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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Kade Ruotolo makes his MMA debut on June 7 when he faces Blake Cooper at the upcoming ONE 167 card from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

ONE Championship officials confirmed the matchup to MMA Fighting on Friday.

After first learning jiu-jitsu at just 3 years old alongside his twin brother Tye, Ruotolo made history in 2022 when he became the youngest competitor to ever capture a gold medal at the ADCC Submission Fighting world championships at age 19. A black belt under famed grappler Andre Galvao, Ruotolo won all four of his matches in that tournament by submission to capture gold in the 77kg category.

As part of the ONE roster, Ruotolo, who is now 21, became a four-time defending grappling champion, scoring wins over multi-time sambo world champion Uali Kurzhev, Matheus Gabriel, and then winning a pair of matches over Tommy Langaker.

Ruotolo declared plans to transition to MMA in early 2023, but now that date is finally set.

He joins a card headlined by reigning ONE atomweight champion Stamp Fairtex defending her belt against Denise Zamboanga.

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Interesting
| BJPenn.com

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Vegas 90 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which is set to go down tomorrow night (Sat., April 6, 2024) on ESPN+ from inside the promotion’s APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a middleweight main event — and UFC Vegas 44 rematch — between Top 15 contenders Brendan Allen and Chris Curtis, a five-round headliner with major title implications for early 2024 and beyond.

UFC Vegas 90 is flying under the radar, so to speak, though I’m not suggesting most APEX cards gets a tremendous amount of buildup. But the cast and crew of this weekend’s “Sin City” fight card are operating in the long shadow of next week’s UFC 300 pay-per-view (PPV) bonanza, which is expected to be the biggest event of the year. Simply put, anything great to come out of UFC Vegas 90 is likely to be forgotten by Monday morning, when the “Pereira vs. Hill” hype takes over.

That’s the nature of the beast, I suppose.

Brendan Allen (23-5) receives top billing for UFC Vegas 90, despite losing to Chris Curtis at UFC Vegas 44, because “All In” has been perfect in the six fights that followed his 2021 misstep against “Action Man.” In addition, five of those six victories have ended by way of submission, which includes his rear-naked choke finish over Paul Craig at UFC Vegas 82. His current streak was good enough to land Allen at No. 7 in the 185-pound rankings, seven spots in front of the No. 14-ranked Curtis. The only knock on Allen during that torrid run is that his competition has been average, at best, and “All In” has yet to prove himself against a Top 10 opponent.

That was supposed to change with the booking of the No. 5-ranked Marvin Vettori, but the “Italian Dream” suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from UFC Vegas 90, paving the way for Curtis to step in and run it back.

“He’s got better technical abilities, in my opinion — I would say Chris is a lot tougher test than Marvin is,” Allen told reporters at the UFC Vegas 90 media day (watch it here). “It is what it is. We’ve faced each other before, obviously. We only had a couple days or whatever to prepare, if anything. Now, we have a little bit more time to prepare for each other. We’ll see who can make those adjustments and we’ll see what happens.”

Chris Curtis (31-10, 1 NC) is eight years older than Allen at 36 and seemed destined for greatness after jumping out to three straight wins to kick off his UFC career. His Allen upset was followed by a decision victory over Rodolfo Vieira, but then it all fell apart when “Action Man” was upended by perennial contender Jack Hermansson. The decision loss to “The Joker” was part of a 2-2 run with one “No Contest,” ending with a split decision win over Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 297 earlier this year in Toronto. Curtis has zero takedowns in eight fights for UFC and hasn’t even attempted one, so don’t expect that to change this weekend at APEX.

“Brendan’s a dog,” Curtis said at the UFC Vegas 90 media day (watch it here). “He’s done really well since we fought last time. Brendan’s 27. My god, I wish I was 27. At 27 years old, I can’t imagine the things he’s going to accomplish in this sport. He’s got 10 more years left in him at the earliest, so he’s going to accomplish big things, man. It’s going to be crazy. But this is a chance for me. I’ll be 37 this year. I don’t have time to do it the slow way. I’m not going to have a 10-year career in the UFC. So, anytime I get those opportunities to see a number above mine and take it, I’ve got to take it. This is one of those times.”

Allen is primarily a submission fighter and will likely need to get Curtis to the ground if he plans to manipulate the joints, something he failed to do in their first encounter. “All In” was 0-3 in takedown attempts, which is not surprising when you learn that opponents are 3-36 in takedown attempts against Curtis (92 percent). I’m not sure what Allen has planned to overcome the “Action Man’s” stifling defense, and while you don’t need a takedown to secure a submission (just ask Bruno Silva), it certainly makes things a helluva lot easier. I think Curtis keep himself upright, frustrates his foe on the feet, and sends Allen to an upset loss on all three scorecards.

The stakes are not as high for Alexander Hernandez (14-7) in the UFC Vegas 90 featherweight co-main event. You may remember Hernandez as the loudmouth who tried to shit all over Donald Cerrone — only to get crushed by “Cowboy” when they finally went to war at the promotion’s inaugural ESPN event. No doubt Hernandez, now 31, has matured in the years that followed. Unfortunately “The Great Ape” was unable to find his footing under the UFC banner and is just 4-5 since the Cerrone drubbing back in early 2019. That includes his unanimous decision loss to Bill Algeo on the UFC Vegas 80 card last fall, which I think — and I say this with all due respect — demonstrated that Hernandez is probably not going to be making a run at the division title in the immediate future, because he hasn’t been able to win consecutive fights in over six years and can’t beat unranked fighters like Algeo. Hernandez does everything good but nothing great, and if you’re wondering why “The Great Ape” has captured the co-main event slot, it’s likely because of his longevity, along with his three post-fight performance bonuses. Win or lose, Hernandez usually delivers in terms of action.

If Damon Jackson (22-6-1, 1 NC) had a career that was as successful as his recent hair transplant, he would probably be world champion by now. Seriously, go look at his before-and-after pic, they did a phenomenal job! What hasn’t been phenomenal is Jackson’s last couple of performances, starting with his knockout loss to Dan Ige and ending with his unanimous decision defeat to Billy Quarantillo. That snapped a four-fight win streak for “The Leech” and kept him from landing a spot in the Top 15 of the division. The Texan is quickly approaching his 36th birthday so it may be now or never, at least in terms of making a run at the featherweight rankings. Jackson has knockout power but is known primarily for his dangerous submission game, securing 15 taps in his MMA career. In fact, his old nickname “Action” was just as fitting, because Jackson has only been to the scorecards in three of his 22 wins (and just once in six defeats). The stakes may not be high in terms of how this fight impacts the rest of the weight class, but the Hernandez fight sounds personal for “The Leech” — even if he denies it.

“I’m actually really tight with ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone,” Jackson told reporters at the UFC Vegas 90 media day (watch it here). “Him and my coach, they used to be teammates, and so when he talked a lot of smack with ‘Cowboy,’ it kind of lit some fire underneath me. I was like, ‘Dude this guy’s so arrogant. He talks so much smack.’ So, ever since then I just haven’t liked him. So definitely when I got the matchup I was excited, for sure. He talked a lot of smack, man. It is what it is. It wasn’t about me. I don’t take anything personally, really. I don’t really not like a whole lot of people, but I just don’t like him. I don’t know what it is, but it’s something about his face. I don’t know.”

“Oh, that’s pretty homosexual,” Hernandez said in a subsequent interview. “That was a long time ago. That’s like the softest sh*t of all time, dude. I promise ‘Cowboy’ doesn’t care about you. I was just drinking beers and eating hot dogs in San Antonio with ‘Cowboy’ when he made it to the Hall of Fame. So, yeah, that’s kind of silly to cry over another man’s woes. That was, I don’t know, the first year I was here, maybe? Five, six years ago? That’s a wild thing to be holding on to. It seems a little bit like straw grasping. I don’t know. I’m stoked to do him in, though. I’m really excited to hurt Damon. So, he can be mad or be however he wants to be, but I’m going to be calculated.”

This is a hard fight to predict because both fighters present unique challenges. Hernandez seems more at odds with his ability to stay consistent whereas Jackson appears to be declining, which is not uncommon at his age — or a fighter with his mileage. Don’t be surprised to see another post-fight performance bonus awarded in this high-octane affair, but when all is said and done, I think Hernandez catches an overzealous Jackson mid-firefight.

For more UFC Vegas 90 previews and predictions including the ESPN+ preliminary cards click here and here.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 90 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ preliminary card matchups, which are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN+) at 6 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 90 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized “Allen vs. Curtis 2” fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

The overblown expectations for a jaw-dropping UFC 300 main event meant nearly any matchup was going to be subjected to criticism.

That’s been especially true for the actual headliner where Alex Pereira will defend his light heavyweight title against Jamahal Hill in a matchup that was ultimately booked after almost the entire card had already been finalized. On any other pay-per-view, Pereira vs. Hill might be considered a solid main event but many fans erupted when that was announced as the final fight on arguably the biggest card in UFC history.

UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping understands why people got so agitated after Pereira vs. Hill was announced as the UFC 300 main event but he ultimately believes the complaints are unfounded.

“I think because it was UFC 300, they were expecting something like a Brock Lesnar versus Tom Aspinall or just wild superstars, like a Khabib [Nurmagomedov] versus GSP (Georges St-Pierre),” Bisping said when speaking to MMA Fighting. “The reality is if you look at UFC 200, what was that? Miesha Tate-Amanda Nunes, a great fight and that was still a fantastic card. I don’t think people were complaining. Sure, it was supposed to be Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier 2 and certain events unfolded that week to prevent that from going ahead.

“But listen when you look at Alex Pereira, what he’s achieved in this sport in such a short amount of time is just phenomenal. The man has only had what seven fights? Beat four former champions. Now he has the potential to fight and beat and add a fifth champion to his resume. Two-weight division champion in such a short amount of time. When you look at Alex Pereira, he only fights the best people out there. It seems like he’s only fighting champions time after time after time. Jamahal Hill, on the flipside, was the champ, beat Glover Teixeira, exciting style. Granted, not one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts pay-per-view history, but I think it’s an absolutely compelling fight.”

Because there was so much hype built around UFC 300, Bisping believes almost any fight short of something completely out of left field would have faced similar criticism as Pereira vs. Hill.

“It’s a legitimate title fight and it’s at the top of the bill of one of the best cards ever compiled,” Bisping said. “OK, maybe it wasn’t shattering the Earth or an earthquake or an avalanche of ‘oh my god’ but it was a fight that makes sense and it’s a fight that’s worthy to headline the bill in my opinion.”

Perhaps the biggest name available who didn’t get booked at UFC 300 was former two-division champion Conor McGregor.

Many people assumed McGregor’s return to action after nearly three years away would happen at the historic card in April but UFC CEO Dana White shot that down rather emphatically.

Add to that, McGregor just wrapped up weeks of promotion for his feature film debut in the newly released Road House remake that required him to travel around the globe for numerous premieres and media obligations. Under the terms of a contract with a film studio, actors are required to promote a project like that so McGregor spending nearly a month traveling to promote Road House would have made a training camp for UFC 300 nearly impossible.

Bisping argues as much star power as McGregor commands, his presence wasn’t really needed to sell UFC 300 when looking at the card from top to bottom.

“I don’t think there was ever any discussion of [Conor] being on 300,” Bisping said. “Who knows what the situation is with Conor. There’s been a lot of speculation, but he’s not fighting on this card. He will be fighting at some point, hopefully in summer as he announced. The man’s a superstar. When he comes back it will still be a massive event. I think UFC 300 doesn’t necessarily even need Conor.

“Conor builds these spectacular events with just his name added to it alone. So I think in some ways it’s nice that other people are getting the chance of headlining something so monumental and something that is so important to the timeline of the UFC.”

Back in 2016, McGregor was originally slated to headline UFC 200 before a disagreement led to him delaying his return until UFC 202 just over a month later. The gamble paid off for the UFC with both cards selling over 1 million pay-per-views in a very short amount of time.

If McGregor ends up fighting at UFC 303 in June, the promotion could enjoy a similar windfall as long as UFC 300 still produces blockbuster numbers.

From top to bottom, Bisping just doesn’t see how anyone can really complain about the quality of the card at UFC 300 even if you may not love the main event.

“I think on paper when you look at it, there’s a potential that this is the greatest fight card ever assembled,” Bisping said. “I know a lot of people will say ‘that’s Bisping being a company man.’ Because that’s a line people love to use but I think when you look at it from top to bottom, it might just be. The first fight of the night [Cody Garbrandt vs. Deiveson Figueiredo], two former champions and it just continues fight after fight after fight. Three title fights on the main card, so many champions, every fight is competitive.

“I know there’s a lot of people criticizing Dana [White] saying what is this? This main event’s a letdown. I’m sure if they had their way and they could just wave a magic wand, that they would have provided those kinds of fights but also there’s a lot of other reasons. Fighters go through certain things, they have other obligations. Maybe they don’t want to fight. Maybe there’s injuries. Maybe there’s movie obligations. A lot of moving pieces but still, top to bottom, a fantastic fight card.”

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Former PFL women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison will be dropping 20lbs to lightweight to face Holly Holm in her promotional debut at UFC 300.

It was revealed that Harrison had signed with the UFC and she would make her debut at UFC 300 against the former champ in Holm. It was a massive fight for her, but the bigger story was the fact that she would be dropping down to bantamweight, which Harrison says was a mental hurdle for her.

“To their credit, they did not beat around the bush,” Harrison told MMA Junkie of the UFC’s negotiation. “It was very clear that if you want to fight here, this is the weight you’re going to fight at, and that was a big mental hurdle for me to get through – just figure out: Can I do this? Is this what I want to do? It’s hard, because most people don’t realize that I’ve been training two-a-day since I was 12 years old.

“There was definitely a piece of me that was like, ‘F*ck that. You’ve done enough. Why would you spend the last part of your career cutting an extra 10 pounds? Like, why?’ Then there was another part piece of me that was like, ‘Well, we grow at the edges of our comfort zone, and this is you being all in. It doesn’t get much harder than this. You’re cutting to a new weight class, you’re fighting in the promotion, and you’re fighting the legend. This is it. You’re either all in or not in.’ I liked that, and I think that brings out the best version of me,” Harrison added.

Kayla Harrison not worried about depleting herself

Despite Kayla Harrison cutting down more weight, she doesn’t expect that will impact her chin or strength. Instead, she has confidence she will be able to compete at her best and secure a win over Holm.

“I don’t think I’m going to lose anything,” Harrison said. “I think we’re going to see the best version of me. I’ve been disciplined. I’ve been dedicated. I haven’t skipped any steps. I haven’t left a stone unturned. My team is all in, I’m all in, my family’s all in, and I think I’m about to shine really f*cking bright.”

If Harrison can get past Holm, the Olympic gold medalist could get a title shot at 135lbs next time out.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

At the UFC Vegas 90 weigh-ins, all 26 fighters on Saturday’s card in Las Vegas will step on the scale Friday. MMA Fighting will have live video of the proceedings, courtesy of Ag Fight.

In the main event, Brendan Allen and Chris Curtis can weigh no more than 186 pounds, the maximum allowed for their non-title middleweight fight.

The UFC Vegas 90 official weigh-ins are at 12 p.m. ET.

Main Card (ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET)

Brendan Allen vs. Chris Curtis

Alexander Hernandez vs. Damon Jackson

Morgan Charriere vs. Chepe Mariscal

Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Christos Giagos

Valter Walker vs. Lukasz Brzeski

Trevor Peek vs. Charlie Campbell

Preliminary Card (ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET)

Court McGee vs. Alex Morono

Norma Dumont vs. Germaine de Randamie

Pedro Falcao vs. Victor Hugo

Piera Rodriguez vs. Cynthia Calvillo

Dan Argueta vs. Jean Matsumoto

Dylan Budka vs. Cesar Almeida

Nora Cornolle vs. Melissa Mullins

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