Category: UFC News

Our questions about UFC 222: Cyborg vs. her latest victim

Posted on by Josh Nason

UFC wraps up a 24 event in 26 week schedule tonight in Las Vegas with UFC 222, headlined by their female featherweight slayer Cyborg Justino, a co-main event that really should be five rounds, and two young fighters ready to become the next big thing in the company.

Helping me answer a few questions about this show are the able and true Ryan Frederick and Paul Fontaine who also has a picks column up at his own site.

First, The Card

  • Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg vs. Yana Kunitskaya
  • Frankie Edgar vs. Brian Ortega
  • Sean O’Malley vs. Andre Soukhamthath
  • Stefan Struve vs. Andrei Arlovski
  • Cat Zingano vs. Ketlen Vieira
  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Ashley Yoder
  • Beneil Dariush vs. Alexander Hernandez
  • John Dodson vs. Pedro Munhoz
  • CB Dolloway vs. Hector Lombard
  • Mike Pyle vs. Zak Ottow
  • Bryan Caraway vs. Cody Stamann
  • Jordan Johnson vs. Adam Milstead

What fight(s) are you most looking forward to?

Paul: Edgar vs. Ortega for sure. Edgar has never been stopped in his long career and Ortega has never been beaten, period, so something’s gotta give there. And, the winner gets featherweight champion Max Holloway, who has the longest winning streak in the UFC.

Ryan: Edgar vs. Ortega is the real main event. It’s a huge test for the undefeated Ortega as Edgar is one of the best of all-time. Ortega has beaten opponents he wasn’t expected to beat, and Edgar is another one in that line. Ortega also doesn’t have five rounds to be patient, so he has to go for it early as Edgar is one of the best three round fighters there is. On a good card, this is the big highlight for me.

Josh: Yep, Ortega-Edgar. I would have liked to see UFC experiment a bit with making that a five-rounder because it deserves to be. Yeah, it’s a non-title co-main, but the fighters and all of us deserve to see that play out over 25 minutes.

Any fights being overlooked?

Ryan: Zingano vs. Vieira is being overlooked. Zingano was the last woman to defeat Amanda Nunes, and also the only one to defeat her in the UFC, and she did it by finish. The ups-and-downs of Zingano have been well documented, so it’s good to see her back in action. Vieira is undefeated and has two UFC wins, but over fading opponents. It’s a test for her, and one for Cat to see if she is ready to return to top form.

Josh: I don’t know if it’s being overlooked because he’s getting a bit more pub this week, but I am really interested in what UFC is doing with Sean O’Malley. It’s clear they really like something here, which typically means fans turn against it. Bantamweight is in a strange place right now at the top so a guy like O’Malley is a nice distraction as we figure things out.

Paul: Zingano vs Vieira is a #1 contender’s bout for sure and not many people are talking about it. They should be because Vieira is unbeaten and a fight between her and Nunes could be big in Brazil. Also, Bryan Caraway vs. Cody Stamann is in a weird spot. Caraway is one of the most recognizable names in the division and Stamann has both a sparkling record and long winning streak.

Any featured fights/”pushed” fighters not doing it for you?

Josh: I’m going to go against Paul and Ryan a bit on the Zingano-Viera fight. I’m glad Zingano is back but with her absence, I don’t think she should be getting a title shot with a win. Personal issues aside, she has never fought more than once in a calendar year since 2010. 2010! She’s 2-2 in her four UFC fights and has lost two in a row. The division is weak, but her getting a title shot after a win here seems wrong to me.

Paul: The main event is a joke as UFC has no fighters in the women’s featherweight division except for Cyborg. The Invicta bantamweight title seems to be the defacto #1 contender spot for the UFC featherweight title which is ridiculous if you think about it for just ten seconds. Cyborg destroyed Tonya Evinger and Evinger had little trouble dispatching of Kunitskaya. Kunitskaya barely squeaked out a win over journeywoman fighter Raquel Pa’ahlua in her last fight.

Ryan: I don’t even want to waste my time on the main event as I don’t expect it to be competitive at all. I’ll look at the heavyweight bout between Struve and Arlovski. I’m just glad it’s not the co-main event as it once was, and I don’t even think it belongs on the main card. Both have seen their best days behind them, and it could be an ugly and boring fight. Of course, there’s always a chance of a spectacular finish as both of their chins have seen better days.

What’s the big intrigue with this show for you?

Paul: Whether or not the buyrate for UFC 219 (Cyborg vs Holm) was due to Holm, Cyborg, or a combination of the two. If Cyborg is actually a PPV draw on her own, this show should do north of 300,000 buys. If not, we’re probably looking at 200,000 or less. UFC is obviously hoping for the former and if so, we’ll get more bantamweights lining up to get slaughtered by Cyborg for the foreseeable future.

Ryan: Despite the loss of Max Holloway and what was one of the most anticipated fights in the UFC, the company not only managed to salvage the card, but it got an upgrade. There’s plenty for everyone on this show, and I hope it’s enough to get people to buy the event. It’s a big test for Cyborg to see if she’s a pay-per-view draw on her own. The jury is out on that one. This actually should be a great event.

Josh: If Ortega-Edgar is a fun/great fight, that’s momentum UFC can ride into the next Holloway title defense. Ortega is a blue-eyed star in the making and Edgar is such a classic grizzled veteran who has had bad luck that you really can’t lose either way. I’m also interested to see how Dern and O’Malley fare as UFC would love for them to be drawing cards for them this year.

At the end of the year, what will make this show matter looking back at it?

Paul: Aside from the main event, there are at least two other fights on the card that should produce immediate title challengers (Edgar-Ortega and Zingano-Vieira). In addition, Struve could work his way into title contention if he were to score an impressive win over former champ Arlovski. People forget that Struve holds a win over current champ Stipe Miocic. O’Malley, who gets a main card fight here, is someone the UFC is hoping can be a star in the not to distant future.

Josh: We’ll look back at this card favorably if we get a great #1 contender for Holloway and if O’Malley and Dern have standout performances that get their 2018 off to a great start. I assume Cyborg will win by massacre, so whether she wins in one round or three, her standing is still solid.

Ryan: It should determine some contenders coming out of a few fights, and there’s a huge push of young talent on this card. The UFC is pushing both O’Malley and Dern, who is making her UFC debut. They have something with Dern if she shows she is capable of competing with more experienced opponents, and if she has no trouble concerning previous weight issues. If all goes well, Dern has the makings of becoming a huge UFC star.

Who wins?

  • Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya

Cyborg: Nason, Paul, Ryan

  • Frankie Edgar vs. Brian Ortega

Ortega: Nason, Paul, Ryan

  • Cat Zingano vs. Ketlen Vieira

Vieira: Nason, Paul
Zingano: Ryan

  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Ashley Yoder

Dern: Nason, Paul, Ryan

  • CB Dollaway vs. Hector Lombard

Dollaway: Paul
Lombard: Ryan, Nason

Follow along with our live coverage tonight.

CSAC revokes Jon Jones’ license, issues $205,000 fine

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Jon Jones was given a license revocation and fined $205,000 for his positive drug test for the steroid Turinabol on Tuesday by the California State Athletic Commission.

It was clear from how the proceedings went that California was not looking for a long suspension, leaving that to USADA, which still has to rule on the failure. USADA could suspend Jones up to four years based on it being a second positive test, or six years given extenuating circumstances.

A revocation of the license should mean Jones would be eligible to apply for a license one year from now, although Jones’ attorney, Howard Jacobs, said he thought it meant he could apply in August, which would be one year after the positive test, and he was never corrected nor was the time frame on when he could apply specifically addressed.

The hearing went badly for Jones, who failed the test on July 28th, the day before his light heavyweight title win over Daniel Cormier. The result of that fight was overturned due to the positive drug test, which came back after the fight was over. Cormier was given back the championship.

Jones repeatedly admitted to making bad judgment calls in life, partying too much, and being immature, but steadfastly denied that he would ever use steroids. He said that out of all the UFC champions, nobody is more anti-PED and claimed if he had used steroids, why had he never tested positive for them before now.

Nevertheless, his team, after delaying the hearing until now, could give no explanation how Turinabol wound up in his system. They could not find a contaminated supplement and essentially offered no defense past,”Why would he do it?” and “Why did he pass tests a few weeks earlier?”

Worse, they found numerous incidents of lying on commission forms regarding supplements he was taking, both in the past, and for the second Cormier fight where his team gave evidence of testing 17 supplements, ten of which were not declared on the form.

Jones said they were meticulous in his supplement usage because of his lessons from the past in his 2016 test failure.

Jones also listed no supplements taken in a previous form while admitting that he used them. Worse, he admitted that his management had signed his name for a USADA tutorial on the drug policy and that he had never actually taken the tutorial and his management did it for him.

Ultimately, he was grilled over both his personal life miscues and professional miscues. He was also told that his management has been his enablers in this situation.

Still, Andy Foster, the head of the California commission said that he believed Jones, asking why would he knowingly take a steroid with knowledge that a test was coming the week of the fight.

UFC on FOX 28 gets a moral victory in fast national ratings

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Last night’s Jeremy Stephens win over Josh Emmett, while doing lower numbers than usual for a FOX special, has to be considered almost a moral win with 1,826,000 viewers and a 0.55 rating in the key 18-49 demo based on the fast nationals.

Given the competition of the Olympics on NBC and the Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on ABC, and Emmett’s relative unknown status, the show was widely expected to be in the record-low level of the January 27th event headlined by Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Derek Brunson, two fighters who have had far more exposure over the past several years. Instead, it beat that 1,593,000 number by 15 percent.

It also beat FOX’s programming against similar competition last Saturday, the Victor Ortiz vs. Devon Alexander boxing match, by 73 percent.

It was still among the lower rated shows in the history of the series.

It also won’t benefit as much from the usual factors which lead to increases in the final ratings. The fast nationals measure what is on FOX from 8-10 p.m. Eastern, 7-9 p.m. Central, 6-8 p.m. Mountain time and 8-10 p.m. Pacific time, based on the usual network programming staggers.

Because major network sports usually airs live, the Olympics being the exception, fast nationals don’t measure either the West Coast viewers, who watch from 5 p.m., or anything after 10 p.m., because FOX’s prime time programming doesn’t run in the 10-11 p.m. time slot. On FOX MMA shows, the period after 10 p.m., since it’s the main event, is always the most widely-viewed.

In this case, Stephens’ second-round win over Emmett ended at 10:06 p.m., so the increase will be less than usual. Also hurting the rating is that KTVU-TV in San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose aired a Chinese New Year celebration.

The key factor to look for Tuesday is the streaming numbers for the show. If the streaming numbers show a sizable increase, it would indicate Northern California viewers who would have watched on television, still watched, switching to FSGo or FOX Now. If those numbers come up at usual levels, it shows that usual television viewers on the UFC in the Bay Area didn’t watch through streaming if they couldn’t get it on regular television.

