Combat Rewind, April 23: ‘Shogun’ stops ‘Rampage’ with soccer kicks in PRIDE grand prix

Check out the best highlights from this day in history with MMA Junkie’s “Combat Rewind.”

There’s “Flashback Friday” and “Throwback Thursday” (and Tuesday, too, if you want). But at MMA Junkie, we figured why not expand that to every day?

“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year. It’s a look back at history, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives, featuring stellar finishes and classic moments in MMA and beyond on their anniversaries.

Today’s highlights feature “Shogun” Rua getting revenge against “Rampage” Jackson by breaking his ribs and ending their 2005 PRIDE middleweight grand prix fight with soccer kicks. Also that night, Alistair Overeem submitted Vitor Belfort with a guillotine choke.

So kick back and relive the following bits of greatness in the video above:

PRIDE: Total Elimination: [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Quinton Jackson[/autotag] – April 23, 2005
Pancrase: [autotag]Yusaku Inoue[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Takashi Umehara[/autotag] – April 23, 2017
King of the Cage: [autotag]Zak Ottow[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Frank Schuman[/autotag] – April 23, 2018
PRIDE: Total Elimination: [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vitor Belfort[/autotag] – April 23, 2005
Pancrase: [autotag]Toru Ogawa[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alex Okabe[/autotag] – April 23, 2017
PROFC: [autotag]Aleksander Emelianenko[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Eddy Bengtsson[/autotag] – April 23, 2010
K-1: [autotag]Jerome Lebanner[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Francisco Filho[/autotag] – April 23, 2000

Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.

Jose Aldo among seven Brazilians out of UFC 250 because of visa issues during pandemic

The UFC 250 fight card has all but fallen apart because of circumstances surrounding the global coronavirus pandemic.

The UFC 250 fight card has all but fallen apart.

With U.S. consulates closed throughout Brazil, seven Brazilian fighters – including headliner [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] – won’t be permitted to compete at the May 9 event because they can’t apply for a U.S. work visa. A person familiar with the matter confirmed the news Wednesday to MMA Junkie after an initial report from MMA Fighting.

UFC 250 originally was scheduled to take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but is among two months worth of events that UFC president Dana White plans on holding at a secret U.S. location during the coronavirus pandemic. The location, which will start hosting events April 18 with UFC 249, is on tribal land at Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, Calif., according to reports, and is therefore exempt from a statewide stay-at-home order.

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Former featherweight champion Aldo was scheduled to challenge Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight title, but that fight is no more. Combate reported Wednesday night that former 135-pound champ Dominick Cruz, who hasn’t competed since December 2016, will step in to face Cejudo. Cruz seemingly confirmed that on social media, although no official announcement has been made.

In addition to Aldo, the other Brazilian fighters now ruled out of UFC 250 are [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag], [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag], [autotag]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira[/autotag], [autotag]Bethe Correia[/autotag], [autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag], and [autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag]. Rua and Nogueira were set to square off.

Two Brazilian fighters unaffected are women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes and Fabricio Werdum, who both live and train in the U.S.

It’s unknown if the opponents opposite the removed Brazilian fighters will remain on the card.

The latest UFC 250 lineup now includes:

Champion Henry Cejudo vs. TBA – for bantamweight title
Champion Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer – for women’s bantamweight title
Aleksei Oleinik vs. Fabricio Werdum
Blagoy Ivanov vs. opponent TBA
Marion Reneau vs. opponent TBA
Pannie Kianzad vs. opponent TBA
Serghei Spivac vs. opponent TBA

‘Shogun’ Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira trilogy on tap for UFC 250

It’s the rubber match going down at UFC 250 in Sao Paulo.

They’ve done it twice before, and they’ll be doing it once again.

[autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] and [autotag]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira[/autotag] are booked to square off for the third time at UFC 250. The news was reported Thursday by UFC broadcast partner ESPN, which cited UFC president Dana White.

UFC 250 is scheduled for May 9 at Ginásio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims likely on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

Rua (26-11-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC) returns to the cage for the first time since a November draw against Paul Craig. Prior to that, “Shogun” won four of five outings. His only loss in that stretch came to future UFC title challenger Anthony Smith.

As for Nogueira (23-9 MMA, 6-6 UFC), the 43-year-old light heavyweight has lost four of six fights. His most recent outing came at UFC 237 last May, when he was knocked out by Ryan Spann. “Lil Nog” was scheduled to compete against Trevor Smith in November in what was pegged to be his final MMA fight. However, Nogueira withdrew because of an injury.

May 9 will mark the trilogy fight between the two Brazilian MMA legends. Their first meeting came at “PRIDE Critical Countdown” in 2005. In the PRIDE middleweight grand prix quarterfinal, Nogueira swept the judges scorecards to win a unanimous decision. The rematch occurred a decade later at UFC 190 in August 2015. This time, it was Rua winning by unanimous decision.

With the addition, the current UFC 250 lineup includes:

Marion Reneau vs. Kelten Vieira
Blagoy Ivanov vs. Augusto Sakai
Bethe Correia vs. Pannie Kianzad
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio Rua

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20 fight finishes that shaped the 2010s in MMA

This list is filled with shocking and sensational knockouts and submissions from the 2010s.

Given that my colleagues already have done a fantastic job of covering everything from the top fighters to the top moments of the decade, I figured I’d contribute to the retrospective content by examining some of the more memorable fight finishes from the last 10 years – parsing out technical trends and evolution while paying homage to performances that are worthy of the ole “Baba O’Riley” highlight reel.

As you’d hope with any maturing sport, the cultural fist-fighting phenomena that is MMA has improved from many perspectives.

Aside from the obvious growth of audience and accessibility, the quality of fighting, in general, has seen a sure-and-steady uptick since 2010 – particularly in the athleticism department. In fact, you could argue that one of the quiet benefits to the global expansion and corporate interest-era of this past decade is the increase in the level of athletes we’re seeing accumulate in MMA’s proverbial talent pools.

Not only have more Olympic medalists and collegiate athletes successfully made the jump to mixed martial arts, but we’ve also seen small countries like Surname or unassuming giants like China make their mark in regards to flexing their athletic powers. Coupled with the ever-growing index of techniques (from fighting to fight prep), and we’ve been privy to fighters – from all around the world – finding increasingly fun and explosive ways to finish fights.

Since it’s practically impossible to include all of the best fight finishes from the past 10 years, I decided to limit myself to 20 selections that I believe helped shape the state of fighting over the last 10 years.

Without further ado …

****

‘Shogun Rua’ knocks out Lyoto Machida

‘Shogun’ Rua and Lyoto Machida at UFC 113. (Getty Images)

Date: May 6, 2010
Event: UFC 113

With Frankie Edgar dethroning B.J. Penn just one month prior, the decade starts off with what are the beginnings of a trend in regards to “auras of invincibility” being shattered, as well as stylistic conundrums being figured out. And sure enough, after finishing the previous decade off with a sour decision at UFC 104, [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] exacted his revenge in 2010 by emphatically ending the undefeated streak of then-light heavyweight champion [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] at UFC 113.

Not only did Rua build off of his previous successes of low kicks and right hands to eventually find the crashing counter, but he also provided a useful blueprint for future fighters when it comes to dealing with karate stylists in mixed martial arts (see Douglas Lima vs. Michael Page or Anthony Pettis vs. Stephen Thompson).

Fabricio Werdum submits Fedor Emelianenko

Fabricio Werdum and Fedor Emelianenko in 2010. (Getty Images)

Date: June 26, 2010
Event: Strikeforce/M-1 Global: “Fedor vs. Werdum”

As I mentioned, 2010 in MMA was essentially the first few seasons of “Game of Thrones” wrapped into one year in regards to watching our heroes fall.

[autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag], who finishes 2009 with a surprisingly competitive fight with Brett Rogers, starts off the decade with a rude reminder from [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] that the guard still works in mixed martial arts.

At this particular time in the sport, the jiu-jitsu guard was trending down both in popularity and proven application at the highest levels; therefore seeing someone like Fedor (of all people) falling into the grappling honeytrap was incredibly surprising. To Werdum’s credit, he masterfully played possum like an NBA player trying to draw an offensive foul, further placating Fedor’s strong sense of security from topside – something that ultimately cost the Russian his legendary winning streak.

Anderson Silva submits Chael Sonnen

Date: Aug. 7, 2010
Event: UFC 117

It’s hard to forget fights that happen on your birthday, especially when it comes to classics like this one.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag], who had surprised me with his brand of promotional candor since his WEC victory over Bryan Baker, ended up surprising us all by backing up his words when taking on the great [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] at UFC 117.

After four-plus rounds of domination from Sonnen, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Silva was going by the wayside like Fedor, Penn and Machida had done months before him. However, despite being down on the scorecards (as well as sporting an injured rib), Silva shows off elite, clutch-player sensibilities that would make the likes of Michael Jordan or Reggie Miller proud, as the then-UFC champ secured a triangle-armbar submission in the fifth round that reminded us all there are no safe spaces in MMA so long as there’s time on the clock.

Edson Barboza TKOs Mike Lullo

Date: Nov. 20, 2010
Event: UFC 123

Legend bashing wasn’t the only thing going on in MMA back in 2010, as there were fighters like [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] stepping onto the scene to help start/reinforce the trend of leg bashing.

Sure, the decade prior had a solid offering of leg kickers like Pedro Rizzo, Pat Barry and Antoni Hardonk, but it’s hard to ignore that those men were all heavyweights while Barboza – the only fighter to officially earn two leg-kick TKOs under the UFC banner – is a lightweight.

Of course, Jose Aldo’s domination over Urijah Faber at WEC 48 would’ve also been a great example to list if it fit the bill for a fight finish, but it’s ultimately hard to deny Barboza’s consistent commitment to killing his opposition with kicks, as well as his contributions toward this decade’s trend of attacking the legs.

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Spinning Back Clique: Thoughts on Ben Askren retirement, potential Nick Diaz return, and more

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, Gorgeous George and Goze unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 3 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, John Morgan, Gorgeous George and Goze touch on the biggest storylines around the world of MMA and take a quick look back at a lackluster UFC on ESPN+ 22 show.

Show rundown:

[autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag] announced his retirement from MMA on Monday after an eventful UFC stint in which he went 1-2 with the promotion. What does this mean for the former undefeated Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion’s legacy? Is there more to judge than just his win-loss record inside the octagon?
[autotag]Nick Diaz [/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]: Buying or selling? And should Diaz even return to the cage after such a long absence?
MMA vs. Boxing: We’ve got Masvidal not backing off his callout of Canelo Alvarez. We’ve got Tyson Fury training MMA with Darren Till and apparently wanting to fight UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. And there’s continued talk of Olympic boxing champion Claressa Shields fighting UFC champ-champ Amanda Nunes. What the heck is this all about?
UFC Sao Paulo was, well … it was not the most memorable evening in MMA history. [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] won. [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] and [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] fought to a split draw. It’s no surprise there wasn’t a “Fight of the Night” bonus handed out. But, hey, at least there was [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] scoring another finish. What was the biggest takeaway from the card?
Bellator star [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] returns this week to headline Bellator Europe 6 in London, and he’s facing … a newcomer. What is Bellator doing here? Will it let “Venom” face real competition or not?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 3 of “Spinning Back Clique” in the video above.

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Today in MMA History: Dan Henderson, ‘Shogun’ Rua put on Hall of Fame war at UFC 139

An instant classic that found its way into the UFC Hall of Fame seven years later.

The first time [autotag]Dan Henderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] threw down, there only were seven members of the UFC Hall of Fame.

Little did they know when they made their walks at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., that they were on their way to a 25-minute slugfest that eventually would get them enshrined as one of the most memorable fights in UFC history.

Eight years ago on Nov. 19, 2011, Henderson and “Shogun” headlined UFC 139. The card featured future UFC champions Chris Weidman and Rafael dos Anjos in prelim fights that streamed on Facebook (remember those days?), as well as future Bellator dual champion Ryan Bader.

But it was the main event that left the nearly 14,000 fans in attendance with their jaws proverbially on the floor. Henderson beat Rua with a unanimous decision in the headliner with a trio of 48-47 scores. It was a fight that really could have gone the other way – close enough that only 28 months later, the two had a rematch.

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Oddly enough, the San Jose fans nearly didn’t get to see the light heavyweight war that went on to a spot in the Fights Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Henderson and Rua only headlined the card because the UFC chose to move then-heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez’s title defense against Junior Dos Santos to the promotion’s first event on FOX.

What it took to make Henderson and Rua happen was bringing Henderson back to the UFC from Strikeforce, where he had gone after a five-fight UFC run and won the light heavyweight title. But after a heavyweight win over Fedor Emelianenko, he returned to the UFC, which had recently purchased Strikeforce, to fight “Shogun.”

Not that the two hadn’t already had illustrious MMA resumes, but their first fight was a career-maker.

Henderson took command of the fight early on, and in the opening minutes Rua’s face already was starting to look a bit of a wreck. After several flurries from Henderson, the two exchanged in close and Rua got a knockdown. It was only a moral win, though, in a round that Henderson took.

The brawl continued in the second, and Henderson again seemed to have control of things – but with Rua having his own moments of success. When things hit a lull with the fighters already feeling the effects of their offensive output, ref Josh Rosenthal had to get them going again. A tight round again went Henderson’s way.

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The third was more of Henderson’s onslaught, working past Rua’s attempts to turn things around. “Shogun” seemed to be operating all on instinct just to stay alive, and even though he landed some shots, his left eye was nearly completely shut from Henderson’s damage.

