The UFC announced today that Fabricio Werdum will face Alexander Volkov in the main event of the March 17th Fight Night show in London at the O2 Arena.
The match was put together after Michael Bisping officially said, on the advice of family and friends, that he won’t be doing a retirement fight on the show. UFC was attempting to put together Bisping vs. Rashad Evans as the main event, and when that fell through, completely switched gears.
Tickets for the show go on sale to the public tomorrow.
The winner of the fight would be in line for an eventual heavyweight title match. Volkov (29-6) is coming off a knockout win over Stefan Struve, and was heavyweight champion in the past in both M-1 Global and Bellator.
Werdum (23-7-1) defeated Cain Velasquez in Mexico City to win the UFC title, but lost it to current champion Stipe Miocic. Since the title loss, he has wins over Walt Harris and Marcin Tybura.
The UFC has been selling out its shows in London in rapid order.
The current lineup announced so far is:
Werdum vs. Volkov
Jimi Manuwa vs. Jan Blachowicz at light heavyweight
Leon Edwards vs. Peter Sobotta at welterweight
Mark Godbeer vs. Dmitry Sosnovskiy at heavyweight
Paul Craig vs. Magomed Ankalaev at light heavyweight
Alex Reyes vs. Nasrat Haqparast at lightweight
Rustam Khabilov vs. Kajan Johnson at lightweight
John Phillips vs Charles Byrd at middleweight
Jack Marshman vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos at welterweight
Saturday night’s UFC on FOX show headlined by Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza’s first round win over Derek Brunson did 1.59 million viewers based on the overnight ratings.
The number would be the lowest overnight rating in the history of the series as the previous low was the July 22nd show with Chris Weidman vs. Kelvin Gastelum that did 1.64 million viewers.
Making it worse is that the winter number are historically stronger for UFC than the summer numbers.
The number isn’t a surprise, since the show looked to be the weakest UFC on FOX event based on marquee star power, with no names on the undercard having any strong name value.
FOX finished in last place among the networks in total viewers, and even in the 18-49 demo, where the show did a 0.5, it placed third among the four networks.
The Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics game on ABC did a 1.3 in the 18-49 demo and 3.70 million viewers.
The final number, which comes out on Tuesday, will rise based on including the West Coast, which the overnights only measure FOX stations from 8-10 p.m. and the show aired 5-7 p.m. on the West Coast. But the gain will be less than usual since the main event only went one round. For a UFC on FOX special, the highest ratings are traditionally after 10 p.m. and the longer the main event, the better for the final ratings.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 27: Jacare vs. Brunson 2, emanating from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Octagon heads to Charlotte for the first time in almost eight years with a main event that could have future title shot implications on the line.
Former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will look to get back into the win column as he takes on Derek Brunson, winner of two straight, in the five-round main event. The fight is a rematch of an August 2012 bout in Strikeforce, which Souza won by a knockout in the first round.
Also on the main card, Dennis Bermudez takes on Andre Fili in featherweight action, Jordan Rinaldi looks to hand Gregor Gillespie his first career loss in a lightweight bout, and a welterweight bout between Drew Dober and Frank Camacho kicks off the main card.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
Sandhagen presses forward early looking to land and lands a right hand before they clinch. They break and Arnett landed a left hand. Arnett is landing punches as Sandhagen was coming forward but Sandhagen started landing punches and kicks to the body. Sandhagen landed a left hook to the body and followed it with a knee to Arnett’s head. Sandhagen scored a takedown and was landing elbows and punches from the top. Arnett landed an upkick but kept eating punches. Arnett was able to get to his feet. Sandhagen landed a left hand. They were trading and Arnett got underhooks against the fence to end the round. 10-9 Sandhagen.
Sandhagen starts landing punches and kicks to start the second round. Sandhagen landed some knees in the clinch. Sandhagen landed an elbow on the break from the clinch and then a head kick. Arnett has been unable to counter with offense. Sandhagen with more attacks to the body. Arnett grabbed the back and was too high on the back and Sandhagen slipped out and end up in the half-guard and was landing punches and elbows from the top. Arnett cut open. Arnett was able to escape from the bottom. Sandhagen landed a spinning back fist. Sandhagen landed a big liver punch and was landing knees and then dropped Arnett with another liver punch and then finished him off with more punches on the ground. Impressive stoppage by Sandhagen.
Official Result- Cory Sandhagen def. Austin Arnett by TKO (strikes) at 3:48 of Round 2
> Niko Price (10-1 1 NC, 2-1 1 NC UFC) vs. George Sullivan (17-5 1 NC, 3-2 UFC) Welterweights
Sullivan is coming off of two USADA violations. They both press forward and Sullivan is the aggressor. Price landing some punches but missed a big right hand. Sullivan with a body kick. Sullivan with a combo ending with a big right hand. Price went for a takedown but Sullivan was defending with punches. Price got the takedown and was in side control. Price went to the half-guard then got into full guard. Sullivan gets back to his feet. Sullivan grabbed the body and was working for a takedown. Price has been landing more on his feet. Sullivan got a brief takedown. Price got to his feet and landing a big knee to the body at the end. 10-9 Price.
They came out trading punches and then Price rocked Sullivan with a right hand. Price was looking to finish but Sullivan recovered with a body lock and then got a takedown. Sullivan working inside the guard of Price and was landing some elbows and punches. Sullivan remained on top and cut Price open with an elbow. Price was able to slip out from the bottom and got a takedown on Sullivan and grabbed the back and was working for a choke while landing punches. Price got the choke locked in deep and Sullivan tapped! Nice stoppage by Price as he worked out of trouble there.
Official Result- Niko Price def. George Sullivan by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:21 of Round 2
They traded early. Pichel with a leg kick. Pichel looking for head kicks but both being tentative so far. Pichel with another inside leg kick. Silva keeps circling away. Silva lands a combo to the body. Pichel with another leg kick. Silva with a big body kick. Silva landing more punches. Silva just misses a head kick. Pichel tried to pick Silva up and slam him but Silva had good balance and was able to stay on his feet. 10-9 Silva.
Pichel just misses a right hand. Pichel landed an elbow and then shot in for a takedown but it was defended. Pichel landed a left hand. Pichel with a big combo. Silva firing back with body kicks. Silva just misses a wheel kick to the head. Pichel with a leg kick and follows it with an uppercut. Silva with a spin kick to the body but Pichel swarms on him with right hands and a knee to the body. Pichel with a low kick. Pichel with some more kicks. Pichel with more leg kicks late. 10-9 Pichel, 19-19.
They are trading kicks and body punches. Silva went for a jumping high kick but slipped and Pichel almost took advantage of it but Silva got back to his feet. Silva landed a couple of right hands. Silva with a body kick but Pichel counters with a right hand. They trade punches. Pichel with a body kick. They are trading punches and Silva is pouring it on late. Pichel got a brief takedown late. Pichel landed a knee but slipped. They clinched and Silva landed some knees. Fun fight. 10-9 Silva, 29-28.
Official Result- Vinc Pichel def. Joaquim Silva by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Justine Kish (6-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Ji Yeon Kim (6-1-2, 0-1 UFC) Women’s Flyweights
Kim landed a right hand to start. Kish landed some low kicks. A lot of tentativeness on the feet. Kish with a solid combo. Kim landed a hook that rocked Kish. Kim lands the jab and Kish counters with a body kick. They were trading and Kish slipped on a high kick. Kish throwing and landing with more volume but Kim landing bigger punches. They get in close range and Kish landing. 10-9 Kish.
Kish is landing kicks but Kim is countering with punches. They are trading punches in the pocket. Kish with a leg kick. Kish still landing leg kicks and Kim trying to find an opening with just a right hand. Kim isn’t changing up her attack. Kish landed a left hook right on the chin. Kish landed a nice combo. 10-9 Kish, 20-18 Kish.
They were trading and Kish was starting to land with more volume. Kish landed an uppercut but Kim was poked in the eye at the same time. We have a brief timeout. They get back to action and Kim is chasing Kish around with the right hand. They are trading punches. Kim is looking for the knockout punch. Kim lands a left hand. Kim is rocking Kish. Kish is bleeding from her nose. Kim landing the left jab but Kish counters with a leg kick. Kim lands a combo. Kish with some leg kicks. Kish with a left hand and a spinning back fist. 10-9 Kim, 29-28 Kish.
Official Result- Ji Yeon Kim def. Justine Kish by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
> Randa Markos (#11, 7-5, 3-4 UFC) vs. Juliana Lima (9-4, 3-3 UFC) Women’s Strawweights
Lima was landing leg kicks early but Markos was able to clinch Lima against the fence and has the underhooks. They exchange some knees as they hold onto each other. They are still battling for underhooks against the fence. They keep switching positions as neither is able to get an advantage. Lima gets a takedown and is in the guard of Markos. Markos is able to sweep and ends up in the mount and lands some punches and elbows from the top. 10-9 Markos.
Lima lands a kick but Markos fires back with a combo. Markos goes for a takedown but Lima reverses it and ends up on top. Lima lands some on top before they are stood up by the referee. Markos lands some punches. Lima with a kick but Markos grabs her and lands some uppercuts and then scores a takedown. Markos is on top in full mount and is landing a lot of punches. Markos with more punches from the top. Markos with some elbows to the body. Markos back into the full guard. 10-9 Markos, 20-18 Markos.
Markos lands a big combo of punches before they clinch. Markos gets a judo throw takedown and is landing big punches from the mount. Markos is trying to find a finish. Markos remains on top and Lima is unable to do anything to get out from the bottom. Markos now in side control. They scramble to their feet and clinch. Markos looking for a takedown as they battle for underhooks. 10-9 Markos, 30-27 Markos.
Official Result- Randa Markos def. Juliana Lima by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Katlyn Chookagian (#11 WBW, 9-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Mara Romero Borella (#9, 12-4 1 NC, 1-0 UFC) Women’s Flyweights
They trade some punches early on. Borella lands a right hand. Borella with a couple of leg kicks and Chookagian lands a right hand counter. Borella with another leg kick. Borella lands a right hand. Chookagian only throwing the jab. Chookagian now mixing her strikes but not landing much. Borella with a couple more leg kicks. Chookagian with a body punch but Borella fires back with a combo. They trade punches. Chookagian now throwing some kicks. Chookagian with a combo late. 10-9 Borella.
