Throughout a very forgettable 2020, the sport of MMA continued to forge ahead with the UFC doing everything within their control to put on shows, finally settling on the APEX in Las Vegas and Fight Island in Abu Dhabi as their home bases for the foreseeable future.
In the third installment of a four part series, Figure Four Online/Fight Game Media writer and podcaster Paul Fontaine and I look at what became a business as usual three month stretch of July, August, and September.
The most in-depth look at WWE business is the focal point of this week’s double issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
WWE set an all-time record for profits even while having no revenue from arena shows or live event merchandise. We go through the key places the cost savings came from and how reliant the company is now on television money. We also have notes on investors grilling Vince McMahon about the declining ratings and the firing of Paul Heyman and his responses.
The new issue also covers:
Huge growth in June of the WWE Network, the reasons it happened, and whether or not it’s sustainable. We give a realistic reason for the growth as well as a WWE-speak version. We look at the change in marketing strategy and the early returns from this change; We look at where analysts were wrong about profitability, how the stock price rose, and why the rising level wasn’t that much because of many analysts long-term concern and why.
The difference in tax rate, current market value of the company, why the big talent cuts played no part in these profits and how the profits should go once that talent that was let go is no longer being paid.
What the company is now talking about doing with all the extra cash on hand because the pandemic greatly helped short-term business.
Where the stock price really should be based on the sure-fire profits through 2024, and why it’s still much lower. We also look at the Raw and Smackdown numbers for quarter two, how they compare to last year, and break through just the numbers to look at the impact of wrestling on the USA Network both last year and this year.
More changes in the WWE Network strategy, updates on WrestleMania in Los Angeles, how soon Vince McMahon thinks before ratings turn around, building new stars, Vince’s reason why AEW numbers are holding up better than Raw or Smackdown, safety measures, and even the WWE Hall of Fame.
The health of Antonio Inoki and look at his disease.
The merger of several Japanese companies and what it really means.
We also look at long-term WWE stock analysis.
Update on Rey Mysterio and WWE, WWE hires a new major executive from NBC, Update on people furloughed, departure of Kairi Sane, constant booking plan changes, Randy Orton talks philosophy of wrestling, Lance Storm talks his own status, Xavier Woods wants non-wrestling gig, Kurt Angle talks his retirement, where wrestlnig stands in sports ratings, update on U.K. ratings, strange Bruce Prichard/Nick Aldis story, return of Kyle O’Reilly as well as the most watched shows on the WWE Network.
A feature on Regis Philbin and his long association with pro wrestling. We look at where it started, where it didn’t take place, how Philbin started using WWF talent and what segment nearly ended it.
New Japan’s Sengoku Lord show with match-by-match coverage, business notes, poll results and star ratigns. We also look at the history of pro wrestling at Jingu Stadium, why New Japan booked a stadium show with such little advance time, the creation of the new KOPW title, and the famous world champion vs world champion match at the stadium in 1994.
This past week’s UFC show, the final event of the Abu Dhabi Fight Island series.
The career of Zoltan Boscik, one of the great technical wrestlers of the 60s and 70s and a television regular. Despite being less than 150 pounds and having nothing of an impressive look, Boscik was a two-time British lightweight champion and a regular world title contender.
Ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
Ahead of tonight’s NXT, Pat McAfee posted pictures of him talking with Adam Cole and them shaking hands: “Hey @AdamColePro.. I’m thankful for the opp to chat. I feel like the convo was something that doesn’t happen often anymore..2 people have a miscommunication, they talk about, can agree to disagree about some things & they move forward. How you doin? Keep it movin. #WWENXT”
Cole then responded to McAfee: “What happens when two grown adults hash things out. Class act @PatMcAfeeShow”
Dakota Kai and Rhea Ripley’s number one contender’s match will open tonight’s NXT. The winner will challenge for Io Shirai’s NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver XXX on Saturday, August 22.
WWE posted a storyline injury update on Dexter Lumis after his match against Timothy Thatcher and Finn Balor from last week’s NXT: “WWE Digital has learned that the severity of the ankle injury suffered by Dexter Lumis is worse than previously reported. In last week’s NXT Injury Report, it was revealed that Lumis had suffered an osteochondral lesion to the talus after a grueling battle with Finn Bálor and Timothy Thatcher for a North American Championship Match opportunity. Lumis won the bout, but the growing severity of his ankle injury has raised some questions around Lumis’ status for the North American Championship Ladder Match at TakeOver XXX.” It was said on WWE’s The Bump this morning that Lumis will still wrestle at TakeOver.
Triple H announced that Metallica’s “Moth Into Flame” is an official theme song of NXT TakeOver XXX: “#NXTTakeOver: XXX will be our biggest event yet…so we had to make it as LOUD as possible. A special thank you to @Metallica for this #NXTLoud theme. ‘Moth Into Flame’ gets even LOUDER on S&M2, out August 28th. #WeAreNXT”
ESPN reported that James Kimball is taking a senior operations role in WWE: “James Kimball, who has been the operations head of the UFC Performance Institute (in Las Vegas and Shanghai) since the conception of the idea, is leaving the UFC for WWE, sources told ESPN. Kimball is taking a senior business operations role in WWE and will be working out of the corporate office in Stamford, Connecticut. As MMA Junkie reported Wednesday, Dr. Duncan French, who had been the performance head of the UFC PI, will take over as operations head.”
Kurt Angle celebrated reaching seven years of sobriety yesterday: “Celebrating 7 years of sobriety today. To all of you who supported me and stood by me, through good and bad, I want to thank you for not giving up on me. Salute! (With a glass of milk in my You Suck cup). #sobriety #addictionsucks #yourenotalone #recovery”
The North (Josh Alexander & Ethan Page) will get their rematch for the Impact Tag Team titles against the Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) at Emergence. Emergence is a two-week special taking place on the August 18 and August 25 episodes of Impact.
The following matches have been announced for next Tuesday’s Impact:
Eddie Edwards Impact World Championship open challenge
Tasha Steelz & Kiera Hogan vs. Jessicka Havok & Nevaeh in a no DQ match
Jordynne Grace vs. Kimber Lee
During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, Matt Cardona discussed his love for pro wrestling: “There are times when it has sucked and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. That’s when you really have to love it. It is so easy to love it when you are on TV every week and in a great spot. Who wouldn’t love that. You have to love it when you are sitting in catering. You have to love it when you are not booked. You have to love it when things aren’t going your way. Then, when you get nights like last week, everything is so much better and sweeter that way. Maybe that’s just my delusional way of thinking about it. For me, that’s how I live my life. I don’t want to live in bitterness. What’s the point? Why complain online? You’re not going to be happier, I’ll tell you that.”
Cardona and Brian Myers interviewed Tony Khan on The Major Wrestling Figure Podcast.
Khan tweeted yesterday after Fulham FC secured promotion to the English Premier League for next season: “Thank you @FulhamFC supporters worldwide, thank you so much to the squad & staff for today’s win. I love being an owner but being your Director of Football/Sporting Director/GM is my favorite role in life. I love the people at this Club. What a day! Thank you all. Come on Fulham!”
Fred Yehi spoke to Andrew Thompson about EVOLVE, MLW, the rise of Black wrestlers, and the ROH Pure title tournament.
POST Wrestling has an article on the death of Jaguar Vijay Singh, who passed away last Friday.
MMA
Dana White told TMZ Sports that the UFC will be returning to Fight Island in September or October.
Recorded live on Twitch late Saturday night, MMA fighter and pro wrestler “Filthy” Tom Lawlor and Wrestling Observer Live co-host Mike Sempervive reunited to talk about the really fun UFC show from Yas Island in Abu Dhab iand what we’ve learned as this four pack of events on Fight Island have wrapped.
Plus, the guys talk about Tom’s recent adventures in Paradigm Pro Wrestling, fighting under UWFI rules against fellow MLW roster member Calvin Tankman and his New Japan Lion’s Break match against Alex Coughlin, plus a whole lot more.
The second time was a charm for Deiveson Figueiredo as he dominated Joseph Benavidez Saturday to win the vacant UFC flyweight title in the main event of the third Fight Island show.
Figueiredo physically dominated Benavidez early in the first round, ensnaring him three times in rear naked choke attempts and knocking him down another three times off punches. The third – off a right hand – dropped Benavidez at which time Figueiredo attacked, landing hard right elbows that bloodied him badly.
A fourth rear naked choke attempt was enough as Benavidez passed out at 4:48 of the first round, giving Figueiredo the technical submission victory.
This is the first UFC belt for the 32-year-old Brazilian which had been vacant since December 2019 when double champion Henry Cejudo relinquished it so he could focus on the bantamweight title instead. He has now won four straight and is 8-1 in the Octagon with six finishes.
Benavidez and Figueiredo were originally matched up in February, but Figueiredo (19-1) missed weight and was ineligible to win the title. He still defeated Benavidez by second round TKO that night and without any other real challengers, the UFC rematched the two instead. There was some question as to whether he would be able to compete Saturday
The 35-year-old Benavidez (28-7) is now 0-5 in UFC/WEC title fights.
Recorded live Saturday night from our mighty Twitch channel, the highly tuned New Japan Lions Break athlete “Filthy” Tom Lawlor joined me for our extra professional UFC 251 post-show that says ‘Yas’ to the island life.
Counter-programmed by New Japan Pro Wrestling and due to the pay-per-view going VERY long, we analyze the entire show and I attempt to get Tom’s thoughts on UFC 100 plus his match next weekend against Calvin Tankman. It’s a fun show, as always, so check it out~!
FYI: Here’s all the details on how you can watch Wrestling Observer Live and other shows every day free on our Twitch stream.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal, emanating from UFC Fight Island in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
The UFC heads to Fight Island for the first of four events over the span of two weeks, with the annual big July pay-per-view kicking off the action in Abu Dhabi, headlined by three title fights including arguably the most anticipated fight of the year.
UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman looks to made another successful title defense when he defends against the BMF of the UFC, Jorge Masvidal, in the main event. Usman is coming off a late finish of Colby Covington in December in his first title defense. Masvidal looks to add to his BMF Title by winning UFC gold, and he takes the fight on just six days’ notice after Gilbert Burns tested positive for COVID-19.
In the co-main event, Alexander Volkanovski defends the UFC Featherweight Championship for the first time against the man he defeated for it in December, Max Holloway. Holloway, arguably the greatest 145-pounder of all-time, is looking to regain the title while Volkanovski is out to stamp his claim as the best featherweight in the world.
In the third title fight on the card, the vacant UFC Bantamweight Championship is on the line as Petr Yan takes on former UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo. The title became vacant after Henry Cejudo’s sudden retirement in May, and Yan looks to score his tenth straight win and gain a UFC title. Aldo looks to join the ranks of being a fighter to win titles in two different UFC weight divisions.
Filling out the main card is a rematch in the women’s strawweight division as former champions Jessica Andrade and Rose Namajunas run it back from their title fight in May 2019, and the main card opener sees Amanda Ribas taking on Paige VanZant in what is likely to be VanZant’s final UFC appearance. A deep prelim card is headlined by a light heavyweight bout as Volkan Oezdemir welcomes former RIZIN champion Jiri Prochazka, winner of ten straight fights, to the UFC.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
ESPN PRELIMS | 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
> Martin Day (9-3, 0-1 UFC) vs. Davey Grant (11-4, 2-3 UFC) Bantamweights
Grant right away with a couple of leg kicks. Grant with a right hand to the body. Grant landing more inside the first two minutes. Day misses a spin kick. Day then knocks Grant down with a right hand as he was coming in and Day gets into his guard. They get to their feet. Grant with a head kick that is mostly blocked. Grant gets a takedown and is landing from the top. They stand before the round ends. 10-9 Day.
They trade kicks to start the second. Grant starting to land his punches and now Day fires back. Grant with some body punches and then lands a right hand. Grant with a combo and then lands a flying knee. Grant lands a nice combo and Day is retreating. Day circling around and Grant lands an elbow and then some knees and a right hand. Grant with some body punches and then lands a flush left hook. Grant landing against the fence and then gets a takedown into side control. Grant grabs the neck looking for a choke but lets go. Grant gets back into side control. Grant goes for an armbar but Day is able to spin out and goes into Grant’s guard. They scramble up and Day lands a side kick and Grant stumbles down as the round ends. 10-9 Grant, 19-19.
They trade to start the third. Day lands a nice right hand and then a body kick. Day pressing forward and throwing as Grant is circling away. Grant shoots for a takedown but Day defends. Grant lands a combo. Day now lands a combo. Grant with a tomahawk elbow and then lands a combo to the body. They are trading punches as both are trying to secure the last round. Grant then lands a huge left hand and Day goes out cold. What a finish by Grant.
Official Result- Davey Grant def. Martin Day by knockout (punch) at 2:38 of Round 3
> Karol Rosa (12-3, 1-0 UFC) vs. Vanessa Melo (10-7, 0-2 UFC) Women’s Bantamweights* (Melo missed weight by 5 pounds)
Rosa landing punches and kicks early on. Rosa with some kicks and then a combo. Melo with a left hand. Rosa lands a flush right hand. Melo lands a right hand. Rosa lands a combo. Rosa with an inside leg kick as Melo lands a right hand. Rosa landing the jab and slips to the mat for the second time but gets right up. Rosa gets a takedown and works from the top. She finishes the round on top. 10-9 Rosa.
Rosa landing to start the second and Melo lands a right hand. Rosa clinches and pushes Melo against the fence. Rosa gets Melo to the ground and is in side control and landing elbows. Melo landing lots of punches as she has Melo pinned down. Melo not doing much to defend but she survives the round. Big round for Rosa. 10-8 Rosa, 20-17 Rosa.
Rosa landing to start the third and lands a running knee to the body. They trade leg kicks. Rosa lands a jab. Rosa lands an inside elbow. Melo with a leg kick. Rosa shoots for a takedown but Melo defends and lands a knee followed by a left hook as they stand. Rosa still landing more as we get inside of two minutes left. They clinch against the fence and Rosa lands some short knees. They trade knees against the fence. They stay clinched as the fight ends. 10-9 Rosa, 30-26 Rosa.
Official Result- Karol Rosa def. Vanessa Melo by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
> Raulian Paiva (#14, 19-3, 1-2 UFC) vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov (13-3, 0-0 UFC) Flyweights* (Paiva missed weight by 3 pounds)
Paiva with a high kick to start. Paiva with another high kick. Zhumagulov switching up his stances as he lands. Paiva lands a short uppercut and then with a body kick. Zhumagulov with a body punch and Paiva ripping away with some kicks. Paiva with some more body kicks. Paiva with another body kick. Zhumagulov with another kick. Zhumagulov gets a late takedown but Paiva gets to his feet. Close round. 10-9 Paiva.
They trade to start the second but a slow pace in the first minute of the second. Zhumagulov with a leg kick. Zhumagulov with a left hand to the body and then another. Paiva with a body kick and Zhumagulov fires back with a leg kick. Paiva misses a head kick. They clinch against the fence. Paiva looking like he’s getting tired as he has slowed down. Paiva with a body kick. Zhumagulov with more left hands to the body. Zhumagulov gets a late takedown and lands some elbows as the round ends. 10-9 Zhumagulov, 19-19.
Paiva with some leg kicks to start the third. Zhumagulov with some more left hands to the body and Paiva with some more leg kicks. Zhumagulov with a right hook. Zhumagulov scores a takedown but Paiva able to get to his feet. They trade as Paiva pushes Zhumagulov against the fence. Paiva with a right hand. Paiva with a low kick to the groin of Zhumagulov and we have a timeout. Zhumagulov is in a lot of pain and this could be called off. Zhumagulov able to continue and going right after Paiva and gets a quick takedown but they get right up. Paiva with another groin strike right as the fight ends. Close fight. 10-9 Zhumagulov, 29-28 Zhumagulov.
Official Result- Raulian Paiva def. Zhalgas Zhumagulov by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Marcin Tybura (18-6, 5-5 UFC) vs. Maxim Grishin (30-7-2, 0-0 UFC) Heavyweights
Grishin landing to the body to start and Tybura landing some leg kicks. Grishin with a heavy leg kick. Tybura lands a left hand and they clinch. They break. They clinch and Tybura looking for a takedown against the fence. Grishin has double underhooks and lands an elbow and they break. Tybura with a leg kick. They clinch again. Tybura trying for the single leg takedown and they fall to the mat. Uneventful round. 10-9 Tybura.
Tybura with a body kick. He lands another but it actually went low and we have a timeout. They get back to action and Tybura misses a left hand as they clinch. Tybura with some knees and then lands another shot to the groin. Actually it was Grishin that landed a groin shot but we get back to action in the clinch. Tybura with an elbow. Tybura with more work in the clinch and gets a late takedown. 10-9 Tybura, 20-18 Tybura.
They clinch up to start the third and Tybura is trying hard for the takedown. Tybura lands some knees. Tybura finally gets the takedown and is in the guard of Grishin. Tybura gets the back of Grishin and is looking to flatten him. Tybura lands some punches. Tybura has the body triangle and is landing punches. Tybura with more punches as the fight ends. Boring fight. 10-9 Tybura, 30-27 Tybura.
Official Result- Marcin Tybura def. Maxim Grishin by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
> Leonardo Santos (17-3-1, 6-0-1 UFC) vs. Roman Bogatov (10-0, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
Bogatov slips and Santos tries to land some punches but Bogatov gets up. Santos with some leg kicks. Bogatov then pokes Santos in the eye and we have a timeout. Santos with a body kick. Bogatov tries a spin kick and Santos grabs the back and tries to take it down. Santos with a hammerfist. He lets Bogatov go. They trade and Santos lands a knee. Santos with a hard leg kick. Bogatov with a body kick. Bogatov tries a takedown but Santos spins out and Bogatov lands a body kick. They go to the mat and Santos has the back as the round ends. 10-9 Santos.
Both looking to land to start the second and Santos with a body kick. Bogatov going for a takedown against the fence. They break and Bogatov with the jab. Santos then starts landing some right hands and Bogatov is in trouble. Santos with more right hands and some big knees and then lands another massive right hand. Bogatov looks about out on his feet. Bogatov tries a takedown but Santos defends and is landing some punches. Santos landed a head kick in the flurry as well. Santos with more punches from the back. Some of the punches were to the back of the head. Santos might have punched himself out here. Bogatov able to get into the guard of Santos and is now landing punches. Bogatov with a late flurry from the top. 10-9 Santos, 20-18 Santos.
Bogatov with a jab and is looking for a takedown and gets it but they get right back up. Bogatov lands a groin strike and Santos falls to the mat and is in lots of pain. He was down for a long time but continued on. Bogatov tries for a takedown. Bogatov has the single leg but Santos defending well. Santos still defending the takedown attempts. Bogatov landed another groin strike and Santos is hurting again. We get back to action with no points being taken away. Bogatov gets a takedown but Santos gets to his knees. Santos is landing short punches as Bogatov tries to flatten him out. Bogatov then knees Santos in the head as Santos is on the ground and we have another timeout. Marc Goddard took two points away from Bogatov and Santos continues. Bogatov going for a finish but time runs out. 9-8 Santos with the point deductions, 29-26 Santos.
Official Result- Leonardo Santos def. Roman Bogatov by unanimous decision (29-26, 29-26, 29-26)
> Makwan Amirkhani (15-4, 5-2 UFC) vs. Danny Henry (12-3, 2-1 UFC) Featherweights
Henry with a body kick as Amirkhani is looking to find his range. Henry with a jumping switch kick. Amirkhani with a flying knee to the body and he gets the body lock and scores the takedown. Amirkhani looking for a guillotine and switches to the anaconda choke. He has it in deep and Henry goes out cold! Big submission win for Amirkhani.
Official Result- Makwan Amirkhani def. Danny Henry by submission (anaconda choke) at 3:15 of Round 1
> Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (22-6, 8-2 UFC) vs. Muslim Salikhov (15-2, 3-1 UFC) Welterweights
Zaleski with a body kick. They trade kicks. Salikhov with a leg kick. Salikhov just misses a spin kick. Zaleski with a body kick and just misses a big right hand. Salikhov lands a nice left hook. They clinch for a moment but break with nothing happening. Zaleski with a right hand and Salikhov was hurt and turns into a takedown but Zaleski ends up on top and lands some big punches as the round ends. 10-9 Zaleski.
Zaleski with a huge kick that hurts Salikhov. They stand and trade. Zaleski tries a spin kick but Salikhov sees it coming and just throws Zaleski to the mat. Salikhov lands some punches from the top and they stand. Salikov with a kick and then lands an uppercut and Zaleski just eats it. Zaleski with a front kick. Close round. 10-9 Salikhov, 19-19.
Zaleski with a body kick. Salikhov lands a right hand. Zaleski with a body kick and just misses a wheel kick. Salikhov lands a right hand as Zaleski was ducking under. They trade and Salikhov lands a nice right hand. Not a lot of output in the third. Salikhov just lands a spin kick and then lands a right hand. Zaleski landing slightly more in the round. Close fight. 10-9 Zaleski, 29-28 Zaleski.
Official Result- Muslim Salikhov def. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos by unanimous decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Oezdemir with an early left hand. Oezdemir with another left hand. Prochzaka with a jab and follows it with a combo. Oezdemir with a left hand. Oezdemir with a leg kick and then lands a combo and Prochazka is retreating. Prochazka with a jab and then lands a combo. Oezdemir with a leg kick. Prochazka with a right hand. Prochazka with a body kick and Oezdemir counters with a left hand. Oezdemir with a leg kick. Oezdemir with a combo. Both men are landing. Oezdemir tries a takedown but Prochazka defends against the fence. 10-9 Oezdemir.
Prochazaka with a high kick and then lands a right hand. Oezdemir was stunned and Prochazka starts throwing. Prochazka with a big right hand that lands and Oezdemir goes down out cold. What an incredible finish by Prochazka.
Official Result- Jiri Prochazka def. Volkan Oezdemir by knockout (punch) at :49 of Round 2
Ribas with a quick inside leg kick. Ribas with a body kick. Ribas with a left hand and then lands a couple of knees to the body. They stay clinched and Ribas gets VanZant to the ground. VanZant is cut open. Ribas has a tight squeeze of the neck from side control. Ribas tries to take the back and then now looks for an armbar from the bottom. She has it locked in and VanZant taps! Ribas gets the big win in what is likely VanZant’s final UFC bout.
Official Result- Amanda Ribas def. Paige VanZant by submission (armbar) at 2:21 of Round 1
> Jessica Andrade (#1, 20-7, 11-5 UFC) vs. Rose Namajunas (#2, 8-4, 6-3 UFC) Women’s Strawweights
Andrade with lots of head movement early on. Andrade landing some leg kicks as Namajunas is trying to land some punches. Namajunas lands a right hand as Andrade lands a leg kick. Namajunas lands some punches as she circles away. They trade leg kicks. Andrade with a left hook to the body. Namajunas lands a big right hand. Andrade lands a right hand. Namajunas lands a right hand and they clinch. Namajunas with a knee and Andrade lands a right hand as they break. They trade late. 10-9 Namajunas.
Namajunas with a high kick as Andrade is still moving her head around something fierce. Andrade with a couple of leg kicks. They trade punches. Namajunas just misses a flying knee. Andrade with a leg kick but eats a snapping jab from Namajunas. Namajunas lands a combo. Andrade with a body punch. Andrade lands a right hand. They trade punches. Namajunas tries a flying knee and misses and falls to the ground but is able to get up quickly. Namajunas with the jab. Namajunas with a right hand. They trade kicks. Andrade tries a takedown but Namajunas defends. Andrade lands some good late. 10-9 Namajunas, 20-18 Namajunas.
They are trading to start the third and Namajunas is landing more. Namajunas is bleeding out of her nose. Andrade landing some good punches. They trade and Andrade throws Namajunas to the mat and Andrade gets in the guard. Namajunas able to kick Andrade off and they stand. Namajunas lands a good combo. Andrade with a right hand. They continue to trade as the blood is pouring more out of Namajunas’ nose. Namajunas gets a takedown but Andrade is able to scramble up. Namajunas lands a big jab. They trade at the end. Great fight. 10-9 Andrade, 29-28 Namajunas.
Official Result- Rose Namajunas def. Jessica Andrade by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
> Petr Yan (#3, 14-1, 6-0 UFC) vs. Jose Aldo (#6, 28-6, 10-5 UFC) UFC Bantamweight Championship
Aldo is looking for leg kicks early. Yan landing some early punches. Yan lands a big right hand. Aldo with a big leg kick and Yan trips to the mat but gets up. Aldo with a body punch and then a jab. Yan with a combo to the body that partially lands. Yan with a right hand. Aldo with a heavy leg kick. Aldo with another leg kick and Aldo goes to the mat and Yan is on top. Yan lands a big body punch that hurt Aldo and Aldo was turtling up. Yan lands a barrage of punches looking for the finish but Aldo survives. Yan gets the round on that late ground flurry. 10-9 Yan.
Both looking for openings to start the second. Yan with a high kick that Aldo blocks. Aldo with an inside leg kick. Aldo lands a combo. Aldo with another leg kick. Aldo with another hard leg kick. Yan lands a left hand. Yan with another left hand. Aldo with a right hand. Yan with a leg kick. Aldo with a leg kick followed by a jab and then a body kick. Yan lands a left hand. Yan switches stances. They trade late. Close round. 10-9 Aldo, 19-19.
Aldo with a body kick and then a knee to the body. Aldo with a right hand to the body. Yan lands a left hand. Yan with a left hand. Yan with the jab and he’s being warned about his fingers again. Aldo with a left hand to the body and then a short uppercut. Yan with an inside leg kick. Aldo with a flurry and then lands a knee against the fence.Yan just misses a big right hand. Yan with the jab. Aldo continues to work the body. Yan misses a flurry as Aldo was ducking under. Aldo with a body punch and Yan lands a combo in return. Aldo with an uppercut. They clinch and Yan lands an elbow as they break. Yan with a body kick. Yan lands a right hand late. Another close round. 10-9 Yan, 29-28 Yan.
Aldo with a body kick. Yan with a body kick and some leg kicks. Aldo with a couple of right hands. Aldo with some body shots and Yan fires back and lands a clean left hand. Aldo with a knee to the body. Yan lands a flurry. Aldo with a short uppercut. Yan goes for a takedown but Aldo defends. Yan with a left hand followed by a body kick. Aldo slowing down a little. Yan with a combo against the fence. Yan with a flurry and lands a hard right hand. Yan gets Aldo down and Yan landing punches from the top. Yan gets into Aldo’s guard and lands a couple of big punches. Yan with more big punches and he puts a stamp on this round. 10-9 Yan, 39-37 Yan.
Yan with a big combo that rocks Aldo. Yan knocks Aldo down with a left hand and is landing punches from the top looking to finish. Yan goes into Aldo’s half-guard. Yan landing big punches from the half-guard. Aldo looking to survive. Yan isolating the arm and landing big punches. Yan with more big punches as he gets the back of Aldo. Aldo is bleeding all over the place. Yan with big hammerfists. Lots of shots taken by Aldo there and it could have been stopped. Yan with a knee to the body and then more punches. Aldo taking too much punishment but it isn’t being stopped. He continues to land punches and it is finally stopped. Yan is the new 135-pound title holder. Impressive win.
Official Result- Petr Yan def. Jose Aldo by TKO (punches) at 3:24 of Round 5 to win the UFC Bantamweight Championship
> Alexander Volkanovski (C, 21-1, 8-0 UFC) vs. Max Holloway (#1, 21-5, 17-5 UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship
Volkanovski with an overhand right. Holloway looking to find his range. Holloway with a body kick. Volkanovski with a leg kick. Holloway with a combo to the body. Holloway with another body kick after Volkanovski lands a leg kick. Holloway landing with more volume in the first half. Holloway with an uppercut. They trade leg kicks. Volkanovski with a combo. Holloway lands a straight right hand. Holloway with a leg kick. Holloway with a leg kick and then lands a spinning back kick and a head kick sends Volkanovski to the mat. 10-9 Holloway.
