Wichita, Kansas — It’s time! That trademark Bruce Buffer phrase might easily be applied to Anthony Rocco Martin these days. On Saturday night at UFC Wichita, Martin simply dominated Sergio Moraes, picking him apart with devastating calf kicks, on route to a one-sided unanimous decision. 30-27s on all three scorecards underscored the fact that Moraes never really came close in the fight.

Now, Martin is running with a full head of steam at welterweight. And aside from a dad-level joke about not being in Brazil anymore, Toto (get it? Kansas? Toto? And Moraes is from Brazil?), the night was pretty much perfect. Leading Martin to believe that now is his time.

“It feels good, 4-0 at welterweight,” Martin told reporters including Cageside Press backstage at the Intrust Bank Arena following the fight. “Obviously I’m looking for the finish, always. I think that, I was just picking him apart so well I was just like ‘hey, it’s working, I’m just gonna stick to this.'”

“That’s how my game plan is in every fight,” he pointed out. “I’m going to keep it on the feet, if I feel like I’m losing on the feet, I’m gonna take it to the ground. Ideally I’m just going to stay on the feet the whole time.”

That didn’t quite happen at UFC Wichita on Saturday, if only because opponent Moraes “got that early cheap takedown.” But while Martin “wasn’t very happy with that,” it worked out in the end. “I came up, he latched onto that guillotine, I feel like I’m almost impossible to guillotine.” When Moraes couldn’t complete the submission attempt, he tried to just hold on to the head, and the ref stood the pair up.

“That early in the fight, there’s always a little bit of concern,” Martin admitted. “You don’t want to take any unnecessary chances, especially when we’re very dry. But I’m very confident in my grappling game. I started with Brock Larson seven, eight years ago now. I’m very highly confident in that department, I think I can grapple with anyone in the world.”

The highlight in the fight, however, was the consistent leg attack by Anthony Rocco Martin. “If they start compensating for my leg kicks, then my right hand starts landing… If they start missing that right hand, then I know the low kicks are there,” he said of his approach. “It’s kind of one of those things where, he was defending my right hand very well, so I started throwing those calf kicks that me and Mike Brown work every single day, and Thiago Alves.”

It’s an approach he expects others to mimic. “Eventually, I imagine that everyone’s going to start throwing them.”

Overall, Martin gave his performance a solid grade. “B+, A- minus or something,” he suggested, noting that he “stuck to the game plan.”

In fact the only negative in the fight was the bad joke afterward. “They didn’t get it. I don’t know what happened,” he exclaimed.

“First I messed up Toto about fifteen times when we were practicing it,” Martin confessed. Yes folks, that joke was practiced. “I keep saying ‘Tito,’ they’re like ‘where’s Tito, who’s Tito?’ I’m asking Mike about three times before I get on this mic like ‘Toto? Tito? Toto?’ and he’s like ‘Toto, Toto, Toto!'”

“I thought it would be a hit here for sure, but no one got it,” he added. “I thought I nailed that one, but aww jeez. It didn’t work.”

Not at all. The good news is, Martin is not paid for his stand-up comedy efforts, but for his fighting. And that has been very, very good through these past four rights at welterweight. As he suggested in the cage post-fight, it looks like Minneapolis is up next. That goes down June 29 in the Minnesota city, where Martin started his fighting career.

“I think that they have to give me someone in the top fifteen,” he said of a possible opponent. “And I need to be on that ESPN card to get as much viewership as possible. I think that now is my time. I really need to make a push. I just need an opportunity, and the opportunity has to be someone that’s ranked, and give me a high spot on that ESPN card.”

As for the upcoming Chicago card (Martin grew up in the area), that’s just a little too close to girlfriend Kayla Harrison’s next fight. “She might try to kill me if I do that,” Martin joked.

The post UFC Wichita: Wizard of Oz Jokes Aside, Anthony Rocco Martin Feels It’s His Time appeared first on Cageside Press.

The UFC rolled into Wichita, Kansas for the first time on Saturday, bringing with it former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos. Topping the UFC Wichita card in the main event, ‘Cigano’ was set to face Derrick Lewis, the most recent challenger to Daniel Cormier’s heavyweight crown.

Earlier in the night, however, a number of entertaining — and in some cases key — fights went down. Among those, Maurice Greene was facing an old foe in UFC newcomer Jeff Hughes. Hughes happened to be the last man to defeat Greene, a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter 28, outside the UFC. Also of note on the preliminary card, Marion Reneau vs. Yana Kunitskaya. Kunitskaya, a former Invicta FC bantamweight champion, had entered the UFC in a title shot against then-featherweight champ Cris Cyborg. After falling to Cyborg, she moved to bantamweight, picking up a win over Lina Lansberg in her return to 135lbs.

An impressive win in Wichita could very well boost ‘Foxy’ into title contention in a thin women’s 135lb division.

Alex White vs. Dan Moret

Dan Moret has his opponent pressed up against the fence early in the card’s opening bout, a lightweight clash between himself and Alex White. That early drive in then stalled, as the pair wound up tied up against the cage for a time. On a break, they exchanged blows, and Moret then changed levels and pursued a takedown again. Another break moments later, and Moret managed to land upstairs before finally landing a takedown.

The grappling continued in round two, with a number of reversals along the cage. White, who had suffered a nasty cut towards the end of the first round, was bleeding profusely by the midway point of the second. When the pair finally broke it was Moret on the attack, White backpedaling. And again, Moret would drive his opponent into the cage. Off the break, both men were landing, but Moret was getting the better of most exchanges. Then in the final minute of round two, the pair began trading bombs, with Moret taking some damage of this own.

Round three saw Moret shooting wild for a single leg, and putting the fight against the fence once more. After taking some damage at the end of the second that was no doubt the smart approach. White, however, managed to get Moret down briefly after reversing; back on the feet, he relied on a whizzer to fend off another takedown attempt. White would get the fight to the ground again later in the round; they’d trade at the very end, and head to the judges, who saw it in favor of White. His success late in the second turned things around, and he clearly took the third.

📞booth fighting in the final seconds!

Who took it on your scorecard? #UFCWichita pic.twitter.com/ZWirw07zSr

— UFC (@ufc) March 9, 2019

Alex White def. Dan Moret by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Alex Morono vs. Zak Ottow

Morono opened the card’s first welterweight bout working his jab. Ottow answered back, and the pair traded strikes, though neither man was putting together much in the way of combinations early. Ottow attacked the body with a kick. Ottow would then shoot for a takedown only to be caught in a guillotine. It looked tight, but Ottow broke free only for Morono to move to mount and begin unloading bombs. Ottow covered up, turned over, but Morono stayed right there, landing more ground n’ pound including nasty elbows until the ref waved it off!

The GREAT WHITE!

@AlexMoronoMMA transitions from guillotine, to full mount to the back and finishes with some vicious GnP! #UFCWichita pic.twitter.com/jpWHI6H7qo

— UFC (@ufc) March 9, 2019

Alex Morono def. Zak Ottow by verbal submission (strikes), Round 1, 3:34

Louis Smolka vs. Matt Schnell

In bantamweight action, former flyweight Louis Smolka looked to build on a successful return to the promotion last November when he took on Matt Schnell. Schnell was on the attack early, firing a left after the pair exchanged kicks. Schnell was able to back Smolka up and land a right; shortly thereafter the pair would exchange in close. Following that, Schnell manage to take Smolka down, then locked in a guillotine, trapping Smolka, who managed to hang in there until Schnell transitioned to a triangle. After a brief flirtation with an arm-bar as Smolka looked to break free, Schnell managed to re-establish the triangle and force the tap!

Matt Schnell def. Louis Smolka by submission (triangle), Round 1, 3:18

Maurice Greene vs. Jeff Hughes

TUF 28 alum Maurice Greene took on the last man to beat him, Jeff Hughes, on the UFC Wichita preliminary card Saturday. Greene worked in some leg kicks early, which Hughes answered. Greene, however, had the clear reach advantage. He was controlling the pace, and was the more aggressive fighter early. Greene would back Hughes up against the cage, unloading, but the newcomer was able to cover up and escape. Greene would back his opponent up again, however, landing some standing elbows. In the final minute, Hughes pressed forward, setting up a takedown attempt with strikes, but Greene stuffed it. Hughes, however, would connect a couple of times upstairs before the bell.

Hughes worked his jab early in the second, forcing Greene to back off. Less than a minute in, he’d land a combination. Greene attempted a spinning back kick, but there wasn’t much on it. A heavy body shot by Hughes then sent Greene back to the fence; Hughes followed him, looking for a takedown, but probably should have forced Greene to continue defending on teh feet. Greene then connected with a jab, wobbling Jeff Hughes! Hughes survived, and fired back. Greene would begin pressing the action again, but was caught at least twice coming in. Hughes was loading up on his punches in the final minute, Greene would go back to his spinning kick, and they’d head to a third.

Round three saw Greene working kicks, landing to the body. Hughes would find success with his hands, but a leg kick by Greene took his opponent’s legs out from under him. After that, however, Hughes was able to control the octagon, cutting off the corners. Hughes attempted a spinning back fist with little more than a minute remaining, then landed a left hand and a body kick in the final minute. However, on the scorecards, Hughes came out on the wrong end. Greene took home a split decision.

Maurice Greene def. Dan Moret by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Grant Dawson vs. Julian Erosa

An early triangle attempt got things started between featherweights Grant Dawson and Julian Erosa. Back on the feet, Dawson latched on to Erosa by the cage and simply refused to let go. He’d eventually drag his opponent down and show some slick transitions. Dawson was in control during the first round between the pair, even hoisting Erosa up and slamming him down mid-round.

Round two saw more great ground work and takedowns from Grant Dawson. Erosa proved able to escape to his feet, however. Dawson would mix in kicks, while Erosa would find an opening and fire back. At the end of the round, the floodgates would open, and the pair would begin trading back and forth, with Erosa being dropped following a spinning back attempt. However, he battled back and hurt Dawson, setting up a promising third frame.

Erosa would again look for a triangle early in round three after the fight went to the ground. Dawson, however, was able to take his opponent’s back. There, he slowly worked to flatten Erosa out. Erosa rolled, surviving a choke to move Dawson back into guard. Dawson, however, took the back once more at the midway mark. From there, Dawson would dominate the remainder of the round, earning the decision on the scorecards.

Grant Dawson def. Julian Erosa by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-27)

Marion Reneau vs. Yana Kunitskaya

With a noticeable height advantage, Yana Kunitskaya was able to bully Marion Reneau to the ground early in the opening round of their bantamweight bout. As Reneau regained her feet, Kunitskaya let go with her hands. In the clinch, she added knees and elbows; Reneau fired off a punch on the break, but wasn’t able to find many openings for her offense. She would land a right hand later in the round, a caught a kick in the dying seconds, dumping Kunitskaya on her back.

The second saw Kunitskaya open with her jab, but Reneau answered back with a combination. Reneau was looking for a way in on the taller fighter, as Kunitskaya used her kicks to keep her opponent at bay. Much of the round was spent in this fashion, but when she did get her boxing going (and inside on Kunitskaya), Reneau was able to find some success. Still, she was bloodied by the end of the round, a clear sign of that reach advantage.

Kunitskaya continued to work her kicks, attacking Reneau’s legs early in round three. Her jab was active as well, but Reneau was able to answer back with a couple of two-punch combos. That allowed her to back Kunitskaya up, even if briefly. Both women were bloodied, and Reneau was finding much more success in the third, slowing pulling ahead via head strikes. Making matters worse, Kuniskaya’s nose appeared broken. The Russian’s lower face was a mask of blood. She held on to the end, and thanks to capturing the first two rounds, claimed a unanimous decision win — to the dissatisfaction of the crowd.

Yana Kunitskaya def. Marion Reneau by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Anthony Rocco Martin vs. Sérgio Moraes

Martin vs. Moraes went to the ground within the first minute, and after some early danger, Anthony Rocco Martin was able to get on top. Moraes had a guillotine grip without any real threat behind it. Martin landed a couple punches to the body, but Moraes threw an arm up to underline the overall lack of activity. That led to a ref stand-up. Martin targeted the lower leg; Moraes fired back with a body kick. They’d battle it out to the bell.

In the second, Martin was firing his leg kick once again. Moraes wasn’t checking the attack, and instead found himself on his heels, moving backwards as Martin attacked. Just to mix things up, Martin then landed a kick on the upper thigh. A jump knee led to a low blow by Moraes, but Martin did not want to take any time to recover. Moraes was clearly become tired, and frustrated after eating such a heavy volume of leg kicks. Heading into the third, it was Martin in the driver’s seat.

More kicks from Martin in the third, while Moraes tried to anticipate and check the kicks before they even came. He’d slowed on the feet, whether from cardio or damage or both. Martin simply wasn’t standing in place long enough to be hit. When they did come together, Martin tied up Moraes against the cage. Moraes would reverse and look for a takedown, but couldn’t complete it. In the final minute, he would land a takedown at long last, but it was too little, too late.

Anthony Rocco Martin def. Sérgio Moraes by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

UFC Wichita Preliminary Card Results and Recap

Anthony Rocco Martin def. Sérgio Moraes by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Yana Kunitskaya def. Marion Reneau by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Grant Dawson def. Julian Erosa by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-27)
Maurice Greene def. Dan Moret by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Matt Schnell def. Louis Smolka by submission (triangle), Round 1, 3:18
Alex Morono def. Zak Ottow by verbal submission (strikes), Round 1, 3:34
Alex White def. Dan Moret by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC Wichita Preliminary Card Results and Recap appeared first on Cageside Press.

UFC fight night 142 wend down Saturday night from Adelaide, Australia. There, fans were treated to a main card duel featuring welterweight action between Jake Matthews and Tony Martin. Both men entered the night riding win streaks, and both men finished their previous fights, with Matthews submitting Shinsho Anzai at UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards and Martin winning by KO over Ryan LaFlare at UFC 229.

Martin, meanwhile, had announced he wanted to be known as Tony Rocco Martin moving forward. Or just Rocco Martin.

Both men started with feeling each other out. Matthews fired off a right that hit the mark to start the action. Martin kept moving forward until Matthews rushed in with a combination. Martin went right back to stalking Matthews around the cage. Rocco Martin then attacked with a hard leg kick and Matthews responded with his own. Martin just missed on a head kick and Matthews responded with a straight to the body. Mathews threw another straight to the body and Martin went back to the leg kick. Matthews stepped up with left right combination and the two exchanged. Matthews went for this combination a few times until he staggered Martin with a short right that sent them to the canvas. Matthews ended up on the bottom looking for the guillotine choke but Martin survived and was now on top. Matthews reversed and worked from top but with only ten seconds left he didn’t have much he could to do as the round came to a close.

Martin started off the second round moving forward and throwing the jab. Matthews circled away and looked for his shot until he rushed forward with a right. Martin fired back but Matthews fired off another right and followed it up with a flying knee attempt that missed. Martin continued to move forward with the jab and occasional high kick and Matthews kept looking for the over head right counter. Martin started to find the mark with his jab and started to mix in the low kicks. Matthews landed a right but Martin kept moving forward. Matthews rushed in and the two exchanged with Martin looking for the uppercut and Matthews landing a knee just before the end of the round.

Martin looked to press the action from the start of the third, and the two exchanged leg kicks. Matthews rushed in for a combination that missed the mark and the two exchanged low kicks until Matthews shot in for the take down. Martin defended and spun to take his back and lock in the anaconda choke! Matthews was quickly out and the ref stopped the action.

After the bout, Martin called for the UFC to create a 165lb division, noting both he and Matthews had moved up to fight bigger men at welterweight.

Tony Martin def. Jake Matthews by technical submission (anaconda choke), Round 3, 1:19

The post UFC Adelaide Results: Tony Martin Chokes Out Jake Matthews appeared first on Cageside Press.

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.

UFC 229 is getting bigger by the minute. Not that anything is going to top the main event of Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. Still, on Thursday the UFC announced the addition of five bouts to the event, including a previously announced pairing of Ryan LaFlare vs. Tony Martin (LaFlare spilled the beans on that one yesterday). In addition to that, Michelle Waterson vs. Felice Herrig, Jussier Formiga vs. Sergio Pettis, Dominick Reyes vs. Ovince St. Preux, and Lina Lansberg vs. Yana Kunitskaya have all been added to the card.

Where to begin. It’s easy to forget that Ovince St. Preux was fighting for interim light heavyweight gold against Jon Jones not too long ago. OSP put on a valiant effort against Jones, but lost the war, and his next two fights. Since then, however, St. Preux (23–11) has gone 3-1, including back-to-back Von Flue choke wins last year, and most recently, a straight arm-bar submission of Tyson Pedro.

A tough test for anyone at 205lbs, he’s set to welcome Dominick Reyes (9-0) to the upper echelon of the division. Reyes is three for three in the UFC so far, and is coming off a TKO of Jared Cannonier.

On the women’s side, at strawweight, arguably the most significant addition to the card is Michelle Waterson vs. Felice Herrig. A promotional darling, Waterson (15-6) has struggled, going just 3-2 in her UFC tenure to date. The former Invicta FC atomweight champ most recently earned a split decision win over Cortney Casey in April.

Felice Herrig, meanwhile, battled her way to four straight wins until losing a close split decision to Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 223. She’ll look to take the momentum back here.

Yana Kunitskaya (10–4 (1)) is a former Invicta FC bantamweight champ who was fed to granted a featherweight title fight against Cris Cyborg in her UFC debut earlier this year. She’ll take on another former Cyborg opponent, Lina Lansberg (8–3). Lansberg is coming off a win over Gina Mazany.

Flyweight action could put one of Sergio Pettis (17-3) and Jussier Formiga (21-5) in the title picture. Pettis is coming off a split decision win over one of the division’s best fighters in Joseph Benavidez. Formiga, meanwhile, has won two straight against Ben Nguyen and Ulka Sasaki.

And finally, Ryan LaFlare (14-2) will look to build on his UFC Atlantic City win over Alex Garcia when he takes on Tony Martin (13-4), who won his UFC welterweight debut last time out against Keita Nakamura.

UFC 229 takes place October 6 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

The post UFC 229 Sees Multiple Bouts including Herrig vs. Waterson, Pettis vs. Formiga Added appeared first on Cageside Press.

Tony Martin comes into UFC Atlantic City looking to get back in the win column after his three-fight win streak came to an end against Canadian stud Olivier Aubin-Mercier. Martin has had some excellent performances in the Octagon, but has a tendency to lose against a certain level of competition, coming up short against Rashid Magomedov, Beneil Dariush, and Leandro Santos.

Keita Nakamura is a very tough welterweight who excels on the mat. Nakamura is 3-2 in the UFC in his latest stint with submission wins over Kyle Noke and Li Jingliang, and most recently took home a split decision against Alex Morono. Nakamura has a wealth of MMA experience, owning a 30-6-2 record before stepping foot in the Octagon for the first time.

Both fighters went for head kicks that were avoided to start the fight. Keita Nakamura landed a pair of left straights then went to the body. Martin fired back with a head kick and a combination that landed.

Nakamura was staggered by a follow-up punch from Martin, but got his wits about him quickly. Martin’s jab was on the money in the early goings. A one-one-two combination rocked Nakamura, but the Japanese fighter landed a takedown to stop the momentum of Martin. Martin held him in a headlock until time expired.

Martin continued to establish his range early on, landing a consistent jab and an infrequent leg kick. The one-two of Martin was money in the second round. Nakamura continued to eat straight punches from Martin while attempting to lead the exchanges.

Nakamura was cracked by a right straight and Martin pursued with head kicks, but Nakamura was able to take Martin down again to end the round.

Nakamura took Martin down early in the third, but Martin countered with a kimura effort and nearly swept Nakamura. Nakamura was able to keep top position and Martin stood up instead.

The right hand of Martin was landing at a great clip, and Nakamura continued to eat counters. Nakamura got his late takedown, but Martin swept him with the kimura and attempted to finish as time expired.

Tony Martin’s welterweight debut was as flawless as it gets, as he took home a decisive victory over the longtime veteran Nakamura.

Tony Martin def. Keita Nakamura by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

The post UFC Atlantic City Results: Tony Martin Cruises in Welterweight Debut appeared first on Cageside Press.

Longtime UFC lightweight Tony Martin has decided it’s time to move up a weight class and compete at a more natural size of 170-pounds. He’ll be taking on Keita Nakamura at UFC Atlantic City in late April.

Despite having a winning record (4-3) in the premier mixed martial arts promotion on the planet, Martin has decided the baggage and stress that comes with massive and sudden weight loss is no longer worth it. The seemingly instantaneous success that Rafael dos Anjos has had in the welterweight division has led more and more fighters to test the waters at a more natural weight.

Cageside Press spoke with Martin regarding the move up in weight, his decision to start training at ATT, and more.

For some fighters the fight is the easy part, the weight cut is the real fight. For others like Martin, it’s the way your body response post-cut. “My body was going through chaos,” said Martin regarding his cuts to 155-pounds.

“It’s rough. If I’m walking around at ’95 (195-pounds) that’s 40 pounds right there that I have to cut, I can do it if I give my body like six months to come back to normal, but my body would just balloon up, I’d get up to 205 pounds.”

The last time we saw Martin, he was on the wrong end of a close split decision loss to Olivier Aubin-Mercier. With the loss provoking a move to welterweight, one has to assume weight was a factor in the loss.

“I took that fight five weeks out. I liked the matchup, but I was 195 pounds, so I needed to cut 40 pounds. It was absolutely brutal and I still have nightmares about that.”

The weight class isn’t the only significant change in Martin’s fight regimen, he has taken his talents to South Beach.

“I moved down to ATT now,” said Martin. “Every day I’m down here with the best guys, the best fighters in the world. If I’m being honest, I needed to work on my wrestling, my chain wrestling, and I’ve already wrestled more here than I have the last three and a half years.”

American Top Team has opened their doors to several athletes and the gurus there have helped take nearly all of them to the next level. But the organization has to be on board with all these changes to make them a reality.

“It’s funny,” says Martin as he snickers. “As soon as we notified the UFC that I was going to 170, [the UFC] came back and offered me Jim Miller at 155. Dude’s a legend. He’s got 20-something fights in the UFC. I almost took the fight on principle.”

Instead we get Tony Martin vs. Keita Nakamura at UFC Atlantic City on April 21, not a bad consolation. Regardless of where this Chicago-born fighter puts his camps in, he is sure of one thing:

“You will see a better version of me on fight night, I promise.”

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On Tuesday, the UFC announced another addition to the UFC Atlantic City card. Unveiling the bout via it’s official Japanese language website, the promotion revealed that Tony Martin and Keita Nakamura would clash at the event. UFC Atlantic City, otherwise known as UFC Fight Night 128, goes down later this year in April.

For Tony Martin, the fight will be his first since a split decision loss to Olivier-Aubin Mercier at UFC Fight Night 116 in September. Martin (12–4) dropped to 4-4 in his UFC tenure to date with the loss. Prior to the defeat, however, he had been on a three-fight winning streak in the deep 155lb division.

Interestingly, however, he’ll be moving up to welterweight for this particular affair.

Japan’s Keita Nakamura (33–8–2 (1)) will head into UFC Atlantic City off a win over Alex Morono at UFC Japan last September. Overall, the Japanese veteran is 3-2 in his second UFC run. Back in 2006/07, Nakamura appeared twice in the UFC, losing both contests.

UFC Fight Night 128 takes place April 21 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In the main event, lightweights Edson Barboza and Kevin Lee are set to throw down. Also announced for the card, Patrick Cummins will face Corey Anderson at light heavyweight, and longtime veteran Jim Miller meets Dan Hooker at lightweight.

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Earlier in prelim action, heavyweights brought the thunder as Anthony Hamilton met Daniel Spitz, and Ultimate Fighter 17 standout Uriah Hall returned to face off against Krzysztof Jotko.

Check back come fight night for results and a full recap!

Jason Saggo vs. Gilbert Burns

Opening the UFC Pittsburgh card was Canadian lightweight Jason Saggo taking on Brazil’s Gilbert Burns. Burns opened the action with a leg kick; Saggo threw a head kick moments later that was blocked. Burns would land a left hand that slipped through Saggo’s defenses about ninety seconds into the round, marking the most significant strike to that point. Saggo later connected with a right. Low kicks began connecting with low kicks, while Burns looked to shoot around the two and a half minute mark. Saggo displayed solid takedown defense, but Burns threw a knee on the break that almost caught the Canadian. Burns would take the fight to the ground at the end of the round, stacking Saggo against the fence, but Saggo would make it back up and they would end the round swinging.

In the second, Saggo again found success with leg kicks eary in the round. Midway, Burns would try to lure Saggo into his guard, with no success. At the two minute mark, however, Burns would pick Saggo up and slam him to the canvas, a pivotal moment in the round. Burns, however, was unable to do much with the takedown, as Saggo fought his way back up, briefly giving up the back but ultimately breaking free. Back in the middle it was Burns who snapped off some leg kicks while Saggo connected with a body kick. However, moments later, Burns countered Saggo’s jab with a huge right hand that floored the Canadian, and Burns had his first UFC knockout!

Gilbert Burns def. Jason Saggo by knockout, Round 2, 4:55

Krzysztof Jotko vs. Uriah Hall

TUF 17 middleweight standout Uriah Hall faced Poland’s Krzysztof Jotko in the second bout of the UFC Fight Night 116 preliminary card. Hall found himself fighting with his back to the cage early, but stayed on his feet as Jotko pressed him against the fence. However, after regrouping, Jotko again backed Hall up aginst the cage and began unloading on him. Strike after strike landed and Hall was dropped; he made it back to his feet only to eat more shots including some hard uppercuts. The ref was right on top of the action but declined to stop the affair; Jotko then took Hall down, only for Hall to work back up. Jotko next took the back and looked to have a rear naked choke in, but it wasn’t secured, and Hall was able to fight out of it. Back on the feet, Hall was still in danger but managed to clip Jotko near the end of the round.

In the second, Hall was visibly showing both damage and fatigue. The spinning attacks of Hall made an appearance early, but when a pair of spinning back kicks failed early, Jotko again backed Hall up against the cage. Hall wisely escaped, and began head hunting and walking Jotko down. After whiffing on a big uppercut, Hall finally connected clean with a right hand, dropping Jotko instantly. A few follow-up strikes to the downed Jotko, and the ref waved it off. Impressive comeback by Uriah Hall!

Uriah Hall def. Krzysztof Jotko by knockout, Round 2, 2:25

Anthony Hamilton vs. Daniel Spitz

Heavyweight action was up next at UFC Pittsburgh, with Anthony “Freight Train” Hamilton taking on Daniel Spitz. Spitz made his UFC debut on short notice back at UFC 209, dropping a decision to Mark Godbeer.

Spitz found himself pushed back early, but in an exchange of rights, Spitz landed right behind the ear and dropped Hamilton. A couple of followup strikes and the ref waved it off, though Hamilton seemed to be pushing himself back to his feet. Hamilton seemed unhappy with the stoppage, but Spitz definitely caught him, and likely would have continued landing blows.

Daniel Spitz def. Anthony Hamilton by TKO, Round 1, 0:24

Tony Martin vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier

In the featured prelim bout, lightweights Tony Martin and Oliver Aubin-Mercier battled it out. Martin opened with a leg kick, while Aubin-Mercier held the center of the cage and both men looked to find their timing and range. The feeling out process continued for a bit, until Martin landed a right hand that was partially blocked, and Aubin-Mercier looked to use a right hook to move Martin into the danger zone. In the final two minutes, Martin used underhooks to control Aubin-Mercier along the fence, but the Canadian was able land a judo throw to secure a takedown. Martin was right back up to his feet, however, and they’d finished the round standing.

