MMA News

Author: Thomas Albano

  • Fans Ponder If Patricio Pitbull ‘Made The Move Too Late’ After Yair Rodriguez Spoils His Debut At UFC 314

    Fans Ponder If Patricio Pitbull ‘Made The Move Too Late’ After Yair Rodriguez Spoils His Debut At UFC 314

    The long-awaited UFC debut of former two-division Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull ended in major disappointment, as he suffered a dominant decision loss to former interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314.

    Rodriguez started out the aggressor, with a kick-focused attack. Rodriguez landed a number of kicks, including a low kick combined with a quick right hand, while Pitbull stayed patient and calculating. Pitbull finally clinched up with Rodriguez with 90 seconds left in the first round, but Rodriguez was able to easily slip away. Pitbull landed a low kick that slipped up Rodriguez, with Pitbull scrambling to get on top and ending in side control despite a lack of offense.

    Pitbull started to pick things up in the second round, answering Rodriguez’s kicks with a pair of strong left hands. Rodriguez, however, continued to have the better pace, forcing Pitbull into retreat with a series of kicks. Pitbull scored a takedown about halfway through the round, only for Rodriguez to quickly return to the feet. Rodriguez continued to keep distance and land kicks — mixing in some combinations — and even scored a takedown on the former Bellator champion before the end of the round.

    Pitbull seemed to pick things up in the third round, as both men landed their strongest strikes during the round. Rodriguez scored a knockdown on Pitbull — only for Pitbull to nearly lock up an armbar seconds later. Rodriguez, however, escaped and got the upper hand by nearly scoring a leg lock. Though Pitbull escaped, he quizzically did nothing for the last 20 seconds, as Rodriguez cruised to 30-27s across all three scorecards.

    Yair Rodriguez Cruises To Decision Win Over Disappointing Patricio Pitbull At UFC 314

    Rodriguez scores his first win since his interim title win over Josh Emmett at UFC 284. Since then, he had unsuccessfully attempted to become undisputed champion against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 290 and was submitted by Brian Ortega in Mexico City in February 2024.

    Pitbull was a longtime face of Bellator prior to its purchase by the Professional Fighters League (PFL). This was his first fight since retaining the Bellator featherweight championship with a finish of Jeremy Kennedy at Bellator Champions Series 1 in Dublin in March 2024.

  • ‘Funniest Possible Result’ – Fans React As Jean Silva Chokes Bryce Mitchell Unconscious At UFC 314

    ‘Funniest Possible Result’ – Fans React As Jean Silva Chokes Bryce Mitchell Unconscious At UFC 314

    The Fighting Nerds continue to deliver.

    After Michal Oleksiecjzuk was successful in his fight on the UFC 314 preliminary card, Jean Silva went into a highly anticipated showdown with Bryce Mitchell and dominated, scoring a submission.

    Mitchell looked to get out to a strong start early, taking the upper hand in striking. But when Mitchell went for his grappling strength, Silva was ready. Silva stuffed a takedown attempt and countered another with a choke. Silva attempted three different chokes on Mitchell in the final minute of the first round.

    At that point, Mitchell spent a significant amount of time on the back foot, as Silva became the aggressor, landing notable strikes, including a spinning backfist. Silva was able to get a hold of Mitchell again and continued to search for the choke. Finally, in the middle of the second round, Silva locked in a ninja choke, getting Mitchell to tap just before he passed out.

    Jean Silva Brutally Chokes Out Bryce Mitchell At UFC 314

    Silva has now won 13 straight fights in his MMA career, and he’s unbeaten in the Octagon since arriving from Dana White’s Contender Series. Silva’s other victories have come against Westin Wilson, Charles Jourdain, Drew Dober, and Melsik Baghdasaryan. “Lord” may be in line for a notable contenders’ bout now in his next fight.

    Mitchell, meanwhile, has lost two of his last three. His most recent fight had been the dud against Kron Gracie at UFC 310 — which marked his first fight since the devastating knockout loss to Josh Emmett in December 2023.

  • Amanda Nunes Announced For Hall Of Fame During UFC 314 Broadcast As Comeback Talk Intensifies

    The woman widely considered the greatest women’s fighter in the history of MMA, let alone the UFC, will now get to take her spot in the UFC Hall of Fame.

    Former UFC women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes was announced as the newest member of the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2025, as announced at UFC 314.

    Nunes was emotional Octagon-side, having been surprised by the announcement, greeted with the hugs from UFC CEO Dana White, Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer, and UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell.

    This induction comes just a day after Nunes appeared to tease a comeback at a press conference. With Julianna Pena and Kayla Harrison on the press stage, a reporter asked of the chance Nunes returns to the Octagon to challenge the winner. Nunes then appeared nodding on camera.

    Pena and Harrison face off for the women’s bantamweight title — a title Nunes held for a long time — during the co-main event of UFC 316 on June 7.

