Tag: UFC 251

Jose Aldo vows to ‘come back much stronger’ after TKO loss to Petr Yan at UFC 251

Jose Aldo is in unchartered territory in his career after losing to Petr Yan at UFC 251, but he has no intention of giving up.

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] is in uncharted territory in his career after losing to Petr Yan at UFC 251, but he has no intention of giving up.

For the first time in his decorated run as a professional fighter, Aldo (28-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) is on a three-fight skid following his fifth-round TKO loss to Yan (15-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) on Saturday’s card, which took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

It was an important fight for Aldo. If he won, he would’ve become UFC bantamweight champion. As the former longtime featherweight titleholder, it would’ve made him just the eighth fighter in company history to hold belts in two divisions. It went the other way, though, as Yan’s offense proved too much and he got the late finish.

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After taking a night to digest the outcome, Aldo released a statement on social media. He made it clear that this is not the end for him, and he hopes he can use this loss as an opportunity to grow (via Instagram):

View this post on Instagram

Hoje acordei pensando no que dizer a todos, e o que tenho a falar é que a derrota faz parte do esporte, faz parte da minha vida e só não perde aquele que não luta. ⠀ Eu dei o meu máximo nessa luta, dei o máximo e o melhor nos treinos, dei o meu máximo na minha alimentação, mesmo em tempos de pandemia eu batalhei pelo o que eu queria, mas infelizmente não deu. ⠀ Ninguém mais do que eu queria muito esse cinturão, queria muito fazer história mas o meu adversário se saiu melhor ontem e ele tem os seus méritos. ⠀ Mas as pessoas tendem a carregar a ideia de um mundo perfeito e esquecem que perder uma batalha não te torna capaz de humilhar e muito menos descartar o outro. ⠀ Empatia é se colocar sempre no lugar do outro. Eu voltarei muito mais forte do que já sou. ⠀ A minha gratidão fica para minha equipe Nova União, aos meus amigos, fãs e minha família a quem dedico o meu melhor todos os dias. ⠀ ⠀ Força e honra sempre! ⠀ Deus é conosco 🙏🏽 📷buda mendes

A post shared by José Aldo Junior (@josealdojunioroficial) on

Today I woke up thinking about what to say to everyone, and what I have to say is that defeat is part of the sport, it is part of my life and only one who does not fight does not lose. ⠀

I did my best in this fight, I did my best and best in training, I did my best in my diet, even in times of pandemic I fought for what I wanted, but unfortunately it didn’t.

Nobody more than I really wanted that belt, I really wanted to make history but my opponent did better yesterday and he has his merits. ⠀
But people tend to carry the idea of ​​a perfect world and forget that losing a battle does not make you capable of humiliating, let alone discarding the other.

Empathy is always putting yourself in the other’s shoes. I will come back much stronger than I already am.
⠀
My gratitude goes out to my Nova União team, my friends, fans and my family to whom I dedicate my best every day. ⠀
⠀
Strength and honor always! ⠀

God is with us 🙏🏽

It seems Aldo, 33, has designs on fighting his way back to the top. It won’t be an easy task, especially because many believed he didn’t deserve the chance to be fighting for the 135-pound title, anyway.

Aldo was granted the title shot following a split decision loss to Marlon Moraes in his divisional debut. UFC president Dana White saw no controversy in inserting Aldo into the position despite no official wins in the weight, and he said after that Aldo’s performance, even in defeat, proved he belonged there.

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Amanda Ribas wants to focus on strawweight, eyes winner of Carla Esparza vs. Marina Rodriguez

Brazilian prospect Amanda Ribas wants to return to strawweight, eyes winner of Carla Esparza vs. Marina Rodriguez following win at UFC 251.

It seems like [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] may be on her way back to 115 pounds.

The Brazilian prospect wants to return to strawweight after a successful debut at 125 pounds. Ribas (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) defeated Paige VanZant to open the UFC 251 main card Saturday at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. She submitted VanZant with an armbar in the first round.

Although she said she’s open to fights at flyweight, Ribas would like to return to 115 pounds for her next UFC outing and she already has a name in mind.

