UFC on ESPN 11 – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Curtis Blaydes after UFC on ESPN 11 win?

See who Curtis Blaydes should fight next after his victory over Alexander Volkov at UFC on ESPN 11.

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] continued to prove himself a top heavyweight contender on Saturday with a largely one-sided win over Alexander Volkov in the UFC on ESPN 11 main event.

Blaydes (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) picked up his fourth consecutive win in the form of a unanimous decision over Volkov (31-8 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The path to victory consisted of a record amount of takedowns for a heavyweight fight, with Blaydes grounding “Drago” on 14 separate occasions.

Although the performance garnered some criticism from fans, as well as UFC president Dana White, the fact remains that Blaydes is still one of the very best heavyweights out there, and is closing in on a title opportunity.

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Is his plan to wait out the Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier title fight at UFC 252 on Aug. 15 the right one, though? Or would he be better suited fighting the winner of the Aug. 8 main event between [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) and [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-13-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC)?

Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Blaydes’ future coming out of UFC on ESPN 11.

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Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Alexander Volkov after UFC on ESPN 11 loss?

See who Alexander Volkov should fight next after his loss to Curtis Blaydes in the UFC on ESPN 11 headliner.

[autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] suffered what had to be the most frustrating of losses against Curtis Blaydes on Saturday in the UFC on ESPN 11 main event.

Volkov’s (31-8 MMA, 5-2 UFC) wrestling defense failed to hold up against Blaydes’ (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) takedown-heavy approach in the heavyweight headliner at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, as the Russian succumbed to a unanimous decision loss.

It was the first loss of his kind under the UFC banner for Volkov. His only other octagon shortcoming came against Derrick Lewis in an all-time comeback where Volkov was winning until getting knocked out in the final seconds.

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Some flaws in Volkov’s game were certainly exposed by Blaydes. The upside for “Drago,” however, is that there aren’t an abundance of names in the division who will attempt to implement that approach. And [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag] (13-8 MMA, 6-7 UFC) seems like someone who would be more than willing to exchange on the feet.

So what comes next for Volkov? Watch the video above for thoughts on analysis on his future after UFC on ESPN 11.

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Video: Robert Drysdale releases statement following UFC on ESPN 11 criticism

Robert Drysdale is standing by his actions.

[autotag]Robert Drysdale[/autotag] is standing by his actions.

The lead cornerman for UFC newcomer [autotag]Max Rohskopf[/autotag], Drysdale was criticized by many in the MMA space for his work during Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11.

In a video statement released Sunday, Drysdale, a former UFC fighter and elite jiu-jitsu practitioner, stood by his cornering. Drysdale said it’s a lot easier for people to criticize from the outside when they don’t have all the facts.

“I stand by what I did,” Drysdale said. “I gave him the mental coach that he needed. I would expect the exact same thing from him if he was in my shoes – or any of my coaches for that matter. I expect nothing but greatness from the people around me. If they’re critiquing me, that’s love. That’s true love. That’s the only way to show you care for someone. It’s to make sure they’re giving the best version of themselves.

“If he had been seriously injured, I would have been the first one to stop that fight. I would’ve stopped that fight before anyone else. No one cares about him more than I do other than his immediate family.”

Had he thought Rohskopf’s issue was physical, Drysdale said he would’ve been the first to stop the fight. However, Drysdale said knowing Max, the issue was mental and emotional. He was trying to give Rohskopf a push to go out for the third round in a fight Drysdale deemed winnable.

“He wasn’t seriously hurt,” Drysdale said. “I know he was not in harm’s way. He was just frustrated. I was trying to give him a push so he overcame that frustration. I still believe he could have won the fight. I felt he won the first round. I don’t see how he lost the first round. He definitely lost (the second) round. I think he thought he could’ve turned it in the third. Even if not in an exciting matter, he could have won a decision. That’s what I was trying to get him to do.”

According to Drysdale, he made the decision to call off Rohskopf’s fight at the last second. He said he was trying to give his fighter as much time to change his mind as possible.

“If you pay close attention, I did call the fight at the very last second,” Drysdale said. “I did the right thing. I exhausted the 60 seconds and at the very last second, I called it. Strategically, that was the correct thing to do. I don’t regret my decision at all.”

From there, Drysdale criticized the media for its coverage of the sequence of events on Sunday. Whether it be the media or “the haters,” Drysdale said he would never step into another profession’s realm and critique the experts. He hopes people will give him that same respect.

“I think you should stand by some code of ethics that you don’t see in journalism today,” Drysdale said. “The video is edited in a way that there is no context. It looks like he’s severely injured and clearly, he wasn’t. There needs to be more context to these things. But, it is what it is. I hope the UFC gives him another shot. I know he’s a champion. That doesn’t change how I feel about him one bit.

“… As for the haters, the only thing I recommend is that you give it a try one day. It’s easier said than done. You don’t see me writing critiques on academic papers on quantum physics. You know why? Because I don’t understand quantum physics. You don’t see me making critical statements about basketball or football – because I never played basketball or football. I barely understand any aspect of it, so I keep it to myself. I try to focus on the things I do understand. I understand fighting. Max was apt. He is apt to be a champion. I have no doubts about that.”

