Not since Holly Holm knocked out Ronda Rousey has an upset this big taken place inside the octagon.
On Saturday at UFC on ESPN 15, [autotag]Shana Dobson[/autotag] made [autotag]Mariya Agapova[/autotag] pay for calling her out.
After winning her UFC debut in impressive fashion earlier this year, Agapova (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) specifically asked to fight Dodson (4-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in her second octagon appearance. Agapova got her wish at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, but the fight didn’t go according to plan.
The first round had a bit of back-and-forth, but Agapova was getting the better of it. It was clear she was exerting too much energy to maintain over a 15-minute fight, though, and she started fading in the second.
Dobson took advantage of the situation and managed to get top position during a scramble. She then brutalized Agapova with strikes until the referee decided he’d seen enough and called it off at the 1:38 mark of Round 2.
Watch the final sequence in the video below (via Twitter):
CASH THOSE BETS! 🤯 @Shana_Dobson with a SHOCKING upset!
Dobson came into the fight with a sub-.500 record and on a three-fight losing streak. She hadn’t won since December 2017 and likely was fighting for her place on the roster. The odds reflected as much, and according to ESPN, it was the biggest upset to happen in the UFC in nearly five years, since Holly Holm’s stunning win over Ronda Rousey (via Twitter):
Per @ESPNStatsInfo, Dobson cashing as a +800 underdog is the biggest upset in the UFC since Holly Holm cashed as a +870 against Ronda Rousey.
According to Jon Anik on the broadcast, Agapova was taken out of the octagon on a stretcher, “perhaps due to exhaustion.” Dobson, meanwhile, reveled in her victory.
“We saw this coming,” Dobson said in her post-fight interview with Anik. “We’re excited, but we’re not surprised. We expected to get this dub, no matter how we were going to get it.”
Shane Dobson is not thinking about the fact her UFC job could be on the line.
Ahead of UFC on ESPN 15, [autotag]Shana Dobson[/autotag] spoke with reporters Wednesday during media day.
Dobson (3-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC) discussed her women’s flyweight bout with Mariya Agapova (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), whether she feels pressure while being on a three-fight losing streak, working on her master’s degree outside of the octagon, and more.
You can watch the full interview in the video above.
UFC on ESPN 15 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
In the main event, former lightweight champ [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] (23-8-1 MMA, 17-8-1 UFC), who has fought for years at featherweight, will try his hands at bantamweight against [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC). Munhoz nearly is a 3-1 favorite, but our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts are split down the middle at 7-7.
In the co-main event, [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is a slight favorite against [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] (24-14 MMA, 12-9 UFC) in their light heavyweight bout. But our staff members see it the other way and have made Saint Preux the 10-4 picks winner.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Marcin Prachnio[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) takes on [autotag]Mike Rodriguez[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC), who is more than a 2-1 favorite at light heavyweight.
And [autotag]Mariya Agapova[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is a massive favorite of more than 16-1 at some sites against [autotag]Shana Dobson[/autotag] (3-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC) at women’s flyweight. But three of our pickers are taking Dobson in what would be a huge upset.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Munhoz (53 percent), Saint Pruex (62 percent), Rodriguez (61 percent) and Agapovz (90 percent) are the choices.
The UFC has granted [autotag]Mariya Agapova[/autotag] her wish.
On June 13 at UFC on ESPN 10, Agapova called out [autotag]Shana Dobson[/autotag] on the microphone following a successful promotional debut. Now the promotion has matched up the two fighters for its upcoming Aug. 22 event.
A person with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the booking on Sunday. The person asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Combate was the first to report the news.
There is no official location of name designation for the Aug. 22 event at this time.
Agapova signed with the UFC in early 2020 – in anticipation of a debut on the promotion’s June event in Kazakhstan. However, the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak and Agapova was rebooked for Las Vegas. It only took 162 seconds for Agapova to dispatch of opponent Hannah Cifers. After a thunderous head kick, Agapova finished the fight by rear-naked choke.
As for Dobson (3-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC), a TUF 26 alumnus, she’s lost three straight fights entering Aug. 22. After back-to-back decision losses to Lauren Mueller and Sabina Mazo, Dobson was knocked out by Priscila Cachoeira in February.
With the addition, the latest Aug. 22 lineup includes:
Merab Dvalishvili and Mariya Agapova were among those who name-dropped their preferred next opponents at UFC on ESPN 10 in Las Vegas.
Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.
So after Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 10 event in Las Vegas, who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.
* * * * *
First up, let’s take a look at the preliminary card …
Merab Dvalishvili
Wants to fight: [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]
The callout: “Big respect for Sean O’Malley, but I want to fight next with him. So let’s make this happen, I’m ready. Let’s show everyone a good, real fight.”
The reality: There are so many options available for the UFC’s matchmakers at bantamweight, and with O’Malley continuing his relentless rise up the UFC’s 135-pound division with a victory over Eddie Wineland at UFC 250, the choice of his next opponent will be the topic of much speculation. The UFC could decide to throw him in with top-10 opposition next, but with a host of contenders already jostling for position at the sharp end of the division, they may opt to slow-play “The Suga Show” and give him someone a little lower down the pecking order. That may open up the opportunity for [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag], whose ambitions at 135 are as high as O’Malley’s.
The fight would offer a fascinating clash of styles, with O’Malley’s striking skills going up against Dvalishvili’s seasoned grappling credentials. It would act as an acid test for both men, but it’s a risky fight, especially given Dvalishvili’s unranked status. Is it a risk worth taking now, or should the UFC matchmakers build both men with a view to the pair meeting in a battle of ranked contenders further down the line? I’d probably side with the latter approach.
All the notable stats and figures to come out of UFC Auckland, which saw Dan Hooker beat Paul Felder in the main event.
The UFC made its third visit to New Zealand on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 26. The 12-fight card took place at Spark Arena in Auckland and streamed entirely on ESPN+.
In the main event, [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] (20-8 MMA, 10-4 UFC) elevated his status as a lightweight contender when he edged out a memorable “Fight of the Night” clash with [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) by split decision in front of his hometown fans.
The headliner wasn’t the only fight to produce notable results, though. For more, check below for 45 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 26.
* * * *
General
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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $137,000.
Debuting fighters went 0-1 at the event.
Hooker, Felder, [autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag] and [autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 26 fight-night bonuses.
UFC on ESPN+ 26 drew an announced attendance of 10,025 for a live gate of $1,239,625.
Betting favorites went 8-4 on the card.
Betting favorites improved to 4-1 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 1:59:19.
Main card
Dan Hooker
Hooker improved to 7-1 since he moved up to the UFC lightweight division in June 2017.
Felder has suffered four of his five career losses by decision.
Crute (11-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned eight of his 11 career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his UFC wins.
Crute became the fifth fighter in UFC history to earn multiple submission victories by Kimura. Krzysztof Soszynski, Rani Yahya, Frank Mir and George Sotiropoulos also accomplished the feat.
[autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career.
Oleksiejczuk has suffered both of his UFC losses by submission.
Yan Xiaonan
[autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) improved to 9-0 (with one no contest) since returning from a nearly five-year layoff in July 2015.
Xiaonan’s five-fight UFC winning streak at strawweight is tied with Tatiana Suarez for the longest active streak in the division.
Xiaonan has earned all five of her UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Karolina Kowalkiewicz[/autotag]’s (12-6 MMA, 5-6 UFC) four-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since April 2018.
[autotag]Marcos Rogerio de Lima[/autotag] (17-6-1 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past nine fights.
De Lima improved to 3-1 in the UFC at heavyweight.
De Lima has earned 15 of his 17 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 14 of those wins in Round 1.
[autotag]Ben Sosoli[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
[autotag]Brad Riddell[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Magomed Mustafaev[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
Preliminary card
Zubaira Tukhugov def. Kevin Aguilar
[autotag]Kevin Aguilar[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career.
Aguilar has suffered both of his career stoppage losses by knockout.
[autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag] (9-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has earned all eight of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished both of his UFC wins by knockout.
[autotag]Joshua Culibao[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his eight-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
[autotag]Jake Matthews[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) improved to 5-1 since he moved up to the UFC welterweight division in November 2017.
Matthews has earned four of his five UFC welterweight victories by decision.
[autotag]Emil Meek[/autotag]’s (9-5-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since December 2016.
Meek has been taken down 21 times in his four UFC appearances.
Meek has suffered all three of his UFC losses by decision.
[autotag]Callan Potter[/autotag] (18-9 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered all nine of his career losses by stoppage.
Song Kenan has earned 13 of his 15 career victories by stoppage. That includes three of his four UFC wins.
[autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag] (21-8 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has earned all four of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Tyson Nam[/autotag] (18-11-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered eight of his 11 career losses by decision. That includes both of his UFC defeats.
Angela Hill
[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (12-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) became the first to earn two UFC victories in 2020.
Hill improved to 6-5 since she returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2017.
Hill’s seven victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Jessica Andrade for second most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (nine).
[autotag]Loma Lookboonmee[/autotag] (4-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of her career.
[autotag]Cachoeira[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) snapped her three-fight losing skid for her first victory since September 2017.
Cachoeira’s 40-second knockout marked the fastest stoppage in UFC women’s flyweight history.
[autotag]Shana Dobson[/autotag]’s (3-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since December 2017.
Dobson suffered the first knockout loss of her career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
UFC on ESPN+ 26 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 26 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $130,000.
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+ 26 took place Saturday at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. The entire card streamed ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN+ 26 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
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+ 26 event in Auckland, New Zealand.
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+ 26 went with as their backing tracks in Auckland, New Zealand.
Rachael Ostovich is off the card for the UFC’s return to New Zealand next month, and a Brazilian will take her place against Shana Dobson.
[autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag] is off the card for the UFC’s return to New Zealand next month, and a Brazilian will take her place against [autotag]Shana Dobson[/autotag].
Ostovich (4-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is out of her women’s flyweight fight at UFC on ESPN+ 26 against Dobson (3-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC), a person with knowledge of the matchup told MMA Junkie on Friday. Stepping in for Ostovich is [autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-3). The person spoke on condition of anonymity since the UFC has not yet announced Ostovich’s withdrawal or Cachoeira as the new opponent. The circumstance behind Ostovich’s withdrawal is not known.
UFCÂ on ESPN+ 26 takes place Feb. 22 (Sunday, Feb. 23 locally) at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. The card streams on ESPN+.
[lawrence-related id=478476,468571,467562]
Cachoeira may be in a must-win situation. After starting her pro career 8-0, she signed with the UFC in 2018 and was submitted by current champion Valentina Shevchenko in the second round after being outstruck by her at a massive 230-3 clip. She returned 11 months later, but in 2019 lost back-to-back decisions to Molly McCann and Luana Carolina, giving her a three-fight skid.
Dobson has dropped back-to-back unanimous decisions to Lauren Mueller and Sabina Mazo. The first was her lone 2018 fight. The latter was her only bout in 2019 and her return after a 16-month layoff in part due to injury. Dobson was a cast member on Season 26 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and won her official UFC debut after the show with a TKO of Ariel Beck.
Ostovich, from Hawaii, was set to return to work for the first time since a January 2019 submission loss to Paige VanZant. That setback gave her back-to-back losses for the first time in her career. In July 2018, she was submitted by Montana De La Rosa after submitting Karine Gevorgyan in her promotional debut in December 2017 after “TUF 26.”
With the change, the UFC Auckland lineup now includes:
The UFC is working on a bout that pits two cast members of “The Ultimate Fighter 26” against each another.
The UFC is working on a bout that would pit two cast members of “The Ultimate Fighter 26” against one another.
A flyweight fight between [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag] and [autotag]Shana Dobson[/autotag] is in the works for UFC Auckland. Both fighters will look to snap recent losing streaks.
Wednesday, two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the booking. However, they asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
While they were both featured on “TUF 26,” Ostovich (Team Gaethje) and Dobson (Team Alvarez) were members of opposing teams. The two fighters were on opposite sides of the bracket, and never crossed paths while in the house.
[lawrence-related id=427045,468571]
After defeating Karine Gevorgyan in her promotional debut at the TUF 26 Finale, Ostovich (4-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) dropped back-to-back outings inside the distance against Montana De La Rosa and Paige VanZant.
In her promotional debut, Dobson (3-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) finished Ariel Beck by strikes at the TUF 26 Finale. Thereafter, Dobson lost to Lauren Mueller and Sabina Mazo by unanimous decision in consecutive outings.
UFC Auckland takes place Feb. 22 (Sunday, Feb. 23 locally) at Spark Arena in Auckland. The card is likely to stream on ESPN+.
With the addition, the latest UFC Auckland card includes:
