Ike Villanueva

Hurricane

USA

Losing streak hits three
Light HeavyweightUFC
April 23, 2022
Villanueva lost to Tyson Pedro via TKO (punches) at 4:55 of Round 1 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Villanueva fully looked the part of a fighter who entered as a +450 underdog. Giving up a ton of speed and athleticism to the younger Pedro, Ike was unable to get out of first gear. He ate way, way too many leg kicks, which left him hobbled and unable to defend himself. The final one in the closing seconds of Round 1 dropped him to the mat and allowed Pedro to earn the stoppage. A member of the UFC roster since May 2020, Villanueva -- now 38 years old -- has lost three straight and five of six with the company. Stranger things have happened, but it would be shocking if Ike received another opportunity.
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Looks to bounce back against Pedro
Light HeavyweightUFC
January 25, 2022
Villanueva will take on Tyson Pedro in a light heavyweight matchup at the UFC event scheduled for April 23, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport Nederland reports.
ANALYSIS
This could very well be the last straw for Villanueva, who is 1-4 under the UFC banner since his 2020 debut and currently riding a two-fight losing streak. He's at least been exciting, as all five of those fights have ended in a stoppage within two rounds. The UFC is certainly not doing him any favors with the Pedro booking, as Pedro was once thought of as an elite prospect in the division before he lost back-to-back bouts to UFC veterans and was forced to take time off due to multiple knee injuries/surgeries. A healthy Pedro could give "Hurricane Ike" all sorts of problems given his two-inch height and six-inch reach advantages, but it's unclear how healthy Pedro actually is, as well as whether or not he'll be affected by ring rust.
Lasts 78 seconds in Vegas
Light HeavyweightUFC
October 23, 2021
Villanueva lost to Nicolae Negumereanu via TKO (punches) at 1:18 of Round 1 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Entering having lost three of his first four UFC bouts and potentially fighting for his job, Villanueva lasted all of 78 seconds. We've seen enough from Ike to know that it's a near certainty he will either knock out his opposition or be knocked out himself. On this evening, it was the latter, as it has been frequently of late. Villanueva deserves credit for fighting frequently -- he's been in the Octagon five times since his company debut in May 2020 -- but there simply isn't much here to be excited about.
Set to fight Oct. 23
Light HeavyweightUFC
September 6, 2021
Villanueva is set to battle Nicolae Negumereanu in a light heavyweight matchup at the UFC event scheduled for Oct. 23, Alex Behunin of Cageside Press reports.
ANALYSIS
Villanueva is coming off a loss to Marcin Prachnio where he lost via KO (body kick) in June. With a record of 1-3, Hurricane Ike will look to defeat Nicolae Negumereanu in their upcoming fight. Negumereanu is heading into the fight following his first ever UFC victory against Aleksa Camur via split decision.
Floored by liver kick
Light HeavyweightUFC
June 27, 2021
Villanueva lost to Marcin Prachnio via KO (body kick) at 0:56 of Round 2 at UFC Vegas 30 on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
The two came out with bad intentions in Round 1, and while Villanueva landed less volume according to the numbers, he had Prachnio on the ropes several times and likely won the frame. It didn't come without a cost, however, as his lead leg appeared to be visibly damaged in between rounds. Prachnio noticed this and took advantage of Round 2, severely compromising the leg. It was ultimately a perfectly-placed liver kick that led to Villanueva's undoing, however. While VIllanueva had some moments, he's now 1-3 with the UFC and appears to be the definition of "roster depth" at light heavyweight.
Tabbed for June 26 bout
Light HeavyweightUFC
May 3, 2021
Villanueva will take on Marcin Prachnio in a light heavyweight matchup at the UFC event scheduled for June 26, Alex Behunin of Cageside Press reports.
ANALYSIS
Villanueva snapped a two-fight losing streak back in January when he knocked out Vinicius Moreira in the second round, and will now face a fighter with a 1-3 record under the UFC banner. Look for this fight to play out on the feet, as neither fighter has accumulated a successful takedown in seven combined UFC appearances. Of those seven total fights, only one has been left to the judges. It's a small sample size, but Prachnio has statistical advantages in both striking volume and striking defense.