Tag: UFC Fight Night 242

UFC Fight Night 242 video: Steve Garcia pummels Kyle Nelson for fifth straight TKO finish

Could Steve Garcia be the dark horse of the UFC featherweight division?

The [autotag]Steve Garcia[/autotag] trains keeps rolling down the tracks – and it’s picking up speed.

On the UFC Fight Night 242 main card Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Garcia (17-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) finished [autotag]Kyle Nelson[/autotag] (16-6-1 MMA, 4-5-1 UFC) with strikes at the 3:59 mark of Round 1.

Nelson was initially in control of Garcia, who turned the tables after an unsuccessful armbar attempt. Garcia methodically landed bursts of ground-and-pound punches and elbows until the stoppage came.

https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1832574488174592141

The TKO finish was Garcia’s fifth in a row as he continues to surge up the featherweight ranks. Nelson had a three-fight winning streak snapped in defeat.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 242 results include:

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

UFC Fight Night 242 video: Cody Durden sends Matt Schnell into retirement with slick finish on four days’ notice

Cody Durden sent Matt Schnell into retirement after scoring an impressive submission on four days’ notice at UFC Fight Night 242.

[autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag] picked up one of the biggest wins of his octagon tenure Saturday when he tapped out Matt Schnell in highlight-reel fashion at UFC Fight Night 242.

After taking the fight as a replacement on just four days’ notice, Durden (17-6-1 MMA, 6-4-1 UFC) went toe-to-toe with Schnell (16-9 MMA, 6-7 UFC) from the very first bell. The pair traded hard shots for several minutes with some grappling exchanges mixed in, and then it went to a second round.

That’s where Durden turned the tables on a Schnell takedown attempt and impressively rolled into a slick anaconda choke. After a brief struggle, Schnell tapped at the 0:29 mark of Round 2 in the bantamweight bout at the UFC Apex.

Check out the replay of the final sequence below (via X):

 

After the fight, the UFC broadcast team announced Schnell has retired from MMA competition and left his gloves in the center of the octagon.

Matt Schnell, UFC Fight Night 242

Durden reveled in his big moment.

“Without risk there’s no reward,” Durden said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “Four days’ notice. Me and my wife went out Sunday night and I had a little bit too much to drink. But I backed it up. I came out here and I backed it up.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 242 results include:

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

UFC Fight Night 242 video: Grotesque Rong Zhu eye injury gives Chris Padilla TKO win

Yeah, that’s nasty.

A nasty eye injury caused a UFC Fight Night 242 prelim to be waved off Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

After a big standing elbow from [autotag]Chris Padilla[/autotag] ballooned the left eye of [autotag]Rong Zhu[/autotag], the cage-side physician was called in to examine the injury. The physician determined the fight could no longer continue, so Padilla (15-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was named the winner over Zhu (25-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC) at 4:14 of Round 2.

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1832552951270842472

A seasoned veteran of the regional scene, Padilla made his UFC debut in April when he submitted James Llontop as a moderate underdog.

Zhu, 24, re-signed with the UFC in early 2024 after a successful stint on Road to UFC. Zhu had competed for the UFC three times from April 2021 to February 2022. He went 1-2 with two weight misses and was released from the promotion.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 242 results include:

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

UFC Fight Night 242 video: Isaac Dulgarian wins as biggest favorite in company history

Isaac Dulgarian entered the cage as a record-setting -2400 betting favorite at UFC Fight Night 242, and his performance lived up to it.

[autotag]Isaac Dulgarian[/autotag] had an extra layer of pressure entering his UFC Fight Night 242 matchup with [autotag]Brendon Marotte[/autotag], because he built up to being the biggest betting favorite in UFC history.

When cage announcer Joe Martinez read Dulgarian’s (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) name for his introduction, the pre-fight graphic listed him as a record-setting -2400 betting favorite over Marotte (8-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) for the featherweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Dulgarian came out instantly and scored an easy takedown in the first 10 seconds, then delivered a mauling on the mat. Marotte displayed his toughness in eating numerous heavy shots, as well as surviving repeat bad positions and submission attempts.

