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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

The UFC Vegas 99 weigh-in video features 20 fighters stepping on the scale Friday morning in Las Vegas. Watch a live stream of the event above, courtesy of Ag. Fight.

In the main event, Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira have to hit the middleweight limit of 186 pounds for the non-title fight. Hernandez has won five straight fights, while Pereira has reeled off eight straight victories.

Rob Font and Kyler Phillips have to hit the 136-pound limit for the non-title bantamweight fight in the co-main event.

The UFC Vegas 99 official weigh-in video begins at 12 p.m. ET.

Check out UFC Vegas 99 weigh-in results below.

Main Card (ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET)

Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira

Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips

Charles Johnson vs. Sumudaerji

Jake Hadley vs. Cameron Smotherman

Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda

Preliminary Card (ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET)

Matheus Nicolau vs. Asu Almabayev

Brad Katona vs. Jean Matsumoto

Joselyne Edwards vs. Tamires Vidal

Jessica Penne vs. Elise Reed

Melissa Martinez vs. Alice Ardelean

Austen Lane vs. Robelis Despaigne

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Can he do it?
| BJPenn.com

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Vegas 99 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which is set to go down tomorrow night (Sat., Oct. 19, 2024) on ESPN+ from inside APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC Vegas 99 features a middleweight main event between Top 15 title contenders Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira, a five-round headliner with major title implications for early 2025 and beyond.

Before we dive into the main and co-main event, which includes the bantamweight showdown between Rob Font and Kyler Phillips, check out Andrew Richardson’s “X-Factor” breakdown for the rest of the UFC Vegas 99 main card by clicking here. Get all the latest “Hernandez vs. Pereira” odds and betting props courtesy of FanDuel right here. For UFC Vegas 99 live results and play-by-play click here.

185 lbs.: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira

Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez
Record: 12-2, 1 NC | Age: 31 | Betting line: -135
Wins: 2 KO/TKO, 8 SUB, 2 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 0 DEC
Height: 6’0” | Reach: 75” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.30 | Striking accuracy: 59%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.46 | Striking Defense: 45%
Takedown Average: 6.62 (49% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 63%
Current Ranking: No. 13 | Last fight: Submission win over Roman Kopylov

Michel “Demolidor” Pereira
Record: 31-11, 2 NC | Age: 24 | Betting line: +110
Wins: 11 KO/TKO, 9 SUB, 11 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 8 DEC, 1 DQ
Height: 6’1“ | Reach: 73” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.16 | Striking accuracy: 54%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.70 | Striking Defense: 58%
Takedown Average: 1.53 (55% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 94%
Current Ranking: No. 14 | Last fight: Submission win over Ihor Potieria

After an electric run on the regional scene, Anthony Hernandez earned his shot at a UFC contract by way of Dana White’s “Contender Series” back in June 2018, where “Fluffy” summarily destroyed opponent Jordan Wright in the first minute of the opening frame. Unfortunately, Hernandez popped for marijuana and the result was overturned, though NSAC eventually revised its outdated stance on weed and the infraction did little to hurt Hernandez’s opportunity to pursue a career in cage fighting.

That turned out to be a win for all parties involved, as “Fluffy” has been nothing short of exceptional in the six years that followed. Hernandez is the winner of five straight with four violent finishes and bagged a pair of performance bonuses along the way. During that stretch he also racked up a staggering 25 takedowns and is now just a handful of takedowns away from cracking the Top 5 all-time among wrestling leaders in the 185-pound weight class. Not bad for a competitor who is still just 31 years old and fighting in his athletic prime.

“At the end of the day, when I get in the cage, it’s, ‘F*** you, fight me, b****, it’s as simple as that,” Hernandez told UFC.com. “I’m going to be there every second, like a little f***ing fly in your face bugging you. I’m just going to show everyone that the next champ is here. That’s the goal. That’s what it’s always been. This fight just shows that I’m going to get closer and closer. So be ready, motherf***ers.”

