After a dizzying few days in moving Saturday’s UFC 232 show from Las Vegas to Los Angeles due to a Jon Jones USADA test abnormality, the four main participants for the event will talk to the media Thursday afternoon.
Starting at 5 PM Eastern below, you can watch Jon Jones, Alexander Gustafsson, Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino, Amanda Nunes, and Dana White talk to the media.
The Jones-Gustafsson fight will be for the UFC light heavyweight title currently held by Daniel Cormier. At fight time, Cormier, also the heavyweight champion, will be stripped of the title.
The co-main event will be for Justino’s featherweight belt as Nunes, the bantamweight champion, moves up in weight for a fight that has been discussed most of the year.
The rest of the show is very solid featuring Carlos Condit vs. Mike Chiesa, Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski, BJ Penn vs. Ryan Hall, Megan Anderson vs. Cat Zingano, and more.
In an unprecedented move, this Saturday’s UFC 232 pay-per-view will move from Las Vegas, NV, to Los Angeles, CA, due to a Jon Jones test abnormality.
The news was first reported by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
From Okamoto: “Jon Jones tested for a trace amount of the same metabolite that was found in his system in 2017. USADA has ruled the test was caused by a residual amount of the substance from 2017 and will not sanction Jones, but Nevada didn’t feel it could license him. California will.”
In an interview with Yahoo’s Kevin Iole, USADA head and UFC VP Jeff Novitzy said that a trace of oral turinabol “the size of one-50 millionth of a grain of sand was found in an anti-doping sample given by Jon Jones to USADA on Dec. 9” and that independent experts concluded it was not a re-ingestion that caused it but a trace from his previous 2017 positive test.
On SportsCenter, UFC president Dana White and Novitzy discussed the news and reiterated this wasn’t a positive test.
Jones tested positive for Turinabol after his July 2017 victory over Daniel Cormier to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight title. He was retroactively suspended for 15 months and cleared to fight earlier this fall. The Nevada Athletic Commission released a statement saying Jones had withdrew his pending license application and that Jones will appear at a January hearing to discuss the matter.
From Iole: “Nevada officials aren’t as familiar with the 2017 case and because four of its five commissioners are out of town for the holidays, it agreed to allow Jones to go to California to fight and then appear at a January hearing in Nevada.”
The event will take place at the Forum in Los Angeles with tickets going on sale Wednesday. Refunds for those with Las Vegas tickets will be made available.
According to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, most fighters found out about the news via social media and not direct contact with the UFC.
Despite the positive test, Jones will face Alexander Gustafsson for the vacant light heavyweight title in Saturday’s main event.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez headlined the first-ever UFC main event on Fox and will now headline the first-ever main event on ESPN.
UFC president Dana White confirmed to ESPN’s Brett Okamato late Friday night that Velasquez will face former title challenger Francis Ngannou in the main event of the February 17th UFC Fight Night event in Phoenix — the first full card set for ESPN “linear” TV.
The 36-year-old has been on the shelf since defeating Travis Browne at UFC 200 in July 2016. Injury-prone, Velasquez (13-2) has only fought twice since 2015.
The 32-year-old Ngannou (12-3) is coming off a first round TKO win over Curtis Blaydes last month, snapping a two-fight losing streak that saw him dominated (a January heavyweight title fight vs. Stipe Miocic) and an embarassing decision loss to Derrick Lewis in July in which he barely threw any punches.
Velasquez was in the main event of the UFC’s maiden voyage on another network — Fox — back in November 2011 when he lost the heavyweight title to Junior dos Santos in just 64 seconds.
The UFC will debut on ESPN+ in January, officially kicking off a five year deal.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 31: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2, emanating from the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Octagon heads back to Milwaukee for the first time since August 2013 for the final event to be televised on the FOX network before UFC coverage moves over to ESPN in 2019.
In the main event, it is a rematch in the lightweight division as Kevin Lee looks to score his second straight win when he takes on Al Iaquinta. Lee and Iaquinta fought in February 2014 at UFC 169, a bout that Iaquinta won by unanimous decision. Flash-forward nearly five years later, and both men have come up short in title fights, but Lee finds himself ranked higher at 155 pounds.
In the co-main event, it is another lightweight clash that could bring fireworks as Edson Barboza takes on the streaking Dan Hooker, winner of four straight. Also on the main card, Rob Font welcomes Sergio Pettis back to the bantamweight division, and Jim Miller adds to his resume as the fighter with the most UFC bouts in history when he takes on Charles Oliveira in more lightweight action.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 4 PM ET/1 PM PT
> Chris de la Rocha (5-2, 1-2 UFC) vs. Juan Adams (4-0, 0-0 UFC) Heavyweights
de la Rocha lands early. Adams with a big leg kick and follows it with some right hands. They each land a jab. Adams is popping the jab. Adams with a couple of leg kicks. Adams lands a combo. de la Rocha lands a right hand and Adams is able to get a takedown into side control. Adams with some hammerfists. Adams landing some punches from the half-guard and de la Rocha is bleeding over the place. Adams with some elbows. Adams takes the back and is keeping the fight on the mat as he goes back to the guard. de la Rocha sweeps and is looking for a heel hook. Adams spins out and lands more punches from the top. They get to their feet late. 10-8 Adams.
They trade to start the second. Adams lands some punches but de la Rocha throws him to the ground. They scramble to their feet. de la Rocha grabs the single leg but lets go. They both land punches and Adams has him rocked. They are swinging and both are tired. Adams was working in the clinch and landed some body punches but for some reason the referee broke them up. That was dumb. de la Rocha lands a big right hand. They are exhausted. de la Rocha lands a right hand and then another. Adams lands a combo and gets a takedown and has the back. Adams lands some hammerfists and flips him to the half-guard. Adams with some ground and pound at the end. 10-9 Adams, 20-17 Adams.
Both are really exhausted coming out for the third. Adams with a body kick. They trade punches and both hold their hands low. Adams with a knee to the body and landing punches against the fence and the referee stops the fight. Adams gets the win in his debut although it was an ugly fight.
Official Result- Juan Adams def. Chris de la Rocha by TKO (punches) at :58 of Round 3
> Adam Milstead (8-2 1 NC, 1-1 1 NC UFC) vs. Mike Rodriguez (9-3, 0-1 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Rodriguez with a leg kick and they start throwing at each other. Rodriguez drops Milstead with a left hand and goes into the guard. Rodriguez lands some from the top. Rodriguez with a big elbow and Milstead almost reversed but the fence got in the way. They get to their feet. Rodriguez trips him up with a leg kick. Rodriguez with some knees against the fence. They trade elbows. Rodriguez with a front kick followed by a left hand and a knee to the body drops Milstead and he finishes him off with punches on the ground. Great finish by Rodriguez.
Official Result- Mike Rodriguez def. Adam Milstead by knockout (strikes) at 2:59 of Round 1
FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 5 PM ET/2 PM PT
> Dan Ige (9-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Jordan Griffin (17-5, 0-0 UFC) Featherweights
They trade leg kicks early. Ige swings a big right hand but Griffin ducks under and gets a takedown but Ige is able to reverse it to the top. Ige with a big punch that cuts Griffin open. Ige has control and looking for a choke. Ige with some big left hands. Ige has the back and Griffin in a lot of trouble. Ige with more big left hands. Ige has the mount and lands some big elbows. This is vicious from Ige. Griffin gives up his back. Ige up high and Griffin able to get out. Griffin has the neck and is looking for a choke and has one in tight. Ige is fighting and trips Griffin to the ground and lets go. Ige gets back to the mount and lands some elbows. That was a crazy scramble. Ige landing more left hands as he has wrist control. Griffin gives up his back again. Ige with left hands as they get to their feet and break. Griffin with a head kick. They swing at the end of the round. Crazy round. 10-9 Ige.
They trade punches to start the second round. They continue to both land. Ige lands a combo and gets a takedown into side control. Ige has the back and is working for a choke. Griffin able to scramble out and grabs Ige’s neck. Griffin has the neck of Ige and looking for a choke but Ige able to scramble out and Griffin now in Ige’s guard. Griffin stands and lands some punches. Griffin with more punches. Ige trying some upkicks. Griffin lands some more and goes back into the guard. Griffin with a big right hand as he passes guard. Griffin stands and lands a right as Ige was trying to posture up on the mat. Ige grabs the ankle and goes for a heel hook but Griffin able to pass and has the back. Crazy round again. 10-9 Griffin, 19-19.
They trade to start the third. Griffin goes for a takedown but Ige stuffs it. They break after an exchange. Griffin with a high kick. They trade punches and Ige looked to land better. Ige shoots for a takedown and has Griffin against the fence and is able to get it. Ige in the guard. Griffin able to get out and looking to pop up and they get to their feet. They break out in the open. Both guys landing punches and Ige looks for an ankle pick to takedown. They scramble and Ige ends up on top and has the back. They get to their feet. Ige with a knee to the body and they get back to the mat. Ige takes the back and is looking for a choke late. He didn’t have it under the neck due to a bad angle. They scramble and Griffin ends on top to end the fight. Fun fight. 10-9 Ige, 29-28 Ige.
Official Result- Dan Ige def. Jordan Griffin by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Trevor Smith (15-8, 5-5 UFC) vs. Zak Cummings (21-6, 6-3 UFC) Middleweights
Cummings lands a left hand. Cummings with a leg kick followed by a left hand. Smith misses a knee on a brief clinch. Cummings with a head kick. Cummings with a leg kick. Smith with a body kick but Cummings grabs the leg though he lets go. They trade punches. Smith with a right hand. Cummings with a head kick and lands a short right hand. Cummings with a nice combo. They trade punches. Cummings with a couple of kicks. Cummings lands a left hand. Smith with a leg kick and lands a right hand. They both have small cuts. Cummings eats a knee as he goes for a takedown. They clinch against the fence. They trade late. 10-9 Cummings.
Smith lands a good combo to start the second. Smith with a leg kick but Cummings counters with a left hand. Both men landing punches but not much happening. Cummings with a left hook. Smith misses a right hand. Neither really landing clean. They trade in close range. Smith landing harder. Cummings lands a nice left hand. Cummings lands a combo. Cummings with a body kick but eats a left hand counter from Smith. Smith coming forward more. Cummings with a leg kick but misses on a takedown attempt. Smith lands a left hand counter. Tough round to score. 10-9 Smith, 19-19.
Cummings lands some combos. Smith with a body kick but eats a left hand from Cummings that drops Smith. Cummings takes the back of Smith. Smith able to get to the half-guard as Cummings gets on his back. Smith with some left hands from the top. Smith remains in the half-guard and lands some elbows. They get to their feet and Smith has the back against the cage. Cummings reverses position. Cummings lands some left hands as they break. Smith lands some. Cummings with a high kick. Smith grabs the neck and drops down looking for a choke but Cummings gets side control. Smith gives up his back. Cummings tried to slide a hook in and ended up on his back and is eating punches from Smith. They get to their feet. Cummings going for a takedown. They scramble. Cummings with a knee to the body and then another as they get to their feet. They break and Smith lands a knee right at the horn. 10-9 Cummings, 29-28 Cummings.
Official Result- Zak Cummings def. Trevor Smith by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Gerald Meerschaert (28-9, 4-1 UFC) vs. Jack Hermansson (17-4, 4-2 UFC) Middleweights
They clinch right away and Hermansson with a knee to the body. Hermansson gets a takedown and into side control. Hermansson gets to full mount but Meerschaert gets out of it. Hermansson in the guard and lands an elbow. Hermansson grabs the neck. They get to their feet and Hermansson gets another takedown and is the mount. Hermansson with big punches and Meerschaert gives up his back. Hermansson landing big punches from the back and looking to finish. Big ground and pound. Big elbow from Hermansson. Hermansson with a knee to the body. Hermansson gets back to the mount but moves back to the back. Meerschaert reverses to the top and they get to their feet. Meerschaert tries a guillotine and ends back up on his back. Hermansson has the mount again and Meerschaert gives up his back. Hermansson with big punches. Hermansson to side control. Hermansson grabs a guillotine and its tight and Meerschaert taps! Hermansson with a big submission win and a dominant showing.
Official Result- Jack Hermansson def. Gerald Meerschaert by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:25 of Round 1
> Jared Gordon (14-2, 2-1 UFC) vs. Joaquim Silva (10-1, 3-1 UFC) Lightweights
Gordon rocked Silva several times with right hands. Gordon dropped Silva with a right hand. He was landing some good punches from the top. He scored a couple of takedowns and almost had a choke locked in. Silva was able to survive and landed a big right hand and then rocked Gordon with a flying knee. Silva had a late choke locked in but Gordon escaped and survived the end. 10-9 Gordon.
They come out swinging to start the second. Gordon with a body kick. Silva goes for a takedown but it’s defended. Gordon lands a right hand. Silva with an uppercut. Gordon grabs the back as they go to the mat. Gordon trying to get the hooks in. Gordon moves to the half-guard and lands some punches. Silva gives up his back and they get to their feet. They break. Gordon with a leg kick. Gordon with another leg kick and then goes high. Gordon tries a takedown but Silva defends it. They trade punches. Gordon lands a right hand. Silva gets a takedown. Gordon grabs an ankle to try and scramble out. 10-9 Silva, 19-19.
They come out trading to start the third. They trade right hands in close range. Silva with a leg kick. They are swinging hard and both biting down on the moutpiece and trading. Gordon goes for a takedown. Silva defends it. Both are swinging. Silva lands a right hand that rocks Gordon and then knocks Gordon out on his feet. Wow. That was a crazy finish. Silva hurt him back with a right hand and then a flurry on the feet finish it off.
Official Result- Joaquim Silva def. Jared Gordon by knockout (punches) at 2:39 of Round 3
> Bobby Green (24-8-1, 5-3-1 UFC) vs. Drakkar Klose (9-1-1, 3-1 UFC) Lightweights
Klose with some leg kicks. Green coming forward and lands a front kick followed by a double jab. They clinch and Green working for underhooks. Klose gets warned for grabbing the inside of Green’s gloves. Green with an overhand right and inside leg kick. Green almost has a choked locked in but Klose escapes. Green lands some good punches. They trade late and Klose still landing leg kicks. Close round. 10-9 Green.
Green switching his stances. Green with some low kicks. Klose misses some kicks but tries a takedown and lands a low knee. Klose with a right hand. They clinch and Green gets a takedown into side control. Green with some punches from the top and gets to mount but Klose recovers half-guard. Green working for a choke. Green with some shoulder strikes and he gets to the mount. Green with some punches from the mount and has a lot of pressure going on from the top. Klose able to cage walk and they get to their feet. Green is cut by his right eye. Klose with a knee. Green with an elbow over the top. Klose gets the back and looks for a takedown but Green reverses it and gets to the half-guard. 10-9 Green, 20-18 Green.
They both look to land and are trading. Klose lands a leg kick that stumbles Green. Green gets up and lands a right hand. Klose landing punches and Green trying to goad him into something. Green gets underhooks and is now looking for a takedown. They break away. Green with an uppercut. Klose counters with a right hand. Green with a combo. Green lands a right hand. Klose with a leg kick. Green landing with more volume but Klose lands a couple of right hands. Klose with a leg kick. Green grabs a leg and is looking for a takedown against the fence. Klose lands a combo and a knee to the body. Green retreating and eats a combo from Klose. Klose with a leg kick. Green lands a left hand. Green lands a string of punches late. Close fight. 10-9 Klose, 29-28 Green.
Official Result- Drakkar Klose def. Bobby Green by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Zak Ottow (16-6, 3-3 UFC) vs. Dwight Grant (8-1, 0-0 UFC) Welterweights
Grant lands some big punches inside the first thirty seconds. Grant lands some more big punches and they go to the mat and Ottow eats some punches before they get to their feet. Ottow with a high kick. Ottow misses a high kick. Ottow lands a short right hand. Grant is looking to wind up and land something big. Ottow has a high kick checked. Grant misses a big uppercut. Grant with a leg kick and lands a big right hand late. 10-9 Grant.
Ottow being cautious and Grant is looking for a power counter. Ottow with a leg kick. Ottow with a head kick. Grant has slowed down. Ottow with a left hand. Ottow misses a right hook but lands a head kick. Ottow with a leg kick. Grant misses a winging left hook. Grant hurts Ottow with a right hand. Ottow with a front kick. They clinch and Ottow has position with Grant against the fence. Grant with a right hand. 10-9 Grant, 20-18 Grant.
Grant with a knee to the body but Ottow is able to get an underhook and gets a takedown. Ottow in the half-guard. Ottow doesn’t do much from the top and Grant able to scramble to his feet. Grant grabs the fence rather blatantly to prevent a takedown. Ottow has Grant against the fence and lands a knee. They break the clinch. Grant lands a right hand. Ottow keeps coming forward. Ottow with a high kick and shoots for a takedown but Grant defends it well. Ottow shoots but Grant defends it. 10-9 Ottow, 29-28 Grant.
Official Result- Zak Ottow def. Dwight Grant by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
FOX MAIN CARD | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
> Jim Miller (29-12 1 NC, 18-11 1 NC UFC) vs. Charles Oliveira (24-8 1 NC, 12-8 1 NC UFC) Lightweights
Oliveira gets a takedown and quickly takes the back of Miller and is looking for a choke. Oliveira with some punches from the back. Oliveira has the choke locked in tight now and Miller is defending but eventually taps. Big win from Oliveira as he gets yet another submission win to extend his UFC record.
Official Result- Charles Oliveira def. Jim Miller by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:15 of Round 1
> Rob Font (#10, 15-4, 5-3 UFC) vs. Sergio Pettis (#2 FLW, 17-4, 8-4 UFC) Bantamweights
Both looking to land the jab early. Pettis with an inside leg kick. Font landing the jab. Font with a right hand to the body. They trade kicks. Both land a stiff jab at the same time. Font with a right hand and then lands a leg kick. Font just misses an uppercut. Pettis with a body kick. Font with a combo ending with a nice right hand. Font with a right hand to the body. Font is coming forward and gets a takedown. Font looking to pass over to side control but remains in the guard. Font gets to his feet and lands two right hands. Font with a leg kick and then a right hand to the body. Font goes back down and lands some punches and stands back up. Pettis gets up and with a spin kick. They trade late. 10-9 Font.
Pettis with a body kick and Font counters with a right hand. Font with the jab. He just misses an uppercut. They trade jabs. Font lands a good jab. Font with a right hand to the body. Font is really working the jab. Pettis lands a right hand. Font with a leg kick. They trade jabs. Pettis with a head kick. They trade kicks. Both land a jab. Pettis lands an overhand right. Pettis gets a late takedown. Font working from the bottom and looking for a kimura and uses it to sweep to the top. Pettis escapes the attempt. 10-9 Font, 20-18 Font.
Pettis with a body kick. They each land a knee in close range. Pettis with a right hand. Font lands the jab again. Pettis with a right hand. Font just misses an uppercut. Font with an inside leg kick. Pettis with one of his own. Pettis with a spin kick and then follows with a right hand and then another. They clinch and Font gets a takedown. Font with a right hand from the top. Pettis trying to scramble out from the bottom and gives up his back. They get to their feet. Font drags Pettis back down. Pettis tries to roll out and gets Font in his guard. Font stands and lands some punches from the top. 10-9 Font, 30-27 Font.
Official Result- Rob Font def. Sergio Pettis by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Edson Barboza (#5, 19-6, 13-6 UFC) vs. Dan Hooker (#14, 17-7, 7-3 UFC) Lightweights
Hooker with some inside leg kicks to start off the fight. They trade leg kicks. Hooker with a high kick. Hooker lands a left hand. Barboza with a quick combo and then a leg kick. They trade kicks. Barboza with a leg kick. Hooker with a high kick followed by a straight left. Barboza lands a right hand and then a big body kick. They trade kicks. Barboza with a right hand. They trade kicks. Barboza lands a big right hand that rocks Hooker and follows it with a high kick. Barboza with a big combo and misses a wheel kick. Barboza with a leg kick. 10-9 Barboza.
