Tag: Tim Means

Daniel Rodriguez replaces Ramazan Emeev, fights Tim Means at UFC on ESPN+ 25

Tim Means has a new opponent for UFC Rio Rancho.

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] has a new opponent for UFC on ESPN+ 25.

The seasoned welterweight will take on “Dana White’s Contender Series” product [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag] after Means’ original opponent, [autotag]Ramazan Emeev[/autotag], withdrew from the event for undisclosed reasons. MMA Junkie confirmed the welterweight booking following an initial report from ESPN on Monday.

UFC on ESPN+ 25 takes place Feb. 15 at Star Ana Center in Rio Rancho, N.M. The card streams on ESPN+.

Means (29-11 MMA, 11-8 UFC) recently signed a new contract with the UFC after submitting former title challenger Thiago Alves in December. The 35-year-old is 2-3 in his past five bouts.

Rodriguez (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) came close to signing with the UFC after he picked up a decision win on DWCS in 2019. But despite the victory, Rodriguez didn’t get one of the UFC contracts awarded that night. The 33-year-old currently is on a six-fight winning streak.

With the change, the UFC on ESPN+ 25 lineup includes:

  • Corey Anderson vs. Jan Blachowicz
  • Michel Pereira vs. Diego Sanchez
  • John Dodson vs. Nathaniel Wood
  • Yancy Medeiros vs. Lando Vannata
  • Mark De La Rosa vs. Raulian Paiva
  • Rogerio Bontorin vs. Ray Borg
  • Montana De La Rosa vs. Mara Romero Borella
  • Macy Chiasson vs. Nicco Montano
  • Gadzhimurad Antigulov vs. Devin Clark
  • Merab Dvalishvili vs. Casey Kenney
  • Scott Holtzman vs. Jim Miller
  • Kazula Vargas vs. Brok Weaver
  • Tim Means vs. Daniel Rodriguez

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Tim Means lands home-state matchup with Ramazan Emeev at UFC Rio Rancho

Tim Means gets his wish and will compete in his home state of New Mexico, when he takes on Ramazan Emeev.

Ask and you shall receive.

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] will get his wish to compete in his home-state of New Mexico, when he takes on [autotag]Ramazan Emeev[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 25, Fox New Mexico announced Monday night.

UFC on ESPN+ 25 takes place Feb. 15 at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M. The card streams on ESPN+.

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Following his first-round finish over Thiago Alves at UFC on ESPN 7 last month, Means (29-11-1 MMA, 11-8 UFC) called for a quick turnaround, as he stated his desire to compete on the New Mexico card. Prior to the win over Alves, he had lost three of his last four, with two coming by the way of split decision. Now he’s looking to claim back-to-back wins for the first time since 2016.

Emeev (18-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) saw his seven-fight win streak come to halt at the hands of Anthony Rocco Martin at UFC on ESPN+ 21 in Moscow. His unanimous decision defeat was his first loss under the UFC banner.

With the addition, the latest UFC on ESPN+ 25 lineup includes:

  • Corey Anderson vs. Jan Blachowicz
  • Michel Pereira vs. Diego Sanchez
  • John Dodson vs. Nathaniel Wood
  • Yancy Medeiros vs. Lando Vannata
  • Mark De La Rosa vs. Raulian Paiva
  • Rogerio Bontorin vs. Ray Borg
  • Montana De La Rosa vs. Mara Romero Borella
  • Macy Chiasson vs. Nicco Montano
  • Gadzhimurad Antigulov vs. Devin Clark
  • Merab Dvalishvili vs. Casey Kenney
  • Scott Holtzman vs. Jim Miller
  • Kazula Vargas vs. Brok Weaver
  • Ramazan Emeev vs. Tim Means

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MMA Junkie’s ‘Submission of the Month’ for December: A stunning twister

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from December 2019.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from December 2019. Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for December.

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

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The Nominees

Virna Jandiroba def. Mallory Martin at UFC on ESPN 7

After stumbling in her octagon debut, [autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) showed what she’s all about when she rolled over Mallory Martin (6-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in their strawweight bout for her 12th career submission victory.

Jandiroba managed to assert her game over Martin in the first round. Then, in the second, she earned an advantageous position to lock in a rear-naked choke. Martin had no answer, and the result was a submission victory for the former Invicta FC champion.

Bryce Mitchell def. Matt Sayles at UFC on ESPN 7

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) pulled off the rarest of submissions in his featherweight bout against Matt Sayles (8-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) to remain undefeated in his young career.

Mitchell became just the second fighter in octagon history to finish a fight by twister submission. After getting Sayles on the mat, he began to set up the multi-step process for the difficult technique. Sayles couldn’t defend it, though, and “Thug Nasty” got his place in the record books.

Billy Quarantillo def. Jacob Kilburn at UFC on ESPN 7

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) used the platform of his octagon debut to showcase the full extend of his ability by utterly dominating Jacob Kilburn (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) before earning a merciless finish.

Quarantillo did everything he wanted to and more in inflicting a one-sided beating of Kilburn in the lightweight matchup. He finished the with a triangle choke in the second round, but not before landing 139 total strikes and threatening with five total submission attempts.

Tim Means def. Thiago Alves at UFC on ESPN 7

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (29-11-1 MMA, 11-8 UFC) and Thiago Alves (23-15 MMA, 15-12 UFC) have built up reputations as violent, high-action fighters in the welterweight division. And once again, he delivered.

The two fighters did not disappoint in a short, but action-packed spectacle. They traded heavy shots on the feet before Alves got hurt and Means was able to take advantage and lock in a tight guillotine choke that forced the former UFC title challenger to tap out.

A.J. McKee def. Derek Campos at Bellator 236

Derek Campos (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) showed off his trademark toughness, but it wasn’t enough to stop [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) from picking up another impressive win to extend his record winning streak in Bellator.

McKee fought Campos from every area over the course of the bout, then suddenly in the third, from his back, he pulled off a slick armbar that forced Campos to tap out and made him the first man to advance to the semifinals of the Bellator featherweight grand prix.

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The Winner: Bryce Mitchell

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Mitchell pulled off an all-time submission in just his third UFC appearance.

Facing off against Sayles, pulled off a rare twister submission at the 4:20 mark of the first round.

As the fight wore on, Mitchell and Sayles became tangled on the ground. With his opponent’s leg locked, Mitchell swung his head under the arm of Sayles.

From there, Mitchell wrapped his arms around Sayles’ neck. One grip adjustment was all it took. Clearly in pain due to the torque on his torso, Sayles was forced to tap.

The submission was only the second of its kind successfully executed in UFC history. The first came at UFC Fight Night 24 in March 2011. “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung pulled off a second-round twister submission in a rematch against fellow WEC alum Leonard Garcia.

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Bryce Mitchell, Tim Means sign new contracts following submission finishes at UFC on ESPN 7

Following their first-round finishes at UFC on ESPN 7, Bryce Mitchell and Tim Means have signed new deals with the UFC.

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] and [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] had a lot to celebrate after their fights this past Saturday.

Mitchell and Means fought at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C., and both picked up first-round finishes.

The undefeated Mitchell stopped Matt Sayles with just the second twister submission in UFC history. It earned him a “Performance of the Night” bonus, and following the win, Mitchell shared the news that he has signed a new four-fight deal with the promotion.

Heading into UFC on ESPN 7, Means had lost three of his past four. But he picked up a first-round finish of former UFC welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves with a guillotine choke submission. It was his 24th career finish. Twenty fights into his UFC career, Means still is trucking. He, too, shared news that he has signed a new deal with the UFC.

UFC on ESPN 7 took place Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main card aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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UFC on ESPN 7 post-event facts: Jairzinho Rozenstruik joins record books with late TKO

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 7, which saw Jairzinho Rozenstruik beat Alistair Overeem in Washington, D.C.

The UFC returned to Washington, D.C., on Saturday for the first time since 2011 with UFC on ESPN 7, which took place at Capital One Arena. The 12-fight lineup aired on ESPN following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+.

A new heavyweight contender emerged in the main event when [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) got his fourth consecutive victory since joining the promotion earlier this year with a come-from-behind TKO of [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) in the fifth round of their matchup.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 40 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN 7.

* * * *

General

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UFC on ESPN 7 marked the third event in UFC history to feature two draws. UFC 22 and UFC 216 were the others.

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $177,000.

Debuting fighters went 2-2 at the event.

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag], [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] and [autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN 7 fight-night bonuses.

UFC on ESPN 7 drew an announced attendance of 10,816 for a live gate of $932,593.20.
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Betting favorites went 9-1 on the card. Two fights ended in a draw.

Betting favorites improved to 21-17 (one fight had even odds, one ended in a no contest) in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:21:07.

Main card

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Rozenstruik earned his second UFC victory in a 35-day stretch.

Rozenstruik’s four-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Rozenstruik has earned nine of his 10 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by knockout.

Rozenstruik’s knockout at the 4:56 mark of Round 5 marked the third latest stoppage in UFC history behind Demetrious Johnson’s win (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC 186 and Yair Rodriguez’s victory (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC Fight Night 139.

Overeem’s 14 knockout losses in MMA competition are the most of any active member on the UFC roster.

Overeem’s 12 knockout losses in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are the most in combined organizational history.

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[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (13-0-2 MMA, 2-0-2 UFC) is the only female fighter in UFC history to fight to multiple draws.

[autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (8-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) has completed at least one takedown in six of her seven UFC appearances.

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[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] (37-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC) improved to 1-2 since he returned to competition from a nearly three-year layoff in March 2019. He earned his first victory since January 2016.

Rothwell has earned 34 of his 37 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of his seven UFC wins.

[autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 13-10 UFC) fell to 1-4 in his past five UFC appearances dating back to September 2017.

Struve has suffered all seven of his UFC stoppage losses by knockout.

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[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has earned seven of her nine career victories by stoppage. That includes three of her four UFC wins.

Ladd’s three knockout victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied with Ronda Rousey and Germaine de Randamie for second most in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (six).

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) fell to 2-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.

Kunitskaya has suffered four of her five career losses by stoppage. Both of her UFC defeats have come by knockout.

Simon (15-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

Preliminary card

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[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (29-11-1 MMA, 11-8 UFC) improved to 9-6 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.

Means has earned 24 of his 29 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his 11 UFC wins.

[autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] (23-15 MMA, 15-12 UFC) fell to 2-6 in his past eight fights dating back to May 2015.

[autotag]Jacob Kilburn[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered all three of his career losses by submission.

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Mitchell (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) earned the second Twister submission victory in UFC history. Chan Sung Jung also accomplished the feat.

Mitchell has earned all of his career stoppage victories by submission.

[autotag]Matt Sayles[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of his career.

[autotag]Matt Wiman[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 10-7 UFC) fell to 0-2 since he returned from a 4.5-year layoff in June.

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[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned all 12 of her career stoppage victories by submission.

[autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag] (6-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of her career.

Muradov (24-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) improved to 18-1 in his past 19 fights dating back to March 2015. He’s won his past 13 bouts.

[autotag]Trevor Smith[/autotag] (15-10 MMA, 5-7 UFC) fell to 5-8 in his past 13 career fights dating back to January 2012.

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

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After testing leg injury, Tim Means wants UFC DC finish of Alves to lead to New Mexico spot

Take a look inside Tim Means’ submission of Thiago Alves at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] beat Thiago Alves with a first-round submission Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C.

Take a look inside the fight with Means, who now has won two of his past three fights.

Result: Tim Means def. Thiago Alves via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:38
Updated records: Means (29-11-1 MMA, 11-8 UFC), Alves (23-15 MMA, 15-12 UFC)
Key stat: Of Means’ 29 career wins, 24 are finishes. But Saturday’s was just his fifth by submission.

Means on the fight’s key moment

“Knowing how heavy a kicker Thiago is, I was expecting him to come in and chop my legs and I wanted to put my injury to the test right away to get that confidence back. With this sport, you have to either be all in or get out, so I wanted to prove to myself I was still all in there. He hit me with those body kicks and I had to take a second to breathe and refocus and let the fight carry on. The further a fight goes, the better I get generally – so stay calm and rely on what you learn in practice.”

Means on tough recent losses

“Even in my close losses, I was right in those fights – they’ve been fun fights. I’m happy to get my hand raised and get the ‘W,’ especially against a tough guy like Alves. I wanted to get a fight in before the end of the year and just put it into my head mentally that I deserve to be here and belong here. Even in my last loss, when I broke my leg, I was in that fight. It was very competitive. So getting a win is icing on the cake heading into the holidays.”

Means on what he wants next

“This sport is a chess match. It can go either way, and you have to crush someone’s dreams or get yours crushed – that’s why we love it. I really want on that Rio Rancho, (N.M.), card. I’m not ranked, but I’m one of the most dangerous dudes in this division by far. There’s too many guys to call one individual out, but I’ll fight whoever the put in front of me and the UFC knows that.”

To hear more from Means, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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UFC on ESPN 7 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $30.5 million

UFC on ESPN 7 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

WASHINGTON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $177,000.

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 7 took place at Capital One Arena in Washington. The card aired on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 7 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
vs. [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]: $5,000
vs. [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Jacob Kilburn[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Sayles[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Joseph Solecki[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Wiman[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Trevor Smith[/autotag]: $15,000

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 2019 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,880,000
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $30,514,000

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Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN 7 with plenty of soundtracks and Kanye West

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event in Washington, D.C.

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 7 went with as their backing tracks in Washington, D.C.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12, Page 13

UFC on ESPN 7 results: Tim Means drops, submits Thiago Alves in first round

At Saturday’s UFC DC, Tim Means and Thiago Alves did not disappoint.

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] and [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] have built up reputations as violent, high-action fighters.

At Saturday’s UFC DC, the two 170-pound fighters did not disappoint in a short, but action-packed spectacle. Means (29-11-1 MMA, 11-8 UFC) defeated Alves (23-15 MMA, 15-12 UFC) by guillotine choke at 2:38 of the first round.

Predominantly utilizing their boxing, both men landed heavy shots in the opening exchanges. A couple of minutes into the opening round, Means and Alves threw punches at the same time. It was Means who connected.

Alves fell to the canvas, trying to survive the onslaught. Means pounced on the Brazilian, who covered up. When Alves flipped to his stomach in a potential attempt to grab a leg, Means snatched his neck. From the standing position, Means cranked Alves’ neck in a guillotine choke and got the tap.

The UFC will be bringing an event to Rio Rancho, N.M. on Feb. 15. After the fight, Means called for a fight in his native state.

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With the victory, Means gets back in the win column after his previous fight, a loss to Niko Price in March. Means has now won three out of his last six fights.

As for Alves, the loss is his second in as many fights. The owner of the most welterweight fights in UFC history, Alves has dropped four out of five appearances. The fight against Means was the last on Alves’ contract.

The welterweight fight closed out the UFC on ESPN 7 preliminary card at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. It aired on ESPN following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+ and ahead of the main card on ESPN.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 7 results include: