Tag: UFC on ESPN 8

Quarantine classics: The 5 best UFC fights during the pandemic

Under less-than-ideal circumstances, UFC fighters have given us some memorable battles.

The UFC has been forced to make major adjustments during the coronavirus pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped fighters from delivering inside the octagon.

Since UFC on ESPN+ 28 on March 14, the promotion has carried eight other events behind closed doors, with five of them taking place in the 25-foot octagon at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

There’s something about that smaller cage that has resulted in increased action, faster finishes and absolute wars, as the fans watching at home have been treated to some of the best fights in recent memory.

Here are the five best we’ve seen during the pandemic.

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UFC 249: Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje

There was no doubt this fight would deliver, but few imagined it would be as one-sided as it was.

[autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] faced [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] on May 9 at UFC 249 for the interim lightweight title and No. 1 contender spot to face champion Khabib Nurmagomedov later this year.

Ferguson was on a 12-fight winning streak going into the fight and was initially scheduled to face Nurmagomedov before the fight fell through yet again.

After suffering back-to-back stoppage losses to Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier, Gaethje turned things around by stopping his next three opponents all in the first round.

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Gaethje’s less gung-ho approach ended up paying dividends once again as he was able to dominate Ferguson for the most part with his superior boxing before eventually stopping him in the fifth round. Ferguson’s durability and cardio made this an entertaining battle, as he continued to press forward despite taking a plethora of Gaethje’s best shots.

Ferguson was even able to badly rock Gaethje with a beautifully timed uppercut at the end of Round 2, but “The Highlight” made the right kind of adjustments to take over the remainder of the fight. As well as the interim title, Gaethje earned two bonus checks for his efforts on the night, picking up his eighth and ninth bonuses in just seven UFC fights.

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Despite defeat, Irwin Rivera glad fans saw his heart in hectic UFC debut

Irwin Rivera looks back at the wild circumstances surrounding his short-notice octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 8.

[autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]’s UFC debut came under wild circumstances, to say the least.

The Mexican fighter made his promotional last month at UFC on ESPN 8 debut, coming up short in a unanimous decision against Giga Chikadze. Rivera (9-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) was against all odds, as he had less than two days’ notice for his debut, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., and took place at featherweight – a weight class above the division he normally competes in.

It meant Rivera faced an uphill battle for his UFC debut. Yet, despite all the craziness around him, Rivera didn’t think twice about taking on the former Glory kickboxer.

“I didn’t care how it got done, but I knew that this opportunity was going to come,” Rivera told MMA Junkie. “I put two and two together, I’m a very smart guy. I realized we’re in a pandemic, people are going to start to pull out, people are not going to want to fight, and people are not going to be able to fight because people are going to be sick. So I knew that the opportunity was going to come. I do wish I could’ve been more prepared, but I know it was going to come.

“So the minute my manager Ali hit me up, he was like, ‘Irwin, what’s your status on your medicals?’ And I’m like, ‘I have to get everything done,’ and he’s like, ‘OK, if you can get everything done, we can make this happen. I have an opportunity for you to fight in the UFC,’ and I’m like, ‘What? Are you serious?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah!’

“So I’m like, ‘I’ll get that (expletive) done right now!’ so literally (over) 15 hours and in three hours, I got all the medicals done. I’m very thankful for all the connections I have like the doctors and nursing staff, they all know me and they were willing to stay after for me to make sure I get everything done.”

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Rivera said he didn’t feel nervous going into his first UFC fight. He felt his training with coach Henri Hooft and world-class fighters such as Eddie Alvarez,  Gilbert Burns, and many others helped him stay composed at UFC on ESPN 8.

Although Rivera lost, he constantly pressed forward and looked to finish the fight and attack until the final bell. The former Titan FC champ admitted he didn’t think he was able to show his full potential given the circumstances, but he’s glad people got to see his fighting spirit.

“The one great thing that everyone got to see is my heart, bro,” Rivera said. “I have a huge heart. What I lack in physical size – I don’t even look at myself as a short guy. When I see myself in these pictures and I’m standing next to these giants I’m like, ‘(Expletive), I’m (expletive) short!’

“But one thing I got to show, which is very important to me, is my heart, man. I will always fight with all my heart every single time I’m in that cage. This is what I love to do. I have nothing else. This is my life, this is my world, this is my passion.

“So I will always fight with tons of heart in all my fights. I tell people, ‘Tune in, because I’m going to do some amazing thing in the UFC.’ Naturally, I’m an exciting fighter and it’s very hard to prepare for a guy like me because I’m so unpredictable. I don’t even know what I’m going to do! One minute I can be fighting normal and technical and the next  minute I’ll throw a tornado kick or some crazy (expletive).”

Rivera said he plans to return to bantamweight for his future fights, and while he admitted he has no opponent in mind, he said he’s targeting a return in July or August so he can step back into the cage fully prepared for his next test.

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MMA Junkie’s ‘Fight of the Month’ for May: A rematch delivers in spades

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from May 2020.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from May 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Month” award for May.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

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The Nominees

Vicente Luque def. Niko Price at UFC 249

[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (18-7-1 MMA, 11-3 UFC) picked up a second career win over [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) in their rematch, but it required far more effort to put his welterweight counterpart away than the first time around.

Luque submitted Price in 2017, but this time was lulled into a bloody slugfest that carried over into the third round. Price’s face was a mangled mess, and Luque continued to apply pressure until he shut the left eye of his opponent and the referee decided to step in.

Anthony Pettis def. Donald Cerrone at UFC 249

It’s unfortunate both [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] (36-15 MMA, 23-12 UFC) and [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 10-9 UFC) came into their rematch badly in need of a victory because the two veteran warriors put on a show in which neither could fairly be called a loser.

After going toe-to-toe for three rounds, the scorecards declared Pettis the winner in their welterweight matchup after a hard-fought battle, earning 29-28 scores across the board.

Nate Landwehr def. Darren Elkins at UFC on ESPN 8

[autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]’s (14-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) handy work on [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] (24-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC) in their featherweight matchup reminded fans at home how bloody fighting can get.

Landwehr took on seasoned veteran Elkins in his sophomore octagon appearance and was all-action. The bout turned out to be a bloody back-and-forth battle that ended in a decision for Landwehr.

Song Yadong def. Marlon Vera at UFC on ESPN 8

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (16-4-1 MMA, 5-0-1 UFC) further elevated his status as one of the top prospects in the sport when he snapped [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]’s (17-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) win streak in a somewhat controversial manner.

The 22-year-old Yadong remained unbeaten through his octagon tenure by beating his most difficult to challenge to date with a unanimous decision victory over Vera after a gritty affair. Yadong got 29-28 scorecards across the board, landing many powerful strikes over the 15 minutes and overcoming a late push from Vera.

Billy Quarantillo def. Spike Carlyle at UFC on ESPN 9

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and [autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) may not be the most recognizable names, but they certainly garnered some new fans in a thrilling back-and-forth affair.

Quarantillo and Carlyle went shot-for-shot over three rounds in a 150-pound catchweight affair. It was a very close fight, but in the end the judges favored Quarantillo’s offense as the more effective and granted him the decision.

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The Winner: Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price

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It was a much more competitive fight than their first meeting, but the winner was still the same as Vicente Luque topped Niko Price in their rematch at UFC 249.

After scoring a second-round submission win in October 2017, Luque picked up a third-round TKO due to a doctor’s stoppage at 3:37 after an offensive assault that shut the eye of Price. “The Silent Assassin” has now won eight of his past nine fights.

Control of the fight was taken by Luque in the opening two minutes as he landed a number of chopping leg kicks on Price that caused damage and irritation. Price wouldn’t let it stop him completely, though, and marched forward with strikes of his own before getting a takedown. Price threatened with a submission, but Luque was able to get up and, despite taking a front kick to the face, landed some good strikes to close the round.

The pair went right back to work to begin the second frame. Luque took advantage of Price’s aggression, landing solid counter-punches and continuing to batter the legs of his opponent with kicks. Price found a groove and answered, though, connecting hard on Luque and putting him in some danger. Price got too wild, however, and was dropped with a tight right hand. He recovered and got back up, while Luque stayed disciplined and picked Price apart with punches and kicks to close a strong round.

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For the first time in his UFC career, Price saw a third round. He responded well, offering a high output to start the frame. Luque showed patience as Price trie to walk him down, mixing up his offense to the face and body of his opponent. Price’s grit was evident, though, because he kept on trying and throwing, even going for a takedown attempt. Unfortunately for him, Price couldn’t find the one big moment he needed to turn the tide, and it was Luque who got it. Luque dropped a bloodied Price with just over two minutes late, but somehow didn’t get the finish.

Price’s eye was badly swollen, though, and referee Jason Herzog decided to intervene and bring in the doctor. After a brief exchange, Price was deemed unfit to continue and Luque was awarded the win.

“I prepared for the best Niko Price possible,” Luque said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “I beat him last time and I knew he would come prepared and ready. … First event back with everything that’s going on and I just wanted to put on a show.”

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Angela Hill: Claudia Gadelha doesn’t want rematch because ‘fight is too hard for her’

Angela Hill wants Claudia Gadelha rematch, but won’t hold her breath waiting.

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] won’t hold her breath waiting for a rematch with Claudia Gadelha.

The former Invicta FC strawweight champion is interested in running back her fight with Gadelha after their competitive and controversial bout in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 8 earlier this month. But despite wanting the rematch, Hill (12-8 MMA, 6-8 UFC) is not too confident it will happen.

The bout in Jacksonville, Fla. ended in a split decision win for the Brazilian, but many thought Hill had done enough to obtain the victory. In retrospect, Hill stands by her comments saying she won the bout.

“Looking back, I still think it was a decisive win in the third round,” Hill told MMA Junkie. “I think everyone is on the same page – first round to her and second and third round to me.

“But there’s also more you can do, so I’m trying to move past that point where I just feel helpless and angry at everything. I’m trying to move towards making that not happen again in the future because this is not the first time where I’ve gotten a loss where I think I did enough to win, but this is the highest-profile fight that it happened. It was such a big deal for me to get that win, and I felt that I secured it.”

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In a recent interview with Sirius XM, Gadelha, a former UFC title challenger and longtime strawweight contender, said she has no interest in fighting Hill again.

“I am a pioneer in the sport. I’ve been fighting for so long,” Gadelha said. “It’s not easy to get into the top 10. It’s not easy to get into the top five, and I gave Angela a good opportunity to go out there and beat me, you know? She tried everything she could; it was a pretty close fight. I definitely think I won the first and third round, the second round I lost because of the knockdown.

“And everybody is talking about, ‘Oh, you know, Claudia got beat up by Angela.’ If you take out the knockdown, I was getting the power punches. I took her down. I walked her to the cage. We had some good striking exchanges. But I also wanted to challenge myself and have a good stand-up fight with a good striker because I feel like that’s where I’m evolving the most.

“At the end of the day, I am the winner. And I beat her at her own (expletive) game, which is striking. I’m a grappler, I grew up grappling. I’m just evolving as a striker now, and I beat her in her own game. So she’s talking a lot of (expletive) and being disrespectful to my nationality and my accent and things like that, so (expletive) no, there’s no rematch.”

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For her part, Hill thinks Gadelha’s lack of interest has to do with the nature of the fight more than anything else.

“I’m definitely interested in a rematch with Gadelha. That’s the first thing I told my manager, is to set that up,” Hill said. “But she doesn’t want to rematch me. It was too hard. Her whole game plan was to drag me down and hold me down. And when she can’t do that, the fight is too hard for her. So she’s not going to take that rematch. I dare her. I dare her. I would love that.

