Josh Emmett

Kevin Vallejos(#14) peppered and finished Josh Emmett(#11) in the first round of their main event on Saturday to tally the largest win of his career. An absolutely devastating loss for 41-year-old Emmett who has now lost five of his last six fights.

Emmett is in a tough situation here, he hasn’t won consistently in a while. He looked a bit rough on Saturday (yet game), but he made no indication that he was prepared to hang it up. Emmett could slide to the edge of the rankings or out of them altogether.

Good next fight for Josh would be giving him the loser of (#12) Patricio Pitbull vs Aaron Pico. That fight goes down on April 11th, so timing would matchup just fine. Both fighters carry names and are former Bellator standouts. Pitbull is 1-1 with the UFC having lost his debut to Yair Rodriguez, but winning against Dan Ige in July of last year. Pico is 0-1 but lost via a wild spinning back elbow at the hands of top ranked, Lerone Murphy. This bout is going to be fireworks with two, very violent stand up strikers. Giving Emmett the loser keeps him relevant, gives the fans an exciting fight and offers another litmus test for the former Bellator fighters against a former UFC title challenger.

Emmett’s next fight: Patricio Pitbulll vs. Aaron Pico Loser

Amanda Lemos

Gillian Robertson (#8) strategically landed take downs in order to neutralize the striking of Amanda Lemos (#5) on Saturday and capture the unanimous decision victory. Lemos has to be a tad frustrated with herself after the performance in a very winnable fight. The 38-year-old is now riding a two fight losing streak and has lost four of her last six dating back to her 2023 unsuccessful title sho,t against then champ, Zhang Weili.

Amanda’s next fight should be against (#13) Denise Gomes. The UFC isn’t going to do Lemos any favors here, almost a 40-year-old 115lbs. fighter, they are going to continue to feed her to the young guns of the division. Denise is 6-2 with the promotion and is currently riding a four-fight win streak (Eduarda Moura, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Elise Reed and Teicia Pennington). A lot of these fighters aren’t even with the UFC anymore. But that’s not the 26-year-old’s fault. Most of the fighters directly above her a matched up already in the rankings, so what better fight to make than this? Both are strikers, and a fighter like Gomes could very well be the future of the division. A good fight to book and one that could easily sneak onto the main card of a fight night card. Winner propelled into the top 7 easily.

Lemos’s next fight: Denise Gomes

Andre Fili

Jose Delgado just edged out UFC veteran, Andre Fili, in a back and forth standup war on Saturday. Fili, a 13-year UFC veteran with 26 fights with the promotion, has gone 2-3 in the last two years. All losses in the time period have still been opposite some talented competition (Dan Ige, Melquizael Costa and now Jose Delgado). Andre is one of those guys has fought everyone. Not everyone, seemingly everyone…a whole lot of fighters. Often times Fili serves as a litmus test for fighters that want to enter the rankings of the featherweight division.

A solid next matchup for Fili would be pitting him against Chepe Mariscal. Chepe started off red-hot in the UFC back in 2023, ripping off five victories in a row (Trevor Peek, Jack Jenkins, Morgan Charriere, Damon Jackson and Ricardo Ramos). Unfortunately, in his most recent fight, last November, Chepe suffered his first promotional defeat at the hands of Pat Sabatini. Despite the timing not exactly matching up, this would be an excellent fight to get Mariscal back on the board. To get his bearings back and to see if he’s worthy of making a run at the rankings. For Fili, it’d be an excellent opportunity for him to prove he still belongs against a hot prospect that has recently stumbled. Great fight for the main card of an APEX based, fight night card.

Fili’s next fight: Jose ‘Chepe” Mariscal 

Harry Hardwick

Undefeated fighter, Marwan Rahiki, came out on top of an edge-of-your-seat, two-round barn burner, opposite of Harry Hardwick. Harry was unable to answer the call for the third round, as his jaw was badly broken in the second. Rahiki and Hardwick landed the fight of the night bonus for this scrap, an honor rarely given to bouts that don’t go the distance. Harry has had a rough go at it in his short stint with the UFC, especially factoring injuries in now. Hardwick is 0-2 with the promotion. He made his debut last year on short notice and up a weight class and was rewarded by being finished in the first round with a calf kick.

