Seo Hee Ham Gets Split Decision Victory Over Ayaka Hamasaki, Becomes New RIZIN Atomweight Champion

Seo Hee Ham edged out two-out-of-three scorecards against Ayaka Hamasaki on Tuesday, making her the new RIZIN Super Atomweight Champion. The win was on the top half of RIZIN 20, at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Ham was crowned the new champion after three rounds of competition. The most impactful round from Ham was the second one, where she landed dozens of elbows on the ground.

Hamasaki became the RIZIN Super Atomweight Champion on New Year’s Eve last year, defeating Kanna Asakura. She defended her belt once since then, going to the scorecards against Jinh Yu Frey in a rematch.

Earlier on the RIZIN 20 card, Jiri Prochazka defended his Light Heavyweight Championship against former-UFC fighter C.B. Dollaway.

Full coverage of the event can be found here.

Tofiq Musayev Defeats Patricky Pitbull, Becomes RIZIN Lightweight Grand Prix Winner

Tofiq Musayev won the RIZIN Lightweight Grand Prix, stopping Patricky Pitbull in the grand finale at RIZIN 20 on Tuesday, at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Musayev went three rounds with the Bellator fighter, getting a unanimous decision victory.

While a lot of the battle was focused on stand-up, Musayev was the fighter who consistently landed takedowns and pushed the pace of the fight.

To win the Lightweight Grand Prix, Musayev had to fight twice in one night. He punched his ticket to the finals by defeating Johnny Case with punches in the first round. Pitbull stopped Luiz Gustavo in the following fight to get into the finals.

The loss is the first one Pitbull has seen since 2016 when he lost to Michael Chandler.

Musayev has been undefeated since 2015, having five of those wins in RIZIN.

His quarter-final victory came against Tatsuya Kawajiri at RIZIN 19, defeating him in just over a minute with strikes.

In the fight before on the card, Jiri Prochazka made the first defence of his RIZIN Light Heavyweight Championship, defeating C.B. Dollaway.

Full coverage of the event can be found here.

Jiri Prochazka Makes First Defence of RIZIN LW Belt, Stopping C.B. Dollaway

Jiri Prochazka made the first defence of his RIZIN Light Heavyweight Championship on Tuesday, stopping C.B. Dollaway via a first-round knockout at RIZIN 20, at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

The fight was close for the first few minutes, but it ended abruptly after Prochazka landed a left hook which dropped Dollaway, bouncing him on the canvas. No extra strikes were needed to give Prochazka the victory.

Prochazka has now won 10 in a row with a streak which started in 2016. He became the promotion’s first light heavyweight champion in April defeating King Mo, avenging a loss from 2015 with punches in the third round.

This fight was the first one outside the UFC for Dollaway since 2007. He left the UFC after being given a two-year suspension for a USADA violation.

Mizuki vs. Tecia Torres Added To UFC Fight Night Columbus

It was announced on Saturday that Tecia Torres and Mizuki Inoue have been booked for the main card of UFC on ESPN 8, which is on March 23rd, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Torres is currently fighting the longest losing streak of her career, with a win illuding her for her last four fights. Apart from her ongoing losing streak, Torres only has one other defeat as a pro.

Most recently, Torres lost via unanimous decision to Marina Rodriguez. Previously, she lost to Weili Zhang, who is currently the UFC Strawweight Champion.

Mizuki made a successful debut in the UFC last August, winning in a split decision contest against Yanan Wu. Before her UFC career, Mizuki notably fought in all-women’s MMA promotions like Invicta FC and DEEP Jewels.

Currently set to headline the Ohio card is heavyweights Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruick. The co-main event will see ranked bantamweights Raphael Assuncao and Cody Garbrandt try to snap their losing streaks.

UFC 245: Covington vs. Usman Live Report

UFC’s final pay-per-view of the year was a big one, with three championship fights on the card. Headlining the trio of fights was Colby Covington challenging Kamaru Usman for his UFC Welterweight Championship. Stay tuned throughout the night for live results.

Quick Results:

Early Prelims (UFC Fight Pass / 6PM EST)

Bout 1: Punahele Soriano def. Oskar Piechota via KO (RD 1, 3:17)

Bout 2: Jessica Eye def. Viviane Araujo via Unanimous Decision

Bout 3: Brandon Moreno def. Kai Kara-France via Unanimous Decision

Bout 4: Chase Hooper def. Daniel Teymur via TKO (RD 1, 4:34)

Prelims (ESPN 2, TSN 5 / 8PM EST)

Bout 5: Matt Brown def. Ben Saunders via TKO (RD 2, 4:55)

Bout 6: Omari Akhmedov def. Ian Heinisch via Unanimous Decision

Bout 7: Irene Aldana def. Kelten Vieira via KO (RD 1, 4:51)

Bout 8: Geoff Neal def. Mike Perry via TKO (RD 1, 1:30)

Main Card (PPV / 10PM EST)

Bout 9: Petr Yan (13-1) vs. Urijah Faber (35-10) (Bantamweight)

Bout 10: Jose Aldo (28-5) vs. Marlon Moraes (22-6-1) (Bantamweight)

Bout 11: Amanda Nunes (18-4) vs. Germaine de Randamie (9-3) (UFC Bantamweight Championship)

Bout 12: Max Holloway (21-4) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (20-1) (UFC Featherweight Championship)

Bout 13: Kamaru Usman (15-1) vs. Colby Covington (15-1) (UFC Welterweight Championship)

Results:

Bout 1: Punahele Soriano (6-0) vs. Oskar Piechota (11-2-1) (Middleweight)

In the first bout of the evening, undefeated Punahele Soriano made his UFC debut against Oskar Piechota. There was an exchange in the second minute of the fight where both fighters threw strikes. Piechota was hit with a left hook that dropped him. Soriano couldn’t finish on the ground with strikes. He got on Piechota’s back. As they got back up, Piechota tried for a kimura. He transitioned into a guillotine, throwing one knee while holding it. Soriano got out of it and took Piechota back down. They got back up and returned to striking with just over two minutes left in the round. Soriano was coming forward with punches, cornering Piechota up against the cage. He landed another left hook which knocked out Piechota to end the fight. Proving himself to be a good prospect, Punahele Soriano made a strong UFC debut. Piechota was emotional after the fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Soriano
Piechota

Bout 2: Jessica Eye (14-7) vs. Viviane Araujo (8-1) (Flyweight)

In the next fight, high ranked flyweights Jessica Eye and Viviane Araujo faced off. Since Eye came in over the 126 lb flyweight limit, she gave up some of her fight purse. Araujo landed a good hook in the first minute of the round. Araujo got a takedown off of catching a kick. They got back up with a minute left in the round. Eye was the more active fighter, including many strikes to the body. Araujo stopped a takedown, keeping it in stand-up.

The second round had more close striking. Araujo caught another kick, but this time she couldn’t get a takedown. Araujo got a well-timed double leg takedown with two minutes to go in the round. Eye got up after being down for only half a minute. Eye continued to be the more active and accurate striker.

The final round was similar to the ones before. Eye stopped numerous strikes throughout the round. This round was possibly the closest one for strikes. When going to the scorecard, Jessica Eye walked away with the win unanimously (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Eye	10	10	10	30
Araujo	9	9	9	27

Bout 3: Brandon Moreno (15-5-1) (#5) vs. Kai Kara-France (20-7) (#6) (Flyweight)

Staying in the flyweight division, two more ranked flyweights in Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France faced off. In the first few minutes of the fight, both fighters were swinging hard. Kara-France landed a good punch that hurt Moreno halfway through the round. Moreno connected with a solid head kick in the final minute. No doubt Moreno was in the fight this round, but getting clipped a few times put him behind on the scorecard.

Moreno had a good second round, coming forward with more strikes, putting pressure on Kara-France. Moreno was stringing together some great combinations. Kara-France started to show damage on his face.

The final round was, just like the rounds before, explosive. Moreno slipped backwards in the second minute. Both fighters took turns throwing combinations. Moreno kept taunting by throwing his arms up. Kara-France was pacing the outside of the octagon for most of the third round. They were swinging until the very last second of the fight. Both of them showed damage on their faces at the end. Heading to the scorecard, all three judges had it for Brandon Moreno (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Moreno	9	10	10	29
Kara-France	10	9	9	28

Bout 4: Daniel Teymur (7-3) vs. Chase Hooper (8-0-1) (Featherweight)

Finishing off Fight Pass Early Prelims, undefeated Chase Hooper fought Daniel Teymur. The small crowd that was inside the T-Mobile Arena sounded very supportive for Hooper. Hooper tried for a takedown early on, but Teymur locked in a guillotine choke. He got out of the choke, although it looked scary for him for a second. Hooper stayed on his back on the ground. He got up later and took the back of Teymur while standing up. They went to the ground, where Hooper tried for a rear naked choke when he wasn’t throwing punches. He had the choke under the chin, but Teymur did escape it eventually. Hooper got on top of Teymur and landed elbows and punches until the referee intervened. Escaping an early guillotine, Hooper went on to give a dominant performance in his UFC debut.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Teymur
Hooper

Bout 5: Matt Brown (21-16) vs. Ben Saunders (22-12-2) (Welterweight)

In the first ESPN prelim fight, veterans Matt Brown and Ben Saunders fought. Brown got a trip takedown in the first minute of the fight. Saunders threatened a triangle choke from the bottom. Brown endured the hold, eventually escaping the position. They stayed on the ground until the round ended.

Brown landed a good high kick in the first minute of the fight. Saunders was packing up against the cage. Saunders pulled guard, taking the fight to the ground. He was bleeding significantly from the head. The referee stood them up with 30 seconds left in the round due to inactivity. Saunders dropped to the ground in the final seconds. Brown landed strikes from top position until the referee intervened.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Brown	9
Saunders	10

Bout 6: Ian Heinisch (13-2) (#10) vs. Omari Akhmedov (19-4-1) (#14) (Middleweight)

In the next bout, up and comers Ian Heinisch and Omar Akhmedov faced off. Heinisch shot for a takedown in the first minute but didn’t get it. Akhmedov got some good punches through after that. Akhmedov secured a good double leg takedown with just over a minute left in the round. They weren’t on the ground for too long.

Akhmedov continued to succeed in the second round with his counter-puncher role. With that being said, Heinisch landed some good shots as well. Akhmedov shot for another takedown, this time not fully getting Heinisch to the ground. Heinisch had Akhmedov up against the cage as the round closed out.

A knee to the body hurt Akhmedov halfway through the final round. A hook hit Heinisch that hurt him too. Spotting Akhmedov’s momentum, Heinisch landed a takedown. They got up and stayed in a clinch up against the cage. Heinisch got another takedown, this time taking the back of Akhmedov. Heinisch landed strikes from the position. They got up for the final 30 seconds, where Heinisch got hurt by more strikes. The fight all 15 minutes, with all three judges giving the nod to Omari Akhmedov (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Heinisch	9	9	9	27
Akhmedov	10	10	10	30

Bout 7: Ketlen Vieira (10-0) (#2) vs. Irene Aldana (11-5) (#10) (Bantamweight)

Continuing on the prelims, undefeated bantamweight Ketlen Vieira faced Irene Aldana. The winner of this fight would presumably be next in line for a bantamweight shot. The first round had a very close striking battle. Aldana started to bleed on the lower lip near the end of the round. In the final seconds of the round, Aldana scored a left hook which floored Vieira. She landed a right hand on the ground which took her out cold. Irene Aldana moved to the front of the bantamweight line by ending Ketlen Vieira’s undefeated record with a thunderous knockout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Vieira
Aldana

Bout 8: Mike Perry (13-5) vs Geoff Neal (12-2) (#14) (Welterweight)

The final preliminary fight of the card was between Mike Perry and Geoff Neal. Perry got rocked by a head kick in the second minute of the fight. Neal dropped Perry with punches up against the cage, which was enough for the referee, stepping in and ending the fight. Perry was cut on the nose after the exchange. Handing Mike Perry his sixth loss as a pro, Geoff Neal should expect to climb up the welterweight rankings more. After the fight, Neal honestly admitted that he needs another fight or two before going for a belt.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Perry
Neal

Bout 9: Petr Yan (13-1) (#4) vs. Urijah Faber (35-10) (#12) (Bantamweight)

Starting off the main card, Urijah Faber came out of retirement to face Petr Yan. Faber landed a good knee early on. It was a slow and methodical start for both fighters. Faber caught a kick and initiated a clinch, but Yan spun out of it. Yan was landing good punches every once in a while.

Faber attempted a single leg takedown halfway through the second round which Yan avoided. Right after, Yan came forward with punches which sat Faber down. Faber was hit with more strikes, but recovered and got back to his feet. He landed a punch to Yan which hurt him. Yan threw an elbow which dropped Faber again. Faber was cut open badly at this point. There was huge swelling beside his left eye. He got back up again but was thrown down by Yan. The referee stopped the fight with a minute or so left so that a doctor could check on it. Boos from the crowd ended when they realized the fight would not get called off. They resumed with Yan in top position on the ground. They got back up, but Yan secured another takedown in the final seconds of the round.

In the final round. Yan hit Faber with a head kick which dropped him again and ended the bout. With dominant striking throughout the fight, Petr Yan finally ended the fight in the third round. After the fight, Yan called out Henry Cejudo.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Yan	9	10
Faber	10	8

Bout 10: Jose Aldo (28-5) vs. Marlon Moraes (22-6-1) (#1) (Bantamweight)

The final fight of the evening that was not for a championship was between Jose Aldo and Marlon Moraes. The fight was Aldo’s official move from featherweight to bantamweight. Moraes landed a head kick in the first few seconds of the fight. He opened the fight with good strikes but calmed down once Aldo started to answer back. Moraes started to work the outside, pacing to the side or backwards. Aldo landed some solid punches in the final moments of the round. Moraes went into a clinch and threw Aldo to the ground.

Just like the round before, Aldo was the fighter constantly coming forward. Aldo had a much better second round, putting together head and body combinations. Moraes was more active in this round, but his pace had slowed down quite a bit compared to the round before.

Aldo continued to walk down Moraes in the third round, not landing much but doing the better job. He stopped a takedown attempt from Moraes in the final minute, eating a combination of punches in the exit. Going to the scorecards to find a winner, we had a split decision in favour of Marlon Moraes (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28). The crowd was upset with the decision it seemed.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Aldo	9	10	10	29
Moraes	10	9	9	28

Bout 11: Amanda Nunes (18-4) vs. Germaine de Randamie (9-3) (#1) (UFC Bantamweight Championship)

The first of three championship bouts in the evening was for the UFC Bantamweight Championship. Attempting to defend one of her two belts, Amanda Nunes fought Germaine de Randamie in a rematch from 2013. Nunes caught a leg kick early on but couldn’t connect on a follow-up punch. Nunes scored a double leg takedown in the second minute of the fight. They got up shortly after, where Nunes put in a guillotine. They went back to the ground, where de Randamie popped out of the choke. They stood back up and went into a clinch against the cage. Nunes got another takedown. She did ground and pound more this time. She continued with the shots for quite a while. De Randamie threw a couple good upkicks. Nunes put in an arm triangle for a while. She let go and went back to hammerfist punches. Somehow, de Randamie survived the onslaught and made it into the second round.

At the start of the second round, de Randamie was landing some good punches. Nunes got another takedown in the second minute of the round. The referee stood them up due to inactivity eventually. De Randamie landed a good question-mark kick when they got up. In a clinch, de Randamie was throwing knees. Nunes got another takedown. From the bottom, de Randamie tried for a triangle choke. Nunes got out of it quite quickly.

Nunes got her fifth takedown in the first minute of round three. After being in a dominant position for a while, Nunes started to open up with ground and pound. When Nunes got back up, she was hit with upkicks.

Nunes got yet another takedown at the start of the fourth round. All of her takedowns were perfectly timed, right when de Randamie couldn’t stop them. From the bottom, de Randamie tried for a triangle choke. Nunes escaped then went back to her feet. Nunes threw de Randamie back to the ground. Nunes threw strikes every once in a while from top position until the round ended.

Before the final round, we were shown a crowd shot of championship boxer Claressa Shields. Similar to the rounds before, Nunes landed a takedown at the start of the final round. They stayed on the ground for many minutes. The fight ended in this position, going all 25 minutes. When consulting the scorecards, Amanda Nunes retained her UFC Bantamweight Championship (49-44, 49-46 & 49-45). After the fight, Nunes sent her condolences to Walt Harris’ family.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Nunes	10	10	10	10	10	50
De Randamie	8	9	9	9	9	44

Bout 12: Max Holloway (21-4) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (20-1) (#1) (UFC Featherweight Championship)

In the co-main event of the evening, Alexander Volkanovski challenged for Max Holloway’s Featherweight Championship. The first round was a game of striking chess. Volkanovski shot for a takedown in the final minute of the first round, but Holloway stopped it.

Holloway’s left leg was showing quite some damage early in the second round. Volkanovski continued to chip away at it. In the fourth minute of the round, Holloway switched his lead leg to his right leg. Holloway landed a good combination of strikes in the final minute of the round. They had Holloway’s leg heavily iced in-between rounds.

Volkanovski kept coming in for a punch or two then dipping out of distance. He caught a leg from Holloway and used that to come in for a right straight. Holloway landed a good shot halfway through the round which seemingly hurt Volkanovski. Just like the left leg, Volkanovski was consistently landing kicks to the right leg. Holloway got a good knee to the body in. The fight was heating up as the round was closing out.

In the first minute of the third round, Volkanovski had some good punches. Volkanovski shot for a takedown in the second minute of the round, but Holloway stopped it again. Holloway was doing good counter-punching throughout this round. They got into a good trade of strikes in the final minute of the round, their most dangerous exchange yet.

At the start of the final round, each fighter took turns swinging on eachother. In the second minute of the final round, Holloway got a body kick that was damaging. Volkanovski had a good string of punches in the fourth minute. He failed to land a takedown. Volkanovski put on a body lock in the final few seconds of the fight. They completed all three rounds, needing judges to determine who prevailed. When going to the scorecard, Alexander Volkanovski won on every judge’s card (48-47, 48-47 & 50-45).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Holloway	10	9	9	10	9	47
Volkanovski	9	10	10	9	10	48

Bout 13: Kamaru Usman (15-1) vs. Colby Covington (15-1) (UFC Welterweight Championship)

Main eventing the pay-per-view, UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman attempted to make his first ever championship defence against Colby Covington. The first round saw Usman dominant with striking at the start. Covington started to turn the tides halfway through the round. The tempo of strikes in the first round was amazing. Covington connected with a good left hook in the fourth minute. Usman did a body shot which hurt Covington. One round in, nobody landed a takedown.

Just like the round before, the second round was a kickboxing battle. Real jabbing battle in the third minute of the fight. Really testing each other’s chins. There was a pause with two minutes to go in the round was Usman was accidentally kneed in the groin. The crowd was in uproar over this. Covington was retreating in the final minute.

While the pace did slow down in the third round, both fighters were still landing hard shots. In the final minute of the third round, both fighters had strong surges of striking. When Covington was coming forward with punches near the end of the round, fingers got in the eyes of Usman. They paused the fight and had a doctor check on him. He was able to continue the fight. In-between rounds, Covington told his corner that he broke his jaw.

Covington had a powerful charge forward in the first minute of the fourth round. This round was mostly Usman, although Covington had an amazing combination of punches in the second half of it. In the final minute of the round, the referee paused the action to warn both fighters to keep it clean.

Heading into the final round, the fight had yet to go to the ground yet. Covington got stunned by a punched in the final two minutes of the fight. He started to circle the outside of the cage sluggishly. Usman dropped Covington with just over a minute left in the round. He got dropped again seconds later. Usman kept on Covington with hammerfist strikes for a few moments until the referee stepped in to end the bout. In a close, fast and epic battle, Kamaru Usman finally silenced his most promising challenger, via stoppage at that, to retain his Welterweight Championship.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Usman	9	10	10	10
Covington	10	9	9	9

Miyuu Yamamoto Versus AMP The Rocket Announced For RIZIN 20

A 108 lbs bout between Miyuu Yamamoto and AMP The Rocket was confirmed for RIZIN 20 on December 31st, 2019 via Twitter.

The bout was originally reported by Mike Skytte on December 4th, who said the fight was “close to being finalized.”

Yamamoto’s last fight was a loss to Seo Hee Ham via punches in the second round at RIZIN 19. The fight before then was a decision victory over Kanna Asakura at RIZIN 16.

AMP, also known as Suwanan Boonsorn is an up-and-coming fighter from Thailand who has mostly fought in the regional promotion DEEP Jewels. Her RIZIN debut was at RIZIN 18, losing via armbar to Ayaka Hamasaki in a non-championship bout.

A notable win for AMP came in 2018 when she beat now-UFC fighter Loma Lookboonmee via armbar.

RIZIN 20 will take place on New Year’s Eve, with the broadcast starting at 1AM EST on FITE.tv.

Here’s the full card for RIZIN 20 so far:

Ayaka Hamasaki (19-2) vs. Seo Hee Ham (22-8) (RIZIN Super Atomweight Championship)
Kai Asakura (14-1) vs. Manel Kape (14-4) (RIZIN Vacant Bantamweight Championship)
Jiri Prochazka (25-3-1) vs. C.B. Dollaway (17-9) (RIZIN Light Heavyweight Championship)
RIZIN Lightweight GP Grand Final
Johnny Case (27-6-1) vs. Tofiq Musaev (16-3) (RIZIN Lightweight GP Semi-Final)
Patricky Pitbull (22-8) vs. Luiz Gustavo (10-1) (RIZIN Lightweight GP Semi-Final)
Tenshin Nasukawa (35-0) vs. Rui Ebata (41-2-3) (123 lbs Kickboxing Special Rules)
Taiju Shiratori (18-5-1) vs. Taiga (21-10-1) (136 lbs Kickboxing)
Yuki Motoya (23-7) vs. Patrick Mix (12-0) (135 lbs)
Mikuru Asakura (11-1) vs. John Teixeira (146 lbs)
Lindsey VanZandt (7-2) vs. RENA (9-3) (112 lbs)
Vitaly Shemetov (23-10) vs. Simon Biyong (6-1) (205 lbs)
Jake Heun (14-9) vs. Satoshi Ishii (22-10-1) (231 lbs)
Shintaro Ishiwatari (26-7-4) vs. Hiromasa Ogikubo (19-4-2) (134 lbs)
Miyuu Yamamoto (5-4) vs. AMP The Rocket (4-2) (108 lbs)

Emi Fujino Stops Hyun Ji Jang In Three Rounds, Becomes Pancrase Interim Strawweight Champion at Pancrase 311

Emi Fujino became the interim Queen of Pancrase Strawweight Champion on Sunday, defeating Hyun Ji Jang at Pancrase 311 at Shinkiba Studio Coast in Tokyo, Japan.

Halfway through the third round, Fujino put a rear naked choke on Jang, who was on her knees. Jang did not fight the position much before tapping out.

The win makes it the third in a row for Fujino. Her previous four-fight winning streak was lost to Viviane Araujo in 2018. Araujo was promoted to the UFC in her next fight.

In the co-main event of the evening, Brazilian pro Saimon Oliveira put Wataru Mimura to sleep with a guillotine choke in the second minute of the first round.

Pancrase 311 was the promotion’s last event of the year. They plan to return for 10 events at Studio Coast in 2020, with the first event in mid-February.

A full report of Pancrase 311 will be uploaded to the website later this week.

UFC on ESPN 7: Overeem vs. Rozenstruick Full Report

After three weeks out of the spotlight, UFC returned with another event. Live from the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C., USA, UFC on ESPN 7 was headlined by Alistair Overeem and Jairzinho Rozenstruick. Before the main event, there was 11 fights, including numerous bouts that featured ranked fighters.

Bout 1: Trevor Smith (15-9) vs. Makmud Muradov (23-6) (Middleweight)

The first preliminary fight of the evening was UFC veteran Trevor Smith facing Makmud Muradov, who was having his second fight in the promotion. Muradov displayed his jab early in the first round. Smith countered with a kick in the second minute, connecting with the groin of Muradov. They went back to fighting quite quickly. While Muradov mostly out-punched Smith in the first round, he tested out a flying knee and a kick in the closing moments.

Muradov kept a fast pace of strikes throughout the second round. Smith tried for a takedown in the final minute of the fight, although Muradov got back up in short time. Muradov landed a knockdown in the final seconds of the round, putting in a rear naked choke until the clock ran out. Smith could have easily been saved by the round ending.

It was another close round of striking for Muradov early on, keeping with the theme of the rounds before. Muradov landed right to the body, followed left and right hook that knocked Smith out cold to end the fight. Smith’s mouthpiece went flying out of the frame. Muradov finishes 2019 with six MMA wins.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Smith	9	9
Muradov	10	10

Bout 2: Virna Jandiroba (14-1) vs. Mallory Martin (6-2) (Strawweight)

Mallory Martin made her UFC debut on Saturday, facing Virna Jandiroba. Jandiroba got a takedown in the first minute of the fight. Jandiroba had quite the entrance, wearing an interesting hat and singing along to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” Martin tried for a guillotine, which Jandiroba eventually popped out of. Jandiroba put in a triangle choke from top position which Martin escaped. Martin fought back to stand-up. Martin clinched up to Jandiroba against the cage. Jandiroba landed knees in the clinch. Jandiroba got another takedown in the final minute of the round, where Martin tried again for a guillotine. Jandiroba escaped before the round concluded.

