UFC Legend Anderson Silva to be Inducted into UFC Hall of Fame

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Anderson Silva is headed to the hall…

The 47-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and boxer, a former UFC Middleweight Champion who holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days, will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer, the promotion announced during the UFC 286 broadcast.

Considered one of the greatest MMA fighters to ever live will enter the Hall as part of the pioneer wing.

The Spider, as he’s nicknamed, has dominated the sport. He held the UFC middleweight title from 2006 to 2013 and compiled 16 straight victories in the UFC, the longest winning streak in promotion history.

Silva had 10 middleweight title defenses, second all-time after Jon Jones and Demetrious Johnson (11).

“Anderson Silva is one of the greatest athletes of all time,” UFC president Dana White said in a statement. “Anderson’s 16-fight winning streak in the UFC, 10 successful title defenses and almost seven years as middleweight champion were one of the most remarkable things we’ve ever seen in professional sports. He was an absolute artist inside the Octagon, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

It wasn’t just that Silva would win, either. He put opponents away with a flourish, sometimes making foes look foolish in the process. His nine UFC title finishes are the most in promotion history, and he’s tied for the most KO/TKOs in UFC middleweight history.

Silva asked for his UFC release in 2020 and went on to win boxing matches against former world champ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and fellow UFC luminary Tito Ortiz. Jake Paul defeated Silva in a boxing match, Silva’s most recent fight, last October.

In the UFC, Silva owns victories over the likes of Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen (twice) and Forrest Griffin.

UFC Finalizes Fight Between Henry Cejudo and Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288

Posted on March 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s official: Henry Cejudo is heading back to the Octagon soon.

After some starts and stops, the UFC 288 main event is now official with the 36-year-old Mexican American mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler among those set to participate.

Aljamain Sterling will defend his UFC bantamweight title against the former champion on May 6 in Newark, New Jersey, the promotion officially announced Friday.

Cejudo is making his return from retirement after three years away.

While both men had verbally agreed to the matchup weeks ago, there was some consternation this week. The UFC sent out a press release for UFC 288 on Tuesday without mentioning the main event, a rarity. Sterling posted on social media that Cejudo was holding things up and he teased a fight with popular up-and-comer Sean O’Malley instead. Ultimately, things were hammered out leading to the announcement Friday.

ESPN has Sterling tied for eighth in its pound-for-pound MMA rankings. Cejudo is a former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist in wrestling.

Sterling (22-3) has won eight straight fights and is coming off a second-round TKO win over former champ TJ Dillashaw in October at UFC 280. The Long Island, New York native has two successful title defenses. Sterling, 33, won the belt in a disqualification (illegal knee) against Petr Yan at UFC 259 in March 2021 and then beat Yan via split decision in a rematch.

Cejudo (16-2) has not fought since he successfully defended the title via second-round TKO over former champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in May 2020. The Arizona resident announced his retirement after that bout, but he officially returned by re-entering the USADA drug-testing pool in early 2022. Cejudo has won six straight, including stopping Demetrious Johnson‘s UFC record title-defense streak at 11 by winning the UFC flyweight title in 2018.

Charles Oliveira to Fight Beneil Dariush in Lightweight Battle at UFC 288

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Charles Oliveira is returning to the Octagon…

The 33-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, a former UFC lightweight champion, will face top contender Beneil Dariush in May.

The UFC hasn’t officially announced the 155-pound bout, but Oliveira referred to it as official on social media, and ESPN sources say Dariush’s side has agreed.

The lightweight fight will take place on May 6 at an event that is expected to be a UFC 288 pay-per-view.

Oliveira (33-9) hasn’t fought since a third-round submission loss to current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in October. That fight came under unique circumstances in that it was technically for the vacant lightweight title, after Oliveira surrendered the title this past May after missing weight for a defense against Justin Gaethje.

Although the Brazilian wasn’t the official champ when he fought Makhachev, the sport widely viewed him as such until the loss. Prior to the defeat, Oliveira had won 11 in a row.