“I want to fight in my weight of 115 (pounds), maybe with the winner of Carla Esparza and Marina Rodriguez,” Ribas said after the fight. “But if UFC wants me to fight at 125, I can fight, too. I don’t know – maybe top 15? I’m ambitious. I’m asking. If they give it to me, I will accept it and put my energy in it all again.

“I’m really grateful for the UFC to give us an opportunity to do our job because a lot of people are not working. So for me, to be here working and do what I love to do is awesome.”

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Ribas would like the winner of Esparza-Rodriguez due to a couple of factors.

“I think it’s because they are really good in the rankings and it’s a fight that would be close to me right now,” Ribas said. “I think it will be in two weeks so the winner will have time to rest and be ready for me.”

Ribas said fighting on “Fight Island” was a good experience and she’s open to return to Abu Dhabi. The 26-year-old is on a five-fight winning streak, including her first four in the UFC.

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Callout Collection: Who UFC 251 winners want next – and how likely they’ll get them

Petr Yan and Amanda Ribas were among those who name-dropped their preferred next opponents at UFC 251 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 251 event in Aby Dhabi, 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 …

Marcin Tybura

Wants to fight: [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]

The callout: “I’d like to climb the rankings, so I think from the bottom of the rankings, Aleksey Oleinik would be a great matchup – if he’s available.”

The reality: After fighting just twice in 2018 and twice more in 2019, Polish heavyweight [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag] has already registered two fights in 2020, and he’s keen to keep things rolling as he bids to break into the UFC’s heavyweight Top 15. To do that he’ll need to take on and beat ranked opposition and Oleinik might not be the worst callout target. The Russian doesn’t exactly have a long queue of fighters clamoring to take him on. So Tybura raising his hand and asking to face him may give him a chance with the UFC’s matchmakers when Oleinik next becomes available.

The only potential stumbling block might be an Oleinik victory over Derrick Lewis when the pair meet in the main event on Aug. 8. A win for “The Boa Constrictor” will likely see him face Top 5 opposition next. But a defeat to “The Black Beast” may force the Russian to drop down and face someone further down the heavyweight ladder. That could play into Tybura’s hands, so the Pole should probably root for Lewis on Aug. 8 to help bring his chosen matchup within reach.

[opinary poll=”aleksei-oleinik-vs-marcin-tybura_mmajunk-YSXmY0″ customer=”mmajunkie”]

Next up: Rising strawweight contender looks to level up

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Petr Yan defends UFC 251 stoppage, says Aljamain Sterling should be next in line

“It was a championship fight between two warriors,” the new champion insisted.

ABU DHABI – It only took two years for [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] to go from promotional rookie to UFC bantamweight champion.

Saturday, Yan (15-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) defeated former UFC and WEC featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] by fifth-round TKO at UFC 251. The fight was one of three title bouts on the pay-per-view main card.

“I’m certainly happy to win this belt in such difficult times,” Yan told MMA Junkie at a post-fight news conference. “It was my longterm goal. … Everything went excellent. We knew it was going to be a tough fight, but I had everything perfect.”

There was much ado from viewers about the stoppage in Yan’s fight. Aldo was battered for a lengthy period of time, laying in a pool of his own blood, before referee Leon Roberts finally called off the fight. However, in Yan’s eyes, the referee did his job well.

“I think everything was right,” Yan said. “It was a championship fight between two warriors. Just not to leave any questions behind, the referee made that choice.”

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From here, Yan said he expects to take a break to heal up and visit family back home in Russia. When the UFC comes calling, he’ll oblige their request. With the UFC aiming for a September or October return to Abu Dhabi, Yan sees that as an ideal timeline.

“I want to take a rest now, recover, go back to my homeland to see my family, and then it’s the work of my management team,” Yan said. “In my first 18 months, I had six fights. I’ve never said no to an offer, so I’ll probably find out soon. … I think October will be a perfect time.”

While he’s open to fighting anyone, Yan shrugged off trash talk from post-fight trash talk from former titleholder (and recent retiree) Henry Cejudo. Yan thinks top contender [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag], who has won five-straight fights, should be next in line.

“I think Aljamain Sterling deserves to fight for the title,” Yan said. “He’s on a good streak. He beat a lot of good guys.”