UFC on FOX 28 live results: Josh Emmett vs. Jeremy Stephens

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 28: Emmett vs. Stephens, emanating from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

The Octagon heads to Orlando for the third time, bringing a main event that has excitement written all over it as featherweights Josh Emmett and Jeremy Stephens thrown down in the night’s headline contest.

Emmett is looking to make it three straight fights since moving down to 145 pounds, while Stephens is also going for his third straight win. Both men are facing quick turnarounds in getting back to action, as Emmett knocked out Ricardo Lamas in December while Stephens knocked out Doo Ho Choi in January.

In the co-main event, it will be a battle in the women’s strawweight division that could decide who next challenges for the championship as Jessica Andrade takes on Tecia Torres. Also on the main card, Ovince Saint Preux looks to make it four straight wins against Ilir Latifi in light heavyweight action, and welterweight sluggers Mike Perry and Max Griffin open the main card.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 4:15 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 4:15 PM ET/1:15 PM PT

> Albert Morales (7-3-1, 1-3-1 UFC) vs. Manny Bermudez (11-0, 0-0 UFC)
Bantamweights

After an early punch combo by Morales looked to hurt Bermudez, the rest of the round was almost entirely on the ground. Bermudez had a couple of triangle attempts, one of which looked pretty tight but Morales managed to fight them off. Neither guy did a ton of damage on the ground but Bermudez probably did slightly more. Morales got a late takedown but Bermudez reversed into top position right before the buzzer. 10-9 Bermudez

Morales was getting the better of the standup early and every time Bermudez got hit, he would drop to the mat. Morales wanted no part of it. Bermudez then grabbed a standing guillotine and dragged Morales to the ground, turning it into a mounted guillotine and got the quick tap

Official result – Manny Bermudez (12-0) by submission (guillotine) at 2:33 of Round 2

> Eric Shelton (11-4, 1-2 UFC) vs. Alex Perez (19-4, 1-0 UFC)
Flyweights* (Perez missed weight by .5 pounds)

Perez rocked Shelton with a punch combo early. Shelton went for a takedown but Perez stuffed it and ended up on top. He did a little ground and pound before Shelton was able to escape. On the feet, Shelton had almost nothing and Perez scored with occasional punch combos. He also got a late takedown. Easy 10-9 for Perez

Similar to the first round. Perez was doing well on the feet. Shelton attempted a takedown, got stuffed and Perez ended up on top. He basically just ragdolled him for the rest of the round. Shelton got to his feet at one point, tried another takedown and Perez did the same thing, stuffing it and ending up on top. 10-9 Perez, 20-18 overall

Shelton looked a little better on the feet to start the round but Perez took him down a couple minutes in. He didn’t do much on the ground but was able to control him. Shelton got to his feet but got quickly taken down and he managed to keep him down for the rest of the fight. 10-9 Perez, 30-27

Official result – Alex Perez (20-4) by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)

It should be noted that fighters missing weight are now 10-1 in UFC since November of last year. Perez called out Robert Sanchez, who is coming off a win last week. 

> Rani Yahya (24-9 1 NC, 9-3 1 NC UFC) vs. Russell Doane (15-7, 3-4 UFC)
Bantamweights

Yahya took Doane right away and held him for almost the whole round. He had a unique double underhook that was almost like a reverse Full Nelson. It tied up Doane so bad he couldn’t do anything. He wasn’t in any real danger of being submitted and Yahya didn’t do a ton of damage but I thought he did enough for a 10-8. Late in the round, Yahya landed a knee to the spine and the ref took position away. 10-8 Yahya

Yahya tried a takedown early. Doane stuffed it and ended up on top. Yahya reversed it and ended up in top position. He then moved himself into position for a head and arm choke and once he secured it, Doane tapped quicklyl

Official result – Rani Yahya (25-9) by submission (head and arm choke) at 2:32 of Round 3

> Sam Alvey (31-10 1 NC, 8-5 UFC) vs. Marcin Prachnio (13-2, 0-0 UFC)
Light Heavyweights

Prachnio got taken down early but got right up and was controlling a cage clinch for about two minutes. Alvey had a front choke secured the whole time but Prachnio was in no danger. After separating, Prachnio was advancing but Alvey was landing hard counter strikes. He dropped Prachnio with one. Prachnio got right up and started marching forward and he fell face first after getting nailed with another one. He got right up and was protesting but it was a good stoppage

Official result – Sam Alvey (32-10) by KO (punch) at 4:23

Alvey said that Cormier was running from him because 2 days after he moved up to 205, DC moved up to heavyweight. He was clearly joking. He called out Gian Villante, which is weird but there’s no reason they can’t make that fight. He asked for the fight in Brazil even though they’re both American. 

FOX PRELIMS | 6 PM ET/3 PM PT

> Ben Saunders (21-8-2, 8-5 UFC) vs. Alan Jouban (15-6, 6-4 UFC)
Welterweights

My FOX affiliate did not pick up the feed of this broadcast until after this fight was over but Alan Jouban KO’d Ben Saunders in the 2nd.

Official result – Alan Jouban (16-6) by KO (punch) at 2:38 of Round 2

> Maryna Moroz (#14, 8-2, 3-2 UFC) vs. Angela Hill (7-4, 2-4 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

Round 1 was entirely on the feet. Moroz was busier but missed 3/4 of her strikes. Hill was more accurate and did more damage. There were a couple of cage clinches but they separated quickly each time. Significant strikes landed were 27-14 for Hill even though Moroz threw far more. 10-9 Hill

Moroz attempted a takedown early but Hill stuffed it and ended up on top. Moroz tried to tie her up with a bodylock but Hill was able to land some hard elbows to the head. Moroz was able to get to her feet and she was landing a little more often on the feet. Moroz clinched up on the cage with 30 seconds left but wasn’t able to do any damage. This round was closer but still 10-9 Hill and 20-18 overall

Moroz was far more active to start the third and seemed to be landing more as well. Hill would land less often but would connect harder. They clinched on the cage a few times but no one did damage there so it was pretty much all standup. Story of the round and the fight was Moroz was more active but Hill was more accurate and it depends which the judges value more. I gave the 3rd to Moroz 10-9 but Hill the fight overall at 29-28

Official result – Angela Hill (8-4) by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)

> Sara McMann (#7, 11-4, 5-4 UFC) vs. Marion Reneau (#8, 8-3-1, 4-2-1 UFC)
Women’s Bantamweights

McMann took her down immediately and very quickly moved into side control. She maintained that position through most of the round and landed 68 head strikes to 5 for Reneau. A couple of times, McMann was able to secure a crucifix and Reneau did well to escape that position but it was an easy 10-8 for McMann

Back and forth action to start and Reneau dropped McMann with a punch out of nowhere. She got up quickly and went for a takedown but Reneau stuffed it. McMann was clearly hurt and kept trying to get it to the ground. She finally secured the takedown but Reneau immediately threw up a triangle. McMann defended it for a long time but eventually had to tap.

Official result – Marion Reneau (9-3-1) by submission (triangle choke) at 3:40 of the 2nd round

> Renan Barao (34-5 1 NC, 9-4 UFC) vs. Brian Kelleher (18-8, 2-1 UFC)
Bantamweights

First round was all on the feet. Barao did damage with leg kicks early and one in particular that Kelleher was limping after. Kelleher was landing the harder punches. Both guys tried to take it to the cage clinch at different times and neither had an advantage there. Kelleher’s punches seemed to be the most damaging blows 10-9 Kelleher 

Most of the round was clinch battles. Kelleher seemed to control things more. He did get a takedown midway through the round but Barao was right up. Both guys did have a nice couple of flurries of punches landed. Kelleher was definitely more aggressive and I thought did just enough to win this round as well. 10-9 Kelleher, 20-18 overall

Another round completely on the feet. Barao was landing more strikes but Kelleher’s were much harder and looked a lot better. With about 90 seconds left, Kelleher just starting teeing off on Barao but Barao stayed on his feet. Barao was firing back with punches of his own and they were landing but they seemed to have no effect. In the last 15 seconds, Kelleher just emptied the tank and unloaded on Barao and if it went 10 more seconds, it probably would’ve been stopped. I had it 10-8 Kelleher and 30-26 overall

Official result – Brian Kelleher (19-8) by unanimous decision (30-27 x 2; 29-28)

Kelleher led the crowd in a BOOM chant (his nickname) and then called out John Lineker for a fight in Atlantic City. Kelleher is from New Jersey

FOX MAIN CARD | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Mike Perry (11-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Max Griffin (13-4, 1-2 UFC)
Welterweights

Griffin cut Perry on the left side of his forehead with his first punch and it was bleeding pretty heavily. Story of the round was Perry advancing but not throwing, or landing, much. Griffin was landing jabs from distance and the odd combo and at one point he had a 23-5 advantage in significant strikes landed. He got a late takedown but Perry was right up. Then Perry got a takedown and took the back. He managed to work into mount as the round was ended but it wasn’t enough to take the round. 10-9 Griffin

Most of the round was Perry marching down Griffin and eating jabs to the point where his face was a bloody mess from cuts all over it by the end of the round. Griffin got a knockdown with about a minute left but got up fairly quickly. Griffin was all over him with punches at the end of the round but Perry stayed up. 10-8 Griffin, 20-17 overall

Perry rocked Griffin early with a counter right but then got stuffed on a takedown attempt. Perry was the aggressor the whole round and Griffin was landing less counters than he had in the first two. Midway through the round, he landed a wild left and followed with a similar right and both landed flush and hurt Griffin. He had a couple of other really nice shots in the last minute, including a head kick. He likely took the round but no way did he win the fight. 10-9 Perry, 29-27 Griffin overall

Official result – Max Griffin (14-4) by unanimous decision (29-27 x 2; 30-27)

> Ovince Saint Preux (#5, 22-10, 10-5 UFC) vs. Ilir Latifi (#8, 13-5 1 NC, 6-3 UFC)
Light Heavyweights

Slow start with OSP keeping his distance and Latiifi landing shots from distance. He was landing a lot of leg kicks. Latifi then dropped OSP with a punch combo. OSP was up quickly but clearly in trouble and Latifi moved in for the kill. He landed a ton of punches and then secured a standing guillotine. OSP tapped right before passing out but the ref missed it and eventually he collapsed. He was out of it for a long time. Terrible job by ref Jorge Alonso in missing the tap.

Official result – Ilir Latifi (14-5) by submission (guillotine choke) at 3:48

Latifi called out champion Daniel Cormier for a fight at heavyweight or light heavyweight. He seemingly doesn’t know that Cormier is tied up until probably late fall at the earliest. It was an impressive win but he isn’t getting a title shot off of it. 

Cormier answered him by saying he’s got bigger fish to fry. He said “they must love giving me money if they decided to put me in there with him cause he’d get his butt whupped” and then laughed at him. This after saying he didn’t want to take the spotlight off of Latifi. 

> Jessica Andrade (#2, 17-6, 8-4 UFC) vs. Tecia Torres (#5, 10-1, 6-1 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

Torres came out firing with a lot of volume. Andrade was advancing and just walking into shots. Eventually she started throwing more and by the end of the round, she had a slight advantage in total strikes landed but both ladies were landing hard punches that looked like they were doing damage. Andrade got a late takedown into side control and in a very close round, that cinched it in my book 10-9 Andrade

Andrade got a takedown a minute in after Torres was doing much better on the feet. Torres threw up a reverse triangle that was causing a lot of problems for Andrade so she stood up to get out of it. The rest of the round was Andrade just picking up Torres and slamming her down time and again but not really doing much on the ground. It was enough to take the round though. 10-9 Andrade, 20-18

Completely dominant round from Andrade. Several takedowns and she did more ground and pound than she had in either of the first two rounds. Torres kept fighting back though and it was compelling. At the end of the fight, after yet another takedown, Andrade moved into side control and was landing a lot of punches. Andrade was just too strong for her. 10-9 Andrade, 30-27 overall

Official result – Jessica Andrade (18-6) by unanimous decision (29-28 x 2; 29-27)

> Josh Emmett (#4, 13-1, 4-1 UFC) vs. Jeremy Stephens (#8, 27-14, 14-13 UFC)
Featherweights

Stephens started out strong, dominating the standup with occasional punch combos and controlling the pace. Emmett dropped him, though, with a counter left and went to the ground, doing some damage before Stephens made it to his feet. He only won about 30 seconds of the round but it was enough to take it. 10-9 Emmett

Tentative start in the 2nd from both guys. Stephens dropped Emmett with a punch combo that ended with a left hook. He was all over him on the ground with punches and elbows and then he hurt him iwth what looked like a blatantly illegal knee to the head and he was out. He landed some hammer fists after that but Emmett was already out and it really looked like the biggest blow was the illegal knee. But ref Dan Miragliotta either missed it or thought it was legal so it doesn’t matter.

Official result – Jeremy Stephens (28-14) by TKO (punches) at 1:35 of the 2nd round

On the replay it wasn’t the knee but a short, but hard, punch to the head as Emmett was trying to get up that floored him. Stephens pleaded with Dana White to get one of the guys ranked ahead of him because he wants a title shot. 

Daniel Cormier also pointed out at least two elbows directly to the back of the head that landed during the finishing sequence. 

Our questions about UFC Fight Night Orlando

Posted on by Josh Nason

Another weekend means another UFC card, this time emanating from Orlando, FL’s Amway Arena for another go-round on big Fox. This show has undergone some changes, but still has some promise throughout the card.

Helping me examine this show a bit more closely for you fine readers are my Observer writing cohorts “Pretty” Paul Fontaine and “Rugged” Ryan Frederick.

First, The Card

  • Jeremy Stephens vs. Josh Emmett
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Tecia Torres
  • Ovince Saint Preux vs. Ilir Latifi
  • Mike Perry vs. Max Griffin
  • Renan Barao vs. Brian Kelleher
  • Sara McMann vs. Marion Reneau
  • Angela Hill vs. Maryna Moroz
  • Ben Saunders vs. Alan Jouban
  • Sam Alvey vs. Marcin Prachinio
  • Rani Yahya vs. Russell Doane
  • Eric Shelton vs. Alex Perez
  • Albert Morales vs. Manny Bermudez

What fight(s) are you most looking forward to?

Josh: I’m really into the co-main event between Andrade and Torres. It’s two different styles and there are legit title shot stakes on the line here, so no complaints here. I’m also intrigued by the OSP-Latifi fight because in my heart of hearts, I really want the light heavyweight division to be fun again.

Ryan: I am actually looking forward to the headliner between Emmett and Stephens. It’s not a headline fight for a Fox calber card (and I know I’m not alone in thinking this), but it is a good, quality fight. Stephens is an exciting fighter and I see Emmett as a true top-20 talent, but I think Stephens will be too much for him. But, Emmett has a chance like he did against Ricardo Lamas, and it worked out well for him there.

I also like the co-headliner between Andrade and Torres. Andrade has fought for the title before and would love another crack at it, while Torres wants her first title shot. She has to get through a tough matchup as Andrade is always one to press forward. This is a really solid fight.

Paul: I’m a big fan of women’s MMA so I’ll be really interested in all three women’s fights. Ryan and Josh already talked about Torres-Andrade so obviously that’s the most important. Sara McMann vs. Marion Reneau is very intriguing as both are older fighters and probably have one more run toward a title shot in them. Angela Hill vs Maryna Moroz are two fighters with names MMA fans know who are also capable of good fights.

Any dark horse fights?

Ryan: I enjoy it when Mike Perry is on a fight card because you know what you’re going to get: an exciting brawl and Griffin is certainly an opponent who will bring that out of him. This fight was set up for a knockout and I’m sure we will see one. I also see the show opener between Manny Bermudez and Albert Morales as a fight to watch. Bermudez was arguably the most-talented 135-pound fighter outside of the UFC, and now he debuts inside the Octagon. Morales is a game opponent who has had some fun fights, and I expect an early contender for Fight Of The Night to kick things off.

Josh: I love me some Mike Perry so I’m in lockstep with Ryan on that one. Don’t sleep on that Ben Saunders-Alan Jouban tilt either.

Paul: Renan Barao vs. Brian Kelleher in the featured prelim has me interested. Between the two of them, they’ve picked up post show bonus awards in exactly 50% of their fights so the odds of one or both them producing something worth watching is pretty good. Smilin’ Sam Alvey should have a good promo if he wins in the featured Fight Pass prelim, but his fights usually suck.

Any fights a bit overrated?

Ryan: I’m not sure about overrated, but McMann vs. Reneau doesn’t scream excitement. I think McMann has peaked and I don’t see any upward trajectory for Reneau at her age. It’s just a fight that doesn’t have any real meaning when it comes to contender status, and is just there. I’m also not sure about fights involving Barao or Alvey. I expect at least one of those two to win, but I don’t see them as being as good as they once were in their careers.

Paul: The fact that OSP and Latifi are both title contenders says more about the state of the 205-pound division than it does about either guy. Saint Preux is capable of exciting fights but he’s also capable of laying an egg. Latifi looks like a shorter version of the fat heavyweights that usually have boring fights in UFC and that’s pretty much what I think of when I see his name on the card. It’s almost impossible for me to get excited about one of his fights.

Josh: Yeah, I could see McMann-Reneau being a dud. Honestly, there’s not a lot of featured fights on this show that I’m down on. (Yep, that’s a shock to me too!)

Does this show matter?

Josh: You get one and possibly two title contenders with the Torres-Andrade fight and OSP-Latifi if the former gets another impressive win, so I say yes. A big KO win by Perry also puts him in the ‘interesting fight’ category against any number of guys. He may never be a champion, but I think he’s the next big fan favorite if he’s smart about his career.

Ryan: In the grand scheme of things, probably not so much. You are getting a likely title challenger in the Andrade-Torres fight, and Ovince Saint Preux could put himself in the mix whenever the light heavyweight title gets defended next. It’s not a major show, but like the Austin event last weekend, it has potential to deliver good action inside the Octagon. If your focus is on the ratings and business side of the UFC, this show is likely to fall well below expectations (unless they are low already). If your sole purpose of enjoying the UFC is the in-cage action, this has the chance to get you excited.

Paul: Not really, but there are name fighters 10 fights deep on this show and you can’t ask for much more than that on a free TV card. It’s definitely not top-heavy as Stephens vs. Emmett is not exactly the type of marquee main event UFC fans are used to on Fox (although lately it’s been more like this than not). But you’ve got former champs and title challengers on the prelims which speaks to depth and the top three fights on the card all could have title implications relatively soon.

Who wins?

Jeremy Stephens vs. Josh Emmett

  • Stephens: Nason, Ryan
  • Emmett: Paul

Jessica Andrade vs. Tecia Torres

  • Torres: Nason, Paul
  • Andrade: Ryan

OSP vs. Ilir Latifi

  • OSP: Paul, Ryan, Nason

Renan Barao vs. Brian Kelleher

  • Barao: Paul, Ryan
  • Kelleher: Nason

Conor McGregor claims he’ll fight again, offered to step in at UFC 222

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Conor McGregor took to Instagram today to adamantly reaffirm that he’s going to fight again and claim that he offered to step in to save UFC 222.

“I am fighting again. Period. I am the best at this,” McGregor wrote. “I put my name forward to step in at UFC 222 to face Frankie Edgar when Max Holloway pulled out, but I was told there wasn’t enough time to generate the money that the UFC would need. I was excited about bouncing in last minute and taking out the final featherweight, without all the rest of the stuff that comes with this game.”

“Please respect the insane amount of work outside the fight game that I have put in. On top of the fighting,” McGregor continued. “I am here. It is on them to come and get me. Because I am here. Yours sincerely, The Champ Champ.”

The Instagram post came after Dana White told TMZ Sports that McGregor was initially supposed to return in August and now it’s become September, but he doesn’t know for sure if McGregor will ever come back after making so much money for his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. White also said that McGregor understands that he’ll have to be stripped of the lightweight title before Tony Ferguson, who is currently the interim champion, faces Khabib Nurmagomedov in April.

Holloway defending his featherweight championship against Edgar was originally slated to be the main event of UFC 222 on March 3rd until Holloway was forced off the show due to a leg injury. It appeared that the pay-per-view was in danger of being changed to a television broadcast at one point, but women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg vs. Yana Kunitskaya and Edgar vs. Brian Ortega were eventually announced as the new top two matches for the PPV.

Ali Abdelaziz, Edgar’s manager, told ESPN that McGregor is lying about offering to fill in for Holloway.

The last time he fought in the UFC, McGregor won the lightweight title from Eddie Alvarez in November 2016 to become a two-division champion. He was stripped of the featherweight belt soon after that.

UFC Fight Night 126 live results: Donald Cerrone vs. Yancy Medeiros

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 126: Cowboy vs. Medeiros, eminating from the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.

The Octagon heads to Austin for the first time since November 2014 with a fight card featuring a bunch of solid names, fighters on win streaks, and an exciting main event.

In the headline bout, one of the most popular fighters in the UFC, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, looks to end his 3-fight losing skid as he takes on Yancy Medeiros, winner of three straight fights. Cerrone had a tough 2017, but is looking to bounce back into the win column. Medeiros is coming in off of one of the best fights of 2017, a knockout win over Alex Oliveira in December.

