Evloev, a former M-1 bantamweight champ, moved back to featherweight upon joining the UFC, and had won three straight in the promotion, while posting a record of 13-0 overall as a pro. Initially, Lentz had been paired up with Mike Grundy at UFC 257, but fate (and a positive COVID-19 test from one of Grundy’s teammates) had other plans. Lentz, with over a decade of octagon experience, was looking to snap a two-fight skid.

Both men were exchanging to kick off the bout, before Lentz clinched Evloev against the fence looking to take him down. Lentz did get the trip but Evloev landed in top position. Lentz managed to lock in a Guillotine choke which caused Evolev to give up position, only to eventually escape and scramble to top position once again. What a finish that would have been. Evloev was looking to pass whilst Lentz hunted for the Guillotine again; this time he managed to escape whilst keeping top position and passed to half guard. Evloev ended the first round looking for ground and pound. Lentz’s face after the first round was swelled up after some of the short shots he received at the end of the round.

HOW DID EVLOEV ESCAPE? 😳

[ #UFC257 | #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/imnmWQ73Mi

— UFC (@ufc) January 24, 2021

Lentz was looking for some counters to Evloev’s pressure early in the second, with both men content to exchange hands. Evloev managed to land an uppercut. Lentz searched for a takedown and jumped on the Guillotine, but Evloev escaped and managed to get into the clinch before they disengaged. Evloev started to land at a higher rate as the second went on, while Lentz was searching once again for the Guillotine but Evloev managed to escape again. Lentz was looking to grapple more and more as the round went on, going for another takedown as the round ended.

Lentz seemed to be slowing towards the end of the second and Evloev went to work with his hands, especially with his jab early in the third. Lentz was looking to close the distance whilst Evloev was content to exchange hands at close range. Lentz was a step behind throughout the third, with Evolev seemingly getting ahead on volume before Lentz went after a takedown. But Evolev defended well and went back to work and landed a nice right hand counter off a Lentz kick. Evolev was looking for the high kick but a couple of attempts were partially blocked by Lentz. Evolev was able to fight at a frantic pace throughout the bout and that was what helped him secure the fight down the stretch.

More than a prospect 🇷🇺 @MovsarUFC gets the nod on two scorecards for the SD.

[ 📺 Action moves to @ESPN next ] pic.twitter.com/cgIBVlehjT

— UFC (@ufc) January 24, 2021

After the contest, Evloev asked UFC president Dana White for a top 15 opponent in his next outing. Improving to 14-0, with four straight wins in the UFC, he may get just that.

Official Result: Movsar Evloev def. Nik Lentz via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

The post UFC 257 Results: Movsar Evloev Overcomes Early Submission Scare, Batters Nik Lentz En Route to Decision Victory appeared first on Cageside Press.

There are grudge matches. There are sporting contests, occasionally even friendly. And then there are fights that come together through pure happenstance. That was the case at UFC Raleigh with Nik Lentz vs. Arnold Allen.

Both men were originally scheduled to face other opponents on the Fight Night card. Allen had been set for a step up against Josh Emmett. Lentz had been due to tangle with Nad Narimani.

Injury would scuttle those plans, however. And left with little alternative, the UFC found a simple solution: book Allen and Lentz against each other.

Plenty of action early unfolded early when the pair got underway in Raleigh, with Allen holding center for a bit. Both men landed, though it was more in the way of single strikes than combinations. Lentz was soon showing some damage upstairs, and perhaps that was behind his decision to pursue a takedown. Allen defended well, but was soon trying to keep Lentz off his back. Lentz finished with a throw, trying to find the time and space to land a few punches before Allen popped back up. They would continue their battle on the feet til the end of the frame.

Round two saw Lentz press forward, leading with his jab and mixing in kicks. Allen answered back, and a left hand at the end of a combination rocked Nik Lentz! Lentz was wobbled, but managed to avoid taking too much in the way of additional damaged. The moment may have passed, but Allen tied things up and pushed his opponent against the cage. That didn’t last long, and they’d head back out into the open to continue exchanging. Allen’s left hand was on display again a little later. Allen seemed to have the ability to slip Lentz’s kicks. As the round progressed, he appeared to be pulling away, although Lentz would land a knee, and later a right hand that opened up a takedown attempt.

