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MMA Pound-for-Pound Rankings, February 2023: Islam Makhachev knocks off Alexander Volkanovski to take No. 1 s… – MMA Fighting

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Welcome to the latest update to the MMA Fighting pound-for-pound rankings, where every month our esteemed panel sort through the noise to answer one question: Who are the best overall male and female MMA fighters in the world?
How did UFC 284’s momentous champion vs. champion main event affect the global pound-for-pound landscape? Let’s take a look.
Islam Makhachev beat Alexander Volkanovski, so he’s the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, right?
If only it were that simple.
The UFC 284 main event was billed as MMA’s best two fighters — regardless of division — going head to head and while it certainly lived up to the hype, what it didn’t do is give the MMA Fighting Rankings crew a unanimous No. 1 selection. Judging by much of the public reaction, we’re not alone in this dilemma.
Whether it was because they thought Volkanovski did enough to win the fight or that Makhachev would fall to the featherweight champ in a hypothetical matchup where their statures were perfectly balanced, two of our eight panelists have Volkanovski in the No. 1 spot with the other six voting for Makhachev.
The outcome also prompts discussion of the meaning pound-for-pound, whether it’s more important to focus on the hypothetical or more plainly on the result of rare head-to-head matchups of this magnitude. Either way, given how they performed on Saturday, it’s a safe bet that Makhachev and Volkanovski won’t be relinquishing their spots in the top 5 anytime soon.
Speaking of the top 5, next month sees not only the trilogy bout between No. 3 Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman, but the return of Jon Jones, who was the de facto answer for pound-for-pound No. 1 before going on a lengthy hiatus from competition. Jones finally makes the move to heavyweight and claiming a UFC title in a second division could put him right back at the top of the mountain after two and a half years away from the cage. On the other side, Ciryl Gane already receives votes every month from half of our panel, so beating Jones all but guarantees that he jumps from the ranks of the honorable mentions to the top 10.
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 2 Islam Makhachev def. No. 1 Alexander Volkanovski
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 3 Leon Edwards vs. No. 5 Kamaru Usman (UFC 286, March 18)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Ciryl Gane (4), Vadim Nemkov (4), Johnny Eblen (3), Magomed Ankalaev (2), Jan Blachowicz (2), Colby Covington (2), Petr Yan (2), Curtis Blaydes (1), Beneil Dariush (1), Alexandre Pantoja (1), Shavkat Rakhmonov (1), Raufeon Stots (1)
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It was another ho-hum rankings cycle for the women’s pound-for-pound list, though we could be due for a major shakeup in the coming weeks.
Valentina Shevchenko goes for her eighth defense of the UFC flyweight title at UFC 285 and she faces a hungry challenger in Alexa Grasso. Like fellow Mexican standout Yair Rodriguez, Grasso has faced a few notable stops and starts on her road to a championship opportunity after being pegged as a blue-chip prospect since her Invicta days and she could turn the MMA world on its head if she upsets Shevchenko.
Another marquee matchup takes place this weekend as Jessica Andrade has made the bold decision to step into the UFC Vegas 69 main event to replace Taila Santos against Erin Blanchfield.
Andrade has been a menace to contenders in two divisions and she now looks slow the roll of Blanchfield, a 23-year-old prodigy who seems destined to fight Shevchenko some day. That day could come much sooner than expected if she puts on an impressive performance against Andrade, or Blanchfield could face a serious reality check against a former UFC champion who represents a monster step up in competition.
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Valentina Shevchenko vs. Alexa Grasso (UFC 285, March 4), No. 5 Jessica Andrade vs. Erin Blanchfield (UFC Vegas 69, Feb. 18)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Lauren Murphy (4), Juliana Velasquez (4), Yan Xiaonan (3), Irene Aldana (2), Xiong Jing Nan (2), Seo Hee Ham (1), Erin Blanchfield (1)
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Lastly, a refresher on some ground rules:
As a reminder, the notion of pound-for-pound supremacy is always going to inherently be subjective. When you’re debating whether someone like Robert Whittaker should be ranked above someone like Max Holloway, there is no true right answer. In other words: It’s not serious business, folks.
Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Make your voice heard in the comments below.
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David Goyer Shares Details About David Fincher’s Two-Hour ‘Blade’ Meeting: ‘It Was Such a Fleshed-Out Pitch’ – Yahoo Entertainment

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David Fincher hasn’t worked on a blockbuster franchise since making his infamous directorial debut on “Alien 3” — a film that he has since disavowed due to what he saw as excessive studio interference — but he has flirted with taking on big properties on multiple occasions. He spent years developing an adaptation of Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” for Disney with the intention of casting Brad Pitt. And more recently, he was briefly attached to direct Pitt in a “World War Z” sequel.
Fincher obsessives who are curious about his would-be blockbusters received an interesting tidbit this week when David Goyer made an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. Goyer is best known for writing DC movies for both Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder, but he began his career as a superhero scribe by writing all three “Blade” movies. On the podcast, he revealed that he collaborated with Fincher to develop the first film, with the “Fight Club” director being considered to helm the project.
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“I developed a draft with Fincher before he had done ‘Se7en,’” Goyer said. “I think he had done ‘Alien 3’ and maybe he was developing ‘Se7en.’ I developed a draft with him. I remember going to our producers office… There was this giant conference table. Fincher laid out 40 to 50 books of photography and art with Post-It notes inside them. He said, ‘This is the movie.’”
Goyer revealed that Fincher pitched his vision for the film with predictably meticulous detail. While Fincher did not ultimately end up directing “Blade,” the screenwriter explained that his creative influence was felt throughout the finished product.
“[Fincher] took us on a two-hour tour around the table of the aesthetics of this scene, that character,” Goyer said. “It was such a fully fleshed-out visual pitch… I had never seen something like that before. A lot of that thinking infused my further revisions.”
Fincher’s next film, the Michael Fassbender-led serial killer drama “The Killer,” recently premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival. Netflix will release the film in theaters on Friday, October 27 before it begins streaming on Friday, November 10.
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Boxing News: Early Results from Verona, NY » September 25, 2023 – Fight News

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By Boxing Bob Newman at ringside
In a highly skilled and very tactical fight, Junior Lightweights Abraham “Super” Nova and Adam “Blu Nose” Lopez lived up to the predictions that they might deliver the fight of the night. After three tactical rounds, things heated up in the fourth with a nice toe to toe exchange late in the round. In the fifth, a beautiful right-left-right combination deposited Lopez hard on his back. As Nova tried to cut off the ring and follow up on his advantage, he could be heard saying, “It’s my birthday…I got to get this win,” to a retreating Lopez. (It is in fact Nova’s 29th birthday). Nova was credited with another knockdown in the sixth, as Lopez tried to hold on after being raked along the ropes and stumbled to the canvas when he couldn’t keep his grip on a backpedaling Nova. Lopez managed to gather himself in the seventh and actually appeared to take the eighth, snapping Nova’s head with some beautiful combinations at the end of the round.
Nova was able to hop on his bicycle in the ninth and hold off a charging Lopez with his jab. The tenth and final round was something out of the movies. Both men teed off on each other seemingly non-Stop for easily two out of the three minutes that the round lasted. It was amazing that nobody went down, but Nova capped the round and the fight off by staggering Lopez with the final blows of the fight. Even though 2023 is only 14 days old, it will take some doing to pass this is the round of the year! The final scores were 97-91 and 98-90 twice, all for Nova who comes back with a hard fought win after his loss to Robeisy Ramirez last year, raising his record to 22-1 15 KOs. The hard luck Lopez falls to 16-4, KOs.
Photos: Bob Newman
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Other Results…
Jr. Lightweight prospect Haven Brady, Jr. had a tougher than expected task in Colombian Ruben Cervera. While Brady looked to pick his shots, Cervera was landing a few of his own, bloodying Brady’s lower lip by the end of the second. It became a game of single shots where Brady would vocalize with each blow he threw. Seconds before the end of the fifth, Cervera nailed Brady with an overhand right that stunned him. Cervera tries to follow up and one of his blows did land after the bell, prompting a warning from referee Benjy Esteves, Jr. It appeared that Brady was a bit busier each in each round and really capped it off in the eighth and final round by controlling the ring and dictating the action to the final bell. The final tally read: 78-74, 79-73 and 80-72, all for Brady, Jr. who moves to 9-0, 4 KOs. Cervera slides to 13-4, 11 KOs.
* * *
Local darling Bryce Mills, fighting in front of hometown fans for the first time in his young career put on a solid, workman like performance over tough Margarito Hernandez. Mills displayed excellent skills, footwork and angles in systematically controlling Hernandez over the six rounds. At the end of the second, referee Charlie Fitch called in the doctor to check for bleeding from the left ear of Hernandez, which turned out to be a cut just inside the ear and not internal bleeding from the eardrum. Try as he might Mills could not stop or even drop Hernandez and he did take a few shots from the gritty Washingtonian. In the end, all three judges saw it 60-54 for Mills 11-1, 4KOs. Hernandez slips under .500 at 3-4-1.
* * *
Rising welterweight knockout artist Brian Norman, Jr. tried to blitz Rodrigo Coria in the opening round and almost pulled off the trick. Coria appeared out on his feet seconds into the about, the bottom strand of rope in the neutral corner holding him up, but referee Mark Nelson let matters continue when Coria fought back. Norman Jr. appeared to tire and then paced himself for the rest of the round, letting Coria off the hook. The pace slowed markedly the second, then Norman picked things up a little bit more in the third, but Coria did back Norman to the ropes with some good body work. Coria controlled the fourth with good jabs and body work again along the ropes.
The fifth round saw both men doing good work, each taking a turn controlling pieces of the action. In the seventh, Coria landed some telling headshots in rapid succession, buckling Norman’s knees and having him groggy along the ropes. Norman was able to escape and survive the round but the crowd was now revved up! Seconds into the eighth and final round, Norman had Coria in a neutral corner when he himself was clipped and buckled again. He quickly recovered encountered cleanly, dropping Coria to his knees and bringing the crowd to its feet. It wasn’t over though as Coria fought back and stunned Norman again along the ropes. There would be no knockout. The scores were 79-72 and 77-74 twice, all for Norman, Jr. who moves to 23-0, 19 KOs, while the gallant Coria falls to 10-5, 2 KOs.
* * *
In the second fight of the night, featherweight prospect Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington controlled Juan Antonio Lopez over 6 pedestrian rounds for a 60-54 sweep on all three judges’ scorecards. Lopez talked almost as much as he threw punches, trying to psych out the highly touted prospect Carrington. Neither fighter was hurt along the way. “Shu Shu” moves to 6-0, 3 KOs, while Lopez falls to 17-13-1, 7 KOs.
* * *
In a rare battle of novice unbeatens, Dante Benjamin, Jr. took on Emmanueal Austin in a scheduled six round light heavyweight opener. After a half round of feeling each other out, Benjamin shook Austin with a combination, finally dropping him near his own corner. A follow-up barrage had Austin reeling, forcing referee Mark Nelson to stop matters at 2:50 of the opening stanza. Benjamin Jr is now 5-0, 3KOs, while Austin loses his first at 6-1, 6KO.
That’s a great win for Nova coming off a blowout loss.
I absolutely HATE when they put another sport on right before the fight because you know it’s going to run over. It’s worst when it’s baseball, but with all those timeouts at the end of close basketball games, those things can run on and on and on.
Let’s see him step it up now

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One Brutal Scene of Edward Norton's Hulk That Makes Him Way … – FandomWire

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps its movies PG-13 for a reason. Kids as well as adults enjoy these superhero movies but the MCU has broken the rule several times. Edward Norton portrayed the character of Hulk in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk quite more brutally than Mark Ruffalo.
Talking about the movie that wasn’t much of a success, fans were reminded of what the early MCU used to look like. In a brutal scene in the movie, people around the world were quit shocked when Edward Norton’s Hulk kicks Tim Roth’s Abomination into a tree with a little blood splattering on-screen!
Admittedly, the MCU hadn’t fully established itself as a cinematic universe when The Incredible Hulk was released back in 2008 the Hulk was still a part of the Marvel comics. Edward Norton, from the Fight Club fame, decided to join in for the ride by portraying the role of Bruce Banner in the movie.
Also read: “This ain’t gonna work”: Matt Damon Made a Life Changing Decision With Ben Affleck After Edward Norton Schooled Him in an Audition For an Oscar Worthy Role
Although the movie did not meet people’s expectations, the film had its fair share of iconic scenes and clips. One of the notable scenes was the Hulk fighting against Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky. Being a fearless soldier tasked with killing Bruce Banner, Tim Roth had an exceptional fight scene with the Hulk.
After the fight is over, Blonsky walks up to Norton in his Hulk form and asks “Is that it? Is that all you got?”. This results in the Hulk getting angrier and kicking Blonsky so hard that he flies a few feet away. The scene depicts Blonsky hitting the ground and rolling towards a tree stump. With a hard thud, the character lands face-first into the tree stump and his body sinks to the ground.
Although the focus is on General Ross during that scene, the out-of-focus face of Blonsky shows quite a significant amount of bleeding. The scene is intense and terrifying at the same time which showcased the fact that Edward Norton’s Hulk was indeed more devastating and chaotic compared to Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk in the MCU.
Suggested: ‘The Godfather’ Director Chose Matt Damon Over Marvel Star Edward Norton Because of Damon’s $100 Million War Movie With Denzel Washington
Related: “I didn’t feel that it was honored”: Breaking Bad Star Bryan Cranston Revealed He Would Never Work With Director Who Clashed With Edward Norton During Their $20M Movie
It could have been a very likely possibility that the scene mentioned above was written by Edward Norton himself. According to film trivia, Tim Roth (who got kicked in the face) stated that Norton used to re-write his scenes every day while on the sets of The Incredible Hulk.
The Fight Club actor and Liv Tyler also used to sit down every day and talk for hours before filming would start. As per the trivia, the duo would discuss their character’s lives especially before Bruce Banner became the Hulk which helped with the bonding between them. The Incredible Hulk received a rating of 6.6/10 on IMDB and 67% on Rotten Tomatoes and wasn’t much of a success. The 2008 film is available to stream on Disney+.
Source: ScreenRant, IMDB

Visarg Acharya joined FandomWire in 2022 as a Content Writer. Along with a penchant for writing, Visarg claims that words are the only true language made for him. Currently pursuing his B.Sc in Physics, the combination of Physics and Marvel make up for an interesting talk. Visarg Acharya has authored over 500 articles and reads books in his spare time along with an occasional series to accompany him.
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