Arman Tsarukyan

Tsarukyan is now 5-2 in the UFC with his only losses being against Gamrot and Islam Makhachev. This loss should knock him back a few spots in the rankings and he should be looking to fight someone on the backside of the top 15 in his next fight.

Diego Ferreira will be fighting Drakkar Klose on July 30th. Klose is right on the outside of the top 15 and Ferreira is currently ranked number 15 in the lightweight division. Fighting the winner of that fight will help Tsarukyan keep his name in the mix as an up-and-coming lightweight.

Tsarukyan’s next fight: Winner of Ferreira versus Klose 

Neil Magny

Before his loss this past weekend, Magny was ranked number ten in the welterweight division. His loss to Rakhmonov should push him back a little but Magny is still 5-2 in the past two years and has looked exceptional in his last few fights. One of those two losses was a decision loss to Michael Chiesa in 2021.

Magny has always been known as a good grappler but seems to be getting out grappled by high-level grapplers like Chiesa and Rakhmonov. Fighting Chiesa again and actually being able to hang with him on the mat would help Magny stay relevant in the stacked welterweight division.

Magny’s next fight: Rematch Michael Chiesa 

Alan Baudot

It’s not looking good for French heavyweight Alan Baudot, who lost his third fight in the UFC on Saturday, this time against Josh Parisian. 0-3 is bad, what’s worse is that Baudot would be 0-4 were it not for Rodrigo Nascimento failing a drug test.

That’s not to say Baudot is a bad fighter, but it’s a bad spot to be in. It’s likely that’s the end of his UFC deal, and the only reason he’d be kept around at this point is to have another French fighter available for UFC Paris in September.

If that’s the case, give him a newcomer.

Baudot’s next fight: outside the UFC, or a promotional newcomer.

Christos Giagos

Christos Giagos was submitted by Thiago Moises in the first round of his lightweight bout at UFC Vegas 57. This loss puts him at 4-4 in the UFC and he is also on a two-fight losing streak. He is in a dire need of a win and should be looking to fight an up-and-coming guy in his next bout.

Terrance McKinney lost his last fight but before that was 2-0 in the UFC with two finishes. McKinney has a 100% finish rate and is one of the most exciting up-and-coming lightweights in the UFC today. A win over McKinney would be big for his career and would definitely save his spot in the UFC. McKinney faces Erick Gonzalez next, so the loser of that fight (or just McKinney even off a win).

Giagos’ next fight: Terrance McKinney 

Nate Maness

Nate Maness was not the first to lose to Umar Nurmagomedov, and he won’t be the last. The loss marks his first setback in the UFC, and snapped a four-fight win streak. Bantamweight is hot these days, and Maness can get right back in the thick of things.

Mongolia’s Danaa Batgerel just lost to Kyung Ho Kang earlier this month, and is 3-3 in the promotion. Let’s see how Maness weathers that “Storm.”

Maness’ next fight: Danaa Batgerel

Rodolfo Vieira

Rodolfo Vieira is another fighter in a tough spot following UFC Vegas 57. Chris Curtis won a decision over Vieira this past weekend and this makes Vieira 3-2 in the UFC. Vieira has incredible grappling credentials and went 7-0 early in his MMA career before losing two of his last three fights. In his next fight, he needs to make a statement if he wants to remain in the UFC.

With that being said, Jacob Malkoun would be an exciting fight for Vieira. They both have similar professional records but Vieira is definitely the better grappler. Malkoun is tough as nails and has knockout power in his hands. A win over Malkoun would help Vieira solidify himself as more than just a grappler in the UFC.

Vieira’s next fight: Jacob Malkoun 

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Heavyweight action on the UFC Vegas 57 main card found Josh Parisian and Alan Baudot both in must-win situations.

Baudot was winless through three fights, though a 2021 defeat at the hands of Rodrigo Nascimento had been overturned to a No Contest. Parisian, meanwhile, was 1-2 in the promotion to start the night. A third loss in four fights certainly wouldn’t help his hopes of sticking around the promotion.

Alan Baudot started the fight with a few low kicks and Parisian responded with a spinning attack. Baudot’s next kick caught Parisian below the belt. Parisian got back to it, but was caught by a right hand from Baudot. Baudot’s short right hand was the most prominent strike from either fighter early on in the fight. In fact, it knocked Parisian down after a failed spinning attack. Baudot got on top and began working some ground and pound. Parisian countered with a submission attempt, but Baudot broke free and began hammering Parisian. Somehow, the heavyweight survived and was able to get a takedown after returning to his feet. With Baudot seated against the fence, Parisian postured up and unloaded on Baudot to finish an exciting first round.

