Tag: UFC on ESPN+ 7

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Jairzinho Rozenstruik after UFC on ESPN 7 win?

See whom Jairzinho Rozenstruik should fight next after his TKO victory over Alistair Overeem at UFC on ESPN 7.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Alistair Overeem after UFC on ESPN 7 loss?)

[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] validated himself as a heavyweight contender Saturday when he rallied to stop Alistair Overeem in the final seconds of the UFC on ESPN 7 main event.

Rozenstruik (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) was down big on the scorecards when he pulled off a miraculous one-punch TKO of Overeem (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) in the heavyweight headliner, which took place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

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With the win, Rozenstruik remained undefeated in his MMA career and is coming off back-to-back finishes of heavyweight legends in Overeem and Andrei Arlovski.

After the fight, he called for a showdown with [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) in 2020. “The Predator” seemingly obliged on social media, but is that the matchup that makes the most sense for Rozenstruik?

Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after the big win at UFC on ESPN 7.

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Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Alistair Overeem after UFC on ESPN 7 loss?

See whom Alistair Overeem should fight next after his loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC on ESPN 7.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Jairzinho Rozenstruik after UFC on ESPN 7 win?)

[autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] experienced one of the most difficult losses of his career Saturday when he fell to a come-from-behind finish against Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the UFC on ESPN 7 main event.

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After putting himself well ahead on the scorecards after four rounds, Overeem (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) was just seconds away from winning a decision when Rozenstruik (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) landed a missile of a punch that ended the headliner at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

Not only did Overeem get stopped with strikes for the 13th time in his MMA career, but his lip was split open in horrific fashion. It’s an outcome that took away any steam around Overeem potentially getting a second heavyweight title shot. At 39, there are legitimate questions about his future after the result.

What does the loss mean for Overeem? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on what’s next for “The Reem.”

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Marina Rodriguez not interested in rematch after draw with Cynthia Calvillo: ‘I want to fight someone who can make the weight’

Marina Rodriguez said she wouldn’t face Cynthia Calvillo again after her opponent weighed in 4.5 pounds over the limit for their bout at UFC DC.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] left the octagon with her undefeated record still intact, but was denied her win bonus after the judges rendered a majority draw verdict following her bout with [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag].

Backstage after the fight, Rodriguez (12-0-2 MMA, 2-0-2 UFC) said she thought she should have received the nod from the judges.

“I think I did enough to win the fight,” she said through a translator. “All the striking that happened in the fight was won by me. She won the grappling side, but it wasn’t as much considering how much striking there was. But at the end of the day, I was grappling with a 125-pound grappler, and that made a huge difference.”

The last point was in reference to Calvillo (8-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) coming in 4.5 pounds over the 116-pound strawweight limit. It clearly rankled with the Brazilian, who admitted she did discuss the possibility of refusing to take the fight before opting to go ahead with the bout.

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“It’s something that we did discuss, but not really in depth because at the end of the day, I trained and I came here to fight,” she said. “It didn’t matter that she was heavier. I came here to fight, and that’s a problem between her and the UFC now on how they’re going to sort that out.

“But we knew there was a huge risk. I was fighting a grappler who was way heavier than me, and if it did come to the ground we knew there was going to be a problem. And I was putting so much on the line. I was ranked higher than her. I’m still undefeated. I put that on the line, and I hope the UFC looks at that and takes it into consideration the next time they think about me next time around.”

When asked about the possibility of a rematch between the pair, Rodriguez firmly shut the door on the suggestion.

“No, I don’t see the point of having a rematch right now,” she said. “The main thing is I want to fight someone who can make the weight next time around. So there’s no point fighting against a flyweight again.

“The big thing is, our only job is to make weight. That’s the one thing. We sign the paperwork, then we’ve got to come in and make the weight. If we come there, put on a (expletive) fight, if we lose or win, whatever happens after that, it’s OK. All we have to do is make the weight.”

After a frustrating end to her fight week that left her with a draw on her record and a suspected broken hand, Rodriguez said she just wants to move onward and upward to new challenges as she targets the top names in the UFC strawweight division.

“I went in there, I did my job, fought a much heavier opponent, and now we’re at the mercy of the UFC and we’ll wait and see what they’re thinking about and when they can have me back,” she said. “I’ve got to check my hand, too – so that’s probably the first thing to think about.

“The big thing is, I’m happy I showed that I evolved in this fight, and I’m going to keep on doing that. If I’m OK, I plan on being back in the gym by Monday and keep on working and keep getting better. In my heart, I still think I won.”

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Aspen Ladd says blast from her corner powered her to victory at UFC DC: ‘My coach lit me up’

Aspen Ladd says her coaches’ pep talk before the final round proved crucial in her third-round TKO win over Yana Kunitskaya.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] knew things were pretty close when she returned to her corner at the end of the second round of her fight with [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 7.

But if there was any doubt over what she had to do next, her coaches made absolutely clear with a blistering pep talk.

The strong words in the corner clearly had the desired effect. Ladd (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) stormed out for the final round and picked up a TKO finish just 33 seconds after the restart.

“My coach lit me up,” Ladd said after the fight at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. “It was the third round of a very close fight. He’s like, ‘You’d better (expletive) finish.’ Come out hot, basically. Come out and put my foot on the gas. And I listened.

“It was a close fight and she’s a very tough opponent. I was doing all I felt I could at the time. But I could do a lot better. (I) decided to shake it out and listen, and when I did things went very well.”

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Ladd has been considered one of the most talented prospects in the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division for the last couple of years. But just as she looked to be breaking into true contender status, she had a rough weight cut and was finished in just 16 seconds by Germaine de Randamie in July.

The defeat, Ladd’s first as a professional, raised question marks about her future as a bantamweight. She faced a barrage of questions about her weight and well-being at 135 pounds ahead of her fight with Kunitskaya (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC).

But Ladd made weight successfully without the drama of six months ago, and produced a superb third-round performance to stop the Russian contender and position herself among the division’s best.

Despite coming in off a loss, Ladd said she never felt a lack of confidence heading into the match.

“It’s not a lack of confidence in yourself – at least, that’s not what I felt,” she said. “It’s a disappointment. You learn a lot from it. But it’s still what I do, and it’s what I do at a high level. I know I’m good and capable of doing this. So it’s not really a confidence thing as much as it feels like ‘I’m home’ thing.”

Now back in the win column, and with her weight-cutting worries seemingly behind her, the future looks exciting for Ladd. But she knows that if she isn’t quite fulfilling her potential inside the cage, she will have her coaches to call on for a kick up the backside when she needs it.

“If I was a little bit slow, as I was, and it’s going into the third round of a close fight, you’ll probably hear that every single time,” she said. “I’ve been chewed out pretty good before. That one wasn’t … I mean, it was decent.”

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Did referee Dan Miragliotta coach Stefan Struve into staying in his TKO loss to Ben Rothwell after two low blows?

Referee Dan Miragliotta appeared to give Stefan Struve advice on whether or not to continue in his TKO loss to Ben Rothwell, but was he right to do so?

The clash of heavyweight veterans on the main card of UFC on ESPN 7 ended in controversy after [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] finished [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] with a second-round TKO.

The actual finishing sequence itself was clear enough, and Rothwell (37-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC) picked up a crucial stoppage victory to snap a three-fight losing skid. But the scenes that preceded “Big Ben’s” finishing flurry have led to some debate about the role referee Dan Miragliotta played in the trajectory of the matchup.

Rothwell already had landed a solid shot to Struve’s cup in Round 1, forcing the 7-foot-tall Dutchman to use almost all of the five-minute injury timeout allocation before Miragliotta issued a warning to Rothwell and the fight resumed.

But when Rothwell caught Struve (29-12 MMA, 13-10 UFC) low again in Round 2, Struve was left sitting against the cage fence contemplating whether to continue in the fight.

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Miragliotta went to Struve and appeared to offer him some advice regarding his situation within the bout.

“It was unintentional … but I’m taking a point away no matter what because of the first one,” Miragliotta told Struve, who was sitting on the canvas with his back against the fence. “I’m taking a point away. It’s not two (completed) rounds yet. You’re probably winning both rounds. If you don’t continue, it’s going to be a no contest. Last (through) this second round and see how you do. … You have two and a half minutes left for recovery time.”

When Miragliotta took the point away from Rothwell moments later, he told Rothwell if he landed another low kick, he would be disqualified.

Play-by-play voice Jon Anik said on the broadcast that Miragliotta was covering up his microphone when he was talking to Struve, though that could not be seen from ESPN’s main camera angle. Miragliotta did attempt to cover his microphone seconds later when he asked the timekeeper how much longer Struve had in his second low-blow recovery timeout.

The sight of a referee advising a fighter over whether or not to stay in a fight or pull out hurt certainly seemed an unusual one to broadcast analysts and UFC fighters Daniel Cormier and Paul Felder, who showed their surprise in their on-air comments.

Unfortunately for Struve, his decision to continue in the fight ended with things going from bad to worse when Rothwell stopped the still compromised “Skyscraper” with three seconds to go in the round.

“That’s unfortunate to hear the ref had said that, because he’s basically repeating what (Struve’s) cornermen are telling him,” Rothwell told reporters backstage after the fight.

Was Miragliotta simply doing his job and advising Struve of his situation, or did he overstep the mark by offering his scoring of the fight and some advice? Let us know in the poll below.

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UFC on ESPN 7: Makhmud Muradov warns what happens when he gets a full camp

Take a look inside Makhmud Muradov’s knockout of Trevor Smith on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag] beat Trevor Smith with a third-round knockout Saturday to open the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C.

Take a look inside the fight with Muradov, who picked up his 13th straight win and got his first finish in the UFC.

Result: Makhmud Muradov def. Trevor Smith via knockout (punch) – Round 3, 4:09
Updated records: Muradov (24-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Smith (15-10 MMA, 5-7 UFC)
Key stat: Muradov outstruck Smith 91-39 and finally got the one-hitter quitter late in the third.

Muradov on the fight’s key moment

“This was my first fight in the United States, but not my last fight. I’m happy I’m here and opened this card. I’m happy I got my first KO in the UFC. I’m happy.”

Muradov on getting a full training camp

“If you give me three months, I can show the UFC and fans my big power. Before, it was always two weeks or three weeks. Now I have two months with a full camp and I showed everyone what happens.”

Muradov on what he wants next

“Maybe I’ll fight six times again next year – who knows. I’m waiting for my contract. Maybe I’ll have my next fight in March or April, and whoever the UFC wants that is near my rank. But I’m open to everything.”

To hear more from Muradov, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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Ben Rothwell apologetic, but happy, after controversial win at UFC DC: ‘I was on the chopping block’

Ben Rothwell reflects on his much-needed, but controversial victory at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] snapped his three-fight losing skid, but admitted he had to temper his celebrations after his victory over Stefan Struve came in somewhat controversial fashion.

Rothwell (37-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC) already had been warned for a low blow after he connected with a kick to Struve’s groin in the first round that forced the towering Dutchman to use all of his allotted five-minute injury timeout in order to recover. When Rothwell misplaced a second kick in the second round, Struve (29-12 MMA, 13-10 UFC) went down again in clear agony. After advice from his corner – and, controversially, from referee Dan Miragliotta – Struve opted to continue the fight and Rothwell finished his man with three seconds remaining in the round.

It was a much-needed win for the native of Kenosha, Wis., but he said he knew he had to pull back on his planned celebrations after the nature of his victory.

“I had a cool speech and everything ready, but not with an asterisk,” he said backstage at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. “I knew that was going to be the biggest discussion point. I just tried to handle it the best I could – give respect and just address the crowd. You can’t be too happy because the crowd will turn on you if they feel like you got one over on them or something.”

Looking back at the incident, Rothwell said he had little issue with the point deduction he received from Miragliotta after the second errant kick. But he did admit learning of the official’s mid-fight advice to Struve was “unfortunate.”

“He was repeating what his cornermen were telling him,” he said. “I was down because I knew they were taking a point, and I’m like, ‘They might stop the fight.’ But I looked at his cornermen and his cornermen were like, ‘You’ve got the fight. Coast to a win. You’ve got this.’ So I was pretty sure he was going to keep fighting.

“Everything was against me. I had to get a finish, because I was going to lose another decision. (But) I was pretty confident that he was going to fight (on). That’s unfortunate to hear the ref had said that, because he’s basically repeating what his cornermen are telling him.”

The victory, Rothwell’s first since January 2016, wasn’t just welcome for the veteran heavyweight. It was absolutely necessary. After a trio of unanimous decision losses to Junior Dos Santos, Blagoy Ivanov and Andrei Arlovski in his past three outings, the Wisconsin man admitted his UFC future was at stake when he stepped into the octagon in D.C.

“I think I was on the chopping block – let’s be honest,” he said. “I’ve lost three decisions prior to this, which I think helps – I don’t get finished. I fight to the end. But four losses is four losses. It can’t happen. So this was crucial.”

But with his skid now in the rearview mirror, Rothwell says he would love an early 2020 return as he looks to rediscover the form that made him one of the most dangerous contenders in the heavyweight division.

“February, March would be cool, (but) I’d really like to fight on that April card (in Brooklyn, N.Y.) – Tony Ferguson and Khabib (Nurmagomedov),” he said. “That would be a great card to fight on. I like fighting on the East Coast … I’m not exactly positive, but I think I’m 19-1 fighting on the East Coast. So I’m pretty tough out here.”

And while he said he is apologetic toward Struve for the circumstances surrounding his victory, Rothwell said he just wants to move on and focus on a successful year in 2020.

“I tried to be as apologetic as I could – apologized to Stefan Struve for being a man. You know?” Rothwell said. “You’ve gotta move on. I got myself in a really good position to have a really big 2020 with all my coaching staff and the conditioning I’m in, and I just want to look better in my next fight. I want to be noticeably better in my next time around. Then I know I did a good job.”

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UFC on ESPN 7 rookie report: Grading the newcomers in Washington D.C.

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time – so how did the newcomers perform on Saturday?

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For four athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event marked that special moment in their career.

Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression those fighters made on the sport’s biggest stage from Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.

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Mallory Martin

Mallory Martin

Division: Strawweight
Result: Virna Jandiroba def. Mallory Martin via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:16
Record: (6-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: C+

[autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag] came in on short notice to face former Invicta FC champ Virna Jandiroba at Saturday’s card, so it’s easy to write off some of her shortcomings – and while she didn’t look fantastic in her UFC debut, let’s not forget that Jandiroba came into this contest ranked No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie strawweight rankings.

In short, the deck was stacked against Martin, a four-time Invicta FC veteran who also owns a win under the Dana White’s Contender Series banner, as well. To her credit, Martin tried to make the fight exciting, flashing her impressive striking skills during the brief moments she remained upright. But Jandiroba’s perfectly timed takedowns saw her get to the floor early and often, and once she got on the back, the Brazilian’s submission attack was sublime.

Stylistically, there are better matchup available for Martin in the division, so she’ll hope for someone looking to strike in her next time out. A proper training camp will likely help, as well, so while she didn’t necessarily look phenomenal in her debut, don’t close the book on Martin just yet.

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UFC on ESPN 7 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $30.5 million

UFC on ESPN 7 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

WASHINGTON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $177,000.

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 7 took place at Capital One Arena in Washington. The card aired on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 7 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
vs. [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]: $5,000
vs. [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Jacob Kilburn[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Sayles[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Joseph Solecki[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Wiman[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Trevor Smith[/autotag]: $15,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’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 $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2019 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,880,000
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $30,514,000

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Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN 7 with plenty of soundtracks and Kanye West

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event in Washington, D.C.

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.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 7 went with as their backing tracks in Washington, D.C.

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