“I would come into that fight with all my adjustments made. I’d hit harder, I’d throw more, I’d bust her face up more, so I definitely think she would say no to that. But I would love a rematch with her.”

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MMA Junkie’s ‘Submission of the Month’ for May: An ankle lock out of nowhere

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from May 2020.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from May 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for May.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

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The Nominees

Thiago Moises def. Michael Johnson at UFC on ESPN+ 29

[autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) showed why one should never be counted out of a fight when he turned the tables on Michael Johnson (19-16 MMA, 11-12 UFC) for the biggest win of his career.

After getting picked apart for the first round, Moises came out in the second and bum-rushed Johnson. He managed to tie Johnson up and falling back into an ankle lock. The tap came quickly after, and Moises was awarded the victor in a stunning comeback.

Cortney Casey def. Mara Romero Borella at UFC on ESPN 8

[autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] (9-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC) picked up arguably the best win of her UFC career on Saturday when she finished Mara Romero Borella (12-8 MMA, 2-4 UFC) in resounding fashion at UFC on ESPN 8.

Casey not only finished Borella in the first round, but she did it with an armbar that caused the Brazilian to scream out loud while tapping out. The victory marked a successful move up to the women’s flyweight division for Casey after spending her previous 10 octagon appearances at strawweight.

Casey Kenney def. Louis Smolka at UFC on ESPN 9

Bantamweight prospect [autotag]Casey Kenney[/autotag] (15-3-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) submitted veteran Louis Smolka (16-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) in perhaps the best performance of his career.

Kenney wobbled Smolka early in the first round and then sunk in a one-arm guillotine choke to finish the bout. With the win, Kenney rebounded from his first octagon defeat.

Brandon Royval def. Tim Elliott at UFC on ESPN 9

Former LFA champion [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) took the first step toward getting to title contention at the highest level when he put away Tim Elliott (15-11-1 MMA, 4-9 UFC) in a “Fight of the Night” affair.

Royval submitted longtime UFC fighter and former title challenger Elliott with an arm-triangle choke. Royval was a slight underdog in the fight and got the stoppage at the 3:18 mark of the middle round.

Mackenzie Dern def. Hannah Cifers via kneebar at UFC on ESPN 9

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) had to work through a relentless Hannah Cifers (10-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in the early going, but ultimately did what she does best.

Dern made relatively quick work of Cifers – but only after she was able to get the fight to the canvas, where she forced Cifers to tap with a kneebar. The finish for Dern, the biggest favorite on the card, was the first leg-related submission in a women’s UFC fight.

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The Winner: Thiago Moises

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Moises picked up the biggest win of his career when he defeated Johnson in a stunning turnaround.

In the beginning of the fight it seemed the version of Johnson who owns victories over the likes of Tony Ferguson and Dustin Poirier had arrived. He stopped Moises’ takedowns and got his striking off in the first round of the lightweight bout, which took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.

Then the second round came, and Moises was a different fighter. He rushed Johnson immediately and pulled guard when he was met with resistance. From there, he fell back and locked in a tight heel hook that forced Johnson to tap out at the 0:25 mark of Round 2.

The defeat put Johnson on a three-fight skid and dropped him to 3-8 in his past 11 UFC appearances. He appeared to suffer damage to his knee during the finish, too.

Moises, for his part, completed his UFC contract with a big finish. He made it clear he wants to stick around with a new contract, and called out former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis.

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MMA Junkie’s ‘Knockout of the Month’ for May: A brutal elbow seals the deal

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from May 2020.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from May 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Knockout of the Month” award for May.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

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The Nominees

Calvin Kattar def. Jeremy Stephens at UFC 249

[autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) proved once again why he’s one of the top rising contenders to watch at featherweight when he made a mess of Jeremy Stephens (28-18 MMA, 15-17 UFC) with some brutal fight-ending strikes.

