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Tag: UFC Seattle

  • Israel Adesanya Shuts Down Retirement Talk After Brutal TKO Loss To Joe Pyfer At UFC Seattle – ‘I’ll Always Remain Undefeated’

    Israel Adesanya Shuts Down Retirement Talk After Brutal TKO Loss To Joe Pyfer At UFC Seattle – ‘I’ll Always Remain Undefeated’

    Israel Adesanya has firmly brushed aside any retirement speculation after suffering another emphatic stoppage defeat.

    Last Saturday, Adesanya returned from a year-long layoff to headline UFC Seattle against No. 14-ranked Joe Pyfer at Climate Pledge Arena in Washington.

    While “The Last Stylebender” showed flashes of sharpness early on, Pyfer’s relentless pressure gradually took over, leading to a TKO loss in the second round.

    The loss extends Adesanya’s skid to four straight defeats, with his last three coming by way of stoppage, including setbacks to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia in February 2025 and Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 in August 2024. Despite the rough run, the former middleweight champion remains in good spirits and has no intention of stepping away from the sport.

    Israel Adesanya’s Response to Retirement Questions

    During his Octagon interview with Daniel Cormier at UFC Seattle, Israel Adesanya was pressed on the possibility of retirement amid the most challenging stretch of his career.

    The Nigerian-born Kiwi swiftly brushed aside the notion, exuding confidence as he vowed to keep pushing forward and emerge stronger from adversity.

    “You keep going. Again, and again, and again, and again, and again,” Adesanya said. “I’m not f*king leaving. You’ll never stop me. I might get beat, but I’ll always remain undefeated.”

    Adesanya, once the architect of a nine-fight winning streak and a two-time UFC middleweight titleholder, with notable victories over Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, and Marvin Vettori, now finds himself 1-5 in his last six Octagon outings.

    The 36-year-old carries a professional record of 24-6, including a 13-6 run inside the UFC.

  • Joe Pyfer Takes Down, Finishes Israel Adesanya At UFC Seattle

    Joe Pyfer may have elevated himself into the UFC middleweight title picture, scoring the biggest win of his career by defeating former champion Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC Seattle.

    Pyfer appeared to get off to a head start, scoring a body lock on Adesanya, and holding him for a little bit, before landing a quick combination that snapped Adesanya’s head back. The two traded hard shots, with Adesanya landing a knee and Pyfer landing a hook and a takedown late in the round.

    Adesanya did a strong job with leg kicks, but Pyfer continued to pursue the takedowns, locking up Adesanya a couple of times. The two traded with bad intentions, and Pyfer appeared to trouble Adesanya near the fence before scoring a takedown.

    Pyfer managed to get into mount and locked Adesanya up in a body triangle, searching for a choke. While he didn’t get that, Pyfer was able to flatten Adesanya out and land ground-and-pound for the TKO win.

    Joe Pyfer Finishes Israel Adesanya At UFC Seattle

    Pyfer has now won four straight and is 7-1 in the UFC since famously earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.

    Adesanya has now lost four straight and five of his last six since dropping the middleweight title to Alex Pereira at UFC 281, getting finished in three of these bouts.

  • Alexa Grasso Puts Out Maycee Barber With KO Of The Year Nominee

    Alexa Grasso Puts Out Maycee Barber With KO Of The Year Nominee

    There were plenty of people placing doubt on Alexa Grasso in her UFC Seattle co-main event against Maycee Barber; however, Grasso put those doubts, and her opponent, to bed.

    With one single strike, Grasso had one of the most brutal knockouts in women’s MMA, scoring a first-round finish.

    The two traded for the first couple of minutes, attempting to find each others range while exchanging kicks. The two appeared to be even, as Barber tried to press the pace, but Grasso was more than ready to battle back.

    Then, Grasso flashed a right hand, only to crack Barber with a left. Barber was out from the second the punch landed, even as Grasso took the back and looked for a choke.

    Alexa Grasso Scores Scary KO Of Maycee Barber At UFC Seattle

    https://twitter.com/JFlashGordonMMA/status/2038075602989625459?s=20

    This was a rematch from UFC 258, which saw Grasso score a decision win over Barber.

    This was Grasso’s first win since upsetting Valentina Shevchenko for the UFC women’s flyweight title at UFC 285. Grasso entered this fight off a loss to Natalia Silva at UFC 315.

    Barber had won seven straight before tonight’s loss.

  • Michael Chiesa Ends Career With Quick Submission Win

    Michael Chiesa Ends Career With Quick Submission Win

    The professional MMA career of Michael Chiesa ended in front of family and friends in Seattle, needing just over a minute to score a submission win and end his career victoriously.

    Price attempted to get the upper hand early, scoring a takedown on Chiesa in the opening minute. Chiesa, however, managed to reverse things and got to Price’s back quickly.

    After a little struggle, Chiesa locked up a rear-naked choke and scored the tap in just 62 seconds.

    Michael Chiesa Retires After Submitting Niko Price In Hometown At UFC Seattle

    Chiesa has stepped in the Octagon from time to time while being a color commentator and studio analyst for UFC broadcasts. He ends his career on a four-fight win streak.

    Price, who took this fight on short notice, also retired following this fight. He lost four straight and six of his last seven.

  • Lerryan Douglas Lands Big KO Of Julian Erosa In UFC Debut

    Lerryan Douglas racked up finishes while working his way up to the UFC, and his UFC debut went in a similar fashion, quickly putting away Julian Erosa at UFC Seattle.

    Douglas landed some brutal shots early, putting his power on display right away. The hearty Erosa, however, looked to fight fire with fire. Doulgas was quicker with his strikes, however, and was able to avoid most of the damage Erosa was trying to bring.

    Erosa was dropped more than once during the first round, and Douglas dropped him a couple of times near the fence, ending things with a dramatic and emphatic left hook, to score the KO.

    Lerryan Douglas Scores Brutal Finish Of Julian Erosa At UFC Seattle

    Douglas has now won six straight. This marked the UFC debut of Douglas, the former LFA champion, after a quick finish of Cam Teague on Dana White’s Contender Series.

    Erosa has now lost two straight and is 3-3 in his last six.

  • Terrance McKinney Quickly Puts Away Kyle Nelson

    Terrance McKinney loves to get his matchups over in fast fashion, and that happened in the first main card fight of UFC Seattle, needing just 24 seconds to defeat Kyle Nelson.

    Right away, McKinney pressured Nelson, bringing him to the fence. A high kick dropped Nelson, and McKinney swarmed him with a series of shots on the ground until referee Herb Dean ended the fight.

    Terrance McKinney Needs Just 24 Seconds To Defeat Kyle Nelson At UFC Seattle

    This marked McKinney’s seventh first-round finish in the UFC.

    McKinney has now won three of his last four fights. He entered tonight off a competitive loss to Chris Duncan at UFC 323.

    Nelson has now lost two of three, but he is still 4-2 in his last six. He entered tonight off a win over Matt Frevola at UFC Vancouver.

  • Lance Gibson Jr. Brutally Finishes Chase Hooper at UFC Seattle

    Lance Gibson Jr. Brutally Finishes Chase Hooper at UFC Seattle

    After being unable to find success in his UFC debut, the second go-around pays off dividends for Lance Gibson Jr., as he scored a first-round finish of Chase Hooper during the UFC Seattle prelims.

    Gibson had the upper hand early on Hooper, overwhelming the once top UFC prospect with his own grappling. But it was Gibson’s striking that helped to give him the win.

    In the midst of a clinch, a left hand from Gibson wobbled Hooper back. Gibson landed a pair of high kicks before landing a pair of knees that dropped Hooper, prompting the ref to wave off the action.

    Lance Gibson Jr. Knees His Way To Historic Win Over Chase Hooper At UFC Seattle

    With the win, Gibson and his father, Lance Gibson Sr., becomes the first father-son pair to each compete and hold at least one win in the UFC Octagon.

    Gibson Jr. made his UFC debut in December at UFC Vegas 112, losing to King Green.

    Hooper has now dropped a pair of fights after a three-fight win streak.

  • Casey O’Neill Stops Gabriella Fernandes In 3 Minutes

    Casey O’Neill scored her first finish in just under five years at UFC Seattle, needing just over three minutes to put away Gabriella Fernandes in their prelim bout.

    O’Neill came out aggressive from the get-go, bringing her offense in early. Fernandes looked for big shots herself as well, including a head kick that she landed, but she frequently struggled with range, as O’Neill worked distance well.

    A right hand wobbled Fernandes, and O’Neill swarmed her with striking flurries en route to scoring a TKO.

    Casey O’Neill Earns First Finish Since 2021 At UFC Seattle

    O’Neill has now won back-to-back fights after a pair of losses spoiled an undefeated run for her. This marked O’Neill’s first fight since scoring a decision over Luana Santos at UFC 305.

    This marked the first time Fernandes has been finished in her professional MMA career. Fernandes sees a three-fight win streak snapped tonight.

  • “Yanez Won That First Round” – Yanez vs. Simon Ends In Draw

    “Yanez Won That First Round” – Yanez vs. Simon Ends In Draw

    Adrian Yanez looked to be seconds away from scoring a TKO victory over Ricky Simon; however, the time ran out, and the UFC Seattle prelim bout was ultimately ruled a majority draw.

    Yanez seemed to be in control for most of the fight, working with sharp boxing and landing the quicker, more effective shots on Simon. Simon would find his own success, however, especially with takedowns and power punches landed in round two.

    Yanez had strong defensive work, and that helped him avoid more damage from Simon. And then, in a heavy-hitting round three, Yanez opened up a cut on Simon. Then, a series of right hands in the closing seconds could have helped Yanez score the finish.

    Simon, however, managed to survive and even take a 29-28 total on one scorecard. The other two judges, however, ruled a 10-8 round for Yanez in round three, bringing their totals to 28-28 for a controversial draw.

    Adrian Yanez Nearly Scores Finish, Ends Up With Controversial Draw Vs. Ricky Simon At UFC Seattle

    Simon entered this fight with four losses in his previous six fights. Prior to tonight, he had most recently fought at UFC Vegas 111 in November, losing to Raoni Barcelos.

    Yanez was at one point on a nine-fight win streak; however, he entered this fight with three losses in his previous four. This marked Yanez’s first fight since dropping a split decision to Daniel Marcos at UFC Tampa in December 2024.

  • UFC Seattle Results: Adesanya vs Pyfer Live Updates & Highlights

    UFC Seattle Results: Adesanya vs Pyfer Live Updates & Highlights

    UFC Seattle results and highlights are updated live as the action unfolds from the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. The main event will feature a middleweight bout between Israel Adesanya and Joe Pyfer. MMANews has you covered with all the results and highlights!

    Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer – Middleweight Main Event

    Adesanya, the former two-time UFC middleweight champion, is competing for the first time since getting finished by Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia last year. It was the second time Adesanya has been finished in MMA — and the first time he was knocked out before the fifth round.

    Adesanya, once undefeated in the sport, has lost four of five since dropping the middleweight title to Alex Pereira at UFC 281. Though Adesanya regained it at UFC 287, he dropped the title in upset fashion to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 and failed to regain it against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305.

    Pyfer has won three straight and eight of his last nine. He is 6-1 in the Octagon since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. He enters this fight off a submission of Abus Magomedov at UFC 320.

    The co-main event will also feature a former champion, as former women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso takes on Maycee Barber. This is a rematch from UFC 258 in 2021, a fight that saw Grasso take a decision over Barber.

    Grasso enters this fight off a loss to Natalia Silva at UFC 315 last year. It was Grasso’s first fight since her championship trilogy with Valentina Shevchenko. Barber, meanwhile, has won seven straight since the loss, most recently being a decision over Karine Silva at UFC 323.

    If you can’t watch the action, check here for all the latest results and highlights from UFC Seattle!

    How to Watch UFC Seattle

    • Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026
    • Venue: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington
    • Streaming: Paramount+ (exclusive)
    • Prelims: 5 PM ET / 2 PM PT
    • Main Card: 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT

    UFC Seattle Quick Results

    • Main Event: Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer — Joe Pyfer def. Israel Adesanya via TKO (Rd. 2, 4:18)
    • Co-Main Event: Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber — Alexa Grasso def. Maycee Barber via KO (Rd. 1, 2:42)
    • Michael Chiesa vs. Niko Price — Michael Chiesa def. Niko Price via submission (rear-naked choke) (Rd. 1, 1:03)
    • Julian Erosa vs. Lerryan Douglas — Lerryan Douglas def. Julian Erosa via KO (Rd. 1, 3:33)
    • Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Yousri Belgaroui — Yousri Belgaroui def. Mansur Abdul-Malik via TKO (Rd. 3, 3:39)
    • Terrance McKinney vs. Kyle Nelson — Terrance McKinney def. Kyle Nelson via KO (Rd. 1, 0:24)

    UFC Seattle Results & Highlights

    Preliminary Card (Paramount+, 5 PM ET)

    Women’s Strawweight: Alexia Thainara vs. Bruna Brasil

    Result: Alexia Thainara def. Bruna Brasil via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

    Bantamweight: Ricky Simon vs. Adrian Yanez

    Result: Ricky Simon def. Adrian Yanez via majority draw (29-28, 28-28 x2)

    Light Heavyweight: Navajo Stirling vs. Bruno Lopes

    Result: Navajo Stirling def. Bruno Lopes via TKO (Rd. 2, 4:05)

    Women’s Flyweight: Casey O’Neill vs. Gabriella Fernandes

    Result: Casey O’Neill def. Gabriella Fernandes via TKO (Rd. 1, 3:11)

    Heavyweight: Marcin Tybura vs. Tyrell Fortune

    Result: Tyrell Fortune def. Marcin Tybura via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)

    Lightweight: Chase Hooper vs. Lance Gibson Jr.

    Result: Lance Gibson Jr. def. Chase Hooper via TKO (Rd. 1, 2:56)

    Lightweight: Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Tofiq Musayev

    Result: Tofiq Musayev def. Ignacio Bahamondes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 30-27)

    Main Card (Paramount+, 8 PM ET)

    Lightweight: Terrance McKinney vs. Kyle Nelson

    Result: Terrance McKinney def. Kyle Nelson via KO (Rd. 1, 0:24)

    Middleweight: Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Yousri Belgaroui

    Result: Yousri Belgaroui def. Mansur Abdul-Malik via TKO (Rd. 3, 3:39)

    Featherweight: Julian Erosa vs. Lerryan Douglas

    Result: Lerryan Douglas def. Julian Erosa via KO (Rd. 1, 3:33)

    Welterweight: Michael Chiesa vs. Niko Price

    Result: Michael Chiesa def. Niko Price via submission (rear-naked choke) (Rd. 1, 1:03)

    Women’s Flyweight: Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber

    Result: Alexa Grasso def. Maycee Barber via KO (Rd. 1, 2:42)

    Middleweight: Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer

    Result: Joe Pyfer def. Israel Adesanya via TKO (Rd. 2, 4:18)

  • Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer, Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber Announced For UFC Seattle

    Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer, Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber Announced For UFC Seattle

    UFC Seattle’s headliner will see a former middleweight champion attempt to prove he is still a top talent in the division, while a rising star looks to make his biggest stride toward a future title shot.

    Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will face Joe Pyfer in the main event of UFC Seattle, which takes place on March 28 at the Climate Pledge Arena.

    UFC CEO and President Dana White confirmed the news in an announcement on Instagram Live.

    Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer Headlines UFC Seattle On March 28

    This fight is perhaps a must-win for Adesanya, who enters with three straight losses and four defeats in his last five fights. Adesanya, a former two-time champion, has not recovered since losing the title to Sean Strickland in one of the UFC’s biggest upsets at UFC 293.

    Adesanya was knocked out by Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia last February, marking the first time he was finished in a non-title fight.