Dariush (22-4-1) will take an eight-fight win streak into the contest in May. The 33-year-old has a strong case for a title shot now, but he has a history of seeking fights to remain active rather than wait for specific opportunities. Dariush would likely assert himself as the clear No. 1 contender at lightweight with a win. He has never fought Makhachev.

A bantamweight title fight between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo is slated to headline UFC 288. The UFC has not announced a venue for the date.

Henry Cejudo Finalizing UFC Bantamweight Title Fight with Aljamain Sterling

Posted on February 21, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Henry Cejudo is thisclose to locking in his next opponent…

The UFC is finalizing a bantamweight title fight between the 36-year-old Mexican American mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler and Aljamain Sterling, both fighters announced on social media.

Contracts haven’t been signed, but the 135-pound title fight is being targeted for May 6.

The UFC has not officially announced an event on that date, but it is expected to be a UFC 288 pay-per-view at a location to be determined.

“I’m fighting May 6 against Henry Cejudo and I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Sterling said on his “Weekly Scrap” podcast.

The UFC has been interested in this matchup for months, since Sterling (22-3) defended his title for the first time against former champion TJ Dillashaw in October. The fight likely would have happened sooner, potentially next month, but Sterling has been rehabbing a lingering injury to his bicep.

Fighting out of Cortland, New York, Sterling is on an eight-fight winning streak. One of those victories came under some controversy, when he won the title over Petr Yan by disqualification in 2021. Since then, Sterling has legitimized his title reign, defeating Yan in a rematch before submitting Dillashaw.

Cejudo (16-2) is one of the most accomplished fighters in combat sports history. He is an Olympic gold-medal wrestler and two-weight UFC champion. He became the UFC’s flyweight champion in 2018 and its bantamweight champ in 2019. He defended the bantamweight title once before retiring from the sport in 2020.

Even during his absence, many expected Cejudo would eventually return. He has expressed a desire to eventually move up again in weight in an attempt to become the UFC’s first three-weight champ.

Yair Rodriguez Defeats Josh Emmett to Become UFC’s Interim Featherweight Champion

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Yair Rodriguez is officially a titleholder…

The 30-year-old Mexican professional mixed martial artist is the UFC‘s interim featherweight champion following a masterful finish over Josh Emmett at UFC 284.

Rodriguez (15-3) submitted Emmett via triangle choke at 4 minutes, 19 seconds of the second round. The 145-pound bout co-headlined UFC 284, which took place on Sunday morning local time at RAC Arena.

The UFC created an interim title because defending champion Alexander Volkanovski (25-2) moved up in weight to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight belt. Volkanovski came up just short in his bid in the main event of UFC 284, losing to Makhachev by unanimous decision.

Rodriguez went into the fight as a favorite, but Emmett (18-3) had him in trouble early. Emmett, a Sacramento-based fighter, hurt Rodriguez in the opening round with a right hand, which Rodriguez later admitted nearly put him out. Emmett used the shot to get into top position and cause more damage.

Rodriguez regrouped in the second round, however, and started hurting Emmett badly to the body with kicks. Emmett was clearly affected by the shots and started to turn into an easier target for Rodriguez’s versatile offense. He hurt him moments later with an elbow along the fence.

Emmett managed to get Rodriguez to the ground a little later in the round, but Rodriguez stayed active and caught the triangle off his back.

“I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was a kid,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez becomes the second Mexican-born champion in UFC history.

The first, Brandon Moreno, is a two-time flyweight champion who just reclaimed his belt with a victory over Deiveson Figueiredo last month.

Volkanovski, of Australia, will likely look to unify his title against Rodriguez in their next appearances.

Jessica Andrade Filling In for Taila Santos in This Week’s UFC Fight Night

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jessica Andrade is stepping up to the Octagon…

The 31- year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former UFC women’s strawweight champion will fill in for Taila Santos in the UFC Fight Night main event on February 18 in Las Vegas.

