Category: UFC

5 biggest takeaways from UFC 245: Usman’s reign, Covington’s character, Holloway’s humility

MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn with some thoughts and analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC 245.

What mattered most at UFC 245 in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings …

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1. Kamaru Usman’s championship potential

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] got his welterweight championship reign off to a memorable start with his first title defense being a fifth-round TKO of [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]. It was a huge fight, and for Usman to win it with those style points had to feel pretty sweet.

What also must be sweet is knowing he got through arguably his toughest test in the division his first time putting up the belt. There are a lot of great welterweights out there, but Covington wasn’t an easy stylistic matchup, as we saw in the fight.

The likes of Jorge Masvidal, Nate Diaz, Leon Edwards, Stephen Thompson, Santiago Ponzinibbio, and more all have more glaring flaws Usman can take advantage of, and that must have “The Nigerian Nightmare” pretty excited about what he can make of this run as champion.

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Marlon Moraes doesn’t doubt UFC 245 win over Jose Aldo, has Aljamain Sterling in mind next

Marlon Moraes already owns a victory over Aljamain Sterling, but a rematch would be about “taking his chance to ever fight for a title.”

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] is back in the win column.

At UFC 245 on Saturday night, Moraes (23-6-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) squeezed out a close split decision victory over former featherweight champion Jose Aldo, who was making his bantamweight debut.

The decision was deemed controversial by some. But generally speaking, the close nature of the fight resulted in scorecards from fans and media being all over the board.

“I think I won the first round,” Moraes said after the fight. “The second round, I think he got it. Then the third, I think I got it. It was a close fight. I just fought Jose Aldo, you know?

“A lot of people judge and say, ‘It’s a tough fight, a close fight.’ Who (has beaten) Jose in a split decision? Who did that? He only lost to five or six guys in his whole career. He’s the longest featherweight champion. He beat all the champions and contenders. hats off for him, but now’s my time.”

In Moraes’ mind, his use of straight punches in Round 3 proved to be the difference on the judges’ scorecards. Moraes said if his doubters go back and watch a replay of the fight, they’d likely change their minds about who won.

“I landed a lot of straight punches on him,” Moraes said. “I think I outscored him. He only landed one punch and cut me. But that’s it. Besides that, I didn’t feel anything. It was a good fight. Hats off for him (for taking) the challenge, (making) weight, and (putting) on a great fight. I think the fans liked it. It was a great fight.

“Some people don’t agree with the decision, but at the end of the day you go home, and you watch the fight again. You’ll see I won.”

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So what’s next for Moraes? The former UFC bantamweight title challenger has his eyes set on two potential opponents: [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] and Dominick Cruz. While Cruz was brought up first, Moraes spoke with more vitriol when he brought up Sterling.

“I’d like to fight either Dominick Cruz or (Aljamain) Sterling,” Moraes said. “I don’t like Sterling at all, and I’d love to take his chance to ever fight for a title. Those are the two names I have on my mind right now.”

The two fighters have history, having competed against each other before at UFC Fight Night 123 in December 2017. In the first meeting, Moraes finished Sterling with a brutal knee in 67 seconds.

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‘Henry Cejudo sweepstakes’ take a hilarious turn with this video callout of Jose Aldo

It appears Jose Aldo is the frontrunner in the “Henry Cejudo sweepstakes” even though he lost at UFC 245.

It appears [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] is the frontrunner in the “[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] sweepstakes.”

On Sunday afternoon, the UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion issued a challenge to “The King of Rio – all of this coming in a hilarious video from “Triple C” poolside (watch above).

Emerging from the water, Cejudo joins three women. Two of the females are holding his UFC belts, while the other was fanning him with a palm leaf.

Cejudo’s first point of action was to let it be known he’s turning his attention away from former batnamweight champ Dominick Cruz. In months prior, Cejudo had mentioned Cruz would be one of his main targets.

“So upon my return, I really did want to fight Dominick Cruz,” Cejudo said into the camera. “But I thought about it, and he’s too brittle. If I was to tell Dominick Cruz to bend the knee, he’d pop his damn neck out. But I’m not here to talk about Dominick.”

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Instead, Cejudo issued a challenge to Aldo, who dropped a split decision to Marlon Moraes at UFC 245. Many believed the fight should have been scored in Aldo’s favor.

“I’m here to talk about Jose ‘Waldo,'” Cejudo said, borrowing Max Holloway’s nickname for Aldo. “I want to give him a clap (for) his last performance, because a lot of people thought he won. I want to congratulate him, because now he’s part of the Henry Cejudo sweepstakes.

“But it’s under my terms. I want to fight him in my city, Rio de Janeiro. Daddy’s coming home. Dana White, let’s sign that contract. Oh, and one last thing: Your movie sucks.”

Good news for Cejudo: It appears he’s not the only one interested in the potential showdown with Aldo. Following the conclusion of UFC 245, Dana White voiced his openness to the fight happening.

What do you think of Cejudo next defending his 135-pound title against Aldo coming off a loss? Vote in our poll below:

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The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Kamaru Usman: Colby Covington was tough at UFC 245, but where was his gas tank?

Bad blood aside, Kamaru Usman was willing to credit Colby Covington for his UFC 245 performance in defeat.

LAS VEGAS – Despite the bad blood he shares with rival [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] gave credit where he sees due.

With the clock winding down in their UFC 245 main event Saturday night, Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) finished Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) at the 4:10 mark of the fifth round at T-Mobile Arena.

“The Nigerian Nightmare” appeared to be the fresher fighter prior to the finish. Up until Usman took over in the fifth, the fight was close through four rounds. Usman’s cardio and endurance proved to be Covington’s ultimate undoing.

“I was sitting there like, ‘Where’s his gas tank at?’ this whole time,” Usman said. “I was fresh. I don’t know if you guys noticed, but I think it was the beginning of the fourth or maybe the fifth. I’m hopping around like, ‘I feel fresh.’ I’m hopping around, looking across like, ‘Where is his gas tank? Where is his gas tank? I haven’t seen this yet. I don’t see it, so I’m going to turn up one more level.'”

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All of the vitriol and insults aside, Usman credits Covington for his performance. Usman even went as far as to empathize with what Covington must be going through in defeat.

By amplifying his “Make America Great Again” character, Covington also risked a lot of criticism. Following UFC 245, Usman believes the weight on Covington’s shoulders is pretty heavy.

“Honestly, let’s dissect everything he’s gone through,” Usman said. “It takes a lot to be able to carry all that negativity, to carry that act, to carry that whole fake bravado. It takes a whole lot out of you to be able to come in here and try to fight.

“I imagine now what he’s going to be going through. That takes a lot out of you physically and mentally. So we’ll see. He’s a tough guy. I’ll always give him his credit. I think he’s a very, very tough fighter.”

The welterweight title bout was the UFC 245 main event. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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Jorge Masvidal piles on Colby Covington after UFC 245: ‘You not a man’

Jorge Masvidal took to Twitter to pile on former friend Colby Covington, whose jaw was fractured in his UFC 245 title-fight loss.

[autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] used to be friends, emphasis on “used to be.”

So it should come as no surprise that less than 12 hours after Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) suffered a fractured jaw in a fifth-round TKO loss to welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 245, Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 14-7 UFC) chimed in to land a shot of his own.

In a tweet posted Sunday, Masvidal revisited his ongoing falling out with his former best friend and training partner. He questioned Covington’s manhood. Additionally, Masvidal made reiterated a claim that Covington snubbed a mutual coach’s pay. Masvidal joked it would have been cheaper for Covington to pay the coach instead of his upcoming medical bills.

They say never kick a man when he is down but you not a man. Should’ve paid my coach, it’s cheaper than getting your jaw wired shut

Masvidal and Covington’s relationship crashed and burned as Covington’s character progressed. The rivalry has made training logistics difficult at American Top Team, with coaches attempting to ensure the two don’t cross paths in the gym.

The welterweight title bout between Usman and Covington was the UFC 245 main event. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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Mike Perry feels ‘like a dumbass’ following 90-second loss at UFC 245

Mike Perry is not very happy with his losing performance against Geoff Neal at UFC 245.

[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] isn’t very happy with his performance at UFC 245.

Perry (13-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) not only suffered the fastest defeat of his career at just 90 seconds, but also experienced his first loss due to strikes when Geoff Neal (13-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) stopped him in dramatic fashion on Saturday’s card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The welterweight fight had a lot of shine on it due to the clash of styles and its position as the featured preliminary bout on ESPN2. Perry didn’t rise to the occasion, and, while obviously embarrassed, owned up to that (via Twitter).

Phok bro. Wtf , my offense wasn’t there. Damn if I don’t feel like a dumbass. Kids don’t be like me. It’s dangerous when you seem to enjoy getting hit in the face , But Still , I will be back in the gym to drill moves to kill until my team feels I’ll bring the thrills ! Thanks

There wasn’t much to speak of in the quick fight. Neal caught Perry early with a head kick then put the pressure on until he got the finish, moving the Fortis MMA product to 5-0 inside the octagon.

