Tag: Ben Rothwell

MMA rankings report: UFC on ESPN 7 fallout

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan and George Garcia walk you through everything you need to know about the new rankings.

UFC on ESPN 7 is in the books, and with it came ramifications to the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings:

  • [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]’s late knockout of Alistair Overeem had implications on the heavyweight rankings.
  • [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] had a controversial win over Stefan Struve in the same division.
  • [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] and [autotag]Marina Rodriguez [/autotag]fought to a draw at strawweight.
  • [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] bounced back from her first career loss with an impressive victory over Yana Kunitskaya.

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How did these results and more play out in this week’s USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings? Let “Gorgeous” George Garcia and John Morgan walk you through all the changes of note in the video above.

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Spinning Back Clique: UFC 245 preview, UFC DC reaction

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 6 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” react to what transpired at UFC on ESPN 7 and preview what’s to come this Saturday at UFC 245.

Show rundown:

  • [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] at UFC DC. He was getting mostly dominated and on his way to a guaranteed decision loss before a huge right hand knocked out Overeem (and shattered his lip) with four seconds remaining in the fifth round. Rozenstruik remains undefeated at 10-0 overall and 4-0 in the UFC. But after that performance, are we buying or selling him as a legit contender at heavyweight?
  • [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] delivered a pair of painful groin’ kicks to [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] at UFC DC, then went on to score a TKO victory – but not before referee Dan Miragliotta advised Struve to continue fighting. Since when should a referee be offering fighters advice during a fight?
  • [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] made history as the first woman to step inside the octagon back in 2013. More recently, she competed for a UFC title again earlier this year but lost to flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. Carmouche, 4-2 in her last six fights, was released last Friday by the UFC – get this – while she was in Washington D.C. doing a promotional tour with troops for the promotion. What do we make of her unceremonious exit, and what’s next for her?
  • It’s UFC 245 fight week, which means we’re on the verge of finally seeing [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] clash with [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], who’s been promoting the heck out of this showdown, but has he gone too far?
  • Speaking of UFC 245, there are two other big title fights on the card: [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] and [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] 2. Which challenger is more likely to win? And which “old dog” on the main card is more likely to turn back the clock: [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] or [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 6 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

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MMA Junkie Radio #3008: UFC on ESPN 7 reaction, Justin Gaethje’s title hopes, more

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” react to the latest MMA news and notes, and unpack UFC on ESPN 7.

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode No. 3,008 of the podcast, the guys take a look back at UFC on ESPN 7 and react to the latest news and notes in MMA.

THE RUNDOWN:

  • [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] was on his way to a guaranteed loss to [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] in the UFC DC main event until he landed a miraculous knockout with four seconds left to steal a victory. But should the fight have been stopped when it was?
  • Even though [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] and [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] only walked away with draws in their respective fights, did they really win in the eyes of the matchmakers?
  • Between Dan Miragliotta’s aforementioned stoppage in the headline and him advising [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] to keep fighting [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] despite some low blows, what gives? Is the veteran referee going through a slump or something?
  • [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] has decided he won’t be the odd man out and is content with being patient until he gets a title shot. What do we think of this?
  • [autotag]Tito Ortiz[/autotag] is back? Well, the UFC Hall of Famer did submit [autotag]Alberto El Patron[/autotag] over the weekend in Combate Americas. Does that qualify as him being back, though? Are we really saying that?

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

UFC on ESPN 7 post-event facts: Jairzinho Rozenstruik joins record books with late TKO

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 7, which saw Jairzinho Rozenstruik beat Alistair Overeem in Washington, D.C.

The UFC returned to Washington, D.C., on Saturday for the first time since 2011 with UFC on ESPN 7, which took place at Capital One Arena. The 12-fight lineup aired on ESPN following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+.

A new heavyweight contender emerged in the main event when [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) got his fourth consecutive victory since joining the promotion earlier this year with a come-from-behind TKO of [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) in the fifth round of their matchup.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 40 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN 7.

* * * *

General

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UFC on ESPN 7 marked the third event in UFC history to feature two draws. UFC 22 and UFC 216 were the others.

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $177,000.

Debuting fighters went 2-2 at the event.

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag], [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] and [autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN 7 fight-night bonuses.

UFC on ESPN 7 drew an announced attendance of 10,816 for a live gate of $932,593.20.
1
Betting favorites went 9-1 on the card. Two fights ended in a draw.

Betting favorites improved to 21-17 (one fight had even odds, one ended in a no contest) in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:21:07.

Main card

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Rozenstruik earned his second UFC victory in a 35-day stretch.

Rozenstruik’s four-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Rozenstruik has earned nine of his 10 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by knockout.

Rozenstruik’s knockout at the 4:56 mark of Round 5 marked the third latest stoppage in UFC history behind Demetrious Johnson’s win (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC 186 and Yair Rodriguez’s victory (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC Fight Night 139.

Overeem’s 14 knockout losses in MMA competition are the most of any active member on the UFC roster.

Overeem’s 12 knockout losses in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are the most in combined organizational history.

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[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (13-0-2 MMA, 2-0-2 UFC) is the only female fighter in UFC history to fight to multiple draws.

[autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (8-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) has completed at least one takedown in six of her seven UFC appearances.

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[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] (37-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC) improved to 1-2 since he returned to competition from a nearly three-year layoff in March 2019. He earned his first victory since January 2016.

Rothwell has earned 34 of his 37 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of his seven UFC wins.

[autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 13-10 UFC) fell to 1-4 in his past five UFC appearances dating back to September 2017.

Struve has suffered all seven of his UFC stoppage losses by knockout.

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[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has earned seven of her nine career victories by stoppage. That includes three of her four UFC wins.

Ladd’s three knockout victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied with Ronda Rousey and Germaine de Randamie for second most in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (six).

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) fell to 2-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.

Kunitskaya has suffered four of her five career losses by stoppage. Both of her UFC defeats have come by knockout.

Simon (15-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

Preliminary card

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[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (29-11-1 MMA, 11-8 UFC) improved to 9-6 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.

Means has earned 24 of his 29 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his 11 UFC wins.

[autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] (23-15 MMA, 15-12 UFC) fell to 2-6 in his past eight fights dating back to May 2015.

[autotag]Jacob Kilburn[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered all three of his career losses by submission.

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Mitchell (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) earned the second Twister submission victory in UFC history. Chan Sung Jung also accomplished the feat.

Mitchell has earned all of his career stoppage victories by submission.

[autotag]Matt Sayles[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of his career.

[autotag]Matt Wiman[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 10-7 UFC) fell to 0-2 since he returned from a 4.5-year layoff in June.

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[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned all 12 of her career stoppage victories by submission.

[autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag] (6-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of her career.

Muradov (24-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) improved to 18-1 in his past 19 fights dating back to March 2015. He’s won his past 13 bouts.

[autotag]Trevor Smith[/autotag] (15-10 MMA, 5-7 UFC) fell to 5-8 in his past 13 career fights dating back to January 2012.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

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Did referee Dan Miragliotta coach Stefan Struve into staying in his TKO loss to Ben Rothwell after two low blows?

Referee Dan Miragliotta appeared to give Stefan Struve advice on whether or not to continue in his TKO loss to Ben Rothwell, but was he right to do so?

The clash of heavyweight veterans on the main card of UFC on ESPN 7 ended in controversy after [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] finished [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] with a second-round TKO.

The actual finishing sequence itself was clear enough, and Rothwell (37-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC) picked up a crucial stoppage victory to snap a three-fight losing skid. But the scenes that preceded “Big Ben’s” finishing flurry have led to some debate about the role referee Dan Miragliotta played in the trajectory of the matchup.

Rothwell already had landed a solid shot to Struve’s cup in Round 1, forcing the 7-foot-tall Dutchman to use almost all of the five-minute injury timeout allocation before Miragliotta issued a warning to Rothwell and the fight resumed.

But when Rothwell caught Struve (29-12 MMA, 13-10 UFC) low again in Round 2, Struve was left sitting against the cage fence contemplating whether to continue in the fight.

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Miragliotta went to Struve and appeared to offer him some advice regarding his situation within the bout.

“It was unintentional … but I’m taking a point away no matter what because of the first one,” Miragliotta told Struve, who was sitting on the canvas with his back against the fence. “I’m taking a point away. It’s not two (completed) rounds yet. You’re probably winning both rounds. If you don’t continue, it’s going to be a no contest. Last (through) this second round and see how you do. … You have two and a half minutes left for recovery time.”

When Miragliotta took the point away from Rothwell moments later, he told Rothwell if he landed another low kick, he would be disqualified.

Play-by-play voice Jon Anik said on the broadcast that Miragliotta was covering up his microphone when he was talking to Struve, though that could not be seen from ESPN’s main camera angle. Miragliotta did attempt to cover his microphone seconds later when he asked the timekeeper how much longer Struve had in his second low-blow recovery timeout.

The sight of a referee advising a fighter over whether or not to stay in a fight or pull out hurt certainly seemed an unusual one to broadcast analysts and UFC fighters Daniel Cormier and Paul Felder, who showed their surprise in their on-air comments.

Unfortunately for Struve, his decision to continue in the fight ended with things going from bad to worse when Rothwell stopped the still compromised “Skyscraper” with three seconds to go in the round.

“That’s unfortunate to hear the ref had said that, because he’s basically repeating what (Struve’s) cornermen are telling him,” Rothwell told reporters backstage after the fight.

Was Miragliotta simply doing his job and advising Struve of his situation, or did he overstep the mark by offering his scoring of the fight and some advice? Let us know in the poll below.

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Ben Rothwell apologetic, but happy, after controversial win at UFC DC: ‘I was on the chopping block’

Ben Rothwell reflects on his much-needed, but controversial victory at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] snapped his three-fight losing skid, but admitted he had to temper his celebrations after his victory over Stefan Struve came in somewhat controversial fashion.

Rothwell (37-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC) already had been warned for a low blow after he connected with a kick to Struve’s groin in the first round that forced the towering Dutchman to use all of his allotted five-minute injury timeout in order to recover. When Rothwell misplaced a second kick in the second round, Struve (29-12 MMA, 13-10 UFC) went down again in clear agony. After advice from his corner – and, controversially, from referee Dan Miragliotta – Struve opted to continue the fight and Rothwell finished his man with three seconds remaining in the round.

It was a much-needed win for the native of Kenosha, Wis., but he said he knew he had to pull back on his planned celebrations after the nature of his victory.

“I had a cool speech and everything ready, but not with an asterisk,” he said backstage at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. “I knew that was going to be the biggest discussion point. I just tried to handle it the best I could – give respect and just address the crowd. You can’t be too happy because the crowd will turn on you if they feel like you got one over on them or something.”

Looking back at the incident, Rothwell said he had little issue with the point deduction he received from Miragliotta after the second errant kick. But he did admit learning of the official’s mid-fight advice to Struve was “unfortunate.”

“He was repeating what his cornermen were telling him,” he said. “I was down because I knew they were taking a point, and I’m like, ‘They might stop the fight.’ But I looked at his cornermen and his cornermen were like, ‘You’ve got the fight. Coast to a win. You’ve got this.’ So I was pretty sure he was going to keep fighting.

“Everything was against me. I had to get a finish, because I was going to lose another decision. (But) I was pretty confident that he was going to fight (on). That’s unfortunate to hear the ref had said that, because he’s basically repeating what his cornermen are telling him.”

The victory, Rothwell’s first since January 2016, wasn’t just welcome for the veteran heavyweight. It was absolutely necessary. After a trio of unanimous decision losses to Junior Dos Santos, Blagoy Ivanov and Andrei Arlovski in his past three outings, the Wisconsin man admitted his UFC future was at stake when he stepped into the octagon in D.C.

“I think I was on the chopping block – let’s be honest,” he said. “I’ve lost three decisions prior to this, which I think helps – I don’t get finished. I fight to the end. But four losses is four losses. It can’t happen. So this was crucial.”

But with his skid now in the rearview mirror, Rothwell says he would love an early 2020 return as he looks to rediscover the form that made him one of the most dangerous contenders in the heavyweight division.

“February, March would be cool, (but) I’d really like to fight on that April card (in Brooklyn, N.Y.) – Tony Ferguson and Khabib (Nurmagomedov),” he said. “That would be a great card to fight on. I like fighting on the East Coast … I’m not exactly positive, but I think I’m 19-1 fighting on the East Coast. So I’m pretty tough out here.”

And while he said he is apologetic toward Struve for the circumstances surrounding his victory, Rothwell said he just wants to move on and focus on a successful year in 2020.

“I tried to be as apologetic as I could – apologized to Stefan Struve for being a man. You know?” Rothwell said. “You’ve gotta move on. I got myself in a really good position to have a really big 2020 with all my coaching staff and the conditioning I’m in, and I just want to look better in my next fight. I want to be noticeably better in my next time around. Then I know I did a good job.”

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UFC on ESPN 7 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $30.5 million

UFC on ESPN 7 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

WASHINGTON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $177,000.

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 on ESPN 7 took place at Capital One Arena in Washington. The card aired on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 7 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
vs. [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]: $5,000
vs. [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Jacob Kilburn[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Sayles[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Joseph Solecki[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Wiman[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Trevor Smith[/autotag]: $15,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’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 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

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 2019 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,880,000
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $30,514,000

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Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN 7 with plenty of soundtracks and Kanye West

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.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12, Page 13

UFC on ESPN 7 predictions: Overeem or Rozenstruik in heavyweight clash in D.C.?

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%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik
(56%)		 calvillo2019
Calvillo
(66%)		 rothwell2019
Rothwell
(53%)		 ladd2019
Ladd
(80%)		 yadong2019
Yadong
(64%)		 font2019
Font
(51%)
Simon Head
@simonhead
2019: 119-65 (65%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2019: 115-64 (64%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2019: 209-117 (64%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2019: 207-119 (64%)
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 kunitskaya2019
Kunitskaya		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2019: 206-120 (63%)
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2019: 204-122 (63%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2019: 203-123 (62%)
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 overeem2019
Overeem		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 simon2019
Simon
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2019: 203-123 (62%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2019: 200-126 (61%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2019: 141-69 (60%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2019: 193-133 (59%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2019: 131-103 (56%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2019: 172-154 (53%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 struve2019
Struve		 kunitskaya2019
Kunitskaya		 stamann2019
Stamann		 simon2019
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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6 burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN 7

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. 

Can Jairzinho Rozenstruik make the most of his big opportunity? 

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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