Smith, the son of UFC veteran Gilbert Smith (an Ultimate Fighter alum who had also competed for Bellator MMA and LFA), was looking for his second straight win in the promotion.

Kazama went right out and clinched up with Smith, however after getting some semblance of back control, he fell off and wound up on his back. On top, Smith was drilling Kazama with punches, but Toshiomi wound up latching on to a leg, and soon had a toe hold in place. Smith defensed, survived, and got out of danger. Once again in control, Smith battered Kazama with more punches.

Smith would spend a solid couple of minutes on top, with Kazama hunting for submissions off his back. Elijah Smith was able to land a decent amount of damage, but it all came crashing to an halt for Kazama moments later. Kazama went for a triangle, and Smith hoisted him up, slamming him down Rampage Jackson style! Kazama was done at that point, but the ref wasn’t in quick enough, and Smith added a blow that sent his opponent from dazed and confused to unconscious.

Kazama did regain consciousness in the cage, and his next stop will be the hospital to get checked over. “From start to finish, I knew I had the ability to keep up with the guy on the ground,” Smith said following the fight, after paying his respects to Kazama.

Official Result: Elijah Smith def. Toshimoi Kazama by KO (slam), Round 1, 4:10

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Serghei Spivac

Moldova’s Spivac redeemed himself twofold in UFC Vegas 95’s main event against Marcin Tybura, making up for his recent TKO loss to Cyril Gane and for his first fight against Tybura back in 2020, which Serghei lost by decision. This time he made it look easy, taking the Pole down and tapping him with an armbar after less than two minutes. Despite his recent loss, Spivac is 4-1 in his last five, so he should be in position for a higher-ranked opponent.

There are not many other available, highly ranked heavyweights coming off wins. Gane and Alexander Volkov won their last fights but have been scheduled to rematch each other, as well, in two months. With the title picture stagnant due to Tom Aspinall being forced to defend his interim belt the division feels a bit empty at the top of the rankings, since the erstwhile #1 contender has been a champion, not just a contender, for over a year now while Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones endlessly circle each other. That leaves just Jailton Almeida for Spivac.

A strong grappler, Almeida has flawed wrestling but is freakishly athletic and has the best top game in the UFC heavyweight division. With a 7-1 UFC record and his only loss coming against Curtis Blaydes – in a fight he was winning – Jailton needs maybe just one or two more wins to earn a title shot, as does Spivac. This matchup would also be a grappler’s delight, with interesting scrambles sure to ensue.

Spivac’s Next Fight: Jailton Almeida

Chepe Mariscal

With his impressive and dominant win over Damon Jackson, Chepe Mariscal got his fourth straight win. Staying perfect in the UFC matters a lot, but missing weight by 4.5 pounds is egregious, so perhaps Chepe will not be given a ranked opponent just yet. Hovering just outside the rankings at featherweight are fighters like Sodiq Yusuff, Nate Wood, and Nate Landwehr.

Any of those would be excellent fights; Yusuff was ranked at featherweight for years until his last two losses, and never puts on a bad show. Wood and Landwehr are also talented; Landwehr in particular is one of the most action-oriented fighters in the sport today. His brawl-or-die style matches up perfectly with Chepe’s own, and would create an excellent fight where the winner could compete against a ranked foe next.

Mariscal’s Next Fight: Nate Landwehr

Danny Barlow

Memphis’ young, new striker Danny Barlow also missed weight for his UFC Vegas 95 fight, but unlike Mariscal it was by less than a pound. Barlow earned a split decision win for his efforts against short-notice debutant Nikolay Veretennikov. He remains undefeated and moves to 2-0 in the UFC, but this prospect clearly wanted to win more dominantly. As a 29-year-old welterweight his time is now to make a run.

A good step up to test if Barlow is capable of bigger things would be Phil Rowe. ‘The Fresh Prince’ lost his last two fights after a three-bout winning streak put him on the verge of being ranked, so while it is a big step up for Barlow, its also a fight he is capable of winning and will be a new style for him to face. He may only be 9-0, but when a fighter has that zero in their record they are going to ascend quicker than others may.

Barlow’s Next Fight: Phil Rowe

Chris Gutierrez

‘El Guapo’ made it look easy, though not necessarily attractive to look at, when he beat the debuting Quang Le on Saturday. Using his infamous leg kicks, Gutierrez chewed up the former LFA fighter from the outside en route to a comfortable, if tepid, decision. With his last two losses coming to ranked fighters, and due to holding no wins against ranked bantamweights, Chris will have to do more to get back his top-15 spot.

He was originally scheduled to face Javid Basharat in the UFC Apex, so that fight can be rebooked with no hesitation. It would be an excellent addition to the pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi later this year, with Basharat being from the region and fans loving to see talented bantamweights in action.

Gutierrez’s Next Fight: Javid Basharat

Yana Santos

Twelfth-ranked UFC women’s bantamweight Yana Santos, née Kunitskaya, won her first fight since returning from giving birth to a child with her husband, former UFC title challenger Thiago Santos, in April of 2022. Santos largely outclassed fourteenth-ranked opponent Chelsea Chandler, another fighter from UFC Vegas 95 who missed weight badly, even scoring a her first-ever UFC knockdown in the second round.

After three straight losses to ranked opponents, Santos had to win this to hold onto her ranking, and she did just that. Another fighter who is not in the best form of her career is Julia Avila. Thirteenth-ranked Avila won her first three UFC fights, including beating now-ranked fighter Pannie Kianzad, but has now lost two of her last three and clearly needs work on her wrestling. Yana Santos would be more than happy to oblige her by testing that particular skillset of Julia’s.

Santos’s Next Fight: Julia Avila

Toshiomi Kazama

Japan’s Toshiomi Kazama lost his first two UFC fights by knockout but impressed in his rebound against Charalampos Grigoriou on Saturday. Despite getting dropped after a strong first round, Kazama survived and choked out his opponent from his back with a triangle choke, a somewhat rare submission to see in the UFC nowadays.

However, Kazama is not totally in the clear, even after that; a 1-2 record in the stacked bantamweight division is not ideal. Toshiomi will need to win his next fight to make sure his job is safe. One fight which would be interesting is Kazama vs Ricky Turcios. Turcios is not a knockout artist, but he is chaotic and a good scrambler that would give Kazama a new style to deal with. Also, Ricky will not gas out quickly like Grigoriou.

Kazama’s Next Fight: Ricky Turcios

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You’d be forgiven if you checked out early, had you tuned in at all, as the early going of the show was a mixed bag at best. While Youssef Zalal had a strong performance and Karol Rosa vs. Pannie Kianzad turned out to be a fun fight, there simply wasn’t a lot going on.

Luckily, the top half of the main card showed up and showed out, starting with Chepe Mariscal dominating a tough but outmatched Damon Jackson over the course of three rounds. A pair of 30-25 scores (the third judge had it 30-26) showed just how dominant Chepe had been, though missing weight for the fight denied him any bonus money.

Instead, the UFC went with three individual performances in terms of bonus cash, on a night where no Fight of the Night handed out. Sorry, Rosa vs. Kianzad, no post-fight bonus for you.

Serghei Spivac, however, earned one Performance of the Night awards for his first round arm-bar submission of Marcin Tybura. The fight was a rematch, with Spivac avenging an earlier loss and moving to 4-1 across his last five fights.

Zalal, for his rear-naked choke finish of Jarno Errens, and Toshiomi Kazama, who put Charalampos Grigoriou away with a triangle after being knocked down early in the second, picked up the two remaining Performance bonuses.

As it turned out, those were the only three finishes on the ten-fight card. All three bonus winners claim an extra $50,000 USD on top of show/win money and outfitting pay.

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While Japan’s Kazama had been knocked out in his first two UFC bouts, Cyprus’ Grigoriou had only lost a decision in his debut after his DWCS win. With both men looking for their first UFC win, this bout had the highest of stakes in their minds, even if not those of the fans.

Kazama shot a takedown in the opening seconds but only managed to push his foe against the fence. After holding him there for a while, Kazama landed a knee which may have been illegal, with Grigoriou’s hand on the mat. Jason Herzog paused the fight while the commentary debated the legality of the knee; Charalampos’ hand was coming up right as the knee landed. When the fight restarted they were at distance but again Toshiomi shot, this time transitioning to the back. He had the back almost fully but made a mistake by giving up the position to hunt for an arm bar, allowing Grigoriou to get on top. However, Kazama executed a half-guard sweep and got on top, where the round ended.

Grigoriou came out swinging to start round two and hurt Kazama badly. Kazama almost got a takedown but Charalampos shook him off and got back to his assault. The Cypresian fighter dropped his foe and pounced on top with elbows. Jason Herzog warned Kazama to defend and he did just enough to stay alive as Grigoriou wore himself out. While he rested, clearly exhausted, Toshiomi Kazama locked up a triangle choke. Grigoriou was so tired that he tapped almost right away.

Despite his battered face, Kazama radiated joy after earning his first UFC win with slick grappling skills.

Official Result: Toshiomi Kazama def. Charalampos Grigoriou by submission (triangle choke), Round 2, 1:55

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Kazama was given a chance in the UFC after his ‘Road to UFC’ fight was called off due to his opponent’s weight miss, but he faltered in his debut against fellow ‘Road to UFC’ alumnus Rinya Nakamura. Meanwhile Armfield got the UFC call by accepting a short notice fight up a weight class against athletic beast David Onama. He gave Onama a tough fight before eventually succumbing to a submission. Now, back at his natural weight class, Armfield looked to fight, and win, on a more even playing field.

The two orthodox fighters came out swinging. Kazama landed a big body kick but ate a right hand counter. Armfield pressed forward behind straight punches and got Kazama’s back to the cage early, which allowed him to land his strikes easier. Kazama shot a desperate takedown but it was telegraphed and easily stuffed. Armfield kept his discipline with his guard and kept tagging Toshiomi over and over. The Japanese fighter shot a single leg which failed. He simply could not get his head off the center line and avoid the punches of Garrett Armfield, who added a body shot around the halfway mark of the opening round.

A jab staggered the legs of Kazama; Armfield swarmed him and Kazama went to his back, trying to lock up a desperate Kimura from the turtle. Armfield extricated his arm and beckoned Kazama back to the feet so he could swarm him again. Every punch in his combinations seemed to land and Kazama could not get off the fence. With a minute left in the round a big right hand, set up by the jab, landed clean and dropped Kazama cold. Due to the damage he had already taken, the referee stepped in immediately.

Toshiomi Kazama was not happy with the speed of the stoppage but after hitting his butt twice and being outclassed for most of a full round it was understandable to see the ref step in. Garrett Armfield notched the first win of his UFC career and the biggest one of his career, stamping his name as one to watch in the UFC bantamweight division.

Official Result: Garrett Armfield def. Toshiomi Kazama by TKO (straight right) Round 1, 4:16

The post UFC Singapore: Garrett Armfield Lights Up Toshiomi Kazama, Bags Early TKO appeared first on Cageside Press.

The keyword for Kazama coming into UFC Singapore fight week: preparation.

“A lot of new experience for me this fight week. It’s been a new experience. Of course everything is big,” Kazama told reporters through a translator on Thursday.

“But even this media day conference I’ve been prepared for just as I’m prepare for the fight. I’m very relaxed and enjoying the week.”

Kazama takes on Garrettt Armfield who brings an all around solid game, but with a dangerous grappling technique that opponents don’t see coming at times.

“In terms of jiu jitsu I don’t see anything that I will be losing in,” he said.

Armfield also has striking finishes which

“Obviously yes his standing game is something I have to be careful of. I’ve been well prepared. I’m very well prepared,” Kazama said.

Kazama comes off the Road To UFC tournament, but also off a loss to Rinya Nakamura back in Feb of this year. On Road To UFC he showed plenty of skill, but no finishes. He looks to change that at UFC Singapore.

“Throughout the Road To UFC I have not been able to show any finishes yet. My nickname is ‘Silent Finisher’,” he said.

“I have to prove that I am the true finisher.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Toshiomi Kazama above. He takes on Garrett Armfield at UFC Singapore on Saturday.

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On the line in Kazama vs. Nakamura was a UFC deal, one of four that would be handed out on the night.

This one didn’t take long to get going. And it didn’t take long to wrap up, either.

