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Behind Carla Esparza’s Game Face

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Unless you’ve seen it, it’s hard to describe, but Esparza has heard plenty of comments about it over the years.

“Oh, for sure,” she laughs. “Some people have compared me to other fighters who are very similar. I’ve heard a few people say it’s like Fedor (Emelianeko), and I was like, ‘I don’t mind that comparison.’”

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It’s not a new thing for the former UFC champion, either. In fact, it’s been around since her college wrestling days, something that her buddy (and fellow UFC fighter) Ashlee Evans-Smith reminds her of.

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“She always jokes around about how people saw me during my first fight and they were like, ‘Oh my God, she looks scared. We’re worried about her,’” recalls Esparza. “And she was like, ‘No, that’s just Carla.’ We wrestled together in college, so I think it’s something I’ve kind of always had.”

So how would Esparza describe it?

“My face is total, complete focus,” she said. “I’m tuning everything out, and it’s that tunnel vision.”

While discussing this most important of topics, it came to me that Esparza’s pre-fight game face goes hand in hand with her status in the sport today. In short, she’s like one of those horror movie characters that you just can’t kill. Just when you think they’re down for the count, they rise again. That’s the “Cookie Monster,” the fighter who refuses to get written out of the UFC script. Knock her down, she’s getting back up.

“It’s just one of those things that’s inside of you that you can’t explain and that you can’t train,” she said when offered this opinion. “People say you can’t train heart – you either have it or you don’t – and I think I have a drive inside me where you can knock me down and push me down but I’m gonna keep coming and I’m gonna get up and I’m not gonna stop. I’m gonna constantly be striving to get better. And if I lost in a certain way, I’ll make adjustments and still strive to be the best that I can.”

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As mentioned earlier, Esparza is a former world champion, the first UFC strawweight champion to be exact. That’s a place in history books no one can take away, yet the 31-year-old still keeps pushing to get back to the top and to the belt Joanna Jedrzejcyk took away from her on March 14, 2015.

Since then, there have been ups and downs, big wins and crushing losses, but as she heads into her co-main event bout against Alexa Grasso this Saturday in Mexico City, Esparza is coming off an impressive victory over Virna Jandiroba, one that snapped a two-fight losing streak and kept her in the 115-pound top ten. That’s determination.

“Honestly, I think it goes back again to that thing you can’t explain,” she said when asked about her motivation these days. “It’s a driving force inside of me that makes me love this and not want to stop and not stop getting better. It’s so hard to even explain. I wish I could say the thrill of getting my hand raised or the money or fame, but I don’t know. It’s almost indescribable, the feeling of preparing for a fight and being there and getting all that out in the cage. It’s a feeling that can’t be explained.”

She does know she likes that feeling of winning, though, and if she can put together another victory against Grasso, it’s one step closer to a title shot. Esparza isn’t thinking about that just yet, nor is she concerned with the detractors who doubt her chances of climbing the mountain once again.

“I guess it depends on who it’s from,” she said of the online critics. “Some negative things from the doubters drive me a little bit. ‘Oh, she’s done, she’s this, she’s that.’ Okay, you’ll see. But some of the trolls, they can be bothersome and it used to get to me a little bit more but I’ve gotten used to that block button.”

She laughs, knowing that none of those critics know her story or what it took to get here and more importantly what it takes to stay here. And on Saturday night, despite taking on the home country favorite in Grasso, Esparza has Mexican blood on her mom’s side, and she will feel right at home once the fists start flying and the crowd in Mexico City sees her fighting spirit. Then, she will be one of their own.

“Fighting in front of the Mexican crowd and Latin people, we always tend to support each other so much, especially in this fight game, and I’ve always felt such love from the community, so it’s an honor and it feels so nice to be able to fight here,” Esparza said. “My coaches told me that fighting is such a big part of the culture out here that the crowd is on another level, so I’m so excited to be out here. It’s a little scary fighting someone who’s born here, but it’s still gonna be a great experience.”

Will it crack that pre-fight game face into a smile? Tune-in to find out.

Moreno Won’t Waste His Second UFC Chance

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Over the space of six months in 2016-17, Brandon Moreno scored three UFC wins over Louis Smolka, Ryan Benoit and Dustin Ortiz, and just like that, the flyweight from Tijuana was on track to possibly become Mexico’s first UFC champion.

Yet by the end of 2018, following back to back losses to Sergio Pettis and Alexandre Pantoja, Moreno was out of the UFC and facing an uncertain future.

“It was bittersweet,” said Moreno of his first UFC stint. “I did well at times, but the exit was very hard. It’s never easy to lose your livelihood. But I believe I’ve matured a lot since my first run in the UFC, through the good and the bad. My hunger has become even stronger in my time away from the UFC, and I’m so happy to be back.”

