Tag: Anthony Hernandez

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Oct. 22: Francis Ngannou claims heavyweight throne

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following PFL: Battle of the Giants and UFC Fight Night 245.

PFL: Battle of the Giants and UFC Fight Night 245 each had their impacts on divisional rankings.

In PFL’s main event, former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag], who never lost his title, returned to MMA and took out [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in short order with a brutal knockout.

As a result Ngannou shifts into the No. 1 heavyweight slot. He was previously at No. 2. He also moves into No. 3 in the pound-for-pound rankings.

Also, [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] took once step closer to middleweight title contention as he dominated [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] before a late-fight TKO finish.

Hernandez enters the rankings at No. 13.

Across the two cards, [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag], Raufeon Stots, Asu Almabayev, and Charles Johnson also picked up impactful victories. Each resulted in a bump-up in the rankings.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.

Video: Who should Anthony Hernandez fight next? Is he a threat to the UFC middleweight title?

Did Anthony Hernandez have a breakthrough performance at UFC Fight Night 245? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

The middleweight division has a new rising contender in [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]

“Fluffy” extended his winning streak to six in a row this past Saturday, dominating and stopping flashy striker [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] in the main event of UFC Fight Night 245. With two back-to-back Performance of the Night bonuses, Hernandez is quickly becoming a name to watch in the division.

But how good is Hernandez? Who should he face next? Can he now be considered a real threat to the title?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Dan Tom, Mike Bohn, Danny Segura, and host “Gorgeous” George react to Hernandez’s big win over Pereira, along with other important results from UFC Fight Night 245.  

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/cbzHrkO75mA

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Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Francis Ngannou dominates, UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway preview, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses Francis Ngannou’s successful MMA, the upcoming UFC 308 event, and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] reminded the MMA world why he’s one of the most terrifying fighters to ever set foot in the cage. This past Saturday, the former UFC heavyweight champion viciously stopped [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants in Saudi Arabia. It was a big win that shook up the heavyweight landscape. Now that he’s back in MMA, can we say Ngannou remains the “Baddest Man on the Planet”? What should be next for Ngannou? We discuss.
  • Ngannou’s TKO win wasn’t the only thing that made headlines at PFL: Battle of the Giants. Women’s MMA legend [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] picked up a decision win over former PFL champion [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag], [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] defended his Bellator belt in a rematch against [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag], and [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] pulled off an upset by defeating [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag], among other things. We react to some of the key results on PFL’s pay-per-view event.
  • Over in the UFC side of things, [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] dominated [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 245. It was a big win that put Hernandez on a six-fight winning streak, with five of those coming by stoppage. Is Hernandez a serious threat to the middleweight title? Where does Pereira go from here? We dissect the main event of UFC Fight Night 245.
  • Finally, it’s UFC 308 fight week. That’s right, in just a few days time, [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] will defend his UFC featherweight title against [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] Preview in an extremely highly-anticipated matchup. There’s a lot on the line here. Could Topuria steal Fighter of the Year with a win over Holloway? Could a win cement Holloway as the greatest to ever do it at featherweight? We break down this championship fight along with other bog bouts in the card, including [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag].

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Video: What’s next for Anthony Hernandez after decimation of Michel Pereira at UFC Fight Night 245?

What should be next for middleweight Anthony Hernandez after his dominant win over Michel Pereira at UFC Fight Night 245?

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] made a major statement Saturday, and the UFC’s middleweight division may have a new contender on its hands.

Hernandez (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) dominated Michel Pereira (31-12 MMA, 9-3 UFC) and eventually put him away with a fifth-round TKO in his first UFC main event. The duo headlined UFC Fight Night 245 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and after a slowish start, “Fluffy” Hernandez took over and battered the Brazilian for the finish.

Hernandez won for the sixth straight time, five of which have been by stoppage. His finish of Pereira earned his third bonus in that stretch and took Pereira’s name out of the list of contenders. So who should be next for Hernandez on his current run? Check out the video above for thoughts and analysis on Hernandez’s surge into the title picture.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

Anthony Hernandez holds Dricus Du Plessis in high regard – as he would a fight against him

How far away is Anthony Hernandez from a title shot? He thinks at least two more fights are likely.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] isn’t one for callouts because he doesn’t really watch fights.

However, the undeniable and sometimes inexplicable danger of UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] has broken the barrier of disinterest.

Following his UFC Fight Night 245 win, Hernandez (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) voiced confidence in his own ability to put on pressure and drown opponents, as he did Michel Pereira on Saturday at the UFC Apex.

Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is the only other guy he thinks is the ballpark of putting forward that cardio-heavy attack.

“I think it would be a great fight realistically who mixes it up really well would be Du Plessis,” Hernandez told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “He mixes it very f*cking well, and that’s why he’s champion right now. He’s just a tough motherf*cker and he goes. He looks like he’s gassed and he keeps pushing. I’d love to fight him. I’m just going to keep climbing the ladder so I can get to him. Great job to him. Keep up the great work, man.”

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That’s not the next step, though. Hernandez knows it.

So what’s next? Hernandez thinks it’ll be at least two more fights before he comes within a direct arm’s reach of UFC gold.

“Hopefully, but probably not,” Hernandez said. “There are guys ahead of me. I’m not stupid. I know how this sh*t works. Those guys have … it’s all about timing and sh*t. I’m just going to keep doing what I do. I’m going to stay ready and when my time comes, I’m going to show the f*ck out and I’ll get it eventually.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

UFC Fight Night 245 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Darren Elkins’ $21,000 leads card

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program has now paid out more than $29 million to athletes since its deal began with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 245 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $155,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 245 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 245 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Charles Johnson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cameron Smotherman[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Asu Almabayev[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jean Matsumoto[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joselyne Edwards[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Elise Reed[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melissa Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alice Ardelean[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2451 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,644,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $29,381,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

UFC Fight Night 245 bonuses: 9 decisions + 11 fights = Only 3 $50,000 checks

The UFC handed out three bonuses after Saturday’s card – one less than is customary.

The UFC handed out three bonuses after Saturday’s card – one less than is customary.

After UFC Fight Night 245, three fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below.

Performance of the Night: Anthony Hernandez

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: (R-L) Anthony Hernandez punches Michel Pereira of Brazil in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 19, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Anthony Hernandez def. Michel Pereira via TKO (strikes) – Round 5, 2:22

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) absolutely destroyed Michel Pereira (31-12 MMA, 9-3 UFC) and eventually finished him with a fifth-round TKO. But the fight really could’ve been stopped well before that. Hernandez landed 10 takedowns for more than three full rounds of control time. He set a new record for takedown attempts and called for fights at the next level at middleweight.

Fight of the Night: Darren Elkins def. Daniel Pineda

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: (L-R) Daniel Pineda knees Darren Elkins in a featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 19, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Darren Elkins def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

[autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 19-10 UFC) and [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag] (28-17 MMA, 5-8 UFC) put on a classic Elkins fight, with blood all over the canvas by the time things were done. This time, most of it was Elkins’ opponent and not his own, though. Elkins and Pineda had a grinder of a scrap, and after 15 back-and-forth minutes, Elkins had his third win in four fights – and Pineda hung up his gloves.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

UFC Fight Night 245 results: Anthony Hernandez wears down Michel Pereira, gets TKO

In the UFC Vegas 99 main event, Anthony Hernandez relentlessly took Michel Pereira down and eventually got the stoppage.

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] believed cardio and pace would be the difference against [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] and while the stoppage may have come later than he expected, his general sentiment proved accurate.

It took him nearly five full rounds, but Hernandez (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) got the job done inside the distance as he finished Pereira (31-12 MMA, 9-3 UFC) with strikes Saturday in the UFC Fight Night 245 main event. The stoppage came at 2:22 of Round 5 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Hernandez repeatedly took down Pereira, landed ground-and-pound and eventually exhausted the Brazilian. Pereira’s defense was almost enough to survive for the entirety of the fight, but almost doesn’t count.

The victory marks Hernandez’s first UFC main event win. The victory was his sixth in a row and his fifth stoppage in that stretch.

Pereira has an eight-fight winning streak snapped. His previous loss was to Diego Sanchez by disqualification in February 2020.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 245 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

UFC Fight Night 245: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 245 odds between Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 5-round middleweight bout in the main event, Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 245 — also known as UFC Vegas 99 and UFC on ESPN+ 103 — at the UFC Apex. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s UFC odds around the UFC Fight Night 245: Hernandez vs. Pereira odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+, and the main card begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Records: Hernandez (12-2-0) | Pereira (31-11-0)

Hernandez streaks into this main event with 5 consecutive victories dating back to UFC 258. That includes a 2nd-round submission of Roman Kopylov at UFC 298 back on Feb. 17. He has finished inside the distance in 4 of his 5 victories during the win streak, and he has had just 1 decision in his 8 fights at the UFC level since Feb. 2, 2019.

For Pereira, he enters on an 8-bout win streak since being DQ’d against Diego Sanchez Feb. 15, 2020 in New Mexico. He has finished inside the distance in each of his past 3 outings, including a pair of 1st-round submission wins over Ihor Potieria and Michal Oleksiejczuk. Each of his past 3 wins have been finished in Round 1.

Hernandez holds a 2-inch reach advantage, while Pereira has a slight 5.16-to-4.30 significant strikes landed per minute advantage. Hernandez is much more accurate with those strikes at 64.32%, while the Brazilian fighter has a 56.14% mark.

Hernandez is a lot more efficient on takedowns, too, posting a 6.62 takedown average, to 1.53 mark for Pereira. Hernandez has posted an impressive 2.99 submission average, to just 0.84 for Pereira.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 245: Hernandez vs. Pereira odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of UFC odds. Lines last updated at 12:30 p.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Hernandez -135 (bet $135 to win $100) | Pereira +110 (bet $100 to win $110)
  • Over/under: 2.5 Rounds (Over +120 | Under -160)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +400 | No -700)

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UFC Fight Night 245: Hernandez vs. Pereira picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

HERNANDEZ (-135) is a strong play on the 2-way line, as he does much more right than Pereira (+110).

It’s Hernandez’s work in the ground-and-pound that sets him apart, and as long as he avoids the big shot for a knockout, he’ll get the job done.

Hernandez has won 3 of his past 5 fights by way of submission, and 5 of his past 8 fights have finished via the method, with 4 victories.

In fact, if you wanted to roll the dice on the 7-way line, playing HERNANDEZ BY SUBMISSION (+150), that’s a solid value at plus-money.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-160) is a nice play at this price.

This fight isn likely to end before the middle of Round 3. Hernandez has gone past 2:30 of Round 3 just once in the past 9 pro bouts, while Pereira hasn’t even seen Round 2 in the past 3 outings.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 245

Will Michel Pereira’s flashy tendencies be too much for Anthony Hernandez in the UFC Fight Night 245 main event?

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] and [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] meet Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night 245 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 3-3
UFC main cards, 2024: 87-77-3

Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira UFC Fight Night 245 preview

Hernandez (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) enters his first UFC main event on a five-fight winning streak. He has finished three straight opponents: Marc-Andre Barriault and Edmen Shahbazyan in the third round, and Roman Kopylov in Round 2. Hernandez has also taken home two Performance of the Night bonuses on his current streak. … Pereira (31-11 MMA, 9-2 UFC) also enters on a hot streak as a winner of his last eight, including three consecutive stoppages after moving up to middleweight. He has also taken home five POTN bonuses during his winning streak.

Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira UFC Fight Night 245 expert pick, prediction

The main event in Las Vegas features a matchup of middleweight contenders, Hernandez and Pereira.

Despite dealing with a slew of injury withdrawals for the past few years, Hernandez has established himself as a real force at 185 pounds. Whereas Pereira, who is riding the momentum of a 7-fight winning streak, has looked to be in top form since moving up from welterweight.

Although the stylistic dynamic slightly favors Hernandez’s relentless wrestling attacks (especially inside the smaller octagon of the Apex), Pereira will be incredibly dangerous early.

Aside from the fact that Pereira carries knockout power in his hands, the Brazilian is also good about going to the body – which appears to be kryptonite to Hernandez.

That said, we still haven’t seen Pereira’s suspect gas tank tested in some time, so I’m curious how “Demolidor” will deal with Hernandez’s Dagestani spin cycle of positional rides and attacks on the floor.

A Pereira win wouldn’t shock me, but I’ll officially side with Hernandez to survive the initial storms and pull away down the stretch for a submission win in Round 3.

Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira UFC Fight Night 245 odds

The oddsmakers and the public heavily favor the Uzbek fighter, listing Temirov -325 and Vergara +250 via FanDuel.

Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira UFC Fight Night 245 start time, how to watch

As the main event, Hernandez and Pereira are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 9:05 p.m. ET (6:05 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.