Tag: UFC on ABC 2

UFC free fight: Mackenzie Dern taps out Nina Nunes with first-round armbar

Ahead of her main event matchup with Yan Xiaonan, relive Mackenzie Dern’s finish of Nina Nunes at UFC on ABC 2.

It didn’t take long for [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] to take [autotag]Nina Nunes[/autotag] into her world.

Looking to make it four straight wins, Dern welcomed Nunes back to the octagon on the main card of UFC on ABC 2 last April.

Dern rushed Nunes with some hard combinations until she managed to clinch up and stack her against the cage. Nunes broke free, but Dern was able to latch onto a single leg and trip her to the mat. The ADCC champion controlled Nunes in top position and eventually transitioned to an armbar. Nunes fought hard, but once Dern was able to separate her arm, she forced the quick tap from Nunes.

Dern (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) returns to action Oct. 1 when she takes on [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in the main event of UFC Fight Night 211, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Before she faces Xiaonan, relive Dern’s finish of Nunes in the video above.

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MMA Junkie Radio #3148: Unpacking McGregor-Poirier drama, UFC on ABC 2, Bellator 256

Lots to talk about on the latest edition of MMA Junkie Radion with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here, and you can join the live stream on SportsCastr at noon ET. (9 a.m. PT).

On Episode 3,148, the guys unpack the developing drama between Conor Mcgregor and Dustin Poirier over donation money, the results from UFC on ABC 2 and Bellator 256, and more.

Tune in!

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Darren Till rips Marvin Vettori after UFC on ABC 2 win: I would hurt him for five rounds

Darren Till was a touch frustrated watching Marvin Vettori cruise to a victory at UFC on ABC 2.

[autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] was a touch frustrated watching [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] cruise to a victory over Kevin Holland on Saturday at UFC on ABC 2.

Till (18-3-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) was supposed to be the man standing across the octagon from Vettori (17-4-1 MMA, 7-2-1 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken collarbone less than two weeks out from the event and was forced to withdraw.

The tension with Vettori boosted after Till’s withdrawal, because Vettori claimed the Brit’s injury was “suspicious” and thought he might be faking it. Till proved otherwise with X-rays, but it left a sour taste in his mouth about Vettori.

So naturally, when Vettori beat Holland by unanimous decision with a wrestling-heavy strategy, it provoked Till to share some thoughts. He gave Vettori his props, but also made it clear it would’ve been a whole different story if he was the one in there (via Twitter):

As for marv… sorry ork.
It wasn’t the prettiest win but a wins a win and it means so much to him you can see.
That fight told me he knew he couldn’t strike with me so he was going to try take me down
Even if he were to succeed in takedowns he wouldn’t of been able to keep me

There
I would of hurt this man for five rounds on the feet
But hey who the fuck am I to talk?
I pulled out of the fight so every right I have goes out the window with that
Whatever happens for Marvin next good luck
I’m sure we’ll meet soon
I’ve got a fake injury to recover from

Till has promised to recover from his injury quickly and get back to training and fight preparation as soon as possible.

Before he was forced out of the UFC on ABC 2 headliner, Till was on 185-pound champion Israel Adesanya’s radar for his next title defense. He’s coming off a loss to Robert Whittaker, though, and even Adesanya agreed Till needed a win before the title shot.

Now that timeline for Till is off track, and it remains to be seen how long it’ll take before he returns to the octagon.

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UFC on ABC 2 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Venum era begins

UFC on ABC 2 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ABC 2 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $182,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ABC 2 took place at the UFC Apex. The main card aired on ABC following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC on ABC 2 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Julian Marquez[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Nina Ansaroff[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Joe Solecki[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]John Makdessi[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jarjis Danho[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yorgan De Castro[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Hunter Azure[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Luis Saldana[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jordan Griffin[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Da Un Jung[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]William Knight[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Impa Kasanganay/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Sasha Palatnikov[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Kevin Holland pitches Marvin Vettori vs. Derek Brunson since they ‘hump so well’

Kevin Holland has lost two UFC main events 21-day span, and both defeats came through similar means.

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] suffered his second UFC main event loss in a 21-day span on Saturday, and both defeats came through similar means.

