UFC featherweight contender Brian Ortega issued a statement Monday evening regarding an altercation at UFC 248, where he slapped Korean recording artist Jay Park. The pop star had previously served as a translator for “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung for his appearance on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.

As has been well-documented, Ortega reportedly confronted Park at UFC 248 while Jung was in the bathroom.  After confirming that he was speaking to Park, Ortega reportedly struck the artist open-handed before being separated and escorted away from the situation by security.  While the incident was reported to authorities, Park has not pressed charges to date.

https://twitter.com/jedigoodman/status/1237246683081109504?s=20

In a statement since deleted from his social media accounts, Ortega wrote:

“On May 9, 2018, Jay Park signed Korean Zombie to a management contract under AOMG Entertainment, of which Park is the CEO, and soon after the trash talking began. When I finally made it to Korea for the press conference, KZ approached me with his translator (a real one, not Jay Park) and said, “I want to apologize for the trash talking, it was my management that wants to do it to promote the fight.” I accepted his apology, shook his hand and we had a great press conference. Soon after I tore my knee, and the fight got cancelled. Four weeks ago, KZ and JP, went on Ariel’s show and said I dodged the fight. “Dodging” and “injury” are two separate things, and since I already knew JP was the one writing the script, that’s when I welcomed him to the fight game and warned him to watch his mouth.
_
On Saturday night, I slapped three people at the same time. I apologize for slapping the “translator,” and I apologize for slapping the “K-pop star,” but I don’t apologize for slapping the “instigator.”

Ortega accused Park of being responsible for instigating conflict between the two fighters and the inflammatory statements that he was ducking the fight with the Korean Zombie.  Ortega went on to exchange messages on social media with Park following his and Jung’s original interview. In those, Ortega stated that he would slap Park if he ran into him.

On Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday, Park stated that he at no point ever put words in the mouth of Jung.  He reiterated that he has great respect for MMA fighters and that he only translated what Jung stated.  While he admits to encouraging Jung to be more outspoken, he claimed all statements were made by the fighter and that he never told him what to say.

https://twitter.com/amandansanchez/status/1237100823907311617?s=20

The post Brian Ortega Issues, Then Deletes, Statement on UFC 248 Incident appeared first on Cageside Press.

Or, more specifically, how he hadn’t. “I haven’t changed,” Volkanovski told media outlets including Cageside Press, “but life has changed a little.”

Without going into specifics, the champ added that “it’s good, it’s what we wanted. We wanted to get that belt. We knew this was going to happen. Now we’re just here, we just adapt. Adapt to whatever it is. Now you’re the champ, you’ve got a shiny belt over your shoulder, and just do your thing.”

Volkanovski’s higher profile is bringing more attention to his team, City Kickboxing, who have emerged as a powerhouse with names like Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker, and Kai Kara-France alongside the featherweight champion.

That’s a line-up that could really boost a huge card in Australia. With UFC 251 scheduled for Perth, a strong card down under could soon come to fruition.

“That’s what I want. I want to fight on home soil and defend my belt,” said Volkanovski. “I think the Australian fans deserve that. And I’m pretty sure the UFC wants that, I’m certain they want that, and I want that. So we’ll make it happen.”

#UFC248 pic.twitter.com/iKy5eKIzvm

— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) March 9, 2020

Volkanovski claims, however, that an opponent hasn’t been discussed. He’s still waiting to be cleared from a hand injury. That, however, feels more like a formality. Then it’s time for the next in line. “Whoever it is. At the moment, obviously Max’s name is being thrown around a lot in the media, and even Dana White and all that. But again, we really haven’t had that discussion. You know just as much as me.”

A wildcard emerged when Henry Cejudo threw his name in the hat, looking to become the UFC’s first three-weight champion. Cejudo takes on Jose Aldo at UFC 250 in May. “I hope Cejudo’s not taking that fight lightly. Aldo’s no joke,” Volkanovski exclaimed.

“Henry, he’s going to do his thing and talk and try to stay relevant,” observed the Australian. “Good on him. If that does happens and he fights and we do face each other in the octagon, he’ll regret calling me out pretty quick.”

Watch the full press scrum with Alexander Volkanovski from UFC 248 above!

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Isreal Adesanya – Weili Zhang

For the two champions, it is pretty clear who their next fights should be. The only reason Isreal Adesanya fought Yoel Romero was that Paulo Costa was unable to fight until later this year. Costa already has a win over Romero making him the clear cut number one contender in the middleweight division.

The top of Zhang’s strawweight division is a little thin but it’s hard to ignore that the next in which should either be Rose Namajuans or Jessica Andrade. They will be fighting each other at UFC 249 in April. Making for an action-packed rematch between Zhang and Andrade or a chance for Namajuans to get her belt back.

Adesanya’s Next Fight: Paulo Costa 

Zhang’s Next fight: Winner of Namajuans vs. Andrade

Neil Magny

Neil Magny had an extremely impressive performance in a decision win over Li Jingliang at UFC 248. After this, he got on the mic and called out number 7 ranked Michael Chiesa. A little bit of a reach because he has been away from the sport for so long and just beat an unranked opponent. While Magny-Chiesa would be a great stylistic match-up it is more likely that the UFC gives Magny someone outside the top ten. A great candidate for that would be number 11 ranked Robbie Lawler. Lawler hasn’t fought since August of 2019 and is currently riding a three-fight losing streak. Lawler would be a great test for Magny who shown great improvements in his striking this past Saturday.

Magny’s Next Fight: Robbie Lawler 

Sean O’Malley

Sean O’Malley returned to the octagon this past Saturday with a quick first-round TKO win over Jose Quinonez. Proving in the process that he is not just hype and that he is a serious contender in the UFC’s bantamweight division. With only three wins against unranked opponents and this being his first fight back off a pretty big layoff, the UFC may want to see him fight again before they give him a top 15 opponent. With that being said Brian Kelleher has been begging the UFC to put him on the UFC 249 card in Brooklyn. If O’Malley wants a quick turnaround this would be a great fight for him. As it gives him the chance to not only prove that he is a great striker but also prove he can stop the takedown.

If the UFC wanted to give him a top 15 opponent because they feel like he is ready, the best option would be Yadong Song. Another rising star in the bantamweight division that has similar devastating striking abilities. Song hasn’t fought since December of 2019 so this fight would also fit the bill if O’Malley does return soon.

O’Malley’s Next Fight: Brian Kelleher or Yadong Song

Who do you think these fighters should be fighting next? Let us know in the comments down below.

The post What’s Next: UFC 248 Matchmaker appeared first on Cageside Press.

Following the event, UFC President Dana White admitted that Weili Zhang vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk “was a tough act to follow.” Not that the main event between Israel Adesanya and Yoel Romero would have looked much better on any other card. Speaking to reporters including Cageside Press at the post-fight press conference, he addressed both bouts.

“I believe that Israel Adesanya fights to the level of his opponent,” White observed of the UFC middleweight champion. Given the lack of aggression shown by Yoel Romero in their main event title fight, perhaps that doomed the bout from the outset. “The Anderson Silva fight was similar to that. Then you think about, the [Kelvin] Gastelum fight was a war. Gastelum goes after him, and tries to take his head off. [Robert] Whittaker is going after him trying to take his head off, that fight was great.”

Looking ahead to what’s likely the next middleweight booking, White added that “You’d better believe that Paulo Costa is going to go after him. That fight should be ridiculous.”

White believed going into UFC 248 that the co-main event might be the bigger fight, the UFC President claimed. But either way, he added, “I’m shocked that Romero knew this was his last opportunity at a world championship. I thought he was going to come out like a bat out of hell, shoot takedowns, go for [broke], try to knock him out. He did literally none of that.”

Adesanya, meanwhile, fought a smart fight in White’s estimation. “You stay on the outside. You chop that leg apart, he picked his punches, and he did what he did. Romero did a lot of moving around and acting like ‘I’m trying to fight,’ but he never really did.”

In retrospect, suggested White, it’s a match he shouldn’t have made. In fact, his matchmakers, Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard, didn’t want to do the fight at all. “The matchmakers didn’t love that fight and didn’t want to make that fight,” White revealed. “They did not want to make Romero vs. Adesanya. But the goofy fan in me said ‘are you sh*tting me? Come on, this will be a fun fight to do.’ And the fact that [Adesanya] wants to fight a guy that nobody else wants to fight? Now, hindsight is 20-20, we probably shouldn’t have done that fight, probably should have waited for Costa.”

The pair’s reasoning was simple. “They said it didn’t make sense. You can’t tell the matchmakers anything that doesn’t make sense. Everything has to make sense to those two.” On that front, Romero came into the title fight off two straight losses, and having missed weight for past title opportunities — though weight was not an issue at UFC 248.

Next in line for 185lb champ Israel Adesanya, as noted, is Paulo Costa. Costa was backstage on Saturday, brought out for the post-fight press conference, no doubt to fill time due to the number of fighters who had been transported to hospital. Costa floated a July date for his middleweight title shot, but White isn’t ready to book it just yet.

“He’s got to calm down. I want to hear it from a doctor. He went crazy tonight, and jumped over the gate. We threw him out.” Costa was seen trying to make his way to the cage after Adesanya’s win, though he later claimed it was only for a face-off opportunity, and nothing untoward.

White, however, is more worried about the bicep injury that has sidelined the Brazilian. “When he’s healthy and a doctor calls me, not his friend from Brazil, when a doctor calls me and tells me he’s healthy, we’ll make this fight,” exclaimed White. “This is the fight that I want to see, and I guarantee you when that fight happens, you’ll hear me going crazy about that one. That fight’s going to be ridiculous, because Paulo Costa will move forward, he will not stop punching, he’s going to throw big shots and try to knock him out. And Israel will fight.”

As for Weili Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who put on a brilliant performance at UFC 248, White isn’t even thinking about what is next for them.

“Did you see what those two girls looked like after that fight?” he responded when asked about a possible rematch. “They’re both in the hospital right now. They did not go to the press conference, they did not talk to press, they both went straight to the hospital.”

The five-round strawweight co-main event stole the show at UFC 248. It was a close fight, though the damage on ex-champ Jedrzejczyk’s face was far more severe, leaving her head looking ready to burst at the seams. Despite the visible damage being a little more one-sided, the fight was rather even, with Zhang winning a split decision.

“They need to go home, take time to heal up and everything else before I even mention a fight with either one of them again,” White stated.

However, he had high praise for the ladies. “It’s one of the best fights I’ve ever seen.”

Later, White added that “off the top of my head, best women’s fight I’ve ever seen, and one of the best fights I’ve ever seen.”

Watch the full UFC 248 post-fight press conference with Dana White above!

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An uneventful fight with neither man committing, at least not consistently, marred what had been a promising fight on paper. Speaking at the post-fight press conference to reporters including Cageside Press, champ Adesanya, who retained his title with a unanimous decision win, gave his side of things.

“These guys are crafty, these old guys,” he suggested. “They’ll do things and act like ‘oh, why you no fight?’ I’m chopping your legs off, I’m jabbing you. Why aren’t you bringing the fight?”

Adesanya’s comments are in reference to Yoel Romero’s complaint after the bout that the champion ran. ‘The Last Stylebender’ sees things a different way however. He made the comparison to the Kelvin Gastelum fight, an opponent who he feels brought the action. “I’m never in a boring fight. That’s not my style,” he said.

“Even tonight, I overcame adversity.” It’s something he’s overcome before, he added, against Gastelum. “You seen when the going gets tough, when someone actually brings the fight, when someone actually comes after you with different looks, different techniques, not just one look — and that’s just like a wooden kung-fu dummy just standing there.”

“I need people to try to take this sh*t off of me. Keep trying,” Adesanya exclaimed.

Questioned about Romero’s comments on him running, the middleweight champ fired back with “what else is he going to say? How else is he going to sleep at night? He lost his last chance at gold.”

He might be right. There certainly isn’t going to be a push for a rematch, and at nearly 43, it’s unlikely the UFC wants Romero anywhere near the middleweight title again. Stranger things have happened, of course (i.e. Bisping vs. Henderson II).

As Adesanya pointed out, however, when it comes to pace and action in a fight, there are two parties responsible. “It’s not up to just me. I’m the champion, I’m the one with the belt, I’m the one with the gold,” he stated. “If you want it, come get it. In the fifth round, like I said, when I fought Gastelum, the belt was up for grabs. It was about who wanted it more. And I wanted it more. That’s why I’m the champion. I’m the champion now. If you want the belt, and you know the fight’s close, come get it. And [Romero] didn’t.”

For the record, kicking Yoel Romero is nothing like kicking steel, he added. It’s a metaphor that several of his opponents have used. Oft quoted by the media at large.

“Like flesh and bone and muscle. Really thick muscle,” is how Adesanya described it. “But nothing like steel. You guys have these metaphors — have you ever actually kicked steel? It’s f*cking bullsh*t. It’s just the media perpetuates all this sh*t.”

“It’s just muscle, thick muscle. I understand what people are trying to say, it’s heavy. But I’ve kicked the bottom of the heavy bag at my gym. It’s way harder than him,” he continued, later adding “that narrative with steel, put that to rest now.”

That’s not to say Romero didn’t do any damage. He does hit hard, after all. The biggest shot appeared to have come early, and the champ was pawing at his eye after. “I could see two Yoel Romeros,” Adesanya admitted. “He cracked me with a good one.” That said, Adesanya appeared pleased with taking that shot. “I ate that. I’m not proud of my chin, I’ve told you guys, but I can take a shot. I just don’t like to brag about it, because it’s stupid.”

Next up for Israel Adesanya will likely be Paulo Costa. Had the Brazilian not been out with a bicep injury, it’s likely the pair would have met already. Both are undefeated. Adesanya is 19-0 after UFC 248 on Saturday. Costa himself are 13-0.

The Brazilian has suggested a meeting at International Fight Week in July. “That sounds good to me,” Adesanya said. “July’s my birthday month. We can do that.”

Earlier in the evening, Costa had made his way backstage to discuss the UFC 248 main event. In short, he wasn’t a fan, calling Adesanya “shameful” for what he saw as running in the fight.

“He sucks at trying to talk trash. He’s easily influenced,” Adesanya retorted. “I can flick his nose, and you’ll see him bark at the cage. He’s too emotional. And already I know how that fight’s going to go. I’m going to sleep that guy.”

Watch the full UFC 248 post-fight press conference with Israel Adesanya above!

The post UFC 248’s Israel Adesanya to Middleweight Title Contenders: If You Want It, Come Take It appeared first on Cageside Press.

Facing off with Max “Pain” Griffin, the Brazilian “Cowboy” went the distance. While he opened the American up early in the fight, a cut near the eyelid and a mask of blood wasn’t enough to put Griffin a way.

But sometimes, a win is a win. It’s precidely what Cowboy needed. “It was a tough fight. I already knew coming into it, it was going to be a tough fight,” Oliveirea told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight. “Strong guy. A guy that could knock you out at any moment. I slipped at some points, but I hear my corner.”

Oliveira is the first to admit that he dropped the first frame to a game opponent. Acknowledging that, however, he added “I knew that the second and third round would be a little bit more in my direction.”

“Cowboy” Oliveira was also a bit surprised that the fight wasn’t halted off the nasty cut he opened up on Griffin. Especially when the doctor was brought in to check on his opponent. “I thought the fight was going to stop, and he came back. He’s tough. I didn’t think he was going to make it to the third round.”

Asked about the idea of open scoring, an idea trialed at Invicta FC trialed in Kansas City over the weekend, Oliveira didn’t seem overly interested. Or at least in his case, he was certain about the scores in his own fight. “The first round I knew I lost. The second I knew I’d won,” he recalled. “The third was tight, but I knew I’d won [that] too.”

As for what comes next, Oliveira answered simply “I’m ready” when the idea of UFC 250 in Brazil later this year was suggested.

The post UFC 248: Alex Oliveira Credits Toughness of Max Griffin for Bloody Fight Going the Distance appeared first on Cageside Press.

Costa (13-0) is the next man in line at middleweight. He’s been on the sidelines nursing a bicep injury, which paved the way for Yoel Romero to face Israel Adesanya in the UFC 248 main event.

It was a lackluster fight from the outset, marred by a lack of action, with little engagement throughout. Costa himself was supposed to be available for an in-cage face-off opportunity after the fight, but after leaping out of his seat at the end of the bout, security escorted him away.

Instead, the UFC brought him back to speak to media outlets including Cageside Press, for an update on his status, and opinion on Saturday’s main event. Which Adesanya won, on the basis of doing slightly more in the fight.

“I’m 100% right now. I did live sparring this morning. I feel great,” said Costa, who is aiming to fight in two to three months. “I think July 11 would be a nice, nice date.” That, of course, would be International Fight Week.

On the subject of the UFC 248 main event, Costa was a harsh critic. “Horrible fight. I was ashamed to watch that fight.”

“Adesanya is nothing. Adesanya is the most shameful champion I have seen ever,” the Brazilian proclaimed. “He just ran. He’s nothing, he’s nothing. He’s scared. I think he doesn’t deserve [me] talking about him. That fight was sh*t.”

“I will make him cry,” Costa promised. “I will hit him very badly, and he will cry like a baby. I will slap his face in my fight against him. He’s shameful.”

Costa seemed to put the full blame on the champion. “I don’t blame Romero. Romero is the same against everybody. He never puts 100% of pressure. He’s a little bit lazy, and sometimes he explodes. The fact is, Adesanya cannot hang with him.”

It’s not just Romero that Costa feels ‘The Last Stylebender’ cannot hang with, however. He sees a pattern of the champion avoiding more powerful opponents.

“Adesanya cannot handle [it] against powerful guys,” he claimed. “Like Romero, like Jon Jones, or me. That’s why he’s afraid, that’s why he’s avoided some fights. Like against me, like against Jon Jones. He’s avoided this kind of fight.”

The UFC has yet to officially announce a fight between Costa and champ Israel Adesanya. But given his presence is Las Vegas, it’s clearly the direction things are headed.

Watch the full UFC 248 post-fight press conference with Paulo Costa above!

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That is not at all what happened in the cage with Drakkar Klose in Las Vegas on Saturday. Any thought of a smart game plan, maintaining control through grappling, and so on went out the window when he was hit by Drakkar Klose. Dariush (18-4-1) admitted as much while speaking to Cageside Press and other media outlets following his win Saturday.

“There’s this thing with getting hit,” he explained. “As soon as I get hit, my first thing is, ‘I have to hit him back harder.’ It works for me, it doesn’t work for me. Thank god, tonight it worked.”

Eventually, Dariush hit his opponent back harder. The second round knockout earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. The bout was entertaining enough to be Fight of the Night on just about any other card — until Zhang vs. Jedrzejczyk arrived.

As for the bonus money, it’s going to a passion project Dariush has: charity work in Haiti. Specifically, an orphanage. Though he wasn’t sure he’d won the bonus at the time, Dariush was willing to open up about his project. “We have a feeding program [in Haiti]. I start a feeding program about five years ago. We just built a school recently. Myself and our church, we were able to build a school.” The bonus money, meanwhile, is enough to finance a year for an orphanage. “It’s going to be about 20 or 30 kids, that’s my goal. If I get this, it will be right away.”

As for Dariush’s tendency to get dragged into brawls, “if I’m really hurt, I’m going to pull back,” he stated. “I’m going to be smart, circle, whatever. I wasn’t hurt, and because I wasn’t hurt, I was pissed.” Though he admits he needs to find a way to quell the voice inside his head that urges him to return fire recklessly. “I’ve got to find a way to be like ‘hey, chill dude.’ That voice inside my head that says ‘hey, we’re doing this.'”

Opponent Klose was somewhat emotional leading into the fight, but that did not change Dariush’s approach. “I get it bro. I get it. The way the game is, we have to portray a certain image to get to certain fights. I get it man, the guy’s trying to feed his family, the guy’s trying to pay for his house. How am I going to hate on that?”

Watch the full UFC 248 post-fight press scrum with Beneil Dariush above!

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Looking no worse for the time away, O’Malley made short work of Jose Quinonez, regaining his momentum in the bantamweight division. Improving to 11-0 in the process, the first-round TKO was enough to land a Performance of the Night bonus.

“I kept laughing every time anyone asked me if I’d have ring rust,” O’Malley said following the fight. Downplaying the notion while speaking to reporters including Cageside Press, he added that “I think it did nothing but benefit my performance. I was able to get really good in those last couple years I’ve been off. So every time I got asked about that, I kind of laughed.”

Later, he’d add that “ring rust is just silly. I don’t spar outside of camp. I think getting hit in the head was a lot more scary when I started this sport. Sixteen years old, every practice was a sparring session. So I haven’t been sparring at all unless I have a fight booked.”

There was no pressure to go out an put on a show, either. Even though that’s ultimately what transpired. “I think just fighting in general is such a sweet thing,” said O’Malley. “The way I fight is not necessarily to entertain, it’s just an entertaining style. I didn’t feel like I had to be anything besides be me in there.”

Although, he also admitted, “I really wanted to get a spinning finish.”

Close enough. Being himself involved setting up the finish with a head kick. The entire affair was over in just over two minutes. Without any apparent injuries, a quick turnaround might be in order.

“I don’t think they have any fights in Vegas until International Fight Week,” O’Malley acknowledged. The 25-year old feels he’s in a position to dictate where he fights next. “I have to look at the calendar, check it out. If nothing pops up, maybe International Fight Week.”

Watch the full UFC 248 post-fight press scrum with Sean O’Malley above!

The post UFC 248: Sean O’Malley Feels He’s At A Point Where He Can Dictate Where He Fights appeared first on Cageside Press.

While Romero may not be giving up, fans may be ready to dismiss the idea of a second bout between the Cuban and champion Israel Adesanya. That’s after the downright bizarre scene that unfolded atop the Las Vegas PPV card Saturday.

Romero stood deathly still in the center of the octagon to start the fight. Adesanya, known for his flashy striking, chose not to engage. He stayed on the outside; Romero insisted on a meeting in the middle. Like watching two stubborn children refusing to share their toys.

Romero certainly let his frustration be known following the fight. “It’s impossible to fight a ghost,” he stated. He’d clarify that, not that it was at all unclear to those watching, speaking via translator to media outlets including Cageside Press. Adesanya, he said, “was non-existent. I showed up to fight, Israel apparently showed up to fight, but every time I showed up to engage, he would disappear.”

“At no point is Yoel giving him any respect,” his translator added. “We’ve lost all respect for him as a fighter. You can’t call yourself a warrior if you’re going to run.”

Speaking in English, Romero then added “tonight, everybody lose. Not only me. The fans, the UFC. The only winner tonight is him. Only him. The fans for UFC, he’s losing. They’re losing money.”

“The whole night was just a waste. It didn’t have the spectacular outcome that I wanted, didn’t have the show, didn’t have the gladiators that wanted to fight,” he stated. “You need a dignified champion. You don’t need someone that’s going to run. You need somebody that’s going to represent your brand.”

Romero’s frustration at his opponent’s lack of engagement continued to bleed through throughout the post-fight press conference. “This is a contact sport, this is combat. You’re going to get hit, and you’re going to hit them. He needs to find another sport, either start running professionally, or start dancing professionally.”

Romero’s appraoch early, to stand still, was an attempt to force Adesanya to engage. “I didn’t want to chase him around the ring, I wanted to stand in front of him.” What he wanted, he said, was for them to kill each other.

Instead, the snail-like pace of the fight was underscored by the brilliance of the women’s strawweight title fight that unfolded immediately before it. Though Romero was quick to brush off any criticism of his game plan. “What did you guys want to see? An old man chasing a young man, and a young man running? That’s not the game I wanted, but that’s what you guys got. I stood in front of him, I engaged him, and he just ran. There’s no way anybody saw that fight otherwise.”

“More aggressive?” he added, increduously. “How?”

Romero also took some heat for comments he made regarding Adesanya’s African ancestors being runners. You can view that clip below.

https://twitter.com/AndreMfnEazy/status/1236574538529292288

The post UFC 248’s Yoel Romero Complains “It’s Impossible to Fight a Ghost” appeared first on Cageside Press.