“I’m very happy with my performance, for this victory. I was sure we would win,” Ochoa told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

“Even more I’m very happy to be able to dedicate this win to my father, my team, and my entire family.”

Ochoa (9-2) put together a striking masterpiece against Carpenter who badly wanted the takedown, but wasn’t able to secure anything. Ochoa knew he was well-prepared for this fight.

“I’m happy with everything that I did in there. I wasn’t surprised by anything that happened in there. In fact, I thought I was going to get the knockout,” he said.

“But we went the 15 minutes and I was prepared for that as well.”

Following the bout Ochoa used his post-fight interview to propose to the mother of his child back in Brazil. Word traveled fast and he got his answer in the locker room.

“It’s obvious that she said yes,” he said with a smile.

“She was just waiting for me to ask.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Jose Ochoa above.

The post Jose Ochoa Outclasses Carpenter, Caps Night with Engagement News appeared first on Cageside Press.

Relentless pressure, punishing body work, and sharp combinations carried Ochoa to a dominant decision over Carpenter at UFC 328 on Saturday night.

Round 1 – Ochoa came out with a ton of pressure, forcing Carpenter onto the back foot. Carpenter fired back in an attempt to create space, but Ochoa stayed aggressive, landing heavy shots.

With the pedal down early, Ochoa set the pace while Carpenter took time to find his rhythm. Ochoa dug to the body with authority, forcing Carpenter to shoot for a takedown, but it was easily stuffed.

Ochoa continued targeting the body, leaving visible damage as redness began to build across Carpenter’s midsection. A big right hand stunned Carpenter, followed by a left hook and another hard shot to the body.

Despite the punishment, Carpenter kept a hell of a poker face, though the body work was clearly taking its toll. The two briefly clinched, where Carpenter landed knees to the body, but he couldn’t maintain control and was forced back into striking range.

Ochoa’s sustained body attack opened up opportunities upstairs, and he capitalized, dropping Carpenter with a clean shot. Carpenter immediately shot in, eventually pulling guard and attempting a heel hook while absorbing hammer fists that left him bloodied.

Ochoa freed his leg, and the fight returned to the feet. Carpenter pressed forward with urgency, but Ochoa remained sharp, avoiding most of the incoming strikes.

Round 2 – Carpenter opened the round working leg kicks, but Ochoa remained aggressive, pressing forward with his hands even as he took a few return shots. There was little respect shown for Carpenter’s power as Ochoa continued to dictate the pace.

Ochoa unleashed a massive flurry that was briefly interrupted by a right hand from Carpenter, followed by a shot to the body. Still, Ochoa’s jab proved to be a major problem, sharp, fast, and accurate, as Carpenter began to take a lot of damage.

After a kick from Ochoa was caught, Carpenter attempted to capitalize by jumping on the back, but Ochoa quickly shook him off. Carpenter transitioned to another leg lock attempt, but Ochoa freed himself and resumed control on the feet.

While Carpenter landed a few clean shots, they were far outnumbered by the volume coming his way. Ochoa punctuated the round with a vicious combination, digging to the body, snapping a right hand into Carpenter’s already damaged nose, and finishing with a kick behind it.

Round 3 – Carpenter came out more aggressive in the final round, but Ochoa showed no concern for the offense coming his way. Ochoa attempted a flying knee, but Carpenter capitalized by securing a takedown and briefly taking top position.

From there, Carpenter worked quickly, looking to pass guard and set up a head-and-arm choke. However, he got a bit careless, allowing Ochoa to scramble back to his feet, where he immediately punished Carpenter with sharp, snapping strikes.

Carpenter pressed forward again, shooting on a single leg and driving Ochoa to the fence, but couldn’t generate enough to complete the takedown. Ochoa broke free and returned to picking him apart on the feet, continuing to land clean, damaging shots.

In the end, it was a striking showcase from the Peruvian. Despite Carpenter’s repeated attempts to bring the fight to the ground, he couldn’t impose his game. Credit to Carpenter for making it to the scorecards, but this was a clear, composed, and dominant performance from Jose Ochoa.

Official Result: Jose Ochoa def. Clayton Carpenter via Unanimous Decision (30-27×3)

The post Jose Ochoa Dominates Carpenter With Striking Masterclass appeared first on Cageside Press.

In the co-main event, Marcus McGhee, with less than two years with the UFC, unsuccessfully attempted to take out the former bantamweight champion in Petr Yan. Some aggressive matchmaking produced some losers that are all in unique and different situations due to their time with the promotion, age, and recent fight history.

Robert Whittaker

Robert Whittaker lost a split decision to Reinier de Ridder in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday. The loss marks the first time the Whittaker has lost two bouts in a row since 2014. Whittaker lost to Court McGee and Stephen Thompson before electing to move up to 185 pounds one fight later. Robert has lost three of his last five fights though all losses have been too tough competition (Dricus Du Plessis, Khamzat Chimaev, Reinier de Ridder). Rob turns 35 in December but has a lot of miles on him because of all the wars he’s been in. Whittaker entered the bout ranked at #5, while his opponent was ranked at #13.

Whittaker could easily face the winner of #8 Roman Dolidze vs #9 Anthony Hernandez which is the main event for August 9. Timing would be great. Dolidze is on a three-fight win streak while Hernandez has won seven in a row. Matchups between either of these guys and Whittaker would make a lot of sense, giving the winner of this bout a former champ as a test during ascension (especially if the bout ends up being close).

On the other hand, a matchup against the recently suspended former champion, Sean Strickland, could present an interesting bout as well. It was also mentioned in a previous edition of losers. Strickland is also a former welterweight, like Rob, and a striker. They’ve never squared off before and this could be exactly what both men ordered with a dominant win propelling them right back towards elite competition. Dolidze or Hernandez maybe more realistic at this point, but all three men offer a great fight for Whittaker and fight fans.

Whittaker’s next fight: Roman Dolidze vs. Anthony Hernandez winner/ Sean Strickland?

Marcus McGhee

Marcus McGhee was masterfully out-struck on his way to a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Petr Yan in the co-main event on Saturday. It was McGhee’s first loss under the UFC promotional banner. Marcus is now 4-1 with the UFC since being signed in early 2023.

Marcus entered the fight ranked at #12 while his opponent was sitting at #3. At 35 years old, even though Marcus has just five fights in the UFC and is just 10-2 as a pro, time is of the essence. That said, McGhee should fight Bryce Mitchell next. Mitchell is an alum of The Ultimate Fighter Season 27, and at one point was a top-ranked featherweight. Bryce went 2-3 from 2022-2025 and was stopped in three defeats (Illia Topuria, Josh Emmett, Jean Silva). In the featured preliminary bout on Saturday, Mitchell dropped to the bantamweight division for the first time since his MMA debut and won an exhausting back-and-forth fight against Said Nurmagomedov.

Timing would make sense and this bout and would give both fighters a huge opportunity. Another chance at a big name for Marcus, who needs momentum fast. And for Bryce, a likely immediate shot at a top ten ranking in the bantamweight division. This fight could be an APEX main card or co-main event type fight. Classic striker vs grappler matchup.

McGhee’s next fight: Bryce Mitchell

Marc-Andre Barriault

Marc-Andre Barriault bloodied and battered his dynamic striking opponent in Shara Magomedov, on his way to a unanimous decision defeat in UFC Abu Dhabi’s Fight of the Night. Barriault has had some rough outcomes over the course of his last few fights, but he always comes prepared to turn in a competitive scrap.

Marc-Andre has won just one of his last five fights (against Bruno Silva). Barriault is 6-9, 1 NC with the UFC, but thanks to his willingness to put it all on the line, he may not be on the hot seat just yet. But make no mistake, he’s on a short list.

With that in mind, Barriault should take on the loser of Gerald Meerschaert vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk. That fight is scheduled for August 16 so the timing would be perfect. Gerald has won just two of his last five fights and is currently riding a two-fight skid (Reinier de Ridder and Brad Tavares). Oleksiejczuk has also won just two of his last five though he was victorious in his most recent octagon appearance against Sedriques Dumas back in April. Michal actually also lost a Fight of the Night-winning, unanimous decision to Shara Magomedov in the bout before that, last August. This fight is right on the level that Marc-Andre needs right now and offers him a different look than the strikers he’s faced recently. This bout could be on the main card of a Fight Night card, but the loser could potentially be in danger of being cut with another loss.

Barriault’s next fight: Cesar Alemeida or Gerald Meerschaert vs Michal Oleksiejczuk loser?

Jose Ochoa

Jose Ochoa was thwarted via a unanimous decision defeat by Asu Almabayev at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Ochoa entered the bout unranked, accepting a huge opportunity, taking on the #9 ranked Asu Almabayev. Asu was originally scheduled to take on #13 ranked Ramazan Temirov before Temirov withdrew. Ochoa was just 1-1 with the UFC heading into this one; he only had nine pro fights. He lost to Lone’er Kavanagh in his promotional debut. His last time out, he took just two rounds to finish Cody Durden. This was just too much, too soon.

Jose Ochoa’s next fight should be against the loser of Kevin Borjas vs. Sumudaerji. That fight goes down on August 23, so the timing isn’t the best, but it could still be realistic. Sumudaerji is 4-4 with the promotion and has won just one of his last four. That win actually came in his last time out, against Mitch Raposo back in April. Kevin Borjas is 2023 Contender Series product that is 1-2 with the UFC. Though his first loss did come via unanimous decision against the now surging Joshua Van. Borjas also was victorious in his last time out, defeating Ronaldo Rodriguez.

At this point in his UFC career, Jose could draw the winner or loser of this bout. It all just depends on how the fight goes. Could see this bout on the prelims of a PPV card. With the winner drawing a name, though not a ranked one.

Ochoa’s next fight: Kevin Borjas vs. Sumudaerji loser

Nikita Krylov

Bogdan Guskov took just one round to finish Nikita Krylov to kick off the UFC Abu Dhabi main card on Saturday. Nikita entered the fight ranked at #10 within the light heavyweight division while his opponent was ranked at #13. Krylov is now on a two-fight skid- a stark contrast to his three-fight win streak just prior to that. And to make matters worse, Krylov has been finished in the opening round in the back-to-back losses (by Dominick Reyes and Bogdan Guskov)

Let’s keep with the recent theme of aggressive matchmaking on this one. Krylov’s next fight should be against Billy Elekana. Billy made his UFC debut back in January against Bogdan Guskov on short notice. Bogdan was originally supposed to fight Johnny Walker before the Brazilian fighter withdrew due to an injury. Elekana was submitted in the second round of that bout but put on a decent performance, all things considered.

Billy fought Contender Series product, Ibo Aslan, on the prelims Saturday. Elekana looked good in the unanimous decision victory over a four-fight UFC vet. This would be a good clash because although Nikita is 11-9 in the UFC, he’s just 33 years old. This fight still reads as a changing of the guard type of fight and could easily end quickly and violently.

Nikita’s next fight: Billy Elekana 

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

Almabayev looked to bounce back from his first UFC loss to Manel Kape and maintain his top 10 ranking. Ochoa’s sights were set on proving his status as a top rising prospect in the loaded flyweight division.

Almabayev got right to his grappling, catching Ochoa and holding him against the cage. His first takedown attempt was successful, but Ochoa stood up and worked back to the cage. Almabayev had a big moment jumping on the back, but fell off. When they separated, Almabayev landed a big right hand and a head kick. He then jumped in for the takedown again, this time attempting a choke, but ultimately settled on the back of Ochoa for about a minute. Ochoa managed to get up and even worked to Almabayev’s back himself to end the round.

Round two got off to a different start, with Ochoa finding success with his boxing. After a couple of hard strikes, Almabayev managed to catch a kick and get the fight back down. Ochoa worked back to the cage and separated, but Almabayev’s chain wrestling continued as he found yet another takedown halfway through the round. From the bottom, Ochoa attempted a nice armbar and ended the round with a triangle choke, but to no avail.

With Almabayev likely up two, he had no plans of slowing down and shot again early in Round three. A cage grab briefly separated the action before Almabayev set up another takedown with a big right hand. Ochoa was prepared and jumped right into a guillotine, but the Kazakh popped out and remained on top. After getting up again, Almabayev landed some uppercuts in the clinch while Ochoa landed some punches at range.

Almabayev improves to 5-1 in the UFC and defends his #9 ranking with the win. Ochoa falls to 1-2 in the UFC with the loss.

Official Result: Asu Almabayev def. Jose Ochoa by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

The post UFC Abu Dhabi: Asu Almabayev Back in Win Column With Decision Over Jose Ochoa appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Didn’t lose much to be honest. The most important thing is that there is an opponent. I’m ready for any opponent, I train really hard,” Almabayev told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.

“I’m just excited there is an opponent that I can fight.”

Almabayev (21-3) was originally set to take on Ramazan Temirov, but two weeks ago his opponent pulled out. Lucky for him Ochoa was eager for a big opportunity and took the fight.

This might be a blessing in disguise for Almabayev who’s coming off a tough loss to Manel Kape in March. Getting a less experienced opponent, and on short-notice, might be a good way to get back into the win column.

“We learned from our mistakes. Every defeat teaches you something so we make sure to take look at what was done wrong and correct our mistakes. Hopefully this fight, the next fight, I’ll be able to show what I learned and what I improved on,” he said.

Earlier in the day Ochoa told reporters that, while he had respect for Almabayev’s wrestling, but saw holes in his striking. Ochoa said he planned on capitalizing on those deficiencies.

“Once the cage closes we’ll make sure to do whatever we can to show what we’re able to do,” said Almabayev.

“With God’s help we’ll show what we worked on, we’ll show our worth. Everyone will know what we can do on Saturday.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Asu Almabayev above. He takes on Jose Ochoa at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

The post Asu Almabayev Glad To Have An Opponent After Temirov Withdrew appeared first on Cageside Press.

Ochoa (8-1) steps in for Ramazan Temirov who withdrew two weeks ago leaving Almabayev without an opponent. Ochoa jumped on the opportunity immediately.

“When I got the news I accepted the fight right away. I feel prepared, I’ve put in the work with my team, and an opportunity sent to me by God,” Ochoa told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.

Ochoa trains with the fame Chute Boxe team with Charles Oliveira as one of it’s start pro fighters. Ochoa has found a home with one of the biggest teams in the sport.

“I represent Chute Boxe. I feel at home with them, and happy to train with Charles Oliveira. We’re here for war, and happy that we’re always rising up the rankings,” he said.

In Almabayev he gets a high-level wrestler who’s takedown game is one of the best in the division. Ochoa plans to attack other parts of his skillset on Saturday.

“I studied Asu and he’s a strong wrestler, but he’s got holes in his striking. That’s going to be my target. Lots of pressure, good defense which I’ve worked on for a long time, and I’m going for the victory,” he said.

Watch the entire media day scrum with Jose Ochoa above. He takes on Asu Almabayev at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday night.

The post Jose Ochoa Jumped On Chance To Fight Ranked Almabayev Quickly appeared first on Cageside Press.

Saturday night’s Usman vs. Buckley marked the first fight for ex-welterweight champ Kamaru Usman since a 2023 loss to Khamzat Chimaev. It also marked the end of a three-fight skid including back-to-back losses to Leon Edwards for Usman, while for Buckley, the setback was his first as a welterweight on his current run. Six fight win streak over, Buckley will now look to shore up his takedown defense, which failed him in the fight repeatedly until the final round, when Usman had arguably begun to tire.

The first four rounds saw Usman land one takedown in each, with Buckley unable to get back up in all cases. That glaring hole in his armor isn’t going get Buckley where he needs to be in terms of the title picture, and will be something to watch for next time out.

Usman, meanwhile, was emotional after the fight, speaking about getting the monkey off his back and knowing he can still compete at the highest level.

It was a good fight; Rowe vs. Loosa was more entertaining, with Rowe landing a late comeback after being down two rounds. Post-fight bonuses are at the whim of the UFC, however. Better luck next time.

Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC Atlanta went to Jose Ochoa, who knocked out a local fave in Cody Durden, and Malcolm Wellmaker. Wellmaker put away the returning Kris Moutinho with a hook that will no doubt play on highlight reels for a while to come.

The post Main Event Snags Fight of the Night at UFC Atlanta appeared first on Cageside Press.

Durden was 1-3 in his last four, but hailed from Covington, Georgia and received a hero’s welcome as a result in his 13th UFC fight.

Ochoa held center early, flashing a kick and keeping Durden on the outside. Durden chucked an overhand right; moments later it was Ochoa with a back elbow that connected. Flyweight speed was on full display, but Durden soon opted to pursue a takedown, getting Ochoa seated along the fence. While Ochoa got back to a three-point stance, Durden stayed heavy on him.

Later in the round, Ochoa doubled up on high kicks, a step ahead of Durden. But Durden would battle back, rocking Ochoa before landing a takedown.

Round two was over as soon as it began. Ochoa rocked Durden early, then went after him, unloading a big left hand! That dropped Durden, and it was a done deal from there. Jose Ochoa silenced the crowd in Atlanta, putting away Georgian native Cody Durden to secure his first victory under the UFC banner. A nice way to bounce back after Ochoa had lost to Lone’er Kavanagh in his debut.

