There seemed to be good vibes at the UFC on ESPN 60 official weigh-ins after everyone hit their marks.
LAS VEGAS – There seemed to be good vibes at the UFC on ESPN 60 official weigh-ins after everyone hit their marks.
But then things took a turn into #ApexVibes territory when the co-main event, just minutes after it had become official when both fighters made weight, was scrapped.
[autotag]Junyong Park[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) made weight without issues for his middleweight co-main event against [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag] (20-9 MMA, 15-9 UFC) about 10 minutes into the two-hour window. After that, he had to go through customary physical checks with the Nevada Athletic Commission, and he didn’t pass.
Tavares made weight a bit later at 185.5, but it proved to be pointless when the commission ruled Park out at UFC on ESPN 60 (ESPN/ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
That makes the featherweight fight between Seungwoo Choi (11-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC) and Steve Garcia (15-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) the new co-main event.
With 34 combined UFC fights, the bout between Park and Tavares was by far the one between the two most experienced fighters on Saturday’s lineup, which will move forward with 11 bouts and a new start time.
With the change, the UFC on ESPN 60 lineup now includes:
Check out the official results from the UFC on ESPN 60 official weigh-ins in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS – The UFC on ESPN 60 official weigh-ins are in the books, and it was a perfect session in “Sin City.”
In the main event, Virna Jandiroba (20-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) takes on former women’s strawweight title challenger Amanda Lemos (14-3-1 MMA, 8-3 UFC) as they look to get one step closer to a shot at UFC gold. Lemos was the first fighter to the scale in the two-hour window and was 116 pounds. Jandiroba came a minute later and was 115.5 to make the headliner official without any drama.
In the middleweight co-main event, [autotag]Junyong Park[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) and Brad Tavares (20-9 MMA, 15-9 UFC) had no issues, either. Park was 186 and Tavares was a hook under at 185.5. But just minutes after the weigh-ins wrapped up – and minutes after Tavares left the scale – it was announced the fight is canceled because of “a medical issue involving Park.” No further explanation was given, and Park did not seem to have issues when he made weight about 10 minutes into the session.
The weigh-ins took place at the UFC Apex, which also hosts Saturday’s event (ESPN/ESPN+).
The full UFC on ESPN 60 weigh-in results included:
MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET)
Amanda Lemos (116) vs. Virna Jandiroba (115.5)
Junyong Park (186) vs. Brad Tavares (185.5)*
Seungwoo Choi (145) vs. Steve Garcia (144.5)
Kurt Holobaugh (155) vs. Kaynan Kruschewsky (154)
Cody Durden (125.5) vs. Bruno Silva (126)
Bill Algeo (146) vs. Dooho Choi (146)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
Hyder Amil (145) vs. Jeong Yeong Lee (145.5)
Cody Gibson (136) vs. Brian Kelleher (136)
Dione Barbosa (125.5) vs. Miranda Maverick (125.5)
Trey Ogden (156) vs. Loik Radzhabov (155.5)
Luana Carolina (125.5) vs. Lucie Pudilova (126)
Thomas Petersen (258.5) vs. Mohammed Usman (236.5)
*The fight between Park and Tavares was canceled after the official weigh-ins concluded. The reason given was a medical issue for Park.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 60.
The main event for the UFC’s latest home show is official after the headliners made weight Friday.
LAS VEGAS – The main event for the UFC’s latest home show is official after the headliners made weight Friday.
Ahead of UFC on ESPN 60 (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex, recent women’s strawweight title challenger Amanda Lemos (14-3-1 MMA, 8-3 UFC) and opponent Virna Jandiroba (20-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), who is fighting in her first UFC main event, stepped on the scale at the official weigh-ins.
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 60.
Will Virna Jandiroba break through into the upper tier of the UFC women’s strawweight division by getting past Amanda Lemos?
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC on ESPN 60 main event between former strawweight title challenger [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] and [autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag].
