Julian Marquez gunning for ‘The Bachelor’ role, but first he wants to f*ck up Sam Alvey

Julian Marquez considers himself an entertainer at heart, but he warns Sam Alvey not to mistake his intentions at UFC on ABC 2.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Julian Marquez[/autotag] had a brush with entertainment royalty following his last fight, trading social media messages with Miley Cyrus, but he’s got bigger plans for himself moving forward.

“It was amazing it did what it did, but my heart – my achy breaky heart – is not broken, but I will tell you guys this: ABC needs to hook Julian Marquez up with a ‘UFC Bachelor,'” Marquez told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC on ABC 2 media day at the UFC Apex. “I think you all would tune in. You would love it. You love the personality. You love the excitement I bring. I’m just saying, we have ourself a network-televised fighter that is able to produce the greatest show of all time – plus all the other bachelors
are just, like, they’re boring, you know? I’ll bring excitement.”

As Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky famously said, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take, so you can’t blame Marquez for giving it a roll. Whether or not ABC execs like the pitch remains to be seen. But another dramatic victory certainly wouldn’t hurt his cause.

Marquez (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) faces veteran slugger Alvey (33-14-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC) in a main-card matchup at Saturday’s UFC on ABC 2, which airs on ABC from the UFC Apex following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

“Think about it: Sam Alvey, who doesn’t like to wrestle and likes to throw hands, against Julian ‘The Cuban Missile Crisis’ Marquez … (who) is about to throw ginormous nuclear bombs, and Sam’s going to try to do the same thing, but I’m way faster, stronger, and I want it way more,” Marquez said.

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Alvey has been in his share of entertaining scraps, as well – a fighter known for flashing big smiles and throwing heavy hands. While Marquez is looking to book himself on a show about finding love, he wants to make damn sure Alvey knows what he’s getting himself into when the cage door is closed.

“Sam tries to play these games, you know – he tries to be nice and all this stuff, and like, you could see right through it, trying to be buddy-buddy so you won’t do this,” Marquez said. “Nah, man. Look, outside of the game, you know, we can be cool and cordial. We’re fighters. I respect him. But when we get locked up in that octagon, I’m here to f*ck you up.

“You’re trying to take my paycheck. You’re trying to take my stardom. You’re trying to take something away from me. You’re trying to physically harm me. Now I’m going in there to make sure that doesn’t happen. I’m going in there to be giving that type of, you know, energy, giving that type of performance – so I’m going out there to f*ck you up, and that’s it.”

To see the full interview with Marquez, check out the video above.

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Darren Till blasts ‘utter moron’ Marvin Vettori after claims of ‘suspicious’ fight withdrawal

Darren Till is not happy with Marvin Vettori questioning the legitimacy of his UFC on ABC 2 main event withdrawal.

[autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] is not happy with [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] questioning the legitimacy of his UFC on ABC 2 main event withdrawal.

Till (18-3-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) was forced to pull out of Saturday’s fight with Vettori (16-4-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on less than two weeks’ notice after he suffered a broken collarbone in training. He was “f*cking destroyed” by the situation, but Vettori showed him no compassion.

During Wednesday’s UFC on ABC 2 media day, Vettori questioned Till’s injury, and called it “suspicious.” He admitted he was merely speculating, but did not pain Till in a good light (via Twitter):

Till was no pleased when Vettori’s words reached his radar. He issued a lengthy and emotional response on social media, calling Vettori an “utter moron” about his comments and taking multiple digs at his fellow 185-pound contender (via Instagram):

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

Whats up with you mate? You missing a few cells or something?
If only you fucking knew what I went through this camp to get 2 fight you.
Inside & outside the gym!
Let’s have it right mate you were going to be my easiest fight,
You are a walking punch bag who’s tough.
Nothing more & nothing less.
So keep ur bitter mouth shut.
For you or anyone to even think for one minute I’d pull out of a fight with some bullshit excuse makes me howl.
Every fight camp I guarantee I train through way harsher injuries than you and 90% of the roster.
What you want me to do? I’ve broke my fucking collarbone u utter moron.
Make sure u win Saturday.
& here’s some advice u ugly looking lord of the rings ork looking motherfucker.
Just be happy for ur peers,
Be happy the fact adesanya beat u,
Be happy the fact I was going to school u,
& be happy ur at the top in one of the most devastating sports in the world,
Stop being a hater u bum.
And ur not from Italy uve lived in California most of ur life u lying bastard 😂😂😂😂🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️
I’ll tag u in my x-ray so u can sleep easy tonight.

With Till unable to compete at UFC on ABC 2, Vettori is now scheduled to fight Kevin Holland in the main event. The main card airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN.

Check out Vettori’s complete media day interview above.

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Here’s what the UFC’s new Venum fighter uniforms look like

The new Venum kits will be worn by fighters for the first time at UFC on ABC 2.

It’s been nine months since the UFC announced that Venum would serve as the promotion’s new apparel sponsor, and since then we’ve been wondering what the new fighter uniforms would look like.

Now we know after the promotion unveiled them Tuesday and put the fight kits for sale on its official website.

At first glance, they appear to be a slight upgrade from the Reebok designs with some distinguishable touches – lots of lines and angles.

See for yourself below: 

(UFC)
(UFC)
(UFC)

The new Venum uniforms will be worn by fighters for the first time on Saturday at UFC on ABC 2 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, marking the official end of the previous six-year deal with Reebok.

You can read more about the UFC-Venum partnership here.

What do you think of the new-look UFC Venum gear? Let us know in the comments.

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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MacKenzie Dern aims to kick off 2021 UFC title run with finish of Nina Ansaroff

MacKenzie Dern’s 2021 kicks off Saturday at UFC on ABC 2 with a fight that could vault her into the top five with an impressive showing.

[autotag]MacKenzie Dern[/autotag] is ready to make a UFC title run in 2021.

Dern meets [autotag]Nina Ansaroff[/autotag] on Saturday’s UFC on ABC 2 main card looking to enter the upper echelon of the strawweight division.

The opportunity to enter the top five came after Dern notched three consecutive wins, most recently a unanimous decision over former Invicta FC 115-pound champion Virna Jandiroba last December at UFC 256.

In October 2019, Dern returned just four months after giving birth to her daughter and lost for the first time in her professional career against Amanda Ribas. However, the loss forced Dern to make some changes, including the addition of boxing coach Jason Parillo, which has helped her improve her striking.

Like Dern, Ansaroff also is making a relatively quick return after recently giving birth to her first child. Though it’s only been six months since Ansaroff had her daughter, she hasn’t competed since June 2019. Dern likes the mom vs. mom narrative heading into the fight, but from personal experience, she’s expecting the time off to have an impact on Ansaroff’s performance in some form.

“For sure,” Dern told MMA Junkie. “I don’t think it’ll be a deciding factor like to win or lose, but I definitely think timing-wise and even just confidence-wise, I think she can be the most confident person ever because I know what it’s like. When you have a baby, you feel like you’re Wonder Woman, you feel great. But you don’t know how much better you’re gonna be 20 months from now like myself, for example. My daughter, she’ll be 2 in June, so when I fought four months after pregnancy, I felt I 100 percent did the best I could with everything I could at the time.

“But I had no idea how much of a better athlete I’ll be 20 months later. So I have an idea of what she’s going through, and I think the timing too. To be back 100 percent, getting punched in the face with four-ounce gloves, it’s different. Just being in the ring, in the fight, you get that feeling back. So I think she’s such a dangerous person and if there’s any time to fight her, it’s now, and I’m proud of her. I’m proud that she’s back fighting and us two having this fight as moms.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8GkRsB0Myc

While the time off could be a factor, Dern (10-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) knows she’s in for a tough fight with the gritty Ansaroff (10-6 MMA, 4-3 UFC). All of Dern’s stoppage wins have come by submission, and the grappling ace is eyeing another finish.

“I think it’s typical striker vs. grappler,” Dern said. “I prefer it like that. I think when it’s striker and grappler, the striker is way more fish out of the water, so it’s a little bit easier for me to throw a lot of submissions, attacks and things like that. Maybe they can defend one or two, but when they don’t have a really big background on the ground, you can end up catching them sooner or later. But Nina, she’s a little bit different than a regular striker because her takedown defense is so good. She has a really high takedown defense. She has good reflexes and things like that, so I’m hoping her timing is a little bit off on that, but I doubt it.

“No one goes into a fight unprepared, so I know she’s gonna be on point with her takedown defense, and that’s where Parillo Boxing comes in, just to have me meld everything together: my striking with my takedowns with my ground game. So I think the way to win this fight is the submission. I don’t want to go three rounds again like my last fight even though it was lots of fun. Like I said, I want to try and get to the belt soon, this year hopefully, so the less damage possible, the quicker I can get back into camp. I can keep climbing the rankings and try to get the belt. So I think a submission in the first round is the way to go.”