The fight entered a second round to the surprise of many, but it didn’t make it out of it. Dulgarian got the fight back to the ground in short order and punished Marotte until he secured an arm-triangle choke for the tap at the 4:19 mark of Round 2.

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

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1832546575593181218

https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1832547025709097163

 

It was a strong rebound performance from Dulgarian after suffering his first career defeat in his previous bout, and he preached a more methodical win to getting the job done.

“We were focused on being patient this fight,” Dulgarian said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “Last fight I was pushing a little too hard. We were just patient.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 242 results include:

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

UFC Fight Night 242 video: Jaqueline Amorim locks armbar as Vanessa Demopoulos screams foul

Did Jacob Montalvo make the right call?

[autotag]Jaqueline Amorim[/autotag] notched another beautiful submission Saturday at UFC Fight Night 242, but it came with a little bit of controversy.

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, Amorim (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) took the fight directly into her world when she took down Vanessa Demopoulos (11-6 MMA, 5-3 UFC) early. She worked for a submission and eventually found one in an armbar that got a tap at the 3:28 mark of Round 1.

From the second the armbar attempt shot up, Demopoulos yelled to referee Jacob Montalvo that Amorim had fingers in her glove. Demopoulos pleaded her case after the stoppage, but it led nowhere. Amorim was named the victor.

Amorim denied she did anything illegal.

“I didn’t grab her wrist. In between the glove and (forearm) you can hold in the direction I was pulling,” Amorim said in the cage after the fight. “So it is what it is. … UFC, please, I know they are coming to Tampa, Fla., in December. If you guys can put me on the card, please, I’ll be ready.”

Amorim, 29, has won three straight fights inside the distance. Demopoulos, 35, has a two-fight winning streak snapped.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 242 results include:

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

Trevor Peek vs. Yanal Ashmouz prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC Fight Night 242

Will Trevor Peek and Yanal Ashmouz throw caution to the wind at UFC Fight Night 242?

[autotag]Trevor Peek[/autotag] and [autotag]Yanal Ashmouz[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 242 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 6-0
UFC main cards, 2024: 76-61-3

Trevor Peek vs. Yanal Ashmouz UFC Fight Night 242 preview

Peek (9-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) will look to rebound from a unanimous decision loss against Charlie Campbell in April. His only professional losses have come under the UFC banner, where he has traded wins and losses since his arrival after Dana White’s Contender Series. … Ashmouz (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) also enters after a loss. In his last fight, which was his second under the UFC banner, he lost unanimously to Chris Duncan last July. His debut last March was a 75-second finish of Sam Patterson at UFC 286.

Trevor Peek vs. Yanal Ashmouz UFC Fight Night 242 expert pick, prediction

Kicking off the main card is a proper action fight at 155 pounds between Peek and Ashmouz.

Both lack the traditional martial arts bases and finely combed technique that you’d typically find in this division, but they bring what MMA fans love – mindless slugfests and knockouts.

In their defense, each fighter has made concerted efforts to clean things up a bit in recent outings, and they deserve credit for doing so. However, if I’m being honest, I’d much rather these two embrace their inner urge to play “Rock’em, Sock’em Robots” over trying to be more well-rounded and technical.

Regardless of what kind of fight we end up with, I’ll reluctantly side with Peek due to his blocked-headed durability and comical offensive output. The pick is Peek by unanimous decision.

Trevor Peek vs. Yanal Ashmouz UFC Fight Night 242 odds

The oddsmakers opened this at pick’em odds, but public money as come in on the American, listing Peek -125 and Ashmouz +100 via FanDuel.

Trevor Peek vs. Yanal Ashmouz UFC Fight Night 242 start time, how to watch

As the main card opener, Peek and Ashmouz are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 7:05 p.m. ET (4:05 p.m. PT). The fight will air on ESPN+.

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

Matt Schnell vs. Cody Durden prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC Fight Night 242

How will stepping up on a few days’ notice affect Cody Durden against Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night 242?

