Tag: UFC on ESPN 19

UFC on ESPN 19’s Jamahal Hill liked Jon Jones’ compliment, but hints not to get too friendly

Jamahal Hill appreciated Jon Jones’ shout out following his big win, but slyly let him know not to get too friendly.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] liked Jon Jones’ shout out, but that won’t change anything.

The rising prospect received praise from the former UFC light heavyweight champion and arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history after Hill stopped [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 19. The event went down on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Hill (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) defeated Saint Preux via TKO at the 3:37 mark of the second round.

Jones tweeted that he liked Hill’s style and said he “looked amazing,” among a few other comments. Hill definitely enjoyed getting a thumbs up from an all-time great but also warned Jones not to get too friendly.

“That’s appreciated,” Hill said speaking to reporters at the post-fight news conference. “I respect Jon regardless of anything anybody says about Jon. He’s great; he came in this game and dominated. He lit the way for a lot of people.

“It was that change of the guard from the well-rounded, be able to do everything, as opposed to just tough guys. So I appreciate that, but it don’t change the fact that one day – one day.”

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With the win over Saint Preux, Hill remains undefeated in his MMA career. The 29-year-old is making plenty of noise at light heavyweight since joining the roster late last year following an impressive victory at Dana White’s Contender Series. It’s been a wild ride for Hill, to say the least.

“It’s been a dream come true,” Hill said. “I’ve been wanting to be here for a long time. I’ve worked hard to get here. On the Contender Series, after I got the finish, I was like, ‘All right, just keep it going.’

“Then fighting in Raleigh, I know I didn’t quite get the finish, but I had actually broke my hand a few days before the fight, so I was fighting with my hand injured, not the full power in my hand. Otherwise, I would’ve probably got the job done with a finish there. But it’s just been a roller coaster with the things I’ve had to deal with outside of the cage to the success inside the cage. I just appreciate it all; that’s my story. You have to be grateful for my story however it is, and I’m just ready for what’s next.”

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Marvin Vettori reneges Paulo Costa plan, wants Israel Adesanya rematch after UFC on ESPN 19

Marvin Vettori was quick to switch gears from his original post-fight callout at UFC on ESPN 19.

[autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] is looking to cut the line into a championship bout after his main event win at UFC on ESPN 19.

Vettori (16-4-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC), who beat Jack Hermansson (21-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) by unanimous decision in Saturday’s middleweight headliner at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, originally called out Paulo Costa after his win in pursuit of a title shot.

However, not long after, he changed his mind, and said a title bout should be on deck.

“Before I called out ‘Borrachinha,’ but to be honest with you, (expletive) ‘Borrachinha.’ He just came out of a crazy loss. Why would I even fight him?” Vettori told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the post-fight news conference. “I want to go straight to the title, man. I’ll be honest, I like the fight, but I feel like the top five there’s no opposition. There’s no real opposition.

“(Jared) Cannonier just lost, Darren Till is – I don’t even think he’s top five – ‘Borrachinha’ just lost brutally and Jack was No. 4. (Robert) Whittaker wants to just enjoy Christmas with his kids, but I don’t blame him it just doesn’t really seem like he wants to fight for the title.”

Vettori served as a replacement opponent against Hermansson in their matchup, and ended up putting on a strong performance over five rounds to claim the win. He’s now won four consecutive fights, and is likely to find himself highly ranked at 185 pounds in the coming days.

For the Italian, the win was a big stepping stone to his ultimate goal: A rematch with [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC). He fought the reigning UFC champ to a split decision at UFC on FOX 29 in April 2018, and has since expressed the belief he deserved the win, which he would solidify in a second showdown.

“Israel is full of (expletive),” Vettori said. “He was like, ‘Oh, I don’t think I will ever see Marvin again, he will never will make it to the title.’ Well guess what mother(expletive)? I’m here. So, he thinks he has it all figured out. He has nothing figured out. I know his true colors. I met him a few times. I fought him. I knew his true colors. I want that fight.”

Vettori brushed off the notion that Adesanya will follow through on a move up to the light heavyweight division, and predicted Glover Teixeira will get the title shot against champ Jan Blachowicz instead.

If Adesanya does get the shot at the 205-pound belt, though, that means Vettori will have to fight someone else.

UFC president Dana White was presented with the idea of a Vettori vs. Costa (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) bout, and although he didn’t commit to making it, his interest was obvious.

“I love that fight,” White said at the post-fight news conference. “Love it. We’ll see (if we make it), but I love that fight.”

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UFC on ESPN 19: Marvin Vettori post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN 19: Marvin Vettori post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN 19: Marvin Vettori post-fight interview

Dana White says Yoel Romero’s release first of many: ‘We’re probably going to have 60 cuts’

The UFC roster is facing massive cuts in the final weeks of 2020, according to UFC president Dana White.

LAS VEGAS – According to UFC president Dana White, [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag]’s recent UFC release is one of many that will come by the end of 2020.

A multi-time UFC middleweight title challenger, Romero (13-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) was released from the promotion Friday after over seven years with the company. Romero last competed in a title fight against middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in the UFC 248 main event in March.

At the UFC on ESPN 19 post-fight news conference, however, White revealed Romero’s release was not an isolated case. The UFC roster is “inflated,” according to White – so more names will follow as 2020 winds down.

