Aljamain
Sterling wants to fight Jean Silva
to determine the next challenger for
Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight gold.
Silva submitted Jose
Delgado in the third round of the main event of
Noche UFC 4, then called for a shot at the winner of the
upcoming Alexander
Volkanovski vs. Movsar
Evloev championship bout set to headline
UFC 333. Sterling, however, believes Silva needs to go through
him if he wants a title shot.
Aljamain Sterling proposes December showdown with Jean Silva in
UFC featherweight title race
Sterling, who has won his last bouts, had initially suggested a
November matchup with Silva at Madison Square Garden. The former
bantamweight champ is also open to fighting “Lord†in December, so
the latter has ample time to heal and prepare.
“Even if it's a Fight Night, I don't give a f*ck,†Sterling said on
his YouTube channel. “December, run that sh*t. Run that sh*t. Run
that sh*t. All I'm saying is, I want to give him the fair
opportunity to heal, be ready, be the best version of himself, and
I would love to have that fight. I want to fight the fights that
make the most sense; the biggest names, the fights that get me
somewhere. Not just taking random fights just to say I fought this
guy. Bro, I don't give a f*ck. I'm 37. It's time to sh*t or get off
the pot.â€
Sterling also believes the timing works well for the division,
particularly with Volkanovski and Evloev scheduled to collide in
October.
“So, the most common-sense thing, in my personal opinion, is to let
us figure it out and see who wins,†Sterling added. “We both stay
busy, stay active and get a clear-cut No. 1 contender for the
title. I know they had the ‘Beware of Dog' signs, but I got
something for that. I like to think my style is the ultimate
equalizer. Just like they talk about power, I got something
else.â€
Sterling is coming off wins over Brian
Ortega and Youssef
Zalal. He's now 3-1 since moving up to the featherweight
division, with his lone defeat at 145 pounds coming in a Fight of
the Night against Evloev in 2024.
Alvin
Hines' pursuit of his first win in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship has been delayed.
Hines was scheduled to face Gabriel
Lourenco in a heavyweight bout at
UFC Fight Night 293 on Nov. 7 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.
However, Hines has announced his withdrawal from the fight because
of vertigo.
Alvin Hines withdraws from UFC Fight Night 293 against Gabriel
Lourenco
Hines plans to continue training with adjustments while recovering
from vertigo and hopes to return to competition at full
strength.
“I had to pull out of this one for medical reasons due to vertigo,â€
Hines wrote on Instagram. “It wasn't an easy decision, but I know I
need to be able to step into that Octagon at 100% and perform to my
true potential. I'm going to continue fight camp with some
adjustments while I work through this and get myself back to where
I need to be. I'm not walking away from the fight. I'm taking the
time to get right so when I'm back in there, I can put on the kind
of fight I know I'm capable of. I'm sorry for the change, and I
appreciate everyone who was looking forward to seeing me compete.
Trust me, I'll be back. Sometimes the hardest part of fighting
isn't throwing punches. It's knowing when to step back, get right,
and prepare for the next battle. This is just a setback. Not the
end of the story.â€
Hines (7-2) was an undefeated prospect with six finishes in seven
victories when he signed with the UFC last year. However, “Goozieâ€
has lost both of his Octagon appearances. Meanwhile, Lourenco (8-1)
was slated to make his promotional debut against Hines after
earning a contract with a first-round knockout victory over Charlie
Cleveland on
Dana White's Contender Series in September.
Ciryl Gane shares first words since Tom Aspinall vacated UFC heavyweight title amid latest eye setback
Christian Leroy Duncan is set to headline UFC Vegas 122 against Brendan Allen on Saturday.
Duncan has been on a roll as he's won five straight fights and is now set for his first UFC main event. However, he is fighting ahead of him in the rankings, and Duncan enters the bout as a +108 underdog on FanDuel.
Although Duncan is the underdog, he and his team have full confidence. The confidence is shown by the fact that they asked the UFC for this matchup, as this was the fight they wanted, according to his coach Mark Weir.
“He (Allen) was at the top of Christian's list,†Weir told BloodyElbow. “Every time we fight, we send a top five list over to the UFC. The war room is on a Tuesday, so we do it literally straight away. We never expect to get the number one pick, but we ask anyway.â€
The UFC agreed with Duncan's ask and made the fight the headliner on the Fight Night card on Saturday. It's also a pivotal fight for the middleweight division as the winner will be right in the title mix.
Christian Leroy Duncan is getting what he asked for
Not only did Christian Leroy Duncan ask to fight Brendan Allen at UFC Vegas 122, but he's asked for his last couple of opponent.
Duncan is coming off a decision win over Jared Cannonier, which is a fight that the Brit also asked for and got.
“If I remember rightly, I think the last three times we've asked for someone, they've been given to us. We are aiming high and there's a risk factor for everyone who's fighting but so far, Christian's done his job,†Weir added.
Duncan enters UFC Vegas 122 with a record of 15-2 and is coming off a decision win over Jared Cannonier. He's 8-2 in the UFC with notable wins over Roman Dolidze and Eryk Anders, but this fight against Allen will be his toughest test.
Do you think Christian Leroy Duncan will beat Brendan Allen at UFC Vegas 122?
Court
McGee is proud of his final
Ultimate Fighting Championship appearance.
McGee's final bout came against Eric Nolan
at UFC
332 on Oct. 3 in front of his home fans in Salt Lake City. He
suffered a third-round technical knockout loss after a hard-fought
battle and subsequently laid down his gloves inside the Octagon to
mark the end of his UFC career.
Court McGee reflects on his final UFC fight after 16 years in
the promotion
McGee released a statement addressing his retirement. He is proud
of his final UFC fight despite the loss. After 16 years in the UFC,
McGee said he finally took it all in leading up to his farewell
bout. “The Crusher†also paid tribute to 13 coaches and training
partners he lost along the way.
“Saturday night was my last fight in the UFC,†McGee posted on X.
“16 years. 29 fights, including my time in the Ultimate Fighter
house. One hell of a journey. I didn't get my hand raised, but I'm
incredibly proud of my performance, proud of my opponent, and
genuinely happy for him. For the first time, I was able to slow
down and truly experience it all—the weeks leading up to the fight,
fight week, the walk to the Octagon, and everyone who's been beside
me through the highs and lows. Including the 13 coaches and
training partners we've lost. RIP. I gave this sport everything I
had. Sometimes my best was great. Sometimes it was just okay.
Saturday night, I was okay—and okay is good enough for me. I'm
grateful for the wins, the losses, the lessons, the people, and
every damn moment in between. What a journey. Thank you.â€
McGee (22-15) won Season 11 of “The Ultimate Fighter†in 2010,
earning a UFC contract. He overcame addiction before beginning his
professional mixed martial arts career.
Saturday night was my last fight in the UFC.
16 years. 29 fights, including my time in the Ultimate Fighter
house. One hell of a journey. I didn't get my hand raised, but I'm
incredibly proud of my performance, proud of my opponent, and
genuinely happy for him. For the first time, I was able to slow
down and truly experience it all—the weeks leading up to the fight,
fight week, the walk to the Octagon, and everyone who's been beside
me through the highs and lows. Including the 13 coaches and
training partners we've lost. RIP. I gave this sport everything I
had. Sometimes my best was great. Sometimes it was just okay.
Saturday night, I was okay—and okay is good enough for me. I'm
grateful for the wins, the losses, the lessons, the people, and
every damn moment in between. What a journey. Thank you. â¤ï¸