However, in his sophomore effort, he would drop a close decision to Trey Waters. Although he started to feel the itch to get back in there and return to his winning ways, he’s been on the shelf for over a year. That isn’t due to lack of trying on his side though.

“I’ve been trying to get a fight for a while now. I’ve been asking for a fight since August. I had two booked prior that people pulled out of. So it’s been a long camp, basically,” Goff explained. “It’s given me a lot of time to stay disciplined and stay focused while not necessarily having a direct goal in sight.”

So while it’s been hard not getting to show off his skills in the cage, Goff is thankful to be right where he wants to in life.

“It’s frustrating to not have the fight because then the work, like all the work that you put in is kind of, it’s not lost, but it’s, you don’t get what you want out of it,” he said. “But, I mean, I’m living the life that I want to live. So there’s frustrations, but it’s also, I’m doing what I want to do.”

When the call did come to fight, it was for another talented Asian prospect in Seokhyeon Ko. However, with just over a week left prior to the fight, Goff got a switch in opponent.

“Jason [House] texted me right before practice on Friday night and told me that Ko was out and said, we could take Rameez,” Goff said. “We said, yes, pretty much right away. And so then I got the emails with the contract and everything later. So it was a Friday night that I knew. So pretty short notice.”

Although it was a big change in terms of the style of the fighters, Goff knows that the preparation of the last year was enough to have him ready for anyone.

“They are different stylistically. I mean, one’s a Southpaw, one’s a righty. So there’s that big change, but I prepare to fight,” he said. “I’m just as excited. I feel just as prepared. It doesn’t matter who shows up, they’re stepping in my cage and they’re coming to fight me.”

You can catch his new fight with Ramiz Brahimaj as part of the UFC Vegas 107 main card. It airs this Saturday at 6:30pm EST on ESPN+.

You can also catch the entire audio of this interview on the latest edition of the Top Turtle MMA Podcast. The interview starts at 18:30.

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“It doesn’t affect nothing at all. At the end of the day I’m a fighter, right? In my heart I’m a fighter. In my soul I’m a fighter,” Brahimaj told reporters on Wednesday.

“Nothing really changes. Fight’s a fight. We adjust a little bit, but we continue moving forward. It doesn’t really matter to me.”

Brahimaj (11-5) last fought at UFC 309 in November. He was supposed to face Oban Elliot this weekend, but his opponent pulled out. Goff stepped in, different opponent, but Brahimaj isn’t worried about the game plan.

“Too many times we get caught up in thinking ‘oh this one thing that I really needed to do and now I can’t do it.’ I’m a mixed martial artist. I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve. Feel comfortable and confident anywhere we go,” he said.

One of his teammates is the former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad who lost his title in his first defense attempt to Jack Della Maddalena. Muhammad may have lost his title, but Brahimaj still sees him at the top of the division.

“Belal, even though he lost, he’s still right up there. Just in general this division it’s gotten a lot better and it’s super dangerous,” he said.

“I saw a man motivated and dedicated to try to win that fight. I don’t know what it was, but there’s no shame in that performance. He can hang his head high. I never understand the kind of hate that guy gets. He’s such a workhorse. He’s such a great human being inside and outside the octagon. It doesn’t truly make sense to me.

“He fought like a true warrior. He’s the epitome of a warrior.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Ramiz Brahimaj above. He takes on Billy Ray Goff at UFC Vegas 107 on Saturday night.

The post Ramiz Brahimaj Not Worried About Opponent Change, Talks Belal appeared first on Cageside Press.

Goff (9-3) was originally set to face Seok Hyun Kom but visa issues canceled the bout. Now just days from the fight Goff will see how this changes his game plan.

“It could affect it a lot but I think with the switch up, and kind of where I’m at mentally, it doesn’t really affect it at all,” Goff told reporters on Wednesday.

“The game plan stays the same. I just kind of shift a few things mentally and I’m still excited to get in there. It’s going to be the same.”

The short-notice bout is a tough one but with so many canceled fights lately it’s clear why Goff wants to be active.

“I’m happy that, like with the last one, I had two people pull out. Couldn’t get another opponent that was on the same card. I’m just happy that somebody else also lost a fight and we were able to match up,” he said.

It’s not just a win Goff is hunting. An extra 50k would be nice, but even better than that would be the record for most bonuses. Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira currently holds that distinction.

“I want to beat Charles Oliveira’s record for bonuses. I want to get a bonus. I wanted to get a bonus every single fight,” he said.

“Should have gotten a bonus on my debut, but whatever. I’m shooting for a bonus every time I get in there.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Billy Ray Goff above. He takes on Ramiz Brahimaj at UFC Vegas 107 on Saturday night.

