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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to its APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the UFC Vegas 49 mixed martial arts (MMA) event TONIGHT (Sat., Feb. 26, 2022) streaming LIVE on ESPN+, topped by the 160-pound showdown between streaking Lightweight contender, Islam Makhachev, and late replacement, Bobby Green. Before that five-round clash of styles gets underway, Middleweight bruiser Misha Cirkunov trades leather with Brazilian stalwart Wellington Turman in UFC Vegas 49’s co-main event. Prominent up-and-comers Ji Yeon Kim, Joel Alvarez, and Armen Petrosyan will also see action this weekend in “Sin City.”

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 49 fight card below, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” bouts at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 7 p.m. ET. Bet on all the UFC Vegas 49 action with our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Makhachev vs. Green.” Without further delay, see below for the updated UFC Vegas 49 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action).

UFC VEGAS 49 QUICK RESULTS:

Islam Makhachev vs. Bobby Green — Makhachev def. Green by TKO (punches) at 3:23 of Round One
Misha Cirkunov vs. Wellington Turman — Turman def. Cirkunov by submission (armbar) at 1:29 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS
Ji Yeon Kim vs. Priscila Cachoeira — Cachoeira def. Kim by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Joel Alvarez vs. Arman Tsarukyan — Tsarukyan def. Alvarez by TKO (punches) at 1:57 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS
Gregory Rodrigues vs. Armen Petrosyan — Petrosyan def. Rodrigues by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Rong Zhu — Bahamondes def. Rong by submission (guillotine choke) at 1:40 of Round Three
Josiane Nunes vs. Ramona Pascual — Nunes def. Pascual by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-26)
Terrance McKinney vs. Fares Ziam — McKinney def. Ziam by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:11 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS
Alejandro Perez vs. Jonathan Martinez — Martinez def. Perez by unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Micheal Gillmore — Brahimaj def. Gillmore by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:02 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS
Victor Altamirano vs. Carlos Hernandez — Hernandez def. Altamirano by split decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)

UFC VEGAS 49 PLAY-BY-PLAY:

160 lbs.: Islam Makhachev vs. Bobby Green

Round 1: Makhachev opens with kicks. Brief front headlock. Green keeping his hands low, both men feinting. One minute in. Makhachev catches a body kick, lands in the clinch as he puts Green on the fence. Knees from Green. Makhachev re-shoots and dumps him to the mat. Two minutes in. Green going for deep half, nothing doing. Makhachev threatens a kimura, then uses it to pass to mount. Dropping hard shots with two minutes to go.

Green gives up his back and Makhachev just continues to bomb until the ref steps in.

Final result: Makhachev def. Green by TKO (punches)

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185 lbs.: Misha Cirkunov vs. Wellington Turman

Round 1: Both try crosses. Body kick and 1-2 from Cirkunov. Counter hook. Turman looks for a single-leg, rebuffed. Sacrifice throw gets him to a rear waist lock. Lift, dump, latches onto Cirkunov’s back a minute in. Playing backpack with both hooks in. Cirkunov fighting the non-choking hand. Two minutes in. Turman switches hands, gets it locked up on the chin. Cirkunov manages to chuck him off and drop punches from guard with two minutes to go.

Heavy punches from a standing Cirkunov. Big diving right, pounding the body as well. Turman looks to sit up into him, eats punches. Cirkunov wraps up a Japanese necktie, then transitions to a north-south choke with a minute to go. When it’s not there, he moves to back turtle and starts punching. More punches as Turman tries to scramble. 10-9 Cirkunov.

Round 2: They trade early body kicks. Cirkunov shoots and takes him to the fence. Turman lands some short elbows, but gets tripped to the mat a minute in. Out of nowhere, Turman wraps up an armbar and draws a frantic tap.

Final result: Turman def. Cirkunov by submission (armbar)

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115 lbs.: Ji Yeon Kim vs. Priscila Cachoeira

Round 1: Cachoeira marching forward, ignoring the return fire as always. One minute in. Things slow down; lots of feints, not a lot of connections at the moment. Jabs from Kim. Low kick two minutes in. Hard exchange, uppercut from Cachoeira and right hand from Kim. Good left hook and overhand from Cachoeira, who eats a four-piece combo in return. Cachoeira continuing to march forward and throw. Two minutes to go.

