After a wild third round at UFC 263 in which he was visibly wobbled and hurt, France’s Ziam escaped with a majority decision over Luigi Vendramini.

Ziam (12-3) was happy with his performance Saturday night.

“I’m happy, it’s my second win in the UFC. It was my fight. I controlled the fight in the first and second round, but in the third round, he touched me— it would have been a big knockout,” Ziam told media outlets including Cageside Press during his post-fight interview.

Ziam stated that he came to after the punch landed and was able to survive. When a reporter asked about the punch the French fighter admitted that may have lost some of his attention in the third round.

“I controlled one and two or the first and second round, and in the third round, he really touched me hard. I don’t know why maybe my attention go down,” Ziam said.

For his next outing, Ziam wants Bobby Green, someone that he has been eyeing since his last fight.

“You know, in my last fight, I said I want Bobby Green, but I don’t know. Now I just want to rest in my home. I have a long flight home. I want the Bobby Green fight because it is a good fight for me; I’m sure I smash this guy,” Ziam said.

Ziam also said that if the UFC gives him someone else, of course, he will take it.

On top of getting his second UFC win, this was also Ziam’s first-time fight in America, and he enjoyed it very much.

“It was a very good experience. I go to the UFC institute; there were good vibes here, everybody was good. I love USA,” Ziam said.

Watch the full UFC 263 post-fight press conference with Fares Ziam above.

The post UFC 263: Fares Ziam Wants Bobby Green Next; Says He Will Smash Him appeared first on Cageside Press.

Now, can you imagine if Shane Burgos vs. Josh Emmett had been five rounds? What about Cub Swanson vs. Doo Ho Choi? Diego Sanchez vs. Gilbert Melendez? Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva? You get the point. With Diaz vs. Edwards being a rousing success, we asked UFC president Dana White during Saturday’s post-fight press conference if we might see more of them. Non-title, non-main event five round fights.

“I guarantee everybody in this room has watched a bad-ass fight and said, ‘God, I wish this was five rounds.’ There’s been so many of these fights that I wish— we can’t keep doing that, we just can’t,” White responded.

When asked if he could cherry-pick the really exciting fights, White remained non-committal.

“Not cherry-pick; Diaz really wanted to do it. So we sat in that room that I talk about that I’ll be in on Tuesday, and we decided that we would do it. I don’t want to make a habit of it. Co-main, main event, if it’s a championship, and all main events are five rounds. But yeah, we can make those decisions sometimes. I’m not saying we will, but we can,” White said.

Cageside Press also asked what the possibility of a double Diaz card featuring both Nate and Nick. Nate said that he wants to fight in a couple of months and stay active, while his brother will be making his long-awaited return to active competition later this year as well. Hopefully.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what Nate wants to do after this. I don’t know. Anything is possible,” White said.

White was also asked if there was any possibility that he would help bring Japanese promotion RIZIN to America.

“I like [Nobuyuki] Sakakibara, I always did. Even when we were really hardcore competitors, he was a fun guy to compete with,” said White. “I don’t know. I don’t know. Not saying that I would, but I’m not saying that I wouldn’t either. At the time that we competed, when Pride and the UFC were both first coming up, it was just such a different time in the sport. I don’t know.”

Watch the full UFC 263 post-fight press conference with Dana White above.

The post UFC 263: Dana White Non-Committal On More Random 5-Round Fights appeared first on Cageside Press.

After a very intense fight week and even an intenser face-off, Russia’s Evloev dominated Canada’s Hakeem Dawodu to win a clear-cut unanimous decision.

During the week, the storyline going into the fight was about who had better striking. Both Evloev and Dawodu stated they had the advantage. However, in the fight, Evloev used his far more superior wrestling to defeat his opponent.

During his post-fight interview, Evloev was asked about his striking and the comments he made.

“I’m still better [at striking] but my wrestling is also good. You know, just today I used my wrestling. My striking is good, I’m preparing a lot— boxing, everything. But, you know, today I felt like wrestling is better and so I used my wrestling,” Evloev said.

The former M-1 champ went on to say he worked a lot on his wrestling, and credited his coach as playing a big part in it. As for who is next for him, Evloev gave Cageside Press a few names.

“Anyone who don’t have a fight, I’m ready to fight with everyone… Calvin Kattar is a good name, Arnold Allen, Josh Emmett. It doesn’t matter who. Tell me when, where. I’m ready. I don’t have any injuries. Tomorrow I’m ready. Today I’m tired, tomorrow I’m ready,” Evloev said with a smile.

The Russian did have one person he won’t fight, teammate Edson Barboza. “No Edson Barboza, he’s my teammate, of course.”

Like a few other fighters on the card, this was Evloev’s first fight in America. “I was a little nervous about this,” he admitted, going on to mention that he had three other fights that were supposed to be in America, but all ended up canceled. Reasons for those cancellations included a car accident and a false positive COVID-19 test.

“I got my first win in the USA, now I’m ready for everything,” Evloev later exclaimed.

Watch the full UFC 263 post-fight press conference with Movsar Evloev above.

The post UFC 263: Movsar Evloev Wants Top 10 Opponent, Mentions Kattar, Emmett, Allen appeared first on Cageside Press.

Peterson picked up his third UFC win on Saturday after more than a year away from the octagon. While he missed weight by 2.5 pounds and gave up 20% of his purse, he dominated the 21-year old Hooper.

During the ceremonial weigh-ins, Peterson embraced playing the villain because of the botched weight cut, and because the fans adore Hooper. He even came to his post-fight interview dressed as a ‘bandit.’

“It’s not the first time I played the bad guy; I don’t like that role, but if they are going to boo me, then I got to embrace it. I’m not going to fight that energy. I’m going to take it and use it to my advantage,” Peterson said to the media during his post-fight press scrum.

When asked who he wants next, he had a name locked and loaded.

“Nate ‘The Train.’ He’s a loudmouth. I’m a quiet, soft-spoken guy. If I gotta speak up, closed mouths don’t get fed, right? So, Nate ‘The Train’ let’s run it,” Peterson said.

When asked if the call-out was personal, Peterson doubled down and said he doesn’t like loudmouths.

“I just don’t like loudmouths. He grabs the mic, he screams. He sounds ignorant. That sells, man. People eat that sh*t up,” Peterson said. “Like his social media is through the roof, it’s ridiculous.”

“I say something that is meaningful and try to talk to kids and be a good influence; look where it gets me. It gets me to made out to be the bad guy, and no one wants to follow me on Instagram, so fu*k it, I’m going to call out some guys and get some followers.”

Watch the full UFC 263 post-fight press conference with Steven Peterson above.

The post UFC 263: Steven Peterson Wants ‘Loudmouth’ Nate Landwehr Next appeared first on Cageside Press.

Murphy picked up a win over Joanne Calderwood this Saturday at the event in Glendale, Arizona, in what was in many people’s eyes was a No. 1 contender fight to figure out who will fight women’s flyweight champ Valentina Schevchenko next. Even with the victory, however, neither Murphy nor Dana White gave any assurance that she would get the title shot.

The UFC veteran was asked if she thinks she did enough to warrant a title shot

“You would think so, right? Like, JoJo was in line for a title shot before. I feel like we’re all in the top ten. I just can’t stress this enough, I have won five in a row against all ranked opponents. It’s not like I have had any easy fights in this division,” Murphy said to the media during her post-fight press conference appearance.

“The division opened with me fighting Barb Honchak, who was considered one of the greatest flyweights at the time. She was ranked No. 3, I think I was 4-1 underdog. I lost to Sijara [Eubanks], you know, now she’s a bantamweight. But she was killing it at flyweight for a while, and that’s my only loss in the division. After that, I knocked out Mara Borella, she was ranked No. 12— I was an underdog to her. I was a 4-1 underdog to Andrea Lee, who was ranked No. 7 when I fought her. Roxanne Modafferi was No. 5, she was on a tear at the time. I was supposed to fight Cynthia [Calvillo] but the girl that I fought ended up taking it on short notice, she was like 9-0 I think, and a champion in another promotion. I just fought JoJo. She’s tough, Dana White was saying like two days ago how she is one of the best in the world,” Murphy said.

Murphy continued to state her case. “I was an underdog coming into tonight too, you know? I’m finding a way to win these fights, that’s what I do,” she exclaimed. “I’m tough, I hit hard, I’m scrappy, I stay in their faces and make them tired. I’m one of the best fighters in the world and I’m been proving it to you guys over and over and over again.”

Watch the full UFC 263 post-fight press conference with Lauren Murphy above.

The post UFC 263’s Lauren Murphy: “I’m One Of The Best Fighters In The World And I’ve Been Proving It Over And Over” appeared first on Cageside Press.

During her UFC 263 post-fight media scrum, Kianzad told Cageside Press about how she turned her UFC career around.

“Well, The Ultimate Fighter was my chance to get a UFC contract, but it just wasn’t my time. It wasn’t my time; it wasn’t my weight class; it was just not me. My opponent was better than me that night. I got sent home without a contract and, I was pretty down for a while, but I fought again. I got a chance to fight at bantamweight, and I took the fight on two weeks’ notice, which I’m not regretting. I fought Julia Avila, and she was way better than me that night; she was better prepared,” Kianzad said.

“I said, you know, to the matchmakers when I got there, you won’t regret it, just give me a contract in my own weight class, and you won’t regret it.”

The UFC has not regretted it. Kianzad has won four straight and will be breaking into the top 10 and will most likely getting a top-five opponent next.

As for who, Kianzad asked for a former title challenger and someone to whom she was previously linked, Raquel Pennington, who was suspended earlier this year.

“Well, we were scheduled to fight tonight, and I don’t know why it didn’t happen. I think she said she can go in August, and I can get cleared in August. I would love to fight in August if she wants to,” Kianzad said.

The Iranian-born Swedish fighter believes she is a top-five fighter now and will look to take Pennington’s spot at the top of the division.

Watch the full UFC 263 post-fight press conference with Pannie Kianzad above.

The post UFC 263: After Winning Four Straight, Pannie Kianzad Wants Top Five Opponent, Raquel Pennington appeared first on Cageside Press.

Craig did tell the referee that Hill’s arm was gone. Somewhat emphatically. “There was maybe a wee ‘F’ in there as well.’ The referee couldn’t see it, and I’m not sure if he was trying to tap with his arm that was broke, or if it was just flapping about, I genuinely don’t know, but it felt like an elephant’s trunk just going to town there,” Craig said to the media during his post-fight interview.

The Scottish light heavyweight did give credit to Hill for hanging in there, even with a mangled arm while eating elbows.

“We don’t see that a lot in MMA. Guys who stay in right to the wire. But I think after you’ve built up this image of being a tough guy, you need to kind of go out on your shield, don’t you? I take my hat off to him, that takes a lot of minerals to do that.”

Paul Craig believes that his strength played a big role in his win over Jamahal Hill on Saturday.

“You know, ultimately, Brian, my coach, he decided that we were going to take it to him, we were going to strike with him, which we showed we could do. We were using the front teeps to gauge distance and find the 1-2,” Craig said. “Once he got to a half-Thai clinch, Craig was thinking “‘this is quite nice. This is genuinely nice.’ And as I dragged him to the mat, it was just a matter of time before I fired up my legs. That’s one of my strong attributes.”

He continued, explaining that his strong ground game arose from a sibling rivalry.

“I’ve said in past media [appearances], that’s my brother’s cost. My brother used to beat me up as a kid. He was bigger than me then, he’s not bigger than me now. And I had to defend with my legs, and that’s how I ultimately learned to jiu-jitsu my way through life.”

Luckily for Hill, UFC President Dana White revealed following UFC 263 that the arm was not broken but dislocated.

Watch the full UFC 263 post-fight press conference with Paul Craig above.

The post UFC 263: Paul Craig Says Jamahal Hill’s Arm Felt Like An Elephant’s Trunk appeared first on Cageside Press.

“It was really, really fun to fight Drew. He’s a really good fight. You know, like friends before the fight, friends after the fight. That’s what I said. And during that 15 minutes, nothing even close to it. That’s pretty much what it played out like. I think it’s good for the sport to have him and I,” Riddell said to the media during his UFC 263 post-fight media interview.

“What surprised me is how durable he was. I hit him with the kitchen sink, and he stayed standing. Some of the punches I hit him with, I’m pretty confident I would have put some welterweights down with it, and he just sort of stood there and smiled. Just toward that last round, I caught him a little bit. But yeah, very strong guy, very durable.”

Riddell made it known during fight week that he wanted to fight Gregor Gillespie next if he were to get through Dober. They were matched up in March, but a positive COVID test put a halt to the fight.

“I want to fight Gregor. I trained really, really hard for that fight.,” Riddell said.

“His last fight was awesome. I watched that fight, and I was kind of like cheering for him. Because I met him and stuff and squared off, so he was definitely the one I was going for. And he got an awesome win and showed a lot of heart, and I have a lot of heart. I think that fight will be pretty hectic. So I’d like to fight Gregor next.”

Watch the full UFC 263 post-fight press conference with Brad Riddell above.

The post UFC 263: Brad Riddell on Dober’s Durability — “I Hit Him With the Kitchen Sink, and He Stayed Standing” appeared first on Cageside Press.

“This is my third fight in nine months. I don’t wait around like the rest of these guys; the rest of these champions just talk about being active. I don’t talk about it; I just do it. I’m an active champion,” Adesanya said during the UFC 263 post-fight press conference.

During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, he called for Robert Whittaker, who is undoubtedly the No. 1 contender. The last time they fought, the pair fought in Australia, but now the champion wants the fight in his hometown.

“So, I’m putting out there into the ether, into the universe that I want it in Auckland. I don’t like too much free time, especially now when I’m in [my] prime. But, yeah, so it could be ‘Fight Island’ No. 3. Go to ‘Fight Island’ for a third time, maybe. If not, maybe back in America somewhere, but it would be so awesome if it was in Auckland so that I can do it on my home turf,” Adesanya said.

Wherever the rematch takes place, it will be one of the biggest fights that the promotion can put on.

Adesanya also spoke Saturday of the moment he saw Marvin Vettori essentially break during their main event fight at UFC 263.

“I swear to God, I saw his soul leave his eyes. I saw it. And I said to him, ‘you’re scared, aren’t you? You scared aren’t you?’ I said that to him. Find that tape,” recalled Adesanya. “And I felt very powerful in that moment, just taking his soul away. But he’s tough, I’ll give him that. He’s tough. But that moment for me was very powerful, because I took hope away form him.”

Watch the full UFC 263 post-fight press conference with Israel Adesanya above.

The post UFC 263’s Israel Adesanya: “I don’t talk about it, I just do it. I’m an active champion.” appeared first on Cageside Press.

“It’s been a long, long two years. I was happy to come back and compete against a guy like Nate,” Edwards said at the UFC 263 post-fight press conference.

The English fighter dominated most of the fight but in the last round, Diaz connected on a perfect punch that hurt Edwards.

“I was rocked. Not enough to go to my knees and get ground n’ pounded out. But I felt that. I didn’t know what he hit me with until after the fight. It was a clean shot. I got complacent, I thought there was only a minute and a half left, let’s just go with the flow of the fight. And I paid a price. That’s a lesson. I’m still learning, I’m 29 years old. I’m still growing,” Edwards said.

UFC President Dana White has said that former title challenger Colby Covington is next in line for the title shot but Edwards doesn’t agree. He has a very salient point.

“I feel I should be next for the title shot. That’s nine in a row, ten in a row. There’s no one else that’s doing what I’m doing. I offered to fight everybody. Khamzat, Diaz, Belal. These guys aren’t even in the top ten. I’m the one that’s saying yes. Everybody else is bitching, and sitting out and complaining. I’m the one that’s showing up and fighting these tough guys. I deserve the next shot for sure,” Edwards said.

He continued and made the case why he should leapfrog Covington.

“All these guys are making excuses. They know I’m the real deal. They know I’m the man for the title shot. They’re all bitching and making excuses, saying he doesn’t deserve it. Then who f*cking does? Colby don’t deserve it. Woodley got injured, and now he deserves a title shot? I didn’t bitch, I didn’t moan, I took my loss on the chin and worked my back up to a nine-fight win streak. Who else f*cking deserves it?”

Watch the full UFC 263 post-fight press conference with Leon Edwards above.

The post UFC 263’s Leon Edwards on Title Shot: “Who Else F*cking Deserves It? Colby Doesn’t Deserve It” appeared first on Cageside Press.