Author: Dan Hiergesell

Marina Rodriguez took one step closer towards her first UFC title shot last night (Sat., May 8, 2021) at UFC Vegas 26 live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, when she outlasted veteran contender Michelle Waterson to earn a unanimous decision win in her main event debut.

Rodriguez pressured early with body kicks, knees, and punches, as Waterson tried to find her own range. “Karate Hottie” eventually did to land some crisp leg kicks and counter hooks. Rodriguez regained control in the second round and started to threaten with her clinch work. Waterson’s nose was busted up and bleeding from elbows and knees.

Rodriguez turned the heat up to begin the third round and landed some good flurries on the move. Waterson was able to score a few brutal leg kicks, one of which knocked Rodriguez to the ground. Rodriguez wouldn’t be denied and moved in closer on the feet to land crisp combinations in bunches.

Waterson turned the tables in the fourth with a takedown two minutes in. “Karate Hottie” was able to score short ground-and-pound from top position as Rodriguez seemed lost off her back. Waterson was able to postured up at the end of the round to land a few heavy elbows. Waterson followed her efforts up in the fifth round with some sharp kicks to the body. She even landed one to Rodriguez’s face that left a lump on her chin. Still, Rodriguez kept pushing forward and the two women battled it out for the final few minutes.

Check out the full fight video highlights below:

For complete UFC Vegas 26 results and coverage click here.

Alex Morono made the most out of his co-main event bid earlier tonight (Sat., May 8, 2021) at UFC Vegas 26 live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the welterweight veteran finished UFC legend Donald Cerrone via first-round TKO (punches).

Both fighters were scoring early but it was Morono who was landing the harder shots. Cerrone displayed some good head movement along the way but made a mistake during an exchange in the center of the Octagon. Morono ducked an attack and landed a beautiful right hand. “Cowboy” was stunned and Morono rushed in for heavy combinations along the cage and the eventual finish.

Check out the highlights above courtesy of UFC/ESPN.

What a big win for Morono who not only produces a finish in a makeshift co-main event fight, but also scores the biggest win of his career. Cerrone may be past his prime but he’s still a big name in the sport. This was a good showing for Morono, who now has eight wins in the UFC’s welterweight division.

For complete UFC Vegas 26 results and coverage click here.

As soon as UFC Vegas 26 wraps up later tonight (Sat., May 8, 2021) live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, fight fans can check out the live post-fight press conference video above for all the best reaction and official bonus winners.

On a night that features a women’s flyweight headliner between 115-pound contenders Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson, a co-main event featuring UFC legend Donald Cerrone and welterweight staple Alex Morono, a lightweight clash between perennial contenders Gregor Gillespie and Carlos Diego Ferreira, and a welterweight pairing featuring Neil Magny and Geoff Neal, there will be a lot to discuss when the action winds down.

The post-fight presser is scheduled to go live at 11:15 p.m. ET, featuring the biggest winners and losers from the card.

For complete UFC Vegas 26 results and coverage click here.

Gregor Gillespie made a memorable return to the Octagon earlier tonight (Sat., May 8, 2021) at UFC Vegas 26 live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the lightweight contender stopped Carlos Diego Ferreira via second-round TKO (punches).

Gillespie hadn’t fought since a knockout loss to Kevin Lee all the way back in Nov. 2019 so it was interesting to see how he would perform. Without missing a beat Gillespie was able to lean on his wrestling and cardio early to control the pace against Ferreira, but Ferreira eventually turned the tides. He started to defend Gillespie’s takedowns and scored some clean shots on the feet towards the end of the first.

Gillespie returned to form in the second and really started to wilt Ferreira on the ground. Ferreira’s corner was screaming for him to return to his feet but Gillespie’s ground-and-pound and transitions were too much to handle. “The Gift” eventually found his finish with a barrage of punches from back control.

Check out the highlights above courtesy of UFC/ESPN.

This was a massive win for Gillespie who acknowledged after the fight that his lengthy layoff caused him to have doubt about his place in the lightweight division. After this TKO finish over a real tough guy in Ferreira it’s safe to say that Gillespie is back where he belongs and on his way to a run at the lightweight top 10.

For complete UFC Vegas 26 results and coverage click here.

Welterweight journeyman Carlston Harris capitalized on his Octagon debut earlier tonight (Sat., May 8, 2021) at UFC Vegas 26 live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, when he finished knockout artist Christian Aguilera via first-round submission (anaconda choke).

Harris enjoyed a nice size advantage for this welterweight affair but Aguilera was able to work inside early and land a crisp uppercut that checked the UFC newcomer. Harris was able to shake it off and cracked Aguilera with his own shot. That prompted Aguilera to shoot in for the takedown and Harris was able to lock up the anaconda choke and squeeze until Aguilera went to sleep.

Check out the highlights above courtesy of UFC/ESPN.

This was the perfect debut for the 33-year-old fighter from Guyana and extends his current win streak to four in a row. Aguilera was coming off a submission loss to Sean Brady but claimed he had worked on his grappling for this matchup. It didn’t seem to work as Harris sliced through him like butter once the opportunity presented itself.

For complete UFC Vegas 26 results and coverage click here.

The great Canelo Alvarez will be back in action later tonight (Sat., May 8, 2021) live on DAZN from inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex., as the WBA (Super), WBC, and The Ring super middleweight champion takes on undefeated WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders in a highly-anticipated main event.

Alvarez, who will be fighting for the third time since Dec. 2020, is coming off a masterful TKO performance over WBC title challenger Avni Yildirim (highlights HERE). Before that, Canelo knocked off Callum Smith via unanimous decision to claim the super middleweight titles he currently possesses. The Mexican champion has looked like an unstoppable force of nature of late and plans to keep things moving as he further cements is status as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport today, if not the best.

Saunders, 31, will be coming into this fight as a sizeable underdog, but has all the skills to give Canelo a real run for his money. The undefeated southpaw fighter captured his WBO super middleweight strap back in 2019 and has recorded two-straight defenses since then. Saunders is a serviceable champion who will possess a small height and reach advantage over Alvarez so maybe that will come into play.

While UFC Vegas 26 will be turning in some solid combat action later tonight on ESPN (follow the results HERE), ‘Canelo vs. Saunders’ will be a championship bout fight fans won’t want to miss. Check below for the full viewing details for ‘Canelo vs. Saunders’ which goes down later tonight live on DAZN:

Start Time

• Saturday, May 8, 2021, from inside the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
• Main card begins at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
• “Canelo vs. Saunders” main event begins around 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT

Online Viewing

• “Canelo vs. Saunders” main card can be viewed through the DAZN network. Subscriptions run $19.99 per month.

Television Viewing

• For U.S. viewers, DAZN can be broadcast directly on your television via Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, LG Smart TV, Samsung TV, Apple TV, PlayStation, or Xbox.

Mobile Viewing

• “Canelo vs. Smith” main card will be accessible through DAZN via Android, Amazon Fire, and Apple.

Main card

• Super Middleweight: Canelo Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KO) vs. Billy Joe Saunders (30-0, 14 KO)
• Junior Flyweight: Elwin Soto (18-1, 12 KO) vs. Katsunari Takayama (32-8, 12 KO)
• Super Welterweight: Kieron Conway (16-1-1, 3 KO) vs. Souleymane Cissokho (12-0, 8 KO)
• Heavyweight: Frank Sanchez (17-0, 13 KO) vs. Nagy Aguilera (21-10, 14 KO)

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of tonight’s main event below. The DAZN-streamed broadcast (watch it here) kicks off at 8 p.m. ET, with Alvarez and Saunders likely to make the walk closer to 11 p.m. ET.