Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event in Washington, D.C.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 7 went with as their backing tracks in Washington, D.C.
Aspen Ladd answers questions from media after her victory at UFC Fight Night Washington
Aspen Ladd answers questions from media after her victory at UFC Fight Night Washington
Aspen Ladd bounced back from her first pro loss in impressive fashion at UFC on ESPN 7.
[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] wasn’t going to let the judges decide her fate on Saturday night.
The young UFC bantamweight scored a TKO win over Yana Kunitskaya in the main card of UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C. Ladd (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) stopped Kunitskaya (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at the 0:33 mark of the third round to bounce back from her first professional defeat back in July.
The first two rounds of the fight were very competitive. In the first, Kunitskaya controlled the action in the clinch and against the cage, but was taken down halfway through the round. Ladd then worked to get Kunitskaya’s back and managed to land ground-and-pound, but was then reversed and put on her back with a few seconds remaining.
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The second round went similar to the first. Kunitskaya controlled a good portion of the fight by using her strength and clinch work. Ladd took down Kunitskaya with about a minute and a half left in the round but was unable to do much damage, as the Russian fighter did a good job tying up Ladd.
In the final round, Ladd came out looking to finish the fight. She connected with a big left had just seconds into the round. She then dropped Kunitskaya and ended things with heavy ground-and-pound.
Ladd successfully bounced back from her first professional defeat, to Germaine de Randamie at UFC on ESPN+ 13.. The 24-year-old fighter remains one of the most promising contenders in her division.
The fight was part of the UFC on ESPN 7 main card at Capital One Arena. It aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 7 results include:
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Check out our staff’s picks for the UFC on ESPN 7 main card in Washington, D.C., featuring Alistair Overeem vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
| Overeem vs. Rozenstruik |
Calvillo vs. Rodriguez |
Rothwell vs. Struve |
Kunitskaya vs. Ladd |
Stamann vs. Yadong |
Font vs. Simon |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2019: 203-123 (62%) |
 Rozenstruik (56%) |
 Calvillo (66%) |
 Rothwell (53%) |
 Ladd (80%) |
 Yadong (64%) |
 Font (51%) |
| Simon Head @simonhead 2019: 119-65 (65%) |
Rozenstruik |
 Rodriguez |
Rothwell |
Ladd |
Yadong |
Font |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2019: 115-64 (64%) |
 Overeem |
Rodriguez |
Rothwell |
Ladd |
 Stamann |
Font |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2019: 209-117 (64%) |
Overeem |
Calvillo |
Rothwell |
Ladd |
Yadong |
Font |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2019: 207-119 (64%)  2017 Champion |
Rozenstruik |
Rodriguez |
Rothwell |
 Kunitskaya |
Stamann |
Font |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2019: 206-120 (63%) 2018 Champion |
Rozenstruik |
Calvillo |
Rothwell |
Ladd |
Yadong |
Font |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2019: 204-122 (63%) |
Overeem |
Rodriguez |
Rothwell |
Ladd |
Stamann |
Font |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2019: 203-123 (62%) 2014 Champion |
Overeem |
Rodriguez |
Rothwell |
Ladd |
Yadong |
 Simon |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2019: 203-123 (62%) |
Rozenstruik |
Rodriguez |
Rothwell |
Ladd |
Yadong |
Font |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2019: 200-126 (61%) |
Overeem |
Calvillo |
Rothwell |
Ladd |
Stamann |
Font |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2019: 141-69 (60%) |
Overeem |
Calvillo |
Rothwell |
Ladd |
Yadong |
Font |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2019: 193-133 (59%) |
Rozenstruik |
Rodriguez |
Rothwell |
Ladd |
Yadong |
Font |
| Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2019: 131-103 (56%) |
Overeem |
Calvillo |
Rothwell |
Ladd |
Stamann |
Font |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2019: 172-154 (53%) |
Rozenstruik |
Calvillo |
 Struve |
Kunitskaya |
Stamann |
Simon |
The UFC is back in the nation’s capital city this week for the first time since 2011, and heavyweights top the bill.
UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
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In the main event, [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) takes on the unbeaten [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) at heavyweight. The fight is a virtual pick’em with the oddsmakers, and it’s close with our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well. Overeem has the slightest possible edge at 7-6 in our picks.
In the co-main event, [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) badly missed weight for her women’s strawweight bout against [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (12-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC), but the fight will go on. Rodriguez is a slight favorite at the sports books, and she has a slight edge at 7-6 in our picks.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] (36-12 MMA, 6-6 UFC) meets [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 13-9 UFC) in a battle of heavyweight veterans. Rothwell has a slight betting edge around -150, but he has a massive 12-1 lead in the picks with only one of our staff members taking the 7-foot Struve.
Another picks blowout belongs to [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in her women’s bantamweight fight against [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC). Ladd is a -160 favorite, but has an 11-2 lead in the picks.
[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is more than a 2-1 favorite in his bantamweight fight against [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), making him the heaviest favorite on the main card. But Yadong has just a 7-6 lead in the picks.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is just a slight favorite against [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in their bantamweight fight. But Font pulled off a big 11-2 rout in the picks.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Rozenstruik (56%), Calvillo (66 percent), Rothwell (53 percent), Ladd (80 percent), Yadong (64 percent) and Font (51 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
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The UFC hits our nation’s capital Saturday with a card that features several fights worth your time.
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After a two-week break, the UFC is back in business. And the company returns to action with a slate of fights worth checking out.
A heavyweight matchup between the ageless [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] and undefeated [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] headlines the final UFC on ESPN card of 2019. The main event is just one of a string of fights that might not have the star power of the month’s biggest event, UFC 245 with it’s three title fights Dec. 14, but nonetheless have meaningful consequences for the career trajectories of the participants and rankings implications for their respective weight classes.
UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Without further ado, then, here are six burning questions as the road winds toward Saturday night in our nation’s capital.
We suspect this isn’t the way the undefeated Surinamese kickboxer wanted to get his first UFC main-event opportunity. Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
stepped up and accepted the bout with Overeem after Walt Harris had to drop out due to the disappearance of his stepdaughter, who was unfortunately found dead last week.
While everyone’s thoughts remain with the Harris family in its time of sorrow, the sport continues on, and Rozenstruik steps into his chance to make a statement that he’s truly arrived.
Rozenstruik has already demonstrated his veteran kickboxing skills have transferred over nicely from the ring to the cage, a point he’s hammered home each time out so far in the UFC octagon. Rozenstruik has won all three of his UFC fights via KO/TKO, with none of his fights lasting six minutes and his most recent triumph being a 29-second knockout of former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski in the intense spotlight of UFC 244.
That’s all well and good, but what happens if he fights someone with the ability to wait him out and drag him into deeper waters? Overeem (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) has gotten clipped a few times, too, but he’s one of the game’s craftiest and adaptable fighters, a cerebral competitor who is not likely to be goaded into many mistakes. A victory over Arlovski is nice on a resume, but he’s a clearly diminished fighter. A win over Overeem, however, would be a statement Rozenstruik is ready for this, and ready to join the elite mix.
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UFC women’s bantamweight contender Aspen Ladd wants to move on from questions about her weight cut and claim victory over Yana Kunitskaya at UFC on ESPN 7.
WASHINGTON – UFC women’s bantamweight contender [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] says she has put her weight cutting dramas firmly behind her. She just wishes everyone else could do the same, too.
Ladd said she was feeling “pretty darned good” as she prepares for her final cut down to the 136-pound bantamweight limit for her fight with Russian Yana Kunitskaya at UFC on ESPN 7, and said she didn’t foresee any issues ahead of weigh-in day on Friday.
“We woke up at 143.4 (pounds), still hydrated,” she said at a Thursday media day. “We’ve gotta go cut after this and rest all day, and go heat off the rest if there is any.”
