UFC Fight Night 246 – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Charles Jourdain won’t make official callout after UFC Edmonton, but appreciates Jose Aldo folklore

Charles Jourdain snapped a two-fight skid with his second win in a row by guillotine choke – both of which have gotten him bonuses.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – [autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag] beat Victor Henry with a second-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Take a look inside the fight with Jourdain, who snapped a two-fight skid with his second win in a row by guillotine choke – both of which have gotten him bonuses.

Charles Jourdain def. Victor Henry

Result: Charles Jourdain def. Victor Henry via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 3:43
Updated records: Jourdain (16-8-1 MMA, 7-7-1 UFC), Henry (24-7 MMA, 3-2 UFC)
Key stats: Henry had four takedowns, but ultimately got caught in Jourdain’s masterful choke.

Jourdain on the fight’s key moment

Nov 2, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Charles Jourdain (red gloves) fights Victor Henry (blue gloves) in a bantamweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

“I just learned that I’m the first one that ever stopped Victor Henry, so I think that’s a very good way to start my career at bantamweight. … I’m like, ‘Man, he’s 37 – he’s got so many fights.’ So yeah: Hat’s off to me.”

Jourdain on finally going to bantamweight

“Immaturity, stupidity (is why I took so long). I don’t like when people are telling me to do stuff. I want to have my own experience. If you tell me fire burns, I’ll put my hand in it and I’m like, ‘Oh, you’re right.’ So I did a lot of stupid stuff. But now, I feel like the right place, and that’s a fantastic feeling.”

Jourdain on what he wants next

Nov 2, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Charles Jourdain (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Victor Henry (not pictured) in a bantamweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

“I won’t drop names. I’m interested in anybody. But for now, I’m having a little boy and I’m going to take care of him in January. After that, I’ll be back in the octagon around May. Whatever UFC have in store for me, I’m not going to chase name. There’s a lot of very good fighters. There’s some very good veterans, as well. I grew up watching Jose Aldo and I see him fight, so that would that would be fun – but I’m in no position to call the ‘King of Rio’ right now.”

To hear more from Jourdain, 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 246.

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Amir Albazi says he’ll get back to flyweight contention after UFC Edmonton dismantling

After a lopsided loss in his return following a lengthy layoff, flyweight standout Amir Albazi has vowed to work his way back.

After a lopsided loss in his return following a lengthy layoff, flyweight standout [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] has vowed to work his way back to contention.

Brandon Moreno (22-8-2 MMA, 10-5-2 UFC) dominated Albazi (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) on Saturday in the UFC Fight Night 246 main event in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was his first fight back after a severe neck injury, but he never got going against the former 125-pound champion.

Albazi nearly was swept on the scorecards by Moreno, who was a slight favorite in the fight, but got a 49-46 from one judge, who gave him the first round. But it was smooth sailing for Moreno after that.

Albazi posted on social media to say he’ll get back to the form that had him in two straight UFC headliners.

“No excuses,” Albazi posted on Instagram. “You win some and lose some but i will be back better 👊🏽 i promise. Thanks for the support 🙏🏼”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB64Dk-S-aP/?igsh=cDBmejU0djBrbGw3

The loss for Albazi was his first in the UFC and snapped a six-fight winning streak.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

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Dustin Stoltzfus gets ‘life-changing’ bonus for stunning KO of Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC Edmonton

Dustin Stoltzfus has $50,000 bonuses for finishes in his past two wins.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – [autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag] beat Marc-Andre Barriault with a first-round knockout Saturday on the main card at UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Take a look inside the fight with Stoltzfus, who has alternated wins and losses for his past six fights – but was on the right side Saturday.

Dustin Stoltzfus def. Marc-Andre Barriault

Nov 2, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Dustin Stoltzfus (blue gloves) reacts during a fight against Marc-Andre Barriault (red gloves) in a middleweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Result: Dustin Stoltzfus def. Marc-Andre Barriault via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 4:28
Updated records: Stoltzfus (16-6 MMA, 3-5 UFC), Barriault (16-9 MMA, 5-8 UFC)
Key stats: Stoltzfus has bonuses in each of his past two wins.

Stoltzfus on the fight’s key moment

“Absolutely amazing. It’s definitely … only German words are coming to my head right now, but it’s what we knew I can do. We knew. All my coaches, all my training partners know that I have a lot of power in my hands and to set that up with the low kick like I did, which was a big part of this fight plan. The dominant wrestling, I know the crowd wasn’t having it, but whatever.”

Stoltzfus on his post-fight mic time

Nov 2, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Marc-Andre Barriault (red gloves) fights Dustin Stoltzfus (blue gloves) in a middleweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

“Honestly, it just came from the heart. I wouldn’t be here, being able to live off of this sport, without the fans. It’s nice to have a crowd that is behind you and that likes you, but at the end of the day, if they’re there and they’re watching and they’re into it, it doesn’t matter (if they’re cheering for me or not). It really, really doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, we’re all on the same team. If the UFC is making money, we are making money. If people are coming out for my opponent, they’re coming out to see me. So if they’re booing me at the beginning of the fight, I don’t care.”

Stoltzfus on his bonus

“The bonus is such a life-changing thing. I was lucky enough to get one in the fight against Punahele (Soriano), and it’s just life changing. I can’t really put into words for someone who is otherwise making a blue-collar wage to get an unexpected $50 grand on top of it is amazing.”

To hear more from Stoltzfus, 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 246.

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Youssef Zalal sets goal to headline a UFC event in 2025: ‘I’m on the path of doing that’

UFC featherweight prospect Youssef Zalal wants to headline a UFC card in 2025.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – UFC event headliner. That’s a label [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] wants to have by the end of 2025.

The rising UFC featherweight prospect has had a stellar return to the promotion. Zalal (16-5-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) returned earlier this year after being cut in 2022 and has picked up three consecutive submission wins in the octagon, including Saturday at UFC Fight Night 246.

Zalal was not only confident he was going to put away Jack Shore (17-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), but that he was also going to kill it in his return to the UFC.

“This is what I expected,” Zalal told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 246 post-fight press conference. “This is the pressure that I put on myself. I feel like before, I was just like, ‘Oh I just want to win,’ and I tell this to my coaches and team and young, upcoming guys: ‘Winning is cool, but performing is better.’ This is the difference between being good and being elite.'”

For Zalal, the next step goes beyond getting a good name for his next outing. He’s also like to compete in the main event of a UFC card.

“I’ve been calling all these guys out,” Zalal said. “I called (out Edson) Barboza. I called Alex Caceres. I called all those guys. My goal is to headline a card in 2025, and I’m on the path of doing that. I’ll keep doing what I need to do to earn that spot, and my time will come.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Brandon Moreno after UFC Fight Night 246 win?

What does the future hold for UFC Fight Night 246 main event winner Brandon Moreno? We attempt to play matchmaker.

Former champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] returned with a statement performance Saturday against Amir Albazi in the UFC Fight Night 246 main event.

After taking a brief break from competition, Moreno (22-8-2 MMA, 10-4-2 UFC) came back in prime form to batter and bloody Albazi (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) for five rounds en route to a unanimous decision at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Moreno is undoubtedly a key name in the flyweight division with a legacy in the weight class, but given he’s fought most of the top names already, and some of them multiple times, it puts him in a curious position in terms of a title path.

What should be next for Moreno? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC Fight Night 246.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

UFC Fight Night 246 post-event facts: Edmonton return produces third-longest card in UFC history

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 246, which was the third-longest event in UFC history in terms of fight time.

UFC Fight Night 246 on Saturday opened the promotion’s November event schedule with a 13-fight lineup that went down at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

In the main event, former flyweight champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (22-8-2 MMA, 10-4-2 UFC) returned from a self-imposed hiatus with force to batter and bloody [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) for five rounds en route to a unanimous decision.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 246.

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $196,500.

[autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag], [autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag], [autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag], [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]. earned $50,000 UFC Fight Night 246 fight-night bonuses.

UFC Fight Night 246 had an announced attendance of 16,439 for a live gate of $2,600,463.

Betting favorites went 11-2 on the card.

Betting favorites improved to 27-10 in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 13-bout card was 3:06:38.

The 3:06:38 of total fight time marked the third-longest event in UFC history behind UFC 263 (3:19:32) and UFC 251 (3:07:27).

Moreno improved to 7-3-2 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2019.

Moreno’s 10 victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (13), Joseph Benavidez (13) and Alexandre Pantoja (12).

Moreno has earned four of his 10 UFC victories by decision.

Albazi has suffered both of his career losses by decision.

Albazi has completed at least one takedown against all six of his UFC opponents.

[autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) has earned four of her seven UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) fell to 2-2 since she moved up to the women’s flyweight division in September 2023.

Namajunas has suffered five of her seven career losses by decision.

[autotag]Brendson Ribeiro[/autotag] (16-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his career.

[autotag]Caio Machado[/autotag] (8-4-1 MMA, 0-3 UFC) was unsuccessful in his light heavyweight debut.

Machado has suffered all four of his career losses by decision.

[autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has earned both of her UFC stoppage victories by submission.

[autotag]Ariane da Silva[/autotag] (17-10 MMA, 6-7 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of her career.

[autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 2-6 UFC) has earned two of his three UFC victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag] (11-2-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his career.

[autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag] (16-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) fell to 2-4 since he dropped to the welterweight division in January 2022.

Giles suffered the first decision loss of his career.

[autotag]Aiemann Zahabi[/autotag]’s (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Merab Dvalishvili (10) and Mario Bautista (seven).

Zahabi has earned four of his six UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag] (20-10 MMA, 10-10 UFC) fell to 1-5 with one no contest in his past seven fights dating back to August 2021.

Munhoz has suffered all 10 of his career losses by decision.

[autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag] (16-8-1 MMA, 7-7-1 UFC) was successful in his UFC bantamweight debut.

Jourdain has earned 14 of his 16 career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered his first stoppage loss with a submission defeat.

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] (16-5-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) improved to 3-0 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in March 2024.

Zalal has earned 13 of his 16 career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) fell to 1-2 since he moved up to the featherweight division in March 2023.

Shore has suffered all three of his career losses by stoppage.

Shore has suffered two of his three career losses by submission.

[autotag]Chad Anheliger[/autotag] (13-8 MMA, 1-3 UFC) has suffered two of his three UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Jamey-Lyn Horth[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned both of her UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Ivana Petrovic[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered both of her career losses by decision.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript.

Jasmine Jasudavicius looking for top-five flyweight after submission of Ariane da Silva at UFC Edmonton

Jasmine Jasudavicius won for the third straight time, two of which have been D’Arce choke submissions for bonuses.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – [autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag] beat Ariane da Silva with a third-round submission Saturday on the main card at UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Take a look inside the fight with Jasudavicius, who won for the third straight time, two of which have been D’Arce choke submissions for bonuses.

Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Ariane da Silva

Nov 2, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Jasmine Jasudavicius (blue gloves) celebrates after defeating Ariane da Silva (not pictured) in a womens flyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Result: Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Ariane da Silva via submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 3, 2:28
Updated records: Jasudavicius (12-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC), da Silva (17-10 MMA, 6-7 UFC)
Key stats: Jasudavicius outstruck da Silva 130-43 and had nearly 6 minutes of total control time from her three takedowns.

Jasudavicius on the fight’s key moment

Nov 2, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Jasmine Jasudavicius (blue gloves) fights Ariane da Silva (red gloves) in a womens flyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

“I’m super happy. When I got told I got moved onto the main card, it was a little bit more inspiration – like, ‘OK, this is a featured spot. They want to have good fights in this spot.’ (It was) just a little bit extra pressure on that shoulder to get the finish, so I’m glad that the pressure was a good one. (It’s) sick (I was the first to submit her). That’s awesome. I’m loving that choke. I’ve been hitting it on everyone.”

Jasudavicius on title aspirations

“I’m just waiting till that belt’s around my waist. That’s where I fit. But we’ll see. I understand that there’s going to be conquests on the way to that belt, so we’ll see what the next one is.”

Jasudavicius on what she wants next

“I like to stay active. I’m old, so I’m trying to fight as much as possible … I can’t see me taking a long break off. … Hopefully maybe top five (opponent).”

To hear more from Jasudavicius, 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 246.

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UFC featherweight Arnold Allen eyeing Yair Rodriguez or Brian Ortega in first quarter of 2025

Arnold Allen got back on track earlier this year following the first skid of his career.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag] got back on track earlier this year following the first skid of his career, but looking to the near-term future, one part of his potential picture may have faded away.

After his featherweight title loss to champion Ilia Topuria (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, ex-champ Max Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) said he’s all but certain to spend the rest of his career fighting at lightweight. Considering the first of Allen’s back-to-back losses was a close decision setback to Holloway in a headliner, he now knows it’s not likely he’ll get a chance to get that loss back.

“The goal is whoever’s got the title. That’s what I want. If he hasn’t got the title, he’s going up to ’55, then whatever,” Allen (20-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) said backstage at UFC Fight Night 246 on Saturday in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Allen’s loss to Holloway was his first in the UFC and snapped a 12-fight winning streak that included back-to-back knockouts of Dan Hooker and Calvin Kattar – neither small tasks. Nine months after that, he failed to rebound with a close decision loss to Movsar Evloev.

But in July, at UFC 304, he outworked Giga Chikadze in front of his home fans in England, and that has him feeling like it’s time to get onto another streak once the 30-year-old clears some bumps and bruises.

Brian Ortega (16-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and Yair Rodriguez (19-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) are fights at featherweight he thinks could happen for him in the first quarter of the new year.

“Anyone above me (is who I want to fight). It’s been talked about a lot: Ortega is a guy that’s been talked about after Holloway. I asked for Yair or Ortega. There was never any sort of sniff of anything. But I mentioned it, so I’m sure that they’re more realistic now,” Allen said.

As for the champion, Allen thinks if he gets a shot at him some day, it’s a fight he can win.

“I want to fight the best guys in the world, and I feel like I match up pretty good with him,” Allen said. “Back-to-back, he beat (Alexander Volkanovski) and Holloway with knockouts. Those guys are around the top for forever, and no one could beat those guys. So he definitely can be (champion for a long time), but I think there’s always new people coming.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Aiemann Zahabi wants ranked opponent following UFC Fight Night 246 win over Pedro Munhoz: ‘I feel like I’ve earned my place’

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – [autotag]Aiemann Zahabi[/autotag] wants to take a step-up in his fighting career, and he feels he’s earned the right to call for it.

Zahabi (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is coming off a dominant win over former title contender Pedro Munhoz at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246, – a result that put him on a five-fight winning streak. With the win over Munhoz (20-10 MMA, 10-10 UFC), Zahabi hopes to get a spot on the UFC official bantamweight rankings, and if not, he’d still like to get a ranked name for his next outing.

“It would be nice that on Tuesday I wake up, and I’m in the top 15,” Zahabi told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 246 post-fight press conference. “If not, a big name that’s in the top 15 would be great, too. I have to talk to Firas and Sean Shelby and see what’s a good timeline for us to come back. Maybe they come back to Canada early in the year. If they do, I’ll be there. It’s never been easy for me to book a fight, but I got two in this year and hopefully two or three next year.”

Zahabi’s decision win over Munhoz is arguably his best career win, given the name value of the Brazilian. He believes that not only did he show the world that he’s a top talent at 135 pounds, but more importantly, he showed that to himself

“I’m so happy,” Zahabi said when asked about his performance. “Now I feel like I’ve earned my place, and now I don’t have to be afraid to get in there. I should do it with courage and bravery, and I feel like I showed that tonight. I stood in there for 15 (minutes).”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Exec: UFC Apex shows are here to stay, but promotion seeking home-away balance

The UFC added a new record for its books in Edmonton, a not-uncommon occurrence when the promotion travels in the post-COVID era.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – The UFC added a new record for its books Saturday in Edmonton, a not-uncommon occurrence when the promotion travels in the post-COVID era.

UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place at attendance in excess of 16,000 for a $2.6 million gate, according to Dave Shaw, the promotion’s senior vice president for international operations. That dollar total is a new high-water mark for UFC “Fight Night” events in North America, Shaw said.

The UFC has increased the amount of events it does outside of its Las Vegas home base, but the vast majority of its non-pay-per-view events have been at the UFC Apex. That makes sense, Shaw said. But he also said fans can expect some chances to see a card outside “Sin City” more and more in 2025.

“There’ll be an increased number of fan events outside of the Apex relative to this year as we get into the 2025 schedule,” Shaw said after UFC Fight Night 246. “With that said, is there always going to be a certain number of Apex events moving forward – like it will always be maybe one a month? Yes.”

The UFC started using its Apex facility in Las Vegas to keep events happening during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shaw said there are ample and obvious benefits to the promotion from a cost savings standpoint.

Plus, he said, it helps recharge the proverbial batteries for the production teams that travel.

“It’s tough for us to anticipate what two or three years down the road is going to look like, but it makes a lot of sense for a lot of reasons (for us to do a lot of Apex events),” Shaw said. “A lot of fighters (live) in Vegas. It’s easier for us operationally. It’s obviously simple from a budgetary perspective and the rigor and the pressure – you know how laborious it can be to be on the road.

“… I think having home games and being in the Apex where you can just turn off the lights and lock the door, it makes a lot of sense for us. Will we ever get back to pre-COVID of no Apex? I don’t think so. But I think we’re going to find the right balance for us.”

Check out Shaw’s full post-event news conference in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

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