Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Take a look inside Michal Oleksiejczuk’s first-round TKO of Sam Alvey at UFC on ESPN 40 in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag] beat Sam Alvey with a first-round TKO Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 40 in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Oleksiejczuk, who ran Alvey’s winless streak to a dubious UFC record of nine straight fights.
Mohammed Usman doesn’t want to ride the UFC coattails of his brother Kamaru and plans to build his own legacy.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag] is ready to build his own legacy.
Usman (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) , who is the younger brother of UFC welterweight champion and No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Kamaru Usman, won Season 30 of “The Ultimate Fighter” this past Saturday when he knocked out Zac Pauga (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in Round 2 at UFC on ESPN 40 at the UFC Apex.
Just like Kamaru, Usman will kick off his UFC tenure having captured the “TUF” title, but he’s excited to branch out and write his own story.
“I’m just trying to write my own path,” Usman told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “My brother’s already did what he needed to – he’s already did more than I could ever dream of in this sport. So I’m just blazing my own path, I’m just taking it a day at a time and blazing my own path.”
“It feels like it’s the start of my journey. It’s Day 1, so this is my first day on the job in the UFC. Now I can put the UFC stuff on and feel accomplished.”
It was a beautiful left hand that got the job done for Usman, who said he pictured the moment during training camp. Having trained with Pauga in the past, Usman knew his power would make the difference.
“I manifested this moment,” Usman said. “Me and my coaches, we worked, we worked, we worked and that’s the No. 1 thing we worked on. We worked on putting him away because he knows that I have power but he’s never really felt my power. He’s only felt me at training. Training, you’re not trying to knock nobody out in training. When you get in that octagon, you’re trying to put somebody’s lights out and that’s what I did.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.
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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 3,284, the guys welcome in guest [autotag]Loopy Godinez[/autotag], who fights Saturday at UFC on ESPN 41. They also look back at the PFL’s first playoff event of the season, UFC on ESPN 40 and break down all the latest MMA news. 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.
Thiago Santos refuses to be overly harsh on himself after another difficult loss in the UFC on ESPN 40 main event.
[autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] refuses to be overly harsh on himself after another difficult loss in the UFC on ESPN 40 main event.
Santos (22-11 MMA, 14-10 UFC) suffered his fifth loss in his past six fights on Saturday when he succumbed to a fourth-round TKO loss against Jamahal Hill (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in a back-and-forth fight at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The bout received Fight of the Night honors, but ultimately “Marreta” didn’t get the result he wanted.
The past few years have generated some disappointing defeats for Santos, but the Brazilian said he’s determined to keep pushing forward and show that he can be better inside the octagon (via Twitter):
I worked hard and I had a amazing training camp, i let everything there and still wasn't enough, no shame about that, just a bad night in the office, congratulations to Hill. I will be back stronger and better. Thank you all pic.twitter.com/RpP3RpZ3rp
— Thiago Marreta (@TMarretaMMA) August 8, 2022
I worked hard and I had a amazing training camp, i let everything there and still wasn’t enough, no shame about that, just a bad night in the office, congratulations to Hill. I will be back stronger and better. Thank you all
After pushing then-champ Jon Jones to the brink of a split decision at UFC 239 in July 2019, Santos has never been able to capture his momentum back. He suffered serious injuries to both knees in that fight the required surgery, and kept him out of action for 16 months.
Santos has lost four of five since then, dropping bouts to Hill, Glover Teixeira, Aleksandar Rakic and Magomed Ankalaev. His lone win was a decision over Johnny Walker that was heavily criticized for its lack of action.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.
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At UFC on ESPN 40, Sam Alvey extended his winless skid to nine – and suffered a broken jaw for the second time in eight years.
The hits keep on coming for [autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag].
Not only did Alvey (33-18-1 MMA, 10-13-1 UFC) break the record for longest winless streak in promotion history Saturday at UFC on ESPN 40, his quick TKO defeat to Michal Oleksiejczuk (17-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) resulted in a broken jaw.
Though physically hurting, Alvey seemed in good spirits when he revealed the injury on his TikTok account Sunday. Alvey said the injuring blow came on the first punch landed by Oleksiejczuk, who finished the bout with punches at
“I spent a lot of time last night thinking about this and I’ve finally accepted it myself,” Alvey said. “I hope y’all forgive me but I am not the greatest fighter to have ever lived. To tell you, it hurts saying out loud. Oh, goodness. I was convinced I could beat anybody at anytime. I guess not.
“I would still say there’s not a person on the planet that likes doing this sport more than me. Although at this current moment, I have a broken jaw from the first damn punch he hit me with. Son of a b*tch. I’m likely getting my mouth wired shut. I’ve got to tell you, I wouldn’t have picked a different career if I had the opportunity years ago.”
@smilensam After that a$$whoopen i was handed last night theres no denting it. My bones will heal but my pride… #mma #ufc #broken #fighting #espn
UFC on ESPN 40 wasn’t the first time Alvey broke his jaw. In 2015, Alvey was kicked in the face by Sean Strickland while training for a bout against Daniel Sarafian at UFC Fight Night 82. The blow shattered his jaw and resulted in six weeks of wiring. Alvey told MMA Junkie he lost approximately 30 pounds during that time due to liquid diet requirements.
The bout Saturday for Alvey marked the last on his UFC contract. Alvey told ESPN prior to the fight a loss would pocket him $96,000 total from show money and Venum pay. He also indicated he would continue fighting regardless of outcome, though Alvey has not said if that remains the case after he suffered his current injury.
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If he doesn’t get Paddy Pimblett, Terrance McKinney has two legends on his radar (respectfully-speaking).
