Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements 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 or Bellator.
Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from March 13-19.
Check out the biggest upsets of 2021, according to the oddsmakers.
Who doesn’t love a good upset?
In 2021, MMA saw its fair share of underdogs who defied the odds – in the UFC, Bellator and beyond. While everyone has an opinion of who should win and who should lose, the oddsmakers largely get the final say on what history reflects.
This year, with the help of MMA database Tapology, MMA Junkie has compiled the top 10 betting upsets of 2021. Fights that were eligible were those which numerous major online sports books recognized, and which Tapology recorded prior to line close.
Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2021 below, per Tapology. Note that only major MMA promotions were included in the tally.
MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the performances of the DWCS 46 winners.
Week 10 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2021) took place on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the five-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.
With a simple but digestible format that has had the MMA fanbase responding, this series has shown to have legs in multiple ways while serving as a crockpot for contenders whom the UFC matchmakers can use for future events. So, with that trend in mind, I will once again be taking a look at the winning fighters regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, grading their performances in regards to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.
It took a while for Maheshate to get into his flow at Dana White’s Contender Series 46, but when he did, he displayed his full striking arsenal.
LAS VEGAS – It took a while for [autotag]Maheshate[/autotag] to get into his flow Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series 46, but when he did, he was able to display his full striking arsenal.
Maheshate (6-1) became the first Chinese fighter to secure a UFC contract on the Contender Series when he defeated Achilles Estremadura in the featured bout at the UFC Apex.
In what was a wild affair to cap off the night, Maheshate got into his groove in Rounds 2 and 3 by throwing an array of strikes, from flying knees to elbows. The 21-year-old showed maturity by making the necessary adjustments to win the fight, and there were no signs of being affected by the big stage.
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“Definitely no pressure on me,” Maheshate said during the DWCS 46 post-fight news conference. “When I landed in Las Vegas, I was definitely very pumped up, I was very excited, and I wanted to get into the cage as soon as possible. No pressure at all.”
He continued, “There were no nerves. Just like I said I was very excited and pumped up when I landed in Las Vegas. … I was just a slow starter, so in the first round I still didn’t get into my rhythm as soon as possible.”
To see the full interview with Maheshate, check out the video above.
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