UFC 251 took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

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UFC 251: Dana White unhappy with judging in Volkanovski-Holloway title rematch

Dana White revealed his frustration with the judging as Alexander Volkanovski edged a split-decision victory over Max Holloway at UFC 251.

ABU DHABI – When the judges’ scores were announced by Bruce Buffer after [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]’s featherweight title rematch with [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] at UFC 251, one man in particular was left dismayed by the decision.

UFC president Dana White admitted after the event that he wasn’t impressed with the outcome of the night’s co-main event clash, which saw Volkanovski edge a split decision verdict to retain the 145-pound strap.

Holloway dropped Volkanovski in each of the first two rounds, but the Australian rallied in the championship rounds to leave an element of doubt when the scores were totaled.

But, based on his reaction when quizzed about the result at the post-fight press conference, White wasn’t in agreement with the two judges who scored the fight for Volkanovski.

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“Listen, man, you can’t leave it to these guys,” he told reporters, including MMA Junkie, backstage at Flash Forum. “We’ve got some bad judging. Has Max been in here yet? I’m sure he’s devastated.”

When asked about the possibility of a third fight, even though Volkanovski has officially won both fights between the pair, White appeared to leave the door open.

“I dunno. Did anybody in here score it for Volkanovski?” he asked, to no response. “Nobody in the media? I don’t know. We’ll have to figure it out.”

White was also critical of referee Leon Roberts’ handling of the final moments of the Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo fight.

“Horrible, horrible stoppage by the referee,” he stated. “Should have been stopped way sooner. We’ve gotta tighten up our refs and judges here on ‘Fight Island.'”

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After ‘Fight Island’ fantasy fizzles, Kamaru Usman, Jorge Masvidal back to drawing board | Opinion

Sometimes, gambles pay off big in the fight game. And sometimes, fights like UFC 251’s main event happen.

In a best-case scenario, the UFC 251 main event between UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and late replacement challenger [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] would have either given the titleholder the final boost he needed to become a major star, or capped the veteran challenger’s improbable ascension to superstardom.

Instead, when the duo finally got into the cage Saturday night, what went down was, well, what we probably should have expected from a guy who was fighting on six days’ notice against a champion who had to compensate for an entirely different challenger than the one for whom he prepared.

Masvidal gave it his best shot in the opening round, then Usman did what was needed in order to stifle an opponent who is capable of ending things in the blink of an eye. Usman went to his grappling base and stayed there, never giving “Gamebred” an opening to get back into the fight. The champ cruised to a unanimous decision to finish the UFC’s debut event on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.

Sometimes, fight-game gambles pay off spectacularly. Sometimes, decisions are made that make it easy to say in hindsight the promotion could have simply gone on with UFC 251 with two title fights and held off the welterweight title fight until Usman’s originally scheduled foe, Gilbert Burns, recovered from COVID-19.

If you were a casual fan tuning in because you’re several months into the pandemic without most sports and wanted something to do on a Saturday night, it would make you wonder what the hype was about. The Usman-Masvidal snoozer came on the heels of a questionable decision in Alexander Volkanovski’s featherweight title defense against former champ Max Holloway and a horrendous late stoppage in Petr Yan’s bantamweight title win over Jose Aldo, leaving a long night with a string of unsatisfying conclusions.

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That’s unfair to a competitor like Usman, who stylistically resembles the greatest 170-pounder of all-time, Georges St-Pierre, but doesn’t have an entire nation’s fanatical worship papering over an at-times less-than-thrilling style the way the Canadian star did. 

Usman just happened to be coming off the most exciting victory of his career in his finish of the mouthy Colby Covington at UFC 245. An exciting finish here against a hot Masvidal would have made the idea of exciting Usman fights into a pattern. But instead, a forgettable main event took place at an inopportune time. 

“Maybe they need to get in there and fight Jorge Masvidal for 25 minutes,” Usman said at the post-fight news conference after being apprised of the fact many who considered the fight perhaps not the greatest ever conducted.  

You can’t blame Masvidal for taking this opportunity when it was presented. The Miami-based fighter, who had been holding out for a better contract from the UFC, indicated during fight week that he was happy with the money he got to accept the title shot. 

That’s the most important thing in the long run. Guys who grind away in this sport as long as Masvidal has rarely get rewarded. He’s the one who will have to live with the damage his body has taken over the years long after fans have forgotten UFC 251, so good on him for setting himself up for his future, no matter what might be said about Saturday night’s fight.

But one couldn’t help but notice Masvidal’s camp seemed a bit too self-satisfied in the brief run-up to this fight.

Nate Diaz was the one who came up with the “BMF” idea, not Masvidal. Masvidal simply capitalized by winning their fight at UFC 244. If Masvidal wants this ride on top to last the way Diaz’s has, it might be time to worry a little less about the personal mezcal brand and the video game cover, and tap back into the hunger that fed him when he was taking backyard fights organized by Kimbo Slice. 

The good news? Masvidal already seems to get it. 

“I just can’t wait,” Masvidal said at the post-fight news conference. “They’ll put an opponent in front of me and I’ll take care of business and I’m going to come back better than ever. I’m not going to go – I’m not going to disappear from the sport without this belt being wrapped around my waist, one way or another. It’s not my best performance tonight but everyone gets to see the dog in me, and that dog doesn’t shut up or roll over for nobody.”

The saying goes that you’re only as good as your last fight. Get Masvidal back in the cage with Diaz for a rematch, or go with the obvious grudge mach with former teammate Covington, and get Usman into that fight with Burns that still looks good on paper, and Saturday’s disappointing main event will be forgotten just as fast as it was put together. 

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Dana White says Paige VanZant ‘should definitely test free agency’ after UFC 251 loss

Dana White isn’t jumping at the opportunity to re-sign Paige VanZant after her UFC 251 loss.

ABU DHABI – Dana White doesn’t sound like he’s jumping at the opportunity to re-sign [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] after her UFC 251 loss Saturday.

At the event’s post-fight news conference, MMA Junkie asked the UFC president if he wants to have VanZant (8-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC) back under the promotion’s banner in her next outing. VanZant’s UFC 251 fight vs. Amanda Ribas was the last on her current contract. VanZant tapped to a first-round armbar against Amanda Ribas.

“I like Paige,” White said. “I like Paige. It’s like (Curtis) Blaydes – when Blaydes fought. When you talk all that stuff, ‘I’m not getting paid enough,’ and (you’re) fighting inconsistently, one time in the last year (because of injuries), and then get smoked in the first round of the fight, she should definitely test free agency.”

VanZant, 26, has been open about her interest in potentially pursuing other MMA avenues outside the UFC’s gates. In her pre-fight interview Wednesday, VanZant expressed excitement about venturing into uncharted waters.

“I’m excited. I’ve never been in this position ever, so I think it’s an important position for me to be in,” VanZant said. “You don’t really know your value until somebody else tells you what it is, and it’s the option of multiple people that say what they think my value is. So I’m going to gain a lot of knowledge.”

Entering free agency, VanZant has lost four of her past six fights. In three of those losses, VanZant was submitted. VanZant has been with the promotion since mid-2014. Her husband, Austin Vanderford, is an undefeated middleweight on the Bellator roster.

UFC 251 took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

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Someone bet on Jorge Masvidal to continue his run at UFC 251 – and lost $200K

Just after the start of the UFC 251 main card Saturday night, the William Hill sportsbook announced a hefty wager on the main event.

Just after the start of the UFC 251 main card Saturday night, the William Hill sportsbook announced a hefty wager on the main event.

A Las Vegas bettor, the book announced, dropped $200,000 on [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] to beat welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Masvidal came into the title shot with Usman on a three-fight winning streak in 2019 that turned him into one of MMA’s most popular draws.

But by and large, Usman (17-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) dominated Masvidal (35-14 MMA, 12-7 UFC) for the bulk of the fight with a clinch-heavy and grinding style and won a unanimous decision to defend his belt for the second time.

The $200,000 bet on Masvidal came with him as a +230 underdog. That means had he won in an upset, the bettor would’ve pocketed a total payout of $660,000 for a $460,000 profit. Instead, the bettor essentially spent the better part of five rounds hoping for a Masvidal Hail Mary to rescue his big bet.