Barboza hurts Hooker bad with a big leg kick. Hooker is having trouble walking. Barboza with another leg kick. Hooker closing the distance and landing some punches. They are trading in close range. Hooker lands the jab. They trade in the pocket. Barboza with an elbow. Barboza getting tired and Hooker falls to the ground but sweeps Barboza down and Hooker in the half-guard. Barboza trying to sweep up to his feet. Hooker on top and landing short punches. They get to their feet. Barboza with a nice combo. Barboza with a switch kick to the body followed by a jab and a huge right hand. Barboza with a hard left hook and a body kick and just misses a spinning wheel kick. They trade punches. They trade in close. Barboza with an uppercut and a big body kick. Barboza with a left hand to the body followed by a body kick and then two huge right hands. Hooker somehow surviving these punches. Wild round. 10-9 Barboza, 20-18 Barboza.
Barboza with an inside leg kick. Barboza landing the jab. They trade in close range. Hooker shoots for the single leg and gets Barboza against the fence. Barboza with a big spin kick to the body and is kicking Hooker so much. He just misses a wheel kick. Barboza with another spin kick to the body followed by a right hand. Barboza with more big shots, kicks, punches, knees. Barboza with another spin kick to the body followed by a body punch and Hooker falls to the mat and the fight is stopped. it was stopped way too late and Hooker is too tough for his own good. Big win for Barboza as he looked real good here.
Official Result- Edson Barboza def. Dan Hooker by knockout (strikes) at 2:19 of Round 3
> Kevin Lee (#4, 17-3, 10-3 UFC) vs. Al Iaquinta (#8, 13-4-1, 8-3 UFC) Lightweights
Lee with a leg kick. They trade punches. Iaquinta with a leg kick. Iaquinta grabs a leg, lets go and lands a spinning back fist. Iaquinta lands a right hand and a body kick. Lee with a body kick. Iaquinta lands a left hand. Iaquinta with a combo. Lee with a high kick and then a leg kick. Lee with a head kick. Iaquinta with a high kick. Iaquinta lands a left hand and fakes a takedown. Iaquinta lands a right hand. Lee with a high kick. Iaquinta with the jab. Lee with a leg kick and Iaquinta fires back with his own. Iaquinta with an uppercut. Iaquinta lands a left hook off a takedown attempt. 10-9 Iaquinta.
They trade in close range. Iaquinta with a leg kick. He is switching stances throughout the fight. Lee goes for a takedown but Iaquinta defends it until Lee gets the body lock and completes the takedown. Lee landing punches from the top and Iaquinta gives up his back. Lee with the body triangle and now going to work for the choke. Lee with some hammerfists. Lee with elbows and punches from the back. Iaquinta able to reverse and they get to their feet. Iaquinta lands a right hand. Iaquinta with the jab followed by a right hand to the body. Iaquinta with a left hook to the body. Iaquinta with a stiff jab. Lee with a body kick but eats a counter right hand. Lee with a leg kick. Iaquinta with a right hand. 10-9 Lee, 19-19.
Lee landing the left but eating counter right hands from Iaquinta. Iaquinta is countering pretty consistently. Iaquinta with a Superman punch. Lee with a step-in knee. Iaquinta with a straight right hand. Iaquinta lands an overhand right. Iaquinta shoots for a takedown but Lee counters and gets his own takedown. They scramble to their feet but Lee has the body lock looking to get the fight back down. Lee with a knee and gets a takedown and has the back and a body triangle. Lee with some punches from the back and is working hard for a choke. Iaquinta was turning into the choke but Lee couldn’t find it. Lee ends the round on the back. 10-9 Lee, 29-28 Lee.
Iaquinta lands a big right hand and is looking to find more openings. Iaquinta lands another right hand and Lee is hurt a little bit and back pedaling. Lee is on his bike. Iaquinta with a short uppercut followed by a right hand. Lee looking to shoot for a takedown. Iaquinta landing with some good punches and a head kick that stuns Lee. Iaquinta lands another right hand. Lee is busted up and eats another right hand from Al. Iaquinta really landing punches this round and Lee is in trouble heading to the final round. 10-9 Iaquinta, 38-38.
Lee with a leg kick. Iaquinta with the jab and follows with a right hand. Lee with a right hand. Lee shoots for a single leg but doesn’t finish it off. They scramble and Iaquinta passes the shoulder and they scramble to their feet. Lee shooting against the fence. Lee working hard to score it. They’re stuck in position as Lee can’t complete the takedown and the fence is blocking Iaquinta from exploding out. Lee switches to the back. Iaquinta fighting the hands and they break. Iaquinta with the jab and a right hand. They trade punches. Iaquinta with the jab. Lee with a head kick but Iaquinta counters with a combo. Iaquinta with a right hand. Iaquinta with a big combo and Lee is hurt. Iaquinta lands a left followed by a right hand and then another. Iaquinta landing more here. Lee lands a punch but Iaquinta fires back with multiple punches and Lee is backing away. Iaquinta pouring it on late and lands a front kick to the chin of Lee. Iaquinta with a big right hand late. Big finish to the fight for Iaquinta. 10-9 Iaquinta, 48-47 Iaquinta.
Official Result- Al Iaquinta def. Kevin Lee by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
After a five-year run, the UFC’s run on “big” Fox ends tonight with an interesting card that isn’t exactly star-laden but, well, that’s the UFC today. (In retrospect, I should have added tonight’s Bellator show from Hawaii which features some interesting fights as well.)
Helping me look at the show are our friends Ryan Frederick and Paul Fontaine. Note that the card has likely kicked off by the time you’re reading this as the main card starts at 8 PM Eastern.
The card
Kevin Lee vs. Al Iaquinta II
Edson Barboza vs. Dan Hooker
Rob Font vs. Sergio Pettis
Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira
Zak Ottow vs. Dwight Grant
Bobby Green vs. Drakkar Klose
Jared Gordon vs. Joaquim Silva
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Jack Hermansson
Dan Ige vs. Jordan Griffin
Adam Millstead vs. Mike Rodriguez
Trevor Smith vs. Zak Cummings
Chris de la Rocha vs. Juan Adams
What are you most looking forward to?
Paul: There’s a lot of good stuff on this card. I’m very interested in the opening Fight Pass fight because heavyweight prospects are few and far between and Juan Adams is a good one with four first round finishes in just four pro fights and Chris De La Rocha has been knocked out in both of his losses. S, it’s a recipe for an impressive KO for the UFC newcomer Adams.
Ryan: I really like the feel of the main card. It’s not the most stacked one for a Fox show, but it is really good. Lee and Iaquinta should be a good rematch and they are both worlds better than when they first fought. Barboza and Hooker is a fireworks fight that will show whether Hooker is a real threat at 155 pounds. Pettis has a chance to show he can be a real player in a deep bantamweight division, and Miller and Oliveira always bring it. Solid stuff there.
Josh: Yeah, the main card isn’t big on any type of star power but all the fights have some meat and some intrigue to them. It’s fascinating to think back on the first Fox show that featured a heavyweight title fight to this one which has two lightweight contenders in the main event. The ratings probably won’t be that great, but the action should be.
Anything being slept on?
Ryan: It’s not the most exciting event, but there are a lot of good fights on this show. The entire thing is being slept on with it being such a busy time and weekend in combat sports.
Paul: The whole card in general. It’s the last UFC card on Fox and is the very definition of going out with a whimper. They peaked at over 10 million viewers for their Fox debut just over seven years ago and this show will be lucky to average two million. That’s no aberration because the last TUF Finale on Spike did 2.5 million viewers while the last one on FS1 did a shade under 400,000.
Josh: I have found myself looking at that Bobby Green/Drakkar Klose fight with some intrigue. Green is a big talker but hasn’t been able to sustain any momentum over the last few years due to injury and losses. Klose is a guy you forget about until he fights on the prelims three times a year, but he’s kinda good!
Anything not doing it for you?
Josh: Not at this point, but I feel like the middle of the card is going to feature a lot of decision fights which isn’t fun. I have no scientific evidence, but it just feels like that kind of show.
Paul: Miller vs. Oliveira could be fun and both guys have had great fights in the past, but Miller is a couple steps below him and this could be embarrassing. I have thought Miller was done a few times in the last couple of years and I really hope he isn’t a shell of his former self on Saturday night.
Ryan: Maybe the Trevor Smith against Zak Cummings fight because it could be boring if it gets dragged out the full 15 minutes. It’s a solid, if unspectacular, show we have here.
What will be people talking about most after the show is done?
Paul: “That’s it?” I think it’s finally going to sink in to people after this show ends that the Fox era is over and maybe there wil be a lot of talk about where we now compared to the end of 2011 when this all started.
Ryan: Kevin Lee should still be mentioned as among the best at 155 pounds, and that Dan Hooker is going to be right there with him soon.
Josh: I feel like Lee will be doing all the talking after this one is done. I still don’t buy him as an upper-tier lightweight, but his performance against Iaquinta could sway me.
Do you have a favorite Fox fight(s) of all time?
Paul: There’s a lot of good fights to choose from, obviously. For me, I’ll go with Urijah Faber’s retirement fight where he beat Brad Pickett to snap a two fight win streak and go out on a winning note. That show did a really good rating (Paige VanZant also fought on the card) and I remember being very optimistic for the future of MMA coming out of that show.
Ryan: I don’t know about fight as there’s so many and so many good moments that have come out of the Fox events. To me, the most memorable moment wasn’t a fight, but a promo by Nate Diaz after he beat Michael Johnson that led to him calling out Conor McGregor, which eventually led to two of the biggest fights in company history.
Josh: I’m going to tackle this topic on a future JNPO, but at a quick glance, that Junior dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic banger from December 2014 is right up there.
In a move discussed earlier this week on Wrestling Observer Radio, BT Sport officially announced they are back with the UFC, signing a multi-year broadcast deal that will bring 100+ yearly hours of fight content to UK and Irish fans.
The UFC had briefly signed with upstart digital service Eleven Sports, but trigged an exit clause after Eleven failed to secure distribution deals with entites like BT, Virgin Media, and Sky. According to The Guardian, Eleven could be shutting down after just four months as a service.
The deal calls for all numbered events and Fight Nights to be available on broadcast via BT Sport and on their two digital platforms.
