A bantamweight matchup between Aspen Ladd and Sara McMann is targeted for a UFC event on June 27.
A bantamweight matchup between [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] and [autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag] is being finalized for a UFC event on June 27.
The UFC intended to head to Austin, Texas, on that date before the coronavirus pandemic put all event locations in limbo. The promotion hopes to determine a new location soon, with Las Vegas the frontrunner pending the Nevada Athletic Commission’s resumption of combat sports.
MMA Junkie confirmed Monday that Ladd (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and McMann (12-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) have agreed to fight on the card, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation. The people requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.
Ladd had been waiting on a fight against Julianna Pena after the pair were originally booked on a postponed March 28 card, but Pena apparently is not ready to fight after suffering an injury. The 25-year-old Ladd, who is No. 3 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA women’s bantamweight rankings, is coming off a win over Yana Kunitskaya at UFC on ESPN 7 in December.
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No. 14-ranked McMann, meanwhile, will look to continue her success after returning to the octagon from a nearly two-year hiatus. The Olympic wrestling silver medalist and former UFC title challenger gave birth to her second child during her time away from the sport, but returning in January to pick up a win over Lina Lansberg at UFC on ESPN+ 24, snapping a two-fight skid.
The latest lineup for the UFC’s June 27 card include:
See who Curtis Blaydes should fight next after his victory over Junior Dos Santos at UFC Raleigh.
(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Junior Dos Santos after UFC on ESPN+ 24 loss?)
After every event, fans wonder who the winners will be matched up with next.
And with another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC on ESPN+ 24’s most noteworthy winning fighters.
Those winners include [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC), who defeated Junior Dos Santos (21-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) by second-round TKO in the main event at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., as well as [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC), [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and [autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC).
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Sara McMann
Should fight: [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag]
Why they should fight: Former title challenger and Olympic silver medalist McMann returned from a two-year hiatus and ended her 35-month winless skid in a dominant effort against Lina Lansberg.
As is the case with many who meet McMann, the wrestling was no match and led to a lopsided result. Given McMann’s name value and achievements, that’s all she needs to move on an upward trajectory in the thin UFC women’s bantamweight division.
Inconsistency has been an issue for McMann, but perhaps this is her time to gain momentum and possibly get a rematch with champion Amanda Nunes, who beat her in 2015. McMann will need to take out at least one more top contender before that happens, though, and Pennington (10-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC), who is coming off a loss to Holly Holm at UFC 246, is someone always willing to take on a challenge.
Arnold Allen
Should fight: [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag]
Why they should fight: The strong start to Allen’s UFC tenure continued when he joined the shortlist of featherweights to start 7-0 in the octagon with a solid decision win over a veteran opponent in Nik Lentz.
Allen’s past two wins against Lentz and Gilbert Melendez shows he knows how to handle experienced opponents who have plenty of tricks up their sleeves. It’s what he should be doing as a highly regarded 25-year-old prospect, but now he needs a different type of challenge.
He was originally scheduled to fight Emmett (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) on the card, but it fell apart when Emmett withdrew due to injury. That was the top 10 opponent Allen deserved given his streak, and considering how he handled Lentz, it’s more than clear he deserves that type of opportunity.
Michael Chiesa
Should fight: Winner of [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] vs [autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 28
Why they should fight: Chiesa earned the most significant win of his welterweight run, and perhaps his UFC career overall, when he outworked former UFC champ Rafael dos Anjos to a unanimous decision. It wasn’t the prettiest of fights, but Chiesa is now 3-0 since bumping up from lightweight 13 months ago.
Chiesa made a solid callout of Colby Covington after his win, but for some reason that fight feels unlikely for him. He deservingly wants someone in the top five, but it remains to be seen how the top of the division will be booked in the coming months. Chiesa isn’t far off from being in that mix, though.
The matchup that would best suit him would be the winner of the March 14 contest in Brazil between Burns (17-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and Maia (28-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC). If Maia wins, he would be on a four-fight streak and the type of highly ranked, established name Chiesa is looking for. Should Burns turn it in his favor, he would be much in the same position of Chiesa as someone who shot up the rankings by beating someone much higher. A pairing between them would see one of them take the next step.
Curtis Blaydes
Should fight:[autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Blaydes should fight Volkov (31-7 MMA, 5-1 UFC) next after his main event victory.
Take a look inside Sara McMann’s unanimous decision win over Lina Lansberg at UFC on ESPN+ 24 in Raleigh, N.C.
