Tag: UFC on ESPN 29

UFC on ESPN 29: Saidyokub Kakhramonov slumps Trevin Jones with nasty guillotine choke on 4 days’ notice

Trevin Jones slumped over backward after consciousness was choked out of him.

One week ago, [autotag]Saidyokub Kakhramonov[/autotag] wasn’t on the roster.

Saturday in Las Vegas, he picked up his first promotional win with a gruesome conscious-snatching technical submission on the UFC on ESPN 29 main card when he defeated [autotag]Trevin Jones[/autotag] via guillotine choke at 4:39 of Round 3.

UFC on ESPN 29 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card aired on ESPN/ESPN+ after prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.

Uzbekistan’s Kakhramonov (9-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) took the Jones (13-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) fight on four days’ notice after Mana Martinez was forced to withdraw from the event due to COVID-19 protocols. While the first two rounds were closely contested, Kakhramonov displayed a little bit of everything.

In Round 3, Kakhramonov caught Jones in a guillotine choke – a position he almost pulled off earlier in the fight. This time, it was a standing position, and Kakhramonov mustered up the torque he needed to put Jones to sleep.

As referee Herb Dean pulled Kakhramonov off, Jones slumped back in an awkward, folding position. Luckily, Dean was able to pull Jones upright to avoid further damage.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 29 results include:

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UFC on ESPN 29 results: Alexandre Pantoja taps Brandon Royval, politely challenges Brandon Moreno

After a high-energy win, Alexandre Pantoja was given the opportunity to send a message to the champion sitting cageside.

[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] could be next in line for a UFC flyweight title shot.

In the UFC on ESPN 29 main card opener Saturday, Pantoja (24-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) submitted [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) with a rear-naked choke at 1:46 of Round 2. The event took place UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

Following Friday’s ceremonial faceoffs, UFC president Dana White indicated the winner of the fight will be next in line for flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, who was in attendance at Saturday’s event. If that holds true, Pantoja punched his ticket as the next title challenger.

The first round was filled with grappling scrambles and wild striking exchanges. In the first few seconds of the fight, Pantoja muscled Royval to the canvas. From there, Royval countered with leg submission attempts. Back on the feet, Pantoja landed a series of hard punches, one of which, in particular, hurt Royval, who covered his eye.

Royval fought through the blow to the eye. In Round 2, Pantoja quickly worked to the back of Royval again. This time, Royval was unable to wiggle his way out. From there, Pantoja locked in his grip, and after a brief struggle, got the tap.

Following the win, Pantoja was given the opportunity to send a message to Moreno, who sat cage-side as part of the UFC’s Spanish-language broadcast. While Pantoja’s two career wins over Moreno were brought up by Daniel Cormier, Pantoja elected to compliment the champion and his improvement over the years. He also hinted at a potential September matchup.

“The first time I won (against) him on TUF, he came back to the UFC and made a bonus and everything. The second time when I won (against him) he defied and came back like a champ.”

With the win, Pantoja extends his winning streak to two. In February, Pantoja defeated former RIZIN champ Manel Kape via unanimous decision. Since May 2018, Pantoja has accumulated a 6-2 record with his losses coming against Deiveson Figueiredo and Askar Askarov.

As for Royval, the loss is his second straight. At UFC 255 in November, Royval lost to Moreno via TKO after he suffered a shoulder injury and faced subsequent unanswered strikes. The defeat ended an undefeated 2020 run which included back-to-back victories over Tim Elliott and Kai Kara-France to kick off his UFC tenure.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 29 results include:

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Josiane Nunes one-punch KOs seven-inch taller Bea Malecki at UFC on ESPN 29

At UFC on ESPN 29, Josiane Nunes overcame a seven-inch height disadvantage and scored a nasty KO against Bea Malecki.

[autotag]Josiane Nunes[/autotag] was undersized in the height and reach department at UFC on ESPN 29, but that didn’t stop her from acquiring her first promotional victory with a highlight-reel finish Saturday.

On the UFC on ESPN 29 prelims, Nunes (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) defeated [autotag]Bea Malecki[/autotag] (2-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) via knockout at 4:54 of Round 1. The event took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card aired on ESPN/ESPN+ after prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.

For much of the fight, Nunes pressed forward, full steam ahead to close the distance. She landed combinations on the seven-inch-taller Malecki, who largely circled away. As the clock wound down in Round 1, Nunes connected with a violent left hand that crumpled Malecki to the canvas. No follow-up punches were needed – nor thrown – as Nunes notched her first promotional victory.

With the win, Nunes extends her winning streak to seven. Meanwhile, Malecki encounters a loss for the first time in her professional MMA career.

The finish was the fourth in as many fights at UFC on ESPN 29, coming after back-to-back knockouts by William Knight and Ignacio Bahamondes.

The up-to-date UFC on ESPN 29 results include:

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UFC on ESPN 29 video: William Knight faceplant KOs Fabio Cherant in Round 1

William Knight showed off his knockout power once more on Saturday when he shut the lights off on Fabio Cherant at UFC on ESPN 29.