On Saturday, fresh from a June stoppage of Maikel Perez that earned him the LFA flyweight title, Moreno makes his UFC return against unbeaten Askar Askarov. It may only be 16 months since his last visit to the Octagon, but that’s likely felt like an eternity for him.

“I missed the feeling of stepping into the famed Octagon and all the people you get to perform in front of,” he said. “I missed the glory that comes with being a UFC fighter. Above all, I missed the extremely high level of competition that you find in the UFC.”

And while Askarov is just making his UFC debut, he is of the high level Moreno speaks of, and the Mexican battler knows it.

“He’s an incredible fighter,” said Moreno. “He’s undefeated against good competition and he’s got good jiu-jitsu and solid striking. But with all due respect to my opponent, he doesn’t present any challenges I haven’t seen before. Everyone in the UFC is excellent; that’s what excites me so much about this fight and being back.”

Moreno’s return does come at a perfect time, as the flyweight division is undergoing a resurgence since it was confirmed that the weight class ruled by Henry Cejudo will be sticking around. But even if that wasn’t the case, Moreno was ready to compete anywhere the promotion wanted him to.

“Honestly, I was planning on returning to the UFC regardless of the division,” he said. “This is where I’ve always wanted to be, even if I had to fight out of my class a bit. I simply wanted to return to the UFC, and I’m very happy to come back at 125 pounds. This is the best-case scenario for me.”

As for the division, Moreno says, “I think the division is more alive than ever. There have been great fights lately, there are a ton more scheduled for the next few months, and I believe I fit right in the thick of it. I’ve got a tough fight ahead of me, and I want to fight the best of the best.”

He will get his chance, starting this weekend, in a fight with even more weight attached to it because it’s in his home country of Mexico. More specifically, it’s in Mexico City, the site of his first UFC loss to Pettis in 2017.

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“I have a great feeling of revenge, to be totally honest,” Moreno said. “I feel it’s a second chance for me. It’s interesting. It’s the same hotel, the same procedures, and even the same people are working in the hotel. I feel like life is giving me a second chance to get the win, and I’m excited to embrace that opportunity this weekend. It’s my time.”

The ear to ear smile is still there, and at 25, Moreno may not even be in his prime, which means the idea of him becoming Mexico’s first UFC champion is still alive and well. So call it a dream delayed, not deferred.

“Mexico loves combat sports, and the country would go crazy with a 100-percent Mexican champion,” he said. “There are others, like Yair Rodriguez, Alexa Grasso and Irene Aldana who are high in the rankings, and I will do absolutely everything I can do win my title as soon as possible. I will die in the Octagon to achieve my goals.”

USADA Statement on Sarah Frota Lima

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USADA announced today that Sarah Frota Lima, of Santa Catarina, Brazil, has accepted a two-year sanction for a violation of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

Frota Lima, 32, tested positive for multiple stanozolol metabolites, including 16α-hydroxystanozolol, 3’,16-dihydroxystanozolol, and 4β,16-dihydroxystanozolol, as the result of an in-competition urine sample she provided on July 27, 2019 at UFC 240 Edmonton, where she lost by technical knockout. Stanozolol is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.

Frota Lima’s two-year period of ineligibility, the standard sanction for a non-Specified Substance under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, began on July 27, 2019, the date her positive sample was collected. The athlete’s positive test also falls under the jurisdiction of the Edmonton Combative Sports Commission, which has accepted USADA’s resolution of the case and recognized its sanction. Frota Lima has not competed in the UFC since her fight on July 27, 2019.

USADA conducts the year-round, independent anti-doping program for all UFC athletes. USADA is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental agency whose sole mission is to preserve the integrity of competition, inspire true sport, and protect the rights of clean athletes. In an effort to aid UFC athletes, as well as their support team members, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on the UFC Anti-Doping Program website (https://UFC.USADA.org) regarding the testing process and prohibited substances, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements, as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.

In addition, the agency manages a drug reference hotline, Drug Reference Online (https://UFC.GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions, and proactively distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as the Prohibited List, easy-reference wallet cards, and periodic athlete alerts. Many of the resources available to athletes are provided in multiple languages, including Russian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, and Japanese.

Along with education and testing, robust anti-doping programs enable investigations stemming from tips and whistleblowers. USADA makes available a number of ways to report the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in sport in an effort to protect clean athletes and promote clean competition. Any tip can be reported using the USADA Play Clean Tip Center, by email at playclean@usada.org, by phone at 1 877-Play Clean (1-877-752-9253), or by mail.