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William Hill said in a release that the price on Masvidal dropped from +230 to +220 after the big bet on him. Usman was a -260 favorite, which meant a $100 bet on him would’ve paid out a profit of a little more than $38. The bet on Masvidal was the largest the book took on him ahead of the event.

Masvidal wasn’t supposed to fight Usman for the title. It was supposed to be Gilbert Burns until Burns tested positive for COVID-19. The UFC scrambled to work out a deal with Masvidal, then got him tested and on a plane for Abu Dhabi with less than a week to spare. The short-notice nature meant Masvidal hadn’t been training for Usman, and also had to cut to the welterweight title limit with little time compared to normal – and while traveling internationally during a pandemic.

Masvidal’s 2019 made him most analysts’ “Fighter of the Year.” He knocked out Darren Till in Till’s home country of England in March. In July, he knocked out the previously unbeaten Ben Askren in 5 seconds to set a new UFC record for fastest knockout. And in November, he got a doctor’s stoppage TKO of Nate Diaz in a fight for the “BMF” belt, a one-time honor created specifically for that fight.

But in recent weeks, Masvidal had been critical of the UFC and president Dana White over his pay, and it took desperation mode to get the two sides to the table to figure something out to keep the welterweight title in the main event at UFC 251.

For his part, Usman, the Season 21 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” won for the 16th straight time and moved to a perfect 12-0 in the UFC, which tied Georges St-Pierre’s record for the longest welterweight winning streak in the UFC.

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Could title shot be next for Rose Namajunas after rematch win over Jessica Andrade?

Rose Namajunas said in the build-up to her rematch with Jessica Andrade that she wasn’t in the right head space during their first fight.

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] said in the build-up to her rematch with Jessica Andrade that she wasn’t in the right head space during their first fight.

Saturday at UFC 251, Namajunas (9-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) appeared to be much more excited about being in a fist fight, and in a “Fight of the Night” performance eked out a split decision win over Andrade (20-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC) at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Namajunas won the women’s strawweight title with a TKO of then-dominant champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk in November 2017 and defended the belt in a rematch with her five months later. But after 13 months on the sidelines, she was knocked out by a vicious Andrade slam onto her head at UFC 237 in May 2019. She hadn’t fought since.

In the meantime, Andrade lost the title to current champ Zhang Weili, which set up a rematch between Namajunas and Andrade that many thought to be a title eliminator – putting Namajunas in the driver’s seat for a potential title shot.

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After the fight, she sported a busted-up nose and left eye and was transported to a local hospital without meeting with the media. But she told Jon Anik on the pay-per-view broadcast that if a title shot is next, she’d like to do it this calendar year.

“I was hoping to get in there pretty soon – before the end of the year,” Namajunas said. “But we’ll see how my nose is doing and we’ll go from there.”

Namajunas put a lot of stock in having a better frame of mind during her training camp this time, and in the downtime since her loss to Andrade.

The time off between her second win over Jedrzejczyk and loss to Andrade was, at the time, her longest stretch without a pro fight. Then she eclipsed that this time around with a 14-month layoff – though it likely would have been shorter if not for the COVID-19 pandemic.

But Namajunas said she’s having fun again, and that could be of big importance for her in a quest to get back to a title shot.

“It was fun (against Andrade),” she said. “I was just in the right state of mind thats everything. Early on in the fight, it was great. And I think later she turned on the desperation button and really started unloading. She caught me a couple times, obviously, but I just stayed strong.

“The first part (of rebounding) is just getting right with God – that’s No. 1. And then from there, the rest just kind of – technically, physically, loving what I do again, that was everything.”

[opinary poll=”does-rose-namajunas-deserve-the-next-str-MHbEUq” customer=”mmajunkie”]

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UFC 251 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $34 million

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 251 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $305,500.

ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 251 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $305,500.

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 251 took place at Flash Forum in Yas Island. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

The full UFC 251 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $30,000
def. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Danny Henry[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Roman Bogatov[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Maxim Grishin[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Zhalgas Zhamagulov[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Martin Day[/autotag]: $3,500

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:

Year-to-date total: $3,026,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $34,030,500