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Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira
israel adesanya November 11, 2022
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UFC 281: Can Israel Adesanya beat Alex Pereira this time around?

Israel Adesanya (23-1), the undisputed UFC middleweight champion of the world, looks to retain his belt against former rival and now UFC star Alex Periera (6-1).  

Madison Square Garden, which has hosted historical fights like Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier and Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez, welcomes both these men on Saturday, Nov. 12, for UFC 281. 

For “The Last Stylebender” and the 35-year-old nicknamed “Poatan,” this Saturday will be the third time both men stand across from each other in hand-to-hand combat.  

In their first bout, despite being outstruck, Pereira landed the more damaging shots in the judge’s eyes, earning the controversial win. Adesanya has gone on record several times calling out his peers for not watching the first fight between the two: 

“Who’s actually seen the whole fight? Hands up… That’s one, two, three people, four, five. In a room full of how many? Exactly, you’re journalists, do your f*cking job,” Adesanya said at

Adesanya said at UFC 276 media day. 

 “I f*cked this guy up in the first fight. Not crazy, but the judges gave it to him. Second fight, I had him on skates, and I made a [bad] judgment call, an error on my part,” Adesanya added.  

What happened the second time around?

The “error” Adesanya is referring to is in his second matchup versus the two-time Glory Kickboxing world champion. Adesanya stepped into Pereira’s backyard in the rematch and fought him in Brazil.  

In the opening rounds, the 33-year-old superstar came out aggressive and pressured Pereira against the ropes – almost getting a stoppage in the second round.  

Unfortunately, Pereira weathered the storm and delivered a devastating left hook – leaving Adesanya unconscious in the middle of the ring. Pereira has been the only man to knockout “Izzy,” proving this matchup will be one you cannot miss.  

Transitioning into the UFC

That loss was Adesanya’s last kickboxing match. He would transition into mixed martial arts – later making his UFC debut in 2018. He proved his skillset was well suited for MMA, taking him only five fights in the organization before touching gold. 

During Adesanya’s quick rise to stardom, people talked about the chances of him possibly facing Pereira in a different sport: 

“After my UFC debut, he put a contract up [acting] like he’s coming to the UFC. I’m like, ‘alright, make your way up,’ I’ll f***k [Alex] up, 100 percent,”

Adesanya told The Joe Rogan Experience in 2019. 

Three years later, Adesanya can now avenge both losses in “The World’s Most Famous Arena.” 

Pereira signs with the UFC

Since joining the UFC in 2021, Pereira has been on a three-fight win streak. His most recent victory came by first-round knockout over Sean Strickland (25-4), the No. 4 ranked middleweight at the time.  

Since knocking off Strickland, Pereira is the only man Adesanya hasn’t cleared out in the middleweight division. Both men feel noticeably confident heading into this matchup. For Pereira, it is something he feels he can do for the third time. 

Pereira begins trash talk

“I will do my work and job like I would if I was fighting anyone else. I just focus on fighting for the title. …. I don’t know how [Adesanya] would possibly be over that [knockout]. It’s still in [Adesanya’s] mind,” Pereira said at UFC 281 media day. 

The trash talk didn’t just start for Pereira – he has been very vocal on social media, constantly poking fun at Adesanya for his training methods. 

How has Adesanya responded to his foe?

Meanwhile, the middleweight Champion has paid no attention to Pereira’s online antics.  

“You see Pereira. He’s been doing it all week, [actually] weeks he has been trying to [poke at me]. He has bragging rights; he can talk s**t. Let him talk s**t; I’m not going to react. But I will respond, and I will respond violently,”

Adesanya told Morning Kombat. 

Adesanya believes he’s the sole reason Pereira is given this opportunity. “We’re on a level where he is only here because of me. There’s no reason he should be here,” Adesanya said.  

“He [Pereira] is blessed. He’s building his career off [of] my back. So, I want to send him back… This [fight] will be the best [title defense] yet,”

Adesanya added. 

How to watch

Whichever side you favor heading into Saturday night, we can expect fireworks. Many questions will be answered, will Adesanya finally gain revenge? Or will Pereira prove he is the “boogeyman” of the division? 

UFC 281 is live from “The Garden” in New York City this Saturday. The card is also available on ESPN+ (6 p.m. ET Prelims | 10 p.m. ET Main Card ESPN+ PPV).  

Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev
10K80 October 21, 2022
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UFC 280: How Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev have already won

UFC 280 will feature No. 1 contender Charles Oliveira (33-8) facing off against No. 4 Islam Makhachev (22-1) in a fight for the vacant UFC lightweight title. The highly anticipated bout is on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. ET, in Abu Dhabi – exclusively on ESPN+ PPV. 

Former Brazilian champion Oliveira is coming off a round one submission victory over Justin Gaethje, a fight where his title was stripped after failing to make the 155-pound weight limit. Oliveira now looks to reclaim his throne against Russian challenger, Makhachev. 

Praise Makhachev has received

For Makhachev, this seems to be just another fight. His 10-fight win streak has been completed in dominating fashion – smothering his opponents until they eventually quit.

Makhachev is one of the most hyped-up contenders on the roster, with extreme support from friend and UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“If Islam [Makhachev] beats Charles [Oliveira] and then beats new blood from [the] young generation… [If] Islam beats Charles, Islam beats three more fighters, Islam can be the greatest lightweight ever, you know, he has that potential,”

Nurmagomedov told TMZ Sports

Pre-Fight Press conference gets intense

Both men engaged in a heated back-and-forth exchange during the UFC 280 Pre-Fight Press conference: 

A tough path for both fighters

Despite being at the pinnacle of the sport, it has not been an easy road for any fighter by any means.

Win, lose or draw, both of these warriors have not only taken everything thrown their way in the octagon – they have taken everything life has thrown at them as well.  

Oliveira’s journey

Oliveira comes from São Paulo, Brazil. Raised in the favelas of Guarujá, São Paulo – Oliveira’s rough past has molded him into the champion he is known as. Oliveira has spoken numerous times about how life has hit him harder than he has ever been punched. 

“I lost friends to crime. Unfortunately, some died, others are in prison. I still know people who live off it, [crime] they chose it. But thanks to my mother, I chose the right side. We chose the right side, all my family, all my brothers. And bro, I say this a lot, sports save lives,”

Oliveira said on the Ironberg Podcast

Oliveira takes pride in where he comes from. After becoming the lightweight champion, he made it his mission to rebuild his community:

 “This is my grandma’s house; mine is in the back. Now, we are remodeling it, and it’s looking good. Every time I come here, I remember where I come from. I say, ‘Brother, it’s like this, I made it in life, you can make it too,”

Oliveira said in the UFC 274 Countdown Episode

Who knows where Oliveira would be now if not for mixed martial arts? Oliveira remembers his humble beginnings, now taking every opportunity to show fans that he is the “Kid from the favela that has made it.” 

Makhachev’s journey

Makhachev was born in Dagestan, Makhachkala – a place he pridefully represents each time he makes the walk to the octagon. 

PHOTO CRED: @ISLAM_MAKHACHEV INSTAGRAM

“This labor, building, digging, gathering, breeding livestock, it’s all physical labor. Hard work is in our DNA. We worked out using stones, often running up the mountain, sometimes three times a day working out using stones. These harsh conditions create real men,”

Makhachev said in his UFC Origins dedication

“When I started with MMA, my goal wasn’t to become a UFC champion. Representing our republic, our country, is the reason I fight,” Makhachev added.  

What have we learned?

Fireworks will be expected inside the cage this weekend. Both contenders will be looking to prove that everything they have endured in their life was for this opportunity.

Despite what happens in the expected barnburner Saturday afternoon, let us all take a moment to appreciate everything these fighters have been through in their rise to the top.

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sean o'malley
10K80 October 12, 2022
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How UFC superstar Sean O’Malley built success outside the Octagon

“Suga” Sean O’Malley is one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC today.

Hailing from Helena, Montana, the 27-year-old sensation faces former bantamweight interim champion Petr Yan (16-3-0 MMA, 8-2-0 UFC) at UFC 280 on Oct. 29 in what will be O’Malley’s most significant fight of his career.

O’Malley (15-1-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC) is looking to earn his long-awaited title shot in the bantamweight division with a big win over Yan. He is widely known for his spectacular knockout finishes – six out of his eight wins in the UFC have come by knockout.

