Calgary, AB — The light heavyweight division saw the return of Ion Cutelaba on Saturday, a welcome infusion of blood into a stagnant weight class that has nearly ground to a halt. Part of that is due to champ Daniel Cormier moving up and claiming the heavyweight title as well. Yet the blame is not entirely Cormier’s, nor anyone’s, really. Challengers are continually being knocked off, and those few fighters on decent streaks are either new faces (Anthony Smith) or lacking in the promotion department (Corey Anderson). As a result, Cutelaba’s return — from a USADA suspension for an ozone therapy treatment involving a blood transfusion — is a welcome one.

Especially since Cutelaba, who was previously seen painted green like The Hulk at UFC weigh ins, opted to dress up as Brett Hart while walking out at UFC on FOX 30. Well, he wore the wrap-around sunglasses, anyway. No pink spandex — no way would Reebok have cleared that.

On the subject of “The Best there was, The Best there is, and The Best there ever will be,” and pro wrestling in general, Cutelaba said that “I’m a big fan, but especially because I’m in Canada, I knew Canadians like Brett so much. I wanted to inspire everybody, and to show that I’m probably better than him.”

Well, maybe not in a ring, but in the octagon, there’s no question. Cutelaba (14–3 (1)), just twenty-four years old, finished Gadzhimurad Antigulov in the final minute of the very first round. He’s now on a two-fight win streak, and 3-2 in the UFC overall. A modest streak, but at light heavyweight it’s a solid foundation.

Via translator, Cutelaba said that he “wants the belt like everybody else,” and was looking for the best opponent possible. Though he didn’t have anyone in particular in mind.

Check out the full post-fight scrum with Ion Cutelaba above.

The post UFC Calgary: Ion Cutelaba On His Brett Hart-Themed Walkout appeared first on Cageside Press.

Calgary, AB — Islam Makhachev had a little something to say in the octagon following his submission win over Canada’s Kajan Johnson at UFC on FOX 30. “Hey DC, tell them to give me top fifteen, or give me Brock Lesnar,” Makhachev said in the post-fight interview Saturday night. Obviously, that was a bit of humour: Lesnar outweighs the Dagestani fighter and teammate of Khabib Nurmagomedov by a good hundred pounds.

Who do you want next for @MakhachevMMA? #UFCCalgary pic.twitter.com/VhYihERai1

— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2018

Still, it’s a sign that Makhachev, now on a four-fight win streak in the UFC’s lightweight division, and 5-1 overall, is ready to step into the spotlight. Speaking to reporters backstage, he ditched the translator, answering questions in English. Why? It’s simple. “I need to promote myself.” The lightweight explained that he’d been working with a teacher, watching movies in English, whatever he could do to get an edge.

Saturday it paid off. As did his preparation for Johnson. “I’m really happy I finished my fight in the first round, because I don’t get injured. I feel good,” he told the assembled media. “I watch Kajan’s last for fights. All the time they go quick. He has, like, the same statistics all the time,” he said of his game plan. “I had a plan to pressure him, my coaches help me [with], to cut the angles, and when you can perform it, get the takedown.”

He executed that plan flawlessly, as the bout ended with Johnson submitting to an arm-bar in the very first round.

So where does Makhachev go from here, if not into the colossus that is Brock Lesnar? “I don’t know, now I think the UFC will understand I deserve a top opponent,” he said. And while appearing on the UFC Moscow card might be a little too soon — “I need like a little bit more time,” he admitted — he wants to get back in the cage at least once or twice more this year. He’s been putting the hours in with Nurmagomedov, after all. “All my life I’m training with Khabib. Training hard, training smart.”

On that note, his translator finally stepped in with a quip of his own: “Now it’s Islam time.”

The post UFC Calgary’s Islam Makhachev Ready to Promote Himself appeared first on Cageside Press.

Calgary, AB — Losing your first UFC fight is never fun. Getting a second chance at your first win in front of your hometown fans, however, is a nice way to bounce back. That’s the situation Hakeem Dawodu found himself in over the weekend at UFC Calgary. On Saturday night, he was given a second chance to make a first impression. This time, he delivered.

Dawodu (8–1–1) was choked out in his debut by Danny Henry this past March in London. Prior to that, he had been a hot prospect on the rise, fighting his entire career in the World Series of Fighting. Come Calgary, the story was about redemption, and putting on a show for the hometown crowd. Dawodu was born in Calgary, so there was no question the crowd would be behind him. However, he also had to force himself to tune them out at times.

“A lot of weight is lifted off my shoulders,” he admitted. It was a matter of not letting opponent Austin Arnett come into Calgary and steal a victory, and proving to the UFC that he belonged. In the end he got the win, a three round unanimous decision.

It was a hot crowd, and Dawodu had one of the loudest reactions of any fighter on the card. That could have been distracting, however. “To be honest,” he told reporters back stage, “I was making sure the crowd didn’t play [into] any part of my game plan. I didn’t want to walk into something stupid or get overexcited. I just wanted to make sure all I listened to was my team behind me.”

Despite that the featherweight was thankful for the support. “As much as I said I was making sure the crowd wasn’t playing to me, it was really nice to just feel all the love, everyone behind me,” Dawodu said. “It gave me energy, especially at the end there.”

Check out the full post-fight press scrum with Hakeem Dawodu above!

The post UFC Calgary: Hakeem Dawodu Shines At Home, But Has to Tune Out Crowd appeared first on Cageside Press.

Calgary, AB — In a weird way, the main event rematch between Dustin Porier and Eddie Alvarez had been overshadowed heading into UFC on FOX 30. That grudge match, going back to their UFC 211 tilt that ended in controversy due to Alvarez’s use of illegal knees, promised to be a violent affair. The sort of fight that MMA fans and casual viewers alike could appreciate. Yet with two other former champions on the main card in Calgary (Jose Aldo and Joanna Jedrzejczyk), the spotlight simply had to be shared. The story line for the main event? It was a fight that simply had to happen.

After all, despite lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov saying he believed the winner of Alvarez-Poirier 2 should get the next title shot, we all know who he’ll be fighting next.

Yet when Alvarez vs. Poirier the sequel played out in the cage, it was another All-Violence affair. Much like Alvarez vs. Gaethje and Gaethje vs. Poirier. In fact, put those three men in an endless rotation of fighting one another in various combinations, and we’re watching each and every time. Though, what it would do to their health would not be pretty. In any case, after a bit of a slow start that saw Saturday’s main event pair showing a healthy dose of respect for each other, Alvarez and Poirier devolved into the all-out war it promised to be. And while Alvarez seemingly had the better of Poirier, in mount along the cage in the second round, an illegal 12-6 elbow forced a standup.

That spelled the end of the former lightweight champion’s night. Poirier found his mark, rocked Alvarez, and unleashed a barrage of punches. And elbows. Forearms. The kitchen sink, for good measure. Eddie Alvarez went down, later, Dustin Poirier’s arm went up.

RIVALRY CLOSED. #UFCCalgary pic.twitter.com/fCmsaToiXN

— UFC (@ufc) July 29, 2018

It was another key win, and Poirier is now as deserving of a title shot as they come. The champ knows it. The fans know it. Even the UFC knows it. But there’s money to be made, so it will be made. In the meantime, Poirier discussed the fight, and what comes next, at the post-fight press conference at the Saddledome.

“I have the potential to be the best in the world,” he said following the win. “I cut no corners, I learn from my mistakes, and my success. I put everything into this. It just feels good to come out here and get another win against arguably one of the best lightweights to ever fight in mixed martial arts.”

There was some question about Poirier’s attempt at a guillotine choke on Alvarez during the second round, a topic he addressed post fight as well. “In camp I was killing it with the guillotine. It’s something I don’t ever chase because I don’t like to give up position,” he said, “but I feel like I turned a corner somewhere in my jiu-jitsu, and I’ve just been hitting a lot of guillotines. Putting guys out in the gym, just really confident in it. But Eddie’s an old dog that knows every trick. The first one was really close, my hand started slipping, he had an arm in to stop me from locking my legs and stretching my body in the position I wanted to.”

