This year’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view offered WWE the chance to revitalize one of their best match types.
The Money in the Bank briefcases haven’t been all that much of a factor over the past couple of years. Both men’s winners (Braun Strowman and Baron Corbin) failed on their cash-ins. The women’s winners (Alexa Bliss and Carmella) were successful, but Bliss cashed in on the same night that she won the 2018 ladder match. WWE has missed out on being able to use Money in the Bank as a star-making tool or something to kick off notable angles.
All Elite Wrestling, who with the talent, television deal and financial backing is already, after just one show, the hottest non-WWE force in the U.S. pro wrestling business in more than 20 years, debuted on 5/25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The show taught a lot of things, from the value of social media to the dissatisfaction with WWE. The show had one of the best atmospheres you could have for a wrestling show, and given the talent and line-up, a strong in-ring product was guaranteed.
The show was a major success, but in many ways, that’s been a lock since February when they sold almost all of their 11,000 tickets in a pre-sale in less than 30 minutes, and the few held back were sold in four minutes the next day.
The show, as far as interest level, was far bigger than its predecessor, All In. All In was one of the historically most important shows ever in U.S. when it comes to landscape changing. And this show, as the first show of the AEW promotion, may be a significant part of long-term wrestling history.
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SATURDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
Tommaso Ciampa will be part of today’s NXT TakeOver: XXV preshow.
PWInsider is reporting that the Authors of Pain are set to return to action this month. Akam has been out of action since early this year following a knee injury that required surgery.
Kofi Kingston’s trip to Ghana continues, with WWE taking a look at Kofi leading a UNICEF event. Kofi also visited his father’s hometown of Ejisu.
Mandy Rose talks about her Muscle and Fitness HERS cover.
The Miz and Maryse talked to People about their baby gender reveal party.
News 12 in Connecticut covered NXT stars visiting the Boys and Girls Club for an anti-bullying event.
Pro Wrestling
The Tennessean wrote an article about the Nashville fairgrounds hosting its final show tonight, a House of Hardcore event. The building has been hosting professional wrestling since the 1960s under territory promoters Roy Welch and Nick Gulas. The fairgrounds will be replaced by new buildings in the coming months.
Following his loss to Anthony Smith at this morning’s UFC event in Stockholm, Sweden Alexander Gustafsson announced his retirement.
Jon Jones on Gustafsson’s retirement announcement: “Honestly I don’t believe you but if you’re serious, thank you for everything. You held the division to a standard and made us better. Go kick ass with that Family”.
Today’s UFC card drew 14,319 and a live gate of 2 million. Anthony Smith, Aleksandar Rakic, Makwan Amirkhani and Leonardo Santo earned bonuses for their performances.
UFC announced this morning that they will hold their first-ever event in Copenhagen, Denmark on 9/28. Tickets go on sale 6/21.
Joaquim Silva will fight Nasrat Haqparast at UFC on ESPN 5 in Sochi, Russia.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 11: Gustafsson vs. Smith, emanating from the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Octagon heads back to Sweden for the first time in two years with a light heavyweight main event featuring the country’s biggest star and the last two men to fall short against Jon Jones.
Former title challengers Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Smith do battle in the night’s five-round main event. Both men are coming off title fight losses to Jones- Gustafsson in December and Smith in March. Gustafsson looks to get back on track in front of his home country fans while Smith looks to score an upset in enemy territory.
Also on the main card is another light heavyweight bout as Jimi Manuwa goes against Aleksander Rakic, as well as a featherweight fight between Makwan Amirkhani and Chris Fishgold.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
ESPN2 PRELIMS | 10 AM ET/7 AM PT
> Joel Alvarez (15-2, 0-1 UFC) vs. Danilo Belluardo (12-3, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
Alvarez with a high kick right at the start. Alvarez with a left hand followed by a leg kick. Alvarez with a right hand and then another low kick. Belluardo with an inside kick. Belluardo gets a takedown into the half-guard. Belluardo passes the guard and lands from the top but Alvarez attacking from the bottom looking to set up a triangle. Alvarez threatens with a triangle late but time runs out. 10-9 Alvarez.
Belluardo with an elbow and Alvarez starts throwing high kicks coming forward and Belluardo is able to take him down. Belluardo passes to half-guard. Alvarez reverses to the top and starts landing lots of punches and Belluardo is in trouble and the referee steps in and stops the fight. Big finish by Alvarez as he gets his first UFC win.
Official Result- Joel Alvarez def. Danilo Belluardo by TKO (punches) at 2:22 of Round 2
> Darko Stosic (13-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Devin Clark (9-3, 3-3 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Clark with a body kick but eats a right hand from Stosic. Clark then drops Stosic with a jab but Stosic gets up and Clark grabs the back and they go to the mat. Clark is looking for back control but they end up scrambling to their feet and in the clinch. They trade knees against the fence and break and Clark lands a high kick. Stosic then rocks Clark with a right hand and they clinch again. Stosic then lands an elbow on the break and then Clark rocks Stosic with a spinning elbow. They clinch again. Stosic starts landing big punches as the separate. Stosic with a body kick. 10-9 Clark.
Clark throwing leg kicks. Both men looking to land the jab. Clark shooting for takedowns but Stosic sees them coming and defends. They clinch against the fence. They break and Clark lands some punches. Stosic yelling at Clark as he’s trying to bait him in. Clark looks for a takedown but defended by Stosic. Stosic picks Clark up high in the air. Clark tries to grab the top of the fence to block it but gets warned and Stosic slams him to the mat. Stosic with a right hand from the top and moves to the guard. Stosic lands more punches from the top and then an elbow. Stosic with more punches from the top. 10-9 Stosic, 19-19.
Clark gets an early takedown in the third and lands a punch and knee as Stosic stands up. Stosic now has the clinch advantage. Stosic dropping down for a takedown but can’t find it. Stosic misses a right hand as they break. Stosic is tired more but lands a left hook. Clark with a high kick then followed by a right hand. They trade knees in the clinch. Stosic takes Clark down for a brief second. They get up and Clark lands a combo. They trade punches. Clark with a high kick and a right hand. Clark shoots again but Stosic still defending. Clark with a combo as he is throwing a lot of volume. Clark with a combo on the break. Stosic throws some big punches and a couple land. We go the distance. 10-9 Clark, 29-28 Clark.
Official Result- Devin Clark def. Darko Stosic by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
They both throw punches early. Santana landing the left hand. Santana gets a takedown. They get up and Santana gets another takedown. They get to their feet. They stay clinched up as Santana has the body lock and gets another brief takedown but back to their feet. They break. They trade punches. Santana with some leg kicks. They trade punches. 10-9 Santana.
They trade punches. Santana looks for a takedown but Malecki reverses and gets a takedown and is in the mount. Malecki landing punches and Santana gives up the back and Malecki looks for a rear-naked choke but Santana escapes. Malecki still has the back and continues to look for the choke. Malecki gets the choke locked in and Santana taps! Big win in front of the home crowd for Malecki.
Official Result- Bea Malecki def. Duda Santana by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:59 of Round 2
> Nick Hein (14-4 1 NC, 4-3 UFC) vs. Frank Camacho (21-7, 1-3 UFC) Lightweights
Camacho with a body kick. Hein lands a left hand. Hein with a couple of left hands. Camacho tries a head kick but Hein circles away. Hein with a combo and gets a judo takedown but Camacho gets to his feet. Camacho with a body kick. Camacho with a knee to the body. Camacho with another body kick. Hein looking for the left hands and lands some. Camacho with another body kick. Hein with a low kick and follows with a left hand. Camacho with a body kick again. Camacho with more body kicks and follows with a right hand. Hein with a hard left hand that stumbles Camacho up. Hein with a body kick. They trade late. 10-9 Camacho.
Hein with a left hand but Camacho counters with a combo. Camacho with a right hand and Hein slips to the mat but gets up. Camacho with a body kick. Hein with a left hand. Camacho with a jab. Hein with a left and Camacho with a right. They trade punches. Camacho with a knee in the clinch and then a body kick. They continue to trade but Camacho throwing and landing more. Camacho with more body kicks. Camacho with a combo against the fence and landing to the body. Camacho with more body kicks and Hein is hurt from them. Camacho turning on the pressure against the fence. Camacho landing and rocks Hein with a right hand. Hein in a lot of trouble. Hein is out on his feet and Camacho lands a right hand and the referee stops it while Hein is on his feet but out of it. Impressive stoppage by Camacho as he really turned it on.
Official Result- Frank Camacho def. Nick Hein by TKO (punches) at 4:56 of Round 2
> Stevie Ray (22-8, 6-3 UFC) vs. Leonardo Santos (16-3-1, 5-0-1 UFC) Lightweights
Santos hasn’t fought since 2016. Both being patient in the first round but Santos starts throwing body kicks. Santos with a leg kick. Ray with a leg kick of his own. Santos with a body kick. Ray attempts a head kick but whiffs on it and falls to a mat for a second. Santos with a body kick. Ray misses a left hand and Santos lands with a counter right hand that knocks Ray out cold! Wow, what a finish by Santos.
Official Result- Leonardo Santos def. Stevie Ray by knockout (punch) at 2:17 of Round 2
They clinch early against the fence. Evinger looking for the underhooks to get a takedown with a trip. Not much is going on as both are struggling to get position. Lansberg lands a right hand as they break. Evinger clinches back up. Lansberg landed a short elbow that cut Evinger open. Evinger looking for the grind. Lansberg lands a knee in the clinch. Evinger with a knee to the body. Evinger is bleeding pretty heavily but the cut isn’t in a bad place. Lansberg gets a takedown and gets into mount and starts landing punches and is looking to finish. Lansberg with hammerfists and elbows from the top. Evinger survives. 10-9 Lansberg.
Lasnberg comes right out looking to fire away on Evinger but Evinger keeps her away. They clinch against the fence. Evinger has position control. Evinger gets Lansberg down to the ground. Evinger looking to take the back as she lands from the top. Evinger has back control. She is looking for a choke but Lansberg reverses positions and ends up on top and is landing punches. Evinger threatening with a kimura from the bottom but Lansberg is just holding on from the top. 10-9 Lansberg, 20-18 Lansberg.
They tie up right at the start of the third and Lansberg has clinch advantage against the fence. Both landing in the clinch but not doing a lot and they get broken up. They tie up and Lansberg lands a big knee. Evinger tries a takedown but Lansberg gets advantage as Evinger has wrist control. Lansberg landing from the side and Lansberg gets better position and is landing big punches. Evinger continuing to attempt wrist control. Evinger eating a lot of punches. Lansberg in side control and she rides out the fight there. 10-9 Lansberg, 30-27 Lansberg.
