Kai Asakura

UFC flyweight champion, Alexandre Pantoja, gave Kai Asakura a not so friendly welcome to the promotion in the main event on Saturday. Asakura had a decent showing lasting until the second round before being submitted. It was decent introduction for the Japanese star to many North American fans. Asakura will likely be ranked #3-7 in the rankings when they are updated.

A logical next matchup for Asakura would be the winner of Bruno Silva vs. Manel Kape. The pair fight next weekend on the final promotional card of the year, UFC Tampa. Asakura has extensive history with Kape as the pair’s first matchup came in 2018. Kai won a split decision but on New Year’s Eve 2019 he was stopped by Manel in the second round of their RIZIN title fight. Kape is 4-3 with the UFC since joining in 2021 and is ranked at #9. Bruno Silva is ranked at #12 in the flyweight division. And Silva has been on a roll since 2021. Bruno has won four fights in the time period, finished all four opponents, and scored four bonuses. The winner of this fight would either line Asakura up for a high stake’s trilogy matchup or a fight with a streaking fighter on a 5-fight win streak.

Kai’s next fight: Winner of Manel Kape vs. Bruno Silva

Ian Machado Garry

Shavkat Rakhmonov edged out Ian Machado Garry in a unanimous decision in the co-main event of UFC 310 on Saturday. Though he suffered his first professional MMA defeat, Garry became the first pro fighter to go the distance with Rakhmonov. Shavkat entered this title eliminator bout ranked at #3 while Garry was ranked at #7 in the welterweight division.

Ian Garry has a little history with a lot of fighters. Garry has documented beef with long-time top ranked welterweight, Colby Covington. Ian was booked to fight Joaquin Buckley next week in the main event of UFC Tampa. However, Garry rebooked, and Buckley is now slated to fight Covington. Ian should get the winner of the UFC Tampa main event as it’s a win-win situation. All three fighters have mic skills, all three fighters can sell fights and either matchup would be a good matchup from a stylistic standpoint. It all works out.

Ian’s next fight: Winner of Joaquin Buckley vs. Colby Covington

Alexander Volkov

Cyril Gane edged out Alexander Volkov in a pivotal fight for the heavyweight division on Saturday. Many, including UFC brass, thought that the #3 ranked, Volkov, had done enough to secure the victory. Gane entered the fight ranked at #2 in the division. Volkov has fought nearly everyone at the top of the division, and some fighters twice.

A rematch nearly five years in the making with Curtis Blaydes could make sense. However, Volkov was also matched up with #6 ranked, Jailton Almeida, earlier this year. Volkov rebooked and ended up fighting Alexandr Romanov who he finished in the first round. While Volkov won a unaimous decision against Sergei Pavlovich a couple weeks later. Almedia is slated to fight #7 ranked Serghei Spivac at UFC 311 next month. The winner of that bout makes a little more sense as its fresh blood for Volkov either way.

Alexander’s next fight: Jailton Almeida vs Serghei Spivac winner

Kron Gracie

Bryce Mitchell brutally KO’d Kron Gracie in the final round of their bout on the main card of UFC 310. Gracie has now lost three fights in a row since beating Alex Caceres in his promotional debut in 2019. Though Mitchell entered the fight ranked at #13, this loss was horrible for Gracie’s stock thanks to inactivity and the brutality of the finish.

Kron’s next fight should be against a guy like Jonathan Pearce. Jonathan shares a lot of commonalities with Gracie at the moment. Both men are on a three-fight losing streak. Though Pearce didn’t fight Bryce, he was matched up to fight him in 2023. But he had to pull out due to injury. Pearce was last in action back in October when he was submitted via rear naked choke. Loser of this bout should be on the short list to be cut from the promotion.

Kron’s next fight: Jonathan Pearce

Nate Landwehr

Doo-Ho Choi turned in a nearly flawless performance to start off the main card of UFC 310 with his third-round TKO of Nate Landwehr. Nate has now gone 2-2 in his last four fights but in both of his wins scored finishes and bonuses.

Landwehr is both brash and entertaining so a fight with another dangerous striker would be favorable. Nate should fight Julio Arce in his next bout. Arce was last in the cage against Herbert Burns back in March when he stopped his foe in the second round. Julio fights full throttle much like Landwehr but has had issues with weight cutting as he has come up from the bantamweight division and missed weight multiple times. At 6-4 in the UFC with wins over Dan Ige and a finish of Julian Erosa, Arce fun-to-watch, wildcard.

Nate’s next fight: Julio Arce 

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Fighting a man from the first family of MMA was a massive deal for Mitchell, but in a fight between two high-level grapplers it turned into a bit of messy fight. Any time the fight hit the ground it was because Gracie pulled guard.

“I thought I would do better with the punches, but I really didn’t have the option to not go to the ground with him,” Mitchell told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

“People don’t do that in training, people that I train with, I’ve never had somebody wrap their legs around me like that and pull me down.”

As much as this fight didn’t feel like it live up to the hype, Mitchell does have a good dancer partner in mind for his next fight.

“I want to fight DooHo Choi because he called me out and I think that’s what people want to see,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell (17-2) is one of the more opinionated fighters in the UFC. In a recent rant Mitchell criticized laws mandating wearing a seat belt while driving. UFC CEO Dana White, after the fight, had a hilarious moment with the winning Mitchell.

Dana White confirms he did tell Bryce Mitchell, “F*ck seatbelts.” #UFC310

🎥: @DoubleGonTV pic.twitter.com/j4eIDp9M5t

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) December 8, 2024

“He said ‘f*ck em’ word for word,” Mitchell laughed.

“He said ‘f*ck em’ dude.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Bryce Mitchell above.

The post Bryce Mitchell Shares Funny Moment With Dana White appeared first on Cageside Press.

With names like Chris Weidman and Aljamain Sterling on the prelims, the billing of Mitchell vs. Gracie alone stood out. Then there was Mitchell, still ranked #13 in the 145lb division after a year away, fighting an unranked opponent with just seven fights to his name. Still, Kron Gracie is a Gracie, and the idea of some slick exchanges on the mat no doubt motivated the matchmakers to book this one.

Within the first minute both fighters found themselves in the clinch, with Gracie pulling guard. Mitchell started throwing punches while in full guard, as Gracie searched for an opening. Each competitors remained in the same position for the rest of the round as Mitchell worked punches to the body of Gracie until the bell. The Arkansas native Mitchell was also a BJJ blackbelt and was defending well against the submissions threats of Gracie through five minutes.

To open the second, both fighters exchanged wild punches before Gracie again pulled guard with four minutes remaining in the round. Again the fight stalled in full guard as Mitchell remained in top position. Then suddenly out of nowhere Gracie threw up his legs attempting an armbar; Mitchell worked out of it but found himself in a triangle. Gracie again transitioned to an armbar that looked very deep. Mitchell was able to work his way out of the threat and land ground and pound until the bell. Wild grappling exchanges in round two brought life back to the Las Vegas crowd.

In the third, Mitchell landed a few big punches before the fight again hit the ground. This time Mitchell positioned himself to land a slam on Gracie after Kron pulled guard, then threw a massive elbow that landed flush on the temple. Gracie was separated from consciousness, laying stiff on the ground as the referee stopped the fight. A massive moment for the in the career of Mitchell, who got back into the win column after his devastating defeat to Josh Emmett. The legendary Gracie family hasn’t had a viable title contender in the UFC in decades, as Kron dropped his third straight.

Official Result: Bryce Mitchell def. Kron Gracie by KO (slam and elbows), Round 3, 0:39

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That was a May 2023 loss to Charles Jourdain, a performance that was highly criticized. Since then, it’s been a long road back for the BJJ expert and member of the famed Gracie family. During COVID, he made the move to Colorado and opened his own gym. More recently, he shut the facility down, and is now more focused on his own fighting career.

“Every fight, there’s always something to improve, win or lose. That’s basically how my life has been. Since then, I planned to fight sooner, but life got in the way,” Gracie said during Wednesday’s UFC 310 media day, speaking with outlets including Cageside Press. “So here we are right now, hoping to put on a good performance.”

Gracie is fighting Bryce Mitchell this Saturday in Las Vegas, a grappler vs. grappler bout that has many fans excited. It was, however, a seemingly late addition to the card, though that wasn’t exactly the case.

“I was aware a good amount before. I don’t know why the delay on the announcement [happened] or the delay in general,” noted Gracie. “There were some delays, but I feel like they were just busy, and probably trying to do a bunch of things at the same time.”

“It would be nice to have an announcement sooner, so I could have more people behind this, but it is what it is.”

The late announcement is par for the course with Gracie, who has fought sparingly since making his pro MMA debut in 2014. In ten years, he’s fought just seven times. UFC 310 will mark pro fight number eight, and if successful, he hopes to compete more often.

As for the mystique about him, “I think there is some mystery because I don’t really post everyday and kind of let everybody know what I’m doing, because there’s nothing really to say,” Gracie allowed. “I’m working on my life and doing things and if I’m training, I’m focused on training. I’m not always trying to promote it. But I’m not against it, if somebody wanted to promote it then I’d be open to that. But I think I’ve just kind of always have bigger priorities than to talk about what’s going on— but we’ll see in the future.”

Watch the full UFC 310 media day appearance by Kron Gracie above.

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Mitchell (16-2) will meet Kron Gracie (5-2) at the Pay-Per-View event in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 7, 2024. The booking was officially announced during Saturday’s UFC 309 broadcast, after Mitchell had previously teased he had fight news coming.

The booking comes as a bit of a surprise, given Gracie has been nowhere to be seen since a loss to Charles Jourdain in May of 2023, a fight that saw his performance heavily criticized. On the other hand, it pits two high-level grapplers against one another; Mitchell holds one of the only Twister submissions in UFC history, landed at UFC DC in 2019. Gracie is of course a member of the legendary Gracie family, and is a grandson of Brazilian jiu-jitsu co-founder Helio Gracie.

After a stint in RIZIN, Gracie signed with the UFC in 2019, going 1-1 that year, but not competing again until the Jourdain fight.

Mitchell was last in action at UFC 296, where he was brutally knocked out at the hands of Josh Emmett, one of the most frightening knockouts in recent memory. He holds notable wins over Edson Barboza, Dan Ige, and Andre Fili, among others.

UFC 310 is headlined by a flyweight title fight, as champion Alexandre Pantoja welcomes RIZIN’s Kai Asakura to the promotion. Shavkat Rakhmonov faces Ian Machado Garry in a number one contender’s bout that serves as the night’s co-main event.

The following match-ups have been reported for the UFC’s final PPV of 2024:

• Alexandre Pantoja (c) vs. Kai Asakura – for the UFC flyweight championship
• Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry – welterweight number one contender’s match
• Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
• Vicente Luque vs. Themba Gorimbo
• Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie
• Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
• Randy Brown vs. Bryan Battle
• Tallison Teixeira vs. Łukasz Brzeski
• Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
• Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
• Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
• Anthony Smith vs. Dominick Reyes
• Rizvan Kuniev vs. Martin Buday
• Nate Landwehr vs. Choi Doo-ho

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“Judo” Jim Wallhead Retires

Bellator MMA and UFC veteran Jim Wallhead announced his retirement following Cage Warriors 153 last weekend, after failing in his bid to unify the promotion’s welterweight title in Dublin, Ireland.

Wallhead, wrapping up his career with a professional record of 33-12, started the night as the promotion’s interim 170lb champ, but came up short against fellow UFC veteran Rhys McKee. Still, at 39, Wallhead managed to go on one final run and claim an interim belt in the U.K.’s largest regional promotion — winning a pair of fights in Bellator before shifting to Cage Warriors.

Starting his career in 2005, Wallhead had stops in M-1 and BAMMA, fighting for the BAMMA welterweight title in 2013. And he finished his career where it began: Wallhead made his pro debut at Cage Warriors: Quest 1 in 2005.

Wallhead holds notable wins over Frank Trigg, John Phillips, Che Mills, and Mateusz Figlak, among others.

"It's time to get home to the wife and kids" 😢

Not a dry eye in the 3Arena. THANK YOU Judo Jimmy, UK legend. pic.twitter.com/KNd9s37cnO

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) April 29, 2023

Kron Gracie wants to eliminate rounds from MMA

Kron Gracie didn’t have much to say during this past week’s UFC 288 media day, but he did open up just a little in a one-on-one with MMA Fighting. Of interest, Kron’s suggestion to eliminate rounds from MMA, and just have 15 and 25-minute fights.

The Gracie family member believes that modern mixed martial artists are at a level to make that happen, while fans are intelligent enough to adjust to the rule change.

“What I really think MMA needs is, instead of [more] rounds, is 15- or 25-minute rounds,” Gracie said. “I think that’s something that would change the result and bring more finishes on the feet and on the ground because when you have rounds, you have a break and time to think, your coach brings you water, and that changes the fight. It’s no longer a fight between you and the guy. I know it’s hard to have a fight with no time limit, but I think there should be no rounds. It should be a 15-minute fight, or a 25-minute fight. I think that would change the sport for the better. You would have more chances to fight and win with these rules.”

XMMA 6 winner Mitch Ramirez blasts Conor McGregor, wants UFC’s Dana White to give him his shot (back)

Mitch Ramirez says Conor McGregor got him booted off The Ultimate Fighter 31, and he wants another shot at making the UFC.

Ramirez picked up a TKO win over Jeremie Holloway at Wednesday’s XMMA 6 card in Myrtle Beach, SC, and took to the mic afterwards to plead his case.

“Anything’s possible, man. Seven years ago, I was in prison, I was a loser, I was a heroin addict, I was f*cking nothing, and I f*cking broke myself and built myself and I’m standing here talking to you now. So if you’ve got a problem, it doesn’t have to be the same as mine, do what you gotta f*cking do, and take what’s yours,” Ramirez told TUF 30 winner Juliana Miller, before addressing UFC President Dana White.

“I was supposed to be on The Ultimate Fighter, and I lost my spot because Conor McGregor came in with a couple of his little cronies and kicked me out last second. Dana White, you said you were going to give guys like me an opportunity in the UFC. I’m asking you now, please give me my opportunity. I belong in the UFC!”

White did say previously that anyone bumped from the show in favor of McGregor’s teammates would be afforded other opportunities. Seems like Ramirez has yet to receive his.

Amanda Serrano vs. Heather Hardy Co-Headlines Paul vs. Diaz card

Female featherweight boxers Amanda Serrano (44-2-1, 30 KOs) and Heather “Heat” Hardy (22-2, 1 NC, 4 KOs) will run it back in the co-main event of the August 5’s Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz card.

Most Valuable Promotions confirmed the news in a press release, following an initial report by ESPN.

Serrano beat Hardy via decision in their first meeting in 2019, capturing the WBO title in the process. Hardy has fought just once since, but Serrano has proven willing to engage nonetheless.

So what, right? This is the Sunday MMA Quick Hits, not the Boxing Quick Hits. Well, both Serrano and Hardy have tried their hand at MMA over the years. Serrano went 2-0-1 from 2018 to 2021, but hasn’t entered the cage since. She’s also 5-0 in submission grappling.

Hardy went 2-2 in a stint with Bellator MMA, meanwhile.

“Coach MacDaddy” roasts Cejudo following UFC 288 to Sterling

Conor McGregor rarely seems to miss a big UFC fight, and he was definitely paying attention to Aljamain Sterling’s win over Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 on Saturday.

He just couldn’t help himself afterwards, posting a video (later deleted, but the Internet remembers) mocking some of Cejudo’s feints in the fight.

Conor McGregor reacts to Aljamain Sterling beating Henry Cejudo in hilarious video 🤣😭 pic.twitter.com/cawwXNMUsa

— Best MMA Moments (@XcellentMMA) May 7, 2023

More importantly, though… what’s up with that hat?

The post Sunday MMA Quick Hits: Conor McGregor Roasts Cejudo, Bounced TUF 31 Fighter Wants His Shot appeared first on Cageside Press.

Both men had clear paths to victory; who could execute their game plan more effectively was the question.

Jourdain showed some fast hands early, sneaking through the guard of Gracie, then circling out of range of any counters. Gracie, however, managed to close the distance, pressing the Jourdain against the fence, only for the Canadian to fight him off. The next clinch attempt saw Jourdain throw Kron off him. Once out of danger, Jourdain found a home for his uppercut — repeatedly. He was also doing a good job listening to his corner, pushing Kron Gracie off of him the second his coach called for it.

Being frustrated on the feet, Gracie finally opted to pull guard. Jourdain stayed compact, holding his arms close to his head, making it hard for Gracie to grab anything. And when the opening came, Jourdain scampered back to his feet. Gracie would close the distance again with about 30 seconds to go, but Jourdain fought off the takedown attempt and found some space to escape. Jourdain finished the round landing a combo, the uppercut again finding a home.

Gracie and Jourdain both fired kicks early in the second; Gracie closed the distance, but couldn’t hang on to Jourdain. Gracie tried to pull guard, standing, and Jourdain held him up, pressing him against the fence. Eventually they’d slip down, Jourdain in Gracie’s guard — not where he wanted to be. Jourdain did stay a little more active on top this time, while Gracie tried throwing elbows off his back.

After more than a minute on the ground, Jourdain slipped out, moving back to the feet without Gracie having made much headway. Jourdain landed a three or four punch combo, though Gracie covered up, deflecting a fair bit of those strikes. Gracie found a home for a left hand in the final minute, then tied up along the fence and pulled guard once more.

The opening minute of round three played out on the feet, with Jourdain throwing more, and landing more. Gracie tried taking the fight to the fence, but Jourdain escaped. Again, his uppercut was on point. This round, however, Jourdain opted to target the body more than once. He mixed in a knee to cap off his next combo.

Gracie, meanwhile, was in need of a finish, and took the fight where he needed it by pulling guard. But with Jourdain again staying tight, hands close to his head, Gracie had nothing to grab on to. He appeared to be attempting to set up a sweep, to no avail. Instead, Jourdain escaped back up, while Gracie sat back in guard, inching towards him, scooting forward looking to lure Jourdain back down.

In the final minute, Jourdain pretty much landed at will, with Gracie offering nothing on the feet. Jourdain let loose with a flurry at the final bell, underscoring his efforts and a certain victory.

Official Result: Charles Jourdain def. Kron Gracie by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

The post UFC 288: Smart Game Plan, Stand-Up Lead Charles Jourdain to Victory Over Kron Gracie appeared first on Cageside Press.

Gracie (5-1), who has not competed since 2019, was in and out of the media room in under three minutes, giving short, concise answers to each and every question thrown his way.

Why is he getting back in the cage now, after being away so long? “I came back to get this fight sh*t poppin’ again.”

Was there ever a time when he felt like he didn’t want to come back? “No, I feel like they stopped the world, and I had to make certain moves in my life. And now we’re here.”

The Gracie family, of course, helped make the UFC what it is today, thirty years on from UFC 1. There, Kron’s uncle Royce Gracie won a single-night tournament utilizing his Brazilian jiu-jitsu prowess, a martial art little known to American audiences at the time.

For Kron, the 30th anniversary of the promotion holds no special meaning, however. “No,” was his monosyllabic response.

Gracie did open up a bit more about why he didn’t fight during the coronavirus pandemic, however.

“I couldn’t really fight in that situation. I had to move, and then move my gym, and get everything organized, ready to fight,” Gracie noted. “It’s already hard enough to fight when I had everything the way I wanted it. So I wasn’t going to start training for a fight if I didn’t have the right things in the right places.”

What did he do instead? Live a more rustic lifestyle, it seems. “Now I know how to chop wood and shovel snow a lot better.”

As for his opponent, Charles Jourdain, it appears the Canadian standout was simply a name Kron Gracie recognized.

“He was the best guy they offered me. That’s kind of it. I didn’t want to wait anymore for a different opponent. He was the only guy with kind of a name, only guy I’d heard of. So here we are.”

Watch the full UFC 288 media day appearance by Kron Gracie above.

The post UFC 288: Kron Gracie Ready “Get This Fight Sh*t Poppin’ Again,” Not Ready to Talk Much appeared first on Cageside Press.

Among a number of officially announced bouts is an appearance by Kron Gracie (5-1), not seen in action since 2019. He’ll make his long-awaited return against Canadian Charles Jourdain (13-6-1) in a featherweight match-up.

Gracie last fought in October 2019 in a Fight of the Night winning performance opposite UFC Hall of Famer Cub Swanson — though Gracie came up short in the fight, losing a unanimous decision. The loss was the first of Gracie’s professional career.

In his five fights prior, Gracie, a former RIZIN Fighting Federation athlete, had submitted all five of his opponents. In his UFC debut, he put away Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres inside of a round, earning a Performance of the Night bonus for that effort.

Kron Gracie is the son of Rickson Gracie, and nephew of UFC legend Royce Gracie. Meaning that going to the ground with him is a dicey prospect at best.

Jourdain has lost back-to-back fights, mostly recently dropping a decision against Nathaniel Wood at UFC Paris last September.

A flyweight match-up between Nate Maness and Zhalgas Zhumagulov was also revealed Tuesday. A bantamweight title fight between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo is expected to feature on the card, but has not been officially announced by the UFC.

UFC 288 in New Jersey on May 6, 2023 currently features the following reported match-ups:

• Aljamain Sterling (c) vs. Henry Cejudo — for the UFC bantamweight championship
• Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush
• Khaos Williams vs. Rolando Bedoya
• Johnny Muñoz Jr. vs. Daniel Santos
• Bryce Mitchell vs. Jonathan Pearce
• Marina Rodriguez vs. Virna Jandiroba
• Andre Petroski vs. Armen Petrosyan
• Devin Clark vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
• Jéssica Andrade vs. Yan Xiaonan
• Nate Maness vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
• Kron Gracie vs. Charles Jourdain

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When the UFC booked Kron Gracie against Cub Swanson at UFC Tampa, they no doubt understood the match-up they were making. Swanson is a showstopper, a fighter who always brings excitement. He was, however, struggling, on the worst slump of his career. Four straight losses. And prone to submission.

The numbers don’t lie. Swanson (26-11) had been submitted seven times heading into the fight with Gracie. As for Kron, well, the last name tells the story. Kron Gracie had won all his fights via submission, and entered the Fight Night event Saturday a perfect 5-0. His previous victim, Alex Caceres, had entered their bout with six submission losses.

Bruce Leeroy couldn’t get the job done. Cub Swanson did, dragging Gracie (5-1) into deep waters in what was at times a sloppy, but fun war. Swanson had the clear edge in the striking department, as expected. But Gracie went the distance, ultimately being handed his first loss.

The scrap took home Fight of the Night honors when all was said and done.

Your @ToyoTires FOTN! @CubSwanson 🆚 @KronGracie | 50k each! #UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/GWQPF6TKdy

— UFC (@ufc) October 13, 2019

Performance of the Night bonuses, meanwhile, went to Niko Price and Marlon Vera. Price (14-3, 1NC) knocked out the towering James Vick (13-5), not with a punch, but with an upkick in the first round. As rare a knockout as you’ll find these days.

Vera (15-5-1), meanwhile, finished Andre Ewell (15-6) in the third round, in a barrage of elbows and punches.

All four men will take home an extra $50,000 in post-fight bonus money.

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