Tag: Chase Hooper

UFC 250 prelims pre-event facts: Why isn’t Jussier Formiga higher on card with these stats?

The best facts, figures and footnotes about the UFC 250 prelims, where Alex Caceres meets Chase Hooper in the featured bout.

Before the UFC returns to pay-per-view on Saturday with UFC 250, the event’s preliminary lineup goes down at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is set to air on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

The featured prelim bout sees longtime octagon veteran [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag] (15-12 MMA, 10-10 UFC) take on the youngest fighter on the roster, 20-year-old [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] (9-0-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), in a featherweight affair.

For more on the numbers behind the lineup, check below for 25 pre-facts about the UFC 250 prelims.

[lawrence-related id=523850]

* * * *

Featured ESPN prelim

Alex Caceres

Caceres is 5-4 since he returned to the UFC featherweight division in January 2015.

Caceres has earned seven of his 10 UFC victories by decision.

Caceres is one of seven fighters in UFC/WEC bantamweight history to land 100 or more significant strikes in two different fights.

Hooper, 20, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Other ESPN prelims

Ian Heinisch

[autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May 2019.

[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] (30-12 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has earned 28 of his 30 career victories by stoppage. That includes all six of his UFC wins.

Meerschaert’s five submission victories in UFC middleweight competition are tied with Demian Maia, Rousimar Palhares, Thales Leites and Antonio Carlos Junior for most in divisional history.

Meerschaert is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 102.

[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] (18-2-1 MMA, 4-1-1 UFC) has earned all four of his UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag] (21-10 MMA, 5-3 UFC) makes his second UFC appearance in a 24-day stretch. He won at UFC on ESPN+ 29 on May 13.

[autotag]Charles Byrd[/autotag] (10-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2018.

ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass prelims

Jussier Formiga

[autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) competes in his 16th UFC flyweight bout, the second most appearances in divisional history behind Joseph Benavidez (17).

Formiga enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2019.

Formiga’s nine victories in UFC flyweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Benavidez (13) and Demetrious Johnson (13).

Formiga’s three submission victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Johnson (five).

Formiga defends 87.1 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the third best rate in divisional history behind Kai Kara-France (90.9 percent) and Ian McCall (90 percent).

[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]’s (23-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 123.

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned all of his career victories by stoppage. Eight of those wins are by knockout.

[autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past seven fights. He was victorious his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in February.

Clark has earned all five of his UFC victories by decision. He’s suffered all of his losses by stoppage.

Evan Dunham

[autotag]Evan Dunham[/autotag] (18-8-1 MMA, 11-8-1 UFC), 38, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Dunham returns to competition after retiring from MMA following a loss at UFC Fight Night 137 in September 2018.

Dunham’s three-fight winless skid is tied for the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2016.

Dunham has landed 1,225 significant strikes in UFC lightweight competition, the most in divisional history. He also holds the record for most total strikes with 1,587.

Dunham is one of three lightweights in UFC history to land 100+ significant strikes in four separate fights. Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson also accomplished the feat.

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

UFC 250 lineup finalized: Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer gets top billing

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.

The NAC also unanimously approved COVID-19 protocols for the events, which won’t include the presence of a live audience.

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]

Chase Hooper vs. Alex Caceres added to UFC 250

Chase Hooper will be making his second octagon appearance against a seasoned veteran in Alex Caceres.

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] soon will make his second octagon appearance.

Hooper (9-0-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will face [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag] (15-12 MMA, 10-10 UFC) on June 6 at UFC 250, which is expected to take place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas pending the Nevada Athletic Commission’s approval to resume combat sports.

MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup following an initial report from UFC broadcast partner ESPN.

Undefeated 20-year-old Hooper was awarded a developmental deal on “Dana White’s Contender Series” in 2018 and finally made his UFC debut last December when he stopped Daniel Teymur in the first round.

Caceres, a longtime UFC veteran who appeared on “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2010, has split his last four appearances, most recently picking up a unanimous decision win over Steven Peterson last July.

The latest UFC 250 lineup now includes:

  • Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer
  • Devin Clark vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Ian Heinisch vs. Gerald Meerschaert
  • Jussier Formiga vs. Alex Perez
  • Charles Byrd vs. Maki Pitolo
  • Neil Magny vs. Anthony Rocco Martin
  • Cory Sandhagen vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Sean O’Malley vs. Eddie Wineland
  • Alex Caceres vs. Chase Hooper

[vertical-gallery id=471034]

April Fools’ Day 2020: MMA community lightens mood through humor, pranks

April Fools’ Day has become notorious for faux fight announcements, bad fighter pranks, and more.

April Fools’ Day is once again upon us.