In the co-main event, Derrick Lewis returns to action as he takes on Marcin Tybura in heavyweight action. Also on the main card, lightweight James Vick looks to extend his win streak against Francisco Trinaldo, former welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves takes on UFC newcomer Curtis Millender, and lightweight prospect Sage Northcutt takes on Thibault Gouti.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 6 PM ET/3 PM PT

> Oskar Piechota (10-0-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Tim Williams (15-3, 0-0 UFC)
Middleweights

They trade kicks and Piechota lands a hrad right hand and then another. Piechota with a leg kick. Williams with a head kick. Williams lands a good combo that backs Piechota up. Piechota then drops Williams with a hard right hand and then swarms on top landing punches and the fight is stopped. Huge first-round knockout for Oskar Piechota.

Official Result- Oskar Piechota def. Tim Williams by TKO (punches) at 1:54 of Round 1

> Josh Burkman (28-16 1 NC, 6-11 1 NC UFC) vs. Alex Morono (13-4 1 NC, 2-1 1 NC UFC)
Welterweights

They feel each other out early landing some short leg kicks. Morono with a hard punch that stunned Burkman. Morono dropped Burkman with a punch and then grabbed the neck and locked in the guillotine and had it in tight and forced Burkman to tap. Morono with the submission and this has to be the end of the road for Burkman.

Official Result- Alex Morono def. Joshua Burkman by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:12 of Round 1

FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

> Sarah Moras (#13, 5-2, 2-1 UFC) vs. Lucie Pudilova (7-2, 1-1 UFC)
Women’s Bantamweights

They trade left hands to start and Moras with a body kick. She grabs the back and drags Pudilova to the ground. Moras ends up in the guard. Moras with some elbows from inside the guard. Both ladies landing some punches on the mat. Moras with more elbows from the top and some hammerfists as well. They are stood up in a questionable move and Pudilova starts landing some right hands. Pudilova drops Moras and goes into her guard and Moras is looking for an armbar and almost had it. She got in triangle armbar position and had it locked in for a moment but Pudilova escaped. Pudilova with some big punches from the top at the end of the round. It got wild at the end. 10-9 Moras.

They come out looking to land big early. Moras goes for a takedown but can’t get it and pulls guard instead. Moras working for an arm but also landing punches while looking for it. Pudilova defending and slams Moras down. Pudilova now in side control. Pudilova lands an elbow and gets back into the full guard. Both continue to work while some displeased fans chant for a stand up, which would be absolutely stupid. Pudilova gets up and lets Moras get back to her feet. Pudilova lands the jab. Moras with a leg kick and then she falls to the mat. 10-9 Pudilova, 19-19.

They were trading and it went to the mat with Pudilova in the guard. They instantly got back to their feet. Pudilova lands a right hand and has Moras pressed against the fence. They are trading in close range and Moras lands a left hand. Moras went for a takedown but it was defended. They get down to the mat and Moras is in the guard of Pudilova. Pudilova landing some from the bottom but Moras has her pinned down. Pudilova able to reverse and lands from the top as the fight ends. 10-9 Pudilova, 29-28 Pudilova.

Official Result- Lucie Pudilova def. Sarah Moras by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)

> Roberto Sanchez (7-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Joby Sanchez (11-2, 1-2 UFC)
Flyweights

They trade punches. Joby with a head kick but Roberto counters with a takedown and then grabs the back of Joby. They get to their feet. Roberto grabs the back of Joby again and is looking for a choke as they both stand and Roberto has climbed the back of Joby. They go to the mat and Roberto has the choke locked in and Joby taps. Roberto Sanchez with the big submission win.

Official Result- Roberto Sanchez def. Joby Sanchez by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:50 of Round 1

> Geoff Neal (8-2, 0-0 UFC) vs. Brian Camozzi (7-4, 0-2 UFC)
Welterweights

They are attacking each others’ legs early. Neal gets the clinch against the fence. They break. Neal with a body kick. Neal landing some combos as they clinch again. They break after Neal works some dirty boxing. Camozzi with a high kick. Neal with a body kick. Camozzi with a head kick. They are swinging for the fences. They trade punches. Neal tags Camozzi with a left hand. Neal looking for a choke as he takes the back standing and he gets it! Neal with the submission in another first-round finish on this card. Neal also has a nasty cut.

Official Result- Geoff Neal def. Brian Camozzi by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:48 of Round 1

> Jared Gordon (14-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira (12-2, 3-2 UFC)
Lightweights

They trade kicks early and Ferreira lands one that goes too low and we have a timeout. Back to action and then Ferreira lands another low blow kick and gets a warning from the referee. Ferriera lands a couple of body kicks. Gordon goes for a takedown but it is defended. Ferreira then drops Gordon with a left hand and goes on top looking to finish. Ferreira in the mount and Gordon gives up his back and starts eating punches until it is stopped. Ferreira gets a huge win in his first fight in two years but who knows what the two low blows took out of Gordon, and there was no point deduction when there should have been.

Official Result- Diego Ferreira def. Jared Gordon by TKO (punches) at 1:58 of Round 1

FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD | 9 PM ET/6 PM PT

> Sage Northcutt (9-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Thibault Gouti (12-3, 1-3 UFC)
Lightweights

Northcutt coming right out looking to land. Gouti landed a left hand but Northcutt countered with a huge takedown. Northcutt in side control. Northcutt with short punches but not doing much else. Northcutt with some short elbows and then lands some punches from the top. They scramble to their feet. They trade leg kicks. Northcutt with a head kick. Gouti lands a hard right hand and then grabs the neck of Northcutt and has him against the fence. Gouti working for a takedown but Northcutt landing body punches. They break. Northcutt with a right hand followed by a head kick. Gouti tries a long takedown but easily stuffed. 10-9 Gouti.

Northcutt trying to set up a flying knee. Gouti stuns Northcutt again with a punch. They trade leg kicks. Gouti rushes in and lands a right hand as Northcutt hits his back on the fence and crumbles and Gouti takes advantage and ends up on top. Northcutt landing elbows on the ground as Gouti isn’t doing much. They get back to their feet. They fall back to the mat but nothing is happening. They get back up and Gouti is just holding onto Northcutt. Northcutt with some elbows and they are broken up by the referee. Northcutt with some punches and a body kick. Northcutt swinging hard. Gouti is tired. Northcutt lands a left hand. 10-9 Gouti, 20-18 Gouti.

Northcutt with a side kick. Northcutt lands a head kick. Northcutt with more body kicks. Northcutt missed a takedown but landed a leg kick. Gouti has definitely slowed down. Gouti gets a takedown. Northcutt landing elbows. They get back to their feet but Gouti takes the fight back down. Northcutt still landing elbows as Gouti is doing nothing. Northcutt looks for a choke. They are broken by the referee. Northcutt with some kicks. He’s teeing off on the leg. Northcutt goes for a takedown but it is defended. They break. Northcutt with a knee to the body. 10-9 Northcutt, 29-28 Gouti.

Official Result- Sage Northcutt def. Thibault Gouti by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Steven Peterson (16-6, 0-0 UFC) vs. Brandon Davis (8-4, 0-1 UFC)
Featherweights

They are trading early. They trade leg kicks. Peterson lands the double jab and then follows it with a right hand. Peterson with a leg kick and Davis with a body kick. Davis with a leg kick. Davis tried an axe kick to no success. Davis lands a combo. Davis lands another leg kick. They trade in the pocket. Peterson with a combo. They trade kicks. They trade kicks again and Peterson lands a right hand at the end. 10-9 Davis.

Peterson tries for a takedown but it is defended by Davis. They trade kicks. Peterson with a knee to the body and they trade jabs after. Davis landing some combos. They are trading punches in the pocket. Davis with some big right hands. Davis lands two more right hands. Davis gets a takedown and does some work from the top before they stand back up. Peterson now tries for a takedown. Peterson gets a takedown late in the round. 10-9 Davis, 20-18 Davis.

They were trading combos to start the third round. They are trading hard punches back and forth. They continue to trade and Peterson lands a leg kick. They tie up and Peterson gets a brief takedown. They clinch for a moment but break. Both land short punches. They are hitting each other every time the other hits. They trade in the pocket. This is kind of wild but getting no reaction. Davis lands a standing knee to the face of Peterson and Peterson is rocked bad. He recovers and is coming towards Davis. They are trading and Peterson is a bloody mess. They trade to end the fight. 10-9 Davis, 30-27 Davis.

Official Result- Brandon Davis def. Steven Peterson by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-26)

> Thiago Alves (22-11, 14-7 UFC) vs. Curtis Millender (14-3, 0-0 UFC)
Welterweights

Millender with a leg kick. He has a huge reach advantage over Alves. Alves circling around the cage looking for an opening. Alves with a leg kick. Millender with a body kick. Millender with a spin kick. Millender hurts Alves with a kick. Alves has had his back to the fence almost the entire fight. Millender with a left hand to the body. Alves with a left hand.Millernderrocks Alves and drops him with a punch. Millender teeing off on Alves but Alves gets to his feet and is in trouble. Millender with a right hand but Alves is fighting thru trouble. They trade punches and Alves with a leg kick. Millender lands a right hand. Alves gets a takedown and the round ends. Wild end to it. 10-8 Millender.

They trade punches and kicks and Millender lands a right hand that stuns Alves. Alves with a hard leg kick. They trade punches. Millender lands the jab. Alves with a body kick followed with a leg kick. Alves with a leg kick. The pace has slowed. Millender lands a left hook. Alves lands a left hand. Alves with some leg kicks. They trade punches. Millender drops Alves with a knee to the head and the referee waves the fight off. Millender with the knockout win in the second round as he hurt Alves a lot in the fight.

Official Result- Curtis Millender def. Thiago Alves by knockout (knee) at 4:19 of Round 2

> James Vick (#12, 12-1, 8-1 UFC) vs. Francisco Trinaldo (#14, 22-5, 12-4 UFC)
Lightweights

Vick with a high kick. They then trade body kicks. Vick with a side kick right to the face. Vick with a body kick followed by a left hand that stuns Trinaldo. They clinch and Trinaldo with a knee. Vick with a body kick. Trinaldo lands a hard left hand. Vick then drops Trinaldo with a punch but Trinaldo quickly recovers and takes Vick down. Vick has the neck and is working for a choke but Trinaldo gets out. Vick able to get to his feet but Trinaldo grabs the neck and has a tight guillotine choke locked in. Vick able to get to side control and escapes. They get to their feet. Vick with a leg kick. Vick lands a combo. Vick with a side kick to the body. They trade shots. 10-9 Vick.

They trade early. Trinaldo grabs the body lock and takes Vick down but they get right back up. Vick with a knee to the body. Vick gets a takedown and lans some punches. They are scrambling up and down but finally stand and separate. Vick with a head kick. They trade kicks. Both circling around the cage. Vick with a head kick.They trade body kicks. Trinaldo controlling the pace around the Octagon though Vick landing more with kicks. 10-9 Vick, 20-18 Vick.

