Joshua Pacio Retains ONE Strawweight Championship With Split Decision Victory

Joshua Pacio made the second defence of his ONE Strawweight Championship (125 lbs) on Saturday, defeating Alex Silva via split decision after five rounds of competition. The fight main evented “ONE Championship: Fire & Fury,” which took place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

The fight was focused heavily on the ground game, as Silva was constantly trying for takedowns throughout the fight.

Pacio was in trouble during the second round, having to escape a head and arm choke, and a following heel hook.

Pacio became two-time champion in April, stopping Yosuke Saruta with a fourth-round knee, avenging a previous loss. The first defense of this reign came against Rene Catalan in November, stopping him with an arm triangle within two rounds.

Silva came into the fight on a two-fight winning streak. He has fought 13 times in ONE, making his promotional debut in 2012.

In the co-main event of the evening, Pieter Buist got a split decision victory over Filipino veteran Eduard Folayang.

ONE Championship returns on Friday with “ONE Championship: Warrior’s Code” on February 7th. Headlining the card is a Featherweight Muay Thai Championship bout between Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy and Jama Yusupov. The show will take place at Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Read the full report for ONE Championship: Fire & Fury.

ONE Championship: Fire & Fury Live Coverage

ONE Championship returns to Manila, Philippines on Friday for “Fire & Fury.” Headlining the card, the promotion’s Strawweight World Champion (125 lbs) Joshua Pacio will attempt to defend his belt against Alex Silva. Also featured on the card is notable ONE talent like Eduard Folayang, Danny Kingad and more.

Follow along with the blog throughout the morning as live results roll in from the show. The six-fight “Lead Card” for the show starts at 5AM EST, with the “Main Card” beginning at 7:30AM EST. From the Mall of Asia Arena, it’s ONE Championship.

Quick Results:

Lead Card (5:00 AM EST)

Bout 1: Jomary Torres vs. Jenny Huang via No Contest (Torres Groin Injury)

Bout 2: Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym def. Chris Shaw via Unanimous Decision (Muay Thai Bout)

Bout 3: Gina Iniong def. Asha Roka via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 4: Lito Adiwang def. Pongsiri Mitsatit via Submission, Kimura (RD 1, 3:02)

Bout 5: Anne Line Hogstad def. Alma Juniku via Decision, Majority (Muay Thai Bout)

Bout 6: Tatsumitsu Wada def. Ivanildo Delfino via Unanimous Decision

Main Card (7:30 AM EST)

Bout 7: Shoko Sato def. Kwon Won Il via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 4:05)

Bout 8: Petchdam Petchyindee Academy def. Momotaro via Decision, Majority

Bout 9: Danny Kingad (13-2) def. Xie Wei via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 10: Pieter Buist def. Eduard Folayang via Decision, Split

Bout 11: Joshua Pacio def. Alex Silva via Decision, Split (ONE MMA Strawweight Championship)

Live Coverage:

Bout 1: Jomary Torres (4-4) vs. Jenny Huang (5-5) (115 lbs) (MMA Bout)

In the first fight of the evening, Jomary Torres fought Jenny Huang. Both fighters were on a multiple-fight losing streak heading into this fight. A leg kick was caught by Torres at the start, throwing punches while keeping ahold of the leg. After trading punches, they went into a clinch against the cage. Injury time came as Torres was hit in the groin in the clinch. After a few minutes of a break, the fight resumed. Although the clinch was caused the strike, they resumed in stand-up. Huang tried for a judo throw in the clinch but couldn’t get it. In the clinch again, Torres was kneed in the groin again, causing another pause. Huang was awarded a yellow card, deducing 10 percent of her purse. The fight was then waved off and ruled a no contest.

Bout 2: Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym vs. Chris Shaw (145 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

In the first of three Muay Thai bouts in the evening, Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym fought Chris Shaw. Worth noting that ONE Championship Muay Thai fights are done in their MMA gloves. Rodlek walked out with a gladiator mask and cape. Shaw’s height advantage in the fight was visible. Lots of leg kicks were landed by both fighters in the first minute. Rodlek caught a few kicks in the round, always answering back with a punch.

Rodlek was coming forward and being more active at the start of the second round. In a clinch, Shaw threw Rodlek to the ground. Shaw kept trying to land an elbow to the head but never connected with it, it seemed. Shaw had a small cut on his nose.

Early in the final round, it looked like a cut was open on Rodlek’s head. Maybe one of those elbows connected. Rodlek had a good start to the round, although it became a more back-and-forth exchange as the round moved on. Shaw was swept in the second minute. While in a clinch against the cage, Rodlek waved at the crowd to get them to cheer. In the final minute, Rodlek landed a left-and-right hook combination that dropped Shaw. Rodlek didn’t do much more before the fight ran out of time. After securing a 10-8 round in the final moments, Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym walked away with a safe unanimous decision win.

Bout 3: Gina Iniong (8-4) vs. Asha Roka (4-1) (115 lbs) (MMA Bout)

In the next fight, 115-pound fighters Gina Iniong fought Asha Roka in an MMA bout. Roka’s last fight was a loss to against ONE’s star Stamp Fairtex. Iniong shot for a takedown right off the bat, getting it after a little resistance. Iniong went from half guard into side control. She went back into half guard as Roka wrapped one of Iniong’s legs between hers. Iniong landed lots of punches to the body. Iniong went into full guard. Iniong stood up, then went back to the ground in half guard. Iniong continued to throw strikes from her position. The round ended on the ground after Iniong stood up for a short moment.

Iniong got her second takedown a minute into the next round. Roka was able to escape bottom position, taking side control. Iniong flipped the position, putting Roka back on her back. Iniong put in a guillotine choke with a minute left in the round. Roka tried to punch her way out, but endured the choke until the round ended.

In the final round, they went into the clinch as Iniong wanted the fight to go back to the ground. She got a trip takedown in the second minute. They stayed on the ground until the final minute, where the referee stood them up due to inactivity. Roka landed some good punches as the fight ended, although she didn’t do anything substantial. The fight went all three rounds, with Gina Iniong getting the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 4: Lito Adiwang (10-2) vs. Pongsiri Mitsatit (10-4) (125 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Lito Adiwang, who is on a six-fight winning streak next fought Pongsiri Mitsatit, who has lost four of his last five. Adiwang charged forward with punches in the first minute, dropping Mitsatit. He continued with ground and pound, although Mitsatit was able to get back up and recover. Adiwang got a takedown in the second minute, trying for a choke although Mitsatit got up again, this time holding Adiwang from behind. They went back to the ground. Adiwang was still being held, although he was trying for a kimura. He went into a side control where he continued trying for the kimura, eventually making Mitsatit tap out. Lito Adiwang extended his winning streak to seven, being the fifth of those five wins via stoppage.

Bout 5: Alma Juniku vs. Anne Line Hogstad (115 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

Switching back to Muay Thai, the next fight was between Alma Juniku and Anne Line Hogstad. Juniku’s first fight in ONE was a Muay Thai loss to Stamp Fairtex. In the first round, Juniku caught a leg and ran Hogstad into the cage. The referee warned her that she can only hold the leg for a second. With under a minute left in the round, the referee told them to be more active.

Juniku took Hogstad down at the start of the second round by catching a leg again. Hogstad landed a good punch combination. Juniku caught a leg and swept Hogstad because of it. A pause came as the referee deemed this the third time that Juniku didn’t follow the rules for leg holding. Juniku was given a yellow card, which took away 10 percent of her fight purse. They resumed for the final few seconds of the round.

Both fighters had maybe their best striking exchange at the start of the final round. The fight survived all three rounds, needing scorecards to decide who won. When looking at the scores, it was a majority decision that went in favour of Anne Line Hogstad.

Bout 6: Tatsumitsu Wada (21-11-2) vs. Ivanildo Delfino (8-0) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)

The preliminary card wrapped up with Tatsumitsu Wada facing the undefeated Ivanildo Delfino. Wada’s last fight was a loss to Demetrious Johnson in August. This was Delfino’s ONE debut. The fighters went into a clinch in the first minute after Delfino caught a kick. Wada got a takedown from the clinch. With two minutes left in the round, Wada landed elbows to Delfino. Wada stood up, raining punches down to Delfino. Wada stayed in top position, throwing punches and elbows until the first round ended.

Wada landed a solid right hook in the first minute of the second round. He came in and went into a clinch with Delfino against the cage. They stayed in the clinch for many minutes, both landing strikes. Wada got a takedown in the final minute of the round. Wada did ground and pound for the final minute.

The final round opened with Wada getting another takedown, although they stood up in a clinch before much was done. They went back to the ground, where Wada was on top in side control. The rest of the round felt like a replay of the first, as Wada stayed in control and kept with striking from the top. Going to a decision, there was no doubt that Tatsumitsu Wada would prevail on all three scorecards.

Bout 7: Kwon Won Il (8-2) vs. Shoko Sato (34-16-3) (145 lbs) (MMA Bout)

The main card started with the very experienced Shoko Sato facing knockout artist Kwon Won Il. Il was showing some strong punches early in the fight. Sato put them into a clinch, backing Il up against the cage. They separated, with Sato trying for a takedown a minute later. Sato was wrapped around Il’s right leg against the cage. He failed to get the fight to the ground this time, as they returned to striking. Sato tried again for a takedown with two minutes left in the round. He got it to the ground with just over a minute left. Sato got on Il’s back, putting in a rear naked choke. The choke was fully put on, making Il tap out within seconds. While it took a while for Shoko Sato to get the fight to the ground, once he did, this fight was over.

Bout 8: Petchdam Petchyindee Academy vs. Momotaro (135 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

In the final Muay Thai bout of the evening, Petchdam Petchyindee Academy fought Momotaro. Like the other two Muay Thai fights earlier on the card, it was fought with the promotion’s MMA gloves. The fighters had fast leg kicks at the start. Momotaro came forward with punches in the first minute, dumping Petchdam at the end of the clinch. Momotaro caught a knee to the body, throwing Petchdam down. The referee warned him for that throw. In the final seconds of the round, Petchdam landed a hard elbow in the clinch. Petchdam danced while heading to his corner at the end of the round.

Momotaro opened the second round by dumping Petchdam to the ground. While it didn’t connect clean, Momotaro threw the rare axe kick to the head. This was a really good round for Momotaro, who landed lots of punches and came off as confident. Petchdam had a good combo of punches as the round ended.

Petchdam landed good knees in a clinch in the third round, and followed up with a kick to the body. The final round was a close one. The fight went to the scorecards. Both fighters were very respectful to each other after the fight. A majority decision went in favour of Petchdam Petchyindee Academy.

Bout 9: Danny Kingad (13-2) vs. Xie Wei (5-2) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)

The first of three headlining fights featuring a Filippino fighter was Danny Kingad facing Xie Wei. Wei was making his ONE Championship debut after winning five-straight on the ONE Warrior and Hero Series. Kingad landed a loud left hook early in the fight. Xie caught a leg kick, connecting with punches because of it. Xie got a takedown, trying for a guillotine as Kingad picked him up and slammed him. Kingad had half guard on top. Xie was able to get up with two minutes to go in the round.

Xie landed a hook at the start of the second round which shook Kingad. They went into a clinch in the second minute. Xie did shoulder strikes in the clinch. Xie tried to throw Kingad down for a takedown, although Kingad got back up in the clinch a second after. They went back to striking with two minutes left.

Kingad shot for a takedown in the first minute of the final round. Xie stuffed it, landing knees to the head in the process. Xie got the fight to the ground, catching a kick and throwing punches which tripped Kingad. The referee stepped in and ended the ground game as Xie headbutted Kingad once. When they resumed, they went into a clinch against the cage. Xie threw another shoulder strike. Xie got a takedown and tried for a rear naked choke, although Kingad escaped and got back to his feet. They went back to the clinch. Xie stuffed another takedown in the final minute. Another timeout happened in the final minute as Xie kneed Kingad in the back of the head. They resumed in stand-up, in a clinch as the fight concluded. Consulting the judges, all three were in agreement that Danny Kingad won.

Bout 10: Eduard Folayang (22-8) vs. Pieter Buist (16-4) (170 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Before the next fight, Brandon “The Truth” Vero announced he will return on May 29th to defend his ONE Heavyweight Championship in the Philippines. In the co-main event of the evening, Filipino fighter Eduard Folayang challenged Pieter Buist. While Folayang entered the cage with more experience, Buist was riding a seven-fight winning streak heading into the fight. Buist was kicked in the groin, causing a pause in the second minute. When they resumed, Folayang went into a clinch after Buist landed some strikes. Buist tried for a standing guillotine from the clinch. Folayang got a takedown, escaping the choke in the process. Buist got up, and was caught in a guillotine choke in the process. They went back to the ground, where Buist was able to scramble out of the choke. They got up again, with Folayang still holding onto Buist. They returned to striking for the final seconds of the round.

After 30 seconds of striking at the start of the second round, they went into a clinch again. During that striking, Buist landed a good right hook. Buist slipped and fell in the second minute, allowing Folayang to get top position on the ground. Buist tried for a triangle choke on the ground. He switched to an armbar attempt which Folayang got out of. Folayang went into half guard. Not much more happened on the ground until the round ended.

Buist landed a head kick in the first minute of the final round which hurt Folayang. Buist tried for a standing guillotine, but Folayang escaped and went into a clinch. When they returned to striking, it was much slower paced as they were quite tired. Folayang caught a leg kick in the final minute, landing a takedown from it. The fight went all three rounds. The judges had a split decision, with two of the three judges giving the win to Pieter Buist. A great performance for Buist, who took the fight on two-weeks notice.

Bout 11: Joshua Pacio (18-3) vs. Alex Silva (9-4) (125 lbs) (ONE MMA Strawweight Championship)

Finally, the main event of the evening saw Filipino fighter Joshua Pacio attempt to defend his ONE Strawweight Championship against Alex Silva. Silva landed a punch at the start, then clinched up and pulled guard. Pacio got up and made the fight go back to the feet. They clinched up again in the second minute. While Silva was the one trying to get the fight to the ground, Pacio ended up in top position. Pacio eventually got up, forcing the fight to go back to the feet again. Pacio landed a spinning back kick to Silva’s body. Pacio caught a leg kick in the final minute, bringing Silva to the ground. Silva stood up after Pacio did not seem interesting in going down. Silva shot for a takedown but got caught in a guillotine choke on the way down. He escaped, trying for a heel hook before they stood up again.

Silva caught a leg kick at the start of the second round, going to the ground again. While Pacio was in top position at the start, Silva scrambled into top position. Pacio threatened a guillotine choke many times. They got up and went back down with Pacio in top position, although stood up shortly after. Silva got another takedown with two minutes left in the round. Silva put in a head and arm choke from top position. Pacio eventually escaped the choke. Pacio almost got trapped in a heel hook as the round ended.

The third round started slow after two very active rounds. Silva was denied a takedown attempt many times in a row. When he finally got to the ground, he was in bottom position. They went back to stand-up shortly after. Silva got another takedown denied. Silva got top position on the ground in the final minute, although they didn’t do much.

In the fourth round, Silva pulled guard again. They stood up with just under half of the round left. Silva hit a head kick. A few moments later he also landed a good overhand left. Pacio’s jabs were powerful. Silva got a takedown with over a minute left in the round. Pacio scrabled into top position in north-south, and then half guard.

The fighters hugged to start the fifth and final round. Pacio landed a flying knee which rocked Silva. Silva got a takedown to stop the momentum. They got up again in a clinch. Pacio dumped Silva to the ground, then waited for the referee to stand him up. With two minutes to go, Silva got a single leg takedown. Silva stayed in top position until the round ended. Going all 25 minutes, scorecards we needed to see if Pacio would keep his belt. When going to decision, the fight was a split decision. Two of the three judges saw the winner as Joshua Pacio, making it the second defence of his championship.

Watch ONE Championship: Fire & Fury Weigh-Ins & Hydration Tests

On Friday, ONE Championship will return to the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines for “ONE Championship: Fire & Fury.” Headlining the card is Joshua Pacio attempting to defend his ONE Strawweight World Championship (125 lbs) against Alex Silva.

Before that, however, Pacio, Silva and the 20 other fighters on the card have to weigh-in and take their hydration test. The process will be broadcasted live on Youtube on Thursday at midnight EST. Watch in the link down below. Results from the weigh-ins will be posted below:

Fights confirmed (made weight and passed hydration test):

Bout 11: Joshua Pacio (18-3) vs. Alex Silva (9-4) (ONE Strawweight Championship) (MMA Bout)

Bout 10: Eduard Folayang (22-8) vs. Pieter Buist (16-4) (170 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Bout 9: Danny Kingad (13-2) vs. Xie Wei (5-2) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Bout 8: Petchdam vs. Momotaro (135 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

Bout 6: Kwon Won Il (8-2) vs. Shoko Sato (34-16-3) (145 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Bout 4: Lita Adiwang (10-2) vs. Pongsiri Mitsatit (10-4) (125 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Bout 3: Gina Iniong (8-4) vs. Asha Roka (4-1) (115 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Bout 2: Rodlek Jaotalaytong vs. Chris Shaw (145 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

Bout 1: Jomary Torres (4-4) vs. Jenny Huang (5-5) (115 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Fights awaiting retest (cut-off time is 4PM PHT).

Bout 6: Tatsumitsu Wada (21-11-2) (Passed) vs. Ivanildo Delfino (8-0) (Failed) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Bout 5: Alma Juniku (Failed) vs. Anne Hogstad (Passed) (115 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

Cris Cyborg Claims Bellator Featherweight Championship, Stopping Budd In Four Rounds

Cris Cyborg stopped Julia Budd in the fourth round with strikes, becoming the new Bellator Featherweight Champion at Bellator 238, from The Forum in Inglewood, California, USA.

After three dominant rounds, Cyborg upped the intensity at the start of the fourth round, scoring head and body strikes which overwhelmed Budd. After Budd was dropped by strikes, referee Mike Beltran stepped in to end the fight.

The fight was the Bellator debut for the Brazilian fighter.

Cyborg fought in the UFC from 2016 to 2019, being the UFC Featherweight Champion for four fights, losing her belt to Amanda Nunes in late 2018.

Coincidentally, her loss to Nunes also came at the venue of Saturday’s Bellator event.

“This is new era. I am very happy to be Bellator champion,” said Cyborg after the fight.

Budd had defended her Bellator Featherweight Championship three times before losing it on Saturday.

“I’m so disappointed … It’s hard,” reflected Budd after the fight.

In the co-main event of the show, Darrion Caldwell stopped Adam Borics within a round, advancing to the semi-finals of the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix.

Bellator returns with a back-to-back weekend of events on February 21st and 22nd.

Darrion Caldwell Advances In Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix With First Round Stoppage

Darrion Caldwell advanced to the semi-finals of the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix on Saturday, making Adam Borics tap out in the first round at Bellator 238 at The Forum in Inglewood, California, USA.

The win for Caldwell advanced him to 14-3 as a pro, ending the undefeated record of Borics.

Caldwell earned a takedown after a minute of stand-up. He got on Borics’ back and put in a rear naked choke, which made Borics tap out quickly.

With this win, Caldwell will fight AJ McKee in the semi-finals of the tournament. The other side of the bracket is still yet to be determined, with Patricio Pitbull vs. Pedro Carvalho and Daniel Weichel vs. Emmanuel Sanchez set for March 13th.

Caldwell’s last win prior to this fight was over Henry Corrales, going to decision after three rounds. In the fight before that, Caldwell lost to Kyoji Horiguchi, losing his Bellator Bantamweight Championship.

The main event of Bellator 238 was Cris Cyborg challenging Julia Budd for the Bellator Featherweight Championship.

UFC on ESPN+ 24: Blaydes vs. dos Santos Preview

Going head-to-head with Bellator this weekend, UFC will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, USA for a card on ESPN+. Headlining the show will be heavyweights Junior dos Santos and Curtis Blaydes. Both high ranked, the winner of this fight could move themself ahead in the line to challenge for Stipe Miocic’s UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Click here to skip to the main card preview

Prelims

Bout 1: Nate Landwehr (13-2) vs. Herbert Burns (9-2) (Featherweight)

Kicking off the preliminary card on ESPN+ at 5PM EST will be a featherweight battle between Nate Landwehr and Herbert Burns. The matchup is a double debut, with Burns getting a contract from Dana White’s Contender Series back in August. Burns had a 5-2 record in ONE FC and a 2-0 run in Titan FC prior ot the signing. Landwehr is on a seven-fight winning streak, with most of those wins from Russian MMA promotion M-1 Challenge.

Bout 2: Brett Johns (15-2) vs. Tony Gravely (19-5) (Bantamweight)

Another debuting Contender Series fighter is on this card in Tony Gravely, being put up against Brett Johns. Gravely stopped Ray Rodriguez in the third round on the show to earn his UFC contract and extend his winning streak to seven. Johns could be fighting for his future in the UFC on Saturday, as he is currently on a two-fight losing streak, his only two losses as a pro. He made his UFC debut in 2016, picking up three wins before losing to Aljamain Sterling and Pedro Munhoz.

Bout 3: Sara McMann (11-5) vs. Lina Lansberg (10-4) (Bantamweight)

Making her return after maternity leave, Sara McMann will challenge Lina Lansberg on the prelims. McMann’s last fight was in early 2018, losing to Marion Renau via triangle choke. After a late 2018 loss to Yana Kunitskaya, Lansberg has bounced back by getting scorecard wins over Tonya Evinger and Macy Chiasson. It’s safe to say that McMann will have a challenge in her comeback bout.

Bout 4: Montel Jackson (8-1) vs. Felipe Corales (9-1) (Bantamweight)

The next preliminary fight will see two more bantamweights compete. Montel Jackson and Felipe Corales, who are both coming off of wins in their short UFC careers thus far will be put against each other. Despite having similar records, Vegas heavily favours Jackson as a -600 favourite. Jackson was picked up via the Contender Series, going 2-1 since then. Corales is 1-1 in the UFC, recently going the distance for a unanimous decision win against Domingo Pilarte.

Bout 5: Justine Kish (6-2) vs. Lucie Pudilova (8-5) (Flyweight)

Justine Kish and Lucie Pudilova will both attempt to break their losing streaks on Saturday, but only one will prevail. Kish hasn’t been super active, with her last two fights taking place over the last two years, being losses to Felice Herrig and Ji Yeon Kim. Pudilova has been more active, with her last three fights, all losses, within the last year and a half. Most recently, Pudilova was stopped in the second round via rear naked choke against Antonina Shevchenko.

Bout 6: Arnold Allen (15-1) vs. Nik Lentz (30-10-2) (Featherweight)

The seemingly unstoppable Arnold Allen will be put against the much more experienced Nik Lentz in what should be an interesting matchup on Saturday. Allen has been undefeated since 2014, currently with six wins in his UFC run. His most recent win was easily his biggest challenge, being a decision win over Gilbert Melendez. Lentz is coming off of a loss to Charles Oliveira, however, there’s no doubt his advantage in this fight is having more octagon time, over doubling the number of professional fights that Allen has.

Bout 7: Bevon Lewis (6-2) vs. Dequan Townsend (21-9) (Middleweight)

The preliminary part of the card will be headlined be Bevon Lewis and Dequan Townsend. Lewis was signed to the UFC through the Contender Series but has yet to get a win in the octagon, falling to Uriah Hall and Darren Stewart before. Townsend made his UFC debut in 2019, having an unsuccessful outing against Dalcha Lungiambula.

Bout 8: Jamahal Hill (6-0) vs. Darko Stosic (13-3) (Light Heavyweight)

The main card will kick off with the sole undefeated fighter on the card, Jamahal Hill, fighting Darko Stosic. Hill impressed UFC brass in the fifth episode of the 2019 Contender Series season, stopping Alexander Poppeck in the second round with elbows. This fight will be his debut on the big stage. Stosic has something to prove as well, currently chasing the feeling he had when he had his one and only UFC win, back in July of 2018. He has since failed to prevail over Devin Clark and Kennedy Nzechukwu.

Bout 9: Hannah Cifers (10-3) vs. Angela Hill (10-7) (Strawweight)

Angela Hill was a busy fighter in 2019. After a run of taking four fights in seven months, Hill took an understandable break for the final quarter of 2019. She returns to the octagon on Saturday, fighting Hannah Cifers. Cifers is riding a two-fight winning streak, last winning over Jodie Esquibel at UFC 241.

Bout 10: Jordan Espinosa (14-6) vs. Alex Perez (22-5) (Flyweight)

In late 2018, Alex Perez tasted defeat in the UFC for the first time, taking many unanswered shots by Joseph Benavidez before the referee fully stepped in. That didn’t stop his momentum however, as he bounced back by beating Mark De La Rosa. Riding that momentum, Perez will fight Jordan Espinosa high up on this card. Espinosa sees himself in Perez’s position, attempting to come off his first loss in the UFC, which was also a first-round stoppage. On Saturday, another fighter will likely see their second loss in the big leagues.

