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Nick Diaz fight weeks are always interesting. Will the elder Diaz brother make it to all of his scheduled media appearances? Not this time. Hell, Diaz doesn’t appear all that committed to even making it to the fight, based on the last-second change from Welterweight to 185 lbs. (even if Dana argues it will somehow make the fight better).

There’s still time for a marijuana drug test failure, which is the Diaz bingo card equivalent of the free space.

Speaking with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Diaz offered his usual stream-of-consciousness style of rant regarding his upcoming match up vs. Robbie Lawler. In short, Diaz doesn’t quite understand why he’s rematching “Ruthless” when there are bigger fish to fry.

“I think I’ll beat Usman,” Diaz explained. “I have a better shot at beating Usman than I do Lawler, just because I ... I already beat Lawler! This doesn’t make sense, for me to go in there and fight Robbie Lawler. I don’t know why I’m doing this. This should not happen. Whoever set this up is an idiot. I don’t know why I’m doing this, why this happened — I should be fighting Kamaru Usman, and that’s it!”

Apparently, Diaz is “in title contention” with a victory on Saturday night, so perhaps Diaz is merely planting the seed for a future showdown vs. “The Nigerian Nightmare?” Diaz should be kept well away from the Welterweight king — particularly since he’s fighting at Middleweight? — but money talks, and even now, few move the needle further than Nick Diaz.

Insomnia

To add insult to injury, Dillon Danis was apparently getting choked out prior to getting arrested — not ideal for a BJJ black belt!

This is the first evidence I’ve ever seen that Georges St. Pierre is not amazingly good at everything.

UFC 266 has lost a solid Middleweight match up between Karl Roberson and Nick Maximov.

A pair of legends training together:

Does Jon Jones’ goal of being as gigantic as possible strike anyone else as a terrible idea?

Birthday body shots are a time honored tradition in the combat sports world!

A bunch of clips of Alexander Volkanovski just charging through people on the rugby pitch!

Slips, rips, and KO clips

A 15-year-old Liam Harrison throws down precisely as one would expect:

Confession: I still have not learned how to make buggy chokes work. They look cool though!

A giant pull counter ends this bout in an instant:

Random Land

Roughly 100% it’s all edited, but still pretty neat!

Midnight Music: Watched Boogie Nights earlier tonight, and in addition to being a great film, it has an excellent soundtrack!

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

Get a detailed breakdown of the betting lines for UFC 266, which is set to hit T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, this weekend (Sat., Sept. 25, 2021), including best bets, underdogs, favorites and much more!

After a delightfully antagonistic stint as The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 29 coaches, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, and top contender Brian Ortega will settle the score this Saturday (Sept. 25, 2021) atop UFC 266 from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The evening’s other title fight sees women’s Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko look to continue her dominant reign against Lauren Murphy, while a rematch between Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler sets the stage one bout prior.

We’re getting close to Halloween season, meaning it’s time to save up for both the pay-per-view (PPV) and decorating. Let’s get you all a head start ...

What Went Wrong at UFC Vegas 37?

Welp!

Honestly, I can stomach the Emily Whitmire and Mandy Bohm losses; I overestimated Whitmire’s submission defense and Bohm’s wrestling. Kianzad and Gravely, on the other hand, really hurt. Both were clearly ahead after the first round, only for Kianzad to lose the plot against the fence and Gravely to get tagged. Luckily, we were far enough ahead to eat the loss, but it’s still a a headache.

UFC 266 Odds For The Under Card:

Merab Dvalishvili (-240) vs. Marlon Moraes (+200)
Dan Hooker (-140) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (+120)
Chris Daukaus (-200) vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov (+170)
Taila Santos (-400) vs. Roxanne Modafferi (+325)
Manon Fiorot (-245) vs. Mayra Bueno Silva (+205)
Uros Medic (-125) vs. Jalin Turner (+105)
Karl Roberson (-110) vs. Nick Maximov (-110)
Matthew Semelsberger (-485) vs. Martin Sano Jr. (+385)
Omar Morales (-152) vs. Jonathan Pearce (+132)

Thoughts: Honestly, there’s a lot to work with here: Merab Dvalishvili, Taila Santos and Manon Fiorot are solid anchors to beef up the lines on Jalin Turner, Karl Roberson and Jonathan Pearce.

Marlon Moraes clearly has the skills and physicality to keep up with virtually any Bantamweight on the planet, but it seems like no amount of setbacks will actually get him to fix his cardio. That’s unacceptable against Dvalishvili, the division’s patron saint of grind. In other words, barring some incredible improvement on “Magic’s” part, I just can’t see him standing up to more than a round of Dvalishvili’s pace before breaking. Even with the threat of Moraes’ signature quick-kill finish, bank on the Georgian.

As I mentioned in my “Prelims” piece (read it here), the only thing Roxanne Modafferi has going for her in this match up is the universe’s bizarre insistence that she never lose two in a row. Santos is a far better striker and shut down a top-notch takedown artist in Gillian Robertson last time out, leaving Modafferi with few options to turn the tables. Unless the same juju that destroyed Maycee Barber’s knee intervenes, Santos has this in the bag.

Even acknowledging that Victoria Leonardo and Tabatha Ricci are far from the cream of the crop, Fiorot’s the best addition to the Flyweight roster in some time. She’s got a clear striking edge over the vast majority of the division and some solid wrestling chops to back it up. Though Mayra Bueno Silva is the superior submission artist, Fiorot’s got the skills to run circles around her on the feet and sufficiently stout takedown defense to keep it there, making her a quality investment.

LATE EDIT: Never mind, that one’s been postponed.

The thing with Uros Medic is that UFC debut foe Aalon Cruz was the best opponent of his career, and Cruz was a longtime Featherweight coming off a brutal knockout loss. Most of Medic’s career was spent feasting on subpar competition in Alaska FC, making Jalin Turner by far the more tested of the two. Turner’s also taller and has quite a bit of reach on Medic, which is enough to earn him my recommendation.

Karl Roberson has definitely had some issues in the UFC, but it’s worth remembering that three of the men who beat him were Glover Teixeira, Marvin Vettori, and Brendan Allen. He’s still a top-notch kickboxer with solid wrestling, while Nick Maximov is a decent submission grappler with nonexistent striking. Beating a bunch of guys with losing records and a Heavyweight with no grappling skill isn’t enough to convince me that Maximov’s ready for the Octagon, and Roberson will be a rude awakening.

LATER EDIT: Never mind, Roberson’s out as well.

Jonathan Pearce might be the riskiest pick of the lot, but I can justify it. As brutally efficient as he was on the Contender Series, Omar Morales has been oddly conservative and willing to cruise during his time in the UFC. Pearce has been anything but, pushing a torrid pace and offering the best ground game Morales has yet faced in the Octagon. Though there’s a risk of Morales disabling Pearce’s lead leg early, I like Pearce to make it a dogfight and come out on top through sheer attrition.

UFC 266 Odds For The Main Card:

Alexander Volkanovski (-175) vs. Brain Ortega (+155)
Valentina Shevchenko (-1570) vs. Lauren Murphy (+1035)
Nick Diaz (-110) vs. Robbie Lawler (-110)
Curtis Blaydes (-300) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (+250)
Jessica Andrade (-260) vs. Cynthia Calvillo (+220)

Thoughts: Put me down as Team Volkanovski.

Yes, I regularly underestimate Brian Ortega. Yes, I often pick against him and eat crow when he snatches a submission or knockout out of nowhere. I just can’t overlook all the advantages Volkanovski has here. Not only does “The Great” boast the stronger gas tank, wrestling and one-shot power, but he’s also an extremely adept game-planner; the way he completely shut Max Holloway down in their first meeting remains one of the best single-fight performances in recent memory. His takedown defense is too good for Ortega to drag him to the mat, he’s alert enough to not shoot into Ortega’s guillotine, and he’s got the more complete striking game. He’s got my bet.

UFC 266 Best Bets:

• Parlay — Merab Dvalishvili and Alexander Volkanovski: Bet $150 to make $183.93
• Parlay — Taila Santos and Jalin Turner: Bet $100 to make $156.25
• Single bet — Jonathan Pearce: Bet $150 to make $198

UFC 266 is definitely a quality card. And if it lives up to its potential, we’ll get to enjoy some truly special highlights. See you Saturday, Maniacs.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 266 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPNEWS/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

Initial (Boosted) Investment For 2021: $600
Current Total For 2021: $1,359.83

Yoel Romero made his Bellator MMA debut last Saturday night (Sept. 18, 2021) at Bellator 266 after his initial planned debut against Anthony Johnson earlier this year was scrapped. Despite coming up short against Phil Davis, getting shut out for 15 minutes (not 25), “Soldier of God” was the big winner in one category: salary.

The 44-year old wrestling phenom walked away with the biggest paycheck of the night after banking $150,000, which is $50,000 more than Davis — the former Light Heavyweight champion — who scored $50,000 less than the hulking-Cuban born fighter at $100K.

Here is the complete list of payouts courtesy of MMA Junkie:

Phil Davis $100,000 def. Yoel Romero $150,000
Neiman Gracie $100,000 def. Mark Lemminger $40,000
DeAnna Bennett $38,600 ($17,000 includes win bonus) def. Alejandra Lara $27,000 ($2,700 from Bennett’s purse for missing weight)
Saul Rogers $80,000 (includes$40,000 win bonus) def. Georgi Karakhanyan $35,000
Ben Parrish $20,000 def. Christian Edwards $30,000
Alex Polizzi: $36,000 (includes $18,000 win bonus) def. Grant Neal: $16,000
Anthony Adams: $40,000 ($20,000 win bonus) def. Khalid Murtazaliev: $33,000
Bobby Seronio III: $3,000 (includes $1,500 win bonus) def. Socrates Hernandez: $2,000
Abraham Vaesau: $6,000 (includes $3,000 win bonus) def. Albert Gonzales: $3,000
Shane Keefe: $3,000 (includes $1,5000 win bonus) def. Rhalan Gracie: $5,000
Edwin De Los Santos: $3,000 (includes $1,5000 win bonus) def. Jon Adams: $1,500
Jesse Delgado: $4,000 (includes $2,000 win bonus) def. Joshua Dillon: $2,000

In comparison, Romero banked $350,000 (no bonus) in his final fight for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a unanimous decision loss to Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 248. Prior to that, “Soldier of God” earned $150,000 (no bonus) for his fight at UFC 241 against Paulo Costa, which also resulted in a loss for Romero.

Despite the defeat, Scott Coker said was still impressed enough with Romero to say that he will fight again for the Viacom-owned mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion.

To check out the latest Bellator MMA-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive news archive right here.

UFC 266 stars Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler, Brian Ortega, Alex Volkanovski, Valentina Shevchenko and Laren Murphy get ready to fight on Embedded.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) stars Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler, Alex Volkanovski, Brian Ortega, Valentina Shevchenko and Lauren Murphy are featured in episodes two and three of the UFC 266 “Embedded” video blogs.

UFC 266 takes place this Sat. night (Sept. 25, 2021) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV). You can watch episode three of “Embedded” above and scroll down for episode two. Below are summaries for each episode.

Here is a synopsis for episode three:

“Brian Ortega shares family time with his sons; Lauren Murphy introduces her daughters. Alexander Volkanovski sweats in his room and on the court. Nick Diaz lands in Las Vegas.”

Here is a summary for episode two:

“Champ Alexander Volkanovski makes the most of the UFC PI, then does a photo shoot. Lauren Murphy visualizes every moment of her title bout. Champion Valentina Shevchenko talks movies during PT. Brian Ortega and his close circle wrap up camp.”

UFC 266 is headlined by a UFC Featherweight title fight between Volkanovski and Ortega, plus the fan-favorite middleweight clash between Diaz and Lawler.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 266 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPNEWS/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

Nick Diaz will find himself in the title picture with a win over Robbie Lawler at UFC 266, according to former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez.

Nick Diaz will be close to an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title shot with a win over Robbie Lawler at UFC 266, according to his teammate and former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez.

