5/18/24: Patchy Mix Sneaks By Magomed Magomedov, Defends Bantamweight Title
Also: Cedric Doumbe bounces back with first-round finish
Welcome to a Saturday edition of the Knockdown Daily! Today’s issue provides a full recap of yesterday’s top MMA events, plus a write-up about everything you need to know regarding the biggest shows happening around the sport today. We have a lot to cover, so let’s get started.
Bellator Bantamweight Champ Patchy Mix Gets Tested By Magomed Magomedov, Sneaks By Contender With Split Decision
Patchy Mix had the toughest fight yet in his championship run this weekend, gutting out a split decision victory after five rounds against Magomed Magomedov. A difference of just one round on two of the three scorecards kept Mix’s reign as Bellator Bantamweight Champion alive at the Accor Arena in Paris, France on Friday night.
It became clear early in the fight that Magomedov was going to be a bigger challenge to Mix than when he previously faced him in 2022 and lost in just two rounds via submission. Shots from Magomedov, including a hard right hand, visibly stunned Mix in the first round.
Mix regained some momentum in the second round with volume striking. While not providing a big shot like Magomedov earned in the opening minutes, he connected frequently with his lead jab, among other punches.
The third round ended up being one of the closest frames, with judges having to weigh the importance of Mix’s grappling against Magomedov’s striking. While Mix started the round by pulling guard with a guillotine choke that looked deep, Magomedov later escaped and rocked Mix once again with a quick two-punch combo.
The fight became a stand-up battle during the championship rounds. Mix was the fighter often advancing with shots, although Magomedov didn’t have trouble landing off his backfoot. No matter which way a judge saw it, after 25 minutes no scorecard reflected that either fighter had run away with the bout. The outcome of the fight was close and thus sparked debate online in the hours that followed.
This weekend was the first appearance from Mix since becoming Bellator’s undisputed bantamweight champ. He unified his interim title with Sergio Pettis’ belt late last year, catching him in the second round with a rear naked choke to stand alone atop the promotion’s 135-pound standings.
Earlier that year, Mix earned interim status with an 80-second finish win over Raufeon Stots, also crowning him the winner of Bellator’s Bantamweight Grand Prix.
Mix had previously met Magomedov in an earlier round of that tournament, earning an emphatic second-round submission victory in that appearance. Magomedov was returning for a second shot at Mix this weekend after defeating Danny Sabatello last year with a guillotine choke finish in the first round.
Doumbe Bounces Back From First Loss, Sets Up Future Showdown Against Pettis
France’s own Cedric Doumbe bounced back from his first MMA loss with a finish win in the co-main event, putting away Bellator vet Jaleel Willis.
The kickboxer-turned-MMA star put an end to his hectic fight against Willis just over three minutes into the bout, dropping him with an overhand right. Doumbe stayed on his opponent after the knockdown, landing ground and pound shots and continuing with strikes as Willis worked back up to his feet. After Willis consumed a long series of shots, the referee decided to stop the fight.
Doumbe was returning after suffering a controversial first pro loss two months back. His undefeated run as a fighter came to an end in March, as a splinter in one of his toes caused the referee to stop his fight against undefeated Baysamgur Chamsoudinov in the third round. The French star poked fun at this result during his entrance on Friday, at one point wielding a vacuum to eliminate debris on the floor.
Prior to his loss earlier this year, Doumbe had a record of five wins as a pro. His PFL Europe debut lasted just nine seconds, catching Jordan Zebo with punches for a quick victory.
Doumbe has proven to be a big star in the French market, luring massive crowds to arenas and bringing celebrities out to watch him perform. On Friday night, NBA star Victor Wembanyama was in attendance to see him compete.
After the fight, Doumbe was confronted in the cage by former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis, who challenged him to a fight in Paris.
Doumbe accepted the challenge and expressed shock that Pettis would ask for a fight in his own backyard: “This guy is crazy,” he said.
Pettis has struggled in MMA since departing the UFC roster for a PFL run in 2021. He has attained just one win through four appearances, with past defeats against PFL vets Clay Collard and Raush Manfio. He hasn’t fought in MMA over the past year but instead has remained active in other combat sports. In 2023, Pettis overcame Roy Jones Jr. in a boxing match and beat Benson Henderson in Karate Combat.
The loss for Willis in Friday’s co-main event continues a stretch of rough appearances for him. The 32-year-old has lost four of his last five bouts via finish, with his previous assignment being a quick defeat against undefeated Russian Ramazan Kuramagomedov.
Earlier in the night, Costello van Steenis pulled off a rare von flue choke against Gregory Babene in a fight that was promoted as a “#1 Contender” bout for a shot at Bellator Middleweight Champion Johnny Eblen.
Here are the quick results from Bellator’s latest trip to Paris:
Main Card (12:00PM EDT / 6:00PM CEST) (MAX)
Bout 10: Patchy Mix def. Magomed Magomedov via Decision, Unanimous (Bellator Bantamweight Championship)
Bout 9: Cedric Doumbe def. Jaleel Willis via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 3:33)
Bout 8: Costello van Steenis def. Gregory Babene via Submission, Von Flue Choke (RD 2, 2:16)
Bout 7: Yves Landu def. Jonas Bilharinho via Decision, Split
Bout 6: Archie Colgan def. Thibault Gouti via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 5: Slim Trabelsi def. Louie Sutherland via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 4: Mansour Barnaoui def. Yusuke Yachi via Submission, D’arce Choke (RD 1, 4:08)
Bout 3: Mike Shipman def. Steven Hill via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 5:00)
Bout 2: Aspen Ladd def. Ekaterina Shakalova via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 1: Asael Adjoudj def. Bruno Fontes via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 1:11)
Ozzy Diaz Stops Returning UFC Alum Bevon Lewis In LFA 184 Main Event
Ozzy Diaz overcame early adversity against former UFC fighter Bevon Lewis to keep his career-long streak of winning via finish alive this weekend. Going deeper into a fight than ever before—three-and-a-half minutes into the second round—Diaz connected with a punch that kicked off the fight’s finishing sequence.
Diaz’s win headlined LFA 184, which took place on Friday evening at The Commerce Casino & Hotel in Commerce, California, USA.
Diaz floored Lewis in the second round with a hard left hook as part of a two-punch combination. The aggressive fight-ending abilities of Diaz as a finisher were on display after that moment, as he immediately followed up with shots that kept Lewis in trouble. Moments later, the fight was over.
“I have good boxing,” said Diaz during his post-fight interview. “I wanted to box even though we were in an MMA cage. I got hands, bro.”
The finishing sequence came after what looked like a solid opening round from Lewis. He was able to keep Diaz on the ground for large portions of the first five minutes, threatening a rear naked choke at one point.
All nine of Diaz’s wins since his 2015 pro debut have come via finish in the first or second rounds. This weekend marked his second win this year, with a previous outing seeing him stop Bellator alum Chuck Campbell in the first round.
While not calling out a specific promotion, Diaz mentioned afterward that he is “ready to get f****** paid” in the next chapter of his career.
This weekend was Lewis’ return after more than two years outside of the cage. While the fight could have been a turning of a new leaf for his career, it’s instead another loss in a lengthy losing streak for the 33-year-old.
Lewis has lost five of his last six fights, which covers his brief UFC run and 2022 defeat on PFL’s “Challenger Series.”
In the co-main event, Javier Reyes closed out a solid performance against Chase Gibson with a third-round ground and pound finish. Earlier in the evening, former LFA Flyweight Champion Cody Davis returned to the win column with a split decision victory against Rodney Kealohi.
Here are the quick results from LFA 184:
Main Card (10:00PM EDT / 7:00PM PDT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 9: Ozzy Diaz def. Bevon Lewis via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 3:24)
Bout 8: Javier Reyes def. Chase Gibson via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 1:29)
Bout 7: Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani def. Victor Kuiks via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 6: Lerryan Douglas def. Nathan Ghareeb via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 0:45)
Bout 5: Cody Davis def. Rodney Kealohi via Decision, Split
Bout 4: Gilbert Nakatani def. Gabriel Gomes via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 3:02)
Preliminary Card (8:30PM EDT / 5:30PM PDT) (Youtube)
Bout 3: Jake Woodley def. Oseyiomon Oiyemhonlan via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 3, 3:20)
Bout 2: Luis Francischinelli def. Greg Sun via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 0:50)
Bout 1: Mariana Piccolo def. Taylor Mauldin via Submission, Face Crank (RD 1, 4:33)
Previews
Lerone Murphy Looks To Continue Undefeated Featherweight Quest With Win Over Edson Barboza
Just days after a card featuring UFC’s two current U.K. champions was announced, one of the many promising fighters from the region will try to prove why he is on his way to a title fight in the near future. Lerone Murphy, an undefeated featherweight prospect with 13 victories to his name, will receive an important test on Saturday evening when he faces Edson Barboza at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Murphy will be competing in his first-ever five-round UFC fight this weekend, and will be doing so against the most experienced fighter he has faced to date. The matchup is a big test for the Manchester-based talent, and if successful will break him into the featherweight division’s rankings for the first time.
Since 2019, Murphy has slowly been piecing together wins at 145 pounds in the UFC. While his run started with a draw against Zubaira Tukhugov, he has gone on to earn five victories in the promotion. This includes fights against Douglas Silva de Andrade, Makwan Amirkhani, and most recently Joshua Culibao.
He’ll now try to hang with Barboza, who has many years of experience hanging with the division’s top names. Barboza will be making his 30th walk to the cage this weekend, a number of appearances that just a few fighters in the promotion’s history have been able to attain. But don’t mistake it as a sign that he is worn down and no longer a challenge. Even in recent years, he is facing—and beating—legitimate names at featherweight.
Barboza is coming off a successful 2023, scoring a quick finish against Billy Quarantillo, and then beating Sodiq Yusuff on scorecards. Barboza is much more accustomed to the UFC main event spotlight than Murphy, with tonight being his fifth time appearing in the headlining spot of a card.
This weekend could be the start of Murphy’s run in the top 15 of featherweight and could illustrate how well he could perform against bigger names in the class. Or Barboza could prove that the rising English star isn’t ready for the big fights yet, ending his undefeated run in the process.
Tonight’s UFC lineup is a low-key one, as usual for a card in the promotion’s “APEX” venue. The combat sports world as a whole has also understandably been highly focused on this weekend’s heavyweight boxing bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, further causing this lineup to feel somewhat pushed to the side.
Lower in the lineup, names like Angela Hill, Adrian Yanez, and Oumar Sy stand out. Hill, one of the most experienced fighters on the card, will try to put together a two-fight winning streak with a victory over Luana Pinheiro. Yanez, who is coming off a pair of rough losses against tough bantamweight, will return in a somewhat lopsided matchup against Vinicius Salvador. And Sy, an undefeated fighter coming out of France, will debut against fellow UFC newcomer and short-notice opponent Tuco Tokkos.