Ladd’s last interaction with the official scale wasn’t a happy occasion. Clearly in significant discomfort, Ladd successfully made weight for her bout against Germaine de Randamie at UFC on ESPN+ 13 in July. But she gained a whopping 18 pounds between weigh-in day and fight night, prompting the California State Athletic Commission to suspend her bantamweight license until she provides “extensive medical documentation” to prove she’s capable of fighting safely in the division.
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However, Ladd has no such barriers to competition elsewhere, and she is cleared and ready to fight at bantamweight this weekend. And, perhaps understandably following all the drama surrounding her recent weight cuts, she admitted she’s grown a little tired of the constant questions about her weight.
“It comes up a lot – frequently,” she said. “The last one was pretty rough, but I still made the weight, so it’s something I still get asked a lot. It’s kind of like a redundant question. Like, ‘How do you feel in fight week?’ You hear it 5 million times. So it’s kinda boring.”
Ladd says her confidence ahead of weigh-in day comes from a more integrated approach to her weight-management in the lead-up to fight week, citing the closer working relationship between her team and the sports scientists at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
Now Ladd’s focus is firmly on claiming victory over Kunitskaya on Saturday night, and she says she won’t let her recent quick-fire TKO loss at the hands of de Randamie affect her confidence heading into the contest.
“I kind of look at this thing regardless as a marathon, not a sprint,” she said. “It’s a rough night, don’t get me wrong – it’s not fun. Nobody likes to lose, and this is your career, your job. But at the same time, you can’t get too headcase-y over it because at that point, it’s on to the next. You’ve gotta get ready and get back on the horse.”
Following her failed appeal against what she perceived to be an unfairly swift intervention by referee Herb Dean to stop her last contest, Ladd says she’s leaving the past in the past and focusing on the job in hand this weekend.
“I’ve put a lot of that behind me and out in the media if you want to go and find it, kinda thing. But it’s really not worth talking about at this point,” she said. “As far as when I have a fight, it’s the end of the world – nothing exists beyond it. So that’s the only point I’m trying to get to, because nothing matters after that. I need to go out and perform, and the next step in your life can start (after that).”
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Aspen Ladd talks to members of media one day out from UFC on ESPN 7 weigh-ins.
Aspen Ladd talks to members of media one day out from UFC on ESPN 7 weigh-ins.
The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 7, which features a Alistair Overeem vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik heavyweight main event.
The UFC returns to Washington D.C. for the first time in more than eight years on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 7. The card is set to air on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
In the headliner, two heavyweights on winning streaks will attempt to take another step up the divisional pecking order when perennial contender [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) takes on [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who stepped in on short notice as a replacement for Walt Harris.
For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the 12-fight card, check below for 50 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 7.
* * * *
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Overeem, 39, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Overeem’s two-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Rozenstruik (three), Francis Ngannou (three) and Augusto Sakai (three).
Overeem is one of 11 fighters in UFC history to earn 10 or more heavyweight wins.
Overeem has earned 40 of his 45 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his 10 UFC wins.
Overeem lands 73.8 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC competition, the highest rate in company history.
Overeem has been on the losing end of the fifth and sixth largest statistical comeback finishes in UFC heavyweight history. He out-landed Antonio Silva by 30 significant strikes before being knocked out at UFC 156, and he out-landed Travis Browne by 27 significant strikes before his demise at UFC Fight Night 26
Overeem’s 13 knockout losses in MMA competition are the most of any active member on the UFC roster.
Overeem’s 11 knockout losses in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are the most in combined organizational history.
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Rozenstruik makes his second UFC appearance in a 35-day stretch. He defeated Andrei Arlovski at UFC 244 on Nov. 2.
Rozenstruik’s three-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is tied with Ngannou and Sakai for the longest active streak in the division.
Rozenstruik has earned eight of his nine career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his UFC wins.
Rozenstruik’s three-fight knockout streak in UFC competition is tied with Ngannou, Amanda Nunes, Maycee Barber, Jared Cannonier and Justin Gaethje for the longest active streak in the company.
Rozenstruik’s nine-second knockout at UFC on ESPN+ 12 is the second fastest in UFC heavyweight history behind Todd Duffee’s seven-second finish at UFC 102.
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[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]’s (13-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC) three-fight UFC unbeaten streak at strawweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Tatiana Suarez (five), Yan Xiaonan (four) and Zhang Weili (four).
Rodriguez fought to the first draw in UFC strawweight history against Randa Markos at UFC Fight Night 137 in September 2018.
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[autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag]’s (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) five wins since 2017 in strawweight competition are tied for most in the division.
Calvillo’s three submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Rose Namajunas for most in divisional history.
Calvillo has completed at least one takedown in five of her six UFC appearances.
Calvillo’s nine submission attempts in UFC strawweight competition are most in divisional history.
Calvillo attempts 2.02 submission attempts per 15 minutes in UFC strawweight competition, the most in divisional history.
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[autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 13-9 UFC) returns to competition after announcing his retirement from MMA following a victory at UFC on ESPN+ 3 in February.
Struve competes in his 23rd UFC heavyweight bout, the third most appearances in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (31) and Frank Mir (27).
Struve’s 13 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Arlovski (17), Mir (16) and Junior Dos Santos (15).
Struve’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Arlovski and Gabriel Gonzaga for second most in divisional history behind Mir (13).
Struve’s six submission victories in UFC heavyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Mir (eight).
Struve’s 21 submission attempts in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Mir for most in divisional history.
Struve’s eight fight-night bonuses for UFC heavyweight fights are second most in divisional history behind Stipe Miocic (nine).
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[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag]’s (36-12 MMA, 6-6 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since January 2016.
Rothwell is 0-2 since he returned from a nearly three-year layoff in March.
[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag]’s (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) two knockout victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Nunes (six), Ronda Rousey (three) and Germaine de Randamie (three).
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[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is 2-0 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.
Kunitskaya’s two-fight UFC winning streak at women’s bantamweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Nunes (eight), de Randamie (four) and Ketlen Vieira (four).
[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has earned all four of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC), 22, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
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[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Dec. 15, 2018. The 357-day layoff is the longest of his more than eight-year career.
Font has alternated wins and losses in his past five fights. He won his most recent bout at UFC on FOX 31 in December 2018.
Font’s five stoppages victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for fifth most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (eight), Urijah Faber (seven), Marlon Vera (seven) and Pedro Munhoz (six).
Font’s four knockout victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Dillashaw (seven) and Eddie Wineland (five).
[autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]’s (15-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) victory at the 5:00 mark of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 128 is the latest stoppage in a three-round UFC fight.
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[autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] (23-14 MMA, 15-11 UFC) competes in his 26th UFC welterweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Alves’ 15 victories in UFC welterweight competition are the third most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19) and Matt Hughes (16).
Alves’ nine stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Hughes (12) and Matt Brown (12).
Alves’ eight knockout victories in UFC welterweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Brown (10).
Alves’ 13 knockdowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Alves’ four knockout victories stemming from knee strikes in UFC competition are most in company history.
Alves has landed 380 leg kicks in UFC competition, the second most in company history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (430).
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[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (28-11-1 MMA, 10-8 UFC) is 8-6 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.
[autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag] (23-6 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is 17-1 in his past 18 fights dating back to March 2015.
Muradov enters the event on a 12-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since December 2016.
[autotag]Trevor Smith[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 5-6 UFC) has earned all five of his UFC victories by decision. He hasn’t earned a stoppage victory since June 2012.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
With a big month of fights on tap to close the year, Gorgeous George and John Morgan project how the rankings might shake out.
Things have been a little slow the past couple weeks in mixed martial arts, but the year will end with a bang, as December features a big slate of important fights.
There are several matchups which will have major implications on both their respective divisions and, in some cases, the pound-for-pound list. Matches such as:
Those are just some of the matchups over the next several weeks which will have a major impact on the future. What might they mean for the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings? Let MMA Junkie’s “Gorgeous” George Garcia and John Morgan walk you through the changes in the video above.
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We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event in Washington, D.C.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event in Washington, D.C.
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 on ESPN 7 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Make your picks for all six main card fights inside:
