Tag: UFC on ESPN+ 37

UFC on ESPN+ 37 results: Cory Sandhagen TKOs Marlon Moraes with spinning wheel kick

Cory Sandhagen rebounded from his first octagon loss in spectacular fashion.

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] rebounded from his first octagon loss in spectacular fashion against [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] on Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 37.

Sandhagen (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) unleashed a wheel kick finish that led to a second-round TKO of Moraes (23-7-1 MMA, 5-3 UFC), helping him bounce back from an 88-second defeat to Aljamain Sterling earlier this year.

The bantamweight bout was the UFC on ESPN+ 37 main event at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It streamed on ESPN+.

The fighters wasted no time getting after it early. Moraes and Sandhagen traded powerful low kicks and stood in the pocket exchanging strikes. There was high output on both ends. with Moraes loading up on heavy strikes while Sandhagen threw a lot of kicks and even mixed in flying knee attempts. Nothing landed clean enough to stagger the other, but Sandhagen’s movement and volume was strong as it forced Moraes to miss a lot. Moraes got a late takedown but with no time to work before the end of the round.

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Sandhagen came out in a good flow to start Round 2. He landed a number of stiff jabs and went high with kicks. Sandhagen yelled out that he broke Moraes’ orbital bone before chasing him down. Sandhagen loaded up on a right spinning wheel kick that clipped Moraes on the side of the head. He fell to the canvas, and after a few follow-up shots, the referee stepped in at the 1:03 mark of the round.

Following the win, Sandhagen called for a future matchup with former UFC champs T.J. Dillashaw and Frankie Edgar.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 37 results include:

  • Cory Sandhagen def. Marlon Moraes via TKO (spinning wheel kick) – Round 2, 1:03
  • Edson Barboza def. Makwan Amirkhani via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27 29-28)
  • Marcin Tybura def. Ben Rothwell via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
  • Dricus Du Plessis def. Markus Perez via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:22
  • Tom Aspinall def. Alan Baudot via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:35
  • Ilia Topuria def. Youssef Zalal via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Tom Breese def. K.B. Bhullar via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:42
  • Chris Daukaus def. Rodrigo Nascimento via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:45
  • Joaquin Buckley def. Impa Kasanganay via knockout (spinning back kick to the face)
  • Tony Kelley def. Ali Alqaisi via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Giga Chikadze def. Omar Morales via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Tracy Cortez def. Stephanie Egger via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Tagir Ulanbekov def. Bruno Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

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UFC on ESPN+ 37 results: Edson Barboza dominates Makwan Amirkhani to snap 3-fight skid

Edson Barboza is finally back on the winning track with a solid effort against Makwan Amirkhani at UFC on ESPN+ 37.

[autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] is finally back on the winning track after a solid effort against [autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag] on Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 37.

Barboza (21-9 MMA, 15-9 UFC) snapped a three-fight losing streak with a complete performance against Amirkhani (16-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC), landing multiple knockdowns en route to a clear unanimous decision decision by scores of 30-26, 30-27 and 29-28

The featherweight bout was the UFC on ESPN+ 37 co-main event at Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It streamed on ESPN+.

“I want to be a champ, I’m here to be a champ,” Barboza said in his post-fight interview with Dan Hardy. “Give me anybody in the top five, top six.”

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Both men came out with a measured approach, tentative to commit to more than one strike at a time in the opening minutes. Barboza looked to connect on his patented low kicks and mixed punches to the body, while Amirkhani worked behind the jab. Amirkhani finally shot for a takedown with a little less than two minutes remaining, but Barboza easily stuffed it, as well as a clinch attempt that followed. Barboza landed a nice straight right, his best punch of the opening round, and Amirkhani answered with a successful takedown, but it came with under 10 seconds remaining.

Barboza opened with a nice right hand followed by a low kick, but Amirkhani was able to evade taking anything clean. Amirkhani’s output remained low, with his jab and lead uppercut the most effective weapons. Barboza countered by continuing to chip away at the body of Amirkhani before going upstairs with a straight right that floored his opponent. Barboza tried to get an anaconda choke on top, but Amirkhani was able to stray out of it and get back to his feet. He tried to take Barboza down and turn the table, but his advances were shut down. The Brazilian landed another huge right hand that floored Amirkhani again, and he went back to the anaconda choke. Again, though, he couldn’t finish before the end of the round.

Amirkhani came out desperate to turn the tide. He put pressure on Barboza, who used good footwork to stay away in the opening minute. Amirkhani was relentless, though, and finally put Barboza’s back on the mat. He established position within the guard, but Barboza wisely held on and did his best to avoid sudden shifts. He couldn’t do much, and the referee ultimately decided to stand them up late in the round. Barboza kept a good striking volume, closing the fight out strong.

With the win, Barboza got his hand raised for the first time since December 2018 and netted his first victory since dropping down to the featherweight division earlier this year.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 37 results include:

  • Edson Barboza def. Makwan Amirkhani via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27 29-28)
  • Marcin Tybura def. Ben Rothwell via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
  • Dricus Du Plessis def. Markus Perez via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:22
  • Tom Aspinall def. Alan Baudot via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:35
  • Ilia Topuria def. Youssef Zalal via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Tom Breese def. K.B. Bhullar via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:42
  • Chris Daukaus def. Rodrigo Nascimento via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:45
  • Joaquin Buckley def. Impa Kasanganay via knockout (spinning back kick to the face)
  • Tony Kelley def. Ali Alqaisi via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Giga Chikadze def. Omar Morales via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Tracy Cortez def. Stephanie Egger via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Tagir Ulanbekov def. Bruno Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

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UFC on ESPN+ 37 video: Dricus Du Plessis debuts with faceplant KO of Markus Perez

Dricus Du Plessis scored an emphatic knockout of Markus Perez in his octagon debut.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] scored an emphatic knockout of [autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag] in his octagon debut Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 37.

Du Plessis (15-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a former KSW and EFC champion, starched Perez (11-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC) into a faceplant knockout finish in the first round of their middleweight bout, which took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Although Du Plessis looked shaky in the opening minutes, leading to speculation from cage commentators Dan Hardy and Paul Felder that he might be experiencing the infamous “octagon jitters,” Du Plessis was clearly able to overcome them as he caught Perez with an awkward shot then followed up with devastating follow-up blows.

Watch the video of the finish below (via Twitter):

With the win, Du Plessis has won 11 of his past 12 fights. His 100 percent career stoppage rate also remained in tact. Perez, meanwhile, has now lost back-to-back bouts.

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UFC on ESPN+ 37 video: Joaquin Buckley’s insane back kick delivers ‘Knockout of the Year’ contender

OH MY.

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] scored one of the most incredible knockouts in UFC history against Impa Kasanganay on Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 37.

Buckley (11-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) landed a spinning back kick off a caught kick in the second round of his middleweight bout with with Kasanganay (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), and it put him out upon impact at Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi.

Kasanganay froze when the shot landed before crashing to the canvas. Watch the video of the incredible finish below (via Twitter):

Kasanganay stiffened up in a worrying fashion after the strike landed, but he eventually was able to recover and leave the octagon under his own power.

Buckley, meanwhile, put on a performance that will live in UFC highlight lore for years, and it was a thrilling way to get his hand raised in the octagon for the first time.

Buckley’s knockout was the fourth in UFC history to stem from a spinning back kick to the head. Renan Barao, Uriah Hall, and Magomed Mustafaev also accomplished the feat.

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Tagir Ulanbekov dedicates UFC on ESPN+ 37 win to Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov: ‘Rest in peace’

Tagir Ulanbekoc made a successful octagon debut at UFC on ESPN+ 37, and it was an emotional one.

[autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag] made a successful octagon debut on Saturday when he beat Bruno Silva at UFC on ESPN+ 37, and he dedicated the win to Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

Ulanbekov (11-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who beat Silva (10-6-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) by unanimous decision in their flyweight bout at Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, is a teammate of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and was one of many fighters in his father Abdulmanap’s stable before he passed away in July.

After winning the biggest fight of his career thus far, Ulanbekov said he did it for Abdulmanap’s memory and hopes it sets a foundation for Khabib to beat Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 this month.

“I want to dedicate this victory to our coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Rest in peace,” Ulanbekov said following UFC on ESPN+ 37. “This fight was a big responsibility for me, I had to motivate my teammates Khabib and Islam (Makhachev). They are fighting on upcoming cards. I didn’t fight the way I wanted. Everybody says the first fight in UFC, you get too much pressure and everything, and I guess it’s true. I felt it, as well.”

It wasn’t an easy win for the Russian, but he said he’s proud to have risen to the moment.

“I wanted to keep the fight standing, and I thought I would go through him much easier,” Ulanbekov said. “I didn’t expect the fight to be this hard. It was one of my hardest fights to date. This was a long training camp. I was supposed to fight before, but I didn’t unfortunately. I didn’t fight because Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov died. So it was just pretty much a six-month, non-stop training camp, so now I want to rest.”

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