Tag: UFC on ESPN 58

Tatsuro Taira hopes to get title shot vs. Alexandre Pantoja in 2024, become first Japanese UFC champion

UFC flyweight contender Tatsuro Taira is determined to make history for Japan.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag] wants to make history this year.

The rising UFC flyweight contender is hoping to get a title shot against champion Alexandre Pantoja in 2024, so he can get the opportunity at becoming the first Japanese champion in the history of the UFC.

“I want against Pantoja this year, but actually I really want to see who wins between Kape and Mokaev,” Taira told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 58 post-fight press conference.

He then added,

“I will be very happy if I can fight my title shot against Pantoja in Japan and become the first Japanese (UFC) champion.”

Taira (16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) defeated former UFC title challenger Alex Perez in the main event of UFC on ESPN 58, which took place at the UFC Apex. The fight was ruled a TKO due to injury favoring Taira. After a competitive round, Taira took Perez’s (25-9 MMA, 7-5 UFC) back while standing and Perez’s knee gave out.

It was an unfortunate situation for the fans, Perez and Taira.

“I came here to fight all five rounds. It’s a shame he got injured, but I’m happy I got the win.”

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

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

UFC on ESPN 58 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Lowest total payout of 2024

UFC on ESPN 58 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 58 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $116,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 58 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 58 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Douglas Silva de Andrade[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Lucas Almeida[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Timmy Cuamba[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Brady Hiestand[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Garrett Armfield[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Asu Almabayev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jose Johnson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Adam Fugitt[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Josh Quinlan[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Nate Maness[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jimmy Flick[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Carli Judice[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Gabriella Fernandes[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Westin Wilson[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jeka Saragih[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melquizael Costa[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Shayilan Nuerdanbieke[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Josefine Knutsson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Julia Polastri[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,580; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $58,000 while title challengers get $58,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-58 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,451,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,188,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN 58 with John Lennon, AC/DC and that Willy Wonka nod

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 58 event in Las Vegas.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

See what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 58 went with as their backing tracks in Las Vegas. (fighters listed alphabetically).

UFC on ESPN 58 bonuses: Westin Wilson’s rare triangle-armbar misses the cut for extra $50K

The UFC handed out four post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, including one to the main event winner.

The UFC handed out four post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, including one to the main event winner.

After UFC on ESPN 58, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below.

UFC on ESPN 58 results: Tatsuro Taira’s back takedown leads to Alex Perez knee injury

Undefeated flyweight Tatsuro Taira emerged victorious in the UFC on ESPN 58 main event, although not in a manner he expected.

Japan’s [autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag] kept his unbeaten record intact, but an injury to Alex Perez was an anti-climactic finish to an exciting flyweight bout.

In the UFC on ESPN 58 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Taira (16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) would see his hand raised after Perez (25-9 MMA, 7-5 UFC) could no longer continue due to a knee injury in a takedown sequence. The official time of the stoppage was 2:59 of Round 2.

The action was fast and frequent as long as it lasted, with the flyweights keeping referee Herb Dean light on his feet.

Taira started the fight working behind a left jab with clean technical striking, while Perez blitzed forward with combinations. Taira weathered his opponent’s offense, eating a few clean strikes on the chin, consistently fired back immediately. Round 1 was intense and built anticipation for how the rest of the fight would unfold.

Perez continued his forward blitzing in Round 2, making for more nice striking exchanges early in the frame. Taira found an entry for a takedown and quickly scrambled take Perez’s back, which would lead to the unfortunate ending of the fight.

Initially on the mat hunting for a rear-naked choke, Taira remained firmly attached to Perez’s back as he stood up. In the center of the cage, Taira leaned back while putting pressure on Perez’s legs in an attempt to get the fight back to the ground. He was successful, but Perez’s knee gave out as they went down.

Perez tapped and began writhing in pain as the cageside physician quickly entered to assess the situation.

Taira, 24, one of the brightest rising stars in the flyweight division, remains undefeated and now holds a win over a former title challenger. While he could not anticipate an injury would be the cause of his win, he improved to 6-0 in the UFC, a run that includes four finishes.

Perez, 32, entered on the heels of a Performance of the Night upset stoppage over Matheus Nicolau in April. Unfortunately, an injury cut short what was a competitive bout against Taira.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 58 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

UFC on ESPN 58 play-by-play and live results

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 58 in Las Vegas.

UFC on ESPN 58 took place Saturday, and MMA Junkie provided live play-by-play and official results. UFC on ESPN 58 (ESPN2/ESPN+) took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Former flyweight title challenger Alex Perez (25-9 MMA, 7-5 UFC) and the unbeaten Tatsuro Taira (16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) met in the main event. Miles Johns (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) defeated on Douglas Silva de Andrade (29-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in the bantamweight co-feature.

Below, you can find the ive play-by-play and official results for Saturday’s UFC event.

Josefine Knutsson vs. Julia Polastri

Round 1 – Leg kick by Knutsson and then push kick to the body. Another leg kick by Knutsson. She’s walking down Polastri. Knutsson closes the distance and lands a solid left. Polastri has yet to get going. Oh! Big combo by Knutsson. Hard leg kick by Knutsson. Nice counter by Polastri. Knutsson is just picking apart Polastri here. Final minute. Polastri is moving more forward now. Good knees from the clinch by Knutsson! Oh! Polastri takes down Knutsson and gets mount. Big shots from Polastri. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Knutsson.

Round 2 – Knutsson is not hurting, but definitely frustrating Polastri with the push kicks. More leg kicks by Knutsson. Knutsson seems to be the more technical striker here, by a lot. More push kicks by Knutsson. Polastri shoots for a takedown and gets it with three minutes left. Polastri is working from guard. Knutsson has a cut on her eyelid. Oh! An illegal up kick lands for Knutsson. The fight is paused. The fight is resumed from the ground. One minute thirty left. Polastri moves to side control. Knutsson has Polastri in a stalemate position. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Polastri.

Round 3 – More push kicks by Knutsson, but no damage. Leg kick by Knutsson and then a push kick. Polastri has had a tough time finding a counter to that push kick. Knutsson is staying on the outside. Hard leg kick and then a left hook by Polastri. Three minutes left. Leg kick by Knutsson. Polastri shoots, they scramble, and Polastri ends on top. She’s in half guard. Good shots by Polastri. Polastri has an arm triangle! It looks tight! Polastri moves to mount. Knutsson reverses the position and ends on top. Polastri gets up in the final seconds. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Knutsson. Overall 29-28, Knutsson.

Result: Josefine Knutsson def. Julia Polastri via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 58: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Knutsson (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Polastri (12-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Judging: Mike Bell. Eric Colon, Sal D’Amato 29-28.

Melquizael Costa vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke

Round 1 – Good leg kick by Costa. Nuerdanbieke shoots and gets the takedown early into the round. Nuerdanbieke working from guard. Costa is threatening with a kimura! It’s promising. Nuerdanbieke gets out. He’s controlling Costa, but not doing much damage. Costa gets back to his feet, but is still tied up with Nuerdanbieke. Costa is being pressed against the cage. Costa gets taken down. They scramble. Nuerdanbieke gets a knee bar. He switches to a heel hook, but Costa gets out. Nuerdanbieke now presses Costa against the cage. Nuerdanbieke takes down Costa. Good elbows from bottom by Costa. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Nuerdanbieke.

Round 2 – Nuerdanbieke ducks under a head kick from Costa and takes him down. Great control by Nuerdanbieke. Good elbows from bottom by Costa. Nuerdanbieke is throwing no strikes from top. Costa scrambles and ends on top. Three minutes left. Costa in side control. Nuerdanbieke reverses the position and they end up back on the feet with Nuerdanbieke pressing Costa. Costa reverses the position and gets the back of Nuerdanbieke. Nuerdanbieke gets out. Nuerdanbieke in Costa’s guard. One minute left. They’re back up and Nuerdanbieke controls Costa against the cage. Costa reverses the position. Knees to the body from Costa. They’re back to striking and the bell rings almost immediately.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Nuerdanbieke.

Round 3 – It looks like Nuerdanbieke is fading. Nuerdanbieke shoots for a takedown and Costa reverses him. Costa takes the back of Nuerdanbieke. He’s working the rear-naked choke. It looks tight. Ther’s the tap! Great comeback by Costa.

Result: Melquizael Costa (@MelkCostaCauthy) def. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:50
Recap: Melquizael Costa scores first promotional finish, taps Shayilan Nuerdanbieke
Photos: UFC on ESPN 58: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Costa (21-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Nuerdanbieke (39-12 MMA, 3-3 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mike Beltran

Jeka Saragih vs. Westin Wilson

Round 1 – Saragih with a big combination right off the bat. Wilson closes the distance and clinches Saragih. Back to striking. Leg kick by Saragih. Wilson picks up Saragih and takes him down. Saragih hits a reversal, but gets caught in a guillotine. Saragih gets out, but gets caught in a triangle choke. There’s the tap!

Result: Westin Wilson def. Jeka Saragih via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:49
Recap: Westin Wilson taps Jeka Saragih with 12th triangle-armbar in UFC history
Photos: UFC on ESPN 58: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Wilson (17-9 MMA, 1-2 UFC), Saragih (14-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith

Gabriella Fernandes vs. Carli Judice

Round 1 – Tons of movement from both ladies. Fernandes doing most of the chasing. A couple of hard leg kick by Fernandes. Big shot lands by Fernandes, it seemed to briefly stun. Judice. Another big shot by Fernandes. Body kick by Judice. Nice body shot by Judice. Again, Judice targeting the body. Good combo by Judice. It seems the tide is turning. Jabs by Judice. Big right connects for Fernandes. Both lands knees in the clinch. Good standup battle here. One minute left. Big one, two for Fernandes. Fernandes presses Judice against the cage. She’s looking for the takedown. Bog combo by Fernandes as she presses Judice. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Fernandes.

Round 2 – Crazy pressure by Fernandes! Oh! She connects hard on Judice! She’s putting on the pressure. Big right-hand lands for Fernandes! Judice is wobbled, but still fighting back. Another big shot by Fernandes. Judice fighting back. An eye poke from Fernandes halts the fight. It resumes a few seconds later. Fernandes immediately pressuring Judice! Judice locks up Fernandes and presses her against the cage. She’s working the takedown. Three minutes left. Fernandes breaks free. Leg kick by Judice. Now Fernandes presses Judice against the cage. Two minutes left. Fernandes snaps down Judice from the front headlock. She moves to Judice’s back while standing. Fernandes controlling Judice against the cage. She’s working hard for the takedown. Fernandes is controlling against the cage. Judice breaks free. They trade leg kicks and Judice gets a takedown with 10 seconds remaining. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Fernandes.

Round 3 – What a crazy fight. Again, Fernandes with unreal pressure. Good combo by Judice that ends with a body shot. Fernandes closes the distance, tries to take down Judice, but fails. Back to striking. Good jabs by Judice. More jabs by Judice. Fernandes looks tired. Leg kick by Judice. Left connects for Fernandes. Nice left hook by Judice. Judice is now the one moving forward. Two minutes left. Good body shot by Judice. Jabs by Judice. Fernandes is swinging back, but not landing much. One minute left. Good combo by Fernandes. Leg kick by Judice. Judice shoots for the takedown, and pins Fernandes against the cage. They reverse each other. They break free and Judice lands a nice combo in the end. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Judice. Overall 29-28, Fernandes.

Result: Gabriella Fernandes def. Carli Judice via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 58: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Fernandes (9-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC), Judice (3-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Judging: Mike Bell , Chris Lee 29-28. Adalaide Byrd 28-29.

Jimmy Flick vs. Nate Maness

Round 1 – Leg kick by Maness. Jab by Maness. Leg kick by Flick. Jab by Maness. Slow pace here. Flick shoots, but gets caught in a standing guillotine. Flick gets out, but is now being pressed against the cage by Maness. Flick escapes and they’re back to striking. Front kick to the face connects by Flick. Good jabs by Maness. More jabs by Maness. Leg kick by Maness. Leg kick from Flick. Flick shoots for the takedown, and pins Maness against the cage. He gets the takedown. Flick gets the Von Flue! Maness is in trouble. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Maness.

Round 2 – Great distance management by Maness. Jabs by Maness. He’s walking down Flick. Leg kick by Maness. Flick now pressuring. Flock shoots but gets caught in athe front head lock. Flick gets out and presses Maness against the cage. Two minutes left. Good shots by Maness. Good elbows by Maness even though he’s getting controlled against the cage. Maness reverses him. Maness controlling by the cage. He jumps for the guillotine! Maness gets out! Maness now on top, landing short shots. The bell rings. Maness ends the round on top.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Maness.

Round 3 – Flick pressuing here. Maness times his strike and ties him up. They break free. Nice combo by Flick. Oh! They throwing down in the middle of the cage. Good body shot by Flick. Jabs by Maness. Three minutes left. Maness presses Flick against the cage. Right hand connects for Flick. Flick shoots and presses Maness against he cage. Maness reverses an controls Flick. Good knees and short shots by Maness. One minute left. More knees from Maness. Flick reverses the position. Now Maness reverses the position. More hots by Maness. Flick goes for the guilotine, but ends on bottom. He’s cut pretty bad. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Maness. Overall 30-27, Maness.

Result: Nate Maness def. Jimmy Flick via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 58: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Maness (16-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC), Flick (17-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mike Beltran
Judging: Sal D’Amato, Junichiro Kamijo 30-27. Tony Weeks 29-28.

Adam Fugitt vs. Josh Quinlan

Round 1 – Quinlan has the center of the cage, while Quinlan cicles. They borth trade big leg kicks. They keep testing each other’s range and timing. Left by Quinlan. Three minutes left. Leg kick by Fugitt. More leg kicks from both. Body host by Quinlan. Leg kick by Fugitt. It seems they’re just taking turns at attacking each other. A lot of blocked kicks for both. Fugitt pressing here. Leg kick by Quinlan. Very close round. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Quinlan.

Round 2 – These two are very evenly matched. Fugitt tries to pressure Quinlan against the cage and fails. A couple of head kicks come close to landing for Fugitt. Good left by Quinlan. Another one! Fugitt is bleeding from his right eye. Hard leg kick by Quinlan. Two minutes left. Both only attacking with single shots. Fugitt shoots for a takedown, Quinlan stuffs it. One, two counter by Fugitt. Good right by Fugitt. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Quinlan.

Round 3 – Body kick by Quinlan. Pusk kick by Fugitt. Fugitt pressuring here. Neither is landing clean so far. Jab by Fugitt. Quinlan is bleeding from his left eye. Jab by Quinlan. A clean right hook connects for Fugitt. Fugitt doing a bit more than Quinlan in this round. Head kick connects for Fugitt, but Quinlan eats it no problem. Leg kick by Quinlan. More kicks from Fugitt land on Quinlan’s arms. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Fugitt. Overall 29-28, Quinlan.

Result: Adam Fugitt def. Josh Quinlan via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 58: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Fugitt (10-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Quinlan (6-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Junichiro Kamijo, Chris Lee 29-28. Anthony Maness 28-29.

Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Johnson

Round 1 – Johnson chasing Almabayev with the jab. Big leg kick by Johnson. Almabayev closes the distance and takes down Johnson. Johnson scrambling, but unable to get back up. Short shots from Johnson from bottom. We’re halfway through the round. Almabayev with a couple of shots from top. Jonson gets back to his feet, but Almabayev jums on his back. He sinks in the rear-naked choke, but Johnson gets out. Almabayev controlling Johnson against the cage. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Almabayev.

Round 2 – Oh! Wheel kick to the whin by Almabayev! Johnson eats it well. Almabayev shoots, but Johnson revreses him. He ends on top, but Almabayev bucks him off. In the process, Johnson ends on his back, but locks in a triangle choke. Almabayev is in trouble. Almabayev is hangingin there. Shots from Almabayev. Almabayev gets out! He immediately takes the back of Johnson! What a sequence. We’re halfway through the round. Johnson gets out, but still on bottom. Almabayev with a few shots from top. More shots from Almabayev. Good control here and occasional ground-and-pound by Almabayev. Johnson unable to get out. Almabayev takes the back again. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Almabayev.

Round 3 – Almabayev immediately shoots and takes down Johnson. Johsnon gets up, but is being pressed against the cage by Almabayev. Almabayev tries to take down Johnson, but ends up mounted. Johnson now takes his back. He locks up the body triangle. Almabayev spins his way out and ends on top. Three minutes left. Johnson looking to set something up from the guard. Almabayev in guard, landing ground-and-pound. Almabayev now takes the back of Johnson. Almabayev controls until the bell.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Almabayev. Overall 30-27, Almabaye.

Result: Asu Almabayev def. Jose Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 58: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Almabayev (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Johnson (16-9 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Herb Dean
Judging: Mike Bell, Eric Colon, Tony Weeks 30-27.

Garrett Armfield vs. Brady Hiestand

Round 1 – These two are swinging for the fences. Hiestand shoots and they get into a scramble. Armfield gets an armbar! It looks nasty! But Hiestand gets out. Incredible. Now Hiestand has a guillotine on Armfield. Armfield handing in. He gets out and ends on top! Hiestand reverses the position and ends on top. Armfield gets up, but is being controlled against the vage by Hiestand. Armfield gets out. One minute left. Leg kick by Hiestand. Hiestand shoots and gets the takedown. He takes the back of Armfield. He sinks the reae-naked choke! Armfield gets out. Crazy fight. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Hiestand.

Round 2 – Right hook by Armfield. Nice combo by Armfield. Oh! Hiestand is hurt! Amrfield drops Hiestand. Armfield gets on top and begins to land ground-and-pound. Hiestand recovering on the gorund. More shots by Armfield. Good control here by Armfield. Armfield moves to mount. Hiestand gets out and takes down Armfield. He now gets the back of Armfield. What a wild fight. Armfields gets out and back to his feet. Great defense. One, two lands for Armfield. They’re throwing down in the middle of the cage. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Armfield.

Round 3 – Hiestand closes the distance on Armfield and takes him down. Hiestand gets the back of Armfield. Hiestand sinks in the rear naked choke! It’s deep! There’s the tap! What a performance by Hiestand.

Result: Brady Hiestand def. Garrett Armfield via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:52
Recap: Brady Hiestand slaps on tight choke for comeback third-round finish
Photos: UFC on ESPN 58: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Hiestand (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Armfield (10-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Chris Tognoni

Lucas Almeida vs. Timmy Cuamba

Round 1 – Almeida takes the center of the cage. Hard leg kick by Cuamba. Jab by Almeida. Leg kick by Cuamba. Oh! Big right hand drops Cuamba! He’s back on his feet and Almeida is head hunting. Another righthand connects for Almeida. Cuamba shoots and presses Almeida against the cage. Almeida breaks free. Again, right hand drops Cuamba! Cuamba gets up and presses Almeida against the cage. Almeida breaks free. Thay get into a wild exchange, both connect. Cuamba’s left eye is busted up. Almeida is looking for a big shot. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-8, Almeida.

