UFC Roster Watch, an automated service monitoring the promotion’s athlete database, was first to note that Mana Martinez and Rafael Alves were no longer part of the active roster.

Martinez later confirmed the news, issuing a brief statement on social media in which he promised to eventually return.

Losses turned into lessons…

There’s zero quit in me.

I know exactly what I’ve got to do moving forward. The amount of support and love I’ve received since I’ve started this journey has been endless, and I can’t thank everyone enough. I’m a dawg and you’ll have to kill me to get rid of me. I’ll be back

Bantamweight Mana Martinez (10-4) last fought at UFC 285, where he dropped a majority decision against South Africa’s Cameron Saaiman that saw his opponent deducted a point following multiple groin strikes. That dropped his record to 2-2 in the UFC, and may have signalled the end of his contract.

Lightweight Alves (20-12) went 1-3 in the UFC, losing to Drew Dober, Damir Ismagulov, and Nurullo Aliev. While an entertaining and promising talent, Alves’ lack of success — his lone win in the UFC came against Marc Diakiese in 2021 — combined with a then record-setting weight miss of 11.5lbs for a scheduled 145lb fight with Pat Sabatini certainly didn’t help things.

The Brazilian earned his shot in the UFC on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020 and had a five-fight win streak going when he made his debut with the organization.

Also recently removed from the UFC roster was Leonardo Santos, who announced his retirement last year.

The post UFC Parts Ways with Mana Martinez, Rafael Alves in Latest Clean-Up appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I feel really great about (the win). I worked really hard to prepare for this. In the morning, at night, sometimes four times a day. Now you see the result,” Aliev told Cageside Press among other media through a translator at his post-fight scrum.

“My country is about 25 hours away by travel so takes about 25 hours to get here. You have to switch a couple planes. There’s a 16 hour time difference. I’m young, I’m hungry, I want to make my country famous. I’m only 22.”

Traveling from Tajikistan to Las Vegas to work is something not many 22-year-olds in his country are doing.

“Usually people that are my age in my country they’re partying every day, and I’m away from my home. I’m training. I only see my family for about two months out of the year. Other than that I’m here and this is what I do,” he said.

During the fight a time-out was called due to Alves claiming Aliev bit one of his fingers when they were grappling. No clear video evidence of a bite was found, but the ref did see bite marks on Alves’s finger so a point was taken from Aliev.

“There was no bite. I was controlling him with my head and he was trying to get me off by putting his hand in my mouth. So I was trying to spit his hand out and as I was spitting it out his finger caught one of my teeth. Maybe he was tired so he decided he that way to kind of call that there was a bite,” Aliev said.

“There wasn’t a bite. He was just tired because a young ‘Eagle’ was pressuring him. He felt the pressure of a young ‘Eagle’.”

Now that the fight is done Aliev is ready to go home, rest up, and come back for his next fight.

“I’d like to go home. I don’t really have a name. I’d like to go home and rest. I’ll be ready for whoever UFC gives me, ” Aliev said.

“I want to celebrate Ramadan and afterwards I’ll be ready for anybody.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Nurullo Aliev above.

The post UFC Vegas 70: Nurullo Aliev Says He Did Not Bite Alves During Their Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.

Alves, who infamously missed weight by 12lbs for a 2021 featherweight fight with Pat Sabatini (the bout was understandably cancelled) was coming in off a loss to Drew Dober. Aliev was an undefeated 8-0 to start the night.

Nurullo Aliev stepped into the Octagon as the first Tajik fighter to compete under the banner. A sizable army of fans filled a stadium at home in Tajikistan to take in his debut.

How about the scenes in Tajikistan at 2:35am?! 🤯

🇹🇯 @NurulloAliev hoping to make his home country proud and remain undefeated here tonight! #UFCVegas70 pic.twitter.com/Tg5bDvNuA6

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) February 25, 2023

The fight began with the ever-game Alves throwing a sharp left hook followed by a few kicks to the body of the 22-year-old Tajik. Aliev got the fight where he wanted it not long after though with a quick level change. Alves did a good job of keeping wrist control early on in the ground exchange but Aliev managed to gain dominance shortly after.

