Episode 167 discussion: Two title fights on tap for UFC 277, PFL to offer a 50/50 PPV revenue split with their fighters
Welcome to ‘The Mookie & Crookie Show’, a spinoff of ‘The Level Change Podcast’ that goes a little more in-depth on major combat sports news, as well as takes a humorous look at the crazy world of combat sports social media. The show is hosted by Mookie Alexander and Stephie Haynes and airs every Tuesday. We provide you with a summary of the topics discussed or questions asked, complete with the timestamps for when each interview or special segment begins. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to the show as much as we enjoyed recording it.
June M. Williams
EPISODE 167
Vieira edges out Holm, Pereira has thriller with The Ponz, JDS’ body fails him – 3:08
UFC 277 gets Pena-Nunes 2, Moreno-Kara France 2 title fights – 24:31
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Michael Chandler scores a highlight reel knockout win via front kick against Tony Ferguson at UFC 274. | Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Karate Kid himself Lyoto Machida rates Michael Chandler’s front kick knockout of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274.
Lyoto Machida is one of the first fighters in the sport’s modern era to show and prove that Karate can work in MMA. “The Dragon” even scored two sensational front kick KO wins in the UFC, both of which remain part of his many highlight reels today.
Four years ago today, Lyoto Machida slept Vitor Belfort with a front kick
pic.twitter.com/RA9aOIKs7R
— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) May 12, 2022
Early this month at UFC 274, Michael Chandler ended his fight with Tony Ferguson in a similar yet seemingly more brutal fashion. And while many other experts out there would find something to criticize in Chandler’s technique, Machida is giving it a perfect ‘10.’
Michael Chandler just sent Tony Ferguson to the SHADOW REALM pic.twitter.com/8r3b9JMPqC
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 8, 2022
This angle is grosssss pic.twitter.com/6Ja5ENeUW3
— Randy Costa (@RandyCosta135) May 9, 2022
“Martial arts, like the name says, is art,” he told MMA Fighting in a recent interview. “And like art, anything can come from it. You look at a painting from Leonardo da Vinci and sometimes you don’t see beauty, but someone with more sensibility than you will be able to see something there. ‘This is so beautiful, look at what this person thought.’
“It’s the same thing with a kick like this. I look at martial arts in a holistic way, you know? Did it work well? So it’s a 10.”
For Machida, an effective technique is an effective technique, regardless of how you execute it.
“I’m the type of guy that sees the martial arts in a global way,” he explained. “‘Oh, this mae geri, this front kick had no technique, he kicked from down up.’ Did it work? It did. If it worked, it’s good.
“We tend to diminish [others]. It’s not easy to land a kick like that. [People criticize,] ‘If his feet was like that, or his knee was a bit bent.’ I don’t care. What matters to me is how effective it was.
“[If] I’m going out to hunt and I have the best weapon, but I wasn’t effective, what’s the point? [If] my weapon isn’t that good, but I went there and killed the animal? That means I was effective, that I did it well.”
The 43-year-old Machida (26-12) is currently signed under Bellator MMA. He last saw action at Bellator 281 two weeks ago against Fabian Edwards and lost via first-round knockout, marking his fourth straight defeat.
Valentina Shevchenko eyeing possible UFC bantamweight title shot in 2022 | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
UFC women’s flyweight champion eyes a chance to become a double champ before the end of year
Valentina Shevchenko won the vacant UFC women’s flyweight title in December 2018. On June 11, ‘Bullet’ attempts to defend that title for the seventh time when she faces Taila Santos in the co-main event of UFC 275. If Shevchenko wins—and she is heavily favored to do so—the odds are good that she will once again field questions about a second attempt at winning the promotion’s bantamweight title.
Before moving to flyweight, Shevchenko went 3-2 at bantamweight under the UFC banner. Her two defeats came at the hands of now former champion Amanda Nunes. In 2017, Nunes successfully defended her title against the Kyrgyzstan-born fighter, winning a split decision at UFC 215.
In the fight that earned Shevchenko that title shot, she submitted current champion Julianna Pena via armbar in the second round of their UFC on FOX 23 headlining matchup.
Pena captured the title from Nunes in December, scoring an upset submission win at UFC 269. Pena and Nunes are currently set for a rematch at UFC 277 in July. After that bout takes place it seems, Shevchenko can se a future where—with a win over Santos—she could get her shot at becoming a two-division UFC champion.
