What's new at Ludus Martial Arts

We’re so proud of our team! Find out how they’ve been doing, as well as what else has been going on at our gym lately.

Dana White’s Contender Series 17 results: Punahele Soriano, Yorgan De Castro score UFC deals

LAS VEGAS – Dana White’s Contender Series 17 took place tonight at the brand new UFC Apex, and the debut edition of the third season saw a pair of fighters secure UFC deals.

In the night’s featured contest, middleweight Punahele Soriano (6-0) stayed undefeated in his professional run but went to the judges’ cards for the first time, settling for a decision win over a speedy Jamie Pickett (9-4).

Soriano came out looking to fire kicks, though Pickett’s movement proved problematic early on. While Soriano was moving forward, Pickett was evading well and looking to return fire. Soriano was unquestionably firing the harder blows, but he was looking for the killshot, and Pickett was able to evade any big shots.

Soriano continued to lead the dance, though Pickett quick movement saw him stay just out of harm’s way. Soriano turned up the heat late in the frame, losing patience and swinging for the fences, but Pickett continued to slip and counter with some success. Soriano was firing at full power, but Pickett was quick and sharp.

Soriano did clips Pickett late, and he sensed his opportunity to finish. Pickett clearly staggered as he defended, but he was able to keep just enough space to last until the bell.

Soriano was a little more patient to start the second, moving forward but not throwing everything at full speed. Soriano controlled the center as Pickett moved left on the outside. Soriano was clearly throwing the heavier blows, but he did seem to pace himself a little better. Pickett’s quickness remained his best asset, and he did his best to slip and counter.

Soriano eventually pushed forward and wrapped the body, slamming Pickett to the floor. He wasn’t able to keep the position though, and Pickett scrambled back to the feet, where he appeared the fresher man, even if he wasn’t packing as much power.

Soriano earned another takedown in the final minute, and he grinded away with a few short strikes before the bell.

Pickett was the quicker man to start the third, and he flicked out punches with impressive speed. Soriano countered by changing levels and took the action easily to the floor. Working from half-guard, Pickett turned to his hips and looked for potential options. He briefly grabbed a kimura grip, but Soriano turned well to avoid and remained on top. Pickett tried to scramble, but a sprawl from Soriano saw him again establish a firm controlling position.

Pickett did a good job of tying things up underneath, but he wasn’t able to counter with much offense. Soriano did his best to strike away from the top, but he was pummeling the body, giving referee Herb Dean no reason to halt the contest. Soriano eventually turned his attention to the head, but he couldn’t do enough before the bell and was forced to settle for a decision win, 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26.

While he was clearly emotional in the aftermath, concerned at not getting the finish, he was ultimately awarded a UFC deal.

Goldy stays perfect

In the night’s lone women’s bout, strawweight Hannah Goldy (5-0) kept her perfect career record intact with a convincing decision win over Kali Robbins (6-3).

Robbins was the one moving forward to start, but Goldy moved well in retreat and was able to punch and kick in spurts. A brief clinch proved a stalemate, and the quickly settled into the previous pattern. Robbins continued to walk forward, but Goldy stay out of range and countered with low kicks and straight punches. Robbins was trying to attack but ended up chasing, for the most part.

Robbins eventually worked inside late in the round and was able to drag her opponent to the floor, but she couldn’t keep the action there. Still, Robbins stayed with it and slipped around to the back, causing a brief threat. It was only brief, though, as Goldy calmly worked her way back to the feet and then pulled free, resuming her striking attacks just before the bell.

Goldy started firing kicks to the body to start the second, and it continued to be Robbins moving forward for the most part but failing to cut off the cage. Robbins’s lead leg was battered on the inside, and Goldy started adding punches up top as her opponent’s moved slowed.

Robbins continued moving forward, but she was walking into a buzzsaw. Goldy retreated and sought the right moments to sit tight and dig in for big punching barrages. Robbins showed her grit, battling through the blows, but she was clearly taking damage. Seeking to turn her circumstances, Robbins dropped and rolled for a leg, but Goldy was able to defend and stall the position for the final seconds of the round.

There were no surprises to start the third, with Robbins remaining aggressive but struggling to really earn any rewards for her efforts. Goldy continued walking backward, but she delivered punches and kicks as she moved. Robbins really wasn’t able to build any sustained offense, though she never stopped trying to move forward. Robbins proved her durability by never backing down, but Goldy was clearly the dominant force, making it easy for the judges, who awarded her a decision win, 30-27 on all three cards.

