John Castañeda vs Miles Johns

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
John Castañeda	0	135 of 253	53%	160 of 279	0 of 0	---	0	0	1:15
Mark Vologdin	0	91 of 217	41%	96 of 222	1 of 6	16%	0	0	0:31

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Rev.	Ctrl
1	John Castañeda	0	25 of 44	56%	28 of 47	0 of 0	---	0	0:32
Mark Vologdin	0	24 of 52	46%	29 of 57	0 of 0	---	0	0:05
2	John Castañeda	0	45 of 86	52%	49 of 90	0 of 0	---	0	0:11
Mark Vologdin	0	38 of 69	55%	38 of 69	0 of 3	0%	0	0:25
3	John Castañeda	0	65 of 123	52%	83 of 142	0 of 0	---	0	0:32
Mark Vologdin	0	29 of 96	30%	29 of 96	1 of 3	33%	0	0:01

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
John Castañeda	135 of 253	53%	79 of 181	19 of 31	37 of 41	124 of 233	10 of 18	1 of 2
Mark Vologdin	91 of 217	41%	53 of 165	26 of 34	12 of 18	84 of 202	7 of 15	0 of 0

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	John Castañeda	25 of 44	56%	8 of 22	4 of 7	13 of 15	25 of 44	0 of 0	0 of 0
Mark Vologdin	24 of 52	46%	10 of 30	6 of 9	8 of 13	23 of 51	1 of 1	0 of 0
2	John Castañeda	45 of 86	52%	24 of 59	3 of 8	18 of 19	44 of 83	1 of 2	0 of 1
Mark Vologdin	38 of 69	55%	23 of 53	13 of 14	2 of 2	37 of 68	1 of 1	0 of 0
3	John Castañeda	65 of 123	52%	47 of 100	12 of 16	6 of 7	55 of 106	9 of 16	1 of 1
Mark Vologdin	29 of 96	30%	20 of 82	7 of 11	2 of 3	24 of 83	5 of 13	0 of 0

John Castaneda vs. Mark Vologdin
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Castaneda (-120); Vologdin (+100)

Round 1
While initially booked as a bantamweight fight, someone in the Castaneda (21-8, 4-4 UFC) vs. Vologdin (12-4-1, 0-0 UFC) matchup appeared to be struggling to get down to 136 pounds and requested it be set for 139 pounds. The catchweight contest will have gold-standard referee Jason Herzog watching over the fighters, and they are glad to still be competing and show it with a shared clap of hands.
Castaneda says hello with his leg, firing off kicks high and low to make Vologdin nod at him in appreciation of his game. Castaneda even goes for an axe kick when Vologdin crowds him, and Vologdin settles to kick his foe back a few times. Castaneda bounces out of the way when the shorter Russian lunges at him, and he watches Vologdin miss on a body shot to stick him with a left cross and two low kicks. Vologdin returns fire with a kick that appears to frustrate his opponent, resulting in a clinch as the fans immediately start booing. It’s going to be one of those nights. “Sexi Mexi” breaks out of the tie-up and steps back to evade a knee, and the two have their legs entangled when throwing them at the same time. Castaneda bounces back up, and he is gifted a high-five when standing up. He lets fly a low kick to counter a jab that bangs square into the bottom of Vologdin’s cup, who stumbles around the cage in serious pain as Herzog calls time. Vologdin drops to his knees as he tries to shake out some of the discomfort, and he steels himself and is good to go after about 50 seconds of break. They both let fly kicks, and Castaneda follows one with a sharp right hand on the temple.
Vologdin has to blink out the impact of the blow and gets right back into the melee, flashing his jab to find his range. When Vologdin commits to big hooks, Castaneda slips them, counters and shoves his foe back. Vologdin bounces forward and has a low kick checked, and he stands in the pocket to trade but cannot pin “Sexi Mexi” down, even with a spinning wheel kick try. The jabs of Vologdin have bloodied up Castaneda’s nose, who pitches out a kick and shoots in for a level change. There is no takedown to be found from this, so Castaneda backs off and picks and pokes with body kick and long punches. Vologdin tries to pay him back with crisp pocket boxing, but he finds that he is beaten to the punch and kick by the speedster from Minnesota. Vologdin keeps marching forward to force Castaneda to fight off the back foot, but this plays at least partially into the game plan of Castaneda, who is potshotting him at range. Vologdin just misses with a rolling thunder kick, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda

Round 2
A fist bump opens the round, and Castaneda gets right going peppering with kicks. Vologdin throws three back in rapid succession to think about, but the volume is in favor of the American for now. Vologdin drives through a one-two, and Castaneda stands firm and jabs him in the nose to back him off. Vologdin loops two right hand that bang into the guard, but his left to the ribs does score. Castenada goes low to the body, and he sticks around and gets popped by three punches from the debuting fighter. Castaneda bounces in and out behind his jab, just dodging the worst flying his way in time but still eating some shots when engaging. Vologdin jabs and shoots in for a single-leg takedown, and Castaneda bounces off his knee and hops back to the cage wall to set up a guillotine choke. Vologdin elevates and dumps him, breaking out of the choke, but he does not have Castaneda down.
Castaneda is able to break out of the attempt and release his own submission grip to reset, where he stands in front of Vologdin and strings together quick combos. Vologdin winds up with a power left hand, and Castaneda shoulder-rolls it to take the sting out of it and gives back a heavy right up top. Castaneda leads off an exchange with a low kick that bangs into the groin, and he follows it with heavy punches as Vologdin turns away to recover from the foul. Herzog has to peel Castaneda away, as Castaneda claims he did not land the low strike, and Vologdin eats a few more before Herzog is in place. Vologdin sits down to get his wind back, and Herzog deducts one point from Castaneda for his second groin kick. After 75 seconds, the round resumes, and thank goodness rules are being enforced around here. They proceed to go right after one another, with Castaneda leading the dance with power and volume. Vologdin is comfortable to sit on his right hand and launch it when it feels right, and he gets caught in a clinch and takes a spinning back elbow on the noggin before separating. Castaneda slips and ducks his way in, constantly changing his target with weapons like a knee up the middle, two left hands and a right to the ribs. Vologdin is largely headhunting, and Castaneda is giving him a lot to think about as the second round concludes.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 9-9
Brian Knapp scores the round: 9-9
Tyler Treese scores the round: 9-9

Round 3
They are off to the races in the final round, sharing a fist bump before throwing hands and feet en masse. Castaneda puts it on Vologdin, who fires back and opens a cut on the forehead. Castaneda keeps pouring it on the Russian, who is reeling from taking shots but still ready to swing for the bleachers. Castaneda stays just out of boxing range from his opponent to measure his blows appropriately, and he punches his way into a clinch and is boxed out of it. Vologdin’s nose starts to leak from the oncoming fire, as Castaneda is turning on the jets while Vologdin appears to be fading. The reactions from Vologdin taking damage are starting to get more exaggerated, as he shoots in for a double-leg takedown that is easily sprawled. Castaneda lets his foe back up so he can put hands on him, and he lets rip low kick and high punches as Vologdin is now leaking from a cut on the bridge of his nose.
Castaneda lets rip a big flurry of punches, knocking Vologdin back and knocking him down. Vologdin muscles his way back upright, and Castaneda starts working the body to shut him down. Vologdin grits his teeth and throws everything he has back, but Castaneda sees it coming and tees off on him. Castaneda goes after a big right hand and a left high kick, and he slips back when Vologdin tries another rolling thunder kick. Vologdin holds his hand up awkwardly as if he were asking a question in class—he does have the youthful type of face where he looks like he was plucked from study hall—and Castaneda backs off. Castaneda motions to the center of the Octagon to initiate a brawl, and unlike many others who have offered this and bailed on it, they proceed to bust one another up. Castaneda gets the better of the exchanges but only by a small margin, and he stings Vologdin and gets taken down. The fun slugfest ends with Vologdin on top, and it may all come down to the scoring of the first round.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (29-27 Castaneda)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (29-27 Castaneda)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (29-27 Castaneda)

The Official Result
John Castaneda
vs.
Mark Vologdin
is Ruled a Majority Draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Apr 12, 2026 (6 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Angelo picks John Castañeda, citing his wrestling advantage and ability to close range against Mark Vologdin, who has short reach. He worries Castañeda may be past his prime but believes he is the better overall fighter. He expects Castañeda to use takedowns to secure a win.

"Castañeda lost his last fight because he struggled with range, but that shouldn't be an issue here because Mark doesn't have any range."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Lean picked Apr 14, 2026 (4 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Big Brady leans toward John Castañeda, noting he would have liked him better as an underdog. He criticizes Mark O. Madsen's striking defense (34%) and hittability, and praises Castañeda's experience and solid wins. Brady believes Castañeda can dictate where the fight takes place and get takedowns, predicting a decision win.

decision

"I'm leaning Castañeda here. Would have liked him a lot better as an underdog, but that underdog money is no longer. I'm still going Castañeda though. I'm going to go Castañeda win this fight by decision."

DFS by the Numbers

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Apr 15, 2026 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Cody picks John Castañeda, citing his experience and multiple paths to victory. He notes that Vologdin is one-dimensional and has poor striking defense. He expects Castañeda to win by decision or submission.

"John Casanada is the uh is the play for me as well."

Bookie Beatdown

Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Apr 17, 2026 (1 day before fight)

John Castañeda

Connor picks Castañeda because he is a seasoned action fighter who can set a pace that Vologdin may not be ready for. He notes that Vologdin is a natural flyweight who is raw technically, often leaving his chin exposed when throwing combinations. Castañeda's experience and ability to push a brutal pace should overwhelm Vologdin, who is not yet comfortable as a high-output pressure fighter.

Castañeda opened at +115, now -125; Vologdin opened at -135, now +105

"I got to take Castaneda to get a veteran win here."

MMA Vivisection

Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Apr 14, 2026 (4 days before fight)

Mark Vologdin

Daniel has never been high on Castañeda and thinks Vologdin can push a pace that Castañeda can't handle. He picks Vologdin as an underdog to win his UFC debut.

"I'm going to pick Mark Vlogton as the underdog here to push a pace on John Castanada and win his UFC debut."

Half the Battle

Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Apr 12, 2026 (6 days before fight)

John Castañeda

James picks John Castañeda as an underdog, citing his superior UFC experience and wins. He believes Castañeda's wrestling and left high kick will be key, and that Vologdin is too hittable and unproven. He predicts a decision win.

"I'm picking John Castanada as the underdog outright in this fight to get a win most likely via decision."

Lucrative MMA

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Apr 14, 2026 (4 days before fight)

John Castañeda

The host leans on Castañeda's strength of schedule, well-roundedness, and cardio edge. He thinks Castañeda's durability, movement, calf kicks, and wrestling will cause Vologdin issues as the fight goes into deeper water. He predicts a decision win, though acknowledges Vologdin could land a big shot early.

"I'm going to lean on the strength of schedule here from Castañeda, as well as his well-roundedness and cardio edge. I think this will be very competitive early... but I think if we get into the second and third rounds, …"

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Apr 15, 2026 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Paul also picks Castañeda, agreeing with Cody. He notes that Vologdin lost on the Contender Series and has poor wrestling defense. He expects Castañeda to use his wrestling and volume to win.

"I'm surprised that Castan is not a bigger favorite this fight to be perfectly honest."

Bookie Beatdown

Zane Simon Expert Lean picked Apr 17, 2026 (1 day before fight)

John Castañeda

Zane leans toward Castañeda but acknowledges Vologdan could catch him and put him away. He notes that Vologdan is a natural flyweight who fights well in spots but not as a pace fighter, and Castañeda's experience in wars should give him the edge. However, he expresses concern about Castañeda's tendency to let opponents impose their game, as seen against Chris Gutierrez.

Castañeda opened at +115, now -125; Vologdin opened at -135, now +105

"I'm leaning that way, too."

MMA Vivisection

LOSS vs Chris Gutierrez

Decision R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Machado Garry vs. Prates · Apr 26, 2025

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Chris Gutierrez	1	46 of 85	54%	65 of 112	0 of 2	0%	0	0	0:39
John Castañeda	0	41 of 77	53%	76 of 118	1 of 1	100%	0	0	4:50

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Chris Gutierrez	1	9 of 16	56%	19 of 29	0 of 0	---	0:37
1	John Castañeda	0	6 of 17	35%	17 of 29	0 of 0	---	1:58
2	Chris Gutierrez	0	29 of 50	58%	29 of 50	0 of 1	0%	0:00
2	John Castañeda	0	23 of 43	53%	23 of 43	0 of 0	---	0:00
3	Chris Gutierrez	0	8 of 19	42%	17 of 33	0 of 1	0%	0:02
3	John Castañeda	0	12 of 17	70%	36 of 46	1 of 1	100%	2:52

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Chris Gutierrez	46 of 85	54%	20 of 50	5 of 9	21 of 26	44 of 81	0 of 1	2 of 3
John Castañeda	41 of 77	53%	16 of 34	8 of 13	17 of 30	36 of 71	5 of 6	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Chris Gutierrez	9 of 16	56%	4 of 9	1 of 1	4 of 6	7 of 13	0 of 0	2 of 3
1	John Castañeda	6 of 17	35%	1 of 3	1 of 3	4 of 11	6 of 17	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Chris Gutierrez	29 of 50	58%	11 of 25	3 of 7	15 of 18	29 of 50	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	John Castañeda	23 of 43	53%	13 of 26	4 of 6	6 of 11	22 of 41	1 of 2	0 of 0
3	Chris Gutierrez	8 of 19	42%	5 of 16	1 of 1	2 of 2	8 of 18	0 of 1	0 of 0
3	John Castañeda	12 of 17	70%	2 of 5	3 of 4	7 of 8	8 of 13	4 of 4	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

John Castaneda vs. Chris Gutierrez
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Gutierrez (-130), Castaneda (+110)

Round 1
Both fighters normally bantamweights, the short-notice nature of this rescheduled tilt shifted it up 10 pounds to featherweight. It was originally scheduled for UFC 313, only to fall through on Fight Night when Castaneda (21-7, 4-3 UFC) suffered a fight-scratching illness. Ready to finally get in there, Gutierrez (21-6-2, 9-3-1 UFC) as his shins sharpened and ready for combat. Joining the two fighters in the cage will be referee Keith Peterson, who reaches the cage after bouncing nonsense from the premises. They clap hands, and Gutierrez comes out throwing kicks from both legs. Castaneda backs off all the way to the fence, moving side to side to not present a stationary target. Castaneda attempts his own low kick, aiming a second on the inside when the first succeeds. Gutierrez rips the inner thigh back with a kick, and Castaneda switches stances briefly. Gutierrez slips a punch and works the front calf, and he parries three of four punches but gets caught with the fourth on the nose. Gutierrez’ kicks keep Castaneda moving, who is constantly trying not to get nailed with a head kick, a spin kick or something else fired his way. Gutierrez steps in, tosses a kick to the ribs and trips. Castaneda’s eyes light up, as he jumps down to claim top position uncontested. Castanada steps into half guard, flattening Gutierrez out while exerting his body weight down. The audience does not love the relative inaction with the wrestling, audibly letting the fighters know of this. Gutierrez gets some space using butterfly hooks to push off the hips, and he grabs one of Castaneda’s ankles while searching for upkicks. Gutierrez decides to just stand up, and Castaneda seemingly lets him back up without issue. Gutierrez thanks him for this with a straight right hand down the pipe, sending “Sexi Mexi” to the ground in a heap. As Castaneda lays on his side defending himself, time expires before Gutierrez can get the finish he was seeking.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gutierrez
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Gutierrez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gutierrez

Round 2
The fighters clap hands to re-engage, and Castaneda swings with everything he has into a reintroductory right hand. Gutierrez needs a moment to recover, and he gathers his thoughts and lets loose with a spinning wheel kick that misses the mark. Gutierrez kicks his foe so hard in the front leg, he puts Castaneda on his seat. Castaneda climbs back up, directly into a crippling low kick that makes him limp almost immediately. Gutierrez sells out for a big punch, and Castaneda meets him with his own at the same time. Castaneda strikes the body and head, circling away before Gutierrez can get to him. Castaneda goes wide with a wheel kick, and when he lands, he reaches out with a long left hand. Castaneda chips at the front leg with a kick, and Gutierrez actually shoves him away rather than striking him. Gutierrez pump-fakes a spin, and he checks a kick and has his guard up to prevent Castaneda from getting off on him. Gutierrez sneaks out a left hand, and he again fakes a spin. Castaneda does not bite and instead loads up on a right hand, and Gutierrez frowns at him. Castaneda gives chase, walking through kicks to his lead leg and a few punches. The two proceed to trade it out from close range, and Gutierrez slams his shin on the inside of his foe’s lead leg to give him brief pause. Gutierrez kicks the outside of the leg, and Castaneda responds in kind. Gutierrez probes out with a jab and a step-in knee, and Castaneda has to shake out the cobwebs but is forced to deal with jabs and leg kicks when doing so. They both land straight punches at the same time, and Gutierrez shoots for a single-leg takedown suddenly. Castaneda grins at him and hammers him with two heavy hooks, and Gutierrez is quick to abandon the shot. Castaneda goes high with two kicks that are blocked, and Gutierrez bloodies his nose up with a right hand at the bell.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gutierrez
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gutierrez

Round 3
The fighters are so amped up to get going again, Peterson has to tell them to back off before he says go. When he does, they do not hang back, and instead engage with one another in close range. Both men land cleanly on one another, and Gutierrez has to back off and disengage rather than keep letting hands fly. Castaneda’s wheel kick effort bounces harmless off the guard, but when he plants his leg, he is able to score three low kicks in rapid succession. Gutierrez flicks out a few jabs, and Castaneda kicks him once more. Gutierrez punches his way into a clinch, and he abandons the level change when the leverage is not right. Castaneda slings a kick to the body, and Gutierrez comes out swinging and misses the mark. This allows Castaneda to grip hold of his foe and push him against the fencing, all while looking for a trip. Castaneda elects to lift Gutierrez all the way in the air, slamming him down on his back hard. Castaneda smothers his foe on top, moving to side control to not let Gutierrez go anywhere. Gutierrez tries to scramble, and Castaneda responds with a guillotine choke with one arm while using his body weight to press on him. Castaneda lets it go and lands a few punches, and Gutierrez drags him back to the closed guard. As Gutierrez fights off the grappling and pushes off, Castaneda kicks him in the legs a few times when his foe stands. The horn sounds, and the fight is over.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (29-28 Gutierrez)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (29-28 Castaneda)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (29-28 Gutierrez)

The Official Result
Chris Gutierrez def. John Castaneda via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Apr 20, 2025 (6 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Angelo picks John Castañeda, believing his pressure wrestling will neutralize Chris Gutierrez's leg kicks. He notes that Gutierrez was taken down by Quang Le and that Castañeda's Division 2 wrestling and forward pressure will keep the fight in close range, preventing Gutierrez from planting and kicking. He is waiting for better plus money odds.

Waiting for odds to improve; may bet at +125 or +130

"John Castanada is the pick and a lot of that has to do with just the pressure."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Lean picked Apr 22, 2025 (4 days before fight)

Chris Gutierrez

Big Brady leans toward Chris Gutierrez, citing his leg kicks and better striking, but expects a close fight typical of Gutierrez. He notes Gutierrez often wins on thin margins and predicts a competitive decision. He expresses low interest in the fight and mentions the line at -140 makes sense.

"Give me Chris Gutierrez by a competitive decision. The line at -140 makes a ton of sense to me."

DFS by the Numbers

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Apr 25, 2025 (1 day before fight)

Chris Gutierrez

The host expects Gutierrez to stop takedowns, use calf kicks to slow Castañeda, and then land hands when Castañeda blitzes recklessly, leading to a decision win.

"Look for Gutierrez to touch him up and give us a classic Gutierrez performance, winning this fight on the scorecards."

MMA Lock of the Night

The MMA Guru Expert Hesitant picked Apr 22, 2025 (4 days before fight)

Chris Gutierrez

The MMA Guru picks Chris Gutierrez, but with hesitation. He likes Gutierrez's low kicks and movement, and notes Castañeda's lack of urgency and flat-footedness. However, he questions Gutierrez's ability to dominate and expects a very close decision. He mentions the big cage favors Gutierrez's movement.

"I think Gutierrez is going to win a very close decision, a very very close decision over John Castanada."

THE MMA GURU

CANCEL vs Douglas Silva de Andrade

UFC Fight Night 253 · Mar 01, 2025

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Feb 23, 2025 (6 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Angelo picks John Castañeda, citing his youth, speed, and cardio advantage over the aging Douglas Silva de Andrade. He acknowledges that Andrade is a tough matchup with a solid chin and bowling-ball build, making him hard to take down. He expects Castañeda to win by outworking Andrade as he slows down, but warns that the fight could be close and suggests monitoring the line for value.

Monitor line for potential value

"I am going to pick cin here I am going to monitor this line though maybe we get lucky maybe it Titans I don't know he should win like I said younger faster busy but it is like fighting a …"

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Feb 24, 2025 (5 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Big Brady picks John Castañeda, citing age advantage (seven years younger), better volume, cardio, wrestling, and durability. He notes Douglas Silva de Andrade is declining, with poor recent performances. He expects Castañeda to outwork him over 15 minutes and win by decision.

Castañeda by decision

"I like John Castan here I think he just going to outwork Douglas Silva Deandra over the course of 15 minutes... give me John Castan to win by decision"

DFS by the Numbers

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Feb 26, 2025 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

The host believes Castañeda is the better overall fighter, though de Andrade can make it close with his power. He expects Castañeda to use a combination of striking, footwork, and takedowns to win on the scorecards.

"I believe Castaneda is the better overall fighter here but Deandra can make things very close considering the power in which he throws with I think Cena will utilize a good combination of his striking footwork and takedowns to end …"

MMA Lock of the Night

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Feb 28, 2025 (1 day before fight)

John Castañeda

The Guru picks John Castañeda over Douglas Silva de Andrade. He notes Silva de Andrade is aging and less active, while Castañeda is durable, hard to finish, and pushes a strong pace. He expects Castañeda to win the later rounds and get a decision, possibly 29-28.

"I'm going with John castanada here over Douglas Silva de andr... Caston more grit youth less miles on him more volume more pressure."

THE MMA GURU

LOSS vs Daniel Marcos

Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Imavov · Jun 08, 2024

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Daniel Marcos	0	60 of 123	48%	68 of 134	1 of 5	20%	0	0	2:12
John Castañeda	1	98 of 171	57%	101 of 177	0 of 0	---	0	0	1:01

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Daniel Marcos	0	24 of 46	52%	25 of 47	0 of 0	---	0:00
1	John Castañeda	0	28 of 52	53%	28 of 53	0 of 0	---	0:00
2	Daniel Marcos	0	13 of 30	43%	20 of 40	1 of 4	25%	1:53
2	John Castañeda	0	26 of 54	48%	27 of 55	0 of 0	---	0:37
3	Daniel Marcos	0	23 of 47	48%	23 of 47	0 of 1	0%	0:19
3	John Castañeda	1	44 of 65	67%	46 of 69	0 of 0	---	0:24

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Daniel Marcos	60 of 123	48%	26 of 75	9 of 16	25 of 32	59 of 122	1 of 1	0 of 0
John Castañeda	98 of 171	57%	71 of 131	21 of 31	6 of 9	81 of 150	17 of 20	0 of 1

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Daniel Marcos	24 of 46	52%	6 of 19	3 of 5	15 of 22	24 of 46	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	John Castañeda	28 of 52	53%	23 of 41	2 of 8	3 of 3	26 of 49	2 of 2	0 of 1
2	Daniel Marcos	13 of 30	43%	7 of 24	2 of 2	4 of 4	13 of 30	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	John Castañeda	26 of 54	48%	22 of 49	3 of 4	1 of 1	17 of 42	9 of 12	0 of 0
3	Daniel Marcos	23 of 47	48%	13 of 32	4 of 9	6 of 6	22 of 46	1 of 1	0 of 0
3	John Castañeda	44 of 65	67%	26 of 41	16 of 19	2 of 5	38 of 59	6 of 6	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

John Castaneda vs. Daniel Marcos
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Marcos (-120), Castaneda (+100)

Round 1
A pair of bantamweights that hold exactly eight knockout victories and seven triumphs on the scorecards meet as the prelims keep on pushing. Castaneda (21-6, 4-2 UFC) rides a two-fight win streak into this matchup, with a potential pattern brewing of him winning two and losing the third. His Peruvian foe Marcos (15-0, 1 NC; 2-0, 1 NC UFC) has never tasted defeat as a pro, and his lone non-victorious performance came in February when he kicked a flying Qileng Aori in the groin to result in a no contest. The third man in the Octagon for this one will be Dan Miragliotta, and he begins the fight when the two men touch ‘em up. Castaneda springs in and out of range, slapping a few leg kicks on the fiery haired man from Peru. Marcos throws one back, and he walks through a counter low kick to punch “Sexi Mexi” in the face three times. Castaneda slips to the side and keeps snapping out leg kicks, targeting the calf repeatedly while attempting to parry or dodge anything Marcos throws his way. Marcos slowly cuts his foe off, and he lines a right hand down the middle and drills him with a step-in knee. Marcos gets off a body kick, and Castaneda slaps a few more leg kicks off the calf for good measure. Marcos marches in with a heavy right hand, sending Castaneda flying, and Castaneda bounces off the cage wall and hits one knee. Castaneda gets back up and scampers away, and Marcos grins and pursues another overhand right. A body kick is swatted away by Marcos, and he coils and looses his right hand again. Castaneda prods with low kick after low kick, and he is met with a right hand and a pair of knees. Two quick hands from Marcos find the chin of his opponent, and Castaneda’s nose starts to turn red. A front kick from Marcos does not help, as it grazes the beak as Castaneda is retreating. Castaneda pecks with another leg kick and hops away, and Marcos’ right hand marks up the bridge of Castaneda’s nose. Marcos parries a punch and drills Castaneda with three before Castaneda can get away. Marcos plants a kick on the ribs of his foe, and Castaneda’s low kicks keep slapping but are frequently countered by a right hook. A few more from Marcos send Castaneda down to his knees, and Castaneda climbs up and rushes away while Marcos gives chase. As Marcos lands a few more, the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Marcos
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Marcos
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Marcos

Round 2
Gloves are touched to commence the round, and they trade leg kicks right off the bat. Marcos connects with a quick combination of punches, resulting in Castaneda crashing the pocket and clinching up. Castaneda presses tightly in the clinch, stomping the undefeated fighter’s toes. Marcos breaks off and chases after Castaneda, blasting him in the face with a knee and several right hands. The strikes cause blood to blow from the nose of “Sexi Mexi,” and Marcos targets the same place with a few more knees and rights. Castaneda tries to take the fight down to slow down the onslaught of the Peruvian, where he succeeds in clinging to him and briefly halting the offense. As Marcos turns him about, he knees Castaneda in the face and thigh a few times, as Castaneda leans his shoulder on the wall before splitting off. Castaneda sells out for a double, and Marcos’ defense holds up as he leans his back on the fence and knees Castaneda square in the face. Marcos finds Castaneda’s face with punches, a head kick and a follow-up one-two, and Castaneda is tough but taking damage. Marcos chases after Castaneda and lets Castaneda hit him back so he can slug him harder. Castaneda finds a different angle, rushes forward and scoops “Soncora” up to slam him on the canvas. Marcos turns to a knee and is up after a few seconds, and he lays into Castaneda with punches and a vicious knee until Castaneda shoots once more. Castaneda spins with an elbow that brushes past the shoulder, and Marcos drives him back with a front kick and a leaping right hand. Castaneda counters and bloodies up the bridge of Marcos’ nose, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Marcos
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Marcos
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Marcos

Round 3
The fighters hug it out to start the last round, and Marcos leads the dance with a clean right hand. Castaneda strafes to the side and responds with a straight right hand, and he spins with a kick that misses the mark. Marcos kicks his foe in the ribs, and he chops at the inside calf and then jams his shin into the solar plexus. Castaneda retaliates with a head kick, and Marcos kicks him back only for the foot to bounce off the stomach and potentially the cup. After a brief look at the replay, Miragliotta tells them it was legal, so they resume fighting and Marcos kicks the same spot. Castaneda cries foul again for a cup shot, and Miragliotta once more tells him they are legal. Marcos rushes at Castaneda, who is turned around and upset, and he punches his way forward until Castaneda grabs hold of him to tie him up. Marcos is turned around, but he muscles his way out of the tie-up. Castaneda goes after him, kicking the lead leg and body before Marcos lines up a right hand down the pipe. Marcos jabs the body with a kick, and Castaneda responds with a low kick. They trade strikes one after the other, and Marcos lands a right as Castaneda trips. Castaneda is upright in an instant, and he throws a few punches that are out of range. Castaneda gets off a solid body kick, and Marcos comes back at him with three punches and a much heavier body kick of his own. Castaneda races forward, keeping Marcos on the back foot, and he throws punches and kicks. Castaneda winds up with a big right hand, and Marcos says, “two can play that game,” and decks Castaneda with his own fastball. Castaneda hits his seat and jumps back up to his feet after the flash knockdown, and Marcos elects to tie him up instead of land much more. On the break, Marcos digs a right to the body and one to the head, and Castaneda punches his foe in the chest in response. Castaneda scores a right hand and lets loose with a head kick, and Marcos suddenly realizes that he is in trouble. Castaneda sprints at him trying to do some finalizing damage, and Marcos gets his feet back and cracks Castaneda with a thudding elbow right before the fight wraps.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Marcos (30-27 Marcos)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Marcos (30-27 Marcos)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Marcos (30-27 Marcos)

The Official Result
Daniel Marcos def. John Castaneda via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jun 7, 2024 (1 day before fight)

John Castañeda

Angelo picks John Castañeda as the underdog. He notes that Daniel Marcos is undefeated but has squeaked out close decisions, and his UFC wins are not dominant. John is all gas, no brakes, with forward pressure, wrestling, and a high pace. Angelo thinks John's wrestling and pressure will be too much for Marcos, who likes to control the tempo. He expects John to win a decision or possibly get a finish.

