Instead, the event served as the launch point, of sorts, for the UFC’s upcoming White House card, now titled Freedom 250. The full card, as it stands, was announced during the UFC 326 broadcast, and notably, Jon Jones was not among the names revealed.

Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje headline the show in a lightweight title fight; Alex Pereira moves to heavyweight to face Ciryl Gane for an interim title in the co-main event.

How did the UFC come up with the Freedom 250 card? Dana White explained to media outlets including Cageside Press following Saturday’s event in Las Vegas that “basically, what we did is the matchmakers started talking to everybody, seeing what fights were possible then came back to me. And I chose the card.”

As far as the interim title attached to Pereira vs. Gane, he noted that “Tom [Aspinall, heavyweight champion] obviously won’t be ready for the White House fight. That’s why it’s an interim title.”

Aspinall is recovering from an eye injury incurred during a fight with Gane last year.

White revealed on Friday that one fight had fallen off the White House card at the last minute. The UFC CEO and President was mum about exactly what the fight was on Saturday.

“It’s not important,” he stated, later adding “There’s weird circumstances around it, that we probably shouldn’t talk about it.”

White added, however, that the bout did not involve Jon Jones, noting that he’d already dismissed the idea of Jones fighting on the card. “He can barely run. He retired because of his hips, he’s got arthritis in his hips. Doctors say he should have a hip replacement. Add that on top of all the other reasons that I wouldn’t— the Jon Jones thing is bullsh*t.”

White then somewhat contradicted himself, saying “I’m not saying we weren’t talking to Jon Jones, or that Jon Jones wasn’t interested in the fight.” Maybe not entirely BS, then, but a deal never got made.

Asked whether it was fair to say Jones was retired, White replied with “Yes, very fair.”

Whatever fight did drop out, there’s a question as to whether it could be replaced. For now, it’s a six-fight card for Freedom 250.

‘We literally had, I don’t know, 15, 20 fights to choose from from the top to the bottom of the card. Which is six. We were at seven actually, I had one more and then when the other one fell out, we went back to six,” explained White. “There were lots of things in play. There were lots of fights in play for the White House. And this is the card that I ended up picking.”

For fans who can’t attend the White House— the event will be heavily restricted— there will be an opportunity to watch the fights somewhat live.

“The Eclipse across the street, we’ll be able to hold 85,000 people over there,” White told Cageside Press. “We’re going to have screens and fan [activities] over there. RAM is giving away trucks, all kinds of cool stuff. Even if you can’t get tickets, you should be in DC the week of the fight. Press conference is going to be at the Lincoln Memorial. It’s going to be fun.”

Watch the full UFC 326 post-fight press conference with Dana White above.

The post Dana White: “Very Fair” to Say Jon Jones Is Retired appeared first on Cageside Press.

Is Nikita Krylov the answer to Jon Jones? Is Ovince Saint Preux a washed fighter? These questions immediately arose from the opening fight on the UFC 236 main card this past weekend. Krylov, who walked away from the UFC a couple of years back to fight closer to home, returned last year following the dissolution of Fight Nights Global. In his time away, he’d won the FNG light heavyweight championship, but he stumbled in his return to the UFC, ending up submitted by Jan Blachowicz.

Krylov (25–6) looked much better against Ovince Saint Preux (23-13) at UFC 236, submitting OSP and evening their career series at one fight a piece. That said, the Sunday Morning Cornerman podcast argues that Krylov is a way’s away from being a challenger to the king of the mountain in Jon Jones. Could he work his way up to a title shot? It’s possible. Will he be the man to beat the man? Watch below to find out why not.

For preliminary card reaction, watch the recap below! All the relevant fights are covered!

The post Sunday Morning Cornerman: Looking Back at UFC 236 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Wow. That’s all I could say after UFC 236. It hasn’t been since UFC 217 that a card was this thrilling. With both the main event and co-main event putting on a show, UFC 236 had huge implications for all divisions. Let’s break down the fights and see what’s next for the fighters of UFC 236.

Nikita Krylov Subs Ovince Saint Preux

Nikita Krylov has made a living in the UFC by finishing fights. Since his debut in 2013, all 11 of his wins have been by knockout or submission (including a four-fight stint in Russia). Ovince Saint Preux was added to that list. Krylov avenged the loss to OSP in 2014, which was Saint Preux’s first patented Von Flue choke. Krylov returned the favor with a slick rear naked choke that got him the win.