His wrestling will certainly be put to the test against Michel Pereira, a stingy defensive wrestler with a takedown defense of 94 percent. That was primarily in the welterweight division where he was fighting smaller competition, but he’s still got a height advantage on Hernandez. “Demolidor” started as one of the most violent fighters on the roster and quickly became must-watch TV with his crazy (and often effective) array of unorthodox attacks. The Brazilian has since tempered his wild style to focus more on winning and less on dazzling the crowd and it’s hard to argue against the results: eight straight wins with three straight finishes.

“I got very prepared, I’m very ready for this to go five rounds, but I do not think this fight is going to go five rounds,” Pereira told reporters at the UFC Vegas 99 media day. “Let’s wait and see what happens, but I do not believe this fight is going five rounds. I don’t pay attention to [the betting lines] because I do think he’s coming off four or five straight wins in the division, so I understand why people would say [he’s the favorite]. It’s the merit to his credit, much respect to him. I’m accomplishing that, and I’m making my own accomplishments right now. That’s what I’m going to get to in this division as well.”

Hernandez is a notoriously slow starter but what he lacks in aggressiveness he more than makes up for in stamina, certainly a concern for Pereira. I think the goal for “Fluffy” is to let “Demolidor” empty his tank with an early blitzkrieg, then take over midway through the fight and work to submit the exhausted Brazilian. The more likely scenario is that Pereira takes advantage of a little-too-composed Hernandez and melts him with an early attack — assuming he doesn’t get himself trapped in a guillotine upon entry.

Prediction: Pereira def. Hernandez by technical knockout

135 lbs.: Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips

Rob Font
Record: 20-8 | Age: 37 | Betting line: +320
Wins: 9 KO/TKO, 4 SUB, 7 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 7 DEC
Height: 5’8“ | Reach: 71” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.53 | Striking accuracy: 45%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.65 | Striking Defense: 56%
Takedown Average: 0.89 (35% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 46%
Current Ranking: No. 10 | Last fight: Unanimous decision loss to Deiveson Figueiredo

Kyler “The Matrix” Phillips
Record: 12-2 | Age: 29 | Betting line: -430
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 5 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 2 DEC
Height: 5’8“ | Reach: 72” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.72 | Striking accuracy: 45%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.38 | Striking Defense: 61%
Takedown Average: 2.41 (46% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 75%
Current Ranking: No. 12 | Last fight: Unanimous decision victory over Pedro Munhoz

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when Rob Font was ranked No. 4 at 135 pounds and perhaps one big performance away from a crack at the bantamweight crown. Unfortunately, Font was unable to get past former featherweight champion Jose Aldo and what followed was a compete collapse, to the tune of four losses across his next five fights. That includes his unanimous decision defeat to the resurgent Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Austin last December and now Font is in danger of dropping out of the division Top 10 against a much-younger opponent with an impressive win streak.

“Kyler, he brings it,” Font told reporters at the UFC Vegas 99 media day. “He’s nonstop action. These type of guys, there’s more opportunities to counter, more opportunities to get finishes, and they’re not necessarily a boring fight at all. I think this is a great matchup. I think this is a ‘Fight of the Night’ for sure. Like I said, he brings it. He starts off fast. I believe I start off fast, as well. He has a wild kicking style. He’ll pull guard and try to jump on submissions.”

“This feels similar to when I fought Adrian Yanez,” Font continued. “Unfortunately I lost two in a row, then I fought him, got a big win and then lost another two in a row. Now I’m back with another unranked fighter that’s super dangerous, so it has that feeling. It just gets me up and ready to go. I know with a big win, a big finish, the headlines will be different.”

