Tag: UFC on ESPN+ 7

UFC on ESPN 7 results: Ben Rothwell low blows then TKOs Stefan Struve

Ben Rothwell won at UFC DC, but not without some controversy.

Ben Rothwell won at UFC DC on Saturday night, but not without controversy.

After landing multiple fight-pausing groin shots, Rothwell (37-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC) defeated Stefan Struve by TKO by punches in the second round.

The heavyweight fight was part of the UFC on ESPN 7 main card at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. It aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Midway through the opening round, Struve (29-11 MMA, 13-9 UFC) landed a massive head kick, which wobbled Rothwell. Seconds later, Rothwell landed a hard kick of his own – but directly to Struve’s groin.

The low blow sent the seven-foot Netherlands native tumbling to the canvas. For almost the full timeout allotment of five minutes, Struve writhed in pain. Every time Struve showed a sign of progress by rising to his feet and putting his head up, he was met with cheers. Every time he regressed or put his head back down, he was booed.

As his allotted recovery time wound down, Struve agreed to continue and the action resumed.

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In the second round, it was deja vu. Attempting a body kick, Rothwell once again went low. Struve went through a similar recovery process.

While Struve was trying to decide whether or not to continue, referee Dan Miragliotta added some editorial to the situation. Miragliotta told Struve he believed he was up two rounds to nothing and if the fight was stopped, a no contest would be his ruling.

Struve consented for the fight to continue and Miragliotta deducted a point from Rothwell. The point deduction seemingly lit a fire under Rothwell.

When the action resumed, Rothwell charged across the cage winging strikes at Struve. A hard checked leg kick by Rothwell put Struve on his back foot. As Rothwell swarmed, Struve crumpled to the canvas and Miragliotta waived off the bout.

After the fight, Rothwell voiced his displeasure with the way things went down and gave props to Struve’s toughness.

With the victory, Rothwell snapped a three-fight losing streak. His previous victory came against Josh Barnett at UFC on FOX 18 in January 2016.

At the start of training camp for this fight, Rothwell reunited with his old coach Duke Roufus at Roufusport in Milwaukee.

As for Struve, “The Skyscraper” has lost four of his past five fights.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 7 results include:

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UFC on ESPN 7 results: Aspen Ladd bounces back from first loss, stops Yana Kunitskaya

Aspen Ladd bounced back from her first pro loss in impressive fashion at UFC on ESPN 7.

[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] wasn’t going to let the judges decide her fate on Saturday night.

The young UFC bantamweight scored a TKO win over Yana Kunitskaya in the main card of UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C. Ladd (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) stopped Kunitskaya (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at the 0:33 mark of the third round to bounce back from her first professional defeat back in July.

The first two rounds of the fight were very competitive. In the first, Kunitskaya controlled the action in the clinch and against the cage, but was taken down halfway through the round. Ladd then worked to get Kunitskaya’s back and managed to land ground-and-pound, but was then reversed and put on her back with a few seconds remaining.

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The second round went similar to the first. Kunitskaya controlled a good portion of the fight by using her strength and clinch work. Ladd took down Kunitskaya with about a minute and a half left in the round but was unable to do much damage, as the Russian fighter did a good job tying up Ladd.

In the final round, Ladd came out looking to finish the fight. She connected with a big left had just seconds into the round. She then dropped Kunitskaya and ended things with heavy ground-and-pound.

Ladd successfully bounced back from her first professional defeat, to Germaine de Randamie at UFC on ESPN+ 13.. The 24-year-old fighter remains one of the most promising contenders in her division.

The fight was part of the UFC on ESPN 7 main card at Capital One Arena. It aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 7 results include:

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Photo: See the kiss-your-sister scorecard from the Stamann-Yadong draw at UFC on ESPN 7

In sports, the old adage is that a tie is like kissing your sister. That’s what Cody Stamann and Song Yadong got to experience Saturday.

In sports, the old adage is that a tie is like kissing your sister. That’s what [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] and [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] got to experience Saturday.

Stamann (18-2-1 MMA, 4-1-1 UFC) and Yadong (15-4-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC) settled for a majority draw in their bantamweight fight at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., in a fight broadcast on ESPN.

The broadcast crew of Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier and Paul Felder sure seemed to think Stamann had done enough to win the fight – especially considering Yadong had a point taken away in the first round due to an illegal knee. And the fans in Capital One Arena seemed to respond with a bit of surprise when Bruce Buffer read the scores, as well.

Check out the official scorecard above. What did you think of the fight? Who did you have winning? Sound off in our poll below.

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UFC on ESPN 7 results: Cody Stamann vs. Song Yadong ends in majority draw

A point deduction spelled the difference on the scorecards in the fight between Cody Stamann and Song Yadong.

[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] and [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] fought for 15 minutes on Saturday night, but neither walked away the victor.

At UFC DC, Stamann (18-2-1 MMA, 4-1-1 UFC) and Yadong (15-4 MMA, 4-0 UFC), a point deduction against Yadong made the difference as the duo fought to a majority draw (29-28, 28-28, 28-28).

The bantamweight fight was part of the UFC on ESPN 7 main card at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. It aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Controversy struck in the first round in the form of an illegal knee by Yadong. When trying to lock in a standing front choke, Yadong kneed Stamann, who was grounded, in the head. Stamann wasn’t fazed by the knee, but it’s blatancy resulted in a point deduction from referee Kevin Mulhall.

For the remainder of the fight, Stamann utilized his wrestling and strength to control Yadong. During the bout’s progression, the gap in those two departments became more and more evident. Stamann’s most dominant work during the fight came in the third round, when he was able to land hard shots from the top.

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When the scores were tallied, Stamann seemed confident he had done enough. But the judges thought otherwise. The bout was ruled a majority draw — with the 29-28 score going Stamann’s way — leaving both men without a win bonus.

Prior the fight, Stamann had split his previous two UFC appearances. Outside of a 2018 defeat to Aljamain Sterling, Stamann hasn’t suffered a loss since April 2014.

With the draw, Yadong’s unbeaten streak stays alive. Entering UFC on ESPN 7, Yadong had defeated Felipe Arantes, Vince Morales, and Alejandro Perez in his promotional tenure.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 7 results include:

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UFC on ESPN 7 results: Rob Font fights through early knockdown, outpoints Ricky Simon

Rob Font shook off a bad first round and rallied past Ricky Simon as UFC DC’s main card got off to an action-packed start.

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] had to battle through early adversity to get his 17th professional win on Saturday night.

Font (17-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) came back from getting dropped in the first round to outpoint Ricky Simon in a unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C. The judges’ scores were 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27.

The bantamweight fight opened up the main card at Capital One Arena. It aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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Simon (15-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) looked his best in the first round. Although Font was winning and controlling the exchanges on the feet, Simon was able to rock Font and follow up with a takedown about halfway through the round. Simon dominated the rest of the action following the takedown.

Things took a turn in round two. Appearing fully recovered from the shot, Font stuffed Simon’s takedowns and outboxed him on the feet. It was a clinical performance. Simon had his moments, but Font was clearly the dominant force on the feet. The third round was no different, as Font tagged up Simon with the jab while avoiding the takedowns.

The 32-year-old Bostonian is now on a two-fight win streak and 3-1 in his last four bouts, with his lone loss coming to longtime bantamweight contender Raphael Assuncao. Meanwhile, Simon is now on a two-fight skid after a 3-0 start in the UFC.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 7 results include:

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UFC on ESPN 7 results: Tim Means drops, submits Thiago Alves in first round

At Saturday’s UFC DC, Tim Means and Thiago Alves did not disappoint.

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] and [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] have built up reputations as violent, high-action fighters.

At Saturday’s UFC DC, the two 170-pound fighters did not disappoint in a short, but action-packed spectacle. Means (29-11-1 MMA, 11-8 UFC) defeated Alves (23-15 MMA, 15-12 UFC) by guillotine choke at 2:38 of the first round.

Predominantly utilizing their boxing, both men landed heavy shots in the opening exchanges. A couple of minutes into the opening round, Means and Alves threw punches at the same time. It was Means who connected.

Alves fell to the canvas, trying to survive the onslaught. Means pounced on the Brazilian, who covered up. When Alves flipped to his stomach in a potential attempt to grab a leg, Means snatched his neck. From the standing position, Means cranked Alves’ neck in a guillotine choke and got the tap.

The UFC will be bringing an event to Rio Rancho, N.M. on Feb. 15. After the fight, Means called for a fight in his native state.

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With the victory, Means gets back in the win column after his previous fight, a loss to Niko Price in March. Means has now won three out of his last six fights.

As for Alves, the loss is his second in as many fights. The owner of the most welterweight fights in UFC history, Alves has dropped four out of five appearances. The fight against Means was the last on Alves’ contract.

The welterweight fight closed out the UFC on ESPN 7 preliminary card at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. It aired on ESPN following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+ and ahead of the main card on ESPN.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 7 results include:

Submission of the year? Watch Bryce Mitchell pull off second twister finish in UFC history

Bryce Mitchell joins “The Korean Zombie” as the only two men to pull off twister finishes in UFC history.

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[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] may have pulled off the submission of the year at UFC DC.

Facing off against Matt Sayles on the preliminary card Saturday night, Mitchell (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) pulled off a rare twister submission at the 4:20 mark of the first round.

As the fight wore on, Mitchell and Sayles (8-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) became tangled on the ground. With his opponent’s leg locked, Mitchell swung his head under the arm of Sayles.

From there, Mitchell wrapped his arms around Sayles’ neck. One grip adjustment was all it took. Clearly in pain due to the torque on his torso, Sayles was forced to tap.

The submission was only the second of its kind successfully executed in UFC history. The first came at UFC Fight Night 24 in March 2011. “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung pulled off a second-round twister submission in a rematch against fellow WEC alum Leonard Garcia.

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Was Mitchell’s twister the submission of the year? Decide for yourself by watching the video below.

 

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Video: Makhmud Muradov sends Trevor Smith’s mouthpiece flying with brutal knockout

Makhmud Muradov sent Trevor Smith’s mouthpiece into orbit at UFC DC.

[autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag] sent [autotag]Trevor Smith[/autotag]’s mouthpiece into orbit Saturday.

In the UFC on ESPN 7 preliminary card curtain jerker, Muradov (24-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) landed a massive overhand right at 4:09 of the second round, which knocked Smith (15-10 MMA, 5-7 UFC) out upon impact.

The fight-ending blow was the final of a three-punch combination. As Muradov’s hand landed, Smith’s mouthpiece rocketed out of position. Smith’s unconscious body crashed to the canvas, his arm awkwardly twisting behind him.

The win was Muradov’s second, but his first finish since signing with the UFC. Muradov’s UFC entry garnered much attention as he was the first MMA fighter signed to Floyd Mayweather’s The Money Team.

As for Smith, the loss is the fourth in his five most recent outings.

Check out Makhmud Murdaov’s walkoff knockout of Trevor Smith at UFC on ESPN 7 in the video above.

UFC on ESPN 7 took place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main card aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Rob Font and Cody Stamann offer different takes on their non-booking at UFC on ESPN 7

Rob Font and Cody Stamann on the bout that never was once UFC officials opted not to rebook them against each other at UFC on ESPN 7.

WASHINGTON – A pair of bantamweight rivals are set for action on the main card at UFC on ESPN 7, but they won’t be fighting each other.

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] and [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] were originally booked to fight at UFC on ESPN+ 12 in Greenville, S.C., but a shoulder injury forced Stamann out of the fight.

Both men were booked to fight Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., but won’t be fighting each other. Instead, Font (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will kick off the main card against Ricky Simon, while Stamann (18-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) will face off against Song Yadong in the following matchup.

It could make for an interesting dynamic in the locker room as two fighters who might have expected to face off against each other instead get set to compete on the same night in separate bouts. They even are likely to be warming up alongside each other in the same red corner dressing room ahead of their bouts, which run back-to-back at the start of the main card.

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“I knew that he didn’t want that fight from the beginning,” Font said Thursday. “He’s claiming that this kid he’s fighting is the next big thing, which – he is good. Don’t get it twisted. But he doesn’t have that big Conor McGregor effect or this big buzz about him that he’s claiming. It is what it is. You can tell he didn’t want the fight from the beginning.

“We get the Cody fight in Greenville, he pulls out with a shoulder injury, and then they don’t rebook it. I don’t understand. But then they rebook him again on the same card but a whole different fight, which is – whatever.”

Stamann sees things differently and says that he always viewed Font simply as a stepping stone to bigger fights in the bantamweight division. And now he’s been handed a matchup with Yadong, he says Font has become surplus to his requirements.

“Rob Font should just count his blessings and he should just be thankful that he got Ricky Simon instead of me,” he said.

“Even when I got that fight I was like, ‘OK, I’ll fight Rob Font. It’s gonna be a nasty fight, but I’m gonna whup his ass and then I’ll fight someone that actually means something at the end of the year.’ And I’m doing that (now).”

Font said there was never any issue that left him feeling compelled to face Stamann, but suggested that his bantamweight colleague has plenty on his plate with Yadong, who could put an end to “The Spartan’s” upward trajectory on Saturday night.

“Listen, Cody goes out there, he gets put away, nobody’s talking about him no more,” he said. “It is what it is. The kid’s good, but Cody’s boring – he’s a boring fighter. I just wanted to fight him because that was the name that was thrown at me. It wasn’t a vendetta against him or a huge opportunity.”

The Boston-based bantamweight said that he’d be happy to face Stamann further down the line, though he said he isn’t clamoring for the matchup.

“Honestly, I don’t think he can make it to the fight,” he said. “I really don’t think he’ll make it to the fight. Somehow, he’s injured. The next week, he’s fine. I don’t think he’ll make it to the fight. So if the fight happens, it’s cool. I wouldn’t mind putting him away, but I’m not stressing him.”

If Font is lukewarm on eventually facing Stamann, Stamann himself is virtually ice-cold on the idea.

“I don’t really give two (expletives) about Rob Font,” Stamann said. “I mean, honestly, who the (expletive) is Rob Font? Nobody’s saying Rob Font’s the next guy to take the belt. No one’s saying anything about Rob Font. I haven’t heard (expletive) about the guy. So fighting Rob Font is completely irrelevant in my eyes.”

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UFC on ESPN 7 play-by-play and live results (5:45 p.m. ET)

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event, and you can join us for live play-by-play and official results beginning at 5:45 p.m. ET (2:45 p.m. PT).

The event takes place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

In the main event, Alistair Overeem (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) takes on Jairzinho Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in a heavyweight fight. In the co-feature, Cynthia Calvillo (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) meets Marina Rodriguez (12-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC) in a catchweight bout (Calvillo missed the women’s strawweight limit by 4.5 pounds).

Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 5:45 p.m. ET for the UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+ early prelims, 7 p.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN, and 9 p.m. ET for the main card on ESPN.

To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC on ESPN 7 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporter Mike Bohn (@mikebohnmma) on Twitter.

Enjoy the fights, everyone.

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Makhmud Muradov vs. Trevor Smith

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Result:
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Records: Makhmud Muradov (23-6 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Trevor Smith (15-9 MMA, 5-6 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+
Referee:
Judging:

Virna Jandiroba vs. Mallory Martin

Round 1 –

Result:
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Records: Virna Jandiroba (14-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), Mallory Martin (6-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: Jandiroba No. 11
Broadcast: UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+
Referee:
Judging:

Joe Solecki vs. Matt Wiman

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Records: Joe Solecki (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Matt Wiman (16-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee:
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Bryce Mitchell vs. Matt Sayles

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Records: Bryce Mitchell (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Matt Sayles (8-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee:
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Jacob Kilburn vs. Billy Quarantillo

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Result:
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Records: Jacob Kilburn (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Billy Quarantillo (12-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee:
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Thiago Alves vs. Tim Means

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Records: Thiago Alves (23-14 MMA, 15-11 UFC), Tim Means (28-11-1 MMA, 10-8 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee:
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Rob Font vs. Ricky Simon

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Records: Rob Font (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC), Ricky Simon (15-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee:
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Cody Stamann vs. Song Yadong

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Records: Cody Stamann (18-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), Song Yadong (15-4 MMA, 4-0 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: Stamann No. 11
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee:
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Yana Kunitskaya vs. Aspen Ladd

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Records: Yana Kunitskaya (12-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Aspen Ladd (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC)
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Rankings: Ladd No. 4, Kunitskaya No. 11
Broadcast: ESPN
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Ben Rothwell vs. Stefan Struve

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Records: Ben Rothwell (36-12 MMA, 6-6 UFC), Stefan Struve (29-11 MMA, 13-9 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee:
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Cynthia Calvillo vs. Marina Rodriguez

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Records: Cynthia Calvillo (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), Marina Rodriguez (12-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: Calvillo No. 8, Rodriguez No. 12
Broadcast: ESPN
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Alistair Overeem vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik

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Records: Alistair Overeem (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC), Jairzinho Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Rankings: Overeem No. 8, Rozenstruik honorable mention
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee:
Judging: