USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, April 30: Alex Perez joins top 15 at flyweight after upset KO

The women’s and men’s flyweight divisions saw some movement in the MMA Junkie Rankings after UFC on ESPN 55, with Alex Perez making the biggest leap.

Although it was a low-profile event by UFC standards, this past Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 55 event created some movement in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.

Two main card winners in particular gained attention. Former UFC flyweight title challenger [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] snapped a three-fight losing skid with a blistering knockout of Matheus Nicolau in the headliner, while Brazilian women’s flyweight [autotag]Karine Silva[/autotag] made it 4-0 inside the octagon with a unanimous decision over Ariane da Silva at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Check out where both fighters are now slotted in their respective weight classes after notable victories.

Video: Reaction to Alex Perez’s KO win over Matheus Nicolau at UFC on ESPN 55

What does Alex Perez’s first win since 2020 mean for his immediate future? Our “Spinning Back Clique” weighs in.

On this week’s episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel reacted to the results of UFC on ESPN 55 this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

In the main event, [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] picked up his first win since 2020, putting away [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] with a brutal second-round knockout. [autotag]Bogdan Guskov[/autotag] also made a big statement in the second round of his co-main event bout as he put away veteran [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] with a TKO.

So what do these results mean? What should be next for Perez?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, Farah Hannoun, and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia weigh in on the results from UFC on ESPN 55.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and also don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or podcast form.

https://youtube.com/live/1W_eLDUuvQE

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UFC on ESPN 55 winner David Onama apologizes for weight miss: ‘My body gave up on me’

David Onama says the commission stopped him from a last-second attempt to make weight at UFC on ESPN 55.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]David Onama[/autotag] says the commission stopped him from a last-second attempt to make weight at UFC on ESPN 55.

Onama (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) missed weight by 2.5 pounds for his featherweight bout against Jonathan Pearce (14-6 MMA, 5-3 UFC) Saturday at the UFC Apex. Onama defeated Pearce by unanimous decision.

Onama explained that after missing the 146-pound non-title featherweight limit, he wanted to utilize the extra permitted hour, but the commission intervened.

“Friday morning, my body just gave up on me,” Onama told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at UFC on ESPN 55. “I had two more pounds to cut, and I just couldn’t cut no more. I couldn’t stop sweating. My body was hurting me. I’ve never had that issue before. In my whole career, I’ve never missed weight and that’s my first time ever missing in the UFC.

“I was mad at myself because I never had that issue. I honestly thought I was going to make weight. I had an hour left and the commission told me, ‘You can’t cut anymore.’ It’s not like I quit cutting weight. I had an hour left and I was going to keep cutting weight, but they said I can’t make that weight in an hour.”

Onama apologized to Pearce, and vowed that he won’t have an issue on the scale again. The 29-year-old has now won four of his past five.

“To my opponent, I’m sorry,” Onama said. “My body gave up on me. It’s part of the game. Sometimes you might have a good weight cut, sometimes you might not. It’s never happened before and I apologize for that happening. It will never happen again.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

Chris Padilla ‘lost hope many times’ on long journey to UFC on ESPN 55

Chris Padilla has been riding high for a minute now, and after this past Saturday he hopes the momentum keeps on going.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Chris Padilla[/autotag] has been riding high for a minute now, and after this past Saturday he hopes the momentum keeps on going.

Padilla (14-6 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made his short-notice UFC debut on the prelims against James Llontop (14-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 55 and pulled off the event’s biggest upset with a second-round submission. Llontop, who also was making his UFC debut, was as much as a 5-1 favorite.

Although Padilla is just 28, he said his journey to the UFC has been more than half his life.

“When I say literally 16 years in the making, it was 16 years in the making,” Padilla told MMA J Junkie and other reporters after UFC on ESPN 55 in Las Vegas. “I told my coaches – we talked about it – I talked to myself and I told myself I wasn’t going to rush a single minute. I know most people want to get in and out, but nope – I wanted all 15 minutes if possible.”

Padilla gave credit to his Fight Science MMA coaches for helping take him to the next level. Before his current four-fight finishing streak, he was mired in a 1-4 rut that included losses in promotions like Bellator and CES MMA.

And going back to 2016, Padilla said he had an early shot to impress the UFC brass, and it went awry, extending his life outside the UFC even longer – nearly eight more years, as it turned out.

“I don’t want to blame outside forces,” he said. “I’m going to take responsibility for myself and say I just wasn’t ready. I was just too much of a kid. I had an opportunity … where I fought for ‘Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight,’ and I fought Jason Gonzalez. He ended up beating me, but I hurt him and I rushed to finish and I got super desperate and I blew all my gas. Second round, he finished me. So I just don’t think personally I would’ve been ready to fight at this level.”

Nowadays, though, it’s a different story. Padilla thinks he’s ready to stick around a while.

“I lost hope a bunch of times, man. I won’t even lie to you. … Every second was what I imagined,” Padilla said. “When I started this sport, I was 13 years old, so I felt like that was the wild West of the UFC, where it was (all kinds of) sponsors, Dennis Hallman wearing a thong, all that stuff. I felt like I came in at the right time because I don’t know how I would have done in the early UFC.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

Bogdan Guskov proud to be first Uzbekistan fighter to enter UFC rankings: ‘This is my history’

A couple of other fighters from Uzbekistan have been making noise in the UFC, but Bogdan Guskov is the first reach the promotion’s rankings.

LAS VEGAS – UFC light heavyweight [autotag]Bogdan Guskov[/autotag] will have bragging rights over his fellow fighters from Uzbekistan.

Guskov (16-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) will likely find a number next to his name when the promotion releases its updated rankings following UFC on ESPN 55. In the co-main event at the UFC Apex, Guskov finished top 15 fighter Ryan Spann with powerful punches in Round 2.

It was an outing worthy of a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, but more importantly for Guskov, one that will likely result in his name entering the UFC’s light heavyweight rankings.

“If I go to the top 15, I will be the first fighter from Uzbekistan who go to the top,” Guskov told reporters during a post-fight news conference. “This is history, this is my history. From Uzbekistan, we have two more strong guys and I’m first. I’m very happy in this moment.”

Makhmud Muradov became the first UFC fighter from Uzbekistan, debuting at UFC Fight Night 160 in September 2019. Liliya Shakirova became the first female and second fighter from the country, only making one appearance at UFC 254. Next was Nursulton Ruziboev, who debuted last July at UFC on ESPN 48.

Guskov rounds out the trio of active fighters from Uzbekistan, and admits there is a friendly rivalry between Muradov and Ruziboev to be the first to reach certain milestones. Both beat Guskov in the race for bonuses, but he can lay claim to the first promotinally-ranked fighter from their home country.

“Both guys are very good friends. We are every time talking support for each other. This is like a sport competition for motivation. It’s good, I think it’s good. … I love this.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

Victor Henry quotes Kim Kardashian after UFC on ESPN 55 bounce back from groin-shot no contest

Victor Henry recounts getting “punted in the pills” and drops an unexpected Kim Kardashian quote after UFC on ESPN 55.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag] is back in the win column. This time, he avoided getting kicked in the testicles – and that feels good.

On the UFC on ESPN 55 prelims, Henry (24-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC) defeated seasoned veteran [autotag]Rani Yahya[/autotag] (28-12-1 MMA, 13-6-1 UFC) with a barrage of punches for a standing TKO at 2:36 of Round 2.

The fight was Henry’s first since a groin strike left him facedown, screaming on the canvas at UFC 294 in October.

“What happened in the past is what happened in the past,” Henry told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference Saturday. “That last fight over in Abu Dhabi, it is what it is. That is part of fighting. It’s not just the training camp. It’s not just the win. It’s not just the loss. It’s everything involved in it. We’ve got Michael Bisping. He’s going a wonky eye now. We’ve got Bas Rutten. He’s got nerve damage in his arm. I guess it was my time to get punted in the pills. That’s fighting. There’s a lot of chaos that happens. It’s not always predictable.”

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While Henry anticipated the inherent danger of accidental fouls, he was caught a bit off guard by the wave of negativity that flooded his social media accounts after the incident and the bout’s designation as a no contest.

“In the UFC, you have certain groups of people going for certain people because of certain religions, certain races,” Henry said. “You have the guys that are basic. Your basic fans, they just like to see fights, which is cool. You have the guys that are kind of into it. They follow the top-five, the top-15. Then, you have the students of the game who watch everything about it. I appreciated that so many people showed up for my opponent. Javid Basharat is a great martial artist. His record speaks for itself and he’s pulling a decent fanbase for the sport. I was happy for it.

“All the hate I got on my Instagram afterward, I don’t like to see that side of humanity. At the same time, it’s funny. And I left it up on my page. You can go right now and see all the negative comments toward me. In my eyes, it’s just activity on my Instagram. It just makes me look either better or worse. But hey, Kim Kardashian said it best, ‘Any press is good press.’ I’m just not doing what she did. Well, I just got punted in the pills, so I’m almost there anyway, right?”

With the ghosts of groin shots’ past no longer lingering, Henry is back on track and looking toward the future. While he didn’t present a callout after the bout, Henry wants to remain active in his ascent up the divisional ladder.

“As soon as anybody wants to see me again,” Henry said. “I’ve got a big nose and some big old ears, but hey. I’m down for it. I’ll go next week if they want me. … I’m not in the business of calling people out. I’d like to climb up that ladder, but the UFC is going to do what the UFC wants with me. That’s the way it is. If they want me to fight a gorilla in the back alley then, hey, let’s get at it.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

Ketlen Souza unwilling to take breaks after scoring first octagon win at UFC on ESPN 55

Ketlen Souza won’t take any time to soak in the success of her first octagon win after UFC on ESPN 55.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Ketlen Souza[/autotag] won’t take any time to soak in the success of her first octagon win after UFC on ESPN 55.

After falling short in her promotional debut vs. Karine Silva in June, Souza got her hand raised in her sophomore appearance on Saturday when she outworked Marnic Mann to a unanimous decision in their strawweight bout at the UFC Apex.

Souza was able to land 80 significant strikes over three rounds compared to just 31 for her opponent, and she was confident coming in that boxing would be a key to victory.

“Not a surprise to me – I like to box,” Souza told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter post-fight at UFC on ESPN 55. “That’s what I like to do. I always thought she was able to counter it, and it didn’t come. I was happy with what I got.”

Souza was forced to sit on her debut loss for nearly 10 months and stew over it. She doesn’t want that much time to reflect on the win over Mann, and would prefer to get back in the cage in short order.

“I want to be back as soon as possible,” Souza said. “I’ll be back Monday training. This is not the time to take a vacation or take a break. It’s the moment for me to be training, fighting and coming back.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

UFC on ESPN 55 winner Maheshate felt ‘extra burden’ after consecutive losses

Hayisaer Maheshate admits he had a sense of genuine desperation when he stepped into the octagon with Gabriel Benitez at UFC on ESPN 55.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Hayisaer Maheshate[/autotag] had a sense of genuine desperation when he stepped into the octagon with Gabriel Benitez at UFC on ESPN 55.

Maheshate (8-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) thinks that showed in his performance, as he battled back from a two-fight losing skid to a take a split decision over Benitez (23-12 MMA, 7-8 UFC) in their lightweight bout on Saturday at the UFC Apex.

“Of course the two losses before this fight was an extra burden or pressure on me,” Maheshate told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter post-fight at UFC on ESPN 55. “But I had to transfer it to my motivation and get the win this fight. I made it.

“I’m very happy. I prepared for this fight almost one year. I kept training. I kept upgrading my skillset and I finally got this win. I wanted this win so badly. When you are so hungry for the victory, and when you finally get it, that’s why I was emotional and just kind of lost control of myself.”

After scoring a Performance of the Night-winning knockout of Steve Garcia in his promotional debut at UFC 275 in June 2022, Maheshate struggled. He lost a decision to Rafa Garcia in his sophomore appearance, then was knocked out by Viacheslav Borshchev in his most recent appearance in May.

The defeat to Borshchev was followed by an 11-month layoff. The Chinese fighter was chomping at the bit to get back and prove his worth, and he did just that.

Now with the momentum of victory, Maheshate, 24, said he won’t let his focus waver.

“For my next step I’m just going to return to my gym and talk to my coaching team and my management and see when I will be ready to return,” Maheshate said. “I think August or September I will be ready to fight again.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

Austin Hubbard admits he was ‘super nervous, stressed out’ before UFC on ESPN 55 win

Austin Hubbard felt weight of needing a victory to justify being brought back to UFC for a second stint at UFC on ESPN 55.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag] felt the weight of needing a victory to justify being brought back to UFC for a second stint at UFC on ESPN 55.

After suffering a submission loss to Kurt Holobaugh in “The Ultimate Fighter 31” lightweight finale in August, Hubbard knew he could be potentially fighting for his job again when he stepped into the cage with Michal Figlak on Saturday at the UFC Apex.

It was hard to put the optics out of his mind, but Hubbard (16-7 MMA, 4-5 UFC) did that for 15 minutes, and left with a unanimous decision victory over Figlak (8-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) for his first win under the UFC banner in April 2021.