Official Result- Lina Lansberg def. Tonya Evinger by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-26)
They are trading early and Akman gets the clinch against the fence. They break and Akman lands a leg kick. Khandozhko with a leg kick and misses a spin kick. Both miss on punches. Khandozhko with a spin kick to the body. Khandozhko with a left hand. Khandozhko with a leg kick and then another. Akman lands a right hand that fires up the crowd. Khandozhko misses a high spin kick. Akman with a short right hand. They trade punches and Akman hurts Khandozhko with a left hand. Khandozhko with a knee to the body as Akman rushed in. 10-9 Akman.
Akman with a combo. Khandozhko with a knee and a leg kick. Akman lands a right hand. Khandozhko with a body kick. Khandozhko looking to land the jab. Akman backs Khandozhko up with a right hand. Akman with more pressure. Khandozhko drops Akman with a combo and rushes to the ground and gets in the guard of Akman. Akman tries to roll for a kneebar but Khandozhko escapes to his feet. Akman shoots for a takedown against the fence. They scramble and are in north-south position. Akman into side control and ends the round there. 10-9 Khandozhko, 19-19.
Both men looking to land. Khandozhko with a right hand. They clinch and Khandozhko lands a left hook as they break. Khandozhko with a big left hook. Akman searching for a knockout punch. They go to the ground briefly. Khandozhko shoots for a takedown and has the back but Akman spins and has the advantage. Akman picks Khandozhko and gets him to the mat. Akman has back control and looks to drag Khandozhko down but they scramble and Khandozhko has the advantage. Akman is able to reverse and gets a takedown. Akman has back control but Khandozhko pushes him off. Akman has the neck. Khandozhko grabs the single leg and looking for the takedown but nothing happening. They break. Khandozhko with a punch that rocks Akman. Close fight. 10-9 Khandozhko, 29-28 Khandozhko.
Official Result- Sergey Khandozhko def. Rostem Akman by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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> Daniel Teymur (6-3, 0-3 UFC) vs. Sung Bin Jo (9-0, 0-0 UFC) Featherweights
Teymur with a leg kick. Teymur with more leg kicks. Teymur hurts Jo with a punch and then starts throwing big punches. Jo survives but has his back against the fence as Teymur clinches. Jo lands a knee and they break. They are scrambling and Jo lands a knee. Teymur with a big takedown against the fence and in the guard of Jo. Teymur with some punches from the top. Jo goes for an armbar but Teymur escapes. Teymur still in the guard of Jo and lands some right hands. Jo gives up his back but Jo shakes him off and they get up. Jo with a knee followed by a right hand as they break. Teymur misses a big uppercut. 10-9 Teymur.
Jo lands a right hand. Teymur being patient early on. Teymur with a low kick. Jo misses a head kick. Teymur missing leg kicks. They trade and Jo lands a knee to the body. Both men circling around. Both men being more patient this round. Teymur with some leg kicks. They clinch and Jo with some knees to the body. The crowd is booing at them being more patient. Teymur with late punches. Much slower second round. 10-9 Jo, 19-19.
Teymur with a leg kick. Jo throws a right and tries a takedown but Teymur defends. Teymur then gets a takedown but Jo slips up to his feet. They trade and Jo lands a good counter right. Teymur with a takedown and into the guard of Jo. Teymur landing but Jo looks for a heel hook but they both end up on their feet. Teymur with a low kick. Teymur with a cracking right hand. Jo misses a head kick. Jo with a right hand and then another. Jo with a straight left hand. 10-9 Teymur, 29-28 Teymur.
Official Result- Daniel Teymur def. Sung Bin Jo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Giagos with a right hand. Giagos tries a takedown but lands a right hand as it is defended. Giagos with another right hand. They trade kicks. Giagos is the more busy fighter. Giagos with a body kick and then gets a big takedown right into side control. Giagos into the half-guard and landing punches but they scramble up. Giagos gets another takedown into the guard of Hadzovic. Giagos landing elbows and punches. They scramble up and trade late. 10-9 Giagos.
Giagos with an uppercut. They trade punches and Hadzovic lands a hard right hand. Giagos landing some more now. Hadzovic has a chin on him. Giagos with a body kick. Giagos changes levels and gets a takedown. They spin to their feet. Giagos lands a right hand. Giagos gets a takedown against the fence. Giagos moves to mount and gets the back and is looking for a choke. They get to their feet and Giagos still has the back and lands some knees to the legs. Giagos lands some punches. Hadzovic with a late takedown. 10-9 Giagos, 20-18 Giagos.
Hadzovic with a body kick. Giagos with a leg kick. Giagos gets a takedown and is in the full guard of Hadzovic. They get to their feet. Giagos with a combo and then a front kick. Giagos drops down for a single leg and completes the takedown. They get to their feet. Giagos looking for another takedown but Hadzovic defends and they break. Giagos misses badly on a takedown attempt and Hadzovic gets into his guard. Hadzovic landing some short punches from the top. 10-9 Giagos, 30-27 Giagos.
Official Result- Christos Giagos def. Damir Hadzovic by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)
> Makwan Amirkhani (14-3, 4-1 UFC) vs. Chris Fishgold (18-2-1, 1-1 UFC) Featherweights
Amirkhani comes out fast trying to land a flying knee. Fishgold lands a right hand. We have an eye poke from Amirkhani and a timeout. Amirkhani lands a right hand as they return to action. Fishgold with a low kick that trips Amirkhani up. Fishgold with another inside leg kick. Amirkhani lands a left hand. Amirkhani changes levels and gets a takedown and is in the guard of Fishgold. Fishgold looking for a reverse triangle but Amirkhani slips out. They scramble as Amirkhani looks to pass guard and gets back into Fishgold’s full guard. Amirkhani tries a late guillotine but time runs out. 10-9 Amirkhani.
They trade early on. Amirkhani tries a jumping knee but Fishgold grabs the leg during it and stops it. Fishgold with a right hand. Amirkhani with a short uppercut. Fishgold tries a head kick but Amirkhani sees it coming. Fishgold with a leg kick and misses a right hand. Low blow by Amirkhani and we have a timeout. Back to action and Fishgold with a leg kick. Amirkhani tries a takedown but Fishgold grabs the neck for a choke but Amirkhani escapes into side control. Fishgold looking for a D’Arce choke from the bottom but Amirkhani gets out of it. Amirkhani now grabs the neck and has a anaconda choke locked in himself. Fishgold trying to escape but it is in deep and he taps! Amirkhani with the big submission win and the crowd goes crazy.
Official Result- Makwan Amirkhani def. Chris Fishgold by submission (anaconda choke) at 4:25 of Round 2
> Jimi Manuwa (#11, 17-5, 6-5 UFC) vs. Aleksander Rakic (11-1, 3-0 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Manuwa with a leg kick and Rakic fires back a leg kick. Rakic with a straight right hand followed by a leg kick. Rakic then knocks Manuwa out cold with a head kick! Oh my god. That was one of the most vicious head kick knockouts ever. Manuwa was down for a bit.
Official Result- Aleksander Rakic def. Jimi Manuwa by knockout (head kick) at :42 of Round 1
> Alexander Gustafsson (#2, 18-5, 10-5 UFC) vs. Anthony Smith (#4, 31-14, 7-4 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Smith throws a right hand that barely misses and Gustafsson circles away. Smith just misses a right hand but lands a leg kick that gets checked by Gustafsson. Smith lands a left hook. Smith just misses a left hand. Smith with a leg kick. Smith just misses an overhand right and Gustafsson circles away. Smith with a leg kick. Smith landing leg kicks. Gustafsson lands a left hand that hurts Smith but doesn’t capitalize late. 10-9 Smith.
They are trading. Smith with leg kicks. Gustafsson with a leg kick. Smith with an inside leg kick and misses a swinging right hand. Gustafsson coming in-and-out of range. Smith having trouble closing the distance. Smith with a body kick. Smith lands a left hook. Smith with an uppercut and follows with a right hand and Gustafsson circles away. Smith with the left hook. Gustafsson is being elusive but isn’t doing much striking. Gustafsson with a right hand. He’s starting to throw a little more now. Gustafsson with a front kick. 10-9 Smith, 20-18 Smith.
Gustafsson with some close kicks. Smith lands a right hand but Gustafsson lands a harder counter right hand. Gusatfsson with a leg kick. Gusatfsson with some low kicks. Gustafsson with a right hand. Smith lands a right hand. Gustafsson with a right hand. Smith with a body kick. Gustafsson with a combo ending with a left hook to the body. Gustafsson with a leg kick. Smith with a leg kick. Gustafsson with a couple of jabs. Gustafsson with a combo. They both land leg kicks. Gustafsson with a body kick that hurts Smith and Gustafsson gets a big takedown into side control. Gustafsson ends the round on top. 10-9 Gustafsson, 29-28 Smith.
Gustafsson with a leg kick. Smith stalking Gustafsson while Gustafsson circles away. Smith with a leg kick. Gustafsson goes for a takedown but Smith defends and they scramble to the mat and Smith has the back. Smith has the hooks in but is too high and Gustafsson is looking to shake him off. Smith flattens Gustafsson out and Smith is landing punches from the back. Smith looking for the choke and has it locked in and Gustafsson taps out! What an impressive win for Smith, and that is a huge win for him.
Official Result- Anthony Smith def. Alexander Gustafsson by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:38 of Round 4
Well, UFC 232 is on our doorstep after a very strange path to get here. The event moved locations from Las Vegas to Los Angeles due to a picogram of turinabol being found in Jon Jones’ system during USADA testing and concerns that due to the holiday week, the Nevada Athletic Commission wouldn’t license Jones to fight.
There’s obviously more to the story, but that’s been talked about, and will be talked more about, ad nauseum. For a few minutes, let’s focus on the show itself which is pretty damn great from top to bottom.
Helping me finish off the year, as always, are Paul Fontaine and Ryan Frederick. If you’re interested in hearing more about the year that was, check out part 1 and part 2 of my year in review series.
For what it’s worth, thie UFC on Fox era officially ends tonight with the FS1 prelims. Then, we’re onto ESPN.
The card:
Vacant Light Heavyweight Championship: Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson II
Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino vs. Amanda Nunes
Carlos Condit vs. Michael Chiesa
Ilir Latifi vs. Corey Anderson
Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski
Andrei Arlovski vs. Walt Harris
Cat Zingano vs. Megan Anderson
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Petr Yan
BJ Penn vs. Ryan Hall
Andre Elwell vs. Nathaniel Wood
Uriah Hall vs. Bevon Lewis
Curtis Millender vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
Brian Kelleher vs. Montel Jackson
What are you most looking forward to?
