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Khabib reacts as Oliveira defeats Poirier to retain UFC lightweight crown in thriller

Charles Oliveira survived an onslaught before defending his UFC lightweight title with a third-round submission win over Dustin Poirier in their main event at UFC 269, earning praise from former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The early stages at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas were frantic as Poirier – who was contesting a second undisputed title fight at 155lbs – dropped his opponent inside the opening round while Oliveira hurt his rival with kicks and knees to the body. 

Round two saw Oliveira utilize his ground game more as he landed some heavy ground-and-pound shots to close out a dominant stanza.

Into the third round, the defending champion took Poirier’s back and worked in a standing rear-naked choke which forced the American to tap at the 1:02 mark.

“I’m a world champion. I’m the man,” said a defiant Oliveira after seeing off Poirier.

“They talk, I do it. They can hit me a lot but I’m going to walk forward.”

‘Do Bronx’ defended the title he first won with victory over Michael Chandler back in May, when he was forced to come through similar adversity on the way to a gritty victory.

Poirier, 32, was gracious in defeat but could not hide his upset at seeing a second chance at the undisputed lightweight title go begging.

“It sucks, man, you know?” Poirier said at his post-fight press conference.  

“I worked hard to get back here and fight for another world title. I got choked out again. I’m just heartbroken, really.”

Poirier had set up another shot at gold by putting together a three-fight win streak following his defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov in their 2019 title contest.

Two of those wins came against Irish nemesis Conor McGregor, and many will now tip Poirier to be his opponent when the Irishman makes an expected comeback from his broken leg next year.

For Oliveira, 32, perhaps the most obvious candidate for his next defense is Justin Gaethje, who was among those in attendance in Las Vegas.

Online, fellow fighters, pundits and fans were full of praise for the Brazilian’s heart as he extended his winning streak to 10 fights and joined a select band of fighters to earn 20 victories under the UFC banner. 

Among them was Khabib, who called Oliveira’s victory “deserved” – prompting the Brazilian to respond “thank you very much” in a message in Russian to the retired Dagestani star.

Elsewhere, rising lightweight contender Islam Makhachev – on a nine-fight winning streak – told Oliveira to hold the belt for him as the Russian first contemplates a meeting with BJJ specialist Beneil Dariush in February.    

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‘I gave birth, I’m the first mom champ’ – Pena after sensational Nunes upset at UFC 269 (VIDEO)

Julianna Pena says she should be considered the UFC’s first ‘mom champ’ after her victory over Amanda Nunes in a stunning bantamweight title upset in Las Vegas.

Pena submitted Nunes in the second round of their UFC 269 co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena, pulling off a shock that many claim to be the biggest in the history of MMA’s elite promotion.

The fight was a meeting between two mothers.

Pena gave birth to daughter Grace in 2018, and was joined in the Octagon by her daughter after her remarkable victory. 

Beaten rival Nunes is mom to daughter Raegan Ann – who was born to partner and fellow UFC fighter Nina Nunes in September of last year.

When asked whether she would like the UFC to create a ‘Baddest Mom on the Planet’ belt, Pena backed the idea while proclaiming that she, rather than Nunes, was the worthy recipient.

“The UFC absolutely needs to create a new belt for me, and it needs to be the ‘Baddest Mom on the Planet’,” said Pena at her post-fight press conference.  

“I’m not trying to take away anything from Amanda. She’s a wonderful mother, but I gave birth to my daughter, and I feel like for giving birth, I am the first mom champ.

“That to me is also a little feather in the cap.”

Some online appeared to take exception to the quote, with MMA pundit Luke Thomas calling it “an unforced error.”

Popular MMA journalist Ariel Helwani also raised the point in a tweet of his own – leading to a mixed reaction.

One thing beyond doubt is Pena’s new status as the UFC’s women’s bantamweight queen.

‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ weathered the pressure from Nunes in the first round before finding success with some heavy shots in the second.

That took the wind out of Nunes as she visibly fatigued before Pena secured a takedown and locked in a rear-naked chokehold at the 3:26 mark.

The defeat was a first for Nunes inside the Octagon in seven years, after ‘the Lioness’ had previously rampaged through the bantamweight and featherweight ranks on the way to becoming a two-weight champion.

She has now relinquished one of those two titles to Pena, who was winner of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ reality TV show in 2013 but saw her rise in the UFC stall due to injury and her maternity break.

The Spokane-born star, who is based in Chicago, had earned back-to-back wins to set up her shot at Nunes, although few had given her much of a chance against the all-conquering Brazilian.

UFC boss Dana White suggested that Nunes would have the option of an immediate rematch with Pena – and the American herself was open to the idea.

