Tag: Polyana Viana

UFC Fight Night 206 post-event facts: Jailton Almeida delivers shutout in heavyweight debut

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC Fight Night 206, which saw six of 11 fights end in a finish including a shutout.

The UFC closed its May schedule on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 206, which went down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and saw six of 11 fights end in a finish.

The main event was among the bunch to go to the scorecards. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) edged former UFC champ [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) by split decision in the women’s bantamweight headliner, marking her second consecutive win over a former UFC champion.

For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 206.

UFC Fight Night 206’s Polyana Viana says she’s going for another bonus ‘in a very funny way’

Competing for the first time in 15 months, Polyana Viana teased a “surprise” for UFC Fight Night 206.

LAS VEGAS – UFC strawweight [autotag]Polyana Viana[/autotag] hopes to experience a repeat of her last fight.

Competing for the first time in 15 months, Viana meets fellow Brazilian Tabitha Ricci on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 206 from the UFC Apex. Last time out, Viana earned a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus after a first-round submission of Mallory Martin at UFC 258.

Viana (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is looking to earn another $50,000 on Saturday, but she only teased how she would do it.

“In a very funny way,” Viana said through an interpreter at UFC Fight Night 206 media day. “It’s a surprise.”

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Whatever that means, a victory would continue an upward trajectory for the 29-year-old Viana, who got off to a rocky 1-3 start in the UFC. In snapping a three-fight skid, Viana has won back-to-back fights heading into Saturday.

She’s not sure how the fight with Ricci (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will play out, but she knows what she wants.

“I think it might go to the ground because we’re both from jiu-jitsu, but it might be a standup fight for exactly that reason,” Viana said. “… I’d rather it ends in the first round.”

With her arm raised, of course. And an extra $50,000 would be nice.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Feb. 7-13)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were broken 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 Feb. 7-13.

MMA Junkie’s ‘Submission of the Month’ for February: A jiu-jitsu champion falls

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from February 2021.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from February 2021: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for February.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

Nominees

UFC 258 medical suspensions: Kamaru Usman among eight facing potential six-month layoff

Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is among eight fighters who could be facing lengthy time off after UFC 258.

UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] could be sidelined for up to six months after his most recent title defense.

Usman (18-1 MMA, 13-0 UFC), who retained his title after stopping [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) in the third round of the UFC 258 main event, will need doctor clearance for his right foot or he could be looking at a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Joining Usman with potential 180-day terms is [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag], who defeated [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] via unanimous decision. Grasso (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) must have an X-ray and MRI on her right knee. Barber (8-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC), who returned after more than a year away, could be facing time on the shelf again, requiring an MRI on her right shoulder.

MMA Junkie on Tuesday obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commissions’ official record keeper.

The full list of UFC 258 medical suspensions includes:

  • Kamaru Usman: Needs X-ray of right foot, and clearance by doctor, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.
  • Gilbert Burns: Needs right eyebrow and left orbital lacerations cleared by doctor, otherwise suspended 45 days; minimum suspension is 30 days.
  • Maycee Barber: Needs MRI of right shoulder, doctor clearance, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.
  • Alexa Grasso: Needs X-ray and MRI of right knee, doctor clearance, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with 21 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with 30 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with 30 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Julian Marquez[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with 21 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Rodolfo Vieira[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with 45 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: Needs X-ray of right hand, doctor clearance, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 21 days with 14 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Dhiego Lima[/autotag]: Needs X-ray of nose, doctor clearance, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 45 days with 30 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Polyana Viana[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag]: Needs MRI of right elbow, and clearance by doctor, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag]: Needs X-ray of nose, doctor clearance, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Gabriel Green[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with 21 days no contact due to left eye laceration.
  • [autotag]Phil Rowe[/autotag]: Needs X-ray of left knee, and clearance by doctor, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.

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UFC 258 post-event facts: Kamaru Usman’s resume hits legendary status

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 258, which saw Kamaru Usman defend his welterweight title vs. in the main event.

The UFC hosted its second pay-per-view of the year on Saturday with UFC 258, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with 10 fighters on a heavily-altered card.

In the main event, [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 13-0 UFC) showed there’s no going back in the conversation about him being an all-time great in the welterweight division when he battered Gilbert Burns (19-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) for a third-round TKO to secure his third title defense at 170 pounds.

Usman’s name is all over the record books with the win, and for more on the numbers, check below for 40 post-event facts to come out of UFC 258.

UFC 258 bonuses: Kamaru Usman leads four ‘Performance of the Night’ honors

Kamaru Usman’s sensational performance in the main event earned him an extra $50,000.

The UFC’s second pay-per-view and first title fight of the year are both in the books as, as UFC 258 went down on Saturday night.

As with every UFC event, four fighters were awarded $50,000 bonuses for outstanding work in the octagon on the evening. This time around, the promotion didn’t give out a “Fight of the Night” bonus, but rather went with four “Performance of the Night” awards.

UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag], [autotag]Polyana Viana[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag], and [autotag]Julian Marquez[/autotag] all earned post-fight honors.

UFC 258 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Here’s a look at each of the competitors who earned post-fight bonuses.

 

Joe Rogan’s UFC 258 interview with Polyana Viana and reaction to her mugger story were cringeworthy

Why did Joe Rogan bring up a two-year-old story in the first place while speaking with Polyana Viana?

Let’s just put this out there straight away and bluntly: Is Joe Rogan trippin’?

The veteran cageside commentator was at the UFC Apex on Saturday night for UFC 258 to call his first event of 2021, and his return gave us one very awkward moment with [autotag]Polyana Viana[/autotag].

Viana had just scored an impressive first-round submission win over Mallory Martin during their strawweight prelim bout on ESPN. With Rogan on post-fight interview duty, this is how their conversation started:

Rogan: “Before we even talk about the fight, I want to know: What was it like to become famous for beating up that mugger in Brazil?”

Viana, through translator Alex Davis: “Yeah, that was two years ago. Everybody still remembers. I’m really happy, because that inspired a lot of women to start doing self-defense classes.”

Yeah, that’s right. Viana had just looked really good in winning her second consecutive fight, but for some odd reason, Rogan was interested in first talking about something that happened in [checks notes] January 2019.

It was a viral story at the time broken by then-MMA Junkie reporter Fernanda Prates. But did Rogan just read about it this week?

As awkward as that was, though, Rogan rejoined fellow commentators Jon Anik and Daniel Cormier, and he wasn’t quite ready to stop talking about the mugger story. Here’s what was said on air before going to commercial:

Rogan: “We talked about it during the break, but that fight, that thing that she had in Brazil, we didn’t really talk about on the air, did we? Here’s a viral image of a man with his face beat to hell, and it’s because of this woman. He tried to mug her, and she beat the snot out of him. He became a part of multiple memes.”

Cormier: “He’s famous for getting beat up …”

Rogan: “By a beautiful woman, too! What a terrible life!”

Oh, the cringe.

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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UFC 258 video: Polyana Viana’s slick armbar finishes game Mallory Martin

Polyana Viana was determined to get a finish at UFC 258, and her persistence paid off.

[autotag]Polyana Viana[/autotag] sure was determined to get a submission Saturday at UFC 258.

Viana (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) got Mallory Martin into a tight triangle in the early moments of their strawweight preliminary card fight at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Martin (7-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC), though, turned out to be a determined foe and thrashed around like a fish that was hooked to prevent getting reeled in, looking for an escape.

Viana even found herself on the receiving end of a Martin slam. But she held on and transitioned to a picture-perfect armbar. With Martin trapped, and a full two minutes after she was first put in the triangle, she had no choice but to tap at the 3:18 mark of the opening round.

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You can check out the handiwork that led to her eighth career submission victory below:

 

“That’s a technique I do really well – I transition from the triangle to the armbar,” Viana said.

Brazil’s Viana has won two fights in a row to rebound nicely from a rough 1-3 start to her UFC career. All three of her UFC wins are by submission.

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UFC 258 pre-event facts: Kamaru Usman’s winning streak nears historic mark

The best facts and figures about UFC 258, which features a Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns welterweight title main event.

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The UFC is back again on Saturday with UFC 258, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

A welterweight championship fight with a number of underlying storylines takes place in the main event. Reigning titleholder [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) faces former teammate [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) in a curious clash of two fighters who know each other well.

For more on the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 50 pre-event facts about UFC 258.