UFC Supports Kline Veterans Fund 9/11 Tribute To Veterans And First Responders

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On Wednesday, September 11, over 5,000 fans gathered at Cashman Field for the Kline Veterans Fund Tribute to Veterans and First Responders during the Las Vegas Lights FC match

The UNLV Rebel Battalion honor guard presented colors while EMMY-Award winning actress and vocalist Vita Corimbi Drew sang our national anthem. Jeremy Sonenschein, a former FDNY firefighter/paramedic was honored as the game’s pink scarf recipient. Veterans, first responders, and medical personnel were honored by the crowd during a halftime ceremony.

Stephanie Helms, Executive Director of Kline Veterans Fund Said: „It was heartwarming to see so much of the Las Vegas community come together in reverence for 9/11 to honor the thousands of lives lost and to pay tribute to our veterans and first responders who heed the call to protect and defend us every day. We are so appreciative of our community partners UFC and the Lights organization for their commitment to helping homeless veterans in Southern Nevada.“ 

„It’s always fulfilling to put on an event honoring our heroes and it’s even better when you have great local partners. Working with the Kline Veterans Fund and UFC to co-host our Tribute to Veterans and First Responders this year was an amazing experience. We were able to unite the community for an amazing cause while honoring countless heroes in the process.“ Bobby Long, Las Vegas Lights FC

To learn more or donate, please visit klineveterasnfund.org

Tristan Connelly Knows He Deserves To Be Here

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This year’s greatest mixed martial arts story is a few days in the rearview mirror, yet it still gets more compelling with each retelling.

That’s just fine with Tristan Connelly, who was waist deep in interviews on Monday afternoon, two days after his short-notice victory over the heavily favored Michel Pereira at UFC Vancouver. And it probably hasn’t slowed down, considering he gave ace publicist Ed Kapp the green light to keep them coming.

“Let’s line ‘em up,” Connelly told Kapp. “We’ll do as many as you want.”

Connelly should be careful what he wishes for, because after his performance – and with all the different angles to the story – a lot of people will want to talk to the 33-year-old, who is handling everything like an old pro.

“It’s one phone call at a time, there’s no other way I can do it,” he laughs. “I’ve done a lot before, obviously on a much smaller scale, so everything’s the same; it’s just more and bigger. At the end of the day, talking is talking and fighting is fighting, there’s just a few more people watching.”

More than have ever watched Connelly before, yet that never rattled him, whether in the lead-up to his meeting with Pereira or in the fight itself. It’s the calm that comes with being a pro in this sport for nearly a decade, and not putting too much pressure on the moment of being in the UFC.

That’s because Connelly never expected to be here. Well, that’s not exactly true. Like anyone starting in the sport, he had the dream of fighting in the biggest show in the sport, but when his record hit 5-5 after a 2015 loss to Mario Pereira, the then 29-year-old assumed those dreams were dashed. And that was a good assumption, because even though 5-5 in boxing is a death sentence, 5-5 in MMA is at least 20 years without parole.

“What do I do at 5-5?” Connelly asks. “I’m thinking I’m not going to the UFC, but there’s no point in fighting cans. I love fighting – so let’s fight the best guys I can possibly fight on the regional circuit. I own a gym, I teach, I coach, I have people under me and I want to be the best me I can be for them and learn the most I can learn. So I just started taking all the hardest fights I could.”

That gig, along with his wife’s job producing a second income, kept the Connellys above water financially. That left “Boondock” with the opportunity to pursue his fighting career without wondering if the phone would ever ring with the offer of a lifetime. With those pressures off, Connelly fought and fought and fought some more. His instructions to his manager were simple: opponents had to have a winning record and be ranked somewhere. If those qualifications were met, “I just kept saying yes.”

Connelly went 8-1 from 2015 to July of this year, when he halted D’Juan Owens in the fifth round. By then, the card for the UFC’s return to Vancouver was set, and Connelly expected to be there for his buddy and training partner Cole Smith.

Fate would soon intervene when Sergey Khandozhko was forced out of his bout with Pereira, the Brazilian banger who thrilled fight fans with a knockout of Danny Roberts in his UFC debut. Word got to Connelly, who knew what could be next.

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“The way it happens is when the UFC comes to your hometown or your home country and someone gets hurt and they need someone, you throw your name in there and you don’t turn it down,” said Connelly, who was a lightweight offering to fight a welterweight. When he did get the call, he surprised no one around him by accepting to meet Pereira. To those outside his inner circle, it was a different reaction.

“They said, ‘You’re gonna get killed.’ I said, ‘No, I’m not. He’s gonna come in and jump and flip at me and do all this stuff and it’s not gonna work on me.”

It didn’t work on him. Not in the slightest.

“I followed our game plan to an absolute T and it worked exactly how I thought it was gonna work and it happened exactly how I thought it was gonna happen,” said Connelly, who stunned Pereira with his unanimous decision win.

