Tag: UFC on ESPN 33

UFC on ESPN 33 results: Curtis Blaydes finishes Chris Daukaus, calls for title shot

Curtis Blaydes eschewed wrestling Saturday. Instead, he used his standup game to put away Chris Daukaus, then called for a title shot.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] eschewed wrestling Saturday. Instead, he used his standup game to put away [autotag]Chris Daukaus[/autotag], then called for a title shot – or a fight with a former champion.

After a patient first round on the feet, Blaydes (16-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) needed just 17 seconds in the second round to put Daukaus (12-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) away after a big right hand and follow-up strikes on the canvas in the UFC on ESPN 33 main event at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Afterward, Blaydes said he’d like a title shot. But when told former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic was in the crowd, he said he may have to go through him to get one – and would welcome the opportunity.

Blaydes pumped an early jab, and Daukaus fired a right hand. He backed Blaydes up with a left seconds later. Blaydes threw a low kick, then another and slipped aside from a Daukaus punch. Then he landed a left that popped Daukaus’ head back. Daukaus took a few ticks, then fired back, but Blaydes held the center of the cage.

Midway through the round, they traded briefly, but didn’t get into an all-out slugfest. Blaydes kicked low again, then tried the other leg for good measure. Daukaus backed Blaydes up with a couple punches and a kick with a minute left, but didn’t appear to do much damage. With 12 seconds left, Blaydes caught Daukaus in the eye, but he didn’t need long to recover before the horn.

In the second, it didn’t take Blaydes long at all to get his work done. At the same time as Daukaus was throwing a right hand, Blaydes drilled him with a huge right of his own. Daukaus hit the canvas immediately, and Blaydes was on top of him to finish the fight with punches and short elbows.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 33 results include:

UFC on ESPN 33 results: Bryan Barberena spoils Matt Brown’s homecoming by split decision

Bryan Barberena was ferociously booed by the crowd after winning a split decision over Ohio’s Matt Brown at UFC on ESPN 33.

[autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] earned arguably the most notable win of his career on Saturday when he edged out [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] in a war at UFC on ESPN 33.

Barberena (17-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) went tooth-and-nail with Brown (23-19 MMA, 16-13 UFC) over the course of three rounds to win a split decision by scores of 29-28, 28-29, 29-28. It was a spoiler to Brown’s homecoming fight in Ohio, and the crowd was not pleased with the decision as it furiously booed the result while Barberena conducted his post-fight interview.

“You can boo me, but I love you guys.” Barberena told Daniel Cormier after the fight.

The welterweight bout was part of the UFC on ESPN 33 main card at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.

To the surprise of no one, the crowd was hot for Brown at the opening bell. He responded by coming out aggressive with all sorts of strikes, cracking Barberena a few times and putting his opponent on the back foot. Brown switched levels and got a takedown less than two minutes in, and he kept it there for more than a minute. Barberena worked his way up and started to swing, but he couldn’t find the range to be effective. Brown had large control of the striking, landing a hard body kick and a clean short elbow down the stretch.

After some encouragement from his corner between rounds, Barberena came out looking to turn the momentum in the second frame. He looked to throw a big punch, but Brown changed levels again and landed another well-timed takedown. Barberena got up, and shortly after connected with a nasty elbow that badly stunned Brown. “The Immortal” shot for a takedown out of instinct and put Barberena on his back, but he couldn’t keep control and found himself on the bottom instead. Brown got up, but he was wobbly and bloodied on the face. Barberena poured on the strikes, but Brown was tough as nails as he traded punches and elbows as the fight turned into an all-out war.

With the victory hanging in the balance going into the final round, both men came out hungry to get it. Brown landed straight punches while Barberena tried to come around the guard with his hooks. They fought at range and from inside the clinch with elbows. Brown scored a foot sweep takedown, then put grappling pressure on Barberena from the body lock, landing short shots of his own to open up a cut on the nose. They got back into some incredible striking exchanges over the final two minutes, trading and landing big shots from inside the pocket to send the crowd into frenzy.

They crowd didn’t get the winner it wanted, though, but Barberena was elated to get his hand raised.

“This is absolutely everything I dreamed of fighting Matt Brown,” Barberena said. “That’s everything I wanted. I knew I had to put on a performance.”

With the victory, Barberena spoiled Brown’s homecoming. Brown, an Ohio native, had not competed in his home state since UFC Fight Night 140 in 2014. A winner of back-to-back fights, Barberena has been victorious in three of his most recent four. Other wins in that stretch include Anthony Ivy and Darian Weeks.

As for Brown, the loss drops him to 1-3 in his most recent four fights. Since the start of 2016, Brown has gone 3-6. Prior to UFC on ESPN 33, Brown told MMA Junkie he plans on fighting eight more times as long as his life and body hold up.

Check out MMA Junkie’s exclusive hour-long documentary on Matt Brown entitled “In Pursuit of Immortality” in the video below.

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UFC on ESPN 33 results: Kai Kara-France upsets Askar Askarov, calls for title shot

Kai Kara-France called for a flyweight title shot after his upset win over Askar Askarov at UFC on ESPN 33.

[autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag] outperformed the betting odds against [autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag] on Saturday with an upset victory at UFC on ESPN 33.

Kara-France (24-9 MMA, 7-2 UFC) ended the undefeated run of Askarov (14-1-1 MMA, 3-1-1 UFC) with a gutsy unanimous decision win in the high-stakes flyweight matchup.

After a rough first round, Kara-France came on strong in the second and third to win a 29-28 decision on all three scorecards. Afterward, he called for a title shot against the presumed upcoming fourth championship meeting between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno.

“I know Brandon Moreno and Figueiredo are fighting very soon,” Kara-France said. “I want the next title shot.”

The 125-pound bout was part of the UFC on ESPN 33 main card at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

It was a tentative start to the fight, but once the pair came together, the action picked up in a big way. Askarov chased his first takedown less than two minutes in and Kara-France showed some initial resistance. Askarov kept on him and got the fight down, though, which allowed him to take the back and threaten with the submissions. Kara-France was at serious threaten of being finished, but he defended the choke attempts until the end of the round.

Kara-France opened the second round with his best moment of the fight to that point. He connected with an overland right that caught Askarov’s attention, but it only prompted the Russian to land a takedown. Kara-France got back to his feet and tried to land a knockout blow, but Askarov was wise defensively. That’s until Kara-France found his range and started connecting. He wobbled Askarov multiple times as he threw caution to the wind and press forward. He couldn’t drop Askarov, but his pressure changed the momentum of the fight.

The third round began with Kara-France showing confidence. Askarov hit him with a low kick to halt the action, though, causing a break. The fight continued and Askarov waiting for his moment to shoot in and get a body lock against the fence. He worked his clinch positions and tired to get the fight down to the ground, but Kara-France stayed evasive and got it back into a striking matchup. Both men landed some solid punches on each other down the stretch, but nothing clean enough go threaten a stoppage as it was narrowly contested to the end.

Both men raised their hands in victory when it all came to an end, but the judges sided with Kara-France, who now has back-to-back wins over Askarov and Cody Garbrandt on his resume.

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UFC on ESPN 33 results: Alexa Grasso taps Joanne Wood in first round for first finish in more than seven years

Alexa Grasso picked up arguably the biggest win of her career – and got her first submission win in the process.

[autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] picked up arguably the biggest win of her career – and got her first submission win in the process.

Grasso (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) submitted [autotag]Joanne Wood[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 7-8 UFC) with a first-round rear-naked choke Saturday. Not only was it her first career submission, it was her first finish in more than seven years.

The women’s flyweight bout was the UFC on ESPN 33 co-main event at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Grasso and Wood traded punches in close, then kicks early, and Grasso used the tight quarters to sweep the fight to the canvas. She went to work on top in Wood’s guard. Grasso landed short punches on top, but about midway through the round, she let Wood back to her feet. Grasso threw a high kick that Wood caught and used to land a punch.

After more exchanges on the feet, Grasso ate a spinning elbow from Wood, but used it to land another takedown with 90 seconds left in the round. She worked for a choke and got it with relative ease. With her arm under Wood’s chin, Wood had no choice but to tap.

Grasso won for the third straight time and kept her in the women’s flyweight title picture. Wood lost for the third straight time and fourth time in five fights.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 33 results include:

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UFC on ESPN 33 results: Neil Magny somehow survives early onslaught, defeats Max Griffin in wild affair

The first round was grim, but somehow, someway Neil Magny rallied to defeat Max Griffin.

While there was only one winner at UFC on ESPN 33, both [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] and [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] proved something Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.

In a welterweight bout in the middle of the event’s main card at Nationwide Arena, Magny (26-8 MMA, 19-7 UFC) defeated Griffin (18-9 MMA, 6-7 UFC) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Although he took a step up in name recognition and contender-ship, Griffin showed he belonged from the opening bell. In Round 1, he turned in arguably one of the strongest rounds of his career, catalyzed by a moment in which he stunned and dropped Magny.

Magny hung tough and survived until the end-of-round horn. Although he absorbed a lot of damage in the opening five minutes, Magny showed veteran savvy when he rebounded for a competitive Round 2. Griffin also had his moments, making it a closer round to score.

In Round 3, Magny dominated Griffin along the fence. Griffin, appearing to slow, tried his best to shove Magny off – but struggled to do so. In the final minute, Magny elevated and slammed Griffin in unusual fashion, similar to that of a professional wrestling piledriver.

With the win, Magny extended a standalone victory into a streak. Following a five-round unanimous decision loss to Michael Chiesa in January 2021, Magny beat Geoff Neal by unanimous decision in May. He has now won five of his past six.

Griffin had a three-fight winning streak snapped. Entering UFC on ESPN 33, Griffin won consecutive bouts against Ramiz Brahimaj, Kenan Song and Carlos Condit. Saturday’s defeat was his first since March 2020.

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UFC on ESPN 33 discussion thread

UFC on ESPN 33 takes place Saturday in Ohio, and you can discuss the event here.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 33 event at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, which kicks off at 3 p.m. ET (noon PT). You can discuss the event here.

Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our UFC on ESPN 33 live results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.

Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 3 p.m. ET for the preliminary card and 6 p.m. ET for the main card.

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UFC on ESPN 33 play-by-play and live results (4 p.m. ET)

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 33 in Columbus, Ohio.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 33 event, and you can join us for live play-by-play and official results beginning at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT).

UFC on ESPN 33 takes place at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

In the main event, Curtis Blaydes (15-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) takes on Chris Daukaus (12-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) at heavyweight. In the co-feature, Alexa Grasso (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) is a -250 favorite in her women’s strawweight bout against Joanne Wood (15-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC).

Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 4 p.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ and 7 p.m. ET for the main card on ESPN/ESPN+.

To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC on ESPN 33 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporters Matt Erickson (@MMAjunkieMatt) and Ken Hathaway (@kenshathaway) on Twitter.

Enjoy the fights, everyone.

UFC on ESPN 33 Video: Chris Daukaus, Curtis Blaydes show respect in final staredown

Check out the final pre-fight staredown between Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus at ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The heavyweight competitors in Saturday’s main event came face-to-face one last time before they step into the cage.

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Chris Daukaus[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in the headlining bout of UFC on ESPN 33. At the ceremonial weigh-ins, the two big boys stared each other down in a respectful manner before shaking hands.

Check out the staredown at ceremonial weigh-ins in the video above and a photo gallery from the official weigh-ins below.

UFC on ESPN 33 takes place Saturday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

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Video: Watch Friday’s UFC on ESPN 33 ceremonial weigh-ins live on MMA Junkie at 4 p.m. ET

Check out a live video stream of the UFC on ESPN 33 ceremonial weigh-ins.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – UFC on ESPN 33 ceremonial fighter weigh-ins take place Friday, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on MMA Junkie at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT).

The weigh-ins take place at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The same venue hosts Saturday’s event, which airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

In addition to the video stream above, you can check out the early and official UFC on ESPN 33 weigh-in results from earlier in the day.

UFC on ESPN 33 predictions: Who’s our lone unanimous pick in Columbus?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 33 main card, featuring Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus.

Blaydes
vs.
Daukaus		 Grasso
vs.
Wood		 Barberena
vs.
Brown		 Askarov
vs.
Kara-France		 Latifi
vs.
Oleinik		 Borshchev
vs.
Diakiese
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
47-19		 blaydes2022
Blaydes
(75%)		 grasso2022
Grasso
(79%)		 brown2022
Brown
(72%)		 askarov2022
Askarov
(64%)		 latifi2022
Latifi
(51%)		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
(76%)
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
45-21		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 wood2022
Wood		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 oleinik2022
Oleinik		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
44-22
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
44-22
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 wood2022
Wood		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 oleinik2022
Oleinik		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
43-23		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
42-24		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 diakiese2022
Diakiese
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
41-25		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 diakiese2022
Diakiese
Nolan King
@mma_kings
41-25		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 barberena2022
Barberena		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
40-26		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 wood2022
Wood		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 oleinik2022
Oleinik		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
39-27		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 barberena2022
Barberena		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
brian Garcia
@thegoze
38-28
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 brown2022
Brown		 karafrance2022
Kara-France		 latifi2022
Latifi		 diakiese2022
Diakiese
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
28-38		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 borshchev2022
Borshchev

The UFC makes its long-awaited return to Ohio this week with a heavyweight bout at the top of the bill.

UFC on ESPN 33 takes place Saturday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Chris Daukaus[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) at heavyweight. Blaydes is a heavy -450 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Daukaus is +310. With Blaydes the biggest favorite on the main card, it’s no surprise our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have him in our only unanimous pick at 11-0.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) is a -250 favorite in her women’s strawweight bout against [autotag]Joanne Wood[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC). Grasso has a big 8-3 lead in our picks.

Also on the main card, hometown fan favorite [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] (23-18 MMA, 16-12 UFC) nearly is a unanimous pick against [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] (16-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in their welterweight bout. Although Barberena is a -115 favorite to -110 to Brown, Brown has a 10-1 rout in the picks.

[autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag] (14-0-1 MMA, 3-0-1 UFC) is a -420 favorite at flyweight against [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag] (23-9 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and is a near-unanimous pick at 10-1.

[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) takes on [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-16-1 MMA, 8-7 UFC) in a heavyweight bout. Latifi is a -210 favorite at the betting window, and he’s got an 8-3 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Viacheslav Borshchev[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is a mild -160 favorite against [autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC), and he has a big 8-3 picks lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Blaydes (75 percent), Grasso (79 percent), Brown (72 percent), Askarov (64 percent), Latifi (51 percent) and Borshchev (76 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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