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USA Today
20-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Noche UFC: Jared Gordon vs. Rafa Garcia added to Sept. 13 lineup
Noche UFC: Jared Gordon vs. Rafa Garcia added to Sept. 13 lineup A battle between lightweight veterans is the first addition to UFC Fight Night 259, which is the third-annual Noche UFC event. Jared Gordon will take on Rafa Garcia on the Sept. 13 event, which moved from Guadalajara, Mexico to Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas (ESPN+). Both fighters confirmed news of the matchup on social media after an initial report from MMA Mania. Gordon (21-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) has won two of his past three fights, with both wins coming by knockout. The 36-year-old is coming off a first-round knockout of Thiago Moises at UFC Fight Night 256 in May. Meanwhile, Mexico's Garcia (17-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has won five of his past seven fights, most recently defeating Vinc Pichel by unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 64 in March.
USA Today
05-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 316: Kelvin Gastelum explains frustration of Joe Pyfer fight rebooking, Mexico remarks
UFC 316: Kelvin Gastelum explains frustration of Joe Pyfer fight rebooking, Mexico remarks Show Caption Hide Caption UFC 316: Kelvin Gastelum media day interview UFC 316 fighter Kelvin Gastelum spoke to MMA Junkie and reporters at media day for his featured bout vs. Joe Pyfer on Saturday. MORRISTOWN, N.J. – Kelvin Gastelum wasn't thrilled to hear Joe Pyfer talk down on Mexico. Gastelum (19-9 MMA, 13-9 UFC), a Mexican-American fighter, heard the recent disparaging remarks from Pyfer (13-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) made after an illness led to the cancellation of their first scheduled meeting in March at UFC on ESPN 64, which took place in Mexico City. Pyfer took his frustrations out on the entire country of Mexico, calling the country a "sh*t hole," while vowing never to return. "Yeah, obviously it did a little bit of sour taste in my mouth," Gastelum told reporters at UFC 316 media day. "I just think that the way he went about it was a little rude. He shouldn't say those things about other people's countries, and I just think he should have been better about the way he went about it. I don't think those comments were right." The UFC kept the matchup together and rescheduled the fight for the main card of Saturday's UFC 316 (ESPN+ pay-per-view), which takes place at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Gastelum admits there is some frustration that the fight didn't take place in its original location. With the change, Gastelum not only lost out monetarily but also lost a strategic component to the matchup. "We were ready for Mexico City – I spent a whole month out there, brought a whole camp out there," Gastelum said. "It was so much time and investment financially, and then just it was a hard, grueling camp. We were planning to use the elevation as part of a weapon, so it was unfortunate that it didn't happen there." Gastelum aims to make it back-to-back wins following a unanimous decision nod over Daniel Rodriguez last June. Keeping the momentum going would be a nice way to enter the summer, where he will be inducted into the UFC's Hall of Fame for his interim title fight war with Israel Adesanya at UFC 236. He admits he hasn't thought much about it yet, as the moment's significance probably won't hit him until the ceremony takes place during International Fight Week. While a Hall of Fame moment is appreciated, Gastelum wants to be remembered for something more before his career is done. "I think it was just a result of everything that I've done and the fights and wars that I've had," Gastelum said of the Hall of Fame induction. "But, the ultimate thing is I want people to remember me as the world champion, which hasn't happened yet, and that's still on my mind."
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Joe Pyfer considers Kelvin Gastelum fight 'one of them layups,' stands by Mexico insults
Joe Pyfer considers Kelvin Gastelum fight 'one of them layups,' stands by Mexico insults Joe Pyfer sees a big incentive in beating Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 316. Pyfer (13-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) vs. Gastelum (19-9 MMA, 13-9 UFC) was rebooked for June 7 in Newark, N.J. The pair were originally scheduled to fight at UFC on ESPN 64 in Mexico City this past March, but the bout was scrapped after Pyfer withdrew from the fight hours before due to illness. 'No, I was scared that I wasn't going to be able to run it back with him, man," Pyfer said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "I think this is a great opportunity for me. I think this fight is kind of one of them layups for me to really perform, and it's no discredit to him. I have respect for him. I haven't heard him say anything, to my knowledge, of him talking sh*t, or I'd have a different demeanor. But I think he's been respectful. I think I've been respectful of him, and I've trained my ass off for him." Gastelum hasn't been performing like the fighter who once pushed Israel Adesanya to the brink, but his durability has held on. Pyfer wants to test his chin. "I've literally had f*cking double dreams of everything," Pyfer said. "Every scenario, I've had a double f*cking dream. I'm just tired of picturing his fat-ass f*cking face in my brain every f*cking day. I'm over it. I'm just ready to do the dance. I'm ready to throw down. He's an exciting guy, I'm an exciting guy. Obviously I'm the prospect. He's the vet. ... I want to be the first guy to knock him out, man, just quite frankly. I know I can do it." Pyfer stands by calling Mexico 'sh*thole' When Pyfer pulled out of his first fight with Gastelum, he labeled Mexico as a "sh*thole" country and vowed to never return again. He didn't walk back his comments when addressing what happened. "Look at it this way: I don't have to go into specifics, but if the country was so great, we wouldn't have so many problems,' Pyfer said. "What I said was misconstrued. I said, 'If that's what fighting in that country is, then f*ck that place, it's a sh*thole,' and so on and so forth. I don't understand why we would risk fighting there. The risk is so great. I got sick twice, and I never said anything about it. "There's people who still have side effects. 'DC' went on and said, 'Man, my stomach was messed up, I hate that place,' and nobody gave him sh*t for it. I'm a little bit more unapologetic. It's nothing towards the people. The people were fine. I had nothing bad to say about the people. It's just as far as fighting there, fighting at that elevation, fighting at that altitude, why would I risk that?"