Supplemental info:
+ Jungle Fight bantamweight title
+ 8 KO victories
+ 3 submission wins
+ 8 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Accurate hooks and crosses
^ Coming forward or off the counter
+ Hard kicks and knees
+ Strong inside the clinch
^ Defensively and offensively
+ Solid positional grappler
^ Aggressive from topside
Supplemental info:
+ Invicta FC strawweight title
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Multiple grappling accolades
+ 1 KO victory
+ 13 submission wins
+ 8 first-round finish
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Steadily improving striking skills
+ Deceptive wrestling ability
^ In the open or against the fence
+ Excellent transitional grappler
^ Works well from top or bottom
Amanda Lemos vs. Virna Jandiroba point of interest: The cost of counters
Aug 19, 2023; Boston, MA, USA; Weili Zhang (red gloves) fights Amanda Lemos (blue gloves) during UFC 292 at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
The main event in Las Vegas features a showdown between two top-ranked strawweights who are familiar with the cost of counters.
Even though Jandiroba is not a dedicated counterstriker by any stretch, she’s been forced to understand the nature of counters in MMA, given the dynamic her style presents.
Coming from a background of primarily Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Jandiroba has been steadily playing catchup in the striking department since stepping on the big stage. Despite it initially being an obvious means to an end, Jandiroba has made clear strides in both her striking technique and understanding of exchanges.
Working behind a steady dose of jabs and feints, Jandiroba wields a deceptively hard right hand that’s effective whether she is coming forward or looking to counter. Still, “Cacara” will need to be careful when coming forward against a superior counter puncher like Lemos.
An athletic fighter who also used to compete at 135 pounds, Lemos brings some interesting problems to the table. A stance-switching striker, Lemos is comfortable throwing her patent hooks and crosses from both stances.
The former Jungle Fight champion does appear to operate more out of orthodox, but has no issues shifting to southpaw to either counter with a check hook or come forward to finish a combination. Lemos also regularly looks to land hard leg kicks, but I suspect that her front kicks and knees will serve her better given the level-changing threats from Jandiroba.
Amanda Lemos vs. Virna Jandiroba breakdown: Winning the wrestling
May 6, 2023; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Marina Rodriguez (red gloves) fights Virna Jandiroba (blue gloves) during UFC 288 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Considering the styles clash at hand, no one should be shocked if Jandiroba looks for takedowns early and often.
Always sticking to a clear and consistent game plan, there’s no secret about what someone like Jandiroba wants. An accoladed Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Jandiroba has smartly made strides in her wrestling since transitioning over to MMA.
Jandiroba has demonstrated serviceable reactive shots in the open, but arguably does her best work when chaining takedown attempts along the cage. That said, Jandiroba will still need to be careful about getting stuck in the clinch with someone like Lemos.
Lemos has some solid muay Thai sensibilities that make her an offensive threat via the knee and elbow traffic she controls off of collar ties (which could create damaging moments anytime Jandiroba allows for the proper space). Nevertheless, I suspect that Lemos’ defense will be what’s tested if these two tangle in the wrestling realm.
Lemos seems to have some decent defensive instincts regarding her whizzer and underhook awareness, attempting to either hoist or turn her opposition when appropriate. The 10-year pro can also hit crafty trips from clinch space, showing a strong top game whenever action flows to the floor.
However, even if Lemos is the one who ends up on top, she could still be playing right into Jandiroba’s wheelhouse.
Not only is Jandiroba a legitimate threat from full guard, but the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion can also channel her inner Demian Maia when it comes to reversing from the half guard. Jandirob is also good about isolating one of her opponent’s legs in transition – something that assists in her control of the positions.
Once Jandiroba can secure herself in the top position, she wastes little time when it comes to working toward the back and funneling her opposition toward her preferred choke points.
Amanda Lemos vs. Virna Jandiroba odds
The oddsmakers and the public are slightly favoring the former Invicta champion, listing Jandiroba -142 and Lemos +122 via FanDuel.
Amanda Lemos vs. Virna Jandiroba prediction, pick
May 6, 2023; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Marina Rodriguez (red gloves) fights Virna Jandiroba (blue gloves) during UFC 288 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Despite not disagreeing with whose favored, it’s nice to see both ladies getting some respect, given the spread of the betting line above.
Jandiroba may not be the most popular fighter among casual fans, but she is quietly one of the more consistent threats that this division has to offer. And though Jandiroba’s striking doesn’t leave a lot to write home about on the feet, her wrestling and grappling superiority are more than enough to make some serious hay at strawweight.
