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MMA junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for Alistair Overeem in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”
MMA junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for Alistair Overeem in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”
MMA junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for Walt Harris in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”
MMA junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for Walt Harris in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”
MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn covers the fallout of UFC on ESPN 8, where Alistair Overeem, Claudia Gadelha and Dan Ige earned notable wins.
What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 8 in Jacksonville, Fla.? Here are a few post-fight musings …
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It seemed like such a fairytale moment for [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag]. In his first fight since the kidnapping and tragic death of his stepdaughter, Aniah Blanchard, last October, Harris got off to a perfect start. He dropped Alistair Overeem and nearly got a quick knockout win in their main event on Saturday night, but then the tables turned.
Some referees might have stopped the fight in Harris’ favor during that first-round barrage. On another night, perhaps Overeem goes out with the punches, as his chin is by no means his primary asset. But that’s not what transpired, and instead, Overeem charged back, dropped Harris in the second round then methodically chipped away until he got a TKO.
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It was an example of how quickly the tide can shift in MMA. Emotions and personal experiences mean nothing inside the octagon when the fists are flying. Just when it seemed a heartfelt moment was coming, a heartbreak was served in its place.
This loss is sure to burn away at Harris’ soul. However, hopefully he can take that fire and put it to his feet as a motivator. As UFC president Dana White said post-fight, Harris is a winner for merely showing up under these trying circumstances, and the loss on his record is somewhat inconsequential to his triumph of the human spirit.
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Claudia Gadelha and Dan Ige were among those who name-dropped their preferred next opponents at UFC on ESPN 8 in Jacksonville.
Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.
So after Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event in Jacksonville, Fla., who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.
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Let’s take a look at the main card …
Wants to fight: [autotag]Chase Sherman[/autotag]
The callout: “Yeah, there is a name I’d like: Chase Sherman. I saw him fight. He won; I won. Why don’t we do that fight?”
The reality: [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] produced an impressive performance in his octagon debut to defeat Don’Tale Mayes, then issued a perfectly pitched callout against a fellow fighter looking to move his way up the heavyweight division.
Chase Sherman made a victorious return to the UFC as he kicked off his second stint with the promotion with a solid win over Ike Villanueva at UFC on ESPN+ 29 earlier in the week, and Nascimento reckons the pair should meet next.
It’s a callout that makes perfect sense. Both men are on the same timeline, both are coming off wins, and both appear to have some promise as rising heavyweight prospects. One of them can move their way up the ladder with a win, so why not book it?
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Next up: “The Trailblazer” fancies a drop to 170
Take a look inside Nate Landwehr’s win over Darren Elkins at UFC on ESPN 8 in Jacksonville, Fla.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – [autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag] beat Darren Elkins with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 8 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Take a look inside the fight with Landwehr, who handed Elkins his fourth straight loss.
Result: Nate Landwehr def. Darren Elkins via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Landwehr (14-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Elkins (24-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC)
Key stat: Elkins outlanded Landwehr 135-111 overall, and each fighter landed 45 percent of his strikes.
“I could have poured it on a little bit more if I wasn’t doing so much entertaining. I think I just proved that I am one of the most elite fighters on the planet.”
“My manager called me with Darren Elkins. I knew he had fought the who’s-who. I think I beat him just as bad as the champ (Alexander Volkanovski) beat him. He’s beat a lot of good people and he’s had close fights with a lot of people. I think I beat him pretty handily.”
“I would like to fight this guy (Movsar Evloev). When I used to fight for M-1 Global, he was the (1)35 champ. He’s 12-0 – I think he’s 2-0 in the UFC. … Just get the call, go chill, hopefully get that bonus for ‘Fight of the Night,’ and just sit by the phone and wait for my manager to call.”
To hear more from Landwehr, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
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Take a look inside Cortney Casey’s submission over Mara Romero Borella at UFC on ESPN 8 in Jacksonville, Fla.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – [autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] beat Mara Romero BorellaMara Romero Borella with a first-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 8 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Take a look inside the fight with Casey, who picked up her first submission since August 2016.
Result: Cortney Casey def. Mara Romero Borella via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:36
Updated records: Casey (9-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC), Borella (12-8 MMA, 2-4 UFC)
Key stat: Borella landed the fight’s lone takedown, but it worked against her when Casey latched onto her arm.
“I saw that she was leaving her arms a little bit heavy in the front, so I knew I’d be able to attack the arm. She was trying to go for a few head and arm triangles and things like that, which I like out of girls because it makes it easier for me to look for submissions as well. If someone is doing jiu-jitsu, it’s easy to do jiu-jitsu. If they’re just sitting and holding you, it’s kind of hard. So I was happy to know that she was going to use her jiu-jitsu and I could counter it.”
“I’m just happy – happy to have my job, happy to have my team behind me, all of my family, all my supporters who have been through the ups and downs of the fight world and my career in the UFC. So I’m just happy to be where I’m at. Whether it was during a pandemic or just a normal fight week, I’m just happy to get the finish.”
“They told me I should call someone out, but I really don’t know anyone in (the flyweight) division off the top of my head. The people I know, I’m friends with, so I really don’t want to call them out. I think Mara was ranked No. 14 when she fought Lauren Murphy, so she’s up there. Whoever they give me – if they give me a top-15 girl, I’m happy. If they give me someone a little bit lower, I’m happy with that. If I can get back in that cage before the end of the year, I’m going to be extremely happy.”
To hear more from Casey, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
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UFC president Dana White reflected on holding his first three events since the COVID-19 outbreak, his time in Jacksonville, Fla., and more.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dana White is ready to go home.
The UFC president, despite being admittedly tired, was in a seemingly good mood Saturday when he took the podium following the conclusion of UFC on ESPN 8.
The event took place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. UFC on ESPN 8 marked the third and final show in an eight-day stretch for the promotion in Jacksonville. UFC 249 took place May 9, while UFC on ESPN+ 29 was a rare Wednesday card for the promotion.
“It feels good,” White told MMA Junkie at the post-fight news conference. “I’m happy to have it behind me. I wanted this week to be over. It was successful in every way it could be successful. I feel great about it. More importantly, nobody is sick. Nobody is sick. Nobody has gotten sick. Hopefully, that’s the case. There’s no guarantees in life, but hopefully that’s the case and we all go home. It was a great event. It was a great week.”
White was particularly complimentary of the local governing bodies in Jacksonville from the commission to restaurant workers in the area.
“I think we picked the perfect place to do it, too,” White said.” This town was perfect for it. Like I said, the governor and the mayor and the athletic commission – everybody was great. This arena was incredible. These guys were great to us. I don’t know what your experience was out in Jacksonville, but everybody was nice. Everybody was great. The food was awesome. I just couldn’t say enough good things about Jacksonville and the experience here. I’m glad we did it here first. I’m ready to go home, though.”
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With his first three events under his belt since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the United States, White seems confident about the direction the promotion is headed. He plans to stick to the routines and regiments developed for the Jacksonville events as he tries to expand the product.
“This is what we’re going to do,” White said. “Obviously, you guys know me. You’ve dealt with me long enough. When we’re doing what we’re doing and you’re just taking unnecessary punishment, you know I’m going to (expletive) snap eventually – and I do. We worked hard. We worked hard to pull this thing off and get here. Nothing means more to me than the safety of everybody that was involved in the event. Not just with COVID-19, but the fight that wasn’t stopped soon enough – all these type of things. Anytime we finish an event, I want everybody to go home safe. It’s not any different now with the COVID-19 thing.
“We will do everything in our power. We will spend the money. We will get the best, the brightest. We’ll talk to doctors and experts in the field to figure out how to beat it. One of the things I always do is I believe nothing is impossible. Everything can be done, especially in 2020. You just have to be willing to work hard enough, spend some money, and come up with solutions.”
Check out Dana White’s comments in the video above.
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listair Overeem wants one more run at the UFC title as he finishes the last phase of his MMA career.
[autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] knows the end is near.
The heavyweight veteran admitted his career as a professional fighter is coming to and end, and after notching his 46th professional win Saturday, Overeem wants one final run at the UFC heavyweight title. The Dutch fighter defeated Walt Harris in the main event of UFC on ESPN 8, stopping him with ground-and-pound in Round 2.
“We’re still hunting for the title,” Overeem told reporters at the post-fight news conference.”I would say also I’m in the last phase of my career, so those two things are on my mind: Finish up the career, and one more run at the title.”
Overeem (46-18 MMA, 11-7 UFC) is 3-1 in his past four performances with his lone loss a last-second comeback win by Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
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Although he walked away with the finish Saturday, things could’ve easily gone the other way for Overeem. He was dropped in the first round and the fight looked close to getting stopped.
“There was definitely trouble, because I got dropped – that’s No 1,” Overeem said. “No. 2, I got cut, right? And you have a man that’s 275 (pounds) standing on top of you trying to finish you. So definitely, we were in trouble. He’s very athletic, very fast, very powerful – so we were in trouble for a little bit. Fortunately, I was able to reverse the situation and get the finish.”
With title aspirations, it’s tough to see a clear path back to the belt since the title picture at heavyweight seems to be at a halt. Champion Stipe Miocic doesn’t see a quick return to the octagon given he’s a first responder and he’s unable to train due to coronavirus restrictions in his home state of Ohio. There’s also a trilogy bout with Daniel Cormier pending and other contenders waiting on the sidelines.
When asked about Miocic’s stance on defending the title, Overeem took a different approach than most heavyweights.
“Stipe is his own man – he makes his own decisions,” Overeem said. “You can’t go around and say he’s scared or whatever. I think that’s nonsense. He’s tough. He’s proven it over and over again. I don’t really have much to say about him.”
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Classy in defeat, Walt Harris issued a statement after his UFC on ESPN 8 loss to Alistair Overeem.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Classy in defeat, [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag] wasted no time in issuing a statement after his UFC on ESPN 8 loss to Alistair Overeem on Saturday.
Hours after the conclusion of his main event fight, Harris (13-8 MMA, 6-7 UFC) posted an image on Instagram of the moment he shared with Overeem (46-18 MMA, 11-7 UFC) after the second-round TKO stoppage.
Harris, 36, thanked Overeem for the opportunity. He also thanked his followers for their love and support. Additionally, Harris made a vow to Aniah Blanchard, his stepdaughter who was found killed this past fall, to keep pushing forward.
“First let me thank (Alistair Overeem) for sharing the octagon we me tonight… You’re a class act brother and a legend!” Harris wrote. “Tonight wasn’t my night, but you best believe I will be back better! Thank to everyone for all your love and support can’t say it enough! We learn and grow!
“Baby girl… daddy loves you and I promise I will keep pushing! #ForeverAniah”
UFC on ESPN 8 took place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+. The card marked the third and final in an eight-day stretch for the promotion in Jacksonville.
Check out Walt Harris’ Instagram post below:
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Dana White says Walt Harris won at UFC on ESPN 8, regardless of what the official decision reads.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – UFC president Dana White has never projected a sentimental personality.
However, at the UFC on ESPN 8 post-fight press conference, White alluded to heavyweight fighter [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag]’ main event participation as being somewhat of a moral victory.
After dominating the first few minutes of the fight, Harris (13-8 MMA, 6-7 UFC) was defeated by Alistair Overeem (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) by TKO in Round 2. The fight was the first for Harris since the kidding and death of his stepdaughter Aniah Blanchard this past October.
“I said to you guys a few days ago,” White told MMA Junkie. “Win, lose, or draw, being here is a win for him. He got through tonight and you have to understand. Who knows what was going through that guy’s body, head, the whole deal? He got (Overeem) in trouble. I think when he watches the tape, he’ll realize he overreacted a lot and should’ve slowed down and picked his shots.
“… This is a learning experience in a lot of ways for Walt. It was his first fight back. He’ll get better from this in every way you can be better from fighting to the other things that are going on with him.”
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On the ESPN post-fight show immediately following the event, White was spotted chatting with Harris backstage after the loss. The UFC president said Harris is taking the loss as he would expect.
“(He’s) exactly how you would expect him to feel right now,” White said. “I think it’ll probably take him an hour to sit down, calm down, and process what happened. When he goes back and watches the tape of the fight, he’ll know all the mistakes that he made.”
UFC on ESPN 8 took place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+. The card marked the third and final in an eight-day stretch for the promotion in Jacksonville.
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