In round two, Aubin-Mercier attempted to set up a takedown with a lead right hand, only for Martin to stuff his first attempt. OAM continued to drive, however, pushing Martin up against the cage and finishing the takedown there. He worked from half guard as Martin worked with a butterfly guard. Posturing up, Aubin-Mercier landed a solid punch from the top and continued to pressure Martin. After a failed D’Arce choke attempt, Martin made it back to his feet around the two minute mark. Aubin-Mercier would land another takedown shortly thereafter, leaving Martin right where he started. Martin threatened with an upkick, but it was OAM controlling the fight on the mat.

In the third, Martin opened things with some pep in his step, immediately going on the offensive. When OAM looked for a takedown, Martin attempted a guillotine, which put him on his back. He soon switched to an anaconda choke, which Aubin-Mercier managed to fight off, but Martin wound up on top and was able to control OAM and take the back. A body lock in place, Martin began looking for a rear-naked choke. He controlled the action for the rest of the round, landing plenty of shots from the back, but was not able to finish. It went to the judges, and Olivier Aubin-Mercier wound up taking the split decision.

Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Tony Martin by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

UFC Fight Night 116 Preliminary Results:

Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Tony Martin by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Daniel Spitz def. Anthony Hamilton by TKO, Round 1, 0:24
Uriah Hall def. Krzysztof Jotko by knockout, Round 2, 2:25
Gilbert Burns def. Jason Saggo by knockout, Round 2, 4:55

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UFC Pittsburgh is just two days away, even though the card has had some surprises, most notably Thiago Alves withdrawing from his co-main event against Mike Perry, Saturday night’s fight card is one of the more underrated events of the year thus far. A bright spot on the card is the exciting prelim headliner, Tony Martin vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier.

On paper, this fight is even in nearly every relevant statistical category, and the victor positions himself nicely as a serious top 15 talent.

Cageside Press had a chance to speak with Tony Martin just days before his big fight in Pittsburgh.

Following Martin’s brilliant last performance against Johnny Case, you would think a main card slot would be warranted, especially against a quality opponent like Olivier Aubin-Mercier. However, the prelim headliner slot does not bother Tony Martin one bit.

“I like headlining the prelims on FS1,” the Illinois native said. “I think more people will be watching and we will get more coverage than if we were the first fight on the main card. No matter where I fight I’m looking to put on the fight of the night.”

What makes this fight so intriguing is that both competitors are on the cusp of breaking into the top 15 and making a serious run at the lightweight elite.

Martin is fully aware of the situation, “He [Olivier Aubin-Mercier] has a big name. I really like the matchup, and I’m looking forward to stepping in there and showing my skills.”

Martin showed the world his evolving mixed martial arts skills in his last outing in June. It’s no secret that he wanted a quick turnaround, but is September too soon?

“I wish they [UFC] would’ve given me more of a notice for the fight,” said Martin. “They only gave me five weeks’ notice, but I was training, I don’t stop training. It always comes down to weight with short notice fights, but I wanted to get back in there as soon as possible and keep building momentum.”

For over two and a half years Martin has worked tirelessly on his striking game with boxing coach Eddie Alvarez, and it has done wonders for the 27-year-old game.

“We call him the ‘Real’ Eddie Alvarez, he isn’t the UFC fighter,” Martin said. “He has helped me with my boxing so much, it’s just been a huge boost to my striking and confidence and it showed in my last performance.”

The UFC’s lightweight division is arguably the deepest and most competitive in the entire sport of MMA. The man who currently sits on top of the 155-pound throne is Conor McGregor, and with his MMA career up in the air, the UFC has decided to create an interim title.

Next month’s UFC 216 will crown the new interim lightweight champion when Tony Ferguson takes on the surging Kevin Lee, but was this the right fight to make?

“I can see how Lee talked himself into this fight,” Martin stated. “He beat Chiesa and Chiesa is no pushover. I actually picked Chiesa to win that fight, I thought Lee would lose his last two fights but he found ways to win. Ferguson and Lee is going to be a good fight.”

No doubt the Ferguson/Lee fight is going to be fun, but equally as exciting is Saturday night’s contest between Martin and Aubin-Mercier.

Catch all the UFC Pittsburgh action Saturday, September 16, live on FS1. Prelims kick off at 8 p.m. EST with the main card starting at 10 p.m.

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