"I'm going sexy mexy here to make it a three-fight win streak"

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Lean picked Jun 5, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Daniel Marcos

Big Brady picks Daniel Marcos to win by decision. He likes Marcos's striking volume and body work, which could break Castañeda as seen in the Santos fight. He doubts Castañeda's wrestling will be effective because Marcos has good takedown defense and get-up game. He expects a war but favors Marcos's striking.

"give me give me Marcos to win this fight I don't think the wrestling of cast andate is going to play a factor and for that reason I I like the strike a little bit more of Marcos I'm going …"

DFS by the Numbers

Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Jun 5, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Daniel Marcos

Cody picks Marcos, noting that Castañeda struggles when pressured and Marcos has good leg kicks and volume. He acknowledges Castañeda's wrestling but thinks Marcos' takedown defense and striking will be enough to edge a decision. Cody sees this as a close fight but leans towards Marcos' development.

"in my head I got to pick somebody I'm I'm going to pick Marcos and just chalk up the dve grant fight to just an outlier"

Bookie Beatdown

Daniel Levi Expert Lean picked Jun 5, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Daniel Marcos

Daniel picks Marcos as the slicker fighter, expecting a close decision. He praises Marcos' cerebral approach and jab, and notes Castañeda's experience and improved output. He has been picking against Castañeda and continues that trend.

close decision

"I'm gonna go Marcos to kind of just outslick him a little bit and win a close decision"

Half the Battle

Jacob Lines Expert Confident picked Jun 7, 2024 (1 day before fight)

John Castañeda

Jacob picks John Castañeda, calling him a former lock of the week. He likes that John doesn't force takedowns but uses his wrestling as a weapon, often setting up takedowns with his boxing. He thinks the striking will be close, but John's wrestling gives him an edge, especially late in rounds. He notes that John was plus money and would have been his lock of the week if the odds were wider earlier.

John Castañeda at plus money

"I think he's plus 100 right now right I kind of wish be honest with you that on Sunday he was definitely a plus money fighter he would have been my lock of the week"

We Want Picks

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Jun 4, 2024 (4 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Castañeda's movement and lateral footwork should help him avoid Marcos' calf kicks and crash the pocket with power strikes. He has more tools and experience, and can hand Marcos his first loss. However, if Marcos establishes the calf kick, he could take over. Close fight, slight lean to Castañeda by decision.

"I am going to lean ever so slightly to the Casta side as I think he has a better style to avoid the calf kicking style of Marcos"

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Jun 5, 2024 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Paul slightly leans towards Castañeda based on his wrestling and volume. He notes that Castañeda moves forward well and has good output. Paul thinks this is a properly priced fight and does not intend to make a significant play.

"I'll ever so slightly lean towards castan just on uh wrestling and and and and volume I suppose but I don't know man I think it's a properly priced fight and I don't really intend to um to make like …"

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jun 5, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Daniel Marcos

The Guru picks Marcos after initially considering Castañeda. He says Castañeda hasn't put together wins impressively and his recent fights weren't good-looking. Marcos is 15-0 and active, and though he was given a robbery decision against Dave Grant, the Guru thinks Marcos is better than Castañeda. He notes Marcos looked amazing in the first round against Chang before the no-contest.

"I'm going to go with Daniel Marcos... I think he's pretty decent so I think he's better than cast days"

THE MMA GURU

WIN vs Kyung Ho Kang

Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) R3 5:00 · UFC 295: Prochazka vs. Pereira · Nov 11, 2023

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
John Castañeda	0	111 of 179	62%	119 of 187	3 of 8	37%	0	0	2:18
Kyung Ho Kang	0	88 of 202	43%	88 of 203	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:00

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	John Castañeda	33 of 51	64%	33 of 51	0 of 0	---	0:00
1	Kyung Ho Kang	18 of 40	45%	18 of 40	0 of 0	---	0:00
2	John Castañeda	38 of 64	59%	39 of 65	1 of 3	33%	0:55
2	Kyung Ho Kang	30 of 81	37%	30 of 82	0 of 0	---	0:00
3	John Castañeda	40 of 64	62%	47 of 71	2 of 5	40%	1:23
3	Kyung Ho Kang	40 of 81	49%	40 of 81	0 of 0	---	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
John Castañeda	111 of 179	62%	47 of 103	30 of 39	34 of 37	109 of 176	2 of 3	0 of 0
Kyung Ho Kang	88 of 202	43%	59 of 170	17 of 19	12 of 13	82 of 194	6 of 8	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	John Castañeda	33 of 51	64%	6 of 18	10 of 13	17 of 20	33 of 51	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	Kyung Ho Kang	18 of 40	45%	12 of 33	5 of 5	1 of 2	18 of 40	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	John Castañeda	38 of 64	59%	21 of 44	10 of 13	7 of 7	37 of 63	1 of 1	0 of 0
2	Kyung Ho Kang	30 of 81	37%	18 of 67	6 of 8	6 of 6	28 of 79	2 of 2	0 of 0
3	John Castañeda	40 of 64	62%	20 of 41	10 of 13	10 of 10	39 of 62	1 of 2	0 of 0
3	Kyung Ho Kang	40 of 81	49%	29 of 70	6 of 6	5 of 5	36 of 75	4 of 6	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

John Castaneda vs. Kyung Ho Kang
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Castaneda (-142), Kang (+120)

Round 1
Even if South Korea’s “Mr. Perfect” Kang (19-9, 1 NC; 8-3, 1 NC UFC) has not been perfect as a member of the UFC roster, his pattern of three wins followed by a defeat has held perfectly for the last decade. Should this continue, it would mean a victory over Castaneda (20-6, 3-2 UFC) tonight. Due to this pairing coming together on late notice, it will be contested at a catchweight of 138 pounds, and neither mad had a problem with the scales ahead of time. Prior to the action, a touch of gloves is shared, and referee Dan Miragliotta is on standby. Kang stays light on his feet early to hops back to avoid a low kick, and he jabs with the ball of his foot to Castaneda’s chest. Castaneda responds with a quick leg kick, and Kang crowds him and looks to corner him. The South Korean fighter sits down on a body kick, and he springs away from a counter. Castaneda gives him a body kick back, but he does get countered before he can get away. Castaneda starts to chew up the lead wheel with a plethora of calf kicks, and he whips a kick to the side that makes Kang grimace. Castaneda spins with a back kick to the body as well, with very few strikes aimed up high early. Castaneda jabs the head and body, and he gets driven back with a straight right hand. Castaneda goes body and leg with a punch and a kick, and Kang ignores the strikes and continues to walk him down. Castaneda just misses with a right hand as Kang closes in, and he keeps chipping at the inside and outside of Kang’s left leg. Castaneda jabs the body and slides to the side, and he brings his shin high to bang into Kang’s raised guard. Kang checks a kick as he plods forward, and he belts Castaneda in the midsection with his own foot. Castaneda doubles up on leg kicks and spins with a heel to the ribs, and he surprises Kang with a left hand. Castaneda does not slow down kicking the front leg, and he wades through a few strikes to sit down on a right hand. Kang counters with a clean straight right, and he finds his target with a second shortly thereafter much to the dismay of “Sexi Mexi.” Castaneda comes up short with a body kick, and he darts forward suddenly with two swiping punches that brush sweat from Kang’s brow. Kang intercepts Castaneda with a jab, and he bull-rushes forward and goes wide. Castaneda stays elusive and lands a number of additional kicks until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda

Round 2
The second round begins in a hurry, as Kang is ready to hit harder than before. When Castaneda attempts a low kick, Kang sends Castaneda to his seat with a right hand. Castaneda climbs back up and is not concerned, as he keeps right on kicking. Kang whiffs with an elbow from up close, and he lands his own leg kick for good measure. Castaneda tags him with a right hand over the top, and Kang sees the success of that kick and goes to the same spot. Castaneda jabs and moves, and he clips Kang with a short right hand. Kang shakes it out and absorbs a leg kick, and Castaneda times his right hand again. Kang looks for his own counter during a leg kick, and this allows Castaneda to duck it and sneak around to take his back. Castaneda looks to take Kang down, and he succeeds in scooping up the Korean from behind and dropping him down on his arms. Kang turns around, his back to the fence and his backside on the floor, but Castaneda controls him from any further activity. Kang explodes to get back to his feet, and he targets the body and gets blasted with one to the solar plexus. Kang protests that the kick went low, and Miragliotta calls time and checks on the replay. Miragliotta rules the strike was clean, and they get back to it. Castaneda sprints into action, working Kang’s leg to draw a counter, duck it and take Kang’s back again while upright. Kang defends from the takedown attempt this time around, so Castaneda meets him with a thudding kick to the ribs and numerous punches up high. Castaneda connects with a punch and kick to the body, and he lands a kick on the inside and outside of Kang’s lead leg to follow. Kang prods out his jab, and he smacks Castaneda with an ineffective left. Kang puts a little more mustard behind a left hand, but Castaneda does not flinch. Castaneda fires a left hand over the top, and Kang gets tagged with a series of punches from “Sexi Mexi.” The sparring match of a round ends as Kang shells up against the fence.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda

Round 3
Castaneda hops out of his corner offering a glove touch, and Kang accepts it and kicks him square in the groin. Castaneda groans but waves Miragliotta off, as he is energized and wants to walk it off. As Kang kicks his body again, Castaneda rifles a right hand down the middle on the chest and knocks Kang down. Kang climbs back up, and Castaneda is on him, stringing together combinations of punches and leg kicks. The latter starts to draw reactions out of his opponent, as Kang is wearing it from the assault to his left leg. Kang toughs it out and gets back to his own forward momentum, and he comes in close enough to block a body kick. Castaneda mixes things up with kicks to the body and legs, and he punches the head and body. A few head shots from “Sexi Mexi” make Kang nod at him and try to entice a brawl, but Castaneda instead backs off as a strike from Kang appears to have opened a cut on the top of his right eye. Castaneda scores a clubbing right hand, and Kang lures him into the slugfest he wanted, as the two trade punches. Kang backs off, taking the worse of the exchanges, and Castaneda follows after him and pursues a single. Castaneda drags Kang to the mat, and Kang explodes back up and is met with a solid left hand and a liver kick. Kang fires back, getting a bit of space from the crowding Castaneda, and he gets Castaneda’s attention with a kick to the ribs. Castaneda sprints forward, looking for a high crotch to lift and dump Kang, and Kang keeps his balance when lowered to the floor. Kang keeps moving and lets Castaneda slide off the side and back, and he threatens suddenly with a guillotine choke. Castaneda escapes and retreats, and Kang gives chase and loads up on all the offense he can muster until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (30-27 Castaneda)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (30-27 Castaneda)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (30-27 Castaneda)

The Official Result
John Castaneda def. Kyung Ho Kang via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Nov 5, 2023 (6 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Angelo is very confident in Castañeda, highlighting his forward pressure, wrestling, and pace. He expects Castañeda to break Kang down with takedowns and ride out a decision win. He notes Kang is dangerous but thinks Castañeda's style will overwhelm him.

decision win

"John C is going to be the pick and I'm very confident in that."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Lean picked Nov 6, 2023 (5 days before fight)

Kyung Ho Kang

Big Brady is taking the dog Kyung Ho Kang in what he expects to be a close fight. He likes Kang's improved striking, power, and toughness, noting Kang has never been finished in the UFC. He thinks Castañeda may struggle to keep the fight on the mat and will be out struck. Brady admits he doesn't have a strong read and expects a decision.

"I'm going to take the dog here in what I think is going to be a very close fight... give me Kyung Ho Kang for the win."

DFS by the Numbers

Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Nov 8, 2023 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Cody leans Castañeda, citing his forward pressure and power. He notes Kang's inconsistency and tendency to not use his wrestling. He thinks Castañeda can make it a scrap and mix in takedowns, but he's on the fence and wants to see weigh-ins.

"I'm leaning towards John C and yeah that that makes sense to me"

Bookie Beatdown

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Nov 7, 2023 (4 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Castañeda has the striking advantage and grappling chops to put opponents through the ringer. Kong is aging and will struggle with Castañeda's pressure and inability to get the fight to the ground where he could use his BJJ. Expects Castañeda to dictate the pace with crisp boxing combinations and grind out a win by mixing striking and grappling.

"I expect castan to dictate the pace here utilizes crisp boxing combinations to really hurt Kong throughout this match"

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Nov 8, 2023 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Paul picks Castañeda, noting Kang's age (36) and recent close fights. He thinks Castañeda's power and wrestling will be key, and that Kang's best path (wrestling) may not be utilized. He expects Castañeda to make it ugly and get the win.

"cat is showing a little bit of pop in his hands... make this ugly Force this up against the cage"

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Nov 6, 2023 (5 days before fight)

John Castañeda

The MMA Guru picks John Castañeda, disagreeing with the majority who favor Kyung Ho Kang. He believes Kang is not that good, noting that his last win was a flash knockout and that he has never been impressed with Kang's performances. He thinks Castañeda is a better striker and can keep the fight standing, predicting a decision win.

by decision

"I just don't think Kio Kang's that good... I reckon he's got what it takes to keep it standing and I just think on the feet John castanada is a better Striker than khoo Kang"

THE MMA GURU

WIN vs Muin Gafurov

Decision (unanimous) (29–27, 29–27, 29–27) R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Kara-France vs. Albazi · Jun 03, 2023

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
John Castañeda	1	40 of 88	45%	70 of 121	3 of 6	50%	0	0	4:16
Muin Gafurov	0	61 of 157	38%	93 of 204	0 of 6	0%	0	0	1:55

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	John Castañeda	1	18 of 32	56%	25 of 40	0 of 0	---	0:51
1	Muin Gafurov	0	21 of 44	47%	21 of 44	0 of 3	0%	0:11
2	John Castañeda	0	15 of 40	37%	25 of 51	1 of 3	33%	0:40
2	Muin Gafurov	0	29 of 86	33%	44 of 103	0 of 1	0%	1:14
3	John Castañeda	0	7 of 16	43%	20 of 30	2 of 3	66%	2:45
3	Muin Gafurov	0	11 of 27	40%	28 of 57	0 of 2	0%	0:30

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
John Castañeda	40 of 88	45%	30 of 73	4 of 8	6 of 7	37 of 83	1 of 2	2 of 3
Muin Gafurov	61 of 157	38%	45 of 135	11 of 16	5 of 6	47 of 132	14 of 25	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	John Castañeda	18 of 32	56%	11 of 21	2 of 5	5 of 6	16 of 29	0 of 0	2 of 3
1	Muin Gafurov	21 of 44	47%	14 of 33	4 of 7	3 of 4	17 of 37	4 of 7	0 of 0
2	John Castañeda	15 of 40	37%	14 of 38	1 of 2	0 of 0	15 of 40	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Muin Gafurov	29 of 86	33%	23 of 78	5 of 7	1 of 1	20 of 71	9 of 15	0 of 0
3	John Castañeda	7 of 16	43%	5 of 14	1 of 1	1 of 1	6 of 14	1 of 2	0 of 0
3	Muin Gafurov	11 of 27	40%	8 of 24	2 of 2	1 of 1	10 of 24	1 of 3	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

John Castaneda vs. Muin Gafurov
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: N/A

Round 1
An action-packed bantamweight clash should treat fans next, as “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda (19-6, 2-2 UFC) collides with Tajikistani newcomer Gafurov (18-4, 0-0 UFC). The latter will hope to end the night with a sweep for his country, and he brings with him a 94% stoppage rate to keep the American on his toes. Referee Chris Tognoni will need to similarly be ready for anything, and he appears prepared as the fighters clap hands together. Gafurov is the first one to strike, potentially energized by his countryman getting his hand raised moments ago. He swings his way into an engagement, and Castaneda slides out of the way and avoids the brunt of the danger. Castaneda slides to his side, and Gafurov gives chase and goes after a takedown. “Sexi Mexi” escapes it and absorbs a body kick on the way out, and he tries to reply with one of his own. Gafurov wings a right hand over the top to get his foe’s attention, and he connects partially with an axe kick and a spinning wheel kick that give Castaneda pause. Castaneda sticks out a straight left hand to snap the head back, and he chips at the lead calf with a kick. Castaneda has a kick caught, and Gafurov lifts it up high and tries to take the fight down, but cannot. Castaneda evades the lunging, winging strikes whizzing at him, and he bats away a spinning back kick aimed at his midsection. Castaneda gets in another straight punch to redden the nose, and he sends the shin upside the head. Straight lefts from Castaneda continue to find their home cleanly, further disrupting the ultra-aggressive Gafurov. “Tajik” ducks down with a right hand, and Castaneda replies with a high kick that rings Gafurov’s bell. Castaneda bowls his man over with a series of punches, having hurt Gafurov with the kick, but he cannot keep him there. Gafurov works his way up, the two wildly scramble, and they return to space to strike. The Tajikistan-based fighter scores a body kick and bullies Castaneda back to the wall to unload with several punches to the body before Castaneda can get out. Gafurov swings and misses before the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda

Round 2
The bantamweights touch gloves to re-introduce themselves to one another, and Gafurov appears to have fully recovered from the knockdown. Gafurov is fired up, and he chases Castaneda around the cage throwing everything he has at him. The two clash heads, but Tognoni does it see it even as Gafurov protests. This leads to Gafurov getting angry, and he wants to make Castaneda pay for this transgression and swings for the bleachers again and again. Gafurov sweeps the leg with a calf kick, and Castaneda pops back up and uses a body lock to drag “Tajik” to the mat. Castaneda takes the back during a scramble, and he latches on to a rear-naked choke and slides the arm under the chin. Gafurov stands back up and shakes Castaneda off, and he gets up and begins drilling Castaneda with an onslaught of punches. As Gafurov is advancing, he gets tagged, and he races ahead and ends up headbutting Castaneda squarely on the chin. Tognoni pauses the action, and he deducts one point from Gafurov for what he determines to be an intentional headbutt and not an incidental head clash, with Gafurov leading with his head ducked . Castaneda takes the time he needs to recover from the foul, and when they resume, Gafurov is ready to engage and lash out any way he can. Gafurov drives forward with strikes, and ends up pursuing a takedown that he secures briefly. Castaneda rolls to his knees and powers his way back up, and Gafurov is on him with a front kick to the body and a few punches. Castaneda is giving it as much as he is receiving, but he is not swinging as wildly and reckless as his opponent. Gafurov throws everything he has into his punches, and Castaneda counters him cleanly and staggers the Tajikistani fighter. Castaneda elects to crash forward for a low takedown by the ankles, and Gafurov fights it off by grabbing the fence. The round ends with the two tied up.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 9-9
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 9-9
Tyler Treese scores the round: 9-9

Round 3
Tognoni sternly warns Gafurov through the interpreter between rounds, as heads have bumped together repeatedly through this match. When they begin fighting, Gafurov leads off with a low kick that nearly sweeps the leg, and Castaneda recovers and leans back from a looping left hand. Gafurov recklessly pursues a takedown, and Castaneda escapes it and returns to his feet where he belts Gafurov with a right hand and a left to follow. Gafurov replies with a body kick, and Castaneda is pressing the action while Gafurov is just throwing with overhands that largely do not land. Castaneda clinches up and has his ear slapped a few times, and he spins with a back elbow on the break. Gafurov shakes it off and eats a body kick, but he is not faltering in spamming wide-arced hooks. Castaneda ducks them and ties his man up again, and Gafurov signals to Tognoni that he was the victim of a headbutt or some clash. When he is paying attention to the referee, he does not keep his balance, as Castaneda slings him to the floor. Castaneda stacks his man up until Gafurov turns to his knees and partially gives his back up. Gafurov tugs the fence a few times to pull himself upright, and Castaneda is doggedly pursuing the takedown as Gafurov appears to be fading. Castaneda lifts Gafurov up, and Gafurov grabs the cage with both hands to stop the takedown from succeeding. Castaneda exerts enough energy for a second attempt, and this time, Gafurov is not able to foul his way to remain on his feet. When Gafurov lowers to his knees, Castaneda searches for a rear-naked choke. Time expires before anything can come of it.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (29-27 Castaneda)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (29-27 Castaneda)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (29-27 Castaneda)

The Official Result
John Castaneda def. Muin Gafurov via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Lean picked May 31, 2023 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Angelo has a very slight lean to Castañeda due to Gafurov being on short notice. He notes Castañeda's forward pressure and D2 wrestling, but is concerned about his takedown defense (60%). He acknowledges Gafurov is a savage with power and good wrestling, but the short notice gives Castañeda the edge. Angelo also has a plus money bet on Gafurov, contradicting his lean.

Has a plus money bet on Gafurov.

"very very slight lean for Castaneda because of the short notice but I do have a plus money bet at plus one oh my God I forgot that you did"

We Want Picks

Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked May 31, 2023 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Cody agrees with Paul, noting Gafurov's cardio problems and that he missed weight on Contender Series. He thinks Gafurov on a week's notice is likely to gas out and that Castañeda's wrestling and cardio are better. Cody also mentions Gafurov's weight cut issues and advises caution.

"yeah that all makes sense to me you got my vote"

Bookie Beatdown

Connor Ruebusch Expert Hesitant picked Jun 3, 2023 (fight day)

John Castañeda

Connor also picks Castañeda, agreeing with Zane that the short notice factor is significant. He notes that Gafurov's pressure and wrestling are a good stylistic matchup against Castañeda, but questions whether Gafurov can be effective without proper preparation. Connor sees Castañeda as a tough, busy counter-striker who can handle a slower-paced fight if Gafurov fades.

"I'll take castaneda as well, but it is it is kind of an x factor pick"

MMA Vivisection

Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Jun 1, 2023 (2 days before fight)

Muin Gafurov

Daniel explains he bet Gafurov at plus money, citing Castañeda's extremely low output (never over 60 strikes in a UFC fight). He believes Gafurov's pace and wrestling will overwhelm Castañeda, and that Gafurov has improved since his Contender Series loss, where he was sick and on short notice. He sees this as a value play at underdog odds.

"I actually took gafferov earlier today on Pinnacle and it was not plus 115 it was plus one fourth plus 114"

Half the Battle

Jacob Lines Expert Confident picked May 31, 2023 (3 days before fight)

Muin Gafurov

Jacob picks Gafurov, believing he can outwork Castañeda with takedowns and power. He notes Gafurov has been training and staying ready, and his LFA fights showed improved conditioning. Jacob thinks Gafurov's body work and power will break down Castañeda, who got tired in his last fight. He is not concerned about short notice because Gafurov has been preparing for this opportunity.

"I think Moen just kind of grinds him gets the takedowns maybe finds him a big shot on the feet but I think he pulls out this fight"

We Want Picks

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Jun 1, 2023 (2 days before fight)

Muin Gafurov

Gafurov is an improved striker who blends takedowns well. Castañeda is solid but struggles with forward pressure and power. Gafurov's relentless style and improved striking will allow him to win a decision. He is a slight underdog and one of the better dogs on the card.

"I'm going to lean with him in this matchup I know he's the slight Underdog here and I think he is probably one of the better underdogs on this card"

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked May 31, 2023 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Paul picks Castañeda, citing Gafurov's cardio issues and weight cut problems on short notice. He notes Gafurov is strong early but fades, and that Castañeda has decent wrestling and power. Paul advises waiting for weigh-ins due to Gafurov's history of missing weight. He thinks Castañeda can survive the early onslaught and take over later.

"I'm going to take John castanata but 100 keeping my eye on weigh-ins"

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked May 29, 2023 (5 days before fight)

Muin Gafurov

The MMA Guru picks Muin Gafurov over John Castañeda, citing Castañeda coming off a brutal KO loss. He notes Gafurov's experience at a high level, including a close split decision loss to Chad Anheliger (decided by a big knockdown) and a loss to John Lineker. Gafurov is on a two-fight finish streak and has fought in UAE Warriors and ONE Championship. The Guru acknowledges Gafurov took the fight on short notice but still thinks he gets the win.

"I'm gonna have to go with gaffarov over John Castaneda just because John Castaneda... coming off a brutal KO loss"

THE MMA GURU

Zane Simon Expert Hesitant picked Jun 3, 2023 (fight day)

John Castañeda

Zane picks Castañeda primarily due to Gafurov taking the fight on short notice, which raises questions about his conditioning and preparation. He acknowledges that Gafurov's wrestling and pressure could work well against Castañeda, who tends to let opponents set the pace. However, Zane is unsure if Gafurov can maintain his output without a full camp, and leans toward Castañeda's durability and ability to outwork a fading opponent.

"I think I should just pick castaneda for the short notice"

MMA Vivisection

LOSS vs Daniel Santos

KO (punches and knee) R2 4:28 · UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan · Oct 01, 2022

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Daniel Santos	1	57 of 106	53%	67 of 118	3 of 6	50%	0	0	2:04
John Castañeda	1	69 of 134	51%	71 of 137	2 of 4	50%	0	0	0:52

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Daniel Santos	1	40 of 69	57%	50 of 80	2 of 2	100%	1:40
1	John Castañeda	0	19 of 46	41%	19 of 46	1 of 2	50%	0:15
2	Daniel Santos	0	17 of 37	45%	17 of 38	1 of 4	25%	0:24
2	John Castañeda	1	50 of 88	56%	52 of 91	1 of 2	50%	0:37

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Daniel Santos	57 of 106	53%	45 of 89	8 of 13	4 of 4	41 of 87	8 of 10	8 of 9
John Castañeda	69 of 134	51%	52 of 111	14 of 19	3 of 4	53 of 114	14 of 18	2 of 2

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Daniel Santos	40 of 69	57%	34 of 61	3 of 5	3 of 3	27 of 53	5 of 7	8 of 9
1	John Castañeda	19 of 46	41%	15 of 39	2 of 5	2 of 2	12 of 38	6 of 7	1 of 1
2	Daniel Santos	17 of 37	45%	11 of 28	5 of 8	1 of 1	14 of 34	3 of 3	0 of 0
2	John Castañeda	50 of 88	56%	37 of 72	12 of 14	1 of 2	41 of 76	8 of 11	1 of 1

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

John Castaneda vs. Daniel Gustavo Santos

Round 1
Moving things right along, another fight is on the docket at 140 pounds, but in the men’s divisions. Castaneda (19-5, 2-1 UFC) will look to make it three finishes in his last three outings, while Chute Boxe Diego Lima rep Santos (8-2, 0-1 UFC) has not yet been stopped as a pro. Whether something has to give in that regard, referee Keith Peterson will be the first to know and the last to let nonsense in. The two competitors touch ‘em up, and Santos walks straight into a low kick. Castaneda gets off a few punches on the inside, and a low kick as he circles out. Santos strings several punches together, and he lands a few before shooting in for a double. Castaneda falls to his back and sets up a guillotine choke, and he uses the submission to work his way back to his feet. Castaneda presses his man up against the cage, and he narrowly avoids a blistering elbow upside the head. Santos keeps his foot on the gas when they separate, and he fires off a few quick kicks only to get cracked with an overhand right. Castaneda release a head kick from up close, and Santos’ legs nearly give out beneath him. Castaneda crashes forward and shoves Santos to the mat in an effort to finish the job, and the Brazilian threatens with an armbar off his back to keep Castaneda honest. “Sexi Mexi” stands up and gets nailed with an upkick, and he lets Santos back up while he recovers. When Santos stands, his balance is still not with him, as Castaneda drills him with a left hand and sets Santos on his seat. Castaneda again moves to top position, and he shifts right to mount and starts dropping down strikes. Santos somehow recovers enough to get out of the bad posture and get back to his feet, but Castaneda is on him tightly. Castaneda ragdolls him down to the mat, and when “Willycat” scrambles back up, Castaneda hits a dramatic mat return to put Santos down with an exclamation point. Castaneda backs away and stands up, this time avoiding the upkick, and Santos follows him and looses a spinning back kick. Castaneda walks through a few punches and boots Santos upside the head, and Santos is practically out on his feet. Castaneda charges forward, unloading with punches, and Santos is throwing back even though he might be in big trouble. Santos, possibly on autopilot, slings heavy leather to keep Castaneda from putting him away, and he connects with a heavy knee to give Castaneda pause. Santos gets the upper hand as Castaneda is now struggling, and he lets go with his hands and makes Castaneda shell up. Santos gains steam and leaps at him with a flying knee, and it connects right before the horn sounds. What a round!

