Renato Moicano

It was nice to see Moicano bounce back from his back-to-back losses from last year. He was on a hot streak before running into Islam Makhachev and dropping the ball against Beneil Dariush. A win here doesn’t propel him back to the front of the line, but it does put him back on track. I wouldn’t be against booking the Paddy Pimblett fight, which seemed to be next when Moicano defeated Benoit Saint Denis back in 2024. For now, I think rebooking the Brian Ortega rematch is the right call.

Moicano’s next fight: Brian Ortega

Virna Jandiroba

It will be difficult for Jandiroba to fight her back into title contention, but if she was to do it, it had to start with a win on Saturday. Knowing Loopy Godinez has already lost to Mackenzie Dern, I’m doubtful that she would get the next shot even with a win at UFC 327. So if Godinez is victorious next Saturday, I believe she will have to face Jandiroba next. If Tatiana Suarez gets her hand raised, I think she will earn her shot, meaning Jandiroba will most likely face Gillian Robertson in the meantime. I think the Brazilian’s next bout will be determined by the result of the upcoming Suarez/Godinez bout.

Jandiroba’s next fight: Loopy Godinez (if victorious at UFC 327) or Gillian Robertson

Abdul-Rahman Yakhyaev

Judging by the way he fights, the 25-year-old light-heavyweight clearly understands that he isn’t paid by the hour. At this age, Yakhyaev should be focused on getting as many reps in the octagon as he can so as to sharpen his skills before having the face the top of the division. With his fighting style, he’s in and out so quickly that he doesn’t absorb a lot of damage, which should allow him to jump back into the cage fairly quickly. I think the promotion should look to keep sending him fighters who create car crashes to test Yakhyaev’s ability to work his way through them. Someone like Ibo Aslan perfectly fits that description.

Yakhyaev’s next fight: Ibo Aslan

Ethyn Ewing

After upsetting the highly touted Malcolm Wellmaker on short notice at Madison Square Garden, Ethyn Ewing has now taken the ‘0’ off Rafael Estevam. Ewing has gone from unknown prospect to hyped contender in just two UFC outings. I think the promotion should try and make the most out of the momentum he has garnered in just five and a half months. Giving him someone like Bryce Mitchell not only keeps testing Ewing’s skills, but also gives him the opportunity to beat a known name.

Ewing’s next fight: Bryce Mitchell

Tommy McMillen

Who’s to say what Tommy McMillen’s true ceiling is? But for now, the young American seems to fit the action-oriented approach that the promotion has clearly been favoring in this new Paramount era. The UFC should try to find fighters who will indulge McMillen in his firefight type of style without being too challenging. There are a few names like this at featherweight, I settled on John Yannis.

McMillen’s next fight: John Yannis

Jose Delano

Jose Delano had a fairly impressive showing in his promotional debut, outstriking the former two-time KSW champion Robert Ruchala 107 to 67. He landed 62% of his strikes, while limiting Ruchala to just 33% striking accuracy. Any name could be thrown at Delano, but I think the returnee Kai Kamaka III, who was victorious in the card’s opening bout, who make for a fun scrap.

Delano’s next fight: Kai Kamaka III

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Ruchala had dropped his own debut to William Gomis last year.

The fight opened with both men measuring distance, each looking to establish range. Delano was the first to land clean, snapping Ruchala’s head back with a crisp one-two. Ruchala tried to close the distance and tie up, but Delano shrugged him off with ease. Early on, Delano’s movement stood out—sharp defensively, slipping and ducking punches while angling off effectively.

Ruchala was clearly intent on getting the fight to the mat, but he paid for those attempts in the clinch, eating knees for his efforts. He mixed in solid volume on the feet, repeatedly going to the head kick, but Delano’s composure and fluidity gave him a slight edge in the round.

In the second, Ruchala returned to his kicking game, staying active. Delano answered with a stiff right hand that forced Ruchala backward, immediately making his presence felt. Ruchala found moments of success with spinning attacks, including a clean body kick, but Delano began to settle in. A sharp right-left combination into a leg kick highlighted his rhythm, and his left hand, in particular, started landing with consistency. The Brazilian looked more cohesive with his combinations, pulling ahead through cleaner, more effective striking.

Heading into the final round, the fight felt up for grabs. Both fighters engaged quickly, exchanging with urgency. Delano landed a nice body-head combination, while Ruchala continued to target the head with kicks—even when blocked—staying committed to the attack. He also found the body with a pair of hooks and another spinning strike to the midsection.

Delano responded in kind, digging to the body with a straight left and following up with kicks. As the round progressed, Ruchala looked to slow the pace in the clinch, but a costly mistake—grabbing the fence—resulted in a point deduction that loomed large. In the final minute, Delano invested heavily to the body and capped things off with a clean one-two.

It was a highly competitive, back-and-forth fight that delivered action throughout.

Official Result: Jose Delano def. Robert Ruchala by unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-27)

The post UFC Vegas 115: Jose Delano Makes Successful Debut Against Robert Ruchala appeared first on Cageside Press.

Delano (16-3) landed over 100 significant strikes in a three round war with Manuel Exposito on Tuesday, earning a unanimous decision in the end.

“It’s just dawning on me, that this happened, that I’m a UFC fighter,” said a grateful Delano, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight. “You’ll see much more. There’s a lot more coming from where that came.”

Dana White sometimes looks for finishes when it comes to awarding contracts, and Delano was expecting someone to be put away in the opening round. It didn’t happen.

“I think it just only made the spectacle and the fight itself even better. Because you’re talking about two athletes that were very capable of being here, and deserving,” Delano observed. “I think also, it’s something we promised. We said we’re going to give you Fight of the Night, and possibly we’re in the running for Fight of the Year, and the season. You could be looking at this fight as one of the best of the year.”

Matchmaker Sean Shelby suggested Delano is the most ready of anyone on DWCS this season to actually be in the UFC. Dana White agreed. No doubt music to the UFC newcomer’s ears.

“I’m flattered and grateful. If they are saying it, I’m going to believe it. I’m not one to watch the fights,” said Delano, who prefers to train, and doesn’t necessarily follow the sport. “I don’t even know many of the people that could be on my path in the division. But they [Shelby and White] watch a lot of fights, they’ve seen a thing or two. So if they’re saying that, I truly believe it, I appreciate it, and I’m honored.”

Of course, if they want to really prove it to him, they can put Jose Delano on the upcoming UFC Rio card. “Get me a fight in Rio de Janeiro.”

UFC Rio isn’t until October 11, so the promotion has time to make it happen if they so desire.

Watch the full Dana White’s Contender Series 2025 Week 2 post-fight appearance by Jose Delano above.

The post DWCS Winner Jose Delano Wants on UFC Rio Card appeared first on Cageside Press.

Tommy Cuozzi vs Ramiro Jimenez

Round 1 – Right out of the gate, Jimenez pops Cuozzi with a left that appears to hurt him. He sticks kicks to the body as well, looking to get Cuozzi to drop his hands. Cuozzi looks to counter with some forward pressure, but is quickly detered with another hard left. Cuozzi is back on jelly-legs. Jimenez marches him down and lands a bunch of lefts. He adds a head kick, and another. In the clinch, he switches to some elbows on the temple and Herb Dean has to wave it off.

Official Result: Ramiro Jimenez def. Tommy Cuozzi by TKO (Strikes) – Round 1 (2:53)

Josh Hokit vs Guilherme Uriel

Round 1 – Uriel comes out with some feints and looking to throw hands. Hokit quickly gets a tie up and goes for the takedown. Uriel grabs the fence and gets a warning, but then Hokit brings him to the floor. Uriel makes it back to his feet, but it’s rinse and repeat for Hokit, who hits at least a half down mat returns before getting any kind of offense off. After three minutes of that, Uriel breaks the hands. He lands a leg kick and a big shot before Hokit shoots again. These two takedowns get stuffed and Uriel lands again. One more tie up and Uriel gets ahead of himself and Hokit winds up with top half. He spends the last 30 seconds there. The control and late onslaught does it for Hokit. 10-9 Hokit

Round 2 – Hokit takes an early takedown with no resistance from Uriel and immediately starts to open up on the mat. Uriel does land an up kick, but the exhuastion of Uriel is apparent. Hokit lands a couple of elbows and Uriel turns away.

Official Result: Josh Hokit def. Guilherme Uriel by TKO (Strikes) – Round 2 (1:06)

Louis Lee Scott vs Kaushik Saikumar

Round 1 – Lee Scott coming out looking to get the striking going. Saikumar finds an early opening and drops for a leg lock. He gets deep on some entanglements, but Lee Scott keeps his knee safe. He eventually separates and forces Saikumar to stand. Lee Scott is again doing the bulk of the work on the feet. He lands a spinning back kick and tries for another, but Saikumar catches the back the second time and jumps to back mount. He finishes the round standing there with a body triangle and that’s likely enough to win the round. Saikumar 10-9

Round 2 – Lee Scott again with the agression straight out of the gate. He lands the bigger shots, but when he raises a knee to land, Saikumar uses it to create another scramble. In there, he gets in on another leg, but Lee Scott does the smart things and gets himself back to safety on the feet. We wind up back up against the cage with Lee Scott landing elbows with inside control. Lee Scott gets going with the leg kicks, but Saikumar finds another of them as an opening to make it in on an entry. Lee Scott finds his way out again, but this time uses to land strikes from top. The damage was clear and Lee Scott should take it. Lee Scott 10-9

Round 3 – Lee Scott comes out again with more leg kicks. He throws a jump knee that appears to catch the cup of Saikumar and we get a quick break in the action. More combinations from Lee Scott on the restart and throwing to all levels. He hurts him to the body with a step in knee and then throws a spinning back kick. Saikumar catches him and nearly takes the back, but Lee Scott breaks away this time. He opens back up with more combinations and hurts Saikumar to the body. Saikumar turns away and Lee Scott pours it on.

Official Result: Louis Lee Scott def. Kaushik Saikumar by TKO (Strikes) – Round 3 (2:20)

Brandon Holmes vs Cam Rowston

Round 1 – Holmes rips a pair of hooks immediately that wake Rowston up. The Aussie tries to find range with a couple of kicks, but Holmes lands a few of his own. After exchanging on the feet for a bit, Rowston shoots a takedown. Holmes looks to hit a counter and come out the back. He doesn’t succeed, but makes it back to his feet. The shot gives Rowston confidence, and he throws the straight left and it connects. Holmes starts backpedaling and eats a few more. Holmes on wobbly leg. A big shot from Rowston sends Holmes to the mat and Blake Grice has seen enough.

Official Result: Cam Rowston def. Brandon Holmes by TKO (Strikes) – Round 1 (2:58)

Manuel Exposito vs Jose Delano

Round 1 – These two come out swinging, but the head movement is keeping Delano as the more successful fighter. Exposito hits a few here and there, but Delano is playing matador with him a bit. A big left lands for Delano and he surprisingly shoots. He comes up empty and they reset. He lands some work to the body and another upstairs, and Exposito shoots. He seems in, but Delano counters with a kimura and nearly a crucifix before they scramble back to the feet. Delano really finds his range and begins to beat Exposito down. He lands a elbow to the nose and Exposito is bleeding. Another left encourages Exposito to shoot again and they scramble to the bell. Delano 10-9

Round 2 – Exposito looks a little more defensively minded to kick off the second. That forces Delano to work behind his jab a hit more and work to the body. After eating a few, the old aggressive Exposito comes back out. He shoots a takedown, but can’t get underneath. He’s eating everything that Delano throws – lefts, kicks, elbows. Another shot late for Exposito, but he winds up against the cage and eats more elbows as the horn sounds. Delano 10-9

Round 3 – Exposito comes out looking frash and aggressive. He gets a right to land for himself, but them immediately becomes the punching bag again. Delano lands at will. More lefts. More body shots. He puts toegther a five-punch combination that ends up top. Exposito’s face is a mess. Despite all of this, Exposito is still throwing back with bad intentions. Delano closes the fight with his foot on the gas and closes around 150 significant strikes landed. Clear win for the Brazilian. Delano 10-9

Official Result: Jose Delano def. Manuel Exposito by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Contract Winners:

• Ramiro Jimenez
• Josh Hokit
• Louis Lee Scott
• Cam Rowston
• Jose Delano

And for more Dana White’s Contender Series coverage, check out all of the work here on Cageside Press. We have interviews with the fighters as well as analysis of those getting a second chance on Tuesday.

The post Dana White’s Contender Series 2025: Week 2 – Play-by-Play & Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Do not expect another crazy turnaround like that any time soon. But Susurkaev, who trains alongside Khamzat Chimaev, has certainly set a high bar for this latest Contender Series season. Week 2 features several undefeated talents and other hot prospects – here’s a look.

Featherweight, Jose Delano (15-3) Vs. Manuel Exposito (13-2)

Notable notes

• Exposito has won via KO/TKO, Submission, and Decision
• Exposito has won in rounds one, two, and three
• Exposito is 0-2 in the US
• Delano is 6-1 in the LFA cage
• Delano has won via KO/TKO, Submission, and Decision, but losses by all three as well
• Delano’s only loss in ten years is to UFC fighter Gabriel Santos

Jose Delano

Delano is a high-level fighter who would likely already be in the UFC if not for his struggles with making weight. His loss to Gabriel Santos was almost a blueprint for how to beat him; Santos effectively neutralized Delano’s movement with leg kicks and consistently beat him to the punch.

Delano’s game is built around his footwork. His cage craft and lateral movement are top-tier, especially his ability to glide side to side. Even when he’s pressuring, he’s not blindly following. He mirrors his opponent, maintaining angles and staying active. While he’s not the fastest striker, he compensates with surgical accuracy and a wide variety of strikes. At range, he makes life difficult with a sharp jab and punishing lead leg kicks. Off his back foot, he’s a dangerous counter striker who can flip the momentum in a heartbeat.

His takedown defense has come a long way, showing clear improvements over time. He sprawls with excellent timing and makes smart use of underhooks in the clinch. Speaking of the clinch, Delano is a real problem there— vicious with knees and especially nasty with elbows.

Delano has all the tools to succeed at the UFC level. I’m not going to call him a future champion (that’s always impossible to predict) but I do see him cracking the top 15 at featherweight down the line.

Manuel Exposito

Exposito dropped two straight fights less than two years ago, and while he’s bounced back with three wins, the level of competition has been low. Those losses revealed some major red flags. When faced with real adversity, he tends to wilt. If he can’t get the takedown, he becomes a liability on the feet, lacking head movement, with poor hand placement, and flawed footwork.

While he does have some grappling ability, he’s more of a scrambler than a dominant wrestler. His wrestling and top control don’t really complement his overall style. Technically, Exposito is just too limited to break through even at the higher regional level. He lacks striking fundamentals, has virtually no striking defense, struggles with cardio, and doesn’t offer reliable takedown defense. Outside of being a guillotine threat, his ground game doesn’t offer much either.

Prediction: I fully expect Delano to look every bit like a -600 favorite. For Exposito to have any chance, he’ll need to either drag this fight to the mat or capitalize on a rare mistake, most likely looking to snatch a guillotine. The problem is, Delano’s takedown defense is exceptional, and Exposito has shown a tendency to mentally unravel when things don’t go his way.

The striking gap here is massive. Delano’s jab and leg kicks are going to pile up early and create the kind of damage that quickly breaks Exposito down. I’m extremely confident in Delano to get the finish. I’m calling a first-round TKO.

The post DWCS 2025: Episode 2 Breakdown and Predictions appeared first on Cageside Press.

In the main event, LFA’s featherweight tournament comes to a close, with 145lb gold up for grabs between José “Ze” Delano and Gabriel “Mosquitinho” Santos. In the co-feature, Julia “Psycho” Polastri and “Arenita” Brenda Göttig collide with the vacant women’s strawweight championship on the line.

Delano has not lost a fight since 2015, putting together an impressive 11-fight win streak on his current run. Santos has been equally impressive, compiling a perfect 9-0 record since his professional debut in 2014.

Julia Polastri might be best remembered as Jasmine Jasudavicius’ Contender Series opponent, while Argentina’s Brenda Gottig was a perfect 6-0 coming into the night.

LFA 151: Delano vs. Santos takes place on Saturday, January 28, 2023 at the Ginásio do Polvilho in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The main card streams live on UFC Fight Pass. Full results from the event can be found below, as can the preliminary card live stream.

LFA 151: Delano vs. Santos Results

Main Card (UFC Fight Pass, 8PM ET)

Gabriel Santos def. José Delano by TKO (punches), Round 3, 0:51 — featherweight tournament final / for the vacant LFA featherweight championship
Julia Polastri def. Brenda Göttig by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 1, 4:50 — for the vacant LFA women’s strawweight championship
Anderson Ferreira def. Milson Castro by TKO, Round 1, 4:37
Jonas Bilharinho def. Caio Machado by knockout, Round 2, 0:38
Marciano Ferreira def. Mateus Brauns by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Marco Tulio Silva def. Well Oliveira by TKO, Round 1, 4:26

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass/Facebook/Youtube, 6:45PM ET)

Jefferson Nascimento def. Matheus Rocha by knockout (strikes), Round 1, 1:18
Lucas Barros vs. Cassio Barão ends in a majority draw (28-27, 28-28, 28-28)
Gabriel Souza def. Lucas Escobar by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 1:03

Preliminary Card (Dark)

Manuel Robson Minoto def. Joabson Alves by TKO (Leg Kicks), Round 1, 3:17
Michael Oliveira def. Clever Souza by TKO (Strikes), Round 1, 0:49
Gabriela Fujimoto def. Laryssa Leila by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

The post LFA 151: Delano vs. Santos Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

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!

The post 10 Featherweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023 appeared first on Cageside Press.

In part one we are handing out awards to the best representative of each division this year. For each division we’ll highlight one prospect that we felt has had the best year inside of the cage.

Heavyweight prospect of the year: Slim Trabelsi (5-0)

Heavyweight didn’t have a strong year. Most of the fighters that stood out were signed up by a major promotion. Heavyweight is like that, so as soon as there is someone that starts to stand outz, they immediately get snatched up. That includes Slim Trabelsi. Trabelsi was reported to sign with the UFC and was set to make his debut on October 22 on UFC 280. Unfortunately, Trabelsi was still under contract with Ares FC and after the promotion balked on letting him out of the contract, the UFC debut couldn’t happen. This year he went 3-0 beating John Winter who was 4-0, former UFC veteran Luis Henrique, and then Azamat Nuftillaev who was 12-0. In that Nuftillaev fight, Trabelsi won the Ares FC title.

Light Heavyweight prospect of the year: Bruno Lopes (11-0)

Light heavyweight had a better year than heavyweight, but Bruno Lopes was the clear winner among them all. This year he went 3-0 and made his debut for LFA going 2-0. Lopes is coming off the biggest win in his career after winning the vacant LFA 205-pound title in September. Lopes was away from the sport for six years until he made his comeback last year, and has gone on a tear since. Years ago, Lopes fought at welterweight and was the Jungle Fight champion. Now, he’s at light heavyweight where he’s right at home. Lopes already might be signed to a major promotion but we don’t know it yet.

