Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg will add pro boxing to her list of accomplishments as she makes her debut on Sunday, September 25th in her native hometown of Curitiba, Brazil, against Simone Silva.
Cyborg will have a tough task on her hands as Silva is a boxing veteran with over 40 professional fights and nearly 300 rounds of experience. Silva has boxed for the WBA, WBF, IBA and WBC World titles in her career.
Cyborg recently held an open media workout in Huntington Beach, California, where I spoke with her about the fight (seen above).
She said she loves a challenge and that even though she has some butterflies heading into the fight, that’s what challenges do: “they give you butterflies in your belly.”
Cyborg has already had a dream MMA career, holding gold in Strikeforce, Invicta, UFC and Bellator. She is MMA’s only “Grand Slam” champion (male or female), having captured every belt in her weight category.
She had a 13-year undefeated streak from 2005-2018 and after her December 2018 loss to Amanda Nunes, she is undefeated in the last four years (6-0) She has been ranked by ESPN in the pound-for-pound rankings more times than any other female fighter in the sport of MMA. .
She was also part of the first ever televised female main event where she competed against Gina Carano.
Even with all that success, boxing has been a dream of hers for a while.
“Everybody has to do something really uncomfortable. You cannot just sit down on the bed and sit on the couch and think about having a dream. You have to go, you have to get it….your dream,” she said.
While the two sports have their differences, Cyborg described boxing as being “really complex,” noting that it is making her prepare “really hard” with a lot of sprint work in addition to swimming, sparring and jump rope.
Cyborg said she draws confidence from that training. She respects all her opponents and is working at getting better and improving her game.
“Every time I step in a cage, I leave it in God’s hands,” she said.
When it comes to the future in boxing, she would like to do one more fight after this but is still not sure since all her focus is currently on Silva. She also had to defend her Bellator title as well.
In the past, Cyborg has been vocal about possibly trying pro wrestling and has even trained with AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa. While she loves challenges, pro wrestling is “a different sport” but if granted the opportunity, she would train for it. She also brought up another MMA legend and current WWE star Ronda Rousey as “doing amazing” in wrestling.
Cris “Cyborg” Justino made history In Los Angeles, CA, Saturday night, defeating champion Julia Budd by fourth round TKO to become the Bellator women’s featherweight champion.
She now has won titles in the UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator, and Invicta, all at 145 pounds.
Justino turned it on in the fourth round, unleashing a barrage of fists and knees on Budd without an answer, resulting in referee Mike Beltran calling the fight.
Up until that point, Cyborg (22-2-0-1) hadn’t done anything outstanding in terms of nearly finishing the fight, but did enough in the clinch, up against the fence, and on the mat to earn herself the rounds she needed. Budd was in the fight the entire time, but couldn’t answer Cyborg’s pressure, nor had any effective offensive to put Cyborg on the defensive.
The 36-year-old Budd (13-3) was the company’s first women’s featherweight champion, having won the title in March 2017. Since then, she has fought sparingly but did have three successful title defenses. In a unique fact, all four of her title fights before tonight were in Thackerville, Oklahoma. She went into the fight on an 11-fight win streak dating back to 2012.
This was Justino’s Bellator debut after a multi-year run in the UFC. They chose not to resign her after her deal ran out in 2019.
In other results:
– The Bellator featherweight Grand Prix rolled along with Darrion Caldwell advancing in the tournament with a quick and impressive first round submission win over the very tough and previously unbeaten Adam Borics. Caldwell got inside early and controlled Borics with elbows and fists while on his back, sinking in a rear naked choke for the tap and win. The former Bellator bantamweight champion will now face A.J. McKee in the tournament semifinals.
– Sergio Pettis made his promotional debut after a long run in the UFC, submitting Alfred Khashkyan in the first round in a bantamweight fight.
– Dave Meltzer favorite and once uber prospect Aaron Pico was purposefully placed on the undercard and showed out nicely with a second round knockout win over Daniel Carey.
– Also on the undercard, former UFC fighter Curtis Millender made his Bellator debut and picked up a win over Moses Murrietta by unanimous decision…BJJ ace A.J. Agazarm picked up a third round submission win over Adel Altamimi.
It didn’t take long for MMA free agent Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino to find a new home as Bellator MMA president Scott Coker announced Monday she has signed an exclusive multi-fight, multi-year deal with the company.
Coker told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani that the deal “is the biggest contract in women’s MMA history.” The amount of fights, guaranteed money, and date/opponent for the 34-year-old’s first fight weren’t announced.
TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter noted on Twitter that Ronda Rousey made $3 million for her UFC 207 fight against then-champion Amanda Nunes.
Shortly following her July UFC 240 win over Felicia Spencer, Dana White announced the company was “out of the Cyborg business” and waived their 90-day exclusive negotiating window, ending a tumultuous yet profile several years between the two sides.
Coker and Justino have done business before in Strikeforce where she rose to prominence, notably in a fight against Gina Carano in August 2009 where she won the promotion’s first women’s featherweight title via first round TKO.
In an interview posted on the UFC’s YouTube channel, Dana White said they are going to pass on re-signing former UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino and have waived her exclusive negotiating window with the company.
White re-iterated his belief Justino is avoiding fighting current champion Amanda Nunes who knocked Justino out in less than a minute earlier this year.
“We’re out of the Cyborg business,” he said.
White discussed the ongoing war of words between the two and said recent stories about “what’s being said now” are “absolutely ridiculous”, adding he doesn’t have a horrible relationship with her. He also once again attempted to clarify the infamous “Wandelei Silva in a dress” comments he made in a media scrum several years ago.
He also denied bullying Justino.
“It’s 2019. What is this narrative? Where is this coming from? It’s an absolute smokescreen to not fight Amanda Nunes.”
Justino fought out her UFC contract, earning a unanimous decision over Felicia Spencer last Saturday at UFC 240. She posted an apology to White on Instagram for her production team making it appear like White was saying he wasn’t telling the truth about her, adding “Even though we will continue to disagree about numerous issues, I will always stand up for doing what is right.”
White RT’d it on Twitter and said, “Thank you, Cris.”
We’re looking for reports from these shows. Reports can be sent to [email protected]:
WWE Raw Saturday night in Oklahoma City
WWE Smackdown Saturday night in Nashville (entire show, not just the Smackville portion)
WWE Raw tonight in Springfield, MO
WWE Smackdown night in Cape Girardeau, MO
We’re also taking poll results from both New Japan shows this weekend in Nagoya as well as UFC 240 last night, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match from all three shows to [email protected]
Raw is Monday night in Little Rock with Brock Lesnar appearing, plus Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler, and a Samoa Joe/Roman Reigns confrontation.
NEW JAPAN G-1 CLIMAX TOURNAMENT TUESDAY MORNING AT 6 A.M. EASTERN FROM TAKAMATSU ON NEW JAPAN WORLD
Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma & Yuya Uemura vs. Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi & Yota Tsuji
Toru Yano & Ren Narita vs. Jon Moxley & Shota Umino
Minoru Suzuki & Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Jay White & Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
Juice Robinson & Jeff Cobb & Toa Henare vs. Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi & Bushi
Kota Ibushi vs. Bad Luck Fale
Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Kazuchika Okada vs. Lance Archer
KENTA vs. Sanada
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Evil
Smackdown and 205 Live are Tuesday in Memphis. Trish Stratus will be there for the angle to set up her SummerSlam match with Charlotte Flair, plus Dolph Ziggler vs. Finn Balor (maybe as Balor is ill right now), Xavier Woods & Big E vs. Elias & Drew McIntyre, and Billie Kay & Peyton Royce in a non-title match with Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
Joseph Currier looks at two Network specials and what they could mean for the future of the service.
EVOLVE’s 10th Anniversary Celebration streamed on the Network opposite AEW Fight for the Fallen on July 13. Another in-ring special has also been added to the Network schedule for this month, with “Smackville” set to air this Saturday (July 27).
Smackville is similar to past specials like The Shield’s Final Chapter and WWE Starrcade. The WWE Network broadcast of Smackville will be an hour long. Kofi Kingston will defend the WWE Championship against Samoa Joe and Dolph Ziggler in a triple threat match, Finn Balor will face Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura in a rematch from Extreme Rules, and there will be a musical performance segment with Elias.
The Smackville name is playing off the show taking place in Nashville, Tennessee and the city’s Bridgestone Arena, which is the home of the Nashville Predators. The event was just a house show prior to the special being announced, and it will still feature some untelevised matches.
Televised house shows have been something WWE has surveyed subscribers about for a long time. Smackville feels very much like a by-the-numbers house show card. After already having defeated them in his most recent pay-per-view title defenses, Kingston is facing Joe and Ziggler again. Balor has already moved on to a storyline with Bray Wyatt and is set to take some time off from WWE after SummerSlam, so it seems unlikely that he’ll be regaining the Intercontinental title. The Smackville theme should play into the Elias segment, but it’s unlikely that it will have much meaning to the larger audience.
The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has details on the first episode of AEW on TNT, the possible name of the show, why the host city was chosen, and potential TV competition in the first few weeks of airing.
We detail the latest G1 Climax 29 shows, and how it compares to last year’s tournament.
We have coverage of Jon Jones and his latest potential legal trouble.
We cover Summerslam, how the card is shaping up, and the possible return of a WWE Hall of Famer on the show.
We look back at Saturday’s UFC show, and the business notes on the show.
We have details on Dragon Gate’s biggest show of the year, and have business notes on that as well.
We also have coverage of a wrestling star being part of Hollywood box office history.
There’s also a run down the ratings of all the major TV shows, along with detailed demo info for the WWE shows and results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.
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If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.
SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE
The weekend show is up with Jim Valley and I talking all of the latest news. Bryan and I will be back tomorrow night. The entire C.M. Punk/AEW situation was discussed in depth on the show.
Here is an update on the weekend WWE injuries:
Finn Balor was not injured as WWE stated, but was hospitalized with the stomach flu. No word yet on whether he’ll be able to wrestle Dolph Ziggler as scheduled on Tuesday.
Rachel Evers/Rachael Ellering suffered a knee injury last night in Fort Pierce. The severity of the injury is unknown at this point.
Karen Q suffered a broken ankle last night in Atlanta.
Riddick Moss suffered a broken nose but he isn’t expected to miss any time
Shayna Baszler was banged up a little, nothing serious and in fact worked last night. She didn’t wrestle on Friday night in Columbia, MO.
Dana White gave the indication that Cris Cyborg didn’t want to fight Amanda Nunes and was late in her career and wanted easier fights. Not sure I buy that one. He also said that he saw a video of the situation at the strip club with Jon Jones and that it was very favorable to Jones.
Dwayne Johnson will be on the Tonight show on Wednesday and with Kelly & Ryan on Thursday to promote Hobbs & Shaw.
ROH announced its annual Champions vs. All-Stars match on 8/24 at Center Stage in Atlanta.
WWE
Lacey Evans is scheduled to appear on Lifetime’s “Military Makeover” television show with Montel Williams.
As part of the four-part Showtime documentary on longtime fan Rick Rubin, part three discussed his love for pro wrestling and both HHH and Stephanie McMahon were guests.
For the weekend, two topics made the Google listings. UFC 240 had 500,000 searches, which is below what would be expected for that show. Gervonta Davis had 200,000 searches.
MISCELLANEOUS
Names listed for the Jericho Cruise at this point are Kenny Omega, Young Bucks, Cody, Adam Page, Brandi Rhodes, MJF, Britt Baker, Jungle Boy, Nyla Rose, Jericho, Ric Flair, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, Booker T, Jake Roberts, DDP and Eric Bischoff.
Kevin Eck with the latest ROH news on their website.
Mike Quackenbush is doing a seminar 8/13 to 8/15 in Sydney, Australia for PWA.
ACW on 8/24 in Astoria, NY with Matt Striker appearing.
Wrestlerock from Friday nigh in Melbourne: Taylor King b Jett Rouka, Nick Bury b Emman the Kid, Matty Wahlberg b Ritchie Taylor, CK Dowie & DCT b Mitch Waterman & Mad Dog, Dunk Uncle Beej b Lochy Hendricks, Scarlett Bordeaux b Avary. Bordeaux used a Canadian Destroyer through a table on Avary to end the main event. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
Ultimo Guerrero vs. Atlantis vs. Caristico in a three-way will headline the 9/1 Warrior Wrestling show in Chicago Heights, IL, the day after All Out.
SPW and OWE ran Thursday in Singapore: Social Misfits b Mighty Mighty & Big Good Jack, Alex Cuevas b Lindaman, Team Ace b Blue Nova & CK Vin, Reika Sakai b Alexis Lee, Cima b Trexxus, Destroyer Dharma won three-way over Butcherman and Aiden Rex, T-Hawk b The Statement (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
Defy from Friday night in Seattle with the first round of the 8XGP tournament: Sonico & Leon Negro b Super Crazy & Guillermo del Rosas, Matt Cross b Judas Icarus, Cody Chunn b Mike Santiago, Jacob Fatu & Josef Samael b L.A. Park & El Hijo de L.A. Park in a no DQ match for the PCW Ultra and Defy tag titles, Danika Della Rouge & Randy Myers b Sloan & Travis Williams, Artemis Spencer b Douglas James, Christopher Daniels b Schff, Tama Tonga b Ethan HD. The Parks match was said to be ****1/4 and included Samael throwing a fireball at Park. They also destroyed the merchandise table.
Defy from last night in Seattle with the finals of the Defy Super 8XGP tournament: Semifinals: Christopher Daniels b Cody Chunn, Artemis Spencer b Matt Cross, Ethan HD & Mike Santiago won over Modern Day Savages, Super Crazy & Guillermo del Rosas and Randy Myers & Schaff, Joey Janela NC Tama Tonga when HD & Santiago attacked both guys Douglas James b Travis Williams, Jacob Fatu & Josef Samael b Leon Negro & Sonico, Artemis Spencer b Christopher Daniels to win tournament and keep the Defy title (thanks to Scott Janicek)
Queen of the Rings from last night in Beaumont, TX: Phoebe b Raychell Rose, Heather Monroe b Alex Gracia, Thunder Rosa b Mercedes Martinez, Hyan b Amber Nova, Priscilla Kelly b Rock-C, Miranda Alize b Joey Ryan, Heather Monroe b Miranda Alize to win the Hurricane title (thanks to Shannon Walsh and wrestlingwithdemons.net)
Dragon Lee will be working a lot more ROH shows for the rest of the year.