Vick with a quick side kick. Trinaldo just misses a left hand but lands a huge body kick. Trinaldo with a body kick but Vick grabs the leg though he lets go. They are trading short kicks but not doing much this round. Trinaldo is chasing Vick around the Octagon. Vick with a high kick. Trinaldo with a body kick. Vick with more kicks. He’s not really throwing his hands and is just kicking but Trinaldo isn’t doing much in return. 10-9 Vick, 30-27 Vick.

Official Result- James Vick def. Francisco Trinaldo by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Derrick Lewis (#7, 18-5 1 NC, 9-3 UFC) vs. Marcin Tybura (#9, 16-3, 3-2 UFC)
Heavyweights

Lewis with a leg kick. Lewis tags Tybura with a right hand and takes him down at the same time after grabbing a leg. Lewis with an elbow from the top. Lewis tries to scramble but they get tangled before Lewis takes back control from the side. They get up but Lewis lost his balance and fell to the mat and Tybura got into mount. Lewis got up and escaped and then dropped Tybura with a right hand and started laying a lot of punches on him. Lewis with big punches but Tybura able to tie him up on the mat. Tybura reversed and is in the half-guard of Lewis. Tybura in mount and Lewis gives up his back. Tybura goes for a kimura late but the round ends. 10-9 Lewis.

Tybura with a couple of leg kicks and then a high kick. Lewis then rocked Tybura with a right hand. Lewis then lands another big right hand but Tybura grabs him and gets the takedown. Tybura in side control and Lewis gives up his back and gets to his feet. Lewis trying to shake Tybura off but Tybura reverses into the mount. Lewis gives up his back again. Back to the same position. Lewis tries to scramble out but is unable to. Tybura back in the mount. Tybura lands an elbow but doesn’t do much from the position. 10-9 Tybura, 19-19.

Tybura with some leg kicks and to the body. Lewis lands a combo after eating a leg kick. They clinch against the fence as Tybura is working hard for a takedown. Lewis gets a brief takedown and then drops Tybura with a right hand and finishes him on the ground. Wow. That was a violent finish to the fight and Derrick Lewis gets the win and a live microphone.

Official Result- Derrick Lewis def. Marcin Tybura by knockout (punches) at 2:48 of Round 3

> Donald Cerrone (#11, 32-10 1 NC, 19-7 UFC) vs. Yancy Medeiros (#15, 15-4 1 NC, 6-4 1 NC UFC)
Welterweights

They come out swinging and Cerrone lands a right hand. Medeiros with a spinning kick to the body. Medeiros lands a right hand but Cerrone lands a body kick. Cerrone with a leg kick. Cerrone with some body kicks. Medeiros lands a right hand. They tag each other and Medeiros drops to the mat but gets back up. Cerrone lands a left hand. They tag each other and Cerrone briefly drops Medeiros again with a left hand. Cerrone with a combo. They trade in close range. They tie up for a moment but break and both land on the break.Cerrone then rocks Medeiros with a big right hand and Medeiros falls to the mat and is in a lot of trouble. Cerrone with a couple more punches on the ground and he finishes off Medeiros! Big knockout win with seconds to go in the opening round for Cerrone.

Official Result- Donald Cerrone def. Yancy Medeiros by TKO (punches) at 4:58 of Round 1

Our questions about UFC Fight Night Austin and Bellator 194

Posted on by Josh Nason

Pro wrestling is snoozing on this long U.S. holiday weekend, leaving us with two MMA shows to take a look at. Joining me as always is Paul Fontaine and Ryan Frederick to help answer a few questions of the somewhat burning kind.

First, The Cards

Bellator 194 main card: Friday

  • GP Tournament First Round: Matt Mitrione vs. Roy Nelson
  • Patricky Pitbull vs. Derek Campos
  • Liam McGeary vs. Vadim Nemkov
  • Heather Hardy vs. Ana Julaton

UFC Fight Night (Steve) Austin: Sunday

  • Donald Cerrone vs. Yancy Medeiros
  • Derrick Lewis vs. Marcin Tybura
  • James Vick vs. Francisco Trinaldo
  • Thiago Alves vs. Curtis Millender
  • Brian Camozzi vs. Geoffrey Neal
  • Sage Northcutt vs. Thibault Gouti
  • Jared Gordon vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira
  • Oskar Piechota vs. Tim Williams
  • Roberto Sanchez vs. Joby Sanchez
  • Sarah Moras vs. Lucie Pudilova
  • Steven Peterson vs. Brandon Davis
  • Alex Morono vs. Josh Burkman

What fight(s) are you most looking forward to?

Paul: I’m a sucker for “Super” Sage so I really want to see if he can get on a roll. He’s young enough that he could still be a big transcendent star someday if he can back up the hype with results. On the Bellator show, I’m really looking forward to the women’s fight as Hardy has had great fights in both of her previous appearances and has a real star presence. I’ve seen every one of Julaton’s fights and she’s scrappy as hell. This could be a show-stealer.

Ryan: I like the UFC main event between Cerrone and Medeiros as they are both exciting fighters who like to slug it out. Cerrone has been on a skid but is still capable of being one of the best. Medeiros has won three straight since moving up in weight, and has shown a lot more power. He’s also coming off of one of the best fights of 2017 in his win over “Cowboy” Oliveira. This should be exciting. I also am looking forward to Derrick Lewis fighting, because he is just fun.

Nason: There’s a lot of intrigue throughout the two cards, but I’m most interested in both main events. I don’t think Medeiros will ever be a champion, much less a top flight contender, which is why this will tell us a lot about where Cerrone is at. He’s lost three straight coming into this, a first in his long career. I wonder how much is there after his legendary hellacious fight schedule over the last five years. On the Bellator side, I’m hoping we see a big performance out of Mitrione. Nelson is old hat and doesn’t do much for me interest-wise based on the last five-seven UFC fights he had.

Any dark horse fights?

Paul: Brian Camozzi vs Geoffrey Neal on the UFC card. Camozzi is 0-2 in UFC and is probably fighting for his job. Every one of his fights in the last four years has ended in a stoppage for either he or his opponent. Neal’s record is similar and he’s coming off a very impressive first round KO on the Dana White Contender Series last summer.

Nason: Vick has been making a lot of noise about not being able to get good fights and has been on a nice run as of late. If he can top a solid veteran in Trinaldo and look good doing it, he has to get a top 10 dude next. Has to. I’m also interested in seeing how Thiago Alves fares in his return against Curtis Millender. He’s a true veteran but still has that charisma that makes you turn your head, even for a few minutes.

Ryan: Steven Peterson vs. Brandon Davis on the UFC card. Both are mostly unknown, but have had exciting fights on the regional scene. Davis stepped in on short notice in his last fight (his UFC debut) and is looking to rebound from that loss. Also, Vick vs. Trinaldo should be good. Both are underrated at 155 pounds and this is a potential breakout fight for both.

Any fights a bit overrated?

Paul: The main event of the Bellator show is a couple big names who are well past their prime. It is likely to be a three round boring fight as Mitrione’s best path to victory is knocking out Nelson early which is tough to do. Nelson is likely to clinch up with him on the cage all night in an attempt to tire him out, but he’ll do nothing to try and put Mitrione away.

Ryan: I’m not so interested in the main event of the Bellator show. I feel they could have matched up both Nelson and Mitrione in other fresh matchups. They’ve already fought and Nelson knocked Mitrione out. Nelson has gone down as a fighter while Mitrione is maybe just slightly better than he was then, but not much.

Nason: Look at these couple’a’ Bellator hatahs! Paul mentioned the Hardy-Julaton fight and I need to tell you this: I could care less about Hardy and think they are trying way to hard to get her over. Also, the whole boxing-MMA crossover fight deal? Zzzzzz. Don’t care. Also, enough with the Pitbull brothers already. They’re one of the last few holdovers from the Bjorn Rebney era and I don’t really care about seeing them in a Bellator cage anymore.

Do these shows matter?

Paul: Yes and no. If you care about the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix, then obviously yes. The semi-main of that show is probably a #1 contender for their lightweight belt and, in fact, Patricky Pitbull is the #7 lightweight in the world according to FightMatrix.com and is coming off a win over Benson Henderson. As far as the UFC show, in the grand scheme of things, no. But, this show looks like it could be sneaky great. Nothing on this show comes off as looking terribly bad on paper and most of the fights have potential to be very fun.

Ryan: The UFC actually has a real solid card, and Bellator continues the GP tourney, so they do matter. The UFC has one of their most popular fighters in the main event, a good lightweight bout, and Northcutt on the card, so it is somewhat loaded. Bellator also has Hardy on the show, so they loaded that up a tad. The UFC show should be good, and Bellator is kinda just there.

Nason: The Bellator show not so much outside the main event, but there are some interesting stakes in the UFC show. As mentioned above, I’m interested to see where Cerrone, Northcutt, Vick, and Lewis are at. This is essentially a heat check show for some of these younger-ish guys.

Who wins?

Mitrione vs. Nelson

  • Mitrione: Nason, Ryan
  • Nelson: Paul

Cerrone vs. Medeiros

  • Cerrone: Paul, Ryan
  • Medeiros: Nason

Derrick Lewis vs. Marcin Tybura

  • Lewis: Nason, Paul, Ryan

Patricky Pitbull vs. Derek Campos

  • Pitbull: Paul, Ryan, Nason

Our questions about UFC 221: Rockhold vs. Romero

Posted on by Josh Nason

The UFC’s second PPV effort of the year is here and boy, is it….a card full of people that fight. Your faithful three of Paul Fontaine, Ryan Frederick, and I will pose a few questions about UFC 221 and whether it’s worth your effort and money to watch.

The latest twist to this blaise card is that Yoel Romero missed weight by nearly three pounds so if he wins, he doesn’t get the interim middleweight title. If Luke Rockhold wins, it may just be a done-in-one situation because he wants to move up in weight. BUY THIS SHOW NOW. 

First, The Card

  • Interim Middlweight Championship (for one person): Luke Rockhold vs. Yoel Romero
  • Mark Hunt vs. Curtis Blaydes
  • Tai Tuvasa vs. Cyril Asker
  • Jake Matthews vs. Li Jingliang
  • Tyson Pedro vs. Saparbek Safarov
  • Damien Brown vs. “Non Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim
  • Rob Wilkinson vs. Israel Adesanya
  • Jeremy Kennedy vs. Alexander Volkanovski
  • Jussier Formiga vs. Ben Nguyen
  • Ross Pearson vs. Mizuto Hirota
  • Teruto Ishihira vs. Jose Alberto Quinonez
  • Luke Jumeau vs. Daichi Abe

What fight(s) are you most looking forward to?

Ryan: I’m most looking forward to the main event. Say what you want about this being an interim title fight, but it is an excellent matchup. This was going to likely be next if Rockhold had beaten originally scheduled opponent Robert Whittaker and Romero beaten originally scheduled opponent David Branch in Orlando. That some pundits are saying this is the worst interim title fight to date is really a slap in the face to both guys as there have been worse interim title fights. I expect this to deliver. I’m also looking forward to seeing Mark Hunt fight because it’s Mark Hunt and he’s always fun, and the UFC debut of Israel Adesanya. He has future star potential and is a violent and exciting fighter.

Paul: Gotta say the main event as well. I’ve been as down on this as a title fight as much as anyone but taking that aspect away from it, it’s a helluva fight. Combined, they are 14-2 in their last 16 fights and all against top notch competition. The winner here is a worthy #1 contender to Whittaker once he returns, but I’m just not sure they’re a worthy champion. But, it should be a great fight.

Nason: I mean, that Jumeau vs. Abe fight is going to be LIT. (Just kidding. I’m too old to be using lit.) It’s the Rockhold-Romero fight. This is a one-fight show with a few slightly interesting storylines, but that’s about it. I still am impressed they brought back an interim title they just put back in the closet this soon. I was interested to hear both guys wanted this fight on free TV a few times, but now we get to pay $65 for it. Hooray.

Any dark horse fights?

Ryan: I really like the prelim headliner between Damien Brown and Maestro Dong Hyun Kim. They are exciting lightweights, and both have been involved in some of the best fights in the UFC in recent years. They both like to stand and trade, and they have the chance to steal the show. I also like the featherweight bout between Alex Volkanovski and Jeremy Kennedy. They are both undefeated, and while not known much and not known for the most exciting fights, they are definite prospects in a crowded division with a chance to breakout here.

Paul: The flyweight fight on the FS1 prelims between Ben Nguyen and Jussier Formiga should be great. Nguyen, in particular, is an exciting fighter with finishing ability, which is rare for the flyweight division. These are easily the two best contenders to never receive a title shot at Demetrious Johnson and an impressive showing from either guy should put them at the top of the list in my book.

Nason: I’ll go with Tai Tuvasa vs. Cyril Asker. Tuvasa is six-for-six with knockouts in a career that started nearly six years ago. He hasn’t fought a lot, but at 24 years of age, a young heavyweight is badly needed in the UFC. And, if we’re being honest here, I’ve never heard of Cyril Asker before in my life.

What isn’t doing it for you this weekend?

Paul: I get they want to push local guys in the market, but UFC usually saves that stuff for FS1 shows. Tyson Pedro and Saparbek Safarov is not a PPV caliber fight, nor should Tai Tuivasa and Cyril Asker be third from the top…or even on the PPV card, really. But looking down the card, it’s hard to even find a fight you’d replace them with. This show has no depth and at some point in the last six weeks, I feel UFC should have made the decision to move this card to free television. A move like that is not without precedence. UFC simply doesn’t have enough star power at present to justify monthly PPVs without having cards like this come up more regularly. The next few months are not looking much better either.

Ryan: The main card isn’t doing much for me outside of the main event. It is definitely an event made for the market they are in, but it isn’t a pay-per-view caliber event. That’s what happens when you have 24 events in 26 weeks. It’s overkill, and you get left with events like this that suffer. I think there are several prelim fights that are stronger than a couple of main card fights.

Nason: That people are being asked to pay $65 for this is…interesting. This will be a good check of the base as I think this will be the floor for PPV sales. 100,000 buys…maybe?

Does this show matter?

Nason: I’ll answer first. It doesn’t. Rockhold said a move to light heavyweight is “imminent”, so even with a win, we may never see him fight Whittaker. If Romero was to win, we’ll get a rematch of he and Whittaker but that fight wasn’t that great to begin with. The rest of the card is shuffling cards. I like Mark Hunt, but he’s gone from the promotion after he finishes his last few contracted fights.

Ryan: I guess in the long run, you can say yes because it gets a clear next challenger at 185 pounds. It also gives you a good sense of how the UFC fares in a new market. However, outside of Rockhold vs. Romero, it’s not a show that has any immediate bearings on divisions, so it’s a true “meh” type of pay-per-view offering.

Paul: It matters for two reasons. The Romero-Rockhold winner is the clear #1 contender and depending on the recovery time for Whittaker, they could end up even defending that interim title down the road. The other reason is to see just what the UFC’s low-end base for PPV is in 2018. I feel like it’s up a bit since the really down days of 2014 but we’ll likely find out soon enough as this show may be the weakest overall lineup that UFC has presented for a PPV card since UFC 177.

Who wins?

Rockhold vs. Romero

– Rockhold: Nason, Ryan
– Romero: Paul

Hunt vs. Blaydes

– Hunt: Ryan, Paul, Nason

Jake Matthews vs. Li Jingliang

– Matthews: Nason, Ryan, Paul

Keep up with our coverage on Saturday night, starting with the Fight Pass prelims through FS1 through the PPV.

Yoel Romero misses weight ahead of UFC 221 main event

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

UPDATE: Yoel Romero missed weight again, coming in at 187.7 pounds on the second attempt. Only Luke Rockhold will be able to win the interim middleweight title.

**********

It’s Friday, which means that there will be some sort of a weight-cutting issue for the UFC.

Yoel Romero just weighed in at 188.3 pounds, three-plus pounds over the 185 limit since it’s a championship fight. Right now he’s got under two hours to make weight for his interim middleweight championship fight with Luke Rockhold, which is scheduled to be the main event of UFC 221 in Perth, Western Australia on Saturday.

It he fails to make weight, the fight will still go on. In that situation, if Rockhold wins, he will be the interim champion. If Romero wins, there will be no interim champion. What that will mean for Robert Whittaker in that case becomes less clear. Romero could win and still get a shot at Whittaker, but there are also reasons why they could go to someone else in that situation.

Video of the weigh-ins is available to watch below. Romero and Rockhold have a heated staredown a bit after the 31-minute mark:

Cyborg Justino helps save the day for March’s UFC 222

Posted on by Josh Nason

The Fertitta-owned era of the UFC had several top fighters who could be relied upon to “save a show” and jump into a fight when a main event dropped out due to injury. The post-Fertitta era now has their own growing star who earned that designation: Cyborg Justino.

The UFC women’s featherweight champion once again has stepped up on short notice to headline a show as she will defend her title against UFC newcomer and former Invicta bantamweight champion Yana Kunitskaya in the main event of March 3rd’s UFC 222, first reported by MMA Fighting.

Additionally, Frankie Edgar will now face rising contender Brian Ortega in the co-main event in a bout that will unofficially give men’s featherweight champion Max Holloway his next challenger. Edgar was supposed to fight Holloway in the main event but the champion had to withdraw due to injury.

Justino last competed on December 30th, outlasting Holly Holm to successfully defend her title. That was also a fight made with just over a month’s notice.

The rest of the Las Vegas-based card includes Stefan Struve vs. Andrei Arlovski, CB Dolloway vs. Hector Lombard, Cat Zingano vs. Ketlen Viera, John Dodson vs. Pedro Muhnoz, and more.

CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson reportedly being discussed for UFC 225

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While speaking with the Associated Press in January, Dana White confirmed that he was going to give CM Punk another chance to compete in the UFC Octagon.

White didn’t reveal a date for when Punk would fight again, nor did he mention a potential opponent for him then. And while both of those variables still remain unconfirmed, it seems that the UFC is getting closer to making things official.

Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting reported today that the UFC is discussing Punk vs. Mike Jackson for their pay-per-view at the United Center in Chicago on June 9th. Chicago is, of course, Punk’s hometown, and he tweeted out a pair of emojis when the show was announced last weekend.

Helwani wrote that discussions are in the early stages and no final decision has been made yet.

Jackson’s only pro fight was in February 2016 against Mickey Gall, with Gall winning in 45 seconds and cementing himself as the person Punk would make his debut against.

Duke Roufus, who coaches Punk at Roufusport, claimed last month that Punk has “improved dramatically” since being submitted by Gall in the first round of their fight in September 2016.

UFC 225 will be the company’s first-ever PPV in Chicago.

UFC Fight Night 125 live results: Lyoto Machida vs. Eryk Anders

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 125: Machida vs. Anders, emanating from Arena Guilherme Paraense in Belem, Brazil.

The Octagon heads to Belem for the very first time, bringing a solid card headlined by a future Hall of Famer against an upstart prospect.

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida looks to get back into the win column after three straight losses as he takes on former college football player Eryk Anders, who has transitioned to MMA and is currently undefeated, winning his first ten professional fights.

Machida has found himself on the wrong end of knockouts in his last three fights, but at 39, he still believes he has another title run in him. He’ll have to avoid the power of Anders, the former standout at Alabama, who has scored six of his ten wins by knockout.

Also on the main card, former women’s bantamweight title challenger Valentina Shevchenko makes her debut in the women’s flyweight division as she hunts for another title shot, as she takes on Priscila Cachoeira. In the opening bout of the main card, Thiago Santos looks for his fourth straight win as he takes on Anthony Smith in a potential fireworks fight.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

Before the event begins, check out our questions leading into the fight card.

NOTE: A bantamweight bout between John Dodson and Pedro Munhoz, which was scheduled to be the co-main event, was removed from the card on Friday. Munhoz missed weight by four pounds, and Dodson exercised his option to decline taking the fight. The bout is currently in the works to possibly be rescheduled for UFC 222 on March 3.

UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT

> Deiveson Figueiredo (#14, 13-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Joseph Morales (9-0, 1-0 UFC)
Flyweights

They clinched early and Figueiredo scored a takedown and was on top. Figueiredo landed some from the top but Morales was trying to scramble out. Figueiredo landed some big hammerfists but Morales avoided most of it. Figueiredo got back into the full guard but neither man was landing punches on the ground. Morales was controlling the posture on the mat. They are stood up by the referee. Figueiredo dropped Morales with a left hand and was working for a guillotine. Morales was able to survive the round as Figueiredo landed some hammerfists at the end. 10-9 Figueiredo.

Figueiredo landed the jab early and followed it up with some left hands to the head and body. Morales with a body kick. Figueiredo scored a takedown. Morales tried to scramble out but gave up his guard. Figueiredo got to his feet and was landing punches. Morales was grabbing the fence to try and help him up. Morales ended up on his feet. Figueiredo with a body kick. Morales landed a right hand. Figureiredo dropped Morales with a combo and then finished him off with some more punches on the ground. Impressive performance.

