Jay Hieron knows he’s one of the lucky ones.

Throughout a 10-year, 30-fight MMA career, Hieron avoided any major injuries, and though he suffered four knockouts, he never dealt with any long-term effects when it came to brain damage or impaired cognitive function. For the past decade since retiring from MMA, Hieron has been busier than ever working as an actor and stuntman, which has earned him over 100 acting credits on his résumé.

While finding success in the film and television industry was the biggest part of his decision to leave fighting behind, the now 46-year-old former UFC fighter admits that his health definitely played a role in getting out when he did.

“I took some damage, I had some eye surgeries and of course broken hands, but nothing major, thank God,” Hieron said on The MMA Hour. “I’ve got 30 fights and I’m healthy. My mind is pretty good. I can remember lines. That was on my mind at the time I was making the decision, for sure. It’s a rough business. I think every time you go in there, you leave a little piece of yourself if it’s a dog fight in there. That’s the price we pay. But we all sign up for that.

“All my injuries, I’m cool with, but it’s a small window. You’ve got to know. I didn’t want fighting to retire me. I wanted to retire from fighting. I didn’t want to be holding on just for a paycheck and be that old dude fighting and washed up. I’ve got other, bigger passions.”

According to Hieron, it was UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture who first introduced him into doing acting and stunt work on major productions, and he actually started taking those jobs for fun while he was still active in his fight career.

As time passed, Hieron started fielding more and more offers to continue doing work on various films and television shows. While he was still holding out hope that he might return to fighting, he eventually saw the writing on the wall that it was time to move on.

“At that point, I was already fighting 11 years or so, and I made some decent money a couple years before that,” Hieron explained. “My last deal wasn’t the best and I kind of was like, I never wanted to have fighting retire me. I wanted to retire from it. I didn’t think [to retire] right then and there.

“I kind of sat back a little bit and just keeping the door open, see if any offer comes that sparks me up, gets me going, gets that fire burning again, and I started taking more jobs.”

After filming a role on The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Hieron started to wonder if perhaps he had already found his future in front of the camera.

That made it that much easier to call it a career where fighting was concerned.

“I was just working and working and working, and I was like maybe I could make a living at this,” Hieron said. “The wheels started turning. I was already in the film business already a couple of years. I had worked but I was part-time. So I had to really get out there and network and let everybody know I’m full-time.

“But I was waiting to see if something would come up. PFL, those big tournaments, weren’t around then. I already fought every promotion, Bellator, UFC, Affliction, IFL. So I was just kind of taking a break and I didn’t announce it for a year. As time went on, I started getting more and more busy and I just felt my passion changing towards the film industry.”

These days, Hieron is still a fixture at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas whenever he’s in town and not traveling around the world for various film and TV productions.

Just recently, Hieron got the chance to return to his old stomping grounds at the UFC for a couple of scenes he shot opposite Jake Gyllenhaal for the upcoming Road House remake that also stars Conor McGregor.

Hieron couldn’t be any happier with the way his career turned out because he found so much success after he hung up his gloves for the final time. He understands it’s not so easy for other fighters, which is why so many continue competing when it might actually be a detriment to their long-term health.

Unfortunately, Hieron says it’s tough for any combat sports athlete competing at the highest level to seek out another career, especially when fighting is all they’ve ever known.

“It’s hard to tell somebody, ‘Have a backup plan,’” Hieron said. “For me, again, I wouldn’t say luck, but a little bit. But I took the opportunity and I ran with it, for sure, and I did the work.

“You have to stay ready for opportunities, but you should have something else going on if you can. But then again, you’re telling a guy that’s going in there to fight for his damn life, for his livelihood, to put food on his table, take care of his kids, to have something else going on. It’s hard. These guys are going to war.”

Carla Esparza has a little “Cookie Monster” on the way.

The two-time UFC strawweight champion announced Saturday that she is pregnant, with she and husband Matthew Lomeli expecting a child in September.

See Esparza’s Instagram announcement below.

In the social media post, Esparza wrote that they waited 14 weeks to reveal the news and that she is targeting a return to competition in mid-2024.

Esparza has been out of action since losing her strawweight title to Zhang Weili via second-round submission at UFC 281 this past November. That loss snapped a six-fight win streak for Esparza, a stretch of success that culminated in the UFC’s inaugural 115-pound champion earning a split decision win over Rose Namajunas at UFC 274 to become champion a second time.

Read Esparza’s caption below:

So we’ve been keeping a little secret for the last 14 weeks… we’re expecting! Baby Cookie Monster Grand Entrance September 2023 Excited for this next chapter… and hoping to make my return early to mid 2024

Nikolas Motta had a good reason for pulling out of UFC 287.

Motta, a 30-year-old veteran of the UFC’s Contender Series, was slated to face Ignacio Bahamondes on April 8 in a lightweight bout on UFC 287’s undercard. However, Motta revealed over the weekend that he has been forced to withdraw from the matchup after suffering a deep gash due to an accidental headbutt he sustained in practice.

Motta’s full statement can be read below. The second slide features a up-close-and-personal picture of the cut that forced Motta out of UFC 287. (Warning: Potentially NSFW.)