The post Billy Ray Goff Hunting Oliveira’s Bonus Record appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kicking off this UFC Vegas 107 edition of TTP is our interview with UFC lightweight, MarQuel Mederos. Mederos talks about his success so far in the UFC and his last win over Austin Hubbard. Plus, he discusses why he choose to have such a quick turnaround from that fight to this one. Additionally, we chat about his training camp and why he moved from Factory X to the MMA Lab and how it’s changed who he is as a fighter. Finally, we dig into his fight against Bolaji Oki this weekend at UFC Vegas 107.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC Vegas 107 (12:06)

After an exciting UFC Vegas 106 and a brief break, we head back to the Apex for UFC Vegas 107. Headlining this card is a pair of flyweights looking to put their hat in the rinf for a title shot. Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber tango on Saturday in what should be a hotly contested battle. Plus, Matuesz Gamrot looks to defend his spot in the rankings as he welcomes Ludovit Klein to the cage. 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.

Billy Goff Interview (18:30)

Closing out this UFC Vegas 107 edition of TTP is our interview with UFC welterweight, Billy Goff. Goff discusses his training camp in Connecticut and why it’s underrated. Plus, he talks about the absurd changes in opponents for this weekend. Both he and his opponent, Ramiz Brahimaj, had opponents with visa issues and now face each other. It’s a shift in the style of the opponent, but nothing changes for Goff as he looks for another finish.

The post TTP Ep. 482: MarQuel Mederos, Billy Goff, and UFC Vegas 107 appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Apex-based event on May 31, 2025 will see Billy Goff (9-3) take on South Korea’s Seok Hyun Ko (11-2) in a 170lb clash. Iridium Sports Agency, who represent Goff, announced the news on Wednesday.

The fight finds Goff, a former Bellator fighter, looking to bounce back from a loss to Trey Waters, and secure his second win under the UFC banner. The Connecticut-born Goff, 26, won his promotional debut against Yusaku Kinoshita in 2023, scoring a first round KO. The loss to Waters, while a setback, saw Goff share in the Fight of the Night bonus at UFC St. Louis last year.

Goff had fights with Nikolay Veretennikov and Adam Fugitt both fall through in February of this year, when his opponents withdrew.

Seok Hyun Ko, who picked up a win on the Contender Series last year, will be making his promotional debut in the fight.

The UFC Vegas 107 card on May 31 currently features the following match-ups:

• Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber
• Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Oban Elliott
• Zachary Reese vs. Duško Todorović
• Rayanne dos Santos vs. Alice Ardelean
• Jeremiah Wells vs. Andreas Gustafsson
• Allan Nascimento vs. Jafel Filho
• Dustin Jacoby vs. Bruno Lopes
• Ketlen Vieira vs. Macy Chiasson
• Billy Goff vs. Seok Hyun Ko

The post Billy Goff vs. Seok Hyun Ko Booked for May 31 UFC Event appeared first on Cageside Press.

Goff (9-3) will face Nikolay Veretennikov (12-5) in welterweight action at UFC Vegas 102 on February 15, 2025.

News of the booking was announced by Iridium Sports Agency, who represent Goff, on Tuesday.

Goff is 1-1 in the UFC thus far, having joined the promotion after stopping Shimon Smotritsky on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. He followed that up by knocking out Yusaku Kinoshita last year, then returned in May 2024, losing a decision against Trey Waters that nevertheless earned Goff a Fight of the Night bonus.

Veretennikov, a UFL and Fury FC welterweight champ, dropped his promotional debut for the UFC in his last outing. That saw him lose a split decision against Danny Barlow in August.

UFC Vegas 102 will be the promotion’s second show at the Apex in 2025, and does not yet have a main event announced or reported. The following match-ups have been reported for the Fight Night card, which comes on the heels of UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia:

• Julia Avila vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti
• Rodolfo Vieira vs. Jacob Malkoun
• Ismael Bonfim vs. Nazim Sadykhov
• Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Gabriel Bonfim
• Juliana Miller vs. Carli Judice
• Jose Delgado vs. Connor Matthews
• Billy Goff vs. Nikolay Veretennikov

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The back-and-forth welterweight affair arrived early at the Enterprise Center, nestled on a preliminary card that saw its first four fights go the distance. There were no complaints about the lack of a finish in Goff versus Waters, however, given both men threw everything but the kitchen sink at each other in an attempt to finish. Much to the appreciation of the St. Louis crowd.

Goff came out strong in the opening round, while Waters appeared to find a second wind towards the end of the frame. Coming out of the first five minutes, it was clear the bout would be an early contender for Fight of the Night, and that is exactly what it turned out to be. Hard hitting, in your face action played out over three rounds; After 15 minutes were in the books it was Trey Waters with the unanimous decision win.

Both men pocket an extra $50,000 for their efforts on top of their purse, outfitting pay, etc.

Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC St. Louis were awarded to New Zealand’s Carlos Ulberg and Carlos Diego Ferreira. Brazil’s Diego Ferreira weathered an early storm from the surging Mateusz Rebecki, then began piecing his opponent up. With Rebecki tough-as-nails, it took until late in the third round for Ferreira to finally finish the fight, via TKO. Rebecki was swollen and bloodied by the end.

Ulberg needed no time whatsoever to end the night of Alonzo Menifield. With Menifield bullrushing the City Kickboxing standout, “Black Jag” unleashed a hook that put the American on skates. When all was said and done, the fight was over in just twelve seconds.

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Waters, the former LFA welterweight champion, stands at a domineering six feet, five inches tall. His foe, the exciting brawler Billy Goff, stood an entire seven inches shorter. That reach and height difference proved crucial as it was the sharp right hand of Waters which won him the fight by consistently countering Goff, who never stopped moving forward once in fifteen full minutes.

Goff came out in round one at UFC St. Louis pressuring Waters, but despite Trey’s low hands he was not able to connect with punches. A high volume kicking game scored some for Billy, but Waters cracked him with several clean right hand counters early on. Two minutes into the round Goff clinched up, looking for a takedown. He almost got the back of Waters after a throw, but fell over the top. Back on the feet, the right hand of Waters consistently found the mark. Goff’s chin was iron, but he left himself far too open with his high volume, brawling style. With 90 seconds left in the round he got his first takedown and almost got to the back of Trey, though the fence kept him from getting his second hook in. Waters turned into him and got up, then kneed Billy in the head while grounded, though the referee said nothing. The final forty seconds of the round was a wild brawl. Goff hurt Waters initially and seemed to be wearing Trey out, but then got dropped by a big right hand. Still, he got right back up and swarmed a tiring Trey until the end of the round.

The second round started with Trey Waters breathing heavily and doing his best to avoid engagements and stay behind his jab. Goff’s awkward striking, especially his kicks, managed to put constant low-intensify volume on Waters, making him work hard while tired. A big elbow in the clinch for Goff seemed to hurt his foe significantly, but Waters survived, recovered, and defended the follow-up takedown. A left hook from Waters hurt Goff, who staggered backwards, but Trey’s follow-up was sluggish. Billy shot a takedown and got stuck in a standing guillotine attempt for several seconds, but he escaped. After that even Goff began to appear tired as the second round of the sloppy, supremely entertaining brawl ended.

The final round began with Waters seemingly ahead two rounds to none. He landed a sharp right hand early and then defended a takedown from Goff. They got stuck in the clinch against the fence for about two minutes, which served Trey Waters purposes just fine even though he was on the defensive there. The referee finally broke them apart. Goff kept trying to strike his way into the pocket but the length of Waters, as well as his sniper rifle of a right hand, denied him more often than not. The final thirty seconds saw Waters stick in the pocket more and swing with Goff, landing the bigger shots but absorbing his foe’s shots worse.

The fans in St. Louis roared their appreciation after the fight, which surely put the fighters in pole position for a $50,000 ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus at the end of the night. The fans seemed to not care much who won, they just appreciated the carnage, but the decision was crucial for these fighters’ careers. When Bruce Buffer read the scorecards two judges had scored all three rounds for Waters, while one gave him two out of three.

Official Result: Trey Waters def. Billy Goff by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

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“Luckily there’s a guy, named Trevor Goode, he’s been training with me. He fights out of [Massachusetts]. He’s 6’7″ and has a 77″ reach and he’s at 170lbs,” Goff explains of working with the Bellator veteran. “It’s basically the same.”

In addition to having Goode working with him, he also has experience fighting someone of a similar size. When in CES, Goff fought Justin Sumter, a middleweight with longer reach than Waters. He notes that the experience up at middleweight will help, but also recognizes that Trey Waters is a whole different riddle.

“It certainly changes things. You feel the difference in defense. You feel the difference in the striking,” he said. “Trey fights in a very specific way – he fights you as a boxer, heavy on that lead leg. He keeps his hands down, leans away and tries to bait you into throwing at his face. He’s certainly a puzzle that will need to be figured out.”

With the training and experience that he has, Goff is confident that he’ll figure out that puzzle and is prepared to win by any means necessary.

“I see me overloading him on the striking and that’s going to open up a takedown,” he said. “I’m shooting for the first round finish and preparing for 15 minutes of hell.”

You can catch his fight with Trey Waters at UFC St.Louis this Saturday. The fight card begins at 4pm EST on ESPN+.

You can hear this entire interview at 18:17.

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Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC strawweight, Tabatha Ricci. Ricci discusses her most recent fight – a split decision loss to Loopy Godinez. She discusses whether or not she feels like she did enough to get the job done and then touches upon what she learned from the experience. Then we started digging into UFC St. Louis, which is where she fights Tecia Pennington. She talks about preparing for that fight as well as the problems that Pennington brings.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC St. Louis (8:53)

Following UFC 301, the UFC is back on the road this week for UFC St. Louis. Derrick Lewis gets yet another main event, this time opposite of Rodrigo Nascimento. We break down that fight as well as some of our other favorite main card fights. Then we dig deeper into the card to find some gems for you. We’ve pieced together a parlay that we think can get you plus-money on the return. Then, we go hunting for the best underdog on the card, and we believe we have found the perfect one to make your wallet fat this weekend. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Billy Goff Interview (18:17)

Closing out this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC welterweight, Billy Goff. He discusses the wild difference in height for his upcoming fight. Trey Waters will have a 7-inch height advantage over him. However, according to him, that’s nothing new or to be scared of. In fact, he’s faced many fighters much taller than him in the past. After talking about that fight, we also discuss his quick knockout last fight and how that’s moved him up. Additionally, we chatted about getting a chance to fight in front of a live crowd at UFC St. Louis.

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