Pereira plans on staying put at 205 pounds, and Abdelaziz expects Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) to cement himself as No. 1 contender if he can get past Aleksandar Rakic Oct. 26 at UFC 308. No one has had an answer for Pereira on the feet at 205 pounds, but Abdelaziz says Ankalaev has the tools to beat him at his own game.
“I truly believe I think he will knock out Alex Pereira,” Abdelaziz told Submission Radio. “I believe he has every skill set to do it, and I believe he will do it. I didn’t know too much about Khalil before. I thought he was a 50-50 type of fighter. Yesterday, I’m a fan for life of Khalil Rountree. Khalil Rountree dropped him two times.
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“I believe Ankalaev has way more precision, way smarter than both of them. I believe Alex Pereira’s chin is a little bit better at light heavyweight, but the man has been in so many wars, and I believe his chin is not there, and it’s normal. It’s not knocking on him. I don’t think his chin is there 100 percent.”
Abdelaziz dismissed the notion that the UFC is trying to protect Pereira by giving him favorable stylistic matchups, but sees Ankalaev as the more well-rounded fighter.
“I think Alex is a great champion, but I think Ankalaev is superior everywhere,” Abdelaziz said. “I believe Ankalaev will beat him in wrestling and grappling. I believe Ankalaev doesn’t get hit.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
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Islam Dulatov brought the violence Tuesday to the UFC Apex.
At Dana White’s Contender Series 75, Dulatov (11-1) cracked opponent Vanilto Antunes (16-7) with a brutal standing elbow that folded the Brazilian unconscious. The stoppage came at 2:44 of Round 1.
The win got UFC CEO Dana White out of his seat, in awe of the violence that transpired.
Germany’s Dulatov has a big social media following already with already 100,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. He built his brand through fights for OKTAGON, Brave CF, and other promotions. All 11 of his fights have ended in a finish victory for him.
In defeat, Antunes had a three-fight winning streak snapped.
Up-to-the-minute DWCS 75 results include:
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Anthony Smith doesn’t think the UFC light heavyweight division is as thin on title contender options as some might think.
With champion Alex Pereira further solidifying himself as a dominant force with a fourth-round TKO of Khalil Rountree on Saturday at UFC 307, many are wondering who will be next to take on “Poatan,” who reiterated his desire to stick at 205 pounds following his win.
Magomed Ankalaev is being anointed as a prominent candidate, but the Russian must first get through Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi. Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) is currently riding a divisional-best 12-fight unbeaten streak, but lackluster performances in key moments have hurt his standing, including when he fought Jan Blachowicz to a split draw in a vacant title bout at UFC 282 in December 2022.
Smith, a former light heavyweight title challenger, ESPN analyst, and podcast co-host, thinks Ankalaev needs to be spectacular against Rakic (14-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) at UFC 308. Anything short of that in a winning manner, however, could open the door for someone else.
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“I wouldn’t count on it because there’s a good chance Volkan Oezdemir and Carlos Ulberg could have a conversation, or at least some sort of a case to make for that fight,” Smith said on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn. “Especially if Ankalaev does what he kind of tends to do sometimes, and that’s kind of lay an egg and still win. He’s already been punished for that. He’s already done it once before in the Jan Blachowicz fight and Dana (White) was absolutely furious.”
Oezdemir (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) and Ulberg (9-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) meet at UFC Fight Night 248 on Nov. 23 in Macau. Oezdemir has won three of his past four and is coming off a first-round knockout of Johnny Walker at UFC on ABC 6 in June, while Ulberg is riding a six-fight winning streak with his most notable result being a 12-second knockout of Alonzo Menifield at UFC on ESPN 56 in May.
Smith has his own history with Ankalaev in the form of a second-round TKO loss at UFC 277 in July 2022. His analysis is not skewed by hard feelings, though, and Smith thinks it’s simply the reality that the UFC brass are not keen to put him back into a championship contest.
Ankalaev can control his own fortune by doing something dazzling later this month, but if he doesn’t, Smith sees more than one option in play.
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“They’re not rushing Ankalaev into a title fight for a reason,” Smith said. “I think if that fight lays an egg and Volkan Oezdemir goes in there and finishes Carlos Ulberg, I think Volkan Oezdemir has a great case to make for a title shot. I wouldn’t just count on that fight (with Ankalaev).
“If Rakic wins, I think Rakic goes right into a title shot because Alex Pereira’s already shown a little bit of interest in Rakic. I think that style and his body type and kind of the way he fights interests him. I don’t think the UFC is really going to hold the Jiri Prochazka loss against (him) too badly.”
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“I think she’s just scared, got to make a lot of noise,” Harrison told TMZ. “I think she’ll do anything not to fight me, including call out – she’s probably going to call out Ronda Rousey next. I’m used to it. We’re blonde, and we did judo, so we must be just alike. From what I understand from my manager, I’m next.”
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Harrison was asked who she’d rather fight next: Peña for the title or Nunes, and the two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka said she has a plan.
“I want both,” Harrison said. “Can I not have both? I want to win the title. Give Amanda time to get back in shape and train. She can be training for me that whole time. I’ll go f*ck up Julianna real quick, and then Amanda and I can fight.”
Many thought Pennington was robbed against Peña and Harrison agrees – even though she admits that she didn’t get to watch the entire fight.
“I didn’t get to see the full fight, I haven’t gone back and watched the first round yet, but I thought that ‘Rocky’ (Pennington) won,” Harrison said. “I mean, it’s kind of like an unspoken rule: You’ve got to take the title. You don’t get to steal the title. You’ve got to take the title.
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“And I looked on MMA Decisions and every single – like that never happened. I’ve never seen it where every single journalist agrees, and they all said that Raquel won it. I didn’t see the first round, so I can’t absolutely say.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
MMA Fighting has DWCS Season 8, Week 9 results for all the action from season eight, week nine of UFC’s Contender Series on Tuesday night at UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
In the main event, Artem Vakhitov (2-1) faces Islem Masraf in a heavyweight contest. Vakhitov, a former GLORY kickboxer, has competed in the kickboxing ring with current UFC light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira, going 1-1 including a decision victory over “Poatan” in September 2021. Vakhitov enters the bout with back-to-back first-round finishes under his belt.
Masraf has finished all three of his opponents, including a 10-second head-kick knockout in his most recent outing at PFL Europe 1 in March. Masraf has yet to go past the seven-minute mark in any of his pro bouts.
In the co-main event, Kody Steele gets his chance to compete in front of Dana White and crew as he faces Chasen Blair. The undefeated Steele was slated to face Quemuel Ottoni on the Sept. 10 DWCS fight card, but Ottoni withdrew from the bout moments before.
Over 50 former UFC fighters submitted letters of support for the proposed settlement agreement in the Le vs. Zuffa antitrust class-action lawsuit.
According to online records, the letters were filed Monday by plaintiffs as part of a memorandum in support of settlement. The filing comes 12 days after the agreement proposal was filed Sept. 26.
News of the filings was first reported by journalist John Nash.
The proposed agreement amount is $375 million. It comes less than two months after U.S. District Court judge Richard Boulware denied an initial proposal of $335 million.
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The initial proposal also included Johnson vs. Zuffa under its umbrella, whereas the current proposal is strictly for Le vs. Zuffa.
The letters
Many fighters who wrote letters painted a picture of life after fighting. Reoccurring themes across the letters include financial struggles, physical injuries, brain trauma concerns, and mental health problems.
The fighters reiterated their preference for immediate financial relief rather than risking the outcomes of a trial, which could benefit the fighters more or leave them completely empty-handed.
“For me, a significant recovery in the near future is much more appealing than the possibility of a larger recovery several years from now, especially in light of the possibility that there would be no recovery at all if this settlement were not approved,” each letter read. “In my situation, a bird in the hand truly does beat two (or three, or even nine) in the bush.”
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Among the most notable names is UFC Hall of Famer Wanderlei Silva, who stated concerns for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
“While fighting for the UFC, I suffered many significant injuries, including concussions,” Silva wrote. “I fear that during my career I have suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI) and am noticing symptoms common with TBI and CTE including depression, mood swings, and irritability. To date, no treatment for CTE has been found. I suffer from sleep apnea and have difficulty sleeping and breathing.”
“The Ultimate Fighter, Season 1” winner Diego Sanchez voiced similar worries about his health, including bouts of depression, and financial problems after his UFC career concluded.
“Increasingly, day to day survival is a struggle,” Sanchez wrote.
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UFC heavyweight Todd Duffee recalled 16 surgeries he had during his career, but went into greater detail about the narrative he said the promotion crafted around him, likely referring to 2010 comments made by Dana White.
“Picture yourself at 25 in the most important job interview of your life,” Duffee wrote. “To have the interviewer question why your former employer at a fighting organization, believes you to have a bad attitude and to announce it is publicly causing them to express concern over this characterization— simply because you refused to fight while injured for a second time in a row after previously competing with a torn MCL and shingles in your eye.
“I am sure you can see how this mischaracterization has had quite an economic impact moving through my life. It has continued to haunt me and is weaponized against me in all kinds of business job settings stifling my potential for many opportunities.”
Shane Carwin
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Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin said he still struggles from the damage sustained during his six-fight stint with the promotion, and can no longer focus on his day job.
“Cognitive tests conducted at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and Concussion Legacy Foundation at Boston University (among others) are indicating I have suffered damage to the pre-frontal cortex and left hemisphere,” Carwin wrote. “I spend days in bed suffering from bouts of paranoia, fear and anxiety.”
Feb 28, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cat Zingano leaves the arena after she was defeated by Ronda Rousey (not pictured) in her women’s bantamweight title bout at UFC 184 at Staples Center. Rousey won in the first round. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
What does the settlement look like?
According to the recent filing, the total sum allotted to the plaintiffs (should Boulware approve), will be $375 million. It will be paid in installments.
According to the proposed notice of class action settlement, each fighter’s payout will depend on two factors: the number of fights they had and the amount of money they earned from the UFC during the class window.
“The proposed Plan of Allocation can be summarized as follows,” the notice states. “Each Claimant will be allocated his or her share of the Net Le v. Zuffa Settlement Fund based upon two pro rata factors: (i) the total compensation each received from the UFC for participating in UFC bouts (i.e., the fighter’s Event Compensation) during the Class Period; and (ii) the total number of UFC bouts each fought during the Class Period. All Claimants will receive a minimum recovery amount of $15,000.”
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What’s next?
Upon receiving the previous settlement proposal, Boulware denied it based factors including what he perceived to be a low payout, particularly given the initial asking amount by the plaintiffs.
It’s not yet known if Boulware will sign off on the new agreement. If Boulware denies the settlement and the case goes to trial, Plaintiffs would need a unanimous jury verdict to win. Even with victory, the plaintiffs could be looking at years worth of appeals before seeing compensation or injunctive relief.
Should Boulware approve this new agreement, the Johnson vs. Zuffa case will continue separately. The class in that case includes all fighters who competed in one UFC bout from July 1, 2017, to the present and seeks injunctive relief.
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