Zac Pacleb

6 days ago | ufc.com | Zac Pacleb

All that work is currently aimed at his first title defense at UFC 315 in Montreal. Originally, many believed he would face the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov. The two even faced off following Rakhmonov’s win over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310, but an injury changed those plans, and after some shuffling, Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena got the call. Muhammad joked that he was surprised as anyone and took a little satisfaction in the fact that Della Maddalena was originally slated to face Edwards.

2 weeks ago | ufc.com | Zac Pacleb

Alexander Volkanovski has a chip on his shoulder, but he doesn’t feel all that pressed about it. He is welcoming the doubters. He is welcoming the questions about his age, his chin, his hunger. He knows, as a man who occupied the throne for more than 1,500 days, all that comes with life as the champion. Before, the questions included whether he could beat Max Holloway, or if he actually beat Holloway in the rematch.

2 weeks ago | ufc.com | Zac Pacleb

Dominick Reyes, after five years and 12 fights of being a devastating hammer, found himself as close to the mountaintop as one can get without reaching the summit when he challenged and lost to Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title in February 2020. At the time, many believed he did enough to unseat the all-time great in Houston, but the judges saw it otherwise. Perhaps more surprising than the close call, however, was what came next for the previously undefeated Reyes.

2 weeks ago | ufc.com | Zac Pacleb

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2 weeks ago | ufc.com | Zac Pacleb

Hyped prospects are a dime-a-dozen when it comes to all sports, but the weight of expectations in combat sports come with a different sort of pressure. Part of it is the individualized nature of fighting, as well as the bright spotlight that comes with a one-on-one contest limited to a 30-foot Octagon. There is no hiding when it comes to mixed martial arts, and few fighters have embraced all that comes with prizefighting in the last half-decade better than Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett.