Tag: Holly Holm

Mayra Bueno Silva on UFC headliner vs. Holly Holm: ‘When I knock her out, I’m next for the belt’

Mayra Bueno Silva thinks the UFC is in dire need of a fresh women’s bantamweight contender, and she plans to become that by stopping Holly Holm.

[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] sees UFC bantamweight title implications in her fight with [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag].

Bueno Silva (10-2-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) meets former champion Holm (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) in a UFC Fight Night headliner on July 15 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Bueno Silva thinks the UFC is in dire need of a fresh contender, and she plans on becoming that by stopping Holm.

“When I knock her out, I’m next for the belt,” Bueno Silva told MMA Junkie. “The UFC fans need more respect. Nobody wants to watch Amanda and Julianna Peña anymore. The UFC fans need a new face. Mayra ‘Sheetara’ is the new face, and when I knock her out, I’m next for the belt.”

Holm comes from a boxing background, but Bueno Silva noticed that she’s been incorporating a lot more grappling in recent fights. However, the Brazilian said she’ll have the advantage there too.

“Now she’s improved her game, she’s improved her grappling,” Bueno Silva said. “I think it’s more grappling, but my grappling is better. I think she’ll touch me, touch me, and move, move, move. I think I will knock her out.”

Bueno Silva was initially booked to face another former champion in Miesha Tate, but when Tate withdrew, she wound up getting a much higher-ranked Holm. With four of her five octagon wins coming by finish, Bueno Silva said she earned the big jump in competition.

“I have eight fights in the UFC, (and) I did one bad fight,” Bueno Silva said. “The other fights, everything is Fight of the Night, Performance of the Night, Submission of the Night. This is my moment. I think this happened because I work hard, and I always give good fights for the UFC.”

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Video: Inside ‘Fast X’ with Holly Holm and Michelle Rodriguez

The “Fast & Furious” franchise is back with another blockbuster. Go behind the scenes with the UFC’s Holly Holm and star Michelle Rodriguez.

The “Fast & Furious” franchise returned to theaters earlier this month with another blockbuster.

“Fast X” is the 10th installment of the mega-successful action series (not including “Hobbs & Shaw” if you’re scoring at home), and it came out of the gate in a hurry. The film has made more than $500 million worldwide in its first 10 days and is projected to make in the neighborhood of $850 million in ticket sales before it wraps its theatrical run.

“Fast X” is the first of a planned three-picture finale to the storyline. The first of two finale sequels is expected for 2025.

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The “Fast & Furious” franchise is a bit of MMA adjacent, given fast cars and the sport often go hand in hand. Plus, in 2015, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion had a role in “Furious” and in 2013, Gina Carano had a role in “Fast & Furious 6.”

So it’s almost natural that one of the franchise’s biggest stars, Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Letty, sat down with former UFC women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] to talk about the movie.

Check out their conversation and highlights from the film in the video above. “Fast X” is now playing in theaters around the world.

Miesha Tate injured; Holly Holm vs. Mayra Bueno Silva headlines UFC Fight Night on July 15

Former champ Holly Holm will meet Mayra Bueno Silva in a UFC main event this summer.

Former UFC champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] will meet [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] in a main event this summer.

Originally scheduled to face [autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night on July 15 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Silva (10-2-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) will now take on another former titleholder in Holm (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) in a women’s bantamweight contest. Tate (19-9 MMA, 6-6 UFC) suffered an injury that prevented her from competing at the event.

MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup with multiple people close to the situation following an initial report from “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani. The people requested anonymity because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

It had been previously reported that Vicente Luque vs. Rafael dos Anjos would serve as the main event on July 15, and the status of that fight is currently unknown with Holm vs. Silva overtaking the headlining role.

Holm, 41, will look to get her fourth victory in her past fight five fights at the event. Her current run includes decision wins over Yana Santos, Irene Aldana and Raquel Pennington, with her lone blemish being a controversial split-decision defeat to Ketlen Vieira.

Silva, 31, is coming off a Performance of the Night kneebar submission of Lina Lansberg at UFC Fight Night 219 in February. The Brazilian entered the UFC’s bantamweight rankings after three straight finishes, two by submission.

