Tag: UFC on ESPN+ 38

UFC on ESPN+ 38 results: Brian Ortega dominates ‘Korean Zombie’ to earn title shot

The shaved-head version of Brian Ortega looked calm, cool and collected on his way to an upset win over Chan Sung Jung to earn a title shot.

We’ll never know if [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag]’s new (lack of) hairstyle played a factor in his win over “The Korean Zombie,” but the shaved-head version of Ortega looked calm, cool and collected on his way to an upset win.

Ortega (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) returned from a layoff of nearly two years to take a unanimous decision from fellow former featherweight title challenger [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC). The win put him in line to be the next challenger for champion Alexander Volkanovski. Jung was more than a 2-1 favorite over Ortega in the fight.

The featherweight bout was the UFC on ESPN+ 38 main event at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It streamed on ESPN+.

“It feels good. It feels good,” Ortega said. “For all you counting me out, learn to count, mother(expletives). … Today I tried to do the best I could, to mix everything up, and show everyone I’m back. We’re going to find out if I’m ready (for Volkanovski). In this game, you take chances.”

The featherweights spent the first two minutes looking for openings with a few low kicks and jabs thrown in. Things opened up a little in the third minute of the round, but not by much – though Ortega changed stances, perhaps as result of some of Jung’s early kicks. With 80 seconds left in the frame, Ortega landed a clean left hook, and moments later knocked Jung off his feet when he caught a kick and delivered a left hand behind it. Jung threw a high kick, then followed it up with a pair of right hands. They led to kicks as an answer from Ortega. Just before the horn, Jung tried a spinning back elbow that was just off the mark.

A minute into the second round, Jung put together several punches in combination that had Ortega backed to the fence before getting back to the center, where Jung fired off another kick. Ortega caught a kick and tried to turn it into a takedown, but Jung defended to stay on his feet. Jung continued to push Ortega close to the fence, and again put together a good combo that ended with a solid uppercut with two minutes left in the round.

But with 50 seconds left, Ortega landed a spinning elbow that took Jung off his feet. Ortega closed in and tried to find the finish with Jung in guard. He landed a couple punches, but Jung scrambled back to his feet. Ortega put him back on the canvas with 15 seconds left, but couldn’t get the finish – though he put an exclamation point on the end of the round and may have stolen it back.

Two minutes into the third, Ortega landed a heavy kick to the body, then tried to go high with a kick. Ortega’s offensive strategy shifted a little bit in the middle frame, as well. He threw kicks. He threw jabs. And he also reached out to try to grab Jung’s lead left leg, no doubt to keep him thinking about the potential for a takedown. When he went a little deeper on one of those with 45 seconds left, Jung defended – but ate a hard jab. With a few seconds left, Ortega tried another spinning back elbow, but it was just off the mark.

In the fourth, Jung tried to push Ortega back the way he had done early in the fight. But instead, Ortega took Jung off his feet briefly, and a potential clash of heads had Jung bleeding above his left eye. The referee brought in a doctor to check the cut about halfway through, but the fight restarted shortly after. Jung wasn’t able to get much of anything going with Ortega not only looking sharp offensively, but perhaps even better playing defense.

Ortega continued to work a stiff jab and kicks to the body to try to keep Jung at bay. Jung pushed forward almost certainly knowing he’d need a finish to win the fight. But with two minutes left, he still was searching for the next level of offense that might put Ortega in danger. Ortega landed several jabs in the closing seconds to put the cap on a mostly dominant performance.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 38 results include:

[vertical-gallery id=560021]

[vertical-gallery id=560019]

UFC on ESPN+ 38 results: Jessica Andrade makes history with TKO of Katlyn Chookagian

Jessica Andrade made history when she became the first female to win UFC fights in three divisions with a TKO win at UFC on ESPN+ 38.

[autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] made history Saturday when she became the first female to win UFC fights in three divisions with a first-round finish of [autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 38.

Andrade’s (21-8 MMA, 12-6 UFC) powerful strikes to Chookagian’s (14-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) body set up a first-round TKO, giving the former strawweight champion a solid introduction to the women’s flyweight division.

The 125-pound bout was the UFC on ESPN+ 38 co-main event at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It streamed on ESPN+.

Andrade instantly looked to close the distance to start the fight. She winged haymakers at Chookagian, forced her way into the clinch, then landed a takedown, all within the first minute. Chookagian avoided damage and found her way back to the feet, but a clinch battle resumed. They eventually broke up, but Andrade dropped Chookagian with a powerful leg kick and started to focus her attacks to the leg.

Chookagian began to find her timing in the latter stages of the round when she connected with short-range knees coming in. Andrade forced her way inside late in the round with a slam followed by ground-and-pound before Chookagian escaped.

Andrade caught Chookagian with a hard shot to the body just before the bell, then charged and landed another attack with a short hook to the body. Chookagian went down, and the referee stepped in to stop the action at the 4:55 mark of Round 1.

After becoming the 12th in UFC history to get victories in three weight classes, and first female, Andrade set her sights on a second belt with a callout of women’s flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko.

“We’ll see if this gets me Valentina,” Andrade said through an interpreter during her post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 38 results include:

UFC on ESPN+ 38 video: Jimmy Crute scores nasty KO of Modestas Bukauskas

Jimmy Crute brutalized Modestas Bukauskas in the first round of their featured matchup at UFC on ESPN+ 38.

[autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag] brutalized [autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag] in the first round of their featured matchup on Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 38.

Crute (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) needed minimal time to show how much of a difference his power could make when he connected clean on Bukauskas (11-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) for the knockout just over two minutes into the light heavyweight matchup, which took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Watch the video of Crute’s handiwork below (via Twitter):

Crute came ready with a name in the aftermath of his highlight-reel finish. He said he wants a matchup with Nikita Krylov next during his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier.

[vertical-gallery id=560021]

[vertical-gallery id=560019]

UFC on ESPN+ 38 results: Gillian Robertson controls Poliana Botelho for flyweight wins record

Gillian Robertson overtook the top spot on the UFC women’s flyweight wins list when she beat Poliana Botelho at UFC on ESPN+ 38.

[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag] overtook the top spot on the UFC women’s flyweight wins list Saturday when she beat [autotag]Poliana Botelho[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 38.

After overcoming some early resistance, Robertson (9-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) put her superior ground skills to work and controlled Botelho (8-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) en route to a unanimous decision win by scores of 29-28, 29-27 and 29-27.

The women’s flyweight bout was part of the UFC on ESPN+ 38 preliminary card at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It streamed on ESPN+.

Robertson immediately shot in for a takedown on Botelho, who was able to resist the initial entry before taking over in the clinch against the fence. Botelho broke free with just over three minutes remaining and started to attack with some hard kicks. Robertson shot for another takedown in the center of the cage, but Botelho denied it and forced the fight to stay standing. They traded strikes, and a flying knee attempt from Botelho led to a successful takedown counter. She landed in half guard but wasn’t able to do anything with it before the end of the round.

Botelho came out too aggressive after Robertson lost her mouth guard in the opening seconds of Round 2, and it walked her right into a takedown. Robertson established dominant positions, working from half guard and side control and eventually mount. She started to overwhelm Botelho with peppering ground strikes before she postured up and got some punishing blows off before the end of the round.

With momentum heavy in her favor going into the final frame, Robertson instantly shot for a takedown to start Round 3. Botelho stuffed it, but overcommitted on a punch moments later and found herself on her back. Robertson went back to work, chipping away with short punches an trying to advance her position. She eventually got the mount, as well as the back, but wasn’t able to finish the fight before the final bell.

“The plan was to finish her, so I’m not happy,” Robertson said in her post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “I believe she’s ranked No. 12 or No. 13. I would like to see Antonina Shevchenko across the cage from me.”

Robertson’s victory was her sixth in UFC women’s flyweight competition, breaking out of a tie with champion Valentina Shevchenko and former title challenger Katlyn Chookagian for most in divisional history. Botelho, meanwhile, fell to 1-1 since she moved to 125 pounds.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 38 results include:

[vertical-gallery id=560021]

[vertical-gallery id=560019]