Tag: Warlley Alves

Warlley Alves out of UFC 270; Jack Della Maddalena awaits new opponent

A welterweight search is underway.

[autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag] has withdrawn from his scheduled bout against [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag].

While the reasoning for the withdrawal was not disclosed, Alves (14-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) is out and the search is underway for a replacement opponent to fight promotional newcomer Della Maddalena (10-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC 270.

The event takes place Jan. 22 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

Two people with knowledge of the change recently informed MMA Junkie of Alves’ removal, but asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

The withdrawal is Alves’ first since 2017. He is coming off a knockout loss against Jeremiah Wells in June.

Della Maddalena enters the UFC after an impressive contract-earning performance on Dana White’s Contender Series when he defeated Ange Loosa by unanimous decision. Fighting out of Australia, Della Maddalena captured the Eternal MMA welterweight championship prior to his move to the UFC.

With the change, the UFC 270 lineup includes:

  • Champion Francis Ngannou vs. interim champion Ciryl Gane – for heavyweight title
  • Champion Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo – for flyweight title
  • Greg Hardy vs. Aleksei Oleinik
  • Movsar Evloev vs. Ilia Topuria
  • Said Nurmagomedov vs. Cody Stamann
  • Viviane Aruajo vs. Alexa Grasso
  • Wellington Turman vs. Rodolfo Vieira
  • Trevin Giles vs. Michael Morales
  • Matt Frevola vs. Genaro Valdez
  • Tony Gravely vs. Saimon Oliveira
  • Poliana Botelho vs. Ji Yeon Kim
  • Kay Hansen vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
  • Raoni Barcelos vs. Victor Henry
  • Jack Della Maddalena vs. TBA

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Warlley Alves vs. Jack Della Maddalena added to UFC 270 on Jan. 22

Jack Della Maddalena will draw a stern test in his UFC debut when he meets Warlley Alves.

[autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] will draw a stern test in his UFC debut.

Maddalena (10-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meets [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) at UFC 270 on Jan. 22 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie after the matchup was announced during a recent Dana White’s Contender Series broadcast. MMA DNA was first to report the date of the matchup.

One of Australia’s most promising prospects, Maddalena punched his ticket to the UFC when he defeated Ange Loosa via unanimous decision at DWCS 39 in September. The 25-year-old, who’s won 10 straight since dropping his first two professional bouts, has finished all but one of his wins.

Brazil’s Alves has split his past six trips to the octagon. After scoring a quick first-round finish of Mounir Lazzez on short notice at UFC on ESPN 20 in January, Alves was stopped by Jeremiah Wells at UFC Fight Night 190 in June.

The current UFC 270 lineup includes:

  • Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane – for heavyweight title
  • Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo – for flyweight title
  • Derek Brunson vs. Jared Cannonier
  • Greg Hardy vs. Aleksi Oleinik
  • Wellington Turman vs. Rodolfo Vieira
  • AJ Dobson vs. Jacob Malkoun
  • Poliana Botelho vs. Ji Yeon Kim
  • Said Nurmagomedov vs. Cody Stamann
  • Trevin Giles vs. Michael Morales
  • Matt Frevola vs. Genaro Valdez
  • Tony Gravely vs. Saimon Oliveira
  • Warlley Alves vs. Jack Della Maddalena

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UFC Fight Night 190 video: Jeremiah Wells brutally KOs Warlley Alves on short notice

Jeremiah Wells made quite the impression in his octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 190

[autotag]Jeremiah Wells[/autotag] made quite the impression in his octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 190 on Saturday.

Wells (9-2-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who came into the fight as a short-notice replacement against a much more experienced name in the promotion in [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC), found a home for a highlight-reel knockout in the second round of the welterweight matchup at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

After a grappling-heavy opening round, Wells came out throwing heavy hands in the second. He hurt and dropped Alves with a clean right hand, then pounced with a few more shots on the mat to put the lights out.

Check out the replay of the finish below (via Twitter):

Wells, who has now stopped opponents in seven of his nine career wins, said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier that he meant to be a little more composed and technical in the fight. However, when he saw the opening to land on Alves’ chin, he made sure not to let it pass.

He was rewarded for taking the risk: He was the first to knock Alves out cold in a fight.

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UFC on ESPN 20 medical suspensions: Mike Davis, Victoria Leonardo face up to 180 days

Mike Davis and Victoria Leonardo are facing potential six-month suspensions for injuries sustained in their fights.

