Tag: UFC on ESPN 39

MMA Junkie Radio #3276: UFC on ESPN 39 recap, Chris Pratt’s apology to Adesanya, more

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


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

On Episode 3,276, the fellas recap UFC on ESPN 39 and Rafael Fiziev’s win over Rafael dos Anjos. They also discuss the lightweight title picture, Dana White’s Contender Series, Chris Pratt’s apology to Israel Adesanya and more. 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.

Rafael dos Anjos reacts to UFC on ESPN 39 knockout, says Rafael Fiziev ‘caught me good’

Rafael dos Anjos handled his knockout loss to Rafael Fiziev at UFC on ESPN 39 with the utmost class.

[autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] handled his knockout loss to [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 39 with the utmost class.

Dos Anjos (32-14 MMA, 20-12 UFC), a former UFC lightweight champion, had his night brought to a sudden halt on Saturday when Fiziev (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) caught him with a huge punch in the fifth round that led to a stoppage at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

It was a tough setback for the Brazilian, who had been making a charge up the 155-pound pecking order in pursuit of regaining the UFC title he lost in 2016. It didn’t go his way, but as always, dos Anjos was gracious in defeat (via Twitter):

Congrats @RafaelFiziev great win. It was a fun one…you caught me good on that one. Enjoy your victory.

Fiziev showed all respect in return to dos Anjos, who is just one of 10 fighters to reach 20 career victories under the UFC banner. The surging contender added a big scalp to his resume with the win, and is now poised for a run toward the top of the division (via Twitter):

Nothing but respect to the future hall of famer @RdosAnjosMMA
Thanks for the opportunity 🤝

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Michael Johnson disagrees with scoring in split decision loss to Jamie Mullarkey at UFC on ESPN 39

Michael Johnson thought he did enough to get his hand raised on Saturday.

[autotag]Michael Johnson[/autotag] doesn’t feel like he lost despite having an official defeat in his last outing.

The UFC lightweight veteran thought he did enough to take home a victory at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 39 in Las Vegas. Johnson (29-18 MMA, 12-14 UFC) came up short in a split decision against Jaime Mullarkey. The scoring read 29-28 and 29-28 in favor of Mullarkey (15-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC), with a single judge scoring the fight for Johnson 29-28.

To Johnson’s surprise, he was confident he had done enough to get the decision win as the fight went to the scorecards.

“Welp, that’s the way the cookie crumbles, I guess,” Johnson wrote on Instagram. “Great fight with (Jamie Mullarkey) tonight! Hats off to you sir! What’s understood doesn’t need to be said! Felt I got 1 and 3! Thank you to all my support squad and those continuing to ride with me! There’s no quit in this guy at all. We keep climbing and fighting and scratching to get back to where I belong!”

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The decision was heavily debated online, as it was a close contest that had many people split on who the winner was.

The decision came down to the first round, as that was the only round judges disagreed on. Two judges gave Mullarkey a 10-9, while only one gave it to Johnson. In that round, both fighters scored knockdowns, but Johnson’s came earlier in the fight and Mullarkey’s in the final seconds.

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UFC on ESPN 39 post-event facts: Ricky Turcios’ rough striking numbers enter record books

Ricky Turcios landed just 11.5 percent of his strike attempts at UFC on ESPN 39, putting him in the record books for the wrong reasons.

After International Fight Week took over the MMA world, UFC on ESPN 39 on Saturday proved to be something of a hangover card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

[autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) put a highlight on the end of a long night of fights, though, when he scored a fifth-round knockout of former UFC champ [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] (32-14 MMA, 20-12 UFC) to extend his winning streak in the lightweight division to six consecutive fights.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 39.

Rafael Fiziev sends message to Justin Gaethje: ‘Don’t talk sh*t and let’s go’

Rafael Fiziev wants Justin Gaethje next.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] is taking aim at the top of the division following his latest win in the UFC.

The rising UFC lightweight contender called out former title challenger Justin Gaethje following his KO victory over Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 39 in Las Vegas. Fiziev (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who’s now on a six-fight winning streak, believes that’s what makes sense for him next in his carer.

“Yeah, you know I want to fight with Gaethje,” Fiziev told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 39 post-fight news conference. “… Gaethje, if you want to fight, one more yellow guy with yellow hairs (Charles Oliveira), we need to know who’s best.

“That’s a good match for you and me. If you’re ready, and you’re not scared, don’t talk sh*t and let’s go.”

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Much like former UFC champion dos Anjos (31-14 MMA, 20-12 UFC), Fiziev expects a tough fight with Gaetheje. He also thinks there’s a good chance fans will see a finish – whether it comes his way or in Gaethje’s direction.

“I think he would maybe make my face like this, maybe more hard,” Fiziev said as he pointed to his battered face. “He’s dangerous also and a big challenge for me. I think he has a lot of chance to knock me out, and I have a lot of chance to knock him out. That’s a good fight, I think, for fans also.”

Fiziev finds himself on a six-fight winning streak, which includes notable names such as Bobby Green, Brad Riddell, Renato Moicano, and now a former UFC champion in dos Anjos. Fiziev has only lost once in his entire professional MMA career, coming up short in his UFC debut back in 2019.