Kyler Phillips is a product of Dana White’s “Contender Series,” scoring a technical knockout victory over James Gray Jr. but he failed to earn a contract on the inaugural season of the combat sports proving ground. “The Matrix” eventually got called up for UFC Norfolk and established himself as one of the division’s future stars with a 6-1 run. That said, a positive drug test for Ostarine back in May 2023 may have cost him some shine, which he can reclaim with a dominant performance this weekend at APEX. Phillips has relied mostly on speed and athleticism thus far in his career and there’s probably little reason to do otherwise against a 37 year-old Font who looks to be on the downside of his career.

“We got a good opponent,” Phillips told reporters at the UFC Vegas 99 media day. “We got one of the names we wanted. So it’s an honor to be able to do that and step into the Octagon with such a decorated fighter. I see myself matching up very well against anybody in the division, just because of my elusiveness and able to adapt on the fly at any given moment, but still have that basis of a strong fighter.”

Phillips has been winning in recent years and Font has been losing, so it’s no surprise to see “The Matrix” as the odds-on betting favorite. That said, -430 seems ridiculously high against a veteran like Font, who has knockout power and solid fundamentals. In addition, Font has been fighting at or near the top of the food chain for years, batting ex-champions and top title contenders, and most of his losses have been close affairs. Phillips is dangerous early and Font has looked befuddled from time-to-time, but I think he weathers an early storm and settles down later in the fight, stealing a decision on the judges’ scorecards.

Prediction: Font def. Phillips by decision

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the UFC Vegas 99 main card predictions RIGHT HERE.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 99 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ preliminary card matchups which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 99 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here. For the updated and finalized “Hernandez vs. Pereira” fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

MMAmania.com – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Welcome to the latest edition of Missed Fists where we shine a light on fights from across the globe that may have been overlooked in these hectic times where it seems like there’s an MMA show every other day.

As you may have heard, there’s rumors currently swirling around the top of the bantamweight division, with Umar Nurmagomedov supposedly fighting Song Yadong soon instead of getting an expected title shot against Merab Dvalishvili. That’s led to further speculation that Dvalishvili could take on Sean O’Malley in an immediate rematch, which makes no sense, but this is the world we’re living in now.

I bring all this up to say that if O’Malley needs advice on how to deal with Dvalishvili’s relentless wrestling offense, well, I know I a guy.

(Big thanks as always to @Barrelelapierna for their weekly lists of the best KOs and submissions, and to @Grabaka_Hitman for uploading many of the clips you see here. Give them a follow and chip in on Patreon if you can.)

Turpal Gediev vs. Raatbek Kambarov

Hey, “Suga,” why didn’t you just do this to stop Dvalishvili’s takedowns?

At an Integra FC 19 show in Tbilisi, Georgia, Turpal Gediev made fighting look so easy as he stopped a shooting Raatbek Kambarov by simply spinning and planting his foot in his face. Seriously, this technique would have saved O’Malley a lot of trouble (and posting on social media).

Often, I’d call this sort of thing a fluke, like maybe Gediev was planning to kick the body and Kambarov just happened to duck into it, but after several replays, it actually looks like Gediev might have set that up. Either that or he made an incredible read-and-react play, which is mind-blowing in itself.

Will Fleury vs. Pavol Langer
Max Holzer vs. Mohammed Sadok Trabelsi

This news may have flown under the radar in North America, but over in Europe there was no bigger story than Oktagon MMA cramming 59,000-plus rabid MMA fans into Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany.

Though exact numbers are difficult to verify, as with any combat sports event, it’s clear that OKTAGON 62 was a smashing success, and the promotion has truly built something special even without larger-than-life names in the lineup.

Even better, the action delivered with several memorable moments, including Will Fleury’s wicked right hand knockout of Pavol Langer.

Fleury has competed for Bellator and PFL, and now seeks greater glory in Oktagon as he recorded his second straight finish for the promotion.

Big props as well to 22-year-old Max Holzer, who was smart enough to use a scooter for his entrance at the massive venue.

Those long walkouts can kill your cardio, a trap that the wise-beyond-his-years Holzer deftly avoided. Not coincidentally (IMHO), he finished his opponent in Round 3 to improve to 9-0 as a pro.

Adrian Bleszynski vs. Samuel Vogt

Speaking of late finishes, Adrian Bleszynski capped off a win in the fourth with this grueling finish of Samuel Vogt in the main event of Babilon MMA 48 in Sosnowiec, Poland.

That wasn’t exactly the most effective use of guard by Vogt. Great patience by Bleszynski to pick his shots and find a home for some accurate and heavy leather to shut Vogt’s lights off.

Andre Borges vs. Rodrigo Lidio
Inglesson de Lara vs. Marlon Brito
Anderson Ferreira vs. Walber dos Anjos

The knockouts were flowing at Centurion FC 23 in Rio de Janeiro, with both of the evening’s title fights ending via fisticuffs.

Andre Borges claimed Rodrigo Lidio’s welterweight title in violent fashion, loading up a left hand and letting Lidio have it just seven seconds into Round 2.

That’s three straight wins now for Borges, who has been one or two good wins away from signing with a larger promotion. He has losses to The Ultimate Fighter 32 winner Mairon Santos and recent UFC competitor Nick Fiore, names that could have pushed him towards a Contender Series opportunity had the result gone the other way. At 33, it might be too late for Borges to get that call, so he’ll have to settle on busting heads on the regional scene, which he’s doing just fine.

Inglesson de Lara, though? He has future UFC fighter written all over him. The 30-year-old lightweight claimed a vacant title on Saturday with a gorgeous body shot knockout of Marlon Brito.

What looked like a routine striking exchange turned out to be the end for Brito as his insides gave out on him. De Lara improves to 10-1 with the win.

Anderson Ferreira unleashed the best in the semifinals of the CFC one-night tournament, clipping Walber dos Anjos with a right hand, bonking him with a hammerfist, and then ruining him with a head kick.

Unfortunately for Ferreira, he’d later go on to lose by first-round submission to Paulo Henrique in the finals, but man, what a KO.

Kai Katayama vs. Shota Arikawa

What were you doing when you were 16? I wasn’t delivering highlight-reel knockouts, that’s for sure.

Kai Katayama, on the other hand…

Those legs are absolute thunder and you can’t help but feel for Shota Arikawa, who just happened to get caught in the storm.

Best of all, Lucas Bourdon’s note-perfect description of Katayama’s fighting fit.

If you know of a recent fight or event that you think may have been overlooked, or a promotion that could use some attention, please let us know on X — @AlexanderKLee — using the hashtag #MissedFists.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Dustin Poirier recently confirmed that he will indeed fight in the UFC again despite contemplating retirement after his loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302. “The Diamond” wants to plan his exit from the sport by going out in front of his home fans in Louisiana.

MMA retirements never tend to last too long, just look at Donald Cerrone’s recent comments, and this likely isn’t going to change as the sport continues to age.

During a recent episode of ESPN MMA’s Good Guy / Bad Guy show with Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen, Cormier said that he was never convinced that Poirier would step away. He said that the former interim champions ability to still compete at the highest level meant that he wouldn’t ride off into the sunset just yet, even if he was suggesting that this was more than likely.

Sonnen followed this point up by referencing something that he would do in his childhood in order to receive words or praise and encouragement from his peers. He said that in art class, which he was hit and miss at, he would parade his best pieces of work around and say how bad they were in order to draw compliments.

Sonnen believes that fighters do a similar thing in order to hear the kind of appreciation that makes them feel validated.

“I did this when I was a little kid. Daniel, as I became an adult, I still did little things like that, I just did it fewer and further between and I swear, I do feel that some of these guys just so that we’ll pat them on the head and tell them, ‘No you’re so great’, I swear they’ll say like something bad about themselves to get the rest of us to go, ‘No, hey, you’ve got more.’ I do feel that way sometimes.”

Sonnen then spoke specifically about Poirier and his decision to make the walk one or two more times.

