Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.
MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.
But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.
Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC, PFL, and Bellator.
Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Feb. 12-18.
Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.
MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.
But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.
Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC, PFL, and Bellator.
Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 15-21.
Marquel Mederos wants a fellow Dana White’s Contender Series alum in his UFC debut.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Marquel Mederos[/autotag] wants a fellow Dana White’s Contender Series graduate in his UFC debut.
Mederos (8-1) extended his winning streak to six when he knocked out Issa Isakov (10-3) to earn a UFC contract Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series 66.
Mederos would love to share the UFC 296 card with Factory X teammate Brandon Royval, who challenges flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in the co-main event. Mederos thinks DWCS 62 contract winner [autotag]James Llontop[/autotag](14-2) would be a good fight.
“I do want to fight on that same card as Brandon (Royval), that Dec. 16 card, that’s a big card for us,” Mederos told MMA Junkie and other reporters during the DWCS 66 post-fight press conference. “If I can get one of the Contender guys like James Llontop, I’d love to fight him on that card. That would be perfect.”
Mederos was happy to prove any doubters wrong about his takedown defense, where he showed great balance to stay on his feet against Isakov.
“It’s cute to me and it’s amusing when people say that I can’t wrestle,” Mederos said. “Because that’s all I heard from media all camp, ‘This guy can’t wrestle, this guy can’t wrestle.’ If that was the case, he would held had me down and held me down for that whole round, but to answer your question, yes that was the game plan for this camp. Defend the takedowns, knock his ass out.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 66.
Find out who joined the UFC in September and learn more about them here.
The UFC roster is bigger than ever – and it continues to expand.
Fresh faces appear on nearly every card, whether onboarded as short-notice opening fillers, “Dana White’s Contender Series” signees, or rare straight-up additions. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the hustle and bustle of the mixed martial arts news beat, but here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got you covered.
“Fresh Ink” is your list of fighters added to the UFC roster the previous month and provides background on who they are and where they came from.
Check out the September 2023 list below.
Dana White called out James Llontop for his neck tattoo featuring FFC, but the Peruvian UFC newcomer explains why it means so much to him.
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LAS VEGAS – Peru’s [autotag]James Llontop[/autotag] impressed with his skills at Dana White’s Contender Series 62, but his neck tattoo also became a talking point for the UFC CEO.
Llontop (14-2) defeated Malik Lewis (6-2) by unanimous decision in the feature bout of DWCS 62 Tuesday evening, earning a UFC contract at the conclusion of the show, along with every other winner on the card.
But Llontop had something else that stood out to Dana White, and that was the “FFC” tattoo on his neck, which pays homage to the regional promotion Fusion Fighting Championship. Llontop fought under the promotion’s banner on 10 occasions, including a stoppage victory in May which led to his opportunity to fight for a UFC contract on DWCS.
While discussing Llontop’s performance with Laura Sanko before announcing he was being extended a contract, White joked about the tattoo, saying that it should have to be changed to read “UFC” now.
Llontop appreciated the humor, but has no plans to make any adjustments to the ink as he prepares to embark on the next chapter of his professional career.
“No, it’s impossible because this marks a moment in my life of a before and after of my career,” Llontop told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at a post-fight news conference. “I’m very grateful to them (FFC), so I wouldn’t change it. I’m not thinking of any new tattoos. Not for now, but I haven’t really thought about it yet.”
Llontop, 24, was born in Peru, which is a country with a budding MMA scene. As the latest product from the South American region to enter the UFC, Llontop says there are many more on their way.
“I think the Peruvian fight scene is growing and evolving,” Llontop said. “I think there’s a lot of fighters in Peru that will give you something to talk about. I think you will see more and more there’s a high level of fighting in Peru, and I think you should be seeing more fighters coming up in the future.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 62.
Season 7, Week 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series may have been one of the best in history. Five fighters will join the UFC as a result.
LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was at Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 62 event at the UFC Apex.
Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC president Dana White on hand to make the decisions.
The sixth episode of Season 7 saw 10 fighters compete for their shots at UFC contracts. When the dust settled, UFC CEO White offered contracts to all five winners: bantamweight Jean Matsumoto, strawweight Julia Polastri, featherweight Steven Nguyen, heavyweight Jhonata Diniz, and lightweight James Llontop.
The action, particularly through the first three fights, had White and the matchmakers on their feet. White even entered the cage following the conclusion of the opening bout between JeaMatsumoto and Tanner, which was a three-round striking war.
Two losing fighters, Tanner and A.J. Cunningham, were paid their win bonuses for their efforts, according to White.
Full results of Dana White’s Contender Series 62 include:
