Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out MMA Junkie’s top five fights for 2020, including the first women’s bout to take top honors.
With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie takes a look at the best knockouts from January to December. Here are the top five and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Year” award for 2020.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice for “Fight of the Year.”
Check out a full recap of 2020’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.
Now that the year has come to a close, and with a major assist from UFC research analyst and live statistics producers Michael Carroll, here are some of 2020’s most significant milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.
NAC extends temporary suspensions for three UFC fighters after positive marijuana tests.
[autotag]Luis Pena[/autotag], [autotag]Tim Elliot[/autotag] and [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] will have to wait a bit longer for resolution on their infractions in Nevada.
The three UFC competitors had their temporary suspensions extended by the Nevada Athletic Commission on Wednesday afternoon’s monthly meeting after they all tested positive for marijuana in their respective pre-fight screenings. All three suspensions will hold until a full disciplinary hearing at the next NAC meeting, expected to take place in September.
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Pena’s (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) positive marijuana test came from a urine sample submitted on July 24, prior to his July 27 bout with Khama Worthy at UFC on ESPN 12. He lost via third-round submission.
Elliot’s (16-11-1 MMA, 5-9 UFC) positive test came on May 30 ahead of a flyweight contest against Brandon Royval at UFC on ESPN 9. He took the bout on short notice and lost via submission. Elliot went on to fight one more time, as he took on Ryan Benoit at UFC on ESPN 13 on July 16 in Abu Dhabi. Elliot’s temporary suspension officially kicked in on July 21.
Hill (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) also tested positive on May 30 at UFC on ESPN 9, but for a light-heavyweight contest against Klidson Abreu. The 29-year-old won via first round knockout, picking up his second win in the promotion.
It’s unclear at this time if the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, the UFC’s anti-doping partner, will also seek disciplinary action on the positive test.
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Want to own a piece of history? Dustin Poirier’s fight-worn gear from his win over Dan Hooker is up for auction to benefit charity.
[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] recently competed in another fight, which means there’s an opportunity to purchase his fight-worn gear to benefit charity.
As has become his custom in recent years, Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC) has put his pieces of his fight kit up for auction to help benefit his non-profit, The Good Fight Foundation.
The items this time around are particularly special. A lucky bidder will be able to purchase what Poirier wore into the octagon for his legendary fight with Dan Hooker at UFC on ESPN 12 on June 27, which “The Diamond” won by unanimous decision after five thrilling rounds.
It was a blood-and-guts type of contest for 25 minutes, and the grueling nature of it is reflected on the gear, which includes Poirier’s shorts, gloves, hand wraps and fight night credential, as well as his walkout shorts, jacket and pants.
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Bidding for the auction opened at $5,000 and multiple bidders already have bids in. The window for bids closes July 13.
More information on Poirier’s past and future charitable acts can be found at TheGoodFightGroup.com.
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.
It didn’t take long for Dan Hooker’s face to go back to normal after looking like he was in a car crash just one week ago.
It didn’t take long for [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag]’s face to go back to normal after looking like he was in a car crash just one week ago.
Hooker (20-9 MMA, 9-5 UFC) was involved in a wreck of sorts, but one that just so happened to take place in the octagon when he put on a five-round thriller with Dustin Poirier in the UFC on ESPN 12 main event. Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) won a unanimous decision in the blood and guts affair, which is sure to hold up among the top finalists in the “Fight of the Year” category.
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Just hours after going through the fight and being checked out at a Las Vegas hospital, Hooker posted a video on social media in which his face was nearly unrecognizable with cuts and swelling. He’s healed up quickly, though. Just seven days later, his face appears to be back near 100 percent (via Instagram):
Seven days later, good as new! 😉
After falling short in the key 155-pound bout with Poirier, “The Hangman” returned to New Zealand, where he was immediately placed in a mandatory 14-day quarantine. He published a heart-wrenching photo of a visit with his young daughter through a social distancing barrier, and, barring any issues, will be able to rejoin society as of July 12.
He’s already thinking about his fighting future, too. Hooker called out Charles Oliveira and Tony Ferguson in recent days.
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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With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from June 2020.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from June 2020: Here are the three nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Month” award for June.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.
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Andre Fili def. Charles Jourdain at UFC on ESPN 10
It seemed early in [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]’s (21-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) fight with [autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) that it might only be a matter of time before someone caught the other with a highlight-reel finish.
That finish never came, though not for lack of effort. Fili took a split decision from Jourdain with a pair of 29-28 scores in a close fight that may have been decided by Fili’s takedowns. Jourdain started strong, but he couldn’t keep it consistent for all three rounds.
Josh Emmett def. Shane Burgos at UFC on ESPN 11
[autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) vs. [autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) was seemingly a referendum on which of the two is destined to become a real factor in the featherweight division.
After 15 minutes in a battle, though, it’s clear that both will be forces to be reckoned with at 145 pounds. After two tightly contested rounds, Emmett pulled away in the third to seal a unanimous decision and suffering some series injuries to his leg in the process.
Dustin Poirier def. Dan Hooker at UFC on ESPN 12
[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (26-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) vs. [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] (20-9 MMA, 10-6 UFC) was a fight circled on the calendar of many fight fans since the moment it became official, and the lightweight contenders manager to not only meet expectations, but possibly surpass them.
Poirier, the former interim UFC lightweight champion, and Hooker went after each other for 25 minutes, holding nothing back in the process. Both men were bloodied and hurt from the offense implemented by the other, but ultimately it came down to conditioning. “The Diamond” had more of that, and it got him the unanimous decision win.
* * * *
When Poirier vs. Hooker was announced, it figured to be a shoo-in for “Fight of the Night” honors, and even a possibility for “Fight of the Year” consideration.
Not only did we get both, but the lightweight fight at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas ended up being one that likely will be name-checked on the list of the greatest UFC fights of all-time.
The two competitors attacked one another with a reckless abandon for 25 minutes in a bloody and bruising affair that ebbed and flowed.
Poirier, a former interim lightweight champion, had more gas in the tank in the final round and finished strong, which spelled the difference in a tremendous fight. The judges’ scores were 48-47, 48-47, and 48-46 for Poirier, who won for the sixth time in his past seven bouts.
Both fighters let their intentions be known early as they belted one another with full-force kicks both low and to the midsection. Hooker got the best of things in the opening round, as he landed leg kicks and punches to the body.
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The second round was, quite simply, one of the most frantic rounds in the history of the sport. The duo hit each other with everything but the kitchen sink. Wild exchanges in the pocket included Poirier seamlessly transitioning from elbows to punches mid-combo, while Hooker repeatedly found a home with crisp jabs.
Hooker appeared to be up two-love after the first two rounds, but Poirier was just getting started. While both guys continued pummeling each other and walking through shots that would end fights against less hardy foes on the spot, Poirier noticeably went to work with his ground game, working for submission after submission even when he found himself on his back.
While the fight seemed even heading into the fifth, Poirier, who was competing in his eighth UFC main event, simply looked like he had been there more often and controlled the final five minutes and ended the fight landing punches up until the final horn.
“I trusted in my team and my skill and I pulled another one out,” said Poirier, who competed for the first time since losing to UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in September 2019. “I feel like I had another few rounds in me.”
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With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from June 2020.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from June 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for June.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
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Aljamain Sterling def. Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250
[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) put himself in the top echelon of bantamweight title contenders when he defeated Cory Sandhagen (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in the best performance of his career.
Sterling added another signature win to his now five-fight winning streak when he ended Sandhagen’s unbeaten octagon run by quickly taking their title eliminator matchup to the ground. He secured back position in short order then worked away at a rear-naked choke that eventually elicited a tap from Sandhagen less than 90 seconds in.
Gillian Robertson def. Cortney Casey at UFC on ESPN 11
[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag] (8-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) made all sorts of history in her women’s flyweight matchup with Cortney Casey (9-8 MMA, 4-7 UFC), becoming the first in divisional history to reach five stoppage victories.
Robertson put her strong ground game to use against Casey. She finally found her way into a rear-naked choke in the third round and then closed the show by becoming the first person to earn a submission victory out of “Cast Iron.”
Jim Miller def. Roosevelt Roberts at UFC on ESPN 11
36-year-old [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] (32-14 MMA, 21-13 UFC) showed he can still fend off the next generation when he beat Roosevelt Roberts (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who was 14 when Miller made his UFC debut in 2008 in the first round.
Miller’s grappling advantage and submission prowess was merely a level above Roberts in the lightweight bout, and it didn’t take long to show. The veteran, who made his record-tying 35th UFC appearance at the event, snatched up an armbar on Roberts from bottom position. All told, the fight took less than half a round and moved Miller into third place on the UFC’s all-time wins list.
Julian Erosa def. Sean Woodson at UFC on ESPN 12
Third stints don’t come around the UFC often, but [autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag] (24-8 MMA, 2-4 UFC) was of the few to get that opportunity. He made the most of it when pulled off the upset against a previously unbeaten opponent in Sean Woodson (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC).
To make things more impressive, “Juicy J,” who initially got into the UFC via “The Ultimate Fighter 22.” took the fight against Woodson on less than a weeks’ notice. After walking through every shot that came away, Erosa finally grabbed ahold of Woodson’s neck. He locked in the D’Arce choke and got his first UFC win in years.
Maurice Greene def. Gian Villante at UFC on ESPN 12
Gian Villante (17-12 MMA, 7-9 UFC) dropped Maurice Greene (9-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) with a left hook during the third round of their heavyweight bout, and it sure seemed like the fight’s end was near.
That turned out to be the case, but not in a way most were expecting. With Villante in top position and seemingly well positioned to finish things off, Greene pulled an arm-triangle choke out of nowhere and got the submission victory with less than 90 seconds in the round. Greene insisted afterward the finish was achieved purely through technique, but Villante’s exhaustion seems to contribute, too.