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Castaneda
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Castaneda
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Castaneda

Round 2
Before the round begins, Santos has a piece of tape clipped, allowing them a few precious additional seconds to recover. Santos is the one who leads the dance in the second round, possibly with momentum turning to his side, and he loads up on a body kick. The foot skims off the cup, and Castaneda reacts as Peterson pauses the action. In less than a minute, Castaneda is able to get his wind back and he is ready to go. Santos starts off by releasing a body kick that is not low this time, and Castaneda reels and backs off. Santos swings a high kick at him, and Castaneda grabs him from behind and drags him to the mat. “Willycat” scrambles wildly and powers back up, and he latches on to a guillotine choke that allows him to lower Castaneda to the floor. Castaneda shakes it off and gets back up, and Santos is not letting him breathe. Santos rings his bell with a few right hands, and Castaneda appears the worse for wear after seven minutes of furious action. Castaneda reaches up a high kick that is too slow to get through, and Santos scores leg kicks and a body kick. When Castaneda responds with his own kick to the body, Santos times a takedown entry and drags “Sexi Mexi” to a knee. Castaneda climbs back up, and Santos jumps at him with a knee that belts him in the face. Castaneda is stunned, and he starts pushing the pace again as he walks Santos down and lands with several strikes. Santos spins with a back fist that hurts Castaneda, and Castaneda does a quick count of his teeth as Santos bears down on him. Castaneda tries to back him off with a few punches, and Santos suddenly goes up high with a head kick that Castaneda eats. Santos has a kick checked high, but his pressure is getting the better of Castaneda, as he knocks Castaneda back to the wall with a right hand. Castaneda has his hands low, and Santos is teeing off on him and working him over.
Santos rips a few punches to the body, and Castaneda’s eyes betray his otherwise calm poker face. Santos chains together a few punches that allow him to knee Castaneda in the chin, and Castaneda’s legs go out from beneath him. Before Santos can land a second that he has chambered, Castaneda falls to the ground, and Peterson knows that Castaneda’s tank is empty and he calls it a night.
What a huge comeback from the Chute Boxe fighter, who earns his first UFC win impressively after overcoming a great deal of adversity.

The Official Result
Daniel Gustavo Santos def. John Castaneda R2 4:28 via KO (Punches and Knee)

Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Sep 28, 2022 (3 days before fight)

Daniel Santos

Cody leans towards Daniel Santos as a plus money underdog, expecting a low-volume fight where Santos's power and killer intent could be the difference. He acknowledges Castañeda's durability and pressure but thinks Santos has a puncher's chance. He is not fully confident and may not bet it.

"I'll lean towards Daniel Santos just on the fact that I think it's going to be relatively low volume Santos throws with with killer intent every single time"

Bookie Beatdown

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Sep 28, 2022 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Paul leans towards John Castañeda, citing his durability, forward pressure, and ability to break opponents. He notes that Santos has a history of first-round finishes but fades if he doesn't get the early finish. He expects Castañeda to mix in wrestling and outwork Santos in the later rounds. He considers live betting Castañeda if Santos wins the first round.

Live betting Castañeda if Santos wins first round

"I think I would lean towards castanata still but again when I'm looking at this card and it's like who is potentially going to blow it as one of the favorites"

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2022 (4 days before fight)

John Castañeda

The MMA Guru is high on John Castañeda, calling him one of his favorite favorites on the card. He believes Castañeda's smothering wrestling and fundamental striking will overwhelm Daniel Santos, who he views as a wild Muay Thai striker not ready for UFC level. He predicts Castañeda will get a submission, possibly an arm triangle, after wearing Santos down on the ground. He includes Castañeda in his parlay.

submission finish (arm triangle)

"I think he just overwhelms on the floor and then eventually gets the finish."

THE MMA GURU

WIN vs Miles Johns

Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) R3 1:38 · UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland · Feb 05, 2022

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
John Castañeda	0	34 of 85	40%	34 of 85	0 of 1	0%	0	0	0:00
Miles Johns	1	58 of 147	39%	68 of 159	0 of 1	0%	1	0	1:45

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Ctrl
1	John Castañeda	0	11 of 27	40%	11 of 27	0 of 0	---	0	0:00
1	Miles Johns	0	16 of 48	33%	16 of 48	0 of 0	---	0	0:00
2	John Castañeda	0	17 of 44	38%	17 of 44	0 of 1	0%	0	0:00
2	Miles Johns	0	25 of 68	36%	33 of 76	0 of 0	---	0	1:12
3	John Castañeda	0	6 of 14	42%	6 of 14	0 of 0	---	0	0:00
3	Miles Johns	1	17 of 31	54%	19 of 35	0 of 1	0%	1	0:33

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
John Castañeda	34 of 85	40%	27 of 76	6 of 8	1 of 1	33 of 83	1 of 2	0 of 0
Miles Johns	58 of 147	39%	40 of 113	6 of 11	12 of 23	47 of 129	7 of 11	4 of 7

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	John Castañeda	11 of 27	40%	8 of 24	2 of 2	1 of 1	11 of 27	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	Miles Johns	16 of 48	33%	7 of 30	2 of 3	7 of 15	16 of 48	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	John Castañeda	17 of 44	38%	13 of 38	4 of 6	0 of 0	17 of 43	0 of 1	0 of 0
2	Miles Johns	25 of 68	36%	19 of 56	2 of 5	4 of 7	21 of 62	2 of 4	2 of 2
3	John Castañeda	6 of 14	42%	6 of 14	0 of 0	0 of 0	5 of 13	1 of 1	0 of 0
3	Miles Johns	17 of 31	54%	14 of 27	2 of 3	1 of 1	10 of 19	5 of 7	2 of 5

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

John Castaneda vs. Miles Johns

Round 1
The prelims conclude with a bantamweight battle as Fortis MMA standout Johns (12-1, 3-1 UFC) takes on longtime Combate Americas vet Castaneda (18-5, 1-1 UFC). Without wasting any more time, the fighters meet in the middle and touch gloves as referee Mike Beltran keeps a watchful eye. Castaneda swings a head kick that misses the mark by a wide margin, and Johns is holding on to a healthy distance as he circles against the outer edge of the cage. Johns blocks a high kick, but he does not throw much more back than a jab. Castaneda continues throwing his kick up on high, and it does not succeed again. Johns remains elusive but is not swinging much of his own, and he suddenly bursts forward with a left-right combo. Castaneda walks forward and gets his head snapped back with a right hook, and Johns takes a step back to avoid a possible counter. “Sexi Mexi” has a kick slap off Johns’ leg, and Johns is waiting with an overhand right counter that brushes off his chin. Castaneda reaches out with his fingers outstretched, and one grazes the eyeball of his opponent to force a brief stoppage. Johns clears his eye and they resume, as Castaneda gives chase but cannot land much on his defensive foe. Johns blocks a head kick and absorbs a low kick, and he misses with a left hand. The accuracy rate and volume this round are quite low, as both men are largely content to swing with single strikes. Johns looks for an uppercut counter, and he bumps into Castaneda’s chin but does not land flush. A right hand from “Chapo” drills into Castaneda’s jaw, but he wears it well and does not take much more than a step back. Castaneda connects with a loud body kick, stepping back just in the nick of time to avoid a looping punch from the Fortis MMA fighter. They feint and fake at one another, and three head kicks from Castaneda are all blocked right before the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Johns
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Johns

Round 2
The second frame begins with a glove touch, and Castaneda opens up with a kick that pounds square into Johns’ cup. Johns tries to say he is good to go, but Beltran gives him more time to recover. When they begin again, Johns is there with a big right hand. Castaneda kicks low again but this one is legal, and Johns suddenly burst into activity as he swarms his man with a barrage of punches. Castaneda shakes them off, but Johns is fired up and throwing with bad intentions. “Sexi Mexi” blocks and dodges many of the strikes, and he marches Johns down and gets punched in the stomach. Johns catches a head kick right on the side of his head, and he shakes it off somehow and tries to suck Castaneda into a brawl. Johns sets a trap to lure Castaneda in and bomb him with hooks, but Castaneda does not fall for it and keeps pressuring Johns around the cage. Castaneda lands a right hand on the side of the head, and Johns’ face looks far less confident than the previous round. Castaneda keeps bullying Johns back, and even though not all of his strikes land, he is constantly forcing the Fortis fighter to fight off his back foot. Castaneda clips Johns with a right hand, and Johns staggers back and may have remained upright thanks to the fence behind him. Castaneda charges at him, lands again and pushes Johns to the ground. Castaneda willingly climbs into the guard, slowly working with ground-and-pound all while he passes to half guard. Johns turns to his side and gets elbowed on the side of the head, and with a surge of adrenaline, he kicks Castaneda off of him and powers back to his feet. Johns loads up on a big right hand, but his target is several feet away. Castaneda wades into the danger zone to let loose with a head kick, and several more punches as Johns is predominantly aiming with a home-run shot. The second round ends with Johns winging a right hand that clatters off the guard.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda

Round 3
Castaneda opens the final round the aggressor, forcing Johns to back away as he avoids punches that loom. Castaneda scores a low kick, and he ducks a huge punch from Johns. Castaneda dodges and weaves, cracking Johns with a right hand and staying safe from the reckless, wide hooks coming back at him. Johns wobbles back, and Castaneda lays into him with a knee and a body shot. Johns throws a punch so hard he spins around, and Castaneda charges. With “Sexi Mexi” laying into his tired foe with a couple punches, a powerful knee and an uppercut, Johns’ legs give way beneath him and he falls to the floor.
Castaneda pounces, landing in three-quarter mount while he hooks up an arm-triangle choke. Johns defends off his back by hooking his arm beneath his knee, but his arm grows weary and he retracts it. “Chapo” considers tapping out, but he goes out on his shield, with the arm-triangle choke sending him off to dreamland.
Beltran notices that Johns’ is fast asleep and intervenes, and Castaneda is now the first fighter to ever submit Johns.

The Official Result
John Castaneda def. Miles Johns R3 1:38 via Technical Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jan 30, 2022 (6 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Angelo picks Miles Johns for his power and wrestling. He notes Johns has heavy hands and explosive takedowns, coming off two knockout wins. Castañeda is a fun, high-pressure fighter with fast hands and takedowns but lacks power. Angelo believes Johns' power and wrestling will match Castañeda's pressure and secure the win.

"i like miles john's here this entire card is stacked with fun fights and this is absolutely another one i like john's power and his wrestling to match castaneda's forward pressure and toughness this should be a fun one but …"

We Want Picks

Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Feb 2, 2022 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Cody agrees with Paul, noting that Johns' volume is low and he can be edged out. He thinks Castañeda is a live underdog because Johns' style leaves room for an upset. He is leaning Castañeda but not ready to pull the trigger fully.

"i'm leaning with you i've got uh i'm going with castaneda as well"

Bookie Beatdown

Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Feb 3, 2022 (2 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Daniel Levi picks Miles Johns, citing his athleticism, speed, and higher pace. He notes Johns has five-round experience and has beaten tough guys like Adrian Yanez. Levi thinks Castañeda is a step behind athletically and often fights on his back foot. He expects Johns to push the pace and win a decision, though he acknowledges Castañeda's technical skills and the possibility of an upset.

"give me miles john's to come out here and win this decision"

Half the Battle

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Feb 3, 2022 (2 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Lock of the Night picks Johns, citing his wrestling advantage and improving striking. He notes that Castañeda is the better technical striker but Johns can initiate takedowns and control the fight. He likes Johns by decision at +130.

Johns by decision +130

"i think the ace in the pocket here for john's has got to be the takedowns"

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Feb 2, 2022 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

Paul sees Castañeda as a live underdog. He notes that Miles Johns has low volume and can make mental mistakes. He thinks Castañeda has decent power and cardio, and if Johns makes a mistake, Castañeda can capitalize. He is leaning towards Castañeda but not fully committed.

"i am looking at john castaneda as a live underdog"

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jan 31, 2022 (5 days before fight)

Miles Johns

The MMA Guru picks Miles Johns, citing his momentum and power advantage. He references Johns' wins over Anderson dos Santos and Kevin Natividad, and notes Castañeda was schooled by Nathaniel Wood. He predicts a 29-28 decision with Johns winning the first two rounds due to power, and Castañeda possibly taking the third.

decision, 29-28

"i'm gonna go with miles john's here 29-28 i'm gonna go miles john's wins the first two rounds here"

THE MMA GURU

View all 10 fights

Miles Johns - Fight History

LOSS vs Daniel Marcos

Submission R2 4:23 · UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs. Brown · Nov 08, 2025

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Miles Johns	0	28 of 54	51%	33 of 61	0 of 1	0%	0	0	1:34
Daniel Marcos	0	27 of 47	57%	42 of 69	3 of 4	75%	1	0	3:59

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Ctrl
1	Miles Johns	8 of 20	40%	13 of 25	0 of 1	0%	0	1:19
1	Daniel Marcos	12 of 21	57%	25 of 35	1 of 1	100%	0	1:36
2	Miles Johns	20 of 34	58%	20 of 36	0 of 0	---	0	0:15
2	Daniel Marcos	15 of 26	57%	17 of 34	2 of 3	66%	1	2:23

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Miles Johns	28 of 54	51%	21 of 45	3 of 5	4 of 4	28 of 49	0 of 5	0 of 0
Daniel Marcos	27 of 47	57%	15 of 33	8 of 10	4 of 4	14 of 34	13 of 13	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Miles Johns	8 of 20	40%	4 of 16	1 of 1	3 of 3	8 of 17	0 of 3	0 of 0
1	Daniel Marcos	12 of 21	57%	5 of 13	5 of 6	2 of 2	3 of 12	9 of 9	0 of 0
2	Miles Johns	20 of 34	58%	17 of 29	2 of 4	1 of 1	20 of 32	0 of 2	0 of 0
2	Daniel Marcos	15 of 26	57%	10 of 20	3 of 4	2 of 2	11 of 22	4 of 4	0 of 0

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Nov 2, 2025 (6 days before fight)

Daniel Marcos

Angelo picks Daniel Marcos because of his superior cardio and cleaner striking. He notes that Miles Johns will come out hot and win the first round, but will fade as the fight goes on, allowing Marcos to take over. He also mentions a potential bet on Miles Johns plus 3.5 rounds, as Johns is likely to win one round.

Miles Johns plus 3.5 rounds (spread bet)

"Daniel's probably the cleaner overall striker. Miles has more power. As long as Daniel avoids the haymakers, I'm expecting him to win here."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Hesitant picked Nov 7, 2025 (1 day before fight)

Miles Johns

Big Brady sees this as a close fight, noting that Daniel Marcos has a nice record but he thought Marcos lost the Davey Grant fight. He mentions Miles Johns has a wrestling background and surprisingly good cardio lately, while Marcos has slowed down in past fights. He favors Marcos' distance striking but thinks Johns has more power and the fight goes to a split decision, leaning toward Johns due to the corrupt judges.

split decision

"I'm going to leave Miles John's here in a very close fight, but I think this fight has split decision written all over it."