Round 2 – Cuamba seems to have recovered. Good leg kicks by Cuamba. Cuamba witha body shot. Oh! Almeida drops Cuamba! Cuamba back up. Extremely tough Cuamba. Lots of feints from both. Cuamba chasing. One, two by Almeida. Two minutes left. One, two by Almeida. Cuamba not throwing much now. Big right by Almeida stuns Cuamba. Almeida is on point tonight. ANother big right by Almeida. Almeida walking down Cuamba. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Almeida.

Round 3 – Same story here. Almaida is walking down Cuamba and connecting. Cuamba seems to be just surviving, he’s not doing much. Jabs by Almeida. Cuamba witha body kick. Cuamba is picking it up here a bit. One, two by Almeida. A couple of hooks by Almeida land. Cuamba shoots and gets the takedown. Short shots land for Cuamba. More gorund-and-pound by Cuamba! Cuamba going crazy with the shots. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Cuamba. Overall 29-27, Almeida.

Result: Lucas Almeida def. Timmy Cuamba via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 58: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Almeida (15-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Cuamba (8-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Mike Beltran
Judging: Mike Bell, Adalaide Byrd, Eric Colon 29-28.

Miles Johns vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade

Round 1 – Leg kick by Silva de Andrade. Johns with his own leg kick. Johns connects with a right hand. Left hook connects for Johns. Silva de Andrade pressing. Leg kick by Silva de Andrade. Jab by Silva de Andrade. We’re halfway through the round. Johns with a leg kicks. Nice combo connects for Silva de Andrade. Big leg kicks by Johns. Jab by Silva de Andrade. One, two lands for Silva de Andrade. Silva de Andrade briefly clinches Johns and the bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Silva de Andrade.

Round 2 – Leg kick by Johns. Oh! Johns with a nice counter right. He’s backing up Silva de Andrade here. Anoter right connects for Johns. Solid chin on Silva de Andrade. Jab by Johns. Leg kick by Silva de Andrade. Halfway through the round. Neither landing much here. Leg kick for Johns. Big shot by Johns. He seems to be getting a big lede here on Silva de Andrade. Big left again by Johns. They get a little wild at the end, but neither lands. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Johns.

Round 3 – Johns pressuring here. A left wobbles Silva de Andrade! Oh! Now Silva de Andrade connects. This fight is picking up. Leg kick by Silva de Andrade. Silva de Andrade pressing Johns. We’re halfway through the round. Big uppercut by Johns, but Silva de Andrade eats it well. Left hook by Johns. Oh, big knee to the chin connects for Silva de Andrade. Spinning wheel kick! Silva de Andrade is looking for the finish. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Silva de Andrade. Overall 29-28, Silva de Andrade.

Result: Miles Johns def. Douglas Silva de Andrade via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 58: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Johns (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), Silva de Andrade (29-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Eric Colon, Sal D’Amato 30-27. Junichiro Kamijo 29-28. 

Alex Perez vs. Tatsuro Taira

Round 1 –  They trade leg kicks. Leg kick by Perez. Perez in the center of the octagon, pressing Taira. Perez pushes and pins Taira against the cage. They break. Good body shots in close range by Perez. Right hook lands for perez. Jab by Taira. Left again by Perez. Taira gets the Thai clinch and lands a few knees and Perez lands a few uppercuts. Leg kicks from both. An accidetail eye poke from Taira halts the action. After a few seconds, the fight resumes. They clinch and Perez takes down Taira. Taira right back up. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Perez.

Round 2 – Another eye poke from Taira. No point taken and the fight resumes a few seconds after. A couple of hard hooks land for Perez. Hard leg kick for Perez. A couple more hooks connect for Perez. Great chin on Taira. Taira shoots and takes down Perez. Taira takes the back of Perez. Perez stands up with Taira on his back. It’s over. Perez falls in pain. It looks like he injured his right knee. Taira is the winner.

Result: Tatsuro Taira def. Alex Perez via TKO (knee injury) – Round 2, 2:59
Recap: Tatsuro Taira’s back takedown leads to Alex Perez knee injury
Photos: UFC on ESPN 58: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Taira (16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), Perez (25-9 MMA, 7-5 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Herb Dean

UFC on ESPN 58 video: Hear from each winner, guest fighters backstage

Check out what the UFC on ESPN 58 winners and guest fighters had to say backstage at Saturday’s event.

LAS VEGAS – UFC on ESPN 58 took place Saturday with 11 bouts on the lineup. We’ve got you covered with backstage winner interviews from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

You can hear from all the UFC on ESPN 58 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

UFC on ESPN 58 video: Brady Hiestand slaps on tight choke for comeback third-round finish

Brady Hiestand returned to action for the first time in 14 months and pulled off a late choke to avoid the scorecards at UFC on ESPN 58.

“I’m the comeback king.”

After pulling off a late submission in his return to action, [autotag]Brady Hiestand[/autotag] says that’s the moniker he’ll stick with for the time being.

On the main card of UFC on ESPN 58, Hiestand (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) overcame a few rough moments against Garrett Armfield. After getting dropped and avoiding a finish, Hiestand was able to flip the script and catch Armfield (10-4 MMA ,2-2 UFC) in a rear-naked choke to force the tap at 1:52 of Round 3.

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

“I wanted a dominant performance, but I’ll take a third round finish,” Hiestand told Michael Bisping during his post-fight interview. “It is what it is. … Like I said, I’m the comeback king. It’ll be my name for now.”

The fight was Hiestand’s first in 14 months as he was sidelined with medical issues. His return was triumphant, recording a second-consecutive third-round finish following his win over Batgerel Danaa at UFC Fight Night 222.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 58 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

UFC on ESPN 58 video: Westin Wilson taps Jeka Saragih with 12th triangle-armbar in UFC history

Westin Wilson scored just the 12th triangle-armbar submission in UFC history against Jeka Saragih at UFC on ESPN 58.

[autotag]Westin Wilson[/autotag]’s grappling prowess was on full display against [autotag]Jeka Saragih[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 58, and it resulted in his hand being raised within two minutes.

Saragih (14-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) charged at his opponent in the opening moments of the featherweight bout at the UFC Apex, but that led to his demise. Wilson (17-9 MMA, 1-2 UFC) tangled him up on the mat and locked in a triangle choke, which he transitioned into a triangle-armbar combination after a slam attempt and got the tap at the 1:49 mark of Round 1.

It was just the 12th finish of its kind in UFC history with a triangle armbar, according to the UFC on ESPN 58 broadcast. Check out the replay of it below (via X)

After the win, an elated Wilson unsuccessfully tried to jump into the arms of in-cage interviewer Michael Bisping. Then he laid out his next fight plans.

“It feels fantastic,” Wilson said in his post-fight interview with Bisping. “I want a Topps rookie card and a fight at UFC Salt Lake City, baby. That’s what I want. Let’s go.”

[lawrence-related id=2748542,2748539]

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 58 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

UFC on ESPN 58 video: Melquizael Costa scores first promotional finish, taps Shayilan Nuerdanbieke

Melquizael Costa secured his first UFC finish by pulling off a third-round submission at UFC on ESPN 58.

[autotag]Melquizael Costa[/autotag] now has a UFC finish on his professional record.

On the prelims of UFC on ESPN 58 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Costa (21-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC) pulled off a late submission of Shayilan Nuerdanbieke to keep the judges out of a close contest. Nuerdanbieke (39-12 MMA, 3-3 UFC) found himself caught in a rear-naked choke and tapped at 1:50 of Round 3.

The first two rounds of the fight were very competitive. Nuerdanbieke won the first round on all cards, while Costa won Round 2. With the fight up for grabs, Costa put the finishing touches on the fight to get his first UFC finish, and bring his record in the promotion to .500.

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

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 58 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.