Entering UFC Fight Night 188 on a three-fight losing skid, Yancy Medeiros is setting out to make results happen.
In multiple regards, [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] is done waiting.
Life’s turns, paired with COVID-19 pandemic challenges, have delayed his return to the cage longer than he’s liked. The time away, however, has taught him many valuable lessons about himself in order to clear his mind and come back stronger ahead of UFC Fight Night 188.
“The past 15 months have been tough for everyone,” Medeiros recently told MMA Junkie. “I just took a lot of adjusting from fall to winter, trying to get out and make some changes with camps and coaches. It was nothing bad, but there were a lot of adjustments with the gyms and everything that went on, but there’s a lot of gratitude, too, though.
“We really got to see that we weren’t able to get what we usually get. Like, in the past years, we got everything from convenience to other things. It just brought a lot of new appreciation. I’m very happy with what I went through and what I changed.”
Medeiros (15-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) fights Damir Hadzovic (13-6 MMA, 3-4 UFC) as the second bout of the prelims on Saturday’s card, which streams live on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The fight could have significant career implications for Medeiros, who enters the final fight of his UFC contract on a three-fight losing skid.
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In order to turn his luck around, Medeiros’ self-exploration ended with a conclusion: He can’t leave the fight up to the judges. He can’t wait around to win. He needs to make something happen.
“Looking back on my performances, I’m not happy with my last three fights – obviously the outcomes,” Medeiros said. “Even if I don’t win, I’m looking to progress. But these last three fights, it’s like, ‘What’s going on, bro?’ I thought we really need to kick it into gear. Then I thought, ‘Kick it into gear? We need to slow it down and make these adjustments.’
“I (used to have) that chip on my shoulder. I wanted to prove something. Sh*t, it got to a point I felt like I wasn’t proving anything. I got too content. I felt like I was content with this, and I didn’t want to progress. (Now), it’s back to that (old way). It’s me proving that. The wait is over – that’s my saying. I waited too much. I waited on these judges to make my decisions. That’s done with.”
Despite his contractual status and recent rough patch while seeking a way to get in the win column, Medeiros hasn’t concerned himself with whether his back is up against the wall or not.
“I know they know I’m there to entertain,” Medeiros said. “If they didn’t, they’d cut me already. They did a really big round of (roster) cuts. I know my brand is there. I’ve just made myself wait. On May 22, I’m going to show everyone I’m coming. The kid is back.”
With Nikolas Motta out of UFC on ESPN 24, Damir Hadzovic will now face Yancy Medeiros at UFC Fight Night 188.
[autotag]Damir Hadzovic[/autotag] has a new opponent, but on a different date.
[autotag]Nikolas Motta[/autotag] has been forced out of UFC on ESPN 24 on May 8 due to an injury, and Hadzovic (13-6 MMA, 3-4 UFC) will now face [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 188 on May 22, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
A person with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the targeted booking Friday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make a formal announcement.
Hadzovic will look to snap a two-fight losing skid as he returns from a 16-month layoff. After scoring back-to-back wins over Nick Hein and Marco Polo Reyes, “The Bosnian Bomber” dropped a unanimous decision to Christos Giagos in June 2019, followed by a first-round submission loss to Renato Moicano in March 2020.
Meanwhile, having lost his past three in a row, Medeiros will also look to get back to the win column. Since dropping back down to lightweight, Medeiros has suffered back-to-back losses to Gregor Gillespie and, most recently, Lando Vannata in February 2020. Prior to his losing skid, Medeiros had scored three-straight finishes over Sean Spencer, Erick Silva and Alex Oliveira.
With the addition, the May 22 lineup now includes:
All the notable stats and figures to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 25, which saw Jan Blachowicz knock out Corey Anderson in the main event.
The UFC returned to New Mexico on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 25. The 13-fight card took place at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho and streamed on ESPN+ 25.
The main event saw a potentially new top light heavyweight contender emerge to fight Jon Jones. Poland’s [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) extended his winning streak to three fights with a thunderous first-round knockout of [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC), avenging a decision loss from September 2015.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 45 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 25.
* * * *
General
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UFC on ESPN+ 25 was the first event in UFC history to feature two disqualification results.
The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $186,500.
Debuting fighters went 2-1 at the event.
Blachowicz, [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag], [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] and [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 25 fight-night bonuses.
Betting favorites improved to 3-1 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 13-bout card was 2:18:54.
Main card
Jan Blachowicz
Blachowicz improved to 7-1 in his past eight UFC appearances dating back to October 2017. The only defeat in that stretch came to Thiago Santos.
Blachowicz’s three-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Jon Jones (four).
Anderson has suffered all four of his career stoppage losses by knockout.
[autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] (30-12 MMA, 19-12 UFC) improved to 3-2 since he returned to the UFC welterweight division in November 2017. He’s 12-6 at the weight under the UFC banner.
Sanchez’s 19 victories in UFC competition are seventh most in company history. Donald Cerrone holds the record with 23.
Sanchez has absorbed 1,362 total head strikes in his UFC career, the second-most in company history behind B.J. Penn (1,434).
[autotag]Montana De La Rosa[/autotag]’s (11-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) four victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Valentina Shevchenko (five).
[autotag]Mara Romero Borella[/autotag] (12-7 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has suffered both of her UFC losses by decision.
Ray Borg
[autotag]Ryan Borg[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) has earned five of his seven UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Rogerio Bontorin[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
[autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) fell to 0-2 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in January 2019. He’s 3-6 (with one no contest) in the weight class overall.
Preliminary card
Daniel Rodriguez
Rodriguez (11-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned 10 of his 11 career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (29-12-1 MMA, 11-9 UFC) fell to 9-7 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.
[autotag]John Dodson[/autotag] (21-11 MMA, 10-6 UFC) improved to 4-4 since he returned to the UFC bantamweight division in April 2016. He’s 5-4 in the weight class overall.
Dodson has earned all six of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.
[autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has suffered all four of his career losses by stoppage.
Miller’s (31-14 MMA, 20-13 UFC) total fight time of 5:21:47 in UFC lightweight competition is most in divisional history.
Miller’s 11 fight-night bonuses for UFC lightweight bouts are tied with Nate Diaz for third most in divisional history behind Cerrone (15) and Joe Lauzon (15).
[autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past seven UFC appearances.
Clark has earned all five of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Dequan Townsend[/autotag]’s (21-11 MMA, 0-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March.
Townsend has suffered nine of his 11 career losses by decision.
Merab Dvalishvili
[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has earned seven of his 10 career victories by decision. That includes all four of his UFC wins.
Dvalishvili’s 12 takedowns landed set a new single-fight record for a UFC/WEC bantamweight fight. He was previously tied with two other fighters with 11 in a fight.
Dvalishvili became the fourth in UFC history to have multiple fights with 10 or more takedowns landed. Georges St-Pierre, Demetrious Johnson and Colby Covington also accomplished the feat.
Dvalishvili has completed 39 total takedowns in his five UFC appearances.
[autotag]Casey Kenney[/autotag] (13-2-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has suffered both of his career losses by decision.
[autotag]Mark De La Rosa[/autotag]’s (11-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since November 2018.
De La Rosa suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
UFC on ESPN+ 25 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.
RIO RANCHO, N.M. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 25 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $186,500.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
UFC on ESPN+ 25 took place Saturday at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M. The entire card streamed ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN+ 25 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
[autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Mark De La Rosa[/autotag]: $5,000
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
“UFC on ESPN+ 25: Anderson vs. Blachowicz 2” – $186,500
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 25 event in Rio Rancho, N.M.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN+ 25 went with as their backing tracks in Rio Rancho, N.M.
A fight that was expected to be filled with fireworks wasn’t, but that suited “Groovy” just fine.
On paper, UFC on ESPN+ 25’s main-card opener between [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] and [autotag]Lando Vannata[/autotag] seemed to be one of Saturday night’s best fights. The lightweight duo have the ability to put together “Fight of the Night” caliber brawls on any given evening.
Instead, a tactical affair broke out at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M., largely because that was the pace Vannata (11-4-2 MMA, 3-4-2 UFC) dictated. The New Mexico resident used a smart counter-striking style to fluster his foe and earn a unanimous decision on a count of 30-27 across the board.
“I got a great team around me,” Vannata said. “I believe I’ve got world class talent, world class skill. I believe I’m still growing in this sport.”
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There wasn’t much mystery to Vannata’s game plan as he moved at a fast pace, darted in and out, kept his hands down, and waited for Medeiros (15-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) to strike.
Medeiros, for his part, liked to stay outside and land straight shots to set up the rest of his offense, but he never seemed to be able to adjust to his nimble foe, as Vannata always seemed to land counter combos and then scoot out to safety.
The Hawaiian Medeiros seemed a step off the entire fight, perhaps due to the high altitude, but Vannata never slowed. And while Medeiros tried to pick up the pace in the third and landed occasional nice shots, he was never able to unleash a sustained offensive streak.
Vannata is now 2-1-1 in his past four, with all except for his one loss in that run going the distance. Medeiros, who hasn’t won a fight since 2017, has lost three in a row after dropping a decision for just the second time in his career.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 25 results include:
Lando Vannata def. Yancy Medeiros via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Daniel Rodriguez def. Tim Means via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 3:37
John Dodson def. Nathaniel Wood via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 0:16
In the main event, [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) takes on [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 8-5 UFC) in a fight that will see the winner stay in the light heavyweight title picture for a possible meeting with champion Jon Jones. Anderson is more than a 2-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and he has a big 12-2 lead in the picks from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.
In the co-main event, [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on longtime Albuquerque resident [autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 18-12 UFC) at welterweight. Pereira is the slight favorite, and he’s got a 9-5 edge in the picks.
There’s a unanimous pick on the card, and another that nearly is unanimous. [autotag]Montana De La Rosa[/autotag] (10-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is a -175 favorite over [autotag]Mara Romero Borella[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) in their women’s flyweight fight. But despite fairly close betting odds, De La Rosa, whose husband Mark De La Rosa fights on the prelims, is a 14-0 pick from our staff.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Brok Weaver[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) nearly is a unanimous pick in his lightweight fight against [autotag]Kazula Vargas[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC). Only one of our pickers is taking Vargas in an upset – Weaver nearly is a 3-1 favorite.
[autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) takes on [autotag]Rogerio Bontorin[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in a flyweight fight that was moved up to the main card from the prelims mid-week. The fight is one of our two most contentious ones with Borg at a 9-5 lead.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) takes on [autotag]Lando Vannata[/autotag] (10-4-2 MMA, 2-4-2 UFC) in a lightweight fight that is a near pick’em at the sportsbooks. But it’s Medeiros who has a whopping 12-2 lead in the picks with only two staff members taking Vannata.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Anderson (57 percent), Pereira (58 percent), De La Rosa (83 percent), Weaver (71 percent), Borg (61 percent) and Medeiros (62 percent) are the choices.
MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle walks you through all the biggest issues heading into the UFC’s New Mexico return.
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With Jon Jones’ narrow victory over Dominick Reyes last weekend at UFC 247 — which came seven months after his narrow victory over Thiago Santos at UFC 239 — the UFC’s light heavyweight division is suddenly more interesting than it has been for quite some time.
No longer simply a matter of Jones lording over a cast of over-the-hills and also-rans, 205 pounds is a land of intrigue. And the increased interest from UFC 247’s result carries over into this weekend’s UFC on ESPN+ 25.
[autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] meets [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] in a light heavyweight showdown Saturday night in the main event of the UFC’s return to New Mexico. It’s a rematch of a bout won by Anderson (13-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in 2015, but so much has changed in the meantime that this may as well be an all-new matchup.
And while many fans continue to clamor for an immediate rematch between Jones and Reyes in the wake of Jones’ highly controversial decision win in Houston, the victor on Saturday night will have a real claim for a title shot, too.
UFC on ESPN+ 25 takes place Saturday at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M. The event streams on ESPN+.
Without further ado, then, here are five burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN+ 25.
Can Corey Anderson seal the deal?
Corey Anderson
Heading into UFC 247, Jones let slip that the UFC approached him with both Reyes and Anderson as potential opponents, and given the choice, Jones picked Reyes. Jones said he saw Reyes as a more interesting style matchup than Anderson.
That shows both how far Anderson has progressed, but also how much of his old image still lingers. The “TUF 19″ winner was perceived as a play-it-safe wrestler, and one who went through a 1-3 stretch at one point, to boot.
His current four-fight win streak, all over solid names, has been good enough to get him onto the short list for a title shot. But not even an exciting TKO of Johnny Walker at Madison Square Garden last time out was enough to vault him into a No. 1 contender spot.
Should he put in a similar performance against a competitor who enjoys a good brawl in Blachowicz, though, then Anderson might snag that elusive title matchup once and for all.
The best stats and figures about UFC on ESPN+ 25, which features a Corey Anderson vs. Jan Blachowicz rematch in the main event.
The UFC visits New Mexico for the second time in company history on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 25, which takes place at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho and streams entirely on ESPN+.
A rematch between light heavyweight contenders takes center stage in the main event. [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) will attempt to continue his winning streak with a second victory over [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 8-5 UFC), who will attempt to avenge his unanimous-decision loss from UFC 191 in September 2015.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the 13-fight card, check below for 55 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN+ 25.
* * * *
Main event
Corey Anderson
Anderson’s four-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is tied with Jon Jones for the longest active streak in the division.
