UFC women’s strawweight Vanessa Demopoulos has another big opportunity in front of her next month.
[autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag] has another big opportunity in front of her next month, and from here on out when those happen, they might seem a little more personal.
Demopoulos (10-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) takes on Emily Ducote (13-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 241 on May 11. For Demopoulos, a win would give her five in six fights – which would put her in great position in the women’s strawweight division.
But it will have to come against someone she’s got some familiarity with.
“Not only do I know a lot about her – Emily’s a sweetheart,” Demopoulos told MMA Junkie Radio. “She came here to Las Vegas. She trained over at Xtreme (Couture) and, in fact, me, her and Hannah Goldy all went hiking together over at Red Rock. So we’ve spent a little bit of time together. It was nice to kind of get to know her on a little bit of a personal level.”
Demopoulos has been training in Las Vegas, where she utilizes not only Xtreme Couture, but the UFC Performance Institute. She said that has been a game-changer for her, especially when it comes to nutrition.
Then there’s the consistency in her coaching, which she thinks was missing earlier in her career.
“I feel like everybody’s really on the same page,” she said. “Being a part of the PI and being able to have access to my food, have access to recovery, have access to the strength and conditioning, the PT, the facility – it just makes my life so much easier being in fight camp and being able to be here in Las Vegas.”
This fight camp, though, for Ducote was for someone she’s spent time with. And even looking down the road, her division’s champion, Zhang Weili, spends a lot of time at the PI, herself.
In a division that isn’t the biggest in the UFC, and given her training in Las Vegas where so many fighters come through at one point or another, Demopoulos is confident this situation will happen again.
“When we got the fight contract, it’s not like I (called) her out. She didn’t hit me up, either,” Demopoulos said. “We both knew that it might happen even while she was here. It’s OK. It’s going to happen. I feel like for being here in Las Vegas, we see so many people, it would be almost impossible for me not to fight somebody that I knew.”
Demopoulos got back in the win column this past October with a decision over Kanako Murata in a fight in which Murata was a decent favorite. Earlier in the year, she had a three-fight winning streak snapped by Karolina Kowalkiewicz.
Arman Tsarukyan thinks Michael Chandler’s thirst for war will likely cost him against Conor McGregor.
[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]’s thirst for war will likely cost him against [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].
Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) welcomes McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) back in a welterweight bout, which headlines UFC 303 June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). McGregor will return from an almost three-year long layoff after breaking his leg in July 2021.
Chandler’s two most recent losses came to Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. Chandler had his moments, but was ultimately outlasted in all-out wars. Tsarukyan expects the same approach from him against McGregor.
“He never uses his brain,” Tsarukyan said on the “Believe You Me” podcast. “He always fights for the fans. He’s going to try to knock him out because he’s so dangerous in the first round. He can finish Conor in the first round.
“If it’s going to be second round or third round, he’s going to lose the fight. He has to knock him out in the first round or he’s going to lose that fight. I feel like Conor, his conditioning is better and he’s smarter than Chandler.”
Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) and Chandler have recently gone back-and-forth. Chandler criticized Tsarukyan’s decision to turn down a short-notice title fight against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 on June 1, and Tsarukyan fired back. Tsarukyan defeated former champion Charles Oliveira two weeks ago at UFC 300 to cement himself as No. 1 contender.
UFC on ESPN 55 ceremonial weigh-ins are complete, and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event.
LAS VEGAS – UFC on ESPN 55 weigh-ins took place Friday, and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event.
The weigh-ins took place at the UFC Apex, which hosts Saturday’s event (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+). Check out the video above to see the athletes from all 13 scheduled matchups come face-to-face, and don’t miss the photo gallery below.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.
Check out the history of weigh-in misses in the UFC in 2024 and fights canceled due to weight management issues.
The old adage is that the fight before the fight in MMA is the one with the scale.
Weight-cutting struggles and eventual weight misses are a regular part of the sport. Throughout 2024, we updated this story each time there was an infraction on the UFC scale – or fights that were scrapped because of issues with a fighter’s weight.
Here’s a running list that will update throughout the 2024 calendar year. Fighters listed are in chronological order of their scheduled bouts.
(List updated after UFC on ESPN 55 weigh-ins in Las Vegas on April 26, 2024.)
Check out the UFC on ESPN 55 weigh-in results from Las Vegas, featuring Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez.
LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official UFC on ESPN 55 (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+) fighter weigh-ins at the UFC Apex.
Among those weighing in were Matheus Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and former title challenger Alex Perez (24-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC), who meet in the flyweight main event, and Bogdan Guskov (15-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Ryan Spann (21-9 MMA, 7-4 UFC), who fight in the light heavyweight co-feature. All four of those names hit their contracted marks.
Saturday's #UFCVegas91 main event is OFFICIAL after ranked flyweights Matheus Nicolau and Alex Perez successfully weighed in. ⚖️ pic.twitter.com/XVbZK27hOr
The same couldn’t be said for a pair of undercards fighters, though. David Onama was 2.5 pounds over the featherweight limit for his main card matchup with Jonathan Pearce, while octagon newcomer James Llontop barely missed the lightweight limit for his octagon debut vs. Chris Padilla.
The full UFC on ESPN 55 weigh-in results include:
MAIN CARD (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET)
Matheus Nicolau (125.5) vs. Alex Perez (126)
Bogdan Guskov (204.5) vs. Ryan Spann (205.5)
Ariane da Silva (126) vs. Karine Silva (125.5)
Jhonata Diniz (255) vs. Austen Lane (254.5)
David Onama (148.5)* vs. Jonathan Pearce (146)
Tim Means (171) vs. Uros Medic (171)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN2/ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
Victor Henry (135.5) vs. Rani Yahya (136)
Michal Figlak (155) vs. Austin Hubbard (156)
Caio Machado (251.5) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (264)
Marnic Mann (115.5) vs. Ketlen Souza (115.5)
James Llontop (156.5)** vs. Chris Padilla (154.5)
Na Liang (126) vs. Ivana Petrovic (126)
Gabriel Benitez (155) vs. Hayisaer Maheshate (155.5)
* Onama missed featherweight limit by 2.5 pounds; fined 20 percent of purse ** Llontop missed lightweight limit by 0.5 pounds; fined 20 percent of purse
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.
The main event for the UFC’s latest home show is official after the flyweight headliners made weight Friday.
LAS VEGAS – The main event for the UFC’s latest home show is official after the headliners made weight Friday.
Ahead of UFC on ESPN 55 ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex, [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and former flyweight title challenger [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] (24-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) stepped on the scale at the official weigh-ins.
Nicolau was 125.5 pounds, while Perez came back at 126 pounds.
Check out the video from their trips to the scale above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the UFC on ESPN 55 main event between Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC on ESPN 55 flyweight main event between Matheus Nicolau and Alex Perez.
Supplemental info:
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Multiple grappling accolades
+ Amateur boxing experience
+ 5 KO victories
+ 5 submission wins
+ 4 first-round finishes
+ Solid feints and footwork
^ Good pivots and lateral movements
+ Excellent boxing ability
^ Prefers to counter and work the body
+ Underrated wrestling ability
^ Defensively and offensively
+ Excellent grappling ability
^ Dangerous submissions in transition
+/- 2-0 in the UFC Apex
Supplemental info:
+ Tachi Palace flyweight title
+ Wrestling base
+ Multiple wrestling accolades
+ 5 KO victories
+ 7 submission wins
+ 11 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Improved striking ability
^ Combinations and bodywork
+ Hard calf kicks
+ Excellent wrestling ability
+ Solid transitional grappler
^ Dangerous from front-headlock
+/- 1-2 in the UFC Apex
Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez point of interest: Leg kicks and counters
Dec 3, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Matheus Nicolau (red gloves) fights Matt Schnell (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
The main event in Las Vegas features a pairing of flyweights who are familiar with leg kicks and their associated counters.
Despite growing up as a wrestler, [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] has developed more and more of a taste for the striking arts since stepping onto the MMA scene.
Initially implementing more of a wrestle-boxing style to start his career, Perez has steadily refined his approach after years spent working with Team Oyama and company. Applying better feints and footwork, Perez will typically prod with jabs off of a high guard as he looks to make his way inside.
Perez displays a decent ability to slip to the outside, usually looking to change levels off it by going to the body. This range of motion also lends itself to the left hooks and leg kicks that the 32-year-old contender has been punctuating his combinations with – skills that were on full display in his fight opposite Jussier Formiga.
I’ll be curious to see what progressions have been made to Perez’s game since working with Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas, but he’ll have to be mindful of what’s coming back at him this Saturday.
Enter [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag].
A counter fighter by nature, Nicolau presents a potentially tricky puzzle for his opponents to solve.
Utilizing heavy doses of feints and footwork to fuel his lateral movement, Nicolau will often frustrate his opposition into making mistakes when trying to desperately close the distance on him. From counter crosses to checking hooks, Nicolau demonstrates excellent eyes in exchanges and savvy pivots when exiting to safety.
Nicolau is also an underrated leg kicker, but I suspect that his patent body jabs will serve him well in this contest.
Akin to Alex Pereira, Nicolau loves to lean on his body jab at range. Not only do body jabs help set up left hooks, but they can also assist with both manipulating and disguising level changes.
Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez breakdown: Potential grappling threats
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 21: (L-R) Alex Perez punches Deiveson Figueiredo of Brazil in their flyweight championship bout during the UFC 255 event at UFC APEX on November 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Considering each fighter’s acumen with chokes from the front-headlock position, I will be curious to see how eager either man is to take this party to the floor.
Despite his accolades in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Nicolau has displayed some solid wrestling chops since stepping onto the UFC scene. Not only does Nicolau hail from an underrated MMA wrestling camp in Nova Uniao, but the 31-year-old Brazilian has also spent time training stateside at super camps like Jackson-Wink MMA.
Whether Nicolau is shutting shots with good sprawls or is smoothly changing his level off punches, the TUF Brazil alum has proven that there are few positions in the cage that he’s not competent from.
Nevertheless, I’m not sure how much success Nicolau will have when it comes to dictating grappling exchanges with a wrestler like Perez.
Indoctrinated into wrestling from a young age, Perez followed the path of his brothers, Julian Perez and Silverio Esparza (who were also Lemoore High School wrestling champs), excelling as a two-time divisional champ who maintained a top-12 state ranking for his weight class. And by his sophomore year at West Hills College Lemoore, Perez received All-American honors before eventually crossing over into MMA.
Stumbling into his fair share of submission losses on a deceptively tough regional circuit, Perez’s transition into MMA certainly wasn’t an easy one. But since his time spent on the Tachi Palace scene, Perez has appeared to make some serious strides, displaying the ability to both finish and control fighters at a high level.
Whether Perez is chaining off of singles and doubles in the open or getting things done inside of the clinch, the former Selma High School wrestling coach can pretty much do it all. And when he’s able to establish his favored front-headlock position, Perez is quick to abuse a plethora of options that range from front-chokes to back-takes, often chaining them off of each other (as seen in his fight with Carls John de Thomas).
However, if Perez does find himself underneath Nicolau this Saturday, then he’ll need to be careful with the back exposure that his wrestling-style getups typically offer.
A longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Nicolau is an incredibly smooth transitional grappler who can quickly take backs when they become available. Nicolau also wields a wicked submission arsenal from front-headlock variations, which could dissuade some offense from his American counterpart.
Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez odds
Matheus Nicolau
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Brazilian, listing Nicolau -200 and Perez +154 via FanDuel.
Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez prediction, pick
Despite my official pick, I don’t disagree with the betting spread above. Aside from the fact that Nicolau will be the competitor with a full training camp, the Nova Uniao product is quietly one of the more technically impressive fighters at 125 pounds.
Bodywork and counter striking may not get the credit they deserve from MMA judges, but Nicolau’s brand of body shots and counters could have some serious play opposite Perez’s propensity to utilize a shelling guard.
Add in Perez’s unfortunate history with opportunistic submissions, and no one should be surprised if Nicolau gets a win with or without the scorecards this weekend. That said, I still find myself leaning toward the American underdog in this spot.
Even though Perez is technically riding a three-fight skid, the majority of those losses came with some serious extenuating circumstances (and fouls) attached. But regardless of the fact that Perez arguably won his last fight, he provides some unique threats that make stylistic opportunities a two-way street in this contest.
Not only does Perez have the wrestling ability to dictate grappling exchanges, but the 32-year-old also has some crushing calf kicks that can potentially punish the boxing-centric stance of Nicolau.
Couple that with the fact that this fight will be taking place in the smaller octagon, and I suspect that Perez’s cage-corralling pressure striking could produce some serious moments opposite Nicolau’s out-fighting sensibilities. I’ll take a flier on Perez to find a knockout by the beginning of Round 2.
Prediction: Perez inside the distance
Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez start time, where to watch
Nicolau and Perez are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 9:45 p.m. ET (6:45 p.m. local time in Las Vegas). The fight airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.
Check out these photos from the BKFC: Knucklemania IV pre-fight press conference in Los Angeles.
Check out these photos from the BKFC: Knucklemania IV pre-fight press conference ahead of the event featuring [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag], Mick Terrill vs. Lorenzo Hunt and Ben Rothwell vs. Todd Duffee at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)
Sometimes, a different vantage point can completely change perspectives.
Sometimes, a different vantage point can completely change perspectives.
In this case, there aren’t many people in the MMA space who would argue Max Holloway isn’t worthy of the “BMF” crown he just won against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. It just hasn’t always manifested itself in a buzzer-beating walkoff knockout.
Against Calvin Kattar in early 2021, Holloway let his BMF-ness out in ridiculous volume that led to a UFC record strike differential of more than 300 in a Fight of the Night headliner. That was Holloway’s return after he lost the featherweight title, and it proved he’s never out of the picture.
And while we’ve had more than three years to relive that amazing Holloway performance, what sometimes gets forgotten is just how confident he was in his striking game that day. He had a full-on conversation with anyone willing to listen, while he was in the fight, about how he was the best boxer in the UFC.
The UFC released a compilation video featuring just the sounds of the fighters, the arena and the corners – no commentary – of some of the most famous moments in company history, including Holloway’s fight with Kattar.
Check out all his talking, as well as some other incredible UFC moments, in the video above.
Jamahal Hill is eager to run things back with UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] is eager to run things back with UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag].
Hill (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) was knocked out by Pereira in Round 1 of their UFC 300 headliner. After an inadvertent low blow by Hill, Pereira waved off referee Herb Dean, who let them continue fighting. Hill was knocked out in the first exchange, and was thrown off a little by the restart.
Whether or not Pereira (10-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) is still champion, Hill’s goal is to rematch “Poatan.”
“Honestly, for me, now it’s not even about the gold strap, it’s about getting back to that fight,” Hill told The Schmo. “I want to fight with Alex again, just because of the narrative surrounding it and everything. I know what I was feeling in there, and I know what type of timing it’s really on whenever we step in there again, so I just want to get to that fight.”
Hill already has his next fight booked. The former champion says he signed to fight Khalil Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) at UFC 303 on June 29 just three days after losing to Pereira.
As for Pereira, the champion expressed interest in a potential move to heavyweight, but has top light heavyweight contenders Jiri Prochazka and Magomed Ankalaev calling him out. Hill isn’t interested in who’s next for Pereira, just as long as he’s in the conversation to fight him again soon.
“I don’t care. All I know is that Jamahal ‘Sweet Dreams’ Hill is in his future – for sure,” Hill said. “Again, I don’t give a sh*t if we’ve got to do it at 205 or heavyweight: he’s got to see me again. That’s the only fight that I care about.”