Kattar bided his time and connected with a punishing elbow that dropped Stephens to the canvas. He proceeded to jump on Stephens, connecting with follow up shots that split “Lil’ Heathen” open and set up the second-round stoppage.

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Francis Ngannou def. Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 249

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s (15-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) power may be unmatched in MMA. The heavyweight contender reminded every one of his power when he stopped Jairzinho Rozenstruik (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) quickly into their heavyweight bout.

Ngannou just needed just 20 seconds to put away Rozenstruik with a vicious knockout. Rozenstruik landed a few leg kicks that connected well on Ngannou. But shortly after that, Ngannou rushed Rozenstruik. Both began to throw, and just a couple seconds into their exchange, Ngannou floored Rozenstruik with a powerful left hook. He followed up with ground-and-pound, but it was clear Rozenstruik was already out.

Brian Kelleher def. Hunter Azure at UFC 249

[autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]’s (21-10 MMA, 5-3 UFC) short-notice move up to the featherweight division paid off in spade when he flattened Hunter Azure (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) with a highlight-reel knockout.

After both men had their moments though more than a round, Kelleher landed a left hook that sent Azure crashing to the canvas. Azure was out on impact, but Kelleher landed crushing follow-up shot for good measure.

Miguel Baeza def. Matt Brown at UFC on ESPN 8

[autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) remained undefeated in his career and netted his biggest win to date when he stopped longtime welterweight veteran Matt Brown (22-16 MMA, 15-10 UFC) by knockout.

After surviving a scare from Brown’s offense in the first frame, Baeza managed to turn the tide and hurt his opponent in the closing moments. He stayed on Brown to start the second, landing more strikes that led to a knockdown and a finish of the fight.

Alistair Overeem def. Walt Harris at UFC on ESPN 8

[autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (46-18 MMA, 11-7 UFC) played the unfortunate villain in Walt Harris’ (13-8 MMA, 6-7 UFC) emotional comeback story when he rallied to win their heavyweight main event.

Overeem was compassionate to Harris’ journey back to the cage after the shocking murder of his stepdaughter this past fall, but promised it would be “all business” when fight night arrived. It was a wild back-and-forth fight, with both men knocking each other down. Overeem did it better, though, and picked up the stoppage win at the 3:00 mark of Round 2.

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The Winner: Calvin Kattar

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Kattar earned arguably the biggest win of his career when he stopped Stephens in highlight-reel fashion.

In what was entirely a standup fight, Kattar find an opening to land a sickening elbow in the second round that dropped and stopped Stephens for the thrilling finish. The time of the stoppage was 2:42.

Stephens came out with his usual aggression, throwing hard punches and a crisp body kick at Kattar. He followed with a hard right hand, which aded up to a strong start for “Lil’ Heathen.” Kattar struggled to get into a groove, but landed some good leg kicks in between Stephens’ attacks. Both men settled into the fight, but Stephens was clearly leading the dance in the first round, although Kattar recovered some early lost ground.

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Both men showed visible damage from leg kicks going into the second round, and they started the frame by battering each other there some more. Stephens seemed to have the worse of it, but it didn’t stop him from pushing forward. Kattar gained confidence, though, and started to find his range a couple minutes into the round. He tagged Stephens with hooks and uppercuts, although Stephens showed his veteran savvy and didn’t allow himself to be flustered. He got too comfortable, though, because Kattar landed a massive right elbow that dropped Stephens. He swarmed with some punches, busting Stephens open with another elbow and forcing the fight to be called off at the 2:42 mark of Round 2.

“I’ve been learning as I’ve been going and I’ve been doing it with tough fights,” Kattar said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “I’m happy to be here and I feel like I’m just scratching these surface and there featherweights are in big trouble when I put it all together.”

