Tag: UFC Fight Night 200

UFC Fight Night 202 video: Arman Tsarukyan TKOs Joel Alvarez after horrifying cut

Arman Tsarukyan caused one of the bloodiest cuts in recent memory against Joel Alvarez at UFC Fight Night 202.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] caused one of the bloodiest cuts in recent memory against [autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 202.

Tsarukyan (18-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) opened a gash on Alvarez’s (19-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) nose in the opening round of the lightweight fight on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and although the bout went longer than many expected from there, he eventually got the finish by TKO at the 1:57 mark of Round 2.

A perfectly placed elbow from the guard sliced Alvarez open, and the blood poured from there in a gruesome scene.

Check out the replay below (via Twitter):

With the win, Tsarukyan has now won five consecutive fights at 155 pounds. And it’s clear he has big goals going forward.

“I’m getting stronger and I’m getting better every day,” Tsarukyan said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “It’s my goal (to rematch Islam Makhachev). …We are the best in our division.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 202 results include:

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USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Feb. 15: Tai Tuivasa makes huge leap

Tai Tuivasa left an undeniable impression after his knockout win over Derrick Lewis in Houston at UFC 271.

While the middleweight title did not change hands at UFC 271, the co-main event produced a major move in this week’s rankings update.

[autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) shocked the Houston crowd by sending Derrick Lewis (26-8 MMA in 17-7 UFC) crashing to the canvas after putting the finishing touch on their wild slugfest with a hard right elbow, and naturally, multiple celebratory shoeys followed. The win resulted in a big shift among the heavyweights, launching Tuivasa from No. 10 all the way up to No. 4.

The middleweight division saw plenty of activity at the top. In the main event, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) outpointed former champ Robert Whittaker (23-6 MMA, 14-4 UFC). The championship rematch was a much closer fight than their first meeting. Although Whittaker walked away with his second loss to Adesanya, the former champ felt he had an argument to win on the judges’ scorecards.

In the middle of the main card, top-five fighters Jared Cannonier (15-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and Derek Brunson (23-8 MMA, 14-6 UFC) threw down. Cannonier left no doubt in this one as he pounded Brunson, prompting his corner to throw in the towel just as the referee stopped the bout.

After UFC 271 and ahead of UFC Fight Night 201, take a look at the rankings in the heavyweight and middleweight divisions, as well as the rest of the full rankings, using the dropdown menu above.

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UFC Fight Night 200 medical suspensions: Sam Alvey, 7 others face potential 180 days

Adding insult to injury of a dubious record, Sam Alvey is now facing a potentially long layoff after UFC Fight Night 200.

Eight athletes who competed this past Saturday at UFC Fight Night 200 are facing six-month medical suspensions.

Sam Alvey, who tied the UFC record for most consecutive losses after being submitted by Brendan Allen in the second round, was chief among those handed potential 180-day terms by the Nevada Athletic Commission, which regulated this past Saturday’s even at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Joining Alvey were Punahele Soriano, Mike Trizano, Alexis Davis, Julija Stoliarenko, Danilo Marques, Philip Rowe, and Denys Bondar.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie acquired a full list of medical suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the official record keeper of the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC). All fighters’ suspensions can terminate sooner should they be cleared by a doctor.

Check out the full UFC Fight Night 200 medical suspensions below.

Spinning Back Clique: On Sean Strickland’s career potential, Peña-Nunes as TUF coaches, more

Check out this week’s edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly roundtable discussion show covering the biggest topics in MMA.

