Tag: UFC on ESPN 65

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, April 8: Lerone Murphy enters top 10

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC on ESPN 65 in Las Vegas.

UFC on ESPN 65 took place this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, producing a key move in the featherweight division.

In the main event, undefeated [autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag] won a clear unanimous decision over former interim title challenger Josh Emmett.

Murphy entered the week at No. 12 in the 145-pound division, but after his second main event win, lands at No. 8 in this week’s rankings update.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.

After much tougher return than she expected, Loma Lookboonmee eyes UFC’s top 15 strawweights

Loma Lookboonmee returned after a 14-month injury layoff for her fourth straight win at UFC on ESPN 65.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Loma Lookboonmee[/autotag] beat Istela Nunes with a first-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 65 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Lookboonmee, who returned after a 14-month injury layoff for her fourth straight win.

Loma Lookboonmee def. Istela Nunes

Result: Loma Lookboonmee def. Istela Nunes via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Lookboonmee (10-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC), Nunes (6-6 MMA, 0-5 UFC)
Key stats: Lookboonmee outstruck Nunes 111-51 overall.

Lookboonmee on the fight’s key moment

“The game plan was to take her down. I really wanted to focus on my ground game and showcase that. I definitely prefer standup, but I want to be a more well-rounded MMA fighter. I really focused on that this fight.”

Lookboonmee on returning from injury

“Coming back after 14 months off was much more difficult than I thought it would be. I really want to fight two or three times this year. I think that’s what’s going to really make a difference for me. I had surgery last year, and it was really hard coming back.”

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 05: (R-L) Loma Lookboonmee of Thailand punches Istela Nunes of Brazil in their women’s strawweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 05, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Lookboonmee on what she wants next

“I haven’t been home in nine months, so the first thing I’m going to do is go home and see my family. But if the UFC calls me to fight next week, I will fight next week. I want to get back to training as soon as I can. I really want to fight twice this year. It would be ideal if I could fight three times this year. I don’t have any injuries, and fighting only two times in the past two years because of injuries and surgeries, it was really hard.

“I know today wasn’t my best performance, but if the UFC gives me the opportunity to fight two to three times this year, I’ll be a lot better. I’ll fight anyone, but I really want to fight someone in the top 15. I’ve won four fights (in a row) in the UFC. I have nothing to lose, and it’s the fighters in the top 15 who should be scared of losing their ranking to me.”

To hear more from Lookboonmee, 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 65.

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ChangHo Lee says team talked him into fighting after Cortavious Romious’ UFC Vegas 105 weight miss

ChangHo Lee had a decision to make after his opponent came in 3 pounds heavy at UFC on ESPN 65. His teammates helped him figure it out.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]ChangHo Lee[/autotag] met the media Saturday after his win over Cortavious Romious at UFC on ESPN 65.

Lee (11-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) got back to his typical finishing ways after a decision in his UFC debut when he pounded out Cortavious Romious (9-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) in the second round. The win came after Romious weighed in at 139 pounds for the bantamweight bout.

Lee said his team from South Korea had to talk him into staying in the fight after Romious’ big weight miss – and it paid off with not only 20 percent of Romious’ purse, but a $50,000 performance bonus.

Check out Lee’s post-fight news conference in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 65.

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Dione Barbosa wants JJ Aldrich or Casey O’Neill after bonus-winning submission at UFC Vegas 105

Dione Barbosa lived up to her 11-1 favorite status with a bonus-winning finish of Diana Belbita at UFC on ESPN 65.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Dione Barbosa[/autotag] beat Diana Belbita with a first-round submission Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 65 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Barbosa, who lived up to her 11-1 favorite status with a bonus-winning finish.

Dione Barbosa def. Diana Belbita

Result: Dione Barbosa def. Diana Belbita via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:13
Updated records: Barbosa (8-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Belbita (15-10 MMA, 2-6 UFC)
Key stats: Barbosa has half of her wins by submission – and Belbita has more than half her losses by submission.

Barbosa on the fight’s key moment

“The game plan was to have the best performance of my life. … I journal a lot and do mental training. I didn’t just prepare my body, but prepared my mind for the best performance of my life. I wanted so bad to finish the fight – it didn’t matter if I knocked her down or (submit her). I knew I had the tools to do both. I just had to be patient.”

https://twitter.com/UFCEspanol/status/1908682104595972464

Barbosa on her passion for fighting

“I was excited to get back in the cage. I feel happy when I’m in the cage. I love to fight. It’s not just about winning and losing. I train so hard every single day. I’m consistent in the work and doing what I need to do. … I feel full when I’m in there. There’s no anxiety to get a victory or anything. I can’t wait to get back again.”

Dione Barbosa def. Diana Belbita, UFC on ESPN 65 (via UFC)

Barbosa on what she wants next

“I’ll be back to the gym for sure – no time off. I want to fight JJ Aldrich. I’ll get back to the gym and train for whenever the UFC wants me. … It’s a fun matchup. I was supposed to fight Casey O’Neill, but she had an injury. I don’t think she’ll fight till December, so I don’t want to sit and wait for her. But I’d love to fight Casey O’Neill (when she’s healthy). JJ Aldrich, I think would be a fun match.”

To hear more from Barbosa, 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 65.

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Victor Henry has plans to stick around awhile after UFC Vegas 105 – even if his mom won’t watch

Victor Henry bounced back after a loss to Charles Jourdain this past November – so far the only stoppage loss on his resume.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag] beat Pedro Falcao with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 65 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Henry, who bounced back after a loss to Charles Jourdain this past November – so far the only stoppage loss on his resume.

Victor Henry def. Pedro Falcao

Result: Victor Henry def. Pedro Falcao via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Henry (25-7 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Falcao (16-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Key stats: Henry landed twice as many total strikes as Falcao, though he was taken down four times.

Henry on the fight’s key moment

“(I’d grade myself) a 7 out of 10, 6.5 out of 10. There were some spots where, meh – I could’ve finished it here. Hindsight is 20/20 – there were some spots in there I could’ve done more. … I didn’t want to speak it into existence, but my arms were dead.”

Henry on his mom not watching his fights

“Whenever I get a second (after a fight), I call my mom. My mom doesn’t watch me fight live because she’s afraid of it. She went to one taekwondo tournament when I was a kid. She goes, ‘Never again. Never again.’ I said, ‘Why?’ She goes, ‘Because that’s my baby beating up on somebody else’s baby, or it’s someone else’s baby beating up on my baby.’ She goes, ‘I’m not going to watch that. You call me afterward and let me know you’re OK and we’ll be all right.'”

Henry on what he wants next

“The UFC has a habit of having me fight two times a year. I’d like to hopefully re-sign, get another contract. This was my third fight – I have one more fight on the contract. I’d like to get two more this year and three next year.”

To hear more from Henry, 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 65.

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Rhys McKee after first UFC win: ‘It’s not job done, it’s job started’

Rhys McKee’s long-awaited first UFC win also came with a $50,000 performance bonus for a brutal finish of Daniel Frunza.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Rhys McKee[/autotag] beat Daniel Frunza with a first-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 65 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with McKee, whose first UFC win also came with a $50,000 performance bonus.

Rhys McKee def. Daniel Frunza

Result: Rhys McKee def. Daniel Frunza via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 1, 5:00
Updated records: McKee (14-6-1 MMA, 1-4 UFC), Frunza (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stats: McKee knocked Frunza down four times in the first round.

McKee on the fight’s key moment

“We knew this was a must-win fight. If I lost, I’d probably have my release papers by now. This was a must-win. And guess what the next one is? A must-win – no different. … (the game plan was) vicious – be vicious. Any chance I could hurt him, as many times as I could, pressure, drown him, make him exhausted – and when the chance was there, the finish came. We had to get it done via damage tonight, but win No. 14 – 14th finish.”

McKee on getting his first UFC win

“It’s a relief. Four times, I’ve been here in the UFC and four times I’ve had to get the bus home early. I’ve always wanted to come to this (post-fight news conference) table, so to be here is a relief. But it’s not job done – it’s job started.

“… To be honest, I thought my UFC opportunity had slipped away. When I got the shot at No. 5, I thought ‘This is my golden ticket. This is the time when it all changes’ I just believed in myself. My coaches believed in me on the days I didn’t believe in myself.”

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 05: (L-R) Rhys McKee of Northern Ireland punches Daniel Frunza of Romania in their welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 05, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

McKee on what he wants next

“(I spent) two weeks in Las Vegas. I brought my wife, brought my daughter … spent two weeks in the (UFC Performance Institute). There ain’t nothing tough about it. It’s a hell of a life. Like we said this week, if you want this stuff, you have to win the fight. We won the fight. I would love my next fight to be in Vegas. I absolutely love it. The PI is fantastic.”

To hear more from McKee, 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 65.

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Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: UFC 314 preview, Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley 2, PFL review, more

On the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel previews UFC 314, reacts to Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley 2, 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 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 65 was host of a big win at 145 pounds. In the main event, [autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag] defeated [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] in a unanimous decision. We discuss Murphy’s big win, where he goes next, plus other key bouts from the Las Vegas card.
  • The PFL hosted its first event of the season in Olando, Fla. We review and dissect 2025 PFL World Tournament 1, and the new changes the promotion implemented starting this year. We also discuss the results from the card, including [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag]’s nasty submission win over [autotag]Andrey Koreshkov[/autotag]
  • There were some big fight bookings announced this past week. For starters, UFC CEO Dana White announced the two title fights that will be headlining UFC 316 – [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] 2, and [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag]. Additionally, [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] returns to fight [autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag], and flyweight contenders [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] and [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] ink another contract to fight each other. We break down and give early predictions for these big bookings.
  • Lastly, we end the show with a preview for Saturday’s UFC 314. This stacked pay-per-view, which goes down in Miami, hosts a title fight for the vacant featherweight belt between [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] and [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]. Also, UFC star [autotag]Paddy Pimblett [/autotag] takes a giant step in his career when he faces former Bellator champion [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] in the co-main event. We preview these bouts, plus many other key fights on the card.

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Martin Buday has ‘big respect’ for Uran Satybaldiev’s grit on super-short notice at UFC on ESPN 65

Heavyweight Martin Buday held off Uran Satybaldiev, a 205-pounder who took the fight for his UFC debut on just three days’ notice.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Martin Buday[/autotag] beat Uran Satybaldiev with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 65 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Buday, who held off a promotional newcomer who took the fight on three days’ notice when Kennedy Nzechukwu dropped out – and with a 60-pound deficit from light heavyweight to heavyweight.

Martin Buday def. Uran Satybaldiev

Result: Martin Buday def. Uran Satybaldiev via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Buday (15-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC), Satybaldiev (9-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stats: Buday outstruck Satybaldiev 152-56 and had more than 5 minutes of control time, mostly in the clinch.

Buday on the fight’s key moment

“My performance was not so bad, but not something I was looking for. I wanted to finish him. He showed us he’s a very tough opponent and (was) an undefeated guy for a reason. Big respect to Uran to step in on a few days’ notice. I wanted the finished, but the performance was like normal.”

Buday on late opponent change

“We were supposed to fight Kennedy, who is a southpaw, so the whole game plan was different for Kennedy. We did our best to adjust to the new opponent. It’s a shame I didn’t finish him like I wanted, but we did a good job – it was a whole different fight (than what we prepared for). ”

Buday on what he wants next

“I would like to go back and finish what we started with Kennedy, so I wish him a speedy recovery from the injury. Hopefully we can (reschedule) our fight as soon as possible. As soon as he’s OK, I’ll jump on the training. I’m healthy, so I’ll start training immediately when I get back home and have a better performance my next fight, for sure. But I hope it’ll be with Kennedy.”

To hear more from Buday, 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 65.

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Talita Alencar wants to stay busy after she took ‘zero damage’ from Vanessa Demopoulos at UFC on ESPN 65

Talita Alencar got back in the win column after the first loss of her pro career when she outworked Vanessa Demopoulos.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Talita Alencar[/autotag] beat Vanessa Demopoulos with a unanimous decision Saturday to open the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 65 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Alencar, who got back in the win column after the first loss of her pro career in a rematch with Stephanie Luciano this past August.

Talita Alencar def. Vanessa Demopoulos

Result: Talita Alencar def. Vanessa Demopoulos via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Alencar (6-1-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Demopoulos (11-7 MMA, 5-4 UFC)
Key stats: Alencar had four takedowns that led to more than 12 minutes of ground control time.

Alencar on the fight’s key moment

“Definitely, you can see I improved my striking. I definitely got better in every area. I was happy I was able to dance around a little bit with my hands. We almost got the knockout there with one of the combos we were training the whole camp. I should have believed in (my striking) a little more.”

Alencar on being ready for anything

“But I’m training to be in the UFC, not training for a specific opponent. I’ll study the opponent in the time that’s necessary. But we’re training to get hard fights because we know this division is packed.”

Alencar on what she wants next

“I’m definitely going to take one week off. … I’m here, and the UFC can call me. I told my manager I have zero damage right now and I already have a license for the state of Nevada: Come on, guys. (I want to fight) at least three times this year, so two more. It would be amazing to fight in Brazil. It would be amazing to fight in Florida – it’s local. But I’m down for anything. Definitely, Brazil is one of the places I’d like to fight this year. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Brazil – like five years. I need to see my family … The last time I’ve been there was befor eCOVID, and I really miss my family.”

To hear more from Alencar, 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 65.

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Torrez Finney reacts to ‘dud’ UFC on ESPN 65 debut: ‘I thought I just F’d this up’

Torrez Finney knows he left a lot to be desired in his debut win at UFC on ESPN 65 against Robert Valentin.

LAS VEGAS – Securing victory in a UFC debut is a fighter’s dream, but the undefeated [autotag]Torrez Finney[/autotag] has to face a nightmare reaction to his performance.

After three wins on Dana White’s Contender Series, Finney (11-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) finally got his chance to compete under the UFC banner. His debut split decision win against Robert Valentin is one that he wants to quickly move past.

“I’d rather have an ugly ‘W’ than a good ‘L,'” Finney told reporters at a post-fight news conference. “… One, we were really confident in my area, obviously, getting it to the ground. I felt like I was the better grappler, no question. He did some things better in situations than I expected, but also, there was a lot of missed opportunities for me on the ground, and I didn’t take advantage of it. There’s a lot of things I got to grow on. I think I gave him too much confidence in areas, and I didn’t execute.”

From a grappling standpoint, Finney had was able to put Valentin (10-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) wherever he wanted early on in the fight with a couple of slams and easy takedowns. However, once the fight hit the canvas, there was nothing else Finney offered except simply holding his opponent down.

Over 15 minutes, Finney landed only four significant strikes, a record for the lowest output in a three-round decision. The damage was so low, the dissenting judge, Tony Weeks, scored all three rounds for Valentin, despite being held down a majority of the fight.

“In a way, I thought I just F’d this up, I really did,” Finney said.

Finney isn’t sure what prevented him from unleashing more offense in dominant positions. He says he goal is to always get a finish, but whether it was jitters from his UFC debut or some other factor, Finney says he will get back to work to improve for his next outing.

“It was a weird performance,” Finney said. “That was a dud, in my honest opinion. You know, it happens. I ain’t gonna lie, I feel great. This is the best I’ve felt going into a fight, just was a dud. I felt way worse than this going into a fight, and I’ve had an incredible performance. … Tonight was one of those type of nights.

“Like I said, came out with the victory, that’s the main thing, but just got to grow. I’ve only been fighting since October 2020. Heck, my coach was just telling me: less than five years, you’re already in the UFC, and a UFC win. Take that, you’ve got to run with it, but we got to grow from it.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 65.