UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev may not have the lightweight throne yet, but he already has big ambitions for his next few fights.
Makhachev put on another grappling clinic against Bobby Green at UFC Vegas 49. He was originally supposed to face Beneil Dariush but made quick work of the short-notice replacement Green.
Makhachev and his team have long called for the lightweight title shot amidst his 10-fight winning streak. After the win over Green, he appears set to get the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje later this year.
But Makhachev doesn’t just want to pursue supremacy in the lightweight division. He also intends on cementing himself as one of the pound-for-pound best in the world by earning championships at multiple weight classes.
“First, I have to take this belt, 155 (pounds),” Makhachev said. “We’ll see, why not (go for the welterweight title)? I think in future—(I’m) thinking about this. We have to see with my team and talk about this because I want some challenge, you know? (Having) two belts, I (would) like this moment.”
Makhachev and current UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman share the same manager, Ali Abdelaziz. It’s unclear how much longer Usman will fight in the Octagon, as he has previously hinted at eventually leaving the sport on top.
Depending on what the landscape looks like if and when Makhachev earns the lightweight belt, a move to welterweight may not be too far-fetched. This would allow him to become one of the few UFC fighters to earn titles in multiple divisions, which was once unprecedented in the sport.
How do you think Islam Makhachev would perform at welterweight?
The event took place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility. Headlining the card was a clash between Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green. This fight was exactly what everyone thought it was going to be, a one-sided beatdown and Green was the victim.
Islam took him down about two minutes into the first round before going through some positions until getting back mount where he rained down strikes to get the TKO. Green took the fight on short notice so he should get a nice payday for his efforts.
The co-main event saw more action between Wellington Turman and Misha Cirkunov.
This was a wild fight as in the first round, Turman took his back while standing. Misha got him off his back before getting into full guard and unloading with strikes. He later got his back and went for a rear-naked choke then a d’arce choke, but both failed. Moving along to the second round, Turman was taken down, but locked in an armbar out of nowhere for the win.
Peep the full list of performance bonus winners below.
Performance of the Night: Arman Tsarukyan and Wellington Turman
Fight of the Night: Priscila Cachoeira vs. Ji Yeon Kim
Were the right choices made for the UFC Vegas 49 bonuses?
MMA News is providing ongoing coverage of UFC Vegas 49. We’ve got you covered with live results, video highlights, and post-fight tidbits.
UFC Vegas 49 went down tonight (Sat. February 26, 2022) from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility and we have the results. The world’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion compiled an excellent card for fight fans to enjoy.
It was headlined by a meeting between Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green in a catchweight bout.
The co-headliner saw a bout between Wellington Turman and Misha Cirkunov. Ji Yeon Kim vs. Priscila Cachoeira, Arman Tsarukyan vs. Joel Alvarez, and Armen Petrosyan vs. Gregory Rodrigues finished out the main card.
It was certain to have a great night of fights. Check out MMA News’ UFC Vegas 49 results below:
Armen Petrosyan vs. Gregory Rodrigues
Rodrigues got cracked right out of the gate, but kept upright. Gregory was pushing forward while Amen circled and tried to mix in some leg kicks.
At the start of the second round, Gregory landed three big strikes that wobbled his opponent. While Amen tried to separate, Gregory was bullying him up against the fence with strikes and not letting him get any distance. Amen was bleeding from his nose. Amen did clip him with a left hook. Gregory was tighter in this frame as Amen let his hands go. Gregory took him down late in the round. Amen was quick to get back to his feet.
In the third round, Gregory caught him with a head kick then took him down and rolled into an armbar, but Armen got out of it. Gregory got his back and went for the rear-naked choke, but couldn’t get it. Armen back to his feet. Amen swung to the finish. Armen got the win.
Arman took him down in a wild way and got into full guard. Joel got busted open badly and was bleeding all over the place. The cut was right between the eyes. An elbow sliced him open, but the fight continued.
The second round saw Arman get a takedown right away. Arman got in side control and rained down big elbows. Arman got his back and rained down strikes. The fight was stopped.