What proceeded though was extremely strange and concerning. Rafael Alves called out a complaint that Aliev had bitten his finger, something that has happened once before, when Jason Knight bit Gabriel Benitez in a 2017 contest. Aliev was deducted a point for the alleged bite, which occurred when Alves had his fingers near the jaw, and the fight carried on. With that, the first round was likely scored a 9-9.

Aliev jumped on a single leg attempt a minute into round two but Alves snatched onto a guillotine which put Aliev in an uncomfortable position. The Brazilian turned the young fighter but that gave Aliev the space he needed to fight out of the submission attempt. Nurullo began threatening with a head and arm choke but the opening didn’t come, but it did open up the opportunity to reign down some viscous ground-and-pound. The 22-year-old picked up the second round with yet again some ground dominance which involved more output than round one.

A huge knee up the middle landed for Alves in the beginning of round three which resulted in Aliev going for a takedown out of instinct. This once again landed him in trouble as Alves threatened with another guillotine. Nurullo Aliev showed how highly skilled he is though and reversed Alves’ dominant top position. Some more ground-and-pound from the Tajik saw him doing everything he could to steal the eyes of the judges, especially after being rocked earlier in the round. Round three finished with some more brutal ground-and-pound from the debuting Aliev leaving him under the impression he had done enough to win the fight, despite the point deduction.

He was correct to think that as he found himself on the right side of the decision.

Official Result: Nurullo Aliev Def. Rafael Alves by Majority Decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)

The post UFC Vegas 70: Nurullo Aliev Earns Decision Win Despite Point Deduction for Biting Rafael Alves appeared first on Cageside Press.

Tajikistan’s Nurullo Aliev (8-0) will face Rafael Alves (20-11) in the octagon debut of the “Tajik Eagle” on February 25, 2023.

MMA Junkie was first to report news of the booking, with Aliev later confirming the bout, adding on social media that “February 25th, in sha Allah I will make a statement.”

Aliev made a statement on DWCS last year, defeating Josh Wick inside of a round to earn a UFC deal. The 23-year old turned pro in 2018 and has faced solid competition ever since, having never fought an opponent with a losing record.

Alves is an ex-Titan FC champ coming off a loss to fan-favorite Drew Dober last year. He appeared on the Contender Series in 2020, but has gone 1-2 inside the octagon thus far.

The UFC’s February 25, 2023 Fight Night card is expected to be headlined by Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann in a light heavyweight match-up. Thus far, the following fights have been reported for the event:

• Nikita Krylov vs. Ryan Spann
• Mike Malott vs. Yohan Lainesse
• Cortney Casey vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
• Victor Martinez vs. Jordan Leavitt
• Hailey Cowan vs. Ailin Perez
• Ode’ Osbourne vs. Denys Bondar
• Erick Gonzalez vs. Darrius Flowers
• Andre Fili vs. Lucas Almeida
• André Muniz vs. Brendan Allen
• Augusto Sakai vs. Don’Tale Mayes
• Garrett Armfield vs. Jose Johnson
• Alex Reyes vs. Trevor Peek
• Tatiana Suarez vs. Montana De La Rosa
• Rafael Alves vs. Nurullo Aliev

The post UFC: Newcomer Nurullo Aliev to Face Rafael Alves on Feb. 25 appeared first on Cageside Press.

The match-up did not disappoint, but it had a weird start, with Alves signalling that there was loose tape on his foot. That halted the action, but the ref ordered him to fight on.

The pair then came together in an exchange, which let Alves get the fight to the ground in an early takedown. He threatened to move to mount, but Dober won a few small positional battles and was able to force Alves back into his guard. On his back was still not where Drew Dober wanted to be, however, especially with half the round still to come.

Dober would escape out with just over a minute left in the round, and the pair went right back to trading, with Dober eating at least one shot that appeared to hurt him. Dober would finish the round on the attack, however, with Alves back against the fence covering and moving.

In the second, Dober attacked the body with multiple kicks and turned up the heat with Alves circling along the fence. Alves had slowed a step; Dober, frankly, had not. The offense for Alves had also slowed to a crawl, which allowed Dober to lead the dance and implement his fight. When Alves did attempt to counter, he too often hit air. Late in the third, an eye poke would land on Alves, giving him some recovery time, though whether the thumb that scraped across his eye would hamper his vision remained to be seen.

They got wild off the restart, swinging for the fences and launching jumping kicks. Alves’ defense was amazing and spontaneously led to him showing off some dance moves after ducking and dodging pretty much every punch Dober threw. Alves then shot for a takedown, which Dober reversed to end the round.

Rafael Alves is FEELING HIMSELF in there 🔥 #UFC277 pic.twitter.com/9JWZW4eeiL

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) July 31, 2022

Round three had Dober going back to the body early. The body work would pay off a moment later, as a left hook to Alves’ ribs caused him to drop to his knees, wincing in pain. That was the end right there, with Dober earning the KO off the body shot.

Official Result: Drew Dober def. Rafael Alves by knockout (body shot), Round 3, 1:30

The post UFC 277: Drew Dober Drops Rafael Alves with Body Shot In Fiery Scrap appeared first on Cageside Press.

The newly reported bout sees Drew Dober (24-11, 1NC) take on Rafael Alves (24-10) at the July 30, 2022 Pay-Per-View card, the second PPV show from the UFC in July. MMA Fight Universe was first to report news of the match-up.

Both fighters subsequently confirmed the booking on social media. The pair have 70 fights worth of pro experience between them.

Dober got back in the win column back in March, in a fun match-up with short-notice opponent Terrance McKinney. The first-round TKO victory snapped a two-fight skid that had seen Dober lose fights to Brad Riddell and Islam Makhachev.

Having won three post-fight bonuses in the past three years, Dober will be looking for number four come July.

Alves, a 2020 Contender Series winner, also got back in the win column in his last fight. After dropping his promotional debut, against Damir Ismagulov, Alves bounced back with a submission win against Marc Diakiese.

The Brazilian fighter shot to notoriety prior to the Ismagulov fight, missing weight for what would have been his UFC debut last February by a record 11.5 pounds, though that mark was eclipsed by William Knight late last year. Regardless, the featherweight miss resulted in a move to lightweight for Alves.

UFC 277, which takes place on July 30, 2022, does not yet have a location or venue officially announced. The following bouts have been reported for the event:

• Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France – for the UFC interim flyweight championship
• Derrick Lewis vs. Sergei Pavlovich
• Magomed Ankalaev vs. Anthony Smith
• Luke Rockhold vs. Paulo Costa
• Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Michael Morales
• Drakkar Klose vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira
• Justin Tafa vs. Don’Tale Mayes
• Drew Dober vs. Rafael Alves

The post Drew Dober vs. Rafael Alves the Latest Addition to UFC 277 appeared first on Cageside Press.

In his last fight, Alves had missed the lightweight limit by a fair margin. What makes that factoid even worse, however, is that the bout against Pat Sabatini had been booked for featherweight. Alves missing the mark by 11.5lbs earlier this year set a record, and the fight was not surprisingly canceled.

Alves would be looking to make a better impression on Saturday, while Diakiese was coming off a Fight of the Night loss to Rafael Fiziev. And make an impression he did.

There was no glove touch for the pair, and when Diakiese rushed Alves and then ate a kick below the belt, there was cause for concern. Ref Mike Beltran warned the fighters to keep it clean; Alves, who had front flipped in the octagon prior to the start of the fight, likely needed the break as much as Diakiese.

The fight resumed, and Alves exploded with a combo. A high kick from Alves was blocked. Diakiese started to throw some jabs but nothing landed. Alves threw a flying knee that partially landed and then locked up a guillotine choke immediately after which Diakiese had no choice but to tap to. What a sequence!

WHAT A FINISH FOR @Rafael_TheTurn 🔥

[ #UFCVegas42 | Prelims are LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/vrZ1028Kg5

— UFC (@ufc) November 13, 2021

Rafael Alves picked up his first UFC win in the bout, while Diakiese has now dropped two straight.

Official Result: Rafael Alves def. Marc Diakiese by submission (guillotine choke) Round 1, 1:48

The post UFC Vegas 42: Rafael Alves Picks Up First UFC Win By Tapping Marc Diakiese appeared first on Cageside Press.

Weight-cutting is the ultimate test of discipline and willpower. Many fighters in the sport consider it very unprofessional to miss weight. In this series, we will shine a light on fighters who cut a massive amount of weight, who have missed weight multiple times in the past, who have made weight-class changes, along with how the weight-cut and weigh-in could affect possible upcoming match-ups. Basically, every aspect of weight-cutting and how it affects the fight game.

Joel “El Fenomeno” Alvarez (18-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC)

Lightweight (155lbs): 3-1 (UFC), Missed weight 1x in UFC

Joel Alvarez missed weight in his most recent fight, coming in at 159.5lbs for a lightweight bout.

Though Alvarez finished his opponent Alexander Yakovlev, he missed weight for the first time in his very promising career. Alvarez told media members last year in Abu Dhabi, after his last fight that: “I’m a professional. That’s never happened before and it’s not going to happen again,” referring to the weight cut. And that, “Next time I’m just gonna have to plan it out. In four weeks maybe wasn’t enough for me to make weight.”

Alvarez stands at a towering 6’3″ tall and has a massive 77″ reach. At 28 years old, with his metabolism slowing down it will become increasingly more difficult for him to make 155lbs.

Joel is an ultra-hot prospect that has competed against and finished some great competition. With that being said don’t expect him to move up to 170lbs, but you can’t leave it completely out of the realm of possibility. Regardless Alvarez will be a fighter to watch on the scale and in the octagon for UFC Vegas 42.

The post The Weight Cutting Chronicles: UFC Vegas 42 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Michael Morgan was first to report the news that Marc Diakiese will fight Rafael Alves on November 13 at UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodríguez. Both fighters would confirm the news on their social media. The pair were scheduled to fight on September 4; however, Alves pulled out of the fight.

Diakiese (14-4) will be returning from a year layoff when he enters the octagon in November. He had his two-fight win streak snapped in his last outing when he lost a unanimous decision to Rafael Fiziev at UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 on ‘Fight Island.’  Prior to his loss, he defeated Lando Vannata and Joesph Duffy.

In May, Alves (19-10) had his UFC debut spoiled against Damir Ismagulov, losing a unanimous decision. The Brazilian secured a contract on season four of Dana White’s Contender Series by submitting Alejandro Flores.

UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodríguez will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV. No broadcast plan has been announced.

So far, the November 13 card features the following match-ups:

• Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodríguez
• Kyle Daukaus vs. TBD
• Miguel Baeza vs. Khaos Williams
• Ovince Saint Preux vs. Philipe Lins
• Felicia Spencer vs. Leah Letson
• Cynthia Calvillo vs. Andrea Lee
• Lando Vannata vs. Tucker Lutz
• Ben Rothwell vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
• Sean Woodson vs. Collin Anglin
• Eryk Anders vs. Roman Dolidze
• Julio Arce vs. Song Yadong
• Thiago Moisés vs. Joel Álvarez
• Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Da Un Jung
• Danilo Marques vs. Jailton Almeida
• Marc Diakiese vs. Rafael Alves

The post Marc Diakiese vs. Rafael Alves Added To November 13 UFC Event appeared first on Cageside Press.

Michael Morgan from WoahTV was first to report that Marc Diakiese will fight Rafael Alves on September 4 at a yet-to-be-announced UFC event. Alves would confirm the news on his Instagram story.

Diakiese (14-4) has not been in action since his loss against Rafael Fiziev last year on ‘Fight Island.’ “Bonecrusher” would lose a unanimous decision in his only fight of the year. The loss to Fiziev would snap Diakiese’s two-fight win streak.

Alves (19-10) was unsuccessful in his UFC debut against Damir Ismagulov back in May. “The Turn” would lose a unanimous decision in March, which snapped his five-fight win streak. Alves made headlines earlier this year when he missed weight by 11.5 pounds which was the biggest miss in UFC history.

No location, venue, or broadcast details have yet to be announced by the promotion for UFC’s September 4 event, although it is heavily rumored to be UFC’s return to London.

The September 4 fight card now includes the following reported bouts:

• Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Modestas Bukauskas
• Nathaniel Wood vs. Jonathan Martinez
• Alexander Gustafsson vs. Paul Craig
• Marc Diakiese vs. Rafael Alves

While not announced, the entire August 14 card will probably move to this card, including Darren Till vs. Derek Brunson and others.

The post UFC: Marc Diakiese vs. Rafael Alves Set For September 4 appeared first on Cageside Press.