The latest fight card now includes:

  • Holly Holm vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
  • Walt Harris vs. Josh Parisian
  • Azat Maksum vs. Tyson Nam
  • Chelsea Chandler vs. Norma Dumont
  • Carl Deaton vs. Alexander Munoz

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UFC on ESPN 43 medical suspensions: Cory Sandhagen faces more time off than Marlon Vera

Four fighters were given 180-day medical suspensions by the Texas commission after UFC on ESPN 43 in San Antonio.

Four fighters face 180-day medical suspensions as a result of UFC on ESPN 43 bouts, but headliners [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] and [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] are not among them.

UFC on ESPN 43 took place this past Saturday at AT&T Center in San Antonio. The event was overseen by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), which suspended all 20 fighters for medical reasons after their bouts, according to a list published Wednesday by the commission.

CJ Vergara, Daniel Pineda and Lucas Alexander all won their bouts, but walked away with 180-day suspensions, as did Steven Peterson, who lost his retirement bout to Alexander.

It’s important to note fighters can return sooner than the expiration date of their medical suspension should they receive proper medical clearance from a doctor. In addition, the TDLR does not list reasons for medical suspensions – just durations.

Scroll below to see the full list of UFC on ESPN 43 medical suspensions.

Video: Will Holly Holm become UFC champion again before retiring?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” debates if Holly Holm will reclaim UFC gold before she hangs up the gloves.

Former women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm is still here, looking fantastic at 41.

In the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 43, Holm (33-2-3 MMA, 8-6 UFC) won a clear unanimous decision against Yana Santos, and even proved she’s still adding new wrinkles to her game. There were a few times in the fight “The Preacher’s Daugher” threatened to record the first submission win of her career, in addition to beating Santos wherever the fight went.

After the win, Holm finds herself in an interesting position, especially considering she just signed a new six-fight deal with the UFC.

Since her massive upset knockout of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in 2015, Holm has gone 5-6 overall, but more importantly, winless in four title fights during that stretch. However, when paired against contenders, Holm has shined, leaving few options that make sense for her next step.

Is it time to run it back with the champ Amanda Nunes? If not, which opponent makes sense for Holm? Is it possible that Holm could win a UFC title again before hanging up the gloves?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” of Mike Bohn, Nolan King, and Brian “Goze” Garcia gave their thoughts along with host Simon Samano. Check out their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s full episode below.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel.

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Spinning Back Clique: UFC on ESPN 43 fallout, Cerrone to HOF, Texas commission blunders, more

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” live stream covering the biggest topics from MMA, including a lookahead to Bellator and PFL events.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Mike Bohn, Nolan King and Brian “Goze” Garcia will join host Simon Samano live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • UFC on ESPN 43 this past Saturday was headlined by a marquee bantamweight matchup between Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Vera. The fight went the distance in a puzzling split decision result in Sandhagen’s favor. It shouldn’t have been a split, but that’s a discussion for later on. Were you more disappointed by “Chito” or impressed by Sandhagen?
  • Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm dominated Yana Santos in clear unanimous decision in the co-main event. There aren’t many logical options next for Holm, which makes you wonder about how her new six-fight contract will play out. At 41 and beyond, do you buy Holm reclaiming the title before she’s done?
  • Saturday, the UFC announced Donald Cerrone was added to 2023 Hall of Fame class. He’s joining an incredible inductee group that includes Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo and Jens Pulver. Unlike those guys, Cerrone never won a UFC or WEC title, but has always been a fan-favorite fighter. Is his spot in the Hall deserved?
  • Dana White responded to Leon Edwards’ comments about Colby Covington, doubling down on the decision to give “Chaos” the next shot at the welterweight title. The division’s title picture got interesting when Jorge Masvidal told MMA Junkie Radio that he has “insider information” that if he beats Gilbert Burns at UFC 287, he’ll get the shot over Covington. What do we make of Masvidal’s claim? Where does Belal Muhammad fit into all of this? And why is White so convinced Covington is a “no-brainer” for a title shot?
  • Unfortunately, Texas lived up to its reputation for bad judging and other issues. The Texas commission came under fire after a pair of blunders in San Antonio this past weekend, when a referee failed to recognize when a fighter was choked unconscious, and that same referee turned around the next night to judge fights at the UFC event. In addition, a Texas judge turned in a bizarre 48-47 scorecard in favor of Vera in the UFC on ESPN 43 main event. It’s time to figure this out. Why is Texas consistently bad at this? How can it get better?
  • Bellator and PFL are in action on a non-UFC weekend, and there are some fun fights to take in. Bellator 293 in Temecula, Calif. is headlined by a heavyweight bout between Marcelo Golm and Daniel James, and also features the return of Cat Zingano, who faces Leah McCourt. In Las Vegas, 2023 PFL 1 starts the regular season with featherweights and light heavyweights, and we’ll see Brendan Loughnane vs. Marlon Moraes and Rob Wilkinson vs. Thiago Santos. What’s the most intriguing matchup on these cards?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

Dana White gives thoughts on Sandhagen vs. Vera decision, Holm’s legacy, UFC in Mexico and more

Dana White addressed a number of topics after UFC on ESPN 43 in San Antonio, including next moves for Cory Sandhagen and Holly Holm.

SAN ANTONIO – UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] touched on a number of topics after UFC on ESPN 43.

After 10 fights at AT&T Center, White answered questions from reporters about main event winner [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag], former women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag], [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]’s Hall of Fame announcement, plans for a UFC event in Mexico and more.

Check out White’s comments and responses below:

UFC on ESPN 43 post-event facts: Charles Oliveira’s longstanding record under threat

Charles Oliveira hasn’t competed at featherweight in six years, and someone is finally closing in on his record after UFC on ESPN 43.

The UFC made its return to Texas on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 43, which took place at AT&T Center in San Antonio and, after a number of fight week fallouts, saw a 10-bout card unfold.

The most high-profile result came from the main event, where [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) proved his worth as a bantamweight contender with a split decision victory over the streaking [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (20-8-1 MMA, 14-7 UFC) after five rounds.

For more on the numbers behind Sandhagen’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 43.

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Holly Holm doesn’t see many logical options after dominant UFC on ESPN 43 win

Former UFC champ Holly Holm knows the matchmaking for her future isn’t exactly simple after a dominant win at UFC on ESPN 43.

SAN ANTONIO – [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] admits she’s in a bit of a tricky situation after a dominant performance over Yana Santos in the UFC on ESPN 43 co-main event.

It’s not a predicament the former UFC women’s bantamweight champ is particularly unfamiliar with, though.

Holm (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) kept her name among the top contenders at 135 pounds on Saturday when she used a takedown-heavy approach to grind out Santos (14-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC) for a unanimous decision at AT&T Center. Her resume, notoriety and the fact she competed in a thin division means Holm is a constant presence in title conversation, but the current demand seems to be lacking.

She’s already suffered a first-round knockout loss to champ Amanda Nunes when they fought at UFC 239 in July 2019, meaning the UFC would be tasked with selling a rematch to a definitive result. It might still happen, but at this point, Holm isn’t demanding anything. She doesn’t know what the next move is, but the only people above her in the UFC rankings are Nunes, Julianna Peña and Raquel Pennington.

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“We’ll see whatever they come up with,” Holm told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the UFC on ESPN 43 post-fight news conference. I definitely feel there’s not many above me. I’ve fought Raquel Pennington twice (and won), so sometimes that doesn’t make sense. However, if that’s the fight again, then, you know. But other than that it’s Peña or the championship, I guess. But you never know. Things change so much and you never know. I just want to keep getting better in the gym and whatever they present is what it’s going to be.”

Prior to UFC on ESPN 43, Holm signed a new six-fight contract with the UFC. She’s ticked the first off with a one-sided performance, and now the journey forward continues.

At 41, Holm is among the oldest fighters on the UFC roster regardless of gender. She thinks she’s still capable of competing at a high level for years to come, though, and won’t put a definitive end point on her future.

“That’s very possible (that I fight out of the full contract),” Holm said. “I don’t ever like to put a timeline on myself, but I definitely know that I’m not like 25 or 30 anymore. I still feel very healthy right now. I definitely know retirement is sooner than it was 10 years ago, but I’m not ready to do it right yet.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 43.