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When it was over, Tristan Connelly was everyone’s favorite fighter, and someone who didn’t just get a win bonus, but the entire $100,000 allotted for Fight of the Night since Pereira missed weight. And as sensible as he is towards his fight career, it’s not surprising that his idea of splurging with his bonus is a dinner with his team and iPhones for him and his wife.

As for a Saturday no one will forget, Connelly says “Obviously the way everything went was a perfect storm. My friend said, ‘If this were a movie, I wouldn’t believe it.’”

No one would. But it was real. And for Connelly, it was mission accomplished. Not the mission everyone would assume he had, but one all his own.

“I know I’m not the best in the world yet, but I know that I can hang with the best in the world and I can beat a lot of them,” he said. “I’m still growing, still learning, still improving and I’m never gonna be satisfied, which no fighter ever can be because if you are you’ll get your ass kicked. I know I deserve to be here.”

Irene Aldana Embraces Chance To Fight In Mexico

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When Irene Aldana talks about the last time she fought in Mexico City in 2013, her description of that night as “awesome” is probably an understatement considering what she pulled off that night at Lienzo Charro La Tapatia.

Just one fight into her professional career, one that began without the benefit of any amateur experience, Aldana went from 1-0 to 3-0 in the space of one minute and three seconds, as she finished Flor Saenz and Mayra Arce on the same night.

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“I won my first fight with a TKO in 20 seconds and then I fought my second fight and I got a knockout with a spinning wheel kick in 43 seconds and won the belt of that league,” recalled Aldana. “That was so exciting and those two fights opened the door for me to fight in Jungle Fight in Brazil for the belt. Everything went so quickly.”

Aldana’s fourth fight was going to be against future UFC fighter Larissa Pacheco just two months after her big night in Mexico City. It was a rapid step-up in competition, but Aldana didn’t blink.

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“We’re here to take risks, so I took it,” she said.

That risk didn’t pay off, as Aldana was stopped in the third round by Pacheco, but the die was cast. The Culiacan native was going to make some noise in a sport that she never thought she was going to make her life’s work.

“I was just training and fighting for fun and as a hobby and our coach Francisco (Grasso) was telling us, ‘You are going to be in the UFC.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t think so. That looks so far away.’ (Laughs) But everything went so quickly, and it started to get more serious with every fight and after my fight in Brazil, I took this career more seriously, and since that fight I had an eye toward the UFC, definitely.”

The next stop was Invicta FC, where Aldana made a name for herself internationally by posting a 4-1 record that included three Performance of the Night bonuses. By the end of 2016, she was in the UFC, and after a slow start, she’s won three of her last four en route to a Saturday bout with Vanessa Melo that marks Aldana’s first fight at home in Mexico since her two wins in one night nearly six years ago.

That’s quite a wait.

“I know that everything happens in its time, so it wasn’t my time,” she said of fighting in Mexico. “The second time that UFC came here I was supposed to fight on that card, but I got injured and I couldn’t. That time I was disappointed because I was really hoping to fight on that card.”

Her hopes for a homecoming bout dashed, Aldana waited patiently to hear the news about the UFC’s return to Mexico, and despite fighting in May and July, she wasn’t missing this one.

“I wanted to fight in Mexico, so let’s do it,” she said. “This is the moment.”

Yet as fight night approaches, Aldana admits to the lead-up being a lot different than it has been for the other fights in her career.

“Actually, it feels weird,” she laughs. “I’m at home and I’m fighting, and usually I’m fighting in other countries with the local ones and finally I get to be the local one. So I’m excited to see the crowd, to see my family there, to see everybody screaming and cheering and it makes me full of good energy and makes me want to give my best. And as always, it’s with the intention that it takes me one step closer to the top five and maybe a fight for the belt. So I’m also focused on that.”

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Currently ranked tenth in the world at 135 pounds, Aldana was scheduled to fight the No. 8-ranked Marion Reneau this weekend before “The Belizean Bruiser” withdrew from the bout. In steps in Brazilian newcomer Melo, and while it was disappointing for Aldana to not get a ranked opponent, a fight’s a fight.

“I know it’s her (UFC) debut, so I was expecting to fight a world-ranked fighter at this point, but I’m here to fight,” said Aldana. “This is my job and I was hoping to fight in Mexico for a long time so I’m here now, I had a full training camp already and I’m always open to whatever the UFC asks me. They couldn’t find another opponent and nobody was ready to fight, so she was the only one. I said, ‘Okay, this is my job, this is who they’re offering me, so we’re gonna take it.’”

And it is in Mexico City, so that’s even more incentive.

She laughs.

“Family, friends, everybody is going to be there, so I need to fight because everybody’s coming.”

