Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here are the top four honorable mentions and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Year” award for 2020.
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With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie takes a look at the best knockouts from January to December. Here are the top five and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Year” award for 2020.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice for “Submission of the Year.”
Here are the top four honorable mentions and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Knockout of the Year” award for 2020.
With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie takes a look at the best knockouts from January to December. Here are the top five and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Knockout of the Year” award for 2020.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice for “Knockout of the Year.”
Relive Sean O’Malley’s highlight-reel knockout over Eddie Wineland at UFC 250.
[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] continues to rise to the occasion.
After a successful return at UFC 248 in March, O’Malley (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) faced veteran Eddie Wineland at UFC 250 in arguably his toughest test to date.
O’Malley fought long, throwing an array of kicks and jabs, while Wineland tried to close the distance. Wineland clipped O’Malley with a solid right as he continued to pressure, but O’Malley did a good job of circling away to regain the center of the octagon.
O’Malley started to ramp up the aggression, landing a body kick, a right hand, then a spinning back kick that Wineland ducked under. But as soon as O’Malley got back up, he starched Wineland with a straight right that knocked him out cold.
O’Malley returns to action when he meets Marlon Vera (17-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 252, which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.
Before he faces Vera, relive O’Malley’s finish of Wineland in the video above.
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With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from June 2020.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from June 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for June.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
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Aljamain Sterling def. Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250
[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) put himself in the top echelon of bantamweight title contenders when he defeated Cory Sandhagen (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in the best performance of his career.
Sterling added another signature win to his now five-fight winning streak when he ended Sandhagen’s unbeaten octagon run by quickly taking their title eliminator matchup to the ground. He secured back position in short order then worked away at a rear-naked choke that eventually elicited a tap from Sandhagen less than 90 seconds in.
Gillian Robertson def. Cortney Casey at UFC on ESPN 11
[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag] (8-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) made all sorts of history in her women’s flyweight matchup with Cortney Casey (9-8 MMA, 4-7 UFC), becoming the first in divisional history to reach five stoppage victories.
Robertson put her strong ground game to use against Casey. She finally found her way into a rear-naked choke in the third round and then closed the show by becoming the first person to earn a submission victory out of “Cast Iron.”
Jim Miller def. Roosevelt Roberts at UFC on ESPN 11
36-year-old [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] (32-14 MMA, 21-13 UFC) showed he can still fend off the next generation when he beat Roosevelt Roberts (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who was 14 when Miller made his UFC debut in 2008 in the first round.
Miller’s grappling advantage and submission prowess was merely a level above Roberts in the lightweight bout, and it didn’t take long to show. The veteran, who made his record-tying 35th UFC appearance at the event, snatched up an armbar on Roberts from bottom position. All told, the fight took less than half a round and moved Miller into third place on the UFC’s all-time wins list.
Julian Erosa def. Sean Woodson at UFC on ESPN 12
Third stints don’t come around the UFC often, but [autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag] (24-8 MMA, 2-4 UFC) was of the few to get that opportunity. He made the most of it when pulled off the upset against a previously unbeaten opponent in Sean Woodson (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC).
To make things more impressive, “Juicy J,” who initially got into the UFC via “The Ultimate Fighter 22.” took the fight against Woodson on less than a weeks’ notice. After walking through every shot that came away, Erosa finally grabbed ahold of Woodson’s neck. He locked in the D’Arce choke and got his first UFC win in years.
Maurice Greene def. Gian Villante at UFC on ESPN 12
Gian Villante (17-12 MMA, 7-9 UFC) dropped Maurice Greene (9-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) with a left hook during the third round of their heavyweight bout, and it sure seemed like the fight’s end was near.
That turned out to be the case, but not in a way most were expecting. With Villante in top position and seemingly well positioned to finish things off, Greene pulled an arm-triangle choke out of nowhere and got the submission victory with less than 90 seconds in the round. Greene insisted afterward the finish was achieved purely through technique, but Villante’s exhaustion seems to contribute, too.
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On a night in which bantamweight contenders jockeyed for position to make their case in the race for a bantamweight title shot, Sterling wasted little time stating his own.
Fighting in a UFC 250 main-card bout that UFC president Dana White hinted would be a title eliminator, Sterling made short work of Sandhagen.
The Long Island-based competitor blitzed Sandhagen, dominating from the jump before winning by rear-naked choke. The time of the stoppage was 1:28 of the opening round, as Sterling won his fourth consecutive fight.
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“I got no words for this right now,” Sterling said. “The world is in shambles right now, there is a lot going on, especially in this country. … This is for everyone fighting the good fight back home, protesting.”
Sterling wasted little time in taking a standing Sandhagen’s back. He brought Sandhagen to the ground and nearly finished things with his first rear-naked choke attempt, but Sandhagen escaped. Twice more Sterling applied the choke, and Sandhagen did his best to escape, but a tight body lock limited his options. The third time around, Sandhagen tapped just as he was going out.
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With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from June 2020.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from June 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Knockout of the Month” award for June.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
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Alex Perez def. Jussier Formiga at UFC 250
[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] (24-5 MMA, 6-1 UFC) might not have gone into his matchup with Jussier Formiga (23-8 MMA, 9-7 UFC) on the short list of contenders for the vacant flyweight title, but he sure came out of it as one.
Perez put his division on notice by taking out one of flyweight’s longstanding contenders in Formiga via TKO, but it was one of the rarest forms of TKO: the calf kick. Perez clobbered Formiga with calf kicks, connecting with his right leg to the lower portion of Formiga’s right. He dropped him twice with the kicks, and the second time around turned out to be one time too many.
A TKO due to calf kicks! 😱@AlexPerezMMA chops down Formiga at the end of RD 1.
📺 Action switches to @ESPN next. #UFC250 pic.twitter.com/8vVszv48rh
— UFC (@ufc) June 6, 2020
Sean O’Malley def. Eddie Wineland at UFC 250
[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) had shown plenty of sizzle early in his UFC career, but he didn’t yet have the type of veteran name on his resume that indicates he truly could be on his way to the top. Then he fought Eddie Wineland (24-14-1 MMA, 6-8 UFC).
After some frenetic early exchanges, “Suga” set up the fight-ending sequence. O’Malley feinted a left, Wineland bit, and O’Malley followed through with a flawless straight right hand to the jaw, which put Wineland to the mat and ended the bout.
Cody Garbrandt def. Raphael Assuncao at UFC 250
Former bantamweight champ [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) finally got back in the win column when he defeated Raphael Assuncao (27-8 MMA, 11-5 UFC) with his most spectacular career finish.
Garbrandt snapped a three-fight losing skid and got his hand raised for the first time since December 2016 when he beat Assuncao by second-round knockout. After a more reserved approach than his recent fights, Garbrandt waited until the closing seconds of the round to wind up with a grenade-level right hand that put Assuncao out on impact and spelled the end of the fight.
Tyson Nam def. Zarrukh Adashev at UFC on ESPN 10
[autotag]Tyson Nam[/autotag] (19-11-1 MMA, 1-2 UFC) broke his slump in the most brilliant of ways when absolutely obliterated Zarrukh Adashev (3-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC).
Adashev came out with an early mini-blitz, indicating he was ready for a scrap. Which apparently was all good with Nam, who connected clean with a picture-perfect counter right hand just 32 seconds into the first round of the bantamweight fight.
OH MY! @TysonNam flattened him 😱 #UFCVegas2 pic.twitter.com/njV89onZjD
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 13, 2020
Tanner Boser def. Philipe Lins at UFC on ESPN 12
[autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag] (18-6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) made a statement in an important fight against the inaugural PFL heavyweight champion Philipe Lins (14-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC).
The Canadian picked up an impressive first-round finish. Boser connected with a hard right hand that seemed to briefly stun the Brazilian, but he immediately followed up with a quick combination that send Lins straight to the canvas. After Lins went down, Boser aded a couple nasty hammerfists for good measure.
Bevy of punches by @BulldozerBoser before Lins even hit the ground 😳 #UFCVegas4 pic.twitter.com/He21H1Av3s
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 27, 2020
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Garbrandt still has it.
Shortly after the 10-second clacker sounded in Round 2, Garbrand landed a vicious right hook that flattened Assuncao with one second left. Out on impact, Assuncao crumpled to the canvas facedown, forcing referee Keith Peterson to wave off the fight.
The opening round was a tactical chess match. The volume of strikes thrown was low. Both fighters stayed at a distance, with Garbrandt targeting the low calf of Assuncao, who was constantly switching stances.
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In Round 2, the pace picked up. Garbrandt returned to targeting Assuncao’s leg, which was wearing damage. Midway through the round, Garbrandt connected on his best strike of the fight – a punch, which knocked Assuncao off balance. The playful trash talk picked up, with Assuncao claiming he slipped on Garbrandt’s punch.
The conversation was all for not, however, as the next big punch was the last. Sneaking in a massive punch just before the horn sounded, Garbrandt picked up his first victory since December 2016.
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If Amanda Nunes retires, the UFC women’s featherweight division is likely to suffer the same fate.
LAS VEGAS — UFC president Dana White doesn’t want to see featherweight and bantamweight champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] retire. After all, never before has the promotion seen a champ-champ continue to mow down opponents while retaining both belts.
And Nunes’ one-sided victory over Felicia Spencer in defense of her 145-pound title in the main event of UFC 250 was a demonstrative statement Nunes remains well in her prime.
“I hope she doesn’t (retire),” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, following Friday’s UFC on ESPN 11 weigh-ins at the UFC APEX. “She’s one of my favorite people ever, and coming off the performance that she put on, I think that the beautiful thing was she came out of the (Germaine) de Randamie fight and everybody was like ‘she looked human,’ this, that, and all the critics were all over her.
“She fought arguably the best female striker of all time, beat her, and she looked human in that fight, and then she came out and put a statement on her last performance, she looked incredible and put on an absolute clinic against one of the toughest women I’ve ever seen in my life. And after a performance like that I’d hate to think that she’d want to retire. But if that’s true and that’s where she’s at right now, then she probably should.”
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The problem is, while the bantamweight division has remained highly competitive, the UFC has barely been able to find enough fighters to build out featherweight. Nunes’ win over Spencer, after all, came a full year and a half after she defeated Cris Cyborg for the belt, and with the exception of Meaghan Anderson, there’s no one else on the company roster at the moment who can be plausibly matched up with Nunes.
So if Nunes’ bout with Spencer turns out to be her last, than there’s a real chance it will also go down as the final UFC women’s featherweight title bout. White indicated the bantamweight division would continue, but it would likely be the end of the line for 145 pounds.
“Probably not,” White said when asked about 145. “I literally just told the guys the other day to build that division up. Let’s start signing girls, start building the division and now the girl’s is talking about retirement, so apparently we gotta got on the same page and figure this thing out.”
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The way Ray Longo sees it, Aljamain Sterling already should be getting the next UFC bantamweight title shot as it is.
[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] has done more than enough to earn a title shot.
Sterling (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) notched his fifth win in a row when he submitted Cory Sandhagen in just 90 seconds earlier this month at UFC 250. But despite his incredible streak, which also includes wins over the likes of Jimmie Rivera and Pedro Munhoz, Sterling will not be next in line for a shot at gold.
The UFC had already decided that, after Henry Cejudo vacated his belt, Petr Yan will face Jose Aldo for the 135-pound title July 11 at UFC 251. So with the next title fight already booked, Sterling’s head coach, Ray Longo, thinks his star bantamweight contender shouldn’t accept another fight unless it’s for the belt.
“Over here we thought he deserved … this could have been a title fight,” Longo told MMA Junkie on Sterling’s fight with Sandhagen. “You had two really good guys on great winning streaks. Look, technically Aljo might be the uncrowned champ right now. Who the heck knows? But we always believed that he should have been fighting for a title, and if this is what he had to do to get there, to have that one more fight against a guy that’s right up there with him in the division, and that’s what he did.
“He couldn’t have had a better outcome, and now there’s absolutely no question he earned a title shot. … I wouldn’t sign a contract unless it’s for a title. I mean, he earned it. He deserves it, he works hard, and that’s what it’s all about.”
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Both Longo and Matt Serra, who have been staples in Sterling’s corner, didn’t make the trip to Las Vegas. After some discussion, the New York natives thought it was best to avoid putting their health at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to protect their families.
So Longo had to nervously watch alone. But thankfully for him, Sterling was able to make quick work of a very worthy and skilled Sandhagen.
“When he put that hook in, I was really, really happy,” Longo said. “Because Aljo on your back, again, I don’t care if you’re 135, 145, 155, 170, you do not want that kid on your back. He’s that good. His MMA jiu-jitsu is off the hook, and that was just a sigh of relief for me.”
“I’m as hungry as I’ve ever been.”
Fresh off the biggest win of his career, [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] is eyeing the top 15 of the light heavyweight division.
Clark (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) upset Alonzo Menifield at UFC 250, bouncing him from the ranks of the unbeaten in a hard-fought battle. Clark is currently serving a medical suspension for a damaged left orbital bone, but he’s looking to pick up right where he left off as soon as he’s cleared.
Winner of his last two fights, Clark is targeting a bout with [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] (26-11-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC), who’s currently slated to complete his trilogy with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on July 25 in Abu Dhabi.
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“Actually I want to stay in shape and be ready to go as soon as this thing heals, but I’ll fight anybody,” Clark told MMA Junkie. “I’d like to knock into the top 15. I think ‘Shogun’s’ got something lined up. I would love to fight him. We’ll see where his next fight goes, but yeah, just start at the top of that list, at No. 15, I’ll work my way up. I really don’t care.
“This was my tenth UFC fight, and I’ve grown a lot in this sport. I started at a pretty young age, and with only six pro fights, I started fighting in the UFC, so I’ve been learning at the highest level for years now. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve had some ups and downs, and it’s starting to click for me. It’s starting to click, and I’m hungry. I’m as hungry as I’ve ever been. I’m not even in my prime yet. I’m 30 years old, and I’m ready to take over.”
“There’s levels to striking,” you know?
Shortly after [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] delivered a spectacular one-punch knockout at UFC 250, [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] followed suit.
O’Malley starched Eddie Wineland in the first round to open up the UFC 250 pay-per-view main card, which appeared certain to be the lock for highlight of the night. But then Garbrandt, the former bantamweight champion, rebounded from a three-fight losing skid with an emphatic buzzer-beating one-punch knockout over Raphael Assuncao in the co-main event.
If you think Garbrandt stole O’Malley’s thunder, allow O’Malley to make you think twice. Actually, let O’Malley break it down for you why his was better (via YouTube).
“I don’t know. There’s levels to striking. When you got power in your hands, you can just bend down and just throw something, and if it lands you’ll probably knock someone out. I choose pure, clean, technique, and speed. But they’re both cool.”
You’ve got to appreciate O’Malley for continuing to needle Garbrandt with this video. Maybe it’ll help him get the fight he wants.
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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.
UFC fighter Devin Clark’s dad David Clark has been there since Day 1. Through no MMA background, he’s an integral part of his son’s success.
At UFC 250 this past Saturday night, [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] was in trouble early.
Cracked by a powerful Alonzo Menifield combination, his left orbital bone shattered upon impact – not an ideal situation for any fighter.
In trouble, Clark ducked and dodged as best he could – unable to see well. However, he heard a voice: a loud voice, but a very familiar one – the voice of his father, David.
There’s loud – and then there’s David Clark loud.
A staple of Devin’s corner, David’s yells bellowed throughout the crowd-less UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Maneuvering through the blindness, Devin survived. No one will know for sure, but it may have been his father’s support that made the difference.
In the second and third rounds, Devin rallied, showing guts, heart, and anything else synonymous. The performance over the span of three rounds earned him a unanimous decision nod. Devin’s performance gained traction online throughout the MMA community. David’s audibly thunderous support did, too.
While it was noticed by the masses more so on Saturday, David has always been in his corner, doing the same exact thing.
“I just did what I normally do,” David Clark told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “From Day 1, that’s what I do.”
Diving deeper into Devin’s athletic career, David has been a catalyst for as long as it has existed.
“You should have heard him back when I played football and baseball and anything else; he’s actually calmed down a little bit,” Devin laughed when speaking to MMA Junkie. “He brings that presence to the fight – that fighting presence. I think everybody needs – and this is with all love – a crazy-ass dude who’s ready to go on a dime. That’s what my dad brings. That’s why he’s always with me. I know he’s got my back and he’s ready at all times.”
Unlike many UFC-level corners, David doesn’t have an MMA background. So sitting among Devin’s Xs-and-Os coaches, who provide technical advice, what is David’s role exactly?
“My role is just to – you heard what I do,” David said. “That’s what I do. That’s what I do. I help him out as much as I can.”
As a matter of fact, it’s not just MMA. David doesn’t have any sort of martial arts background. Fighting, however, is not foreign for Mr. Clark. He’s lived the lifestyle – the real fighting lifestyle. You know, the kind that you don’t get paid for.
“I’m not a natural with violence,” Devin said. “(My dad) helps bring that across a little bit. Nobody really knows his backstory, but he grew up in East St. Louis, Ill. It’s pretty rough there, and it always has been. He had to fight in the streets. He had to fight for his survival. He brings that across in the fights. That’s what it is to him. That’s what it becomes to me.
“This is more than just a competition. Sometimes I get caught up in my mind that it’s just a competition. This is a sport, but it’s a fight. You can die in there. It’s blood, sweat, and tears. He helps me bring that to the table.”
Perhaps due to that real-life violence, David introduced Devin to boxing and wrestling at age 7. By 9, Devin was a state boxing champion. Fast forward 21 years later, and Devin is knocking on the UFC’s official top 15.
Sure, it’s unconventional – but it’s a working recipe. David and Devin, father and son, are on an elevated level of understanding – at a high degree not many fighters could understand.
“I try to keep it down to a low roar, but when he gets in a little trouble, all bets are off on being quiet,” David said. “I don’t care who’s around or who hears it. Something good is coming out of my mouth, or something bad, or something that he’ll understand. I know people don’t understand what I’m saying, but he does. Even though he might be getting his ass kicked in the ring, he understands what I’m saying.”
For David, as a father who has been there every step of the way, the process has been understatedly rewarding.
“Phenomenal,” David said. “Just phenomenal. I couldn’t have guessed him to be as good as he is. He just kept up the hard work. He never gave up and just put in the work. He put in the body of work and just kept putting it in. This is where he ends up.”
Like father, like son, David and Devin are pretty laid back when answering the classic question, “Well, what’s next?” Healing up from his eye injury, Devin said he’d be interested in a fight with Mauricio Rua, should the former champion defeat Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on July 25. Who knows?
David was there when his son won his state boxing tournament. He was there when UFC president Dana White offered him a contract on “Dana White: Lookin’ For a Fight.” Whether it’s a championship fight or an unranked matchup, you better damn believe David Clark will be there, screaming advice.
“Saturday night was a start on the road to the championship – for the title,” David said. “Like he’ll tell you or tell anybody or whoever’s up next, I know there’re some up-and-comers who still want him like this guy wanted him. They think they can beat him. If he has to take another one of those, we’ll take another one of those. If he wants to move forward and advance, I know he has a few other guys in his sight. He’ll work on that – on the other guys.”
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