Kicking off this UFC 322 edition of TTP is our interview with UAE Warriors flyweight, Furkatbek Yokubov. Yokubov talks about his experience on The Ultimate Fighter and the break that came afterwards. Now with a mark back in the win column, he’s ready to make a charge back for another chance at the UFC. The first of those chances comes this weekend at UAE Warriors 65.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC 322 (13:46)

After a pair of fight nights in the Apex, we head out to Madison Square Garden for UFC 222. The fight card is headlined by a pair of former champions heading up in weight to challenge for a different belt. First Weili Zhang will make the jump to fight Valentina Shevchenko, then Islam Makhachev heads up to challenge Jack Della Maddalena. 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.

Nathan Ghareeb Interview (23:14)

Next up is our interview with LFA lightweight, Nathan Ghareeb. Ghareeb discusses the bad blood he has with his upcoming opponent, Josh Harvey. Now working back in New England with his original striking coach, Ghareeb is ready to take it to Harvey and take that next step forward towards the big show.

Nejra Repp Interview (37:35)

Closing out this UFC 322 edition of TTP is our interview with LFA flyweight, Nejra Repp. She discusses the close decision loss that encouraged her to take a step back in the sport. After moving back to her original home, she picked up a huge KO. She talks about the feeling of validation following that as well as her upcoming fight with Poatan’s little sister, Aline Pereira.

The post TTP Ep. 506: Furkatbek Yokubov, Nathan Ghareeb, Nejra Repp, and UFC 322 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Team Cormier’s guest coach for Episode 5 is revealed: top UFC flyweight contender, former champ, and TUF alumni Brandon Moreno. Moreno is the only fighter in TUF history to win a title despite never winning on the show. The former flyweight champion gave some motivational words of wisdom before taking control of training for the day.

Family Motivation Driving Both Athletes

Alibi Idiris and his hometown of Aktobe, Kazakhstan, are up first, where his family is heavily showcased as his root of motivation. Idiris lives in a house with his parents, wife, kids, and siblings. This close relationship between family is what motivates Idiris’ push to the next level. Much like UFC fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov, Idiris also loves horses and uses them as a key part of his diet and free time.

Moving on to Team Sonnen’s Uzbekistan native Furkatbek Yokubov, we’re shown big knockouts on recognizable UFC Fight Pass promotions. Sonnen says that conversations with Yokubov reveal past training sessions between him and Idiris. Yokubov feels his striking is better, but Idiris’s advantages on the ground are not enough to get him down.

Traveling to Dubai, we see Yokubov’s family and his emphasis on safety for them, with Dubai being the perfect location. Yokubov’s emotion is on full display when discussing the 2015 death of his mother, Karima, after whom his daughter is named.

Back at Team Cormier’s training, Alibi Idiris gifted Daniel Cormier a cream-colored robe from Kazakhstan. A better look at Idiris’ past is shown, with a devastating highlight reel showing the trail of dominance he left in Kazakhstan with a 10-0 record. Cormier seems focused on weaponizing Idiris’ strong cardio ahead of this matchup.

Unlike our previous episode, there is no controversy on the scales, and both fighters make the flyweight mark. Right before walkouts, former NFL safety and podcast host partner of DC, Ryan Clark, delivers a motivational speech to Idiris.

The Ultimate Fighter 33: Alibi Idiris vs. Furkatbek Yokubov

The speed of both men is apparent from the jump, with Idiris using kicks to fend off the pressuring Yokubov. The Uzbek fighter closed the gap and landed solid punches in the pocket after taking some stabbing body kicks. Idiris then started using knees anytime Yokubov entered the pocket, causing him to eat a big right hand before clinching. A low blow in this clinch caused a brief break in the action. As soon as the fight resumed, Idiris shot a beautiful takedown that wrapped Yokubov up before taking the back. The Kazakh managed to land heavy ground and pound from back mount before the end of the round.

Round two continued much of the same way as the first on the feet, with both fighters trading a high volume of powerful punches and kicks. A beautiful flying knee into a 2-3 combination showed the unique striking flow of Idiris, cracking Yokubov with the follow-up strikes. Idiris’s pressure seemed to start getting to Yokubov, as he started teeing off with boxing combinations on the fence. A finish feels on the horizon, but an eye poke mid-combination pauses the action. Despite the limited effect of the poke, referee Jason Herzog deducts a point from Idiris, frustrating Team Cormier.

Idiris comes out swinging when action resumes, but is coaxed into fighting for the decision following the deduction. The Kazakh fighter attempts another successful takedown and works straight into mount, locking up an arm triangle in seconds. Yokubov’s will to survive showed, as he escaped the choke but was caught on bottom mount. The intense top control of Idiris caused serious problems for the Uzbek. Yokubov managed to work back to his feet with 90 seconds left in the round, but was subsequently dragged back down and controlled until the final bell.

A New Star from Kazakhstan?

Daniel Cormier was in awe of the performance, marking Idiris as a potential future champion. As the bell rang, Idiris walked over to Dana White, shouting a reminder to the boss, “Remember my name, I am Alibi!”

After two rounds, a decision was ready, and the fight was declared a Unanimous Decision win for the Kazakh, Alibi Idiris. Matt Dixon vs. Alex Sanchez was decided as the matchup for Episode 6.

That wraps up an exciting episode of The Ultimate Fighter 33. We’ll recap each episode from the season as the show unfolds.

The post The Ultimate Fighter 33 Ep. 5: Brandon Moreno, Ryan Clark Inspire Team DC appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC flyweight, Jose Johnson. Johnson discusses his absolutely bonkers amateur career, which he says spans far more than Tapology can even fathom. He also talks about his reasons for fighting and how the intention never really was to make money. Plus, he digs into the reasons and when that changed, and he began to understand that he could do this at a high level. He’ll once again look to show that high level this Saturday against Felipe Bunes – and we break down the stylistic matchup of that fight as well.

Fights, Dogs, and Parlays: UFC Vegas 101 (14:53)

It seems like it’s been so long since UFC Tampa, but we’re finally back to UFC fights this weekend. UFC Vegas 101 kicks off the year from the Apex and is headlined by a rematch between Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas. Ribas picked up the win over five years ago, but we’ll discuss whether or not that matters and what to think of the fight now. Plus, we dig into some other fights on the card and give you our picks. And, as always, we have an underdog and a parlay that we think will make your wallet fat this weekend. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Furkatbek Yokubov Interview (26:05)

Closing out this UFC Vegas 101 edition of TTP is our interview with potential TUF flyweight, Furkatbek Yokubov. Yokubov shares his reasoning for coming to LFA and the violent spinning heel kick that got him loads of attention. Now, he’s turned his sights on the Ultimate Fighter, which is preparing a flyweight season. He explains where he is in the application process and how confident he is that it’ll happen. Plus, we also discuss how he’d feel being in the house.

The post TTP Ep. 462 with Jose Johnson, Furkatbek Yokubov and UFC Vegas 101 appeared first on Cageside Press.