<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13163269" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jared-cannonier" source="Orion">Jared Cannonier</keyword> destroyed <keyword id="13163270" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="derek-brunson" source="Orion">Derek Brunson</keyword> with elbow strikes Saturday at <keyword id="11922275" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ufc" source="Orion">UFC</keyword> 271.</li><li>The American had to come from behind to find the win, scoring his knockout in the second round.</li></ul><p>American fighter Jared Cannonier made a violent statement Saturday at <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc-271" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the UFC 271 event</a> inside the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, when he got up from the canvas to brutally finish Derek Brunson with an elbow-backfist combo.</p><p>The second-round knockout propels Cannonier into title-shot contention, and he knows he deserves it, as he made his middleweight championship demands to <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC</a> boss Dana White after his statement win.</p><p>But Cannonier had to work for the result, and came-from-behind as he lost the opening round on Insider's card, on account of Brunson's striking activity and penchant for takedowns.</p><p>Round two began as the first left off, with Brunson again trying to take the fight to the mat. But Cannonier was patient, waiting for his opportunity to strike and to strike hard.</p><p>That moment came little more than 30 seconds from the end of the second, as he dazed Brunson with a heavy right hand.</p><p>With a nasty elbow strike and an awesome back-fist, Cannonier had Brunson in even more trouble.</p><p>On the floor, it was only a matter of time before the referee intervened as another Cannonier elbow smashed into Brunson's face — pow.</p><p>And just like that, Brunson's corner threw in the towel but the ref stopped the bout anyway.</p><p>Brunson was out cold, and Cannonier was celebrating a momentous win.</p><p><strong>Watch the aftermath right here:</strong></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—ESPN <keyword id="11922276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma" source="Orion">MMA</keyword> (@espnmma) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1492720088637526019">February 13, 2022</a></blockquote><p>With victory, 37-year-old Cannonier advanced his pro <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MMA</a> record to 15 wins (10 knockouts, two submissions, and three decisions) against five losses.</p><p>The result means he's now secured back-to-back wins over Kelvin Gastelum and now Brunson, since suffering a blip in a decision loss to Robert Whittaker.</p><p>It is now likely he will fight for the title — against Israel Adesanya, or Whittaker — in his next match.</p>

American fighter Jared Cannonier got up from the deck to elbow UFC opponent Derek Brunson to hell

UFC boss Dana White said one of his fighters suffered 'a mental breakdown' in the middle of a bout

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jack Della Maddalena clobbered his opponent Danny Roberts to the floor in the first round.</li><li>Muslim Salikhov scored a flashy win of his own in the very next fight.</li></ul><p>LAS VEGAS — Rising welterweight fighter Jack Della Maddalena clobbered his way to a first-round finish over Danny Roberts during <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a UFC Fight Night event</a> Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas.</p><p>Della Maddalena and Roberts fought a 170-pound three-rounder that lasted a mere three minutes and 24 seconds because the Australian produced a striking masterclass.</p><p>The 26-year-old landed 41 of 68 strikes attempted for an accuracy rate of 60% while limiting Roberts to a mere five strikes landed from 33 (15%).</p><p>For Della Maddalena, that works out as a shot thrown every three seconds — and considering the way he fought, each one was thrown with bad intentions.</p><p>It was not long before Roberts eventually wilted.</p><p><strong>Watch the finish right here:</strong></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—UFC (@ufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1594089474840924160">November 19, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Victory advanced Della Maddalena's <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pro MMA</a> record to 13 wins (11 knockouts, one submission, and one decision) against two defeats.</p><h2>Muslim Salikhov finished Andre Fialho with a spinning wheel kick and punches</h2><div type="image" title="Muslim Salikhov kicks Andre Fialho." height="1272" width="2000" msid="95631667" hostid="261" sizebytes="135354"></div><p>Della Maddalena wasn't the only main card fighter to score a finish Saturday, though, as Muslim Salikhov also dug deep into his box of tricks to bamboozle Andre Fialho in their welterweight tussle.</p><p>Fialho started the fight in good form because of uppercuts and hard lefts that appeared to daze Salikhov by injuring his eye.</p><p>Salikhov got revenge in the second round as his power became a difference-maker in the bout, landing 50 of 72 strikes (70% accuracy).</p><p>A succession of spinning kicks and unrelenting strikes from Salikhov forced the referee to end the fight in the third, as Fialho could seemingly take no more.</p><p><strong>Watch the finish right here:</strong></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—ESPN MMA (@espnmma) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1594095393414868993">November 19, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Victory advanced Salikhov's pro MMA record to 19 wins (13 knockouts, two submissions, and four decisions) against three losses.</p><p>Earlier in the show, a 25-year-old UFC fighter called <a href="https://www.insider.com/ufc-highlights-natalia-silva-finishes-tereza-bleda-kick-to-jaw-2022-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Natalia Silva scored an incredible third-round knockout with a spinning back kick</a> to her opponent Tereza Bleda's jaw.</p><p>The show's main event, a heavyweight contest between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac, was canceled at the last minute, according to an official statement from ring announcer Joe Martinez.</p><p>Insider understood it is because Lewis fell unwell on the day with a non-COVID and non-weight-cutting issue.</p><h2>UFC returns with its next event December 3</h2><p>The UFC has a week away for the Thanksgiving holiday before returning with a December 3 event in Orlando.</p><p>Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland headline that 15-fight card, which also features Rafael dos Anjos, Tai Tuivasa, and Derek Brunson in separate bouts.</p>