    Amanda Nunes Joins UFC Hall of Fame 2025 Class

    After going 7-3 to start her career, including fights in Strikeforce and Invicta, Nunes joined the UFC in 2013. She went on to lose just twice in the Octagon, ending her stellar career with a 23-5 record.

    Nunes submitted Miesha Tate in the UFC 200 main event to win the UFC women’s bantamweight title. She then went on to retain the title six times between two reigns, defeating the likes of Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, Raquel Pennington, Holly Holm, Germaine de Randamie, and Irene Aldana. Though Nunes lost the title in upset fashion to Pena at UFC 269, she’d win the belt back in a rematch at UFC 277.

    Between those defenses, Nunes defeated Cris Cyborg to win the UFC women’s featherweight championship at UFC 232. Nunes to this date is still the sole woman to be a champ-champ — and the only UFC champ-champ to retain both championships at least once and retire as champ-champ.

    Nunes defended her 145-pound title against Felicia Spencer and Megan Anderson.

    The UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2025, in addition to Nunes, includes Robbie Lawler, longtime producer Craig Piligian, and the UFC 236 fight between Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum.

  • VIDEO: Dominick Reyes Continues Career Resurgence With Devastating McGregor-esque KO At UFC 314

    VIDEO: Dominick Reyes Continues Career Resurgence With Devastating McGregor-esque KO At UFC 314

    “The Devastator” really is back. And if his words ring true, better than ever.

    Dominick Reyes pulled off yet another knockout in his attempted career resurgence, needing just one round to defeat Nikita Krylov in the opening main card bout for UFC 314.

    As the two were feeling each other out and slowly finding their rhythm, Reyes landed a right hand that seemed to stun Krylov. Krylov was able to recover quickly.

    Later on in the round, Krylov charged forward with a one-two. Reyes dodged it and landed a sudden left hand that dropped Krylov out cold.

    Dominick Reyes Wins Third Straight With Brutal Finish Of Nikita Krylov At UFC 314

    https://twitter.com/Haduuuucken/status/1911244166350127309

    As noted by the UFC commentary team, the punch looked similar to the knockout Conor McGregor had of Jose Aldo that won him the UFC featherweight title at UFC 194 in December 2015.

    Reyes has now won three straight after suffering a four-fight losing skid that included a pair of unsuccessful bids at the UFC light heavyweight championship (starting with a controversial decision loss to Jon Jones). Since his return from a year-and-a-half absence in June 2024, Reyes has scored finishes of Dustin Jacoby and Anthony Smith, in addition to tonight’s win.

    This was Krylov’s first fight since March 2023. Krylov had been on a three-fight win streak that saw him score victories over Alexander Gustafsson, Volkan Oezdemir and Ryan Spann.

  • Dan Ige Overcomes Opponent’s Huge Height Advantage To Secure Controversial Stoppage At UFC 314

    Dan Ige Overcomes Opponent’s Huge Height Advantage To Secure Controversial Stoppage At UFC 314

    The performance of Dan Ige in the featured prelim bout of UFC 314 cannot be denied, but his stoppage win over Sean Woodson left a bitter taste in the mouths of fans.

    Ige’s striking was on point, pressuring Woodson despite facing a significant disadvantage in height and reach. Though Woodson’s jabs get Ige at bay briefly, Ige turned up the heat in the second round, bringing increased power with his strikes and mixing things up with takedown attempts.

    Ige landed a crisp body shot during the third round that caught Woodson’s attention, hurting him, as Ige delivered a flurry of punches. Woodson looked for a takedown, and Ige rained punches down to his head. The referee intervened to stop the fight, though Woodson was in the midst of standing up — and he immediately protested as the crowd rained down boos.

    Dan Ige Looks Strong In UFC 314 Win But Performance Marred By Controversial Ref Stoppage

    This wasn’t the first controversial referee moment in the night, as Mike Beltran has come under fire for allowing Darren Elkins to take excessive unnecessary damage from Julian Erosa before a stoppage — and the decision to not take a point from Yan Xiaonan despite a fence grab (as much as it didn’t stop a Virna Jandiroba takedown).

    Ige snaps a two-fight losing skid with his victory, coming in off losses to Diego Lopes and Lerone Murphy. Ige’s most recent victory prior to tonight came against Andre Fili in February 2024.

    Woodson sees a seven-fight unbeaten streak (6-0-1) snapped at Ige’s (and the ref’s) hands tonight. Woodson’s victories in this stretch had included wins over Charles Jourdain and Alex Caceres.

  • Zhang Weili’s Potential Next Opponent Emerges As Top Contender Delivers Breakout Performance At UFC 314

    Zhang Weili’s Potential Next Opponent Emerges As Top Contender Delivers Breakout Performance At UFC 314

    Virna Jandiroba may very well be next in line to challenge UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang after she came away with a dominant unanimous decision win over former title challenger and No. 1-ranked contender Yan Xiaonan at UFC 314.

