Tag: UFC Fight Night 197

Teddy Atlas lauds Max Holloway’s striking: ‘I don’t know if anyone in the business is better’

Max Holloway calls himself the best boxer in the UFC, but Teddy Atlas thinks he’s the best striker overall in MMA.

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] calls himself the best boxer in the UFC, but Teddy Atlas thinks he’s the best striker overall in mixed martial arts.

Holloway (23-6 MMA, 19-6 UFC) continued to shatter records when he outlasted Yair Rodriguez this past Saturday at UFC Fight Night 197, becoming the first UFC fighter to reach 3,000 total strikes. Holloway is also the only fighter in UFC history to complete 25 octagon appearances without getting knocked down.

With Holloway continuing to put on clinics in the standup, legendary boxing trainer Atlas was in awe of the former UFC featherweight champion’s repertoire against Rodriguez.

“I didn’t realize how versatile he was and what a complete package,” Atlas said on his show, “THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas.” “I thought of him almost as a professional boxer, that he’s so good at using his legs, controlling the range, boxing, jabbing, setting combinations up, crisp punches, he can counter you, he can time you, he can go on the mat with you. Oh my God, this guy is the full package. He’s the complete package. He is so loaded, he does it all. He’s an old Swiss army knife. He’s got everything.”

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He continued, “Max is so special, but that was his greatest advantage of why he was able to keep the edge in the fight and win the fight, was that he could do so many other things. He is a great, great striker. I don’t know if anyone in the business is better. I know he’s not as good a puncher maybe as some of the greatest strikers out there. But as far as overall abilities in all the areas, I mean, I don’t know if anyone can really match him when it comes to striking. He was doing everything, but that (striking) was the thing that carried the day.”

Despite his all-out war with Rodriguez, both men managed to escape lengthy time on the sidelines. Rodriguez was handed 45 days with no contact, whereas Holloway was given 30 days in what was one of the best fights of the year.

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USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Nov. 16: Cris Cyborg, Max Holloway hold their positions

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings after UFC Fight Night 197 and Bellator 271.

A pair of former UFC featherweight champions shined in their recent bouts, but given their placement in the rankings, don’t have much room to move up.

Former UFC champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] put on another high-volume showcase against Yair Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night 197 but stays at No. 3 behind Alexander Volkanovski and A.J. McKee in the featherweight rankings.

Bellator women’s featherweight champ and former UFC champ [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] turned back the clock and made quick work of Sinead Kavanagh at Bellator 271 to pick up her first opening-round finish since 2018, but stays at No. 2 behind her former opponent and current UFC champ-champ Amanda Nunes in the featherweight and pound-for-pound rankings.

You can check out the full rankings by division with each dropdown above.

UFC Fight Night 197 medical suspensions: Yair Rodriguez could return in 45 days

UFC Fight Night 197 featured nine finishes, eight knockouts and a main event war, resulting in a long list of medical suspensions.

UFC Fight Night 197 featured nine finishes, eight knockouts, and a main event war, resulting in a long list of medical suspensions issued by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The event, which took place this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, saw Max Holloway (23-6 MMA, 19-6 UFC) outgun Yair Rodriguez (13-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) over the course of five rounds to claim a unanimous decision in a bout where both men were transported immediately to the hospital.

MMA Junkie obtained the full list of medical suspensions for UFC Fight Night 197, and surprisingly the headliners were on the lighter end of the spectrum when it comes to required time off in the aftermath of the event.

Check out the details below:

Spinning Back Clique: ‘Fight of the Year’ candidates, Aaron Pico, Kayla Harrison and more

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week, we look back at the UFC Fight Night 197 and Bellator 271 headliners, look ahead to Saturday’s , and talk a little Jon Jones.

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Nolan King and Danny Segura discuss these topics with host John Morgan.

  • UFC Fight Night 197 produced another contender for “Fight of the Year” when Max Holloway outworked Yair Rodriguez in the main event. That came just a week after another monumental battle between Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler. So which one is the leader in the clubhouse as we come down the stretch in 2021?
  • After Holloway’s big win, should he be next in line for featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who beat him to win the belt, then beat him a second time to defend it? Both were close fights. Or should Holloway be thinking about a big-money fight like a rematch with Conor McGregor?
  • Aaron Pico has won five straight fights for Bellator and finally is starting to look like a title contender and not just a prospect. Now that he’s well clear of a slightly stunning two-fight skid, will 2022 be the year Pico breaks out and wins a Bellator title?
  • Jorge Masvidal is out of his fight against Leon Edwards at UFC 269, which was a long-awaited grudge match. Should the UFC give Edwards a title shot in the wake of that news? And what does it mean for Masvidal?
  • Kayla Harrison won her second $1 million PFL title in October, but now she’s a free agent. UFC president Dana White has seemed ho-hum about the potential to sign her to the featherweight division. But Bellator’s Scott Coker seems much more open about it – and Harrison was on hand in South Florida to watch Cris Cyborg’s latest title defense this past Friday. So where do we think Harrison will wind up: The UFC? Bellator? Or back in the PFL?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Tuesday on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch the full episode in the video above.

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Da-un Jung: Kennedy Nzechukwu’s slow start led to damage, which led to brutal elbows

Take a look inside Da Un Jung’s knockout win over Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC Fight Night 197 in Las Vegas.

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LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Da-un Jung[/autotag] beat Kennedy Nzechukwu with a first-round knockout Saturday to open the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 197 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Jung, who ran his unbeaten streak to 15 fights.

MMA Junkie Radio #3209: UFC Fight Night 197, Bellator 271 recaps and more

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,209, the fellas look back at UFC Fight Night 197 and Max Holloway’s “Fight of the Night” win over Yair Rodriguez, which also became a solid contender for “Fight of the Year.” They also discussed Cris Cyborg’s latest dominant title defense at Bellator 271 and wondered if she can be the best women’s fighter in history without a win over Amanda Nunes. And they looked back at the other biggest fights on both cards.

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Dana White: Yair Rodriguez’s ‘stock didn’t drop at all’ in UFC Fight Night 197 loss

Yair Rodriguez exceeded Dana White’s expectations against Max Holloway after a two-year layoff.

[autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] far exceeded UFC president Dana White’s expectations in his loss to Max Holloway at UFC Fight Night 197.

Rodriguez (13-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) suffered a unanimous decision loss to Holloway (23-6 MMA, 19-6 UFC) in Saturday’s main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It was awarded the evening’s “Fight of the Night” bonus, and it was an especially strong effort from Rodriguez while coming off a two-year layoff.

The Mexican fighter was listed as a significant betting underdog coming into the contest, but he managed to push former UFC champ Holloway to the limit for five rounds.

“Anybody who’s off two years, I never expect this kind of performance from them – at all,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the UFC Fight Night 197 post-fight news conference. “Not just the entire fight, but from the beginning when the fight started, his timing was perfect. His speed and accuracy and how he kept going for the calf kick. You couldn’t look any better than Yair looked tonight. He looked incredible. His chin, heart – just everything. Everything was there.”

Rodriguez has had his share of issues outside the cage over the UFC. Injuries, contract disputes with the UFC brass and more have stopped him from gaining any momentum.

The fight with Holloway appears to have put him firmly in the promotion’s good graces, though. Rodriguez is looking at some level of time off after he damaged his foot in the bout, but once he comes back, White hinted he will be getting another high-profile fight at 145 pounds.

“His stock didn’t drop at all,” White said. “He came in and fought his ass off. He looked great, and now it’s just going to depend on what type of injuries he has. Go heal up and figure out what’s next.”

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Yair Rodriguez praises Max Holloway after UFC Fight Night 197: ‘He was better than me tonight’

Yair Rodriguez had nothing but love for Max Holloway after UFC Fight Night 197.

After two years away from the cage, [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] turned in one of his best performances to date, despite ending up on the wrong end of the judges’ scorecards.

In the main event of UFC Fight Night 197, Rodriguez (13-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) took on former featherweight champion Max Holloway in what promised to be an exciting bout between two fearless strikers. When it was all said and done, Holloway (23-6 MMA, 19-6 UFC) earned a unanimous decision win, but Rodriguez’s effort left a lasting impression.

Sporting a severely swollen right foot after the conclusion of the fight, Rodriguez was supported by his coaches as Michael Bisping asked his thoughts about the Fight of the Night battle that just unfolded.

“I came really prepared for this fight and Max is just an amazing fighter,” Rodriguez said during the post-fight interview. “He has a lot of experience and did an amazing job. He was better than me tonight and I don’t have nothing else but to accept that.”

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Rodriguez earned his second straight Fight of the Night bonus on Saturday, which marked his eighth overall bonus during his exciting UFC career. He earned an extra paycheck in his two previous outings, a unanimous decision over Jeremy Stephens and his spectacular last-second knockout of Chan Sung Jung.

While the next steps for Rodriguez are unclear at the moment, he will walk out of the UFC Apex without his stock falling much, thanks to his incredible effort against a high-volume former champion.

“I’ll move forward from this as soon as possible,” Rodriguez said. I want to get back home and be with my family and my friends, and enjoy this time with them. Nothing but love and respect for Hawaiian people and obviously for Max.”

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Max Holloway believes rematches against Charles Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski, Conor McGregor are possible next

From Charles Oliveira, Conor McGregor, to Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway has a few options available.

Former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] may have just propelled himself into a third title fight with Alexander Volkanovski.

After his Fight of the Night war with Yair Rodriguez (13-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 197 on Saturday, Holloway (23-6 MMA, 19-6 UFC) didn’t rule out the possibility of another title shot, but also let it be known there are a few directions he could go for his next outing, with a number of rematch possibilities.

“We’ll see what happens,” Holloway told Michael Bisping during his post-fight interview. “There’s Hunter (Campbell), there’s Shawn (Shelby) right there. That’s their damn jobs. I have a win over the 155-pound champion, we have Alex and stuff, I’m on the shortlist for Conor McGregor – tell him to hit my line. We ready whenever.”

When asked to clarify which of those options he wanted most, Holloway deflected by stating, “To be the best you gotta beat the best, and the best is ‘Blessed.’ They gotta come after me, baby.”

 

Holloway also had his share of praise for Rodriguez, who made for a tough fight at the UFC Apex, pushing him hard through five rounds. Holloway ate a number of stiff strikes from his opponent but kept pushing forward in his typical fashion.

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“His boxing is pretty good,” Holloway said. “He moved like a boxer and then he’d turn elbows. I was like, ‘That’s illegal in boxing, my man!’ But fair game to him, this guy’s a freakin’ beast, that’s why I wanted to fight him.”

Time will tell what’s next for Holloway, but for now, he walks away with another main event victory and a fight night bonus to go along with it.

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