Tag: UFC on ESPN 22

UFC on ESPN 22 bonuses: Robert Whittaker, Kelvin Gastelum deliver ‘Fight of the Night’

The UFC stuck with its traditional model of handing out four $50,000 post-fight bonuses at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 22 event.

The UFC stuck with its traditional model of handing out four $50,000 post-fight bonuses at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 22 event, and the night’s headliners were rewarded for their work with “Fight of the Night” honors.

However the two “Performance of the Night” awards went to fighters a little further down on the card, with both of those recipients coming from the prelims.

UFC officials announced the winners after the card. Check out the post-fight bonus winners below from Saturday’s ESPN-broadcast event from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

UFC on ESPN 22 results: Robert Whittaker gives masterclass in win over Kelvin Gastelum

Robert Whittaker continued his unbeaten run since losing the UFC middleweight title with a brilliant performance.

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] remains unbeaten since losing his title.

The former UFC middleweight champion picked up yet another win in his path back to title contention. Whittaker (23-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC defeated [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] (17-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) in a dominant unanimous decision that read 50-45 across all three judges’ scorecards.

The middleweight clash served as the main event of UFC on ESPN 22, which took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

It was a masterful performance by Whittaker.

In the first round, Whittaker connected on a big head kick that stunned Gastelum. He followed up with a series of punches that had Gastelum in trouble. Whittaker was able to get the fight to the ground and control the entire round. It was a dominant first five minutes from the former champion.

The second round was better for Gastelum, but even then, Whittaker landed the better shots. He connected with several hard jabs and kept checking Gastelum with short, hard left hooks. Gastelum was wearing the damage on his face as he bled from his right eyebrow.

In the third round, Gastelum picked up momentum. He was still taking heavy shots from Whittaker, but he was also dishing out damage of his own as he started to time Whittaker. The round was close until the the last minute. Whittaker remained on the back heel countering well, while Gastelum was slowing down. In one of the last combinations, Whittaker wobbled Gastelum.

From that point on, the last two rounds were complete mastery by Whittaker. The 30-year-old was simply faster with his footwork and strikes. Gastelum did a good job at trucking forward and looking to land a fight-ending shot, but it never came. Whittaker was too sharp and smart to make any costly mistakes.

Whittaker now has consecutive wins over Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, and Gastelum since losing the belt to Israel Adesanya back in late 2019. The defeat to Adesanya is the only one Whittaker has suffered in the last seven years.

In his post fight interview, he asked for the championship rematch against Adesanya.

“Nothing but respect, but I think we should talk and I think it’s time we cross paths again, and we can get a sold out stadium in Australia,” Whittaker said. “Let’s make that happen.”

Gastelum, who took the fight on short notice by replacing Paulo Costa, is 1-5 in his past five UFC outings.

Below are complete results for UFC on ESPN 22:

  • Robert Whittaker def. Kelvin Gastelum via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
  • Andrei Arlovski def. Chase Sherman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  •  Jacob Malkoun def. Abdul Razak Alhassan via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Tracy Cortez def. Justine Kish via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Tracy Cortez def. Justine Kish via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Alexandr Romanov def. Juan Espino via technical split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) – Round 3, 1:05
  • Jessica Penne def. Loopy Godinez via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Gerald Meerschaert def. Bartosz Fabinski via technical submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:00
  • Austin Hubbard def. Dakota Bush via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Tony Gravely def. Anthony Birchak via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:31

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UFC on ESPN 22 results: Andrei Arlovski bests Chase Sherman for 20th UFC win

Andre Arlovski, at 42, is still claiming wins in the octagon.

[autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag] is not slowing down.

The former UFC heavyweight champion is still picking up victories even 22 years after his professional MMA debut. The 42-year-old Arlovski (31-20 MMA, 20-14 UFC) out-pointed [autotag]Chase Sherman[/autotag] for a unanimous decision that read 29-28 across all three judges’ scorecards.

The heavyweight clash served as the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 22 event in Las Vegas. Jeremy Stephens vs. Drakkar Klose was originally scheduled as the co-main event of the card, but a same day cancellation promoted Arlovski vs. Sherman (15-7 MMA, 3-6 UFC) to the co-headlining act.

