On Episode 4 of UFC 231 Embedded, strawweight Nina Ansaroff readies for battle alongside Amanda Nunes, her fiancee and UFC's bantamweight champion; opponent Claudia Gadelha expects a match of true mixed martial arts. Featherweight champion Max Holloway celebrates his birthday with his team, family and a makeshift low-cal cake. Former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk takes recommendations for breakfast orders, featherweight title contender Brian Ortega does interviews, and Holloway poses for the camera. Jedrzejczyk gets her makeup done side-by-side with fellow flyweight title challenger Valentina Shevchenko. Then the stars of both title bouts appear at the UFC 231 press conference to sound off and face off. UFC 231 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the two world title fights taking place Saturday, December 8th on Pay-Per-View.
On Episode 2 of UFC 231 Embedded, former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk shops at a Florida farmers market, energized for her UFC flyweight debut. Featherweight champion Max Holloway embraces the weather with a day of snowboarding. Valentina Shevchenko and sister Antonina arrive in Canada for their second straight fight week – this one for Valentina’s flyweight title fight. Featherweight challenger Brian Ortega stays close to home, doing media in LA. UFC 231 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the two world title fights taking place Saturday, December 8th on Pay-Per-View.
On Episode 3 of UFC 231 Embedded, featherweight champion Max Holloway endures a case of mistaken identity and gets physical therapy. Former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk packs for her trip, and fellow flyweight title contender Valentina Shevchenko impresses the locals at an area gym. Featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega and his SoCal-based team get their first taste of the Toronto cold. Lightweight Justin Gaethje greets Ortega in the hotel hallway, and UFC 231 strawweight Nina Ansaroff teases Jedrzejczyk. Athletes try on their fight kits, and Shevchenko receives a special gift. UFC 231 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the two world title fights taking place Saturday, December 8th on Pay-Per-View.
TORONTO (AP) — Featherweight champion Max Holloway stopped top contender Brian Ortega by TKO at UFC 231 on Saturday night
The fight was stopped by the doctor after four rounds. Ortega’s left eye was almost closed, his face bloodied.
The skills of Holloway, who was returning from an injury-plagued year, were too much for Ortega, who had rallied in the third round but was unable to take Holloway down or use his vaunted jiu-jitsu.
“Kudos to him,” Holloway said of Ortega. “On to the next (opponent).”
UFC president Dana White applauded the decision to end the fight.
“That fifth round should never have happened and I’m glad it didn’t,” he said. “The fight needed to be stopped. For us all of in here that have been in the fight game for a long time, that’s what you call too tough for your own good.
“I believe he could have done the fifth round. I believe he would have done the fifth round. But it should have never happened ... He’s a young talented guy and I think going into that fifth round would have been very bad for him health-wise. The fourth round wasn’t good for him health-wise.”
Holloway improved to 20-3-0, adding to his impressive credentials, while Ortega slipped to 14-1-0 with one no contest.
It could be Holloway’s last fight at 145 pounds. White wants him to move up to lightweight (155) to avoid the grueling weight cut.
Valentina Shevchenko, a native of Kyrgyzstan fighting out of Peru, overpowered a game, but outmatched Joanna Jedrzejczyk, of Poland, for the vacant women’s flyweight title in the co-main event. Shevchenko won a unanimous five-round decision.
“I have been waiting so long for this moment,” the 30-year-old Shevchenko said.
Ortega, an accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, entered the arena to the sounds of DMX’s “X Gon’ Give It To Ya.” Holloway walked out to “Game Over” by Lil’ Flip and then “Hawaiian Kickboxer” by Moke Boy.
The crowd started chanting “Holloway, Holloway” as the two circled each other. Ortega scored with counter punches as the champion came forward and connected with an elbow. A relaxed Holloway began to find his striking distance and stuffed a takedown as the round ended.
Ortega’s nose began to bleed profusely in the second as Holloway fired punches. Another takedown was rebuffed and Holloway taunted Ortega. The two exchanged words after the round that was dominated by Holloway.
Ortega came back in the third, connected with punches and almost got Holloway to the ground. Holloway fought back with punishing blows as Ortega continued to bleed from the face.
When Ortega connected, Holloway nodded as if to give him props. Ortgea showed he can take a punch.
Holloway danced in the fourth and then hammered Ortega at the fence. He took him down later in the round.
The 27-year-old Holloway had won his last 12 fights since an August 2013 loss by decision to Conor McGregor.
It was Holloway’s first fight since Dec. 2, 2017, due to a variety of health issues.
The two 145-pounders were originally slated to meet at UFC 226 in July, but Holloway was forced to withdraw at the last minute due to what was thought to be “concussion-like symptoms.”
An ankle injury had forced Holloway out of a March bout against former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 222. Ortega filled in for Holloway, winning by a spectacular first-round TKO.
Holloway also missed out on a short-notice fight with current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 in April (after Tony Ferguson withdrew with a knee injury), pulling out during his weight cut.
The lone blemish on the 27-year-old Ortega’s record was a 2014 win over Mike de la Torre that was changed to a no contest after a positive test for the steroid drostanolone. The California native was suspended nine months and fined US$2,500.
Ortega apologized for the failed test, saying he took the drug to help with his weight cut.
Jedrzejczyk (15-3-0) and Shevchenko (16-3-0) met at 125 pounds.
Shevchenko looked bigger and bulkier, taking Jedrzejczyk down a minute into the fight. Jedrzejczyk got back to her feet but had trouble gauging her striking distance early.
While she tried to find it, Shevchenko was content to counter. Shevchenko bodied Jedrzejczyk to the ground in the second, got side control and did damage as the round ended.
Shevchenko came on the third, bloodying Jedrzejczyk’s nose. Jedrzejczyk was taken down again in the fourth.
On Episode 5 of UFC 231 Embedded, featherweight champion Max Holloway tours Toronto with his son. Title challenger Brian Ortega plays pool and then trains inside a friend's expansive home. At media day, opponents talk about their upcoming pairings: welterweights Gunnar Nelson and Alex "Cowboy" Oliveira, light heavyweights Jimi Manuwa and Thiago Santos, and strawweights Claudia Gadelha and Nina Ansaroff. The stars of the main and comain perform at open workouts: Holloway, Ortega, former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and flyweight contender Valentina Shevchenko. UFC 231 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the two world title fights taking place Saturday, December 8th on Pay-Per-View.
On Episode 1 of UFC 231 Embedded, flyweight title contender Valentina Shevchenko prepares in Las Vegas, where her sister and training partner Antonina makes her Octagon debut. Former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk trains hard for her new weight class, then braves the wild animals at a nature preserve. Featherweight champion Max Holloway maximizes the rare chance to play in snow. Title challenger Brian Ortega wraps up his camp with an emotional session and a taco dinner at his home gym. UFC 231 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the two world title fights taking place Saturday, December 8th on Pay-Per-View.
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