They are trading and while Chookagian is throwing more volume, she isn’t landing much and Borella is landing more. They clinch and Borella lands a knee to Chookagian’s head as they break. Chookagian back to throwing more punches that aren’t landing. Borella with a leg kick. 10-9 Borella, 20-18 Borella.
Borella lands a leg kick. Chookagian is still throwing at air. Her style of throwing more volume, while not landing, may get her the decision. Borella with an inside leg kick. Borella lands a right hand and a body kick. This fight is really boring. Both land a jab. Borella lands a combo. Borella gets the body lock and is looking for a takedown against the fence. Borella gets the takedown and is in the guard. Chookagian looking for a triangle but Borella gets out and they’re on their feet. They trade some more late. 10-9 Borella, 30-27 Borella.
Official Result- Katlyn Chookagian def. Mara Romero Borella by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
They are both swinging at air to start the fight. Pepey with a spin kick to the body. Bektic lands a right hand and they clinch but break. Pepey landing the jab and Bektic has a mouse under his left hand. Bektic then lands a right hand right to the solar plexus and Pepey crumbles to the mat. Bektic lands a few more punches from the top and the referee waves off the fight! Big knockout win in the first for Bektic.
Official Result- Mirsad Bektic def. Godofredo Pepey by TKO (punches) at 2:47 of Round 1
> Erik Koch (15-5, 4-4 UFC) vs. Bobby Green (23-8-1, 4-3-1 UFC) Lightweights
They traded kicks to start off the fight. Koch landed a left hand that rocked Green. Koch then landed another. Green fired back with a combo that stunned Koch for a moment. Koch lands a big right hook. They clinch and both land some knees. Koch gets a trip takedown. Koch looking to set up a choke. Green is defending and Koch moves to mount and lands some big elbows. Green gives up his back and Koch is working for a choke. Koch has the hooks in. Green able to escape and they get to their feet. Green lands a kick and grabs the back and Green lands a right hand off the break. 10-9 Koch.
They trade and Koch lands a body kick. Koch lands a left hand. Green lands a body kick. Green with some punches to the body and then lands some knees to the body. Koch lands a left hand. They clinch for a moment. They trade punches after they break. Koch lands a counter left hand and then a nice body kick. Green coming forward chasing Koch around. They are trading and Green lands a right hand. Green attacking the body with a lot of volume. They clinch and Green with some knees to the body. Green with a body kick and just misses a right hand as Koch circles away. Green with a body punch. Green with some right hands in the pocket at the end of the round. 10-9 Green, 19-19.
Green lands a nasty right hand. Koch is hurt but still pressing forward. They clinch and Green with some dirty boxing. They break and Green back to attacking the body. Green with a right hand to the body and then one to the head. They trade punches. Green is stalking Koch around the Octagon. Green gets a takedown and is in side control. Green with some elbows from the top and the blood is flying off of Koch. Green tried to transition but Koch found an opening and exploded to the top. Green going for a switch and gives up his back and then ends up winning the scramble and Green is in side control. Green with some punches to the body on top. Green with punches from the top to end the fight. Good fight. 10-9 Green, 29-28 Green.
Official Result- Bobby Green def. Erik Koch by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
FOX MAIN CARD | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
> Drew Dober (18-8 1 NC, 4-4 1 NC UFC) vs. Frank Camacho (21-5, 1-1 UFC) Welterweights
They trade in close range and then clinch inside the opening minute. Camacho gets a trip takedown and is in side control. They scramble back to their feet. Dober with a leg kick. Dober landing combos. Camacho with a right hand. Dober with a body kick. They are trading and then clinch. Dober with an elbow but Camacho gets another trip takedown. Camacho on top and landing. They got to their feet and Camacho dropped Dober with a right hand at the end of the round. 10-9 Camacho.
They come out swinging in the pocket before clinching. Camacho grabbed the neck as they were standing and they both went to the ground and Camacho ended up in Dober’s guard. They get to their feet and Camacho is looking tired. Dober with some body punches and then starts attacking the head. Dober is coming on strong with big combos. They clinch and trade knees. Camacho lands a big right hand. Dober landing combos and big left hands. Dober landing more combos. Dober with a leg kick. Camacho countered with some attacks to the body. Dober with a leg kick. Dober with a combo and Camacho is tired. Dober lands a left hand and then to the body and then back to the head. Dober with a body kick. They trade at the end. 10-9 Dober, 19-19.
They were trading and Dober shot in for a takedown but Camacho was able to reverse it with a trip takedown. They got back to their feet and Dober is still the fresher fighter. Dober landing punches as Camacho takes a couple of deep breaths. Dober with a spin kick to the body. They trade big combos. They trade inside the pocket. They clinch and Dober with some dirty boxing. Dober with an uppercut. They trade big punches at the end of the fight. Close final round. 10-9 Dober, 29-28 Dober.
Official Result- Drew Dober def. Frank Camacho by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
> Jordan Rinaldi (13-5, 1-1 UFC) vs. Gregor Gillespie (10-0, 3-0 UFC) Lightweights
Rinaldi lands a couple of left hooks. Rinaldi with a head kick but Gillespie fires back with some quick punches. Rinaldi with a step in knee but Gillespie grabs the leg though Rinaldi slips out. Gillespie gets the single-leg takedown and is in the half-guard. Gillespie goes to side control but transitions to the mount. Rinaldi gives up his back for a moment but back to half-guard and back to mount for Gillespie. Gillespie is working for a choke. Rinaldi gives up his back but gets to his knees. Gillespie still has the back. Gillespie with a knee to the body as he still has the back. Big punches from Gillespie. More big punches and he’s looking to finish. The fight is stopped! Gillespie made it look easy as he gets the stoppage in the first.
Official Result- Gregor Gillespie def. Jordan Rinaldi by TKO (punches) at 4:46 of Round 1
> Dennis Bermudez (#12, 16-7, 9-5 UFC) vs. Andre Fili (17-5, 5-4 UFC) Featherweights
Bermudez with a leg kick. Fili with a leg kick and Bermudez shoots for a takedown but it is defended. Bermudez with the double jab and then a leg kick. Bermudez with a left hook to the body but Fili counters with a combo. They clinch and Bermudez has Fili against the fence. They break and Fili with a body kick. They trade punches. Fili gets a brief takedown but right back to their feet. Bermudez with a big leg kick. Bermudez with the double jab. Fili with a counter right hand. Fili with a leg kick. Bermudez with a heavy leg kick. Fili with a combo. Fili scores a late takedown. They get to their feet. 10-9 Bermudez.
They clinch and Bermudez lands on the break. Bermudez with a leg kick followed by a right hand. Bermudez with a leg kick and Fili counters with a takedown. They get to their feet quickly and Bermudez is looking for a takedown. Bermudez looks to lift Fili but Fili shakes himself away. Bermudez with a leg kick. Bermudez with another. Fili is working the jab. Bermudez tries a takedown but it is defended. Fili lands a left hand as he was backing away. They clinch and Bermudez pushes the fight against the fence. Fili gets a takedown and is in the full guard of Bermudez. Bermudez with the underhook to get to his feet. Bermudez with a right hand. 10-9 Bermudez, 20-18 Bermudez.
Fili landing the jab. Bermudez with a leg kick. Bermudez goes high with the kick. Bermudez with the triple jab but Fili counters with an uppercut. Bermudez with the jab. Fili lands a big left high kick. They clinch and Bermudez lands a low knee and we have a timeout for Fili to recover. We get back to action and Bermudez with some leg kicks. Bermudez coming on strong going after Fili. Bermudez with a right hand. Fili missing the jab. Bermudez with a leg kick and then a left hand. Fili lands a left hand. Bermudez lands a good combo against the fence. Bermudez gets a takedown late but Fili able to scramble to the top. 10-9 Bermudez, 30-27 Bermudez.
Official Result- Andre Fili def. Dennis Bermudez by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
> Ronaldo Souza (#3, 24-5 1 NC, 7-2 UFC) vs. Derek Brunson (#8, 18-5, 9-3 UFC) Middleweights
Souza with a body kick. Brunson with a body kick. Souza with another. Brunson just misses a left hand. Souza with a big right hand followed by a leg kick. Both being very patient. Souza with a right hand. Souza gets a brief takedown. Brunson stumbles backwards after they get up. Brunson with a combo but Souza lands a counter right hook. Souza with a right hand to the body and then drops Brunson with a head kick. Brunson stumbles down and Souza lands a left uppercut and a right hand that drops Brunson again and Souza finishes Brunson off with a couple more punches. Souza with the big knockout win!
Official Result- Ronaldo Souza def. Derek Brunson by knockout (strikes) at 3:50 of Round 1
Less than a week ago, UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier downplayed the notion of returning to heavyweight to fight UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic as good friend and former champion Cain Velasquez announced preparations to return back to action in the division.
What a difference a few days makes.
On Friday night, the promotion announced that both Cormier and Miocic will fight in the main event of UFC 226 in Las Vegas as part of International Fight Week after a run as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter.
The two men just defended their respective titles at last Saturday’s UFC 220 with Miocic downing Francis Ngannou by unanimous decision while Cormier bested Volkan Oezdemir by second round TKO.
This continues a trend of UFC management wanting to do champion vs. champion fights as opposed to interdivision bouts. Women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg vs. women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes has been bandied about on social media this week while flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson vs. bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw has been in discussion since last summer.
Cormier is the former Strikeforce Grand Prix heavyweight champion and moved down in weight after two UFC fights while Miocic just set the record for consecutive UFC title defense with three.
There was talk this week that all three fights will be part of the same show, effectively holding up three divisions.
After last weekend’s thrilling UFC 220 show in Boston, we get a show on Fox that has no one excited except for the fighters’ families and themselves.
Friends, Paul Fontaine, Ryan Frederick and I do our best in previewing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Charlotte, NC.
First, The Card
Jacare Souza vs. Derek Brunson II
Dennis Bermudez vs. Andre Fili
Jordan Rinaldi vs. Gregor Gillespie
Drew Dober vs. Frank Camacho
Bobby Green vs. Erik Koch
Mirsad Bektic vs. Godofredo Pepey
Katlyn Chookagian vs. Mara Romero Borella
Randa Markos vs. Juliana Lima
Justine Kish vs. Ji Yeon Kim
Vinc Pichel vs. Joaquim Silva
Niko Price vs. George Sullivan
Austin Arnett vs. Cory Sandhagen
What fight(s) are you most looking forward to?
