This evening’s (Sat., March 3, 2018) UFC 222 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, delivered in every sense of the term, with three hyped potential future stars picking up victories capped off by a classic win from an all-time great champion. In the main event, women’s featherweight champ Cris Cyborg stopped Yana Kunitskaya after […]
This evening’s (Sat., March 3, 2018) UFC 222 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, delivered in every sense of the term, with three hyped potential future stars picking up victories capped off by a classic win from an all-time great champion.
It’s once again fight day here at LowKickMMA, and the talent on display tonight (Saturday, March 3, 2018) will come from in the form of UFC 222. Headlining the card are Cris Cyborg and Yana Kunitskaya, but there’s a whole bunch of great fights also taking place on the preliminary section of the card. Mackenzie […]
It’s once again fight day here at LowKickMMA, and the talent on display tonight (Saturday, March 3, 2018) will come from in the form of UFC 222. Headlining the card are Cris Cyborg and Yana Kunitskaya, but there’s a whole bunch of great fights also taking place on the preliminary section of the card.
Mackenzie Dern vs. Ashley Yoder in a women’s strawweight bout closes the preliminary card on FOX Sports 1 in what should be an interesting fight.
Beneil Dariush vs. Alexander Hernandez is next in a lightweight bout.
John Dodson vs. Pedro Munhoz is next in a bantamweight bout.
C.B. Dollaway vs. Hector Lombard in a middleweight bout opens the FOX Sports 1 preliminary card.
Mike Pyle vs. Zak Ottow in a welterweight bout finishes off the UFC Fight Pass preliminary card.
Bryan Caraway vs. Cody Stamann is next in a bantamweight bout.
Opening the UFC Fight Pass prelims is Jordan Johnson vs. Adam Milstead in a light heavyweight bout. In round 1, good body shot from Johnson as well, and he’s catching Milstead stepping in. Milstead throwing heat though. Johnson stuffed and he’s having to eat serious shots as his game gets going. Finally closes the clinch and gets to the single leg. Chaining now, but Milstead defending. Milstead lands a hard elbow inside and forces the clinch break. So far this fight is going as well as possible for Milstead. In round 2, counter uppercut from Milstead, but he slipped going forward. Johnson ties him up in the clinch. Johnson working the trip against the cage, but Milstead being a bit too strong for Johnson to catch out with a bodylock or single leg. Johnson going double to single but slides up to a body lock, just not getting deep enough on anything. Milstead with a trio of hard right hands in dirty boxing range. Hard rights from Milstead again, but he finally got too squared up and Johnson hit the counter double to drag him down. Now Johnson’s in ride, where he can do his best work. Milstead able to scramble up, Johnson pecking away at the legs with punches. In round 3, left hook lands for Milstead as Johnson enters behind the jab. Huge right hand from Milstead stumbles Johnson who shoots in and pushes the clinch. Milstead breaks back to space. Big right hand from Milstead. Johnson just hasn’t found any way to enter wrestling range without eating punches. Johnson flurries forward and enters a single leg to push Milstead to the fence, then backs off to space. The judges gave the win to Johnson.
Here are the results:
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1/8 p.m. ET)
Strawweight: Mackenzie Dern vs. Ashley Yoder
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush vs. Alexander Hernandez
Bantamweight: John Dodson vs. Pedro Munhoz
Middleweight: C.B. Dollaway vs. Hector Lombard
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass/6:30 p.m. ET)
Welterweight: Mike Pyle vs. Zak Ottow
Bantamweight: Bryan Caraway vs. Cody Stamann
Light Heavyweight: Jordan Johnson def. Adam Milstead via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
In a few hours, tonight’s (Sat., March 3, 2018) UFC 222 will begin from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s not the most star-studded card by any means, and it even lost its main event when featherweight champ Max Holloway was forced out of his anticipated showdown with Frankie Edgar, a bout that was […]
In a few hours, tonight’s (Sat., March 3, 2018) UFC 222 will begin from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It’s not the most star-studded card by any means, and it even lost its main event when featherweight champ Max Holloway was forced out of his anticipated showdown with Frankie Edgar, a bout that was replaced by an impromptu women’s featherweight match-up between champ Cris Cyborg and Yana Yunitskaya.
‘The Answer’ stayed on the card as well, taking a huge risk in facing surging contender Brian Ortega in a co-main event where his reward will be the positioning he already had. It’s a great fight, the legend vs. upstart cliché at the highest level and an under-the-radar candidate for the most compelling match-up of 2018 thus far. Unfortunately, however, that almost certainly won’t add up to a high number of pay-per-view buys alone in the currently fickle, MMA-swamped climate.
But UFC 222 isn’t only about time-honored and battle-tested vets like Cyborg and Edgar – far from it, in fact.
The event from top to bottom is a showcase of hyped-up young talent that could represent the future of the UFC in the form of potential stars in Ortega, bantamweight Sean O’Malley, and women’s strawweight Mackenzie Dern.
And the UFC needs new stars.
Following a banner 2016 where Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey propelled the promotion to an unheard-of string of million-plus pay-per-view buys, the company was sold to Endeavor (formerly WME-IMG) and has since sunk to a concerning valley of low numbers on both pay and cable television.
I won’t delve into the details, some in Endeavor’s control and some out of, of why that has happened – much of the MMA world, including myself, has been guilty of harping too much on the supposed demise of the UFC and MMA as a whole to the point we may not appreciate the crop of insanely amazing, hard-working, and talented fighters we have competing right before our very eyes.
UFC 222 is a showcase of just that, one the likes of which fans rarely get treated to because it’s so difficult to have go off without a hitch.
Photo: Kyle Terada for USA TODAY Sports
Ortega has won five straight bouts after a no contest due to a failed drug test in his first Octagon appearance; the Gracie jiu-jitsu product steadily dispatched an improving caliber of talent by way of submission and T/KO in a manner we rarely find.
True, he’s hittable as we’ve seen in a few of his recent bouts, namely his scintillating submission over top-ranked veteran Cub Swanson in his last fight. He can also snatch a fight-ending hold on the best literally out of thin air, as we saw in his scintillating submission over Swanson. Ortega is fully deserving of his Top 3 ranking.
He’s also a man with a focus on philanthropy after having risen above a potential life of gangs, so the California-based Ortega is a refreshing, unique personality who could become a champion unlike we’ve ever seen.
Stephen R. Sylvanie for USA TODAY Sports
O’Malley, a lithe bantamweight who first made his debut with a first-round knockout on ‘Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series,’ is a much different kind of prospect.
The brash young knockout artist then won his official debut by unanimous decision over Terrion Ware at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 26 Finale in December.
He’ll now face Andre Soukhamthath in his second UFC match-up, and he has future star written all over him. He’s confident, even cocky, and his accurate striking style makes ‘Suga’ just the kind of fighter fans will pay to see compete.
Dern needs nary an introduction.
The daughter of Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Wellington “Megaton” Dias, Dern is one of few grapplers to defeat Gabi Garcia in the gi, and has transitioned well into MMA so far with an undefeated 5-0 record. She’ll now fight in the big leagues when she meets Ashley Yoder in the featured preliminary bout at UFC 222.
That could start tonight, and the entirety of MMA will be watching to see if the Dern hype train will truly kick into high gear in 2018.
All of it adds up to UFC 222 being a rare, exciting card where the potential future stars of MMA are competing, even if it doesn’t break the bank in terms of PPV buys. These three competitors have so much talent and charisma that it could be said Ortega, O’Malley, and Dern will still become future stars in the UFC no matter if they win or lose at UFC 222.
After such a down period, the sport needs them and fighters just like them, and that’s why this card is so special.
Take a break from the oft-discussed downfall of MMA, look at the card, sit back, and enjoy a night that could possibly be referenced as the starting point of something special.
The stage is nearly set for tomorrow’s (Sat., March 3, 2018) UFC 222 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fighters participating in the pay-per-view event weighed in an today’s official early weigh-ins, and each fighter made weight without instance for this card. The event features a late-notice women’s featherweight title fight between Cris Cyborg […]
The stage is nearly set for tomorrow’s (Sat., March 3, 2018) UFC 222 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Fighters participating in the pay-per-view event weighed in an today’s official early weigh-ins, and each fighter made weight without instance for this card.
The event features a late-notice women’s featherweight title fight between Cris Cyborg and Invicta FC bantamweight champion Yana Kunitskaya, and the event also has the potential to be a huge leaping point for future stars like Brian Ortega, who will meet stalwart contender Frankie Edgar in the co-main event, Mackenzie Dern, who will face Ashley Yoder in her UFC debut, and exciting bantamweight Sean O’Malley.
All that’s left before they square off in Sin City tomorrow night is to step on the scales and face off, so watch the UFC 222 ceremonial weigh-in video streaming live at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST right here:
As one of the more decorated and well-known female competitors in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Mackenzie Dern will bring her undefeated MMA record to the Octagon at this weekend’s (Sat., March 3, 2018) UFC 222 from Las Vegas, Nevada. With three submission wins on her 5-0 MMA record, Dern has predictably been called ‘the next Ronda Rousey’ – […]
As one of the more decorated and well-known female competitors in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Mackenzie Dern will bring her undefeated MMA record to the Octagon at this weekend’s (Sat., March 3, 2018) UFC 222 from Las Vegas, Nevada.
With three submission wins on her 5-0 MMA record, Dern has predictably been called ‘the next Ronda Rousey’ – something the UFC badly needs right now – by a never-ending stream of sources.
However, headed into her anticipated UFC debut, Dern isn’t exactly on board with all of the comparisons. While she certainly respects what Rousey accomplished in the UFC, she told TMZ Sports that she wants to be her own person in the sport and possibly accomplish even more:
”For sure it’s flattering that when they see me they remember her, that they can see me as her when she was fighting and everything. But, at the same time, to be another Ronda Rousey, it’s like for sure she’s done so much for the sport, and me like personally I hope I can do at least as much if not more for women’s MMA that she’s done, that’s a big inspiration.
”But we are two different people, different personalities, different histories, different obstacles we were facing, when she came into the UFC and now that I’m in the UFC. So I think the biggest thing is it’s a new era, you know? A new generation. So I think it’s nice that people think that, but man, I’m not like the next Ronda Rousey. I’m the new Mackenzie!”
So while she may be touted as the next big thing in women’s MMA, Dern knows she’s still a bit green in terms of an overall MMA body of work outside of jiu-jitsu, shifting her focus to working towards becoming the most well-rounded fighter she can be:
”I came in here to be the best MMA fighter possible. So if I can be like known in the future for being an all around good MMA fighter and not just at jiu-jitsu, I’ll be like, ‘Mission accomplished!’”
Touted women’s MMA prospect Mackenzie Dern is set for her Octagon debut. Word arrived from MMA Fighting today (Mon., January 1, 2018) that the talented Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion will make her inaugural walk in the UFC against Ashley Yoder at March 3’s UFC 222 from Las Vegas, Nevada. With longtime former women’s bantamweight champion Ronda […]
Touted women’s MMA prospect Mackenzie Dern is set for her Octagon debut.
Word arrived from MMA Fighting today (Mon., January 1, 2018) that the talented Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion will make her inaugural walk in the UFC against Ashley Yoder at March 3’s UFC 222 from Las Vegas, Nevada.
With longtime former women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey out of competition and likely never to return, the UFC has been searching for a women’s star to potentially replace “Rowdy,” and Dern, who’s won multiple BJJ world titles and is the daughter of respected grappler Wellington “Megaton” Dias, has been tabbed for that exact role ever since making her MMA debut in 2016.
Since then, Dern has racked up five straight wins, with her most recent a submission victory over Kaline Medeiros at December’s Invicta FC 26. Dern did show a tendency of missing weight during her early MMA days in Legacy FC, prompting a move up to flyweight in her fourth bout versus Mandy Polk this October. She returned to strawweight for her win over Medeiros.
With her weight cutting issues hopefully behind her, Dern will meet Yoder, who has lost her only two UFC bouts to Justine Kish and Angela Hill, in a gauge of her UFC readiness.
UFC 222 currently does not have a headliner for the event from T-Mobile Arena.
