UFC on ESPN 29 – Page 3 – Syndication Server

The MMA Road Show with John Morgan, No. 334: Miesha Tate, Mark Madsen, Trevin Jones

Episode No. 334 of “The MMA Road Show with John Morgan” podcast is now available for streaming and download.

MMA Junkie lead staff reporter John Morgan hosts the show while traveling the world to cover the sport.

John Morgan and Cold Coffee are back together in Las Vegas after cross-country adventures in broadcasting work. They recount the tales while also previewing UFC on ESPN 29 and bringing you interviews with [autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag], [autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag] and [autotag]Trevin Jones[/autotag].

Check it out on iTunes or at themmaroadshow.com. You can also subscribe via RSS.

UFC on ESPN 29 breakdown: Will Jared Cannonier add to Kelvin Gastelum’s rough stretch?

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the UFC on ESPN 29 main event between Jared Cannonier 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 29.

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+.

With PFL, Bellator and UFC back-to-back-to-back, what fights are under the radar?

The MMA world gets a rare triple-dose of action this week with the three biggest U.S.-based promotions lined up to go back-to-back-to-back.

The PFL’s second playoff event of the 2021 season takes place Thursday in Florida. Bellator 265 takes place Friday in South Dakota. And UFC on ESPN 29 is set for Saturday in Las Vegas.

There are some heavy hitters atop each lineup, for sure. Kayla Harrison, arguably the PFL’s biggest star, will try to reach her second straight $1 million final when she meets Genah Fabian in the women’s lightweight semifinals. At Bellator 265, Cheick Kongo takes on Sergei Kharitonov in a key heavyweight bout. And for the UFC, Jared Cannonier meets Kelvin Gastelum in a big middleweight bout.

But with so much going on over three straight days, there have to be some fights that are falling under the radar. That’s what host John Morgan asked our panel on this week’s “Spinning Back Clique.” So what are we forgetting about, according to Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Matthew Wells?

You can watch their discussion in the video above, or check out the full episode below.

UFC on ESPN 29 pre-event facts: Kelvin Gastelum seeks main event success

The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 29, which features a Jared Cannonier vs. Kelvin Gastelum main event.

The UFC returns from a week off on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 29, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with a main card on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2.

A middleweight matchup headlines the event. [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) and [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] (16-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) will attempt to move up a rung in the title pecking order when they clash in a bout scheduled for five rounds.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 16 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 29.

Spinning Back Clique: Sean O’Malley’s career strategy, Paige VanZant’s revelation, Rory MacDonald’s future, more

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week, our panel discusses A.J. McKee’s title win at Bellator 263 and if that makes him the best featherweight in the world. Plus, they dive into MMA fighter pay in the aftermath of Cheyanne Buys’ UFC on ESPN 28 win and subsequent viral revelation; Sean Strickland’s post-fight speech; Bellator and UFC breakout performances; and upcoming heavyweight potential fights.

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel this week of Matthew Wells, Nolan King and Brian “Goze” Garcia discusses these topics and more with host John Morgan.

This past weekend, the PFL kicked off the promotion’s 2021 playoffs, and in a featured bout, Ray Cooper III shut out [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] on the scorecards. While he’s just 32, MacDonald has been fighting for 16 years, and he’s now just 1-3 in his past 4 fights, dating back to his run in Bellator. “The Canadian Psycho” has given us a ton of highlights during his storied career, but what does the future hold? Are his days as an elite fighter over?
[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] made a few statements recently that were quite logical in nature but may have riled up fans a bit in which he admitted financially, there’s no real incentive for him to take on higher-ranked opponents at this point in his career. What do you make of his logic? Is he right?
[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] opened up in the latest edition of her and her husband’s video blog, admitting she became quite depressed following her recent BKFC loss and even saying “I didn’t want to live anymore.” We say all the time that this sport features the highest of highs and the lowest of lows – but what can we take out of comments like this? Does something more need to be done in MMA regarding mental health of the athletes?
[autotag]Gable Steveson[/autotag] claimed Olympic gold in wrestling over in Japan, capping off an incredible run there for the U.S. team, and there’s seems to be a lot of hype around Steveson potentially making the transition to MMA right away. We know that wrestling id a great base for MMA, but it’s obviously not all that you need to win. What’s the biggest career advice you would give to Steveson or any other Olympian making their way into the sport. Is there a promotion they should chase? A camp they should start at? Any training methodologies? What’s the advice?
Looking to this weekend guys, it’s a fight fan’s dream. PFL on Thursday, Bellator on Friday and UFC on Saturday. You’ve got Kayla Harrison vs. Genah Fabian, Cheick Kongo vs. Sergei Kharitonov and Jared Cannonier vs. Kelvin Gastelum in the headliners, but not everyone has the luxury of spending all three nights watching MMA, so narrow it down – what’s one fight on these three cards outside of the headliners that absolutely should not be missed?

Mana Martinez off UFC on ESPN 29; Trevin Jones needs new opponent

Trevin Jones has struggled to make it to the cage lately due to consecutive opponent withdrawals.

[autotag]Trevin Jones[/autotag] is opponent-less once again.

UFC on ESPN 29 has taken a hit as [autotag]Mana Martinez[/autotag] is off Saturday’s card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. A UFC debutant, Martinez (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was scheduled to fight Jones (14-6 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in a bantamweight fight but is out for undisclosed reasons. The promotion is currently seeking a replacement.

Two people with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the change but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Jones, 31, has struggled to make it to the cage despite a handful of recent bookings – but not because of his own fault. Scheduled July outings for Jones against Tony Kelley and Ronnie Lawrence were canceled due to opponent withdrawals. Jones’ most recent fight came in March when he finished Mario Bautista with strikes.

With the change, the UFC on ESPN 29 lineup includes:

Jared Cannonier vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Clay Guida vs. Mark Madsen
Trevin Jones vs. TBD
Fabio Cherant vs. William Knight
Austin Hubbard vs. Vinc Pichel
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval
Austin Lingo vs. Luis Saldana
Parker Porter vs. Chase Sherman
Brian Kelleher vs. Domingo Pilarte
Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Sasha Palatnikov
Bea Malecki vs. Josiane Nunes
Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Roosevelt Roberts

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UFC on ESPN 29 loses Liana Jojua vs. Cortney Casey; bout expected to be rescheduled

The bout is expected to be rescheduled for a future date.

UFC on ESPN 29 has lost a women’s flyweight fight.

[autotag]Liana Jojua[/autotag] is out of her scheduled Aug. 21 meeting with [autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] due to visa issues. The fight was expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. While the bout won’t be happening on its original date, the matchup is expected to remain intact and be rescheduled for a later event.

Two people with knowledge of the postponement recently informed MMA Junkie of the change, but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

For Jojua (8-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC), her lone UFC victory is sandwiched between defeats. After she dropped her promotional debut to Sarah Moras in September 2019, Jojua defeated Diana Belbita with a first-round armbar. In her most recent outing at UFC 254 in October 2020, Jojua was stopped on a cut against Miranda Maverick.

Casey (9-9 MMA, 5-8 UFC) will enter the fight when it’s rescheduled on a two-fight losing skid. She is 2-5 in her most recent seven, but has been plagued by three close split decision defeats.

The current UFC on ESPN 29 lineup includes:

Jared Cannonier vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Trevin Jones vs. Mana Martinez
Fabio Cherant vs. William Knight
Austin Hubbard vs. Vinc Pichel
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval
Austin Lingo vs. Luis Saldana
Parker Porter vs. Chase Sherman
Brian Kelleher vs. Domingo Pilarte
Clay Guida vs. Mark Madsen
Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Sasha Palatnikov
Bea Malecki vs. Josiane Nunes
Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Roosevelt Roberts

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