Category: UFC News

UFC Fight Night 117 live results: Ovince Saint Preux vs. Yushin Okami

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 117: Saint Preux vs. Okami, emanating from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

The event is headlined by a five-round bout in the light heavyweight division that was put together with just a week’s notice as Ovince Saint Preux takes on Yushin Okami, who returns to the UFC for the first time in four years.

Saint Preux was originally scheduled to fight Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, but Rua was forced out due to a knee injury, and Okami stepped in on a week’s notice to make his UFC return. He fights at light heavyweight for the first time in his career, as he has most recently fought as a welterweight, going 5-2 since his UFC release.

The co-main event is a pivotal fight in the women’s strawweight division as former title challengers Claudia Gadelha and Jessica Andrade do battle. Also on the main card is the UFC debut of former K-1 kickboxing star Gokhan Saki, who takes on Henrique da Silva.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

FXX PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Daichi Abe (5-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Hyun Gyu Lim (13-6-1, 3-3 UFC)
Welterweights

Abe immediately lands a heavy leg kick. They traded punches early and both men are looking to finish it quickly. Lim landed a right hand but Abe countered with a left hook. They landed left hooks at the same time. Abe is landing harder punches. Lim then landed a hard right hand. Abe is working on the inside leg kicks and then lands an overhand right. Abe lands another hard right hand. They are swinging for the fences. Abe rocked Lim with a left hook. They both landed left hands and Abe stumbled to the mat for a moment. Good opening round. 10-9 Abe.

They were trading and Lim poked Abe in the eye bad and we had a break. Abe was able to recover and continue. They started trading again and Lim landed a big right hand that rocked Abe and started to slow him down. Lim landed another right hand. Abe tried landing a combo but Lim landed a right hand as he was coming in. Lim landed another big right hand. Abe landed a hard right hand that rocked Lim bad at the end. Another good round. 10-9 Lim, 19-19.

Lim landed a hard right hand at the opening of the round. Abe has slowed down and Lim has been coming on strong, especially since the eye poke he did on Abe. They traded leg kicks. Lim landed a nice combo. Abe with a leg kick but Lim counters with a right hand. Lim stuns Abe with a left hook. All striking in this fight, not one grappling exchange. Lim is showing the better conditioning and he is landing. Abe all of a sudden knocked Lim down with a right hand and landed some punches on the ground with just over ten seconds left. Abe got a late takedown. Lim’s nose was busted open. Abe likely stole the fight in the last thirty seconds. 10-9 Abe, 29-28 Abe.

Official Result- Daichi Abe def. Hyun Gyu Lim by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Shinsho Anzai (9-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Luke Jumeau (12-3, 1-0 UFC)
Welterweights

They traded punches early on. Anzai missed a big telegraphed takedown on Jumeau. They clinched and Anzai landed a couple of knees before they broke. Jumeau landed a leg kick but Anzai countered with a hard right hand. They clinch and Jumeau lands a hard right hand. They clinch again and Anzai begins to land some knees. Anzai starts landing some more and he is landing with more power and volume. Jumeau lands a front kick to the face late. Anzai rocked Jumeau with a hard right hand late as well. Close round, 10-9 Anzai.

Anzai got a quick but brief takedown at the start of the second. They got back up and Jumeau defended another takedown attempt. Anzai is letting his hands fly. They clinch and Anzai lands some punches. Anzai got a takedown and started working from the guard. Anzai was landing punches and elbows as Jumeau was unable to get up from the bottom. Anzai stood up and Jumeau scrambled to his feet. Jumeau looking more tired. Jumeau landed a late uppercut. 10-9 Anzai, 20-18 Anzai.

Jumeau lands some leg kicks as he stuffs a takedown from Anzai. Anzai just looking for takedowns in this round as Jumeau is landing punches. Anzai charges forward and lands a series of punches. Anzai looking tired now. Anzai goes for a takedown but eats a knee from Jumeau. Jumeau starts landing more punches as the round heads towards the end. Jumeau with a series of knees, punches and uppercuts at the end. He won the round, but might not be enough. 10-9 Jumeau, 29-28 Anzai.

Official Result- Shinsho Anzai def. Luke Jumeau by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

> Syuri Kondo (5-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Chan-Mi Jeon (5-1, 0-1 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

Kondo is a Japanese wrestling star. They were feeling each other out early. Jeon landed a right hand but Kondo countered with a harder right hand. They started striking at close range. Jeon had to run away when she had her back against the fence. Jeon with a leg kick but Kondo counters with a right hand. Jeon landed a head kick. Kondo landed some right hands in close range. They traded in close range. Kondo started landing with more volume and was having to chase Jeon down. Kondo landed an overhand right. Jeon with a front kick to the body. 10-9 Kondo.

They started landing early. This has been mostly striking so far. Jeon missing on her punches and Kondo is not. Kondo with a body kick. Kondo landed a big right hand that rocked Jeon. Jeon was trying to land elbows. Kondo landed another big punch and a knee. Kondo has Jeon in trouble and Jeon is trying to circle away. Kondo landing more punches and now teet kicks to the body followed by punches. Jeon starts to land punches in close range. Jeon is bleeding from her nose. Kondo lands some punches and grabs the clinch and lands a knee. Jeon is bringing the fight but Kondo is in control. 10-9 Kondo, 20-18 Kondo.

Both ladies looking fresh. They are trading and Jeon is starting to find a spot for her punches. Jeon misses a head kick. Jeon lands a nice right hand and Kondo starts to pressure with some punches. Kondo with more pressure as she is landing more now. A spinning back fist is missed by Kondo. Kondo poked Jeon in the eye and we got a brief break. They came back firing punches and Kondo was landing more and had Jeon in trouble as Jeon was backing up. Kondo with a spin kick to the body of Jeon. They swung for the fences in the last ten seconds. 10-9 Kondo, 30-27 Kondo.

Official Result- Syuri Kondo def. Chan-Mi Jeon by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)

> Keita Nakamura (32-8-2 1 NC, 3-5 UFC) vs. Alex Morono (13-3 1 NC, 2-0 1 NC UFC)
Welterweights

Morono tried sprinting out with a right hand but Nakamura ducked under it. Morono landed a left hook but Nakamura landed a right hook. They are being patient and pacing themselves. Morono landed a hard right hand. They both landed hard punches. Nakamura hurt Morono with a kick to the body and Morono was backtracking. Morono is cut over his eye. They slow the pace back down. Nakamura with another body kick. Morono landed a hard right hand at the end. 10-9 Nakamura.

Both being patient and Nakamura lands a high kick. Nakamura attempts a Superman punch but couldn’t get it off but lands a left hand. Nakamura lands another left hand. They trade leg kicks. Nakamura is circling away from Morono’s attacks. Morono landed a jab. Morono lands a right hand. Morono is landing more with the hands while Nakamura is landing more with the kicks. Nakamura with a body kick. Morono with a late flurry. 10-9 Morono, 19-19.

They were trading and Nakamura grabbed the body and got a takedown. Morono had the neck but let go and Nakamura was in side control. They got back to their feet. Both men missing their punches. Nakamura feinted low and landed a high kick. Morono landed a right hand and Nakamura is cut open. Nakamura scored another takedown. Morono had the head but let go and they scrambled to their feet. Nakamura with a body kick. Nakamura with a straight left hand. He lands another. They both land punches. Nakamura controlling the Octagon more. They trade late head kicks. 10-9 Nakamura, 29-28 Nakamura.

Official Result- Keita Nakamura def. Alex Morono by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

FXX MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT

> Jussier Formiga (#5, 19-5, 5-4 UFC) vs. Ulka Sasaki (20-4-2, 3-3 UFC)
Flyweights

They were trading early and Sasaki was landing kicks and knees to the body. Sasaki has a size advantage. Sasaki with aknee to the body. Sasaki is keeping his hands low and Formiga is landing punches. Formiga with a right hand. Sasaki with a body kick but Formiga counters with a punch combo. Formiga goes for a takedown and gets it. Formiga goes for side control but Sasaki recovers guard. Formiga is able to take the back of Sasaki and is working for the choke. Formiga landing punches from the back and has a choke locked in. Sasaki is hand-fighting but the choke is in deep. Sasaki taps! Formiga gets the first finish of the night and gets it by submission.

Official Result- Jussier Formiga def. Ulka Sasaki by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:30 of Round 1

> Teruto Ishihara (9-4-2, 2-2-1 UFC) vs. Rolando Dy (8-5-1 1 NC, 0-1 UFC)
Featherweights

They trade kicks to start off the fight. Ishihara with a leg kick and then drops Dy with a left hand. Ishihara swarms on Dy and is looking for the finish. Ishihara with some punches on the ground. Ishihara with more big left hands from the guard. Big elbow from Ishihara. Ishihara working for a guillotine now. They get up but Ishihara takes Dy back down. Ishihara with more ground-and-pound with some big elbows. Ishihara with more punches from the top. Ishihara with lots of punches from the top and Dy has no answer from the bottom. Ishihara goes back into the guard. No finish, but a huge round for Ishihara. 10-8 Ishihara.

Ishihara with a body kick and then gets knee’d in the cup. Ishihara lands a left hand but eats a head kick from Dy. Ishihara looking for a takedown but Dy defends. Ishihara with a leg kick but Dy counters with a combo. Dy landing his punches as he counters leg kicks. Ishihara with a Superman punch. Ishihara lands another straight left hand. They trade punches. They trade kicks. They trade left hands and Dy then lays in a combo on Ishihara. Neither man doing much with striking defense. Ishihara with some leg kicks. Dy lands a left hook. Dy with some body kicks late. Close round. 10-9 Dy, 19-18 Ishihara.

Dy landed a big knee that knocked Ishihara to his knees and Ishihara grabbed Dy and pressed him against the fence looking for a takedown. They broke against the fence. Dy landed a big knee to the groin of Ishihara and we have a long timeout for Ishihara to recover. Back to action and Dy is bringing the fight. Ishihara lands a head kick that stuns Dy. They clinch and Dy lands an elbow before they break. Dy lands a head kick that rocks Ishihara. They trade punches and Dy lands a big kick to the cup of Ishihara and Ishihara goes down hard in a lot of pain. Dy got a point taken away, which was the right call. Dy tried to argue it was the first time when it was the third time. Back to action and Ishihara gets a quick takedown. They got up. Ishihara went for a takedown but Dy grabbed the fence. They traded at the end. 10-8 Ishihara with the point deduction, 29-26 Ishihara.

Official Result- Teruto Ishihara def. Rolando Dy by unanimous decision (28-27, 28-27, 29-27)

> Gokhan Saki (0-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Henrique da Silva (12-3, 2-3 UFC)
Light Heavyweights

Saki is an exciting K1 kickboxer. Saki with a right hand and then a head kick that rocks da Silva. Saki lands a big left hand. Saki with a head kick and then drops da Silva with a straight left hand. da Silva now goes for a takedown as he gets to his feet. Saki escapes. Saki with big left hands to the head and body. Saki with a combo. Saki landing lots of punches. Saki then rocks da Silva and is teeing off on him. Saki close to finishing it. Saki with big punches. Saki with more big punches and da Silva grabs the clinch but it is broken. da Silva changes levels and goes for a takedown but Saki scores his own takedown. da Silva up and lands some knees on Saki. Saki with a big combo now. da Silva lands a head kick. da Silva now with some knees and he is attacking. They are trading and Saki lands a huge left hook that knocks da Silva out. Holy cow. That is one of Saki’s signature punches and it gets him the win in his UFC debut. This was an exciting fight.

Official Result- Gokhan Saki def. Henrique da Silva by knockout (punch) at 4:45 of Round 1

> Takanori Gomi (35-13 1 NC, 4-8 UFC) vs. Dong Hyun “Maestro” Kim (14-8-3, 1-2 UFC)
Lightweights

Gomi is in desperate need of a win. Kim working with some leg kicks to start off. Kim attacking the body with kicks now. Gomi looking for a huge left hand. Kim dropped Gomi with a straight right hand and is landing on the ground and the referee steps in. Kim with the big finish in the first round and Gomi has to be finished after this.

Official Result- Dong Hyun “Maestro” Kim def. Takanori Gomi by TKO (punches) at 1:30 of Round 1

> Claudia Gadelha (#1, 15-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Jessica Andrade (#4, 16-6, 7-4 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

Gadelha lands an early combination. Gadelha lands a big right hand. She lands some more straight right hands. Andrade showing good head movement. They are throwing bombs. Andrade has been unable to really connect with punches. Gadelha lands a series of punches and Andrade is bleeding very badly right now. Andrade’s cut is decent on the Muta scale. Andrade picked Gadelha up and slammed her down very hard and is on top landing punches. Andrade landing punches from the top. Andrade had a strong finish to the round but I have it for Gadelha. 10-9 Gadelha.

Gadelha is also bleeding and she lands a right hand to start the second and then scores a brief takedown. They scramble around on the mat and get back to their feet against the fence. Gadelha went for a takedown but Andrade sprawled and ended up on top. Andrade with body punches on the ground. They get to their feet. Gadelha with a head kick and then they trade punches. Big exchanges and we have blood everywhere. Andrade with a big combination. Andrade is teeing off right now. She lands a lot of punches. Gadelha tries a takedown to slow her down. Gadelha lands a big right hand. She is tired. Andrade with more big combos of punches to the head and body. Gadelha grabs the neck and jumps up for a guillotine but the round ends. 10-9 Andrade, 19-19.

They are trading and clinch and Andrade picks Gadelha up and slams her down. Andrade in side control and she is landing punches to the body. Andrade with more punches from the top and Gadelha is just trying to hang on as she is tired. Andrade with more punches from the top and Gadelha can do nothing. Andrade passes into side control. Gadelha trying to scramble out but Andrade sprawls and is still landing. Andrade with more body strikes. Gadelha gets to her feet but Andrade has the back and is landing. Gadelha has the neck but lets go. Andrade with big punches. Completely dominant round from Andrade and she gets a big slam at the end. 10-8 Andrade, 29-27 Andrade.

Official Result- Jessica Andrade def. Claudia Gadelha by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-27)

> Ovince Saint Preux (#6, 20-10, 8-5 UFC) vs. Yushin Okami (34-10, 13-5 UFC)
Light Heavyweights

Okami goes straight for a takedown but it is defended. Saint Preux has a neck and is trying to step over into mount. Saint Preux lets go into half-guard. Okami has the neck but Saint Preux is looking for a Von Flue Choke and has it and Okami goes out cold! That is the third time he has won with the Von Flue Choke, so it should be renamed for him now- the Von Preux Choke.

Official Result- Ovince Saint Preux def. Yushin Okami by submission (Von Preux Choke) at 1:50 of Round 1

UFC Fight Night 116 live results: Luke Rockhold vs. David Branch

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 116: Rockhold vs. Branch, emanating from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The event is headlined by the return to action of former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold, who steps inside the Octagon for the first time since losing the championship in June 2016. He looks to get back into the win column and work back towards a title shot when he takes on David Branch, winner of eleven straight fights, including his return bout in the UFC in May.

In the co-main event, Mike Perry looks to build on his potential as he looks for another knockout when he takes on Alex Reyes, who steps in on just a few days’ notice after Thiago Alves was forced out due to travel issues stemming from Hurricane Irma. Also on the main card is Kamaru Usman looking to score his tenth straight win as he battles Sergio Moraes.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Jason Saggo (12-3, 3-2 UFC) vs. Gilbert Burns (12-2, 4-2 UFC)
Lightweights

They traded kicks to start off the action. Saggo landed a high kick but ate a body kick from Burns. Burns landed a left hand and followed with a leg kick. Burns is landing punches as he counters leg kicks from Saggo with them. Burns with a straight right hand and then followed with a leg kick and a knee on a clinch break. Burns landed a body kick but Saggo grabbed the leg and forced Burns to his back. Saggo was attacking from a standing position with kicks. Burns got to his feet and landed a right hand. Burns scored a brief takedown but they got up and then Burns dragged the fight back down. Burns with some heavy right hands on top and had the back as the round ended. 10-9 Burns.

Saggo was attacking with kicks to open the round. Burns shot for a takedown but it was defended. Saggo with a body kick. They exchanged kicks. Saggo was landing more kicks at different areas of Burns’ body. Burns just missed a huge right hand. Burns landed a combo and then scored a huge slam takedown and pushed Saggo against the fence. Saggo was able to use the fence to get to his feet and they broke. Burns lands a right hand. Saggo with a body kick. Burns then landed a huge right hand that knocked Saggo out cold with just under ten seconds to go in the round. It was a huge punch and Burns gets the win by knockout!

Official Result- Gilbert Burns def. Jason Saggo by knockout (punch) at 4:55 of Round 2

> Krzysztof Jotko (#10, 19-2, 6-2 UFC) vs. Uriah Hall (#14, 12-8, 5-6 UFC)
Middleweights

Hall tried coming out fast but Jotko was able to push him towards the fence. Jotko landed a combo. Hall is keeping his back against the fence but comes forward with a leg kick. Jotko landed some big punches and has Hall in a lot of trouble. Hall went down but got up and Jotko is landing big punches and came close to finishing. Jotko got a takedown and was landing but that takedown may have been a mistake. Jotko gets the back but pulls Hall back down and is landing big punches and gets into the mount. Hall gives up his back and Jotko is landing more punches. Hall gets up but Jotko is on his back. Jotko looked for the choke but didn’t have it in and went back to the mount. Hall was able to scramble out to his feet. Both men are tired and wobbling on their feet. Hall landed a left hand that stunned Jotko. We are going to the second. 10-8 Jotko.

Jotko landed an uppercut. Hall missed a spinning high kick but then kind of landed one. Hall then took his back to the fence, which almost cost him the fight in the first. Hall fights best when he is coming forward but he’s been going backward most of the fight. He is now starting to come forward and lands a right hand. Hall then dropped Jotko with a right hand and then finished him off. What a comeback from Hall, who looked done in the first as he saves his UFC career for now.

Official Result- Uriah Hall def. Krzysztof Jotko by knockout (punches) at 2:25 of Round 2

> Anthony Hamilton (15-7, 3-5 UFC) vs. Daniel Spitz (5-1, 0-1 UFC)
Heavyweights

Hamilton went down after Spitz landed a right hand to the temple and Spitz landed a bunch of more punches and the fight was quickly stopped. It happened fast but the fight could have gone longer as it was a questionable stoppage, though Hamitlon stumbled when getting to his feet. This one went less than 30 seconds. A big knockout win by Spitz for his first UFC victory.

Official Result- Daniel Spitz def. Anthony Hamilton by TKO (punches) at :24 of Round 1

> Tony Martin (12-3, 4-3 UFC) vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier (9-2, 5-2 UFC)
Lightweights

They were feeling each other out early and both landed leg kicks. Aubin-Mercier landed a left hand. Martin landed a right hand and Aubin-Mercier came back with a left hand and a right hook. They traded punches. Aubin-Mercier went for a takedown but it was stuffed by Martin. They were battling for underhooks against the fence. Aubin-Mercier got a takedown with under a minute to go. Martin was able to scramble out to his feet. They traded punches late. Close round. 10-9 Aubin-Mercier.

Aubin-Mercier lands a leg kick and left hand to start the second. He landed a body kick and went for a takedown but it was stuffed by Martin. Aubin-Mercier got a takedown against the fence. Martin has been planted on the mat but both men are landing short punches on the ground. They get to their feet and Aubin-Mercier takes the back. Aubin-Mercier got a takedown against the fence. Aubin-Mercier is landing from the top and Martin can’t sweep from out under. 10-9 Aubin-Mercier, 20-18 Aubin-Mercier.

Martin lands a combo with a solid right hand to start the third. Aubin-Mercier goes for a takedown but Martin has the neck and had a choke locked in but it was defended by Aubin-Mercier, who popped his head out. Martin has the back and is working for a choke as he lands short punches. Martin is still working for the neck but it is being defended and he is still landing short punches. Martin landing more to end the fight. Martin got the third. Close fight which will come down to how the first round was scored, and that could have gone either way. 10-9 Martin, 29-28 Aubin-Mercier.

Aubin-Mercier got two of the scorecards for a split decision. Not a bad call as it was close.

Official Result- Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Tony Martin by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

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

> Justin Ledet (8-0 1 NC, 2-0 UFC) vs. Zu Anyanwu (14-4, 0-0 UFC)
Heavyweights

They are feeling each other out in the first minute. Ledet is looking to land the jab while Anyanwu is looking to counter with an overhand right. Ledet with a right hand. Ledet landed a left hook. Ledet with a straight right hand. Anyanwu landed a right hand finally but backed off. They are fighting slow and it is uneventful. Anyanwu with a right hand to the body. 10-9 Ledet.

They are still feeling each other out as Ledet is landing the jab. He is going with the jab followed by a hook. Anyanwu landed a right hand and just missed the uppercut. Anyanwu landed a right hand but Ledet is landing with more volume. The crowd is booing this. Ledet landing the stiff jab. Slow round again. 10-9 Ledet, 20-18 Ledet.

Anyanwu is on the attack looking to land the right hand and he had Ledet running away as he just landed the right. Anyanwu landing some more punches. Ledet keeping him away with the jab but Anyanwu landed a hard right hand. Anyanwu landed another right hand. Ledet with another jab. Anyanwu’s face is a mess with a swollen eye. Anyanwu backs Ledet up with some punches and he lands another right hand. Anyanwu with a late combo. 10-9 Anyanwu, 29-28 Ledet.

Official Result- Justin Ledet def. Zu Anyanwu by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

BREAKING: Mauricio Rua is injured and pulled out of the main event of UFC Fight Night 117 in Saitama, Japan, which takes place on Friday. He was scheduled to face Ovince Saint Preux. In his place, Yushin Okami has signed to return to the UFC and will face Saint Preux.

> Kamaru Usman (#13, 10-1, 5-0 UFC) vs. Sergio Moraes (12-2-1, 6-1-1 UFC)
Welterweights

Moraes was swinging early. Usman then dropped Moraes with a right hand. Moraes got back up and they were trading punches but Usman was landing a lot more volume. Moraes landed a solid right hand. Usman then knocked Moraes out with a big right hand. Moraes actually did a somersault roll and Usman landed one more right hand on the mat. A big knockout win for Usman, who has now won ten straight fights.

Official Result- Kamaru Usman def. Sergio Moraes by knockout (punch) at 2:48 of Round 1

> Gregor Gillespie (9-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Jason Gonzalez (11-3, 1-1 UFC)
Lightweights

Gonzalez came out with two straight head kicks and a left hand and Gillespie clinched. Gonzalez landed a knee in the clinch. Gillespie then landed a left hand that dropped Gonzalez and he swarmed on top and was looking for the finish but went into the guard. They scrambled to the feet and Gillespie was rocking Gonzalez with punches. They are trading heavy punches. This is fun. Gillespie got a big takedown. Gonzalez is bleeding and Gillespie working in the half-guard but transitions to mount. Gillespie with some big punches from the top, They scramble to their feet. Gonzalez with a head kick. Gillespie gets another takedown. They get to their feet. Gillespie lands a big elbow and then landed a big uppercut that rocked Gilespie. Gillespie with another takedown into the mount but he goes to side control. Gillespie lands more from the top. Exciting round. 10-9 Gillespie.

Gonzalez with another head kick. Gillespie starts landing punches to the body and gets a takedown. Gillespie gets into the mount. Gillespie looking to set up an arm-triangle choke. Gillespie with some pressure and he has the choke locked in tight. Gonzalez is defending and he taps out! Gillespie with the submission win in an exciting fight.

Official Result- Gregor Gillespie def. Jason Gonzalez by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 2:11 of Round 2

> Hector Lombard (34-7-1 2 NC, 3-5 1 NC UFC) vs. Anthony Smith (27-12, 3-2 UFC)
Middleweights

Smith with a high kick early. Lombard looking to land the left hand and he is chasing Smith to the fence. Lombard with some punches inside close range. Smith goes to his knees looking for a takedown but Lombard is landing punches. Smith back to his feet. Smith just misses a head kick. Lombard with a couple of leg kicks and then a big body kick. Lombard is landing big punches as Smith retreats towards the fence. Lombard with some leg kicks. Lombard with more big leg kicks and he’s landing with his hands. Smith isn’t showing much defense. 10-9 Lombard.

Lombard with more leg kicks. They clinched for a moment and Lombard landed on the break. Lombard with more leg kicks. Smith can’t get any offense going. Lombard grabs the back and is looking for a takedown. Lombard with some knees to the legs of Smith with the back body locked. They break and Smith lands some elbows. Lombard with a left hand. Smith lands a right hand. Smith lands a right hand and Lombard is stunned and slips to the mat. Lombard grabs Smith and drags him down. 10-9 Lombard, 20-18 Lombard.

They trade inside the first minute of the final round. Lombard with a leg kick and Smith lands to the body. Smith with a right hand that stuns Lombard. They trade kicks. Lombard landing the lefts. Smith then lands a big combo and a right hand knocks Lombard down and Smith finishes him off with a couple more punches on the ground. A big comeback win for Smith as he needed that.

Official Result- Anthony Smith def. Hector Lombard by TKO (punches) at 2:33 of Round 3

> Mike Perry (10-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Alex Reyes (13-2, 0-0 UFC)
Welterweights

They were trading early and Reyes was landing some good kicks. Perry was missing his punches and they were running around in the Octagon looking to land. They clinched up and Perry landed a vicious knee right to the jaw that knocked Reyes out cold. Violent finish by Perry as he scores another knockout win. Perry called for a fight against Robbie Lawler in his interview.

Official Result- Mike Perry def. Alex Reyes by knockout (knee) at 1:19 of Round 1

> Luke Rockhold (#3, 15-3, 5-2 UFC) vs. David Branch (#9, 21-3, 3-2 UFC)
Middleweights

Branch with a right hand to start and Rockhold lands some body kicks in counters. Branch lands a lot of punches that hurt Rockhold against the fence and Branch gets a takedown but Rockhold right back to his feet. They clinch and Rockhold has Branch against the fence and lands a knee. They break and Rockhold with a leg kick. They clinch again after Branch lands a right hand. Rockhold with a knee to the body as they break. Rockhold with a jumping kick followed by a left hand. They clinch and Rockhold with a knee. Rockhold gets a late takedown despite Branch grabbing the top of the Octagon in an attempt to block. 10-9 Branch.

Rockhold with a body kick. Rockhold lands a left hand. Branch missing his punches. They clinch. Rockhold pushes Branch against the fence and is working for a takedown. Rockhold gets the takedown and has the mount and is landing. He gets the back of Branch and is landing punches. Rockhold working for a finish as he has Branch pinned on the mat and is landing punches. Branch not defending as Rockhold has the back. Rockhold has him flattened out and is landing lots of punches and the referee steps in and stops the fight. Branch actually tapped out due to the punches. Big win for Rockhold is his return as he stamps himself as the possible next title challenger.

Official Result- Luke Rockhold def. David Branch by submission (punches) at 4:05 of Round 2

Daniel Cormier regains UFC gold without throwing a punch

Posted on by Josh Nason

On a day when the California State Athletic Commission changed Jon Jones’ third round knockout win over Daniel Cormier to a no-contest due to Jones’ PED failure, the UFC reinstated Cormier as the UFC light heavyweight champion.

On Wednesday’s edition of UFC Tonight, Cormier discussed the reversal and then the championship being returned:

BREAKING: Daniel Cormier says Dana White will reinstate him as UFC light heavyweight champion! Thoughts? https://t.co/Ai6eOUAh07

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) September 14, 2017

Cormier said that financially, the belt makes a huge difference as opposed to him fighting for the vacant title which is why he accepted it.

The 38-year-old had a four-fight win streak snapped at the hands of Jones, the only man to ever defeat Cormier. He won the title Jones vacated after he dispatched Anthony Johnson in May 2015. After wins over Alexander Gustafsson, Johnson again, and a non-title victory over Anderson Silva, Cormier finally got the rematch against Jones that was originally scheduled for UFC 200.

Gustafsson remains the front runner for the next shot against Cormier while Volkan Oezdemir remains a dark horse candidate.

Jon Jones’ B sample confirms banned substance

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: Zuffa.com

Citing multiple sources, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported Tuesday night that UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ B sample has also tested positive for a banned subsance.

MMA Fighting also confirmed the news.

In late-August, TMZ reported that Jones had tested positive for the anabolic steroid Turinabol from a sample taken on July 28th. He and his team denied Jones had knowingly taken anything and there was hope the B sample might show something different. Alas, that apparently wasn’t the case.

After additional due process, Jones will await punishment from both the California State Athletic Commission and USADA that could see him out of action for up to four years, a crushing blow to a career that looked to have been revived after his big knockout win over rival Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 — his return after a year on the shelf due to taking estrogen blockers.

Jones can appeal any rulings. As of now, he has yet to be stripped of the title.

After the Cormier win, Jones was setting up a fight with WWE Universal Champion and former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar for the future — a fight that seems to be all but dead as of now.

UFC 215 live results: Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2

Posted on by Ryan Pike

Preview by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to our live cageside coverage of UFC 215 from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The UFC heads to Edmonton for the very first time, and unfortunately, the originally planned main event of flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson vs. Ray Borg was scrapped due to illness from the challenger. Johnson was in search of history as he was looking for his eleventh consecutive title defense.

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes defends against Valentina Shevchenko in the new main event. The two were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 213 in July, but the fight was cancelled the day of the event as Nunes fell ill and was forced out of the bout. Their history has been long documented. Nunes holds a win over Shevchenko but Shevchenko came on strong at the end of their first fight with many thinking she would have won a five-round bout. She gets that five rounds and that chance to wrap a UFC title around her waist tonight.

The co-main event is a welterweight bout with title implications on the line as Neil Magny takes on former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos. Also on the card, fighters known for exciting fights square off in the main card opener as Jeremy Stephens slugs it out against Gilbert Melendez.

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

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] after the show.

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

> Kajan Johnson (21-12-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Adriano Martins (28-8, 4-2 UFC)
Lightweights

Not a lot of action early, as Martins laid claim to the center of the cage and kept Johnson to the outside. Not surprisingly, the crowd wasn’t too thrilled with this early approach. But in the final minute of the round, Martins floored Johnson with a hard left and nearly finished him with a kneeling guillotine choke but Johnson was saved by the horn. 10-9 Martins.

More circling by Johnson to evade Martins in the second round. Johnson attempted more strikes than he did in the first round, but Martins was able to evade many of them and score some counter shots. Johnson generated more attempted offense, but Martins had the edge in Octagon control. 10-9 Martins, 20-18 on my scorecard.

Early in the third round, Johnson caught Martins coming in for a takedown with a counterpunch and dropped him for the knockout finish. The crowd didn’t like this fight at all until the finish.

RESULT: KAJAN JOHNSON (22-12-1) by knockout at 0:49 of the third round

> Luis Henrique (10-3 1 NC, 2-2 UFC) vs. Arjan Bhullar (6-0, 0-0 UFC)
Heavyweights

No Jinder Mahal for Bhullar’s walk to the cage. According to Ariel Helwani, Bhullar requested to wear his turban during his entrance and was denied.

It was a fairly back and forth opening round. Both fighters had their moments, but Bhullar was more of an aggressor and seemed to get the better of most of the exchanges. 10-9 Bhullar.

More back and forth early. Bhullar dropped Henrique with a right hand but couldn’t finish him on the ground. Bhullar got a slam, though Henrique almost wriggled free in the process. Loud “Arjan” chants. Bhullar couldn’t get much done on the ground, though, and Henrique survived. 10-9 Bhullar, 20-18 on my card.

Henrique dictated the pace early, seemingly pressing due to Bhullar’s performance in the previous round. Both fighters were pretty tired, though, and their strikes were a bit sloppy and lacked a lot of power. Henrique got the better of the exchanges, but didn’t do a ton of damage. Henrique 10-9, but 29-28 Bhullar overall. Big ovation from the crowd at the final horn.

RESULT: ARJAN BHULLAR (7-0) by unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)

Another very loud ovation for the decision.

FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Mitch Clarke (11-4, 2-4 UFC) vs. Alex White (11-3, 2-3 UFC)
Lightweights

Loud ovation for Clarke’s introduction, as he lives in Edmonton.

Clarke came out of the gates with some energy, controlling the middle of the Octagon and getting the best of some striking exchanges. He slowed down a little bit as the round wore on, though, and White began to execute. He did just enough in the first half of the round to have a very slight edge. 10-9 Clarke, but it was a close round.

White seemed to take the fight over in the second. Clarke’s strategy seemed to be tying White up in the clinch and trying to score some short-range punches. But White wriggled free and connected with a lot of elbows in the clinch, bloodying Clarke’s nose. After a couple back and forth exchanges that White got the better of, Clarke was knocked down hard and the referee waved it off.

RESULT: ALEX WHITE (12-3) by technical knockout at 4:36 of the second round

Following the fight, Clarke said it was a pleasure to fight in front of his adopted hometown and that it was his last professional fight. He thanked the Edmonton fans.

> Gavin Tucker (10-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Rick Glenn (19-4-1, 1-1 UFC)
Featherweights

Another loud ovation for the entrance and introduction of a Canadian, this time for Newfoundland’s Tucker.

Tucker came out with a frenzy of offense early, but Glenn weathered the storm and began to exert control as the round wore on. Tucker seemed to initiate the offensive flurries, but Glenn’s counter-punching was more effective and he likely did more damage during the round. 10-9 Glenn.

Glenn got an early takedown, but Tucker was able to escape. After a brief back and forth, Glenn got Tucker against the cage and eventually worked him to to the ground. He didn’t get close to a finish, despite a late flurry of strikes on the ground, but Glenn had Tucker’s back or had him on his back for much of the round. 10-9 Glenn, 20-18 overall.

Glenn seemed content to stick to his gameplan in the third, clinching Tucker against the cage and once again working him down to the mat. Glenn kept going for strike finishes on the ground – punches, then knees – but Tucker kept wriggling free before the referee jumped in. Tucker nearly got finished again on the ground via Glenn’s strikes, but he once again managed to wriggle free and survived the round. The referee realistically had three or four good chances to stop the fight, but didn’t. Tucker may not have gotten a single instance of offense during the entire round. Glenn 10-8, 30-26 overall.

RESULT: RICK GLENN (20-4-1) by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-24, 29-27)

> Sarah Moras (4-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith (#15, 5-2, 2-2 UFC)
Women’s Bantamweights

Evans-Smith got Moras down and was working on the ground for position. Moras wriggled free out of a tough spot and, eventually, grabbed hold of Evans-Smith’s arm and rolled through for an armbar and a submission victory. Moras spent roughly 85% of the round on her back with a foot, shin or knee in her face, but she executed some impressive grappling.

RESULT: SARAH MORAS (5-2) by submission at 2:51 of the first round

“All I heard was my coach shouting ‘use your legs!’ So I used my legs.” – Moras, explaining her submission victory to Joe Rogan.

> Sara McMann (#6, 11-3, 5-3 UFC) vs. Ketlen Vieira (#13, 8-0, 2-0 UFC)
Women’s Bantamweights

McMann came out fast and took Vieira into the cage with a clinch, eventually executing a takedown attempt that ended with her in Vieira’s guard. Vieira defended well for a while, then survived a flurry of McMann strikes from the mount and countered and grabbed McMann’s ankle, but McMann fought out of that as the round ended. McMann 10-9.

Vieira was very sharp in the second round. She stuffed a takedown attempt from McMann and got the better of their exchanges in the clinch along the cage. Eventually Vieira scored a takedown and gradually worked into an arm triangle on the ground. With no way out, McMann tapped out.

RESULT: KETLEN VIEIRA (9-0) by submission at 4:16 of the second round

PPV MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT

After being roughly 60% full for much of the prelims, Rogers Place looks to be roughly 85% full for the beginning of the main card. The biggest gaps in the seating are down low, in the expensive seats.

> Jeremy Stephens (#8, 25-14, 12-13 UFC) vs. Gilbert Melendez (#14 LW, 22-6, 1-4 UFC)
Featherweights

Stephens hung back a bit early in the first, letting Melendez take the fight to him and executing leg kicks to Melendez’s lead leg to wear him down. Twice he dropped Melendez with this method, the second time Stephens went for the finish but the horn saved Melendez. Otherwise, Stephens still got the better of their striking exchanges. 10-8 Stephens. The commission doctor checked on Melendez before the second round began.

Both fighters made adjustments for the second round. Melendez slightly adjusted his stance, but kept advancing on Stephens. Stephens kept hanging back, but was much more active in initiating striking exchanges and mixing up his combos. Melendez continued to be on the receiving end of much of Stephens’ offense and was knocked down by another leg kick late in the round. 10-9 Stephens, 20-17 Stephens through two.

Stephens continued his dominance in the third round. He knocked down Melendez with a leg kick and he rolled to his feet, so Stephens encouraged the crowd to cheer for him. Stephens dropped Melendez twice more with leg kicks, but wasn’t able to finish the fight. 10-8 Stephens, 30-25 Stephens overall.

RESULT:JEREMY STEPHENS (26-14) by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)

Post-fight, Stephens put over his fiance for letting him postpone the wedding to take this fight. He also put over Melendez as one of the best ever, but noted he doesn’t think his game has evolved.

> Ilir Latifi (#10, 12-5 1 NC, 5-3 UFC) vs. Tyson Pedro (#13, 6-0, 2-0 UFC)
Light Heavyweights

The opening round was incredibly close. Punches were met by counterpunches. Clinches were met with counters. Takedowns were followed by scrambles to standing positions. Latifi got a couple big takedowns, the best countering a Latifi attempt at a headkick, so he had a very slight edge. But both men executed well. Latifi 10-9.

The second was even early on, with Pedro anticipating Latifi’s strikes well and countering. But the round swung on a takedown by Latifi midway through, as Latifi was able to keep Pedro on the ground or on the fence in the clinch for the duration. 10-9 Latifi, 20-18 Latifi through two.

Latifi seemed content to counter Pedro’s offense and stay out of danger early in the third, but eventually he scored a takedown out of the clinch and kept Pedro on the mat for the remainder of the fight. 10-9 Latifi in the third and it should be 30-27 in his favour overall. It wasn’t an incredibly entertaining fight, but Pedro had no answer for Latifi’s gameplan.

RESULT: ILIR LATIFI (13-5, 1 NC) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

> Henry Cejudo (#2, 10-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Wilson Reis (#5, 22-7, 6-3 UFC)
Flyweights

It was back and forth early, with Cejudo consistently getting the better of the exchanges. Reis scrambled out of a guillotine attempt by Cejudo, but Cejudo managed a few nice offensive flurries and a takedown late. 10-9 Cejudo.

Cejudo caught Reis on the button with a clean right hand that dropped him, then followed up with a flurry of punches on the ground before the referee jumped in to stop the fight. Very strong performance by Cejudo, particularly with his striking.

RESULT: HENRY CEJUDO (11-2) by technical knockout at 0:25 of the second round

> Neil Magny (#6, 19-5, 12-4 UFC) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (#10, 26-9, 15-7 UFC)
Welterweights

Dos Anjos countered an early Magny punch with a leg sweep to get him on the ground, then gradually worked through Magny’s guard and finally locked in an arm triangle for the submission. Magny never really got out of the gates in this one.

RESULT: RAFAEL DOS ANJOS (27-9) by submission at 3:43 of the first round

Joe Rogan put over dos Anjos as a potential title contender during the post-fight interview, and dos Anjos declared that he’s coming for the belt.

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid was shown on the big screen for easily the loudest crowd reaction of the night. (Arjan Bhullar was the second loudest.)

> Amanda Nunes (C, 14-4, 7-1 UFC) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (#1, 14-2, 3-1 UFC)
UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship

Once she got into the cage, Nunes didn’t look at Shevchenko at all during the fighter introductions, stretching in her corner facing her coaches until Bruce Buffer finished his introductions.

Nunes controlled the middle of the cage throughout the first round, but seemed to hestitate with her striking – double-clutching on a couple openings early on. She avoided a Shevchenko takedown attempt and narrowly got the better of a few striking exchanges. It was a very close round. 10-9 Nunes, but it was extremely close.

The second round was equally close. Nunes maintained her Octagon control, but Shevchenko was much more active in engaging with strikes and was more effective than Nunes was in terms of delivering damage. Another very close round, leaning 10-9 Shevchenko. 19-19 through two rounds.

Nunes and Shevchenko continued at the same pace in the third round. Once again, Nunes controlled the middle of the Octagon and left Shevchenko to circle around the outside. Nunes engaged a bit more with her striking, though, with Shevchenko attempting to create offense via counters. It was another tough round to score, leaning 10-9 Nunes. 29-28 Nunes through three rounds but really any scores could be defensible.

The fourth round was very similar to the third. Nunes began throwing more leg kicks, but they were the extent of her offense. Shevchenko began engaging more from the outside and got the better of several striking exchanges, including a very nice knee to the body of Nunes in the middle of the round. 10-9 Shevchenko, arguably the least close round so far. My scorecard is 38-38 through four close rounds.

The fifth round opened up a bit, as both fighters were more aggressive than they had been previously. Shevchenko got the better of several standing striking exchanges. After a failed takedown attempt along the cage, Nunes managed to get one and take Shevchenko’s back. Shevchenko escaped, then was taken down again after some work along the cage by Nunes. Shevchenko was on the defensive for the better part of this round. 10-9 Nunes. My scorecard reads 48-47 Nunes through five very close rounds.

The crowd booed frequently throughout the fight (and chanted for their hockey team), which is a bit of a shame considering it was a very tactical bout between evenly-matched opponents.

RESULT: AMANDA NUNES (15-4) by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)

UFC 215 Observer Panel Picks: Nunes vs Shevchenko II

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa

UFC returns to PPV tonight, but instead of Demetrious Johnson attempting to set the record for consecutive UFC title defenses, we’ve got a women’s bantamweight title fight that was originally scheduled to headline July’s UFC 213.

Champion Amanda Nunes will defend against Valentina Shevchenko in a rematch of their 2016 fight which Nunes won by decision. Nunes was fading in the third round of that fight and most observers feel that in a five round fight, Shevchenko may have gotten the best of her. Nunes went on to win the title and Shevchenko defeated former champion Holly Holm and TUF winner Julianna Pena to earn this title shot.

After the main event that was elevated due to the Johnson-Borg fight being scrapped, the card really thins out in terms of marquee value. In the co-main event, former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos continues his run toward a welterweight title shot as he faces perennial top 10 contender Neil Magny. This will be a good test for RDA as Magny is more or less a gatekeeper in the division.

Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez moves down to featherweight against tough veteran Jeremy Stephens. Melendez will fight for the first time in a year after a suspension due to PEDs, but with a win here, he could enter the title mix.

Originally scheduled for the FS1 prelims, past flyweight title challengers Wilson Reis and Henry Cejudo has been bumped up to the main card. Either guy is at least two wins away from another shot after having been easily dispatched by Johnson.

Rounding out our panel picks is Canadian veteran Mitch Clarke vs. Alex White in what could be a loser leaves town fight. White has lost three of his last four coming into this one and Clarke has not won since 2014 although that win was an impressive one over Al Iaquinta.

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Our year-long panel picks are listed below and listed alongside the fighter’s names are their worldwide FightMatrix rankings, as well as BestFightOdds.com betting odds. The panelist’s 2017 records is in parentheses, along with panel consensus picks and a line where we show how the betting favorites did:

  • John Pollock (43-18; .705) — Fight Network analyst, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, MMA Report co-host
  • Favorites (41-20; .672)
  • Dave Meltzer (41-20; .672) — Wrestling Observer publisher
  • Consensus Picks (39-21; .650)
  • Tom Lawlor (15-9; .625) – Filthy Four Daily co-host, budding pro wrestling star, UFC enhancement talent currently suspended due to wellness violation
  • David Bixenspan (38-23; .623) – Deadspin pro wrestling columnist; Between the Sheets podcast host
  • Mike Sempervive (37-24; .607) — Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
  • Steve Juon (37-24; .607) — MMA Mania writer, Angry Marks publisher
  • Josh Nason (37-24; .607) — Host of Josh Nason’s Punch Out, WrestlingObserver.com assistant editor
  • Mike Sawyer (36-25; .590) — Tough Talk MMA publisher
  • Ryan Frederick (34-27; .557) — WrestlingObserver.com UFC writer
  • Paul Fontaine (34-27; .557) — MMADraws.com publisher, WrestlingObserver.com writer
  • Front Row Brian (31-30; .508) — MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, podcast host

> UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes (14-4) vs Valentina Shevchenko (14-2) II

Nunes pulled out hours before this fight was originally scheduled in July, leading to UFC immediately rebooked the fight for September. Despite the greater mainstream appeal of former champion Ronda Rousey, Nunes’ run in UFC has been almost as impressive. She has won seven of her eight UFC fights with all but one of those victories being first round stoppages.

Shevchenko’s three UFC wins have come against two former world champions and a TUF winner and her only loss came to Nunes in a very close fight. Her only other career loss early in her career came at the hands of Liz Carmouche, a former world title challenger.

Most feel that Shevchenko is the only fighter in the division with a realistic shot at beating the champion and it’s tough to see who is next for Nunes should she win. She has talked of wanting a run at the featherweight title, but we’ll see how that plays out.

  • Nunes #1; +110 betting underdog: FRB, Juon, Bix, Nason
  • Shevchenko #2; -120 betting favorite: Frederick, Sawyer, Lawlor, Pollock, Fontaine, Meltzer, Sempervive

> Neil Magny (19-5) vs Rafael Dos Anjos (26-9)
Welterweights

Since losing to the very tough Demian Maia in a short notice fight, Magny has rebounded to win four of his last five fights with wins over former champion Johny Hendricks and former TUF middleweight winner Kelvin Gastelum highlighting that stretch. He doesn’t jump to the top of the list when you think of title contenders, but a win here could change that perception.

Dos Anjos is the former lightweight champion who moved up a weight class after losing his title and a followup fight against future interim lightweight title challenger Tony Ferguson. He beat former Strikeforce champion Tarec Saffiedine in his welterweight debut and a second straight win here might leave him one win short of a title shot.

  • Magny #9; +170 betting underdog: Juon, Lawlor, Pollock, Fontaine
  • Dos Anjos #6; -155 betting favorite: FRB, Frederick, Sawyer, Meltzer, Bix, Nason, Sempervive

> Henry Cejudo (12-2) vs Wilson Reis (22-7)
Flyweights

Cejudo was destroyed in his title challenge in the first round against Johnson and went on to suffer his second career loss at the hands of #1 contender Joseph Benavidez. He needs a win here badly to stay relevant in this division.

Reis’ title challenge came in his last fight and he lost via third round submission to the champ which snapped a three-fight win streak for the Brazilian. This could be very interesting as Cejudo’s game is wrestling-based but with Reis being a submission expert, he may not want to go to the ground. A third straight loss may have Cejudo contemplate a move to bantamweight as he has had weight cutting issues in the past.

  • Cejudo #3; -325 betting favorite: FRB, Frederick, Sawyer, Juon, Lawlor, Pollock, Fontaine, Meltzer, Bix, Nason, Sempervive

> Jeremy Stephens (25-14) vs Gilbert Melendez (22-6)
Featherweights

Stephens has recently passed the ten year mark in his UFC career and with a recent win over former champion Renan Barao, he’s still relevant in the divison. He has lost three of his last four, but two of those were against current champion Max Holloway and former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Like Magny in the co-main, he’s very much a divisional gatekeeper.

Melendez has had a rough start to his UFC career. The former Strikeforce lightweight champion has lost three in a row and four of his five promotional bouts. However, three of those losses were against former champions in Eddie Alvarez, Benson Henderson, and Anthony Pettis. He always seemed to be the smaller guy in his lightweight fights so perhaps a move down to 145 will be good for him. With his name value, he could enter the list of title contenders with a win over Stephens.

  • Stephens #14; +110 betting underdog: Sawyer, Juon, Lawlor, Meltzer
  • Melendez #46 at lightweight; -110 betting favorite: FRB, Frederick, Pollock, Fontaine, Bix, Nason, Sempervive

> Mitch Clarke (11-4) vs Alex White (11-3)
Lightweights

This fight was originally scheduled as the featured Fight Pass prelim, but was bumped up to the FS1 prelims when the Cejudo-Reis fight was moved to the main card. Clarke, the Canadian, should be the hometown hero and he’ll need that extra support as he’s just 2-4 in his UFC career and hasn’t had a win in over three years.

White has been slightly better with a 2-3 record in UFC. He originally started as a featherweight but moved up to lightweight for his last fight, a loss against the unheralded Tony Martin. They’re not billing this as loser leaves town, but it probably is.

  • Clarke #384; +188 betting underdog: FRB, Frederick, Juon, Pollock, Fontaine, Bix
  • White #343; -195 betting favorite: Sawyer, Lawlor, Meltzer, Nason, Sempervive

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The rest of the card:

> Ilir Latifi (12-5) vs Tyson Pedro (6-0)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

  • Latifi #19; +125 betting underdog
  • Pedro #26; -125 betting favorite

> Sara McMann (11-3) vs Ketlen Vieira (8-0)
WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS

  • McMann #5; -205 betting favorite
  • Vieira #20; +205 betting underdog

> Sarah Moras (4-2) vs Ashlee Evans-Smith (5-2)
WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS

  • Moras NR; +240 betting underdog
  • Evans-Smith #28; -227 betting favorite

> Rick Glenn (19-4) vs Gavin Tucker (10-0)

FEATHERWEIGHTS

  • Glenn #40; +240 betting underdog
  • Tucker #121; -230 betting favorite

> Luis Henrique (10-3) vs Arjan Bhullar (6-0) HEAVYWEIGHTS

  • Henrique #108; +185 betting underdog
  • Bhullar #86; -200 betting favorite

> Kajan Johnson (21-12-1) vs Adriano Martins (28-8)
LIGHTWEIGHTS

  • Johnson NR; +450 betting underdog
  • Martins #34; -475 betting favorite

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Action begins with the Fight Pass prelims at 7 PM EST and moves over to FS1 at 8 PM EST. The main card airs on PPV at 10 PM EST and our own Ryan Pike will be cageside covering the show.

UFC 215 discussion on the Board, including Ryan Frederick’s extensive preview of the card, along with fighter notes

UFC 215 main event off due to illness

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Ray Borg, who was scheduled to headline Saturday’s UFC 215 against flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, was pulled from the Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, event Thursday night due to an illness that wasn’t related to weight cutting.

Due to the late nature of the change, Johnson, who was going for the UFC record for most consecutive title defenses, is now off the show as well. UFC is looking at booking the fight as soon as possible.

The show will remain a PPV with a main event of women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko II. That fight was originally scheduled for this past summer, but had to be postponed due to a late pullout by Nunes due to complications from sinusitis.

MMA Fighting reported that Borg had been ill all week and had gotten progressively sicker. However, he was examined by UFC doctors who ruled he was too ill to fight and wouldn’t clear him. Borg said he was 133 pounds on Thursday morning, not a substantial weight cut to hit 125 by Friday morning.

Johnson came into the fight with ten straight title defenses, tying the all-time UFC record held originally by Anderson Silva. He has been the subject of controversy this summer after speaking out against Dana White when he attempted to get him to fight T.J. Dillashaw instead of Borg.

Henry Cejudo vs. Wilson Reis now moves to a main card that also features former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos vs. Neil Magny, Ilir Latifi vs. Tyson Pedro, and Gilbert Melendez vs. Jeremy Stephens.

Mayweather vs. McGregor gate fails to break all-time record

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While still being an overwhelmingly successful number, the live gate for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor superfight failed to break the record that Mayweather had established against Manny Pacquiao.

The Nevada Athletic Commission confirmed today that the gate for the August 26th fight was $55,414,865.79, falling short of the $72,198,500 in ticket sales generated by Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. Mayweather-McGregor now slots in as the second-highest gate in Nevada history, with 13,094 tickets sold and 137 complimentary tickets distributed.

The T-Mobile Arena was set up for 17,698 people, but high ticket prices contributed to the event not selling out despite substantial interest in it. There were 16,219 tickets sold for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2015.

Whether Mayweather vs. McGregor broke the North American pay-per-view record should be known soon. Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza has said that it’s tracking to do in the mid-to-high four million buy range, which would be around the 4.6 million mark set by Mayweather-Pacquiao.

Dana White previously claimed that the Mayweather-McGregor PPV did 6.5 million buys internationally.

Floyd Mayweather defeats Conor McGregor by TKO in 10th round

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The result may have been what most anticipated it would be, but the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor superfight delivered more than anyone could have reasonably expected it to.

Mayweather defeated McGregor by TKO in the 10th round, with the referee stopping the match as Mayweather was landing big shots and McGregor was about to go down. That came after McGregor put in a good showing as Mayweather felt him out early and waited to execute his gameplan.

In his post-fight interview, Mayweather reiterated that this was his final fight and praised McGregor as a champion. McGregor took issue with the stoppage, wanting the referee to make Mayweather put him down. McGregor said that he was only fatigued.

Mayweather was comfortably ahead on the judge’s scorecards at the time the fight was stopped. They had him up 89-81, 89-82, and 87-83.

McGregor had his most impressive moments in the first three rounds and landed 111 punches, which was 30 more than Manny Pacquiao did in his matchup with Mayweather.

Given their respective paydays, it was always going to be a good night for Mayweather and McGregor. But the result likely helps both as well. Mayweather got the win, advanced to 50-0, and put on a spectacle that pleased fans in a way that his superfight against Pacquiao didn’t.

For McGregor, he lasted 10 rounds against a boxing legend and was far from outclassed. He exits the bout a bigger star than he was going in, with options available for whatever he decides to do next.

McGregor said that he’d “of course” compete in the UFC again when asked about it after the fight.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor live results, news & recap

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Preview by Joseph Currier

After years of speculation, the fight finally being announced, a global press tour, and some huge hype during fight week, one of the biggest combat sports spectacles of all time is finally here.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor will meet in a boxing match at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight. It’s the matchup that so many people thought would never happen as boxing’s pay-per-view king steps into the ring against the biggest star in the UFC.

Aside from their massive paydays, Mayweather is looking to extend his record to a perfect 50-0 and McGregor is aiming to pull off an upset that most seem to think is close to impossible.

The PPV is available for $99.95 and the main card begins at 9 p.m. Eastern. Mayweather and McGregor should be making their entrances around 11:15 p.m.

Dave Meltzer will take you through what is sure to be a memorable night.

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Our coverage will be limited to the main event which should start at about 11:15 p.m. Eastern time.

McGregor is doing a promo with Jim Gray.  He’s very calm, talked about how confident he is.  Said he’d be creative and spontaneous.  He said he’d outclass him.  He said he’d knock him out in the first round. Gray said it was a surprise to people that he made weight.  That’s weird.  He’s never missed weight and used to fight at 145.  McGregor said he’d go into the ring near 170. so he’ll have probably 19 or 20 pounds on Mayweather.  

Because of issues with people ordering, they are stalling for time even though we’re done the prelims.

The national anthems are over and now it’s time for the highlight packages.  This fight is for the boxing version of the Million Dollar belt, but it’s sanctioned.  Conor McGregor is coming out.  

They are pushing this as if McGregor wins it’s one of the biggest upsets in history, but the odds at the sports books are not that long.

Mayweather is coming out with a mask on.  I hope that’s not Toru Tanaka out there pretending to be Floyd.

Now Mauro Ranallo is talking about Gene LeBell vs. Milo Savage and Ali vs. Inoki.  What about Butterbean vs. Bart Gunn?

Jimmy Lennon doing the ring announcing.  Judges are Guido Cavelleri , Burt Clements and Dave Moondog Moretti.  

McGregor out with two belts, even though in theory he should only have one.  They called him a two-division champion. They stripped him one of those divisions.  Mayweather is being booed.  At least with Mayweather they say former five division champion.  

First round:  Floyd is making faces at him.  The crowd is really booing Mayweather.  Mauro talked about Joe Namath, Buster Douglas, but not Juice Robinson when it comes to biggest upsets in sports history. McGregor throwing punches that aren’t landing. McGregor is throwing.  Mayweather finally threw a punch.  McGregor is much bigger.  Slow round.  McGregor landed a left uppercut.  McGregor’s round.

Second round:  McGregor has him in the corner.  McGregor threw punches and the ref said no hammer fists.  Mayweather landed a punch.  McGregor landed an uppercut and switched stances.  Mayweather with a right to the body.  McGregor landing more again.  Mayeather is not throwing punches.  McGregor holding and hitting.  McGregor holding and hitting again.  McGregor 20-18

Third round: McGregor with hammer fists to the top of the head.  McGregor holding and hitting.   McGregor is landing punches.  Mayweather isn’t doing much here.  Mayweather with body shot.  McGregor with jabs.  McGregor holding and hitting again.  McGregor 30-27.

Fourth round:  McGregor landing al kinds of punches.  Mayweather looks bad, he’s doing nothing.  Nice left by McGregor,.  Mayweather back to the body.  Now Mayweather coming back.  McGregor is still landing more.  Mayweather coming back now.  McGregor is still landing a lot more   Mayweather with a nice right.  McGregor 40-36. This round could go either way.  .

Fifth round:  McGregor landing jabs.  McGregor landing more punches.  The key to this is this is not the Mayweather I’ve seen before,  Mayweather landed a right.  Mayweather now moving forward but he’s not throwing.  McGregor landed  a left.  Mayweather shoved him after.  Close round, I think Mayweather here, 49-46.

Sixth round:  Mayweather turned his back to him.  The announcers are saying Mayweather looks like a shadow of himelf.  Mayweather is now taking over.  It looks like he was waitng for McGregor to tire.  McGregor is landing punches again.  Mayweather landed but McGregor back.  McGregor holding and hitting.  Mayweather landed a good right.  Mayweather’s round 58-56.  

Seventh round:  Mayweather with some body shots.  McGregor hasn’t shown a lot of power in his punches.  McGregor is landing but Mayweather’s shots are harder which is the oppostie of what people expected.  McGregor holding and hitting again.  Mayweather  is starting to land solid punches.  McGregor is tired now.  Mayweather’s round 67-66 McGregor.

Eighth round:  McGregor opened throwing punches.  McGregor landed a nice left.  Mayweather with two rights.  Mayweather landing cleaner shots.  Mayweather with solid shots but McGregor landed a combination.  Close round but I’d go Mayweather 76-76 even after eight. 

Ninth round:  McGregor landed a good body shot.  McGregor landing more now.  McGregor is landing a lot of punches.  Mayweather with a good right.  Another hard right by Mayweather.  Mayweather landing solid punches.  Mayweather is hurting him with solid punches.  McGregor is tired now.  McGregor looks really tired now.  Big left by Mayweather.  Big right by Mayweahter.  McGregor trying to tie him up.  Mayweather landing big shots and McGregor is in trouble.  Mayweather’s round 86-85 ahead for the first time.

Tenth round:  Mayweather is landing big shots on him now.  McGregor is about to go down.  The ref stopped it.  Mayweather won at 1:05 via TKO..

You have to call this a moral win for McGregor.

Mayweather said we gave people a good fight.  Said McGregor was a lot better than I thought he was.  Said he felt he owed people for the Pacquiao fight.  The game plan was to let him shoot his heavy shots early. The game plan was for him to shoot heavy shots in the beginning, MMA is 25 minutes so they expected after 25 minutes he’d slow.  Said he guaranteed everyone this fight wouldn’t go the distance.  He thanked fans from Ireland.  Asked him about 50-0, he said Rocky Marciano is a legend, he looks forward to going into the Hall of Fame and looks forward for Jim Gray going into the Hall of Fame as well.  He said for sure this was his last night.  Tonight I chose the right dance partner to dance with, Conor McGregor is a hell of a champion.

McGregor interview.  Said he took the early rounds, but he’s composed, he’s not that fast but he’s composed.  Said he thought it was close and an early stoppage, said he’d have liked to have let it keep going.  Said he keeps wobbly and comes back.  He’s more composed and more experienced in the latter part of the fight but that was 50 pro fights.  I’ve been stranged and came back, I have to let it go.  He said he thought it was fatigued.  Let the man put me down.  Said he was like that in the Diaz fight and came back.  Said he’d fight in the UFC again.  He said  I thought it was close, had him in the early rounds.  Said they should have let him go, said he was clear spoken and they shouildn’t have stopped it.  

