Tag: UFC Fight Night 233

UFC free fight: Anthony Smith snaps losing skid in gusty, split decision win over Ryan Spann

Watch Anthony Smith defeat Ryan Spann a second time in a gusty, split decision win.

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] had to go through hell to get his hand raised in his rematch against Ryan Spann.

Back in August at UFC Fight Night 225, the former UFC light heavyweight title challenger went toe-to-toe with Spann for 15 minutes to earn a split decision win and defeat Spann a second time. It was an action-packed fight that was competitive to the final bell. The victory snapped a two-fight losing skid for Smith.

You can watch Smith’s latest win in the video above.

Smith (37-18 MMA, 12-8 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 233, which goes down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He takes on Khalil Rountree (12-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) in a short-notice bout. UFC Fight Night 233 streams on ESPN+.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 233.

UFC free fight: Chris Gutierrez gets clean, unanimous decision win over Alateng Heili

Watch Chris Gutierrez’s latest win ahead of his return at UFC Fight Night 233.

[autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag] sure knows how to bounce back from defeat.

Back in October, Gutierrez was able to get himself back in the win column with a dominant unanimous decision over Alateng Heili at UFC Fight Night 230. This was his first fight back after seeing an eight-fight unbeaten streak come to an end vs. Pedro Munhoz. It was an important win.

You can watch Gutierrez’s win over Heili in the video above.

Gutierrez (20-4-2 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) return to the octagon this Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night 233 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He takes on Yadong (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC). UFC Fight Night 233 streams on ESPN+.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 233.

Tim Elliott enters last-minute Su Mudaerji bout at UFC Fight Night 233 with something to prove

Tim Elliott aims to take a different approach against Su Mudaerji at UFC Fight Night 233.

LAS VEGAS – As of this past weekend, [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag] wasn’t on the verge of fighting, but now he is. And that’s just how he likes it.

Elliott (19-3-1 MMA, 8-11 UFC) meets fellow ranked flyweight Su Mudaerji (16-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) in a main-card bantamweight bout this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 233, which takes place at the UFC Apex and streams on ESPN+.

Elliott would’ve been well within his right not to take this fight on just five days’ notice considering he just had a bout – a submission loss to Muhammad Mokaev – a little more than six weeks ago at UFC 294. But he simply couldn’t turn down the opportunity to get back in the cage.

“I don’t know, it just seemed right,” Elliott told reporters, including MMA Junkie, on Wednesday at UFC Fight Night 233 media day. “I have a good manager. I just do what they say. They’ve always steered me in the right direction. … Also, they gave me 10 pounds. It’s an easy weight cut, good fight.”

You might say there are two primary reasons Elliott accepted the fight. The first: not having to cut as much weight to get down to 136 poinds.

“It’s a little weird not having to kill myself so much for this one, but I think it’ll make for a better fight, a more exciting fight,” Elliott said. “I could’ve come in here and made the weight probably, but it wouldn’t have been healthy. I wouldn’t want to risk missing the weight class and not doing what I said I was gonna do.”

The second and perhaps more important reason Elliott took the fight is that he views it as an opportunity to prove something even at 36 and as a former UFC title challenger.

“I want to fight a striker. I want to try to work some of my striking,” Elliott said. “I haven’t really been able to do that. Through my whole career, I’ve kind of been eager to get to the ground. Even in the Mokaev fight, I was winning the striking portion, and I still had this eagerness to get him to the ground. But when I’m sparring in practice, I mostly stay on my feet. So I would like to show the new skills that I have, and I haven’t really been able to do that in my last few fights. I’m getting older now, and I’m running out of chances to really show how good I am and how good I can be, so I feel like Su is a really good opponent for that. …

“Honestly, I want to fight for three rounds. I want to put on a performance. I like to have time in the cage. I like to get takedowns and break records. That’s the place where I feel the most comfortable in my life, is when that cage door shuts. The more time I can spend in there, the better I feel.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 233.

Why did Anthony Smith take short-notice fight vs. Khalil Rountree? ‘I like doing crazy sh*t’

Former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith explains why rankings don’t really matter, as he steps into a fight on less than two weeks’ notice.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] knows it seems crazy to some, which is precisely why he likes it so much.

Two weeks ago, Smith (37-18 MMA, 12-8 UFC) didn’t even have a fight on the books. Saturday, he steps into the UFC Fight Night 233 co-main bout opposite [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC). The event takes place at the UFC Apex.

“They wanted me to fight him in Austin, but there were like six days or something like that,” Smith told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “It was really short notice. I said I would take the fight but I couldn’t make 205 that fast. So I asked for a catchweight.

“Everyone was good with the catchweight, but Dana (White) isn’t a huge fan of catchweights. So he asked if I would make 205 this weekend, so he gave me an extra weekend to make the weight class. I said yeah.”

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For Smith, a former UFC title challenger, the risk doesn’t necessarily outweigh the reward. While some critics may question his decision to fight backward on short notice against a dangerous knockout artist, Smith dismissed the rankings’ significance in the determination of his future.

“The rankings are for people on Twitter and you guys,” Smith said. “We don’t really pay attention to that too much. To be honest, the UFC doesn’t really pay that much attention to it either. Rankings are like a marketing machine. It’s really easy to make people care about something more when there are numbers next to their names.

“The UFC understands how tough of a position I put myself in and how hard it is to come in on short notice and beat a guy like Khalil. And it’s even harder to look good doing it. So if you come in and you put yourself in these precarious positions and do hard things, I think you get rewarded for that.”

So what deep down in Smith’s core makes him want to take a fight others would potentially decline?

“I like doing crazy sh*t,” Smith said. “Taking a fight with Khalil Rountree on like 10 days’ notice is pretty crazy.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 233.

Song Yadong plans to call out Petr Yan with UFC Fight Night 233 main event win

Song Yadong sees Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 233 main event against Chris Gutierrez as a table-setter for a run to the title in 2024.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] sees Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 233 main event against Chris Gutierrez as a table-setter for a run to the title in 2024.

Yadong (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) headlines the UFC’s penultimate event of the year in a five-round bantamweight fight with Gutierrez (20-5-2 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) at the UFC Apex, which streams on ESPN+. With victories in four of his past five fights, the Team Alpha Male product thinks he’s on the verge of title contention.

“Win this fight, then maybe two more,” Yadong told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 233 media day. “Next time give me top five and win the next one, then I think they will give me a chance to fight for a title.”

UFC Fight Night 233 was originally announced to take place in Shanghai. For China’s Yadong, it was a dream scenario to compete on home soil and have an event focused around him. But then the organization changed plans and moved the card to Las Vegas on less than three weeks’ notice.

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Yadong claims he doesn’t know why the card was relocated, but he was disheartened by the news.

“I’m very disappointed about this,” Yadong said. “I really wanted to fight in China because it is my home. It’s been four years I haven’t been fighting in China. I wanted to show my family, my friends, all my U.S. fans and all the MMA fans how much I improved. I wanted to make a good statement and a good opponent over there.”

Despite the shift in location, Yadong said he hasn’t lost focus on the task at hand. He knows as the No. 9 ranked fighter in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings, he’s putting a lot on the line against unranked Gutierrez, but he thinks he can shine in the matchup.

“Every time I will say I will knock him out quickly,” Yadong said. “I know a little bit about him before I took this fight. Definitely, he’s a striker, has good footwork and switches stance. Nothing special.”

If Yadong emerges victorious, he said he will be going big game hunting at 135 pounds. He was originally linked to a fight with former champion Petr Yan at UFC Fight Night 233, but then it fizzled and he ended up with Gutierrez instead.

A showdown with Yan (16-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) is one Yadong wants to revisit, he said, and the 26-year-old intends on making a direct callout if his hand is raised.

“UFC has arranged for me to fight Petr in Shanghai, but they never gave me the contract,” Yadong said. “Actually, we both didn’t sign the contract for each other. Definitely (I want to fight Yan). After this fight. Win this fight, I will call him out.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 233.

Chris Gutierrez: UFC Fight Night 233 main event win over Song Yadong ‘pushes me closer to a title fight’

Chris Gutierrez will try to “kick a hole” through Song Yadong’s face at UFC Fight Night 233 and announce himself as a title contender.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag] is ready to shine in his first octagon headliner against Song Yadong on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 233.

With just one defeat in his past 10 bouts, Gutierrez (20-5-2 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) has become a relevant name in the bantamweight division. He’ll have the chance to add to that against Yadong (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) in their headliner at the UFC Apex, which streams on ESPN+.

“It’s a good matchup,” Gutierrez told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 233 media day. “It’s a tough task on both ends. I’m well prepared. I have a good team behind me, a good support system. And I believe I have the tools to win.”

Gutierrez will look to break into the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings at UFC Fight Night 233 against No. 9 Yadong. He is embracing the role of the betting underdog and thinks he will thrive in that position because he feels he’s been in that position his entire life.

It’s a style-friendly matchup, too. Both men prefer to keep their fights standing, and have found much success in that area. Yadong is tied for the third-most knockout wins in 135-pound history, while Gutierrez is the only fighter in company history to have finishes by leg kick, spinning back fist and flying knee.

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If all plays out accordingly, Gutierrez and Yadong will give the fans a striking battle until one of them falls.

