In the main event, top ranked middleweight Jared Cannonier lost a heartbreaking controversial TKO to Nassourdine Imavov, in a bout where he had a lot to lose and very little to gain.

Jared Cannonier

Jared’s controversial TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov in the main event on Saturday snapped his two-fight win streak. The streak included wins over Marvin Vettori and former UFC middleweight champion, Sean Strickland.

Best thing for Cannonier here would be to run it back immediately. The fight was close until the finish and if he were to fight Imavov again and win, Cannonier would be close to where he was in the title shot picture previously. It’s the fight that would make the most sense for Cannonier unless an opportunity to fight a higher ranked opponent arose. Whether the UFC is up for it remains to be seen, but neither man is next, or even second, in line for a title shot.

Cannonier’s next fight: Nassourdine Imavov 

Dustin Jacoby

Dustin Jacoby was finished in the first round by a returning Dominick Reyes in what was a blisteringly paced fight, while it lasted. It was a rough loss for Jacoby as he has now lost four of his last five fights. It’s a far fall from Jacoby’s seven-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC between 2020-2022.

Jacoby should next fight Ryan Spann, who last fought in April, when he was finished by Bogdan Guskov. Spann’s last win was over Dominick Reyes in 2022 and he has since lost three in a row. Winner of the fight could potentially be look at fighting for a fringe ranking slot in the following fight.

Jacoby’s next fight: Ryan Spann

Ricky Turcios

Raul Rosas Jr. submitted Ricky Turcios in the people’s main event of UFC Louisville. The Ultimate Fighter Season 29 winner has gone 1-2 in the UFC since his TUF tournament victory over Brady Hiestand in 2021.

Turcios’ next fight should come against Cameron Saaiman. Cameron is a Contender Series 2022 alum, is 3-2 with the UFC and another young prospect at just 23 years old. Saaiman is on a two-fight skid having lost to Christan Rodriguez and most recently being finished by Payton Talbott. Fighting Saaiman would be an excellent way to measure both fighters and would carry some weight just like Ricky’s fight against Raul Rosas Jr.

Turcios’s next fight: Cameron Saaiman

Dustin Stoltzfus

Dustin Stoltzfus was TKO’d in the final seconds of the first round in a wild scrap against Brunno Ferreira on Saturday.

Stoltzfus is now 2-5 in the UFC and 2-2 in his last four. Dustin has had some pretty tough opponents in his time with the UFC thanks to his win over Joe Pyfer on the Contender Series.

Sedriques Dumas would be a good fight for him and makes a little bit more sense for Dustin than fighting Julian Maquez or Marquez fighting Dumas. Dumas is also a Contender Series product, 2-2 in the UFC and his last fight was a first-round loss to Nursulton Ruziboev in March.

Stoltzfus’s next fight: Sedriques Dumas

Julian Marquez

With the 20 second finish at the hands of Zach Reese on the main card of UFC Louisville, Julian Marquez has now been stopped three times in a row. Marquez’s last win in the UFC came in 2021 against Sam Alvey.

Julian Marquez should fight the winner of Denis Tiuliulin and Abu Azaitar who are scheduled to fight on June 22. Both fighters currently have only one win in the UFC and are on multiple fight losing streaks. Marquez needs a win badly and a fight against the winner of Tiuliulin vs. Azaitar would be a good opportunity to start to move back in the right direction.

Marquez’s next fight: Denis Tiuliulin vs. Abu Azaitar Winner

Miguel Baeza

Miguel Baeza lost a unanimous decision to Punahele Soriano to open the main card of UFC Louisville. Baeza has struggled recently and has now lost his last four fights in the UFC since starting off hot with three wins in a row. Baeza has had a tough strength of schedule, having shared the octagon with Matt Brown, Santiago Ponzinibbio, Khaos Williams and Andre Fialho.

Miguel needs a win, badly. Danny Roberts would be a solid matchup as Roberts is on a three-fight skid. Roberts has been out of action for nearly a year since a second-round finish loss opposite of Jonny Parsons, in July of last year. Roberts is still a name in the UFC, with a 7-7 record with the promotion. Great fight to evaluate where both fit into the UFC’s welterweight roster.

