him or choke him out in the second. I wasn’t sure which one; I knew I was the better fighter in all realms,” Nolan told media outlets including Cageside Press backstage at the Meta Apex following his victory.

Not getting the finish has left Nolan with something to work on, he added. “I wanted the finish, but we’ll get it next time.”

After losing his UFC debut following a win on the Contender Series in 2023, Nolan has marched through each and every opponent since. “Everything’s just coming together for me at a really good time. I feel like I’m taking a boxing camp approach to my game plans now a little bit, in the sense that I’m trying to revolve around exactly what’s in front of me,” he noted. “All year round I’m trying to get better, but I’m not going to work something that’s not specific for the fight anymore.”

Nolan also pointed out a couple of areas where he’s shored up his game, areas he feels have led to his continued success. “Two things going into this fight that I worked on a large amount, one is my mind. I’ve been working with my mental coach, Eric. Dr. Eric Simmons. Just learning to love the game again.”

Nolan suggested that he wouldn’t care if he lost the fight, so long as he gave it everything he had. “I would have genuinely been proud of myself, and that’s what really matters to me.”

“And the second thing is, cutting weight properly. I’m a perfectionist, and I’ve been coming into these fights too light. I’ve had times where I’ve come into Fight Week on weight, and I’m just like maintaining on weight all week, which is just not good for you, it’s really, really bad for you. Which I thought, in my mind, I was like ‘oh I’m not sweating out as much as everyone, so I’m doing it right.’ But I wasn’t.”

“This time I did a proper sweat-out, and it sucked. It wasn’t fun,” admitted Nolan. “But today I felt awesome. I just felt normal. I didn’t feel all bloated and sore.”

Timing is everything in MMA, but so is trajectory, and Nolan is on the right one. Following the win, the Australian called out longtime lightweight and fan favorite Renato Moicano.

As to why, “I respect him so much. I think he’s awesome,” stated Nolan. “I’ve studied him a lot, I studied his fight against BSD for my last fight.”

Tom Nolan even borrowed some techniques from the Brazilian for his own last bout, and added “I think he’s great. I’ve been watching him since I was a child. There’s nothing but respect. I love that dude, he’s cool. I just think that, like I said, I’m back in love with the game, and I want to challenge myself. I think that dude has a scary striking skillset, a scary grappling skillset, he’s fought everybody. He’s awesome, he’s great. So why not fight someone like that? Why not go out there and prove myself right once again?”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 118 post-fight press conference with Tom Nolan above.

The post UFC Vegas 118: Tom Nolan Wants to Fight “Awesome,” “Scary” Moicano appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I’m just super happy. It’s also my 10th fight in the UFC so I’m just super happy to be here,” Brito told reporters including Cageside Press through a translator at his post-fight scrum.

“As the fight was going on I got a feeling of it. I was defending pretty good, and some of my strikes were hitting. So I was like yeah, let’s see how this goes.”

While fans may still be interested in seeing him settle unfinished business with Dan Ige, Brito isn’t spending much time worrying about past callouts. Instead, the Brazilian featherweight is focused on staying active and taking whatever opportunity the UFC puts in front of him next.

“Honestly, not really. Dan Ige’s not really on my mind anymore. When I threw the cards at him I didn’t really get a reply back. I’m just super happy that I’m in the biggest organization in the planet, and I’m just ready to fight again,” he said.

“The fight on June 20th that’s going to happen, Lokdog (Vinicius Oliveira) his opponent seemed like they dropped off and (Andre) Fili took it. If the UFC wants me there, I’m ready.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Joanderson Brito above.

The post Joanderson Brito Celebrates 10th UFC Fight With Victory Over Leavitt appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Brazilian flyweight submitted veteran Matt Schnell in impressive fashion, earning one of the biggest victories of his UFC career before immediately turning his attention toward the next goal: breaking into the flyweight rankings.

“It is a fight that I’ve been waiting for quite some time. Thank God everything actually went just according to plan,” Costa told reporters including Cageside Press through a translator on Saturday night.

“When that fight got canceled originally it was an injury. He talked about retirement at that point. I started thinking about other things, you start focusing and shift your focus to other things.”

Costa (16-5) said he felt the finish was inevitable once he secured the dominant position and began working for the submission. While he was proud of the victory, he also showed respect for Schnell afterward, praising the veteran’s career and what he has accomplished inside the Octagon.

“When the hand got in I knew it was just a matter of time. All I needed to do was just finish the job. Whenever he was on the ground I knew it was just a matter of just finishing the fight,” he said.

“I went to him and I just wanted to thank him and say you’ve done a lot in the UFC. This is the sport. Sometimes you lose and I wanted to keep your head high and I just really wanted to thank him because he’s a really cool guy.”

With another impressive victory now on his record, Costa made it clear that he’s no longer interested in fighting outside the rankings. The Brazilian flyweight believes he’s earned the opportunity to test himself against the division’s elite and wants his next fight to come against a ranked opponent.

“I aiming for the top 15. That’s what I’m looking for right now,” he said.

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Alessandro Costa above.

The post Alessandro Costa Finishes Matt Schnell, Sets Sights On Ranked Opponent appeared first on Cageside Press.

While the win added another notch to his growing resume, McGhee walked away from the fight convinced he still has much more to show and made it clear that his sights remain firmly set on the ranked contenders he believes he belongs alongside.

“John is a tough guy and I didn’t doubt him. I believe in my own skillset, but I knew how tough he was and how hard he is to finish. He’s never been finished,” McGhee told Cageside Press among other reporters at his post-fight scrum.

“That was one thing we took into it.”

McGhee (11-2) said one of the more interesting aspects of the matchup is that, despite his rapid rise through the UFC ranks, he still considers himself a fighter who is learning and developing in real time. While many fans view him as an established contender, McGhee believes he’s still gaining valuable experience every time he steps into the Octagon.

“Experience-wise really he has more experience than me. It’s so hard for me because I’m new too. I just have been able to accomplish what I’ve been able to accomplish while also being new,” he said.

“I’m learning on the job as well. I’m glad to be able to learn on the job with the wins and all the accolades, but I’m still new. I don’t consider myself to be like a vet of any such.”

Despite picking up another win, McGhee made it clear he isn’t interested in slowly working his way back into the rankings. The bantamweight contender believes his skill set still stacks up with the division’s best and feels he belongs fighting the names currently occupying spots inside the Top 15.

“I’d rather be fighting up in the rankings, I think I still should be there. That’s not the performance I wanted to put on and I believe I have a better skillset than I even showed tonight for sure,” said McGhee.

“Nevertheless I don’t think that I should have been out of the top 15. I should be up there competing against those guys. I’m not here for a long time, here for a good time, right?”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Marcus McGhee above.

The post Marcus McGhee Says He Still Belongs In UFC Top 15 appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Mexican flyweight stopped Bruno Silva in impressive fashion, proving he belongs among the division’s rising contenders before immediately setting his sights on a Top 10 opponent.

“We knew he hit hard, but I know I also hit hard. Once he hit me I felt the power didn’t hurt, but I knew I hurt him,” Chairez told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

“After I knocked him down I just waited for my moment, and that’s how we found the finish.”

Chairez (14-6) believes his performance on Saturday night was the kind of statement victory that should launch him into the next tier of the flyweight division. After delivering one of the most impressive showings of his UFC career, the Mexican contender made it clear he’s no longer interested in taking small steps up the rankings.

“I want a top 10 fight next. Noche UFC. My performance tonight was incredible and I know I can knock anybody out,” he said.

One of the biggest motivations throughout training camp was a promise he made to his daughter. Now that the fight is over and his hand was raised, he’s finally ready to make good on it.

“She’s waiting for my this very moment because last fight I promised her we’d go to Disneyland, and we didn’t go because I had a fight a couple days later,” Chairez said with a smile.

Beyond the win itself, he lit up when talking about his family and the role martial arts has played in their lives. What started as his journey has now become something that’s inspiring the next generation of his family to follow a similar path.

“So the first thing she’s going to ask me is, “‘Are we going to Disney?’,” he said.

“She loves this sport, in fact, she has a tournament coming up in a couple weeks. I very happy that she, and my little brother, and my family are getting into the sport and becoming athletes. I was the first one in my family and I want to instill this discipline in them because this is my life now.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Edgar Chairez above.

The post Edgar Chairez Stuns Bruno Silva, Sets Sights On Top 10 Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.

Speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press following the bout, Allen (27-7) reflected on the 15-minute war, and compared his performance against Shahbazyan’s to champ Sean Strickland’s.

“Sometimes you gotta just be a dog and walk him. And that’s what I did, I walked him down, walked him down. That’s what I was doing. Sean won off of staying on his back foot and throwing a jab, but I’m going to give you some power shots, make it dirty.”

In the end, Allen was thoroughly upbeat about his performance. “It was fun. I hope everyone enjoyed it. That’s what I come to do, I come to fight no matter what. Win or lose, I’m coming to fight. I guess I’m not the most likeable guy, I don’t got the most followers or none of that, but I can f*cking fight. I’m 15-4 in this promotion, I’ve fought the best guys I can fight. He was young, he’s motivated as f*ck, he’s a very skilled guy, and he earned his shot.”

Allen added that “he pushed me, he made me find a new version of myself. He motivated me, so hats off to Edmen.”

What comes next for Brendan Allen is anyone’s guess. He’s long been on the outskirts of the title picture at 185lbs, and is currently riding a three-fight win streak. Yet sitting in the #4 spot in the division, there are still a few names ahead of him in line.

“Man it’s hard to say. I don’t think I deserve anything. I try to earn everything I get. F*ck, I hope Sean goes out, he’s the champion, so hopefully he picks me,” exclaimed Allen. “Let’s run this sh*t back. It’s been six years since we fought, I think I was beating him going into it.”

Brendan Allen lost to current champ Sean Strickland by TKO back in November 2020, but added that if you watch their fight from different angles, it shows that Strickland didn’t land on him “with the strikes said. It wasn’t there.”

“I think I get him out of there now. I think Edmen’s a better version of him. He’s younger, he’s more technical, he’s faster. I think Edmen’s a better version of him, and I think I get Sean out of there, and new.”

If not, Allen is open to fighting Nassourdine Imavov, who he also has a loss to, or the winner of Dricus Du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman. “We’ll see. Right now I’m going to go get these injuries checked, I’m going to talk with Hunter [Campbell, UFC Chief Business Officer], and we’ll see what’s next.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 118 post-fight press conference with Brendan Allen above.

The post Following UFC Vegas 118, Brendan Allen Hoping for Strickland Rematch, Open to Imavov, DDP-Usman Winner appeared first on Cageside Press.

Both ladies entered the night on two fight skids, but it was Chandler getting her arm raised. That after snatching the arm of Cachoeira for an arm-bar.

The bout came after Chandler expanded her training camp footprint, working with Cesar Gracie, Felipe Martinez, Moses Cortes and others. Lots of cross-training, in other words.

“I felt like I was very prepared in every aspect for this fight. I trained hard rounds for MMA, hard kickboxing, hard punching,” Chandler told media outlets including Cageside Press following the win. “There were so many times that I threw up for this camp that, I’ve never thrown up before.”

“I knew I was pushing my body and my mental fortitude to the hardest it’s ever been pushed, and then out there it was easy. Because I knew I was prepared and ready to go.”

Coming off two losses, Chandler (7-4) admitted that “I put a lot of pressure on myself, and the people that I’ve lost to are the top in this division.”

“I was fighting with injuries, I had it a few times where it was hard keeping my arms up in training, and the UFC took care of me,” she went on to explain. “I got some stem cells in my neck, and I feel like I’ve got a 10 year old neck. It’s good to be able to go to training and not be injured all the time and believe in yourself, be able to push harder.”

Chandler believes all that showed in her confidence on Saturday. “I was happy to be there, I was enjoying the moment, I wasn’t dreading it. And I look forward to bringing that energy into the next fight.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 118 post-fight press conference with Chelsea Chandler above.

The post Chelsea Chandler Was Throwing Up In Camp Ahead of UFC Vegas 118 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Mitchell (19-3) improved to 2-0 as a UFC bantamweight at Saturday’s UFC Vegas 118, and the weight class appears to suit him well.

“I just feel matched. I don’t feel big, but I definitely don’t feel small. And I feel like when I get my grips, I can take anybody down in that weight class,” Mitchell said following his submission victory, which came late in the third round, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press. “I don’t think size will be a disadvantage. I think it’s an equal playing field, whereas I was really outsized at 45.”