[autotag]Mike Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Victoria Leonardo[/autotag] are facing potential six-month medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN 20.

Davis (9-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who earned the “Fight of the Night” honor in a unanimous decision win over Mason Jones, needs clearance for his left thumb for his hard-fought battle with Jones.

Joining Davis with a potential 180-day term is Leonardo (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who needs clearance for her right forearm after suffering a second-round stoppage loss to Manon Fiorot.

MMA Junkie on Friday obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commissions’ official record keeper.

The full list of UFC on ESPN 20 medical suspensions includes:

  • [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to right eye laceration.
  • [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Mounir Lazzez[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days due to rib soreness.
  • [autotag]Ike Villanueva[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Vinicius Moreira[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days due to knockout loss.
  • [autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to “hard bout.”
  • [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Matt Schnell[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Tyson Nam[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to right cheek laceration.
  • [autotag]Douglas Silva de Andrade[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Tom Breese[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
  • [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Gaetano Pirello[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to chin laceration.
  • [autotag]Zarrukh Adashev[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
  • [autotag]Dalcha Lungiambula[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to scalp laceration.
  • [autotag]Francisco Figueiredo[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
  • [autotag]Jerome Rivera[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • Mike Davis: Needs X-ray for left thumb, and clearance by doctor, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Sergey Morozov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
  • Victoria Leonardo: Needs X-ray for right forearm, and clearance by doctor, otherwise suspended 180 days; minimum suspension is 30 days with 21 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).

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UFC on ESPN 20 results: Warlley Alves demolishes Mounir Lazzez, calls out ‘marijuana guy’ Nate Diaz

Returning Brazilian Warlley Alvez bounced back into the octagon with a big win, then issued a big-name callout at UFC on ESPN 20.

After a year spent on the sidelines due to injuries, [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag] returned to the octagon with a bang as he demolished [autotag]Mounir Lazzez[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 20, then issued a direct callout to Nate Diaz.

The pair met in the co-main event at Etihad Arena, and Alves (14-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) wasted no time getting started, as he quickly closed the distance, slammed a low kick into Lazzez’s leg, and unloaded a salvo of close-range punches before forcing the action up against the cage.

A series of elbows and a spinning backfist followed as the Brazilian continued his high-octane start to the action. Alves then took the action to the mat and began to move toward Lazzez’s back, but the Tunisian had the move well scouted and managed to get back to his feet and connect with a spinning elbow to register his first serious strike of the matchup.

However, Alves refused to give “The Sniper” a moment’s rest and immediately resumed his attack, letting rip with three rapid-fire body kicks that folded up Lazzez (10-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and forced the stoppage as referee Herb Dean stepped in to end the onslaught at the 2:35 mark.

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The victory meant that Alves bounced back from his November 2019 loss to Randy Brown at UFC Fight Night 164 as the Brazilian confirmed his return to action with an eye-catching display.

“I’m here, I’m back!” Alves told Daniel Cormier before calling out Diaz over his use of marijuana.

“I don’t like marijuana guys. I don’t like that,” he said. “I hate that, because it’s a bad example for the sport. Nate Diaz, fight with me because I’ll prove it. Winners don’t use drugs. You’re a marijuana guy. I’m not like that. Let’s go, Nate Diaz.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 20 results include:

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5 burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN 20

MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle walks you through five key questions UFC on ESPN 20 should answer.

Can’t stop, won’t stop: Just four days after the first UFC event of the year, the company is right back in action. UFC on ESPN 20 is the middle show in a run of three cards in eight days to kick off the 2021 schedule, and it goes down Wednesday.

An intriguing welterweight main event featuring a pair of hard-working competitors who have labored long to earn this spot takes headlines status, as [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag].

UFC on ESPN 20 takes place Wednesday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The card airs on ESPN.

Without further ado, then, here are five burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN 20.

UFC on ESPN 20: Make your predictions for Michael Chiesa vs. Neil Magny

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 20 event in Abu Dhabi.

We want your predictions for Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 20 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Monday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN 20 event staff predictions we release Tuesday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN 20 takes place Wednesday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The card airs on ESPN.

Make your picks for the six main card fights below.

With Christian Aguilera out, Warlley Alves vs. Mounir Lazzez targeted for UFC Fight Night on Jan. 20

Mounir Lazzez is targeted to return on “Fight Island” when he meets Warlley Alves at UFC Fight Night on Jan. 20.

