UFC Fight Night 242 – Syndication Server

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Sept. 10: Usman Nurmagomedov climbs at lightweight

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC Fight Night 242 and Bellator Champions Series: San Diego.

Following Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 242 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and Bellator Champions Series: San Diego at Pechanga Arena, the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings required updating.

Headlining UFC Fight Night 242 was a welterweight showdown between [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag] and former title challenger Gilbert Burns. Over five rounds, Brady dominated Burns in all aspects of the game to pick up one of the biggest wins of his career.

Entering the week at No. 9, Brady takes Burns’ former spot at No. 7.

At Bellator Champions Series: San Diego, [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] defended his lightweight title against Alexander Shabliy. Coming into the week at No. 7 in the 155-pound rankings, the victory moves Nurmagomedov up to the No. 6 spot, bumping Beneil Dariush down.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.

Yanal Ashmouz worked construction gig during long layoff ahead of UFC Fight Night 242

Yanal Ashmouz got back in the win column after the first loss of his career, which came in July 2023.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Yanal Ashmouz[/autotag] beat Trevor Peek with a unanimous decision Saturday to open up the main card at UFC Fight Night 242 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Ashmouz, who got back in the win column after the first loss of his career, which came in July 2023.

Yanal Ashmouz def. Trevor Peek

Result: Yanal Ashmouz def. Trevor Peek via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Ashmouz (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Peek (9-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC)
Key stats: Ashmouz had 8:16 of total control time compared to just 30 seconds for Peek.

Ashmouz on the fight’s key moment

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 07: (R-L) Yanal Ashmouz of Israel punches Trevor Peek in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

“I didn’t get the chance to finish him, but after one year of not fighting, the performance I put on, in my opinion, it was good. I wanted to come back earlier. I tried to fight earlier, like February, even May, but it didn’t happen. It doesn’t matter now – all good … next step.”

Ashmouz on his layoff

“Work – that’s what I did (on my layoff), honestly. I just kept training. I’m working and waiting for my opportunity to fight. That’s it. I was working in the sun all day – working construction, building, and it’s very hard. It’s construction for real, like all day in the sun, just concrete, metals, everything. That’s what I do every day – and train, too.”

Ashmouz on what he wants next

Yanal Ashmouz def. Trevor Peek, UFC Fight Night 242 (via UFC)

“Maybe three or four months, I can come back. I want to (be back soon) because it’s my career. Time is running out, so I want to fight more. I’m not that type of guy (for callouts). Whatever they give me, I’m going to fight. I don’t care.”

To hear more from Ashmouz, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.

Chris Padilla felt Rong Zhu’s orbital turn to ‘mush’ under his elbow at UFC Fight Night 242

Chris Padilla got the win at UFC Fight Night 242 thanks to a big hematoma on Rong Zhu’s orbital bone caused from one of his elbows.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Chris Padilla[/autotag] beat Rong Zhu with a second-round TKO Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 242 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Padilla, who got the win thanks to a big hematoma on Zhu’s orbital bone caused from one of his elbows.

Chris Padilla def. Rong Zhu

Result: Chris Padilla def. Rong Zhu via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 2, 4:14
Updated records: Padilla (15-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Zhu (25-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
Key stats: Padilla has been a moderate underdog in both his UFC fights – both stoppage wins. He has 13 of his 15 wins by finish.

Padilla on the fight’s key moment

“The game plan was to be smart. I feel like every fighter has holes all over their game, but it’s, can you stay dialed in? Can you settle yourself down enough to see those holes? The first round, I was being a little too macho where I was like, ‘Oh, you think you’re better than me? OK, let’s get it then.’ But then when I went back to the corner, chilled out, my coach just talked to me like, ‘Hey, man – it’s going to be there. Just do your thing. Do what you’re good at.’

“I think I’m worth $50K, man. I know the first (UFC win) was like, ‘Maybe (that was bonus-worthy).’ But who’s doing it like that, man? Who? Who? Splitting somebody with an elbow, swelling their eye up? I think I really smashed his eye, personally. I felt that – excuse my language – b*tch mush.”

Padilla on being an underdog again

“Hey I don’t need (to be the favorite). They can keep their opinion. They can have whatever they want. My people back in the city just made so much money, and I love it. Please don’t put me (as the favorite) – I need the underdog spot. I need the disrespect. I love it.”

Padilla on what he wants next

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 27: (L-R) Maheshate of China punches Gabriel Benitez of Mexico in a lightweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 27, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

“I’ll take whatever is given to me. It’s all blessings. (Hayisaer Maheshate) beat Gabriel Benitez last time. I thought he lost.”

To hear more from Padilla, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.

Andre Petroski says Dylan Budka’s tremble on UFC Fight Night 242 weigh-ins scale was an act

Andre Petroski collected 20 percent of Dylan Budka’s purse from a weight miss – a miss he remains skeptical of.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag] beat Dylan Budka with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 242 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Petroski, who also collected 20 percent of Budka’s purse from a weight miss.

Andre Petroski def. Dylan Budka

Result: Andre Petroski def. Dylan Budka via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Petroski (12-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC), Budka (7-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Key stats: Petroski had more than 9 minutes of control time from his three takedowns.

Petroski on the fight’s key moment

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 07: (L-R) Andre Petroski punches Dylan Budka in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

“I thought that he had one foot out the door. Anyone could tell it was an act. He had weight to lose in his face. Even if you’re heavy, you carry more body fat. You can’t say you’re sucked out and you’re dying and your face is full. I’ve cut weight since I was literally 5 years old. I know when someone’s sucked out (and) I know the face of someone who just quit, who just said f*ck it. The UFC tried to help him all week, and he didn’t take the help, so it’s just a lack of discipline. When I saw that, I was like, ‘All right, he’s got one foot out the door. I’ve got to give him a reason to quit.”

Petroski on Budka’s grit

“I will give the kid credit. After every round, he stood there and was like, ‘I’m ready to fight.’ So I give the kid credit. He might be undisciplined, and you better be spectacular if you’re going to be undisciplined in this sport. But I’m not his coach. I’ll give him credit and say that every round, he came out ready to fight.”

Petroski on what he wants next

Andre Petroski def. Dylan Budka, UFC Fight Night 242 (via UFC)

“When they call me, I say yes. That’s up to the UFC. I’m excited, though – two wins in a row. I’m excited to see who they give me next. I think that there are a lot of fun matchups. But we’ll see. I’m not going to keep saying the same name over and over. I don’t really have any names right now. I’m open to whatever. There are a lot of matchups that aren’t in the top 15, but there’s some matchups in the top 15 that I like, too. OK, Alex Pereira – give me (light heavyweight champion) Alex Pereira. There.”

To hear more from Petroski, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.

Vanessa Demopoulos to appeal UFC Fight Night 242 loss to Jaqueline Amorim

Did referee Jacob Montalvo miss a glove grab? Vanessa Demopoulos’ team thinks so – and is pursuing an appeal.

[autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag] will appeal her UFC Fight Night 242 on the basis of a missed foul, according to her representation.

At Saturday’s event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Demopoulos (11-6 MMA, 5-3 UFC) was submitted by a Jaqueline Amorim (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) armbar. During the set-up sequence, Demopolous could be heard on the broadcast telling referee Jacob Montalvo that Amorim was grabbing the inside of her glove – something she reiterated to the official after she tapped.

A replay appeared to show Amorim’s fingers in the vicinity of the glove opening. Commission officials huddled around a monitor before and after the official reading of the decision.

The result currently has Amorim as the victor, but Demopoulos will appeal the decision to the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).

“We’re in the process of appealing the result of Vanessa Demopoulos’ contest with Jaqueline Amorim on Saturday at UFC Vegas 97,” Iridium Sports Agency associate agent Lance Spaude said in a written statement Monday to MMA Junkie. “The broadcast clearly shows Jaqueline illegally grabbing and manipulating Vanessa’s gloves, which prevented Vanessa from turning in to Jaqueline and directly enabled Jaqueline to transition to the armbar which ended the match.”

According to the Unifed Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, glove-grabbing is illegal.

“A fighter may not control their opponent’s movement by holding onto their opponent’s shorts or gloves,” the Unified Rules state. “A fighter may hold onto or grab their opponent’s hand as long as they are not controlling the hand only by using the material of the glove, but by actually gripping the hand of the opponent. It is legal to hold onto your own gloves or shorts.”

Amorim denied any wrongdoing when she spoke with MMA Junkie during her post-fight news conference minutes after the finish.

“She was saying that I was holding the gloves or something and she was in the middle of the transition, but I wasn’t,” Amorim said. “They say keep going – don’t stop. There’s no holding, and I kept going to try the submission. We didn’t exchange any words. I knew she was having her moment (to protest), and that’s fine.

“I was holding over the the gloves, together. My corner said they looked at (the replay), and I wasn’t. I heard the commission was taking a look and they said it was fine and nothing was holding. So for me, it’s fine. I have a clear conscience. I did the right thing.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Sean Brady’s big win, Demetrious Johnson retires, UFC 306 preview, more

On the latest episode of Spinning Back Clique, we discuss Sean Brady’s win over Gilbert Burns, Demetrious Johnson’s retirement, UFC 306, and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

A couple of fresh faces stepped into title contention, while a couple of veterans were set back. Saturday at UFC Fight Night 242, [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag] picked up a big win, dominating [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] to win a unanimous decision in the main event. [autotag]Natalia Silva[/autotag] also earned a win on the scorecards against former champion [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]. We discuss those two key wins, along with other highlights from the card.
UFC wasn’t the only brand in action. Bellator Champions Series: San Diego saw [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] defend his lightweight title in the main event. Former UFC contender [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] picked up a big KO win over Levan Chokheli, cementing himself as a No. 1 contender. What’s next for Nurmagomedov? Can Larkin become champion at 38? We discuss.
A legend of the game decided to hang up the gloves. Former UFC and ONE flyweight champion [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] announced his retirement. Where does Johnson rank among the all-time greats? What legacy does he leave behind? We look back at the career of “Mighty Mouse” and his impact on MMA.
For our final segment, we look ahead to UFC 306 at Sphere in Las Vegas. The card, which celebrates Mexican Independence Day weekend, features two title fights: [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Merab Dvlashvili[/autotag] in the main event, and [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] 3 in the co-main. We analyze the pair of championship fights, along with other featured bouts on the card.

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Isaac Dulgarian pushed past ‘fear of failure’ as biggest betting favorite in UFC history

Isaac Dulgarian rebounded after the first loss of his career – but also had to go outside the first round for a win for the first time.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Isaac Dulgarian[/autotag] beat Brendon Marotte with a first-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 242 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Dulgarian, who rebounded after the first loss of his career – but also had to go outside the first round for a win for the first time.

Isaac Dulgarian def. Brendon Marotte

Result: Isaac Dulgarian def. Brendon Marotte via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 4:19
Updated records: Dulgarian (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Marotte (8-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Key stats: Dulgarian was the biggest betting favorite in UFC history around -2400.

Dulgarian on the fight’s key moment

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 07: (L-R) Isaac Dulgarian punches Brendon Marotte in a featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

“I wanted to kind of take my time a little bit and show off my striking because I still haven’t gotten to yet. But I feel like he was just an opponent that the UFC gave me, and I just needed to get him out of there as quickly as possible. I just found my takedown and started putting damage, and I realized there’s no way he was getting up. He was trying, but my grappling is another level. He was saying he wrestled better D-I wrestlers than me, and he was lying – blowing smoke out his ass. I’m one of the best wrestlers in the world, so I think I proved that tonight to him.”

Dulgarian on being the biggest favorite in UFC history

Isaac Dulgarian def. Brendon Marotte, UFC Fight Night 242 (via UFC)

“Those thoughts come across your head sometimes, the fear of failure and the feeling of being embarrassed or whatever. But at the end of the day, the people that make the odds, they don’t really know me or anything like that. It’s a fight, so anything can happen. I just really wanted to keep my mind clear and in that fight, in the middle of the second round, right before I found the choke, I just thought of my daughter and I knew I needed to finish this fight so I can go home to her – that was literally it.”

Dulgarian on what he wants next

“I think (when I come back) will be determined on who they give me, what names are being called out, and hopefully I can get a new contract, too. That’s my biggest thing is I want to get on my next contract so I can start actually making some decent money so that I can go out and really invest in my training and get a little bit extra into that. I’ll fight anybody at 145. I was kind of considering going down to 135. I think it’s possible. But I’ve got to get to my next contract so I can afford to get a really good nutritionist and stuff.”