Just three weeks after losing a unanimous decision to Derek Brunson, Holland (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) returned to action and lost another headliner on the scorecards against Marvin Vettori at UFC on ABC 2 in Las Vegas.

Brunson’s wrestling was too much for Holland to thwart, and Vettori picked up right where he left off, using takedowns to control and win the bout in a dominant manner.

Despite the fact Holland took the bout with Vettori on short notice as a replacement for the injured Darren Till, the reality is he’s now 0-2 this year after going 5-0 in 2020 and winning MMA Junkie’s “Fighter of the Year” award.

Holland reacted to the loss on social media, and pitched the idea of a Brunson vs. Vettori fight since he sees them having so much in common (via Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNgSr4KpbZ3

@darrentill2 sorry I dint get the job done been a fan of your style and spirit awhile so it’s always a honor to step up if your down hope that doesn’t sound weird. Also wish you speedy recovery

@derekbrunson vs @marvinvettori next since you both hump so well…. props to you both you made me a better man but @b_allen185 is better than you both 😂😂😂 I’ll be back see you 3 little ninjas 🥷 🥷🥷🏾 around until then I’ll be searching for some good sex partners to help me stop the humping
#sorryhomies #illbeback #induetime

It appears Holland will attempt to regroup following the UFC on ABC 2 result, and it remain to be seen what comes next for him.

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Joe Schilling’s request for Daniel Rodriguez to throw a kick they practiced ‘on mushrooms,’ explained

Daniel Rodriguez didn’t end up throwing the kick, but we very much look forward to seeing it some day.

[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag] was given some, uh, interesting advice during his dominant decision victory over Mike Perry on Saturday.

As noted by TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter during the UFC on ABC 2 broadcast, cornerman Joe Schilling advised Rodriguez to throw a kick that they worked on while “on the ranch when they were on mushrooms.”

Because, you know, that’s definitely normal advice in the middle of a professional fist fight.

So what was this all about? We found out from Rodriguez himself in a post-fight interview with ESPN, and the explanation is as great as you’d expect.

“All right, I’m gonna be real,” Rodriguez said, laughing. “This one time we were on mushrooms, and I was doing some weird, crazy, spinning karate stuff, man. It was crazy. We had been working on this … it’s pretty much a heel kick. He wanted me to throw it, but I was just having so much success with my hands, I just didn’t do it. But, yeah, you guys will see it one day. ‘Mushroom kick, mushroom kick!'”

We very much look forward to that.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Marvin Vettori stumps for title shot after UFC on ABC 2: ‘I’m next’

Marvin Vettori has no doubts he’s the most deserving for a UFC middleweight title fight.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] has no doubts he’s the most deserving contender available for a UFC middleweight title fight.

Vettori (17-4-1 MMA, 7-2-1 UFC) extended his winning streak to five fights on Saturday, when he beat Kevin Holland (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) by unanimous decision in the UFC on ABC 2 main event. It was lopsided fight, with “The Italian Dream” winning every round on the scorecards.

Prior to the fight, Vettori made it clear he felt a win would put him next in line to challenge champion Israel Adesanya, who he fought to a split decision at UFC on FOX 29 in April 2018.

Now, Vettori has no doubts that’s the fight to make.

“Five-win streak, I’ve accepted anybody at any time, always showing up, always making weight, never complaining about nothing, and I just beat these guys very dominantly,” Vettori told reporters, including MMA Junkie, post-fight at UFC on ABC 2. “I leave no doubt. The last fight I had with Adesanya was the closest fight that he’s ever had, and in my eyes I still won it. It has to be made again.

“I’m next in line, and I deserve it. I was supposed to fight Darren Till. He didn’t how up. Now he’s out. I’m the most hungry, and I’m next. The winning streak that I’ve had, all my opponents have been solid. I’m next.”

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Vettori said he would ideally rematch Adesanya in September or October. His dream scenario would be for that fight to take place in his native Italy in front of a full crowd, but he’s not picky about that. He just wants the opportunity.

The nature of his win over Holland may serve as a hurdle to securing the championship fight he wants, though. Although he left no doubts about who was the superior fighter, Vettori’s wrestling-heavy approach left some viewers unenthusiastic.

Vettori, ultimately, doesn’t care what his critics have to say. He said the fight didn’t meet his own standards, but given the fact Holland was a different opponent than the one he prepared for throughout most of his camp in Till, he said he won’t be too hard on himself.

“I expect perfection,” Vettori said. “I expect me going out and breaking the guy. Sometimes I fall a little bit short of my expectations, but even still, that short is still a great performance, a very dominant performance.”

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Mike Perry at a loss after UFC on ABC 2: ‘I used to be great’

Mike Perry, who has one fight left on his contract, fell to under .500 with the promotion for the first time at UFC on ABC 2.

[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] has no answers for his loss to Daniel Rodriguez at UFC on ABC 2.

Perry’s UFC record fell below .500 on Saturday after he dropped a lopsided unanimous decision to Daniel Rodriguez in their welterweight main card bout, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Rodriguez (14-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) picked apart Perry (14-8 MMA, 7-8 UFC) for three rounds with a surgical dose of jabs, straight punches and kicks. Perry was cut open and busted up after three rounds, leaving him 3-8 in his past 11 UFC appearances.

What does that mean for Perry going forward? Even he doesn’t seem to know.

He issued a post-fight statement in which he expressed concern over his skillset and revealed that his next fight – assuming the UFC keeps him – is the last on his current contract (via Instagram).

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNgH4Yjh0Cw

I use to be great. Idk what happened. I have a fight left on my contract. I’ll train hard, I’ll give it my all for my family. Whatever I have to do to give them a better life. I’ll bleed every day for them if I have to.

Coming into the fight, Perry hailed himself as a changed man. It was his first time stepping into the octagon since his son was born, and after settling in at MMA Masters in Miami, he believed that would make him a sharper and more dangerous fighter.

That was not the case Saturday, with Perry losing a clean sweep by scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26 to Rodriguez.

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Mackenzie Dern hopes to crack top five after UFC on ABC 2 win over Nina Nunes

In the middle of a four-fight winning streak, is Mackenzie Dern top-five material in the UFC strawweight division?

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] believes she’s nearing the top of her division.

The UFC strawweight contender hopes to be in the top five of the rankings following her most recent win Saturday. Dern (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) defeated Nina Nunes with an impressive first-round arm-bar submission on the main card of UFC on ABC 2 in Las Vegas.

It was an easy day at the office as Dern dominated the majority of the fight, quickly getting Nunes to the ground, mounting her, and securing the armbar finish. Dern expected nothing less than what fans saw at the UFC Apex.

“Yeah, definitely because it was a typical striker vs. grappler (fight),” Dern told reporters at the UFC on ABC 2 post-fight press conference. “My last fight with Virna (Jandiroba), she has grappling, but even then I was confident to go to the ground even against a grappler. But I know the way to not risk too much like a broken nose or anything like that was to take it to the ground, and that was the game plan.”

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With the win over Nunes, Dern is on a four-fight winning streak since suffering her first professional defeat back in 2019 to Amanda Ribas. The 28-year-old had an impressive 2020, and she’s starting off 2021 with plenty of promise.

Dern, who was No. 11 in the official UFC rankings heading into the fight, hopes to enter the top five of the division – or at least get close – after finishing No. 5 Nunes with relative ease.

“I would like to go to No. 5 in the rankings,” Dern said. “But I don’t know. Marina (Rodriguez), who beat Amanda Ribas who beat me, I think she’s No. 6. Claudia Gadelha, who Nina beat and I just beat Nina, is No. 7. So I think around there. I don’t know if Tatiana Suarez is going to comeback and fight soon. I know Joanna doesn’t have a fight and they have a couple of fights coming up in the division, so a lot is going to happen. I hope I can go to No. 5, but five, six, seven, around there it will be a good jump already.”

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UFC on ABC 2 bonuses: Mackenzie Dern’s armbar finish earns her $50,000

Mackenzie Dern picked up her third bonus in her last four fights with yet another submission victory.

The UFC handed out four $50,000 bonuses Saturday after UFC on ABC 2 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

UFC officials announced the recipients following the event. Check out the winners below.

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