Megan Anderson – Syndication Server

Megan Anderson wonders if Kayla Harrison’s cut to bantamweight will affect strength vs. ‘specimen’ Holly Holm

If Kayla Harrison is too depleted after cutting down to 136 pounds, Megan Anderson expects her to struggle at UFC 300.

If [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] is too depleted after cutting down to 136 pounds, [autotag]Megan Anderson[/autotag] expects her to struggle.

Two-time PFL lightweight champion Harrison (16-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes her octagon debut against former UFC champ [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) in a bantamweight bout at UFC 300 on April 13 in Las Vegas.

Harrison will attempt to reach 136 pounds for the first time in her career. Despite that, the the two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka opened up as a big favorite against Holm. Anderson, who was taken down four times in a unanimous decision loss to Holm in 2018, thinks Harrison could have a hard time against Holm if the weight cut takes a toll on her body.

“With those weight cuts, too, will the strength be there?” Anderson said on her YouTube channel. “She likes to use her strength, she likes to use her physical prowess in her fights, but will that still be there dropping to a weight class that she’s never dropped before?

“If she’s cutting a significant amount of weight, that increases the risk of not being able to rehydrate correctly, which then increases the risk of knockouts, of getting rocked with punches that she wouldn’t have been at a higher weight class. Holly Holm, out of every single opponent in my entire career, is physically the strongest opponent I have ever faced. She’s a f*cking specimen.”

During an Instagram live on Wednesday, UFC CEO Dana White claimed that Harrison has already made 135 pounds a couple of times in test cuts. But Anderson doesn’t only question if Harrison’s weight cut will negatively impact her, but her ability to use her striking to get to Holm.

“She has shown she’s had some issues closing the range,” Anderson said. “It’s not just going to be with the Holly fight. It’s going to be with a lot of these girls. They’ve seen the blueprint on how to beat a judoka that doesn’t know how to close the range in Ronda Rousey. … Holly may not have the power, particularly in her hands to drop somebody, but she’s a master at range. She plays a patient game.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Scott Coker Q&A: Bellator 255, rankings launch, ‘MVP,’ Megan Anderson, Tyron Woodley, more

Scott Coker discusses everything from free agents to fighter pay to where ‘MVP’ is.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator is ready to kick off its 2021 schedule, and promotion president Scott Coker is thrilled with what the future holds.

On Thursday, Coker spoke with MMA Junkie on a host of topics including “Pitbull” vs. Straus 2, the promotion’s deal with Showtime, the implementation of Bellator rankings, hot free agents, the welterweight division, ongoing visa issues, fighter pay, the arrest of former Bellator featherweight champion Daniel Straus, Jon Jones vs. the UFC, and more.

Bellator 255 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime, with the entire card also available to stream for free on MMA Junkie.

Check out MMA Junkie’s Q&A with Scott Coker before Bellator 255 by scrolling through the items below:

Sean O’Malley: Megan Anderson shouldn’t have let Casey Kenney’s sexual remarks offend her

“She’s not a co-worker anymore.”

UFC bantamweight [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] doesn’t seem to mind Casey Kenney’s sexual remarks about [autotag]Megan Anderson[/autotag] from an episode of his podcast.

In late January on “The Timbo Sugarshow” co-hosted by O’Malley and his coach, Tim Welch, Kenney was asked by Welch if he would “smash” Anderson – meaning have sex with her. Kenney answered the question openly and proceeded to rate Anderson’s attractiveness, which she took offense to and called it “utterly degrading.” Anderson’s response prompted a same-day apology from Kenney, with whom she was scheduled to share the UFC 259 card.

During a Wednesday appearance on “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show,” O’Malley was asked about the incident.

“I didn’t say anything bad, did I?” O’Malley said.

O’Malley, who didn’t say anything about Anderson during the episode with Kenney, was asked if he regrets that the topic came up on his podcast.

“I think that’s just a … I mean, you can’t let … if someone … you can’t let someone else’s words affect how you feel emotionally,” O’Malley said. “If you said something about me, and I … I don’t know. It’s … I don’t know. I don’t know. She’s not a co-worker anymore. It is what it is.”

Anderson seemingly responded to O’Malley’s comments in a tweet with two words and a pair of emojis.

Stay classy 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

— Megan Anderson (@MeganA_mma) March 24, 2021

Stay classy 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

Kenney and Anderson both were unsuccessful earlier this month at UFC 259. Kenney lost a split decision to former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, while Anderson was submitted in the first round of her featherweight title fight with champ Amanda Nunes. Anderson, a former Invicta FC champ, subsequently was released by the UFC.

O’Malley (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) returns this Saturday at UFC 260, where he’ll look to rebound from the first loss of his career. O’Malley meets Thomas Almeida on the pay-per-view main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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Megan Anderson no longer under contract following UFC 259 loss

Despite recently challenging for the UFC women’s featherweight title, Megan Anderson is no longer under contract with the promotion.

