Latest news with #ContenderSeries
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
I know what I'm capable of: Jamahal Hill eyes title shot with Rountree clash on June 22
Two and a half years ago, Jamahal Hill made UFC history. He became the first graduate of Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) to win a championship, claiming a unanimous decision victory over veteran Glover Teixeira. Hill, who debuted in the UFC in 2020, quickly built a reputation as a knockout artist. Before earning his maiden title shot, he delivered four first-round knockouts in five fights, showcasing his raw power and ruthless finishing ability. 'The first time I won the title; it was like a dream come true. To be a part of the UFC in itself was a dream, but to go in and get the job done is a different feeling. It was the result of years of hard work I put in,' Hill tells Sportstar. 'The Dana White Contender Series is a good initiative. You get picked up if you're a top prospect based on your recent form. If you show up and perform, you get a platform to showcase what you're capable of,' he adds. But his reign was short-lived. In his first title defence, Hill faced Alex Pereira and suffered a brutal first-round knockout. Pereira needed just one perfectly-timed left hook to end the bout and strip Hill of the belt. Things didn't improve. A knee injury forced Hill to pull out of UFC 303, and on his return earlier this year, he was knocked out again — this time by Jiri Prochazka. Still, Hill remains unfazed. 'Everything is part and parcel of the game. You win some, you lose some. If a fight doesn't go my way, I keep my head down and train to get better. I know what I'm capable of achieving. You just have to learn from your mistakes and grow,' said Hill. Now, he has a clear target in mind: redemption. A dominant win over Khalil Rountree Jr. on June 22 could put him right back in the title mix. That's all he's focused on. 'Right now, my only assignment is to go there and defeat Rountree. I want to go and express myself, and I believe everything else will follow accordingly. I feel I've had a pretty good build-up to the fight, and I want to dominate,' concluded Hill. UFC Fight Night: Hill vs Rountree Jr. Fight card Main event: Jamahal Hill vs Khalil Rountree Jr. Main Cards: Rafael Fiziev vs Ignacio Bahamondes Curtis Blaydes vs Rizvan Kuniev Tofiq Musayev vs Myktybek Orolbai Nazim Sadykhov vs Nikolas Motta Muhammad Naimov vs Bogdan Grad Prelim Matches: SeokHyun Ko vs Oban Elliott Ismail Naurdiev vs JunYong Park Daria Zhelezniakova vs Melissa Mullins Irina Alekseeva vs Klaudia Sygula Tagir Ulanbekov vs Azat Maksum Hamdy Abdelwahab vs Mohammed Usman Streaming/telecast information Watch UFC- Fight Night - Hill vs. Rountree Jr. on 22nd June 2025 at 12:30 AM IST LIVE On Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (Tamil & Telugu) Related Topics MMA / UFC
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 8 pre-event facts: Curtis Blaydes joins exclusive club of heavyweight veterans
UFC on ABC 8 pre-event facts: Curtis Blaydes joins exclusive club of heavyweight veterans The UFC travel to new territory on Saturday with UFC on ABC 8 at Crystal Palace Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. The main card aired on ABC following prelims on ESPN+. A key matchup in the light heavyweight division tops the card, with former champion Jamahal Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) set to clash with one-time title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) in a five-round contest. For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie's pre-event facts about UFC on ABC 8. Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. Jamahal Hill Hill enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since January 2023. Hill is the first fighter to win a UFC title after signing with the promotion through Dana White's Contender Series. Sean O'Malley also accomplished the feat. Hill lands 6.76 significant strikes per minute in UFC light heavyweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Carlos Ulberg (6.82). Hill landed 232 significant strikes at UFC 283, the single-fight record for a UFC light heavyweight bout. Khalil Rountree Jr. Rountree Jr.'s seven knockout victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are third-most in divisional history behind Chuck Liddell (nine) and Mauricio Rua (eight). Rountree Jr.'s 13 knockdowns landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are third-most in divisional history behind Liddell (14) and Rua (14). Rountree Jr.'s four knockdowns landed at UFC 236 are the single-fight record for a UFC light heavyweight bout. Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes Rafael Fiziev's (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) three-fight listing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since July 2022. Fiziev is one of 16 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a wheel kick. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 31. Fiziev defends 90 percent of opponent takedown attempts in UFC lightweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class. Ignacio Bahamondes (17-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is one of 16 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning wheel kick. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 29. Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev Curtis Blaydes (18-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) becomes the ninth fighter in UFC history to make 20 or more heavyweight appearances. Blaydes' three knockout victories stemming from elbow strikes in UFC competition are tied with Paul Felder for most in company history. Blaydes' 62 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history. Blaydes' 14 takedowns landed against Alexander Volkov at UFC on ESPN 11 is the single-fight record for a UFC heavyweight bout. Blaydes' 14 takedowns landed at UFC on ESPN 11 are tied for the third-most in a single UFC fight behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (21 at UFC 160) and Sean Sherk (16 at UFC 73). Nazim Sadykhov vs. Nikolas Motta Nazim Sadykhov (10-1-1 MMA, 3-0-1 UFC) has earned nine of his 10 career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his UFC wins. Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Azat Maksum Tagir Ulanbekov's (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the division behind Alexandre Pantoja (seven), Andre Lima (four) and Joshua Van (four). UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC on ABC 8 pre-event facts: Curtis Blaydes joins exclusive club of heavyweight veterans
The UFC travel to new territory on Saturday with UFC on ABC 8 at Crystal Palace Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. The main card aired on ABC following prelims on ESPN+. A key matchup in the light heavyweight division tops the card, with former champion Jamahal Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) set to clash with one-time title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) in a five-round contest. Advertisement For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie's pre-event facts about UFC on ABC 8. Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. Jamahal Hill Hill enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since January 2023. Hill is the first fighter to win a UFC title after signing with the promotion through Dana White's Contender Series. Sean O'Malley also accomplished the feat. Hill lands 6.76 significant strikes per minute in UFC light heavyweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Carlos Ulberg (6.82). Hill landed 232 significant strikes at UFC 283, the single-fight record for a UFC light heavyweight bout. Khalil Rountree Jr. Khalil Rountree Jr. Rountree Jr.'s seven knockout victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are third-most in divisional history behind Chuck Liddell (nine) and Mauricio Rua (eight). Advertisement Rountree Jr.'s 13 knockdowns landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are third-most in divisional history behind Liddell (14) and Rua (14). Rountree Jr.'s four knockdowns landed at UFC 236 are the single-fight record for a UFC light heavyweight bout. Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes Justin Gaethje Rafael Fiziev's (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) three-fight listing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since July 2022. Fiziev is one of 16 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a wheel kick. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 31. Fiziev defends 90 percent of opponent takedown attempts in UFC lightweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class. Advertisement Ignacio Bahamondes (17-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is one of 16 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning wheel kick. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 29. Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev Curtis Blaydes Curtis Blaydes (18-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) becomes the ninth fighter in UFC history to make 20 or more heavyweight appearances. Blaydes' three knockout victories stemming from elbow strikes in UFC competition are tied with Paul Felder for most in company history. Blaydes' 62 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history. Blaydes' 14 takedowns landed against Alexander Volkov at UFC on ESPN 11 is the single-fight record for a UFC heavyweight bout. Advertisement Blaydes' 14 takedowns landed at UFC on ESPN 11 are tied for the third-most in a single UFC fight behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (21 at UFC 160) and Sean Sherk (16 at UFC 73). Nazim Sadykhov vs. Nikolas Motta Nazim Sadykhov (10-1-1 MMA, 3-0-1 UFC) has earned nine of his 10 career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his UFC wins. Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Azat Maksum Tagir Ulanbekov's (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the division behind Alexandre Pantoja (seven), Andre Lima (four) and Joshua Van (four). UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC on ABC 8 pre-event facts: Curtis Blaydes joins exclusive club
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ESPN 69 takeaways: Ex-champs Usman, Namajunas, Garbrandt emerge in different spots
UFC on ESPN 69 takeaways: Ex-champs Usman, Namajunas, Garbrandt emerge in different spots What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 69 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta? Here are a few post-fight musings … 4. Malcolm Wellmaker is a problem Malcolm Wellmaker is a legitimate bantamweight prospect to watch, and he showed why with a highlight-reel victory over Kris Moutinho to keep his undefeated record intact. Although Wellmaker (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was set up for this kind of moment in his home state of Georgia, it doesn't mean the result was a given. He still had to go out there and do it, and he did so in absolutely spectacular fashion. It was clear that Wellmaker had something special in him when he emphatically earned his UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series. That was back in August, and all he's done in the 10 months since is earn two first-round face plant knockouts in the UFC, both of which got him Performance of the Night honors. Nice start for the 31-year-old. 3. Cody Garbrandt's future Cody Garbrandt fought valiantly against Raoni Barcelos in their bantamweight bout, but ultimately he came out on the wrong end of a unanimous decision and is now 3-7 in his past 10 fights. At this point, it's probably best to understand that Garbrandt (14-7 MMA, 9-7 UFC) is who he is. He can beat UFC-level fighters and even be highly competitive with the upper tier on the right night, but anyone expecting him to recapture the magic that saw him become UFC champion in 2016, is probably in for an eternal wait. There was a different level of intrigue coming into this fight when we thought Garbrandt was on the final bout of his UFC contract. However, he revealed at media day that he signed a new multi-fight deal, so unless the UFC re-negs and cuts him, we are going to likely see more of him being a familiar name at 135 pounds and perhaps not much more. 2. Can Rose Namajunas rediscover title glory? Rose Namajunas showed flashes of the brilliance that made her a UFC champion twice over in her win against Miranda Maverick, even if she didn't get the finish. Former two-time strawweight titleholder Namajunas (14-7 MMA, 12-6 UFC) claimed her third victory in five fight since moving up to women's flyweight in September 2023 when she outworked Maverick to a unanimous decision. A third-round knockdown sealed the deal in her favor, and that type of moment showed what "Thug" is truly capable of. Although she is only 32 and has just 20 professional fights, Namajunas has accomplished more than most fighters could dream. She wants to get another title in a second division, but 125-pounds is getting deeper and deeper by the day, and no matter how she tries to transform her body, it seems there are critical moments where her technique is overthrown by stronger and bigger opponents who are cutting more weight from bigger frames. We're not here to put a ceiling on Namajunas, though. In peak form, she can truly beat anyone on the women's side. The question, however, is how many more of those nights are left in her at this point. And she would probably agree with that sentiment. 1. How back is Kamaru Usman really? Kamaru Usman dug himself out of the trenches in a big way in the main event when he overcame naysayers, self-doubt and more to thwart Joaquin Buckley for one of the most critical victories of his career. Usman (21-4 MMA, 16-3 UFC) has been at the pinnacle of the sport that everyone chases for prolonged period of time, but then it all changed in seemingly the blink of an eye for the former long-reigning UFC welterweight champion, who found himself on a three-fight losing skid and as a betting underdog to Buckley, who was eager to take his spot. It wasn't happening on this night, however, because Usman brought Buckley's six-fight winning streak since dropping to 170 pounds to a halt by unanimous decision, and in the process showed he still has life as a contender in his own right. Usman appears to strongly believe he will be fighting for the title next against the winner of Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev. The likes of Sean Brady, Shavkat Rakhmonov and more will have something to say about that, but Usman is no doubt in a far better spot than he had been if this went the other way, and no matter what he should be proud to have fended off a member of the new guard when the general expectation was he wouldn't.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
UFC Atlanta results: Usman vs Buckley Fight Night highlights and main card winners
Main card opens with Edmen Shahbazyan victory UFC Atlanta opened its main card with Edmen Shahbazyan securing a unanimous decision over Andre Petroski (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). Shahbazyan demonstrated patient, measured striking while neutralizing Petroski's wrestling. In the third round, body kicks widened the margin, as Shahbazyan earned his second straight win and continued improving under coach Jason Manly. The victory positions Shahbazyan as a re-emerging contender in the middleweight division. Now 3-1 in his last four appearances, the 27-year-old aims to build momentum and work toward a Top 15 placement. Also read: UFC Atlanta: The Nigerian Nightmare brings "respect back to his name" Raoni Barcelos earns win over former champion Cody Garbrandt In bantamweight action, Raoni Barcelos defeated former champion Cody Garbrandt by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). Garbrandt started quickly but faded as Barcelos asserted control through pressure and effective wrestling. Barcelos dictated the pace from the second round onward, limiting Garbrandt's opportunities for counters and finishing exchanges with precision. Live Events Barcelos now holds consecutive wins in 2025 and three straight victories overall. At age 38, the Brazilian remains active and well-rounded, maintaining a competitive position near the bantamweight division's Top 15. Abdul-Malik remains undefeated with technical decision win Middleweight prospect Mansur Abdul-Malik remained unbeaten by earning a technical decision win over Cody Brundage (30-27, 29-28, 29-28). Abdul-Malik controlled the opening two rounds with superior striking and cage control. In Round 3, a head clash during an exchange led to Brundage collapsing, prompting a medical stoppage. After video review, the bout proceeded to scorecards, where Abdul-Malik was awarded the win. A graduate of Dana White's Contender Series, he advances to 3-0 in the UFC and continues to climb in the division. Also read: UFC Atlanta: Live streaming, venue, date, time of Joaquin Buckley-Kamaru Usman main fight Menifield outpoints Sy in tactical light heavyweight match Alonzo Menifield earned a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Oumar Sy (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). The light heavyweight contest saw minimal action as both fighters exchanged single shots and engaged in clinch work with limited output. Menifield's consistent activity in later rounds earned him the edge. Menifield's second win of 2025 improves his position in the light heavyweight rankings. Training at Fortis MMA, he continues to present as a durable and experienced fighter within the UFC light heavyweight division. Namajunas outpoints Maverick in co-main event Rose Namajunas defeated Miranda Maverick by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in the co-main event. Namajunas outworked Maverick in the striking exchanges and succeeded in grappling sequences. After Maverick threatened a choke late in the second round, Namajunas rebounded with a knockdown in the third and controlled the ground position to close the bout. The win keeps Namajunas competitive in the flyweight rankings and marks a strong bounce-back performance. The veteran remains a top-tier presence in the 125-pound division as the 2025 season progresses. Also read: UFC Atlanta: Joaquin Buckley challenges Kamaru Usman ahead of fight night - live streaming details, date, time and other main card matches Usman dominates Buckley in return to form In the main event, Kamaru Usman defeated Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47). Usman implemented a wrestling-heavy approach, securing takedowns in four of the five rounds and controlling Buckley on the mat with effective ground-and-pound. Buckley found brief success in the final round but was unable to shift momentum. This marked Usman's first victory since UFC 268 and reaffirmed his elite standing in the welterweight division. At age 38, the former champion showcased strategic execution and durability, remaining in contention near the top of the rankings.
