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USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Road to UFC results: Violent knockouts highlight Day 1 in Shanghai
Road to UFC results: Violent knockouts highlight Day 1 in Shanghai Road to UFC returned Thursday at the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai, China – and it brought the violence. Of the 10 bouts that took place over the span of two episodes filmed, six ended by knockout or TKO. Perhaps the most stunning of the bunch was an expertly-timed knee by Keiichiro Nakamura as he caught Eoh Jin Park diving in for a takedown. Thursday's cards consisted of the featherweight and flyweight quarterfinal bouts, with some familiar names among the path. Road to UFC alum Kaiwen Li and Dana White's Contender Series alum Aaron Tau both picked up first-round stoppage victories, but other Road to UFC alums Xiaocan Feng and Baergeng Jieleyisi came up short. One American-born fighter, Mansher Khera, competed Thursday as he dominated Aziz Khaydarov en route to a unanimous decision. Khera is a highly-touted jiu-jitsu practitioner who has been on the cusp of a UFC call for some time. Road to UFC will return for its semfinal bouts Aug. 22, one day before the promotion holds a main-brand event in Shanghai – the first on mainland China since November 2017. Full Road to UFC Day 1 results include:
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jamahal Hill details 'weird' interaction with Khalil Rountree ahead of UFC Azerbaijan
Jamahal Hill details 'weird' interaction with Khalil Rountree ahead of UFC Azerbaijan Jamahal Hill's only recent interaction with opponent Khalil Rountree was an awkward one. Light heavyweights Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and Rountree (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) square off June 21 in the UFC on ABC 8 headliner at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku. The former title challengers had a recent run-in at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas which threw off Hill. "The only time that we did have an interaction, it was weird – but we don't really talk," Hill told The Schmo. "I was in the PI. I say what's up to anybody. I'll say hi to anybody. Then I walked into the locker room and he's just like, 'Man, you really don't like me, do you?' I was like, what? 'You really don't like me?' I was like, 'I don't even know you. We haven't even had a conversation.' "We haven't had anything. It's almost like he's got to build me up as this villain or this person that he hates in his head to fight, which is fine with me. But whenever you start putting the energy off to the UFC staff and sh*t like that, like, 'Oh, we can't be around each other or something's going to happen,' you're not going to do sh*t. So what's the point of that? It's weird to me." Both fighters will look to rebound from stoppage losses. Hill was finished by Jiri Prochazka via TKO at UFC 311 in January, whereas Rountree is coming off a TKO to Alex Pereira in their title fight at UFC 307 last October.
USA Today
07-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rose Zhang returns to LPGA after rehabbing from neck injury alongside UFC fighters
Rose Zhang returns to LPGA after rehabbing from neck injury alongside UFC fighters Rose Zhang returns to the LPGA after a month-long break at this week's Mizuho Americas Open, site of her extraordinary win two years ago in her professional debut. Zhang, 21, missed the first major of the season due to recurring neck spasms and has been back home in Las Vegas rehabbing at the UFC Performance Institute. Doing chin-ups next to a bunch of trained fighters proved to be intimidating, the two-time LPGA winner said with a smile. When asked to expand on any interactions she might have had with UFC fighters or tips that may have been exchanged, Zhang relayed a rather gruesome tale. "I was doing PT on the table and my PT that was working, Heather, looked at a photo from someone that came in and wanted her to see an athlete's injury," said Zhang. "She just simply looked at it and said, amputation. "I was like, how bad is it to have your whatever be amputated? She was like, oh, do you want to see it, so casually, no change in demeanor." When pressed about the body part in question, Zhang said it was a middle toe. "I was just like, this is the type of place where they've seen everything," she said. "In my head I'm like, whatever I have is really nothing compared to what they're doing out there." While Zhang said she's now pain-free, she admitted that the recovery process hasn't been the smoothest. She started hitting balls only three days ago. "Obviously it goes unsaid, but the neck is very important for anything that you do," she said. "I just remember being in the car and any sort of movement obviously caused a lot of pain. "To be able to do like very simple tasks and sleep really well, I think it's definitely a blessing. So I'm taking all the positives out of it. Now going back into the golf game, the fact that I see the ball fly, the fact that I can rotate and not feel too much pain, that's honestly all that I can ask for." An upbeat Zhang said she feels good about her mindset and considers the forced break – even though painful – a blessing in disguise.
