Anthony Rocco Martin out to make statement in final bout of UFC contract.
[autotag]Anthony Rocco Martin[/autotag]’s UFC contract will come to an end this weekend.
The welterweight fighter takes on Neil Magny on the main card at UFC 250 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Martin (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) said the bout with Magny is the last of his UFC deal. Rather than feeling pressure going into UFC 250, Martin has extra motivation to do well and walk out with a victory Saturday night.
“Everything is on the line for this fight,” Martin told reporters during a virtual media day Thursday. “Every fight, I put so much pressure on myself to win and fight to the best of my abilities. So I wouldn’t say added pressure – I would just say added motivation.
“Sometimes, you have self doubt. But it’s easy to flip it going into a fight knowing it’s a lot easier just going into the fight I’ve done everything right leading up to it. I’ve been in training camp for like 14, 15 weeks. I’ve had five or six different fight dates, opponent changes, don’t know where you’re fighting or how you’re fighting. So everything is kind of different for this fight. But I’m a fighter. I’m going to get out there and fight anyone and I think it’s a great opportunity.”
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Martin said he had no preliminary talks with the UFC about re-signing prior to the booking of his final bout. Oftentimes, UFC officials will approach fighters with one fight left on their deals to negotiate and re-sign with the promotion.
The 30-year-old has no idea why the UFC didn’t reach out, but regardless he plans on making a statement Saturday to re-sign with the promotion.
“I haven’t had any talks prior to this about re-signing,” Martin said. “I don’t know if the pandemic played a little bit or what happened, but this is my opportunity to show the UFC and show the world that this is the opportunity to break in the top 15 and kind of be in control of my own destiny. I’m in control right now. I win this, I’m inside the rankings and it definitely helps when going to the negotiation table and negotiate a new contract.”
The best facts and figures about UFC 250, which features an Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer featherweight title main event.
The UFC holds its fifth pay-per-view event if 2020 on Saturday with UFC 250, which takes at UFC Apex in Las Vegas with a five-fight main card lineup.
A women’s featherweight championship bout is featured in the main event. Featherweight and bantamweight champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC) puts her 145-pound belt on the line against [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in attempt to become the first in UFC history to register title defenses in two divisions while holding multiple belts simultaneously.
For more on the numbers, check below for 50 pre-event facts about the UFC 250 main card.
* * * *
Main event
Amanda Nunes
Nunes is one of four simultaneous two-division champions in UFC history. Daniel Cormier, Conor McGregor and Henry Cejudo also accomplished the feat.
Nunes is one of seven fighters in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes. Cormier, McGregor, Cejudo, Georges St-Pierre, B.J. Penn and Randy Couture also accomplished the feat.
Nunes’ 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 has defeated six fighters who once held an undisputed UFC belt, tied with Jon Jones for the most of any active fighter in the organization.
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.
Nunes’ eight stoppage victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Nunes’ seven first-round finishes in UFC/Strikeforce women’s bantamweight competition are second most in combined divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (seven).
Nunes’ six knockout victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Nunes’ three knockdowns landed in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Nunes’ 14-second knockout of Julia Budd at Strikeforce Challenger 13 is the fastest knockout in UFC/Strikeforce women’s history.
Nunes’ victory at the 2:36 mark of Round 5 at UFC 224 marked the second latest stoppage in a women’s UFC title fight – behind only Miesha Tate’s win at the 3:30 mark of Round 5 vs. Holly Holm at UFC 196.
Nunes’ four fight-night bonuses for UFC women’s bantamweight fights are second most in divisional history behind Rousey (seven).
Felicia Spencer
Spencer competes in her fourth UFC women’s featherweight bout, the third-most appearances in divisional history behind Megan Anderson (five) and Cris Cyborg (five).
Spencer’s two victories in UFC women’s featherweight are third most in divisional history behind Cyborg (four) and Anderson (three).
Spencer has earned six of her eight career victories by stoppage. That includes both of her UFC wins.
Spencer’s two stoppage victories in UFC women’s featherweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Anderson (three).
Co-main event
Raphael Assuncao
[autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (27-7 MMA, 11-4 UFC) competes in his 15th UFC bantamweight bout, tied for the second most appearances in divisional history behind Urijah Faber (17).
Assuncao is 11-3 since he dropped to the UFC bantamweight division in August 2011.
Assuncao’s 11 victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (12).
Assuncao’s eight decision victories in UFC bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Assuncao defends 68.7 percent of all significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Vaughan Lee (71.5 percent).
Cody Garbrandt
[autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since March 2, 2019. The 462-day layoff is the longest of his more than seven-year career.
Garbrandt has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career on an 11-fight winning streak. He hasn’t earned a victory since December 2016.
Garbrandt is the only UFC bantamweight champion to lose the title before making a successful defense.
Garbrandt’s eight knockdowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Dillashaw (nine).
Featured bout
Aljamain Sterling
[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]’s (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak in bantamweight competition is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Petr Yan (six) and Marlon Vera (five).
Sterling’s nine victories in UFC bantamweight competition are fourth most in divisional history behind Dillashaw (12), Assuncao (11) and Faber (11).
Sterling landed 174 significant strikes at UFC 238, the single-fight record for a UFC/WEC bantamweight bout.
Sterling’s three submission victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Faber (six) and Rani Yahya (five).
Sterling lands 50.1 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the third highest rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Luke Sanders (51.7 percent) and Matthew Lopez (51 percent).
Sterling absorbs just 2.02 significant strikes per minute in UFC bantamweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Sterling is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by Suloev stretch. He accomplished the feat at UFC 228. Zabit Magomedsharipov and Kenny Robertson has also won with the technique.
[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]’s (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak in bantamweight competition is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Yan (six) and Vera (five).
Sandhagen lands 7.14 significant strikes per minute in UFC competition, the fourth highest rate in company history behind Paulo Costa (8.43), Justin Gaethje (7.74) and Leslie Smith (7.56).
Remaining main card
Neil Magny
[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (22-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) becomes the fifth fighter to make 22 or more UFC welterweight appearances.
Magny’s 15 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind St-Pierre (19) and Matt Hughes (16).
Magny is the only fighter in modern UFC history to make five or more octagon appearances in consecutive years. He went 4-1 in 2015 after going 5-0 in 2014.
Magny’s five UFC victories in 2014 tied Roger Huerta’s record for most octagon wins in a calendar year. Huerta accomplished the feat in 2007.
Magny’s 100 significant ground strikes landed against Hector Lombard at UFC Fight Night 85 stand as the single-fight UFC record.
Magny’s 142 total strikes landed in the second round of his victory against Lombard stand as the third most in a single UFC round.
[autotag]Anthony Rocco Martin[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) is 5-1 since he returned to welterweight in April 2018. He’s 8-1 in the weight class overall.
Martin absorbs just 1.64 significant strikes in UFC welterweight competition, the highest rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Eddie Wineland
[autotag]Eddie Wineland[/autotag] (24-13-1 MMA, 6-7 UFC) competes in his 21st UFC/WEC bantamweight bout, the most appearances in combined divisional history.
Wineland’s 11 victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are tied for fourth most in combined divisional history behind Dillashaw (12), Faber (12) and Dominick Cruz (12).
Wineland’s eight stoppage victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are tied with Dillashaw, Faber and Yahya for most in divisional history.
Wineland’s eight knockout victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are most in combined divisional history.
Wineland’s 13 knockdowns landed in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.
Wineland defends 93.3 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the third highest rate in divisional history behind Jimmie Rivera (95.5 percent) and Renan Barao (94.7 percent).
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Previewing Saturday’s UFC 250 fight between Neil Magny and Anthony Rocco Martin, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.
Neil Magny and Anthony Rocco Martin hook up in a welterweight bout on the main card at UFC 250 at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ and on pay-per-view.
Magny (22-8) enters this fight with a three-inch height advantage and an amazing 6 1/2-inch reach advantage over his counterpart. The veteran posted a unanimous decision victory over Li Jingliang at UFC 248 last time out March 7, improving to 3-1 over the previous four fights with two ending inside the distance. He hasn’t won a fight by submission in 12 tries dating back to Feb. 14, 2015, while tapping out twice, so Rocco Martin (17-5) would be wise to try and get the veteran to the mat early and often. Magny leads all active welterweight division fighters with 15 wins, and is second all time in the division with nine decision victories.
Rocco Martin posted a unanimous decision victory over Ramazan Emeev at UFC Fight Night Nov. 2, 2019, improving to 5-1 across the past six with only a majority decision setback to Demian Maia June 29, 2019 during that span. He hasn’t been submitted in his past 10 fights while winning two in such method. He has also never been knocked out in 22 career bouts as a pro, winning by KO/TKO once.
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MAGNY (-143) is on a roll lately, and the veteran is a good play against Rocco Martin (+120) on the 2-way line.
Rocco Martin will likely do everything in his power to get Magny to the canvas or end his night early with a big hit, but the veteran should be able to keep the challenger at a distance with that distinct reach advantage. Magny has a way of slowly and methodically grinding out fights. It isn’t pretty, but he wows the judges with the technical aspects, which is why he has nine decisions wins at the UFC level. Look for MAGNY BY DECISION (+120) as the method of victory. As such, taking YES (-250): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? is the play, but try and parlay that with something else rather than eating all of that chalk straight up.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Magny (-143) to win straight up fetches a return of $7.69, while a $10 wager on Magny to win by decision (+120) returns a profit of $12.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 250 in Las Vegas, featuring champ Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer for the women’s 145 title.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 250 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 250 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC 250 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex 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:
The UFC’s upcoming pay-per-view event has a finalized card and location.
The UFC’s upcoming pay-per-view event has a finalized card and location.
Wednesday, the Nevada Athletic Commission approved two UFC events for the first time since COVID-19 – UFC on ESPN 9 on Saturday and UFC 250 on June 6, both of which will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
UFC 250 will be headlined by bantamweight and featherweight champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC), who will make her first 145-pound title defense when she takes on [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC).
In the co-main event, former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will look to snap his three-fight skid when he takes on [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (27-7 MMA, 11-3 UFC).
A pivotal 135-pound clash between contenders [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) will also take place, as well as another showcase bantamweight bout between rising star [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and [autotag]Eddie Wineland[/autotag] (24-13-1 MMA, 6-7 UFC).
The complete UFC 250 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer – for featherweight title
Raphael Assuncao vs. Cody Garbrandt
Cory Sandhagen vs. Aljamain Sterling
[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Anthony Rocco Martin[/autotag]
Sean O’Malley vs. Eddie Wineland
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)
[autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]
[autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]
[autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]
[autotag]Charles Byrd[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
[autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]
[autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]
A welterweight bout between Neil Magny and Anthony Rocco Martin is the latest addition to June’s UFC 250 lineup.
A welterweight bout between [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthony Rocco Martin[/autotag] is the latest addition to June’s UFC 250 lineup.
MMA Junkie confirmed with multiple people close to the situation that Magny (22-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) and Martin (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) have agreed to the matchup. The people requested anonymity because UFC has yet to make an official announcement.
UFC 250 takes place June 6. The event does not have an official location or venue, but it’s expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
Magny made his return to competition from a career-long layoff in March when he outpointed Li Jingliang at UFC 248. He was previously on the sidelined due to a USADA suspension in which he was eventually cleared of wrongdoing. With 15 wins in the welterweight division, Magny trails just Georges St-Pierre (19) and Matt Brown (16) for most in history.
Martin, meanwhile, gets the change of opponent he desired after a matchup with David Zawada was called off the UFC’s April 25 event due to the coronavirus pandemic. After getting mixed results at lightweight, Martin returned to 170 pounds in April 2018 and has gone 5-1 since.
After his fight with David Zawada was scrapped, Anthony Rocco Martin is happy to receive a new matchup.
After his fight with David Zawada was scrapped, [autotag]Anthony Rocco Martin[/autotag] is happy to receive a new matchup.
Martin (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) was scheduled to face Zawada at UFC on ESPN+ 30 this past Saturday, but the event was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
With the current circumstances and travel ban restrictions, it will be tough for Germany’s Zawada to leave the country, making it likely for Martin to draw a new opponent if he competes on any of the upcoming U.S-based cards.
It could be an ideal situation for Martin, who said he wasn’t happy with the Zawada matchup in the first place.
“Right now, I’m just told (to) stay ready, and I’ve told them even if there’s fallouts on (May 9) for 170, I’m ready to go,” Martin told MMA Junkie. “I’ve been training. I haven’t left the gym. So really, there’s nothing else for me to do. So I’m just staying ready and I’m hoping for a big fight. No disrespect for David, but honestly I think that I deserved a bigger fight, a tougher fight, and I think that ideally, I fall into a bigger fight now.”
Since moving up to 170 pounds, Martin has gone 5-1. His lone loss came to two-time UFC title challenger Demian Maia. He is coming off a unanimous decision win over Ramazan Emeev, a win he expected to propel him one step closer to being ranked.
“I think that I belong in the top 15,” Martin said. “I think I had probably one of my worst fights against Demian, and I still feel like I was in the fight. And then I go out to Russia and fight Ramazan, (who) I don’t think anyone was wanting to run all the way out to Russia and fight him, and he’s extremely tough – and to go in there and win as dominant as I felt like I won there was big.
“I didn’t know for sure if it would be like a top 15 fight again, but I thought it would be someone – Niko Price I thought was a good matchup. We’re kind of in the same area, but I just didn’t get him. They came up with David Zawada. I didn’t really know who he was, so I’m not trying to trash on him. He is a tough fighter, but I don’t think he’s on my level. I also don’t think he’s where I’m at right now.”
With the next three shows booked in Jacksonville, Fla., and the promotion’s intentions of hosting shows at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas in the near future, Martin is eager to compete as soon as possible.
Greg Hardy is potentially out up to 180 days after injuring his hand at UFC Moscow.
[autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag] is one of five fighters facing lengthy medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN+ 21.
The event took place Nov. 9 at CSKA Arena in Moscow and streamed on ESPN+.
One half of the co-main event, Hardy (5-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) dropped a three-round, unanimous decision to heavyweight contender [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]. As speculated on the broadcast, Hardy injured his right hand/wrist and faces a 180-day medical suspension as a result.
Additionally, four other fighters have been handed out six-month suspensions. [autotag]Dalcha Lungiambula[/autotag], [autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag], [autotag]Jessica-Rose Clark[/autotag], and [autotag]Grigorii Popov[/autotag] were also handed 180-day suspensions for injuries sustained in their respective losses.
Check out the entire UFC on ESPN+ 21 medical suspension list below (acquired via MixedMartialArts.com):
[autotag]Grigorii Popov[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until nasal x-ray is cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Jessica-Rose Clark[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by ENT physician; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
[autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Alexander Yakovlev[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until left elbow x-ray is cleared by physician; also suspended 14 days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Karl Roberson[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for right eyelid laceration with 21 days no contact
[autotag]Rustam Khabilov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Sergey Khandozhko[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Dalcha Lungiambula[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by OMF physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Shamil Gamzatov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Klidson Abreu[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Ramazan Emeev[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Anthony Rocco Martin[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for nasal laceration with no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Khadis Ibragimov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for hard bout with 21 days no contact
[autotag]Zelim Imadaev[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for right temple laceration with 21 days no contact
Alexander Volkov: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
Greg Hardy: Suspended 180 days or until right hand/wrist x-ray is cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Zabit Magomedsharipov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
[autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for hard bout with 21 days no contact