An up-and-coming fighter beat his UFC opponent to the floor with an impressive first-round drubbing

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Natalia Silva scored the knockout of the night Saturday when she finished Tereza Bleda.</li><li>Silva KO'd Bleda with a spinning back to the jaw which has to be seen to be believed.</li></ul><p>LAS VEGAS — Natalia Silva ended Tereza Bleda's night early with a spinning back kick to the jaw Saturday at <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a UFC Fight Night event</a> on ESPN+.</p><p>The women's flyweight match kicked off a 12-fight card at the Apex TV studio in Las Vegas, and it was a fight Silva impressed in thanks to the sharp striking she displayed through the three-round fight.</p><p>Silva did not have it all her own way, though. Bleda had the edge in the opening round thanks to a takedown and triangle attempt from the bottom position.</p><p>Silva started to show her striking variety in the second, landing 37 strikes from 51 attempts in that round alone.</p><p>Then, in the third, the Brazilian secured her highlight-reel finish as she landed a flashy, spinning back kick flush on Bleda's face, who looked dazed and confused after the impact.</p><p>Silva hit her with afters and, before long, Bleda's mouthguard flew out of her mouth and the referee stepped in to call the fight off. It was all over.</p><h2>'A thing of beauty'</h2><div type="image" title="Silva landed a spinning back kick to Bleda's jaw." height="1362" width="2000" msid="95631450" hostid="261" sizebytes="113006"></div><p>UFC commentator and former champion Michael Bisping called the shot "a thing of beauty … timed perfectly" when he spoke to her through a translator once the official result was announced.</p><p>And it was. It rarely gets better than this for an athlete making her second appearance in the big show.</p><p><strong>Watch the knockout right here:</strong></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—UFC (@ufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1594035686969315330">November 19, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Victory advanced Silva's <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pro MMA</a> record to 14 wins (four knockouts, seven submissions, and two decisions) against five defeats.</p><h2>Hiestand, Demopoulos, and Turcios win by decision</h2><p>Elsewhere on the card, Brady Hiestand, Vanessa Demopoulos, and Ricky Turcios posted victories of their own, all via unanimous decision over separate opponents.</p><p>Hiestand outpointed Fernie Garcia in a bantamweight bout, Demopoulos triumphed over Maria Oliveira at strawweight, and Turcios edged Kevin Natividad at 135-pounds after overcoming a violent flying knee.</p><p><strong>Watch the epic knee strike right here:</strong></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—MMA mania (@mmamania) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1594054704606380034">November 19, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Also on the prelims, Miles Johns defeated Vince Morales by scores of 30-27 and 29-28 (x2), and out-pointed Maryna Moroz.</p><p>The show's main event, a heavyweight contest between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac, was canceled at the last minute, according to an official statement from ring announcer Joe Martinez.</p><p>Insider understood it is because Lewis fell unwell on the day with a non-COVID and non-weight-cutting issue.</p><p>The UFC has a week away for the Thanksgiving holiday before returning with a December 3 event in Orlando.</p><p>Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland headline that 15-fight card which also features Rafael dos Anjos, Tai Tuivasa, and Derek Brunson in separate bouts.</p>

25-year-old UFC fighter scores incredible 3rd-round knockout with a spinning back kick to her opponent's jaw

