Check out the fighter faceoffs from UFC 246 media day.
LAS VEGAS – As we inch closer to UFC 246 on Saturday, the top fighters on the card outside of the main event inched closer to each other Thursday.
The main-card fighters, as well as some of the prelim fighters, took part in a media day for UFC 246 at the UFC Apex. After answering questions for the media, the athletes faced off ahead of Friday’s weigh-ins and the Saturday event.
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] rematches [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] in the co-main event, while heavyweights [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Maurice Greene[/autotag], strawweights [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] and lightweights [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] round out of the main card.
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On the prelims, undefeated super-prospect [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] meets veteran opponent [autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] in a women’s flyweight matchup.
Check out the faceoffs from those fighters in the video above ahead of UFC 246, which takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
Previewing Saturday’s UFC 246 lightweight bout between Anthony Pettis and Diego Ferreira, with UFC betting odds, picks and best bets.
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Anthony Pettis and Diego Ferreira will go toe-to-toe at UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Saturday in a lightweight bout on the pay-per-view card. We break down the Pettis-Ferreira betting odds and lines, with UFC betting picks, tips and best bets for UFC 246.
Pettis (22-9) is looking to bounce back after a unanimous decision loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 241 Aug. 17, and he has alternated wins and losses in each of his past nine bouts. Since successfully defending the lightweight strap against Gilbert Melendez at UFC 181 Dec. 6, 2014, he has been in a freefall down the ranking, going just 4-7. However, he does have wins over Charles Oliveira, Jim Miller, Micheal Chiesa and Stephen Thompson along the way, with the Thompson victory coming March 23 of last year in a knockout, so he is still very dangerous.
Ferreira (16-2) easily has the better record of the two fighters, and is on a different trajectory. He also has a 74-72.5″ reach advantage, and he hasn’t tasted defeat since back-to-back losses to Beneil Dariush at UFC 179 and a knockout at the hands of Dustin Poirier in the first round of UFC Fight Night April 4, 2015. His past two wins are by unanimous decision over Rustam Khabilov and Mairbek Taisumov.
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Per BetMGM, Ferreira (-250) is a moderate favorite over Pettis (+180). The oddsmakers also lean to the match going the distance (three rounds), with odds there being set at -150 for – and the odds to not go a full three rounds at +115.
Are you new to sports betting? A $10 wager on Ferreira to win returns $4 in profit. A bet on Pettis at +180 returns a profit of $18 with a victory.
Pettis is still very dangerous, but he hasn’t been able to show much consistency lately, while Ferriera is younger, quicker and a lot better in the significant strike department. As long as Ferreira doesn’t let his guard down and plays solid defense, negating a huge punch and kill shot, he should be able to grind out a unanimous decision. The play here is Ferrerira to win by decision/technical decision (+115), with the fight going a full three rounds (-150).
If you want some action on this mixed martial arts bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
Breaking down where, when and how to watch UFC 246 featuring Conor McGregor and Cowboy Cerrone, with start times for Saturday’s fights.
UFC 246 is here and Ultimate Fighting Championship fans are in for a treat as Conor McGregor and Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone square off in the main event to headline UFC 246’s big PPV event.
This UFC 246 viewing guide is to help you with all of the ins and outs around this event, including breaking down each of the fight cards, details on where to watch the event and where to bet on UFC 246.
UFC 246 Main Fight Card
Main event
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Conor McGregor (21-4-0) vs. Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone (36-13-0, 1 NC)
Co-main event
Holly Holm (12-5-0) vs. Raquel Pennington (10-8-0)
Heavyweight
Aleksei Oleinik (57-13-1) vs. Maurice Greene (8-4-0)
Women’s Strawweight
Claudia Gadelha (17-4-0) vs. Alexa Grasso (11-3-0)
Lightweight
Anthony Pettis (22-9-0) vs. Diego Ferreira (16-2-0)
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Roxanne Modafferi vs. Maycee Barber; Andre Fili vs. Sodiq Yusuff; Drew Dober vs. Nasrat Haqparast; Tim Elliott vs. Askar Askarov
UFC 246 Early Prelims
Aleksa Camur vs. Justin Ledet; Brian Kelleher vs. Ode Osbourne; Sabina Mazo vs. JJ Aldrich
UFC 246: What you need to know
When is UFC 246?
Saturday, January 18, 2020
What time is UFC 246?
UFC 246’s main card begins at 10 p.m. ET
Preliminaries will begin at 8 p.m. ET
Early prelims begin at 6:15 p.m. ET
Where is UFC 246?
T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
Where can I watch UFC 246?
The Notorious vs. Cowboy, along with the rest of the UFC 246 main card and early prelim fights, will be available on Pay Per View and ESPN+ streaming service. Sign up for ESPN+ now.
Where can I bet on UFC 246?
If you’re looking to place a sports bet on any of the fights within UFC 246 or have your eyes set on betting action on the McGregor vs. Cowboy fight, you can place your legal sports bet at BetMGM.
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
The best facts and figures about UFC 246, which features plenty of action outside of the Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone main event.
UFC 246 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a 12-fight main card set to air on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
Although the majority of focus is on the welterweight headliner (which has plenty of interesting numbers behind it), the remaining bouts offer a little of something for everyone, including another key women’s bantamweight rematch between [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) and [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind UFC 246, check below for 45 pre-event facts.
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Co-main event
Holm is 2-5 in her past seven UFC appearances dating back to November 2015, when she won the UFC women’s bantamweight title.
Holm’s four consecutive losses in UFC title fights are the most for any female in company history.
Holm’s two head-kick knockout victories in UFC competition are the most of any female in company history.
Holm is one of seven fighters in UFC history to win a championship fight by head-kick knockout. She accomplished the feat at UFC 193.
Holm has been awarded three fight-night bonuses for UFC women’s bantamweight fights, the third most in divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (7) and Nunes (4).
Raquel Pennington
Pennington competes in her 12th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, tied with Nunes for the most appearances in divisional history.
Pennington’s seven victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Nunes (11).
Pennington’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Rousey (3).
Pennington is one of six fighters in UFC history to earn a bulldog-choke submission victory. She accomplished the feat against Ashlee-Evans Smith at UFC 181.
Featured bout
Aleksei Oleinik
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (57-13-1 MMA, 6-4 UFC), 42, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC heavyweight division and is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Oleinik becomes the first fighter in MMA history to have professional bouts across four decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s).
Oleinik’s average fight time of 5:01 in UFC heavyweight fights is fourth shortest in divisional history behind Cyril Asker (3:24), Todd Duffee (3:26) and Shane Carwin (4:55).
Oleinik has earned 53 of his 57 career victories by stoppage. That includes his past 16 wins, 11 of which have come in the first round.
Oleinik has earned 45 of his 57 career victories by submission. Of those stoppages, 37 have come in the first round.
Oleinik’s five submission victories in UFC heavyweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Frank Mir (8) and Stefan Struve (6).
Oleinik has earned both of the Ezekiel-choke submission victories in UFC history. He accomplished the feat at UFC 224 and UFC Fight Night 103.
Oleinik attempts 2.4 submissions per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC heavyweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
[autotag]Maurice Greene[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is one of two heavyweights in UFC history to earn a submission by triangle choke. Struve owns two wins with the technique.
Remaining main card
Claudia Gadelha
[autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) competes in her 11th UFC strawweight bout, tied for the third most appearances in divisional history behind Randa Markos (13) and Angela Hill (12).
Gadelha’s six victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (9) and Jessica Andrade (7).
Gadelha has alternated wins and losses over her past five fights. She won her most recent bout at UFC 239 in July.
Gadelha’s 33 takedowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Carla Esparza for the most in divisional history.
Gadelha has been awarded three fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts, tied for the third most in divisional history behind Andrade (6) and Rose Namajunas (4).
[autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over her past six fights. She lost her most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 17 in September.
Anthony Pettis
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (22-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past nine fights. Her lost his most recent bout at UFC 241 in August.
Pettis returns to the lightweight division for the first time since November 2018. He went 1-1 during his stint at welterweight.
Pettis is one of nine fighters in UFC history to earn victories in three weight classes.
Pettis is 4-7 in his past 11 UFC appearance dating back to when he lost the UFC lightweight title in March 2015.
Pettis has earned 18 of his 22 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his nine UFC wins.
Pettis’ five submission victories from a bottom position in UFC/WEC competition are tied with Diaz for most in combined company history.
[autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag]’s (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is the fifth longest active streak in the division behind Tony Ferguson (12), Khabib Nurmagomedov (11), Islam Makhachev (6) and Charles Oliveira (6).
Preliminary card
Roxanne Modafferi
[autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] (23-16 MMA, 2-4 UFC) competes in her sixth UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied with Gillian Robertson for the most appearances in divisional history.
Modafferi is 8-5 since her initial UFC release in November 2013.
Modafferi has alternated wins and losses over her past six fights. She lost her most recent bout at UFC on ESPN 4 in July
Maycee Barber
[autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), 21, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Barber is 2-0 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in March.
Barber has earned seven of her eight career victories by stoppage. She’s won all three of her UFC fights by knockout.
Barber’s three-fight knockout streak in UFC competition is tied with Amanda Nunes and Cris Cyborg for the longest such streak in women’s company history.
[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has landed at least one knockdown against all four of his UFC opponents.
[autotag]Justin Ledet[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) is 0-2 since he dropped to the UFC light heavyweight division in July.
Ledet’s 113 significant strikes landed against Chase Sherman at UFC Fight Night 92 are tied for the second most by any debuting UFC heavyweight behind Tim Sylvia’s 138 at UFC 39.
Tim Elliott
[autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag] (15-9-1 MMA, 4-7 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past six fights. He lost his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in October.
Elliott is 2-3 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in December 2016.
Elliott’s 36 takedowns landed in UFC flyweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (58) and Wilson Reis (44).
Elliott lands 63.2 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
[autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag] (19-10 MMA, 3-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Dec. 29, 2018. The 385-day layoff is the longest of his nearly nine-year career.
[autotag]J.J. Aldrich[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is 1-1 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in March.
Aldrich has earned all four of her UFC victories by decision.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Relive Anthony Pettis’ highlight-reel knockout of Stephen Thompson at UFC Nashville.
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] faced a stiff test in his UFC welterweight debut.
Pettis, the former UFC lightweight champion, took on two-time UFC welterweight title challenger [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] in the main event of UFC on ESPN+ 6 in Nashville, and came in as a sizable betting underdog.
In a matchup of karate vs. taekwondo, the two exchanged kicks early. Pettis stalked Thompson down and threw body kicks and leg kicks on Thompson’s heavy front leg early, while Thompson exploded with flurries, managing to bloody Pettis’ nose early.
In Round 2, Thompson continued to mix it up with the kicks, peppering Pettis with the jab. Pettis continued to punish that lead leg on the counter but was starting to take quite a bit of damage on his nose. Then, after the 10-second clap toward the end of the round, Pettis capitalized on an opening, where while backed up against the cage, he was able to deliver a picture-perfect Superman punch, knocking Thompson out cold.
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“Showtime” lived up to his moniker in typical highlight-reel fashion, handing “Wonderboy” his first knockout loss.
Pettis returns to lightweight this Saturday at UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, when he opens up the main card in a bout against Carlos Diego Ferreira. While you wait for the days to wind down to UFC 246, you can whet your appetite by clicking on the video linked above.
One of the crazier USADA-involved stories you might ever hear.
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] had to deal with some adversity just hours before his Nate Diaz fight at UFC 241.
Pettis (22-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC), the former UFC lightweight champion, told ESPN on Monday that he suffered a cut on his right thumb while attempting to close a glass bottle that contained a urine sample requested by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency just over an hour before he made the walk against Diaz.
“It was a perfect training camp, and then we go to the fight, I walk behind the scenes, USADA comes up like, ‘Hey, we need you to do a piss test for your drug test,'” Pettis said during an “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show” interview. “I did the first drug test, and it was too diluted because when you rehydrate, there’s too much water in you. So they had to do a second drug test, but I had to wait until I had to pee again, so it was about an hour-and-a-half before the fight, I had to go again.
“I did a piss test. I’m closing the first bottle up. It’s like a twist cap, so I’m twisting the cap, I put it inside of the plastic bag, and I see blood … blood in this bag, and I look at my hand, and I gashed my thumb on the USADA drug test. I call the UFC (doctor) in. I’m telling USADA what’s going on; UFC doc comes in, and he’s like, ‘All right, you need stitches. We can do two things: We can stitch you, and then it’ll probably bleed in the fight. Or we can glue you shut, and it’ll hold for the fight, but you won’t bleed for the fight, completely shut.'”
Pettis had to make a decision, and despite his head coach, Duke Roufus, advising him against competing, Pettis wasn’t about to let such an opportunity slip away.
“My coach was like, ‘Nah, we’re not fighting,'” Pettis said. “Duke didn’t want me to fight, but I had a perfect training camp. I felt amazing. And in my head I’m like, ‘Man, the cut’s on my thumb. They’re not going to stop a fight for blood on my thumb.
“So for the fight, I couldn’t warm up, because if I punched, the glue would break open. I couldn’t grapple, because obviously my hand’s cut, so I’m out there with no warm-up, and you can see it in the fight. It was a perfect training camp. I felt so good, and I go out there, and I (expletive) the bed. I was in my head on that fight. I used the wrong energy again, trying to knock him out.”