In the first round, both fighters started hot as they exchanged hard strikes that connected well. Sherman mainly walked down Arlovski, but both had similar levels of output. The fight was even until there was a minute remaining in the round. Sherman connected hard and wobbled Arlovski. He followed up with more punches further hurting the former champ, but not enough to put him away. Arlovski did a good job surviving and staying in the fight until the bell rang.

The second round was close, but Arlovski seemed to get the better of the exchanges. Both fighter landed plenty of shots, but Arlovski focused a lot more on leg kicks and battered Sherman badly throughout the round. There was significant redness and swelling on Sherman’s left leg.

Starting the final round, Sherman’s mobility was compromised. “The Vanilla Gorilla” was moving slow and chasing after Arlovski a lot less. Arlovski was able to bounce around Sherman, landing varied attacks to the body, head and legs. Arlovski connected well and often but wasn’t bale to put away Sherman, who also had some good moments.

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With this result, Arlovski picks up his 20th win in the UFC. He moves into tie for fourth on the all-time UFC wins list, tying Michael Bisping, Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre.

The American Top Team product is 3-1 in his past four trips to the octagon. He made his UFC debut in November 2000 and he was champion of the promotion back in 2006.

Meanwhile, Sherman saw a four-fight wining streak come to an end. He’s 1-1 since re-joining the UFC in 2020.

Below are the updated results for UFC on ESPN 22:

  • Andrei Arlovski def. Chase Sherman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  •  Jacob Malkoun def. Abdul Razak Alhassan via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Tracy Cortez def. Justine Kish via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Tracy Cortez def. Justine Kish via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Alexandr Romanov def. Juan Espino via technical split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) – Round 3, 1:05
  • Jessica Penne def. Loopy Godinez via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Gerald Meerschaert def. Bartosz Fabinski via technical submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:00
  • Austin Hubbard def. Dakota Bush via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Tony Gravely def. Anthony Birchak via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:31

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Jeremy Stephens vs. Drakkar Klose called off as UFC on ESPN 22 goes to air

The grudge match will have to wait, as Jeremey Stephens vs. Drakkar Klose was called off just before the start of UFC on ESPN 22.

LAS VEGAS – The grudge match will have to wait.

Just minutes before the start of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 22 event, [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] was pulled from the lineup because of an undisclosed injury to Klose. The announcement was made as UFC on ESPN 22 went to air from the UFC Apex.

While the matchup already looked enticing on paper, interest grew greater at Friday’s ceremonial faceoffs where they came nose to nose before “Lil’ Heathen” decided that was just a touch too close for his liking. Stephens then put two hands on Klose’s chest and shoved him across the stage.

Stephens (28-18 MMA, 15-17 UFC) was looking to return to the lightweight division for the first time since 2103, seeking to snap a disappointing four-fight losing streak. He insisted during fight week that some major life changes in recent months have him more focused than ever.

Meanwhile, Klose (11-2-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) was hoping to rebound from a frustrating March 2020 loss to Beneil Dariush. Prior to the setback, Klose had enjoyed a three-fight winning streak.

With the change, the complete UFC on ESPN 22 lineup:

MAIN CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum
  • Andrei Arlovski vs. Chase Sherman
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Jacob Malkoun
  • Tracy Cortez vs. Justine Kish
  • Alexander Munoz vs. Luis Pena

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET)

  • Juan Espino vs. Alexandr Romanov
  • Loopy Godinez vs. Jessica Penne
  • Bartosz Fabinski vs. Gerald Meerschaert
  • Dakota Bush vs. Austin Hubbard
  • Anthony Birchak vs. Tony Gravely

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UFC on ESPN 22 play-by-play and live results

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 22 in Las Vegas, featuring Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 22 event, and you can join us for live play-by-play and official results beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT).

UFC on ESPN 22 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

In the main event, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (22-5 MMA, 13-3 UFC) takes on Kelvin Gastelum (17-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC). In the co-feature, Drakkar Klose (11-2-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) meets Jeremy Stephens (28-18 MMA, 15-17 UFC) at lightweight.

Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ and 10 p.m. ET for the main card on ESPN/ESPN+.

To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC on ESPN 22 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporters John Morgan (@MMAjunkieJohn) and Ken Hathaway (@kenshathaway) on Twitter.

Enjoy the fights, everyone.

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UFC on ESPN 22 discussion thread

UFC on ESPN 22 takes place Saturday in Las Vegas, and you can discuss the event here.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 22 event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT). You can discuss the event here.

Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our UFC on ESPN 22 live results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.

Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET for the preliminary card and 10 p.m. ET for the main card.

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UFC on ESPN 22 weigh-in highlights, faceoffs and photo gallery

All the pre-fight activities are in the books for UFC on ESPN 22 following Friday’s official weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs.

 

LAS VEGAS – All the pre-fight activities are in the books for UFC on ESPN 22 following Friday’s official weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs.

The organization wraps up a stretch of 10 consecutive events at the UFC Apex with Saturday’s card. The headliner features a key middleweight matchup with [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 13-3 UFC) vs. [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC). Both men are hoping to earn a crack at the UFC middleweight title with a win.

At the conclusion of Friday’s official weigh-ins, the athletes came face-to-face for a final staredown, as well.

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UFC on ESPN 22 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Check out the highlights in the video above, and a photo gallery from all of Friday’s happenings below.

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Video: Jeremy Stephens shoves Drakkar Klose at UFC on ESPN 22 ceremonial faceoffs

A battle between two lightweight sluggers just got a little more heated.

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LAS VEGAS – A battle between two lightweight sluggers just got a little more heated.

At Friday’s UFC on ESPN 22 ceremonial faceoffs at the UFC Apex, [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] and [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] went nose-to-nose before “Lil’ Heathen” decided that was just a touch to close for his liking. Stephens then put two hands on his opponent’s chest and shoved him across the stage.

Klose was visibly angered by the move, but UFC security personnel quickly intervened and kept the two separated as they were ushered off-stage.

Stephens and Klose compete in the co-main event of Saturday’s event, which also takes place at the UFC Apex. Prelims air on ESPN and ESPN+.

Stephens (28-18 MMA, 15-17 UFC) returns to the lightweight division for the first time since 2103, seeking to snap a disappointing four-fight losing streak. However, he insists some major life changes made in recent months have him more focused than ever.

Meanwhile, Klose (11-2-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) hopes to rebound from a frustrating March 2020 loss to Beneil Dariush. Prior to the setback, Klose had enjoyed a three-fight winning streak.

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Zarah Fairn vs. Josiane Nunes scrapped from UFC on ESPN 22 after 11-pound weight discrepancy

The fight had been shifted by the promotion to a catchweight, but a major weight miss still occurred.

LAS VEGAS – An 11-pound discrepancy on the scales at the UFC on ESPN 22 official weigh-ins Friday led to one fight being scrapped from Saturday’s event.

Originally scheduled to take place at bantamweight, [autotag]Zarah Fairn[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Josiane Nunes[/autotag] was shifted to a catchweight of 139 pounds prior to the start of the weigh-ins. However, Fairn (6-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) still missed weight by a large margin, tipping the scales at 147 pounds. Moments later, Nunes (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) weighed in at 136 pounds. The fight was then canceled shortly thereafter.

Both of Fairn’s previous UFC appearances took place at featherweight. UFC on ESPN 22 was expected to mark her promotional debut at bantamweight. She had competed at bantamweight in the past, but not since September 2017.

UFC on ESPN 22 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN after prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

With the removal, the UFC on ESPN 22 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum
  • Drakkar Klose vs. Jeremy Stephens
  • Andrei Arlovski vs. Chase Sherman
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Jacob Malkoun
  • Alexander Munoz vs. Luis Pena

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Tracy Cortez vs. Justine Kish
  • Juan Espino vs. Alexandr Romanov
  • Lupita Godinez vs. Jessica Penne
  • Bartosz Fabinski vs. Gerald Meerschaert
  • Anthony Birchak vs. Tony Gravely
  • Austin Hubbard vs. Natan Levy

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UFC on ESPN 22 breakdown: Deciphering the potential Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum chaos

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the UFC on ESPN 22 main event between Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum.

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MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for UFC on ESPN 22.

UFC on ESPN 22 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.