Paul: Not the main event, that’s for sure. I’m sure it will be a great fight but the whole leadup just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. The co-main is it for me. This is the closest betting line for a Cris Cyborg fight ever and for good reason. Nunes has quietly put together one of the most impressive runs in the history of women’s MMA, the names on her resume are arguable bigger than Cyborg’s, and she’s gotten finishes against most of them. The only issue I have with this fight is the aftermath as the women’s bantamweight division (where Nunes is still champion) is kind of a mess no matter what happens.
Ryan: Regardless of the circumstances surrounding it, Jones vs. Gustafsson is the fight to watch. Their first fight was an absolute classic and one of the best fights in UFC history. There’s nothing to say that this one won’t be just as good, and the co-main event between Cyborg and Nunes should be just as good. We will see who the best female fighter on the planet is, and it couldn’t come at a better time as both are at the top of their game right now. It could have easily headlined its own event. There are two fantastic fights on top of this card.
Josh: Even with the issues leading into the event, it’s still Jones vs. Gus. I loved that first fight so much that I’m glad we finally get to seem them bring it back, but it’s a goddamn shame all of the b.s. has put an asterisk on this. If Gus wins, he’s a mega babyface. If Jones wins, I’m guessing we’ll hear more boos than cheers but that seems to flip with the situation.
Anything being slept on?
Ryan: There are a lot of fun fights on this card. Carlos Condit is one of the most exciting fighters in MMA history and has an opponent in Michael Chiesa who should give him a fun fight. The featherweight bout between Mendes and Volkanovski is a great matchup and a real test to see whether Volkanovski will be able to break through to contender status.
Paul: BJ Penn fighting on the televised opener, I guess. That speaks to the depth of this card but also shows how far he’s fallen. I do think that Ryan Hall is a good opponent in the sense that Penn probably won’t take a lot of damage but I don’t think he has much chance of winning. That said, 155 is probably a better weight class for him if he is insistent on fighting.
Josh: Without a doubt, Nunes vs. Cyborg. The Jones drug stuff has taken all the focus away from this bout which should be the best women’s fight in MMA history based on skill level and accomplishments. Cyborg’s March contract date is also a fun side note to all of this and if she doesn’t fight again by that date, tonight could be her UFC swan song. A win for her could mean the end of her division while a loss just throws more wrenches into the 135/145 equation yet again.
Anything not doing it for you?
Josh: Not necessarily a fight, but I’m confused why UFC keeps running Andrei Arlovski and BJ Penn out there. I know Arlovski has picked up some wins, but they are getting less and less enjoyable to watch. As the kids say, Penn has been washed for quite some time. Hall isn’t a heavy hitter, but Penn has lost seven of his last nine. The lone win? A 2010 knockout of the then-equally as done Matt Hughes. No buys.
Paul: Ilir Latifi vs. Corey Anderson feels like something I’ve seen a dozen times before even though they’ve never fought. The fact that these may be two of the top five light heavyweights in the UFC speaks more to how much the division has fallen than it does about either of these two guys. This really should almost be a title eliminator but I can’t see Jones or Gustafsson defending against either of these two any time soon.
Ryan: I’m not really a fan of Penn fighting again. I think it’s long past time for him to hang it up for good. If there is a fight for him to take, it is against Hall. It’s a low-risk fight where he will likely not take a lot of damage, but Hall will make it a boring fight, and Penn isn’t one, at this stage of his career, who will engage freely unless forced to. It could be a very boring fight.
What will be people talking about most after the show is done?
Paul: How long it will be until Jones fails another drug test. That and/or what’s next for Jones. Win or lose, he’s got big money fights lined up with either Brock Lesnar or Daniel Cormier, neither of which would likely involve the title he’s fighting for. Should Gustafsson win, he’s either going to want a rematch with Cormier or a rubber match with Jones. But, it’s likely 50/50 that Jones somehow fails another test and this belt ends up held up at the end of it all and UFC will only have themselves to blame should that happen.
Ryan: While it should be talk about whomever wins the fight between Cyborg and Nunes, it will unfortunately be about how Jon Jones is again the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion under these ridiculous circumstances. He shouldn’t even be fighting now, or perhaps ever, but for whatever reason they decide to give him of all people a free pass. It’s not a good look for the company, and they’re putting themselves in this situation and not seeming to care how they look to their other fighters and their fans.
Josh: That Jones is still one of, if not THE, best of all time and that he will continue to be the most talked about fighter of today outside of Conor McGregor. Also, he’ll call out Lesnar and will try to steal that fight from Cormier. The other thing that will be talked about quite a bit is how the UFC handled this week. While Dana White doesn’t care about what people think about him or the UFC, I am interested to see what long-term damage, if any, was caused by this week. My gut says they will be fine…and they know it.
After a dizzying few days in moving Saturday’s UFC 232 show from Las Vegas to Los Angeles due to a Jon Jones USADA test abnormality, the four main participants for the event will talk to the media Thursday afternoon.
Starting at 5 PM Eastern below, you can watch Jon Jones, Alexander Gustafsson, Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino, Amanda Nunes, and Dana White talk to the media.
The Jones-Gustafsson fight will be for the UFC light heavyweight title currently held by Daniel Cormier. At fight time, Cormier, also the heavyweight champion, will be stripped of the title.
The co-main event will be for Justino’s featherweight belt as Nunes, the bantamweight champion, moves up in weight for a fight that has been discussed most of the year.
The rest of the show is very solid featuring Carlos Condit vs. Mike Chiesa, Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski, BJ Penn vs. Ryan Hall, Megan Anderson vs. Cat Zingano, and more.
Jon Jones’ return to the Octagon appears to be officially set.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported this afternoon that Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson is a “done deal” for UFC 232 in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 29. It will be for the UFC light heavyweight championship, with Daniel Cormier being stripped of the title as soon as the fight starts.
It was reported at the end of September that the UFC was trying to make Jones vs. Gustafsson for UFC 232, and Cormier had said he expected to be stripped of the light heavyweight title. Cormier will defend his heavyweight championship against Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC 230 at Madison Square Garden on November 3.
This will be the second time Jones and Gustafsson have faced each other in their careers. In what’s considered to be one of the best fights in UFC history, Jones defeated Gustafsson by unanimous decision in September 2013.
Last month, USADA announced that Jones would be eligible to return on October 28 of this year. Jones received a 15-month suspension that’s retroactive to when he tested positive for Turinabol on July 28, 2017. That test was taken the day before his fight against Cormier at UFC 214.
Jones vs. Gustafsson joins a UFC 232 card that also features Cris Cyborg defending her women’s featherweight title against women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes.
According to a Thursday report by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, the UFC is looking to sign Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson II for Saturday, December 29th at UFC 232 in Las Vegas.
Okamoto corresponded with Dana White via text and the UFC president said the fight is far from a done deal, but they want it to close out 2018. If signed, it would headline a show that already features women’s featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino vs. women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes in a champion vs. champion fight.
The two first clashed in September 2013 when then-light heavyweight champion Jones defeated Gustafsson via unanimous decision in one of the best fights in company history.
What is interesting is how this fight ties in with the Madison Square Garden November 3rd show which still doesn’t have a main event. Here’s the breakdown via ESPN’s Ariel Helwani:
– UFC wanted Gustafsson vs. Yoel Romero to fight for the light heavyweight title currently held by Daniel Cormier. They would have had to strip Cormier of that title, but the idea was to sign Cormier-Jones III for the year end show instead, except for Cormier’s heavyweight title. This would help avoid an interim title being created.
– However, both Jones and Cormier wanted the fight at light heavyweight instead and the date didn’t work for Cormier anyway.
– From there, they moved to Jones-Gustafsson as the plan for the year end show and the Romero fight idea was dropped.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 109: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira, emanating from the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Octagon visits Sweden for the fifth time, and the first since January 2015, and the event is headlined by a five-round bout in the light heavyweight division as former title challengers Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira do battle.
Gustafsson is looking to score his second straight win and put himself in the running for the next title contender, while Teixeira is also looking to score his second straight win and get himself back into the picture. These two have been scheduled to fight twice before until injuries put a halt to those planned fights.
The co-main event is another light heavyweight battle, this time between fighters looking to take the next step to title contention as Volkan Oezdemir looks to make it four straight wins when he takes on Misha Cirkunov, winner of eight straight fights.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 10 a.m. eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 10 AM ET/7 AM PT
> Marcin Held (22-6, 0-2 UFC) vs. Damir Hadzovic (10-3, 0-1 UFC) Lightweights
They were swinging early. Held was landing punches better but Hadzovic did hurt him with a head kick. They were each landing punches and Held landed a knee in the clinch and then scored a takedown. Held was controlling from the top working in the guard and landing elbows. Held was able to pass to half-guard and hold Hadzovic down before moving back to the full guard. Held dived for a leg and almost lost position but was able to get back into the guard and transitioned to the back and was working for a choke, but the round ended without him getting it. 10-9 Held.
Held landed a spin kick and then scored a takedown against the fence. Held was able to transition to the back and had the hooks in and was working for the choke. Hadzovic was able to spin out and landed a big elbow in the clinch. Held got another takedown and was working for an anaconda choke but Hadzovic was able to escape but was stuck in north-south position. Held spun to side control and back into the full guard. Held got to mount and then moved to the back and had the choke almost locked in but time ran out. 10-9 Held, 20-18 Held.
WOW. Hadzovic landed a perfectly-timed knee as Held was going for a takedown and knocked Held out cold. A big comeback win for Hadzovic as he was down in this fight.
Official Result- Damir Hadzovic def. Marcin Held by knockout (knee) at :07 of Round 3
> Darren Till (13-0-1, 1-0-1 UFC) vs. Jessin Ayari (16-3, 1-0 UFC) Welterweights* (Till missed weight by five pounds, coming in at 176)
Slow-paced start in the first minute with Till using feints but he landed a hard left hand. Till landed another and Ayari was back-pedaling. Till landed another two left hands and Ayari was in trouble. Till landed a head kick and another. Till got a brief takedown but that was a mistake getting a takedown when Ayari was clearly hurt standing. Till got another takedown. Ayari scrambled to his feet but ate a left hand. Till landed some more punches in a clear winning round for him. 10-9 Till.
Till rocked Ayari with another left hand and got a takedown and landed a left in the guard. Ayari was looking for a triangle but Till was defending. Ayari was able to push Till off and they got to their feet but Till landed a left hand. Ayari went for a takedown but Till grabbed the top of the cage to block it. Ayari got a brief takedown. Till dropped Ayari with a left hand and went to the ground looking to finish as he landed some big elbows. Ayari survived a big onslaught from Till on the mat. 10-9 Till, 20-18 Till.
They traded some punches. Ayari pushed Till against the fence and landed an elbow but Till was able to break. Till landed a head kick. Ayari landed some good punches and a body kick as Till has slowed his pace. His bad weight cut and missing weight likely hurting his cardio here. Till did land a left hand. Ayari was poked in the eye and we have a timeout. Till landed a head kick as the fight restarted. Till with some more punches as the fight ends. 10-9 Till, 30-27 Till.
Official Result- Darren Till def. Jessin Ayari by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-27)
FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 11 AM ET/8 AM PT
> Nico Musoke (13-4 1 NC, 3-2 UFC) vs. Bojan Velickovic (14-4-1, 1-1-1 UFC) Welterweights
They traded early and Musoke got a takedown. Musoke was landing from the top but Velickovic was able to get to his feet. They traded kicks. Musoke caught a single leg on a kick attempt and pushed Velickovic against the fence. Musoke landed a right hand and a body kick late. 10-9 Musoke.
They were trading and Velickovic was moving forward more. Musoke was landing more punches. Musoke missed a head kick. Musoke landed some kicks but missed on some as well. They traded some punches. They are about even on the feet. Velickovic scored a takedown and landed a couple of punches but Musoke was able to get to his feet. Musoke caught a kick from Velickovic and took him down for a moment. They got up and Musoke landed an elbow on the break. Close round. 10-9 Velickovic, 19-19.
They were trading to start the third and Velickovic landed some leg kicks. Musoke landed a head kick. Velickovic grabbed the neck and was looking for a gullotine but Musoke went to the mat and rolled out and pushed Velickovic against the fence. Musoke landed a body kick. They were trading punches again and Musoke was landing the harder punches. Velickovic rocked Musoke with a hard punch and Musoke was on rubber legs and Velickovic capitalized and knocked him down and finished the fight with less than a minute to go. Big finish by Velickovic.
Official Result- Bojan Velickovic def. Nico Musoke by TKO (punches) at 4:37 of Round 3
They were throwing big punches early. Silva landed a punch and Madadi countered with a takedown, but Silva quickly scrambled out to his feet. Madadi got another takedown and had Silva firmly planted on the mat. Madadi landed punches from the half-guard. Madadi got back into the full guard and was landing punches from the top. Madadi was looking for transitions and was able to get back to half-guard and ended the round there. 10-9 Madadi.
Silva started round two off with a head kick. Madadi then with a left hand and a hard right hand that had Silva rocked. Madadi got a quick takedown but right back to the feet. Silva landed a head kick and then a liver kick. Madadi hurt Silva with a spinning back elbow. Silva landed a knee to the body. Silva with a flurry of punches that hurt Madadi. Madadi fired back with a left hand and then lands a combo. Silva working the body real well in this round and Madadi is showing signs of being tired. Silva with two head kicks and then goes to the legs. Fun round. 10-9 Silva, 19-19.
They traded punches to start the round before Madadi scored a takedown. Silva tried to jump up for a guillotine but Madadi slipped out and ended on the top. Silva got to his feet but ate a knee to the body. Madadi got a big takedown. Silva was able to get out from the bottom as they got back to their feet. Madadi is definitely tired now. Madadi with a spinning elbow but Silva knocked him down with a right hand and was landing punches on the ground from the back. Silva went for a rear-naked choke but Madadi was able to slip out and they escaped to their feet. Madadi with a trip but Silva ended on top and landed some big punches. Silva landed more but Madadi able to get to his feet but Silva had the neck. Madadi tried a takedown but lost it and fell to the mat with Silva on top as Silva ended the round with punches. Fun fight, interesting third round to score. 10-9 Silva, 29-28 Silva.
Official Result- Joaquim Silva def. Reza Madadi by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
> Trevor Smith (14-7, 4-4 UFC) vs. Chris Camozzi (24-12, 9-9 UFC) Middleweights
Smith got an early takedown and was on the top. Camozzi was working for an omoplata but gave up his back. Smith landed a couple punches from the back before they got to their feet. They traded knees in the clinch. Smith got another takedown. Smith landed a big left hand from the top and passed to side control. Smith with some left hands from side control. 10-9 Smith.
Smith got a takedown from an ankle pick and was landing from the top. Smith with the heavy ground-and-pound from the top and Camozzi is bleeding. Camozzi tried to roll out but Smith has him stuck on the bottom. Smith with more strikes from the top. Camozzi is gonna need a finish in the third. 10-9 Smith, 20-18 Smith.
Camozzi defended a takedown attempt from Smith but Smith had him pressed against the fence. Smith with a brief takedown. Smith got another takedown and went to work on the top. This is a very boring fight. Smith with more punches from the top. Camozzi can do nothing to get out from the bottom. Smith passed to mount and landed some short elbows. Very boring fight. 10-9 Smith, 30-27 Smith.
Official Result- Trevor Smith def. Chris Camozzi by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
> Pedro Munhoz (#12, 13-2 1 NC, 3-2 1 NC) vs. Damian Stasiak (10-3, 2-1 UFC) Bantamweights
Munhoz with a kick to the body. Munhoz was throwing and landing a lot of kicks. Munhoz went for a guillotine but Stasiak was able to escape. Munhoz landed some punches and was going right after Stasiak in controlling the Octagon. Munhoz with a right hand. They traded punches and Stasiak scored a takedown right at the end. 10-9 Munhoz.
They were trading early. Munhoz with some leg kicks but Stasiak landed a right hand right on the jaw. Munhoz with a head kick. Munhoz with a knee to the body. Stasiak with an uppercut. Munhoz with a takedown and he has the back but let go. Stasiak with a spinning back fist. They traded punches. Stasiak with another spin kick. Munhoz with a solid right hand. 10-9 Munhoz, 20-18 Munhoz.
Munhoz with a low kick but had a takedown stuffed by Stasiak. They traded punches. Munhoz got on top, wouldn’t call it a takedown, more of Stasiak pulling guard. They are stood up but the referee. Munhoz with a solid combination. Munhoz with two big knees to the head of Stasiak. Stasiak with a spin kick to the body. They both landed solid punches. Munhoz with a big leg kick. Munhoz got two takedowns but Stasiak got back to his feet both times, and then it happened twice again. Munhoz has the back but can’t keep Stasiak down. It happened once more before a break. They traded until the final bell. 10-9 Munhoz, 30-27 Munhoz.
Official Result- Pedro Munhoz def. Damian Stasiak by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD | 1 PM ET/10 AM PT
> Jack Hermansson (14-3, 1-1 UFC) vs. Alex Nicholson (7-3, 1-2 UFC) Middleweights
Hermansson immediately got a takedown and was in side control. Hermansson was landing from the top and looking to move to the back. Hermansson has the back and is landing big punches from the back as he has mount and Nicholson is flattened out. More big punches and the fight is stopped! Big win by Hermansson in the first round.
Official Result- Jack Hermansson def. Alex Nicholson by TKO (strikes) at 2:00 of Round 1
> Oliver Enkamp (7-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Nordine Taleb (12-4, 4-2 UFC) Welterweights
They were trading early. Enkamp with a spin kick. Taleb is coming forward more and landing more. Enkamp missing on his punches. Enkamp goes for a takedown but Taleb is able to scramble away. Taleb landed a hard punch and then a leg kick. Enkamp missed another spin kick. They traded knees in the clinch. Taleb got a takedown and ended in the guard. Taleb with pressure from the top but Enkamp trying to scramble. 10-9 Taleb.
Taleb lands a punch that stuns Enkamp. They were trading back and forth. Taleb was landing cleaner punches. Enkamp with a sloppy takedown attempt and Taleb scrambles and ends up scoring a takedown and is working from the top. Taleb transitions to the back as he has Enkamp planted on the mat. Taleb landing and ends up in the guard of Enkamp as the round ends. 10-9 Taleb, 20-18 Taleb.
Enkamp shows good footwork but is having trouble with Taleb. Enkamp goes for a takedown but Taleb with a good scramble and they stay on their feet. They trade body kicks. Enkamp misses a spin kick. Taleb with a combo to the body. Taleb got a takedown. Enkamp went for a guillotine but had wrong positioning. Enkamp hit Taleb with some punches from the bottom. Taleb in side control and lands some punches. Taleb traps the right leg of Enkamp and lands more punches. 10-9 Taleb, 30-27 Taleb.
Official Result- Nordine Taleb def. Oliver Enkamp by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
> Abdul Razak Alhassan (7-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Omari Akhmedov (16-4, 4-3 UFC) Welterweights
Alhassan with a leg kick. Akhmedov catches the leg and lands a right hand and gets a takedown. Alhassan got back to his feet. Alhassan misses a big right hand and misses a kick. Akhmedov scores a takedown. Alhassan with a high kick and then a right hand. Akhmedov with a leg kick and Alhassan lands one of his own. They both threw heavy punches that landed. Alhassan landed a right hand but a left hook counter from Akhmedov lands. 10-9 Akhmedov.
Alhassan with a head kick. Akhmedov with a leg kick. Alhassan lands a right hand and Akhmedov is backing up. Alhassan lands a couple more right hands. Alhassan lands a big combo but Akhmedov is able to score a takedown. Akhmedov lands a right hand. Akhmedov gets another takedown. Alhassan lands a big right hand. Alhassan with a leg kick. Alhassan lands a combo and another right hand. Akhmedov with another takedown. Akhmedov with some strikes from the top. 10-9 Akhmedov, 20-18 Akhmedov.
Akhmedov with a leg kick. Alhassan lands a right hand after they both land solid punches. Akhmedov gets a takedown but Alhassan is able to reverse back to his feet. Alhassan lands a big right hand that stuns Akhmedov. Alhassan with another right hand. Alhassan with more punches and Akhmedov is hurt on his feet but Akhmedov gets a takedown. Akhmedov in the mount but not doing a whole lot. They got to their feet and then nothing happened. 10-9 Akhmedov, 30-27 Akhmedov.
Official Result- Omari Akhmedov def. Abdul Razak Alhassan by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
> Peter Sobotta (16-5-1, 3-4 UFC) vs. Ben Saunders (21-7-2, 8-4 UFC) Welterweights
Sobotta immediately dropped Saunders for a moment with a left hand. Sobotta with a leg kick. Saunders with a combo and a head kick. Sobotta with a solid combo. They were trading and Sobotta dropped Saunders again with another left hand. Sobotta went into the guard and was landing punches looking for a finish. He didn’t get it as time ran out in the round. 10-9 Sobotta.
Sobotta rocked Saunders again with a huge flurry of punches. Saunders was retreating but he didn’t have stable legs. Saunders surviving but still in a lot of trouble. Sobotta landed another left hand that stunned Saunders and then landed a knee that dropped Saunders and the fight was stopped. Sobotta gets the huge win in the second round.
Official Result- Peter Sobotta def. Ben Saunders by TKO (strikes) at 2:29 of Round 2
They traded kicks and punches early. Oezdemir dropped Cirkunov with a right hand to the ear, Cirkunov faceplants to the mat and after a few more punches the fight was stopped. Oezdemir with a huge knockout win in less than a minute.
