- Joined
- Aug 15, 2021
- Messages
- 5,299
- Reaction score
- 7,322
Some of them are marvelous
PBP UFC on ESPN 53 - Ribas vs. Namajunas Official PBP Discussion: Sat. 3/23 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT
- Thread starter Jackonfire
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2021
- Messages
- 52,688
- Reaction score
- 85,146
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2004
- Messages
- 84,673
- Reaction score
- 119,608
Perhaps Rose Namajunas can redefine herself at 125 pounds after all. If nothing else, her latest performance represents a step in the right direction.
The two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight titleholder on Saturday used her vast array of tools to capture a five-round unanimous decision over Amanda Ribas in the UFC on ESPN 53 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47, all for Namajunas (12-6, 10-5 UFC), who bounced back from consecutive losses to Carla Esparz and Manon Fiorot.
Rose Namajunas Outduels Amanda Ribas in UFC on ESPN 53 Main Event
Perhaps Rose Namajunas can redefine herself at 125 pounds after all.
Neither woman gained a discernible standup edge in a showdown that was heavy on tactics and light on highlights. Namajunas was the cleaner striker, but her Brazilian adversary was the busier of the two. “Thug Rose” shined brightest in the ground exchanges. She executed takedowns of her own and made a number of high-risk head-and-arm throws from Ribas work in her favor—a development that allowed the Milwaukee native to shift momentum and build a lead with control time. Namajunas held off the Jungle Fight champion down the stretch, as she fought conservatively across the final five minutes and left her fate to the judges.
Ribas (12-5, 7-4 UFC) has lost four of her past seven fights.
Meanwhile, Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Karl Williams fed Justin Tafa an unhealthy diet of takedowns, ground-and-pound and positional control, as he laid claim to a unanimous decision in their three-round heavyweight co-main event. All three cageside judges scored it for Williams (10-1, 3-0 UFC): 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.
Related » UFC on ESPN 53 Round-by-Round Scoring
Tafa (7-4, 4-4 UFC) had his moments—he buzzed the tower with several right uppercuts in the third round—but his lack of effective takedown defense proved costly. Williams grounded him in all three rounds, piled up points with punches and bled the clock, all while steering clear of danger. Frustration grew for Tafa. A short-notice fill-in for younger brother Junior Tafa, the Australian managed to break free with a little more than a minute to go in the bout. However, Williams swooped in for one final takedown and kept the “Bad Man” bottled up until no time was left.
Williams, 34, now finds himself on a seven-fight winning streak.
Further down the card, Xtreme Couture’s Edmen Shahbazyan overcame an inauspicious start to waylay A.J. Dobson with elbows and punches in the first round of their middleweight showcase. A late-notice replacement for Dusko Todorovic, Dobson (7-3, 2-2 UFC) checked out 4:33 into Round 1.
Shahbazyan (13-4, 6-4 UFC) had to sail through some rough surf. Dobson wobbled him with a counter right hand, made a pass at a guillotine and then staggered him with a left hook. Shahbazyan answered with a takedown, only to have his opponent scramble into top position. Some ground-and-pound followed before the two men returned to their feet. Shahbazyan regained his faculties, clipped the Strong Style Fight Team product with a left hook, bullied him to the mat and cut loose with elbows and punches until the job was done.
It goes down as the 11th first-round stoppage on the Shahbazyan resume.
Elsewhere, undefeated Reno Academy of Combat prospect Payton Talbott cut down Cameron Saaiman with punches in the second round of their bantamweight feature. Saaiman (9-2, 3-2 UFC) succumbed to blows 21 seconds into Round 2, as he crashed and burned for the first time as a pro.
Talbott (8-0, 2-0 UFC) dazed the South African with a knee and a pair of standing elbows in the first round, forced him onto the back foot and never allowed him to sniff a potential comeback. He met Saaiman with a counter left hook at the start of the middle stanza, sent him crashing to the mat and flurried with punches until referee Chris Tognoni had seen enough.
An emerging force at 135 pounds, Talbott has finished seven of his first eight opponents.
Deeper into the main draw, a new and improved Youssef Zalal returned to the UFC for the first time since August 2022 and disposed of former King of the Cage champion Billy Quarantillo with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their featherweight attraction. Quarantillo (18-6, 6-4 UFC) bowed out 1:50 into Round 2, suffering the first submission defeat of his 24-fight career.
Related » UFC on ESPN 53 Prelims: Brazilian’s Bite Prompts DQ
A short-notice replacement for Gabriel Miranda, Zalal (14-5-1, 4-3-1 UFC) flirted with flawlessness. The 27-year-old Factory X rep rocked Quarantillo with a knee strike in the first round, tripped him to the canvas, moved to the back with a body triangle and threatened with a face crank. The bell sounded while the finish was near. Zalal picked up where he left off in the middle stanza, swept the Gracie Tampa South standout to the mat and again progressed to the back. This time, he snuck his forearm underneath the chin, tightened his squeeze and closed the deal.
Zalal has rattled off four straight victories, all of them by stoppage.
Finally, Team Oyama’s Fernando Padilla rebounded from a Sept. 16 defeat to Kyle Nelson and put away promotional newcomer Luis Pajuelo with a standing brabo choke in the first round of their featherweight appetizer. Pajuelo (8-2, 0-1 UFC) conceded defeat 2:45 into Round 1, his five-fight winning streak at an end.
The 6-foot-1 Padilla (16-5, 2-1 UFC) made the most of his six and a half-inch reach advantage. He floored Pajuelo with a clean left hand, swarmed with punches and settled in top position. From there, Padilla dropped punches and elbows, then caught the choke when his counterpart attempted to scramble to his feet. The tapout followed soon after.
Padilla, 27, has won four of his past five bouts.
Continue Reading » UFC on ESPN 53 Prelims: Erosa Guillotines Ramos
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2004
- Messages
- 84,673
- Reaction score
- 119,608
Matches to Make After UFC on ESPN 53
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to ESPN airwaves with a women’s flyweight main event featuring Rose Namajunas and Amanda Ribas.
By the Numbers: UFC on ESPN 53
Rose Namajunas can call herself a winner in two different UFC weight classes.
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2004
- Messages
- 84,673
- Reaction score
- 119,608
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2019
- Messages
- 17,417
- Reaction score
- 20,903
Perhaps Rose Namajunas can redefine herself at 125 pounds after all. If nothing else, her latest performance represents a step in the right direction.
The two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight titleholder on Saturday used her vast array of tools to capture a five-round unanimous decision over Amanda Ribas in the UFC on ESPN 53 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47, all for Namajunas (12-6, 10-5 UFC), who bounced back from consecutive losses to Carla Esparz and Manon Fiorot.
Rose Namajunas Outduels Amanda Ribas in UFC on ESPN 53 Main Event
Perhaps Rose Namajunas can redefine herself at 125 pounds after all.www.sherdog.com
Neither woman gained a discernible standup edge in a showdown that was heavy on tactics and light on highlights. Namajunas was the cleaner striker, but her Brazilian adversary was the busier of the two. “Thug Rose” shined brightest in the ground exchanges. She executed takedowns of her own and made a number of high-risk head-and-arm throws from Ribas work in her favor—a development that allowed the Milwaukee native to shift momentum and build a lead with control time. Namajunas held off the Jungle Fight champion down the stretch, as she fought conservatively across the final five minutes and left her fate to the judges.
Ribas (12-5, 7-4 UFC) has lost four of her past seven fights.
Meanwhile, Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Karl Williams fed Justin Tafa an unhealthy diet of takedowns, ground-and-pound and positional control, as he laid claim to a unanimous decision in their three-round heavyweight co-main event. All three cageside judges scored it for Williams (10-1, 3-0 UFC): 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.
Related » UFC on ESPN 53 Round-by-Round Scoring
Tafa (7-4, 4-4 UFC) had his moments—he buzzed the tower with several right uppercuts in the third round—but his lack of effective takedown defense proved costly. Williams grounded him in all three rounds, piled up points with punches and bled the clock, all while steering clear of danger. Frustration grew for Tafa. A short-notice fill-in for younger brother Junior Tafa, the Australian managed to break free with a little more than a minute to go in the bout. However, Williams swooped in for one final takedown and kept the “Bad Man” bottled up until no time was left.
Williams, 34, now finds himself on a seven-fight winning streak.
Further down the card, Xtreme Couture’s Edmen Shahbazyan overcame an inauspicious start to waylay A.J. Dobson with elbows and punches in the first round of their middleweight showcase. A late-notice replacement for Dusko Todorovic, Dobson (7-3, 2-2 UFC) checked out 4:33 into Round 1.
Shahbazyan (13-4, 6-4 UFC) had to sail through some rough surf. Dobson wobbled him with a counter right hand, made a pass at a guillotine and then staggered him with a left hook. Shahbazyan answered with a takedown, only to have his opponent scramble into top position. Some ground-and-pound followed before the two men returned to their feet. Shahbazyan regained his faculties, clipped the Strong Style Fight Team product with a left hook, bullied him to the mat and cut loose with elbows and punches until the job was done.
It goes down as the 11th first-round stoppage on the Shahbazyan resume.
Elsewhere, undefeated Reno Academy of Combat prospect Payton Talbott cut down Cameron Saaiman with punches in the second round of their bantamweight feature. Saaiman (9-2, 3-2 UFC) succumbed to blows 21 seconds into Round 2, as he crashed and burned for the first time as a pro.
Talbott (8-0, 2-0 UFC) dazed the South African with a knee and a pair of standing elbows in the first round, forced him onto the back foot and never allowed him to sniff a potential comeback. He met Saaiman with a counter left hook at the start of the middle stanza, sent him crashing to the mat and flurried with punches until referee Chris Tognoni had seen enough.
An emerging force at 135 pounds, Talbott has finished seven of his first eight opponents.
Deeper into the main draw, a new and improved Youssef Zalal returned to the UFC for the first time since August 2022 and disposed of former King of the Cage champion Billy Quarantillo with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their featherweight attraction. Quarantillo (18-6, 6-4 UFC) bowed out 1:50 into Round 2, suffering the first submission defeat of his 24-fight career.
Related » UFC on ESPN 53 Prelims: Brazilian’s Bite Prompts DQ
A short-notice replacement for Gabriel Miranda, Zalal (14-5-1, 4-3-1 UFC) flirted with flawlessness. The 27-year-old Factory X rep rocked Quarantillo with a knee strike in the first round, tripped him to the canvas, moved to the back with a body triangle and threatened with a face crank. The bell sounded while the finish was near. Zalal picked up where he left off in the middle stanza, swept the Gracie Tampa South standout to the mat and again progressed to the back. This time, he snuck his forearm underneath the chin, tightened his squeeze and closed the deal.
Zalal has rattled off four straight victories, all of them by stoppage.
Finally, Team Oyama’s Fernando Padilla rebounded from a Sept. 16 defeat to Kyle Nelson and put away promotional newcomer Luis Pajuelo with a standing brabo choke in the first round of their featherweight appetizer. Pajuelo (8-2, 0-1 UFC) conceded defeat 2:45 into Round 1, his five-fight winning streak at an end.
The 6-foot-1 Padilla (16-5, 2-1 UFC) made the most of his six and a half-inch reach advantage. He floored Pajuelo with a clean left hand, swarmed with punches and settled in top position. From there, Padilla dropped punches and elbows, then caught the choke when his counterpart attempted to scramble to his feet. The tapout followed soon after.
Padilla, 27, has won four of his past five bouts.
Continue Reading » UFC on ESPN 53 Prelims: Erosa Guillotines Ramos
I don't think it was a step in the right direction at all for Rose, just cause she won. She gave me no confidence about her chances at 125, and she's clearly lost a step.
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2004
- Messages
- 84,673
- Reaction score
- 119,608
Igor da Silva Cut from UFC Roster Following Disqualification for Biting
A clash of highly-touted flyweight debutants met an unfortunate end due a blatant foul on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 53.
Julian Erosa chose to forgo his planned callout during his Octagon interview at UFC on ESPN 53, but he didn’t remain silent for the rest of the night.
Julian Erosa Calls Out Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas After UFC on ESPN 53 Win
Julian Erosa chose to forgo his planned callout during his Octagon interview at UFC on ESPN 53, but he didn’t remain silent for the rest of the night.
Owing his dislike for “cheaters”, Erosa took a dig at controversial transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. A former University of Pennsylvania swimmer, Thomas underwent gender transition through hormone replacement therapy. While Thomas competed for the University of Pennsylvania men’s team in 2018-2019, she later went on to compete for the women’s team and in January 2022 became the first openly transgender athlete in history to win a NCAA Division 1 championship in any sport.
“I was gonna say that I don’t like cheaters. And so I don’t know how you guys feel about this whole situation, but I don’t like cheaters and so I wanted to call out Lia Thomas,” Erosa said. “I wanted to encourage him from transition from women’s swimming into women’s MMA and then I’ll transition into becoming a woman, and I’m gonna beat that dude’s ass. That’s what I wanted to say because it’s all about getting a little bit of shock value.
“But I mean in the world that we’re living in, there’s no common sense anymore. It’s becoming a bit ridiculous and obviously that’s one of the big things that’s kind of going on now. And I just don’t agree with men in women’s sports, you know even the whole Fallon Fox thing, guys that are fighting in women’s MMA and knocking them out. It’s a bad look.”
Thomas has been a dividing personality, drawing criticism from the likes of Ben Askren, Jorge Masvidal, Israel Adesanya and Joe Rogan from the MMA community in the past. Like Rogan, Erosa firmly believes a man has certain physical advantages over a woman even after undergoing gender transition. While factors like bone density become more significant in combat sports, Erosa doesn’t envision a world where transgenders should be allowed to compete against cisgender women in any sport.
“Absolutely not. No. I just fully believe if you went through your male puberty, there’s nothing you can do, there’s nothing you can give yourself to shrink your bones down, there’s nothing you can do in that kind of sense. I mean the proof’s in the pudding right. You have Mr. Thomas, whatever he was ranked as a man, he’s just beating all the women. It’s obvious. Doesn’t matter how much estrogen you’re taking. I think obviously we’re in a grey area but these grey areas are stupid to me because it’s common sense.
“… It’s so funny to me that women will fight for their own spaces and then they also fight for trans women to be in those spaces. Like those are just men. When is it going to be where there’s going to be hundreds of men in these sports and then it just becomes another man sport?”
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2004
- Messages
- 84,673
- Reaction score
- 119,608
Fernando Padilla Discusses Significance of 'Luffy' Hat After UFC on ESPN 53 Triumph
The straw hat worn by Fernando Padilla during his UFC on ESPN 53 walkout is a representation of a new chapter with added responsibilities in his life, according to the Mexican featherweight.
Payton Talbott is ready to take on tough competition to climb his way up to a dream matchup against Sean O'Malley.
Payton Talbott Willing to 'Put My Time In' for Desired Sean O'Malley Matchup
Payton Talbott is ready to take on tough competition to climb his way up to a dream matchup against Sean O'Malley.
“I just need to keep having performances like that [to get the O’Malley fight], do my dirty work and just keep eating dogs like that,” Talbott told media after the fight (video via MMAjunkie.com). “I know I need to put my time in and solidify myself against game opponents, so I’m more than willing to do that.”
While he is currently undefeated, Talbott called for a chance to correct a loss against one “Ryan Hammers,” who seemingly beat him in a streetfight when he was a teenager. Talbott then went on to mention former champ Dominick Cruz as a potential opponent.
“I don’t really know, I want my ‘0’ back against Ryan Hammers. Took my goose egg when I was like 17 years old on the street,” Talbott said. “I’m gonna go run that back at some point, but I don’t really know. I don’t know too many people in my division so maybe like Dominick Cruz.”
Talbott began to land visible damage on Saaiman from the very first shot he threw and continued to do so until the South African crumbled. While he was somewhat surprised with the quickness of the finish, Talbott was throwing with the intent to hurt Saaiman, who he knew had undergone a recent surgery.
“I was gonna go after his head pretty hard because I heard he had part of his face reconstructed,” Talbott said. “So that was like part of the gameplan and I knew I was gonna be able to do some damage to it, but I didn’t think it was going to be that early.”
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2004
- Messages
- 84,673
- Reaction score
- 119,608
Now that she’s back on a winning track, Rose Namajunas is ready to make moves in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flyweight division.
Rose Namajunas Won’t Turn Down Title Shot: 'If They Want to Give Me That, I’ll Take It'
Now that she’s back on a winning track, Rose Namajunas is ready to make moves in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flyweight division.
“I felt actually pretty good,” Namajunas said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “There was some things to work on. I wasn’t as quick, as snappy, as I wanted to be. My arms are a little bigger. I also could feel my strength was great. I know everybody thinks I’m small or weak or something like that, so it’s just good to get better at the grappling aspect of things and just keep all of my skills at a high level. No weakness anywhere.
“… I think I had more top position,” Namajunas added. “I know she got me with one of the head tosses. I think I just landed more power shots … I think my significant strikes were more significant, if that makes any sense. I just think I had more impact and I think I caused more damage to her face, for sure. I feel like I had three of the rounds.”
It was an encouraging performance for Namajunas after dropping a unanimous decision to Manon Fiorot in her flyweight debut at UFC Fight Night 226 this past September. While Namajunas is aware that next weekend’s showdown between Fiorot and Erin Blanchfield comes with No. 1 contender implications, she also seems to be well aware that her name value might give her some advantages over the rest of the division. “If they wanted to give me a title shot, I’m more than happy to do that,” Namajunas said. “I lost to Manon Fiorot and she’s fighting Erin Blanchfield and she was calling for a title shot. I know how things work, and I know that you’ve got to earn things. Had things gone a little bit different of a way, I probably would have been in a title shot after Manon. It is what it is.
“… I think it is kind of cool to just work your way up and do it that way. Becoming the champ this way would be way more impressive in my opinion, but at the same time, if they want to give me that, I’ll take it.”
If Namajunas is going to work her way through the division, Maycee Barber stands out as an intriguing option as her next opponent. Barber is currently on a six-fight winning streak in UFC competition and is coming off a victory over former title challenger Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299.
“I think she’s a savage. She’s a big girl. She’s strong. She’s just like a bully in there,” Namajunas said of Barber. “I knew her when she was really young. She’s a lot different now. She used to call me out back when she was younger. I think it’s kind of funny. She’s really tough. That would definitely motivate me and get me going every day because I know she throws with really bad intentions. But anybody else is cool too. Erin Blanchfield, Manon, whoever — title. Yeah, don’t matter.”
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2015
- Messages
- 62,612
- Reaction score
- 94,409
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2004
- Messages
- 84,673
- Reaction score
- 119,608
Igor da Silva is looking for a second chance after being cut from the Ultimate Fighting Championship for biting his opponent.
Igor da Silva Claims He Was in 'Autopilot Mode' When He Bit Andre Lima
Igor da Silva is looking for a second chance after being cut from the Ultimate Fighting Championship for biting his opponent.
Da Silva and Andre Lima squared off during the UFC on ESPN 53 preliminary card on March 23. The fight got off to a promising start, but the bout was called to stop in the second round with Lima complaining of a bite from da Silva. Referee Chris Tognoni briefly halted the contest before calling it off, as Lima’s right bicep showed an evident bite mark. Lima was declared the winner via disqualification and da Silva lost his UFC contract along with his perfect record.
While da Silva doesn’t have any explanation for his actions, he claims to have gone into “autopilot mode” after absorbing an elbow from Lima.
“There’s no plausible explanation [for the bite], right? I remember exchanging strikes with him, a close fight, but I was in autopilot mode after that elbow,” da Silva told MMAFighting.com. “I don’t remember anything after that, the things I’ve said. I only started getting back to myself at the hotel, after a long while, and my team showed me the video of what I’ve done, and there’s no explanation.”
Da Silva also had to deal with severe online hatred following the incident, including death threats to his family. Da Silva is flying his parents to Bauru, Brazil, where he lives and trains at Chute Boxe João Emilio. He is also considering pressing charges against some of those who have made threats online.
“I started to get conscious again at the hotel, and I was already cut by then,” da Silva said, “And then my social media was flooded with hateful comments, mean messages, people angry at what happened and also threats. I started to digest all that and feel bad too. I’ve made a mistake and I apologize to everyone.
“I’m sad because the internet is so polluted. I’ve made a mistake and I’m willing to pay for this mistake, recognize this mistake, but I haven’t killed anyone, I haven’t caused any harm or committed any crime, you know? To see people threaten me, threaten my family, makes me really sad and apprehensive, afraid. It leaves me heartbroken.”
Da Silva had finished all eight of his career wins prior to his UFC debut. At 20 years old, the Brazilian seemingly had a long and bright future ahead of him. Da Silva hopes to get a chance at redemption and to prove that the one stray incident doesn’t define him.
“I’m trying to process all this and go back to my normal life,” he said. What matters the most is us being OK with ourselves and going back to work, to go out, to have a normal life. … I’ll try to have a second chance, try to bounce back and show that doesn’t define me.
“I’ve always done things the right way in my life, always working hard. I left my family as a teenager and spent two years without seeing my parents and my brother, working toward my dream, and managed to get to the Contender [Series] and the UFC. That was a dream come true, and now it’s gone like this. That hurts me inside. I could have a long future in the organization, but I’ll own my mistakes and try to come back.
“I hope it’s not a long suspension. I want to come back [to the UFC], I still have a lot to show. I still have a lot to evolve, so my second chance is for redemption. I want my redemption to show MMA fans, UFC fans. I dream with my return to the UFC so I can build a career and fix this s—t I’ve made.”
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2010
- Messages
- 19,675
- Reaction score
- 1,196
These date changes are making me miss entire cards, it's ridiculous.
Similar threads
- Poll
- Poll