“It’s not just Yoel,” White told MMA Junkie, at UFC on ESPN 19 post-fight news conference. “We’re going to go through some serious cuts here at the end of the year. We’re probably going to have 60 cuts before the first of the year. Yoel has lost four of his last five. He’s 44 years old. Our roster is very inflated right now. We’re going to have some big cuts coming before the end of the year. You’re going to see a lot of names going here in the next several weeks. … These are the tough decisions you have to make.”

Romero, who is No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA middleweight rankings, has since lost decisions to Paulo Costa and Adesanya, giving him a 1-4 record leading up to his release.

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Although he didn’t capture a title, Romero still left his mark in the UFC. He has the third-most knockouts in middleweight history (seven), the third-most knockdowns (10), is one of two fighters in UFC history with multiple flying knee finishes, along with other accolades.

Prior to Romero’s release, MMA Junkie confirmed four other fighters – Justin Ledet, Bevon Lewis, Cole Smith, and Collin Huckbody – recently parted ways with the UFC as well.

UFC on ESPN 19 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streamed on ESPN+.

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UFC on ESPN 19 bonuses: Marvin Vettori-Jack Hermansson an obvious ‘Fight of the Night’

A grueling battle deservedly was named “Fight of the Night” at UFC on ESPN 19.

Another Saturday night of UFC action is in the books, and with it, four fighters will pocket an extra $50,000.

As is customary, the promotion handed out postfight bonus to the evening’s best performers.

In the case of UFC on ESPN 19 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, the company rewarded an outstanding scrap for “Fight of the Night,” after [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] and [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag] slugged it out for 25 minutes, and a pair of “Performance of the Night” awards, which went to [autotag]Gabriel Benitez [/autotag]and [autotag]Jordan Leavitt[/autotag].

Here’s more on each of the evening’s winners:

UFC on ESPN 19: Jamahal Hill post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN 19: Jamahal Hill post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN 19: Jamahal Hill post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN 19: Dana White post-event interview

UFC on ESPN 19: Dana White post-event interview

UFC on ESPN 19: Dana White post-event interview

UFC on ESPN 19 results: Marvin Vettori outslugs Jack Hermansson for grueling decision win

Marvin Vettori proved his mettle in a brutal slugfest with Jack Hermansson during the UFC on ESPN 19 main event.

[autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] stepped into a short-notice main event, then turned it into the biggest win of his career.

The rising middleweight replaced Kevin Holland on about a week’s notice against [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag] in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC on ESPN 19 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The bout unfolded as a brutal slugfest, with both guys throwing at a high volume and giving as good as they got.

Vettori (16-3-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC), though, landed more frequently and in a more pinpoint manner over the course of 25 minutes, and that was enough to earn him a unanimous decision. The judges’ scores were 49-46, 49-46, and 49-45.

The tone was set in the opening round, as both competitors cracked one another, Vettori finding a home with straight lefts and Hermansson (21-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) landing right hands and body kicks.

But Vettori pushed forward and unleashed a flurry, one of which was a huge left that dropped Hermansson. Vettori went for a choke on the mat, which may have been a tactical error as it enabled the dazed Hermansson to recover.

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But Vettori continued to dominate the round, which carried over into round two. Hermansson shot for a takedown, only to have Vettori, a superlative grappler, switch position and dominate the bulk of the round on the mat.

Hermansson picked up the pace in the third, as Vettori appeared to tire. Body kicks mixed with overhands had Vettori backpedaling.

Vettori’s corner let him know he lost the third round, and Vettori found another gear in the fourth. The championship rounds were a gripping 10 minutes of action, as both fighters landed often, Vettori landing 94 strikes over the final two rounds sand Hermansson 63. Neither guy came close to a finish as both competitors threw down, but Vettori held the fort and clinched his decision.

Vettori won his fourth consecutive fight. He’s tied with Holland for the second-longest win current divisional streak behind champion Israel Adesanya, who handed Vettori his only loss in his past seven fights.

“I feel like I could do much better but man this guy was tough. I thought I would finish him but he came back. Today, I was stronger, man.

Hermansson has dropped two of his past three.

Complete UFC on ESPN 19 results:

  • Marvin Vettori def. Jack Hermansson via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-45)
  • Jamahal Hill def. Ovince Saint Preux via TKO (punches) — Round 2, 3:37
  • Gabriel Benitez  def. Justin Jaynes via TKO (knee, punches) – Round 1, 4:06
  • Roman Dolidze def. John Allan via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Jordan Leavitt def. Matt Wiman via knockout (slam) – Round 1, 0:22
  • Louis Smolka def. Jose Quinonez via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:15
  • Ilia Topuria def. Damon Jackson via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:38
  • Jake Collier def. Gian Villante via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Twitter reacts to Marvin Vettori’s win over Jack Hermansson in instant classic at UFC on ESPN 19

See the top Twitter reactions to Marvin Vettori’s win over Jack Hermansson in the UFC on ESPN 19 main event.

[autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] got the signature win he’s been looking for on Saturday when he beat [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag] in the UFC on ESPN 19 main event.

Coming in as a replacement on one weeks’ notice, Vettori (16-4-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) beat fellow middleweight contender Hermansson (21-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) by unanimous decision in the headlining bout, which took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Vettori’s victory over Hermansson at UFC on ESPN 19.

UFC on ESPN 19: Gabriel Benitez post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN 19: Gabriel Benitez post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN 19: Gabriel Benitez post-fight interview