Scott Holtzman – Page 2 – Syndication Server

UFC on ESPN+ 32 medical suspensions: Yana Kunitskaya, three others face six months off

Four fighters are facing lengthy suspensions as a result of their UFC on ESPN+ 32 injuries.

Four fighters are facing potential six-month suspensions for injuries sustained in their respective UFC on ESPN+ 32 bouts.

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (neck and arm), [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (facial fractures), [autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag] (left ribs), and [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag] (right hand, right wrist, and left eye) will not be able to fight until Feb. 5, 2021, unless they are cleared by a doctor beforehand.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.

Headlining victor [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] did not receive a suspension, while his opponent, [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag], received a 45-day suspension for lacerations sustained in the fight.

Former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] and his opponent, [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag], both received 30-day suspensions after their co-main event bout.

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Below is the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 32 medical suspensions:

Derrick Lewis: No suspension.
Aleksei Oleinik: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left eye and lip lacerations.
Chris Weidman: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to a “hard fight.”
Omari Akhmedov: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to laceration under left eye.
[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left scalp laceration.
[autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: No suspension.
Yana Kunitskaya: Suspended 180 days or until MRI of neck and right arm are cleared by orthopedic doctor; Also suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days.
[autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
Scott Holtzman: Suspended 180 days or until left inferior orbital floor fracture cleared by maxillofacial surgeon; Also suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days.
[autotag]Laureno Staropoli[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days due to left eye laceration.
[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left eye lacerations.
[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left eye laceration.
[autotag]Alexander Munoz[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days, or until right eye is cleared by doctor.
[autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
[autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: No suspension.
Peter Barrett: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of left ribs is cleared by an orthopedic doctor; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
Irwin Rivera: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right hand and wrist is cleared by doctor and possible left eye corneal abrasion is cleared by an ophthalmologist.
[autotag]Ali Alqaisi[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to sutures on nasal bridge.

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UFC on ESPN+ 32 post-event facts: Derrick Lewis conquers one record and approaches others

All the notable stats to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 32, which took place in Las Vegas, and saw Derrick Lewis knock out Aleksei Oleinik.

The UFC’s loaded August schedule continued on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 32, which went down at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streamed on ESPN+.

The UFC’s busiest heavyweight picked up another notable win in the headliner when [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) overcame the grappling prowess of [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-14-1 MMA, 8-5 UFC) to net a second-round TKO and extend his current winning streak to three fights.

“The Black Beast” made UFC history with his finish, and for more on the numbers, check below for 35 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 32.

* * * *

General

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $162,000.

Debuting fighters went 0-3 at the event.

[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag] and [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 32 fight-night bonuses.

UFC on ESPN+ 32 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.

Betting favorites went 10-2 on the card.

Betting favorites improved to 15-7 in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:10:09.

Main card

Lewis’ 15 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Junior Dos Santos for third most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (18) and Frank Mir (16).

Lewis’ 11 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Arlovski, Gabriel Gonzaga and Stefan Struve for second most in divisional history behind Mir (13),

Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied for second most in company history behind Vitor Belfort (12).

Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.

Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC competition since 2014 are tied with Thiago Santos for most among active fighters in the organization.

Oleinik has suffered all four of his UFC stoppage losses by knockout.

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) was successful in his return to the middleweight division.

Weidman earned his first UFC victory where he failed to outland his opponent in strikes.

[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (20-5-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) fell to 3-1-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 4-1-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.

Akhmedov suffered the first decision loss of his career.

Stewart (12-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) improved to 5-3 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in November 2017.

[autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered five of his six career losses by stoppage.

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) improved to 3-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.

Kunitskaya outlanded her opponent 209-to-30 in total strikes. The +179 margin is largest in UFC women’s bantamweight history.

Kunitskaya has earned all three of her UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) earned the eighth knockout in UFC history stemming from a spinning backfist.

Dariush’s four-fight stoppage streak in UFC competition is tied with Justin Gaethje and Francis Ngannou for second longest among active fighters on the roster behind Charles Oliveira (seven).

[autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his knockout defeat.

Preliminary card

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (30-12-1 MMA, 12-9 UFC) improved to 10-7 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.

[autotag]Laureano Staropoli[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Alexander Munoz[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his six-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

[autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his knockout defeat.

[autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his submission defeat.

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

UFC on ESPN+ 32 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Tim Means leads $162,000 payout

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,000.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,000.

