Wittman happens to coach Justin Gaethje, Rose Namajunas, and Kamaru Usman — all three of whom were fighting on the Pay-Per-View event’s main card. That actually necessitated a shuffling of the deck which resulted in Gaethje’s fight with Michael Chandler opening up the PPV show.

Ahead of Friday’s awards ceremony, Wittman recapped the experience that night with Cageside Press. Asked about how he handled the situation, Wittman said “you know, it’s like a duck on water. I look smooth on top, but the feet are kicking underneath. It wasn’t that easy. You always go into something and you’re prepared for it, but doing a new experience like that, you don’t know what to expect. What happens if the first fight, the fighter takes a loss? There’s so many things that go through your mind as a coach.”

The aforementioned card opener between Gaethje and Chandler, however, actually helped keep the night running smoothly for Wittman. “After Justin Gaethje’s fight, it was like, man, I was a fan again. It was so fun to watch,” Wittman recalled. “I didn’t even care about the outcome. It was just such a pleasurable fight to watch, and being able to see the athlete perform like that, it was just dialed in from that point on, and the night was very good to us.”

It was indeed. Gaethje defeated Chandler in a three-round unanimous decision that is in the running for Fight of the Year. Rose Namajunas then successfully defended her strawweight title in the rematch with Weili Zhang, while Kamaru Usman won another rematch, against rival Colby Covington.

So what after party does Trevor Wittman go to when three of his fighters win in a single night? “My own,” said Wittman, adding he hasn’t actually gone to any after parties in years.

“Especially after an event like that, I had nothing left. I was emotionally shot. I got to experience it with Rose and Kamaru before that, and I was so shot. Usually I stay in the back rooms with them and then I’ll go watch them go do their interviews. After that one, I was like ‘hey man I’ll meet you guys back at the room.’ I was shot. It really takes a lot out of you, at least it does for me.”

Watch our full interview with Trevor Witman from the 2021 World MMA Awards above.

The post Trevor Wittman Recounts Experience of Coaching Three Fighters on UFC 268 Main Card appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kamaru Usman

The heated rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington has come and gone, and “The Nigerian Nightmare” bested his rival again, this time via unanimous decision. This was Usman’s fifth title defense, and his 15th consecutive win inside of the octagon- only Anderson Silva started his UFC career with a better streak. Who is going to beat this man? Everyone keeps saying it, but it’s true; he lapped the division. There are a couple of options for Usman, but I think the clear next opponent should be Leon Edwards, if he gets past Jorge Masvidal in December. Yep, another rematch for his sixth title defense.

Usman’s next fight: Leon Edwards

Rose Namajunas

The co-main event of UFC 268 saw another rematch, this time between Rose Namajunas and Zhang Weili. The first fight saw “Thug” Rose knock out her opponent in a little over a minute; this time the pair went 25 minutes, with Namajunas winning a close split decision. Want to know a wild stat? Since 2017, Namajunas has only fought in rematches. She went through Joanna Jędrzejczyk twice, then Jessica Andande, and now Weili. I don’t think think the rematches should end because Carla Esparza should be next. Esparza defeated Namajunas in her UFC debut for the inaugural strawweight title. The story is there and the fight should happen next.

Namajunas’ next fight: Carla Esparza

Marlon Vera

Marlon Vera picked up the biggest win of his UFC career by knocking out Frankie Edgar. It was a great win for “Chito” because two of the judges had him losing the fight before the knockout. It was also a great win because the last time he got a step up in competition, he lost to Jose Aldo last December. Vera will be moving up in the rankings on Tuesday and has set himself up for another big fight. Merab Dvalishvili should be on the Ecuadorian’s radar next. Dvalishvili is coming off a TKO win at UFC 266 against Marlon Moraes.

Vera’s next fight: Merab Dvalishvili

Shane Burgos

Shane Burgos defeated Billy Quarantillo via unanimous decision at UFC 268. If this fight was on any other card, it would have been a shoo-in for Fight of the Night, unfortunately the fight before it happened. Burgos snapped the first losing streak of his career, and continues to be must watch television. There is a reason the UFC keeps putting Burgos in front of a crowd instead of the UFC Apex. With the featherweight division being mostly matched up already, or the few fighters in the division that are ready to go, it is tough to match up Burgos. The fight that makes the most sense is Alex Caceres. Caceres recently got himself into the featherweight rankings and is riding a five-fight win streak.

Burgos’ next fight: Alex Caceres

Justin Gaethje

Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler delivered in every aspect possible and is a front runner for the Fight of the Year. It was awesome. Gaethje ended up winning the fight via unanimous decision, getting back into the win column and handing Chandler his second consecutive loss. Gaethje most likely just punched his ticket for another shot at the lightweight title. Charles Oliveria defends the title against Dustin Poirier next month in Las Vegas at UFC 269. Gaethje should get the winner.

Gaethje’s next fight: Winner of Charles Oliveria vs. Dustin Poirier

Other fights:

Alex Pereira’s next fight: Winner of Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Chidi Njokuani

Bobby Green’s next fight: Dan Hooker

Nassourdine Imavov’s next fight: Uriah Hall

Ian Garry’s next fight: Mickey Gall

Chris Curtis’ next fight: Julian Marquez

Dustin Jacoby’s next fight: Ryan Spann

The post What’s Next: UFC 268 Winners appeared first on Cageside Press.

Colby Covington

This loss makes Covington 0-2 against Kamaru Usman. Covington is still one of the top welterweights in the world and should be looking to fight another top-five opponent in his next fight. He has already gone to social media to call out his former training partner, Jorge Masvidal. That is a fight that fans have been wanting to see for a long time due to their long-standing rivalry. Masvidal is currently ranked seventh in the division which would be a slight step down for Covington. He’s also booked against Leon Edwards at the moment. Instead, Covington should be looking to fight someone like Gilbert Burns.

Gilbert Burns had an amazing run to the title and only lost to Usman since moving to lightweight. He stands just one or two wins away from getting another shot at that title. Burns is also a better match-up for Covington stylistically.

Covington’s next fight: Gilbert Burns 

Weili Zhang

Weili Zhang has just lost back-to-back fights against the champion, Rose Namajunas. Carla Esparza is the most deserving fighter for the next title shot. That leaves just a few options for Zhang in her next fight. The best option for her would be up-and-comer Marina Rodriguez. Rodriguez is on a three-fight winning streak with wins over Mackenzie Dern, Michelle Waterson, and Amanda Ribas. The winner of Zhang versus Rodriguez would be in line to fight the winner of Namajunas versus Esparza as long as the timelines matched up, though in Zhang’s case it might be dependent on “Thug” Rose losing the belt.

Zhang’s next fight: Marina Rodriguez 

Frankie Edgar

Marlon Vera knocked out Frankie Edgar in the third round of their bout at UFC 268. Edgar now has a record of 1-4 in the last two years and has been knocked out in three of those four losses. Marlon Moraes is coming off a loss a few weeks ago against Merab Dvalishvili. Moraes is now on a three-fight losing streak and is falling in the rankings. With both of these men being in similar situations, it would be good to match them up to decide who still belongs in the top 15.

Edgar’s next fight: Marlon Moraes 

Billy Quarantillo

Billy Quarantillo lost a close decision against Shane Burgos this past weekend. This loss brings Quarantillo to 4-2 in the UFC. He should be looking to fight another exciting up-and-comer in his next fight. His fight against Burgos was a banger. Although it did not win the Fight of the Night (with Gaethje-Chandler on the card, no one really had a chance to), Dana White said he would give both of these guys some kind of bonus just because of how good their fight was. Quarantillo is a draw because of his exciting nature. The same could be said about Danny Roberts. Roberts has fought for the UFC 11 times and has only been to a decision in three of those fights. He is currently riding a two-fight win streak and would be a good match-up for Quarantillo in the near future.

Quarantillo’s next fight: Danny Roberts 

Michael Chandler

Michael Chandler lost a decision to Justin Gaethje this past weekend. This loss makes him 1-2 in the UFC, losing to Gaethje and Charles Oliveria and beating Dan Hooker in his debut. Chandler has shown to be a very exciting fighter in the lightweight division. He has great grappling and power in his strikes. He went to war with Gaethje and even hurt Gaethje on multiple occasions this past weekend. In his next fight, Chandler should fight someone like Gregor Gillespie. Gillespie has dominant grappling and has shown that his striking is developing very well.

Chandler’s next fight: Gregor Gillespie 

The post What’s Next: UFC 268 Losers appeared first on Cageside Press.

The end came with Shahbazyan trapped in a crucifix, France’s Imavov (11-3) raining down ground n’ pound.

“I feel good. Everything went exactly as we planned it, so I’m very happy,” Imavov told members of the media following the fight.

Despite having Shabazyan caught in some dicey submission attempts, the “Russian Sniper” wasn’t shocked that he was unable to put his opponent away sooner.