Give this man a break and have him take on a fighter in his weight class, that he can prepare for, and has a similar promotional record. He’s more than proven that he can scrap.

Good next fight for Harry would be to give him the loser of the Tommy McMillen vs Manolo Zecchini fight. This fight goes down on April 4th, but due to Harry’s broken jaw- who knows when he’ll be looking at making an octagon return. Zecchini is 0-1 with the promotion and made his debut back in September of 2023, where Morgan Charriere stopped him in the first round. Manolo will be taking on a undefeated fighter making his UFC debut after winning on the Contender Series last year. Three young hungry guys with solid record, two of them having being fed to the wolves immediately upon entering the promotion. Excellent fight to book here, and defending how the fight goes on April 4, potentially tremendous upside.

Hardwick’s next fight:  Loser of Tommy McMillen vs Manolo Zecchini

Oumar Sy

Ion Cutelaba secured a clever mounted guillotine late in the first to secure a submission victory over Oumar Sy on Saturday. Sy now falls to 3-2 in the UFC after signing as an undefeated fighter in 2024. Oumar started off hot with back to back victories in the UFC, but suffered his first defeat to Alonzo Menifield and has now suffered the first stoppage defeat of his career.

Oumar’s next fight should be against Rodolfo Bellato. Its rare the UFC pairs up a fighter coming off a stoppage loss against a fighter coming of a stoppage victory (especially without rankings invovled), but it makes sense in this scenario. Bellato was scheduled to fight Sy for his second UFC fight, he has gone 1-1-1 with 1 no contest since that bout fell through in 2024. Sy has had his entire UFC stint in that time, going 3-2. So even though Bellato is coming off a win, this fight still makes sense (That win was also against a 6-0 fighter making his promotional debut). This fight is one that should be revisited and still makes sense. The two also share a common opponent in Navajo Stirling.

Sy’s next fight: Rodolfo Bellato

Bruno Silva

Charles Johnson (#14) snuck away with the win over Bruno Silva (#15) to kick off the main card of UFC Vegas 114 on Saturday. Bruno is now 5-5 with the UFC and has dropped three of his last four. Worth noting that those other two losses were stoppages, but against the likes of Manel Kape and eventual champ, Joshua Van.

Bruno should fight the loser of (#10) Alex Perez vs. Sumudaerji for his next bout. That fight takes place on May 30th so the timing isn’t the best but it could still make a lot of sense. Perez is coming off a first round victory against Charles Johnson but he missed weight ahead of the bout. So that’s probably why he’s taking on an unranked fighter in Sumudaerji for his next fight. Before that, Perez had lost five of his last six fights stemming from his unsuccessful title shot opposite of Deiveson Figueiredo in 2020.

Sumudaerji has completely turned his UFC career around after a three-fight skid (Matt Schnell, Tim Elliott, Charles Johnson). Sumudaerji has ripped off three huge wins in a row in just under a year (Mitch Raposo, Kevin Borjas, Jesus Aguilar). Perfect fight to give the loser to Silva due to the common opponents in Charles Johnson and where all three men sit in the rankings (or out of them).

Silva’s next fight: Loser of Alex Perez vs. Sumudaerji 

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The Argentinian, in his first main event with the company, proved that a December finish of Giga Chikadze was no fluke, decimating the 41-year old veteran en route to a first round TKO finish.

Emmett, who once fought for an interim title in the division, had hoped to get his career back on track at the event, after suffering back-to-back losses against Lerone Murphy and Youssef Zalal. Instead, it was Vallejos raising his stock yet again (he’s now 4-0 in the UFC)— and earning a Performance of the Night bonus in the process.

The second such bonus at UFC Vegas 114 went to Manoel Sosa, a Contender Series newcomer who knocked Bolaji Oki out clean.

The biggest surprise on the night, perhaps, was that the heavyweight slugfest between Steven Asplund and Vitor Petrino didn’t win Fight of the Night. It had seemed like a lock until Harry Hardwick vs. Marwan Rahiki rolled around. That back-and-forth affair lasted ten minutes and saw both fighters hurt the other repeatedly, until Hardwick was unable to come out for the third round due to a broken jaw.

All four bonus winners at UFC Vegas 114 take home $100,000 U.S. for their efforts. Additionally, Bia Mesquita, Elijah Smith, and Ion Cutelaba all pocket $25,000 for having finishes on the night.

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While Australia’s Rahiki started the night with an unblemished record, Hardwick had dropped his UFC debut to Kauê Fernandes and was looking to bounce back.

The bell rang and Hardwick immediately checked a leg kick from Rahiki. Rahiki slipped while throwing another kick, allowing Hardwick to quickly jump on his back. Rahiki reacted well and broke free almost instantly without facing any real danger.

Back on the feet, Hardwick landed a stiff right hand as Rahiki continued working his kicks. Rahiki mixed in several nasty oblique kicks while Hardwick stayed composed, stabbing the body with jabs and crowding space with his punches. Hardwick then landed a heavy leg kick, prompting Rahiki to surge forward with a barrage of punches. Just as it looked like Rahiki might drop him, Hardwick fired back with a sharp counter that forced Rahiki to reset. It was an entertaining opening round filled with offense and very little defense from either man.

Round two began with Hardwick clipping Rahiki, only for Rahiki to immediately return the favor and hurt Hardwick. Hardwick leaned his head against the cage to regain his composure before firing back, but the momentum didn’t last long. Rahiki caught him with a left hand during an exchange that forced Hardwick backward. Sensing the moment, Rahiki went for the finish, ripping a series of punches to both the body and head. Remarkably, Hardwick absorbed the damage and fought back.

Rahiki then landed a spinning kick followed by a knee to the body. Hardwick caught the kick and attempted to wrestle, but Rahiki smartly turned into him and ended up on top. With only a little time remaining, Hardwick managed to push off and create space.

However, the fight was stopped between rounds after Hardwick was found to have suffered a broken jaw. A fantastic fight while it lasted.

Official Result: Marwan Rahiki def. Harry Hardwick by TKO (corner stoppage – broken jaw), Round 2, 5:00

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“Thankfully didn’t have to cut to featherweight. And then the actual fight itself was just, there wasn’t a lot of time to dial a plan in. So it was just kind of like, right, well, we’ll just make it a scrap,” Hardwick said. “I’m always in shape for three rounds.”

However, after just one kick, things changed. Fernandes, known for his low kicks, landed early and that changed things pretty quickly.

“If I can just get after him, I can put hands on his face and start punching him in the body and clinching him and doing this kind of stuff. I can kind of try my best to mitigate his very tidy outside fighting game,” he said. “That didn’t work. Every time I stepped in and put weight on my lead leg, it just got blasted. And they were very unusual kicks.”

Those kicks were so unusual that Hardwick was left with a little momento of the fight, that he’ll carry with him into this one.

“It’s hard to describe, and I’ve not really experienced anything before or since, but I did check the first one and I’ve still got a lump on my shin,” Hardwick explained. “The lump doesn’t hurt and it’s probably an advantage. Now I’ve got like a little hard calcified lump on the top of my left shin, but yeah, it was a bit of a mad one.”

With that experience on his back, or shin, Hardwick is excited to get a fight with a full camp at his proper weight class. He’ll get that when he fights Contender Series veteran Marwan Rahiki this Saturday.

“Obviously in the Contender Series fight, he got walloped like really bad and he did a good job of recovering,” he said. “When I hurt people, they typically don’t get that momentum back. I very rarely let people back into the fight once it starts going my way.”

You can see him look to steal that momentum as part of the UFC Vegas 114 main card. The prelims for the fight card start at 5pm EST with the main card at 9pm EST – both of which are on Paramount+.