Andrade will face top prospect Erin Blanchfield in a women’s flyweight contender bout.

Santos’ cornermen, including her husband, Pedro Barbosa, were denied visas multiple times, according to Santos’ manager Tiago Okamura. The team waited until a final denial Friday, Okamura said, and Santos decided to withdraw from the bout rather than compete without a corner.

ESPN has Andrade ranked No. 2 in the world at women’s flyweight. Blanchfield is unranked but could get a title shot with a win over Andrade.

Andrade (24-9) has won three straight. The Brazilian-born fighter who trains out of Las Vegas is coming off a dominant, unanimous-decision win over Lauren Murphy at UFC 283 last month. Andrade was the UFC women’s strawweight champion in 2019.

Blanchfield (10-1) has won seven straight, including her first four in the UFC. The New Jersey native is coming off a first-round submission win over Molly McCann at UFC 281 last November. Blanchfield, 23, was ranked No. 2 on ESPN‘s top 25 fighters under 25 years old for 2022.

Marlon Moraes to Fight Brendan Loughnane to Help Kick Off PFL’s 2023 Regular Season

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Marlon Moraes will be reporting for kick off duty with the Professional Fighters League.

The 34-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC title challenger (23-11-1) will fight Brendan Loughnane (26-4) in April to open the PFL‘s 2023 regular season.

The season will launch with a three-week series of events at Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas.

The season encompasses six weight classes: heavyweight, light heavyweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight and women’s featherweight.

The first round of season matchups will take place across three events scheduled on April 1, 7 and 14.

All three main and co-main slots feature the PFL’s returning 2022 champion.

The featherweight bout between Loughnane and Moraes will headline the first event. In the co-main event, Rob Wilkinson (17-2) will meet another former UFC title challenger in Thiago Santos (22-11).

On April 7, heavyweight Ante Delija (23-5) will meet Yorgan De Castro (9-3). Larissa Pacheco (19-4), who upset two-time women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison in the 2022 finals, will take on former Bellator MMA champion Julia Budd (16-5) in the new women’s featherweight division.

Capping off the first round on April 14, lightweight Olivier Aubin-Mercier (17-5) will take on free agent acquisition Shane Burgos (15-3). Welterweight Sadibou Sy (13-6-2) will face Jarrah Al-Silawi (18-4).

The PFL is the only major MMA promotion to follow a regular-season format, which includes single-elimination playoffs and finals. Additionally, the PFL hosts its Challengers Series for up-and-coming prospects and a recently announced pay-per-view division, which includes professional boxer Jake Paul.

Alex Pereira to Face Rival Israel Adesanya in Fourth Fight

Posted on January 27, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Alex Pereira is going on the defensive…

The 35-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer will defend his middleweight championship back in a fourth fight against rival against Israel Adesanya this spring.

Pereira and Adesanya will face each other in the co-main event of UFC 287 on April 8, UFC president Dana White has announced.

Jorge Masvidal will return against Gilbert Burns in the other co-main event, while popular welterweight Kevin Holland will take on Santiago Ponzinibbio on the main card, White said.

A location for UFC 287 has yet to be announced.

Perira has beaten Adesanya twice in kickboxing and knocked him out last November in the fifth round of their first MMA fight against one another at UFC 281 to win the belt.

Adesanya is No. 4 in ESPN‘s pound-for-pound rankings.

Pereira (7-1) is 4-0 in the UFC with three victories via KO/TKO. The Brazilian-born fighter, who trains out of Connecticut, only started his full-time MMA career in 2020. Pereira, 35, was once one of the best kickboxers in the world, holding Glory titles at middleweight and light heavyweight.

Adesanya (23-2) had been the UFC middleweight champion since 2019 prior to Pereira’s victory. The Nigerian-born New Zealander had only one MMA loss prior to November, at light heavyweight in a 2021 title fight against Jan Blachowicz.

Adesanya, 33, had five successful middleweight title defenses.

Masvidal (35-16) has lost three straight but remains one of the biggest stars on the UFC roster. The 38-year-old Miami native owns the fastest knockout in UFC history — a five-second flying knee win over Ben Askren in 2019.

Burns (21-5), a 36-year-old former title contender from Brazil who trains out of Florida, is coming off a first-round submission victory over Neil Magny on Saturday at UFC 283.

Jose Aldo to be Inducted Into UFC’s Hall of Fame

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jose Aldo is head to the Hall…

The 36-year-old Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist, the longest-reigning featherweight champion in UFC history, will be inducted into the promotion’s Hall of Fame later this year.

Aldo retired from the UFC in September, one month after losing to Merab Dvalishvili in a highly ranked bantamweight fight. Had Aldo won that fight, he might have moved on to fight for a UFC title one more time.

Although he officially retired from MMA and was removed from the UFC’s rankings, Aldo has left the door open to competing in a boxing match.

Born in Manaus, Brazil, Aldo rose to 145-pound superiority in the WEC, where he won his first major championship by knocking out Mike Brown in 2009. He defended the title twice before the UFC brought the division into its fold and crowned Aldo its first-ever featherweight champ.

Aldo (31-8) won 18 consecutive fights from 2006 to 2014 and defended the UFC featherweight title a record seven times. His championship run came to a close in 2015, when he suffered a stunning 13-second knockout to rival Conor McGregor. He reclaimed the title seven months later by defeating Frankie Edgar, but lost it a second time in his next fight to Max Holloway.

Still widely considered the greatest featherweight of all time, Aldo dropped to the 135-pound bantamweight division in 2019 to try to win a second belt. He challenged Petr Yan for the vacant belt in 2020 but lost via fifth-round TKO.

Aldo joins the UFC Hall of Fame’s “modern wing” of fighters that includes Forrest Griffin, BJ Penn, Urijah Faber, Ronda Rousey, Michael Bisping, Rashad Evans, Georges St-Pierre, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier.

Brandon Moreno Defeats Deiveson Figueiredo by TKO to Reclaim UFC Flyweight Title

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Brandon Moreno has come away the champion in UFC’s first-ever tetralogy.

The 29-year-old Mexican professional professional mixed martial artist finished Deiveson Figueiredo in their fourth meeting in a span of 25 months.

A cageside physician waved off the flyweight title fight before the start of the fourth round, after Figueiredo’s right eye closed from swelling caused by a Moreno left hook. The 125-pound title unification bout co-headlined UFC 283 inside Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

The finish was somewhat unfortunate, in that such an important fight was stopped due to injury, but the injury was clearly caused by a legal punch from Moreno.

Figueiredo (21-3-1) reached for the right eye immediately after Moreno landed the left hook, protesting what he thought might have been an eye poke. The punch had a devastating effect on the Brazilian. He fell to his back shortly after the shot and spent the rest of the round in a defensive mode off his back. The eye was badly swollen and bloodied.

Moreno (21-6-2) was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage: 29-28, 29-28 and 29-27. He out-landed Figueiredo in total strikes 85 to 24 and had 6:52 of control time compared to just 35 seconds for Figueiredo.

The victory closes out the first tetralogy in UFC history. The two first met in December 2020, when Moreno fought Figueiredo to a draw as a massive underdog. Moreno won the rematch in June 2021, before dropping a close decision in the third fight last January.

Immediately following the loss, Figueiredo, 35, said he intended to move up to the 135-pound division.

Moreno mixed up his offensive attacks well, although Figueiredo did force him to defend dangerous submission attempts in the first and second rounds. Figueiredo caught him in a guillotine in the opening seconds of the fight, and again with the same submission in the second round. He also looked for a heel hook at the end of the first round.

Moreno showed good composure in enemy territory, however, and started to find his range with left hooks to the body and head. The doctor’s stoppage result was the first time that has happened in a UFC title fight since Max Holloway defeated Brian Ortega in a featherweight title bout in 2018.

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