Padilla (17-6) entered the fight riding a seven-fight win streak, including four victories inside the UFC, and was beginning to inch toward the rankings. Missing weight on Friday morning didn’t do him any favors, but an impressive finish could go a long way in repairing that damage.

Mederos (11-1) might have been the underdog, but he’s arguably the more polished striker. Riding a nine-fight win streak, he earned this matchup with Padilla and the opportunity to secure a bigger fight with a statement performance.

Round 1 – Mederos came out looking to pressure Padilla, who appeared unfazed. Using a mix of leg kicks and front kicks, Padilla forced Mederos backward before being clinched and pushed against the fence.

Official Result: Chris Padilla vs. MarQuel Mederos declared Majority Draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)

The post Chris Padilla vs. MarQuel Mederos Ruled Majority Draw After Correction appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Just a lot of growth. I was looking at it today – I got into the UFC, and I think I was only pro for two years from the time I got into the UFC, which that’s not common at all,” Mederos said. “And I had only been training martial arts four years before that. I thought about it from the perspective of these gaps, although I don’t like them, I’m getting to grow within the game, which not a lot of guys get to do.”

With that time, he not only spent time working in the gym, but also spent time reviewing his entire career. Going back to the very beginning, he dug through his catalog of fights to nitpick the little things.

“It’s been a lot of growth. I repeatedly watched all my fights, even going back to my amateurs before this, and just worked everything that I saw was a hole and just tightened it up these last nine or 10 months,” he said. “honestly, this nine or 10 months, not to say it was needed, but it’s definitely brought my game to another level.”

Now he’ll get a chance to put all of that growth on display as he takes on Taco Padilla. While he likes the name value that comes with the fight, he likes the matchup even better.

“I don’t necessarily look at the name. I just look at the man for what he is and what he brings to the table,” Mederos said. “I’ve seen what he brings to the table and I’m ready to do work.”

You can catch Mederos doing work as part of the UFC 327 prelim card. The card begins at 5:30pm EST this Saturday and airs on Paramount+.

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Kicking off this UFC 327 edition of TTP is our interview with UFC lightweight, MarQuel Mederos. Mederos talks about his 10 months out of the cage and describes how it was some of the most important times of his career. Then he digs into his upcoming fight with Chris Padilla and discusses what it’s like to have constantly changing opponents.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC 327 (15:00)

The UFC heads to Miami for UFC 327 with a stacked card top to bottom. At the tippy top of the card, we have a bout for the vacant light heavyweight title. Jiri Prochazka looks to reclaim the belt that was once his when he faces Carlos Ulberg. Plus, Azamat Murzakanov looks to take a step forward in that same division as he faces Paulo Costa. We’ll break down those fights as well as some of our other favorite fights on the main card. Plus, as always, we’re hitting you with an underdog and a plus-money parlay that we think will make your wallet fat this weekend. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Amiran Gogoladze Interview (23:03)

Next up on this UFC 327 edition of TTP is our interview with Oktagon welterweight, Amiran Gogoladze. Gogoladze talks about missing out on a big fight against the now champion, Kaik Brito. Plus, he shares his thoughts about Ion Suru losing his belt on the scale and his chance to jump him in line this weekend.

Sean King Interview (37:12)

Closing out this UFC 327 edition of TTP is our interview with Fury featherweight, Sean King. One of the hottest prospects in the game right now, King discusses his current path to the UFC. Having picked up a big win earlier this year, he’s looking to rack them up before Contender Series season at the end of the summer.

The post TTP Ep. 526: MarQuel Mederos, Amiran Gogoladze, Sean King, and UFC 327 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Choinski had initially been booked opposite Bellator alum Zach Zane on the regional circuit next week, while Mederos had been lined up for a fight with Bolaji Oki at the end of May. Their paths instead brought them to a collision on Saturday, on a card headlined by the rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and “Suga” Sean O’Malley.

Round 1 Mederos came out ready to go taking the middle of the octagon and forcing Choinski to the outside. He began to pepper Choinski with leg kicks, calf kicks, and some slick boxing up top.

Choinski was on the back foot for the majority of the round and so he shot in for a takedown. Mederos was able to defend it, but Choinski jumped on his back becoming a back pack. He threatened the rear-naked choke, but Mederos was able to force Choinski off his back. Mederos finished the round continuing to pepper Choinski with calf kicks and jabs.

Round 2 Choinski came out knowing he needed to establish something in this round and earn some respect. Mederos wasn’t about to give it to him as he came out even more confident than the first round.

Mederos got fancy with his technique choosing to jump in the air, throw a right hand, then landed a calf kick on the way down. Choinski decided he had enough and shot in for just his second takedown attempt of the fight. No good.

Choinski’s calf was destroyed so badly that Mederos dropped him twice with calf kicks. A quick takedown helped Choinski out for a few seconds as he took the back, but he couldn’t keep the position.

Another calf kick dropped Choinski and at the end of the round his team must have been wondering how much he had left.

Round 3 Choinski came out aggressive, but he couldn’t do much with the lead calf destroyed by this round. Mederos dropped him with another calf kick and then stomped on the calf.

Choinski might have been the toughest human being in the building as he gritted his teeth and went at Mederos. Mederos stayed mobile continuing to land on Choinski at will. Choinski looked to take the fight to the ground again, but just wasn’t able to do much with it.

With just over 90 seconds left in the fight Choinski scored a crucial takedown and landed right into mount. Mederos fought to keep his posture broken and control the position from the bottom. Choinski hunted submission as best as he could, but he ran out of time.

Choinski lost his 0 and Mederos continued his win streak.

Official Result: MarQuel Mederos def. Mark Choinski via Unanimous Decision (30-27×2, 29-28)

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Mark “The Shark” Choinski
Standing at five-foot-eight
Fighting at 155 lbs (lightweight)
29-years-old
Fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US
Training out of Roufusport MMA Academy
A pro record of 8-0
1 KO/TKO, 5 Submissions

Distance striking: C+
Clinch work: B+
Movement/footwork: C+
Power striking: D
Striking defense: C-
Wrestling in space: C
Cage wrestling: B
Takedown defense: B
Defensive grappling: B+
Top control: B+
Ground and pound: B
Submissions: B+
Endurance: C

Choinski is a three-time All-American wrestler who’s been steadily finding his groove in MMA. He’s already made a mark by capturing the APFC lightweight title, a notable accomplishment on the regional scene. Training out of the respected Roufusport gym has only accelerated his development as a pro.

The key question is whether his collegiate wrestling has truly translated into MMA success. While it’s been a foundation of his game, he hasn’t leaned on it in the traditional sense. Instead, it’s his defensive wrestling that’s been most effective, allowing him to win scrambles and consistently end up in dominant positions. Choinski has been taken down before, but he’s proven difficult to control, thanks to his strong base, solid hips, and ability to quickly turn into his opponent.

He excels in scrambles and uses his wrestling instincts to escape bad positions. Once on top, he’s dangerous. Choinski has five submission victories to his name, including wins via rear-naked choke, arm-triangle, and armbar. He’s shown a knack for doing damage and hunting submissions from dominant positions. His top control is aided by smart positional transitions and solid wrist control, which he uses to land effective ground-and-pound while working to advance.

His submission attempts in transition are aggressive, and although his technique isn’t always textbook, his squeeze is tight and effective.

On the feet, Choinski holds his own. He does some of his best work in the clinch with short elbows and knees. When fresh, he’s capable at range, throwing a sharp jab, a solid one-two, and chopping low kicks. He doesn’t carry much knockout power but compensates with volume and activity.

That said, his cardio has shown to be a limiting factor. As fights progress, his pace remains high, but he becomes more flat-footed and easier to hit. His work rate is admirable, but the dip in mobility has cost him in exchanges.

Overall, Choinski profiles as a fighter who could settle into the UFC lightweight division’s top 50–55. He has the tools and experience to stick around, but at 29, it’s unlikely he develops enough to make a real run toward the top of the division.

How does he match up with Mederos?

Mederos is 2-0 in the UFC, but both wins came by razor-thin margins. He tends to fight on very narrow edges, struggling to separate himself in extended bouts. A volume striker by nature, Mederos is uncomfortable when pressured or forced to absorb damage. While his takedown defense has improved, there are still clear vulnerabilities in his grappling, particularly in how easily opponents can take his back and control him.

This fight feels like it will be close. On the feet, I think it’s competitive, but I give the edge to Mederos due to his cleaner technique and more refined setups at range. Choinski absolutely has a path to victory if he can get the fight to the mat. I’m confident he would have a clear advantage there, but I don’t see him getting enough opportunities to make it count.

Ultimately, I expect Mederos to defend just enough takedowns and edge out the fight with his volume and striking from distance.

