Episode No. 277 of “The MMA Road Show with John Morgan” podcast is now available for streaming and download.
Episode No. 277 of “The MMA Road Show with John Morgan” podcast is now available for streaming and download.
MMA Junkie lead staff reporter John Morgan hosts the show while traveling the world to cover the sport.
It’s one of the craziest days in recent memory for anyone covering the UFC, with a live event followed hours later by a media day for another card. John Morgan sits down with The Mac Life’s Oscar Willis to talk about it all, and interviews with [autotag]Mounir Lazzez[/autotag], [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] and [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] are shared along the way.
Take a look inside Khamzat Chimaev’s submission win over John Phillips at UFC on ESPN 13 in Abu Dhabi.
ABU DHABI – [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] beat John Phillips with a second-round submission Wednesday to close out the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 13 in Abu Dhabi.
Take a look inside the fight with Chimaev, who won his UFC debut and kept his unbeaten streak intact with his seventh finish in seven fights.
“I never felt in trouble. I do this with all my opponents – I smash them all, first round, second round. I have seven wins, seven finishes.”
Chimaev on returning to welterweight
“I feel amazing. This was the plan: Smash the guy, take the money and go home. My coach told me, ‘You have to do wrestling now. Take him down and smash him.’ I listen to my coach. I did this. This division is not my division, … but I felt good. I did this before – same weight class. But down in weight is much better for me. I want to be champion at welterweight. I’m going to be champion in that.”
Chimaev on what he wants next
“I could fight next week if they have (a fight). I told them, ‘Give me Donald Cerrone.’ If they give (him to) me, it’d be an amazing fight for me. I’m going to smash him and everybody is going to talk about it.”
To hear more from Chimaev, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!
On Episode No. 3,070 of the podcast, the fellas unpack Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 13 event, which took place on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
THE RUNDOWN
UFC on ESPN 13 featured [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] winning a big featherweight bout over Dan Ige in the main event to cement himself as a contender in the division. Some thoughts on the fight and what comes next.
[autotag]Mounir Lazzez[/autotag], [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] and [autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag] were all newcomers who came away with wins at UFC on ESPN 13. And they all looked pretty damn good doing it. Could we have a group of future stars on our hands?
Jimmie Rivera defeated Cody Stamann by unanimous decision in the featured bout. Stamann fought just five weeks earlier and won. Was it too soon for a second fight under these circumstances?
Bellator is back next week after five months away, with Bellator 242 taking place July 24. We take a look at the card and offer some thoughts.
Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.
Thoughts and analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC on ESPN 13, which took place Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.
What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 13 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi? Here are a few post-fight musings …
* * * * *
1. Calvin Kattar proves he belongs
[autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] left no doubt about his position as a top featherweight with his win over Dan Ige in the main event. Yes, we knew he was good before the unanimous decision, but the performance answered some critical questions about exactly where he fits in.
Kattar’s win over Jeremy Stephens at UFC 249 was a highlight-reel finish, but “Lil’ Heathen” is on a five-fight slide, so it’s hard to quantify what that really means. Ige, meanwhile, brought a six-fight winning streak into the matchup and all the momentum a fighter could ask for.
That momentum was brought to a halt by Kattar, who showed off his slick boxing, durability and conditioning to go five rounds at a strong pace. Those are all tools “The Boston Finisher” will need if he wants to make it to the very top of the stacked 145-pound division. Kattar has solid fight IQ and knows how to fight to his strengths, though, and that will take him a long way.
At this point it’s almost impossible to pick a bad fight for Kattar when sifting through the rest of the division’s contenders. That’s a credit to his style, and unless something dramatic changes, Kattar is going to be part of the conversation at featherweight for years to come.
Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 13, which saw Calvin Kattar beat Dan Ige in the main event in Abu Dhabi.
The second in UFC’s string of “Fight Island” events went down on Wednesday with UFC on ESPN 13, which took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
[autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) continued to surge as a featherweight contender in the main event when he outworked [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) to a unanimous decision. Both men showed great toughness in the fight, and that was a theme throughout the evening.
For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for
* * * *
General
[vertical-gallery id=535287]
UFC on ESPN 13 became the second event in UFC history to feature zero knockdowns. UFC Fight Night 9 in April 2007 was the other.
[autotag]Mounir Lazzez[/autotag], [autotag]Abdul Razak Alhassan[/autotag], [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] and [autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN 13 fight-night bonuses.
UFC on ESPN 13 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.
Betting favorites went 7-4 on the card.
Betting favorites improved to 12-6 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:05:42.
Main card
Dan Ige
Ige has suffered all three of his career losses by decision.
Ige failed to complete a takedown for the first time in his UFC career.
[autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag] (16-11-1 MMA, 5-9 UFC) snapped his three-fight losing skid for his first victory since December 2017.
Elliott improved to 3-5 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in December 2016.
Elliott has earned four of his five UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Ryan Benoit[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC) has suffered five of his seven career losses by decision.
[autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) has earned 17 of his 23 career victories by decision. That includes six of his seven UFC wins.
[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] (19-3-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) has suffered two of his three career losses by decision.
Alhassan (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has suffered both of his career losses by decision.
Preliminary card
Khamzat Chimaev
Chimaev (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned all of his career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]John Phillips[/autotag] (22-10 MMA, 1-4 UFC) has suffered eight of his 10 career losses by stoppage.
Phillips has suffered three of his four UFC losses by submission.
[autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) fell to 1-1 since he moved up to the featherweight division in November.
Ramos has suffered all three of his career losses by stoppage. He’s been knocked out in both of his UFC defeats.
Bukauskas (11-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned 10 of his 11 career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Andreas Michailidis[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered all four of his career losses by knockout.
[autotag]Jarred Gordon[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) has earned three of his four UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Chris Fishgold[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC) has suffered all three of his UFC losses by stoppage.
[autotag]Liana Jojua[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned seven of her eight career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Diana Belbita[/autotag] (11-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered five of her six career losses by stoppage.
Belbita has suffered all five of his career stoppage losses by submission.
[autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned 12 of his 13 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished both of his UFC wins by submission.
[autotag]Aaron Phillips[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 0-3 UFC) was unsuccessful in his return to the octagon.
Phillips’ skid in UFC competition was extended to three fights. He went 0-2 in his previous tenure in 2014.
Phillips suffered the first submission loss of his career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time. How did the four newcomers perform Wednesday?
Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For four athletes, Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 13 event marked that special moment in their respective careers.
Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression they made on the sport’s biggest stage from Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
* * * * *
Modestas Bukauskas
Division: Light heavyweight Result: Modestas Bukauskas def. Andreas Michailidis via TKO (retirement) – Round 1 Record: (11-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) Grade: B+
Former Cage Warriors light heavyweight champion Modestas Bukauskas claimed a first-round TKO finish on his octagon debut with a finish that was a near carbon copy of the one that earned him his shot on the big stage.
Back at Cage Warriors 111 in November 2019 Bukauskas finished Riccardo Nosiglia with a barrage of powerful elbows against the cage to retain his light heavyweight title. That win saw him earn a call-up to the UFC, and Bukauskas turned to his elbows once again to score a very similar finish at the end of Round 1.
Bukauskas looked loose and relaxed from the start of his matchup against Andrea Michailidis, but took a little time to calibrate his punching range, with some of his early combinations falling short. But as the round progressed he started to make adjustments and step into his combinations. When he did, he showed a noticeable speed advantage.
That’s not to say he didn’t have to deal with some adversity, too. The London-based Lithuanian got clipped a few times by some solid Michailidis shots, but looked untroubled by them as he closed the distance and put the pressure on the Greek debutant before finishing him with the same elbows he produced in Cage Warriors last year.
All in all, it was a solid, impressive start to life in the UFC, and it will be interesting to watch his continued development in the octagon over the coming months.
Next up: Move to 205 doesn’t pay off for “The Spartan”
UFC on ESPN 13 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.
ABU DHABI – Fighters from Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 13 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $97,000.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
UFC on ESPN 13 took place at Flash Forum. The card aired streamed on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN.
The full UFC on ESPN 13 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 13 event at “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 13 went with as their backing tracks in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
Khamzat Chimaev showed why he’s regarded as one to watch with a sensational octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 13.
[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] showed why he’s regarded as one to watch with a sensational octagon debut Wednesday at UFC on ESPN 13.
Chimaev (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) stepped in on short notice, moved up a weight class from welterweight to middleweight and took on an opponent with significantly more MMA experience in John Phillips (22-10 MMA, 1-4 UFC). None of those factors deterred him inside the cage.
The 26-year-old from Dagestan landed solid strikes on the feet, then proceeded to dominate on the mat. Phillips somehow escaped the first round, but it only led to more punishment in the second as Chimaev picked up where he left off and locked up a D’Arce choke for the victory.
After the finish, a thrilled Chimaev conducted a post-fight interview with Jon Anik and let his intentions be known. He said he’s coming for the UFC belt, and will “smash” anyone in his way.
“I’m going to be champion of this division (welterweight),” Chimaev. “I will smash them.”
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
