Jackson opened the featherweight bout with a kick, but Bektic rushed forward with a punch combination then changed levels for the single. Bektic next took Jackson to the ground and worked for position, but Jackson got back to his feet. Mirsad stuck with him and again took Jackson to the mat. Bektic worked from side control until the referee stopped the action as Bektic landed to the back of Jackson’s head. It was a stern warning from Big Dan, who took away the position. As a result, the pair started back on their feet and Bektic rushed in, again shooting for the takedown. Jackson looked for a guillotine, but Bektic escaped and took top position.

The two worked for position and again Bektic wound up on top — but Jackson had a nasty Kimura locked in. Bektic looked calm with his arm twisted at an outrageous angle, and it paid off as he escaped shortly after. Bektic then mauled Jackson, who looked for another Kimura. Once again Bektic escaped and continued to maul his opponent. Near the end of the round Bektic took Jackson’s back and landed repeated hammer fists on a defending Jackson.

In round two, Jackson came out tentative but it didn’t take long for Bektic to rush in for the takedown. Jackson locked in the guillotine and cranked the neck of Bektic. Bektic defended well and when Jackson tried to adjust his grip; Bektic broke free and took the back of Jackson before transitioning to an arm triangle position. Jackson worked back up to his feet but Bektic quickly took him back to the ground. Bektic continued to work on dragging Jackson down, working in some strikes and trying to improve position while Jackson defended. Bektic suddenly jumped in for a Guillotine of his own but Jackson defended, walked his legs up the cage to relieve the pressure and rolled on top of Bektic, where he proceeded to throw some nasty elbows as the round came to and end.

Damon Jackson came out with a front kick in the third and followed up with a combination before going for the clinch. Bektic spun, backing into the cage before he dropped levels but Jackson again went for the guillotine locked it in, swept Bektic and from the top position forced the tap. A very tough fight, with the returning Jackson still fired up after the bout!

3️⃣ DAYS NOTICE.

Damon Jackson with sub No. 1️⃣4️⃣ in his UFC return.

[ Tune in – LIVE on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/qD349adm0j

— UFC (@ufc) September 19, 2020

Official Result: Damon Jackson def. Mirsad Bektic by submission (guillotine Choke), Round 3, 1:21

The post UFC Vegas 11 Results: Fired Up Damon Jackson Submits Mirsad Bektic in Return appeared first on Cageside Press.

Garagorri was expected to face Mirsad Bektic at the event this weekend. Now, Bektic will face Jackson, who steps up on just a few days notice.

Bloody Canvas was first to report the news of Jackson stepping in.

Jackson (17-3-1, 1NC) competed in the UFC from 2014-16, going 0-1-1 with one no contest during his three-fight run. Prior to competing with the promotion, he’d fought for Legacy FC, where he was featherweight champion, and Bellator MMA. Since parting ways with the UFC Jackson has appeared for the PFL, and was an interim LFA featherweight champ. He’s 6-1 in his last seven bouts currently.

Bektic (13-3) has lost his last two fights to some very stiff competition. Losses to Josh Emmett and Dan Ige have halted the momentum Bektic built up with victories over Ricardo Lamas and Godofredo Pepey.

UFC Vegas 11 takes place this weekend at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The final card in the U.S. before the promotion heads back to Fight Island, the event is headlined by a welterweight grudge match between Colby Covington and Tyron Woodley.

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Hawaii’s Dan Ige was looking to make it five straight wins at UFC 247 in Houston. The second fight on Saturday’s PPV card, Ige was in the spotlight against Mirsad Bektic in a featherweight bout that could see Ige break into the rankings — or at least earn a ranked opponent next.

Ige opened up with a stiff left hook, then got a quick takedown that Bektic was able to get up from. Bektic fired off a quick right that backed off Ige briefly, but he was back in the clinch again. Ige got the takedown but was shrugged off, however as Bektic was getting up he was tagged with a combination behind the ear that briefly stunned him. Bektic began to recover but was quickly tagged by another fast combination by Ige. Ige then ripped to the body and forced Bektic to clinch, but he got out and caught Bektic on the break. Bektic recovered to see round two, and threw a spinning back fist at the end of round one.

Bektic fired off a quick right hand to start the round, and Ige responded with a combination. Bektic then fired off a quick combination and hit a quick takedown to put Ige on his back. Ige ate some knees to the body and attempted to get up but Bektic kept him down on the mat. Bektic then got to full mount and attempted to get an arm-triangle from the mount, and it was in deep. However, Ige was able to fight out of the choke and even threw up a kimura attempt off the back to force Bektic into full guard. Despite a close scare, Ige would see round three.

Ige went on the offensive to start round three, pushing the pressure and landing a clean body kick to a retreating Bektic. Bektic shot for a takedown and get Ige to the fence, but Ige responded with some elbows and stuffed the takedown. Despite both men working, the referee separated them off the cage. Ige then went back to pressing forward, getting into his range and landing multiple hooks and tagging Bektic. Bektic shot for a takedown and get it this time, Ige tried to roll for an armbar to no success. Ige did sweep however and get to the top but Bektic ended back on top after a scramble. The round came to a close with Ige rolling for a kneebar, but not getting it.

Dan Ige def. Mirsad Bektic by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 28-29) 

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After making his return at UFC Philadelphia and getting back in the win column, Josh Emmett had his next assignment Saturday night in California. At UFC Sacramento, Emmett was set to face Mirsad Bektic, a key featherweight scrap going down on the main card. The event took place at the Golden 1 Center, on a night that would see the return of Emmett’s teammate, Urijah Faber.

Emmett was fighting at home Saturday, and opened with a right hand, while Bektic was swinging as well. He worked to find his range via the jab, and popped off a 1-2. Emmett, meanwhile, was putting serious power in his punches.

With so much power being slung by both men, it was oly a time before someone went down. Late in round one, it turned out to be Bektic. Stepping into a jab, Emmett forced his opponent to sit down. Emmett pounced, adding follow-up strikes, but Bektic kept moving, kept defending for as long as he could Finally, hammer fists overwhelmed him, and the ref waved it off. The crowd immediately erupted, as the hometown hero had the finish.

That jab 😳 pic.twitter.com/c2t77JTpnp

— UFC (@ufc) July 14, 2019

Josh Emmett def. Mirsad Bektic by TKO, Round 1, 4:25

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First reported by FloCombat’s Nolan King, savvy veteran Josh Emmett will face off against top prospect and top-15contender Mirsad Bektic. This rumbling is now a reality, and UFC Sacramento is gaining a huge fight in the featherweight division.

https://twitter.com/Farah_Hannoun/status/1132747143872167936

Mirsad Bektic was set to enter the Octagon back in December of 2018 in a fight that could have sent him into the top five of the division. The Bosnian star was forced out of his fight against Brazilian Renato Moicano due to injury. It has been over a year since we have seen the highly-touted featherweight prospect in the cage, his last appearance was a split decision victory over Ricardo Lamas.

Josh Emmett was on the receiving end of a vicious Jeremy Stephens KO at UFC Orlando in January of 2018. After being on the sidelines for nearly a year, dealing with the consequences of that KO, Emmett landed himself a huge knockout win over Michael Johnson at UFC Philadelphia. Now Emmett looks to again prove why he should never have been doubted as he takes on the mauling finishing artist in Bektic.

This fight could tell us a lot in the sense of what is next in the division. After champion Max Holloway defeated top contender Brian Ortega handily there was a lack of contenders who had not been defeated by Holloway. Now we see Frankie Edgar getting the title shot while Alexander Volkanovski continues to heal from his blood infection. A win for either of these men could enter their name on the short list of legitimate title contenders in the division. Maybe a win would not promise a title shot, but could very well entice a Jose Aldo, or Brian Ortega into a number-one contender bout down the line.

UFC Sacramento takes place on July 13 from the Golden One Center in California. While there is no main event quite yet, Urijah Faber announced he will come out of retirement to battle Ricky Simon in what is expected to be the co-main event.

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Combate first reported the addition to UFC 231.

Renato Moicano and Mirsad Bektic were scheduled to fight back in 2015, much earlier in both of their careers, but Moicano was forced out of the bout with an injury. Three years later, and both fighters are in the top 10. Moicano comes into the fight ranked fourth at 145 pounds, and Bektic is ranked eighth.

Mirsad Bektic has been nearly flawless in his MMA career aside from a miraculous comeback by Darren Elkins. The Bosnian was 7-0 with six finishes prior to joining the UFC, then continued his run with four wins in the Octagon, finishing the latter two. Following the Elkins loss, Bektic has rebounded with a TKO victory over Godofredo Pepey and a split decision victory against Ricardo Lamas.

Renato Moicano also came into the promotion with an undefeated record, his standing at 8-0-1 with four submissions. Following a second-round submission in his promotional debut, the Brazilian scored a pair of split decision victories, including one over longtime veteran Jeremy Stephens. Moicano suffered his first career loss in a wild back-and-forth fight with top contender Brian Ortega, losing by third-round submission in a Fight of the Night recipient. Since then, Moicano defeated Calvin Kattar and jumped into the top five with a first-round submission against Cub Swanson.

UFC 231 is headlined by a pair of title fights. Max Holloway will be defending his featherweight title against Brian Ortega in the main event, and the vacant women’s flyweight title will be fought for by Valentina Shevchenko and Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Perhaps the next top contender for the latter will be determined in a fight between Katlyn Chookagian and Jessica Eye. The event takes place on December 8 inside the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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The second fight that shown on the UFC 225 FS1 preliminary card saw a meeting of featherweights, with Ricardo Lamas vs. Mirsad Bektić. A key fight in the 145lb division, the bout from Chicago, Illinois’ United Center, saw the two men go head-to-head for the full three rounds.

With the fighters touching gloves, we were off. Lama just missed a high kick early but landed a front kick to the body. Bektic circled and fired off his own high kick; the two tied up and made it against the cage. Lamas tried for a take down there but did not succeed. Bektic worked knees in the clinch against the cage. Lamas broke free and moved back to the center, and the two were quick to engage again. Bektic landed a solid overhead shot. The two worked back to fence and Bektic went for a trip, getting Lamas to the mat. Lamas worked to get to his feet but Bektic was there to drag him back to the ground. Lamas worked his way back up, and broke away from the cage. Lama stalked Bektic and fired of a high spinning heal kick that missed the mark as the round came to an end.

In the second, Ricardo Lamas looked to go for the takedown while Mirsad Bektic launched a series of blows that forced his opponent to retreat. They circled with Bektic looking for the overhead right that missed, and the two clinched against the cage. Bektic pressed Lamas into the fence and they engaged in some dirty boxing until Lamas broke away and circled into center. Bektic fired a left and right that were blocked. Lamas then shot for the take down and was stuffed by Bektic. Lamas worked to his feet and threw a spinning elbow on his way out. They clinched up, and Bektic pressed him into the cage again. Lamas again quickly broke free and the pair exchanged briefly, only to clinch back up into the fence. Herb Dean broke them up, and they returned to center. A quick engagement with Lamas looking for a spinning kick closed the round.

The third round saw both fight fighters come out fast and again Lama found himself with his back to the fence, with Bektic looking to use his dirty boxing. Lamas spun free and looked to land a spinning kick. Bektic caught a second spinning kick attempt from Lamas and took him to the ground; Lamas swept and ended up on top for a moment only for Bektic to spin it around again. They scrambled, and Lamas got his arms around Bektic for a choke attempt. Bektic escaped and they scrambled once more, with Bektic driving Lamas back into the cage again. Lamas went for the guillotine again and drove Bektic to the ground, but it wasn’t locked in. Lamas pulled out the old “lets go” looking to stand and trade. Bektic saw his moment, and took Lamas back tot he mat. It was Mirsad Bektic on top and looking to land strikes as the horn blew to end the round.

Mirsad Bektić def. Ricardo Lamas by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

The post UFC 225 Results: Mirsad Bektić Picks Up Key Win Over Ricardo Lamas appeared first on Cageside Press.

UFC 225 continues to shape up into an excellent card. In another big addition to the event, going down this June in Chicago, featherweights Ricardo Lamas and Mirsad Bektic will face off. UFC officials have added the pairing to the card’s official line-up. There, it joins Curtis Blaydes vs. Alistair Overeem, Rafael dos Anjos vs. Colby Covington, middleweight champion Robert Whittaker facing Yoel Romero, and even CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson.

Better know as ‘the Bully,’ Ricardo Lamas (18–6) has long been a staple of the 145lb weight class. Despite losing to Josh Emmett his last time out at UFC on FOX 26, Lamas is 2-1 in his last three, with key wins over Jason Knight and Charles Oliveira. Lamas has put on some memorable performances in the octagon, and few will forget him throwing down with Max Holloway, who would go on to become champion in the division.

Mirsad Bektic (12-1) bounced back from the first loss of his career in January. After suffering defeat at the hands of Darren Elkins at UFC 209, Bektic returned at UFC on FOX 27 to finish off Godofredo Pepey. Overall, the Bosnian-American, who lives in the Chicago area, is 5-1 in the promotion.

UFC 225 takes place June 9 at the United Center in Chicago, IL.

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UFC Charlotte (UFC on FOX 27) wasn’t the strongest card on paper, but the fights delivered in the end. A couple of all-out wars saved the card from irrelevance, as did what seemed to be the evening’s favorite attack: body shots. In the end, Bermudez vs. Fili, Camacho vs. Dober, and Green vs. Koch were all wildly entertaining, but only one could be Fight of the Night.

That honor went to Dober vs. Camacho, a fight in which Drew Dober and Frank Camacho apparently forgot that wrestling was part of MMA. Instead, they stood, banged away, bloodied each other, and banged some more. An absolute brawl, Dober vs. Camacho did not disappoint, and while it was Drew Dober getting his hand raised in the end, there were no losers in this bout.

Performance of the Night awards, meanwhile, went to headliner Jacare Souza, and featherweight Mirsad Bektic. Bektic unleashed a hellish punch to the chest of opponent Godofredo Pepey that saw his body simply seize up on him as he crumpled to the canvas.

"I TOLD YOU!"

Mirsad Bektic finishes Godofredo Pepey with a vicious liver shot! #UFCCharlotte https://t.co/ja0H9GJvSh

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) January 28, 2018

The popular Jacare, meanwhile, spent more time on his walkout than he did in his fight, or so it seemed. Souza made short work of Derek Brunson, earning his second win over the American, with the first coming back in Strikeforce. This time out, a head kick set up the finish, with Brazil’s Souza claiming a TKO, and hoisting himself right back into title contention.

All four fighters will be awarded $50,000 for their efforts.

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Mirsad Bektic is one of the top featherweight prospects in the UFC but came up short against Darren Elkins in his last contest. Bektic won in his first four Octagon appearances including a knockout and submission in the latter two. The Bosnian has had to deal with injuries throughout his UFC run, pulling out of three fights and making it to fight night five times.

Godofredo Pepey lives and dies by the sword with six of his 10 UFC fights ending before the final bell. Pepey had a scary three-fight run where he won by flying knee, triangle armbar, and flying triangle all in the first round. Since then, Pepey is 1-2, with the one victory coming via submission. He’ll attempt to bounce back from a loss to prospect Shane Burgos in his last contest.

Mirsad Bektic missed a leg kick then landed a hard right hand to start the fight. Godofredo Pepey threw a spin kick but missed, then hit the body in his next spin attempt. Bektic came up short with an overhand right then charged forward and got caught with a hard uppercut. Bektic survived by clinching up with Pepey briefly.

After the separation, Bektic put together a body kick to right-hand combination. Bektic reset then Pepey attempted a stepping knee. Bektic countered with a right straight to the body that knocked down the Brazilian. A few follow-up punches later and Bektic was back in the win column.

Following the quick finish, Bektic called for a performance bonus and the winner of the co-main event between Dennis Bermudez and Andre Fili. He also called out Dominick Cruz for saying that Bektic is not that comfortable on the feet.

Mirsad Bektic def. Godofredo Pepey by TKO (Body Punch) in Round 1 (2:47)

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