Rematches usually don’t turn out too well for the fighter that lost the first time, and that was certainly the case in the UFC Fight Island 2 main event, as Deiveson Figueiredo looked frighteningly destructive in seizing the vacant flyweight crown against Joseph Benavidez. It was one of those wins where you wonder who is
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“I thought she understood but really didn’t get it,” said Smith. “It was kind of like that on the first day when we told her. But the second day, she just broke down. She wasn’t making any faces, but her mouth was just wide open, and she was crying and pushing out sounds. She wouldn’t
It’s not very often that an undefeated fighter heads into a main card clash with a surging former champion while remaining under the radar, but Rodriguez’ UFC run has been anything but conventional. The talented Brazilian is 2-0-2 through her first four appearances inside the Octagon, with victories over Jessica Aguilar and Tecia Torres sandwiched
There would be no doubt this time around. Figueiredo’s performance was as impressive as you’d want from a fighter trying to claim the belt. Figueiredo hurt Benavidez early in round one and a stoppage looked imminent but Benavidez survived a rear naked choke attempt. Then Figueiredo knocked Benavidez down again and this time he wouldn’t
Key Stats: 5 knockout wins (1st all-time among FLW), 3.99 strikes landed per minute (5th all-time among FLW), 17 total fights (1st all-time among FLW) What It Means: No other flyweight has more Octagon experience than Joseph Benavidez, and throughout his career, he has shown a propensity for landing the power shot. Moreover, his best
Shortly after the restart, the former two-division champion connected on a heavy knee strike that triggered the finishing sequence, prompting many to wonder if things would have been different had Benavidez been given a moment to recover the same way Cejudo was against Cruz. The combination of Figueiredo missing weight and the clash of heads
Lightweight prospect Arman Tsarukyan impressed in his matchup with Davi Ramos, winning a clear-cut three-round unanimous decision. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Tsarukyan, now 15-2. Ramos falls to 10-4. Though known for their grappling, Tsarukyan and Ramos drilled each other with hard strikes in the early going, Tsarukyan holding an edge thanks to
And that’s exactly what the British fighter did in 2019. He refocused on himself and bounced back with wins over Joe Duffy and Lando Vannata. It was a good feeling for Diakiese, who, at 27 years old, holds a 5-3 record in the Octagon. “I feel like I’m ready to take on the world. I
UFC Ultimate Sound is the first-ever music streaming app that allows UFC fighters the opportunity to directly connect with fans around the world through music and content. “It’s all about bridging a gap between fans and their favorite sport. With UFC Ultimate Sound, we can finally connect fans and fighters on a new level. Music
Welterweight strikers Mounir Lazzez and Abdul Razak Alhassan didn’t hold back in unleashing their full array of attacks, but the durable 170-pounders went all three rounds, with the debuting Lazzez earning a unanimous decision over Alhassan, who was making his first start since 2018. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Lazzez, now 10-1. Alhassan,
Jim and Aljo start with welterweight Leon Edwards, who reminds us that he’s still pissed about the ‘three-piece-and-soda’ incident with Jorge Masvidal, makes his case for a title fight against Kamaru Usman, and lets us know exactly how much those foot stomps Usman used at UFC 251 hurt. Then, Aljo talks with Jim about why
Following the win, which landed Kattar at the number six spot in the 145-pound rankings, it was a familiar ritual, albeit one thrown off a bit to the pandemic. “You know what the post-fight meal is – it’s always cutlets,” laughed Kattar. “I’m a big cutlet guy. The one day I had off (before the
First, Jim and Phoenix question the judging for the featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway and examine welterweight champ Kamaru Usman’s successful strategy against Jorge Masvidal. Then, the NEW bantamweight champion, Petr Yan, calls in from Abu Dhabi to share the secrets to his Twitter trash talk, the seemingly late stoppage in
DEIVESON FIGUEIREDO VS. JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ Flyweight rivals Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez will once again fight to determine the new king of the division as the standout contenders meet in the main event of this weekend’s fight card on Fight Island. The duo faced off earlier this year in Norfolk, Virginia, but the title remained
Key Stats: 49.8% significant strike accuracy, 2.15 takedowns per 15 minutes, 4.12 strikes landed per minute What It Means: Dan Ige is always down for a scrap. Composed and well-rounded, he packs real power in his punches and, with a 71-inch reach compared to his 5-foot-7 frame, he is deceptively long when advancing. His wrestling
While that milestone is one of McCann’s highlights during lockdown, she had to celebrate another in an underwhelming way. Instead of celebrating her 30th birthday with her friends in Spain, May 4 came and went like any of the other standstill days during the last few months. Paired with the stress of living with her
Everybody that has passionately followed stick and ball sports at one time or another can remember a player from their favorite team who had all the markings of a potential superstar, but constantly struggled to put it all together. That’s the best way I can describe Dawson’s first three years on the UFC roster. The
When an NBA All-Star rolls an ankle and is forced to spend six-to-eight weeks on the sidelines, everyone understands and expects that those first several games back are going to be an adjustment period — their conditioning won’t be where it usually is, their timing within the offense will need to be recalibrated, and their