[autotag]Mounir Lazzez[/autotag]’s return fight is in the works.

Christian Aguilera has been forced out of his Jan. 16 bout vs. [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) due to undisclosed reasons. Lazzez (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is now targeted to face Alves, but four days later at UFC Fight Night on Jan. 20 on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

Two people with knowledge of the targeted booking informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make a formal announcement.

Tunisia-born striker Lazzez picked up a big upset win over Abdul Razak Alhassan in his UFC debut in July. He was scheduled to return vs. David Zawada at UFC on ESPN+ 38, but withdrew after testing positive for COVID-19.

Alves, a winner of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” has lost two of his past three fights. After knocking out Sergio Moraes at UFC 237, Alves suffered a second-round submission loss to Randy Brown at UFC on ESPN+ 22 last November.

With the change, here’s the updated lineup for UFC Fight Night on Jan. 20:

  • Michael Chiesa vs. Neil Magny
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Roxanne Modafferi
  • Tyson Nam vs. Matt Schnell
  • Francisco Figueredo vs. Jerome Rivera
  • Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera
  • Matt Brown vs. Carlos Condit
  • Zarrukh Adashev vs. Su Mudaerji
  • Lerone Murphy vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade
  • Vinicius Moreira vs. Ike Villanueva
  • Manon Fiorot vs. Victoria Leonardo
  • Dalcha Lungiambula vs. Markus Perez
  • Warlley Alves vs. Mounir Lazzez

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Warlley Alves vs. Christian Aguilera booked for UFC Fight Night on Jan. 16

Welterweights Warlley Alves and Christian Aguilera will look to rebound from losses.

A pair of welterweights will look to rebound at the UFC’s first event of 2021.

[autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag] is set to fight [autotag]Christian Aguilera[/autotag] on Jan. 16 at UFC Fight Night, which does not yet have an announced location. A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie following an initial report from MMA Fighting.

“Ultimate Fighter Brazil” winner Alves (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) has lost two of his past three fights. After knocking out Sergio Moraes at UFC 237, Alves suffered a second-round submission loss to Randy Brown at UFC on ESPN+ 22 last November.

Aguilera (14-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC) saw his three-fight winning streak snapped in a submission loss to Sean Brady at UFC on ESPN+ 33. Prior to that, he knocked out Anthony Ivy in just 59 seconds in his UFC debut in June.

With the addition, the Jan. 16 lineup includes:

  • Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar
  • Brian Kelleher vs. Ricky Simon
  • Jacob Kilburn vs. Austin Lingo
  • Tim Elliott vs. Jordan Espinosa
  • Carlos Felipe vs. Justin Tafa
  • Punahele Soriano vs. Dusko Todorovic
  • Sara McMann vs. Julianna Pena
  • Anthony Hernandez vs. Rodolfo Vieira
  • Christian Aguilera vs. Warlley Alves

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UFC on ESPN+ 22 medical suspensions: Jan Blachowicz, two others facing six-month suspensions

Jan Blachowicz and two others are looking at hefty medical suspensions after UFC Sao Paulo.

Three fighters, including headliner [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag], are looking at hefty medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN+ 22.

Blachowicz, who appeared to injure his left foot in his five-round victory over Ronaldo Souza, will need to get clearance on both feet in order to return to in-cage competition. Blachowicz is tentatively suspended 180 days, with a minimum of 30 days and no contact for 21 days.

[autotag]Sergio Moraes[/autotag] and [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag], the lone fighters to suffer knockout losses on the card, are facing similar suspensions. Moraes, who suffered a third-round knockout loss to James Krause, will be suspended 180 days or until he’s cleared by a neurologist.

Gordon, who was brutally finished early in the first round by Charles Oliveira, was suspended 180 days or until he’s cleared by a otolaryngologist (ENT).

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Check out the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 22 medical suspensions, per a CABMMA record acquired by MMA Fighting.

  • Jan Blachowicz: Suspended 180 days or until x-rays of both feet are cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • Jared Gordon: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by otolaryngologist; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
  • [autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Antonio Arroyo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]James Krause[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Sergio Moraes: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by neurologist; also suspended 60 days with with no contact for 45 days.
  • [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Eduardo Garagorri[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Douglas de Andrade[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Isabella de Padua[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.

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