UFC Mexico City: Fight by Fight

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YAIR RODRIGUEZ VS. JEREMY STEPHENS

Returning to fight in Mexico City for the first time in four years, Rodriguez looks to build on his 2018 Knockout of the Year effort against Chan Sung Jung as he takes on Stephens, one of the stalwarts of the featherweight division, in this weekend’s main event.

Rodriguez ended an 18-month layoff last November, stepping in to replace Frankie Edgar, who dominated him in his previous appearance at UFC 211, opposite “The Korean Zombie” in what turned into one of the best fights of the year. Though it was a close contest, most had Rodriguez down on the cards heading into the final round, but with literally one second remaining, the inventive, exciting rising star knocked out Jung with an upwards elbow out of nowhere.

In order to turn that victory into the start of a winning streak, he’ll need to get through Stephens, one of the most senior fighters on the roster in terms of appearances and the kind of tough, dangerous opponent who is more than capable of spoiling a homecoming like this for Rodriguez.

The 33-year-old veteran is one of those fighters whose record doesn’t tell the whole story of his career, as Stephens is 15-15 in his 30 Octagon appearances, but has made a living facing top competition and being a difficult out at all times. The San Diego-based featherweight has shown greater patience over his last several outings, and while he enters on a two-fight slide, Stephens remains a formidable threat in the middle of the divisional hierarchy.

Is Rodriguez ready to embark on a run towards the top of the division by adding a victory over a second consecutive veteran to his resume or will Stephens play spoiler and end the night with his hand raised?

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CARLA ESPARZA VS. ALEXA GRASSO

Saturday’s penultimate pairing has a very similar feel to the headlining act as it features the strawweight division’s first champion looking to halt the ascension of one of the weight class’s brightest young stars, who enters off the most impressive showing of her career.

The more times the strawweight title changes hands, the further removed Esparza gets from the conversation about past champions, though “The Cookie Monster” was the first to carry the title. Because of how lopsided her loss to Joanna Jedrzejczyk was at UFC 185, many have hurried to dismiss Esparza, but the Team Oyama representative has remained a competitive, capable member of the Top 10 throughout and she’s become a measuring stick of sorts for upstarts looking to advance in the title chase.

After arriving in the UFC with a ton of hype and winning her debut, Grasso stumbled, losing two of three and dealing with a couple longer than normal layoffs due to injuries. Surrounded by question marks, she returned in June against former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz and turned in her best performance to date, beating the Polish veteran to the punch at every turn en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Grasso has long been tabbed as a future contender and this is another opportunity for her to validate that designation and continue moving in that direction. She’ll need her takedown defense to be sharp and her jab to be working, otherwise Esparza will close the distance and deploy her top game in hopes of grinding out another good win over a promising young fighter.

ASKAR ASKAROV VS. BRANDON MORENO

With the flyweight division enjoying a renaissance of sorts, these two young talents will look to establish themselves as legitimate contenders as they take to the cage in Mexico City.

Moreno was an unexpected success story after getting bounced in the opening round of TUF 24’s Tournament of Champions by Alexandre Pantoja, stepping in on short notice to score a first-round submission win over Louis Smolka. Two more victories followed, landing the entertaining, but raw Mexican in a main event showdown against Sergio Pettis on the last event the UFC brought to Mexico City Arena.

After falling to Pettis, Moreno came up short in his attempt to earn a measure of revenge against Pantoja and was released from the promotion. He promptly signed with LFA and won the organization’s vacant flyweight title in June before securing a call back to the UFC Octagonwhere he belongs.

Askarov is an undefeated newcomer who also wore gold prior to matriculating to the UFC. He won the ACB flyweight belt with a submission victory over Jose Maria Tome, then successfully defended it twice, finishing both Anthony Leone and Rasul Albaskhanov by submission as well. He’s yet to see the scorecards in 10 professional fights, but has also proven he has a quality gas tank and legitimate upside as well, making this a truly compelling main card matchup.

The divisional picture is wide open right now in the 125-pound ranks and the winner of this one should find himself in the thick of the title chase as 2019 winds to a close.
 

IRENE ALDANA VS. VANESSA MELO

Two months after having her three-fight winning streak snapped, Aldana is back, looking to begin another run of success in a showdown with Melo, a Brazilian veteran and promotional newcomer filling in on short notice.

Similar to her teammate Grasso, Aldana arrived in the UFC following a good run under the Invicta FC banner, but stumbled out of the gate, dropping her first two appearances in the Octagon. The 31-year-old rebounded by stringing together three straight wins, culminating with a third-round submission of Bethe Correia in May, but had her winning streak interrupted by Raquel Pennington earlier this summer.

Tabbed to replace Marion Reneau on 10 days’ notice, Melo arrives in the UFC on a five-fight winning streak and having won seven of her last eight starts, including a victory over surging UFC fan favorite Molly McCann. Melo isn’t much of a finisher, nor is she easy to put away, having never been stopped while going the distance in eight of her 10 career wins, which means Aldana will have to work hard if she wants to keep this one out of the judges’ hands.