Official Result- Volkan Oezdemir def. Misha Cirkunov by TKO (punch) at :28 of Round 1
> Alexander Gustafsson (#1, 17-4, 9-4 UFC) vs. Glover Teixeira (#2, 26-5, 9-3 UFC) Light Heavyweights
They were trading and Teixeira picked up Gustafsson and threw him down to the mat but Gustafsson right back up. They traded punches with Gustafsson getting the better of it after landing three straight punches. Gustafsson using good movement and footwork and lands a left hand. Gustafsson with an uppercut but also poked Teixeira in the eye. Gustafsson landed two big right hands as they went back to fighting. Gustafsson able to move away any time Teixeira gets close. Big uppercut from Gustafsson. Gustafsson with a spin kick to the body. Gustafsson with a solid combo. 10-9 Gustafsson.
Teixeira landed an elbow that cut Gustafsson. Gustafsson landed a punch that hurt Teixeira. Gustafsson doing a lot of running away whenever Teixeira got close. Gustafsson rocked Teixeira badly with a big combination and dropped him for a moment. Teixeira got to his feet and survived but in trouble. Texieira bleeding heavily now and eats a knee. Teixeira landed an uppercut and then a combination. Gustafsson with a right hand. Gustafsson lands another right hand and sprints away. Gustafsson with some kicks at the end. 10-9 Gustafsson, 20-18 Gustafsson.
Texieira lands a solid combo to start the third. Gustafsson drops Teixeira with an uppercut and Gustafsson swarms into the guard looking to finish as he has Teixeira in a lot of trouble. Gustafsson with a lot of punches and elbows from the top. Teixeira somehow got out from the bottom and has Gustafsson pinned against the fence. Gustafsson gets a takedown in the half-guard. He takes the back. They get to their feet. Gustafsson with a front kick to the body. Gustafsson lands another uppercut. Gustafsson lands a left hand. He lands another uppercut and Teixeira urging Gustafsson to come on. They trade punches. 10-9 Gustafsson, 30-27 Gustafsson.
They trade body kicks. Gustafsson back on his bike and running away at the start of this round. Gustafsson landed a big elbow against the fence. They clinch against the fence and Gustafsson landing knees to the legs of Teixeira. Big combo on the break by Gustafsson. Gustafsson ducks under a right hand from Teixeira and runs away back to the center of the Octagon. Big right hands from Gustafsson. Gustafsson lands a left hand and then a big combo. No idea how Teixeira is able to withstand all of these hard punches. Gustafsson with an uppercut. 10-9 Gustafsson, 40-36 Gustafsson.
Teixeira lands a big left hook.Gustafsson then started landing uppercut after uppercut and then a big right hand to the jaw dropped Teixeira and it was stopped. What a performance and a knockout from Alexander Gustafsson.
Official Result- Alexander Gustafsson def. Glover Teixeira by knockout (punches) at 1:07 of Round 5
sWelcome to our live coverage of UFC Fight Night 93: Arlovski vs. Barnett, emanating from the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany.
The event is headlined by a heavyweight clash between two former UFC Heavyweight Champions as Andrei Arlovski takes on Josh Barnett. A pair of light heavyweight bout round out the top three as former top contender Alexander Gustafsson returns to action against Jan Blachowicz, while Ryan Bader squares off against Ilir Latifi.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 11:45 AM EST with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
ROUND 1- They had an early feeling out process with both men landing strikes but neither dominating on the feet. Khabilov was getting the upper hand on the feet and then started working for takedowns, but Silva had good defense. Silva rocked Khabilov with a left hand and got a takedown into mount with less than a minute to go but Khabilov was able to reverse and ended the round on top landing strikes. A close round but Silva rocking Khabilov and getting the takedown won him the round. 10-9 Silva.
ROUND 2- They traded strikes on the feet with both equally landing but Khabilov landing with more power. The pace really slowed and Khabilov started working for the takedown and got it with an inside trip. Silva showed good defense and went for sweeps but Khabilov landed some punches from inside the guard. Not much to the round as both were tentative on the feet but Khabilov got it with the takedown. 10-9 Khabilov, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Silva landed early and Khabilov went for a takedown but it was defended well. They were warned to work and Khabilov went back to the takedown game but Silva showed good defense. Khabilov got the takedown with over a minute left after working hard for it and started landing punches. They got back to their feet and both started landing and Silva had a takedown stuffed and Khabilov landed to end the fight. Close fight. 10-9 Khabilov, 29-28 Khabilov.
Official Result- Rustam Khabilov def. Leandro Silva by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- The 30-27 score was perplexing as it was a close fight but Silva definitely got the first round. Neither man was overly impressive but Rustam Khabilov did enough to get the win. He isn’t on the same level as he was years ago before fighting Benson Henderson, but that is now three straight wins. He is coming back along nicely. Leandro Silva showed solid takedown defense against a heavy wrestler, and he landed good on the feet, but he couldn’t block the takedowns when needed. He’s lost two straight, but this was a solid effort and he should be back for another UFC fight.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS SCOTT ASKHAM (14-2, 2-2 UFC) VS. JACK HERMANSSON (13-2, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- They traded early and both men got in good punches. They both landed uppercuts in a clinch. Askham landed a solid uppercut at range. They traded big kicks and Askham landed some knees in a clinch. It was a close round but Askham did more with his striking and worked better in the clinches. 10-9 Askham.
ROUND 2- Hermansson came out aggressive but Askham started to get more aggressive in response. Askham was landing cleaner but Hermansson started to come back strong. Hermansson landed some uppercuts in close range. Hermansson with a strong second half of the round closed out with a takedown got this round for him. 10-9 Hermansson, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Hermansson turned on the striking but got a takedown. Askham worked for submissions but they got to their feet. Hermansson started to land a lot of punches. Askham found himself against the fence too much and he ate punches due to it. Askham survived and started to land late and had Hermansson defending a choke late. Askham came on and won the last minute but may have been too little too late. 10-9 Hermansson, 29-28 Hermansson.
Official Result- Jack Hermansson def. Scott Askham by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- A solid back-and-forth fight by both men and it was a lot closer than the two 30-27 scores indicate. Jack Hermansson has now win nine straight fights and will be a solid addition to European UFC cards, but I’m not sure he’ll ever be a true contender in a stacked middleweight division. Scott Askham is now 2-3 in the UFC but has had entertaining fights, and he hasn’t been stopped in his career yet. He showed good skills but fell down early in each round, which has hindered him before. He will be back in the future as he has some solid talent.
HEAVYWEIGHTS JARJIS DANHO (6-1 1 NC, 0-1 UFC) VS. CHRISTIAN COLOMBO (8-1, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Danho was looking at the clock very early but landed right hands. Danho was only looking to land that right hand and work in the clinch. Colombo was getting the upper hand in the clinch. Danho didn’t do much but landed some solid punches and ate an illegal knee. Colombo got docked a point for the illegal strike. They got back to action and not much happened. 9-9.
ROUND 2- They both traded and Colombo fell to the mat and Danho pounced. Colombo started to land some heavy knees. Danho used the same punch then clinch strategy. Both men very tired. Colombo had Danho in trouble. Colombo landed some knees to the body. Colombo had Danho in trouble at the end. This fight is ugly. 10-9 Colombo, 19-18 Colombo.
ROUND 3- They landed punches and both men are tired. Colombo was landing knees to the body. Danho looked like he could pass out at any second. This is honestly one of the worst fights I’ve seen in a while. Colombo went for a kimura and slipped and Dahno ended on top. They got up and Danho landed a few punches that cut open Colombo. Colombo landed some knees towards the end. I don’t know who won this fight. 10-9 Danho, 28-28.
Official Result- Jarjis Danho vs. Christian Colombo ruled a majority draw (27-29, 28-28, 28-28)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This fight was awful. I don’t know what to really say. Jarjis Danho got tired quickly and looked like he was going to pass out at any time. Christian Colombo was slow and sluggish and couldn’t finish Danho when he should have. Colombo would have gotten the decision if he didn’t get deducted a point, which was questionable. A bad heavyweight fight I don’t wanna speak of again.
BANTAMWEIGHTS TAYLOR LAPILUS (10-2, 2-1 UFC) VS. LEANDRO ISSA (13-5, 2-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Issa was just working for takedown after takedown and got a couple. It was clear he didn’t wanna stand with Lapilus. Lapilus was getting the better in the clinch. Lapilus landed a lot of punches on the feet and had Issa rocked. Lapilus with some big punches towards the end of the round. 10-9 Lapilus.
ROUND 2- Lapilus just getting the better of the striking battle. Issa spent time running away from danger. Issa landed some power kicks but Lapilus kept landing power punches and blocking takedown attempts from Issa. Issa was able to grab the neck and pull guard but Lapilus escaped and landed from the top as the round ended. 10-9 Lapilus, 20-18 Lapilus.
ROUND 3- Issa down two rounds and went to work for the takedown but it was defended by Lapilus. Lapilus stunned Issa with a left hand and had Issa running away. Issa went back for the takedowns but couldn’t get them and ate elbows and punches from Lapilus. Lapilus with several left hands but Issa got a scramble takedown but they got right back up. Lapilus landed at the end. This should be a shutout for Lapilus. 10-9 Lapilus, 30-27 Lapilus.
Official Result- Taylor Lapilus def. Leandro Issa by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- The 29-28 score is another indication of bad judging, though it hasn’t robbed a fighter of a decision yet. Taylor Lapilus had a disciplined performance and showed some excellent striking skills and was able to defend takedowns and showed he can be a future contender with more seasoning. Leandro Issa was unable to execute his gameplan and it was obvious he couldn’t stand with Lapilus as he kept running from trouble instead of trying to engage. Falling to 2-3 in the Octagon, it could be the end of him in the UFC for now.
ROUND 1- Macedo landed some kicks early. Evans-Smith was working to establish the clinch and work for takedowns as Macedo was getting the better of the striking. Evans-Smith got the takedown. She flattened Macedo out and was dominant from the top. Evans-Smith almost had a kimura but Macedo scrambled to her feet. They traded to end a good round of action. 10-9 Evans-Smith.
ROUND 2- Macedo landed a head kick and they went right to the clinch. Macedo went for a kneebar but it was defended. They worked in the clinch with both landing before they broke. Evans-Smith out-muscling Macedo in the clinch. Macedo rolled for a kneebar but gave up top position and Evans-Smith capitalized. Evans-Smith with a hip throw at the end after landing some punches. 10-9 Evans-Smith, 20-18 Evans-Smith.
ROUND 3- Evans-Smith defended the takedown and ended on top and started to land lots of punches and tons of big elbows and the fight was stopped by the referee. It should have been stopped much sooner. Impressive finish by Evans-Smith.
