Who were the winners at UFC Fight Night: Johnson vs. Bader? Click below to get the results for all the fights at Prudential Center in New Jersey on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016.
Johnson vs. Bader | Barnett vs. Rothwell | Alcantara vs. Rivera | Northcutt vs. Barberena | Saffiedine vs. Ellenberger | Aubin-Mercier vs. Ferreira | Natal vs. Casey | Ortiz vs. Reis | Sullivan vs. Yakovlev | Caceres vs. Fullen | Dwyer vs. Brown | Jackson vs. Makashvili | Martin vs. Olivieri
UFC Fight Night: Johnson vs. Bader main card
Anthony Johnson defeats Ryan Bader
Anthony Johnson in full mount is probably the scariest situation imaginable, and Ryan Bader found himself there just over a minute into their main event scrap in New Jersey. Rumble didn’t waste any time, throwing debilitating punches from the top before the referee came flying in to stop the fight at just 1:26 of the first round. Bader shot a takedown almost immediately at the start, which Rumble stuffed, before a scramble led to him on top and finishing the fight.
More from Fight Night New Jersey: Full results | Post-fight bonus recap | Johnson makes quick work of Bader | Rothwell, Rivera earn wins | Barberena hands Northcutt first professional loss | Saffiedine, Ferreira and Natal among winners at Fight Night New Jersey prelims | Randy Brown wins in his UFC debut | Backstage interviews: Anthony Johnson, Ben Rothwell, Jimmie Rivera, Bryan Barberena, Tarec Saffiedine, Rafael Natal, Alexander Yakolev | Octagon interviews: Anthony Johnson, Ben Rothwell, Bryan Barberena, Randy Brown | Best images from New Jersey
Prefight reading/viewing
- Watch: Joe Rogan previews the main event
- ’Rumble’ warns Bader: Don't doubt my game
- Watch: Bader 1-on-1: “I’m better than Rumble”
- Watch: Numbers suggest hard-hitting affair
- Bader not considering what’s next after Anthony Johnson
- Anthony Johnson ready to beat Ryan Bader up in New Jersey
- Watch: Anthony Johnson’s signature moves
- Watch free fight: Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine
- Watch free fight: Anthony Johnson vs Yoshiyuki Yoshida
- Road to the Octagon: Johnson vs. Bader
Ben Rothwell defeats Josh Barnett
Ben Rothwell made history against Josh Barnett in the co-main event, becoming the first fighter ever to submit “The Warmaster” in his 42-fight career. Rothwell pulled off his signature go-go choke at 3:48 of round 2 for his fourth-straight win in the UFC. Barnett was getting the better of the stand up for the majority of the fight. But after Rothwell started to turn up the pressure and power in the second, Barnett shot a takedown and fell right into the submission, which Rothwell pulled off in his last fight against Matt Mitrione also.
They said it:
Ben Rothwell: “That’s a warning sign to Stipe & Overeem. I’m the number one contender. Soon to be champion in the UFC. Josh Barnett just made me a better fighter than I could ever be. This is message to the entire heavyweight division. Not only will I win the belt, but I will defend it.”
Josh Barnett: “The only impression of the result is he got the finish. Ben is a hell of a fighter who is on the rise and he’s already done great things. As far as for me taking a positive from this, it’s too close to the wire to take one. Anytime you put minutes into your craft there’s always places to improve and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Prefight reading/viewing
- Watch: Joe Rogan previews the co-main
- Barnett goes full circle in fighting return to New Jersey
- Watch: Rothwell’s rise
- Watch: Road to the Octagon – Barnett vs. Rothwell
- Rothwell in search of more than title glory
- Watch: Co-main preview
Jimmie Rivera defeats Iuri Alcantara
Jimmie Rivera executed his game plan to perfection: land shots in the stand up and get a few takedowns on his way to a unanimous decision win over Iuri Alcantara (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). This was a huge win for Rivera, who remains undefeated in the UFC at 3-0. Significant strikes went 45-41 for Rivera, who also recorded three takedowns total in the fight.
They said it:
Jimmie Rivera: “It is unbelievable to get a win here at home. Hearing the crowd during the fight, I’m feeling all sorts of emotions right now. I felt like I had to go out there and make a statement. He’s a great fighter. I’m happy, but would have liked to finish. I’ll be back in the gym working on Monday. I look forward to the next top-10 fighter or anybody ahead of me in the rankings.”
Iuri Alcantara: “I think the crowd really influenced the judge’s decision. It was a very close decision. I still think I won the fight and my team knows I won the fight. But, in the end, the judge’s decision is the judge’s decision and I have to respect that.”