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Kicking off this UFC Vegas 107 edition of TTP is our interview with UFC lightweight, MarQuel Mederos. Mederos talks about his success so far in the UFC and his last win over Austin Hubbard. Plus, he discusses why he choose to have such a quick turnaround from that fight to this one. Additionally, we chat about his training camp and why he moved from Factory X to the MMA Lab and how it’s changed who he is as a fighter. Finally, we dig into his fight against Bolaji Oki this weekend at UFC Vegas 107.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC Vegas 107 (12:06)

After an exciting UFC Vegas 106 and a brief break, we head back to the Apex for UFC Vegas 107. Headlining this card is a pair of flyweights looking to put their hat in the rinf for a title shot. Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber tango on Saturday in what should be a hotly contested battle. Plus, Matuesz Gamrot looks to defend his spot in the rankings as he welcomes Ludovit Klein to the cage. We’ll break down those fights as well as some of our other favorite fights on the main card. Plus, as always, we’re hitting you with an underdog and a plus-money parlay that we think will make your wallet fat this weekend. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Billy Goff Interview (18:30)

Closing out this UFC Vegas 107 edition of TTP is our interview with UFC welterweight, Billy Goff. Goff discusses his training camp in Connecticut and why it’s underrated. Plus, he talks about the absurd changes in opponents for this weekend. Both he and his opponent, Ramiz Brahimaj, had opponents with visa issues and now face each other. It’s a shift in the style of the opponent, but nothing changes for Goff as he looks for another finish.

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Hubbard, from Illinois, was in hostile territory for the fight, looking to bounce back from a loss to Alexander Hernandez in October.

Within 30 seconds into Saturday’s card-opener, Hubbard hand landed a low blow. Luckily Mederos was no worse for the wear. He targeted Hubbard’s lead leg to decent success, though Hubbard would spin and land a back kick to the midsection, the highlight of the round perhaps. Late in the frame, Hubbard would go after a takedown, but couldn’t land it, Mederos giving his all to fight it off.

MarQuel Mederos spent nearly the entirety of round two with Austin Hubbard on his back. Hubbard went after a takedown early and while he couldn’t land it, he was able to scale the back. Mederos then walked across the octagon, taking Hubbard with him, to his corner. There, he spent minutes carrying Hubbard’s weight, unable to shrug or slam him off. Instead, Hubbard finally dragged him down with less than a minute left. The rear-naked choke wasn’t there, but the round belong to Hubbard.

Hubbard opened round three with a takedown, getting to work on top. With the fight possibly being 1-1, that was huge for Hubbard. While he could work in a little ground n’ pound, Mederos was able to reverse out with about two minutes left in the frame. Mederos fired elbows, and Hubbard, though not in danger and able to work to his knees, was cut. Hubbard finally returned to his feet with a minute to go, his hair now stained red. Mederos fired a jump knee that fell short; Hubbard then went after a takedown, but dropped down onto his back, trying to drag Mederos with him. Instead, Mederos wound up seated on top of the American, giving the judges an interesting round to score.

MarQuel Mederos is now 2-0 under the UFC banner, and has won eight straight overall.

Official Result: MarQuel Mederos def. Austin Hubbard by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

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Mederos, a Contender Series veteran, was riding a six-fight win streak with four finishes to start the night.

Both guys got right after it on Saturday, trading back and forth. Quinones was the first one to hit clean wobbling Mederos with a left hand. Both  men were doing a great job landing leg kicks as well, mixing it up. Quinones was looking good early on throwing combinations while moving out of the way. He got a quick takedown but Mederos got right back up. Mederos never stopped coming forward but Quinones was the one landing. Quinones was throwing everything forcing Mederos to clinch up. Quinones was throwing upward elbows, superman punches, and shoulder strikers showing his creativity. Mederos had moments but Quinones was sharp that entire round.

In round two, there was no feeling-out process. Quinones threw a kick but Mederos caught it and landed a good combo. He then pressed Quinones against the cage keeping him there for a bit. Mederos landed a hard kick sweeping Quinoes to the mat briefly. Quinones didn’t shy away from the kicks as well as both guys threw a lot. They were both taking turns going forward going shot for shot. In the final minute of the round Mederos went forward more and was crowding Quinones with punches. An action-packed round two.

Going into the final round it was likely a round a piece. Mederos seemed to have more energy as he was going after it. He quickly shot in for a takedown but Quinones defended. Mederos after the break landed a groin shot causing a brief pause in the fight. Both fighters were trading but the hands of Quinones were super clean. He was lighting up Mederos forcing him to clinch. A minute left and they separated. Mederos was the aggressor and was throwing a lot of output. To close the fight they had a heavy exchange ending a very fun fight between two talented strikers.

Official Result: Marquel Mederos def. Landon Quinones by unanimous decision. (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Season 7 of DWCS wraps up Tuesday night in Las Vegas, with six fights rather than the usual five. That’s thanks to Lucas Rocha and Davi Bittencourt, originally scheduled to take place last week at flyweight. With Rocha missing weight badly enough that the fight was scrapped, matchmakers opted to keep the pairing together, and pushed them back a week and up a weight class to bantamweight.

Along with those hopefuls, returning fighters Connor Matthews and Ramon Taveras were getting their own second shot at the UFC. Taveras was actually fighting for the second time this season, while Matthews had appeared on the show last year, falling to Francis Marshall.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 10 takes place Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV. The card streams live on EPSN+ in the U.S., and UFC Fight Pass elsewhere. Full results can be found below.

Rocha and Bittencourt kicked off Week 10 of DWCS Season 7, and it was Bittencourt repeatedly landing slam takedowns in the opening round. The first of those was the most emphatic but he nearly allowed Rocha to reverse position. Still, by the end of the round Davi Bittencourt had no fewer than six takedowns, and had thrown out some fun, flashy spinning attacks.

None of that mattered come round two, when Rocha connected with a knee just 18 seconds into the round for the knockout!

Second verse, same as the first. Or second fight, anyway. Marquel Mederos flashed stance switches and chewed up the calf of Issa Isakov, a training partner of Benoit St. Denis, in the opening round of their lightweight fight — and connected with a knee for the finish at 4:09 of round one! Two straight knee strike finishes to open the night!

Torrez Finney vs. Yuri Panferov was a different sort of beast. The middleweight fight saw both men swinging early, and Finney was rocked! He pursued a takedown, and landed a slam, keeping himself in it. A very active, fun first round, and in the second, Finney earned a takedown and took the back. That’s a whole lot of body to carry on your back, and Panferov did not like the neck crank he found himself in. He survived that, but Finney would secure a rear-naked choke and force the tap moments later! The first submission win of Torrez Finney’s career, and you could do worse than do it on Dana White’s Contender Series.

The first fight of the night to go the distance saw Connor Matthews pick up a unanimous decision win over Jair Farias. Matthews had an especially dominant second round, even landing a head kick that Farias somehow ate. Mixing in takedowns along with elbows in the clinch and sharp hands, Matthews looked solid in his second DWCS showing.

The lone flyweight fight of Week 10 also went the distance, with Andre Lima coming away with a clear-cut decision win. Rickson Zenidim proved to have heart and a solid chin, but it wasn’t nearly enough as Lima earned a trio of 30-27 scores.

The final fight of the night, and season, didn’t last long. Ramon Taveras and Cortavious Romious chose to stand and bang, and it was Taveras who remained standing when the dust cleared.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 10 Results

Bantamweight: Ramon Taveras def. Cortavious Romious by TKO (strikes), Round 1, 0:29
Flyweight: André Lima def. Rickson Zenidim by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Featherweight: Connor Matthews def. Jair Farias by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Middleweight: Torrez Finney def. Yuri Panferov by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:43
Lightweight: Marquel Mederos def. Issa Isakov by TKO (knee), Round 1, 4:09
Bantamweight: Lucas Rocha def. Davi Bittencourt by KO (knee), Round 2, 0:18

Contract winners: Lucas Rocha, Marquel Mederos, Connor Matthews, Andre Lima, Ramon Taveras

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With last year seeing 43 UFC contracts dished out, and six fights on the final week of the show (including Lucas Rocha vs. Davi Bittencourt, now at bantamweight), there was a good chance last year’s haul would be surpassed. Making DWCS 2023 the most successful season ever, at least for fighters earning a shot in the big show.

We’ve got one last preview of the Contender Series this season, so let’s get to it!

Bantamweight: Ramon Taveras Vs. Cortavious Romious

Tale of the Tape

Pros and Cons

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Taveras
Speed: Romious
Output/Volume: Romious
Kickboxing: Romious
Striking defense: Even
Footwork/movement: Taveras
Wrestling: Romious
Grappling: Magomedaliev
Gas tank: Taveras

Prediction: Taveras is getting another rightful opportunity and Romious is also deserving of this opportunity.

After Romious lost his lone time as a pro he took an extensive layoff. Since he’s come back he’s run through his opponents. His only loss was to Bellator’s Jornel Lugo. The thing is, Lugo and Taveras are in a way similar fighters. Romious is a smaller bantamweight and he does struggle on the outside. He struggled with Lugo and I can see the same thing happening here. Taveras is four inches taller and has a three inch reach advantage.

Tavares being a good technical striker with a clean boxing attack; I can see him frustrating Romious from his preferred range. My prediction is Tavares because of the size and the big striking advantage.

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