    Grappling was the key for Jandiroba in this one. Though her initial attempts to get the fight to the ground were denied, when she was able to, she was dominant and had significant top position time. What else was notable was how each round ended similaly — with Jandiroba threatening an armbar, and Xiaonan being saved by the horn.

    Virna Jandiroba Dominates Yan Xiaonan En Route To Decision Win At UFC 314; Is She Next For Strawweight Title Fight?

    Xiaonan looked to bring her striking on display, especially on the third round, but it was not enough. Jandiroba had been the clear aggressive fighter for nearly all of the fight, forcing Xiaonan on the defensive nearly all fight.

    All three judges scored the fight for Jandiroba 30-27.

    Jandiroba has now won five straight after a 3-3 start to her Octagon career.

    Xiaonan was coming off a win over Tabatha Ricci. She challenged Zhang for the strawweight title 364 days ago at UFC 300, losing a decision.

  • Middleweight Veteran Lands Quick Knockout At UFC 314 In First Fight Since Joining Surging Fighting Nerds Team

    Middleweight Veteran Lands Quick Knockout At UFC 314 In First Fight Since Joining Surging Fighting Nerds Team

    Michal Oleksiejczuk has been looking for a career resurgence, and if his UFC 314 performance will be anything to go by, he may have found it.

    In his first fight since joining the Fighting Nerds team, Oleksiejczuk scored a first-round finish of Sedriques Dumas in the featured bout of the early prelims. After dropping three straight, Oleksiejczuk had been looking to reform his style, namely his striking, and reached out to Caio Borralho, having taken an interest in the Fighting Nerds.

    That appeared to be on display in this fight, as the Polish fighter targeted the body throughout the short time of the fight. An overhand and elbow rocked Dumas, with a hook dropping him. Oleksiejczuk then followed it up with ground-and-pound until the referee stepped in.

    Michal Oleksiejczuk Scores TKO At UFC 314 In First Fight Since Camp Switch

    This marks Oleksiejczuk’s first victory since finishing Chidi Njoukani in August 2023. Since then, he had lost to Michel Pereira, Kevin Holland, and Shara Magomedov.

    Dumas, a 2022 alumnus of Dana White’s Contender Series, has now lost two of his last three. He had entered the UFC with a perfect 7-0 record and is now 3-3 in the Octagon.

  • Lerone Murphy Stays Undefeated With Decision Win Over Josh Emmett At UFC Vegas 105

    Lerone Murphy Stays Undefeated With Decision Win Over Josh Emmett At UFC Vegas 105

    Lerone Murphy will be looking for his next fight to make a statement toward featherweight contendership after defeating former interim title challenger Josh Emmett in the main event of UFC Vegas 105.

    The opening round proved to be a competitive one. Murphy looked to use leg kicks to take out Emmett’s power and connected with several notable shots. Emmett, however, did put his power on display, connecting hard on a few exchanges during the frame.

    Emmett then scored a massive slam early in the second round before nearly locking in a guillotine. Murphy escaped to the feet, but Emmett kept control, pinning the British fighter against the fence. Murphy escaped Emmett’s grasp with less than two minutes left in the round, looking to pressure and be the aggressor for the rest of the round, finding success with the upper hand in striking.

    Lerone Murphy Outworks Josh Emmett In Competitive Outing, Earns Decision

    The third round proved to be a toss-up, with Emmett looking for takedowns and Murphy continuing to work his combinations and leg kicks. After another back-and-forth striking battle in round four, round five saw Emmett seem to get the upper hand in terms of striking output. Murphy, however, landed a stunning shot on Emmett, and he ultimately took the decision on all three judges’ cards.

    This was Emmett’s first appearance in the Octagon since his knockout of Bryce Mitchell — one of the top knockouts of 2023 — at UFC 296. He’s lost three of his last four, beginning with a loss in an interim featherweight title fight against Yair Rodriguez.

    Murphy improves to 16-0-1, having won every fight since earning a draw in his UFC debut. Murphy’s last three wins have now come against notable names in Emmett, Dan Ige and Edson Barboza.

  • Brad Tavares Ties Middleweight Record With Win Over Gerald Meerschaert At UFC Vegas 105

    Brad Tavares Ties Middleweight Record With Win Over Gerald Meerschaert At UFC Vegas 105

    Brad Tavares is back in the win column once again with his decision over Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 105. And this win is just a little sweeter.

    This win, Tavares’ 16th in the UFC, ties UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping for the most Octagon victories at middleweight.

    Tavares was the aggressor during the opening round, as Meerschaert stayed on the back foot and looked to land counterstrikes while looking for a takedown. Meerschaert could not find a way inside during the opening round, however. Tavares landed well with his boxing, including some notable significant strikes in the bout’s final minute.

    Tavares continued to work with his striking to start the second, but Meerschaert was able to pin him against the fence about a minute in. Tavares quickly worked his way off the fence, and while Meerschaert had a better performance (including another pin against the fence), Tavares still got the better of him striking wise. This included a solid one-two that caught Meerschaert’s attention in the round’s final minute.

    Brad Tavares Ties Michael Bisping For Most UFC Middleweight Wins At UFC Vegas 105

    Meerschaert tried for a takedown during the final round, and Meerschaert was able to grab a hold of him and control him with the two standing. Meerschaert attempted to break Tavares’s balance, but Tavares fought back, with referee Mike Beltran forcing a break with about a minute left in the fight.

    All three judges gave the fight 29-28 to Tavares.

    This marked just Tavares’ second win in his most recent six fights, bouncing back from losses against Gregory Rodrigues and Park Jun-yong last year. Tavares’ only other win in this span came against Chris Weidman at UFC 292.

    This is Meerschaert’s second straight loss, getting submitted by Reiner de Ridder in his UFC debut back in November.

  • Watch Ode’ Osbourne Flatten Luis Gurule At UFC Vegas 105 To Snap Losing Skid

    Watch Ode’ Osbourne Flatten Luis Gurule At UFC Vegas 105 To Snap Losing Skid

    For the first time in two years, Ode’ Osbourne gets his hand raised in the Octagon, defeating Luis Gurule as part of the main card for UFC Vegas 105.

    Osbourne came out aggressive in the opening round, focusing on his kicks and combination. Gurule scored a takedown during the round and briefly had top control, but Osbourne quickly got back to his feet. Osborne’s striking proved to be key, which led to the result it did in the second.

    Osbourne, after landing a boxing combination, caught Gurule coming in, landing a cross that dropped him. Osbourne landed some follow-up shots before the referee stepped in, awarding Osbourne a second-round TKO.

    Ode Osbourne KOs Luis Gurule For First Win In Two Years At UFC Vegas 105

    This marked Osbourne’s first victory in the UFC since defeating Charles Johnson in February 2023. Since then, Osbourne had lost three straight against Asu Almabayev, Jafel Filho and Ronaldo Rodriguez.

    This fight also marked Gurule’s UFC debut, following a split decision win over Nick Piccininni on Dana White’s Contender Series this past October.

  • ‘Dana White Was Right’ – Fans Rip UFC Vegas 105 Debut Of Torrez Finney, Fighter UFC CEO Predicted Would Get ‘Decimated’

    ‘Dana White Was Right’ – Fans Rip UFC Vegas 105 Debut Of Torrez Finney, Fighter UFC CEO Predicted Would Get ‘Decimated’

    The debut of Torrez Finney at UFC Vegas 105 proved to be a disaster in more ways than one. Though he scored a decision win, Finney’s performance came under fire — as did one judge’s scorecard.

    After a bit of sizing each other up, Finney went right in for a takedown. He managed to lift Valentin up and bring him down, but Valentin was up almost right away. In spite of Valentin’s defenses, Finney took him down again and got to his back — even when the fight returned to the feet. Finney scored another pair of takedowns before the end of round one.

    Finney got back to the takedown right away as the fight entered round two. Valentin threw up his legs and attempted a triangle but was unable to get it. Finney seemed to trouble Valentin with a slam halfway through the second, but he didn’t do much to warrant any notable damage. Valentin got back to his feet in the round’s final minute and sought a kimura but couldn’t get anything going.

    Finney continued to press for the takedown in the third round, and while he controlled most of the round, he did little to no damage during those five minutes.

    Finney still took the judges’ decision. Judge Tony Weeks, a veteran judge – albeit one who has judged a lot more boxing than MMA – gave all three rounds to Valentin despite the The Ultimate Fighter alumnus being dominated with wrestling. The other two judges gave Finney the fight 29-28.

    Torrez Finney Underwhelms In Debut, Ends In Baffling Split Decision Victory At UFC Vegas 105

    https://twitter.com/dillondanis/status/1908694305855648177
    https://twitter.com/ElonovMMA/status/1908694488203354249

    Finney made three appearances on Dana White’s Contender Series. His first appearance in 2023 — a submission win over Yuri Panferov — saw the UFC CEO blast his performance, claiming he wouldn’t last in the UFC. Finney finally earned a contract after a decision win over Cam Rowston and a first-round finish of Abdellah Er-Ramy on the show.

    Valentin competed on season 32 of The Ultimate Fighter and finished as the middleweight runner-up, defeating Giannis Bachar and Paddy McCorry on the show before losing in the final to Ryan Loder.

  • Fans React To Daniel Frunza’s Busted Eye And Lip, Giving Rhys McKee First UFC Win At UFC Vegas 105

    Fans React To Daniel Frunza’s Busted Eye And Lip, Giving Rhys McKee First UFC Win At UFC Vegas 105

    The fourth time proves to be the charm for Rhys McKee.

    Coming into UFC Vegas 105 as an underdog following two losses in the Octagon, Rhys McKee finally scores his first UFC victory, defeating Daniel Frunza.

    While Frunza opened up with heavy crosses, it didn’t take long for McKee to find his rhythm. He quickly dropped Frunza in the first minute with a right hand, going on to drop Frunza four times in a five-minute span. McKee’s perfectly timed counters and combinations helped him dominate the first round, putting a beating on Frunza.

    The beating was so bad, in fact, that a notable bloody cut could be seen around one of Frunza’s eyes, leaving it a mess. It wasn’t until the round’s end that it was noticed that Frunza also had a split lip.

    Frunza showed heart and survived the round; however, the cageside physician quickly called off the fight in the corner.

    Rhys McKee Batters Daniel Frunza To Doctor’s Stoppage TKO Win At UFC Vegas 105

    https://twitter.com/jxkewillixms/status/1908675807557394680
    https://twitter.com/4mochajones/status/1908675567299551712

    McKee, the former Cage Warriors welterweight champion, was defeated by Khamzat Chimaev, Ange Loosa, and Chidi Njokuani prior to tonight’s performance.

    This marked Frunza’s first fight since defeating Vadym Kutsyi on Dana White’s Contender Series in September.

  • Watch Oktagon Fighters Brawl Outside The Cage After Winner’s Controversial Post-Submission Act

    Watch Oktagon Fighters Brawl Outside The Cage After Winner’s Controversial Post-Submission Act

    A fighter’s actions in the immediate aftermath of his victory resulted in fists being thrown outside of the cage.

    Max Holzer and Deniz Ilbay faced off in the main event of Oktagon 69 in Dortmund, Germany — a battle of noteworthy European featherweight prospects.

    The finish of the fight saw Holzer lock up a rear-naked choke in the fourth round of the bout, scoring a tapout. But immediately after the successful submission, Holzer planted a kiss on Ilbay’s head before performing a sexually-implicit taunt against Ilbay.

    Post-Fight Brawl At Okaton 69 Following Winner’s Taunt

    Ilbay got up and chased after Holzer, with the two of them falling out of the cage as Ilbay threw a punch. Officials attempted to separate the two from there.

    Oktagon has not released a statement on the incident as of press time.

    Holzer now moves to 11-0, with his submission of Ilbay being his seventh victory via a tapout.

    Ilbay, who is also a 22-3 pro boxer, sees a three-fight win streak in MMA snapped with this loss. This brings his professional MMA record to 8-2.

  • ‘Pantoja Schools Both Again’ – Fans React As Brandon Moreno Outpoints Steve Erceg In UFC Mexico Main Event

    ‘Pantoja Schools Both Again’ – Fans React As Brandon Moreno Outpoints Steve Erceg In UFC Mexico Main Event

    Former two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno had a successful homecoming, scoring a unanimous decision win over ex-title challenger Steve Erceg in the main event of UFC Mexico.

    Moreno and Erceg felt each other out to start before the two picked up their striking pressure. The Mexican favorite landed a strong combination that forced his Australian conterpart back, testing his chin. Erceg landed decent leg kicks, but Moreno showed more power in his strikes and continuously was able to land the right hand.

    “The Assassin Baby” continued to work combinations between Erceg’s body and head as the second round began. “AstroBoy,” however, seemed to answer back by turning up his volume, trying to match Moreno’s pressure for a back-and-forth round that could have fallen either way.

    The third round was the quietest at this point, but Erceg was able to utilize his boxing and seemed to take control during the course of the round. Moreno re-started his pressure in the fourth round, however, and took over in the championship rounds, even scoring a takedown right before the final horn.

    All three judges ultimately scored the fight in favor of Brandon Moreno.

    Brandon Moreno has now won back-to-back fights, bouncing back from consecutive split-decision losses against Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval. This fight was his first UFC victory in Mexico.

    Steve Erceg, on the other hand, has now lost three straight, going back to his unsuccessful challenge of flyweight champion Pantoja last year at UFC 301.

  • ‘Waiting For The Autopsy’ – Referee Slammed As Drew Dober Eats 15 Unanswered Shots In TKO Loss At UFC Mexico

    ‘Waiting For The Autopsy’ – Referee Slammed As Drew Dober Eats 15 Unanswered Shots In TKO Loss At UFC Mexico

    In perhaps the biggest fight of his career to date, competing in a co-main event slot in front of his compatriots, Manuel Torres came out on top at UFC Mexico. He needed just one round to dispose of formerly ranked lightweight contender Drew Dober.

    Less than two minutes into the fight, Torres landed a jab before following up with a right hand that floored Dober. The Mexican then followed it up with heavy ground-and-pound.

    Referee Mike Beltran allowed the fight to continue on despite the cries from the commentary team that the fight was over. The veteran official finally stepped in after 15 unanswered shots.

    Dober, holding onto Torres’ leg, stood up believing the fight was still going. The American was left bewildered by Beltran’s decision, while others criticized the referee for jumping in too late after Dober was already out of it.

    https://twitter.com/full_send_mma/status/1906152214235885798

    Torres has won four of five since arriving to the UFC from his 2021 appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series. He bounces back from a loss against Ignacio Bahamondes.

    Dober, meanwhile, has now lost three of his last four following UFC Mexico.

  • ‘Almost No Chiwiwis’ – Fans React As Raul Rosas Jr. Survives Tight Submissions To Earn UFC Mexico Win

    ‘Almost No Chiwiwis’ – Fans React As Raul Rosas Jr. Survives Tight Submissions To Earn UFC Mexico Win

    Raul Rosas Jr. had to survive a number of submission attempts but ended up scoring a unanimous decision win over Vince Morales at UFC Mexico.

    Rosas started the fight by targeting the midsection before landing a flurry of punches near the fence. This allowed the 20-year-old to scoop Morales up and score a takedown, landing in side control. “Vandetta,” however, did a fair job in being able to work his way from the bottom before getting on top in the round’s final minute, looking for chokes more than once along the way. Morales even looked to have one locked up before Rosas was saved by the bell.

    The two had plenty of striking exchanges on the ground in the second round. The story of that five-minute frame, however, was Rosas holding about three minutes of control. The fight quickly went to the ground in the third, and Morales nearly locked up a Peruvian Necktie again before transitioning into a D’Arce choke.

    Rosas was able to work his way out, however, and got on top, eventually working his way to Morales’ back. Despite being the one on the bottom, Morales was able to lock up another Peruvian Necktie before the final bell, with Rosas surviving.

    Raul Rosas Jr. took the win with 29-28 totals on all three judges’ scorecards.

    Raul Rosas Jr. has won four straight and is 5-1 in the UFC since his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series as a 17-year-old in 2022.

    Vince Morales, meanwhile, is now 0-3 in the UFC.

  • Cameroonian Fighter Dubbed The ‘Middleweight Ngannou’ Impresses Fans With Emphatic UFC Mexico Debut

    Cameroonian Fighter Dubbed The ‘Middleweight Ngannou’ Impresses Fans With Emphatic UFC Mexico Debut

    Known as “The Silent Assassin,” and dubbed the “middleweight Francis Ngannou,” Ateba Gautier seemed to impress in his official UFC debut, dropping and finishing Jose Medina in the featured preliminary bout at UFC Mexico.

    Gautier showed his punching power almost right away, getting the better hand in exchanges with Medina. The Cameroonian prospect landed a strong kick and follow-up strikes, but Medina ate them all and grinned. The Bolivian tried to fire back with his own power, but Gautier turned up the pressure.

    “The Silent Assassin” finished things in the first round by landing a flurry of shots before dropping Medina with a solid knee.

    Gautier earned a UFC contract this past fall on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he scored a victory over Yura Naito.

    Medina, meanwhile, is now 0-2 in the Octagon after UFC Mexico. He also lost to Zach Reese in August following a defeat in his own 2023 appearance on DWCS.

  • Watch UFC Fighter’s Cornermen Square Up Moments After KO Win At UFC Mexico

    Watch UFC Fighter’s Cornermen Square Up Moments After KO Win At UFC Mexico

    Jamall Emmers got the win in his outing at UFC Mexico, but it looked as if his own corner was going to have another fight not long after.

    Emmers, who was taking on Gabriel Miranda as part of the UFC Mexico preliminary card, found himself in a bit of trouble early on. The two traded furiously, but Miranda was able to score a takedown and looked to grab a rear-naked choke. Upon escape from Miranda’s clutches, however, the American was able to rock and drop him with an overhand right.

    Emmers let him back to the feet, but he wobbled the Brazilian again with an elbow before a brutal knee and a hard right hand that sent Miranda crumbling to the canvas, giving Emmers a first-round knockout.

    Cameras noticed after the knockout, however, that two of Emmers’ cornermen appeared to get into a verbal altercation with one another. It’s unclear what caused the little skirmish between the two during their fighters’ victorious moment.

    Emmers has gone 4-4 in the UFC, consistently trading wins and losses during his tenure, not chaining together victories or defeats.

    Miranda, meanwhile, has now lost three of four since his 2022 UFC debut.

  • ‘Heartbroken’ Joe Pyfer Issues Statement After Last-Second UFC Mexico Withdrawal

    ‘Heartbroken’ Joe Pyfer Issues Statement After Last-Second UFC Mexico Withdrawal

    Joe Pyfer has opened up after news came out that he has withdrawn from an anticipated showdown with Kelvin Gastelum just hours before the start of UFC Mexico.

    Not long after a video interview was released where Pyfer talked about being in excellent shape for the fight, the UFC announced that the middleweight prospect had fallen ill and would not be competing.

    “My heart is broken,” Pyfer said in a statement released on his Instagram Story. “I couldn’t fight today. I got super sick, and hopefully we can reschedule this fight for a few weeks from now.

    “Unfortunately comes with the territory of traveling outside the States. Never again. My apologies, guys.”

    Pyfer, a Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus, was coming into this fight off an 85-second knockout of Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303 last July. The bonus-earning performance came after Pyfer suffered his first Octagon defeat — a decision loss to Jack Hermansson that snapped a five-fight win streak that stretched to just before his second DWCS appearance.