Kim briefly changes levels. Back to the feinting. Cachoeira uppercut, Kim 1-2. One minute to go. Cachoeira takes her down in the waning seconds, can’t keep her their. 10-9 Cachoeira.

Round 2: Hard exchange 30 seconds in. Kim 1-2. One minute in. Counter left hook. They trade, left hook lands for Cachoeira and then a lead right. Stiff jabs from Kim. Superman punch comes back at her. Two minutes in. Kim backs her off with a right hand. Check hook, brutal counters as Cachoeira backs her to the fence. Two minutes to go.

Cachoeira runs in with a knee. Jab exchange. Good trade. Looping right from Kim. One minute to go. 1-2 lands clean, then a counter jab. Cachoeira swinging for the fences and getting picked off. Looping left and right cross connect for her. Both land hard. Trading bombs near the fence. Kim stings her with a counter right. 10-9 Kim.

Round 3: Kim stings her with early counters, but Cachoeira powers through to hurt her with a flurry in response. Kim cracks her hard enough to make her stumble back, can’t polish her off in the clinch. Trading jabs. Kim forcing her back, lands a brutal right and tanks one in return a minute in. Long right from Cachoeira. Again. Monstrous right hand by Kim that Cachoeira absorbs to land her own cross in return. Two minutes in. Clean 1-2 lands for Kim. Another. More jabs. Right hand by Cachoeira, walks into a jab. Kim 1-2. Two minutes to go.

More jabs and clean right hands by Kim. Cachoeira whiffs on an elbow, lands a left hook. Firing massive elbows as Kim potshots off the back foot. Jabs stumbling Cachoeira, who continues to march forward. Big elbows by Cachoeira, knees against the fence. One minute to go. More elbows by Cachoeira. Kim with her own. Kim lead right, Cachoeira elbow. Huge knee rattles Kim, then another. More elbows by Cachoeira. She may have stolen it, but I’m leaning Kim. 10-9 Kim.

Final result: Cachoeira def. Kim by unanimous decision

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155 lbs.: Joel Alvarez vs. Arman Tsarukyan

Round 1: Tsarukyan times one of Alvarez’s low kicks and dumps him into guard. One minute in. Staying tight. Can’t get to half guard two minutes in. Brief armbar attempt, nothing doing. Tsarukyan looking to stack him, moves to the front headlock when Alvarez gets to his knees. Two minutes to go.

Tsarukyan back on top, gets caught in guard again. One minute to go. Tsarukyan staying tight, splits Alvarez way open with a short elbow. More nasty elbows. Jesus Christ that’s a lot of blood. One more elbow for good measure before the bell. 10-9 Tsarukyan.

Round 2: Tsarukyan fires a left hook, then shoots underneath it. He gets past a guillotine by moving to side control, then gets the crucifix. Loses it, starts dropping elbows. The blood’s flowing again a minute in. Alvarez gets to his knees and Tsarukyan whacks him with left hands before dumping him back down. The punches keep piling up and in comes the ref.

Final result: Tsarukyan def. Alvarez by TKO (punches)

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185 lbs.: Gregory Rodrigues vs. Armen Petrosyan

Round 1: Both men tentative early. Petrosyan low kick. Hard overhand by Rodrigues a minute in. Low kick exchange, Petrosyan left hook. Rodrigues pushing forward, eats a leg kick. More low kicks from the circling Petrosyan. Brutal exchange on the fence. Two minutes in. More Petrosyan low kicks. Rodrigues considers, abandons a level change. Two minutes to go.

Petrosyan outworking him so far, just avoids a cross. Rodrigues to the body. Both land jabs. Long right hands just missing. One minute to go. Sharp left hook by Petrosyan. More low kicks, body kick attempt. 10-9 Petrosyan.

Round 2: More potshotting from Petrosyan. Solid right hands from Rodrigues, continuing to pressure. One minute in. Left hand rattles Rodrigues. Big right. Combination. Rodrigues retreating, lands a counter hook. Counter right stings Petrosyan. Two minutes in. Stiff jab by Rodrigues. Petrosan lead right. Heavy left hook visibly wobbles Rodrigues, who comes back with a stiff jab. Two minutes to go.

Jab exchange. Petrosyan low kick, eats a left hook and comes back with a body kick. One minute to go. Rodrigues hits a double-leg against the fence. Petrosyan manages to stand. Stiff jab by Rodrigues, who tries to counter a low kick. 10-9 Petrosyan.

Round 3: Rodrigues continues to pressure, catches Rodrigues with a vicious head kick a minute in. He looks for the back, then wraps up a Suloev stretch. When that’s not there, he retakes mount, then wraps up an RNC, Two minutes in. Petrosyan manages to wriggle free, then starts bombing on the feet. Rodrigues jab, Petrosyan cross counter. Two minutes to go.

Brutal right hand by Rodrigues inside. Right hand comes back at him. Petrosyan left hook in combination, walks into a right hand throwing an elbow. One minute to go. Counter right by Rodrigues. Petrosyan body and low kicks. Petrosyan counters a level change with a head kick attempt. More heavy blows to end the round. 10-9 Rodrigues.

Final result: Petrosyan def. Rodrigues by split decision

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155 lbs.: Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Rong Zhu

Round 1: Early low kick from Bahamondes. Firing jabs, right hand to the body. Shifting straight. Low kick a minute in. Body shot. Bahamondes potshotting so far, not a lot coming back. Low kick exchange, good left by Rong. Two minutes in. They trade low kicks again. Bahamondes continues to control the distance and outland him. Combo upstairs. Two minutes to go.

Straight lefts, clean jab. Sneaking in body shots very well. Rong shoots and Bahamondes forces him to the mat with a guillotine threat. On top in half guard, nasty elbow with a minute to go. Looking for elbows, denies an attempt to stand. Punches from guard piling up. Knee on the way up. Borderline 10-8. 10-9 Bahamondes.

Round 2: Rong comes out swinging, landing well against the fence. Body kick from Bahamondes, straight lefts. Check hook by Rong. Vicious body shots. Heavy cross by Bahamondes a minute in. Body shot. Rong lands his own. Bahamondes tries a head kick, lands to the body. They trade hooks. Two minutes in. Trading jabs. Bahamondes back to potshotting at a distance. Elbow misses, big swings from Rong in return. Bahamondes 1-2 and body shot with two minutes to go.

Bahamondes body kick and straight left. Rong’s output has slipped back down in the latter half of the round. Bahamondes picking him off at range. Good body shot by Rong with a minute to go. Bahamondes’ volume still controlling things. Sharp counter right. They trade lefts. Bahamondes to the body, more jabs. Nice pull counter to end the round. 10-9 Bahamondes.

Round 3: Rong briefly puts him on the fence to start. Chopping right from Bahamondes, who blocks a head kick. Rong going for it near the fence, Bahamondes trading with him. Good double-leg puts Rong on top, but Bahamondes immediately sweeps to his feet a minute in. Bahamondes with a body kick and jab. He denies another takedown and this time wraps up a power guillotine, which forces the tap.

Final result: Bahamondes def. Rong by submission (guillotine choke)

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145 lbs.: Josiane Nunes vs. Ramona Pascual

Round 1: Low kicks from Pascual. Heavy strikes as they trade in the center. They trade low kicks. Pascual with some nice knees as Nunes looks for left hands. One minute in. Pascual body kick. Lead elbow. Big exchange. Nunes struggling to land clean, Pascual doing well attacking the head, body, and legs. There’s a 1-2 by Nunes. Charging after Pascual, falling short two minutes in. Counter 1-2 drops Pascual as she throws a low kick, but she pops right back up. Heavy knees sting Nunes, who fights off a takedown attempt. Two minutes to go.

Nunes charges in with a flurry, rips the body, gets taken down into guard. No dice on triangle and armbar attempts. One minute to go. Nunes throwing elbows and punches off her back. Pascual passes to side control. Punches on the way up. 10-9 Pascual.

