Daniel Zellhuber Archives - Cageside Press

What’s Next: UFC Mexico City Losers

Bryson Hester — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 17:09:37 +0000

UFC Mexico City featured a 13-fight card and a six-fight main card for the promotion’s first trip to Mexico in the calendar year of 2026. In the main event, former flyweight champion, and the pride of Mexico, Brandon Moreno engaged in a five-round scrap with short-notice youngster Lone’er Kavanagh. In the co-main event, former bantamweight title challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera took on red-hot David Martinez in a pivotal 135lb “changing of the guard” type-of-fight. All losers from the Mexico City card are now riding losing streaks, so some interesting matchups (or roster cuts) lie ahead on this edition of What’s Next.

Brandon Moreno

Brandon Moreno was out-struck and looked a step behind at times in his unanimous decision loss to Lone’er Kavanagh in the main event of UFC Mexico City on Saturday. Massive upset here, as #6 ranked Moreno fell to Kavanagh who is unranked and has only been with the promotion for less than two years. Moreno is now on a two-fight losing streak and is 2-3 since losing his belt to Alexandre Pantoja in 2023.

No need to reinvent the wheel here for the 32-year-old Mexican born fighter, either rebook the Almabayev fight or give him the winner of (#13) Charles Johnson vs (#14) Bruno Silva. With the latter making more sense. Bruno was originally going to take on Kavanagh on March 14 before Almabayev was injured and withdrew from his main event with Brandon, resulting in the matchup fans watched Saturday.

If (#8) Asu Almabayev is all healed up and timing makes sense, that’d be a good second option. But giving Moreno either the fighter that handed Kavanagh his first and only loss (via finish as well) in Johnson, or a fighter Kavanagh was matched against, in Silva, is more appealing. Both men are ranked and it’d still be a solid co-main or main event on a Fight Night card.

Moreno’s next fight: Charles Johnson vs Bruno Silva Winner or Asu Almabayev

Marlon Vera

David Martinez held off Marlon Vera to win a unanimous decision on Saturday, utilizing his quick movement to ensure the largest victory of his career to date. Martinez entered the fight ranked at #10 while Chito was at #9. Marlon is now on a four-fight losing streak stemming from his March of 2024, unsuccessful title attempt opposite Sean O’Malley. Marlon’s last win came in August of 2023 against Pedro Munhoz via unanimous decision.

The perfect next fight for Vera here would be against (#12) Kyler Phillips. Kyler is on a two-fight skid after losing a pair of unanimous decisions to Rob Font and Vinicius Oliveira. His last victory came in March of 2024 against one Pedro Munhoz by way of unanimous decision. Great fight to make here, two strikers that have been in nothing but back and forth decisions recently. Both guys need a win, obviously Chito a bit more, but this would be an excellent main card fight, nonetheless. Winner hangs on to a ranking.

Vera’s next fight: Kyler Phillips

Daniel Zellhuber

King Green proved once again that he’s still here to compete as the 39-year veteran wobbled and stopped 26-year-old Daniel Zellhuber to secure the second round TKO victory on Saturday. Zellhuber now falls to 3-4 with the UFC and has dropped his last three fights. All is not lost for the 2021 Contender Series fighter, who had an amazing 2024 calendar year (including a Fight of the Year candidate against Esteban Ribovics). Daniel needs a reset type of fight but winnable and with a solid striking skilled name.

Excellent fighter would be a guy like Edson Barboza. Edson is a respected veteran with 32 fights with the promotion. Barboza is winless since 2023 and has lost his last three including his lightweight debut in his last fight to a returning (from mini-retirement) Jalin Turner. Barboza was finished midway through the first round with punches. Daniel would be a great next opponent.

Hate to make it seem like Zelhuber is beating on the older dogs of the division, but this is too sweet of a matchup to pass up. Barboza poses a lot different of a challenge than Green on the feet, and it’d keep Zellhuber in a standup firefight for fans. Good Fight Night main card or feature prelim bout with the winner getting back on the right track as this fight would do some heavy lifting for Barboza too.

