Tag: UFC on ESPN 57

UFC on ESPN 57 video: Dominick Reyes snaps four-fight skid with quick TKO of Dustin Jacoby

Dominick Reyes’ four-fight losing skid is a thing of the past after he finished Dustin Jacoby in two minutes at UFC on ESPN 57.

[autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] was in desperate need of a victory at UFC on ESPN 57, and he got the job done against [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag] in two minutes.

Reyes (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) snapped his four-fight losing skid and got his hand raised for the first time since October 2019 when he hurt Jacoby (19-9-1 MMA, 7-6-1 UFC) with a counter punch early in the fight then attacked until he got the TKO stoppage at the 2:00 mark of Round 1 in the light heavyweight bout at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ken.

Check out the replay of the final exchange below (via X):

It’s been a rough run for Reyes, 34, in recent years. He nearly achieved one of the greatest highs in MMA history when he pushed Jon Jones to the limit and lost a controversial decision in February 2021 at UFC 247.

That loss to Jones kicked off a four-fight losing skid, but that is now a thing of the past after Reyes got the nod over Jacoby with the stoppage win.

“I feel amazing,” Reyes said in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “I’m just so blessed to have the team that I have. … I do this for all you people to show you what I have.”

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Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 57 results include:

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

UFC on ESPN 57 results: Raul Rosas Jr. taps Ricky Turcios with slick rear-naked choke

Raul Rosas Jr. continues to prove why he’s one of the most exciting prospects in the UFC today by picking up another finish.

[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] proved he possesses the superior rear-naked choke game, as he outworked Ricky Turcios on the mat.

In the feature main card bout of UFC on ESPN 57 at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., the 19-year-old Rosas Jr. (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) battled Turcios (12-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) on the ground, eventually securing a rear-naked choke finish at 2:22 of Round 2.

Turcios attempted to get into his Rosas Jr.’s head right out of the gate. He refused a glove touch and instead yelled at Rosas Jr. before throwing a hard kick.

A few moments later, Rosas Jr. was controlling from top position after getting a takedown, and the fans began chanting “Ricky sucks” for his opening antics.

The remainder of the round would be spent on the canvas scrambling and exciting rear-naked choke sequences from both. Turcios had his own locked in, but Rosas Jr. slipped out to latch on to a choke of his own, but neither would get the finish in the opening round.

Rosas Jr. came out of the gate fast in Round 2, connecting with a nice step-in knee before getting another takedown and finding his way to Turcios’ back. Soon enough, Rosas Jr.’s arm was under the neck again, but this time, there would be no escape for Turcios, who was forced to tap.

 

During his post-fight interview, Rosas Jr. dedicated the fight to his recently deceased coach and asked Dana White to increase the bonus to $100,000 so he could buy his mother a house.

Rosas Jr. has now won back-to-back fights. In his previous outing, he stopped Terrence Mitchell with punches from mount for a first-round stoppage. The young prospect is now 3-1 in his UFC career, and hopes to land a spot on the upcoming card at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

Turcios entered on the heels of a split decision victory over Kevin Natividad, which came in November 2022. The loss against Rosas Jr. knocks him back to .500 in his UFC career.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 57 results include:

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

UFC on ESPN 57 video: Brunno Ferreira smashes Dustin Stoltzfus with vicious spinning back elbow

Brunno Ferreira emerged from a wild first-round brawl at UFC on ESPN 57 after connecting with a pair of flush spinning back elbows.

With a nickname like “The Hulk,” [autotag]Brunno Ferreira[/autotag] might not be the one to get into a wild brawl against inside the cage.

At UFC on ESPN 57 that’s exactly what Dustin Stoltzfus attempted to do, but ended up on the wrong end of a Ferreira (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) “Hulk smash” in the opening round of their bout at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Stoltzfus (15-6 MMA, 2-5 UFC) found himself on the wrong end of a spinning back elbow, resulting in a TKO stoppage at 4:51 of Round 1.

The fight quickly escalated from a few trading shots to a full-on wild brawl. Both middleweights landed heavy shots in the exchanges, but it would be Ferreira who connected with a pair of spinning back elbows to get the stoppage, the eighth such finish in UFC history.

Check out video of the finish below (via X):

Ferreira makes it two wins in a row, after stopping Phil Hawes in the first round of their January bout. All three of his victories have come in fourth minute of Round 1.

On the other end, Stoltzfus continues his trend of trading wins and losses over his past four fights as he struggles to gain momentum and string together a pair of wins.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 57 results include:

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

UFC on ESPN 57 video: Zach Reese starches Julian Marquez with 20-second TKO

Zach Reese scored one of the fastest finished in middleweight history when he stopped Julian Marquez in 20 seconds at UFC on ESPN 57.

[autotag]Zach Reese[/autotag] has still never seen a second round in his MMA career after blitzing through [autotag]Julian Marquez[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 57.

Reese (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) needed just 20 seconds to clip and drop Marquez (9-5 MMA, 3-5 UFC) with a right uppercut. He swarmed with a flurry of ground-and-pound, forcing the referee to jump in and stop the middleweight contest at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

Check out the replay of the lightning-fast finish below (via X):

After the fight, Reese said the result wasn’t necessarily part of the game plan or expectation, but he’s thrilled with the manner in which he achieved his first UFC triumph.

“I’m trying to be a little more patient and ease into it – I kind of fight like white trash sometimes, but I am pretty skilled,” Reese said to Paul Felder in his post-fight interview. “I’m stoked to win in the UFC for the first time, and I’m ready for another one. Let’s go.”

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Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 57 results include:

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

Raul Rosas Jr. def. Ricky Turcios at UFC on ESPN 57: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Raul Rosas Jr.’s second-round submission win over Ricky Turcios at UFC on ESPN 57.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag]’s second-round submission win over [autotag]Ricky Turcios[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 57 at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. (Fight photos via UFC)

UFC on ESPN 57 video: Carlos Prates folds Charlie Radtke with pinpoint knee to body

Carlos Prates woke up the crowd at UFC on ESPN 57 after six consecutive decisions opened the card.

[autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag] woke up the crowd at UFC on ESPN 57 after six consecutive decisions opened the card.

Prates (19-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) put his striking prowess on display against [autotag]Charlie Radtke[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in the welterweight bout at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., setting up a brilliantly placed knee to the body that folded his opponent and forced the referee to step in at the 4:47 mark of Round 1.

Check out the replay of the stoppage blow (via X):

After the win, Prates said he wants to return to action at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, and revealed there’s a personal motivation behind the request.

“Aug. 17, the UFC is going to do a show in Australia,” Prates said in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “It’s my birthday, and also my daughter lives there. So please give me a fight in Australia. Please.”

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Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 57 results include:

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

Miguel Baeza vs. Punahele Soriano prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 57

Miguel Baeza and Punahele Soriano are two welterweights in a need of a victory. Who will get the job done at UFC on ESPN 57 in Louisville?

[autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag] and [autotag]Punahele Soriano[/autotag] meet Saturday in the main card opener of UFC on ESPN 57 from KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Miguel Baeza vs. Punahele Soriano UFC on ESPN 57 preview

Baeza (10-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) entered the UFC on a tear after his Dana White’s Contender Series appearance. His first three fights resulted in second-round stoppage victories over Hector Aldana, Matt Brown and Takashi Sato. However, he has since struggled. Baeza is currently on a three-fight skid, including back-to-back stoppage losses to bring his UFC run to .500. … Soriano (9-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC) will be looking to get back to that .500 mark. Soriano also came out of the gates hot after his DWCS signning. He stopped Oskar Piechota and Dusko Todorovic in the first round, but has since gone 1-4 over his last five.

Miguel Baeza vs. Punahele Soriano UFC on ESPN 57 expert pick, prediction

Continuing their anti-Joe Silva card formatting trend, the UFC matchmakers not-so-surprisingly open the card with a welterweight bout between Soriano and Baeza.

In Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby’s defense, these two are both exciting fighters who could produce a potential welterweight war.

Baeza, who is coming off north of a two-year layoff, will be attempting to stop the bleeding of a three-fight losing skid opposite southpaw Soriano.

Although Baeza officially stands 1-0 opposite UFC-level southpaws (Takashi Sato), he’s never faced one as imposing and dangerous as “Puna.”

A former middleweight fighter and collegiate wrestler, Soriano has largely made his money by punishing opponents with his crushing power on the feet. The Hawaiian has underperformed in his recent string of losses, so expect Soriano to come out with something to prove this Saturday.

Despite my admitted bias for Soriano and his team at Xtreme Couture, I believe that Baeza – who is the deserved favorite – is a dangerous fighter to back as a favorite due to his suspect chin. For that reason, I’ll side with Soriano to score a semi-surprising knockout via a check right hook in Round 2.

Miguel Baeza vs. Punahele Soriano UFC on ESPN 57 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the fighter from Florida, listing Baeza (-184) and Soriano (+142) via FanDuel.

Miguel Baeza vs. Punahele Soriano UFC on ESPN 57 start time, how to watch

As the main card opening bout, Baeza and Soriano are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 8:05 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

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

Julian Marquez vs. Zach Reese prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 57

Julian Marquez and Zach Reese are two middleweights in a need of a win. Who gets back on track at UFC on ESPN 57 in Louisville?

[autotag]Julian Marquez[/autotag] and [autotag]Zach Reese[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 57 from KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Julian Marquez vs. Zach Reese UFC on ESPN 57 preview

Marquez (9-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is hunting for his first victory since 2021, which came in the form of a submission victory over Sam Alvey, which marked back-to-back wins. He has since dropped two in a row, and will look to get back on track in his first fight of 2024. … Reese (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is in search of his first UFC win. Reese dropped his UFC debut to Cody Brundage in December after his submission victory on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Julian Marquez vs. Zach Reese UFC on ESPN 57 expert pick, prediction

In what should be a fun fight for as long as it lasts, Marquez will make his return opposite Reese.

Marquez, who has been struggling to stay active since 2021, will be attempting to stop the bleeding of a two-fight losing skid this Saturday.

Reese, on the other hand, is still in search of his first official UFC win since getting signed on DWCS last year.

Despite Reese carrying some Luke Rockhold swagger about his style, I’m not sure if I’ve seen enough depth to the 30-year-old’s game to confidently side with him here.

I know Marquez has not looked great lately, but “The Cuban Missile Crisis” is a much smarter and skillful fighter than meets the eye.

I’ll pick Marquez to weather the early storm and find a submission in Round 2.

Julian Marquez vs. Zach Reese UFC on ESPN 57 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are slightly favoring the more experienced fighter, listing Marquez (-148) and Reese (+116) via FanDuel.

Julian Marquez vs. Zach Reese UFC on ESPN 57 start time, how to watch

Marquez and Reese are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 8:35 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

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

Brunno Ferreira vs. Dustin Stoltzfus prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 57

Brunno Ferreira and Dustin Stoltzfus clash in a battle of explosive middleweights. Who walks away as winner of two straight?

[autotag]Brunno Ferreira[/autotag] and [autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 57 from KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Brunno Ferreira vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC on ESPN 57 preview

Ferreira (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) will look to keep the momentum going after successfully rebounding from the first loss of his pro career last July to Nursulton Ruziboev. In January, Ferreira stopped Phil Hawes in the closing seconds of Round 1 to get back on track. … Stoltzfus (15-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC) is also coming off a victory in his last outing, having defeated Punahele Soriano in December. He will be looking for his first back-to-back string of wins in his UFC tenure.

Brunno Ferreira vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC on ESPN 57 expert pick, prediction

Fulfilling the UFC matchers’ fetish for force-feeding us as many middleweight matchups possible on a main card is a fight between Ferreira and Stoltzfus.

Although I initially was a bit bullish on the Ferreira side, I believe that Stoltzfus is livelier than the betting lines suggest.

Not only is Ferreira largely unproven past the first frame, but Stoltzfus – who spent part of this training camp at Xtreme Couture MMA – demonstrated some solid improvements in his last outing, making me suspect he’s live to upset some parlays.

If it were any other week, I’d probably lean into my usual bias of fading first-round finishers like Ferreira. This week, however, I’ll be siding with the explosive knockout artist to finish Stoltzfus with a knee in Round 2.

Brunno Ferreira vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC on ESPN 57 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Brazilian fighter, listing Ferreira at -280, with Stoltzfus as an underdog at +210, via FanDuel.

Brunno Ferreira vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC on ESPN 57 start time, how to watch

Ferreira and Stoltzfus are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 9:05 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

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

Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 57

Exciting bantamweights Raul Rosas Jr. and Ricky Turcios meet in the featured bout of UFC on ESPN 57. Who gets the win?

[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Ricky Turcios[/autotag] meet Saturday in the featured bout on the main card of UFC on ESPN 57 from KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios UFC on ESPN 57 preview

Rosas Jr. (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) will look to make it two in a row for the first time in his UFC career. After suffering his first career loss last April to Christian Rodriguez, the young bantamweight bounced back with a first round TKO of Terrence Mitchell in September. … Turcios (12-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) also enters this matchup coming off a loss, followed by a win in 2022. Turcios has been inactive since, and enters his first fight in over 18 months.

Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios UFC on ESPN 57 expert pick, prediction

Filling out the main card is a bantamweight battle between Raul Rosas Jr. and Turcios.

This bout was initially scheduled to go down in February of this year, but Rosas Jr. was forced to withdraw on fight day due to illness.

The UFC opted to keep this fight together given that Rosas Jr. appears to be a fighter they have specific plans and high hopes for, which probably explains why the 19-year-old prospect is so heavily favored here.

Turcios, who is certainly the more experienced of the two fighters, brings a wider array of strikes to work with on the feet and quietly carries a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in his back pocket.

Turcios’ on-paper advantages may be enough to stop him from getting submitted, but his propensity to allow fights to get ugly could ultimately favor a superior positional scrambler like Rosas Jr. to get the jump on him.

For that reason, I’ll side with Rosas Jr. to force a stoppage by strikes from the mount position in Round 1.

Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios UFC on ESPN 57 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the younger fighter, listing Rosas Jr. as a -265 favorite, and Turcios as a +200 underdog, via FanDuel.

Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios UFC on ESPN 57 start time, how to watch

As the featured main card bout, Rosas Jr. and Turcios are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 9:35 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

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