Check out Drysdale’s full statement below:

View this post on Instagram

No regrets. I stand by my actions and by his well-being. @ufc @danawhite @suckerpunchent @arielhelwani @maxxingout155 #mma #ufc #wearezenith

A post shared by Robert Drysdale (@robertdrysdalejj) on Jun 21, 2020 at 11:06am PDT

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UFC on ESPN 11 matchmaker: Who’s next for Curtis Blaydes after win over Alexander Volkov?

MMA junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for Curtis Blaydes in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”

UFC on ESPN 11 matchmaker: Who’s next for Alexander Volkov after loss to Curtis Blaydes?

MMA junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for Alexander Volkov in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”

Raquel Pennington happy to share fight card with Tecia Torres as partners win at UFC on ESPN 11

Women’s bantamweight contender Raquel Pennington says she’s targeting Top 5 opposition after her decision win over Marion Reneau at UFC on ESPN 11.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] defeated Marion Reneau via unanimous decision Saturday in their bantamweight main card bout at UFC on ESPN 11 at the UFC Apex.

Take a look inside the fight with Pennington, who bounced back into the win column after three losses in her previous four outings.

Result: Raquel Pennington def. Marion Reneau via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Updated records: Raquel Pennington (11-8 MMA, 8-5 UFC), Marion Reneau (10-6-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC)

Key stat: Pennington outstruck Reneau by 107 to 46 as she dominated the stand-up over the three-round duration to earn a unanimous decision win.

Pennington on sharing a card with partner Tecia Torres

“I have actually been trying to convince Tecia to fight on the same card with me for a while now, but she was like, ‘I can’t do it.’ She’s way more emotional than me, so she just felt like she really couldn’t do it. With all this craziness that’s going on right now they actually called and offered Tecia the fight first, and I was like, ‘You’re on your own!’ because I did not want to get that test done. So I told her I was actually going to watch it at home on my couch. Then they called and offered me the fight for the week after, which would have been tonight. So she was supposed to be last weekend, and then she actually surprised me and asked if she can get on the same card.”

Pennington on Reebok’s Pride Week UFC fight kits

“It’s awesome to see this moment. For one, Tecia was trying to make it happen – it was originally her idea – and then she was just like, ‘I think it would be just something amazing to be able to stand up, especially in this month,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, you’re definitely right.’

“It’s just an honor to be able to stand up for our community and stuff like that.”

Pennington on targeting top opposition next

“Honestly, there’s solid contenders in this division and stuff, and I love challenges. So everybody’s going to bring a different challenge to the table, but if I’m being honest, I want to get back to the top. I’m ranked sixth in the world right now, so I would like to fight anybody within the Top 5.”

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Despite ‘Fight of the Night’ display, Josh Emmett frustrated after ‘horrible fight’ at UFC on ESPN 11

Featherweight contender Josh Emmett says it’s time he got more respect – and a UFC push – after his win over Shane Burgos.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] defeated Shane Burgos via unanimous decision Saturday in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 11 at the UFC Apex.

Take a look inside the fight with Emmett, who picked up his third straight win, and his second successive post-fight bonus, after his Fight of the Night victory over Burgos.

Result: Josh Emmett def. Shane Burgos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)

Updated records: Shane Burgos (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), Josh Emmett (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC)

Key stat: In a fight that was separated by just one significant strike, (Emmett’s 127 to Burgos’ 128) it was Emmett’s two big knockdowns that sealed victory with a decisive final round.

Emmett on changing his gameplan

“In my mind, I’m a tough critic on myself. I didn’t get to move. I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do. I use a lot of movement, a lot of lateral movement and I really wanted to mix up the wrestling and do things, and I hurt my knee in the first 45 seconds. So I felt I had to stand there and play ‘sock ’em, rock ’em robots’ and just slip and rip. I dunno. People are saying it’s a good fight, I guess, but I didn’t get to scratch the surface of what I’m capable of.

“A lot of journalists and all these guys that are always counting me out and stuff. I see everything. I love it, though, because everyone’s saying I’m gonna lose, I’m gonna do this stuff. I can beat anyone in the world, and that was a horrible fight, in my opinion.”

Emmett on suffering the knee injury

“I think I over-committed to a right hand and I think he kicked my knee as I was coming in and it hyperextended it. It had to be the first minute. Right when I went to hold it, and then I stepped back, it just kept buckling and giving out. I’ve never experienced anything like that. I know it’s on the outside – I believe it’s my ACL, that’s what’s going through my mind. But yeah, I couldn’t move. … I just had to stand there and throw jabs and overhand rights.

“The first thing going through my mind is like, ‘OK, this hurts. I can’t move. I’m going to have to adapt to it.’ I feel like my mentality is the strongest part of my game and I’m willing to go through hell. I’m willing to go through anything to get my hand raised and I was just like, ‘I’m not going home with one check.'”

Emmett on wanting more respect – and a UFC push

“I want to keep the momentum going. I want to fight. Everyone’s always talking about these other hungry fighters. I’m one of the hungriest fighters in the UFC. I’ve never turned a fight down, I want to fight as consistent as possible. But nobody pushes me. They push and build all these other guys up.

“I can beat anyone in the world, so I hope tonight I can start to get some push. I hope the UFC can push me, build me up, do something for me, instead of just trying to keep me as a gatekeeper and just fight all these veterans and tough prospects and up-and-comers. It’s just so frustrating to me.”

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Callout Collection: Who UFC on ESPN 11 winners want next – and how likely they’ll get them

Belal Muhammad and Justin Jaynes were among those who name-dropped their preferred next opponents at UFC on ESPN 11 in Las Vegas.

Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.

So after Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11 event in Las Vegas, who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.

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First up, let’s take a look at the preliminary card …

Justin Jaynes

Wants to fight: [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] or [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]

The callout: “I’ve got a couple of guys on my hit list right now, and I wanna talk to my manager and see what we can line up down the road, and take it day-by-day for that. … Drakkar Klose. Beat me 2007, high school wrestling state championship. Got a little salty about that, still. He ruined my dreams. And (Austin) Hubbard. He just beat a friend of mine, Max (Rohskopf). I’d like to redeem his loss.”

The reality: After a performance like the one he delivered on his debut at UFC on ESPN 11, it seems like a no-brainer to get [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag], fitness permitting, straight back into the cage at the earliest opportunity. Austin Hubbard earned a stoppage win on the same card and is therefore on the same timeline, so that could be a simple one for the matchmakers to book.

But I think the high school wrestling angle makes the fight with Klose much more intriguing. Fights always seem to capture the imagination more when there’s a real backstory to them, and Jaynes losing out to Klose back in their high school wrestling days offers a nice opportunity for the UFC to build interest in a possible matchup. Klose will be keen to bounce back after his recent loss to Beneil Dariush, and may see Jaynes as a familiar face who he’s bested once before on the wrestling mats. On paper, it looks like a nice matchup to test Jaynes, while giving Klose the opportunity to bounce back from his recent setback.

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Next up: The “King” fires back at the “Texecutioner”

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5 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN 11: Is Dana White’s criticism of Curtis Blaydes too much?

Thoughts and analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC on ESPN 11, which took place Saturday in Las Vegas.

What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 11 in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings …

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1. Curtis Blaydes says he’s ‘the heel’

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] is taking a curious approach to his career right now. No one is going to sit here and argue his unanimous decision win over Alexander Volkov was the most exciting of fights, and Blaydes is under no illusions that was the case.

Blaydes said afterward he’s accepted his role as “the heel.” That’s an interesting label to put on himself, mainly because it’s not entirely true. From a professional wrestling context, the heel is someone who intentionally tries to be disliked by fans. Blaydes might be relishing the hate, but he also can’t operate any other way.

It would be a massive disservice for Blaydes to ignore his biggest strength as the superior grappler whenever he can. His previous fight with Junior Dos Santos showed Blaydes can handle himself standing if needed, and while he did show some moment of vulnerability against Volkov standing, he was able to go to his grappling basically whenever he wanted.

Blaydes has made it clear he’s going to use this same approach no matter the opponent or stakes. That might carry him into some additional obstacles as he tries to claim the UFC heavyweight title, but Blaydes seems to recognize he can only be denied for so long.

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UFC on ESPN 11 rookie report: Grading the newcomers in Las Vegas

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time. How did the two newcomers perform Saturday?

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For two athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11 event marked that special moment in their career.

Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression they made on the sport’s biggest stage from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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Max Rohskopf

Division: Lightweight
Result: Austin Hubbard def. Max Rohskopf via TKO (doctor stoppage) – Round 2, 5:00
Record: 5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC
Grade: D-

[autotag]Max Rohskopf[/autotag] stepped up on just 10 days’ notice to face Austin Hubbard in Las Vegas and showed a glimpse of his dangerous ground game before eventually retiring from the fight after the second round.

In a back-and-forth opening round, Rohskopf showed up well as he went toe to toe with Hubbard and, when the action went to the mat, showed some of his attacking grappling skills as he pursued a heel-hook, forcing Hubbard to go on the defensive.

But after the restart and the momentum swung significantly away from Rohskopf as Hubbard battered him with strikes throughout the second stanza. As Hubbard’s confidence grew, Rohskopf’s belief drained away and, when the disconsolate debutant returned to his stool at the end of the round, he repeatedly told coach Robert Drysdale he wanted him to “call it,” telling him, “I don’t have it anymore.”

Drysdale tried to rally his man and convince him to go back out for the final round, but Rohskopf knew he was done, and told referee Mark Smith as much when the eagle-eyed official saw him in distress.

Unfortunately for Rohskopf, his first taste of the octagon proved to be a bitter one as he was overwhelmed after a heavy dose of punishment in Round 2. After stepping in on just a few days’ notice for his debut after a promising start to his career, I hope the UFC doesn’t just cast him aside and instead gives him a second chance – with a full camp – to show the skills that made him an unbeaten prospect prior to Saturday night.

Next up: Short-notice debutant comes up big with a quickfire finish

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