“I imagine it is hard to go and physically, Dustin has it. Mentally, Dustin has it but he’s got that little kid in him somewhere that wants us to constantly tell him, ‘Hey Dustin, you still got it.’ Well, I’ll buy in. Dustin, you still got it.”

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Says Dustin Poirier & Others Flirt With Retirement To Receive Praise at MMA News.

MMA News

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Add Daniel Cormier to the list of people not enthusiastic about Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone coming back to the UFC.

Earlier this week, “Cowboy” announced he intends to end his retirement and fight two more times in the UFC, hitting 50 total bouts between the UFC and WEC. The announcement received mixed reviews, with UFC CEO Dana White being among the most ardently opposed to it. But Daniel Cormier might give him a run for his money.

“The one thing about Cowboy, is that it’s very refreshing to watch how open he’s been with all of this,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “He never lied. He never lied about what he was doing, what he was going to do, and how he was going to apply it to his life. And I’m all for a guy that has personal goals. And I love Cowboy… But at the end of the day, for years now, he’s been openly using steroids.”

“When you’re training, you start to feel better. You start to feel like yourself again, especially with the help. Then you go, ‘I want to fight again.’ But at the end of the day, Cowboy has been doing steroids, openly!”

Cormier is not the only fighter to raise these concerns. Cerrone himself noted he’s been taking TRT for years now along with other things and is now in the process of getting off those so he can re-enter the USADA testing pool and return to action, which is perfectly legal per the testing criteria. But Cormier believes that even if it abides by the letter of the law, it goes against the spirit of them.

“He’s not been clean,” Cormier said. “And even if he can come back, take tests, pass those tests to get back, he had to do all those things, all those enhancers to allow for him to feel like he can compete at that level again.

“So he would test clean, but isn’t that just a loophole? Isn’t it just a loophole like the guys that when they get hurt, they get out of the testing pool, then when they recover from the injury, then they re-enter the testing pool? It’s not wrong. It’s not illegal. But is it right? Because you truly have been enhanced to get to where you are and how you feel, and feel good enough to come back and fight in the elite organization of the UFC.

“To me, it doesn’t feel right.”

To add to all this, Cormier notes that the nature of Cerrone’s exit from MMA opens up even more questions for his return. Cerrone left the sport having lost six of his final seven fights, with a no-contest as the only non-loss of his final three years competing. If Cerrone comes back looking like a new man, Cormier wonders how that will look given the circumstances. So all things considered, Cormier believes the UFC shouldn’t allow this to happen.

“Remember also, Cowboy lost six fights, had one no-contest in seven fights, and the last time he fought Jim Miller and got submitted,” Cormier said. “Imagine if he comes back and he looks like a world-beater. I’m against it. I’m honestly against the idea that you could find a loophole, go in and use that loophole, feel better while using that loophole, come back and fight because you can pass a clean test.

“I like Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone. I’m against Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone getting to compete in the UFC after openly doing what he’s been doing for the last two and a half years.”

TOP STORIES

Lawsuit. Gegard Mousasi is suing Bellator/PFL, seeking $ 15 million in damages.

Interim. Alexander Volkanovski is open to an interim title fight against Diego Lopes if in Australia.

Trash talk. PFL CEO Donn Davis issued a challenge to Dana White ahead of PFL’s big event this weekend.

Return. Brendan Schaub discusses Cowboy Cerrone’s return to MMA, possible issues.

VIDEO STEW

Between the Links

Full PFL Press Conference.

PFL faceoffs.

Contender Series highlights.

Max Holloway training camp.

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Tom Aspinall in the WWE.

Ride for your people.

Next gen Cowboy Cerrone.

Looking for a new home.

Deep.

Georges St-Pierre has the sort of retirement we should all aspire to: just chilling.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This should be pretty simple: if you believe in drug testing, then Cerrone should be allowed to compete if he passes the tests. If you bar him from fighting despite him coming in clean, that’s pretty clearly dumb. You believe in the science or you don’t. Pick one.

EXIT POLL

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKlee or @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and like us on Facebook.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

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