Gaethje: Usman is ‘the best in the world’ but ‘we’re on the downhill of our careers’
Former welterweight champion and top pound-for-pound fighter Kamaru Usman captured UFC gold at 32 years of age. It is the prime for many athletes, but for a longtime competitor like “The Nigerian Nightmare” who’s been at it since his high wrestling school days, you can say he is older in fighting years. The 35-year-old Usman […]
UFC 278 salaries: Jose Aldo guaranteed more in loss than Leon Edwards for title win
UFC 278 took place in Salt Lake City, UT back on August 20th. As it turns out, Utah is one of the few states remaining that publicly releases fighter pay info from combat sports events (even if it sounds like MMA Fighting’s Steven Marrocco had to go through a struggle to get it). That means […]
Luke Rockhold advises younger fighters: Get a manager who doesn’t ‘work for the f—ng UFC’
Former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold continues to air out his grievances. In his post-UFC 278 appearance on the MMA Hour, the newly retired Rockhold did it by giving this f-bomb-filled piece of advice to the next crop of fighters. “Get a manager that’s not connected to the game, that’s not part of the f–ng system,” […]
‘Leon gave me a 20-minute nap’ – Kamaru Usman talks missing time after UFC 278
For the most part, Kamaru Usman couldn’t possibly sound more serene about his loss to Leon Edwards. The loss of the championship title, the first knockout defeat of his career, he certainly has reasons to get down in the dumps if he’s looking for them. Instead, however, the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ seems to have shaken the […]
Cheating? Referee Herb Dean details what he looks for during controversial fence grabs
In the aftermath of UFC 278, Chael Sonnen claimed Leon Edwards cheated in the lead up to the head kick that knocked out Kamaru Usman and won Edwards the UFC welterweight title. “There’s a lot more in Leon versus Usman and nobody spoke of it,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “Kamaru is apparently too […]
Makhachev: Leon Edwards got ‘lucky,’ will ‘100 percent’ lose to Kamaru Usman in trilogy
As the dominant welterweight champion and pound-for-pound king ahead of UFC 278, people expected Kamaru Usman to defend his title against challenger Leon Edwards. But as we all know by now, the outcome was the exact opposite, with “Rocky” scoring a last-minute head kick KO to become the new undisputed title holder at 170 pounds. […]
‘This ain’t boxing’ – Teddy Atlas says Usman could’ve used ‘the voice of an MMA coach’ at UFC 278
Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman got the elite level he’s in right now, partly thanks to his striking coach Trevor Wittman. From having a wrestling-heavy approach, “The Nigerian Nightmare” evolved by leaps and bounds in terms of his striking, primarily using his boxing to score huge wins in some of his title defenses. Related […]
‘This is not football’ – Paulo Costa considering move to US, but won’t join a ‘team’
Fresh off an important victory over former champion Luke Rockhold, middleweight contender Paulo Costa (14-2) might be preparing to make some big changes in his career. Although he doesn’t know exactly when yet, the Brazilian believes the time has come to move to the United States in order to keep moving forward. In an interview […]
Crooklyn’s Corner 31: UFC fighter pay discussion with John Nash
Welcome to Crooklyn’s Corner, the podcast that’s basically a hodgepodge of topics focused on the combat sports and entertainment community. The show will feature special interviews, fantasy matchmaking/analysis and whatever else we can come up with to keep our listeners steeped in fresh and engaging content. The show is hosted by Stephie Haynes and airs […]
‘Leon cheated in that match a whole bunch of times’ — Sonnen questions Edwards’ victory over Usman
Leon Edwards pulled off the impossible at UFC 278, but his last-minute knockout victory against Kamaru Usman wasn’t without controversy. Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger turned MMA analyst and podcast host Chael Sonnen would like to remind us that ‘Rocky’ grabbed the fence several times throughout the fight and had to be […]
Luke Rockhold reveals ‘altitude definitely played a factor’ in UFC 278 fatigue
Luke Rockhold put on a gutsy performance against Paulo Costa, but one couldn’t help but notice how tired the former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion was during the fight. Rockhold admits that the high altitude of Salt Lake City definitely played a factor in his defeat along with the ultra-conditioned Costa taking him down and […]
‘He was the biggest loser’ — DC says Khamzat Chimaev lost out at UFC 278
Daniel Cormier believes Khamzat Chimaev is in a tough spot ahead of UFC 279. Khamzat will meet UFC veteran and fan favorite Nate Diaz in the main event, but ‘DC’ doesn’t think a victory pushes ‘Borz’ any closer to a title shot due to what happened last weekend at UFC 278. Cormier thinks Chimaev was […]
‘This is MMA…there’s kicks to worry about’ — Teddy Atlas reminds Kamaru Usman he’s not a boxer
Teddy Atlas thinks Kamaru Usman got overconfident with his boxing and forgot that he was in an MMA fight against Leon Edwards at UFC 278. Atlas, a world-renowned boxing trainer, described how a simple boxing parry led to Usman slipping his head in the wrong direction and getting knocked out with a head kick that […]
Pederneiras dismisses Jose Aldo’s retirement talk, eyes UFC Rio card in January
Despite recent rumors, it seems that former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is not retiring just yet. Following a frustrating loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC Vegas 58, the Brazilian may be taking a spot on the upcoming Rio de Janeiro, which is scheduled for January 2023. In a conversation with Ag Fight, Nova Uniao’s […]
Paulo Costa undergoes surgery on broken hand, aiming for return in 2023
Paulo Costa was hoping to return to the Octagon by the end of the year, but his timeline may have to change. The UFC middleweight defeated Luke Rockhold by unanimous decision in a ‘Fight of the Night’ awarded outing at UFC 278 this past Saturday. During that 15-minute affair, Costa fractured his right hand, which […]
Video: Kamaru Usman reacts to loss at UFC 278 in newly released backstage footage
Kamaru Usman was gracious in the immediate aftermath of his loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 278 this past Saturday. The former UFC welterweight champion was followed by documentarian Will Harris of Anatomy of A Fighter, who shared newly released footage of Usman before and after his fight against Edwards. The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ defeated ‘Rocky’ […]
The Level Change Podcast 187: Luke Rockhold still has Dana White in his crosshairs
Welcome to ‘The Level Change Podcast’, our combat sports themed variety show hosted by Stephie Haynes, Mookie Alexander and Victor Rodriguez. Featuring the news of the week, fight card breakdowns and analysis, a roundup of regional promotions’ cards and fights; and whatever else we decide is important enough or entertaining enough to bring to your […]
Luke Rockhold tells Jake Paul ‘don’t open your mouth about me’ after Costa fight labeled ‘dog sh-t’
Luke Rockhold has warned YouTube boxer Jake Paul to keep his name out of Paul’s mouth following criticism over Rockhold’s UFC 278 retirement fight with Paulo Costa, which Paul labeled ‘dog sh-t’ on Twitter. Rockhold, a former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion and a legend of the sport, fired back at ‘The Problem Child’ during […]
Video: New UFC champ Leon Edwards receives hero’s welcome in U.K. after Kamaru Usman KO
Leon Edwards received the champion’s treatment in the U.K. after arriving back home in England with the UFC welterweight title draped over his shoulder following his sensational come-from-behind knockout of Kamaru Usman at UFC 278. Edwards, who knocked out Usman with a head kick in the final minute of the fight, was greeted by swarms […]
Leon Edwards’ coach on now-viral plea at UFC 278: ‘I had to go out there and do something’
Leon Edwards was down 3-1 on the judges’ scorecards in his rematch against Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 this past Saturday. When ‘Rocky’ returned to his corner ahead of the fifth and final round, coach Dave Lovell saw someone he did not recognize: an already defeated Edwards. “Listen! Stop feeling sorry for your f—king self!,” […]
Michael Bisping wishes former UFC rival Luke Rockhold ‘all the best in retirement’
From one UFC Hall of Famer to another future UFC Hall of Famer, Michael Bisping toasts Luke Rockhold farewell and wishes the 37-year-old all the best in retirement. Bisping and Rockhold might not have seen eye to eye as competitors, with both men fierce rivals during their UFC heydays, but that’s all water under the […]
Dana White: Leon Edwards ‘walking on water’ since Kamaru Usman KO, first title defense likely in UK
UFC president Dana White is excited about hosting a huge event in the U.K. following Leon Edwards’ acquisition of the welterweight title at UFC 278 last Saturday. White says newly-minted champ Edwards is ‘walking on water’ since his knockout of Kamaru Usman and that the Jamaican-born Brit will likely have his first title defense in […]
Brendan Schaub dubs Michael Bisping as the ‘Rosa Parks of British fighters’
On Saturday at UFC 278, Leon Edwards scored the biggest victory of his career with a last-minute knockout win over former pound-for-pound and welterweight king Kamaru Usman. With the victory, “Rocky” also became the second British titleholder in UFC history. His predecessor, of course, is Michael Bisping, who became the undisputed middleweight champion in 2016. […]
‘He f—ked me from the start’ – Luke Rockhold unloads grievances towards Dana White
Former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold had a lot to unload during UFC 278’s media day. Most of his complaints were centered around fighter pay, as he believes the current owners allowed UFC president Dana White to “run the show and suppress the sport.” After his UFC 278 ‘Fight of the Night’ performance against Paulo Costa, […]
‘My body just shut down’ – Leon Edwards describes having ‘worst day’ during biggest UFC win
Leon Edwards impressively got the job done at UFC 278 with a literal last-minute head kick KO over former pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman. It all happened after the strong push from his coaches during the round breaks and being down on the scorecards 3-1. But like any good story, Edwards’ was filled with drama and […]
Kamaru Usman: Trilogy with Leon Edwards ‘absolutely what’s going to happen next’
Kamaru Usman is excited to complete his trilogy against Leon Edwards. The former UFC welterweight champion was on his way to a sixth defense at UFC 278 this past Saturday before the challenger finished the fight in its final minute with a stunning head kick. The loss was his first in the UFC and just […]
Mookie & Crookie Show 179: UFC 278 recap, Ferguson to face Jingliang at 170lbs
Welcome to ‘The Mookie & Crookie Show’, a spinoff of ‘The Level Change Podcast’ that goes a little more in-depth on major combat sports news, as well as takes a humorous look at the crazy world of combat sports social media. The show is hosted by Mookie Alexander and Stephie Haynes and airs every Tuesday. […]
UFC fighter rankings: New number one men’s P4P fighter in the world
Leon Edwards’ shocking the world with his headkick KO of former top-P4P fighter Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 was expected to have immediate repercussions on the UFC rankings, and it did. We have a new number one men’s P4P fighter – featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Edwards entered the P4P list for the first time, but […]
‘I’m so sad for Kamaru’ – Watch Israel Adesanya devastated in live reaction to Edwards’ KO of Usman
MMA fans around the world witnessed a pretty shocking moment at UFC 278, when Leon Edwards pulled off a last minute head kick knockout to dethrone the top pound-for-pound king in Kamaru Usman. As he does for most pay-per-view events, Israel Adesanya filmed himself watching the fights, and he captured his live reaction to the […]
‘This is my last fight’ – Merab Dvalishvili relays retirement message Jose Aldo gave him at UFC 278
The goal for Jose Aldo when he stepped into the cage at UFC 278 this last Saturday couldn’t have been clearer. The former featherweight champion and bantamweight title contender has had only one thing in mind over his recent three-fight unbeaten streak: get back to UFC gold. “When we first started, I told Dede (Pederneiras, […]