Conor McGregor, Aleksei Oleinik, Brian Kellher, Diego Ferreira and Drew Dober each earned $50,000 bonuses at Saturday’s UFC 246 event.
[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag], [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag], [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] and [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] each earned $50,000 bonuses for their performances at Saturday’s UFC 246 event.
The fighters took “Performance of the Night” honors – with the UFC giving out five awards instead of its typical four. No “Fight of the Night” was awarded. Each of the five had finishes in their fights; the other six winners on the card won by decisions.
UFC officials announced the winners following the event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) needed just 40 seconds to stop the UFC’s all-time wins leader, Donald Cerrone (36-14 MMA, 23-11 UFC), in the main event. McGregor hadn’t won a fight in more than three years and was returning from a 15-month layoff. The controversial Irishman, known more for his issues outside the cage than in it the past year, finally put some shine back on his fighting skills with the kind of destruction that hadn’t befallen the legendary “Cowboy” before in his long career.
Oleinik (58-13-1 MMA, 7-4 UFC) had to put some work in to submit Maurice Greene (8-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) in the second round. But after working hard for a submission in the first, he finally got one late in the second – his 58th career victory.
Kelleher (20-10 MMA, 4-3 UFC) had his fight against Ode Osbourne (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) moved to the main card Friday after the weigh-ins. He took advantage of the prime spot with an upset of Osbourne midway through the first round with a guillotine choke.
Ferreira (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) picked up arguably the biggest win of his career with a second-round submission of former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis (22-10 MMA, 9-9 UFC). Ferreira won for the sixth straight time and won by submission for the first time since June 2014.
Dober (22-9 MMA, 8-5 UFC) took out heavy favorite Nasrat Haqparast (11-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) with a TKO just 70 seconds into the first round. Haqparast was more than a 3-1 favorite, but Dober picked up his second straight knockout in 70 seconds or less.
See the top Twitter reactions to Diego Ferreira’s victory against Anthony Pettis at UFC 246.
[autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] earned the most significant victory of his carer thus far on Saturday when he defeated [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] at UFC 246.
Ferreira (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) beat a former UFC champ for the first time when he topped Pettis (23-10 MMA, 9-9 UFC) by second-round submission to extend his winning streak to six fights. The 155-pound bout opened the UFC 246 main card, which aired on pay-per-view from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Ferreira’s victory over Pettis at UFC 246.
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The #UFC246 main card is LIVE on pay-per-view! Former UFC/WEC champ Anthony Pettis (@ShowtimePettis) returns to lightweight vs. Diego Ferreira (@DiegoUFCTX) in the opener.
Good round for Ferreira. Looked to me when he had the back he tried to keep on the hip where he had the underhook from the back, but Pettis is so good at twisting to reverse. Pettis is good about sticking and moving on the feet, but maybe Ferreira will pursue top control now.
Ferreira hasn’t been getting the respect he deserves. Names like Taisumov and Khabilov might not be well-known, but those are tough outs. Six in a row now, big win over a former champ on a big card. Big moment for him. #UFC246
Diego Ferreira submits Anthony Pettis for his sixth straight win. His coach Sayif Saud was extremely confident going in. Some lofty goals they’ve got for Ferreira in 2020.
[autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] celebrated his 35th birthday in style Saturday night.
At UFC 246, Ferreira (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) submitted former UFC champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (22-10 MMA, 9-9 UFC) at the 1:46 mark of Round 2. The rear-naked choke topped off a dominant, one-sided showing.
The lightweight bout opened up the UFC 246 main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
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In the opening round, Ferreira showed unusual rhythm from the get-go. Lifting his leg up and down, Ferreria hopped into the pocket when pressuring Pettis.
The Brazilian lightweight mixed up his striking with his grappling roots. In the second round, Ferreira was able to get Pettis’ back. From there, the 35-year-old fighter sank in a rear-naked choke. Soon after it was locked, Pettis tapped.
With the victory, Ferreira has won six straight fights dating back to January 2016. A member of rising Dallas powerhouse Fortis MMA, Ferreira continues his ascent up the 155-pound rankings. In his most recent fightprior to UFC 246, Ferreira upset Russia’s Mairbek Taisumov by unanimous decision.
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As for Pettis, the loss is his second in as many outings. Prior to UFC 246, Pettis dropped a three-round unanimous decision to Nate Diaz at UFC 241 in August. The former UFC lightweight champion Pettis has competed in three weight classes since 2016. UFC 246 was marked return to lightweight after back-to-back welterweight fights.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 246 results include:
Diego Ferreira def. Anthony Pettis via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:46
What’s the smart play in the UFC 246 matchup between ex-champion Anthony Pettis and Diego Ferreira?
(Editor’s note: This story first published at SportsBookWire, part of the USA TODAY Network.)
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] and [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] will go toe to toe Saturday at UFC 246 in Las Vegas. We break down the Pettis-Ferreira betting odds and lines, with UFC betting picks, tips and best bets for UFC 246.
Pettis (22-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) is looking to bounce back after a unanimous decision loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 241 in August, and he has alternated wins and losses in each of his past nine bouts. Since successfully defending the lightweight strap against Gilbert Melendez at UFC 181, Pettis has been in a freefall down the rankings, going just 4-7. However, he does have wins over Charles Oliveira, Jim Miller, Micheal Chiesa, and Stephen Thompson along the way, with the Thompson victory coming March 23 of last year in a knockout, so he is still very dangerous.
Ferreira (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) easily has the better record of the two fighters and is on a different trajectory. He also has a 74- to 72.5-inch reach advantage, and he hasn’t tasted defeat since back-to-back losses to Beneil Dariush at UFC 179 and a knockout at the hands of Dustin Poirier in 2015. His past two wins are by unanimous decision over Rustam Khabilov and Mairbek Taisumov.
Per BetMGM, Ferreira (-250) is a moderate favorite over Pettis (+180). The oddsmakers also lean to the match going the distance (three rounds), with odds there being set at -150 and the odds to not go a full three rounds at +115.
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Are you new to sports betting? A $10 wager on Ferreira to win returns $4 in profit. A bet on Pettis returns a profit of $18 with a victory.
Pettis is still very dangerous, but he hasn’t been able to show much consistency lately, while Ferriera is younger, quicker and a lot better in the significant strike department. As long as Ferreira doesn’t let his guard down and plays solid defense, negating a huge punch and kill shot, he should be able to grind out a unanimous decision. The play here is Ferrerira to win by decision/technical decision (+115), with the fight going a full three rounds (-150).
BetMGM is offering a special Bet $1, WIN $200 (in free bets) if McGregor wins in any manner vs. Cerrone January 18, 2020. Bet now at BetMGM! Available to new customers in New Jersey; visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship, and there is no influence on news coverage.
Diego Ferreira is looking to show a different side of his game vs. Anthony Pettis at UFC 246.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] is looking to show a different side of his game Saturday.
Ferreira will enter the biggest fight of his career when he takes on former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] at UFC 246.
Ferreira is currently riding a five-fight winning streak as he’s used his pressure and striking to stifle his opponents, most recently putting a halt to Mairbek Taisumov’s impressive six-fight unbeaten run.
But speaking to MMA Junkie at Thursday’s media day, the third-degree jiu-jitsu blackbelt Ferriera (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) said he plans on displaying his ground skills against Pettis.
“That’s what I do the most. I’m a fighter that puts a lot of pressure, moving forward, don’t care like how to get hit, just moving forward, but I still have jiu-jitsu, and I really want to work my jiu-jitsu a little bit too and get some submissions,” Ferreira said. “Because from the past few fights, I’ve just been looking to prove a little bit my strikes, and I already did it. Now it’s time to go out there and try to use my jiu-jitsu and get him in a good submission.”
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Pettis has won some of his biggest fights by way of submission and possesses a very dangerous bottom game. He captured the UFC 155-pound title with a first-round armbar and notched his first title defense with a guillotine, showing his versatility on the ground.
While Ferreira is well aware that he has to be cautious, he is confident in his abilities, too.
“You have to be careful the whole time,” Ferreira said. “You cannot slip, especially on a position like the way he does, triangles and armbars, but I like all type of submissions. I’ve been working at everything. I do a lot of jiu-jitsu competitions, too. I’ve been working on a lot of good techniques, and I can’t wait to show my fans and my friends what I can do on the ground, too.”
UFC 246 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
The UFC kicks off 2020 with the return of its most bankable fighter.
UFC 246 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
In the main event, former dual champion [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) returns after a 15-month layoff to take on [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] (36-13 MMA, 23-10 UFC) in a welterweight bout. McGregor is more than a 3-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and he’s the pick of 11 of our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.
In the co-main event, former women’s bantamweight champ [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC). Holm is just a slight favorite, but she’s got a massive 13-1 lead in the picks with just one staff member taking Pennington in an upset.
At heavyweight, [autotag]Maurice Greene[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is a slight favorite against [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (57-13-1 MMA, 6-4 UFC). But it’s Oleinik who has a whopping 12-2 lead in the picks.
And to open the main card, former lightweight champ [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (22-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) is a sizable underdog against [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC), who has won six straight fights. But it’s Pettis with a 9-5 lead in the picks.
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A women’s strawweight fight between [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) and [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) was scheduled for the main card. But after Grasso missed weight by 5.5 pounds at Friday’s weigh-ins and came in at 121.5, the fight was canceled by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Grasso had been a 10-4 pick over Gadelha from our staff members in the fight, though it was Gadelha with a big 72 percent number from our readers..
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, McGregor (53%), Holm (82 percent), Oleinik (64 percent) and Pettis (63 percent) are the choices.
Check out the fighter faceoffs from UFC 246 media day.
LAS VEGAS – As we inch closer to UFC 246 on Saturday, the top fighters on the card outside of the main event inched closer to each other Thursday.
The main-card fighters, as well as some of the prelim fighters, took part in a media day for UFC 246 at the UFC Apex. After answering questions for the media, the athletes faced off ahead of Friday’s weigh-ins and the Saturday event.
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] rematches [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] in the co-main event, while heavyweights [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Maurice Greene[/autotag], strawweights [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] and lightweights [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] round out of the main card.
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On the prelims, undefeated super-prospect [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] meets veteran opponent [autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] in a women’s flyweight matchup.
Check out the faceoffs from those fighters in the video above ahead of UFC 246, which takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
Previewing Saturday’s UFC 246 lightweight bout between Anthony Pettis and Diego Ferreira, with UFC betting odds, picks and best bets.
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Anthony Pettis and Diego Ferreira will go toe-to-toe at UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Saturday in a lightweight bout on the pay-per-view card. We break down the Pettis-Ferreira betting odds and lines, with UFC betting picks, tips and best bets for UFC 246.
Pettis (22-9) is looking to bounce back after a unanimous decision loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 241 Aug. 17, and he has alternated wins and losses in each of his past nine bouts. Since successfully defending the lightweight strap against Gilbert Melendez at UFC 181 Dec. 6, 2014, he has been in a freefall down the ranking, going just 4-7. However, he does have wins over Charles Oliveira, Jim Miller, Micheal Chiesa and Stephen Thompson along the way, with the Thompson victory coming March 23 of last year in a knockout, so he is still very dangerous.
Ferreira (16-2) easily has the better record of the two fighters, and is on a different trajectory. He also has a 74-72.5″ reach advantage, and he hasn’t tasted defeat since back-to-back losses to Beneil Dariush at UFC 179 and a knockout at the hands of Dustin Poirier in the first round of UFC Fight Night April 4, 2015. His past two wins are by unanimous decision over Rustam Khabilov and Mairbek Taisumov.
SPECIAL BET LINE: McGregor vs. Cerrone
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Per BetMGM, Ferreira (-250) is a moderate favorite over Pettis (+180). The oddsmakers also lean to the match going the distance (three rounds), with odds there being set at -150 for – and the odds to not go a full three rounds at +115.
Are you new to sports betting? A $10 wager on Ferreira to win returns $4 in profit. A bet on Pettis at +180 returns a profit of $18 with a victory.
Pettis is still very dangerous, but he hasn’t been able to show much consistency lately, while Ferriera is younger, quicker and a lot better in the significant strike department. As long as Ferreira doesn’t let his guard down and plays solid defense, negating a huge punch and kill shot, he should be able to grind out a unanimous decision. The play here is Ferrerira to win by decision/technical decision (+115), with the fight going a full three rounds (-150).
If you want some action on this mixed martial arts bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
The best facts and figures about UFC 246, which features plenty of action outside of the Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone main event.
UFC 246 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a 12-fight main card set to air on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
Although the majority of focus is on the welterweight headliner (which has plenty of interesting numbers behind it), the remaining bouts offer a little of something for everyone, including another key women’s bantamweight rematch between [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) and [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind UFC 246, check below for 45 pre-event facts.
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Co-main event
Holm is 2-5 in her past seven UFC appearances dating back to November 2015, when she won the UFC women’s bantamweight title.
Holm’s four consecutive losses in UFC title fights are the most for any female in company history.
Holm’s two head-kick knockout victories in UFC competition are the most of any female in company history.
Holm is one of seven fighters in UFC history to win a championship fight by head-kick knockout. She accomplished the feat at UFC 193.
Holm has been awarded three fight-night bonuses for UFC women’s bantamweight fights, the third most in divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (7) and Nunes (4).
Raquel Pennington
Pennington competes in her 12th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, tied with Nunes for the most appearances in divisional history.
Pennington’s seven victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Nunes (11).
Pennington’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Rousey (3).
Pennington is one of six fighters in UFC history to earn a bulldog-choke submission victory. She accomplished the feat against Ashlee-Evans Smith at UFC 181.
Featured bout
Aleksei Oleinik
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (57-13-1 MMA, 6-4 UFC), 42, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC heavyweight division and is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Oleinik becomes the first fighter in MMA history to have professional bouts across four decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s).
Oleinik’s average fight time of 5:01 in UFC heavyweight fights is fourth shortest in divisional history behind Cyril Asker (3:24), Todd Duffee (3:26) and Shane Carwin (4:55).
Oleinik has earned 53 of his 57 career victories by stoppage. That includes his past 16 wins, 11 of which have come in the first round.
Oleinik has earned 45 of his 57 career victories by submission. Of those stoppages, 37 have come in the first round.
Oleinik’s five submission victories in UFC heavyweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Frank Mir (8) and Stefan Struve (6).
Oleinik has earned both of the Ezekiel-choke submission victories in UFC history. He accomplished the feat at UFC 224 and UFC Fight Night 103.
Oleinik attempts 2.4 submissions per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC heavyweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
[autotag]Maurice Greene[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is one of two heavyweights in UFC history to earn a submission by triangle choke. Struve owns two wins with the technique.
Remaining main card
Claudia Gadelha
[autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) competes in her 11th UFC strawweight bout, tied for the third most appearances in divisional history behind Randa Markos (13) and Angela Hill (12).
Gadelha’s six victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (9) and Jessica Andrade (7).
Gadelha has alternated wins and losses over her past five fights. She won her most recent bout at UFC 239 in July.
Gadelha’s 33 takedowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Carla Esparza for the most in divisional history.
Gadelha has been awarded three fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts, tied for the third most in divisional history behind Andrade (6) and Rose Namajunas (4).
[autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over her past six fights. She lost her most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 17 in September.
Anthony Pettis
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (22-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past nine fights. Her lost his most recent bout at UFC 241 in August.
Pettis returns to the lightweight division for the first time since November 2018. He went 1-1 during his stint at welterweight.
Pettis is one of nine fighters in UFC history to earn victories in three weight classes.
Pettis is 4-7 in his past 11 UFC appearance dating back to when he lost the UFC lightweight title in March 2015.
Pettis has earned 18 of his 22 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his nine UFC wins.
Pettis’ five submission victories from a bottom position in UFC/WEC competition are tied with Diaz for most in combined company history.
[autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag]’s (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is the fifth longest active streak in the division behind Tony Ferguson (12), Khabib Nurmagomedov (11), Islam Makhachev (6) and Charles Oliveira (6).
Preliminary card
Roxanne Modafferi
[autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] (23-16 MMA, 2-4 UFC) competes in her sixth UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied with Gillian Robertson for the most appearances in divisional history.
Modafferi is 8-5 since her initial UFC release in November 2013.
Modafferi has alternated wins and losses over her past six fights. She lost her most recent bout at UFC on ESPN 4 in July
Maycee Barber
[autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), 21, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Barber is 2-0 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in March.
Barber has earned seven of her eight career victories by stoppage. She’s won all three of her UFC fights by knockout.
Barber’s three-fight knockout streak in UFC competition is tied with Amanda Nunes and Cris Cyborg for the longest such streak in women’s company history.
[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has landed at least one knockdown against all four of his UFC opponents.
[autotag]Justin Ledet[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) is 0-2 since he dropped to the UFC light heavyweight division in July.
Ledet’s 113 significant strikes landed against Chase Sherman at UFC Fight Night 92 are tied for the second most by any debuting UFC heavyweight behind Tim Sylvia’s 138 at UFC 39.
Tim Elliott
[autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag] (15-9-1 MMA, 4-7 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past six fights. He lost his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in October.
Elliott is 2-3 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in December 2016.
Elliott’s 36 takedowns landed in UFC flyweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (58) and Wilson Reis (44).
Elliott lands 63.2 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
[autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag] (19-10 MMA, 3-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Dec. 29, 2018. The 385-day layoff is the longest of his nearly nine-year career.
[autotag]J.J. Aldrich[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is 1-1 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in March.
Aldrich has earned all four of her UFC victories by decision.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