Official Result- Deiveson Figueiredo def. Joseph Morales by TKO (punches) at 4:34 of Round 2

FOX SPORTS 2 PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Iuri Alcantara (35-9 1 NC, 9-6 1 NC UFC) vs. Joe Soto (18-6, 3-4 UFC)
Bantamweights

Alcantara with a left kick to the body. Soto went for a takedown but it was stuffed and Alcantara hurt Soto with a body kick. Alcantara then dropped Soto with a combo and swarmed all over Soto with a ton of punches. Soto wasn’t responding. The referee stopped the fight but he was way late on the stoppage as Soto took a ton of unnecessary shots. Impressive win by Alcantara.

Official Result- Iuri Alcantara def. Joe Soto by TKO (strikes) at 1:06 of Round 1

> Maia Stevenson (6-4, 0-0 UFC) vs. Polyana Viana (9-1, 0-0 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

They trade punches before they clinch and Viana gets a judo throw takedown. They get right back up and Stevenson gets a takedown. Viana working for an armbar on the bottom. Stevenson is bleeding. Viana gets the armbar but Stevenson was able to slip out and they got to their feet. Viana has the neck and is working for a guillotine but lets go as they go to the ground. Viana with some punches from the top. Viana gets the mount and Stevenson gives her back up and Viana locks in a rear-naked choke and Stevenson quickly taps! Dominant submission win by Viana.

Official Result- Polyana Viana def. Maia Stevenson by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:50 of Round 1

> Alan Patrick (14-1, 4-1 UFC) vs. Damir Hadzovic (11-3, 1-1 UFC)
Lightweights

They trade kicks and Hadzovic looked for a knee near the fence but Patrick reversed into a takedown. Patrick passed the guard into side control. Hadzovic able to get to his feet. Patrick with another takedown but they got to their feet. Patrick has the back. Hadzovic reversed and landed some knees to the body. Patrick landed a couple of left hands and then scored a takedown. Hadzovic is looking for an armbar. Patrick is able to escape. Patrick on top and lands some elbows. Hadzovic able to scramble to his feet and lands some knees before being taken down again. They got back up. Patrick got another takedown and landed a lot of punches to end the round. 10-9 Patrick.

Patrick lands some punches and then takes Hadzovic down. Patrick lands from the top. He gets the back and works for a choke and almost has one locked in. Hadzovic fights it off. Patrick still working for the choke as the fight goes to the mat. Hadzovic fights the choke off but Patrick still has the back. Hadzovic survives the round. 10-8 Patrick, 20-17 Patrick.

Patrick landed a big body kick. Hadzovic landed a body kick of his own. Patrick got yet another takedown and into the guard of Hadzovic. Patrick remains on top landing punches and Hadzovic can do nothing to get up. They got to their feet. Patrick working for another takedown and he gets it. Patrick gets the back and is working for a choke. Patrick unable to get the choke and just rode the fight out on the back. 10-9 Patrick, 30-26 Patrick.

Official Result- Alan Patrick def. Damir Hadzovic by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-27, 30-27)

> Sergio Moraes (12-3-1, 6-2-1 UFC) vs. Tim Means (27-9-1 1 NC, 9-6 1 NC UFC)
Welterweights

They clinched early and Means got a takedown. Means was working in the guard of Moraes and landing punches. They got back to their feet. Means was landing more and landed a head kick. Moraes tried a kick but Means caught it and threw Moraes to the ground. Moraes invited him down but Means wouldn’t go to the mat. Moraes landed a left hand that rocked Means. Moraes lands another combo. Moraes then rocks Means again. They trade punches. Means with a standing elbow. Moraes lands a right hand and then follows it with a combo. Means with a flying knee to the body. 10-9 Moraes.

They clashed heads at the start of the round. They traded kicks. Means with some leg kicks and he ducks under some Moraes punches. Moraes with a body kick and Means counters with a left hand. Means rocks Moraes for a moment with a left hand. Moraes lands a right hand. Moraes lands a big left hand. Means lands a counter left hand. Means with a head kick. Moraes with a right hand to the body. Means with a combo ending with a left hand. Moraes lands a right hand. Means with a head kick. 10-9 Means, 19-19.

Means lands a couple of left hands to start the third. Both men landing punches. Means with a head kick. Moraes lands a good combination and then lands a right hand that rocks Means for a moment. Moraes with a body kick. Means with a left hand. Means with a combo. Moraes with a head kick but Means shakes it off. Means stalking Moraes towards the cage and lands a knee to the body. Means rocks Moraes with a right hand. Means with a head kick and then follows it with some short punches. Moraes lands a right hand. Means landing with a lot of volume this round. Means lands a left hand and then pushes Moraes to the mat. Means goes into the guard and lands a big elbow. They stand and trade in the last ten seconds in a wild exchange. 10-9 Means, 29-28 Means.

Official Result- Sergio Moraes def. Tim Means by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT

> Thiago Santos (#15, 16-5, 8-4 UFC) vs. Anthony Smith (28-12, 4-2 UFC)
Middleweights

Santos with a couple of big kicks. Santos slips and Smith swarms on Santos but Santos gets away. Santos with some kicks and then a spin kick that connects with Smtih’s chin. Santos goes after him but they scramble to the mat and Smith is in the mount. Santos reverses and is in the guard and lands a big elbow. Smith working for the triangle but Santos is now ripping away with body punches from the guard. Smith is able to get to his feet and chases Santos around the Octagon. Santos then drops Smith with a right hand and is looking for the finish. Smith gets to his feet and Santos has a big cut from an elbow from Smith. Santos lands a big knee to the body of Smith. Smith with left hands. Wild round. 10-9 Santos.

Santos lands some kicks and Smith is looking to land a left hand. Santos lands a body kick that hurts Smith and Smith crumbles to the mat. Santos is landing lots of punches as Smith grabs the leg but Santos is landing more and more punches and the fight is stopped. What a violent and wild fight as Santos picks up the win.

Official Result- Thiago Santos def. Anthony Smith by TKO (strikes) at 1:03 of Round 2

> Douglas Silva de Andrade (24-2 1 NC, 2-2 UFC) vs. Marlon Vera (10-4-1, 4-3 UFC)
Bantamweights

Andrade went right after Vera and landed a leg kick. Vera with a leg kick. They trade leg kicks and then exchange punches. Andrade with a body kick but Vera catches it and they trade punches. Vera with a leg kick. Vera with a body kick but eats a combo from Andrade. They trade kicks. Vera comes forward with a combo and then lands a body kick. Vera starting to throw more volume. Andrade lands an uppercut. Vera with a body kick but Andrade grabs the body and gets a brief takedown. They get up and Andrade with a late takedown. 10-9 Andrade.

Vera coming out with some kicks. They trade punches. Andrade with a leg kick followed by a right hand. They trade punches. Andrade lands a left hook. Vera is cut open by his eye. Andrade stuns Vera with a punch. Vera with a body kick. Andrade breathing a little heavy right now but still landing punches and kicks. Andrade with a solid combo. Vera bleeding more. Andrade just misses a spinning back fist. Vera lands a couple of left hands. Vera just misses a head kick. Andrade with a right hand followed by a couple of knees and then lands a big right hand. Andrade with a combo. 10-9 Andrade, 20-18 Andrade.

Vera pressing forward knowing he needs a finish. They are trading punches and kicks. They trade jabs and Andrade lands an overhand right. Andrade with a leg kick. Andrade lands a big combo. He lands another combo. Vera with a side kick. Vera with a leg kick. Andrade with a body punch. Andrade with a left hook. They trade punches. Andrade with an overhand right. Vera with a head kick. Andrade with an inside leg kick. Andrade with a combo including a knee to the body. Andrade with a spinning back fist. 10-9 Andrade, 30-27 Andrade.

Official Result- Douglas Silva de Andrade def. Marlon Vera by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Tim Johnson (#14, 11-4, 3-3 UFC) vs. Marcelo Golm (6-0, 1-0 UFC)
Heavyweights

Golm with a big leg kick. Johnson looking to land combos. They clinch and Johnson with a knee to the body. They clinch and Johnson with some knees to the body. They break the clinch. Johnson with a combo. Golm lands a right hand. They clinch again and Johnson pushes Golm against the fence. Golm reverses and Johnson is cut open. Golm with some knees to the body as they break. Golm with a body kick. Golm with a heavy leg kick. They clinch again and ride the round out in that position. 10-9 Johnson.

Golm lands a big right hand. Golm lands a big kick and starts landing a lot of punches. Johnson tries a takedown but eats elbows from Golm. They break. Golm with a leg kick. They clinch and clash heads again, which they are doing every time. They trade punches. Johnson gets the body lock and lands knees to the legs of Golm. Johnson with some body punches in the clinch. They continue to battle for underhooks. Golm lands an elbow on the break. Johnson with a combo and they clash heads again. Johnson with a knee to the body. Johnson with a spinning elbow. 10-9 Johnson, 20-18 Johnson.

Neither man can land their punches to start the third. Golm lands a body kick. Johnson with a combo. Johnson lands a left hand and then another combo. Johnson with an uppercut followed by some punches that hurt Golm. They clinch against the fence. Not much happening in the clinch. The clinch is broken by the referee. Golm lands a knee to the jaw of Johnson. They clinch again. Johnson with heavy knees to the legs of Golm. Johnson gets a brief takedown near the end. Not a good fight at all. 10-9 Johnson, 30-27 Johnson.

Official Result- Tim Johnson def. Marcelo Golm by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

> Michel Prazeres (23-2, 7-2 UFC) vs. Desmond Green (20-6, 1-1 UFC)
Lightweights* (Prazeres missed weight by 5 pounds)

Prazeres with a couple of kicks to start the fight. They trade leg kicks. Prazeres lands a right hand as they scramble. Green gets a takedown and has the back of Prazeres. Green with some knees to the legs. Green drags the fight back down as Prazeres tries to block it by grabbing the fence. They get to their feet and are clinched but break. Prazeres with a couple of kicks. Prazeres lands a right hand and then scores a takedown. Prazeres landed some punches to the back of the head and Marc Goddard stood them up and changed the position due to the illegal punches. Green gets a takedown but they pop right back up. Green ends up on top in a scramble. 10-9 Green.

Prazeres lands a left hook. Green blocks a right hand from Prazeres. Green gets a takedown and is in the guard of Prazeres. Prazeres kicks Green off and they get back to their feet. Green goes for the single leg against the fence. They continue to clinch and Prazeres gets a takedown and he climbs right into mount. Prazeres looking for an arm-triangle but Green scrambles back to his feet. Prazeres grabs the neck and drops down for the guillotine choke but Green escapes that as well. Green gives up his back. Prazeres looking for a north-south choke. Green escapes that as well. 10-9 Prazeres, 19-19.

Not much happening in the first minute as Prazeres misses some takedown attempts. Green blocks a kick from Prazeres. Green lands a combo. Prazeres with a high kick. Prazeres lands a left hand. Prazeres with a body kick. Green misses his punch attempts. They trade punches. Green lands a left hand. Prazeres gets a takedown and is in the mount. Prazeres landing punches to the head, some look close to being illegal and he’s being actively warned. 10-9 Prazeres, 29-28 Prazeres.

Official Result- Michel Prazeres def. Desmond Green by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

> Valentina Shevchenko (#1 WBW, 14-3, 3-2 UFC) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (8-0, 0-0 UFC)
Women’s Flyweights

Shevchenko lands a right hand. She lands a big left hand that rocks Cachoeira. Shevchenko landing big punches and a body kick and then scores a takedown. Shevchenko lands a big elbow from the top and then some more. Elbow after elbow from Shevchenko and Cachoeira has a big cut open. Shevchenko with more big elbows. This fight could be stopped. Body punches from Shevchenko. Shevchenko back with more elbows. Cachoeira somehow survives. 10-7 Shevchenko.

Shevchenko with an inside trip takedown and Shevchenko in side control. Shevchenko has the arm locked in the crucifix and is landing lots of punches. Elbows and punches from Shevchenko. Shevchenko has the keylock but Cachoeira gets out of it but still in bad position. More big punches from Shevchenko in the crucifix position. This needs to be stopped by someone. Shevchenko now moves to the mount and is just landing lots of punches. Stop the fight Mario Yamasaki. Cachoeira gives up her back and Shevchenko has landed a million unanswered punches. Mario Yamasaki is doing a TERRIBLE job. Shevchenko now has a rear-naked choke locked in and Cachoeria taps. This is finally over well after it should have been. Shevchenko is going to be scary in this weight class.

Official Result- Valentina Shevchenko def. Priscila Cachoeira by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:25 of Round 2

> Lyoto Machida (#13, 22-8, 14-8 UFC) vs. Eryk Anders (10-0, 2-0 UFC)
Middleweights

Machida with a leg kick. Machida with a body kick. Machida trips Anders up with a leg kick and Machida gets into the guard of Anders. Machida postures up and lands a leg kick. Machida with a couple more leg kicks as Anders can’t get to his feet. Machida lands a punch as Anders gets to his feet. Machida lands a left hand. Machida with a leg kick. Anders can’t find an opening to land a punch. Machida blocks a head kick from Anders. 10-9 Machida.

Machida with a leg kick. Anders lands a big left hand that rocks Machida. They clinch against the fence. Anders tries a takedown but Machida slips away. Anders coming forward. Machida with an inside leg kick. Anders lands a left hand. Machida with a knee to the body. Machida with a leg kick and just ducks away from a left hand from Anders. Machida with a leg kick. Anders lands a left hand. 10-9 Anders, 19-19.

Anders catches a body kick from Machida and takes the fight down. They get back to their feet and Anders lands a knee that cuts Machida open. Machida with a body kick. Machida with a leg kick. Anders being very patient and not making any mistakes. Machida lands a left hand. Machida with a leg kick. They each land left hands. Anders lands a left hand that stuns Machida and chases him to the fence as he lands another left hand. Machida squirting blood. Anders with a knee in the clinch. 10-9 Anders, 29-28 Anders.

Machida lands a big left hand. Machida with a body kick and follows it with a knee. Machida with a body kick. Anders lands a left hand as he chases Machida down. Machida with a body kick. Anders misses a punch and Machida trips over himself and falls to the mat and Anders gets the advantage in the clinch. Anders lands a knee and then Machida with a knee. They separate. Machida with a body kick and Anders grabs the leg. Anders gets a brief takedown. Machida lands a knee before they break the clinch. 10-9 Anders, 39-37 Anders.

Machida with a body kick. He lands a leg kick. Machida with another leg kick. Anders blocks a head kick from Machida. Anders unable to land a punch in the first minute. Machida with a body kick. Machida with a body kick and Anders counters with a left hand. They clinch and both land knees before they break. Machida lands a left hand. Machida with a body kick. Machida with a knee to the body and he evades punch attempts from Anders. Machida with another body kick. Machida with a spin kick and Anders gets a takedown but Machida right back up and slides underneath Anders. They trade punches late. 10-9 Machida, 48-47 Anders.

Official Result- Lyoto Machida def. Eryk Anders by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)

Our questions about UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Anders

Posted on by Josh Nason

The UFC kicks off a four-event February with their debut in Belem, Brazil, which most of you (including myself) had never heard of before this show. As with last week’s Charlotte’s show, there’s not a ton of depth here, especially now that the co-main event of John Dodson vs. Pedro Munhoz is off due to Munhoz missing weight badly. Another main card fight also may be off the show due to weight issues.

Joining me this week per usual is fellow Observer MMA scribes Ryan Frederick and Paul Fontaine.

First, The (Updated) Card

UFC Fight Night Belem

  • Lyoto Machida vs. Eryk Anders
  • Valentina Schevchenko vs. Priscila Cachoeira
  • Michel Prazeres vs. Desmond Green (maybe)
  • Timothy Johnson vs. Marcelo Golm
  • Thiago Santos vs. Anthony Smith
  • Tim Means vs. Sergio Moraes
  • Alan Patrick vs. Damir Hadžović
  • Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Marlon Vera
  • Yuri Alcantara vs. Joe Soto
  • Maia Stevenson vs. Polyana Viana
  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Morales

What fight(s) are you most looking forward to?

Ryan: It’s the main event between Lyoto Machida and Eryk Anders, despite Machida’s losing streak at the tail end of his career. His chin looks to be gone, but I still believe that there are flashes of the old Machida there. He’s been in the main event of more UFC events than all but four fighters, and he was at the top of his game for a long time. This is also a chance for Anders to get noticed. He specifically asked for this fight, on this date, and in Brazil. That might be enough to motivate Machida to show he still has some gas left in the tank. If not, we have a newcomer to the top fifteen in the UFC rankings.

Nason: No doubt it’s Machida-Anders. The latter is a fascinating prospect, but I hope this isn’t too soon to be elevated to a main event for him, something Brett Okamoto and I talked about in my podcast. Machida looked terrible in his return to action against Derek Brunson, so he gets a chance at redemption in a young lion vs. old lion main event.

Paul: It’s the co-main. I think Shevchenko is one of the best female strikers in any weight class and fighting at a more natural 125 lbs should bring out the best in her. Her opponent is the 9th ranked flyweight in the world according to FightMatrix.com so she’s no pushover.

Any dark horse fights?

Ryan: The main card opener between Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith has the chance to be fireworks. Santos has been on a tear and knocking a lot of middleweights out, but Smith is a game opponent. Smith also went into Brazil in his last fight and beat a Brazilian, so he’s looking to go 2-for-2 there. Sergio Moraes and Tim Means is another fight I’m looking forward to as Means is an exciting and gritty welterweight, and Moraes is a good opponent to get him back on track.

Nason: I agree with Santos vs. Smith. Both are underrated and can throw heat, so this should be a lot of fun to watch.

Paul: I’ll go with the FS1 opener and a bantamweight tilt between Iuri Alcantara and Joe Soto. Soto is a former title challenger who almost always has really good fights. Alcantara has had a mixed career in UF,  but does hold a WEC win over Ricardo Lamas back and comes in on a two-fight losing streak. He’ll be looking to make a statement in his home country and I expect a great fight to kick off the televised portion of the card.

What isn’t doing it for you this weekend?

Ryan: It’s a pretty good card for an event in Brazil, and it further shows there’s just a lot of changes going on in the UFC. There are newer fighters being placed higher on the card (even if they aren’t being promoted well), but it gives them the chance to get noticed by those who watch. I think this event will be alright.

Paul: I agree with Ryan that this card is pretty good. It’s much better than last weekend’s Fox show and arguably is better than next week’s PPV card. If I had to choose one, it’s the lightweight fight between Alan Patrick and Damir Hadzovic. That one could be a boring standoff that goes to a close decision. But, I expect this show to be pretty great.

Nason: This is…a show. With so many fights and shows in such a short amount of time, there’s no real time to reflect and get a handle on who could truly be something going forward. I mean, it’s free UFC but still, there’s a price to be paid for so much, so soon.

Does this show matter?

Ryan: There’s only one fight that has upcoming title implications on it: Valentina Shevchenko making her move to the women’s flyweight division. She completely outmatches her opponent and it should be the start of her run towards a title shot. It also could mark the true arrival of a potential contender at 185 pounds in Eryk Anders.

Nason: Not really. Anders-Machida should be a main card fight on next week’s PPV and Schevchenko’s UFC flyweight debut should be the FS1 prelim “main event”. Honestly, if Machida loses, they aren’t going to cut him, so this is really a potential showcase for Anders. There’s a few fun scraps here, but there’s not a lot here that will have implications in the short term.

Paul:  I think so. Shevchenko is looking to establish herself in the UFC’s newest division and she’s got an unbeaten opponent in her home country standing across from her. Former champion Machida is on a three-fight losing streak, his opponent is unbeaten, and he’s looking to climb into title contention. There is a key bantamweight fight where the winner could become top ten contenders with Iuri Alcantara vs Joe Soto. I also love the fact that the whole card is Brazil vs The World. When Jacare Souza beat Derek Brunson in the main event of last weekend’s show, it was the first UFC win for a Brazilian in 10 tries in 2018. With 11 bouts on this card and a Brazilian in every one of them, they should be looking to make a statement.

Who wins?

Machida vs. Anders

  • Anders: Nason, Ryan, Paul

Schevchenko vs. Cachoeira

  • Schevchenko: Nason, Paul, Ryan

Smith vs. Santos

  • Santos: Ryan, Nason, Paul (but he’s never picked an Anthony Smith fight correctly)

Keep up with our coverage on Saturday night, starting with the Fight Pass prelims through FS1 through big Fox.

Report: Max Holloway injured, out of UFC 222 main event vs. Frankie Edgar

Posted on by Josh Nason

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported Saturday afternoon that UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway is injured and is pulling out of his March title defense against Frankie Edgar at UFC 222 in Las Vegas, NV.

Once confirmed by the organization, this will be the second time the fight has fallen apart due to injury. The two were originally supposed to clash in December, but Edgar hurt his hand. The Holloway injury was undisclosed.

The promotion will need to find a suitable headliner as the secondary headliner is Andrei Arlovski vs. Stefan Struve, not exactly something to main event a pay-per-view with. One problem is the UFC’s current schedule which will see them do nine shows in the first quarter with three more already scheduled for April. As most of those cards are relatively thin, they will have their work cut out for them in pulling something together. The alernative: demote the show from PPV status and make it an FS1 show instead.

This is the second PPV show this year that UFC has had to find a new main event for. Next week’s UFC 221 show in Perth, Australia, was supposed to be headlined by middleweight champion Robert Whittaker vs. Luke Rockhold, but an internal staph infection knocked Whittaker out of that fight. UFC responded by reviving the interim middleweight crown and making Rockhold vs. Yoel Romero as the main event instead.