Tag: UFC Fight Night 237

Henry Cejudo: Brandon Moreno struggles to make flyweight, should fight me at bantamweight

Henry Cejudo doesn’t see why Brandon Moreno shouldn’t fight him at bantamweight.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] doesn’t see why [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] shouldn’t fight him at bantamweight.

Moreno (21-8-2 MMA, 9-5-2 UFC) called out Cejudo for a bantamweight bout last May, and Cejudo is willing to fight him at UFC 306 at the Sphere in Las Vegas – also known as “Noche UFC.”

Moreno is coming off a split decision loss to Brandon Royval in the UFC Fight Night 237 main event Saturday at Mexico City Arena. Cejudo (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) says he’s merely responding to Moreno’s prior callout.

“This was Brandon’s idea – I’m just accepting his challenge,” Cejudo told MMA Junkie in an interview to promote his new “Pound for Pound” podcast with Kamaru Usman. “Once I lost to Aljamain Sterling, he says, ‘Henry, don’t retire yet. F the belts, F everything, this isn’t about that, let’s me and you fight.’ And after this fight, just like, ‘All right man.’ I was contemplating retirement, but I just couldn’t – once I watched the fight, I knew the errors, I knew everything pretty much that happened, you know?”

In a recent interview with The Schmo, Cejudo’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, suggested there’s reluctance to make Cejudo vs. Moreno because the UFC thinks “The Assassin Baby” is too small. Cejudo dismissed that notion.

“That’s the stupidest sh*t ever,” Cejudo said. “I know Brandon. The dude struggles to make 125 pounds. He’s too f*cking big. It’s time for him to move up. I’m short. It sucks to make 125 pounds. This is the same reason why I went up (to bantamweight). I think he’ll become more successful, and I personally think he’ll feel better.”

Cejudo contemplated retirement after getting outlasted by Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298, but quickly changed his tune.

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MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month for February: Middleweight contenders net another bonus

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from February 2024.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from February 2024: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month award for February.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

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Nominees

Yair Rodriguez staying positive following submission loss to Brian Ortega at UFC Fight Night 237

Yair Rodriguez reacts to his submission loss to Brian Ortega at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 237.

[autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] is staying positive despite suffering a loss on home soil.

The former UFC interim featherweight champion posted on Instagram on Sunday to react to his loss to Brian Ortega. Rodriguez (18-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was submitted by Ortega (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in the third round of their co-main event at UFC Fight Night 237 in Mexico City.

“Things didn’t go our favor yesterday,” Rodriguez wrote on Instagram in Spanish. “I can only thank God that I was able to leave without any serious injuries or wounds. Thank you to all my team for standing by me despite all the ups and downs and all of you guys who always support me win or lose a fight. I leave with that and all the love and support that the Mexican public always gives me every time I fight here. I’m still strong and moving forward. I can’t say much right now, the only thing that’s left, is to accept what’s going to come and keep fighting for a better future. Thank you, Mexico. I love you all.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3yPljbJNWZ/

This was the second time Rodriguez and Ortega fought. In July 2022, Rodriguez won by TKO due to an Ortega injury. Rodriguez had been going back and forth with current UFC champion Ilia Topuria in interviews, and many thought a title fight for Rodriguez could’ve been on the table with a win.

Rodriguez is currently on a two-fight skid. Prior to the Ortega rematch, he lost to Alexander Volkanovski in a title unification bout.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

4 biggest takeaways from UFC Fight Night 237: Is Brian Ortega’s rebirth a title threat?

Analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC Fight Night 237, including the paths of Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega.

What mattered most at UFC Fight Night 237 at Mexico City Arena in Mexico? Here are a few post-fight musings …

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Francisco Prado’s coach defends not throwing in towel at UFC Fight Night 237, clarifies ‘don’t need your eyes’ speech

Coach Asim Zaidi thinks his comments in the corner of Francisco Prado’s UFC Fight Night 237 loss to Daniel Zellhuber were mischaracterized.

Coach Asim Zaidi thinks his comments in the corner of [autotag]Francisco Prado[/autotag] during Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 237 loss to Daniel Zellhuber were overblown.

After a competitive two rounds of lightweight action at Mexico City Arena, Prado (12-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) returned to his corner with a badly damaged eye courtesy of punches from Zellhuber (15-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC). He told his team he could not see, which prompted Zaidi, who is the CEO of the Miami-based GOAT SHED team, to tell his fighter: “You don’t need your eyes.”

Given Prado’s eye essentially was swollen shut, the comments, which were translated by the UFC broadcast, were met with skepticism about whether Zaidi was showing too much disregard for the safety of his athlete.

According to Zaidi, however, his statement wasn’t fully translated, and thus mischaracterized. He admits to being aware Prado’s vision was compromised, but his speech revolved around how his fighter could get through – and potentially win – the final round.

