Latest news with #ESPN68
USA Today
11-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rose Namajunas hopes 'good performance' leads to UFC title shot in chaotic division
Rose Namajunas hopes 'good performance' leads to UFC title shot in chaotic division Rose Namajunas doesn't think the idea of a title shot with a UFC on ESPN 69 win is far-fetched. Namajunas (13-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) meets Miranda Maverick (15-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in Saturday's co-main event (ESPN, ESPN+) at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The former two-time UFC strawweight champion is coming off a November loss to Erin Blanchfield, who just saw her fight against Maycee Barber at UFC on ESPN 68 scrapped. With the division wide open, Namajunas isn't ruling out the possibility of jumping into the title picture with an impressive showing against Maverick. "I don't know, I hope a title shot," Namajunas told MMA Junkie on what a win over Maverick does. "Obviously that's what I'm hoping for, so I've really got to put a good performance on and just do my best, and really just let God take the wheel, and whatever opportunities come way, I'll be ready for it. "But I don't know how you do the matchmaking thing, like I don't know: Do you match up Erin with Alexa (Grasso) or Natalia (Silva), or do you put Natalia in the title? I don't know. Yeah, I'm not a matchmaker, so I'm glad I don't have the job." Namajunas has sparred with Maverick on numerous occasions, but she doesn't take away too much from their training sessions. "In training, things are a little bit slower and things aren't as intentional, but for the most part, I think she kind of sort of throws similar combinations most of the time," Namajunas said. "And she's kind of doing a similar game plan over, I'd say, the last few years. I see in her younger fights she was a little bit more aggressive and things like that. Maybe she changes it up a little bit. Who knows? But we're ready for it all."
USA Today
09-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ESPN 68: How to watch Usman vs. Buckley, start time, Atlanta lineup, odds, more
UFC on ESPN 68: How to watch Usman vs. Buckley, start time, Atlanta lineup, odds, more Here's what you need to know to watch UFC on ESPN 68 on ESPN and ESPN+. The UFC is in Atlanta for the sixth time (including a 2014 visit to suburban Duluth), and the first time in more than six years this week with UFC on ESPN 68. Here's how to watch UFC on ESPN 68 with a struggling former champion against a surging welterweight in the headlining spot. Broadcast and streaming info UFC on ESPN 68 has a main card that starts at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN. The preliminary card streams on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to MMA Junkie later this week for more broadcast details. Main event: Kamaru Usman Record: 20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC 20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC Opponent: Joaquin Buckley (21-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC) Joaquin Buckley (21-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC) Division: Welterweight Welterweight Key wins: Colby Covington (twice), Jorge Masvidal (twice), Gilbert Burns, Tyron Woodley, Rafael dos Anjos, Demian Maia, Sean Strickland, Leon Edwards Colby Covington (twice), Jorge Masvidal (twice), Gilbert Burns, Tyron Woodley, Rafael dos Anjos, Demian Maia, Sean Strickland, Leon Edwards Misc.: Usman lost the welterweight title with less than a minute left in a 25-minute fight he was dominating against Leon Edwards when an all-time head kick put him on the wrong side of an all-time highlight. He lost a rematch seven months later, then dropped a decision to Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight for a third straight loss. He's looking for his first win in nearly four years. Main event: Joaquin Buckley Record: 21-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC 21-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC Opponent: Kamaru Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) Kamaru Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) Division: Welterweight Welterweight Key wins: Colby Covington, Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque Colby Covington, Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque Misc.: Buckley had his taste of viral success early in his UFC career thanks to an all-time highlight spinning back kick. A two-fight skid is years in the rearview mirror and he's on a six-fight tear with four TKO finishes. Co-main event: Miranda Maverick Record: 15-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC 15-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC Opponent: Rose Namajunas (13-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) Rose Namajunas (13-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) Division: Women's flyweight Women's flyweight Key wins: Jamey-Lyn Horth, Andrea Lee, Gillian Robertson Jamey-Lyn Horth, Andrea Lee, Gillian Robertson Misc.: Maverick has been on one of the nicest runs in the division with four straight wins and victories in six of her past seven fights. Years ago, she came up short against a few bigger names in the division, so a win over a former champ like Namajunas would be a big notch on her belt. Co-main event: Rose Namajunas Record: 13-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC 13-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC Opponent: Miranda Maverick (15-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) Miranda Maverick (15-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) Division: Women's flyweight Women's flyweight Key wins: Tracy Cortez, Amanda Ribas, Zhang Weili (twice), Jessica Andrade, Joanna Jedrzejczyk (twice) Tracy Cortez, Amanda Ribas, Zhang Weili (twice), Jessica Andrade, Joanna Jedrzejczyk (twice) Misc.: Two-time champion 'Thug' Rose' started her 2024 trip back to title contention right with two wins after back-to-back losses to Carla Esparza – in which she dropped the title – and recent title challenger Manon Fiorot. But this past November, she lost to Erin Blanchfield and now has to work her way back up. UFC on ESPN 68 main card betting odds MAIN CARD (ESPN2/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET) Cory Sandhagen -485 vs. Deiveson Figueiredo +370 Reinier de Ridder +250 vs. Bo Nickal -310 Santiago Ponzinibbio -120 vs. Daniel Rodriguez +100 Montel Jackson -205 vs. Daniel Marcos +170 Serhiy Sidey -135 vs. Cameron Smotherman +115 Mason Jones -575 vs. Jeremy Stephens +425 UFC on ESPN 68 prelim betting odds PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
USA Today
04-06-2025
- General
- USA Today
Valentina Shevchenko calls for professionalism after Maycee Barber's fight night withdrawal
Valentina Shevchenko calls for professionalism after Maycee Barber's fight night withdrawal UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko believes Maycee Barber's medical issue could be related to her weight cut. Barber (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) withdrew from her UFC on ESPN 68 headliner against Erin Blanchfield (13-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas just 30 minutes before she was scheduled to make the walk. She was transported to the hospital and still requires more medical testing to find out exactly what happened. Although Barber missed the non-title flyweight limit by half a pound, she doesn't believe her medical issue is weight-cut related. However, Shevchenko does. "Of course, everyone is now saying like, the health issue and they are seeing results, right? And definitely we all wish (Barber) a speedy recovery," Shevchenko told The Schmo. "The health is No. 1 for every athlete, but let's not forget that we are professional fighters, and we have to do everything. Not starting fight week, not starting one day before the weigh-in. We have to start it back. If we know that the weight cut will affect us somehow, we have to put our efforts to make it smoother." Shevchenko thinks after all the pre-fight hype and build-up, fighters have an obligation to make the walk. "You kind of like think what you have to do to make everyone not disappointed, what you have to put on a list when everyone is so attentive watching you. We have to be professionals, and not professional only in the last week," Shevchenko said. "We have to start it like, back, back over there, when we just hear the notice when our fight is going to be, then we start our like, going slowly down our weight cut, and if we know it's going to be affected, we have to take some measures to not be affected by circumstances. This is what I call professionalism."
USA Today
04-06-2025
- General
- USA Today
Maycee Barber struggles to explain medical issue that forced UFC on ESPN 68 withdrawal
Maycee Barber struggles to explain medical issue that forced UFC on ESPN 68 withdrawal Maycee Barber has opened up on the medical issue that caused her to withdraw from UFC on ESPN 68, but she doesn't have many answers. Just 30 minutes before she was scheduled to make the walk against Erin Blanchfield in this past Saturday's flyweight main event at the UFC Apex, Barber (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) was transported to the hospital after she wasn't medically cleared to compete, and the fight was canceled. She checked out of the hospital Monday, but a couple of days later, Barber is still trying to figure out exactly what happened. "We're not entirely sure what happened," Barber told ESPN. "Obviously there was a medical emergency. We're not quite sure exactly what it was, what it is, but there was something that happened, and I don't exactly remember everything. But there was an event that happened in the back when I was warming up, and the doctor, the commissioners, like everybody saw it. The commissioners were asking me if I was OK, and I was saying that I was, and they didn't think that I was. "They kept asking the coaches, and the coaches were like – again, I'm not entirely sure because it's hard for me to remember everything that happened, but from what I was told, the coaches were like, 'We're not quite sure.' They were trying to figure it out, and they ended up getting the doctors. Next thing I know, I was in the back of an ambulance and being transported to a hospital. I stayed there and was doing a bunch of tests and trying to figure out what was going on." This isn't the first time Barber has been hospitalized for medical reasons caused by a fight. She spent nine days in the hospital after defeating Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299, and ongoing health issues forced her to withdraw from her UFC on ESPN 59 bout against Rose Namajunas last July. Barber said the UFC is seeking the best doctors and specialists to get to the bottom of what exactly happened to her. "It looked like my autonomic nervous system might have been having an issue," Barber said. "They said it looked like a pseudo-seizure, is what I was told, but there's no answer. We need to run tests." Blanchfield (13-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) was visibly frustrated and went off on Barber, who is more upset with how the fans have reacted. "I see people commenting, 'Oh, I'm glad it happened to her and not to someone who is relevant,' and I feel that's a pretty heartless and cold thing to say," Barber said. "I wouldn't wish that on anybody. I wouldn't wish this kind of situation, an unknown situation, on anybody. It's frustrating because it makes me have a lot of sympathy toward whoever has a medical issue or something going on in their life."
USA Today
04-06-2025
- General
- USA Today
USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, June 3: Allan Nascimento enters top 15
USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, June 3: Allan Nascimento enters top 15 UFC on ESPN 68 took place Saturday, prompting a new entry into the men's flyweight division. Although the late cancellation of the main event prevented a move in the women's flyweight division, earlier in the event at the UFC Apex, Allan Nascimento's victory over Jafel Filho caused change on the men's side. Filho entered the event No. 12, but after the loss, falls to No. 14. Nascimento enters the rankings, landing at No. 13. Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.
