Martial Arts News

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Ciryl Gane has only been a professional mixed martial artist for less than three years.

Such thinking might have tempered expectations at UFC Fight Night 186, when the Frenchman cruised to a forgettable five-round verdict against Jairzinho Rozenstruik in Saturday’s heavyweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It wasn’t the type of performance that will propel Gane to the top of the division, but it was nonetheless significant for an athlete who is still learning and progressing.

“This guy is really dangerous, he is really tough, he has big knockout power, so we have to manage the fight with this guy, manage the distance and be focused, be careful,” Gane said. “We did it, we did it well and we did more. We made pressure against the cage, we did maybe two, three takedowns, maybe more. I tried to finish the fight. I try, I try, but yes it was a good fight.”

It was also Gane’s first time going a full 25 minutes in the cage, …

Jairzinho Rozenstruik had an evening to forget at UFC Fight Night 186.

The Surinamese heavyweight was unable to get on track against Ciryl Gane, as he lost a five-round verdict in Saturday’s headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Rozenstruik never displayed his knockout power in a contest where Gane controlled the range and held a comfortable 102-to-42 edge in significant strikes landed. While Gane cruised, the bout was sorely lacking when it came to action.

After the loss, Rozenstruik released a brief video statement on social media.

“Fans, family, and friends, I just fought and the fight didn’t go my way,” he said. “I think it’s my worst performance ever if you ask me... So this is me explaining myself, I think I owe you guys this.

“I’m gonna go back home and work my ass off for my next fight. Don’t know when that’s gonna be. Respect to Ciryl, he win the fight, and he’s a professional fighter. This is what I can say.”

A first…

After Saturday night, there probably aren’t too many people who would mind seeing a trilogy bout between Pedro Munhoz and Jimmie Rivera.

On a UFC Fight Night 186 card where memorable moments were few and far between, the bantamweight contenders engaged in an entertaining three-round clash that was an easy choice for “Fight of the Night” honors. Ultimately, Munhoz avenged a 2015 split-decision loss to Rivera with a unanimous decision triumph at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

There was already a mutual respect forged in their initial meeting at UFC Fight Night 77, but that certainly didn’t detract from the quality of the rematch.

“Jimmie and I became good friends after the first fight we did a few years ago,” Munhoz said. “He’s a great guy, a tough, tough, tough fighter. For me, it was an honor to bring that fight back from the first time and now we are able to display again such a great fight. First one was a great fight, now this one definitely deserves ‘Fight of t…

Weder der UFC-Präsident noch der Mann, der Pläne auf die Erfassung der Schwergewichts-gold in Naher Zukunft war besonders beeindruckt der main event an UFC Fight Night 186.

Ciryl Gane verbessert 8-0 mit einem fünf-Runden einstimmigen Beschluss gegen Jairzinho Rozenstruik bei der UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night, aber es war ein wettkampf weitgehend frei von Aktion, der Franzose war Inhalt zu Holen sein Gegner neben an der Außenseite für bessere Teil 25 Minuten.

Laut Dana White, Gane hat noch einen langen Weg zu gehen, bevor er werden kann, gilt als einer der top-Anwärter im Schwergewicht division.

“Jeder spricht über Ciryl wird diese großen Konkurrenten, aber look was Francis [Ngannou] Tat, um Jairzinho," White sagte Yahoo Sports. “Das war [Ciryl Gane's] coming-out-party und seine chance, der Welt zu zeigen, wer er ist. Er gewann, aber lassen wir es zu, dass er gewonnen."

Während Gane nicht Versand Rozenstruik in 20 Sekunden, wie Ngannou hat bei U…

Only three $50,000 post-fight bonuses were handed out following UFC Fight Night 186 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Pedro Munhoz and Jimmie Rivera were an easy selection for “Fight of the Night” honors following their entertaining three-round battle at bantamweight. Though both combatants had their moments during spirited exchanges, calf kicks made the difference for Munhoz in the long run as he avenged a 2015 defeat to Rivera and halted a two-bout losing streak in the process.

Meanwhile, just one “Performance of the Night” award was given on a card that saw eight of the nine contests go the distance. The only combatant who finshed a fight, Ronnie Lawrence, got the extra cash as he overwhelmed Vince Cachero with his agression en route to a third-round TKO victory. The American Top Team product set the stage for the finishing sequence with a spinning back kick to the body before suplexing his opponent and moving to full mount. From there, Lawrence unloa…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Ciryl Gane’s approach was undeniably effective, but it lacked the wow factor for which many had hoped. The impressive Frenchman kept his perfect professional record intact and moved another step closer to a shot at the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title with a tepid unanimous decision over Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the UFC Fight Night 186 headliner on Saturday in Las Vegas. All three cageside judges saw it the same: 50-45 for Gane (8-0, 5-0 UFC).

Rozenstruik (11-2, 5-2 UFC) struggled to pull the trigger for five full rounds, one of his cornermen slapping the canvas in frustration at one point in the middle of the fight. Perhaps the most compelling exchange between the two heavyweight contenders took place in the second round, where Gane tossed “Bigi Boi” off-balance and briefly threatened with a standing rear-naked …

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 186 coverage will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Thiago Moises may have punched his ticket to another competitive tax bracket in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division.

Crushing low kicks, efficient counters and stellar striking defense spurred the American Top Team rep to a unanimous decision over Alexander Hernandez in the featured UFC Fight Night 186 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three judges sided with Moises (15-4, 4-2 UFC): 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.

Hernandez (12-4, 4-2 UFC) fought fire with fire for much of the three-round encounter. Moises kept him off-balance with kicks to the lower leg, occasional spinning attacks and more basic techniques. The Brazilian hit the accelerator in the third round, invited Hernandez to try to keep up and unleashed his hands and feet in a steady but violent burst of offense that put the …

Matt Mitrione will lock horns with Tyrell Fortune in a heavyweight clash at Bellator 255.

The California-based promotion recently announced the booking. Bellator 255 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on April 2 and is headlined by a featherweight grand prix semifinal pitting Patricio Freire against Emmanuel Sanchez. The evening’s main card will air on Showtime.

A competitor on Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Mitrone is winless in his last four Bellator appearances. In his last outing, “Meathead” suffered a first-round technical knockout defeat to Timothy Johnson at Bellator 243 this past August. Mitrione began his promotional tenure on a four-bout winning streak that included victories against Fedor Emelianenko and Roy Nelson.

Fortune’s entire professional tenure has been spent under the Bellator banner. The Arizona Combat Sports product kicked off his career with eight consecutive triumphs before a knockout loss to Johnson and a…

A pivotal strawweight showdown between Carla Esparza and Xiaonan Yan is on tap for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s May 22 card.

MMA DNA was first to report the 115-pound booking. The UFC Fight Night event currently doesn’t have a location or headliner. The card is also expected to included a women’s featherweight scrap between Felicia Spencer and Danyelle Wolf.

The UFC’s inaugural strawweight title holder, Esparza is currently on a four-bout winning streak dating back to April 2019. Most recently, “Cookie Monster” garnered a split verdict against Marina Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN 14 this past July.

Yan, meanwhile, has been victorious in 13 of 14 professional outings — including her first six Octagon appearances. The China Top Team standout has gone the distance in all of her promotional triumphs and has scored notable wins over Claudia Gadelha, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Angela Hill.

A strawweight clash pitting Angela Hill against Ashley Yoder has been pulled from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 186 card.

The bout was removed due to “COVID-19 protocols,” the promotion announced Saturday. As a result, Hill vs. Yoder will now take place at UFC Fight Night 187 on March 13. Yoder later revealed in an Instagram video that someone in her camp tested positive for the virus.

UFC Fight Night 186 will now proceed with nine fights. The event takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight tilt between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane. The card streams in its entirety on ESPN+ beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Hill and Yoder initially squared off at “The Ultimate Fighter 25” finale, with Hill earning a unanimous decision triump on July 7, 2017.

Main event official!

@JairRozenstruik locks in #UFCVegas20 - LIVE on #ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/fkXo6J0NWw

— UFC (@ufc) February 26, 2021 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Although typically a formality, the Ultimate Fighting Championship weigh-ins of late have each brought their fair share of drama, this week included.

The UFC's busy February comes to an end this weekend as it puts on its fourth event in as many weeks. UFC Fight Night 186 will see heavyweight contenders Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane look to make a statement at the other’s expense. The 10-fight card is now official after the weigh-ins took place, but not everyone made their contracted weight.

The biggest miss on the scales came from Maxim Grishin as he missed the light heavyweight limit by 4.5 pounds. The card also lost a welterweight bout betw…