Tag: UFC 254

Of course Tai Tuivasa eventually celebrated his UFC 254 win with a shoey

There was no stopping “Bam Bam” from his beloved celebration.

[autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] snapped a three-fight losing streak and won for the first time in more than two years Saturday when he knocked out Stefan Struve in the first round of their heavyweight bout.

Right after the finish, Tuivasa jumped out of the cage looking to do you know what: a shoey.

Unfortunately for Tuivasa, no beer allowed inside the Flash Forum, but that didn’t stop “Bam Bam” going straight to the fridge backstage for his trademark celebration.

I’ll never understand the shoey, but it makes Tuivasa a happy man, and that’s good enough for me.

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 254 results: Tai Tuivasa knocks out Stefan Struve in last second of first round

Both fighters badly needed a win, but it was Tai Tuivasa who got the job done.

Both [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] and [autotag]Stefan Struve [/autotag] came into their UFC 254 bout in need of a win.

Tuivasa (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) had three straight losses entering their heavyweight fight, while Struve (29-13 MMA, 13-11 UFC) had dropped four of his past five. Tuivasa was better able to translate his sense of urgency into action in the cage, as he pushed the pace and caused the “Skyscraper” to topple in the final second of the opening round. The time of the TKO finish was 4:59 of the opening round at Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

“It’s been awhile, been awhile,” Tuivasa said afterward. “It’s good to be back.”

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The 7-foot-tall Struve attempted to dictate the fight’s range by throwing kicks in the early going, but Tuivasa wasn’t having it. He immediately started in on leg kicks and often followed up by throwing looping combos and then closing the distance. Struve would inevitably clinch, but this became less effective as the fight wore on.

By late in the round, Tuivasa dictated the tempo, closed the distance and really picked up the pace. It appeared Struve was going to survive a big final flurry, but Tuivasa connected on an uppercut to the jaw, which dropped Struve and ended the fight.

The win was the ninth KO/TKO finish of Tuivasa’s career. Struve’s second straight loss was also the 10th time he’s been finished in his career.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 254 results:

  • Tai Tuivasa def. Stefan Struve via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:59
  • Casey Kenney def. Nathaniel Wood via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
  • Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Alex Oliveira via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 4:40
  • Sam Alvey vs. Da Un Jung ends in split draw (28-29, 29-28, 28-28)
  • Miranda Maverick def. Liana Jojua via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 1, 5:00
  • Joel Alvarez def. Alexander Yakovlev via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:00

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UFC 254 video: Miranda Maverick wins after wicked elbow slices open bridge of Liana Jojua’s nose

A perfectly placed elbow changed the trajectory of Miranda Maverick vs. Liana Jojua in a split second.

Few things can alter the trajectory of a fight in a split second like a slicing elbow that causes a nasty cut. And few such elbows have been delivered with the precision [autotag]Miranda Maverick[/autotag] displayed in the opening round of her UFC 254 preliminary bout with [autotag]Liana Jojua[/autotag]. 

The duo were trading in the pocket during their flyweight fight when Maverick (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) landed a picture-perfect upward left elbow to the bridge of Jojua’s nose. Jojua (8-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) gamely competed for the rest of the round as her face turned into a blood-soaked mess.

At the end of the round, Jojua’s corner did its best to close the cut, but it was a gnarly slice, and they were unable to stem the bleeding. The fight was waved off by the cageside doctor. Jojua, to her credit, wanted to continue and could be heard yelling “No, no, please no!” But it goes into the book as a TKO victory for Maverick.

Check it out (via Twitter):

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We could have a real up-and-comer in Maverick, who previously made waves in Invicta FC, where she won a one-night “Phoenix Rising” tournament and also defeated UFC veteran Pearl Gonzalez her last time out. She was on point throughout her UFC debut against Jojua.

And what’s more, Maverick, who according to her Wikipedia page is working on her PhD in Industrial Psychology at Old Dominion, said she’s been doing her school work over on “Fight Island,” so she’s only begun to scratch the surface of her potential.

“I’ve been doing school work the whole time I’m here,” Maverick said. “Who knows what I’ll do when I’m done with school and don’t have 20 other things going on?”

If UFC 254 is any indication, she has a bright future indeed.

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 254 live streaming watch-along with MMA Junkie Radio on SportsCastr

Join MMA Junkie Radio hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a live-streamed watch-along of UFC 254.

UFC 254 takes place Saturday with one of the most anticipated fights of the year atop the bill, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live streaming watch-along via SportsCastr that kicks off for the main card at 2 p.m. ET.

In the main event, undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov makes his return against interim titleholder Justin Gaethje. And in the co-main event, a pivotal middleweight clash takes place as former champion Robert Whittaker meets Jared Cannonier in what’s being called a No. 1 contender bout.

UFC 254 takes place Saturday at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

Here are the six fights included in the watch-along:

  • Champ Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. interim champ Justin Gaethje – for lightweight title
  • Jared Cannonier vs. Robert Whittaker
  • Walt Harris vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Phil Hawes vs. Jacob Malkoun
  • Lauren Murphy vs. Liliya Shakirova
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba

Be sure to check back and follow @MMAjunkie, @MMAjunkieRadio and @SportsCastrLive on Twitter to be notified when the guys go live.

UFC 254 discussion thread

UFC 254 takes place Saturday in Abu Dhabi, and you can discuss the event here.

ABU DHABI – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s UFC 254 event at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, which kicks off at 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. PT). You can discuss the event here.

Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our UFC 254 live results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.

Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 11 a.m. ET for the preliminary card and 2 p.m. ET for the main card.

UFC 254 ‘Embedded,’ No. 6: Setting the stage for fight night

Go behind the scenes with the sixth episode of “Embedded” leading up to UFC 254 headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje.

The UFC returns to pay-per-view Saturday night, as UFC 254 closes out the company’s second “Fight Island” residency in the Middle East.

UFC 254 takes place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

One of the most highly anticipated fights of 2020 headlines the card, as lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) takes on interim titleholder [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (22-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in a unification bout. Additionally, former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler (21-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who recently signed a UFC contract, will be on hand as a standby main-event fighter in case either competitor needs to withdraw from the bout.

The sixth episode of “Embedded” follows the big-name stars at the top of the card. Here’s the UFC’s description:

The stars of UFC 254 successfully make weight and face off, and the stage is set for the lightweight title unification bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje.

Also watch:

Javier Mendez: ‘It’s stupid’ to question Khabib Nurmagomedov’s UFC 254 weigh-in

Javier Mendez says Khabib Nurmagomedov had an easy weight cut and doesn’t understand people “making something out of nothing.”

American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez is puzzled by some of the reaction to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s weigh-in ahead of UFC 254.

Following the official weigh-ins Friday, many took to social media to point out a couple of things about Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) stepping on the scale: the way his weight was measured and how he looked.

Mendez, who wasn’t present at the weigh-ins, said he doesn’t understand people’s comments questioning the weigh-in when they weren’t there. Mendez wasn’t there precisely because, according to him, there were no issues with Nurmagomedov’s weight cut.

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“I can tell you that yesterday after the first weight cut, it was in the morning, he was six pounds off the weight, and he was going to do two cuts  – one on Thursday morning and one at night,” Mendez told MMA Junkie in a phone interview. “He felt so good, and he was six pounds off, and he felt strong and said he was going to do the cut the next day. And (by then) he had four-and-a-half, maybe five pounds to go this morning.

“I asked him, ‘How was the weight cut?’ And he said, ‘Easy, coach, like last time.’ And last time wasn’t that hard. I mean, all weight cuts are hard as you know, but I don’t understand (why) people are making something of nothing. It’s stupid. He wasn’t struggling. If you would’ve watched him right now, he was grappling, you’d say wow that guy is strong as hell.”

Nurmagomedov defends his UFC lightweight title against interim champion Justin Gaethje (22-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) on Saturday in the main event of UFC 254, which streams live on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

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