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After UFC 308, Aljamain Sterling likes chances vs. Ilia Topuria

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After UFC 308, Aljamain Sterling likes chances vs. Ilia Topuria

Nobody has figured out an answer for UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, but Aljamain Sterling believes he’s got one.

Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) retained his title in Saturday’s UFC 308 main event by becoming the first man to knock out Max Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC). Former bantamweight champion Sterling (24-4 MMA, 16-4 UFC) will look to emerge as No. 1 contender if he can bounce Movsar Evloev (18-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) from the ranks of the unbeaten at UFC 310 on Dec. 7.

Topuria’s power is a proven problem at 145 pounds, but “The Funkmaster” says he wouldn’t even bother standing with him.

“If I were to fight him, God willing I beat Movsar and I do get the crack, I do think I have a great style to neutralize his offense,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel. “Bro, most of these guys are striking with him. I ain’t doing that. We’re sitting here looking for our takedown, and we’re going to have to make it a grappling match.

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“I’m trying to get the W. I’m not trying to get my head and my brain sent to the next dimension again. I’m good on that. But I think it’s cool that people were even mentioning that. I think that would be a crazy match for multiple reasons. … But I’ve got one other tough opponent in front of me, and then we’ll kind of go from there.”

Sterling has a few other fighters to contend with for a title shot. Diego Lopes weighed in as a backup for Topuria vs. Holloway at UFC 308, and former champion Alexander Volkanovski got Dana White’s approval for a rematch with Topuria next.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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MMA

Derrick Lewis done with post-fight shenanigans?

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12 mins ago

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October 30, 2024

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Derrick Lewis done with post-fight shenanigans?

Whether it’s “my balls was hot,” “where Ronda Rousey’s fine ass,” the time he pulled his pants down and threw his cup into the crowd, or something else, Derrick Lewis has provided UFC fans with some hilariously memorable post-fight interview moments through the years.

But heading into UFC Fight Night 246, don’t expect another one from “The Black Beast” – or so he says. The reason? Things are getting kind of weird when he’s at his kids’ school.

“This year I’ve been trying to spend a lot of time with my kids at school, and they’re in elementary and stuff like that. And so me going to school and the kids ask me about my balls and things like that, it’s just very uncomfortable, man,” Lewis told reporters, including MMA Junkie, with a laugh at Wednesday’s media day. “I want to change up everything. I’m not even taking my shorts off no more. I didn’t think about the other kids, the other kids’ families watching stuff like that, hearing me talk the way I talk, and me doing stuff I’m doing, so I’m just really trying to clean up my act. Be a class act this weekend, very professional.”

Yeah, OK. We’ll believe it when we (don’t) see it!

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Lewis returns Saturday at UFC Fight Night 246 from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he’ll look for his second win in a row as he takes on Jhonata Diniz on the main card (ESPN+).

You can watch Lewis’ full, and clearly very serious, media day session with reporters in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, that’s on you.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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Video: Justin Gaethje crumpled by coach during body shot challenge in training

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34 mins ago

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October 30, 2024

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Video: Justin Gaethje crumpled by coach during body shot challenge in training

Justin Gaethje has now been knocked down twice this year.

Back in April, Gaethje put his “BMF” title on the line against Max Holloway at UFC 300. After a back-and-forth war for five rounds, Gaethje answered Holloway’s call to slug it out in the final 10 seconds, only to then get brutally faceplanted just before the fight ended.

And now he’s been dropped again.

On Wednesday, Gaethje shared training footage to his Instagram account, showing him getting into a body shot challenger with his coach. After a few rounds of back and forth shots from each man, it was the former UFC interim lightweight champion who got crumpled with a nasty body shot.

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After doubling over and falling to the ground, Gaethje grunts in obvious discomfort, while his head coach Trevor Whittman laughs and celebrates the unexpected outcome.

Gaethje has not fought since UFC 300, saying he wanted to take six months to allow his body to recover from the knockout and noting that another one like that would spell the end of his career.

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Football

Can the Yankees come back from being down 3-1 in the World Series? | First Things First

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36 mins ago

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October 30, 2024

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Can the Yankees come back from being down 3-1 in the World Series?



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The New York Yankees won Game 4 of the World Series 11-4, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in an elimination game. Now down 3-1, the Yankees have an opportunity to make history and come back from being down 3-0. Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes discuss this possible outcome.

22 MINS AGO・first things first・5:00



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MMA

Topuria capable of knocking out Makhachev

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1 hour ago

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October 30, 2024

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Ilia Topuria def. Max Holloway at UFC 308: Best photos from Abu Dhabi

Alexander Volkanovski thinks UFC champion Ilia Topuria has the power to put anyone away – at featherweight and lightweight.

Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is coming off back-to-back knockouts of Volkanovski and most recently Max Holloway in Saturday’s UFC 308 main event in Abu Dhabi. Topuria wants a shot at lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and is confident he can submit him.

Volkanovski isn’t sure about the submitting him part but definitely won’t rule out Topuria’s chance of catching Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) on the feet.

“Submission, I don’t see that happening,” Volkanovski said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “Can he knock Islam out? Of course. He can knock anyone out in them two divisions (featherweight and lightweight). I’ve always said, and it’s going to be the same for Islam, the only way I see these guys like myself losing is getting caught. Who can catch these? It’s guys like Ilia that can do that.

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“He could go out there and land, but going out there and beating Islam or even submitting him and controlling him, I think that is very, very unlikely. But definitely could catch him. Ilia can catch anyone in them two divisions, so you can never count out Ilia in them fights, but they are going to be tough fights. If he can’t knock them out, they’re tough fights for him. Very tough fights.”

Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) has been taking time off ever since losing his featherweight title to Topuria at UFC 298 in February. He appears to have gotten UFC CEO Dana White’s approval on an immediate rematch, but Topuria and his team are not keen on fighting at UFC 312 Feb. 8 in Sydney.

Both Volkanovski and Diego Lopes have openly said they would fight each other on that date for the interim title if Topuria opts against a relatively quick turnaround.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

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Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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Football

Ronaldo misses late penalty in Al-Nassr cup exit

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2 hours ago

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October 30, 2024

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Ronaldo misses late penalty in Al-Nassr cup exit



Cristiano Ronaldo misses a 96th-minute penalty as Al-Nassr are knocked out of the King Cup of Champions 1-0 by Al-Taawoun.



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MMA

Rose Namajunas has open mind about Erin Blanchfield

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2 hours ago

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October 30, 2024

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Rose Namajunas has open mind about Erin Blanchfield

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Assuming it doesn’t fall through between now and Saturday, former UFC champion Rose Namajunas will log three fights in a calendar year for just the second time in her career, and this final one of 2024 presents a big opportunity.

Namajunas, former strawweight title holder, takes on Erin Blanchfield in a pivotal matchup of top-five ranked women’s flyweights. The bout serves as the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place (ESPN+).

Ever since moving up in September 2023, Namajunas’ sole intention has been to claim a second division title. Manon Fiorot, who beat Namajunas in her 125-pound debut, figures to be next for champion Valentina Shevchenko, but nothing is official. And Namajunas aims to make her case while she still can.

“Anything’s possible and, yeah, that’s my intentions, to really put on a good performance, enough to where there’s no doubt that I could be next,” Namajunas told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 246 media day. “I just kind of feel as if Manon deserves it next anyway, regardless of what I do. She technically has a (win) over me. I do feel like, if that was a five-round fight, I think I could’ve found a way to win. I was finding it toward the end, but it is what it is.

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“If she wins the belt, then that would be great to fight her again or even have that dream matchup with Valentina one day. I’d be excited to see them fight, but if the UFC wanted to put me ahead of that with a very spectacular performance, I’d be open to that, as well.”

Although Blanchfield, 25, is coming off her own lopsided loss to Fiorot, Namajunas, 32, is expecting a stern test – one she’s studied for.

“With her, what’s kind of unique is that she kind of has a sort of cycle that she puts people through,” said Namajunas, who’s won back-to-back fights against Amanda Ribas and Tracy Cortez. “If she can somehow get to her little cycle, she just finds her zone and is very comfortable in that, and people are very uncomfortable in that. What’s good about my preparation and everything like that is I’ve done a lot of work on preparing that cycle from even happening. And even if something does get started at some point, I’m very confident in my ability to adapt and to survive or, you know, get back to a good place. We studied her a lot.”

She continued, “She controls her emotions very well. She’s very stoic, I guess, and that’s kind of what everybody observes about her. But I know she’s gonna feel something when I’m in there with her.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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