“I’m just relieved,” Hubbard told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at UFC on ESPN 55. “I was super nervous, stressed out all camp. I just wanted to come here, get a win and I did that. Now, I can breathe a little.

“He comes forward hard. He’s a talented young fighter. He throws heat. He’s constantly coming forward. This was the fight I was expecting, and he brought it and I feel like I brought it. I hope it was entertaining for everyone.”

Hubbard’s first run in the UFC was not ideal. He went 3-4 with the promotion, alternating wins and losses all along the way. He was released, but ultimately brought back on a “TUF” season that consisted of a team of other UFC veterans trying to get back to the sport’s biggest stage.

Although he faltered in the season finals against Holobaugh, it didn’t make Hubbard think he didn’t belong. He said he’s the most mature he’s ever been and thinks that’s going to lead to newfound success moving forward.

“I’ve learned a lot from my first stint on through to where I am right now,” Hubbard said. “A lot of things in my life has changed. I’ve learned a lot of lessons. I’ve evolved as a person, as a fighter and I feel like – I don’t want to say I’ve got it figured out. But I’ve got it more figured out. Just looking to keep growing off this and keep climbing and putting consistent wins together.

“I’m very determined to put consistent wins together. Keep winning. Obviously my first stint I went win one, lose one, win one, lose one. I know what I am capable of and I am capable of putting consistent wins together and I Just need to go out there and do it.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

Charly Arnolt details historic impromptu UFC cage announcer role: ‘I was scared of messing up’

Charly Arnolt initially declined when UFC producers came to her with the historic opportunity to step in for Joe Martinez at UFC on ESPN 55.

[autotag]Charly Arnolt[/autotag] initially declined when UFC producers came to her with a time-sensitive opportunity at UFC on ESPN 55.

With cage announcer Joe Martinez battling illness during Saturday’s card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, the promotion needed someone to step in to introduce the fighters and read results for a few main card fights.

That’s when Arnolt appeared in the octagon to do the job, becoming the first female cage announcer in the history of the company. It was a significant moment for Arnolt, but it almost didn’t happen.

One of my producers walked up to me and he’s like, ‘Hey, Joe Martinez, the octagon announcer is sick – his voice is giving out,” Arnold said Sunday on her Instagram account. “He doesn’t know if he’s going to be able to do the next announcements. Can you do it?’ I was like, ‘I’m sorry, what are you asking me?’

He’s like, ‘Listen, if you’re not comfortable you can say so, but we need to figure it out very quickly because time of the essence, obviously.’ So I told him I was like, ‘Listen, I have to be honest. I don’t know that I’m comfortable doing this.’ Why did I say that? Because obviously I was scared and botching an announcement on national television on ESPN. I’ve never done this responsibility for UFC and I was scared. So I told them, ‘I don’t think I can do it.’ He said, ‘OK, that’s fair. We’ll figure it out.’ He walks away.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6UKxO3LN9x

Arnolt said she was with two of the UFC’s makeup artists at the time when approached the opportunity. Mere seconds after she declined, Arnolt’s colleagues encouraged her to step up and pounce on the moment.

“As I’m standing there, the two makeup artists for UFC, they look at me and they’re like, ‘What’s wrong with you? Of course you can do it. You’re super talented. You’re a professional. Why would you say you’re uncomfortable. You need to do it,'” Arnold said. “I was freaking out but I was like, ‘You’re right, I have to do this. I can’t back down when the team needs me.’ So (the producer) swings right back around I was like, ‘Listen, if you need me, I can do it. I’m OK.’

“He said, ‘We will get you completely prepared.’ So I was in the back and (the producers are) helping me, as well as Joe Martinez, who is just giving me every ounce of knowledge that he has to help me get through these announcements I’m freaking out about.”

Arnolt admits she was a nervous wreck as her time arrived. The reaction to her replacement role was overwhelmingly positive, though, with fans, fighters, and media offering near-unanimous praise.

“The time comes, I step into the octagon, I do my first announcement and I did it,” Arnold said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, I did it.’ I was kind of in a state of shock. Then obviously, I had to keep going and tons of help from the team.

“The point here is not only was I thankful for the help I was given by these people, I am so thankful for the confidence that they gave me. I’m not a person who lacks confidence. I’ve got plenty of it. But I was scared. I was scared of messing up, and if it hadn’t have been for the wonderful people that pushed me, I don’t know if I would’ve ended up doing it. I’m so thankful I got pushed out my comfort zone, because holy crap, I made history.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.