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Kamaru Usman contemplating ‘whether it’s worth continuing to do this’ after lopsided loss to Dricus du Plessis

Published

3 weeks ago

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Kamaru Usman contemplating ‘whether it’s worth continuing to do this’ after lopsided loss to Dricus du Plessis

Kamaru Usman has a few losses on his record, but the former UFC welterweight champion is proud to say he usually made a good showing in every one of those fights. Following a lopsided loss to Dricus du Plessis in the UFC Oklahoma City main event, Usman questions whether he should continue fighting or not.

In the aftermath of his loss, Usman isn't spending much time thinking about whether he wants to stay at middleweight or return to welterweight; instead, making an honest assessment of his performance, the 39-year-old veteran says he needs to sit with his team and make a decision on booking another fight or possibly walking away from the sport for good.

“Right now, I just have to sit with the coaches, sit with the team, assess everything,†Usman said on his Pound-for-Pound podcast. “Assess the place where I'm at in my career. Just all in all, see whether it's worth continuing to do this. Whether it's worth continuing to put them through that.â€

Usman detailed how he's always made a good accounting for himself in past losses — including his initial rematch against Leon Edwards where he was cruising to a decision victory until he was caught with a stunning head kick in the final round.

Every loss is a tough pill to swallow, but Usman was proud he never looked overwhelmed or out of his league against any past opponent. While he doesn't feel like du Plessis just beat him up for five rounds, he understands that's the visual so many people saw this past Saturday night.

“Listen, I've never really gone out there and not represented them appropriately, myself and my coaches,†Usman said. “This one was a hard one because I felt like I didn't do that. The Khamzat [Chimaev] fight, it's like I took that on a week's notice and if I had two more rounds, it's iffy, who knows what could have happened. The Leon [Edwards rematch], I think I represented myself well until that last minute took that kick to the head. The third one, I probably shouldn't have been in there but I pushed it, I said you know what I'm hard-headed, I'm going to go in [and fight] and halfway through that fight I found myself again.

“There was something to build off of for those fights. This one to the untrained eye, looks like I bit off more than I could chew. Just a fair and honest assessment. Even though I may not feel that on the inside, it looked that way and I don't like that.â€

Usman didn't set a timetable on when he wants to decide what's next, but he knows difficult decisions likely await him in the future.

If he retires, Usman will go down as one of the greatest welterweights of all time and is a guaranteed UFC Hall of Famer. For now, he is waiting to speak to his coaches and teammates before coming to a decision about booking another fight or hanging up his gloves.

“I've got to really go back, sit with the team, sit with family and assess and decide,†Usman said. “This is just as difficult of a place to be, when we've achieved so much and you've got so much highs in the sport, when you start to feel the lows it's not that great.

“Because you hold yourself to a certain standard. So when you start to feel those things, it just puts you in a really difficult and really tough place to make a tough and potentially permanent decision.â€

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MMA

UFC 330 ‘Makhachev vs. Garry’ play-by-play, results & round scoring

Published

7 hours ago

on

August 15, 2026

By

UFC 330 ‘Makhachev vs. Garry’ play-by-play, results & round scoring

Sherdog’s live UFC
330 “Makhachev vs. Garry†coverage will begin Saturday at 5:30
p.m. ET.

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result

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MMA

UFC 330 Results: Makhachev vs. Machado Garry

Published

8 hours ago

on

August 15, 2026

By

UFC 330 Results: Makhachev vs. Machado Garry
UFC 330: Makhachev v Machado Garry - Ceremonial Weigh-in
UFC 330: Makhachev v Machado Garry - Ceremonial Weigh-in

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 14: (L-R) Opponents Islam Makhachev of Russia and Ian Machado Garry of Ireland face off during the UFC 330 ceremonial weigh-in at Xfinity Mobile Arena on August 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

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MMA

Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja have to be separated at UFC 331 press conference: ‘When someone talks, you shut your f*cking mouth’

Published

11 hours ago

on

August 14, 2026

By

Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja have to be separated at UFC 331 press conference: ‘When someone talks, you shut your f*cking mouth’

The rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja has some real heat behind it.

In December, Van took the UFC flyweight title from Pantoja, winning just moments into the fight when Pantoja dislocated his elbow while falling to the ground. Since then, Pantoja has been healing up from his injury, while Van defended his title with a fifth-round stoppage victory over Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 in May. Now, the two are set to run things back at UFC 331 next month, and at the opening press conference for the event on Friday, things got testy between the two.

“Had that not happened, I would have still whooped his ass that day,†Van said when asked about the injury that awarded him the title. “So September 19, it's just another opportunity for me to whoop his ass again.â€

“I think he needs to wash his mouth,†Pantoja replied. “I respect where I'm from. I'm from Brazil. In Brazil, you need to take care about what you talk. If not, maybe you lose your teeth.â€

Things only heated up from there as Van interrupted Pantoja while he was giving a long answer about what this fight means to him and his history in the division.

“Bro, talk about the fight on September 19,†Van said. “We're not here for your story, bro. We're here for the fight.

“Hey kid, when someone talks, you shut your f*cking mouth,†Pantoja responded. “You understand that?â€

“Shut up. What you gonna do about it?â€

In response to this, Pantoja stood up and started to walk across the dais toward Van, before security intervened to sit him back down, with Van mocking him the whole time.

“You ain't doing shit,†Van said. “Sit your ass down. Sit your ass down; you ain't doing shit. Somebody get him some milk.â€

“Hey kid, September 19, you're gonna be locked in the octagon with me,†Pantoja replied.

This is a new look from Van, who seemed to enjoy needling Pantoja and trying to rile him up. But for the former flyweight champion, this just looked like Van pretending to be something he's not.

“Nothing about Joshua surprises me,†Pantoja said. “He tries to make this character, tries to be the tough guy, but what I see, he's just a fraidy cat. He's afraid.â€

“I ain't afraid of shit,†Van responded.

“Oh, I'm so tough,†Pantoja mocked.

“My name is Fearless,†Van said. “I ain't scared of you.â€

The two then had their first faceoff for this fight, where things remained fiery, with both men jawing at each other and Dana White having to keep them apart.

UFC 331 takes place on Sep. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

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