Prefight reading/viewing
- Watch: Joe Rogan previews Alcantara vs. Rivera
- Watch: Road to the Octagon – Alcantara vs. Rivera
- Frankie Edgar inspiring Rivera in search of UFC glory
Bryan Barberena defeats Sage Northcutt
Bryan Barberena derailed the hype train with a second-round submission win against “Super” Sage Northcutt. “Bam Bam” survived a flurry from Northcutt early in the first round and then was able to get a takedown and top position in the second. From there Northcutt ate a ton of big elbows before Barberena was able to lock in an arm triangle to finish the fight.
They said it:
Bryan Barberena: “It feels great to beat a guy with that hype, but I have my own hype behind me. My family, friends and teammates all believed and knew I could do it. This is something I practice in the training room. I felt like he was slipping in tighter and I knew he was going to tap. I want to thank my camp, The MMA Lab. We came, we dominated! The first round was a little slow for me, I had to get my bearings. I was ready to weather his quick storm. I’m ready for anybody. I don’t just train for one person.”
Sage Northcutt: “I’m just disappointed. That’s all I can say.”
Prefight reading/viewing
- Dana White: Here's what makes Super Sage stand out
- Watch: Joe Rogan previews Northcutt vs. Barberena
- Secret to success: Inside look at Sage Northcutt's fighting style
- Barberena Happy to Derail Super Sage's Rise
- Northcutt proving he's no one-hit wonder in UFC
UFC Fight Night: Johnson vs. Bader FS1 prelims
Tarec Saffiedine defeats Jake Ellenberger
Tarec Saffiedine returned with a much-needed win against Jake Ellenberger in the FS1 prelims main event, out-lasting “The Juggernaut” to earn a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). Ellenberger rocked Saffiedine in the first round, but “The Sponge,” making his first appearance since joining TriStar gym in Montreal, came out aggressive in the second and continued a consistent attack for the remainder of the fight.
They said it:
Tarec Saffiedine: “It’s good to be back after a year off. He was a tough opponent and I couldn’t be happier right now. He got me, but I was able to recover really good. It was a quick moment, but I was able to come back. I didn’t feel too much ring rust. I train hard. I was basically sleeping, eating and training in the gym. I had to get mentally stronger, it was tough.”
Jake Ellenberger: “I don’t even know right now. I can’t, I’m just disappointed.”
Prefight reading/viewing
- Tristar switch helps Saffiedine switch mentality in return to UFC
- Fatherhood changes everything for Ellenberger
Diego Ferreira defeats Olivier Aubin-Mercier 
Diego Ferreira proved to be too much everywhere for Canadian prospect Olivier Aubin-Mercier, as the Brazilian earned a unanimous decision win against OAM (29-28, 29-28, 30-27). OAM likes to use his takedowns to work his ground and pound and submission game, but against Ferreira he didn’t want to take this fight to the ground, which is Ferreira’s world. Ferreira sealed the win in the third with a smothering effort on the ground to seal the win.
They said it:
Diego Ferreira: “I wanted to keep the fight standing, that was my strategy coming in. I’ve been working boxing a lot. It worked really well and I liked the way I performed tonight. I want to fight guys who have beat me. But first, I want one more fight to see how my progress is. I think I will be top-10 very soon. Dariush and Poirier, look out for me!”
Olivier Aubin-Mercier: “He was a tank and I was hitting him and he didn’t give a shit. I was a little more scared and intimidated than I usually am, but I feel good. I thought in the last round the winner was going to be the one who got the takedown and he got it.”
Prefight reading/viewing
Rafael Natal defeats Kevin Casey
Rafael Natal landed a right hand on the button at the end of the first round and Kevin Casey was never really able to recover. ‘Sapo’ finished the fight in the third round with a barrage of punches. Natal extends his win streak to four in the UFC’s middleweight division.
They said it:
Rafael Natal: “When I hit him I knew that’s my time. I thought I have to finish this fight. I wanted to use my jiu-jitsu and then I finished the fight. With all my fans here, I have to give this win to them. My three brothers came from Brazil, lots of my friends and even my girlfriend to support me. I think I deserve a top-10 guy. Step by step I’m going to move up to the top.”
Kevin Casey: “That punch at the end of the first took a lot out of me. I felt gassed after that. I was really, really gassed. Maybe it’s time to drop down to 170.”
Prefight reading/viewing
Wilson Reis defeats Dustin Ortiz
Dustin Ortiz just couldn’t hand with Wilson Reis in the grappling exchanges in their bout, as Reis was able to land an amazing nine takedowns en route to a unanimous decision victory (30=27, 30-27, 30-27). Ortiz was resilient in the fight, surviving several scary positions where Reis looked poised to lock in a submission. Reis controlled everywhere, however, out-striking Ortiz 91-61.
They said it:
Wilson Reis: “He moves in and out a lot. My goal was to stop him a bit. I used my striking to set up my takedowns very well. I wanted to finish with ground and pound, I wanted to finish the submission. I was trying, but couldn’t get it done. I want the winner of Joseph Benavidez and Zach Makovsky.”
Dustin Ortiz: “I knew I needed the third round, I just couldn’t make the adjustments I needed to take that round. I really need to focus on being a better fighter to get me to where I want to go.”
Prefight reading/viewing
Alexander Yakovlev defeats George Sullivan
Alexander Yakovlev landed a perfect two-punch combo bookended by a hard straight right that knocked out George Sullivan cold in their FS1 prelims bout. Yakovlev finished the fight at 3:59 of the first round to improve to 23-6-1. Yakovlev dominated the fight, also landing two takedowns before the finish.
They said it:
Alexander Yakovlev: “My team has been drilling this a lot. Early on I saw I could do this. My coach told me to counter and it worked. You know, when I hit him I wasn’t sure the fight was over. That’s why I followed up. If I knew he was out I would not have followed up. I had to keep going until the referee stopped it. I worked hard in the gym. When you work hard, it pays off. Hard work is all it is.”
George Sullivan: “I don’t even know what caught me. I don’t even remember. I’ve never even been knocked down before. I remember circling him a little and that’s it.”
Prefight reading/viewing
Alex Caceres defeats Masio Fullen
Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres got back on track in his return to the featherweight division, collecting a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) vs. Masio Fullen. Caceres was on target all fight long, landing flying spinning kicks and stiff straight lefts. Caceres’ 57 significant strikes were nine more than Fullen was able to land in the fight.
They said it:
Alex Caceres: “It’s been a long time coming. The whole time out there I’m worried about them taking me down. It was a great matchup with Fullen. I knew we were going to have high flying action. Having fun is what’s next for me. As much as you can. For all we know every fight could be our last fight. It doesn’t matter who comes next. I want whoever is put in front of me. I just want to have fun.”
Masio Fullen: “I have to keep working hard. Alex is a very tough guy and I knew from the beginning that I had a very tough challenge. All I can do is keep working and keep looking for chances to compete here in the UFC.”
Prefight reading/viewing
UFC Fight Night: Johnson vs. Bader FIGHT PASS prelims
Watch the early prelims replay on UFC FIGHT PASS
Randy Brown defeats Matt Dwyer
In his UFC debut, Randy Brown made it look easy after a bit of a slow start to take out Matt Dwyer by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in the main event of the UFC FIGHT PASS prelims. Brown said he wasn’t dealing with Octagon jitters, but was thrown off by Dwyer’s size early on. In the second and third, Brown came alive and landed a few throws and worked his standup, out-striking Dwyer 48-32 in the final 10 minutes.
They said it:
Randy Brown: “It was a good fight. I have so much more to prove though. He was tall and I wasn’t used to that. I had to make some adjustments in the first because of that. I got nervous, everyone gets nervous. Once I got in there it all settled down. It was an amazing experience. I’m just embracing everything.”
Matt Dwyer: “I need to keep training hard and can’t take such a big break between fights. I need to get back in as soon as I can. Get home, recalibrate and get back to fighting. That’s all I care about.”
Prefight reading/viewing
- Confident Randy Brown unfazed by sudden fame
- Dwyer ready to put on show against 'Lookin' for a Fight' alumnus
- Watch: Get to know Randy Brown
Damon Jackson and Levan Makashvili fight to a majority draw
Levan Makashvili was penalized in the third round after an accidental knee to the head of a downed Damon Jackson and a second infraction of an eye poke within seconds. Makashvili was docked a point, which led to a majority draw decision of 29-27 Jackson, 28-28, 28-28. Jackson was working on the fence for most of the fight, trying to find a takedown that never materialized. Makashvili landed 58 significant strikes to only 14 for Jackson.
They said it:
Damon Jackson: “I thought I did enough to win this fight, 100%. I stuck to the game plan, I did more work on the feet, and I controlled the entire fight. I want another fight, quick. As soon as this eye is cleared. I’ve been getting better and better every day. I thought I would finish him in the first round and I really put the pressure on him. I thought I had it.”
Levan Makashvili: “I wasn’t happy with the outcome. I won every round anyway. The second round I got a takedown and landed a lot of punches. It’s just bad judging. It would have been a draw in the last round even still. Bad judging, it’s just insane.”
Prefight reading/viewing
Tony Martin defeats Felipe Olivieri
After a back-and-forth first two rounds, Martin took charge in the third and won by submission due to a rear naked choke with less than 2 minutes remaining in the clash.
They said it:
Tony Martin: “I knew it was a close fight going into the third. I was trying to get a take down because he looked tired. I got the hooks in, rolled him over and put him to sleep. It was hard to get him down in the first, so I decided to let me hands go, which set up my takedown in the third. I told Joe, I’ll fight anybody. I don’t care who it is.”
Felipe Olivieri: “I was comfortable going into the third round with each of us winning a round earlier. I settled in a little too much. I wanted to break away from him, but instead he got my back and finished me because of a little mistake. I want to go back, train hard, learn how to illuminate small mistakes and come back harder for a win.”
Prefight reading/viewing