Official Result: Jose Ochoa def. Cody Durden by knockout, Round 2, 0:11

The post UFC Atlanta: Jose Ochoa Puts Away Local Fave Cody Durden appeared first on Cageside Press.

Peru’s Ochoa was a perfect 7-0 (1NC) entering the UFC, though he’d been largely untested in his brief professional career. Kavanagh held a 7-0 record of his own, and had come to the UFC via Cage Warriors and Dana White’s Contender Series, where he defeated another hot flyweight, An Ho, care of a devastating knockout.

This battle of undefeated fighters started off at a high pace from the opening bell. Kavanagh pressured forward throwing dangerous combinations at Ochoa, who looked to counterstrike at distance early. Briefly, a groin strike halted the action but Ochoa was able to continue. A right hand left hook from Kavanagh got Ochoa’s attention snapping his head back. Both of these competitor’s were highly skilled and showed their potential throughout the fight. Kavanagh was the busier fighter in round one jumping ahead in the beginning stages of the fight.

Ochoa came out with a renewed sense of urgency in round two looking to even the fight. Utilizing his kicking game Ochoa threatened a front kick and damaging low leg kicks. Midway through the round, Ochoa landed a beautiful body punch that momentarily hurt Kavanagh. After two rounds, there was a strong possibility the fight was even at one round a piece.

The third round was also highly competitive, but Kavanagh showed an uptick in volume. Ochoa slowed down in the third round, allowing Kavanagh to pressure him to the fence and showcase his elite striking skills. The total strikes in this fight were virtually identical with Ochoa out landing Kavanagh 59-51. Neither fighter landed a takedown over 15 minutes. The judges saw this contest in favor of Kavanagh with scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28. Fight fans will have their eyes on both of these intriguing Flyweight prospects moving forward.

Official Result: Lone’er Kavanagh def. Jose Ochoa by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC Macau: Lone’er Kavanagh Victorious on Scorecards Against Fellow Newcomer Jose Ochoa appeared first on Cageside Press.

Jose “Kalzifer” Ochoa
Standing at five-foot-seven
Fighting at 125 lbs (Flyweight)
23-years-old
Moyobamba, San Martin, Peru
Training out of Chute Boxe Diego Lima
A pro record of 7-0, 1 NC
6 KO/TKOs, 1 Submission

How Ochoa will fare in the UFC:

Ochoa was supposed to fight on this past season of the Contender Series but was pulled and signed outright instead. It was a good decision considering Ochoa is UFC level. He’s still young but already so talented and has the perfect gym behind him to help him succeed. His only notable win thus far came against Juscelino Pantoja, who is now the Shooto Brazil flyweight champion.

Ochoa doesn’t have any glaring holes outside of just being young and still learning. Being from Chute Boxe he’s going to be a striker mainly. What helps him is he’s shown solid takedown defense. Ochoa does a great job of fighting underhooks. When he is taken down he has springs from underneath him as he bounces back up. How he will do when he’s taken down in the UFC is up in the air because he hasn’t fought a good grappler yet.

Ochoa is an all-action fighter that will bring it non-stop as you’d expect from Chute Boxe. He is volume-based, throws a lot of kicks, is fast, and uses good footwork. Being so aggressive, he brings a rapid pace. He’s got excellent kickboxing in space and you’ll see he can be a bit dynamic. What he lacks in power, Ochoa makes up for with speed, athleticism, and explosiveness. He’s also good on the inside with his Muay Thai. I’d like to see him set some things up better besides relying on his admittedly gifted abilities. Another thing is he’s a big flyweight. I believe it’s helped him with takedown defense and helped bully guys in the clinch.

Overall this is a great signing. Ochoa is only 23 and ready to compete with some of the top guys. I hope he gets a slower build after this fight because he’s still so young and far from complete. I see the top 15 potentially easily and maybe the top 10 in the future.

How he matches up with Kavanagh

I hate that they are bringing in Ochoa to fight Kavanagh in both of their debuts. I also love it because these two are the future of the sport, and particularly the flyweight division. I said earlier that Ochoa has crazy good speed, athleticism, and explosiveness. Well, Kavanagh is even better in those areas. Kavanagh is better at using feints and creating traps which Ochoa’s style plays into. I think the takedown defense of Kavanagh is the more gray area but Ochoa isn’t exploiting that. I like Kavanagh just simply because I think he’s the more complete striker.

The post Welcome to the UFC: Jose Ochoa appeared first on Cageside Press.