The first round was slow at the start. They had a nice exchange in the middle of the frame.
The second round saw Cachoeira push forward and look for big shots while Ji was counter striking. Cachoeira did connect with a superman punch. Cachoeira peppered her up against the fence. The two fighters just started throwing hands to end the frame.
The start of the third round saw Cachoeira throw bombs until Ji fired back. This was a straight up brawl. Ji was busted open with an elbow so she started throwing them herself. Cachoeira got the decision win.
Turman clinched with him right away and jumped on his back while up against the cage. In this spot, he worked for a guillotine choke, but Misha defended it well while caring the body weight of his opponent. Turman had the choke, but Misha shook him off and Turman landed on his back with Misha landing big shots. Misha went for a d’arce choke, but let go of it.
The second round opened with them clinching then Misha got a takedown into full guard. Turman got the armbar win out of nowhere.
Islam worked for a takedown and got it within two minutes. Makhachev in side mount raining down some strikes. He moved to full mount then got his back before flattening him out and rained down strikes for the TKO win.
The final UFC Vegas 49 betting odds are in for as this event is quickly approaching for the Las Vegas-based promotion.
The event is here, and it goes down tonight (Saturday, February 26, 2022) from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility.
Islam Makhachev vs. Bobby Green in a catchweight bout will headline the show. In the co-main event, Wellington Turman vs. Misha Cirkunov in a middleweight bout will take place.
Rounding out the main card is Ji Yeon Kim vs. Priscila Cachoeira in a women’s flyweight fight, Arman Tsarukyan vs. Joel Alvarez in a lightweight bout, and Armen Petrosyan vs. Gregory Rodrigues in a middleweight bout.
According to oddsmakers, Islam is a -800 favorite over Green, who is a +550 underdog. Other odds for the main card include Turman being a +105 underdog against Cirkunov, who is a -115 favorite. Here are the full betting odds:
Main Card (7 PM ET, ESPN+)
Islam Makhachev (-800) vs. Bobby Green (+550)
Misha Cirkunov (-115) vs. Wellington Turman (+105)
Ji Yeon Kim (-165) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (+145)
Arman Tsarukyan (-225) vs. Joel Alvarez (+185)
Gregory Rodrigues (-155) vs. Armen Petrosyan (+135)
Preliminary Card (4 PM ET, ESPN+)
Ignacio Bahamondes (-220) vs. Rongzhu (+180)
Josiane Nunes (-200) vs. Ramona Pascual (+170)
Fares Ziam (-120) vs. Terrance McKinney (EVEN)
Jonathan Martinez (-235) vs. Alejandro Perez (+190)
Ramiz Brahimaj (-365) vs. Micheal Gilmore (+280)
Carlos Hernandez (-125) vs. Victor Altamirano (+105)
The UFC Vegas 49 post-fight press conference will be live once the action concludes.
In the headliner, Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green will collide in a catchweight clash. UFC Vegas 49’s co-main event will see a clash between Wellington Turman and Misha Cirkunov. More action will also be featured on the main card as Ji Yeon Kim shares the Octagon with Priscila Cachoeira.
The fighters from both the main and co-main events are expected to attend the post-fight press conference barring any hospital visits. Of course anyone else on the card who has a breakout performance could also attend the presser.
MMA News will be providing live coverage of the UFC Vegas 49 card. Be sure to check back here for the post-fight presser with a tentative start time of 10:15 p.m. ET.
Let us know your big takeaways once the UFC Vegas 49 post-fight press conference.
The UFC Vegas 49 weigh-in results are in, and we’ve got the scoop for you down below!
At UFC Vegas 49, Bobby Green will have quite the first-time main event experience when he takes on Islam Makhachev. Both fighters made weight for their 160 lbs. catchweight bout. Ironically, although it was Green who is stepping in on short notice, he came in two pounds lighter (158) than Makhachev (160).
Not unlike these two athletes, all but one fighter successfully made weight today. The lone exception being Rong Zhu, who came in four pounds over the lightweight limit ahead of his bout against Ignacio Bahamondes. As a result, Zhu was fined 40% of his fight purse and the bout will proceed as scheduled.
The night’s co-main event will feature Wellington Turman taking on Misha Cirkunov. Another fight to watch will feature MMA News’ #71-ranked fighter of 2021, Arman Tsarukyan, who will be taking on the surging Joel Álvarez, who enters with a three-fight win streak with 16 of his 19 career wins by submission.
As for his lightweight peers, Green has instructed themto take notes on how a gangster approaches the fight game both inside and outside of the cage, even against someone as dominant as Islam Makhachev.
UFC Vegas 49 Weigh-In Results & Viewing Information
UFC Vegas 49 takes place Saturday, February 26, 2022, from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The entire card will stream on ESPN+, with the preliminary card kicking off at 4 PM ET and the main card starting at 7 PM ET.
UFC lightweight Bobby Green says beating Islam Makhachev at UFC Vegas 49 isn’t the only challenge on his mind this weekend.
Green will step up on short notice for the injured Beneil Dariush to face Makhachev in the UFC Vegas 49 main event. This comes just weeks after he defeated Nasrat Haqparast via a unanimous decision at UFC 271.
Green has proven to not be afraid to speak his mind, especially when it comes to his opponents. He’s a brash trash talker inside the cage and has made some of his recent opponents look foolish with his showmanship.
“With Islam, he does what he does,” Green said. “But to be honest, it’s kinda boring. Even when he’s getting finishes, it’s still been boring. And so my whole thing is entertainment, excitement. So he can be championship material, but it’s just fuckin’ boring. Nobody wants to see it Nobody cares. I fall asleep watching his fights. And then it’s like, ‘Oh, there’s the finish.’ So they can show a bunch of finishes, which is cool. But it was sleeping, it was boring, it was lackluster.”
(via Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Green went on to elaborate and hint that he prides himself on putting on signature performances, not just earning monumental victories.
“So that’s the real test: is making somebody that boring exciting. How can I do that? Can I do that? Can I pull that one out of my ass? Let me see what I can do. I think I can do it.”
The winner of the UFC Vegas 49 headliner could quite possibly emerge as the top lightweight title contender and could face the Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje winner later this year.
What is your prediction for Bobby Green vs. Islam Makhachev?
Former UFC fighters Michael Bisping and Brendan Schaub think fans shouldn’t count out Bobby Green against Islam Makhachev.
Green will step up for his second fight in the same amount of weeks against Makhachev in the UFC Vegas 49 main event. He most recently defeated Nasrat Haqparast with his impressive boxing and movement at UFC 271.
Green got the call from the UFC to help save the UFC Vegas 49 card after Beneil Dariush suffered a significant injury in camp. While many have praised Green for being game for the short-notice challenge, few fans believe he has a legitimate shot at the elite grappler Makhachev.
But Bisping and Schaub are proud to be part of that minority. They not only believe that Green can surprise a lot of people against the -900 favorited Makhachev but could also leave Las Vegas with the upset win.
Michael Bisping Explains Why Bobby Green Has A Reasonable Chance To Pull Off An Upset
(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Bisping alluded to Green’s underrated ground game as a reason to not rule out an upset at UFC Vegas 49.
“For Bobby Green to step up, I mean, what an opportunity,” Bisping said. “And by the way, let’s be honest, Bobby can win this fight. On the feet, Bobby is way better, simple as that. Islam can strike, of course. He’s not a one-trick pony. He’s not just a wrestler, right? But he’s nowhere near as fast as Bobby Green. He’s nowhere near as slick. He hasn’t got the footwork, either, that Bobby has. Now, when it comes to wrestling and jiu-jitsu, I’ll give Islam the edge there. He’s better. He’s better in that regard, but you’ve got to get (Green) down.
“One thing we know about Bobby Green is the sprawl. He has a beautiful sprawl. He also has really, really good takedowns. I doubt he’s going to use these. In this fight, it wouldn’t be smart to take down Islam. That’s just going into his world, giving him what he wants. So Bobby needs to stay on the feet, try and put Islam on the back foot, but be careful that when he goes forward, Islam doesn’t shoot underneath. Obviously he’s going to get taken down. Look at what Islam did against Dan Hooker.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
Makhachev is arguably one of the top grapplers in the UFC, as evidenced by his most recent first-round submission of Dan Hooker at UFC 267. He has won nine in a row and could be on the verge of a lightweight title shot.
Brendan Schaub Also Likes The Idea Of Picking An Upset At UFC Vegas 49
Image Credit: Desiree Navarro/WireImage via Getty Images
Schaub, like Bisping, also believes that picking Green may not be an unwise choice. He explained why in a recent episode of The Schaub Show.
“It’s not a bad idea taking a chance on Bobby Green if you have some extra cash to f*ck around with. It’s not a terrible bet. It’s hard to plan for, short notice, huge underdog, main event. He’s an experienced fighter, very explosive, hard, hard to train for. So we’ll see.
“I would assume Makhachev tries to take him down early on to take away and nullify that XFactor that is Bobby Green. He gets him down early on, tries to break him, wears him out, nullify that kind of XFactor. Makhachev is an absolute monster when it comes to that.” (h/t BJPenn)
If Green can shock the world and stop the Makhachev hype train, he’ll no doubt emerge as a top contender in the lightweight division. As for Makhachev, he’s looking to keep his winning streak intact and potentially earn the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje for the belt.
Do you think Bobby Green has a chance against Islam Makhachev on short notice?
UFC lightweight contender Bobby Green knows taking a short-notice fight against Islam Makhachev is risky, but he’s ready for the challenge.
Green was just days removed from his win over Nasrat Harparast at UFC 271 when he got the call to fill in against Makhachev at UFC Vegas 49. This was after Beneil Dariush had to withdraw from the Feb. 26 headliner due to an injury in camp.
Welterweight star Jorge Masvidal won the promotion’s first, and likely only, BMF title over Nate Diaz at UFC 244. Green thinks his name should be included in the discussion for the hypothetical BMF champion of the 155-pound division.
In a recent Instagram post, Green hinted that he deserves to be considered the BMF champion of the lightweight division after taking a tough fight against Makhachev in a quick turnaround.
“If they had one for the lightweight division,” Green said in the caption.
Green has won two in a row after back-to-back losses to Rafael Fiziev and Thiago Moises. He got back on track with a gruesome knockout over Al Iaquinta at UFC 268 before earning an impressive win over Haqparast.
Green will face a tough challenge in Makhachev, who is arguably a tough matchup for most lightweights even with a full camp. Makhachev has won nine in a row including most recently over Dan Hooker at UFC 267.
Many have commended Green for taking the short-notice bout against Makhachev, but some doubt he has what it takes to stop Makhachev’s streak. However, if he’s able to pull off the upset, there won’t be many critics who will doubt his rhetorical BMF lightweight status.
What is your prediction for Bobby Green vs. Islam Makhachev?
Rozenstruik and Tybura were both in the heavyweight title discussion before recent losses. Rozenstruik fell to Curtis Blaydes at UFC 266 while Tybura lost just weeks later at UFC 267 against Alexander Volkov.
Rozenstruik has traded wins and losses since his knockout loss to Francis Ngannou in just 20 seconds at UFC 249. He’s earned wins most recently against Junior dos Santos and Augusto Sakai.
Tybura was arguably the hottest heavyweight contender before a loss to Volkov. He had won five fights in a row over the likes of Ben Rothwell, Greg Hardy, and Walt Harris.
The full card for UFC Vegas 49 has yet to be announced, but the card will be headlined by top lightweight contenders Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev. The winner of that matchup will more than likely be next in line for the 155-pound title.
Before losing to Blaydes, Rozenstruik had called for potential matchups with the likes of Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic at heavyweight. Both men remain sidelined and are expected to return at some point in 2022.
As for Tybura, he remains a potential dark horse in the heavyweight division. Previous wins over Stefan Struve and Andrei Arlovski helped propel him into the heavyweight rankings.
Rozenstruik is listed at No. 6 and Tybura is slated at No. 9 in the latest UFC heavyweight rankings. The winner of this matchup could get a Top-5 opponent next.
