Steve Garcia

Maybe it’s because he started off his UFC stint 1-2, but fans seem to have been too dismissive of Steve Garcia’s current win streak, which he extended to seven on Saturday. Ever since dropping to featherweight after his loss to Maheshate, Garcia has been on a tear, winning seven straights, six of which via KO. The streak features names like Chase Hooper, the also streaking Melquizael Costa, Calvin Kattar and now David Onama.

After his win, Garcia called out Josh Emmett in his post-fight presser. Though that’s not a bad name to call out at all, I prefer the option he laid out. After submitting the aforementioned Emmett in under two minutes, I had Youssef Zalal fighting the winner of this main event should Garcia be victorious in UFC 320’s edition of what’s next. And victorious he was, so why not see if Zalal can avenge his teammate Onama and stop the red-hot Garcia?

Garcia’s next fight: Youssef Zalal

Waldo Cortes-Acosta

It wasn’t the cleanest performance from referee Mark Smtih and we’ll see if Ante Delija can manage to get this result overturned with an appeal, but in the spirit of fairness, Waldo Cortes-Acosta didn’t do anything wrong on Saturday. We will treat this as a victory for the Dominican fighter as long as it is ruled as such.

Tom Aspinall will undoubtedly rematch Ciryl Gane and the winner will probably have to fight Alexander Volkov. But if the division can manage to move through all this relatively quickly, “Salsa Boy” might be just one more good win away from a title shot. Jailton Almeida, Derrick Lewis and Shamil Gaziev should he beat Serghei Spivac are all names I wouldn’t be against putting in there with WCA, but I ultimately landed on Curtis Blaydes as I think Cortes-Acosta should have his takedown defence tested once more before eyeing a title shot.

Cortes-Acosta’s next fight: Curtis Blaydes

Jeremiah Wells

It wasn’t the most thrilling affair, but Jeremiah Wells got his hand raised for the first time since April of 2023, outlasting Themba Gorimbo for a unanimous decision win. At 39 years of age, the best is almost certainly behind Wells, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some fun things to do with him. I think a fight with the guy who won just two fights prior could make for a fun scrap.

Wells’ next fight: Charles Radtke

Yadier del Valle

Potential betting scandal aside, this was Yadier del Valle’s second 1^st-round rear-naked choke win in as many UFC bouts. With this win, the 29-year-old undefeated prospect took his perfect record to double digit. Being undefeated at featherweight means one thing and one thing only: will Christian Rodriguez take another 0? C-Rod’s last four wins came against then-undefeated Raul Rosas Jr., Cameron Saaiman, Isaac Dulgarian and Austin Bashi. Gimmick aside, there’s no doubt Rodriguez is someone who can test a guy like del Valle. The gimmick just adds a bit of spice to what might otherwise be a bout that would fly under the radar.

del Valle’s next fight: Christian Rodriguez

Charles Radtke

Charles Radtke was looking to bounce back after his brutal KO loss to Mike Malott in May. Though Daniel Frunza survived a bit longer than some of us might have expected, Radtke did eventually sink in the rear-naked choke. As mentioned, I think he and Jeremiah Wells would make for an entertaining matchup.

Radtke’s next fight: Jeremiah Wells

Allan Nascimento

Through inactivity, a weight miss and a bit of bad luck, Allan Nascimento’s last win at 125 lbs goes back to January of 2023. It’s a shame he hasn’t been able to gather more momentum because he could be an interesting player at flyweight. He’s now won four straights, two of which got him Performance of the Night bonuses, after taking Tagir Ulanbekov to a split decision in his promotional debut. The UFC rarely likes to reward inactivity, which is why I think they will most likely just end up rebooking the Rafael Estevam matchup, which isn’t a bad idea at all.