Official Result- Ashlee Evans-Smith def. Veronica Macedo by TKO (elbows) at 2:46 of Round 3
INSTANT ANALYSIS- Ashlee Evans-Smith scored the first finish of the card and was impressive in doing so. She has only fought five times in her career and this was her best showing so far in her young career. She looks like an evolving future contender. Veronica Macedo is just 20-years-old and only made her debut in March, but she has already fought a lot. The inexperience showed here but she did start off strong. She’ll be back with hopefully some time away to improve her skills as she is a raw talent.
WELTERWEIGHTS PETER SOBOTTA (15-5-1, 2-4 UFC) VS. NICOLAS DALBY (14-1-1, 1-1-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Sobotta dropped Dalby with a big left hand and swarmed on with a lot of punches looking to finish. Dalby survived. Sobotta with lots of control on the top in side control and he did great at keeping Dalby down on the mat. Sobotta was able to take the back and looked for the choke and had it in for a moment. Dalby survived the round but it was a big one for Sobotta. 10-8 Sobotta.
ROUND 2- Dalby poked Sobotta right in the eye and we had a long break in action. Sobotta dragged Dalby to the mat. Sobotta landing lots of punches from the half-guard. Dalby was just unable to get himself off the mat though he created space and landed some from the bottom. It was just suffocating top pressure from Sobotta who landed punches and worked for some submissions. Dalby survived for the third. 10-9 Sobotta, 20-17 Sobotta.
ROUND 3- Dalby has to finish Sobotta here. They were trading on the feet and Dalby actually getting the better of it. They traded kicks and Sobotta landed a nice left hand. Sobotta landed a body kick and got a takedown. Dalby doing nothing to get up. Sobotta controlling on the mat and grabs the neck. Dalby got to his feet and Sobotta dragged the fight to the end. 10-9 Sobotta, 30-26 Sobotta.
Official Result- Peter Sobotta def. Nicolas Dalby by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was the best performance of Peter Sobotta’s UFC career. He dominated a tough Nicolas Dalby and showed great takedowns and great top control. Dalby had no answer for him and struggled to get to his feet. With just one win in four UFC fights, he may be headed back to the regional promotions. He has good talent but is missing something when fighting inside the Octagon.
WELTERWEIGHTS JESSIN AYARI (15-3, 0-0 UFC) VS. JIM WALLHEAD (29-9, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- They had a feeling out process to start off with both men landing. Wallhead landed a leg kick and a glancing punch that sent Ayari to the mat for a second. Wallhead landed the right hand. They are still feeling each other out and neither man has been able to capitalize much. It was a close round. 10-9 Wallhead.
ROUND 2- Wallhead landed two big punches and had Ayari backtracking. Ayari throwing big punches from outside range but just isn’t engaging and Wallhead lands more big punches. Wallhead spent the round stalking down Ayari and he was getting the better of the action on the feet. Lots of boos coming from the crowd as there is not a whole lot of action. Wallhead lands a combo at the end. 10-9 Wallhead, 20-18 Wallhead.
ROUND 3- This fight is very close after two uneventful rounds. Ayari mixing strikes more and lands to the body. Both men trying to land punches and missing badly and the fans are not happy about it. It is a boring fight. Ayari landed a solid combo. Wallhead dropped Ayari with a big left hook. Wallhead went for the finish but couldn’t get it as Ayari got to his feet. Ayari survived and came back strong late in the fight. Wallhead stunned Ayari at the end. Stong finish for both after a boring fight. 10-9 Wallhead, 30-27 Wallhead.
Official Result- Jessin Ayari def. Jim Wallhead by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- I don’t agree with this decision as I thought Wallhead won the fight. He definitely didn’t lose all three rounds. The rounds were close though except the third. As for the fight, it was rather uneventful and quite boring until a strong third round. Both men were debuting and will be back. It should be a disappointing loss for Wallhead who fought so long to get to the UFC and he will have his back against the wall in his next bout. Ayari has some clear improvement he needs to make.
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 3 PM ET/12 PM PT)
LIGHTWEIGHTS NICK HEIN (13-2 1 NC, 3-1 UFC) VS. TAE HYUN BANG (18-9, 2-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- They didn’t do much early then both men landed punches. Bang landed a solid combo. Hein got a takedown off a right hand and was able to hold Bang down for a good minute. They traded punches and Hein was getting the better of the striking. Neither man did much outside of a takedown from Hein. 10-9 Hein.
ROUND 2- Bang came out with punches and knocked Hein down for a second but Hein got up and went to work in the clinch. They broke and both men continued to feel each other out. Neither man is doing much to win this fight. Hein got a solid takedown after not doing anything on the feet but Bang got up. Bang with a judo throw. Another boring round. 10-9 Hein, 20-18 Hein.
ROUND 3- Let’s see if something, anything, happens here. They are still feeling each other out. They butted heads and Bang is cut open. They keep going but both men just winging punches. Hein misses a takedown. There haven’t been as many boring fights this year than this one. Bang tried to land a combo but Hein was running away. Bang did land. Both landed punches. Thankfully this one is over. 10-9 Hein, 30-27 Hein.
Official Result- Nick Hein def. Tae Hyun Bang by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-28, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- There have been some bad fights tonight and this one was definitely the worst. One of the most boring fights this year, and personally, I hated this one. Nick Hein is 4-1 in the UFC and they have all been boring decision wins. He takes no chances and does nothing in going for a finish, and is one of the most boring fighters in the UFC, and I don’t think he really belongs in there as he doesn’t even face tough competition, having been known for turning down hard fights. I know that sounds like a huge shot at the guy, but he has shown nothing of value. Tae Hyun Bang couldn’t get off any offense and he is just as much at fault for a boring fight. With a 2-3 UFC record and this performance, I don’t think he’ll be back.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (#4) RYAN BADER (20-5, 13-5 UFC) VS. (#12) ILIR LATIFI (12-4 1 NC, 5-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- They had a feeling out process early with both men missing punches. Bader hurt him with a body kick. Latifi was looking to land that big punch but Bader was expecting it and keeping his distance. Latifi tried a takedown off a brief clinch but Bader defended it strongly. Latifi landed an overhand right twice that hit the arm of Bader. Latifi drops Bader with a right hand and rocked him at the end of the round. 10-9 Latifi.
ROUND 2- Bader landed a right hand. Latifi surges forward with punches looking to land a big one. Latifi stuffed a takedown attempt and landed a right hand. Out of nowhere Bader lands a big knee to the face and Latifi is out cold! Big knockout win from Bader.
Official Result- Ryan Bader def. Ilir Latifi by knockout (knee) at 2:06 of Round 2
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was close until the end. Ilir Latifi was getting the better of the battle and left himself open, and Ryan Bader capitalized by landing that huge knee to knock Latifi out cold. Bader was in trouble but fought back and got the finish, his first one in over three-and-a-half years. He is still a contender but has to beat a top contender if he is ever going to get a title shot. Latifi is a solid gatekeeper in the division but after this, I don’t see him ever getting into title contention. He was doing well until the end.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (#2) ALEXANDER GUSTAFSSON (16-4, 8-4 UFC) VS. JAN BLACHOWICZ (19-5, 2-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Blachowicz landing a lot of punches early. Gustafsson is bleeding early. Gustafsson lands a right hand and goes into the clinch. Gustafsson unable to land his punches and now Blachowicz lands some uppercuts in the clinch. Blachowicz lands to the body and Gustafsson gets a trip takedown into guard. Gustafsson lands some elbows inside the guard and closes the round out on top. I don’t think it was enough to warrant him winning the round. 10-9 Blachowicz.
ROUND 2- Both men come out swinging and land punches and Gustafsson gets a big takedown twenty seconds into the round. Gustafsson with an elbow and he has cut Blachowicz open. Gustafsson tried a step over but Blachowicz able to keep him in the guard. Blachowicz is just struggling to get out of the bottom. Gustafsson with more of a barrage of punches and elbows from the top. Gustafsson went to his feet and went back into guard with some punches. 10-9 Gustafsson, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Gustafsson with a big right hand. Gustafsson takes this fight right back to the ground with a quick takedown and is in the guard. Gustafsson with some elbows from the top. Gustafsson with smothering top control and Blachowicz doing nothing to get up but they get stood up. Gustafsson gets another takedown back into the guard and this should close out the fight. Gustafsson with punches from the top and a big elbow. He finishes out strong with ground-and-pound. 10-9 Gustafsson, 29-28 Gustafsson.
Official Result- Alexander Gustafsson def. Jan Blachowicz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- A nice comeback for Alexander Gustafsson after being controlled by Jan Blachowicz in the opening minutes. I don’t agree with the straight 30-27 scores as I saw Blachowicz doing enough on the feet to win the first, and that shows how much the judges value takedowns. But, it was a close round. Gustafsson did what he needed to do to win the fight in getting the takedowns, and signs of ring rust were apparent. He will be looking to get into title contention quickly, and perhaps a fight with Ryan Bader should be next as they have never fought each other. Blachowicz is now 2-3 in the UFC and is in gatekeeper mode, but I am sure we will see him again early next year.
HEAVYWEIGHTS (#6) ANDREI ARLOVSKI (25-12 1 NC, 14-6 UFC) VS. (#9) JOSH BARNETT (34-8, 6-3 UFC)
ROUND 1- They both rocked each other and dropped each other in the first 30 seconds. Both survived and right into the clinch. Arlovski with an elbow on the break. They clinch and Arlovski with a trip takedown into the half-guard. Arlovski is bleeding from his forehead. Arlovski with a big combo that had Barnett in trouble. Back to the clinch seeing Barnett looking for the takedown. Unable to get the takedown as the round ends. 10-9 Arlovski.
ROUND 2- Barnett with a right hand and they go into the clinch. Not much happened as Barnett controlled the clinch but they eventually got broken up. They trade punches and Arlovski lands big and they clinch back up. Arlovski gets the takedown but Barnett reverses into full mount. Barnett with some short elbows from the top as he was looking for a submission. Barnett with some heavy ground-and-pound and looking for the finish. Arlovski survives but a big round for Barnett. 10-9 Barnett, 19-19.
ROUND 3- They trade big punches and Barnett lands. Arlovski with some uppercuts and a big knee and Barnett is in trouble. He has an issue with his eye but Arlovski was unable to capitalize. Barnett grabs the arm and sweeps for the armbar but gets on top. Barnett gets to the back and has the rear-naked choke in. Arlovski taps! Big submission win for Barnett.
Official Result- Josh Barnett def. Andrei Arlovski by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:53 of Round 3
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was a fun fight and both men had each other in trouble. Andrei Arlovski was unable to capitalize on the striking advantage and got tired early, which hurt him as the fight went along. It is now three straight losses for him, and you have to wonder where he goes from here. I don’t see him being cut, but there’s little chance of him ever fighting for a title now. Josh Barnett bounced back nicely, and if it weren’t for a small mistake against Ben Rothwell, he might be right on the cusp of a title fight. He’s still the best heavyweight on the ground, and now he is primed for a big fight.
FINAL THOUGHTS- This was one of the more uneventful UFC events of the year. There were a lot of boring fights, and a very bad fight in the Nick Hein against Tae Hyun Bang fight. The main event delivered a solid fight, and the highlight of the event was Ryan Bader’s knockout of Ilir Latifi. Alexander Gustafsson and Ashlee Evans-Smith also had solid performances. This isn’t an event worth going out of your way to see as nothing was memorable, but a good main event between Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski.
The Octagon returns to Germany on Saturday for UFC Fight Night 93 at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany, with the full card airing on UFC Fight Pass. The event is headlined by a five-round heavyweight battle between former UFC Heavyweight Champions as Andrei Arlovski takes on Josh Barnett.
Below are our fighters to target when setting your daily fantasy line-ups for Saturday’s event.
TOP TARGET
Alexander Gustafsson ($12,500)
Alexander Gustafsson is making his return to the Octagon for the first time in nearly a year as he takes on Jan Blachowicz in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 93 card. Gustafsson was last seen dropping a close split decision to Daniel Cormier at UFC 192 in October in his second chance at becoming the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
The road back to a title shot starts for Gustafsson in Germany as he looks to bounce back from having lost three of his last four fights. Blachowicz represents a step back in competition for Gustafsson, and it set up as a bounce back fight for him.
Blachowicz is not an opponent to take lightly, though, as he sports a 19-5 career record, but he has lost two of his last three fights. Gustafsson is the superior fighter, but he has also talked about retirement after recent struggles.
Anytime a fighter has retirement on the mind, you have to wonder how much time they have left. I don’t believe that Gustafsson is close to leaving the sport, and I see having the nearly year-long layoff being a benefit to him. Gustafsson is quick on his feet and works best as a pressure fighter, and Blachowicz isn’t an opponent that is going to bring the fight to him.
Blachowicz is slow on his feet and has the tendency to be a boring fighter, and lesser opponents will fall to him due to his style. Gustafsson’s striking and movement will be key here as well as shaking off any ring rust that may creep in. He’s far too talented to fall to an opponent like Blachowicz.
Blachowicz has only been stopped twice in his career while Gustafsson has stopped 13 opponents in his career. Gustafsson commands one of the highest salaries ever for an MMA fighter on DraftKings since its inception, but despite that, he is the top target on this card as I expect him to get a second-round finish of Blachowicz. He is worth his salary.
VALUE TARGET
Josh Barnett ($9,700)
Josh Barnett is headlining his second UFC event since making his return to the company in 2013 as the former UFC Heavyweight Champion takes on another former UFC Heavyweight Champion in the form of Andrei Arlovski for five rounds in Hamburg.
Barnett is a slight betting favorite heading into the fight but both men have the same salaries, which makes Barnett a more valuable target between the two. Barnett is looking to rebound from being submitted for the first time in his career when he fell to Ben Rothwell in January. He was in control of the fight before being caught by Rothwell in the second round, and it derailed Barnett’s run towards getting a title shot.
Arlovski himself was very close to securing a title shot, but he has lost two straight fights by knockout to Stipe Miocic and Alistair Overeem, who fight next week for the championship. Arlovski is the better pure striker on the feet, but where Barnett will excel in this match-up is when he closes the distance and gets into a grappling battle with Arlovski.
Barnett does excellent work in the clinch between switching up elbow strikes with knee strikes. While Arlovski is an excellent wrestler, Barnett will be looking to wear him down in the clinch and open him up for being taken down. Barnett is world-class on the mat with his submissions, and he has very strong ground-and-pound to compliment his suffocating top control.
Arlovski still can land a punch, but he doesn’t pack the power he used to against fighters with strong chins, and Barnett has a very strong chin.
Arlovski has gotten hit a lot in his career, and his chin has taken a beating lately, and Barnett still possesses a strong right hand. This fight being 25 minutes opens it up for more scoring opportunities, but I don’t see it going past two rounds, and Barnett winning by TKO inside the first two rounds. Barnett should have a higher salary, but with just a $9700 salary, it gives him excellent value.
DO NOT TARGET
Leandro Silva ($9,200)
Leandro Silva is looking to get back into the win column on Saturday when he takes on Rustam Khabilov in the opening bout of the UFC Fight Night 93 card. Silva is actually taking this fight on shorter notice as an injury replacement. This is a dangerous fight for Silva to be taking on short notice, and I’m actually surprised he doesn’t have a much lower fantasy salary compared to how big of an underdog he is in the betting odds.
Silva is a decent striker but he tends to only throw one strike at a time and will get outstruck by a superior opponent. Khabilov is a superior opponent who holds a lot of power in his hands. He also mixed up his striking more in his most recent win over Chris Wade.
Khabilov had regressed a little as visa problems have prevented him from coming to the US and working under Greg Jackson, though he will be in his corner on Saturday. Silva doesn’t have the grappling to handle Khabilov, who had gotten a reputation for his impressive suplexes. Silva is not a bad wrestler by any means, but he doesn’t match up well against Khabilov.
There is nothing in this fight that Silva is better in than Khabilov, and that makes this a tough match-up for him. Silva is one fighter on this fight card I wouldn’t want in my line-up, and I don’t suggest readers using him as well. He is a must-avoid on this fight card.
UNDERDOG TARGET
Ilir Latifi ($9,100)
Ilir Latifi is taking on Ryan Bader in an interesting light heavyweight bout on the main card of UFC Fight Night 93 on Saturday. Latifi comes into the fight having won three straight fights and five of his last six overall, and he is sneakily climbing the rankings of the 205-pound division.
Bader has been a long-time contender but has never fought for the title. He was in a title eliminator bout in his last fight, but was starched in just over a minute by Anthony Johnson. It was the end of Bader’s five-fight win streak and he looks to start a new streak on Saturday. Latifi is a power puncher, maybe not having quite the same power as Johnson, but certainly way up there at 205 pounds.
He was five wins by knockout, but also has seen four wins come by submission. Inside the Octagon, three of Latifi’s five wins have come by knockout, all three in the first round, and two in less than a minute. Bader has five career losses, three of which have come by knockout, and all five of his losses have seen him finished.
Bader is the strong betting favorite in this bout, and it makes Latifi one of the biggest underdog targets on the fight card. Bader has turned into more of a striker these days, and he isn’t going to match the power of Latifi. If Bader goes back to his wrestling roots, well, Latifi is a powerhouse wrestler who has never been taken down in his UFC career.
Bader would be best served keeping the fight at a distance as Latifi is powerful in close range. Bader’s suspect chin is a dangerous target that Latifi is going to look to exploit, and Bader’s best chance to win is to drag this fight into the later rounds where Latifi’s cardio comes into question. It’s a tough fight to pick, but if you are looking for the perfect underdog target to add to your line-up, Latifi’s salary is perfect for your team. He can finish this fight quickly.
SURPRISE TARGET
Jack Hermansson ($9,800)
Jack Hermansson finds himself as our surprise target for the card due to the fact he is making his UFC debut and fans may not know what to expect. He signed with the UFC on the heels of eight straight wins, and he is a former Cage Warriors Fight Championship Middleweight Champion. He is 13-2 overall in his career with twelve finishes in his career, and he is an excellent addition to the UFC roster. He makes his Octagon debut against Scott Askham, who fights for the UFC for the fifth time.
Askham has rotated wins-and-losses in his four previous appearances, with both wins coming by first-round knockout and both losses seeing him drop decisions. History says Askham is due for a loss in this bout, but he is a tough match-up here for Hermansson
It’s a close fight on paper and Askham has that previous experience inside the Octagon. Askham is solid on his feet and very rangy at six-foot-three, and he will have some reach on Hermansson. Hermansson is more unorthodox on his feet and he is mainly a puncher while Askham mixes his strikes well. Askham has sharp elbows at well, but he isn’t as flashy as Hermansson. Hermansson also has a solid takedown game when he chooses to mix it in, and he has solid submission skills.
Askham has never been finished in his career but tends to fade late and give up decisions. This fight will probably be a back-and-forth affair and the longer it goes, the more it gives Hermansson the edge. I don’t see him finishing Askham, but if there is a time and place and opponent to hand Askham his first stoppage loss, it will be Hermansson. He is a sneaky surprise target and has very solid value as well.
OUR LINE-UPS
RYAN FREDERICK- Alexander Gustafsson ($12,500), Josh Barnett ($9,700), Scott Askham ($9,600), Ilir Latifi ($9,100), Christian Colombo ($9,000)
Alexander Gustafsson is my top target this week, and I’m doing everything I can to have him on my roster. I do expect him to get a finish of Jan Blachowicz inside of two rounds, and I see him racking up over 100 points, which is what you hope for when selecting your fantasy line-ups.
With his $12,500 salary, it leaves me little room for the remaining four line-up slots, so I am looking to take a couple of chances. Josh Barnett is on my team as I see him being excellent value and his salary is reasonable. I sense he’s finishing Andrei Arlovski and has a good chance at getting to the 100 point mark.
Scott Askham is a slight underdog to Jack Hermansson, but his UFC experience is key and I am going with him as he is a finisher though Hermansson is a very tough match-up for him. Ilir Latifi has power and Ryan Bader can be finished, and he has a very great salary for the match-up.
Latifi at $9,100 is very hard to pass up given Bader’s chin. Christian Colombo fills out my line-up. He is making his UFC debut against Jarjis Danho, who didn’t have an impressive UFC debut in February. I can’t find much footage of Colombo and I have no idea what to expect, but he is a heavyweight finisher and heavyweights can be finished. I’m taking a chance on him.
PAUL FONTAINE- Jarjis Danho ($10,400), Taylor Lapilus ($10,000), Josh Barnett ($9,700), Jim Wallhead ($9,300) and Ilir Latifi ($9,100)
My team has the absolute best nicknames of any team in the history of Draft Kings and that’s gotta be worth something! “Man Mountain” (Danho) is going to rebound from a lackluster performance in his UFC debut and get back to his wildman ways with a destruction of fellow meathead Christian Columbo. “Double Impact” (Lapilus) will make France proud when he finishes off Leandro Issa in short order. “The Warmaster” (Barnett) will wear down Andrei Arlovski and submit him in the 3rd or 4th round.
“Judo” Jim Wallhead is one of the main reasons I used to go out of way to watch Cage Warriors and BAMMA and I remember him from his Bellator days. He’s improved since then and I like him to get the W in his long-awaited UFC debut. Finally “The Sledgehammer” (Latifi) is going to pound out Ryan “The Master” Bader (my nickname for him) to finally end his time on the periphery of the title picture.
PEACH MACHINE- Alexander Gustafsson ($12,500), Rustam Khabilov ($10,200), Josh Barnett ($9,700), Ilir Latifi ($9,100), Peter Sobotta ($8,400)
I like Barnett here. He was clowning around before his last fight with Rothwell and it cost him. This time, he’s going to be focused. Latifi always surprises me and Bader is coming off a devastating KO loss to Rumble. I like Latifi to do the same thing and send Bader into retirement.
Sobotta is a big time underdog but I don’t care. Dalby isn’t anything special. Besides, taking Sobotta allows me to take Gustafsson which I’m sure everyone will avoid because of his price tag. A 2-3 outing last week means I’m due for a 5-0 night. Or maybe 0-5.
The UFC returns to pay-per-view on Saturday night with another stop in Houston, Texas for UFC 192. They bring a deep card to the Lone Star State for the first event in Houston since UFC 166 in October 2013, with a title fight and other fights with title implications making up the card. The main card airs on pay-per-view at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary bout action can be seen kicking off at 6:15 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FS1 at 8 PM eastern time.
The UFC Light Heavyweight Championship is on the line in the main event as UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier makes his first title defense against the challenger, Alexander Gustafsson. In the co-main event bout, it will be a title eliminator bout in the welterweight division as former UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks takes on Tyron Woodley. Also on the card is a light heavyweight bout between contenders as former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans takes on Ryan Bader. Let’s take a deeper look into the action on the card and bring you five storylines to keep an eye on at UFC 192 on Saturday night.
1. Can Alexander Gustafsson unseat Daniel Cormier as the current top of the light heavyweight division?
Alexander Gustafsson is getting a second chance to become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion in the main event of UFC 192 on Saturday night when he challenges current champion Daniel Cormier. Gustafsson’s title opportunity was met with a lot of criticism as he is coming off of a loss to Anthony Johnson in his last fight, and many thought Ryan Bader and his four-fight win streak should have been the man fighting Cormier. Regardless of that, Gustafsson will be looking to do something he was unable to do in his first title shot, and that is walk away with the belt around his waist. The last time he got this opportunity, he came up just short in losing to Jon Jones in perhaps the greatest title fight in UFC history, at UFC 165 in September 2013. Two years later, he gets a fresh champion in Cormier, who won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship when he submitted Johnson at UFC 187 in May, which followed the title being stripped from Jones.
Cormier provides Gustafsson with a completely different challenge from Jones, but just an equally as hard fight. Cormier is a world-class wrestler with knockout power in his hands. Gustafsson is going to have a huge height and reach advantage that he will want to exploit. He has to watch out for the dangerous right hand from Cormier, though, something that he ate at the hands of Johnson. Gustafsson had talked about how he considered retiring following the loss to Johnson, and any time that happens to a fighter, you have to question their mental state heading into their next fight. Cormier has also been using his mouth and excellent speaking ability to attempt to get into the head of Gustafsson. Gustafsson has been shaking it off, but it could play into the hands of both men on Saturday night.
Gustafsson is going to have to use his length to keep Cormier away from him. If Cormier is able to get inside the pocket and use his excellent dirty boxing skills in the clinch, it is going to be a tough night in the Octagon for Gustafsson. Gustafsson excels at footwork and circling away from the opponent after his attacks. He isn’t going to out-wrestle Cormier, and he has a hard time eating a good punch. Gustafsson’s three losses have come to Jones, Johnson and Phil Davis, three strong wrestlers with solid punching power. Cormier is another in that line of opponent. This is Cormier’s fight to lose, and I see him being able to finish Gustafsson and continue his quest to goad Jon Jones back into the Octagon.
2. Who stakes their claim to the next title shot at 170 pounds when Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley meet?
Former UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks will meet Tyron Woodley in the co-main event of UFC 192 in a fight that has been many years in the making. It is a battle that goes back to when both men were wrestlers in college. They met in the Big 12 Finals, and it ended in a lot of controversy. It was a close match, but at one point during the match, Hendricks’ fingers ended up in the mouth of Woodley, and there were claims of Woodley biting Hendricks. Woodley was penalized a point, which made the difference in Hendricks winning and then going on to becoming an NCAA Champion twice. Woodley has been wanting another shot at Hendricks since both entered the sport. Woodley has been calling out Hendricks for months, and the fight finally goes down on Saturday night.
It is a pivotal bout in the welterweight division as it will likely determine who fights the winner of the January bout between Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit. Hendricks lost the championship to Lawler, but he holds wins over both men. Woodley holds a win over Condit. High stakes are on the line when Hendricks and Woodley step inside the Octagon, and it will be interesting how the fight turns out. It could be explosive on the feet, but it also has the chance to be a battle of attrition with battles in the clinch and with the wrestling. Hendricks has been a better overall performer, but recently has lacked that killer instinct that made him the most dangerous fighter at 170 pounds. Woodley has some power as well, but Hendricks has never been finished. Woodley has back in Strikeforce by Nate Marquardt. I give the edge in this bout to Hendricks and pick him to win on Saturday night.
3. Will Rashad Evans be able to shake off the knee injuries when he meets Ryan Bader?
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans makes his long-awaited return on Saturday night when he meets Ryan Bader, holder of a four-fight win streak. This fight could also have title implications on the line at 205 pounds, as Evans is riding a two-fight win streak himself. Evans has been out of action since a November 2013 win over Chael Sonnen as he has had multiple knee surgeries, in similar vein to Dominick Cruz, but he is finally able to return to action. Bader was chomping at the bits to fight Daniel Cormier for the title, but was passed over in favor of Alexander Gustafsson, and an impressive win over Evans could make a statement that he should be next. Of course, there is Jon Jones laying in wait, which could impact what happens for the winner.
At his best, Evans is one of the best light heavyweights in UFC history, with several big wins and being a former champion. If he is truly 100%, he is a top-five fighter, maybe even top-three alongside Jones, Cormier and Anthony Johnson. A win would almost assuredly mean he will get the next opportunity at the main event winner, even if Jones is getting closer to a return. Cage rust could play a huge factor, but Evans has gone through some periods of time where he has missed an extended amount of action, though the two years is the longest layoff of his career. It will be interesting to see if the knee injuries affect his wrestling skill, which is his best aspect of his skills, but he also has a ton of power. Bader is a good wrestler and has solid striking, but he doesn’t match up well against Evans. This has the potential to be a boring battle as well as Evans may fight cautiously and Bader isn’t the most aggressive fighter. I see Evans taking the win, though, and Bader just not being able to get over the hump.
4. Sage Northcutt makes his UFC debut with a lot of hype. Will he live up to it?
Sage Northcutt is 19-years-old, the youngest fighter on the UFC roster, and he makes his UFC debut on Saturday night. He is getting a lot of hype coming into his debut, especially for someone fight on the Fight Pass portion of the preliminary card. He is from Katy, Texas, a suburb of Houston, and he was featured on Dana White’s new Fight Pass show, “Looking For A Fight”. He is 5-0 in his professional career, one that started less than a year ago. He does have one loss as an amateur, but that came in his very first fight. All five of his wins have come by stoppage, and he has only been out of the first round once.
He’s going to get a lot of attention for his looks as he looks more like a model than a fighter. He has been practicing martial arts all of his life, and he does have an attitude about him. That is why the UFC is drawn to him, the personality, and all indications show that he can become a popular, and hated, fighter, if he can back up his skills. It might be early for a 19-year-old, but it is his chance to show that he is for real. He fights Francisco Trevino, who is coming off of his first career loss that ended his perfect 12-0 record. It will be the first time that Northcutt cuts to 155 pounds, and he gets a tough opponent. He’s being thrown to the wolves right away, but many expect him to live up to the hype. If he does, the UFC has a potential new star on their hands.
5. What else is there to look for on the card?
The UFC 192 card is loaded with 13 fights, and many solid fights. Also on the main card is a heavyweight battle between former LSU football player Shawn Jordan and Ruslan Magomedov. Opening the main card is a pivotal bout in the women’s bantamweight division as Jessica Eye meets former TUF winner Julianna Pena. Eye is coming off a tough loss to Miesha Tate in a title eliminator bout in July, and she is eager to step back in the Octagon and get back into the win column and erase the disappointing memory of the Tate fight. Pena is getting a huge step up in competition in the form of Eye, but she has the potential to compete for the title in the future, and fights aren’t getting easier when climbing the ladder.
Headlining the preliminary card is a flyweight battle between former title challengers as Joseph Benavidez takes on Ali Bagautinov. Also on the card is a featherweight bout between former TUF winner Yair Rodriguez and Dan Hooker, an exciting welterweight clash between Alan Jouban and Albert Tumenov, and Rose Namajunas finally makes her long-awaited return when she takes on Angela Hill. Among the fights that will be airing on Fight Pass is a flyweight battle between former title challenger Chris Cariaso and prospect Sergio Pettis, the younger brother of former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. The UFC 192 card is truly a deep card for fight fans.
Full UFC 192 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions
MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: (C) Daniel Cormier vs. (#2) Alexander Gustafsson Betting Odds: Cormier (-340), Gustafsson (+280) Prediction: Cormier by knockout in round 3
Welterweights: (#1) Johny Hendricks vs. (#3) Tyron Woodley Betting Odds: Hendricks (-350), Woodley (+290) Prediction: Hendricks by decision
Light Heavyweights: (#4) Ryan Bader vs. (#5) Rashad Evans Betting Odds: Bader (+150), Evans (-170) Prediction: Evans by decision
Heavyweights: Shawn Jordan vs. Ruslan Magomedov Betting Odds: Jordan (+140), Magomedov (-160) Prediction: Jordan by knockout in round 2
Women’s Bantamweights: (#6) Jessica Eye vs. (#12) Julianna Pena Betting Odds: Eye (+205), Pena (-245) Prediction: Eye by decision
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
Flyweights: (#1) Joseph Benavidez vs. (#14) Ali Bagautinov Betting Odds: Benavidez (-340), Bagautinov (+280) Prediction: Benavidez by decision
Featherweights: Yair Rodriguez vs. Dan Hooker Betting Odds: Rodriguez (-300), Hooker (+250) Prediction: Rodriguez by submission in round 3
Welterweights: Alan Jouban vs. Albert Tumenov Betting Odds: Jouban (+220), Tumenov (-260) Prediction: Jouban by knockout in round 2
Women’s Strawweights: (#4) Rose Namajunas vs. Angela Hill Betting Odds: Namajunas (-260), Hill (+220) Prediction: Namajunas by submission in round 2
