The world of mixed martial arts has been buzzing with the hypothetical matchup between 100 unarmed men standing against a single silverback gorilla. Now, there are multiple fighters who have already claimed that they could easily fight the gorilla alone. The list includes Merab Dvalishvili, Bo Nickal, and many others. But what does Cory Sandhagen, the main eventer for UFC Des Moines, think about it? That’s what we’ll find out in today’s episode of MMA News Roundup.
But before we get to the viral hypothetical matchup, let’s have a look at Vinc Pichel’s retirement note. Did you know he was the oldest UFC fighter around? And after that, we’ll take a look at the new UFC 316 poster. And finally, we’ll see what ‘Sandman’ has to say about the viral internet debate. So without any further ado, let’s dive right into it!
Oldest UFC fighter retires at 42
Vinc Pichel took to X and shared, “There is so much to say. The short version: At 42 years old, I’m officially retiring from competing in MMA. The long version: I’m sad, I’m excited, I’m happy, I’m afraid. I’m grateful to everyone who was with me or part of my MMA career, and there are too many to list, but it’s because of you this kid from California was able to do what he’s done.” He then went on to give shout-outs to John McCarthy and everyone who helped him in his MMA career. And finally, he thanked the men from UFC, including Sean Shelby and Joe Silva.
Pichel began his MMA journey in 2009 and went on a 7-fight undefeated streak before facing his first professional loss at the TUF 16 finale. But that marked the beginning of ‘From Hell’s UFC career. He fought 12 fights in the Octagon and won 7 of them. However, Pichel’s last three fights ended up in defeats, with the last one coming from Rafa Garcia at UFC Mexico City.
There is so much to say.
The short version: At 42 years old, I’m officially retiring from competing in MMA.
The long version: I’m sad, I’m excited, I’m happy, I’m afraid. I’m grateful to everyone who was with me or part of my MMA career and there are too many to list,
— Vinc Pichel (@FromHellPichel) April 28, 2025
In the end, the 42-year-old former UFC lightweight contender tweeted, “Well this is it, as I walk away I’ll leave you with this: Do what feels right, don’t apologize for being you, be yourself, learn what you can from who you can, no regret’s and most importantly, HAVE FUN!”
Now, let’s take a look at the official poster for UFC 316. Well, not everyone seemed to like the poster, but the excitement around it was certainly evident.
How does the poster for UFC 316 look?
The UFC has released the poster through an X post. The caption read, “Just over a month away The official #UFC316 poster is HERE!” Needless to say, the words were designed to capture the fighting community’s attention. And it seemed like it was a success. With Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley set to fight with the bantamweight championship title on the line in the main event, fans were certainly engulfed in a bit of excitement. And in the co-main event, Julianna Peña is going to land against Kayla Harrison in the women’s bantamweight title fight. No doubt, the hype around it was pretty high.
Just over a month away
The official #UFC316 poster is HERE!
[ @Visit_NJ ] pic.twitter.com/7I6cCKdKPh
— UFC (@ufc) April 29, 2025
The design was a grid with four cells. In the top 2, the bantamweight headliner participants stared daggers at the viewers, and in the bottom cells, the co-headliners did the same. The champions were on the left and the challengers on the right. The PPV goes down on Saturday, June 7, in Newark, New Jersey.
Now, it’s time for the elephant- I mean, the silverback gorilla in the room. Let’s see what Cory Sandhagen had to say about the viral matchup.
Cory Sandhagen weighs in on the 100 men vs. 1 gorilla fight
During the pre-fight press conference for UFC Des Moines, a reporter asked ‘Sandman’ about his opinion on the viral matchup. Sandhagen admitted that it was the first time someone had asked him about it. But instead of going one-on-one against the gorilla, he took the smarter approach.
Sandhagen said, “I definitely would need a hundred of me. But a hundred is kind of a lot. I don’t know how we’d win. My go-to would probably be a bunch of- trying to kick him in his nuts as many times as I could. And then probably poke him in the eye. Everything I could do that would be illegal in a fight, I’d probably try to do to the gorilla, and hopefully he wouldn’t rip and kill too many of myselves, I guess.” We definitely don’t suppose that he’d use these tactics against Deiveson Figueiredo at Des Moines, though.
Do you have any message for the 42-year-old ex-mixed martial artist? What’s the most exciting fight for you at UFC 316? Do you believe a hundred Cory Sandhagens can actually defeat a silverback gorilla? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
The post MMA News Roundup – Oldest UFC Fighter Retires; UFC 316 Poster Goes Viral; Cory Sandhagen on 100 Fighters vs 1 Gorilla appeared first on EssentiallySports.