Ryan: It’s the main event between Jacare Souza and Derek Brunson a rematch of their August 2012 Strikeforce fight which Souza won by knockout in 41 seconds. At the time, Souza was one of the best middleweights in the world, while Brunson was a rising prospect. Fast forward a little over five years, and Souza remains one of the best middleweights in the world, but Brunson is right there with him.
I expect a much different fight and one that is more explosive. Souza was knocked out in his last fight by Robert Whittaker, but Brunson also received that same fate at the hands of Whittaker. It could come down to the grappling, and that favors Souza. On the feet, I think it now favors Brunson. It’s a great fight to make and now is the right time for a rematch, and it’s as good as it gets on this card.
Paul: This may sound weird, but it’s a women’s flyweight bout on the FS1 prelims, part of three back-to-back-to-back women’s bouts that are all interesting. Katlyn Chookagian vs. Maria Romero Borella is what has my eye as it could have title implications in the not too distant future. Chookagian came into UFC with a lot of fanfare and had worked her way up in the bantamweight rankings. Now fighting at a better weight for her, she should be even better. Borella has not lost in seven straight including a 1st round submission win in her UFC debut in October.
Josh: Yeesh, there is not a lot on this card and I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment that this is going to be the lowest rated Fox show in history. You can’t run this many shows consecutively without taking a few in the gut and this one is a hard body blow for interest level. I’ll also go with Brunson vs. Souza as these fights usually help clear up part of a logjam in these top-heavy divisions.
Any dark horse fights?
Josh: The Bektic-Pepey fight caught my eye as well as the Green-Koch fight, mainly because it’s a crossroads fight for two veterans. Bektic got his first career loss last March and he had been a finishing machine up until that point. Pepey has been up and down, but has a good amount of submissions under his belt. With a history of finishes at a lighter weight class, I’m hoping for a good scrap here. I am also interested to see how prospect Niko Price rebounds from his first career loss and how Justine Kish rebounds from pooping herself in her last fight against Felice Herrig. (Seriously, she did this.)
Ryan: I like the fights between Jordan Rinaldi and Gregor Gillespie and Bektic vs. Pepey. Gillespie is undefeated and has potential at 155 pounds, and Rinaldi is a solid opponent. Gillespie will get to show if he’s going to remain on the climb up the ladder. Pepey is an exciting opponent, and while it’s really a fight that Bektic should win, it should be pretty good.
Paul: I was going to go with Bektic-Pepey but since the guys already mentioned it, let’s go with a Fight Pass prelim featuring Joaquim Silva (10-0) putting his unbeaten record on the line against Vinc Pichel (10-1). It’s not often you see two guys with impressive records like this facing each other, especially not that early in a card. Pichel is 35 and not exactly a prospect but with that record, it’s hard not to consider him for bigger fights especially if he wins again. Silva is much younger and a better prospect. If he picks up another win, he’d be 4-0 in UFC and he’d almost have to get a top 15 opponent next time out.
What isn’t doing it for you this weekend?
Paul: While the prelims have some interesting fights, especially for us hardcore fans, this main card is easily the worst in the history of MMA on network television, at least in terms of star power. But it’s not just that: it’s the quality of the fighters. Only the top two fights have top 15 fighters in them and there is no one even sniffing title contention on this card. Gillespie and Rinaldi are interesting prospects, but we’ve come to expect better fights than this on a Fox main card.
Ryan: The fact that this is a fight card on Fox isn’t doing it for me. It is easily the weakest Fox card ever and should be an FS1 Fight Night show instead. It just shows that there are too many events in a short period of time and too many fighters booked elsewhere that some other cards will suffer. It still has the potential for a good show and it does have a really solid main event, but it might not get a lot of attention.
Josh: In the final four months of 2017, the UFC averaged one event per week. This is their third event this month and there is five more coming from February through March. You can’t put out that much product and expect to be A+. There’s zero buzz for this show and coming off last weekend’s fun PPV in Boston, the fact this show exists isn’t doing it for me.
Why does this show matter?
Paul: In the big picture, I’m not sure that it does. This is UFC filling out their TV commitments with some fights on a card. I guess if you’re a diehard UFC fan (as I am) and just have to see everything, maybe it matters to you. Unfortunately, there is nothing at all jumping out from this card for the casual fan in any way whatsoever.
Ryan: It could flesh out the future of who is getting a title shot at 185 pounds, pending the return of current champion Robert Whittaker. Brunson would be closer to a title shot with a win, and Souza would need a couple of more if he gets by Brunson. That’s about it as no other fight has serious future implications riding on them. It’s pretty much a standard night of fighting.
Josh: I would agree with Paul: it really doesn’t. The Whittaker situation has thrown things off a bit as you’d expect the winner of the interim middleweight title fight between Yoel Romero vs. Luke Rockhold to face him, but with the internal staph issues, who knows when that could be? Plus, Chris Weidman is still out there and with a Rockhold win, that rematch seems likely. I could see the winner getting Kelvin Gastelum or maybe the Eryk Anders-Lyoto Machida winner just because.
Who wins?
Jacare vs. Brunson II
– Brunson: Ryan, Nason
– Jacare: Paul
Bermudez vs. Fili
– Bermudez: Paul, Nason, Ryan
Green vs. Koch
– Green: Ryan
– Koch: Nason, Paul
Keep up with our coverage on Saturday night, starting with the Fight Pass prelims through FS1 through big Fox.
Welcome to our live cageside coverage of UFC 220, coming to you from somewhat cageside at Boston’s TD Garden
The UFC kicks off their 2018 PPV calendar with a card headlined by two title fights as UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic defends against Francis Ngannou in the main event while UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier defends against Volkan Oezdemir in the co-main event.
Miocic looks to make UFC history and successfully defend his title for the third time, but Ngannou is the most dangerous challenger in the division, with power punching and ten straight wins, all by stoppage. Cormier looks to defend the 205-pound title for the first time since being reinstated as champion. He enters the Octagon for the first time since July, while Oezdemir looks to extend his five-fight win streak and win UFC gold less than a year since making his UFC debut.
Rounding out the main card is undefeated Shane Burgos taking on Calvin Kattar, winner of nine straight, at 145 pounds, light heavyweights Gian Villante and Francimar Barroso battle to get back into the win column, and bantamweight prospect Thomas Almeida looks to get back on track as he fights Rob Font.
Send along your thoughts on tonight’s event (thumbs up-down, middle finger) along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave Meltzer at [email protected].
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UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS:
> Islam Makhachev (15-1, 4-1 UFC) def. Gleison Tibau (33-13, 16-11 UFC) by first round knockout (:57) Lightweights
This was quite a way to start the card. Makhachev hit a left hook that knocked Tibau flat. He hit few unneccesary punches after that and it was over. This is Tibau’s first tilt in two years due to a USADA suspension and it showed. Makhachev (flanked by Khabi Nurmagomedov) said in his post-fight promo that he wants someone tougher next.
The crowd really popped for the finish which isn’t a surprise. What is a surprise is so many people are here already, a good sign for a loud and rowdy crowd tonight. Loooooong break until the next fight.
> Enrique Barzola (14-3-1, 4-1 UFC) def. Matt Bessette (22-8, 1 NC, 0-1 UFC) by u/d (30-27, 29-28 x2) Featherweights
Bessette is a Massachussets kid who made an impression on the Dana White Tuesday Night Contender series and was an injury replacement. This is his UFC debut against Barzola, a past TUF Latin America winner
Bessette started out hot, throwing a lot of kicks and landing a nice head kick as Barzola was still warming up. That gave him a 10-9 on my card, but the dreaded Octagon adrenaline dump seemed to take over in the second. Barzola hit a leg kick that swept Bessette and hit a few takedowns that didn’t amount fo much. Still, he got a 10-9 on my card as he the aggressor over a waning Bessette. In the third, Barzola was landing with more precision. Bessette was still throwing, but his tank was clearly running low. There was a little hope spot as Bessette was working for a triangle and leg lock with a minute to go but Barzola fended it off for a 10-9 round.
This was a decent fight that was buoyed by the crowd rooting for their guy.
FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS:
> Julio Arce (13-2, 1-0 UFC) def. Dan Ige (8-2, 0-1 UFC) by ud (30-27×2, 29-28) Featherweights
These are also two DWTNC guys, both making their UFC debut.
It was a really slow start until Arce hit a straight left that wobbled Ige and was aggressive going after with more punches. Ige survived and threw a few counters, but Arce was on top of him to pick up the round 10-9. Arce controlled a fairly ho hum second round with punches for a 10-9 where Ige was going for takedowns but not getting them. Ditto for the third as Arce was simply better on the feet and lit up Ige on the feet. This was a fairly missable fight, but the crowd was into it.
There was lots of whoooing int his one which the MMA equivalent of saying ‘What?”
> Dustin Ortiz (#10, 18-7, 7-5 UFC) def. Alexandre Pantoja (#11, 18-3, 2-1 UFC) by ud (29-28×3) Flyweights
This featured a great first round. Pantoja was a backpack on Ortiz and was diligently working for a rear naked that turned into a face crank. Ortiz worked his way out in the last minute, hit a big knee and then was working Pantoja’s back. Pantoja won the round 10-9, but that was close and fun to watch. Ortiz won the second round 10-9 by controlling Pantoja’s body for nearly the entire round, working him over with knees to the legs and body while attempting to take him down. Pantoja went back to the well in the third, backpacking Ortiz and wriggling him down two minutes in. But Ortiz worked out of it and earned the third 10-9 by outstriking Pantoja and grinding him out.
There’s a significant Brazilian presence here and they were chanting loudly during that first round. Despite that, Ortiz got a nice pop when his name was read.
After that quick start, we’re now at three straight decisions. The crowd is still lively, but I’m interested to see how these next two go.
WWE’s Dolph Ziggler is here.
Abdul Razak Alhassan (9-1, 3-1 UFC) def. Sabah Homasi (11-8, 0-3 UFC) by first round knockout (3:47) Welterweights
This was a rematch of a fight that happened recently with a controversial finish that Alhassan took. That streak of decisions came to a violent end as Alhassan crushed Homasi with a clean uppercut, knocking him cold in the first round. It was a no doubter as Homasi was out before he hit the canvas. Alhassan did a backflip and the crowd went nuts. Alhassan bears some watching in 2018. Have I mentioned how good this crowd is tonight?