Saint Preux didn’t look bad in the fight. While he didn’t get the outcome he was looking for, he wasn’t completely outclassed in the fight. In a shallow light heavyweight division, it will only take a few wins in a row to get Ovince Saint Preux back in the conversation.

Next Opponent for Nikita Krylov: Shogun Rua, Misha Cirkunov
Next Opponent for Ovince Saint Preux: Jimmy Crute, Gian Villante

Dwight Grant Takes Razor-Thin Fight Over Alan Jouban

Dwight Grant and Alan Jouban went to town in their fight. Grant stayed calm and collected during Jouban’s onslaught of haymakers. Dwight made a statement that he is ready for a ranked opponent with his second win inside the Octagon.

While Jouban didn’t win the controversial split decision, his stock sure rose. Sure, he would have liked to win on the same card fellow Louisianian Dustin Poirier captured his title. But, his stock rose this fight. He was exciting and had his foot on the gas the entire time.

Next Opponent for Dwight Grant: Elizeu Zaleski, Gunnar Nelson
Next Opponent for Alan Jouban: Curtis Millender, Rocco Martin

Khalil Rountree Does Whatever he Wants with Eryk Anders

Okay, so there are probably police out looking for Khalil Rountree for the attempted murder of Eryk Anders. Rountree put on a C-L-I-N-I-C. All night, he wore down the legs and blasted Anders with punches that would put any other mortal man away. Rountree spent time in Thailand perfecting his Muay Thai and it shows. He’s due for another shot at a ranked opponent.

Anders showed heart, as he always does. Unfortunately, it looks as if light heavyweight didn’t suit him. His only other fight in the division was a short notice fight against Thiago Santos, who is a former middleweight himself. Anders will probably stay at 185 for the foreseeable future. His size and power translate better there. At least he took the beating in stride:

Haven’t had my ass whooped like that since 4/21/1987.

— Eryk Anders (@erykanders) April 14, 2019

Next opponent for Khalil Rountree: Jimi Manuwa/Aleksander Rakić winner, Jan Błachowicz/Luke Rockhold loser
Next opponent for Eryk Anders: Tom Breese, Kevin Holland

Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum Put on Fight of the Year

Now we’re on to the meat and potatoes. Israel Adesanya had his toughest test to date. Gastelum put him in the first real trouble we’ve seen him in inside the Octagon. Izzy was able to stay calm, avoid the bombs from Gastelum, and go out with a bang. The fifth round might be the most impressive we’ve seen from Israel Adesanya. After four and a half rounds of war, he pieced together several knockdowns of Kelvin that got him the win in a fight that was 2-2 according to many fans. Adesanya even surprised us with a little jiu-jitsu as well!

Kelvin showed great hand speed. Especially early on, he had Adesanya in trouble early and even took him down. Most importantly, Gastelum showed how durable he was. Being battered off of counters all night, Gastelum showed while even knocking him down, you are still in for a dogfight. It’s unfortunate he didn’t get to fight Robert Whittaker for the undisputed title as planned, but he did get involved in one of the best fights of the year so far.

Next Opponent for Israel Adesanya: Robert Whittaker
Next Opponent for Kelvin Gastelum: Jacare Souza/Jack Hermansson winner, Yoel Romero

Dustin Poirier Looks Phenomenal Against Max Holloway

Dustin Poirier is the ultimate come-up story. He loses a fight to Conor McGregor at featherweight. So he decided to start new. Since moving to lightweight, he’s gone 9-1. How has this man not fought for a title yet?! Adding Max Holloway to the list of names in this run is truly phenomenal. He took Max Holloway and beat him down for five rounds. His power looked great, as well as his speed. The only mistake he made was going for the finish when he had Holloway hurt in the first round. With such an expulsion of energy, it had a slight effect on him the rest of the fight. That will be a major key in his title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Max Holloway put on the fight we always expect from him, even though he got the wrong end of the decision. His quick move up to lightweight showed, with his power not carrying over from featherweight. Poirier has fought at lightweight since 2015 and has had time to bulk up, and the difference showed. Not all is bad for Max Holloway. He’s still the champ in the featherweight division, where he should probably stay unless he plans to put on mass. He still has one of the best resumes in MMA as well. Max will succeed in the future. This was only a bump in the road.

Next for Dustin Poirier: Khabib Nurmagomedov (or we riot)
Next for Max Holloway: Alexander Volkanovski (if he beats Aldo), Zabit Magomedsharipov

The post UFC 236 Aftermath: Interim Title Fights for the Ages appeared first on Cageside Press.

Less than a week ago, former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson claimed on social media that he had been cleared to fight. The news came in the wake of a disturbing story that began when Ferguson’s wife took a restraining order out against him. However, rather than painting a picture of a man out of control, Christina Ferguson’s story leading up to filing for a restraining order spoke of a man dealing with a serious mental health crisis.

Not even a month after the story broke, however, Ferguson claimed on Twitter that he was ready to get back to work. “Passed my Med Eval last week,” he wrote. “I’m excited about retaining my UFC lightweight status that was stripped due to injury. Khabib [Nurmagomedov, lightweight champion] not actively competing over some time should be stripped.” Ferguson then went on to call for a fight between the two.

Passed my Med Eval last week. I’m excited about retaining my ufc Lightweight Status that was stripped due to injury. Khabib not actively competing over some time should be stripped. A high Rank title fight/superfight between @TeamKhabib & I is what the fans want #defendorvacate pic.twitter.com/Iyq5Tff6ww

— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) April 7, 2019

Khabib, of course, was not stripped of his undisputed lightweight title. However, the UFC opted to square off Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway for an interim 155lb belt atop the UFC 236 card on Saturday. Poirier won a five round unanimous decision, claiming his first belt in the promotion.

Post-fight, asked about Ferguson’s claims that he could return, UFC President Dana White pumped the brakes. “I don’t know if Tony’s ready to fight. I don’t know if that’s absolutely accurate,” White said. “We haven’t had anybody evaluate him yet.”

Any medical evaluation Ferguson underwent, it seems, was via his own doctors. Ultimately, the UFC medical staff will likely have the final say.

As to any potential fight with Khabib, that seems off the table as well. After all, the Holloway fight at UFC 236 was supposed to feature Ferguson, not Poirier. “This was his fight. This was supposed to be [Tony] and Max tonight,” said White during the press conference. “This was his fight. He turned it down. We made it very clear that the winner of this fight, just like Israel and Kelvin, would fight for the title. Unless something happens to Dustin Poirier, he gets hurt, he gets injured, or something happens. He’s got the fight.”

Ferguson now remains in a holding pattern, although match-ups with either Conor McGregor or Justin Gaethje are a possibility — if UFC doctors clear Ferguson.

The post UFC: Dana White Pumps Brakes on Tony Ferguson Return appeared first on Cageside Press.

UFC 236 has come and gone. With Dustin Poirier taking the new interim lightweight title, there are major things on the horizon for the division. Poirier is  sure to get a fight with current lightweight champ, Khabib Nurmagomedov, after his suspension is up. Max Holloway isn’t done at lightweight either.

But Poirier was the man of the hour when all was said and done. He’ll move on to face Khabib, barring injury or illness (UFC President Dana White confirmed as much at the UFC 236 post-fight press conference, following the event). It wasn’t easy, as the Hawaiian featherweight refused to go quietly. Instead, the two traded fire for a full five rounds, managing to equal the thrilling co-main event between Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum.

Twitter, and especially the pros, had plenty to say during and following the bout. See some of the top reactionsbelow.

Twitter Reactions to Holloway-Poirier

For me this fight tonight is a pure pick em . To me The key to victory tonight will be an intangible ( hunger , focus , attitude) rather than skill set mixed with great coaching and strategy. Good luck to both Warriors 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻

— Eddie Alvarez (@Ealvarezfight) April 14, 2019

No one should lose this one.

— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) April 14, 2019

Media Gets Their Say

Huge Poirier round in the first! #UFC236

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) April 14, 2019

Welcome to 155, Mr. Holloway. Dustin Poirier can THUMP. Holloway needs to use his feet a lot more to evade. Poirier doing everything right. He is completely dialed in.

