Arman Tsarukyan vs. Charles Oliveira 2 cancelled as Tsarukyan set for new UFC 331 fight
Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/NurPhoto
UFC superstar Conor McGregor shared his first thoughts on Ian Machado Garry's unanimous decision loss to Islam Makhachev.
Ian Machado Garry's first shot at UFC gold fell short last weekend at UFC 330. UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev successfully defended his title against Garry, defeating the rising star by unanimous decision.
Garry's loss snapped a recent run of success in the Octagon that featured wins over Carlos Prates and former titleholder Belal Muhammad. The former Cage Warriors champ is considered the ‘future' of the UFC's welterweight division.
Despite suffering from the jaws of defeat, Garry received support from around Mixed Martial Arts, including from his hero Conor McGregor.
Conor McGregor shows support for Ian Machado Garry after UFC 330 loss
In a recent video uploaded to Instagram, Garry shared his first remarks after his loss to Makhachev, to which McGregor replied.
“Tonight wasn't my night,†Garry said.
“I feel great, I did great, Islam was just better than me tonight, and that's OK. I want everybody who loves me and supports me and wants to see me do better, I want you to know that I'm gonna be back. I'm not disheartened by this. I'm bulletproof in my mind. I'll be back. I'm 28 years of age. I just fought arguably the greatest fighter we've ever seen in this sport – and I pushed him to the f—— wire, and I'm so proud of myself, and I'm so proud of my team, and everything that we've done.
“I'm so proud of what I've done in this world and who I've become; nobody's stopping me,†Garry continued.
After Garry's comments went viral, McGregor showed his support for his fellow Irishman.
“Champion mindset!†McGregor commented.
McGregor's UFC 329 comeback lasted mere seconds last month after injuring his right leg against Max Holloway. Before UFC 329, McGregor teased a potential future showdown with Garry for the UFC welterweight title, a plan which is now off the table.
Who should Ian Machado Garry fight next after UFC 330? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Justin Gaethje is setting the record straight when it comes to his UFC White House win, and how his championship fight with Ilia Topuria ended.
Gaethje captured the undisputed UFC lightweight title after the fight was stopped at the conclusion of Round 4 to cap off one of the biggest upsets in UFC championship fight history. While the narrative says that Topuria called the fight off, “The Highlight†is correcting the record.
“He didn't quit on the stool,†Gaethje told Steiny. “His body was too compromised to continue fighting. He didn't make the call, his coaches made the call because they're there to protect him. My coaches are in my corner to protect me in those times.â€
Topuria, however, has gone a different way with his approach since the fight ended. Although he congratulated Gaethje at first, the former two-division champion alleged Gaethje loaded his gloves prior to their clash on the South Lawn.
While Gaethje is annoyed with the internet era we're all living in, he understands that's the culture when asked if he was upset with Topuria's comments.
“Not really,†Gaethje said. “He's part of your era. You guys say weird shit for fun, dude. … I think the internet's crazy, man. It's clickbait, engagement, we're farming out here. We're farming for interactions. That's what we're doing. More interactions, more eyeballs, more opportunity. … That's the game. I don't like the game but I'm going to have to play the game. I'm going to try and be me when I do it.â€
Topuria and others have been pushing for an immediate rematch with Gaethje. Quite obviously, should Gaethje fight again, the UFC booking him against anybody else but Arman Tsarukyan would be a travesty.
As of now, Gaethje hasn't decided on his future, but he knows Tsarukyan has earned his day in court.
“I think it's natural and obvious that they're going to try and figure out who the next guy is,†Gaethje explained. “Arman just had a huge fight, a huge finish, so I think, obviously, he's at the forefront of everybody's mind and he's clearly the next contender.â€
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are supposed to clash in December, but the fight barely got announced before controversy erupted about UFC CEO Dana White's supposed involvement in the fight.
Joshua's longtime promoter Eddie Hearn effectively took a victory lap after the fight was announced as he celebrated the fact that the event was taking place in England and not the United States. On top of that, Hearn immediately declared that White had no involvement in the event despite being touted as one of the promoters for the card when Netflix announced plans to broadcast the December event.
During the Zuffa Boxing card in England on Saturday, veteran play-by-play man Max Kellerman tossed a little fuel on the fire by claiming that White's involvement in the fight wasn't as a promoter but rather as some sort of personal assistant to Alalshikh, who is funding the card through Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.
“Dana White's involvement in the fight, so people know, is purely in assisting Turki Alalshikh, who has been the engine behind just about every big fight in boxing over the last handful of years,†Kellerman said during the broadcast. “He's assisting Turki in a personal capacity, not as a promoter.â€
White has long stated that he was involved in helping put together the long awaited fight between Fury and Joshua but it's taken months for the matchup to actually come together.
For his part even White seemed confused by what Kellerman had to say about his role in the fight.
“I don't know where that came from,†White said at the Zuffa 11 post-fight press conference. ‘That was weird. We're promoting the fight right now. I've said 150,000 times I don't know if I've ever known anybody who's more full of f*cking shit than Eddie Hearn.“
There is a possible press conference for Fury vs. Joshua on Wednesday, but White played coy if he will attend the event.
â€I guess I'll leave that as a surprise,†White said.
The UFC Vegas 121 main event clash between Raoni Barcelos and Raul Rosas Jr. ended in scary fashion in the fifth round when the Brazilian bantamweight went unconscious for apparent no reason during a clinch exchange. Barcelos was rushed to the hospital for exams after the bout, and his head coach Davi Ramos shared on social media he is now back to his senses.
The UFC released a statement hours after the incident to confirm Barcelos was transported to a Level 1 trauma center for evaluation and was “stable, alert and responsive, with full movement†after a “CT scan and comprehensive assessment†were conducted.
“Raoni is doing well,†Ramos said in Portuguese on a video posted on social media. “He has all his senses, he's moving his leg, his arm, his hand, he's conscious, he's talking, everything is fine with him. He's undergoing some tests, and pretty soon he'll be here to talk to you guys.â€
“I just wanted to let you know so you can all stay calm,†he continued. “Keep praying for him. He's undergoing all the tests that are standard in a situation like this. He'll have to rest because of what happened, but God willing, everything will be fine. He'll be here with us soon and he'll be talking to you guys. Thank you to everyone who's been sending messages, positive energy, praying and keeping all of us in your prayers.â€
Barcelos was up in all three scorecards going into the final round, including a 10-8 in round four for one of the judges, meaning he was a little over three minutes away from a decision victory. The loss snapped what would be his sixth straight victory in the UFC.
“We had a great fight,†Ramos said. “We practice a sport that we can't predict, unfortunately, but we know for sure that we were doing our best. Raoni is a warrior, a phenomenal fighter, and he showed you that with all the technique he has, all the skill and heart he has. He showed everything about where he wants to go, where we all want to go, with all the work we've been putting in. Congratulations to him, and thank you all for the messages. Keep praying for him, and pretty soon he'll be back here with us to put on another great show.â€