Anderson is one of 12 fighters in UFC history with 10 or more light heavyweight wins.
Anderson’s 10 victories since 2014 in UFC light heavyweight competition are tied with Ovince Saint Preux for most in the division.
Anderson’s 61-second knockout of Matt Van Buren at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale stands as the fastest finish in a “TUF” tournament final.
Anderson’s 53 takedowns landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Anderson lands 50 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC light-heavyweight competition, the third-highest rate in divisional history behind Lyoto Machida (65 percent) and Blachowicz (52 percent).
Anderson lands 4.98 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC light heavyweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Anderson’s 12 takedowns landed against Patrick Cummins at UFC Fight Night 128 are the single-fight record for a UFC light-heavyweight bout.
Anderson’s 12 takedowns landed vs. Cummins at UFC Fight Night 128 are tied for the fifth most in a single UFC fight.
Jan Blachowicz
Blachowicz competes in his third UFC headliner. He’s 1-1 in previous main events.
Blachowicz is 6-1 in his past seven UFC appearances dating back to October 2017. The only defeat in that stretch came to Thiago Santos.
Blachowicz is one of two light heavyweights in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a body kick. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 53.
Blachowicz lands 52 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC light-heavyweight competition, the second highest rate in divisional history behind Machida (65 percent).
Co-main event
Diego Sanchez
[autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 18-12 UFC), 38, is the oldest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Sanchez competes in his 31st UFC bout, tied for the fourth most appearances in company history behind Donald Cerrone (34), Jim Miller (33) and Jeremy Stephens (32).
Sanchez is the only active UFC fighter who was a cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter 1.”
Sanchez is one of two fighters in UFC history to compete in four different weight classes. Kenny Florian also accomplished the feat.
Sanchez is one of nine fighters in UFC history to earn victories in three different weight classes.
Sanchez is 2-2 since he returned to the UFC welterweight division in November 2017. He’s 11-6 at 170 pounds under the UFC banner.
Sanchez’s 12 victories by decision in UFC competition are tied with Georges St-Pierre for most in company history.
Sanchez has fought to a decision 20 times in UFC competition, the most in company history.
Sanchez has absorbed 1,342 total head strikes in his UFC career, the second-most in company history behind B.J. Penn (1,434).
Remaining main card
Montana De La Rosa
[autotag]Montana De La Rosa[/autotag]’s (10-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) three stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Valentina Shevchenko for second most in divisional history behind Gillian Robertson (four).
De La Rosa’s three submission victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Robertson for most in divisional history.
[autotag]Rogerio Bontorin[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned 14 of his 16 career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) returns to the flyweight division for the first time since October 2017. He’s 5-3 in the weight class under the UFC banner.
Lando Vannata
[autotag]Lando Vannata[/autotag] (10-4-2 MMA, 2-4-2 UFC) is 1-3-2 in his past six UFC appearances.
Vannata’s two draws in men’s UFC competition are tied with Ken Shamrock, B.J. Penn and Caol Uno for most in company history.
[autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) was unsuccessful in his return to the UFC lightweight division at UFC on ESPN+ 1 in January 2019. He’s 3-5 (with one no contest) in the weight class overall.
Medeiros’ average fight time of 6:58 in UFC lightweight competition is third shortest among active fighters in the weight class behind Charles Oliveira (4:51) and Drew Dober (6:41).
Medeiros vs. Alex Oliveira at UFC 218 is the only fight in UFC history to feature two knockdowns for each fighter.
Preliminary card
Tim Means
[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (29-11-1 MMA, 11-8 UFC) is 9-6 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.
[autotag]John Dodson[/autotag] (20-11 MMA, 9-6 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Feb. 23, 2019. The 357-day layoff is the longest of his 15-year career.
Dodson enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He’s 1-3 in his past four bouts and hasn’t earned a victory since March 2018.
Dodson is 3-4 since he returned to the UFC bantamweight division in April 2016. He’s 4-4 in the weight class overall.
Dodson has fought to three split decision results in UFC bantamweight competition, tied for second most in divisional history behind Kyung Ho Kang (four).
[autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has earned 14 of his 16 career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his UFC wins.
Wood’s three submission victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Urijah Faber (six) and Rani Yahya (five).
Wood’s three-fight submission streak in UFC competition is tied with Claudio Silva for the longest among active fighters on the roster.
Jim Miller
[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] (31-13 MMA, 20-12 UFC) competes in his 34th UFC bout, tied with Cerrone for the most appearances in company history.
Miller competes in his 33rd UFC lightweight bout, the most in divisional history.