In the first 20 seconds of the round, Jandiroba got another takedown. She took Martin’s back this time, trying for a rear naked choke. Jandiroba got the choke under the chin, with Martin tapping out eventually. Bouncing back from her first MMA loss as a pro, Virna Jandiroba got the win with a dominant performance.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Jandiroba	10
Martin	9

Bout 3: Matt Wiman (16-8) vs. Joe Solecki (8-2) (Lightweight)

The next fight was a fight between Dana White’s Contender Series winner Joe Solecki and Matt Wiman. Solecki scored a takedown in the first minute of the fight. Solecki took Wiman’s back and was dominant. He landed lots of strikes before trying for a choke. He stayed on the ground for the whole round, keeping Wiman in trouble.

Solecki got another takedown early in the second round. The referee stood them back up with over a minute left in the second round. Wiman tried for a guillotine choke on the ground as the round closed out.

As expected, Solecki got another takedown in the third round. Solecki got on Wiman’s back this time. Wiman was able to avoid chokes and strikes until the round ended. Wiman was shouting at Solecki while on the ground as the third round concluded. When going to the scorecards, Joe Solecki got his first win in the UFC via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Wiman	9	9	9	27
Solecki	10	10	10	30

Bout 4: Bryce Mitchell (11-0) vs. Matt Sayles (8-2) (Featherweight)

Undefeated “Thug Nasty” Bryce Mitchell fought Matt Sayles in the next preliminary fight. Mitchell got a single leg takedown early on. On the ground, Mitchell tried for an arm triangle choke which Sayles escaped. Mitchell put in a rare twister

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Mitchell
Sayles

Bout 5: Jacob Kilburn (8-2) vs. Billy Quarantillo (12-2) (Featherweight)

In a double debut, Jacob Kilburn and Billy Quarantillo competing in their call-up fight. Early on Quarantillo was striking in a clinch. On the ground, Quarantillo tried for a north south choke. Quarantillo went back to full mount, letting go of the choke. He started to let his hands go on Kilburn while in dominant positions. After landing many punches on the back of Kilburn, Quarantillo tried for a rear naked choke. Kilburn survived the five minutes, but took tons of damage.

Quarantillo got another takedown as the second round started. Quarantillo tried for a triangle choke but couldn’t get it. After some tweaking to the triangle choke, Kilburn tapped out. He was given a belt after the fight and also told everyone that tomorrow is his birthday.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Kilburn	8
Quarantillo	10

Bout 6: Thiago Alves (23-14) vs. Tim Means (28-11-1) (Welterweight)

The preliminary card wrapped up with Thiago Alves facing Tim Means. Both fighters were attempting to come back from a previous loss. Both fighters got to some fast paced striking early on. Means shot for a takedown which Alves avoided by staying against the fence. Means landed some good strikes. He knocked down Alves with a left hook in the third minute of the fight. Means put in a guillotine choke on the ground which tapped Alves out. A slick combination of strikes brought Alves to the ground, and grappling did the rest to give Tim Means the win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Alves
Means

Bout 7: Rob Font (#10) (16-4) vs. Ricky Simon (15-2) (Bantamweight)

Kicking off the main card, Rob Font faces Ricky Simon. The last fight for Simon was his first loss since joining the UFC. Going into this fight, Font was ranked #10 in the featherweight division. Font got a double leg takedown in the first minute of the fight. They got back up, with Simon putting Font up against the cage. They split up shortly, going back to stand-up. Simon tried for his own takedown but Font stopped it. Simon had Font retreating after he landed a good combination. Simon got a takedown finally. When they got back up into a standing clinch, Simon landed some good knees to the head. Simon got another takedown, trying for a guillotine. Font stood up before escaping the choke. Font came forward with his own nice combination of strikes. Simon got another takedown in the final minute of the fight.

Font stuffed a takedown in the first minute of the second round. Font’s sharp striking, including a nice jab was showcased in the second round. Simon got a takedown in the third minute of the round, although it looked like Font was going to stop it for a second. They did get back up quite quickly. Font’s striking was showcased better in this round than the one before. Simon got another takedown in the final minute of the second round.

Both fighters had strong stand-up at the start of the third round. Simon got another takedown halfway through the final round. Font’s jab was further put on display. The fight went the distance and was praised by the crowd afterwards. By unanimous decision, Rob Font took the fight (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Font	9	10	10	29
Simon	10	9	9	28

Bout 8: Cody Stamann (18-2) (#9) vs. Song Yadong (15-4) (#13) (Bantamweight)

In the first bout of the evening that was a battle between two ranked fighters, Cody Stamann fought Song Yadong. In the first round, Yadong was the first one to come forward with good punches. Stamann got a takedown in the second minute of the fight. Yadong tried for a guillotine on the ground. While cranking the guillotine, Yadong landed a knee to the head which is not allowed since Stamann was grounded. After a point was deducted, the fight resumed. Back in stand-up, Yadong was the better striker. Stamann got a single leg takedown as the first round concluded.

In the opening minute of the second round, Yadong stopped a takedown and went back to stand-up. He got another takedown with just over a minute left.

Stamann’s wrestling continued in the third round, getting another takedown and just smothering Yadong. When Stamann got on Yadong’s back he really started to let his fists go. Stamann finished strong, throwing lots of punches before the horn went. Heading to the judges, the fight was decided to be a majority draw. (29-27, 28-28 & 28-28)

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Stamann	9	10	10	29
Song	9	9	9	27

Bout 9: Aspen Ladd (8-1) (#5) vs. Yana Kunitskaya (12-4) (#7) (Bantamweight)

In the last of many bantamweight fights of the evening, Aspen Ladd fought Yana Kunitskaya in a ranked fight. They went into a standing clinch, with was broken after the referee saw Kunitskaya grab the fence. She put in another standing clinch only moments later. Ladd got a trip takedown with two minutes left in the round. Ladd got on the back of Kunitskaya and started to unload strikes. She did so until the round ended.

Ladd tried for a takedown in the second round, although Kunitskaya blocked the attempt. Ladd got a takedown upon another attempt. Just like the last round, Ladd stayed in top position until the round ended.

At the very start of the final round, Ladd dropped Kunitskaya with punches. Ladd went to the ground at took the back of Kunistkaya, throwing strikes until the referee stepped in. A dominant win for Aspen Ladd after suffering a tough first loss as a pro before.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ladd	10	10
Kunitskaya	9	9

Bout 10: Stefan Struve (29-11) vs. Ben Rothwell (36-12) (Heavyweight)

Coming out of retirement, Stefan Struve fought Ben Rothwell on the next bout of this show. Struve landed leg kicks to start off. Rothwell put Struve up against the cage in the second minute. Struve was hit in the groin as the round was more than halfway through. Struve was down for a while, and took many minutes to regain his composure. Struve eventually went back to the fight.

Rothwell was hit in the groin in the first minute of the second round, although it didn’t take long to resume. As Rothwell was throwing kicks later in the second round, Struve was hit with another kick to the groin. A point was docked from Rothwell this time. Rothwell started rushing Struve when they resumed. Struve was dropped with uppercuts and finished in the closing seconds of the fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Struve	10
Rothwell	9

Bout 11: Cynthia Calvillo (8-1) vs. Marina Rodriguez (12-0-1) (Strawweight)

My recap of Cynthia Calvillo vs. Marina Rodriguez can be found at Fansided MMA.

Result: Cyntia Calvillo vs. Marina Rodriguez via Majority Decision (29-28, 28-28 & 28-28).

Bout 11: Alistair Overeem (45-17) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (9-0) (Heavyweight)

In the main event of the evening, UFC veteran Alistair Overeem faced up and comer Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Before the fight started, Overeem offered to shake hands but Rozenstruik did not respond to the offer. Overeem landed a trip takedown in the second minute of the fight after a pretty slow start of a couple of minutes. He focused on strikes while in half guard. Rozenstruick almost escaped bottom position, but Overeem stopped it, transition into side control. Overeem landed some elbows to the head from the position.

Overeem went into a standing clinch in the second round. He put Rozenstruick up against the cage and landed strikes. With two minutes left in the fight, the referee brought the fighters back to stand-up. Rozenstruick ate lots of hard strikes in the round, not showing much weakness from it.

Rozenstruick opened the third round with some punches. Overeem tried for a double leg takedown in the first minute of the third round but didn’t get it. He tried for another one with two minutes left in the round, this time securing it after some fight.

Rozenstruick had his first jolt of offense in the fourth round. With under two minutes left in the round, Rozenstruick came forward with another good combination, including a head kick.

The pace of the striking in the final round was much slower. After the 10-second clapper hit at the end of the fifth round, Rozenstruick threw a right hook which dropped Overeem and ended the fight. The punch cut the top lip of Overeem very deeply. With the hard knockout win, Jairzinho Rozenstruick extended his undefeated record into double digits. The win was also his first that went into the fifth round. After the fight he called out Francis Ngannou.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Overeem	10	10	10	10
Rozenstruick	9	9	9	9

UFC returns next week with UFC 245, a pay-per-view headlined by three championship fights. Here’s how the card looks as of right now:

Kamaru Usman (15-1) vs. Colby Covington (UFC Welterweight Championship)
Max Holloway (21-4) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (20-1) (UFC Featherweight Championship)
Amanda Nunes (18-4) vs. Germaine de Randamie (9-3) (UFC Bantamweight Championship)
Jose Aldo (28-5) vs. Marlon Moraes (22-6-1) (Bantamweight)
Petr Yan (13-1) vs. Urijah Faber (35-10) (Bantamweight)
Mike Perry (13-5) vs. Geoff Neal (12-2) (Welterweight)
Ketlen Vieira (10-0) vs. Irene Aldana (Bantamweight)
Ian Heinisch (13-2) vs. Omari Akhmedov (19-4-1) (Middleweight)
Matt Brown (21-16) vs. Ben Saunders (22-12-2) (Welterweight)
Daniel Teymur (7-3) vs. Chase Hooper (8-0-1) (Featherweight)
Brandon Moreno (15-5-1) vs. Kai Kara-France (20-7) (Flyweight)
Jessica Eye (14-7) vs. Viviane Araujo (8-1) (Flyweight)
Punahele Soriano (6-0) vs. Oskar Piechota (11-2-1) (Middleweight)

Michael “Venom” Page and Yusaku Nakamura Among Names Announced In 2 Additional Bellator Japan Bouts

The announcement of two more Bellator Japan bouts was broken on Saturday via Twitter, including well-known promotional star Michael “Venom” Page.

MVP will face former UFC fighter Shinsho Anzai at a catchweight of 173 lbs. Japan’s Anzai recently picked up a win at DEEP Impact 91 against Yoichiro Sato. Including a 2-2 UFC run, Anzai has a professional record of 11-3.

Page recently got a victory at Bellator London over Gianni Melillo, his second win since his first pro loss which came via knockout against Douglas Lima in May.

The matchup will be under unified MMA rules, unlike some other bouts on the card which follow RIZIN’s ruleset.

Also announced for Bellator Japan was Yusaku Nakamura and Makoto Shinryu facing off. The fight will have RIZIN MMA rules, and will be held at 127 lbs.

Nakamura has appeared in RIZIN many times, both as a kickboxer and MMA fighter. He debuted in the promotion at RIZIN 10, losing to Tenshin Nasukawa. After a loss to Manel Kape, Nakamura got his first win in the promotion at RIZIN 16 over Topnoi Tiger Muay Thai.

Shinryu is a frequent fighter in regional Japanese promotion DEEP, currently on a three fight winning streak. His singular loss as a pro comes from Tatsumitsu Wada, a fighter who got promoted to ONE Championship in 2018.

Bellator Japan will take place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 29th. The event will be broadcasted live on DAZN and the Paramount Network, starting at 10PM EST.

Here’s a full look at the Bellator Japan card as of right now.:

Fedor Emelianenko (38-6) vs. Rampage Jackson (38-13) (Heavyweight)
Sidney Outlaw (14-3) vs. Michael Chandler (19-5) (160 lbs Catchweight)
Lorenz Larkin (21-7) vs. K-Taro Nakamura (35-10-2) (Welterweight)
Ilara Joanne (9-4) vs. Kana Watanabe (8-0-1) (Flyweight)
Goiti Yamauchi (24-4) vs. Daron Cruickshank (22-12) (Lightweight)
Andy Nguyen (6-8) vs. AI (5-1) (Strawweight)
Ren Hiramoto vs. Takahiro Ashida (Catchweight 150 lbs Kickboxing)
Ryuichiro Sumimura (14-7) vs. Jon Tuck (10-5) (Lightweight)
Jarred Brooks (15-2) vs. Haruo Ochio (19-7-2) (Strawweight)
Hiroto Uesako (16-8) vs. Yusuke Yachi (20-9) (Lightweight)
Michael Page (16-1) vs. Shinsho Anzai (11-3) (Catchweight 173 lbs)
Yusaku Nakamura (16-6-1) vs. Makoto Shinryu (9-1-1) (Catchweight 127 lbs)

Benson Henderson Out of Rematch Against Michael Chandler At Bellator Japan, Replaced By Sidney Outlaw

News broke on Twitter late Wednesday night that Benson Henderson was pulled from his Bellator Japan fight against Michael Chandler due to injury. Replacing him will be Sidney Outlaw.

“I got an injury, and I will not be able to participate in the December 29th festivities in Japan,” said Henderson in a video announcement on Twitter. “I’m hoping that Bellator reschedules it for later on – Chandler and I.”

The new matchup between Chandler and Outlaw will be at a catchweight of 160 lbs.

Outlaw returned to Bellator last month, defeating Roger Huerta via unanimous decision. His previous fight in Bellator was in 2014, when he got a win over Mike Bannon.

He has fought in larger American regional promotions like CFFC, Island Fights and Ring of Combat.

Chandler’s fight against Henderson was meant to be a rematch, as they previously matched up in the UFC, where Chandler won via decision.

Chandler’s last fight was a loss to Patricio Pitbull in just over a minute via punches.

Bellator Japan will happen on December 29th at 10 PM EST on the Paramount Network and DAZN, live from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Here’s how Bellator Japan, also known as Bellator 237 looks as of right now:

Fedor Emelianenko (38-6) vs. Rampage Jackson (38-13) (Heavyweight)
Sidney Outlaw (14-3) vs. Michael Chandler (19-5) (160 lbs Catchweight)
Lorenz Larkin (21-7) vs. K-Taro Nakamura (35-10-2) (Welterweight)
Ilara Joanne (9-4) vs. Kana Watanabe (8-0-1) (Flyweight)
Goiti Yamauchi (24-4) vs. Daron Cruickshank (22-12) (Lightweight)
Andy Nguyen (6-8) vs. AI (5-1) (Strawweight)
Ren Hiramoto vs. Takahiro Ashida (68 kg Kickboxing)
Ryuichiro Sumimura (14-7) vs. Jon Tuck (10-5) (Lightweight)
Jarred Brooks (15-2) vs. Haruo Ochio (19-7-2) (Strawweight)
Hiroto Uesako (16-8) vs. Yusuke Yachi (20-9) (Lightweight)