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13155191" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="israel-adesanya" source="Orion">Israel Adesanya</keyword> outpointed <keyword id="13155192" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="robert-whittaker" source="Orion">Robert Whittaker</keyword> in their rematch Saturday at <keyword id="13162269" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ufc-271" source="Orion">UFC 271</keyword> in Houston.</li><li>Whittaker survived five rounds by using grappling techniques but still lost the fight.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/israel-adesanya" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel Adesanya</a> had barely any time to celebrate his win Saturday over <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/robert-whittaker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robert Whittaker</a> before he received his next challenge, and death threat.</p><p>32-year-old Adesanya has lost just once, his sole foray into the light heavyweight division, but at middleweight — where he rules as king — he reigns supreme.</p><p>He has beaten Whittaker once before, by second-round knockout at <keyword id="11922275" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ufc" source="Orion">UFC</keyword> 243 in 2019, but the New Zealand-born Australian fighter survived 25 minutes this weekend at the UFC 271 event inside the Toyota Center in Houston.</p><p>Whittaker scored four of his 10 takedowns but Adesanya's general defense was strong, and he landed 98 of his 188 strikes for a 52% accuracy rate.</p><p>Whittaker's grappling won him the fifth and final round but it was not enough to swing the scorecards in his favor as the three Octagonside judges gave Adesanya the unanimous nod (48-47, 48-47, and 49-46).</p><p>But not long after the announcement had been made, that Adesanya had won, he already had a formal challenger.</p><p>Khamzat Chimaev, an unbeaten fighter who has pummeled his way through the UFC roster so far, tweeted: "Easy money for me, 0 wrestling. 1 round I'm gonna kill him."</p><p>The post has since been removed from the platform.</p><h2>Chimaev will have to get in line and wait</h2><p>Chimaev will be made to wait for his shot, as Jared Cannonier appears to be next in line for a chance to unseat Adesanya from his throne.</p><p>American fighter Cannonier looked superb earlier in the show as he came from behind to destroy Derek Brunson with a vicious elbow and back-fist combination.</p><p>Yet another elbow strike closed the show for good as Cannonier secured a statement win and then issued a demand to the UFC boss Dana White — that he fights for UFC gold in his next match.</p><p>It is likely Cannonier will get his wish.</p>

Israel Adesanya edges Robert Whittaker in middleweight battle; Khamzat Chimaev says he wants to kill him

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11928262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="conor-mcgregor" source="Orion">Conor McGregor</keyword> hailed <keyword id="13155191" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="israel-adesanya" source="Orion">Israel Adesanya</keyword> on Twitter this week.</li><li>It was not long before the <keyword id="11922275" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ufc" source="Orion">UFC</keyword> middleweight champion returned the praise.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/conor-mcgregor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conor McGregor</a> hailed <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/israel-adesanya" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel Adesanya</a> as "one of the true remaining high-level fighter/performer athletes."</p><p>The <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC</a> middleweight champion Adesanya returns Saturday to the Octagon where he will defend his strap in a rematch against 185-pound rival <keyword id="13155192" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="robert-whittaker" source="Orion">Robert Whittaker</keyword> at the UFC 271 event in Houston.</p><p>Ahead of the weekend bout, McGregor praised Adesanya on Twitter.</p><p>"Can't wait to see Izzy Style back in the Octagon this weekend," the former two-weight UFC champ told his 9 million followers on the app. "Don't just fight, perform!"</p><p>Responding at the UFC 271 media day scrum, Adesanya said: "I appreciate Conor and what he's done for the game.</p><p>"Whether you like him or not, he fucking raised the bar, for everyone. I look to do the same before I'm done with this game!</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1491707923688566784">February 10, 2022</a></blockquote><p>The bout got its final approval when both athletes successfully made weight Friday, scaling 184-pounds.</p><p>They fought for the first time in 2019 at UFC 243 with Adesanya destroying Whittaker in the second round.</p><p>The 32-year-old Stylebender cautiously kickboxed from range but adjusted his gameplan when he realized Whittaker was there for the taking, and so he closed the distance before busting him up with heavy counter strikes.</p><p>Whittaker feels like he's evolved since then, and is a completely different fighter. "It's a new Rob Whittaker, Rob Whittaker 2.0," the 31-year-old Reaper <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/ufc-271-robert-whittaker-staying-calm-collected-ahead-of-israel-adesanya-rematch-191139463.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Yahoo Sports this week</a>.</p><p>"In this fight, I think you're just going to see me. I'll be doing my thing, fighting the way I fight. That's the main thing I want to get across. I want to get in there and do what I trained for and just fight my own fight."</p><p>Adesanya and Whittaker fight for the second time in the main event of UFC 271, but the weekend card has many other intriguing matches.</p><p>Heavy-hitting heavyweights Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa collide in the penultimate bout, after rivals Jared Cannonier and Derek Brunson fight at middleweight.</p><p>There are 15 matches in total on the card, which will be broadcast on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass. The final five matches can only be seen if the pay-per-view is purchased.</p>

Conor McGregor hailed Israel Adesanya as 'one of the true remaining high-level fighter/performer athletes'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>British fighters stole the show at the <keyword id="11922275" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ufc" source="Orion">UFC</keyword>'s latest event in Las Vegas.</li><li>Darren Till lost his main event match to Derek Brunson.</li><li>However, <keyword id="12038428" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jack-shore" source="Orion">Jack Shore</keyword>, <keyword id="12019694" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="molly-mccann" source="Orion">Molly McCann</keyword>, <keyword id="12018217" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="paddy-pimblett" source="Orion">Paddy Pimblett</keyword>, and <keyword id="12038427" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tom-aspinall" source="Orion">Tom Aspinall</keyword> all won stupendously.</li></ul><p>British fighters stole the show at the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC</a>'s most recent Las Vegas event inside the Apex.</p><p>The country's marquee middleweight Darren Till was upset in Saturday's main event, as he suffered a grotesque swelling on his eye en route to a third-round submission loss to American athlete Derek Brunson.</p><p>But that defeat was offset by the combined performances of high-flying prospect <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/jack-shore" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jack Shore</a>, gutsy flyweight <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/molly-mccann" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Molly McCann</a>, debutant rockstar <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/paddy-pimblett" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett</a>, and big-punching big man <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/tom-aspinall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tom Aspinall</a>.</p><p>Together, this awesome foursome is becoming must-see TV, and will be set to blow the roof off of a venue in England when the UFC finally returns for a post-pandemic event at London's 02 Arena.</p><h2>A potential Georges St. Pierre in-the-making wins again</h2><div type="image" title="Jack Shore smacks Liudvik Sholinian during Saturday's fight." height="1444" width="2000" msid="85978333" hostid="261"></div><p>Often compared to <keyword id="11922276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma" source="Orion">MMA</keyword> all-timer Georges St. Pierre by UFC commentator and former champion Michael Bisping, Jack Shore, 26, maintained his undefeated record with a decision win against Liudvik Sholinian.</p><p>It was a dominant performance for Shore, who landed 104 of his 168 strikes for a 62% accuracy rate, and succeeded with two of his eight takedown attempts.</p><p>To compare, Shore limited Sholinian to 33 of 108 strikes (30%). Sholinian failed to take Shore to the ground, too, despite trying four times.</p><p>Victory advanced Shore's record to 15 wins (four knockouts, eight submissions, and three decisions), unbeaten.</p><h2>McCann rebounds from losses with a gutsy decision</h2><div type="image" title="Molly McCann celebrates Saturday's win over Ji Yeon Kim." height="1502" width="2000" msid="85978335" hostid="261"></div><p>Molly McCann, 31, was in desperate need of a win after suffering back-to-back losses in her previous two matches.</p><p>Against Ji Yeon Kim, McCann showed what she is about as she earned a decision on points in a fight-of-the-night thriller.</p><p>The UFC was so impressed with McCann and Kim's match, that it distributed a $50,000 performance-related bonus to both combatants.</p><p><strong>This is how McCann reacted when she heard she'd won the bonus:</strong></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Molly McCann  (@MeatballMolly) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1434288353554276354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2021</a></blockquote><p>With victory, McCann advanced her pro MMA record to 11 wins (four knockouts and seven decisions) against four losses.</p><h2>Pimblett scores one of the all-time great UFC debuts</h2><div type="image" title="Paddy Pimblett returned a first-round knockout on his UFC debut." height="1425" width="2000" msid="85978336" hostid="261"></div><p>Paddy Pimblett, 26, entered the UFC Octagon with great hype.</p><p>The man dubbed "The Baddy" left previous promotion Cage Warriors as a two-weight champion, signed for the UFC earlier this year, and quickly told Insider that he wasn't just the signing of the year - but also the decade.</p><p>If debuts are anything to go by, Pimblett did not disappoint as he survived an early onslaught of Luigi Vendramini's power punching to deliver a finishing blow of his own, scoring an awesome first-round knockout.</p><p>After his win, Pimblett declared: "The new king is here." And after a debut like that, it is hard to disagree.</p><p><strong>Watch it right here:</strong></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-UFC on BT Sport  (@btsportufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1434251640249401345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2021</a></blockquote><p>Pimblett, like McCann, earned a $50,000 performance-related bonus, and advanced his pro MMA record to 17 wins (six knockouts, seven submissions, and four decisions) against three losses.</p><h2>A heavyweight slugger is becoming a heavyweight attraction</h2><div type="image" title="Tom Aspinall needed just 150 seconds to finish Serghei Spivak." height="1333" width="2000" msid="85978337" hostid="261"></div><p>The last but no means least of Britain's winners on the night was Tom Aspinall, 28, who keeps on finishing his opponents with an apparent ease.</p><p>Aspinall is must-see TV for good reason - he can club a man to the floor at will, and that never, no matter how many times you see it, gets boring.</p><p>After beating Jake Collier and Alan Baudot last year, then Andrei Arlovski earlier this year, Aspinall finished his fourth UFC opponent when he beat Sergey Spivak with an elbow and punches in the first round Saturday.</p><p><strong>Watch his knockout right here:</strong></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-UFC on BT Sport  (@btsportufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1434272139385974785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2021</a></blockquote><p>Aspinall, not to be outdone by Pimblett or McCann, also earned a performance-related check from the UFC.</p><p><strong>This is how he reacted:</strong></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-UFC  (@ufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1434284083878588416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2021</a></blockquote><p>With victory, the powerful 6-foot-5 slugger advanced his pro MMA reocrd to 11 wins (nine knockouts and two submissions) against two losses.</p>

How British fighters stole the show at the UFC's latest event in Las Vegas

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1637228" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Michelle-Waterson">Michelle Waterson</keyword> and <keyword id="9931442" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="angela-hill">Angela Hill</keyword> fought a brutal war in the main event of a <keyword id="992778" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="UFC">UFC</keyword> show Saturday.</li><li>The two fighters combined to throw 639 strikes in a bout that showed much of what makes mixed martial arts great.</li><li>Despite sporting substantial facial injuries, more than Hill, Waterson was the worthy winner.</li><li>Watch a highlight of the back-and-forth battle below.</li></ul><p>Michelle Waterson was cut, bruised, and had a huge swelling on her head after winning one of the best women's fights all year.</p><p>The American striker Waterson fought Muay Thai athlete Angela Hill at the UFC Fight Night event in Las Vegas on Saturday, and the pair combined to throw 639 strikes in a bloody and brilliant 25-minute war.</p><p>The bout was so thrilling it captivated the attention of the UFC's top competitors on Twitter, and earned them both a $50,000 bonus as the UFC regarded it as the "Fight of the Night."</p><p>Hill began the fight in commanding fashion thanks to punch flurries and an overhand right consistently pinpointed onto Waterson's face and one rattled her jaw in the second round.</p><p>This fight was originally only scheduled to last three rounds, but because of a coronavirus-enforced cancelation to the Thiago Santos and Glover Teixeira match, after Teixeira tested positive for COVID-19, Waterson and Hill agreed to fight for five rounds and move into the main event slot.</p><p>Strategically, this favored Waterson, who stole the momentum in the latter stages of the fight.</p><p>Strike statistics indicated higher activity levels from Waterson, who finished the fifth round landing 37 of her 97 blows, though Hill's appeared more damaging.</p><p><strong>Watch a highlight of their back-and-forth battle here:</strong></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—UFC  (@ufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1304982897452081152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2020</a></blockquote><p>The quality of their performance wowed their peers.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Francis Ngannou  (@francis_ngannou) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1304983210946777088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2020</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Derek Brunson  (@DerekBrunson) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1304982704899928064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2020</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Amanda Nunes  (@Amanda_Leoa) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1304981987367825410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2020</a></blockquote><p>Hill said post-fight that she was disappointed by the outcome.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Angela Hill  (@AngieOverkill) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1304992189877944321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2020</a></blockquote><p><strong>Here are the official scorecards:</strong></p><div type="image" title="Hill and Waterson scorecards" height="579" width="825" msid="78090283" hostid="261"></div><p>Waterson, who advanced her record to 18 wins (three knockouts, nine submissions, and six decisions) against eight losses, wants to use the victory as a springboard to even bigger things.</p><p>"I'd like to get to the top as fast as possible," she said. "I've been chomping away for a really long time."</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/video-billy-quarantillo-knocked-out-opponent-with-a-straight-right-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">An American finished a fight 7 seconds into the 3rd round with a textbook punch, making his opponent face-plant the floor</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/conor-mcgregor-manager-irate-at-people-trying-to-score-payday-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conor McGregor's manager said he's irate at 'those seeking to score a headline or a payday' regarding the fighter's latest arrest</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/conor-mcgregor-got-drug-tested-while-vacationing-on-his-yacht-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conor McGregor got drug-tested while he was sailing on his yacht in the Mediterranean, meaning he's not officially retired</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/dana-white-signed-mma-novice-he-was-like-mike-tyson-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dana White signed a raw MMA novice because he reminded him of a young Mike Tyson and 'scared the s---' out of the UFC boss</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/khabib-nurmagomedov-conor-mcgregor-offers-nothing-as-a-competitor-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khabib Nurmagomedov says Conor McGregor offers nothing as a competitor, and is no longer interested in a rematch</a></li></ul>

Michelle Waterson's grueling war with Angela Hill was one of the best women's fights all year

