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UFC boss Dana White has praised Anthony Hernandez despite his recent defeat at UFC Sacramento last weekend.

In the main event of UFC Sacramento, Anthony Hernandez wasn't able to get himself back in the win column as he fell to a defeat against Gregory Rodrigues. It was a back and forth encounter, but it was evident quite early on that Hernandez was struggling with the leg kicks being thrown his way.

RELATED: Anthony Hernandez lauds ‘tough' Gregory Rodrigues but accuses him of cheating: “Maybe I should be more dirtyâ€

Despite that, he was able to fight through the pain, showing a great deal of heart to hang in there with Rodrigues, who would eventually go on to secure the victory.

In the post-fight press conference, however, Dana White was quick to praise Hernandez despite the loss.

White praises Hernandez after UFC Sacramento

“Tonight, his leg got busted up,†White said at the UFC Fight Night 285 post-fight press conference. “Realistically, most normal guys, that fight probably would have been over in the second round. But again, I think the crowd was firing him up tonight, and he showed a ton of heart, and this is one of those fights – especially in your home state, your hometown – you gain so much respect. You didn't win the fight, but you gained a lot of respect.â€

“The crowd was literally amazing here tonight,†White said. “It was absolutely awesome. There's a lot of spots that we've got to hit. COVID, we're still sort of recovering from that. There's a lot of places we haven't been. And I mean, Philly was just incredible last weekend, too. We haven't been there in a long time. But, yeah, Sacramento's fun, and it's a nice flight for us from Vegas, too.â€

Quotes via MMA Junkie

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Alexander Volkanovski's coach Joe Lopez has talked about ‘The Great' possibly retiring if things go south at UFC 333.

At UFC 333, Alexander Volkanovski will defend his UFC featherweight championship against Movsar Evloev. While it may not be the most thrilling fight in the eyes of the masses, Evloev has certainly earned the right to get a crack at the world title.

RELATED: UFC 333 officially announced with two incredible title fights in Abu Dhabi

Volkanovski, meanwhile, knows that he is in the twilight of his career, but that isn't what matters to him right now. He wants to focus on cementing his legacy as one of the greatest featherweights of all time, which he has been doing for a while now.

However, after Volkanovski hinted that he could retire if things go poorly at UFC 333, his coach Joe Lopez had his own view on the subject.

Volkanovski's coach talks retirement

“At the end of the day, it's his decision, not mine,†Lopez told Submission Radio of Volkanovski. “We'll discuss it with him obviously and go through it but knowing Alex, if he loses, he'll go, ‘I don't want to go out on a loss and I want to come back and get it back. Come back on a win.' I just know how competitive he is. I just know the way he is so it's a fine line or a two-edged sword that we're playing here.â€

“I was happy after the first Diego fight, I would have been happy if he went out then,†Lopez said. “Every fight is a gamble. The thing is Alex always comes in well prepared, and he's looking probably better and stronger than he has done in a long time.â€

Quotes via MMA Junkie

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UFC analyst Michael Chiesa believes Michael Morales could be a real problem for Islam Makhachev in the welterweight division.

Right now, Islam Makhachev is on top of the mixed martial arts world. He successfully retained his UFC welterweight championship against Ian Machado Garry, and in doing so, cemented himself as a fighter who will now feature in the greatest of all time conversation.

RELATED: Islam Makhachev dismisses Michael Morales as No. 1 contender following UFC 330: “I don't remember when he fightâ€

Of course, there are a lot of contenders waiting in line, and that includes Michael Morales. The young prospect has been tearing through everyone at 170 pounds, and a lot of people feel as if he has earned the right to challenge for the strap, even ahead of Carlos Prates.

In a recent podcast, Michael Chiesa explained why he thinks Morales could serve as a legitimate threat to Makhachev.

Chiesa's view on Morales vs Makhachev

“Morales is the biggest guy at 170 pounds,†Chiesa said. “He is the biggest welterweight, so the size and the wrestling, I think that could give him more problems than Prates. But I do think prates has more capability of landing a knockout shot. At times Michael can get a little bit wild. The more wild you are with your striking, the better lanes are created for a wrestler to shoot.

“Prates, I feel like wouldn't get over extended too much, would do a better job throwing kill shots and not getting himself extended. Morales at times can be a little bit wild. But his wrestling chops, size, and physicality – I think that could pose a big problem for Islam.â€

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Get ready, fight fans, because things are really heating up in the welterweight division.

Do you agree that Morales could give the champ problems? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

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