In the opening round Kazama rushed forward right out of the gate. He went right into a buzzaw in the form of Nakamura, however, getting tagged with flurries. He sat Kazama down with a check right hook and moments later he landed a pull-counter left hook knocking Kazama out cold. What a performance and knockout from Rinya Nakamura.

OUT. COLD.

Rinya Nakamura is your #RoadToUFC bantamweight winner! #UFCVegas68 pic.twitter.com/6ULxnIOaxi

— UFC (@ufc) February 5, 2023

The win was later announced as the second-fastest finish by a debuting bantamweight in the UFC. The victory sees Nakamura remain undefeated, improving his record to 7-0 as a pro — while maintaining his 100% finish rate. It’s safe to say Rinya Nakamura has arrived in style, and should be one to watch moving forward.

Official Result: Rinya Nakamura def. Toshiomi Kazama by knockout (left hook), Round 1, 0:33

The post UFC Vegas 68: Rinya Nakamura Wins Road to UFC Bantamweight Tournament, KO’s Toshiomi Kazama appeared first on Cageside Press.

In addition, a featured featherweight fight was scheduled for Road to UFC 5. That fight saw Japan’s Keisuke Sasu take on Ba Lajin of China. Sasu had been defeated by Yi Zha earlier in the tournament, but was getting a second chance to impress UFC officials on Sunday.

Road to UFC 5 takes place Sunday, October 23, 2022 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The event streams live on UFC Fight Pass, getting underway at 7AM ET. Full results can be found below.

Road to UFC 5 Results

Featherweight: Yi Zha def. Koyomi Matsushima via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) – Road to UFC Semifinal
Flyweight: Choi Seung Guk def. Qiu Lun via unanimous decision (29-28×3) – Road to UFC Semifinal
Lightweight: Jeka Saragih def. Won Bi Ki via R1 KO – Road to UFC Semifinal
Bantamweight: Toshiomi Kazama vs. Kim Min Woo – Road to UFC Semifinal *
Featherweight: Keisuke Sasu def. Ba Lajin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

* Toshiomi Kazama vs. Kim Min Woo canceled following weigh-ins. Kazama advances to the next round.

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UFC contracts are on the line! Here’s a look at what’s to come.

Featherweight: Yi Zha Vs. Koyomi Matsushima

Tale of the Tape

Pros and Cons

Prediction: This is both a fun fight and a tough fight to call. This is a fight between two athletes who are well-rounded and are maybe UFC level.

Matsushima is exciting and even in fights where his body language isn’t good, he’s still giving it 100%. Zha has been cleaner in his fights getting the wins with little issue and hardly any diversity. Matsushima over and over has had to dig deep to get his hand raised.

While that might not look great in theory it’s a valuable tool. I think Zha is the more talented fighter but Matsushima edges him in a grueling fight which is I think the way this fight will go. I see a lot of wrestling exchanges and I see Matsushima winning scrambles and landing more takedowns. Zha isn’t going to find it as easy to ground Matsushima as he did his last opponent. I think Matsushima has too much dog in him for Zha and he wins a close decision.

The post Road to UFC: Episode 5 Breakdown and Predictions appeared first on Cageside Press.

Road to UFC 1 featured four opening round bouts in the flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight tournaments, with winners moving on in the hopes of securing a roster spot in the UFC proper. As well, one standalone bout was featured, in this case a light heavyweight match-up between George Tokkos and China’s Zhang Mingyang.

Among the standouts on the Road to UFC 1 card, South Korea’s Ki Won Bin looked to be the favorite against Japan’s Jinnosuke Kashimura. Bin had fought some solid competition in the past, while Kashimura took the lightweight fight on very short notice. That should give Bin the upper hand, even if his chin has been brought into question in the past.

The Road to UFC 1 card gets underway at 2:30AM ET on Thursday, June 9, 2022, live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Full results from the five-fight card can be found below.

Road to UFC 1 Results

Yi Zha def. Keisuke Sasu by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:14
Ki Won Bin def. Jinnosuke Kashimura by TKO (elbows), Round 1, 4:45
Toshiomi Kazama def. Keremuaili Maimaitituoheti by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Choi Seung Guk def. Rama Supandhi by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Zhang Mingyang def. George Tokkos by knockout, Round 1, 3:57

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