Category: AXS TV Fights

Henry Cejudo: Brandon Moreno struggles to make flyweight, should fight me at bantamweight

Henry Cejudo doesn’t see why Brandon Moreno shouldn’t fight him at bantamweight.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] doesn’t see why [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] shouldn’t fight him at bantamweight.

Moreno (21-8-2 MMA, 9-5-2 UFC) called out Cejudo for a bantamweight bout last May, and Cejudo is willing to fight him at UFC 306 at the Sphere in Las Vegas – also known as “Noche UFC.”

Moreno is coming off a split decision loss to Brandon Royval in the UFC Fight Night 237 main event Saturday at Mexico City Arena. Cejudo (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) says he’s merely responding to Moreno’s prior callout.

“This was Brandon’s idea – I’m just accepting his challenge,” Cejudo told MMA Junkie in an interview to promote his new “Pound for Pound” podcast with Kamaru Usman. “Once I lost to Aljamain Sterling, he says, ‘Henry, don’t retire yet. F the belts, F everything, this isn’t about that, let’s me and you fight.’ And after this fight, just like, ‘All right man.’ I was contemplating retirement, but I just couldn’t – once I watched the fight, I knew the errors, I knew everything pretty much that happened, you know?”

In a recent interview with The Schmo, Cejudo’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, suggested there’s reluctance to make Cejudo vs. Moreno because the UFC thinks “The Assassin Baby” is too small. Cejudo dismissed that notion.

“That’s the stupidest sh*t ever,” Cejudo said. “I know Brandon. The dude struggles to make 125 pounds. He’s too f*cking big. It’s time for him to move up. I’m short. It sucks to make 125 pounds. This is the same reason why I went up (to bantamweight). I think he’ll become more successful, and I personally think he’ll feel better.”

Cejudo contemplated retirement after getting outlasted by Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298, but quickly changed his tune.

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A.J. McKee ready to lead charge to set Bellator fighters apart in PFL

Although the Bellator brand has been around longer, one of its biggest stars thinks he and his colleagues might be overlooked by the PFL.

Although the Bellator brand has been around longer than the PFL by quite a bit, one of its biggest stars thinks he and his colleagues might be getting looked at as the proverbial red-headed stepchildren.

Later this month in Saudi Arabia, Bellator’s champions and standouts will take on their PFL counterparts in the first event after PFL purchased Bellator from Paramount. Former Bellator featherweight champion [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] will take on Clay Collard, who reached the PFL’s $1 million lightweight final this past November, but fell short.

But because the PFL bought Bellator, McKee thinks there’s a misperception out there.

“It’s Bellator vs. PFL for the other champions, but at the end of the day, it’s A.J. McKee vs. Clay Collard,” McKee told MMA Junkie Radio. “Clay said ‘PFL acquired Bellator,’ so there’s a big chip on these (PFL) guys’ shoulders already. But at the end of the day, us Bellator fighters – we’re coming for business.

“At the press conference, it showed – we’re all suited and booted. These (PFL) guys are comfortable having fun, dressed up in f*cking movie football jerseys and stuff. We’re coming for business, at the end of the day, and I think that’s the difference that’s going to set us apart when it comes to fight night.”

McKee, who will turn 29 in April, wrapped his Bellator career at 21-1. All 22 of his pro bouts have been under the Bellator banner. After he beat Patricio Freire to win the featherweight title in 2021, he lost it to him in a rematch nine months later.

But he made the move to lightweight and is 3-0 in the weight class with decision wins over Spike Carlyle, Roberto de Souza and Sidney Outlaw, which came at Bellator 301 in November – Bellator’s final event before the sale to the PFL.

McKee said even though he was a big-time homegrown star for Bellator, he might have to win over some new fans in the PFL era.

“It’s a new organization. PFL knows of me. Their fans don’t really know about me,” McKee said. “So for me, I see it as an opportunity to go out there and show them what I’m really about and showcase my skills to them. I’m not really worried about it. I felt it was an honor to be able to fight on not only the last Bellator show, but now the first collaboration show, as well. I think that just goes with my accolades, my achievements and the type of fighter that I am. I think they know what they’re going to get: They’re going to get a good fight.”

Social media reacts to Dricus Du Plessis’ bloody title win over Sean Strickland at UFC 297

The MMA community reacted to Dricus Du Plessis taking the title from Sean Strickland by split decision in the UFC 297 main event.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag]’ rise through the middleweight division reached its apex on Saturday when he claimed the title from [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] in the UFC 297 main event.

Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) kept his undefeated octagon record in tact in the biggest moment possible with a split decision victory over Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) in their grudge match on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Check below for the top X (formerly Twitter) reactions to Du Plessis’ title win over Strickland at UFC 297.

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UFC on ABC 5: How to watch Emmett vs. Topuria, start time, fight card, odds

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC on ABC 5 on ABC and ESPN.

The UFC returns to a national network broadcast Saturday and a rare daytime U.S. show with UFC on ABC 5 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., with featherweights at the top of the bill.

Here’s how to watch UFC on ABC 5 with a pair of featherweight contenders in action.

Photos: Invicta FC 48 official weigh-ins and faceoffs

Check out these photos from the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 48 in Denver.

Check out these photos from the Invicta FC 48 weigh-ins ahead of Thursday’s event at ReelWorks Denver which features a bantamweight title fight between champion Taneisha Tennant and challenger Olga Rubin. (Photos courtesy of Dave Mandel, Invicta FC)

Invicta FC: Phoenix Series 4 live stream and official results (8 p.m. ET)

Watch the Invicta FC one-night atomweight tournament to determine a No. 1 contender for champion Alesha Zappitella.

Invicta FC: Phoenix Series 4 takes place Friday night, and you can watch the live video stream right here on MMA Junkie beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Invicta FC: Phoenix Series 4 takes place at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. The entire card streams live in the video above, while the main card also airs on AXS TV.

The event features eight atomweights competing in a one-night tournament to decide the No. 1 contender for 105-pound champion Alesha Zappitella. The quartefinals and semifinals are a single five-minute round, while the finals will be three rounds. There also will be a one-round reserve bout.

Official Invicta FC: Phoenix Series 4 results include:

  • Paulina Granados vs. Marisa Messer-Belenchia – atomweight tournament quarterfinal
  • Jillian DeCoursey vs. Linda Mihalec – atomweight tournament quarterfinal
  • Katie Perez vs. Lindsey VanZandt – atomweight tournament quarterfinal
  • Jessica Delboni vs. Tabitha Watkins – atomweight tournament quarterfinal
  • Kara Vislosky vs. Samantha Seff – atomweight tournament reserve bout

Alesha Zappitella’s goals include becoming Invicta FC’s first double-champion

Alesha Zappitella’s goals go far beyond defending her atomweight title at Invicta on AXS TV.

[autotag]Alesha Zappitella[/autotag]’s goals go far beyond defending her title on Friday.

Zappitella (8-2-1), who claimed the Invicta FC atomweight belt with a fourth-round finish of Ashley Cummins this past September, is set for her first title defense when she meets Jessica Delboni in the co-main event of Invicta on AXS TV, which takes place at the Police Athletic League in Kansas City, Kan. The two-hour main card will air on AXS TV and Invicta FC’s YouTube channel at 8 p.m. ET.

With the strawweight title currently vacant, Zappitella wants to make history with Invicta FC. Not only that, the 26-year-old is also eyeing another promotion’s titleholder, Rizin FF super atomweight champion Ayaka Hamasaki, as she aims to cement herself as the greatest atomweight in the sport.

“Past this fight, I have a couple of things I want to do,” Zappitella told MMA Junkie Radio. “I want to become the first ever Invicta champ-champ. There’s never been one of them, and the 115-pound belt is vacant, so I would love to fight for the 115-pound belt. The next thing I want to do is I want to prove that I am absolutely the best atomweight in the world. So, with that being said, I want Invicta to fly out Ayaka Hamasaki to come and fight me in my cage.”

Zappitella said that ONE Championship has also expressed interest in having her participate in their upcoming atomweight grand prix, but “Half Pint” says her loyalty lies with Invicta and the promotion’s president, Shannon Knapp. Zappitella likes her growth with the company and thinks it’s the perfect home for her career.

“I was actually contacted by ONE to be in the grand prix, but if I’m being completely honest, Shannon cares about me,” Zappitella said. “She cares about all of her fighters, and I completely believe in absolutely everything that Invicta is doing, and I think that Invicta is the place to be if you’re a woman – especially a 105er.

“I want to get famous in America so being signed to ONE really didn’t seem like the smartest decision for me. I’m going to ride it out, and I’m going to just build my legacy in Invicta and then go on to work for Invicta afterwards. I want to be an interviewer, a broadcaster, a commentator, so I really think Invicta is the place that I can do it.”

Daiana Torquato ready to go to war with Karina Rodriguez at Invicta on AXS TV

Daiana Torquato knows she’s in for a battle when her and Karina Rodriguez vie for the top spot at 125 pounds.

[autotag]Daiana Torquato[/autotag] knows she’s in for a battle when her and [autotag]Karina Rodriguez[/autotag] clash for the top spot at women’s flyweight.

Torquato (10-3) meets Rodriguez (8-4) for the vacant 125-pound title in the main event of Invicta on AXS TV on Friday, which takes place at the Police Athletic League in Kansas City, Kan. The card airs on AXS TV and streams on Invicta FC’s YouTube channel.

Rodriguez is coming off a loss to the promotion’s last titleholder Vanessa Porto, but notched back-to-back wins over veterans Milana Dudieva and DeAnna Bennett prior to that.

“I know Karina Rodriguez is very tough,” Torquato told MMA Junkie. “She’s a long-time veteran. It gives me extra motivation. It’s going to be a great fight. I will look for ways to win at every moment. I’m ready for us to go to war.”

She continued, “I’m getting ready in the best possible way. My head coach, Marcio Malko, has customized training sessions with me in mind. We train in strategy, physical conditioning, as well as mental and technical aspects. I’m getting ready to have my best possible performance on fight night.”

Torquato has faced an array of experienced opponents herself, having competed against several current UFC fighters. Her first stint with Invicta took place in September 2019, when she participated in the promotion’s one-night tournament at Phoenix Series 2. After edging out Dudieva in her opening bout, she was submitted by Bennett in her second fight.

However, the exhibition bouts were not counted on her record, which means the Brazilian is currently riding a six-fight winning streak heading into Friday. Torquato is coming off a split decision win over ex-UFC flyweight Sarah Frota in October and she hopes the caliber of opponents she’s faced throughout the years will help propel her to the top.

“Early on, I faced opponents like Taila Santos and Ariane Lipski,” Torquato said. “I’m happy to see them in the world’s top MMA promotion. They’re very tough. Over the last two and a half years, my coach has molded me into a more complete fighter. Most recently, I beat UFC veteran Sarah Frota. I was able to showcase the work I’ve been putting in. Every time I step into the cage, I want to show a better version of Daiana. I want to face the best fighters in the world, in the best promotions.”

Julianna Pena, Max Bretos named to AXS TV’s Combate Americas commentary team

After making inroads in the Spanish-speaking MMA world, Combate Americas is getting set to make a run at the English market.

Combate Americas has long since made inroads in the Spanish-speaking mixed martial arts community, and now the company is getting ready to make its full-court press to capture the English-language fan base.

Combate announced Tuesday that Max Bretos and [autotag]Julianna Pena[/autotag] will serve as the English commentary team for its AXS TV broadcasts.

Bretos, a veteran ESPN anchor, will serve as the play-by-play announcer, while Pena, “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner, will be serve as color commentator.

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AXS TV will air 35 live Combate Americas events in 2020, but the partnership will kick off in December.

Bretos and Pena will host a Dec. 6 special that previews the Tito Ortiz vs. Alberto El Patron fight, which airs Dec. 7 on pay-per-view. A Dec. 20 show will highlight the one-night “Copa Combate” tournament from 2018, and Dec. 27 will feature a “best of” compilation of Combate’s 2019 most exciting fights.

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