> Kyle Bochniak (8-2, 2-2 UFC) def. Brandon Davis (8-4, 0-1 UFC) by u/d (30-27, 29-28×2) Featherweights
We get to our final FS1 prelim with another local in Bochniak trying to get a win and another DWTCS guy getting an opportunity. No big surprise but the crowd was pretty big into Bochniak’s intro.
This was not a great fight and that it was the featured FS1 prelim shows you the depth of this card outside the PPV. Bochniak edged him out in the first round with body control, a few well-timed strikes, and a takedown, good for a 10-9 first round. From there, he really didn’t do that much and I scored the final two for Davis who also didn’t do a lot but did defend a few takedowns and landed a few punches and kicks. I wasn’t surprised that Bochniak picked up the win here as it was that close.
PPV MAIN CARD:
> Rob Font (#14, 15-3, 5-2 UFC) def. Thomas Almeida (#10, 22-3, 5-3 UFC) by second round TKO (2:24) Bantamweights
Outside the top two fights, this is the one I was most excited to see. Both are coming off losses, but are both young enough in thier careers where an ‘L’ here isn’t going to sink them. Font is another local guy and the locals have gone 1-1 on the show thus far.
A huge second round propelled Font to a big win to open up the show. After battling to a stalemate in round 1 with no clear advantage for either guy, Font hit a big overhand right that hurt Almedia badly. He was on him ,throwing shots while Almiesia was trying to clinch and slow things down. Then came a big head kick that led to the end followed by some hammer fists that wrapped up the show for Almedia.
This was a great way to open the PPV. I’m assuming the live crowd isn’t coming through on the broadcast, but they went nuts for that one, obviously.
For the first time tonight, the Boston faithful booed. Nearly four hours into the show, I guess that’s a good thing.
This fight…existed. It was complete filler and something you’d expect to see on the Fight Pass prelims of an FS1 show. The light heavyweight division hasn’t been good for a while and this was evidence of that.
Villante was better standing and really hit a few good shots in the second round, but that’s all you need to know about this. That it was a split decision was…interesting. Villante got the crowd back a bit with his post-fight promo because he was rooting for Miocic.
There are plenty of names here to watch the show including Amanda Nunes, Demetrious Johnson, Kelvin Gastelum, Kamaru Usman, Bethe Correia, and even Forrest Griffin to name a few.
> Calvin Kattar (18-2, 2-0 UFC) def. Shane Burgos (10-1, 3-1 UFC) by third round TKO (:32) Featherweights
By way of New Hamsphire’s Massachussetts’ Kattar rounds out the group of four local fighters tonight and has a tough challenge in the undefeated Burgos. Kattar was out to Tom Petty’s ‘Wont Back Down’ which is Chris Weidman’s music. He cornered Villante tonight so we’re definitely getting a distraction finish or some kind of interference here.
After going into the third tied at 1 a piece on my scorecard, Kattar landed an uppercut from hell to a leaning-in Burgos who was instantly on roller skates. Kattar then hit another uppercut that put Burgos on his back. He went after him, hit a few more shots and when Burgos gave him his back while getting up, Dan Miragliotta stopped the fight. The crowd went ballistic and rightfully so for an outstanding and satisfying finish to a very technical fight.
Up until that point, it was all stand-up with Kattar taking the first and Burgos taking the second. Kattar’s jab was on point while Burgos was connecting with some nice body shots.
> UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier (20-1 1 NC, 9-1 1 NC UFC) def. Volkan Oezdemir (#2, 15-2, 3-1 UFC) by second round TKO
Said in Mauro Ranallo voice: Oezdemir is out to the Game of Thrones theme, but will he be Ramsey or Jon Snow tonight?
The outcome here is going to be quite intriguing, but I’m guessing Alexander Gustafsson gets the winner regardless. Cormier is a huge fan favorite here and this has a big fight feel even with a lesser-known challenger.
Go time.
For eight minutes, Cormier was the king of the city, taking out Oezdemir in the second round, outclassing him and showing why he’s one of the best in the world.
In the first round, both guys were swinging for the fences with the challenger looking to use his recent power surge to take out the champion. But Cormier withstood the attack and landed plenty of his own, eventually securing a takedown and working for a rear naked choke at the end of the round. It was so loud in the Garden that people thought the fight was over.
In the second, Cormier took over and popped the crowd when he got a takedown. After some ground and pound, he worked Oezdemir into crucifix position and landed punches and elbows, eventually getting the fight stopped to Boston’s delight.
He was emotional in his promo and was happy that he won what he considered a vacant title. As the kids say, he was over here tonight despite never having fought here before.
> UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic (C, 19-2, 12-2 UFC) def. Francis Ngannou (#1, 11-2, 6-1 UFC) by u/d (50-44)
My god, it’s time. The anticipation is like watching the final seconds tick down from a bomb that is about to go off.
R1: Miocic fought a smart and fantastic first round, waiting out the hurricane of power and eventually tagging Ngannou on counters and scoring takedowns that tired Ngannou out. Ngannou did connect a few times, but as he began to swing wildly, Miocic nailed him with a punch that staggered the big man. After scoring another big takedown to end the first, it’s clear that he had a sound gameplan coming in. 10-9 Miocic
R2: Both guys slowed a bit in the second after taht fast paced first. Miocic (nearly 20 pounds lighter) was still able to tag him and with two minutes to go, got a big takedown and started working Ngannou over. For the final minute, Miocic had Ngannou kneeling against the cage and was kneeing and punching him. Ngannou couldn’t get up, his strength completely sapped. Everyone is standing, making for an incredible atmosphere. They are ridiculously into this fight. 10-9 Miocic with an argument for a 10-8
R3: Can you believe we’re in the third? Ngannou has nothgn left for Miocic and the champion did exactly what he did to finish the second: putting Ngannou up against the cage and working his body over. Just when Ngannou tagged Miocic, the champion smartly took him down to negate the damage. Flat on his back, Ngannou wasn’t trying to get up. This is way more one-sided than I expected. 10-9 Miocic
R4: Can you believe we’re in the fourth? Miocic scored a takedown 20 seconds into the round and just kept pounding away. At one point, he got up, Ngannou meekly tried for a leg lock or kneebar and Miocic simply spun around and went right back on the ground before Ngannou knew what was happening. Miocic was also a bit tired so his ground and pound shots weren’t enough to do big damage and end this. There was even a smattering of boos from the crowd as they wanted the finish — or at least a stand-up — badly. 10-8 Miocic
R5: Can you…ok, now we can believe it. Both guys were exhausted, but Miocic was slightly fresher. Ngannou could barely throw a punch which negates his one thought-to-be-big advantage. This was a boring round and unfortunately, fans didn’t get the finish they wanted. 10-9 Miocic
I certainly didn’t expect that to go the distance and neither did everyone else. Miocic is now the record holder for the most UFC heavyweight title defenses and is the best UFC heavyweight of all-time.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Dana White discussed CM Punk’s future and whether or not Brock Lesnar will fight in the UFC again.
Though he was overmatched in his first fight against Mickey Gall and hasn’t fought since September of 2016, Punk will be getting another chance to step back into the Octagon. “I like that guy. He’s a good dude,” White said. “He wants one more. He wants to get another shot. I’m going to give it to him.”
White told the AP that he doesn’t have a date or opponent in mind for Punk’s next appearance but is working on it. Prior to UFC 218 last month, White said he was going to meet with Punk at the pay-per-view to discuss his future.
Duke Roufus, the head coach at Roufusport, wrote on Instagram that Punk has “improved dramatically” and they’re grateful to get another opportunity.
White also expressed optimism when asked about Lesnar returning to the UFC. “I think he’ll give it one more run,” White said. “I just think Brock loves to fight.”
Until August, Lesnar would need WWE’s approval to fight in the UFC. He would also need approval to fight again if he re-signs with WWE, with April being the last pro wrestling dates on his current contract. And the one-year suspension that Lesnar received from USADA for his drug test failures surrounding UFC 200 would have to be resolved.
Lesnar’s suspension was frozen when he retired from mixed martial arts last year.
After a fun UFC St. Louis show headlined by a solid Jeremy Stephens 2nd round TKO over DooHo Choi, we launch into a weekend with not only one show but TWO SHOWS GOING HEAD-TO-HEAD. If that’s not worthy of ALL CAPS, I don’t know what is.
Let’s get to a look at what matters and what doesn’t this weekend. Your guides as always: Paul Fontaine, Ryan Frederick, and your friendly neighborhood podcast host.
First, The Cards
UFC 220 (whole card)
Heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou
Light heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier vs. Volkan Oezdemir
Shane Burgos vs. Calvin Kattar
Francimar Barroso vs. Gian Villante
Thomas Almeida vs. Rob Font
Kyle Bochniak vs. Brandon Davis
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Sabah Homasi
Dustin Ortiz vs. Alexandre Pantoja
Julio Arce vs. Dan Ige
Matt Bessette vs. Enrique Barzola
Islam Makhachev vs. Gleison Tibau
Bellator 192 (main card)
Heavyweight Grand Prix Round 1: Chael Sonnen vs. Rampage Jackson
Welterweight champion Douglas Lima vs. Rory MacDonald
Michael Chandler vs. Goiti Yamauchi
Aaron Pico vs. Shane Kruchten
Henry Corrales vs. Georgi Karakhanyan
What fight(s) are you most looking forward to this weekend?
Ryan: There are a lot of good to great fights this weekend, but the big one for me is Miocic vs. Ngannou. It has all the makings of fireworks. Miocic is on his way to being the best UFC heavyweight of all time as he has finished five of the best heavyweights ever in a row, most of them in the first round. Ngannou has finished a few of the same opponents, but in more violent form. Both have knockout power, but the big question is if Miocic can avoid the punches of Ngannou and drag the fight out. The only time Ngannou has been past the second round was his lone loss in his career. I expect a violent finish in this one — one that will have the Boston fans going crazy.
Paul: The heavyweight title fight is the biggest one for sure. Either Miocic stakes his claim as perhaps the greatest heavyweight of all time or UFC potentially gets a new mega-star in Francis Ngannou. It’s a no-lose situation for UFC and especially the fans. On the Bellator side of things, Michael Chandler will be on a mission to steal the show and earn a shot at the lightweight title he doesn’t feel he should’ve lost.
Josh: I mean, it’s got to be Miocic vs. Ngannou for all the reasons Paul and Ryan listed above. Big dudes, big stakes, and a real path toward being what the combat sports world wants: a heavyweight champion to rally behind. I’m bummed that Bellator is running at the same time as I really want to see that MacDonald-Lima fight. For those at home, enjoy using that clicker.
Any dark horse great fights?
Paul: The Chandler-Yamauchi fight is the one that has the potential to steal the show. Both are finishers and both have a great history of exciting fights. The bantamweight fight between Thomas Almeida and Rob Font is also one to watch for from UFC.
Ryan: I’m also going with Chandler vs. Yamauchi. Both are two of the most exciting fighters on the Bellator roster. Chandler is a former two-time champion, but Yamauchi is on the rise and is a dangerous opponent. Yamauchi has dangerous submissions and Chandler has excellent power on his feet. It’s going to be a wild one.
Josh: The Almeida-Font PPV opener should be a lot of fun. Both guys are coming off a loss, but are both young enough to make a run at any time. Font is a local guy and will get a great pop with a big win. This is a good litmus test for where both guys are at at this point in their young career.
What isn’t doing it for you this weekend?
Paul: The entire UFC undercard after the two top fights. Using my scoring system that I employ at MMADraws.com, it’s the weakest FS1 prelims show ever for a PPV. The names on this card are people even hardcore fight fans have a hard time caring about.
Josh: I completely agree. I love going to these shows, but this card is hard to get excited about outside the top two fights and personal interest fights like New Hampshire’s Calvin Kattar.
Ryan: It’s the Bellator “main event” between Chael Sonnen and Rampage Jackson. It shouldn’t be the main event over Lima-MacDonald and has the potential to be very boring. Sonnen hasn’t been the same since he had to get off the performance enhancers, and Jackson hasn’t looked like a good fighter in six years, hanging around just to make money. Jackson has been in some boring fights the last few years, and this will likely be another one.
Why do both shows matter?
Josh: UFC 220 matters for two reasons and that’s the two title fights. It’s been a while since we saw Miocic last do this thing and unless this is a dud of a fight, the promotion is going to come out ahead no matter who wins. This sets up at least one more heavyweight title fight this year and possible two more depending on the damage done. Secondly, we either get the beginning of the latest Daniel Cormier light heavyweight redemption story or a new champion that we’re not necessarily ready for. The division is thin as it is and a Cormier win sets up a fun rematch with Alexander Gustafsson. Now if Oezdemir wins, that adds another promotional challenge but we’ll cross that bridge when he crosses it.
Paul: Both title fights on the UFC show have tremendous stakes both for the short and long-term. Ngannou is the most impressive title challenger to come along since Brock Lesnar and, in fact, Miocic is the first UFC heavyweight champion to go into a title defence as an underdog since Randy Couture (against Lesnar). And in the co-main, Cormier has to prove that he is the best light heavyweight on the planet, and maybe ever, who is not named Jon Jones. If he gets tagged by Oezdemir and goes down, it could wipe away everything he’s done in the division, especially to the segment of UFC fans who already seem to not like him very much.
Ryan: There is a potential for two new champions on the UFC card, and that would shake up both divisions a great deal. Ngannou has the chance to become the next breakout star in the UFC while Miocic can further cement his legacy, so that matters. Cormier has the chance to further his career as the best light heavyweight not named Jon Jones, but has a tough test. Bellator could see a new champion at 170 pounds, and the Heavyweight Grand Prix gets off to a start. It may not be the most-stacked shows, at least on one side, but both have future company plans on the line.
Who wins?
Miocic vs. Ngannou
Ngannou: Paul, Josh
Miocic: Ryan
Cormier vs. Oezdemir
Oezdemir: Paul
Cormier, Ryan, Josh
Font vs. Almeida
Font, Josh, Paul
Almeida: Ryan
Bellator Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima vs. Rory MacDonald
On a Boston sports radio show Wednesday morning, Dana White said that interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov is a go for UFC 223 in Brooklyn, NY, on April 7th.
On the Toucher & Rich show, White was asked about lightweight champion Conor McGregor’s plans, but didn’t have any update other than that he couldn’t “hold the division hostage” if he wasn’t going to fight.
White didn’t clarify whether the fight would be for the interim title or if it would be for the title that would need to be stripped from McGregor first.
The two were scheduled to fight three times with injuries and bad weight cuts canceling the fight every time, most recently at UFC 209 in March.
White put over Nurmagomedov quite a bit, saying that a fight between he and McGregor would be big in the U.S. and in Russia, they couldn’t find a stadium big enough to hold it.
He also said he isn’t interested in a Floyd Mayweather-McGregor boxing rematch but would love to do it in the Octagon. However, he doesn’t believe the amount of money it would take to make the fight, especially given he’s not an MMA fighter, would be worth it to Mayweather.
White discussed his plans for the next few days in Boston, his relationship with the local sports team owners, and addressed some of Stipe Miocic’s comments about how he feels the UFC wants him to lose.
Following Sunday’s UFC Fight Night show in St. Louis, Dana White strongly hinted on FS1 that Conor McGregor could be stripped of the lightweight championship.
White said that McGregor was talking about fighting again in September which would be nearly two years since he won the title from Eddie Alvarez in the promotion’s debut in New York City. He said that would be too long and if that was the case, they would match up interim champion Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov for the belt — a fight they have been trying to make for nearly a year. He didn’t say when, but it is known that UFC has been attempting to make that fight for April. White said that if it goes down like that, McGregor would get a shot against the winner if he returns in September.
Some other news from White:
– When asked about Vitor Belfort, he said that the UFC was able to get a last minute replacement for Belfort to fight on the show in place of the injured Uriah Hall, but Belfort turned the fight down. He said that he also turned down a fight this Saturday in Boston, but that he asked for a fight with Michael Bisping in London on March 17th instead. White said he would get back in the office and try and put things together. Bisping was on set as an analyst and joked about it, but didn’t jump on the offer either. He indicated that he’d wait for the call.
– Former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos is getting a welterweight title shot at Tyron Woodley when Woodley recovers from surgery to repair a torn labrum.
– He also spoke of doing an outdoor show in Honolulu, HI, with featherweight champion and native son Max Holloway as the headliner.
– There was also some talk of a show in Russia, but White didn’t confirm that story.
– If you didn’t see the tremendous Matt Hughes tribute video segment with his walkout from last night, give it a watch:
Two scheduled fights, including the co-main event, are off tomorrow’s UFC show in St. Louis.
Vitor Belfort’s fight with Uriah Hall was canceled today as Hall didn’t get weighed in before weigh-ins ended. Ariel Helwani reported that Hall was on weight and headed to weigh-ins when he suddenly fainted. It’s since been reported that he was hospitalized with kidney issues and in stable condition.
As noted almost weekly, there are real problems with weight-cutting in the sport that need to be addressed.
The UFC had announced last night that Zak Cummings vs. Thiago Alves was off the show due to an injury. That was also related to weight-cutting. Cummings said he had one of his best weight cuts, but when getting out of the tub, he slipped and cracked his skull on the handrail. He noted he was furious because he had a baby three months ago and missed most of that period due to being on location training.
In addition, Mads Burnell, who is facing Mike Santiago in the show’s opening fight, missed weight by four pounds. The fight is still taking place but Burnell has to forfeit 20 percent of his purse to his opponent.
Here’s new match order with weights at this morning’s weigh-ins:
Fight Pass at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time —
Mads Burnell (150) vs. Mike Santiago (146)
J.J. Aldrich (115.5) vs. Danielle Taylor (113.5)
Jessica Eye (126) vs. Kalindra Faria (124.5)
FS1 at 8 p.m. —
Guido Cannetti (135) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (135.5)
Irene Aldana (135) vs. Talita Bernardo (134.5)
Matt Frevola (156) vs. Marco Polo Reyes (155.5)
James Krause (155.5) vs. Alex White (155)
Michael Johnson (145) vs. Darren Elkins (145.5)
Emil Meek (170.5) vs. Kamaru Usman (169.5)
Jessica-Rose Clark (125.5) vs. Paige VanZant (125.5)
With the UFC calendar set to begin this weekend, we’re taking a different approach to our fight previews, focusing on a few key questions and ultimately, whether the show is worth your time to watch. Let’s get to a look at Sunday’s UFC Fight Night in St. Louis, MO, airing on Fox Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass, with your MMA three of myself, Paul Fontaine and Ryan Frederick.
Note that co-main event Uriah Hall vs. Vitor Belfort was scrapped Saturday afternoon as Hall failed to make weight.
What fight(s) are you most looking forward to this weekend?
Ryan: Jeremy Stephens taking on Dooho Choi is a great main event, and the fight I’m most looking forward to. The veteran Stephens is a fighter who always delivers good-to-great fights, and he puts on good performances in much-needed positions. Choi, aka “The Korean Superboy”, is one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC. He either knocks his opponent out in the first round, or he puts on a Fight Of The Year like he did with Cub Swanson in 2016. He hasn’t been seen since then and with his mandatory military term coming soon, he is looking to head into title contention quickly. This has barnburner written all over it. I’m also looking forward to Darren Elkins against Michael Johnson at featherweight. Elkins is hard-nosed, gritty, and tough to beat. Johnson is very skilled, moreso than Elkins I believe, but he just couldn’t get over the hump at lightweight. I’m interested in how new life in a new division plays out for him.
Paul: Darren Elkins may be the most underrated guy in all of UFC as he’s quietly rung up a five fight win streak against some impressive competition in the featherweight division. Johnson, the longtime top lightweight contender who is moving down a weight class, needs a win badly as he’s lost four of five but they’ve been against mostly the elite in the division. I’m surprised this fight is on the prelims and it speaks to the depth of Sunday’s card.
Josh: I’m most intrigued by Jeremy Stephens vs. Doo Ho Choi as Stephens has looked great at featherweight while Choi was on a roll before being on the shelf with injuries for more than a year. His last outing? That banger vs. Cub Swanson that snapped an 11-fight win streak. Before that, he had won three straight by first round KO. I’m also interested in how Paige VanZant and Kamaru Usman do.
What fight is a hidden gem?
Paul: The lightweight bout on the prelims between Polo Reyes and the debuting Matt Frevola is one that could steal the show. Anyone who saw Reyes’ UFC 199 prelims fight against the other Dong Hyun Kim will never forget it, one that finished high on many FOY polls in 2016 despite being seen by a limited audience. That makes him a must-see for me any time he fights. In Frevola, he facesan unbeaten prospect who earned a UFC contract on the Dana White Contender series last summer. With eight amateur wins on his record as well, he is on a 14-fight win streak but this will be the biggest test of his career.
Ryan: I don’t know if I would call this a hidden gem, but Kamaru Usman taking on Emil Meek stands out. For all of the talk that Colby Covington and Darren Till get at 170 pounds, Usman might be the most dangerous upcoming contender at welterweight. He has been extremely impressive and has all of the tools to become a future champion in the UFC. While some might see this as a step down for Usman, the unranked Meek is tough even though he has just one UFC fight. This is a sleeper pick for Fight Of The Night.
Josh: The aforementioned Michael Johnson vs. Darren Elkins tilt should be competitive as Elkins is underappreciated due to his style of fighting and littany of decisions while Johnson has the talent but can’t seem to get career momentum going. I don’t think this is a Fight of the Night candidate but should be a good scrap at least.
Why does this show matter?
Ryan: It is going to flesh out some potential contenders in a couple of divisions. If Max Holloway keeps going through challengers, he’s going to need new blood to challenge him with any two of the winners of Stephens, Choi, Elkins and Johnson soon be in contention. The UFC’s newest division, women’s flyweight, will have a couple of new title contenders being added to the mix. There’s no doubt they would like for VanZant to challenge for a title someday, but she has to get past a tough opponent in Clark, who could become the first woman to go 2-0 at 125 pounds in the UFC, and would put her in line. Jessica Eye also debuts at 125 pounds, and a win over Kalindra Faria could put her up in the top five. Eye is in a must-win position, and many fans don’t remember her as the top flyweight in the world before coming to the UFC. She knows she has something to prove, and she is eager to show it.
Paul: There are no immediate title opportunities awaiting the winner of any of Sunday’s fights but that doesn’t mean there are big fights on the show. Johnson desperately needs a win or he could find himself on the outside looking in when it comes to his UFC career. VanZant is very young and still early in her career and if she goes on a win streak, she could be the signature star of the burgeoning UFC women’s flyweight division. Usman, the TUF 21 veteran, has quietly racked up six straight UFC wins (12 in a row) overall and with a main card win here, he may climb into the top five of the division. And of course, the main event could be an early fight of the year contender. The fighter who wins is probably one more big win away from a shot at featherweight champ Max Holloway. UFC probably would hope that would be “The Korean Superboy” as him challenging for the belt would be huge in the Asian market.
Josh: This is a good kickoff for the 2018 calendar, especially on a Sunday night of a holiday weekend. The card has a lot of good establishing fights as we try to figure out where some of the talents fit in their divisional puzzles like Usman, Choi, PVZ, and even Stephens and James Krause to lesser extents. The early prelims are kinda meh for name value outside Eye, in a new division, attempting to avoid her UFC career ending with a fifth straight loss in the Octagon.
Let’s pick a few fights.
Jeremy Stephens vs. Doo Ho Choi
– Choi: Ryan, Paul, Josh
PVZ vs. Jessica Rose-Clark
– PVZ: Josh, Ryan, Paul
Michael Johnson vs. Darren Elkins
– Elkins: Josh, Paul
– Johnson: Ryan
Keep up with our coverage on Sunday night, starting with the Fight Pass prelims. You can watch the other prelims and main card on FS1.
As the UFC prepares to offically open up for 2018 business Sunday in St. Louis, they are already dealing with injuries to main events, necessitating the revival of an interim championship they just put in mothballs.
First reported early Saturday morning by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, middleweight champion Robert Whittaker had to withdraw from his title defense against former champion Luke Rockhold at February’s UFC 221 in Perth, Australia, due to an undisclosed injury.
With an already thin card and a desire to not cancel a PPV, Rockhold will now fight fellow top contender Yoel Romero for the interim middleweight title. The irony is that Whittaker was the interim middleweight champion after a win over Romero in the summer of 2017 and had the ‘interim’ dropped when new champion Georges St-Pierre recently announced he would be out for a undisclosed amount of time dealing with colitis.
Whittaker has been out since the Romero fight with injuries.
The UFC was in a tough spot with the Whittaker injury as even by their standards, UFC 221 sported a very thin card with a co-main event of Mark Hunt vs. Curtis Blaydes. PPV-wise in North America, there probably won’t be a depreciable drop with the change with the only real financial impact being felt at the box office as Whittaker returning to his native country was the big draw.
I asked our two intrepid MMA writers — Paul Fontaine and Ryan Frederick — to jot down some thoughts on 2017 while looking ahead to 2018. With the MMA year kicking off this weekend with UFC in St. Louis, MO, let’s take a gander back at the year that was.
When you think about 2017 in MMA, what comes to mind?
Paul:
I think of ‘What could have been?’ UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor didn’t fight in the Octagon. Jon Jones did what Jon Jones does and blew a potential mega-fight with Brock Lesnar. Ronda Rousey proved she still had drawing power at the end of 2016 with a million plus buy PPV and then proceeded to not fight in 2017. The only currently somewhat active person in UFC who is a big draw is Georges St Pierre and he will be out with an injury for the foreseeable future.
Ryan:
I see this as a year of missed opportunities, both when it comes to the UFC and the fighters. The UFC missed out on Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Nate Diaz, and Brock Lesnar fighting. In the case of Conor, they made the business decision to let him box Floyd Mayweather which made them big money. You can’t fault them for that, but that meant UFC fans missed out on enjoying him in the Octagon.
With the case of Rousey, she appears gone for good. With Diaz, it was simply a matter of money as they tried and failed to get him to fight. With Lesnar, the drug test failure still looms. When it comes to the fighters, weight issues with Khabib Nurmagomedov plagued a fight between him and Tony Ferguson, which had the potential to be great. Demetrious Johnson turned down his biggest payday and the biggest fight of his career with TJ Dillashaw, opting to fight Ray Borg. The middleweight championship was in flux all year, with a lot of good potential title fights being stalled. There were opportunities to have a more action-packed year, but things just couldn’t come to fruition.
Josh:
One word comes to mind: dull. After a completely awesome 2016, the first few months of the year sputtered and every time we thought we were ready to turn a corner, we got more misfires. I think of the bad UFC PPV in Brooklyn where Germaine de Randamie edged out Holly Holm to win a title no one asked for, only to later drop it because she didn’t want to fight Cyborg. I think of a lot of injured champions and good fights that fell through. I think of the word ‘interim’. There were some great moments, but it was a 12 months where more of the fringe fans got shaved off due to boredom.
What was your favorite fight?
Ryan:
I have to go with the non-stop brawl that was Justin Gaethje against Michael Johnson at The Ultimate Fighter Finale in July. Both men landed big punches that likely would have knocked any other opponent out, and yet, they kept coming at each other. Gaethje showed why he was one of the most exciting UFC signings in a long time and one of the most exciting fighters at 155 pounds. Violence was expected, and violence was brought.
Paul:
It wasn’t necessarily the best fight, but my favorite was the Jose Aldo-Max Holloway rematch at December’s UFC 218. Holloway has always been one of my favorite fighters and on that night, he proved that he was the top featherweight in the sport and maybe one of the best of all time with a dismantling of the former dominant champion. Aldo still has it in him to beat just about anyone in the division, as evidenced by his one sided win over Frankie Edgar, but Holloway looked like he was in another league in Detroit.
Josh:
This one is easy: Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson II! Just kidding, everyone. I’m going to go with one that probably isn’t popular due to what happened afterward, but I still loved Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier II. It was the biggest fight of the summer and we got a lot of questions temporarily answered about Jones in his decimation of Cormier. Between the build, the result, and the post fight interviews, Jones appeared to have arrived back on the main attraction stage and we were dreaming about Jones-Gustafsson II and even a Brock Lesnar fight in 2018. Then, USADA checked in and everything went to hell.
What was your favorite event?
Paul:
UFC 217 that featured the return of GSP as he beat Michael Bisping and won the middleweight title. It also featured two other title fights, both with upset title changes, including what may have been the upset of the year with Rose Namajunas stopping Joanna Jedrzejczyk. You can’t ask for much more from a big show.
Ryan:
Honestly, it’s UFC 217, but I wanted to shine a light on the pay-per-view offering that followed it: UFC 218. You had two of the best fights of the year in Yancy Medeiros against Alex Oliveira, and the violence between Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje. You had Max Holloway systematically tearing Jose Aldo apart to declare himself the true king at 145 pounds. Last, but certainly not least, you had the most vicious (and one of the greatest) knockouts of all time when Francis Ngannou earned his shot at championship gold when he took out Alistair Overeem. There were a lot of memorable moments all around.
Josh:
I’m going to stick with UFC 214, headlined by Jones vs. Cormier II. Other than the Woodley-Maia co-main event which wasn’t the most thrilling, this show featured Cyborg Justino winning the women’s featherweight title over Tonya Evinger, the much-anticipated Robbie Lawler-Donald Cerrone fight, and another Volkan Oezdemir first round KO to open the PPV. The prelims were good with some interesting names picking up wins (Brian Ortega, Ricardo Lamas, Aljamain Sterling). There were a few standout candidates (UFC 217, UFC 218, but this was it for me.
Who was your Fighter of the Year?
Josh:
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m going with flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and perhaps not for a reason that you might think. Yes, he picked up wins over Wilson Reis and Ray Borg, but the way in which he beat Borg was my finish of the year. A German suplex into an armbar for the finish at the end of a fight? Get outta here.
But the big reason was what he did in June by publicly airing his grievances against Dana White and his attempts to make a fight with TJ Dillashaw that he didn’t want. He discussed how White threatened to eliminate the whole division and was open about his contract and other issues. It was refreshing to hear someone clearly bothered by the head of the UFC finally come out and discuss it. He really turned the corner for me after that, helping round out the character for the most dominant champion in the sport right now.
Paul:
I’m going with Francis Ngannou. With two first round KOs over two bonafide MMA legends, he went from obscure prelim fighter to the top heavyweight title contender in just over a year. I give honorable mentions to welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and strawweight champ Rose Namajunas.
Ryan:
It is a tough field as Robert Whittaker, Rose Namajunas, and Tyron Woodley could all earn the nod, but I’m going with Demetrious Johnson for this one. I was cageside for both of his fights this year, and as great as he comes off when viewing on television, he is just another level live. He is the best fighter in the sport, and the way he just outworked both Wilson Reis and Ray Borg on his way to submitting both was world class. Not to mention, he had the most incredible submission of all-time, throwing Borg in the air and locking in an armbar in mid-air. Myself, along with many other media members, lost our minds and were astonished by this cageside. It’s a moment I won’t soon forget.
What was the most disappointing (fighter, trend, event, news story) that happened in 2017?
Paul:
This has to be Jon Jones. He returns from a one year drug failure suspension and beats Daniel Cormier for the title he never lost, promptly fails another PED test, and is now facing a possible four year suspension. Not only did he single handedly destroy the credibility of the light heavyweight title, once the marquee belt in the UFC, he also messed up a potential record-breaking fight in terms of buys with WWE Universal champion Brock Lesnar.
Ryan:
Without question, it is the Jon Jones situation. When he was involved at the press conference for all of the summer fights in May, I was amongst those he talked to backstage. I truly gave him the benefit of the doubt that he was coming back for redemption. He defeated Daniel Cormier, reclaimed gold, and had it all taken away just weeks later in the same situation he has found himself in for the last several years. He could have gone down as the greatest of all-time, but the drug test failures, if they already hadn’t tarnished his legacy, they certainly have now.
Josh:
I’m going a little higher level and say the UFC in general was my most disappointing thing of 2017. We still don’t know what Endeavor (the former WME-IMG) is all about and what they hope to do with the sport. We got two new titles introduced to little to no fanfare. Interim title fights were abound. Head-scratching main events were made. Cards were thin while events were plentiful. Conor McGregor was allowed to box in a strictly financial move. For a group that is supposed to be the stewards of the sport, UFC leadership was often derelict in that duty last year.
What’s your biggest question(s) for the MMA year ahead?
Ryan:
I think, maybe not the biggest question, but one of the most important ones is how the new television deal is going to impact the future. They will announce a new deal this year, but how much they get and for what amount of content, is a big question mark. It is certainly going to have an effect on their business model, whether it’s positive or negative, and it may change how things are run, and how often we get fight cards, and what types of fights are booked. It is an interesting situation that needs to be followed.
Paul:
Can anyone break away from the pack of really good fighters to become a bigger than life star that people will flock to in droves to see fight on PPV? UFC has always had 2-3 such fighters since their business exploded in popularity in 2005. The biggest possibility would seem to be Francis NGannou should he beat Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title. Other contenders would be Rose Namajunas or Sage Northcutt if the latter could string a series of wins together.
Josh:
I really wonder where the sport will be at a year from now. It feels like 2016 was an anomaly and 2017 was the norm with what Endeavor’s vision is: a few loaded PPVs a year, some PPVs reliant on one or two fights, a lot of thin cards on free TV and Fight Pass, and “we gotta fill out a show” booking. I hope we are in a better place a year from now, but we’re going to need a few lucky breaks and some real forward thinking (less events in the new TV deal) in order to get there.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 219: Cyborg vs. Holm, emanating from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The UFC closes out 2017 with one of the biggest women’s’ title fights in history as UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg makes her first title defense against former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm, who looks to become the first woman to win UFC titles in two different weight classes.
Cyborg finally became a UFC champion in July when she scored a knockout win over Tonya Evinger, and she makes her first title defense against Holm, who is most famous for knocking out Ronda Rousey to end her reign as champion at 135 pounds. Holm is coming off of a head-kick knockout win over Bethe Correira in June.
In the co-main event, Khabib Nurmagomedov makes his long-awaited return to action as he takes on Edson Barboza in a bout that could determine who is next in line at 155 pounds. Also on the main card, Cynthia Calvillo takes on former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza, and former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit returns to action as he battles Neil Magny.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT
> Tim Elliott (#11 FLW, 14-8-1, 3-6 UFC) vs. Mark De La Rosa (9-0, 0-0 UFC) Bantamweights
Elliott goes for an early takedown but De La Rosa has the neck and Elliott passes to side control as he pops his neck out. Elliott in the full guard. De La Rosa looking for an armbar but Elliott defending. Elliott picks him up and slams him down but De La Rosa still has the arm. He gets out of it and takes the back. They scramble and Elliott gets back into the guard. Elliott lands some punches from the top. Elliott looking for a D’arce choke and then has an arm-in guillotine and has De La Rosa mounted. He lets go but lands some elbows and then takes the back. Elliott with more shots from the top. 10-9 Elliott.
Elliott immediately grabs the neck and goes for a choke before they scramble on the mat. Elliott gets into the guard and is landing punches. De La Rosa looking for a triangle but Elliott is able to grab the neck and locks in an anaconda choke and gets De La Rosa to tap out. Big win for Elliott, who is emotional after the fight after his coach, Robert Follis, passed away two weeks ago.
Official Result- Tim Elliott def. Mark De La Rosa by submission (anaconda choke) at 1:41 of Round 2
FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
> Louis Smolka (#14, 11-4, 5-4 UFC) vs. Matheus Nicolau (12-1-1, 2-0 UFC) Flyweights
They come out swinging and Nicolau landed a big left hook. Nicolau landed a right hand and is showing good movement on his feet. Nicolau then dropped Smolka with a left hand and goes on top and lands some. They got back to their feet and Nicolau dropped Smolka again with a combo. Nicolau in the half-guard and looking for an arm-triangle choke. He has it in deep and Smolka is trying to fight it off and he somehow escapes. They get to their feet. Nicolau rocks Smolka on the feet with a big combo and then drops Smolka once again with another left hook. Smolka somehow survives the round. 10-8 Nicolau.
Smolka firing away some kicks as Nicolau is landing the jab that opens up Smolka. Nicolau rocks Smolka again with a combo. They trade big punches. Smolka starting to land more punches now but Nicolau is quicker on his feet. Smolka with a body kick. Nicolau tags Smolka again. Smolka with another body kick but eats more left hooks from Nicolau. Smolka with another body kick but eats more punches from Nicolau. 10-9 Nicolau, 20-17 Nicolau.
Smolka the one pressing forward to start the round. Both land. Smolka with a high kick but Nicolau grabs the leg and gets a takedown. Nicolau with some leg kicks. Smolka gets to his feet and lands a leg kick. Nicolau lands from the top but they get to their feet. Smolka lands a left hook. Nicolau gets another takedown and looks for a choke but Smolka is able to scramble and pull guard. Nicolau gets the back of Smolka and is looking for a late choke. He almost has it but Smolka escapes as the fight ends.
Official Result- Matheus Nicolau def. Louis Smolka by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)
Akhmedov with a leg kick right away. They trade punches and Akhmedov with more kicks, to the legs and body. Akhmedov is landing big punches as Vettori is backing away. They trade big punches in the pocket. Akhmedov hurts Vettori with a left hand and Vettori is pinned against the fence. They trade punches and Vettori looking for openings. Akhmedov shoots for a takedown against the fence but it is defended. 10-9 Akhmedov.
Akhmedov with some leg kicks to start the second round and then lands a big right hand. Vettori coming forward but eating punches and kicks from Akhmedov. Akhmedov gets a takedown. Vettori goes for a triangle but Akhmedov escapes. Vettori is able to get to his feet and they separate. Akhmedov with a spinning back fist. They trade kicks. Vettori with a left hand as he presses forward. Akhmedov is beginning to slow down. They trade and Vettori pushes Akhmedov against the fence but they break the clinch. Both look gassed out as the round ends. 10-9 Akhmedov, 20-18 Akhmedov.
Vettori lands some big punches to start the third round and he has Akhmedov in trouble. Vettori with a step-in knee. They clinch and break and Akhmedov spits out his mouthpiece to induce a timeout. Back to action and Akhmedov with a spinning back fist. They start swinging and both land and Vettori with a body kick. They clinch against the fence. Vettori lands a knee on the break and then some left hands. Vettori lands a big head kick and Akhmedov stumbles back. Vettori with a knee to the body. He is landing lots of punches this round. Akhmedov goes for a takedown but falls to his back and Vettori gets on top and is landing big ground-and-pound as the fight ends. Gonna be close on the scorecards. 10-9 Vettori, 29-28 Akhmedov.
Official Result- Marvin Vettori vs. Omari Akhmedov ends in a majority draw (28-28, 29-28 Vettori, 28-28)
> Myles Jury (#15, 16-2, 7-2 UFC) vs. Rick Glenn (20-4-1, 2-1 UFC) Featherweights
They trade kicks before clinching against the fence. They break as Jury lands a knee. Jury with a body kick. They trade punches and Jury rocks Glenn with a left hand. Jury with a body kick. Jury with another body kick. Glenn gets a brief takedown but Jury sweeps to the top and is in the guard. They get to their feet and trade body kicks. Glenn lands a nice combo. Jury with a body kick. Jury with a flying knee and follows it with a left hand and Glenn was rocked. 10-9 Jury.
Glenn comes forward with pressure and presses Jury against the fence but they break. Jury lands a combo. Glenn goes for a takedown but Jury rolls away. Jury with a body kick. Glenn working for the takedown against the fence and they scramble for a moment. Jury gets on top and working for an arm-triangle but Glenn is able to escape. Jury still on top and is blocking any offense attempts from Glenn. Jury with some punches from the top. 10-9 Jury, 20-18 Jury.
They trade and then clinch against the fence before breaking. Jury lands a left hand and is showing good movement on the feet. They trade and Glenn is trying to apply pressure but Jury is landing kicks and knees to keep him away. Jury lands a left hand. Glenn with a high kick that is blocked. Jury with a knee in the clinch. Glenn keeps coming forward though he is losing the exchanges. Jury with more knees to the body. Jury with a late takedown and some punches from the top.
Official Result- Myles Jury def. Rick Glenn by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Khalil Rountree (6-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (12-2, 0-0 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Rountree with a kick to the body. Oleksiejczuk lands a punch. Rountree with a high body kick and then a leg kick. Rountree with a big combo and Oleksiejczuk is cut around his right eye. Oleksiejczuk gets a takedown. Rountree grabs the neck and gets to his feet. Rountree still has the neck and Oleksiejczuk is in trouble. Rountree with a flying knee and he is now teeing off on Oleksiejczuk. Rountree taking deep breaths and lands a right hand. Oleksiejczuk lands a right hand and then lands a combo. Rountree lands some punches but Oleksiejczuk lands more in return. Rountree is slowing down. Oleksiejczuk with body punches and a body kick. Both landing in close range. Close round. 10-9 Oleksiejczuk.