[autotag]William Knight[/autotag] showed off his knockout power once more on Saturday when he shut the lights off on [autotag]Fabio Cherant[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 29.

Knight (10-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) rebounded from his first octagon loss in emphatic fashion when he landed a short shot on an incoming Cherant (7-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) early in the light heavyweight contest, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Cherant went down in a heap when the blow landed, and Knight jumped on top and pounded away on his opponent’s skull to force the referee to step in at the 3:58 mark of Round 1.

Check out the highlight of the finish below (via Twitter):

Knight was enthusiastic about his performance after the fact and said the short left hook was a testament to his power.

“My coach said not to use so much power,” Knight said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “To use my speed, and the power will be there. … It just landed. It’s timing.”

The up-to-date UFC on ESPN 29 results include:

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UFC on ESPN 29: Ignacio Bahamondes knocks out Roosevelt Roberts with violent spinning wheel kick

Is this a “Knockout of the Year” candidate?

[autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag] picked up his first UFC victory in violent fashion at UFC on ESPN 29 when he knocked [autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag] out with a spinning wheel kick. The finish came at 4:55 of Round 3.

The fight served as the second fight on the UFC on ESPN 29 prelims. The event took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card aired on ESPN/ESPN+ after prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.

For the majority of the 15 minutes, Bahamondes (12-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) picked apart Roberts (10-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) on the feet. Round 3, in particular, leaned in Bahamondes’ favor as the lengthy Chilean lightweight peppered Roberts’ body with brutal punches. Roberts gingerly shot for takedowns, but to no avail.

A frequently thrown kick by Bahamondes was the spinning back kick to the body, so when he went high with a wheel kick, it caught Roberts off guard.

The win is Bahamondes’ first in two attempts since his UFC contract-earning front kick knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020. As for Roberts, the defeat is his second in three fights. The two defeats bookend a no contest, which was originally a loss for Roberts that was overturned due to a positive marijuana test from his opponent Kevin Croom.

The up-to-date UFC on ESPN results include:

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UFC on ESPN 29 video: Ramiz Brahimaj puts Sasha Palatnikov to sleep in first round

Ramiz Brahimaj picked up his first UFC win by putting his opponent to sleep in the first round.

[autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag] picked up his first UFC victory in spectacular fashion at UFC on ESPN 29.

Brahimaj (9-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) didn’t waste much time getting to business on Saturday, as the high-level grappler looked to engage in the clinch just 15 seconds into the fight against Sasha Palatnikov.

From there, Brahimaj was in his world, as he calmly transitioned from half guard, eventually ending up on the back of his opponent where he quickly slapped on a rear-naked choke attempt.

There was no tap, as Palatnikov went completely out from the choke, giving Brahimaj the victory by technical submission at 2:33 in the first round.

The Fortis MMA product improves to 9-3 in his professional career with all wins by submission, eight of which occurred in the first round.

Follow along with live and official results of UFC on ESPN 29:

  • Ramiz Brahimaj def. Sasha Palatnikov via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:33

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UFC on ESPN 29 play-by-play and live results

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 29 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 29 event, and you can join us for live play-by-play and official results beginning at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT).

UFC on ESPN 29 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

In the main event, Jared Cannonier (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) takes on Kelvin Gastelum (17-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) at middleweight. In the lightweight co-feature, Clay Guida (36-20 MMA, 16-14 UFC) meets Mark Madsen (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC).

Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 7 p.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+ and 10 p.m. ET for the main card on ESPN and ESPN+.

To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC on ESPN 29 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.

UFC on ESPN 29 discussion thread

UFC on ESPN 29 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 29 event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, which kicks off at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT). You can discuss the event here.

Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our UFC on ESPN 29 live results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.

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

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UFC on ESPN 29 predictions: Will Kelvin Gastelum get back on track vs. Jared Cannonier?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 29 main card, featuring Jared Cannonier vs. Kelvin Gastelum.

Cannonier
vs.
Gastelum		 Guida
vs.
Madsen		 Porter
vs.
Sherman		 Jones
vs.
Kakhramonov		 Hubbard
vs.
Pichel		 Pantoja
vs.
Royval
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 124-77		 cannonier2021
Cannonier
(54%)		 madsen2021
Madsen
(70%)		 sherman2021
Sherman
(74%)		 trevinjones2021
Jones
(N/A)		 pichel2021
Pichel
(68%)		 pantoja2021
Pantoja
(55%)
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 127-74		 cannonier2021
Cannonier		 madsen2021
Madsen		 sherman2021
Sherman		 trevinjones2021
Jones		 pichel2021
Pichel		 pantoja2021
Pantoja
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 125-76		 cannonier2021
Cannonier		 madsen2021
Madsen		 porter2021
Porter		 trevinjones2021
Jones		 pichel2021
Pichel		 royval2021
Royval
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 123-78
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 gastelum2021
Gastelum		 madsen2021
Madsen		 sherman2021
Sherman		 kakhramonov2021
Kakhramonov		 pichel2021
Pichel		 pantoja2021
Pantoja
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 121-80
trophy copy 2020 Champion		 cannonier2021
Cannonier		 madsen2021
Madsen		 sherman2021
Sherman		 trevinjones2021
Jones		 pichel2021
Pichel		 pantoja2021
Pantoja
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 119-82
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 cannonier2021
Cannonier		 madsen2021
Madsen		 sherman2021
Sherman		 trevinjones2021
Jones		 pichel2021
Pichel		 pantoja2021
Pantoja
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 118-83		 cannonier2021
Cannonier		 madsen2021
Madsen		 sherman2021
Sherman		 trevinjones2021
Jones		 pichel2021
Pichel		 pantoja2021
Pantoja
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 118-83		 cannonier2021
Cannonier		 madsen2021
Madsen		 sherman2021
Sherman		 kakhramonov2021
Kakhramonov		 pichel2021
Pichel		 pantoja2021
Pantoja
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 117-84		 gastelum2021
Gastelum		 madsen2021
Madsen		 sherman2021
Sherman		 trevinjones2021
Jones		 pichel2021
Pichel		 royval2021
Royval
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 116-85		 gastelum2021
Gastelum		 madsen2021
Madsen		 sherman2021
Sherman		 kakhramonov2021
Kakhramonov		 pichel2021
Pichel		 pantoja2021
Pantoja
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 115-86		 cannonier2021
Cannonier		 madsen2021
Madsen		 sherman2021
Sherman		 trevinjones2021
Jones		 pichel2021
Pichel		 pantoja2021
Pantoja
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 113-88
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 cannonier2021
Cannonier		 madsen2021
Madsen		 sherman2021
Sherman		 trevinjones2021
Jones		 pichel2021
Pichel		 royval2021
Royval
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 112-89		 gastelum2021
Gastelum		 madsen2021
Madsen		 sherman2021
Sherman		 kakhramonov2021
Kakhramonov		 pichel2021
Pichel		 pantoja2021
Pantoja
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
2021: 46-39		 cannonier2021
Cannonier		 madsen2021
Madsen		 sherman2021
Sherman		 trevinjones2021
Jones		 pichel2021
Pichel		 royval2021
Royval

The UFC is back in its home base this week with a middleweight showdown atop the lineup.

UFC on ESPN 29 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] (17-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) at middleweight. Cannonier is a slight betting favorite at Tipico around -150, and he has a 9-4 lead in the picks from our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.

In the co-feature, longtime fighter [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] (36-20 MMA, 16-14 UFC) meets [autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC). Madsen is a -170 favorite, and he’s one of two unanimous picks from our staff members on the main card.

[autotag]Parker Porter[/autotag] (11-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Chase Sherman[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 3-6 UFC) in a heavyweight bout. Sherman is a 2-1 favorite and has a big 12-1 lead in the picks.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Trevin Jones[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) meets short-notice replacement and UFC newcomer [autotag]Saidyokub Kakhramonov[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at bantamweight. Jones is the favorite at -145 and has a 9-4 lead in the picks.

Our other unanimous pick on the main card is [autotag]Vinc Pichel[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in a lightweight bout against [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC). It’s virtually a pick’em fight with Pichel at -115 and Hubbard at -110, but Pichel pitched a shutout in our picks at 13-0.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (23-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a key flyweight bout. Pantoja is favored at the betting window at -180, and he’s got a 9-4 edge in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Kharitonov (57 percent), Storley (90 percent), Golm (55 percent) and Lugo (64 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

UFC on ESPN 29 weigh-in results and live video stream (noon ET)

Check out the results from the official UFC on ESPN 29 fighter weigh-ins.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official UFC on ESPN 29 fighter weigh-ins, which kick off at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

The weigh-ins take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The same venue hosts Saturday’s card, which airs on ESPN and ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.

Among those weighing in are Jared Cannonier (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) and Kelvin Gastelum (17-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC), who meet in the middleweight main event.

The full UFC on ESPN 29 weigh-in results include:

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

  • Jared Cannonier () vs. Kelvin Gastelum ()
  • Clay Guida () vs. Mark Madsen ()
  • Parker Porter () vs. Chase Sherman ()
  • Trevin Jones () vs. Saidyokub Kakhramonov ()
  • Austin Hubbard () vs. Vinc Pichel ()
  • Alexandre Pantoja () vs. Brandon Royval ()

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN2/ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Austin Lingo () vs. Luis Saldana ()
  • Brian Kelleher () vs. Domingo Pilarte ()
  • Bea Malecki () vs. Josiane Nunes ()
  • Fabio Cherant () vs. William Knight ()
  • Ignacio Bahamondes () vs. Roosevelt Roberts ()
  • Ramiz Brahimaj () vs. Sasha Palatnikov ()