Alexandre Pantoja Defeats Brandon Moreno via Split Decision to Claim UFC Flyweight Belt

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Alexandre Pantoja is officially a titleholder…

After five hard-fought rounds, the 33-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist (26-5) claimed Brandon Moreno‘s 125-pound championship, as he narrowly edged the defending champion via split decision in the co-main event of UFC 290 inside T-Mobile Arena.

Two of the judges scored the title fight 48-47 for Pantoja, while a third had it 49-46 in Moreno’s favor.

UFC president Dana White said afterward that Moreno suffered a broken hand in the first round.

Saturday’s bout officially marked Pantoja’s second win over Moreno (21-7-2), although it’s really his third.

Pantoja submitted Moreno in a bout on The Ultimate Fighter reality show in 2016, but that result didn’t count toward their professional records as it took place as part of the show. They fought again in 2018, with Pantoja claiming a unanimous decision.

Saturday’s contest was the closest and most skilled to date.

“Moreno evolved so much,” Pantoja said. “I don’t expect a tough guy like that tonight, but I worked so hard for this. The last two years, I worked so hard, bringing my family to the U.S. [from Brazil] and my camp to American Top Team. … Guys, if you know my story, you’re gonna love me. I’ve worked so hard for that.”

The final numbers of the fight reflected just how close it was. According to UFC Stats, Moreno slightly outlanded Pantoja 167-161 in total strikes. Pantoja did better work on the ground, however. He took Moreno’s back multiple times and racked up more than eight minutes of control time. Moreno proved to be very tricky to hold down, but Pantoja maintained slightly dominant positions in crucial moments, which might have proved key on the scorecards.

Pantoja also dropped Moreno in the opening round with a nasty left hook. Moreno, 29, recovered quickly and never appeared close to going out, but Pantoja hurt him again with another left hook later in the round. Moreno roared back in the second round behind arguably one of the best jabs in MMA. He doubled and tripled up the jab on Pantoja, occasionally ripping in left hooks to the body and head.

Moreno’s shots bloodied Pantoja’s forehead and nose by the third round, but Pantoja’s takedowns, work in the clinch and body shots of his own all made for strong answers to Moreno’s offense. The pace of the fight finally slowed a little in the fourth and fifth rounds when Pantoja worked his way into threatening grappling positions and Moreno was forced into a bit of caution.

The victory snaps a two-fight streak in title fights for Moreno, who is from Tijuana, Mexico.

Earlier this year, he closed out a very rare four-fight rivalry against another Brazilian in Deiveson Figueiredo. Moreno unified the flyweight belt by finishing Figueiredo in the third round of their final meeting in January, but now surrenders the belt in his first attempted defense.

Henry Cejudo to Fight Marlon “Chito” Vera in Bantamweight Contest at UFC 292

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Henry Cejudo is preparing for a pivotal contest…

The 36-year-old Mexican American professional mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler, a former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion, will fight Marlon “Chito” Vera in a bantamweight contest at UFC 292 in August, UFC president Dana White told ESPN on Monday.

Contracts haven’t been signed, but both sides have verbally agreed to the bout.

It will take place on the pay-per-view event on August 19 in Boston’s TD Garden.

A bantamweight championship bout between defending champion Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley is slated to headline the card.

Cejudo (16-3) is coming off a failed bid to recapture the 135-pound title in May. The former dual-weight champion came out of a three-year retirement to challenge Sterling at UFC 288, but lost via split decision.

Cejudo initially planned on waiting for a fight against Sterling’s teammate and No. 1-ranked bantamweight title contender Merab Dvalishvili, but opted to jump at an opportunity to fight on August 19, which marks the 15-year anniversary of his Olympic gold medal run in 2008.

Vera (22-8-1), of Ecuador, is also coming off a split decision loss. He came up just short in a five-round fight against Cory Sandhagen in March. Prior to the loss, Vera had won four in a row.

Cejudo and Vera are the UFC’s Nos. 3 and 6-ranked bantamweights, respectively.

Christian Rodriguez Defeats Raul Rosas Jr. by Unanimous Decision at UFC 287

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Christian Rodriguez has taken down a hot prospect…

The 25-year-old Latino MMA fighter, nicknamed “CeeRod,” came back from losing the first round to win a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) over the previously undefeated Raul Rosas Jr. to open the UFC 287 main card on Saturday at Kaseya Center.

Rosas has been one of the best and most hyped prospects on the UFC roster at only 18 years old. He was the youngest fighter ever signed to the UFC last year at 17. He has also developed quite the fan following, getting a big pop for his walkout Saturday night.

“I just stopped a hype train,” Rodriguez said in his postfight interview. “I hope you guys can follow my journey.”

Rosas looked good early. He’s a ground specialist, and it’s never a secret that he’s going to try to take the fight to the canvas. He did so repeatedly in the first round and nearly snared a rear-naked choke while on Rodriguez’s back on several occasions. But Rodriguez survived some very disadvantageous situations.

Rosas was clearly exhausted going into the second round, and Rodriguez took over. He was able to out-scramble Rosas on the ground in the second and third rounds, stay on top and land some ground and pound.

“I respect his skillset,” Rodriguez said of Rosas, adding, “That kid brings it.”

Rodriguez (9-1) has won two straight now after dropping his UFC debut to Jonathan Pearce in January 2022.

The 25-year-old Milwaukee native, who trains out of Roufusport, is a veteran of Dana White‘s Contender Series.

Rosas (7-1), who lives and trains in Las Vegas, won his UFC debut at UFC 282 back in December, a first-round submission win.

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.

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.

Raul Rosas Jr. to Fight Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Raul Rosas Jr. has scheduled his return to the Octagon…

The 18-year-old Mexican American mixed martial arts prodigy, who became the youngest fighter to ever sign with the UFC, will return to the Octagon on April 8 to fight fellow prospect Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287, according to ESPN.

Former UFC champion Anthony Pettis, who represents Rodriguez under the Showtime Group agency, also posted about the fight on Instagram. A location has yet to be determined, and no main event has been set yet for the pay-per-view card.

Rosas (7-0) was 17 when he signed with the UFC last September. Living and training in Las Vegas, he beat Mando Gutierrez on Dana White‘s Contender Series to earn a UFC contract. Rosas then beat Jay Perrin in his debut with the promotion via first-round submission at UFC 282 in December.

Rodriguez (8-1) is coming off a first-round submission win over Joshua Weems in October. The Milwaukee native is 1-1 in the UFC. Rodriguez, 25, trains out of Roufusport in his hometown and owns wins in CFFC, LFA and on Contender Series.

Jafel Filho to Fight Muhammad Mokaev During UFC 286 at O2 Arena

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

He may be new to the game, but Jafel Filho is already lining up a major opponent.

The 29-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist, a promotional newcomer, will take on Muhammad Mokaev, one of the UFC‘s top prospects, this year in London.

The 125-pound bout will take place at UFC 286 on March 18 at O2 Arena, UFC officials told ESPN. It will mark Mokaev’s fourth appearance in the UFC, three of which have taken place at O2 Arena.

Born in Dagestan and fighting out of England, Mokaev (8-0) is vying to become the youngest champion in UFC history. The 22-year-old is 3-0 so far in the UFC, with two wins by submission. He would need to win the UFC’s flyweight title by March 2024 to break the current record held by Jon Jones. Jones won the light heavyweight title in 2011 at age 23.

Mokaev has not been able to secure a ranked opponent yet inside the Octagon, but he is currently ranked No. 14 himself in the UFC’s official rankings. He underwent surgery late last year on a dislocated shoulder but made it known he intended to return in time for the UFC’s card in London.

Filho (14-2), of Rio de Janeiro, earned a UFC contract in August with an impressive third-round TKO on Dana White‘s Contender Series.