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Kicking off this UFC Vegas 114 edition of TTP is our interview with UFC heavyweight, Steven Asplund. Asplund discusses the outpouring of support following his win over Sean Sharaf in his UFC debut and how surreal it is to see fan-created highlight reels. Plus, he shares his thoughts on being the type of fighter that brings positivity and encouraging messages to the world. Then he digs into his fight with Vitor Petrino and how this one is personal for him.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC Vegas 114 (18:35)

After a loaded numbered card, the UFC returns to its home inside the Apex. UFC Vegas 114 is headlined by Josh Emmett as he looks to defend his spot in the featherweight rankings against Kevin Vallejos. Plus, strawweights Amanda Lemos and Gillian Robertson do battle in the co-main with serious stakes. We’ll break down those fights as well as some of our other favorite fights on the main card. Plus, as always, we’re hitting you with an underdog and a plus-money parlay that we think will make your wallet fat this weekend. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Harry Hardwick Interview (26:24)

Next up on this UFC Vegas 114 edition of TTP is our interview with UFC featherweight, Harry Hardwick. Hardwick discusses the whirlwind that was his UFC debut. From taking the fight on a week’s notice, to all the chaos of getting cleared to fight in Paris. Now with an actual training camp under his belt, he’s ready to make a second impression against Marwan Rahiki.

Jose Miguel Delgado Interview (39:45)

Closing out this UFC Vegas 114 edition of TTP is our interview with UFC featherweight, Jose Miguel Delgado. Delgado shares his thoughts on a close fight with Nathaniel Wood that ultimately did not go his way. Plus, he chats about his work at the MMA Lab and looking to get back to his winning ways this weekend against another veteran in Andre Fili.

The post TTP Ep. 522: Steven Asplund, Harry Hardwick, Jose Delgado, and UFC Vegas 114 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Hardwick was filling in for Fares Ziam, who withdrew from the event due to the death of his grandmother. It might have been a foot in the door, but before long, Hardwick found himself taken off his feet, unable to stand up.

Fernandes opened strong, landing a crisp straight right and punishing Hardwick’s lead leg with heavy, thudding kicks. The strategy quickly paid off: each strike slowed Hardwick’s forward pressure and chipped away at his base. Before the round had even hit the halfway point, Hardwick was visibly compromised, struggling to stay upright. He managed to fire back with a pair of left hands in an effort to turn the tide, but the damage was done. He was dropped off a kick, got back up, but was hobbled. The scene became painful to watch. Another brutal kick to the leg dropped Hardwick once again, and he rolled on the canvas, unable to get up and leaving the referee no choice but to step in.

It was a moment before Hardwick could even get back on his stool; Fernandes, meanwhile, had the impressive TKO victory.

Official Result: Kaue Fernandes def. Harry Hardwick by TKO (leg kicks), Round 1, 3:21

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Harry “Houdini” Hardwick
Standing at five-foot-ten
Fighting at 170 lbs (welterweight)
30-years-old
Fighting out of Middlesbrough, England
Training out of Middlesbrough Fight Academy
A pro record of 13-3-1
3 KO/TKOs, 4 Submissions

Hardwick enters the UFC as both a Cage Warriors veteran and former champion, with a brief stint in Bellator earlier in his career. He made his name in Cage Warriors, going 7-0-1, capturing the featherweight belt, and defending it twice. While he’s beaten solid regional competition throughout his run, his recent back-to-back wins over Javier Garcia and Keweny Lopes showed he’s ready for the next step.

Facing Hardwick is like walking into a wood chipper: he chips away at you until you’re completely engulfed. He applies relentless pressure from the opening bell, cutting off the cage and forcing opponents into his preferred range, the pocket. That’s where his sharp boxing shines. Hardwick thrives on volume, throwing constant combinations and changing tempo, angles, and targets. He mixes jabs, hooks, and kicks at all levels, never falling into predictable patterns.

Defensively, he’ll roll with punches but still takes his share of damage— it’s part of the cost of his style. What makes him dangerous is his durability, forward pressure, and endless pace, which wear down opponents over time.

His takedown defense was a liability earlier in his career, but he’s shored it up. Even when taken down, he scrambles well and threatens submissions off his back. On top, he’s an underrated offensive grappler. His body triangle is suffocating, and he’s adept at hunting finishes from dominant positions.

Hardwick isn’t without flaws. He can be hit clean, has been dropped, taken down, and doesn’t carry huge knockout power. But his toughness, output, and versatility make him a nightmare to deal with.

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The main event saw top featherweight prospect Harry Hardwick looking to make the first defense of his featherweight title, opposite LFA and Shooto Brasil vet Keweny Lopes. In the co-main event, meanwhile, the vacant Cage Warriors women’s bantamweight title was up for grabs between Mafalda Carmona and Kennedy Freeman.

