Tag: UFC on ESPN+ 7

Stefan Struve on ending retirement: ‘If you’re doing so well, why not compete a couple more times?’

Stefan Struve retired in February. At UFC DC on Saturday, he’ll take on Ben Rothwell.

WASHINGTON – The last time [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] was seen inside the UFC cage was in February. After he submitted Marcos Rogerio de Lima in the second round, he took off his gloves and placed them in the center of the canvas.

That was going to be his last fight, the Dutch heavyweight announced on the microphone.

But that won’t be “it” for the Dutch fighter. At Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7, Struve (29-11 MMA, 13-9 UFC) will make the walk to the UFC cage once again – the first fight on his new deal.

But the question remains: Why did Struve retire in the first place? At a pre-fight media day held Thursday, Struve described a number of factors that led to his decision.

“At first when I made that decision, I felt really good,” Struve told MMA Junkie. “I felt no urge to get back in there. It was real nice. Then, I got the appetite back. Ultimately, what led to the decision was the years before the last fight were pretty frustrating for me. Three losses, shoulder surgery, hand surgeries, problems with my back. I fought fights where I was fighting more against myself than I was able to showcase my skills.”

While the long-term battles wore him down, it was the short term struggle with opponent de Lima that caused him to make an impulsive decision. Struve was dropped in the opening seconds, but somehow survived. Frustrated with his performance, Struve didn’t take the proper time to assess his future.

“It took a lot out of me, especially after all the stuff that had happened before that,” Struve said. “I was just done at that point. It was just me being honest. I felt like if I would go in there a couple months later with that focus, it wouldn’t be a good result. It would be putting myself in unnecessary danger.”

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But now Struve is feeling good. His time away from competition has left him feeling rejuvenated and enthusiastic. While he hasn’t been fighting for a paycheck, Struve said he has still been training on a day-to-day basis. A longer, thoroughly-considered thought process led him to his return.

“I just needed some time off, you know – to really dig deep into my own mind to see what’s going on, just being away from everything a little bit,” he said. “I wasn’t even under contract with the UFC. I had nothing going. There was no pressure for a fight or whatever.

“… After four or five months, I was like, ‘I’m doing so well still against these top level guys. I’m feeling so good and I’m having fun with it.’ There’s nothing really at this moment that I would like to put my energy (into) and go for. If you’re doing so well, why not compete a couple more times? You’ve fought up to a level and a point where the paychecks are real good. If you feel good, then why not? Let’s do it.”

Struve will take on another longtime UFC veteran in Ben Rothwell (36-12 MMA, 6-6 UFC) on the UFC on ESPN 7 main card.

UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Saturday 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+.

Check out Stuve’s full UFC DC pre-fight interview in the video above.

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Alistair Overeem saddened by Aniah Blancard tragedy, would give Walt Harris a hug if he saw him

Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris should have been squaring off in the UFC DC headliner Saturday night, but tragedy struck.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] and [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag] should have been squaring off in the UFC on ESPN 7 headliner Saturday night.

But tragedy struck when Harris’ 19-year-old stepdaughter, Aniah Blanchard, went missing. As the search for Blanchard grew longer and longer in duration, Harris made the decision to pull out of the fight.

After weeks of searching, Blanchard’s remains were found Nov. 25. Law enforcement officials allege she was kidnapped at a gas station in Alabama by Iraheem Yazeed, who then shot and killed the college student. Two other arrests were also made in connection with the alleged murder.

Saturday, Overeem (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) will still compete in the UFC on ESPN 7 main event against replacement opponent Jairzinho Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC).

At Thursday’s media day, Overeem spoke about the tragedy and wished Harris and the rest of Blanchard’s family well. With three daughters of his own, the tragedy hit home for Overeem.

“It’s awful what happened to Walt,” Overeem said. “I was following it every day – the little bits and pieces coming out. Usually, I’d go on Twitter to follow it. It’s really bad. It’s a really bad situation. I have three daughters, myself. So yeah – no words.”

What would Overeem say to Harris if he were at UFC DC?

“I would give him a hug. What can you say to anyone? I can’t really say anything to that. It’s awful, the situation.”

Despite being touched by the tragedy, Overeem said he was able to stay focused. Like any other matchup replacement, Overeem needed to reassess the new task at hand.

