Here’s what comes next for Dumont, potentially, and the rest of the main card winners.

Norma Dumont

What a change a weight class makes. When Norma Dumont entered the UFC last year, she was a 4-0 fighter brought in to help the promotion pretend it offered a women’s featherweight division. To date, it does not. The division was a showcase for Cris Cyborg, then a showcase for Amanda Nunes, the champ-champ.

After losing to Megan Anderson, Dumont was given basically one option: drop to bantamweight. But after missing weight twice, she was out of options, until the UFC granted her a fight with one of its few other featherweights, Felicia Spencer.

Dumont wasn’t supposed to win against Spencer, but she did. She wasn’t supposed to win against Aspen Ladd either, but she did that too. Moving forward? With Kayla Harrison on the horizon, the UFC seems to be slowly coming around to the idea that building a 145lb weight class, for real this time, might be a good idea. That’s why Norma Dumont was booked against Holly Holm, originally, atop UFC Vegas 40. It’s why Felicia Spencer has a fight against the returning Leah Letson also coming up. Now that Dumont has won three straight, two at featherweight, the Holm fight seems like an even better idea. When Holm is ready, book it.

Dumont’s next fight: Holly Holm

Andrei Arlovski

Former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski was fighting in the UFC before Dana White was president, before Zuffa even owned it. Remember that time we all thought Arlovski needed to retire, because his chin was shot and he’d left the UFC only to see his career fall into a tailspin? That was a decade ago.

Arlovski refuses to go away quietly. Hell, he refuses to go away at all, and he seems just fine with beating up rookies to prove a point: he’s not done yet. So you might as well give “The Pitbull” what he wants. That happens to be a fight with Alexander Volkov. Despite being 4-1 in his last five fights, Arlovski isn’t even ranked. But his name value makes him immune to rankings, heck Volkov vs. Arlovski probably headlines a Fight Night card. Volkov fights Marcin Tybura later this month, and win or lose, give Volkov to Arlovski after. Volkov’s not ready for a title shot just yet anyway as he’s coming off a loss to Ciryl Gane.

Arlovski’s next fight: Alexander Volkov

Jim Miller

Lightweight Jim Miller is the UFC’s “Iron Man,” a veteran of over 50 fights who only recently pulled out of a bout for the first time ever, due to COVID-19. He holds the record for most UFC fights at 38 as of this past weekend, where he knocked Erick Gonzalez out cold.

Miller is a fighter’s fighter, an all-around good guy who just likes to fight. It makes all the sense in the world to book him against Cowboy Cerrone for fight #40 as they’re neck-and-neck in the race for most fights, but what about fight #39?

Fellow veteran Jeremy Stephens is 0-5 (1 NC) in his last six fights. Stephens is that rare fighter who can endure a run like that and still keep his job, so let’s see if he still has enough in the tank to go against Miller. Veteran vs. veteran feels a lot better than trying to feed Miller to another young lion.

Miller’s next fight: Jeremy Stephens

Manon Fiorot

Manon Fiorot is good, really good. More importantly, perhaps, she’s flying under the radar. No one is talking about title shots for the French flyweight just yet, despite an eight-fight win streak pre-dating the UFC, and the dominance she’s shown in the cage. On Saturday, she beat up Mayra Bueno Silva. It wasn’t close.

Keep developing her. As much as Valentina Shevchenko has cleaned out the weight class there is no need to rush Fiorot, who could pose a real problem to the champ some day. She does, however, need a step up in competition. Coming up, Joanne Calderwood is fighting Taila Santos. Give Fiorot the winner.

Fiorot’s next fight: Winner of JoJo Calderwood vs. Taila Santos

Nate Landwehr

Nate “The Train” Landwehr submitted Ludovit Klein at UFC Vegas 40, and earned himself an extra 50K doing it. The featherweight is now 2-2 in the UFC, and is capable of putting on a show. Tucker Lutz is fighting Lando Vannata next month, and “Groovy” Lando is definitely a showman. On the flip side, if Lutz wins, he’s 2-0 in the UFC. The winner goes to Landwehr.

Landwher’s next fight: Winner of Lando Vannata vs. Tucker Lutz

The post What’s Next: UFC Vegas 40 Winners appeared first on Cageside Press.

Aspen Ladd

Aspen Ladd made her move to featherweight this past weekend. This comes after she missed weight for a bantamweight bout against Macy Chiasson a few weeks ago. In her next fight, Ladd should be fighting Felicia Spencer. They have very similar fighting styles and Spencer is coming off back-to-back losses against Amanda Nunes and Norma Dumont. A win over someone like Spencer would give Ladd another shot at the top fighters in the women’s featherweight division.

Ladd’s next fight: Felicia Spencer 

Carlos Felipe

Carlos Felipe lost a decision to Andrei Arlovski this past weekend. The fight was extremely close and Felipe seemed very surprised when the scorecards were being read. This loss makes Felipe 3-2 in the UFC and he should be looking to fight another exciting up-and-comer in his next fight. Parker Porter is 2-1 in the UFC and is currently on a two-fight winning streak. Both Felipe and Porter have great knockout and power and they match up pretty well size-wise. This fight would be an excellent filler for a light Fight Night card in the future.

Felipe’s next fight: Parker Porter 

Erick Gonzalez

Although Erick Gonzalez lost his UFC debut by knockout to Jim Miller, he looked phenomenal leading up to the finish. It seemed like he was on the path to having a knockout of his own but after one small mistake, he was quickly finished in the second round.

In his next fight, he should be looking to fight a lightweight in a similar situation as himself. Someone making their UFC debut or maybe even one of these guys off the Contender Series. Slava Borshchev won a UFC contract for his knockout over Chris Duncan last week. Borshchev is a great striker with knockout power. That combination is a recipe for violence fighting a guy like Gonzalez.

Gonzalez next fight: Slava Borshchev

Mayra Bueno Silva

Mayra Bueno Silva lost a unanimous decision to Manon Fiorot this past weekend. Fiorot dominated most of the fight, but Silva showed a crazy amount of toughness. Silva was hit with some big shots the entire fight and never flinched. She even started taunting Fiorot in the fight showing her that the strikes were not hurting her. Silva is 2-2-1 in the UFC and is probably fighting for her job in her next fight.

Mandy Bohm recently lost her UFC debut against Ariane Lipski. In that fight, Bohm also showed a ton of toughness being hit with big shots from Lipski and not being finished. Toughness makes for a bloody fight which is exactly what the UFC is looking for out of the women’s flyweight division.

Silva’s next fight: Mandy Bohm 

Ludovit Klein

Ludovit Klein lost by submission to Nate Landwehr in the third round of their featherweight bout at UFC Vegas 40. This loss makes Klein 1-2 in the UFC. He was a very promising prospect after making his UFC debut. After losing two straight a lot has come into question with Klein. Klein has finished 16 of his 17 wins and has great striking and grappling. Both men put on a show on Saturday night. Fighters who put on exciting fights normally stay on the roster even after multiple losses.

Danny Chavez is 1-1-1 in the UFC and put on extremely exciting performances in all three of his UFC fights. Chavez is coming off a majority draw against Kai Kamaka III and is looking to get back into the win column in his next fight. Klein and Chavez would be a war and would be beneficial for both fighters’ spot in the company.

Klein’s next fight: Danny Chavez 

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Jim West, head coach at MMA Gold, not to mention coach and boyfriend of main event star Aspen Ladd, could be heard between rounds getting more and more riled up over Ladd’s lack of action in the fight. Increasingly more agitated with his fighter, West could be overheard essentially berating her, rather than giving her much in the way of technical advice.

It led many, including former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate, to label West’s conduct abusive.

This is ABUSE, what a douche

— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 17, 2021

West did, following round one, attempt to give some helpful advice to his pupil. After that? Not so much. A breakdown of some of West’s comments follows, along with the round prior to which he made them.

Round 2

“You’re kind of standing in that no man’s land. Lead with your back side, not your front side, because she’s trying to counter you with the right hand.”

Round 3

“You’re f*cking around. You gotta fight. You’re down 2-0 now. You gotta fucking fight. You gotta change the pace, and it’s gotta be quick.”

Round 4

“You’re down 3-0. Please tell me what you’re doing. You have to throw more than one punch. You gotta get into the f*cking fight. It’s time to fight. It’s the fourth round, you’re down 3-0. Pick it up. Fight to win. Fight to win every second of every minute of every round. You have to finish this broad now.”

Round 5

“Honestly I don’t know what you’re doing. You close the distance, and you’re jumping out. I don’t know what you’re waiting for. What are you waiting for? What are you waiting for? You have cardio for f*cking days. Push the f*cking pace. You have to, you have to go f*cking balls to the wall. Throw caution to the wind, and you gotta f*cking go. You’re down basically 4-0, you may have won that last round, either way, you’ve got to f*cking finish her.”

Multiple fighters, media members, and fans kept the debate going Sunday. West, to his credit, has now apologized for his conduct, recognizing that it may have been “harsh.”

“Tonight was not our night. It’s been our night many many times at the highest level but not tonight. I blame myself. Though it may not be my fault. It’s not up for debate. I take all the blame,” West wrote on social media. “Yes after the first couple rounds I may have been a little harsh but I know Aspen and at that time technical conversation was not in the cards being down 3 rounds. Nonetheless I own it and I am sorry Aspen Ladd from the bottom of my heart I will continue to be better each time.”

Ladd (9-2) was making her featherweight debut in the fight against Norma Dumont. Just two weeks removed from missing weight for a bantamweight bout against Macy Chiasson, Ladd was stopped in her tracks by Dumont’s jab, and never seemed to find her rhythm.

It was also Ladd’s first fight since 2019, with the 26-year old missing all of 2020 due to tearing her ACL and MCL in training.

The post Jim West, Aspen Ladd’s Coach and Partner, Apologizes For “Harsh” Treatment of Fighter at UFC Vegas 40 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Aspen Ladd stepped in on short notice Saturday night to replace an injured Holly Holm against a rising star in the featherweight division, Norma Dumont. It’s the sort of opportunity not normally afforded to a fighter who blew weight just two events prior, but desperate times and all.

Ladd fell ill due to her weight cut two weeks ago, though she would later insist Chiasson had turned down a catchweight fight. After some backlash, Ladd put all that negativity and noise behind her and took a fight at featherweight against  Norma Dumont to save the UFC Vegas 40 main event.

Dumont, on a two-fight win streak to start the night, welcomed the bantamweight Ladd to the division, and a rude welcome it was. Although a fight and a win over a big name and former champion like Holly Holm would have raised Dumont’s stock in a hunt for a title shot, the victory over Ladd could very well have the same result in the end. Especially given the scarcity of contenders for Amanda Nunes at 145lbs.

After five rounds at UFC Vegas 40, the fight went to the judges’ score cards. It looked like Aspen Ladd needed a finish the entire fight, as Norma Dumont seemed to have a sizeable lead after each round, playing defence with a disciplined jab. Ladd’s corner pleaded with her in between rounds to get something going, but it was a little too late because after five rounds the judges gave Norma Dumont the unanimous decision victory.

PROS GIVE THEIR TAKE

Check out how pros reacted to the UFC Vegas 40 main event below. Perhaps the biggest reaction was regarding Ladd’s coach, who chewed her out between rounds.

Level change, feints, and angle changes. Just a few ways to break the rhythm of a jab. #UFCVegas40

— Vince Morales (@vandetta135) October 17, 2021

Dumont gives a little hope to the 145 category, and you can run as a future contender for amanda #UFCvegas40 @ufc

— Juan Espino El Guapo (@juan_espino_ofi) October 17, 2021

https://twitter.com/GroovyLando/status/1449549680157757447?s=20

This guy is James Krause when you order from wish

— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) October 17, 2021

Glad I’m not the only one to see it https://t.co/BKtB5mNL6B

— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 17, 2021

Very well done 🇧🇷👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

— Ariane Lipski Da Silva (@Ariane_lipski) October 17, 2021

How y’all feel about that ‘coaching’ in the main event?! #ufc

— Kevin Holland (@Trailblaze2top) October 17, 2021

“ idk what your doing” the exact words from @TheAspenLadd corner poor choice of words but I feel his frustration. @ESPNPlus

— Bam Morris (@Bam_jungleking) October 17, 2021

The post The Pro Take: Norma Dumont Continues Win Streak, Ladd’s Coach Draws Ire appeared first on Cageside Press.

Entering his 38th UFC fight and fight number 50 overall, the veteran lightweight welcomed Erick Gonzalez to the promotion Saturday night. Early on, Gonzalez had Miller hurt — but could not put him away. Instead, Miller’s instincts kicked in, and he landed a key takedown, buying himself some much needed recovery time.

The second round saw the opposite scenario, with Miller absolutely crushing Gonzalez with a left hand over a kick. Gonzalez had dropped his hands when he fired the kick, leaving himself wide open to the knockout blow.

The finish, Miller’s first knockout since UFC 200, earned him one of four Performance of the Night bonuses awarded at UFC Vegas 40. No Fight of the Night was handed out.

The other $50,000 performance bonuses went to Bruno Silva, Nate Landwehr, and Danaa Batgerel.

Mongolia’s Batgerel absolutely smashed the returning Brandon Davis on the night’s preliminary card. That victory earned him his third win inside the octagon — and his third straight finish as well. Batgerel’s only loss in the promotion came in another bonus-winning fight, a Fight of the Night against Heili Alateng back in 2019.

Silva, also on the preliminary card, stopped TUF winner Andrew Sanchez in the third round of their middleweight bout. “Blindado” has now won both his UFC outings to date.

Landwehr, meanwhile, locked an anaconda choke on Ludovit Klein to open the UFC Vegas 40 main card.

The post Jim Miller Earns One of Four Performance of the Night Bonuses at UFC Vegas 40 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Two weeks removed from missing weight for a bantamweight fight, Ladd was back, easily hitting the mark at yesterday’s weigh-in. Opposite her was Norma Dumont, who was returning to 145lbs after missing weight for two straight bouts at bantamweight, only one of which moved forward.

With the possibility of 145lb superstar Kayla Harrison joining the UFC next year (she’ll be a free agent following this year’s PFL season), the time was now for the promotion to properly build the division. The addition of Ladd, if she opted to stay with 145lbs, could be huge.

Early on in Saturday’s main event, Dumont worked her jab as Ladd moved forward. Not much connected; the approach was more about keeping Ladd at distance. This dance continued through the first three minutes: no kicks, no takedown attempts, no clinch work. Dumont did connect with that jab a couple of times, landing on the nose of Ladd.

After an uneventful first round, someone needed to open up in the second. Ladd fired a combo 90 seconds in, but nothing landed; Dumont, meanwhile, was still relying almost entirely on her jab. Ladd threw out a leg kick, but the second was only slightly more active than the first.

Between rounds, Ladd’s corner told her she was likely down two rounds. Dumont opened the third frame throwing a short combo, which was at least more than a jab. Ladd picked up the pace slightly as well, continuing to press forward. Ladd, however, continued to be met by Dumont’s punches on the way in. Towards the midway mark of the round, Ladd would drive her opponent into the fence, while Dumont defended with a whizzer. Eventually they’d reverse then move back to center, but not before Ladd landed a knee up the middle. Dumont then connected over the top; Ladd would drop to her knees for a takedown that Dumont stuffed.

Round four opened with Ladd immediately closing the distance and pushing Dumont up against the cage. Ladd looked for a trip, then dropped and tried to get her hands together for a double leg. Dumont just wouldn’t budge, however. They moved back to center, Dumont this time being the one to land a knee. Ladd would again push Dumont up against the cage later in the round, but it was Dumont landing the takedown. She wound up in guard, with Ladd holding on tight to her opponent’s neck to take away space. Ladd managed to sweep with less than 30 seconds remaining, and immediately began landing ground n’ pound, first punches then elbows, then punches again.

Aspen Ladd needed a finish heading into round five. Those watching knew it. Her coaches knew it. Her opponent likely knew it too. Ladd’s path to victory was almost certainly through ground n’ pound, and she pursued the takedown early in the third. Dumont, as she had done all fight, fought it off. This time, Ladd got a little more aggressive in the clinch, adding punches to the body and upstairs.

The problem is, the entire round pretty much played out that way. Nothing Ladd could do could get the fight to the ground. She clearly won the fifth round, but lost the war.

Official Result: Norma Dumont def. Aspen Ladd by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)

The post UFC Vegas 40 Results: Norma Dumont Wins Underwhelming Fight Against Returning Aspen Ladd appeared first on Cageside Press.

While the 42-year old had been calling for a bigger name in Alexander Volkov, he found himself matched up with Brazilian up-and-comer Carlos Felipe on Saturday. An old dog versus young lion match-up, but Arlovski had in the past proved that he still had a few things to teach the younger generation.

Arlovski mixed up his kicks to open up the UFC Vegas 40 co-main event, attacking the leg, then the body of Carlos Felipe. The Brazilian took a big swing but whiffed in the opening minute; he did connect with a punch to the body moments later.

From there, Felipe slowly, methodically pressed forward, with Arlovski keeping out of range and showing a lot of feints and hand movement. The ex-champ doubled up on the jab, tagging Felipe at least once. Moments later, Arlovski punctuated a combination with a head kick.

Round two saw Felipe going to the body early and looking to move into range. But as he had in round one, Arlovski was more active in terms of volume. Felipe began to goad the ex-champ, looking to draw Andrei Arlovski into a war. Arlovski proved too smart for that, escaping back to center and firing off another effective combo. He continued to attack Felipe’s lead leg as well. Felipe did land a few punches, but Arlovski kept his guard high. The Brazilian also realized checking the low kicks would be beneficial towards the end of the second. Felipe finished the second round landing a couple of big punches, but missed on a jump knee.

Living up to the Brawler tattoo 👊

[ @CarlosBoiMMA | #UFCVegas40 LIVE NOW on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Xo5BfbgOO9

— UFC (@ufc) October 17, 2021

Carlos Felipe went after it in the third. He connected several times on a tiring Arlovski, though the ex-champ complained of an eye poke. The action continued while the commission reviewed the sequence, it was later ruled a punch. Arlovski battled back, putting Felipe on his heels. Then, Arlovski wound up tripped up on a leg kick. Felipe swarmed, Arlovski covered up, but made it back to his feet. He fired another combo, Felipe answered with haymakers, but didn’t land them. They would tie up by the fence, with ref Herb Dean opting to restart them at center. Arlovski landed a combo, both men were exhausted, and they went to the bell.

The fact that Andrei Arlovski remains competitive with fighters nearly twenty years his junior is nothing short of remarkable.

Official Result: Andrei Arlovski def. Carlos Felipe by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC Vegas 40 Results: Andrei Arlovski Wins Grueling Fight with Carlos Felipe appeared first on Cageside Press.

The culprit was COVID-19. But with Miller and his family beating the bug, the UFC’s “Iron Man” was back at UFC Vegas 40, entering Ultimate Fighting Championship bout #38, and fight #50 overall.

He was also welcoming Combate Americas alumni Erick Gonzalez to the octagon.

Miller came out strong with a glancing head kick and pressed Gonzalez against the cage. It was Sanchez who was the one that was able to trip Miller, however, and get the takedown. Gonzalez let Miller back to his feet. Shortly after he wobbled Miller with a right hand but Miller was able to get a takedown. That bought some precious recovery time, with Miller able to clear the cobwebs. Miller didn’t get much off on the mat before Gonzalez scrambled back to his feet. Miller landed a few big punches and closed the round landing on Gonzalez along the fence.

Round two started off and both guys met center cage. Off a blind kick from Gonzalez, Miller landed a left hook right on the button, knocking Gonzalez out cold! It was only seconds into the second when Miller found the kill shot.

EXPERIENCE ON DISPLAY!!!!!!!

😤 @JimMiller_155 dots the i on his record setting night! #UFCVegas40 pic.twitter.com/yWXAo1ZYuw

— UFC (@ufc) October 17, 2021

Official Result: Jim Miller def. Erick Gonzalez by KO (left hook), Round 2, 0:14

The post UFC Vegas 40 Results: Jim Miller Survives Early Scare, Knocks Out Erick Gonzalez in 50th Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.

After beating the virus, Fiorot, a proven finisher out of France, was looking to continue her winning ways against Brazil’s Mayra Bueno Silva.

Her game plan Saturday appeared to involve turning up the volume. Fiorot absolutely overwhelmed her opponent in that category through the first half of the opening round. When she did reply, Silva was throwing out single strikes, mainly leg kicks. Fiorot, meanwhile, would planet her opponent on her backside with a punch with roughly two minutes remaining in the round. Late in the round, Fiorot would prove she’s well-rounded, landing a takedown with thirty seconds remaining to cap off a dominant frame, though Silva did look tricky off her back.

The power of the 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓽 😳

[ #UFCVegas40 | LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/1WqDRCDzCk

— UFC (@ufc) October 16, 2021

Fiorot when straight after the takedown to open the second, despite the success she’d found on the feet in round one. Silva almost did Fiorot a favor fighting off the attempt. And while the Brazilian marched forward with determination, it was still one strike from Silva, three or four from Fiorot during each exchange. By the end of the round, Fiorot was well ahead on the scorecards.

Round three saw Silva dumped on her back about ninety seconds in. And while the ground might actually have been preferable to her, having Fiorot in half guard was not. Silva managed to get Fiorot back into her guard for a moment, but the French fighter then stepped over into side control. Trapping an arm, she began dropping some nasty looking ground n’ pound, then moved back to her feet. She did eat an upkick, which dislodged Fiorot’s mouthpiece, halting the action for a moment. When they got back underway, Fiorot began unloading again. Silva was game, almost goading Fiorot while walking her down, but she was outmatched on the feet.

Fiorot has now won eight straight, three inside the UFC octagon. She hasn’t lost since her pro debut, which came against current Bellator featherweight Leah McCourt.

Official Result: Manon Fiorot def. Mayra Bueno Silva by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

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With the loss of Jordan Wright vs. Julian Marquez from the UFC Vegas 40 card, Saturday’s main card was kicked off by a hard-hitting featherweight scrap.

That saw Nate Landwehr looking to bounce back from a February loss against Slovakian Ludovit Klein. “Mr. Highlight” was hoping for a return to the win column as well, after falling to Mike Trizano last time out.

Klein seemed to be in control for the vast majority of round one. Having the battle fought at his pace, he switched in between clinch fighting and keeping Landwehr at bay, and keeping the fight from turning into a furious brawl. Klein did a good job of landing the cleaner shots, that was until the final ten seconds, as Landwehr decided to use his pent up energy and unleash an insane flurry as Klein’s back was to the fence.

Klein opened the second frame with a nice combination punctuated by a head kick that landed clean, forcing Landwehr to clinch. Landwehr recovered well though and unleashed a good combination followed by a good head kick of his own. Landwehr went for a takedown and then a d’arce to no fruition. Klein escaped and landed some good shots of his own but not before being hurt by a right hook by Landwehr, who blitzed for a finish but alas we saw a round three.

Klein did his best to return the fight to its slower pace in round three, but Landwehr made the fight a brawl. Landing two right hands he forced Klein to shoot for a takedown, but Klein left his neck open. Landwehr clamped down on an anaconda choke and soon got the tap! Great performance by Nate Landwehr.

🚂 Nate the Train!!!

Locking up the submission! #UFCVegas40 pic.twitter.com/toe3By1hi7

— UFC (@ufc) October 16, 2021

Official Result: Nate Landwehr def. Ludovit Klein by submission (anaconda choke), Round 3, 2:22

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