Rountree comes out firing quickly. They trade punches. Rountree still gassed, though. Oleksiejczuk now landing more and he is beginning to pick Rountree apart. Rountree lands an uppercut though as there are still openings. They trade kicks. Oleksiejczuk with combos to the body. Rountree still throwing punches in return. They trade left hands. Rountree with some knees in the clinch but Oleksiejczuk lands some body punches. Oleksiejczuk with a body kick. 10-9 Oleksiejczuk, 20-18 Oleksiejczuk.
Rountree lands some punches to start the third. Oleksiejczuk grabs a single leg and scores a takedown. Oleksiejczuk landing from the top while holding Rountree on the mat. Oleksiejczuk moves to side control. Rountree trying to get out from the bottom. He starts to scramble but Oleksiejczuk grabs his back and keeps him on the mat. Oleksiejczuk in side control and is landing elbows. Oleksiejczuk grabs the back but gets back to sinde control against the fence. Oleksiejczuk landing body punches. Big round for Oleksiejczuk. 10-8 Oleksiejczuk, 30-26 Oleksiejczuk.
Official Result- Michal Oleksiejczuk def. Khalil Rountree by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
PPV MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
> Carlos Condit (#8, 30-10, 7-6 UFC) vs. Neil Magny (#12, 19-6, 12-5 UFC) Welterweights
Condit with a quick leg kick. Condit with a kick but Magny grabs it and pushes Condit to the mat. Magny comes in and Condit grabs the leg and is looking to get up but Magny gets into his full guard. Condit gets to his feet. Magny gets a brief takedown. They are clinched and both land before they break. They both land punches. Condit just misses a head kick. Condit with a leg kick. Condit with a combo. Magny lands a right hand. Condit lands a right hand and then a leg kick. Condit with a spin kick. 10-9 Magny.
Condit with a combo ending with a body kick. Condit with a body kick and then a heavy leg kick. Magny with a body kick and Condit follows with a leg kick and they clinch. Magny with some knees and gets a takedown. Condit looking for a leg lock. Magny gets into the guard of Condit. They get back to their feet and Condit lands an elbow on the break. Condit getting aggressive and lands some elbows. Condit with a combo and has Magny clinched against the fence. Magny with a takedown but Condit right back up. Magny gets another takedown. Condit looking for an armbar. Magny with some punches from the top. 10-9 Magny, 20-18 Magny.
They trade kicks. Condit with a body kick and then a leg kick. Condit with a combo. Magny with a leg kick. Condit misses a head kick and Magny grabs his back. Condit has the arm looking for a kimura but loses it. Magny lands a right hand. Condit with a combo. Condit with a combo against the fence and then lands a body kick followed by a leg kick. They trade in close range. Magny with a leg kick. Condit with a spinning back kick. Condit with another spin kick. Condit with a combo and another spin kick followed by an elbow. They clinch and Magny gets a takedown and is in the guard. Condit trying to scramble out from the bottom and does. 10-9 Magny, 30-27 Magny.
Official Result- Neil Magny def. Carlos Condit by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
They trade punches early. Calvillo ducks under a strike from Esparza and gets a takedown. Calvillo in the half-guard. They both look to scramble and Calvillo gets in the full guard. Esparza looking for the armbar from the bottom. She might have it but loses it and Calvillo is in side control. Esparza with elbows from the bottom. Calvillo with some short elbows from the top. Esparza tried to use the fence to spin out from the bottom but Calvillo still landing from side control. They almost get up but Calvillo takes it down and lands some big punches. Calvillo tries to take the back but Esparza ends up on top and lands some punches to end the round. 10-9 Calvillo.
Calvillo with some leg kicks to start the second round. Calvillo lands an overhand right. Esparza with a leg kick and then a combo. Esparza lands a big right hand. Calvillo coming forward but not landing anything. Calvillo lands a left hand after having a takedown attempt stuffed. Calvillo lands a right hand. Calvillo stuffs a takedown attempt from Esparza. They trade punches. Calvillo lands a right hand. Esparza gets a brief takedown and lands a leg kick as Calvillo was standing up. Esparza lands a right hand. Esparza with a body kick as Calvillo lands a right hand. Esparza with a takedown but Calvillo gets right back up. 10-9 Esparza, 19-19.
They trade punches. Esparza grabs a single leg but Calvillo defends and pushes Esparza against the fence. They break. Esparza with a leg kick and then another. Esparza with another leg kick. Neither lady landing many punches. Esparza opens up her combos with leg kicks. They trade kicks. They trade punches. Esparza is applying more pressure this round and lands a right hand. Calvillo goes for a takedown but it is defended. Esparza has the neck and uses it to break and lands a left hook as they break. Esparza lands a combo. Esparza with a takedown but Calvillo scrambles to her feet immediately. Esparza with a leg kick. They exchange wild punches at the end. 10-9 Esparza, 29-28 Esparza.
Official Result- Carla Esparza def. Cynthia Calvillo by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Dan Hooker (14-7, 4-3 UFC) vs. Marc Diakiese (12-1, 3-1 UFC) Lightweights
Both looking for their range early on. Diakiese just misses a spinning back kick. They trade leg kicks. Hooker with a big leg kick. Diakiese with a spinning back kick to the body though Hooker catches the leg but lets go. Hooker lands the jab. Hooker with a leg kick. Diakiese with a body kick. He just misses a wheel kick to the head. Hooker gets a late takedown, Diakiese gets to his feet just before the round ends. 10-9 Hooker.
Diakiese lands a left hand. Hooker with a body kick. Both still gauging range. Diakiese lands another left hand. They are clinched and Hooker working for a takedown against the fence. They break and Diakiese with a couple of calf kicks. Hooker with a right hand and then gets a takedown. Hooker has the back but is not doing anything. The crowd is booing and the referee warns them to work. Hooker is working for a choke. Not much happened after. Boring round. 10-9 Hooker, 20-18 Hooker.
Diakiese coming out aggressive. Diakiese with a couple of big right hands. Diakiese with a left hook followed by a right hand. Diakiese looks for a takedown but Hooker grabs the neck and locks in a guillotine choke. It is in tight and Diakiese immediately taps out. Big win for Hooker.
Official Result- Dan Hooker def. Marc Diakiese by submission (guillotine choke) at :42 of Round 3
Barboza immediately lands some leg kicks. He lands another. Both throwing big punches but neither landing. Nurmagomedov lands a right hand and then grabs the body lock. Barboza able to scramble away. Barboza with a body kick then followed with a leg kick. Khabib with a flying knee and then grabs the body and gets the takedown. Khabib with some big elbows. He lands some big left hands. Barboza pinned down. Nurmagomedov with some big punches from the top. Khabib with a big right hand. Khabib gets into the full mount but Barboza escapes position. Khabib with big right hands and left hands as he’s looking to finish. Nurmagomedov just mauling Barboza on the mat. Nurmagomedov with big ground-and-pound using elbows. Khabib almost had a choke. Nurmagomedov with more big punches at the end. 10-8 Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov with some body kicks to start the second. Barboza is tired. Nurmagomedov with a big combo. Khabib with a lot of kicks landing. Nurmagomedov pushes Barboza against the fence but doesn’t take him down. They break and Khabib with a lot of pressure. Barboza lands some body punches and a body kick. Nurmagomedov with two big right hands and he has the leg and gets a takedown. Nurmagomedov has the back. Nurmagomedov gets on top and is laying big punches on Barboza. Big ground-and-pound by Khabib to end the round. 10-8 Nurmagomedov, 20-16 Nurmagomedov.
Khabib landing big punches on the feet to start the third. Nurmagomedov grabs the legs against the fence and works for the takedown and gets it. Barboza is able to get up and escape and he lands a wheel kick to the body. Barboza misses another wheel kick attempt and Nurmagomedov gets a takedown. Khabib with punches but Barboza gets to his feet and throws some late offense. Big win for Khabib in an incredible performance. 10-9 Nurmagomedov, 30-25 Nurmagomedov.
Official Result- Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Edson Barboza by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-24)
Holm pressing forward to start the fight. Cyborg tried a head kick but Holm grabbed the leg and threw her down. Cyborg got up and they clinched against the fence but broke. Cyborg lands a left hand. Holm lands a right hand. Both ladies land punches. Holm lands a combo. Cyborg with a leg kick and lands a combo. They trade and then clinch and Cyborg lands a knee. Holm lands a left hand. Holm just misses a head kick and Cyborg lands a right hand at the horn. 10-9 Cyborg.
Both land punches inside the first thirty seconds. Cyborg lands a combo. Holm keeps coming forward but is eating counter punches. Cyborg with a body kick. Holm with a high kick. Holm lands a left hand. Both land punches. Holm lands a left and they clinch again. Holm lands an elbow on the break. Holm lands a left hand. They clinch and Holm lands on the break. Both land big punches. Cyborg with a body kick. Holm lands a left. 10-9 Holm, 19-19.
Holm just misses a head kick. Cyborg misses a body kick. They clinch and Cyborg has the underhooks. Cyborg with a knee to the body on the break. Holm lands a combo. Cyborg with a leg kick. Cyborg lands a right hand. Holm with a right hand followed by a high body kick. Holm lands a left hand. Cyborg with a high kick. Cyborg with a knee to the body. Cyborg with a body kick and Holm counters with a leg kick. Holm just misses a hook kick. They clinch but quickly break. Holm lands the left hand. Cyborg with a body kick. Cyborg lands a right hand and then a big flurry at the end. 10-9 Cyborg, 29-28 Cyborg.
Holm lands a left hand. She just misses a head kick. Cyborg with a body kick. Cyborg landing more combos and lands a high kick. Holm lands a body kick. They trade kicks. Holm lands a left hand but Cyborg counters with a right hand. Cyborg with a teet kick. Holm with a body kick. They clinch but break and Cyborg chases Holm around the Octagon. They trade high kicks. Holm just misses a high kick but lands a combo. Cyborg with the jab. Holm with a head kick that is blocked. 10-9 Cyborg, 39-37 Cyborg.
Holm with a body kick. Holm with a high kick. Cyborg with a high kick. They both land leg kicks. They clinch and Holm has the better position. They break and Cyborg with a body kick. They trade kicks. Holm with a high kick. Cyborg with a right hand. Cyborg with a body kick. Holm with a body kick. Cyborg with a leg kick and Holm lands a left hand. Holm with a body kick. Cyborg with the jab but Holm lands a left hand. Both land punches and Cyborg gets the better of it. Cyborg with a right hand. 10-9 Cyborg, 49-46 Cyborg.
Official Result- Cris Cyborg def. Holly Holm by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47), Cyborg remains UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion
