All articles tagged with #bantamweight
Merab Dvalishvili responded to Umar Nurmagomedov’s criticisms of a Georgia altercation at RAF Georgia, saying he was provoked and that his Georgian upbringing drives him to defend himself; he admitted slapping a Nurmagomedov associate during the incident, warned the Nurmagomedov camp to stop trash talk, and also expressed readiness for a Petr Yan trilogy with a UFC contract announcement awaited.
Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo is targeted to face rising bantamweight Payton Talbott at UFC 332 on Oct. 3 in Salt Lake City; contracts haven’t been signed yet and UFC has not announced a headliner. Figueiredo, coming off two losses, would look to rebound, while Talbott, on a three-fight win streak, seeks to extend his run.
Patchy Mix missed bantamweight by 6.3 pounds at RIZIN 54 weigh-ins (63.85 kg vs 61 kg), leading to the bout with Shoko Sato being removed from the co-main and triggering a card reshuffle. Kyoma Akimoto and Kleber Koike made weight for the main event, while Alibek Gadzhammatov missed flyweight by 3.85 pounds. Under RIZIN rules, overweight fighters’ wins can be overturned to a no-contest, and Mix’s three-fight winless streak (including UFC losses) continues.
TUF 34's two-episode premiere introduces 20 bantamweight and strawweight hopefuls, but only 16 are kept after surprise pre-house cuts. Michael Bisping lands Xavier Franklin as his first pick, while behind-the-scenes drama includes Sean Mora headbutting Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu and Tina Black's complaints about house cleaning. In fights, Melissa Amaya submits Anna Melisano and Christian Strong defeats Marlon Jones, sending Amaya and Strong to the semifinals. The season streams on Paramount+ with coaches not fighting in the finale and a six-figure UFC contract up for grabs.
Umar Nurmagomedov will co-headline UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25 against 14-1 David Martinez, who is 3-0 in the UFC and riding a 10-fight win streak overall; the card also features Magomed Ankalaev vs Khalil Rountree Jr. and several other bouts as the UFC returns to Abu Dhabi.
At UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas, official weigh-ins put bantamweight bout between Mario Bautista (135.5) and Vinicius Oliveira (136) in the spotlight. The card also features Albazi vs Horiguchi, Almeida vs Kuniev, Oleksiejczuk vs Barriault, Matsumoto vs Basharat, and Jacoby vs Walker, with several prelims to boot. Note a few fighters missed weight (Vasquez, Cong, Moura, Gafurov), triggering purse forfeits as indicated, and the event airs Feb. 7 at Meta APEX on Paramount+.
Sean O'Malley snapped a two-fight losing streak by earning a unanimous decision over Song Yadong in the UFC 324 co-headliner at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, returning to title contention and prompting reaction from fellow fighters.
American bantamweight Cameron Smotherman collapsed at the UFC 324 weigh-in in Las Vegas after weighing 135.5 lb; he was treated by doctors and the scheduled bantamweight bout with Ricky Turcios on the prelims was cancelled.
Umar Nurmagomedov emphasizes that his rivalry with Merab Dvalishvili is not personal and is confident about a future rematch, despite Dvalishvili's dismissive attitude. Nurmagomedov is preparing for his upcoming fight against Mario Bautista and hopes to stay active in the UFC, potentially fighting again early 2026 if both he and Dvalishvili win their next bouts.
Saimon Oliveira missed weight by eight pounds at UFC Rio weigh-ins, leading to a catchweight bout with Luan Lacerda and a purse penalty, while other fighters like Charles Oliveira and Deiveson Figueiredo made weight successfully.
Merab Dvalishvili defended his UFC bantamweight title with a dominant five-round unanimous decision over Cory Sandhagen, showcasing relentless pressure and ground control, leading to questions about his dominance and potential GOAT status in the division.
Henry Cejudo predicts Cory Sandhagen will defeat Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 320, praising Sandhagen's striking and technique, and suggests Dvalishvili's fight should headline the event instead of the current main event. Cejudo also highlights Dvalishvili's status as a top bantamweight and the importance of composure for Sandhagen to succeed.
The article reviews UFC Fight Night performances, highlighting Matsumoto's challenging fight and upcoming bout against Miles Johns, emphasizing the need for Matsumoto to rebound and improve, and also mentions Elijah Smith's promising UFC debut and potential in the bantamweight division.
Petr Yan, a former UFC Bantamweight Champion, predicts a 60-40 favorability for Merab Dvalishvili over Cory Sandhagen in their upcoming fight, expressing his interest in facing the winner after his recent victory and emphasizing his desire to stay active and provide for his large family.
Sean O'Malley, a top UFC bantamweight star, faces criticism from rival Cory Sandhagen who suggests he needs to make technical adjustments beyond his striking to compete effectively with top fighters, especially after consecutive losses. Sandhagen believes O'Malley can improve his game to climb back into title contention, particularly if the current champion Merab Dvalishvili loses his title, opening a potential matchup between them.