USA Today
13-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC Fight Night 256 pre-event facts: Melquizael Costa first to three fights in 2025
UFC Fight Night 256 pre-event facts: Melquizael Costa first to three fights in 2025 The second of three UFC events in May goes down Saturday with UFC Fight Night 256 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streams on ESPN+. Former title challenger Gilbert Burns (22-8 MMA, 15-8 UFC) returns to competition in attempt to snap a three-fight losing skid when he takes on undefeated surging contender Michael Morales (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in a five-round welterweight bout. Go inside the numbers behind UFC Fight Night 256 below with MMA Junkie's pre-event facts. Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales Burns' three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since April 2023. Burns is 3-5 in his past eight fights dating back to February 2021. Burns is 7-5 since he returned to the welterweight division in August 2019. Burns' three armbar submission victories in UFC competition are tied for third-most in company history behind Demetrious Johnson (four) and Royce Gracie (four). Morales' five-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the fourth-longest active streak in the division behind Jack Della Maddalena (eight), Shavkat Rakhmonov (seven) and Joaquin Buckley (six). Morales has earned 13 of his 17 career victories by stoppage. Morales defends 91.3 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Kamaru Usman (97.3 percent). Paul Craig vs. Rodolfo Bellato Paul Craig (17-9-1 MMA, 9-9-1 UFC) returns to the light heavyweight division after a four-fight stint at middleweight where he went 1-3. Craig's three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since July 2023. Craig's six submission victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Glover Teixeira (seven). Craig's four submission victories by triangle choke are the most in UFC history. Craig's victory at 4:59 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 127 is the latest submission in a three-round UFC fight. Julian Erosa vs. Melquizael Costa Julian Erosa (30-11 MMA, 9-7 UFC) is 8-3 since he returned to the UFC for a third stint in June 2020. Erosa has earned 25 of his 30 career victories by stoppage. Erosa's average fight time of 6:45 in UFC featherweight competition is shortest among active fighters in the weight class. Melquizael Costa (23-7 MMA, 4-2 UFC) becomes the first fighter to make three UFC appearances in 2025. He earned victories at UFC Fight Night 252 on Feb. 22 and UFC on ESPN 64 on March 29. Thiago Moises vs. Jared Gordon Thiago Moises (19-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) has earned one of 17 stoppage victories in UFC history stemming from leg kicks. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 239. Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Dustin Stoltzfus Nursulton Ruziboev (35-9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned 33 of his 35 career victories by stoppage. Luana Pinheiro vs. Tecia Pennington Luana Pinheiro's (11-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn't earned a victory since April 2023. Tecia Pennington's (14-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC) competes in her 18th UFC strawweight bout, tied for the second-most appearances in divisional history behind Angela Hill (26). Pennington's 10 victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Hill (12). Pennington has earned 12 of her 14 career victories by decision. Denise Gomes vs. Elise Reed Elise Reed (8-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over her past nine fights. She was victorious in her most recent bout. UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript.
USA Today
02-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Cory Sandhagen-Deiveson Figueiredo prediction, pick: Who rules at UFC Des Moines?
Cory Sandhagen-Deiveson Figueiredo prediction, pick: Who rules at UFC Des Moines? Bantamweights headline UFC's long-awaited return to Iowa Show Caption Hide Caption Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo | UFC on ESPN 67 Breakdown MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom offers his breakdown and prediction for the UFC on ESPN 64 main event in Des Moines, Iowa. MMA Junkie MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC on ESPN 67's main event between Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo. Cory Sandhagen UFC Des Moines preview Staple info: Record: 17-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC Height: 5'11" Age: 33 Weight: 135 lbs. Reach: 70" Last fight: Decision loss to Umar Nurmagomedov (Aug. 3, 2024) Camp: Elevation Fight Team (Denver2) Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing Risk management: Good Supplemental info: + WKA world kickboxing champion + Amateur kickboxing accolades + Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt + 7 KO victories + 3 submission wins + 6 first-round finishes + Consistent pace and pressure + Excellent feints and footwork ^ Manages distance/draws out attacks + Variates shot selection ^ Punctuates well with bodywork + Hard leg kicks + Improved wrestling ability + Underrated scrambling ability ^ Good getups and reversals + Solid transitional grappler Deiveson Figueiredo UFC Des Moines preview Staple info: Record: 24-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC Height: 5'5" Age: 37 Weight: 135 lbs. Reach: 68" Last fight: Decision loss to Petr Yan (Nov. 23, 2024) Camp: Team Figueiredo (Brazil) Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/muay Thai Risk management: Good Supplemental info: + Former 2x UFC flyweight champion + Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt + Regional grappling accolades + 9 KO victories + 9 submission wins + 11 first-round finishes + KO power + Well-timed right hands/uppercuts ^ Coming forward or off the counter + Hard calf kicks + Slicing elbows from multiple ranges + Strong inside the clinch + Improved wrestling ability ^ Solid reactive shots + Transitions well from topside ^ Dangerous strikes and submissions Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo point of interest: Flyweight fisticuffs The main event in Iowa features a flyweight showdown between two top-five talents who aren't afraid to exchange fisticuffs. Appearing to be a pressure-fighting wildman on the Brazilian regional scene, Deiveson Figueiredo has seemingly sharpened his style and approach since touching down in the UFC octagon. Figueiredo still relies heavily upon his head and trunk movement but will now add a long-framing defense from both stances, as well as flick out more jabs and straight shots to help establish his range. This approach both accentuates Figueiredo's length, as well as entices risky entries from his opposition that open them up for the Brazilian's powerful counters. Whether Figueiredo is unloading counter crosses or uppercuts, the former flyweight champ has traditionally demonstrated stellar timing and anticipation to go along with his John Lineker-like power and knockdown rate. Figueiredo has also leaned more on his calf kicks since his series with Brandon Moreno, demonstrating the ability to land stance-altering shots at range. Although attacking his opponent's lower extremities will likely serve Figueiredo well, defensive susceptibility to calf kicks appears to be a potent two-way street in this matchup. Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo breakdown: Potential grappling threats Enter Cory Sandhagen. Coming up through the kickboxing ranks in the quiet martial arts hotbed of Colorado, Sandhagen has clearly studied and absorbed a lot in what has been a fun career to watch thus far. Utilizing his long and lean frame like second nature, Sandhagen is a rangy kickboxer who appears comfortable poking and prodding his opposition with accurate jabs and leg kicks from either stance. Shifting or drop-stepping at a moment's notice, the 33-year-old talent can piece together flowing, varied offense off of whatever building materials are offered up to him. Whether Sandhagen is bringing back Jose Aldo's patented "Dutchie" combination or launching jumping switch-knees that give me flashbacks to Liu Kang's bicycle kick, he certainly knows how to keep things spicy. And when Sandhagen is feeling in stride, it's not uncommon to see the good samaritan show a sadistic smile after punctuating his presence with deep hooks or uppercuts to the body. However, despite the multi-leveled attacks, Sandhagen is not exactly impervious from a defensive standpoint and will have to respect the potential level-changing counters coming his way. Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo odds The oddsmakers and the public heavily favor the American, listing Sandhagen -520 and Figueiredo +350 via FanDuel. Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo prediction, pick Despite not disagreeing with who is favored, the betting spread above is a bit wide for my liking. Although Figueiredo is clearly past prime, the former flyweight champion has proven to be an effective fighter since moving up to bantamweight. Aside from still having the punching power to change the perspective on a round, Figueiredo has also become a much more willing grappler in this division. Should Sandhagen get lackadaisical in transition, then no one should be shocked if Figueiredo can score some big moments or back positions that sway rounds his way. However, even though taking a flier on Figueiredo at these odds is tempting, I can't ignore the fact that the Brazilian – even in his more recent wins – appears to be walking a fine line as far as establishing a solid output or winning conditions go. Add in the fact that Sandhagen is incredibly durable and hard to finish on the feet or the floor, and I suspect that "Sandman" can survive the scares and pull away with his superior output and bodywork down the stretch. The pick is Sandhagen by unanimous decision. Prediction: Sandhagen by decision Cory Sandhagen, Deiveson Figueiredo start time, where to watch As the main event, Sandhagen and Figueiredo are expected to make their walks to the cage at approximately 12:40 a.m. ET. The fight airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.