Here’s the bout order:
Main Card (7:00PM EDT / 4:00PM PDT) (ESPN+)
Bout 12: Edson Barboza (24-11) vs. Lerone Murphy (13-0-1) (Featherweight)
Bout 11: Khaos Williams (14-3) vs. Carlston Harris (19-5) (Welterweight)
Bout 10: Ramiz Brahimaj (10-4) vs. Themba Gorimbo (12-4) (Welterweight)
Bout 9: Adrian Yanez (16-5) vs. Vinicius Salvador (14-6) (Bantamweight)
Bout 8: Angela Hill (16-13) vs. Luana Pinheiro (11-2) (Strawweight)
Preliminary Card (4:00PM EDT / 1:00PM PDT) (ESPN+)
Bout 7: Tom Nolan (6-1) vs. Victor Martinez (13-5) (Lightweight)
Bout 6: Oumar Sy (9-0) vs. Tuco Tokkos (10-3) (Light Heavyweight)
Bout 5: Tamires Vidal (7-2) vs. Melissa Gatto (8-2-2) (Bantamweight)
Bout 4: Abus Magomedov (25-6-1) vs. Warlley Alves (14-7) (Middleweight)
Bout 3: Piera Rodriguez (9-1) vs. Ariane Carnelossi (14-3) (Strawweight)
Bout 2: Alatengheili (16-9-2) vs. Kleydson Rodrigues (8-3) (Bantamweight)
Bout 1: Emily Ducote (13-8) vs. Vanessa Demopoulos (10-5) (Strawweight)
Strawweight, Featherweight Fighters Kick Off ‘Road To UFC’ Season 3
Early on Saturday morning—roughly just one hour after this newsletter gets sent out—the journey for a few future UFC fighters will begin in China.
The quarter-finals of the “Road To UFC” tournament—a show in its third season that looks to give talent from Asia a chance to qualify for a spot in the promotion—will begin at UFC’s Performance Institute in Shanghai. In the first of two nights this weekend that will see tournament action, fighters in the strawweight and featherweight divisions will meet. On Sunday, flyweight and bantamweight talents will battle.
While featherweight has been a division in the tournament since its 2022 launch, this year is the first with an eight-woman bracket at strawweight. China, India, Japan, and South Korea will be represented in the division this year. The bracket will include notable prospects like former Zhang Weili opponent Seo Ye-dam and WLF talents like Dong Huaxiang and Shi Ming.
One of the eight strawweights—Miki Motono—received a bye in the quarter-finals on Friday after opponent Huang Feier missed weight by half a pound. The former DEEP Jewels Champion could potentially have the chance to avenge a 2023 loss if she is matched later in the bracket against Feng Xiaocan, who is expected to begin her “Road To UFC” today against Kiran Singh.
Unlike strawweight, the featherweight tournament’s opening round is expected to proceed in its entirety on Saturday. The division will include talent from China, Japan, and Korea, and features many stand-out fighters. The lineup includes former Shooto Japam Bantamweight Champion Tatsuya Ando, 2023-24 “Road To UFC” finalist Shin Haraguchi, undefeated Korean regional champ Song Young-jae, and 10-fight ONE Championship vet Xie Bin.
One of the more intriguing fights on Saturday’s card doesn’t happen in the tournament, but instead in a special showcase matchup that will take place. Wang Cong, an undefeated four-fight flyweight talent, will face off against Paula Luna as part of the evening. Wang has earned four victories since her pro debut in 2022 and is coming off a win from earlier this year against six-fight UFC vet Wu Yanan. While her appearance this weekend doesn’t have the direct path to a UFC contract like the brackets do, Wang will likely be fighting to impress scouts from the promotion on Saturday night.
“Road To UFC” will be split into two different episodes on Saturday. Here are the start times, plus which fights will take place on specific episodes.
Episode 2 (8:00AM EDT / 8:00PM CST) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 9: Xie Bin (11-4) vs. Yibugele (24-12-1) (Featherweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 8: Shi Ming (14-5) vs. Seo Ye-dam (7-3) (Strawweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 7: Masuto Kawana (9-3) vs. Song Young-jae (6-0-1) (Featherweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 6: Priya Sharma (5-1) vs. Dong Huaxiang (11-2) (Strawweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 5: Wang Cong (4-0) vs. Paula Luna (5-2) (Flwyeight)
Episode 1 (6:00AM EDT / 6:00PM CST) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 4: Zhu Kangjie (18-4) vs. Tatsuya Ando (14-3-1) (Featherweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 3: Shin Haraguchi (7-1) vs. Hong Jun-young (Featherweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 2: Feng Xiaocan (8-2) vs. Kiran Singh (6-3) (Strawweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 1: Bahatebole Batebolati (9-1-1) vs. Kim Han-seul (Welterweight)