BT has held the UFC UK and Ireland broadcast rights for the last five years. This iteration will begin in January 2019. Financial terms and length of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Earlier this year, the UFC signed a five year deal with ESPN, moving away from primary rights holder Fox Sports.
Ariel Helwani reported yesterday that moving Askren vs. Lawler to UFC 235 was planned after the cancelation of UFC 233, which was where their welterweight fight was originally set to take place. UFC 233 was canceled due to the promotion not being able to find a suitable main event after moving Henry Cejudo and TJ Dillashaw’s flyweight title fight up to their ESPN+ debut show in Brooklyn, New York on January 19.
UFC 233 had been scheduled to take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on January 26 before being canceled.
Askren came to the UFC after a trade was completed between the UFC and ONE Championship, sending Askren to the UFC and Demetrious Johnson to ONE.
It’s not even the end of 2018 and the start of UFC’s 2019 is already a bit of a mess.
The company announced Wednesday that UFC 233, scheduled for Saturday, January 26th in Anaheim, CA, has been “postponed” and that all scheduled fights will be moved to other shows. However, the numbering convention won’t change so the first UFC pay-per-view of the year will be February’s UFC 234 from Australia.
The numbering non-change is consistent with their cancelation of UFC 151 in 2012 and UFC 176 in 2014 with the costs associated with changing marketing materials cited as a reason for not just changing the number of the event.
The UFC said they will still have 12 PPVs in 2019.
While not mentioned by UFC, the reason for the cancellation is they couldn’t find a main event after moving the Henry Cejudo-TJ Dillashaw flyweight title fight up a week to main event their debut on ESPN+.
With their desire to have title fights headlining PPVs and a lack of available champions to fill that slot, something had to give and it did.
To their credit, they tried to make welterweight champion Tyron Woodley vs. Colby Covington for Anaheim, but Woodley couldn’t do it due to a hand injury, something White spoke out against last week doing press for the Toronto PPV.
This has happened to a scheduled January Anaheim show before as UFC 208, originally scheduled for January 21, 2017, was moved to August 5, 2017.
A positive for MMA fans: Bellator’s heavyweight grand prix finals in Los Angeles featuring Fedor Emelianenko vs. Ryan Bader, the return of Aaron Pico, the debut of former WWE star Jack Swagger and more will now run unopposed.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega, emanating from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The Octagon heads back to Toronto for the first time in two years with two title fights that are among the best match-ups of the year.
UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway walks to the Octagon for the first time in a year to make his second title defense as he takes on the undefeated challenger Brian Ortega. Holloway has amassed an impressive 12-fight win streak and is coming off back-to-back wins over future Hall Of Famer Jose Aldo, while Ortega has won all 15 of his professional fights, and is also coming off a win over a future Hall Of Famer, Frankie Edgar.
In the co-main event, the vacant UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship is up for grabs as Valentina Shevchenko finally gets her shot at that belt as she takes on former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Shevchenko was scheduled to fight for this title in September before former champion Nicco Montano was forced out of their fight on weigh-in day and subsequently stripped of the title. Jedrzejczyk is moving up to 125 pounds for the first time in the UFC as she looks to become the first woman to win UFC gold in two weight classes.
Also on the main card is a welterweight bout between Alex Oliveira and Gunnar Nelson, and a light heavyweight bout between Jimi Manuwa and Eryk Anders. There are plenty of prelim fights with intrigue, including Claudia Gadelha and Nina Ansaroff in a women’s strawweight bout, a potential title eliminator in the women’s flyweight division between Katlyn Chookagian and Jessica Eye, and a middleweight bout pitting Elias Theodorou against Eryk Anders.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:15 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 6:15 PM ET/3:15 PM PT
> Devin Clark (9-2, 3-2 UFC) vs. Aleksander Rakic (10-1, 2-0 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Clark lands a right hand into a takedown right away. They clinch against the fence and Clark has the body lock. Rakic reverses and they break. Rakic landed a right hand to the body on the break and then a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Rakic with a high kick. Clark then drops Rakic with a right hand. Rakic gets up but is eating knees from Clark. Clark landed a lot of knees but may have tired himself out. Some of those knees were illegal. Rakic reverses position. Rakic now lands a few knees. They break. They trade kicks. Rakic now lands some big punches on Clark and he finishes him off. Big win for Rakic as those were heavy punches he was landing.
Official Result- Aleksander Rakic def. Devin Clark by TKO (punches) at 4:05 of Round 1
> Carlos Diego Ferreira (13-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Kyle Nelson (12-1, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
Ferreira with a heavy leg kick but Nelson counters with a left. They exchange in close range. Nelson with a left hook. Ferreira with a leg kick. Nelson with a body punch. Ferreira shoots but it is stuffed and Nelson lands some punches. Ferreira shoots again but it is stuffed. Nelson lands some punches and Ferreira takes some time to get to his feet. Ferreira with a couple of body kicks. Nelson lands a straight right hand. They throw big punches in close range and Ferreira gets a takedown. Ferreira working for an arm but Nelson defending. Ferreira lands some punches on top and gets mount late and is landing big punches as Nelson gives up his back. Ferreira with big punches but Nelson survives the round. 10-9 Ferreira.
Ferreira lands some punches to start the second round and gets a takedown. Ferreira with some short elbows. Ferreira gets the mount and is landing punches as Nelson is covering up. Ferreira mixing some elbows in and Nelson is in big trouble. This is finally stopped as Ferreira gets the win after surviving some early trouble.
Official Result- Diego Ferreira def. Kyle Nelson by TKO (strikes) at 1:23 of Round 2
> Chad Laprise (13-3, 6-3 UFC) vs. Dhiego Lima (12-7, 1-5 UFC) Welterweights
Laprise landing some leg kicks early. They trade some punches as Laprise has Lima’s back to the fence. Lima drops Laprise with a left hook and the referee quickly steps in and stops the fight. Wow. The fans aren’t happy but that was a hard punch and Laprise went right down. Big win for Lima.
Official Result- Dhiego Lima def. Chad Laprise by knockout (punch) at 1:37 of Round 1
> Brad Katona (7-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Matthew Lopez (10-3, 2-3 UFC) Bantamweights
Lopez lands some punches early. Katona with a head kick. They trade and Lopez lands a nice right hand. Katona goes for a takedown but Lopez defends. Katona with a body kick. Lopez with a high kick. Lopez lands a left hand. Katona with a straight right hand followed with a left hook. Lopez counters with a left hand and then an overhand right. Katona lands a right. Lopez lands a combo. They trade punches and Lopez is getting the better of it. Lopez gets a takedown and into the guard. Katona lands a couple elbows from the bottom. 10-9 Lopez.
Lopez lands a left hand and gets a takedown. Katona gets to his feet and lands some short lefts in the clinch before breaking. Katona lands a right hand. Katona with a short uppercut. Lopez with a body kick. Katona with another short uppercut. Lopez with a leg kick. Katona lands a left hand. Lopez gets a takedown and into side control. Katona able to get to his feet. They trade punches. Katona lands a right hand. They trade lefts to end the round. 10-9 Katona, 19-19.
Lopez with a high kick. Katona with a leg kick and a short uppercut. Katona with a short leg kick and they exchange punches in close range. Lopez lands a right hand. Katona with a right hand to the body. Katona lands a right hand. They exchange in close. Lopez looks to shoot but Katona snuffs it out. Katona with a body kick. Katona grabs a single leg but doesn’t get the takedown. He grabs the back and Lopez tries to roll out. Katona had a choke locked in but time ran out. That might have gotten him the fight. 10-9 Katona, 29-28 Katona.
Official Result- Brad Katona def. Matthew Lopez by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28. 29-28)
FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
> Elias Theodorou (#14, 15-2, 7-2 UFC) vs. Eryk Anders (11-2, 3-2 UFC) Middleweights
Theodorou throwing some kicks and Anders presses him against the fence but they break away. Theodorou with some leg kicks. Theodorou lands a right hand but eats a left from Anders. Anders lands a left as Theodorou comes inside but they break. Theodorou with a body kick. They clinch and Theodorou has the back and lands some knees. They break. Theodorou lands some inside punches and a body kick. Anders has been unable to do much. Theodorou with a leg kick. Anders lands a left hand late. 10-9 Theodorou.
Anders comes out strong and lands a knee in a brief clinch. They clinch and Anders lands a good punch. Theodorou works to the body as Anders is looking for a takedown. They break. Anders lands a left hand and a kick. Anders lands two left hands. Anders with the jab. Anders with a left hand. Anders lands some good punches and rocks Theodorou. Anders with a flurry. Anders with some more left hands. Anders with some big punches and Theodorou is hurt as he stumbles but gets to his feet and circles away. Anders drops him with a left hand and then hits another left. 10-9 Anders, 19-19.
They circle around the first minute of the third with neither able to find an opening to land. Eye poke from Anders and we have a timeout. Back to action and Theodorou lands some kicks. Theodorou with a body kick. Anders with a left hand. Anders with some short punches in a clinch. Theodorou with a leg kick. They trade punches. Anders lands a combo. Theodorou with a body kick. They trade close. Anders lands a left hand late. Close fight. 10-9 Anders, 29-28 Anders.
Official Result- Elias Theodorou def. Eryk Anders by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Ryan lost internet connection at the Scotiabank Centre so Paul Fontaine here taking over for the time being.
All three rounds were similar and very close. Eye was moving forward for almost the entire fight. Strike counts were very close with a slight advantage to Eye in each of the first two rounds and Chookagian had a slightly larger advantage in the third. There was one takedown, also in the 3rd, by Chookagian. I scored it 29-28 Eye.
Official result – Jessa Eye (14-6) by split decision (29-28 x 2; 28-29)
Eye requested a title shot in her post-fight interview. She’s won 3 straight since moving to the division and just beat the #3 fighter so probably earned it.
Aubin-Mercier was pushing the pace early. Burns got a takedown but didn’t do any damage and Aubin-Mercier got to his feet without taking a single shot. Burns knocked him down and was all over him with punches and elbows and it was close to being stopped. Aubin-Mercier gave up his back and Burns had a couple submission attempts and did some ground and pound but Aubin-Mercier survived the round. 10-8 Burns
Much closer 2nd round. Strike count with 90 seconds left was 12-10 Burns and Aubin-Mercier may have been slightly more active after that point. But Burns scored a late takedown and obtained side control and that may have stolen a close round but he could’ve already have been winning the round. 10-9 Burns, 20-17 overall
Burns got a takedown 2 minutes in. He did a lot of damage on the ground but Aubin-Mercier managed to get to his feet. Burns took his back standing and dragged him to the canvas. Burns quickly locked on a body lock and was landing a lot of punches while setting up a choke. Aubin-Mercier managed to avoid the choke and somehow escaped to his feet with 20 seconds left. Both guys were landing bombs as the fight ended. 10-9 Burns, 30-26 overall
Offiicial result – Gilbert Burns (15-3) by unanimous decision (30-27 x 2; 29-28)
Gadelha came out strong, throwing all kind of punches and Ansaroff was reeling early. Gadelha got a takedown and was landing punches and elbows on the ground while trying to advance position. Gedelha was on her back for a couple minutes but eventually escaped. Ansaroff was doing better on her feet late, landing a nice head kick and really good punch combo. She also defended a couple of takedown attempts. 10-9 Gadelha
Round 3 was mostly Gadelha advancing and eating punches and leg kicks from distance by Ansaroff. Significant strikes count for the fight was 94-38 for Ansaroff. Gadelha defended several takedown atttempts in the 3rd round as well. Gadelha was landing more in the last minute but her face was all bloodied up by the end of the fight. 10-9 Ansaroff, 29-28 overall
Official result – Nina Ansaroff (10-5) by unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
Crazy first round. Seconds in, Santos dropped Manuwa twice with punches but Manuwa recovered and clinched up. The rest of the round was basically clinch work separated by wild flurries where one or both guys would land and also get hurt. They took turns going to the cage clinch. Santos was also throwing wild kicks, sometimes connecting, sometimes missing badly. He missed a jumping spin kick late in the round and ended up on his back. Manuwa took the back and was working for a sub at the end of the round. 10-9 Santos
This didn’t go long. Santos rocked Manuwa early. Manuwa fought back with punches of his own. Santos backed up Manuwa to the cage and landed an uppercut that almost took Manuwa’s head off and then landed a clean left hook that dropped him instantly.
Official result – Thiago Santos (20-6) by KO (punch) at 41 seconds of round 2
Dawodu was more active on the feet, throwing punches in spurts. Bochniak was mostly throwing a single strike at a time, mixing in leg kicks and punches. Dawodu caused some swelling under Bochniak’s left eye with a nice combo and then Bochniak almost immediately secured a takedown. Dawodu was up right away but Bochniak controlled his back the rest of the round. 10-9 Dawodu
Very boring 2nd round. Bochniak got a takedown but Dawodu was up immediately. Dawodu was probably throwing 4 times as much as Bochniak and even though he was landing at only 31%, he was landing more as well. Bochniak was acting like he may have hurt his left hand as he wasn’t using it much. Bochniak’s corner told him he was down two rounds and I agree. 20-18 Dawodu
Very similar to the 2nd round. Bochniak got a takedown in the middle of the round and did manage to hold Dawodu down for about 30 seconds but did no damage. On the feet, Dawodu was constantly moving forward and landing punches and kicks. He had some particulary nice combos in the last minute and landed a hard body kick late in the round. He had 34 body strikes in total. 10-9 Dawodu, 30-27 overall
Official result – Hakeem Dawodu (9-1-1) by split decision (30-27 x 2; 28-29)
> Alex Oliveira (#13, 20-4-1 2 NC, 9-3 1 NC UFC) vs. Gunnar Nelson (#14, 16-3-1, 7-3 UFC) Welterweights
As Jon Anik put it, a little bit of everything in round 1. Oliveira was landing solidly on the feet early. Nelson managed to get a takedown and quickly took the back. He had a solid body lock on but Oliveira was throwing punches behind his head. Nelson never really got close to a submission. Eventually Oliveira reversed and ended up on top, landing hard shots. He postured up and was landing hammer fists to the head and body. Nelson eventually captured a leg and they were in 50/50 for awhile. Oliveira did manage to escape before the round ended. 10-9 Oliveira
Oliveira was landing more on the feet early and the significant strike count was 28-1 for Oliveira. Then Nelson got a takedown and fairly quickly gained mount. Nelson was just lying there in mount and not doing anything and, twice, the ref warned him to work. Then Nelson just started landing elbows and opened a nasty cut on Oliviera’s face and it started bleeding like a faucet. The ref moved in to look at it but Oliveira was tapping, likely from the blood loss. Nelson did have a choke on at the end, which was the official result.
Official result – Gunnar Nelson (17-3-1) by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:17 of Round 2
Joanna throwing a lot of punches early but missing most of them. Shevchenko got a takedown and moved right into side control. Shevchenko landed elbows and punches to the face but Joanna eventually got to her feet. Shevchenko controlled her in a clinch for most of the rest of the round. 10-9 Shevchenko
Shevchenko controlled Joanna almost the whole round, taking her down a few times and doing damage on the ground when they were there. On the feet, Shevchenko was generally controlling the clinch and dominating her. 10-9 Shevchenko, 20-18
Joanna was much more aggressive in round 3 and managed to stay on her feet the entire round, blocking several takedown attempts. Shevchenko didn’t land a lot but when she did, she landed hard. Joanna likely won the round due to her volume but she took more damage as she was bleeding from her nose as well as a cut on the bridge of her nose. 10-9 Joanna, 29-28 Shevchenko overall
Joanna came out strong in round 4 as well but Shevchenko was able to get a power takedown and move right into side control. Joanna quickly worked her into half guard and didn’t take a lot of damage. Joanna eventually worked to her feet and they spent a long time in the clinch with both landing shots that did damage. After separating, Joanna seemed to be coming on stronger at the end of the round. 10-9 Shevchenko, 39-37 overall
Shevchenko took it to a cage clinch early but did nothing from the clinch. Joanna was landing light punches to the body and head. Ref eventually broke it up. Joanna was more aggressive on the feet. Total strikes landed in the round were exactly 96 each but Shevchenko had the takedowns. Shevchenko did land some nice combos in the last minute but Joanna was very active as well. 10-9 Joanna, 48-47 Shevchenko overall
Offiicial result – Valentina Shevchenko (16-3) by unanimous decision (49-46 x 3)
> Max Holloway (C, 19-3, 15-3 UFC) vs. Brian Ortega (#1, 14-0 1 NC, 6-0 1 NC UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship
Holloway set a furious pace early, landing punches from all sorts of angles. Ortega was landing hard and did open a cut under Holloway’s left eye, but not often. Ortega got a takedown in the middle of the round but did no damage and Holloway was up quickly. Holloway was taunting him any time he landed anything and Ortega seemed to be slowing down at the end of the round. Crowd was really loud with chants for Holloway throughout. 10-9 Holloway
Holloway came out strong and actually picked up the pace from the first round. Early on, Holloway opened up cuts on the face of Ortega and somewhere must have broken his nose because it was bleeding heavily and he was having trouble breathing. But as he should’ve been getting more tired, Ortega actually picked up his output. He was still getting beaten, as signfiicant strike count at one point was 94-31, but he was getting his shots in. Holloway was landing hard jabs throughout, which was his best weapon. 10-9 Holloway, 20-18
Ortega came out firing and hurt Holloway with a punch combo. He followed up with another and Holloway was on wobbly legs. Ortega briefly took him down but Holloway managed to get up quickly. Holloway looked confused for a little while and was eating more shots. Significant strike count midway through the round was 15-12 for Ortega. Holloway was cut several times on his face but started coming on in the last minute but Ortega was giving it back just as well. Duelling chants for both guys throughout the round. 10-9 Ortega, 29-28 Holloway overall
Holloway told Joe Rogan on his way out for the 4th that he was going to finish him in this round and came out like he was going to do it. Holloway was relentless, with a constant barrage of punches elbows and kicks throughout the round. Ortega stayed on his feet almost the entire time, except for when he’d go to the ground voluntarily but he never stopped taking shots. His face was a bloody mess by the end of the round and he had swelling under his left eye at the end of the round. The doctor’s looked it and stopped the fight. I had it scored 10-8 Holloway but it didn’t matter as the fight was stopped.
Official result – Max Holloway (20-3) by doctor’s stoppage due to injury (eye) at 5:00 of Round 4
Holloway landed 296 total strikes in the fight and over 100 in the fourth round. He threw almost 500. Holloway said that he’d probably see Ortega in a higher weight class, maybe at heavyweight since they both like to eat. As he always does, he asked Dana White to book a show in Hawaii so they could escape the cold weather.
He asked for a fight at lightweight and said he’d even fight Daniel Cormier. That was his 13th win in a row and he’s easily the best featherweight of all time and fast becoming one of the all-time greats in any weight class. And he’s only 27 years old.
The first of two important UFC PPVs happens tonight in Toronto, Canada, with UFC 231, co-headlined by two title fights that will help set up their respective divisions for 2019.
As always, we have some questions, some answers, and some predictions about the event, and Greg Hardy isn’t part of any of them. Helping me dissect them are website writers Ryan Frederick who is in Toronto for the show. Paul Fontaine, who joined me on this week’s JNPO to kick off my MMA year in review series, wasn’t able to contribute but is working on his picks for MMADraws.com as we speak.
But first, the card:
UFC men’s featherweight champion Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega
UFC vacant women’s flyweight title: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
“Cowboy” Alex Oliveira vs. Gunnar Nelson
Hakeem Dawodu vs. Kyle Bochniak
Jimi Manuwa vs. Thiago Santos
Claudia Gadelha vs. Nina Ansaroff
Katlyn Chookagian vs. Jessica Eye
Eryk Anders vs. Elias Theodorou
Oliver Aubin Mercier vs. Gilbert Burns
Devin Clark vs. Aleksandr Rakic
Brad Katona vs. Matthew Lopez
Chad Laprise vs. Dhiego Lima
Carlos Ferreira vs. Kyle Nelson
What are you most looking forward to?
Ryan: It’s the main event between Holloway and Ortega. On paper, this might be the best fight of the year. You have Holloway on a 12-fight win streak trying to hand Ortega his first career loss while Ortega has finished every opponent across the Octagon from him. They are two of the most exciting talents in the sport, and the two best at 145 pounds. This is such a great fight.
Josh: Yeah, it’s gotta be the main event. It’s so rare where paths cross so perfectly with two young fights both peaking at the perfect time. This is truly how stars are made and I think with a great fight, this bumps both guys up quite a bit. The Holloway to lightweight narrative dropped by Dana “I’m done talking about it” White is interesting and it feels inevitable considering Holloway’s weight cuts were a big topic all week.
Anything being slept on?
Ryan: I like the welterweight main card bout between Oliveira and Nelson. I’m not sure it’s being slept on totally, but it should be getting more attention than it’s getting. Oliveira has been solid at 170 pounds and is a proven finisher while Nelson is a quiet threat anytime he’s in the Octagon. This could be high-level grappling, but don’t sleep on the power both men have. This has potential to be great.
Josh: No specific fights, but there’s a lot of rising talents looking to end their year the right way like Eryk Anders (former main eventer), Claudia Gadelha (former title challenger), and both Jimi Manuwa and Thiago Santos who are trying to find their footing in an increasingly interesting light heavyweight division.
Anything not doing it for you?
Ryan: There’s not really anything I dislike on this card, aside from maybe needing earplugs when both Valentina Shevchenko and Katlyn Chookagian fight. It’s a great card all around.
Josh: Everything seems to be in its place. Even the Fight Pass portion has a few familiar names. Overall, this looks like a good show…I hope.
What will be people talking about most after the show is done?
Ryan: We have a new king at 145 pounds in Ortega, we’ll be seeing Holloway at 155 pounds and in some fun fights, and that Shevchenko is the woman to beat at 125 pounds, but that she is beatable and by no means going to be a dominant champion.
Josh: To echo Ryan, it will be the new featherweight star in Ortega, a still very bright future for Holloway in a new weight class, and a lot of questions about how to get Joanna Non-Champion back on track.
Who wins?
> Ryan: Ortega, Shevchenko, Nelson, Manuwa, Gadelha, Eye, Anders
> Josh: Ortega, Shevchenko, Cowboy, Manuwa, Gadelha, Chookagian, Anders
For Paul’s picks, be sure to check out MMADraws.com later on today.
During an interview with TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter Thursday, UFC president Dana White said that Rachael Ostovich is “totally cool” with Greg Hardy being on the same January ESPN+ debut card with her.
When asked about the controversy that bubbled up Wednesday after Hardy, previously found guilty of two counts of domestic violence, was added to a show with Ostovich, who is recovering from injuries suffered at the hands of her husband, White said that he spoke to Ostovich. He said he walked her through “this situation” and that she said her story isn’t Hardy’s story, everyone deserves second chances, and that she has no problem with being on the same card.
“Having her support was, you know, a key factor in making that decision,” White said.
She is scheduled to face Paige VanZant while Hardy will make his official UFC debut against Allen Crowder.
He said he originally wasn’t going to have her fight due to the recent attack, but she gave him “75 reasons” she should be on the card and he agreed.
White bristled at a question about whether the two would do media together, saying, “I’m not even thinking of it that way. If you want to make it an issue, make it an issue. Everyone can make it an issue if they want to. Rachael Ostovich doesn’t have an issue with it and that’s all that matters to me.”
Ostovich has yet to publicly say anything about the fight.
After another situation in which they couldn’t put together the right main event, the UFC decided to simply move a main event from one show to their January ESPN+ debut show instead.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported Wednesday night that sources tell him the January UFC 226 main event between flyweight champion Henry Cejudo (seen above) vs. bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw is being moved up a week to January 19th, the promotion’s debut on ESPN+ in Brooklyn, NY, leaving the Anaheim, CA, PPV without a main event.
But, there’s more.
Helwani said UFC tried to book welterweight champion Tyron Woodley vs. former interim champion Colby Covington for the Anaheim show, but Woodley is recovering from hand surgery. They then looked to book Covington vs. Kamaru Usman as the co-main event for Brooklyn, but Covington has yet to agree while Usman has agreed.
Originally, Helwani said, UFC tried to move up the Ben Askren-Robbie Lawler fight from Anaheim to Brooklyn and make that the main event, but Lawler declined.
Helwani said they will look to book a title fight for the Anaheim show, but given recent title fights and other scheduled ones, that only leaves two options: a strawweight title defense by Rose Namajunas or moving the Cris Cyborg-Amanda Nunes featherweight title fight scheduled for late-December (co-main on the Jon Jones-Alexander Gustafsson show) to Anaheim instead.
According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto via UFC president Dana White, former NFL defensive star and controversial figure Greg Hardy will make his official UFC debut on the promotion’s ESPN+ debut on January 19th.
The 30-year-old heavyweight transitioned into MMA into 2016 as his NFL career ended and after winning two amateur fights, he was signed by the UFC to essentially a ‘first look’ deal. He made his professional debut on Dana White’s Contender Series earlier this year, winning his first two fights by first round T/KO. He followed that up with another knockout win outside the Series.
While the fight hasn’t yet been signed, he is expected to face Allen Crowder (9-3) which is problematic for a fairly large reason.
Hardy has a past with domestic violence, having been arrested in 2014 for assaulting an ex-girlfriend. After being found guilty of assault and communicating threats, he was sentenced to 18 months probation but he appealed and requested a jury trial. The victim failed to appear in court to testify and the prosecution had to drop the case. He was later deactivated by the NFL and placed on the commissioner’s exempt list before an arbiter reduced a 10-game suspension to four games.
Also fighting on the January show is Rachael Ostovich, a women’s flyweight who is recovering from domestic violence injuries suffered at the hands of her husband, an MMA fighter who was arrested on second degree assault charges and is awaiting trial, claiming self defense. The reaction has been loud from fighters and media, both those involved in the sport and not.
Ostovich is set to face Paige VanZant on the show which, as of now, doesn’t have a main event.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 142: Dos Santos vs. Tuivasa, eminating from the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Australia.
The Octagon heads to Adelaide for the second time with a pair of heavyweight bouts at the top of the card and action throughout.
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos looks to make it two straight wins when he takes on undefeated rising prospect Tai Tuivasa in the main event. Dos Santos is coming off a decision win over Blagoy Ivanov in July, while Tuivasa gets the headline spot in just his fourth Octagon appearance, as he goes for his ninth straight win.
In the co-main event, it is more heavyweight action as Mark Hunt, in what could be his swan song with the UFC, goes up against Justin Willis, winner of seven straight fights. Also on the main card is former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua as he takes on Tyson Pedro, and a welterweight bout between Jake Matthews and Tony Martin also highlights the main card.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
> Alex Gorgees (7-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Damir Ismagulov (16-2, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
Ismagulov with a leg kick. They trade punches. Ismagulov landing the right hand. He lands a huge right hand as he covers the distance. Ismagulov shoots for a takedown and gets it against the fence. Ismagulov landing from the top but Gorgees grabs the underhook and gets to his feet though he eats a knee on the way up. Ismagulov takes him down right away but lets him up. Ismagulov goes for another takedown but Gorgees defends and lands some elbows. They break and Ismagulov lands a body kick. Ismagulov lands a right hand late. 10-9 Ismagulov.
Ismagulov lands a right hand to start the second and then mixes to the body. Ismagulov lands a body kick and then scores an easy takedown. Ismagulov blocking any attempts from Gorgees to scramble out as he works from the half-guard and lands some punches. Ismagulov rides the round out on top landing as Gorgees can’t get up from the bottom. 10-9 Ismagulov, 20-18 Ismagulov.
Ismagulov landing punches to start the third round. Gorgees needs a finish. Ismagulov gets a takedown near the fence and is in the full guard of Gorgees but stands up and lets Gorgees up. Ismagulov goes for another takedown but eats elbows and lets go of the attempt. Ismagulov then scores another takedown and is working from the half-guard. Ismagulov lands a lot from the top before they stand up. Ismagulov lands a right hand and shoots for a late takedown. 10-9 Ismagulov, 30-27 Ismagulov.
Official Result- Damir Ismagulov def. Alex Gorgees by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-26)
They feel each other out early. Giagos lands a knee in close range. Giagos with a body kick and lands a right hand and then stumbles Hirota with a right hand. Giagos lands a flurry against the fence. They are both throwing. Giagos gets a takedown against the fence. Ground and pound from Giagos. Hirota tries to explode out from the bottom and does. They trade punches and Giagos gets another takedown. Hirota has the neck and looks for a guillotine but Giagos pops his head out. Giagos pushes the fight to the fence as he lands some punches. Giagos gets to his feet but Hirota grabs a leg and pulls him down but they get up. 10-9 Giagos.
Giagos gets a takedown early in the second round. He is landing punches from the top. Giagos trying to advance position as he lands but Hirota defending his guard well. Giagos with big punches from the top. They get to their feet and trade and then Giagos gets Hirota back on his back. Hirota has no answer from the bottom. Giagos with more punches from the top. Giagos continues to land in the guard. They scramble and Giagos grabs the neck. They get up and Giagos lands a knee. Giagos is tired. They trade late. 10-9 Giagos, 20-18 Giagos.
They trade and Giagos shoots for a takedown against the fence. They scramble and Hirota reverses and is on top in side control. Giagos reverses position and ends up in the guard towards the center of the Octagon. They scramble to their feet. Giagos immediately gets another takedown. They scramble up and Hirota grabs the front headlock. They get up and break and clinch against the fence. Giagos working for a takedown as he is tired and Hirota lands a knee. They break. Hirota lands a right hand. Giagos grabs the back. Giagos tries a takedown but Hirota reverses and gets on top and lands punches from the mount as the fight ends. 10-9 Hirota, 29-28 Giagos.