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, our panel of Nolan King, Danny Segura, and Matthew Wells discuss these five topics with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia:

  • [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] defeated Jack Hermansson by split decision this past Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 200 to notch his sixth consecutive win and get him closer to a title shot. His popularity has grown as he trudges the boundary lines of fight promotion pre-fight and discussion of his performance post-fight. What are your concerns, if any, with Strickland going forward?
  • The next season of “The Ultimate Fighter” drops in May, and the UFC officially named women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag] and [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] as coaches. They’ll oversee a crop of heavyweights and women’s flyweights. This rivalry is almost sure to heat up in this environment? So 1-10, how fired up are you? Did the UFC pick the right coaching matchup?
  • Former UFC featherweight title challenger [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] is coming out of retirement to fight at “BKFC: Knucklemania II” later this month. He says he’ll make more to fight in bare knuckle than Francis Ngannou’s disclosed $600,000 purse for his latest title defense at UFC 270. Did that statement surprise you? Are promotions like BKFC and Eagle FC just as good of options as established players Bellator, PFL and ONE Championship for combat sports athletes?
  • [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] is of the opinion that the heavyweight GOAT, [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag], and the light heavyweight GOAT, himself, should tangle for the UFC heavyweight interim title while undisputed champion Ngannou recovers from his knee surgery that’s expected to keep him out for nine months. Does this make sense for all parties and the UFC’s heavyweight division?
  • Turning the page to this weekend, [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] defends his middleweight title vs. [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] in a rematch at UFC 271. Going into it, does this feel any different than how you felt about the first fight? Does history repeat itself, or should we buckle up for a Part 3 down the road?

“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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MMA Junkie Radio #3232: Guest Marc Ratner, plus Joe Rogan, Sean Strickland, bad judging

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


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

On Episode 3,232, the fellas bring on Marc Ratner, the UFC’s vice president of regulatory affairs, to discuss his new book. Plus, they look back at UFC Fight Night 200 and some questionable judging in Sean Strickland’s big win and talk about what should happen next with Joe Rogan and his major controversies. Tune in!

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.

Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Jack Hermansson after UFC Fight Night 200 loss?

See whom Jack Hermansson should fight next after his loss to Sean Strickland in the UFC Fight Night 200 headliner.

(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Sean Strickland after UFC Fight Night 200 win?)

[autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag]’s main event struggles continued Saturday when he fell short against Sean Strickland at UFC Fight Night 200.

Hermansson (22-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC) dropped to 1-3 in UFC headliners when he came out on the wrong end of a split decision against Strickland (25-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) in the middleweight bout, and now he’s forced to go back to the drawing board.

How should Hermansson’s proceed? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC Fight Night 200.

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Brendan Allen not interested in staying at light heavyweight: ‘I still have business to come at 185’

Brendan Allen plans to continue his career at 185 pounds despite a successful light heavyweight debut at UFC Fight Night 200.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag] has no interest in light heavyweight.

The 26-year-old made his 205-pound debut Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 200. Allen (18-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) took the fight on short notice and submitted Sam Alvey, sending Alvey to 0-7-1 his past eight fights.

Alvey was originally scheduled to fight Ian Heinisch at middleweight, but was then given Allen after injuries saw Heinisch and replacement Phil Hawes forced out of the event.

Despite clocking a win a new weight class, Allen has no interest in staying at light heavyweight and plans to continue his UFC career at 185 pounds.

“I’m just going to keep my unfinished business at 185 (pounds),” Allen told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 200 post-fight news conference. “I still have business to come at 185. I have the best manager in the game, Ali (Abdelaziz) and Dominance MMA, so I’m going to let him take over. Whenever he says go, that’s where I’ll go. But in 2022, shooters shoot – and I’m shooting.”

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Allen said Alvey had no surprises for him and he knew what to expect from the longtime UFC fighter.

“I knew what he was going to throw,” Allen said. “I just had to get that timing. I haven’t really been doing anything, to be honest. My management didn’t really want me to take the fight because of it. I had other things going on. We knew what he was going to come with. He’s a true veteran. I have nothing but respect.”

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Nick Maximov credits Diaz brothers for composure in first UFC co-main event

Nick Maximov says working with the Diaz brothers helped him stay composed in UFC Fight Night 200 co-main event win.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Nick Maximov[/autotag] is taking big steps in his young MMA career.

The 24-year-old picked up his second UFC wini since earning a contract at Dana White’s Contender Series at UFC Fight Night 200 on Saturday. Maximov (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) kept his unbeaten record by edging out Punahele Soriano with a split decision in the co-main event.

It was Maximov’s first UFC co-main event in just his second official fight with the promotion. But despite the big stage, he said there was no pressure or nerves.

“No nerves at all,” Maximov told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 200 post-fight news conference. “We really train for this all the time. We spar all the time. We do big events all the time, and they really help me a lot just to prepare for this.

“I was actually really comfortable. I was enjoying the moment.”

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Maximov had a tough, gritty back-and-forth fight against Soriano. Although Maximov was mainly on the attack, Soriano proved to be tough and resilient, always looking to get the edge and do damage on the feet.

Maximov said he expected more from Soriano and attributed his high expectations to training with Nick and Nate Diaz.

“He felt good, but I was expecting a little bit more,” Maximov said. “I just train with killers all the time. I just always expect people to be where Nate or Nick, Lucas (Gamaza), all those guys (are at). They’re all killers.”

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Sam Alvey says he’s not done fighting despite another UFC loss: ‘I have to figure it out’

Despite being winless in his past eight bouts, Sam Alvey is determined to bounce back after his latest setback at UFC Fight Night 200.

[autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag] is not planning on walking away from MMA and is determined to turn his fighting career around.

The longtime UFC fighter suffered a submission loss to Brendan Allen on the UFC Fight Night 200 main card Saturday. The defeat was the continuation of a big career slump for Alvey. He is winless in his past eight bouts with seven losses and one draw since September 2018.

Despite the rough stretch, Alvey won’t let this latest defeat keep him down and said he’s determined to get back in the win column.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t go my way again,” Alvey said in an Instagram video posted Sunday. “It’s very disappointing to me. I’ve put in the work, and I know he has, too, and everyone does, too. I know it’s a sport of inches and I’ve been inches short, so I have to figure it out – and I’m going to.

“I love what I do. I love this sport and everything about it. I’m going to take a little bit of time off – let my brain rest, let my body heal, and I’m not going to miss a day of practice. I’m going to get back in the room this Monday. So I love you guys. I love the support and thanks for everything.”

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Alvey admitted there’s something missing in his game that’s led to his losing skid. The 35-year-old, who has more than 50 professional fights on his record and has been fighting since 2008, said he has no plans to hang up the gloves.

“I’ve lost a step,” Alvey said in a separate video posted to Instagram not long after his loss to Allen. “Something needs to change and I’m going to make the correction. I’m not done fighting, but I love this sport and you know what? God has blessed me. God – I raise God’s name on high. I would not have the career I’ve had without Him, and I really have had a good career.  I’ve had a long career.

“I’ve had – shoot, that was my 23rd fight in the UFC. I’ve had a career that people dream of.  I’m not done fighting, but I know I need to take a little bit of a hiatus.”

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Sean Strickland’s coach stumps for Sal D’Amato dismissal after puzzling Jack Hermansson scorecard

Sean Strickland’s head coach, Eric Nicksick, is flabbergasted by the scoring in the UFC Fight Night 200 main event.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]’s head coach, Eric Nicksick, is flabbergasted by the scoring in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 200 main event.

The Xtreme Couture trainer saw his student get his hand raised in the middleweight matchup with [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag], but not before one judge scored the fight against Strickland (25-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC), making for a puzzling split decision result.

Although the other two judges managed to get it right, Sal D’Amato turned in a dissenting scorecard, 48-47 in favor of Hermansson (22-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC). The reaction was a widespread confusion about how he could see the fight that way.

Nicksick doesn’t understand, either. He criticized D’Amato in the aftermath of the event, and cited MMADecisions.com (an site that tracks media scoring), where not a single outlet had the fight for Hermansson (via Twitter):

Not even one media member scored it for Jack. I know we won, but if this guy is still judging, he will continue to make egregious decisions and ultimately cost fighters their careers and livelihood. #fireSal

D’Amato is one of the most commonly used judges in the sport, especially given the volume of UFC events that take place in Las Vegas, like UFC Fight Night 200 did. It’s not the first time he’s turned in a controversial scorecard.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has used D’Amato’s services for years. But Nicksick made it obvious he’s seen enough, of him and stumped for D’Amato to lose his position to make way for someone else.

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