[autotag]Matt Schnell[/autotag] and [autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 242 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 6-0
UFC main cards, 2024: 76-61-3

Matt Schnell vs. Cody Durden UFC Fight Night 242 preview

Schnell (16-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) is in search of his first win since July 2022, which was a submission win over Su Mudaerji. Since then, Schnell has been finished by Matheus Nicolau and Steve Erceg. He finds himself fighting a fight-week replacement. … Stepping up on just a few days’ notice, Durden (16-6-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC) will also hunt to snap a two-fight skid in which he was finished in both bouts. Prior to his recent setbacks, Durden ripped off a four-fight winning streak, picking up wins over JP Buys, Carlos mota, Charles Johnson and Jake Hadley.

Matt Schnell vs. Cody Durden UFC Fight Night 242 expert pick, prediction

Filling out the main card is an impromptu bantamweight bout between Schnell and Durden.

Schnell was initially slated to face Alessandro Costa, who was forced to withdraw on fight week.

Stepping in for Costa is Durden, a fighter who also finds himself on a two-fight skid heading into this event. Massive respect to Durden for gambling on himself like this, but I’m admittedly surprised to see him installed as the favorite (much less such a large one).

Don’t get me wrong: Durden has made some undeniable improvements to his striking game since moving shop to American Top Team, but the native of Georgia hasn’t exactly shown the one-shot knockout power that’s traditionally troubled Schnell.

But on the other side of that stylistic kryptonite coin, Schnell does have the opportunistic submission game that’s stung Durden before. For that reason, I can’t help but side with Schnell to get it done by submission in Round 1.

Matt Schnell vs. Cody Durden UFC Fight Night 242 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the shorter-notice fighter, listing Durden (-333) and Schnell (+250) via FanDuel.

Matt Schnell vs. Cody Durden UFC Fight Night 242 start time, how to watch

As the second bout on the main card, Schnell and Durden are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 7:35 p.m. ET (4:35 p.m. PT). The fight will air on ESPN+.

[lawrence-related id=2768144,2768124,2767837]

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

Steve Garcia vs. Kyle Nelson prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC Fight Night 242

Will the judges be needed in the all-action showdown at UFC Fight Night 242 between Steve Garcia and Kyle Nelson?

[autotag]Steve Garcia[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyle Nelson[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 242 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 6-0
UFC main cards, 2024: 76-61-3

Steve Garcia vs. Kyle Nelson UFC Fight Night 242 preview

After experiencing some growing pains in the UFC, Garcia (16-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has found his stride. Garcia went 1-2 in his first three fights in the UFC, but since then, he has won four straight, including two first-round finishes and two second-round stoppages. In his last outing, in July, Garcia stopped Seung Woo Choi in 96 seconds after a barrage of punches. … Nelson (16-5-1 MMA, 4-4-1 UFC) is also on a hot streak as of late. His UFC carer began with a rough stretch as well, going 1-4 in his first five appearances. He’s since won three straight, including a first-round stoppage of Bill Algeo in his last fight in March.

Steve Garcia vs. Kyle Nelson UFC Fight Night 242 expert pick, prediction

Serving as another solid but impromptu offering on the main card is a featherweight action fight between Nelson and Garcia.
Nelson was initially scheduled to face Calvin Kattar, but will instead meet Garcia on roughly four weeks’ notice. However, despite technically having more time to prepare, Nelson found himself coming in a couple of pounds over the 146-pound limit for this contest.
I’m not sure how much that will affect Nelson’s performance given that he’s going against a fellow fast-starting featherweight, but I also don’t expect this fight to look very pretty if it gets past the first round.
It’s hard to know how Nelson will fair against southpaws since winning a split decision over Jonathan Brookins on the regionals was his only UFC-level sample in that department, but I suspect that Nelson’s durability, clinch game and counters will serve him well in this spot.
It’s hard not to be a fan of Garcia’s brand of southpaw violence, but I’ll semi-reluctantly side with Nelson to weather the storm and score in knockout in Round 2.

Steve Garcia vs. Kyle Nelson UFC Fight Night 242 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the short-notice fighter, listing Garcia -188 and Nelson +152 via FanDuel.

Steve Garcia vs. Kyle Nelson UFC Fight Night 242 start time, how to watch

As the feature main card bout, Garcia and Nelson are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 8:05 p.m. ET (5:05 p.m. PT). The fight will air on ESPN+.

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