Where to Watch Cage Warriors 181

Saturday’s Cage Warriors card finds the promotion back in Newcastle, England at the Vertu Motors Arena. The full event airs on UFC Fight Pass, with preliminary card action getting underway at 1PM ET, 11AM PT. Full results from the event can be found below.

Cage Warriors 181: Newcastle Results

Main Card

Featherweight: Harry Hardwick (c) def. Keweny Lopes by TKO, Round 4, 1:02 – for the Cage Warriors featherweight championship
Woman’s Bantamweight: Kennedy Freeman def. Mafalda Carmona by TKO (retirement) Round 4, 5:00 – for the vacant Cage Warriors women’s bantamweight championship
Welterweight: Justin Burlinson def. Theodor Berggren by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 3, 2:44
Lightweight: James Power def. Dumitru Girlean by knockout, Round 2, 2:08
Welterweight: Sean Clancy Jr. def. Andrey Augusto by TKO, Round 3, 1:23
Light Heavyweight: Yannick Bahati vs Charles Joyner ends in a technical split draw (30-28, 28-29, 29-29)

Preliminary Card

Lightweight: Daniel Konrad def. Aiden Lee by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:52
Lightweight: Bailey Gilbert def. Alberth Dias by unanimous decision (28-27, 28-27, 28-27)
Featherweight: Leon Armes def. Michał Folc by knockout, Round 1, 3:41
Middleweight: Qendrim Pallata def. James Dixon by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:12
Middleweight: Michael Tchamou def. Delmar Silva by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1 1:20

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On a weekend with nary a single major MMA event in the offing, Cage Warriors 172 might actually have been the most significant fight card runnning, especially with Hardwick’s status as a UFC hopeful. Having previously competed for Bellator MMA, Hardwich was 4-0-1 under the Cage Warriors banner, and looking to secure gold in an organization that often serves as a feeder league to the big show.

Previous Cage Warriors featherweight champions include Conor McGregor, Paddy Pimblett, and recent PFL signee Paul Hughes.

Where to Watch Cage Warriors 172

Cage Warriors 172 takes place at the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle, England on Saturday, May 25, 2023. The event streams live in its entirety on UFC Fight Pass. Full results can be found below.

Cage Warriors 172: Prins vs. Hardwick Results

Main Card

Featherweight: Harry Hardwick def. Orlando Wilson Prins by TKO, Round 2, 2:18 – for the vacant Cage Warriors featherweight championship
Lightweight: James Power def. Daniel Kolasiński by TKO, Round 2, 0:10
Bantamweight: Kennedy Freeman def. Gisele Libânio by TKO, Round 3, 3:08
Lightweight: Leon Hill def. Tommy Hawthorn by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:28
Lightweight: Chasen Blair def. Artūrs Leisāns by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 2:12
Lightweight: Aiden Lee def. Josh Abraham by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 4:46

Preliminary Card

Bantamweight: Jack Humphries def. João Dos Santos by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:00
Middleweight: Michael Tchamou def. Joe Ambler by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 2:27
Bantamweight: Joe Fields def. Tom Wright by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 1:55
Light Heavyweight: Charles Joyner def. Albert Serpeti by knockout, Round 1, 1:07
Welterweight: Jackson Clarke def. Faudel Bentayeb by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-26)
Middleweight: Jordan O’Neill def. Thodoris Serdes by knockout, Round 1, 1:18

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Who could the promotion bring in to bolster the ranks? We’ve got our 10 Featherweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023 list ready!

Here’s a look at last year’s list, featuring only one current UFC roster member, William Gomis, signing with the UFC in 2022:

Edwin Cooper Jr.
Jack Jenkins
Sebastian Kotwica
Tae Kyun Kim
William Gomis
Jordan Vucenic
Gabriel Alves Braga
Mansur Azhiev
Busurmankul Abdibait
Jonas Bilharinho

Don’t miss the previous entries in this series:

10 Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Light Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Middleweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Welterweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Lightweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023

It’s featherweight’s time to shine. Let’s go!

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