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+ 32 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streamed ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 32 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $20,000
def. [autotag]Laureano Staropoli[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Alex Munoz[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Ali Alqaisi[/autotag]: $3,500

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:

“UFC on ESPN+ 32: Lewis vs. Oleinik” – $162,000
“UFC on ESPN+ 31: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan” – $103,500
“UFC on ESPN 14: Whittaker vs. Till” – $209,500
“UFC on ESPN+ 30: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2” – $165,000
“UFC on ESPN 13: Kattar vs. Ige” – $97,000
“UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal” – $305,500
“UFC on ESPN 11: Blaydes vs. Volkov” – $178,500
“UFC on ESPN 10: Eye vs. Calvillo” – $95,000
“UFC 250: Nunes vs. Spencer” – $266,000
“UFC on ESPN 9: Woodley vs. Burns” – $114,500
“UFC on ESPN 8: Overeem vs. Harris” – $184,500
“UFC on ESPN+ 29: Smith vs. Teixeira” – $166,000
“UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje” – $305,500
“UFC on ESPN+ 28: Lee vs. Oliveira” – $209,500
“UFC 248: Adesanya vs. Romero” – $257,000
“UFC on ESPN+ 27: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo” – $119,500
“UFC on ESPN+ 26: Felder vs. Hooker” – $130,000
“UFC on ESPN+ 25: Anderson vs. Blachowicz 2” – $186,500
“UFC 247: Jones vs. Reyes” – $243,000
“UFC on ESPN+ 24: Blaydes vs. Dos Santos” – $169,000
“UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy” – $165,000

Year-to-date total: $3,763,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $34,767,500

Scott Holtzman not fazed by Beneil Dariush’s grappling, targets knockout win at UFC on ESPN+ 32

Scott Holtzman says he’ll hang tough with grappling ace Beneil Dariush if the fight hits the floor, but plans to knock him out on the feet.

LAS VEGAS — [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] will be making a big mistake if he overlooks him.

Holtzman (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) faces Dariush (18-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 32 and, while he may not be the ranked opponent Dariush was looking for, Holtzman still sees himself as a worthy adversary.

A winner of five of his past six outings, Holtzman is coming off a unanimous decision win over veteran Jim Miller in a “Fight of the Night” effort at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in February.

“I think we’ve seen it time and time again,” Holtzman told reporters at the UFC on ESPN+ 32 virtual media day Thursday. “You underestimate a guy, you go in there, you look past him, next thing you know you get beat. So he’s gotta face me man-to-man in there, he’s gotta get in there and pay the piper so I’m not worried about that one bit.

“It’s a fight, I’m confident in myself. He’s already been up in the rankings, he fell out and now he’s trying to climb back in, but I haven’t seen him beat any ranked opponents lately either, so it’s a good matchup.”

Dariush is known for his slick grappling skills, which he has used to finish the likes of Drew Dober and Frank Camacho in recent matchups. He’s also shown off his knockout power, most recently in a wild finish of Drakkar Klose at UFC 248, which earned Dariush his third-straight “Performance of the Night” bonus.

Dariush may be on an impressive run, but Holtzman said he’s identified sees holes in his opponent’s game, especially defensively, and he’ll look to exploit them when they stand and trade. And while Holtzman is wary of Dariush’s threat on the ground, he won’t back down if the fight ends up there.

“I don’t want to put on a pair of spats and grapple with him, that would be silly,” Holtzman said. “I don’t want to put on a wrestling singlet either, but there are some intangibles there in MMA, and I like my odds there. I like my takedown defense, I like my get-ups, but he’s no slouch on the ground. He’s a world champion, he’s got all these wins so it’d be silly for me to just want to grapple with him, but I’m not scared to go there. I’ve been there before, I’ve been taken down, I always get up. I’ve never been submitted, I work my way out, so I’m confident there.

“It’ll be a little bit of everything. From his last fight, he did have a big knockout, but what I saw was he was almost knocked out just before that, and a couple of mistakes from the other guy led to that knockout. So I see a lot of key takeaways that can help me (get) that knockout.”

UFC on ESPN+32 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

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UFC on ESPN+ 32 predictions: Can Aleksei Oleinik upset the favored Derrick Lewis?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN+ 32 main card in Las Vegas.

	Lewis vs. Oleinik	Akhmedov vs. Weidman	Pitolo vs. Stewart	Kunitskaya vs. Stoliarenko	Dariush vs. Holtzman
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2020: 72-49	Lewis (65%)	Akhmedov (53%)	Stewart (75%)	Kunitskaya (82%)	Dariush (85%)
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2020: 85-36	Lewis	Akhmedov	Pitolo	Kunitskaya	Dariush
Nolan King @mma_kings 2020: 85-36	Lewis	Akhmedov	Stewart	Kunitskaya	Dariush
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2020: 83-38	Lewis	Akhmedov	Stewart	Kunitskaya	Dariush
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2020: 81-40 2014 Champion	Lewis	Akhmedov	Pitolo	Kunitskaya	Dariush
Simon Head @simonhead 2020: 80-41 2019 Champion*	Lewis	Weidman	Stewart	Kunitskaya	Dariush
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2020: 80-41 2017 Champion	Lewis	Weidman	Stewart	Kunitskaya	Dariush
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2020: 80-41	Lewis	Akhmedov	Pitolo	Kunitskaya	Dariush
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2020: 79-42 2018 Champion	Lewis	Akhmedov	Pitolo	Stoliarenko	Holtzman
Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2020: 78-43	Lewis	Akhmedov	Stewart	Kunitskaya	Holtzman
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2020: 77-45	Lewis	Akhmedov	Stewart	Kunitskaya	Dariush
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2020: 76-45	Lewis	Weidman	Pitolo	Kunitskaya	Dariush
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2020: 73-48	Lewis	Weidman	Stewart	Kunitskaya	Dariush
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2020: 73-48	Lewis	Weidman	Stewart	Kunitskaya	Dariush
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2020: 52-69	Oleinik	Weidman	Pitolo	Stoliarenko	Holtzman

The UFC is in its home city again this week with a hard-hitting heavyweight against a submission specialist atop the card.

UFC on ESPN+32 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, former heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-13-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC). Lewis is a 2-1 favorite in the fight, and he’s got the support of a whopping 13 of our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts in the picks.

In the co-main event, former middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) tries to stop his slump when he meets [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (20-4-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC). Weidman is the slight favorite at the betting window at -145, but it’s Akhmedov with a narrow 8-6 picks lead in a close fight among our staff members.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag] (11-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is a -160 favorite in his middleweight bout against [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC), and he has an 8-6 picks lead.

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is more than a 2-1 favorite in her women’s bantamweight bout against [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag] (9-3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), and she’s got a big 12-2 blowout in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) at lightweight. Dariush is the favorite at nearly 2-1, and he’s got a heavy 11-3 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Lewis (65 percent), Akhmedov (53 percent), Stewart (75 percent), Kunitskaya (82 percent) and Dariush (85 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Kevin Holland on turnaround after last week’s last-minute cancelation: ‘I guess I’m double ready’

Kevin Holland says he’s ‘double ready’ for UFC on ESPN+ 32 after getting re-booked following a literal last-minute cancelation.

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]’s road to his seventh UFC bout has been strange to say the least.

The UFC middleweight had two bouts fall out over the past few months. The first was back in May when he was forced to withdraw from UFC on ESPN 9 due to injury. And then last weekend at UFC on ESPN+ 31, Holland’s opponent, Trevin Gile,s fainted just minutes before walking out to the octagon. The unexpected incident forced Nevada Athletic Commission officials to cancel the fight.

Luckily for Holland (17-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC), the UFC was able to find him a spot and an opponent for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event in Las Vegas.

“I feel really, really good about the fight this week, but I mean, I was ready last week,” Holland told reporters at the UFC on ESPN+ 32 virtual media day Thursday. “So I guess I’m double ready this week. The fight not going through last week, I mean, yeah things happen, man. It is what it is.”

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Holland, who takes on Bellator and LFA veteran Joaquin Buckley, has been forced to adapt and get ready for a new opponent. He’s been studying tape during fight week.

The 27-year-old competitor is happy his opponent is getting a shot at the big leagues, but his objective is still the same.

“Congratulations to him for getting to the UFC,” Holland said. “I definitely look forward to flooring him with the right hand, and if I don’t floor him with the right hand, I definitely look forward to testing out my new back belt skills. So we’ll see how it goes.”

The attitude of anybody, anywhere is starting to become a staple for Holland. The “Trail Blazer” wants to follow the foot steps of fan-favorite Donald Cerrone.

“One of my favorite fighters, just because of his persona and they way he steps up and always comes through, is ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone,” Holland said. “He’s the GOAT at stepping up and taking fights. It’s like I always figured that’s the type of fighter you’re supposed to be. Be ready anytime, ready any place, and if you’re scared, you should probably find a different profession. That being said, I love stepping up and taking fights. It doesn’t matter who it is, when it is.”

UFC on ESPN+32 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

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UFC on ESPN+ 32: Scott Holtzman virtual media day

Scott Holtzman spoke to the media ahead of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event in Las Vegas.

UFC on ESPN+ 32: Make your predictions for Derrick Lewis vs. Aleksei Oleinik

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN+ 32 event staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN+32 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

Make your picks for all five main card fights inside:

Pages: 1234567

Beneil Dariush initially wanted a top 15 opponent, but Scott Holtzman is ‘an absolute stud’

Beneil Dariush explains why he’s facing Scott Holtzman at UFC on ESPN+ 32 and not a ranked opponent.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] is enjoying his best run in years, but can’t seem to net a ranked opponent.

Dariush (18-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) faces [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 32, which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

It took a while for the fight to get finalized since Dariush was in the midst of negotiating a new contract. He’s won four in a row and is coming off three straight “Performance of the Night” bonuses, which Dariush believes should warrant a bump in pay.

But Dariush explained that while he has a great relationship with UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby, there just weren’t any ranked opponents available for him to fight.

“I was trying to get a top 10 fight, top 15 fight,” Dariush told MMA Junkie Radio. “And I messaged (Shelby) and I was like, ‘What’s going on man?’ And then he calls me and he’s like, ‘Well this is my problem …’ Sean starts talking and we just start going through the list of the top 15 and top 10, as well.

“I was like, ‘What about this guy?’ ‘Well, this is going on with him.’ ‘What about this guy?’ ‘He’s fighting this guy.’ ‘What about him?’ And he just kind of went through everybody. And I’m like, all right, there isn’t really anybody right now. And so I was like, ‘All right, I’ll take somebody outside of the top 15,’ and that’s how this Scott Holtzman fight came up.”

Holtzman (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) may not be ranked, but that doesn’t mean Dariush is taking him lightly. He acknowledged the run Holtzman’s been on, in which he’s won five of his past six.

“He’s an absolute stud, and you see him grow. I’ve been studying him, obviously, because of the fight. But he’s an absolute stud and you see his growth,” Dariush said. “I’m watching his fights, and I see his growth and his last fight with (Jim) Miller, who’s only gotten tougher. Be was able to control and he took over the fight in the last two rounds and kind of dominated him. So he’s an absolute stud. If I’m off even by a second in this fight, I’ll lose.”

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MMA Junkie’s ‘Fight of the Month’ for February: Lightweight contenders go to war

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from February 2020.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from January 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Month” award for February.

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

* * * *

The Nominees

Trevin Giles def. James Krause at UFC 247

A wild turn of events saw [autotag]James Krause[/autotag] (27-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) go from not being booked to fight in Houston to winning “Fight of the Night” in an entertaining middleweight affair with [autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, .

Krause, who typically fights at welterweight, stepped up a weight class and onto the card on roughly 30 hours notice. He went one to war with Giles, and while many believed he won, the split decision went in favor of Giles after a back-and-forth 15-minute affair.

High level defense on display! 👏@TrevinGiles not going out easy! #UFC247 pic.twitter.com/EHQhArELEe

— UFC (@ufc) February 9, 2020

Jon Jones def. Dominick Reyes at UFC 247

[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] did it again successfully defended his UFC light heavyweight title against challenger [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag], earning an unanimous decision nod by scores of 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46.

It wasn’t without controversy, though, because many believe Reyes did enough to win. He pushed who many consider the sport’s all-time great to the limit over five rounds, but in the end the judges didn’t score it in his favor and Jones gave Reyes his first career loss.

View this post on Instagram

Reyes knocks down Jones in the 1st rd. 😳 #ufc247 #jonesreyes #jonjones #ufc

A post shared by Word of Boxing (@wordofboxing) on Feb 8, 2020 at 9:43pm PST

Scott Holtzman def. Jim Miller at UFC on ESPN+ 25

[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] (31-14 MMA, 20-13 UFC) is one of the most durable competitors in the history of MMA. If you doubt that, consider that his fight with [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) was his 33rd in the UFC and that he holds the company’s record for lightweight wins at 19.

Holtzman, however, is starting to demonstrate that he, too, has staying power – and that here in his fifth UFC year, he’s coming into his own. “Hot Sauce” scored an impressive win, figuring out the pace in the opening round and then turning things on over the final two to earn a unanimous decision.

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Gran estratégia! @hotsauceholtzy vence por decisión unánime en #UFCRioRancho 🔥

A post shared by UFC Español (@ufcespanol) on Feb 15, 2020 at 4:23pm PST

Dan Hooker def. Paul Felder at UFC on ESPN+ 26

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] (20-8 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) delivered on their promise to deliver a memorable bout when fighting on a main event stage for the first time, producing the “Fight of the Night” in Auckland.

The pair of lightweight contenders went back-and-forth over the course of five rounds, battering each other with every ounce of their fiber. Hooker got the split decision nod in the end, but Felder certainly made a strong case that he was deserving, as well. Both men earned each other’s respect, though, and shared a post-fight moment in the hospital.

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🗣🎙TY to all the awesome #UFC fans who attended @UFC Fight Night in Auckland, New Zealand last night at the “sold out” Spark Arena for your amazing energy during all 11 fights of Octagon action culminating into the incredible Main Event between Paul Felder @felderpaul & Dan Hooker @danhangman who both fought their hearts out & put it all on the line for 5 dramatic & exciting rounds of pure MMA action & skill for our entertainment… Who do you think won the fight??? #MMA #ESPNmma #ITSTIME 👊 #BUFFLIFE 😎

A post shared by Bruce Buffer (@brucebufferufc) on Feb 23, 2020 at 3:37pm PST

Deiveson Figueiredo def. Joseph Benavidez at UFC on ESPN+ 27

[autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) earned the biggest victory of his career when he scored a second-round technical knockout of [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) in a bout that was supposed to crown a new 125-pound champion.

But Figueiredo missed weight, coming in at 127.5, two-and-a-half pounds over the championship weight limit. As such, while Benavidez, who made weight, would have won the title with a victory, Figueiredo earned the victory, but not the belt, as the title remained vacant.

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Digusting knockout from @daico_deusdaguerra at #ufcnorfolk 😂🤯 | | | | #ufc #mma #fight #ufcnews #mcgregor #khabib #tonyferguson #knockout #ko #cagefight #fightnight #mmamemes #andstill

A post shared by UFC NEWS (@ufcnewssdaily) on Mar 2, 2020 at 2:58am PST

* * * *

The Winner:

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Hooker is a lanky lightweight who uses his range to maximum efficiency. Felder is a buzzsaw who likes to bite down on his mouthpiece, close the distance and throw down.

That’s what made the main event of UFC on ESPN+ 26 in Auckland, New Zealand, so intriguing on paper, and the fight delivered exactly what it promised.

For five grueling rounds, the duo put on a display that was equal parts skill and grit, as the duo pieced each other up.

In the end, Hooker, who trains out of Auckland’s City Kickboxing, earned the hometown victory at Spark Arena via split decision. Hooker got the better end of two out of three 48-47 scorecards in a fight every bit as close as the scores indicate.

After the fight, Felder indicated retirement might be in the cards.

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“I knew it was close,” he said. “I feel like I hurt him a lot in the fight, but he got the takedowns, which is smart. He busted me up pretty good. That might be it for me.”

The opening round saw Hooker, who had a four-inch reach advantage, utilize his range. He kept Felder at bay with front kicks and kicks to the lead leg. When Felder landed, however, he did so with authority, as he rocked Hooker with a pair of left hooks during the round, portending things to come.

By Round 2, Felder’s right eye was swollen shut, but he pressed forward. Hooker continued to play matador, continued to land kicks, and left Felder flustered.

In the third round, however, Felder managed to figure out how to close the distance and engage, even with one eye closed, and the fight’s momentum changed. Hooker never did have an answer for Felder’s powerful, well-placed lefts, and the damage started to add up.

In the fourth, the Roufusport standout continued to turn up the heat, and there was a sense Felder could win the fight after all. What had been a rowdy crowd at the fight’s outset grew nervous as the two exchanged, with Felder getting the best of things.

Both competitors went for the win in the fifth. What might have been the deciding moment came late, when Hooker parried a charging Felder and turned it into a takedown. Felder did his best to break free, but Hooker’s poise in the last-minute scrambles spelled the difference.

WOW! 👏

🇳🇿 THE HOMECOMING IS COMPLETE! #UFCAuckland pic.twitter.com/SUUHdM9NSo

— UFC (@ufc) February 23, 2020

While there was high tension between both men in the buildup to the bout, Hooker was conciliatory after Felder hinted at retirement.

“An honor,” Hooker said of sharing the octagon with Felder. “He’s a tough son of a gun.”

[opinary poll=”fight-of-the-month-for-february-2020_mma-o9Ls98″ customer=”mmajunkie”]