USA Today
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili defends Sean O'Malley rematch: 'He deserves it'
Amid backlash of their UFC 316 fight, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili insists Sean O'Malley is worthy of a rematch. Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) will run things back with O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in the June 7 headliner at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Dvalishvili has since notched his first title defense by bouncing Umar Nurmagomedov out of the ranks of the unbeaten at UFC 311 in January. Considering that Dvalishvili was dominant in his unanimous decision win over O'Malley at UFC 306, not too many people were clamoring for a rematch. Dvalishvili took issue with his past opponent, Nurmagomedov, getting a title shot but has a different outlook on O'Malley. 'Even though a lot of people criticize O'Malley getting the rematch, I think he deserves it,' Dvalishvili said on 'The Ariel Helwani Show.' 'I want to find out, too. He made lots of excuses after the fight. Now he did surgery, and I know he will make adjustments, and he will change the game plan. 'It's going to be a totally different fight. Like O'Malley said, if you don't like it, don't watch it. But I think it's going to be a good fight because I'm going to make some adjustments, too. I know he will attack me from the beginning with the body kicks and striking, and I want to test my striking, too.' Dvalishvili's build-up with O'Malley the second time around has been drastically different. The pair have been cordial, even snapping pictures together at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. Dvalishvili joked that he prefers the trash talking version of O'Malley but can't help but like him. 'That was so cool,' Dvalishvili said of his jacuzzi session with O'Malley at the UFC PI. 'All positive. I always liked the guy. I don't follow many 135'ers on Instagram, and I follow him. He's funny, he's cute, and he's a good fighter too. 'I only have positive feelings other than him talking stupid about my friend Aljamain Sterling. I feel bad for this guy. I stole his jacket, I stole his belt, I stole his fans. I made him humble. He's definitely a different guy now.' For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 316.
USA Today
07-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rhys McKee after first UFC win: 'It's not job done, it's job started'
LAS VEGAS – Rhys McKee beat Daniel Frunza with a first-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 65 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Take a look inside the fight with McKee, whose first UFC win also came with a $50,000 performance bonus. Rhys McKee def. Daniel Frunza Result: Rhys McKee def. Daniel Frunza via TKO (doctor's stoppage) – Round 1, 5:00 Updated records: McKee (14-6-1 MMA, 1-4 UFC), Frunza (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) Key stats: McKee knocked Frunza down four times in the first round. McKee on the fight's key moment 'We knew this was a must-win fight. If I lost, I'd probably have my release papers by now. This was a must-win. And guess what the next one is? A must-win – no different. … (the game plan was) vicious – be vicious. Any chance I could hurt him, as many times as I could, pressure, drown him, make him exhausted – and when the chance was there, the finish came. We had to get it done via damage tonight, but win No. 14 – 14th finish.' McKee on getting his first UFC win 'It's a relief. Four times, I've been here in the UFC and four times I've had to get the bus home early. I've always wanted to come to this (post-fight news conference) table, so to be here is a relief. But it's not job done – it's job started. '… To be honest, I thought my UFC opportunity had slipped away. When I got the shot at No. 5, I thought 'This is my golden ticket. This is the time when it all changes' I just believed in myself. My coaches believed in me on the days I didn't believe in myself.' McKee on what he wants next '(I spent) two weeks in Las Vegas. I brought my wife, brought my daughter … spent two weeks in the (UFC Performance Institute). There ain't nothing tough about it. It's a hell of a life. Like we said this week, if you want this stuff, you have to win the fight. We won the fight. I would love my next fight to be in Vegas. I absolutely love it. The PI is fantastic.' 'This win has been 14 years in the making.' Rhys McKee (@RhysMcKee) notches his first win inside the Octagon with an impressive performance over Daniel Frunza at #UFCVegas105 Prelim Results ➡️ — UFC News (@UFCNews) April 6, 2025 To hear more from McKee, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC on ESPN 65. Gallery UFC on ESPN 65: Best photos from Las Vegas View 132 photos
