Tim Welch, the coach of UFC lightweight champion Sean O'Malley, told his side of the story about his mentee's sparring session against lower division titleholder Alesandre Pantoja.
The Brazilian had previously claimed that he had beaten the American in training six years ago.
"Sean comes out and knocks him down in the first minute. Now keep in mind that it's hard for me to even say what year it was. I don't think Shawn was a pro, he probably turned pro later.
Shawn went to the cage, moved around a lot and then boom, he punched him like a laser beam. Pantoja stopped and dropped to his knees, asking Henry to stop sparring. There's even a video that hasn't been released," Bloody Elbow quoted the specialist as saying.
Former dominant UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has broken down the upcoming bout between flyweight titleholder Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg.
The Brazilian and the Australian will fight in the main event of the UFC 301 show, which takes place on the night of May 5 in Rio de Janeiro.
"I didn't even know Erceg was Australian. The fight with Pantoja is going to be incredibly difficult for him. I really want Steve to win because it would be a cool story. Fourth fight in the UFC, he's being offered a title shot, and he's like, "Who, me!" I really hope Steve gets his way.
But don't underestimate Pantoja. He breaks people down, and that's hard, especially when it comes to guys like Moreno. I haven't watched Steve enough to bet on him, but I've had the opportunity to see Pantoja fight, and I know his ability. My official choice is Alesandre," Bloody Elbow quoted Israel as saying.
Former UFC two-weight champion Daniel Cormier revealed when he realized that former featherweight division leader Jose Aldo was the promotion's star.
On the night of May 5, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will host UFC 301, headlined by a fight between local flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and Australian Steve Erceg.
Ahead of the tournament, the official weigh-in ceremony took place, with the results of which we offer you to read.
Main card:
Alesandre Pantoja (56.69 kg) - Steve Er ceg (56.69 kg);
Jonathan Martinez (61.68 kg) - Jose Aldo (61.68 kg);
Anthony Smith (93.21 kg) - Vitor Petrino (93.44 kg);
Michelle Pereira (84.36 kg) - Igor Losing (83.91 kg);
Paul Craig (83.91 kg) - Caio Borrallo (84.36 kg).
Preliminary card:
Jack Shore (65.99 kg) - Joanderson Brito (66.22 kg);
Karolina Kowalkiewicz (52.61 kg) - Yasmin Lucindo (52.61 kg);
Elvis Brener (70.76 kg) - Myktybek Orolbai (70.53 kg);
Jean Silva (66.22 kg) - William Gomis (64.86 kg);
Joaquim Silva (70.53 kg) - Drakkar Klose (70.76 kg);
Mauricio Ruffy (70.76 kg) - Jamie Mullarkey (70.3 kg);
Dione Barbosa (57.15 kg) - Ernesta Caricaite (56.92 kg);
Ismael Bonfim (70.76 kg) - Vince Pichel (70.76 kg);
Alessandro Costa (56.69 kg) - Kevin Borjas (56.92 kg).
Former UFC two-weight champion Conor McGregor has responded to the challenge posed to him by former lightweight division titleholder Charles Oliveira.
UFC heavyweight championJon Jones has spoken out about a possible fight with the organization's bantamweight champion Alex Pereira.
"A fight with Pereira after the Stipe Miocic fight could be the next big step that could be taken. This killer has already defeated so many champions, he's already a legend to millions of people. My fight with him is the biggest thing the UFC can do. Give Alex a chance to avenge all those great Brazilian champions I defeated," Jones wrote on social media.
Recall that Jones recently trained for the first time after a long recovery from an injury he suffered in preparation for his fight with Stipe Miocic.
UFC welterweight Anthony Smith shared his opinion on Uzbek fighter Bogdan Guskov.
"He's good. He's fast, he counterpunches well and moves well. He's not as big as I thought he would be. He's a little small for a flyweight, but he makes up for it with power and speed. He has a big arsenal of different skills. I'm willing to fight anybody, it doesn't matter to me. Of course he wants to fight me. I have a name, one of the biggest names in the division, and he's trying to make a name for himself. I understand that and I don't resent it one bit. When the time comes, it will happen and I'll give him that opportunity."
Anthony Smith, a former challenger for the UFC bantamweight championship belt, spoke out about a possible fight between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev.
"Ancalaev is a good wrestler and is capable of handling Pereira. But if he stands opposite Alex and exchanges punches with him, Pereira will knock out Ankalaev. That will absolutely happen in that case. But if Ancalaev fights smart, throws tekdowns and can keep Pereira down, then I think he'll have a good opportunity, even though he's not the best finisher. Since each round starts in the standup, Pereira can utilize his striking and conditioning and he can get back up to his feet, staying safe for the rest of the round. When the next round starts back on the feet, you don't want to be in there with Alex Pereira for too long. I think this is going to be an interesting confrontation. It's definitely one of the toughest tests for Pereira in the division. Mohammed has the skills and ability to handle him," Smith said.
Mahmud Muradov, an Uzbek middleweight fighter in the UFC, has announced that he has been fired from the promotion.
Michael Bisping, former UFC middleweight champion and current commentator and analyst, shared his opinion on the upcoming fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg.
"AlexandrePantoja is a phenomenal fighter. He has no weaknesses. He knows how to throw punches, he knows how to wrestle, he has world class jiu-jitsu. Can Erceg win? I love Steve, he's a good guy. But not this time. I wish him all the best and hope he can prove me wrong. Pantoja is too experienced. But you can never know for sure. In MMA gloves, one punch is enough. But of course, my favorite is Pantoja," Bisping said on his YouTube channel.