Ultimately he gave up on the choke, but gave credit to his wrestling, which he feels is underrated. Because of that, “I wasn’t scared to give up position.”

As for that 12-6 elbow (which Poirier admitted didn’t land), Poirier knows some will use it as an excuse to discredit the victory. After all, he was in trouble until that stand-up. To the critics, Poirier said that “People are always going to point to something. These checks are going to cash, and I have another win on my record. And another step closer to fighting for a world title. So they can point and say what they want, I’m laughing all the way to the bank.”

Noting MMA is “a crazy, crazy sport,” Poirier said he hoped Khabib-Conor happens soon, because he plans to be next. Though he was non-committal on a time frame.

As for the feud with Alvarez, despite some words exchanged between Poirier and Eddie’s team following the fight, the beef is over. “I apologized to everybody after we got to the back, to Eddie, to Mark, to all his other cornermen. I shouldn’t have done that, that was very immature,” he said of what transpired in the heat of the moment.

Recalling an odd moment during the fight, Poirier said that “weird thing is, when I had the guillotine, he was trying to drive up my body, and stuck his finger in my ear. He was pulling my head down, and the ref warned him, and he put his finger right back in my ear.”

No fluke in Dustin’s opinion. “This is an old dog that knows a lot of tricks. I don’t want to say somebody’s a dirty fighter, but the first fight, you kneed me, the second fight, you tried to elbow me illegally, and you give me a wet willie? We’ve got to draw the line somewhere,” he said, eliciting a laugh. Despite the tactics, Poirier addmitted “I’m a fan. I’m a fan of [Alvarez] for a long time, back to his fights in Dream. I’ve been watching the guy a long time.” And where ever Alvarez goes (his contract was up at UFC Calgary), Poirier will continue to watch.

“Even though he stuck his finger in my ear tonight, he penetrated my ear, I still respect the guy now,” he added later. “Because we spoke out back after the fight, and he said a couple things to me. I respect the guy.”

The post Despite Wet Willie and Illegal Elbow, Feud Between Dustin Poirier and Eddie Alvarez is Over Following UFC Calgary appeared first on Cageside Press.

Calgary, AB — Back in the win column again. That’s where Jose Aldo found himself Saturday night in Calgary at UFC on FOX 30. For a fighter who was considered the most dangerous in his weight class, frankly ever, it was bewildering to see what had become of the Brazilian. 1-3 in his past four fights. His title taken from him, twice. First, by Conor McGregor, then, by Max Holloway. Stoppages in both fights, then a nearly identical loss to Holloway in a rematch.

In Calgary, however, Aldo corrected course. Jeremy Stephens was on the best run of his career. He was looking like a world-beater, like the sort of fighter fans always expected ‘Lil Heathen’ could be. In short, Jose Aldo defeated the best Jeremy Stephens we’ve seen, setting it up with a crushing blow to the body.

WHAT. A. BODY SHOT. @josealdojunior gets the TKO win over Jeremy Stephens. pic.twitter.com/Gcg4H7fUJn

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 29, 2018

That left hand was the beginning of the end. Following the fight, Aldo was first to arrive at the post-fight press conference, where he spoke about the win and his future in the UFC. The latter has been a topic of much discussion of late, sparked by Aldo himself, who has suggested he may retire at the end of his current contract.

“I was coming from a really rough time, coming off two losses,” Aldo said post-fight, “but I had the support of my whole team, I had a very good group of people around me.” It’s that team, in part, that the win was for.

“I’ve just got to say thank you to Jeremy for taking the fight. He’s a very hard hitter, he’s a very tough fighter,” he said of his opponent. “It’s a fight we asked for a while back, and we finally got it. He put in the work that we were expecting him to put [in]. It was a very tough fight, and a good win for my comeback.”

Future plans? That’s simple. Claim the title for a third time. “For now the big plan is to just finish this contract as champion. That’s all the work that we’re going to be doing for now, is aiming at that.”

He feels the win over Jeremy Stephens was a solid first step. “I think the performance is good enough to catch the eye of the matchmakers again. Show that I do belong here, I am the top fighter in this division, and I’m ready to get another title shot eventually in this run.”

First, however, the featherweight title picture will have to sort itself out. Champion Max Holloway’s health remains a question mark, while Brian Ortega is patiently awaiting his title shot. Yet should Aldo pick up another quality win, by the time those two meet, he may have reestablished himself as the top contender at 145lbs.

The post UFC Calgary: Jose Aldo Plans on Capturing Featherweight Title a Third Time Before Retiring appeared first on Cageside Press.

Calgary, AB — UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was in Calgary on Saturday, supporting teammate Islam Makhachev, who picked up an impressive submission win at UFC on FOX 30. Yet there was no way ‘The Eagle’ was going to escape the Canadian city without answering a barrage of questions about Conor McGregor.

Especially now that a fight with ‘Mystic Mac’ appears closer than ever before. McGregor entered into a plea deal earlier this week regarding charges stemming from his bus attack incident in Brooklyn just a few months ago. The deal means that felony charges were dropped. Clearing the way for McGregor to continue his career.

And now, Khabib Nurmagomedov has a plan for his rival. “Make him humble.”

He’d expand on that. It’s not a matter of just winning, or just smashing McGregor. “Not only smash, change his face. I want to change his face. Of course with face, I can change his mind too. This is what I want.”

It’s become personal for Nurmagomedov, who historically has shown little emotion with opponents. “Of course. Long time ago. Three months for me is a long time,” he joked backstage.

Asked by Cageside Press about his thoughts on the plea deal McGregor accepted, and the UFC not punishing the star further, Nurmagomedov was actually positive about it. “To be honest, inside my heart, I’m a little bit happy about this,” he told us. “Because if he goes to jail, what happens? How I can catch him? How?” The champ realizes that vengeance will come “only inside the cage.”

The cage gives Nurmagomedov an opportunity to get his hands on McGregor, in other words. And the champ feels that it’s a win-win, really. He understands it’s an interesting fight for fans due to the personalities involved. Plus, “in my opinion, it’s the biggest fight in UFC history,” he added. Not stylistically, he allowed, but in terms of money and PPV buys — “it’s the biggest fight.”

With that in mind, Nurmagomedov is staying ready. “If they say October, I’m here. If they say November, I’m here. If they say December, doesn’t matter.”

Catch the full press scrum with Khabib Nurmagomedov from UFC Calgary above!

The post Khabib Nurmagomedov Happy Conor McGregor Got Slap on the Wrist appeared first on Cageside Press.

Calgary, AB — You can forget all that talk about Joanna Jedrzejczyk moving north for a shot at the UFC’s flyweight championship. After a convincing win at UFC Calgary, the former 115lb champion has eyes only for the strawweight title. You can’t blame her, really. After suffering back-to-back losses to Rose Namajunas, the usual questions began to arise about her legacy.  Yet that’s something she put to rest on Saturday.

As to how she did that, well, she once again showed the artistic side of fighting. Joanna Jedrzejczyk is a fighter known for high volume, high paced striking battles that see her move in and out, utilizing the center of the octagon in a way few fighters do. So when she engaged in a clinching battle along the cage early in the first round, territory that might be better suited to opponent Tecia Torres, something was different. Torres would eventually turn the former champ, clutching a leg while looking for a takedown. Yet through the first round, she was unable to land one.

That was a theme on the night. Round two saw the more familiar sight of Joanna working kicks and combos out in the opening. Attacking the legs of the tiny Tornado, who very much lived up to her name in movement and speed. Tazmanian She-Devil would be a fitting moniker as well. Yet before long, the second round became a clinch affair as well, driven there by Torres, who had managed to force Jedrzejczyk to the fence.

