Tag: UFC on ESPN 36

Video: Davey Grant takes out Louis Smolka, makes case for fifth straight UFC bonus

Davey Grant has made a habit of putting on exciting performances of late, and he didn’t disappoint Saturday.

[autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag] has made a habit of putting on exciting performances of late, and he didn’t disappoint Saturday.

Grant came into UFC on ESPN 36 with four straight post-fight bonus awards – but the most recent two had been for Fight of the Night losses after back-to-back Performance of the Night finishes.

Saturday, though, Grant (12-6 MMA, 5-5 UFC) took out [autotag]Louis Smolka[/autotag] (17-9 MMA, 8-9 UFC) with what wound up being a vicious knockout 49 seconds into the third round. Grant had been hurting Smolka with leg kicks, and another one had his Hawaiian opponent limping, then slumping to the canvas.

Grant, from England, took advantage in a hurry. He followed Smolka tot he mat and hit him with a few punches, the latter of which connected right on the chin and put Smolka out.

Grant got back in the win column after 2021 losses to Adrian Yanez and Marlon Vera. Smolka’s loss was his second straight – and second straight by knockout after going his entire career without being put away with punches.

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UFC on ESPN 36 results: Katlyn Chookagian edges Amanda Ribas by split decision

Katlyn Chookagian called for a rematch with Valentina Shevchenko after a split decision win over Amanda Ribas at UFC on ESPN 36.

[autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag] proved she’s still the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants a women’s flyweight title shot when she defeated [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 36.

It was a razor-close fight, but Chookagian (18-4 MMA, 11-4 UFC) proved to have the more effective striking over three rounds, and it likely made the difference in a split decision win over Ribas (11-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The judges’ scores were 28-29 for Ribas and a pair of 29-28 cards for Chookagian.

It was a closely contested bout from beginning to end. Chookagian stayed at range and looked to counter strike, while Ribas was adamant to apply pressure with forward movement and combinations at every possible opportunity.

Ribas got critical takedowns in the first two rounds and accumulated more than four minutes of ground control overall. Chookagian landed some powerful shots on her advancing opponent on the feet, and managed to avoid any truly dangerous situations on the mat.

The fight turned into a slugfest in the final round. It unfolded almost entirely on the feet, and it went tit-for-tat in terms of power shots and volume.

Ultimately Chookagian was rewarded for her work, and left with a win that saw her surpass reigning champion Valentina Shevchenko for most in divisional history.

Chookagian has won five of six fights since losing to Shevchenko by third-round TKO at UFC 247 in February 2020, and she wants a rematch.

“It’s like a broken record,” Chookagian said in her post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “I want the title shot. Obviously I want my second shot at Valentina. But I just want to stay active. .. Any girl I haven’t fought.”

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Fighters criticize Tony Kelley’s ‘dirty f*cking Brazilians’ comment while cornering Andrea Lee at UFC on ESPN 36

Andrea Lee’s head cornerman at UFC on ESPN 36 on Saturday, Tony Kelley, came under fire for comments he made about Brazil’s Viviane Araujo.

[autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag]’s head cornerman at UFC on ESPN 36 on Saturday, [autotag]Tony Kelley[/autotag], came under fire for comments he made during her women’s flyweight bout with [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag].

Following the first round of the matchup at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, in which Lee (13-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) started strong with a huge punch and blistering head kick, she went back to her corner and sat on the stool. Kelley, a UFC bantamweight who is scheduled to fight Adrian Yanez on June 18, made a controversial statement to his athlete.

“That’s what they’re going to do – they’re dirty f*cking Brazilians,” Kelley told Lee. “They’re going to f*cking cheat like that.”

Araujo (11-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) rallied back to secure a unanimous decision win, including a lopsided 10-8 round. She could not react after the win backstage because she transported to a local hospital and did not speak with the media after the fight.

Kelly’s comments were picked up on the international live feed and quickly spread across social media. The feedback, not surprisingly, was not positive. Check out how several notable fighters reacted.

UFC on ESPN 36 video: Hear from each winner backstage

Check out what all the UFC on ESPN 36 winners had to say after their performances at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 205 took place Saturday with 11 bouts on the slate, and we’ve got you covered with backstage winner interviews from the UFC Apex.

In the main event, former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz meets Aleksandar Rakic.

You can hear from every UFC on ESPN 36 winner by checking out their post-fight scrums below.

UFC on ESPN 36 video: Michael Johnson ends four-fight skid with brutal KO of Alan Patrick

Michael Johnson ended his four-fight losing skid in highlight-reel fashion at UFC on ESPN 36.

[autotag]Michael Johnson[/autotag] ended his four-fight skid in highlight-reel fashion Saturday at the expense of [autotag]Alan Patrick[/autotag].

Johnson (20-17 MMA, 12-13 UFC), a lightweight veteran who has all kinds of notable wins on his resume in addition to puzzling losses, bounced back from a rough patch at UFC on ESPN 36 when he shut the lights out on Patrick (15-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

After a first round in which both men hurt each other with punches, Johnson came out in the second frame and picked up the pace. He started to discourage his opponent with his shots, then a beautiful four-strike combination dropped Patrick. Johnson dove into the guard to put an exclamation point on the knockout, marking his first win since October 2018.

Check out the replay of Johnson’s finish below (via Twitter):

Johnson didn’t want to say much in the aftermath of his win. He said he thinks he’s still among the best strikers in the world at 155 pounds, and at 35, still seems to see an opportunity to make another climb up the rankings.

“The journey was rough, rough and tough,” Johnson said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “I was in a dark place and a dark hole. I saw some light and I got out of that dark hole.”

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UFC on ESPN 36: Best photos from Las Vegas

Check out these photos from the fights at UFC on ESPN 36 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Check out these photos from the fights at UFC on ESPN 36 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. (Fight and venue photos courtesy of the UFC via Getty Images) (Gallery will update throughout the event.)

UFC on ESPN 36 video: Andre Petroski chokes Nick Maximov out cold in 76 seconds

Andre Petroski put Diaz Brothers protege Nick Maximov to sleep with an anaconda choke in 76 seconds at UFC on ESPN 36.

[autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag] ended [autotag]Nick Maximov[/autotag]’s undefeated run with a first-round win at UFC on ESPN 36.

Petroski (8-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) asked specifically for the middleweight matchup with Maximov (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), a training partner of Nate and Nick Diaz. He showed why by locking in an anaconda choke early in the first round for the victory at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

After some early grappling exchanges, Petroski cinched in the submission and put Maximov to sleep before he could tap at the 1:16 mark of Round 1. Check out the replay of the finish below (via Twitter):

With the win, Petroski remains undefeated in the UFC through three appearances, all of which he’s won by stoppage.

“That’s my move. That’s my position that we were working with – the front headlock,” Petroski said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “It’s amazing to see it work.”

Petroski said afterward he’s interested in fighting Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 275 on June 9 in Singapore.

UFC on ESPN 36 play-by-play and live results (7:30 p.m. ET)

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 36 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 36 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 36 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.

In the main event, former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz (28-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) takes on Aleksandar Rakic (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC). In the co-feature, Ion Cutelaba (16-6-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) meets Ryan Spann (19-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at light heavyweight.

Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+ and 10 p.m. ET for the main card on ESPN2/ESPN+.

To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC on ESPN 36 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporter Ken Hathaway (@kenshathaway) on Twitter.

Enjoy the fights, everyone.

UFC on ESPN 36 discussion thread

UFC on ESPN 36 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 36 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 36 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.