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.
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 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.
Jose Aldo is aware of Jonathan Martinez’s dangerous leg kick game, and is fully prepared to show why he’s a kick ‘specialist’ at UFC 301.
If you’re creating a top list of most dangerous leg kickers in MMA history, [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]’s name belongs near the top.
The former UFC featherweight champ devastated several opponents throughout his career with sharp leg kicks punctuating his striking combinations. In his return from a brief MMA retirement, Aldo (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) will face Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301, another fighter known for his lower-limb attacks.
Martinez (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) has ended two of his last three fights by leg kick TKO. Cub Swanson and Adrian Yanez tried to fight through the pain, but Martinez’s repeated attacks on their injured legs rendered them unable to continue.
Aldo is well aware of the danger his opponent brings to the cage, and is eager to see how things play out when they meet in the co-main event of the pay-per-view event at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“He’s a very tough opponent, and I think he has what, two wins by leg kicks?” Aldo told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. “I’m a specalist at what I do, and you’re always going to face people that do the same thing that you do, but that’s what I’m known for, my leg kicks.
“I’m really prepared to go in there and do my best and do what I train to do.”
While Aldo’s leg kick frequency wasn’t as high at the end of his career as it was in the beginning, he still surprised recent opponents with the quickness and timing of his kicks.
Aldo says he has studied Martinez’s game, and recognizes his techniques as high-level. However, in addition to being a dangerous kicker himself, Aldo’s hands will be a puzzle for Martinez to worry about. After retiring from MMA in August 2022, Aldo switched to boxing, where he has picked up two unanimous decision wins and a majority draw.
Boxing rivals Savannah Marshall and Claressa Shields both ended up in PFL – and that’s not a coincidence.
It’s no coincidence [autotag]Savannah Marshall[/autotag] ended in the same MMA promotion as boxing rival [autotag]Claressa Shields[/autotag].
In October 2022, Shields defeated Marshall in the ring. But in a cage, it remains to be seen who would remain supreme. If all goes according to plan, fight fans should expect the rematch to take place under the PFL banner. In fact, that’s the driving factor as to why Marshall is transitioning to MMA.
“That’s the goal,” Marshall recently told MMA Junkie. “The goal isn’t really fighting me in a league or anything like that. The goal is to make a build-up and essentially have a fight with Claressa in the cage.”
Marshall, 32, said she was approached by PFL following the boxing match with Sheilds at O2 Arena in London. Shields had already made the jump, but the idea of evening things up was too good to pass up – particularly as Marshall had already experimented with going down the MMA path.
“In 2013, I walked into an MMA gym and wanted to give it a go because I just seen that MMA was really taking off, especially for women. I did about one or two sessions and I remember thinking, ‘Oh, this is too much for me to grasp.’ So I kind of turned my back on it then. In the lockdown again, I just saw there was a lot of opportunities happening for women in MMA. So I had a couple of sessions with Molly McCann, who was with the UFC. Then, boxing took off on me and I shut the door on it again.”
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Marshall makes her MMA debut on June 8 at 2024 PFL Europe 2 in Newcastle, England, against Mirela Vargas (1-2). While she’s taking it step by step, the end goal is obvious. Each fight that leads up to her potential showdown with Shields serves as an opportunity to hype the matchup.
Despite their competitive rivalry, Marshall said Shields gave her some pointers prior to her PFL signing. Initially, Marshall didn’t wrap her head around them. Now, she does.
“We’re not friends,” Marshall said. “We acknowledge each other and I’ve seen her just when I signed the contract before I’d done any MMA training. She kind of pulled me aside and said this, this, this, and this. Then obviously, once I did the MMA training, I went to her last fight in Saudi and said, ‘When I looked back it, I totally get what you’re trying to say.’ Because look, I thought I underestimated it massively. I thought it would’ve been like I’m the undisputed champion and I’m going to walk into this and that’s that. Clearly, it’s not like that at all. I’ve really underestimated the sport of MMA.”
Marshall’s climb through the MMA ranks won’t be without boxing matches in between. PFL’s flexibility in allowing her to do both was a major factor in her signing. Marshall appreciates the ability to weigh her options at each turn.
“This is where the PFL have been really good with me,” Marshall said. “They know that boxing comes first. Really, it came at a brilliant time. … If the PFL wasn’t there, I would’ve been sat about waiting for a fight. So really, I’m looking at the PFL. It’s keeping me active. It’s not a boxing fight, but I’m still training. I’m still in a camp. The emotions of fight week are still happening.
