Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
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.
Rafael Alves danced and flipped his way into the octagon at UFC Fight Night 197 then choked out Marc Diakiese.
[autotag]Rafael Alves[/autotag] danced and flipped his way into the octagon at UFC Fight Night 197 then proceeded to manhandle Marc Diakiese for a first-round finish.
Alves (20-10 MMA, 1-1 UFC) hurt Diakiese (14-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) with a big shot in the opening round of their lightweight bout on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He pounced once he got close after the initial blow, locking in a guillotine choke that forced his opponent to tap out at the 1:48 mark of Round 1.
Check out a replay of Alves’ handiwork below (via Twitter):
WHAT A FINISH FOR @Rafael_TheTurn 🔥
[ #UFCVegas42 | Prelims are LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/vrZ1028Kg5
— UFC (@ufc) November 13, 2021
Statement made for his first UFC victory 👏
[ @Rafael_TheTurn | #UFCVegas42 | Prelims are LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/MWTFnaNvri
— UFC (@ufc) November 13, 2021
After suffering a loss in his promotional debut earlier this year, Alves gave a more complete outlook on what he’s all about by putting away Diakiese, who has now lost back-to-back fights and is winless since September 2019.
“I’m ready upstairs (on the feet), downstairs (on the ground) – I’ll get it,” Alves said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “Dana (White) I’m here to be a champion. I’m born to be a champion.”
Up-to-the-moment results of UFC Fight Night 197 include:
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Fish is to blame for one of the biggest weight misses in UFC history, according to Rafael Alves.
[autotag]Rafael Alves[/autotag] has revealed the reason for his grotesque weight miss: salmon.
According to Alves, who missed weight by 11.5 pounds Friday morning during the UFC Fight Night 185 weigh-ins in Las Vegas, food poisoning is to blame for the scale botch.
“I ate salmon yesterday and fell ill, (had) vomit and diarrhea, so the doctor said I had to treat it with (drinking) water,” he told MMA Fighting via text message. “I only had (4.4 pounds) left to cut, (but) when I drank water my weight went up and got stuck, so the doctor didn’t clear me to fight. But God owns everything and He knows what He does.”
Alves, 30, was set to make his promotional debut Saturday at featherweight against Patrick Sabatini. The fight was pulled when he weighed 157.5 pounds, a weight that wouldn’t even qualify as lightweight, nevermind featherweight.
Despite what Alves claims was food poisoning, he will move up to lightweight for his next fight. According to Alves, UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby has informed him he will not be released by the promotion.
“Sean Shelby said that health is what matters now,” Alves said. “He told me this has happened to champions before, and told (me) to fight at 155 and come back stronger. They won’t cut me because they had to change opponents and they were searching for a new one, some said they would fight at 155 and others at 145, so I didn’t focus on the guy I was fighting nor my weight. But I’m going to fight at 155 now. I’m focused and nothing will stop me.”
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As for the critics, Alves isn’t listening to them. He has faith in his abilities and thinks he will still have success in the future despite the bump in the road.
“I know a lot of people are criticizing me, but I don’t care,” Alves said. “Jesus was God’s son and he was criticized despite all his power, so imagine me, a flawed man on Earth? But thank God the UFC hasn’t said they will cut me, so I’ll be back soon. They said I’m a showman that will give the UFC a lot of profit.”
UFC Fight Night 185 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
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This is not the first impression you want to make ahead of your UFC debut.
This is not the first impression you want to make ahead of your UFC debut.
On Friday, [autotag]Rafael Alves[/autotag] came in 11.5 pounds over the featherweight limit for his first promotional fight against Patrick Sabatini on the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 185. Alves (19-9 MMA, 0-0 UFC) weighed in at 157.5 pounds.
As a result of the massive miss, Alves vs. Sabatini was canceled.
Had the bout against Sabatini (13-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) proceeded, the MMA Masters product would’ve had the biggest weight miss recorded for a UFC fight. Anthony Johnson holds the mark for the biggest weight miss recorded in UFC history. Johnson, a former two-time UFC title challenger and now Bellator light heavyweight, missed weight by 11 pounds for a middleweight fight against Vitor Belfort in 2012. He lost that fight via rear-naked choke in the first round.