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MMA rankings report: Sorting through recent moves before the UFC returns

Big-time MMA returned earlier this month with three shows in eight days. What was the fallout from the second and third in that stretch?

Big-time MMA returned earlier this month with three shows in eight days. What was the fallout from the second and third shows in that stretch?

The MMA Rankings Report returns this week to break down UFC on ESPN+ 29 and UFC on ESPN 8 in Jacksonville, Fla. Ahead of what is expected to be the UFC’s return to Las Vegas this week, pending the Nevada Athletic Commission potential approval Wednesday, take a look inside some recent moves ahead of Saturday’s welterweight clash.

“Gorgeous” George and “Goze” from MMA Junkie Radio take you through all the updates to the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.

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Alistair Overeem wants Jairzinho Rozenstruik rematch: ‘I fight him again, I’m gonna finish him’

After blasting his way back into the win column, Alistair Overeem wants the opportunity to avenge his most recent loss.

After smashing his way back into the win column, [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] wants the opportunity to avenge his most recent loss.

Overeem (46-18 MMA, 11-7 UFC) suffered a “Hail Mary” knockout loss to [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 7 last December in a fight that he appeared to be winning before he was dramatically dropped with seconds remaining in the bout.

However, Overeem rebounded with a second-round finish of Walt Harris at UFC on ESPN 8 on May 16 and would now like another crack at “Bigi Boy”.

Overeem thinks the stoppage came too early and vows to leave no doubt in a potential rematch.

“I’m not dissatisfied about the Rozenstruik performance. … We schooled the guy,” Overeem told Sirius XM’s Fight Nation. “We were up all five rounds, it was just like one, or actually it was two punches that he connected. In my opinion a wrong stoppage, the ref should have never jumped in and when he jumped in it was zero seconds left. I actually had thought that it was the end of the fight because I remember the click, click, last 10 seconds and then I got dropped, straight back to my feet and it was over.

“I thought I actually won that fight and then it was like hey (expletive), they stopped it, TKO? And then you have Rozenstruik talking about it. He KO’d me, he KO’d me. That guy got lucky and I would love to run it back with him because (if) I fight him again, I’m gonna finish him. One hundred percent.”

Rozenstruik (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) suffered his first career blemish at UFC 249 when he was knocked out in 20 seconds by Francis Ngannou in Jacksonville. His win over Overeem was MMA Junkie’s comeback of the year.

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Frustrated Marlon Vera reacts to Song Yadong loss: ‘He didn’t even believe he won the fight’

“I didn’t finish this one, which I don’t feel bad about, because I know I won the fight.”

[autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] was left flabbergasted by the judges after his recent loss to [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag].

Vera (17-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) lost a decision to Yadong (16-4-1 MMA, 5-0-1 UFC) Saturday at UFC on ESPN 8, with all three judges awarding the fight to Yadong.

The back-and-forth battle earned both men the “Fight of the Night” honor, but a stunned Vera couldn’t fathom how the judges scored the fight in favour of Yadong, and refused to shake hands after the result was announced.

“It’s something really, really frustrating,” Vera told ESPN. “Because it’s not one of those fights you regret, ‘Oh, I could do this, I could do that to win.’ It was 100% clear the fight was in one side. First round, we feel each other, we started quick, but we feel each other more than anything. Second and third round, I slapped the guy. I broke the guy, took him down, landed more punches, made more damage, walked him down.”

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Vera’s five-fight finishing streak came to an end after the judges scored the fight to his Chinese opponent with scores of 29-28 across the board. Vera said not getting the finish certainly played a part in his defeat, but he insisted that he had done enough to pick up the victory on the scorecards.

“I get it. It’s hard to finish every single fight,” he said. “I didn’t finish this one, which I don’t feel bad about, because I know I won the fight. When the fight was over I was celebrating. The guy was on the ground.

“When they called his name, he didn’t even believe he won the fight. He was like, ‘Oh! Thank you!’ I made more money but I got very upset.”

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