Tag: UFC on ESPN 40

UFC on ESPN 40 results: Juliana Miller TKOs, taunts Brogan Walker to win ‘TUF 30’ crown

Juliana Miller is the “The Ultimate Fighter 30” women’s flyweight champion after a dominant win over Brogan Walker.

[autotag]Juliana Miller[/autotag] is the “The Ultimate Fighter 30” women’s flyweight champion.

After going through the house and winning multiple fights during the latest season of the long-running reality series, Miller (3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) had her crowning moment on Saturday with a third-round TKO over [autotag]Brogan Walker[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 40.

Miller used her superior grappling arsenal to beat Walker and get the tournament crown in their main card fight at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The fight started with a brief striking exchange, but then the action quickly spilled to the mat with Miller on top. Walker held on and tried to avoid making any major mistakes, while Miller chipped away with short punches and elbow. She dominated from top for the majority of the round, and aside from a late armbar attempt from bottom, Walker didn’t have much to offer.

Walker came out in the second round with a clear idea of what she needed to do. She got the fight to the ground less than 90 seconds in, and before long found her way to the back and locked in a rear-naked choke. Walker somehow escaped and scrambled free, and she managed to press Miller against the cage. Miller turned her around and took the momentum back down the stretch, though, and secured a late takedown.

It was desperate times for Walker going into the final round, and she landed some good punches and got off to a solid start. Miller just waited for her opportunity to take the fight to the ground, though, and when she did it was one-sided. She quickly advanced to mount and smashed Walker with hard punches and elbows until referee Keith Peterson stepped in.

After the stoppable, Miller stood over Walker and gave a crotch chop signal, and pushed her opponent.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 40 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

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UFC on ESPN 40 video: Terrance McKinney makes quick work of Erick Gonzalez, calls out Paddy Pimblett

Terrance McKinney had his Paddy Pimblett callout ready to go after he submitted Erick Gonzalez at UFC on ESPN 40.

[autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag] returned to the win column in a big way Saturday when he quickly submitted former Combate Global standout [autotag]Erick Gonzalez[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 40 in Las Vegas.

The lightweight bout kicked off the main card at the UFC Apex and did not last long. McKinney (13-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) submitted Gonzalez (14-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) via standing rear-naked choke at 2:17 of Round 1.

The finish came with McKinney in the backpack position. Gonzalez unsuccessfully hand-fought as McKinney sunk his arm under the chin. The two fighters leaned sideways but did not fall. The tap came and referee Chris Tognoni intervened.

After the fight, McKinney struck while the iron was hot when he called out rising superstar Paddy Pimblett, who most recently competed in a win July 23 over Jordan Leavitt.

“Paddy ‘The Baddy’, where you at?” McKinney said. “Let’s get it.”

With the win, McKinney keeps his 100 percent finishing rate alive. He has two submissions and one knockout in the UFC, with his only loss a TKO to Drew Dober in March. Meanwhile, Gonzalez comes up short again, losing for the second time inside the distance under the UFC banner.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 40 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

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UFC on ESPN 40 video: Hear from each winner and guests backstage

Check out what the UFC on ESPN 40 winners and guests had to say backstage at Saturday’s event.

LAS VEGAS – UFC on ESPN 40 takes place Saturday with 11 fights on the lineup. We’ve got you covered with backstage winner and guest interviews from the UFC Apex.

You can hear from all the UFC on ESPN 40 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.

(THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED AS FIGHTERS ARRIVE BACKSTAGE)

UFC pulled Josh Quinlan bout for steroid metabolite, so why might he fight one week after? Jeff Novitsky explains

Josh Quinlan was suspended nine months after a contract-earning victory for M3 metabolite. Jeff Novitzky calls it “one of the craziest substances that I’ve seen here.”

[autotag]Josh Quinlan[/autotag] has once again tested positive for the banned steroid metabolite that earned him a nine-month suspension.

This time, however, no punishment is expected. Quinlan (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was removed from his UFC on ESPN 40 bout Saturday after the promotion was notified of a positive test Friday.

Like his positive test on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021 that earned him a suspension and fine from the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC), Quinlan once again tested positive for steroid metabolite M3.

As the UFC on ESPN 40 prelims played out, UFC Senior Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky spoke with reporters about the oddity, which is becoming less unusual as time goes on.

Novitzky revealed Quinlan tested negative 14 times in between his suspension and positive test during fight week. The sample turned in showed levels of less than 100 picograms. A USADA investigation resulted and there were no adverse findings.

However, the NAC has different rules and the matter needs to be discussed before the commission before a fighter is allowed to compete again in the jurisdiction.

While there have been reports of the bout now happening at UFC on ESPN 41 in San Diego on Aug. 13, Novitzky said California State Athletic Commission head Andy Foster is still doing an independent investigation and determination of his own.

“Once you are exposed to it, intentionally or not, it’s going to be with you for a long period of time,” Novitzky told MMA Junkie and other reporters. If anything that comes out of this, it’s a good lesson not only for our UFC fighters but for aspiring fighters.

“I was talking to Jason House last night, Josh’s manager, saying, ‘You need to tell your guys and girls that want to get into the UFC (to) start acting like you’re in the UFC right now. Because what you do now, even if you’re not in the UFC yet, you can end up paying for later down the line when you do get it.’ It’s one of the craziest substances that I’ve seen here.”