Alves, who earned his UFC contract through “Dana White’s Contender Series” last August, wasn’t the only fighter who missed weight on Friday for UFC Fight Night 185. Ketlen Vieira, Jared Gordon and Drako Rodriguez also missed their marks.
https://twitter.com/jaypettry/status/1362827039024250885?s=20
Below are the full UFC Fight Night 185 weigh-in results:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET)
Rafael Alves misses weight for his UFC Fight Night 185 bout
Rafael Alves misses weight for his UFC Fight Night 185 bout
Rafael Alves talks to the media pre-fight at UFC Fight Night 185 before his featherweight bout against Patrick Sabatini on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Rafael Alves talks to the media pre-fight at UFC Fight Night 185 before his featherweight bout against Patrick Sabatini on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Two-time CFFC featherweight champion Pat Sabatini will step in on short notice to take on Rafael Alves at UFC Fight Night 185.
Two-time CFFC featherweight champion [autotag]Pat Sabatini[/autotag] has gotten the UFC call.
With Mike Trizano out, Sabatini (13-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has stepped in on short notice to face [autotag]Rafael Alves[/autotag] (19-9 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 185, which takes place Feb. 20 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Alves was first to report the news on his social media.
Winner of five of his past six, Sabatini captured the vacant featherweight title at CFFC 91 in December with a second-round submission of Jesse Stern. Sabatini has finished 11 of his 13 professional victories with 10 submissions and one knockout.
Alves, a former Titan FC lightweight champion, punched his ticket to the UFC on Dana White’s Contender Series this past August with a submission of Alejandro Flores. The Brazilian, who trains at MMA Masters in Florida, has won five in a row.
With the change, the UFC Fight Night 185 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET)
Check out the results from Dana White’s Contender Series 30 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
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LAS VEGAS – Dana White’s Contender Series returns Tuesday with five fights on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex, and MMA Junkie is on the scene for full coverage.
In the featured bout, middleweight Jhonoven Pati (6-3), a two-time LFA veteran whose six career victories have all come by way of stoppage, faces Jamie Pickett (10-4), who has appeared twice before on Dana White’s Contenders Series but lost each time to UFC contract winners Charles Byrd and Puna Soriano.
* * * *
In a featherweight clash, [autotag]Rafael Alves[/autotag] (19-9) looked incredibly dangerous on the feet, but it was ultimately his grappling game that scored him a win over [autotag]Alejandro Flores[/autotag] (17-3).
Alves established the center to start the fight, and he clearly looked to load up on everything with full power. Meanwhile, Flores looked to shift laterally on the outside and attack the legs while waiting to counter.Alves threatened with powerful hooks in tight and flashed out a spinning high kick, as well. He also showboated a bit, briefly putting his hands behind his back. It was clear early he was the more powerful fighter, but the question remained if he could sustain the energy as long as Flores could avoid getting caught flush.
Flores was busier to start the second, clearly not wanting to get backed against the cage again. Alves did again walk forward and look to tee up on something big, but Flores switched stances and moves side to side, keeping himself anything but a stationary target. Alves was perhaps too patient, but he did dazzle with a switch kick – it was just too infrequent. Fortunately for him, it wouldn’t matter.
Flores shot in for a takedown, bringing the action to the floor, but Alves fell into a guillotine and squeezed, working to guard and getting the tap at the 2:55 mark of the round.
"Make that SEVEN!"@Rafael_TheTurn grabs another submission win over Flores 🇧🇷
Live now on #ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/S4z7mi2emw
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2020
In a flyweight contest [autotag]Jeffrey Molina[/autotag] (8-2) proved to be too much for a dangerous [autotag]Jacob Silva[/autotag] (6-3), battling his way to a decision win over the course of three action-packed rounds.
Molina was busy with low kicks early, but Silva was able to catch a few of them and trip him to the floor. Molina was able to scramble to his feet each time, but it put him in a few scary positions early. On the feet, both men threw rapid-fire strikes, with Silva seemingly getting the best of the punching exchanges until the bell, when Molina scored a flash knockdown right at the final tick.
Silva was aggressive in the second, while the longer Molina did his best to stay away and work from range. The exchanges were spirited and frequent. Silva was the one talking forward, but Molina was plenty capable in his attacks, using more kicks than his opponent but probably not landing with quite as much power. Molina landed his best shot in the final minute with a clean high kick, then moved into the clinch and tried to score with knees inside to end the round.
Silva remained the one pushing forward at the start of the third, but Molina was efficient in his striking off the back foot. Silva suffered a cut on his right cheek but continued to push forward. Referee Mark Smith had the doctor take a look at him following a clash of heads, but Silva was fine to continue, and the two pressed on with their relentless exchanges. Molina certainly absorbed his share of stiff strikes along the way, but he didn’t show much of the damage. Silva wasn’t quite as lucky, but he also pushed until the very end, flurrying until the final bell, but it wasn’t enough, and Molina walked away with a decision win, 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.
WHAT. A. FIGHT.
These guys have the Boss standing up on his feet. Who will take the win? #DWCS pic.twitter.com/A3UkUrdGcr
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2020
In a lightweight matchup, [autotag]Anthony Romero[/autotag] (8-0) kept his undefeated record intact with a convincing decision win over [autotag]Mike Breeden[/autotag] (8-3).
Romero took the center to start, flashing out low kicks and quick hands. But Breeden countered with stiff punches down the middle, clearly earning his opponent’s respect. Both men were content to strike in the early going, with Romero favoring kicks in his combinations but Breeden answering back with powerful straight shots. Romero was the aggressor in most of the exchanges, but he was constantly aware of Breeden’s firepower, as well.
Breeden looked to change levels early in the second but couldn’t get inside. Romero popped him with an uppercut shortly after, but Breeden appeared relatively unaffected. The two continued to trade on the feet, with Breeden having success when he was the busier fighter but often finding himself content to counter, instead. Romero’s low kicks continued to find the mark, and his uppercut landed clean again, as well. Romero constantly sought new angles and mixed in a spinning backfist, as well, before scoring a takedown with a little more than a minute remaining. Breeden worked his way up shortly after, and the two finished the round on the feet. Breeden landed his best shot of the frame in the waning seconds but didn’t stay active enough afterward.
Breeden tried to press in the third, but Romero moved well to escape. It was clear Breeden wanted to brawl, but Romero’s speed and footwork made that difficult. As Romero continued attacking the left leg, Breeden struggled to stay upright. Still, even as he limped around the cage, Breeden did his best to engage. However, Romero settled back into a rhythm, sticking and moving and making it tough to track him down. Breeden deserved credit for his heart, but Romero cruised on the cards, 30-26, 30-27 and 29-28.
CHOPPING AT THE LEGS!
These @Genius_MMA leg kicks were BRUTAL 😳 #DWCS pic.twitter.com/ekB9UkK8tp
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2020
In the night’s first contest, middleweight [autotag]Collin Huckbody[/autotag] (8-2) wasted little time in picking up a quick stoppage win over [autotag]Kyron Bowen[/autotag] (9-5).
At the start of the fight, it was Bowen who was sharp on the feet, landing a few solid low kicks before Huckbody elected to shoot from range, scrambling his way to top position. Bowen then looked to escaped to his feet, but Huckbody rolled with him and was able to advance to mount. From there, he chased after the arm-triangle, missing it on the first few attempts but locking it in on a subsequent effort and getting a quick tap for an impressive submission win at the 1:28 mark of the opening round.
Less than 90 seconds in! ⏱
🇺🇸 @Collin37659590 secures the win via arm triangle.
Watch live on #ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/fyCbON7paH
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2020
Up-to-the minute Dana White’s Contender Series 30 results include:
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MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Monday’s official Dana White’s Contender Series 30 fighter weigh-ins.
MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Monday’s official Dana White’s Contender Series 30 fighter weigh-ins.
Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC president Dana White on hand to make the decisions.
In the featured bout, middleweight [autotag]Jhonoven Pati[/autotag] (6-3), a two-time LFA veteran whose six career victories have all come by way of stoppage, faces [autotag]Jamie Pickett[/autotag] (10-4), who has appeared twice before on Dana White’s Contenders Series but lost each time to UFC contract winners Charles Byrd and Puna Soriano.
The weigh-ins take place at the UFC host hotel in Las Vegas. The UFC Apex hosts Tuesday’s card, which streams on ESPN+.
The full Dana White’s Contender Series 30 weigh-in results include:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
