Tag: UFC on ESPN 56

UFC on ESPN 56 weigh-in results: One fight scrapped for medical concerns in St. Louis

Check out the results from the official UFC on ESPN 56 fighter weigh-ins.

The weigh-ins are in the books for UFC on ESPN 56, but the event will go on with one fewer fight than expected.

Jared Gooden (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC), who has had two bad weight misses in the past several years, never came to the scale Friday for his welterweight bout against Kevin Jousset (10-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC). UFC officials announced the preliminary card bout has been scrapped due to medical concerns with Gooden. No specific details were provided.

A little more than a year ago, Gooden was 177 pounds for a welterweight fight against Carlston Harris. The fight went on, but he lost by unanimous decision. In late 2021, he was 174 pounds ahead of a decision loss to Randy Brown in his first stint in the UFC.

In the main event, two-time heavyweight title challenger Derrick Lewis (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) takes on Rodrigo Nascimento (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC). Nascimento was first to weigh in and was 264.5 pounds. Lewis came to the scale about 50 minutes into the session and was 264 to make the bout official.

The weigh-ins took place at the UFC host hotel in St. Louis. The nearby Enterprise Center hosts Saturday’s event (ESPN/ESPN+).

The full UFC on ESPN 56 weigh-in results included:

MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Derrick Lewis (264) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (265)
  • Joaquin Buckley (170) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (170.25)
  • Alonzo Menifield (205.5) vs. Carlos Ulberg (205)
  • Diego Ferreira (155) vs. Mateusz Rebecki (155.25)
  • Alex Caceres (145) vs. Sean Woodson (145)
  • Waldo Cortes-Acosta (262) vs. Robelis Despaigne (262.5)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Viacheslav Borshchev (155) vs. Chase Hooper (155)
  • Terrance McKinney (155.25) vs. Esteban Ribovics (155)
  • Tecia Pennington (115) vs. Tabatha Ricci (115)
  • Billy Goff (170.25) vs. Trey Waters (170)
  • Jake Hadley (125) vs. Charles Johnson (125.5)
  • Jared Gooden ()* vs. Kevin Jousset (170.5)
  • JJ Aldrich (125.25) vs. Veronica Hardy (126)

*Gooden did not come to the scale. His welterweight fight with Kevin Jousset was canceled due to medical issues for Gooden during his weight cut.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

UFC on ESPN 56 video: Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento make weight in St. Louis

The main event for the UFC’s long-awaited return to St. Louis is official after the headliners made weight Friday.

The main event for the UFC’s long-awaited return to St. Louis is official after the headliners made weight Friday.

Ahead of UFC on ESPN 56 (ESPN/ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at Enterprise Center, two-time heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) and opponent [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) stepped on the scale.

Check out the video from their trips to the scale above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Video: Watch Friday’s UFC on ESPN 56 ceremonial weigh-ins live on MMA Junkie at 6 p.m. ET

Check out a live video stream of the UFC on ESPN 56 ceremonial weigh-ins in St. Louis.

UFC on ESPN 56 ceremonial fighter weigh-ins take place Friday, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on MMA Junkie at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT).

The weigh-ins take place at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The same venue hosts Saturday’s event (ESPN/ESPN+). In addition to the video stream above, you can check out the early and official UFC on ESPN 56 weigh-in results from earlier in the day.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Joaquin Buckley aims for ‘viral moment’ in St. Louis homecoming fight at UFC on ESPN 56

UFC on ESPN 56 will mark the first time in almost eight years since Joaquin Buckley’s last fight in his hometown of St. Louis,

UFC on ESPN 56 will mark the first time in almost eight years since [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]’s last fight in his hometown of St. Louis, so you better believe the rising welterweight is looking to, as he said, “turn up” Saturday night at Enterprise Center.

Buckley, No. 11 in the latest official UFC welterweight rankings, meets Nursulton Ruziboev in the UFC on ESPN 56 co-main event. Buckley believes he willed this homecoming into existence by calling for it after he TKO’d Vicente Luque to score the biggest win of his career just six weeks ago.

“That’s just how the universe works. When you speak things out and when you’re unafraid and confident and you actually work toward things, the universe will reward you.” Buckley told reporters at UFC on ESPN 56 media day. “Dana (White), obviously hearing that I wanted to fight in my hometown city and obviously having someone like me be on the card, he only knew that the numbers were gonna go up. I’m glad he took the opportunity by putting me on the card. Now we’re here, let’s go.”

Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has been on a roll since he moved down from middleweight to welterweight, winning three in a row, including the finish of Luque that propelled him into the rankings. Buckley is taking a risk against Ruziboev (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC), a traditional middleweight who is coming down to welterweight.

Thing is, all that really seemed to matter to Buckley is fighting in St. Louis.

“It has nothing to do with the opponent,” Buckley said. “Obviously they had to find somebody that wasn’t even a welterweight fighter to get on there. So, for me, it was just the opportunity to actually be able to fight. With Nursulton, I don’t know if he’s gonna make the weight, but it don’t even matter. I’ve already adjusted my mind set that no matter what he steps from the scale as, as long as I’ve got an opponent, we’re good. I’m feeling to knock this boy out. …

“Right now having the energy of my hometown, having my family out watching me, and it’s been years since they watched me live last time I fought in St. Louis for Bellator back in the day. I feel like now that I get the opportunity to fight in my city, I’ve got to turn up. I’ve got to do the most – what people expect, right? They want that viral moment, and I feel like we’re gonna get that.”

That moment, should it happen, would create quite the scene Saturday night, and Buckley – who owns perhaps the greatest knockout in UFC history – envisions the fight ending in that fashion.

“It will come to me naturally, but I do have a setup,” Buckley said. “I do have something in mind that I want to do and I want to hit him. It all depends on Nursulton and how he comes. Regardless, though, I know that knockout is gonna be there at the end of the day.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=420030788]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Nursulton Ruziboev sees Joaquin Buckley as insecure ahead of UFC on ESPN 56: ‘He talks too much’

UFC on ESPN 56 co-headliner Nursulton Ruziboev has seen Joaquin Buckley’s videos and he’s not impressed.

Down a weight class but in the biggest fight of his life, [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] is unfazed by the chatter.

One half of the UFC on ESPN 56 co-main event, Ruziboev (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) hears the chatter from opponent [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC), but views it as insecurity. The two fight in a three-round welterweight bout Saturday at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

“He talks too much,” Buckley told reporters Wednesday during a pre-fight news conference. “He’s always done that. I don’t understand everything that he says because English is still hard for me, but I’ve seen it before in videos. Maybe this is the way for him to kind of show his insecurity. Maybe he talks so much because he’s trying to show me he’s afraid of me.”

Buckley has entered his own in recent months with wins over Andre Fialho, Alex Morono, and Vicente Luque. The victories have surged him up the official UFC rankings into the No. 11 position.

As his success has grown, so has Buckley’s outreach on social media. Not one to hold back and opinion, Buckley has shown off an outgoing and expressive personality with comedic posts and callouts.

Recently, Buckley displayed an army of tall training partners he assembled to prepare for the hulking 6’5″ welterweight Ruziboev.

“Yeah, I saw the video,” Ruziboev said. “It looks like all of them were about 6’4″. None of them were 6’5″. So it doesn’t matter if they’re all super tall or whatever. I’m going to walk into the octagon against him. I’m going to ask God for help. God is going to grant me this victory, so I’m ready for it.”

The fight was a short notice booking for both men. Buckley campaigned hard to fight in his home city and even took to the microphone during the UFC 300 news conference to ask Dana White for the opportunity. The promotion gave Buckley what he wanted and now Ruziboev plans to spoil the homecoming.

“I’ve fought a lot in enemy territory, so it doesn’t really matter to me because inside the octagon, it’s going to just be me and him,” Ruziboev said. “Everybody is going to be rooting for him, but he’s going to be the only one standing in front of me, so it’s not going to be a problem for me whatsoever.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC on ESPN 56 fight

Alonzo Menifield and Carlos Ulberg will collide in the UFC on ESPN 56 featured bout. Here’s what you need to know.

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] and [autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag] will square off in a featured light heavyweight clash at UFC on ESPN 56.

Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg preview

Menifield (15-3-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) has been on a roll since 2022, winning four of his past five fights. His lone blemish was a majority draw against Jimmy Crute, which came about because a fence grab caused a one-point deduction. Aside from that, Menifield has wins over Askar Mozharov, Misha Cirkunov, Jimmy Crute, and most recenly Dustin Jacoby last December.

Ulberg (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) also has been streaking upward since 2022 as he’ll enter UFC on ESPN 56 on a five-fight winning streak. Of those five wins, four in a row have been by stoppage (two knockouts, two submissions). Ulberg is coming off a third-round rear-naked choke submission win over Da Un Jung last September at UFC 293.

Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg odds

With the fight drawing near, Menifield is listed as a -166 favorite and Ulberg a slight +130 underdog, according to DraftKings.

How to watch Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg at UFC on ESPN 56

  • When: Saturday, May 11, 2024
  • Where: Enterprise Center, St. Louis
  • Broadcast/streaming: ESPN/ESPN+

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Rodrigo Nascimento confident ahead of UFC on ESPN 56 main event vs. Derrick Lewis: ‘I have many ways to beat him’

Rodrigo Nascimento believes he can stop Derrick Lewis in multiple ways at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 56.

[autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] is not short of confidence entering UFC on ESPN 56.

This Saturday, Nascimento (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) headlines his first UFC event, as he takes on former UFC title challenger Derrick Lewis at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. “The Black Beast” is the biggest and most dangerous name Nascimento has faced thus far in his career, yet he’s full of confidence in his ability to get the job done by any means necessary.

“I have many ways to beat him,” Nascimento told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “Putting him on the ground is just one more way. I can strike, I can knock him out. I can finish him, or I can fight all five rounds.”

Nascimento is excited to be headlining his first UFC show and against a well-known name in an opponent like Lewis (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC). He sees this bout as a great opportunity to make his own name known among the UFC fan base.

“For sure, he has a big name,” Nascimento said. “He has a good name and good hype on him, but after this Saturday, everyone is going to know my name because I will beat him.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

UFC free fight: Joaquin Buckley stops longtime contender Vicente Luque in biggest career win yet

Watch Joaquin Buckley put away longtime contender Vicente Luque in his biggest career win yet in March.

In his last outing, [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] showed he means serious business at 170 pounds.

In March, Buckley picked up the biggest win of his professional MMA career, stopping longtime contender Vicente Luque in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 54. On top of being a quality win for Buckley, this was also his third consecutive win since dropping back down to the welterweight division.

You can watch Buckley’s big win over Luque in the video above.

Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday. He takes on Nursulton Ruziboev (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 56, which takes place at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

UFC free fight: Derrick Lewis knocks out Travis Browne in wild Fight of the Night

Re-live Derrick Lewis’s brutal 2017 KO of Travis Browne ahead of his return this Saturday at UFC on ESPN 56.

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] has given fans incredible highlights throughout the years, and yet, his 2017 knockout over Travis Browne still remains one of his best wins.

“The Black Beast” put away Browne in brutal fashion in the second round of their heavyweight main event of UFC Fight Night 105. This stoppage came after gut-wrenching body kicks from Brown that had Lewis in trouble multiple times in the fight. Although the fight lasted less than two rounds, it was a wild affair that won Fight of the Night honors.

You can watch Lewis’ win over Brown in the video above.

Lewis (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday. He takes on Rodrigo Nascimento (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC on ESPN 56, which goes down at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Robelis Despaigne sees himself fighting for UFC heavyweight title in 2025

Unbeaten heavyweight knockout artist Robelis Despaigne doesn’t see himself too far from fighting for the UFC heavyweight title.

[autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag] might be new to MMA and the UFC, yet he doesn’t see himself too far from fighting for the heavyweight title.

The unbeaten prospect believes that in 2025 he will be challenging whoever is the UFC heavyweight champion. Despaigne (19-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) thinks a win over Waldo Cortes-Acosta (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) this Saturday at UFC on ESPN 56 in St. Louis, plus a few more this year will put him into contention to be fighting for the belt early next year.

“Look, if all goes according to plan, I think that by the beginning of next year I’ll be fighting for the UFC heavyweight title, or at least the interim,” Despaigne told MMA Junkie in Spanish.

With UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones injured, Stipe Miocic waiting on the sidelines, and interim champ Tom Aspinall’s future up in the air, Despaigne hopes that things clear up by the time he gets to the title picture.

He believes Jones will beat Miocic in his return, but sees Aspinall eventually taking the belt.

“That is a close fight, but if it’s a matter of momentum, I think that Aspinall can pull it off and win the crown,” Despaigne said. “But we know the quality that Jon Jones has, so he can always surprise.”

If Despaigne were to win a UFC title, he’d be the first Cuban fighter in the history of the UFC. For the Olympic bronze medalist in taekwondo, that would be special.

“For me, that would be a dream to be champion of the UFC, and it would make me proud.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.