Tag: UFC on ESPN 38

UFC on ESPN 38: Quick picks and prognostications

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the main card for UFC on ESPN 38.

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main card for UFC on ESPN 38.

UFC on ESPN 38 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.

Last event’s results: 1-4

Overall picks for UFC main cards in 2022: 57-32

Welcome to MMAJunkie’s Quick Picks and Prognostications, where I’ll be giving brief, fight-day breakdowns for UFC main cards.

With that in mind, I hope these write-ups don’t come off as curt or dismissive, as my goal here is to offer quick picks and analysis in a digestible format. All odds listed are provided by Tipico Sportsbook.

If you’d like more detailed analysis from me, then feel free to check out my weekly show, The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.

So, without further ado…

UFC on ESPN 38 faceoff highlights video, photo gallery from Las Vegas

Check out our exclusive photo gallery and video highlights from the UFC on ESPN 38 official weigh-ins and faceoffs.

LAS VEGAS – All the pre-fight activities are in the books for UFC on ESPN 38 following Friday’s official weigh-ins and faceoffs.

In the main event, Arman Tsarukyan (18-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) takes on Mateusz Gamrot (20-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a lightweight fight. In the co-feature, Neil Magny (26-8 MMA, 19-7 UFC) meets unbeaten rising star Shavkat Rakhmonov (15-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC).

At the conclusion of the official weigh-ins, the fighters came face to face for final staredowns. Check out the highlights in the video above and a photo gallery from the weigh-ins and faceoffs below.

UFC on ESPN 38 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.

[vertical-gallery id=2556341]

Photos: UFC on ESPN 38 weigh-ins and faceoffs

Check out these photos of the UFC on ESPN 38 official weigh-ins and faceoffs at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Check out these photos of the UFC on ESPN 38 official weigh-ins and faceoffs at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. (Photos by Ken Hathaway, MMA Junkie)

UFC on ESPN 38 video: Arman Tsarukyan, Mateusz Gamrot make weight for main event

The main event is set for Saturday’s UFC return to Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – The main event is set for Saturday’s UFC return to Las Vegas.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and [autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) both made weight without issue for the UFC on ESPN 38 main event Friday at the UFC Apex. The same venue hosts Saturday’s card on ESPN.

Tsarukyan and Gamrot were the first two fighters to the scale in the two-hour official weigh-ins window, eliminating any drama for the headliner. Both fighters weighed in at 156 pounds, the non-title lightweight limit.

Check out the video highlights from their trips to the scale in the video above.

[listicle id=2556251]

UFC on ESPN 38 weigh-in results and live video stream (noon ET)

Check out the results from the official UFC on ESPN 38 fighter weigh-ins.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official UFC on ESPN 38 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 ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.

Among those weighing in are Arman Tsarukyan (18-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Mateusz Gamrot (20-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who meet in the lightweight main event.

The full UFC on ESPN 38 weigh-in results include:

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

  • Arman Tsarukyan () vs. Mateusz Gamrot ()
  • Neil Magny () vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov ()
  • Alan Baudot () vs. Josh Parisian ()
  • Christos Giagos () vs. Thiago Moises ()
  • Nate Maness () vs. Umar Nurmagomedov ()
  • Chris Curtis () vs. Rodolfo Vieira ()

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN2/ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET)

  • Tafon Nchukwi () vs. Carlos Ulberg ()
  • TJ Brown () vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke ()
  • Sergey Morozov () vs. Raulian Paiva ()
  • JP Buys () vs. Cody Durden ()
  • Mario Bautista () vs. Brian Kelleher ()
  • Vanessa Demopoulos () vs. Jinh Yu Frey ()

Christos Giagos expected to cross paths with Thiago Moises: ‘Stylistically it’s a great matchup for me’

Thiago Moises has been on Christos Giagos’ radar for a while now.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag] has been on [autotag]Christos Giagos[/autotag]’ radar for a while now.

Giagos (19-9 MMA, 5-5 UFC) faces Moises (15-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 38 main card, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.

Both RFA alums, Giagos is surprised the pair never fought when they were under the same banner before, but sees now as the perfect timing for the matchup.

“I think he’s very technical, a very good fighter. He was ranked No. 14 at one point, and I think he’s very good,” Giagos told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 38 media day. “I think this is a great matchup. He’s fought tough guys, I’ve fought tough guys. He’s 4-4 in the UFC, I’m 5-5, so I think the UFC did a great job with this matchup. I knew I was going to fight him at some point because I fought on the same card as him in RFA when he fought for the title.

“And Dana White was there for his show and he didn’t get signed. I didn’t get signed, but I feel like Dana White was more impressed with me. I thought that I’d fight him for the title. I was a titleholder for RFA at one point, but I thought I was going to get that chance again against Thiago. So I knew I was going to fight him at some point, so the time is here. I like this matchup a lot, and I just think stylistically it’s a great matchup for me.”

Check out the full media day interview with Giagos in the video above.

[vertical-gallery id=610717]

[listicle id=2555701]

MMA Junkie Radio #3271: Guests Adrian Yanez and Eddie Wineland, plus UFC, Bellator, PFL previews

Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” with guests Adrian Yanez and Eddie Wineland.

Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” with guests Adrian Yanez and Eddie Wineland.

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,271, the fellas bring on [autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag] to look back on his UFC win this past Saturday. Plus, [autotag]Eddie Wineland[/autotag] joined the show to discuss his retirement after a lengthy career in the WEC and UFC. Plus, the boys preview UFC on ESPN 38, Bellator 282 and PFL’s fifth event of the regular season. Tune in!

