Spicely (12-5) returned to the promotion last year, stepping up against Deron Winn. It was his first fight back since a 2-4 run with the company from 2016-18. However, over the weekend, Spicely failed to make weight for a 195lb catchweight bout against Markus Perez at UFC Vegas 5.

The miss was bad enough that Spicely wasn’t cleared to fight. Something he attributed to medication, specifically anti-depressants he began taking as the result of a bad concussion.

Alright @ufc this is goodbye again for now. Let’s see if we can do a 3 peat. Sorry to all my fans.

— éS (@EricSpicely) August 3, 2020

Speaking to MMA Fighting after announcing his release, Spicely stated that “after the Deron fight, I had a concussion for so long, and I was just so depressed after, I started taking medication.“ But with that came complications. “Naturally, with a lot of them, one of the side effects is you start gaining a lot of weight. It’s very hard to lose weight. So I’ve been trying to figure it out, and the weight cut just went f*cking south for the first time in my career.”

Spicely also detailed how he lost his corners ahead of the fight, as they were unable to cross the border from Canada, where he trains. Then, after enlisting the help of Tom Lawlor to corner him, the weight cut complications arose, along with an anxiety attack.

Still, Spicely, generally seen as one of the sport’s nice guys, isn’t ready to call it quits. After revealing that he’d been cut, Spicely posted on social media that he was looking for another fight, at either middleweight or light heavyweight.

I haven’t made money in over a year, needless to say I’ll be ready to fight short notice at 185 or 205. Fuck it

— éS (@EricSpicely) August 3, 2020

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Edmen Shahbazyan

Shahbazyan’s loss this past Saturday definitely derails his hype train but there is still a lot of interesting matchups for him inside the top 15. He came into this fight ranked number nine while Bruson was ranked number eight. An interesting fight to keep your eye on in the near future is Yoel Romaro vs. Uriah Hall. Both men are veterans of the UFC and would be great stylistic matchups for Shahbazyan. Romaro is currently ranked number five while Hall is ranked number 10. A good bet would be that Shahbazyan fights the loser of that fight.

Shahbazyan’s Next Fight: Loser of Uriah Hall vs. Yoel Romaro 

Joanne Calderwood

Joanne Calderwood was in the number one contender spot and was in line to fight Valentina Shevchenko for the title. Shevchenko got hurt and instead of waiting Calderwood decided to take a fight against Jennifer Maia in the meantime. That fight did not go her way as Maia was able to submit Calderwood in the first round. Dana White said in the post-fight presser that Maia is likely going to get the next title shot. So it leaves one question, What is next for Joanna Calderwood?

Cynthia Calvillo just made her flyweight debut by defeating Jessica Eye back in June. That win pushed Calvillo all the way to a number two ranking in the flyweight division. Calderwood should be looking to fight Calvillo for another number one contender shot.

Calderwood’s Next Fight: Cynthia Calvillo

Randy Brown

Randy Brown was knocked out by Vicente Luque in the second round this past weekend. In a fight that was surely on its way to being fight of the night had it gone the distance. Since he was knocked out he will likely have some sort of medical suspension. So we likely won’t be seeing him fight untill the end of the year.

In the UFC’s last event on fight island, there were two very interesting welterweight fights to start the main card. Khamzat Chimaev turned himself into a star with a TKO win over Rhys McKee. While Alex Oliveira won a decision over Peter Sobotta. It is a little far fetched to think Brown will be matched up with Chimaev because Chimaev will probably fight two or three more times before Brown comes back. The most realistic opponent out of the remaining welterweights would be Rhys McKee. Dana White said in the post-fight presser that Rhys McKee is a great prospect and shouldn’t be overlooked because of his performance against Chimaev. With that being said stylistically Brown’s striking would match up great with the power of McKee.

Brown’s Next Fight: Rhys McKee

Lando Vannata

Lando Vannata lost a decision to Bobby Green this past weekend. Green was able to outstrike Vannata for three rounds. Keeping Vannata at bay with his jabs and overall doing more damage with his strikes. It would be great to see Vannata fight someone who would be willing to throw caution to the wind and brawl with him. The first name that comes to mind is Rafael Fiziev. A few weeks ago Fiziev won a decision over Marc Diakiese. A fight that displayed Fiziev’s master striking. Fiziev also showed that is was willing to brawl a little bit. As Diakiese was trying to outstrike Fiziev by counter striking, Fiziev was forced to be the aggressor for most of the fight.

Vannata’s Next Fight: Rafael Fiziev 

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Derek Brunson

Brunson has quietly put together a three-fight win streak, all of which was on the backs of fighters looking to make a jump towards the top 5 in the middleweight division. It seems like time for him to make a jump himself, but a lot of the top middleweights are already booked or seemingly will be soon. Next weekend’s middleweight co-main event between Chris Weidman and Omari Akhmedov should supply another top 10 opponent for Brunson. Plus, if it happens to be Weidman, he’ll get yet another big name to put on his resume.

Derek Brunson’s next fight: Weidman/Akhmedov Winner

Jennifer Maia

A lot of people started calling for a title shot for Maia after her dominant performance over Joanne Calderwood (even the champion herself). However, it’s worth noting that she’s coming off of a loss and back-to-back missed weights. As a result, the title shot should probably go to either Cynthia Calvillo or Lauren Murphy who are on more impressive runs. I expect the UFC look to Calvillo, and as a result; we’ll let Maia and Murphy duke it out for the next crack.

Jennifer Maia’s next fight: Lauren Murphy

Vicente Luque

After losing his six-fight win streak to Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, Luque has began to build another impressive run. This time, the UFC would be smart to try to test him a little bit more seriously from the get go. Demian Maia would be a nice step in the right direction. Plus it would give Maia a chance to fight someone who is not one of the top contenders or someone who is unranked (as those have seemed like the only options lately for him). Seeing how the clinch tussles play out between the two would be worth the price of admission.

Vicente Luque’s next fight: Demian Maia

Bobby Green

Can we just keep matching Green up in fun fights? I’d honestly take another fight with Lando Vannata as long as they want to keep making those. Now on a two-fight win streak, Green likely wants to take a step up. So let’s pair him with the fun stylings of Renato Moicano. Watching the Thai style of Moicano paired with the boxing of Green would be fun, and we’d probably get some great grappling exchanges too. The winner of that would be a serious threat to the top 15 at lightweight.

Bobby Green’s next fight: Renato Moicano

Jamall Emmers

Emmers took a tough luck split decision in his debut against Giga Chikadze – a fight that a lot of people thought he won. While UFC Vegas 5 was a great showing for Emmers, Vince Cachero took it on very short notice and came up a weight class. To see where Emmers fits a little better, let’s pair him with someone else who just grabbed some momentum at featherweight. Nate Landwehr took a tough loss in his debut as well, but bounced back with a big and exciting win over Darren Elkins. Emmers and Landwehr would be a competitive bout and we’d likely get to see a more complete look at Emmers’ game.

Jamall Emmers’ next fight: Nate Landwehr

The post What’s Next: UFC Vegas 5 Winners appeared first on Cageside Press.

It didn’t work out as planned. Within a round, Calderwood (14-5) had tapped to a painful looking arm-bar. Brazil’s Maia (18-6-1) may not exactly leap-frog her in the rankings, but the Scottish fighter will need to work her way back to contention now. A fight against Valentina Shevchenko will not be next.

To make matters worse the 33-year old had a little health scare backstage. Following the fight, it appeared Calderwood fainted. UFC President Dana White confirmed as much during the event’s post-fight press conference.

Calderwood was transported to hospital and kept overnight. Sunday, she released a statement via Instagram on the loss and what came after.

“Well that was a rough night at the office..congratulations to Jenifer Maia..I’m so grateful for my family, friends and fans that are here to help pick me back up in this crazy life we all share,” Calderwood wrote. “It’s a fight, everyday we all fight, but it’s not everyday it goes our way. Thanks to all the [UFC] staff, the medics and docs at umc.. oh and my knight in shining armour [John Wood] sorry for scaring you babe!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDY6ZD4nQ0T/?utm_source=ig_embed

Wood, for those unaware, is both Calderwood’s coach and fiance, so he had twice the reason to worry Saturday.

The good news is, it appears Calderwood is doing well. She wasn’t the only fighter to pass out Saturday, either. Trevin Giles reportedly became faint prior to his fight with Kevin Holland, and was pulled from the card, although he told officials he was willing to fight.

No reason has been given for either Calderwood or Giles’ health scares.

The post UFC: After Tough Loss and Passing Out Backstage, Calderwood Issues Statement appeared first on Cageside Press.

UFC Vegas 5 lost fights at an alarming rate leading up to and on Fight Night. Gerald Meerschaert tested positive for COVID-19 the day of the fight and his bout with Ed Herman was scrapped. Then, moments before the main card, Trevin Giles fainted and his fight with Kevin Holland was no more. Regardless, there were entertaining options for post-fight bonus selections.

The UFC announced the bonuses on Twitter.

Very rarely do two fighters earn Fight of the Night bonuses on two separate occasions against each other. Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade did it, and now Bobby Green and Lando Vannata will join that list. Their first bout was a split draw after Vannata was deducted a point for an illegal knee. At UFC Vegas 5, it was much more conclusive as Green knocked down Vannata several times to earn the victory. That’s now two straight victories for Green. Not bad for a fighter who retired in 2018.

Vicente Luque earned his sixth career performance bonus for his second-round knockout of Randy Brown. It was a beautiful systematic decimation of Brown, leading to a knee in the waning seconds of the second round that stopped the fight. Luque now has 12 wins in the UFC and has stoppages in 11 of them. He’s consistently one of the most exciting fighters to watch in the promotion.

Rounding things out is Jennifer Maia, who earned a Performance of the Night after upsetting Joanne Calderwood with a first-round armbar. Calderwood had a title shot locked up, but took a risk by accepting a fight against Maia. Maia pulled off the armbar from her back, which always an impressive feat.

The post UFC Vegas 5 Bonuses: Bobby Green vs. Lando Vannata Gets FOTN Again appeared first on Cageside Press.

You’ve got to love these types of main events when the UFC chooses to put a veteran like Derek Brunson across the Octagon from a rising star like Edmen Shahbazyan. A win for either man shines the spotlight so bright on the victor and gets the matchmakers salivating on who to match these contenders up with next.

Coming into the bout with Shahbazyan, being the underdog didn’t seem to bother Derek Brunson as he knew what was needed to get the job done inside the Octagon. Brunson looked to remind the world of how dangerous he is inside the Octagon and that nobody is going to make a career off his name.

Edmen Shahbazyan has had quite the rise in his MMA career, leading to his first UFC main event against Brunson. Training with Ronda Rousey and winning his UFC contract from Dana White’s Contender Series has shown the world that it was only a matter of time before he clinched a main event fight.

What a performance from Derek Brunson – what a way to get the TKO victory in the third round and hand Edmen Shahbazyan his first professional loss.

Check out how the pros reacted to the main event between Derek Brunson and Edmen Shahbazyan.

Nice one Brunson.
Really showed your level of experience in this fight.
Enjoy your time with your kids 🙌🏾✨

— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) August 2, 2020

Early but sound call from herb dean. Brunson was just gonna punish him big time. No need for a young prospect to take unnecessary damage.

— michael (@bisping) August 2, 2020

Told you guys don’t count out brunson #bullyknows #bullysbicks

— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) August 2, 2020

Good stoppage by herb. This will be a big learning lesson for edmen

— Brian BOOM Kelleher (@brianboom135) August 2, 2020

Brunson looked good, in great shape. Smart first round, took over in 2nd and then got the finish. What a performance. @DerekBrunson should be proud. Head up @edmenshahbazyan what a great night of fights.

— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) August 2, 2020

Damn nasty ground an pound Brunson, really liked the way he mixed up the boxing n wrestling #ufcvegas5

— Arnold billy allen (@Arnoldbfa) August 2, 2020

Brunson showing so much growth and patience tonight. Showcased why hes one of the best in the division.

Would love to see him fight Hermansson next maybe? #UFCVegas5

— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) August 2, 2020

Brunson showed up tn in a big way. For me, I feel the UFC has him as a gate keeper, but he’s a dangerous and durable one. Great fight from both men. Shabahzyan will be back. He’s very young. #ItsMyBirthdayBish #UFCVegas5

— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) August 2, 2020

The post Pros React to Dominant Performance of Derek Brunson Over Edmen Shahbazyan appeared first on Cageside Press.

A three round middleweight main event originally booked as the night’s co-feature topped UFC Vegas 5 on Saturday. But for all the weirdness leading up to the card — fights falling through and a small army of last minute replacements — Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Derek Brunson remained intriguing.

In reality, booking the 22-year-old against the veteran Brunson was giving him a step up, and a test to see if he was ready for bigger things. How he performed Saturday would no doubt determine whether he went on the fast track to the top at 185lbs, or if the promotion would opt to reign him in a little.

Derek Brunson started the fight with a long left straight that was deflected. Edmen Shahbazyan came back with a body shot, then another. Brunson fired a body kick that was briefly caught and Shahbazyan was hunting for his body. A right hook found the mark for Shahbazyan and Brunson came back with a kick. A body head combination with the left hand landed for Shahbazyan, then Brunson blitzed in with a big straight punch and shot for a takedown. Shahbazyan dropped a few elbows, but he was dumped to the canvas by Brunson. Shahbazyan started to turn, allowing Brunson to take his back momentarily. Shahbazyan worked his way up, eating a punch on the way there, then began firing heavy shots at Brunson. Brunson landed another takedown before the round came to a close, but after they returned to the feet, he was caught by a big elbow.

Punches landed simultaneously for both fighters to start the second with Shahbazyan going to the body and Brunson to the head. Brunson was able to secure another takedown, but Shahbazyan popped right back up. Right before firing a right hand, Brunson poked Shahbazyan in the eye with an extended hand. Action paused briefly as Shahbazyan refused to see the ringside doctor. Shahbazyan landed a huge body kick, then Brunson turned things around with a takedown attempt against the cage. He let it go and landed a few big hooks, then a knee. Brunson went back to the clinch, then landed a slick trip takedown. He smoothly slid into mount, then dropped bombs on Shahbazyan. With little time left, Brunson postured up and hit him with a series of huge shots. Shahbazyan was in rough shape in between rounds, but he was cleared fight in the third and final round.

Brunson popped him with a left hand to start the final round and Shahbazyan was simply out of it. Brunson dragged him down, then only a few punches were needed before Herb Dean stopped the fight. A huge win for Brunson, who is now 3-0 after moving to Henri Hooft’s gym.

STILL FORREAL. 😤 #UFCVegas5 pic.twitter.com/j8mLrErXQG

— UFC (@ufc) August 2, 2020

Derek Brunson def. Edmen Shahbazyan by TKO (Punches) in Round 3 (0:26)

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The MMA world thought Joanne Calderwood had a title shot against Valentina Shevchenko locked up. Quite frankly, she appeared to have done just that. But when Viviane Araujo dropped out of her fight with Jennifer Maia at UFC Vegas 5, it was “JoJo” to the rescue.

But why? Close to a decade ago Hatsu Hioki had made a similar decision ahead of a fight with Jose Aldo. He never got another whiff of the title after. Staying active, however, is what Calderwood has always wanted. It’s what led her to MMA, back when she could no longer find opponents in Muay Thai.

So maybe we shouldn’t have been surprised to see her in the co-main event with Maia on Saturday night.

Jennifer Maia took the center of the Octagon early in the fight then landed a left straight. Joanne Calderwood was working on leg kicks and was caught with another left. Calderwood used a few front kicks to keep distance, but Maia closed in and caught her with another left hand. The work of Maia continued as she carved through the range of Calderwood. Maia threw a front kick to the head of Calderwood that was caught and she was driven to the ground as a result. Calderwood turned her off the cage and began working from full guard. Maia’s activity level from her back was high, constantly throwing punches. Calderwood found herself in an armbar suddenly and attempted to escape by placing her shin on the face of Maia. Calderwood lost her balance and the armbar got deeper, and Maia got the tap.

UPSET!

🇧🇷 Jennifer Maia shocks Calderwood w/ a RD 1 sub.

Main event is next ➡️ LIVE on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/1vObSH0Lhj

— UFC (@ufc) August 2, 2020

Calderwood took the risk of taking another fight when she was already guaranteed a title shot and it did not pay off. Now the title shot is Maia’s, with champion Valentina Shevchenko tweeting out, “See you soon Jennifer Maia.”

Jennifer Maia def. Joanne Calderwood by Submission (Armbar) in Round 1 (4:29)

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Vicente Luque, coming off a win over Niko Price back in May, returned to action Saturday at UFC Vegas 5 against Randy Brown. The pair had originally been booked for a date in April, but the coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench in the works. However, with Luque wanting to stay active and Brown ready for a fight, the booking was salvaged despite Luque holding the 11th spot in the official welterweight rankings (Brown himself was unranked to start the evening).

Luque kicked off the first round by working over the lead calf of Brown in efforts to stifle the long jab. After trading some kicks, Luque landed a solid right, stunning Brown. Luque looked to pass for a moment, but then abandoned the top game all together and returned to the feet. Brown pumped the jab for a bit, but Luque popped him with yet another big hook. The round would close with Brown attempting a takedown and a flying knee with nothing doing.

A hard body kick from Brown started round two, closely followed by the repeated theme for the night, a shot to the marbles from Luque. Brown recovered quickly, but Luque went right back to work on the legs. A hard calf kick dropped Brown making the damage clear. Luque beckoned Brown back to the feet, but Brown began to find some success. He landed a pair of knees in the clinch and mean spinning elbow before hitting a body lock takedown right into side control. Like most of the ground work in this fight, it was short lived. Back in the clinch Luque landed a huge knee crumpling Brown as he reached for the mat.

THE SILENT ASSASSIN! 🤫@VicenteLuqueMMA's KO shots are UNREAL.

📺 The co-main is next on E+ pic.twitter.com/k9RqY7J2rE

— UFC (@ufc) August 2, 2020

Vicente Luque def. Randy Brown by KO (Knee) in Round 2 (4:56)

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In a rematch of their somewhat controversial draw from 2017, Lando Vannata and Bobby Green threw down once again at UFC Vegas 5. Part of a shortened event at a card ravaged by withdrawals, the bout was an interesting one, given Vannata’s talents, and Green recently returning to the winner’s circle just a few months back.

The first fight, for those who missed it, ended in a split draw. Vannata, however, had a point deducted for an illegal knee. Leaving two fighters very motivated for a different outcome this time around.

The first round of their second bout started much like the first round of their last bout. Vannata’s speed proved to be the difference at the onset. Between the speed and willingness to absorb the jabs of Green, Vannata was able to work inside and stun Green with a big shot. It wouldn’t be long before Green returned the favor and floored Vannata. Vannata used his wrestling to put Green against the cage and give himself a chance to recover. The round ends with Green showboating classically with his hands down, talking trash to Vannata.

After corner advice that asked him not to get into a “gun fight,” Vannata came out and looked to be more calculated in his attack. A failed body lock takedown and slightly lower output for Vannata didn’t change what Green was trying, or able to do. He pumped his jab frequently in the face of Vannata. On a tie up, Vannata jumped on a guillotine attempts and eventually conceded some top half guard work from Green. Vannata returned to his feet and a little later scored a short-lived takedown for himself. More of the same showmanship to end the round for Green.

The sixth round between the two went quickly to a Thai clinch. Green was looking for knees while Vannata threw shots over the top. Green switched it up to an elbow and put Vannata on butt. Green poured on blows looking to finish. He moved to mount to look for the finish there, but Vannata survived and used a heel hook to get back to the feet. They didn’t spend long there and Green hits a surprising takedown. After threatening with a choke, the fight wound up back on the feet for the final minute. Both landed some leather, but Green seemed to get the best of it.

Bobby Green def. Lando Vannata by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

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