Tag: UFC 248

Marvin Vettori thought Yoel Romero won at UFC 248, says Israel Adesanya ‘showed me his true colors’

Marvin Vettori wants another crack at current champ Israel Adesanya, and until that day comes, he’s not about to hold back on his opinions.

UFC middleweight contender [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] wants another crack at current champ [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag], and until that day comes, he’s not about to hold back on his opinions.

The outspoken Italian slugger came up short against “The Last Stylebender” in an April 2018 clash, and Vettori admits it still leaves a sour taste in his mouth.

“People can say whatever they want about my fight,” Vettori told MMA Junkie. “I have my opinions. He has his opinions. People have their opinions, … but whoever won that fight, and the judges – one gave it to me, two gave it to him – whoever, even him, is he happy with what happened in that fight? Did it really go down like it was supposed to go down? Did anybody really come out on top, like saying, ‘I beat the other guy,’?

“If anything, he came out more beat up than me from that fight.”

Clearly, Vettori (14-3-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) isn’t likely to praise Adesanya (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) for much of anything, but “The Italian Dream” actually levies the responsibility for the champ’s lackluster UFC 248 win over [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) on both participants.

Vettori believes Romero’s initial strategy was sound, but that the 42-year-old Cuban veteran should have seen the fight slipping away as it was unfolding and made the necessary adjustments.

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“I was disappointed on both sides,” Vettori said. “I think the fault was on both sides. I actually thought Romero won the fight, but it was very close, and I know these New Zealand guys are unbeatable in decisions. If they go to decisions, they’re unbeatable. What I’m saying is, third title fight, 42 years old, you know the situation, and the strategy was good, but then fourth and fifth, starting from the third, you’ve got to bring it up a little more.”

Adesanya retained his belt in the March 7 event in Las Vegas, taking home a unanimous decision win, but he was widely criticized in the aftermath of what was expected to be a much better contest. And while Vettori does believe Romero shares in the blame, he also thinks Adesanya showed that he’s not the unbeatable monster his unblemished record might suggest.

“From Adesanya, I’m seeing just a scared guy, honestly – like, he didn’t want to take risks, and I’ll tell you why: Because Romero was being very good of not reacting to his feints and being very unpredictable, which he always is, but even more, and doing all this weird (expletive), so Adesanya wouldn’t have a lot to build on,” Vettori said. “Even if it looks like he’s a striker and he does all this weird (expletive), he plays it safe a lot of times, and people fall for this (expletive). But I’ve seen it.

“When he has to take some risks there, because Romero was being good at not reacting and stuff, he’s been scared to go fight. He got hit a couple times, and he just acted like a bitch the whole time, and so that showed me his true colors. That showed me that if there is a need to take risks, he’s not going to take them. He’s going to stay real safe. He knows he’s not going to be finished, and he known he’s not going to be beat by decision.”

Adesanya is expected to take on undefeated Brazilian brawler Paulo Costa in his next outing, though the MMA world is currently on hold along with the rest of the globe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, Vettori has earned back-to-back decision wins since his loss to Adesanya and was eyeing a third result before his UFC on ESPN+ 29 bout with Darren Stewart was scratched this past weekend.

Vettori knows he’s not yet in line for a crack at the belt, but he does hope to get another shot at Adesanya in the not-too-distant future.

“It’s not over” Adesanya said. “I think we have to settle it. We need another fight, for sure.”

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John McCarthy weighs in on judges’ scoring criteria, applies it to Adesanya vs. Romero

“Who’s the guy that created the most dangerous situations for their opponent?”

Perhaps MMA judging never has been a more controversial topic than it has in early 2020.

UFC 247 last month, headlined by Jon Jones’ controversial win over Dominick Reyes, shed light on just how big of an issue it’s become in the sport. UFC president Dana White is notorious for preaching to “never leave it in the hands of the judges,” because in most cases it can cost you half your purse.

Former referee and current Bellator commentator John McCarthy says judging is not easy, especially when the crowd plays a factor, as well as the angle from which the judge is watching the fight.

While the general notion is usually that the fighter who looks like they’re doing more is winning, McCarthy thinks it should be about the effectiveness and impact of what that fighter is doing.

“The biggest thing we have to have is the judges understanding the criteria that is given to them and how to use it and then understanding in a fight what is effective,” McCarthy told MMA Junkie Radio. “It’s not what is flashy. It’s not the guy that’s moving forward. It is what is the most effective element in that round. Who’s the guy that created the most dangerous situations for their opponent?

“It doesn’t matter if he’s chasing him down. It matters if he is doing the most effective damage during that round. That’s what the judges are looking for.”

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The middleweight championship fight between [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] earlier this month at UFC 248 was one of the more difficult fights to judge due to the inactivity throughout 25 minutes. Adesanya was awarded the unanimous decision, winning three rounds on two judges’ scorecards and four on the other.

All three judges gave Romero the first round.

“Personally, I knew at the end of that (first) round, I knew that every judge, my son was one of those judges, I knew everyone was going to go with Yoel Romero because he landed the one big right hand,” McCarthy said. “You saw Israel rubbing his left eye, blinking his left eye because a knuckle caught him or something, but it showed that that punch had an effect. That’s what I’m talking about: Who affected the other the most?”

McCarthy admits that because the round was so uneventful, he wanted to score it as a draw, but knowing the judging criteria, he understands why it was given to Romero.

“I wanted to give it a 10-10 because neither, in my opinion, neither guy deserved to win that round,” McCarthy said. “You didn’t do enough to win that round. You didn’t do enough for me to say you actually get an advantage over your opponent now, having one point higher on the scorecard, but I knew when the round was over, they’re all going to give it to Yoel, and I probably would have to because that’s what the criteria tells me.”

In a lackluster fight, some argue that Romero should have won, but whether it deserves to go down as a robbery or controversial decision is firmly in question, as the lack of activity made it difficult for the judges to pinpoint the deciding factor.

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Jon Jones throws shade at Israel Adesanya’s win over Yoel Romero

Jon Jones was not impressed.

Perhaps not surprisingly, you can consider UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] is unimpressed by what he saw from middleweight champ [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] in his win over Yoel Romero.

Earlier this month at UFC 248, Adesanya and Romero put on what was widely considered a lackluster main event, with “The Last Style” bender retaining his title after earning a unanimous decision from the judges. Both men have blamed each other for why the fight failed to live up to expectations.

As far as Jones is concerned, it seems that – based on Adesanya’s performance – he’d rather not hear any more talk about a potential showdown against his fellow UFC champ.

Yoel is almost 10 years older than me and almost won that fight,” Jones wrote in response to a question on Twitter. “Without using his wrestling. That’s all I’ll say.”

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Jones and Adesanya have been feuding for months, leading many to believe a superfight could be down the line. Adesanya, who debuted with the UFC in February 2018, has gone so far as to say it’s inevitable – he just needs time to round into form. Jones, however, might not be too interested.

At least not anymore.

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Fight Week: An inside look at Sean O’Malley’s successful return to the octagon

Get in all-access look at Sean O’Malley’s week leading up to his successful return at UFC 248.

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] showed no signs of ring rust in his return to the cage.

The undefeated rising star made quick work of Jose Quinonez at UFC 248, taking him out in the first round. It was O’Malley’s first fight since 2018 and came after battling a complicated case with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and Nevada State Athletic Commission that forced him to sit on the sidelines.

But O’Malley (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has done a phenomenal job of remaining connecting with his fans during his absence, constantly providing content on his YouTube channel. Monday night, O’Malley posted an almost 30-minute video, highlighting his fight week, preparation, weight cut and media obligations, all the way to the night of the fight.

Get in all access look at “The Suga Show” in the video above.

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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Jared Cannonier after watching Adesanya vs. Romero at UFC 248: I feel like I’m a better fighter

Jared Cannonier says he feels like a better fighter after watching Israel Adesanya’s lackluster win over Yoel Romero at UFC 248.

MMA fans may not have been overly entertained by Israel Adesanya’s win over Yoel Romero at this past weekend’s UFC 248 in Las Vegas, but one UFC middleweight was left with positive vibes after watching the fight.

[autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] was an interested spectator as Adesanya outpointed Romero in a fight lacking the explosive action many had anticipated during the build-up. But, rather than coming away feeling disappointed, “The Killa Gorilla” says he feels pretty happy with what he saw.

“It wasn’t pleasing to the casual fan, pleasingly aesthetic to what these guys want to see,” Cannonier (13-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) told Submission Radio. “I wasn’t sitting there booing; I was sitting there intrigued. Of course, I’m potentially one of the guys’ opponents, so I’m watching with more of a keen eye.

“I was just downloading every bit right there, and I feel like I’m a better fighter after watching those two fight. … You can say they respected each other too much or they employed a little too much caution – to the fans’ detriment, but not to mine.”

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Cannonier feels his stock is higher following that fight, but he also admitted that the contest’s relative lack of action didn’t come as a huge surprise to him, given the stylistic tendencies of both men.

“I thought it was going to be a little bit more exciting, but what we saw happen what happened, was what I thought was going to happen,” he explained. “I said that if we see Romero do what Romero has done in his last couple of fights, which is back away, wait around and stand in front of his opponent and try to explode at the perfect moment, then ‘Izzy’ is going to be able to snipe him from afar, pick him apart and run his game.

“‘Izzy’ was successful in retaining his title, and Yoel didn’t do much of anything to take the title, to win the title. So, if you ask me who won the fight, that would be my reply. ‘Izzy’ did enough to retain the title. I’m not going to say he won that fight, even though technically he won that fight, but I would say he did enough to retain the title. And that’s kind of like what he was saying at the end. He was saying ‘I’m going to do what I’ve got to do.'”

But what does Cannonier have to do? He has his sights set on a top contender fight for his next appearance. Nothing is booked yet, but he says he wants a fight that will propel him into a title shot with a victory, and he doesn’t care who it is.

“I’ll fight any of them that will get me a title shot,” he stated. “It doesn’t matter who it is. Everybody’s saying nobody’s calling out Yoel. I say, (I’ll fight) anybody ahead of me who gives me a title shot – anybody. It includes Yoel, it includes anybody ahead of me that gets me a title shot, or anybody behind me that gets me a title shot. One fight, then a title shot, because I’m beating anybody you put in front of me.”

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Joanna Jedrzejczyk gives update on hematoma, will undergo surgery in Poland

Joanna Jedrzejczyk has given a positive update after the major damage she received at UFC 248.

[autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] has given a positive update after the epic battle she endured in her last fight.

Jedrzejczyk was narrowly edged out by UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili at this past weekend’s UFC 248 in Las Vegas, suffering a split-decision loss in a five-round thriller. The damaged she suffered was visually evident, including a massive hematoma on her head, leaving her with some serious swelling on her face.

Speaking to TMZ Sports, Jedrzejczyk gave an update on her health, saying that the swelling has reduced and she is planning on returning to her native Poland to undergo surgery on her face.

“My whole face is bruised but … there’s no more swelling on my head,” Jedrzejczyk said. “It’s more on my face, and like my neck. It’s going down, but it’s much better.”

“I scheduled surgery in Poland with the best plastic surgeon, so it’s all good. On Monday, I’ll have a small medical procedure on my ear and the swelling will go down and I will be ready to rock and roll.”

The former strawweight queen came closer than ever in recapturing her title, and being the natural competitor that she is, Jedrzejczyk says she’s certainly open to a rematch with Weili.

“I want to fight the best, if it’s the next step, yes … of course, why not?” Jedrzejczyk said. “Let’s rock and roll again. Let’s dance again, fight for the belt.”

“I’m not sad. I’m not happy. I’m just resting, recovering my body, and I cut myself a little bit from the media, from what’s going on around, and I feel good.”

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MMA rankings report: Why one UFC 248 title-fight loser drops but not the other

Did Yoel Romero or Joanna Jedrzejczyk drop in their division in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings?

UFC 248 this past weekend featured a pair of title fights on opposite ends of each other in terms of entertainment value, but their impacts on this week’s USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings is definitely felt.

In the main event, [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] remained undefeated with a lackluster unanimous decision win over [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] to retain the middleweight title. And in the co-main event, [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] and [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] had an instant classic, with the champion retaining the strawweight title after a narrow split decision.

One of those losing fighters dropped in their respective division’s rankings, while the other stayed put.

Hear from rankings chair “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” of MMA Junkie Radio as they discuss this and other UFC 248 results with rankings implications in the latest edition of the MMA rankings report.

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UFC 248 ‘Fight Motion’: Epic Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk fight slowed down

Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk put on an all-time classic fight at UFC 248.

[autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] and [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] put on an all-time classic affair at UFC 248, winning the “Fight of the Night” and putting themselves in frontrunner position for “Fight of the Year.”

Weili (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) defeated Jedrzejczyk (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) by spilt decision to defend the strawweight title in the co-headlining bout, which took place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The pair went toe-to-toe for 25 minutes, keeping a ridiculous pace that netted third place on the list for most total significant strikes landed in a UFC championship bout. Both women were battered from the contest, but Jedrzejczyk left with the worst of it in the form of a massive hematoma on her forehead. That didn’t stop the Polish fighter, though, as she slugged it out until the end only to come up short by the closest of margins.

You can see it all play out in beautiful super-slow motion thanks to the UFC’s “Fight Motion” cameras.

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Also featured in “UFC 248: Fight Motion” is Israel Adesanya’s middleweight title defense over Yoel Romero from the main event of the card, as well as highlights from a number of preliminary-card bouts.

Check out slow motion highlights from the UFC latest pay-per-view showcase in the “UFC 248: Fight Motion” video above.

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