Tag: UFC 289

Spinning Back Clique: Amanda Nunes retirement fallout, chasing history at Bellator 297, more

Watch this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” reacting to Amanda Nunes’ retirement, what’s at stake at Bellator 297 and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and Farah Hannoun will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • UFC dual women’s champion Amanda Nunes, widely regarded as the greatest female fighter in history, announced her retirement this past Saturday after a sixth bantamweight title defense at UFCC 289. Is it the right time for the 35-year-old Brazilian to walk away, and what will the fallout be for the women’s 135- and 145-pound divisions?
  • Former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira rebounded from his title loss to champion Islam Makhachev for a big knockout of Beneil Dariush in the UFC 289 co-main event in Vancocuver. Did his win set up a title rematch, or should the Dustin Poirier-Justin Gaethje winner leapfrog him?
  • Bellator has one of the biggest events in its history Friday in Chicago. At Bellator 297, Vadim Nemkov puts the light heavyweight title on the line against Yoel Romero. But the big one is featherweight champ Patricio Freire’s attempt to take the bantamweight title from Sergio Pettis. A win would be a title in a third division for Freire. Let’s look ahead to the two big ones and what it means in the big picture.
  • After a report that the UFC pulled in more than $1 billion in revenue in 2022, fighters like middleweight champ Israel Adesanya are joining the call for better fighter pay, including a raise in post-fight bonuses from $50,000. Is the whole fighter pay conversation a pointless one, though?
  • Former UFC dual champion Conor McGregor, a lightning rod for controversy and headlines, made more of both when he knocked out the Miami Heat’s mascot in a pre-planned mid-game sponsor skit and sent him to the hospital. How much of the bizarre incident is McGregor’s fault?

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Beneil Dariush after UFC 289 loss?

Beneil Dariush’s short-term aspirations for a title shot were crushed by his UFC 289 loss, but all hope might not be lost yet.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Charles Oliveira after UFC 289 win?)

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]’s stellar run in the lightweight division was brought to an end by Charles Oliveira in Saturday’s UFC 289 co-main event.

After putting together an eight-fight wining streak, Dariush (22-5-1 MMA, 16-5-1 UFC) ran into the absolute buzzsaw in Oliveira and came out on the wrong end of a first-round TKO at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, derailing his hopes for a 155-pound title shot in the near future.

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Despite the disappointing outcome, Dariush promised to return stronger in the aftermath of the event, which means another big fight is likely on the horizon.

Who makes the most sense for Dariush to face? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC 289.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Charles Oliveira after UFC 289 win?

Charles Oliveira made a strong case for an Islam Makhachev rematch with his TKO win at UFC 289, but is running it back that simple?

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Beneil Dariush after UFC 289 loss?)

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] showed a strong ability to bounce back on Saturday when he decisively put away Beneil Dariush in the first round of the UFC 289 co-main event.

After losing the lightweight title to Islam Makhachev in October, Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) made it clear he’s still very much a factor in the division with a first-round TKO of Dariush at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Afterward, he called for a rematch with Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC).

Is that the fight to make, or is it possible the promotion goes another direction with the 155-pound champ? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Oliveira’s future after UFC 289.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.

Irene Aldana apologizes for UFC 289 loss vs. Amanda Nunes: ‘This will not happen again’

Irene Aldana has “already identified this blockage” that led to her lopsided loss to Amanda Nunes in the UFC 289 headliner.

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] is aware of her lackluster performance against Amanda Nunes in the UFC 289 main event.

Aldana (14-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) was dominated in her first UFC title shot opportunity on Saturday when she suffered a lopsided unanimous decision loss to Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC) in the pay-per-view headliner at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. It wasn’t close for even a moment, with the Mexican being dominated for 25 minutes in what turned out to be Nunes’ retirement fight.

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In the aftermath, Aldana isn’t grateful just to be there against Nunes. She failed at her goal to bring another UFC belt back to her home country, and she blames the showing on a “blockage” that prevented her from being herself (via Twitter):

It was an honor to face Amanda Nunes incredible Athlete and Fighter. (GOAT)

I’m sorry to have failed my coaches and all of you, I assure you that this does not stay like this… it was a bad night. But the goal is still clear and the Objective is still that 4th belt… I promised you and I’m going to fulfill it… whatever the cost.

I have already identified this blockage, I know what I have to do and this will NOT happen again… I give you my word! I’II be back for all those people who believe in me. If I have learned anything from this sport, it is to always get up.

For now I am going to return to the gym as soon as possible and work Very Hard to earn that second chance.

Always thanks to everyone for so much support and love… and mainly thanks to my coaches and all my team for being at the foot of the canyon in good times and bad. The promise is especially for you.

Aldana landed just 41 significant strikes against Nunes, the least of any in her UFC losses. She also surrendered six takedowns in the fight, while managing to score with any of her own.

The upside for Aldana, however, is that she is still highly ranked in the women’s bantamweight division, and with Nunes’ retirement, she’s still very much in the orbit of another championship opportunity.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.

5 biggest takeaways from UFC 289: Is Charles Oliveira taking wrong approach to Islam Makhachev rematch?

Analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC 289, including Charles Oliveira’s potential error for an Islam Makhachev rematch.

What mattered most at UFC 289 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver? Here are a few post-fight musings …

Marc-Andre Barriault explains career turnaround after 0-3 start in UFC: ‘A lot of a sacrifices’

Since an 0-3 start nearly landed him on the UFC chopping block, Marc-Andre Barriault has gone 5-2.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – [autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag] was likely on the verge of the UFC chopping block after three losses to kick off his promotional tenure. Fast forward to Saturday’s UFC 289 and he elevated himself to a .500 record in the promotion.

Barriault (16-6 MMA, 5-5 UFC) acknowledged after his win over Eryk Anders (15-8 MMA, 7-8 UFC) that there’s still work to be done, but he thinks his recipe is a winning one. Although he credits a move to Kill Cliff in South Florida as a decision that advanced his career, Barriault said the biggest key to his success has been his attitude.

“I think I just did a lot of sacrifices,” Barriault told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “It’s not all about the way I changed the gym or whatever. I just surround myself with good people, great people. I have a supportive wife, my team. Just the way I carry myself every day, I feel like I’m a better human being every day. I feel like I’m just getting started, even if I’m older now. I feel like I’m more mature and right on my peak.”

UFC 289 marked the promotion’s first event in Canada since 2019, and fans hungry for live MMA action made themselves heard during Saturday’s event. The locals had much to cheer about, too, as home country fighters went 5-0 at the event. Unsurprisingly, Barriault would jump at the opportunity to fight on native soil again should it present itself.

“If the UFC wants to come back to Canada maybe before the end of the year, I’ll be more than happy to jump on that card,” Barriault said. “Right now I feel like I had my last two fights in March and June. I want to have some good time. I’m going to spend a couple weeks in Quebec with my coach and team there. After that, I’m going to drive back to Florida, and we’ll see what’s next.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.

Miranda Maverick reveals eye was ‘completely blind throughout the 3rd round’ at UFC 289

Miranda Maverick not only lost the fight at UFC 289, but she says she lost her vision in one eye for a large portion it.

[autotag]Miranda Maverick[/autotag] came up short Saturday at UFC 289, but her defeat might not have been the scariest loss she encountered.

According to Maverick (11-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC), toward the end of Round 2 of her preliminary card bout vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at Rogers Arena, her vision went blurry in her left eye. In Round 3, Maverick said the eye was “completely blind.”

“Some things are scarier than fighting – and one of those things is going blind,” Maverick wrote in an Instagram post after the fight. “My left eye went blurry end of 2nd round and was completely blind throughout the 3rd round. Its mostly back now and I’ll be meeting with a retina specialist this coming week. But I’ll admit I was scared during that time.”

Despite her injury revelation, Maverick credited Jasudavicius for the victory.

“I firmly believe in taking ownership and responsibility for my ups and downs,” Maverick wrote. “It wasn’t my night. Jasmine did great in there and capitalized on my hesitations and poor shots today. Congratulations and all respect to her. Sorry to all those I disappointed and thank you to those who don’t let 15 minutes of my life represent who I am. I’ll be back.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CtVo0W_uY2l/

Maverick, 25, had a two-fight winning streak snapped with the defeat. With the win, Jasudavicius entered the first winning streak of her UFC tenure.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.

UFC 289 post-event facts: Charles Oliveira sets all-time bar for finishes, bonuses

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 289, including Amanda Nunes’ retirement resume and Charles Oliveira’s insane stats.

The UFC made its long-awaited return to Canada on Saturday with UFC 289, which took place at Rogers Arena in Vancouver and featured a clean sweep of results from fighters competing out of “The Great White North.”

Despite the Canadian success, it was a Brazilian who closed the show strong. Double UFC champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC) dominated [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] (14-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) for five rounds in the main event, winning a unanimous decision before announcing her retirement from MMA.

For more on the numbers behind Nunes’ resume, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 289.

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Beneil Dariush issues statement on TKO loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 289

Beneil Dariush shares his first comments on a crushing loss to Charles Oliveira in the UFC 289 co-headliner.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] is keeping positive in the aftermath of a high-stakes loss to Charles Oliveira in the UFC 289 co-headliner.

Dariush (22-5-1 MMA, 16-5-1 UFC) saw his eight-fight winning streak come to an abrupt end Saturday when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to former champ Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) in their lightweight bout at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

It was a rough result for Dariush, who claimed pre-fight that he was assured a title fight with Islam Makhachev if he got his hand raised. That didn’t happen, though, and Dariush now must rebuild.

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In his first comments since the fight, Dariush said he will “be back” (via Instagram).

https://www.instagram.com/p/CtV8ZpRO5T4

I’m ok. I’ll heal up and be back. #allglorytoGod✝️

Dariush’s loss to Oliveira was his first setback since March 2018. He’s never lost two fights in a row during his MMA career and certainly won’t want to experience that for the first time when he next steps in the cage.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.

Rogers Arena issues statement on rail collapsing at UFC 289: ‘No serious injuries’

The incident at UFC 289 was ugly in the moment, but it could’ve been much worse.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – It appears disaster was averted Saturday night at UFC 289 after a rail collapsed at Rogers Arena.

The incident, which was caught on video and posted to social media, occurred at the start of Mike Malott’s walkout for his fight with Adam Fugitt. As is usual, fans crowded around the railing to cheer on Malott before he began his walk. Once his music started, the railing gave way, causing fans to fall on top of each other and onto the arena floor.

In a statement to MMA Junkie, Rogers Arena said “no serious injuries were reported.”

“The safety of our fans is our #1 priority at Rogers Arena,” the statement read. “At tonight’s UFC event, as fans leaned over to greet the fighters, a railing fell down. Our arena staff worked quickly to relocate fans in the affected area and no serious injuries were reported. Venue security and staff remained on-site throughout the rest of the evening to ensure everyone’s safety.”

The falling fans and railing just missed Malott, who went on to defeat Fugitt by second-round submission.

Rogers Arena’s official statement echoes what UFC president Dana White said when asked about the incident during the UFC 289 post-event news conference.

“The arena handled it immediately, roped it off, got security up there, moved people to better seats, and handled it like a bunch of pros.” White said.

The situation was ugly in the moment, but it could’ve been much worse.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.