Tag: UFC on ABC 4

Video: Is Jailton Almeida or Johnny Walker more likely to win UFC title?

UFC on ABC 4 winners Jailton Almeida and Johnny Walker have been on hot streaks lately, but which Brazilian standout could win gold?

UFC on ABC 4 produced two great performances from the winners of the main and co-main events, [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] and [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag].

Almeida made quick work of heavy-handed Jairzinho Rozenstruick, while Walker bested one-time UFC title challenger Anthony Smith. Both Brazilian fighers have been surging of late.

Almeida, a heavyweight, is now 5-0 in the UFC, with all five of his wins being finishes. For Walker, he’s on a three-fight winning streak and experiencing a resurgence after once being considered the future of light heavyweight.

Although there is still a lot of mountain left to climb for both men, which do you believe in more to possibly win a UFC title?

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Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Dan Tom weighed in with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

Tainara Lisboa admits thoughts of never making UFC debut crossed her mind

After over a year between fights, and a long wait to make her debut at UFC on ABC 4, Tainara Lisboa thought it may not ever happen.

[autotag]Tainara Lisboa[/autotag] shined in the opening bout of Saturday’s UFC on ABC 4, which took place at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.

Take a look inside the first-round TKO result by Ulberg, who extended his current win streak to four, which includes three straight opening-round finishes.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.

Dana White: UFC’s Jailton Almeida ‘looks like he’s going to be a star in the heavyweight division’

UFC president Dana White has high hopes for Jailton Almeida, who could be the next big thing at heavyweight if his tear continues.

Heavyweight standout [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] is making quite the impression on UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag].

Almeida’s tear through the division continued this past Saturday at UFC on ABC 4 in Charlotte, N.C., where he dismantled Jairzinho Rozenstruik before a first-round submission win by rear-naked choke in the main event.

The result pushed Almeida’s overall winning streak to 14 fights, as he hasn’t lost since January 2018. That includes his first five UFC appearances since he secured a contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2021. All five of his UFC victories have been finishes.

Needless to say, White is quite pleased with what he’s seen in such a short time and believes Almeida (19-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) is primed for a big future.

“We were looking to make a main event for this card. That’s why we picked these two,” White told reporters at the UFC on ABC 4 post-event news conference. “We knew it was going to be – this guy looks like he’s going to be a star in the heavyweight division. …

“His double leg is insane. When he gets that top position, he doesn’t screw around. He goes in there and tries to finish. I have a lot of high hopes for this kid. I think he’s going to be something special.”

It’s been quite the run for the 31-year-old Brazilian, who should make a sizable jump from 12 in the UFC heavyweight rankings after beating No. 9 Rozenstruik in dominant fashion.

Following his victory, Almeida called for a fight with Tai Tuivasa and said he expects to fight for the UFC heavyweight championship in 2024.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.

Carlos Ulberg eyes top 15 opponent after bonus-earning TKO of Ihor Potieria at UFC on ABC 4

UFC middleweight Carlos Ulberg has knocked out his last three foes, and knows a top 15 opponent is around the corner.

[autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag] made quick work of Ihor Potieria on the main card of Saturday’s UFC on ABC 4, which took place at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.

Take a look inside the first-round TKO result by Ulberg, who extended his current win streak to four, which includes three straight opening-round finishes.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.

UFC on ABC 4’s Alex Morono explains why defeating Tim Means was ‘more meaningful than just a win’

At UFC on ABC 4, Alex Morono accomplished a personal hurdle to “level up” by getting past Tim Means.

UFC welterweight [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]’s return to the win column Saturday had a deeper personal meaning beyond just getting his hand raised.

At UFC on ABC 4 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., Morono (23-8 MMA, 12-5 UFC) stepped into the octagon to face an opponent he’s watched for years in well-respected veteran Tim Means. There was no animosity in this matchup. For Morono, this was about proving to himself that he could get over the hurdle of facing a fighter who he has looked up to since the early days of his professional career.

“I got a lot of respect and admiration for Tim Means,” Morono said during a post-fight news conference (via FanSided). “For those that don’t know, I watched him fight live in Houston about 10 years ago. So, I was maybe 21, 22 years old, like maybe 1-0, 2-0 pro. I watched him take out Houston’s No. 1 prospect, a guy I had trained with, and the guy gave me a lot of trouble – and Tim finished him, and got resigned to the UFC. So, I always not only thought highly of him, but I was always like a little – I don’t want to say intimidated, but like, if I had to fight him, I wouldn’t have been thrilled about it.

“Sure enough, just as a man, and as a martial artist, getting this fight was like a task for me to effectively level up just as a human and as a martial artist. I was ready for the task, I trained my butt off. Now, to be fair, every fight camp has been maximized in terms of preparation, but this one was a bit more personal for my own reasons. Getting the victory, it was more meaningful than just a win.”

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At 2:09 of the second round, Means (32-15-1 MMA, 14-12 UFC) tapped from a tight guillotine choke that Morono slapped on out of nowhere after missing with a spinning backfist. Immediately after the referee signaled for Morono to release the hold, the fighters embraced, displaying the mutual respect between lifelong martial artists. Morono cleared the hurdle.

“Normally, I don’t care who I fight,” Morono said. “Even back in my non-UFC days, I would fight anyone they would ever offer. Even in the UFC, I couldn’t imagine someone they’d want me to fight and I wouldn’t be excited. This match with Tim Means, I was just like when I took it, there was like a feeling of caution opposed to a feeling of excitement – and then I knew if I could get the win and conquer this task, then it would be quite valuable on a personal level, and certainly it was.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.

Michael Bisping sounds off in defense of Anthony Smith after UFC on ABC 4 loss to Johnny Walker

Michael Bisping doesn’t want to hear anyone talking trash about Anthony Smith after UFC on ABC 4.

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]’s latest outing certainly wasn’t the brightest moment of his career, but watch how you talk about it around his friend, fellow podcast host, and former UFC champ [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag].

Smith faced Johnny Walker in the co-main event of UFC on ABC 4, and lost a clear unanimous decision in which only one official cageside judge found a round to score for the former title challenger. The result was Smith’s second-straight setback, and many, including UFC president Dana White, thought he was going to announce his retirement after the fight.

On a live YouTube stream of the “Believe You Me Podcast” during the UFC on ABC 4 fight card, a commenter named “Tali Ban GB” tipped Bisping and his co-hosts $2 along with the message, “Ant was smashed. Especially after the talk he did.”

Bisping took exception to the comment, which quickly escalated into a fiery, mini-rant response.

“What do you mean? What do you expect him to say?” Bisping said in response to a commenter. “Why are you going to be a hater? Why are you gonna come on here and talk crap? Listen, after the talk that he did? Of course, you’re going to go into a fight confident. I’m assuming you’ve never stepped into a competitive realm in your life. If you go into something, you can’t go in there expecting to lose. You go in there hoping to win. You do the work that you’re gonna win, and you have a positive mindset. You don’t walk around going, ‘Oh, god. This is gonna be really tough. I don’t know if I can do this.’ Because that means you’re already defeated, Tali Ban GB.

“So, have a little look at yourself in the mirror. You shouldn’t be celebrating the fact that somebody got beaten in a fight they pursue where they put their life, their body and their health on the line for your entertainment. You know, you should say, ‘Well, you know, fair play to Johnny Walker.’ We have to celebrate that, but you don’t kick a man while he’s f*cking down.”

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Bisping wasn’t done putting the commenter in his place, though. In fact, from there, he went scorched earth before walking away from the microphone for a moment.

“So, if you want to go f*ck off and unsubscribe, take your $2 f*cking dollars back, stick it up your f*cking ass, you prick.”

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.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik reacts to Jailton Almeida loss at UFC on ABC 4: ‘I’ll be back better and stronger’

Jairzinho Rozenstruik reacts to his submission loss to Jailton Almeida at UFC on ABC 4.

[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] won’t let Saturday’s setback discourage him.

The UFC heavyweight contender vows to come back stronger following his submission loss to rising prospect Jailton Almeida in the main event of UFC on ABC 4, which went down Saturday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., and aired on ABC and ESPN+.

Although Rozenstruik was able to initially defend Almeida’s attacks, the Surinamese fighter eventually caved in to Almeida’s ground prowess and ended up tapping out to a rear-naked choke at the end of Round 1.

“What’s up, guys. As you guys see, the fight didn’t go my way,” Rozenstruik said in a video posted on Twitter in reaction to the defeat. “I think one or two mistakes cost me the whole fight. I felt like I was doing everything right, so yeah. Anyway, I’ll be better. I’ll be back better and stronger, and I want to say thank you for supporting me.”

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Rozenstruik (13-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) entered UFC on ABC on the heels of a Performance of the Night win against Chris Daukaus at UFC 282, where he ended the fight quickly in just 23 seconds. Unfortunately for “Bigi Boy,” he was unable to make it two wins in a row as Almeida’s ground game proved too much to handle. He’s now 1-3 in his past four outings.

On the other hand, Almeida (19-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) stretched his winning streak to 14 in a row. He has yet to taste defeat since January 2018. Almeida called out fan-favorite Tai Tuivasa after the fight and targeted a return around October.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.

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Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Jailton Almeida after UFC on ABC 4 win?

See who Jailton Almeida should fight next after his victory over Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the UFC on ABC 4 headliner.

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] continued the unbeaten start to his octagon tenure on Saturday when he ran through Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the UFC on ABC 4 headliner.

Almeida (19-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) shined under the spotlight of his first UFC main event when he overwhelmed Rozenstruik (13-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) on the mat en route to a first-round submission win in the heavyweight bout at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.

After the fight, the Brazilian called for a showdown with Tai Tuivasa next. However, is that the best option as Almeida navigates his path forward?

Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Almeida’s future after UFC on ABC 4.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.

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Ian Machado Garry calls out ‘perfect opponent’ Neil Magny after UFC on ABC 4 win

Ian Machado Garry explains why he wants Neil Magny next after UFC on ABC 4 win.

[autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] is a man with a plan.

Following his impressive, quick finish at UFC on ABC 4, Garry (12-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) took the microphone in his in-cage, post-fight interview to call out one of the most seasoned names in the UFC’s welterweight division – Neil Magny.

Garry wants to get his hands on Magny and sees him as the appropriate next step after finishing Daniel Rodriguez on Saturday night.

“Neil Magny is a phenomenal talent that’s been around the game for, Jesus, God knows how long,” Garry said. “He’s been in the top 10, top 15 since I’ve been an amateur. And when you look at the opponents that he’s fought, the people that he’s fought. His last opponents were Gilbert Burns, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Daniel Rodriguez – they are the elite guys. I want to face someone who’s faced that talent. I want to see what he brings. …

“I believe Neil Magny is the perfect opponent for me to go out there and smoke and show the world how good I am.”

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Garry has yet to score a submission win in his UFC career, but he’s confident he can end that against Magny.

“See, that’s a good one because I believe I can sub him very simply,” Garry said. “Even though he’s longer than me – he’s got like an 80-inch reach, which is ridiculous – I don’t believe he’s going to want to strike with me on the feet. I’m too fast. He’s nowhere near as fast or as accurate as I am on the feet. He’ll want to get in close, maybe take me down and put me on my back, and I look forward to it. So I probably say it will be a submission and I want that.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.

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