Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC on ESPN 60 in Las Vegas.
Following UFC on ESPN 60, the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings required updating.
In the main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Virna Jandiroba submitted former title challenger Amanda Lemos to extend her winning streak to four. Jandiroba has made quite the argument to be next up for a strawweight title shot.
Entering the week at No. 8, Jandiroba vaults into the top 5, landing at No. 3, shaking up the rankings behind her as well.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.
Bruno Silva has stopped four consecutive opponents. He wants former UFC flyweight champ Brandon Moreno to be the fifth.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag] emerged victorious in a wild fight against fellow American Top Team fighter Cody Durden, and now wants a piece of a former champion.
The flyweight battle at the UFC Apex saw Silva (14-5-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) complete an incredible comeback by TKO in Round 2 after Durden (16-6-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC) built momentum. A beautifully placed uppercut knocked out his opponent’s mouthpiece, and the swarm of punches led to the stoppage.
With four straight stoppage wins, Silva is eyeing the top of the division and wants a specific former champion at Noche UFC on Sept. 14.
“I just called out Brandon Moreno,” Silva told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “Give me him in the Sphere.”
The former flyweight champ Moreno (21-8-2 MMA, 9-5-2 UFC) was last in action against Brandon Royval in February, losing a split decision. He’s now on a two-fight skid without a bout on the books, and Silva would love to extend “The Assassin Baby’s” rough stretch.
Silva is confident it doesn’t go to the judges if that fight comes together.
“Another finish,” Silva said. “He’s been taking time to fight, I’m not. I’ve been training everyday. I’ve been fighting, I’m ready.”
Check out Silva’s full post-fight interview in the video above.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 60.
UFC bantamweight Cody Gibson wants to head to France for a showdown with Taylor Lapilus, and then stay to make memories with his family.
LAS VEGAS – Fighter and school teacher [autotag]Cody Gibson[/autotag] continues to grow in confidence as a fighter, and his latest performance in the octagon proved the importance of being a student.
In the final prelim bout at UFC on ESPN 60, Gibson (20-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC) trapped Brian Kelleher (24-16 MMA, 8-9 UFC) in an arm triangle, a submission he admittedly used to “suck” at executing.
Gibson firmly believes in the old-school method of simply getting in the gym and sparring to prepare for fights, and that’s what he did at XTreme Couture.
“One of the two-week times I was here, I got 24 rounds,” Gibson told MMA Junkie and other fighters at a post-fight news conference. “That’s a lot of sparring, and I felt it. But I think that was necessary to gain confidence.”
After picking up his second UFC victory, Gibson wants to pack up his bags and head to France for a work/vacation trip to face Taylor Lapilus in September, but he also wants to stay for a little while to build some lasting memories with his family.
“He’s been making waves here in the UFC doing really well,” Gibson said. “… Book me for that in September. Then book me my flight home for like a month later and I’ll take my wife and my kids and we’ll backpack through Europe.”
Check out Gibson’s full post-fight interview in the video above.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 60.
Jandiroba has now won four straight in the strawweight division, is high in the promotional rankings, and appears ready for a shot at Weili after beating a former title challenger.
Has Jandiroba done enough for a title shot? Will she pass over Tatiana Suarez? Should Jandiroba take another fight or wait for her shot?
That’s what our “Spinning Back Clique” of Farah Hannoun, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Matthew Wells discussed along with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. Check out their conversation in the video above, and be sure to watch this week’s full episode below.
https://youtube.com/live/KNxplxwLQ20
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 60.
What a freaking performance from Hyder Amil, who “got this win in emphatic fashion.”
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Hyder Amil[/autotag] defeated Jeong Yeong Lee on Saturday night in a barnburner at UFC on ESPN 60.
Amil vs. Lee lasted just 65 seconds, but it was full of action as Amil finished Lee by standing TKO thanks to a blistering barrage of punches exchanged between both men. Afterward, Amil explained how the first punch landed by Lee wok him up and how he was relieved to come out on top.
“Man, you wake up the beast inside. I’m a smiley motherf*cker, but when you wake it up in me, I’m gonna bring the heat on you,” Amil said. “I just saw the opening honestly. I saw he was stunned. I was like, ‘Sh*t, let’s capitalize on that.”
He continued, “I want to move up the rankings quick. … I wanted to represent for my country (the Philippines) and the Bay Area, so it was super important that I got this win in emphatic fashion.”
You can watch Amil’s complete UFC on ESPN 60 post-fight session with reporters in the video above.
Trey Ogden sees Chase Hooper as easy money in the UFC.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Trey Ogden[/autotag] sees [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] as easy money.
Ogden (18-6 MMA, 5-3 UFC) notched his second consecutive win when he defeated Loik Radzhabov (18-6-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) by unanimous decision in their lightweight bout Saturday at the UFC Apex.
Ogden thinks he’s been facing some tough opposition as of late and actually sees Hooper (14-3-1 MMA, 6-3 UFC) as a step down in competition.
“I want to fight Chase Hooper,” Ogden told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference Saturday. “I keep calling this dude out. I’ve been calling him out for three fights. I think he is overrated, I don’t think he’s that good, and I want to pick some of that low-hanging fruit. … I’ll smash him easily. He’s not a scary dude for a change.”
With seven submissions to his name, Hooper has participated in numerous grappling competitions, some which have aired on UFC Fight Pass. Ogden is confident he’d run through Hooper on the ground and thinks he should be the one participating in big grappling tournaments.
“I’m three times a better grappler than him, minimum,” Ogden said. “And I mean that for real. I could knock him out on the feet. I could destroy him in the grappling, and I think after this fight, maybe my grappling will start to get some serious respect. After the Holobaugh fight and then this fight.
“I think that a fight against a guy like Chase Hooper, where his grappling is really respected, and then you could watch how easily I could run through him in the grappling. I think that would be a great fight for me to show that to the world and to the fanbase. It’s not personal. I think he has more fans than me, and I think he sucks. So I think it’s an easy fight. I’m probably the best grappler in the division. I should be on Fight Pass Invitationals. I can grapple at a professional level.”
Luana Carolina couldn’t exactly fight her fight because of a broken foot, but that didn’t keep her from earning her third straight win.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag] defeated Lucie Pudilova on Saturday night at UFC on ESPN 60.
Carolina (11-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) used solid performance for 15 minutes to claim a unanimous decision from Pudilova (14-10 MMA, 3-8 UFC) by scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 at the UFC Apex. It was Carolina’s third consecutive victory and afterward she revealed how she had to alter game plan because of an injury suffered during training camp.
“My game, yeah, that’s kicking. What a lot of people don’t know is that a month ago I actually broke my right foot,” Carolina said through an interpreter. “No one knew this. To my coaches and everybody at the PI, from the receptionist to the physical therapist, thank you so much for all the help. I asked God, if this is meant to be, I’m gonna give my all, and I’m gonna make it happen. And I did. …
“Even with all the hardships that we had, even throughout the weight cut I couldn’t move some stuff. We made it happen and fighting a fighter in a heavier weight division. To be able to do this, yes, I’m growing in the UFC.”
You can watch Carolina’s complete UFC on ESPN 60 post-fight session with reporters in the video above.
On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses Virna Jandiroba’s title chances, Jake Paul defeating Mike Perry, UFC 304, and 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 Farah Hannoun, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Matthew Wells join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:
[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] may have punched her ticket to a strawweight title shot with her performance in the UFC on ESPN 60 headliner. Jandiroba forced Amanda Lemos to tap from an armbar in the second round to record her fourth-straight win. Now firmly in the upper tier of the division, will she get the next crack at Zhang Weili’s title?
[autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] picked up a win over another UFC veteran by knocking out [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]. Paul turned his attention to [autotag]Mike Tyson[/autotag] and even called out UFC champ [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]. Of course, [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] had a lot to say and got involved in the conversation. What should Paul do next?
UFC 304 goes down in Manchester, and two titles will be on the line. Will [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] defend his welterweight crown against [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag]? Can [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] hold on to his piece of the heavyweight throne by beating [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]?
The “Spinning Back Clique” touches on a few other news and notes, such as the news of Movsar Evloev fighting Aljamain Sterling, Nick Diaz’s travel issues to Abu Dhabi, and UFC Marc Ratner’s comments on open scoring.
Dana White’s Contender Series alum Thomas Petersen rebounded from his UFC debut loss with a sound performance vs. Kamaru Usman’s brother.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Thomas Petersen[/autotag] defeated Mohammed Usman on Saturday night at UFC on ESPN 60.
Petersen (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) took the fight to Usman (10-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) over the course of 15 minutes to earn a clean-sweep unanimous decision by scores of 30-27 from all three judges at the UFC Apex. Afterward, Petersen, a Dana White Contender Series alum, was elated to have rebounded from his promotional debut defeat and earn his first UFC victory over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman’s brother.
“I expected an athlete. I expected, you know – the Usman blood is strong, tough,” Petersen said afterward. “Those guys are monsters. They’re specimens. I was just excited to fight, baby. I don’t know what to say.”
You can watch Petersen’s complete UFC on ESPN 60 post-fight session with reporters in the video above.
Ages 13 and 4, Kurt Holobaugh’s sons already have experience competing.
LAS VEGAS – Loud and clear, it was a family affair for [autotag]Kurt Holobaugh[/autotag] as he won Saturday at UFC on ESPN 60.
As Holobaugh (21-8 MMA, 2-5 UFC) defeated [autotag]Kaynan Kruschewsky[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) by unanimous decision at the UFC Apex, his wife and two sons were very audibly rooting him on.’
“I can definitely hear them and that’s how they are in the gym when I’m sparring,” Holobaugh told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference Saturday. “My youngest son is always trying to holler instructions and to do spinning kicks and stuff like that. It’s always fun, but I love it.”
Holobaugh said it was the first time his children got to watch him fight in the promotion from cage-side, as the promotion recently implemented a new policy where each fighter gets four cage-side seats for their fight at the UFC Apex.
The family’s energy stems from passion for their father and husband, but also for the sport. Holobaugh says his sons have been in the gym since before they could walk – literally.
“Our youngest, that’s our four-year-old,” Holobaugh said. “Me and my wife both own two mixed martial arts gyms. From the very first day he was born, we went back to work. So we brought his crib to the gym. He’s in the gym every single day. He’s been training jiu-jitsu since he could literally walk. There are videos out there of him training jiu-jitsu when he just started walking. He’s still training jiu-jitsu and competing all over the world. He just competed in Las Vegas a couple weeks ago.”
UFC 292 Ceremonial Weigh-ins: Kurt Holobaugh’s sons shake hands with Dana White on stage in Boston.
While Holobaugh is the first of his surname to compete in the UFC, he may not be the last. Holobaugh’s 13-year-old son, Zayden, has already competed in eight youth MMA fights. His four-year-old son, Raiden, is a bit of a TikTok sensation.
“All of my kids fight, even my 13-year-old. He has like eight fights inside the cage already at 13 years old. But my four-year-old, being that he does a lot of competitions. We posted a video and it went viral. There were fighters like Jon Jones and all the big names commenting on it. So he went TikTok famous. He’s got like 30,000 followers on TikTok that all follow his journey as well. This is just another big part of his journey and it’s amazing.”
It’s still years out from another Holobaugh potentially stepping foot inside the UFC. So for now, Holobaugh aims to keep making his children the cool kids at school.
“I think it’s special,” Holobaugh said. “It’s once in a lifetime opportunities for kids to do that. I feel like this is why I love doing what I do so much. It’s because of my kids. I feel like they get to be the cool kids at school. They get to go to school and say, ‘Hey, my dad is in the UFC, or, ‘My dad just won ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ He fights on TV.’ Now, my kids get to actually come and watch a UFC event cageside, basically. How many kids at their school wish they could even go to a UFC event. I feel like we’re so blessed with these opportunities.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 60.
