Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!
On Episode No. 3,045 of the podcast, the guys continue quarantine life with another show from home in Las Vegas, covering the latest MMA news and notes.
THE RUNDOWN
UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]B.J. Penn[/autotag] said people have been telling him to fight again but also a lot of folks telling him not to. If he did step into the cage again, where would it be? And should he?
One thing about the coronavirus pandemic is the effect it will have on regional promotions. They rely so much on ticket sales, how will they survive without fans even when MMA returns?
Now that UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] is back in China six weeks after her last fight, does that make her a lock for “Fight Island”?
Could [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] be fighting [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] next? Is that a mistake by Sterling, and what does it say about the UFC’s attitude toward “Funk Master”?
[autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag]’s final fight likely won’t be in Brazil, and it’s looking like [autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] could be the front runner. If it happens, good choice?
Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio, 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.
Demian Maia still wants to share the octagon with Diego Sanchez.
[autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] still wants to share the octagon with [autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag].
With one fight remaining on his UFC contract, and a heavy lean toward retiring from the sport afterward, Maia (28-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) is once again floating the idea of a matchup with Sanchez (30-12 MMA, 19-12 UFC).
A welterweight clash against the Season 1 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series is something Maia has pitched for the better part of two years. Maia and Sanchez are two of the longest-tenured athletes on the UFC roster, and the pairing is arguably overdue.
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Maia seems to think so, because he’s once again pushed for the matchup on social media (via Twitter):
Maia, 42, is coming off a first-round TKO loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC on ESPN+ 28 in March. The outcome snapped a three-fight winning streak from the Brazilian, who has challenged for UFC titles at welterweight and middleweight.
Sanchez, 38, is a former UFC title challenger, as well, who picked up a disqualification win over Michel Pereira at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in February. The fallout of the fight brought much scrutiny due to Sanchez’s unique relationship with trainer Joshua Fabia.
It appears Sanchez is on board with the idea of a showdown (via Instagram):
A post shared by Diego Sanchez (@diegonightmaresanchezufc) on
We’re all excited to get back to our normal!!! @demianmaia @danawhite @ufc fight island?
A potential matchup between Maia and Sanchez would be historic. It would represent their combined 65th UFC appearance, which would be the most experience for a single matchup in company history.
MMA Junkie takes a look at the 10 fighters with the most wins in UFC history.
With UFC on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, MMA Junkie takes a look at the 10 winningest fighters in the history of the organization. Of note, all fighters included in this column fight at light heavyweight or below and have promotional debuts ranging from September 1999 to February 2011.
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10. Stuck on 17
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Six fighters are tied at the 17-win mark inside the octagon: Former heavyweight champ [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag], former lightweight champ [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag], former featherweight champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], former interim lightweight champ [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], former middleweight champ [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] and lightweight contender [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag].
9. [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]
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Age: 35
Debut: UFC 91 on Nov. 15, 2008
Number of fights: 29
Number of wins: 18
Dos Anjos was in the UFC nearly seven years before he finally captured the lightweight title. Since losing the belt, he’s spent his years in the welterweight division, adding more to his win total. He’s had some tough results of late but is still exclusively fighting top-tier competition.
8. [autotag]Matt Hughes[/autotag]
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Age: 46
Debut: UFC 22 on Sept. 24, 1999
Number of fights: 25
Number of wins: 18
Once considered the greatest welterweight in MMA history, Hughes debuted in the UFC nearly six years before anyone else on the list. The former welterweight champ still holds a top-10 spot, though, due to his dominant run in the 170-pound division though the mid-2000s.
Charles Oliveira won his seventh fight in a row at UFC Brasilia, but it only gets more difficult from here.
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” unpack the fallout from UFC on ESPN+ 28, which ends up being the promotion’s last show for at least a little while
SHOW RUNDOWN:
[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] made it seven consecutive wins – all by stoppage – when he scored his biggest to date by submitting Kevin Lee in the third round of their UFC Brasilia headliner. Oliveira, 30, really seems to be coming into his own and is entering the territory of having to face the elite in the lightweight division. But timing is everything, and it’s crowded at the top. Breaking in likely will prove difficult. So what should his next move be? We weigh in.
It used to mean something to say someone was “UFC caliber,” but does that still hold true? After all, prior to postponing its next three events amid the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC sent a memo to managers asking them to check with their clients – currently on the roster or not – if they would be interested in filling in on those three cards. Doesn’t that water down the idea of being “UFC caliber”?
The coronavirus is fundamentally changing the way we live while officials work to get it under control, and that includes us spending a lot of time at home now as “social distancing” is being mandated across the country. With that in mind, we’ve got some recommendations on what to watch on UFC Fight Pass (or through other means) to keep you busy.
For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 20 of “Spinning Back Clique” above.
Demian Maia says he has one more fight left in the tank – so who should it be against?