Nascimento’s next fight: Rafael Estevam

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The post Jeremiah Wells Outgrinds Themba Gorimbo for Hard-Fought Victory appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I took that Luque fight with an injury, I broke my ankle a week before I took that fight. I went against the doctors, I am hard-headed and rebellious sometimes, I think my way is their way, and I said I’m gonna make it through the fight, but I didn’t the way I should’ve.”

Despite his winning streak being broken, Gorimbo saw the injury as a chance to rest and recover.

“But it was a blessing, I wanted to be in the top 15, rush into things again. So that’s why I took my time to come back, I went back, and my ankle healed completely around May.”

“I wanted to come back end of June, International Fight Week. Then I got a fight for that, but the day before Sean offered me the fight, I broke my rib,” Gorimbo continued.

Gorimbo then got brutally honest about how he feels about fighting and his future goals.

“Who told you I like fighting? I fight because this is a sport I’m good at, I think. I made an agreement with myself when I started this sport 15 years ago that I wanted to become a champion in my previous promotion in Africa, and I did that. And I said I want to be a champion in the UFC, and I’ll do that.”

“It’s about accomplishments for me, it’s about the goals and setting goals, doing things that seem impossible, that’s why I’m here. Whether I fall or rise, the goal remains the same, and that is to be a champion.”

Gorimbo then left with one of the colder press-conference answers we’ve heard in a while,

“He’s got a family, I’ve got a family. I’ve got kids to feed at home; my kids are more important than his. If I have to kill a man, I will.

Watch the entire media day scrum with Themba Gorimbo above. He faces Jeremiah Wells at UFC Fight Night 263 on Saturday night.

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“I’d be lying to say it wasn’t [hard]. It definitely was, it was tough. I just had to keep my faith high and keep pushing forward. It was trials and tribulations, and I appreciate every moment of it.”

Despite the tough times, Wells kept true to his faith and belief, working on sharpening his tools.

“Getting better and better, just tightening my craft like no other.”

Wells actually made his UFC debut following an even longer layoff, and says the situation reminds him of old times.

“I feel like I’m back home, and to show the world how great I am.”

When asked if this was the start of a reinvention or evolution, Wells didn’t think that covered his improvements enough.

“That and more. Just like I said, faith and being more spiritual, being one with myself, and knowing how great I am. I am the chosen one; I don’t have this power for no reason.”

Wells faces Themba Gorimbo this weekend in a fight he expects will deliver action for fans

“Styles make fights, and this is definitely gonna be a banger.”

“It’s gonna be fireworks, it’s gonna be the one that really connects, got more power, more technique, and is actually composed,” Wells continued.

With his recent inactivity, there is no intended break or rest after this fight, and Wells hopes to remain active going forward.

“If I could fight next week, I would.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Jeremiah Wells above. He faces Themba Gorimba at UFC Fight Night 263 on Saturday night.

The post Jeremiah Wells Used Faith To Push Through Long Layoff, “I Am the Chosen One” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Griffin, with wins over Carlos Condit, Tim Means, and Song Kenan, has become known for exciting fights, while Wells held a 75% finish rate to start the night.

Wells’s plan seemed to be exploding, landing, and then shooting the takedown but Griffin’s defense held up well. Griffin meanwhile wanted to stick and move happily countering Wells’ attacks.

Both men were very wary of each other’s power with Wells opting to use a very explosive and lunging attack. His first attack was a spinning heel kick to the legs that missed, but it was a preview of quite a few spinning attacks he threw during the fight.

Griffin used a lot of counters throwing a straight right anytime Wells exploded towards him and having plenty of success with it. Each man hurt the other in the second round, but a finish never materialized as the fight went all three rounds ending in a split-decision victory for Max Griffin who is now 19-10 in his career. Wells drops to 12-3 and is now on a two-fight losing skid.

Official Result: Max Griffin def. Jeremiah Wells via Split-Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Wells was undefeated in the UFC through his first four fights, had won six straight overall, and was coming off a win over Matthew Semelsberger. Harris, also a four-fight UFC vet, was 3-1 inside the octagon and was last seen picking up a unanimous decision victory against Jared Gooden.