Bout 11: Rafael dos Anjos (29-12) vs. Michael Chiesa (15-4) (Welterweight)

Michael Chiesa has been undefeated since making the switch from lightweight to welterweight back in 2018. He has defeated Carlos Condit and Diego Sanchez, and now eyes to beat Rafael dos Anjos in the co-main event slot of this card. “RDA” has lost quite a bit recently, however it’s worth noting his losses have come to notable names in the division. He lost an interim Welterweight Championship fight to Colby Covington in 2018 at UFC 225. He then lost to current champion Kamaru Usman, going to decision. He has most recently lost to Leon Edwards, defeating Kevin Lee before then. While Chiesa is being pitted against someone who has lost more than they have won recently, dos Anjos is the biggest welterweight challenge he has gotten so far.

Bout 12: Curtis Blaydes (12-2) vs. Junior dos Santos (21-6) (Heavyweight)

Main eventing in Raleigh will be Curtis Blaydes and Junior dos Santos. The battle is one between one of the division’s rising stars and a more experienced veteran. Of course the star is Blaydes, with the more experienced being Santos. Blaydes holds an impressive 12-2 record, with the two defeats coming via fights against Francis Ngannou. He is on a two-fight winning streak, going through Justin Willis and Shamil Abdurakhimov.

Santos’ last win gives him a way to relate to Blaydes, as he lost to Ngannou back in June. He failed to fight Alexander Volkov in November, falling victim to a bacterial infection. Santos is most known for his 2011 UFC Heavyweight Championship run, which saw him dethrone Cain Velasquez. After a defence against Frank Mir, Santos lost the belt in a rematch against Velasquez. Both Blaydes and Santos are highly ranked in the division, and a win could put them in closer reach to Stipe Miocic’s Heavyweight belt. With that being said, there are a lot of bidders for that title shot at the moment.

UFC will take next weekend off, returning on the 8th with UFC 247 in Houston, Texas, USA. Headlining that card will be Jon Jones putting his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on the line against undefeated Dominick Reyes.

Bellator 238: Budd vs. Cyborg Preview

Bellator will kick off it’s 2020 schedule on Saturday with the promotion debut of Cris Cyborg. Fighting for the first time outside of the UFC since 2016, she will challenge for Julio Budd’s Featherweight Championship in a five-round fight. The stacked card features many returning Bellator names, many other former-UFC fighters debuting and the continuation of the Featherweight Grand Prix. In the promotion’s return to The Forum in Inglewood, California, USA, this is Bellator 238.

Click here to jump to the main card.

Prelims

Bout 1: Tony Bartovich (0-0) vs. Jarett Conner (0-0) (Featherweight)

The preliminary portion of the card features a matchup between two debuting featherweights. Conner had a 2-4 record in amateur MMA, with Bartovich going 2-1. It’s worth noting that some of the preliminary fights could be bumped to the postlim spot, depending on how they go about scheduling the card.

Bout 2: Miguel Jacob (3-0) vs. David Pacheco (1-0) (Welterweight)

Undefeated welterweights Miguel Jacob and David Pacheco will be put against each other in the next prelim fight. Pacheco’s pro debut was in Bellator nearly a year ago, stopping Jorge Juarez. Jacob will be making his Bellator debut, picking up all three of his previous wins in the regional MMA promotion Fight Club OC.

Bout 3: Anthony Taylor (6-5) vs. Chris Avila (7-8) (Lightweight)

Anthony Taylor will see his return to Bellator this weekend, after fighting elsewhere for seven fights. Taylor made his debut in Bellator, going on a 1-3 run before going to other promotions. All three losses came via rear naked choke, with notable losses over James Gallagher and Adam Borics (who fights later on this card). He has since fought in high-level regionals like BAMMA and Combate Americas, currently riding a four-fight winning streak. His opponent, Chris Avila, will try to break even on his MMA record with this fight. He is 1-1 in Bellator, most recently losing to Brandon Faumui in April.

Bout 4: Brandon Bender (12-1) vs. Joshua Jones (9-5) (Featherweight)

After disappearing from the MMA scene for nearly six years, Brandon Bender will make his return against Joshua Jones on this undercard. Bender has an impressive 12-1 record, with his most recent (if you want to say recent) fight being a win over Mario Navarro at Bellator 116 in 2014, bouncing back from his sole loss. Around the same time, Jones debuted as a pro. He is 2-2 in his Bellator career so far, having two fights outside of the promotion within that timespan.

Bout 5: Curtis Millender (17-5) vs. Moses Murrietta (8-3) (Catchweight 175 lbs.)

Similar to Cris Cyborg’s fight, Curtis Millender will be having his first fight after his UFC run. Millender’s UFC career ended at 3-2, after losing to Belal Muhammad in April. He faces Moses Murrietta, who will also be debuting in Bellator. Murrietta has fought in LFA recently, although his last two fights were losses, including a 24 second stoppage.

Bout 6: AJ Agazarm (2-1) vs. Adel Altamimi (8-6) (Featherweight)

California-based Bellator fighters AJ Agazarm and Adel Altamimi are booked against eachother for the next preliminary matchup. Agazarm has had his short pro career fully in Bellator, going 2-1. Altamimi made his Bellator debut in 2019, defeating Brandon McMahan with an armbar. He recently lost a scorecard battle against Salim Mukhidinov, and will attempt to bounce back from that loss on Saturday.

Bout 7: Aaron Pico (4-3) vs. Daniel Carey (7-3) (Featherweight)

In 2018, Aaron Pico was known as one of Bellator’s biggest rising stars. However, back-to-back losses in 2019 have made people skeptical if Pico was actually worth what he was made out to be. He will be put against Daniel Carey on Saturday, with a loss extending the longest losing streak of his short career. All of Pico’s fights, win or loss, have all ended via stoppage. His last two losses came to Henry Corales and Adam Borics. Carey is 3-2, recently winning over Gaston Bolanos in September with a guillotine choke.

Bout 8: Ricardo Seixas Filho (8-2) vs. Dominic Clark (14-9) (Lightweight)

Also on the preliminary card, Cali fighters Ricardo Seixas Filho and Dominic Clark will battle. Both are coming off of losses, with Clark’s in Bellator against Joshua Jones. Filho’s last two fights were losses in LFA in 2018.

Bout 9: Jay Jay Wilson (4-0) vs. Mario Navarro (4-5) (Featherweight)

Undefeated Bellator fighter Jay Jay Wilson will bring Mario Navarro back to the cage in the next fight. Wilson had an explosive 2019, getting three wins, two of them in Bellator. Navarro has fought in Bellator before, but his last match was over three years ago, being a loss to Chinzo Machida.

Main Card

Bout 10: Ava Knight (1-0) vs. Emilee Gettys (3-3) (Strawweight)

The main card begins with former boxer Ava Knight had a successful MMA debut three months ago, stopping Shannon Goughardy with body strikes on a Bellator card. In her second match, Knight will be paired against Emilee Gettys. Knight has a 19-2-5 record as a professional boxer, with her career spanning from 2007 to 2019. Gettys is on a three-fight winning streak, taking her career from a 0-3 record to an even record. The fight will be the debut of Gettys in Bellator.

Bout 11: Raymond Daniels (1-1) vs. Jason King (8-5) (Welterweight)

Experienced kickboxer Raymond Daniels will return to MMA in a fight with Jason King on the main card. Daniels has 35-3 kickboxing record, fighting in Bellator Kickboxing and GLORY in the past few years. His most recent MMA fight was a knockout of Wilker Barros with a flash right hook which made the rounds online. King is seemingly a good matchup for Daniels, having most of his wins and losses from striking battles. King has fought quite a bit in Valor FC, getting a first-round stoppage over Brian Jackson in November.

Bout 12: Juan Archuleta (23-2) vs. Henry Corrales (17-4) (Featherweight)

The next main card fight sees two eliminated fighters from the featherweight grand prix fight. Juan Archuleta, who lost to Patricio Pitbull, will fight Henry Corrales, who lost to Darrion Caldwell. The loss for Archuleta broke his impressive 18-fight winning streak. Corrales was riding a five-fight streak, not being favoured on the scorecards when fighting Caldwell.

Bout 13: Sergio Pettis (18-5) vs. Alfred Khashakyan (11-4) (Bantamweight)

As part of the trio of debuting former-UFC fighters on this card, Sergio Pettis will fight Alfre Khashakyan. Pettis fought in UFC 14 times, going back to 2013. While not having fought in the UFC in the past, Khashakyan will also be making his Bellator. In 2019, he on three in a row in 2019 in newly formed regional promotion LXF. Khashakyan’s most well-known fight is a loss to Sean O’Malley, on the series premiere episode of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Bout 14: Darrion Caldwell (13-3) vs. Adam Borics (14-0) (Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix Quarter-Finals)

The co-main event of the evening sees Darrion Caldwell and Adam Borics battle in the quarter-finals of the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix. Borics debuted in Bellator in 2017, going 5-0 since then, all via stoppage. He stopped Pat Curran with ground and pound in September to advance through the first round of the tournament. Caldwell’s round-of-16 win over Henry Corrales was his first win in a year, losing twice to Kyoji Horiguchi before. The second of the two losses saw Caldwell lose his Bellator Bantamweight Championship. Caldwell has fought all but three of his pro bouts in Bellator (including a fight in RIZIN which was co-promoted by Bellator).

Bout 15: Julia Budd (13-2) vs. Cris Cyborg (21-2) (Bellator Featherweight Championship)

The main event of the evening will is Cris Cyborg taking a shot at the Bellator Featherweight Championship against the current champion Julia Budd. Cyborg’s last UFC fight was a win over Canadian prospect Felicia Spencer. Before that, she lost her UFC Featherweight Championship to Amanda Nunes in under a minute via strikes. The matchup was one which many argued deserved a rematch, but was not made as Cyborg’s departure from the UFC was one that was not on good terms.

Budd has been the promotion’s featherweight champ since 2017, capturing the belt by defeating Marloes Coenen. Since then she has made three defences, most recently against Olga Rubin. Budd’s two career losses come to the prolific Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey, although those losses were in 2011. Vegas currently has Cyborg as a heavy favourite, sitting at -450 currently.

Bellator’s next event after this one will be on February 21st, presenting Bellator 239 from the Winstar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, USA. Headlining the card currently is Ed Rush and Yaroslav Amosov.

Maycee Barber Suffers Torn ACL After UFC 246 Bout

It was found out Sunday that Maycee Barber suffered a torn ACL in her left knee during her fight against Roxanne Modafferi on the UFC 246 undercard on Saturday, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN.

Barber’s leg was examined in-between rounds two and three during her fight on Saturday, with the doctor at the time claiming it was a “partial ACL tear.” Barber went on to lose the fight via unanimous decision.

The fight on Saturday was the first pro MMA loss for Barber, racking up eight wins prior to the defeat. She came in as a heavy favourite for the fight based off of Vegas odds.

Read the full report of UFC 246 here.

UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cerrone Full Coverage

UFC held it’s first event of 2020 on Saturday, featuring easily their biggest star of the past decade: Conor McGregor. In his returning fight, “The Notorious” returned to face fan-favourite fighter “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone. The show included 11 fights in total, with six preliminary bouts. Here’s the full report of the show.

Quick Results:

Bout 1: Sabina Mazo def. JJ Aldrich via Decision, Split

Bout 2: Aleksa Camur def. Justin Ledet via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 3: Drew Dober def. Nasrat Haqparast via TKO, Punches (RD 1, 1:10)

Bout 4: Askar Askarov def. Tim Elliott via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 5: Sodiq Yusuff def. Andre Fili via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 6: Roxanne Modafferi def. Maycee Barber via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 7: Diego Ferreira def. Anthony Pettis via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 1:46)

Bout 8: Brian Kelleher def. Ode Osbourne via Submission, Guillotine (RD 1, 2:49)

Bout 9: Alexey Oleinik def. Maurice Greene via Submission, Armbar (RD 2, 4:38)

Bout 10: Holly Holm def. Raquel Pennington via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 11: Conor McGregor def. Donald Cerrone via TKO, Punches (RD 1, 0:40)

Full Coverage

Bout 1: JJ Aldrich (8-3) vs. Sabina Mazo (7-1) (Flyweight)

The UFC Fight Pass Early Prelims started with a flyweight fight between JJ Aldrich and Sabina Mazo. It was clear when seeing the fighters that Mazo had the height advantage. The fighters had a close stand-up battle to start the fight. Aldrich was coming in with small combinations of punches. Mazo was consistently backing up, but overall she was landing the better shots.

Mazo picked up the pace a little with her punches at the start of the second round. This round looked way better for Mazo, as not only was she constantly advancing but also landing more. Aldrich still had her moments with punches. Mazo started to bleed around her nose. Mazo landed a good knee in the clinch in the final minute of the fight, as well as a head kick in the closing seconds.

Mazo opened the final round with a clinch up against the cage. When they returned to stand-up, it was clear that Mazo was working a faster pace that Aldrich. Initiating another clinch, Mazo got a lot of strikes in. Aldrich had blood on her face, but it was hard to see if the blood was from her or Mazo. The referee separated them and brought them back to stand-up with just over a minute to go. The fighters survived all three rounds, going to the decision. When they went to the scorecards, Sabina Mazo won with a split decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Aldrich	10	9	9	28
Mazo	9	10	10	29

Bout 2: Justin Ledet (9-2) vs. Aleksa Camur (5-0) (Light Heavyweight)

Making his UFC debut after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Aleksa Camur faced Justin Ledet in the next fight. Camur tried for a spinning kick right off the bat. He did not connect with it. Ledet landed a combination of punches in the second minute which rocked Camur a little. The round was very back-and-forth.

Camur was seemingly having cardio issues early on in the fight. He landed good one or two-piece shots in this round. Ledet had his shots as well. With Ledet against the cage in the final minute, Camur had a good combination of punches.

The final round was a slow paced one as both fighters were clearly tired. Camur got a takedown as the round ended, doing some very exhausted ground and pound. When going to decision, Aleksa Camur got the unanimous decision win (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ledet	9	9	10	29
Camur	10	10	9	28

Bout 3: Nasrat Haqparast (11-2) vs. Drew Dober (21-9) (Lightweight)

Kicking off the ESPN preliminary card was a lightweight battle between Nasrat Haqparast and UFC veteran Drew Dober. Dober landed a good jab to start the fight. Haqparast landed a good combination of strikes, but slipped at the end. Dober landed an overhand punch which dropped Haqparast. Dober followed up with numerous punches on the ground until the referee stepped in. The stoppage was way late, but nonetheless a great performance by Drew Dober.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Haqparast
Dober

Bout 4: Askar Askarov (10-0-1) (#12) vs. Tim Elliott (15-9) (#7) (Flyweight)

In the first fight of the evening that featured ranked fighters, undefeated Askar Askarov fought Tim Elliott. Elliott’s outside of the box movement made him hard to hit, but Askarov landed a shot which rocked him hard in the second minute. Askarov took top position on the ground after the knockdown. Elliott tried for a guillotine choke from the bottom position. Askarov did some ground and pound from top position. They stayed on the ground until the round ended.

Elliott got a judo throw at the start of the second round and tried for a guillotine on the ground, but Askarov slipped out and stood back up. Askarov put Elliott against the cage, failing to get a takedown before they went back to stand-up. Elliott landed another throw takedown. Askarov tried for an armbar for a moment but didn’t commit to it. Elliott went into side control, escaping a possible triangle choke. Despite Elliott putting them on the ground, it felt like he was fully playing defence in the position. They went back to stand-up in the final minute. Elliott shot for another takedown but did not get it.

Askarov was connecting with some punches early in the final round. Elliott was egging on Askarov, telling him to do more and putting his hands down. Elliott was landing, but getting hit just as much by a backpedalling Askarov. They were in a clinch for a bit of the final minute, with Elliott getting them to the ground for a moment. They went the distance, clearly both tired at the end. When going to the scorecard, Askar Askarov saw the victory (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Askarov	10	9	10	29
Elliott	9	10	9	28

Bout 5: Sodiq Yusuff (10-1) vs. Andre Fili (20-6) (Featherweight)

Continuing into the second hour of the prelims, Sodiq Yusuff fought Andre Fili. Both fighters were swinging hard punches right from the jump. Yusuff was connecting good with a jab. Fili tried for a takedown in the second minute of the fight, failing to take the fight to the ground. He tried again a minute later, getting the takedown this time. Yusuff was quick to get back to his feet. Fili’s face was starting to turn red from strikes. Fili got another takedown, although Yusuff got back up in a clinch. Fili landed his best shot of the round in the fourth minute, almost dropping Yusuff with a shot. He got a takedown on the rocked Yusuff, although they got back to their feet. They went back down as Yusuff put in a kimura. It looked good, but Fili escaped eventually. Fili tried for an armbar from bottom position but let go as Yusuff lifted him up and possibly tried to slam him.

Yusuff caught a leg kick by Fili, sweeping him to the ground in the first minute of the second round. Yusuff was in control on the ground, landing some knees to the body while in side control. When Yusuff got up, Fili threw some upkicks. Yusuff went back down to the ground into full mount. They got back up with a minute left in the round. Fili got a double leg takedown, but Yusuff stood back up again. They went into a standing clinch up against the cage.

In the third round, Yusuff was connecting with powerful singular shots again. Fili got a good counter-punch in the round. The whole round was slower pace striking, with nobody ever landing anything that showed particular damage. The fight went to the scorecards with Sodiq Yusuff earning the unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Yusuff	10	10	10	30
Fili	9	9	9	27

Bout 6: Roxanne Modafferi (23-16) (#7) vs. Maycee Barber (8-0) (#9) (Flyweight)

Finishing off the preliminary card, undefeated prospect Maycee Barber was pitted against MMA veteran Roxanne Modafferi. Ben Askren was in the corner of Barber. After landing a few punches, Modafferi got a takedown from a clinch. Modafferi did short little punches from half guard. From bottom position, Barber tried for a guillotine choke, but Modafferi’s head popped out eventually. Modafferi got on Barber’s back for a moment, but ended on her back on the ground as the round ended.

Modafferi dropped Barber with a leg jab at the start of the second round. Modafferi went to the ground and took side control. She went into full mount, and started to do some ground and pound. Modafferi started to throw some elbows. Barber was able flip the position, taking control on the ground. It was clear that the elbows cut Barber open. Modafferi was able to get back in top position, focusing on strikes. She took Barber’s back, trying for a rear naked choke for a moment. Barber flipped around again, with Modaffering in half guard. Barber was really bleeding at this point. When Barber got up at the end of the round, it was clear her left leg was injured, limping badly.

A timeout was called at the start of the final round, letting a doctor check out her left leg. The doctor said she has an ACL tear, but she’s fine. When the third round started, Barber was having tons of trouble moving around. Modafferi was landing some good punches, knocking Barber back quite a bit. Modafferi got another takedown, where Barber tried for a guillotine at the bottom. Barber flipped into top position, trying for an americana. They eventually got out of the position. Modafferi went back into top position for the rest of the round. Barber didn’t bleed as much this round, but did start to bleed more near the end of the round. Upsetting the Vegas oddsmakers, Roxanne Modafferi went on to get a unanimous decision win (30-27, 30-27 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Modafferi	10	10	10	30
Barber	9	9	9	27

Bout 7: Diego Ferreira (16-2) vs. Anthony Pettis (22-9) (#11) (Lightweight)

Kicking off the main card, ranked fighter Anthony Pettis fought Diego Ferreira in a lightweight fight. Ferreira shot for a takedown in the first minute but did not get it. He tried again halfway through the round, getting it to the ground on the back of Pettis. They returned to stand-up a minute later. Ferreira got a second takedown in the final 30 seconds of the first round. From side control he landed a couple of short elbows.

Ferreira caught a kick at the start of the second round, getting a takedown and hopping on the back of Pettis on the ground. Pettis moved around, but Ferreira got back on the back of Pettis. After throwing lots of punches, Ferreira committed to the rear naked choke, which made Pettis tap out. Diego Ferreira should expect to crash the rankings, stopping Anthony Pettis in the second round and extending his winning streak to six in a row.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ferreira	10
Pettis	9

Bout 8: Ode Osbourne (8-2) vs. Brian Kelleher (19-10) (Bantamweight)

Contender Series success story Ode Osbourne debuted against Brian Kelleher in the next fight. This matchup was originally meant for the preliminary card, but after some changes, found itself pushed up two slots. Right at the start, Osbourne landed an odd jumping punch. Kelleher’s stance seemed very shelled up, while Osbourne had his arms out quite often. Kelleher got a takedown in the first minute. He did some ground and pound from top position. Kellher put in a guillotine choke which made Osbourne tap out eventually. Bouncing back from a two-fight losing streak, Brian Kelleher got a fast win against the still learning Ode Osbourne.

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Osbourne
Kelleher

Bout 9: Alexey Oleinik (57-13-1) (#12) vs. Maurice Greene (8-3) (Heavyweight)

In the next fight, MMA veteran Alexey Oleinik fought Maurice Greene. Oleinik got dropped right off the bat from a kick. He got back up immediately. Dodging a kick, Oleinik clinched up and took him down. He took side control on the ground. Green tried for a triangle from bottom position, but Oleinik escaped quickly. The crowd was booing the whole time they were on the ground. They got up for a second but went back down where Oleinik was in full mount. He went into side control and tried for a head and arm choke. Greene endured for a while, eventually throwing some hammerfist punches too. He survived the choke until the round ended.

At the start of the second round, Oleinik seemed fatigued. He was eating lots of strikes from Greene, including a head kick. Oleinik walked down Green, starting another clinch. Greene got out, throwing more punches. Oleinik tried for a takedown, eventually getting it. Oleinik tried for a choke from top position again. The crowd went back to booing. Greene tried for a kimura from the bottom position. Oleinik, who was now bleeding a bit on his forehead, tried for an armbar in the final minute. He was really huffing and puffing while trying for this hold. Eventually, Greene tapped out, giving Alexey Oleinik another win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Oleinik	10
Greene	9

Bout 10: Raquel Pennington (10-7) (#5) vs. Holly Holm (12-5) (#3) (Bantamweight)

In the co-main event of the evening, high ranked bantamweights Raquel Pennington and Holly Holm collided. The first two minutes of the fight were slow. Holm charged in and put Pennington put against the cage in the third minute. Holm landed many strikes in the clinch. Holm was controlling up against the cage until the end of the round, trying for a guillotine as it closed out.

Holm put Pennington up against the cage early in the second round. They went back to stand-up with two minutes left. The crowd cheered for that. Holm put Pennington back up against the cage moments later, to the crowd’s displeasure.

The third round was slow paced with more clinch work. It felt like this was Pennington’s best round, throwing lots of shots when they did stand-up. The referee separated a clinch near the end of the round. The fight went the distance, with Holly Holm getting the unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27)

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Pennington	9	9	10	28
Holm	10	10	9	29

Bout 11: Conor McGregor (21-4) vs. Donald Cerrone (36-13) (Welterweight)

The main event saw the return of “The Notorious” Conor McGregor against fan-friendly fighter Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. The welterweight fight was not for a championship but was for five rounds. The crowd was heavily in favour of McGregor, although there wasn’t much hostility towards Cerrone. McGregor came charing at Cerrone right off the bat, throwing strikes in the clinch. When they left the clinch, it was clear damage was done to Cerrone’s nose. He threw a leg kick which had Cerrone retreating. He then got dropped by punches. McGregor kept with punches until referee Herb Dean stepped in and ended the fight. Winning in under a minute, Conor McGregor had a successful return to MMA.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
McGregor
Cerrone

Watch The UFC 246 Post-Fight Press Conference

In the main event of UFC 246, Conor McGregor defeated Donald Cerrone in under a minute. With the event in the books, see reactions from Dana White and various fighters with the UFC 246 Post-Fight Press Conference.

The live-stream is scheduled to go live at 1:15 AM EST.

As the live-stream progresses, bullet-points of what people say will be put on this post.

Dana White

Gate for the event was $11.1 million
Attendance was 19,040
Drew Dober, Diego Sanchez, Brian Kelleher, Alexey Oleinik Conor McGregor all got bonuses
Maycee Barber, Tim Elliott and Donald Cerrone were transported to the hospital
Talking about McGregor: “I was blown away, he looked unbelievable”
On pay-per-view sales: “Killed it”
On ESPN’s promotion work: “The job that ESPN did promoting this fight, I have never seen anything like it.”
On McGregor’s next fight: “Khabib’s the fight to make”
White did not like the reffing for Holm vs. Pennington
On Maycee Barber’s fight: “Roxanne is a tough test”
White said he doesn’t want to give Claudia Gadelha a quick turnaround.
He was against how late the stoppage was for Drew Dober vs. Nasrat Haqparast
“Floyd and I have been talking tonight”
Said he called Conor McGregor immediately to tell him about Usman’s twitter getting hacked earlier today (for context, Usman’s Twitter was hacked, then tweeted at McGregor’s wife)
Said 187 members of the media were present

Holly Holm

On her fighting style against Raquel Pennington: “I always want it to be more exciting … With that being said, she’s kind of one of those scrappy fighters.”
Said she wasn’t bothered by the boos in the crowds
Said she was happy that UFC is heading to Alberquerque
Revealed her father had a stroke in the weeks leading up to the fight.
“135, I feel, is maybe more my home.”

Conor McGregor

On Cerrone’s grandmother: “She’s just a phenomenal woman … Great to finally meet her.”
“I’ll have a celebration tonight, I’ll spend time with my kids tomorrow … Then it’s back to training.”
On his past fights: “I wasn’t committed”
On facing Jorge Masvidal, and challenging for his BMF Belt: “That’s not a great belt, but I’ll still take it.”