Demian Maia had a three-fight winning streak snapped this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 28 when he was TKO’d by Gilbert Burns in the first round of their welterweight fight in Brasilia, Brazil. Afterward, the 42-year-old Maia said he would fight one more time before retiring. So who should it be against? MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun, Danny Segura and Nolan King sound off in this latest edition of “Triple Take.”
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Farah Hannoun: Donald Cerrone
Donald Cerrone at UFC 246. (Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
[autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] deserves a big name in his farewell fight.
Maia has fought the who’s who in MMA, from legends to former champions to up-and-coming prospects, and considering that he mentioned [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] as a potential last fight, he should get it. Good thing for him, Cerrone is game to fight anyone, which makes the possibility of this matchup even higher.
Stylistically it can be viewed as a classic striker vs. grappler match, but Cerrone has shown serious skills on the ground. Granted, he’d most likely avoid the ground with Maia. However, Cerrone has entertained us every single time he’s stepped foot in the octagon, which could make for an intriguing fight. “Cowboy” is in the twilight of his career, which he’d probably disagree with, but either way, Maia would be a big name for him, too.
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Rankings wise, it may not look like it makes sense, since Maia has won three of his last four compared to Cerrone losing his last three, but this is no longer about rankings for Maia. It’s the final fight of Maia’s career, and if anyone will give him the scrap he’s looking for, it’s Cerrone.
Cerrone also happens to hold the UFC record for most wins, and Maia trails behind by just one fight. So this one would also have a lot on the line in terms of the record books.
Post-fight thoughts and analysis on the biggest storylines from UFC on ESPN+ 28, where Charles Oliveira submitted Kevin Lee.
What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 28 in Brasilia, Brazil? Here are a few post-fight musings …
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1. Behind closed doors
It was definitely a different experience watching an event without crowd, but at the same time it wasn’t, really.
The only difference between what we witnessed and, say, “The Ultimate Fighter,” is the fact there were production elements such as commentary and a ring announcer, more fights, and the majority of the athletes were of a higher talent level. Moreover, the in-fight experience of watching UFC events are all largely the same, so sans some crowd reaction, it wasn’t that different from what we normally see.
That may have not been the case for the fighters, who definitely get an adrenaline boost from an audience, whether they like to admit it or not. It’s hard to know whether that contributed to the record-tying stretch of nine consecutive decisions, but it’s certainly a possibility.
We don’t need to delve into another discussion about the optics of the UFC putting on the event at all with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, because my colleague Dave Doyle covered that quite well in his post-event column. But given how the situation is rapidly evolving, there’s a chance these closed-door fights become the norm for the near future. It also can’t be ruled out these were the last fights the UFC puts on until this crisis settles.
All the notable stats and figures to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 28, which took place in Brasilia, Brazil, and saw Charles Oliveira submit Kevin Lee.
The UFC returned to Brazil on Saturday for what turned out to be a historic event for multiple reasons. The card, which took place at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, was held behind closed doors because of concerns about the spread of coronavirus.
Those concerns didn’t prevent the athletes from stepping into the octagon, though, and in the main event [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (29-8 MMA, 17-8 UFC) continued to prove himself as one of the best in the UFC right now when he scored a third-round submission of [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC) to extend his winning streak and further etch his name in the record books.
For more on the numbers behind Oliveira’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 50 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 28.
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General
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UFC on ESPN+ 28 tied UFC on ESPN 4 for the most consecutive decisions on a single UFC card with nine.
The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $209,500.
Debuting fighters went 1-0 at the event.
Oliveira, [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag], [autotag]Maryna Moroz[/autotag] and [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 28 fight-night bonuses.
UFC did not provide a live gate or attendance figure due to the closed-door nature of the event.
Betting favorites went 7-4 on the card. One fight ended in a draw.
Betting favorites fell to 5-3 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:28:46.
Main card
Charles Oliviera
Oliveira improved to 8-1 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division April 2017. He’s 10-3 (with one no contest) in the organization at 155 pounds.
Oliveira’s seven-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Tony Ferguson (12) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (11).
Oliveira’s seven-fight UFC stoppage streak is the longest active streak in the company.
Oliveira’s seven-fight UFC stoppage streak is tied with Chuck Liddell for second longest in company history behind Anderson Silva (eight).
Oliveira’s 16 stoppage victories in UFC competition are tied with Donald Cerrone for most in company history.
Oliveira’s 14 submission victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Oliveira’s eight submission victories in UFC lightweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Jim Miller (nine).
Oliveira’s five guillotine-choke victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Oliveira has been awarded 16 fight-night bonuses for UFC bouts, the second most in company history behind Cerrone (18).
Oliveira has been awarded 10 “Performance of the Night” bonuses, the most in company history.
Lee fell to 2-4 in UFC headline bouts.
Lee fell to 1-1 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in November.
Lee has completed at least one takedown in 15 of his 17 UFC fights.
Lee’s 37 takedowns landed since 2014 in UFC lightweight competition are most in the division.
Lee has suffered four of his six career losses by stoppage.
Gilbert Burns
Burns (18-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) improved to 3-0 since he returned to the welterweight division in August 2019. He’s 4-0 when fighting at the weight class.
Burns has earned 14 of his 18 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his 11 UFC wins.
[autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] (28-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) fell to 13-6 since he dropped to the UFC welterweight division in July 2012.
Maia’s total fight time of 6:34:40 in UFC competition is third most in company history behind Frankie Edgar (7:15:51) and Rafael Dos Anjos (6:43:11).
Maia suffered his first knockout loss since Aug. 29, 2009 – a span of 3,850 days (more than 10 years) and 26 fights.
Maia’s 67 takedowns landed in UFC competition are sixth most in company history.
Maia’s 253 takedown attempts in UFC competition are the most in company history.
Renato Moicano
[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] (14-3-1 MMA, 6-3 UFC) was successful in his UFC lightweight debut.
Moicano has earned all three of his UFC stoppage victories by submission.
[autotag]Damir Hadzovic[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 3-4 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of his career.
[autotag]Nikita Krylov[/autotag] (26-7 MMA, 8-5 UFC) improved to 2-2 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2018.
Krylov improved to 11-4 since he dropped to the light heavyweight division in March 2014.
Krylov earned the first decision victory of his career.
[autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2019.
Walker suffered the first decision loss of his career.
[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag] (25-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) has earned nine of his past 12 victories by decision.
Preliminary card
Brandon Moreno
[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (17-5-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) improved to 2-0-1 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2019.
[autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2019.
[autotag]Randa Markos[/autotag] (10-8-1 MMA, 6-7-1 UFC) fell to 3-4-1 in her past seven UFC appearance dating back to August 2017.
Markos’ seven losses in UFC competition are tied with Angela Hill for most by any female in company history.
Markos has suffered seven of her eight career losses by decision.
[autotag]Aleksei Kunchenko[/autotag] (20-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career on a 20-fight winning streak.
Kunchenko has suffered both of his career losses by decision.
Maryna Moroz
Moroz (10-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) improved to 2-0 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in March 2019.
Moroz’s 130 significant strikes landed set a new single-fight record for a three-round UFC women’s flyweight fight.
Moroz has earned four of her five UFC victories by decision.
Silva (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) had her six-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of her career.
[autotag]Bea Malecki[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) earned the first decision victory of her career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Demian Maia felt he was short changed by the referee in his stoppage loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC on ESPN+ 28.
[autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] felt he was shortchanged by the referee in his fight with Gilbert Burns at UFC on ESPN+ 28, but unsurprisingly, he’s handling the defeat with all class.
Maia (28-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) suffered a first-round TKO loss to Burns (17-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in Saturday’s welterweight co-headliner at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil, ending a three-fight winning streak for the two-time UFC title challenger.
After having positive moments in the early going, mostly in the grappling department, Maia got clipped with a hard shot by Burns that sent him crashing to the canvas. Burns jumped on top with some additional strikes that caused the referee to step in, but some observers, and Maia himself, felt it was ended a bit too soon.
“Unfortunately, the referee stopped it – I thought I could go a little bit more, but it is what it is,” Maia said on the UFC on ESPN+ 28 post-fight show. “I feel I was OK. I felt I was OK, but you don’t know. The referee said that he thought I was out, and that’s OK – that’s the sport. I was feeling good, I was getting good in the jiu-jitsu positions, but he got me well with that hook.”
Maia, 42, has long stated that he’s near retirement. The Brazilian submission specialist, who has been part of the UFC roster since 2007, made the vow to fight out his current four-fight contract, which now has one fight left.
On an upward trajectory heading into the fight, Maia said he would consider extending his retirement timeline if he beat Burns at UFC on ESPN+ 28. It went the opposite way, though, and now Maia is etching his plan in stone. But he doesn’t yet know where or when the last one will be.
“I’ll come back to training and do one more fight then that’s it,” Maia said. “I want to do one more then probably retire. Tonight I was feeling pretty good. I feel I was getting my good positions, but respect. He defended well, he’s a great jiu-jitsu fighter, but he got me with the hook and that happens. That happens in this sport with the small gloves and that’s it. The referee didn’t help too much, but no excuse. He did well and he deserves (the victory).”
UFC on ESPN+ 28 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 28 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $209,500.
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+ 28 took place Saturday at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil. The entire card aired on ESPN.
The full UFC on ESPN+ 28 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
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 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 28 event in Brasilia, Brazil – which featured no fans in attendance.
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+ 28 went with as their backing tracks in Brasilia, Brazil.