Despite challenging for the UFC women’s featherweight title at this past weekend’s UFC 259 event, [autotag]Megan Anderson[/autotag] is no longer under contract with the promotion.

MMA Junkie confirmed with Anderson’s management team at Paradigm Sports that she competed at UFC 259 in the final fight of her deal and has now fulfilled her obligations with the promotion. MMA Fighting first reported Anderson’s contract status.

While Anderson (11-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is free to sign a new agreement with the promotion if offered, the former interim Invicta FC featherweight champion plans on taking some time before plotting her next move.

Paradigm Sports rep Tim Simpson confirmed via text that Anderson is currently nursing some lingering injuries that they will let heal before plotting her next move.

Anderson’s current UFC run ends following a six-fight stint with the promotion that began with a June 2018 decision loss to former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm. Her final five fights with the organization all ended in the first round, including wins over Cat Zingano, Zarah Fairn and Norma Dumont, as well as losses to Felicia Spencer and Nunes.

The 31-year-old Australian is currently ranked No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie women’s featherweight rankings.

While the future of the UFC’s women’s featherweight division is often questioned given the promotion does not have official rankings for the weight class and holds just a handful of 145-pound female fighters under contract, UFC officials have insisted both publicly and behind the scenes that no determination has been made to scrap the division at this time.

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Who’s next for Jan Blachowicz after beating Israel Adesanya? | UFC 259 matchmaker.mov

MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for Jan Blachowicz in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”

UFC 259 results: Amanda Nunes runs through Megan Anderson, retains featherweight title

Amanda Nunes continues to show why she’s widely regarded as the best female fighter of all time.

[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] continues to show why she’s widely regarded as the best female fighter of all time.

The UFC women’s featherweight and bantamweight champion made quick work of challenger [autotag]Megan Anderson[/autotag] at Saturday’s UFC 259.

Nunes (21-4 MMA, 14-1 UFC) quickly tagged Anderson (10-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) with hard right hand and stunned the Australian. From there, it was a wrap as Nunes took down Anderson, landed ground-and-pound, secured the back mount, and then locked a reverse triangle choke to finish a straight armbar for the tap.

It was beyond dominant. Anderson never had a moment in the two minutes the fight lasted.

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The women’s featherweight title bout was the UFC 259 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Nunes is currently on a 12-fight winning streak, which holds several of the biggest names in women’s MMA history such as Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, Cris Cyborg, Valentina Shevchenko, and others. The last time Nunes lost was back in 2014 when she suffered a TKO loss to Cat Zingano.

The Brazilian was coming off a successful featherweight title defense last summer at UFC 250 where she outpointed former Invicta FC champ Felicia Spencer. She hasn’t defended her 135-pound title in two fights. Her last bantamweight defense was a decision win over Germaine de Randamie in December 2019.

Meanwhile, Anderson, a former Invicta FC champion, saw a two-fight winning streak come to an end.

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Up-to-the-minute UFC 259 results include:

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Twitter reacts to Amanda Nunes’ quick title defense over Megan Anderson at UFC 259

See the top Twitter reactions to Amanda Nunes’ title defense over Megan Anderson in the UFC 259 co-main event.

[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]’ continued to add to her legacy as the women’s MMA GOAT on Saturday when she defended her women’s featherweight title against [autotag]Megan Anderson[/autotag] in the UFC 259 co-main event.

Nunes (21-4 MMA, 14-1 UFC), the champ at 145 pounds and women’s bantamweight, extended her winning streak to 12 consecutive fights and further entrenched her dominance over two weight classes when she beat Anderson (11-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) by first-round submission in the event co-headliner, which took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Nunes’ title defense over Anderson at UFC 259.

UFC 259: Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 259 fight between Amanda Nunes and Megan Anderson, with MMA odds, picks, tips and predictions.

In a women’s featherweight title bout on Saturday’s main card, Amanda Nunes and Megan Anderson meet at UFC 259 at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The early prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by the prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. and then the main card on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. Below, we analyze the UFC 259 odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

Nunes vs. Anderson: Odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:45 a.m. ET.

Fight result (2-way line): Nunes -900 (bet $900 to win $100) | Anderson +600 (bet $100 to win $600)
Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -135 | Under +110)
Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +450 | No -650)

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Nunes vs. Anderson: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Records: Nunes 20-4 | Anderson 11-4

Fight result (2-way line or money line)

Nunes (-9000) won the title from Meisha Tate back on July 9, 2016, and she has defended her crown successfully in seven straight fights. And no offense to Megan Anderson (+600), but it’s going to take a lot more than a lanky Aussie with marginal punching power to unseat the champ. However, even in a multi-fighter parlay, you can’t take Nunes straight up on the 2-way laying nine times your potential return.

Instead, let’s look at how Nunes is winning. She enters with a 4.44-to-1.82-significant-strikes-landed-per-minute advantage, and she also dominates with a 2.53-to-0.56-takedown average. Three of her past five defenses of the belt, and four of the past seven, have come via KO/TKO, and she tapped out Tate for the first title win at UFC 200. She is multi-faceted, but the best bet is taking NUNES BY KO/TKO OR DQ (-105) on the 7-way line at near even-money. That’s an amazing value given how heavy of a favorite she is on the 2-way line. Yes, a submission win for Nunes means you lose. But she has piled up the knockouts, and that’s a great bet.

Play our new free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

Over/Under (O/U)

Nunes will be looking for the finish, and it’s hard to envision this fight going the distance. The books agree, as betting Yes +450 on ‘Will the fight go the distance?’ is huge plus-money. But it’s a fool’s bet. This one will be over, and over quickly. Take UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-200) to give yourself a little wiggle room, but UNDER 1.5 ROUNDS (+110) is also worth playing lightly. This one could get ugly, quickly.

In addition, normally I like a two-round block, but there is no value taking Nunes in Round 1. Just pinpoint NUNES IN ROUND 2 (+320) for the potential to triple up.

To watch the early prelims and prelims, sign up for ESPN+ now.

Want some action on UFC 259? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

MMA Junkie:

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.

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UFC 259 ‘Embedded,’ No. 6: Behind the scenes at tense faceoffs

Go behind the scenes with the sixth episode of “Embedded” leading up to UFC 259, which features three title fights atop the card.

The UFC has three championships on the line Saturday.

UFC 259 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) moves to light heavyweight to challenge champion [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (27-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) in an attempt to become a two-division champion. Women’s dual champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC) defends her featherweight title against [autotag]Megan Anderson[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC). Also, bantamweight titleholder [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) makes his first defense against [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC).

The sixth episode of “Embedded” follows all the big stars who will compete at UFC 259. Here’s the UFC’s description from YouTube:

Athletes attend the press conference on Thursday. The next morning, they make weight and face off again, setting up the champ-stacked UFC 259: Jan Blachowicz vs. Israel Adesanya; Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling; and Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson.

Also see:

UFC 259 predictions: Who are we picking in the three title fights?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC 259 main card, which features three title fights.

	Blachowicz vs. Adesanya	Nunes vs. Anderson	Yan vs. Sterling	Dober vs. Makhachev	Rakic vs. Santos
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 18-15	Blachowicz (52%)	Nunes (84%)	Yan (57%)	Makhachev (74%)	Santos (58%)
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 21-12 2020 Champion	Adesanya	Nunes	Sterling	Makhachev	Rakic
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 21-12	Blachowicz	Nunes	Yan	Makhachev	Santos
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 20-13	Adesanya	Nunes	Sterling	Makhachev	Santos
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 19-14 2018 Champion	Blachowicz	Nunes	Sterling	Makhachev	Rakic
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 19-14	Adesanya	Nunes	Sterling	Makhachev	Rakic
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 18-15	Blachowicz	Nunes	Sterling	Makhachev	Santos
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 18-15 2017 Champion	Blachowicz	Nunes	Sterling	Makhachev	Rakic
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 17-16	Adesanya	Nunes	Yan	Makhachev	Rakic
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 17-16	Blachowicz	Nunes	Sterling	Makhachev	Santos
Simon Head @simonhead 2021: 17-16 2019 Champion*	Adesanya	Nunes	Yan	Makhachev	Rakic
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 17-16 2014 Champion	Adesanya	Nunes	Sterling	Makhachev	Santos
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 16-17	Adesanya	Nunes	Yan	Makhachev	Santos
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 15-18	Blachowicz	Nunes	Yan	Makhachev	Rakic

The UFC one of its biggest events in recent memory this week with three title fights atop the bill.

UFC 259 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

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In the main event, [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (27-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) puts his light heavyweight title on the line against middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC), who will attempt to become the UFC’s latest two-division champ. Despite moving up a weight class, the unbeaten Adesanya is a -250 favorite at BetMGM, but he’s only got the slimmest possible 7-6 lead from our 13 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-feature, women’s bantamweight and featherweight champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC) puts her 145-pound title up against challenger [autotag]Megan Anderson[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC). Nunes is a massive 10-1 favorite, so a win for Anderson would be one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. Not surprisingly, Nunes is one of two unanimous picks on the main card.

It’s a close fight from a betting perspective between bantamweight champ [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and challenger [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC). The fight nearly is a pick’em with Yan at -115 and Sterling at -105. But our pickers are siding with Sterling, 8-5, to become the new champ.

The second biggest favorite on the entire card is lightweight [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC), who is -375 against [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] (23-9 MMA, 9-5 UFC). Makhachev also is a 13-0 unanimous pick from our staff members.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is a -160 favorite against [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (21-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) at light heayweight, but he’s got a narrow 7-6 picks lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Blachowicz (52 percent), Nunes (84 percent), Yan (57 percent), Makhachev (74 percent) and Santos (58 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Tag: Megan Anderson