Tag: UFC Fight Night 236

UFC free fight: Jack Hermansson stops Thales Leites with ground-and-pound in enemy territory

Watch UFC Fight Night 236 headliner Jack Hermansson put away Thales Leites with ground-and-pound back at UFC 224 in 2018.

[autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag]’s stoppage over Thales Leites remains one of his best wins to date.

The UFC middleweight veteran put away the Brazilian on enemy territory, as he was fighting Leites in Rio de Janeiro at UFC 224, an event that took place in May 2018. Hermansson had to endure some tough moments in the contest, but he eventually mounted Leites and finished him with ground-and-pound

You can watch Hermansson’s TKO victory in the video above.

Hermansson (23-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night 236, which goes down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He takes on prospect Joe Pyfer (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC).

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 236.

Jack Hermansson won’t let Joe Pyfer turn him into a ‘gatekeeper’ at UFC Fight Night 236

Jack Hermansson is well aware of the optics surrounding his main event booking against Joe Pyfer at UFC Fight Night 236.

[autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag] is well aware of the optics surrounding his main event booking against Joe Pyfer on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 236.

Hermansson (23-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC), a longtime mainstay in the UFC middleweight rankings, is set to return from a career-long 14-month layoff when he meets the surging Pyfer (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in a five-round bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas (ESPN+).

On paper, it appears as though Pyfer, 27, is being positioned for a breakthrough. Hermansson, 35, meanwhile, is looking to hold down his spot against a fighter nearly eight years younger than him.

“You don’t want to be a gatekeeper to the younger guys, but when you lose a fight (like I did last time vs. Roman Dolidze), that’s what’s happening,” Hermansson told Aaron Bronsteter of Sportsnet. “I need to get back in there, win my fight and show everybody that I still belong at the top and that I can take on someone above me (in the rankings).”

Hermansson, No. 15 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings, said he’s not looking at the matchup with Pyfer as a setup for him to falter. He thinks that, because of its status as a main event, the UFC brass sees both participants with equal footing and upside.

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“The fight is a main event. That was the most important thing to me with this fight,” Hermansson said. “If it wasn’t, then maybe I would’ve questioned it a little bit since he’s kind of inexperienced in the organization, but it’s a main event and we have the spotlight on us, so I think it’s a great opportunity.”

Pyfer has won his first three octagon appearances by stoppage going into UFC Fight Night 236. Hermansson, meanwhile, has alternated wins and losses over his past eight fights and hasn’t finished anyone since July 2020.

It’s Hermansson’s priority to get himself back on the winning side, and he expects a complete performance out of himself to accomplish the mission.

“I don’t feel like I need to prove I hit harder than him,” Hermansson said. “I think I need to prove that I’m better than him in other areas of the game than the power.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 236.

 

Joe Pyfer says he’s ‘a trending superstar’ going into UFC Fight Night 236 main event

Joe Pyfer thinks he’s on the cusp of “superstar” status entering his first octagon headliner at UFC Fight Night 236 on Saturday.

[autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag] thinks he’s on the cusp of breaking through into the larger public purview as he approaches a main event opportunity for the first time Saturday at UFC Fight Night 236.

In just his fourth octagon appearance, Pyfer (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will take on Jack Hermansson (23-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in a five-round middleweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas (ESPN+). He’s getting a headline opportunity quicker than the average fighter of his UFC experience, but in his mind, it’s all for good reason.

“I wouldn’t describe it as being thrusted into a spot,” Pyfer told Aaron Bronsteter of Sportsnet. “I think I’ve earned this spot. I’ve finished three fights, I’ve made sure I’m exciting, I say what I’m going to do, I go out there, and I back it up. I think I’m a draw – I’m becoming a draw, anyway. I think I’m a trending superstar, and I think if everything goes as I expect it to Saturday, I think I’m on that superstar level. On the way to that level.

“I deserve the fast track. I have a story, I have the charisma, I know how to speak, and I’m an absolute freakin’ unit.”

After finishing his first three UFC opponents in just over nine minutes of total fight time, Pyfer, 27, gets a noteworthy step up in competition against Hermansson, who is No. 15 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings.

Hermansson, 35, has shared the cage with many of the elite at 185 pounds, including former champ Sean Strickland, Kelvin Gastelum, Jared Cannonier, “Jacare” Souza and more. Pyfer isn’t intimidated by the experience, though, and expects to shine on fight night.

“I don’t care about the ranking – No. 10 (in the UFC’s official rankings) doesn’t make him have extra fighting skills or extra cardio or a better chin to take these punches,” Pyfer said. “I’m just going to treat it like another fight, go out there and do my job and be exciting and talk my stuff.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 236.

Elon Musk to attend UFC fights ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, says Dana White

Elon Musk will be in attendance at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on the eve of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, per UFC CEO Dana White.

Elon Musk will be present Saturday at the UFC Apex, according to promotion CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag].

Super Bowl LVIII takes place Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, so Las Vegas continues to fill with notable celebrities. On the eve of the biggest football game of the year, UFC Fight Night 236 takes place a few miles away at the UFC Apex. White told Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday that Musk is among those expected to attend the fights.

“The people that are in town that are going to these events are – Elon Musk is coming to the fight on Saturday, you know what I mean?” White said.

It’s unclear if Saturday’s event, headlined by middleweights Jack Hermansson and Joe Pyfer, will be Musk’s first time attending live MMA fights.

The Tesla CEO Musk has expressed interest in MMA in the past, including during his public back-and-forth with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2023. The two billionaire technology moguls expressed interest in an MMA fight against one another, potentially at the Roman Coliseum in Italy – but the idea eventually fizzled out.

At the time, White offered to promote the fight, even dawning a “Zuckerberg vs. Musk” t-shirt. White called the floated matchup the “biggest fight in the history of the world.”

Zuckerberg, and his wife Priscilla Chan, attended a fight card at the UFC Apex in October 2022.

At the time of this publication, Musk has yet to publicly confirm or comment on his attendance. The event was closed to the public and media members, as a result.

UFC Fight Night 236 pre-event facts: Brad Tavares on verge of a Michael Bisping record

The best facts about UFC Fight Night 236, where Brad Tavares can tie multiple key records in middleweight and overall UFC history.

The UFC continues its busy February schedule Saturday with UFC Fight Night 236, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

For the third straight event, middleweights take stage in the headliner as [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag] (23-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) returns from a career-long layoff to share the octagon with the surging [autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in a five-round bout.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC Fight Night 235.

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UFC Fight Night 236 commentary team set: Trio with former champs makes 2024 debut

The commentary team of Brendan Fitzgerald, Dominick Cruz and Daniel Cormier will make its 2024 debut at UFC Fight Night 236 on Saturday.

The UFC continues its February schedule Saturday with UFC Fight Night 236, 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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UFC free fight: Joe Pyfer blasts Alen Amedovski with sharp right hand for first UFC win

Watch Joe Pyfer get his first UFC win by knocking out Alen Amedovski back in September 2022.

[autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag]’s start to his UFC career has been impressive.

Pyfer’s short run, which has caught the attention of many fans and pundits, started with a clean knockout victory over Alen Amedovski back at UFC Fight Night 210 in September 2022. Pyfer walked down Amedovski with confidence and quickly picked him apart until he dropped Amedovski with a clean right hand that put an end to the bout. The first-round knockout earned Pyfer a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.

You can watch Pyfer’s first UFC win in the video above.

Pyfer (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night 236, which goes down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He takes on veteran Jack Hermansson (23-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC).

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 236.

UFC Fight Night 236 lineup hit with pair of late changes

Two fights scheduled for UFC Fight Night 236 have been changed due to an injury and visa issues.

Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 236 has encountered a pair of changes, the promotion announced Tuesday.

Visa issues have forced [autotag]Albert Duraev[/autotag] out of his bout vs. OKTAGON import [autotag]Robert Bryczek[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC). In Duraev’s place steps [autotag]Ihor Potieira[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC), who makes his UFC middleweight debut. This change was first reported by MMA Mania.

Also, Fortis MMA’s [autotag]Fernie Garcia[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 0-3 UFC) replaces the injured [autotag]Melsik Baghdasaryan[/autotag] and takes on Dana White’s Contender Series alum [autotag]Hyder Amil[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in a featherweight bout. This change was first reported by Eurosport NL.

The card, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, continues with 14 fights on ESPN+.

The updated UFC Fight Night 236 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer
  • Andre Fili vs. Dan Ige
  • Robert Bryczek vs. Ihor Potieria
  • Gregory Rodrigues vs. Brad Tavares
  • Darrius Flowers vs. Michael Johnson
  • Armen Petrosyan vs. Rodolfo Vieira

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

  • Trevin Giles vs. Carlos Prates
  • Damir Hadzovic vs. Bolaji Oki
  • Bruna Brasil vs. Loma Lookboonmee
  • Devin Clark vs. Marcin Prachnio
  • Max Griffin vs. Jeremiah Wells
  • Bogdan Guskov vs. Zac Pauga
  • Hyder Amil vs. Fernie Garcia
  • Daniel Marcos vs. Aori Qileng

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 236.

UFC Fight Night 236: Make your predictions for Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 236 event in Las Vegas.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 236 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 reader consensus picks will be part of the main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of UFC Fight Night 236 (ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Make your picks below.

UFC Fight Night 236: How to watch Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer, start time, Las Vegas lineup, odds, more

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC Fight Night 236 on ESPN+, featuring Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer.

The UFC stays home in “Sin City” with middleweight contenders topping the marquee for the second straight week.

Here’s how to watch UFC Fight Night 236 with 185-pounders looking to make statements.