    Pyfer has risen up the UFC’s middleweight ranks since coming into the promotion off his known 2022 Dana White’s Contender Series appearance. Pyfer is 6-1 in the Octagon, most recently submitting Abus Magomedov at UFC 320 in October.

    The UFC Seattle co-main event will see Alexa Grasso facing off with Maycee Barber. This will be a rematch from UFC 258, which saw Grasso take a unanimous decision.

    Grasso is winless in her last three fights, which include the latter two fights in her women’s flyweight title trilogy with Valentina Shevchenko. Grasso comes into this fight off a loss to Natalia Silva at UFC 315 this past May.

    Barber has won seven straight since losing to Grasso. After medical issues kept her away from the Octagon for nearly two years, Barber defeated Karine Silva at UFC 323.

  • Paige VanZant: Husband Austin Vanderford’s UFC Debut ‘Almost Felt More Special Than Any Of My Wins’

    Paige VanZant: Husband Austin Vanderford’s UFC Debut ‘Almost Felt More Special Than Any Of My Wins’

    Paige VanZant was proud as she watched Austin Vanderford announce his UFC arrival in style last month.

    Former title challenger Vanderford, the husband of former UFC fighter and recent GFL signing VanZant, signed with the UFC after entering free agency in February 2024.

    He made his debut on just days’ notice at the UFC Fight Night in Seattle on Feb. 22. Despite the lack of preparation, “The Gentlemen” impressed inside the Octagon by dominating and stopping Nikolay Veretennikov.

    During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, VanZant reflected on her man’s successful first foray into the cage on MMA’s biggest stage, admitting the moment might have surpassed her own triumphs in the UFC.

    “It almost felt more special than any of my wins,” VanZant said. “Just seeing him in that moment. He’s my best friend. Seeing him finally make the walk was incredible.

    “Now that he’s in, he’s in the UFC, it’s just playing that game of who they want him to be matched up with and going from there,” VanZant added. “He’s been training with me for this entire week, and all the coaches are like, ‘Hey, you need to take a few days off?’ But he’s like, ‘No, if I get another short notice (fight), I gotta be ready at any second.’”

    Vanderford no doubt secured his continued stay in the promotion and will look to keep his ball rolling when he makes his sophomore appearance in the Octagon.

    VanZant, meanwhile, awaits confirmation of the opponent and date for her GFL debut and MMA return. In the meantime, she’s gearing up for a third Power Slap clash this Friday in Las Vegas.

  • Watch Henry Cejudo Confront Referee Jason Herzog Over FaceTime For Handling Of UFC Seattle Eye Poke

    Watch Henry Cejudo Confront Referee Jason Herzog Over FaceTime For Handling Of UFC Seattle Eye Poke

    Henry Cejudo is seemingly still grappling with the sting of his recent, highly contentious defeat.

    Cejudo made his return to the Octagon last weekend, headlining UFC Seattle against Song Yadong. However, the fight took an unfortunate turn, ending in dispute when an accidental eye poke prematurely halted the bout.

    Late in the third round, “Triple C” was on the receiving end of an accidental eye poke, forcing him to take the allotted five-minute recovery time. Though the fight briefly resumed, the former two-division UFC champion acknowledged that his vision was impaired heading into the next round.

    Consequently, referee Jason Herzog had no choice but to wave off the contest, sending the bout to the judges’ scorecards, where Yadong was awarded a technical decision victory.

    Cejudo didn’t hold back on social media after the fight, voicing his frustration over the way it ended. He claimed to have suffered diplopia, soft tissue damage, and multiple serious injuries as a result of Yadong’s strike.

    And on Wednesday, “Triple C” shared a video on social media of himself calling referee Herzog to challenge his decision not to deduct points from “Kung Fu Kid” for the eye poke. He also criticized the veteran referee for not intervening a second time when Yadong persisted with extended fingers, despite being explicitly instructed to keep them tucked.

    “One, you didn’t take a point,” Cejudo said. “And then two, when I took the five-minute break and we ended up coming back to actually fight, like, I still wasn’t recovered, but that dude still came here [with outstretched fingers], and you didn’t do anything. Luckily, I couldn’t see – or at least I saw four arms – but you never warned him, or you never took away a point.”

    In his defense, Herzog refrained from justifying his decision to stop the fight. Instead, he acknowledged Cejudo’s criticism and even admitted that he should have deducted a point from Yadong for the eye poke.

    “I’m not trying to say that it’s right or wrong and I’ve heard you now and I completely agree,” Herzong said. “Especially afterwards when he came out with his fingers like this [pointing out], why didn’t you [I] then stop it and take a point immediately… I think that’s a very valid criticism and an adjustment that I probably should have made. I think that’s a fair point… I can’t say that you’re wrong and when I watched it again, I’m like ‘Yeah, I should have probably stopped it and taken a point.’”

    Hypothetically, if Herzog had deducted a point from Yadong, the fight’s outcome could have been entirely different. “Kung Fu Kid” won with one judge scoring it 30-27, while the other two had it 29-28.

    However, with a point docked, those 29-28 scores would have shifted to 28-28, resulting in a majority draw instead of a victory.

  • Brendan Allen Set To Grapple Top UFC Middleweight In Karate Combat Days On From Seattle Loss

    Brendan Allen Set To Grapple Top UFC Middleweight In Karate Combat Days On From Seattle Loss

    UFC middleweight contender Brendan Allen will have the chance to return to winning ways less than a week on from his crushing defeat to Anthony Hernandez — but not inside the Octagon.

    Allen has had his charge toward a championship opportunity on MMA’s biggest stage stalled in his last two fights, during which he’s fallen from a seven-fight win streak to a two-bout losing skid.

    After a defeat to Nassourdine Imavov in Paris last September, “All In” was unable to bounce back last weekend in Seattle, where he fell to a decision setback at the hands of Anthony Hernandez.

    But an unsurprisingly disheartened Allen won’t be waiting long until he gets back to competitive action.

    It was announced Wednesday that the 29-year-old will feature in a grappling match at Karate Combat 53 in Denver this coming Friday. He’s slated to battle a fellow top 10 middleweight contender in Caio Borralho.

    Having been outgrappled by “Fluffy” at Climate Pledge Arena, this is likely a conscious effort from Allen to fix the holes in his game ahead of a renewed push back up the 185-pound ladder.

    While the American has been slipping down the pecking order recently, the same can’t be said for Borralho. The Fighting Nerds standout has gone 7-0 in the UFC, collecting three Performance of the Night bonuses in the process.

    “The Natural” most recently got the better of Jared Cannonier in his main event debut at the Apex last August.

  • Chael Sonnen Falls On Side That Believes Henry Cejudo ‘Faked’ Eye Injury At UFC Seattle

    Chael Sonnen Falls On Side That Believes Henry Cejudo ‘Faked’ Eye Injury At UFC Seattle

    Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen has joined certain corners of the MMA community in accusing Henry Cejudo of looking for a way out of his headliner this past weekend.

    Cejudo continued to struggle in his comeback from retirement on Feb. 22, falling to a third straight loss in the main event of the UFC Fight Night inside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena.

    His bout with Song Yadong ended prematurely after “Triple C” was deemed unable to continue following a deep eye poke. With sufficient time fought, the contest went to a technical decision that fell the way of “The Kung Fu Kid.”

    As is often the case when an athlete doesn’t continue following a foul, Cejudo has faced flak from some fans and figures in the sport who have accused him of quitting.

    During a recent episode of his Good Guy/Bad Guy show alongside Daniel Cormier on ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, Sonnen became the latest to question whether Cejudo really couldn’t continue.

    “I’m essentially accusing possibly the greatest combat athlete of all time of cheating, of faking,” Sonnen said. “That is just so unlike Henry. I mean, truly so unlike Henry in the way that he did play it. This is a guy who has walked through fire many times.

    “This is a guy who walked through fire at 20 years old to become an Olympic champion. It didn’t seem like he was willing to walk through fire this night. That was not like the Henry Cejudo that I’ve seen in the past. As fair as I can say it.”

    Tim Welch, the coach of former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, shared a similar take. In a social media post, the trainer suggested that Cejudo knew he had “nothing left for Song.”

    The 2008 Olympic gold medalist has unsurprisingly not taken kindly to such accusations, and he took to X himself to list the injuries he apparently sustained to his eye as a result of Song’s poke.

  • UFC Rankings Report: Reinier de Ridder Ousts Bo Nickal From Middleweight Top 15

    UFC Rankings Report: Reinier de Ridder Ousts Bo Nickal From Middleweight Top 15

    In the aftermath of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Seattle, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

    Men’s Pound-For-Pound: There’s been one change to the P4P list, with former welterweight champ Leon Edwards getting a one-place boost to now share #9 with flyweight kingpin Alexandre Pantoja.

    Women’s Pound-for-Pound: No changes.

    Women’s Strawweight: No changes.

    Women’s Flyweight: No changes.

    Women’s Bantamweight: With Julia Avila’s retirement being confirmed, she’s exited the UFC rankings at 135 pounds. Replacing her at #15 is Joselyne Edwards, who has won just one bantamweight bout in nine fights in the promotion. That was in her debut, with the Panama native either losing or missing weight for her subsequent wins.

    Flyweight: No changes.

    Bantamweight: While the victory didn’t come in the manner he’d have hoped, Song Yadong is still on the up at 135 pounds. A technical decision triumph over Henry Cejudo has led to the Chinese standout climbing two positions to #6. “Triple C” has fallen the same distance the opposite way to #8, with Rob Font getting a small rise to #7 after his win against Jean Matsumoto.

    Further down, and unrelated to any recent results, Canada’s Aiemann Zahabi (#13) has moved above Marcus McGhee (#14).

    Featherweight: No changes.

    Lightweight: No changes.

    Welterweight: No changes.

    Middleweight: Anthony Hernandez was among the biggest winners to emerge from Saturday’s event, as he once again got the better of Brendan Allen to extend his winning run to seven straight fights. As a result, “Fluffy” has risen by three positions to #9, one place above his defeated opponent from UFC Seattle.

    Elsewhere, Bo Nickal’s stay in the rankings was a short one. He’s been ousted after just weeks in the pecking order, replaced at #15 by Reinier de Ridder, who moved to 2-0 in the UFC with a victory over Kevin Holland last month.

    Light Heavyweight: After snapping his two-fight losing skid with a narrow split decision win over debutant Julius Walker this past weekend, Alonzo Menifield has climbed one spot up the UFC rankings at 205 pounds to #14. That’s left veteran former title challenger Anthony Smith at #15 ahead of what is expected to be his final fight this coming April.

    Heavyweight: No changes.

    You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

  • Michael Bisping Calls For Stricter Penalties On Eye Pokes After UFC Seattle Controversy

    Michael Bisping Calls For Stricter Penalties On Eye Pokes After UFC Seattle Controversy

    Michael Bisping believes it’s long overdue for the UFC to impose harsh repercussions for eye pokes.

    The UFC Seattle headliner between former two-division champion Henry Cejudo and Song Yadong took a controversial turn last Saturday when an eye poke brought the fight to an abrupt conclusion.

    At the end of the third round, Cejudo suffered an accidental strike, prompting a five-minute recovery period. Although the fight briefly resumed, “Triple C” ultimately admitted that his vision was compromised heading into the next round, leading the judges to award Yadong a victory via technical decision.

    During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Bisping — who was on commentary for the Fight Night event — shared his thoughts on the polarizing outcome of the Cejudo vs. Yadong fight.

    Drawing from his own experiences, the UFC Hall of Famer argued that “Kung Fu Kid” should have faced some form of penalty for the severe eye poke.

    “No. 1, I think we should have had a point deducted,” Bisping said And I don’t say that because I want to see Song Yadong’s career jeopardized or anything like that. No, I like Song Yadong, I’m very good friends with Urijah Faber, and I have a lot of respect for the whole team.”

    “The Count” further pushed for the UFC to enforce stricter penalties, such as automatic point deductions, to deter fighters from extending their fingers in a way that increases the risk of eye pokes.

    But the eye pokes, people need to know that there’s goddamn f**king consequences. Eye pokes are terrible. You know all about my history with the eyes. Eye pokes are bad. If you start taking points, people will stop stretching their f**king fingers out. Then when the third round started, and there was only a minute left, Song Yadong had his fingers out and so did Henry Cejudo, and I’m like, why isn’t the ref saying anything?”

    If referee Jason Herzog had deducted a point from Yadong, the outcome of the fight could have been drastically different. “Kung Fu Kid” secured the win with one judge scoring the contest 30-27, while the other two scored it 29-28.

    However, with a point deduction, those 29-28s would have shifted to 28-28s, resulting in a majority draw instead of a victory.

  • UFC Veteran Has Radical Idea To Solve Eye-Poke Problem: ‘Not Only A Point Deduction…’

    UFC Veteran Has Radical Idea To Solve Eye-Poke Problem: ‘Not Only A Point Deduction…’

    UFC lightweight veteran Jim Miller has chimed in with his thoughts on how to eliminate eye-poking in mixed martial arts following another instance of the foul halting a fight this past weekend.

    While MMA has grown to no end since its inception and has seen its legitimacy widely accepted in the sporting world, one issue remains a prominent talking point that perhaps continues to hold it back — the manner in which fouls are dealt with.

    The topic reared its head again recently after a deep eye poke rendered former two-division champion Henry Cejudo unable to continue in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Seattle.

    With referee Jason Herzog deeming Song Yadong’s infringement to have been accidental, no point was deducted and the Chinese bantamweight contender exited the UFC cage inside Climate Pledge Arena as a technical decision winner.

    That’s left many questioning the freedom fighters are given to foul without repercussions, with Herzog specifically being slammed for not taking a point from “The Kung Fu Kid.”

    Miller, though, believes punishment should go above and beyond a simple blow to a fighter’s hopes of edging the scorecards.

    “It’s not the gloves, it’s the culture. The shameless, win at all costs mentality amongst fighters and the ‘eye pokes are an accident and not a foul’ mentality most people seem to have,” Miller wrote on X. “The good news is that we can change the culture. Penalize the foul immediately during the pause in action after confirming a strike or post was thrown with outstretched fingers. I believe not only a point deduction but also a purse deduction would have a rapid effect on how many pokes we see. I’ve come to these conclusions after being taped into those gloves 45 times, totaling over 7 hours inside the Octagon, landing over 1200 significant strikes (none of which were thrown with extended fingers, and I also slept at a Holiday Inn Express a few times.”

    Similar debates have been had regarding fence grabs and low blows, both of which frequently go unpunished inside the UFC Octagon.

  • Sean O’Malley’s Coach Accuses Henry Cejudo Of Quitting At UFC Seattle: ‘Knew He Had Nothing Left’

    Sean O’Malley’s Coach Accuses Henry Cejudo Of Quitting At UFC Seattle: ‘Knew He Had Nothing Left’

    The coach of former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has become the latest to accuse Henry Cejudo of looking for a way out of his fight with Song Yadong on Saturday night.

    Inside Climate Pledge Arena, Cejudo fell to a third straight loss since returning from retirement. His latest setback came at the hands of “The Kung Fu Kid” in the main event of this weekend’s UFC Fight Night in Seattle.

    After falling behind on the scorecards, a bad eye poke in the third round ultimately prevented “Triple C” from finishing out the fight, with referee Jason Herzog waving things off at the start of the fourth.

    As is often the case when a foul leads to a no contest or technical decision, Cejudo has received backlash from some for how the main event on Feb. 22 concluded.

    Some have accused the 2008 Olympic gold medalist of quitting, disregarding his claim of compromised vision. Among them is Tim Welch, who’s best known for coaching a bantamweight rival of Cejudo’s in O’Malley.

    “Henry knew he had nothing left for Song,” Welch wrote on X.

    Cejudo has unsurprisingly not taken kindly to suggestions he sought a way out of the UFC Seattle headliner.

