Here’s what you need to know:
Michael Chandler strikes a blow for fighters not in the U.F.C.
Jan. 24, 2021, 12:21 a.m. ET
Jan. 24, 2021, 12:21 a.m. ET
Michael Chandler has the knockout of the night (so far) in his U.F.C. debut.
Jan. 24, 2021, 12:15 a.m. ET
Jan. 24, 2021, 12:15 a.m. ET
Joanne Calderwood is moving up the flyweight rankings.
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:57 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:57 p.m. ET
U.F.C.’s practices on fighter pay are under scrutiny.
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:44 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:44 p.m. ET
Makhmud Muradov stops Sanchez, then pleads for an Instagram follow.
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:24 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:24 p.m. ET
Some fans, including U.F.C. fighters, are being stymied by technical difficulties.
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:18 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:18 p.m. ET
U.F.C. got a real crowd for this event.
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:07 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:07 p.m. ET
Tsarukyan closes the preliminary bouts with a decision win.
Jan. 23, 2021, 10:17 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 10:17 p.m. ET
The U.F.C. vowed to defy the coronavirus. It has worked. Sort of.
Jan. 23, 2021, 9:49 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 9:49 p.m. ET
Pena outclasses McMann with a rear naked choke.
Jan. 23, 2021, 9:17 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 9:17 p.m. ET
This main event has strategy implications for the U.F.C. and ESPN+ in 2021.
Jan. 23, 2021, 8:33 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 8:33 p.m. ET
Jan. 24, 2021, 12:45 a.m. ET
Jan. 24, 2021, 12:45 a.m. ET
Dustin Poirier crushed Conor McGregor with a right hand in the face halfway through the second round, knocking McGregor to the ground and leading to a stoppage and a victory seconds later.
Poirier opened the round by repeatedly kicking McGregor’s lead leg, with commentator Daniel Cormier declaring that McGregor was “dead in that leg already.” McGregor looked to continue his first round strategy and land punches, but the injured leg seemingly sapped his strength. He managed to catch a couple of Poirier’s kicks, but wasn’t able to convert them into a takedown or any other advantage.
McGregor was soon backed up against the cage, and when one of Poirier’s punches in a flurry connected, the fight was over.
“The low calf kick was very good,” McGregor said after the fight.
The victory by Poirier will surely get him a lightweight title shot, whether against an unretired Khabib Nurmagomedov or for a vacant belt, while McGregor’s U.F.C. future is now a lot more uncertain.
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Knockout
Dustin Poirier
defeats
Conor McGregor
Jan. 24, 2021, 12:36 a.m. ET
Jan. 24, 2021, 12:36 a.m. ET
McGregor promised he’d knock Poirier out in less than 60 seconds. Didn’t happen.
Poirier might not have won the round, but he managed to take McGregor down midway though, and land a solid right hook. But by late in the round Poirier looked tired and McGregor still looked fast and explosive.
Upcoming
Dustin Poirier
vs.
Conor McGregor
Jan. 24, 2021, 12:21 a.m. ET
Jan. 24, 2021, 12:21 a.m. ET
Credit…Zuffa Llc, via Getty Images
Michael Chandler may have been making his U.F.C. debut, but he’s no mixed martial arts newbie. Chandler has fought 23 times for Bellator, a competing M.M.A. organization, twice winning its lightweight championship.
In 2021, there is no doubt that most of the best fighters in the world compete in the U.F.C., but that doesn’t mean there aren’t great ones in Bellator, One Championship or elsewhere. That Chandler could stop Dan Hooker, the sixth ranked fighter in one of the U.F.C.’s most stacked division, proves that.
Jan. 24, 2021, 12:15 a.m. ET
Jan. 24, 2021, 12:15 a.m. ET
Michael Chandler dispatched Dan Hooker in less than two minutes in his heavily hyped U.F.C. debut, and then he risked everything.
Hooker, a 30-year-old New Zealander nicknamed The Hangman, didn’t pose much danger to Chandler while the fight lasted. Chandler, a 34-year-old champion in the Bellator promotion who finally signed with the U.F.C., stalked Hooker for most of their fight before landing a right hand to the body and left to the face that dropped Hooker. When he hopped on Hooker and pummeled him some more, the referee stopped the bout.
Then Chandler scrambled to the top of the fence and did a back flip, placing himself in more danger than Hooker ever did. He landed safely in the middle of the ring.
Chandler, an immediate title contender at 155 pounds, improves his record to 22-5, and used his post-fight interview to call out main-eventers McGregor and Poirier, and retired lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
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Knockout
Michael Chandler
defeats
Dan Hooker
Upcoming
Dan Hooker
vs.
Michael Chandler
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:57 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:57 p.m. ET
Credit…Jeff Bottari/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
Early in Round 2 of their flyweight bout, Joanne Calderwood dumped Jessica Eye on her back, and could have pounced. Instead, she let her downed opponent stand and keep fighting. In another circumstance the move might constitute a tactical error but Calderwood, a Muay Thai kickboxing expert, was reluctant to break the rhythm that had her winning the fight.
In close, she’d clinch the 34-year-old Eye and land hard knee strikes to the rib cage. From a distance Calderwood, a 34-year-old Scot who now lives in Las Vegas, landed long-range punches and kicks. When Eye tried to close the distance, Calderwood would land front kicks to the stomach. And when she succeeded in fighting at close range, Calderwood would pound her with those knee strikes.
After three rounds, all three judges awarded the bout to Calderwood, who improves to 15-4, and figures to move up the U.F.C.’s flyweight rankings.
Unanimous Decision
Joanne Calderwood
defeats
Jessica Eye
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:44 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:44 p.m. ET
Credit…Jeff Bottari/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
As the U.F.C. approaches its 30th birthday, it has matured into a big money sports organization. But a big reason for its prosperity is under a direct threat.
An antitrust lawsuit was recently granted class action status by fighters who claim the U.F.C. is a monopoly that illegally suppresses their wages. Should the fighters win, the U.F.C. could be forced to pay out billions of dollars and fundamentally alter its business model.
The U.F.C. pays a lesser percentage of its revenues to its athletes than other professional sports organizations in the United States whose players are represented by unions.
A new presidential administration could mean more scrutiny for the U.F.C., whose president Dana White spoke on behalf of his friend Donald Trump at two different Republican National conventions and even invited Trump to a fight in 2019. A bill that would regulate mixed martial arts much like boxing was introduced in Congress in 2016, but went nowhere. Could it make a comeback?
There is also the question of Conor McGregor’s legal troubles, and whether they could prematurely end the career of the U.F.C.’s biggest draw.
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Upcoming
Jessica Eye
vs.
Joanne Calderwood
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:24 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:24 p.m. ET
Credit…Jeff Bottari/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
After Round 1, Andrew Sanchez’s coaches told him to keep pressing because his opponent, Makhmud Muradov, was already fatiguing.
Sanchez, 32, a former college wrestler, pressed forward as instructed but Muradov, a strong and long-limbed striker from Uzbekistan, was nowhere near tired. He responded to Sanchez’s pressure with well-timed right hands, and stout defense when Sanchez tried to turn their bout into a wrestling contest.
After Round 2, Sanchez’s coaches begged him not to blow his nose, which Muradov had bloodied with well-timed punches. And midway through Round 3, a counter right hand from Muradov wobbled Sanchez. Then came a flying knee strike and the flurry of punches that prompted the referee to stop the fight.
The victory extended Muradov’s win streak to 14 bouts, and prompted him to seek out U.F.C. President Dana White, who was seated near the octagon, to ask why White doesn’t follow him on Instagram.
Muradov like forget the bonus, I just want an IG follow. I respect it.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 24, 2021
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Jan. 23, 2021, 11:18 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:18 p.m. ET
If you paid to watch tonight’s main event but cannot get ESPN+ to work, you’re not alone. Plenty of U.F.C. fighters are dealing with technical difficulties too:
The problems seem to be concentrated in the United States, where Disney sells the pay-per-view through ESPN+, and not internationally, where it varies depending upon the country but generally is handled by the tech platform of Endeavor, U.F.C.’s parent company.
“We are aware of an issue impacting some fans’ ability to access to tonight’s PPV event and are working to resolve it as quickly as possible,” a Disney spokesman said in a statement.
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Knockout
Makhmud Muradov
defeats
Andrew Sanchez
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:07 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:07 p.m. ET
Credit…Zuffa Llc, via Getty Images
That crowd noise you hear isn’t piped in.
About 1,800 fans were allowed to purchase tickets to U.F.C. 257, meaning the newly built Etihad Arena on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island will be about 10 percent full. It is the first time spectators have been allowed at a U.F.C. event since last March.
To attend, fans must have obtained a negative coronavirus test within 48 hours of the beginning of the event, and once inside they must wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines.
Abu Dhabi, which is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, had been closed to tourists for months, but began easing restrictions in late December.
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Jan. 23, 2021, 11:04 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 11:04 p.m. ET
Credit…Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
Herb Dean is widely considered to be the best referee in mixed martial arts, especially after John McCarthy, known as Big John, retired a few years ago.
But like all referees, he’s made his share of curious decisions, and the nonstoppage after Marina Rodriguez dropped Amanda Ribas with a right hand is one of them. He seemed an instant away from stopping the fight before pulling out, awkwardly trying to step out of the way after he’d gotten in too close to the fighters. The move prompted Rodriguez to stop fighting and walk away as if she had won.
Commentator Jon Anik speculated that Dean “saw something” in Ribas’s eyes that led him to continue the fight.
Ultimately, the blunder had little consequence, as Rodriguez resumed, landed a few more punches and Dean stepped in.
Dean will have a chance to redeem himself in a couple of hours: He’s refereeing the main event between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
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Upcoming
Andrew Sanchez
vs.
Makhmud Muradov
Jan. 23, 2021, 10:44 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 10:44 p.m. ET
Credit…Jeff Bottari/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
Early in the first round, Amanda Ribas, the betting favorite, dumped underdog Marina Rodriguez on her back, then spent the next few minutes grinding her opponent into the canvas, the fight unfolding the way bettors figured it would.
But Rodriguez, 33, is a Muay Thai kickboxing specialist, and dangerous in fights that don’t go to the ground. So in the second, when Ribas waded in close, looking to engage, Rodriguez popped her with a straight right hand. When Rodriguez pounced to finish the fight, referee Herb Dean moved in and appeared to tap Rodriguez, which could have signaled an end to the fight. An awkward pause ensued. Then the fight resumed. Then Rodriguez landed another home run of a right hand and Dean waved the fight off before Ribas, standing but barely conscious, could absorb more damage.
Rodriguez improves her record to 12-1-2, while Ribas, 27, falls to 10-2.
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Knockout
Marina Rodriguez
defeats
Amanda Ribas
Upcoming
Marina Rodriguez
vs.
Amanda Ribas
Jan. 23, 2021, 10:17 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 10:17 p.m. ET
Credit…Jeff Bottari/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
Arman Tsarukyan’s bio at the M.M.A. database Sherdog.com says he’s from Russia. According to the U.F.C.’s website, the 24-year-old lightweight is from Georgia — the former Soviet republic, not the battleground state in last November’s U.S. presidential election.
Fight night settled it: Tsarukyan is from Armenia.
But there wasn’t much ambiguity about his fight night strategy. He came to suffocate American lightweight Matt Frevola, dragging him to the mat seconds after the opening bell, then body slamming him moments later. Frevola landed some flurries of his own, and even opened a cut in Tsarukyan’s hairline with a hard punch.
But Tsarukyan, a 5-foot-7 pit bull of a fighter, spent the final round stalking, tackling and mauling Frevola on the way to a unanimous decision win.
The victory improves Tsarukyan’s record to 15-2. Frevola is now 8-2.
Late in Round 1, Brazilian grappler Antonio Carlos Junior nailed Hawaiian striker Brad Tavares with a knee that landed hard. The shot was Carlos’s best of the night, but there was one problem.
It landed between Tavares’s legs. Right on his protective cup. An illegal low blow.
That meant Carlos’s best shot of the night wouldn’t count, but Tavares’ most effective blows did. A right hand dropped Carlos late round two, and the 33-year-old landed several more decisive blows in the third, as Junior labored in vain to turn their fight into a grappling match.
Tavares, who broke a two-fight losing streak, won a unanimous decision, with two judges scoring the fight 30-27, and a third scoring it 29-28.
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Unanimous Decision
Arman Tsarukyan
defeats
Matt Frevola
Jan. 23, 2021, 9:49 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 9:49 p.m. ET
Credit…Zuffa/Llc, via Getty Images
When the rest of the sports world shut down in March because of the coronavirus, U.F.C. President Dana White vowed that he would not be deterred by a pandemic.
The beginning was rocky. Five previously scheduled events were canceled. Plans to hold an event on Native American tribal land in California — in order to bypass state restrictions on large gatherings — were abandoned after Gov. Gavin Newsom of California asked Disney to intervene. When the U.F.C. did find a more hospitable host, in Florida, the U.F.C.’s employees and fighters struggled to follow policies designed to limit the spread of the virus.
But over the summer, the U.F.C. found its footing. It established American and international home bases, in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, alternating several weeks of fights between the two locations. In total the U.F.C. held 41 events in 2020, just one fewer than the 42 it held in 2019.
Like other sports that eventually resumed competition, keeping the coronavirus out has proved impossible. At least 53 fighters were reported to have tested positive, according to the M.M.A. news site Bloody Elbow, and headlining fights — like a scheduled welterweight championship bout between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns — had to be scrapped because one of the fighters tested positive.
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Upcoming
Arman Tsarukyan
vs.
Matt Frevola
Unanimous Decision
Brad Tavares
defeats
Antonio Carlos Junior
Jan. 23, 2021, 9:17 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 9:17 p.m. ET
Credit…Jeff Bottari/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
In a past career, Sara McMann was a world-class amateur wrestler, but her Olympic-medal-level skills — she won a silver in Athens in 2004 — couldn’t save her when fellow bantamweight Juliana Pena dragged her to the mat early in Round 3 and pinned her back to the canvas.
McMann, 40, persevered. She’s so committed to winning that the broadcast crew pointed out that she did a full workout on the plane during the flight from Las Vegas to Abu Dhabi. But Pena, 32, persisted until she climbed onto McMann’s back, locked her legs around her opponent’s waist, and wrapped her forearm under McMann’s neck. Moments later, McMann — still fully conscious but unable to escape the chokehold — submitted.
Pena, now 11-4, used the post-fight interview to lobby for a fight with U.F.C. bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes. Nunes responded quickly:
If legendary Panamanian welterweight boxer Roberto Duran had hands of stone, surely U.F.C. light heavyweight Marcin Prachnio’s head is constructed of something similar. Late in the second round of his bout against Khalil Rountree Jr., Prachnio walked into a right hook that nearly dropped him.
Seconds later Rountree, a Los Angeles native who lives and trains in Thailand, whacked Prachnio across the face with a thunderous left-footed kick. Prachnio, 32, of Poland, wobbled but didn’t fall. Then he rebounded to win Round 3, turning up the pressure on a tiring Rountree, and winning 29-28 on all three scorecards.
The win breaks a three-fight losing streak for Prachnio, now 14-5. Rountree’s record falls to 8-5 with one no-contest.
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Upcoming
Brad Tavares
vs.
Antonio Carlos Junior
Choke Submission
Julianna Pena
defeats
Sara McMann
Upcoming
Julianna Pena
vs.
Sara McMann
Unanimous Decision
Marcin Prachnio
defeats
Khalil Rountree Jr.
Jan. 23, 2021, 8:33 p.m. ET
Jan. 23, 2021, 8:33 p.m. ET
Credit…John Raoux/Associated Press
U.F.C. 257 is the first big fight of ESPN’s third year showing U.F.C. bouts, mostly on its ESPN+ streaming service.
ESPN will be hoping to make tens of millions of dollars off tonight’s pay-per-view, but it has also used U.F.C. fights as one of the biggest drivers of subscriptions to ESPN+. As of last month, 11.5 million people subscribed to ESPN+.
A good portion of those people are tuning into watch the U.F.C. According to numbers obtained by The New York Times, in 2020 the average fight night on ESPN+ attracted almost 575,000 unique viewers — that is, anybody who watched for at least a small amount of time — who collectively watched for more than 80 million minutes.
The U.F.C. is also making a push for a broadcast television presence. Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar’s fight last weekend was shown on ABC — which is owned by Disney, like ESPN — the first combat sport to appear on the channel in 20 years. The U.F.C. hopes Disney executives are happy enough with the viewership to continue putting fights on ABC on Saturday afternoons, and perhaps soon on Saturday nights.
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