Following a yearlong layoff, undefeated flyweight Jake Hadley returned to action this past September versus Shajidul Haque at Cage Warriors 114. He put on the kind of performance he was looking for in order to reestablish himself after his time away.

With less than 10 seconds remaining in the first round, Hadley finished Haque and continue his undefeated streak to start off his career.

“I felt like the fight exactly how I planned it to go, really,” Hadley told MMAWeekly.com. “It went well. Shajidul was a tough opponent. He’s one of the top flyweights in Europe of the last five years, probably longer than that. For me to take him out in one round proves what level I’m on.

“It felt just like sparring, to be honest. I didn’t feel any ring rust or anything like that (from the time off). It felt just like sparring to me.”

Since he had last fought prior to his bout with Haque in 2019, Hadley feels like his game has grown exponentially, and continues to grow even more in the past few months following his return.

“I see loads of development in my game,” said Hadley. “I train year-round. Even when I’m out of camp I’m training two times a day, six days a week, so I’m always constantly improving because I’m constantly in the gym.

“You’ll see even more improvements in my next fight even though it’s only been a short time (from my last one) because I’m always training hard and developing.)

On Thursday in London, Hadley (6-0) will look to add another title to his resume when he faces Luke Shanks (7-1) in the Cage Warriors 117 flyweight championship main event.

“Luke is the Cage Warriors champ and one of the top European flyweights, and has beaten some good lads, but he’s never fought anyone on my level,” Hadley said. “He has some holes in his game, which I’m going to exploit. I’ll give him two rounds and I’ll get him out of there.

“He’s just another step towards my dream of being in the UFC and being a world champion of the UFC.”

As for that move to the next level, Hadley sees no reason why that shouldn’t be his next step should he come out of his bout versus Shanks with another belt in his collection.

“To be honest it has to happen after this fight,” said Hadley. “This will be the second world title I’ve won, the third world champion I’ve beaten. If you look at my record and the opponents I’ve beaten are very top level fighters from all over the globe. I’ve done a lot in my short career.

“I’ve beat a lot of top fighters. I haven’t padded my record. I’ve fought all the best guys available straight away. In my opinion, I’ll go out there and finish Shanks the way I’m going to finish him they’ll have no other option but to sign me.”

(Photo courtesy of Cage Warriors)

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Jake Hadley fight highlight reel

(Video courtesy of JD Fight Stuff)

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/jake-hadley-plans-to-take-cage-warriors-title-in-two-round-force-ufc-to-sign-him

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/bellator-254-weigh-in-results-and-video-macfarlane-vs-velasquez-title-fight-set-but-yamauchi-bout-cancelled-after-big-miss

The rankings take into account a fighter’s wins/losses, quality of competition, finishing rate/dominance and frequency of fights.

Fighters are no longer eligible to be ranked after they’ve been inactive for 24 months, either due to injuries, drug/conduct suspensions, contract disputes or self-imposed hiatuses.

Fighters serving drug/conduct suspensions are eligible to be ranked, so long as they’re not inactive for more than 24 months.

To the best of our ability, fighters will be ranked in their primary weight class. Catchweight fights and bouts outside the fighter’s primary weight class can have a positive or negative impact on the ranking. However, non-titleholders can be ranked in only one weight class at a given time, and in most cases, they won’t be ranked in a new weight class until they’ve had their first fight at that weight.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2020/12/usa-today-sports-mma-junkie-rankings-dec-8-marvin-vettori-big-move

Amanda Ribas had her scheduled fight for UFC 257 drop out Tuesday, but it took her little time to get a new foe lined up.

Ribas now is now expected to face Marina Rodriguez after Michelle Waterson had to pull out of the matchup. MMA Junkie confirmed the changes through sources with knowledge of the situation after Ag Fight reported the Waterson fallout and MMA Fighting reported the Rodriguez matchup.

Ribas (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is looking for a strong start in 2021 after going 2-0 in the UFC in both 2019 and 2020, defeating Randa Markos and Paige VanZant this year.

Rodriguez (12-1-2 MMA, 2-1-2 UFC), for her part, is looking to right the ship after losing to Carla Esparza and fighting to a draw against Cynthia Calvillo.

No word was given on the reason for Waterson’s withdrawal.

UFC 257, which is scheduled for Jan. 23, will be headlined by Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier. The location for the event has not yet been announced.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2020/12/ufc-257-michelle-waterson-amanda-ribas-marina-rodriguez-targeted

The main event for Bellator 254 features a flyweight title fight between two grapplers who have developed their striking games from opposite stances.

Initially starting off her career a bit raw in the standing department, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane has made legitimate strides to her game throughout her title reign. The Hawaiian champ still shows the patience to play on the outside or the ability to pressure her way forward, but she does so in a much more efficient manner than before.

Utilizing a steady dose of fakes and feints, Macfarlane now throws her punches straighter and with more purpose, smartly variating between simple combinations to maximize her effectiveness. That said, Macfarlane is not beyond mixing things up when feeling in stride, showing the occasional Superman punch or drop-step attack to keep her opposition honest and on their heels.

The 30-year-old talent has also displayed upgraded head movement in recent outings, rolling her head offline when committing to her crosses. That said, Macfarlane hasn’t had many southpaw looks in-competition, as I’ll be curious to see if her years spent training with Liz Carmouche pays any dividends here.

Enter Juliana Velasquez.

Despite being indoctrinated into the grappling arts as early as age four, Velasquez, the southpaw, has developed a savvy striking game since jumping over to MMA.

Stalking opposition in a stance and manner that resembles some of the greats who came out of Nova Uniao, the Team Nogueira product does a good job of coming forward and cutting off the cage without getting too greedy. Prodding with everything from jabs to kick feints/Thai marches, Velasquez keeps her left hand on a hair trigger.

Whether she is coming forward off a combo or countering her opposition in space, Velasquez’s left cross is one of her most accurate weapons. However, like any good lefty, Velasquez also accompanies her attacks with a sneaky check hook from the right side, as well as a multitude of kick offerings down the power lanes.

Still, Velasquez is not beyond being stung or having her system overloaded, so she’ll need to stay sharp when it comes to the champion’s level-changing intents.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/bellator-254-breakdown-ilima-lei-macfarlane-met-match-juliana-velasquez