Tag: Jonathan Pearce

Makwan Amirkhani vs. Jonathan Pearce joins UFC London lineup

Makwan Amirkhani will look to string together a winning streak when he meets surging contender Jonathan Pearce in July.

[autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag] will look to string together a winning streak when he meets a surging contender.

Amirkhani (17-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) meets [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) on July 23 at UFC Fight Night from the O2 Arena in London. The event is expected to stream on ESPN+.

A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Iridium Sports Agency, which represents Pearce, was first to share the news.

With his back against the wall in his past outing, Amirkhani snapped a three-fight losing skid in March when he submitted Mike Grundy in just 57 seconds at UFC Fight Night 204. His 12th-career submission win earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.

Pearce has been on a role since dropping his promotional debut to Joe Lauzon in October 2019. The Dana White’s Contender Series graduate went on to score back-to-back finishes of Kai Kamaka and Omar Morales, followed by a unanimous decision win over Christian Rodriguez in February.

With the addition, the UFC London lineup includes:

  • Curtis Blaydes vs. Tom Aspinall
  • Jack Hermansson vs. Darren Till
  • Charles Johnson vs. Muhammad Mokaev
  • Alexander Gustafsson vs. Nikita Krylov
  • Hannah Goldy vs. Molly McCann
  • Paul Craig vs. Volkan Oezdemir
  • Makwan Amirkhani vs. Jonathan Pearce

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Feb. 7-13)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were broken 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 or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Feb. 7-13.

Julian Marquez, Austin Lingo out of UFC Fight Night 201 matchups

Next week’s UFC Fight Night 201 card suddenly has started to take a few hits to the lineup.

Next week’s UFC Fight Night 201 card suddenly has started to take a few hits to the lineup.

[autotag]Julian Marquez[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is out of his middleweight matchup against [autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC). A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the news to MMA Junkie on Tuesday. The person requested anonymity because the UFC has not yet made a formal announcement.

In addition, [autotag]Austin Lingo[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is out of his featherweight fight against [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC). It is not yet known if Daukaus or Pearce will remain on the card against new opponents.

UFC Fight Night 201 takes place Feb. 19 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

Marquez has post-fight bonuses in two straight fights. He submitted Maki Pitolo and, most recently, Sam Alvey at UFC on ABC 2 in April 2021. Marquez was scheduled to face Jordan Wright at UFC Fight Night 195 this past October, but the fight was canceled when Marquez withdrew with non-COVID health issues.

Daukaus, a former CFFC middleweight champion, is coming off a no contest against Holland this past October. Originally a submission win for Daukaus, the decision was overturned after replays revealed an accidental clash of heads knocked Holland unconscious and led to the fight-ending sequence.

Daukaus was supposed to fight Holland in a rematch at UFC Fight Night 197 this past November. Holland had to pull out with an injury. Then replacement Roman Dolidze was pulled due to COVID-19 protocols. Now his fight with Marquez, which was booked shortly after the Dolidze cancellation, is off.

With the changes, the UFC Fight Night 201 lineup now includes:

  • Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev
  • Jamahal Hill vs. Johnny Walker
  • Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Stephanie Egger
  • Chad Anheliger vs. Jesse Strader
  • Chas Skelly vs. Mark Striegl
  • Diana Belbita vs. Gloria de Paula
  • Kyle Daukaus vs. TBA
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Joaquin Buckley
  • Jim Miller vs. Nikolas Motta
  • Jonathan Pearce vs. TBA
  • Mario Bautista vs. TBA
  • Alan Baudot vs. Parker Porter
  • Gabriel Benitez vs. David Onama

Jonathan Pearce: Austin Lingo durable, but ‘this guy plays right into my game’

Heading into his next fight with Austin Lingo as a big favorite, Jonathan Pearce’s confidence is riding high.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Heading into his next fight as a big favorite, [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag]’s confidence is riding high.

Pearce (11-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) will look to make it three straight when he meets [autotag]Austin Lingo[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 201 on Feb. 19. Now that he’s back down to 145 pounds, the 29-year-old has found his groove.

“I’m feeling like it’s a takeover – 145 pounds is my division,” Pearce recently told MMA Junkie. “You can’t beat a 3-1 odds favorite, so (I’m) just excited to get out there and show everybody what I’ve been doing.”

He takes on “Lights Out” Lingo, who primarily likes to stand and bang while looking for the knockout. But Pearce thinks despite Lingo’s toughness, his grappling game will be too much for him.

“I think the No. 1 thing is his durability – that he’s a durable fighter, and people like Luis (Saldana), they got hurt trying to finish him or they faded in the fight, got tired, and then didn’t have enough gas at the end because they put it all in the first,” Pearce said.

“But I think this guy plays right into my game. I feel with my wrestling and what I did to Omar (Morales) and what I did to Kai Kamaka, it’s kind of like the same thing Khabib (Nurmagomedov) did at his weight class. I know I can get all those guys to the cage at some point in the fight and get that takedown and take the back.”

Having only gone the distance once in 11 professional wins, which came in just his second fight, Pearce hopes he can eventually break through into the rankings if he continues putting people away.

“I want to fight three times this year. If I get lucky, let’s fight four times,” Pearce said. “Let’s try to break (into) the top 15. If they’re not going to give me the top 15, let’s stay undefeated, let’s finish everybody, and let’s show them I’m the dark horse in the division, and I’m really standing up to that name: ‘JSP.'”

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UFC 266 post-event facts: Nick Diaz stopped for first time in nearly 14 years

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 266, which saw Volkanovski and Shevchenko defend while Nick Diaz suffered a loss.

UFC 266 was a loaded lineup on paper and proved to be one of the best of the year in practice. The promotion put on a spectacular event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

Both champions at the top of the card retained their belts. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (23-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) defeated [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) by unanimous decision to defend the featherweight title in the headliner, while [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) produced a fourth-round TKO in the co-main event against [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) to retain her women’s flyweight strap.

For more on the numbers behind the decorated champions, as well as the winners and losers from the rest of the card, check below for 65 post-event facts to come out of UFC 266.

Jonathan Pearce says he said no to overweight Gabriel Benitez, UFC on ESPN 23 fight off

It appears Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 23 event has lost a preliminary card fight the day before the show.

It appears Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 23 event has lost a preliminary card fight the day before the show.

[autotag]Gabriel Benitez[/autotag] (22-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) came in at 150.5 pounds Friday for his featherweight bout against [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) – 4.5 pounds too heavy for the non-title limit. Pearce hit the mark at 146.

But though it appeared the fight would go on, with Benitez accepting a 30 percent purse fine, Pearce said on his Instagram account not long after the ceremonial faceoffs that he turned down the fight with Benitez at the higher weight.

“Unfortunately, my opponent came in almost 5lb overweight and our fight is off,” Pearce posted. “I did my part by showing up and making weight and I won’t reward him by accepting a fight and giving away any advantage. I’m trying to be smart about my career, and I hope to be back in the cage soon.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/COTYTeaJNGZ

The UFC has removed the fight from its official event page.

Benitez was attempting to return to the featherweight division after a pair of fights at lightweight. In 2020, he moved up to 155 pounds and dropped a decision to Omar Morales in May. But he rebounded with a first-round knockout of Justin Jaynes this past December. That win got him his second $50,000 performance bonus.

Pearce, who earned his UFC shot with a knockout win on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019, was looking for his second straight win in the UFC. He dropped his promotional debut with a first-round TKO setback against longtime fighter Joe Lauzon. But he bounced back in November 2020 with a second-round TKO of Kai Kamaka III.

With the cancellation, the UFC on ESPN 23 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN2, ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Dominick Reyes vs. Jiri Prochazka
  • Giga Chikadze vs. Cub Swanson
  • Ion Cutelaba vs. Dustin Jacoby
  • Krzysztof Jotko vs. Sean Strickland
  • Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cody Stamann
  • Poliana Botelho vs. Luana Carolina

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN2, ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Randa Markos vs. Luana Pinheiro
  • T.J. Brown vs. Kai Kamaka III
  • Sam Hughes vs. Loma Lookboonmee
  • K.B. Bhullar vs. Andreas Michailidis
  • Felipe Colares vs. Luke Sanders

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UFC on ESPN 18 medical suspensions: Seven face potential 180-day terms due to bone breaks

Seven fighters could be out six months due to injuries sustained during their fights.

Seven fighters face six-month suspensions as a result of their respective UFC on ESPN 18 fights – but headliners [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] walked away unscathed.

Neither the winner, Smith, nor the loser, Clark, received a medical suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission medical staff.

On Tuesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of medical suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com for UFC on ESPN 18, which took place this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Fighters can return to action sooner than their suspensions indicate should they receive medical clearance from a doctor.

Among the pack of those suspended, co-main event participant [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] was given a 180-day term for a potentially fractured left orbital in his loss to [autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag].

Main card winners [autotag]Parker Porter[/autotag], [autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag], and [autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag] could be looking at 180-day suspensions due to potentially broken hands.

[autotag]Ashlee Evans-Smith[/autotag] (left hand), [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag] (right foot), and [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag] (right hand) also were handed the same 180-day suspensions.

The full list of UFC on ESPN 18 medical suspensions includes:

  • Anthony Smith: No suspension.
  • Devin Clark: No suspension.
  • Miguel Baeza: No suspension.
  • Takashi Sato: Suspended 180 days or until fractured left orbital floor is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • Parker Porter: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Josh Parisian[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
  • Bill Algeo: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 12 days with no contact.
  • [autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Norma Dumont: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 12 days with no contact.
  • Ashlee Evans-Smith: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to a nasal laceration.
  • Jonathan Pearce: Suspended 180 days or until right foot is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Kai Kamaka[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Anderson Dos Santos[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Martin Day[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Gina Mazany[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • Rachael Ostovich: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Malcolm Gordon[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Nate Maness[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Luke Sanders[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to upper lip laceration.

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UFC on ESPN 18 video: Jonathan Pearce TKOs Kai Kamaka in sizable upset

Jonathan Pearce showed once again how little betting odds mean in MMA at UFC on ESPN 18.

[autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag] on Saturday showed once again how little betting odds mean in MMA at UFC on ESPN 18.

Pearce (10-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was a rather sizable betting underdog against Kai Kamaka III (8-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in their featherweight matchup, but that meant nothing to him.

There was no fear from Pearce from the outset at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He went head-to-head with Kamaka, engaging in all sorts of striking and grappling exchanges. He got a dominant position, then pounded his way to a TKO at the 4:28 mark of Round 2.

Check out the replay of Pearce’s win below (via Twitter):

Following his first UFC victory, Pearce fought back emotions but was thrilled to finally get his hand raised on the biggest stage in the sport.

“I thought he was going to put up more of a fight than that,” Pearce said in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “This is everything. This was for everything.”

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Kai Kamaka steps in for Sean Woodson, fights Jonathan Pearce at UFC on ESPN 18

Kai Kamaka has stepped in on eight days’ notice to fight Jonathan Pearce.

[autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag] has a new opponent for UFC on ESPN 18.

After [autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag] withdrew from his scheduled Nov. 28 lightweight fight for unknown reasons, [autotag]Kai Kamaka[/autotag] has stepped in to fight Pearce (9-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on eight days’ notice.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup informed MMA Junkie of the booking Saturday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Pearce looks to rebound from an unsuccessful UFC debut in October 2019. After earning his UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Pearce was quickly finished by Joe Lauzon at UFC on ESPN 8 in Boston.

Kamaka (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made his UFC debut on short notice at UFC 252 in August. He took on fellow newcomer Tony Kelley, whom he defeated in a “Fight of the Night” bonus-earning unanimous decision win.

With the change, the UFC on ESPN 18 lineup now includes:

  • Curtis Blaydes vs. Derrick Lewis
  • Norma Dumont vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith
  • Josh Parisian vs. Parker Porter
  • Gina Mazany vs. Rachael Ostovich
  • Malcolm Gordon vs. Su Mudaerji
  • Rafael Fiziev vs. Renato Moicano
  • Devin Clark vs. Anthony Smith
  • Miguel Baeza vs. Takashi Sato
  • Amir Albazi vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
  • Martin Day vs. Anderson Dos Santos
  • Bill Algeo vs. Spike Carlyle
  • Nate Maness vs. Luke Sanders
  • Kai Kamaka vs. Jonathan Pearce

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