    Gastelum was set to come into this fight off a decision win over Daniel Rodriguez in a middleweight bout in Saudi Arabia last June. He has won two of his last three. However, he is just 3-6 stretching back to his legendary UFC 236 battle with Israel Adesanya over the interim middleweight championship.

  • Watch Yoel Romero Score Last-Minute Dirty Boxing KO Of Ras Hylton

    Watch Yoel Romero Score Last-Minute Dirty Boxing KO Of Ras Hylton

    Though it took until the legitimate last minute, Yoel Romero was able to get a finish before the bell, defeating Ras Hylton in the main event of Dirty Boxing 1 in Miami.

    Romero circled around the ring to start things, getting a feel for Hylton, while the tall fighter looked to step and reach to land early jabs. The former UFC title challenger finally started to get things going in the final minute, landing an overhand left.

    The action seemed to slowly pick up to start the second, with Hylton trying to press forward. Romero worked his jab, however, but trying to be patient and moving in and away from Hylton’s range. The Cuban’s pacing picked up but still was not enough to do much damage.

    Romero and Hylton picked things up in the final round, with the former even landing a knockdown in the first minute — though he elected to let Hylton up than go for ground-and-pound.

    With less than a minute to go in the fight, “Soldier of God” landed a body shot and followed it up with a flurry that dropped Hylton. The referee waved the fight off there, giving Romero the win.

    Yoel Romero KOs Ras Hylton At Dirty Boxing 1

    Romero, a former UFC middleweight title challenger, spent about seven years with the promotion before joining Bellator in 2021. He fought four fights for the promotion, including an unsuccessful challenge of the Bellator light heavyweight title, before it was purchased by PFL. In Romero’s most recent MMA fight, he defeated Thiago Santos at the PFL vs. Bellator show in Saudi Arabia last year.

    Romero made his Dirty Boxing debut at the premier event in November, knocking out Duane Crespo. He’s since been drafted as part of the Global Fight League and is expecting to debut against Gegard Mousasi on June 22 in New York.

    Hylton, a veteran of Bellator, PFL, and Cage Titans, last fought in a loss against Jahshua Marsh at Cage Titans 61 in September 2023.

  • Watch Sean Brady Submit Leon Edwards In UFC London Main Event

    Watch Sean Brady Submit Leon Edwards In UFC London Main Event

    Sean Brady may have made his case for a welterweight title shot — or at worse, be one step away from a title shot — after finishing former champion Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC London.

    Edwards appeared to get to a head start after the first round. He defended Brady’s takedown attempts more than once and focused on attacking the body in the meantime. The American, to his credit, landed a solid flurry during the round and scored a late takedown.

    Brady caught the former champion by surprise and scored a takedown mere seconds into the second frame. The wrestling specialist had complete control for a while, and when Edwards looked to break out, Brady looked for a guillotine.

    From side control, the Philadelphia standout then looked for a kimura. Brady managed to work his way into full mount and to the back of Edwards, landing ground-and-pound against the Brit’s movement and defenses.

    Sean Brady Submits Leon Edwards In UFC London Main Event

    Brady pressed forward at the start of the third round. Edwards went for a takedown of his own and got caught, with his opponent threatening a choke for several seconds. Brady got back into full mount, eventually landing several head shots that cut open the former champion. Brady continued to dominate with top control, overwhelming and controlling a tiring Edwards.

    The fight found its way back to the ground in the fourth, where Brady was able to quickly lock up a guillotine choke and score a submission.

    Sean Brady has now won three straight, with the sole loss in his professional MMA career coming against the current welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad.

    This loss marked Leon Edwards’ first fight since losing the welterweight title to Muhammad at UFC 304 last July.

  • ‘Is Somebody Going To Actually Fight?’ – Jamahal Hill Unimpressed As Ulberg Decisions Blachowicz At UFC London

    ‘Is Somebody Going To Actually Fight?’ – Jamahal Hill Unimpressed As Ulberg Decisions Blachowicz At UFC London

    Carlos Ulberg may have now set himself up for a battle of prominent light heavyweight contenders in his next fight after defeating former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in the co-main event of UFC London.

    But while the fight could have fallen either way, the feeling is that both men could have done more to put on a better performance.

    This opinion is evidently held by former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill, who posted his discontent over how the bout unfolded on social media.

    “Is somebody going to actually fight smh”

    Both men brought out a closely contested opening round, with the two spending time feeling each other out.

    Blachowicz seemed to do more damage, however, thanks to working Ulberg over with a number of calf kicks, in addition to jabs. “Black Jag” did try to fight fire with fire, throwing his own low kicks.

    Carlos Ulberg Edges Out Jan Blachowicz In UFC London Co-Main Event

    The leg kick battle continued into the second round, with Ulberg landing more in terms of quantity, but Blachowicz landing with a little more power behind his attacks, though also slowing down a bit.

    The third round continued the trend, with the Kiwi landing better quality strikes but the Polish veteran spending more time on the front foot. Ultimately, all three judges scored the fight for Ulberg, 29-28.

    Ulberg has now won eight straight, with four finishes during this streak. His sole UFC loss came against Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC 259.

    Meanwhile, UFC London marked Blachowicz’s first fight since losing to Alex Pereira at UFC 291 in July 2023, having dealt with injuries since. The former champion is 1-3-1 in his last five, which stretches back to his title fight loss to Glover Teixiera at UFC 267.

  • Watch Kevin Holland Drop Gunnar Nelson En Route To Decision Win At UFC London

    Watch Kevin Holland Drop Gunnar Nelson En Route To Decision Win At UFC London

    Kevin Holland dropped back down to welterweight and now finds himself back in the win column after defeating Gunnar Nelson at UFC London.

    Holland looked to utilize his striking to take control early before being taken down. He remained active while on the ground, including a funny scene of him holding onto Nelson’s arm when the Icelandic veteran lifted him up.

    The American nearly scored a victory at the end of the round, dropping Nelson and just barely missing out on a ground-and-pound finish.

    Holland continued to show a strong stand-up game, stuffing multiple takedowns and landing several hard-hitting blows. Any Nelson takedown saw the “Trailblazer” quickly shake off.

    Kevin Holland Scores Decision Win Over Gunnar Nelson At UFC London

    “Gunni” seemed to get a strong start to round three by not only taking Holland down early, but also getting into mount. Holland eventually managed to reverse the position and then made the most of his striking, leading to 29-28s across all three scorecards.

    Kevin Holland entered tonight with four losses in his last five fights, featuring outings at both 170 and 185 pounds. His sole win in that span came in a submission against Michał Oleksiejczuk at UFC 302.

    Meanwhile, this was Nelson’s first fight since submitting Bryan Barberena at UFC 286. He entered tonight off back-to-back wins having also beaten Takashi Soto.

  • Molly McCann Retires After Getting Steamrolled by Debutant At UFC London

    Molly McCann Retires After Getting Steamrolled by Debutant At UFC London

    With less than a week’s notice, Alexia Thainara managed to make her way into UFC London and score a quick victory over Molly McCann, sending the veteran into retirement in the process.

    The fight quickly went to the ground, where McCann tried to do damage with elbows and lock up a submission. Thainara, however, was able to reverse the position and take control of the fight from there.

    The Brazilian newcomer got to “Meatball’s” back and locked up a deep choke. McCann was able to escape once, but upon Thainara re-locking up her neck, quickly tapped out.

    McCann then laid her gloves in the Octagon, stating she had no desire to continue to enter the Octagon just for paychecks without victories — though still feeling fulfilled of living out a dream career.

    Fans React As Molly McCann Retires Following Loss To Short-Notice UFC Debuting Alexia Thainara

    https://twitter.com/ibzsmo3k/status/1903562173684625478

    Thainara, who now moves to 12-1 in her professional MMA career, scored a unanimous decision over Rose Conceição on Dana White’s Contender Series last September.

    The Liverpudlian, meanwhile, ends her career with losses in four of her last five. Her sole win in that stretch came at strawweight in a battle against Diana Belbiţă.

    McCann, who made her pro debut in 2015, went 7-1 before being signed by the UFC. She made her UFC debut in May 2018, losing to Gillian Robertson. She then won six of her next eight fights and gained a surge of popularity through not just her victories, but also her connection to training partner Paddy Pimblett.

  • Dustin Poirier Reacts As Teammate ‘Jumps The Gilly’ To Land UFC London Submission Win

    Dustin Poirier Reacts As Teammate ‘Jumps The Gilly’ To Land UFC London Submission Win

    Jumping the gilly worked for one of Dustin Poirier’s teammates, Chris Duncan, as he scored a submission victory with the hold against Jordan Vucenic at UFC London.

    Duncan’s power and grappling led him to success in this one, starting from a right cross that dropped Vucenic during the opening frame. Vucenic survived the Scotsman’s attempts at a finish, but Duncan made him eat several powerful elbows, as well as a slam.

    The American Top Team-trained fighterlanded a takedown early in the second and got back to business despite Vucenic’s attempts to fight from the bottom. The Englishman himself tried for a guillotine choke, but Duncan was able to fight out of it.

    Chris Duncan Jumps The Gilly, Scores Victory At UFC London

    Despite Vucenic trying to start a rally with his strikes, Duncan jumped for the guillotine choke and succeeded, scoring the tapout victory at UFC London.

    The result quickly drew a reaction from Poirier, whose penchant for jumping for guillotine chokes made him an immediate point of note as one of Duncan’s ATT teammates.

    Duncan, who earned a UFC contract off a quick victory on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022, is now 4-1 in the Octagon.

    Despite a strong run of success in cage warriors, meanwhile, “The Epidemic” now falls to 0-2 in the UFC. He made his Octagon debut in a loss to Guram Kutateladze last year.