“The translator said, ‘You don’t need your eyes. Fight. Go to the center. Just fight.’ I said, ‘You don’t need your eyes. If you fight in the clinch, you won’t need your eyes. Do not fight in the center of the ring. In the center, you need your eyes. Get him to the fence, wrestle and clinch fight him so you don’t rely on your eyes,” Zaidi told MMA Junkie on Sunday. “Going into that third round, my fighter and I truly had a Rocky (Balboa) and (trainer) Mickey moment. Both of us were willing to die for a victory. He told me he couldn’t see, so I immediately gave him a strategy to continue fighting.

“The translator, unfortunately, was not able to translate properly and made me sort of look like a psychopath – not that I mind. The translator is a great dude and just spazzed a bit. I told my fighter that his eyes are needed in long-range fighting. Do not fight the opponent in the center. He does not need his eyes if he fights in the clinch. I asked him to focus on striking in the clinch and grappling on the fence so he will not rely on his eyes.”

Regardless of his statement or how it was interpreted, some in the MMA community expressed online that Prado shouldn’t have been sent out for the third round, regardless. The ringside physician also allowed Prado to continue after a wellness check.

The 21-year-old from Argentina seemingly has a long career ahead of him, and the momentum of the bout wasn’t going in his favor.

Judges Miguel Jimenez and Junichiro Kamijo had it 19-19 with Round 1 for Prado and Round 2 for Zellhuber. Judge Rick Winter, though, had Zellhuber up 20-17, giving him a 10-9 in Round 1 and 10-8 in Round 2.

Prado showed heart in Round 3 trying to work around his damaged eye. Zellhuber wouldn’t give up the lead, though, and took the final frame 10-9 on all three scorecards, giving him the unanimous decision win by 29-28, 29-28 and 30-26 scores.

The bout was awarded Fight of the Night honors after the event, with Prado and Zellhuber taking home an additional $50,000 each. And though Prado will be feeling the impact of the fight in the immediate aftermath, Zaidi said he doesn’t regret his advice or decision to have Prado go out for the final frame.

“It was very clearly 1-1 going into the third round,” Zaidi said. “Whoever won that third round would take the fight. No fighter or coach on the planet would throw a towel in for that. It’s easy for a casual to ask to throw in the towel. Most casuals don’t understand the sacrifices a fighter goes through.

“Francisco, his training partners, my assistant coach (Mango) and I all left our families and have been living in a town in Mexico for three weeks –
all of us in one small house, showering with buckets of water and grinding in the mountains. My fighter wouldn’t go through all that sacrifice only to give up in the third round of a close fight. We live by the sword and die by the sword. And I, too, am willing to die to see my fighter successful.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

Ricky Turcios casts doubt on quick UFC rebooking with ‘unprofessional’ Raul Rosas Jr., who ‘disrespected the Bushido code’

Ricky Turcios reacts to Raul Rosas Jr.’s withdrawal from UFC Fight Night 237 in Mexico City.

[autotag]Ricky Turcios[/autotag] got about as close as a UFC fighter can get to a fight without fighting, and he’s not happy about it.

Saturday, Turcios (12-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) was geared up and ready to walk out to fight [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] on the main card of UFC Fight Night 237 in Mexico City. However, minutes before the walkout, it was announced Rosas (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) had withdrawn from the fight due to illness.

It was announced on the broadcast and later by UFC CEO Dana White that the Rosas-Turcios matchup was rebooked for this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 238 in Las Vegas. Turcios called the announcement “fake news” in an Instagram story he later deleted.

“Last night, Rosas Jr. said no fight literally 5 minutes before the walkout to the fight in the octagon,” Turcios wrote on Instagram. “Rosas Jr said no to facing me in front of hid 20,000 Mexican fans in Mexico City. Rosas Jr. disrespected the Bushido code, very unprofessional. Ricky ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ wins in Mexico City. Viva Mexico! Thank you to all my friends and family and all the fans. Love you all.”

It’s not unheard of for the UFC to announce plans for bookings without both sides of the contracts signed. The status of the Rosas-Turcios booking has not yet been made official by the UFC, but if the rebooking goes down Saturday like White said, it is expected to be at a catchweight.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

UFC Fight Night 237 matchmaker: What’s next for key winners and losers in Mexico City?

Time to play matchmaker for Brandon Royval, Brandon Moreno, Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night 237.

After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next.

With another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC Fight Night 237’s key winning fighters.

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Daniel Zellhuber wants Paddy Pimblett at Noche UFC: ‘I’m tired of watching him beat old Mexicans’

Daniel Zellhuber calls out Paddy Pimblett for Mexican Independence Day.

MEXICO CITY – [autotag]Daniel Zellhuber[/autotag] wants to put his name on the map, and he sees no better way of doing it than taking on [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag].

Following his win over Francisco Prado at UFC Fight Night 237, Zellhuber (15-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) called for a return against Pimblett at this year’s Noche UFC card in Las Vegas in September, an event that will commemorate Mexican Independence Day. Pimblett has defeated Tony Ferguson, who’s of Mexican descent, and Kazula Vargas, who’s Mexico-born, in his UFC run. Both fighters were in their late 30s when the British rising star defeated them, and Zellhuber wants to get one back for his country.

“I definitely want to fight in the sphere on Sept. 17 – I even said that to Dana White in the octagon,” Zellhuber told MMA Junkie at the UFC Fight Night 237 post-fight press conference. “I asked for Paddy ‘The Baddy’ for Sept. 17. I’m tired of watching him beat old Mexicans, so it’s time for him to step in and fight the new generation of Mexicans, and I’m here.

“I’m young. I just need time to heal some injuries I had before this fight. and I feel I’m going to be ready Sept. 17. Paddy needs to drop 500 pounds, so he’s going to be ready for Sept. 17. If he’s down, I’m down.”

The 24-year-old Zellhuber, who’s now on a three-fight winning streak, sees Pimblett as a tailor-made matchup for him. In fact, he sees it so fitting that he doesn’t see the fight getting out of the first round.

“Oh, (I’ll) f*cking knock him out in the first one,” Zellhuber said. “With the way that he fights, I just feel it’s a perfect matchup for me. I’m not disrespecting him. I don’t want to be misunderstood – I respect him a lot as a fighter. What he’s doing in the sport is great. But I want my part in this game. I know that having a win over a name like him, it’s going to be great for my career, so I’m just ready for the heat. I want all that sh*t.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

UFC Fight Night 237 post-event facts: Yair Rodriguez hits unprecedented career slump

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 237, which saw Yair Rodriguez hit the first losing skid of his career.

The UFC’s final event of February took place Saturday with UFC Fight Night 237 at Mexico City Arena in Mexico.

A flyweight contender re-emerged in the main event, when replacement headliner [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (16-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) exacted revenge on former UFC champ [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (21-8-2 MMA, 9-4-2 UFC) with a split decision victory in their rematch from November 2020.

For more on the numbers to come out of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 237.

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Dana White more than bullish on UFC’s Mexico future after P.I. opening

Now that the UFC finally has its oft-discussed Performance Institute in Mexico, Dana White thinks it is the start of a game-changer.

MEXICO CITY – Now that the UFC finally has its oft-discussed Performance Institute in Mexico, [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] thinks it is the start of a game-changer for the promotion and country.

UFC CEO White cut the ribbon for the new P.I. in Mexico City this past week ahead of UFC Fight Night 237, which marked the promotion’s first trip to Mexico since before the 2020 pandemic. White said COVID-19 threw some wrenches into the works and delayed things, but now that the facility is open, he thinks big things will continue to happen for Mexican MMA fighters shooting for the UFC.

“There’s going to be a combine there and we’re going to decide which guys we’re going to keep to train there at the Performance Institute,” White said after UFC Fight Night 237 on Saturday at Mexico City Arena. “But the other thing that we’re going to do is look for people that we think have potential to break into the top 10 or potentially be world champions someday, just like we did with the the other program that we built before the Performance Institute here in Mexico.

“The other thing that I’m excited about with it is the work that it’s going to do in the community to bring kids in off the streets and have the opportunity to learn how to train, learn how to do jiu-jitsu, wrestle, box, muay Thai, nutrition, strength and conditioning – it’s going to do a lot of good things for a lot of young people in the community here in Mexico City.”

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The UFC’s Performance Institute in its home base of Las Vegas has become a crucial facility for many of the promotion’s fighters. A normal UFC fight week in recent years typically features several fighters talking about their training experiences at the P.I.

Now fighters in Mexico will have that same opportunity for high-level development in their own country, where the sport has grown by leaps and bounds in a culture that has thrived on its love of boxing for generations.

“When you think about when we started and what we faced going head-to-head with boxing, which was so ingrained in our culture – I was driving to the arena the other day. There’s this huge playground – swings, things that spin around, and a boxing ring in the middle of the playground. Like a little kid playground. That tells you how crazy it is for us to be down here and doing what we’re doing (with boxing so big). There’s still a lot of work to do down here. This is just the beginning.”

In Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 237 main event, former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, from Mexico, was upset by recent title challenger Brandon Royval. In the co-feature, two-time title challenger Brian Ortega returned from a 19-month layoff and upset former interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez.

Mexico City Arena filled in early in the night and by most accounts was one of the UFC’s most raucous and energetic crowds of recent memory. If the P.I. opening does what White hopes, Mexican fans can plan on a surge of the UFC there.

“With the opening of the P.I., we have huge plans for Mexico – and it’s not just Mexico City,” White said. “I want to go all over Mexico. … The UFC is officially here in Mexico now. We actually planted a flag here. We have a our own building here now. We have our facility. We’re going to be doing a lot in this country now. We’re here.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.