“It changed my focus in the sense that my opponent changed,” Overeem said. “Of course you follow the news. But let’s not forget: It’s not my child; it’s not my relative. It’s a little bit further away from me. But still, you’re like, ‘Hey this (expletive) really happens.’ I went into the statistics and this stuff happens kind of often, too. It’s sad. It’s a really bad thing. I don’t know how to fix that.”

UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Saturday 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+.

Check out MMA Junkie’s full UFC DC pre-fight media day interview with Overeem in the video above.

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MMA Junkie Radio #3007: Alistair Overeem’s title hopes, Jose Aldo’s weight cut, Ortega and Henderson injuries, more

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” break down the latest news, including Alistair Overeem at UFC on ESPN 7, Jose Aldo’s weight cut and more.

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On episode No. 3,007 of the podcast, the guys break down the latest MMA news and notes, including Alistair Overeem’s hope for a IUFC title before he retires, Jose Aldo’s weight cut to 135 pounds, Brian Ortega and Benson Henderson’s big fight withdrawals and much more.

The rundown

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Marina Rodriguez has mixed feelings on UFC on ESPN 7 matchup with Cynthia Calvillo

Marina Rodriguez sees both the positives and negatives of her matchup with Cynthia Calvillo at UFC DC.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] sees both the positives and negatives of her matchup with Cynthia Calvillo on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 7.

Rodriguez, who is undefeated in her MMA career, was hoping to fight up in the official UFC strawweight rankings after avoiding a loss through three octagon appearances. That wasn’t the case, though, as the Brazilian (No. 9) got matched up with No. 10 Calvillo.

That came as somewhat of a disappointment to Rodriguez, but she’s able to view the upside.

“She’s a very good opponent,” Rodriguez told reporters, including MMA Junkie, through an interpreter at UFC on ESPN 7 open workouts. “I don’t expect to rise in the rankings because she’s ranked behind me, but I think it’s a good name and a good opportunity for me to show my work and get some extra points there. Even though it’s not up in the rankings, it’s going to push me forward in my career.”

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Rodriguez (13-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC) meets Calvillo (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in the co-headliner of UFC on ESPN 7, which takes place at Capital One Arena. The card airs on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

Rodriguez said she’s ready for Calvillo wherever the fight goes. She’d prefer to stand up, if she’s being honest, but given the gameplan her opponents typically bring, there are expectations for grappling situations.

“All fights so far they try to make me down,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve yet to find someone who wants to stand and trade with me. Cynthia at some point is probably going to try to do that, but my jiu-jitsu is better than ever. I’m always improving. We might see a submission there if she tries.”

Should Rodriguez get her hand raised at UFC on ESPN 7, she would be unbeaten in 15 career fights. She said she will be ready for the highest echelon of the strawweight class whenever the UFC deems her worthy, but in the meantime she intends to keep her mind solely on each fight and improving her skills.

“The focus is always on the next fight. I’ve been training a lot. There’s no time for anything else aside from training and working and improving,” Rodriguez said. “I know what I show in one fight, they’re going to be ready for me in the next one. So I’m always working and looking to show different things and a better version of myself next time around.”

 

Alistair Overeem lays out retirement timeline, but career ‘would not be complete without UFC gold’

Alistair Overeem knows retirement is looming, and he wants to get out before it’s too late – but he’s also missing something.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] knows retirement is looming, and he wants to get out of the fight game before it’s too late. But first, he still has a final goal to accomplish.

Overeem (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) has been active in combat sports for more than two decades. Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 headliner against Jair Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will mark his 91st professional bout, be it MMA, kickboxing or muay Thai. That’s a lot of time trading blows, and at 39, “The Reem” is not oblivious to his reality.

“You have to be realistic,” Overeem told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at UFC on ESPN 7 open workouts. “For me, two years (left fighting). Maybe a little bit more, maybe less. Probably a little bit more. But then it’s going to be enough. But I do believe you have to stop on time. It is a dangerous profession. We’ve been fighting for 23 years. Twenty-three years ago was the first fight, so with that also we need to be clever.”

Despite his years and many accomplishments in the fight game, Overeem said he’s continuing to compete because of one reason: the UFC title.

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Overeem, who has claimed belts in Strikeforce, DREAM, K-1 and more during his storied career, fell short of the UFC heavyweight title when he lost to Stipe Miocic at UFC 203 in September 2016. He’s been trying to get back to that spot ever since, and is in good position going into UFC on ESPN 7.

