As first noted by UFC Roster Tracker, an automated service monitoring the UFC athlete database, Mark O. Madsen, Tyson Pedro, and Jamie Pickett have all been removed from the active roster. All three had previously announced their retirement, with Pedro and Pickett walking away from MMA on the same night, at UFC Vegas 87 on March 2.

Both fighters suffered defeat that night, with both citing time with family among their reasons for walking away. Pedro also renewed the fighter pay debate by suggesting a financial aspect to his decision as well.

Madsen competed for the final time last November at UFC 295, and announced his retirement in January.

Other fighters, however, appear to have been let go by the company. Those are:

• Matheus Mendonca
• Daniel Lacerda
• Denys Bondar
• Luis Saldana
• Fernie Garcia
• Mike Breeden

Many of the fighters exiting the promotion come as no surprise. Lacerda, who had some entertaining bouts, was 0-5 with the company plus a no contest. Bondar went 0-3 in his own UFC run for his part, while Breeden was 1-3, though coming off a win over Anshul Jubli.

In some cases, the UFC may have opted not to re-sign the athletes in question.

The post Multiple Fighters Removed from UFC Roster, Including Three Confirmed Retirements appeared first on Cageside Press.

The pair came out swinging in the pocket throwing heat in what turned out to be a high-action fight. Unexpectedly, Amil shot in for a takedown and got it but Garcia got right back up. Amil landed a hard leg kick and a short right hook. Soon after he dropped Garcia with a right hand.

Fernie Garcia was working back up against the the cage and took a knee that sent him right back down. Garcia got up again and threw wild and hurt Amil with a punch of his own. It didn’t steer Amil away as he went right after Garcia and had Garcia in a lot of trouble. Hyder Amil hurt Garcia with a series of punches and knees and soon took the back. Back and forth, Garcia turned towards Amil and eventually took his back in a scramble. Amil fought off the choke and was able to get out and take the back and put a beating on Garcia late in the frame. Amil landed punches to the head and a nasty soccer kick and knee to the body to close out the round.

Round two started and both athletes started trading. Neither was showing good defense but incredible toughness instead. Amil was a tank just coming forward and dishing out punishment. Fernie Garcia was exhausted and all the body shots from Amil weren’t helping. Amil took out the body and started going up top and Garcia has nothing left. Garcia didn’t fall but the ref had seen enough and stopped the fight.

Welcome to the UFC, Hyder Amil1

Official Result: Hyder Amil def. Fernie Garcia by TKO (punches), Round 2, 2:12

The post UFC Vegas 86: Newcomer Hyder Amil Stops Fernie Garcia appeared first on Cageside Press.

Promotion officials recently announced the following modifications to the Fight Night card, which takes place Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas:

• Albert Duraev has been removed from his middleweight bout with Robert Bryczek. Replacing Duraev will be Ihor Potieria.
• Damir Hadzovic has been removed from his lightweight bout with Balaji Oki. Replacing Hadzovic will be Dana White’s Contender Series alum Timothy Cuamba.

In both cases, visa issues are reportedly to blame. One more line-up change was also revealed:

• Additionally, due to injury, Melsik Baghdasaryan has been removed from his featherweight bout with Hyder Amil. Replacing Baghdasaryan will be Fernie Garcia.

Potieria (20-5) is a 2022 Dana White’s Contender Series winner who is 1-3 in his four fights inside the octagon, and coming off back-to-back losses against Carlos Ulberg and Rodolfo Bellato. The Ukrainian’s lone win under the UFC banner came against the legendary Shogun Rua, but he finds himself in must-win territory this weekend.

Cuamba (8-1), a 2023 Contender Series alum, will be taking on Bokaji Oki, a fellow 2023 Contender Series winner with an identical 8-1 record.

As for Fernie Garcia, he is unquestionably fighting for his job after starting his UFC run at 0-3. Opponent Hyder Amil is an undefeated 8-0 coming into the fight.

UFC Vegas 86, headlined by middleweights Jack Hermansson and Joe Pyfer, now features the following reported match-ups:

• Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer
• Dan Ige vs. Andre Fili
• Robert Bryczek vs. Ihor Potieria
• Brad Tavares vs. Gregory Rodrigues
• Michael Johnson vs. Darrius Flowers
• Rodolfo Vieira vs. Armen Petrosyan
• Trevin Giles vs. Carlos Prates
• Timothy Cuamba vs. Bolaji Oki
• Loma Lookboonmee vs. Bruna Brasil
• Devin Clark vs. Marcin Prachnio
• Max Griffin vs. Jeremiah Wells
• Zac Pauga vs. Bogdan Guskov
• Fernie Garcia vs. Hyder Amil
• Daniel Marcos vs. Aori Qileng

The post Three UFC Vegas 86 Fighters Get Replacement Opponents appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Korean Zombie

Chan Sung Jung, who prefers his nickname to his given name, stepped into the cage for the last time in the main event of UFC Singapore against future Hall of Famer Max Holloway. While Holloway is perhaps just past his prime, Zombie appears well past it. Still, he gave a good account of himself and his patented relentless aggression was on full display, making for an entertaining fight. That is also exactly what got him knocked out, but he was able to surprise Max and hurt him a few times.

The scenes were emotional on television as Zombie laid his gloves down in the octagon, bowed before them for a minute, and then walked away for the last time as the entire crowd in Singapore sung along to the iconic walkout song ‘Zombie’ by the Cranberries. His career will be celebrated for a long time, with legendary fights like his first fight with Leonard Garcia in WEC, his submission victory in a FOTN over Dustin Poirier, and his five round war against Yair Rodriguez being among the best fights in history.

His iconic finishes must also be mentioned too: He had the fist Twister submission in UFC history, he was the second man to ever KO Frankie Edgar, and he still owns the fastest finish in UFC featherweight history at seven seconds, over Mark Hominick. Zombie may be gone but his legacy lives on as a cultural icon in Korea, a pioneering force in Asian mixed martial arts as a whole, and one of the best action fighters ever.

Zombie’s Next Fight: Retirement

Ryan Spann

In a rematch of dubious necessity Ryan Spann once again lost to Anthony Smith in the UFC Singapore co-main event. This fight was closer than the last, where he was finished in the first round in 2021, but the judges did not give him the nod and it goes on his record as a loss, Spann’s second in a row. For now Spann is ranked tenth at light-heavyweight, but his ranking will likely drop on Tuesday and he will need to fight down in the rankings next.

Undefeated Azamat Murzakanov, former GLORY kickboxer Dustin Jacoby, and brutal Muay Thai specialist Khalil Rountree Jr. are all logical fights for Spann next. Azamat is one of the brighter prospects at 205-lbs and is deserving of this fight, or an even higher ranked one. Spann will have to prove he can beat a powerful striker and mauling wrestler in the Russian sambo specialist.

Spann’s Next Fight: Azamat Murzakanov

Alex Caceres

After holding off unranked challengers to win his last two fights, Alex ‘Bruce Leeroy’ Caceres faltered when facing a higher ranked contender than him in Giga Chikadze. He will once again need to fight down in the rankings, and since he is ranked fifteenth at featherweight that means fighting an unranked prospect.

The obvious options are two British prospects who both got good wins at UFC London recently: Nathaniel Wood and Lerone Murphy. Either one makes perfect sense, but Nate Wood is perhaps more deserving after beating Charles Jourdain and Andre Fili, two featherweights who were also on the verge of the rankings at the time.

Caceres’ Next Fight: Nathaniel Wood

Fernie Garcia

Fernie Garcia earned his UFC contract with a big knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021 but has lost three wide decisions in the UFC since then. Not many UFC fighters can go 0-3 and keep their job, so it is likely that Fernie will need to go back to the regional circuit, sharpen his tools, and find his way back to the big show. If he does stick around, it’s probably an incoming fighter next.

Garcia’s Next Fight: Outside of UFC/new fighter

Taila Santos

Former title challenger, and arguable title winner, Taila Santos gave the division’s brightest prospect Erin Blanchfield all she could handle in the first round at UFC Singapore. Santos’ striking shown through early and she defended the takedowns but as the fight went on Blanchfield’s cardio and relentless cage-wrestling let her wear on Taila, earning her the 29-28 victory as Santos tired out late.

After winning four in a row Santos has now lost two decisions back-to-back in which she gave a good account of herself and looked capable of victory, but it is still two losses in a row which means she will fight down in the rankings now. The next brightest prospect in the division, who is deserving of fighting up, is Maycee Barber. Barber’s recent development as a brutal striker, shown in her fight against Amanda Ribas, makes her one of the more intriguing and popular prospects at 125-lbs and the fight with Taila would be a big one, and a big test for both.

Santos’ Next Fight: Maycee Barber

Parker Porter

Porter’s first round knockout loss to Junior Tafa was similar to his loss to Junior’s brother, Justin Tafa. He has now lost three of his last four fights after a 3-1 start to his UFC career. Still, 4-4 is a fine record that keeps him in a job with the promotion for now. He will, however, have to give another less experienced prospect a chance.

Karl Williams has looked like a fighter with some potential in his two UFC fights and wins. Him and Porter both have similar, well-rounded games and solid cardio for heavyweights, making them well-matched for this potential bout.

Porter’s Next Fight: Karl Williams

The post What’s Next: UFC Singapore Losers appeared first on Cageside Press.

Nakamura was an Under 23 gold medallist in freestyle wrestling in 2017, and a bronze medal winner a year later at the World Cup. For his first non-Road to UFC fight, he was looking to hand Garcia his third straight loss. Nakamura came into this fight as the biggest favourite on the card.

The fight began with Nakamura putting on a lot of forward pressure with Fernie Garcia just moving laterally. Rinya looked to cut off the Mexican and pin him down to land a big shot. Not long after, Nakamura shot for a takedown and scored it after getting deep on the single leg. The Japanese tied his legs up well but Garcia managed to get back to his feet before getting tossed back down despite having the under-hook. Nakamura then started to advance his position and transitioned his positions well. He found himself in a North South position whilst looking to pin down an arm of Garcia. Nakamura began to apply pressure after getting what seemed like a D’arce choke, but Garcia did well to squirm out of it. As the round came to an end, Nakamura looked to reign down some heavy elbows while Garcia tried to get up.

To begin round two Garcia knew he had to get back into this fight so began putting on some forward pressure with combination of strikes. It didn’t help though as Nakamura began to land counter shots and then started pressuring himself. The 28-year-old landed a few big hooks but nothing that could wobble Fernie. From there, he landed a few nice leg kicks and then exploded into a takedown. Garcia latched onto a guillotine attempt but Nakamura put the right defence in place to get through it. Unfortunately for Garcia he found himself back in the same position he finished round one in, in a North South position. Again though Nakamura transitioned well and looked to lock in a submission. He began straightening the arm of Garcia and came close to securing the straight arm bar. Garcia survived again though and was surprisingly seeing a third round.

Garcia knew he was two rounds down and so did his coach Sayif Saud, who told him to go out and win the fight. Garcia couldn’t seem to get his hands going though and Nakamura again landed a few heavy kicks. Fernie looked to land a big right hand and kick but seemingly slipped and Nakamura once again maintained top position on the ground. From there he transitioned to full mount and started looking for the head and arm triangle. Garcia decided to give his back instead of defend the submission, but Nakamura once again got him in side control. The “Hybrid” exploded into an arm bar attempt and seemed to have it locked in pretty well before Garcia did well again to break out. To finish the fight Nakamura landed a flying kick to the side of the head of Garcia but the Mexican ate it.

Official Result: Rinya Nakamura def. Fernie Garcia via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) 

The post UFC Singapore: Rinya Nakamura Impresses Once Again, Dominating Fernie Garcia Over Three Rounds appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I need to keep calm because this is my first time to fight (in front of) a big crowd. This is big motivation for me, and this is a little trap,” Nakamura told reporters on Thursday.

Nakamura (7-0) has fought in Singapore before, but with no crowd. Fighting Garcia in front of a full audience at UFC Singapore will be a change for the young bantamweight.

“I want to explode the arena,” Nakamura joked.

“With my nice performance, but I need to focus on just (finishing) the opponent for 15 minutes. So I’m going to do my mission. No matter how big (the) crowd (is) in this arena.”

Finishing is something Nakamura has plenty of experience in even if it’s only in 7 professional bouts. He has only gone to decision once, and 5 of his 6 finishes came in the first round. Still he values the experience of going a full 15-minute fight and he would welcome that at UFC Singapore, but he doesn’t expect it.

“Five fights finished in the first round so I want the experience to fight 15 minutes,” he said.

“But this fight going to be finished.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Rinya Nakamura above. He takes on Fernie Garcia at UFC Singapore on Saturday.

The post Rinya Nakamura Wouldn’t Mind Going The Distance, But Sees Finish Against Garcia appeared first on Cageside Press.

Nakamura (7-0), an undefeated Japanese talent who won the inaugural Road to UFC tournament earlier this year and claimed a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus in the process, will face Fernie Garcia (10-3) at UFC Singapore on August 26, 2023.

UFC officials announced the booking on social media on Thursday. Asian MMA was first to report the match-up.

Nakamura, a freestyle wrestler, won gold at the Under 23 World Championships in 2017, and had his eye on competing at the Olympic Games until their postponement in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Instead, Nakamura made the transition to MMA, posting an undefeated 4-0 record before joining the Road to UFC tournament last year. He defeated Toshiomi Kazama in the final this past February to secure a UFC contract.

Garcia, a 2021 Dana White’s Contender Series winner, has dropped back-to-back fights to start his UFC career. Most recently, he was on the wrong side of a unanimous decision to The Ultimate Fighter 29 finalist Brady Hiestand.

UFC Singapore is set to be headlined by featherweight action, as Max Holloway takes on fellow veteran The Korean Zombie on August 26. The following match-ups have been reported for the event thus far:

• Max Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie
• Lukasz Brzeski vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
• Michal Oleksiejczuk vs. Chidi Njokuani
• JJ Aldrich vs. Liang Na
• Rinya Nakamura vs. Fernie Garcia
• Anthony Smith vs. Ryan Spann

The post Rinya Nakamura vs. Fernie Garcia Announced for UFC Singapore appeared first on Cageside Press.

Garcia landed a big counter right in the opening seconds of the fight that dropped Brady to his knees brutally. Fernie was able to turn that into a partial back take while Brady tried to recover.

He tried to lock up a choke but Brady stayed moving the whole time and somehow stayed conscious long enough to scramble into top side control and recover. Garcia eventually executed a sweep from the bottom and got again in an awkward partial back take. But once again, Brady kept with it and reversed the position, getting on top before being the one getting on his opponent’s back against the fence.

As he tried to luck up a body triangle Garcia turned into it and ended up on top. Hiestand scrambled to his knees and got in on a double leg takedown, which he successfully landed before shucking to the back. Hiestand then got one hook in and worked on trying to snake the arm under the chin so intently that Fernie did not have time to escape. Brady was able to lock up up a body triangle fully as a result with one minute left. Fernie looked to turn in but Brady pre-empted him and got on top in mount momentarily before being forced into full guard. Garcia then went for a guillotine which forced Hiestand to scramble to his feet. The pair resumed striking which is where the insane round ended. The score was difficult to judge. Although Brady got knocked down he had more sustained success and almost submitted Garcia late.

A fun R1 in the books for this matchup👏

[ #UFCVegas65 is LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/BbR5GhHMPB

— UFC (@ufc) November 19, 2022

The second round started on the feet, of course, where Garcia pressured and Brady tried to pop in and out of the pocket with singular strikes. Hiestand landed one good head kick after a minute but Garcia was not deterred. He then landed the exact same one, harder this time, but once again Fernie ate it like a sandwich. The stance switching and lateral movement was effective at getting Brady in and out cleanly.

Hiestand level changed but Garcia sprawled him out. Garcia was mostly working on his jab and low kicks this round. Hiestand then went for a single leg and was able to force Fernie to the fence, then grab the other ankle and turn it into a single leg. He then got in top half guard. Garcia tried to scramble out but got stuck on bottom in north-south and then side control. Garcia finally was able to roll to his belly, turn out of the grasp of Hiestand, and get back to his feet. Brady landed a good body kick but Fernie responded with a solid right hand into a level change against the fence. They soon got back to striking but then Fernie shot another takedown which Hiestand almost reversed in the final seconds. However, Garcia stayed on top and landed some likely ineffective ground and pound even as Brady stood up right at the bell. Brady had seemed to have won the second round.

The final round was a must-win for both fighters, as the score could easily be 19-19. Brady shot an early takedown and was just able to be the grindier, more tenacious fighter as he got his foe down to the mat again. Garcia turned to his back to stand up but Hiestand took the opportunity to take the back and drag Fernie back down. He only had one hook in but it seemed to be by choice, as he used his unhooked leg to control the leg of Garcia before eventually getting the body triangle when the opportunity to do so easily presented itself. For the first time the pace slowed which is understandable after the frantic scrambles and striking pace of the first ten minutes of the fight.

The back control of Brady Hiestand was likely going to win him the fight if Garcia could not escape and do something big before the end of the round. With ninety seconds left Garcia twisted and turned to escape but Brady just rolled with him and readjusted his body triangle. With one minute left Brady attacked the rear-naked choke and almost had it but Fernie Garcia refused to tap and eventually got his chin down to protect his neck. Fernie resorted to desperately trying to awkwardly land strikes to Brady, who was behind him. Hiestand responded with shots of his own, much harder ones.

After fifteen entertaining minutes it was almost a sure thing that Brady Hiestand had won the fight. When Joe Martinez announced the scorecards there were no surprises as the ‘Ultimate Fighter’ finalist won 29-28 on all three judges scorecards.

Official Result: Brady Hiestand def. Fernie Garcia by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC Vegas 65: Brady Hiestand Gets Dropped, Comes Back to Beat Fernie Garcia by Decision appeared first on Cageside Press.

The card-opener found Garcia riding a five-fight win streak, with none more important than his knockout of Joshua Weems on the Contender Series last October.

Newson came out hot, throwing a lot of kicks. He was throwing kicks from all angles including a bunch of wheel kicks and even a hook kick. Garcia was staying patient looking to land with his boxing combinations. Newson did time a nice takedown but Garcia got right back to his feet. Newson was throwing a lot and Garcia was countering well landing the much cleaner shots. Newson landed a hard outside leg kick to end the round.

In round two Newson came right at Garcia landing a good combination and Garcia responded right back. They traded leg kicks but Newson was throwing a bunch more in terms of explosive kicks, although nothing was landing. Newson exploded forward with a right-left and the left did seem to bother Garcia a little bit. Newson kept throwing that sidekick to the midsection. Garcia was still relying on his counter ability but Newson was sticking and moving too well.

In the final round, Newson opened up with a bunch of different kicks. He then shot in for a takedown and completed it. Newson almost took the back but Fernie got back to his feet. Newson kept on his bike circling the cage and staying busy with a lot of side kicks. Garcia had problems finding his range. Newson would stun Garcia with a big right hand and a hook kick but Garcia made it to the bell.

Come the scorecards, the end result was clear. Journey Newson finally had his first official UFC win.

Official Result: Journey Newson def. Fernie Garcia by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 29–28)

The post UFC 274: Journey Complete — Newson Secures First Octagon Win Against Fernie Garcia appeared first on Cageside Press.

After years of grinding on the regional scene, Garcia (10-1) finally makes his UFC debut after securing a contract on season five of Dana White’s Contender Series. Garcia comes into the UFC riding a five-fight win streak, with his only loss coming via a split decision in 2019.

At UFC 274, Garcia faces Journey Newson, who is coming off close to a two-year layoff. The UFC debutant likes the match-up, however, he understands that Newson is dangerous.

“I think it’s a great match-up. Not just for me, for both of us. I think it’s a great match-up to make it a great exciting fight. He has a big right hand, so of course, I’ll be careful with that, and he’s a black belt in jujitsu. I have good wrestling and good boxing. So it’s gonna be a little bit of a chess match,” Garcia told Cageside Press in an exclusive interview.

The 30-year-old knew who Newson was when he was offered the fight, because he is an MMA “nerd” and knows who all the bantamweights are.

“I did, but I’m crazy. I know who every 135er is. When I’m bored, I just go in and start looking for 135ers in the UFC and my competition. Even before making it to the UFC, I knew who all the 135ers were. I’m a nerd when it comes to that,” Garcia said. “I know all that 135ers, so when they offered Journey Newson, I knew who I really was. I knew he had won in Texas; I knew that he lost to [Randy] Costa. He’s a very experienced veteran, so I was really happy to prove myself against him.”

Garcia is very happy to be fighting in Arizona because they tend to go crazy for Mexican fighters. “I really want to be one of those guys that represent Mexico. I mean, all my interviews are in English, but I mean, Spanish is still my first language, and I really hope I can represent Mexicans… My style of fighting, it’s a crowd-pleaser. So I’m really glad some people will get to watch that and enjoy that.”

If all goes well at UFC 274, Garcia wants to turn around and jump on a Texas card as he lives and trains in Texas. An upcoming UFC Fight Night is going to Austin, TX, so a quick turnaround is possible.

“If I end up winning, my number one priority is to get on a Texas card, and hopefully a Mexico card later on the year. That’d be a dream for me, of course,” Garcia said.

Watch the rest of our interview with Fernie Garcia above. Garcia vs. Newson kicks off the UFC 274 prelims on Saturday, May 7, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona.

The post UFC 274: Fernie Garcia Is Looking To Put On A Show In Arizona, Wants To Fight In Texas And Mexico appeared first on Cageside Press.