Brett Okamoto
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Brett Okamoto
ESPN staff writer Bret Okamoto has been reporting on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in the combat sport, including detailed interviews and features, including names such as Dana White, Khabibnur Magomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, and Manny Packie Otopierre. He was also the producer of 30 30 films, Chuck and Tito. This reflects on the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas and is an avid and sub-average golfer in his spare time.
Andreas Hale
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Andreas Hale
ESPNANDREAS HALE is ESPN’s Combat Sports Reporter. Andreas covers MMA, boxing and professional wrestling. In Andreas’ free time, he plays video games, gets obsessed with music, and is a fan of the White Sox and 49ers. He is also the host of Sirius XM’s Phytonation. Before joining ESPN, Andreas was a senior writer for Dazn and Sporting News. He began his career as a music journalist for outlets such as Hiphopdx, The Grammys and Jay-Z’s Life+Times. He is also a NAACP Image Award nominated film producer for the 2024 animated short film Bridge.
Alex Volkanovsky defeated Diego Lopez on Saturday with an unanimous decision to win the featherweight championship at UFC 314 at Miami’s Caseya Center. Five rounds later, Volkanovski won with scorecards 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46.
In the co-main event, Paddy Pinblett ruled Michael Chandler in the third round of TKO, showing that he is a problem for the lightweight division, especially as he is younger than all top candidates.
Also on the card, Yair Rodriguez revived his career with an impressive performance that ruined Patricio Pitbull’s UFC debut. When Rodriguez is at the top of his game, the already tough featherweight division is better than ever.
Brett Okamoto and Andreas Hale share their thoughts on these fights.
Volkanovsky of the Kingdom looks different this time
“Old Man Volk” will once again become champions, but this division is very different from what he ruled when he was champions from 2019 to 2023. Yes, it’s only been two years, but looking at the 145 pound landscape shows that the department has seen an overhaul in the last 24 months. Max Holloway and Ilia Topuria have moved to the lightweight division, with new names that have not knocked on the door looking for a title fight.
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With Volkanovski’s first featherweight title reign, he spent more than half of his 145-pound title fight with Holloway. Jang Sung Jung has since retired, but Brian Ortega struggled to record 1-3 in his final four games. The 36-year-old can be seen as going far more challenging as he will be tested with a new kind of featherweight, including Movsar Evloev, Lerone Murphy and Jean Silva, who have put together the fierce dismantling of Blythe Mitchell on his main card. They also have recent signatories Aaron Pico and Patricio Pitbull. And the latter, despite the lack of Yair Rodriguez, is not outside the realm of the possibility that he could work up the ladder.
Stylistic matchups and his enemy youth were able to showcase quite a mountain for Volkanovsky to overcome. However, if he can make some successful title defenses, Volkanovski will have the opportunity to separate himself from fighters such as Holloway and Jose Aldo as the biggest featherweight in UFC history.
What we know is that this is one of the deepest and most talented featherweight divisions in recent memory. Volkanovski has cut out his work for him, but it would be a treatment to look based on his Saturday performance. – Hale
Pinblet is a major issue with light weight, especially due to his youth.
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“What now?!” Paddy Pimblett celebrates after dominating victory
Paddy Pimblett surrounds Michael Chandler with a gust of attack and celebrates electrically at the UFC 314 co-main event.
If this sounds like a backhand compliment, then it really isn’t. Pinblet’s skills are legal and he’ll be a handful of his prime’s lightweight. However, the fact that he walks to the deep edge of light water bodies when those waters are filled with Twilight fighters of their carriers is certainly not harmful.
At 30, Pinblett is a confident, talented and extremely dangerous finisher. He’s already fighting Tony Ferguson (41), King Green (38) and Chandler (38). He is currently targeting Charles Oliveira (35), Justin Gesche (36) and Dustin Poirier (36). Again, I haven’t taken anything from Pimblett, but it’s okay to point this out. He’s in his prime at the best possible time in this category.
If Pimblett can continue doing this, he can see the UFC Superstar. And honestly, sports need as much as they can get now. The UFC is hungry at this point compared to other eras. It is cyclical, it spins, and the pinblet may be one of the important fighters that turn the tide.
Pinblet is a real deal, he knows he is a real deal, and the top absolute killer gauntlet is a fighter who is (almost) beginning to slow down. He has an incredible opportunity before him. – Okamoto
“Good” Rodriguez is very good for this department
Yair Rodriguez defeated Patricio Pitbull with a unanimous decision at UFC 314 on Saturday. Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images
The featherweight division is in a solid location, but it’s very interesting and better for the great Rodriguez. And not only the great Rodriguez, but also Rodriguez who was fired.
When he is there, he is nothing but dazzling. The 2018 knockout of “Korean Zombie” Jang Sung Jung in the final two seconds was the biggest knockout in UFC history – until Max Holloway knocked out Justin Gaeche at the UFC 300 last year. Rodriguez can do things that others simply can’t do. His best moment against the Pitbull on Saturday came when he was on fire and in danger. Rodriguez can be a threat from time to time and would be very welcome if he was always alone.
Don’t get me wrong, his losses go against the talent of the elite, but I don’t think I’ve seen Rodriguez at top speed yet. If you need that, you want to see him being emotionally invested. It’s okay to watch him fight Diego Lopez after they go to it this week’s press conference. Rodriguez had great flashes, but he was sometimes inert, such as when the UFC nearly cut him in 2018. The rog-harmed people accused him of having him before his first UFC loss to Frankie Edgar in 2017.
The 145-pound division will benefit greatly from that Rodriguez. – Okamoto