    While he hasn’t responded directly to Welch, he did hit back at the narrative as a whole by listing the eye injuries he apparently sustained as a result of Song’s poke.

  • Dana White Surprisingly Sympathizes With UFC Seattle Fighter Who Pushed Austin Vanderford

    Dana White Surprisingly Sympathizes With UFC Seattle Fighter Who Pushed Austin Vanderford

    It would seem that Nikolay Veretennikov isn’t getting the kind of heat from the promotion that he is from the fanbase after his actions at UFC Seattle on Saturday night.

    This weekend, the Kazakh-born fighter fell to a second straight loss since joining the UFC. That was courtesy of former Bellator title challenger Austin Vanderford, who made a successful debut on just days’ notice.

    “The Gentlemen” was on the ascendancy from the start, and his grappling superiority ultimately paved the way for a TKO with ground strikes in the second round at UFC Seattle.

    Veretennikov was less than pleased with the stoppage and immediately disputed it. But rather than the official, the 35-year-old took his frustration out on Vanderford by shoving his victorious opponent.

    Many were quick to slate Veretennikov, with some even suggesting he was likely to be cut from his contract as a result of his UFC Seattle actions. That, however, doesn’t appear to be a sentiment shared by the higher-ups.

    “Listen, yeah, it’s never good when you go over (and push an opponent),” Dana White said during his post-fight press conference. “I don’t know why he went after him. I understand he was upset with the referee. And when you watch that fight, if you look, I get why he was upset. He was blocking a lot of the shots. He was blocking; he was still trying to get out of there.

    “If a guy is taking a number of just unanswered shots, and he’s laying there on the ground — he was defending and moving around, and so I understand why he’s upset,” White continued. “But yeah, you know how we are here. He went over and pushed the guy. What should we do?”

    In addition to his actions in the aftermath of Saturday’s UFC Seattle result, Veretennikov’s 0-2 Octagon record likely leaves him on thin ice in the UFC.

    Should he be granted another opportunity to have his hand raised on MMA’s biggest stage, it would no doubt be a must-win scenario for the 35-year-old.

  • Henry Cejudo Hits Back At UFC Seattle Critics With List Of Apparent Eye Injuries

    Henry Cejudo Hits Back At UFC Seattle Critics With List Of Apparent Eye Injuries

    Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo has pushed back on claims he was looking for a way out of Saturday’s main event against Song Yadong.

    Cejudo’s wait for a first victory since returning from retirement in 2023 goes on after this weekend’s UFC Fight Night in Seattle, Washington, which he headlined in defense of his #7 spot in the bantamweight rankings.

    After defeats to Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili, “Triple C” fell to a third straight loss inside Climate Pledge Arena — but not in a common way.

    Cejudo was handed a technical decision setback after being unable to continue due to a deep eye poke late in the third frame. With referee Jason Herzog deeming the foul unintentional — and with over half the scheduled rounds complete — the bout went to the scorecards, all of which were in favor of “The Kung Fu Kid.”

    As is often the case when an athlete doesn’t continue following a foul, Cejudo has faced flak from some corners of the MMA community who have accused him of quitting.

    The 2008 Olympic gold medalist has not taken kindly to such claims, taking to X to hit back at the allegation by listing the injuries he apparently sustained from Song’s poke.

    “Diplopia, Soft Tissue Damage, Corneal Abrasion,” he wrote.”‘hE wANteD a wAy OuT’ #UFCSeattle“

    It remains to be seen what will come next for Cejudo in the UFC. While the two fighters expressed mutual interest in running things back, UFC CEO Dana White was quick to shut that suggestion down during his post-fight press conference.

  • Dricus Du Plessis Mocks Brendan Allen After Latest Setback At UFC Seattle

    Dricus Du Plessis Mocks Brendan Allen After Latest Setback At UFC Seattle

    UFC middleweight contender Brendan Allen isn’t getting any sympathy from his division’s champion after a tough night at the office this past Saturday night.

    Allen returned to action on Feb. 22, co-headlining the UFC Fight Night event in Seattle opposite a former adversary in fan favorite Anthony Hernandez.

    While “All In” targeted redemption for a defeat to “Fluffy” under the LFA banner en route to defending his spot in the top 10 at 185 pounds, he was once again unable to get the better of Hernandez, this time on the scorecards.

    The result has marked the latest setback to Allen’s title ambitions after he had his seven-fight winning run snapped by Nassourdine Imavov in Paris last September.

    And the Beaufort native is unsurprisingly disappointed, which showed in his first statement on social media post-fight.

    “Just ain’t the guy I thought I was,” Allen wrote. “Hats off to (Hernandez), love the guy through the s*** this sport brings. Who knows what’s next. Thanks to my team and those who stuck with me.”

    Though he received plenty of supportive messages in the comments section, one longtime verbal sparring partner was ready to add salt to Allen’s wounds.

    Reigning titleholder Dricus Du Plessis appeared with a less than positive remark, mocking the sizable blow to Allen’s championship hopes.

    Du Plessis on Allen

    “I don’t know what’s next either but I can most certainly tell what ain’t next for a very long time.”

    Du Plessis and Allen have long gone back and forth on social media and during interviews, with their feud seemingly dating back to a brief stint training together and a clear contrast in personality.

    Since then, “All In” has repeatedly vowed to reach the South African and prove his criticism of the champ’s fighting style correct. As Du Plessis pointed out, however, such a matchup is now a distant possibility following Allen’s likely exit from the top 10.

  • ‘Embarrassment Of A Main Event’ – Fans Left Unsatisfied After Bizarre End To Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong At UFC Seattle

    ‘Embarrassment Of A Main Event’ – Fans Left Unsatisfied After Bizarre End To Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong At UFC Seattle

    After a thrilling card that featured plenty of finishes and standout performances, UFC Seattle’s main event between Henry Cejudo and Song Yadong left the west coast crowd with a lot to be desired.

    Song came out on top in his main event bout against former two-division champion Henry Cejudo via decision, but the fight’s conclusion came under dubious circumstances.

    The first round proved to be close, but quiet. “Triple C” tried to use his boxing, mixing in leg kicks, to start dictating how the fight would go. Song, however, seemed to land the stronger strikes and combinations in answering back. This pace continued into the second round, but the American would have the notable strongest strikes of the round, busting up “The Kung Fu Kid’s” nose late in the frame.

    But everything came to a sudden and spiraling halt in the third round, when Cejudo was poked in the eye accidentally on two occasions. The 2008 Olympic gold medalist took the full five minutes, saying he was still fine to fight. But upon going back to his corner at the end of the third, Cejudo complained that he was unable to see.

    The fight was halted, and referee Jason Herzog ruled that with three out of the possible five rounds completed, the fight would go to the judges’ scorecards for a technical decision. He even claimed to Song’s team that such a ruling would save him from what would have been a disqualification loss.

    The Chinese contender won on all three judges’ cards, with two 29-28s and a 30-27.

    Song Yadong Gets Technical Decision Win Over Henry Cejudo In Lackluster UFC Seattle Main Event

    https://twitter.com/WhyGarth/status/1893521864040804364
    https://twitter.com/JDKalajaAuthor/status/1893523294856319422
    https://twitter.com/blondedmma/status/1893523981510025222

    Song has now won three of four and six of his last eight. He rebounds from a loss to Petr Yan at UFC 299 last year.

    Cejudo, meanwhile, has now lost all three fights since coming out of retirement, dropping a split decision to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 for the bantamweight title and a unanimous decision to current champ Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298.

  • Anthony Hernandez Surpasses Legend’s Record In Co-Main Event Victory Over Brendan Allen At UFC Seattle

    Anthony Hernandez Surpasses Legend’s Record In Co-Main Event Victory Over Brendan Allen At UFC Seattle

    At LFA 32 in January 2018, prior to their arrival to the Octagon, Anthony Hernandez defeated Brendan Allen to win the then-vacant LFA middleweight championship. Now, seven years later, “Fluffy” proved that he still has the upper hand by defeating “All In” at UFC Seattle.

    Allen landed a high kick early in the fight and looked to take grappling control. But Hernandez rolled through with him, got into top position and took control of the grappling exchanges. “Fluffy” looked for a couple of chokes, but Allen countered and got into top control with less than two minutes to go in the round. “All In” used short strikes to the head to work his way into mount, where he was able to trouble Hernandez with a rear-naked choke attempt and bust him open with an elbow in the process.

    The Californian took back momentum with a takedown to start the second round, where he troubled Allen with another guillotine attempt and countered all of his transition and reversal attempts. But just like the first round, with less than two minutes left, Allen was able to score a reversal and get into his top game.

    Allen got a hold of “Fluffy’s” back, but Hernandez was able to dump him and get back on top, staying there for the rest of the round.

    Anthony Hernandez Bests Brendan Allen In UFC Seattle Rematch Seven Years In Making

    Allen landed knuckles to Hernandez’s eye at the start of the third, and follow-up shots on the fight’s resumption appeared to trouble Hernandez. “Fluffy” was able to battle back and pin “All In” against the fence, attempting to get back to Allen’s back and remaining in control of the grappling exchanges for the remainder of the fight.

    Hernandez won the fight 29-28 on all three judges’ scorecards. In the process, he also broke Chris Weidman’s record for most takedowns in UFC middleweight history.

    “Fluffy” has now won seven straight fights, having gone unbeaten since 2021.

    Allen, meanwhile, has now dropped two straight fights after going on a seven-fight win streak.

  • ‘Topuria Escaped At The Right Time’ – Fans React To Jean Silva’s Latest Violent KO At UFC Seattle

    ‘Topuria Escaped At The Right Time’ – Fans React To Jean Silva’s Latest Violent KO At UFC Seattle

    Jean Silva and his teammates at the Fighting Nerds have been arguably the biggest names to watch in the UFC entering 2025, and that continued with the Brazilian’s victory over Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC Seattle.

    Silva’s power was on full display in this fight, landing 18 of his 27 strikes thrown in the contest – all significant ones. With less than a minute to go in the first round, “Lord” dropped Baghdasaryan with a right hand.

    The rising fan favorite turned to the ref for the fight to be called, but when it wasn’t stopped, he landed several ground-and-pound strikes until it finally was called.

    Jean Silva Brutally Finishes Melsik Baghdasaryan At UFC Seattle

    https://twitter.com/ElonovMMA/status/1893494420462284847

    Silva now moves to 4-0 in the Octagon and is quickly rising up the lightweight ranks. Last year, he scored victories over Westin Wilson, Charles Jourdain, and Drew Dober.

    “Lord” called out Bryce Mitchell in his post-fight interview in the Octagon.

    Baghdasaryan, also a Dana White’s Contender Series alumn, is now 3-2 in the UFC.