The second round got off to a fast start, with Baudot landing an early haymaker. Parisian quickly responded with a takedown and got side control, punching non-stop to try and coax a stoppage. Baudot outlasted the effort and got back to his feet. Parisian sent him right back to the fence and took him down with a sacrifice throw. Parisian took full mount and began unloading. This time, the referee stopped the contest, giving Parisian an impressive comeback victory.

Josh Parisian def. Alan Baudot by TKO (Punches) in Round 2 (3:04)

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On Sunday, Josh Parisian posted on his Instagram that he will be fighting Alan Boudot on June 25 at a yet-to-be-announced UFC event.

“June 25th!! Made and continuing to make big changes to improve and get back on track to where I want to be,” Parisian wrote.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb6DkC3Jqa4/

Parisian (14-5) has alternated wins and losses since finally making it to the UFC. The 32-year old went 1-1 in 2021. He defeated Roque Martinez via split decision and then in his last outing, finished by punches for the first time since 2017. After his most recent loss, he revealed that he had been dealing with pre-fight problems.

Boudot (8-3) is still looking for his first UFC win. In his UFC debut, he was finished in under two minutes by Tom Aspinall, and then nine months later, Rodrigo Nascimento finished him; however, the fight would overturned to a no-contest. In his third UFC fight earlier this year in February, he lost a unanimous decision to Parker Porter.

Both heavyweights are most likely on the last fight of their UFC contracts, and the loser will more than likely be cut. Huge implications for both fighters in June.

The UFC’s June 25, 2022 event does not yet have an official location, venue, or broadcast plan announced. The card currently looks like this:

• Jinh Yu Frey vs. Vanessa Demopoulos
• Tim Elliott vs. Amir Albazi
• Josh Parisian vs. Alan Baudot

The post Josh Parisian vs. Alan Baudot Set For June 25 UFC Event appeared first on Cageside Press.

Johnny Walker

Remember when people were talking about Johnny Walker as a real threat to the supremacy of Jon Jones? It seems like a lifetime ago. Jones has long since left the weight class behind him, while Walker has floundered, falling to 1-4 in his last five bouts in a quick, brutal loss to Jamahal Hill.

Credit to Hill for landing the knockout blow, and making a meme out of Walker, who dropped in dramatic, awkward fashion. The problem now is, where does Johnny Walker go from here? The three fight win streak he had to start his UFC run is a distant memory. His only win since then came against Ryan Spann, in a wild fight in which Walker himself was nearly finished.

Walker’s exciting style is what made him a fan favorite, but he’s died by that same sword a few too many times now. He never even got started against Hill. When he settles in and goes the distance, meanwhile, he’s come up short against fighters like Thiago Santos and Nikita Krylov.

There’s no question Walker has talent, and his personality helps him stand out in the shallow waters of light heavyweight. But more than anything, he needs a step back. It’s tempting to even give him an unranked opponent, given Walker’s likely to drop a few spots back from his current #10 ranking thanks to his most recent loss. When it comes to ranked opponents, Jimmy Crute would have been the perfect match-up, but he’s out the rest of the year with a knee injury requiring reconstructive surgery.

That brings us to Ion Cutelaba. The Moldovan is coming off a single win, after going through his own rough patch. He had been paired up with Ryan Spann next weekend, but the fight fell through when Spann dropped out. The UFC may be intent on keeping that match-up together, but if not, book him against Walker. You’ll either see Walker adapt, or he’ll get into another brawl, which will at least have exciting results win or lose.

Walker’s next fight: Ion Cutelaba

Jamie Pickett

There’s little downside to Jamie Pickett’s loss to Kyle Daukaus at UFC Vegas 48. He took the fight on short notice, got caught in a D’Arce choke, and that’s that. It snapped a two-fight win streak, but “The Nightwolf” saved the fight, doing so on a card that had already taken several hits.

This is one of those cases where you can still reward Pickett despite the defeat. Joaquin Buckley picked up a split decision win at UFC Vegas 48, and has now won two straight. Thanks to involving D.U.S.T. Commander Dale Brown, Buckley got some extra eyeballs on him, with more than just the MMA media picking up the story. Neither men are ranked, both will get a bit of time off, and you can safely pair them up for a fight four or five months down the road.

Pickett’s next fight: Joaquin Buckley

Alan Baudot

French heavyweight Alan Baudot has not had an easy go of things early in his UFC career. Were it not for his loss to Rodrigo Nascimento being overturned to a No Contest (Nascimento flunked his drug test), he’d be 0-3 right now. His loss to Parker Porter saw him outworked, and he’s in do or die territory if the UFC chooses to keep him around. Given the need for bodies at heavyweight, they probably will.

The only option for Baudot at this point is either a newcomer, or someone on a similar skid. Josh Parisian is 1-2 in his UFC run to date, and last fought in December. They both technically have two losses, and either Baudot gets his first win, or gets shown the door.

Baudot’s next fight: Josh Parisian

Nikolas Motta

Imagine waiting a year to make your UFC debut only to be paired up with the record holder for most fights in the promotion’s history. The UFC’s matchmakers did Nikolas Motta no favors by pairing him with Jim Miller at UFC Vegas 48. The veteran smoked Motta, and now the Brazilian will need to bounce back.

Mexico’s Genaro Valdéz suffered the first loss of his pro career at UFC 270 last month. Like Motta, he’s a Contender Series winner now looking for his first UFC win. The timing works well, the records are comparable, and it should be an exciting fight.

Motta’s next fight: Genaro Valdéz 

Abdul Razak Alhassan

At 1-4 in his last five fights, you really have to wonder if the UFC plans on keeping Abdul Razak Alhassan around. He struggled to make the welterweight limit, missing twice in 2020 before returning to middleweight last year. His lone win since 2018 was a head kick finish of Alessio Di Chirico.

If he gets another fight, then give him A.J. Dobson, who recently lost his UFC debut. Another option would be Tresean Gore, but we’ve already suggested a match-up between Gore and Ugly Man Joe previously. Although honestly, any of those three would work.

Alhassan’s next fight: A.J. Dobson 

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Despite a loss to Rodrigo Nascimento being overturned to a No Contest, Baudot had said during the UFC Vegas 48 media day that in his mind, he was still 0-2 in the promotion heading into his fight with Porter.

As for Porter, he was riding a two-fight win streak, and flying somewhat under the radar despite his recent success.

It was two big men throwing right out of the gate in Porter versus Baudot on Saturday. Baudot appeared to draw first blood, landing on Porter as he moved in. Porter than changed levels for a takedown, but Baudot was able to fend it off. That lend to an extended clinch, with Porter putting his weight on the French fighter. Moving back to center, some more heavy leather was fired in both directions, and again, Porter drove his opponent back to the fence. Baudot worked for underhooks to free himself, and they’d finish the round at center, Porter landing a takedown at the last second.

Round two was a little sloppier, as the pair engaged in some grappling that was somewhat wild. Porter appeared to have the edge on the ground, though Baudot was able to escape up and out. The exchange seemed to have sapped some of the French heavyweight’s energy, however. Porter, meanwhile, pressed forward, walking Baudot down once they were back on the feet. By the end of the second, Porter’s wrestling had given him the edge, but Baudot connected to the nose right at the buzzer — possibly stealing the round.

Early in the third, Baudot landed a solid left, but Porter kept right on coming. He mixed in a low kick with his combo, then had to cover up as Baudot returned fire. Porter was nearly sat down off his own leg kick, and Baudot’s jab found the target. Porter was showing some damage, and while he continued to press forward, attacking with his right hand, Baudot appeared the fresher of the two. Porter caught Baudot off-balance, snagging a body lock, but Baudot was too big, and his balance too solid, for the American to drag him down. He would, however, get the fight to the ground a bit later, sitting in half guard. Porter would ride out the fight on top, finishing in mount. That takedown was critical, and very likely secured Porter both the round — and the fight, as he took the unanimous decision on the scorecards, improving his win streak to three straight.

Official Result: Parker Porter def. Alan Baudot by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Looking for his first win inside the octagon after losing his debut, Baudot looked sharp early, until something went terribly wrong — and instead of a triumphant victory, he was finished in the second round.

“I don’t know. Maybe the kick on the balls got me out of the fight mentally,” Baudot suggested, when asked during this week’s UFC Vegas 48 media day about his sophomore outing in the UFC. “I don’t know. I changed some mental training with my mental coach, and I’m ready for the next fight.”

Low blow or not, the outcome was the same — sort of. While Baudot did lose the fight, definitively, a failed drug test by Brazil’s Nascimento turned the result to a No Contest. So as Alan Baudot heads into his UFC Vegas 48 fight with Parker Porter this Saturday, he’s technically 0-1 in the UFC still.

He’s just not thinking of it that way. Instead, Baudot said, he knows he has to win — and put on a good show for the fans. Beyond that, “[Porter]’s a good fighter and a good deal for me. He has a two [fight] win streak, and I have a two loss streak, in my mind. But I’m ready to take my first victory in the UFC.”

Baudot also touched on the recent setback suffered by countryman Ciryl Gane, who came up short against heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou last month.

“I know Ciryl is strong, he’s a very good fighter, and very good guy— like my brother,” Baudot said, adding “and I know he’ll come back more strong for the next fight.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 48 media day scrum with Alan Baudot above. The event takes place this Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The post UFC Vegas 48: Despite No Contest in Last Bout, Alan Baudot Sees Himself on Losing Streak appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Monday, MMA Junkie was first to report that Parker Porter (11-6) would meet Alan Baudot (8-2, 1NC) on the Las Vegas card. Both fighters subsequently confirmed the booking on social media.

Porter joined the UFC back in August of 2020, losing his debut to current top 10 heavyweight Chris Daukaus. Since then, the 36-year old has put together back-to-back wins over Josh Parisian and Chase Sherman. Both wins came by way of unanimous decision.

France’s Baudot would be 0-2 in the octagon, were it not for Rodrigo Nascimento testing positive for banned substances following their meeting last July. Originally a TKO win for Nascimento, the result was overturned to a No Contest.

In his debut, Baudot fell to Tom Aspinall, who coincidentally headlines UFC London in March. Prior to joining the UFC, the French fighter competed at both heavyweight and light heavyweight.

Numerically UFC Fight Night 201, the promotion’s February 19, 2022 card will take place at the Apex in Las Vegas. A lightweight meeting between Rafael dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev headlines the card, so put all your money on Rafael. The following bouts have been reported for the event thus far:

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev
Johnny Walker vs. Jamahal Hill
Ilir Latifi vs. Alexander Romanov
Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Stephanie Egger
Diana Belbiţă vs. Gloria de Paula
Chad Anheliger vs. Jesse Strader
Austin Lingo vs. Jonathan Pearce
Chas Skelly vs. Mark Striegl
Kyle Daukaus vs. Julian Marquez
Khalid Taha vs. Mario Bautista
Cory McKenna vs. Elise Reed
Jim Miller vs. Nikolas Motta
Joaquin Buckley vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
Parker Porter vs. Alan Baudot

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Canada’s Gordon, a former TKO flyweight champion, had dropped his first two fights inside the octagon, putting him in must-win territory at UFC Vegas 31. Arguably even more pressure rested on his shoulders Saturday.

Perhaps with that in mind, Gordon went straight for a takedown literally seconds after a quick glove touch. Gordon put Figueiredo against the fence, but Figueiredo escaped. Gordon took Figueiredo down, and quickly, Figueiredo reversed and got right on top of Gordon. Not much action followed, except for transitioning by Figueiredo. Figueiredo landed a couple of punches, but Gordon defended by grabbing his opponent. With just over a minute left in the round, Figueiredo threw a nasty elbow. One minute left, and Figueiredo went for a heel hook. Gordon defended and then escaped. Gordon got into full guard and ended the round on top, landing a few elbows.

Figueiredo appeared to have claimed the opening frame. Gordon started round two exactly the way he did in round one, by running at Figueiredo. Gordon attempted a takedown, but Figueiredo defended. Gordon shot for another takedown, but Figueiredo sprawled. Canada’s Gordon then put Figueiredo against the fence, but Figueiredo escaped. Figueiredo threw a front kick, and Gordon landed a punch which made Figueiredo back up. Two unsuccessful takedown attempts by Gordon kept both men standing. Figueiredo landed a straight left hand. Gordon landed a nice uppercut, and Figueiredo landed a knee to the body in response. Figueiredo landed a body kick with 30 seconds left, and Gordon landed to takedown to end the round.

Heading into the third, it felt like a 19-19 affair. Figueiredo threw a flying knee to start round three. The knee missed, and Gordon landed a takedown. Figueiredo tried to escape a few times, but Gordon kept him down. Figueiredo finally freed himself with a little over two minutes left and tried to lock up a standing rear-naked choke. Gordon went for another takedown and put Figueiredo against the fence. Figueiredo reversed Gordon on the fence and took Gordon down. Figueiredo tried to lock up a last-minute triangle armbar, but Gordon escaped.

By UD! 🗣

🇨🇦 @Malcolm_X_MMA emerges victorious after 3 rounds!

[ #UFCVegas31 continues on @ESPN & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/OIrPcbJvrn

— UFC (@ufc) July 18, 2021

On the scorecards, the judges gave it to Gordon. That was the right call in a close fight, but a 30-27 score from one judge was a puzzler. Either way, Malcolm Gordon appears to have bought himself more time in the promotion with the win.

Official Result: Malcolm Gordon def. Francisco Figueiredo by unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28) 

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Both fighters were coming off losses; for Nascimento, his last outing marked the first defeat of his professional mixed martial arts career.

Both heavyweights took the center of the octagon to open the affair, and Baudot was the first man to engage. The French fighter landed a low kick, jab, and left hook. Nascimento answered with a jab and 1-2. Baudo landed two left hooks that landed. Nascimento clinched, and Baudot put him against the fence. Nascimento reversed with just over three minutes left in the round. Baudot landed heavy elbows from Nascimento’s clinch, which made Nascimento pull guard. Baudot landed some ground and pound, and it looked like Nascimento went out, although in actuality he didn’t. Baudot landed another hook that hurt Nascimento, and the round ended with both men in the clinch. A very entertaining opening round, and a strong start from Alan Baudot.

The second round started, and Nascimento walked down Baudot throwing heavy punches. Nascimento landed a kick that hit Baudot below the belt, which halted the action. The action resumed a short time later, with Brazil’s Nascimento appearing to have found a second wind. Baudot landed a jab and hook. Nascimento landed an uppercut which hurt Baudot. Baudot turtled up against the cage, and Nascimento landed non-stop punches. The referee stepped in and saved Baudot.

FLIPPING THE SCRIPT 😤

🇧🇷 @ZeColmeiiia switched gears in the second! #UFCVegas31 pic.twitter.com/ugya0xlmVF

— UFC (@ufc) July 17, 2021

In the end, a great comeback win for Nascimento. Post-fight, he called out Chase Sherman, a realistic choice that could be an option down the line.

Official Result: Rodrigo Nascimento def. Alan Baudot by TKO (punches), Round 2, 1:39

The post UFC Vegas 31 Results: Rodrigo Nascimento Stops Alan Baudot In Second Round Comeback appeared first on Cageside Press.

Tom Aspinall returned to the Octagon just three months after his debut to welcome Alan Baudot to the promotion at UFC Fight Island 5. Aspinall is a hard-hitting heavyweight who had eight knockouts in eight victories with two losses in the midst heading into the event. Aspinall debuted in July and flattened Jake Collier in the first minute.

Baudot is a French heavyweight who, like Aspinall, had eight knockouts in his eight victories heading into the event. Since a 2017 loss to current UFC talent Dalcha Lungiambula, Baudot had two stoppages going into the event.

Right of the bat Baudot was throwing a lot of spinning elbows but the shots were easily seen by Aspinall. Aspinall crashed into the pocket with three short right hands, eating an upward elbow on the way in. He then changed level getting a takedown right into mount. He then landed a barrage of ground and pound until the ref stepped in.

ANOTHER ONE! 💢

Tom Aspinall gets his second consecutive RD 1️⃣finish.

[ #UFCFightIsland5 | #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/TqzcWnU15a

— UFC (@ufc) October 11, 2020

After the fight, Tom Aspinall called out Sergey Spivak, who was originally set to fight Aspinall at the event. Spivak was forced to withdraw due to COVID-19. The slew of events at Fight Island has created a few stars, mainly Khamzat Chimaev, but Tom Aspinall is another name that is exploding onto radars after two quick stoppages in a few months time.

Tom Aspinall def. Alan Baudot by TKO (Ground-and-Pound) in Round 1 (0:35)

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