If he’s able to get past undefeated Rozenstruik and push his winning streak to three, Overeem said he believes he could find himself in a title eliminator.

“My career would not be complete without UFC gold,” Overeem said. “I just need to win my fights. If you win Saturday, I’ll probably have to do one more win then we can make noise for a title shot.”

The man standing in the way of Overeem and his next step, though, is Rozenstruik. Like Overeem, Rozenstruik comes from a striking background. He’s finished all three of his UFC wins by knockout, with the past two coming in a combined 38 seconds.

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Although Rozenstruik might not yet have the notoriety of other top heavyweights, Overeem still knows he’s entering the octagon with a dangerous foe, but he intends to give him his first loss.

“The goal is the same,” Overeem said. “We’re going to fight, we’re going to win, we’re going to fatigue (him), we’re going to take him to deep waters, we’re going to take him out and finish him.

“This is just the one they presented. I’ve been training for a long time. I was actually hoping to fight sooner, like in September. It didn’t materialize, so I was just very happy that somebody stepped up. Of course it’s a huge opportunity for Jairzinho, but it’s going to be a good fight.”

 

UFC DC headliner Jairzinho Rozenstruik isn’t intimidated by Francis Ngannou

UFC DC headliner Jairzinho Rozenstruik wants a piece of former UFC heavyweight title contender Francis Ngannou.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] is making it clear – he wants a piece of former UFC heavyweight title contender [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag].

Ahead of his UFC on ESPN 7 headliner against Alistair Overeem on Saturday night, Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has already mapped out his path towards UFC title gold.

A victory against Ngannou will get him one step closer to that goal, Rozenstruik said. Additionally, Rozenstruik indicated the matchup is appealing because it allows him the opportunity to finally prove who the most intimidating fighter in the UFC is.

“It would be a nice fight,” Rozenstruik told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s open workouts. “He’s the scary guy of the division – the boogeyman… (I’m) the other boogeyman of the division. You want to create a bomb in the Octagon? Put me in against him and lock the doors. The UFC fans will enjoy it.”

Presumably, most human beings on earth would file Ngannou under “intimidating” and “scary.” Rozenstruik is not one of them. The Surinamese fighter said he looks at Ngannou through the same lens as he would any other opponent.

“Nah, I don’t, because it’s a fight,” Rozenstruik said. “We’re going to go back-and-forth. It’s going to take five rounds of five minutes or three rounds of five minutes. I cannot be any wrong.”

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Does Rozenstruik think Ngannou will take the fight? Rozenstruik indicated Ngannou should stop asking for Alexander Volkov and fight him instead – “if he’s smart,” that is.

“If he’s smart he’ll take the fight,” Rozenstruik said. “If not, it’s his fault. I think I can make him better because I’m a better fighter in the end. So if it was me, I’d take the fight.

Before that matchup occurs, however, Rozenstruik will have to face a stiff test in Overeem (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC). While he credits Overeem’s abilities and legacy in the cage, “Bigi Boy” believes he has the tools to put “The Reem” down.

“Everybody can say you hit hard,” Rozenstruik said. “I hit hard. But if you can’t hit accurate, you’re going to miss. So the thing is to find the chin and put him down. As soon as that happens, you’re going to see the result.”

UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Saturday 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+.

Check out Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s full UFC on ESPN 7 open workout scrum in the video above.

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Cynthia Calvillo: UFC on ESPN 7 will take me one step closer to being ‘baddest woman on the planet’

Cynthia Calvillo plans on taking one step closer towards her ultimate goal with a win at UFC DC.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] is soaking it all in.

While many other fighters are miserable the week leading up to a Saturday night bout, UFC women’s strawweight contender Calvillo (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is having fun.

“We like to say that sometimes when we look at fighters during fight week, it’s like they’re going to their funeral,” Calvillo told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s open workouts. “Not for me. I don’t feel that way at all. I’m having so much fun. These camps, they’re so grueling sometimes.

“We put in so much time and energy, especially like myself. I love what I do for my job for a living. I train so hard that when I get to fight week it’s almost like my birthday week – besides having to eat cake everyday. I’m not going to get my cake until Saturday night, which is fine.”

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In the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 7, Calvillo takes on undefeated Brazilian Marina Rodriguez (12-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC) – a tough test, she acknowledges. With a victory over a game opponent, Calvillo says she will take one step closer to her ultimate goal.