If you’re not skeptical of any and all news you read on April 1, you’ll likely fall into a trap. It’s easy to do so.

With the coronavirus situation having most of the world on quarantine, lockdown, or both, the MMA community went a little lighter than past years. However, there were still plenty of “jokes” to go around.

Below, check out some of the MMA community’s best social media posts from April Fools’ Day 2020.

View this post on Instagram

We have a baby! April Fools Day! But no for real we have a baby! @_kydavis started having contractions around midnight, we got to hospital around 4am and Detroit Ryan Davis was born at 9:31am! He is a BIG and healthy boy! 8lbs 10oz. First I want to give props to ANY & ALL mother’s out there! Child Birth is amazing, beautiful, & terrifying all in one! Kylie did amazing and is doing great! Detroit latched on to mommas 🥛 right away.. He has huge hands & feet and favors DK mostly. But has blonde/sandy brown hair! His middle name is for my brother(his uncle) and he was born the same day as Ryan’s first born, Kimora Rhyan Lynn. (Happy Birthday Kimora) We are so blessed and thankful God is good! 👶❤️🙏

A post shared by LC Davis (@lc_davis) on

 

Watch Chase Hooper prank Jorge Masvidal: ‘Why did you do that to my dad?’

Chase Hooper: “My father is Ben Askren.” Jorge Masvidal: “I’m sorry, man.”

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] has us MMA media types shaking in our boots right now. Hopefully, the 20-year-old featherweight phenom is just here to take part and not to take over.

At Thursday’s UFC 246 media day in Las Vegas, Hooper (9-0-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) served as the UFC Fight Pass correspondent.

While numerous comical clips of Hooper interviewing fellow fighters were posted throughout the day, none was more hilarious than his interaction with [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag].

“So I’ve got one question for you,” Hooper said, when interviewing Masvidal. “Why did you do that to my dad?”

“Who’s your dad?” Masvidal asked.

“My father is [autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag],” Hooper replied. “Shoutout.”

At this point in the conversation, Masvidal’s expression totally changes. The “BMF” titleholder is caught off guard.

“I’m sorry, man,” Masvidal said. “I didn’t mean to, bro. That’s really your dad?”

Check out the full video of the hilarious interaction below:

Since his UFC debut in December, Hooper and Askren have poked fun at their resemblance. The recently retired welterweight and the recently debuted featherweight have engaged in numerous playful Twitter exchanges.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

[jwplayer JFNJrpsd-RbnemIYZ]

Chase Hooper credits DWCS experience for making UFC 245 debut much easier

Take a look inside Chase Hooper’s TKO win over Daniel Teymur on Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 245 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] beat Daniel Teymur with a first-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 245 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Hooper, who first got on the UFC’s radar when he was 18 years old on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Result: Chase Hooper def. Daniel Teymur via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:34
Updated records: Hooper (9-0-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Teymur (7-4 MMA, 1-4 UFC)
Key stat: Hooper outstruck Teymur 37-2 on his way to the TKO win.

Hooper on the fight’s key moment

“He got in my face a little for the faceoff and talked some trash, but at the end of the day it’s good for the highlight tape. I tried to stay professional and it never really got to me.”

Hooper on his official UFC debut

“(It) feels fantastic to get my first UFC win. I think I did a good job of not getting too worked up by all of the pressure with an event of this magnitude. I had a lot of fun with the media stuff I got to do, so a good trip overall I’d say. (Dana White’s) Contender Series helped me 100 percent for this. Before that show, I had never done any photoshoots for a fight, I had never done any interviews or anything like that. So this was just a little step up from that.”

Hooper on what he wants next

“I’m trying to stay busy in 2020, as busy as they’ll let me really. As long as I’m not hurt, I’m going to work my way up that roster. (I’m) not sure how much someone under 21 can celebrate here in Vegas, but I’ll find something fun to do.”

To hear more from Hooper, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

[vertical-gallery id=471034]

[vertical-gallery id=470903]

UFC 245 salaries: Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington top list of disclosed paydays

A total of 12 fighters made north of six figures Saturday at UFC 245, and that number increases when post-fight bonuses are factored in.

Main event combatants [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] each pocketed $500,000 for their respective efforts at UFC 245.

MMA Junkie recently obtained the list of the disclosed paydays for Saturday night’s card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas from the Nevada Athletic Commission, which oversaw the event.

UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovksi[/autotag], who won the belt in the evening’s co-main event, earned $250,000 for his performance. Former champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], who lost the belt, took home a $350,000.

UFC women’s double champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] pocketed $450,000 for her bantamweight title defense against [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]. Dutch challenger de Randamie earned $100,000.

[lawrence-related id=472020,471870,471670]

Former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] was the fourth highest-paid athlete on the card. Despite losing to [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] in his drop to bantamweight, Aldo earned $400,000.

The total disclosed payroll for the event was $4,096,000.

The full list of disclosed UFC 245 paydays included:

  • Kamaru Usman: $500,000 (no win bonus)
    def. Colby Covington: $500,000
  • Alexander Volkanovski: $250,000 (no win bonus)
    def. Max Holloway: $350,000
  • Amanda Nunes: $450,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus)
    def. Germaine de Randamie: $100,000
  • Marlon Moraes: $220,000 (includes $110,000 win bonus)
    def. Jose Aldo: $400,000
  • [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $122,000 (includes $66,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]: $250,0000
  • [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $62,000 (includes $31,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]: $90,000
  • [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]: $33,000
  • [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $110,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag]: $50,000
  • [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: $160,000 (includes $80,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag]: $35,000
  • [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $48,000 (includes $24,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag]: $18,000
  • [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $62,000 (includes $31,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: $25,000
  • [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: $45,000
  • [autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag]: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag]: $20,000

The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC 245 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials handed out additional $50,000 UFC 245 fight-night bonuses to Yan and Aldana for “Performance of the Night,” and Usman and Covington for “Fight of the Night.”

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

[jwplayer FyBP4Vij-RbnemIYZ]

[vertical-gallery id=471456]

UFC 245 medical suspensions: Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, others face potential lengthy layoffs

As you might expect, Colby Covington is going to be out awhile after UFC 245. But Kamaru Usman could be on the shelf as well.

Seven fighters are facing lengthy medical suspensions after a hard-hitting night of action at UFC 245.

Both main event combatants, [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], face 180-day suspensions for injuries sustained in their back-and-forth main event.

Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) retained his welterweight championship, but not without sacrificing his well-being. “The Nigerian Nightmare” has been suspended 180 days or until X-ray of left thumb is cleared by physician.

Meanwhile, Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) has been suspended 180 days or until his nondisplaced midline mandibular fracture is cleared by oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

Additionally, newly crowned UFC featherweight champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is up for a potential 180 days suspension as well, for a potentially broken hand suffered against Max Holloway in the evening’s co-main event.

[lawrence-related id=471921,471587,471482]

Four other fighters could see 180-day suspensions for various injuries, including bantamweight contender [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag], [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag], and [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag].

MMA Junkie acquired the full list of medical suspensions from the Nevada Athletic Commission, which you can read below:

  • [autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days or until eye injury is cleared by physician; no contact for 21 days due to cut on left cheek
  • [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray/MRI of right hand and x-ray of right foot and left tibia/fibia are cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to cut on left eyebrow
  • [autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Ian Henisch[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: No Suspension
  • [autotag]Ketlen Viera[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • Geoff Neal: Suspended for 180 days or until x-ray of left ribs is cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Mike Perry: Suspended 180 days or until nasal x-ray is cleared by physician; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • Petr Yan: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right foot is cleared by an orthopedic physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 21 days due to cut on left eyelid
  • [autotag]Jose Aldo/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Alexander Volkanovski: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right hand is cleared by orthopedic physician; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to leg pain
  • Kamaru Usman: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of left thumb is cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Colby Covington: Suspended 180 days or until nondisplaced midline mandibular fracture is cleared by oral and maxillofacial surgeon; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days

 [jwplayer FyBP4Vij-RbnemIYZ]

UFC 245 post-event facts: Max Holloway makes history, even in defeat

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 245, which saw Kamaru Usman beat Colby Covington in the main event.

The UFC’s final numbered event of the year took place Saturday at UFC 245 went down at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

Three championship bouts were featured on the card, but it was Kamaru Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) who closed the show in dramatic fashion when he stopped Colby Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) by fifth-round TKO to defend his welterweight title for the first time in the main event.

It was a memorable finish to close a memorable card, and for more on the numbers, check below for 60 post-event facts to come out of UFC 245.

* * * *

General

[vertical-gallery id=470903]

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $369,500.

Usman, Covington, [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] and [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC 245 fight-night bonuses.

Debuting fighters went 2-0 on the card.

UFC 245 drew an announced attendance of 16,811 for a live gate of $4,041,119.14.

Betting favorites went 8-5 on the card.

Betting favorites improved to 22-17 (one fight had even odds, one ended in a no contest) in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 13-bout card was 2:49:00.

Main card

Usman extended his winning streak to 15 fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman became the fourth fighter in UFC history to start 11-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.

Usman is the only welterweight in history to start his UFC career with 11 consecutive victories.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak is the third longest active streak in the company behind Nurmagomedov (12) and Tony Ferguson (12).

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the second longest in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (12).

Covington suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) became the fourth undisputed featherweight champion in UFC history.

Volkanovski became the first Australian-born champion in UFC history.

Volkanovski’s six-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied with Arnold Allen and Zabit Magomedsharipov for the longest active streak in the division.

Volkanovski extended his winning streak to 18 consecutive fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Volkanovski has earned five of his eight UFC victories by decision.

Volkanovski has outlanded his eight UFC opponents by a 650-301 margin in total strikes.

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) has suffered four of his five career losses by decision.

Holloway landed 100+ significant strikes for the 10th time in UFC competition, the most in company history. No other fighter has more than seven such performances.

Holloway became the third fighter in UFC history to complete 22 octagon appearances without suffering a knockdown.

[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]’ (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC) 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’ 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.

[autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) fell to 2-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in September 2017.

De Randamie suffered her first decision loss since June 24, 2011 – a span of 3,115 days and nine fights.

[autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (23-6-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) improved to 18-2 in his past 20 fights dating back to December 2011.

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) was unsuccessful in his bantamweight debut.

Aldo fell to 3-5 in his past eight fights after going undefeated for more than a decade.

Yan’s (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Yan has earned all three of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.

[autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (35-11 MMA, 11-7 UFC) suffered just the fourth knockout loss of his career.

Preliminary card

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]’s (13-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Usman (11), Leon Edwards (eight) and Santiago Ponzinibbio (seven).

Neal has earned 10 of his 12 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of his five UFC wins.

Neal became the first welterweight since Usman to start 5-0 in the UFC.

[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) fell to 2-5 in his past seven fights dating back to December 2017.

Perry suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

Aldana’s (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) five victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Nunes (11), Raquel Pennington (eight) and Ronda Rousey (six).

[autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) had her 10-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of her career.

[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) improved to 3-0-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 4-0-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.

Akhmedov’s five-fight UFC unbeaten streak at middleweight is tied with Paulo Costa for the second longest active streak in the division behind Israel Adesanya (seven).

[autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May.

Heinisch has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]’s (22-16 MMA, 15-10 UFC) 15 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19) and Matt Hughes (16).

Brown has earned 20 of his 22 career victories by stoppage. That includes 13 of his 15 wins under the UFC banner.

Brown’s 13 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Brown’s 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied for second most in company history behind Vitor Belfort (12).

Brown’s 11 knockout victories in welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.

[autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag] (22-13-2 MMA, 8-10 UFC) fell to 5-7 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in August 2014; it includes one win in an outside promotion.

Saunders’ four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2018.

Saunders is 1-6 in his past seven UFC appearances dating back to May 2017.

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] (7-0-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned five of his seven career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 1-4 UFC) fell to 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to December 2016.

Teymur suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (16-5-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) improved to 1-0-1 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September.

Moreno snapped his three-fight winless skid in UFC competition for his first octagon victory since April 2017.

[autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of her career.

[autotag]Punahele Soriano[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned six of his seven career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag] (11-3-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career on a 12-fight unbeaten streak.

Piechota suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

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

UFC 245 rookie report: Grading the newcomers in Las Vegas

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time – so how did the newcomers perform on Saturday?

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For two athletes, Saturday’s UFC 245 event marked that special moment in their career.

Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression those fighters made on the sport’s biggest stage from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

* * * * *

Punahele Soriano

Punahele Soriano and Oskar Piechota

Division: Middleweight
Result: Punahele Soriano def. Oskar Piechota via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:17
Record: (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: A

[autotag]Punahele Soriano[/autotag] was heavily hyped before his appearance on “Dana White’s Contender Series,” and his official UFC debut proved why. The Hawaiian’s heavy hands were on full display, wobbling and dropping Oskar Piechota in the early going and nearly finishing the contest with the first real flurry. If there was any criticism to make of Soriano, it was with what came next: He followed to the canvas, initially looking to strike before trying to finish the fight with his grappling. Against some opponents, that will be fine, but the choice gave Piechota his only real chance to turn the tide, and he nearly did, first attacking the arm before briefly looking for the guillotine.

Ultimately, Soriano pulled free, and his corner implored for him to breathe, with the quick pace clearly taking a toll early on. It didn’t matter much, though, as Soriano resumed his striking attack shortly after and landed a perfect left to the chin that sent Piechota crashing to the canvas.

Soriano later admitted to dealing with the dreaded octagon jitters, which helps explain the adrenaline dump and the early signs of fatigue. A little more seasoning, and Soriano will certainly find himself telling future opponents to stand back and face his fists when they refuse to go away on the floor. Undefeated and just entering his athletic prime, Soriano is certainly one to watch moving forward.

[vertical-gallery id=470900]

Pages: Page 1, Page 2