Tag: UFC on ESPN 57

Jared Cannonier trashes ‘gut-wrenching’ stoppage at UFC on ESPN 57, calls for Nassourdine Imavov rematch in Paris

Jared Cannonier wants to run it back with Nassourdine Imavov after his controversial TKO loss at UFC on ESPN 57.

[autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] is not happy with referee Jason Herzog’s stoppage in his UFC on ESPN 57 main event loss to Nassourdine Imavov.

Cannonier (17-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC) suffered a fourth-round TKO loss to Imavov (14-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) – but many have questioned its validity, given the nature of the stoppage. Cannonier was still standing, had his hands up, and at times was even swinging back at Imavov. Yet, Herzog decided to stop the fight in the fourth round of the contest.

Cannonier, who was up on two of the three judges’ scorecards, thinks he was robbed from a win.

“When it happened, it was gut-wrenching, to say the least,” said on “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani. “It definitely took some time to collect myself and watch the fight and really re-live the whole thing again. It was really gut-wrenching. It feels like the opportunity to do great things was pretty much stolen from me at that moment.

“It doesn’t feel like I lost the fight, it feels like it was taken from me. The opportunity to persevere, which is something I’ve done in my fights, and continue on and try to make good on the fight. Gut-wrenching is an understatement.”

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UFC on ESPN 57 marked Cannonier’s first fight in a year after being sidelines with a knee injury. Although coming off a layoff, Cannonier had two consecutive wins, defeating top contender Marvin Vettori and former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

Cannonier, 40, hopes the UFC does him right by re-booking the fight. He wants to take on Imavov in his home country in the UFC’s expected return to France in September.

“I want to petition for a rematch,” Cannonier said. “The UFC is going to Paris in September, and I would love to go to Nassourdine’s backyard and make that right. He’ll have that home field advantage. There won’t be people chanting, ‘U.S.A., U.S.A.’ … That’s what I would like to make that right. That’s something that I want – a rematch in Paris. He came over here, so I’d be happy to go over there.”

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Brad Katona gives himself ‘very OK’ passing grade at UFC Louisville, but knows you want a finish

Brad Katona got back in the win column after a January loss snapped a five-fight winning streak.

[autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag] beat Jesse Butler with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 57 at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

Take a look inside the fight with Katona, who got back in the win column after a January loss snapped a five-fight winning streak.

Result: Brad Katona def. Jesse Butler via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Katona (16-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC), Butler (12-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Key stats: Katona had nearly 11 minutes of control time from his three takedowns and outstruck Butler 148-32.

Katona on the fight’s key moment

“A couple times in the fight, I thought I hurt him. I had him curled on his sided, hammered in some shots – I think I hurt my hand doing that because he’s got a thick, hard head. My elbow is hurt from elbowing him, which is kind of good soreness, but I was really wanting that finish. I know the criticism against me. I know that. I hear you. I should be able to (finish). … We’ll call that (performance) ‘very OK.'”

Katona on Butler’s size

“There was something about his frame size – he’s freaking large, man. I was in there with a featherweight, it felt like. All I had to do was take that one step forward. … It’s working in the gym, but you’ve got to fly it. We got a passing grade, but we’re not ready to put it out for commercial use.”

Katona on what he wants next

“It’s the little things in fight camp that we miss. I’m going to soak it in, try to be positive about it. I know John (Kavanagh) will give me a hard time about being hard on myself. But we’re chasing greatness. You can’t rest on this.”

To hear more from Katona, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 57.

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Montana De La Rosa’s relief to snap skid at UFC Louisville came with bonus vengeance

Montana De La Rosa snapped a three-fight skid for her first win in three years – and avenged a 2019 loss to Andrea Lee.

[autotag]Montana De La Rosa[/autotag] beat Andrea Lee with a split decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 57 at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

Take a look inside the fight with De La Rosa, who snapped a three-fight skid for her first win in three years – and avenged a 2019 loss to Lee.

Result: Montana De La Rosa def. Andrea Lee via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Updated records: De La Rosa (13-9-1 MMA, 6-5-1 UFC), Lee (13-10 MMA, 5-8 UFC)
Key stats: Lee has dropped eight of her past 10 fights, all by decision including four split calls.

De La Rosa on the fight’s key moment

“I just felt like I was landing. I was striking, I was moving, I was feeling good in there. I was locked in. (My coaches) were telling me to wrestle a little bit more. I was finding my spots to wrestle, but when we did get in those wrestlings exchanges, she’s tough there too – she’s been wrestling her whole camp. I felt like I took the fight where I needed it to go and edged out that win.”

De La Rosa on avenging a loss

“It feels amazing to finally get the win, and also to regain that win back. I lost to her early in my UFC career. It helps me confirm I’m making the right steps even though I have a couple losses I’m coming off of.”

De La Rosa on what she wants next

“I’ve just been so focused on getting back in that win column. I’ve been coming off some losses, It feels really nice to get this win and help me get some confidence back. I just want to stack up a couple wins – that would be nice. But I’m happy with the win.”

To hear more from De La Rosa, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 57.

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Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Imavov-Cannonier ends in controversy, Conor McGregor & UFC 303 drama, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel recaps the results from UFC on ESPN 57, discusses the latest of the Conor McGregor drama, and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Dan Tom and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • UFC on ESPN 57 went down this past Saturday, and it left the MMA world with plenty to talk about. In the main event,
    [autotag]Nassourdine Imavov[/autotag] defeated veteran [autotag]Jared Cannonier [/autotag] in what many online deemed to be a questionable stoppage. This card also saw [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] snap a four-fight losing skid, [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] submit [autotag]Ricky Turcios[/autotag], and more. We take a close look and break down the key results of the card.
  • [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] dominated the news – or actually the lack of this past week. The MMA superstar wasn’t able to make it for the UFC 303 press conference on Monday, canceling the event entirely. He then posted a cryptic tweet along with a captionless photo in what looked to be a physicians’ office. [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] also aired his frustration, announcing that he’ll be leaving his training camp in South Florida to return to his home in Tennessee. What is going on? Will the UFC 303 main event happen? We discuss.
  • A few things also happened in the boxing world in connection to MMA. [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mike Tyson[/autotag] got a new date after their original date was canceled due to a health issue from Tyson’s part. [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] and [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]’s teams got into a brawl in the latest press conference promoting their upcoming boxing match on July 6. What’s the interest level on these fights? The panel weighs-in.
  • There we many other stories present in the always-busy MMA world. Each member of the “Spinning Back Clique” panel highlights one story that caught their attention this past week.

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Dustin Stoltzfus reveals fractured face, nerve damage after Brunno Ferreira’s spinning elbow KO at UFC Louisville

Dustin Stoltzfus suffered some serious damage after UFC on ESPN 57.

[autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag] suffered some serious damage after UFC on ESPN 57.

Stoltzfus’ (15-6 MMA, 2-5 UFC) face was smashed courtesy of a spinning back elbow by [autotag]Brunno Ferreira[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in their middleweight bout this past Saturday at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

It was a wild first round where Stoltzfus was more than game to engage in a brawl with Ferreira. He had his moments, but with less than 10 seconds remaining in Round 1, Stoltzfus was sent crashing to the canvas by Ferreira, causing severe damage to his face.

Stoltzfus opened up on the loss in an Instagram post Sunday.

“Not too much to say here. I strayed from the game plan at the end of the round.

I feel like a fraud. I am better than this and I owe it to the amazing people who support me to do better. That being said, there are only so many spinning elbows to the face even my big ol’ head can take.

That being said: I’ve got a lot of healing to do. My face is fractured and I have some significant nerve damage. I don’t know when I’ll be back to training, let alone fighting.

Thankfully, the great people at the @ufc have always taken good care of me. I went out there to put on a show, now it’s time to put me back together and see what’s next.

Thank you all for the love, but I’ll probably be off socials for a while ✌️.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C8AcXstJwrO/

With the loss, Stoltzfus has split his past four appearances. Ferreira’s past six wins have come by first-round knockout.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 57.

Changing strategy wasn’t in the plan, but Puja Tomar happy to be part of UFC history

Puja Tomar became the first Indian woman to win in the UFC.

[autotag]Puja Tomar[/autotag] beat Rayanne Amanda with a split decision Saturday to open the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 57 at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

Take a look inside the fight with Puja Tomar, who became the first Indian woman to win in the UFC.

Punahele Soriano contemplated retirement prior to UFC on ESPN 57 win: ‘I felt so much pressure’

Punahele Soriano reflects on his welterweight debut win over Miguel Baeza at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 57.

Although [autotag]Punahele Soriano[/autotag] made it look easy on Saturday night, it was everything but an easy road to get to the octagon.

Soriano (10-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) had a dominant and successful welterweight debut at UFC on ESPN 57, defeating Baeza (10-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC) in a clean, unanimous decision win. After the fight, Soriano opened up about the struggled he had to deal with in preparation.

“The whole camp, I felt so much pressure,” Soriano told the UFC after the fight. “Every day, I was contemplating whether I could still do this, whether if this is for me and if I could deal with this. Fight week, for whatever reason, I had the ultimate confidence. I was supremely confident, no added pressure and I believed in myself.”

On a two-fight skid and 1-4 in his past five outings, the doubts crept back the day of the fight. Backstage, warming up for his bout, Soriano had to battle those same demons.

“I said this a few times, but I was contemplating retirement backstage and thanks to my man Mike at the (UFC Performance Institute), I just let go of that balloon and started thinking about something I cared about – like my wife and my dogs, anything that I loved,” Soriano said. “(I was) ultimately reminding myself that I love this sport and love what I do.”