Diaz vs. Lawler serves as a marquee fight on the pay-per-view (PPV) main card of UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega,” which will take place this weekend (Sat., Sept. 25, 2021) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, streaming online via ESPN+. Melendez, who has not competed since July 2019, explained what Diaz’s return to UFC means for ranked fighters. This interview was uploaded prior to the news that Diaz vs. Lawler was moving from welterweight to middleweight.

“It’s huge. It’s a win for everybody,” Melendez said on MMA Fighting’s Fighter vs. Writer podcast. “If I’m Brian Ortega and [Alexander] Volkanovski, I’m pumped that I have these guys on the card that I’m headlining. These guys are going to bring eyeballs to me. If Nick is successful and he wins, of course, he’s in title contention. Everyone’s going to campaign to fight him. Everyone wants to challenge the legend. It only brings your stock up.

“We recognize now we’re not in the fight business, we are in the entertainment business. So you have to be a great fighter but you also have to entertain. You could be Conor McGregor with a 1-2 record and come back and just sell out arenas and they’re going to get the right fights because of that. So yes, it would be huge for Nick to be back, to win. All of a sudden, he might be directly for a title shot.”

Melendez won the Strikeforce Lightweight championship on two occasions and served as the promotion’s final lightweight titleholder. He challenged for the UFC Lightweight title twice: losing a split decision to Benson Henderson in 2013 and suffering a submission loss to Anthony Pettis in 2014. His impressive resume includes wins over Jorge Masvidal, Diego Sanchez, Shinya Aoki, Josh Thomson (twice) and Clay Guida.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 266 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPNEWS/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

UFC President Dana White definitely saw McGregor’s attempts at throwing a baseball.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White definitely caught Conor McGregor’s rough first pitch at Chicago’s Wrigley Field on Tuesday, Sept. 21.

McGregor, a former two-division UFC champion, threw the first pitch at the Chicago Cubs vs. Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball (MLB) game. “The Notorious” one whiffed hard, over-extending on the throw and nearly striking a bystander.

“Let me start here: Do you know how many times I’ve been asked to throw a first-pitch somewhere? And I’ll never do it. Never,” White told the Jim Rome Show on Wednesday. “Just like all those guys who think they can fight, guys think they can throw a baseball to home plate. It’s a lot harder than it looks.

Asked about a potential return to the Octagon for McGregor, who has been sidelined since breaking his leg (watch here) in a fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July, White said it’s all about the recovery timeline.

“This kid needs to heal up,” White said. “I don’t know how fast that leg is going to recovery. It’s basically going to be all about when can he start kicking again and, more importantly, when can he start taking kicks again. That will determine when he fights again.”

Poirier vs. McGregor 3 took place inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sat., July 10. Poirier was awarded a first-round technical knockout (TKO) after the leg break.

Finished reading this story? The party doesn’t have to stop. Click here to get more of the latest UFC news.

UFC President Dana White shares his side of Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler moving to middleweight at UFC 266.

Ultimate Fighting President (UFC) Dana White signed Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler as a welterweight contest; however, he expects good things from a move to middleweight at UFC 266.

Diaz vs. Lawler serves as a marquee fight on the pay-per-view (PPV) main card of UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega,” which will take place3 this weekend (Sat., Sept. 25, 2021) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, streaming online via ESPN+. It was reported on Tuesday that Diaz vs. Lawler was being moved from welterweight to middleweight — just four days from fight night. The request was made by Diaz’s camp and, according to White, Lawler agreed without too much fuss.

“It’s good. Robbie Lawler flew in last night. He obviously wasn’t happy about it, but Robbie is a gamer,” White told the Jim Rome Show on Wednesday. “Robbie is a fighter. He’s going to do it. Those guys are going to fight on Saturday night at 185-pounds.

“It makes it a better fight, to be honest with you,” he continued. “17 years ago, this fight happened. These guys are a lot older and counting down to that 170-pounds takes a lot out of you. These guys are going to come in fresh. Neither one of them are going to have to cut.”

Lawler reiterated White’s comments.

“I mean I’m ready to go,” Lawler said during UFC 266 media day (h/t MMA Fighting). “That’s all that matters. Camp went well and controlling the things I can control.

“We had a short conversation,” Lawler said about speaking to White. “It is what it is. I’m ready to fight. We’re moving forward.”

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 266 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPNEWS/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) just lost three of its active fighters — two of which are benched until 2022 — after a trio of positive drug tests were returned from separate UFC “Fight Night” events in Las Vegas, which remain under the regulation of Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).

MMA Junkie has the detailed list below:

Chris Barnett
UFC Vegas 23
Submission loss to Ben Rothwell
Positive for marijuana
Fined $1,036.08
Suspended until Oct. 26, 2021

Daniel Pineda
UFC Vegas 30
No Contest against Andre Fili
Positive for amphetamine
Fined $2,554.38
Suspended until March 26, 2022

Rodrigo Nascimento
UFC Vegas 31
No Contest against Alan Baudot
Positive for ritalinic acid
Fined $1,945.36
Suspended until Jan. 17, 2022

Fines and suspensions for marijuana have since been removed from the banned substances list; however, Barnett popped before the rule change was applied, so he’s pretty much screwed until the end of the month.

How dumb is Showtime?

Dumb enough to send boxing’s top star, super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, into an unprotected staredown opposite undefeated bruiser Caleb Plant ahead of their Nov. 6 showdown at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

That’s according to UFC President Dana White.

Tuesday’s media day face off, which turned into a drive-through meal for Plant, left “Sweet Hands” with a bloody cut under his eye. Fortunately, the gash does not appear to be severe enough to delay their upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) fight.

“How long have you been in the business that you would let two fighters go up to each other face-to-face without somebody there to try to [keep them from fighting],” White said at the “Contender Series” press conference. “And then, when it breaks out, there’s like two women that are there before there’s a man anywhere near it. You couldn’t be fucking dumber than what they did today, risk a massive fight with one of the biggest stars in the sport, by not having the fighters safe.”

Good thing White wasn’t around for Larry Holmes’ flying butt bomb:

White knows a thing or two about staredowns becoming meltdowns. The promotion recently instituted a no-contact policy at press conferences and weigh ins after Drakkar Klose suffered a fight-canceling concussion at the hands of “primal” Jeremy Stephens.

“You can’t have two alpha males walk up to each other face-to-face at the fucking supper club or wherever they were today having that press conference, and let two guys stare down without someone there to break it up,” White continued. “But they’re awesome, they do a great job with everything they do.”

They’re certainly doing a great job of keeping White miserable.

Undefeated Bellator MMA welterweight Dillon Danis, perhaps best known as Conor McGregor’s jiu-jitsu coach, was arrested over the weekend in Seaside Heights, NJ, following a barroom scuffle that led to his eventual arrest on the charge of disorderly conduct.

To make matters worse, a new video has surfaced of Danis being choked by what appears to be a security officer or bouncer. As the video shows, the man has an air-tight rear-naked choke on Danis — a multiple-time grappling champion — before other people come in for the assist.

Check out a longer version of the video below:

Danis, 28, was eventually released from custody and will undoubtedly have a future fight inside the courtroom. As far as his actual combat sports career, it’s been non-existent over the last two years, having not competed since defeating Max Humphrey in the very first round at Bellator 222 back in June 2019.

Danis is 2-0 as a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, winning both fights in the first round by way of submission, both under the Bellator MMA umbrella. When and where “El Jefe” decides to mount his cagefighting return is still unclear.

To check out the latest Bellator MMA-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive news archive right here.

UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko and top 125-pound contender Lauren Murphy will also field questions from the MMA media.

We’re just a couple of days away from the UFC 266 pay-per-view (PPV) card, scheduled for this Sat. night (Sept. 25, 2021) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. To help get fans pumped for this weekend’s fisticuffs, the promotion is holding a special pre-fight media day on Weds., LIVE at 1:45 p.m. ET in the embedded video above.

Scheduled to appear on today’s video call include:

Alexander Volkanovski – UFC featherweight champion
Brian Ortega – No. 2 UFC featherweight
Valentina Shevchenko – UFC women’s flyweight champion
Lauren Murphy – No. 3 UFC women’s flyweight
Nick Diaz – UFC welterweight
Robbie Lawler – UFC welterweight
Curtis Blaydes – No. 4 UFC heavyweight
Jairzinho Rozenstruik – No. 6 UFC heavyweight
Jessica Andrade – No. 1 UFC women’s flyweight
Cynthia Calvillo – No. 5 UFC women’s flyweight
Marlon Moraes – No. 6 UFC bantamweight
Merab Dvalishvili – No. 11 UFC bantamweight

Lightweights Dan Hooker and Nasrat Haqparast are still in transit and will not be included in today’s lineup.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 266 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPNN and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the entire UFC 266 fight card and PPV line up click here.

Rock ‘n Roll ain’t noise pollution. McGregor’s singing, on the other hand ...

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion Conor McGregor threw one of the worst opening pitches in recent memory as special guest for the Chicago Cubs last Tuesday night (Sept. 21) in “The Windy City” (see it here), taking some of the heat off former “Wild Thing” 50 Cent and his Citi Field screwball.

It appears McGregor is only good at throwing shade (and energy drinks).

Unfortunately for the fans in attendance, McGregor would later return for the seventh inning stretch. The good news is that “Notorious” didn’t drop his cane lunging at another Jake Paul clone. The bad news is that “Mystic Mac” belted out a rendition of Take Me Out to the Ball Game that was just slightly above this Chicago dumpster fire.

For it’s one, two, three strikes you’re deaf, at the old ball game.

McGregor is no stranger to public crooning, having previously assaulted the ears of New Yorkers with his duet opposite late night talk show funnyman Jimmy Fallon. I know it’s all in good fun and to be fair, I can’t pitch or sing any better than McGregor. And hey, at least he’s not rapping his way through a Tim Burton parody.

Awkwarrrrd.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will be heading into Las Vegas this week for the promotion’s annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “Bones” is being honored alongside longtime rival Alexander Gustafsson for their epic five-round war atop the UFC 165 pay-per-view (PPV) event back in Sept. 2013.

So what happens if he runs into UFC President Dana White?

“If I see him, I’ll see him,” White told reporters at the latest “Contender Series” press conference (via MMA Fighting), insisting he has no plans (and likely no desire) to meet with Jones. “I think I know where he’s at. He said he’ll fight next year. I’m not pushing him to fight, if that’s what you’re asking me.”

Jones insists he only deals with Ari Emanuel, the promotion’s “real boss.”

Things got ugly (well, uglier) between Jones and White when “Bones” started asking for “Deontay Wilder money” to challenge Francis Ngannou for the heavyweight title, a fight that later went to interim champion Ciryl Gane. UFC was content to let Jones surrender his 205-pound strap and toil away in limbo while both divisions soldiered on without him.

See you in 2022?

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently updated its official rankings in the wake of the UFC Vegas 37 mixed martial arts (MMA) event last Sat. night (Sept. 18, 2021) inside APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, where longtime light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith improved his position by turning away fellow 205-pound bruiser Devin Clark.

Elsewhere on the charts, the flyweight division went into the shop for repairs following the retirement of former title contender Joseph Benavidez. In addition, women’s bantamweight standout Raquel Pennington returned to the Top 10 with her winning performance against Pannie Kianzad on the UFC Vegas 37 undercard.

Here’s how UFC compiles its official rankings:

Rankings were generated by a voting panel made up of media members. The media members were asked to vote for who they feel are the top fighters in the UFC by weight-class and pound-for-pound. A fighter is only eligible to be voted on if they are in active status in the UFC. A fighter can appear in more than one weight division at a time. The champion and interim champion are considered to be in the top positions of their respective divisions and therefore are not eligible for voting by weight-class. However, the champions can be voted on for the pound-for-pound rankings.

Take a look at what the latest rankings field looks like courtesy of UFC.com. Note: (+/- = movement in rankings, T = tie, *NR = Not previously ranked).

MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Jon Jones
2. Kamaru Usman
3. Israel Adesanya
4. Alexander Volkanovski
5. Francis Ngannou
6. Dustin Poirier
7. Jan Blachowicz
8. Stipe Miocic
9. Max Holloway
10. Charles Oliveira
11. Brandon Moreno
12. Robert Whittaker
13. Petr Yan
14. Ciryl Gane
15. Justin Gaethje

FLYWEIGHT

Champion: Brandon Moreno

1. Deiveson Figueiredo
2. Askar Askarov
3. Alexandre Pantoja
4. Alex Perez
5. Brandon Royval +1
6. Kai Kara France +1
7. Rogerio Bontorin +1
8. Matt Schnell +1
9. Tim Elliott +1
10. David Dvorak +1
11. Matheus Nicolau +1
12. Su Mudaerji +1
13. Amir Albazi +1
14. Tyson Nam +1
15. Tagir Ulanbekov *NR

BANTAMWEIGHT

Champion: Aljamain Sterling

1. Petr Yan
2. TJ Dillashaw
3. Cory Sandhagen
4. Rob Font
5. Jose Aldo
6. Marlon Moraes
7. Cody Garbrandt
8. Frankie Edgar
9. Pedro Munhoz
10. Dominick Cruz
11. Merab Dvalishvili
12. Raphael Assuncao
13. Marlon Vera
14. Cody Stamann
15. Raulian Paiva *NR

FEATHERWEIGHT

Champion: ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI

1. Max Holloway
2. Brian Ortega
3. Yair Rodriguez
4. Chan Sung Jung
5. Calvin Kattar
6. Arnold Allen
7. Josh Emmett
8. Giga Chikadze
9. Dan Ige
10. Edson Barboza
11. Bryce Mitchell
12. Sodiq Yusuff
13. Movsar Evloev
14. Shane Burgos
15. Ilia Topuria

LIGHTWEIGHT

Champion: Charles Oliveira

1. Dustin Poirier
2. Justin Gaethje
3. Beneil Dariush
4. Michael Chandler
5. Islam Makhachev
6. Tony Ferguson
7. Rafael dos Anjos
8. Dan Hooker
9. Conor McGregor
10. Gregor Gillespie
11. Diego Ferreira
12. Brad Riddell
13. Arman Tsarukyan +1
14. Rafael Fiziev -1
15. Thiago Moises

WELTERWEIGHT

Champion: KAMARU USMAN

1. Colby Covington
2. Gilbert Burns
3. Leon Edwards
4. Vicente Luque
5. Stephen Thompson
6. Jorge Masvidal
7. Michael Chiesa
8. Neil Magny
9. Belal Muhammed
10. Geoff Neal
11. Li Jingliang
12. Santiago Ponzinibbio
13. Sean Brady
14. Muslim Salikhov
15. Daniel Rodriguez

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Champion: ISRAEL ADESANYA

1. Robert Whittaker
2. Paulo Costa
3. Jared Cannonier
4. Derek Brunson
5. Marvin Vettori
6. Jack Hermansson
7. Sean Strickland
8. Darren Till
9. Uriah Hall
10. Kelvin Gastelum
11. Edmen Shahbazyan
12. Chris Weidman
13. Brad Tavares
14. Kevin Holland
15. Andre Muniz

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Champion: Jan Blachowicz

1. Glover Teixeira
2. Jiri Prochazka
3. Aleksandar Rakic
4. Anthony Smith +2
5. Thiago Santos -1
6. Dominick Reyes -1
7. Magomed Ankalaev
8. Volkan Oezdemir
9. Nikita Krylov
10. Johnny Walker
11. Ryan Spann
12. Paul Craig
13. Misha Cirkunov
14. Jim Crute
15. Jamall Hill

HEAVYWEIGHT

Champion: Francis Ngannou

1. Ciryl Gane (Interim Champion)
2. Stipe Miocic
3. Derrick Lewis
4. Curtis Blaydes
5. Alexander Volkov
6. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
7. Shamil Abdurakhimov
8. Marcin Tybura
9. Augusto Sakai
10. Chris Daukaus
11. Tom Aspinall
12. Walt Harris
13. Blagoy Ivanov
14. Sergei Pavlovich
15. Serghei Spivac

WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Amanda Nunes
2. Valentina Shevchenko
3. Rose Namajunas
4. Weili Zhang
5. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
6. Jessica Andrade
7. Germaine De Randamie
8. Holly Holm
9. Carla Esparza
10. Aspen Ladd
11. Katlyn Chookagian
12. Mackenzie Dern
13. Lauen Murphy
14. Yan Xiaonan -1
15. Julianna Pena

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT

Champion: ROSE NAMAJUNAS

1. Zhang Weili
2. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
3. Carla Esparza
4. (T)Yan Xiaonan
4. (T) Mackenzie Dern
6. Marina Rodriguez
7. Nina Nunes
8. Claudia Gadelha
9. Tecia Torres
10. Michelle Waterson
11. Amanda Ribas
12. Virna Jandiroba
13. Amanda Lemos
14. Angela Hill
15. Felice Herrig

WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT

Champion: VALENTINA SHEVCHENKO

1. Jessica Andrade
2. Katlyn Chookagian
3. Lauren Murphy
4. Jennifer Maia
5. Cynthia Calvillo
6. Joanne Calderwood
7. Viviane Araujo
8. Jessica Eye
9. Roxanne Modafferi
10. Alexa Grasso
11. Andrea Lee
12. Talia Santos
13. Maycee Barber
14. Miranda Maverick
15. Montana De La Rosa

WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT

Champion: AMANDA NUNES

1. Germaine de Randamie
2. Holly Holm
3. Aspen Ladd
4. Irene Aldana
5. Julianna Pena
6. Yana Kunitskaya
7. Ketlen Vieira
8. Miesha Tate
9. Sara McMann
10. Raquel Pennington *NR
11. Macy Chiasson -1
12. Lina Lansberg -1
13. Julia Avila
14. Pannie Kianzad -2
15. Karol Rosa -1

There you have it.

You can expect these rankings to change around this time next week — particularly in the featherweight division — following the UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega” pay-per-view (PPV) event this Sat. night (Sept. 25, 2021) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For much more on that upcoming fight card click here.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight legends Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler will rematch this weekend (Sat., Sept. 25, 2021) at UFC 266 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

UFC sells the UFC product more than the specific fighters. Most weekends, the UFC Apex hosts a fairly random assortment of talent, and fans tune in because the promotion largely lives up to its promise of providing a fun night of combat sports each and every time. The storylines and consequences are consistent, and the faces often revolving. It’s the sport and product we love, but even the most diehard supports would have a hard time arguing that the current system is formulaic.

Not this fight! This fight is magic! It’s awesome! It doesn’t mean a f—ing thing to the Welterweight title picture, and we’re all better off for it. At a combined nearly 80 years of age, Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler 2 is the best fight on the whole pay-per-view (PPV) card because Diaz and Lawler are absolute heroes deserving of our complete attention, respect, and admiration.

Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:

Nick Diaz

Record: 26-9 (2)

Key Wins: Robbie Lawler (UFC 47), BJ Penn (UFC 137), Paul Daley (Strikeforce: Diaz vs Daley), Takenori Gomi (PRIDE 33), Frank Shamrock (Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Shamrock)

Key Losses: George St. Pierre (UFC 158), Carlos Condit (UFC 143)

Keys to Victory: Like his brother Nathan, Diaz thrived throughout his career on the strength of his boxing, jiu-jitsu, conditioning, and toughness. Between the two, Nick Diaz was always the more rugged boxer, the one who really excelled when able to drive his foe into the cage and deliver hard body shots from the dirty boxing range.

Sounds like a plan here!

Look, I cannot pretend to know what Nick Diaz will look like after over six years on the bench. He physically appears to have put in the work, but until the cage locks and clock starts, the chances are split that Diaz looks rusty and old vs. rejuvenated from his rest.

Assuming he is indeed in fighting shape, closing distance on Lawler is the best bet. Diaz does not want to absorb full power “Ruthless” left kicks to the leg, and Lawler doesn’t have the footwork style to avoid him. If Diaz marches forward and trades in the pocket/clinch, Lawler is very likely to oblige him.

These two share the same wheelhouse in those close distance scraps, so at that point, may the better man win.

Robbie Lawler

Record: 28-15 (1)

Key Wins: Rory MacDonald (UFC 189, UFC 167), Johny Hendricks (UFC 181), Carlos Condit (UFC 195), Matt Brown (UFC on FOX 12)

Key Losses: Tyron Woodley (UFC 201), Colby Covington (UFC on ESPN 5), Rafael dos Anjos (UFC on FOX 26), Johny Hendricks (UFC 171), Neil Magny (UFC Vegas 8)

Keys to Victory: Lawler is a patron saint of violence. “Ruthless” has won a vast majority of his fights via knockout, evolving from a wild brawler to refined slugger over the course of his long fight career.

As of late, pulling the trigger has been Lawler’s great issue. Against opponents willing to force the issue with volume and get in his face, Lawler looks for that perfect opportunity ... and sometimes just never stops looking. It’s a problem that affects a fair amount of older veterans, even if it’s kind of a wild concept to consider Lawler of all people hesitant to throw down.

Nick Diaz is going to force the issue — it’s all he knows! If Lawler falls into a defensive shell, he’s likely to end up with his back to the fence, eating body shots for the majority of the contest.

That’s no fun at all. To win here, Lawler would be best advised to take the initiative and fire hard shots right away. Better yet, answer Diaz’s attrition attack with body shots and low kicks of his own, which will go a long way in calming Diaz’s generally relentless pressure.

Bottom Line

Again, this fight rules precisely because it does not matter in the grand scheme of the division.

For the individuals, the fight matters. This is Diaz’s big return to action, and a win will definitely have fans salivating for further action. I desperately hope UFC will continue to match him up smartly — vs. Matt Brown rather than Khamzat Chimaev, for example — but either way, more opportunities remain open in victory.

As for Lawler, it very much sounds like he’s about ready to hang up the gloves. Most every fighter would like to ride off into the sunset following a high-profile victory, and perhaps a win here could be that moment.

At UFC 266, Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler will rematch. Which man will earn the victory?

Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Tonight’s headline is a reminder to play to one’s strengths.

Look at Conor McGregor — rarely does one find an athlete more suited to combat sports. McGregor’s frame is perfectly built to deliver nasty knockout blows, and he’s made the most of his physique by developing the rangy, powerful kickboxing style that lead him to a pair of world titles. Consider his athletic potential reached!

Perhaps as a consequence of his single-minded pursuit of combat sports greatness, however, McGregor’s skills in more traditional sports have seemingly suffered. McGregor got some laughs for an awkward football toss at the Cowboy stadium, but his woefully inaccurate first pitch at the Chicago Cubs game tonight is far worse.

At least he can blame his broken foot this time?

Naturally, fans and fellow pro fighters alike have taken the opportunity to poke fun at the divisive star. For example, top Lightweight Justin Gaethje tweeted, “I cannot stop laughing at this. Every MMA fighter that has represented us doing this has looked terrible but this takes the cake.”

For some reason, I’m reminded of the “Woody Harrelson drying his eyes with hundred dollar bills” meme.

Insomnia

Matt Brown just might be the pound-for-pound most exciting fighter over the age of 40.

If I’m interpreting “Suga Show” correctly, that potential fight vs. Brian Kelleher ain’t happening.

Keith Peterson approves the nonsense of his parody account, which his produced some pretty funny moments.

Dan Hooker vs. Nasrat Haqparast has faced perhaps the most last-second visa problems of any fight I’ve ever seen.

Certainly a worthy addition to UFC’s Hall Of Fame fights:

Jan Blachowicz is a master storyteller.

Can The Money Team improve Derek Brunson’s chances in an Israel Adesanya rematch?

How about the reaction time on Canelo? It’s like he’s a pro athlete or something.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Just an absolutely brutal, consistent attack on the liver! That is not a fun way to go down ...

Same target, but one big, well-timed shot instead of death by 1000 touches:

What did the five fingers say to the face?