Round 2: Nunes looks the fresher of the two, still throwing volume. Pascual tries a knee, eats some hard lefts that hurt her. Nunes bombing away on the fence, counters a takedown attempt into back mount. Hard elbows a minute in. Pascual manages to get to her feet and separate. Spinning back fist. Overhand left by Nunes. More bombing, body kick. Pascual’s right eye is really damaged. Nunes tosses out jabs, denies a tired-looking level change. 1-2. Pascual times a Nunes low kick to take her down into guard. Two minutes to go.

Pascual keeping her head low, eating elbows from Nunes. There’s an elbow from Pascual. One minute to go. Pascual barely doing anything from the top. 10-9 Nunes.

Round 3: Pascual tries a head kick, avoids some lefts in return. Nunes 1-2. Pascual shoots, denied, eats more hard lefts. One minute in. Nunes low kick and 1-2. Pascual shoots again, denied again, tries kicks on the break. Glancing spinning back fist and right hand. Two minutes in. Pascual elbow, Nunes 1-2 and overhand. Jab exchange. 1-2-2 lands for Nunes. Pursuing with heavy lefts on the fence. Denies a takedown, more lefts. Pascual low kick, eats a counter left. Two minutes to go.

Nunes still sending out lefts. Pascual lands a body kick, is easily rebuffed on a level change. Superman punch attempt. She shoots again, denied, eats heavy punches and a body kick for her trouble. One minute to go. Counter overhand stings Pascual, who tries a spinning back fist. She flurries, shoots, completes a takedown in the final seconds. Nunes tries to set up a kimura. 10-9 Nunes.

Final result:

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155 lbs.: Terrance McKinney vs. Fares Ziam

Round 1: Ziam trips McKinney up with a low kick, somehow ends up on the bottom in the scramble. Nice pass to side control for McKinney. Stuck back in half guard after chasing mount. One minute in. Heavy shoulder pressure, occasional punch. Ziam looks to work his way up and McKinney jumps into mount, then the back. He’s got the RNC locked up two minutes in, and despite a bad angle, Ziam’s forced to tap.

Final result: McKinney def. Ziam by submission (rear naked choke)

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135 lbs.: Alejandro Perez vs. Jonathan Martinez

Round 1: Perez already circling. Low kick knocks Martinez off-balance, he comes back with one of his own. Body kick, Perez low kick in return. Martinez throwing a lot of head kicks a minute in. Nice check. Perez lead right, just avoids a head kick in return. Two minutes in. Perez tries a head kick, blocks one in return. Martinez low kick. No clean connections outside of the leg kicks so far. Perez tries a body shot with two minutes to go.

Martinez body kick. Perez tries a flurry. Another body kick from Martinez, more to the head and legs. One minute to go. Perez eats a head kick, catches it, then eats punches while Martinez is on one leg. More good work by Martinez. Perez tries to rush, then drops him hard with a counter right in the waning seconds. 10-9 Perez.

Round 2: Martinez goes back to the kicks. Solid body kick. One minute in. Low kick from Perez. Martinez body kick and low kick. Perez overhand right just misses. Two minutes in. Martinez has another head kick blocked. Perez swinging that right hand. Martinez low kick. Two minutes to go.

Mostly a staring contest at this point. Both are too far out of range to land punches and most of the kicks are getting blocked. There’s a Perez lead right. One minute to go. Martinez leg kicks, three in a row. Both try head kicks. Jabs from Martinez. Perez comes sprinting after him with flurries. 10-9 Martinez.

Round 3: Perez comes out slugging, Martinez looking to counter. Perez lead right. Wild uppercut misses. One minute in. Things already slowed back down. Heavy exchange. Counter two-piece by Martinez. Both try right hands. Perez low kick. Martinez overhand left and body kick. Two minutes in. Swatting counter left by Martinez. Perez runs in with a right hand. Martinez tries a head kick. Perez goes for a wild spin, then another, eats a counter left. Two minutes to go.

Perez spins a third time. Jab from Martinez, clean counter 2-3. Perez ducks a left hand, can’t completed the double-leg. Body kick from Martinez. One minute to go. Martinez looks for counters. Jab buzzes Perez, who whiffs on an overhand right. Head kick appears to land for Martinez. Left hand to head kick in an exchange and they trade body kicks. 10-9 Martinez.

Final result: Martinez def. Perez by unanimous decision

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170 lbs.: Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Micheal Gillmore

Round 1: Brahimaj ducks a big right hand for a double-leg, then immediately latches onto Gillmore’s back. Both hooks in. Brahimaj adjusting his grip, looking to squeeze a minute in. Gillmore manages to turn, stuck in mount. Brahimaj puts his hooks back in as he tries to scramble free and this time he gets under the chin in a hurry for the tap.

Final result: Brahimaj def. Gillmore by submission (rear naked choke)

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125 lbs.: Victor Altamirano vs. Carlos Hernandez

Round 1: Altamirano advancing, switching stance. Brief clinch, then another. Trading knees. Short Altamirano knee. One minute in. Low kick and jab from Hernandez. Altamirano with a strong straight left and body kick. Clinch. Short left by Altamirano, eats a shot in return. Hernandez changes levels, lands a knee, eats a cross. Two minutes in. Altamirano low kick met by a right hand. Both connect with good lefts, Hernandez’s the better of the two. Body kick from Hernandez. Altamirano right cross and body kick. Clinch, separation with two minutes to go.

Altamirano follows a head kick with a body kick, denies a level change. Head kick by Hernandez. He grabs a body lock and drags Altamirano into guard. One minute to go. Altamirano punches off his back. Hernandez elbow. Altamirano scrambles up and separates. Close round. 10-9 Altamirano.

Round 2: They tie up early. Knee from Hernandez as he’s taken to the fence. They separate. Altamirano tries a head kick a minute in. Hernandez lands a knee and follows up with good punches. Body kick by Altamirano. Another. 1-2 lands for Hernandez. Two minutes in. Altamirano still sending out kicks, digs to the body as he eats a right. Same sequence again. He stuffs a takedown. Another body shot. Altamirano tries an outside trip and avoids a front headlock. Two minutes to go.

More good body work by Altamirano, who eats a combo in return. Left hook behind it. Hernandez tries another flurry. Altamirano body kick, Hernandez knee. One minute to go. They trade in the center. Good exchanges, solid right by Hernandez. Well-timed head kick from Hernandez, knee on the break. Hernandez whizzer kicks to counter a takedown and lands a knee on the way up. Man, these are close. 10-9 Altamirano on the body work?

Round 3: Jockeying for position on the fence. Great scramble as both hunt takedowns. They separate. Body kick by Altamirano. Heavy combo on the fence a minute in. Hernandez low kick, Altamirano body lock. Holding Hernandez against the fence, landing knees. Hernandez with a combination on the exit two minutes in. They trade in the center. Altamirano elbow and low kick. He takes Hernandez to the fence again. Combo by Hernandez with two minutes to go.

Hernandez tries another whizzer kick, lands knees inside. Altamirano teep, eats a 1-2 and a right hand. Nice exchanges. Hernandez tries a takedown. One minute to go. They trade good kicks. Hernandez punches and knees inside. Altamirano body kick, hauls him to the fence. Knee and elbow by Hernandez, eats another body kick. Altamirano ducks a Superman punch for a double-leg, can’t keep him down. 10-9 Hernandez, maybe? He controlled the second half. No clue how to score this.

Final result: Hernandez def. Altamirano by split decision

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To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 49: “Makhachev vs. Green” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

One of the most experienced men at 155 pounds, Bobby Green, will step up versus Combat Sambo master, Islam Makhachev, this Saturday (Feb. 26, 2022) at UFC Vegas 49 inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.

If I know just one thing about the fight game, it’s this: Bobby Green is awesome.

Previously, I’ve compared the resurgence of “King” as a lesser version of Jorge Masvidal’s career renaissance. Like “Gamebred,” Green has been a hugely skilled fighter for about as long as anyone can remember, but a certain x-factor was missing that prevented him from consistently beating great fighters, though he did rise well into the Top 10 back in 2014. At 35 years of age, something has clicked. Green is sharper than ever, and throwing in a higher volume than ever before. He’s noticeably more dangerous, and now, he’s hunting for his Ben Askren moment …

Let’s take a closer look at his skill set:

Striking

Green has one of the more unique striking styles in mixed martial arts (MMA), one that relies heavily on his boxing skill to keep him safe. Notably, he often makes use of the Philly shell — or at least, the closest MMA equivalent — for defense, hiding behind his lead shoulder with his right hand glued to his temple and rolling with punches.

Lots of fighters keep their hands low at distance, when there’s lot of time to move away or read an opponent’s attack. Far fewer do so in the pocket, and the group that is actually difficult to hit is even slimmer still.

That’s why Bobby Green stands out.

There is, of course, method to Green’s style, as should be expected from a man with 42 professional fights. Green drops his hands and postures to draw out his opponent’s offense with the intent of countering. If they refuse to take the bait, Green is happy to work behind his jab, looking to split the guard and dig the body. When leading, Green does a lot of work lining up the cross, commonly doubling up the jab before trying to find his opening through or around the guard. In general, Green is great at attacking what’s open, rather than forcing a strike into the guard.

What’s interesting about Green’s active range boxing — that trickery of poking high and low with the jab, threading the power hand, occasionally hooking off the jab — is that he can do it with equal fluidity and craft from either stance (GIF). Again, lots of fighters switch stances, but few can flick a jab, show off good defense (rather than just back off), and fire back from their non-dominant stance.

Green can flow from either.

Green largely does his best work from his back foot against opponents attempting to walk him down, a notable example being the smackdown he laid on Nasrat Haqparast just a couple weeks ago. Green is so successful from his back foot as a result of his footwork, which allows him to constantly line up straight shots.

While moving backward, Green is always taking little angles, either by switching stances or by taking small L-steps to one side of the other. Simultaneously, Green is shifting where his weights at, often keeping his head balanced over one leg or the other. As his opponent follows, Green is looking for a chance to snap a jab or cross, depending on which of his shoulders is closest to his foe’s chin. In addition, Green can quickly pull his head from one leg to the other, meaning he’s ready to slip if his opponent fires first.

Often, this slip and fire occur at the same time (GIF).

There are also offensive benefits to keeping one’s hands low. When Green fires his jab from the back foot, it often catches his opponent beneath the chin, raising their jawline. This has a couple consequences, both of which are positive for Green. For one, it’s difficult to fluidly continue a combination after getting jaw-jacked, so if his foe does keep throwing after taking a crisp jab, Green has an additional half-second to react. In addition, if the jab freezes his foe with his chin raised, he’s likely to absorb the follow-up cross in the mush of his face.

In addition to interrupting his opponent with straight shots, Green will also look to slip inside and come over the top with his right hand, the classic cross counter. Lastly, Green will occasionally stop his movement and angle-chasing to stand his ground and fire back hard, an effective change in rhythm that can produce big collisions (GIF).

A solid percentage of Green’s offense comes in the form of punches, but the rest of his kickboxing arsenal is solid. On the whole, Green tends to kick more often when he switches Southpaw. Against a right-handed opponent, Green will rip the inside thigh well or attack the liver.

There are defensive risks to Green’s style, of course. For one, his boxing-oriented head movement can leave his legs vulnerable to low kicks, though he typically wears the damage well. In addition, Green’s shoulder rolling and low hand position occasionally sees him misread the situation and lean into a blow.

Notably, Dustin Poirier shifted stances and doubled up on one side, catching Green leaning backward and out of position to absorb the blow.

Wrestling

A high school wrestler, Green does not limit himself to being a boxer. Green will shoot for takedowns, and historically, he’s scrambly as hell and difficult to control on the canvas. In fact, Green’s resurgence beginning in 2020 also coincides with a more active offensive wrestling game.

A fair percentage of Green’s takedowns come when his opponent tries to shoot on him, at which point Green is happy to reengage with his own offense. Sometimes, that means Green stuffs a double leg, works off the fence, then changes levels against the cage himself. Perhaps a bit more often, Green will work from the upper body clinch, fighting for underhooks until he’s able to secure a body lock. Once there, Green looks to win the outside knee position and slam his opponent to the canvas.

Green has slammed talented wrestlers from the body lock, it’s definitely a strength.

Of course, ahead of this match up versus Makhachev, defense is the more pivotal issue. Fortunately for anyone betting on the underdog, Green has defended a stout 72 percent of the takedowns he’s faced, and he rarely offers up much control time on bottom. This is the first true wrestling specialist Green has faced since Jacob Volkmann way back in 2013, however, so Makhachev is definitely a different challenge.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Speaking of Volkmann, Green’s third round rear-naked choke opposite the would-be presidential candidate is his most recent submission win. In that bout, Green was taken down a few times, but he consistently forced Volkmann to work incredibly hard to hold onto him. By the third, Volkmann’s tank was empty. Green denied a shot, took his back, and strangled him.

Outside of that win, Green has really only shown front chokes inside the Octagon. When his opponents hang around his legs for a bit too long, Green will start wrapping up the neck, often with the intent of forcing them to change position rather than jumping guard.

Conclusion

Green is a well-rounded and talented fighter who appears to be in great shape even on short-notice. It may not be ideal circumstances, but this is Green’s moment to completely change his position at 155 pounds and finally put himself in title contention.

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Andrew Richardson, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, is a professional fighter who trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California. In addition to learning alongside world-class talent, Andrew has scouted opponents and developed winning strategies for several of the sport’s most elite fighters.

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Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 49 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 49: “Makhachev vs. Green” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

Irwin Rivera was released from the UFC after he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Former UFC fighter Irwin Rivera, who in 2021 was granted a conditional release in relation to a pair of attempted murder charges, has signed with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC. MMA Junkie reports that Rivera is scheduled to make his promotional debut at Eagle FC 46 in Miami, Fl on May 11. His slated opponent is Firdavs Khasanov.

Rivera’s UFC career was cut short in January last year when he was accused of stabbing his two sisters. After Rivera was taken into custody, his sisters advocated on his behalf—explaining to authorities that Rivera had experienced a mental health crisis.

Doctors later confirmed that Rivera had suffered an “acute episode of psychosis” on the day of the attack. Doctors told a court in Palm Beach County, Fl that Rivera’s mental health has since been stabilized through both medication and therapy. Doctors also told the court that Rivera should be able to return to his normal activities, including professional fighting.

Rivera’s conditional release states that the fighter must continue to take medication and attend therapy. His travel is also to be supervised by his MMA teammates Gilbert Burns and Sean Soriano.

Rivera made three appearances for the UFC before his arrest. He debuted in the Octagon in May 2020 in a unanimous decision loss to Giga Chikadze. He rebounded from that defeat with a split decision win over Ali AlQaisi. A month later, in his most recent fight, he took a split decision loss to Andre Ewell.

Eagle 46 is set to be headlined by Kevin Lee vs. Diego Sanchez. Also scheduled is Rizvan Kuniev vs. Anthony Hamilton, Ray Borg vs. Ricky Bandejas and Raimond Magomedaliev vs. Impa Kasanganay.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim Welterweight champion Colby Covington will attempt to insert himself back into yet another title fight when he looks to take out his former training partner-turned rival, Jorge Masvidal. The two are set to headlined UFC 272 on March 5, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Even with a win, there is no guarantee that “Chaos” will get another shot at the strap, especially when considering he is 0-2 against current champion, Kamaru Usman. If things don’t work out for the outspoken Welterweight, he says moving up to Middleweight is a real possibility.

And if he gets a chance to face off against current champion Israel Adesanya, “Chaos” likes his chances very much.

“I’m not opposed to going up to 185 pounds and beating up ‘Stylebender,’” Covington told Yahoo Sports. in a recent interview. “That guy, he’s not a well-rounded fighter. He can’t keep up with my pace. I know I can take him down and drown him. So there’s a lot of options out there for me. If I don’t get a chance to do my third fight with Usman, then it’s OK.”

While Adesanya has yet to show off much of his wrestling skills, it has more to do with the face that he hasn’t had to since he’s gotten the job done with his striking, going undefeated as a Middleweight (22-0). His lone loss came at Light Heavyweight against the much heavier Jan Blachowicz, who was the champion at the time.

Should Covington move up, he would be at a distinct height and weight disadvantage against the heavier champion, though he is confident his frenetic pace, cardio and his wrestling will be more than enough to get the job done.

Thoughts?