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Julianna Pena stunned Amanda Nunes in Las Vegas. © Zuffa LLC
‘I told you motherf**kers!’ Pena submits Nunes for ‘biggest upset in UFC history’ (VIDEO)

“We can do it next, I’m free next month, two months from now – whenever they want to do it I’m ready,” Pena, 32, said jokingly.

She added that she would first need some time with her daughter but vowed that “if [Nunes] wants to do a rematch, we can do a rematch.”

Nunes, 33, did not appear for her post-fight press duties but had been respectful towards her opponent in the Octagon after her defeat, signaling that much of the animosity that had characterized the build-up to the fight had been laid to rest.

READ MORE: Venezuelan Vixen: Meet the woman preparing for MMA’s most daunting challenge

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‘F**k!’ MMA juggernaut Harrison in disbelief as ‘mega-million-dollar’ Nunes fight collapses in front of her eyes (VIDEO)

UFC president Dana White has said that Amanda Nunes’ shocking loss to Julianna Pena has cost her a “mega-million-dollar” bout against Kayla Harrison.

In what many have dubbed one of the greatest upsets of all time in the elite promotion, the ‘Venezuelan Vixen’ handed the two-weight champion her first defeat in seven years via a second-round rear-naked choke after the pair had traded stand-up blows.

READ MORE: ‘I told you motherf**kers!’ Pena submits Nunes for ‘biggest upset in UFC history’ (VIDEO)

Pena submitted Nunes in a massive upset. © Getty Images



Watching in the stands at UFC 269 in Las Vegas was PFL lightweight queen Harrison, who is being lined up for a switch to the UFC and a potential lucrative superfight against ‘The Lioness’.

But while Nunes has only been relieved of her bantamweight strap and still has the featherweight one in tow that Harrison was tipped to challenge her for, White has thrown that possibility out of the window. 

“These are those things, man, for Kayla Harrison, the Amanda Nunes fight was huge,” he said at his post-event press conference.

“If they would have faced off it would have been a massive, mega-million-dollar fight…

“If Amanda Nunes had won tonight, the Kayla Harrison fight would be one of the biggest fights you would have ever seen,” added White, suggesting that the contest was now more off the cards than on. 

As some unlucky punter reportedly lost a whopping $318,000 backing Nunes, Harrison also knew what was at stake by letting out a long “f*ck!” at the T-Mobile Arena in the mad seconds that followed Pena’s victory.

Harrison is still in talks to join the UFC in 2022, but also negotiating with her are the PFL, who wish to keep their biggest female draw, as well as Bellator, where she could take on Cris Cyborg. 

Even if it has had the shine taken off it though, the Harrison-Nunes showdown isn’t completely dead in the water.

But while that might have been the first order of business next spring or summer, a rematch with Pena has to be next up, White suggested.

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UFC champ Oliveira accused of cheating with glove move in Poirier win (VIDEO)

Charles Oliveira underscored his authority in the UFC lightweight division with a third-round submission win against Dustin Poirier in Las Vegas, but some eagle-eyed viewers claim his win is marred by an act of cheating.

Louisiana native Poirier’s second crack at the undisputed world title went much the same way as his first, ending as he tapped in submission to a fight-ending rear-naked choke.

READ MORE: Khabib reacts as Oliveira defeats Poirier to retain UFC lightweight crown in thriller

But if that first loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov was entirely without controversy, the same cannot be said for Saturday night’s contest with Brazilian submission machine Oliveira. 

After a first round in which he was the more dominant of the two, Poirier found himself entangled in Oliveira’s web early into the second as the champion attempted to maneuver various ways to attack his opponent’s right arm, emptying his box of tricks in the process.

But as Poirier attempted to slip away, footage suggests that Oliveira grabbed his glove – something which is outlawed in the rules of mixed martial arts – forcing Poirier to roll away rather than pull out of the move, and inviting the champion into a dominant position where he spent much of the remainder of the round pounding away with vicious elbows from the top. 

“He’s holding on to the glove in an illegal way,” commentator Joe Rogan declared on the broadcast. “See the way he’s holding the glove like that? He cupped his fingers underneath the glove to achieve that position.

“There was something to that position that made Dustin roll,” Daniel Cormier agreed. “I don’t know why he would have rolled instead of just keep pulling the arm back.“

“We’d have to look at it real closely but in my eyes that was what was happening,” added Rogan.

And with Poirier visibly affected by the ensuing shots ahead of being submitted a minute into the next round, some fight fans are crying foul.

“Easy round for Oliveira. Not sure what to say about the glove grab, but if that’s happened, that’s pretty bad to do,” wrote MMA insider Luke Thomas on Twitter.

“My problem is, rewatching Charles past fights he’s does a lot of dirty stuff like this,” said a second, while another commented on how the alleged incident was pivotal in leading to the eventual finish of the fight.

“It happened and it changed the fight completely,” they wrote. “Dustin pulls his arm out if Charles isn’t grabbing the glove. Instead he took him down and wore him out for 3 1/2 minutes.”

But while social media worked itself into a tizzy, Poirier himself wasn’t quite so convinced.

“[Coach] Mike Brown was asking before we got back to the locker room why I didn’t just slide my arm out,” Poirier explained in the post-fight press conference.

“I don’t remember the finger in the gloves but I was trying to pull my arm out and it felt like it was in there good but Mike did ask me in the locker room after why didn’t I just pull my arm out. I tried.

“I don’t know if his fingers were in my glove or not. I didn’t feel it.”

And with Poirier refusing to cast any blame towards his opponent, he was joined by several others online who said that Oliveira stayed within the rules throughout his first defense of his 155lbs crown.

“The ‘glove grab’ narrative is all Joe Rogan’s fault,” another fight fan chimed in. “Charles Oliveira grabs it for less than 2 seconds, immediately switches to wrist control (maintains ankle control), Dustin still wasn’t able to escape. And then rolls to get Poirier on his back.“

“Glove hold happened for at most three seconds, most of it was just holding the wrist and rapping the arm. Once the glove was grabbed Poirier was already rolling to get a better position which lead him on the ground either way,” wrote another.

“Doesn’t look like his fingers and in the glove he’s grabbing his wrist I think Poirier wasn’t complaining about it after the fight anyway,” said a third.

Either way, and despite the support from several sections of the fight community online, it will be scant consolation for Poirier who will wake up on Sunday morning with the grim realization that he has fallen at the final hurdle of the sport one more time.

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On or off? Mini viral sensation reacts to claims UFC made $1.5mn offer (VIDEO)

Russian viral sensation Hasbulla Magomedov has ruled out a showdown with fellow social media star Abdu Rozik, dismissing claims that a deal of $1.5 million was in the works for a fight between the pair.

Hasbulla has emerged as one of the breakout stars of the year after a fight was teased between the Dagestani blogger and Tajik singer Abdu Rozik.

The pair – who suffer rare growth disorders – were supposedly set to clash back in May in a contest overseen by Russian Instagram influencer Asxab Tamaev.

READ MORE: Russian Dwarf Athletic Association criticizes viral sensations over ‘unethical’ MMA fight (VIDEO)

The bout never happened but Hasbulla’s fame continued to rise, particularly among the combat sports community.

That led to him being a guest of honor alongside Dana White at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi in October, where the pint-sized pugilist again clashed with Tajik nemesis Abdu Rozik.

Renewed claims followed that a deal was in works for a fight, with Tamaev outlandishly claiming the UFC was ready to offer $1.5 million for the rights.  

But on Friday at an Eagle FC MMA event in Moscow where he appeared alongside promotion owner Khabib Nurmagomedov, Hasbulla shut down that speculation.

“[Dana White] didn’t say anything about the UFC and fights,” Hasbulla told media including Red Corner MMA.

“Some people want to organize it but they won’t be able to, because it will be expensive and not too many people will be able to (pay for it). Plus I don’t want it at the moment.”

Hasbulla added that Tamaev – with whom he has reportedly fallen out – was in no position to negotiate anything on his behalf.

“We didn’t discuss it and Dana White didn’t offer it. How could [Tamaev] do that? Is he my father or something? He signed a contract with me to sell the fight?” said Hasbulla. 

“If for example I have something, I can give it to him and he can sell it. But how can he sell my fight if it doesn’t even exist?

“[Tamaev] posted some photoshopped screenshots of his DMs with Dana White. I told him to show me his screen recording with this and he couldn’t.”

In any event, Hasbulla suggested there would only be one winner if he did come face-to-face with Abdu Rozik in combat.

“Abdu Rozik is a bum, he’s a singer,” said the Dagestani star dismissively.

“This fight doesn’t even make sense. Fighting a singer would be a shame for me. I don’t have any opponent at the moment.”

“The UFC invited me to watch fights as a guest, and I love watching fights. That’s all,” added Hasbulla, who is said to be 19 years old, of his trip to Abu Dhabi. 

On Friday night in Moscow, Khabib was seen gently sitting with Hasbulla on his knee as the pair watched EFC 43, prompting fans online to note the pair’s friendship.    

Likewise after his victory at UFC 267, lightweight star Islam Makhachev had raised Hasbulla aloft inside the Octagon in celebration. 

“They’re my brothers, that’s why you see us together,” longtime fight fan Hasbulla said in Moscow when asked about his friendship with his fellow Dagestani stars.

“I’ve known Islam Makhachev for a long time. We weren’t close friends, but we’ve known each other for about 10 years.”