If Nik Lentz wanted to have a chance at coming out the winner Saturday, something needed to change in the third round. Lentz still appeared to have plenty in the tank, and the pair exchanged through most of the final frame. Fairly even, as Lentz hung in, and even came on strong at the end, landing a left hook before the buzzer. But it wasn’t enough, as Allen walked away with the unanimous decision win.

Official Results: Arnold Allen def. Nik Lentz by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

The post UFC Raleigh Results: Arnold Allen Remains Perfect in the Octagon with Win Over Nik Lentz appeared first on Cageside Press.

Arnold Allen was expected to fight Josh Emmett at UFC Raleigh later this month. Nik Lentz, meanwhile, was expected to face Nad Narimani. Circumstance, mainly injury, however, left both featherweights without an opponent. And with that in mind, the UFC has opted to take the obvious option, and book them against each other.

UFC officials revealed the news Tuesday, with the official card updated to reflect the switch.

Lentz (30-10-2, 1NC), a longtime UFC veteran, will be looking to rebound from a loss to Charles Oliveira in the fight. Prior to that he had won two straight, against Scott ‘Hot Sauce’ Holtzman and Gray Maynard.

Allen (15-1) has yet to taste defeat in the UFC. He enters the bout on an eight-fight win streak, with six of those victories coming inside the octagon. The British fighter, who trains with Canada’s TriStar gym, is coming off a win over former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez.

With the pairing of Lentz and Allen, the UFC Raleigh card now includes the following bouts:

Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior dos Santos – Heavyweight main event
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Michael Chiesa
Nik Lentz vs. Arnold Allen
Jordan Espinosa vs. Alex Perez
Hannah Cifers vs. Angela Hill
Jamahal Hill vs. Darko Stošić
Justine Kish vs. Lucie Pudilová
Montel Jackson vs. Felipe Colares
Sara McMann vs. Lina Länsberg
Brett Johns vs. Tony Gravely
Herbert Burns vs. Nate Landwehr
Bevon Lewis vs. Dequan Townsend

UFC Raleigh takes place January 25, 2020 at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The post Nik Lentz and Arnold Allen Now Face Off at UFC Raleigh appeared first on Cageside Press.

The UFC Raleigh card later this month has a bit of a late addition. On Friday, UFC officials announced via social media that England’s Nad Narimani would head stateside to take on Nik Lentz in a featherweight contest.

Another Brit heading to #UFCRaleigh! 🇬🇧✈️🇺🇸

England's @NadNarimani meets @NikLentz on Jan 25! pic.twitter.com/KUs3VNMzUz

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) January 3, 2020

The announcement is likely to mark the final bout added to the Fight Night card.

Lentz (30-10-2, 1NC) has been with the UFC since 2009. Entering his 11th year with the promotion, he looks to rebound from a loss to Charles Oliveira back in May at UFC Rochester. ‘The Carny’ had been on a two-fight win streak prior to that setback. He’s yet to repeat the success of his early octagon career, however, which saw him start off with a 5-0-1 streak.

Bristol, England’s Nad Narimani (12-3) suffered the first loss of his UFC career at UFC London last March. There, he found himself finished by Mike Grundy. The TKO loss was the first stoppage loss of Narimani’s career. Overall, the Brit is 2-1 in the promotion, with wins over Anderson Dos Santos and Khalid Taha.

UFC Raleigh (UFC Fight Night 166) takes place January 25, 2020 at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. A heavyweight showdown featuring Junior Dos Santos and Curtis Blaydes headlines the card, which is set to air on ESPN+ in the U.S. and TSN in Canada.

The UFC Raleigh card currently includes the following bouts:

Heavyweight: Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior dos Santos
Bantamweight: Brett Johns vs. Tony Gravely
Welterweight: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Michael Chiesa
Featherweight: Josh Emmett vs. Arnold Allen
Light Heavyweight: Jamahal Hill vs. Darko Stošić
Women’s Bantamweight: Sara McMann vs. Lina Länsberg
Bantamweight: Montel Jackson vs. Felipe Colares
Women’s Flyweight: Justine Kish vs. Lucie Pudilová
Featherweight: Herbert Burns vs. Nate Landwehr
Flyweight: Jordan Espinosa vs. Alex Perez
Middleweight: Bevon Lewis vs. Dequan Townsend
Women’s Strawweight: Hannah Cifers vs. Angela Hill
Featherweight: Nad Narimani vs. Nik Lentz

The post Nad Narimani vs. Nik Lentz Added to UFC Raleigh appeared first on Cageside Press.

While most fans would rather see B.J. Penn anywhere but the octagon, it appears Dana White has had a change of heart on letting the Hall of Famer compete again. During UFC 240’s fight week, news broke (originally by TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter) that Penn would take on Nik Lentz, at a date and venue yet to be made official. Both UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi, and UFC 244, have been suggested.

The return of the former two division champ, however, isn’t exactly being met with open arms. Penn (16–14–2) is the very definition of a fighter unwilling or unable to walk away from the fight game. The Hawaiian legend has not won a fight since 2010, is mired in a seven fight losing streak in the UFC, and is 1-9-1 dating back to 2010. One win in nearly a decade.

That’s a long fall from his heydey, where Penn claimed both the lightweight and welterweight titles in the UFC, in separate reigns.

While Penn looked marginally better against Clay Guida at UFC 237, there’s a question of whether even that would be enough against Lentz. Lentz (30-10-2, 1NC) is 2-2 in his last four fights, most recently being submitted by Charles Oliveira at UFC Rochester in May.

However, there’s been bad blood between Penn and Lentz for years. And grudge matches generally sell.

The post UFC: B.J. Penn Returns Once Again, Will Fight Nik Lentz appeared first on Cageside Press.

Charles Oliveira debuted in the UFC back in 2010 with a 12-0 record full of stoppages. The Brazilian started his Octagon run at 2-2 with one no contest (evidently against Nik Lentz) at lightweight when he transitioned to featherweight. Oliveira went 6-2 to start his 145 run capped off by a win over Lentz. “Do Bronx” is 6-4 since the and has submitted his last four opponents.

Nik Lentz is also a longtime UFC veteran, debuting in the promotion in 2009 with a 16-3-1 record. “The Carny” went 5-0-1 in his first six Octagon appearances at lightweight before moving to featherweight following two straight losses. It was the right decision, as Lentz went 6-2 in his first eight fights at featherweight. He is 3-2 since then, with wins over Will Brooks and Gray Maynard.

Round 1

Lentz comes out in the southpaw stance, while Oliveira stands orthodox. The wrestler opens up the action with a hard leg kick. He follows it with a grazing high kick and the right hook. Lentz then clinches and hits “Do Bronx” with a knee to the midsection. Oliveira catches a kick from Lentz, and blasts Lentz with a right hand. He catches Lentz stepping in with an uppercut and a short right hand.

Oliveria tries a Superman elbow that grazes Lentz. The American tries to take Oliveira down, but can’t. They move to the center and Oliveira lands several shots. He throws a jumping front kick to Lentz face. The American takes Oliveira down but gets swept to his back. He eats two big elbows while trying to defend submission attacks from the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. Lentz escapes to his feet and they exchange some shots as the round ends.

Cageside Press scored the round 10-9 for Oliveira.

Round 2

Oliveira catches a kick from Lentz and hits him with a big right hand. The Carnie takes Oliveira to the canvas but finds himself in a guillotine. It looked like Lentz tapped but then he escaped the submission. Really weird stuff.

Lentz tries to land some shots but then gets hit with an illegal upkick. Referee, Todd Anderson stops the action until Lentz can resume. They restart with Lentz in Oliveira’s guard, but he immediately gets back to his feet.

Oliveira catches a kick once again and floors Lentz with a straight right-hand sending him crashing to the canvas. He follows up with some quick hammerfists and the referee stops the contest.

The @CharlesDoBronxs missile finds its target 🎯 #UFCRochester pic.twitter.com/GOZmAlXkVH

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 19, 2019

Charles Oliveira def. Nik Lentz via TKO (punches) in Round 2 (2:11)

The post UFC Rochester Results: Charles Oliveira TKOs Nik Lentz in Trilogy Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.

UFC Rochester has added a trilogy bout long in the making to its ranks. Charles Oliveira and Nik Lentz will throw down for a third time at the Blue Cross Arena on May 18, as reported by MMA Junkie.

Charles Oliveira is on a four fight win streak coming into the fight in New York. With wins over Clay Guida, Christos Giagos, Jim Miller, and David Teymur, the surging Oliveira is looking to add another name to the list. The veteran, who has been in the UFC since 2010, has a win over Nik Lentz in 2015. He won the fight via guillotine early in the third round. The first fight originally went to Oliveira as well. But, due to an illegal knee, the win was turned to a no contest.

Nik Lentz is also coming into the fight with back-to-back wins over Gray Maynard and Scott Holtzman. The Holtzman fight went the distance earlier this year. Lentz will be looking to get that sought-after win over Oliveria, derailing his recent surge in the lightweight division.

Both Oliveira-Lentz fights were awarded Fight of the Night. Lentz has one other Fight of the Night and a Performance of the Night. Combine that with Oliveira’s EIGHT Performance of the Nights, one other Fight of the Night, and three Submission of the Nights, and we have a banger on our hands.

UFC Rochester is adding some of the best Brazilians the promotion has to offer. Headlining the card is Rafael dos Anjos, who is taking on Kevin Lee in his welterweight debut. Dos Anjos is looking to bounce back from two straight losses after dominating in his rise in his new division. Other Brazilians on the card are Vincinte Luque, Antônio Carlos Júnior, Davi Ramos and the debut of the viral Michel Pereira.

Stay posted to Cageside Press to stay posted on all the latest news for UFC Rochester and more!

The post Charles Oliveira vs. Nik Lentz Trilogy Set for UFC Rochester appeared first on Cageside Press.

Scott Holtzman came to the UFC undefeated at 7-0. After alternating wins and losses in his first four fights with the promotion, “Hot Sauce” found his stride. Since losing to Josh Emmett in 2016, Holtzman has rattled off three consecutive wins. His last one was his most emphatic, as he knocked out Alan Patrick with just over a minute left in the third round at UFC 229.

Nik Lentz has been a member of the roster since 2009, accumulating a record of 13-6-1 with one no contest. Lentz joined the UFC as a lightweight, but consecutive losses to Evan Dunham and Mark Bocek sent him to featherweight, where he went 4-2. Since returning to 155-pounds, he is 4-2 and coming off a knockout win against Gray Maynard.

Nik Lentz controlled the first portion of the first round on the feet. The amount of strikes landed were significantly in Lentz’s favor, mixing up kicks and punches effectively. Around halfway through, he committed to looking for clinch takedowns. Whenever Lentz was able to drag Holtzman to the mat, however, Holtzman was able to bounce back to the feet. This happened three times before Lentz was finally able to control a takedown, but that occurred as the round came to a close.

Holtzman came alive in the beginning of the second round. After a few exchanges of kicks and knees, in which a low kick swept Lentz off his feet, Holtzman landed a hard straight punch that sent Lentz into wrestling mode. Holtzman easily stuffed the takedown so they began exchanging straight punches on the feet until Lentz followed one of his with a clinch. While against the cage, Lentz turned a takedown rip takedown into a deep guillotine attempt. Holtzman worked his way out, but was taken down twice more as time expires.

Down two rounds, Holtzman came out swinging in round three. Lentz was rocked early on but thwarted Holtzman’s advances by landing a right of his own. A pair of hooks from both angles caused Lentz to rush in for a clinch. Lentz was able to take him down and take his back briefly, but Holtzman popped up and pushed forward. Lentz stops his advance by landing a desperation takedown, but Holtzman escaped as Lentz tried to take his back. They ended up against the fence with Lentz pushing for a takedown, but Holtzman battered him with elbows that split him open. Holtzman went for it all with a flying knee after they separated but couldn’t land cleanly, and ended up on his back late. Time expired with Lentz on top.