Dangerous terrain? No problem. If there is artistry in martial arts (and there is, never mind what Meryl Streep tells you), then there was artistry in Joanna’s attacks. Artistry in the way Torres methodically cut off the cage, eventually drawing Jedrzejczyk into a brief firefight to end the second round. Joanna, of course, was happy to engage, given firefights are so often where she shines. And no matter where the fight went, Joanna seemed a step ahead.

The third saw Jedrzejczyk come out with a look. Writers will tend to say a fighter came out with a look of determination, or panic, or fear. The honest answer is, that mostly depends on whether that fighter wins the fight. It’s so much easier to say they came out looking determined in hindsight. Yet she did. She held off a late surge by Torres. And came out with the unanimous decision.

Legacy questions put to rest. The question now becomes, what’s next? The answer, for Jedrzejczyk, is clear. It’s strawweight or bust.

Post-fight, she addressed that, and those who questioned her after the Namajunas losses, which still don’t sit well with her. “The worse thing in this sport is that one person wins, the other loses. You cannot take second place,” she told the media present. “People call you a loser. But both fighters always perform. They spend so many weeks away from their family, they work hard every day.”

“You win, you lose, you’re still a winner, you know. It doesn’t matter.”

Having won when it counted most, however, there’s still the matter of who’s next.

After her second fight with Rose, Jedrzejczyk admitted that she didn’t even want to talk about fighting for a while. But after a week, she caved, and her and her team did consider flyweight. “We were thinking of me moving up. But we spoke with Dana, and decided to stay at 115. And go for the belt very soon.”

“I feel great,” she added. “You can see, my body changed. I’m strong, even when I’m weighing 115.” No longer does she feel weakened from the cut to strawweight.

Later, she’d say that “I will stay in this weight class because I know this belt belongs to me.” You have to wonder if the former champion now has an obsession with reclaiming her throne.

Obviously, Rose is not going to be next, and Joanna jedrzejczyk has cleaned out the division. Yet there’s no one on the radar now that has her attention. “I focus on myself and what I can do,” she told Cageside Press on Saturday at the post-fight press conference. “Every camp, I’m motivation for myself. I am an idol for myself.”

The post After An Artistic Win at UFC Calgary, Joanna Jedrzejczyk Has Eyes Only for Strawweight Title appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Saturday night at UFC Calgary, Dustin Poirier swarmed Eddie Alvarez after an illegal 12-6 elbow forced the referee Mark Goddard to reset the action inside of the cage, ultimately leading to a TKO victory for Poirier that earned ‘The Diamond’ an extra $50,000 in the main event of UFC on Fox 30.

Poirier’s entire onslaught on Alvarez that led to Dustin earning a Performance of the Night Bonus can be seen here.

Jose Aldo competed in a non-title fight for the first time in his UFC career, meanwhile, and the former Featherweight Champ reminded the world that he’s not done just yet as he landed two crisp shots to Jeremy Stephens’ body and followed up with relentless ground-and-pound to finish ‘Lil’ Heathen’ in Calgary.

Prior to his win on Saturday Jose Aldo and Max Holloway were tied for the most KO wins in UFC/WEC featherweight history with 9, but Aldo now holds that distinction after crumpling Stephens.

Jose Aldo is back! What a body shot #ThatsATummyAcheTomorrow pic.twitter.com/gwZjnLp3Mu

— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) July 29, 2018

John Makdessi and Ross Pearson went all out in their three-round war and the third round of their fight was must-see TV. It’s too bad that this was the featured Fight Pass preliminary because this fight should be seen by as many people as possible and not relegated to Fight Pass.

HOW ARE THEY STILL STANDING? #UFCCalgary pic.twitter.com/G8rxVJcNBY

— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2018

Makdessi and Pearson received a standing ovation and an extra $50,000 for their performances in the Fight of the Night.

The post UFC Calgary Bonuses: Poirier and Aldo Earn Extra $50,000, Makdessi and Pearson Win FOTN appeared first on Cageside Press.

Calgary, AB — Devin Powell flew under a lot of people’s radar at UFC on FOX 30 on Saturday night in Calgary. That’s not necessarily surprising, given his status as an 0-2 fighter in the company, opening up the UFC Fight Pass preliminary card. Yet Powell got UFC Calgary off with a bang! Within a round he’d sustained an early attack by Alvaro Herrera. Then he turned the tables, and fired off a crushing body kick. The arena audibly gasped. A second body kicked followed, landing in nearly the exact same spot. More gasps. Herrera crumpled to the canvas in a heap.

And with that, Devin Powell had his first UFC win. He didn’t expect the fight to end as quickly as it did. “I thought that it was going to be the first time that he got dragged into deep waters,” he said afterward of Herrera, who has never gone past the first round. Well, Herrera still hasn’t.

It was a long time coming, something he spoke to Cageside Press about prior to the fight. Powell refused to give up on his UFC dream, refused to fight elsewhere, telling us post-fight, frankly, that he couldn’t afford to.

“I can’t afford to take care of my family on local league money. I own my own mixed martial arts academy, and I absolutely love it. I love teaching kids, I love teaching adults, I love training there. If it’s not the big leagues, I can’t afford to live,” he explained backstage. Never did it cross his mind to leave the promotion, even when UFC matchmakers said they might not have a spot for him. He held out, wanting to be 100% certain before he even thought about regionals.

The persistence obviously paid off. “The UFC is 100% what I want, what I worked for, I fought for it, and I got it.”

Powell didn’t just win in the cage on Saturday. Yes, he got the big liver shot KO win. A left kick each time. He also did something incredibly generous in Calgary, however. Powell held a little contest prior to Saturday, giving two tickets to UFC Calgary to which ever fan had the greatest need for them.

“I wish I was in a position to give everybody tickets,” Powell said. Of course he’s not, but he made a hell of an effort ahead of UFC on FOX 30. Soliciting requests for those with the best reason to go, Powell got a chance to really make a difference. “There were some awesome ones, but there was a kid who messaged me, saying that his dad had never seen a fight, and he has stage four cancer,” he explained. “So it was a no brainer. We chose them. I hope they have the best time of their lives.”

Congrats to @SamLeGuilloux on winning the tickets. Sam is taking his father who has stage four cancer to enjoy the fights for the first time. @ufc please show them the best time possible! I promise I would love to give all of you tickets. Maybe one day I will be able. ✌️😎 pic.twitter.com/9nuQW1Yrp3

— Devin Powell (@DevinPowellMMA) July 28, 2018

That kind of generosity makes the UFC keeping Powell around all the more meaningful.

The post Devin Powell Picked Up Both a Big Win, and Major Karma Points at UFC Calgary appeared first on Cageside Press.

Over year ago at UFC 211, Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirer met in a fight that was hotly contested, going great til a concussed Alvarez landed illegal knees. The fight was called to a close as Poirer couldn’t continue. Flash forward to now, Alvarez last fought at UFC 218 with a win over Justin Gaethje in one of the best fights of the year, while Poirer was now on a two fight win streak. The two finally met in the main event of UFC Calgary.

Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirer had a very competitive first round where both men had their success. There was a bit of respect shown at first, likely due to their first meeting. Poirier opened with a kick, Eddie answered with a combo. Ultimately it was a close round. However the second round is where the the fight turned from good to great. Poirer looked for a guillotine against the fence but couldn’t get it; he tried it again later, same result. Alvarez turned that into mount and was landing big punches and elbows however due to illegal elbows was stood up.

Those illegal elbows would prove horrible for Alvarez, as the fight was stood up and Poirer hurt him almost immediately. He put on the pressure and Alvarez tried to fight back, then covered up but continued moving. Eventually he’d go down, however, and the fight was called by Mark Goddard. What a fight and what a finish by Dustin Poirer.

With Conor McGregor and Khabib fighting next, it’s likely that Dustin Poirer is next for the winner of that bout, which is expected to happen in October.

Dustin Poirer def. Eddie Alvarez by TKO, Round , 4:19

The post UFC Calgary Results: Dustin Poirer Finishes Eddie Alvarez appeared first on Cageside Press.