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On a night in which bantamweight contenders jockeyed for position to make their case in the race for a bantamweight title shot, Sterling wasted little time stating his own.
Fighting in a UFC 250 main-card bout that UFC president Dana White hinted would be a title eliminator, Sterling made short work of Sandhagen.
The Long Island-based competitor blitzed Sandhagen, dominating from the jump before winning by rear-naked choke. The time of the stoppage was 1:28 of the opening round, as Sterling won his fourth consecutive fight.
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“I got no words for this right now,” Sterling said. “The world is in shambles right now, there is a lot going on, especially in this country. … This is for everyone fighting the good fight back home, protesting.”
Sterling wasted little time in taking a standing Sandhagen’s back. He brought Sandhagen to the ground and nearly finished things with his first rear-naked choke attempt, but Sandhagen escaped. Twice more Sterling applied the choke, and Sandhagen did his best to escape, but a tight body lock limited his options. The third time around, Sandhagen tapped just as he was going out.
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Don’t expect Dustin Poirier to volunteer his services should Khabib Nurmagomedov or Justin Gaethje fall out of their title unifier.
[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]’s ultimate goal is to be the undisputed UFC lightweight champion, but he wants to earn his second shot at gold.
Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC), the former interim champ, fell short in his attempt to unify the titles against champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] last September, but he hasn’t given up on his title aspirations.
Poirier rebounded with an impressive win over Dan Hooker last weekend at UFC on ESPN 12 and is still very much in the title picture.
Nurmagomedov is expected to face current interim champ [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] sometime in the fall in a matchup that Poirier will definitely have his eye on. Poirier is the last man to defeat Gaethje and shared the octagon with Nurmagomedov less than a year ago. But he revealed he isn’t interested in stepping in on short notice should one of those fighters fail to make it to their scheduled unification fight.
Instead, Poirier is looking at earning his shot with a win over one of the other top contenders in the 155-pound division. Whether he has to fight the likes of Tony Ferguson or Nate Diaz next or just wait for his shot, Poirier wants to be pegged as the rightful No. 1 contender.
“I’m interested in all those fights,” Poirier told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “I’d like to fight all those guys. It just has to be the right time and the right scenario, and we’ll make it happen. But my goal before I’m done fighting is to be the undisputed world champion. So (I’ll do) whatever I need to do to make that happen. If that’s sit out and wait for this fight – nobody’s told me I’m next, so I’m not sure exactly what the UFC’s plan is. But if it’s not a title fight, it’s gotta be a big one.
“It’s a tough one. I don’t want to slide in. I want to be picked because of what I’ve done. I want to have a proper training camp. I don’t want to slide in when somebody stubs their toe. I want to earn it, so we’ll see what’s next. I don’t want to look too far. I’ll wait on the UFC to call me.”
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Poirier has been in his fair share of wars during his recent career and is looking to take some time off to fully heal from the bumps and bruises sustained during his hard-fought battle with Hooker. “The Diamond” admitted he’s unsure what’s next, but all he knows is that he’d like the matchup to be worth his while.
“I just want big fights, and I wanna be paid for them,” Poirier said. “So I just want big fights and money. I want to be undisputed world champion, but I’m not pressing, I’m not pushing for other fights right now. I’m just gonna sit back, heal up, see what the UFC wants to do, and we’ll take the next step. But I think I’ve paid my dues and earned my shot at a big fight.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqb9O_jQERY
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Under less-than-ideal circumstances, UFC fighters have given us some memorable battles.
The UFC has been forced to make major adjustments during the coronavirus pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped fighters from delivering inside the octagon.
Since UFC on ESPN+ 28 on March 14, the promotion has carried eight other events behind closed doors, with five of them taking place in the 25-foot octagon at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
There’s something about that smaller cage that has resulted in increased action, faster finishes and absolute wars, as the fans watching at home have been treated to some of the best fights in recent memory.
****
There was no doubt this fight would deliver, but few imagined it would be as one-sided as it was.
[autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] faced [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] on May 9 at UFC 249 for the interim lightweight title and No. 1 contender spot to face champion Khabib Nurmagomedov later this year.
Ferguson was on a 12-fight winning streak going into the fight and was initially scheduled to face Nurmagomedov before the fight fell through yet again.
After suffering back-to-back stoppage losses to Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier, Gaethje turned things around by stopping his next three opponents all in the first round.
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Gaethje’s less gung-ho approach ended up paying dividends once again as he was able to dominate Ferguson for the most part with his superior boxing before eventually stopping him in the fifth round. Ferguson’s durability and cardio made this an entertaining battle, as he continued to press forward despite taking a plethora of Gaethje’s best shots.
Ferguson was even able to badly rock Gaethje with a beautifully timed uppercut at the end of Round 2, but “The Highlight” made the right kind of adjustments to take over the remainder of the fight. As well as the interim title, Gaethje earned two bonus checks for his efforts on the night, picking up his eighth and ninth bonuses in just seven UFC fights.
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