— Luke Thomas🏋️‍♀️ (@lthomasnews) April 14, 2019

I think Dustin Poirier rallied enough to win that second round too. His shots are just so much heavier than Holloway's. 20-17 Poirier after two.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) April 14, 2019

Really Ridiculous

The chin on these two guys is ridiculous! #UFC236

— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2019

5th round! I can watch these two fight every Saturday #ufc236

— Shane Burgos (@HurricaneShaneB) April 14, 2019

https://twitter.com/davidbix/status/1117296167958847488?s=21

Official: Dustin Poirier def. Max Holloway via unanimous decision (49-46 x3). He wins the interim lightweight title.

After 23 UFC fights, Poirier is a finally a UFC champ.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 14, 2019

Dustin Poirier to Khabib Nurmagomedov:

"In the words of Daniel Cormier, get your shit together young man, we got a belt to fight for." #UFC236

— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) April 14, 2019

So happy for @DustinPoirier for that incredible performance and for becoming the belt! Congratulations 🍾 🎉 job well done!

— Andrea Lee (@AndreaKGBLee) April 14, 2019

What a night of @ufc fights, props to all you warriors!! 💪🏼

— Cody Garbrandt (@Cody_Nolove) April 14, 2019

Congrats @DustinPoirier Way To Work Kid- 💯 💪🦁 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 Champ Shit Only pic.twitter.com/py06zFMLvD

— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) April 14, 2019

Amazing main event fights. How fighting should be!
Max you are insanely tough!
Please rest up now young Uce, you are a warrior head to toe!
A champion FOREVER.
Congratulations Dustin on a much deserved UFC title to your career.
It is Nate next for you like previously scheduled.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 14, 2019

And, of course, one from the champ:

I don’t agree with the judges 49:46, I got a draw, my respect to both fighters, and Porier’s achievement so far cannot be denied, my congratulations Dustin, see you in September. 🦅 vs 💎

— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) April 14, 2019

The post Pros React to Another Stellar Outing Between Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier at UFC 236 appeared first on Cageside Press.

The UFC threw everyone a curve ball following two stellar title fights at UFC 236. After Saturday night’s big PPV event in Atlanta, the promotion opted to award not one but two Fight of the Night awards. Those went to main and co-main events.

It was well deserved. Of course, the main event was a showdown for the interim lightweight title between featherweight king Max Holloway, and surging 155lb’er Dustin Poirier. It was a rematch from years earlier, and as with the original fight, it was Poirier who had his hand raised in the end.

Not for lack of effort, or grit, on the part of Holloway, who went the distance, bloodied, but still swinging right to the end.

💰 TWO Fight of the Night bonuses!

FOTN – @BlessedMMA vs @DustinPoirier 2

FOTN – @KelvinGastelum vs @Stylebender

(@ToyoTires) pic.twitter.com/McxpBun1pa

— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2019

The co-main event was just as exciting. Kelvin Gastelum and Israel Adesanya put on a war. Both rocked the other. Both had chances to finish. Neither could. Instead, they battled it out to the final bell, with ‘The Last Stylebender’ Adesanya slowly pulling away. Again, he nearly finished in the dying seconds. In the end, he had his hand raised, becoming the second Nigerian champion crowned in the UFC in just a matter of months, along with Kamaru Usman.

The post UFC 236 Bonuses: Main, Co-Main Event Both Get Fight of the Night appeared first on Cageside Press.

Flashback to 2012, UFC 143, a young Max Holloway makes his initial UFC walk to the cage. Dustin Poirier, at the time, a featherweight contender on a mission. Who knew seven years later these two would be fighting for a championship, a rematch, between two of the most impressive athletes in this sport at UFC 236. Holloway a featherweight king, Poirier a streaking lightweight KO artist. The winner gains a date with lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, a rematch seven years in the making.

We open round one with a glove touch and we are under way. Each fighter open with faints and Poirier lands a clean leg kick. Holloway continues his pace and lands some body shots. “The Diamond” continues his leg work and lands a hook, seemingly having Max clipped, as he moves in Holloway finds a clean hook himself clipping Poirier. As it seems things have calmed, Poirier lands some vicious combinations putting Holloway on auto-pilot but somehow the featherweight king continues to  stand and throw himself. With under a minute left Poirier again lands a clean left jab yet somehow we are going to see a second round.

The crowd is on their feet for the beginning of round two. A body shot from Poirier to start but “Blessed” is controlling the pace. A Holloway left hook lands clean but Poirier continues mixing up the combinations. The Diamond lands a big elbow but continues to get walked down by Holloway, as the round nears the end Poirier switches roles, clipping Holloway. Similar to round one Holloway turns to a near zombie-mode as he is getting damaged by the power of Poirier. The two stare each other down as round two comes to a close.

UFC 189 flashbacks!!!#UFC236 pic.twitter.com/dcqU43XUsF

— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2019

Round three begins with the two meeting in the middle once again. It doesn’t take long for Poitier to stun Holloway again, but as usual Holloway almost seems impossible to put away. By the middle of the third round Poirier has unofficially landed over 100 strikes. Holloway continues to move forward without fear but his right eye is closing, but continues landing hooks as the two exchange in the center of the octagon. With under a minute left Holloway has Poirier against the cage, throwing at will which turns into a clinch battle where Holloway throws some vicious elbows to end the round.

The Championship Rounds begin with a straight right from Max Holloway. Poirier shoots for a takedown attempt and successfully brings down the champion. As Holloway stands he lands a knee to the liver of his opponent. Poirier is noticeably tiring as the round continues but both men continue land small combinations. With under two minutes remaining Poirier lands a clean left jab on Holloway. The two continue to exchange but a leaping knee from Poirier opens up the forehead of Holloway to a leaky mess. A clinch battle ensues to end the fourth round.

A fifth and final round to crown an interim lightweight champion. Holloway and Poirier are more ready than ever. Holloway lands a jab followed by a Poirier jab. A clean left lands to the chin of Holloway re-opening the cut from the previous round. The cardio of these two fighters is impressive. A bloody mess on Holloway’s face isn’t stopping him as he continues eating straight rights. Holloway brings a right of his own that lands clean. Holloway continues wiping the blood from his face to see. Poirier looks for a late takedown which turns more into a clinch battle controlled by Poirier. The final ten seconds calls for a mutual, meet-in-the-middle slug fest.

The final :10!!

Who do you have winning between @BlessedMMA & @DustinPoirier?! pic.twitter.com/89Y7oL5c33

— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2019

Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier is crowned the interim lightweight champion. “To be the best you gotta beat the best and I just beat the pound for pound best.” An emotional Poirier states to lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov “Get your sh*t together, you have a fight to get ready for!”

Dustin Porier def. Max Holloway by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)

The post UFC 236 Results: Dustin Poirier Crowned Interim Lightweight King appeared first on Cageside Press.

When all was said and done at UFC 236 in Atlanta on Saturday, it was nothing if not entertaining. From the opening bout (Brandon Davis vs. Randy Costa, in a fantastic scrap), to the main event of Max Holloway vs. Dustin Porier (the sequel), the card brought it. Two hotly contested title fights at the top certainly helped that. But bouts like Nikita Krylov vs. Ovince Saint Preux, and Eryk Anders vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. had a little fire under them as well.

For the first PPV on ESPN+ in the U.S., the promotion could not have asked for a better card in the end. Whether enough fans were interested enough to order a PPV behind a paywall would remain to be seen. But there was no arguing with the product in the octagon on Saturday night.

Post-fight, the key players were set to attend the UFC 236 post-fight press conference. You can catch the live stream of the affair above (or watch it after the fact). New champ Adesanya was expected to be on hand, and the winner of the main event as well — if no one was transported to hospital at least.

The post UFC 236: Holloway vs. Poirier 2 Post-Fight Press Conference appeared first on Cageside Press.

“And new…” was set to be called out twice Saturday night at UFC 236 in Atlanta, GA. Max Holloway faced Dustin Poirier in the main event, with interim lightweight gold on the line. Before that, Kelvin Gastelum took on Israel Adesanya for middleweight interim gold — and what a thriller they put on.

Five full rounds were chock full of knockdowns, back-and-forth action, and plenty of surprises. First and foremost, that Gastelum chose to stand and trade with ‘The Last Stylebender’ early — looking good doing so. Adesanya was rocked in the first. It would not be the only time. Gastelum clearly had a game plan.

But as the first wore on, Adesanya’s striking prowess gave him the edge. The fifth and final round had Adesanya dropping and nearly finishing Kelvin Gastelum. When it went to the scorecards, it was close, but not too close. A unanimous decision win for Israel Adesanya, in the toughest fight of his MMA career to date.

Robert Whittaker, the UFC’s undisputed middleweight champion, now awaits. That fight has the potential to be another classic for ‘The Last Stylebender.’ Before we get there, however, let’s see the pros react to UFC 236’s co-main event.

#AndNew!!

🇳🇬 @Stylebender gets it done! #UFC236

(@Cinemax) pic.twitter.com/Wo5K0hT1r4

— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2019

Congrats to @stylebender !!! What a fight btw him and @KelvinGastelum @ufc

— Jimmie Rivera (@JimmieRivera135) April 14, 2019

@stylebender Great fight mate see you soon.

— Robert Whittaker (@robwhittakermma) April 14, 2019

Congrats on the belt @stylebender great fight! Well done my man!

— michael (@bisping) April 14, 2019

If that fifth round dont move you I dont know what will. Feel like running through a wall right now

— Sodiq Yusuff (@Super_Sodiq) April 14, 2019

@stylebender as a champion is going to be interesting and exciting, I am excited to see him do his thing. #UFC236

— Cortney Casey (@CastIron_Casey) April 14, 2019

Izzy vs Bobby Knucks is going to be bananas. #ufc236

— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) April 14, 2019

Straight Australia and NZ unification. Never been more proud as an Aussie in this sport ❤️@stylebender vs @robwhittakermma https://t.co/bSrWKoJ14m

— Jessy Jess (@missjessyjess) April 14, 2019

Afrika has another champion @stylebender great performance

— CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) April 14, 2019

Not gonna lie I picked against @stylebender I’m not doing that no more

— Kevin Lee MTP (@MoTownPhenom) April 14, 2019

What a warrior @KelvinGastelum great fight!

— CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) April 14, 2019

Wow. Emotional is an understatement right now!!

What a meteoric rise of The Last Stylebender over the last year. What an amazing fight through adversity,l and heart.

So so happy for Adesanya 🙌🏻🙌🏻 🇳🇬 🇳🇿#UFC236

— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) April 14, 2019

https://twitter.com/Nasrat_mma/status/1117286031424933888

Great fight @KelvinGastelum @stylebender both showed tremendous heart! True warriors! #respect #ufc236

— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) April 14, 2019

https://twitter.com/TeamRocBiggie/status/1117285689756979200

https://twitter.com/TeamRocBiggie/status/1117285505413124097

But Wait, There’s More!

Wait there’s till another fight!!! Omg my emotions can’t take this

— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) April 14, 2019

My legit thought hahaha 🙃😱😂 https://t.co/fQ2L5mO6tq

— KailinCurranAsing (@KailinCurran) April 14, 2019

Umm…

When they say Nigerians are taking over the fight game pic.twitter.com/VbwXO6MEjf

— Max Keiser (@themaxkeiserr) April 14, 2019

The post Pros Including Robert Whittaker React to Thriller Between Israel Adesanya and Kevlin Gastelum at UFC 236 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kelvin Gastelum was set to challenge Robert Whittaker for the middleweight title at UFC 234 before a hernia pulled Whittaker from the bout on the day of the fight. The former Ultimate Fighter winner earned his title shot by going 4-1 at 185-pounds (however, one win over Vitor Belfort was overturned due to marijuana usage). The Kings MMA product has won his last two fights, defeating Jacare Souza and Michael Bisping.

Israel Adesanya is a kickboxing great and a former GLORY title challenger. The New Zealander is 16-0 in his MMA career, five of those fights coming in the UFC. Adesanya has notable wins over Derek Brunson and Anderson Silva in his last two bouts. 13 of his 16 career wins have ended via stoppage.

The pair met Saturday at UFC 236 in Atlanta, GA, with the UFC interim middleweight title on the line. A quick rise for Adesanya, but well-earned. For Gastelum, he was finally getting a chance to finish his mission for gold. Well, sort of, given it would be interim gold.

It was set to be a flashy striker versus dominant wrestler showdown. It wound up being striker versus striker early, surprising many.

The height and reach difference had Adesanya towering over Gastelum as the bout got underway. Gastelum was outside early, looking for a way in on his much taller opponent. Adesanya landed a kick to the body that landed with a thud. A left by Gastelum grazed Adesanya. Gastelum, moments later, tagged Adesanya with another left hook, sending Adesanya reeling! He recovered, but had perhaps eaten the cleanest blow of his UFC career.

Kevlin Gastelum continued firing some nasty punches, taking the fight to his kickboxing ace opponent in something of a surprising approach. The first round, in fact, was nothing if not a surprise, with Gastelum winning the standup battle. Not to mention scoring a near knockdown.

Round two had Adesanya firing off a couple of kicks to the body right out of the gate. A third, more effective, landed, causing Gastelum to briefly double over. Adesanya landed a jab to the body; Gastelum worked his own jab. Adesanya would fire off another kick, only to eat a jab. Gastelum’s left hook remained a threat as well, sneaking in behind his jab. Adesanya was fighting a much more defensive fight than he’d shown previously, but just over halfway through the round, Adesanya dropped Gastelum with a left! He tried to pounce on his fallen opponent, but Gastelum escaped back up.

Adesanya drops Gastelum in round 2! #UFC236 pic.twitter.com/dfkOdR5bDm

— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2019

Despite the knockdown, Gastelum continued to press the action, but he ate another big blow moments later, an elbow that rocked him! That led to the first real takedown attempt by Gastelum, but Adesanya shook it off.

Round three had Gastelum on his horse early, circling and looking for a way in on Adesanya. Adesanya seemed to be back in his comfort zone. He landed a body kick, while Gastelum feinted, circled, and found himself getting some different looks and different kicks. Adesanya took advantage of Gastelum taking a big swing by answering with a crisp right, followed by a knee to the body. With just over a minute remaining, Gastelum scored a takedown — but Adesanya quickly scooted back to the fence and scrambled up!

In the first championship round, Kelvin Gastelum came out firing, looking to close the distance and find a takedown. It wasn’t there, at least not early. Adesanya shook him off, and kept him at arm’s length, adding a knee to the body. The fourth frame, initially, played out similar to the third. It was the end of the round that really shocked, however. Gastelum went high with a kick that caught Adesanya. He was hurt, and Gastelum moved in, rocking his opponent again, this time with a left hand. Adesanya circled out of harm’s way, but Gastelum was able to catch him again, and had him pinned against the fence to finish the round.

The fifth and final round opened with the fight being ripe for the taking. Gastelum had the momentum coming out of the fourth. He went low with a kick early. Adesanya answered back, and fired off a combination. Then a front kick. Gastelum fired a left. Adesanya landed a right, then attempted a guillotine. Gastelum rolled through, escaped, only to be caught in a triangle! Gastelum escaped that and they scrambled up. Adesanya continued to attack, but Gastelum remained dangerous. While Adesanya connected low and high with kicks, and landed his right, Gastelum charged in, driving him into the fence. Constant action in the fifth round. With neither man wanting to lay off. Adesanya then scored a knockdown with just over a minute left! Gastelum, barely, survived, driving Adesanya into the cage out of desperation.

Gastelum was bloodied. He was being lit up. With a minute to go, Adesanya dropped him again! Adesanya looked for a choke, didn’t have it, and began landing punch after punch! Gastelum refused to go out, the ref refused to stop it, but Israel Adesanya refused to let up! They went to the bell, having put on a classic.

#AndNew!!

🇳🇬 @Stylebender gets it done! #UFC236

(@Cinemax) pic.twitter.com/Wo5K0hT1r4

— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2019

When the smoke cleared, it was Israel Adesanya, The Last Stylebender, holding interim middleweight gold. Champ Robert Whittaker awaits.

Israel Adesanya def. Kelvin Gastelum by unanimous decision (48-46, 48-46, 48-46)

The post UFC 236 Results: Israel Adesanya Comes Out On Top Of Five Round War, Claims Interim Gold appeared first on Cageside Press.