UFC / MMA

Rembrandt

Big UFC announcement.

Islam definitely vacating lightweight title, will be fighting JDM for Welterweight title some time in the future
Tuporia vs Olivera for vacant lightweight title at 317 along with Pantoja and Kai Kara France as co-main for flyweight title

Also Du Plessis vs Chamaev at 319

Duluth

@Rembrandt

Good to see KKF finally get a confirmed date

Another interesting fight that got announced recently is Whittaker vs RDR in late July

Still waiting for news on the Aspinall v Jones fight

Duluth

Stirling back in NZ and talking about the fight:

Duluth

I see Kevin Jousset got cut from the ufc. That seems a bit harsh. 1 win 2 losses, the first lost was to Bryan Battle and the second was in a short notice fight with no camp

Rembrandt

@Duluth That's rough. Must be hell of a demand on places in the UFC now, I'm not very familiar with him I'm guessing not super entertaining then?

Just started catching up on "The Road to UFC - Asia". A couple of kiwis competing. Aaron Tau made it through to the semi's a couple days back. Another City Kickboxing fighter, back story has him recently on Dana White's contender series losing to some beast of a fighter, he was asked to compete on this tourney but to drop down to Flyweight.

Made short work of a 9/0 Indonesian fighter. You'd think with his look and heavy Maori influence he'd be a certainty getting signed up if he takes this tournament out.

https://x.com/UFC_AUSNZ/status/1925657926825316515

Duluth

@Rembrandt said in UFC / MMA:

@Duluth That's rough. Must be hell of a demand on places in the UFC now, I'm not very familiar with him I'm guessing not super entertaining then?

Just got caught up in the recent cull. Some decent fighters were let go. I thought they may have kept him because he’s a French fighter with a solid foundation. It’s a region they are growing

@Rembrandt said in UFC / MMA:

Just started catching up on "The Road to UFC - Asia". A couple of kiwis competing. Aaron Tau made it through to the semi's a couple days back. Another City Kickboxing fighter, back story has him recently on Dana White's contender series losing to some beast of a fighter, he was asked to compete on this tourney but to drop down to Flyweight.

Made short work of a 9/0 Indonesian fighter. You'd think with his look and heavy Maori influence he'd be a certainty getting signed up if he takes this tournament out.

https://x.com/UFC_AUSNZ/status/1925657926825316515

I saw his contender fight. He had very good comeback and there was an argument he should have got a contract despite the loss.

White was very dismissive of him. Pointed out if he didn’t show boat in the first round he would’ve had a better chance of winning. He pushed the Maori angle very hard in his build up interviews and it missed the mark. Fell on the wrong side of the pride vs superiority tone

Rembrandt

Another kiwi bloke Lawrence Lui just made the semis in Bantam weight. He got dropped with the first punch of the fight but fought an absolute war after that to take rounds 2 & 3. Classic kiwi interview "I pulled that win out of my arse"

Duluth

Not MMA, some local kickboxing

Rembrandt

Has any other athlete overcome such enormous pressure?

Arguably the greatest athletic achievement of all time.

https://twitter.com/DudespostingWs/status/1927114599976841531?s=19

Rembrandt

Lookout UFC! Dan's backyard brawls

Rembrandt

Who have we got for this weekend?

I'm only familiar with the title fighters...and Kevin Holland whom I swear has been in most of the modern UFC's I have watched since getting into it a year ago.

Picking Harrison by some distance...also weirdly O'Malley. Not sure if he has confirmed he was injured last match, my guess is he was and went through with it anyway to save the card and that's why he's got another shot. Not basing any of that on fact though so could easily just run the same as the first fight.

https://twitter.com/DiaztwinsMMA/status/1929908408573980705

MiketheSnow

Luque
Bautista
Pyfer
Harrison
O’Malley

Duluth

No strong opinions on these fights

Harrison should win easily but I still have questions about that weight cut. The bulk of her career has been at 155, getting down to 135 must take a bit out of her. Not sure if JP is good enough to test that

Rembrandt

Absolutely cracking day of fights,
Only one that slightly dragged was Spivac vs Acosta, even down to the early prelims had me glued.

O'Malley was better than last time but I did not expect to see Merab that much better again, might be long reign. Harrison was awesome, assuming the next weight cut doesn't kill her (reasonable odds on that) then the match vs Nunes could be awesome.