Official Result- Christos Giagos def. Mizuto Hirota by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 30-28)
FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
> Elias Garcia (5-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Kai Kara-France (17-7 1 NC, 0-0 UFC) Flyweights
Garcia goes right for a single leg and gets the takedown. Kara-France scrambling as Garcia attacks the leg. Kara-France gets in the guard of Garcia. Kara-France landing punches and elbows from the top. They get to their feet. Kara-France lands a combo and a body kick. Kara-France lands two nice left hooks. Garcia drops Kara-France with a punch but he gets up and they trade in close range. Kara-France lands a combo on Garcia as they go to the mat with Kara-France in the guard. Kara-France stands and lands some big punches from the top. Garcia gives up his back. Kara-France has the hooks in. Kara-France with some big punches at the end. 10-9 Kara-France.
They come out trading. Garcia just misses a head kick. Garcia lands a nice left hand. Kara-France rocks Garcia with a counter left hook. Kara-France with a big combo. Garcia gets thrown to the mat and tries to take Kara-France down but he goes in the guard. Garcia looking for a triangle. It is in tight. Kara-France trying to slam his way out. Garcia gets an arm and almost has an armbar in but Kara-France escapes to side control. Garcia gives up his back and Kara-France starts landing punches and a knee. That was a crazy scramble. Kara-France with elbows from the top. More big punches from the top by Kara-France. Kara-France with a big flurry of punches as he is looking for a finish. Kara-France with more big punches as he has the back. Garcia eating a lot of punches. Big final two minutes for Kara-France. 10-8 Kara-France, 20-17 Kara-France.
Kara-France with a big leg kick. Garcia shoots for a single leg and gets a weak takedown. Garcia has Kara-France on his back but he reverses and they get to their feet. Kara-France with a leg kick. They are trading and Kara-France lands a right hand and then drops Garcia with a huge right hand. Garcia grabbing the leg. They get to their feet. Kara-France lands another big right hand. Garcia shoots for a takedown but Kara-France slips away and starts landing big punches as Garcia gives up his back. They get to their feet. Garcia grabs the leg as they scramble back to the mat. Kara-France landing punches. Kara-France with a big flurry as the fight ends. Fun fight. 10-9 Kara-France, 30-26 Kara-France.
Official Result- Kai Kara-France def. Elias Garcia by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)
Nakamura lands a right hand. Touahri with a right hand to the body and then a hard leg kick. They trade in close range. Not much going on so far. Nakamura with a leg kick. Touahri with a big right hand to the body. Nakamura with a left hand. Nakamura shoots for a takedown but it is stuffed. Nakamura with a jab. Tough round to score as neither did much. 10-9 Touahri.
They trade. Nakamura hurts Touahri with a punch. They clinch against the fence and both land knees to the body. Elbow on the break by Nakamura. Nakamura with a leg kick but eats a couple punches from Nakamura. They trade and Touahri lands a combo. Nakamura with a leg kick and he’s controlling the center of the Octagon. Touahri lands a right hand. Nakamura stalks him at the end. 10-9 Nakamura, 19-19.
Nakamura with a couple of body kicks. They trade punches. Nakamura lands a left hand and a leg kick followed by a right hook. Nakamura looking to land as Touahri circles away. Nakamura lands a right jab. They clinch and Nakamura lands a couple of elbows on the break. They continue to trade but not a lot of volume. Nakamura controlling the Octagon. Nakamura with a head kick. Nakamura lands a jab. Touahri misses a right hand. Not an exciting fight to say the least. 10-9 Nakamura, 29-28 Nakamura.
Official Result- Keita Nakamura def. Salim Touahri by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
> Wilson Reis (#8, 22-9, 6-5 UFC) vs. Ben Nguyen (#10, 18-7, 4-2 UFC) Flyweights
Nguyen with a high kick. Nguyen tries a kick but Reis grabs the leg and pushes up against the fence. Reis gets a takedown against the fence but Nguyen fighting to get to his feet. They get to their feet but Reis has the body locked. They break. Reis with a high kick. Reis with a right hook. They trade punches. Reis with a leg kick. Nguyen with a leg kick. Nguyen lands a combo. Reis gets a takedown against the fence. Reis grabs the back as they get to their feet. They grapple against the fence and Reis gets a single-leg takedown at the end. 10-9 Reis.
Reis gets a takedown and has the back of Nguyen against the fence. They get to their feet. They are clinched against the fence but break. Reis with a head kick. They clinch for a moment again but break. Reis with a leg kick but eats a combo from Nguyen. Reis with a head kick and then a combo. Nguyen lands a right hand and Reis lands a left. Reis goes for a takedown but Nguyen attempts a kimura and they break. Nguyen lands a knee. Reis with a combo as he goes for a takedown. Reis gets a takedown against the fence. Nguyen gets to his feet. They trade late. 10-9 Reis, 20-18 Reis.
They trade in a flurry to start the third. They trade in close range. Reis is landing more punches. Reis tries a takedown but Nguyen slips away. Nguyen lands a right hand. Reis shoots for a takedown against the fence but Nguyen defending well. Reis finally gets it after a reset. Nguyen bleeding from his mouth. They get to their feet and Reis going right back for the takedown. They break. Both trying to land but nothing connecting. Reis gets a brief takedown. Nguyen with a high body kick. 10-9 Reis, 30-27 Reis.
Official Result- Wilson Reis def. Ben Nguyen by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
They feel each other out early. Kunchenko with a leg kick followed by a right hand. Kunchenko with a leg kick. Okami shoots for a long takedown but it is defended. Kunchenko with a right hand. They trade punches. Kunchenko with an inside leg kick. Okami lands a right hand. They clinch for a moment but are quickly broken up. Kunchenko with a body kick followed up by a combo. 10-9 Kunchenko.
Kunchenko starts the round with a leg kick. Okami goes for a takedown but it is stuffed and he eats a knee as they break. Okami goes for another takedown but Kunchenko sprawls. They stand and break. Kunchenko lands a right hand. They clinch for a moment as Kunchenko defends a takedown attempt from Okami. Okami constantly going for takedowns but he can’t score on any of them. Okami shoots again and ends up on his back. Kunchenko staying on his feet. Kunchenko with a body kick. Okami with a step-in knee. Okami goes for a takedown again but it is defended. Kunchenko has stuffed all of Okami’s takedown attempts. Kunchenko drops Okami at the end with a left hand. 10-9 Kunchenko, 20-18 Kunchenko.
Kunchenko with a high kick and then follows with a leg kick and a right hand that hurts Okami. Okami shoots again but it is stuffed. They are clinched against the fence. Okami trying hard to get the takedown but can’t get it. Kunchenko lands an elbow on the break and follows with a body kick. He lands another body kick and then another, and then another. Okami goes for a takedown again, and stuffed again. Kunchenko takes the back and lands some punches. Kunchenko stuffs another takedown and lands a big kick. Okami dives in again but didn’t get a takedown the entire fight. Really bad fight. 10-9 Kunchenko, 30-27 Kunchenko.
Official Result- Alexey Kunchenko def. Yushin Okami by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
> Jim Crute (8-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Paul Craig (10-2, 2-2 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Craig with a spinning wheel kick. Craig with a body kick. Craig shoots for a takedown and gets it. Crute trying to explode out from the bottom but Craig remains in the half-guard. Crute able to reverse to the top and in half-guard. Crute with a body punch and they get to their feet. Crute scrambles for a takedown and Craig looking for a triangle. Crute escapes and moves to the mount. Crute looking for an arm-triangle and has it locked in, trying to squeeze. It is in deep now but Crute lets go as Craig isn’t tapping. Crute with a hard right hand as he stands. They get to their feet and Craig with a back kick right to the chin of Crute. They scramble to the mat and Crute has side control. Crute with some punches from the top at the end. 10-9 Crute.
Craig with a high kick. Craig gets a takedown. Craig maintaining top position as he grinds and lands punches from the top. Crute trying to reverse. They get to their feet and trade and Craig gets another takedown. Crute trying to use the fence to get to his feet but Craig maintaining top control. Craig with body punches from the top. Crute scrambles out from the bottom and they get to their feet. Craigh misses a spin kick and almost gets a takedown but Crute reverses into the half-guard. Craig reverses the position as Crute attempts an armbar at the end. 10-9 Craig, 19-19.
They trade and Crute gets a takedown and is in the half-guard landing punches. Crute moves to the mount. Craig trying to roll out and Crute looking to set up an arm-triangle. Craig trying to defend and the fence is in the way and helping. Crute has it locked in. Craig in deep trouble. Craig defending it well. Crute back to mount and lets go of the choke and lands a couple of punches. Crute with punches from the top. Craig is stuck on the bottom. Crute now lands some elbows. Big flurry of punches from Crute on top. Crute grabs an arm looking for a kimura and has it locked in and Craig taps! Big win late in the fight by Crute.
Official Result- Jimmy Crute def. Paul Craig by submission (kimura) at 4:51 of Round 3
Mokhtarian with a body kick. Yusuff throwing big punches early on. They clinch and Yusuff lands some knees to the body and legs. They trade knees. They break and Yusuff lands some big punches. They trade hard punches and Yusuff is teeing off on Mokhtarian. Yusuff with some big punches to the body and head against the fence and the referee stops the fight. Those were some big and brutal punches from Yusuff. Mokhtarian was complaining about the stoppage but he was eating lots of punches.
Official Result- Sodiq Yusuff def. Suman Mokhtarian by TKO (punches) at 2:14 of Round 1
> Jake Matthews (13-3, 7-3 UFC) vs. Tony Martin (14-4, 6-4 UFC) Welterweights
They are in a feeling out process. Martin looking to land the jab. Matthews rushes in with a combo. Matthews lands a right hand. Martin lands a clean right hand. Martin with a strong leg kick. Matthews fires back with a hard leg kick. Matthews with a straight right hand to the body. Martin with a low kick. Matthews lands a lead left hand and follows it with a combo and then unloads a right hand. They are throwing down and Matthews drops Martin with a right hand and then grabs the neck for a guillotine. Martin scrambles out. Matthews still has the neck but Martin gets out. Matthews reverses to the top position and lands some body punches. Martin goes for a kimura but runs out of time. 10-9 Matthews.
They don’t do much in the first minute of the second round as Matthews looks to be landing a big punch and Martin wants to avoid it. Matthews closes the distance with a right hand. Matthews lands an overhand right and follows it with a flying knee. Martin with a high kick. Martin with the jab. Martin with a couple of leg kicks. Matthews lands a right hand as he slips from Martin’s attack. Martin with a leg kick. Matthews with a left hand. Matthews with an inside knee and they both land a punch on the break. 10-9 Matthews, 20-18 Matthews.
