News

Why You’re Wrong About The Rematch | A Peña For My Thoughts

Published

2 years ago

July 28, 2022

Joey Pickard

On behalf of all UFC fans, I’d like to thank Rafael dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev for providing July’s only main event of note. Having endured Adesanya’s slowdance with Jared Cannonier, the more recent round one injures suffered by Brian Ortega and Tom Aspinall haven’t allowed much relief.

The month will be closed out by UFC 277, headlined by Julianna Peña and her rematch with Amanda Nunes. Social media rumblings amongst MMA fans suggest that the winds won’t change this weekend, and that this main event is not worthy of it’s place at the head of the pay-per-view card.

Adesanya’s comfortable win wasn’t a surprise to many, but when Julianna Peña submitted Amanda Nunes in the second round of their December 2021 bout, the entire MMA world was stunned. With the expection of Julianna Peña of course.

Julianna Peña shocked the world. Credit: MMA Junkie

This weekend sees the rematch of arguably the greatest upset in UFC history, and it’s a fight worthy of being highly anticipated. Sure, you’re probably thinking Nunes will reclaim her belt in typical Nunes fashion, but did you think Peña was going to win last time around?

Amanda Nunes is the greatest female athlete MMA has ever seen. Going into her December title defence, she was on a 12-fight win streak and the champion of both the women’s bantamweight and featherweight divisions. With wins against names like Rousey, Shevchenko, Holm, Tate and Cyborg on her resume, nobody thought Peña could provide answers to any of the questions Nunes would ask. But as you’re well aware, Peña brought questions of her own.

Having written her off before, the ease with which fight fans have been quick to rule Peña out again has been baffling. This rematch has huge significance for the future of the women’s bantamweight division, and has all of the ingredients to cook up an absolute classic.

Write off Peña at your peril… Credit: The Independent

Nunes wants her belt back, and will have aspirations of getting back on the track of building her dynasty as the greatest female fighter in history. But Peña will be full of confidence, more so than before. She knows she can beat Nunes, she’s done it before, and this weekend is her chance to prove it wasn’t a fluke.

Peña’s confidence was on display in the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter, with her team finding much more success than Team Nunes.

The TUF 30 finales make up part of the following weekends card, but for now, all eyes should be on one of the biggest rematches in UFC history. If Peña wins again, everything changes.

Prediction: Peña via TKO/KO

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Smilla Sundell Recaps Training With Tawanchai & Stamp In Thailand

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024

VM Staff

For a fighter to become the best, it helps to remain humble and focused. And if the opportunity to train with world-class athletes arises, they should grab it with both hands. Ahead of her return to ONE Championship next month, ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Smilla Sundell has been doing all that.

The Swedish striker is set to return in the main event of ONE Fight Night 22 on Saturday, 4th May, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, where she’ll defend her crown against Russian ruiner Natalia Diachkova.

Sundell has been dominant across four promotional outings. But she knows she’ll have her hands full with Diachkova, so she recently chose to take some tips from ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai.

“I did his seminar in Bangkok at PK Saenchai with my friend Matt. We went there and wanted to learn some new skills and see how he did seminars because I want to go to America after my fight to do seminars. I’ve done one now, and I like teaching, so it was fun,” Sundell said.

“There’s no competition in it. He’s like a cat playing with a rat. It’s too easy for him sometimes. He doesn’t even try.”

The strawweight Muay Thai queen sharpens her skills at the Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand, alongside other world-class striking talents, like three-sport ONE World Champion Stamp Fairtex.

Stamp’s fun-loving nature has rubbed off on Sundell, but it’s her commitment to never backing down that has truly inspired the 19-year-old sensation.

“She’s always been a happy girl and trains hard every day. She’s basically the same funny girl. Still hungry (to get wins),” Sundell explained.

“I think I learned that you can achieve whatever you like as long as you put in the work. But I learned that from my parents, too. But maybe more practical, in a sense, because Stamp did it in martial arts.”

News

CW 171: Final Card & Broadcast Details

Published

4 days ago

April 15, 2024

VM Staff

It’s fight week for Glasgow! Cage Warriors – Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation – heads to Scotland for the first time since 2013 with the stacked CW 171 card pitting the nation’s finest against elite opposition from the UK, Europe and beyond!

With the home nation represented in all six of the main card bouts, the atmosphere is set to be electric in the Braehead Arena as CW presents one of its biggest fight nights of all time.

In the main event, blistering KO artist Dumitru Girlean returns to face home favourite Chris ‘The Bad Guy’ Bungard in what is sure to be an electrifying lightweight contest.

Also featuring in high-stakes bouts are title hopefuls Reece McEwan and Aidan Stephen, who face UFC veteran Cameron Else and Italy’s Gianluca Scottoli respectively.

Elsewhere on the card, former title challenger Scott Malone is back in the famous yellow gloves, as he takes on surging contender Nicolas Leblond, while hot prospect Sean Clancy Jr looks to keep his unbeaten run alive against Lucas Rodriguez.

The final CW 171 card is as follows…

Cage Warriors 171: Glasgow | LIVE on UFC Fight Pass

Main Card – 12:30 (PT) | 15:30 (ET) | 20:30 (BST) | 21:30 (CEST)

Lightweight: Dumitru Girlean vs Chris Bungard
Bantamweight: Cameron Else vs Reece McEwan
Welterweight: Lucas Rodrigues vs Sean Clancy Jr
Bantamweight: Gianluca Scottoli vs Aidan Stephen
Flyweight: Nicolas Leblond vs Scott Malone
Bantamweight: Kaique Modesto vs Keir Harvie

Prelims – 08:30 (PT) | 11:30 (ET) | 16:30 (BST) | 17:30 (CEST)

Lightweight: Konstantinos Ntelis vs Jan Quaeyhaegens
Featherweight: Alberth Dias vs Paul McBain
Bantamweight: Jack Eglin vs Daan Duijs
Lightweight: Jordan Little vs Jordan Stronge
Welterweight: Wallison Henrique vs Carlo Pedersoli Jr
Light Heavyweight: Nell Ariano vs Jamie Macdonald
Catchweight (167lbs): Diego Dikson vs Ieuan Davies
Lightweight: Dec Dean vs Michael Blair
Flyweight: Ronal Siahaan vs Igor Wojtas
Featherweight: TBC vs Damon Donald
Bantamweight: Pav Sahota vs Iain Postlethwaite
Welterweight: Mush Aslani vs Khadim Dia
Featherweight: Cornellius Aritonang vs Thomas Hepburn

Cage Warriors 171: Glasgow will air live on UFC Fight Pass and international broadcast partners.

News

UFC 300 – Live Results | Pereira vs Hill

Published

5 days ago

April 13, 2024

Jake Davis

It’s fight day! The milestone event UFC 300 is finally upon us, bringing with it one of the strongest cards ever put together. In the main event, Alex Pereira will defend his light heavyweight belt against former titleholder Jamahal Hill.

For the full results as they happen, look no further!

Note: any point deductions will be denoted with an asterisk and explained at the bottom of the page.

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