UFC Fight Night 202 – Syndication Server

UFC Fight Night 202 medical suspensions: Five fighters face potential 180-day terms

Five fighters could be looking at six months out after UFC Fight Night 202.

[autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/autotag], who defeated Ji Yeon Kim in a bloody “Fight of the Night” battle, will need clearance for a right nasomaxillary suture fracture and 1st metacarpal base fracture before returning to action.

Also potentially looking at 180-day terms are [autotag]Armen Petrosyan[/autotag], who needs an X-ray on his left foot; [autotag]Ramona Pascual[/autotag], who must have her bilateral nasal bone fracture cleared; [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag], who needs an X-ray on his left foot; and [autotag]Carlos Hernandez[/autotag], who needs an MRI on his left knee.

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

Check out the full UFC Fight Night 202 medical suspensions below.

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, March 1: Mackhachev, Mousasi climb after dominant wins

Bellator middleweight champ Gegard Mousasi and UFC lightweight Islam Makhachev rise in this week’s rankings update following dominant wins.

Two of the most impressive fighters in the sport climb in their respective divisional rankings following strong wins.

At Bellator 275, middleweight champion [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (49-7-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) made quick work of previously undefeated Austin Vanderford (11-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) in the main event. In just 85 seconds, the fight was over after Mousasi overwhelmed his opponent with sharp striking, leading to the fast TKO finish to defend his title. With his strong performance, he moved up to the No. 4 spot in the middleweight division, passing UFC’s Marvin Vettori.

Although he needed a replacement opponent on short notice once Beneil Dariush suffered an injury, Islam Makhachev (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) still took care of business in dominant fashion against Bobby Green (29-13-1 MMA, 10-8-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 202. Although the victory wasn’t as fast as Mousasi’s, it was just as dominant, with Makhachev controlling virtually every moment of the fight from the start to the finish at 3:23 of the first round – a performance worthy of a jump up to the No. 4 position.

After UFC Fight Night 202 and Bellator 275, take a look at movement in the middleweight division, as well as the rest of the full rankings ahead of UFC 272 using the dropdown menu above.

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Spinning Back Clique: Islam Makhachev’s dominance, Gegard Mousasi’s statement, UFC 272 look-ahead

Check out “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, our panel of Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss these five topics with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia:

This past Saturday night, [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] defeated Bobby Green in the UFC Fight Night 202 main event. The fight didn’t get out of the first round, and Makhavchev made it known that he wants a title shot in the lightweight division, of course meaning the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje. The question here is which matchup would be more favorable to Makhachev, and why? Should he actually be favored?
Because the UFC lightweight division is stacked with talent, this might be the marquee division in the sport. So, is Makhachev the clear No. 1 contender? Keep in mind that Rafael dos Anjos fights Saturday. He’s a former champ. He could derails plans. [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] owns a win over Gaethje. He could derail plans. [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is a pay-per-view machine that wants to return in the summer. He could derail plans. Even Beneil Dariush, he had an injury setback. He could derail plans.
Also this past weekend, [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] ran right through Austin Vanderford to retain his middleweight title at Bellator 275. This was his third overall title defense and afterward, Mousasi staked his claim as the top middleweight in the world. Do you agree? If not, where do you rank him?
Turning the page to this week, two guys, who don’t like each other, get to punch each other in the face at UFC 272. You know the story: Former best friends, roommates, training partners, turned enemies. So, does [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] or [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] have more at stake on Saturday night, and will the loser be able to rebuild from a loss of this magnitude?
With such a big spotlight on Covington vs. Masvidal this Saturday night, the rest of the UFC 272 card hasn’t been spoken about as much. What’s your other most pivotal fight to watch and why?

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

Carlos Hernandez hoping for UFC fight in home city of Chicago after debut win

Take a look inside Carlos Hernandez’s win over Victor Altamirano at UFC Fight Night 202 in Las Vegas.

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LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Carlos Hernandez[/autotag] beat Victor Altamirano with a split decision Saturday to open the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 202 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Hernandez, a Dana White’s Contender Series product from Chicago who won his official UFC debut.

Judges Gonna Judge: Was Ji Yeon Kim robbed at UFC Fight Night 202?

Our panelists put on their judging hats to take a look at the scores turned in for Priscila Cachoeira vs. Ji Yeon Kim.

Welcome to “Judges Gonna Judge,” where our MMA Junkie staff panel revisits the most controversial decision that occurred over the weekend.

This week, we take a closer look at [autotag]Ji Yeon Kim[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/autotag], a main card bout at UFC Fight Night 202 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

This Fight of the Night affair was a wild back-and-forth fight in which both fighters were bloodied and wobbled throughout. When it was all said and done, Kim walked away with more strikes landed, but all three judges scored the fight the exact same way for Cachoeira. Mike Bell, Sal D’Amato and Adalaide Byrd turned in identical scores of 29-28, with each scoring the first and third rounds for Cachoeira, while seeing the second round for Kim.

According to stat totals, Kim landed 171 strikes to Cachoeira’s 102, who was also credited with a completed takedown. When the official scores were read, there was an immediate backlash from many on social media who thought Kim did enough to win the fight.

Was this a robbery or did the official judges get it right?

MMA Junkie’s Matthew Wells, Farah Hannoun and Dan Tom put on their judging hats and break the fight down round by round.

MMA Junkie Radio #3238: Guest Phil Davis, plus UFC and Bellator recaps, more

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

On Episode 3,238, the fellas welcomed guest [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag], a former light heavyweight champion who fights Julius Anglickas in the Bellator 276 co-main event March 12. They also looked back at Bellator 275 and UFC Fight Night 202. 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.

Khabib Nurmagomedov hopes for ‘new blood’ UFC title fight of Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev

Khabib Nurmagomedov would prefer to see Islam Makhachev challenge Charles Oliveira for UFC gold over Justin Gaethje.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] was impressed with the poise and execution of [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 202.

Even after a late opponent change from Beneil Dariush to Bobby Green in Saturday’s main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Makhachev (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) remained focused on the task at hand and left the octagon with a lopsided first-round TKO, extending his winning streak to 10 consecutive fights.

Makhachev could’ve easily been shaken when he went from highly ranked lightweight contender Dariush to unranked fan favorite Green on just 10 days’ notice, but he did not complain and instead delivered another dominant performance.

The way in which Makhachev handled the whole thing was quite impressive from the perspective of his coach and mentor Nurmagomedov.

“Islam takes this like real champion,” Nurmagomedov said on the UFC Fight Night 202 post-fight show. “It doesn’t matter who his opponent is. The goal is going to stay the same. Same goal, different opponent. Of course we feel a little bit bad he don’t fight Beneil. He have big injury and end of this year, he’s going to come back. If he wins one fight, he’s going to be next in the line.”

Although Nurmagomedov appreciated Green’s willingness to step up and fight Makhachev on such short notice, he said he was confident the fight would unfold as it did. He knew the skill gap was too much, and especially under the circumstances.

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“I don’t want to disrespect Bobby Green,” Nurmagomedov said. “I watched a lot of his fights. But there is levels always. I always tell people: There is fighters, there is champions, there is elite. I think Bobby Green is like a fighter. Islam is elite. This is what I think and what I feel when I train with him for a long time.”

Makhachev’s win over Green may have set the table for his first UFC championship fight. Nurmagomedov held the UFC lightweight belt for some time, but since retiring, he’s been pushing for Makhachev to be the one to take over at 155 pounds.

Nurmagomedov’s former title currently is in the possession of Charles Oliveira, who puts it on the line against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 on May 7. All signs point to Makhachev getting the winner of that fight, and his goal appears to be for it to happen at the UFC’s annual event in Abu Dhabi, which is likely to take place this fall.

Nurmagomedov sees that as the timeline for his pupil to challenge for gold, as well. He’s not 100 percent certain who would enter that bout as potential champion, but admitted Oliveira vs. Makhachev would be the bigger fight.

“Dana (White) says they are going to make very big show in Abu Dhabi later this year, and I think this place is where Islam is going to compete and fight for the title,” Nurmagomedov said. “If I say I think Justin Gaethje is going to win, maybe people are going to think because I fight with him, that’s why I want him to win – something like this. For UFC, it’s going to be better if Charles Oliveira wins – 11-win streak vs. 10-win streak. Two new blood for lightweight division.

“I really want Charles and Islam fight, but I’m not going to be surprised because Justin Gaethje have so much experience and big heart. If you want to beat him, you have to finish him. If not going to be finish, I think Justin Gaethje going to win this fight if Charles can’t finish him.”

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Bobby Green feels ‘expensive pain’ after UFC Fight Night 202 loss to Islam Makhachev

Bobby Green is clearly frustrated after not being able to deliver more resistance to Islam Makhachev.

[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] is clearly frustrated after not being able to deliver more resistance to Islam Makhachev in the UFC Fight Night 202 main event.

Green (29-13-1 MMA, 10-8-1 UFC) was taken down and pounded out with strikes by Makhachev (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) in the opening round of their 160-pound catchweight fight at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Green took the fight on 10 days’ notice when Beneil Dariush suffered an injury, and oddsmakers had him as the biggest betting underdog in a UFC headliner over the past five years.

Still, though, Green came into the fight confident he could not only surpass expectations, but actually get his hand raised against Makhachev. The reality was different, however, and afterward, a disappointed Green expressed some disappointment about his lack of preparation for such a big moment.

“Expensive pain – expensive pain,” Green said on an Instagram story. “Wins and losses. Wins and losses. I just want to thank all my guys, all my peoples for riding with me. I apologize, but this is what it comes with when you throw this sh*t together, you know what I’m saying? It’s last minute. I put it together as much as I can guys. I appreciate you. The sh*t we do for our families. Love you guys.”

Despite the loss, Green still appears to remain a fan favorite. He positioned himself for the replacement opportunity against Makhachev through a series of exciting performances and engaging interviews, but he could not pull off the upset on fight night.

It appears Green got a bump in compensation to take the fight with Makhachev, and he indicated multiple times throughout fight week that he wouldn’t have stepped up if it wasn’t worth his while.

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Islam Makhachev makes case for title shot after UFC Fight Night 202: ‘I deserve’

Islam Makhachev thinks Charles Oliveira will beat Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 and he’ll be fighting the Brazilian for gold this year.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] expects his coronation as lightweight champion to take place in his next fight after running through Bobby Green in the UFC Fight Night 202 main event.

Makhachev (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) extended his winning streak to 10 consecutive fights on Saturday when he earned a first-round TKO of late replacement Green (29-13-1 MMA, 10-8-1 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He was originally scheduled to fight Beneil Dariush in a surefire title eliminator at 155 pounds, but when the fight changed, so did the stakes.

For Makhachev, though, he thinks he’s still the rightful next challenger. Champion Charles Oliveira puts his title on the line against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 on May 7, and Makhachev thinks he should be the next man up.

“I told you guys a couple days ago, this guy is not my level and I’m going to show you my level,” Makhachev told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the UFC Fight Night 202 post-fight news conference. “11 months, I finish four guys and I deserve (the shot).”

Makhachev knows championship-level bouts can be unpredictable, but he said he already has a pretty good idea who will emerge UFC 274 with gold.

“I think it’s going to be a good fight because those guys are high level,” Makhachev said. “Charles improved his striking game and he have more (skills) than Justin in the ground game. I think they going to strike a little bit, then Charles is going to take him down, take his back and finish him there. Like third round or second round.”

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If Oliveira (32-8 MMA, 20-8 UFC) does retain against Gaethje (23-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) at UFC 274, Makhachev said he’ll be ready for that historic clash. The hypothetical bout with put Oliveira’s 11-fight UFC winning streak against Makhachev’s 10-fight run in the octagon, and it would be something special on paper.

Makhachev thinks he has more to give than the champion, though, and predicts a grueling outing for Oliveira that would result in the loss of his belt.

“I think it’s going to be good match because this guy’s good in the striking and grappling and wrestling,” Makhachev said. “I’m going to make him tired, pressure him, and make him give up. Because this guy, I know like when somebody go with him three or four rounds and give him hard punch and hard time, and he can finish some people with choke. But when he do not do this, he give up all the time. But I have grappling skills more than him. He going to try to finish me on the ground, but it’s going to be so hard for him.”

As far as the timeline, Makhachev appears to be targeting the final quarter of the year. The UFC traditionally hosts an event in Abu Dhabi in September or October, and for Makhachev, that would be the perfect location for his first championship opportunity.

He said the circumstances have to be right, and that’s why he is not interested in serving as a backup for Oliveira vs. Gaethje.

“For step in, we have some guys like (Rafael) dos Anjos or Michael Chandler,” Makhachev said. “I’m deserving – I have 10-fight win streak in the last 11 months. I’ve been training so hard. Next week I’m ready for fight. Next pay-per-view show. But I deserve a little bit of notice. I want to fight in Abu Dhabi. I have many of my friends, my family, my friends who stay outside because they cannot come to Apex. I want to fight for the title in Abu Dhabi when all my fans can support me.”

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UFC Fight Night 202 bonuses: Cachoeira vs. Kim a no-brainer for Fight of the Night

Check out who all took home an extra $50,000 for their performance at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday.

UFC returned to action at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday with a fight card that produced a number of bonus-worthy performances.

From early on the prelims to the main event of UFC Fight Night 202, there were a number of impressive finishes throughout the card. Not every fight resulted in an early stoppage though, and a couple of fights that went the distance left a lasting impression as well. [autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/autotag] and [autotag]Ji Yeon Kim[/autotag] brawled for 15 minutes straight in a wild back-and-forth fight. The most intense battle of the evening took home Fight of the Night honors while two other fighters earned Performance of the Night bonuses.

Check out who pocketed an extra $50,000 for their performance on Saturday below.