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Manager: Justin Gaethje will retire if he doesn’t get title shot

BAD MMA News — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 18:22:16 +0000

Third-ranked UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje (26-5) may have fought for the final time. Former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria (16-0) and former lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira (35-10, 1 NC) will fight for the vacant 155-pound title at UFC 317 on June 28 during the UFC’s annual International Fight Week. Islam Makhachev (27-1) vacated the title to move up to the welterweight division in an effort to become a two-division titleholder. According to his manager, Ali Abdelaziz , Gaethje will ‘hang up the gloves’ if he isn’t booked to face the UFC 317 winner. “Justin Gaethje fight the (UFC 317) winner. He’s won three of his last four. He saved the UFC two times. They needed him and he was there,” Abdelaziz told Submission Radio . “The guy has done so much for the sport and if anyone says he doesn’t deserve it – He said, ‘If I’m not going to fight for the title then I’ll just hang up my gloves.’ “He’s a very principled guy,” Abdelaziz continued

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Manager: Justin Gaethje will retire if he doesn’t get title shot – MMA Weekly

Manager says no politics: Alex Pereira’s next title defense will be vs. Magomed Ankalaev

BAD MMA News — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 23:47:55 +0000

It’s MMA, so anything can happen, Ali Abdelaziz acknowledged. But absent some fluke, he says the next UFC light heavyweight title fight is all but locked up. It’s been the consensus, anyway, that 205-pound champ Alex Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will take on Abdelaziz client Magomed Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) next, but Pereira has made some intimations that the UFC might have other ideas. And Abdelaziz thinks there might be a little gamesmanship going on from the Brazilian. If so, it’s for naught, is what the longtime manager surmises. “Alex Pereira can say whatever he wants.

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Manager says no politics: Alex Pereira’s next title defense will be vs. Magomed Ankalaev – MMA Junkie

Norma Dumont wants into the UFC women’s bantamweight title conversation

BAD MMA News — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 14:15:04 +0000

After it was reported Thursday that a potential plan was in place if Julianna Pena can’t fight soon, a new hat has been thrown into the proverbial ring. Manager Ali Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie that an interim women’s bantamweight title may be on the table soon if Peña (11-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) can’t fight. Peña won back the 135-pound belt with a split decision win over Raquel Pennington (16-9 MMA, 13-6 UFC) at UFC 307 in October. The decision was a highly debatable one

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Norma Dumont wants into the UFC women’s bantamweight title conversation – MMA Junkie

Manager: UFC considering interim title if Julianna Peña not ready to defend

BAD MMA News — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 03:06:39 +0000

Julianna Peña recaptured the women’s bantamweight title at UFC 307 in October defeating Raquel Pennington via controversial split decision. Before she’s able to defend the belt, the fight promotion may be planning an interim title bout. It was assumed that Peña would face two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL titleholder Kayla Harrison in the first title defense of her second reign.

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Manager: UFC considering interim title if Julianna Peña not ready to defend – MMA Weekly

Ali Abdelaziz: UFC discussing interim title fight for Kayla Harrison if Julianna Peña unavailable

BAD MMA News — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 21:28:13 +0000

An interim women’s bantamweight title could come into play in the first half of 2025 if Julianna Pena is not ready to defend. After Peña (11-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) reclaimed the 135-pound belt with a split decision win over Raquel Pennington (16-9 MMA, 13-6 UFC) at UFC 307 in October, all signs pointed to his first defense coming against two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC). The champ’s health has created a hiccup in the UFC’s desired timeline, however, and according to Harrison’s manager Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA, the potential of an interim title being introduced is on the table. “This is what I have been told: Julianna Peña, if she’s not ready to fight Kayla, she might have some health problems – it’s going to be an interim title,” Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. “One hundred, percent this is what’s going to happen

Ali Abdelaziz: UFC discussing interim title fight for Kayla Harrison if Julianna Peña unavailable – MMA Junkie

Ali Abdelaziz: UFC 311′s Umar Nurmagomedov ‘only guy’ who can pass Khabib’s 29-0 record

BAD MMA News — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 23:00:52 +0000

Like Khabib Nurmagomedov , Dominance MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz sees Umar Nurmagomedov retiring undefeated. Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in the UFC 311 co-main event Jan. 18 from Inglewood, Calif. ( ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

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Ali Abdelaziz: UFC 311′s Umar Nurmagomedov ‘only guy’ who can pass Khabib’s 29-0 record – MMA Junkie

Ali Abdelaziz: Islam Makhachev can beat UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira

BAD MMA News — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 20:03:36 +0000

Ali Abdelaziz made a very bold statement about UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev . Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) runs things back with Arman Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) Jan. 18 in the UFC 311 main event from Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., and airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+. The fight marks a rematch after Makhachev defeated Tsarukyan by unanimous decision in April 2019, in what was Tsarukyan’s UFC debut. Abdelaziz, who like many others regards his client as the No.

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Ali Abdelaziz: Islam Makhachev can beat UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira – MMA Junkie

Manager reveals Aaron Pico’s free agent status, comments on potential UFC move

BAD MMA News — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 16:46:52 +0000

Aaron Pico , once regarded as perhaps the biggest prospect in MMA history, could soon be on the move. At 20, Pico made his MMA debut in 2017 under the Bellator banner. There was some turbulence in the early portion of his career, but he has currently won nine of his past 10 fights, with the lone defeat in that stretch coming as the result of an in-fight shoulder dislocation .

Ali Abdelaziz: Magomed Ankalaev ‘superior everywhere,’ will knock out Alex Pereira

BAD MMA News — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 23:10:45 +0000

Ali Abdelaziz is confident Magomed Ankalaev will be the one to take out UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira . Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) retained his light heavyweight title with a brutal fourth-round TKO of Khalil Rountree in Saturday’s UFC 307 main event at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Pereira plans on staying put at 205 pounds, and Abdelaziz expects Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) to cement himself as No. 1 contender if he can get past Aleksandar Rakic Oct

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Ali Abdelaziz: Magomed Ankalaev ‘superior everywhere,’ will knock out Alex Pereira – MMA Junkie

Ali Abdelaziz: ‘It’s bullsh*t’ Magomed Ankalaev is not getting a title shot

BAD MMA News — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 14:07:21 +0000

Ali Abdelaziz thinks Magomed Ankalaev is the rightful No. 1 contender. Ankalaev has been passed up for a title shot in favor of Khalil Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC), who challenges light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in the UFC 307 headliner Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City. Instead, Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) was matched up with Aleksandar Rakic (14-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) Oct. 26 at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.

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Ali Abdelaziz: ‘It’s bullsh*t’ Magomed Ankalaev is not getting a title shot – MMA Junkie