Lemos has made clear efforts to shore up her holes regarding these sorts of stylistic threats, but her propensity to turtle in scrambles is what I see costing her here.
Aside from the fact that the majority of Jandiroba’s finishes come by way of rear-naked choke, the smaller octagon arguably encourages the kinds of exchanges where “Cacara” thrives (as opposed to Lemos, who likes more space to operate in).
Add in the fact that Lemos will likely be shelving a lot of her offense in the form of kicks to avoid potential takedowns, and I can’t help but side with the superior grappler in Jandiroba.
Lemos is not an easy fighter to finish, but I’ll wager that Jandiroba can cook her way to a submission win in Round 3.
Prediction: Jandiroba inside the distance
Amanda Lemos vs. Virna Jandiroba start time, where to watch
As the main event, Lemos and Jandiroba are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT). 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 60.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 60 event in Las Vegas.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 60 event in Las Vegas.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those reader consensus picks will be part of the main card staff predictions we release ahead of UFC on ESPN 60 (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Miranda Maverick, who was set to fight Tracy Cortez at UFC on ESPN 60, doesn’t want to hear the excuses for why she lost to Rose Namajunas.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Miranda Maverick[/autotag] doesn’t want to hear Tracy Cortez’s excuses.
The pair were originally set to meet inside the octagon at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 60 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. However, a late lineup shift saw Cortez get bumped up to compete a week earlier against Rose Namajunas in the headliner of UFC on ESPN 59 in Denver.
Maverick (13-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) kept her spot on the Las Vegas event, and will now face Dione Barbosa.
Cortez lost her bout against Namajunas by a clear unanimous decision, suffering her first loss in the UFC. A late switch can be a tough challenge, especially against a former champion like Namajunas, but Maverick dismisses Cortez’s reasons for her performance.
“Whatever excuses she wants to give,” Maverick told MMA Junkie Radio at SEICon. “To me, you got to be ready for anything. You took a fight for five rounds, you took it in Denver – you’re making all the excuses – the weight cut and everything else. It’s not like it was a five-day notice, it was two-day notice. She should have been ready for a fight the next week. Like you start your weight cut two weeks before.
“It’s not like she was sitting on the couch. I see all these articles like, ‘Oh, she came off the couch and did this.’ I’m like, no, do your research. She was supposed to fight me this weekend. It’s not that big of a change. She’s in the top 10 rankings. Tracy’s never even really fought a ranked opponent and she finally had an opportunity to move up, and she didn’t show up.”
Cortez accepted the opponent change 19 days out after Maycee Barber, the original headliner for Denver opposite Namajunas, could not compete due to medical issues.
Maverick would be up for facing Cortez, despite the loss to Namajunas. In fact, she says her confidence in her abilities to get the job done grew after watching what happened in the UFC on ESPN 59 main event.
“I think it would look about the same if I fought her as it did when Rose fought her,” Maverick said. “I was not impressed, we’ll just say that.”
For now, Maverick has a new challenge in Barboza (7-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on her hands, and she expects to finish the fight by submission. From there, it’s all about mixing it up with anyone in the top 15, anytime, anyplace.
“Anyone they put in front of me that’s in the top 15, I’m ready to fight,” Maverick said. “I just don’t see how she still has as high of a ranking as she does, and maybe that will end up going down. Maybe we’ll switch spots after this fight, I don’t know. Like I said, anybody they put in front of me, if it ends up being Tracy, I’m down. I’m ready to go if she wants that fight.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 60.
Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses the weekend’s top events including UFC on ESPN 60 and Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry.
The UFC returns to its home base at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas for a top 10 strawweight showdown, but the bigger event of the weekend will likely be the boxing event headlined by [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag].
The eight-round boxing match at 200 pounds between Paul and Perry goes down at Amalie Arena in Tampa Fla. It’s the first of two bouts “The Problem Child” has on the schedule, as he’s still set to face Mike Tyson later in the year.
Perry has never fought above 185 pounds, which could be an advantage for Paul. But will Perry’s signature aggression and chin give problems Paul hasn’t faced before? Will there be a knockout?
At UFC on ESPN 60, Virna Jandiroba takes on former title challenger Amanda Lemos. It’s a key matchup for both fighters who aim to climb the ladder to a shot at gold.
What’s the level of interest for this main event?
MMA Junkie’s “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia discussed the weekend’s upcoming action on the latest episode of the show.
You can watch the UFC on ESPN 59 recap segment above, or the complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below.
https://youtube.com/live/8uo8HhHfHTM
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Paul vs. Perry. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 60.
Former UFC title challenger Amanda Lemos seeks a fast finish against Virna Jandiroba in the UFC on ESPN 60 headliner.
[autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] may be days away from another main event bout scheduled for 25 minutes, but she does not intend on competing against Virna Jandiroba for that long.
Saturday at UFC on ESPN 60 (ESPN, ESPN+) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, former title challenger Lemos (14-3-1 MMA, 8-3 UFC) headlines opposite Jandiroba (20-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in a top 10 strawweight matchup.
At this point, Lemos is used to the big stage of the UFC. Lemos enters her third UFC main event on the heels of a unanimous decision win over Mackenzie Dern at UFC 298 in February. That victory marked a return to the win column following a heartbreaking unanimous decision loss against Zhang Weili in her first shot at gold.
Whether it’s a preliminary bout, main event, or a title fight, nothing changes for Lemos.
“I approach every fight the same,” Lemos told MMA Junkie Radio through an interpreter. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the first, second fight on the card, if it’s a co-main or main event. I approach all of them the same. They’re all important to me. This is my life. This has been my life, this is how I make that bread. It doesn’t matter the status of the fight. I approach it with the same training level, always looking for the win. To me, it’s another fight in that sense.”
While this fight isn’t likely to be one that gets her right back into another shot at the title, a big win, especially a big stoppage, would certainly be a solid step in that direction. She will be looking for that early finish on Saturday against Jandiroba.
“I’m going to come out there just trying to finish the fight,” Lemos said. “Cautious, of course, anything may happen – but I’m going in right from the start to try to finish that fight.”
Check out the full pre-fight interview with Lemos 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 on ESPN 60 headliner Virna Jandiroba believes a finish over Amanda Lemos would boost her strawweight title hopes.
[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] knows that finishes get the attention of the UFC brass, and finding an early stoppage against former title challenger Amanda Lemos could propel her even closer to her own shot at gold.
Just the second time on a UFC main card, Jandiroba (20-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) finds herself headlining opposite Lemos (14-3-1 MMA, 8-3 UFC) Saturday at UFC on ESPN 60 (ESPN, ESPN+) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Jandiroba is on the best stretch of her UFC tenure, having won three straight unanimous decisions against Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez and Lupita Godinez. While those are solid wins against stiff competition, Jandiroba knows that the UFC prefers finishes en route to a title shot.
“In the UFC, we know a finish is always better than a decision – they like that,” Jandiroba told MMA Junkie Radio through an interpreter. “So, I know that if I’m able to get a finish over Amanda Lemos, I’m probably going to be much, much closer to a title fight than if I win by decision.
“Although, she’s a very tough opponent. I think a win is a win, over her especially, but a finish for sure would push me forward a lot more.”
Jandiroba currently holds the No. 8 spot in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie women’s strawweight rankings. With Lemos one spot ahead at No. 7, it’s a tight matchup between two fighters looking to navigate their way to a shot at the title. Lemos had her first crack at gold at UFC 292, but lost a unanimous decision to the champ Zhang Weili.
Jandiroba, 36, has three stoppages in the UFC. She flexed her submission skills to tap Mallory Martin and Felice Herrig, while the third against Kanako Murata was an arm injury TKO after hunting for an armbar.
After a setback against Amanda Ribas at UFC 267, Jandiroba ripped three in a row, crediting a few adjustments outside the cage.
“I think the biggest thing is more of a mental adjustment and a behavior adjustment more than anything fight-related,” Jandiroba said. “Once I got over a few hurdles mentally and behaviorally, I think things started to click a lot more.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 60.
Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC on ESPN 59 in Denver.
Following UFC on ESPN 59, the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings required updating.
In the main event at Ball Arena in Denver, former strawweight champion [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] handed Tracy Cortez her first loss in the UFC. The result marked the second win for Namajunas in the flyweight division after making the switch last September.
Entering the week at No. 13, Namajunas takes Cortez’s place at No. 8, with Cortez falling one spot to No. 9.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.
