Take a look inside Scott Holtzman’s “Fight of the Night” win over Jim Miller at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in Rio Rancho, N.M.
RIO RANCHO, N.M. – [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] beat Jim Miller with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in Rio Rancho, N.M.
“I wanted to neutralize how well rounded he is. I wanted to put the fight where I thought I had the big advantage, which was not letting him grapple and grind me out. I thought I had the best chance on the feet, controlling the pace and distance. I hit him with some shots where I knew he had to be hurt, but he’s New Jersey though. I knew what I was getting into, I knew he’d be there for 15 minutes and I had to prove that I belong in there with him.”
Holtzman on fighting a veteran like Miller
“I don’t think there’s anything more I can say about Jim that hasn’t been said already. He’s a legend, going into the (UFC) Hall of Fame. I didn’t know if I could win, if I’m honest. I wasn’t sure. But my team believed in me. They got me prepared to beat someone like that, someone so special. I’ve had a checkered past here in the UFC, but I think this proves that I belong with the upper echelon of guys.”
Holtzman on what he wants next
“I decided before this fight that I don’t care about the rankings. I don’t care about the belt. I want fights that the fans want to see. I want exciting fights. I want that ‘BMF’ belt – that’s the one that I’m in line for. Put me in there with someone that’s going to be exciting and put on a fight like that.”
To hear more from Holtzman, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
All the notable stats and figures to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 25, which saw Jan Blachowicz knock out Corey Anderson in the main event.
The UFC returned to New Mexico on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 25. The 13-fight card took place at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho and streamed on ESPN+ 25.
The main event saw a potentially new top light heavyweight contender emerge to fight Jon Jones. Poland’s [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) extended his winning streak to three fights with a thunderous first-round knockout of [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC), avenging a decision loss from September 2015.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 45 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 25.
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General
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UFC on ESPN+ 25 was the first event in UFC history to feature two disqualification results.
The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $186,500.
Debuting fighters went 2-1 at the event.
Blachowicz, [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag], [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] and [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 25 fight-night bonuses.
Betting favorites improved to 3-1 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 13-bout card was 2:18:54.
Main card
Jan Blachowicz
Blachowicz improved to 7-1 in his past eight UFC appearances dating back to October 2017. The only defeat in that stretch came to Thiago Santos.
Blachowicz’s three-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Jon Jones (four).
Anderson has suffered all four of his career stoppage losses by knockout.
[autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] (30-12 MMA, 19-12 UFC) improved to 3-2 since he returned to the UFC welterweight division in November 2017. He’s 12-6 at the weight under the UFC banner.
Sanchez’s 19 victories in UFC competition are seventh most in company history. Donald Cerrone holds the record with 23.
Sanchez has absorbed 1,362 total head strikes in his UFC career, the second-most in company history behind B.J. Penn (1,434).
[autotag]Montana De La Rosa[/autotag]’s (11-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) four victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Valentina Shevchenko (five).
[autotag]Mara Romero Borella[/autotag] (12-7 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has suffered both of her UFC losses by decision.
Ray Borg
[autotag]Ryan Borg[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) has earned five of his seven UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Rogerio Bontorin[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
[autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) fell to 0-2 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in January 2019. He’s 3-6 (with one no contest) in the weight class overall.
Preliminary card
Daniel Rodriguez
Rodriguez (11-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned 10 of his 11 career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (29-12-1 MMA, 11-9 UFC) fell to 9-7 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.
[autotag]John Dodson[/autotag] (21-11 MMA, 10-6 UFC) improved to 4-4 since he returned to the UFC bantamweight division in April 2016. He’s 5-4 in the weight class overall.
Dodson has earned all six of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.
[autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has suffered all four of his career losses by stoppage.
Miller’s (31-14 MMA, 20-13 UFC) total fight time of 5:21:47 in UFC lightweight competition is most in divisional history.
Miller’s 11 fight-night bonuses for UFC lightweight bouts are tied with Nate Diaz for third most in divisional history behind Cerrone (15) and Joe Lauzon (15).
[autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past seven UFC appearances.
Clark has earned all five of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Dequan Townsend[/autotag]’s (21-11 MMA, 0-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March.
Townsend has suffered nine of his 11 career losses by decision.
Merab Dvalishvili
[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has earned seven of his 10 career victories by decision. That includes all four of his UFC wins.
Dvalishvili’s 12 takedowns landed set a new single-fight record for a UFC/WEC bantamweight fight. He was previously tied with two other fighters with 11 in a fight.
Dvalishvili became the fourth in UFC history to have multiple fights with 10 or more takedowns landed. Georges St-Pierre, Demetrious Johnson and Colby Covington also accomplished the feat.
Dvalishvili has completed 39 total takedowns in his five UFC appearances.
[autotag]Casey Kenney[/autotag] (13-2-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has suffered both of his career losses by decision.
[autotag]Mark De La Rosa[/autotag]’s (11-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since November 2018.
De La Rosa suffered the first knockout 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+ 25 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.
RIO RANCHO, N.M. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 25 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $186,500.
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+ 25 took place Saturday at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M. The entire card streamed ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN+ 25 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
[autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Mark De La Rosa[/autotag]: $5,000
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:
“UFC on ESPN+ 25: Anderson vs. Blachowicz 2” – $186,500
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 25 event in Rio Rancho, N.M.
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+ 25 went with as their backing tracks in Rio Rancho, N.M.
It almost goes without saying that Jan Blachowicz’s vicious knockout of Corey Anderson earned him a “Performance of the Night” award.
Saturday night was just about a perfect evening for [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag], the kind that ends with a little extra money.
With UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones watching in the front row, Blachowicz knocked Corey Anderson cold in the main event of UFC on ESPN+ 25, using a nasty right hand to finish him at 3:08 of the opening round.
Not only did Blachowicz (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) make a statement in front of Jones, but it earned the Polish contender a “Performance of the Night” bonus of $50,000. That was the fifth career post-fight bonus for Blachowicz, all of which have come over his past eight bouts.
[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag], meanwhile, cashed in on his UFC debut. The 33-year-old out of Alhambra, Calif., took on a tall task when he accepted a short-notice replacement fight against Tim Means at altitude near Means’ hometown. But it paid off for Rodriguez (11-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) with a second-round submission victory and the evening’s other “Performance of the Night” bonus.
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“Fight of the Night” went to a matchup between a fighter who’s no stranger to post-fight awards against a competitor getting his first taste of extra dough. [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] and [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] put on a compelling battle in which Miller (31-14 MMA, 20-13 UFC) started strong and Holtzman 14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) turned the tide and went on to a unanimous decision.
The veteran Miller can take some consolation in taking home his 11th career post-fight bonus, while Holtzman earned the first bonus of his five-year UFC career.
UFC on ESPN+ 25 drew an announced crowd of 6,449 paying a gate of $596,820 at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M. It was Zuffa’s third trip to New Mexico, as WEC 32 was held in the same building in 2008 and the UFC debuted in nearby Albuquerque in 2014.
Scott Holtman is coming into his own in the UFC lightweight division as the winner of five of his past six fights.
[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] is one of the most durable competitors in the history of mixed martial arts. If you doubt that, consider that his fight with [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] on Saturday was his 33rd in the UFC and that he holds the company’s record for lightweight wins at 19.
Holtzman (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), 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.
The lightweight nicknamed “Hot Sauce” scored an impressive win at UFC on ESPN+ 25, figuring out the pace in the opening round and then turning things on over the final two to earn a unanimous decision. The judges’ scores were 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28.
The opening round was primarily a boxing match, and while Holtzman was the one moving forward, Miller (31-14 MMA, 20-13 UFC) landed more often, frequently finding a home with a crisp right hand.
Holtzman, however, seemed to find his range late in the round, and he turned up the pace in the second. Midway through, Miller scored a takedown, but coming out of the scramble after Holtzman got back to his feet, Holtzman really upped the volume and landed to the head and body. After a takedown, Holtzman finished the round with solid ground and pound.
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In the third, New Mexico’s high altitude began taking a toll on both competitors, but more noticeably Miller. Holtzman outstruck Miller over the final two rounds by a combined 55-29, which tells the story on how he managed to seal the deal.
With his seventh career decision victory, Holtzman now has won two straight and five of his past six. Miller, who went past the first round for the first time in his past five fights, had a two-fight winning streak snapped.
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Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 25 results include:
Scott Holtzman def. Jim Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Devin Clark def. Dequan Townsend via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Ahead of arguably the biggest fight of his career against Jim Miller, Scott Holtzman isn’t worried about rankings or title shots.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] probably knows the fighter protocol is to say he wants to rise up in the rankings and make his way into title contention.
That’s just one of the stock quotes he’s supposed to give – otherwise, what is he doing this for? But Holtzman, who fights Jim Miller at UFC on ESPN+ 25 on Saturday in New Mexico, has no issue dishing out a little honesty. If one day he found himself being offered a UFC title shot, naturally, he’d take it. Otherwise …
“If I still feel good, still plugging away, still kicking ass, I’ll do it for sure,” Holtzman told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “I’m not going to turn it away. But that’s just not my main focus right now. I just don’t care. I’m more of a ‘BMF’ belt kind of guy, I think, right now. That’s kind of changed my focus – I think a lot of guys have. That’s kind of what I’m after. Whether that’s attainable or not, that’s what my focus is. I’ve got a kid and a new house now.”
Holtzman (13-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has won four of his past five fights. This past August, the Tennessee native got back on track after a decision loss to Nik Lentz with a TKO of Dong Hyun Ma in New Jersey. At UFC on ESPN+ 25, he meets Miller (31-13 MMA, 20-12 UFC) on the prelims. UFC on ESPN+ 25 takes place Saturday at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho. The event streams on ESPN+.
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Holtzman and Miller, both 36, are just a month apart in age. But Holtzman has just 16 pro fights. Miller has made the walk 45 times (including a no contest) and is tied with Donald Cerrone for the most fights in UFC history.
Holtzman said he doesn’t mind if people look at him as one of the new kids on the block, even if he’s not a kid. He gets it. And he’s counting on the fact he has less tread on the tires than Miller does as a potential advantage in their lightweight fight.
“I still view myself as an up-and-comer,” he said. “I’m obviously still growing. I’m newer to the sport. But I feel like I’m the best I’ve ever been now. I think a win over him is huge for me and my career. And we’re both 36 years old – so when you see us on paper, you’re like, ‘Man, this is the geriatric matchup, here.’ But I think I’m a different brand of 36. I’m not a 40-fight veteran 36. I’m still young, I still feel good, I’m still beating up the 20-year-olds in the gym. I’m sure he is, too – he’s incredible. But I’m a little less weathered 36, I like to think.”
A win over Miller arguably would be the biggest one yet for Holtzman. His three losses are to Lentz, Josh Emmett and Drew Dober, all of whom are established names in the division. And all three of those setbacks came with a trio of 29-28 scores against him.
So Holtzman takes a little solace in knowing he never was out of his losses – he just made some mistakes that his opponents capitalized on to walk away with their hands raised. The challenge is not letting something like that happen with Miller in a fight Holtzman said he’s as up for as he’s ever been.
“I feel like this is the most excited I’ve ever been for a fight,” he said. “These are the fights I’m looking for. It’s about the name. But also, I’m getting up into the guys I feel like I belong with – up there in the top echelon of guys. I feel like he’s right there on the fringe, and that’s where I want to be. I didn’t really get into this sport or the UFC to fight twice, lose, and head home. It’s a little bit about the name. I remember watching him when I first started training. For the tier of guys, where I”m at, I feel like he’s the biggest guy, so I’m excited.”
But remember: Fighting the names, for Holtzman, isn’t about working his way into title contention. Just keep giving him intriguing matchups, and when his body tells him it’s time to bounce and do something else, he’ll be out the door.
“I kind of decided before this fight I don’t care about those rankings,” Holtzman said. “I don’t care about the belt. I don’t care about the rankings. I do care about fighting the best guys. I just want some fights that get me excited – that the fans will like.
“I’m here for a good time, not a long time. I always told myself … when I start not feeling good, when I start not getting excited for the fights, then I’ll call it. I’ll call it a career.”