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="10746535" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ian-heinisch">Ian Heinisch</keyword> returns to the Octagon for the biggest <keyword id="992778" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="UFC">UFC</keyword> bout of his life Saturday.</li><li>The next day he celebrates seven years of freedom as he's twice been sent to jail for drug offenses.</li><li>Heinisch told Insider his story ahead of his UFC 258 middleweight bout against Kelvin Gastelum.</li></ul><p>One of the last things Ian Heinisch heard as he left the infamous Rikers Island prison for the last time in 2014 were threats from other inmates. "Wherever you go, white boy, we gon' get you," <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/ian-heinisch-ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they shouted</a>.</p><p>The American MMA fighter celebrates seven years of freedom Sunday and, coincidentally, competes in the toughest match of his life the night before, engaging a middleweight war with Kelvin Gastelum <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in Saturday's UFC 258 event</a> in Las Vegas.</p><p>Insider asked Heinisch if, looking back, he's ever been concerned if his past could catch up with him now that he's making a name for himself as a professional athlete in the UFC.</p><p>He had been talking to us openly via Zoom from his hotel room but that one question made him pause momentarily.</p><p>Heinisch looked away from the screen as he considered his answer before saying yes. "It's prison stuff. That happens. But the odds of those guys seeing me … it's why I don't mention any gang, or boast of that story. But it happened, man."</p><p>One of the most notorious prisons in America, New York's Rikers is known for its <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/05/nyregion/05rikers-report.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"culture of abuse"</a> where new convicts are told to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-50114468" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"get ready for Gladiator school"</a> as the gates slam shut behind them.</p><p>Rikers will close in the coming years, after becoming - in the words of politician Corey Johnson - "a symbol of brutality and inhumanity." It is regarded as a symbol of how mass incarceration has failed in the city of New York.</p><p>Even Heinisch, who was collared for drug trafficking offenses, said everyone who serves time there will say they're treated like animals.</p><p>These days, Heinisch leads a different life. He's found love and is getting married in the summer. He wore a hoodie for our interview but kept a cross dangling from a necklace on the outside of his sweater. He regularly talks about his relationship with God.</p><p>"I do think about [the past catching up] but I doubt it, highly, because I'm sure those people have moved on," he told us.</p><p>"I'm protected by God, so I'm not fearful, but anything is possible."</p><h2>'My life has been a movie'</h2><div type="image" title="Ian Heinisch UFC prison" height="674" width="1250" msid="80863305" hostid="261"></div><p>In a first-person story on <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/ian-heinisch-ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Players Tribune</a>, Heinisch said he was dealing "serious amounts of ecstasy" in Denver, Colorado - up to 2,000 pills a week.</p><p>Before long, he said an armed drug task force shoved him face-down in the concrete parking lot of a Walmart, and took him to jail.</p><p>His mother bailed him out the next day, he said his goodbyes to his friends and family, and then left America to go "on a backpacking trip" to Europe.</p><p>"I fled the country when I was a 19-year-old kid … a fugitive," he told us.</p><p>Every day on the run he said he'd wake up with bed sweats, fearing he'd be found, he told The Players Tribune.</p><p>He found money hard to come by so when another drug trafficking job presented itself on the Spanish island of Tenerife, he took it - even though it meant swallowing 10-gram bags of cocaine to traffic out of Colombia and into Spain.</p><p>Two years later he failed to get through airport security and was sent to a prison in the Canary Islands, the chain home to Tenerife. Unlike his later experience at Rikers, Heinisch felt like he retained his humanity there.</p><p>He found God, learned Spanish, and trained in a specific type of wrestling called Lucha Canaria. It spawned a love for mixed martial arts.</p><p>"[Prison in Spain] rekindled everything that used to drive me, my passions came alive. I kicked my addictions, cured of it from God," he said.</p><p>Heinisch had prison fights, won, and according to The Players Tribune article he'd tell his opponents that they had just lost to a future king in the UFC.</p><p>He eventually cut a deal with Spanish authorities where he agreed to not return to Europe for five years in exchange for a reduction in his sentence from three and a half years to two and a half.</p><p>But within minutes of landing back on American soil, in New York, he was sent to Rikers to serve back-to-back prison sentences in two different countries. The drug charge he avoided in Denver caught up with him.</p><p>"My life has been a movie," Heinisch told Insider.</p><p>"This Sunday will mark seven years of freedom after I was locked up for two and a half years abroad in Tenerife, Spain, on the run at that time for felony charges of drug trafficking in the States."</p><p>The time he served in Spain was the best thing to happen to him, Heinisch told us.</p><p>"I got to wear my street schools, I got my dignity, and I got visits with my girl at the time.</p><p>"I was able to go to school, go to classes, wrestling practise … I basically made a training camp in prison," he said. "At the time it was the worst thing to happen but looking back it was the best thing to happen."</p><p>It was a stark contrast to his subsequent sentence at Rikers. "I never got treated so bad. And all the guys in Rikers would agree, you get treated like an animal.</p><p>"There's some good men in there, for sure. It is a business, there's nothing to reform you, nothing to do, it's a revolving door. No weights, no <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword>."</p><h2>Heinisch trained his body to become a weapon to use in MMA</h2><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hMBFSkGYH3c" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>"I trained my body to be a weapon," Heinisch told Insider.</p><p>"And after I got out from Rikers prison [in 2014], I started fighting on Dana White's Contender Series [in 2018], got into the UFC [the same year], and now seven years later almost to the day, I'm fighting on the main card on a pay-per-view against a guy who's arguably a pioneer, who has been fighting the toughest guys since he's 21.</p><p>"It's been a movie, surreal, and I thank God every day I get to do what I do [now]."</p><p>The juxtaposition between prayer and punching somebody in the face for a living may jar for some, but not Heinisch.</p><p>"Fighting is kind of a dark industry," he told us. "And I'm called to be the light.</p><p>"I've been in that bad business, I've been a drug addict, and I've been the guy doing evil things to people. I've had evil thoughts, I've been plagued by demons, and the dreams I used to have were insane.</p><p>"But I've been cured of all that," said Heinisch, noting that he thinks that his faith is what got him through his most difficult moments.</p><p>"It's so great and it's a freaking blessing that I just want to share with the world because I truly believe God put me through all those troubles I went through, for it to be a testimony now.</p><p>"And I use that testimony now to inspire, mentor people, and change lives. People hear this, my story, and it's powerful because there's a lot of people out there who are at rock bottom and they think life can never get better.</p><p>"My story, my life, is proof that it can and it will."</p><h2>Heinisch targets ranked contenders as he chases UFC gold</h2><div type="image" title="Ian Heinisch UFC " height="1128" width="1500" msid="80863312" hostid="261"></div><p>Fighters frequently look at the next fight as their biggest.</p><p>Often, it is true. For athletes entering the match on a win, the next fight can provide a springboard up the UFC rankings. This can mean a higher profile and a bigger payday.</p><p>For those entering on a loss, like Gastelum - who has lost three in a row - there is potentially a fear that they're fighting for their UFC careers.</p><p>"I truly believe that your next fight is always you're biggest," Heinisch said.</p><p>"At the same time, the magnitude of this fight is huge. Gastelum is the guy who's fought everyone, beaten mostly everyone, almost beat the champ [Israel Adesanya in 2019]. And he's the guy in my way.</p><p>"He's a tough opponent, a vet, but at the same time I feel I've grown so much since losing to Derek Brunson and Omari Akhmedov.</p><p>"I'm physically, mentally, and spiritually on a different level," Heinisch said.</p><p>"I believe I belong in the top-five and top-10 right now and I just want to show I'm a threat to be reckoned with in the middleweight division."</p><p>To beat Gastelum, Heinisch said he'll need to be versatile.</p><p>"I'll need to mix things up, be super unpredictable for him. Make him clinch, make him strike, make him wrestle … do everything and keep a pace on him that wears him down. And lets me implement my game.</p><p>"My nickname is the hurricane so I put people in the storm. I come out, it's action-packed. I swing. I wrestle. I strike a lot. It's high-paced, exciting, not a bunch of holding or just stalling.</p><p>"Not much going backward at all, but if it is, it's just to reload and go harder. I'm an exciting fighter. Gastelum is an exciting fighter. The hype is unreal in this fight."</p><h2>Heinisch expects to beat Gastelum this weekend</h2><div type="image" title="Ian Heinisch and Kelvin Gastelum" height="525" width="1000" msid="80863316" hostid="261"></div><p>Heinisch wants to stay active this year, fight and beat ranked contenders and is targeting a title fight in the 185-pound division against Israel Adesanya - <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-fighters-in-mma-ufc-bellator-one-championship-2021-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the entire sport</a>.</p><p>"We'll have to see what the division has to offer," Heinisch told us. "There's a lot of people booked for fights right now. But my goal is to fight four times this year.</p><p>"I really want Israel to stay undefeated and I feel like cementing my legacy would be beating the undefeated champ.</p><p>"He's doing a lot of good things, he's the guy to beat, but I've got the skills and weapons. I feel like he'll keep winning, and I'm rooting for him, as that is the fight that will just cement my legacy [in the years to come]."</p><p>Heinisch added: "I've also got a wedding this year as well. I'm planning God-willing, to get out of this fight healthy, get the finish, and then get another fight booked in a few months, before June before my wedding, and then fight again and again later in the year.</p><p>"God-willing it all works out. But that's the vision, the goal, and what I'm working towards."</p><p>Between his upcoming wedding, his freedom, and his peak years as a professional fighter, these are surely the happiest days of Heinisch's life - a life far removed from his days as a fugitive, or a prisoner.</p><p>"Absolutely," he agreed.</p><p>"When I met my wife - that's the happiest I've been.</p><p>"There's a lot going on and it's such a blessing when I wake up in the morning that I give God all the glory for it.</p><p>"I definitely am living the happiest times of my life, but there's many more to come."</p>

How fighting in the UFC and a faith in God changed Ian Heinisch, who was twice convicted for drug trafficking, forever

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55f71e0b9dd7cc11008ba361-1067-800/floyd%20mayweather.jpg" alt="floyd mayweather" data-mce-source="Ezra Shaw/Getty"><p class="source"><span>Ezra Shaw/Getty</span></p><p class="caption">Floyd Mayweather insists he's finished with boxing.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Floyd Mayweather defeated Andre Berto via unanimous decision on Saturday to supposedly retire at 49-0.<p>Though there's been speculation that Mayweather will still come back for another fight, he insists he's finished, which all in all, has left a bad taste in the mouth of the boxing world.</p><p>First, anticipation for this fight was low. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/floyd-mayweathers-next-fight-is-a-complete-joke-2015-7">Many people hated the matchup</a>, feeling Mayweather only took the fight with Berto, who was heavily outmatched, to finish his career undefeated. ESPN's Dan Rafael wondered if it was a joke; boxer Victor Ortiz called it embarrassing.</p><p>When it came to the actual fight, the reviews were&#xa0;less than flattering, as expected.</p><p><a href="http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/13644159/floyd-mayweather-earns-unanimous-decision-win-andre-berto-likely-final-fight">Dan Rafael praised Mayweather's performance</a>, but didn't make the fight sound exciting, writing, "Berto, the critics said, had no prayer to win. As it turned out, he was not remotely competitive, as Mayweather was razor-sharp."</p><p><a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxing/floyd-mayweather-beats-andre-berto-6433659">Mirror's Ben Curtis wrote</a>:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Berto struggled to land a meaningful punch as Mayweather danced his way to victory, interacting with the crowd mid-round and showboating towards the end.&#xa0;The fight was everything boxing fans feared beforehand as Berto failed to impress the judges and a packed-out audience.</p><p>As <a href="http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/9/13/9316965/floyd-mayweather-vs-andre-berto-in-tweets-pros-react-to-mayweather">MMA Fighting's David St. Martin noted</a>, many MMA fights and trainers&#xa0;trashed the fight during the action:</p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>This fight is over already. Berto just looking to cash that check</p>- Kevin Lee  (@MoTownPhenom) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/642906360384872448">September 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Boring ass fight ????</p>- FranCisco Rivera  (@CiscoRiveraUFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/642910692601782272">September 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The real fight is me staying awake during <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MayweatherBerto?src=hash">#MayweatherBerto</a>.</p>- James Krause  (@TheJamesKrause) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/642910973636968448">September 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>This is what it looks like when you put your car on cruise control... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MayweatherBerto?src=hash">#MayweatherBerto</a></p>- Derek Brunson  (@DerekBrunson) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/642913013398437888">September 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Keep the money, I want my 2 hours back. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MayweatherBerto?src=hash">#MayweatherBerto</a></p>- James Krause  (@TheJamesKrause) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/642914125216018432">September 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p class="embed-spacer">Whether the timing was intentional or not, Manny Pacquiao posted an Instagram around the time of the fight, showing&#xa0;what he does when he's bored:</p><p class="embed-spacer"><div><iframe src="//instagram.com/p/7jnhTfOd_W/embed/" width="658" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></div></p><p class="embed-spacer">Others in the boxing world voice their displeasure, too:</p><p class="embed-spacer"><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/FloydMayweather">@FloydMayweather</a> you're trash dude, can't even REMATCH me!!! Bertoooo...damnnnn</p>- Victor Ortiz  (@VICIOUSortiz) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/642944458464432128">September 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>This is going as expected ... Berto clueless in a boring fight. Great stuff. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MayweatherBerto?src=hash">#MayweatherBerto</a></p>- Bible of Boxing  (@ringmagazine) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/642908849599463424">September 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>I'm sure glad I decided for Disney movies with my kids tonight.</p>- Oscar De La Hoya  (@OscarDeLaHoya) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/642911770546335745">September 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><a href="http://www.si.com/boxing/2015/09/13/floyd-mayweather-retires-boring-win-andre-berto">Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop described</a> a "half-empty" theater with a "half-asleep" audience watching the fight. He noted overhearing one woman in attendance ask who Mayweather was fighting, while somebody in front of him fell asleep during the fight.</p><p class="embed-spacer">Though the pay-per-view numbers haven't come in yet, it's reasonable to think that they'll be a disappointment. Four days before the bout with Berto, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/floyd-mayweather-andre-berto-ppv-ticket-sales-2015-9">there were over 2,000 tickets remaining</a>, and they were going for&#xa0;about one-tenth of what tickets for Mayweather-Pacquaio fight&#xa0;cost. The revenue figures will look paltry, especially compared to the record-shattering Mayweather-Pacquaio fight. <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2015/09/12/mayweather-vs-berto-boxing-live-blog/">Wall Street Journal's Gordon Marino noted</a> after the Berto match that "at least Berto won $4 million." While hardly a purse to laugh at, it looks like change compared to the<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/floyd-mayweather-manny-pacquiao-revenue-2015-5"> $210 million Mayweather won</a>&#xa0;for fighting Pacquiao.&#xa0;</p><p class="embed-spacer">Still, despite Mayweather's insistence that he's done boxing, few people think he's actually done. His own father thinks he'll come back, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/manny-pacquiao-floyd-mayweather-rematch-banned-iv-2015-9">Pacquiao recently demanded a rematch</a>. While aligning their schedules might be difficult, if Mayweather wants to go 50-0, the allure of an old, injured Pacquiao and another huge payday could be tough to pass up, especially if it means winning back some current critics.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wwe-john-cena-facts-2015-8">9 awesome facts about WWE superstar John Cena</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="J3MG5wdjpBLUEgCjvaYvKUB7ISG-oWY1" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'J3MG5wdjpBLUEgCjvaYvKUB7ISG-oWY1',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

You Searched For "derek brunson" and got 10 results

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