Tag: ufc vegas 54

Aleksandar Raki? Would Rather Fight Teixeira For Title Than Procházka

UFC light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Raki? has a preference for who he’d like to face for a title between Glover Teixeira and Jiri Procházka. Raki? will face former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in the UFC Vegas 54 headliner this weekend. The winner of the matchup is expected to get the next light heavyweight…

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UFC light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Raki? has a preference for who he’d like to face for a title between Glover Teixeira and Jiri Procházka.

Raki? will face former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in the UFC Vegas 54 headliner this weekend. The winner of the matchup is expected to get the next light heavyweight title shot against the Teixeira/Procházka winner.

Teixeira, who upset Blachowicz for the title at UFC 267, will make his first title defense against Procházka at UFC 275. While Raki? has had his fair share of beef with Prochazka, he’d much rather test himself against the current champion.

During his UFC Vegas 54 pre-fight press conference, Raki? revealed that he’d like to fight Teixeira for the belt instead of the upstart Procházka.

“I honestly would love to fight Glover because he is a bigger name, he is a champion, he (has been) in the business for a while,” Rakic said. “I think he has not so much time left in his career like Ji?í does. Ji?í’s still young, I think he’s the same age as me. I think he is gonna be at the top for a while, like me. Sooner or later, I’m gonna fight him once or twice, or even three times.”

Raki? has won back-to-back fights over Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith in the Octagon. His lone UFC defeat came in a split-decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir in Dec. 2019.

Blachowicz was the pick in many fans’ eyes to defeat Teixeira at UFC 267. However, now Teixeira has become the top target of rising light heavyweight contenders such as Raki?.

Do you think Aleksandar Raki? is a future UFC light heavyweight champion?

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UFC Vegas 54 Results & Highlights: Blachowicz Earns Injury-Stoppage TKO Of Raki?

UFC Vegas 54 took place tonight from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! Tonight’s main event featured former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz taking on Aleksandar Raki?. In the co-main event, another ranked light heavyweight Ryan Spann took on powerful UFC veteran Ion…

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UFC Vegas 54 took place tonight from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights!

Tonight’s main event featured former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz taking on Aleksandar Raki?. In the co-main event, another ranked light heavyweight Ryan Spann took on powerful UFC veteran Ion Cutelaba.

You can check out all the UFC Vegas 54 highlights and results below!

Preliminary Card Highlights

Andre Petroski def. Nick Maximov

Opening the card with a bang, Andre Petroski took just over a minute to submit Nick Maximov with an anaconda choke in their middleweight clash. Catch the submission below.

Michael Johnson def. Alan Patrick

After over a year on the sidelines, Michael Johnson earned an impressive KO win over Alan Patrick in their lightweight bout. Catch the finish below.

Main Card Highlights

Allan Nascimento def. Jake Hadley

In this flyweight bout, Jake Hadley took on Allan Nascimento to open the main card. Round one saw Nascimento get the takedown and dominate on the ground, but Hadley had his moments, too. It was much of the same in round two, with Nascimento getting the early takedown and showing his superiority on the ground.

Round three was a back-and-forth affair, with Hadley attempting a guillotine choke before taking Nascimento to the ground. However, the Brazilian soon gained the advantage to ground out a unanimous decision win. Catch the decision below.

Manuel Torres def. Frank Camacho

In a wild lightweight clash, Mexico’s Manuel Torres earned a devastating first-round TKO victory over Frank Camacho. Catch the finish below.

Katlyn Chookagian def. Amanda Ribas

Katlyn Chookagian stepped closer to a title shot by earning a split decision victory over Amanda Ribas in this women’s flyweight bout. Ribas kept Chookagian glued to the canvas for much of round one, before the American got back up and the duo traded heavy leather.

Round two saw Ribas dominate on the ground, but Chookagian landed a few heavy blows late on. And the fight stayed on the feet for much of round three, with the duo winging punches in a frenetic last minute of action. Catch the highlights below.