Holloway landing some punches and kicks and Volkanovski is trying to figure things out in the second. Holloway with more leg kicks. Holloway with some more leg kicks. Volkanovski lands some good punches. Volkanovski switches stances for a moment and they trade leg kicks. Holloway with a knee to the body. Volkanovski with a left hook. Holloway tries a head kick but blocked by Volkanovski. Volkanovski with a body kick. Holloway with another high kick that just missed. Holloway drops Volkanovski with an uppercut late. 10-9 Holloway, 20-18 Holloway.
Volkanovski with a hard leg kick. Holloway attacking the leg as Volkanovski circles around. Volkanovski is pressing forward now and Holloway lands a flying knee. They trade leg kicks. Volkanovski shoots for a takedown against the fence but Holloway defends and they are clinched against the fence. Holloway pressing forward and lands a jumping switch kick. Holloway just misses an uppercut. Volkanovski with an inside leg kick. They trade late. Close round. 10-9 Volkanovski, 29-28 Holloway.
They trade to start the fourth. Both men landing some good shots but they are both searching for openings. Volkanovski with a couple of leg kicks and Holloway fires back with leg kicks. Holloway lands a good combo after eating a leg kick from Volkanovski. Holloway with a spin kick to the body. Volkanovski lands a jab. Volkanovski gets a takedown near the fence but Holloway is able to work to his feet quickly. They break to the center of the Octagon. Volkanovski tries another takedown but Holloway defends with some uppercuts and Volkanovski lets go. Volkanovski with a good combo. Holloway with a flurry and lands a nice right hand late. 10-9 Holloway, 39-37 Holloway.
Holloway with a body kick. Holloway with a good combo and a nice left hand. They trade kicks and Holloway landed a good high kick. They trade in a clinch and Volkanovski lands a good left hand. Volkanovski with a left hand. Volkanovski with a high kick that is blocked by Holloway and then Holloway throws a head kick. Volkanovski with a left hand. Holloway with an uppercut. Volkanovski with a leg kick. Holloway landing slightly more. Holloway with a combo and the right hand lands right on the chin. Volkanovski shoots for a takedown but Holloway defends though Volkanovski finishes a takedown. Holloway quickly works to his feet. They break and Volkanovski lands a left on the break. Volkanovski with a combo. Volkanovski tries for another takedown but Holloway defends. Volkanovski with a leg kick. Both men are swinging for the fences. Volkanovski with a late takedown. 10-9 Volkanovski, 48-47 Holloway.
Official Result- Alexander Volkanovski def. Max Holloway by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) to retain the UFC Featherweight Championship
Masvidal with a leg kick. Masvidal lands more kicks. Usman gets a takedown off a kick and he’s in Masvidal’s guard. Usman with an elbow. Masvidal lands some punches from the bottom. Usman stands and Masvidal tries to scramble up. Usman still has his arms locked around Masvidal but they break. Usman with a body punch. Masvidal with a leg kick. Masvidal with a knee to the body and lands some punches as they break. Usman goes for a takedown against the fence but Masvidal defends. Masvidal lands an elbow. They break. Masvidal with a body kick and a straight left hand. Masvidal lands a quick combo after Usman lands a jab. Masvidal with a right hand. 10-9 Masvidal.
Masvidal with a body kick. Usman tries to grab a single leg but Masvidal slips away. They are clinched against the fence and not much is going on other than Usman just holding on. Masvidal with some knees as Usman lands a couple of body punches. Masvidal lands an elbow. Usman lands a left hand. Masvidal just misses a right hand and they clinch again. Usman with a foot stomp. Usman with more foot stomps and shoulder strikes. Masvidal with some body punches. Usman with some body punches. They break. Masvidal with a body kick. Masvidal lands a combo. Usman with a body punch. Masvidal lands a right hand. 10-9 Usman, 19-19.
Masvidal with a leg kick. Masvidal with a body kick. They fight in close range against the fence and then clinch and Usman with more foot stomps. Usman with some body punches and they break. Usman lands a right hand. Masvidal with a body kick. Usman in deep for a takedown but Masvidal defends. Usman landed a punch right to the groin. Back to action and Masvidal with a body kick. Masvidal with a leg kick. Usman gets a takedown. Masvidal gets to his feet but Usman takes him right back down. Usman working in side control. Masvidal trying to spin out but Usman ends up in his guard. Usman with a couple of elbows from the top. 10-9 Usman, 29-28 Usman.
Usman with a big body kick. Usman goes for a takedown but Masvidal defends against the fence and they are clinched. Usman with some foot stomps and body punches. Masvidal lands a knee as they break. Usman gets a takedown. They get to their feet and are clinched. Usman with body punches and more foot stomps. Usman lands a left hand. Masvidal lands a flurry before they break. Masvidal with a body kick. Usman lands a left hook after missing a takedown attempt. Usman lands another left hand and they clinch again. They end the round clinched against the fence. 10-9 Usman, 39-37 Usman.
Usman lands a left hand. They trade punches and Usman gets a takedown against the fence. Usman working from the top and landing some elbows. Usman working in side control. Masvidal able to scramble but Usman keeping him down. Usman gets the neck and is keeping Masvidal down. Usman lands a knee to the body. They get to their feet. They trade knees and break. Masvidal with a left hand. Masvidal with a body kick. They trade late. 10-9 Usman, 49-46 Usman.
Official Result- Kamaru Usman def. Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46) to retain the UFC Welterweight Championship
The kickoff to four Fight Island events has already taken a hit as UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns is off next Saturday’s UFC 251.
The reason: Burns, his brother, and another cornerman tested positive for COVID-19, first reported by MMA Junkie. A teammate of Burns that doesn’t fight in the UFC also recently tested positive.
Burns (pictured above) remained positive about the situation in a tweet while Usman has yet to acknowledge the situation on social media.
The team had flown from Florida to Las Vegas where UFC has set up a testing hub before flying people to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It’s expected the Usman-Burns fight will take place on another show, which is why they didn’t look for a last minute replacement to fight Usman.
As of this writing, UFC nor ESPN haven’t announced the fight is off the show.
The UFC 251 main card features two other title fights: featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway in a rematch and Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo for the vacant men’s bantamweight title in addition to Rose Namajunas vs. Jessica Andrade 2 and the return of Paige VanZant.
The PPV is the first of four July events in Yas Island, the other three airing on ESPN and ESPN+.
Fight Island is officially real as the UFC announced the location of the venue and four July shows on Tuesday including a deep pay-per-view card that kicks everything off.
The location is indeed the rumored Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, home of several UFC events in the past. The arrangement is part of a multi-year deal with the country’s department of culture and tourism.
July 11’s UFC 251 will start the four-event month, followed by Fight Night events on Wednesday, July 15th; Saturday, July 18th; and Saturday, July 25th. The July PPV is typically held in Las Vegas as part of International Fight Week, but without fans to attend the show and events due to the pandemic, that wasn’t in the cards for this year.
Per ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, the show will air in the U.S. in its traditional time slots and the main card will start at 6 AM local time. That means prelim fighters will be competing in the middle of the night.
UFC didn’t announce full cards for each show yet, but on ESPN’s First Take, Dana White revealed the main card for UFC 251 and revealed that the Octagon will indeed be on the beach:
Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns: This is Usman’s first fight since his successful title defense against Colby Covington last December while Burns rose to prominence with his recent dominant win over former champion Tyron Woodley. However, it was believed the streaking Leon Edwards would get the shot instead once efforts to pair Usman up with Jorge Masvidal fell through. However, Helwani said that while the UFC did reach out to Edwards, the UK travel lockdown was too much of an issue to overcome.
Featherweight Champion Alex Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway II: This is a rematch from last December when the Australian gave Holloway his first loss in the division since August 2013, a run of 14 wins and three successful title defenses.
Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo for the vacant bantamweight title: The 14-1 Yan has won all six of his UFC fights and faces the former featherweight champion Aldo who has yet to win a fight at bantamweight.
Rose Namajunas vs. Jessica Andrade 2: This is the second attempt to make this clash of former strawweight champions as the first was pushed back due to two of Namajunas’ relatives coming down with COVID-19.
Paige VanZant vs. Amanda Ribas: This is the final fight on the current contract for the oft-injured VanZant and the second attempt to make the fight as she fractured her right arm in March.
In the release for the shows, UFC said that “DCT Abu Dhabi will create a safety zone within the nearly ten square mile Yas Island that will include an arena, hotel, training facilities, and dining establishments. This safety zone will only be open to UFC athletes and their coaches; UFC staff and other event personnel; and Yas Island employees who are necessary to ensure the operation of the facilities.”
UFC president Dana White said during a radio interview Tuesday that UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje is likely heading to “Fight Island”.
In talking to Chicago’s ESPN 1000, White said that after Nurmagomedov is finished observing Ramadan (May 23rd), he will be ready to fight and they can begin to plan when the unification fight will be.
When it does happen, it appears set for the mysterious international island the UFC is fitting out to hold events featuring international fighters unable to fly to the U.S. due to pandemic related travel bans. That, of course, is assuming the current situation with travel remains in the upcoming months.
Gaethje earned the opportunity to face the undefeated Nurmagomedov by defeating Tony Ferguson by fifth round TKO Saturday at UFC 249 to earn the interim title. Nurmagomedov, originally slated to fight Ferguson but unable to travel, was last in action in September 2019 with a dominant victory over Dustin Poirier, the second defense of his title.
The UFC is back in action Wednesday night with the second of their three shows in Jacksonville, Florida this week. During the interview, White said the company will do 1100 COVID-19 tests for fighters, employees, commission members, and anyone involved with this week’s events.