There’s been talk of a match-up with Aleksandre Topuria, brother of UFC lightweight champ Ilia, next, though Mitchell wants some time off to heal up. “I would take that fight, absolutely,” Mitchell said on Saturday, backstage at the Meta Apex.

There’s only one fight he wouldn’t agree to, in fact. “The only person that I don’t want to fight is [Marcus] McGhee. Because me and McGhee are related. Most people don’t know that, but me and McGhee are brothers. We’ve got the same father. I don’t think it would be fair, to be fighting my brother like that. Besides fighting my brother, I’ll fight anybody.”

It’s unclear whether Mitchell is serious, but he wasn’t laughing when he said it. If Mitchell and McGhee are in fact related, it’s news to the MMA world. He might also be referring to their shared spirituality, but either way, it’s clear he’s not interested in fighting with McGhee.

Bryce Mitchell turned heads this week, ahead of UFC Vegas 118, when he criticized the U.S. government’s involvement in MMA, mainly the UFC Freedom 250 card at the White House. Known for sparking controversy at the best of times, Mitchell was a surprising voice of reason this time out, suggesting that the government isn’t here to entertain, but rather should be minimal and focused on protecting its people.

Seeing fans resonate with his message, “of course I always want people to love me and agree with me,” noted Mitchell. “That’s not my motivation for saying what I say, it’s not a consensus or trying to appease people,” he continued.

“If I say something, it’s because I think it’s the right thing to say, if my heart’s in the right place. But it’s really nice to see people understand what I’m saying, that I’m not being malicious and that I am happy to be part of the UFC. I am grateful to be here. But I have a voice too, and I can have my opinions while still respecting everybody.”

That said, if he were asked to join the Freedom 250 card next weekend, he’d accept.

“Hey if somebody gets hurt and they need me, I’m gonna put some Icy Hot on my back, and I’ll fight bro,” Mitchell exclaimed. “That’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 118 post-fight press conference with Bryce Mitchell above.

The post Bryce Mitchell Critical of Government Involvement, But Would Fight at UFC Freedom 250 appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I’m very emotional still. It hasn’t dawned on me that I’m here, but I’m here and making my debut in the greatest organization in the world. And coming out with a win,” Chaves (8-0) said following the victory, speaking with Cageside Press and other media outlets.

Despite the judges’ scorecards, Chaves doesn’t feel the bout was truly a split decision. “Happy even though it was a split decision. I do not believe it was a split decision, but that just tells me one thing: the next time you’ve gotta train more, you’ve got to come here and you’ve gotta finish the fight. So that’s what you’re gonna do.”

“You never want to leave things in the hands of the judges. We’ll come back stronger, but we’re very happy with the win,” she added.

In the end, Chaves does feel she made a statement with her debut performance inside the UFC octagon. As to what that statement was, it’s “that I’m always going to bring war, that I’m always going to be somebody that’s going to look for the finish, somebody’s that going to give a rugged performance, and someone that doesn’t fear anybody. No matter what happens, I’m always going to be coming in to put on a show, and you’re always going to love my performances.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 118 post-fight press conference Jeisla Chaves 

The post Jeisla Chaves Feels She Made a Statement with UFC Vegas 118 Win appeared first on Cageside Press.

This time, at the Meta Apex on Saturday, it was a head kick that sparked the finish. Speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press following a big victory, Souza (17-6) was beaming.

“I’m really happy. How can you not be after a knockout like that?” she exclaimed.

Souza’s aggression was apparent throughout the fight. “I need to come back to my essence, I’m very aggressive, that’s why they call me ‘Esquentadinha,’ which means ‘heated,'” she noted. “So I needed to come back to my essence and be aggressive.”

That aggression paid off, as Souza caught Carnelossi with a kick on the way up from being rocked moments earlier. It was shades of the pair’s first encounter back in 2019, which Ketlen Souza won via body kick.

Moving forward, Souza has a bigger name in mind. A former strawweight champion, in fact: Jessica Andrade.

“I hope I do another fight in 2026, I hope it’s Jessica Andrade. I want to fight people that bring out the best in me, so that’s why I’m asking for that fight,” Souza stated.

Watch the full UFC Vegas 118 post-fight press conference with Ketlen Souza above.

The post UFC Vegas 118: Ketlen Souza Needed to Get Back to Her “Essence” appeared first on Cageside Press.