Davey Grant def. Louis Smolka

In this bantamweight bout, Davey Grant go the KO against Louis Smolka. Grant dominated on the feet in round one, sending Smolka to the canvas with a heavy jab. Smolka however recovered to out land Grant in round two, before taking the Englishman’s back.

But in round three, Grant immobilized Smolka with a calf kick, and when he hit the canvas, the Englishman emphatically finished the job. Catch the highlights below.

Ryan Spann def. Ion Cutelaba

Ryan Span got back in the win column after earning a first-round submission win against Ion Cutelaba in their light heavyweight clash. Catch the finish below.

Jan Blachowicz def. Aleksandar Raki?

Jan Blachowicz is back in the light heavyweight title picture after earning a TKO victory over Aleksandar Raki?. Round one was closely contested on the feet. Raki? landed several heavy jabs and Blachowicz a series of calf kicks. The Pole also had Raki? wobbled a few times.

Raki? dominated on the ground for most of round two after landing a huge takedown early on. Then just over a minute into round three, Raki?’s knee buckled while he was backing up. Clutching his knee, the Serb fell back onto the canvas and the ref stepped in to call the fight. Catch all the highlights below.

UFC VEGAS 54 MAIN CARD

Main Event – Light Heavyweight Bout: Jan Blachowicz def. Aleksandar Raki? via TKO: R3, 1.11

Co-Main Event – Light Heavyweight Bout: Ryan Spann def. Ion Cutelaba via submission: R1, 2.22

Bantamweight Bout: Davey Grant def. Louis Smolka via KO: R3, 0.49

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Katlyn Chookagian def. Amanda Ribas via split decision (29-28×2), (28-29)

Lightweight Bout: Manuel Torres def. Frank Camacho via TKO: R1, 3.27

Flyweight Bout: Allan Nascimento def. Jake Hadley via unanimous decision (30-27×3)

PRELIMINARY CARD

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Viviane Araujo def. Andrea Lee via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27×2)

Lightweight Bout: Michael Johnson def. Alan Patrick via KO: R2, 3.22

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Virna Jandiroba def. Angela Hill via unanimous decision (30-27×3)

Flyweight Bout: Tatsuro Taira def. Carlos Candelario via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27×2)

Middleweight Bout: Andre Petroski def. Nick Maximov via submission: R1, 1.16

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UFC Vegas 54: Blachowicz vs. Raki? Takes Place Live Tonight

UFC Vegas 54 takes place live tonight from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! Tonight’s main event features former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz taking on Aleksandar Raki?. In the co-main event, another ranked light heavyweight Ryan Spann will take on powerful…

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 54: Blachowicz vs. Raki? Takes Place Live Tonight at MMA News.

UFC Vegas 54 takes place live tonight from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights!

Tonight’s main event features former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz taking on Aleksandar Raki?. In the co-main event, another ranked light heavyweight Ryan Spann will take on powerful UFC veteran Ion Cutelaba.

Yesterday’s weigh-ins went off without a hitch, and if you missed the final face-offs, you can view them right here. You can also check out the UFC’s preview of the main event here.

The action kicks off at 7:30 PM ET with the main card beginning at 10:00 PM ET. Below, you can view the full UFC Vegas 54 lineup and viewing information.

Be sure to check back right here for all the highlights and live results!

UFC VEGAS 54 MAIN CARD (ESPN2, ESPN DEPORTES, ESPN+, 10:00 PM ET)

Main Event – Light Heavyweight Bout: Jan Blachowicz vs Aleksandar Raki?

Co-Main Event – Light Heavyweight Bout: Ryan Spann vs Ion Cutelaba

Bantamweight Bout: Davey Grant vs Louis Smolka

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Katlyn Chookagian vs Amanda Ribas

Lightweight Bout: Frank Camacho vs Manuel Torres

Flyweight Bout: Jake Hadley vs Allan Nascimento

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN2, ESPN DEPORTES, ESPN+, 7:30 PM ET)

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Viviane Araujo vs Andrea Lee

Lightweight Bout: Michael Johnson vs Alan Patrick

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Virna Jandiroba vs Angela Hill

Flyweight Bout: Tatsuro Taira vs Carlos Candelario

Middleweight Bout: Nick Maximov vs Andre Petroski

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Davey Grant Eager to Earn Set’s His Sights On Trilogy Showdown With Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera

Davey GrantWhen Davey Grant steps into the Octagon at UFC Vegas 54, he hopes it will be the beginning of a winning streak that leads to a trilogy bout with Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera.  Grant (11-6-0) will be attempting to get back into the win column for the first time in over a year when he faces […]

Davey Grant

When Davey Grant steps into the Octagon at UFC Vegas 54, he hopes it will be the beginning of a winning streak that leads to a trilogy bout with Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. 

Grant (11-6-0) will be attempting to get back into the win column for the first time in over a year when he faces Louis Smolka on Saturday. When Grant and Vera first squared off, it was in February 2016, three years removed from Grant’s stint on season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter. Grant earned the victory via unanimous decision.

Fast forward five years, Grant and Vera would meet once again in June 2021. In the rematch, Vera would even the score with a unanimous decision win of his own. 

Davey Grant Speaks on a Potential Trilogy Bout with Marlon Vera

While speaking with Mirror Fighting, Davey Grant expressed a desire to complete the trilogy, but recognizes that much work needs to be done to earn that opportunity.

“That would be great to go and get the rubber match on,” Grant said. “I beat him first time and then he won the rematch. I’m sure he would be up for it, the only thing is the trajectory of his career has gone up so much since we fought. I probably need to win my next three fights and one of those has to be against a guy ranked in the top ten in order for that fight to make sense again.

“From my point of view, I definitely want to get that on. I’m sure he would as it would be a big fight. The last one between us was a good fight, we’re one and one, it makes sense. I’m just going to try and work my way up to that.”

At 36 years old, Davey Grant recognizes that he is on the back-end of his combat sports career that started in 2008. Throughout his career, Grant has had his ups and downs, but has always valued being a “barnstormer” in the Octagon rather than a fighter who just wins fights.

Despite holding a record of 4-5 in the UFC, Grant has been a fan favorite for his balls-to-the-wall style of fighting. Fans no doubt would love to see a third meeting between Davey Grant and Marlon Vera, but ‘Dangerous’ has quite the hill to climb if he hopes to face the #5 ranked bantamweight in the world and it all starts with Louis Smolka on Saturday.

UFC Vegas 54 Weigh-In Results: Every Fighter On Target

UFC Vegas 54 takes place live tomorrow night, but first, we have the results from today’s weigh-ins! The UFC Vegas 54 main event will feature former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz facing surging contender Aleksandar Raki?. A title shot could be looming for either competitor with a victory in the headliner. You can view the…

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 54 Weigh-In Results: Every Fighter On Target at MMA News.

UFC Vegas 54 takes place live tomorrow night, but first, we have the results from today’s weigh-ins!

The UFC Vegas 54 main event will feature former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz facing surging contender Aleksandar Raki?. A title shot could be looming for either competitor with a victory in the headliner. You can view the UFC’s full main-event preview here.

In the co-main event, two other lightweights will scrap it up when Ryan Spann meets Ion Cutelaba. Spann currently occupies the #13 spot in the rankings, with Cutelaba having the opportunity the LHW ranks with a big win tomorrow.

There will be another fight with potential title implications when former challenger and #1-ranked women’s flyweight Katlyn Chookagian takes on Amanda Ribas on the main card. While it may be too soon for Chookagian to get another title shot after falling to Valentina Shevchenko in a lopsided fashion in 2020, Ribas would be a fresh contender if Shevchenko remains champion after UFC 275. And beating the #1 contender could certainly fast-track Ribas toward “The Bullet.”

The action kicks off at 7:30 PM ET with the main card beginning at 10:00 PM ET. We’ve got the full weigh-in results and viewing information for you below, courtesy of UFC.com.

MAIN CARD (ESPN2, ESPN DEPORTES, ESPN+, 10:00 PM ET)

Main Event – Light Heavyweight Bout: Jan Blachowicz (205.5) vs Aleksandar Rakic (205)

Co-Main Event – Light Heavyweight Bout: Ryan Spann (206) vs Ion Cutelaba (205)

Bantamweight Bout: Davey Grant (135.5) vs Louis Smolka (136)

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Katlyn Chookagian (125.5) vs Amanda Ribas (125.5)

Lightweight Bout: Frank Camacho (155) vs Manuel Torres (155.5)

Flyweight Bout: Jake Hadley (125.5) vs Allan Nascimento (125.5)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN2, ESPN DEPORTES, ESPN+, 7:30 PM ET)

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Viviane Araujo (125) vs Andrea Lee (125)

Lightweight Bout: Michael Johnson (155) vs Alan Patrick (156)

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Virna Jandiroba (115) vs Angela Hill (115.5)

Flyweight Bout: Tatsuro Taira (125) vs Carlos Candelario (126)

Middleweight Bout: Nick Maximov (184.5) vs Andre Petroski (185)

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 54 Weigh-In Results: Every Fighter On Target at MMA News.

Nick Maximov “Down To Fight Khamzat”, Looking To “Finish” Andre Petroski At UFC Vegas 54

Nick Maximov, Andre PetroskiNick Diaz academy protege Nick Maximov will be taking on Andre Petroski to open the card at UFC Vegas 54. In a recent interview with LowKick MMA, Petroski had revealed that he asked the UFC to match him up against Maximov for his next fight. Going into the bout against an undefeated prospect, Petroski will […]

Nick Maximov, Andre Petroski

Nick Diaz academy protege Nick Maximov will be taking on Andre Petroski to open the card at UFC Vegas 54.

In a recent interview with LowKick MMA, Petroski had revealed that he asked the UFC to match him up against Maximov for his next fight. Going into the bout against an undefeated prospect, Petroski will be looking to hand Maximov the first loss of his career.

Speaking to the press during the UFC Vegas 54 media day, Petroski shut down the claim of Petroski asking for the fight.

“No, that’s cap. That’s a lie,” Maximov said. “I actually tried to fight him in LFA a year-and-a-half ago, he didn’t want it. Him and Tresean Gore, the same two people, because I’ve been trying to fight them last two years since COVID. Neither one of them wanted to fight because both of them had COVID during that same time frame. Yeah I’ve been wanting it.”

Nick Maximov expects a finish

After being probed by the interviewer about why he picked Maximov, Petroski stated that he wants to prove himself as the best wrestler in the middleweight division. Backed by his collegiate wrestling experience, Petroski is likely the more grizzled competitor in the game in contrast to Maximov’s BJJ-heavy background.

“Oh we’ll see. Everyone says something and then Saturday rolls around and they’ve got a different answer for it. So we’ll see,” Maximov said. “I think it’s a finish. I think it’s a UFC fighter versus a regional fighter. He was trying to dog on the people I’ve fought and all of them have winning records.

“The two dudes he’s fought in the UFC aren’t even here no more. Then before that he was still fighting people with negative records, and losing to people with negative records. I’m like, how are you trying to diss me when I’m fighting the top prospects already.

“You know what I’m saying? I think he’s just kind of delusional and I think it’s going to show.” (h/t Cageside)

Maximov is down to fight Khamzat

A video of teammate Nate Diaz and Nick Maximov has been doing rounds on the internet. After the brief back and forth between the younger Diaz and Chimaev, the two were discussing the Swede when Maximov expressed his willingness to take on Khamzat.

“I’m down to fight Khamzat. I’m for real about that. Nate was still talking and I was just looking at him and for some reason the camera pointed at me. I was like ‘What the f*ck?’ It happens I guess,” Maximov said.

“Yeah I’m down to fight that fool though. I don’t know why everyone’s trippin’ so hard. I mean he’s a good fighter. Everyone in the UFC is good though. So I’m down with it.”

While it’s unlikely that Maximov will take on Khamzat anytime soon, he will need to dispatch Andre Petroski first if he is to get himself on the journey to being in the conversation.