In the end, Soriano is happy with the way things turned out. He’s proud of his performance and that he got to show his wrestling skills.

“I thought I was Khabib,” Soriano said. “I thought I had a big afro on my head, and I was going to come out speaking Dagestan or whatever they speak. I wasn’t sure who I was anymore.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 57.

Brunno Ferreira calls for Bo Nickal after spinning-elbow KO at UFC on ESPN 57

Brunno Ferreirs wants to fight Bo Nickal following his spinning-elbow knockout win at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 57.

[autotag]Brunno Ferreira[/autotag] had a big callout after his big knockout.

The Brazilian middleweight called for a fight against famed prospect [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] following his impressive knockout win at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 57 at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Ferreira (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) put the lights out on Dustin Stoltzfus (15-6 MMA, 2-5 UFC) with a spinning back elbow in the first round of their main card bout.

With the attention of the crowd on him, Ferreira shot his shot at Nickal in his post-fight interview.

“I’ve shown my power in the division, but I come from judo,” Ferreira told commentator Paul Felder. “I’ve said this many times: I’m an excellent judoka, I’m a black belt, and a former athlete in Brazil’s national team. I want to issue the UFC a challenge: What do you guys think about judo vs. wrestling? Come on, Bo Nickal.”

Speaking backstage with the UFC, Ferreira said he expected the knockout win. His team saw an opening in preparation for Saturday.

“You can say that this knockout was really worked for – we really planned it,” Ferreira said. “We saw that he would come in, and he would throw his body a lot, so we knew that this and other strikes would work. But once the first one landed, I knew I could try it again and that it would land.”

Ferreira got a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for his finish and leaves UFC on ESPN 57 with a smile on his face.

“I feel like it’s mission accomplished – the job has been done,” Ferreira said. “I went through injuries and everything the fighters go through to get here, so right now the feeling is mission accomplished.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 57.

Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Jared Cannonier after UFC on ESPN 57 loss?

Jared Cannonier is in a tricky spot after his controversial main event loss at UFC on ESPN 57.

(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Nassourdine Imavov after UFC on ESPN 57 win?)

[autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] was dealt a tough setback Saturday when he came out on the wrong end of the UFC on ESPN 57 main event with Nassourdine Imavov.

Cannonier (17-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC) protested the stoppage by Jason Herzog in the fourth-round TKO defeat to Imavov (14-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ken., but there’s not much he can do other than swallow the result and push forward to the next chapter.

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That’s easier said than done for Cannonier, who is now 40 and only has limited time to rebuild himself as an 185-pound contender.

What does the loss mean for Cannonier? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 57.

Raul Rosas Jr. says Ricky Turcios claimed illness, staph infection after submission loss at UFC on ESPN 57

Raul Rosas Jr. says Ricky Turcios revealed he was dealing with illness before their UFC on ESPN 57 bout, but doesn’t want to hear ‘excuses.’

[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] cleared the air with Ricky Turcios at UFC on ESPN 57, but thinks his opponent made a mistake if he told him the truth about his health after their fight.

In the feature bout at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., Rosas Jr. submitted Turcios in the second round with a rear-naked choke, capping off a fight with exciting ground scrambles.

There was tension between the two fighters, more from Turcios’ side than Rosas Jr., who was upset that the 19-year-old pulled out of their February booking in Mexico City due to illness. Turcios refused a glove touch and cursed at Rosas Jr. before offering a defiant kick to start the fight.

Rosas Jr. would settle things inside the cage with his submission win and wanted to ensure there were no more hard feelings. As the dust began to settle, both were cordial and showed respect for each other, but Rosas also had to take a moment to set the record straight during a post-fight conversation with Turcios in the cage.

“I was like, ‘You disrespected me first though, you know?'” Rosas Jr. told reporters at a post-fight news conference. “You disrespected me by over here saying that I pulled out, this or that. He was like, ‘No, you disrespected me first by breaking the Bushido code,’ or whatever. Then I was like, ‘Bro, you know that’s something I couldn’t control. You know I was sick.’

“And he told me that he was sick as well. He told me he had staph this week, his knee, whatever, whatever. But you know, hopefully, he doesn’t use that as an excuse. That’s the reason I didn’t step out in Mexico City, because if I would have stepped out in Mexico City, I wasn’t going to bring it up that I was sick. If I had lost in Mexico City, I was going to leave it at that.”

Turcios did not mention an illness or any other ailment during his fight week interviews, and appeared ready to return to the cage for the first time since November 2022. However, if all that was told to Rosas Jr. is true, he hopes his opponent won’t try to discredit his bonus-earning victory.

“If he was really sick and had staph and went out there, I think that was just a dumb decision. I didn’t do that.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 57.