“Reality is, he’s going to try to punch a hole through my face,” Gutierrez said. “I’m going to try to kick a hole through his face. So, that’s the reality. Two good strikers meet and two different styles clashing. I look at it as a beautiful thing.”

If Gutierrez, 31, can emerge triumphant at UFC Fight Night 233, he said more big opportunities are going to come his way. The UFC bantamweight division is arguably the deepest on the roster and with a potentially transcendent star like Sean O’Malley holding the belt, it’s only going to get more difficult to break through.

Gutierrez is patient, but knows a win over Yadong takes him closer to the overall career goal.

“I think it pushes me closer to a title fight. I think I bring something exciting to the division. A different style, a different meaning to it. I’m excited. I’m blessed to be here.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 233.

‘Naruto’ recognition and broken cultural barriers: Tatsuro Taira embraces newfound UFC attention

Rising UFC star Tatsuro Taira was blown away when his favorite Japanese comic series reached out to him for a project.

[autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag] since Day 1 has dreamt of carrying the Japanese flag into uncharted territory.

A little over 18 months into his UFC tenure, Taira (14-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) reflects fondly on his short but impactful time with the promotion. There’s still a far way to go, but even getting this far boosts his confidence he’s doing the right things.

“I’m very happy to see the number of fans increasing, especially fans outside of Japan, though there is a language barrier because I don’t speak English,” Taira told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. “I’m happy that they like me after seeing me fight, and that gives me motivation to put on more exciting performances. I love my fans and want to give them my best. It’s been easy so far, and I hope to connect with more fans in the future.”

Taira, 23, is one of Asia’s brightest young stars. Despite its rich martial arts history, Japan has been a unique market for the UFC, in that a lot of the homegrown talent gravitates toward RIZIN.

While many of his counterparts decided to stay local, Taira went the path less traveled and signed with the UFC in early 2022. The idea of making history excites him.

“I was an elementary/junior high student, I remember saying I want to be a professional baseball player in the future,” Taira said. “But this is completely different. That was just a small dream, but being UFC champion is my goal. I want it with all my heart, and even though it’s my biggest dream, I’m confident that I can achieve it.

“… I set my sights on the UFC out of simple aspiration – it’s what I’ve wanted from the beginning. I have no regrets about that choice, and I’m proud of my decision. I’m a fan of the Japanese promotions and respect that path as well, but the UFC was always my goal.”

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The specialness of newfound international attention is not lost on Taira, but his favorite moment stemming from his UFC success came from inside the borders of his own country.

A massive fan of the Japanese comic “Naruto”, Taira was stunned when the team behind it reached out to him for an internet piece on how certain moves from the series would work in real life.

“What surprised me most may be that I was able to work with ‘Naruto’, my favorite manga,” Taira said. “It was a great honor that they noticed I am a big fan of ‘Naruto’ through my fights.”

Whether or not “Naruto” moves will be on display, Taira returns to action Saturday vs. Carlos Hernandez (9-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 233 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“I had time so I went to the Elevation Fight Team in Colorado and had a great training camp there. I’m excited to show my growth from my previous fight,” Taira said. “… (Viewers) should expect an exciting fight and another victory. I’ve been working very hard. As for specifics, I want to surprise both my opponent and fans.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 233.

Video: UFC Fight Night 233 media day interviews

Before UFC Fight Night 233 on Saturday, watch as the main-card athletes speak to reporters at media day.

LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 233, which takes place at the UFC Apex with a card that streams entirely on ESPN+, goes down Saturday.

Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the main card spoke to reporters Wednesday at media day.

If you happen to miss any of the individual sessions on the live stream, check below for the archived videos of each media day.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 233.

UFC Fight Night 233 pre-event facts: Khalil Rountree on cusp of knockdown record vs. Anthony Smith

The best facts about UFC Fight Night 233, which features Khalil Rountree chasing a key record vs. Anthony Smith.

The UFC’s penultimate event of 2023 goes down Saturday with UFC Fight Night 233, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

Ranked bantamweights meet in the main event of the card, which was originally scheduled to take place in Shanghai before being shifted to “Sin City” on short notice. [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag] (20-5-2 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) in a matchup of names looking to take the next step in a loaded 135-pound weight class.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts from UFC Fight Night 233.

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UFC Fight Night 233 commentary, broadcast plans set: Laura Sanko returns to booth

Check out the broadcast details for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 233, which has a late start and has Laura Sanko on the call.

The UFC wraps up its November schedule Saturday with UFC Fight Night 233, which goes down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

As always, some marquee on-air talent will be there in “Sin City” to help guide viewers through the experience.

Details of who will work as commentators and analysts for each event have been acquired by MMA Junkie through a person with knowledge of the situation, and you can see the scheduled broadcast team below.

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