Loughnane battles way past Algeo

In featherweight action, Brendan Loughnane (17-3) delivered as the first Brit to compete on the Contender Series, battling his way to a hard-fought decision win over a gritty Bill Algeo (12-4).

The two fighters exchanged low kicks to start the fight before Loughnane landed a stiff right hand. Algeo continued to press, but it was certainly Loughnane who was pulling the trigger quicker with his strikes. Algeo was eventually able to press the action to the fence, but Loughnane was able to turn to the outside and pull away for a bit, though Algeo seemed to prefer to work in the clinch as often as possible.

Loughnane had success in a few late striking exchanges, and his corner yelled for him to keep a quick pace. He nearly ducked into an Algeo kick in the final seconds, but the action ended on the feet.

Algeo pressed in the second and he tried to time the step-in knee when his opponent returned the favor. The pace remained high, and Algeo started to find his range a little more frequently, busting up Loughnane’s nose. That said, each time it seemed Algeo was gaining control of the momentum, Loughnane would battle back with crisp punches, leading to a back-and-forth dogfight.

In the final minute, Loughnane drove forward and threw the action to the floor. Algeo tried to scramble back up, but Loughnane slipped around to his back. Algeo refused to give up the choke, but he seemed to give up the round with the late exchange.

Loughnane opened the third with a crisp right hand, and both men then took turns trading punches and kicks. Loughnane seemed to be the fresher man, but Algeo definitely wasn’t going away without a fight. Loughnane was unquestionably getting the better of the exchanges, and he started pouring it on as the round wore on. A little Diaz-esque taunting accompanied his punches, and it was clear who was in control.

Algeo was clearly running on fumes in the final seconds, but he refused to give up. Loughnane poured on, lacing out punches and digging at the legs. His nose was bloodied, but he smiled as the wore on. Loughnane finished with a late takedown and cruised to a clear decision win, 30-27 on all three cards.

De Castro scores upset win

In the night’s first contest, heavyweight underdog Yorgan De Castro (5-0) grinded through his opponent’s wrestling attacks before using a bit of well-placed striking to steal away a first-round TKO win from Alton Meeks (3-1).

Meeks stalked at the start, and while De Castro’s corner begged for him to move away from the fence, he soon found himself against the cage. De Castro tried for a leaping knee as Meeks moved inside, but it didn’t quite land clean, and he was taken briefly to the floor.

De Castro battled his way quickly to the feet, but Meeks gave him absolutely no room to work and continued to trip him to the canvas. Undaunted, De Castro continued to get back to his feet, even if he only had brief moments to attempt offense.

As the round wore on, Meeks seemed to tire, and De Castro started to find a home for thudding low kicks and the occasional right hand. Meeks continued to move forward, but he was taking the worst of it. Eventually, De Castro landed a thunderous low kick that saw Meeks drop to the canvas. De Castro followed with punches to seal the deal at the 4:45 mark of the opening round.

The upset win was enough to score De Castro the night’s other UFC contract.

The complete four-fight lineup includes:

  • Punahele Soriano def. Jamie Pickett via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
  • Hannah Goldy def. Kali Robbins via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
  • Brendan Loughnane def. Bill Algeo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Yorgan De Castro def. Alton Meeks via TKO (low kick, punches) – Round 1, 4:45

For more on Dana White’s Contender Series 17, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

‘That’s not who I am’: Igor Severino apologizes for bite, hopes one mistake doesn’t define career

Igor Severino’s life isn’t the same as it was one week ago. As of now, the 20-year-old ex-UFC fighter doesn’t know if it’ll ever be even similar after he bit opponent Andre Lima during their March 23 fight at UFC on ESPN 53 in Las Vegas. The highly unusual...

Joaquin Buckley: ‘This Is The Reason I’m Here’

UFC Welterweight Joaquin Buckley Is Stoked To Be In A Marquee Position To Move Up The Rankings And Show He Belongs Fighting The Top 170-Pound Fighters On The Roster Read the Full Article Here

come and try a ludus mma class free!

We want to make sure that Ludus MMA is the right fit for you before asking you to commit to a membership.
That’s why we’d like to offer you a FREE ONE-DAY PASS to our gym.

With your FREE PASS, you can:

  • Try as many classes as you’d like,
  • Explore the facility
  • Talk to our coaches one-on-one about what you can expect as a member

© Copyright 2024 - Ludus Martial Arts - 730 Beach Blvd, Unit 105, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250.

(904) 374-4186 / ludusmartialarts@gmail.com