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UFC on ESPN 39 bonuses: Jamie Mullarkey vs. Michael Johnson a no-doubt FOTN

Check out who from UFC on ESPN 39 took home a bonus for their performance in Las Vegas.

UFC on ESPN 39 produced five exciting finishes, but the promotion kept with the traditional format of issuing four post-fight bonuses.

While Jamie Mullarkey and Michael Johnson couldn’t avoid the judges’ scorecards, their wild battle left a lasting impression. The first round of the fight saw both fighters rocked from heavy punches, but both men would continue to compete in a wild battle until the final horn. When it was all said and done, this main card opener set the bar high for the Fight of the Night bonus, which was unmatched through the remainder of the event.

In addition to the Fight of the Night, the promotion issued two Performance of the Night bonuses, reverting to the UFC’s traditional format of bonuses, unlike recent weeks that saw more bonus winners than usual.

Check out below to see who all took home an extra $50,000 paycheck for their performance on Saturday.

UFC on ESPN 39 results: Rafael Fiziev KOs Rafael dos Anjos, improves streak to six straight

Rafael Fiziev continues to climb the rankings after finishing a former champion in the main event.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] keeps climbing up the rankings.

The UFC lightweight contender extended his winning streak on Saturday night. Fiziev (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) knocked out former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] in the main event of UFC on ESPN 39. The official stoppage came 18 seconds into the fifth round.

It was a competitive fight that seemed to slightly favor Fiziev for the majority of the fight.

In the first three rounds, dos Anjos (31-14 MMA, 20-12 UFC) looked to takedown Fiziev, but he was unable to. The former champion struggled to bring Fiziev to the mat, but did have some success controlling Fiziev for certain periods of time against the cage. However, when the fight was on the feet, Fiziev seemed to connect more and overall command the fight in that area.

In round four, dos Anjos looked significantly better. He connected the cleaner shots of the round and looked to be more active on the feet. He also got a clean takedown and managed to get control time on Fiziev.

Unfortunately for dos Anjos, the momentum he picked up quickly came to an end at the beginning of the fifth round. Fiziev clipped the Brazilian with a left hook, dropped him, and followed up with a few shots to get the fight called off.

https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1545986895443767296?s=20&t=wblZUef82VXo7UaC3MLsDA

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With this win, Fiziev’s momentum in the UFC keeps growing. The 29-year-old is on a six-fight winning streak, which includes notable names such as Bobby Green, Brad Riddell, Renato Moicano and now dos Anjos. Fiziev has only lost once in his entire professinal MMA career, coming up short in his UFC debut back in 2019.

On the other hand, dos Anjos tasted his first defeat since dropping back to lightweight. The former champion moved down from welterweight back to lightweight in late 2020. He defeated Paul Felder in his return and then followed up with a dominant decision win over Moicano. Dos Anjos is 3-3 in his past six outings.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 39 results include:

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Twitter reacts to Rafael Fiziev’s knockout of Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN 39

See the top Twitter reactions to Rafael Fiziev’s win over Rafael dos Anjos in the UFC on ESPN 39 main event.

[autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] took a major step forward in his career Saturday when he defeated [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] in his first main event opportunity at UFC on ESPN 39.

Fiziev’s (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) sixth consecutive win was his most significant to date, because he beat former UFC champ dos Anjos (32-14 MMA, 20-12 UFC) by fifth-round knockout in the lightweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Fiziev’s victory over dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN 39.

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UFC on ESPN 39 results: Jamie Mullarkey rallies to outslug Michael Johnson for split call

Jamie Mullarkey and Michael Johnson went toe-to-toe for three rounds in a thriller at UFC on ESPN 39.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jamie Mullarkey[/autotag] left UFC on ESPN 39 with the biggest win of his career, but it didn’t come without some help from the judges and a lot of shots from [autotag]Michael Johnson[/autotag].

Mullarkey (15-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) edged Johnson (29-18 MMA, 12-14 UFC) by split decision in their lightweight bout at the UFC Apex, taking scores of 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28 in a brutal, back-and-forth contest.

The first round started with both men taking a measured approach, but then it evolved into chaos. Johnson dropped Mullarkey with a clean combination, then after he recovered, Mullarkey turned the tables and connected with a late knockdown of his own.

That momentum carried over into Round 2 in a big way for Mullarkey. He started to put a striking pace that put a lot of damage on Johnson. He landed punches, kicks, knees and elbows to take over the fight against Johnson, who looked visibly worn as he slipped in a few hard punches of his own.

With the fight up for grabs in Rond 3, Johnson looked to get some of his wind back early. He pushed forward on Mullarkey, who stayed calm as he tried to find his moments to fire back with a punch or a kick. Johnson’s landing rate picked up as the round wore on, forcing Mullarkey into a failed takedown attempt. That led to them trading shows down to the final bell of an excellent fight.

“I knew he would take me into the trenches,” Mullarkey said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “Big step up in competition for me against a guy who has been around forever.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 39 results include:

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UFC on ESPN 39 video: All backstage winner post-fight interviews

Check out what the UFC on ESPN 39 winners had to say backstage at Saturday’s event.

LAS VEGAS – UFC on ESPN 39 took place Saturday with 12 bouts on the lineup. We’ve got you covered with backstage winner interviews from the UFC Apex.

You can hear from all the UFC on ESPN 39 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.