Tag: UFC Fight Night 215

UFC Fight Night 215 video: Jack Della Maddalena overwhelms Danny Roberts for first-round TKO

Jack Della Maddalena now has three first-round finishes in three UFC fights after dispatching of Danny Roberts at UFC Fight Night 215.

Make it three first-round finishes in three octagon appearances for [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] after dispatching of [autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 215.

The hype continued to grow around the Australian welterweight Saturday when Della Maddalena (13-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) used his striking power to overwhelm Roberts (18-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) en route to a first-round TKO at the UFC Apex.

The heavy hands of Della Maddalena were evident when he dropped Roberts early in the fight. He used intelligent pressure from there, picking his shots until Roberts went down again for the stoppage less than four minutes after the bout began.

Check out the replay of Della Maddalena’s handiwork below (via Twitter):

After his 13th straight win, an excited Della Maddalena said he hopes to land a spot on the Feb. 11 card at UFC 284, which goes down in his home town of Perth, Australia.

“Every challenge is different, and I take it like that,” Della Maddalena said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “But I’m ready to get home and fight in front of my people in Australia. … Honestly (I’ll fight) anyone. First person they give me, I’ll say yes and be on my merry way.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 215.

[listicle id=2598139]

UFC Fight Night 215: Best photos from Las Vegas

Check out these photos from the fights at UFC Fight Night 215 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Check out these photos from the fights at UFC Fight Night 215 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. (Fight and venue photos courtesy of the UFC via Getty Images) (Gallery will update throughout the event.)

UFC Fight Night 215: Official scorecards from Las Vegas

Check out the official scorecards from all 12 fights at UFC Fight Night 215 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Check out the official scorecards from all 11 fights at UFC Fight Night 215 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. (Gallery will be updated throughout the event.)

Derrick Lewis reportedly hospitalized, UFC Fight Night 215 headliner vs. Serghei Spivac canceled mid-event

The UFC Fight Night 215 main event between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac was called off in the middle of Saturday’s card.

LAS VEGAS – The UFC Fight Night 215 main event between [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] was canceled as Saturday’s card unfolded.

Lewis (26-10 MMA, 17-8 UFC) reportedly was hospitalized on the day of the event, forcing the promotion to scratch the heavyweight headliner with Spivac (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) at the UFC Apex. Word of Lewis going to the hospital first surfaced on Twitter.

According to cageside announcer Brendan Fitzgerald on the UFC Fight Night 215 broadcast, Lewis was forced out because of a “non-COVID, non-weight cutting illness.”

As a result of the change, the originally scheduled co-main event between Kennedy Nzechukwu and Ion Cutelaba was elevated to the final fight on the card.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 215.

[vertical-gallery id=2598145]

UFC Fight Night 215 video: Hear from each winner, guest fighters backstage

Check out what the UFC Fight Night 215 winners had to say backstage at Saturday’s event.

LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 215 takes place Saturday with 12 bouts on the lineup. We’ve got you covered with backstage winner interviews from the UFC Apex.

You can hear from all the UFC Fight Night 215 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.

UFC Fight Night 215 video: Natalia Silva rocks Tereza Bleda with spinning back kick finish

Natalia Silva opened UFC Fight Night 215 with just the fifth knockout in UFC history by spinning back kick up top.

[autotag]Natalia Silva[/autotag] started off UFC Fight Night 215 with a bang thanks to a highlight-reel TKO of [autotag]Tereza Bleda[/autotag].

Silva (14-5-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) continued the strong start to her octagon tenure when she put Bleda (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) away in the third round of their women’s flyweight bout with a perfectly placed spinning back kick to the throat area, which marked just the fifth finish of its kind in UFC history.

It was a somewhat competitive fight up to that point. The 20-year-old newcomer Bleda was aggressive and relentless with her takedown attempts, but she couldn’t get to the ground with any consistency. That’s when Silva found the moment to uncork the kick, which produced spectacular results at the UFC Apex.

Check out the replay of the finish below (via Twitter):

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 215.

[listicle id=2598139]

UFC Fight Night 215: Quick picks and prognostications

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the main card of UFC Fight Night 215.

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main card for UFC Fight Night 215.

UFC Fight Night 215 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

Last event’s results: 4-1

Overall picks for UFC main cards in 2022: 111-68-1

Welcome to MMAJunkie’s Quick Picks and Prognostications, where I’ll be giving brief, fight-day breakdowns for UFC main cards.

With that in mind, I hope these write-ups don’t come off as curt or dismissive, as my goal here is to offer quick picks and analysis in a digestible format. All odds listed are provided by Tipico Sportsbook.

If you’d like more detailed analysis from me, then feel free to check out my weekly show, The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.

So, without further ado…

Waldo Cortes-Acosta cool with 21-day turnaround vs. Chase Sherman: ‘UFC calls me, I’ll be there’

Two fights in three weeks? No problem for Waldo Cortes-Acosta.

LAS VEGAS – It will be exactly three weeks from the time [autotag]Waldo Cortes-Acosta[/autotag] made his UFC debut to his return to the octagon.

The UFC newcomer is about to log in two fights in less than a month, as he’s taken a short-notice fight against veteran Chase Sherman on the main card of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 215. Cortes-Acosta (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made his debut with the promotion on Oct. 29, defeating Jared Vanderaa in a unanimous decision.

The unbeaten prospect is happy for a quick turnaround, and is completely cool with the lack of anticipation for this fight.

“I’m excited because it passed two, three weeks and I come back, and I’m excited to be here again,” Cortes-Acosta told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 215 media day. “… No camp. If the UFC calls me, I’ll be there every time.”

[lawrence-related id=2597654,2597767]

As far as the matchup itself, Cortes-Acosta is also eager about that. He thinks Sherman (16-10 MMA, 4-9 UFC) is prime for a fun heavyweight bout and expects the fight to end before the scheduled 15 minutes.

“I think it’ll be good because he’s a striker and more stand up and more stay in there,” Cortes-Acosta said. “I think it’s going to be a good war inside the ring. … I think with two strikers, it’s going to be back to back. I think it will be three rounds, I think the first round, second round (the finish) will be there.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 215.

[vertical-gallery id=2592275]

Muslim Salikhov ‘changed everything’ ahead of return vs. Andre Fialho at UFC Fight Night 215

Muslim Salikhov hit the reset button.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag] has made some big changes in his fighting career.

The Dagestan fighter moved his training camp to the U.S. and is now working under American Top Team in South Florida. This change was triggered by a TKO loss he suffered against Li Jingliang this past summer at UFC on ABC 3. The defeat put an end to a five-fight winning streak.

Salikhov (18-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) felt he needed to make a major move ahead of his return against Andre Fialho (16-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) on the main card of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 215.

“I changed everything,” Salikhov said. “I changed my team, I come to America before like two-and-a-half months and prepare here. Before, I trained with a small team with one coach. Now I change everything and I feel like I’m learning a lot and I feel more comfortable anywhere. … I feel great right now, and I’m sure this fight will be different.”

[lawrence-related id=2597767,2597489]

Salikhov is hoping the switch to ATT will pay off this Saturday. Salikhov very much likes the matchup he has in front of him and is confident he can get the job done.

“I watched some fights,” Salikhov said regarding his opponent. “He always puts pressure, good boxer. I like his style. He’s searching, always trying to finish the fight. But I like to do the same thing. I like to finish the fight always. I never think about the points. It’s going to be a good fight for us.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 215.

[vertical-gallery id=2563088]

UFC Fight Night 215 predictions: Derrick Lewis or Serghei Spivac in heavyweight clash?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC Fight Night 215 main card in Las Vegas.

Lewis
vs.
Spivac		 Cutelaba
vs.
Nzechukwu		 Cortes-Acosta
vs.
Sherman		 Fialho
vs.
Salikhov		 Maddalena
vs.
Roberts
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
180-106		 lewis2022
Lewis
(54%)		 nzechukwu2022
Nzechukwu
(59%)		 cortes-acosta2022
Cortes-Acosta
(78%)		 salikhov2022
Salikhov
(55%)		 maddalena2022
Maddalena
(87%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
190-101
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 lewis2022
Lewis		 nzechukwu2022
Nzechukwu		 cortes-acosta2022
Cortes-Acosta		 salikhov2022
Salikhov		 maddalena2022
Maddalena
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
182-109		 spivac2022
Spivac		 cutelaba2022
Cutelaba		 cortes-acosta2022
Cortes-Acosta		 salikhov2022
Salikhov		 maddalena2022
Maddalena
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
182-109		 spivac2022
Spivac		 cutelaba2022
Cutelaba		 cortes-acosta2022
Cortes-Acosta		 salikhov2022
Salikhov		 maddalena2022
Maddalena
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
179-112		 lewis2022
Lewis		 cutelaba2022
Cutelaba		 cortes-acosta2022
Cortes-Acosta		 salikhov2022
Salikhov		 maddalena2022
Maddalena
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
178-113
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 spivac2022
Spivac		 nzechukwu2022
Nzechukwu		 cortes-acosta2022
Cortes-Acosta		 fialho2022
Filaho		 maddalena2022
Maddalena
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
176-115		 lewis2022
Lewis		 nzechukwu2022
Nzechukwu		 cortes-acosta2022
Cortes-Acosta		 salikhov2022
Salikhov		 maddalena2022
Maddalena
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
175-116		 lewis2022
Lewis		 cutelaba2022
Cutelaba		 cortes-acosta2022
Cortes-Acosta		 fialho2022
Filaho		 maddalena2022
Maddalena
Nolan King
@mma_kings
170-121		 lewis2022
Lewis		 cutelaba2022
Cutelaba		 cortes-acosta2022
Cortes-Acosta		 fialho2022
Filaho		 maddalena2022
Maddalena
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
169-122
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 lewis2022
Lewis		 cutelaba2022
Cutelaba		 cortes-acosta2022
Cortes-Acosta		 salikhov2022
Salikhov		 maddalena2022
Maddalena
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
157-134		 lewis2022
Lewis		 nzechukwu2022
Nzechukwu		 cortes-acosta2022
Cortes-Acosta		 salikhov2022
Salikhov		 maddalena2022
Maddalena
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
142-149		 lewis2022
Lewis		 cutelaba2022
Cutelaba		 cortes-acosta2022
Cortes-Acosta		 fialho2022
Filaho		 maddalena2022
Maddalena

The UFC is back home in Las Vegas this week, and three sets of heavy hitters are atop the card.

UFC Fight Night 215 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (26-10 MMA, 17-8 UFC) takes on [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC). Spivac is a 2-1 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Lewis is +165. But our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are bucking the betting odds and have Lewis with a big 8-3 lead.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag] (16-8-1 MMA, 5-7-1 UFC) meets [autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) at light heavyweight. Nzechukwu is the favorite at the betting window at -170, but like in the main event, our pickers have underdog Cutelaba with the lead at 7-4.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Waldo Cortes-Acosta[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is back for a quick turnaround at heavyweight against [autotag]Chase Sherman[/autotag] (16-10 MMA, 4-9 UFC). Cortes-Acosta is more than a 2-1 favorite and is one of two unanimous picks on the main card at 11-0.

[autotag]Andre Fialho[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) takes on [autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in a welterweight fight that nearly is a pick’em at the sportsbook. Salikhov is just a -115 favorite, but he’s up 7-4 in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is our second unanimous pick at 11-0 in his welterweight fight against [autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC). Maddalena is by far the biggest favorite on the card at -600.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Lewis (54 percent), Nzechukwu (59 percent), Cortes-Acosta (78 percent), Salikhov (55 percent) and Maddalena (87 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 215.

[vertical-gallery id=2598068]