“But I’m just going to get June 8 out the way and then see. I might get in the cage and be absolutely terrible and think, “Jesus, that’s not for me.’ I might get in there and absolutely enjoy it and just think, ‘God, I want a bit more of that.’ I’m just going to see how June 8 goes first.”
Game 3 between the Lakers and Nuggets was a game to forget for D’Angelo Russell.
D’Angelo Russell has had quite a few poor performances in the playoffs. Those poor performances have become part of his reputation as a player who does well in the regular season but not in the postseason.
But Game 3 versus the Denver Nuggets on Thursday was perhaps his worst playoff game ever.
He missed all seven of his shot attempts, six of which came from 3-point range, and he went scoreless. He was a major reason the Los Angeles Lakers blew yet another double-digit lead and lost, 112-105, to the Nuggets, putting them on the brink of getting swept.
At one point in Game 3, the fans at Crypto.com Arena booed Russell after he missed a wide-open trey. Even worse, he was seen not participating in a team huddle while on the bench.
Russell had to deal with incessant trade rumors at midseason while he was going through a bad shooting slump. He can opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer, and one has to wonder if he could become a castaway due to his poor play in this series, as well as his poor play in last year’s Western Conference finals when L.A. were swept by Denver.
Ahead of UFC on ESPN 55, Karine Silva says her rise hasn’t been quick, though she plans to continue her trajectory vs. Ariane Lipski.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Karine Silva[/autotag] has heard the praise.
Even though the narratives are largely complementary, Silva (17-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) admits her run toward UFC notoriety isn’t as quick and effortless as it may seem.
“It wasn’t quick, guys. It wasn’t fast,” Silva told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a UFC on ESPN 55 pre-fight news conference. “It was actually the work of 12 years. When I say ‘our’ work, what I mean by ‘our,’ is our team. It’s the people. We have taken one day at a time, but it’s taken a long time. It was not quick.”
Since a UFC ticket-punching performance on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, Silva has defeated Poliana Botelho, Ketlen Souza, and Maryna Moroz with first-round submissions. The results of a decade-plus of hard work have felt rewarding.
“It’s been wonderful,” Silva said. “The only thing that’s changed has been the frequency of training has increased. The intensity of training has increased. The routine changed but my life has been the same.”
At Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 55 (ESPN, ESPN+) at the UFC Apex, Silva battles seasoned veteran Ariane Lipski (17-8 MMA, 6-5 UFC), who is on a three-fight winning streak. Nicknamed “The Queen of Violence,” Lipski has finishing abilities herself. Regardless, Silva is confident Lipski won’t hinder her trajectory.
“I think the fight is going to happen the way it’s going to happen whether it’s going to be in the first, second, or third round,” Silva said. “What I believe in is my win.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.
Uros Medic thinks he’s been shafted of two bonuses so far in his UFC career, and he won’t tolerate it happening again.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Uros Medic[/autotag] thinks he’s been shafted of two bonuses so far in his UFC career, and he won’t tolerate it happening again.
Medic (9-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) believes he should’ve received $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses for his knockout wins over Matthew Semelsberger and Omar Morales. It didn’t happen either time, though, which resulted in much frustration.
He now enters Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 55 matchup with Tim Means (33-15-1 MMA, 15-12 UFC) at the UFC Apex (ESPN, ESPN+), and if he wins the welterweight bout the way he envisions, he will be angry if snubbed.
“Whoever was there to see the chaos in the arena after my spinning backfist (against Semelsberger), then not award me with a bonus (was upsetting),” Medic told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “I’ll make sure to cement that this time so they can write the three checks out, and somebody is going to get oiled up (if not).”
After five octagon appearances in his career thus far, Medic said he feels comfortable and confident in his position in the promotion. He is keen to test his skills against Means, who has more than five times the professional experience of him.
Getting his hands on an established foe is something Medic has been craving, and he expects to do something spectacular this weekend.
“It’s going to be a good fight,” Medic said. “He is a veteran. You’ve got to respect that. This is a sport where men die young, so when you see an old man, you’ve got to respect that. I’m excited.
“I’m sure it’s going to be a good scrap, but the nature of the sport, it’s not a lot of wear and tear. I believe the youth is going to play a big role. He did fight some younger guys and he won against some younger guys, so I would never count him out. But I’m pretty confident in my ability to finish fights. He gets hit. I hit pretty hard.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.