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Pettis told ESPN that he and his team plan on suing USADA for causing the gash on Pettis’ hand and the effect it had on him entering the fight. When reached by MMA Junkie for further details, Abe Kawa of First Round Management declined comment.
“I mean, the rules are (that) the person administering the test can’t touch that bottle, the glass bottle that we put it in, so I had to touch the glass bottle. I had to close it,” Pettis said. “I gave them a piss test before, so this is my second piss test of the night, and closing the glass top, something was a like jagged edge on it or something, and it gashed my hand.”
Pettis returns to action at lightweight on Saturday when he takes on Diego Ferriera at UFC 246 on the ESPN+ pay-per-view in Las Vegas.
Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone is getting all the hype, but there are other fights at UFC 246 which are well worth your attention.
Make no mistake, most of the attention heading into UFC 246 is on the main event clash between [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]. But to label the event a “one-fight card” would be to disrespect the matchups lower down the card, which feature a host of key contenders and rising prospects across the UFC’s various weight classes.
But which of the other fights on the UFC 246 card should fans keep a close eye on? MMA Junkie’s Dave Doyle, Simon Head, and Nolan King shine a spotlight on the non-main event fights which most intrigued them heading into fight week in Las Vegas in the latest edition of Triple Take.
Dave Doyle: How will Anthony Pettis fare in his return to lightweight?
I feel like I could simply write “[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] is fighting,” and leave it at that, with no further explanation necessary.
This is, after all, “Showtime.” And maybe the former UFC snd WEC lightweight champion has lost a step since his days as champion, when people were starting to openly speculate on whether Pettis (22-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) was approaching No. 1 pound-for-pound status.
But look at Pettis’ output in recent years: Even if he’s not the same fighter he once was, his presence on the card still guarantees excitement. Pettis’ wins over the likes of Michael Chiesa and Stephen Thompson were the types canny veterans pull off. His losses, to Tony Ferguson and Nate Diaz, were thrilling battles. He clearly has something left to give.
Pettis’ return to his lightweight wheelhouse after bouncing everywhere from featherweight to welterweight in recent years seems to indicate he’s getting serious and buckling down for one more big run.
And, as is usually the case, Pettis isn’t taking an easy fight. He’s being greeted by one of the more underrated competitors at 155 pounds in Diego Ferreira (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC), who enters the bout on a five-fight win streak. Those wins have come over tough guys without much name value, But now Ferreira is getting exactly the opponent he wants on the platform he’s wanted.
So yeah, as long as there’s a matchup the caliber of Pettis vs. Ferreira, don’t tell me UFC 246 is a one-fight show.
Next page: Simon Head: A flyweight clash with future title implications
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 246 in Las Vegas, which features Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone in the main event.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 246 event in Las Vegas.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC 246 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC 246 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Make your picks for all five main card fights inside:
Recap the action as Anthony “Showtime” Pettis reminded the world of his superb submission skills as he finished Michael Chiesa at UFC 226.
The UFC International Fight Week clash between former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] in 2018 was one of the most intriguing matchups of the stacked UFC 226 card. And, after a little weigh-in drama in the buildup to the fight when Chiesa missed weight, Pettis showcased his at-times underrated submission skills to finish the noted submission specialist at T-Mobile Arena.
Chiesa’s preferred path to victory was no secret heading into the matchup, and “Maverick” went to work straight away as he scored an early takedown on the former champion. But Pettis quickly bounced back up and went to work with his striking as he found his range with his punches and low leg kicks.
The second round saw Chiesa again try to close the distance on “Showtime”, but Pettis hurt his man with a thumping body kick, then dropped him with a stinging right hand.
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The former lightweight champ then went for a guillotine choke, but when Chiesa escaped and ended up on top, things didn’t look good for Pettis. But, despite seemingly being in the worst possible spot against a big, strong submission specialist, the Milwaukee man pulled a rabbit from his hat as he locked up a triangle armbar that left Chiesa with no option but to tap, then go to his rival and tell him: “Good job,” as he acknowledged Pettis’ submission skills.
Recap “Showtime’s” submission finish of Chiesa in the video above.
Pettis returns to action on Jan. 18 in Las Vegas when he takes on Brazilian Diego Ferreira in the main card opener at UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena.
Did you miss the debut of “UFC 246 Countdown,” or just want to watch it again? Check out a preview for the main card opener now.
Did you miss the debut of “UFC 246 Countdown,” or just want to watch it again? Check out a preview for the main card opener now.
The segment takes a special look at the main card opener between [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and former lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (22-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC).
UFC 246 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
“Countdown” goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don’t miss the entire episode in the video below.
