UFC on ESPN+ 26 – Page 2 – Syndication Server

UFC on ESPN+ 26 rookie report: Grading the lone newcomer in Auckland

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time – so how did the lone newcomer perform on Saturday?

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For one athlete, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 26 event marked that special moment in their career.

Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression he made on the sport’s biggest stage from Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand.

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Joshua Culibao

Division: Lightweight
Result: Jalin Turner def. Josh Culibao via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 2, 3:01
Record: (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: D-

Sydney native Culibao was all smiles ahead of his first UFC appearance, and he grinned his way to the octagon as he soaked up the occasion of his octagon debut.

But, despite his sunny outlook, things didn’t go “Kuya’s” way on fight night as he was finished in the second round by Jalin Turner in Auckland.

Fighting a weight class above his usual featherweight division, Culibao was physically outmatched by the rangy Turner (9-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who held significant height, reach and weight advantages over the 25-year-old. Those physical discrepancies played out throughout the matchup, as Turner used his advantages to good effect to score the stoppage win.

Culibao looked loose early on as he circled the cage and moved in and out to score with strikes from close range. But Turner looked like a man used to operating a weight class higher than Culibao as he took the debutant to the mat with relative ease before stepping back up to allow the fight to return to the feet. Culibao was then taken down again by Turner, and had to stay composed to survive a tight-looking mounted guillotine choke as he made it to the stool at the end of the round.

Culibao struggled to get inside the perimeter of Turner’s striking range in Round 2 as “The Tarantula” kept the debutant on the end of his strikes. Then, just over a minute into the round, disaster struck for Culibao as he appeared to sustain a twisted ankle while circling on the outer reaches of the octagon. Turner saw his moment and pounced, as he took Culibao down, established top position and peppered the Aussie with strikes to score the TKO victory.

Fighting on less than three weeks’ notice at a weight class higher than usual, against a much bigger, rangier athlete, Culibao had an uphill battle from the start. Suffering an unfortunate mid-fight injury only made things go from bad to worse as he lost a one-sided fight by second-round TKO.

It’s impossible to give Culibao a positive grade on the strength of his debut showing, but it’s also unfair to judge him solely on the basis of that matchup, considering all the disadvantages he faced going in.

Hopefully, he’ll get another shot, this time at his usual weight class and with a full fight camp under his belt, and he can do himself justice in a more evenly-matched contest.

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

Dan Hooker, Brad Riddell and Angela Hill were among those with specific names in mind for their next fight after UFC on ESPN+ 26 in Auckland.

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+ 26 event in Auckland, New Zealand, 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 night’s prelim winners.

Angela Hill

Wants to fight: Karolina Kowalkiewicz

The callout: “I feel like everyone is booked right now, but I’d love to fight Karolina if she wins today. Even if she doesn’t, I’d like that fight. It would be a great matchup. That’s always been a fight I’ve wanted. I’m willing to fight anyone, but Karolina’s at the top of the list because our schedules line up.”

The reality: [autotag]Karolina Kowalkiewicz[/autotag] didn’t win her fight in Auckland, and that could play heavily into any possibility of a matchup with [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] being booked. The Pole has now lost four in a row, and that’s the sort of form that can often lead to a parting of ways. But Kowalkiewicz (12-6 MMA, 5-6 UFC) remains a popular fighter, and a matchup with Hill (12-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) may still be considered worthwhile, especially on a European card, later in the year. Stylistically, it would certainly produce an exciting fight, and with Kowalkiewicz likely fighting in the last chance saloon, it would be a fight with the highest of stakes.

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Next up, let’s check out the main card.

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Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Dan Hooker after UFC on ESPN+ 26 win?

See who Dan Hooker should fight next after his victory over Paul Felder at UFC on ESPN+ 26.

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] earned the biggest win of his career on Saturday when he won his grudge match with Paul Felder in the UFC on ESPN+ 26 headliner.

After five rounds of thrilling action in front of his hometown crowd at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, Hooker (20-8 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was awarded the split decision win over Felder (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) to improve to 7-1 since moving up to the lightweight division less than three years ago.

Although it was a closely contested decision, Hooker got his hand raised and takes the step forward into another meaningful fight in the stacked 155-pound weight class.

So what’s the best move going forward? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Hooker’s future after UFC on ESPN+ 26, and why a matchup against the winner of the UFC on ESPN+ 28 headliner between [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) and [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (28-8 MMA, 16-8 UFC).

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Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Paul Felder after UFC on ESPN+ 26 loss?

See who Paul Felder should fight next after his loss to Dan Hooker at UFC on ESPN+ 26.

[autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag] experienced a heartbreaker on Saturday when he lost a razor-close fight to Dan Hooker in the UFC on ESPN+ 26 main event.

Felder (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) traveled to the other side of the world into Hooker’s (20-8 MMA, 10-4 UFC) back yard at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand and come out the loser in a hotly contested split decision.

The outcome halts a strong run of momentum for Felder in the lightweight division, and at 34, there’s some questions about his future. He brought many of those on himself, though, by teasing retirement in the octagon immediately after the fight. It appears that may have been premature, however, because his head coach Duke Roufus, as well as longtime manager Brian Butler, both indicated this is not the end.

So, what does the loss mean for Felder? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future, and why he should fight [autotag]Al Iaquinta[/autotag] (14-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) next.

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Karolina Kowalkiewicz says she needs surgery after facial break at UFC on ESPN+ 26

Karolina Kowalkiewicz fought the majority of her UFC on ESPN+ 26 bout against Yan Xiaonan with a serious facial injury.

[autotag]Karolina Kowalkiewicz[/autotag] has confirmed that she fought the majority of her UFC on ESPN+ 26 bout against Yan Xiaonan with a serious facial injury.

Kowalkiewicz (12-6 MMA, 5-6 UFC) was seemingly compromised from the early stages of the first round in the strawweight matchup when Xiaonan (12-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) landed a blow that caused some swelling and had Kowalkiewicz protecting her right eye to an alarming degree.

There was a moment after the opening frame where the cageside doctor questioned Kowalkiewicz, but ultimately the fight continued, and Xiaonan cruised to a unanimous decision. Kowalkiewicz gutted out the injury until the final bell, but the day-after report confirmed she was dealing with a significant handicap.

“(For the) first (time) in my life after (a) fight, I cannot say I am OK,” Kowalkiewicz said Sunday on her Instagram Stories. “In the beginning of (the) first round, I have (a) broken small bone. I couldn’t see nothing. My vision was double and everything was in the fog.”

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Kowalkiewicz said she was given some immediate treatment in a local hospital after the fight, which took place at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. Further examination is needed, she said. While surgery is required, a determination must be made of whether it will take place in Auckland or in her native Poland.

“After (the) fight, I spent all day in (the) hospital. Today, I’m going to (a) specialist and they (will) make (a) decision,” Kowalkiewicz said. “I need (an) operation. I’m waiting for the decision here, or I’ll go back to Poland and make this operation in Poland. But doctors say I have to stay here because flying with this eye is very dangerous.”

The loss to Xiaonan pushed Kowalkiewicz’s losing skid to four consecutive fights. She hasn’t won since April 2018, and at 34, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the former UFC title challenger.

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5 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN+ 26: Was Paul Felder robbed by the judges?

Post-fight thoughts and analysis on the biggest storylines coming out of UFC on ESPN+ 26, where Dan Hooker edged Paul Felder.

What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 26 in Auckland, New Zealand? Here are a few post-fight musings …

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1. Another close decision, but not a robbery

Oh hey, welcome back. It’s another Sunday following a UFC event, and once again here we are having a discussion about judging. Going back to Jon Jones’ win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, this is the second time in three weeks a main event decision has created heavy dissent.

This time it was [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] who was awarded the narrow nod, with the judges giving him the split decision over Paul Felder in a five-round classic. It was a brutal and bloody affair that garnered “Fight of the Night” honors, but there were many who cried “robbery!” in the aftermath of the lightweight headliner.

My scorecard had Felder winning 48-47 with him taking Rounds 2, 4 and 5, but a Hooker win is by no means outrageous. The fight was tightly contested, with multiple rounds being close to coin tosses. The fact all three judges had it scored differently is a reflection of the competitive nature of the contest, and regardless of which way it went, someone was going to be displeased.

I’ll reiterate again that Felder secured the win from my perspective, however, this decision was far from criminal. Leaving the fight to be decided by the judges leaves the door open for heartbreak, and after winning a close one over Edson Barboza at UFC 242 in September, Felder was on the tough end of it this time.

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UFC on ESPN+ 26 post-event facts: Angela Hill sets the bar for 2020

All the notable stats and figures to come out of UFC Auckland, which saw Dan Hooker beat Paul Felder in the main event.

The UFC made its third visit to New Zealand on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 26. The 12-fight card took place at Spark Arena in Auckland and streamed entirely on ESPN+.

In the main event, [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] (20-8 MMA, 10-4 UFC) elevated his status as a lightweight contender when he edged out a memorable “Fight of the Night” clash with [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) by split decision in front of his hometown fans.

The headliner wasn’t the only fight to produce notable results, though. For more, check below for 45 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 26.

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General

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $137,000.

Debuting fighters went 0-1 at the event.

Hooker, Felder, [autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag] and [autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 26 fight-night bonuses.

UFC on ESPN+ 26 drew an announced attendance of 10,025 for a live gate of $1,239,625.

Betting favorites went 8-4 on the card.

Betting favorites improved to 4-1 in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 1:59:19.

Main card

Hooker improved to 7-1 since he moved up to the UFC lightweight division in June 2017.

Felder has suffered four of his five career losses by decision.

Crute (11-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned eight of his 11 career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his UFC wins.

Crute became the fifth fighter in UFC history to earn multiple submission victories by Kimura. Krzysztof Soszynski, Rani Yahya, Frank Mir and George Sotiropoulos also accomplished the feat.

[autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career.

Oleksiejczuk has suffered both of his UFC losses by submission.

[autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) improved to 9-0 (with one no contest) since returning from a nearly five-year layoff in July 2015.

Xiaonan’s five-fight UFC winning streak at strawweight is tied with Tatiana Suarez for the longest active streak in the division.

Xiaonan has earned all five of her UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Karolina Kowalkiewicz[/autotag]’s (12-6 MMA, 5-6 UFC) four-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since April 2018.

[autotag]Marcos Rogerio de Lima[/autotag] (17-6-1 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past nine fights.

De Lima improved to 3-1 in the UFC at heavyweight.

De Lima has earned 15 of his 17 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 14 of those wins in Round 1.

[autotag]Ben Sosoli[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Brad Riddell[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Magomed Mustafaev[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

Preliminary card

[autotag]Kevin Aguilar[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career.

Aguilar has suffered both of his career stoppage losses by knockout.

[autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag] (9-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has earned all eight of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished both of his UFC wins by knockout.

[autotag]Joshua Culibao[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his eight-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

[autotag]Jake Matthews[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) improved to 5-1 since he moved up to the UFC welterweight division in November 2017.

Matthews has earned four of his five UFC welterweight victories by decision.

[autotag]Emil Meek[/autotag]’s (9-5-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since December 2016.

Meek has been taken down 21 times in his four UFC appearances.

Meek has suffered all three of his UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Callan Potter[/autotag] (18-9 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered all nine of his career losses by stoppage.

Song Kenan has earned 13 of his 15 career victories by stoppage. That includes three of his four UFC wins.

[autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag] (21-8 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has earned all four of his UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Tyson Nam[/autotag] (18-11-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered eight of his 11 career losses by decision. That includes both of his UFC defeats.

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (12-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) became the first to earn two UFC victories in 2020.

Hill improved to 6-5 since she returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2017.

Hill’s seven victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Jessica Andrade for second most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (nine).

[autotag]Loma Lookboonmee[/autotag] (4-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of her career.

[autotag]Cachoeira[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) snapped her three-fight losing skid for her first victory since September 2017.

Cachoeira’s 40-second knockout marked the fastest stoppage in UFC women’s flyweight history.

[autotag]Shana Dobson[/autotag]’s (3-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since December 2017.

Dobson suffered the first knockout loss of her career.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

Angela Hill attributes recent success to shaking fear of losing

“Anyone, anytime, anywhere” has become an MMA cliche, but no one better exemplifies it than Angela Hill.

No one better exemplifies the phrase “anyone, anytime, anywhere” in the UFC these days than [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag].

On Saturday, Hill (12-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) competed in her sixth fight in approximately 11 months. After battling Loma Lookboonmee for 15 minutes, Hill was named the victor via unanimous decision.

“(The win) made me feel great,” Hill said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “I feel awesome. It made me get over this mental health hump. I feel like I was able to perform after getting tons of support from fans and it just felt like my momentum is climbing.

Lookboonmee (4-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is decorated muay Thai artist who transitioned to MMA in early 2018. Despite her opponent’s foundation style, Hill wasn’t afraid to engage in the muay thai department. In fact, she thrived there.

“I definitely felt like my muay Thai was on display,” Hill said. “I had to evolve my style. I had to change things up a bit and go from a straightforward muay Thai fighter to an MMA fighter. I felt like this was definitely a fight that could really showcase that evolution.”

The win marked her third straight – a streak which began in September. Prior to the back-to-back-to-back victories, Hill had dropped three out of her four previous outings.

So what’s changed? What’s kicked off the momentum for Hill? Through experience, she learned to ignore the fear of failure and focus on the drive of success.

“I just think getting in there, believing in myself, being able to put my losses behind me, and carry that into the cage with me,” Hill said. “I feel like a lot of times I’d have that weight of the fear of losing. It would just cripple me in there and make me not open up.

“I just had to get back on the horse. I had to get back in there, keep fighting, keep winning, and just believing in myself a little bit more. I feel like that’s what’s showing now.”

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Due to her style, attitude, and willingness to take on all comers, Hill has become a big fan-favorite. Hill appreciates and welcomes this development.

“I’ve always wanted to be one of those fighters that everyone just mentions,” Hill said. “Everyone thinks of this person or that person. To be coming up, because I know I’m not there yet, but to be on my way there, is such a huge motivator for me. It’s going to make me keep calling for those short notice fights (and) keep staying in shape. (I’ll be) staying active and learning and becoming a better fighter.”

UFC on ESPN+ 26 took place Saturday (Sunday locally) at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. The event streamed on ESPN+.

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Jimmy Crute sees himself as ‘the No. 1 prospect’ after UFC on ESPN+ 26 win

Serving as UFC Auckland co-main event, Jimmy Crute defeated Michal Oleksiejczuk by first-round Kimura submission.

[autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag] is back in the win column.

Serving as the UFC on ESPN+ 26 co-main event, Crute (11-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) defeated Michal Oleksiejczuk (14-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) by first-round Kimura submission. The win served as a rebound for Crute, who was coming off a loss to Misha Cirkunov in September.

“I was super happy,” Crute said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “I was just happy to be able to stick to the gameplan. My last fight, I obviously didn’t. So it was nice to just go out there and show that I can keep a level head under pressure. …

“I just try to do to him what Misha (Cirkunov) was able to do to me. I had a little more success in my loss, but the pressure that was put on me was what made me want to go in. That’s why I took that and tried to utilize that. Also, bringing Daniel Kelly on full time – being able to use that judo and do it well.”

Crute has been a member of the UFC roster only since July 2018, but in a short time he’s made a name for himself. In just his fourth promotional fight, Crute was entrusted with co-main event responsibilities at home. He made the most of the opportunity.

“It was a whirlwind,” Crute said. “I can’t pinpoint moments. It was a flash. It’s what I’m trying to do now. Especially after my last fight, I just tried to slow everything down and take everything as it comes.

“It’s very easy to get caught up and try to be everyone’s best man – try and be everything. When it comes to fighting, it’s what you do in training and what you do in there.”

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Seemingly pleased with his progress, Crute expressed his opinion. He thinks he’s the best 205-pound prospect in the UFC. He wants to keep it that way and said he thinks mental strength will allow that to happen.

“I see myself as the No. 1 prospect. There’s a few other really good guys that are laying claim to that, so we’ll sort that out,” Crute said. “… The biggest thing for me is to keep doing what I’m doing. Keep a level head.

“It’s always mental for me. Just being able to switch on mentally. Sometimes, I switch on too much. I just need to find a happy medium. I can kickbox with the best. I can wrestle with the best. I can grapple with the best. The thing that lets me down is sometimes I think too much. … I think when I perfect the mindset is the day.”

UFC on ESPN+ 26 took place Saturday (Sunday locally) at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. The event streamed on ESPN+.

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UFC on ESPN+ 26: Another chapter written in the rise of City Kickboxing

Successful nights are becoming a regular thing for City Kickboxing, and UFC Auckland was no different.

Successful nights are becoming a regular thing for City Kickboxing. UFC on ESPN+ 26 was no different.

With coach Eugene Bareman manning the helm, per usual, the Oceanic region’s powerhouse MMA gym went undefeated on Saturday. With their leaders UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski sitting cageside, City Kickboxing went 3-0 on home soil.

Starting off the night’s success was flyweight [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]. The explosive, speedy Kiwi engaged in an exciting back-and-forth bout with the always gritty Tyson Nam. After a 15-minute battle, Kara-France’s hand was raised.

[autotag]Brad Riddell[/autotag] was next and carried the momentum with him from the start of his walkout. As he strolled to the cage to fight Magomed Mustafaev, the Auckland faithful loudly and proudly voiced their support.

Riddell’s blood-soaked charisma, energy, and willingness to engage despite being the underdog likely helped boost his popularity throughout the MMA community. Riddell defeated Mustafaev by unanimous decision.

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City Kickboxing’s night (and the entire card) was capped off by an instant classic between [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] and Paul Felder. The two lightweights traded blows in technical destruction. Despite Felder’s toughness, Hooker persevered and had his hand raised when all was said and done.

Between Adesanya, Volkanovski, Hooker, Riddell, Kara-France, UFC featherweight Shane Young, and a plethora of regional fighters, City Kickboxing has a lot to look forward to in 2020.

The hot start to the year piggybacks off a massive 2019. Last year, the gym’s impressive resume and rising success made City Kickboxing MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Gym of the Year.”

Led by Bareman, the Auckland-based gym won 90 percent (nine of 10) of its bouts inside the octagon in 2019.

UFC on ESPN+ 26 took place Saturday (Sunday locally) at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. The event streamed on ESPN+.

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