To hear more from Dulgarian, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.

Jaqueline Amorim denies illegal glove grab in submission of Vanessa Demopoulos

Jaqueline Amorim submitted Vanessa Demopoulos at UFC Fight Night 242, then brushed off allegations of an illegal move.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jaqueline Amorim[/autotag] beat Vanessa Demopoulos with a first-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 242 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Amorim, who brushed off post-fight controversy over whether or not she grabbed Demopoulos’ glove to help secure an armbar.

Jaqueline Amorim def. Vanessa Demopoulos

Result: Jaqueline Amorim def. Vanessa Demopoulos via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:28
Updated records: Amorim (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Demopoulos (11-6 MMA, 5-3 UFC)
Key stats: Amorim has seven of her nine wins by submission.

Amorim on the fight’s key moment

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 07: (R-L) Jaqueline Amorim of Brazil secures an arm bar submission against Vanessa Demopoulos in a strawweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

“I was able to do my game plan to take the fight to the ground and look for the finish. I was surprised she was tough on some transitions, but I knew once I locked her in some submission, I’ll be able to finish the fight.”

Amorim on the alleged glove grab

“She was saying that I was holding the gloves or something and she was in the middle of the transition, but I wasn’t. They say keep going – don’t stop. There’s no holding, and I kept going to try the submission. We didn’t exchange any words. I knew she was having her moment (to protest), and that’s fine.

Amorim on what she wants next

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 07: (L-R) Jaqueline Amorim of Brazil battles Vanessa Demopoulos in a strawweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

“I heard that (a show is coming to) Tampa. I’m from South Florida. I will be ready. It’s about the location. … Whatever they put in front of me, I’ll be ready.”

To hear more from Amorim, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.

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Cody Durden confident he made big statement with short-notice submission win at UFC Fight Night 242

Cody Durden feels he made s big statement with his submission win over Matt Schnell at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 242.

LAS VEGAS – From recovering from a night of drinking to getting a wild submission win, it’s safe to say [autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag] had quite the week.

The flyweight veteran filled in with just four days’ notice to fight Matt Schnell at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 242. Schnell’s original opponent, Alessandro Costa, suffered a shoulder injury, prompting the need of Durden’s services.

“I didn’t have much preparation,” Durden said at the UFC Fight Night 242 post-fight press conference. “I had a few drinks on Sunday, probably more than I should. I laid in bed all day on Monday, and I went back to the gym and sparred five rounds on Tuesday. I shoot my shot on Twitter and I don’t know what the f*ck I’m doing here, but I’m here, you know what I mean. Four day notice. Me and my wife just fly out here within four or five hours of accepting the fight.”

Despite the late-notice call, Durden (17-6-1 MMA, 6-4-1 UFC) showed up and showed out. He had a crazy brawl in the first round against Schnell and then quickly submitted him with a nasty anaconda choke in the second.

“Custom made” believes his performance sent a big message to the UFC and the flyweight division.

“I’m here to stay, I’m game,” Durden said. “If I can do that on four day notice, I can do a lot more when I put my full-time and effort to being the best.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Gilbert Burns after UFC Fight Night 242 loss?

See who Gilbert Burns should fight next after his loss to Sean Brady in the UFC Fight Night 242 headliner.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Sean Brady after UFC Fight Night 242 win?)

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] has hit uncharted territory in his career after falling short to Sean Brady in the UFC Fight Night 242 main event.

Burns’ (22-8 MMA, 15-8 UFC) struggles to maintain his position at the top of the welterweight division continued with a unanimous decision loss to Brady (17-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) at the UFC Apex. As a result, the Brazilian is now on the first three-fight losing skid of his career.

At 38, all the signs are trending in a negative direction for “Durinho,” who told MMA Junkie prior to the fight that he was looking at the matchup with Brady as the building block for a final title run.

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With those hopes seemingly washed away, what does the future hold? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Burns’ future after UFC Fight Night 242.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Gilbert Burns after UFC Fight Night 242 loss?