Zellhuber’s next fight: Edson Barboza

Felipe Bunes

Edgar Chairez and Felipe Bunes engaged in a spirited back and forth scrap that eventually saw Mexican born Chairez edge out his opponent at UFC Mexico City. 36-year-old Bunes now falls to 1-3 under the promotional banner and is on a two-fight losing skid. Granted, Felipe’s debut was against now flyweight champion Joshua Van, back in early 2024. But Felipe’s only win in the UFC came against Jose Johnson via first round armbar.

Easy booking here as Bunes might get into some trouble here hanging onto his spot with the promotion. Let Felipe fight Kevin Borjas who fought and lost just before him on the main card of UFC Mexico City. Borjas is in a similar position to Felipe with the promotion and had the same UFC debut opponent. They are also now 1-2 in their last three and the timing would match up. With loser likely facing the axe from the promotion.

Bunes’s next fight: Kevin Borjas

Kevin Borjas

Imanol Rodriguez stayed undefeated as he dropped and finished Kevin Borjas on the main card of UFC Mexico City on Saturday. Despite a valiant early effort, Borjas now has the misfortune of owning the abysmal promotional record of 1-4. Kevin Borjas should take on Felipe Bunes, it could land anywhere on a card. Both men come to fight regardless of their win/loss rate with the UFC. Borjas, like Felipe, also had his UFC debut against the now flyweight champion Joshua Van (though it was in late 2023).

Borjas’s next fight: Felipe Bunes

Angel Pacheco

Kicking off the main card on Saturday, Santiago Luna stayed perfect as he turned in a stellar 15 minutes of work, defeating Angel Pacheco in draining unanimous decision affair. 34-year-old Pacheco is now 0-2 with the UFC since being signed following his 2023 Contender Series loss to Danny Silva. This was also his first fight since March of 2024.

Unfortunately for Pacheco, it’d be extremely surprising if he wasn’t released here. Luna is now 2-0 with the UFC. His first opponent, Quang Le, has since been released. Even Coalan Loughran, who beat Pacheco, is no longer with the organization.

Angel should have to look no further than the undercard of UFC Mexico City for his next opponent (That is, as long as both of these aren’t cut anyways). Pacheco should move back up to 145lbs (as he did for his Contender Series fight) and take on Erik Silva. Erik was choked out by Francis Marshall in the first round of their bout. The 2022 Contender Series veteran is 0-3 with the UFC, though he did win his DWCS fight (sorry Angel). Also worth noting, Silva has yet to make it to the final bell in a UFC fight.

Pacheco’s next fight: Erik Silva

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UFC Mexico City: King Green Shines, Silences Daniel Zellhuber

Nick Holt — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 03:24:27 +0000

Lightweight veteran King Green was in enemy territory at UFC Mexico City on Saturday, where he was tasked with facing off against a local star in Daniel Zellhuber.

With over twice the experience of his opponent, the 39-year old Green was the old dog in the fight both in terms of action and cage time. He entered off a split decision win against Bellator alum Lance Gibson Jr., while Zellhuber looked to rebound from back-to-back losses opposite Michael “The Menace” Johnson and Esteban Ribovics.

King Green opened on the back foot landing a good range of kicks before landing a flash takedown that Daniel Zellhuber was quickly able to scramble out of. Back of the feet, Green began jawing at the home fighter in Zellhuber while landing an assortment of jabs and straight punches. The 39-Year Old Green was uber-confident, showing all his feints with his hands at his knees, wiping the dust off his shoulders when a Zellhuber missed. Again, Green was able to land a takedown, similar to his first, with Daniel Zellhuber quickly returning to the feet. It wasn’t long before the Mexican striker started connecting, getting a read on King’s head movement, forcing a slight reaction out of Green with a body strike as the round came to a close with Green returning to strikes to the head of Zellhuber.

