UFC 248: Sean O'Malley Backstage Interview • Mar.
Austin Hubbard by unanimous decision (29-28 x 3) UFC 248: Giga Chikadze Backstage Interview Early success of COVID-19 vaccine candidates fuels optimism… His initial success had him poised for a major push and projected to do big things in the bantamweight division, which has only gotten stronger during his hiatus. He’s trained with great teams throughout the years, has a very good gas tank, and is the type of fighter who is going to make you work for every inch when you’re in there with him.Thus far, that approach has yielded five wins in six trips into the Octagon for Klose, but this weekend’s bout with Dariush represents a step up in competition and a chance for him to show that he too is capable of adding to his current run of success and making a push to crack the rankings before the year is out.Welterweights looking to begin their 2020 campaigns with a meaningful victory meet in this one as Neil Magny returns from an extended absence to face the streaking Li Jingliang.A fixture in the Top 15 since he embarked on a three-year, 13-fight, 11-2 run inside the Octagon, Magny has split his last four appearances since climbing into the top tier of talent in the 170-pound weight class, sandwiching wins over Carlos Condit and Craig White between losses to Rafael Dos Anjos and Santiago Ponzinibbio.
In the bantamweight opener, Mongolia’s Danaa Batgerel earned his first UFC victory, knocking out Guido Cannetti in the first round.Danaa Batgerel finishes Guido Cannetti for his first UFC victory.Georgia’s Giga Chikadze won a hard-fought three-round split decision over Octagon newcomer Jamall Emmers in their featherweight bout.Hear what Giga Chikadze had to say after earning a victory at UFC 248.Gerald Meerschaert settled his score with middleweight rival Deron Winn, winning by submission in the third round.Gerald Meerschaert talks backstage after his victory at UFC 248.Watch Gerald Meerschaert submit Deron Winn to earn his victory at UFC 248.Rodolfo Vieira once again showed off his world-class ground game in his middleweight bout with Saparbeg Safarov, winning via first-round submission.Watch Rodolfo Vieira submit Saparbeg Safarov with an arm triangle during their UFC 248 middleweight fight.Lightweight prospect Mark O. Madsen kept his unbeaten record intact, but he had to hold off a late charge from Austin Hubbard before taking a close, but unanimous, decision.After two years away from the Octagon, “Sugar” Sean O’Malley returned in style, stopping Jose Quinonez in the first round of their bantamweight matchup.An emotional Sean O'Malley talks about becoming a star and his triumphant return at UFC 248.Sean O'Malley returns to the Octagon and finishes Jose Quinonez in Round 1 at UFC 248.Welterweights Alex Oliveira and Max Griffin brought the heat in the main card opener, with Oliveira snapping a three-fight losing streak with a win via split decision.It was a triumphant return for welterweight standout Neil Magny, who came back from 16 months on the sidelines to shut out China’s Li Jingliang over three rounds.Hear what Neil Magny had to say after a dominant victory at UFC 248.Beneil Dariush made it four consecutive wins in a wild one, as he stopped Drakkar Klose in the second round of their lightweight bout.Hear what Beneil Dariush had to say after an amazing KO victory over Drakkar Klose at UFC 248.Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk delivered the greatest fight in women’s MMA history Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and when it was over, the result of the UFC 248 co-main event was almost secondary due to the epic nature of the bout, but it was Zhang retaining her UFC strawweight title for the first time via five-round split decision in a fight that raised the stock of both ladies and the sport.After a spectacular 2019 campaign, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya’s first fight of 2020 wasn’t as crowd-pleasing, but he did retain his undisputed title for the first time, taking a unanimous five-round decision over Yoel Romero in the main event of UFC 248 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.A new Fight of the Night Power Rankings has dropped.Henry Cejudo attempts to defend his bantamweight belt against Jose Aldo at UFC 250 in Sao Paulo, BrazilCheck out some of the best kimura finishes in UFC history, featuring legends like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Check out all the big winners from Las Vegas, Nevada
Sean O'Malley def. Jamall Emmers via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Now he’s moving 20 pounds south to compete in the 185-pound weight class, where his size, reach, and power should make him a better fit.This is a quality matchup for both men as they look to take another step forward in their respective UFC careers.
(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa L He’s always been one to court the spotlight, but now that it’s trained on him, how will the promising Montana native respond this weekend?Exhibit 8 in the ongoing case to show that lightweight is tremendously deep and competitive at the moment comes in the form of this clash between emerging talents Mark O. Madsen and Austin Hubbard.The 35-year-old Madsen is a four-time Olympian who won a silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2016 games. Austin Hubbard by unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
Zhang Weili def.
Though he struggled at times in his initial Octagon appearance last summer against Oscar Piechota, Vieira fought through the fatigue and inexperience to secure a second-round submission victory and should be more comfortable this time around.The 33-year-old Safarov arrived in the UFC with an undefeated record, dropped his first two appearances to Gian Villante and Tyson Pedro, and then rebounded with a victory last March in London. Copyright © 2001-2020 UFC All Rights Reserved