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MARTIN BRAVO VS. STEVEN PETERSON

Two fighters with their backs against the wall and coming off losses to Alex Cacares meet in this one as Bravo ends a 14-month absence to lock horns with Fortis MMA’s Peterson.

After pushing his record to 11-0 with a second-round stoppage win over Claudio Puelles in his UFC debut, Bravo has dropped back-to-back contests, first getting knocked out by Humberto Bandenay before having his comeback attempt fall short against Caceres last summer at the TUF 27 Finale in Las Vegas. Conversely, “Ocho” impressed enough in his Contender Series loss to Benito Lopez that the UFC called on him for a short-notice opportunity six months later. Though he’s 1-3 in his first four trips into the Octagon, Peterson has established himself as a battler who never quits, pushing through to the final horn in all four outings while delivering an entertaining effort every time he steps into the cage.

If you’re looking for a sneaky Fight of the Night pick, this would be the one.

JOSE QUINONEZ VS. CARLOS HUACHIN

Limited opportunities kept Quinonez flying under the radar heading into his last outing, where his four-fight winning streak was snapped. Now the former TUF Latin America finalist looks to get back in the win column by welcoming Huachin to the Octagon for the second time.

After losing to Alejandro Perez in the bantamweight finals in the inaugural season of the international offshoot of the UFC’s long-running reality TV competition, the 29-year-old Quinonez posted victories over Leonardo Morales, Joey Gomez, Diego Rivas and Teruto Ishihara to elevate himself to the cusp of contention in the bantamweight division. His hopes of cracking the Top 15 were dashed in March when he fell to emerging prospect Nathaniel Wood, but now he gets a home game in Mexico City, with designs on picking up his fifth win in six starts.

Huachin made his promotional debut earlier this year in Rio de Janeiro, stepping in on short notice to square off with streaking Brazilian Raoni Barcelos. Though he landed on the wrong side of the results, the 23-year-old Peruvian bantamweight proved he belongs in the Octagon and now he gets to show what he can do with a full training camp to prepare. Barcelos is an underrated talent and Huachin made him work in May, which should mean this matchup with Quinonez will be an entertaining affair from start to finish.

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MARCO POLO REYES VS. KYLE NELSON

Featherweights looking to halt matching two-fight slides meet in this one as Canada’s Nelson ventures to Mexico City to face another TUF Latin America alum in Reyes.

Nelson was on a six-fight winning streak that included victories over former TUF winner Jonathan Brookins and recent UFC victor Khama Worthy when he nabbed an opportunity to face Diego Ferreira on short notice at UFC 213 last winter. Though he had some good moments early, Nelson ultimately took a loss, and then was submitted in his return to the featherweight ranks in Ottawa earlier this spring.

Reyes’ UFC tenure began with three straight victories, but he’s just 1-3 since and has been stopped in each of those outings. Last time out, the veteran lasted just 67 seconds with Drew Dober and he hasn’t made it to the midway point of the second round in any of his last four outings, which means the potential is high for this one to end inside the distance.

But the question is which one of these two will finally get a victory and who will have to endure a third straight defeat?

ANGELA HILL VS. ARIANE CARNELOSSI

Originally slated to face Istela Nunes, Hill instead returns for her fourth appearance of the year against another newcomer, the 26-year-old Carnelossi.

One of the most active fighters on the roster over the last three years, Hill’s frequent trips into the Octagon haven’t led to many favorable results, as the TUF 20 contestant has managed just three wins in eight starts since her four-fight sabbatical with Invicta FC. She’s consistently faced tough competition and continues to get better, but with just a single victory in her last four appearances, Saturday’s showdown with Carnelossi could very well be a must-win fight for the popular 33-year-old.

The 26-year-old Carnelossi dropped her professional debut (to UFC competitor Amanda Ribas) in September 2014 and hasn’t looked back since, rattling off a dozen consecutive victories. What makes it tough to gauge how she’ll fit in the strawweight division is that many of those bouts came against opponents with minimal experience or limited records, so it’s difficult to know if she’s a one-woman wrecking machine, a regional superstar or something in between.

We’ll find out on Saturday night.

SERGIO PETTIS VS. TYSON NAM

The first of two compelling flyweight bouts to hit the cage on Saturday, this one is an opportunity for a former contender to right the ship and a long-time veteran to get his first taste of action inside the UFC Octagon.

Pettis has suffered from a little bit of bad timing during his current two-fight slide, following up his impressive victory over Joseph Benavidez with a loss to Jussier Formiga in a bout that didn’t end up producing a title challenger as anticipated. Then, with the division’s future in limbo, he ventured to bantamweight and landed on the wrong side of the scorecards against Top 15 fixture Rob Font, leaving him with three losses in four starts and in dire need of a bounce back performance.

It’s been seven years since Nam’s breakthrough win over Eduardo Dantas, but a 6-1-1 record over his last eight fights coupled with a short-notice opening opposite Pettis have created a lane for the 35-year-old Hawaiian to finally make his first walk to the Octagon. During his current run of good form, Nam has picked up a win over Ali Bagautinov and battled TUF alum Yoni Sherbatov to a draw, further showing he’s skilled enough to compete at this level.

Will the veteran newcomer earn a victory in his promotional debut or can Pettis break out of his recent funk and find his way back into the win column?

VINICIUS MOREIRA VS. PAUL CRAIG

After spending his first seven appearances in the Octagon battling emerging talents, Craig looks to level his UFC record in a bout against Brazil’s Moreira, who aims to avoid an 0-3 start to his UFC career.

The Scottish submission ace has literally faced nothing but tough outs on his way to a 3-4 start in the UFC, including consecutive fights against Fortis MMA prospects Kennedy Nzechukwu, whom he submitted, and Alonzo Menified, whom he did not. Craig’s standup remains a work in progress, but his grappling acumen is outstanding and there is no quit in him, as evidenced by his third-round, come from behind wins over Nzechukwu and Magomed Ankalaev.

Moreira carried a four-fight winning streak into his appearance on the Contender Series last summer, where he submitted John Allan to earn a UFC contract, but since then, “Mamute” has struggled, landing on the business end of first-round finishes against Menifield and Eryk Anders. Like Craig, he prefers working for submissions, so there is a very real possibility this turns into a scramble-heavy grappling match.

SIJARA EUBANKS VS. BETHE CORREIA

Bantamweights looking to get back into the win column meet in the second bout of the evening as former title challenger Correia squares off with the divisional sophomore Eubanks.

Correia has managed just a single victory since pushing her record to 9-0 with three straight victories to start her UFC career, going 1-4-1 in a stretch that began with her title fight loss to Ronda Rousey and is currently capped by her May submission loss to Aldana. Her last victory came at UFC 203 in Cleveland, where she edged out Jessica Eye by split decision, and she’s dealt with some serious injuries in the past, so it will be interesting to see if Correia is fired up and fully invested when she steps into the cage on Saturday night.

Eubanks is one of those athletes who is far more accomplished and talented than her 5-3 record portrays. Last time out, “SarJ” went shot-for-shot with Aspen Ladd in a Fight of the Night-winning clash that served as her first UFC appearance in the bantamweight ranks. Now a full two years into working with coach Mark Henry and the crew up in Jersey, Eubanks has the potential to be a dark horse contender in the division if she’s able to fight to her potential and string together a couple strong outings, starting this weekend in Mexico City.

CLAUDIO PUELLES VS. MARCOS MARIANO

The opening bout of the evening takes place in the lightweight division, where Peru’s Puelles looks to build on his comeback win over Felipe Silva when he takes on the Brazilian Mariano, who is making his second UFC start.

Puelles dropped his Octagon debut in November 2016, then spent the next 18 months on the sidelines dealing with various injuries and missed opportunities. When he returned last May in Chile, he was on the wrong end of things for two full rounds before catching Felipe Silva in a kneebar midway through the third. It’s been another 16 months since that outing, with another injury having forced him from a bout last November, but the 23-year-old has proven his toughness and resolve and if he can skip right to the part where he shines on Saturday, Puelles will head towards the end of the year on a two-fight winning streak.

Mariano made his UFC debut earlier this year, losing to Lando Vannata via submission in the first round of their clash at UFC 234. The 32-year-old has alternated wins and losses over his last four and is only one fight to the good overall for his career, but a strong showing against Puelles that earns him a victory in the Octagon can put all of that behind him in a hurry and set him on a different path heading into 2020.

Unfiltered Episode 325: Uriah Hall and Brett Okamoto

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First, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto calls in to talk about the news he’s broke about UFC 244, including whether there will actually be a BMF belt for the winner of the Diaz vs Masvidal fight. He also relays some behind-the-scenes info about what went down between Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman.

Then, Jim calls in from the road to talk about Gaethje’s win, Tyron Woodley’s latest comments about Colby Covington and if he’d like to play a vampire in a movie.

Finally, Uriah Hall calls in fresh off of his massive win over Antonio Carlos Junior. It was a split decision, did Uriah expect to win? And perhaps most importantly, who’s next? 

FULL EPISODE

iTunes | Google Play | Spotify

UFC Helps Raise Awareness For Batten Disease

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Typically found in children, Batten Disease affects vision, communication, cognitive functions, and the ability to walk.
 
Chris Velona founded the non-profit after learning his son Sebastian was diagnosed in 2010. Sebastian, now 15 years-old, lives in Anaheim with his family, who are all avid UFC fans.
 
Earlier this year, Chris Velona reached out to UFC to ask for help to raise awareness for Batten Disease. With UFC 241 being held Anaheim, it was the perfect opportunity for UFC to get involved. UFC invited Chris Velona, Sebastian, and his grandfather, Chuck Velona, to the ceremonial weigh-ins at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Chris Velona said: „Sebastian was so excited to attend. He was talking about it days before the event. As the day went on, the experience became more and more amazing.“
 
As a guest of UFC, Sebastian had the chance to get a behind the scenes tour and meet UFC athletes competing on the card, such as former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. The highlight of Sebastian’s day was meeting and taking a photo with UFC President Dana White.

„It was an unforgettable day,“ said Chris Velona. „The experience motivated us in our fight to cure Batten Disease.“
 
Project Sebastian is dedicated to not only helping to raise awareness and funds for a cure, but also to serve as a support system for the Batten Disease community.

For more information about Project Sebastian or to donate, please visit: https://www.projectsebastian.org/.

Nam Believes UFC Mexico City Is His Chance To Shine

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The Hawaiian is a fighter, though, and fighters fight, so he kept competing, and while doing so, he supplemented his income with a job as a coach at the local UFC Gym. Every day he went to work he saw those three letters everywhere, knowing how close he was to having them on his four-ounce gloves.

“It haunted me,” said Nam. “I was always thinking, ‘I work at the UFC Gym. How cool would that be if I can say I fight for the UFC, as well, too?’”

Apparently, it wasn’t meant to be. The years piled up, so did the fights, yet in 2019, he won two straight over Donald Gonzalez and Shojin Miki. Then Alex Perez was forced out of a fight in Mexico City against Sergio Pettis due to injury. Nam’s phone rang.

“It’s a dream come true,” said of the phone call that gave him a fight with Pettis this Saturday and a UFC contract. “That was the one thing on top of my bucket list. All I ever wanted to do was fight one fight in the UFC. My story, my career, my life in general is like a movie. And it doesn’t get better than this right at this moment for me.”

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The Hollywood ending could take place at high altitude in Mexico, but in the eyes of the 35-year-old Honolulu native, he already won. Now it’s just time to start a new chapter as he navigates the UFC’s flyweight division. With the weight class heating up again, it’s not an easy road to travel, but Nam has seen enough trials and tribulations that he’s well prepared for anything in his way.

“After I knocked out Eduardo Dantas in 2012, I was supposed to have been picked up by the UFC, but due to a contract dispute that didn’t happen,” he said. “And then in 2017, I knocked out the former UFC number one contender, Ali Bagautinov, and due to a contract dispute that didn’t happen again. I was almost kind of writing it off as if that’s just my destiny – I’m just always s**t out of luck.”

RELATED: On The Rise – Mexico City

That may be the worst destiny ever.

“No one even knows,” he laughs. “The stress, the anxiety and the pain were sitting there right on top of my heart.”

But again, fighters fight, and Nam is Hawaiian, so that warrior spirit is even stronger in those from the island, and he kept plugging away. He credits his family for that.

“I think it started when I was growing up,” he said. “When I was four or five years old, my older brothers and cousins would always pick on me, and they would make me cry at every single party that we went to, no matter what. (Laughs) I swear, after a few years, maybe when I’m seven or eight, I actually started enjoying it. I started liking roughhousing and the competition, even though I was getting beaten up because they were nine, ten, eleven years older than me. And I think that competitiveness that they instilled in me while I was growing up made me competitive to this day.”

Watch UFC Mexico With Your ESPN+ Subscription

A four-fight losing streak in 2013-14 didn’t help matters, yet slowly but surely Nam started to get his mojo back. He’s 6-1-1 in his last eight, a stretch highlighted by his 2017 knockout of Bagautinov, and after the win over Miki in July, he started to hope again. That hope turned into reality, and he expects that he will be at his best once U-F-C is on his gloves.

“I’ve not only proven myself once, but twice, and I feel like I do my best when everything is on the line, when I’m fighting the best in the world,” Nam said. “When I’m fighting locally, I feel like I don’t fight or perform as I would if I was fighting someone who’s top in the world. So I just needed to get back on a winning streak and hope and pray, cross my fingers and rub my rabbit’s foot that I may get a call one day.”

He got the call. And now that he’s here, he plans on sticking around for a bit, and even though there’s been a lot of emotion attached to his signing, that’s just the way he likes it.

“I always fight with emotion,” Nam said. “The things that have happened in my life, I fight for my name, I fight for my family, I fight for everybody around me, so it really means a lot to me. And I’m 35 years young. I’m here to stay.”

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