Don’t swipe left if you have a weak stomach. I had this accident couple days by a headbutt in wrestling practice and my coaches and people that i trust made the decision to ask to to pull back my fight 3 weeks to have enough time to heal this or it would easily open in the fight and they would stop the fight by doctor stoppage. I had a lot stitches all my career but never had one deep like that, this white part on my cut in the second picture is my tendon, it got very swollen and inflamed. So even if felt unbelievable that something like that happened right before my fight, after thinking a lot i could see that was the right choice from my coach that i trust. I been focused and always in shape since after my fight in September last year and didn’t go home for the first time to see my family in the end of the year to stay ready to fight in December or beginning of the year and i been focused since then. So i just need couple weeks to heal that 100% trust the process and finally be back.

Motta (13-4) holds a 1-1 record over two UFC appearances. After winning a decision over Joseph Lowry on Contender Series, he lost his octagon debut via second-round TKO to Jim Miller before bouncing back with a first-round TKO of Cameron VanCamp.

At the time of this writing, it is unclear whether a replacement opponent will be found to keep Bahamondes on the card.

UFC 287 takes place at the Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Fla.

Paddy Pimblett is tired of hearing about Jared Gordon.

The UFC lightweight released a video Sunday calling out Gordon from a hospital bed following ankle surgery to fix an injury Pimblett says he suffered in the opening round of his UFC 282 bout against Gordon, which he won via controversial unanimous decision.

“When I told [doctors] it happened in the first round of a fight, within the first minute, and they said, ‘Oh, did you fight finish there,’ and I was like, ‘No, I’d done another two and a half rounds,’ they went, ‘What?’” Pimblett said on the video, which was uploaded to his YouTube channel. “They said, ‘You should’ve just sat on your stool and not have carried on fighting.’

“I said, ‘Are you mad? You think I’m some p****?’ People are like, ‘Oh, Jared Gordon did so well.’ He only done well because me ankle was f*****. You stupid t***. And he’s just being a bitter little girl, going on every interview site, ‘Oh, I won that fight, I won that fight.’ Well lad, Joe Solecki beat you [in 2021] but you got a split decision, so shut your mouth.”

Pimblett was then asked by his cameraman whether he wanted to rematch Gordon.

“Yeah, I want to punch his head in toward the end of the year,” Pimblett responded. “I am going to run it back. I hope he beats Bobby Green, because I’ll snap his arm for him in a round. Had a boxing match with him and I still won, because you’re s***.

“I hope he watched this. You’re f****** dog s***. At my worst, you couldn’t beat me at your best. Injured, everything going wrong, and you couldn’t beat me on my worst day, and I beat you on your best, because you’re a little bum.”

Pimblett, 28, is unbeaten through four fights in his UFC career. His battle with Gordon was the first bout of his octagon run to go to the judges and remains mired in controversy. Twenty-three of the 24 media scores posted to MMADecisions.com scored the fight for Gordon, as did 90.8 percent of the fan scoring on the database website.

Pimblett said on his Sunday video that he expects his ankle to heal within six to 10 weeks.

Gordon is currently scheduled to face Bobby Green on April 22 at UFC Vegas 72.

Donald Cerrone is the latest inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame.

During the broadcast of UFC San Antonio, fans were treated to a video package of Cerrrone’s career highlights before his family joined him ringside to surprise him with the announcement. “Cowboy” had previously announced his retirement following his submission loss to Jim Miller last July.

To date, Cerrone is tied for second-most wins, (23), second-most finishes, (16), most post-fight bonus awards (18), third most bouts (38), and most knockdowns (20) in UFC history.

Cerrone also joins Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, and Jens Pulver in the 2023 Hall of Fame class.

See how some of his fellow fighters reacted to the announcement below.

Marlon Vera is moving on from a disappointing UFC San Antonio performance.

“Chito” lost a split decision to Cory Sandhagen in Saturday’s main event, dropping two scorecards to his fellow bantamweight contender to suffer his first setback in five fights. Later that evening, Vera took to Twitter to issue a statement, making no excuses for the result.

“Fell short today got zero excuses just remember something I won’t stop,” Vera wrote. “This sucks but f**** it’s life.”

Vera also wrote a message in Spanish to thank supporters from his home country of Ecuador.

With the loss, Vera takes a step back in the deep bantamweight contenders line, but likely won’t be lamenting the outing for long. He told the media prior to the bout that he wasn’t assuming he’d earn a title shot with a win over Sandhagen anyway with former two-division champion Henry Cejudo challenging Aljamain Sterling for the UFC title next and the top of the division being in constant flux.

“The way that the rankings are done, it’s really hard to predict things,” Vera said this past Wednesday. “You’ve got [Sean] O’Malley No. 1 after he beat [Petr] Yan, you’ve got Merab [Dvalishvili] No. 1 after he beat Yan. Yan wasn’t No. 1 in his last fight and you beat the guy and you go to No. 1, so it really doesn’t f****** matter. You can be No. 10 and fight for the title. It’s whatever the f*** the UFC wants to do at this point, and so I’m OK with that because I’m putting in work, I’m winning the way they want me to win, and the fans are cheering for me. There’s a reason this is in front of an arena. There’s a reason I’m fighting three main events in a row.

“I just keep making money and eventually the belt will come to me, because the harder you chase things, they might get away from you. I’m just going with the flow. I know I’m working hard, so I’m not worried about anything.”

Count Cory Sandhagen among the many who left UFC San Antonio surprised by judge Joel Ojeda’s baffling scorecard in favor of Marlon Vera in the night’s main event.

“I think I do a pretty good job of sometimes keeping real good track of the volume, the damage, and the takedowns — and I thought that I was doing that almost the entire fight,” Sandhagen said Saturday’s at the UFC San Antonio post-fight press conference.

“I thought that I was winning most of those rounds. Maybe the third, I was like, ‘Eh, you know, that was maybe a little bit close,’ but I thought that I was bagging the other ones. Definitely knew that I had the first two. So yeah, [the split decision was] confusing, but that’s the sport of MMA. Until the rules get fixed, it’s just going to keep happening. If they would’ve scored one of those first two [rounds] for him, that would’ve been a real riot.”

Sandhagen, 30, was sensational in victory on Saturday, out-striking Vera by a margin of 128-58 in significant strikes and 187-73 in total strikes while also racking up more than seven minutes of control time off three completed takedowns. Altogether, it was one of the most thorough and well-rounded performances of Sandhagen’s UFC career — one that halted Vera’s four-fight win streak and inched Sandhagen further into the 135-pound title mix.

Veteran judges Chris Lee and Sal D’Amato saw the fight for Sandhagen by 49-46 and 50-45 scores, respectively, while Texas local Ojeda turned in the baffling 48-47 Vera scorecard.

“I think I did exactly what I have to do,” Sandhagen said. “When you fight these tops guys, especially when they’re knockout artists kind of like Marlon is, you just have to fight them in a certain way. Marlon doesn’t close distance very well, so I knew as long as I wasn’t closing the distance for him, he was going to have a really hard time hitting me. And I think that I fought almost a perfect fight for fighting that type of opponent.”

Sandhagen already has his next opponent in mind, too.

After the bout, the 30-year-old bantamweight contender turned his sights to Merab Dvalishvili, who happened to be sitting cageside for the action.

Dvalishvili recently staked his claim as one of the top 135-pound fighters in the world with a dominant decision win over Petr Yan at UFC Vegas 71. Now Sandhagen wants him next.

“I think Merab is the best guy in the division right now outside of who’s fighting for the title,” Sandhagen said. “I don’t want to shy away from challenges. I don’t want to be that guy. I want to inspire people. I don’t want to cherry-pick my fights all the way to the top. I want to fight the best guys, so that when I do get the title, I can defend it because I’m experienced. And I think Merab is a perfect challenge for my type of style, for my type of fighting.

“He’s going to make me train really hard because of how good he is, and those are the types of guys that I want to fight. And if I can get past him, then I 100 percent deserve a title shot. Like I said, I don’t want to just be like the cherry-pick guy. The guy’s on like a nine-fight win streak — who am I to ask for a title before him? I’m not going to set that standard in MMA. People should be more real about it.”

Sandhagen noted that he may need elbow surgery but is getting married in September, so he hopes to fight again before then. Dvalishvili, for his part, seemed fired up by the callout.

Sandhagen also explained why he changed his mind and shifted to Dvalishvili rather than sticking with his original plan of calling out Sean O’Malley.

“There was [consideration] until I watched Merab fight last week and beat up Yan the way that he beat up Yan,” Sandhagen said. “And O’Malley and Yan’s fight was really close. Like I said, man, in my opinion Merab’s more deserving of a title shot than O’Malley is, so if the UFC is set on having O’Malley fight for the title, which is what I kind of hear that they’re kind of doing, then I want to fight the next top guy — even though I think he’s the topper guy.”

Khamzat Chimaev thinks Alex Pereira is easy work.

“Borz” has made quick work of all but one of his six UFC opponents since joining the promotion in 2020, and he expects that the reigning middleweight champion would fall along those lines. This past November, Pereira claimed that Chimaev turned down a bout at 205 pounds that would have taken place at UFC 283 the following January,

According to Chimaev, it was the UFC who shot down the idea.

“I told them for the [middleweight] belt, so then UFC said — I only spoke with Sean Shelby about that fight,” Chimaev said. “Sean Shelby first says, ‘Yes, brother, let’s try it.’ Then he went back the day after and said, ‘No, brother, we’ll fight Colby first and then we’ll see.’ I said, ‘OK.’ After that, we didn’t speak about that fight with anybody.

“Then [Pereira] said I should fight at 205 or something. The UFC doesn’t want to see you [Pereira] fight [having just won the middleweight belt] only now and you go up and fight in a different weight class and no belt. And I’m from 170 and he’s from 185 and we fight at 205? It makes sense? That’s why maybe the UFC didn’t call me about that fight. I don’t know why they didn’t call. I was ready to fight in Brazil. It doesn’t matter a different weight class, which weight class he wanted, he’s the easiest fight for me in the UFC.”

Asked for clarification on calling Pereira “the easiest fight,” Chimaev didn’t mince words.

“In my career,” Chimaev said. “First round, first minute. Easy. No punch, nothing.”

Pereira surprised many this past November when he became the UFC’s middleweight champion in just his eighth pro bout. The two-division kickboxing champion defeated Adesanya by fifth-round knockout at UFC 281, giving him three combat sports victories over “The Last Stylebender” after previously besting him twice in kickboxing.

They are now set for a fourth meeting at UFC 287 on April 8, where Chimaev expects Adesanya to finally score that elusive win over Pereira — especially if Adesanya is able to turn the fight into a grappling contest.

“I don’t think [he beats Adesanya],” Chimaev said. “If Israel trains just wrestling in this training camp, he will beat him easy. That guy has zero wrestling. Yes, UFC likes that crazy guy, he’s playing like his face is always serious. Why he play that much? I don’t like that guy. And he has zero wrestling. Who’d they give him, who’s a wrestler in his career?

“The one guy not in the UFC, I don’t know where it is, [if he’s even still] fighting or not, he lost against that guy from Brazil. I watched that fight. That fighter is almost amateur and he beat him. He lost against this guy because the guy clinched him and tried to wrestle with him and make him tired. Of course, if you’re a kickboxer and you just do kickboxing matches in the cage with the small glove, yeah you’re better in striking, you do your thing, and you win the fight. If you fight with somebody who wrestles with you-Most guys, Dolidze’s going to win against him. Jack Hermansson’s going to win against him. Most other guys are going to win against him easy because we’re wrestlers, it’s different.”

Chimaev has two rumored dates in mind for his 2023 campaign, a return to Sweden in July and then a card in Abu Dhabi in October. If Pereira or UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards still have gold around their waists by October, Chimaev sees a scenario where those matchups happen.

“I don’t want to wait, but I feel they want to put me against somebody [in Abu Dhabi],” Chimaev said. “Maybe Pereira, maybe Leon, we will see. I feel like that, but I don’t know.”

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor said he has two fights remaining on his current contract with the promotion. If he fights twice this year as hoped, that could put him in free agency by 2024.

McGregor, though, said he’s not necessarily interested in doing business with another promoter on the heels of Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou’s UFC departures.

“What, to go out and do a little side quest, and seeking to get some boxing dollars and all the rest of it?” McGregor said recently on The MMA Hour. “No, for me — for me, the UFC is pinnacle and it’s the company I love. It’s a company, I wish to be with this company for the rest of my career. I hope we can continue.”

It probably doesn’t hurt that, unlike Diaz and Ngannou, McGregor has gotten a good taste of the money possible from boxing. His “Money Fight” with Floyd Mayweather was the second-highest grossing domestic pay-pay-view ever, earning him more than $100 million despite a revenue split with the UFC and Mayweather Promotions. The fight put McGregor in a rarefied air for octagon combatants, who receive between 15 to 20 percent of the UFC’s revenue according to an ongoing anti-trust lawsuit against the promotion.

McGregor’s relationship with the UFC brass hasn’t always been tranquil, but he has never sought to test the open market like Ngannou and Diaz.

“I want to be in the UFC,” he said. “My catalog is in the UFC. My highlight reel is in the UFC. Look, let’s see what happens. I hope they feel the same also.

“I love the company dearly. It’s changed my life. It’s given me so much and it’s helped me in many situations in my life. ... The UFC is my company.”

Asked about Ngannou’s decision to let his UFC contract expire and seek other offers, McGregor implied the former heavyweight champion was ungrateful of the resources he’d received during his time with the promotion, pointing to the rehab facilities Ngannou used at the UFC Performance Institute after suffering a severe knee injury.

“Ngannou, think of all he got,” McGregor said. “He had his injury, he was in that PI using all the equipment, all everything, there was no dough on that. There would have been no charge on that. He’s getting the accommodation, he’s getting everything sorted.

“I thought he made an error, to be honest. I mean, he hasn’t fought in a minute. Get a bout under the belt and then maybe start. I wasn’t sure why he done that, to be honest. He kind of took the shine off him how it went, but look, I wish him well.”

McGregor is expected to return to the octagon later this year against Michael Chandler, with whom he recently completed filming on The Ultimate Fighter 31.

On a recent edition of The MMA Hour, Ngannou said he may take on former heavyweight boxing champ Deontay Wilder and then return to MMA, where ONE Championship and PFL lead as suitors. Diaz, meanwhile, recently called out Logan Paul after Paul’s younger brother, Jake Paul, suffered his first pro boxing loss in a meeting with Tommy Fury.

Dana White saw something that one judge didn’t on Saturday: A clear-cut win for Cory Sandhagen.

The bantamweight contender earned a split nod over Marlon Vera in the main event of UFC San Antonio, but the fact that the decision wasn’t unanimous in Sandhagen’s favor left plenty of his peers scratching their heads.

You can count White among the observers who felt that Sandhagen did more than enough to sweep the scorecards.

“I was literally coming out of the bathroom and I was like, ‘What the f***?’” White said at the evening’s post-fight press conference when asked if he was surprised by the main event verdict. “Were you surprised? It could have been 5-0, it could have been [4-1], but split? Wow, that’s pretty scary.”

Sandhagen appeared to have Vera on the back foot for most of the fight as he mixed his wrestling with his expert range striking to frustrate “Chito.” Two of the judges scored the fight for Sandhagen to give him the win.

Though Sandhagen was never close to finishing the durable Vera, White was impressed all the same.

“[Sandhagen] looked incredible,” White said. “He shut him down. Incredible footwork. Lateral movement. Takedowns. He had it all.”

Vera entered Saturday’s headliner on the cusp of a title shot, owning wins in his past four fights and 10 of his past 12. The loss was his first since December 2020, and White wishes he could have seen Vera push the action more in the final two rounds.

“Chito, to me, looked really slow in the [Dominick] Cruz fight right up until he caught him and knocked him out,” White said. “So I was kind of waiting for that last two rounds and even his corner said to him, ‘You’ve got two rounds to finish this guy. You need to finish this fight.’”

Questionable judging or not, White believes that Sandhagen is firmly in the mix at 135 pounds. Sandhagen previously fought for an interim title as a short-notice replacement at UFC 267, where he lost a decision to Petr Yan in a five-round thriller. Current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is scheduled to defend his title against former two-division champion Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 on May 6 in Newark, N.J.

In his post-fight interview, Sandhagen called for a matchup with Sterling’s close friend and training partner Merab Dvalishvili. White didn’t indicate whether that might be next for Sandhagen, but he doesn’t think Sandhagen is far off from challenging for a UFC belt again.

“Yeah, we there’s no doubt about it,” White said. “He looked really good tonight and, obviously, he beat the No. 3 guy in the world. That wasn’t a split decision. Whoever scored that fight a split decision should be — I don’t even know, I’m not even going to go there. He absolutely dominated tonight and put himself in a really good position.”

Alex Perez says a scary situation led to the cancellation of his UFC San Antonio fight.

Perez released a statement Saturday on social media revealing that he suffered a “seizure” backstage at UFC San Antonio, which resulted in the last-minute cancellation of his main-card bout with Manel Kape.

“First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for all the support and concerns,” Perez wrote. “I was doing my pre-fight warm up and had a seizure. I immediately received medical attention. My hydration, electrolytes, etc were all more than adequate. This has nothing to do with weight cut. It was one of the easiest cuts of my career.

“I will be undergoing further testing in the upcoming weeks to determine the cause. I would appreciate privacy. My apologizes to my opponent and fans. Thank you to the UFC medical team for their help and support.”

Perez, 31, has dealt with an unenviable string of bad luck since 2020, experiencing 10 fight cancellations during that stretch and only competing twice. Within the past two years alone, Perez has seen fights fall through against Kai Kara-France, Amir Albazi, Askar Askarov, and Matt Schnell, several of which were cancelled more than once.

Perez’s teammate, UFC veteran Vince Morales, tweeted words of warning Saturday night prior to Perez’s revelation asking for compassion regarding the flyweight’s situation.

“Not my place to talk about what happened with Alex. Scary stuff but hopefully it eases everyone’s minds that by the time the EMTs got there, he was together and speaking okay,” Morales wrote on social media. “Watch the slander.”

David Benavidez picked up the first title defense of his career, and now sees an even bigger fight on the horizon.

The interim WBC super middleweight champion retained his belt Saturday in Las Vegas with a convincing unanimous decision win (115-113, 116-112, 117-111) over former IBF titleholder Caleb Plant (22-2, 13 KOs). Though the quicker Plant had success early in the fight, Benavidez eventually found his rhythm and battered Plant with power punches in the second half of the fight to secure the nod.

Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) remained undefeated with the win and buried the hatchet with Plant in his post-fight interview.

Then he made his claim for a shot at undisputed WBC champion Canelo Alvarez.

“I just want to tell everybody I have a lot of respect for Canelo Alvarez, but he has to give me that shot now,” Alvarez said. “That’s what everybody wants to see. Me versus Canelo, let’s make it happen in September.”

Alvarez is currently scheduled to fight interim WBO super middleweight champion David Ryder on May 6.

If Benavidez manages to book a meeting with Alvarez later this year and the version of him that competed on Saturday shows up, he could give the Mexican superstar a run for his money. Benavidez was methodical, taking his time to stalk Plant before letting his hands go later in the fight. In the latter rounds, it was clear who had the advantage as Benavidez continuously scored with uppercuts inside and power punches with both hands. Plant was left to tie Benavidez up to slow him down, which was enough to make it to the scorecards, but not enough to stop “The Mexican Monster” from securing the victory.

Afterward, Benavidez and Plant appeared to end their rivalry, as Benavidez spoke of Plant’s toughness followed by the fighters embracing.

Watch David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant full fight video highlights from the Benavidez vs. Plant main event, courtesy of Showtime Boxing and other outlets.

Benavidez vs. Plant took place March 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. David Benavidez (27-0) and Caleb Plant (22-2) faced off in the night’s main event with the WBC interim super middleweight title on the line. The fight aired live on Showtime pay-per-view.

Catch the video highlights below.

For more on Benavidez vs. Plant, check out the live blog by MMA Fighting’s Alexander K. Lee.

Round 1: Plant comes forward first, Benavidez calmly backing up to the ropes as he defends. Benavidez with a glancing right to the body. Plant jabs the body. Another right to the body for Benavidez. Benavidez with a short right inside as they tie up. Quick left connects for Plant. Benavidez lands a left hook. Plant snaps a jab at Benavidez. Close round.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Plant.

Round 2: Plant with a quick flurry to open the second round. He dodges out of the way of a couple of Plant body shots. Benavidez wins an exchange with a good left. Plant goes back to his jab. Benavidez lands a left hook. Plant circling out, firing fast punches to the body. The left hook scores again for Benavidez. Plant goes to the body and scores. He clinches up to avoid getting cornered. Plant with another combination that ends with a body shot. He jabs at Benavidez as Benavidez stalks him.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Plant. Overall, 20-18 Plant.

Round 3: Plant aggressive opening the round with a left hand that lands. Benavidez trying to cut him off, he scores with a counter left. Plant utilizing good head movement as Benavidez stars to open up. Left hook up high by Plant. There’s an in-close exchange and Plant quickly ties Benavidez up. Plant with another combination, but Benavidez might be figuring out the timing. Benavidez fires to the body, then follows with a jab. Plant doubles up on a jab as Benavidez retreats. Overhand right by Benavidez. Plant smiles.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Benavidez. Overall, 29-28 Plant.

Round 4: Benavidez with a couple of punches to the body. Palnt fires back with a body shot combination of his own. Plant advancing as he continues to work the body. Benavidez searching for a spot to land his power, but Plant staying evasive. Jab by Benavidez, then a swing and a miss. Benavidez pokes at the body. He follows with a hard left, but Plant counters to the body and backs out of there. Left hook from Benavidez connects and Plant has to grab him to slow the action again. Referee Kenny Bayless warns Benavidez about using his elbows.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Plant. Overall, 39-37 Plant.

Round 5: Benavidez immediately goes to the body. Plant showing that hand speed, attacking the body as Benavidez is against the ropes. Plant avoids a left hook. Benavidez beckons Plant to meet him in the center of the ring, Plant isn’t biting. Pawing jab by Plant. They clinch, but the referee lets them work their way out of it. Benavidez corners Plant and lands a left hook before Plant circles out. Another good right from Benavidez. Both guys horsing around now, looking to take their opponent off of their game. Plant closes the round with a left hook.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Plant. Overall, 49-46 Plant.

Round 6: Plant circling to start. He’s jabbing at Benavidez but then he eats a straight shot that was clearly felt. Plant finds his rhythm again and is just chipping away at Benavidez, who continues to march forward and look to land with power. Left hook by Benavidez. Another short left hook from Benavidez connects. There’s the right hook now for Benavidez. Plant avoiding the worst of the damage, but that’s a good round for Benavidez.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Benavidez. Overall, 58-56 Plant.

Round 7: Straight right scores for Benavidez. Plant with a right of his own, Benavidez walks through it and lands that heavy left. Benavidez goes to the body looking to set up a bomb. Nice counter right by Plant. Benavidez pops him with a jab. Benavidez putting on the pressure with a left hook and follow-up punches as Plant runs out of space. Plant goes to the body and backs Benavidez up with a straight left. Left hook by Benavidez. Plant making Benavidez miss.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Plant. Overall, 68-65 Plant.

Round 8: Plant sticking and moving. Benavidez tags him with a left. Plant tries to tie Benavidez up, but he eats a right hand and looks a little shaky. Benavidez comes forward and hits a hard shot to the body. Plant circling, but he eats another right as he tries to fire back. Two more rights connect and Plant has to clinch to survive. Benavidez continuing to throw as Plant goes for a tie-up. Bayless pauses the action for a Plant cut to be checked out. Benavidez with a power left to the body, then the head. He’s pulling away in this fight.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Benavidez. Overall, 77-75 Plant.

Round 9: Plant hits Benavidez below the belt seconds into the ninth round. Quick pause in the action and they’re back in the center of the ring. Plant working to reestablish his body work. Benavidez punishes him with a counter left. Plant’s hands are going, Benavidez staying patient and keeping his guard up. Benavidez connects with a hard left. Plant fires a combination and Benavidez tells him to bring it on. Plan tot the body, Benavidez with a short left hand. Plant jabs Benavidez. Benavidez just misses with an uppercut. Right hand by Benavidez and then a couple of short lefts inside. They end the round firing and Benavidez catches Plant with a left.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Benavidez. Overall, 86-85 Plant.

Round 10: Benavidez lands a straight right. He’s consistently hitting that punch from range. He does it again off of a break. Plant busy with punches inside. Benavidez letting his left hand fly and Plant has to tie him up once more. Right to the body by Plant. Plant goes to the body, but the bigger boxer wades through it and finds a home for his uppercut. Another right for Benavidez. Plant is pushing Benavidez to the ropes, but he’s eating a lot of punches. Plant eating that right hand now, but he’s still firing back. Benavidez just keeps firing as Plant tries to clinch. Left to the body for Benavidez.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Benavidez. Overall, 95-95.

Round 11: Benavidez seeing Plant’s punches well now. Plant firing his right hand out there, but he takes a Benavidez left hook. Another left hand lands clean for Benavidez. Right hand connects for Benavidez, then a left hook that has Plant hurt. Plant recovers, but is mostly clinching in this round when Benavidez attacks. Benavidez smacking Plant with his jab. A trio of quick uppercuts score for Benavidez. Left hook by Benavidez. Benavidez looking for the exclamation point shot. He’s loading up on shots as Plant tries to pin his arms. Target practice for Benavidez in this round. Right hand ont he money for Benavidez and somehow Plant makes it to the final round.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Benavidez. Overall, 105-104 Benavidez.

Round 12: Benavidez working his way past Plant’s jab. Plant staying busy, to his credit. Left hook on point for Benavidez. Benavidez with a couple of quick punches inside. He’s walking forward, he wants the knockout. Benavidez not letting Plant get inside on him. Plant having success with the body work, which wakes Benavidez up. A couple of power punches connect for Benavidez. Two more uppercuts for Benavidez, then a right hook. Plant going down swinging. Benavidez with the counter left, but Plant sneaks in a couple of good shots of his own before this one is over.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Benavidez. Overall, 115-113 Benavidez.

Official result: David Benavidez def. Caleb Plant via unanimous decision (115-113, 116-112, 117-111)

Cory Sandhagen looked sensational over 25 minutes to defeat Marlon Vera in the main event of UFC San Antonio. However, one judge scored the bout for Vera which left the MMA community scratching their heads — and it wasn’t the first time during the event.

Following Sandhagen’s big win, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, José Youngs, and E. Casey Leydon reacted to the performance, Sandhagen’s callout of Merab Dvalishvili and why it was the correct use of his mic time, along with the weird scorecards for that fight and others on the card. Additionally, they discussed Holly Holm’s dominant decision win against Yana Santos and where it puts her at 135 pounds, the post-fight bonus winners, Nate Landwehr getting the job done in the cage and on the microphone, Manel Kape’s reaction to his fight with Alex Perez getting cancelled, Donald Cerrone’s UFC Hall of Fame announcement, and more.

Watch the UFC San Antonio post-fight show above, or an audio-only version of the show can also be streamed below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever else you get your pods.

CJ Vergara scored one of the most thrilling wins of the year at UFC San Antonio, and he and his opponent were richly rewarded for it.

Saturday’s preliminary flyweight bout between Vergara and Daniel Lacerda earned the evening’s Fight of the Night award, and both men will leave AT&T Center with an extra $50,000 in their pockets. Vergara finished Lacerda with strikes in the second round after a first round that saw Vergara hurt and running away from Lacerda to recover.

The UFC San Antonio Performance of the Night bonuses went to featherweights Nate Landwehr and Daniel Pineda, who both recorded second-round submission victories.

Landwehr overcame a slow start against Austin Lingo before putting on the pressure in Round 2 and securing a rear-naked choke, while Pineda defeated Tucker Lutz via guillotine choke to maintain his astonishing record of having all 28 of his pro wins come via knockout or submission.

This is the the third straight fight in which Landwehr has earned a $50,000 post-fight bonus.

Cory Sandhagen had to sweat it out after a hard-fought 25 minutes.

In the end, Sandhagen had his hand raised in the UFC San Antonio main event, earning a split decision over Marlon Vera with all three judges handing in different scorecards.

See the official scorecard here.

Judges Chris Lee and Sal D’Amato both saw the fight in Sandhagen’s favor, with Lee seeing it 49-46 for Sandhagen and D’Amato giving him all five rounds for a 50-45 score. The dissenting judge was Joel Ojeda, who had it 48-47 in favor of Vera.

This is the first decision win for Sandhagen since UFC 241 in August 2019, where he earned a unanimous nod over Raphael Assuncao. He lost his past two decisions, an interim championship fight loss to Petr Yan and a controversial split call against T.J. Dillashaw.

Vera loses for the first time in five fights. His most recent loss also came via points, a unanimous decision loss to Jose Aldo in December 2020.

Was this a clear win for Cory Sandhagen or does a split decision accurately tell the story of this fight? Let us know your thoughts in the poll and comments below.

When Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen prepared to lock horns at UFC San Antonio, fight fans expected absolute chaos. With both bantamweights coming off violent finishes in their previous fights, it was a battle to determine who would cement themselves on the short list for a 135-pound title shot.

But while the world awaited fireworks from both men, it was Sandhagen who ultimately emerged victorious with a methodical split decision win.

See social media reactions to their fight, and the scorecards, inside the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Watch Cory Sandhagen vs. Marlon Vera full fight video highlights from the main event of UFC San Antonio, courtesy of the UFC and other outlets.

UFC Fight Night: Vera vs. Sandhagen took place March 25 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. UFC bantamweight contenders Marlon Vera (20-8-1) and Cory Sandhagen (16-4) collided in the night’s main event. The fight aired live on ESPN+.

Catch the video highlights below.

For more on Sandhagen vs. Vera, check out the live blog by MMA Fighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti.

Round 1: Here we go y’all. Pivotal fight here for the bantamweight division — and this one should be a barnburner. UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and top contender Merab Dvalishvili are sitting cageside. Dan Miragliotta is your third man in the cage. No glove touch for this one. Let’s do it. Sandhagen gets to work early, while Vera stays patient and circles on the outside. High kick blocked by Vera. Sandhagen wades forward with a flurry but nothing is landing flush just yet. Lots of low kicks from Sandhagen. Vera eats a left hook — and another. Jumping knee from Sandhagen misses! Vera loves it. Sandhagen closes the gap and drags Vera to the floor, then starts unloading punches and elbows from top position. Good defensive work from Vera to block most of these shots. Typical slow start for Vera, but Sandhagen appears to be cut somewhere on his brow. Blood is spilling everywhere. More shots from the top by Sandhagen. Nice opening round by Sandhagen.

MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Sandhagen.

Round 2: Vera’s corner calls for urgency during the break. Heavy one-two connects for Sandhagen, followed by a sweet body shot. Sandhagen is feeling it right now. Big flurry misses for Sandhagen, who instead promptly changes levels and dumps Vera to the mat. Vera grabs onto a guillotine attempt but can’t get it, as Sandhagen advances into half guard. Rapid-fire short shots from the top for Sandhagen. He postures up then dives into side mount. Vera is staying calm here but he’s get dominated. Slick elbows by Sandhagen from side control. Vera rolls and escapes! We’re back to the feet with 75 seconds left. Back to work with low kicks for Sandhagen. Vera catches a kick but can’t do anything with it. Vera blocks a flying knee attempt. Another solid round in the books for Sandhagen.

MMA Fighting scores 10-9 Sandhagen. (20-18 Sandhagen.)

Round 3: During the break, Jason Parillo tells Vera that he’s starting to bum him out and asks what’s wrong. Vera responds that he’s ready to go. Let’s see if we get some urgency from “Chito” here. Sandhagen goes right back to work with low kicks. Vera is finally starting to dial up the aggression a bit here but nothing is connecting. Slip from Sandhagen but he quickly retakes his feet. Vera goes low with a powerful kick. They’re trading fast and furious now. Sandhagen eats a one-two. That’s Vera’s best shot of the night. Sandhagen answers with a nice uppercut, then dives inside for a level change. He can’t get it. Sandhagen pumps his jump then cracks Vera with a right hand. Vera looks so unbothered by everything that’s getting thrown at him. More low kicks by Sandhagen. Man, he’s hunting for that uppercut religiously now. This round is still up for grabs. Thirty seconds left. Vera misses with a spinning back kick at the horn. Close round, tough round to score.

MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Sandhagen. (30-27 Sandhagen.)

Round 4: Parillo tells Vera to bite down on his mouthpiece and beat the heck out of Sandhagen’s body. Championship rounds ahead. Sandhagen spins and misses with a kick. They’re trading but Sandhagen is still leading the dance. Vera easily shucks off a takedown attempt. Vera really needs to get something going here. Sandhagen pumps his jab. He’s circling religiously and not giving Vera any chance to get offense off. Another lunging knee attempt misses for Sandhagen. Vera wades forward with a combination but misses. Sandhagen nails him with a left to the body. Sandhagen is mixing things up so damn well, this is impressive. Vera is getting frustrated with all this movement — he raising his hands up and calls for Sandhagen to brawl. Sandhagen’s not biting. Nice flurry for Vera, but it’s not enough.

MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Sandhagen. (40-36 Sandhagen.)

Round 5: Vera looks a bit dejected in the corner and Parillo can sense it. It’s now or never for “Chito.” Sandhagen storms forward instantly with a combination. Quick level change by Sandhagen. It fails, but he unloads a nice knee to the body on Vera, then wrestles the fight to the floor. Sandhagen postures up from top position. Vera attempts to scramble out but Sandhagen sticks to him like glue. They’re up against the fence here with Sandhagen working from the top. Three minutes for Vera to find a Hail Mary. Upkicks from Vera — and he stands! Sandhagen shoots right back in on his hips, but fails to get another takedown. Vera unloads a couple one-twos. Sandhagen’s perpetual motion hasn’t slowed. Vera explodes forward with a flurry but misses. Sandhagen answers with a combination of his own. Spinning heel kick by Vera misses. He defends another Sandhagen takedown attempt. Vera catches a kick then finds a home for a nasty elbow. Ten seconds left and Vera comes alive! They’re slugging it out to the finish!

MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Vera. (49-46 Sandhagen.)

Cory Sandhagen def. Marlon Vera via split decision (47-48, 50-45, 49-46)

The UFC San Antonio post-fight press conference is the last piece of business to take care of after the action is over in the octagon, and we have the live video above at MMAFighting.com.

UFC officials will announce the winners of the “Fight of the Night” and the “Performance of the Night” bonuses, and winning fighters will meet the media after their fights.

The UFC San Antonio post-fight press conference takes place about 30 minutes after the main event ends, meaning it will start around 10:30 p.m. ET.

Cory Sandhagen looked sensational to everyone who watched him compete against Marlon Vera, with the exception of one judge scoring the fight.

Sandhagen and Vera battled in the highly-anticipated bantamweight headliner of UFC San Antonio, where the former used his diverse style to never allow Vera to really get going at any point during the 25-minute affair. In the end, Sandhagen earned 50-45 and a 49-46 scorecards, while judge Joel Ojeda delivered a head-scratching 48-47 in favor of Vera.

The high-level layers of Sandhagen’s game were shown early and often. Sandhagen moved constantly and landed a variety of strikes, while Vera used feints, sneaky leg kicks, and relied on his durability in the first round. When Sandhagen landed a flying knee against the fence, Vera smiled and tried to clap for his opponent before getting taken down and controlled. Yet, somehow, even off his back, Vera was able to bust Sandhagen open. It was a great start for Sandhagen in the opening round against a consummate slow-starter in Vera.

Sandhagen began the second aggressively, throwing power punches before landing a takedown. Vera tried to secure a guillotine, but Sandhagen patiently escaped and continued to pile on the control time on the mat. Sandhagen transitioned to side control and looked for a kimura, but settled for landing a slew of elbows before Vera got back to his feet, landing a body kick. Sandhagen continued to use incredible movement and mixed things up with his striking to cap off another winning round.

After being told by his coach that he was bumming him out, Vera began to open up a bit to start Round 3. Sandhagen continued to switch stances to give Vera lots to think about, but “Chito” landed a some hard kicks to the legs and body. Vera landed his best shot of the fight to this point — a hard left hand to the jaw of Sandhagen — and avoided another Sandhagen takedown attempt. Both men continued to land throughout a very competitive third, with Vera pushing forward more than he had in the previous 10 minutes.

As the championship rounds began, Vera defended three takedown attempts in the first minute, but Sandhagen continued to score in the standup department. Vera scored with a nice combination in the final 15 seconds of the round, but it wasn’t enough to steal any of Sandhagen’s momentum.

Sandhagen landed an early takedown in the final round, and when Vera got back to his feet, Sandhagen remained relentless with his wrestling attack. As the striking battle carried on, Vera landed occasionally, but often took four or five strikes at minimum before he landed again. Despite a final flurry from Vera, it was clear that it was Sandhagen’s night.

After the cards were read, Sandhagen called for a fight with Merab Dvalishvili, who was in attendance for the event and seemed just as excited about the matchup as Sandhagen.

With the win, Sandhagen picked up his second consecutive victory and improved to 4-2 over his six most recent appearances, while also snapping the impressive four-fight win streak of Vera.