RALEIGH, N.C. – [autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag] beat Lina Lansberg with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 24 in Raleigh, N.C.
Take a look inside the fight with McMann, who returned after nearly a two-year layoff.
“I’m working on my composure and setting things up, but she hit a good liver shot at one point and I knew I didn’t want any more of that. She’s a muay Thai fighter. She’s good, and she’s fast, so I didn’t want to deal with that.”
McMann on the long layoff
“I wondered if I would feel a little bit more tired out there than I did. It doesn’t matter how hard you train. When you are out there and the adrenaline is going with the importance and urgency of it all, you end up more fatigued than you would be in practice. I’ve been training really well, very hard, and I’ve been focusing on my recovery a lot. I did a lot of running and swimming for this, which is great conditioning for my legs, especially.”
McMann on what she wants next
“I want to savor tonight, but I know how the UFC works. They don’t want to give me an easy fight, and I’m on the same page as them. I’d like a top-five opponent. Bring them on and I’ll knock them down.”
To hear more from McMann, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
Thoughts and analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC Raleigh, where Curtis Blaydes made a statement. But was it big enough?
What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 24 in Raleigh? Here are a few post-fight musings …
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1. Curtis Blaydes’ ‘Plan Z’ ain’t too shabby
It was no surprise that [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] was a winner over [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] in the main event. He was a roughly 3-to-1 betting favorite, but even his strongest supporters didn’t see it unfolding like that.
Not only did Blaydes stop Dos Santos with strikes, but he did so without getting a single takedown. All six of his attempts were denied, forcing him into what he labeled post-fight as “Plan Z.” He revealed he’s got some talent there, as well, landing solid shots before a massive one rocked Dos Santos and led to the second-round TKO.
Blaydes’ preferred method of victory still would’ve been to take down Dos Santos and batter him, he said, but that’s what was expected if the fight went his way. This performance was much more eye-opening, and it helps generate a better understanding of Blaydes as he continues to jockey for position in the heavyweight title picture.
UFC on ESPN+ 24 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.
RALEIGH, N.C. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 24 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $169,000.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
UFC on ESPN+ 24 took place Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The entire card streamed ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN+ 24 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
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[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag]: $20,000
[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]: $20,000
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 24 event.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN+ 24 went with as their backing tracks in Raleigh, N.C.
Sara McMann had more than 10 minutes of ground control time on Lina Lansberg in a dominant return to action at UFC Raleigh.
[autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag] had more than 10 minutes of ground control time on [autotag]Lina Lansberg[/autotag] in a dominant return to action Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 24.
In her first fight in nearly two years, McMann (12-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) used her high-level wrestling to control Lansberg (10-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) on the mat for the overwhelming majority of three rounds to earn a unanimous decision by lopsided scores of 30- 27, 30-26 and 30-25. It was the first win since February 2017 for the one-time UFC title challenger.
McMann wasted no time taking the fight to the ground. She shot in on Lansberg from open space, getting the fight down in the center of the octagon less then 30 second in. McMann quickly went to work and attempted multiple submissions and battered Lansberg’s body with ground-and-pound. Lansberg attempted to scramble free, but McMann dominated every position and continued to attack with submissions. Lansberg hung tough, though, and lasted the round.
The fight picked up where it left off in the second. After roughly 60 seconds of cautious striking on the feet, McMann got her takedown. She smothered Lansberg from on top, and the Swede had no answers for the high level and top game of the Olympic silver medalist. McMann finally got the full mount position she was looking for in the late stages of the round, but did not have enough time to do anything effective.
Lansberg attempt to come out with a few heavy shots to start the final round, but walked right into the clinch position with McMann that led to a takedown less than 30 seconds in. Lansberg tried to create some scrambles and escape the bad spots, but McMann stuck on her and kept enough pressure to avoid being stood up or allow the fight to get away from her.
“Sometimes I’ve got away from it, and I try to strike a little bit more,” McMann said in he post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier.” I’ve got good power in my hands, but why am I handicapping myself? I know ground-and-pound power is better than my power on the feet.”
The women’s bantamweight bout was part of the UFC on ESPN+ 24 preliminary card at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. It streamed on ESPN+.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 24 results include:
Sara McMann def. Lina Lansberg via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-25)
Sara McMann is back with a new mentality after being away from MMA for nearly two years ahead of UFC on ESPN+ 24.
RALEIGH, N.C. – [autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag] returns to MMA with a new mentality after a break of nearly two years which included the birth of her second child.
McMann (11-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) hasn’t competed since a February 2018 loss to Marion Reneau, but returns Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 24 when she meets Lina Lansberg (10-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) in a bantamweight bout.
Not since starting the sport has McMann had such a long break from competition, but she said she never strayed away too far from the gym, even while pregnant.
“It’s kind of like coming home,” McMann told MMA Junkie of her octagon return. “In a way it feels like I’ve been away for a long time. In a way it feels like it was just a minute. I trained all throughout my pregnancy. I tried to do as much as I could for as long as I could and I set specific goals during that time, too. So I wanted to clean up the areas I was always focusing on doing.”
McMann said the majority of her training time was dedicated to upping her level in the striking and jiu-jitsu departments. She’s “improved a lot,” she said, and hopes to show as much in her upcoming showdown with Lansberg, who she knows is a capable opponent coming off back-to-back underdog wins against Macy Chiasson and Tony Evinger.
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The fight is part of the prelims of UFC on ESPN+ 24, which stream on ESPN+ along with the rest of the card at PNC Arena.
Now 39 and a mother of two, McMann said she isn’t sure what her longevity in the sport looks like. She’s 100 percent dedicated to climbing to the top of the mountain, though, and not having won since February 2017, this fight is critical to that aspiration.
The former UFC title challenger and Olympic silver medalist has always wanted the belt, but admitted to taking mental missteps. She has a different perspective than what she left with 23 months ago, however, and believes that will be beneficial to her success.
“I think in the past I have looked ahead too far and that’s gotten me in trouble,” McMann said. “It’s got me to not focus on what’s right in front of me at the moment. So right now, I’m only looking at this fight. Then I’ll look at the next fight. I always ask for top opponents. So right after this I will want a top opponent and that will naturally lead me closer to the gold.”
The best stats and figures about UFC on ESPN+ 24, which features a Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior Dos Santos main event.
The UFC makes its sixth trip to North Carolina on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 24. Its the promotion’s debut in Raleigh, and is set to stream on ESPN+ from PNC Arena.
In the main event, heavyweight contenders clash. [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) will attempt to extended his two-fight winning streak against former UFC champion [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 15-5 UFC), who looks to rebound from a loss in his most recent outing.
The matchup tops the 12-fight card, which also features one more former UFC titleholder as well as former title challenger.
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Main event
Curtis Blaydes
Blaydes absorbs 1.9 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Blaydes’ 45 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Blaydes completes 60 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Cheick Kongo (63.2 percent).
Blaydes’ takedown rate of 7.05 per 15 minutes of fighting is highest in UFC history.
Blaydes’ 10 takedowns landed against Mark Hunt at UFC 221 tied the record for second most in a single UFC heavyweight fight behind Cain Velasquez’s 11 takedowns landed at UFC 155.
Blaydes’ three knockout victories stemming from elbow strikes in UFC competition are tied with Paul Felder for most in company history.
Junior Dos Santos
Dos Santos competes in his 13th UFC headliner. He’s 8-4 in his previous main event bouts.
Dos Santos’ total fight time of 3:44:34 in UFC heavyweight competition is second most in company history behind Andrei Arlovski (4:33:42).
Dos Santos’ 15 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Arlovski (17) and Frank Mir (16).
Dos Santos’ 10 knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Velasquez and Derrick Lewis for most in divisional history.
Dos Santos’ 14 knockdowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Dos Santos has landed 1,068 significant strikes in UFC heavyweight competition, the most in divisional history.
Dos Santos and Ben Rothwell combined for 234 significant strikes landed at UFC Fight Night 86, the third most in a single UFC heavyweight fight behind Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier (304) at UFC 241 and Fabricio Werdum vs. Marcin Tybura (282) at UFC Fight Night 121.
Dos Santos’ 157 significant strikes landed against Rothwell are second most in a UFC heavyweight fight behind Miocic (181) at UFC 241.
Dos Santos’ 92 significant body strikes landed against Rothwell are the UFC heavyweight record for a single fight.
Dos Santos defends 80.5 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the fourth-best rate in divisional history behind Alexander Volkov (82.8 percent), Marcin Tybura (81.5 percent) and Arlovski (80.6 percent).
Co-main event
Rafael dos Anjos
[autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] (30-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) is the only Brazilian lightweight champion in UFC history.
Dos Anjos is 4-3 since he moved up to the UFC welterweight division in June 2017.
Dos Anjos’ average fight time of 19:39 in UFC welterweight competition is the longest in divisional history.
Dos Anjos’ 18 UFC wins are tied for seventh most in company history. Donald Cerrone holds the all-time record with 23.
Dos Anjos lands 54.4 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Gunnar Nelson (56.8 percent).
Dos Anjos became just the second fighter in history to challenge for a UFC title and win a 50-45 decision on all three judges’ scorecards when he beat Anthony Pettis at UFC 185. Randy Couture also accomplished the feat against Tim Sylvia at UFC 68.
Dos Anjos’ 66-second victory over Cerrone at UFC on FOX 17 is the fastest stoppage in UFC lightweight title fight history.
Michael Chiesa
[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) is 2-0 since he moved up to the welterweight division in December 2018.
Chiesa’s five submission victories via rear-naked choke in UFC competition are tied for third most in company history behind Demian Maia (nine) and Kenny Florian (seven).
Chiesa has completed at least one takedown against 12 of his 13 UFC opponents.
Remaining main card
Alex Perez
[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 123.
[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 5-7 UFC) competes in her 13th UFC strawweight bout, tied with Randa Markos for the most appearances in divisional history.
Hill is 4-5 since she returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2017.
Hill’s two knockdowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Rose Namajunas (three).
Hill has landed 100 or more significant strikes in five separate UFC strawweight fights, the second most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (seven).
[autotag]Darko Stosic[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is 1-2 since he dropped to the light heavyweight division in July 2018. He went 12-1 at heavyweight.
Preliminary card
Bevon Lewis
[autotag]Bevon Lewis[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career on a six-fight winning streak.
[autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag]’s (15-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak in featherweight competition is tied with Zabit Magomedsharipov and Alexander Volkanovski for the longest active streak in the division.
Allen is one of four featherweights in UFC history to open his career with six straight wins. Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor and Yair Rodriguez also accomplished the feat.
Allen absorbs 1.78 significant strikes per minute in UFC featherweight competition, the third best rate in divisional history behind Rani Yahya (1.05) and Mirsad Bektic (1.7).
Nik Lentz
[autotag]Nik Lentz[/autotag] (30-10-2 MMA, 14-7-1 UFC) returns to the featherweight division for the first time since May 2015. He went 4-2 during his first stint in the weight class.
Lentz’s 68 takedowns landed in UFC competition are tied for fourth most in company history behind Georges St-Pierre (90), Gleison Tibau (84) and Demetrious Johnson (74).
Lentz’s 20 guillotine choke attempts in UFC competition are the most in company history.
Lentz and Charles Oliveira are one of three pairs of fighters in UFC history to have a trilogy in which all three fights were not for a title. Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz and Sam Stout vs. Spencer Fisher also accomplished the feat.
[autotag]Justine Kish[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Jan. 27, 2018. It’s the third time in her career she’s had a layoff of at least 23 months.
Kish has suffered consecutive losses after starting her career on a six-fight winning streak.
[autotag]Lucie Pudilova[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC), 25, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Pudilova’s three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.
Pudilova is 0-2 since she dropped to the UFC women’s flyweight division in February.
[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) submission victory at 1:40 of Round 1 at UFC 232 is the second fastest D’Arce choke finish in UFC history. Only Chas Skelly’s 19-second win at UFC Fight Night 94 was faster.
Sara McMann
[autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag] (11-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC), 39, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
McMann returns to competition for the first time since Feb. 24, 2018. The 700-day layoff is the longest of her nearly nine-year career.
McMann competes in her 11th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, the third-most appearances in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (12) and Raquel Pennington (12).
McMann’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for the second most in divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (three).
McMann’s 2017 victory over Gina Mazany at 1:14 of Round 1 marked the second fastest submission in UFC women’s bantamweight history behind Ronda Rousey’s 14-second finish of Cat Zingano at UFC 184.
[autotag]Lina Lansberg[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) enters the event on the first winning streak of her UFC career.
Lansberg lands 57.7 of her significant strikes in UFC women’s bantamweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Lansberg has earned all four of her UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career on a 15-fight winning streak.
Johns has earned one of two calf-slicer submissions in UFC history. Charles Oliveira also accomplished the feat.
Johns’ 30-second submission of Joe Soto at the TUF 26 Finale was second fastest in UFC/WEC combined bantamweight history behind Patrick Williams’ 23-second finish at UFC 188.
Johns’ 11 takedowns landed at UFC Fight Night 99 are tied for the single-fight record for a UFC/WEC bantamweight bout.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
