Klein (22-4-1) came in with a 6-2-1 UFC record. The lightweight has been in the UFC for about four years but already has 6 victories over names like Ignacio Bahamondes and Thiago Moises to name a couple. He looked to extend his win streak to four against Roberts.

Roberts (12-4) rode into UFC Paris needing a victory over Klein. He came into the fight on a two-fight losing streak with a loss at TUF 31 against Austin Hubbard and Mateusz Rebecki at UFC 295 respectively.

Round 1 Klein came out firing leg kicks immediately to make up for the height disadvantage he has against Roberts. Roberts tried to smother the kicks with forward pressure, but Klein was ok with it and fired off hands up top.

Roberts clearly wanted the clinch but he kept on eating elbows up top for his troubles. Klein meanwhile was happy to let his opponent eat leg kicks repeatedly and then elbows in close. Roberts tried a takedown as time ran out, but was unsuccessful.

Round 2 Klein took Roberts down rather quickly here, Roberts tried to grab an arm, but Klein stayed on him with pressure and strikes.

Roberts fired hammers back at Klein, but his opponent refused to back up. Roberts finally got his guard back. Roberts looked like he was trying to get his hips higher to go for a submission, or sweep, but he ate a healthy helping of hands and elbows up top at the same time.

Klein got to his feet, dropped back down into side control, but Roberts was able to get his guard back. Klein’s pressure on top, and stacking Roberts at the same time, made it very hard to create distance.

Round 3 Roberts came out with some urgency taking it to Klein, but it was much more patient. Klein with a quick takedown and it wasn’t looking good for Roberts who was unable to push Klein off him in the second round.

Klein with elbows up top and all the pressure you could want up top. Roberts got to his knees and feet however and back on the fence. Roberts pushed Klein off him and shot in for his own takedown but couldn’t land it. Instead getting taken down again and Klein landing up top. Roberts firing off elbows just doing anything he can to try and finish.

Time ran out on both men and the fight went to the judges.

Official Result: Ludovit Klein def. Roosevelt Roberts via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28×2)

The post Ludovit Klein Pressures, Grapples Roberts To Decision Win appeared first on Cageside Press.

“More important who I fight. Top 15 of course. Maybe give me some opponent from (the) top,” Rebecki told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

Getting a top 15 opponent is the path to earning a rank, but Rebecki has had trouble just getting someone to fight him.

“Right now I feel it’s problem with (finding) me good opponent(s),” he told Cageside Press.

“Before Nurullo (Aliev) is out of this fight five people (turned the fight down). Of course it’s short notice, but also this is Madison Square Garden. Everybody wants to fight (here). Maybe I’m too tough for opponent. I’m not sure.”

Fighting at MSG is on many a bucket list in combat sports, and for Rebecki it was the realization of a dream.

“I know this arena before. It is most famous (in) the world and everybody who knows this arena they want (to) fight here,” said Rebecki.

“This was my biggest dream and I like to fight for many people.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Mateusz Rebecki above.

The post Mateusz Rebecki Hopes For Top 15 Fight Next appeared first on Cageside Press.

Roberts had appeared on the newest season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ where he learned under Michael Chandler on the way to a split decision loss in the semi-final. That fight, his two-fight winning streak outside the UFC, and his eight-second knockout in his first TUF fight were enough to get him another shot with the promotion when they needed someone to replace Nurillo Aliev on short notice for this fight. However his opponent was a man who entered on the draft of a fifteen-fight, nine-year winning streak, Mateusz Rebecki. As a result, the oddsmakers had the Pole as an eight-to-one favorite coming into the bout.

Mateusz Rebecki came out with his foot on the gas, pressing forward and throwing massive punches. When Roberts’ hands came up to defend, Mateusz shot for a double leg and landed it easily, settling in full guard.  Roosevelt was not easy to hold down, as he worked to sweep and then stood up from a tough position, but when he got to his feet Rębecki grabbed a back body-lock and used his strength to drag Roberts down.

Mateusz immediately got both hooks in and established back control. Roberts kept his hands up by his head to defend and then suddenly spun to get on top, but Rębecki activated his trap and went for an armbar. Roberts stacked him but the submission was locked in and Roosevelt was forced to tap, after which he held his arm in pain.

Mateusz Rebecki continued his rise with his third straight UFC win, and his first by submission. He can expect a relatively big fight in the stacked lightweight division to come next as he asked for after the fight. He does have to move fast to have a chance at a belt at thirty-one years old. Still, he clearly has potential to make waves at 155-lbs.

In his post-fight interview Rebecki called for Dana White to make a UFC event in Poland, which is not a ridiculous proposition with all the Polish and European fighters in the UFC.

Official Result: Mateusz Rebecki def. Roosevelt Roberts by Submission (armbar) Round 1, 3:08

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We’re recapping each and every episode of The Ultimate Fighter 31 this season; if you’re wary of spoilers, turn back now.

The team situation comes to a head at the start of episode nine. No one wants to switch to Team McGregor, save for Brad Katona, who trains at SBG Ireland alongside Conor McGregor. Problem is, McGregor’s team went 1-7 in the quarterfinals. Since neither Roosevelt Roberts nor Austin Hubbard wants to switch teams, however, UFC President Dana White is allowing them to stick with Michael Chandler.

Now, Chandler has to figure out the cornering situation. His solution? “We’re going to stay out of this as much as possible.” Chandler and his coaches will make sure the fighter has water, and someone will walk out with them. Outside of that, it’s going to be “may the best man win.”

McGregor and his crew show up at the TUF house and cook up an Irish stew with the fighter’s own brew, Forged Irish Stout. This is basically an ad spot for McGregor’s beer, but it goes over well enough.

The semifinalists get a video call with family this week, after being essentially isolated through the first part of the show. Then it’s on to weigh-ins, and you’d better believe Conor McGregor isn’t there, since he doesn’t coach either fighter in action for this episode. Roberts has to weigh in with a barrier — and is heavy. The athletic commission gives him another hour to make weight.

That’s our first complication at the scale this season. Michael Chandler tells Roberts to cut his hair, given he’s carrying around a whole lot of it, heavy dreads. The haircut does it — Roberts comes in at 156 on the nose. No additional weight cut required.

The first lightweight semifinal on TUF 31 turned out to be a different sort of fight given the absence of active corners. If you thought normal UFC Apex shows were quiet, this is like fighting in dead silence. The only person doing any sort of coaching, in fact, is Conor McGregor, who is cageside for the bout. “Let your back hand go,” he calls out at one point, despite not being the coach for either fighter.

There’s not a lot of action through the first half of the opening round of Roosevelt Roberts vs. Austin Hubbard, and that may be in part due to the fighters adjusting to the environment. Later in the round, Hubbard finds some success with his leg kicks. Roberts fires a jump knee as Hubbard comes in with about a minute remaining, but just after, Hubbard lands low, and Roberts immediately reacts. The ref gives Roberts five minutes to recover; he takes about five seconds. Back underway, the pair trade kicks and get into a couple of quick exchanges, before Roberts lands a solid kick to the body. Hubbard holds center, Roberts chops at his lead leg, and that pretty much takes us to round two.

It took a while for the first semifinal to get going. McGregor notes that it’s close coming out of the opening round. “It’s not a spar lads, it’s a fight” he calls out before round two kicks off. In the opening seconds of the frame, Hubbard lands a low kick. Roberts gets warned for his fingers being outstretched — as he had been in the first round, and between rounds as well. Hopefully not a harbinger of things to come. Hubbard then ducks under and lands the first takedown of the fight, but has to defend as Roberts looks for an arm-bar. McGregor, again, becomes the only person actually coaching, telling Roberts to push off Hubbard’s shoulder with his leg.

Roberts actually appears to listen later when McGregor tells him to push away with his feet, as he scrambles out and back up. Hubbard stays on his opponent, walking him down; they come together in a clinch after what may have been the hardest exchange of the fight. The no coaching/dead silence (outside of McGregor occasionally getting involved) continues to be odd, and it starts to feel like one of these fighters would have been better served to have switched teams.

Turns out a round three is required in this one. Roberts manages to reverse along the fence after a clinch; Hubbard turns out to be the fighter going down. It takes a fair bit of work, but Roberts gets the job done and adds in a few right hands at McGregor’s suggestion. Hubbard gets to his knees, but Roberts reclaims top position, with a minute and a half left in the fight. Hubbard goes back to his knees, posts up and gets back in control. But he’s got all of a minute left in a round he’s almost certainly down in. “Keep them busy, ref” hollers McGregor, and Herb Dean immediately implores the pair to work. Hubbard gets a few shots to land, as he did earlier in the round. But will it be enough, or did the takedown seal it for Roberts?

“No one lost, no one won in my opinion,” McGregor says when it’s all over. “There was absolutely no sense of urgency whatsoever,” adds Dana White. The UFC’s production team really had to dig to find round-by-round highlights. “Regardless of who the judges have winning this fight, I was not impressed,” says White. “Whoever wins this, I just hope they look better in the finale.”

On paper, of course, someone won the fight, and it turns out to be Austin Hubbard by split decision. Hubbard, who recently lost his brother, says that he was at his lowest point before the show — and now he’s headed to the finale.

The post The Ultimate Fighter 31: A Haircut, Forged Irish Stout Stew, and a Different Sort of Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.

Paired up against Michael Chandler, the expectation is that the coaches will throw down in late 2023 — though nothing has been officially announced. In the interim, fight fans got a chance to see a bit of McGregor training alongside his TUF 31 team, made up entirely of newcomers pitted opposite Chandler’s team of veterans.

Bantamweights and lightweights are in play this season, which had McGregor saying early in the debut episode, airing Tuesday, that the plan was to “immerse myself, be surrounded by this.” Chandler, meanwhile, referred to his would-be opponent as the “biggest icon in mixed martial arts history.” But the former Bellator champ and UFC title challenger also believes that he’s a tough match-up for the Irish star, who has been on the shelf the past two years.

“I think I’m a scary fight for Conor. I’d probably be the last guy that I’d come back and say ‘yes’ to, but he did.”

The coin toss for the first pick goes to McGregor, who selects the 155lb prospects. It’s a different format this season; coaches aren’t picking fighter by fighter, but by block. McGregor getting the lightweight prospects means Chandler gets the 155lb veterans, and that gives Chandler the next pick — with “Iron” Mike picking the 135lb veterans. That means we’ve got a true vets versus prospects split between the coaches.

Chandler brings in Ryan Bader, Robert Drysdale, as well as his own striking coach to help mentor his cast of vets. He believes that there’s a “humility” in veterans that resonates with him. But among his pupils are SBG Ireland’s Brad Katona, a teammate of McGregor and former Ultimate Fighter winner who went 2-2 in the UFC, and has won four straight under the Brave CF banner since. When it comes to his loyalty, however, Katona says that “in all honesty my allegience lies with Brad Katona.”

McGreogr gets his fighters going in sparring right off the bat, and puts the gloves on himself, taking part and leading by example. It should come as no surprise that McGregor has John Kavanagh and Owen Roddy with him for his second TUF coaching stint.

After the first training session, it’s time for the coaches to pick the first round of fights. The fighters have been ranked by their coaches, something viewers don’t get any insight into, unfortunately, as it happens off camera. Regardless, it’s Roosevelt Roberts from Team Chandler against Nate Jennerman from Team McGregor up first at lightweight.

#3 Roosevelt Roberts vs. #2 Nate Jennerman — lightweight
#2 Trevor Wells vs. #3 Timur Valiev — bantamweight
#3 Aaron McKenzie vs. #2 Austin Hubbard — lightweight
#1 Mando Gutierrez vs. #4 Cody Gibson — bantamweight
#3 Carlos Vera vs. #2 Brad Katona — bantamweight
#1 Lee Hammond vs. #4 Kurt Holobaugh — lightweight
#4 Landon Quinones vs. #1 Jason Knight — lightweight
#4 Rico DiSicullo vs. #1 Hunter Azure — bantamweight

Ahead of the fight, Jennerman says the hardest thing about the show is not having his family with him. Roberts, meanwhile, says he’ll be moving back home after the show and hopes to train with coach Michael Chandler full time.

The first weigh-in for The Ultimate Fighter 31 saw both Roberts and Jennerman make weight, with the only aspect of note being McGregor’s absence — immediately commented on by Chandler. That wasn’t a concern once the fight rolled around, with McGregor there encouraging Jennerman to get his right hand going early.

He did not. Roosevelt Roberts dropped Jennerman with a right hand almost immediately off the opening bell, with a few follow-up strikes sealing the deal. About as stunning and anti-climatic as could be, and a total triumph for Roberts.

“One of the fastest knockouts in TUF history,” UFC President Dana White noted. McGregor and his team, meanwhile, rallied around a visibly upset Jennerman.

Well vs. Valiev goes down next week at bantamweight.

The post First Round Match-Ups Revealed as The Ultimate Fighter 31: Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler Debuts appeared first on Cageside Press.

LXF is back for its third and final show of 2021 this Friday, December 10. LXF 7 is headlined by former UFC fighter Roosevelt Roberts (10-3-1), and he is taking on Darren Smith Jr. (20-11). The fight has some history behind it. The pair were supposed to fight back in 2018 in the California Xtreme Fighting finals; however, Roberts got a call from Bellator and then Dana White’s Contender Series.

Roberts would go on and fight in the UFC eight times, going 4-3-1 from 2018 to 2021. He was released earlier this year.

This time around, Roberts vs. Smith will be for the vacant welterweight title. Ahead of the event, LXF co-owner and NFL legend Shawne Merriman gave his thoughts on the match-up.

“You know, it’s funny, I wasn’t around when they were supposed to fight, back when it was California Xtreme Fighting. I got wind of the fight when it was being made, and then I learned about the reasons they didn’t fight and how much pent-up energy there was back then. I was like, yeah, we have to do this one and both of the guys jumped on board. They both have great followings; they sold a lot of tickets. It’s going to be a banger. I really can’t wait for that one,” Merriman told Cageside Press in an exclusive interview.

Merriman said it was very important for LXF to scoop up Roberts once he was released from the UFC. He understands that “The Predator” wants to return to the UFC, and he is more than happy to give him the LXF platform to fight on.

In the co-main event of the evening, Bellator and LFA veteran Ryan Lilley (10-7) fights Tim Riscen (7-3) in a bantamweight match-up.

Both fighters say that it will be the fight of the night, and Merriman agrees.

“I agree with that. I worked out with Ryan and Bas Rutten about a year or two ago. You get around these guys who just love to bang, right? Obviously, there is strategy and things they are going to work on, but when it comes to just wanting to throw and get after it, he is one of those guys. I think the co-main event is going to be the best fight of the night,” Merriman said.

The rest of the card has a bunch of LXF familiar faces and will feature several amateur fights.

Looking forward to next year, Merriman says he is planning to have an LXF event every single month and will keep building the brand.

Watch the rest of our interview with Shawne Merriman above. The event takes place Friday, December 10, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California, and can be seen on fubosportsnetwork.com for free.

The LXF 7 card current looks like this, and the order is TBD.

• Roosevelt Roberts vs. Darren Smith Jr. – for the vacant welterweight championship
• Tim Riscen vs. Ryan Lilley
• Artur Arutyunyan vs. Carlos Morales
• Gilbert Nakatani vs. Mike Hansen
• Arnold Jimenez vs. William Elliot
• Maksim Manukyan vs. Alfredo Borrego
• A.J. Bryant vs. Georgiy Eyvas
• Niko Ruiz vs. Bryant Shell
• JJ Buckner vs. Adryen Spinks – amateur
• Edward Chan vs. Daniel Sanchez – amateur
• Jarred Fiorda vs. Angel Becerra – amateur
• Gevorg Matevosyan vs. Oswaldo Martinez – amateur
• Edrin Adjamian vs. Weston Quiroz – amateur

The post Shawne Merriman Previews Roosevelt Roberts’ First Fight Post-UFC At LXF 7 appeared first on Cageside Press.

MMA Fighting was the first to report the news that the promotion has released Roosevelt Roberts, Anderson dos Santos, Drako Rodriguez, and Jamey Simmons.

Roberts (10-3-1) was most recently on the receiving end of one of the best knockouts of 2021 when Ignacio Bahamondes stopped him. That was his third loss in a row after going 4-1 to start his UFC career.

Roosevelt Roberts issued a statement on his official Instagram regarding his release.

“I can’t lie…… shit been crazy. But I’mma get myself outta this like I have done every other fucked up situation I put myself in. I will be back,” Roberts wrote.

Dos Santos (21-9) picked up his only UFC win last year in 2020 when he submitted Martin Day. The Brazilian went 1-3 in the promotion and was most recently knocked out by Miles Johns at UFC 265.

Rodriguez (7-3) won his UFC contract on season four of Dana White’s Contender Series by knocking out Mana Martinez; however, he went 0-2 in the UFC. At UFC 265, he lost a unanimous decision to Vince Morales and was knocked out in his UFC debut.

Simmons (7-4) also went winless in the UFC, going 0-2. In his UFC debut, he was finished by Giga Chikadze, and then most recently, at UFC 265, he was submitted by Johnny Munoz Jr.

Already on this year’s Contender Series, UFC President Dana White has awarded 15 contracts, through just three episodes. Meaning the “fall cleaning” could continue, as roster spots will need to be freed up.

The post Roosevelt Roberts Released From The UFC Along with Three Others appeared first on Cageside Press.

Were it not for a loss to Kevin Croom being overturned due to a drug test failure for marijuana, Roberts would be 0-2 in his last two outings. Still, a win was of the utmost importance for “The Predator,” whose opponent Bahamondes was a fellow Contender Series alum looking for his first UFC win.

The Chilean prospect had been given a tough out in his debut, stepping up against John Makdessi. He looked good in that fight; Saturday, he looked great.

Both fighters took the center of the octagon after a touch of gloves. After a couple of punches, both exchanged leg kicks. Roberts shot in and put Bahamondes against the fence. Bahamondes escaped. The Chilean landed a nice right hand and ate a jab in return. Bahamondes landed a leg kick that dropped Roberts. Roberts landed a 1-2 that backed Bahamondes up. Bahamondes missed a hook and ate another jab. Bahamondes attempted a spinning back fist but missed.

The referee halted the action from an eye poke, but it was actually a punch.

With just over two minutes left in the round, both fighters exchanged combinations. Roberts shot in for a takedown and put his opponent against the fence for 25 seconds or so. Bahamondes got off the fence and started walking down Roberts. Bahamondes landed a nasty combo-hook, straight right, body kick. With 30 seconds left, Roberts clinched with Bahamondes again.

The second round started with a Bahamondes leg kick. Bahamondes landed a combo that hurt Roberts. One minute into the round and Bahamondes teed off on Bahamondes. Both fighters exchanged leg kicks. Roberts’ jab was landing. A spinning body kick from Bahamondes landed; Bahmondes would execute several flashy spinning attacks throughout the fight.

Bahamondes landed several leg kicks throughout the three minutes remaining in the frame. Roberts shot for a takedown with about 90 seconds left and put Bahamondes against the fence. Bahamondes escaped; the round ended with Roberts eating a punch.

Another glove touch kicked off round three. A body kick by Roberts landed. Bahamondes landed a body shot that dropped Roberts. Roberts kept falling to his back, seemingly overwhelmed on the feet, but Bahamondes motioned for him to get up. Bahamondes landed a liver shot, and Roberts landed an uppercut. Bahamondes kept going to the body, which made Roberts cover up. Less than two minutes left, and Roberts dropped to his back again. 45 seconds left, and Roberts got a last-second wind. He turned up his output on the feet, but Bahamondes caught Roberts in a guillotine. After releasing it and firing an elbow, Bahamondes then then landed a stunning spinning wheel kick and put Roberts out.

OH MY GOODNESS!

[ #UFCVegas34 | Prelims are LIVE on ESPN2 & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/eb31qfJ4bq

— UFC (@ufc) August 22, 2021

What a fight — and what a finish! As first UFC wins go, it’s one of the best in recent memory.

Official Result: Ignacio Bahamondes def. Roosevelt Roberts by knockout (spinning heel kick) Round 3, 4:55

The post UFC Vegas 34 Results: Ignacio Bahamondes Stuns Roosevelt Roberts With Show-Stopper KO appeared first on Cageside Press.

ESPN Deportes first reported the news that Roosevelt Roberts vs. Ignacio Bahamondes was set for August 21 at UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Gastelum. Both fighters would confirm the fight on Instagram.

After stringing together two wins, Roberts (10-2-1) has dropped two straight. A month after submitting Brok Weaver, he would be submitted by Jim Miller in the first round at UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Volkov. In his third fight of 2020, “The Predator” would again get submitted in the first round, but this time in 31 seconds to a debuting Kevin Croom. Roberts might be fighting for his job come August.

Ignacio Bahamondes (11-4) had his two-fight win streak snapped in his UFC debut. He was in a three war with John Makdessi but ultimately lost a unanimous decision. “La Jaula” won a UFC contract on season four of Dana White’s Contender Series by knocking out Edson Gomez.

UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Gastelum will take place at UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will be broadcast on ESPN.

So far, the August 21 fight card looks like this:

• Kelvin Gastelum vs. Jared Cannonier
• Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval
• Clay Guida vs. Mark O. Madsen
• Luis Saldana vs. Austin Lingo
• Fabio Cherant vs. William Knight
• Austin Hubbard vs. Vic Pichel
• Chase Sherman vs. Parker Porter
• Brian Kelleher vs. Domingo Pilarte
• Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Sasha Palatnikov
• Bea Malecki vs. Josiane Nunes
• Mana Martinez vs. Jesse Strader
• Roosevelt Roberts vs. Ignacio Bahamondes

The post Roosevelt Roberts vs. Ignacio Bahamondes Set For August 21 UFC Event appeared first on Cageside Press.

Roosevelt Roberts found himself a new opponent just a day before UFC Vegas 10 when Kevin Croom stepped up to replace Matt Frevola, who pulled out due to an injury. Roberts had been on a solid run since joining the UFC through the Contender Series in 2018. He was 4-2 with a pair of submission wins but was coming off a loss to future Hall of Famer Jim Miller.

Croom has been around the block on the regional scene, fighting for Titan FC, LFA, CES, and Fight Nights Global, making it as high as Bellator before signing with the UFC. He was coming off a three-fight win streak including a win over “Crazy Horse” Charles Bennett.

Kevin Croom opened up fast, looking for a hard left hook that just missed. He then connected with that same left hook only moments later, dropping Roosevelt Roberts hard and quickly swarming for the finish. He quickly grabbed the guillotine and started cranking on it for the submission, Roberts tried his best to scramble but that was it! What a moment, and what a submission for Croom.

UPSET CITY 🗣

@KevinCroom_MMA, welcome to the Octagon!

[ #UFCVegas10 – LIVE now on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/mPG9x6PL6e

— UFC (@ufc) September 12, 2020

Kevin Croom has long been a journeyman in MMA, having fought in seemingly every single promotion waiting for that opportunity to come to fight in the UFC. He got that chance on short-notice, and he knocked it out of the park. Absolutely amazing moment for the biggest underdog on the card. It was the quickest finish in a debut in UFC lightweight history.

Kevin Croom def. Roosevelt Roberts by Submission (Guillotine Choke) in Round 1 (0:31)

The post UFC Vegas 10 Results: Kevin Croom Stuns Roosevelt Roberts appeared first on Cageside Press.