LAS VEGAS – When a microphone was put in front of his face Saturday at UFC on ESPN 40, [autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag] name-dropped one of MMA’s fastest-rising stars.
McKinney (13-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) wants [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] next, either in Abu Dhabi or New York, and he let the world know it after his first-round submission of Erick Gonzalez (14-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) at the UFC Apex.
“I think it’s just right, man,” McKinney said of the callout at his post-fight news conference. “The fans will love it. I think it’s just about time for us to clash. It’s just a matter of time. Even if it’s not this year, it’s going to come. Me and Paddy will headline a (UFC show). It’s going to be a sellout fight. … I need the crowd, man. I’m like Goku. I need the spirit bomb. Give me that energy. I need the crowd, Dana (White). Come on.”
If the UFC decides to go in a different direction than the Pimblett (19-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) fight, McKinney has two other names in mind – two of the most experienced lightweights on the roster. Their callouts come from a place of respect, he said.
“Either [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] or [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]. What’s up?” McKinney said. “It would be an honor to fight either one of you guys. You guys are legends. … (I like) just the way they carry themselves outside of the cage and how they’re really about the fighting and how they’re still evolving like true martial artists. Even as they get older, their game is always still evolving. That’s something I look up to.
“… I want to do the respectful route because these guys have been here. They’ve paved the way. I grew up watching them, man. It’d just be an honor to share the cage with them. I just want to test myself as a martial artist. I know with those guys, I can evolve and learn. They’re calculated. They’ve been there, and that’s what I want to experience.”
Miller (35-16 MMA, 24-15 UFC) is on a three-fight winning streak with a finish in each. After TKOs of promotional debutants Erick Gonzalez and Nikolas Motta, Miller submitted Donald Cerrone at UFC 276 in July.
Green (29-13-1 MMA, 14-9-1 UFC) competed in and lost his first UFC headliner in February when he stepped in on short notice to fight Islam Makhachev. The defeat snapped a two-fight streak of wins over Al Iaquinta and Nasrat Haqparast.
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Things got a little nasty between Juliana Miller and Brogan Walker, so a Degeneration X impersonation broke out.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Juliana Miller[/autotag]’s first move as a Season 30 “Ultimate Fighter” winner was to crotch-chop her opponent, [autotag]Brogan Walker[/autotag], before referee Keith Peterson shoved her away.
The move came after a third-round submission and was the result of a culmination of factors, Miller (3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) said at a news conference Saturday after UFC on ESPN 40. Sure, she felt disrespected by Walker (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) mean-mugging and trash-talking. But more than that, a love for pro wrestling was the catalyst for Miller’s MMA career – and even runs in her bloodline.
“So the thing is, my grandma, when she moved here from Brazil, she didn’t speak any English,” Miller told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “She was learning English from TV shows. … Pretty much, I was raised by her from 6 months to 5 years old. As she was starting to learn English, she said she loved wrestling because she didn’t need to understand the words to see what was happening. It was all through the action. Honestly, when I came to my team, I was like, ‘I want to be a pro wrestler one day.’ My coaches were like, ‘Let’s give you a shot in the cage and see how you do.’
“I ended up loving it, but that pro wrestling spirit kind of lives within me forever. I just think it’s exciting to put on a show. More than anything, the ‘suck it’ just came from the fact she sat up here on the same table and decided to say that she was going to highlight-reel knock me out cold. It felt good to stand over her and say, ‘Look at you now.'”
With the “TUF 30” tournament victory, Miller earned a multifight UFC deal. Training in the San Diego area, Miller considered asking for a fight at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 41. She decided against it, but will stay ready to make a quick turnaround at a later date.
“Depending on what’s available. I was worried I’d walk out of here damaged, but I’m doing just fine,” Miller said. “I was going to say San Diego, but my coaches will be cornering my teammate Ilima-Lei Macfarlane in her Bellator (284) fight. Really, it just depends on what’s possible. I think for now I want to go eat some cookies, enjoy myself, and hopefully have a few options getting back in the cage. I am uninjured, so really as long as I have a little time to prepare with my incredible team and coaches, I’m hyped and ready to be back at it.”
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See who Jamahal Hill should fight next after his victory over Thiago Santos in the UFC on ESPN 40 headliner.
(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Thiago Santos after UFC on ESPN 40 loss?)
[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] continued to validate himself as a threat in the light heavyweight division with a stoppage win over Thiago Santos in the UFC on ESPN 40 main event.
Hill (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) recorded the most significant win of his career Saturday when he finished former title challenger Santos (22-11 MMA, 14-10 UFC) by fourth-round TKO at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, pushing his winning streak to three fights.
After the Fight of the Night performance, Hill called for a title shot with 205-pound champion Jiri Prochazka. If he can’t get that, he said he’d settle for a fight with with former champ Jan Blachowicz.
What’s the reality of either of those fights coming to fruition? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Hill’s future after UFC on ESPN 40.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.
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See who Thiago Santos should fight next after his loss to Jamahal Hill in the UFC on ESPN 40 headliner.
(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Jamahal Hill after UFC on ESPN 40 win?)
[autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag]’ hard times continued with another defeat in the UFC on ESPN 40 headliner vs. Jamahal Hill
Santos (22-11 MMA, 14-10 UFC) succumbed to a fourth-round TKO against Hill (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in the light heavyweight main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and now the former title challenger has lost four of his past five.
What does the latest set back mean for Santos? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC on ESPN 40.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.
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Geoff Neal has a murderer’s row of grapplers ahead in the rankings after his knockout of Vicente Luque at UFC on ESPN 40.
What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 40 in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings …
