Tag: UFC Fight Night 197

UFC Fight Night 197 video: Max Holloway, Yair Rodriguez on weight for main event

Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez have made weight for the UFC Fight Night 197 main event.

LAS VEGAS – One of the most anticipated non-pay-per-view main events of the UFC’s 2021 schedule is official between [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] and [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag].

Ahead of Saturday’s featherweight headliner at UFC Fight Night 197, Holloway (22-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) and Rodriguez (12-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) successfully made weight for the contest, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

Both successfully made the contracted weight limit at Friday’s weigh-ins. Holloway tipped the scale at 146 pounds. Rodriguez also hit the mark at 145.5 pounds and was first on the card to weigh in.

The table is now set for their matchup, which is likely to create a No. 1 contender in the division for reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski. Holloway has two debatable decision losses to Volkanovski (23-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) in their previous fights, while Rodriguez has yet to share the octagon with the champ.

Check out the footage of Holloway and Rodriguez making weight for UFC Fight Night 197 above.

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UFC free fight: Yair Rodriguez settles score, outworks Jeremy Stephens

Ahead of his main event matchup with Max Holloway, relive Yair Rodriguez’s thrilling battle against Jeremy Stephens at UFC on ESPN 6.

[autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] was able to end his chapter with [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] when the pair fought a rematch at UFC on ESPN 6.

Their first bout in September 2019 ended in a no contest just 15 seconds into the fight after Rodriguez inadvertently poked Stephens in the eye and rendered him unable to continue. Rodriguez was irate and accused Stephens of faking his injury. The crowd erupted and things got ugly in Rodriguez’s home country of Mexico.

With unfinished business between them, Rodriguez and Stephens ran things back less than a month later and the intensity of their rivalry lived up to the hype. Rodriguez started the fight with a flying side kick to the face, which set the tone for his kick-heavy approach.

Both men swung wildly to start, with Rodriguez attacking the body. Rodriguez’s body work paid off when he dropped Stephens with a brutal liver kick in Round 2 and followed it up with a barrage of punches, but Stephens survived the onslaught. Rodriguez started to slow down in Round 3 and although Stephens rallied with a late takedown, it wasn’t enough to win the fight.

Rodriguez (13-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) returns to action Saturday when he takes on Max Holloway (22-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) in the main event of UFC Fight Night 197 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Before he faces Holloway, relive Rodriguez’s win over Stephens in the video above.

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UFC Fight Night 197 weigh-in results and live video stream (11 a.m. ET)

Check out the results from the official UFC Fight Night 197 fighter weigh-ins.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official UFC Fight Night 197 fighter weigh-ins, which kick off at 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. PT).

The weigh-ins take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The same venue hosts Saturday’s card, which streams on ESPN+.

Among those weighing in are former featherweight champion Max Holloway (22-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) and Yair Rodriguez (13-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who meet in the main event.

The full UFC Fight Night 197 weigh-in results include:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Max Holloway () vs. Yair Rodriguez ()
  • Marcos Rogerio de Lima () vs. Ben Rothwell ()
  • Leah Letson () vs. Felicia Spencer ()
  • Miguel Baeza () vs. Khaos Williams ()
  • Julio Arce () vs. Song Yadong ()

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 1 p.m. ET)

  • Joel Alvarez () vs. Thiago Moises ()
  • Cynthia Calvillo () vs. Andrea Lee ()
  • Collin Anglin () vs. Sean Woodson ()
  • Cortney Casey () vs. Liana Jojua ()
  • Rafael Alves () vs. Marc Diakiese ()
  • Da Un Jung () vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu ()

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MMA Junkie Radio #3208: Bellator 271 and UFC Fight Night 197 preview, guest Elias Theodorou

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

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

On Episode 3,208, the guys previewed another buys weekend with Bellator 271 and UFC Fight Night 197, as well as addressing the latest headlines in the sport. Additionally, [autotag]Elias Theodorou[/autotag], who will compete in the U.S. as the first athlete to utilize a medical exemption for cannabis.

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.

Conor McGregor rematch? Lightweight title fight? Boxing? Max Holloway teases big moves: ‘Use your guys’ imagination’

If victorious at UFC Fight Night 197, Max Holloway says another crack at Alexander Volkanovski isn’t necessarily his top priority.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] is one of the most decorated featherweights in UFC history, and despite no longer holding the crown, it seems he’s never too far from title contention. But if victorious at UFC Fight Night 197, Holloway says another crack at Alexander Volkanovski isn’t necessarily his top priority.

“I mean, at the end of the day, I’ve got five title wins, and I mean, my sixth title win, would I want it against Alex?” Holloways asked reporters, including MMA Junkie, at Wednesday’s media day at the UFC Apex. “For sure, you know, but UFC discussed with us a bunch of stuff.

“I’ve got a win over the 155 champ. Right now, I’m on a very short list for Conor McGregor – always – and you know, I’m the best boxer in the UFC. So, you know, in times like these, with these wild fights being made, you know, let you guys use your guys’ imagination. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

Holloway did defeat current lightweight champ Charles Oliveira back in 2015, though the Brazilian is set to put the belt on the line at next month’s UFC 269. Of course, Holloway has history with Oliveira’s opponent, Dustin Poirier, as well, dropping a 2019 decision to “The Diamond” in a failed bid for an interim lightweight belt.

Holloway also served as McGregor’s second UFC opponent way back in 2013, and the two have been linked together for a rematch ever since.

“I’ll probably be going to Twitter wars with him until we’re 60,” Holloways said with a laugh. “Who knows? I mean, like, we’re so competitive. That’s just how it is, you know what I mean, and I’ve got nothing but respect for him, but it’s competitive – we understand what it takes to be here and to actually compete at this level, and who doesn’t like some banter? You know, I mean, banter is fun, you know, and we’re in the business of entertainment, too, so it’s always good fun.”

Of course, all of that talk about future possibilities could be dashed if Holloway (22-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) doesn’t deliver on Saturday, when he takes on Yair Rodriguez (13-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC Fight Night 197, which streams live on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.

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The two were originally scheduled to compete in July before injury forced Holloway to reschedule the matchup, and “Blessed” said he’s now had plenty of time to prepare himself for the challenge.

“The closest I fought to Yair is (Anthony) Pettis, you know, and I think Yair is a little bit more spinny, a little bit more jumpy, and super explosive,” Holloway said. “You’ve got to respect that. He does have knockouts where it’s like it doesn’t look too good and he gets ’em, you know? So at the end, I’ve got nothing but respect for Yair, but come Saturday in the afternoon, he’s the one standing against me.

“I had to do three camps for this guy because I was doing one camp, I got hurt, and after the injury, all my coaches were nervous. It was like, ‘You better do a mini-camp to see if the injury can handle the stress.’ Then actually it did, and then we actually went into a real camp, so somebody’s going to have to pay for that, and on Saturday night, I got the perfect victim, I guess.”

On paper, the clash looks like it should entertain, at least as long as it lasts. Both fighters have shown a penchant for finishing opponents, and Holloway thinks the contest should provide fireworks.

“This is the type of fight that I tell you guys all the time – you know, if you got colleagues, friends, families or whoever it may be trying to get into MMA, trying to get them to watch UFC, you make them tune in on Saturday,” Holloway said. “We’re going to get new fans, and you’re welcome in advance because you’re going to have a new buddy to be watching UFC fights with.”

But in the aftermath, don’t be surprised if Holloway isn’t actively calling for a third fight with Volkanovski. While he wouldn’t reveal exactly what he’s hoping for next, Holloway made it clear he’s got some options.

“I mean, I can’t say nothing, you know,” Holloway said. “I mean, all I can say is just be ready, man. Use you guys’ imaginations because it’s going to be a great ride.”

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Felicia Spencer ‘in the right place’ to stop skid at UFC Fight Night 197

Felicia Spencer had made the correct mental adjustments going into her UFC Fight Night 197 matchup with Leah Letson.

[autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] has made the correct mental adjustments after back-to-back losses and intends to right the ship going into UFC Fight Night 197 on Saturday.

Spencer (8-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has everything she could’ve wanted in the sport two fights ago when she challenged Amanda Nunes for the women’s featherweight title in June 2020. She put on an admirable showing in a unanimous decision loss, but instead of that outcome serving as a lifter, she would go on to lose a split decision to Norma Dumont in May.

The second consecutive defeat pushed Spencer into uncharted waters in her career, but she said she made the correct fixes in the gym and in her mind and is now prepared to turn things around against Leah Letson (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC).

“I feel like this fight I mentally kind of got in the right place,” Spencer told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 197 media day. “I’m training and fighting more for myself in this camp and excited for myself to have a great performance. It didn’t feel this way last time. I wasn’t going through the emotions, but kind of excited for it to be over. But this time I’m genuinely excited for Saturday day.”

The matchup between Spencer, 30, and Letson, 29, takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+. Spencer said she hopes to stop the fight inside the distance.

“I’m fully confident I’m going to win first or second round,” Spencer said.

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Layoff over, Yair Rodriguez ready to jump out of plane (figuratively) and fight Max Holloway

Yair Rodriguez wants to make it clear that he’s more than prepared for the biggest fight of his career at UFC Fight Night 197

LAS VEGAS – It’s been more than two years since [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] set foot inside the octagon, but he wants to make it clear that he’s more than prepared for the biggest fight of his career.

To “El Pantera,” a matchup with former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] is exactly the type of fight he’s worked for since he began his martial arts journey.

“I’ve been waiting for these, like, forever – like I’ve been trying to get big names,” Rodriguez told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at Wednesday’s media day at the UFC Apex. “That’s what I’ve been fighting for all my life, my career, like fighting people that are in front of me in the rankings, people that are going to put me in a better position, not guys that are behind me.”

Rodriguez (13-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) and Holloway (22-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) meet in the headlining bout of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 197 event, which streams live on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.

It’s a big moment for Rodriguez, who currently sits at No. 14 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings, while Holloway is near the top of the division at No. 3. It’s a tough assignment, of course, perhaps made even tougher by any rust Rodriguez might feel after such a long layoff.

Rodriguez admits it was a tough stretch – one that saw both him and Holloway deal with injuries at various times, as well as being forced to serve a six-month suspension due to repeated whereabouts violations with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

Oh, and that whole global pandemic thing that has caused chaos around the planet for the past 20 months or so.

“I guess it was difficult for a lot of reasons – personal reasons like COVID and, like, family passing away, friends recently passing away and injuries – mine and Max,” Rodriguez said. “Kind of everything added to this couple of years of being out of competition, but I’ve been really trying to get back in here, bro.

“I was ready to fight in March. I’d been getting prepared. When my suspension got over March 7, I was ready, and they told me that I was going to fight Max right in June, and then when it happened, it was July. He got injured, and then we moved all the way here. That’s almost a year of just waiting, but that’s the past. Now we’re here, and we’re looking forward for Saturday and doing our best, and we’re ready.”

Yair Rodriguez (red) fights Jeremy Stephens in October 2019, his last fight before UFC Fight Night 197 on Saturday. (Bob DeChiara, USA TODAY Sports)

Rodriguez makes no attempt to deny the challenge that Holloway presents. Rather, he likens the thrill of the task to that of skydiving, giving him a nervous energy he believes will drive him to succeed.

“That’s why we are here: to prove ourselves against the best fighters in history, in the world,” Rodriguez said. “If you really want to prove yourself, not to prove to nobody else, to prove yourself – like, I want to prove myself against Max Holloway because I know the caliber of fighter that he is, and I feel like whenever I’ve got pressure on myself … like I have jumped out of an airplane three times, and everybody says, like, right when you’re scared to jump, that’s when you jump, and that’s what I did with this fight. You know, I was a little scared to jump, but at the same time, I was excited.

“You know, when I’ve got that feeling inside me, that emotion in my stomach, I was like, ‘OK, this is going to be a good fight. Take it. Let’s go. Let’s do it,’ and we’ll just train hard and everything else will be fine.”

With a win, Rodriguez could conceivably enter his name into the featherweight title picture. After all, he’s long been a highly touted prospect. His fighting style is fan friendly, and he’s one of the flag bearers of MMA in Mexico.

But Rodriguez isn’t interested in talking about that at the moment. Instead, he’s got one thing on his mind.

“I mean, I’m sure that the title shot is going to be in front of me, but first I’ve got to win against Max,” Rodriguez said. “Anything can happen in there, and I’m not focusing on that right now. My main focus is Max Holloway, Saturday the 13th at 3 p.m.”

To see the full interview with Rodriguez, check out the video above.

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Leah Letson ‘honored’ to be thrown in deep end with Felicia Spencer after nearly 3-year layoff

“She went the distance with Cyborg and Nunes, and there’s no better opponent to test my skills against.”

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Leah Letson[/autotag] thinks she’ll show to be a “completely different fighter” when she returns to the octagon from a nearly three-year layoff on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 197.

After joining the UFC roster from Season 28 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, Letson (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has been sidelined with a bevy of health issues, including hypothyroidism, which prevented her from competing and even training, really.

Letson, 29, said she followed the directives of her doctors and incrementally worked her way back into fighting shape for the first time since November 2018. Now she’s back and is set to meet Felicia Spencer (8-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in a women’s featherweight matchup on the upcoming card at the UFC Apex, which streams on ESPN+.

“It’s surreal,” Letson told MMA Junkie of her return at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 197 media day. “I’m so excited to be here. I’ve been waiting literally three years to come back here, and I can’t tell you how amazing it is to be here. I’m so excited. There were a couple times I questioned whether or not I was going to be to come back. But I’m passionate about the sport. I had to make it happen.”

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Letson is wasting no time getting her footing after such a long hiatus. UFC matchmakers pitted her against Spencer, who is a former title challenger and has shared the octagon with the best at 145 pounds during her tenure.

Although Spencer had the advantage of activity, Letson said she has the advantage of the unknown. Letson said she’s changed training camps, coaches and her mental approach toward the sport during this long stint between fights, and she looks forward to finding out where she stands against someone of Spencer’s caliber.

“It didn’t take me long to accept it,” Letson said. “She’s really tough. I was actually really honored they were ready to throw me in there with one of the toughest fighters out there. She went the distance with (Cris) Cyborg and (Amanda) Nunes, and there’s no better opponent to test my skills against.”

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Marcos Rogerio de Lima not bothered by inconsistency ahead of UFC Fight Night 197: ‘It’s all learning’

For the past 11 fights, Marcos Rogerio de Lima has alternated wins and losses.

LAS VEGAS – For nearly his entire UFC tenure, [autotag]Marcos Rogerio de Lima[/autotag] has alternated wins and losses.

Entering his UFC Fight Night 197 bout against Ben Rothwell, de Lima (18-7-1 MMA, 7-5 UFC) isn’t concerned about his past in terms of wins and losses. Results are important, but de Lima thinks the process of improvement is crucial.

“I know I have a few losses, but I don’t think as I’m losing a fight,” de Lima told MMA Junkie at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “It’s all learning. I know I’m going to be better this Saturday, and I’m going to get the W and (enter) the top 15 of the heavyweight division. Keep your eyes on me.”

UFC Fight Night 197 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+. Check out de Lima’s full pre-fight news conference in the video above.

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UFC Fight Night 197: Make your predictions for Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 197 event in Las Vegas.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 197 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC Fight Night 197 main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC Fight Night 197 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

Make your picks for the fights below.