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Tag: UFC Seattle

  • Watch ‘The Hulk’ Ion Cuțelaba Light Up UFC Seattle With +2000 Finish

    Watch ‘The Hulk’ Ion Cuțelaba Light Up UFC Seattle With +2000 Finish

    For the first time in his UFC tenure, Ion Cuțelaba has scored a submission, defeating Ibo Aslan in the featured preliminary bout at UFC Seattle.

    Cuțelaba and Aslan got right into things early, swinging away and trading hard blows throughout the fight’s opening minute. Though each landed hard on one another, the Moldovan changed strategy and looked to bring the fight to the ground.

    This plan proved successful, as “The Hulk” was able to lock up an arm-triangle and score a tap in just under three minutes.

    Ion Cuțelaba Scores Submission Win In Under Three Minutes At UFC Seattle

    A victory via submission for Cuțelaba was unexpected, as his last one came against Vitali Ontishchenko in April 2015 — two fights prior to his UFC debut.

    The Moldovan standout winning via submission came in at +1100. A first-round submission win for “The Hulk,” in fact, had odds of +2000.

    Cuțelaba has now won three of his last four, bouncing back from a three-fight losing skid he suffered in 2022.

    Aslan, meanwhile, suffers the second loss of his professional career. He earned a UFC contract through a win over Paulo Renato Jr. on Dana White’s Contender Series and scored finishes of Anton Turkalj and Raffael Cerqueira prior to tonight’s loss.

  • VIDEO: Ricky Simon Flatlines Javid Basharat In Knockout Of The Year Contender At UFC Seattle

    VIDEO: Ricky Simon Flatlines Javid Basharat In Knockout Of The Year Contender At UFC Seattle

    After three losses and two and a half years, Ricky Simon finally re-entered the win column in grand fashion against Javid Basharat during the UFC Seattle preliminary card.

    The formerly ranked contender looked to get on the attack right away, and he managed to do so with a strong start that included a takedown. When Basharat started to counter the veteran’s grappling focus, however, Simon switched things up and started to make great use of his striking.

    Late in the first round, Simon landed a right hand that connected flush with the jaw, that rocked and dropped Basharat.

    Ricky Simon Starches Javid Basharat At UFC Seattle

    UFC Seattle marked Simon’s first win in the Octagon since defeating Jack Shore at UFC Long Island in July 2022. He has since suffered losses against Song Yadong, Mario Bautista, and Vinicius Oliveira.

    Basharat, meanwhile, is now winless in three straight after breaking into the UFC as an unbeaten fighter on Dana White’s Contender Series. His UFC 294 bout with Victor Henry went to a no contest, and he dropped a decision to Aiemann Zahabi almost exactly one year ago.

  • ‘Can’t Touch Mr. VanZant And Not Get Walking Papers’ – Austin Vanderford Wins UFC Seattle Debut, Gets Assaulted By Opponent Post-Stoppage

    ‘Can’t Touch Mr. VanZant And Not Get Walking Papers’ – Austin Vanderford Wins UFC Seattle Debut, Gets Assaulted By Opponent Post-Stoppage

    Former Bellator standout and Dana White’s Contender Series alum Austin Vanderford came out on top in his UFC debut at UFC Seattle — and his opponent, Nikolay Veretennikov, may have simultaneously made his last appearance.

    Vanderford completely dominated the opening round, gaining top control with a takedown and riding out on top for about four of the five first-round minutes. The debutant showed little let up, with Veretennikov getting very limited offense in.

    After a little defense from Veretennikov, “The Gentleman” returned the fight to the ground and got back to work, overwhelming the Kazakh fighter en route to a solid second-round TKO.

    Following the fight, an upset Veretennikov could be seen shoving Vanderford during his post-fight celebration. This prompted the American to return a shove and flip Veretennikov off, also earning the defeated fighter a chorus of boos.

    Austin Vanderford Shoved By Nikolay Veretennikov Following UFC Seattle TKO

    Vanderford, the husband of former UFC fighter and current bare-knuckle boxer Paige VanZant, is 13-2 in MMA. He submitted Angelo Trevino in his DWCS appearance but was not given a contract.

    He then appeared in Bellator between 2019 and 2022, winning five straight fights before an unsuccessful challenge of then-Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi and a loss to Aaron Jeffrey.

    Meanwhile, this was Veretennikov’s second UFC appearance. He dropped a split decision to Danny Barlow in August.

  • UFC Fight Night: Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results.

    After events in Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Las Vegas, the mixed martial arts leader is on the road to close out its February schedule with a card inside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena.

    Headlining will be former two-division champion Henry Cejudo. After consecutive losses to Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili since returning from retirement, “Triple C” will look to notch the first win of his comeback at the expense of fellow top 10 bantamweight Song Yadong.

    Elsewhere, the likes of Anthony Hernandez, Jean Silva, Rob Font, Alonzo Menifield and Austin Vanderford will all be in action.

    UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song takes place on Saturday, February 22, at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. The main card begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

    See above for a replay of the weigh-ins via MMA Junkie, and check out the results below.

    Main Card:

    • Flyweight: Henry Cejudo (135lbs) vs. Song Yadong (136lbs)
    • Middleweight: Brendan Allen (186lbs) vs. Anthony Hernandez (186lbs)
    • Catchweight (140lbs): Rob Font (138lbs) vs. Jean Matsumoto (139lbs)
    • Featherweight: Jean Silva (145.5lbs) vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (145lbs)
    • Light Heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield (205lbs) vs. Julius Walker (205lbs)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Light Heavyweight: Ion Cuțelaba (205lbs) vs. Ibo Aslan (205lbs)
    • Featherweight: Andre Fili (145lbs) vs. Melquizael Costa (145lbs)
    • Middleweight: Mansur Abdul-Malik (186lbs) vs. Nick Klein (186lbs)
    • Bantamweight: Ricky Simón (135lbs) vs. Javid Basharat (136lbs)
    • Catchweight (175lbs): Nikolay Veretennikov (175lbs) vs. Austin Vanderford (174lbs)
    • Middleweight: Nursulton Ruziboev (184lbs) vs. Eric McConico (184lbs)
    • Light Heavyweight: Modestas Bukauskas (203lbs) vs. Raffael Cerqueira (204lbs)
  • Tom Aspinall Touts ‘Unstoppable’ Teammate’s Preparation Ahead Of UFC Seattle Return

    Tom Aspinall Touts ‘Unstoppable’ Teammate’s Preparation Ahead Of UFC Seattle Return

    Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall expects one of his teammates to put on a show at Saturday’s UFC Seattle event.

    Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is back in the state of Washington this week, where top 10 flyweights Henry Cejudo and Song Yadong will top an intriguing-looking UFC Fight Night lineup.

    Among the notable names set to compete on the preliminary card is Modestas Bukauskas, a Lithuanian-British light heavyweight who has won five of his last six contests inside the cage.

    Since returning to the UFC off the back of a stint in Cage Warriors, “The Baltic Gladiator” has gone 3-1, with the sole loss on that run coming by way of knockout to Vitor Petrino.

    After bouncing back in 2024 with an impressive submission victory over Marcin Prachnio on home soil, Bukauskas will look to make it back-to-back triumphs when he meets Raffael Cerqueira at UFC Seattle on Feb. 22.

    And Aspinall, for one, seems fully confident in his teammate.

    The heavyweight star re-shared promotional material posted by the UFC Europe account to his Instagram Stories, providing some insight into his fellow countryman’s preparation for the upcoming event.

    Tom Aspinall on Modestas Bukauskas

    “This guy has looked unstoppable in the gym. Tune in this Saturday”

    With that said, Aspinall will no doubt have a close eye on proceedings when Bukauskas makes the walk at UFC Seattle inside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena.

    While “The Baltic Gladiator” is days away from his next outing, Aspinall remains without a date in the calendar. He’s continued to push for a unification showdown with heavyweight champ Jon Jones, but the UFC is yet to confirm whether that will go ahead in 2025.

  • UFC Seattle Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Cejudo vs. Song, Allen vs. Hernandez, & More

    UFC Seattle Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Cejudo vs. Song, Allen vs. Hernandez, & More

    UFC Seattle is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup.

    The upcoming event takes place Saturday, February 22, at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. The main card begins at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT.

    Topping the lineup will be former two-division champion Henry Cejudo. After consecutive losses to Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili since returning from retirement, “Triple C” will look to notch the first win of his comeback at the expense of fellow top 10 bantamweight Song Yadong.

    Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see ranked middleweight contenders Brendan Allen and Anthony Hernandez collide. While the former will look to bounce back from defeat to Nassourdine Imavov last time out, “Fluffy” is pursuing a sixth straight win.

    And also making the walk on Saturday will be the likes of Rob Font, Jean Silva, Alonzo Menifield, Andre Fili and Ricky Simón.

    UFC Seattle: Cejudo vs. Song Betting Odds

    Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC Seattle (as of 2/17), courtesy of DraftKings.

    Main Card:

    • Henry Cejudo (+230) vs. Song Yadong (-285)
    • Brendan Allen (+240) vs. Anthony Hernandez (-298)
    • Jean Silva (-575) vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (+425)
    • Rob Font vs. Jean Matsumoto
    • Alonzo Menifield (-205) vs. Julius Walker (+170)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Andre Fili (-120) vs. Melquizael Costa (+100)
    • Ion Cuțelaba (+130) vs. Ibo Aslan (-155)
    • Nursulton Ruziboev (-305) vs. Eric McConico (+245)
    • Ricky Simón (+240) vs. Javid Basharat (-298)
    • Mansur Abdul-Malik (-850) vs. Nick Klein (+520)
    • Modestas Bukauskas (-325) vs. Raffael Cerqueira (+260)
  • UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: UFC Seattle Card Undergoes Major Changes

    UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: UFC Seattle Card Undergoes Major Changes

    MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming fight cards.

    With events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

    Between Monday, February 10, and Sunday, February 16, a number of fights were made official by the UFC or reported as being in the works by reputable sources.

    For those matchups, including the planned main event for the Apex on April 5, check out the list below:

    But it wasn’t all positive, with four fights falling through or being adjusted:

  • UFC Schedule Continues To Take Hits As Dominick Cruz Reportedly Pulls Out Of Seattle Co-Headliner

    UFC Schedule Continues To Take Hits As Dominick Cruz Reportedly Pulls Out Of Seattle Co-Headliner

    The blows keep on coming for the UFC in 2025.

    After losing its first pay-per-view main event of the new year on just 24 hours’ notice last month in Los Angeles, the opening week of February has seen the mixed martial arts dealt two hits to its Q1 calendar in the form of canceled main and co-main events.

    On Wednesday, former flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval revealed in an Instagram post that injury has forced him out of a main event opposite Manel Kape at the Apex on March 1.

    Just hours on, the UFC’s event in Seattle on Feb. 22 has reportedly lost its bantamweight co-headliner between the legendary Dominick Cruz and perennial contender Rob Font.

    The bout was set to mark “The Dominator’s” return after two and a half years away, and expected to serve as his retirement fight.

    But per Cageside Press, a familiar foe in the injury curse has struck the 39-year-old just weeks out.

    With no timeframe attached to Cruz’s recovery as of writing, it remains to be seen whether the promotion plans to seek a replacement opponent for Font or reschedule his matchup with the former champ for a later date.

    With this cancellation, the current fights expected to take place at the UFC Fight Night in Seattle on Feb. 22 are as follows:

    • Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong
    • Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez
    • Jean Silva vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan
    • Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev
    • Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia
    • Ion Cuțelaba vs. Ibo Aslan
    • Adam Fugitt vs. Billy Goff
    • Ketlen Vieira vs. Macy Chiasson
    • Ricky Simón vs. Javid Basharat
    • Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Nick Klein
    • Modestas Bukauskas vs. Raffael Cerqueira
    • Andre Fili vs. Melquizael Costa
  • Henry Cejudo Promises ‘Live Assassination’ Of Song Yadong At UFC Seattle

    Henry Cejudo Promises ‘Live Assassination’ Of Song Yadong At UFC Seattle

    Henry Cejudo is set to return for his third outing inside the Octagon since he came out of retirement to fight Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title in 2023. The former two-weight titleholder has been unable to reclaim the top spot since he left the sport on top back in 2020 after winning six fights in a row.

    Having bean beaten by teammates in Sterling and the current champion Merab Dvalishvili, Cejudo is now set to look a few positions further down the 135-pound rankings after failing to immediately re-establish himself as a top contender. In the main event on February 22, he will face the #8-ranked Song Yadong at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.

    Yadong is also looking to bounce back from a defeat last time out but “Triple C” is incredibly confident that he will show levels in this fight. He spoke in a recent interview with Cageside Press about how he sees the matchup playing out in this pivotal moment for his career at the highest level.

    “You guys can witness a damn assassination man. You guys are going to witness a live assassination. Song Yadong you ain’t that long,” Cejudo told Cageside Press.

    Cejudo also continued to make references to his opponent’s name in what appears to be the return of his trash talking persona which we have had a significant break from in recent times. Despite this, “King Triple C” knows what is at stake for him in this fight.

    He did not return just to take part in the division but a third consecutive loss would be a big uphill battle for him at this stage in his career.

    “Song doesn’t have that long dong that you guys think he does and that he’s gonna bend the knee and everybody watching should also bend a knee to KING TRIPLE C.”

  • Former Champ-Champ Henry Cejudo Opens As Betting Underdog For UFC Seattle Main Event vs. Song Yadong

    Former Champ-Champ Henry Cejudo Opens As Betting Underdog For UFC Seattle Main Event vs. Song Yadong

    February 22 is a huge date for the former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion, Henry Cejudo. “Triple C” made his return to the Octagon in May of 2023 after announcing that he had retired three years prior at UFC 249.

    Having gone out on top as a champ-champ, the 37-year old has come up short in back-to-back fights since stepping back inside the Octagon at UFC 288. A split decision loss over five rounds to Aljamain Sterling and a further defeat to his teammate and the current bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili have doubled his career losses from two to four.

    With his next fight recently being made official for Seattle at the Climate Pledge Arena next month, the oddsmakers don’t have Cejudo turning things around at this stage in his career. BetOnline.ag have him as a +160 underdog in his matchup with the #8-ranked Song Yadong.

    The 27-year old Team Alpha Male fighter is coming off of a loss to Petr Yan at UFC 299 last March having beaten Ricky Simón and Chris Gutierrez in consecutive main events before that. Despite also holding victories over the likes of Marlon Vera and Marlon Moraes, beating Cejudo will certainly be the biggest win of his career in terms of name value and he’s currently at -185.

    Of course, these betting lines will shift back and forth before the two men step back inside the Octagon but when you look at what Cejudo has been able to achieve in MMA and the level of opponents that he is used to facing, a loss here may be his biggest setback to date considering that his other defeats came in a close fight with Joseph Benavidez and his first encounter with flyweight great Demetrious Johnson.

  • Henry Cejudo Sends 4-Word Warning To Song Yadong After Confirmation Of UFC Seattle Headliner

    Henry Cejudo Sends 4-Word Warning To Song Yadong After Confirmation Of UFC Seattle Headliner

    Henry Cejudo is set to return to the Octagon on February 22 where he will once again look to earn his first win since deciding to comeback from his 2020 retirement. “Triple C” has suffered back-to-back losses in consecutive years to teammates Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili who are the former and current holders of the bantamweight title.

    Following multiple reports, it has since been confirmed by the UFC that Cejudo will headline the promotion’s long awaited return to Seattle when he faces off with Song Yadong over five rounds at the Climate Pledge Arena. The former two-weight champion is currently ranked one spot above China’s Yadong in the top-15 rankings at 135-pounds, occupying the #7-position.

    With Yadong coming off of a loss to Petr Yan at UFC 299 in March last year, this is a massive opportunity for him to regain some serious momentum by earning the biggest win of his career to date against one of the top names in the lower weight classes. Cejudo, on the other hand, seemingly has a lot at stake in this contest.

    For as much as his return has been stifled by back-to-back losses, losing to the titleholder at the time and the man that would go on to become the champion are two defeats that he can bounce back from. The 37-year old has been fighting either champions or the top contenders for a long time so suffering a third consecutive defeat to the #8-ranked guy would be a tough moment for him to bounce back from.

    Despite what this might could mean for his career, anyone expecting a more serious version of “Triple C” appears to be mistaken. His first message on social media after the fight was confirmed followed the same pattern that fight fans have to expect from Cejudo.

  • Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Headlines UFC Seattle, Dominick Cruz Returns In Co-Main Event

    Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Headlines UFC Seattle, Dominick Cruz Returns In Co-Main Event

    Next month’s UFC Fight Night in Seattle looks likely to be a key one in the context of the bantamweight division.

    The mixed martial arts leader will head to Washington to close out its February schedule from the Climate Pledge Arena, where multiple former champions and ranked contenders will be in action.

    Prior to this week, Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia, Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez, and Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev marked some of the bouts already announced. And now, the Seattle event on Feb. 22 has its main and co-main events set.

    UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell confirmed to ESPN Monday that former two-division champion Henry Cejudo (16-4) will return in the main event, sharing the cage with fellow top 10 bantamweight contender Song Yadong (21-8-1, 1 NC). The matchup was first reported earlier in the day by @realkevink on X.

    Campbell also revealed to Mike Coppinger that the co-headliner will see legendary 135lber Dominick Cruz (24-4) compete for the first time in over two years. The former UFC and WEC champion is slated to do battle with a fellow veteran in Rob Font (21-8), which could mark Cruz’s “last dance” if his most recent comments on a comeback prove true.

    With these additions, the current fights expected to take place at the UFC Fight Night in Seattle on Feb. 22 are as follows:

    • Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong (bantamweight main event)
    • Rob Font vs. Dominick Cruz (bantamweight co-main event)
    • Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia (featherweight)
    • Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez (middleweight)
    • Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev (heavyweight)
    • Jean Silva vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (featherweight)
    • Ion Cutelaba vs. Ibo Aslan (light heavyweight)
    • Adam Fugitt vs. Islam Dulatov (welterweight)
    • Modestas Bukauskas vs. Raffael Cerqueira (light heavyweight)
    • Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Antonio Trócoli (middleweight)
  • Former Bellator Prospect With 9-1 Record Asks Dana White For UFC Shot In 2025: ‘I’m Unstoppable!’

    Former Bellator Prospect With 9-1 Record Asks Dana White For UFC Shot In 2025: ‘I’m Unstoppable!’

    The UFC is set to return to Seattle, Washington in the new year with a Fight Night event hosted at the Climate Pledge Arena in February 22. With multiple big fights already announced for the promotion’s first trip back to Seattle for the first time since 2013, there is one fighter who isn’t currently signed to the UFC who is attempting to call his shot.

    Lance Gibson Jr. is a 9-1 lightweight who was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. The 29-year old fought six times in Bellator and after departing the promotion last year, he has produced back-to-back first-round finishes on Muckleshoot Fight Night in 2024.

    As he goes on to mention in a social media video, Gibson is the son of a former UFC fighter and Canadian MMA pioneer. Lance Gibson Sr. competed twice inside the Octagon at UFC 24 and UFC 29 in 2000. “Fearless” now believes that this is his time to join the UFC roster and with the Octagon finally making its return to his local arena, the stars have fallen into place.

    Gibson Jr. posted the following caption alongside an Instagram video where he made the case for why he deserves to be signed to the UFC so that he can make his debut on this card.

    “What better time than now? Let’s make this happen together. Like, Share, and Comment tagging @ufc @danawhite @seanshelby and let them know who you want to see on UFC Fight Night Seattle Feb 22nd, 2025. Tag #FearlessForUFC Thank you all for your love and support I couldn’t do it without you.”

    The video itself sees Gibson Jr. stood outside the venue where he delivers this message alongside clips from his and his father’s highlight reels.

    “Dana, Sean, I’ve been on your radar for a while now. You’ve seen what my dad did 25 years ago at UFC 24, March 10th, year 2000. I was born 10 minutes from this arena and I was raised on the mats in Seattle, Washington. This city knows my name. I fought for the pacific northwest my entire career. Fight after fight, I’ve shown I’m fearless. I’m ferocious. I’m unstoppable but most importantly, I’m one of a kind. I’ve dreamt my entire life of being able to fight in the UFC Octagon. What better time than now.”