Baeza’s next fight: Danny Roberts

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Baeza, known for thrilling finishes and a war with Santiago Ponzinibbio, had missed all of 2023, leaving the question of ring rust up in the air.

Early on at the KFC Yum! Center, Baeza put Soriano on the fence; later, he’d wrap up a guillotine, though when Soriano pulled free, he was in position to do some damage. Baeza would survive, later locking up a heel hook. Soriano gutted it out, and landed some heavy blows from a seated position, but still Baeza held onto the limb. More heavy blows from Soriano were followed by a roll, with Miguel holding onto the leg. This time, he went after a kneebar, but Soriano survived, then went after Baeza back on the feet, only for the horn to sound.

A crazy first round, with Soriano showing he had clearly held onto his power despite dropping 15 pounds. Round two opened with a Baeza front kick to the body; Soriano answered with a takedown, and nearly took the back, with Baeza rolling. Soriano was able to rip the body and land a few hammer fists to the head; Baeza closed up his guard, for the time being accepting the position. Soriano stayed busy on top while Baeza hunted for an arm-bar. That didn’t happen, and Soriano opened up, dropping bombs until Baeza rolled to his knees out of desperation.

Punahele Soriano was able to control from a three-quarter position, not quite taking the back, pounding away with short punches, not quite able to put Baeza away.

Miguel Baeza needed to switch things up in the third, but instead was immediately taken to the fence, and taken down, by Punahele Soriano. The Hawaiian was having his way with Baeza, and it seemed like the ref was getting ready to make the call. Baeza rolled to his knees, doing just enough to stay in the fight. Soriano, meanwhile, landed punch after thudding punch to the side of Baeza while the pair continued the grappling battle. If Soriano was slowing, meanwhile, Baeza appeared exhausted.

The fight was never close, the outcome never in question as Soriano earned himself a one-sided decision win to open the UFC Louisville main card.

Official Result: Punahele Soriano def. Miguel Baeza by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-27)

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“To be honest, it’s been pretty tough, especially with the way my career started,” Baeza said. “I didn’t expect any of this to go down the way it did.”

However, with adversity comes growth. Not only has this time away given ‘Caramel Thunder’ the chance to work on things, but it’s also helped him see the positive side of things.

“With any trial, you need to come out on top and I feel like that’s what I’m doing right now. I’m coming back and I’m coming back better,” he said. “I feel like the biggest difference is going to be more my mentality and going back in there and really appreciating the oppostunities that I have – the fact that the UFC stuck by me and I’m still there.”

That mentality shift not only comes from the UFC’s backing, but also from conscious work that Baeza did in the time away. He stressed that it was an area that not just he needed to improve, but all fighters should spend more time on.

“I did [see a mental coach] to try to improve that part of my game because I think that’s probably the biggest part of the game that you need,” Baeza said. “These’s always pressure in the UFC. The best fighters in the world fight there.”

Now ready to finally make that walk again, Baeza is feeling better than ever. Although he’s confident in his abilities going in, it just wouldn’t be fitting for him to call his shot.

“With everything going on in my life, to make a call to say that this is going to happen, it just doesn’t seem fitting. It seems like everytime I think something is going to go one way, it goes the complete other,” he said. “Just expect a great fight June 8th – it’s going to be fireworks.”

You can see those fireworks as part of the UFC Louisville main card. Baeza will take on Puna Soriano as part of the ESPN main card this Saturday. That portion of the card starts at 8pm EST.

You can hear the entire audio of this interview at 24:32.

The post UFC Louisville’s Miguel Baeza on Tough Road Back, Uncertainty appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I guess we’re both in this point in our careers where we need to win,” Baeza told reporters on Wednesday.

“Do or die.”

Baeza (10-3) has been out for over two years due to injuries.

“It’s been tough with the story, coming (in) undefeated, and then 3 in a row, and then my losing streak of 3 in a row. Then after that the injuries, illness, it’s been a long road. It was a learning experience. A big part of this game is mental,” he said.

“Going through all that and having that time off and experiencing that I think it’s made me stronger and it’s going to make me a better fighter.”

Baeza has a win over future UFC hall of famer Matt Brown who recently retired from competition. Having that name on his resume is a feather in the cap of Baeza.

“I say this, and i’ll continue to say this, Matt Brown is the best fighter I’ve ever fought. Not because of his resume, but because of his skill in the cage,” he said.

“I got to see it first hand so I really do believe skill-wise, and just all around, the best fighter I’ve ever fought. To have a win against a legend like that how many people can say that?”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Miguel Baeza above. He takes on Punahele Soriano at UFC Louisville on Saturday night.

The post Miguel Baeza Says Fight With Soriano Is ‘Do or die’ appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with Oktagon lightweight, Akonne Wanliss. Wanliss gives us a behind the scenes look at the crazy start to the Tipsport Gamechanger tournament that saw his first fight postponed due to being attacked back stage. He talks about the difficulty of starting up camp again and then having to go through a second weight cut. Wanliss then talks about the victory itself and how sweet it tasted. Now looking on to the second round, Wanliss prepared for a showdown with Mateusz Legierski – which takes place at Oktagon 58 (the same day as UFC Louisville).

Fights, Dogs, and Parlays: UFC Louisville (16:47)

Following UFC 302, the world’s biggest promotion stays on the road for UFC Louisville. The card is headlined by a pair of middleweights looking to crash the title picture. Jared Cannonier will look to defend his spot in the rankings against tough striker Nassourdine Imavov. Plus, we have light heavyweight action in the co-main event when Dustin Jacoby clashes with former title challenger Dominick Reyes. We’ll break down those fights and more. In addition, we’ll get you an underdog and a parlay that we think will make yur wallet fat this weekend. Come check it out! For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

UFC Louisville’s Miguel Baeza Interview (24:32)

Closing out this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC welterweight, Miguel Baeza. Baeza talks about the difficulty of having such a long layoff going into UFC Louisville. He talks about some of the reasons for it as well as what he did in that time away. Now laser-focused, Baeza is looking to show he’s a new man in the cage. He’ll take on Puna Soriano in a welterweight contest this Saturday. You aren’t going to want to miss this throw down this weekend.

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Thursday evening, UFC officials announced on social media that Matthews (18-6) will face Miguel Baeza (10-3) in a welterweight fight as part of UFC 291, which takes place on July 30, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The fight finds both athletes looking to get back in the win column, though Baeza in particular finds himself in a precarious position. The 2019 Contender Series alum, who started his UFC career by posting a 3-0 record that included a win over fan favorite Matt “The Immortal” Brown, has since dropped three straight contests.

Most recently, Baeza found himself finished by Andre Fialho. That puts him in must-win territory heading into the fight with Matthews.

Jake Matthews is 4-2 in his last six fights, but 1-2 in his past three, with a win over the aforementioned Fialho sandwiched between losses to Sean Brady and Matthew Semelsberger.

Once the UFC’s youngest athlete, Matthews has now been with the company just under a decade, but is still just 28-years old.

UFC 291 takes place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 30, 2023. Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier meet for the second time in the main event, with the “BMF” championship (that’s baddest motherf*cker, for those unaware) on the line in the fight. The following match-ups have been reported for the card thus far:

• Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje — “BMF” title fight
• Jan Błachowicz vs. Alex Pereira
• Tony Ferguson vs. Bobby Green
• Paulo Costa vs. Ikram Aliskerov
• Stephen Thompson vs. Michel Pereira
• Derrick Lewis vs. Marcos Rogério de Lima
• Michael Chiesa vs. Kevin Holland
• Matthew Semelsberger vs. Yohan Lainesse
• Roman Kopylov vs. Claudio Ribeiro
• C.J. Vergara vs. Vinicius Salvador
• Trevin Giles vs. Gabriel Bonfim
• Joanne Wood vs. Priscila Cachoeira
• Jake Matthews vs. Miguel Baeza

The post Jake Matthews vs. Miguel Baeza Booked for UFC 291 in Salt Lake City appeared first on Cageside Press.

Vicente Luque

Luque is now 4-1 in the last two years with his only loss coming to Muhammad this past weekend. He has a very exciting fighting style with great elbows in the clinch and a great chin. In his next fight, he should be fighting someone who will help him put on a show for the audience. Geoff Neal is currently ranked number 12 in the division and has power in his hands. This would be a perfect match-up for Luque who is good on the ground but likes to keep it standing for the most part.

Luque’s next fight: Geoff Neal 

Gadzhi Omargadzhiev

Gadzhi Omargadzhiev lost a technical decision to Caio Borralho in the co-main event this past weekend. Borralho hit Omargadzhiev with a knee that seemed illegal but was deemed accidental after the replay. Since it was in the third round and Omargadzhiev could not continue the fight went to the judges. For his next fight, Omargadzhiev should fight fellow UFC rookie, Denis Tiuliulin. Tiuliulin was submitted in his UFC debut back in March by Aliaskhab Khizriev. Denis Tiuliulin has eight wins by KO and should be able to challenge Omargadzhiev’s grappling skills.

Omargadzhiev’s next fight: Denis Tiuliulin 

Miguel Baeza

Miguel Baeza was knocked out in the first round by Andre Fialho at UFC Vegas 51. This puts Baeza on a three-fight losing streak and makes him 3-3 in the UFC. Jason Witt is another welterweight who has had some up and downs since joining the UFC. Witt is 2-3 in the UFC and is coming off a TKO loss to Phillip Rowe. Both of these welterweights need a win in their next fight to keep their UFC careers alive. Pairing them up makes perfect sense.

Baeza’s next fight: Jason Witt 

Wu Yanan

Three straight losses is not a good look for Wu Yanan, but the fight did earn the Fight of the Night bonus at UFC Vegas 51. So if the promotion keeps her around after her loss to Mayra Bueno Silva, it’s must-win territory. Julija Stoliarenko is 0-3 in the UFC, the stakes are obvious, book it.

Yanan’s next fight: Julija Stoliarenko

Tj Laramie

Tj Laramie lost a decision this past weekend to Pat Sabatini. This loss makes Laramie 0-2 in the UFC and leaves him in a similar position as Baeza and Witt. Meaning he will need to get a win in his next fight to save his spot on the UFC roster. Mike Grundy is currently 1-3 in the UFC and he is riding a three-fight losing streak. Grundy’s grappling would be a great test for Laramie and a win for either man would keep them in the UFC at least for another fight.

Laramie’s next fight: Mike Grundy 

Ange Loosa

Ange Loosa made his debut on short notice at UFC Vegas 51, falling to Mounir Lazzez via decision. The Contender Series veteran will of course get another look, after saving the fight, and this time he’ll get a full camp.

Later this month, Yohan Lainesse will be making his promotional debut against Gabe Green. Give Loosa the loser of that.

Loosa’s next fight: Lainesse vs. Green loser.

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Fialho had made his UFC debut on short notice earlier this year, and was in search of his first win in the promotion after falling short against Michel Pereira.

Baeza would score the first serious blow on Saturday, firing a straight right hand that split the guard and tagged Fialho. That certainly got Fialho’s attention; he circled on the outside, before they came together, trading for a moment then breaking. Baeza mixed things up after that, going to the body, and opening his combos with a low kick. Fialho fired a low kick as well, but it wasn’t setting anything up.

Next, Baeza moved in, trapping Fialho and unloading! Lefts and rights hit home; Fialho fired an uppercut before escaping. Back at center, Fialho ate another right hand. But they clinched a moment later, and Fialho tagged Baeza with an uppercut! He was rocked, and went sprawling. Fialho followed up with a left, and Baeza went down— Fialho dropped a hammer fist, and in came the ref!

Miguel Baeza would protest the stoppage, but didn’t have much of an argument. For Baeza, that’s three straight losses, putting him in the danger zone. Fialho, meanwhile, gets UFC win number one in style.

After the win, Baeza addressed Dana White, saying he wanted to fight again in the next couple of weeks.

Official Result: Andre Fialho def. Miguel Baeza by TKO (strikes), Round 1, 4:39

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The bout between Baeza (10-2) and Lima (15-9) was first reported by Best Fight Picks. Both men would later confirm the booking on social media.

Both fighters will be looking to get back in the win column come April, and snap two-fight losing streaks.

For Baeza, a.k.a. “Caramel Thunder,” he dropped fights to both Khaos Williams and Santiago Ponzinibbio in 2021. To his credit, the Ponzinibbio bout did earn him a Fight of the Night bonus, even if the decision didn’t go his way. The fight was also in the running for Fight of the Year.

After winning his way into the promotion on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019, Baeza immediately rattled off three consecutive wins. His biggest to date was a TKO finish of Matt “The Immortal” Brown in 2020.

Lima, who also lost two bouts in 2021, dropped fights to Matt Brown and Belal Muhammad. Prior to those defeats, the Ultimate Fighter 19 and 25 runner-up had won three straight. Brother of former Bellator MMA welterweight champ Douglas Lima, Dhiego is on his second stint with the UFC, as after being cut in 2015, he made his way back to the promotion via TUF 25.

The UFC’s April 16, 2022 Fight Night event does not have a venue, location, or broadcast plan officially announced. Currently, the following fights have been reported for the card:

Drakkar Klose vs. Brandon Jenkins
Jesse Ronson vs. Rafa García
Miguel Baeza vs. Dhiego Lima

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Fresh off a Fight of the Year candidate against Santiago Ponzinibbio, welterweight Miguel Baeza was looking not just to impress, but get back in the win column at UFC Vegas 42 against Khaos Williams.

As good as the Ponzinibbio fight had been, Baeza had come out on the wrong end of the decision.

Khaos Williams entered Saturday’s main card scrap having recently got back in the win column against Matthew Semelsberger, and was looking for his fourth win in five UFC fights.

Miguel Baeza started the fight by circling away from the power right hand of Khaos Williams. Williams fired an off-balance right that missed the mark and after some more circling, Williams went with a leg kick. A two-punch combination caught Williams, then Baeza ate a counter right hand. Baeza landed another big shot while eating a right from Williams. After the fiery exchange, Baeza went back to the original game plan. Williams then caught a kick and brought Baeza to the ground. Baeza began working on a kneebar then a heel hook. From a seated position and his leg still in Baeza’s grasp, Williams began landing big shots to close out the round.

Things started to get intense at the end of Round 1️⃣

[ #UFCVegas42 | Main Card is LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/amsoRdpK5p

— UFC (@ufc) November 13, 2021

Baeza started the second round with a leg kick and Williams landed one of his own. Leg kicks were the attack of choice for both fighters until Khaos went with a kick that hit Baeza below the belt. After action resumed, Baeza landed a few leg kicks in quick succession while avoiding big punches from Williams. The leg kicks started to add up on Williams as he was noticeably slower towards the tail end of the second round. Williams tried to change things up with a takedown attempt, drove Baeza to the cage and landed a knee below the belt again. After action resumed, Williams blasted Baeza with a right hand right before the round ended.

Finding a home for those leg kicks 🏠

[ #UFCVegas42 | Main Card is LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/MXANKjg087

— UFC (@ufc) November 13, 2021

Early in the third round, Baeza stuck with his leg kick attack. He threw multiple in a row and Williams took advantage, countering with a heavy combination that floored Baeza. A few punches later and Williams finished the fight. After the fight, Williams said he needs to let his calf heal after taking so many kicks.

THIS KNOCKOUT 🤯

[ @KhaosOXWilliams | #UFCVegas42 | Main Card is LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/SHN58XIv2f

— UFC (@ufc) November 13, 2021

Khaos Williams def. Miguel Baeza by TKO (Punches) in Round 3 (1:02)

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