“Fluffy” Hernandez Breaks Down Michel Pereira
It was hard not to laugh when listening to Michel Pereira’s corner Saturday at the UFC Apex. After Pereira was battered, beaten, and held down by Anthony Hernandez for two rounds, Pereira’s corner told him to take a round off and rest. But there would be no rest for Pereira.
That’s not how Hernandez operates. Hernandez is a cardio machine and often puts a devastating pace on his opponents. Throughout Hernandez’s fight with Pereira, MMAfighting latest news saw there was no chance for Pereira to recover. There was no opportunity for Pereira to hide. Pereira saw his five-fight winning streak end when Hernandez finished him with ground strikes in the fifth round. But the fight should have been over much faster.
Hernandez was in a dominant top position in the second, third, and fourth rounds as well. One thing that makes Hernandez so special is that he doesn’t rush things. He has now won four consecutive fights. Hernandez, who was ranked at the bottom of the top 15 entering the fight, will now likely get a much tougher challenge in his next bout.
Font Gets Back on the Right Track
If you love technical fights where the fights go the distance, this was the fight night for you. The only knockout occurred in the main event. Many of the fights went like the one between Rob Font and Kyler Phillips did in the co-main event.
Both men fired out a high number of strikes to try and secure a knockdown, but neither one was able to plant their opponent on the canvas for good. Font came into the fight as an underdog, but MMA breaking news showed he was more than prepared for what Phillips had to offer.
Phillips attempted to control Font on the ground. He landed four takedowns but wasn’t able to sustain much damage on the ground. Font was a more accurate striker, holding a 61-38 edge in significant strikes.
Johnson Wins Wild Fight with Su Mudaerji
It had to be nice for Su Mudaerji to see the end of a fight. Before Su fought Charles Johnson this weekend, the best MMA news website shows that Su had been submitted in spectacular fashion during his previous two fights. While Su still struggled to find the mark against Johnson, he was much more active in trying to stay off his back.
Johnson was able to pick up a decision win in this fight because of his power. Su finished with a 75-65 edge in significant strikes, but Johnson hit harder. Johnson was also the more effective grappler.
Johnson was successful on two of six takedown attempts. While Su attempted to submit Johnson twice, he wasn’t able to do enough to sway the judges’ opinions.
Smotherman Answers the Call from Saudi Arabia
Cameron Smotherman was in the Middle East to support a teammate early this week when he got the call to come back to Las Vegas for his UFC debut. While he was disappointed to leave Raufeon Stots, who was getting ready for the PFL’s Battle of the Giants card, he was excited to have an opportunity to make a good first impression. To the surprise of many, Smotherman was more than ready to take on Jake Hadley.
Smotherman dominated the fight, holding a 96-60 edge in significant strikes. He picked up a unanimous decision win, including a 30-26 card from judge Adalaide Byrd.
Hadley didn’t make life easier for himself. He had a hard time keeping his fingers in his gloves. That ended up costing him a point on the scorecards in a fight that was otherwise pretty close. Hadley losing to Smotherman on short notice is an embarrassing result.
Elkins Picks Up Close Decision Win
Darren Elkins should be the nightmare matchup for any fighter who has designs on reaching the top of the UFC rankings. Elkins, 40, has fought 40 times professionally in his career and has a 29-11 record. While many people thought Elkins would be headed for retirement soon, his fight with Daniel Pineda shows he may have a few left in him.
Elkins was able to use his well-rounded skill set to pick up a unanimous decision over Daniel Pineda. Elkins has now won two straight fights. He should get a few more opportunities to fight in the UFC.
Almabayev Continues to Build Reputation
People think that Asu Almabayev could be a UFC flyweight title challenger someday. There are a lot of signs that are starting to point in that direction. Almabayev picked up a win over a ranked fighter when he beat Matheus Nicolau by unanimous decision. Almabayev improved his winning streak to 17 fights, and he has gone 4-0 since joining the UFC in 2023.
This was a difficult loss for Nicolau. He has been on the fringes of a big breakthrough for the past few seasons. Nicolau has lost three straight fights and will need to recalculate how to improve if he wants to stay near the top of the division.
Edwards Takes Things Down to the Wire
Joselyne Edwards had the shame of having to fight Tamires Vidal at a catchweight after she missed weight. Edwards, who was already losing a percentage of her purse, didn’t want to end up missing out on her win bonus. Late in the third round, Edwards was able to lock up a submission.
It was the only other fight on the card to not reach the scorecards other than the main event.
Here’s a look at the rest of the fights on the card:
Bantamweight, Jean Matsumoto win by decision over Brad Katona, 29-28 (x3)
Women’s strawweight, Elise Reed win by decision over Jessica Penne, 29-28 (x3)
Women’s strawweight, Melissa Martinez by win decision over Alice Ardelean, 30-27 (x3)
Heavyweight, Austen Lane win by decision over Robelis Despaigne, 29-28 (x3)
Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
By Dean McHugh.
