Tag: Neil Magny

UFC on ESPN+ 33 results: Neil Magny frustrates ex-champ Robbie Lawler for decision win

Neil Magny has some stellar wins on his resume, but Saturday’s might be his best yet.

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] has some stellar wins on his resume, but Saturday’s might be his best yet.

Magny (24-7 MMA, 17-6 UFC) frustrated former welterweight champion [autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag] (28-15 MMA, 13-9 UFC) for the better part of 15 minutes on his way to a unanimous decision. Magny took the fight with a trio of 30-27 scores.

The victory was Magny’s third straight for his best winning streak since 2015-2016. The win was Magny’s third in 2020 and moved him into the No. 2 spot for career UFC welterweight wins, just two behind Georges St-Pierre. Lawler dropped his fourth straight fight to continue a career-worst slide.

The welterweight bout was the UFC on ESPN+ 33 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It streamed on ESPN+.

“It’s definitely a feather in the cap beating a legend like Robbie Lawler,” Magny said after the fight. “This guy’s done amazing things in the sport throughout his time here. It was literally an honor for me to go in there and face him tonight. It feels good to actually be able to execute a game plan and come out victorious with a guy like Robbie Lawler.

“… I’m doing the right things, and I’m going the right direction. It’s only a matter of time before I’m considered a world champion, or I am the world champion.”

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Magny went to the outside to open and landed a solid kick to the body 25 seconds in. But Lawler swung heavy seconds later and backed Magny up, then tried to wrap Magny up for a takedown. He couldn’t finish it, and it gave Magny a chance to work for a D’Arce choke 75 seconds into the bout. He let it go, but started working punches to the body, then worked his way to Lawler’s back when the fight moved to the feet. Magny tried to wear Lawler down, then took him to the canvas, but found himself reversed by Lawler with two minutes left. When Magny got back to his feet, he landed a knee to the body, then an elbow, and then took Lawler down again along the fence.

A minute into the middle frame, Magny took Lawler down again. Soon after, he took Lawler’s back and tried to get his hooks in for a rear-naked choke. Lawler turned out of the choke, but Magny had plenty of time to work. Lawler got back to his feet with a minute left, but ate elbows from Magny, then knees to the body. They broke away with 45 seconds left, but Lawler couldn’t get anything going to rally.

Lawler almost certainly needed a finish to win the fight, and he landed a solid right hook 30 seconds into the third. Magny dropped back to guard and held Lawler at bay on top of him. With Magn yholding on, they were put back on their feet and Lawler tried to chase Magny down with heavy hands ready. But with three minutes left, Magny briefly dragged Lawler to the canvas. They went back to the middle midway through, but Magny continued to frustrate the former champ and never let him put anything together.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 33 results include:

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Neil Magny ‘thrown off-guard’ by late replacement Robbie Lawler, admits there’s cons to matchup

Neil Magny didn’t expect to get Robbie Lawler as a late replacement.

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] is happy to be fighting another former world champion, but he knows the matchup is not necessarily perfect.

The long-time UFC welterweight contender was supposed to take on Geoff Neal on the main card of Saturday’s UFC event in Las Vegas. However, due to some health complications, Neal was forced to withdraw from the contest. The UFC was able find Magny (23-7 MMA, 16-6 UFC) a replacement opponent, which turned out to be Robbie Lawler – a former UFC champion and one of the biggest names in the division.

“It caught me a little off-guard,” Magny told MMA Junkie at today’s UFC on ESPN+ 33 virtual media day. “First, when I got the email about Geoff Neal falling out, I was kind of bummed and it was like, ‘Hey, man. Geoff Neal fell out of the fight; we’re keeping you on standby. The next day was like, ‘Hey, Robbie Lawler wants to fight,’ and I was like, ‘Holy crap. This is even better.’

“So it was pure excitement and joy like, ‘Heck, yeah. I get a new opponent, and it’s a guy who’s a legend, a guy who I can really go out there and make a name for myself against.’ I was super excited to get that matchup.”

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Although fighting Lawler is big opportunity for any welterweight in the UFC, Magny does admit there are cons with the matchup, things he wouldn’t have to deal if he were fighting Neal.

“The fight against Robbie Lawler, there’s a lot of prestige behind his name,” Neal said. “Obviously a former world champion and being in the sport for as long as he’s been, but at the same time, Geoff Neal is the young guy you want to test yourself against. He’s new to the UFC, he’s on an amazing win streak right now, and he’s got a lot of steam behind him.

“It’s a fight that not necessarily excites you more, but it brings its own level of excitement. If I can go out there and beat Robbie Lawler, the naysayers will say he’s past his prime, he’s this and that, and there’s going to be room for people to criticize and downplay the win. But if I were to beat a guy like Geoff Neal, it will be like, ‘Holy crap, this guy is undefeated in the UFC, he was making a sprint to the top of the division, and you stopped him in his tracks,’ so thats amazing. So each fight comes with its own list of things to take away from, but I’m happy with the Robbie Lawler matchup.”

Lawler is 38 years old and is currently on a three-fight losing streak.

Meanwhile, Magny is coming off two solid wins over Li Jingliang and Anthony Rocco Martin. A third consecutive win – and over a former champion like Lawler – would put Magny in a good spot in the division.

“It definitely throws me in the top 10, a win over Robbie Lawler,” Magny said. “But at this point, it’s literally up to me and how I perform against Robbie Lawler, and we’ll see what happens later on this year. So for me, it’s just about going out there and taking control of my career.

“If I go out there and put on a great performance against him, then I’m fighting guys in the top 10 and moving closer to that title shot. I’m not going to be as naive and say I beat Robbie Lawler on Saturday and I’m getting a title shot on Monday. I know there’s some work to be done as far as working my way through ranks and that kind of thing, but a win over Robbie Lawler definitely propels me in the right direction.”

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UFC on ESPN+ 33 poster revealed: Anthony Smith and Aleksandar Rakic take center stage

The UFC has released the official fight poster for UFC on ESPN+ 33 with a light heavyweight matchup headlining the card in Las Vegas.

With the UFC light heavyweight title now vacant, [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] will be vying for top contention.

Smith vs. Rakic will headline UFC on ESPN+ 33 on Saturday in a three-round fight at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

Smith (33-15 MMA, 8-5 UFC) has lost two of his past three and will look to rebound from his fifth-round stoppage loss to Glover Teixeira in May. The former UFC light heavyweight title challenger has finished all but one of his UFC wins.

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Rakic (12-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is coming off a split decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir in December 2019, which is his ony blemish in the UFC. Prior to that, he scored back-to-back first-round finishes over Devin Clark and Jimi Manuwa.

Also featured on the poster is a co-main event matchup between [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 16-6 UFC) and former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag] (28-14 MMA, 13-8 UFC), who will look to snap the first three-fight losing skid of his career.

Check out the official poster for the UFC on ESPN+ 33 event below:

The latest lineup for the UFC’s Aug. 29 card includes:

  • Anthony Smith vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Robbie Lawler vs. Neil Magny
  • Alexa Grasso vs. Ji Yeon Kim
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba
  • Impa Kasanganay vs. Maki Pitolo
  • Bill Algeo vs. Ricardo Lamas
  • Hannah Cifers vs. Mallory Martin
  • Zak Cummings vs. Alessio Di Chirico
  • Alex Caceres vs. Giga Chikadze
  • Polyana Viana vs. Emily Whitmire
  • Christian Aguilera vs. Sean Brady

 

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.

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Neil Magny: Most afraid of Robbie Lawler-type fights, but they bring best out of me

Neil Magny is no stranger to facing power punchers and expects to shine in his matchup against Robbie Lawler on Aug. 29.

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] relishes challenges like [autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag].

Magny (23-7 MMA, 16-6 UFC), who was originally scheduled to face Geoff Neal, will now take on former UFC welterweight champion Lawler at the UFC’s Aug. 29 event after Neal was forced out due to an unforeseen health scare.

For Magny, despite Lawler being ranked a couple of spots under Neal in the UFC’s welterweight rankings, it’s an even bigger opportunity.

Lawler (28-14 MMA, 13-8 UFC) has lost three in a row, but was once considered one of the most feared competitors in all of MMA. He’s been a part of numerous memorable barnburners and had two title defenses in his run as champion.

Magny is no stranger to facing power punchers, having outlasted the likes of Kelvin Gastelum and Hector Lombard in two of his most impressive wins.

So he expects to shine in the Lawler matchup.

“I see this fight playing out great for me,” Magny told MMA Junkie. “I know for a fact that Robbie Lawler is one of those guys that likes to come out super aggressive in the fight, so I’m looking to meet him right in the center of the octagon and bring that aggression right back to him. I’m excited for it. I know for a fact that these fights that most people are afraid of taking bring the best out of me.

“The fights like Kelvin Gastelum, Hector Lombard where most people are afraid of that kind of power or that kind of pace, I feel like are the fights that bring out the best in me. I expect nothing different going in the fight against Robbie Lawler.”

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Lawler may be on a losing skid, having suffered three straight losses to Rafael dos Anjos, Ben Askren and Colby Covington, but Magny knows it would be dangerous to overlook the former champion.

“For me to underestimate Robbie Lawler or think that his last couple of performances are going to be something that’s going to give me an advantage in any kind of way, that’ll be silly on my part,” Magny said. “The guy’s a great athlete, a great competitor, been in the sport for a long time, and you don’t survive in this sport being a slouch. His last couple fights have been, in my opinion, just bad matchups.”

With the Aug. 29 headliner between Zabit Magomedsharipov and Yair Rodriguez falling through, Magny expected his fight with Lawler to be promoted to the main event. But either way, he’s confident that his matchup will deliver.

“At this point, I really do not care where the fight lands,” Magny said. “I know he and I are going to go out there and steal the show. So if we’re the first fight of the night, I’m good with that. If we’re the last fight of the night, I’m good with that. At the end of the day, I know we’re going to go out there and steal the show (and) put on a good performance.”

Magny has been a perennial contender in the welterweight division for years, but he’s yet to break into title contention. Having won four of his past five, he sees a win over an established name like Lawler pushing him a big step forward in his quest for gold.

“I think a win over Robbie Lawler puts me in the top of my division. But it’s not just any win – it needs to be a dominant win,” Magny said. “I need to go out there and really show people why I should be in the top 10. I know fighting (Anthony) Rocco Martin last, I didn’t really show much of what I can do and show my full potential. But I feel like this fight against Robbie Lawler does that for my career.

“It allows me to go out there and really demand what I want for my career. So going out there, putting on a dominant performance throws me back in the top 10 (and) allows me to keep moving forward closer to that title shot.”

Neil Magny vs. Robbie Lawler booked for Aug. 29 UFC event after Geoff Neal suffers health scare

Geoff Neal recently suffered a health scare, landing him in the ICU. Robbie Lawler is expected to fight Neil Magny.

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] won’t be fighting [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] on Aug. 29.

Magny (23-7 MMA, 16-6 UFC) and Neal (13-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) were expected to square off at the UFC’s Aug. 29 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. However, Neal recently suffered a health scare leading to hospitalization in the ICU. Neal’s withdrawal has opened the door for [autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag], who has stepped in as a replacement.

On Sunday, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of Neal’s withdrawal and the Lawler (28-14 MMA, 13-8 UFC) fight but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

MMA DNA reported Lawler was the frontrunner shortly after Neal’s post.

Neal opened up about his health scare in an Instagram post on Sunday, writing “I almost died.” Neal also said he has undergone treatment with a dialysis machine and has returned home.

“These past few week have been crazy, and that’s putting it lightly. It’s really hard to try to find an eloquent way to say “I almost died.” So screw it.. I almost died…. This really put alot of things into perspective for me. Never did I ever think I would be hooked up to a dialysis machine before my 30s. Everything was going well for me. Was training everyday, making money at work, just signed a contract for a huge fight, then BOOM, life hit me with a check hook. I’m just glad to be home after having to spend 1 week in the ICU. Stay healthy out there y’all and listen to your body at all times.”

With Neal’s withdrawal, the Aug. 29 lineup now includes:

  • Aleksandar Rakic vs. Anthony Smith
  • Ryan Hall vs. Ricardo Lamas
  • Alex Caceres vs. Giga Chikadze
  • Neil Magny vs. TBA
  • Alexa Grasso vs. Ji Yeon Kim
  • Christian Aguilera vs. Sean Brady
  • Zak Cummings vs. Alessio Di Chirico
  • Emily Whitmire vs. Polyana Viana
  • Julian Marquez vs. Saparbeg Safarov
  • Hannah Cifers vs. Mallory Martin

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Neil Magny vs. Geoff Neal in the works for UFC’s Aug. 29 event

A welterweight fight between Neil Magny and Geoff Neal is slated to go down in August.

A welterweight fight between [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] and [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] is slated to go down in August.

MMA Junkie today verified with multiple people close to the situation that Magny (23-7 MMA, 16-6 UFC) and Neal (13-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) have agreed to meet on the UFC’s upcoming fight card on Aug. 29. The people requested anonymity because contracts have yet to be signed and the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. ESPN was first to report the news.

The card is currently scheduled to take place in Las Vegas at the UFC Apex. However, UFC president Dana White recently expressed concern about another shutdown in Nevada stemming from COVID-19 that could force the company to relocate fight cards to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, also known as “Fight Island.”

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Magny, 32, will attempt to continue his climb to become the winningest welterweight in UFC history. Following his unanimous decision win over Anthony Rocco Martin at UFC 250 in June, Magny now has 16 wins in the weight class, just three shy of Georges St-Pierre’s longstanding record of 19.

To take a step closer, though, he must get past Neal, 29, who has yet to lose in his UFC career. “Handz of Steel” has proven to be one of the top rising stars at 170 pounds over his five-fight UFC stint, stopping four opponents including a 90-second starching of Mike Perry in his most recent bout at UFC 245 in December.

The latest lineup for the UFC’s Aug. 29 event now includes:

  • Aleksandar Rakic vs. Anthony Smith
  • Christian Aguilera vs. Sean Brady
  • Zak Cummings vs. Alessio Di Chirico
  • Ryan Hall vs. Ricardo Lamas
  • Polyana Viana vs. Emily Whitmire
  • Julian Marquez vs. Saparbek Safarov
  • Hannah Cifers vs. Mallory Martin
  • Neil Magny vs. Geoff Neal

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UFC 250 medical suspensions: Amanda Nunes, Felicia Spencer, five others receive 180 days

UFC 250 headliners Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer are among seven fighters facing a lengthy suspensions for injuries sustained.

UFC women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] is among seven fighters facing lengthy medical suspensions for injuries sustained Saturday at UFC 250.

MMA Junkie obtained the full list from the Nevada Athletic Commission on Monday. Fighters can return sooner than the duration of their suspension if cleared by a doctor.

Headliners Nunes and [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] each were suspended 180 days – Nunes for an injured right tibia/fibula; Spencer for a non-displaced left orbital flor and nasal fracture.

Undercard fighters facing potential 180-day terms include Chase Hooper, Brian Kelleher, Charles Byrd, Alex Perez, and Devin Clark.

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UFC 250 took place Saturday at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card streamed on pay-per-view after prelims simulcasted on ESPN and ESPN+.

The complete list of UFC 250 medical suspensions:

  • Amanda Nunes: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right tibia/fibula cleared by orthopedic physician; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Felicia Spencer: Suspended 18- days or until left orbital floor and nasal fracture cleared by maxillofacial surgeon; Also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days
  • [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Anthony Rocco Martin[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Eddie Wineland[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right thumb is cleared by orthopedic physician; Also suspended for 30 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right foot is cleared by orthopedic physician; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Charles Byrd[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of left wrist is cleared by orthopedic physician; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until x-rays of right ankle, foot, and right ribs are cleared by orthopedic physician; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until left orbital floor is cleared by maxillofacial surgeon; Also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact or until left foot sutures cleared by physician
  • [autotag]Evan Dunham[/autotag]: No suspension

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Neil Magny again calls out Michael Chiesa after UFC 250 win

Take a look inside Neil Magny’s win over Anthony Rocco Martin at UFC 250 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] beat Anthony Rocco Martin with a unanimous decision Saturday on the main card at UFC 250 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Magny, who has won back-to-back fights and four of his past five.

Result: Neil Magny def. Anthony Rocco Martin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Updated records: Magny (23-7 MMA, 16-6 UFC), Martin (17-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC)
Key stat: Magny outstruck Martin 82-46 and landed 63 percent of his overall strikes.

Magny on the fight’s key moment

“The biggest thing was having a sense of urgency. He did a good job of tying me up against the fence and not allowing me to create space and work anything offensive, so it was really about me creating that sense of urgency to break that clinch against the fence and bring the fight back to him.”

Magny on making improvements

“I’m only getting better. that fight shows it. I’m not happy with that performance at all. I know I can do a lot better than that and that fire will just continue to drive me and get back in the gym and work my ass off to get my goals accomplished. I think I’m just starting to scratch the surface on what I can do.”

Magny on what he wants next

“I don’t know how many times I call out (Michael) Chiesa for him to keep ducking me, but that’s the fight I want right now. He called me out when I couldn’t do anything about it. But when I’m healthy and ready to go, he’s nowhere to be found. That’s a fight I’d love to have. I’ll be back in the gym on Monday and harassing (matchmaker) Sean Shelby on Tuesday. … Right now, he’s ranked above me. Right now, he has some steam behind him. I just want to go out there and do my best against him and keep moving forward.”

To hear more from Magny, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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