Kamaru Usman

Kamaru Usman was ranked first on the UFC’s pound-for-pound list heading into his sixth title defense this past weekend. A loss to Edwards knocks him down the ladder a bit. Although his notoriety as one of the best in the world probably warrants him an immediate rematch. Especially because he was winning the majority of the fight. During his time as champion, he gave both Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal rematches so it is realistic to think the UFC will give him a trilogy against Edwards in his next fight.

Usman’s next fight: Trilogy fight with Leon Edwards

Luke Rockhold

After a Fight of the Night effort, and an infamous scene of rubbing his own blood into Paulo Costa’s face, Luke Rockhold announced his retirement at UFC 278.

Rockhold’s next fight: None

Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo lost a unanimous decision to Merab Dvalishvili this past weekend making him 3-3 since moving to the bantamweight division. Even with father time working against him, Aldo seems to look fresher than ever and ready to make a splash in the division. He just seemed to struggle with the grappling-heavy offense of Dvalishvili. In his next fight, Aldo should be looking to fight someone in the top ten to stay relevant.

Dominick Cruz is coming off a TKO loss to Marlon Vera just a few weeks ago and while he did look good in that fight, he ultimately came up short. A fight between Cruz and Aldo would be a great showcase between two legends of the sport trying to prove they still have what it takes to compete with the best.

Aldo’s next fight: Dominick Cruz 

Wu Yanan and Harry Hunsucker

Wu Yanan got finished in the second round by Lucia Pudilova at UFC 278. This loss puts Yanan on a four-fight losing streak. Hunsucker on the other hand is 0-3 since joining the UFC and just got finished in the first round by Tyson Pedro. So it is very likely the UFC decides to part ways with both fighters. If not, an up-and-coming fighter should be next for both.

Alexander Romanov

Alexander Romanov lost a controversial decision to Marcin Tybura this past weekend. In the first round, Romanov out stuck Tybura 30-0 in the significant strikes category. He also had four minutes and 27 seconds of control time against Tybura’s zero seconds of control time. Romanov got tired and ultimately lost round two and three but two of the judges did not award him a 10-8 round for the first round which led to him losing a majority decision. That loss marks the first of Romanov’s career. In his next fight, Romanov should be looking to fight someone in the top 15 so he can stay ranked and keep climbing the heavyweight rankings.

Blagoy Ivanov is 3-3 in the UFC and is currently ranked 15th in the division. He is coming off a decision win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima in his last fight back in May. Ivanov has great boxing which contradicts Romanov’s grappling-heavy fighting style. A win over Ivanov would keep Romanov in the top 15 and set him up for another big fight down the road.

Romanov’s next fight: Blagoy Ivanov 

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Pudilova was kicking off her second stint with the promotion, having gone 5-1 under the Oktagon MMA banner after exiting the UFC for the first time in 2020.

Pudilova opened the action with a jab, and almost immediately moved in on a single-leg takedown attempt. Yanan fought that off, and they would move back to center, but not before the Chinese bantamweight landed an elbow off the break. At range, she fired out some low kicks, and switched stances more than once. Pudilova, however, changed levels, shot in, and landed a takedown, only to be faced with an arm-bar attempt.

Escaping the submission, Pudilova went to work from side control, staying tight to her opponent’s body and keeping the pressure on. That led to a warning from the ref to stay active and get to work; Pudilova fired a hammer fist in response, and would later add a few elbow/forearm strikes while trying to set up an arm-triangle choke. Pudilova then stepped into mount, but a scramble allowed Yanan to escape.

Round two opened with an early exchange; Pudilova landed a left. Yanan fired a leg kick again, and a couple more inside of the opening minute. It was about halfway through the round when Pudilova finally got the fight down, using a front headlock to control Yanan. Pudilova then transitioned to the back, got hooks in, and went hunting for a rear-naked choke. Yanan fought the hands, and escaped the position but was still stuck on the ground with Pudilova on top of her — as her corner hollered “again, Lucie! Again!”

Smashing elbows followed as Pudilova moved into mount. Yanan gave up her back, only to take more damage from punches. She wound up on her side, covering up and eating elbows as the ref saved her.

Improved boxing, grappling, and a strong finish — Lucie Pudilova was dominant in her return.

Official Result: Lucie Pudilova def. Wu Yanan by TKO, Round 2, 4:04

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UFC 278 will take place at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on August 20, 2022, headlined by a welterweight title fight featuring Kamaru Usman putting his title on the line against Leon Edwards. In addition to the main event, previously reported bouts including Jose Aldo vs. Merab Dvalishvili, and Paulo Costa vs. Luke Rockhold, also feature.

Monday’s additions, announced via press release, include a heavyweight showdown between Marcin Tybura (22-7) and undefeated Russian Alexandr Romanov (18-0), lightweight action in the form of Leonardo Santos (18-6-1) against Jared Gordon (18-5), and the returning Lucie Pudilova (13-7) taking on China’s Wu Yanan (12-5).

AJ Fletcher (9-1) will take on Ange Loosa (8-3) at welterweight, and Amir Albazi (14-1) will fight Francisco Figueiredo (13-4-1) in a flyweight match-up.

Plenty of eyes will be on Romanov, who will be getting his toughest test yet against Poland’s Tybura. Romanov recently broke into the top 15 in the heavyweight division, and currently sits at #13 in the UFC’s official rankings. Tybura is ranked tenth in the weight class.

Women’s bantamweight Pudilova competed for the UFC from 2017 to 2020 before being released. She’ll return to the organization after going 5-1 under the Oktagon MMA banner.

The following fights have been reported for the UFC 278 card:

• Kamaru Usman (c) vs. Leon Edwards – For the UFC Welterweight Championship
• José Aldo vs. Merab Dvalishvili
• Luke Rockhold vs. Paulo Costa
• Tyson Pedro vs. Harry Hunsucker
• Amir Albazi vs. Francisco Figueiredo
• Marcin Tybura vs. Alexander Romanov
• Leonardo Santos vs. Jared Gordon
• Wu Yanan vs. Lucie Pudilova
• Daniel Lacerda vs. Victor Altamirano
• Aori Qileng vs. Jay Perrin
• A.J. Fletcher vs. Ange Loosa
• Sean Woodson vs. Luis Saldana

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Vicente Luque

Luque is now 4-1 in the last two years with his only loss coming to Muhammad this past weekend. He has a very exciting fighting style with great elbows in the clinch and a great chin. In his next fight, he should be fighting someone who will help him put on a show for the audience. Geoff Neal is currently ranked number 12 in the division and has power in his hands. This would be a perfect match-up for Luque who is good on the ground but likes to keep it standing for the most part.

Luque’s next fight: Geoff Neal 

Gadzhi Omargadzhiev

Gadzhi Omargadzhiev lost a technical decision to Caio Borralho in the co-main event this past weekend. Borralho hit Omargadzhiev with a knee that seemed illegal but was deemed accidental after the replay. Since it was in the third round and Omargadzhiev could not continue the fight went to the judges. For his next fight, Omargadzhiev should fight fellow UFC rookie, Denis Tiuliulin. Tiuliulin was submitted in his UFC debut back in March by Aliaskhab Khizriev. Denis Tiuliulin has eight wins by KO and should be able to challenge Omargadzhiev’s grappling skills.

Omargadzhiev’s next fight: Denis Tiuliulin 

Miguel Baeza

Miguel Baeza was knocked out in the first round by Andre Fialho at UFC Vegas 51. This puts Baeza on a three-fight losing streak and makes him 3-3 in the UFC. Jason Witt is another welterweight who has had some up and downs since joining the UFC. Witt is 2-3 in the UFC and is coming off a TKO loss to Phillip Rowe. Both of these welterweights need a win in their next fight to keep their UFC careers alive. Pairing them up makes perfect sense.

Baeza’s next fight: Jason Witt 

Wu Yanan

Three straight losses is not a good look for Wu Yanan, but the fight did earn the Fight of the Night bonus at UFC Vegas 51. So if the promotion keeps her around after her loss to Mayra Bueno Silva, it’s must-win territory. Julija Stoliarenko is 0-3 in the UFC, the stakes are obvious, book it.

Yanan’s next fight: Julija Stoliarenko

Tj Laramie

Tj Laramie lost a decision this past weekend to Pat Sabatini. This loss makes Laramie 0-2 in the UFC and leaves him in a similar position as Baeza and Witt. Meaning he will need to get a win in his next fight to save his spot on the UFC roster. Mike Grundy is currently 1-3 in the UFC and he is riding a three-fight losing streak. Grundy’s grappling would be a great test for Laramie and a win for either man would keep them in the UFC at least for another fight.

Laramie’s next fight: Mike Grundy 

Ange Loosa

Ange Loosa made his debut on short notice at UFC Vegas 51, falling to Mounir Lazzez via decision. The Contender Series veteran will of course get another look, after saving the fight, and this time he’ll get a full camp.

Later this month, Yohan Lainesse will be making his promotional debut against Gabe Green. Give Loosa the loser of that.

Loosa’s next fight: Lainesse vs. Green loser.

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Then there was the extremely ill-timed shout-out of a wanted drug kingpin by victorious Mounir Lazzez to open the televised main card. Which happened to be airing on ESPN proper.

Overall, Saturday’s card is undoubtedly one that the promotion would like to move on from, quickly. There were some bright spots, however.

Fighting for the first time since 2020, Drakkar Klose finally got to throw down on Saturday night, against an opponent who didn’t opt to shove him during weigh-ins. Despite Brandon Jenkins being a much more amicable foe than Jeremy Stephens, Klose beat him like Jenkins owed him money. Perhaps picturing “Lil Heathen” instead the entire time.

The win, which came via TKO in the second round, earned Klose a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. Andre Fialho earned the other, for his first-round starching of Miguel Baeza. That violent TKO put an end to a very explosive fight, and was the only finish on the UFC Vegas 51 main card.

Fight of the Night went to the back-and-forth affair that was Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Wu Yanan. Her first fight as a bantamweight in the UFC was a memorable one for Silva, who earned a unanimous decision victory against China’s Yanan.

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Brazil’s Silva, a.k.a. “Sheetara,” was 2-2-1 in the promotion overall, and entering off an October loss to Manon Fiorot. She was also returning to bantamweight for the first time since prior to her UFC debut.

Yanan, from Chaoyang, China, had lost two straight, both via decision — most recently to Joselyne Edwards.

Silva opened the fight with a kick, but Yanan answered with a kick of her own and a short combo. Several of her combinations early were punctuated with kicks in fact. Yanan was the more active fighter early, coming at angles and constantly moving. Silva fired a spinning kick, but hit air. Yanan moved in, landed, and moved back out. Silva landed a low kick. Silva then moved in, backing Yanan up to the fence and unloaded! Yanan was rocked, and went down, though it was hard to tell if she was dropped, or just pushed over. In any case, she was back up to her feet a moment later, and the pair squared off again.

The momentum, however, had shifted in Silva’s favor. As the round progressed, Silva chopped away at Yanan’s lead leg. As active and mobile as Yanan was, those kicks looked as if they stung. Silva went to the body, worked her jab, then fired off a body kick. In the final minute, the Brazilian closed the distance, and tagged Yanan again. She finished the round strong with another right hand.

In the second, Silva fired her right hand, while Yanan fanned on a spinning back fist. Silva was steadily walking her opponent down, but two minutes or so in, Yanan was able to get the fight down. Problem being, Silva had a triangle locked in. She couldn’t keep it in, and Yanan pulled free — then stood back, contemplating whether to wade into danger against the Brazilian on the ground, or to let her opponent back up, where Silva was also winning.

Eventually, Yanan got on top, only to have to contend with a Silva kimura attempt. Silva would eventually work her way up, threatening a takedown of her own, while Yanan landed a few elbows.

Round two was a closer round than the first, which had clearly been Silva’s frame. The third opened with a front kick taking Silva off her feet; she was right back up. The pair traded back and forth, lefts, rights, jabs, kicks. Silva began to press in the second half of the frame, but Yanan landed to the body with a kick. Yanan looked fresher, but Silva still had some power. Silva launched a spinning back fist, which just landed. In the final minute, Silva waved her opponent forward. Yanan declined, continuing to fight smart, though it wasn’t enough in the end.

👊 Trading punches through the rounds. These two brought their diverse skillsets to #UFCVegas51. pic.twitter.com/T6GWIzjqg8

— UFC (@ufc) April 17, 2022

Official Result: Mayra Bueno Silva def. Wu Yanan by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

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Cageside Press confirmed the booking Friday, following an initial report by Eurosport.nl’s Marcel Dorff, citing the UFC’s Chinese website.

The fight will be the second in the promotion for Nunes, who made her debut in August against Bea Malecki. She won the fight via knockout towards the end of the opening round.

Prior to joining the UFC, Nunes had competed for various regional promotions in her native Brazil. She has not lost a fight since 2013.

China’s Wu will be looking to shake off a couple of losses come February. “Mulan” has dropped back-to-back decisions against Mizuki Inoue and most recently Joselyne Edwards. Prior to those defeats, she had claimed her lone UFC win against Lauren Mueller in a flyweight bout.

The UFC’s February 26, 2022 Fight Night event is expected to take place at the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card is headlined by lightweight action in what very well could be a title eliminator between Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev.

Thus far, the following bouts have been reported for the event:

Beneil Dariush vs. Islam Makhachev
Makhmud Muradov vs. Misha Cirkunov
Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Zhu Rong
Hannah Goldy vs. Jinh Yu Frey
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Joel Álvarez
Victor Altamirano vs. Carlos Hernández
Farès Ziam vs. Terrance McKinney
Gregory Rodrigues vs Armen Petrosyan
Jonathan Martinez vs. Alejandro Pérez
Ion Cuțelaba vs. Ryan Spann
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Marcin Tybura
Jonny Parsons vs. Micheal Gillmore
Priscila Cachoeira vs. Ji Yeon Kim
Wu Yanan vs. Josiane Nunes

The post Josiane Nunes vs. Wu Yanan Scheduled for UFC’s February 26 Card appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Friday, during the event’s official weigh-in, a drained looking Montano stepped onto the scale, weighing in at 143lbs on her first and only attempt. That’s 7lbs over the non-title limit for the weight class, and adds to the troubled history the Arizona native has had since winning The Ultimate Fighter 26 in 2017.

Opponent Wu Yanan successfully made weight Friday morning, hitting the scales earlier in the weigh-in window at 135.5lbs.

The bout was later pulled from the weigh-in line-up found on the UFC’s official website, which had previously listed Montano’s weight miss.

Since winning TUF 26 and claiming the flyweight title, Montano has fought just once, at bantamweight, in a losing effort against Julianna Pena. Montano was stripped of her title after failing to defend it, the result of another weight cut gone wrong ahead of a scheduled 2018 fight with Valentina Shevchenko.

Shevchenko would go on the win the vacant championship against Joanna Jedrzejczyk later that year. Montano would return to the octagon in 2019, dropping a unanimous decision to the aforementioned Pena. From there, the ex-champ would see several fights fall through, in part due to COVID-19 issues with both her opponents, and after contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus herself.

Montano also pulled out of a fight against Karol Rosa earlier this year, for undisclosed reasons.

UFC Vegas 33 is set to take place Saturday, July 31 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is headlined by a middleweight bout featuring Uriah Hall and Sean Strickland.

Update, 5:25PM ET: Montano took to social media Friday afternoon to explain what happened.

I also want to say thank you to everyone at the UFC P.I. and Syndicate for believing in me and helping me get to this fight with more love and support than anyone could ask for. I truly felt the best I’ve ever felt going into this fight ❤️ pic.twitter.com/caZBtVUylh

— Nicco Montaño (@NiccoMontano) July 30, 2021

The post UFC Vegas 33: Ex-Flyweight Champ Nicco Montano Badly Blows Weight, Fight Off appeared first on Cageside Press.

However, when Correia was forced off the card, Wu was left in need of an opponent — and the relatively unknown Joselyn Edwards stepped up. The only newcomer on the Abu Dhabi-based card Saturday, Edwards was looking to make a statement in her debut, and prove she belonged among the world’s best mixed martial artists.

Both girls came out trading at the start of the fight. Both were landing before they tied up and Wu took the fight down. Immediately Edwards locked in an armbar. That position was held for a while, but Wu managed to escape. Edwards later exploded and she took the back of Wu. After another scramble, Wu ended the round on top in the guard of Edwards.

Wu started round two pressuring Edwards with forward motion and kicks. Wu got another trip takedown but the momentum allowed Edwards to stand up. From there, Wu was able to get back up but took a barrage of strikes while doing so. Both ladies began to look sluggish on the feet, having a hard time finding their range. Edwards did end the round with a nice flurry.

Edwards was the busier fighter coming in round two, and we saw some urgency from Wu  — opening up a lot more. looking like the fresher fighter. Late in round three Edwards was just throwing one strike at a time while Wu was throwing with volume. That said, Edwards was the one coming forward to the final bell — but she ate a lot of strikes in doing so.

In the end, only one judge gave Wu Yanan a round. Edwards, thanks to that strong start and arm-bar attempt, was able to build enough momentum to seal the deal, picking up the win in her debut.

Official Result: Joselyne Edwards def. Wu Yanan by unanimous decision (30-27, 20-27, 29-28)

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