He has won five in a row going into his UFC debut, with five consecutive finishes.

A trilogy welterweight title fight between Jafel Filho and Kamaru Usman is set to headline UFC 286.

UFC Rising Star Luana Pinheiro In Talks to Fight Michelle Waterson-Gomez

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Luana Pinheiro is thisclose to locking in her next opponent…

The UFC is finalizing a strawweight battle between the 29-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and Michelle Waterson-Gomez this spring, according to ESPN.

The contest will take place on April 8 at an event that is expected to be UFC 287 on pay-per-view. The UFC has not announced an official date or location for that numbered event, but UFC president Dana White has said it will “probably” take place in Brooklyn, New York.

Pinheiro (10-1) is a rising contender with a 2-0 record in the UFC. Fighting out of Belo Horizonte in Brazil, Pinheiro earned a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020.

Waterson-Gomez (18-10) has been a mainstay in the top of the 115-pound division for years. The Albuquerque, New Mexico-based strawweight is 1-4 in her past five appearances, but she’s faced the top of her division during that time, including two former champions in Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Carla Esparza. She’s coming off a loss to Amanda Lemos in her most recent fight in July.

Waterson-Gomez and Pinheiro are ranked Nos. 11 and 13, respectively, in the UFC’s strawweight division.

The UFC has not announced a main event for the April 8 card.

Raul Rosas Jr. Becomes First 18-Year-Old to Win in the UFC

Posted on December 11, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Raul Rosas Jr. has a first UFC win under his belt…

The Mexican mixed martial artist, who turned 18 years old just two months ago, became the youngest fighter ever to compete in the UFC on Saturday night, and his performance was dominant in a first-round submission of veteran bantamweight Jay Perrin during the prelims of UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Rosas, who was born in Mexico and raised in New Mexico and California, was signed off of Dana White‘s Contender Series when he was still 17.

He now is 18 years and 63 days old, younger than the only other 18-year-olds to compete in the Octagon, Sean Daugherty and Dan Lauzon.

But Rosas is the first 18-year-old to win in the UFC. And he made it look easy.

Rosas, whose specialty is grappling, took the fight to the canvas within the first minute and immediately seized control, which he maintained before eliciting the tapout from Perrin via rear-naked choke at 2:44 of Round 1.

Rosas spoke afterward about the next historical accomplishment in his sights.

“Man, this is crazy, but I knew I was going to be here at this age,” he said. “So right now I’m just living the dream. I had no nerves, no pressure, felt free. I’m doing what I love to do. And right now, tonight, I just came to introduce myself, because I’m coming for that belt.”

Raul Rosas, Jr. to Become Youngest Fighter to Compete in UFC with Debut Fight Against Jay Perrin

Posted on October 27, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Raul Rosas, Jr. is set to earn his place in UFC history…

The 18-year-old Mexican mixed martial artist, known as “El Niño Problema,” will become the youngest fighter to compete in the UFC when he makes his debut against Jay Perrin (10-6) at UFC 282 on December 10 in Las Vegas.

Rosas’ representative agency, Iridium Sports, announced the news on social media.

Last month, Rosas became the youngest fighter to win a contract on Dana White‘s Contender Series when he defeated Mando Gutierrez (7-1) via unanimous decision. Rosas was just 17 at the time of that fight. He celebrated his 18th birthday on October 8.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said White, the UFC president, as he signed Rosas. “The amount of fighters blowing me up saying, ‘You’re crazy not to [sign him].’ … He’s special.”

According to UFC Stats and Info, Dan Lauzon currently holds the record as the youngest fighter to ever compete in the Octagon (18 years, 198 days). He made his UFC debut in January 2010. Rosas will comfortably beat that mark, as long as the fight stays together on December 10.

Rosas was born in Mexico and now fights out of California. Perrin, 29, is 0-2 since signing with the UFC earlier this year. He has fought professionally since 2014.

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