UFC on ESPN 16: Irene Aldana full pre-fight interview

Irene Aldana spoke with the media ahead of UFC on ESPN 16 on UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

Despite emotional roller coaster, Irene Aldana enjoying the journey to first UFC main event

Irene Aldana details emotions ahead of the biggest fight of her career.

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] has been through plenty in the lead up to her next UFC fight.

The bantamweight contender headlines a UFC event for the first time in her eight-year career Saturday at UFC on ESPN 16. Aldana takes on a former bantamweight champion, and one of the biggest names in women’s MMA in Holly Holm in a five-round contest. The event goes down in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

Aldana (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) was originally scheduled to fight Holm (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) on Aug. 1 at UFC on ESPN+ 31, but the bout ended up being postponed when the Mexican fighter tested positive for COVID-19.

“At first it was tough when I was just recovering from the virus, when I started training again,” Aldana said on Monday’s episode of “Hablemos MMA.” “It was difficult because I would get tired very quick. It seemed the virus left lingering effects. Even though I was negative, I would feel fatigued. Maybe I wasn’t 100 percent, but that only lasted a week-and-a-half, two weeks, and then my body was back to normal.

“I started feeling much better and my body was responding well. I had a very complete training camp, and I was able to do it 100 percent. It was hard, and well done in all areas. I’m 100 percent ready for the fight.”

Aldana had a little over two months to get back in top shape after testing positive for COVID-19 in late July.

“Robles” was mainly training from her home in Guadalajara, Mexico, in the lead up to the Aug. 1 event. The postponement to Oct. 3 allowed Aldana to return to Lobo Gym, where she trained exclusively with her team and remained closed to the public.

The change in dates also brought a bigger platform for her pivotal bout with Holm, as she’s now fighting on ESPN and not just the ESPN streaming platform ESPN+.

“The fight is much bigger (now on ESPN) and also because it’s happening in Abu Dhabi, so there’s more attention,” Aldana said. “And yeah, I think it’s very interesting and very exciting that more people will be watching the event.”

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Aldana makes history on Saturday night as the first Mexican female to headline a UFC event. The significance of the moment paired with fighting one of the biggest names in women’s MMA history has certainly brought many feelings to Aldana in the lead up to UFC on ESPN 16.

“I feel all kinds of things,” Aldana said. “It truly is a roller coaster being in this sport. You can have many fights, but you will always experience the nerves, the butterflies in the stomach.

“Each time I control it better and I enjoy it more. Like I said, I feel all kinds of things. I can be nervous in one moment, and five minutes later I’m excited and happy, but then I get nervous again. That’s how it goes. It’s very strange. This sport makes you feel a lot of adrenaline and it makes you feel many things. Nerves will always exist. You’re nervous about things maybe not working out the way you want them to and anything that could go wrong.

“But to be honest, I’m really enjoying all of it and all the process. I’m enjoying the travel, the fight week and all that. So yeah, the fact that it’s my first main event in the UFC, it’s something big on a personal level and for my career, so I’m making the most of it.”

UFC president Dana White previously said if Aldana were victorious, she would likely challenge two-division champion Amanda Nunes for her 135-pound title. Many other experts and fans are also pitting the bout as a No. 1 contender fight in the division.

Aldana is well aware of the implications a win could bring to her career, but she’s not letting the title chatter stray her focus on the task at hand.

“I’m very aware that this fight will open the doors so that my next bout could be for the title,” Aldana said. “However, I don’t like to get ahead and accelerate things.

“At the moment, I’m very focused on the fight, very focused on Holly Holm. Once I win the fight, then I will focus on the title fight. But I know that this is definitely an opportunity that will take me to the title, but I’m focusing on Holly Holm.”

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Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana rebooked for UFC’s Oct. 3 main event

The bantamweight fight between Holly Holm and Irene Aldana will now headline the UFC’s Oct. 3 event.

[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] and [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] will still get a headliner spot for their fight.

After a positive COVID-19 test forced Aldana out of the UFC’s Aug. 1 main event, the promotion has moved her bout with Holm to the Oct. 3 headliner. The matchup was announced during the UFC 252 broadcast Saturday night.

The event location has not officially been announced by the UFC, but is expected to take place at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Aldana (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) will become the first Mexican-born woman to headline a UFC event when she squares off with Holm. A win will most likely would position her as the No. 1 contender at 135 pounds. Winner of five of her past six, Aldana is coming off a “Performance of the Night” knockout over Ketlen Vieira at UFC 245, bouncing the Brazilian out of the ranks of the unbeaten.

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Holm (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC), a former UFC bantamweight champion, has split her past four appearances and is coming off a unanimous decision win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 246, beating her for the second time. Prior to that, she failed to recapture the 135-pound title when she was stopped by featherweight and bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes in Round 1 at UFC 239.

The latest lineup for UFC’s Oct. 3 event includes:

Irene Aldana vs. Holly Holm
Germaine de Randamie vs. Julianna Pena
Andrei Arlovski vs. Tanner Boser
Jinh Yu Frey vs. Loma Lookboonmee
Yorgan De Castro vs. Carlos Felipe
Beneil Dariush vs. Charles Oliveira

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Hablemos MMA #1: Entrevista con Irene Aldana, resumen de UFC on ESPN 14 y Bellator 242, mas

Escucha el primer episodio de Hablemos MMA con Danny Segura.

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En el primer episodio de Hablemos MMA, Danny Segura entrevista a [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] que tuvo su pelea con Holly Holm pospuesta después de haber dado de positivo con coronavirus. También analiza los resultados de UFC on ESPN 14: [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] y Bellator 242, y repasa las ultimas noticias de las artes marciales mixtas incluyendo los comentarios mas recientes de Georges St-Pierre, cancelación del regreso Combate Americas, futuros eventos de Bellator, y mucho mas.

Irene Aldana announces positive COVID-19 test, which led to Holly Holm fight postponement

Irene Aldana is still recovering but said she’s feeling better after a tough few days of battling symptoms from the coronavirus.

A positive COVID-19 test forced [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] out of her first main event booking in the UFC.

Aldana, a Mexican bantamweight contender, withdrew from UFC on ESPN+ 31, causing her showdown with former champion Holly Holm to be postponed. UFC president Dana White announced the news earlier Wednesday, but reasons for the switch weren’t disclosed until hours later, with Aldana (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) sharing on Instagram that her withdrawal was the result of contracting coronavirus.

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Aldana is still recovering from the virus but said she’s feeling much better after a tough few days battling symptoms. She looks forward to recovery and a new date for her bout with Holm.

Aldana, 32, coming off a first-round knockout win over top contender Ketlen Vieira in December at UFC 245. Aldana is 5-1 in her past six outings in the UFC. The Lobo Gym product is considered one of the leading title contenders in the division.

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Brunson vs. Shahbazyan promoted to UFC on ESPN+ 31 headliner after Holm vs. Aldana postponed

UFC on ESPN+ 31 will no longer be headlined by a pivotal women’s bantamweight bout after Irene Aldana’s withdrawal.

UFC on ESPN+ 31 will no longer be headlined by a pivotal women’s bantamweight bout.

The original main event between former champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] and top contender [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] has been postponed to a later date. In its place, a middleweight showdown between [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] and undefeated [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] will serve as the Aug. 1 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It will remain a three-round fight despite being elevated to headliner status.

The news was announced Wednesday by UFC president Dana White while doing an Instagram live with Ronda Rousey, who manages Shahbazyan. White didn’t offer why the change was made, but a person with knowledge of the situation told MMA Junkie it was Aldana who withdrew for undisclosed reasons.

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Shahbazyan (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is an unbeaten rising contender in the UFC’s 185-pound division. The 22-year-old fighter is coming off a head-kick knockout of Brad Tavares last November at UFC 244.

Meanwhile, Brunson (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC), a longtime contender in the division, is riding a two-fight winning streak. The 36-year-old last fought in August 2019 when he outpointed Ian Heinisch.

This marks the third time that Brunson vs. Shahbazyan has been booked after bookings in March and April fell through.

With the change, the current UFC on ESPN+ 31 lineup includes:

Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
Markus Perez vs. Eric Spicely
Trevin Giles vs. Jun Yong Park
Ed Herman vs. Da Un Jung
Joanne Calderwood vs. Jennifer Maia
Randy Brown vs. Vicente Luque
Jonathan Martinez vs. Frankie Saenz
Ray Borg vs. Nathan Maness
Chris Gutierrez vs. Luke Sanders

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Holly Holm on upcoming fight with Irene Aldana

Former UFC champ Holly Holm discusses her main event with Irene Aldana on Aug. 1, where she fits into the title picture and Amanda Nunes’ possible retirement.

Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana to headline UFC event on Aug. 1

Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm will headline the promotion’s Aug. 1 card when she fights Irene Aldana.

[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] is back.

A former UFC women’s bantamweight champion, Holm will take on fellow contender [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] in the headliner of an upcoming UFC event on Aug. 1. The event does not yet have an official name designation or location.

A person with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the booking Monday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. UFC broadcast partner ESPN was first to report the news.

In her most recent fight, Holm (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC), 38, defeated former women’s bantamweight title challenger Raquel Pennington by unanimous decision at UFC 246 in January. Prior to that, Holm lost to champion Amanda Nunes by first-round knockout at UFC 239 in July 2019.

Aldana (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) is coming off of a massive first-round knockout of Ketlen Vieira at UFC 245 in December. Aldana, a 32-year-old Mexican fighter, has won five of her last six outings with her lone loss being a split decision to Pennington in July 2019.

With the addition, the current Aug. 1 lineup includes:

Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana
Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
Markus Perez vs. Eric Spicely

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Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Conor McGregor and UFC 246’s key winning fighters?

See who Conor McGregor should fight next after his victory over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Donald Cerrone and UFC 246’s losing fighters?)

After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next.

With another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 246’s key winning fighters.

Those included [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who defeated Donald Cerrone (36-14 MMA, 23-11 UFC) by first-round TKO in the welterweight headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, as well as [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC), [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC), [autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] (24-16 MMA, 3-4 UFC) and [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC).

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Sodiq Yusuff

Should fight: [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag]
Why they should fight: Yusuff continued to be on a tear to begin his UFC tenure when he won an entertaining featherweight bout against Andre Fili by unanimous decision to improve to 4-0 inside the octagon.

Before and after the win, Yusuff said he felt this fight against Fili would propel him into a ranked matchup at 145 pounds. In a fair world, he’s absolutely right.

Emmett (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) was recently forced to pull out of a fight due to injury, and while it’s unknown how long his timeline is for a return, he would be the perfect opponent if the timing lines up between his return and Yusuff’s next fight date. Both men hit very hard, and there’s a good chance this one ends in a knockout.

Roxanne Modafferi

Should fight: [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]
Why they should fight: Modafferi shined brightest in one of the most important moments of her career when, as high as a 10-1 betting underdog, the cagey veteran temporarily derailed the hype of Maycee Barber with a bloody unanimous decision win.

The UFC has a habit of putting Modafferi in fights the world believes she will lose. Sometimes it has gone that way, but in recent years she’s surprised with wins over Barber and Antonina Shevchenko. How far can she take this trend? Why not find out against someone who just recently fought for the belt.

Eye (15-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC) may have been blown out of the water when she fought Valentina Shevchenko for UFC gold, but she rebounded with a win over Viviane Araujo at UFC 245 in December. “Evil” is looking to get back to another crack at UFC gold, and Modafferi would help her on the way. The fight could only happen, though, if Eye makes weight – something she was unable to do in her previous contest.

Diego Ferreira

Should fight: [autotag]Al Iaquinta[/autotag]
Why they should fight: Few saw this rise up the UFC lightweight pecking order from Ferreira, but after six consecutive wins, the Brazilian can only be taken seriously as a real contender.

Ferreira handled former UFC champ Anthony Pettis with relative ease, controlling the action before finishing the fight with a choke in the second round. It was the signature win Ferreira needed, and one that puts him in position for a top 10 fight at 155 pounds.

Given who is available in the weight class, Iaquinta (14-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) is a name who could make for a solid fight. Iaquinta is coming off a pair of losses but he still holds the name value that could carry Ferreira forward into even bigger fights.

Holly Holm

Should fight: [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]
Why they should fight: Holm got a very important victory for her career longevity when she once again beat Raquel Pennington on the scorecards in their rematch.

At 38, the former UFC champ said she’s determined to get back to the belt. She’s one fight removed from losing to Amanda Nunes, and given the number of generous title shots “The Preacher’s Daughter” has already received, she’s going to need more before getting another one.

The women’s bantamweight division is relatively barren on super interesting fights for Holm, but Aldana (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) is an opponent she has yet to share the cage with. Aldana is coming off a thunderous knockout win over Ketlen Vieira at UFC 245 in December, and she’s the perfect foe for Holm at this point.

Conor McGregor

Should fight: [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why McGregor should fight Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC) next.

MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year’: Geoff Neal

Geoff Neal is MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year” – and for good reason.

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] is MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year” – and for good reason.

Fortis MMA welterweight Neal (13-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) had a monster 2019, defeating three difficult opponents in impressive fashion.

Neal’s year began sitting atop a 2-0 UFC record. At UFC on ESPN+ 1 in January, Neal kicked, punched, and outpointed a very tough Belal Muhammad en route to a dominant unanimous decision victory.

Six months later, Neal returned to the cage at UFC 240 in July. One month short of his 29th birthday, Neal took on Niko Price in a thrilling brawl. The two men traded barbs, before Neal eventually finished the Floridian with ground-and-pound in Round 2.

A win over a formidable opponent like Price set Neal up for an even bigger-name opponent in his final outing of the calendar year. In December at UFC 245, Neal made it three-for-three, and did so in short order.

