The “spring cleaning” is the latest round of roster trimming, after the UFC parted ways with over a dozen fighters back in late February/March.

The full list of fighters removed from the roster, first identified by automated service UFC Roster Watch on Twitter, breaks down as follows:

• Ike Villanueva
• Fares Ziam
• Luigi Vendramini
• Kazula Vargas
• Mark Striegl
• Jesse Strader
• Bruno Souza
• Devonte Smith
• Rong Zhu
• Kris Moutinho
• Brandon Jenkins
• Austin Hubbard
• Mike Grundy
• Michael Gillmore
• Cameron Else
• Kevin Croom
• Dean Barry
• Gina Mazany

Several of the fighters released have since confirmed the news on social media.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is Barry, who is now one-and-done as a UFC fighter. Ireland’s Barry competed against Mike Jackson last month, a part-time fighter and MMA journalist best known for being brought into the promotion to face Micky Gall and pro wrestler CM Punk. Jackson lost to Gall, beat Punk in a boring three-round affair that was later overturned to a No Contest, and somehow kept his roster spot. In a foul-filled affair, Jackson would win a DQ against Barry, who has now been shown the door as a result.

The timing is perhaps particularly cruel in the case of Mike Grundy and Ike Villanueva. Grundy last competed at UFC London in March, and announced at the event that his father was terminally ill. Villanueva, meanwhile, suffered a grade 3 MCL tear in his fight against Tyson Pedro last month.

Another surprise, Kris Moutinho, who faced Sean O’Malley on short notice last year, winning a Fight of the Night bonus for his efforts. While he was knocked out in his second UFC fight this past March, stepping up on short notice, and winning a bonus in the process usually gives a fighter a bit of breathing room. Not so in this case.

Confirming his release on social media, Jesse Strader vowed to return to the promotion.

“I’ll be back, baby. I’m only getting better & I’m in love with this journey I’m on!!!” he wrote.

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

With the release of Vargas and Vendramini, both of Paddy Pimblett’s UFC opponents to date are no longer with the promotion.

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Pedro came in riding a two-fight losing streak after being stopped by Ovince St. Preux and Shogun Rua respectively. Pedro had not fought since losing to Rua in 2018, going through multiple ACL surgeries during his absence, and made his long-awaited return to the octagon in one of the more exciting match-ups on the card.

Villanueva was also on a two-fight losing streak, with KO losses to both Marcin Prachnio and Nicolae Negumereanu.

In an explosive match-up between two men with serious stopping power, something would have to give.

Pedro opened a very low-action affair in the early going with a leg kick; the ref then warned both fighters for having their fingers extended. Mind you, they’d have to throw something for that to become a concern. Through the first two minutes, Pedro had thrown nothing but kicks. Villanueva worked his jab, then was caught low with a kick that briefly halted the action.

Back underway, Pedro fired a low kick immediately followed by one to the body. Pedro finally uncorked a right hand, and followed up with a knee — square to the groin. A longer break, this time, for Villanueva to recover.

As they got going again, Ike fired a right hand, Pedro hit home with a leg kick. Pedro would land a couple more of those, and Villanueva was feeling them. His motion was hampered, which made closing the distance an issue. Just as the end of the round was nearing, Pedro got his hands going, hurt Villanueva, and sat him down with another outside leg kick. Right hands followed, and Villanueva’s night was over.

WELCOME BACK @TYSON_PEDRO_ 💥 #UFCVegas52 pic.twitter.com/FlnEpPXLwm

— UFC (@ufc) April 24, 2022

Official Result: Tyson Pedro def. Ike Villanueva by TKO, Round 1, 4:55

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Pedro, who last fought in 2018, is also coming off two straight losses. But finally returning to action after overcoming a serious injury, the momentum is on his side. And Villanueva (18-13) is looking to steal that hype.

“I’m fighting this young kid, coming off ACL surgery. He’s got all the hype. Let’s go, man,” a clearly enthused Villanueva told The Top Turtle Podcast on Cageside Press ahead of the fight.

“Hurricane” Ike understands exactly what it means to return from ACL surgery, as Pedro is doing. “I’ve been an athlete all my life. Football, rugby, I’ve played the toughest sports. He’s coming off one of the ugliest injuries anyone can come off of, coming off an ACL injury. For a kicker. God bless the dude, he came back, he bit down, he’s coming back in to action. But hey man, he’s biting the bone, and he threw the bone at the wrong dog. Because hey, this guy don’t back up, man. I’m looking forward to— I’m going to meet him in the middle, and let’s go to work. Because he has all the hype.”

Part of that hype stems from Pedro training with fellow Australian heavyweight Tai Tuivasa, but Villanueva likes to remind people that “He is not Tai. He trains with Tai Tuivasa, but he is not Tai.”

“Tai Tuivasa’s a bad dude, I’ll give it to him,” Villanueva acknowledged. Regardless of size or physique, “he brings it. That’s my style, I’m the same way. Let’s get down to grit, and let’s throw down.”

But again, Pedro isn’t Tai, and as Ike Villanueva sees it, “This fight is a fight for me to steal that shine, and really come up with this fight. So I look forward to really putting on a show.”

He also knows it’s important to bounce back after some bumps in the road to start his run with the organization. “My UFC career, I had some B.S. I call it B.S., sh*t didn’t go my way. But I can really turn it around with this. When I fought [Marcin] Prachnio, first punch I threw at Prachnio, I broke his world. And I really had that fight and I let that fight slip away. So I’ve really got to bite down and really bring that pain. Tyson, he’s going to try to shoot, or he’s going to throw the head kick. Which ever one, I’ll be ready for it. I’m looking forward to putting on a show.”

Ike Villanueva faces Tyson Pedro at UFC Vegas 52 this Saturday, April 23, 2022 at the Apex in Las Vegas.

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Eurosport.nl was first to report the news that Pedro will be back in action against Ike Villanueva on April 23 at a yet-to-be-announced UFC event. A source close to the situation would subsequently confirm the light heavyweight booking to Cageside Press.

Pedro (7-3) has been out of action since his third-round TKO loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in his home country of Australia in 2018. In the fight with Rua, he suffered a bad knee injury that would need complete reconstruction. Pedro was close to returning to the octagon in 2020, but he suffered another injury, forcing him to pull out. Pedro holds wins over Khalil Rountree and Paul Craig.

In April, Villanueva (18-13) will most likely be fighting for his job. After picking up his first UFC win last year January by knocking out Vinicius Moreira, he would drop back-to-back fights. “Hurricane” would end up finished by Marcin Prachnio via a body kick and then lost via TKO to Nicolae Negumereanu in his most recent outing.

Villanueva told Cageside Press that this is a do-or-die fight for him.

The UFC’s April 23, 2022 event does not have an official location, venue, or broadcast plan announced.

The April fight card currently includes the following reported bouts:

• Jessica Andrade vs. Amanda Lemos
• Maycee Barber vs. Montana De La Rosa
• Clay Guida vs. Claudio Puelles
• Louis Cosce vs. Preston Parsons
• Mike Jackson vs. Dean Barry
• Qileng Aori vs. Cameron Else
• Tyson Pedro vs. Ike Villanueva

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What’s next for those who stumbled on the main card? Here’s a look.

Paulo Costa

Paulo “The Eraser” Costa couldn’t seem to erase the extra pounds he carried into UFC Vegas 41, which he would later blame on a bicep injury. He also couldn’t get past Marvin Vettori, and a slow start seemed to be part of the issue. Costa came on strong in the fifth round, however, and look considerably larger than his opponent. Combine that with Dana White saying he’ll need to compete at light heavyweight moving forward, and it seems like any hypothetical matchmaking should take place with 205lbs in mind — not that it would be surprising to see the UFC cave on the weight issue.

Johnny Walker is currently coming off a loss to Thiago Santos. He’d be a fun test to see if light heavyweight really is a viable option for Costa.

Costa’s next fight: Johnny Walker

Grant Dawson and Ricky Glenn

It’s tempting to say run it back, but there isn’t a ton to be gained in doing so here. Grant Dawson remains undefeated in the UFC, while Glenn’s run has been inconsistent.

With Dawson learning a few lessons in this fight, it would be smart to pair him up with another veteran — in this case, Vinc Pichel, who at 38 has found his groove and won his last three fights. For Glenn, how about Steve Garcia, who is coming off a big (and bloody) win over Charlie Ontiveros.

Dawson’s next fight: Vinc Pichel
Glenn’s next fight: Steve Garcia

Joselyne Edwards

Edwards lost a unanimous decision against the returning Jessica-Rose Clark at UFC Vegas 41. The fight wasn’t exactly a barn-burner, and Edwards has now lost two straight. Shanna Young is 0-2 in the UFC, and coming off a loss to Stephanie Egger. Book these two, and it’s pretty much a loser leaves town match.

Edwards’ next fight: Shanna Young

Seung Woo Choi

South Korea’s Seung Woo Choi had a three fight win streak snapped by Alex Caceres at UFC Vegas 41. He now sits at 3-3 in the promotion overall, and will be looking to get his momentum back. Omar Morales is 3-2 under the UFC banner, and coming off a loss to Jonathan Pearce late last month. The timing works pretty well, and the match-up will allow one fighter to bounce back. Book ’em, Danno.

Choi’s next fight: Omar Morales

Dwight Grant

Dropping a split decision to Francisco Trinaldo on Saturday, Dwight Grant is now 3-3 in his UFC run. Lyman Good is in the exact same situation, 3-3 and like Grant struggling to find consistency. Good hasn’t fought since last year, but said just a few days back that his return could come soon. Depending on the definition of “soon” in this case, the Grant fight makes sense.

Grant’s next fight: Lyman Good

Ike Villanueva

Hurricane Ike just can’t seem to catch a break in his UFC run. His fight style is popular with fans, but so far, multiple opponents have failed drug tests (Chase Sherman, Vinicius Moreira), and at UFC Vegas 41, he was stopped in controversial fashion by Nicolae Negumereanu with several blows appearing to hit the back of the head.

It’s tempting to say that, at 1-4, Villanueva should head back to the regional circuit. But he puts on fun fights, and his salary isn’t really a concern for the promotion. Fabio Cherant is 0-2 in the promotion thus far, and with both men in need of a win, the fight makes sense, and would likely be a banger.

Villanueva’s next fight: Fabio Cherant

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Ike Villanueva had won over UFC fans with what he referred to as his “blue-collar” style, but coming into UFC Vegas 41, “Hurricane” Ike needed a win, having posted just a 1-3 record through four appearances inside the octagon to date. Villanueva previously had all four of his fights end via knockout heading into this one, so it’s no surprise that his fight on Saturday did as well.

On Saturday, the light heavyweight was paired up with Nicolae Negumereanu, with the bout kicking off the main card.

Neguemerenau opened up with a takedown attempt that was quickly stuffed by Villanueva, and Villanueva landed a few shots in the clinch. However, after separating, Negumereanu clipped Villanueva badly with a left hook. Villanueva tried to get him back with some shots of his own but he was sent down to the canvas after another clean shot by Negumereanu. Negumereanu then followed up with some hammer fists and the fight was called off, a seemingly quick and painless first-round knockout for Nicolae Negumereanu.

DON'T BLINK!!! 😳

This one is already over as Negumereanu ends it quick! #UFCVegas41 pic.twitter.com/4hKJtDbSLw

— UFC (@ufc) October 23, 2021

Villanueva quickly protested the result, saying that the fight-ending strikes were to the back of the head. The replay did indeed show that the last few strikes were true to the back of Villanueva’s head; despite this, the commission declined to review the sequence, and gave Negumerenau a quick first-round knockout victory.

Official Result: Nicolae Negumereanu def. Ike Villanueva by TKO, Round 1, 1:18

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Rather, he wanted to.

“Any time you get the opportunity here at the mecca, the UFC, let your boy be heard. You worked so hard to get here, let everybody know you’re here for a reason,” Villanueva (18-12) said during his impromptu media appearance on Wednesday. “Don’t shy away from it. You worked so hard to get here, you talked to all your social media, let the media know.”

It’s that sort of attitude that has quickly won “Hurricane” Ike a growing following since his arrival in the UFC in May of last year.

“It’s amazing to finally get here and showcase my skills, and build a fanbase. Win lose or draw, I’m building a strong fan base,” said Villanueva. “They love the way I fight, it’s the blue collar mentality. You pay to see me fight, I’m going to put on a show. I’m not going to drag you to the ground, hold you down, I’m not that kind of style.”

Villanueva went on to add that “I still carry that UFC 1 background, like tournament style, where you got the boxer versus the wrestler.” It’s what got him into the sport, in fact. “That’s what got me into the UFC, watching that, it motivated me.” And yes, he does have a well-rounded style, Villanueva continued, “but I love that machismo of ‘hey, I’m going to stand in front of you. Throw your best shot, I’m going to throw my best shot, let’s go.’ It’s just that mentality, I love it. Because that’s what it’s about. Everybody in the world is watching, you’re going to make a name for yourself. How bad do you want it? I’m excited.”

At UFC Vegas 41, Villanueva is paired up with Nicolae Negumereanu, a 10-1 fighter who Villanueva believes benefited from questionable matchmaking outside the UFC.

“This guy, he got lucky. He got a good padded record coming into this game. You see when he finally got tested, it got ugly,” Villanueva stated. Prior to entering the UFC, Negumereanu had faced back-to-back opponents with losing records, at 2-15 and 10-13. That’s a stark contrast to Villanueva himself, who dealt with tough competition, plus several fighters who failed drug tests. “When I got here, I got tested, but I got tested with some failed drug tests in everybody else that I fought. But it didn’t stop me, I still stepped up.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 41 media day appearance by Ike Villanueva above. More coverage can be found below. The event takes place this Saturday, October 23 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV.

The post UFC Vegas 41: Ike Villanueva Believes Nicolae Negumereanu Got “Lucky” with “Padded Record” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Multiple sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have confirmed to Cageside Press that Nick Negumereanu will fight Ike Villanueva on October 23. Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori are expected to headline the card.

Negumereanu (10-1) picked up his first UFC win in his last outing when he defeated Aleksa Camur via split decision after taking 2020 off. The Romanian lost to Saparbeg Safarov in his UFC debut.

Since getting to the UFC last year, Villanueva (18-12) has been busy fighting four times since 2019. After dropping his first two to Chase Sherman at heavyweight and then suffering a nasty cut against Jordan Wright, “Hurricane” got back into the win column to start his 2021. He knocked Vinicius Moreira out on ‘Fight Island’ and, in the process, gave him his pink slip. Villanueva lost his last fight via TKO to Marcin Prachnio when he got hit with a body kick.

No location, venue, or broadcast plan has been announced for the October 23 event, but UFC President Dana White said that all Fight Nights will be staying at the Apex in Las Vegas, NV.

The October 23 fight card now includes the following reported bouts:

• Paulo Costa vs. Marvin Vettori
• Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Joselyne Edwards
• Randa Markos vs. Lívia Renata Souza
• Jeff Molina vs. Daniel Lacerda
• Gregory Rodrigues vs. Jun Yong Park
• Mason Jones vs. Alan Patrick II
• Kris Moutinho vs. Aaron Phillips
• Nick Negumereanu vs. Ike Villanueva

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With both men known to throw heavy leather, the light heavyweight match-up promised fireworks on Saturday’s preliminary card.

The big boys came out swinging and it didn’t take long for ‘Hurricane Ike’ to land the big blow. An early shot had Prachnio backpedaling and looking to cover up. Prachnio hung on long enough to recover and turn it into a fight. Despite landing some of his signature kicks, the pressure of Villanueva continued to move Prachnio back to the cage. Villanueva contiued to go head hunting, messing up Prachnio’s eye, but took a lot of damage to his lead leg. He scored a trip with no time left and unloaded to take the round.

The work to the legs and body early seemed to be paying dividends for Prachnio. About a minute it, it paid off in a big way when he landed a liver kick to Ike Villanueva and required no additional follow up shots.

Body shot for the finish 💥#UFCVegas30 LIVE on @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/Mp095xJiHg

— UFC (@ufc) June 26, 2021

Official Result: Marcin Prachnio def. Ike Villanueva by TKO (Liver Kick), Round 2, 0:56

The post UFC Vegas 30 Results: Marcin Prachnio Stops Ike Villanueva with Mean Liver Kick appeared first on Cageside Press.

Multiple sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, have confirmed to Cageside Press that Ike Villanueva and Marcin Prachnio will fight at a yet-to-be-announced UFC event on June 26.

Villanueva (18-11) was essentially fighting for his job at UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Magny back in January on ‘Fight Island.’ He picked up his first UFC win when he knocked out Vinicius Moreira in the second round. “Hurricane” did not have the best 2020 as he lost both of his fights; however, one of those contests was at heavyweight, and the other was stopped because of a nasty cut.

Additionally, opponent Chase Sherman, who Villanueva faced in his inaugural UFC bout, later tested positive for banned substances. A hearing for Sherman under the Florida State Boxing Commission is expected this month, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation previously told Cageside Press.

Villanueva was riding a four-fight winning streak when he was signed by the UFC last year.

Like his opponent, Prachnio (14-5) was recently fighting for his job as well. The Polish fighter had lost three straight to Sam Alvey, Magomed Ankalaev, and Mike Rodriguez – all via knockout. Prachnio picked up his first UFC win against fan-favorite Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 257, also on ‘Fight Island.’ He won a unanimous decision.

With both fighters getting their first UFC victory this year, they will be looking to continue their winning ways come June.

No location, venue, or broadcast plan has been reported for the UFC’s June 26 event. With the latest addition, the card now includes the following bouts:

• Ed Herman vs. Danilo Marques
• Ovince Saint Preux vs. Maxim Grishin
• Ike Villanueva vs. Marcin Prachnio

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