Last week TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter reported that six fighters were removed from the UFC roster. The fighters cut were Luke Sanders, Anthony Birchak, Aalon Cruz, Jordan Griffin, Bartosz Fabinski, and KB Bhullar.

The promotion wasn’t done with the cuts, however. MMA Fighting has since reported that three other fighters were cut. The three others are Yorgan de Castro, Justine Kish, and Oskar Piechota. And earlier this week, Maurice Greene posted on his Instagram that he was released as well, rounding it out to an even ten.

Greene (9-6) started out winning three straight before losing four of his last five. He was most recently in action at UFC on ESPN: Rodriguez vs. Waterson and lost a lopsided unanimous decision.

de Castro (6-3) knocked out Justin Tafa in his UFC debut, winning Performance of the Night but then lost three straight, including being knocked out in his last fight.

Kish (7-4) started her octagon career winning two straight, including a win over Nina Nunes, before losing four out of her last five.

Piechota (11-3-1-1) won his first two UFC fights before getting finished in his last four.

Sanders (13-5) was the longest-tenured UFC fighter alongside Kish on the list of cut fighters. He went 4-5 with a win over former bantamweight champion Renan Barão.

Birchak (14-8) did not have any luck in his second run with the promotion, getting finished in both of his fights. This marks the second time the organization has cut him.

Cruz (8-4) won a UFC contract on season three of Dana White’s Contender Series but could not find the same success in the UFC as he was finished in both of his fights in the first round.

Griffin (18-9) went 1-4 inside the big show after winning a contract on season two of Dana White’s Contender Series. Many media think he won his last fight against Luis Saldana.

Fabinski (15-5) started his UFC career, winning his first three fights. However, the Polish fighter would lose three of his last four, getting finished in all three.

Bhullar (8-2) would lose his only two fights in the UFC after leapfrogging competing on Dana White’s Contender Series.

In addition, after losing his broadcasting gig with the promotion, Dan Hardy appears to have been released from his fight contract with the organization. MMA Fighting first reported the news, citing Hardy himself as the source. Hardy spoke out on his issues with the promotion earlier this year.

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Opening up the UFC Vegas 25 card is a battle of featherweights, as Luke Sanders takes on Felipe Colares. Sanders is looking to rebound off a submission loss to Nate Maness in November of last year. Colares is also looking to bounce back into the win column after losing to Montel Jackson in January of 2020.

Sanders opened up fast, catching a body kick from Colares early and landing a big right hand. Sanders began backing Colares up to the fence, and soon he landed a big left that dropped Colares hard. Sanders then followed up with a big combination that put Colares to the mat, Sanders jumped into his guard and started landing massive elbows. Colares did a good job to survive, however, and he made his way to the feet where he soon found some offense against Sanders. Colares landed a huge right hand in the final thirty seconds of the round that sent Sanders back to the cage, however, Sanders ended the round in the clinch after an unsuccessful takedown attempt.

Sanders changed his approach a little bit in the second round, targeting the legs of Colares early. Throwing low kicks and searching for the takedown, Sanders was noticeably more tired in the second round after trying to get the finish in the first. Sanders couldn’t get his takedowns though, and he was getting more and more tired as the round went on, Colares at one point reversed a takedown attempt from Sanders and walked him across the octagon before slamming him down for the takedown. Colares soon secured the back and nearly got a rear-naked-choke, but the round ended.

Coming off of the second round where Sanders was exhausted, Colares also became super exhausted. What then ensued was a very tired third round between Sanders and Colares, Colares kept going to the body with leg kicks and counters, while Sanders was still looking for takedowns but couldn’t get them. The end of the round saw Colares reverse Sanders and get a takedown of his own, and get the back once again. However, Sanders got back to his feet in time and end the round swinging.

Felipe Colares def. Luke Sanders by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

The post UFC Vegas 25 Results: Felipe Colares Outlasts Luke Sanders appeared first on Cageside Press.

Beleaguered. Besieged. And frankly thin on paper. Any way you wanted to look at it, UFC Vegas 15 was a card that struggled to capture the imagination of fight fans, especially going down on the same night as the Tyson vs. Jones PPV spectacle.

But to those fighting on the card, none of it really mattered. After weeks and month’s worth of preparation, all that really mattered was the task at hand. For Luke Sanders and Nathan Maness, that task was to build win streaks (or in Maness’ case, extend one) in the night’s curtain-jerker.

Sanders opened the fight with some kicks, throwing to the body and to the legs of Maness. Maness landed a hard right hand as Sanders was coming in, and then a hard leg kick. Sanders shot in to get into the clinch but ate a couple of hard hooks to get there, and Maness shrugged him off and reversed position. Sanders responded with a brutal calf kick that briefly buckled Maness, and he followed up with another clinch attempt that was shrugged off. However Sanders was aggressive with his clinch attempts, and he worked on another but was thrown down by Maness. Maness briefly got Sanders back but he quickly got up and separated. The round ended with a big flurry from Sanders that appeared to hurt Maness before the bell.

Round two opened with a very aggressive Sanders, who shot in for a quick flurry and was actually rocked with a hard shot from Maness. Sanders wasn’t deterred, however, and he landed a huge combination that seemed to rock Maness. Maness stayed calm and measured and soon rocked Sanders once again. Maness dropped him with a straight right hand, and despite Sanders getting back to his feet, he was taken down and quickly submitted after Maness got the back and locked in a rear-naked-choke.

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1332857423984549890

An absolutely impressive comeback win for Nate Maness.

Official Result: Nate Manes def. Luke Sanders by submission (rear-naked-choke), Round 2, 2:29

The post UFC Vegas 15 Results: Nathan Maness Survives, Finishes Luke Sanders appeared first on Cageside Press.

There are nights where you might hem and haw over your Fight of the Night pick. And then there’s UFC Phoenix. One fight was a lock for the honor, with play-by-play man Jon Anik mentioning it as a Fight of the Year candidate before the night was over. That would be Vicente Luque vs. Bryan Barberena. On a night with some very solid contests, their back-and-forth war stood out among the pack.

The decision to award the duo was an obvious one. Luque and Barberena both displayed tons of heart, battering one another for nearly a full three rounds. Each refusing to quit. Luque found success early. Barberena battled pack, and it seemed like he might finish the fight at points.

Yet it was Luque getting a late third round finish capped off by a pair of knees to the body that sent ‘Bam Bam’ to the canvas. The Brazilian had the win. Barberena received a thunderous ovation following the fight. No loser here.

💰 B O N U S 💰

FOTN: @VicenteLuqueMMA vs @Bryan_Barberena
POTN: @CoolhandMMA & Kron Gracie#UFCPhoenix pic.twitter.com/SIqUykGYEm

— UFC (@ufc) February 18, 2019

The remaining two bonuses from UFC on ESPN 1 in Phoenix went to Luke Sanders and newcomer Kron Gracie. Gracie did what Gracies do, earning a submission win over the outclassed Alex Caceres.

Sanders, meanwhile, continued the misery tour of former bantamweight champ Renan Barao. The Brazilian, after missing weight, was knocked out in the second round by Sanders. ‘The Baron’ is likely to take flight to Bellator or greener pastures elsewhere at this point, as he has lost four straight, and is just 2-7 in his last nine fights.

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A former champion is in the main event of UFC Phoenix, with Cain Velasquez making his return to the Octagon against Cain Velasquez. There’s also another former champion on the opposite end of the card residing on the ESPN+ prelims in Renan Barao when he faces Luke Sanders along with now one other fight.

The two-fight ESPN+ preliminary card is as follows:

• Renan Barao vs. Luke Sanders
• Alexandra Albu vs. Emily Whitmire

Originally scheduled to headline the early prelims was a strawweight bout between Jessica Penne and Jodie Esquibel. Unfortunately, Penne suffered an undisclosed injury this morning and was removed from the card.

Renan Barao looks to turn things around against Luke Sanders. A former pound-for-pound great, Barao won his first seven fights in the Octagon and defended the bantamweight title three times in spectacular fashion. But it all crumbled when TJ Dillashaw knocked him out in the fifth round to take his title. Since then, Barao is 2-5 and has lost three in a row. Sanders came into the UFC as an undefeated RFA champion and won by first-round submission in his first fight. However, he hasn’t been able to follow that up, going 1-3 since then, looking to snap a two-fight losing streak.

But first, it will be strawweights Alexandra Albu and Emily Whitmire. Albu rarely fights, with only three to her name since making her MMA debut in 2013. However, when she does, it’s entertaining, with fun Octagon victories over Izabela Badurek and Kailin Curran. Whitmire is a TUF 26 alum with a 1-1 record both on the show and in the Octagon. She is 3-2 overall in her career and is coming off a win over Jamie Moyle.

Check out the recaps of the UFC Phoenix ESPN+ Prelims below:

Alexandra Albu vs. Emily Whitmire

This fight was a quick one. Emily Whitmire ducked under the initial attack of Albu and landed a double-leg takedown. After a scramble, Whitmire took the back of Albu, established hooks and choked out her opponent with ease.

Emily Whitmire def. Alexandra Albu by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in Round 1 (1:01)

Renan Barao vs. Luke Sanders

Renan Barao was able to control the first round with a variety of kicks. Most notably, a body kick that damaged Sanders late in the round. Sanders was able to land sparse big shots on the feet and attempted to clinch up with Barao multiple times. He was able to land a takedown off a caught kick late in the round, but it was too little too late to make a difference in the scorecards.

The second round started with another Barao body kick. Sanders walked through it and landed a left straight, right hook, then a one-two to drop the former champion. Sanders pounced on him and finished the fight just over a minute into the second round.

Luke Sanders def. Renan Barao by KO (Punches) in Round 2 (1:01)

The post UFC Phoenix ESPN+ Preliminary Card Results and Recap appeared first on Cageside Press.

The UFC made its debut in Lincoln, NB on Saturday night, bringing with it a considerably stacked card for a Fight Night event in the dead of August. With a grudge match between Justin Gaethje and James Vick in the main event, plus a bevvy of other action-packed bouts, UFC Lincoln (UFC Fight Night 135) was a promising affair.

Early in the night, the UFC Fight Pass preliminary card got the event going, with a trio of fights featured on the streaming service. Opening the card was Rani Yahya taking on Luke Sanders at bantamweight. Sanders was looking to build on a win against Patrick Williams in April, while Yahya hoped to make it three wins in a row.

Lightweight action followed, with Nebraska’s own Drew Dober taking on Jon Tuck. And in the featured Fight Pass prelim, Joanne Calderwood faced Kalindra Faria. Both women had dropped two straight bouts, and would be highly motivated to snap their respective losing streaks.

The UFC Fight Pass live stream gets underway at 6:30 PM ET — check back for full results and a recap of all the action!

Luke Sanders vs. Rani Yahya

In the opening bout of UFC Fight Night 135, Rani Yahya got the action going with a number of early kicks. He then connected with a roundhouse kick to the body, and got Sanders to the ground, looking for a heel hook. Sanders would try to pull free, only for Yahya to capture the leg again! This time he had it, forcing the tap. A quick finish to open the UFC Lincoln card!

Rani Yahya def. Luke Sanders by submission (heel hook), Round 1, 1:31

Drew Dober vs. Jon Tuck

Nebraska native Drew Dober featured in the middle fight of the UFC Lincoln Fight Pass prelims, taking on Jon Tuck in lightweight action. Dober threatened with an overhand left early, before landing a leg kick, then a body kick shortly after. A second would follow, and Dober was off to a solid start. Tuck was being forced back, and circled out of harm’s way, before finally landing an attack of his own. Two minutes in, and Dober had landed a number of heavy leg kicks. He followed the latest up with a combination, and Tuck finally opted to clinch, only to be reversed. Tuck, however, looked for a standing guillotine, but Dober pulled free. Dober landed a heavy shot off the break, and continued to stalk Tuck. They’d battle it out on the feet to the end of the round.

Round two saw Dober continue to attack with kicks. Tuck began to answer back, connecting with a kick to Dober’s arm, then following up with another. Dober, who appeared to have hurt his foot off a kick, then opted to change levels and shoot, only to land in a guillotine. However, slick with blood from an earlier cut, Dober pulled free. The takedown allowed Dober to settle in on top, working from half guard and landing sporadic ground n’ pound. He’s stay there to the end of the frame, bout could not find a finish.

Round three saw Dober unleashing early, landing a combination then shooting for a takedown. Tuck would again defend with a guillotine, but Dober slipped out with ease. He’d eventually move to mount briefly, and spend the entire round on top, softening up Tuck but never quite coming close to a stoppage. Still, a dominant showing for the home town favorite.

Drew Dober def. Jon Tuck by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)

Joanne Calderwood vs. Kalindra Faria

In the featured Fight Pass prelim, Kalindra Faria quickly clinched and took Joanne Calderwood to the ground. She’d move to half guard and look to slide into mount, but Calderwood was active on bottom from a defensive standpoint, and eventually forced Faria back to full guard. The bulk of the round would play out in that fashion, with Faria trying to find an opening, and JoJo fending her off. Then, with roughly a minute remaining, Calderwood threw up a triangle! Faria was trapped, in tight. Calderwood squeezed, but Faria held on. Just when it looked like she’d escape the round, JoJo grabed an arm, locking in an arm-bar as well! That forced the tap, and Joanne Calderwood had the win!

Joanne Calderwood def. Kalindra Faria by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 4:57

UFC Lincoln Fight Pass Preliminary Results:

Joanne Calderwood def. Kalindra Faria by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 4:57
Drew Dober def. Jon Tuck by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Rani Yahya def. Luke Sanders by submission (heel hook), Round 1, 1:31

The post UFC Lincoln Fight Pass Preliminary Results and Recap appeared first on Cageside Press.

Stepping up on short notice to fill in for Bryan Caraway, Andre Soukhamthath had the chance of a lifetime at UFC Fresno. This, despite his back being against the wall after going 0-2 to start his run in the promotion. Against Luke Sanders, though, he had a tough opponent looking to bounce back from his first career loss.

Soukhamthath spoke to us about the bout ahead of UFC Fight Night 123, and the UFC’s first fighter of Lao heritage was clearly motivated for the fight. Sanders, of course, was equally motivated, and this bantamweight scrap promised fireworks.

Round one saw Sanders throwing some heavy shots, having the edge in the power department. Soukhamthath answered back, but couldn’t seem to get his offense going for the majority of the frame. While his footwork and movement looked good, he allowed Sanders to push the pace and dictate the round. Pinned against the fence, eating knees, Soukhamthath finished round one needing to correct course.

Correct course he did in the second. Coming out noticeably more active, he engaged with Sanders early. Sanders was still a threat, but in an exchange, Soukhamthath caught him clean on the jaw with a vicious right hook! Sanders went down immediately, and ‘The Asian Sensation’ pounced, following up with strikes while Sanders covered up. The ref had seen enough, waving it off, and Andre Soukhamthath had his first UFC win — talk about capitalizing on an opportunity.

Post-fight, Soukhamthath said he hoped to have kept his job: there’s no doubt about it after such a strong finish.

Andre Soukhamthath def. Luke Sanders by TKO, Round 2, 1:06

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In an announcement Tuesday, the UFC unveiled that bantamweight Andre Soukhamthath has been tabbed to step in to face Luke Sanders next month. The fight, originally to feature Sanders against Bryan Caraway, is scheduled for December 9 at UFC Fight Night 123, more commonly known as UFC Fresno. Cub Swanson meets Brian Ortega in the main event.

With Caraway hurt, Soukhamthath immediately stepped up on Twitter, asking the promotion to book him in the bout.

https://twitter.com/AndreSoukMMA/status/932817078851112960

Soukhamthath (11–5) is currently on a two-fight losing streak, having dropped bouts to Albert Morales and Alejandro Pérez. Both losses came in close split decisions, meaning he’ll be looking for the first win of his UFC career in Fresno. Prior to joining the UFC, the promotion’s first Lao fighter had served as the inaugural CES bantamweight champion.

Luke Sanders (11–1) will enter UFC Fresno off the first loss of his professional career. After being submitted by Iuri Alcântara via a kneebar at UFC 209, he’ll look to close out the year back in the win column. Prior to the Alcântara loss, Sanders had won his first eleven bouts, including his UFC debut against Maximo Blanco.

UFC Fight Night 123 takes place at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, CA on December 9.

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