The post Yearly MMA Prospect Awards: 2022 in Review, Part 1 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Going down Friday live from the Magness Arena in Denver, Colorado, LFA 133 was topped by Michael Stack taking on Jose Delano for the promotion’s vacant featherweight championship. But on Thursday, Delano had missed weight by a full five pounds. That leaves on Stack, winner of three straight fights, as the only combatant eligible to win the belt. Should Delano win the fight, the title will remain vacant.

Delano was one of three fighters to miss weight on Thursday, with both Luis Gurule and Cody Jerabek coming in heavy for their fights. All three fighters with forfeit a portion of their purse to their opponent. But it’s Delano losing a shot at gold that has the hurt the worst.

LFA streams live on UFC Fight Pass on Friday, June 3, 2022. Full results from the event can be found below.

LFA 133: Stack vs. Delano Results

Main Card

José Delano def. Michael Stack by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-45) – For the vacant LFA featherweight championship. Only Stack is eligible to win the title.
Haris Talundžić def. Bahatebole Batebolati by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Trey Waters def. Benjamin Bennett by KO (knee), Round 3, 4:37
Jeremiah Curtright def. Ryan Charlebois by DQ (illegal elbows), Round 1, 3:15
JaCobi Jones def. Riley Wiseman by TKO (corner stoppage), Round 1, 2:09
Ben Tynan def. Trevor Wallace by submission (arm triangle), Round 1, 1:33

Preliminary Card

Jota Ninomiya def. Ricky Field by TKO, Round 1, 0:34
Llorrvic Acevedo def. Aasin Liberato by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1
Frankie Sanchez Jr. def. Joe Stafford by TKO, Round 2, 0:55
Miguel Perez def. Mike Mazariego by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 4:04
Luis Gurule def. Anthony Valenzuela by TKO, Round 1, 1:16
Jeremiah Humphrey def. David Evenson by TKO, Round 2, 2:59
Iaian McGhee def. Cody Jerabek by submission (straight ankle lock), Round 1, 0:56

The post LFA 133: Stack vs. Delano Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Airing live on UFC Fight Pass, the event featured two title fights: in the main event, Jonas Bilharino will face Jose Delano for the promotion’s vacant featherweight title. Delano got the nod after Bilharino’s originally scheduled opponent, Rafael Barbosa, was forced to pull out of the show.

In the co-feature, another top prospect, Gabriel Bonfim, will face Eduardo Gavron for the promotion’s vacant welterweight belt.

Bonfim, a.k.a. “Marretinha,” entered the night a perfect 11-0 as a professional, with no fewer than eight finished to his name.

LFA 126 takes place Friday, March 11, 2022 at the Complexo Ribalta in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The main card streams live on UFC Fight Pass, and gets underway at 9PM ET. Full results from the event can be found below.

LFA 126: Bilharinho vs. Delano Results

Main Card

Jose Delano def. Jonas Bilharinho via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 48-47) – for the LFA featherweight world championship
Gabriel Bonfim def. Eduardo Garvon via submission (darce choke) at 1:11 – for the LFA welterweight world championship
smael Bonfim def. Andrey Augusto via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Eduardo Neves vs. Andre Vieira via knockout (punches) Round 1, 1:04
Tamires Vidal def. Queila Braga via submission (heel hook) Round 2, 3:36
Rodolfo Bellato def. Thiago Vieira via submission (triangle choke) Round 1, 4:58
Gabriel Braga def. Rogerio Furtado via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Preliminary Card

Inaildo Santos vs. Mateus Brauns
Lucas Fernando def. Rodrigo Lima via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-25, 30-27)
Vandirson Alves def. Gabriel Costa via majority decision (29-27, 28-28, 29-27)
Lincon Santos def. Marciano Ferreira via submission (rear naked choke) Round 1, 2:24
Hyago Silva def. Matusalem dos Santos via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)

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