UFC

Calvin Kattar and Giga Chikadze kicked off 2022 in style with a fast-paced all-action affair that saw Kattar claim a unanimous-decision victory in the main event Saturday night.

Chikadze came out aggressive in the first round, looking to establish an early lead with his low kicks. But a missed head kick turned into a slip, which became an opportunistic takedown from Kattar.

Things are getting 𝐇𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐂 early 👀

[ #UFCVegas46 | LIVE on @ESPN & E+ ] pic.twitter.com/dINDqQGkbG

— UFC (@ufc) January 16, 2022

That put the fight in a good position for Kattar who spent the majority of the first round in dominant position and took the early lead in the fight.

The fight came alive in the second round. Things continued to go well for Kattar in the early going. His pressure and volume in the striking had Chikadze on the back foot for much of the first half. However, the Georgian began firing back, and there were several fun exchanges.

These boys came to 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐖𝐋 🤜🤛

[ #UFCVegas46 | LIVE on @ESPN & E+ ] pic.twitter.com/O4f0icg5gh

— UFC (@ufc) January 16, 2022

The fast-paced nature of the fight had both fighters feeling the effects by the third round. Kattar's pressure began taking over as the defining aspect of the fight.

Chikadze was never completely out of the fight, but Kattar put in an impressive performance to be in control for the vast majority of five rounds, including a strong finish in the fifth round.

THAT's HOW YOU MAKE A STATEMENT 💥

[ @CalvinKattar | #UFCVegas46 ] pic.twitter.com/yJciqlt9Dy

— UFC (@ufc) January 16, 2022

Here's a look at the rest of the results from the UFC's Apex facility in Las Vegas.

     

Main Card

• Calvin Kattar def. Giga Chikadze via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-44)
• Jake Collier def. Chase Sherman via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:26
• Brandon Royval vs. Rogerio Bontorin via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Katlyn Chookagian def. Jennifer Maia via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Viacheslav Borshchev def. Dakota Bush via TKO, Round 1, 3:47
• Bill Algeo def. Joanderson Brito via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary Card

• Jamie Pickett def. Joseph Holmes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Court McGee def. Ramiz Brahimaj via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Brian Kelleher def. Kevin Croom via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• TJ Brown def. Charles Rosa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

     

Jake Collier def. Chase Sherman

In nine UFC fights, Jake Collier had never won by submission. In his 10th, he locked in a first-round rear-naked choke to submit Chase Sherman and pick up his second win in the division of the big men.

Both heavyweights came out swinging and looking to end the fight early. Both landed some heavy shots early on, but it was Collier who got the better of the exchanges.

Despite the success on the feet, Collier caught a body kick from Sherman and took him down. From there, he worked his way to mount, where he landed some damage before taking his back and sinking in the choke.

The first submission of 2022 locked in by @JakeCollier88 🔒

[ #UFCVegas46 | Tune in LIVE on @ESPN & E+ ] pic.twitter.com/auIRm9M5pN

— UFC (@ufc) January 16, 2022

It was one of the most complete performances we've seen from Collier. His career to this point had been unique, to say the least. Collier has alternated wins over his last 10 fights, going all the way back to 2014 with stops at middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight.

Perhaps he has found his home as a heavy-handed big man who can also do some grappling when the opportunity presents itself.

          

Brandon Royval def. Rogerio Bontorin

Brandon Royval might not have been unhappy he didn't get the finish, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. The Colorado-native fought a fast-paced affair and attempted multiple submissions in an attempt to finish Rogerio Bontorin.

No signs of slowing down at the start of the 3rd! 🚂 #UFCVegas46 pic.twitter.com/YlH7b1aK3D

— UFC (@ufc) January 16, 2022

Ultimately, he had to rely on two judges to see the fight his way but got his hand raised nevertheless.

Royval doubled Bontorin up in total strikes, per ESPN FightCenter. He wanted the fight on the feet and showed why, as he was the quicker fighter in the striking department. Of course, Bontorin was the winner in one judge's eye, so he had some success of his own.

That came on the mat. Bontorin finished eight of his nine takedown attempts. However, some of that was negated by the three submission attempts from Royval, including an armbar that nearly won the fight.

Ultimately, Royval got a huge win that snapped a two-fight losing skid.

              

Katlyn Chookagian def. Jennifer Maia

It was the same old song and dance for Katlyn Chookagian against Jennifer Maia. The 33-year-old defeated Maia via unanimous decision back in 2019.

As it turns out, there wasn't much reason for a rematch. Chookagian followed the same path to victory, taking a clean sweep on all three cards.

Chookagian's kickboxing was too much for Maia. Her reach advantage played a major role once again as she was adept at striking from a distance and moving out of the way before Maia could close the distance and retaliate.

Crisp 1-2 slip for @BlondeFighter #UFCVegas46 👊 pic.twitter.com/etyX3NdcTK

— UFC (@ufc) January 16, 2022

She did mix some grappling in, scoring one takedown, but this was primarily a function of her typical stick-and-move plan.

With the win, Chookagian tied champion Valentina Shevchenko for most wins in the history of the women's flyweight division.

              

Viacheslav Borshchev def. Dakota Bush

With the first five fights of the night going to decision, Viacheslav Borshchev gave us our first finish of 2022.

And it came from a vicious body blow. The decorated kickboxer overcame some early takedowns to get the fight where he wanted it and made Dakota Bush pay with a crushing fist to the liver that had him on the floor immediately.

THE FIRST FINISH OF 2022!!! 🔥

[ @ViacheslavBors1| #UFCVegas46 ] pic.twitter.com/5jQr1EjFz1

— UFC (@ufc) January 16, 2022

The two got off to a fast and furious start, with both looking to establish dominance early.

Bush's two early takedowns gave him an opportunity, but he couldn't hold the striker down. As it turns out, he would pay dearly for it.

Not a bad UFC debut for Borschev, who scored a second-round knockout on Dana White's Contender Series to earn his UFC contract.

        

Bill Algeo def. Joanderson Brito

"Senor Perfecto" Bill Algeo wasn't necessarily perfect but did enough to edge Joanderson Brito in a unanimous decision to kick off the main card.

Brito had a strong start to the fight. He scored two takedowns in the first round and threatened with a rear-naked choke that turned out to be his best opportunity to win.

Algeo rebounded in the second and third rounds. Brito started finding a home for some heavy punches on the feet, but Algeo countered with a takedown in each round that resulted in control time and points in his pocket.

Brito finding his range in round 2️⃣

[ #UFCVegas46 LIVE NOW on @ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/1d2GntKRxP

— UFC (@ufc) January 16, 2022

The 32-year-old is now 2-2 in four UFC fights. He has alternated wins and losses over his last seven fights. He'll need to find a way to win two in a row if he wants to start building some real momentum.

UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou predicted a quick knockout of undefeated challenger Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 270.

Gane won the interim heavyweight title with a victory over Derrick Lewis in August, but Ngannou told TMZ Sports he's confident he'll end his opponent's unbeaten run next Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

"The knockout doesn't come when I search it, so I won't be searching for the knockout, but I don't see how we will end this fight without me knocking him out, maybe under two rounds," he said in an interview released Friday.

Ngannou added he has respect for Gane but believes his size and power will be too much for the 31-year-old rising star to handle.

"Once again, this is the fighting business. This is not karate s--t, it's all about fighting and how to knock somebody out or take somebody out," he told TMZ.

Ngannou, 35, captured the heavyweight belt with a second-round knockout of Stipe Miocic in March. It marked his fifth straight win since a loss to Lewis in July 2018 and started his first UFC championship reign after losing to Miocic in his first title fight in January 2018.

Gane told French outlet La Sueur (h/t ClutchPoints' Lucas Grandsire) he couldn't match the champion's power, but he'd instead focus on trying to expose the "flaws in his game."

"We're not here to try and counter his strengths," Gane said. "We don't want to try and be stronger than him. Till today, I've never seen anyone as powerful, as athletic, with such knockout power. I've never seen it. In terms of strength, he might be the most impressive guy in UFC's history."

Gane has showcased a unique ability to counteract opponents' strengths during the 10-0 start to his career, as highlighted when he neutralized Lewis' knockout power in his last fight.

It creates a championship bout heavily dependent on whether Ngannou is able to control the pace and impose his will on the interim champ.

If Gane can slow the tempo and put together a strong defensive effort, he'll have a real shot at taking home the belt.

Two petrol bombs were reportedly thrown at a pub owned by UFC star Conor McGregor in Dublin, Ireland, on Wednesday.

According to Roisin Phelan of The Sun, police said no one at The Black Forge Inn was hurt and there was no property damage.

Per TMZ Sports, McGregor's representatives said he was not in the bar at the time of the incident, but he posted video of himself inside just hours before the bombs were thrown.

One of McGregor's representatives told TMZ Sports it is unclear if McGregor was the intended target of the attack.

Phelan noted that McGregor purchased The Black Forge Inn just over two years ago in the Crumlin suburb of Dublin, which is the UFC star's hometown.

McGregor paid for $1.1 million in renovations.

The 33-year-old McGregor is among the most popular and successful fighters in MMA history, posting a 22-6 career record and winning both the UFC featherweight and lightweight titles.

Success has largely eluded McGregor recently, however, as he is 1-3 in his past four fights, with a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov and consecutive defeats against Dustin Poirier.

McGregor's latest fight occurred at UFC 264 in July, and it was stopped after one round after McGregor broke his leg, resulting in a Poirier win.

The Irishman is still working his way back from the injury, and no announcements have been made regarding when he will return to the Octagon.

Come on in. Duck under the tent flap and grab a megaphone. The circus is in town, and the B/R MMA Mailbag is in the center ring.

In this new feature, every week we'll ask you, the reader, a pressing question on the sport. Then we'll choose the best responses and assign them a semi-arbitrary grade.

With it being the new year and everything, now is the right time to ponder what 2022 has in store. This week, that means examining some of the most explosive potential matchups in the game.

The UFC has already set the tone, as UFC 270 features not one but two title fights. Plenty of eyes will be on mountain-of-a-man Francis Ngannou and his first heavyweight title defense against interim belt-holder Ciryl Gane. In the co-main we have a tantalizing trilogy fight between flyweight champ Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo, the man he defeated to gain it. Their first bout in 2020 was a draw, so this is a battle for division dominance.

There are other compelling matchups on the card as well. And it's all available to anyone willing and able to pay $74.99, the UFC's new price for pay-per-views. It's all part of the UFC's ongoing you'll-pay-it-and-you'll-like-it philosophy.

In any event, there are many, many possibilities on the landscape, from the sublime to the ridiculous. And the readers came through, providing thoughts on fights across the spectrum. Ready to get to the grades? Here we go.

           

Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor III

@Realalexlarsen

@Gardner

I hope you're sitting down. This was the most popular submission. 

In the MMA world, it seems Conor McGregor's name is as magical as it's always been. The halcyon days of the former double-champ seem like decades ago, and of course the Irishman is currently hard at work reconstituting his disintegrated leg. As you may know, legs are an important part of the MMA equation.

When he comes back, it wouldn't make sense to throw McGregor into the deep end, where lightweight champ Charles Oliveira would likely make an easy meal of him. And that's before you get to Dustin Poirier and the raft of other killers in the UFC's toughest division. 

A rubber match with Diaz up at welterweight appears to offer the perfect sweet spot. It's an easy sell from a business standpoint, as these two are arguably the two biggest stars in the sport, with the possible exception of Israel Adesanya and a few others.

Additionally, this is a winnable bout for McGregor. If he can regain his form, this is a great fight. Ring rust is also very real, as true red-line cardio is hard to approximate when the proverbial live bullets aren't flying.

But no one's watching this fight for the X's and O's. These are two megawatt personalities who are still, for now, at the height of their drawing power. It has fun written all over it. 

Final grade for Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor III: A

     

Nate Diaz vs. Anybody

@LT96

Wait, I'm picking up on something. My spidey sense is telling me that people really like Nate Diaz. 

Diaz is one of the few UFC fighters who's able—and willing—to demand more money than the UFC is comfortable giving. And anything with the Diaz imprimatur on it will garner intrigue, even when there's just a blank space next to his name.

A few non-Conor ideas have been bandied about. For example, there's been noise about Diaz facing YouTube luminary Jake Paul, presumably in a boxing-rules match since Paul knows full well that any decent MMA fighter would smash him into the canvas.

But this one's a non-starter now given that the UFC recently extended Diaz's contract, per MMA reporter Ariel Helwani. If you think UFC brass will let him out of that contract to face Paul or do anything else not under the UFC banner, go ahead and make your peace with the idea that they will not. 

Poirier at 170 pounds is interesting, but he doesn't need to leave lightweight to find compelling matchups or big paydays. Diaz was also briefly linked to a bout with terrifying super-prospect Khamzat Chimaev, but that was mercifully scuttled, according to Helwani. No one needs to see that.

Amid the speculation constantly swirling around the charismatic Stocktonian and his next move, it looks like the best option, like it or not, is McGregor. This pick gets creativity points for outside-the-box thinking and for reflecting the mood of the fanbase and its rabid appetite for all things Nate. But nothing outside McGregor makes a ton of sense at this juncture. 

Final grade for Nate Diaz vs. Anybody: C-

       

Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou

@Saul45

@tgoat27

In a frictionless universe, this could be the best fight the UFC could make, full stop.

But friction has a way of encroaching, especially when your name is Jon Jones.

For the sake of expedience, let's largely focus on Jones' life inside the cage. Since his latest arrest in September—when he was charged with battery domestic violence and injuring and tampering with a vehicle—Jones has been kicked out of his longtime home gym and taken up residence in a smaller venue. 

If Jones' Instagram account is to be believed, he's still hard at work making the move from light heavyweight up to heavyweight.

Still, based on inertia alone, Jones' successful return to competition will only happen when it happens, if that makes sense.

This bout could lose a bit of luster if Gane can defeat the Cameroonian-Frenchman later this month—an outcome that's entirely possible. Jones recently suggested to Albuquerque TV station WRQE News 13 (h/t All About Fighting) that Gane could be a tougher matchup for him than Ngannou. But there's no question Gane's stolid style lacks the wattage of the current champ.

Even without a belt, Jones-Ngannou is as good as it gets. It's just unclear whether Jones can keep his end of the bargain.

Final grade for Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou: B+

      

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Amanda Nunes III

@Gardner

Kudos to Gardner, our first two-time entrant. Even with Amanda Nunes off-track following her recent loss to Julianna Pena, a battle between the flyweight and featherweight champs, presumably on the middle ground of 135 pounds, is appointment viewing.

This would be a trilogy fight, with Nunes taking razor-close decisions in the previous two. As Nunes comes off a loss and Shevchenko looks to avenge those defeats to cement her legacy, both would have plenty to fight for, even if a title isn't on the line. (Admittedly, a title would have made this an even grander spectacle.)

Before Pena took her bantamweight belt, Nunes was considered not only the best women's fighter today but also the best of all time. Now she may have dipped behind Shevchenko, who has been busy reducing the flyweight division to rubble.

It's hard to know whether Shevchenko's level of opponent is low or whether she's simply making them look bad, but six straight title defenses don't lie. Three stoppages in her last four and a much-improved ground game also have quieted concerns that she's boring or one-dimensional.

Meanwhile, as impressive and fearless as Pena was in bullying the bully that is Nunes, she doesn't have the same status as these two. Nunes still has withering power and would use her aggression to upset the counter-minded Shevchenko, while Shevchenko would look to play matador to the Brazilian's bull rush. 

It may have to wait until later in the year, as it looks like a Nunes-Pena rematch will come next. Shevchenko, who has been busy plugging the movie she did with Halle Berry, doesn't have another fight on the books, but she'd be a moderate-to-heavy favorite over any other flyweight. 

Fans will surely be hoping things break their way in 2022 and the UFC puts this fight on the books, maybe over the summer.

Final grade for Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko III: A-

        

Sean O'Malley vs. Dominick Cruz

@Miles_beard08

Sean O'Malley continued his move up the bantamweight pecking order last month with a knockout of Raulian Paiva. The power contained in those whip-like limbs of his is not to be trifled with, nor is the sheer diversity of strikes and angles he can use to attack. He's 7-1 in the UFC with five knockouts, including in each of his last three.

But here's the rub: His competition to date has been lukewarm at best. He's only faced one opponent—Marlon Vera—currently in the top 15. His only loss? Also to Vera. Several of his victims are no longer on the UFC roster or have so little activity that they might as well be gone. 

Needless to say, Cruz and his wacky, evasive style would be a great foil to O'Malley's offense. He's lost years of his career to injuries, but Cruz's Fight of the Night-winning victory over the well-regarded Pedro Munhoz in December indicated he's back and ready to be a force again at bantamweight.

Because of his championship pedigree in the weight class, Cruz will likely look upward in the rankings for his next opponent. Cory Sandhagen and Jose Aldo both make sense as a next step. Meanwhile, it's best to let the Suga Train keep rolling on down below, as the UFC keeps the kid gloves on and slowly moves its young star up the rankings. 

Final grade for Sean O'Malley vs. Dominick Cruz: B-

      

Steve-O vs. Justin Bieber

@Zoll

What happens when the cage door closes on two of the biggest UFC celebrity fans on the planet? Magic, that's what.

I mean, have you seen Justin Bieber play basketball? He's poetry out there, man. Why he isn't in the NBA, I have no idea. But pro basketball's loss is MMA's gain, and it's time for these two to put up or shut up. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCt_Yq40G74

As suggested by his genius with scoring the basketball and his serious gym work with none other than Conor McGregor, Bieber would set the tone early with an offensive barrage. 

But you know what Steve-O will say? He'll say, Bring it on, brother.

This is the same guy who has made his living falling off roofs and what not. You think he's afraid of getting hit with one of those classic Bieber right hooks? Not a chance.

Irresistible force, meet immovable object. This is one for the ages. 

Final grade on Steve-O vs. Justin Bieber: A+

           

And on that note, that does it for us. See you next week.

UFC is planning to have Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington headline UFC 272 on March 5, according to ESPN's Brett Okamoto.

UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell confirmed to Okamoto that the fighters have yet to officially sign contracts but that the matchup is close to being finalized.

The grudge match we've all been waiting for 💥

Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal will headline UFC 272 on March 5, UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell told @bokamotoESPN. Contracts have not been signed, but the bout is nearly finalized. pic.twitter.com/n1FclaclwU

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 11, 2022

Covington is No. 1 in the UFC's welterweight rankings. Masvidal sits sixth in the division.

Masvidal is coming off back-to-back losses at the hands of welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, the most recent of which was at UFC 261 last April. Covington unsuccessfully challenged Usman for the belt at UFC 268 in November.

Neither Masvidal nor Covington is afraid to speak his mind, so generating interest in their encounter won't be difficult. There's also a personal edge between the two, which will add to the drama.

Covington told MMA News' James Lynch he had been friends with Masvidal but claimed the Miami native became jealous as his star began to rise. Their friendship now is nonexistent:

So I don’t want to have to do it in the streets, but this is a personal fight, James. This is as real as it gets, like the UFC’s saying goes. And anybody that thinks we’re still friends, man, I don’t know what they’re thinking, man. They must be smoking some good weed or something.

Masvidal called out Covington on social media last week (warning: tweet contains profanity):

They gonna call you and hopefully the 4th time is a charm you fucking coward. Don’t pussy out now @ColbyCovMMA

— Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) January 7, 2022

As long as Usman remains the champion, getting another opportunity at the gold is likely to be difficult for Masvidal and Covington. Crossing paths is a great way for the winner to remain relevant within the division while collecting a nice paycheck at the same time.

UFC is reportedly planning a heavyweight clash between Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271 next month.

According to Farah Hannoun and Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, UFC has yet to make the fight official, but the goal is for it to be part of a stacked UFC 271 card headlined by a middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker.

The event is scheduled for Feb. 12 at the Toyota Center in Lewis' hometown of Houston.

Lewis, 36, is coming off an impressive victory over Chris Daukaus at UFC Fight Night on Dec. 18. Lewis knocked Daukaus out in the first round, giving him the career UFC knockouts record with 13.

It marked a strong bounce-back performance for Lewis, who fell to Ciryl Gane by third-round technical knockout at UFC 265 in his previous fight, which was for the interim UFC heavyweight title.

Lewis, who owns a career professional record of 26-8 with one no contest, has won five of his past six fights, including knockout victories over notable names such as Alexey Oleynik and Curtis Blaydes.

The 28-year-old Tuivasa is a fast-rising star in UFC with a 13-3 career record, including 12 wins by way of knockout.

Since losing three consecutive fights in 2018 and 2019 to Junior dos Santos, Blagoy Ivanov and Sergey Spivak, Tuivasa has rebounded in a big way, winning four in a row, all by knockout.

Tuivasa's most recent win was over Augusto Sakai at UFC 269 in December. He also beat former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy at UFC 264 during his current streak.

UFC's official heavyweight rankings currently list Lewis at No. 3 and Tuivasa at No. 11.

A fight between UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and the UFC interim heavyweight champion in Gane is scheduled for UFC 270 on Jan. 22.

Lewis could be in line for an immediate title shot if he beats Tuivasa at UFC 271, while Tuivasa would likely move up significantly in the rankings and put himself in position for an eventual title shot with a win over Lewis.

A pair of title fights will reportedly headline UFC 272 on March 5.

UFC president Dana White told ESPN's Brett Okamoto that featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski will defend his title in a trilogy fight against former champ Max Holloway. Okamoto added that bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will face interim champ Petr Yan in the co-main event.

Both title matchups feature unique backstories. Volkanovski is 2-0 against Holloway, with both wins coming by decision. The second victory was particularly scrutinized after Volkanovski was knocked down twice, but by most accounts both fights were very close and could've been scored for either one of them.

When Holloway dropped the title to Volkanovski at UFC 245 in Dec. 2019, it was his first loss at featherweight since 2013 and it snapped a 14-fight win streak in the weight class. Since losing the second fight to the champ, Holloway (23-6) has won his past two matchups against Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez with both bouts earning "Fight of the Night" honors.

Volkanovski (23-1) has fought just once since he last faced Holloway, defeating Brian Ortega by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 266 this past September in a "Fight of the Year" contender. Volkanovski survived two deep submission attempts by Ortega to earn the victory.

As for Sterling and Yan, the two of them developed a heated rivalry after they fought for the 135-pound title at UFC 259 in March and it ended in highly controversial fashion. Sterling (20-3) was awarded the belt after Yan was disqualified for landing an illegal knee on a grounded fighter. Yan had been dominating the fight prior to his disqualification.

A rematch was originally scheduled for UFC 267 in October, but Sterling withdrew because of a lingering neck injury. Yan (16-2) fought Cory Sandhagen for the interim bantamweight title and won by unanimous decision.