“I think by the end of the year it’s going to be a good fight,” Shevchenko said of a potential match between herself and the Nunes/Pena winner on The MMA Hour. “But also we have to see—Miesha Tate is coming to 125 in July. So many things can happen, many things can change. So yeah, I think it’s possible. It’s very, very, very possible.”
Despite two losses to Nunes already, Shevchenko dominance during her reign atop the 125-pound weight division has kept talk of a third fight in regular rotation. She is 8-0 in the UFC at flyweight with five finishes and three unanimous decision wins. Shevchenko has TKO wins in her past two title defenses, stopping Jessica Andrade in the second round and Lauren Murphy in the fourth stanza.
UFC 275 takes place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Alongside the flyweight title fight co-main event, the event is expected to be headlined by a clash between light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira and challenger Jiri Prochazka.
Photo by Alejandro Salazar/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Canelo wants his revenge against Bivol, but he will honor a prior agreement first.
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez suffered just his second career loss earlier this month when he was outpointed by Dmitry Bivol in a light heavyweight (175 lb) fight. Before that fight went down, Canelo had agreed to finally give Gennady Golovkin the third fight he’s wanted for so long.
When Canelo lost, it remained to be seen if that would actually happen. But according to the man himself, it will indeed go down in September (via ESPN Knockout)
“In the next few days we will announce the September fight. Surely, it will be against GGG because we already had that agreement, but I will also fight Bivol again.”
While their first two fights took place at middleweight (160 lbs) and both featured very close, controversial scorecards, this one will take place a division up at 168 pounds. Canelo (57-2-2, 39 KOs) is the undisputed champion at 168, while Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs) has never fought at that weight previously.
After that, Canelo intends to return to 175 to rematch Bivol. This will most likely go down next May. Golovkin is coming off a ninth-round TKO win over Ryota Murata in April, where he picked up a third middleweight title.
Julianna Peña after defeating Amanda Nunes at UFC 269. | Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Check out all the fights announced over the past week in the UFC, Bellator and other promotions.
Fights on Tap is a weekly roundup of all the fights booked in the UFC, Bellator and other promotions.
There is no UFC or Bellator, but there is a Cage Warriors doubleheader and a KSW event if you still need your fill of fisticuffs this weekend. Because we’re on a break, let’s move forward and see what we have ahead of us on the upcoming schedule.
The UFC either announced or finalized 19 fights this week, and a highly anticipated championship rematch has been confirmed for the summer.
Is Julianna Peña going to shock the world again, or will Amanda Nunes reclaim her throne? We’re about to find out because the championship rematch between the ‘Venezuelan Vixen’ and the ‘Lioness’ is expected to headline UFC 277, the upcoming pay-per-view event scheduled on July 30 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. Peña defeated Nunes via second-round rear-naked choke at UFC 269 this past December. The former champion was on a 12-fight win streak that included several title defenses in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions.
Before their rematch was booked, both women served as coaches on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter, TUF 30 (currently airing on ESPN+). Now that filming has completed, Peña and Nunes will prepare for their second meeting.
UFC Fight Night — June 18
Ricardo Ramos vs. Danny Chavez — featherweight
UFC Fight Night — June 25
Tafon Nchukwi vs. Carlos Ulberg — light heavyweight
UFC 276 — July 2
Jalin Turner vs. Brad Riddell — lightweight
UFC Fight Night — July 9
Cody Brundage vs. Tresean Gore — middleweight
UFC Fight Night — July 16
Ricky Simón vs. Jack Shore — bantamweight
Billy Quarantillo vs. Bill Algeo — featherweight
Li Jingliang vs. Muslim Salikhov — welterweight
UFC London — July 23
Makwan Amirkhani vs. Jonathan Pearce — featherweight
UFC 277 — July 30
Julianna Peña vs. Amanda Nunes — women’s bantamweight
Drew Dober vs. Rafael Alves — lightweight
Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Ihor Potieria — light heavyweight
UFC Fight Night — August 6
Michał Oleksiejczuk vs. Sam Alvey — middleweight
UFC Fight Night — August 13
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Bruno Silva — middleweight
Devin Clark vs. Azamat Murzakanov — light heavyweight
Aspen Ladd vs. Sara McMann — women’s bantamweight
Łukasz Brzeski vs. Martin Buday — heavyweight
UFC 278 — August 20
Aoriqileng vs. Jay Perrin — bantamweight
UFC Fight Night — September 10
Trey Ogden vs. Daniel Zellhuber — lightweight
Nikolas Motta vs. Cameron VanCamp — lightweight
Announced Bellator fights:
Bellator 282 — June 24
Cody Law vs. James Gonzalez — featherweight
Bellator Dublin — September 23
Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Kane Mousah — lightweight
Ciaran Clarke vs. Georges Sasu — featherweight
Brian Moore vs. Arivaldo Lima da Silva — bantamweight
Announced Professional Fighters League (PFL) fights:
PFL 4 (2022 Regular Season) — June 17
Clay Collard vs. Alexander Martinez — lightweight
Antonio Carlos Jr. vs. Bruce Souto — light heavyweight
Raush Manfio vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier — lightweight
Jeremy Stephens vs. Myles Price — lightweight
Omari Akhmedov vs. Teodoras Aukstuolis — light heavyweight
Natan Schulte vs. Marcin Held — lightweight
Emiliano Sordi vs. Delan Monte — light heavyweight
Rob Wilkinson vs. Viktor Pesta — light heavyweight
Marthin Hamlet vs. Josh Silveira — light heavyweight
Announced Cage Warriors fights:
Cage Warriors 137 — May 27
Adam Cullen vs. Arnaud Kherfallah — lightweight
Bogdan Barbu vs. Daan Duijs — bantamweight
Cage Warriors 139 — July 10
Roberto Hernandez vs. Michael O’Leary — featherweight
John Andrus vs. David Lopez — flyweight
Announced KSW fights:
KSW 70 — May 28
Łukasz Rajewski vs. Francisco Albano Barrio — catchweight (163 lbs.)
Anita Bekus vs. Roberta Zocco — women’s strawweight
KSW 71 — June 18
Marian Ziółkowski vs. Sebastian Rajewski — lightweight
Roxanne Modafferi back stage ahead of her UFC 271 bout against Casey O’Neill. | Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC
Roxanne Modafferi tackles your questions, Happy Warrior style, in her ‘Dear Roxy’ column for Bloody Elbow.
The Happy Warrior has returned!
I get asked lots of great questions by fans and fellow fighters, and I’d like my experience and knowledge to help everyone, so I’ve decided to start a ‘Dear Roxy’ advice column. Each month I’ll take your most interesting questions about fighting, training, and life in general and answer them to the best of my ability. Hopefully, we can all learn a few things along the way.
Last time around, we talked about planning out sparring sessions in the gym, making sure you choose your partners wisely and get the kind of helpful experience you need from training. We also talked about taking care of your body, and adressing potential underlying causes of injury—most particularly establishing stretching, strength, and conditioning routines to make sure that you joints suffer as little stress as possible.
This week, we’ll be talking about putting on your game face, creating a welcoming culture inside your gym, and surviving the Ultimate Fighter.
Dear Roxy,
How do you manage to keep a poker face after getting struck in the shin, or an already busted nose, or other parts of the body that are loaded with nerve endings? Does the adrenaline of the fight mask the pain, or do you have to make a conscious effort not to let the pain show through? – From ClowntimeIsOver
Dear ClowntimeIsOver,
Indeed, adrenaline masks most of the pain. From what I can remember from my distorted reality during my fights, it’s more the blows to the head that bothered me. If I got hit really really hard on the side of the head, it was like blinking really slowly. The world paused, or disappeared for a moment, and then came back. Only I felt slower. That physical reaction I experienced got in my way the most.
I’ve experienced getting mentally stuck on gameplans afterwards. For example, if the strategy was to try to throw strikes to close the distance and then do a takedown, I would go after the takedown like a Terminator. Even if they weren’t working and I should have changed the strategy to more kicks or punches, I kept doing the same thing and failing. In the beginning of a fight, I would be more clearheaded. It depended on how hard the person punched. For example, Viviane Araujo punched extremely hard. She’s maybe one of the top-five hardest punchers I’ve ever felt. If other fighters’ punches weren’t quite as strong, I would be able to walk through them and eat them easier without being effected. I rarely felt pain.
Regarding pain, I experienced more of sharp stinging jolts when struck in the nose, or an area already bruised up. They were annoying, but I was more concerned with the fact that my opponent hit me and was getting points. The little voice in my head said, “Oh no, that landed. You didn’t block that!” Actual pain didn’t bother me so much.
Regarding a poker face, this is actually quite a good point. I’ve been studying the Unified Rules more closely and it states that the judges are supposed to weigh more heavily the strikes that hurt or damage the opponent. If a fighter acts as if the painful strike didn’t bother them in the slightest, the judges may very well not count it as a significant strike. Therefore, a poker face would impact the outcome of a judges’ decision.