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

UFC on ESPN 38’s Thiago Moises: Islam Makhachev loss showed ‘I have a lot of potential’

Thiago Moises is not deterred from his recent setbacks heading into UFC on ESPN 38.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag] is not deterred from his recent setbacks heading into UFC on ESPN 38.

After amassing a three-fight winning streak over Michael Johnson, Bobby Green and Alexander Hernandez, Moises (15-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has been stopped in back-to-back bouts by [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and Joel Alvarez.

He will look to rebound when he faces Christos Giagos (19-9 MMA, 5-5 UFC) on Saturday’s main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Moises took current title contender Makhachev to Round 4 and had a lot of positive takeaways from that fight.

“I learned a lot from those fights – especially with Islam,” Moises told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 38 media day. “I think I gave him a hard fight, especially if you see his last fights against Bobby Green and Dan Hooker that he finished easily. So I think I have a lot of potential. (I) just keeping getting better (and) keep improving. I’m very young, also, so I think that’s the way.

“My last fight (against Alvarez), what I did wrong was I didn’t follow the game plan to look for the takedown and work my grappling, because the guy was so tall, so it’s hard to punch (up). That’s what I learned from those fights. So I think it made me a better fighter.”

Check out the full media day interview with Moises in the video above.

[vertical-gallery id=518686]

Chris Curtis says ‘f*ck no’ to trying to grapple with Rodolfo Vieira at UFC on ESPN 38

Chris Curtis won’t be playing around on the mat against Rodolfo Vieira at UFC on ESPN 38.

LAS VEGAS – Don’t expect [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] to play with fire at the UFC Apex on Saturday.

Curtis (28-8 MMA, 2-0 UFC)  meets high-level grappler and ADCC champion Rodolfo Vieria in the opening bout of the main card at UFC on ESPN 38. The bout will be Curtis’ third of his UFC tenure after finishing his first two opponents. This time around, he knows he’s about to face a high-level grappler, but did not specifically prepare for Vieria’s style of fighting.

“I’ve reached a point in my career now where I’ve fought a lot of different people, a lot of different things, and I’ve kind of realized that whenever I prepare for somebody specifically, I tend to fail miserably,” Curtis told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “My jaunt in PFL taught me the pitfalls of preparing for something that may or may not happen or may be different.

“So really, instead of worrying about how great he is on the ground, I accept right away I’m never gonna beat Rodolfo Vieira on the ground. Maybe I can get the lucky, weird Fluffy submission but I’m not gonna bank on that. Like, I’m not gonna out-grapple him.”

“Fluffy” aka Anthony Hernandez pulled off a slick guillotine choke submission on Vieira (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at UFC 258 last February. Curtis will take it if it comes this Saturday, he won’t exactly be looking for it.

Instead of trying to focus on what Vieria will bring to the table, Curtis says his camp for this fight has been the same as it has been for his previous fights. When asked if he plans on trying to grapple with Vieria, his response was simple and to the point.

“F*ck no,” Curis said. “There’s no way. People were like, ‘Oh, you think you can grapple him?’ Like, no. His nickname is the black belt, like why would I even? Like, why would that ever be a part of the gameplan?

“I love the internet thinks I’m stupid too. I always get messages on Twitter like, ‘Hey man, just don’t go to the ground with him.’ Like, I never would have considered this to be my path to victory. Thank you, wise sir.”

Arman Tsarukyan says top-five lightweights won’t be able to duck him after UFC on ESPN 38

Arman Tsarukyan says no names at 155 will be off limits if he wins the UFC on ESPN 38 main event.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] expects his career to change completely after Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 38 main event.

Tsarukyan (18-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) gets his first octagon headliner on Saturday when he meets former KSW champ Mateusz Gamrot (20-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in a key lightweight fight at the UFC Apex. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2.

The additional spotlight has been something Tsarukyan has been working toward since his short-notice loss to Islam Makhachev in his promotional debut in April 2019. He brings a five-fight winning streak in the bout, and said he’s prepared to shine and announce his arrival as a genuine title threat.

“After this fight it’s going to be very different,” Tsarukyan told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 38 media day. “Everybody is going to talk about me. After this fight I’m going to be contender.”

Tsarukyan was beating the drum for a top 10 opponent after consecutive finishes of Joel Alvarez and Christos Giagos, but he couldn’t get any of the original opponents he wanted. Gamrot, meanwhile, was takin the same approach to land a marquee name. The two surging names were then forced to look at each other to keep active.

[lawrence-related id=2555723]

That was no problem for Tsarukyan, who said he intends to use the main event platform to make an example of Gamrot and show why he should get the biggest fights.

“This fight is going to be a finish,” Tsarukyan said. “I’m going to finish Gamrot and it’s going to be good fight. After this fight I’m going to talk a lot about my division, guys who don’t want to fight with me. And after this fight they cannot (not) accept fight with me.

“After this fight I should be top five, probably. No. 6 or No. 5. You guys gotta help me after this fight, talk about me a lot. I beat Joel Alvarez but my rank didn’t go very high. He’s good fighter, I beat him very easy. I hope after this fight I gotta be in top five because Gamrot, he’s a good fighter. I’ll stop him and I’ll get in top five then after this fight I want to be contender and I want to get fight from top five guys.”

The betting odds for UFC on ESPN 38 have Tsarukyan as a solid favorite over Gamrot. He thinks that analysis is apt, and intends to show it when the pair are locked inside the cage.

“He’s good fighter,” Tsarukyan said. “Tough fighter, but he’s not on my level. I’m in different level and I want to show this weekend.

[vertical-gallery id=426194]