Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom takes a look at the UFC on ESPN 53 main event between Amanda Ribas and former champ Rose Namajunas.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for UFC on ESPN 53.
UFC on ESPN 53 (ESPN/ESPN+) takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Cameron Saaiman looks back at first pro loss ahead of his return at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 53.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Cameron Saaiman[/autotag] enters UFC on ESPN 53 on the heels of his first professional defeat.
Saaiman (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) looks to bounce back Saturday from a decision loss to Christian Rodriguez back in October by defeating fellow prospect Payton Talbott (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on the main card of UFC on ESPN 53.
“It was a tough pill to swallow,” Saaiman said at Wednesday’s media day. “Obviously, after that fight, I really thought I did enough to walk away with the win. Obviously, the judges didn’t think that. It was also quite heartbreaking. After the fight, I went to both my coaches and asked, ‘Do we have Round 1 and 3?’ and they were like, ‘Yeah, I think we do.’ I actually went to (Michael) Bisping at the time and asked, ‘Sir, we have Rounds 1 and 3, right?’ and he said, ‘Yeah, yeah. I think so.’ Yet the decision didn’t go my way.
“Afterward, I had the time to focus on some medical issues we had. I had a big surgery sorted out and after watching the fight I’m pretty proud of what we accomplished not only in the fight, but also the camp building up to that. I’m 23 years old, turning 24 in December. I want to be here for a long time, and in doing that looking at the bigger picture. So after every fight we assess where we can get better, and there’s obviously a lot of key points, and in the last six months we sorted out a lot of stuff, and you get to see that come fight night.”
Saaiman is technically still undefeated at bantamweight, given that the fight with Rodriguez took place at an 140-pound catch weight due to a weight miss by Rodriguez.
Still, there’s a lot he took from that defeat, and he’s excited to show his evolution against Talbott.
“I think this is probably the most excited I’ve ever been for a fight,” Saaiman said. “The moment we got this matchup, we were already in camp for someone else. Then we got the name. I watched his Dana White’s Contender Series, I watched that live, and then I watched his UFC debut as well back in South Africa and I saw a lot of social media hype about the guy. I was like, ‘Ok.’ The moment I saw a post on Instagram, I got the feeling that sooner or later we were going to meet each other, so I’m glad it’s happening now.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 53.
Rose Namajunas and Amanda Ribas gave their takes on the upcoming UFC on ESPN 54 headliner.
[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] and [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] have revealed their predictions for the upcoming UFC on ESPN 54 main event.
Former two-time strawweight champion Namajunas (11-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC) meets Ribas (12-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 53 (ESPN/ESPN+) main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. One week later, [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] squares off in a pivotal five-round No. 1 contender bout in Atlantic City, N.J.
Namajunas, whose most recent setback came as a unanimous decision to Fiorot (11-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in September, thinks Blanchfield’s (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) pace will be too much.
“I’m kind of leaning towards Erin,” Namajunas told MMA Junkie and other reporters at pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Manon finds a way to win. She’s very good, and she’s a very interesting matchup for Erin, but I just feel like the pace Erin puts out, she impressed me with that.
“Her tenacity, and she also really knows how to find ways to win. I just think with our fight with Manon, she was kind of fading away at the end, and I think Erin is going to keep growing. I believe it’s five rounds so, she’ll probably account for that. But I’m leaning towards Erin in this one.”
Ribas had an opposing opinion, though tentatively presented.
“Good question,” Ribas said. “I think Manon.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 53.
Billy Quarantillo thinks he has his UFC on ESPN 53 opponent figured out.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] has visions. He’s in them. He’s looking into the mirror to see a little bit clearer … and he thinks he has his next opponent figured out.
Quarantillo (18-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) takes on Youssef Zalal (13-5-1 MMA, 3-3-1 UFC) in a featherweight fight on the UFC on ESPN 53 main card Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Quarantillo was scheduled to fight Gabriel Miranda until he pulled out, so Zalal answering the call kept him on the card.
“I looked up his record. I watched some of his fights back. He was someone that I remembered in 2019, 2020, that I thought we were going to get matched up,” Quarantillo said at Wednesday’s media day.
I think we were both 3-0 at one point. Then I forgot about him because he wasn’t in the league (yet).”
They didn’t cross paths in Zalal’s first stint in the promotion, which included seven fights – but a four-fight winless skid to close it out. But he’s back in the UFC after three straight first-round finishes outside the organization.
Quarantillo said he doesn’t see any areas he’ll be lacking come fight night.
“As an opponent, I think he’s got a lot of skills. I don’t think this is a great matchup for him, though,” Quarantillo said. “He was talking about how he felt like he beat (new featherweight champion) Ilia Topuria (in 2020). I did not score it for him at all. He got taken down five times. He hasn’t beaten anyone with a winning record in the UFC. I think he’s 0-3-1 in his last four UFC fights. I do respect his skill set and I do know he’s entering his prime. He’s only 27. I have a lot of respect for him and everyone at his gym, but I see it a little more clear than other people see it, and I think I see it more clear than he sees how his career’s gone so far.”
Check out Quarantillo’s full media day interview in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 53.
Rose Namajunas opens up about her loss to Manon Fiorot ahead of her return at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 53.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] is ready to snap her current losing streak and return to her winning ways.
The former UFC women’s strawweight champion is still in search of her first victory at 125 pounds after having lost a unanimous decision against Manon Fiorot in her divisional debut back in September. Although it was a setback for Namajunas (11-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC), she’s been using the defeat as fuel for her 2024 campaign to the UFC women’s flyweight title.
“After the Manon fight, I had to heal my pinky and that happened, but as soon as the fight was over I was like, ‘Man, that was so close. I could’ve won that fight if it was a little different here and there,'” Namajunas said. “Whatever. Would’ve, should’ve, could’ve. I just had that taste of, ‘Man,’ I usually get down on myself after a loss, but it just motivated me so much more.
“I knew after the fight I wanted to get right back in there, but I had to heal my pinky and I had some personal stuff to figure out. It took me a little bit to kind of get those things in order, but as soon as I was ready, I was looking for a fight. I got offered a little earlier for this fight, but I wasn’t ready, but then I got offered March 23, and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s perfect.'”
Namajunas returns to the cage this Saturday in the main event of UFC on ESPN 53, which goes down at the UFC Apex. She takes on Amanda Ribas (12-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in a five-round, flyweight bout.
Namajunas likes the matchup and the challenges that Ribas presents. Not only is she excited to fight for her first win at 25 pounds, but the actual fight itself has her eager for her return.
“Just excitement because of how she fights, her energy, her skills, the fact that she’s top 10,” Namajunas said. “For some reason, I’m not ranked or whatever, even though I am pound-for-pound ranked. It’s super strange. I never paid attention to the rankings, but now I’m like, ‘It be nice to be ranked.’ So yeah, all those things combined make me excited to hear that name, but I was ready for anybody. I didn’t care who popped up.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 53.
These Tafa Brothers are starting to make a habit of being interchangeable.
LAS VEGAS – These Tafa Brothers are starting to make a habit of being interchangeable.
In February, [autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag] was set to take on Marcos Rogerio de Lima, but had to pull out in the middle of fight week with an injury. Fortunately, his brother Junior was on hand and stepped in to save the fight.
This time around, it’s Junior that had to withdraw from a fight against Karl Williams (9-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 53 (ESPN/ESPN+) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and Justin Tafa (7-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) is stepping in to repay the favor.
“It’s just like old times back at the playground,” Justin Tafa said at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 53 media day. “Sometimes I’m not ready to fight, so my brother goes and steps in and fights for me. … We were really confident that my brother could have put de Lima away. I’ve seen my brother knock out top-10 heavyweight boxers – and after going out on a bender. He can knock anyone out on any given night.
“We weren’t planning on him not taking this fight. When we went back to Australia, we saw the severity of his injury and I told him I’ll go and check myself and if they say I’m ready, I could be ready by fight night. I’ll take the fight and do a solid for him.”
Junior Tafa was put away by de Lima after a bevy of leg kicks, so Justin no doubt will be hoping for a better experience against Williams in Saturday’s co-main event.
Check out Tafa’s full media day interview in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 53.
AJ Dobson has a very modern-era reason to be excited for his opponent at UFC on ESPN 53.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]AJ Dobson[/autotag] has a very modern-era reason to be excited for his opponent at UFC on ESPN 53.
Dobson (7-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) takes on Edmen Shahbazyan (12-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) in a middleweight bout Saturday at UFC on ESPN 53 (ESPN/ESPN+) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. And while it’s true Shahbazyan has about twice as much experience as the most experienced opponent Dobson’s fought heretofore, that’s not the key factor in why he’s stoked to share the cage with him.
“I was pretty excited. He’s a guy that’s headlined before. He’s in the video game,” Dobson said of first word of his opponent at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 53 media day. The video game in reference is “EA Sports UFC 5,” which came out this past fall for PlayStation 5 and XBox. Shahbazyan is one of dozens of current and former UFC middleweight fighters available as fighters in the game.
But beyond that, Dobson sees an opportunity to beat a fighter who trains with former middleweight champion Sean Strickland at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, which will make a win over him all the more valuable on his resume.
“He has a really good team behind him,” Dobson said. “It’s a really good opportunity for me to show that my skills are up to par and I belong. I think this is going to be the best Edmen ever. People can look at his record and say whatever they want, but he’s still a part of a really good team. He’s been putting in work. He’s gotten to see that champion level camp with Sean. So I think I’m going to get the best Edmen and I’m prepared for that.”
Check out Dobson’s full media day interview in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 53.
After starting his career on an 11-fight winning streak, UFC on ESPN 53’s Edmen Shahbazyan has lost four of his past five bouts.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] hasn’t met the lofty expectations some placed on him thus far in his career. But anyone who reminds him of that fact from a negative perspective won’t get his attention.
Shahbazyan (12-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) started his career on an 11-fight winning streak, but since has lost four of his past five fights. He’ll attempt to turn the tide Saturday at UFC on ESPN 53 when he meets AJ Dobson (7-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in a middleweight bout at the UFC Apex (ESPN, ESPN+).
There was a point in time when Shahbazyan expressed his desire to break Jon Jones’ record as the youngest champion in UFC history. The narrative has rapidly changed, but Shahbazyan won’t fold under public scrutiny.
“It doesn’t get to me,” Shahbazyan told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “Everyone has their opinion. You know how MMA fans are. They’re riding with you one fight, then completely against you the next. But is it what it is. That’s what makes the sport. Saturday – let them tune in Saturday for a good performance.”
Shahbazyan, 26, still has youth on his side and for his most recent bouts has changed gyms to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas under coach Eric Nicksick. He hopes that move will start to yield fruit, and thinks Dobson is a good performance for him to get back on the winning track.
“I think he’s an up-and-comer – good fighter,” Shahbazyan said. “But I think my skill set is a lot higher. With the way I’ve been training, with the way I’ve been working, I’m going to go out there and put on a performance.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 53.
Check out these photos from Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 53 media day in Las Vegas.
Check out these photos from Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 53 media day in Las Vegas, where fighters answered questions from the media in attendance. (Photos by Ken Hathaway, MMA Junkie)
After nearly two years outside the UFC, Youssef Zalal is back. The 23 hours leading up to his recent offer were a rollercoaster.
[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] packed his bags at the host hotel where he was lodged with a couple dozen other UFC hopefuls.
What a disappointment. After thinking he was on the verge of a second chance, he was back in the pool of bodies with uncertain futures.
Less than 24 hours after the “TUF 32” producer knocked on his door to inform him he was in the last batch of cuts, Zalal (13-5-1 MMA, 3-3-1 UFC) received a phone call that picked up his spirits once again. What a rollercoaster.
Zalal now calls his UFC departure the ‘best thing’ that ever happened to him, though he probably didn’t realize it until his manager Jason House notified him the promotion wanted him – directly. No reality show. No Dana White’s Contender Series. Just a straight-entry short-notice fight vs. Billy Quarantillo (18-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC).
“It’s super weird,” Zalal recently told MMA Junkie. “I was actually excited when I got the show, right? I was like, ‘It’s going to be good for my brand. People get to really know who I am, how I actually act, and all this stuff.’ Because you can tell. People will get irritated. So I was kind of excited about that, right? But a lot of people don’t know that the producer walked up to my room three days before they send us into the house and he’s like, ‘Hey, you didn’t make the final cut.’ I was like heartbroken and have all this stuff going on in my head. Then, 23 hours later, they call me and are like, ‘Yeah, you’re in the UFC.’ So yeah, we’re good now.”
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It’s unusual enough for a fighter to make it to the UFC once, never mind twice. Zalal, 27, did not renew with the promotion after an August 2022 draw. He then went 3-0 in MMA, 1-0 in boxing, and 1-0 in kickboxing prior to his re-signing.
During his time back on the regional scene, Zalal learned three key lessons he plans to carry with him throughout his second UFC stint.
“It’s 100 percent the best thing that happened to me. No. 1, it was like, do I really love this sport? That was the answer that I found. I really love this sport no matter what the money is. That was the No. 1 thing I found,” Zalal said.
“No. 2, I really saw how everybody acts and myself acts. I was not trying to embarrass myself in fights. That’s how I was fighting. I was not fighting my fighting style. I was not fighting who I am. I was just like, ‘Oh, yeah, all the losses are close losses. It’s not like anybody walked through me or anything.’ That was kind of the whole energy. I had to learn, ‘OK, go fight your style. Go fight with all the pressure off your back. Go fight all this stuff. If there is pressure, let’s use it in a good way instead of a bad way.’ That was a lot of things I learned from there.
“And No. 3 is maturity. I learned so much. I have so much under my belt now. Experience is the best feature, so I’m happy about that. I can’t wait until phase two. It’s going to be awesome.”
Quarantillo is the perfect opponent to get the ball rolling again, in Zalal’s opinion. With Quarantillo in the middle of a crowded 145-pound division, Zalal sees a lot of upside.
“For sure, man. I think every time Billy fights, they are like, ‘Oh, this is either going to be Fight of the Night or a Performance of the Night.’ That’s what I’ve got in my head for sure,” Zalal said. “It’s either going to be Fight of the Night or Performance of the Night – 100 percent.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 53.