“There are a lot of things I do in training I feel are yet to come out,” Calvillo said. “I feel like the more I fight, the more those things are going to come out. Eventually, people aren’t going to say, ‘Hey, that’s Cynthia Calvillo – the jiu-jitsu fighter.’ It’s going to be, ‘Cynthia Calvillo – the baddest woman on the planet.’

UFC on ESPN 7 takes place at Capital One Arena. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Check out Calvillo’s full UFC on ESPN 7 open workout scrum in the video above.

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Ricky Simon’s secret for getting over a loss? Go on a honeymoon

UFC bantamweight Ricky Simon admits the sting of a July loss to Urijah Faber didn’t sit well with him.

WASHINGTON – UFC bantamweight [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] admits the sting of a July loss to Urijah Faber didn’t sit well with him.

“I hate losing,” Simon said flatly.

The result snapped an eight-fight winning streak for Simon, including a perfect 3-0 mark in the UFC. But the 27-year-old contender didn’t have time to wallow in self-pity. He had the small matter of a trip to Mexico to deal with.

“It was crazy getting to fight a Hall of Famer in his hometown,” Simon told MMA Junkie. “That crowd was nuts, and I got a little too excited out there and paid the price, so chalk it up to a learning experience. Right back in it.

“Obviously, I sulked for a day, but I went right on my honeymoon right after that. I had to cancel it for that fight, so I couldn’t spend too much time being sad when we were in Mexico, and I was enjoying time with my wife. … Extra couple checks would have been nice, but besides that, we had a great time.”

Still, Simon didn’t just forget about the result, either. He took the lessons learned with him to the gym, and he made it known that he wanted a chance to get back in the cage as quickly as possible.

“I didn’t want to sit on a loss for too long,” Simon said. “I was telling my manager (to get me a fight). I stayed in shape. I obviously enjoyed myself for a couple weeks after that, but I was ready to go. I made sure I was ready to go.”

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Simon (15-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) gets his chance to get back to winning ways this weekend, when he meets Rob Font (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7, which takes airs live on ESPN from Capital One Arena.

While the global depth of the bantamweight division means both mean sit just outside the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings, Font does reside at No. 10 in the UFC’s own rankings, so Simon welcomes the opportunity to compete against another respected opponent.

“I’ve been competing my entire life, but this isn’t my first loss, so I know how to bounce back,” Simon said. “I have short-term memory when it comes to that kind of thing. I know what I need to do to get this fight done.

“Obviously I’m pumped. I’m fighting the No. 10 guy in the world, so I’m extra-motivated and ready to go.”

Simon won’t have the option of shipping off on another honeymoon should things go south this time around. But he doesn’t believe he’s going to need it.

“I’m going to do what I do best, which is put the pace on him,” Simon said. That’s going to be the difference.”

To hear more from Simon, check out the video above.

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Rob Font details what made layoff, UFC on ESPN 7 matchmaking so horrible

Rob Font can sum up the past year of his career in advance of UFC on ESPN 7 with one word: “horrible.”

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] can sum up the past year of his career in advance of UFC on ESPN 7 with one word: “horrible.”

That’s the word that Font (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) immediately thought of when discussing the longest break of his career between fights. By the time he meets Ricky Simon (15-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) on Saturday, it will have been 357 days since he stepped in the octagon.

What makes the situation frustrating, Font said, is that he’s been healthy all along the way. He had a fight fall through in the middle of fight week in June, then he couldn’t get an opponent to agree to share the cage with him. For someone trying to work up the rankings, it’s not the ideal situation.

Font said a number of potential matchups have been in the works in recent months, but Simon was the only one willing to put pen to paper.

“He was the only one that made getting the fight easy,” Font told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “Everyone else, it just wasn’t happening. They offered us Jimmie Rivera; he said no. I don’t know how the Cody Stamann fight didn’t happen. We were supposed to fight in Greenville; it didn’t happen. Obviously he recovers and gets a whole different fight on the same card. How does that happen? I believe he’s No. 9 (in the UFC’s rankings). He’s fighting the No. 13 guy. But he didn’t want to fight from the beginning.

“The whole time, getting the negotiations, we got the contract, and two weeks later there was no word. I slid in his (Instagram) DMs, and he didn’t respond. I hit him up on Twitter, and he finally responded. Even when I spoke to his manager, and I could tell it was Ricky Simon that wanted to fight. He was like, ‘Simon will fight.’ Cody, you could tell, he didn’t really want to fight. I don’t understand how that fight didn’t happen. But whatever. I’m not going to force the kid to fight. So it’s Ricky.”

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Font’s ultimate goal is to be UFC bantamweight champion, but before that happens, he must prove himself. The higher caliber opponent he faces, the more emphatic that point would be. However, he can’t get the matchups he wants.

There have been opportunities for Font to really make a name for himself in the past, but he’s come up short in his most important moments. He’s fully aware of those mistakes, and he wants another chance to show where he stands. But it’s difficult to make forward progress, he admitted.

“I’ve had the opportunities to fight the big guys, the top names,” Font said. “(Raphael) Assuncao, (John) Lineker, Pedro Munhoz, and I’ve messed them up. I want to get right back to that, but you can’t just get right back. You need a couple of these Cody Stamann’s, the ‘Chito’ Vera’s. You need guys like that to get back to these fights, and they’re not wanting to fight. It is what it is.”

Font said it’s up to him to perform to a standard that will generate bigger fights. He said he foresees finishing Simon in their upcoming fight, which takes place at Capital One Arena and airs on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

As long as the UFC gives him an appropriate step up, Font said he won’t be selective about his next opponent.

“If they offer me a fight, I’m taking it in two seconds,” Font said. “My manager is like, ‘Maybe we should do this.’ I don’t care about that. Just sign the contract. I don’t understand how in 2019 there’s not a lot more fighters like that, especially on the UFC level.”

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Matt Wiman on where he’s been, why he’s back and what’s at stake at UFC on ESPN 7

Matt Wiman reveals why he took nearly five years away from the UFC and where his goals stand going into UFC on ESPN 7.

[autotag]Matt Wiman[/autotag] hopes the second chapter of his return to MMA competition is kinder to him than the first.

After being removed from the sport for nearly five years, Wiman (16-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) made his return in June. He suffered a bloody third-round TKO loss to Luis Pena, taking a lopsided beating in the process.

Despite the decisive nature of the contest, Wiman felt compelled to keep going. He got a matchup with Joseph Solecki (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 7, and he hopes for a different result.

“I don’t think you can claim a comeback until I win on Saturday; then you can claim a comeback,” Wiman told MMA Junkie. “I came back, I got beat up, and I’m actually grateful Pena reintroduced me to high-level fighting and challenged me to be resilient. I’m grateful to be here.

“It was painful. I was given a list of people coming off losses for this comeback. I said, ‘This is going to be challenging either way, I want someone with momentum.’ I took a big bite, and this is me still chewing.”

Wiman, 36, has remained relatively coy about why he took so much time away from the game. He fought 15 times in the UFC from 2006-2014, then he disappeared. With no social media presence and a shyness from the public, the reasons for Wiman stepping back from competition were largely unclear.

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He indicated injuries were the culprit. He couldn’t train and was ready to give up on the sport for good, but then he got the courage to get back in the gym. It was then that Wiman realized he would be healthy enough to step in the octagon.

“As time went by, each day was kind of the door shutting a little bit more,” Wiman said. “I didn’t want to shut the door completely. I wanted to leave the door open, cracked, but it seems more farfetched as time went on. I didn’t really need anymore surgeries, and it was ‘piss or get off the pot’ time. Instead of questioning it, I showed up to the gym and gave it a proper try. I found out I can compete on the highest level.

“I had the opportunity I hadn’t had before with surgeries and outside obligations. Each day was a challenge. I thought each day might be my last like, ‘I’m not coming back to the gym.’ I managed to put a camp together, and yeah, I got beat up (last time), but I put my neck out there and I did it.”

After going through a second consecutive fight camp, Wiman admits he feels “less rusty” going into his matchup with Solecki, which takes place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., and airs on ESPN.

Wiman said he can’t guarantee a winning result this time around, but he said he’s done everything he can to be in the best mental and physical space possible going into UFC on ESPN 7.

“The win is nice because it leaves a good taste in your mouth and it’s what we respect,” Wiman said. “No one respects the mentality of not going for the win. To survive, to compete, just to get by? That’s not what I respect. To go out there and beat the other person. That’s what I think I’m going to do and try to do. If we’re talking about coming back, it’s not just to win. It’s just to do a job.

“(I’m going to fight) as long as I can. I’d like to not take it to an unhealthy place. If I can compete at the highest level, I’m going to. If I can’t, we can talk about a next chapter.”

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