The first round started with things getting started early in the grappling department for Wells, who seemed to take down Harris with ease. Harris did not seem to have much for Wells in the first round on the mats. Wells was able to sink into a tight darce choke and roll around with it for a bit, but Harris was able to get up just to go back down because it did not take Wells long to get him back down to the mat and finish the round on top.

The second round started exactly the same as the first round, with an early successful takedown by Jeremiah Wells. Wells looked for another dare, but Carlston Harris read it and was able to get out this time. Wells did not land a whole lot of damage for the time he spent on top, but Harris spent most of the second round trying to get up because Wells was relentless with the top pressure in round two. Going into the third round, Harris had a lot of work to do after being down two rounds.

The third round started on the feet, but Wells quickly had Harris against the cage, looking to go back to his grappling, but he gave up his neck, and Harris sunk in an anaconda choke and choked Jeremiah Wells to sleep for a comeback victory!

This fight is exactly why MMA is the most interesting sport in the world. Jeremiah Wells was dominating this fight all the way to the third round, and as soon as he thought he had Harris defeated, Harris made him pay with a submission victory and a come from behind victory.

Official Result: Carlston Harris def. Jeremiah Wells via R3 Submission (Anaconda Choke) 1:50

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On Tuesday, promotion officials announced via press release a number of bouts, including a previously unreported welterweight match-up between Jeremiah Wells (12-2-1) and Carlston Harris (18-5).

In addition, a featherweight bout recently announced by Iridium Sports Agency between Sean Woodson (9-1-1) and Steve Garcia (14-5) was also confirmed. Iridium manages both of those athletes.

Wells, 36, is a perfect 4-0 inside the octagon thus far in his UFC career, and is on a six-fight win streak overall. Most recently, Wells picked up a split decision win against Matthew Semelsberger in April.

Harris, 35, is 3-1 under the UFC banner and coming off a win against Jared Gooden in March.

UFC Nashville is set to take place on August 5, 2023 with bantamweights Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov headlining the card. The following match-ups were officially announced by the promotion on Tuesday:

• Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
• Jessica Andrade vs. Tatiana Suarez
• Tanner Boser vs. Aleksa Camur
• Dustin Jacoby vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
• Said Nurmagomedov vs. Kyler Phillips
• Ode’ Osbourne vs. Asu Almabaev
• Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Jake Hadley
• Damon Jackson vs. Billy Quarantillo
• Ovince Saint Preux vs. Ion Cuțelaba
• Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ľudovít Klein
• Sean Woodson vs. Steve Garcia
• Jeremiah Wells vs. Carlston Harris

The post Jeremiah Wells vs. Carlston Harris, Sean Woodson vs. Steve Garcia Announced for UFC Nashville appeared first on Cageside Press.

Renzo Gracie student Wells entered the bout undefeated in three UFC fights, finishing each of his opponents in under six minutes. Meanwhile, ‘Semi the Jedi’ put together a respectable UFC run which saw him amass a 5-2 record heading into the fight with Wells. Semelsberger also is one of two fighters in UFC history who has two sub-twenty second knockouts, sharing that record with Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson.

Wells and Semelsberger collided in the center of the cage and started swinging. Wells quickly ate a brutal hook that dropped him and almost put him out cold. However, he came back from the bring of unconsciousness to wrestle up and try to get in on a takedown. Semelsberger defended it and held Wells in the clinch, giving Wells some time to recover. Suddenly Wells was able to spin Semelsberger and use that momentum to throw Matthew on his back.

Wells got on top in full guard and looked to drop down ground strikes. Jeremiah had some success but Semelsberger got back to his feet finally with ninety seconds left in the round, albeit stuck in the clinch. Wells unloaded with a big combo and then shot in on a double leg, which he completed with ease. From top position Wells was able to rain down hammerfists until the end of the round.

In the second, again at the start of the round Wells ate a big right hand from Semelsberger and fell to his back. Wells was able to get back up from underneath his foe but he stayed on the back foot, only unloading with big combos sometimes. Semelsberger took a more measured approach to stalking his foe. Two minutes into the round Wells landed another highly explosive takedown and got on top in full guard. Wells was unable to land as many ground strikes in the second round as the first, but he maintained top control for a full three minutes until the end of the round.

The start of the third round once again saw a wild trade in the center of the cage, which Wells followed up with a flying knee. Wells then shot for a takedown, was able to lift up, and slam down Semelsberger after Semelsberger failed a switch attempt. Wells got on top in a strong half guard position which was only interrupted when Semelsberger went for a heel hook. He failed though and Wells was able to resume top control in half guard.

Semelsberger was able to get up around the halfway point of the round but fell back to his back when trying for an ill-advised Kimura which he failed to use effectively. Semelsberger got into full guard and tried for a triangle choke but Wells pulled out and got on top in side control instead. When Semelsberger stood up Wells stayed on him like white on rice and dragged him back to the ground right before the final buzzer sounded.

When the scorecards were read out there was only a slight worry, as Wells dominated much of the fight but did get knocked down in two of the rounds. Joe Martinez announced the scorecards and it was a split decision, with all three judges having different scores as one gave when Semelsberger the decision, one gave Wells two rounds, and the final judge gave Wells all three rounds, earning him the victory.

Still undefeated in the UFC!@JeremiahWellsm2 moves to 4-0 in the Octagon with a split decision over Semelsberger at #UFCVegas71! pic.twitter.com/1xxEGY1nOL

— UFC (@ufc) April 22, 2023

Official Result: Jeremiah Wells def. Matthew Semelsberger by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

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It’s also the third time this year the UFC has opened its pocketbook, and in this case, it was nine winners on an electrifying card in Austin, Texas cashing in. From the outset on Saturday, the Fight Night even was something special, with finish after explosive finish coming in competitive fights.

Among the big winners, Adrian Yanez, who vanquished public enemy number one, Tony Kelley, inside of a round. The pair kicked off the main card, and were immediately followed by Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues, who beat and battered Julian Marquez before finally putting him down with a right hand.

Roman Dolidze, Cody Stamann, Jeremiah Wells, Phil Hawes, Joaquin Buckley, and Kevin Holland also picked up Performance bonuses. But perhaps the biggest standout was Ricardo Ramos, who finished Danny Chavez with a perfectly timed spinning back fist.

There are five spinning back fist finishes in UFC history; Ramos holds two of them.

Fight of the Night, meanwhile, went to a back-and-forth war between Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett in the main event. Both men damaged the other, with Emmett walking away with the split decision win in the end.

The post Nine Finishers Get Bonuses at UFC Austin, Kattar vs. Emmett Gets Fight of the Night appeared first on Cageside Press.

McGee (21-10) was riding a two-fight win streak with decisions over Claudio Silva and Ramiz Brahimaj respectively. The long-time UFC vet has fought in the promotion since 2010.

Wells (10-2-1) was also on a two-fight win streak to start the night, with a KO finish of Warlley Alves in 2021 and submission victory over Mike Mathetha (Blood Diamond) at UFC 271.

Round one began with Wells putting pressure on McGee quite a bit. That gave way to a Lot of staring at each other, with neither man willing to throw the first shot. McGee tried to work kicks in order to slow Wells down. But a perfectly set up combination, ending with a left hand, put McGee on the ground and ended the fight.

For wells, that’s his third straight win in the UFC, and fifth straight overall, dating back to his CFFC days. It’s also the second time in three fights that Wells has stopped an Ultimate Fighter winner, with Warlley Alves having won TUF Brazil 3.

Official Result: Jeremiah Wells def. Court McGee by TKO, Round 1, 1:34

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