With the top of the strawweight division currently booked, a win over Ansaroff would place Dern in a pivotal position. She’s ready to make a run at the title and hopes she can cap off 2021 with the belt around her waist.

“I think one or two fights,” Dern said. “If I win and everything goes good, for me, the next fight I don’t know who it will be – Rose or Zhang Weili or Carla Esparza or Yan Xiaonan. There are a lot of things happening in the top five, but for me I feel ready. But I know for sure my coaches want maybe one or two more fights just to be ready to be the champ and not having surprises, show the part. Maybe I can be the champ because I have a lot of heart, and I work hard, but we want to be champ and everyone can see like, ‘OK, she’s meant to be champ.'”

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MMA Junkie Radio #3146: Guest Randy Costa, Bellator 255 recap, UFC/ONE previews, more (noon ET)

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here and will be live on SportsCastr at noon ET.

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here and will be live on SportsCastr at noon ET.

On episode 3,146, the boys will talk to guest Randy Costa, look back at this past Friday’s Bellator 255, and look ahead to a big week of fights – including ONE on TNT 1 (Wednesday), Bellator 256 (Friday) and UFC on ABC 2 (Saturday). They’ll also discuss all the biggest recent news.

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

UFC on ABC 2 poster: Marvin Vettori, Kevin Holland headline on short notice

The UFC was forced to remake the poster for UFC on ABC 2 after Kevin Holland replaced Darren Till against Marvin Vettori.

The UFC’s poster design team had to come up with something new for next Saturday’s UFC on ABC 2 event after the headliner was switched up on less than two weeks’ notice.

With Darren Till forced to withdraw due to a broken collarbone, [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] now meets [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] in a five-round middleweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN.

The change forced the UFC to remake the poster for the event, and it has now been released. It’s rather traditional, with the Italian Vettori (16-4-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) and the American Holland (21-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) facing off in front of a backdrop of their respective flags.

Check it out below (via Twitter):

The latest UFC on ABC 2 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ABC, ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET)

  • Marvin Vettori vs. Kevin Holland
  • Arnold Allen vs. Sodiq Yusuff
  • Kyle Daukaus vs. Aliaskhab Khizriev
  • Sam Alvey vs. Julian Marquez
  • Nina Ansaroff vs. Mackenzie Dern
  • Mike Perry vs. Daniel Rodriguez

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 12 p.m. ET)

  • Jim Miller vs. Joe Solecki
  • Mateusz Gamrot vs. Scott Holtzman
  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Norma Dumont
  • Ignacio Bahamondes vs. John Makdessi
  • Jarjis Danho vs. Yorgan De Castro
  • Hunter Azure vs. Jack Shore
  • Jordan Griffin vs. Luis Saldana
  • William Knight vs. Da Un Jung
  • Impa Kasanganay vs. Sasha Palatnikov

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDhirCoHfDo

Marvin Vettori vs. Kevin Holland set as new UFC on ABC 2 headliner

Kevin Holland is stepping up on short notice again to fight Marvin Vettori at the UFC on ABC 2 headliner.

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] is stepping up on short notice again to fight [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] at the UFC on ABC 2 headliner.

Holland (21-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will get the chance to redeem his main event defeat against Derek Brunson in March when he steps in to replace the injured Darren Till against Vettori (16-4-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) in the middleweight main event just eight days from now.

MMA Junkie verified the new fight has been signed with multiple people close to the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because UFC has yet to make an official announcement.

UFC on ABC 2 takes place April 10 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN.

The latest UFC on ABC 2 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (ABC, ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET)

  • Marvin Vettori vs. Kevin Holland
  • Arnold Allen vs. Sodiq Yusuff
  • Kyle Daukaus vs. Aliaskhab Khizriev
  • Sam Alvey vs. Julian Marquez
  • Nina Ansaroff vs. Mackenzie Dern
  • Mike Perry vs. Daniel Rodriguez

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 12 p.m. ET)

  • Jim Miller vs. Joe Solecki
  • Mateusz Gamrot vs. Scott Holtzman
  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Norma Dumont
  • Ignacio Bahamondes vs. John Makdessi
  • Jarjis Danho vs. Yorgan De Castro
  • Hunter Azure vs. Jack Shore
  • Jordan Griffin vs. Luis Saldana
  • William Knight vs. Da Un Jung
  • Impa Kasanganay vs. Sasha Palatnikov

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDhirCoHfDo