It is UFC Vegas 45 fight week. UFC veteran Andre Ewell will be making his featherweight debut at the event, and Will Miller caught up with him to discuss his matchup with Charles Jourdain, which will be the third fight of 2021 for both combatants.

Ewell described himself as “full of energy” heading into the fight, stating also that he is bringing “the same vibes” as he did to his 2018 UFC debut, during which he defeated former bantamweight champion Renan Barao. He said that Jourdain is an “excellent opponent to showcase what I’m actually able to do.” He expects a fast pace, given that himself and Jourdain are both known as fast-paced competitors. The fight “should start off hot,” according to Andre. He elaborated on this assertion by saying the first round of the bout has Fight of the Night potential, and could also be a late entry for the Fight of the Year conversation.

Andre said that his weight cut is going “amazing,” adding that he can eat more throughout the day in his new weight class as compared to previous fight camps. He stated that this will “end up benefiting me and the way that I’m gonna perform.” Additionally, he said that this increased flexibility has benefited him already.

Ewell went on to describe his matchup as a question of “who’s gonna give,” calling both himself and his opponent explosive. He said that one can look at the fight as two tigers coming face to face. “Someone’s gonna have to back down,” he said. “When no one backs down, you get fireworks. I don’t think he’s going to try to back down. I know I’m not gonna back down.”

“It’s gonna be fireworks.”

Ewell and Jourdain have both been active, each fighting twice in 2021 prior to their bout. Andre answered in the affirmative as far as whether he expected to see a game Jourdain, given that he has been active. Nevertheless, he anticipates that he will have the edge in speed and power, will be “coming in hot,” and is “aiming for a knockout,” although he is prepared for a long fight if need be.

Andre also expressed interest in the possibility of a quick return to the Octagon, specifically a potential fight on the UFC 270 card, which takes place in his hometown of Anaheim, California. He said it would be “an awesome card to jump on,” but did not look past Jourdain, saying “this fight’s gotta get done first.”

In the middle of September 2021, two long-tenured UFC veterans called it a career.

On Wednesday, September 15, flyweight contender Joseph Benavidez announced his retirement. Benavidez (28-8 MMA, 15-6 UFC) challenged for a UFC title thrice, once against Demetrious Johnson and twice against Deveison Figueiredo. At 37 years of age, he fought once in 2021, losing a wide decision to Askar Askarov at UFC 259. He also previously challenged Dominick Cruz for the WEC bantamweight title. He owns wins over notable names such as Eddie Wineland, Alex Perez, Tim Elliott, and former dual champion Henry Cejudo. His last win was in June 2019; it was against Jussier Formiga.

On Friday, September 17, former UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit announced he was done. Condit, like Benavidez, challenged for undisputed UFC gold unsuccessfully multiple times. In 2016, he took then-champion Robbie Lawler to the limit in what is regarded as one of the greatest fights in UFC welterweight history. He also earned Fight of the Night honors after giving Georges St-Pierre a scare at UFC 154. At 37, his pro record is 32-14 (9-10 UFC). He went 1-1 in 2021, starting off the year with a decision over Matt Brown in a pairing that was coming to fruition after multiple cancellations. He lost to Max Griffin, also by decision, at UFC 264.

Both men will be remembered as fierce competitors who brought their all, especially with championship implications, and as part of some of the most pivotal bouts in their respective divisions.

The Ultimate Fighter 29 finales have come and gone, and the winners have been crowned. Bryan Battle and Ricky Turcios are this season’s Ultimate Fighter winners, Battle at middleweight and Turcios at bantamweight. Also victorious on the card was the season’s top middleweight pick, Andre Petroski. Now, a number of interesting fights can be presented as possibilities, including some from the minds of the BrawlTalk founders. 

Cain Velasquez vs Dominick Reyes- Retirement really doesn’t suit everybody in mixed martial arts, and although former UFC champ Cain Velasquez hasn’t fought in over two years, he has taken up professional wrestling. After a brief run in WWE was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, he will return to the ring in December for AAA. However, after his time in WWE did not pan out, maybe he could consider a return to the Octagon, perhaps in a new weight class against Dominick Reyes. In a 2018 interview with MMAFighting, he said that he could move to the light heavyweight division if he had to, and a huge fight with a multi-time title challenger who arguably beat Jon Jones could motivate the former heavyweight king to make the switch to 205 pounds. It would present an opportunity for a proper swan song after he was knocked out by Francis Ngannou in 2019.  

Ricky Turcios vs Eddie Wineland- For the Ultimate Fighter, a big one is in order. Wineland is the former WEC bantamweight champion and former UFC title challenger, and brings name value to the table. For Turcios, a win over him would be a nice feather in the cap to start off his UFC career. While these competitors are effectively on opposite career trajectories, this fight is a good one and, if Turcios takes advantage, could be a launching pad to further bantamweight relevancy.

Bryan Battle vs Andre Petroski 2- Now that both of these competitors are entrenched as members of the UFC roster, the promotion should not delay in making this rematch. Battle upset Petroski to further his chances at becoming the Ultimate Fighter, a feat he accomplished, and Petroski scored a UFC victory on the same card. The fighters are once again on a collision course. This is the fight to make for both combatants now that they’re each under the UFC banner officially. 

Sam Alvey vs Roman Kopylov- After being on the wrong end of a third debatable judges’ decision in his last four fights, popular veteran Sam Alvey was left with a sour taste in his mouth from his clash with Wellington Turman. He signed on for the bout after Kopylov, whom he was slated to face on July 31, couldn’t make the date owing to visa issues. Due to being in a short-notice fight where he was repeatedly fouled, Alvey’s UFC career should not end with this result. The Kopylov fight should be rebooked as soon as possible.

Brady Hiestand vs Randy Costa- This fireworks fight should follow Hiestand’s gritty effort against Turcios in the TUF 29 bantamweight finale. Hiestand should be in the UFC. Moreover, he should have a fight with a competitor like Costa, a dangerous prospect with ‘bonus machine’ written all over him. This fight would go down similarly to Hiestand vs Turcios, and perhaps a Hiestand win could set up a rematch of the TUF finale.

After parting with the UFC in 2020, Dana White’s Contender Series alum Juan Adams has gone on a two-fight winning streak with Fury FC. Now, he is slated to compete at Fury FC 49 opposite Richard Odoms in a bid to capture the Fury heavyweight title on August 29. In July, he and Will Miller talked about the matchup, Adams’s Contender Series experience, his time in the UFC, and more. 

The championship fight comes after a short turnaround, as Adams last competed at Fury FC 48 just over a month ago. Adams describes Odoms as a “game opponent” and says that it should be “a good scrap.” Stylistically, Adams likes the matchup, and anticipates that Odoms’s striking will be “pretty accomplished.” He says he is willing to fight often to “get where he needs to be” and says he is prepared to fight “two or three more times” in 2021. He says he prefers being active because it helps him stay fresh and at the forefront of people’s minds, and he does enjoy it. When fighting, he says that it’s about finding out who’s better at imposing their will on the opponent. 

When asked about his thoughts on what it might take to get to a reunion with the UFC, Juan said that he will fight whomever they put in front of him. His goal is to fight for a major promotion again and fight “the top talent in the world” again. 

Adams is one of many fighters to earn their UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. His opportunity came after three victories in the Legacy Fighting Alliance, and the fight took place just over a year after his professional debut. UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard was in attendance at his third LFA fight, and from there, he took the opportunity and trained hard for six weeks leading up to the bout. However, he said that that “doesn’t really work” anymore, and would like to have a day job to not think about fighting “all the time.” He does state that he felt an added pressure to perform well on the Contender Series in order to earn the UFC opportunity. He likens the smaller crowd to being in sparring, and said that he “really enjoyed that.” Juan said that being in Vegas for the fight was also very cool.

When asked if he has changed his game since being in the UFC, Adams said it was “a different perspective” since he has “been where so many people are trying to be.” He does say that that aspect takes away some of the “rushing and stress” since he doesn’t rush the game plans as much as he used to. 

Juan’s favorite fight card that he has been a part of was the Contender’s Series “hands down”, saying that you couldn’t beat the combination of experiences, like the five-fight card, good pay, and being in Las Vegas. He participated in the UFC 247 card which was headlined by Jon Jones, and describes being with him during that camp. Adams spoke about the “media circus” that came with a Jon Jones fight, and that the “sheer amount of coverage” was something to adjust to. 

As far as typical fight week preparation, Adams spoke about managing his weight carefully, minimizing contact with a lot of people during the week, watching movies, and eating and drinking what he can. He says he likes the grappling side of training, and doesn’t enjoy the striking side as much. Juan says that a fight that stands out to him is his bout with former NFL Pro Bowler Greg Hardy, stating that he “put so much into that camp.” He does say that he will “never give that much of my existence into a single event ever again.” He said that with regard to facing Hardy, who was more inexperienced in MMA when the two fought, his defense was “better than I expected it to be” and that the fight was a learning experience for him. 

Juan said he would prefer to fight grapplers because “their striking isn’t very good” and is confident that with his striking training he can possess “a slight edge in that department.” When it comes to facing strikers, Adams said that you always have to be “cautious and cognizant of their opportunities to knock you out.” He says that fighters cannot walk into shots from him, and he feels that he is dangerous “pretty much everywhere.” He also pointed out wrestling as an aspect of his skill that makes him dangerous. As far as nerves, he said that one specific step in overcoming them for him was getting knocked out on a pay-per-view, and that it was one of his biggest fears, but now he has “a blueprint on how to get through it.”

For this segment of In Perspective, former UFC lightweight title challenger and The Ultimate Fighter 5 contender Gray Maynard spoke with Will Miller about his career experiences, being part of one of the best trilogies of all time, fighting the best 155 pounds had to offer, his thoughts on a hypothetical featherweight fight with BJ Penn, and more. 

As far as being part of arguably the best trilogy in mixed martial arts history, Maynard said that it was cool to be a part of, describing his series of wars with Frankie Edgar as “great” and saying that he hopes people can remember it, and learn from it as far as scoring goes as well. Close scorecards are synonymous with the career of Frankie Edgar, but his second razor-close scrap with Maynard (a split draw) is one of the closest championship fights in UFC history. Edgar’s first pro loss was handed to him by Maynard in 2008. Their epic battles for the lightweight belt are remembered as some of the most electrifying the division has ever offered. 

When it comes to his time on The Ultimate Fighter, Gray described it as being different from a typical fighting experience, and that it was “a reality TV show, all made for TV. We didn’t train the way we usually train.” He states that he was coming into the fold with the goal of “winning the show, getting to the UFC, and fighting the top guys.” When speaking about how being an alum of the show factored into his career, he said that “people got to know you more” and spoke about being more comfortable in the UFC as he fought more.  

Stylistically, Maynard said that the name of the game for him was “about trying to expose the holes in [opponents’] game[s],” finding out what they did and didn’t do well, and that he was good at “looking back through the competition and making changes where I needed to.” In training, he enjoyed sparring, stating that “[it] was always great, a chance to check what’s working and what’s not.” As his career progressed, he sparred less than he did when he was younger, talking about making changes without doing it as much as he formerly did. “You’ll never make it perfect”, he said, “it’s constant striving to get it.” 

Gray fought three out of his last four bouts at featherweight, even though he was a lightweight mainstay in the early part of the 2010s. For his last fight, a UFC 229 lightweight return against Nik Lentz, he “had to go up” because a liver issue caused him to worry about cutting the weight. The featherweight cut was “a good cut, not hard, and I just took care of it.” With regard to being on the UFC 229 card, one of the biggest in MMA history, he said that he was just “here to do my job [and] take care of business.” 

During one specific segment of the interview, Gray was asked about his feelings about a featherweight fight with BJ Penn. Penn, the former two-division champion, is one of the big names that Maynard never got a chance to fight, and he moved to featherweight at about the same time Gray did. “Interesting” was the word Gray attached to the prospect, and he credited Penn with being one of the reasons he got into the sport. However, after the topic of Ryan Hall (a common opponent between the two) came up, he said that Penn “didn’t look into it” and that he did not want to go up against someone who is “not into it, not at the top of their game,” reiterating that his focus was on fighting the best of the best. During a brief foray into the specifics of the Hall fight, it was noted that Maynard, who lost the fight by decision, had practiced Hall’s trademark Imanari roll and “didn’t feel threatened by it” while Hall submitted Penn with the move. 

When it came to discussing opponents Maynard might have liked to fight, he named former lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor, saying he was “a good matchup… and a big name.” He does have a laundry list of notable names that he has faced, including Edgar, Lentz, Nate Diaz, Kenny Florian, Clay Guida, and Jim Miller. Given that McGregor and Maynard do share a common opponent, have fought for gold, and have fought at 155 and 145, they do have more than just a bit in common.

It is December 12, 2015. Conor McGregor has just sent shockwaves through the world of combat sports. He knocks out longtime featherweight king and all-timer Jose Aldo with one punch, in just thirteen seconds of action. All roads lead to another megafight; McGregor wants to move up to lightweight to add a second piece of gold to his vault.

It is December 19, one week later. Another huge main event is upon us. Lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos has been forced to take notice of the scrappy Irishman, and he now stands across from the tried-and-tested fan favorite former WEC title challenger, Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone. dos Anjos proves to be up to the challenge, and then some, as he knocks Cerrone out in just over a minute. From here, the way forward is clear.

McGregor vs dos Anjos never took place. It was booked for UFC 196, but dos Anjos pulled out due to a broken foot. The Nate Diaz saga began at the event instead, and by the time McGregor made it to the final step of his journey to the 155-pound belt, Eddie Alvarez had assumed that throne. At UFC 205, McGregor took his second belt. At UFC 246 over three years later, he sent Cerrone packing in 40 seconds in a welterweight clash. It was McGregor’s first time at 170 pounds since warring with Diaz.

What if Cerrone had beaten dos Anjos, who would later challenge for a welterweight championship, at UFC on Fox 17?

UFC 196 would likely have taken place as planned. Cerrone, now the lightweight champion, would be ready to face McGregor as both men were coming off the biggest wins of their lives. In their UFC 246 meeting, each man was coming off of a stoppage loss. The event headliner would have a title on the line, which it didn’t when Diaz stepped in. While Diaz was a big fight, this one with Cerrone might have been bigger in the lead-up, not necessarily withstanding whatever would have happened after the fact.

McGregor likely becomes a two-weight titleholder at UFC 196 if he fights Cerrone. One of MMA’s best moments would have transpired eight months sooner, and who knows what kind of trajectory McGregor’s lightweight career might have gone on after the fight. Maybe he fights dos Anjos somewhere down the line, as was originally meant to happen. In this universe, that’s almost a foregone conclusion. Perhaps all of the speculated lightweight fights featuring McGregor (opposite fighters like Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje) that never happened do take place. It is also probable that the promotion would book McGregor vs Aldo 2, since that was in the cards at certain points in 2016. Fans can’t forget about McGregor vs Khabib, which might have been a cert for the UFC 205 headliner if McGregor won the lightweight belt from Cerrone.

In any event, McGregor vs Cerrone at UFC 196 leads to more McGregor, more blockbusters, and more money.

On August 20, 2016, one of the most anticipated main events in UFC history took place. Nate Diaz and featherweight champion Conor McGregor were clashing again in Las Vegas, in a rematch of their fiery UFC 196 headliner which saw Diaz submit McGregor in one of MMA’s most massive upsets.

UFC 202, which is the third-highest ranking UFC show in terms of pay-per-views sold, was an even bigger deal than UFC 196.

Diaz had taken McGregor’s momentum, as the Irishman had been on a captivating, breathtaking run which led him to the undisputed featherweight world title. After the short notice loss, which occurred at welterweight, McGregor wanted his rematch, and the build to it was nothing short of palpable.

The bad blood was apparent throughout interviews and other events. Obviously, were Diaz to win again, it would likely stifle McGregor’s goal of taking hold of the lightweight division. The Stockton star had turned himself into a serious needle mover by beating the biggest star the sport has ever seen. So much so that the rematch was originally booked to headline UFC 200, which, for all the misfortune that would eventually befall it, was slated to be one of the biggest events in history.

Flash forward to August 20. UFC 202 was going down from the new T-Mobile Arena. ‘Anytime, any weight, anywhere.’

Vengeance was on the mind of McGregor, and he didn’t waste time with pleasantries; this rematch was no UFC 257. He knocked Diaz down in rounds one and two, and withstood his attack even as he faltered when the fight drew on. Diaz landed serious shots in his own right, as both men had their opponent in trouble at some point or another. Diaz convincingly took the third round, and the fifth, but a close fourth frame would determine the course of the top of mixed martial arts for the immediate future.

Two cards had the fight for McGregor. One had it a draw.

The win meant that McGregor could now go on to fight for the lightweight championship, which he had been booked to do all the way back at UFC 196, where this saga begins. He was victorious over Eddie Alvarez, and his legacy as the first simultaneous two-belt champion in the UFC is one of the finest in the sport. His fights remain the biggest, and his most recent just toppled UFC 202 as second-best selling PPV in the promotion’s history.

As for Diaz, he remains a superstar. It would be almost three calendar years before he competed again, but he was victorious over former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis in his comeback fight. Then, opposite Jorge Masvidal, he headlined the UFC’s 500th live event with the President of the United States in attendance. His June 2021 near-finish of Leon Edwards is a highlight moment of UFC in 2021, and it might very well have cost Edwards an immediately forthcoming title opportunity, even though Diaz lost.

As far as the trilogy? McGregor still wants it. It’s hard to deny that it would do serious PPV numbers. Keep a lookout, as it may be Conor McGregor’s comeback fight in the summer of 2022. It would be absolutely can’t-miss.

After his most recent UFC outing, a loss to Andre Muniz, longtime middleweight contender Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, noted for his grit and known as a gifted Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, has retired from mixed martial arts four months before his 42nd birthday. Souza (26-10, 1 NC MMA, 9-7 UFC) was the Strikeforce middleweight champion for over a year from 2010 to 2011. He was regularly near the top of the UFC’s middleweight heap over the course of the 2010s. Despite never earning a title opportunity within the promotion, he was a serious contender and holds victories over current and former MMA champions like Chris Weidman, Vitor Belfort, Gegard Mousasi, and Robbie Lawler. His KO victory over Weidman, which occurred in the co-main event of UFC 230 in 2018, was the last win of Souza’s career.

Souza lost his last four fights prior to departing the UFC. After dropping a reasonably close decision against Jack Hermansson that might have finally gotten him to the belt if he had won, he tried his luck at 205 pounds and lost a split decision in a five-rounder against Jan Blachowicz. Unfortunately, he was forced to the sidelines during the events of 2020 as a consequence of COVID-19, which caused a scheduled UFC 249 bout with Uriah Hall to be scrapped. When he finally returned in December, the red-hot Kevin Holland was waiting for him. After the aforementioned defeat to Andre Muniz, during which Souza suffered a broken arm, his UFC contract expired.

Souza hinted that he might continue competition in the form of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. After a long and decorated fight career, he has confirmed that his MMA retirement is unconditional and that he will not fight again. The legendary toughness of Souza might again be on display if he returned to some form of competition; he allowed Roger Gracie to break his arm in 2004 during a jiu-jitsu competition because he knew he was ahead on points. Refusing to submit to the injury, he then won the 2004 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship. If that isn’t indicative of the type of competitor Souza is, nothing is.

After over eight calendar years since his debut fight in the UFC, lightweight and welterweight veteran Yancy Medeiros has been released by the organization.

Medeiros (15-8, 1 NC MMA, 6-8, 1 NC UFC) last fought on June 26, 2021. His defeat to Damir Hadzovic proved to be his last Octagon appearance. He competed in the UFC from 2013 until August 17, 2021, when news of his release was made public. He fought twice under the Strikeforce banner, going 2-0, but did not officially win in the UFC until his fourth try.

In the UFC, he fought at lightweight and welterweight. After losing a main event fight against Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone at 170 in 2018, he moved back down to 155, but could not conjure success. He lost three straight and leaves the promotion on a four-fight skid. Unluckily, he lost both the Cerrone fight and his lightweight return against Gregor Gillespie in the closing seconds of a round.

Since 2018, Medeiros has only fought once per year. Each of his last two bouts have come after layoffs of over a calendar year. He has faced names like Cerrone, John Makdessi, Jim Miller, and Alex ‘Cowboy’ Oliveira, with whom he shared Fight of the Year honors in 2017. He earned five bonuses during his UFC tenure.

Medeiros’s last MMA win was against Oliveira. At that time, he had won three straight fights and six of his last eight. He had cracked the official UFC welterweight rankings in time for the main event against Cerrone.

The ‘popular fighter returns’ element of September 25’s UFC 266 just added another layer.

Dan ‘Hangman’ Hooker, the popular New Zealander who holds the No. 8 spot in the UFC’s lightweight rankings, will be appearing on the card against Nasrat Haqparast, who had previously called him out on social media. Hooker (20-10 MMA, 10-6 UFC) last fought in the co-headliner of UFC 257, welcoming Michael Chandler to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Haqparast (13-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) scored a decision over Rafa Garcia on March 13. He has won two straight fights, while Hooker has lost two straight.

Prior to the Chandler fight, Hooker came up short in a five-round war against Dustin Poirier that was a Fight of the Year contender in 2020. It was his second consecutive five round fight, after he took a razor-thin split decision from Paul Felder four months prior. That win placed Hooker at 7-1 since moving to lightweight in the UFC. Now 7-3 at 155, Hooker is still dangerous. Haqparast’s most recent loss was a quick first-round knockout at the hands of Drew Dober at UFC 246.

This fight, like most that these two fighters are in, has fireworks written all over it. As fans have seen, Hooker is well equipped to win a gritty fight, but Haqparast is as tough a prospect as any in the loaded lightweight division.

Whatever the result, this is a booking that adds massive appeal to an already sensational fight card, which also includes the return of Nick Diaz in a five-round featured bout.