Miller’s total fight time of 5:06:47 in UFC lightweight competition is most in divisional history.
Miller’s 20 victories in UFC competition are tied with Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Michael Bisping for third most in company history behind Cerrone (23) and Demian Maia (22).
Miller’s 19 victories in UFC lightweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Miller’s 12 stoppage victories in UFC lightweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Joe Lauzon (13).
Miller’s nine submission victories in UFC lightweight competition are most in divisional history.
Miller’s 42 submission attempts in UFC competition are the most in company history.
[autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past six UFC appearances. He was defeated in his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in October.
Clark has earned all of his UFC victories by decision. He’s suffered all of his career losses by stoppage.
[autotag]Dequan Townsend[/autotag] (21-9 MMA, 0-1 UFC) becomes the first fighter to make two UFC appearances in 2020. He suffered a defeat at UFC on ESPN+ 24 on Jan. 25.
Merab Dvalishvili
[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag]’s (9-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) 11 takedowns landed at UFC Fight Night 123 are tied for the single-fight UFC/WEC bantamweight record.
Dvalishvili’s 11 takedowns landed at UFC Fight Night 123 are tied for the single-fight UFC record for most in a loss.
Dvalishvili outlanded Terrion Ware by 183 total strikes at UFC Fight Night 136, the biggest differential in a single UFC/WEC bantamweight bout.
[autotag]Mark De La Rosa[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC), along with his wife Montana, become the first spouses in UFC history to compete on the same card.
[autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC), 24, is the youngest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Yancy Medeiros isn’t the only one to benefit from the change as he’s seen his family benefit from it, too.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag]’ source of fuel has changed and with it his life and fighting career.
The UFC lightweight takes on Lando Vannata this Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN+ 25, which takes place at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho. And heading into his 23rd professional fight, Medeiros (15-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) has undergone some radical changes in his life that were introduced by his friends and training partners, Nick and Nate Diaz.
“It’s definitely a lifestyle for me being plant-based,” Medeiros told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “I’m not vegan. I’m not against people that eat meat. I don’t pay your bills and put food on your table. Who am I to tell you what to eat? But I am empathetic about the world and the animals. I still stay in my lane, right, and my lane is wide, but I just eat plants, and I have nothing against it.
“I’ll live life, you know. I’ll go to Japan, I’ll go try some sushi. I’m very cultural, and I’ll indulge in culture and life, but for the most part plants is the base of my nutrition. And, yeah, it was introduced to me from Nick and Nate (Diaz), and I hold that dearly.”
Medeiros says he feels better than ever, but that’s not the main reason why he’s chosen the plant-based lifestyle.
“It hasn’t just affected me,” Medeiros explained. “It’s affected all my loved ones and my family. If you’re family orientated, you’re always trying to look out for how to serve and how to give back to the people that support you. And seeing my family get healthier and my dad, who lost like 100 pounds just from eating plants, I’m like, ‘How is that not the truth? How is he from 10 medications to just off of all your medications?’ Like, the proof is in the recipe.
“I’ve seen my daughter lose 20 pounds. My dad lost 100 pounds. My mom lost 40 pounds, so it’s like all healthy. No working out, just eating plants. And it’s the truth for me, and I just live that way, and that’s what keeps me at peace knowing that I have all this love and joy and joyfulness around me. They’re going to be with me for a very long time.”
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Not only has Medeiros improved his personal life, but he says the effect of a plant-based diet also have poured into his MMA career. Medeiros has experienced weight issues in the past and fluctuated between lightweight and welterweight.
Now, Medeiros is back at 155 pounds and feels like that’s his ideal weight class.
“I was fluctuating in weight because I didn’t have a the right eating habits or the proper nutrition,” Medeiros said. “And now that I’m eating plants, my body is just much more aligned, and making weight is way more easy. Just going to 155 is a much more natural process, so it’s a healthier version of me. And it was like, ‘Well, he’s going to do this cut,’ but I’m like 10, 15 pounds out already. Like I’m not fully hydrated, but not malnourished. I’m ready to represent.”
The Hawaiian fighter describes this time in his career as a new chapter. Medeiros is excited to take on Vannata, as he has an exciting and wild striking style, which Medeiros is more than ready for.
“He’s going to come and bring it. He always does,” Medeiros said. “Most of the fighters, we all want to win, and I don’t think any of his losses dictate the person he is. He comes in there the same way. Always giving a show, always coming in to bang. He does live up to his name, he’s ‘groovy,’ but this Hawaiian can boogie. And I’m going to show you that Saturday.”
