After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next.
With another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 250’s key winning fighters.
Those fighters included [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC), who defended her UFC women’s featherweight title against Felicia Spencer (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) by unanimous decision in the pay-per-view headliner at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, as well as Cody Garbrandt (12-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC), [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] (24-5 MMA, 6-1 UFC).
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Alex Perez
Joseph Benavidez (right) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Should fight: Winner of [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag] Why they should fight: Perez had his breakthrough moment to turn himself into a top contender in the flyweight division when he stunned the highly regarded Jussier Formiga with a first-round finish.
Not only did Perez put Formiga away inside the opening frame, but he did it with the brilliance of leg kicks. It was just the 12th finish in UFC history with the technique, and that’s going to get Perez, who has won 11 of his past 12 fights, some well-deserved attention.
The flyweight division is thin on worthwhile contenders at the moment. Figueiredo (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) vs. Benavidez (28-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) will rematch for the vacant 125-pound belt on July 18, and there’s an opportunity for someone to step up and make the case to fight the winner. Well, Perez did about as good a job of that as one could.
After every event, fans wonder whom the losing fighters will be matched up with next.
With another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 248’s most notable fighters.
Those fighters include [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who lost a unanimous decision to Amanda Nunes (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC) in the women’s featherweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, as well as [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (28-7 MMA, 12-4 UFC), [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and [autotag]Eddie Wineland[/autotag] (24-14-1 MMA, 6-8 UFC)
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Eddie Wineland
Sean O’Malley (right) vs. Eddie Wineland
What’s next: Time off Why: Former WEC bantamweight champ Wineland took one of the toughest losses of his career when he was flattened in highlight-reel fashion by top prospect Sean O’Malley.
Wineland hasn’t been very active in recent years after fighting since 2003, but he shows up every so often and will certainly take a notable fight if it’s presented to him. After the way in which he lost to O’Malley, though, it’s hard not to wonder if, at 35, he will be keen to come back.
The manner in which Wineland lost definitely warrants a good amount of time off. He shouldn’t be fighting anytime soon after taking a knockout like that, and thus it’s pretty difficult to decide a fight that would make sense for him. He’s still a very talented fighter, though, and would be worthy of a top-20 foe if he decides to return to the octagon.
“The biggest thing was having a sense of urgency. He did a good job of tying me up against the fence and not allowing me to create space and work anything offensive, so it was really about me creating that sense of urgency to break that clinch against the fence and bring the fight back to him.”
Magny on making improvements
“I’m only getting better. that fight shows it. I’m not happy with that performance at all. I know I can do a lot better than that and that fire will just continue to drive me and get back in the gym and work my ass off to get my goals accomplished. I think I’m just starting to scratch the surface on what I can do.”
Magny on what he wants next
“I don’t know how many times I call out (Michael) Chiesa for him to keep ducking me, but that’s the fight I want right now. He called me out when I couldn’t do anything about it. But when I’m healthy and ready to go, he’s nowhere to be found. That’s a fight I’d love to have. I’ll be back in the gym on Monday and harassing (matchmaker) Sean Shelby on Tuesday. … Right now, he’s ranked above me. Right now, he has some steam behind him. I just want to go out there and do my best against him and keep moving forward.”
To hear more from Magny, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
“It’s huge. You drop two in the UFC (and you’re in trouble). I’ve only fought ranked killers since I’ve been in the UFC, so to finally come into my own and get a big finish, especially with all of the changes going on right now … It was a wild camp. It’s been a wild life. So it feels good for all of the hard work to pay off.”
Heinisch on training in Thailand
“I’m definitely moving to Thailand as soon as the borders open back up. Splitting camps is something that I’m interested in. I had a great vibe this whole camp. Training at elevation is hard on my body, but it always give you that extra will power in the fight.”
Heinisch on what he wants next
“I’m going to discuss with my manager, but I definitely want to start climbing the rankings again. I’m ranked 13. If Uriah Hall doesn’t have an opponent in the near future, that’d be an interesting fight for me – or basically anyone ranked. ”
To hear more from Heinisch, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 250, which saw Amanda Nunes beat Felicia Spencer in the main event.
The UFC returned to pay-per-view Saturday with a strong fight card that went down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
In the main event, dual-champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC) continued to show that she is deserving of all-time great status when she successfully defended her women’s featherweight title [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) with a unanimous decision and put herself into the record books.
Nunes wasn’t the only one to make history at the event, though. For more on the numbers, check below for 45 post-event facts to come out of UFC 245.
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General
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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $266,000.
UFC 250 drew an announced attendance of 0 for a live gate of $0.
Betting favorites went 8-4 on the card.
Betting favorites improved to 7-6 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 1:51:11.
Main card
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Nunes became the first in UFC history to record title defenses in two divisions while simultaneously holding multiple belt.
Nunes’ eight victories in UFC title fights are tied with Jose Aldo for third most in company history behind Jon Jones (14) and Anderson Silva (11).
Nunes’ eight victories in women’s UFC title fights are most in company history.
Nunes’ 11-fight UFC winning streak is tied for second longest among active fighters in the company behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (12).
Nunes’ 11-fight UFC winning streak in women’s competition is the longest in company history.
Spencer has suffered both of her career losses by decision.
Garbrandt (12-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) snapped his three-fight losing skid for his first victory since December 2016.
Garbrandt’s four knockout victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Eddie Wineland (eight) and T.J. Dillashaw (seven).
Garbrandt’s nine knockdowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are tied with Dillashaw for most in divisional history.
[autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag]’s (27-8 MMA, 11-5 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since July 2018.
Assuncao fell to 11-4 since he dropped to the UFC bantamweight division in August. 2011.
Assuncao suffered his first knockout loss since March 19, 2011 – a span of 3,367 days (more than nine years) and 15 fights.
Aljamain Sterling
Sterling’s (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak in bantamweight competition is tie with Marin Vera for the second longest active streak in the division behind Petr Yan (six).
Sterling’s 10 victories in UFC bantamweight competition are fourth most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (12), Urijah Faber (11) and Assuncao (11).
Sterling’s four submission victories in UFC bantamweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Faber (six) and Rani Yahya (five).
[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of his career.
[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 16-6 UFC) 16 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied with Matt Hughes for second most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19).
[autotag]Anthony Rocco Martin[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) fell to 5-2 since he returned to welterweight in April 2018. He’s 6-2 in the weight class overall.
Martin has suffered four of his six career losses by decision.
O’Malley’s (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Petr Yan (six) and Marlon Vera (five) and Sterling (five).
Preliminary card
Alex Caceres
[autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag] (16-12 MMA, 11-10 UFC) improved to 6-4 since he returned to the UFC featherweight division in January 2015.
Caceres has earned eight of his 11 UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] (9-1-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) had his 10-fight unbeaten streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] (30-13 MMA, 6-5 UFC) has suffered 10 of his 13 career losses by stoppage.
[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] (19-2-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) has earned all five of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag] (21-11 MMA, 5-4 UFC) suffered his first decision loss since Sept. 21, 2013 – a span of 2,450 days (nearly seven years) and 18 fights.
[autotag]Charles Byrd[/autotag]’s (10-7 MMA, 1-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2018.
Byrd has suffered all three of his UFC losses by knockout.
Perez (24-5 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has earned four of his six UFC victories by stoppage.
Perez earned the 12th finish in UFC history stemming from leg kicks.
[autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag]’s (23-8 MMA, 9-7 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2019.
Formiga has suffered all four of his UFC stoppage losses by knockout.
[autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) earned consecutive victories for the first time in his UFC career. He’s alternated wins and losses over his past nine appearances.
Clark has earned all six of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) had his nine-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
[autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned eight of his nine career stoppage victories by submission.
[autotag]Evan Dunham[/autotag]’s (18-9-1 MMA, 11-9-1 UFC) four-fight winless skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2016.
Dunham suffered jus the second submission loss of his career and first since Nov. 16, 2013 – a span of 2,394 days (more than six years) and 10 fights.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Thoughts and analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC 250, which took place Saturday in Las Vegas.
What mattered most at UFC 250 in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings …
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1. Amanda Nunes remains the GOAT
[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] further entrenched herself as the greatest female fighter in history when she utterly dominated Felicia Spencer for five rounds to win a unanimous decision and add more history to her already lengthy resume.
The big narrative around Nunes coming into this fight was her chance to become the first simultaneous two-division champion to defend in multiple weight classes. She defended her bantamweight belt for the fifth time against Germaine de Randamie at UFC 245 this past December, then made the first defense of her women’s featherweight strap against Spencer.
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Life is absolutely good if you’re Nunes at this point, and the biggest threat to her success seems to be herself. There’s no real threat out there across either division, and UFC boss Dana White has already ruled out a third showdown with women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko happening anytime soon.
Nunes and her wife, Nina Ansaroff, are expecting their first child soon, which means Nunes is likely to take a bit of a break to settle into motherhood. Hopefully in that time a worthy contender will emerge.
Herbert Burns and Neil Magny were among those who name-dropped their preferred next opponents at UFC 250 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 250 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.
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First up, let’s take a look at the preliminary card …
Herbert Burns
Wants to fight: [autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag] or [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]
The callout: “I want to get back quickly, I want to get back soon. I want to fight on the ‘Fight Island’. We already know the location – they already decided it’s in Abu Dhabi – so the plan is to go there and fight again soon, and hopefully against a good guy. I gave two names: Bryce Mitchell and Ryan Hall, two grapplers. Ryan Hall’s even ranked – he’d be my first choice. But if he doesn’t want (it), I know Mitchell is a tough guy (and) he doesn’t run from a challenger. I’m a challenger, so let’s go.”
The reality: [autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag] may have kicked off his UFC career with a knockout, but he returned to his grappling roots to score an impressive win over Evan Dunham at UFC 250 and his post-fight suggestions for his next opponent showed where his strengths lie.
Burns very smartly called out a pair of fellow grapplers who few people are keen to face right now, which should give him a great chance of landing one of them for his next fight. Mitchell will face anyone and would have no qualms about testing his own impressive ground game against the Brazilian grappling ace. But the fight that offers the most intrigue for me is the Hall fight. “The Wizard’s” very specific set of ground skills has made him a must-avoid opponent at 145 pounds, which makes Burns’ callout all the more interesting.
Both matchups seem like valid options for Burns, but the Hall fight offers a bout against ranked opposition and gives “The Blaze” the chance to catapult himself towards title contention at 145 pounds while his older brother Gilbert attempts to capture gold at 170. A two-pronged Burns brothers title charge would certainly make for an interesting narrative, so sending Herbert down the faster track could make promotional sense here.
Next up: Middleweight campaigner offers two solid options
At UFC 250, a fighter learned a hard and gruesome lesson about what can happen if your appendages slide through the cage.
[autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag] picked up a quick submission victory at UFC 250 and learned a valuable lesson in the process.
Whatever you do, don’t stick your toes through the fence.
Fighting in a smaller-than-normal 25-foot cage at the UFC Apex, Burns (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) got his foot stuck in the fence in the midst of his final fight-clinching takedown.
Shortly after submitting opponent Evan Dunham, Burns noticed the injury and began hopping around – so much so that UFC broadcast analyst Joe Rogan pointed it out.
“It looks like Herbert hurt himself,” Rogan said. “Something was injured along the way …”
After some technical difficulties on the broadcast, Rogan followed up with Burns to ask him about the injury.
“My foot is really bleeding,” Burns said. “I think when I tried to push him against the cage, my left foot went through the cage and caused a huge cut here. I’m bleeding, but I’ll be fine.”
A “huge cut” is an accurate assessment. UFC physician Greg Hsu posted two images of Burns’ foot, which required stitches as a result.
Check out Dr. Greg Hsu’s side-by-side images of Burns’ foot before and after treatment – but do so at your own risk!
Warning: It’s graphic.
UFC Safety Tip: The Rule is dont insert anything in the fence. Why cuz it will tear ur stuff. This rarely happens tho #UFC250pic.twitter.com/ll8jzsH5J2
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