With his accumulation of finishes, O’Malley has been awarded the $50,000 Fight of The Night Bonus four times and two Fight of the Night Bonuses, one being $50,000 and the most recent being $75,000.  

Sean O’Malley the entrepreneur

Despite O’Malley’s successful fighting career thus far, most of his money is made outside of the octagon.  

“I’m way more comfortable being in front of the camera now, way more comfortable entertaining and understanding what my job is. I’m an entertainer” 

O’Malley said on Chris Van Vliet’s Insight podcast when asked how he has evolved as his career has progressed. 

“I’m a UFC fighter/entertainer; they go hand-in-hand. Some people are just fighters, and they’re not making the money I’m making outside the UFC. I’m getting paid from merch [merchandise], YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Instagram,” he explained.

“I’m making six figures easily – sometimes six figures a month, not even from fighting. Understanding entertainment and being a fighter and balancing that is something I’ve gotten really good at,” O’Malley said.  

Social media presence

O’Malley has a significant social media presence – racking up over 480,000 YouTube subscribers, 150,000 Twitch followers, and 2.4 million Instagram followers, and he is one thousand followers away from a million on TikTok.

Unsurprisingly, his enormous following has resulted in a successful podcast called the TimboSugarShow, which O’Malley and his Coach Tim Welch host.  

What makes O’Malley so likable to the naked eye is that he is simply himself. O’Malley understands he does not need to play a fabricated character to gain fans.

O’Malley is not afraid to dye his hair vibrant colors, spend his time live-streaming video games to his thousands of followers on YouTube, or even get spontaneous tattoos from rappers like 6ix9ine.  

Suga Sean taking over fashion?

“The merchandise drops we’ve been doing go insane. Like the undefeated merch right after my fight, I had to make up undefeated merch. I said I’m going to post this right after my fight – and that did six figures in a week. It was crazy,”  

O’Malley told Vliet. 
Sugashop.co

O’Malley was referring to his limited undefeated hoodies and t-shirts, which are now unavailable. He offers shirts, hoodies, slides, and even a ‘Suga Sean’ costume, a pink wig you can wear on Halloween, all found on Sugashop.co.  

“I have YouTube, Twitch, podcasts, all that stuff I do is another way for people to interact with me – and it’s all genuine, organic stuff. It’s not like God I have to do this, I want to do everything I do, and I think people know that – it’s a fun way for the fans to interact with me,”

O’Malley told Daniel Cormier on the DC Check-In. 

What can fighters learn from him? 

In a sport where nothing is promised, Sean O’Malley is an example of what to do with your career in Mixed Martial Arts; fighters should use the platform they are given to expand their sources of income.

No athlete wants to be stuck in a position where they struggle to make ends meet after losing a fight – O’Malley has shown the benefits of having various sources of revenue and how being your genuine self is key to gaining fans.  

It will be fascinating to watch Sean O’Malley build his notoriety inside the octagon and how he will continue to grow his brand outside of the locked cage doors.

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Conor McGregor
10K80 June 20, 2017
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How Conor McGregor went from welfare to self-made millionaire

The story of Conor McGregor is far from over.

But based off of what he’s accomplished in just the past four years alone, you can already make a movie based off that shit.

There’s no denying that he has the biggest mouth arguably in all of sports, but he writes checks that his ass can cash.

But oh yeah, he’s been cashing in like a mad man as his intentions are clear: he’s in it for the money and isn’t stopping until he’s atop that Forbes Top 25 Highest-Paid Athletes list.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BViyARhgVPx/

Considering that he’s been in the game for not even half a decade, he’s already cemented himself as the cash cow of the UFC and most recently set up a dream match against Floyd Mayweather which is gonna make him stupid bread.

Win or lose, you’re looking at a guy who’s already pretty damn rich and gonna transition that into being wild fucking rich.

The craziest part is that it wasn’t too long ago when he was dead broke, working a job that not most would do, and dreaming of one day making it.

Not only did he make it but he far surpassed anything anyone would’ve expected from him. Now he’s ready to take all the money he can from sports and transition that into a movie career (most likely) where he isn’t going to risk his health and make even more BREAD.

No doubt he’ll be raking in cash for a long time to come but he started as a young boy in Dublin who knew he wanted to fight and didn’t want to be broke anymore.

Check out the video above highlighting Conor McGregor’s story and rise to the top.