Taking on fan-favorite “Platinum” Mike Perry in the final UFC pay-per-view of the year, Neal didn’t hold back. The Texas native landed a hard head kick, which wobbled Perry. From there, Neal didn’t let Perry off the hook. Instead, Neal swarmed and handed Perry his first career TKO loss at 1:30 of Round 1.

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What Neal did this year was nothing short of incredible. And while the general public is starting to take notice, he still isn’t quite getting the recognition he deserves.

All three of the opponents Neal faced this year were, and are, extremely difficult tests to pass. Muhammad, Price, and Perry are three of the UFC 170-pound division’s most violent. Since their respective fights with Neal, the trio has not lost a fight.

Expect 2020 to be a big year for Neal, who will almost certainly kick off the upcoming decade with a top-15 opponent. If his trajectory continues, we could see his name inserted into the title picture by the end of 2020.

2019 ‘Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year’ Honorable Mentions

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]

2019 Record: 3-0
Win #1, Feb. 2: UFC on ESPN+ 2 vs. David Teymur (submission via anaconda choke – Round 2, 0:55)
Win #2, May 18: UFC on ESPN+ 10 vs. Nik Lentz (TKO via punches – Round 2, 2:21)
Win #3, Nov. 16: UFC on ESPN+ 22 vs. Jared Gordon (knockout via punches – Round 1, 1:26)

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]

2019 Record: 3-0
Win #1, Jan. 19: UFC on ESPN+ 1 vs. Mario Bautista (submission via armbar – Round 1, 3:31)
Win #2, April 27: UFC on ESPN+ 8 vs. John Lineker (via split decision)
Win #3, Aug. 17: UFC 241 vs. Raphael Assuncao (via unanimous decision)

[autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag]

2019 Record: 3-0
Win #1, Jan. 19: UFC on ESPN+ 1 vs. Karl Roberson (submission via arm-triangle choke – Round 1, 3:21)
Win #2, April 27: UFC on ESPN+ 8 vs. Ion Cutelaba (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 2, 3:37)
Win #3, Sept. 14: UFC on ESPN+ 16 vs. Nikita Krylov (via split decision)

[autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag]

2019 Record: 3-0
Win #1, March 2: UFC 235 vs. Charles Byrd (TKO via elbows and punches – Round 1, 0:38)
Win #2, July 6: UFC 239 vs. Jack Marshman (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 1, 1:12)
Win #3, Nov. 2: UFC 244 vs. Brad Tavares (knockout via head kick – Round 1, 2:27)

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]

2019 Record: 3-0
Win #1, April 27: UFC on ESPN+ 8 vs. Mike Davis (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 2, 4:16)
Win #2, Aug. 10: UFC on ESPN+ 14 vs. Aleksei Kunchenko (via unanimous decision)
Win #3, Sept. 28: UFC on ESPN+ 18 vs. Gunnar Nelson (knockout via punches – Round 1, 1:26)

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]

2019 Record: 3-1
Win #1, May 11: UFC 237 vs. Bethe Correia (submission via armbar – Round 3, 3:24)
Loss, July 20: UFC on ESPN 4 vs. Raquel Pennington (via split decision)
Win #2, Sept. 21: UFC on ESPN+ 17 vs. Vanessa Melo (via unanimous decision)
Win #3, Dec. 14: UFC 245 vs. Jared Gordon (knockout via punch – Round 1, 4:51)

[autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag]

2019 Record: 5-0
Win #1, June 6: PFL Regular Season vs. Vinny Magalhaes (TKO via punches – Round 2, 2:45)
Win #2, Aug. 8: PFL Regular Season vs. Bozigit Ataev (knockout via punches – Round 1, 1:23)
Win #3, Oct. 31: PFL Playoffs vs. Sigi Pesaleli (TKO via strikes – Round 1, 1:13)
Win #4, Oct. 31: PFL Playoffs vs. Bozigit Ataev (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 1, 4:26)
Win #5, Dec. 31: PFL Final vs. Jordan Johnson (TKO via ground-and-pound – Round 1, 2:01)

[autotag]Patrick Mix[/autotag]

2019 Record: 4-0
Win #1, Feb. 23: KOTC vs. Turrell Galloway (via TKO – Round 1, 1:45)
Win #2, June 14: Bellator 222 vs. Ricky Bandejas (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 1, 1:06)
Win #3, Oct. 26: Bellator 232 (submission via Suloev stretch – Round 1, 3:49)
Win #4, Dec. 31: RIZIN 20 vs. Yuki Motoya (submission via guillotine choke – Round 1, 1:36)

Also see:

MMA Junkie’s 2019 Fight of the Year’: Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum

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