The stoppage was fair.  He was exhausted.  Mayweather did his game plan, rested up and waited for McGregor to tire.

McGregor did the right type of interview.  Scores were 89-81, 89-82 and 87-83 .   The judges gave Mayweather every round after round three.  Honestly, the idea the first two scores were ridiculous because McGregor won the first three.  After that there were close rounds before Mayweather took over late.  

Mayweather vs. McGregor preview: Revenue, PPV buys, odds, more

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

What may be the biggest one-day revenue generating fight in history is just hours away with Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor in a boxing match taking place tonight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The fight, or more accurately, the cash heist, is expected to generate between $600 million and $700 million between all the various revenue streams, or very close to a full year of WWE revenue and more than a full year of UFC revenue.

Advance orders on PPV and iPPV are said to be incredibly strong, although the Mayweather-Pacquiao record of 4.6 million buys was achieved with an incredible number of late buys, and nobody can predict whether that is going to happen today.

It’s pretty clear the buzz is enormous and it’s all over ESPN, with what has been ostensibly fair coverage portraying the fight as, despite what Bob Bennett of the Nevada Athletic Commission said, would be unsanctionable if it wasn’t for the amount of money it would generate given Mayweather is 49-0 and the best boxer of his generation, even if a little past his prime, and McGregor never having fought in a professional boxing match.

Another controversy much talked about is that Rocky Marciano, a legendary heavyweight, finished his career at 49-0, the same as Mayweather, and the feeling that this should not be the fight to break such a hallowed mark.

But the fight was sanctioned by the Nevada Athletic Commission, even though Bennett even conceded other commissioners told him they would not sanction the fight.

Still, saying this would be the biggest upset in the history of boxing if McGregor would win goes greatly against the odds, which on Bovada this morning had Mayweather at only -375 and McGregor at +285. On paper, those odds are ridiculously close for what most experts see as a mismatch and one that McGregor has only a very slim chance of winning, and an early knockout being the best chance.

Between 92 and 93 percent of the bets have been for McGregor, although the biggest money bets, by far, have been for Mayweather, including some bets of more than $1 million. Even though far more actual money has been bet on Mayweather, for the sports books, a McGregor knockout win would constitute a major disaster, beating out the Holly Holm win over Ronda Rousey as the worst night for the sports books in history for a fight.

It has been said, with the volume of betting, that this will likely be the best night in history, or the worst, ever for sports books, depending on the outcome.

Here’s tonight’s schedule —

There will be two live fights from 7-9 p.m. Eastern on the Fox Network:

  • Yordenis Ugas vs. Thomas Dulorme in a welterweight fight
  • Juan Hernandez vs. Jose Miguel Borrego in a welterweight fight

The PPV starts at 9 p.m. Eastern:

  • Andrew Tabiti vs. Steve Cunningham in a cruiserweight fight
  • Gervonta Davis vs. Francisco Fonseca in a junior lightweight fight
  • Badou Jack vs. Nathan Cleverly in a light heavyweight fight
  • Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor in a super welterweight fight

Mayweather weighed in at 149.5 pounds and looked in great shape at that weight. He didn’t cut any weight since the fight is at 154 pounds. McGregor weighed in at 153 pounds, and is expected to go into the cage at 168 pounds, giving him a nearly 20 pound weight advantage.

The fight could be pivotal, as in some circles it’s being positioned as boxing vs. MMA, although the history of mixed matches shows in almost every case, it is the rules of the match that determine the winner, and this is under Mayweather’s rules.

But the reality is this fight is not as much boxing vs. MMA as the age-old of what is better between booking based on real sport credential or based on emotional fantasy. Unfortunately, the kind of attention this fight is getting and the public interest is one that greatly sways the reality of the modern fan into the latter camp.

For all the talk of UFC turning into pro wrestling, this has been the case in combat sports for a century, and based on the interest tonight, there is no sign at all that the public has changed.

There is a little known story, but this is actually not the first time Mayweather flirted with this kind of an idea. There was at least talk of a fight between Mayweather and Giorgio Petrosyan for May 3rd, 2014. Petrosyan at the time was the best kickboxer in the world.

Petrosyan was 76-1-2 in kickboxing, with his prior loss being six years earlier. But at a show in New York, Petrosyan was knocked out by Andy Ristie, and Mayweather lost interest in the gimmick fight, and fought Marcos Maidana on that date.

Another little known story is that Danny Hodge, before he became a pro wrestling superstar, but as an Olympic silver medalist in wrestling and undefeated three-time NCAA champion and arguably the most dominant college wrestler of all-time, went into pro boxing and there was talk of him getting a shot at then-champion Floyd Patterson.

But Patterson’s camp decided to go with Ingemar Johansson, for a 1959 fight at Yankee Stadium in New York, which Johansson won via third round knockout. Hodge had a 7-1 record at the time, but lost his next fight to Nino Valdes and never boxed again.

Watch the Mayweather-McGregor weigh-ins at 6 PM ET

Posted on by F4W Staff

After two months of hype, UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather will square off Saturday, August 26th, in Las Vegas, NV, in a boxing match.

The final hurdle: a weigh-in on Friday at 6 PM ET. The magic number for both men to hit is 154 pounds, the junior welterweight limit.

This will be McGregor’s first foray into boxing after a successful UFC run that brought him to prominence in the combat sports world. Mayweather (49-0) will be looking for his 50th professional victory, one that, if accomplished, will be sneered at by boxing media who see this fight as a farce. The fight is expected to set a gate record and compete for the all-time PPV sale record.

McGregor last competed in November 2016 by downing Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight title in Madison Square Garden. 

The particpants in the undercard will also weigh in Saturday.

Ronda Rousey getting married on same day as Mayweather vs. McGregor

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Ronda Rousey, 30, will be marrying longtime boyfriend and UFC fighter Travis Browne, 35, tomorrow in Hawaii.

Dana White broke the news on The Rich Eisen show today. He noted he was invited to the wedding but won’t be able to attend because it’s taking place on the same day as the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight.

White noted on the show that Rousey is in a good place in her life and has not announced her retirement as an MMA fighter.

While the news just broke from White today, the wedding date had been planned for some time as Shayna Baszler had an independent booking for the AWS promotion in Southern California on August 26th, but on the first weekend of July had informed the promotion that Rousey would be getting married on that date and had to cancel her booking.

Rousey has been training in recent weeks for pro wrestling with WWE. The first angle was shot last month at the Mae Young Classic, and the expectation is that a follow-up angle will be shot at the MYC finals on September 12th in Las Vegas.

UFC was interested in her making a return to the Octagon this year but there has been no talk of it of late.

Watch the final Mayweather-McGregor press conference at 4 PM ET

Posted on by F4W Staff

Image: USA Today

Unless someone gets hit with a lead pipe or slips on a wet floor, Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor are set to box this Saturday night in what promises to be one of the biggest single-night financial windfalls in sports.

After a memorable set of media events during a four-city tour in July, the two will meet outside the ring for the final time at a press conference in Las Vegas at 4 PM EST. 

The two made news last week when the Nevada State Athletic Commission approved the use of 8 oz. gloves for the fight, a one-time exception for a rule in place that allows for 10 oz. gloves to be used in fights contested at 147 pounds or more.

As is well known, this will be McGregor’s first foray into boxing while the heavily favored Mayweather will be looking for his 50th pro victory against 0 defeats.

Get your coverage here all week long.

UFC champ Jon Jones tests positive for anabolic steroids

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: UFC.com

On a week where the eyes of the fight world are on the UFC lightweight champion making his debut in a boxing ring, a budding megastar with a troubled past has once again given the UFC a black eye.

TMZ is reporting Tuesday night that UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones tested positive for the anabolic steroid Turinabol and has been stripped of the title he won by knocking out Daniel Cormier last month at UFC 214 — his first fight back since coming off a one-year ban for his first USADA violation. A second positive failure could mean up to a four year ban from the sport.

UFC confirmed the news, saying the positive test was taken on July 28th after Jones weighed in.

Yahoo’s Kevin Iole said Jones hasn’t been stripped of the title yet and that a statement from his team is coming.

After several years of incidents with the law and the USADA violation, Jones looked to have finally won the fans back after his impressive effort over Cormier. The expectation was that he would fight former opponent Alexander Gustafsson at some point this year and move up to heavyweight for a megafight against WWE Universal Champion and former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar in 2018.

If Jones is indeed suspended, a Cormier-Gustafsson rematch is appealing as well as a Cormier-Volkan Ozedemir fight given the latter’s recent propensity for knockouts.