They trade early. Martin with a leg kick. Matthews goes for a takedown but it is defended and Martin jumps on his back. Martin looking for a D’arce choke and Matthews goes out! Wow. Martin chokes Matthews out cold. That came out of nowhere as Martin picks up a huge win.
Official Result- Anthony Rocco Martin def. Jake Matthews by submission (anaconda choke) at 1:19 of Round 3
> Mark Hunt (#10, 13-13-1 1 NC, 8-7-1 1 NC UFC) vs. Justin Willis (#15, 7-1, 3-0 UFC) Heavyweights
Willis with a high kick. Hunt with a big leg kick. Willis with a leg kick. Hunt with a leg kick. Hunt with a body kick and Willis counters with a left hand. Hunt with more big leg and body kicks. Hunt with a leg kick and Willis misses on his punches. Willis with a left hand. Hunt with a right hand to the body. Hunt lands a right hand. Willis with a body kick. Hunt with another body kick. Willis with the jab. Hunt lands a right hand. 10-9 Hunt.
Willis with a leg kick. Hunt ducks under a power left from Willis. Hunt looking to land a big right hand. Willis with a leg kick. Willis with the jab and follows it with a straight left hand. Hunt just pacing around but not doing much. Hunt just misses a right hand. Willis with the jab. Willis with some short leg kicks. Hunt slips out from under the jab of Willis. Hunt still not doing much. Willis lands a left hand. Willis with a snapping jab. 10-9 Willis, 19-19.
Both looking to land a big punch. Hunt has really slowed down and is flat on his feet. Willis with the jab and follows it with a head kick. Hunt has a high kick blocked. Willis lands a punch that knocks Hunt off-balance. Willis with the jab. Willis with an uppercut. Willis with another uppercut. Hunt just misses a big right hand. Willis with a knee. Willis with a right hand. Willis with some short punches. Hunt just walking around but not doing much. Hunt with a body kick. Willis lands a left hand. 10-9 Willis, 29-28 Willis.
Official Result- Justin Willis def. Mark Hunt by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Mauricio Rua (#13, 25-11, 9-9 UFC) vs. Tyson Pedro (#14, 7-2, 3-2 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Pedro lands a right hand the drops Shogun for a moment. He gets up and they clinch against the fence before breaking. Pedro with a high kick and a right hand. Rua counters with a right hand. They trade punches. Rua with a leg kick. Rua lands a right hand. Pedro with a front kick followed by a right. Pedro then rocks Rua with a big knee. Pedro has Rua against the fence and is landing lots of punches. Pedro clinches which may have been a mistake. Pedro breaks and lands a body kick. Pedro with a body kick and then an uppercut. Pedro with a knee to the body. They clinch. Rua’s face is a mess. Rua tries a takedown but they pop right up. Rua with a takedown but Pedro has the arm. Rua finishes the round in side control. 10-9 Pedro.
Both mens’ faces are busted up. Rua stumbles Pedro with an overhand right. They clinch and Rua has the body lock. Rua has the back. Rua gets the takedown and Pedro tried to grab the fence on the way down. Pedro looking for a kimura. Pedro tries a kimura sweep but Rua blocks it and gains side control. Rua with some elbows and punches as he keeps top control. Pedro able to get to his feet but Rua still has his back. Rua with some knees. Rua gets the fight back to the mat and is landing punches from the back. Rua now in side control. Big round for Shogun. 10-9 Rua, 19-19.
Rua drops Pedro with a right hand and is landing big punches from the top. Pedro has an ankle injury. More punches from Rua and the referee stops the fight. Wow. Shogun Rua gets the comeback win in a fight where he was almost finished. It was actually the injury that had more to do with Pedro going down. Big win for Shogun.
Official Result- Mauricio Rua def. Tyson Pedro by TKO (punches) at :43 of Round 3
> Junior Dos Santos (#7, 19-5, 13-4 UFC) vs. Tai Tuivasa (#11, 8-0, 3-0 UFC) Heavyweights
Tuivasa with a leg kick. Dos Santos lands a right hand. Tuivasa chasing after Dos Santos. Tuivasa with a leg kick. Dos Santos with a high kick. Tuivasa lands a short right hand and they clinch. They break. Dos Santos with a spin kick to the body. Dos Santos with the jab. Dos Santos lands a right hand. Tuivasa lands an elbow. Dos Santos just misses a wheel kick. Tuivasa slips on a knee attempt. Dos Santos with a leg kick. Dos Santos with an uppercut. Tuivasa hurts Dos Santos with a leg kick. They clinch and Tuivasa with some body punches and an uppercut on the break. Tuivasa with a right hand at the end. 10-9 Tuivasa.
Tuivasa lands a right hand and they clinch for a moment. Tuivasa with a left hand and then an overhand right. Dos Santos against the fence but slips away. Dos Santos with a leg kick. Tuivasa with a body punch as they clinch. Dos Santos lands a right hand and Tuivasa counters with one. Dos Santos then drops Tuivasa with a right hand and lands some punches as he gains side control. Dos Santos with some short elbows. Dos Santos gets the mount and is landing big punches. Hammerfists from Dos Santos and this fight is stopped! Wow. Junior Dos Santos stops Tai Tuivasa big time in the second round. Tuivasa wasn’t happy with the stoppage but it was justified.
Official Result- Junior Dos Santos def. Tai Tuivasa by TKO (punches) at 2:30 of Round 2
UFC kicks off their final stretch of 2018 with a two show weekend, highlighted by two interesting main events with younger fighters looking to take the spot of veterans.
Helping me look at some of the highlights of both shows are our MMA staff writers Ryan Frederick and Paul Fontaine.
UFC TUF Finale Friday / UFC Fight Night Saturday
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Kamaru Usman (Friday)
Pedro Munhoz vs. Bryan Caraway (Friday)
Joseph Benavidez vs. Alex Perez (Friday)
Junior dos Santos vs. Tai Tuivasa (Saturday)
Mark Hunt vs. Justin Willis (Saturday)
Tyson Pedro vs. Shogun Rua (Saturday)
What are you most looking forward to?
Paul: For the weekend to be over, honestly. Between two UFC shows and two Bellator shows, it’s a full time job keeping up with everything. Seriously though, there’s some good fights all around. I’m always down to see Mark Hunt fight and Tyson Pedro could take another step toward stardom with an impressive win over former champion Shogun Rua.
Ryan: It’s a super packed weekend for combat sports with two UFC events, two Bellator events, and the Wilder-Fury boxing match. For UFC, the fight I’m looking forward to the most is tonight’s Dos Anjos vs. Usman fight. I have long thought that Usman is going to be the champion at 170 pounds, and this is a test he must pass to obtain that goal. I think he should be given a title shot with a win in this one, especially if he finishes Dos Anjos. It is a big fight for him.
Josh: Usman-RDA because it will answer a lot of questions (hopefully) about both guys. On paper, Usman should have already got a title shot, but we all know how that goes. RDA looked great in a dominant win over Robbie Lawler, but equally got dominated against Colby Covington after a lot of talk between the two. He needs an impressive win, but this is way more important for Usman who has pushed his chips in the middle of the table again.
Anything being slept on?
Paul: The debut of Antonina Shevchenko kicking off the Fight Pass prelims on the TUF Finale show. The older sister of the future women’s flyweight champion Valentina looked great in her fight on the Dana White Contender Series and adds to what it fast becoming the deepest division for women in UFC.
Ryan: I don’t know if it is being slept on considering it is the main event of Saturday’s UFC event, but Dos Santos against Tuivasa is kind of flying under the radar. Tuivasa has a lot of charisma and is getting to a headline spot pretty quickly, and this is a really tough test against a former heavyweight champion. Dos Santos hasn’t finished an opponent in a long time, and his best days may be behind him…or he could just be gearing up for another title run. Either way, this is a big spot for both.
Josh: Pedro vs. Rua. ‘Shogun’ got crushed by Anthony Smith, but that was coming off a three fight win streak. He’s 4-4 in his last eight, but is unpredictable even after all these years. After a buzzworthy stat, Pedro has lost two of his last three and got submitted in the first by Ovince Saint Preux in his last outing. Given their recent propensity to get finished, this could be a fun one. I could also add that former flyweight title contender Benavidez is essentially a ghost on this show, buried in the prelims, and can’t be thrilled about it. Plus, his opponent is a very good fighter riding an eight fight win streak.
Anything not doing it for you?
Paul: The TUF matches. This has been the lowest rated season of he show in history and there is next to no buzz about any of these fighters. I’ve been watching almost since the beginning and every episode of every season….until this year. I’ve watched less than half his year and Pannie Kianzad is the only fighter I’m familiar with and that’s from seeing her fight five times in Invicta.
Ryan: I’m not really interested in the TUF finals. The women’s featherweight finals has Macy Chiasson in just her third professional fight, and the heavyweight finals has a 38-year-old in Juan Espino. The TUF concept is dead, and while it is going to continue, so they say, it doesn’t need to. The Contender Series is a much better way to find new talent.
Josh: Agreed. TUF got me into the sport and I even wrote a 10-year history piece on the show for Fight Magazine back in the day. But the Contender Series is far superior and it feels like the only reason the show exists at this point is to troll fans and media who rail against it.
What will be people talking about most after the show is done?
Paul: Not a lot, probably. The Australia shows are usually pretty fun with a lot of finishes so maybe they’ll be talking about the quality of that card. Possibly a new prime time low on FS1 for one of the UFC’s last shows on that network Friday or Saturday night….or both.
Ryan: That there was just too much MMA this weekend and that we’re glad it’s over with, that next weekend’s UFC card looks like one of the best of the year, that Kamaru Usman is definitely the welterweight champion in waiting, and so long from the UFC Mark Hunt. It has been fun.
Josh: I think it will be where Hunt goes next, even with a loss. If Usman wins, it has to be that he’s next in line for the winner of Tyron Woodley-Colby Covington, assuming that fight happens as planned.