But in the fourth and fifth, Rua fought back and tried to turn things around. He was able to get off some of his best punches of the fight. With a minute left in the fourth, Henderson looked like his gas tank was gone, and Rua got to full mount. He had a submission attempt that somehow Henderson survived and reversed, but not with enough time to win the round.

Rua again got to full mount in the fifth, multiple times. He dominated Henderson so much in the final frame that many scored it a 10-8 round, which would have meant a draw. But when the scores came in, they were 48-47 unanimously for Henderson, leaving Rua not only exhausted, but devastated in defeat.

The back-and-forth fight has gone down as one of the best in UFC history. The rematch in 2014 resulted in a third-round knockout for Henderson and not only a “Performance of the Night” bonus, but a “Fight of the Night” award, as well.

Strangely enough, arguably the best fight in the history of the UFC’s biggest competitor happened on the same night when Michael Chandler beat Eddie Alvarez to win the lightweight title at Bellator 58. That fight came out ahead of Henderson-Rua I on many year-end lists for 2011’s best fight.

In the video above, take a look back at UFC 139’s all-time classic main event, and don’t miss the photo gallery of all the madness below.

“Today in MMA History” is an MMA Junkie series created in association with MMA History Today, the social media outlet dedicated to reliving “a daily journey through our sport’s history.”

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UFC on ESPN+ 22 medical suspensions: Jan Blachowicz, two others facing six-month suspensions

Jan Blachowicz and two others are looking at hefty medical suspensions after UFC Sao Paulo.

Three fighters, including headliner [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag], are looking at hefty medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN+ 22.

Blachowicz, who appeared to injure his left foot in his five-round victory over Ronaldo Souza, will need to get clearance on both feet in order to return to in-cage competition. Blachowicz is tentatively suspended 180 days, with a minimum of 30 days and no contact for 21 days.

[autotag]Sergio Moraes[/autotag] and [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag], the lone fighters to suffer knockout losses on the card, are facing similar suspensions. Moraes, who suffered a third-round knockout loss to James Krause, will be suspended 180 days or until he’s cleared by a neurologist.

Gordon, who was brutally finished early in the first round by Charles Oliveira, was suspended 180 days or until he’s cleared by a otolaryngologist (ENT).

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Check out the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 22 medical suspensions, per a CABMMA record acquired by MMA Fighting.

Jan Blachowicz: Suspended 180 days or until x-rays of both feet are cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
Jared Gordon: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by otolaryngologist; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
[autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Antonio Arroyo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]James Krause[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
Sergio Moraes: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by neurologist; also suspended 60 days with with no contact for 45 days.
[autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Eduardo Garagorri[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Douglas de Andrade[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Isabella de Padua[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.

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Paul Craig wanted to send ‘Shogun’ Rua into retirement at UFC on ESPN+ 22 in Sao Paulo

Scottish light heavyweight Paul Craig said he had hoped to retire Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua at UFC Sao Paulo.

Following the split draw between the pair at UFC on ESPN+ 22 on Saturday night, [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] has made no secret of the fact that he wants to face [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] again.

But he also revealed another motivation for facing him a second time. He wants to retire the Brazilian legend.

Craig (12-4-1 MMA, 4-4-1 UFC) said he had hoped to draw a line under Rua’s illustrious career in Sao Paulo by being the last man to face him before he hangs up his gloves.

“I didn’t tell the media that, but I had told my coaches that (before the fight),” Craig said at the post-event news conference. “What I said was – and you need to have a bit of confidence in this sport – I said I would love to be ‘Shogun’ Rua’s last fight. I would love for ‘Shogun’ Rua to take the gloves off and leave them in the center of the octagon after I had, obviously, got the victory.”

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Those pre-fight hopes didn’t come to fruition on fight night in Brazil. Craig and Rua (26-11-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC) battled to a draw after three grueling rounds. And while the Scot had no issues with the scoring of the fight, he said he was taking the positives from his short-notice assignment.

“Straight after the fight, I was very disappointed,” he said. “But after I had time reflect on it, to come to Brazil and fight the legend that is Rua in his home country and get a draw is a good result for me.”

Craig spoke about a possible return to action at a rumored event in his home city of Glasgow next year, and said that he fancied another fight with a Brazilian, whether that turns out to be ‘Shogun’ or not.

“I did want him to retire, but I want that next fight,” he said. “I want that full fight camp. And if I don’t get ‘Shogun’ Rua, give me another Brazilian.”

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6 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN+ 22: ‘Jacare’s’ future, Rua vs. Craig scoring and more

Thoughts and analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC on ESPN+ 22, which took place Saturday in Sao Paulo.

What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 22 in Sao Paulo? Here are a few post-fight musings …

* * * * *

1. Jan Blachowicz is good, but not the guy

No disrespect to [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 8-5 UFC), but it’s hard to imagine anyone who spent 30 minutes of their Saturday night watching that underwhelming split decision win over Ronaldo Souza in the main event is now clamoring to see the Polish fighter challenge Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title.

Not only did Blachowicz fail to produce the emphatic finish that fellow contenders Dominick Reyes and Corey Anderson delivered in their most recent wins, but he hardly had any memorable moments against “Jacare.” It was a grinding 25-minute affair, and not much happened that could serve as evidence he would stand a chance against Jones.

If Blachowicz ends up with a title shot – be it after this win or the next one – it will almost certainly be by default because there isn’t a more compelling matchup. It would be a huge moment for his career to reach that height, of course, but there’s no way that performance against Souza elevated the perception he can be champion while “Bones” is running the block.

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UFC on ESPN+ 22 post-event facts: Charles Oliveira enhances status as all-time great finisher

All the notable stats and figures to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 22, which took place in Sao Paulo, and saw Jan Blachowicz beat Ronaldo Souza.

The UFC made its final stop in Brazil this year on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 22, which went down at Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo with a 12-fight card that streamed entirely on ESPN+.

[autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 8-5 UFC) continued to build momentum as a light heavyweight contender in the main event when he entered enemy territory and defeated Brazil’s own [autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) by split decision.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 40 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 22.

* * * *

General

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $192,000.

Debuting fighters went 2-2 at the event.

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag], [autotag]James Krause[/autotag], [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag] and [autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 22 fight-night bonuses.

UFC on ESPN+ 22 drew an announced attendance of 10,344. No live gate was reveled for the card.

Betting favorites went 10-1 on the card. One fight ended in a draw.

Betting favorites improved to 20-17 (one fight had even odds, one ended in a no contest) in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:36:04.

Main card

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Blachowicz improved to 6-1 in his past seven UFC appearances dating back to October 2017. The only defeat in that stretch came to Thiago Santos.

Blachowicz has earned four of his eight UFC victories by decision.

Souza suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since November 2018.

Souza was unsuccessful in his light heavyweight debut.

Souza has suffered four of his five UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] (26-11-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC) vs. [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] (12-4-1 MMA, 4-5-1 UFC) ended in the third split draw UFC result of 2019.

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Oliveira (28-8 MMA, 16-8 UFC) improved to 7-1 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division April 2017. He’s 9-3 (with one no contest) in the organization at 155 pounds.

Oliveira’s six-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Tony Ferguson (12) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (11).

Oliveira’s six-fight UFC stoppage streak is the longest active streak in the company.

Oliveira’s 15 stoppage victories in UFC competition are second most in company history behind Donald Cerrone (16).

Oliveira has been awarded 15 fight-night bonuses for UFC bouts, the tied with Nate Diaz and Joe Lauzon for second most in company history behind Cerrone (18).

Oliveira has been awarded nine “Performance of the Night” bonuses, the most in company history.

[autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) fell to 1-3 in his past four fights dating back to February 2014.

Gordon has suffered all four of his career losses by knockout.

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[autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) improved to 13-1 in his past 14 fights dating back to February 2014.

[autotag]Antonio Arroyo[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

[autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past six fights.

Perez has suffered all three of his career losses by decision.

Preliminary card

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Krause (27-7 MMA, 8-3 UFC) extended his UFC winning streak to six. He hasn’t suffered an octagon defeat since February 2016.

Krause improved to 4-0 in the UFC when competing at welterweight.

[autotag]Sergio Moraes[/autotag]’ (14-6-1 MMA, 8-5-1 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2018.

Moraes has suffered all three of his career stoppage losses by knockout.

Krause landed a knockdown for the first time in his UFC career.

Ramos (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) was successful in his featherweight debut.

[autotag]Eduardo Garagorri[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) had his 13-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

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[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]’s (24-7 MMA, 14-6 UFC) 12 UFC victories in Brazil are the most in company history.

[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] (24-10-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) fell to 1-5 (with one no contest) in his past seven fights dating back to November 2014.

Green has suffered four of his five UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of his career.

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[autotag]Douglas Silva de Andrade[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) was successful in his return to the UFC featherweight division.

De Andrade has earned three of his four UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag]’s (34-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) five-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2016.

Barao fell to 2-8 in his past 10 fights after going on a 33-fight unbeaten streak that lasted more than nine years.

[autotag]Isabella de Padua[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of her career.

[autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered six of her seven career losses by decision. That includes both of her UFC defeats.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.