Tag: UFC on ESPN 49

Norma Dumont: Shutting down women’s featherweight would be a ‘huge loss for the UFC’

Norma Dumont thinks the UFC would be making a mistake by eliminating the women’s featherweight division.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag] thinks the UFC would be making a mistake by removing the women’s featherweight division.

Dumont (9-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) meets Chelsea Chandler (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in a featherweight bout on Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 49 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

With former 145-pound champion Amanda Nunes retiring last month, UFC president Dana White said the division, which debuted in February 2017, likely would be retired with her, which Dumont finds disappointing.

“I think that if the UFC does not proceed, not continue with the division, I think it’s going to be a huge loss for the UFC,” Dumont told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 49 media day. “We’re taking this fight thinking that this Saturday, they’re going to see somebody who’s eager to continue, who wants to be the face of this division, and is working for it, and is going to give them reasons to be excited about actually having fights in the future.

“Also, towards the end of the year, we have a former champion of the division that’s coming back. I think there are reasons why they should consider this, and it would be a big loss if they decided not to go with it. They just need to have people like us that are going to show the division and what it’s capable of.”

If the UFC does end up removing the featherweight division, Dumont said she’s already been physically preparing for the possibility of having to continue her career at bantamweight.

“This is some work that’s actually being done with the team as of late,” Dumont said. “My last two weight cuts were actually pretty chill, pretty OK. We actually cut about four pounds or so, exactly planning and anticipating that this could be happening in the future, and if need be, I will be ready to actually chase for that belt.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.

UFC on ESPN 49: Make your predictions for Holly Holm vs. Mayra Bueno Silva (Updated)

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 49 event in Las Vegas.

(Updated at 5:20 p.m. July 12, 2023, for fight removal.)

We want your predictions for UFC on ESPN 49 in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN 49 main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN 49 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

Make your picks for the fights below.

UFC on ESPN 49: How to watch Holly Holm vs. Mayra Bueno Silva – start time, fight card, odds, preview videos (Updated)

Here’s what you need to know to watch Holly Holm vs. Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC on ESPN 49 in Las Vegas on ESPN and ESPN+.

The UFC stays on its home turf in Las Vegas on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 49 at the UFC Apex. A former champion is at the top of the lineup.

Here’s how to watch UFC on ESPN 49 with women’s bantamweights in the main event.

Junyong Park anticipates ‘a long three rounds’ with Albert Duraev in UFC on ESPN 49 co-headliner

Junyong Park will start commanding some attention at 185 pounds if he can extend his streak to four at UFC on ESPN 49.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Junyong Park[/autotag] will search for his fourth consecutive octagon win on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 49, but he knows it won’t come easy against Albert Duraev.

“It is going to be a long three rounds,” Park told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 49 media day. “Pretty much like a war.”

Park (16-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) meets Duraev (16-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a middleweight bout at the UFC Apex. The card airs on ESPN, which presents the fighters with a platform to show their skills to a notable audience.

This matchup has been on Park’s raar for several years, he said, and although he expects to have “the upper hand in the striking,” he knows it’s not a layup.

“He’s definitely a fighter I’ve known before I got into UFC,” Park said. Then I got his name I was like, ‘OK, this might be a fight that I can challenge myself to.'”

If Park can extend his winning streak to four fights in this spot, it should set him up to make a leap in the 185-pound pecking order. However, he won’t look beyond the task at hand.

“I really don’t look past this fight,” Park said. “I continue focusing on the fight ahead of me and nothing beyond that point. It’s not even like I look left or right. It’s just focusing on the fight ahead.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.

Holly Holm praises Amanda Nunes following retirement, expects to fight for vacant title with UFC on ESPN 49 win

Holly Holm is confident a win at UFC on ESPN 49 will get her a shot at the vacant women’s bantamweight title.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] wanted to avenge her loss to Amanda Nunes, but she’s also happy to see an all-time great walk away from the sport on her own terms.

Holm and Nunes fought each other in July 2019 for the UFC women’s bantamweight title. Nunes entered the fight as champion and left with that same status, as he knocked out Holm with a head kick in the first round of their contest.

Since, Holm has been wanting to get the belt back and avenge that defeat in the process. That’s no longer a possibility given Nunes’ retirement last month at UFC 289, and that’s OK with Holm.

“I wish Amanda nothing but the best in her retirement,” Holm told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 49 media day. “She’s a champion that never dodged anybody and fought everyone that challenged her. Not a lot of people can sit there and say, ‘Yeah, I took on everyone.’ She fought everyone.