DFS by the Numbers

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Nov 5, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Cody picks Johns as a dog, citing his improved performance against Matsumoto and Marcos' inconsistency. He thinks Johns' wrestling and volume can earn him a decision.

"Give me dog money here on Miles Johns."

Bookie Beatdown

Lucrative James Expert picked Nov 2, 2025 (6 days before fight)

Lucrative James does not provide a clear pick for this fight. He discusses Adrian Yanez vs Christian Quinones instead, which is not on the card. He mentions Miles Johns and Daniel Marcos only in passing, but does not give a prediction.

Lucrative MMA

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Nov 6, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Daniel Marcos

The host believes Marcos has a better all-around game and will pick Johns apart from distance, especially by chewing away at the lead leg. This should slow Johns down and allow Marcos to win on the scorecards in deep water.

"I think Marcos will showcase a better all-around game, picking apart Jon's from distance and really chewing away at that lead leg."

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Nov 5, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Paul leans Johns but is passing due to uncertainty. He notes both fighters' inconsistency and the short-notice changes, but likes Johns at plus money.

"I'm going to say Dogger Pass, and I'm going to take Johns as the pick."

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Nov 6, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Daniel Marcos

The Guru picks Daniel Marcos over Miles Johns. He notes that Marcos has been competitive with top bantamweights like Davy Grant and Montel Jackson, while Johns is on a two-fight losing streak. He highlights Marcos's nasty knees up the middle as a key factor against the stationary Johns. He predicts a TKO finish, as Johns doesn't move enough to avoid Marcos's pressure.

"I'm going to take Daniel Marcos to win this fight via TKO."

THE MMA GURU

LOSS vs Jean Matsumoto

Decision R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs. Hernandez · Aug 09, 2025

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Miles Johns	0	83 of 184	45%	89 of 191	5 of 8	62%	0	0	3:12
Jean Matsumoto	0	95 of 233	40%	109 of 249	0 of 3	0%	2	1	0:56

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
1	Miles Johns	22 of 42	52%	23 of 43	1 of 2	50%	0	0	1:42
1	Jean Matsumoto	16 of 49	32%	20 of 54	0 of 2	0%	1	0	0:22
2	Miles Johns	34 of 67	50%	35 of 68	1 of 3	33%	0	0	0:26
2	Jean Matsumoto	35 of 84	41%	39 of 89	0 of 0	---	1	1	0:27
3	Miles Johns	27 of 75	36%	31 of 80	3 of 3	100%	0	0	1:04
3	Jean Matsumoto	44 of 100	44%	50 of 106	0 of 1	0%	0	0	0:07

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Miles Johns	83 of 184	45%	70 of 170	12 of 13	1 of 1	78 of 175	5 of 8	0 of 1
Jean Matsumoto	95 of 233	40%	49 of 160	27 of 38	19 of 35	87 of 224	8 of 9	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Miles Johns	22 of 42	52%	17 of 37	5 of 5	0 of 0	20 of 37	2 of 4	0 of 1
1	Jean Matsumoto	16 of 49	32%	8 of 29	5 of 9	3 of 11	15 of 48	1 of 1	0 of 0
2	Miles Johns	34 of 67	50%	31 of 63	3 of 4	0 of 0	31 of 63	3 of 4	0 of 0
2	Jean Matsumoto	35 of 84	41%	15 of 55	14 of 19	6 of 10	33 of 82	2 of 2	0 of 0
3	Miles Johns	27 of 75	36%	22 of 70	4 of 4	1 of 1	27 of 75	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Jean Matsumoto	44 of 100	44%	26 of 76	8 of 10	10 of 14	39 of 94	5 of 6	0 of 0

Angelo Bodetti Expert Lean picked Aug 3, 2025 (6 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Angelo picks Miles Johns as a dog, noting he is a strong wrestler with heavy hands and explosive speed. He thinks Matsumoto gets hit a lot and cuts easily, and in Las Vegas damage matters. Angelo likes the plus money on Johns and may bet the spread (+3.5) instead of the moneyline.

Considering betting Miles Johns +3.5 spread.

"I like the dog here. I'm going to pick Miles John's at two to one almost three to one for Gene Matsimoto."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Aug 6, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Jean Matsumoto

Big Brady picks Jean Matsumoto, criticizing Miles Johns for not using his wrestling and having low volume. He believes Matsumoto's higher volume and ability to mix in takedowns will be key. Brady expects Matsumoto to win by decision, though he notes the fight is not exciting.

"I like Matsumoto here. I'll take Matsumoto to win this fight by decision."

DFS by the Numbers

Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Aug 7, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Jean Matsumoto

Connor picks Matsumoto, describing him as a brute who sits down on his punches and forces opponents to prove they can handle his power. He notes that Johns struggles when opponents stay in his face and keep up the pace, as seen against Felipe Lima. Connor believes Matsumoto's pressure, boxing, and ability to cut off the cage will overwhelm Johns, though he acknowledges Johns hits hard and could land a big shot.

Odds mentioned: Johns opened +190, currently +260; Matsumoto opened -225, currently -310.

"I think that Matsumoto was just a little bit more on that Felipe Lima side of things."

MMA Vivisection

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Aug 7, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Jean Matsumoto

The host is a big fan of Matsumoto and thinks he can replicate what Philippe Lima did to Miles Johns. He expects Matsumoto to use a Muay Thai heavy approach, mix in takedowns, and chip away at Johns' lead leg, eventually winning on the scorecards.

"I think he can replicate what Philippe Lima was able to do to Miles John's last time around. utilize his Muay Thai heavy approach, maybe mix in some takedowns, but I think for the most part, Matsumoto will chip away …"

MMA Lock of the Night

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Aug 8, 2025 (1 day before fight)

Jean Matsumoto

The MMA Guru picks Jean Matsumoto, noting he arguably beat Rob Font and has multiple paths to victory. He criticizes Miles Johns as flat-footed and coiled up, which will allow Matsumoto to mix in grappling and striking. He predicts a decision win for Matsumoto, possibly 30-27.

"I've got to go with Gene Matsamuto. He arguably beat Rob Font."

THE MMA GURU

Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Aug 7, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Jean Matsumoto

Zane picks Matsumoto, highlighting his fast hands, good mobility, and technical boxing. He notes that Johns is a wrestle-boxer who needs to get takedowns to succeed, but Matsumoto's pressure and power will make that difficult. Zane compares Matsumoto to a bantamweight Danny Yay or Josh Emmett, a reliable gatekeeper who is always dangerous.

Odds mentioned: Johns opened +190, currently +260; Matsumoto opened -225, currently -310.

"I think it'll be dangerous. Johns hits like a tank, but Matsumoto is the kind of fighter the UFC desperately needs right now."

MMA Vivisection

LOSS vs Felipe Lima

Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Buckley · Dec 14, 2024

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Felipe Lima	0	31 of 137	22%	35 of 143	0 of 1	0%	0	1	1:35
Miles Johns	0	55 of 134	41%	60 of 140	2 of 5	40%	1	0	2:55

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
1	Felipe Lima	12 of 43	27%	12 of 43	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:29
1	Miles Johns	20 of 48	41%	20 of 48	0 of 1	0%	0	0	0:02
2	Felipe Lima	15 of 61	24%	18 of 65	0 of 1	0%	0	0	0:34
2	Miles Johns	24 of 58	41%	27 of 61	1 of 1	100%	0	0	0:44
3	Felipe Lima	4 of 33	12%	5 of 35	0 of 0	---	0	1	0:32
3	Miles Johns	11 of 28	39%	13 of 31	1 of 3	33%	1	0	2:09

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Felipe Lima	31 of 137	22%	21 of 122	5 of 7	5 of 8	31 of 135	0 of 2	0 of 0
Miles Johns	55 of 134	41%	43 of 112	7 of 10	5 of 12	52 of 126	3 of 5	0 of 3

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Felipe Lima	12 of 43	27%	9 of 39	2 of 2	1 of 2	12 of 43	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	Miles Johns	20 of 48	41%	13 of 34	4 of 5	3 of 9	18 of 46	2 of 2	0 of 0
2	Felipe Lima	15 of 61	24%	9 of 54	3 of 3	3 of 4	15 of 61	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Miles Johns	24 of 58	41%	21 of 52	2 of 4	1 of 2	24 of 56	0 of 1	0 of 1
3	Felipe Lima	4 of 33	12%	3 of 29	0 of 2	1 of 2	4 of 31	0 of 2	0 of 0
3	Miles Johns	11 of 28	39%	9 of 26	1 of 1	1 of 1	10 of 24	1 of 2	0 of 2

Angelo Bodetti Expert Hesitant picked Dec 8, 2024 (6 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Angelo picks Miles Johns despite acknowledging Felipe Lima is more talented. He trusts Johns' veteran savvy and wrestling, but is hesitant because Johns has a history of abandoning wrestling to sit on right hands. He notes Lima slowed in his last fight and that Johns could win if he actually wrestles. He emphasizes this is a pick, not a bet, and would only consider betting if Johns is a big underdog.

No bet; would consider inside the distance/decision no action if odds are favorable.

"Miles Johns is actually going to be the pick here I'm going with the veteran Savvy and the wrestling in the back pocket but zero money at stake."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Lean picked Dec 12, 2024 (2 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Big Brady picks Miles Johns as a big underdog, calling the line 'nonsense'. He thinks Johns is the better wrestler and can dictate where the fight goes, and notes Johns has elite defensive striking (69% defense). He believes Lima is overhyped and that his win over Naimov was aided by Naimov quitting. He expects a close fight and takes the plus money.

fight goes to distance

"I'm going to take the big dog here in Miles John's going to a very unpopular pick"

DFS by the Numbers

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Dec 11, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Felipe Lima

Cody picks Felipe Lima, citing his well-rounded skills, excellent grappling, and striking. He notes that Miles Johns has a wrestling advantage but has struggled with cardio and was caught for PEDs. Cody believes Lima's volume and scrambling will win the fight, though he doesn't love the line.

"I got fipe Lima winning this fight I just don't necessarily love the line."

Bookie Beatdown

Connor Ruebusch Expert Lean picked Dec 13, 2024 (1 day before fight)

Felipe Lima

Connor also picks Lima, noting that Lima's game is built on the idea that he will bounce back from anything, and that Johns needs to convince opponents they can't tussle with him, which is hard against a confident young fighter like Lima. He acknowledges that Lima will get into trouble but thinks Johns' control is a veneer and that Lima's finishing ability gives him the edge.

"I don't think you can do that to a young absurdly confident fighter like Lima. So I think it'll still be dicey."

MMA Vivisection

Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Dec 12, 2024 (2 days before fight)

Felipe Lima

Daniel Vreeland picks Felipe Lima, contingent on him pushing a high pace. He notes Miles Johns fights at a low output and Lima must stay in his face and not give him time to rest. Vreeland believes Lima's grappling and volume can overwhelm Johns, who dislikes high-paced fights. He warns that if Lima fights at a low pace, Johns will win.

"I really think Lima's gonna come out here pushing insane Pace we know miles JNS does not like fighting at high paces and as a result I think that Lima is gonna win the fight"

Half the Battle

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Hesitant picked Dec 12, 2024 (2 days before fight)

Felipe Lima

Lima's more technical and aggressive striking approach, combined with defensive grappling, should allow him to land more damage and eke out a decision. However, the odds are considered too wide, and Miles Johns is a potential dog at +200, making this a hesitant pick.

Miles Johns underdog consideration at +200

"I believe the odds are a little bit too wide here but my prediction is still going to be on the Lima side as I believe his Tech more Technical and aggressive striking approach and defensive grappling will allow him …"

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Dec 11, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Felipe Lima

Paul picks Felipe Lima, agreeing with Cody. He notes that Johns has a path via wrestling but Lima's superior striking and grappling should prevail. Paul is not confident enough to bet heavily but sees Lima as the likely winner.

"I got fipe Lima winning this fight I just don't necessarily love the line."

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Dec 11, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Felipe Lima

The MMA Guru picks Felipe Lima, citing his speed, dynamic kicking, and more diverse striking compared to Miles Johns, who he describes as a boxer with limited combinations. He notes that Johns is moving up to featherweight for the first time and may not have the size advantage. He also mentions Lima's youth (26) and the momentum of Brazilian prospects. He predicts Lima will finish Johns inside the distance.

finish inside the distance

"I think he's faster I think he kicks a lot better mil Johns is a boxer he wrestles a bit as well offensively here and there but he's really power punching on the feet"

THE MMA GURU

Zane Simon Expert Lean picked Dec 13, 2024 (1 day before fight)

Felipe Lima

Zane picks Lima but is torn. He notes that Lima is a confident, opportunistic fighter who never gives up, similar to early Brandon Moreno, while Miles Johns is a wrestle-boxer with a dated style but hits hard. Zane points out that Johns has faded in fights and his wins have asterisks, while Lima's willingness to engage and recover could overwhelm Johns. However, Lima's lack of control is a concern.

Johns opened at +232, now +204; Lima opened at -273, now -236. Zane says he likes the fight a lot.

"I think I'm inclined to take a Lima here because while I agree that Johns has been looking a lot more assured of his approach, there's still some asterisks on these performances."

MMA Vivisection

WIN vs Douglas Silva de Andrade

Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Perez vs. Taira · Jun 15, 2024

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Miles Johns	0	36 of 119	30%	36 of 119	0 of 1	0%	0	0	0:07
Douglas Silva de Andrade	0	50 of 96	52%	52 of 98	0 of 3	0%	0	0	0:05

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Miles Johns	12 of 27	44%	12 of 27	0 of 1	0%	0:07
1	Douglas Silva de Andrade	7 of 15	46%	8 of 16	0 of 0	---	0:00
2	Miles Johns	10 of 41	24%	10 of 41	0 of 0	---	0:00
2	Douglas Silva de Andrade	25 of 45	55%	25 of 45	0 of 1	0%	0:00
3	Miles Johns	14 of 51	27%	14 of 51	0 of 0	---	0:00
3	Douglas Silva de Andrade	18 of 36	50%	19 of 37	0 of 2	0%	0:05

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Miles Johns	36 of 119	30%	21 of 80	6 of 21	9 of 18	36 of 118	0 of 1	0 of 0
Douglas Silva de Andrade	50 of 96	52%	37 of 82	6 of 7	7 of 7	50 of 96	0 of 0	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Miles Johns	12 of 27	44%	7 of 16	1 of 4	4 of 7	12 of 27	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	Douglas Silva de Andrade	7 of 15	46%	3 of 10	1 of 2	3 of 3	7 of 15	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Miles Johns	10 of 41	24%	4 of 24	4 of 13	2 of 4	10 of 41	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Douglas Silva de Andrade	25 of 45	55%	19 of 39	3 of 3	3 of 3	25 of 45	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Miles Johns	14 of 51	27%	10 of 40	1 of 4	3 of 7	14 of 50	0 of 1	0 of 0
3	Douglas Silva de Andrade	18 of 36	50%	15 of 33	2 of 2	1 of 1	18 of 36	0 of 0	0 of 0

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jun 14, 2024 (1 day before fight)

Miles Johns

Angelo picks Miles Johns, citing his youth, speed, and wrestling advantage. He notes Douglas is durable and a tough striker but is older and slowing down. He worries about Miles' cardio but believes his wrestling will be the difference. He mentions he has a moneyline bet on Miles.

Moneyline bet on Miles Johns

"I am still going Miles Johns here I do think he gets it done"

We Want Picks

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Jun 12, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Cody picks Miles Johns, citing his improved cardio and wrestling under Trey Ogden at Marathon MMA. He notes that Johns used to gas out but has shown better pacing in recent fights. Cody believes Johns can outwork Silva de Andrade by pressing him against the cage and using takedowns, especially since Silva de Andrade is 39 and cuts to 135, which may affect his durability. He expects a low-volume decision win for Johns.

decision prop is decent on both sides

"I'm going to go John's to take the decision... the decision prop is actually decent on both sides."

Bookie Beatdown

Daniel Vreeland Expert Lean picked Jun 12, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Daniel Vreeland has a love-hate relationship with Miles Johns, noting his low output and tendency to back himself to the fence. He acknowledges Douglas Silva de Andrade's experience and durability but leans with Johns due to his physicality, youth, and confidence. He expects a low-output fight and sees Johns as the more physical younger guy.

"I'm gonna lean with Miles John's here"

Half the Battle

Jacob Lines Expert Lean picked Jun 14, 2024 (1 day before fight)

Miles Johns

Jacob picks Miles Johns but expects to be nervous during the fight. He recalls Miles gassing in the Cody Gibson fight and needing motivation. He thinks Douglas is a tough bowling ball and Miles may struggle with cardio again. He notes Miles should win but it will be close.

"I'm going Miles Johns he should be able to get it done but I mean if you have a bet on Miles Johns I bet in the middle of the second round you're going to be a little bit [__] …"

We Want Picks

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jun 13, 2024 (2 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Johns has evolved and matured, allowing him to execute a game plan to wear on de Andrade's gas tank. By slowing him down early and evading his power, Johns will grind out a decision using clinching, takedowns, footwork, and output.

"I do think that we're seeing an evolution and maturity in Miles John's game which will allow him to execute a game plan here to wear on the gas tank of Deandra"

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Jun 12, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Douglas Silva de Andrade

Paul picks Douglas Silva de Andrade as a dog, noting that he bets him almost every fight because he is always the underdog. He highlights Silva de Andrade's durability and power, and believes that judges are not rewarding wrestling control as much these days. Paul thinks Silva de Andrade can land the bigger shots and win, despite his low volume.

found plus 117

"I bet I bet Douglas Silva de Andrade I found a plus 117 and he's my boy."

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jun 11, 2024 (4 days before fight)

Douglas Silva de Andrade

The MMA Guru picks Douglas Silva de Andrade, questioning whether Miles Johns can KO him. He notes Johns couldn't KO Cody Gibson and relies too much on overhands. He thinks Silva de Andrade has better wins (Cody Stamann, Sergey Morozov) and will make reads on Johns' power shots. He also mentions Silva de Andrade's competitive fights with Lerone Murphy and Nate Maness.

"I'm GNA go with Douglas Silva Deandra was not impressed by Jon's performance against Cody Gibson"

THE MMA GURU

WIN vs Cody Gibson

Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Ribas vs. Namajunas · Mar 23, 2024

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Miles Johns	0	25 of 79	31%	64 of 137	2 of 8	25%	0	1	6:29
Cody Gibson	0	18 of 62	29%	52 of 108	1 of 7	14%	0	0	1:55

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Rev.	Ctrl
1	Miles Johns	5 of 19	26%	14 of 29	0 of 1	0%	0	2:15
1	Cody Gibson	4 of 22	18%	16 of 39	0 of 2	0%	0	0:19
2	Miles Johns	11 of 23	47%	25 of 43	1 of 2	50%	1	1:54
2	Cody Gibson	2 of 8	25%	12 of 21	1 of 4	25%	0	1:36
3	Miles Johns	9 of 37	24%	25 of 65	1 of 5	20%	0	2:20
3	Cody Gibson	12 of 32	37%	24 of 48	0 of 1	0%	0	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Miles Johns	25 of 79	31%	18 of 66	5 of 9	2 of 4	20 of 72	4 of 6	1 of 1
Cody Gibson	18 of 62	29%	9 of 39	4 of 17	5 of 6	16 of 60	2 of 2	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Miles Johns	5 of 19	26%	3 of 14	1 of 2	1 of 3	4 of 17	1 of 2	0 of 0
1	Cody Gibson	4 of 22	18%	3 of 15	0 of 5	1 of 2	3 of 21	1 of 1	0 of 0
2	Miles Johns	11 of 23	47%	9 of 21	1 of 1	1 of 1	7 of 18	3 of 4	1 of 1
2	Cody Gibson	2 of 8	25%	0 of 5	1 of 2	1 of 1	1 of 7	1 of 1	0 of 0
3	Miles Johns	9 of 37	24%	6 of 31	3 of 6	0 of 0	9 of 37	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Cody Gibson	12 of 32	37%	6 of 19	3 of 10	3 of 3	12 of 32	0 of 0	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Cody Gibson vs. Miles Johns
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Johns (-148), Gibson (+124)

Round 1
Johns (13-2, 1 NC; 4-2, 1 NC UFC) was supposed to be coming into this fight with the struggling Gibson (19-9, 1-4 UFC) on a win streak, but a failed drug test after beating Dan Argueta erased the victory. In short order, this standard undercard bantamweight matchup turned to one with greater personal stakes with both. Referee Herb Dean will sort things out, watching over the two men that do not touch gloves. Gibson starts off swirling his hand around, and he walks into a thumping leg kick. Johns swarms into action with a clubbing right hand, and he backs off and circles to the side away from strikes that come his way. Johns ducks down to swat away a leg kick, and he dips down and eats a clean uppercut. Gibson flashes out several jabs and avoids a huge overhand right, and Johns shifts to the side to get away and reset. Gibson overloads on a right hand, and he follows Johns around and grabs hold of one of Johns’ legs to think about a takedown. Johns backs him off with body shots, and he resets and dodges the swinging punches coming his direction. Johns misses a right hook by a matter of centimeters, and Gibson ties him up against the fence and knees him in the dome. Johns scores an uppercut on the break, and Gibson chases after him and jumps away to dodge a right hand. Johns races forward, and his momentum tackles “The Renegade” to the canvas. Johns resides in top position, and Gibson is immediately active with his guard, looking for a butterfly hook, a submission setup or just throwing strikes from off his back. Gibson keeps Johns from landing anything of merit, and he brings up his right leg for a rubber guard momentarily before Johns pushes it aside. Gibson tries to roll over in pursuit of an armbar, and Johns is wise to it as he stays flat on top of his opponent. Johns hammers down an elbow, and when he looks to pass, Gibson turns around to stand up with the wall at his side. Johns tries to drag him back down, and with sheer force of will, he tosses Gibson back down. Johns holds onto him while landing short but heavy right hands, as Gibson works his way up. Gibson ducks away and throws a big knee, and Johns nearly reenacts Fedor vs. Arlovski by blasting Gibson with a right hand that sends him flying. Johns points at him, and Gibson looks surprised but is still with it as the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Johns
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Johns
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Johns

Round 2
Gibson is the pressure fighter early, showing he has fully recovered from the concussive blow. He prods out a front kick and a few jabs, and Johns is well away from anything of note. Gibson drops down to grab a single, and Johns uppercuts him until he topples to the floor. Gibson grabs him from behind during a scramble, and Johns climbs back up while leaning against the cage. Gibson looks to trip or drag Johns down, but Johns escapes. Johns lands a powerful elbow that splits open a cut on Gibson’s cheek, and he crowds him and knocks him squirrely with another powerful uppercut. Johns continues to hammer his foe with uppercuts as Gibson shoots for a single, and Gibson manages to get the takedown despite absorbing the blows. Gibson follows a scrambling Johns until he takes his back, and he secures the body triangle. Gibson fishes for a choke, and Johns hand-fights and turns to flip Gibson over with a powerful reversal. Johns pins Gibson’s right arm with his knee and slugs him in the chops several times, and he keeps “The Renegade” pinned to the floor while landing shots. Johns wraps up a guillotine with one arm and lets it go to pummel Gibson with left hands until Gibson explodes back to his feet. Johns uses his full weight in an effort to wrench Gibson down, and he breaks and scores two uppercuts. Gibson resets and flicks out a jab, and Johns drills him in the lead leg with a kick and cracks him with two right hands. Gibson gathers his thoughts and leaps forward with a flying knee that skims off the dome, and Johns immediately drops down to take Gibson down with a double when Gibson lands. Gibson scrambles back upright, and Johns leans on him to land short shots until the bell.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Johns
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Johns
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Johns

Round 3
The two bantamweights clap hands as they reach the final round, and Johns sticks his jab out immediately while Gibson comes after him. Johns clubs him with three right hands and backs off with a jab, and Gibson slaps a high kick off his raised guard. Johns grapples to get hold of a single, tripping Gibson up and driving him to the fence. Gibson keeps his balance but is pressed against the wall, and Johns squeezes on him tight. Gibson manages to fight his way out of the clinch, and Johns comes up short with an uppercut on the way out. Gibson ducks down and into a few more uppercuts from “Chapo,” and he presses forward and watches a right hand slide off his cheek. They trade jabs, and change levels at the same time to no avail. Johns shoots for a single, pushing Gibson up against the wire, and he delivers a few knees to the thigh to keep busy. Dean asks for more work, and Johns connects with three clean shots that pound off Gibson’s head. Gibson breaks away, and he reaches out with a kick that is blocked. Johns rushes forward with a right hand as his lead leg is kicked, and Gibson fires off a body kick. When Gibson charges, Johns cracks him with an overhand right. Johns uses the power shot to frazzle Gibson just enough to change levels in pursuit of a single. Dean clasp for them to do more twice, and Gibson answers him by freaking away. They trade hands, and Johns doggedly goes after the single again. Lifting Gibson off the ground and slamming him down, Johns claims top position and fights off a kimura sweep. Gibson turns all the way over to stand up with less than 20 seconds left, and he walks into a right hand and pushes out a front kick. The fight ends with Johns landing one final right hand.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Johns (30-27 Johns)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Johns (30-27 Johns)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Johns (30-27 Johns)

The Official Result
Miles Johns def. Cody Gibson via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Hesitant picked Mar 17, 2024 (6 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Angelo picks Miles Johns but is hesitant because he doesn't trust Johns to wrestle consistently. He notes that Johns has the tools to dominate but often abandons wrestling for power punches. He considers a small bet or parlay with another sketchy fighter, but is not fully confident.

possible half unit bet or parlay

"Miles Johns is the better fighter in this matchup he is going to be the pick in this matchup because of that but I don't know if I can trust him to do what he needs to do here"

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Mar 19, 2024 (4 days before fight)

Cody Gibson

Big Brady picks Cody Gibson, citing Gibson's volume, durability, and cardio advantage. He notes Miles Johns is on short notice and has questionable cardio and durability (both losses inside the distance). He expects Johns to have early success but Gibson to take over and finish him in the third round by knockout.

finish in third round

"I'll say miles JNS probably has some success early I just kind of feel like Cody Gibson's going to take over as the fight goes on uh win that second and then finish miles J's in the third round so …"

DFS by the Numbers

Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Mar 21, 2024 (2 days before fight)

Cody Gibson

Cody picks Gibson, citing his forward pressure and wrestling. He notes that Johns has cardio issues and was likely on steroids in his last win. Cody believes Gibson's volume and aggression will earn him rounds, especially if Johns fades. He also likes the over 2.5 rounds.

over 2.5 rounds

"Ever so slightly I do give it to Cody Gibson."

Bookie Beatdown

Daniel Vreeland Expert Lean picked Mar 20, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Daniel Vreeland leans toward Miles Johns, citing his athleticism and one-punch power. He acknowledges Gibson's high output but worries about Gibson's durability and tendency to slow down. He thinks Johns can land a big shot or grind out a win, but he is not confident enough to bet the favorite.

"I kind of lean towards miles but I am not gonna bet chalk on Miles John's against an output machine"

Half the Battle

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Hesitant picked Mar 19, 2024 (4 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Johns is quick, explosive, and has multiple ways to win: wrestling, power, movement. He slows down late but has improved his cardio. Gibson is a veteran boxer with good footwork but can be taken down and ground out. Johns' speed and variety should be too much, but confidence is not high. Expect a decision win for Johns.

Johns by decision

"I don't have Uber confidence in John's here but I think that he can do enough in terms of putting together a body of work to win on the scorecards which is why I'm going to go by with him …"

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Mar 21, 2024 (2 days before fight)

Cody Gibson

Paul agrees, emphasizing that takedowns may not be scored highly by judges, as seen in recent fights. He thinks Gibson's volume will be the deciding factor. Paul also notes Gibson's toughness and recent Fight of the Night bonus.

"Wrestling doesn't matter anymore bro it's Cody Gibson for me as well."

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Mar 19, 2024 (4 days before fight)

Cody Gibson

The MMA Guru picks Cody Gibson as an underdog over Miles Johns. He believes Johns is breakable under pressure and that Gibson's size and pace will break him. He notes Gibson's height and reach advantage, and thinks knees in the clinch will be key. He predicts a third-round TKO for Gibson.

third round TKO

"Cody Gibson is who I'm picking here over miles Johns... third round TKO for Cody Gibson"

THE MMA GURU

LOSS vs Dan Argueta

No Contest (overturned) R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Gamrot · Sep 23, 2023

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Dan Argueta	0	33 of 85	38%	38 of 95	2 of 6	33%	2	0	3:55
Miles Johns	0	43 of 92	46%	52 of 104	2 of 6	33%	0	0	4:39

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Ctrl
1	Dan Argueta	3 of 14	21%	8 of 21	1 of 4	25%	1	2:14
1	Miles Johns	8 of 21	38%	8 of 23	0 of 0	---	0	0:49
2	Dan Argueta	16 of 32	50%	16 of 35	1 of 2	50%	0	1:21
2	Miles Johns	14 of 28	50%	23 of 38	1 of 3	33%	0	1:50
3	Dan Argueta	14 of 39	35%	14 of 39	0 of 0	---	1	0:20
3	Miles Johns	21 of 43	48%	21 of 43	1 of 3	33%	0	2:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Dan Argueta	33 of 85	38%	20 of 67	8 of 12	5 of 6	22 of 70	5 of 8	6 of 7
Miles Johns	43 of 92	46%	32 of 77	5 of 9	6 of 6	40 of 84	2 of 3	1 of 5

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Dan Argueta	3 of 14	21%	1 of 10	1 of 2	1 of 2	3 of 13	0 of 1	0 of 0
1	Miles Johns	8 of 21	38%	8 of 21	0 of 0	0 of 0	8 of 19	0 of 0	0 of 2
2	Dan Argueta	16 of 32	50%	10 of 24	3 of 5	3 of 3	10 of 24	5 of 7	1 of 1
2	Miles Johns	14 of 28	50%	10 of 22	3 of 5	1 of 1	12 of 24	2 of 3	0 of 1
3	Dan Argueta	14 of 39	35%	9 of 33	4 of 5	1 of 1	9 of 33	0 of 0	5 of 6
3	Miles Johns	21 of 43	48%	14 of 34	2 of 4	5 of 5	20 of 41	0 of 0	1 of 2

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Sep 17, 2023 (6 days before fight)

Dan Argueta

Angelo trusts Argueta's wrestling-first game plan and believes Johns' takedown defense is inflated because he hasn't faced a dedicated wrestler. He expects Argueta to stay on the hips and outwork Johns. Pretty confident pick.

"Dan Argueta pretty confident pick"

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Lean picked Sep 21, 2023 (2 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Big Brady picks Miles Johns as an underdog, calling the fight close and likely to go to decision. He likes Johns' defensive wrestling and striking defense, and notes Johns has power and out-lands opponents despite low volume. He thinks Argueta may have wrestling success later as Johns slows down, but believes Johns can win at least two rounds. He prefers the plus money.

"give me miles Jones for a decision but it's gonna be a close fight nonetheless"

DFS by the Numbers

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Sep 20, 2023 (3 days before fight)

Dan Argueta

Cody picks Dan Argueta, impressed by his toughness and grappling. He notes Argueta's strong wrestling and submission threats, while Johns has cardio issues and slows down. He believes Argueta's pressure and pace will overwhelm Johns in later rounds.

"I got our Guetta I don't mind the pre-line money line I got a feeling that if he gets off to a slow start and maybe loses that first round you can get an even better price tag on him."

Bookie Beatdown

Daniel Levi Expert Lean picked Sep 21, 2023 (2 days before fight)

Dan Argueta

Daniel picks Argueta but without strong conviction. He thinks Johns has been a letdown in the UFC, with low output and a tendency to break under pressure. He questions whether Argueta can push the pace needed to break Johns, but believes Argueta's hunger and takedown volume might be enough. He acknowledges the line is close to accurate and is not betting it.

"I'm gonna go with arua as a pick so one of us is right here"

Half the Battle

Lucrative James Expert Lean picked Sep 20, 2023 (3 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Lucrative James likes Miles Johns at the line, calling it an overcorrection. He thinks Johns can defend takedowns early and has power on the feet. He notes Johns is a good wrestler himself and could get takedowns. He sees the fight as close, possibly a pick'em, but favors Johns.

"I like Miles Johns at the line anyway."

Lucrative MMA

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Sep 21, 2023 (2 days before fight)

Dan Argueta

The host picks Argueta at minus 170, calling it a gift line. He praises Argueta's wrestling, cardio, and pressure, expecting him to wear on Johns and pull away late. He notes Johns' wins are over lower-level opponents and that Argueta is superior in grappling and pace. He predicts a decision win for Argueta after a close first round.

"minus 170 in my opinion is a gift of a line here"

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Sep 20, 2023 (3 days before fight)

Dan Argueta

Paul picks Argueta but prefers live betting. He worries about Argueta's low volume and Johns's 92% takedown defense. He thinks Johns may win early rounds but Argueta's cardio advantage could take over. He is interested in Argueta by submission or round 3 prop.

Interested in Argueta round 3 prop at +800.

"I'm gonna pick our geta but pre-flop not very interested in the minus 175... I think it's a better spot like if he goes out there takes down miles John's immediately off the Hop."

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Sep 19, 2023 (4 days before fight)

Dan Argueta

The MMA Guru picks Dan Argueta, criticizing Miles Johns' weak strength of schedule, noting his opponents include Kevin Natividad and Anderson dos Santos. He praises Argueta's training at Jackson Wink MMA, his judo background, and his toughness in taking Damon Jackson to a close decision. He believes Argueta is a gradually improving fighter with good hips and strength, while Johns has plateaued. He expects Argueta to win via grappling and pressure.

"I'm probably gonna go with our getter here I've actually been quite surprised by our getter's career because I didn't think he was going to be much of anything before he joined the UFC..."

THE MMA GURU

WIN vs Vince Morales

Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 29–28, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cutelaba · Nov 19, 2022

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Miles Johns	0	39 of 131	29%	47 of 139	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:05
Vince Morales	0	38 of 103	36%	45 of 110	1 of 12	8%	0	0	2:08

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Miles Johns	8 of 32	25%	8 of 32	0 of 0	---	0:00
1	Vince Morales	10 of 26	38%	10 of 26	0 of 1	0%	0:02
2	Miles Johns	11 of 43	25%	13 of 45	0 of 0	---	0:02
2	Vince Morales	13 of 32	40%	13 of 32	1 of 3	33%	0:35
3	Miles Johns	20 of 56	35%	26 of 62	0 of 0	---	0:03
3	Vince Morales	15 of 45	33%	22 of 52	0 of 8	0%	1:31

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Miles Johns	39 of 131	29%	28 of 112	9 of 15	2 of 4	36 of 127	3 of 4	0 of 0
Vince Morales	38 of 103	36%	28 of 92	4 of 5	6 of 6	38 of 102	0 of 1	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Miles Johns	8 of 32	25%	6 of 27	1 of 3	1 of 2	8 of 32	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	Vince Morales	10 of 26	38%	7 of 23	1 of 1	2 of 2	10 of 25	0 of 1	0 of 0
2	Miles Johns	11 of 43	25%	6 of 35	5 of 7	0 of 1	9 of 41	2 of 2	0 of 0
2	Vince Morales	13 of 32	40%	8 of 27	2 of 2	3 of 3	13 of 32	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Miles Johns	20 of 56	35%	16 of 50	3 of 5	1 of 1	19 of 54	1 of 2	0 of 0
3	Vince Morales	15 of 45	33%	13 of 42	1 of 2	1 of 1	15 of 45	0 of 0	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Miles Johns vs. Vince Morales
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Johns (-165), Morales (+140)

Round 1
The bantamweight ride continues with two more heavy-handed and fast-paced competitors, as Morales (11-6, 3-4 UFC) throws down with recent Glory MMA trainee Johns (12-2, 3-2 UFC). Referee Chris Tognoni steels himself for the action, whether it lasts 15 seconds or 15 minutes, and the two would rather battle it out than touch gloves – the bad blood appears to be high, as the commission had to separate them ahead of the introductions. Now that the fight is on, the two 135ers do not engage, with over 30 seconds elapsing before either man throws a single strike. Johns reaches out with a straight left hand and a leg kick, and Morales responds with a left hab. Johns pushes him back with a jab of his own, and he doubles up on it while Morales is measuring his range. The two collide with heavy blows at the same time, but neither man budges an inch. The inactivity continues as they are not willing to commit on their strikes, and any power punches go well away from their intended targets. Johns steps in with a quick calf kick, and Morales takes a funny step back after absorbing it. A quick jab from “Chapo” makes Morales backpedal, but it is one-and-done until Morales gets his gumption to toss out a single low kick. Johns loads up on a right hand, but Morales ducks it in the nick of time. Johns pokes out with a jab, and he slides back as Morales whips a left hook towards him. Morales attempts to get his own jab doing, snapping it out a few times and ducking when Johns throws a right hand that would have knocked down a building. Johns crashes forward suddenly to snag a single, and Morales hops back and yanks his leg out. Johns loads up on another massive overhand right, and he does not find the target with that but gets off a clean left hook. The activity spikes, relative to the other action, when Johns scores a few left hands before the bell.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Johns
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Johns
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Johns

Round 2
Johns lords over the center of the cage when the round begins, and neither man is willing to throw anything effective. The two jab at one another, and Johns’ mouth begins to bleed. Johns thumps the lead calf with his shin, and he pushes out a jab that makes Morales blink a few times. As Morales marches forward, he throws hard, and Johns dips down and grabs hold of a single. “Vandetta” wriggles the leg out and races away, resetting in the middle of the Octagon and preparing to throw. As Morales comes forward, he walks into one of Johns’ outstretched fingers, and Tognoni recognizes this and pauses the bout. To give Morales additional time to recover, Tognoni calls in the doctor to check on the condition of Morales’ eye, and Morales explains that he is good to go and holds no ill will towards his opponent. After about 90 seconds, the two get back to business, the jabs come from the fighters at the restart. Johns walks his man down and swats out several jabs, and he releases several booming hooks that all miss one after the other. Morales circles out and into a low kick, but he shows no concern and reaches out with a front kick to the sternum. Morales catches a low kick and swipes out with a right hand, but Johns replies with a swiping right hand on the way out. Johns blocks a high kick and eats a jab, and he charges with a small barrage that bounce off the guard. Johns glances a right hand over the top, and he finds himself eating a kick to the belly for his work. “Chapo” loads up on another right hand, following it with a high crotch single-leg but not succeeding with it. Morales defends with elbows to the side of the head, and this distracts him enough for Johns to elevate him and slam him down one second before time expires.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Johns
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Johns
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Morales

Round 3
Jabs are exchanged to start off the final round of what has been a tepid and tentative affair. The striking accuracy totals of both bantamweights are likely extremely low, especially in the significant strike category. Johns ducks in for a single without setting it up, and he lifts Morales’ left leg up in the air and chases him from one side of the cage to the other. Morales trips to the floor, and he bounces right back up without a care in the world. On the reset, Morales picks and pokes with a jab, and Johns sits down with a calf kick that lands with an audible thud. Morales replies with a slapping body kick, but the bantamweights are largely targeting one another with single strikes. Johns misses with a right hand, Morales is similarly inaccurate, and they return to their jab-centric approach. Morales chains a jab into a right hand, and Johns gives chase and swarms him with winging but missing punches. “Chapo” attempts another single, and this is nowhere near secure as Morales springs away. Morales makes him pay for this attempt with another body kick, and Johns blitzes him with a single-leg takedown effort. “Vandetta” keeps himself from hitting the mat once more, and he plants a front kick on the torso while Johns swings at air. They alternate with jabs, and the follow-up strikes from both fighters miss the mark again and again. Johns fires off huge overhand rights, but the evasiveness of Morales keeps him safe from harm. Johns attacks with one final takedown, and he bullies Morales to the wall and holds him there until the fight comes to a merciful end. The judges will have their hands full evaluating this lackluster contest.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Morales (29-28 Johns)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Morales (29-28 Johns)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Morales (29-28 Morales)

The Official Result
Miles Johns def. Vince Morales via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

LOSS vs John Castañeda

Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) R3 1:38 · UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland · Feb 05, 2022

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
John Castañeda	0	34 of 85	40%	34 of 85	0 of 1	0%	0	0	0:00
Miles Johns	1	58 of 147	39%	68 of 159	0 of 1	0%	1	0	1:45

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Ctrl
1	John Castañeda	0	11 of 27	40%	11 of 27	0 of 0	---	0	0:00
1	Miles Johns	0	16 of 48	33%	16 of 48	0 of 0	---	0	0:00
2	John Castañeda	0	17 of 44	38%	17 of 44	0 of 1	0%	0	0:00
2	Miles Johns	0	25 of 68	36%	33 of 76	0 of 0	---	0	1:12
3	John Castañeda	0	6 of 14	42%	6 of 14	0 of 0	---	0	0:00
3	Miles Johns	1	17 of 31	54%	19 of 35	0 of 1	0%	1	0:33

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
John Castañeda	34 of 85	40%	27 of 76	6 of 8	1 of 1	33 of 83	1 of 2	0 of 0
Miles Johns	58 of 147	39%	40 of 113	6 of 11	12 of 23	47 of 129	7 of 11	4 of 7

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	John Castañeda	11 of 27	40%	8 of 24	2 of 2	1 of 1	11 of 27	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	Miles Johns	16 of 48	33%	7 of 30	2 of 3	7 of 15	16 of 48	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	John Castañeda	17 of 44	38%	13 of 38	4 of 6	0 of 0	17 of 43	0 of 1	0 of 0
2	Miles Johns	25 of 68	36%	19 of 56	2 of 5	4 of 7	21 of 62	2 of 4	2 of 2
3	John Castañeda	6 of 14	42%	6 of 14	0 of 0	0 of 0	5 of 13	1 of 1	0 of 0
3	Miles Johns	17 of 31	54%	14 of 27	2 of 3	1 of 1	10 of 19	5 of 7	2 of 5

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jan 30, 2022 (6 days before fight)

Miles Johns

We Want Picks

Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Feb 2, 2022 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

"i'm leaning with you i've got uh i'm going with castaneda as well"

Bookie Beatdown

Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Feb 3, 2022 (2 days before fight)

Miles Johns

"give me miles john's to come out here and win this decision"

Half the Battle

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Feb 3, 2022 (2 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Johns by decision +130

"i think the ace in the pocket here for john's has got to be the takedowns"

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Feb 2, 2022 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

"i am looking at john castaneda as a live underdog"

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jan 31, 2022 (5 days before fight)

Miles Johns

decision, 29-28

"i'm gonna go with miles john's here 29-28 i'm gonna go miles john's wins the first two rounds here"

THE MMA GURU

View all 12 fights

Expert Picks (6)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jan 30, 2022 (6 days before fight)

Miles Johns

We Want Picks

Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Feb 2, 2022 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

"i'm leaning with you i've got uh i'm going with castaneda as well"

Bookie Beatdown

Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Feb 3, 2022 (2 days before fight)

Miles Johns

"give me miles john's to come out here and win this decision"

Half the Battle

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Feb 3, 2022 (2 days before fight)

Miles Johns

Johns by decision +130

"i think the ace in the pocket here for john's has got to be the takedowns"

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Feb 2, 2022 (3 days before fight)

John Castañeda

"i am looking at john castaneda as a live underdog"

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jan 31, 2022 (5 days before fight)

Miles Johns

decision, 29-28

"i'm gonna go with miles john's here 29-28 i'm gonna go miles john's wins the first two rounds here"

THE MMA GURU

John Castañeda

Miles Johns

Career Averages - John Castañeda

Career Averages - Miles Johns

John Castañeda - Fight History

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Expert Picks (6)