Random Land

We have liftoff.

Midnight Music: What is your favorite song over 20 minutes long? My answer is a fairly popular one (or at least, as popular as any 20 minute song can be).

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing more “Prelims” fights to ESPNEWS and ESPN+ this weekend (Sat., Sept. 25, 2021) when UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega” storms UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. MMAmania.com’s Patrick Stumberg continues the UFC 266 “Prelims” party with the second (and final) installment of a two-part undercard preview series below.

T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, hosts yet another stacked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) pay-per-view (PPV) this Saturday (Sept. 25, 2021) when UFC 266 hits the ESPN+ airwaves. The night’s twin title fights see Alexander Volkanovski and Valentina Shevchenko attempt to turn aside Brian Ortega and Lauren Murphy, while the middle bout pits Nick Diaz against Robbie Lawler 17 years after their initial meeting.

ESPNEWS/ESPN+ will host the last four “Prelims” undercard bouts (check out the first batch here), which we’ve broken down for you below ...

135 lbs.: Marlon Moraes vs. Merab Dvalishvili

Marlon Moraes (23-8-1) went from losing to Raphael Assuncao in his UFC debut and scraping out a split decision over John Dodson to smashing three elite Bantamweight contenders in less than one round apiece. “Magic” now finds himself in a 1-3 hole, however, most recently suffering knockout defeats against Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font.

He has knocked out 10 opponents and submitted another six.

Serra-Longo’s Merab Dvalishvili (13-4) had his share of misfortune early in his UFC career, dropping a questionable split decision to Frankie Saenz and subsequently fell victim to a controversial submission against Ricky Simon. He’s since put that behind him with six consecutive victories, including a win over Cody Stamann in his most recent effort.

He’ll have one inch of reach on Moraes.

I can’t think of a more punishing crucible for Moraes at the moment. His defensive lapses and cardio issues have become unignorable, and there’s no way he can return to contender status without fixing them. Who better to test his hypothetical improvement than the inhuman Dvalishvili, for whom fatigue is something that happens to other people?

Moraes has great takedown defense and exponentially better striking than Dvalishvili when he’s fresh, but after his recent struggles, I absolutely do not trust him to stay fresh when subjected to this sort of pace. Unless the 33-year-old fundamentally reinvented himself during the last nine months, Dvalishvili tanks his way through a rough first round to smother him on the mat.

Prediction: Dvalishvili via unanimous decision

155 lbs.: Dan Hooker vs. Nasrat Haqparast

The move for Dan Hooker (20-10) from 145 to 155 pounds proved to be just what he needed, as “Hangman” won seven of his next eight to secure a spot among the Lightweight contenders. Recent efforts proved less successful, dropping a decision to Dustin Poirier and suffering a knockout loss to Michael Chandler.

His 17 professional finishes are split 10/7 between knockouts and submissions.

Despite scoring multiple knockdowns, the Octagon debut for Nasrat Haqparast (13-3) saw him fall to Marcin Held for his first defeat since his professional debut. He has since gone 5-1, most recently boxing up late replacement Rafa Garcia in March 2021.

He gives up two inches of height and 3.5 inches of reach to Hooker.

This fight is essentially a trial-by-fire for Hooker’s durability. He’s absorbed horrifying amounts of damage during his UFC tenure, including 263 combined significant strikes from brutal finishers in Paul Felder and Dustin Poirier, and his historically indestructible chin finally gave out on him against Chandler. Haqparast’s single UFC finish in seven bouts belies the startling speed and power in his hands; in other words, if Hooker can’t take strikes like he used to, Haqparast’s got more than enough thump to put him down.

I’ve flip-flopped a few times, but you know what? I think I’ve got Haqparast for the upset. Hooker’s lax defense means he needs to be invincible for his style to function, and the Chandler debacle has me thinking that isn’t the case anymore. In the end, Haqparast puts him down in one.

Prediction: Haqparast via first round technical knockout

265 lbs.: Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Chris Daukaus

This will be the third time in the last two months that these two were booked to fight each other and my thoughts haven’t changed, so let’s just go ahead and use what I already wrote.

Shamil Abdurakhimov (20-5) bounced back from a UFC debut loss to Timothy Johnson by winning five of his next six, including knockouts of Chase Sherman and Marcin Tybura. This led to a UFC 242 main card slot opposite Curtis Blaydes, who overpowered “Abrek” on the mat en route to a second-round stoppage.

This will be his first fight in almost two years.

While he proved unsuccessful in his quest to claim the Cage Fury Heavyweight title, Chris Daukaus (11-3) ultimately joined brother Kyle in the Octagon in 2019. He’s been nothing if not efficient there, scoring three consecutive first-round knockouts and netting two “Performance of the Night” bonuses along the way.

His 10 stoppage wins include nine by knockout..

Between his ground-and-pound losses and occasional tendency to stink out the joint, it’s easy to forget that Abdurakhimov is a genuinely solid striker with better movement and speed than the majority of the division. He’s by far the best standup artist Daukaus has yet faced in the Octagon and could very well potshot his way to victory.

At the same time, he’s been out since 2019 and just turned 40, both of which bode ill for someone so reliant on his legs. Between those worries and the fact that Daukaus can match his hand speed, I like the younger, fresher man to turn the lights out sometime before the midpoint.

Prediction: Daukaus via second round technical knockout

125 lbs.: Roxanne Modafferi vs. Taila Santos

Roxanne Modafferi (25-19) — a two-time The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) competitor — put together a 3-2 run that saw her score sizable upsets of Antonina Shevchenko, Maycee Barber and Andrea Lee. She couldn’t do the same to Viviane Araujo, however, suffering a unanimous decision loss in Jan. 2021.

She has scored six professional knockouts and submissions apiece.

“Contender Series” graduate, Taila Santos (17-1), lost her undefeated record in her UFC debut, which saw Mara Borella grapple her way to a split decision victory. Injury and the pandemic kept her out of action for the next 17 months, though she’s made up for lost time with victories over Molly McCann and Gillian Robertson.

She steps in for the injured Tatiana Suarez on one month’s notice.

Here’s an interesting factoid for you: Modafferi has gone nine consecutive fights without ever winning or losing two straight. It’s not like she’s alternating between good and bad opponents, either, as her level of competition has stayed consistently high. That streak demands a victory here, but I can’t bring myself to overlook Santos’ enormous edge in striking and increasingly potent wrestling.

Even with her understated improvements, Modafferi is hopelessly out-gunned on the feet, and I don’t see her dragging Santos to the mat when a top-notch takedown artist like Robertson failed to do so. The universe needs to personally intervene to keep Modafferi’s pattern going, because if it doesn’t, Santos sprawls-and-brawls her way to a wide victory while potentially landing her own takedowns for good measure.

Prediction: Santos via unanimous decision

You don’t need me to tell you that UFC 266 is a killer card top to bottom; therefore, be sure to join us for it. See you Saturday, Maniacs.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 266 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPNEWS/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

Current UFC “Prelims” Prediction Record for 2021: 127-67-2 (2 NC)

Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler makes some adjustments prior to their fight at UFC 266.

Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler will not compete in a welterweight bout at UFC 266, instead competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) middleweight division.

Diaz vs. Lawler serves as a marquee fight on the pay-per-view (PPV) main card of UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega,” which will take place this weekend (Sat., Sept. 25, 2021) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, streaming online via ESPN+. While the bout was originally scheduled to be contested at 170-pounds, Ariel Helewani reports the fight has been reorganized at 185-pounds.

“A specific reason for the late change wasn’t revealed. The fight will remain a five-round non-title fight, per sources,” Helwani writes. “Both fighters have a history of fighting at 170 and 185, and both have expressed a desire to cut less weight these days.”

Diaz and Lawler will run things back 17 years after their first fight. The Stockton native won their first fight via knockout (KO) at 1:31 of round two (watch full fight here), improving to 9-2 as a professional MMA fighter. Lawler dropped to 8-2 as a result of the outcome; however, both men were destined for greater things.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 266 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPNEWS/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

UFC 266 heavyweight Chris Daukaus cannot fathom how Derrick Lewis generate so much power.

Chris Daukaus has a number 10 ranking and an undefeated Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) run to his credit, but he can’t magically conjure Derrick Lewis' power.

Daukaus (11-3) fights Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC 266, taking place inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sat., Sept. 25 via ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV). Daukaus has the belief that Lewis has more punching power than UFC Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, but he can’t break down the science.

“No idea, no idea. That’s the scary thing. It’s weird. As an athlete, as a mixed martial artist, as a fighter, you don’t want to believe that some people are just gifted with those things,” Daukaus tells MMAMania.com. “You want to be able to just focus on that and work on it. But there is something about his power — whether it’s the way his bones are structured or how his muscles are laid out — it doesn’t matter where he touches you. If it’s in the first 10 seconds or last 10 seconds of the fight, that guy will switch you off.”

Daukaus’ younger brother, Kyle Daukaus, was recently matched up against Kevin Holland. Multiple outlets incorrectly reported that Chris, a heavyweight, had a match-up with “Trailblazer”. The bigger brother — both in age and weight class — reflects on the timea reporter spent five minutes interviewing Chris before he realizing he had the wrong Daukaus.

“It did for a local paper. The guy thought he was talking to my brother but it was me. That’s the only thing that has ever really happened,” Daukaus laughs. “It was probably five minutes and then he goes, ‘Wait, you’re not Kyle?’ I’m like, ‘No, man. I’m Chris. I fight for the UFC if that makes a difference.’ Because they wanted to do a story, it was at a local show.”

For the Daukauses, the family name is an important tool in their line of work.

“It’s about building your brand. If one of us wins, we’re both winning,” he shares. “It’s really good for our name as a brand for us going forward in the UFC. He does well, I do well.”

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 266 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPNEWS/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

The world’s “toughest job interview” continues this evening as 10 fighters “vie to fulfill their dreams of earning a UFC contract.”

Season 5 of Dana White’s “Contender Series” has already sent more than one-dozen hopefuls to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and shows no signs of slowing down as it heads into its fourth episode tonight (Tues., Sept. 21, 2021) on ESPN+ (watch it here).

An extra-sized event produced another five contracts last week. Jailton Almeida, Albert Duraev and Lukasz Brzeski all ended things inside the distance, and though Jack Della Maddalena and Jasmine Jasudavicius needed the judges, they impressed enough to step into the Octagon.

Undefeated Middleweights take center stage this week when Jordan’s Hashem Arkhagha (6-0) squares off with A.J. Dobson, while Welterweight Michael Morales (11-0) looks to follow in the footsteps of Venezuelan countryman Omar Morales in his co-feature against Fury FC champ Nikolay Veretennikov (9-3). Earlier in the evening, series veteran Steven Nguyen (7-1) returns against Theo Rlayang (5-0), Jungle Fight Flyweight champion Kleydson Rodrigues (6-1) meets former Cage Fury titlist Santos Curatolo (6-1), and Jacob Rosales (13-6) makes his second appearance on the program opposite Victor Martinez (12-4).

‘Contender Series’ Quick Results:

Hashem Arkhagha vs. AJ Dobson
Michael Morales vs. Nikolay Veretennikov
Steven Nguyen vs. Theo Rlayang
Kleydson Rodrigues vs. Santo Curatolo
Jacob Rosales vs. Victor Martinez

‘Contender Series’ Play-By-Play Results:

185 lbs.: Hashem Arkhagha vs. AJ Dobson

Round one:

Round two:

Round three:

Final result:

170 lbs.: Michael Morales vs. Nikolay Veretennikov

Round one:

Round two:

Round three:

Final result:

145 lbs.: Steven Nguyen vs. Theo Rlayang

Round one:

Round two:

Round three:

Final result:

125 lbs.: Kleydson Rodrigues vs. Santo Curatolo

Round one:

Round two:

Round three:

Final result:

155 lbs.: Jacob Rosales vs. Victor Martinez

Round one:

Round two:

Round three:

Final result:

For more “Contender Series” news and notes, be sure to hit up our comprehensive archive right here.