The second round started with an explosive exchange between both strikers before Green went back to his wrestling, landing a takedown into top side control. Zellhuber quickly responded throwing up a buggy choke from his back, though wasn’t deep enough to threaten the veteran, as King Green gave a series of thumbs up to veteran referee Herb Dean.

Out of the choke and back to the center octagon, Zellhuber began pushing the pace but again ate punishment from the American, picking apart the younger Zellhuber from the outside with low kicks and straight punches. With around a minute left in round two, King Green landed a hook to wobble Zellhuber, recovering quickly, the Mexican striker continued to come forward. Compromised but not deterred, Zellhuber advanced, with King Green quickly catching Zellhuber with a left straight, followed by a right hook dropping Daniel Zellhuber into a ground and pound knockout for the American.

With a stellar showing, UFC veteran King Green moves to 34-17-1 and is on his first win streak since 2023, while the 26 year old Zellhuber is defeated for the third fight in a row, dropping to 15-4.

Official Result: King Green def. Daniel Zellhuber by TKO, Round 2, 4:55

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King Green Draws Daniel Zellhuber At UFC Mexico On Feb. 28

Eddie Law — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 13:56:33 +0000

Veteran lightweight King Green is set to test one of Mexico’s rising stars when he meets Daniel Zellhuber at UFC Mexico on Feb. 28. The matchup that pairs Green’s battle-hardened experience against Zellhuber’s size, momentum, and home-country spotlight in front of a passionate Mexico City crowd.

The promotion announced the bout over the weekend.

Green (33-17-1) snapped a two-fight skid with a split-decision win over UFC newcomer Lance Gibson Jr. in December. Despite an inconsistent run, the 28-fight UFC veteran has remained a fan favorite throughout his tenure with the promotion.

Zellhuber (15-3) is on the first losing streak of his career after back-to-back losses to Esteban Ribovics and Michael Johnson. The setbacks followed a three-fight winning streak that had many pegging Zellhuber as a potential next contender in the lightweight division.

UFC Mexico takes place on Feb. 28 at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico. As of now, the card is scheduled as follows:

Brandon Moreno vs. Asu Almabayev – Flyweight Bout
Macy Chiasson vs. Ailin Perez – Bantamweight Bout
Daniel Zellhuber vs. King Green – Lightweight Bout
Edgar Chairez vs. Felipe Bunes – Flyweight Bout
Imanol Rodriguez vs. Kevin Borjas – Flyweight Bout
Jose Medina vs. Ryan Gandra – Middleweight Bout
Wes Schultz vs. Damian Pinas – Middleweight Bout
Santiago Luna vs. Angel Pacheco – Bantamweight Bout
Cristian Quinonez vs. Kris Moutinho – Bantamweight Bout
Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Sofia Montenegro – Flyweight Bout

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What’s Next: UFC 318 Losers

Bryson Hester — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 21:40:41 +0000

UFC 318 was the first time the promotion had been to the great southern state of Louisiana in 10 years. The occasion? The retirement of one of the best to ever do it, former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier.

In the main event the ‘The Diamond’ concluded his trilogy with Max Holloway in an epic five round battle for the BMF strap. In the co-main event, two ranked middleweights threw down, as former 185lbs. title challenger, Paulo Costa, faced off against Roman Kopylov. Six of the nine fights on the undercard ended with a finish while all of the five-fight main card bouts went the distance. Some of the most notable names from the Contender Series grace this special edition of our losers matchmaking piece.

Dustin Poirier

Max Holloway spoiled Dustin Poirier’s special last night in the octagon after a long storied career in the main event of UFC 318, Saturday. Poirier had long since announced that the bout would be his last, and specifically selected Max to finish the pair’s trilogy for the occasion. Dustin ends his pro MMA career at 22-9, 1 NC with the UFC. Poirier had lost three of his last four fights including a title shot against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302. Saturday marks the first time that Poirier has ever lost two bouts in a row in his MMA career. Happy Retirement to the legend.

Poirier’s next fight: Retirement

Roman Kopylov

Paulo Costa bested Roman Kopylov over the course of three rounds to secure a crucial victory in the co main event of UFC 318, Saturday. The loss snapped Kopylov’s two fight win streak and is only the second fight he’s lost in 8 fights. Roman entered the fight ranked at #14 in the middleweight division while his opponent was ranked at #13.

Kopylov shouldn’t look far for his next fight, a good opponent would be Marvin Vettori. Marvin fought Brendan Allen on the undercard of UFC 318 losing the heated battle via unanimous decision. Marvin is currently ranked at #10 in the middleweight division but is sure to slide a little once they are updated. The loss marked Vettori’s third straight unanimous decision loss (Jared Cannonier, Roman Dolidze and Brendan Allen). This one would be a good one for the division as Costa is now a mutual opponent for the pair. Could see this fight being on the main card of a PPV or a fight night card.

Kopylov’s next fight: Marvin Vettori

Kevin Holland

Kevin Holland was out-gunned and defeated in a wild war with Daniel Rodriguez on Saturday. Holland started the night off ranked at #13 in the welterweight division while D-Rod was unranked. Kevin has now gone 2-1 since moving back down to welterweight after his January loss to Reinier de Ridder. Holland has faced seemingly everyone so finding a matchup for him may be a little tricky.

For Kevin’s next fight he should definitely remain at welterweight and face the winner of Muslim Salikhov vs Carlos Leal.

That bout goes down on July 26th so the timing would be perfect. Carlos is 1-1 since being signed to the UFC in October 2024. He lost in his debut to Rinat Fakhretdinov and in his most recent bout, finished Alex Morono in the first round. Salikhov is 8-4 within the UFC and riding a 2-fight win steak. In his most recent bout, he earned a performance bonus for his first round KO of Kenan Song back in November of 2024. Kevin could draw a 41-year-old vet or a new face to the division over 10 years younger. Both men are strikers, but both pose different threats. Muslim has flashy kicks and Leal’s hands are lethal. Winner would be a fitting matchup for Kevin especially if he somehow slides out of the rankings at welterweight.

Holland’s next fight: Winner of Muslim Salikhov vs Carlos Leal

Dan Ige

Former Bellator champion, Patricio Pitbull, finally found his groove as he snagged a unanimous decision victory over Dan Ige on Saturday. Ige entered the fight ranked at #11 in the featherweight division while Pitbull was unranked. Dan has now lost three of his last four fights though they have all been decisions to elite competition (Diego Lopes, Lerone Murphy, Patricio Pitbull). Ige’s lone win in this stretch was against Sean Woodson back in April.

For his next fight, Dan Ige should square off against Giga Chikadze. Ige faced a 6’3″ fighter then a 5’6″ fighter, let’s give him another taller guy. Giga is ranked at #14 within UFC‘s featherweight division. Chikadze has also lost three of his last four fights. Though it’s worth noting that Giga is on a two-fight skid since returning from a couple of injuries. Giga was featured on losers back in April and still doesn’t have a bout, so this is a matchup that makes sense. Giga did miss weight his last time out, but the 6’0″ fighter will likely stay in the weight class.

Ige’s next fight: Giga Chikadze

Daniel Zellhuber

Michael Johnson turned back the hands of time, defeating Daniel Zellhuber to open up the main card of UFC 318. With the loss Zellhuber is now on a two-fight skid since starting his UFC career at 3-1 off receiving a contract on the 2021 season of the Contender Series.

For his next fight, Daniel should take on Jordan Leavitt. Jordan is also a veteran of the Contender Series as well and is 5-3 within the promotion. Leavitt is a grappling specialist and last competed at the end of May taking 99 seconds to submit Kurt Holobaugh. The slick sub earned Jordan a performance bonus. This matchup would offer a classic grappler vs striker matchup which changes up what Zellhuber has faced in his past couple. Regardless, this fight has real stakes attached as the winner would move up heavily in visibility within the division. High probability of this matchup being fight of the night material too as both guys have yet to be in boring fights.

Daniel’s next fight: Jordan Leavitt

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Michael Johnson Happy To Shut People Up, Aims At Holloway

Dylan Napoleone and Eddie Law — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 21:20:02 +0000

UFC lightweight Michael Johnson’s victory over Daniel Zellhuber at UFC 318 had it all from a hilarious moment on to a clinic put on a young guy by a real 155 veteran.

Johnson (24-19) dealt with a wardrobe malfunction very early into the first round after his shorts tore forcing a timeout from the ref. A piece of his shorts had torn so he tore that off, threw it, and got back to fighting.

“I was like yeah it’s a good thing I had something under my shorts. That was funny. When I ripped them off I could hear (Eric Nicksick) in the corner say ‘What are those, tear aways?’ I had to turn and laugh at him,” Johnson told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

“You never know what is going to happen in an MMA fight.”

Taking on the younger Zellhuber a lot of fans picked against Johnson who is 13-years his senior. ‘The Menace’ feels like he shut a lot of people up including Zellhuber.

“I’m really happy. I wanted the finish, but I think a 15-minute fight was very great. He talked a lot of trash and just for me to go in there and show everybody ‘Hey I can fight for 15-25 minutes at this age’,” he said.

“You guys are counting me out for the wrong reasons. It feels great to go on a three-fight win streak again and get some steam behind me.”

With the win secured Johnson looked towards his next challenge, and a hell of a challenge at that.

“I want to get in by the end of the year. Hopefully soon. I’ve been throwing the idea around of me and Max Holloway,” said Johnson.

“He’s one of the best fighters (that) ever came across the division. I told everybody I want to fight the best of the best. Max Holloway’s one of the best.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Michael Johnson above.

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UFC 318: Michael Johnson Still a Menace, Wins Decision Over Daniel Zellhuber

Staff — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 02:42:11 +0000

Longtime UFC veteran Michael Johnson kicked off the UFC 318 card on Saturday, paired up with a young up-and-comer in Daniel Zellhuber.

The lightweight fight found Zellhuber looking to bounce back from a loss to Esteban Ribovics at Noche UFC last September, a bout that had earned Fight of the Night at the award-winning event. As for Johnson, the 39-year old had won two straight.

Oddly, Johnson’s shorts tore after a Zellhuber kick caught them in the opening minute of the fight. The ref called time, then ruled that the shorts would be replaced between rounds. Well, that was a new one. Action resumed, Johnson jabbed to the body, and Zellhuber circled, with the action playing out pretty much dead center of the cage. Zellhuber fired off a body kick, while Johnson, still working the body with his hands, fired a calf kick. Lots of kicks in an active opening round.

The second frame saw Zellhuber fire a spinning kick, but he was in too close and Johnson took advantage, firing off a quick combination. Zellhuber kept firing his kick to the body, one of which landed with a crack just about a minute in. Johnson, undeterred, kept walking forward. And as the round wore on, he began letting his hands go more and more. Zellhuber answered back, ripping off another high kick with two minutes on the clock. He then feinted a couple more kicks, keeping Johnson guessing. Then came a trio of kicks to the body and arm by Zellhuber, different heights. Johnson came back over the top, throwing leather in response.

The stand-up battle continued in the third, with the body shots continuing for Michael Johnson, and body kicks still flowing for Daniel Zellhuber. Zellhuber’s length was becoming a factor as well, as a spin kick followed by a front kick kept Johnson outside. Johnson would go after a takedown late in the third, only to slip off the attempt, putting himself at the mercy of the Mexican fighter. Zellhuber ended the round with a solid right hand, and they headed to the scorecards after fifteen minutes.

The judges awarded triplicate 29-28 scores to Michael “The Menace” Johnson in the end, proving he’s still a menace at nearly 40.

Official Result: Michael Johnson def. Daniel Zellhuber by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Daniel Zellhuber Knows What To Expect From Johnson At UFC 318

Dylan Napoleone and Eddie Law — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 02:19:18 +0000

UFC lightweight Daniel Zellhuber respects his opponent at UFC 318, but doesn’t believe Michael Johnson will show much improvement on Saturday night.

“Every fighter evolves in each fight. He’s not the exception. He’s still evolving,” Zellhuber told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

“After all these fights as you say we can always expect to see the same version or at least kind of like the same things in his fighting style. That doesn’t mean that he is not a dangerous fighter, but it’s just that at this point I know what he’s going to try.”

Zellhuber (15-2) respects Johnson, but doesn’t want to be fighting at 39-years-old because he needs to. If he’s still fighting at that point it has to be because he wants to.

“I don’t envision myself only as a fighter. I like to do investments. I don’t want to be one of those fighters, like Michael Johnson, that I need to be fighting at 39-years-old,” Zellhuber told Cageside Press.

“If I want to fight at 39-years-old I want to do it because I want (to). Not because I need to.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Daniel Zellhuber above. He takes on Michael Johnson at UFC 318 on Saturday night.

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MMA 2024 Year in Review: Fight of the Year

Staff — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 20:03:10 +0000

We wrap up our year-end awards for 2024 with our pick for Fight of the Year. It wasn’t a landslide, but one scrap from the highly-entertaining Noche UFC card this September took 50% of the vote— enough to give it the win.

Fight of the Year 2024

Eddie Law: Zellhuber vs. Ribovics. One of the fights on UFC 306 that I was insanely hyped for was Daniel Zellhuber and Esteban Ribovics. A firefight indeed, both men showed incredible heart and technique. Zellhuber dropped Ribovics early, but it was a flurry by Ribovics that lasted over one minute that had the crowd on it’s feet and earned him a very close split-decision victory.

Jay Anderson: Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. There’s a strong argument to be made for Daniel Zellhuber vs. Esteban Ribovics here. Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira should also get a mention. If I’m being honest, however, I was most invested in Holloway vs. Gaethje. Like many, I feared for Max moving up against an innovator of violence (with apologies to Tommy Dreamer) like Gaethje. Yet it turned out to be a classic Holloway performance with a mind-blowing finish.

Gabriel Gonzalez: Dricus Du Plessis vs Israel Adesanya. Considering the history between the two, hitting at times uncomfortable topics in the pre-fight build up, it was a tall order to live up to the hype. But these two delivered, with Adesanya delivering a performance that was a return to form after a long layoff. To the victor goes the spoils though, and Du Plessis rallied to stop a formidable foe and cement himself as an all-time great middleweight behind his current campaign.

Bryson Hester: Esteban Ribovics vs Daniel Zellhuber. This fight had everything a fan could want. Ribovics and Zellhuber put on a one of a kind fight at one of a kind show, Noche UFC. The fight was back and forth the entire time and was close to being stopped on an occasion or two. The stand up striking battle between these two tenacious fighters was sure to be one that fans will watch on repeat for years to come.

Patrick McCorry: Zellhuber vs. Ribovics. Had the pleasure of watching this fight alongside Eddie Law. We were on the edge of our seats the entire time. The UFC nailed this matchmaking.

Cade Morehouse: Fight of the year has to be Esteban Ribovics vs Daniel Zellhuber. Anyone that wants to get into MMA watch that fight. The shots those guys took and the heart those guys showed was crazy. They were the real main event in possibly the biggest production event you will ever see in MMA history. Those two are every bit of what the fans come to see every Saturday night!

Brett Cagle: Kenneth Cross vs Emmanuel Sanchez. Many of my colleagues will more than likely pick Max Holloway vs Justin Gaethje, which is a deserving and quality selection. However, what I witnessed at XFC 51 from Michigan native Kenneth Cross and former Bellator title challenger Emmanuel Sanchez was the greatest singular fight I have ever seen in person. Sanchez and Cross went toe to toe in a blood and guts-affair that left no one sitting inside the Baird Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Electrifying the fans in attendance for 15 minutes “The Boss” Kenneth Cross picked up the biggest win of his career after a back-and-forth battle in the Midwest.

Mathis Desjardins: Islam Makhachev vs Dustin Poirier [UFC 302]. This was supposed to be a formality. Poirier came in as a four-to-one betting underdog in a title shot he got as a result of timing and availability more than anything. But ‘The Diamond’ gave everything he had and bloodied up Makhachev more than we had ever seen before. Round 1 played out the way most anticipated, but the back-and-forth war that ensued after was one for the ages.

End result: Daniel Zellhuber vs. Esteban Ribovics earns our Fight of the Year award for 2024 with 50% of the votes.

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What’s Next: UFC 306 Losers

Bryson Hester — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 03:59:02 +0000

UFC 306 delivered in nearly every possible way and featured some very impressive and entertaining fights as well as some dominant performances. Taking place in the one-of-a-kind The Sphere venue, it was a night that fight fans in attendance and even watching on TV are not soon to forget. The five-fight main card did not deliver a single finish but in the co-main and main event title fights, both belts changed hands. There are a couple of former champions, and some high-level contenders that will have to look at next steps after the results on Saturday night.

Sean O’Malley

Challenger Merab Dvalishvili cruised to a dominant, grappling laced, unanimous decision victory in UFC 306’s main event over Sean O’Malley. This was just the second loss of O’Malley’s 20 fight pro MMA career. Sean was riding a seven-fight unbeaten streak since losing to Marlon Vera in mid 2020.

After taking a dominant loss like that it’s clear that O’Malley does not need an immediate rematch with Merab. Instead, he should look to build himself back up by fighting a fresh face high up in the rankings. Merab entered the fight as the #1 ranked UFC bantamweight while obviously O’Malley was the reigning champ.

O’Malley should fight another striker in Cory Sandhagen. Cory is ranked a #4 in the UFC’s bantamweight division and was last in action against Umar Nurmagomedov in August. The unanimous decision loss snapped a three-fight winning streak which spawned from an unsuccessful attempt at the vacant 135lbs title. (Opposite of Petr Yan in 2021.)

O’Malley’s next fight: Cory Sandhagen

Alexa Grasso

Valentina Shevchenko was able to implement her gameplan to the fullest extent in a one-sided unanimous decision victory in order recapture the belt from Alexa Grasso. With the result of the trilogy bout, Grasso and Shevchenko are now 1-1-1 against each other.

Shevchenko entered the bout as the #3 ranked women’s bantamweight while Grasso was not only the champ but ranked as the #1 pound-for-pound women’s fighter in the UFC. Obviously, with the TUF season and fighting each other three times, it’s time for a fresh matchup for Grasso as she has not thought about anyone but Shevchenko in nearly two years.

A good next fight for Alexa and keeping with the theme of rematches, would be a fight against Maycee Barber. Maycee is currently the #4 ranked women’s flyweight and is on a six-fight win streak since losing to Alexa in February of 2021. Barber’s last time out was a unaimous decision victory against Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299 in March. Most recently, she withdrew from a fight with Rose Namajunas in July.

Grasso’s next fight: Maycee Barber

Brian Ortega

Diego Lopes beat down Brian Ortega over the course of 15 minutes to win a unanimous decision fight on Saturday. A couple of times throughout the bout, Ortega looked like he was seconds away from being finished but was ultimately able to hang in there as he somehow always does.

Ortega entered the fight ranked at #3, while Diego Lopes entered the fight as the #13 ranked UFC featherweight.

Depending on how soon Ortega would like to get back into the octagon, a good matchup could be Giga Chikadze. Giga last fought in July, losing a unanimous decision to Arnold Allen. He’s won just one of his last two fights dating back to January of 2022 and he’s currently the #10 ranked featherweight. A good fight to determine who really deserves to be in the top 10 at 145lbs.

Ortega’s next fight: Giga Chikadze

Daniel Zellhuber

Daniel Zellhuber lost a split decision to Esteban Ribovics in what was an edge of your seat, back-and-forth type of fight, on Saturday. The fight ended up winning fight of the night honors and rightfully so, as both fighters put up nonstop offense and were able to survive getting hurt or stunned multiple times.

Zellhuber is now 3-2 with the UFC, losing on Saturday for the first time since his UFC debut in 2022 opposite of Trey Ogden. With just five appearances in the UFC, and three performance bonuses, it’s clear that Daniel is on the right track.

Chase Hooper would be a good next fight for Zellhuber. Hooper is on a three-fight win streak since moving up to the lightweight division in May of 2023. Two of the fights ended with submissions including his last time out, when he submitted Viacheslav Borshchev with a d’arce in the second round, back in May. Great striker vs grappler matchup of Contender Series alums.

Zellhuber’s next fight: Chase Hooper

Ode Osbourne

Ode Osbourne lost a tough to stomach, unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Ronaldo Rodriguez to open the UFC 306 main card. Osbourne had his moments especially in the beginning of the fight, but was ultimately out grappled, as his opponent was able to claw his way back.

Osbourne is now in a very tricky spot. Now 4-6 with the UFC, he is now on a 3-fight losing streak and has lost four of his last five. Osbourne’s last win was a split decision victory over Charles Johnson in February of 2023.

Ode’s next fight should be against Jimmy Flick. Jimmy has won just one of four fights since his mini retirement ended spanning from 2020-2023. Flick has a loss agaisnt Charles Johnson in that time who is a common opponent between the two. Jimmy was last in action back in June when he lost a unanimous decision to Nate Maness.

Osbourne’s next fight: Jimmy Flick

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Esteban Ribovics vs. Daniel Zellhuber, Bahamondes, Souza Earn Bonuses at UFC 306

Staff — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 08:23:57 +0000

UFC 306 arrived at The Sphere on Saturday, and certainly left a lasting impression.

Out of the gate, the visual show was a tad underwhelming — until the main card arrived, with a stunning video package playing out before each fight, showing the full depth the cutting edge venue has to offer.

The quality of the fights, meanwhile, was never in question, at least until the night’s two title fights. But it was the preliminary card that set the tone, producing an impressive finish for strawweight and former Invicta FC champ Ketlen Souza, who knocked down then choked Yazmin Yuaregui into submission in one of the night’s many upsets.

That finish earned one of two Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC 306, otherwise known as Noche UFC. The other $50,000 Performance bonus was awarded to Ignacio Bahamondes, who steamrolled Manuel Torres just one fight later.

UFC President and CEO Dana White announced the bonuses during the night’s post-fight press conference, with Cageside Press in attendance. He would later express interest in taking Bahamondes, who has turned into a budding star for the promotion, to his native Chile for an event.

Fight of the Night at UFC 306 went to Esteban Ribovics and Daniel Zellhuber. For two rounds, the lightweight pair put on an admirable display of precise technical striking, in a very evenly matched contest. All that went out the window in the third, which devolved into a wild brawl that saw both fighters hurt, and Zellhuber come close to being finished. That paved the way for a Ribovics victory.

UFC 306 at The Sphere boasted attendance of 16,024 for a gate of $22 million. Per White, it sits as the highest grossing UFC event, highest grossing event at The Sphere to date, with the card also breaking the UFC’s merch sales record.

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