Dear Roxy,
How do you feel about the way MMA gyms/ coaches handle LGBTQ+ issues and how you think they should be handled, as well as any advice you may have for the LGBTQ+ youth who are interested in or currently pursuing MMA? – From, MostlyInHerHead
Dear MostlyInHerHead,
In the gyms I’ve trained at or done seminars at, LGBTQ+ folks are treated with respect and warmth. When I did a seminar in Washington, I noted that Bellingham BJJ labels the bathrooms “Gender Neutral Bathrooms” to make everyone feel comfortable, although they’re just a typical toilet and sink. I guess the alternative would be “Women” and “Men” signs you commonly find hung on plaques on doors. The owner Jeff told me that it’s important to him to make an environment where everyone feels comfortable. I agree – everyone should have the opportunity to train and have a safe haven from daily stress.
The LGBTQ+ community should absolutely learn martial arts for self-defense, as they tend to be statistically attacked at higher rates. As for competition, there are no set guidelines and there’s a lot of conflicting data. Competing aside, I think everyone should be given the opportunity to train. Gym owners should welcome anyone in to train and practice as much as they want, and at the places I’ve been to, they are welcome. All genders typically train together, and members get to know each other as people who love martial arts.
Dear Roxy,
Which TUF were you most nervous for, which did you like more? Did you prefer one coach to the other? How was it knowing that you were more advanced in bjj than some of the coaches and trainers? Is it easier (or maybe it’s harder) being that you’re in your hometown and you want to go to your own place and shower and sleep but you cant… but it’s just down the street (basically). -From, Anonymous
Dear Annonymous,
Well, before both of them, I was feeling lost and unsure of my next step. Before TUF 18, I was on a massive losing streak and my body was falling apart. Before TUF 26, I felt healthy and strong, also believing I had achieved a higher skill level. However, I was unable to take my career to the next level due to the fact my weight class (flyweight) didn’t exist in the UFC. I couldn’t make a living.
I felt more nerves and anxiety before TUF 18. I knew my career depended on that one fight to get into the house (against Valérie Létourneau). It didn’t really matter how high-level my jiujitsu skills were. Miesha Tate and her team were better than me at pretty much everything on TUF 18. Justin Gaethje and his team had fantastic wrestling, and I got good striking practice with Assistant Coach Luke Caudillo. Vinny Magalhães, who’s jiujitsu is actually far above mine, was an assistant coach on TUF 26 so that was super cool.
It was definitely weird knowing exactly where I was going. When I first went to Vegas for TUF 18, I couldn’t recognize anything. When they drove us around during TUF 26, I knew exactly where we were – like 15 minutes north of my apartment. That was pretty funny. I didn’t particularly want to go home. I wanted to beat up three girls and win the title.
As to who I liked more? There were awesome people on both seasons. I had a better experience and got along with more people on TUF 26. I’ll never forget how kind grappling coach Ricky Lundell was to me on TUF 18. Luke on TUF 26 was super supportive, and Justin is just a fun guy to be around in general.
Holly Holm lost the UFC Vegas 55 main event to Ketlen Vieira. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
All the best, most interesting, and unquestionably coolest fights the UFC needs to book following their latest event in Las Vegas, NV.
The UFC Vegas 55 main card had the look of a grind from the very outset, most notably due to the main event bout between former champ Holly Holm and rising contender Ketlen Vieira. And while Michel Pereira and Santiago Ponzinibbio thrilled, and Chidi Njokuani stole the show, the night very much ended on a note of struggle.
So, did Vieira do enough to make herself the next bantamweight title contender? Is Michel Pereira finally the top 10 fighter he’s had the clear potential to be? And how big a step up should Njokuani get after two straight highlight KO wins?
To answer those questions—but little else—I’ll be using the classic Silva/Shelby fight booking methodology from the UFC of years past. That means pitting winners against winners, losers against losers, and similarly tenured talent up against one another. Hopefully, by following that model, a few of these bout ideas will actually make it off the page and into the Octagon. Now, let’s get to the fights!
KETLEN VIEIRA
A massively important and (at least to my mind) well deserved win for Ketlen Vieira, who did a great job of not getting caught up in so much of the BS-ing that Holm does with her blitzing flurries to the clinch. She sat down on the bigger, better strikes over the middle three rounds of the fight, and won them all from two out of three judges. It’s honestly kind of a minor miracle given Holm’s ability to sway scores in the past, but the result is a very likely title shot for the Brazilian.
For fans that think she may not be ready for that step up, there’s a strong argument to be made for a fight against Raquel Pennington or even a rematch against Irene Aldana. But given the state of title contenders in the division, that seems like a bit of a waste. Pennington is the other obvious challenger of the moment, and if Amanda Nunes is still champ, that doesn’t feel like a particularly necessary rematch. For now, Vieira vs. the Nunes/Pena 2 winner seems like the most likely outcome. It’s not the most dynamic title fight of all time, but Vieira’s put herself in the right place at the right time.
HOLLY HOLM
Arguments about how the fight might have been scored or whether or not Holm should have won feel like they ignore a pretty solid truth that Holly Holm just looked a good step slower on Saturday. It’s taken 20 years and 60+ professional fights (between MMA, boxing, & kickboxing), but she wasn’t nearly as elusive as she’s been in the past out in open space. When Ketlen Vieira let her hands go, she found Holm’s chin on the end of them. Over the course of five rounds, it did seem like the ‘Preacher’s Daughter’ found her way into the bout, having a notably strong 5th round as Vieira started to flag. But for much of it, she struggled not only to create damaging offense, but to get out of the way of the damage coming back her way. A notable difference from her bout with Irene Aldana, just two years ago.
Fortunately, if Holm is dead set on fighting till the wheels fall off, there are plenty of 135ers she hasn’t seen in the Octagon yet. When available, bouts with Yana Kunitskaya, Sara McMann, Aspen Ladd, or even Julianna Pena (should she lose her belt) would all make sense even if most of those fighters were coming off wins. Hell, if Germaine de Randamie is still fighting, I’d love to see that rematch. I would say Kunitskaya is the best option among these women right now, but she and Holm have trained a lot together in the past, so that probably won’t happen. So how about Holly Holm vs. the McMann/Ladd winner? Both women are looking for a path to title contention and Holm is still very much that person at 135.
MICHEL PEREIRA
By the end of round 3, Santiago Ponzinibbio had truly asserted his presence in the fight and was starting to land the bigger, better strikes. Unfortunately for him, it took too long to get there, and Pereira had two solid rounds in the bank already. That victory should plant the Brazilian squarely in the top 15. After the fight Pereira called out Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal, but I doubt either of those bouts happen, especially considering that Nate is just looking to get out of his UFC contract and into free agency at this point. He could target fights with Sean Brady, Michael Chiesa, or Li Jingiang instead, but there’s an upcoming bout between Neil Magny and Shavkat Rakhmonov, two of the few welterweights that can even start to match the Brazilian for his ridiculous size. Pereira vs. the Rakhmonov/Magny winner sounds like a good next step towards the top 10 for ‘Demolidor.’
CHIDI NJOKUANI
Another fight, another stunning first round knockout for Chidi Njokuani. He may have had a long career before ever stepping foot inside the Octagon, but now that he’s here he’s building a whole new reputation as a devastating KO artist. Realistically, given all his experience, the UFC could throw Njokuani as far up the division as he’s willing. Anyone up to Krzysztof Jotko or Gerald Meerschaert would make sense. But, for the moment, I’ll say the UFC should pick someone more firmly in the middle of middleweight, making their own climb. Anthony Hernandez has picked up his share of hard losses alongside entertaining wins. He’s also the kind of relentlessly aggressive fighter that used to trouble Njokuani in the past. Njokuani vs. Hernandez seems like a great step up to see if ‘Chidi Chidi Bang Bang’ can keep his momentum going.
JOSEPH HOLMES
This was very much the performance Holmes had to have against an opponent like Amedovski, who just might be the rawest talent in the middleweight division. He went out and used Amedovski’s aggression against him from the jump to great effect, landing constant counters. Eventually he caught him leaning in with a step knee that sat Amedovski down, and followed up with the RNC sub. Surprisingly, after the bout, Holmes made the claim that he’s the best grappler in the middleweight division. I don’t really see any way that could be true, but if he believes it and Andre Petroski believes it, they should fight and settle it. Petroski vs. Holmes is a great bout to settle the ‘best middleweight grappler in the UFC’ argument.
JAILTON ALMEIDA
As expected Jailton Almeida’s dip into the UFC heavyweight division was easy work for the Brazilian. He went out and took Parker Porter down with a quickness, landed lots of shots from half guard, and wrapped up the submission the moment Porter gave up his back. That should put him in perfect position to drop right back down to 205 and pick up another fight in his climb toward the top 15. That could mean bouts with Azamat Murzakanov, Philipe Lins, or a re-booking of his Maxim Grishin bout. I really like the idea of a fight with Nicolae Negumereanu, but unfortunately the Romanian is already booked. So let’s go with Lins instead. The former WSOF champ looked shockingly effective in his return to 205 against Marcin Prachnio, and we already know that his size isn’t going to intimidate Almeida. Brazil vs. Brazil seems like the way to go; Almeida vs. Lins is a great fight.
UROS MEDIC
This bout started out as a pretty even exchange of well paced kickboxing, but Uros Medic fairly quickly established himself as the front runner with a steady diet of jabs and low kicks. Omar Morales got more and more wild trying to catch up with Medic’s pace and the result were a series of hard left hooks that sent Morales to the canvas multiple times. It’s a great sign for Medic, most notably that he could keep composure to fight at a solid pace for multiple rounds. Given his frame and power, that could make him a real tough out in the lightweight division. Jordan Leavitt has already made himself known for his wily scrambling and grappling attack. Can Leavitt deal with Medic on the feet, can Medic keep from getting tangled up on the floor? Seems like a great style clash bout between rising prospects. Uros Medic vs. Jordan Leavitt would be a great benchmark fight for both men.
CHASE HOOPER
As one of the younger signings in recent UFC history, Chase Hooper’s success in the cage was always going to be measure by how much he could improve from fight to fight more than anything else. And while he’s hit his fair share of setbacks, it really did feel like this fight with Colares marked a good step forward. Even if he didn’t spend a lot of time striking, or hit easy takedowns, his cardio and scrambling attacks were absolutely unstoppable. If he can just keep that kind of energy going, he can make himself a fun problem for many other mid-card featherweights. Nate Landwehr has built his own reputation for being a non-stop action fighter. Hooper vs. Landwehr seems like a surefire battle of wills.
OTHER BOUTS: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Niko Price, Dusko Todorovic vs. Nick Maximov, Tabatha Ricci vs. Loma Lookboonmee, Polyana Viana vs. Ariane Carnelossi, Jun Yong Park vs. the Buckley/Duraev winner, Eryk Anders vs. Ian Heinisch, Alen Amedovski vs. Roman Kopylov, Parker Porter vs. Juan Espino, Omar Morales vs. Jamie Mullarkey, Jonathan Martinez vs. Kyler Phillips, Vince Morales vs. Brandon Davis, Felipe Colares vs. Youssef Zalal, Sam Hughes vs. Cheyanne Vlismas, Elise Reed vs. Montserrat Conejo
Jailton Almeida celebrating his win over Parker Porter at UFC Vegas 55 | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Get a unique rundown on all the trophies that should have been handed out at UFC Vegas 55 with Dayne Fox’s Unofficial Awards
There is always going to be controversial decisions. Hell, it’s been well over a decade and I can still find people who will argue over Machida-Shogun I or Penn-Edgar I. I doubt Ketlen Vieira’s debatable win over Holly Holm will have the staying power of those contests, but it could end up being the most argued decision of the year as things sit. Personally, I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a robbery, though I did disagree with the decision. Regardless, it gave UFC Vegas 55 a strong talking point for a card that was expected to fade into the background in a hurry. While I will certainly touch on that, there were other talking points worth noting from the event, which we’ll get to with my Unofficial Awards….
For all the results, click here. For an audio recap of the event, click here.
Biggest Jump in Stock: Sometimes, it is strictly the result that matters as opposed to how the job got done. That’s exactly the case for Vieira. There is going to be a fair amount of debate over the next couple of weeks about whether she actually deserved the W the judges gave her, but none of that is going to change the outcome: Vieira picked up her second consecutive win over a former champion. Sure, neither Holm nor Miesha Tate appeared to be at the top of their game when Vieira beat them. That doesn’t take away from the fact the UFC was propping both of them up as the A-side against Vieira in hopes of them becoming challengers for the title. Vieira upended both and she should be rewarded as such. I can’t guarantee she’ll get a title shot next as I could see a trilogy if Nunes regains the belt. Nevertheless, outside of Nunes and Pena, no one has a better angle on the title than Vieira.
Biggest Fall in Stock: No one took a massive tumble down the ranks. There were several fighters who were in danger of losing their roster spot – and are likely to do so – but their stock was already low if they were at that point. So even though he picked up a well-deserved $ 50K bonus, I’ll go with Santiago Ponzinibbio. It has less to do with the Argentinian not being able to fight competitively with the upper quarter of the division – he obviously can – but that he can’t consistently get the W any more against those brushing up against the official rankings. It isn’t a huge drop from where he previously had been, but it is a very noticeable drop. Throw in that it was his third loss in his last four fights and he’s the most logical choice in a see that is lacking in obvious choices. Some may point to Holm for this spot, but given so many believe she deserved the win, it somewhat negates the obvious drop in her performance.
Start Typing a Resume: To give an idea of where Dusko Todorovicwas in the eyes of the UFC organization, he was on the B-side of a fight with a Bellator washout. Not that Chidi Njokuani hasn’t rehabilitated himself, but Todorovic was considered to be one of the top middleweight prospects in the organization not that long ago. Todorovic had some moments that could be pointed to as progress, but he was ultimately KO’d in the first round, leaving him with three losses in his last four contests.
Given the long layoff – it’s been 32 months since we last saw him – it’s a bit of a surprise the UFC brought Alen Amedovski back at all. Seeing as how he just barely lasted past a minute, it’s safe to say they won’t do so again. He simply doesn’t have the physical tools to get away with his one-dimensional approach.
Unless you’ve built up a hell of a cache in your time on the UFC roster – much like Jim Miller and/or Clay Guida – you’re not going to maintain a roster spot if you’ve lost three of your last four at the age of 36 in the lightweight division. Omar Morales looks like he could still be competitive, but the results aren’t there and his age makes it hard to believe immediate improvements are on the horizon. Being KO’d for the first time in his career can’t help either. Given the depth of the division, it would be wiser for the UFC to give his spot to a younger fighter who may or may not develop into a star.
I’ve been a bit surprised the UFC has held onto Felipe Colaresas long as they have. He didn’t enter with a lot of hype and hasn’t been involved in any real barnburners. Now that he’s sitting at 2-4, it seems unlikely the UFC is going to bring him back. Bellator would appear to be a good fit for him, but I shouldn’t pretend to know where he could end up.
Saved Their Job(s): This section turned out to be harder than expected to fill out. The likes of Chase Hooper and Uros Medic were the names that came to mind, but do I really believe the UFC was going to cut either one of them loose with a loss? In the case of Hooper, absolutely not. In the case of Medic, it depends on how bad his loss was. Clearly, we aren’t going to find out given both won, but there’s no doubt they hadn’t been meeting the expectations the organization had for them entering this event. I suppose Joseph Holmescould have been included here too, but his release could have been less notable then either Hooper’s or Medic’s release if it were to happen. To be fair, Holmes did have a fantastic performance.
Biggest WOW Moment: There’s absolutely no doubt this goes to the elbow Chidi Njokuani delivered to the head of Todorovic to put the Serbian fighter away. The round was coming to an end and everyone was expecting the round to come to a close as the two wrestled for control in the clinch. Njokuani’s elbow was placed perfectly upside the head of Todorovic to give the former Bellator standout his second consecutive first round KO.
Best Camp Change: Sam Hughes opened her UFC career 0-3. I won’t say it’s a rarity when fighters get a fourth opportunity after that type of start, but fighters find themselves on the chopping block more often than not after losing their first three contests. Hughes changed camps to Fortis MMA and has proceeded to pick up two wins in the process. It isn’t just that she has won those fights, she has fought with a purpose, showing a clear strategy in each contest, something that wasn’t always apparent in her first three UFC fights. Securing a late finish over Elise Reed was just icing on the cake.
Best Mental Turnaround: Rumor has it, Njokuani was miserable in his final days in Bellator. At the very least, he made some vague allusions to feeling that way in past interviews and it translated into his performance in the cage. Now, Njokuani appears to be a far better state of mind. He’s on a four-fight win streak with the last two coming in the UFC. This recent run has eliminated the debate whether Njokuani’s decline was mental or physical as he looks to be at his physical best. Given the insane amount of weight he used to cut to make 170, it was a valid concern given he was still only 30 when he exited Bellator. Now, he’s a poster child for what a good frame of mind can do for a fighter.
Worst Fight IQ: Most of the advantages went to Polyana Viana in her contest with Tabatha Ricci. She was taller by a significant margin, had more experience, and a better BJJ pedigree. The one thing that was a major question mark was her fight IQ. Viana had proven to content to fight off her back in the past and the concern was she would do so once again against Ricci. That was the only reason anyone would pick against her. Well, it proved to be a valid reason. Even though Viana had quite a bit of success in the standup, she conceded takedowns to easily and made little to no effort to get back to her feet when on her back. I acknowledge Viana landed some good strikes off her back, most notably several kicks to the legs of Ricci when Ricci stood above her. But did that negate the long periods of control and strikes Ricci landed from the top. Given Viana came out the loser, obviously not. It’s nice to have a dangerous guard, but it’s foolish to rely on it.
Most Dominant Performance: It isn’t going to get a lot of smoke given it was expected that Jailton Almeida would plow through Parker Porter. But it is definitely noteworthy as Almeida was moving up to heavyweight in order to take down the much larger Porter. Perhaps most surprising was the ease in which Almeida took Porter down. Almeida held him down for the rest of the round before finding the finish, suffering nary a scratch in the process. His fight with Porter might have taken place at heavyweight, but it was a hell of a statement to make for the rest of the light heavyweight division.
Coming of Age: There always seems to be a fair amount of hate towards Hooper. It isn’t his fault. Getting a fight on DWCS at the tender age of 18 was a hell of an achievement. He won the fight to prove he was at least worthy of a look at the time. While the UFC did wait another year before they signed him, it was obvious to everyone that he was going to have to be spoon fed opponents much in the same way Sage Northcutt was in his much-maligned UFC run. He needed more seasoning on the regional scene. It doesn’t look like that will be the case anymore. It isn’t that Colares is a world-beater, but Hooper looked like he was a level above him after some competitive moments. I still don’t see Hooper becoming a contender, but he finally looks like he deserves his spot on the roster.
Conor McGregor when he fought Dennis Siver in 2015. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
McGregor had one of his infamous tweet and delete storms last night.
Conor McGregor loves a bit of the old Twitter machine. Last night, the former UFC champion did what he has done many times before; rant wildly into the void with a series of aggressive tweets which he would later delete.
Among this latest barrage was an interesting claim regarding his past opponents. Chiefly, he stated that only one man was ever able to “put a scratch” on him.
I know what you’re thinking. We’ve seen McGregor bloodied up a few times over the course of his career. The Irishman’s second battle with Nate Diaz was especially gorey, he was put to sleep by Dustin Poirier and even in his 13-second fight with Jose Aldo the Brazilian was able to land a blow that caused a trickle of claret from his brow.
However, McGregor didn’t name any of those men as the owner of blows that left any kind of mark on him.
“Them elbows are no joke. Nor the upkicks. Everyone’s ground and pound is piss,” penned McGregor. “Not a scratch has there ever been on me. Mendes only one. Fair play all the same; bare-knuckle Chad.”
McGregor fought Chad Mendes in 2015 and won by second round TKO. During the fight Mendes got some licks in on the ground and was able to open up a large cut on the right side of McGregor’s face.
Mendes left the UFC three years later. Recently he appeared in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, scoring a TKO in his debut fight.
McGregor’s win over Mendes set him up for his historic UFC featherweight title win over Aldo. An inconsistent run in the Octagon and a slew of controversies have followed since then.
McGregor’s most recent UFC appearance was at last year’s UFC 264. There he suffered a broken leg against Dustin Poirier, resulting in a TKO loss. The aftermath of that fight was punctuated with more tweet-and-delete behaviour from McGregor, some of which appeared to threaten Poirier’s family.
It is assumed that McGregor, now healed from the broken leg, will make a return to the cage sometime this year.
Michel Pereira added a quality name to his resume Saturday night, taking a split decision victory over long time contender Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC Vegas 55. After the contest, he called his shot for what he wants next.
“Now I need top 15, top 10,” Pereira said on his post-fight interview. “Hey Nate, I’m ready! Hey Jorge Masvidal, come my friend!”
Apparently, the Masvidal callout has extra meaning for him. As he revealed soon after, Pereira has a “problem” with Masvidal, over an emoji he sent.
“I really want to fight Nate Diaz because I think it would be really fun to slap each other around,” Pereira said at the post-fight press conference. “Also, Jorge Masvidal because I have a little bit of a problem with him and I want to settle it.
“(Masvidal) sent an emoji to my wife. The (praying hands) emoji,” Pereira said. “He sent it to my wife and didn’t send it to me.
“I never actually crossed paths with him, never had the chance to ask him. So I figured I really want to understand, but might as well understand inside the Octagon. So let’s just settle it over there.”
With the win over Ponzinibbio, Pereira will likely enter the top 15 rankings. The backflipping Brazilian has now won five straight bouts dating back to the 2020 bout against Diego Sanchez, a match he was dominating until the illegal knee that got him disqualified.
June M. Williams 
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