“I always wanted to avenge that loss and rematch her and fight her for the belt, and that’s not going to happen anymore. I always felt like I was one fight away from the belt anyway. So my goal is still the belt regardless. If she wants to come out of retirement, maybe that can happen. Not every fighter stays retired, right? But I do feel like I’m one fight away from the title regardless.”

Holm (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday in the main event of UFC on ESPN 49. She takes on Brazil’s Mayra Bueno Silva (10-2-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) in a key top contender bout at the UFC Apex, which airs on ESPN.

With the title now vacant, Holm, 41, is confident she should be involved in that title fight if victorious on Saturday – regardless of the standing of Julianna Peña and Raquel Pennington.

“I don’t see why I wouldn’t (fight for the belt), we’re No. 1, 2 and 3,” Holm said. “I’ve already had this fight scheduled before a lot of the shake up in the division, but my focus is still on Saturday night because that’s all I’m promised right now because I need to get past that. My focus needs to be present that night and see where we go from there.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.

‘Beggars can’t be choosers’: Jack Della Maddalena details rollercoaster three weeks, wants ‘someone legit’ in Sydney

UFC on ESPN 49 isn’t a card Jack Della Maddalena was supposed to be on even five days ago, but here he is.

LAS VEGAS – On. Off. On. Off. On.

That’s quick way of summing up [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag]’s past three weeks. At a UFC on ESPN 49 news conference Wednesday, Della Maddalena (14-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) detailed the rollercoaster of having a flight across the world, three opponents, two cancellations, and two weight cuts.

“Just a lot of ups and downs,” Della Maddalena told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “We came over. This is our third week. We obviously got the news Sean Brady was out, so it was pretty devastating. Then we got an opponent.

Della Maddalena was originally scheduled to fight Brady at this past Saturday’s UFC 290, the pinnacle of International Fight Week in Las Vegas. Brady withdrew six days prior to the scheduled fight date and was replaced by promotional newcomer Josiah Harrell.

The two fighters weighed officially and each made the welterweight mark. Hours after, however, Harrell was removed when pre-fight medical testing showed an undiagnosed brain disease called moyamoya.

“It was obviously unfortunate what happened, but I think it was a positive,” Della Maddaelna said. “Then, we got a fight. We got what we came for, is the good thing.”

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Unable to fight a replacement a day prior to the event, the UFC pushed Della Maddalena back a week to Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 49. The promotion signed another newcomer for the task. This time it’s Bassil Hafez (8-3-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

During all of the periods of uncertainty, numerous notables raised their hands publicly to fight Maddalena. Kevin Holland, Joaquin Buckley, and Chris Curtis were among them. However, none of those bouts materialized. Della Maddalena got tired of the back-and-forth without any productive conversations.

“I think everyone who said they were into fighting (me) all had fights locked in,” Della Maddalena said. “It was never really an option of those guys. If I had the choice, I’d probably have picked the highest ranked guy I could’ve. But beggars can’t be choosers and I just took what I could.”

Della Maddalena is from Perth, Australia, so it’s natural he hopes to fight at UFC 293, which takes place Sept. 9 in Sydney. Should he win Saturday, Della Maddalena hopes an established-name matchup finally materializes.

“If you want to fight, let’s do it,” Della Maddalena said. “If you want to fight down the line, let me fight and then we’ll figure it out. But I want to fight someone legit in Australia.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.

Mayra Bueno Silva plans to KO Holly Holm, then fight for vacant UFC women’s bantamweight title

Mayra Bueno Silva believes that, if she beats Holly Holm, she could soon be fighting for a UFC title afterward.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] believes that, if all goes right, she could soon find herself in a UFC title fight.

This Saturday, Silva (10-2-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) returns to the octagon in the main event of UFC on ESPN 49 at the UFC Apex. She takes on former champion Holly Holm (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) in a pivotal women’s bantamweight bout.

Silva is not only determined to add a win over a former champ to her resume but also a finish.

“I want to hurt her,” Silva said at Wednesday’s media day. “I want to hurt her for four rounds and then in the fifth round, I knock out Holly.”

The bout against Holm recently took on even more relevance given that Amanda Nunes retired last month and vacated the belt, leaving a pending vacant title bout that will require two contenders.

Silva, who’s on a three-fight winning streak, believes she’ll get the shot if she puts on an impressive display Saturday.

“I need to knock her out, and she needs to knock me out, too,” Silva said. “When someone wins a good fight, I think they’re next, because nobody wants to watch Julianna Peña vs. Raquel Pennington, sorry.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.

Ronda Rousey return? Maybe UFC fighter Chelsea Chandler knows something we don’t

Is Ronda Rousey’s return to the UFC just a rumor or a real possibility? Diaz Brothers protege Chelsea Chandler said she’s hearing some things.

The year is 2023, and rumors of a [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag] return to (real) professional fighting are starting to bud. According to UFC fighter [autotag]Chelsea Chandler[/autotag], a return to the cage could be in order.

Wait, what?!

At UFC on ESPN 49 media day on Wednesday, Chandler (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) randomly had viewers of her interview do a double take as she mentioned some rumblings she’s heard.

“I’ve been hearing Ronda is coming back,” Chandler told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “I’ve heard she’s coming back at 145. You never know. … If I got out there and put on the performance I plan on putting (on), I’ll welcome her to 145. I think it would be a great fight. It has been a long time for her and things change, people get better, and I think people are on to her one-trick-pony armbar. Money talks, and she would bring eyes to the sport again. I feel like her time in WWE is starting to go down, so I’d like to see it.”

It’s unclear where exactly Chandler heard this intel. Did she simply see one of the handful of Instagram accounts promoting a random idea as a “rumor”? Or does Chandler have some real sources?

Chandler, 29, is associated with the Diaz Brothers and trains out of Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu, so it’s possible she could have that insider knowledge. After all, crazier things have happened in this sport.

With UFC 300 right around the corner, could the UFC be going in full nostalgia mode? Has Brock Lesnar had any MMA fight hankerings now that WWE and UFC are owned by the same parent company? Could a Nate Diaz return be in order?

Stay tuned for Chandler’s post-fight news conference if she defeats Norma Dumont to perhaps learn about what other MMA stars of yesteryear might return out of nowhere!

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.

UFC on ESPN 49 pre-event facts: Can 41-year-old Holly Holm secure another title shot?

The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 49, where the oldest female on the roster, Holly Holm, looks to make a case for a shot at gold.

Another Saturday, another offering from the UFC as this weekend sees UFC on ESPN 49 go down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire fight card airs on ESPN.

Women’s bantamweight contenders, keen to fight for the belt now that Amanda Nunes has retired, take center stage in the main event. Former UFC champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) meets the streaking [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] (10-2-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) in a matchup with potential title stakes.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 49.

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Walt Harris owns up to USADA issue after cancellation of UFC on ESPN 49 fight

Three days before UFC on ESPN 49, its only heavyweight bout was removed from the lineup.

The lone heavyweight bout scheduled for UFC on ESPN 49 is no longer happening.

On Wednesday, [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Josh Parisian[/autotag] was removed from Saturday’s card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the news to MMA Junkie after an initial report by MMA Fighting. The person asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Shortly after news surfaced of his bout’s removal, Harris (13-10 MMA, 6-9 UFC) revealed on Instagram a USADA-related issue caused the cancellation.

“I believe this came from a supplement that I’ve trusted my entire career, but at the end of the day it was never USADA approved. I’m a complete idiot for not checking prior, but I’m definitely not a cheater. I sincerely want to apologize to my opponent Josh Parisian.”

See Harris’ full statement below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cum1R1kR_ii/

The bout was expected to be the first for Harris since June 2021. He aimed to snap a three-fight skid, which included defeats to Alistair Overeem, Alexander Volkov, and Marcin Tybura.

Parisian (15-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has alternated losses and wins since his UFC debut in November 2020. He most recently competed in February when he lost a unanimous decision to Jamal Pogues.

With the removal, the UFC on ESPN 49 lineup now includes:

  • Holly Holm vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
  • Albert Duraev vs. Junyong Park
  • Chelsea Chandler vs. Norma Dumont
  • Ottman Azaitar vs. Francisco Prado
  • Terrance McKinney vs. Nazim Sadykhov
  • Melsik Baghdasaryan vs. Tucker Lutz
  • Viktoriya Dudakova vs. Istela Nunes
  • Melquizael Costa vs. Austin Lingo
  • Bassil Hafez vs. Jack Della Maddalena
  • Evan Elder vs. Genaro Valdez
  • Azat Maksum vs. Tyson Nam
  • Carl Deaton vs. Alexander Munoz
  • Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Ailin Perez

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.