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		<title>TUF 31 Finale Between Katona, Gibson Earns Fight of the Night at UFC 292</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/20/tuf-31-finale-katona-gibson-earns-fight-night-ufc-292/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Aug 2023 06:21:18 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brad Katona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cody Gibson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sean O'Malley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Ultimate Fighter 31]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC 292]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=172582</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>While recent Ultimate Fighter finales have been hit and miss, that changed at UFC 292 on Saturday, where TUF 31 wrapped up. And one of the two finals on the night, Brad Katona vs. Cody Gibson, took home Fight of the Night honors following an instant classic. Gibson and Katona had a somewhat mild but [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/20/tuf-31-finale-katona-gibson-earns-fight-night-ufc-292/" data-wpel-link="internal">TUF 31 Finale Between Katona, Gibson Earns Fight of the Night at UFC 292</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>While recent Ultimate Fighter finales have been hit and miss, that changed at UFC 292 on Saturday, where TUF 31 wrapped up. And one of the two finals on the night, Brad Katona vs. Cody Gibson, took home Fight of the Night honors following an instant classic.</p>
<p>Gibson and Katona had a somewhat mild but still present feud in the TUF house, with Gibson calling the SBG Ireland fighter a boring tape study. Their final at the TD Garden in Boston was anything but boring, however. Rather, Katona and Gibson had a back-and-forth war, with both men both inflicting and absorbing damage. Surprisingly, despite Katona&#8217;s grappling prowess, the fight played out pretty much entirely on the feet, with Katona taking home the win.</p>
<p>The night&#8217;s top two fighters picked up Performance of the Night at UFC 292. In the co-main event, Weili Zhang put on a dominant beatdown of Brazilian title challenger Amanda Lemos. The Chinese strawweight champ schooled Lemos on the ground early, and held her own on the feet as well.</p>
<p>One fight later, Sean O&#8217;Malley completed his ascent to superstardom, knocking out bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling, who had been on a record-setting nine-fight win streak. Many had doubted the &#8220;Sugar Show&#8221; fighter, expecting Sterling&#8217;s wrestling to come into play. It wasn&#8217;t the case.</p>
<p>All four fighters will pocket an extra $50,000 for their bonus-winning efforts. Attendance at the TD Garden, meanwhile, was 18,293 for a gate of $7.25 million.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/20/tuf-31-finale-katona-gibson-earns-fight-night-ufc-292/" data-wpel-link="internal">TUF 31 Finale Between Katona, Gibson Earns Fight of the Night at UFC 292</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>UFC 292: Brad Katona Reacts to Joe Rogan, Conor McGregor&#8217;s Praise</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/20/ufc-292-brad-katona-reacts-joe-rogan-conor-mcgregors-praise/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jake Noecker&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Aug 2023 06:01:57 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brad Katona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Ultimate Fighter 31]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC 292]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=172578</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Boston, MA — Making history on Saturday night at UFC 292 in Boston was Canadian bantamweight Brad Katona, who became the first fighter to win The Ultimate Fighter twice. Katona (13-2), who won TUF 27 in 2018 as a featherweight, defeated Cody Gibson to claim the TUF 31 135lb crown at the TD Garden — [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/20/ufc-292-brad-katona-reacts-joe-rogan-conor-mcgregors-praise/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 292: Brad Katona Reacts to Joe Rogan, Conor McGregor&#8217;s Praise</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Boston, MA — Making history on Saturday night at UFC 292 in Boston was Canadian bantamweight Brad Katona, who became the first fighter to win <em>The Ultimate Fighter </em>twice.</p>
<p>Katona (13-2), who won TUF 27 in 2018 as a featherweight, defeated Cody Gibson to claim the TUF 31 135lb crown at the TD Garden — a fight UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan suggested was reminiscent of Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar.</p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s almost emotional,&#8221; Katona responded when informed of Rogan&#8217;s words, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press backstage at the TD Garden. &#8220;I remember watching the first season of The Ultimate Fighter when I was 14 years old, just getting started in the sport. To be making history and winning it for the second time, that comparison being made by someone like Joe Rogan, man, that&#8217;s special. That&#8217;s awfully cool.&#8221;</p>
<p>Another big star had some supportive words for Brad Katona: his TUF 31 coach and SBG Ireland teammate Conor McGregor.</p>
<p>&#8220;<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Well done Brad Katona, your commitment and consistency is inspiring and motivating to us all at SBG! Think we are done? Think again,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1693062283327365346" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">McGregor wrote</a> in one tweet. In another, &#8220;And just like that, Team McGregor and SBG Ireland wins the Ultimate Fighter! Excellent performance Brad Katona, now the Champ Champ of The Ultimate Fighter!&#8221;</span></p>
<p>In response, Kartona noted &#8220;it&#8217;s cool. You can&#8217;t help put a smile on your face. I&#8217;ve been seeing Conor at the gym lately, it seems he has a big fight coming up. And it&#8217;s exciting times for SBG. Don&#8217;t doubt us. We never went anywhere.&#8221;</p>
<p>Of course, that big fight will likely come against rival TUF 31 coach Michael Chandler. But for now, SBG Ireland can celebrate — his coaches even suggested Katona &#8220;soak this in.&#8221; But asked what winning The Ultimate Fighter a second time meant to him, the 31-year old replied &#8220;everything and nothing.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;This isn&#8217;t the end goal. Winning it twice, it&#8217;s another step along the way,&#8221; Katona explained. &#8220;Obviously I&#8217;m going to be very proud of this, soak it in. But after that, this isn&#8217;t the end goal, this is not what I want to just hang my hat on. It&#8217;s going to be a very nice accolade that I can look back at the end of my career and be like &#8216;man that is pretty cool&#8217; I&#8217;ll probably be the only person to ever do it, quite frankly. I can&#8217;t foresee it happening again. This isn&#8217;t the end of the road, though. I&#8217;m eyeing that bantamweight title, and that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re working towards. That&#8217;s what we&#8217;re living every day.&#8221;</p>
<p><em>Watch the full UFC 292 post-fight press conference with Brad Katona above.</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/20/ufc-292-brad-katona-reacts-joe-rogan-conor-mcgregors-praise/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 292: Brad Katona Reacts to Joe Rogan, Conor McGregor&#8217;s Praise</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>UFC 292: Slick Submission Secures Another UFC Stint, Kurt Holobaugh Wins TUF 31 Crown Against Austin Hubbard</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/19/ufc-292-austin-hubbard-vs-kurt-holobaugh/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/19/ufc-292-austin-hubbard-vs-kurt-holobaugh/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Aug 2023 01:02:18 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Results & Recaps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Austin Hubbard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kurt Holobaugh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Ultimate Fighter 31]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC 292]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=172498</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Ultimate Fighter 31 lightweight finale went down at UFC 292, with a pair of Team Chandler fighters, Austin Hubbard and Kurt Holobaugh, throwing down for the TUF crown. Both men were UFC veterans, with Holobaugh looking for a third stint in the promotion, and Hubbard his second. One fight prior, Brad Katona had become [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/19/ufc-292-austin-hubbard-vs-kurt-holobaugh/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 292: Slick Submission Secures Another UFC Stint, Kurt Holobaugh Wins TUF 31 Crown Against Austin Hubbard</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Ultimate Fighter 31 lightweight finale went down at UFC 292, with a pair of Team Chandler fighters, Austin Hubbard and Kurt Holobaugh, throwing down for the TUF crown.</p>
<p>Both men were UFC veterans, with Holobaugh looking for a third stint in the promotion, and Hubbard his second. One fight prior, Brad Katona had become the TUF 31 bantamweight champ, making history as the first two-time Ultimate Fighter winner in the process.</p>
<p>Holobaugh and Hubbard wouldn&#8217;t have that historic opportunity, but the stakes were high nonetheless.</p>
<p>Like Gibson and Katona before them, Hubbard and Holobaugh got right to work on Saturday. After an early exchange, Hubbard got the fight down, landing the takedown with Holobaugh forced to fight off his back. Holobaugh stayed active, looking to scramble, but gave up his neck momentarily before finally making it up. Back on the feet, Holobaugh led with his hands, working in some kicks and forcing Hubbard to retreat.</p>
<p>The second takedown of the round for Hubbard came off a trip with just under 90 seconds remaining. That halted Holobagh&#8217;s momentum and allowed Hubbard to get in a few ground strikes before looking for a choke. But Holobaugh regained his feet with about 30 seconds to go. By the time the horn sounded, Hubbard&#8217;s ear was leaking a bit of blood.</p>
<p>Round two saw Kurt Holobaugh find a home for his right hand early. That led to a back-and-forth exchange, with Holobaugh again getting the better of things. Hubbard wound up dropping to his knees with Holobaugh taking the back with one hook in. Tight up against the fence, Holobaugh didn&#8217;t have a ton of room to work, but hunted the rear-naked choke regardless. From there, he transitioned to mount, and when Hubbard used the fence to try and escape, Holobaugh snatched an arm then transitioned to a triangle. That was in tight, and Hubbard was forced to tap!</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">HOLOBAUGH GETS THE TAP!!<a href="https://twitter.com/KurtHolobaugh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">@KurtHolobaugh</a> is <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TUF31?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">#TUF31</a> Lightweight winner! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFC292?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">#UFC292</a> <a href="https://t.co/KXHHPzZ1pE" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/KXHHPzZ1pE</a></p>
<p>&mdash; UFC (@ufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1693065169897705743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">August 20, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>With a smart showing on the feet and absolutely slick finish on the ground, Kurt Holobaugh earned himself The Ultimate Fighter 31 lightweight crown, and a new UFC deal.</p>
<p><em><strong>Official Result: Kurt Holobaugh def. Austin Hubbard by submission (triangle), Round 2, 2:39</strong> </em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/19/ufc-292-austin-hubbard-vs-kurt-holobaugh/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 292: Slick Submission Secures Another UFC Stint, Kurt Holobaugh Wins TUF 31 Crown Against Austin Hubbard</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>UFC 292: Brad Katona Makes History, Defeats Cody Gibson to Become Two-Time TUF Champion</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/19/ufc-292-brad-katona-cody-gibson/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/19/ufc-292-brad-katona-cody-gibson/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jamie Theodosi]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Aug 2023 00:41:57 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Results & Recaps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brad Katona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cody Gibson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Ultimate Fighter 31]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC 292]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=172496</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Ultimate Fighter 31 bantamweight final kicked off the televised prelims at UFC 292, with Canada&#8217;s Brad Katona looking to become the first-ever two-time TUF champ when he took on Cody Gibson. On a mostly drama-free season of the reality fighting series, Katona and Gibson had showed just a little animosity, with Gibson calling the [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/19/ufc-292-brad-katona-cody-gibson/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 292: Brad Katona Makes History, Defeats Cody Gibson to Become Two-Time TUF Champion</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Ultimate Fighter 31 bantamweight final kicked off the televised prelims at UFC 292, with Canada&#8217;s Brad Katona looking to become the first-ever two-time TUF champ when he took on Cody Gibson.</p>
<p>On a mostly drama-free season of the reality fighting series, Katona and Gibson had showed just a little animosity, with Gibson calling the SBG Ireland athlete a &#8220;boring&#8221; fighter. Katona had responded by suggesting Gibson&#8217;s talk was the product of fear.</p>
<p>The fight began with Katona putting on some forward pressure with Gibson doing well to evade most the strikes coming his way. Gibson began to work on the front foot but found himself getting caught with a right hand over the top. &#8220;The Renegade&#8221; began defending the strikes whilst throwing back himself and momentarily landed a big right hand on the chin of Katona. Gibson attempted to land an unorthodox standing hammer fist but didn&#8217;t find a home for it. As Katona began to try and close the long distance, Gibson&#8217;s right hand just kept landing flush on the chin of Katona. With just 30 seconds left of round one, the two clinched up in the centre of the Octagon whilst both trying to land their big strikes.</p>
<p>Straightaway in round two both men picked up where they left off and traded blows in the centre of the cage. Gibson&#8217;s size and pressure seemed to be working well for him, but Katona showed no signs of slowing down. A fast 1-2 landed for Gibson as Katona looked to work off his counter jab. As well as putting on hellacious forward pressure, Gibson started landing slick hooks to the body and Katona started to slow down momentarily. Having said that, just halfway into the round Katona landed a big right hook of his own, but Gibson carried on trying to walk him down. The damage began to wear on Katona and swelling began to be clearly visible beside Katona&#8217;s left eye. The Canadian then landed a big right hand stumbling Gibson back out of his pressure. It seemed as though Katona had found a second wind and was going into the final round with all the momentum.</p>
<p>The UFC broadcast began speculating that Brad Katona had informed his corner about and injury to his knee, but he didn&#8217;t seem to be hindered by anything. Katona ripped a 1-2 to the body after Gibson over-extended slightly. Not long after though, Gibson landed a big right hand of his own and Katona moved back out of danger rapidly. With just over two minutes left, Gibson landed another big right counter strike, rocking Katona again. The two men visually began to weather and although Katona came extremely close to finishing the fight, Gibson rocked the Canadian with a huge uppercut.</p>
<p>There were two unfortunate eventualities when the final horn sounded. One that the fight was over, and two was that one of these men wouldn&#8217;t be awarded with a UFC contract. It was Katona taking it on the scorecards, in what turned out to be a thrilling fight.</p>
<p><strong><em>Official Result: Brad Katona def. Cody Gibson via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)</em></strong></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/19/ufc-292-brad-katona-cody-gibson/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 292: Brad Katona Makes History, Defeats Cody Gibson to Become Two-Time TUF Champion</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>UFC 292: Austin Hubbard Feels He&#8217;s &#8220;Better In Every Area&#8221; Compared to Holobaugh</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/19/ufc-292-austin-hubbard-interview/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jake Noecker&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Aug 2023 16:52:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Austin Hubbard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Ultimate Fighter 31]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC 292]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=172454</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Boston, MA — After witnessing the violent TUF 31 lightweight semifinal clash between Kurt Holobaugh and Jason Knight, Austin Hubbard knows what is in store for him at UFC 292 on Saturday night. Hubbard (15-6) is the other half of the finale against Holobaugh, who battered Knight to advance. And Hubbard is game for what&#8217;s [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/19/ufc-292-austin-hubbard-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 292: Austin Hubbard Feels He&#8217;s &#8220;Better In Every Area&#8221; Compared to Holobaugh</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Boston, MA — After witnessing the violent TUF 31 lightweight semifinal clash between Kurt Holobaugh and Jason Knight, Austin Hubbard knows what is in store for him at UFC 292 on Saturday night.</p>
<p>Hubbard (15-6) is the other half of the finale against Holobaugh, who battered Knight to advance. And Hubbard is game for what&#8217;s to come.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is what we signed up for. When we step up in the cage, that&#8217;s what we both try bringing,&#8221; he told Cageside Press recently. &#8220;I&#8217;m anticipating it, I&#8217;m expecting it, and I&#8217;ll be ready for it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Breaking down<em> The Ultimate Fighter 31</em> lightweight finale, Hubbard acknowledged that &#8220;stylistically, he is tough, he is good on his feet. He&#8217;s a black belt on the ground.&#8221; The difference, he suggested, &#8220;will be my ability to neutralize his wrestling, neutralize his jiu-jitsu.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I think I&#8217;m a little bit more dynamic in my striking, have a little more options. A little bit more movement. It&#8217;ll be a great fight nonetheless, but I just feel I&#8217;m a little better in every area.&#8221;</p>
<p>In terms of what Austin Hubbard might do differently in his second UFC tenure, he explained that &#8220;I feel like I let go of a lot of pressure that I held onto myself, and it kind of allowed me to be a little more free now. And just fight how I know I can fight, not kind of be a slow starter as I&#8217;ve been labelled in the past. Just come out, round one and start getting to work right away, not starting slow.&#8221;</p>
<p>Hubbard&#8217;s TUF 31 coach Michael Chandler will be in attendance for UFC 292, and at some point, he hopes to get a chance to train further with &#8220;Iron&#8221; Mike at Kill Cliff FC.</p>
<p>&#8220;I actually kind of plan on going down there sometime this fall, touching base with everyone, saying hi,&#8221; said Hubbard. &#8220;Getting a little training in, little vacation getaway for the family and I can go train a little bit.&#8221;</p>
<p>Once his UFC 292 fight with Holobaugh is in the books, Hubbard also wants to share a card with his former coach.</p>
<p>&#8220;I would love to get on that Conor-Chandler card. I hear December 16, I&#8217;m not sure how true that is or not, but if that is the case, I would love to get on that card and be on the same card as the coaches.&#8221;</p>
<p><em>Watch our full interview with UFC 292&#8217;s Austin Hubbard above.</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/19/ufc-292-austin-hubbard-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 292: Austin Hubbard Feels He&#8217;s &#8220;Better In Every Area&#8221; Compared to Holobaugh</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>UFC 292: Brad Katona Says McGregor-Chandler Will Be &#8220;Eddie Alvarez Fight All Over Again&#8221;</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/17/ufc-292-brad-katona-mcgregor-chandler/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jake Noecker&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Aug 2023 20:38:47 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brad Katona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Ultimate Fighter 31]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC 292]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=172262</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Boston, MA — Canada&#8217;s Brad Katona has had an interesting road to his The Ultimate Fighter 31 final at UFC 292 this Saturday. Having won TUF 27 at featherweight a few years back, only to be released after four fights with the company, Katona (12-2) has the chance to become the first fighter in UFC [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/17/ufc-292-brad-katona-mcgregor-chandler/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 292: Brad Katona Says McGregor-Chandler Will Be &#8220;Eddie Alvarez Fight All Over Again&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Boston, MA — Canada&#8217;s Brad Katona has had an interesting road to his <em>The Ultimate Fighter 31</em> final at UFC 292 this Saturday.</p>
<p>Having won TUF 27 at featherweight a few years back, only to be released after four fights with the company, Katona (12-2) has the chance to become the first fighter in UFC history to win two Ultimate Fighter crowns.</p>
<p>The SBG Ireland bantamweight faces Cody Gibson on Saturday in Boston, and feels his road to this point has been harder than most.</p>
<p>&#8220;I knew it was going to be a hard road. I hoped it wouldn&#8217;t be this difficult, but here we are,&#8221; Katona told media outlets including Cageside Press during Wednesday&#8217;s UFC 292 media day. &#8220;Maybe everyone just thinks their journey is going to be the hardest, because that&#8217;s all they know. But mine feels like it was pretty hard, and it&#8217;s hardened me. I&#8217;m excited to show it on Saturday.&#8221;</p>
<p>Going through the Ultimate Fighter process a second time, &#8220;it was so much worse. So much worse,&#8221; Katona added. &#8220;The first time I did it, I said &#8216;that was cool, but I hope I never have to do it again.&#8217; That is in one sentence. There you go.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;After doing it a second time, I certainly don&#8217;t want to have to do it again. It was difficult. You had it at bantamweight instead of featherweight, the notice I had was maybe nine days. So it was a grind, but we got there, and look what I did with no preparation.&#8221;</p>
<p>If there was any drama on <em>The Ultimate Fighter 31</em> — and there wasn&#8217;t much — it seemed to center around Brad Katona. A teammate of Conor McGregor at SBG Ireland, as a veteran, Katona was part of Michael Chandler&#8217;s opposing team. After the opening round, however, Katona switched sides to train alongside McGregor. And he appeared to butt heads with Cody Gibson, though Katona isn&#8217;t overly upset about how he was portrayed on the show.</p>
<p>&#8220;Watching it back, I don&#8217;t think they portrayed me poorly. I think there&#8217;s a lot more they could have shown, but I feel at least it&#8217;s been mixed, and maybe it&#8217;s created some controversy or something of interest in the show,&#8221; said Katona. &#8220;Because I felt they were erring more on the side of pure sports— here&#8217;s the training session, here&#8217;s the fight, that&#8217;s about it. I felt my episodes were pretty good though, so I was happy about that.&#8221;</p>
<p>Michael Chandler has predicted a Gibson knockout this Saturday, while Gibson himself said Katona was the most boring tape study he&#8217;s ever had. Katona responded to both on Wednesday.</p>
<p>&#8220;So Chandler still doesn&#8217;t like me? Okay. I don&#8217;t know why he has a little vendetta against me, maybe it&#8217;s because I switched teams, maybe because I&#8217;ve been successful or put up resistance,&#8221; said Katona. &#8220;I heard him say if he was in my shoes, he&#8217;d be doing the exact same thing. So that&#8217;s kind of funny. Not unexpected.&#8221;</p>
<p>Responding to Gibson&#8217;s jibe, Katona added &#8220;Do I care about Cody&#8217;s opinion, really? No. Not at all, no.&#8221;</p>
<p>Later, he would suggest Gibson&#8217;s trash talking on the show, which happened ahead of Katona&#8217;s semifinal fight with Timur Valiev, boiled down to fear, and Gibson not wanting to fight him.</p>
<p>&#8220;I can see right through it. It&#8217;s just, it&#8217;s fear. All that, saying &#8216;ahh I&#8217;m boring, I&#8217;m this.&#8217; He&#8217;s scared of the grappling. I think after the Timur fight, he&#8217;s scared of the striking. It all stems in fear,&#8221; Katona exclaimed. &#8220;Why would he be doing this if it wasn&#8217;t out of fear? Why would he be trying to throw me off? Because he didn&#8217;t like me? We lived in that house for four weeks together, and we didn&#8217;t really argue. Maybe I ordered too many groceries for his liking, and that&#8217;s what he didn&#8217;t like.&#8221;</p>
<p>Just as Michael Chandler picked against him, Katona is picking against his former TUF 31 coach when it comes to the anticipated fight between &#8220;Iron&#8221; Mike and Conor McGregor. &#8220;I think it&#8217;s the Eddie Alvarez fight all over again.&#8221;</p>
<p><em>Watch the full UFC 292 media day appearance by Brad Katona above.</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/17/ufc-292-brad-katona-mcgregor-chandler/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 292: Brad Katona Says McGregor-Chandler Will Be &#8220;Eddie Alvarez Fight All Over Again&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>UFC 292: Kurt Holobaugh Says TUF 31 &#8220;One of the Best Things to Ever Happen to My Career&#8221;</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/16/ufc-292-kurt-holobaugh-tuf-31/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jake Noecker&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Aug 2023 21:05:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kurt Holobaugh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Ultimate Fighter 31]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC 292]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=172202</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Boston, MA — Ahead of his first UFC fight in four years — the TUF 31 lightweight finale at UFC 292 this weekend — Kurt Holobaugh is &#8220;just living it up,&#8221; he said on Wednesday. &#8220;Just enjoying my time out here, enjoying being back where I feel I truly belong,&#8221; Holobaugh (19-7, 1NC) told media [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/16/ufc-292-kurt-holobaugh-tuf-31/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 292: Kurt Holobaugh Says TUF 31 &#8220;One of the Best Things to Ever Happen to My Career&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Boston, MA — Ahead of his first UFC fight in four years — the TUF 31 lightweight finale at UFC 292 this weekend — Kurt Holobaugh is &#8220;just living it up,&#8221; he said on Wednesday.</p>
<p>&#8220;Just enjoying my time out here, enjoying being back where I feel I truly belong,&#8221; Holobaugh (19-7, 1NC) told media outlets including Cageside Press at the UFC 292 media day in Boston. &#8220;I&#8217;m ready to fight.&#8221;</p>
<p><em>The Ultimate Fighter 31</em>, which finished airing earlier this week, brought back returning veterans like Holobaugh and paired them up with young prospects in the bantamweight and lightweight divisions. Seven of eight fighters to make it to the semifinal round were UFC veterans. All four finalists, including Austin Hubbard, who Holobaugh will face for the TUF crown at UFC 292, are UFC vets.</p>
<p>The show turned out to be a huge blessing for the 36-year old, who has had two previous stints in the organization.</p>
<p>&#8220;Overall, amazing experience. Can&#8217;t recommend that show enough for young and up-and-coming fighters.&#8221; Holobaugh added he truly doesn&#8217;t understand why fighters in the past have struggled to handle being sequestered for the show and have gone home. &#8220;I sacrificed a lot to go on that show, but that show is probably going to turn out to be one of the best things to ever happen to my career.&#8221;</p>
<p>Holobaugh is 0-4 in the UFC, losing a one-off fight in 2013 after his former home, Strikeforce, was absorbed into the larger company. He returned to the UFC by way of the Contender Series in 2017, but went 0-3 before being released a second time.</p>
<p>Constantly bouncing back as he has, &#8220;I think it just says I don&#8217;t stop, I keep trying to pursue my dreams,&#8221; said Holobaugh. &#8220;And keep pursuing the goals that I set out for myself.&#8221;</p>
<p>As for fighting an opponent who was a teammate on TUF 31, Holobaugh isn&#8217;t too concerned. His coaches warned him early on not to show too much in training.</p>
<p>&#8220;Do your thing, train hard, but don&#8217;t show everything,&#8221; was their advice, said Holobaugh. &#8220;And I definitely don&#8217;t think that I did, I think that I&#8217;m definitely a lot better than a lot of guys in the house gave me credit for, as they found out in that last fight [with Jason Knight].&#8221;</p>
<p>Beyond that, &#8220;I think training and fighting is 100% different,&#8221; Holobaugh added. &#8220;Even if I did think he was weak in some certain areas, a fight&#8217;s always different.&#8221;</p>
<p><em>Watch the full UFC 292 media day appearance by Kurt Holobaugh above.</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/16/ufc-292-kurt-holobaugh-tuf-31/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 292: Kurt Holobaugh Says TUF 31 &#8220;One of the Best Things to Ever Happen to My Career&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Ultimate Fighter 31 Regular Season Wraps, Bantamweight Final Set</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/16/the-ultimate-fighter-31-regular-season-wraps/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/16/the-ultimate-fighter-31-regular-season-wraps/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Aug 2023 04:00:27 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cody Gibson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rico DiSciullo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Ultimate Fighter 31]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=172143</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The final instalment of The Ultimate Fighter 31 arrived on Tuesday night, with one last bantamweight fight between Team Chandler&#8217;s Cody Gibson and Team McGregor&#8217;s Rico DiSciullo. DiSciullo is the only Team McGregor to advance to the semfinals on TUF 31, though Brad Katona, McGregor&#8217;s teammate at SBG Ireland, jumped ship after the opening round, [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/16/the-ultimate-fighter-31-regular-season-wraps/" data-wpel-link="internal">The Ultimate Fighter 31 Regular Season Wraps, Bantamweight Final Set</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The final instalment of <em>The Ultimate Fighter 31</em> arrived on Tuesday night, with one last bantamweight fight between Team Chandler&#8217;s Cody Gibson and Team McGregor&#8217;s Rico DiSciullo.</p>
<p>DiSciullo is the only Team McGregor to advance to the semfinals on TUF 31, though Brad Katona, McGregor&#8217;s teammate at SBG Ireland, jumped ship after the opening round, the only fighter to switch teams.</p>
<p><em>We&#8217;re recapping every episode of TUF 31 this season. Spoilers follow, turn back now if you&#8217;re not up-to-date!</em></p>
<p>Cody Gibson and Katona get into it in the TUF house during episode 12. &#8220;I&#8217;m going to hurt you in the finals. Because all you&#8217;re going to do is hump my leg,&#8221; Gibson complains about a hypothetical match-up in the final. &#8220;That&#8217;s all you do. You&#8217;re afraid to fight. Let&#8217;s face the facts. You&#8217;re absolutely scared sh*tless.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re just trying to get under my skin,&#8221; Katona retorted. He went to point out for that a fighter who&#8217;s &#8220;scared,&#8221; he&#8217;s returned to The Ultimate Fighter a second time (after winning it once), and would do it again.</p>
<p>&#8220;Just my existence angers him. His existence doesn&#8217;t bother me one bit,&#8221; Katona tells the cameras.</p>
<p>Of course, Gibson needs to win his way into the final before he worries about Katona, who has already secured a spot there.</p>
<p>DiSciullo opens the fight with a leg kick, but winds up taken down while out of position. Gibson then takes the back, raining down ground n&#8217; pound and getting a body triangle on. DiSciullo fights the wrists, and manages to scramble out of the body triangle, but he can&#8217;t make it back to his feet. More ground fighting sees Gibson get the body lock back on. DiSciullo rolls to his back, and Gibson moves to mount, landing smashing elbows and a ridiculous amount of ground n&#8217; pound. DiSciullo covers up, and the ref takes a look but opts to let it continue. DiSciullo actually briefly escapes and moves to his feet, but is soon dragged back down, and this time Gibson catches him in an arm-triangle choke. That brought about the tap — and it&#8217;s Cody Gibson moving to the final!</p>
<p>That means it will be Gibson vs. Katona in the bantamweight  final, which arrives at UFC 292 in Boston, MA this weekend.</p>
<p>&#8220;I do not take him lightly, but I don&#8217;t see him as much of a fighter. He&#8217;s afraid to fight,&#8221; Gibson says after the win. &#8220;For me, this is business as usual,&#8221; Katona tells the camera.</p>
<p>On to the final. Kurt Holobaugh vs. Austin Hubbard represent the lightweight side. But before that, the coaches face off. UFC President Dana White says the pair will indeed fight, though no date is announced. Chandler and McGregor stare down. &#8220;I wish it was right now,&#8221; an amped up McGregor exclaims.</p>
<p>The format this season played out as expected, and might have been the show&#8217;s biggest detriment. Putting newcomers (especially when the best now seem to go to the Contender Series) against seasoned UFC veterans was never going to turn out well for the rookies. And it didn&#8217;t. While McGregor will take flack for skipping weigh-ins and being the coach of record, ultimately the one-sided season was obvious from the outset — but at least we got some solid fights.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/16/the-ultimate-fighter-31-regular-season-wraps/" data-wpel-link="internal">The Ultimate Fighter 31 Regular Season Wraps, Bantamweight Final Set</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Ultimate Fighter 31: McGregor Wins Coaches Challenge, Knight and Holobaugh Face Off</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/08/the-ultimate-fighter-31-coaches-challenge-knight-holobaugh/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/08/the-ultimate-fighter-31-coaches-challenge-knight-holobaugh/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Aug 2023 03:12:48 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jason Knight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kurt Holobaugh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Ultimate Fighter 31]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=171400</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The lightweight semifinals continued on the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter 31, which arrived Tuesday night following the debut of Dana White&#8217;s Contender Series Season 7. The eleventh and penultimate episode of the season had Jason Knight fighting Kurt Holobaugh, a pair of UFC veterans who sounded game to face off, and share a [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/08/the-ultimate-fighter-31-coaches-challenge-knight-holobaugh/" data-wpel-link="internal">The Ultimate Fighter 31: McGregor Wins Coaches Challenge, Knight and Holobaugh Face Off</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The lightweight semifinals continued on the latest episode of <em>The Ultimate Fighter 31,</em> which arrived Tuesday night following the debut of <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/08/dana-whites-contender-series-season-7-week-1-results/" data-wpel-link="internal"><em>Dana White&#8217;s Contender Series Season 7.</em></a></p>
<p>The eleventh and penultimate episode of the season had<a href="http://cagesidepress.com/tag/jason-knight/" data-wpel-link="internal"> Jason Knight</a> fighting Kurt Holobaugh, a pair of UFC veterans who sounded game to face off, and share a beer after. The pair were supposed to fight ten years back, Knight revealed early in Tuesday&#8217;s episode, but the bout fell through.</p>
<p><em>We&#8217;re recapping each and every episode of The Ultimate Fighter 31 this year — this is your chance to turn back if you&#8217;re not up-to-date with the show!</em></p>
<p>Coach Michael Chandler is calling this fight &#8220;The Battle of the Bayou.&#8221; Holobaugh hails from Louisiana, while Knight is originally from Mississippi. Once again this week, Chandler says there&#8217;s going to be minimal cornering, since it&#8217;s teammate versus teammate.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s never a dull moment when Jason Knight&#8217;s inside that octagon,&#8221; Knight says ahead of his semifinal fight.</p>
<p>Chandler sees the fight as being &#8220;so close,&#8221; calling it one of the most evenly matched fights they could have on TUF 31. Close on the ground, close on the feet. He notes Holobaugh&#8217;s power, however.</p>
<p>We then arrive at the coaches challenge, which is &#8220;cold plunge trivia.&#8221; Coaches Chandler and Conor McGregor have to sit in a cold plunge (ice bath) while answering trivia questions, in a competition hosted by Bruce Buffer. The contest is three rounds, with a fourth round in the event of a tie. Round one is general UFC history, round two is TUF trivia, and round three consists of questions pertaining to the coaches themselves. That round is worth double points; if anyone quits due to the cold, they lose.</p>
<p>Conor and Chandler both flub the first question (who did Mark Coleman beat to win the UFC 10 tournament?), they both nail the second question. Overall, McGregor&#8217;s UFC history proves sharper, and he wins the round 5-3. After round two, Conor is up 10-8, and the ice bath is starting to take its toll. Points are doubled in the final round, and it comes down to the final question for Conor: he either wins, or they go to the fourth round. Conor gets it! It might have been a guess, but he accurately selects the number of TKO wins on Chandler&#8217;s record.</p>
<p>Winning the coaches challenge, and getting his guys paid, McGregor is upbeat. Weigh-ins arrive, and Knight leads a little prayer in the face-off. He then gets to call home and announce that he&#8217;s in the semifinals.</p>
<p>When the semifinals arrive, it&#8217;s Team Chandler vs. Team Chandler, with McGregor watching as a spectator. Holobaugh presses the action, and right away, there are some really crisp exchanges. These two came to fight. A clinch sees Knight reverse along the fence, but he eats an elbow off the break, and Holobaugh backs him up to the other side of the octagon. Knight goes down off a caught kick, but Holobaugh opts to remain standing. A whole lotta action, and we&#8217;re just a minute in. Holobaugh connects with a right hand; Knight is already bloodied. Holobaugh mixes in a shot to the body. Another fierce exchange plays out. The only one doing any coaching is McGregor, who actually calls out to both guys at times. But for the most part it&#8217;s dead silence besides the time being called out.</p>
<p>As the round wears on, Holobaugh is pouring it on. Knight is taking a drubbing, but rips a high kick. The exchange that preceded it draws a warning from the ref for Knight having his fingers extended. The longer this goes on, the more you wish it was in front of a crowd.</p>
<p>No question, Holobaugh won the opening round. His corner is a little more reserved. &#8220;You probably won that round. Not by a lot, but you probably won,&#8221; they tell him. In the second, Holobaugh is right back on the attack, taking it to Knight, who fires a low kick. Then goes higher. Holobaugh&#8217;s accuracy is just plain better; Knight is hitting air, Holobaugh is hitting the mark. Knight starts ripping kicks from both sides, but Holobaugh has him hemmed in against the cage. He gets a clinch on, fires knees, but has to cover up as Knight returns fire. Near the midway mark, Knight is having a bit of a resurgence. But Holobaugh comes back, unloads, mixes in a knee, and tees off on Knight, who his backed up to the cage! Knight finally goes down, and a couple more strikes, punches and elbows, seal the deal for Holobaugh!</p>
<p>Calling the TKO win a dream come true, Holobaugh heads to the finals to take on Austin Hubbard. As for Knight, he needs a CT scan after taking some serious damage in the fight. &#8220;I&#8217;m not too upset about it, I lost to my buddy. I&#8217;m going back to the UFC with or without a win tonight,&#8221; says Knight.</p>
<p>One more TUF 31 episode to go!</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/08/the-ultimate-fighter-31-coaches-challenge-knight-holobaugh/" data-wpel-link="internal">The Ultimate Fighter 31: McGregor Wins Coaches Challenge, Knight and Holobaugh Face Off</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>Brad Katona Rejoins Team McGregor, Endures Bloody Battle with Timur Valiev in TUF 31 Semifinal</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/02/brad-katona-tuf-31-timur-valiev/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/02/brad-katona-tuf-31-timur-valiev/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:34:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brad Katona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Ultimate Fighter 31]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Timur Valiev]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=170897</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Canadian bantamweight Brad Katona faced Timur Valiev on the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter 31 — and became the first fighter to switch teams in the process. The semifinals have arrived (they kicked off last week), and with Conor McGregor going 1-7 as a coach this year, there was a real question as to [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/02/brad-katona-tuf-31-timur-valiev/" data-wpel-link="internal">Brad Katona Rejoins Team McGregor, Endures Bloody Battle with Timur Valiev in TUF 31 Semifinal</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Canadian bantamweight Brad Katona faced Timur Valiev on the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter 31 — and became the first fighter to switch teams in the process.</p>
<p>The semifinals have arrived (they kicked off last week), and with Conor McGregor going 1-7 as a coach this year, there was a real question as to what was going to happen with the surplus of talent on rival Michael Chandler&#8217;s team. Fighters were given the chance to switch teams, and Katona — a teammate of McGregor under John Kavanagh at SBG Ireland — is the only one to make the jump.</p>
<p><em>We&#8217;re recapping each and every episode of The Ultimate Fighter 31 this season — if you&#8217;re trying to avoid spoilers, turn back now until you&#8217;re caught up!</em></p>
<p>Chandler has no hard feelings about the switch, admitting that Katona will probably perform better under his longtime coach. McGregor, meanwhile, focuses on balance in training.</p>
<p>&#8220;Pound for pound, Timur is easily the strongest guy in this competition,&#8221; Chandler proclaims. Valiev was definitely one of the favorites heading into the season.</p>
<p>No issues at the weigh-ins, and no surprise there given both fighters are UFC veterans.</p>
<p>Katona presses forward early in the fight itself, getting his hands going. Valiev stays on the outside, using his movement and flashing a few feints and kicks. A minute in, Katona takes the fight to the fence and lands a takedown, but he&#8217;s also cut bad, leaking blood. Valiev, meanwhile, is very mobile off his back and manages to scramble up. Katona goes right back on the attack, finding some success with his left hand. Valiev&#8217;s kicks continue to be money.</p>
<p>Luckily for Katona, the cut is on the side/under the eye, so while it&#8217;s a gory scene, the blood doesn&#8217;t appear to impede his vision any. Later in the round, however, Valiev catches a kick, dumping Katona on his back. He looks to throw up a submission, and soon scrambles out. Valiev ends the frame with a mat return in what turned out to be a very spirited round from both fighters.</p>
<p>The general consensus from both corners between rounds is that Valiev took it, though his own team adds &#8220;not by much.&#8221; McGregor wants Katona to add in a backhand. Round two sees Katona find a home for his left hand again early. Valiev&#8217;s kicks? Just as nasty as they were in the first. He goes low then high with a kick and follows up with a left hand of his own. Neither man shows any sign of slowing. Katona doubles up on a left, and fights off a takedown after Valiev closes the distance and looks to change levels.</p>
<p>In another closely contested round, it&#8217;s Katona looking to finish strong. He closes the distance with about a minute to go, pinning Valiev on the fence. A positional battle ensues; Katona fires some knees, and Valiev fights hands. But coming off the fence, it&#8217;s Valiev landing a throw just ahead of the buzzer! That one was anybody&#8217;s round.</p>
<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s go, let&#8217;s take this!&#8221; hollers McGregor ahead of round three. Valiev opens with lots of kicks, while Katona bullies him up to the fence. He can&#8217;t keep Valiev there, however. Valiev is just ripping Katona&#8217;s lead leg at this point, connecting to the outside. Two minutes in, Valiev shoots, landing a takedown. Not opportune timing for Katona, but he makes it back up, albeit with Valiev leaning on him. Valiev doesn&#8217;t do a ton from there, and draws a warning to keep working from the ref. Moments later, Katona peels Valiev off him anyway, and goes back on the attack.</p>
<p>Katona presses forward, hitting the body and firing a combo. Valiev is still whipping kicks, and Katona&#8217;s leg is showing it. Katona catches a kick, and backs Valiev to the fence, trapping the leg and an arm and peppering Valiev with shots to the head. After some more grappling back-and-forth, Katona rips the body a few times.</p>
<p>&#8220;Great fight,&#8221; UFC President Dana White says after three rounds. &#8220;In my mind, this fight is absolutely a toss up,&#8221; he later adds. He&#8217;s not wrong.</p>
<p>The judges have it a split decision — and it goes to Team McGregor&#8217;s Brad Katona, who is going to the final with a chance to become a two-time Ultimate Fighter winner.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2023/08/02/brad-katona-tuf-31-timur-valiev/" data-wpel-link="internal">Brad Katona Rejoins Team McGregor, Endures Bloody Battle with Timur Valiev in TUF 31 Semifinal</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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