The Pulse: UFC Fight Night 234
A jam-packed combat sports slate bursting at the seams with
possibilities highlights the second full weekend of 2024, with the
Ultimate Fighting Championship and
UFC Fight Night 234 at the center of it all on Saturday at the
UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Magomed
Ankalaev looks to close the book on his rivalry with Johnny
Walker when they rematch one another in the five-round light
heavyweight headliner. The action kicks off on Friday, with
ONE Championship and
ONE on Prime Video 18 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok,
Thailand, plus the
Legacy Fighting Alliance and LFA
174 at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake,
Minnesota.
An anticipatory buzz surrounding the events permeates social media. A sampling of some of the discussions:
Ankalaev elected to do some of his pre-fight preparation for Walker
by training alongside current middleweight champion Sean
Strickland in sessions that were undoubtedly mutually
beneficial. Strickland defends his 185-pound title against Dricus Du
Plessis at
UFC 297 on Jan. 20.
Leave it to Walker to get creative with his purported 20-pound weight cut ahead of his rematch with Ankalaev. The Brazilian’s efforts were a success, as he tipped the scales at a ready 205.5 pounds.
Andrei Arlovski made his professional debut on April 9, 1999, nearly a quarter century ago. His latest opponent, Waldo Cortes-Acosta, was 7 years old at the time, and at least one of the men on the UFC Fight Night 234 bill was not even born yet. Talk about staying power.
https://twitter.com/Prodigy_MMA_/status/1745847202323272013
Blue-chip Australian prospect Tom Nolan enters the lightweight pool in his promotional debut, as the 6-foot-3 Dana White’s Contender Series graduate faces Nikolas Motta on the undercard. Nolan has finished his last four opponents, three of them inside one round, and figures to be a welcomed addition at 155 pounds.
An anticipatory buzz surrounding the events permeates social media. A sampling of some of the discussions:
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Sean Strickland (185 lbs.) and Magomed Ankalaev (205 lbs.) getting in grappling rounds ahead of their main event bouts on Jan. 13 and Jan. 20. 🤼🔥
🎥 YouTube via ESPN MMA#UFCVegas84 #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/qK7MJdDA0k — Parry Punch (@ParryPunchNews) January 12, 2024
Leave it to Walker to get creative with his purported 20-pound weight cut ahead of his rematch with Ankalaev. The Brazilian’s efforts were a success, as he tipped the scales at a ready 205.5 pounds.
This is how I cut 20 pounds pic.twitter.com/LceYxyJKGl
— Johnny Walker (@JohnnyWalker) January 12, 2024
Andrei Arlovski made his professional debut on April 9, 1999, nearly a quarter century ago. His latest opponent, Waldo Cortes-Acosta, was 7 years old at the time, and at least one of the men on the UFC Fight Night 234 bill was not even born yet. Talk about staying power.
Blue-chip Australian prospect Tom Nolan enters the lightweight pool in his promotional debut, as the 6-foot-3 Dana White’s Contender Series graduate faces Nikolas Motta on the undercard. Nolan has finished his last four opponents, three of them inside one round, and figures to be a welcomed addition at 155 pounds.
Contender Series alum Tom Nolan looks to extend his 6-fight winning streak as he prepares for his UFC debut this weekend against Nikolas Motta.#UFCVegas84 pic.twitter.com/JOCs4lVYKL
— COMBAT SPORTS TODAY (@CSTodayNews) January 10, 2024
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