The outcome continued a rough stretch for Perry, though. Despite being a fan favorite, “Platinum” has lost five of his past seven UFC fights and has taken considerable damage in each of those defeats.

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Colby Covington’s comeuppance trumps everything, even his show of heart at UFC 245 | Opinion

There’s world-class talent underneath Colby Covington’s shtick, but too bad he made it so few people will appreciate it.

Imagine an alternate reality in which we all woke up this morning after UFC 245, and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] had not made a conscious decision two years ago to embrace the role of an over-the-top jerk.

Had Covington not done that, which admittedly played a large role in propelling him toward the highest-profile fights, it’s likely the mixed martial arts world would hail his show of heart and valor before falling in the final minute of his attempt to wrest the UFC welterweight championship from Kamaru Usman on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Instead, #MAGAJAW was trending on Twitter.

Covington suffered what the UFC later termed “a nondisplaced midline mandible fracture” from a tremendous straight right hand in the third round of what was already a compelling main event at T-Mobile Arena. Covington, however, refused to call it a night and pressed forward in what was a coin flip of a fight heading into the fifth round before Usman, showing true championship mettle, bit down on his mouthpiece and went to work, earning the stoppage victory with 50 seconds left.

Put anyone else on the UFC roster in Covington’s shoes, and his valiance in a losing effort would be lauded.

Instead, Covington’s loss turned into a parade of social media schadenfreude, as one person after another took turns celebrating the bad guy finally getting his comeuppance. 

All the better, in the eyes of Colby haters, that he lost exactly the way he did, taking punch after punch after punch to that injured yapper and coming back for more, only to falter in the waning moments.

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If you’d been on the receiving end of some of his more hate-filled moments, this was even better than watching him suffer an early knockout loss. 

Note we’ve yet to mention Covington’s outspoken support of President Donald Trump. The more easily triggered among Covington’s fans – the dim bulbs who are all set to go the comment section and write “don’t you get this was all a joke” – want to make this about Trump, but it’s not.

Covington going in with the MAGA crowd hardly makes him unique in the MMA business. Jorge Masvidal is a Trump supporter, and he’s beloved in the sport. Just last week, Bryce Mitchell shouted out Trump after his win at UFC on ESPN 7, and no one is sending hate his way, just admiration for what he’s done in the cage. That’s because Masvidal, Mitchell, and others like them haven’t gone out of their way to be obnoxious to everyone who’s crossed their paths. 

Covington first gained notoriety by going into Brazil and calling an entire country’s worth of people “filthy animals.” He implied Miesha Tate deliberately leaked indecent photos on the internet to get attention. He went so far as to use the death of Blackzilians co-founder Glenn Robinson, the gym where Usman used to train, as promotional fodder, which prompted Robinson’s daughters to put out a public statement asking him to lay off.

Jon Jones called him a “really rotten person.” Yes, that Jon Jones.

Dana White got Covington an audience with Trump and even he ended up irritated with Covington, calling him “a big-mouth (expletive) idiot.”

Colby Covington leans against the fence after he was defeated by Kamaru Usman at UFC 245. (John Locher, Associated Press)

If you’ve got this wide a swatch of people pissed off at you, you’ve probably missed the point. Chael Sonnen mastered the art of trash talk, but he did it with a wink and a nudge that suggested he knew you knew he was full of it, and he was always gracious in defeat. Conor McGregor, too, was smart enough to talk up his opponent’s skills and spirit after being defeated.

Covington, though, had none of Sonnen’s charm or McGregor’s nuance. People would play along with Sonnen and give him his due as both a fighter and especially as a salesman. Even McGregor’s fiercest critics give him a nod for his ability to envision goals and will them into existence on his way to the top. Covington is getting little in the way of similar grudging props in the wake of his big defeat.

Under all his bluster and bile, Covington is a phenomenal competitor. He’s a tremendous wrestler, an underrated striker, and has a gas tank for days. The path he took to get here, taking out top-flight opponents with styles as varied as Demian Maia, Rafael dos Anjos, and Robbie Lawler, was a tour de force.

And, yes, no matter how much you might hate him, his effort in the cage on Saturday night was one of the greatest you’ll see from someone who gives it his all and comes up just short. 

Covington’s ability in the cage is the mix of heart and talent that will build a fan base over a long period of time, whether or not you get an initial promotional push from the UFC.

Instead, he chose a short cut and made it so that only his most die-hard supporters will appreciate the real talents underneath all his histrionics.

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Alexander Volkanovksi welcomes Max Holloway rematch: ‘I’ll be ready for it, and he does deserve it’

After his UFC 245 win, new champion Alexander Volkanovski is willing to run it back against Max Holloway.

LAS VEGAS – It wasn’t easy, but [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] got the job done.

At Saturday’s UFC 245, Volkanovski (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) took [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] five rounds before being announced the unanimous decision winner to become the new UFC featherweight champion.

When talking to reporters backstage post-fight, Volkanosvki proudly displayed his newly earned title belt on the table. It wasn’t easy, but the fight was a job well done in the eyes of the promotion’s first Australian-born champ.

“It was a tough one for me,” Volkanovski said. “I stay so composed in there. I’ve got a job to do, right? When I’m in there? I’ve always said that I keep myself level-headed and composed.

“… Obviously, I thought I was winning, but I didn’t know. My corner did a really good job of letting me know that and not getting caught up into his game. My shins are a little sore, but my gameplan went well. So it was good. Again, I was saying, we’re both very high level. It was a chess match in there, and I got the job done.”

With the victory, Volkanovksi ended the 1,100 day title reign of Holloway (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC), who suffered his first loss at featherweight since an August 2013 defeat to Conor McGregor. Holloway competed and won 15 times at 145 pounds from 2013-2019, winning every bout – except Volkanovski. He successfully defended his belt twice prior to UFC 245 against Brian Ortega and Jose Aldo, respectively.

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So that bares the question: Was Holloway’s run as champion enough to warrant an immediate rematch?

UFC president Dana White voiced the possibility a rematch could be next. If that’s the direction the UFC wants to go, Volkanovski is willing and able.

“I think he deserves it,” Volkanovski said. “Do I have to beat him to prove I’m a better fighter? I think we had five rounds to do, and I’m pretty sure I won it pretty clearly. But anyways, people are still going to doubt. They’re still going to. But I’ll be ready for it, and he does deserve it.”

If he gets another Holloway-centric training camp under his belt, Volkanovski indicated he could look even better a second time around. There are still adjustments to be made.

“I’ll be better prepared next time,” Volkanovski said. “I know we know what works. We’re going to get an even better formula. He might think he’ll get me figured out again, but I’m just too powerful. They go one way, I go another. That’s the thing. I’m so well rounded. I can just go anywhere with it.

The featherweight title bout was the UFC 245 co-main event. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Check out Volkanovski’s full UFC 245 post-fight press conference in the video above.

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UFC 245 post-event facts: Max Holloway makes history, even in defeat

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 245, which saw Kamaru Usman beat Colby Covington in the main event.

The UFC’s final numbered event of the year took place Saturday at UFC 245 went down at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

Three championship bouts were featured on the card, but it was Kamaru Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) who closed the show in dramatic fashion when he stopped Colby Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) by fifth-round TKO to defend his welterweight title for the first time in the main event.

It was a memorable finish to close a memorable card, and for more on the numbers, check below for 60 post-event facts to come out of UFC 245.

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General

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $369,500.

Usman, Covington, [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] and [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC 245 fight-night bonuses.

Debuting fighters went 2-0 on the card.

UFC 245 drew an announced attendance of 16,811 for a live gate of $4,041,119.14.

Betting favorites went 8-5 on the card.

Betting favorites improved to 22-17 (one fight had even odds, one ended in a no contest) in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 13-bout card was 2:49:00.

Main card

Usman extended his winning streak to 15 fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman became the fourth fighter in UFC history to start 11-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.

Usman is the only welterweight in history to start his UFC career with 11 consecutive victories.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak is the third longest active streak in the company behind Nurmagomedov (12) and Tony Ferguson (12).

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the second longest in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (12).

Covington suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) became the fourth undisputed featherweight champion in UFC history.

Volkanovski became the first Australian-born champion in UFC history.

Volkanovski’s six-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied with Arnold Allen and Zabit Magomedsharipov for the longest active streak in the division.

Volkanovski extended his winning streak to 18 consecutive fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Volkanovski has earned five of his eight UFC victories by decision.

Volkanovski has outlanded his eight UFC opponents by a 650-301 margin in total strikes.

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) has suffered four of his five career losses by decision.

Holloway landed 100+ significant strikes for the 10th time in UFC competition, the most in company history. No other fighter has more than seven such performances.

Holloway became the third fighter in UFC history to complete 22 octagon appearances without suffering a knockdown.

[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]’ (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC) five consecutive UFC title defenses are most among current champions.

Nunes’ seven victories in women’s UFC title fights are most in company history.

Nunes’ 12 victories in UFC competition are most for any female in company history.

Nunes’ 11 victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Nunes’ 10-fight UFC winning streak in women’s competition is the longest in company history.

Nunes’ nine-fight UFC winning streak at women’s bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

[autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) fell to 2-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in September 2017.

De Randamie suffered her first decision loss since June 24, 2011 – a span of 3,115 days and nine fights.

[autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (23-6-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) improved to 18-2 in his past 20 fights dating back to December 2011.

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) was unsuccessful in his bantamweight debut.

Aldo fell to 3-5 in his past eight fights after going undefeated for more than a decade.

Yan’s (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Yan has earned all three of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.

[autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (35-11 MMA, 11-7 UFC) suffered just the fourth knockout loss of his career.

Preliminary card

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]’s (13-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Usman (11), Leon Edwards (eight) and Santiago Ponzinibbio (seven).

Neal has earned 10 of his 12 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of his five UFC wins.

Neal became the first welterweight since Usman to start 5-0 in the UFC.

[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) fell to 2-5 in his past seven fights dating back to December 2017.

Perry suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

Aldana’s (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) five victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Nunes (11), Raquel Pennington (eight) and Ronda Rousey (six).

[autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) had her 10-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of her career.

[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) improved to 3-0-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 4-0-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.

Akhmedov’s five-fight UFC unbeaten streak at middleweight is tied with Paulo Costa for the second longest active streak in the division behind Israel Adesanya (seven).

[autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May.

Heinisch has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]’s (22-16 MMA, 15-10 UFC) 15 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19) and Matt Hughes (16).

Brown has earned 20 of his 22 career victories by stoppage. That includes 13 of his 15 wins under the UFC banner.

Brown’s 13 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Brown’s 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied for second most in company history behind Vitor Belfort (12).

Brown’s 11 knockout victories in welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.

[autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag] (22-13-2 MMA, 8-10 UFC) fell to 5-7 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in August 2014; it includes one win in an outside promotion.

Saunders’ four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2018.

Saunders is 1-6 in his past seven UFC appearances dating back to May 2017.

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] (7-0-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned five of his seven career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 1-4 UFC) fell to 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to December 2016.

Teymur suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (16-5-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) improved to 1-0-1 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September.

Moreno snapped his three-fight winless skid in UFC competition for his first octagon victory since April 2017.

[autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of her career.

[autotag]Punahele Soriano[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned six of his seven career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag] (11-3-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career on a 12-fight unbeaten streak.

Piechota suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

Dana White down to give Jose Aldo title shot vs. Henry Cejudo despite UFC 245 loss

Jose Aldo didn’t get the win at UFC 245, but his performance could still get him a title shot against Henry Cejudo.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] didn’t get the win at UFC 245, but his performance could still get him a title shot against [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag].

Aldo (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC), a former longtime featherweight champ, suffered a split decision loss to Marlon Moraes in his bantamweight debut on Saturday. It was a narrow decision, but the nod did not go Aldo’s way.

Despite that, though, Dana White might give Aldo a title shot. The UFC president revealed post-fight that 135-pound champ Cejudo (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) texted him asking for the matchup, and he’s willing to make it happen.

“Henry Cejudo texted me tonight and said, ‘That’s bull(expletive). He didn’t lose that fight. He won that fight, and I want to treat him like he did,'” White told reporters at the UFC 245 post-fight news conference. “He wants to fight Jose Aldo.”

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White said he thinks Aldo should’ve gotten the nod in the decision against Moraes, which was part of the UFC 245 pay-per-view main card at T-Mobile Arena. Still, though, criticism about considering Aldo for a title shot quickly poured in.

Cejudo is the UFC champion at both bantamweight and flyweight. The dual-champ has been out of action since June due to shoulder surgery, and White has previously said Cejudo’s return will be against Joseph Benavidez at 125 pounds.

There also are worthy contenders at 135 pounds, such as Petr Yan, who improved to 6-0 in the octagon at UFC 245. But White appears to be considering Aldo as the new frontrunner.

“I don’t hate it. I don’t hate it,” White said. “Cejudo is the man right now. If you look at what Cejudo has accomplished, if he says, ‘I want Jose Aldo. I think Jose Aldo won’ … I think Jose Aldo won the fight. Most of the room thought he won. If he wants Jose Aldo next, we could do it. I don’t have a problem with it. I’m sure people would want to see it.”

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