Novitzky explained how M3 has seemingly reappeared in athletes during weight cuts. Quinlan is hardly the first to encounter this issue. USADA has stopped punishing fighters for M3 pulsing issues. Most famously, Jon Jones tested positive in a similar fashion ahead of UFC 232 which resulted in a shift of his rematch against Alexander Gustafsson from Las Vegas to Inglewood, Calif. in December 2018.

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UFC on ESPN 40 video: Michal Oleksiejczuk pushes Sam Alvey’s skid to nine fights with quick TKO

Sam Alvey has a dubious record attached to his name after suffering another defeat at UFC on ESPN 40.

[autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag] has a dubious record attached to his name after suffering another defeat at UFC on ESPN 40.

Alvey’s (33-18-1 MMA, 10-13-1 UFC) now record run of consecutive UFC appearances without a win hit nine fights when he suffered a first-round TKO against [autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) on Saturday’s card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

It was one-way traffic for Oleksiejczuk, who dropped Alvey early and then battered him with punches on the mat until referee Herb Dean mercifully stopped the action less than two minutes into the middleweight bout.

Check out the replay of the finish below (via Twitter):

Although Oleksiejczuk impressed with a dominant performance in his debut at 185 pounds, the post-fight narrative revolved around Alvey, who came into the event tied with B.J. Penn for longest winless skid in company history.

Alvey now holds that record for himself at nine, and this fight was the last on his UFC contract. He quickly reacted to the result on social media (via Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg8NEZmrsRN/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

Well shit… I swear i used to be good. I lost a step somewhere but my family got to see me fight live. I’m fine but my pride hurts right now. Love you guys. (Even the haters)

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 40 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

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UFC on ESPN 40 video: Bryan Battle’s brutal head kick KOs Takashi Sato in 44 seconds

Bryan Battle scored one of the most brutal head kick knockouts in recent memory against Takashi Sato at UFC on ESPN 40.

[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag] scored one of the most brutal head kick knockouts in recent memory against [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 40.

Battle (8-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), “The Ultimate Fighter 29” middleweight winner, dropped down to welterweight and had a sensational debut. He landed the perfect head kick on Sato (16-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC) just 44 seconds into their bout on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Check out the replay of the finish below (via Twitter):

After the win, Battle said he felt the head kick was something he could connect with on Sato – who hasn’t been finished with strikes since 2015 – inside the octagon.

It’s crazy,” Battle said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “It’s something that we saw, it’s something we anticipated. I didn’t see it happening quite so soon. That was probably the most beautiful strike I’ve ever thrown.”

During his post-fight interview, Battle named Bryan Barberena as a matchup of interest, but delivered a more poignant callout of the undefeated Ian Garry.

“I’m not saying this man’s ducking me, but at the least, he’s being protected,” Battle said of Garry. “I want you. I want all the clout. Neither one of us ranked, nothing is holding us back.”

There was no immediate reaction from Garry, but there was one from Barberena (via Twitter):

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 40 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

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UFC on ESPN 40 video: Cory McKenna makes history, taps Miranda Granger with Von Flue choke

Cory McKenna became the first female in UFC history to earn a submission victory by Von Flue choke at UFC on ESPN 40.

[autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag] earned the eighth Von Flue choke finish in UFC history on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 40.

McKenna (7-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who at 23 years old is the youngest female fighter on the UFC roster, got a finish with a rarely-utilized grappling technique against Miranda Granger (7-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) in their strawweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The Welsh fighter overcame a 10-inch reach advantage by taking her opponent down all through the first round and into the second. Granger made a technical error defensively and allowed McKenna to lock in the submission and become the first female in UFC history to win by Von Flue choke.

Check out the replay of the finish below (via Twitter):

After the fight, McKenna was thrilled to put her name in the record books, and said she got tips on how to finish the Von Flue training with Team Alpha Male teammate Darren Elkins.

“I’ve never finished a Von Flue before in my life,” McKenna said in her post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “I trapped her arm in my shoulder. I knew it was stuck. I got it bloody done, didn’t I?”

With the win, McKenna joins Jason Von Flue, Ovince Saint Preux, Jordan Rinaldi and Alonzo Menifield as the only fighters to win by Von Flue choke.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 40 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

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UFC on ESPN 40 results: Mayra Bueno Silva wins by submission after referee polls judges to see if Stephanie Egger tapped

At UFC on ESPN 40, Chris Tognoni was caught in a predicament when he didn’t see a tap from Stephanie Egger but Mayra Bueno Silva stopped.

The UFC on ESPN 40 opener ended in bizarre fashion Saturday after referee Chris Tognoni polled the three judges cage-side whether one fighter tapped.

[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] and [autotag]Stephanie Egger[/autotag] kicked off the prelims in a flyweight bout. The fight quickly hit the canvas with Egger on top. Bueno Silva shot up for an armbar and released, a signal Egger tapped perhaps out of view of the camera and referee Chris Tognoni.

There was some confusion as Tognoni called off the bout and immediately signaled for a replay, as he circled his fingers in the air. After a brief conference with fellow referee cage-side, Tognoni declared he would poll the judges to see if Egger actually tapped.

One judge told Tognoni he absolutely saw a tap by Egger, who was twisted facedown near the cage with one hand out of sight of seemingly everyone – except said judge.

With that information, another judge concurred the tap occurred and the bout was called a submission. Bueno Silva was the victor. The win registered at 1:17 of Round 1.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

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