“I wasn’t surprised. I was expecting him to be tough,” Imavov said during his post-fight scrum. “I knew at that level, you can try to submit someone and you won’t succeed, so I didn’t give 100%.” Imavov, however, knew that he’d eventually finish it — and he did, just prior to the end of the second round.

Coming off his second straight win, the French middleweight is aiming high for his next opponent. “I hope they’re going to give me someone above me. I just beat a top 11, so I think that I should get someone in the top ten, maybe the top five, but I’m ready for anyone.”

With the #11-ranked Shahbazyan entering the bout on a two-fight skid, he’d made considerable changes to his camp. But to hear Imavov tell it, there were no surprises Saturday. “Not really, I wasn’t that surprised by anything especially.”

Except perhaps for one thing: “What kind of surprised me was maybe the fact that he was very tough. Resilient. He wouldn’t tap, he wouldn’t let go. So I was kind of surprised by that determination that he had.”

Watch the full UFC 268 post-fight press conference with Nassourdine Imavov above. More coverage of the event can be found below.

The post UFC 268: Nassourdine Imavov Aiming for a Top 10 Opponent Next appeared first on Cageside Press.

Covington lost a unanimous decision to Usman on Saturday night, in the main event of UFC 268 at Madison Square Garden.

Following the fight, Covington and Usman seemed to come together in a show of respect and shared a few words with each other. When it hit the press conference however, “Chaos” was back on that attack when it came to Usman.

“I can’t respect a guy like that. Go look on YouTube. The guy dissected everything that, you know, he cheats on. You see those injection marks all over his thumb. The guy’s not a clean fighter. I’m a clean fighter,” proclaimed Covington. “I’m raw American steel and twisted sex appeal. I did this the hard way.”

Never too far from his mind is his next step, with Covington calling for a fight with a former roommate of his on his path back to another title shot.

“I’ll fight whoever it takes to get back there. I think the most logical step is the heated rivalry with me and my old roommate ‘Street Judas’ Masvidal. He should probably pull out of that fight with Leon Scott and we should just run it. Let’s run it in the first quarter of the first part of the year and let’s do it. That’s a heated rivalry. He talks so much sh*t in the media and said so many things about me. Look at what happened when he fought Marty. He got dusted. If he fought me he would get dusted even worse.”

Even after all of that Covington, did admit to at least a little bit of respect for Usman although it came with more of a backhanded compliment than anything.

“There was a little bit of respect for each other. Even though he’s cut corners and I’ve never had to cut corners in my career. I came here the long way, I earned this. Blood, sweat and tears the hard way. Never cheated, never cut corners. I’m just a blue collar kid from Oregon in these big fights.”

It seems as though the story of Covington vs. Usman is far from over.

Official Result: Kamaru Usman (c) def. Colby Covington by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) 

Watch the entire post-fight media scrum with Colby Covington above and keep it here for more coverage from UFC 268.

The post UFC 268’s Colby Covington on Usman: “I Can’t Respect A Guy Like That” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Namajunas’ rise to stardom has been in the works for a long time. Her build has been steady; “Thug” Rose still keeps everything in perspective and still takes it one fight at a time. The rematch with Zhang Weili at UFC 268 was one of those bouts that helped cement her legacy, but it was different than the first fight.

“Very proud of myself. Yeah, it was a little tougher, but I’m very proud of myself,” she told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight, speaking backstage inside Madison Square Garden.

In terms of expectations in the rematch with the former UFC strawweight champion, Namajunas never really set them.

“I didn’t really have any expectations going into it. I figured that there’s a good chance that it could end up being a back and forth battle for five rounds. I more expected myself to, I guess feel a little looser. I was a little stiff sometimes then loose, then stiff and then loose so I don’t know. It was a roller coaster.”

Namajunas has a self-belief that she carries with her up to and inside the cage as she repeated “I’m the best” over and over again in her walk to the octagon. She even said it in the cage during the fight after Zhang was able to sneak a punch in.

“Yeah we were talking to each other in there. She was saying, well I was saying ‘I’m the best’ and then she was saying ‘I’m the champion’. And she came out and I was like ‘I was the best, I’m the best.’ So yeah we were going back and forth.”

After her latest performance, there’s almost certainly no doubt in anyone’s mind now that Rose Namajunas is absolutely the best 115-pounder in the world.

Official Result: Rose Namajunas (c) def. Zhang Weili by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 49-46)

Watch the entire post-fight media scrum with Rose Namajunas above and keep it here for more coverage from UFC 268

The post Rose Namajunas Says She’s “Very Proud Of Myself” Following UFC 268 Title Defence appeared first on Cageside Press.

That success included two knockdowns, and following the fight, Usman (20-1) told media outlets that he had to restrain himself to keep from getting over-aggressive.

“It’s very, very hard not to get crazy when you hurt someone like that,” Usman said following his latest title defence. “But I know he did his homework, he went to a good team, those guys at MMA Masters are good coaches, and I think they prepared him well. So he stayed very poised and very controlled, that’s why he didn’t try to get crazy, because I would have found the shot.”

“As a competitor I respect him,” Usman added. “That’s the next best guy in the division.”

Those words may come as a surprise, but perhaps they shouldn’t. At the end of UFC 268’s twenty-five minute main event, which saw Usman claim a unanimous decision win to beat Covington for the second time, the pair appeared to bury the hatchet. Usman remained mum on what was said between the two at the end of the fight, but later acknowledged the importance of “Chaos” to his own career — drawing a comparison to the great boxing rivalry between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

“Ali needed a Frazier. All these guys, you can be the great one, but there’s always going to be that one guy that’s going to be able to push you,” Usman stated. “And he is that guy. As much of him outside the octagon that most people don’t like, myself included, you have to respect him as a competitor.”

Asked whether he might see Covington again down the line, Usman left the door open. “I don’t know, man. That guy’s tough. I think he’ll tune up a lot of guys in the division. We’ll see, it’s up to him. If he’s willing to do the work to get back up here, and if I’m still here, we’ll make it happen.”

Watch the full UFC 268 post-fight press conference with Kamaru Usman above. More coverage of the event can be found below.

The post UFC 268’s Kamaru Usman on Covington: “Ali Needed a Frazier” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Curtis (27-8) had volunteered to step up on short notice against Phil Hawes a few weeks ago. While the fight fell through, it was rescheduled for the big card in New York City on Saturday, and Curtis defied the odds, scoring a first round knockout of the surging “Megatron.”

“I wish I had the words. Especially at Madison Square Garden, to get a knockout win in the first round when everyone counted me out,” Curtis exclaimed following the fight. “You guys seen the odds for this? It was pretty bad, right? Like 4-1. I hope I lost all of you money.”

Speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press backstage, “The Action Man” was joking with that comment, but admitted that making his UFC debut after competing so long left a little chip on his shoulder. Luckily, it didn’t overshadow the positives.

“You do have a chip, but my god, what more could I ask for? This is the best that it gets.”

Just being in the UFC, however, is not the end goal for Chris Curtis. “Anyone who says this is the finish line is an idiot. I’ve been working, my goal wasn’t just to get here,” he explained. “You always see people get here, and they lose all their fights, and they have ‘UFC veteran’ next to their name. I hate that sh*t. Like no. You have to earn the title. So my goal is to earn the title, not a world title, but the title of UFC fighter. Not just having a fight.”

Having lived the life of a fighter for a decade, Curtis recognizes that despite his win, “this is just step one.” He could also use a little cash to get to step two. “You guys hear it a lot, but I am hilarious broke right now. And I’ve spent everything I’ve had to pursue this career. I am hilariously poor right now. So to get a knockout at Madison Square Garden, probably the worst card to get a knockout on with freaking Gaethje and Chandler fighting, and Usman, thanks guys, but if Dana White’s so inclined, I could really use 50Gs, please.”

Curtis didn’t get one of the official post-fight bonuses on Saturday night, but in his own post-fight press conference appearance, White suggested that Curtis would get a little extra on his paycheck.

Watch the full UFC 268 post-fight media scrum with Chris Curtis above. More coverage can be found below.

The post UFC 268: Chris Curtis Looking to Earn the Title of UFC Fighter appeared first on Cageside Press.

As “The Highlight” exclaimed following that three-round war, the duo were born in the wrong era. Realistically, they’re the closest you’ll find to modern day gladiators.

At the historic Madison Square Garden on Saturday, they damn well proved it.

While Gaethje established himself as a must-watch fighter well prior to his UFC run, he has long since cemented himself as the most electrifying man in mixed martial arts. After a year on the sidelines following his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, however, it seemed some fans needed a reminder. Some analysts, too; Daniel Cormier questioned Gaethje standing in front of Chandler early in what was a three-round war, seemingly forgetting the iron chin the former interim lightweight champ has always boasted.

Gaethje did not rely on chin or heart alone on Saturday. Instead, he fought a smart game plan, falling back on his famed leg kicks to hamper the mobility of a game Michael Chandler. For his part, Chandler had Gaethje hurt early, and more than once. But as the fight wore on, Gaethje weathered the storm, and came out on the other side still looking sharp. Chandler… well, Chandler looked like he was on the wrong end of a beating. Bloodied, leg compromised, but still willing to wave Gaethje onward.

Fight of the Night was a given. Fight of the Year is a strong possibility.

UFC 268 saw Dana White and co. open up the pocket book, as an additional four Performance of the Night bonuses were handed out following the event. Among them, Chris Barnett cashed in for his star turn against Gian Villante. A fighter who can best be described as rotund, the jovial big man landed a spinning wheel kick on the retiring Villante, sending him to his post-fight career a little sooner than planned.

After dancing his way to the octagon, Barnett celebrated with a front flip, putting fighters half his size, with much better physiques, to shame.

Chito Vera earned himself an extra $50,000 for his front kick KO of Frankie Edgar, while Bobby Green cashed in for his knockout of Al Iaquinta. Finally, the debuting Alex Pereira, who landed a flying knee on Andreas Michailidis to put him away, also won a Performance bonus.

All six bonus-winning fighters will receive an extra $50,000 U.S. for their efforts.

The post UFC 268: Gaethje, Chandler Share Fight of the Night, Four Performance Bonuses Awarded appeared first on Cageside Press.

When you add a fight that featured a bitter rivalry like Usman vs. Covington, it just makes a pay-per-view that much more extraordinary. Real heat, more often than not, leads to an intense fight inside the cage.

Colby Covington has waited patiently for another shot at welterweight gold since he dominated former welterweight champ Tyron Woodley. Colby had come the closest of any challenger to beating Usman in their 2019 meeting, and with another shot at the current champ, he hoped that UFC 268 was his time to tie the rivalry up at one apiece.

Kamaru Usman has been dominant as the welterweight champion. Each fight with his belt on the line, he had shown a better version of himself. Usman appeared well on his way to cementing a legacy as one of the greatest welterweights of all time.  A win over Colby Covington would end the chapter against the only man to come close in many people’s eyes to dethroning him.

Kamaru Usman’s perfect jab once again made an appearance, setting up powerful shots on Colby Covington. The fight got closer as the rounds went on, leaving fight fans on the edge of their seats. Colby gave the champ everything he had and showed just how durable he really is, but it was Kamaru Usman gaining the unanimous decision victory. It was, once again, a thrilling display from two of the best welterweights in the world today. And it was nice to see the respect shown between two of the biggest rivals in the fight game today, when all was said and done.

PROS GIVE THEIR TAKE

Here is how the pros reacted to the UFC 268 main event.

Great fight fellas!!!! #UFC268

— Stephen Thompson (@WonderboyMMA) November 7, 2021

AND STIIIIIILLLLLLLL… 🤴 🏆 #UFC268

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) November 7, 2021

The respect at the end, it's always a good thing to see!#UFC268

— Herbert Burns (@HerbertBurnsMMA) November 7, 2021

I love it #UFC268

— Tatiana Suarez (@tatianaufc) November 7, 2021

Domination @USMAN84kg

— Dan Ige (@Dynamitedan808) November 7, 2021

Congratulations @USMAN84kg #andstill

No shame in a performance like that @ColbyCovMMA. Keep doing your thing my friend!@ufc#UFC268

— Aleksandar Rakic (@rakic_ufc) November 7, 2021

#AndStill! Great fight men! Much respect to both of you

— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) November 7, 2021

49-46 for the champ! #AndStill #UFC268

— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) November 7, 2021

Crazy to think that Colby isn’t the person we all think he is, he felt backed into a corner to make a change and save his career. He became the heel, and it takes away from the fact he’s the second best welterweight in the world. The guy can really fight. #UFC268

— Casey Oneill (@kingcaseymma) November 7, 2021

Awesome main event between two tough SOB’s! Usman is one hell of a champion and Colby was right there with him.

— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) November 7, 2021

What does it take to beat Kamaru Usman right now??

One of the best to do it and can't see anyone beating him anytime soon #UFC268

— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) November 7, 2021

https://twitter.com/VenezuelanVixen/status/1457220458739290112?s=20

The post The Pro Take: Kamaru Usman Earns a Hard-Fought Victory to Defend Championship at UFC 268 appeared first on Cageside Press.