Nik Lentz def. Scott Holtzman by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

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The biggest event of the UFC’s year thus far went down in Las Vegas, NV on Saturday. With a good shot at breaking the promotion’s viewership record on PPV, the return of Conor McGregor at UFC 229 was set to be huge. The title fight between ‘The Notorious’ and lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov promised to be thrilling. And a hardy undercard was an added bonus, with Tony Ferguson taking on Antony Pettis at lightweight, and Derrick Lewis taking on the surging Alexander Volkov in a key heavyweight battle. That was just a small portion of the action.

Before any of the fights went down on PPV, UFC 229 featured a trio of fights exclusively on UFC Fight Pass. Opening up the card, welterweights Ryan LaFlare and Tony Martin threw down. LaFlare entered the bout off a win over Alex Garcia at UFC Atlantic City, while Tony Martin had defeated Keita Nakamura at that same event.

Next up, former lightweight title challenger Gray Maynard was back. ‘The Bully’ was also back at lightweight, facing another gritty veteran Nik Lentz.

And in the featured bout of the UFC Fight Pass prelims, Lina Lansberg and Yana Kunitskaya, both of whom entered the UFC by fighting Cris Cyborg, threw down at bantamweight.

Ryan LaFlare vs. Tony Martin

A low blow by Ryan LaFlare halted the action early in the card’s opening welterweight bout, but that said, LaFlare was finding success with his kicks.  Martin continued to eat those kicks to the body as the round progressed, with his midsection showing more and more redness. Martin, however, stayed behind his right hand, and managed to wobble LaFlare towards the final minute of the round.

In round two, that right hand would come out again, with Martin dropping LaFlare around the two minute mark. He pounced on the fallen fighter, adding more right hands. LaFlare was bloodied, and tied Martin up in half-guard, hanging on for dear life. Despite this dangerous turn of events, LaFlare managed to make it out of the round.

The third saw LaFlare continue attacking with kicks, this time nearly taking Martin’s legs out from under him with an inside leg kick. Martin, however, had a kick or two, and a trick or two, up his sleeve. He launched a right head kick, catching LaFlare with his hands down. LaFlare dropped, and Martin followed up with a few punches for the finish!

Head kick finish to start the night on @UFCFightPass!

Wow @TMartinMMA! #UFC229 pic.twitter.com/ubeMRUpR3Y

— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2018

Tony Martin def. Ryan LaFlare by TKO (head kick and punches), Round 3, 1:00

Gray Maynard vs. Nik Lentz

Former title challenger Grand Maynard found himself bullied by Nik Lentz early, eating a right hand followed by a knee to the body. Just a minute into the first round of their lightweight fight, and Maynard was down by the side of the fence, covering up while Lentz worked to control him. Maynard survived that exchange, but was clipped by a left hand moments later. Lentz then got him to the ground, and worked himself into position for a guillotine. Maynard broke free of that as Lentz rolled on top, but ‘The Bully’ was in a bad spot, eating elbows from Lentz as they entered the final minute. Lentz then let his hands fly, lefts and rights raining down. Maynard covered up, struggled his way back to his feet, only to eat a pair of heavy knees to the head before round’s end.

Round two was halted early when Maynard suffered an eye poke. Back underway, Lentz and Maynard wound up trading, each man landing on the other before Lentz added a head kick, dropping Maynard! A few follow-up blows and Lentz had the TKO. Two right head kick finishes to start the card. Wow.

Another head-kick knockout at #UFC229! @NikLentz pic.twitter.com/OTT4csZwn9

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) October 6, 2018

Nik Lentz def. Gray Maynard by TKO (head kick and punches), Round 2, 1:19

Lina Länsberg vs. Yana Kunitskaya

The featured prelim on UFC Fight Pass at UFC 229 saw Yana Kunitskaya fending off an attacking Lina Lansberg early. Lansberg pressed the attack, with Kunitskaya throwing a kick that was nearly caught. In a clinch shortly thereafter, Kunitskaya landed a takedown via a throw that saw her enter into Lansberg’s guard. Lansberg worked her way back to the fence with Kunitskaya on her, which allowed Kunitskaya to control from the back as Lansberg powered back to her feet. Soon enough Lansberg had managed to turn, getting underhooks on Kunitskaya, who appeared to have a strength advantage. Kunitskaya then powered her opponent down with another throw. She’d finish the round dropping some elbows from the top.

Kunitskaya attacked with leg and body kicks in round two, while Lansberg circled out of harm’s way. Yana would then close the distance and clinch, landing a knee to the body. Another knee followed as Kunitskaya maintained control. Lansberg would fire back a pair of knees of her own, but she was struggling to find any way off the fence. The ref, however, came to her rescue, deeming that not enough action was taking place. Off the restart, Lansberg pressed forward, but couldn’t find her range. Toward’s the end of the round, Kunitskaya changed levels, looking to take the fight down, but nearly gave up her neck in the process.

Round three featured Lansberg again trying to start strong, while Yana answered with her jab and was a little quicker to circle away. However, she soon had a clinch on by the cage. Kunitskaya landed a takedown near the ninety second mark, but couldn’t keep Lansberg down long. Lansberg needed a finish, but couldn’t find it — they went the distance, with Kunitskaya taking the unanimous decision.

Yana Kunitskaya def. Lina Länsberg by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) 

Check back come fight time for results and a full recap of the UFC 229 Fight Pass Prelims!

UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor Fight Pass Preliminary Results

Yana Kunitskaya def. Lina Länsberg by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Nik Lentz def. Gray Maynard by TKO (head kick and punches), Round 2, 1:19
Tony Martin def. Ryan LaFlare by TKO (head kick and punches), Round 3, 1:00

The post UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor Fight Pass Preliminary Card Results and Recap appeared first on Cageside Press.

In another lightweight battle at UFC Utica, Nik ‘The Carny’ Lentz faced off against David Teymur. David was the first of the two Teymur brothers to enter the octagon on Friday, as brother Daniel was also in action later in the evening. First up, however, it was Nik Lentz vs. David Teymur, with both men coming in off wins.

However, while Lentz had been trading wins and losses of late (most recently picking up a victory over former Bellator lightweight champ Will Brooks), Teymur had never been defeated in the UFC. In fact, he was on a seven fight run prior to meeting Lentz, having not lost since his professional debut in 2013.

Teymur would fire off a pair of kicks upstairs within the first minute of this lightweight scrap, setting the tone early. Lentz would move in, only to be dropped by a crisp left hand. Lentz, however, recovered quickly, and went right back after his opponent. Teymur went to the body with a kick, and continued to go upstairs with them as well. Lentz answered with a leg kick, then tried to close the distance and tie Teymur up. To no avail. Lentz would catch a kick and move in for a takedown with just over two minutes remaining, only for Teymur to burst right back up to this feet. Lentz would drag him down again, while suffering a pair of eye pokes which elicited a warning from the ref — but no recovery time. A fence grab also added to the controversy, but they’d ultimately go to a second round.

Round two saw the pair trading leg kicks, while Lentz continued to walk down his opponent. However, despite pushing the action, he was losing the striking battle. He’d try for another takedown, nearly land it, but Teymur was back on his feet in the blink of an eye. Teymur had a head kick sail just a little high at the midway point of the fight; the pair appeared to have settled down a little by that point.

Round three saw Nik Lentz continue to try to puzzle out the Rubik’s cube that was David Teymur. He was gradually finding more success with his grappling, and threatened with a guillotine. Teymur slipped in another fence grab in the third round, earning a warning, but it allowed him to stay on his feet, without consequence. Throughout the remainder of the round, Teymur would fire off the odd spinning attack, combo, or high kick, while a bloodied Lentz remained on the outside. If there was anything to be learned, it’s that MMA is in desperate need of consistent reffing and point deductions for infractions — but that’s a debate for another day. In the meantime, Teymur took home the decision, and called for a top ten opponent after the bout.

David Teymur def. Nik Lentz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

The post UFC Utica Results: David Teymur Edges Past Nik Lentz, But Not Without Controversy appeared first on Cageside Press.