LAS VEGAS – Jared Gordon beat Danny Chavez with a unanimous decision Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 185 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Gordon, who has consecutive wins for the first time since 2017.

Danny Chavez vs. Jared Gordon

Result: Jared Gordon def. Danny Chavez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Updated records: Gordon (17-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC), Chavez (11-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Key stat: Gordon had 5:01 of ground control time to just 0:03 for Chavez.

Gordon on the fight’s key moment

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 20: (R-L) Jared Gordon punches Danny Chavez in a featherweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“When you go into a fight, you overthink a lot of things. I was really worried about the calf kick. It turned out I was kicking his calf way more than he was kicking mine, which is weird because he was supposed to be the striker and I was the grappler.”

Gordon on being back on track

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 20: (L-R) Danny Chavez punches Jared Gordon in a featherweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“I outstruck him and hurt him. I take guys down and they don’t get up. He got up one time, but I did a great job of keeping him there. I was definitely getting some good ground-and-pound off on him. That’s where I shine. It felt great. I’m finally back on a win streak. It’s been a rough couple years for me.”

Gordon on what he wants next

“It feels great. I can take a breather and go home to my fiance. I’m trying to get right back in there. I want to fight smart and choose wisely. This is a business and I want longevity. I tried to skip the line by fighting ranked guys at a higher weight class and it didn’t work out. I just want to stay active.”

To hear more from Gordon, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

Breaking, Jared Gordon, UFC Fight Night 185, video, News, UFC, Videos

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/jared-gordon-winning-streak-fighting-smarter-ufc-fight-night-185-video

LAS VEGAS – Phil Hawes beat Nassourdine Imavov with a majority decision Saturday on the main card at UFC Fight Night 185 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Hawes, who ran his winning streak to six after a loss on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017.

Phil Hawes vs. Nassourdine Imavov

Result: Phil Hawes def. Nassourdine Imavov via majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Hawes (10-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Imavov (9-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Key stat: Hawes was outstruck by Imavov, but landed four takedowns.

Hawes on the fight’s key moment

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 20: (L-R) Phil Hawes punches Nassourdine Imavov of Russia in a middleweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“I feel great. This fight means a lot more than 18-second knockouts. This one I had to dig deep. This is going to help so much with my experience. I’m glad it turned out this way against a tough opponent like Nassourdine. He came ready. He was hitting me with tons of elbows. He got me a little dazed on my feet in the third round, but I just came through it.

“I knew Nassourdine was going to be tough. I was hoping to knock him out. I did a ton of strength and conditioning. I just wanted to let him know I’m here and not going anywhere.”

Hawes on going the distance

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 20: (R-L) Nassourdine Imavov of Russia punches Phil Hawes in a middleweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“I felt alive. You see at the end of the fight, I’m running around in circles because I was happy. I had never went three rounds. It was a new experience in my career. I’m blessed the UFC gave me the opportunity to show I’m the best in the world.”

Hawes on what he wants next

“I approach this game like I’m the champ already. Getting a number means nothing to me, I want my belt.

“I showed some heart out there. I know people were wondering if I can go three rounds. I answered some questions out there. I’m just going to keep answering questions until they put the right people in front of me. I want to get back in the octagon as soon as possible.”

To hear more from Hawes, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

Breaking, Phil Hawes, UFC Fight Night 185, video, News, UFC, Videos

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/phil-hawes-likes-decision-win-more-than-18-second-knockout-ufc-fight-night-185-video

Bellator continues to ink notable names from the Russian talent pool.

The most recent Russian addition to the roster is former Absolute Championship Berkut, Fight Nights Global, and ProFC lightweight standout Alexander Shabliy, whom the promotion has signed to a multifight deal.

A Bellator official on Monday confirmed the signing to MMA Junkie following an Instagram post by Shabliy’s manager, Rizvan Magomedov, on Friday. Shabliy (19-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) doesn’t have a publicly known debut date or opponent at this time.

Shabliy, 27, rides a four-fight winning streak into his Bellator tenure with his most recent victory coming in December 2019. His resume includes wins over former UFC fighter Adriano Martins, former Bellator fighters Ryan Quinn and Gleristone Santos, as well as Brazilian standout Alexandre Cidade.

Ali Abdelaziz said that he’s bringing a few of his free agents to ONE soon. Imagine if Alexander Shabliy joins their Lightweight rankings. Only 27 years old and already with a decade of experience and 17 finishes to his credit. pic.twitter.com/g9Zhv26jZc

— Cerebral Vigilante (@Delisketo) July 29, 2020

Sixteen of his 18 professional wins have come by finish. Since 2014, Shabliy has only lost one fight: a split decision defeat to Eduard Vartanyan in November 2016. Shabliy has been submitted once in his professional career, but has never been finished via strikes.

Recently, Shabliy moved his training to American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla. Since then, he has gotten in training with the likes of Dustin Poirier, Jorge Masvidal, Movsar Evloev and Natan Schulte, among numerous other UFC, Bellator, and PFL athletes.

A post shared by Александр Шаблий (@alexandr_shabliy)

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/mma-news-bellator-signs-alexander-shabliy-multifight-deal-russia-acb-fng

A stacked UFC 259 featuring three title fights is right around the corner on Saturday, March 6. Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will move up a weight class to challenge light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in the main event.

Watch Adesanya’s last title defense against Paulo Costa at UFC 253 last year on Fight Island to get ready for UFC 259.

(Video courtesy of UFC)

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Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/watch-israel-adesanya-destroy-paulo-costa-ahead-of-ufc-259

LOS ANGELES – Bellator MMA is pleased to announce the organization will implement an official fighter rankings system for each of its weight classes, in addition to a pound-for-pound list for both the men’s and women’s divisions, in the coming weeks. The official Bellator MMA Fighter Rankings will be determined by a 15-person voting panel, comprised exclusively of members of the MMA media.

“This is the greatest roster in the history of Bellator,” said Bellator MMA President Scott Coker. “As we continue to sign the top free agents in the sport and see the success of young prospects inside the Bellator cage, we felt that the time was right to introduce official fighter rankings. We are always looking at ways to improve our product and this adds a new and exciting aspect to the organization that will have a significant impact on how fans watch Bellator. Every division is competitive, every matchup is important, and we are set for several potential blockbusters as we begin a new year on Showtime.”

Votes will be cast for eligible fighters following each Bellator live event and final results will be made public. To ensure transparency, the tabulation of votes will be overseen solely by a third-party company, Combat Registry.

The initial rankings will be released in the days leading up to Bellator’s return to action and debut on SHOWTIME Friday, April 2 with Bellator 255: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2 at 9 p.m. ET.

Information detailing fighter eligibility, as well as additional voting criteria, is listed below:

Bellator Divisional Rankings:

• Top 10 fighter rankings will be voted on in nine Bellator MMA weight classes, in addition to two pound-for-pound lists.
• Champions of each division will be automatically assigned to the Champions slot atop the rankings.
• Fighters in seven men’s divisions will be ranked, including:
  • Heavyweight
  • Light Heavyweight
  • Middleweight
  • Welterweight
  • Lightweight
  • Featherweight
  • Bantamweight
• Fighters in two women’s divisions will be ranked, including:
  • Featherweight
  • Flyweight
• Two pound-for-pound lists will be voted on, including:
  • Men’s
  • Women’s

 New Fighter Eligibility:

• A fighter must have competed once inside the Bellator cage on a current term with the company to be eligible.

Inactivity:

• A fighter is eligible to be ranked for up to 15-months without competing.

Retirement

• A fighter remains eligible for 60 days after an indication of retirement, with the organization ultimately determining if the fighter remains active and eligible.

Multiple Weight Classes:

• A fighter is allowed to be actively ranked in two different weight classes and is eligible to be ranked in an additional weight class once they have competed at least once in that division.
• A fighter must actively compete in each weight class – a period of inactivity longer than 15 months in a given weight class will result in the removal from that specific weight class, but not necessarily from another division or the overall rankings pool.
  • With the exception being that a fighter is actively participating in a World Grand Prix tournament in a different weight class.

Removal/Ineligibility:

• A fighter serving a non-medical suspension from an overseeing regulatory body and/or the organization for longer than six months will be removed from rankings eligibility. A fighter will remain eligible with a suspension of six months or fewer.

Fighter Rankings Pool:

• The final list of eligible fighters, and the weight classes in which they are eligible to be ranked, will ultimately be determined by the organization.

Voting Frequency:

• New Bellator rankings will only be voted on after every event, regardless of frequency.
• Votes will be due the Monday following a Bellator live event.

First-Place Votes:

• Each rankings period will reveal how many number one contender votes each fighter received.

Voting Tabulation:

• Tabulation of votes will be handled exclusively by Combat Registry, a third-party independent of Bellator MMA.

Voting Panel:

• Bellator fighter rankings will be voted on exclusively by media members within the MMA industry.
• In no capacity, will Bellator staff, athletes, talent or other organization personnel participate in voting.

The inaugural voting panel will include the following members of the media:

1. Jeff Cain – MMA Weekly
2. Brian Campbell – CBS Sports
3. Rodrigo Del Campo – Claro Sports
4. Rob DeMello – KHON Hawaii
5. Jason Floyd – The MMA Report
6. George Garcia – MMA Junkie
7. Amy Kaplan – FanSided
8. Nolan King – MMA Junkie
9. John Hyon Ko – South China Morning Post
10. Mark LaMonica – Newsday
11. Igor Lazarin – TASS Russia
12. Shakiel Mahjouri – Fightful MMA
13. Joe McDonagh – Cageside Press
14. John Morgan – MMA Junkie
15. Ken Pishna – MMA Weekly

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Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/bellator-mma-set-to-release-fighter-rankings-in-coming-weeks