Sendai Girls from last night in Manchester, UK: Viper won four-way over Gisele Shaw, Isla Dawn and Jody Threat, Aiger b Session Moth Martina, Dash Chisako b Kay Lee Ray,Valkyrie b Chris Brookes, Millie McKenzie & Charli Evans b Chihiro Matsumoto & Yuu, Toni Storm b Meiko Satomura
Chigusa Nagayo, one of the greatest female wrestlers of all-time, will be doing a seminar in Japanese Strong Style wrestling on 8/15 at the FTW World Wrestling Academy in Bohemia, NY. Some wrestlers from the tryout will be offered spots to work in Japan and train at the Marvelous Dojo. For more info you can e-mail [email protected] or call Bryan Idol at 631-574-2214.
Innovative Wrestling on 8/24 in Morristown, TN at the Tally Ward Rec Center.
For those going to Toronto for SummerSlam week, here are some shows:
8/7 at 4 p.m. has an OWE show
8/7 at 8 p.m. has Smash vs. Progress
8/8 at 4 p.m. has wXw Ambition
8/8 at 8 p.m. has Progress
8/9 at 4 p.m. has wXw
8/9 at 8 p.m. has Super Showdown 7
8/10 at Noon at Smash, Shimmer, Rise and Femmes Fatales
8/10 at 3 p.m. has OWE
ECWA will be relaunching on 9/21 in New Castle, DE at the Asbury United Methodist Church with a 7 p.m. show.
Lucha Toronto on 8/7 at the Opera House in Toronto with Joey Ryan, Puma King and Ethan Page.
PWP on Wednesday night in Omaha: Jack Darling & Uncle Ricky won three-way over Paul & Joey Daniels and Tim Boston & Seto Kobara, Branden Jaurez b Santos Barbosa, Willy Sweet b Logan James, Chris Havius & Preston Maxwell b Jaysin Strife & Con Artiest, Tony Cortez b Pat Powers-DQ, Purple b Moonshine Russell, Duke Cornell b Brett Bishop. Next show is 8/25 at the Waiting Room Lounge in Omaha.
70s star Buddy Colt talks about surviving a plane crash that ended his career and being a heel. (thank to Mike Kuzmuk)
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 240: Holloway vs. Edgar, emanating from the Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
The Octagon heads to Edmonton for the second time with a long-awaited featherweight title fight in the main event between two of the UFC’s all-time great fighters.
UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway defends his championship against former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar in the main event. This fight has been almost two years in the making as it had been canceled two prior times due to injury to both men, but is now finally happening. Holloway actually lost his last fight, coming up short in an interim lightweight title fight against Dustin Poirier, but he has won 13 straight fights at 145 pounds. Edgar hasn’t fought since an April 2018 win over Cub Swanson.
In the co-main event, it is former UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg, in what could be her final UFC fight as it is the last fight on her contract, taking on the undefeated Felicia Spencer. Also on the main card is what should be a fireworks bout in the welterweight division as Geoff Neal takes on Niko Price.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
ESPN+/UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
> Erik Koch (15-6, 4-5 UFC) vs. Kyle Stewart (11-2, 0-1 UFC) Welterweights
The opening five minutes were fairly tentative, particularly the striking. Stewart tried for several takedowns, but all he managed to do was turn them into clinches along the cage. Both men traded control with those clinches, but neither was able to translate the control into much damage. 10-9 Stewart (but a very close round).
Each man’s striking was crisper in the second round, particularly a right early on that seemed to daze Koch. There was more clinching along the cage with Stewart getting the best of it. Koch gained control with a heel trip along the fence and dropped Stewart. Stewart managed to get to his feet, but did eat some strikes on his way up. 10-9 Koch, 19-19.
The third round featured more clinching. Koch got a takedown along the fence but was too tired to turn it into anything. After a bit of a scramble on the mat, Koch took down Stewart again. Koch tried to finish Stewart on the ground with strikes and an attempted choke, but Stewart managed to survive to the final horn. 10-9 Koch, 29-28 Koch.
Official Result: Erik Koch def. Kyle Stewart by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
> Gillian Robertson (6-3, 3-1 UFC) vs. Sarah Frota (9-1, 0-1 UFC) Women’s Flyweights
The opening round was a showcase for Frota’s defensive jiu-jitsu, as she was taken down by Robertson early but managed to avoid a lot of damage – and even locked on an inverted triangle on Robertson from the bottom – due to her skills on the ground. That said, she spent the majority of the round on her back and Robertson escaped Frota’s inverted triangle and opened up a cut by Frota’s eye with a short elbow strike. Robertson took down Frota near the end of the round, but the horn sounded before she was able to do much damage. Robertson 10-9.
Robertson took Frota down to open the second round and managed to keep leaning forward, avoiding Frota’s first round tendency to grab her torso with her legs to escape dangerous situations. Instead, Robertson kept leaning forward, battered Frota with more elbow strikes and eventually referee Marc Goddard had to jump in to stop things.
Official Result: Gillian Robertson def. Sarah Frota by technical knockout (elbows) at 4:13 of the second round
Figueiredo controlled the middle of the cage early. He ducked under a Pantoja punch and took him down but Pantoja defended well and got back up to his feet. Figueiredo hit a couple nice punches and was fast enough to get out of the pocket before Pantoja could counter. Figueiredo got the better of a couple striking exchanges, but Pantoja ducked under a strike and got control of Figueiredo’s back but Figueiredo managed to escape. Energetic first round with both fighters looking good, but Figueiredo got the better of the striking exchanges. 10-9 Figueiredo.
The second round was punctuated by a series of scrambly striking exchanges. While his speed allowed him to escape counter-strikes in the first round, Figueiredo got tagged quite a few times as Pantoja adjusted. He knocked down Figueiredo when he was shooting in for a strike, though Figueiredo popped back up. Pantoja managed a takedown, but Figueiredo battled back to his feet. Figueiredo dropped Pantoja with a right hand late in the round, then tried to finish him with strikes but Pantoja was saved by the horn. 10-9 Figueiredo, 20-18 Figueiredo.
Figueiredo got the better of the striking exchanges early, including a jab that caught Pantoja flush and opened up a cut by his eye and an uppercut that dazed him. Figueiredo took down Pantoja twice, though neither led to any damage. Pantoja tried to close the gap with Figueiredo as the round wore on, but seemed too tired to really make anything of his attempts. Both fighters exchanged strikes before the end of the round. 10-9 Figueiredo, 30-27 Figueiredo.
After a tentative early striking exchange, Tucker took Choi down, stacked him up and then grabbed control of his back. He battled for position, but couldn’t translate back control into anything damaging. Both men toppled over off a leg trip, with Choi gaining control of Tucker’s neck but Tucker managing to escape. Neither man took control of the striking exchanges. 10-9 Tucker.
Tucker got an early takedown off a striking exchange and gained back control. Choi strambled to his feet but Tucker pressed him against the cage. Choi got free, though. The two had a brief striking exchanging, ending when a Choi spinning backfist missed and Tucker took him down. Tucker was doing some damage with short strikes, but was docked a point by referee Marc Goddard for a knee to the head of a downed opponent (Choi). Tucker continued to get the better of the striking exchanges for the rest of the round. 9-9 Tucker, 19-18 Tucker.
Tucker and Choi battled for position along the cage early in the third. Tucker tended to get the better of these exchanges. Choi got a takedown, but Tucker managed to get back to his feet fairly quickly. Tucker took control of Choi’s back and locked on a rear naked choke, switching hands midway through, for the submission victory. (Because of Choi’s position, Goddard had to keep switching sides to see if he was conscious or not.)
Official Result: Gavin Tucker def. Seungwoo Choi via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:17 of the third round
Dawodu landed a few kicks to the body and legs of Horie, but they didn’t appear to do a ton of damage. Twice during the first round, Horie went for a takedown as Dawodu was swinging for a strike. Both times, Horie dropped an off-balance Dawodu. But also both times, Dawodu popped back to his feet. Late in the round, Horie took Dawodu down with a double leg, but both men popped back to their feet and Dawodu landed a couple punches. Horie got the better of the striking exchanges in the round, particularly using Dawodu’s posture to put him on the mat. 10-9 Horie.
Horie spent the first chunk of the second round circling Dawodu and trying to be elusive with his footwork. Dawodu seemed to adjust and closed the distance several times, opting for short-range strikes after losing the medium-range battle in the opening round. Dawodu got the better of the striking exchanges and stuffed a takedown attempt late in the round. Horie spent much of the round backing up, with Dawodu stalking him and dictating the offense. 10-9 Dawodu, 19-19.
Horie was more aggressive to open the third round. During an exchange, Dawodu blocked a kick and landed a couple knees to Horie’s body in the clinch. After narrowly missing on a head kick, Dawodu swarmed Horie on the fence with strikes. Horie escaped, but Dawodu grabbed control of him on the other side of the Octagon and continued his assault with punches and kicks. While Horie kept escaping, Dawodu kept swarming him along the fence with strikes. He dropped Horie with a headkick and referee Kyle Cardinal called off the fight before Dawodu could do any additional damage.
Official Result: Hakeem Dawodu def. Yoshinori Horie via technical knockout (headkick) at 4:09 of the third round
> Alexis Davis (#7, 19-9, 6-4 UFC) vs. Viviane Araujo (#15 WBW, 7-1, 1-0 UFC) Women’s Flyweights
Araujo stuffed a Davis takedown attempt early in the round. She got the better of the early striking exchangs, including catching a Davis kick and landing a nice strike afterwards. Araujo took down Davis but wouldn’t dive into her guard, so Yves Lavigne stood them up. The pace slowed down later in round, with the striking exchanges from both sides more strategic than frenzied. 10-9 Araujo.
The strategic nature of the striking continued in the second round, with each fighter trying to land big shots rather than a lot of shots. Araujo got slighter better and cleaner strikes in, visibly reddening Davis’ face during the round. Midway through the round Araujo took Davis down, but Davis wriggled free and ended up in Araujo’s guard. In the scramble on the mat, it appeared that Davis’ nose was blooded. Davis connected with several body shots from inside Araujo’s guard, but also managed to sneak in some nice elbows from the top before the round was up. 10-9 Davis, 19-19.
The striking exchanges continued in the third round, with Araujo connecting with some clean shots to Davis’ face. Davis landed a few good body-kick, spinning elbow combos. Araujo began to gain momentum with some striking combos, making Davis’ nose leak once again. Davis went for another takedown but Araujo ended up on top. As in the first round, Davis tried to bait her into her guard but Araujo didn’t bite and Lavigne stood them up. Araujo connected on some strikes so Davis pressed her against the fence to relieve the pressure. Araujo 10-9, Araujo 29-28.
Official Result: Viviane Araujo def. Alexis Davis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
ESPN+ PPV MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
> Marc-Andre Barriault (11-2, 0-1 UFC) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (20-4, 7-4 UFC) Middleweights
The opening round featured a lot of clinching along the fence, with the two fighters alternating who was pressing the other against the cage. The striking exchanges were pretty even, though Barriault used them to back Jotko into the fence. Jotko reversed a takedown and tried his own, but Barriault blocked it. Barriault eventually did toss Jotko to the mat, but wasn’t able to follow up. 10-9 Barriault.
Barriault continued to maintain a territorial advantage in the second round, though Jotko initiated more of the striking exchanges. Neither man got a big advantage on their feeet. Barriault got a takedown along the cage late in the round, but Jotko ended up on top – the round ended before Jotko could take advantage. 10-9 Barriault based on the takedown, but this round was a toss-up. 20-19 Barriault, marginally.
The third round was fairly dull. There was a lot of circling and some sloppy striking exchanges. There were occasional clashes against the fence and flurries of strikes. There was more circling. 10-9 Jotko based on slightly better striking, but another toss-up round. 29-28 Barriault, but 29-28 Jotko wouldn’t be shocking. The crowd didn’t enjoy this fight.
Official Result: Krzysztof Jotko def. Marc-Andre Barriault by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
For the second straight bout, there were three rounds featuring a lot of clinching and some tentative striking. The opening round saw Tsarukyan and Aubin-Mercier exchange attempted takedowns but not really execute particularly well. Tsarukyan had slightly more control of the proceedings and did more damage. 10-9 Tsarukyan.
The second round saw Aubin-Mercier take advantage of some Tsarukyan miscues and press a little bit, but his primarily advantage was delivering a bit more damage via striking. 10-9 Aubin-Mercier. 19-19.
The third round saw neither fighter really press the pace or assert themselves offensively. Tsarukyan had more control of their striking exchanges and had Aubin-Mercier backing up quit a bit. 10-9 Tsarukyan, 29-28 Tsarukyan overall.
Official Result: Arman Tsarukyan def. Olivier Aubin-Mercier by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Geoff Neal (11-2, 3-0 UFC) vs. Niko Price (13-2 1 NC, 5-2 1 NC UFC) Welterweights
The early moments featured both fighters trying to get a feel for their opponent. Neal got a takedown. Price scrambled to his feet, but Neal stayed on him. Price connected with some strikes. Neal connected with a stiff punch after hesitating on an approach (and throwing Price’s timing off). A striking exchange saw Price throw a pair of high kicks, then drop Neal with a left hand. He swarmed Neal but Neal defended well, survived, and scrambled back to his feet. Neal took Price down late and got his back, but didn’t have enough time left on the clock to attempt a finish. 10-9 Price.
The early second round featured a flurry of stirkes. Price kicked Neal in the leg, leading to a wild back-and-forth exchange. After a scramble, Price attempted a guillotine choke but couldn’t lock it on, leaving Neal in Price’s guard. Neal worked for position, worked some strikes in to wear Price’s defenses down, then unleashed a flurry of strikes that led referee Dan Miragliatta to stop the bout.
Official Result: Geoff Neal def. Niko Price via technical knockout (strikes) at 2:39 of the second round
Cyborg looked scary early. Spencer tried for a takedown, got stopped and punched in the face. They had a few flurries of strikes early on, and Spencer busted Cyborg’s nose up with an elbow. Cyborg got the better of the early exchanges and Spencer presser her into the cage. Cyborg eventually wriggled free and they exchanged more strikes. Cyborg dropped her with a leg kick, but Spencer popped back up. Cyborg threw some punches along the fence, but Spencer circled away. Cyborg got the better of a striking exchange along fence, but Spencer pressed her into the cage again. 10-9 Cyborg, as she got the better of their striking exchanges.
Spencer pressed Cyborg against the cage. They battled for position and Cyborg got the upper hand after tripping her along the cage. Spencer defended well from the bottom, trapping Cyborg’s arm between her legs and eventually getting back to her feet. Back on their feet, Cyborg caught a Spencer kick but couldn’t turn it into any offense. They traded on their feet, with Cyborg getting the better of it. Cyborg landed a clean Superman punch, but it didn’t seem to faze Spencer. Cyborg continued to get the better of the striking exchanges. 10-9 Cyborg, 20-18 Cyborg.
Spencer missed a Superman punch and they had a brief exchange of strikes. Spencer tried to drive Cyborg into the fence, but ate a couple knees to the face on her way in. Spencer went for a takedown, Cyborg blocked it, and so Spencer just drove her back into the fence. They fought for control along the fence, with Cyborg getting the upper hand and landing some strikes that hurt Spencer a bit. Cyborg continued to get the better of their striking exchanges in the middle of the cage. Spencer ate a lot of shots in this fight, but aside from a brief moment along the fence in the third round she was never really ever in trouble. 10-9 Cyborg, 30-27 Cyborg.
Official Decision: Cris Cyborg def. Felicia Spencer via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Max Holloway (C, 20-4, 16-4 UFC) vs. Frankie Edgar (#4, 23-6-1, 17-6-1 UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship
There was a feeling-out process early. Edgar was initating more striking and trying to maintain control of the center of the Octagon. Holloway caught Edgar with a punch on an attempted takedown, but it didn’t seem to phase Edgar. Edgar was more effective at rattling off striking combinations. Edgar initiated more striking exchanges and used leg kicks well, but Holloway was more effective at counter-punching. Very close round. 10-9 Edgar, based on territorial control and movement.
The striking exchanges in the second round were much more structured than in the opening round. Edgar continued to initiate, but Holloway seemed more patient and more able to feint and counter-punch than early on. He defended an Edgar takedown attempt early in the round and wriggled free of an Edgar attempt to clinch. Holloway caught Edgar with a shot that sent him stumbling before the end of the round. 10-9 Holloway. 19-19.
An Edgar takedown attempt was blocked early. Holloway continued to use his reach and size to assert his control. Edgar initated more exchanges, but Holloway was very effective at using his jab to keep Edgar circling. Edgar went for a single leg takedown but Holloway blocked the attempt. Holloway caught Edgar with an uppercut. Edgar tried for a takedown, but Holloway shrugged it off and tried for a couple more punches. Edgar avoided the punches and managed to take down an off-balance Holloway. Edgar jockeyed for position on top, but Holloway managed tog et to his feet. Holloway caught Edgar with a knee before the end of the round. 10-9 Holloway. 29-28 Holloway.
Holloway initiated more exchanges beginning with the fourth round. Edgar tried another single leg takedown but Holloway shrugged him off. Edgar was bleeding from the nose after the two traded punches midway through the round. Late in the round Holoway gained some momentum after getting the better of a striking exchange and blocking an Edgar takedown attempt, but Edgar slowed things down by pressing Holloway into the cage. Holloway hit Edgar in the mid-section with a spinning back-kick before the round ended. 10-9 Holloway. 39-37 Holloway
Edgar pressed early, initating several exchanges and throwing a mixture of punches and head-kicks, though Holloway managed to counter. Edgar attempted a takedown and pressed Holloway against the cage, but Holloway wriggled free. Edgar kept pressing, but Holloway ably used his size advantage to defend. Holloway almost got control of Edgar’s neck, but Edgar scrambled to his feet. Holloway connected with a couple nice punching combinations, particularly a couple jabs that landed flush on Edgar’s face. Edgar kept pressing, but couldn’t connect with anything substantial. 10-9 Edgar based on urgency and control of the round. But 48-47 Holloway overall.
Official Result: Max Holloway def. Frankie Edgar via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 48-47) to retain UFC World Featherweight Championship
While it had become expected leading into the announcement, that doesn’t make Kenny Omega joining All Elite Wrestling any less of a vital move for the start-up company.
Omega signing with AEW was confirmed at last week’s Double or Nothing ticket announcement party in Las Vegas. Omega signed a four-year deal that allows him to still wrestle for New Japan Pro Wrestling if he wants to (and if NJPW will have him). And in addition to his in-ring role, Omega will serve alongside Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks as an executive vice president of the promotion.
I don’t expect more than a few more weeks of this format of Observers.
WWE grossed $930,160,000 and turned a $98,719,000 profit in 2018, both company records. Last year the company set a revenue record of $800,959,000 and turned a $32,116,000 profit.
Pedro Morales, best known for his three-year run as WWWF champion from 1971-73, passed away on 2/12 at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, NJ, where he had been hospitalized for two weeks. He was 78 and had been battling Parkinson’s Disease for several years.
NJPW New Beginnings: As a legit shoot, while NJPW almost always sells out Edion Arena for big shows, they comped less and opened up more seats so this number was the highest since the 2015 show headlined by Hiroshi Tanhashi vs. A.J. Styles.
UFC 234 – Chaos erupted the day of UFC 234, the first UFC pay-per-view offering of 2019, at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, causing dramatic change unheard of when it comes to UFC pay-per-view events.
It is now official that Kenny has signed with AEW.
Mustafa Ali’s eyeball got busted open and really messed up after a Garvin stomp by Randy Orton on SD Tuesday night.
Dwayne Johnson said he was the first choice to host the Oscars this year. But he said he couldn’t make it work due to the timing of shooting the Jumanji sequel.
Roman Reigns (Joe Anoa’i) will be making an appearance on a Nickelodeon series next month.
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TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
SmackDown tonight will be at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The key segment tonight will name Daniel Bryan’s opponent for Fastlane. The Miz will also issue a “public apology” after he and Shane McMahon lost the SmackDown tag team titles to the Usos on Sunday.
Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Aleister Black and Ricochet have been moved to the main roster section of WWE.com.
Charlotte’s arm is not looking great after taking crutch shots from Becky Lynch on Sunday.
Pro Wrestling
CMLL is heading back to Televisa on Canal 9, taking AAA’s old time slot on Saturday afternoons. The first show, which will air matches from the upcoming 2/22 event, will air on 3/2 at 2 p.m. There will be more information regarding the move on CMLL’s talk show Informa tomorrow.
It was also announced that Tetsuya Naito will be heading back to CMLL on 3/29.
Additional tickets for Double or Nothing that were initially held for production went on sale and sold out today. Cody Rhodes noted that it’s possible they’ll free up more space as they make production changes.
All Elite Wrestling’s Twitter account congratulated Billy Gunn on being part of the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame class with D-Generation X. Gunn is working for AEW as a producer.
Don Frye and Keiji Muto recently visited Yoshihiro Takayama in the hospital.
UFC/MMA
According to Cris Cyborg’s manager Audie Attar, she is looking to lock down a new contract and fight at UFC 237 on May 11. “The hopes are we can get a new deal done with the UFC, but time will tell on whether that is achievable or not,” Attar said. “We haven’t received any official fight offer but she would love to fight in her hometown. We’ve had some soft discussions about her next fight and her future. She’d love to fight for the UFC.”
Paul Felder was hoping to be released from the hospital today after suffering a collapsed lung during his fight against James Vick, but manager Brian Butler says that they are keeping him in the hospital in order to run more tests.
Daniel Straus, who hasn’t fought in Bellator since a 2017 motorcycle accident, will reportedly return next month to face Shane Kruchten in a lightweight bout.
Ed in San Antonio presents the WRESTLEMANIAWeekend Events (more to be added):
Sunday, April 6th, at 12:00 pm: Lunch (all you can eat) at Churrascaria Plataforma ($90 per person), located at 316 W. 49th street in Manhattan. Purchase tickets here~!
Luxury Bus to MetLife Stadium for Wrestlemania: We will depart from the Hilton Midtown (site of Wrestlecon) located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Departure time is 4:00 pm and will return from MetLife approximately 30 mins after the event. Times are subject to change, and cost $67.00 per person for the round trip. Purchase tickets here~!
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya, emanating from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The UFC returns to their home base in Las Vegas with a solid card headlined by the most dominant female fighter on the planet. UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg makes her second title defense when she defends against former Invicta Bantamweight Champion Yana Kunitskaya.
This fight came together less than a month ago after the original main event between Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar fell apart due to an injury to Holloway. Cyborg looks for another successful title defense after defeating Holly Holm at UFC 219 in December. Kunitskaya actually makes her UFC debut, looking to score one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
Edgar remained on the card, taking a risky fight in the co-main event slot as he will now battle undefeated Brian Ortega. It is the fight many see as the main event of the event, and the winner will likely challenge Holloway for the UFC Featherweight Championship later this year. Ortega looks to build on a big submission win over Cub Swanson in December, his biggest win to date, as he seeks to become the first fighter to finish Edgar in his career.
Also on the main card is rising bantamweight prospect Sean O’Malley, who takes on Andre Soukhamthath. Heavyweights Stefan Struve and Andrei Arlovski will also square off, while former title challenger Cat Zingano returns after being out of action for nearly two years as she takes on undefeated Ketlen Vieira. In the featured preliminary bout, highly-touted submission specialist Mackenzie Dern makes her UFC debut against Ashley Yoder.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT
> Jordan Johnson (8-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Adam Milstead (8-1 1 NC, 1-0 1 NC UFC) Light Heavyweights
Johnson lands a right hand. Milstead with an inside leg kick. They trade before a brief clinch but they break. Milstead with a leg kick and Johnson counters with one but eats a right hand counter from Milstead. Milstead lands a nice combo. Johnson shoots in for a takedown and works hard for it against the fence but can’t score it. Johnson with some foot stomps as they’re tied up against the fence. Milstead lands an elbow as they break to the center. Milstead lands an uppercut. They clinch and Johnson with a knee. 10-9 Milstead.
Johnson lands the jab. Johnson lands it again. Johnson lands some punches to the body as they clinch. They aren’t doing much in the clinch but Johnson is landing short punches to the body. Milstead pushes Johnson away and lands a right hand before they tie up again. They are broken up by the referee. Milstead lands a right hand but Johnson grabs him and scores a takedown. They got to their feet and Johnson was landing short punches to the legs, body and head of Milstead. They are broken up again. Johnson lands a leg kick. 10-9 Johnson, 19-19.
Johnson just misses a big overhand right. Milstead lands a hard right hand and Johnson counters by trying to force a clinch. They break away. They trade jabs. Milstead lands a combo. Johnson lands a left hook and then shoots for a takedown. They trade and Milstead lands a left hand. Johnson is landing with more volume but Milstead with harder punches. Johnson shoots for a takedown and gets it for a moment. They get to their feet. Johnson with some short kicks and foot stomps. Johnson working for a late takedown. Milstead lands some punches in the clinch. They trade big punches at the end. 10-9 Johnson, 29-28 Johnson.
Official Result- Jordan Johnson def. Adam Milstead by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Caraway landing some early and searching for the takedown. Caraway working for it but Stamann shakes it off and lands as they break. Caraway looking for a takedown against the fence again. They trade in the clinch and break. Both land some punches in close range. Stamann lands a kick but Caraway is landing the jab. Caraway scores a takedown near the center of the Octagon. Caraway into half-guard. Caraway looking to move to side control and is grabbing an arm as well. Caraway gets to side control and taps Stamann’s head and arm with his legs. Caraway went for an armbar but time ran out. 10-9 Caraway.
Both landing punches early on in the round. Stamann lands a hard right hand. Caraway looking to trick with his strikes. Stamann stuffs a takedown from Caraway but Caraway lands a right hand. Caraway lands a big uppercut. They continue to trade while Caraway looks for takedowns but they are being defended by Stamann. Caraway shoots and they clinch against the fence. They break and Stamann lands a right hand. Caraway lands a left hand as he shoots in. Stamann lands a knee. 10-9 Stamann, 19-19.
Caraway landing some leg kicks. Caraway lands another leg kick but Stamann lands a counter left hand. They trade some big punches. Caraway is slowing down. Stamann lands a right hand. Caraway shoots for a takedown but it is defended. They break and Stamann lands a hard right hand. Stamann landing some jabs and a leg kick. Stamann stuffs another takedown attempt from Caraway. They trade punches and Caraway lands an uppercut. Caraway landing some punches and is working hard for a takedown. Caraway with some dirty boxing in the clinch. They trade big punches and Caraway locked in a guillotine late but time ran out. Crazy finish and it’s going to be interesting scorecards. 10-9 Caraway, 29-28 Caraway.
Official Result- Cody Stamann def. Bryan Caraway by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
> Mike Pyle (27-13-1, 10-8 UFC) vs. Zak Ottow (15-5, 2-2 UFC) Welterweights
This is Pyle’s retirement fight. Ottow lands a left hand but Pyle is landing kicks. Ottow just misses a right hand. They trade leg kicks. Pyle lands a right hand. Pyle lands the jab and an uppercut as Ottow was rushing in. Ottow with a leg kick and then drops Pyle with a right hand. Ottow landing some punches from the top. Ottow with some ground-and-pound as Pyle is covering up and Herb Dean stops it. Pyle was in a lot of trouble there and he slams his hands down in frustration as this wasn’t the way he wanted his career to end.
Official Result- Zak Ottow def. Mike Pyle by TKO (punches) at 2:34 of Round 1
Dollaway throws a high kick but it is blocked. Lombard with a leg kick. Dollaway with a hard body kick. Both looking to land a big punch as they just trade leg kicks. Lombard is landing more leg kicks. Dollaway with a high kick. Lombard lands a couple of punches. Lombard with a leg kick. Lombard lands a left hand. Lombard being very patient and Dollaway isn’t forcing the action. Dollaway with a right hand to the body but eats a left from Lombard. Lombard drops Dollaway right at the bell, it may have been a split second after. A replay shows it was after the horn ended the round. 10-9 Lombard.
The fight is stopped between rounds. It was clear that Lombard landed the left hand after the horn ended the first round and Dollaway was unable to continue. They disqualified Lombard. They made the correct call in that one. Dollaway needed the stretcher to be taken to the back after the fight.
Official Result- CB Dollaway def. Hector Lombard by disqualification (illegal strikes) at 5:00 of Round 1
> John Dodson (#8, 19-9, 8-4 UFC) vs. Pedro Munhoz (#10, 15-2 1 NC, 5-2 1 NC) Bantamweights
They trade kicks early on. Dodson lands a combo to the body and head. They trade kicks. Munhoz with a body kick. Munhoz with a leg kick as Dodson lands a combo. Munhoz with a step-in knee. Dodson with a left hook to the body. Munhoz tries a body kick but Dodson catches the leg. Munhoz with another body kick but Dodson grabs the leg and throws him to the ground. Munhoz gets up. They trade leg kicks. Munhoz with another leg kick. Dodson lands a left hand. Dodson with a combo late. 10-9 Dodson.
Munhoz with a body kick but Dodson counters with a hard left hand. Munhoz is coming forward but Dodson is landing more punches. They trade against the fence. Dodson lands an uppercut. Munhoz lands a right hand. Dodson with a body kick. Munhoz lands a right hand. Dodson lands a left hand. Munhoz with a leg kick and then follows it with a head kick. Munhoz lands a kick straight to the cup and we have a brief timeout. It was almost right at the horn as the round ends. 10-9 Dodson, 20-18 Dodson.
Munhoz lands a right hand right at the beginning of the round. They are trading and Munhoz is landing bigger punches. Munhoz lands another kick to the groin. They trade punches and Dodson lands a good combination. Dodson lands three consecutive straight left hands. Dodson lands some more left hands. Both are coming forward and trading. Munhoz lands a big knee to the body. Dodson with a body kick. Munhoz looking for a takedown and gets it. Munhoz with some knees but they get back up. They trade punches in a wild exchange in the last ten seconds. Close fight. 10-9 Munhoz, 29-28 Dodson.
Official Result- John Dodson def. Pedro Munhoz by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
> Beneil Dariush (#12, 14-3-1, 8-3-1 UFC) vs. Alexander Hernandez (8-1, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
Hernandez faked a glove tap and landed a body kick at the start. They were trading and Hernandez was landing big punches. Dariush lands a left hand. Hernandez then lands a huge left hand that drops Dariush and he is out cold as he hits the mat. Huge win for Hernandez in his UFC debut, a fight he took on just over a week’s notice.
Official Result- Alexander Hernandez def. Beneil Dariush by knockout (punch) at :42 of Round 1
Dern with a leg kick to start. Dern firing some big punches and they clinch. Dern with some knees in the clinch. They break the clinch. Yoder with an inside leg kick. Yoder with a body kick but Dern counters with a combo. They are throwing wild punches before they clinch. Yoder with a leg kick. Dern with some wild punches. Dern has the back and is working for a takedown. They break. Yoder with an inside leg kick. Dern with a right hand and Yoder counters with a straight left. Yoder with a left hand. 10-9 Dern.
Dern with a left hand followed by a body kick. Yoder lands a left hand. Yoder lands a left hand. Dern with a leg kick and then a right hand before they clinch. Not much happened and they are broken up. Dern lands a left and then Yoder drops Dern with a left hand. Dern gets right back up. Yoder with a leg kick. Yoder with a body kick. Dern with a body kick but eats a left hand counter from Yoder. Yoder with another left hand. Dern with a leg kick followed by a right hand. They trade and then Yoder stuffs a takedown attempt from Dern. 10-9 Yoder, 19-19.
Yoder lands a left hand. Dern lands a right hand and shoots for a takedown against the fence. Dern with an elbow. Yoder then fires back with a left hand. Yoder lands another left hand and they clinch again. Dern has the body lock and lands a knee to the body. No takedown from Dern as they break the clinch. Dern lands a right hand. Yoder with a high kick. They trade punches. Dern with a front kick to the body and then gets the takedown. Dern gets the back and is working for the choke. Dern has the choke locked in on the chin of Yoder. Yoder is fighting it. Yoder gets out of it but Dern still has the back. Time runs out as Yoder survives. 10-9 Dern, 29-28 Dern.
Official Result- Mackenzie Dern def. Ashley Yoder by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Vieira tagged Zingano early then Zingano tagged her back. Vieira with an elbow. They are tagging each other. Zingano with a left hand and then a knee to the body in the clinch. Zingano with an inside leg kick. Vieira is countering well. Zingano with a brief takedown. Zingano with a body kick. Zingano lands a right hand. Vieira connects with a counter left hand. Zingano with a body kick. They trade punches and then clinch. Zingano with some knees to the body. Vieira gets a takedown. She ends the round on top. 10-9 Vieira.
They trade punches and Vieira gets a big throw takedown and she gets right into mount. Vieira looking for the arm-triangle. Zingano able to escape and lands an upkick. Vieira able to get back into the guard of Zingano. They are both working for position on the ground and both are landing strikes. Vieira stands but goes back into the guard. Zingano with some elbows from the bottom. Vieira with some punches from the top. 10-9 Vieira, 20-18 Vieira.
Zingano with a head kick followed by a hard right hand. Zingano lands some more right hands. Zingano with a leg kick that gets checked and her foot is hurt. Zingano was limping for a moment and Vieira turned it into a takedown. Vieira stands up and Zingano is throwing kicks from the ground until Vieira gets right back onto top. Zingano able to get to her feet and grabs the back and is landing knees to the body. Zingano lands some punches and kicks and another knee to the head of Vieira and one to the body. 10-9 Zingano, 29-28 Vieira.
Official Result- Ketlen Vieira def. Cat Zingano by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
> Stefan Struve (#10, 28-9, 12-7 UFC) vs. Andrei Arlovski (#12, 26-15 1 NC, 15-9 UFC) Heavyweights
Arlovski with a leg kick. Struve with a high kick. Arlovski with another leg kick and then lands a right hand. Struve with a leg kick. Arlovski with another and then lands an overhand right. They clinch and Arlovski scores a takedown and is in the half-guard. They get to their feet. Arlovski with an inside leg kick. They clinch and Arlovski reverses a takedown attempt from Struve and is on top. They get to their feet. Arlovski lands a left hand. They clinch but no action is going on as the round ends. 10-9 Arlovski.
Struve with a head kick. Arlovski with an inside leg kick. They clinch and battle for underhooks. Arlovski gets a takedown. Struve grabs a leg and is looking for a heel hook or a leg lock. Struve couldn’t get it but used the leg to sweep to top position. They get to their feet. Struve tried a takedown but Arlovski grabbed the fence to block it and got a warning from Herb Dean. They are broken by Dean and then Arlovski gets poked in the eye and we have a timeout. They get back to action and nothing happens. 10-9 Struve, 19-19.
Struve with a leg kick. Arlovski with a combo that backs Struve up. Struve lands a right hand. Struve with a head kick. They aren’t doing much and now Arlovski clinches with Struve. This fight is very boring. They break. Arlovski now pokes Struve in the eye. They get back to action and Struve with a leg kick. Arlovski lands an overhand right. They clinch and Arlovski gets a takedown. Arlovski with some body punches on the mat and they get to their feet. Struve now throwing big right hands but none connecting. 10-9 Arlovski, 29-28 Arlovski.
Official Result- Andrei Arlovski def. Stefan Struve by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
> Sean O’Malley (9-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Andre Soukhamthath (12-5, 1-2 UFC) Bantamweights
Soukhamthath with a spin kick. O’Malley hurts Soukhamthath with a leg kick and Soukhamthath is limping. O’Malley with a leg kick. Soukhamthath with a right hand. O’Malley with a wheel kick. O’Malley with a leg kick that trips up Soukhamthath. O’Malley with a head kick. O’Malley with a combo and then a clean head kick. O’Malley lands a couple of left hands and then drops Soukhamthath. O’Malley with a spin kick and then a right hand. O’Malley with a left hand. Soukhamthath in survival mode. O’Malley with a massive head kick and then a right hand but time runs out on the round. 10-9 O’Malley.
They trade punches to start the second. O’Malley with a left hand and a head kick. O’Malley with a right hand. Soukhamthath may not be recovered from the end of round one. O’Malley with a right hand. Soukhamthath completes a takedown and is in the guard of O’Malley. O’Malley looking for a triangle. Soukhamthath circled into the triangle and O’Malley now looking for an armbar but Soukhamthath escapes into side control. O’Malley now has a guillotine but Soukhamthath rolls out and O’Malley gets to his feet. O’Malley goes into side control. O’Malley grabs a rear-naked choke late but time runs out on the round. 10-9 O’Malley, 20-18 O’Malley.
Soukhamthath rushing forward to start the final round. O’Malley goes for a takedown but it is defended. O’Malley lands a couple of left hands. O’Malley with a left hand and then a kick to the body. O’Malley hurts his leg at some point and Soukhamthath lands a big leg kick and then gets a takedown. Soukhamthath gets into side control and is looking to set up a choke. O’Malley gets to his feet. O’Malley is jumping around on one foot and Soukhamthath gets a takedown. Soukhamthath gets to side control but they get back to their feet. O’Malley with a spinning elbow and they crumble to the mat. Soukhamthath ends the fight in side control. O’Malley looks to have either a broken leg or a broken foot as the doctors check on him after the fight.10-9 Soukhamthath, 29-28 O’Malley.
Official Result- Sean O’Malley def. Andre Soukhamthath by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)
> Frankie Edgar (#2, 22-5-1, 16-5-1 UFC) vs. Brian Ortega (#3, 13-0 1 NC, 5-0 1 NC UFC) Featherweights
Edgar with a couple of leg kicks to start the action. Ortega with a triple jab. Edgar with a head kick and then an overhand right. They trade and Edgar lands a short right hook. Edgar landing with more volume right now. Ortega with a high kick. Edgar is swelling underneath his eye so a punch from Ortega got through. Edgar with a nice combo ending with a right hand. Ortega grabs the neck for a brief moment but Edgar gets himself free. They both land left hands and Ortega has Edgar hurt. Ortega then lands an uppercut that drops Edgar and Ortega lands a huge hammerfist and the referee stops the fight. WOW! Ortega becomes the first man to ever finish Edgar in a fight and remains undefeated. Ortega against Max Holloway is going to be a fun fight.
Official Result- Brian Ortega def. Frankie Edgar by knockout (punches) at 4:44 of Round 1
Cyborg with a big right hand and Kunitskaya then grabs a single leg and gets a takedown. They get to their feet and Kunitskaya has the back and gets another takedown but they get back to their feet. They are clinched and Kunitskaya lands some knees. Cyborg with a knee. Kunitskaya looking for another takedown but it is defended. Cyborg with a knee and they break. Cyborg drops Kunitskaya with a right hand and lands a knee to the body. Kunitskaya back to her feet. Cyborg with another huge right hand and Kunitskaya goes to the mat. Cyborg is landing a lot of punches from the top and the fight is stopped by Herb Dean. It went as expected as Cyborg finishes her easily in the first.
Official Result- Cris Cyborg def. Yana Kunitskaya by TKO (punches) at 3:25 of Round 1, Cyborg retains the UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 219: Cyborg vs. Holm, emanating from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The UFC closes out 2017 with one of the biggest women’s’ title fights in history as UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg makes her first title defense against former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm, who looks to become the first woman to win UFC titles in two different weight classes.
Cyborg finally became a UFC champion in July when she scored a knockout win over Tonya Evinger, and she makes her first title defense against Holm, who is most famous for knocking out Ronda Rousey to end her reign as champion at 135 pounds. Holm is coming off of a head-kick knockout win over Bethe Correira in June.
In the co-main event, Khabib Nurmagomedov makes his long-awaited return to action as he takes on Edson Barboza in a bout that could determine who is next in line at 155 pounds. Also on the main card, Cynthia Calvillo takes on former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza, and former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit returns to action as he battles Neil Magny.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT
> Tim Elliott (#11 FLW, 14-8-1, 3-6 UFC) vs. Mark De La Rosa (9-0, 0-0 UFC) Bantamweights
Elliott goes for an early takedown but De La Rosa has the neck and Elliott passes to side control as he pops his neck out. Elliott in the full guard. De La Rosa looking for an armbar but Elliott defending. Elliott picks him up and slams him down but De La Rosa still has the arm. He gets out of it and takes the back. They scramble and Elliott gets back into the guard. Elliott lands some punches from the top. Elliott looking for a D’arce choke and then has an arm-in guillotine and has De La Rosa mounted. He lets go but lands some elbows and then takes the back. Elliott with more shots from the top. 10-9 Elliott.
Elliott immediately grabs the neck and goes for a choke before they scramble on the mat. Elliott gets into the guard and is landing punches. De La Rosa looking for a triangle but Elliott is able to grab the neck and locks in an anaconda choke and gets De La Rosa to tap out. Big win for Elliott, who is emotional after the fight after his coach, Robert Follis, passed away two weeks ago.
Official Result- Tim Elliott def. Mark De La Rosa by submission (anaconda choke) at 1:41 of Round 2
FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
> Louis Smolka (#14, 11-4, 5-4 UFC) vs. Matheus Nicolau (12-1-1, 2-0 UFC) Flyweights
They come out swinging and Nicolau landed a big left hook. Nicolau landed a right hand and is showing good movement on his feet. Nicolau then dropped Smolka with a left hand and goes on top and lands some. They got back to their feet and Nicolau dropped Smolka again with a combo. Nicolau in the half-guard and looking for an arm-triangle choke. He has it in deep and Smolka is trying to fight it off and he somehow escapes. They get to their feet. Nicolau rocks Smolka on the feet with a big combo and then drops Smolka once again with another left hook. Smolka somehow survives the round. 10-8 Nicolau.
Smolka firing away some kicks as Nicolau is landing the jab that opens up Smolka. Nicolau rocks Smolka again with a combo. They trade big punches. Smolka starting to land more punches now but Nicolau is quicker on his feet. Smolka with a body kick. Nicolau tags Smolka again. Smolka with another body kick but eats more left hooks from Nicolau. Smolka with another body kick but eats more punches from Nicolau. 10-9 Nicolau, 20-17 Nicolau.
Smolka the one pressing forward to start the round. Both land. Smolka with a high kick but Nicolau grabs the leg and gets a takedown. Nicolau with some leg kicks. Smolka gets to his feet and lands a leg kick. Nicolau lands from the top but they get to their feet. Smolka lands a left hook. Nicolau gets another takedown and looks for a choke but Smolka is able to scramble and pull guard. Nicolau gets the back of Smolka and is looking for a late choke. He almost has it but Smolka escapes as the fight ends.
Official Result- Matheus Nicolau def. Louis Smolka by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)
Akhmedov with a leg kick right away. They trade punches and Akhmedov with more kicks, to the legs and body. Akhmedov is landing big punches as Vettori is backing away. They trade big punches in the pocket. Akhmedov hurts Vettori with a left hand and Vettori is pinned against the fence. They trade punches and Vettori looking for openings. Akhmedov shoots for a takedown against the fence but it is defended. 10-9 Akhmedov.
Akhmedov with some leg kicks to start the second round and then lands a big right hand. Vettori coming forward but eating punches and kicks from Akhmedov. Akhmedov gets a takedown. Vettori goes for a triangle but Akhmedov escapes. Vettori is able to get to his feet and they separate. Akhmedov with a spinning back fist. They trade kicks. Vettori with a left hand as he presses forward. Akhmedov is beginning to slow down. They trade and Vettori pushes Akhmedov against the fence but they break the clinch. Both look gassed out as the round ends. 10-9 Akhmedov, 20-18 Akhmedov.
Vettori lands some big punches to start the third round and he has Akhmedov in trouble. Vettori with a step-in knee. They clinch and break and Akhmedov spits out his mouthpiece to induce a timeout. Back to action and Akhmedov with a spinning back fist. They start swinging and both land and Vettori with a body kick. They clinch against the fence. Vettori lands a knee on the break and then some left hands. Vettori lands a big head kick and Akhmedov stumbles back. Vettori with a knee to the body. He is landing lots of punches this round. Akhmedov goes for a takedown but falls to his back and Vettori gets on top and is landing big ground-and-pound as the fight ends. Gonna be close on the scorecards. 10-9 Vettori, 29-28 Akhmedov.
Official Result- Marvin Vettori vs. Omari Akhmedov ends in a majority draw (28-28, 29-28 Vettori, 28-28)
> Myles Jury (#15, 16-2, 7-2 UFC) vs. Rick Glenn (20-4-1, 2-1 UFC) Featherweights
They trade kicks before clinching against the fence. They break as Jury lands a knee. Jury with a body kick. They trade punches and Jury rocks Glenn with a left hand. Jury with a body kick. Jury with another body kick. Glenn gets a brief takedown but Jury sweeps to the top and is in the guard. They get to their feet and trade body kicks. Glenn lands a nice combo. Jury with a body kick. Jury with a flying knee and follows it with a left hand and Glenn was rocked. 10-9 Jury.
Glenn comes forward with pressure and presses Jury against the fence but they break. Jury lands a combo. Glenn goes for a takedown but Jury rolls away. Jury with a body kick. Glenn working for the takedown against the fence and they scramble for a moment. Jury gets on top and working for an arm-triangle but Glenn is able to escape. Jury still on top and is blocking any offense attempts from Glenn. Jury with some punches from the top. 10-9 Jury, 20-18 Jury.
They trade and then clinch against the fence before breaking. Jury lands a left hand and is showing good movement on the feet. They trade and Glenn is trying to apply pressure but Jury is landing kicks and knees to keep him away. Jury lands a left hand. Glenn with a high kick that is blocked. Jury with a knee in the clinch. Glenn keeps coming forward though he is losing the exchanges. Jury with more knees to the body. Jury with a late takedown and some punches from the top.
Official Result- Myles Jury def. Rick Glenn by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Khalil Rountree (6-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (12-2, 0-0 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Rountree with a kick to the body. Oleksiejczuk lands a punch. Rountree with a high body kick and then a leg kick. Rountree with a big combo and Oleksiejczuk is cut around his right eye. Oleksiejczuk gets a takedown. Rountree grabs the neck and gets to his feet. Rountree still has the neck and Oleksiejczuk is in trouble. Rountree with a flying knee and he is now teeing off on Oleksiejczuk. Rountree taking deep breaths and lands a right hand. Oleksiejczuk lands a right hand and then lands a combo. Rountree lands some punches but Oleksiejczuk lands more in return. Rountree is slowing down. Oleksiejczuk with body punches and a body kick. Both landing in close range. Close round. 10-9 Oleksiejczuk.
Rountree comes out firing quickly. They trade punches. Rountree still gassed, though. Oleksiejczuk now landing more and he is beginning to pick Rountree apart. Rountree lands an uppercut though as there are still openings. They trade kicks. Oleksiejczuk with combos to the body. Rountree still throwing punches in return. They trade left hands. Rountree with some knees in the clinch but Oleksiejczuk lands some body punches. Oleksiejczuk with a body kick. 10-9 Oleksiejczuk, 20-18 Oleksiejczuk.
Rountree lands some punches to start the third. Oleksiejczuk grabs a single leg and scores a takedown. Oleksiejczuk landing from the top while holding Rountree on the mat. Oleksiejczuk moves to side control. Rountree trying to get out from the bottom. He starts to scramble but Oleksiejczuk grabs his back and keeps him on the mat. Oleksiejczuk in side control and is landing elbows. Oleksiejczuk grabs the back but gets back to sinde control against the fence. Oleksiejczuk landing body punches. Big round for Oleksiejczuk. 10-8 Oleksiejczuk, 30-26 Oleksiejczuk.
Official Result- Michal Oleksiejczuk def. Khalil Rountree by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
PPV MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
> Carlos Condit (#8, 30-10, 7-6 UFC) vs. Neil Magny (#12, 19-6, 12-5 UFC) Welterweights
Condit with a quick leg kick. Condit with a kick but Magny grabs it and pushes Condit to the mat. Magny comes in and Condit grabs the leg and is looking to get up but Magny gets into his full guard. Condit gets to his feet. Magny gets a brief takedown. They are clinched and both land before they break. They both land punches. Condit just misses a head kick. Condit with a leg kick. Condit with a combo. Magny lands a right hand. Condit lands a right hand and then a leg kick. Condit with a spin kick. 10-9 Magny.
Condit with a combo ending with a body kick. Condit with a body kick and then a heavy leg kick. Magny with a body kick and Condit follows with a leg kick and they clinch. Magny with some knees and gets a takedown. Condit looking for a leg lock. Magny gets into the guard of Condit. They get back to their feet and Condit lands an elbow on the break. Condit getting aggressive and lands some elbows. Condit with a combo and has Magny clinched against the fence. Magny with a takedown but Condit right back up. Magny gets another takedown. Condit looking for an armbar. Magny with some punches from the top. 10-9 Magny, 20-18 Magny.
They trade kicks. Condit with a body kick and then a leg kick. Condit with a combo. Magny with a leg kick. Condit misses a head kick and Magny grabs his back. Condit has the arm looking for a kimura but loses it. Magny lands a right hand. Condit with a combo. Condit with a combo against the fence and then lands a body kick followed by a leg kick. They trade in close range. Magny with a leg kick. Condit with a spinning back kick. Condit with another spin kick. Condit with a combo and another spin kick followed by an elbow. They clinch and Magny gets a takedown and is in the guard. Condit trying to scramble out from the bottom and does. 10-9 Magny, 30-27 Magny.
Official Result- Neil Magny def. Carlos Condit by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
They trade punches early. Calvillo ducks under a strike from Esparza and gets a takedown. Calvillo in the half-guard. They both look to scramble and Calvillo gets in the full guard. Esparza looking for the armbar from the bottom. She might have it but loses it and Calvillo is in side control. Esparza with elbows from the bottom. Calvillo with some short elbows from the top. Esparza tried to use the fence to spin out from the bottom but Calvillo still landing from side control. They almost get up but Calvillo takes it down and lands some big punches. Calvillo tries to take the back but Esparza ends up on top and lands some punches to end the round. 10-9 Calvillo.
Calvillo with some leg kicks to start the second round. Calvillo lands an overhand right. Esparza with a leg kick and then a combo. Esparza lands a big right hand. Calvillo coming forward but not landing anything. Calvillo lands a left hand after having a takedown attempt stuffed. Calvillo lands a right hand. Calvillo stuffs a takedown attempt from Esparza. They trade punches. Calvillo lands a right hand. Esparza gets a brief takedown and lands a leg kick as Calvillo was standing up. Esparza lands a right hand. Esparza with a body kick as Calvillo lands a right hand. Esparza with a takedown but Calvillo gets right back up. 10-9 Esparza, 19-19.
They trade punches. Esparza grabs a single leg but Calvillo defends and pushes Esparza against the fence. They break. Esparza with a leg kick and then another. Esparza with another leg kick. Neither lady landing many punches. Esparza opens up her combos with leg kicks. They trade kicks. They trade punches. Esparza is applying more pressure this round and lands a right hand. Calvillo goes for a takedown but it is defended. Esparza has the neck and uses it to break and lands a left hook as they break. Esparza lands a combo. Esparza with a takedown but Calvillo scrambles to her feet immediately. Esparza with a leg kick. They exchange wild punches at the end. 10-9 Esparza, 29-28 Esparza.
Official Result- Carla Esparza def. Cynthia Calvillo by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Dan Hooker (14-7, 4-3 UFC) vs. Marc Diakiese (12-1, 3-1 UFC) Lightweights
Both looking for their range early on. Diakiese just misses a spinning back kick. They trade leg kicks. Hooker with a big leg kick. Diakiese with a spinning back kick to the body though Hooker catches the leg but lets go. Hooker lands the jab. Hooker with a leg kick. Diakiese with a body kick. He just misses a wheel kick to the head. Hooker gets a late takedown, Diakiese gets to his feet just before the round ends. 10-9 Hooker.
Diakiese lands a left hand. Hooker with a body kick. Both still gauging range. Diakiese lands another left hand. They are clinched and Hooker working for a takedown against the fence. They break and Diakiese with a couple of calf kicks. Hooker with a right hand and then gets a takedown. Hooker has the back but is not doing anything. The crowd is booing and the referee warns them to work. Hooker is working for a choke. Not much happened after. Boring round. 10-9 Hooker, 20-18 Hooker.
Diakiese coming out aggressive. Diakiese with a couple of big right hands. Diakiese with a left hook followed by a right hand. Diakiese looks for a takedown but Hooker grabs the neck and locks in a guillotine choke. It is in tight and Diakiese immediately taps out. Big win for Hooker.
Official Result- Dan Hooker def. Marc Diakiese by submission (guillotine choke) at :42 of Round 3
Barboza immediately lands some leg kicks. He lands another. Both throwing big punches but neither landing. Nurmagomedov lands a right hand and then grabs the body lock. Barboza able to scramble away. Barboza with a body kick then followed with a leg kick. Khabib with a flying knee and then grabs the body and gets the takedown. Khabib with some big elbows. He lands some big left hands. Barboza pinned down. Nurmagomedov with some big punches from the top. Khabib with a big right hand. Khabib gets into the full mount but Barboza escapes position. Khabib with big right hands and left hands as he’s looking to finish. Nurmagomedov just mauling Barboza on the mat. Nurmagomedov with big ground-and-pound using elbows. Khabib almost had a choke. Nurmagomedov with more big punches at the end. 10-8 Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov with some body kicks to start the second. Barboza is tired. Nurmagomedov with a big combo. Khabib with a lot of kicks landing. Nurmagomedov pushes Barboza against the fence but doesn’t take him down. They break and Khabib with a lot of pressure. Barboza lands some body punches and a body kick. Nurmagomedov with two big right hands and he has the leg and gets a takedown. Nurmagomedov has the back. Nurmagomedov gets on top and is laying big punches on Barboza. Big ground-and-pound by Khabib to end the round. 10-8 Nurmagomedov, 20-16 Nurmagomedov.
Khabib landing big punches on the feet to start the third. Nurmagomedov grabs the legs against the fence and works for the takedown and gets it. Barboza is able to get up and escape and he lands a wheel kick to the body. Barboza misses another wheel kick attempt and Nurmagomedov gets a takedown. Khabib with punches but Barboza gets to his feet and throws some late offense. Big win for Khabib in an incredible performance. 10-9 Nurmagomedov, 30-25 Nurmagomedov.
Official Result- Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Edson Barboza by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-24)
Holm pressing forward to start the fight. Cyborg tried a head kick but Holm grabbed the leg and threw her down. Cyborg got up and they clinched against the fence but broke. Cyborg lands a left hand. Holm lands a right hand. Both ladies land punches. Holm lands a combo. Cyborg with a leg kick and lands a combo. They trade and then clinch and Cyborg lands a knee. Holm lands a left hand. Holm just misses a head kick and Cyborg lands a right hand at the horn. 10-9 Cyborg.
Both land punches inside the first thirty seconds. Cyborg lands a combo. Holm keeps coming forward but is eating counter punches. Cyborg with a body kick. Holm with a high kick. Holm lands a left hand. Both land punches. Holm lands a left and they clinch again. Holm lands an elbow on the break. Holm lands a left hand. They clinch and Holm lands on the break. Both land big punches. Cyborg with a body kick. Holm lands a left. 10-9 Holm, 19-19.
Holm just misses a head kick. Cyborg misses a body kick. They clinch and Cyborg has the underhooks. Cyborg with a knee to the body on the break. Holm lands a combo. Cyborg with a leg kick. Cyborg lands a right hand. Holm with a right hand followed by a high body kick. Holm lands a left hand. Cyborg with a high kick. Cyborg with a knee to the body. Cyborg with a body kick and Holm counters with a leg kick. Holm just misses a hook kick. They clinch but quickly break. Holm lands the left hand. Cyborg with a body kick. Cyborg lands a right hand and then a big flurry at the end. 10-9 Cyborg, 29-28 Cyborg.
Holm lands a left hand. She just misses a head kick. Cyborg with a body kick. Cyborg landing more combos and lands a high kick. Holm lands a body kick. They trade kicks. Holm lands a left hand but Cyborg counters with a right hand. Cyborg with a teet kick. Holm with a body kick. They clinch but break and Cyborg chases Holm around the Octagon. They trade high kicks. Holm just misses a high kick but lands a combo. Cyborg with the jab. Holm with a head kick that is blocked. 10-9 Cyborg, 39-37 Cyborg.
Holm with a body kick. Holm with a high kick. Cyborg with a high kick. They both land leg kicks. They clinch and Holm has the better position. They break and Cyborg with a body kick. They trade kicks. Holm with a high kick. Cyborg with a right hand. Cyborg with a body kick. Holm with a body kick. Cyborg with a leg kick and Holm lands a left hand. Holm with a body kick. Cyborg with the jab but Holm lands a left hand. Both land punches and Cyborg gets the better of it. Cyborg with a right hand. 10-9 Cyborg, 49-46 Cyborg.
Official Result- Cris Cyborg def. Holly Holm by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47), Cyborg remains UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion
It’s the last event of a relatively down year for MMA as UFC 219 airs on PPV Saturday night from Las Vegas, NV.
Cris Cyborg defends her featherweight title against former bantamweight champion Holly Holm in the main event. This will be Cyborg’s first title defense in a division that is relatively contenderless as there’s only 2-3 women in the actual division.
In the co-main, it’s a likely title eliminator situation as the unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov returns after a long layoff to face Edson Barboza in a battle of top five lightweight contenders. Nurmagomedov was supposed to face Tony Ferguson for the interim belt earlier this year, but the enigmatic Russian failed to make weight and the fight went to Keith Lee instead. He’s been off for more than a year and will try to keep his streak going against the longtime contender Barboza who was last seen knocking out Beneil Dariush in March.
Outside of the top two matches, this card is relatively thin for a PPV. Jimmie Rivera was originally scheduled to face former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and later John Lineker but when Lineker dropped out due to a tooth infection, there wasn’t enough notice to find Rivera an opponent so that fight was scrapped despite the efforts to get Marlon Moraes to take the bout.
Former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit will meet Neil Magny in a welterweight fight that will kick off the main card, while the unbeaten Cynthia Calvillo will try to keep that zero in the loss column when she faces the first ever UFC strawweight champion, Carla Esparza.
Rounding out our panel picks is a featherweight fight on the FS1 prelims where former TUF lightweight competitor Myles Jury will attempt to pick up his second straight win since moving down a weight class as he meets former WSOF champion Rick Glenn. The latter is coming off a one-sided beatdown of rising contender Gavin Tucker in his last fight.
If you’re new here, our panel picks are listed below and alongside the fighter’s names are their worldwide FightMatrix rankings, as well as BestFightOdds.com betting odds. The panelist’s 2017 records is in parentheses, and we also have panel consensus picks as well as a line where we show how the betting favorites did:
Dave Meltzer (54-26; .675) — Wrestling Observer publisher
Tom Lawlor (27-16; .628) – Co-host of Filthy Four Daily; pro wrestling undercard fighter; UFC enhancement talent currently suspended due to wellness violation
Steve Juon (50-30; .625) — MMA Mania writer, Angry Marks publisher
Cyborg is fighting for the fourth time in the UFC and has knocked out all three of her previous opponents, including Tony Evinger in her last bout to win the title that had been vacated by Germaine de Randamie. She is facing a woman who will most likely be the most skilled striker she’s ever seen in former bantamweight champion Holm.
Holm rebounded from a three-fight losing streak, the first three losses of her career, to defeat former title challenger Bethe Correia with a question mark kick that capped off an otherwise dull fight. If she can withstand with the brutal attack of the champion, her best hope is that Cyborg tires out and Holm is able to catch her late in the fight in similar fashion.
The oddsmakers seem to think that Holm has a better chance of pulling off the upset than any of Cyborg’s previous UFC opponents as she is usually anywhere from a -700 to -1000 favorite. The odds are much closer this time around.
> Khabib Nurmagomedov (24-0) vs Edson Barboza (19-4)
LIGHTWEIGHTS
This makes for a very interesting style matchup here as Nurmagomedov is known for taking his opponents down at will and smothering his way to victory. It’s not terribly exciting but it’s effective as evidenced by his long unblemished record. Barboza, meanwhile, is one of the most dynamic strikers in the division, capable of a knockout at any time. He’s an almost even-money bet to pick up a post show bonus award as he’s racked up eight of them in 17 UFC fights as opposed to none for his opponent.
With divisional kingpin Conor McGregor seemingly holding the belt hostage, the winner here will almost certainly get interim champion Tony Ferguson sometime in 2018.
Barboza #4; +260 betting underdog: Lawlor, Fontaine, Bix, Dave
> Cynthia Calvillo (6-0) vs Carla Esparza (12-4)
STRAWWEIGHTS
Calvillo has taken the UFC by storm as the Team Alpha Male product debuted early this year with just three fights on her resume. She had the rare distinction of appearing on the main card of two straight UFC PPVs, winning both of her fights by submission. She followed that up with a decision over veteran Joanne Calderwood in July and will fight for the fifth time in 2017 (she also fought on a regional show in January) against former champion Esparza.
Esparza, who was also a champion in Invicta, won the TUF 20 tournament to claim the women’s strawweight title. She lost her first title defense to Joanna Jedrzejczyk but has rebounded to win two of three since then. She does hold a victory over current champion Rose Namajunas so a win here could get her close to a rematch with “Thug Rose”.
Carlos Condit (30-10) vs Neil Magny (19-6)
WELTERWEIGHTS
When we last saw Condit 17 months ago, the former title challenger was submitted in the first round by Demian Maia and many felt it might be the last time we’d see him in the Octagon. After that long time off, he returns tonight and will hope to avoid his third straight loss against longtime contender Magny. Although he’d faced very tough competition, Condit only has one victory in almost five years and badly needs a W here.
Magny’s history is such that he usually beats the guys ranked behind him and loses to those ahead of him, so he’s been stuck in the bottom half of the top 10 rankings for a couple of years now. He’s also lost two of his last three, but a victory here would be the biggest of his long career and might finally move him into the top five of a tough division.
> Myles Jury (16-2) vs Rick Glenn (20-4-1) FEATHERWEIGHTS
Jury returned from a 16-month absence and KO’d Mike De La Torre in the first round earlier this year to snap a two-fight losing streak. The one-time lightweight may be even better than his impressive record shows as his only two losses have come at the hands of Charles Oliveira and Donald Cerrone. He doesn’t immediately spring to the mind when you think of title challengers, but that record is hard to ignore and increased activity will only help his cause.
Glenn has picked up two straight since losing a short notice fight in his UFC debut against the much larger Evan Dunham at lightweight. He’s actually won five straight in the weight class since losing his WSOF title to Lance Palmer in 2014. He couldn’t have looked better in his last fight, destroying the previous unbeaten Gavin Tucker in a bout that got the very rare 30-24 score including one round that was scored 10-7. This fight could steal the show.
> Daniel Hooker (14-7) vs Marc Diakese (12-1) LIGHTWEIGHTS
Hooker #50; +174 betting underdog
Diakese #112; -178 betting favorite
> Khalil Rountree (6-2) vs Michal Oleksiejczuk (12-2) LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Rountree #49; -300 betting favorite
Oleksiejczuk #97; +285 betting underdog
> Omari Akhmedov (17-4) vs Marvin Vettori (12-3)MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Akhmedov #76 at welterweight; +186 betting underdog
Vettori #55; -205 betting favorite
> Louis Smolka (11-4) vs Matheus Nicolau (12-1-1) FLYWEIGHTS
Smolka #27; +255 betting underdog
Nicolau NR; -214 betting favorite
> Tim Elliott (14-8-1) vs Mark De La Rosa (9-0) BANTAMWEIGHTS
Elliott #9 at flyweight; -200 betting favorite
De La Rosa #108; +185 betting underdog
– Action begins with the Fight Pass prelim at 7:30 PM EST and moves over to FS 1 at 8 PM EST. The main card airs on PPV at 10 PM EST, and yours truly will have play by play coverage of the show.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 214: Cormier vs. Jones 2, emanating from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
It is the biggest UFC event of 2017 so far as three title fights headline the most stacked card of the year, with the biggest fight of the year headlining the show.
UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier defends his title against his top rival, former champion Jon Jones, as each man looks for vengeance against the other. Cormier is looking to get an elusive win over Jones after Jones defeated him at UFC 182 in January 2015, while Jones is looking to reclaim his throne as the man to beat at 205 pounds.
In the co-main event, UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley looks to make it 365 days as champion at 170 pounds, but he gets a tough test in the form of challenger Demian Maia, the most gifted ground fighter in the sport and winner of seven straight fights. Woodley won the championship from Robbie Lawler on July 30th, 2016, and this will be his third title defense.
In the third title fight on the card, the vacant UFC women’s featherweight championship is up for grabs as the most dominant female fighter in history, Cris “Cyborg” Justino looks to finally wrap UFC gold around her waist when she battles Tonya Evinger. Justino hasn’t lost since her pro debut in May 2005, while Evinger makes her UFC debut on the heels of an 11-fight unbeaten streak.
Also on the main card is a fight that could be a potential “Fight of the Year” candidate as welterweight sluggers Robbie Lawler and Donald Cerrone square off, and a light heavyweight fight that could determine the next challenger opens the main card as Jimi Manuwa takes on Volkan Oezdemir.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on the show, so send a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
Fairly even standup early with Dober trying takedowns and Burkman defending pretty well. Burkman seemed to be hurting Dober with leg kicks but Dober landed a left hook out of nowhere and knocked Burkman out cold.
RESULT – DREW DOBER (18-8) by KO (punch) at 3:04
Dober put over Burkman in his post-fight promo and said it was an honor to fight him. He wants to be ranked and he may not be but he should get a top 15 fight after laying out a vet like Burkman in that fashion. Crowd gave him a nice hand on his way out of the cage.
> Eric Shelton (10-3, 0-1 UFC) vs. Jarrod Brooks (12-0, 0-0 UFC) Flyweights
Interesting round as Shelton vastly outstruck Brooks with the stats at one pointing having him ahead 46-12. But Brooks got at least 3 takedowns and controlled him most of the round, including a couple of submission attempts. Brooks got a front headlock with about 15 seconds and moved into mount and the buzzer may have saved Shelton. 10-9 Brooks
Really slow start to the round with almost nothing happening for the first couple minutes other than a stuffed takedown attempt by Brooks. Shelton got a takedown at 4:00 and controlled Brooks for about 30 seconds. After Brooks got to his feet, he got a takedown but Shelton got up right before the buzzer. 10-9 Shelton, all tied up after 2 although that round was real close
Crowd really turned on this fight midway through the round as not much was happening. Shelton landed a nice shot that nearly knocked down Brooks about 2 minutes in. With about 15 seconds left, Shelton landed a flying knee. Brooks got a takedown after it but Shelton secured a guillotine as the clock ran out. 10-9 Shelton, 29-28 on my scorecard
RESULT – JARRED BROOKS (13-0) by split decision (29-28 x 2; 28-29)
Brooks said the result was f***ing bulls*** and said he looked terrible. But then when Joe Rogan asked him if he thought he should’ve lost, he said no. He said he’s coming for the f***ing belt….he was just all over the place. Put over Joe Rogan, saying he’s been watching him since Fear Factor. Just a profanity laced promo that went nowhere.
> Kailin Curran (4-4, 1-4 UFC) vs. Alexandra Albu (2-0, 1-0 UFC) Women’s Strawweights
Best round of the night so far. Albu was landing all kind of strikes from everywhere and even pulled guard at one point. Curran was landing a lot as well but it seemed as if Albu’s were landing harder and affecting Curran more. She also had a couple of submission attempts. Curran was controlling the clinch game on the feet though. 10-9 Albu after 1
Antoher really good round. Albu was more active with a wide variety of strikes and got a couple of really nice headlock takedowns. She didn’t do much on the ground and Curran was able to get up fairly easily. They showed the strike stats at one point and it was 66-63 for Curran but Albu was definitely landing the harder shots. 10-9 Albu, 20-18
Great third round from Curran. Probably not enough to take the fight or even get a draw but she looked awesome. She had her best punch combo of the fight about a minute in. 2 minutes in, Albu got a headlock takedown but Curran scrambled into top position and controlled most of the rest of the round on the ground, doing a lot of damage. Albu got to her feet and got a late takedown but Curran was up quickly and got another of her own.
RESULT – ALEKSANDRA ALBU (3-0) by unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
According to Dave Meltzer, who’s live at cageside, the crowd gave the fight a standing ovation at the end but did boo the decision as you could hear on TV.
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> Andre Fili (16-4, 4-3 UFC) vs. Calvin Kattar (16-2, 0-0 UFC) Featherweights
Kattar took this fight on short notice and looked pretty good. Round was fairly even on the feet with Fili controlling the pace but Kattar slightly more active and it was looking to be a tossup round until Kattar got a late takedown and landed a ton of punches in the last 15 seconds to steal the round. 10-9 Kattar
Similar round in the sense it was fairly even almost the whole way. It felt like Fili was maybe winning the round slightly but Kattar landed the best punch combo of the fight with out about 15 seconds and really seemed to hurt Fili 10-9 Kattar, 20-18 overall
Fili came out more aggressive and was winning the round until Kattar got a takedown with about 45 seconds left. He did some ground and pound but Fili got up quickly. You could make a case for Fili taking the third but I’ve got it 30-27 Kattar. Great debut either way
RESULT – CALVIN KATTAR (17-2) by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
> Renato Moicano (#9, 11-0-1, 3-0 UFC) vs. Brian Ortega (#8, 11-0 1 NC, 3-0 1 NC UFC) Featherweights
Close first round fought entirely on the feet. Every time Ortega would land a combo, Moicano would answer back with one of his own. Moicano also landed a couple of unanswered combos and had a kick combo as well. Ortega landed a flying knee at the end of the round but didn’t really do any damage. 10-9 Moicano but really close
Almost entirely on the feet again this round and Moicano started to take over. He was ahead 26-7 in strikes landed about 3 minutes in and it didn’t even seem as close as that. He seemed headed for a 10-8 round but Ortega picked it up a bit in the last minute. Moicano scored a late takedown to remove any doubt. 10-9 Moicano, 20-18 overall.
Ortega came out stronger in this round but Moicano picked up the pace about 2 minutes in and seemed to be cruising to another round win and the fight. He made the critical mistake of taking Ortega down and Ortega secured a guillotine on the way down and Moicano tapped quickly.
RESULT – BRIAN ORTEGA (12-0) by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:59 of the 3rd round
In his post-fight promo, Ortega brought up that he and Moicano were the only unbeaten fighters in the Top 10 and said if someone’s going to beat him, he’d like to see how. He fell short of calling anyone out though.
Fast start to the round with both guys throwing a lot of kicks and punches. Barao got a takedown just over a minute in and controlled Sterling on the ground for the rest of the round. Sterling had a couple of submission attempts from his back but Barao outstruck him badly…..total strikes were 30-10 at one point. 10-9 Barao, almost a 10-8
Second round was the exact opposite of the first with the fast start and then a takedown by Sterling at about 1:30. Sterling dominated the rest of the way and did way more damage than Barao did in the first round and I thought he did enough to get the 10-8. Barao did have a brief arm triangle submission attempt but Sterling closed strong, opening up a cut with elbows. 10-8 Sterling, 19-18 Sterling after 2
Closer third round. Sterling was definitely more active and Barao was really getting tired toward the end. There were a couple long cage clinches with Sterling controlling but neither guy did much and the ref had to break them both up. With about 30 seconds left, Barao took him down and while Sterling was trying to get up, Barao spiked him to the ground head first. It was almost enough to steal the round but not quite. 10-9 Sterling, 29-27 overall
RESULT – ALJAMIAIN STERLING (14-2) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27 and 30-26)
> Ricardo Lamas (#3, 17-5, 8-3 UFC) vs. Jason Knight (#15, 17-2, 4-1 UFC) Featherweights
This was awesome. Lamas got an early takedown but Knight was very active from his back with several submission attempts and he had Lamas tied up to where he couldn’t do anything. When Lamas finally got to his feet, he lit up Knight with punches on the feet. Knight was rocked badly and just wouldn’t go down, despite eating a ton of punches. Knight shot for a takedown but ended up on his back and Lamas finished him with hard ground and pound. Knight protested the stoppage but could barely stand and was clearly out of it.
RESULT – RICARDO LAMAS (18-5) by TKO at 4:34
On the studio show, both Michael Bisping and Kenny Florian picked Cormier and Woodley to retain their titles in the top 2 matches on the PPV.
They clinched up early and Manuwa worked him to the cage. Oezdemir punched out of it and rocked him with punches from the clinch. As Manuwa was backing up, Oezdemir knocked him out. Scary performance as that’s two straight KOs in less than 30 seconds. He may get a title shot off of this
RESULT – VOLKAN OEZDEMIR (15-1) by KO (punch) at 22 seconds
Oezdemir said “I don’t know what’s going on but I have dynamite in my hands”. He went on to call out the winner of the main event. This guy went from a nobody to beating a top 3 contender in less than a year and could be fighting for the title.
> Robbie Lawler (#3, 27-11 1 NC, 12-5 UFC) vs. Donald Cerrone (#6, 32-8 1 NC, 19-5 UFC) Welterweights
Lawler opened strong, clinching up in the center with Cerrone and landing a ton of punches and elbows. He had 23 strikes in the first minute. It got a little more even after that and then Cerrone kind of took over late, getting a takedown and landing a nice knee/head kick combo. Great opening round. 10-9 Lawler
Cerrone fought much smarter in round 2. He kept his distance, not letting Lawler clinch with him and landed strikes while also controlling the pace. By the end of the round, he had gained the lead in strikes landed and took the round easily. 10-9 Cerrone, 19-19 heading into the third
Close final round. Lawler was much more active than he’d been in the 2nd and seemed to be landing the harder shots but striking stats showed them basically even, with Cerrone holding a 30-29 advantage. Cerrone also had several takedown attempts, all of which were defended by Lawler. Both guys were bloody at the end and the crowd gave this a standing ovation in the last minute. 10-9 Lawler but could go either way.
RESULT – ROBBIE LAWLER (28-11) by unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
Heavy boos from the crowd after the decision. Lawler said almost exactly what I did. “I won the first, he won the second and the third was up in the air”. He dedicated the fight to Matt Hughes, who’s still recovering from his accident. Lawler said he’s not worried about the title and he wants to visit Hughes.
Measured performance by Cyborg. She never seemed close to finishing Evinger but dominated every second of the round. Evinger actually had a couple flash takedowns but Cyborg was up immediately and did damage on the way up. 10-8 Cyborg
Not quite as dominant a round for Cyborg here and she seemed to be slowing down just a bit at the end of the round. Cyborg landed a lot of punch combos but Evinger was starting to evade strikes at the end of it and even landed some of her own in the last minute. Cyborg did do a lot of damage with leg kicks. 10-9 Cyborg, 20-17
Cyborg dropped Evinger with a punch combo early but refused to go to the ground with her. After the ref stood Evinger up, Cyborg initiated a cage clinch and then finished her with knees standing.
RESULT – CRIS CYBORG (18-1) by TKO (knees) at 1:56 of Round 3 NEW FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION
In her post-fight promo, Cyborg said that she feels like she’s the best fighter she’s ever been. She says she is just now learning how to “fight” and was just relying on her abilities before this. No call-out since there are no other fighters in the division.
Maia had at least 8 takedown attempts and Woodley blocked every one. Woodley only landed occasional punches standing but messed up Maia’s eye somehow during one of the early takedown attempts. It wasn’t much, but enough to take the round 10-9
Crowd hating this feet. Several more takedown attempts by Maia, all blocked. Seemed like Woodley landed a few more punches than in the first. Total strikes were 15-5 at the end of the second and that was total in the whole fight. 10-9 Woodley, 20-18
Same story in the third. More failed takedown attempts by Woodley. Punches by Woodley and he mixed in leg kicks as well. Maia bleeding from a cut on his nose, swollen on both eyes and his knees are cut up from all the missed takedowns, 13 in total. 10-9 Woodley, 30-27
Maia now 0/16 on takedown attempts but he did land a few more strikes this round and Woodley did almost nothing but avoid takedowns. He did land the hardest punch of the round though and may have taken it. 10-9 Woodley, 40-36. Crowd loudly booing this fight
I think they may have said that Woodley had 26 takedown attempts in total, stuffed on every one. They also broke the record for fewest strikes landed in a welterweight title fight over 5 rounds. By a lot. This round was exactly the same as the rest. Woodley with a 45-23 advantage in significant strikes landed. Crowd chanted BORING and did the Bray Wyatt cell phone gimmick during the round and booed the hell out of it at the end.
RESULT – TYRON WOODLEY (18-3-1) by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46 x 2)
Crowd booed the decision and every word of Woodley’s promo. He challenged GSP for November 4 in MSG. That fight will be terrible but should do business.
Rogan announced to the crowd about the breaking the fewest strikes record and crowd booed that too.
> Daniel Cormier (C, 19-1, 8-1 UFC) vs. Jon Jones (#1, 22-1, 16-1 UFC) UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Jones outstruck Cormier in the round by almost a 2 to 1 margin but Cormier came on strong in the last 30 seconds, including a couple of combos that rocked Jones and he may have stolen the round 10-9. Great atmosphere with loud crowd both pro and negative for Cormier. Loud reactions whenever he landed anything in particular.
Cormier was actually starting to find his rhythm and land more strikes, closing the gap in strikes landed. Then Jones landed a head kick that rocked him and he never recovered. Jones then knocked him down with punches and finished him on the ground with punches and elbows to the head. John McCarthy gave Cormier a lot of time to recover, maybe too much time but finally stopped it.
RESULT – JON JONES (23-1) by TKO (punches and elbows) at 3:01 of Round 3 NEW LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
Cormier refused to stand for the winner’s announcement, which drew loud boos. This was the first stoppage loss of his career.
Jones had an emotional promo. He said that for everyone that’s every let themselves down, this is what you can do. He said he had to do a lot of right things in his life to get to this point and he thanked all of his fans and also thanked the haters, who motivated him to prove them wrong.
Jones thanked Daniel Cormier for being his biggest rival and biggest motivator. Said he has been a model champion, a model father and a model person. Said he is a true champion for the rest of his life. He went over to embrace him.
Camera panned to Cormier, who was crying like crazy and the crowd booed him a little bit.
Rogan interviewed Cormier, who was still crying. Says the fight was going well and he didn’t know what happened.
Jones called out Brock Lesnar. “IF you want to find out what it’s like to get your ass kicked by someone 40 lbs lighter than you, get your ass back to the Octagon”. Announcers completely no sold this.
It’s the biggest UFC show of the year so far as Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier step into the Octagon in Anaheim to renew their rivalry. Jones won the first time out to retain the light heavyweight title, but his antics outside the cage cost him his belt.
DC picked up the slack in the meantime, and he looks to defend his belt for the third time against his biggest rival. In the co-main event slot, Demian Maia gets his long-deserved shot at the welterweight title and division kingpin Tyron Woodley.
Invicta FC bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger debuts for the company as she faces former Invicta and Strikeforce featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino. The winner claims the UFC women’s featherweight title, which was vacated by Germaine de Randamie.
Despite the other title fights, the second most anticipated bout on the card may very well be former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler taking on Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. This was originally scheduled as one of the featured bouts for UFC 213 during International Fight Week but was pushed back to this show due to injury.
Rounding out the main card, and likely kicking off the pay-per-view, is a fight that could determine the next challenger for the winner of the main event. 205 pounders Jimi Manuwa and Volkan Oezdemir will throw down in a war that promises to be quick and violent.
If you’re new here, our panel picks are listed below and listed alongside the fighter’s names are their worldwide FightMatrix rankings, as well as BestFightOdds.com betting odds. The panelists’ 2017 records are in parentheses, and we also have panel consensus picks along with a line where we show how the betting favorites did:
John Pollock (39-17; .696) — Fight Network analyst, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, MMA Report co-host
Favorites (37-19; .661)
Dave Meltzer (37-19; .661) — Wrestling Observer publisher
Consensus Picks (35-20; .636)
David Bixenspan (35-21; .625) — Deadspin pro wrestling columnist, Between the Sheets podcast host
Mike Sempervive (33-23; .589) — Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
Steve Juon (33-23; .589) — MMA Mania writer, Angry Marks publisher
Mike Sawyer (32-24; .571) — Tough Talk MMA publisher
Ryan Frederick (31-25; .554) — WrestlingObserver.com UFC writer
Paul Fontaine (30-26; .536) — MMADraws.com publisher, WrestlingObserver.com writer
Tom Lawlor (10-9; .526) — Filthy Four Daily co-host, pro wrestling undercard fighter, UFC enhancement talent currently suspended due to wellness violation
Front Row Brian (27-29; .482) — MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, podcast host
Main event for the UFC light heavyweight title — Champion Daniel Cormier (19-1) vs. Jon Jones (22-1)
These two may hate each other more than any two fighters in MMA. Cormier needs this win to prove that he’s the real champ. Jones wants to regain the belt that he never really lost. It’s a simple story.
One of the compelling things about this fight is what’s next. Jones pretty much cleaned out the division during his title run, and Cormier hasn’t had much trouble with anyone besides Jones. There are heavy rumors that Jones might move up to heavyweight after this fight, with Brock Lesnar as his most speculated on first opponent in that division.
For the UFC welterweight title — Champion Tyron Woodley (17-3-1) vs. Demian Maia (22-6)
Maia won seven straight to earn this shot, most in dominating fashion. Woodley knocked out Robbie Lawler to win the title but escaped by the skin of his teeth after two fights with number one contender Steven “Wonderboy” Thompson that really didn’t settle anything.
What’s interesting here is that all three people who’ve beaten Woodley in his career have also beaten Maia — and by the exact same method. Rory McDonald and Jake Shields hold decision wins over both and Nate Marquardt has knocked them both out. Woodley is four years younger, which could end up being the deciding factor here.
For the vacant UFC women’s featherweight title — Cris “Cyborg” Justino (17-1) vs. Tonya Evinger (19-6)
Cyborg has already fought twice in the UFC, winning both of her fights via KO. She has not lost since her pro debut 12 years ago. Evinger’s run has been impressive as well, with 10 straight wins that took her to the Invicta bantamweight title (which she vacated in order to get the UFC shot).
Much has been made of the fact that Evinger wasn’t “good enough” for the UFC bantamweight division, but two of the women she successfully defended against were signed by the UFC after their fights.
Cyborg has rarely faced anyone the caliber of Evinger. Aside from Marloes Coenen and Leslie Smith, none of her opponents have done much of anything in MMA since facing her.
Evinger #7 at women’s bantamweight; +971 betting underdog — Fontaine
Robbie Lawler (27-11) vs. Donald Cerrone (32-8) (welterweights)
When Lawler was fighting for the middleweight title in Strikeforce and Cerrone was competing for the lightweight title in WEC, who’d have thought this fight was possible? Now they find themselves in the same weight class in UFC and it’s possibly the best fight on the card on one of the biggest shows of the year.
Cerrone hasn’t fought since January, which is like a decade by his schedule. Lawler is one year removed from losing his title to Tyron Woodley, with this being his first fight since. The winner here is probably one win away from a shot at the Woodley-Maia winner.
Jimi Manuwa (17-2) vs. Volkan Oezdemir (14-1) (light heavyweights)
These may be the two best light heavyweights in UFC who have never faced either Cormier or Jones, and this very well could be a number one contender’s fight. Manuwa has won two straight, both by KO, since being knocked out by former title contender Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.
Oezdemir thrust himself into title talk by stunning Misha Cirkunov and knocking him out in under 30 seconds. Both men also hold wins over top contender Ovince Saint Preux and a win here, especially if it’s impressive, is probably a ticket to the biggest fight in either man’s career.
Ricardo Lamas (17-5) vs. Jason Knight (18-2) (featherweights)
Lamas #4; +110 betting underdog
Knight #14; -112 betting favorite
Renan Barao (34-4) vs. Aljamain Sterling (13-2) (140 lb catchweight)
Barao #17 featherweight; +115 betting underdog
Sterling #11 bantamweight; -115 betting favorite
Bryan Ortega (11-0) vs. Renato Carneiro (11-0-1) (featherweights)
Ortega #11; +143 betting underdog
Carneiro #8; -149 betting favorite
Andre Fili (16-4) vs. Calvin Kattar (16-2) (featherweights)
Fili #38; -350 betting favorite
Kattar #130; +336 betting underdog
Jarred Brooks (12-0) vs. Eric Shelton (10-3) (flyweights)
Brooks #29; -141 betting favorite
Shelton #36; +130 betting underdog
Kailin Curran (4-4) vs. Aleksandra Albu (2-0) (strawweights)
Curran NR; +138 betting underdog
Albu NR; -151 betting favorite
Josh Burkman (28-15) vs. Drew Dober (17-8) (lightweights)
Burkman #82; +269 betting underdog
Dober #98; -300 betting favorite
Action begins with the Fight Pass prelims at 6:30 p.m. ET and moves over to FXX at 8 p.m. ET. The main card airs on PPV at 10 p.m. ET, and our own Dave Meltzer will be cageside covering the show. Check out the links below for more coverage:
Additional notes from Dave Meltzer / Story updated at 10 PM EST
Unfairly or not, UFC star Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino never fully escaped the shadow of a failed drug test several years ago despite not failing any tests since then.
On Thursday, that shadow got a bit longer as the female star was flagged by USADA for an out-of-competition sample taken on December 5th, and faces a maximum one-year suspension.
Justino was last seen destroying Lina Lansberg in September as the headliner on a UFC Fight Night show in Brazil, her second UFC victory in as many fights.
From the UFC’s statement:
“USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case. It is important to note that, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full fair legal review process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed.
Consistent with all previous potential anti-doping violations, additional information or UFC statements will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.”
USADA has confirmed the substance she failed for was spironolactone, used for treatment of low potassium levels in the blood as well as extreme cases of female acne, as well as for edema from people with congestive heart failure.
Her boyfriend and manager said she was taking the diuretic prescription as treatment for the harsh weight cut she endured for the Lansberg fight. He said the drug is for treatment of kidney issues and blood pressure, and that she is under medical supervision and her doctor is already in contact with USADA.
“What I can say now is that they are talking to my doctor, and I’m calm. Everybody knows I’m sick, that I’m recovering from the weight cut I had to do for the fight. What is happening is post-weight cut. Everybody knows I’m sick. They are talking to my doctor to solve this the best way. It’s nothing bad. I’m on medical treatment.”
The timing of all this is interesting considering she was the focus of an ESPN Outside The Lines feature this past weekend on her weight-cutting and her feelings toward the UFC as a result.
On December 17, 2011, Justino tested positive for the steroid stanazolol in a test taken after her Strikeforce featherweight title defense against Hiroko Yamanaka in San Diego, announced in January 2012. She had won the fight in 16 seconds, but the match was changed to a no contest. She was stripped of her championship and suspended for one year.
Justino was expected to eventually be the star of the UFC’s new women’s featherweight division in 2017, but she wasn’t able to make weight for February, resulting in Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie battling for the inaugural women’s featherweight title instead.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 95: Cyborg vs. Lansberg, eminating from Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil.
The event is headlined by a five-round catchweight bout as one of the best womens’ fighters in the world, Cris Cyborg, steps inside the Octagon for the second time to take on newcomer Lina Lansberg at 140 pounds. In the co-main event, former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barao looks to get back in the win column against Phillipe Nover.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
Commentary team for tonight is Dominick Cruz and Jon Anik.
> Glaico Franca (13-4, 1-1 UFC) vs. Gregor Gillespie (7-0, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
Gillespie is 4 years older, at 29. Franca has a 3 inch height and 6 inch reach advantage. Franca is the -145 betting favorite. Camila Albuquerque is the referee.
ROUND 1 – Crowd is really loud and reacting to every hard shot that lands from Franca and singing right out of the box. Gillespie cut under the left eye from strikes less than a minute in.
Gillespie takes it to the cage in a clinch battle and the crowd not liking that at all. Gillespie gets him down about 3:00 in and takes his back as well but not doing much damage.
Franca escapes and gets to his feet and the crowd explodes. Franca looking really tired and gets taken down again right before the end of the round. 10-9 Gillespie
ROUND 2 – Both guys landed hard shots early, including a flying knee from Franca but Gillespie took him down again 1:00 in. Franca up fairly quickly.
Crowd getting restless as Gillespie continously trying to get it to the ground and finally does again at 3:30. Gillespie quickly into side control and landing elbows to the head while maintaining control for the rest of the round. 10-9 Gillespie, 20-18
ROUND 3 – Even though Gillespie is clearly winning, you wouldn’t know it by looking at the faces of the two guys. Gillespie takes it right to the cage to start and gets a takedown 90 seconds in.
Gillespie moves into mount fairly easily but not doing a a lot of damage with the position. Franca worked him back into guard at 3:00 but can’t get to his feet.
Gillespie gets mount back at 3:30 and landing more punches now. Franca gives up his back and eating a ton of punches as the round ends. 10-8 Gillespie, 30-26 overall
RESULT – GREGOR GILLESPIE (8-0) by unanimous decision (29-27 x 3)
HOT TAKE – Gillespie completely dominated Franca and will be in the UFC to stay. He did eat a lot of hard punches early and guys in the upper end of this division will hit harder and do more damage. He’s pretty small for lightweight and may have to drop a weight class. But his wrestling is very, very good.
Gillespie put over the crowd iin his post-fight interview but didn’t do a call-out or really say much of anything.
Luque is 5 years younger and has a 2 inch reach advantage. Urbina looks like the Mexican Briscoe brother. Fernando Portella is the ref.
ROUND 1– Urbina tried to take it to the mat early but Luque escaped. Luque all over Urbina with punches 1:00 in and Urbina crumples to the canvas as the place explodes.
WINNER – VICENT LUQUE (10-5-1) by KO (punches) at 1:00
HOT TAKE – You have to be careful when dealing with two guys this inexperienced to say they’ll be contenders but Luque looked really good here. At just 25, he’s clearly got a bright future. Crowd loved him in his post-fight interview. He showed class in not following him to the mat and landing a couple extra shots when his opponent was clearly out.
> Alan Patrick (13-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Stevie Ray (19-5, 3-0 UFC) Lightweights
Patrick is the Brazilian here and the obvious crowd favorite. He’s also a +140 betting underdog.
Ray is 7 years younger and one inch shorter. Patrick has a 4 inch reach advantage. Mario Yamasaki is the referee.
ROUND 1 – Patrick rushes in for a takedown away but can’t hold him down. Crowd explodes for it though. He gets another one but Ray reverses into top position on the way down and transitions to an armbar.
Patrick to his feet but Ray still holding onto the armbar and he’s in a headstand position. Patrick escapes and the crowd explodes again.
Patrick gets another takedown but can’t really do anything in Ray’s guard. He advances to half guard at 3:30 and trying to set up a head and arm choke.
Tough round to score as Patrick was on top the whole round but did no damage and Ray at least had submission attempts. 10-9 Ray but could easily see Brazilian judges giving it to Patrick
ROUND 2 – Patrick gets a takedown 15 seconds in after a weak guillotine attempt from Ray. Patrick again just holding him down and not really trying to advance or do damage.
Crowd actually not liking this fight even though the Brazilian is in a dominant position. He takes Ray’s back at 2:45 and that wakes them up. Ray works him back to guard quickly though.
Ref stands them up at 3:30 as nothing was happening. Ray gets a guillotine off a takedown attempt and ends up taking Patrick’s back on the ground.
Ray with a full bodylock and landing punches to the head in the last minute. 10-9 Ray, 20-18 overall but another close round.
ROUND 3 – Ray is definitely the fresher guy coming out for this round. Ray has to know that with two close rounds he could actually be down with Brazilian judges.
Patrick gets a takedown 30 seconds in and again just lays in his guard. Patrick slightly more active with striking from the top in this round.
Ray working for a key lock from the bottom and with that, Patrick starts throwing even more punches. Patrick escapes and working for one of his own around the 3:30 mark.
Patrick transitions to kind of an armbar in the last 30 seconds and rides out the round on top. 10-9 Patrick. I’ve got 29-28 Ray overall but I’m pretty sure judges will give it to Patrick.
RESULT – ALAN PATRICK (14-1) by unanimous decision (29-28 x 2; 30-27)
HOT TAKE – Patrick showed almost no finishing instinct and will get lit up by anyone with better takedown defence than Ray. But it was a good win. Ray had won 5 straight prior to this and isn’t going anywhere but he now has something to work on.
Patrick put over his coach Jacare Souza and pleaded for a post-fight bonus award. It’s one thing when someone does that after a KO or sub….but there is no chance in hell he’s getting a bonus off this fight.
Both guys are from Brazil. Chagas is nine years younger, at 3 and has a one inch reach advantage. Osiris Maia is the referee.
ROUND 1 – Pretty tentative start from both guys. Silva landing hard body kicks. Chagas drops Silva with a punch combo 2:00 in but he gets up quickly.
It’s notable that all of Silva’s UFC wins have been first round stoppages. Both guys starting to throw and land more in the second half of the round.
Chagas’ midsection is reddened from the body kicks of Silva. Silva eating a lot of punishment himself though. Silva drops Chagas with a combo and all over hiim with punches with 15 seocnds left. 10-9 Silva as that last exchange stole it for him.
ROUND 2 – Silva nailed with a low blow seconds into the round as Jon Anik points out again that Silva hasn’t won a fight that’s gone past the first round in UFC.
Silva defends a takedown attempt on the restart and ends up in top position. Silva scoring with punches and elbows from top position and then takes his back briefly but Chagas escapes and to his feet.
Chags drops Silva with a punch and goes into his guard. Silva seems okay but eating elbows from Chagas. Chagas takes his back 3:00 in.
Silva works him back into guard but still eating punches and elbows. Chagas gains mount at 3:45 and goes for an armbar. Silva escapes and ends up in top position.
Both guys are exhausted in the last minute. Silva takes his back with 15 seconds left and gets a choke but Chagas saved by the bell. 10-9 Chagas, 19-19 after 2
ROUND 3 – Silva had pretty much abandoned the body kicks halfway thru the first but lands a hard one early in this round. Chagas tried to take it to a cage clinch but the ref broke it up really quickly as he was clearly just stalling.
Silva is clearly the fresher fighter and landing more through 2:00. Silva just picking him off with punches and lands a nice head kick at 2:30.
Chagas just wandering around and eating jabs at will from Silva. Chagas missed a takedown badly and Silva quickly takes his back and secures a rear naked choke for the win.
RESULT- ERICK SILVA (19-7) by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:57 of Round 3
HOT TAKE – This was a very different Erick Silva. He was patient, measured and never tried to do too much. He badly needed this win after 2 straight losses and should get at least a couple more years of UFC fights after this performance. Chagas was clearly overmatched here but now is winless in 2 UFC fights.
Formiga is the Brazilian here. He’s 4 years older, at 31 and has a 2 inch reach advantage. Camila Albuquerque is the ref.
ROUND 1 – Formiga gets a takedown right away and passes into side control 45 seconds in. Ortiz gets him back into guard and also lands a lot of punches from the bottom.
Formiga again gains side control at 1:45 but as of yet he hasn’t done much with the position. Ortiz still landing strikes from the bottom.
Ortiz sweeps into top position at 2:15. Formiga actually more active from his back with a couple submission attempts. Crowd booing after the 4:00 mark as Ortiz just holding him down and not even trying to advance.
Formiga to his feet as the round ends. Tough round to score as each guy had about equal control time and no real damage done by either. 10-9 Formiga but really close to a 10-10
ROUND 2 – Formiga again gets an early takedown. Ortiz again landing light strikes from the bottom while Formiga seems to be setting up a triangle choke.
Formiga takes his back at 1:45 after briefly getting mount. Formiga with a full body lock and working for a rear naked choke, which he’s one 1/3 of his fights with.
Formiga landing punches to the body while continuously working for the choke. Ortiz did a good job defending the choke for the round but not enough to escape a 10-8 Formiga round. 20-17 overall
ROUND 3 – Ortiz pretty fresh to start the third and much more active on his feet. Formiga takes his back standing at 2:00 though and takes him down.
Formiga get the body lock quickly and it’s looking a lot like the second. Formiga patiently trying to set up the rear naked choke but Ortiz doing a good job defending.
Ortiz actually reverses the position with 15 seconds left and ends the round on top. Enough to escape another 10-8 round but he’s lost this fight. 10-9 Formiga, 30-26 overall
RESULT – JUSSIER FORMIGA (19-4) by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-27 and 29-28)
HOT TAKE – First round was close so nothing wrong with any of those scores. Formiga earned a title shot off of this one as he’s highest ranked contender who’s never received one. Just not sure if or when he’ll get it. You don’t get the sense that he’d beat Mighty Mouse but his ground game is world class and he should at least get a chance. Ortiz is tough and will never contend for a title but deserves to be in the top 15.
Yahya is the Brazilian native. Tanaka is 25 and 7 years younger. He’s also 1 inch shorter but with a slight reach advantage. Fernando Portella is the ref.
ROUND 1 – Yahya with a takedown early and secures an arm triangle choke. Tanaka desparately trying to fight it off and Cruz explains why Tanaka will eventually just pass out due to the nature of the choke.
Tanaka escapes at 2:45 but Yahya still on top. Yahya easily into side control but Tanaka escapes, gets to his feet and gets a quick takedown of his own.
Yahya tying him up from the bottom and working for another triangle. Tanaka landing punches and knees to the body in the last minute. 10-9 Yahya
ROUND 2 – Nice grappling exchange 30 seconds in that ends up with Tanaka in top position but Yahya ends up taking his back. Tanaka gets to his feet quickly though.
Yahya dominated the grappling for the rest of the round, constantly taking him down, advancing position but Tanaka would always manage to briefly get up.
Tanaka ended the round on top but clear 10-9 Yahya and 20-18 overall
ROUND 3 – They go to the ground right away again and Tanaka ends up on top. Crowd booing heavily but Tanaka very active on top, landing a lot of punches to the head. Ref stands them up at 1:45, which was kind of bad.
Tanaka takes him down right away again and again landing a lot of punches to the head and body. Yahya working for submissions from the bottom but Tanaka easily defending.
Tanaka gets him in a crucifix position and working for an armlock. Yahya reverses though and ends up on top and the crowd like that.
Yahya takes the back with a minute left but Tanaka ges to his feet. Tanaka landing punches to the head as the round end but should be another 10-9 Yahya. 30-27 overall
RESULT – RANI YAHYA (23-8) by unanimous decison (29-28 x 3)
HOT TAKE – Not sure which round Tanaka won there, maybe the third. Doesn’t matter as the right guy won. This was kind of a boring fight but Tanaka was 11-1 coming in and Yahya dominated him for his 5th straight win. He’s probably earned a spot in the top 15 with that or at least should get a fight with a top 15 guy next.
> Gilbert Burns (12-1, 4-1 UFC) vs. Michel Prazeres (20-2, 4-2 UFC) Lightweights
In regards to the last round of the last fight, I almost definitely should’ve scored it for Tanaka. Osiris Maia is the ref for this one.
ROUND 1 – Prazeres with an early knockdown but won’t follow Burns to the mat. Both guys landing a lot of punches in the first minute.
Both guys really cautious but unloading punches in bursts. Prazeres does seem to be landing the harder strikes. Prazeres with a takedown at 4:00 but just stands up as he wants no part of Burns’ ground game. 10-9 Prazeres
ROUND 2 – Burns with an inadvertent eye poke early in the 2nd. Burns misses a flying knee but then eats a flurry of punches.
Prazeres catches a kick and Burns falls to the mat but again Prazeres stays on his feet. Burns lands a couple jumping knees but they don’t seem to faze Prazeres.
Burns stuffed on a couple of takedown attempts and eats a punch combo from Prazeres at 3:45. Prazeres landing more in the last minute. 10-9 Prazeres, 20-18
ROUND 3 – Prazeres knocks him down early with punches and folows Burns to the mat this time. Prazeres all over him with hard punches.
Prazeres stands up and forces Burns to his feet. Burns doing nothing but retreating and eating punches.
Prazeres mixing in leg kicks along with the head strikes. Crowd really hating this as they’re both just keeping their distance.
They exchange hard body kicks at 4:30 and then start throwing down. Pretty clear 10-9 Prazeres as he gets a late takedown to seal it. 30-27 overall
RESULT – MICHEL PRAZERES (21-2) by unanimous decision
HOT TAKE – This fight did neither guy any favors. First off, it was boring. Secondly, Prazeres missed weight so Burns has that buillt-in excuse. More importantly, Prazeres was clearly afraid to go to the ground with Burns and didn’t have much finishing instinct on his feet. Burns has been disappointing since coming into UFC with a lot of hype. He could get cut with another performance like this.
FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
> Godofredo Pepey (12-4, 4-4 UFC) vs. Mike de la Torre (14-5 1 NC, 2-2 1 NC UFC) Featherweights
Pepey is the home country favorite. He’s also one year younger, at 29, and has a 2.5 inch reach advantage. De La Torre is 4 inches taller. Fight is a pick em by the oddsmakers. Mario Yamasaki is the referee.
ROUND 1 – Pepey staggers De La Torre with a spinning back early but De La Torre weathers it well and actually gets a takedown 30 seconds in.
Both guys swinging wildly and landing a lot of them. De La Torre is rocked and barely on his feet. Crowd going nuts.
Pepey takes his back standing and drags him down. Pepey with the body lock and working for a rear naked choke.
Pepey gets the choke and the quick tap at 3:00
WINNER – GODOFREDO PEPEY (13-4) by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:03
HOT TAKE – That was a wild 3 minute fight and Pepey was just relentless. That’s 4 wins in 5 fights with the only loss coming to the very tough Darren Elkins and he should get a much higher ranked guy next. De La Torre looked completely out of it 1 minute in but managed to last another couple minutes on heart alone.
> Thiago Santos (#15, 13-4, 5-3 UFC) vs. Eric Spicely (8-1, 0-1 UFC) Middleweights
Santos is the local here. He’s 3 years older, at 32, and has a 3 inch reach advantage. Spicely is 1 inch taller. Santos is the biggest betting favorite on the card besides Cyborg. Big John is the ref.
ROUND 1 – Spicely with a couple early takedown attempts but Santos sprawls out on the second and ends up on top. Spicely with an armbar attempt from the bottom but Santos escapes and to his feet at 1:30.
Spicely gets a takedown. Spicely not doing a lot from top position but is trying to advantce. Spicely takes his back but Santos to his feet at 2:45.
Spicely with a rear naked choke and takes it to the mat and gets the tap.
RESULTS – ERIC SPICELY (9-1) by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:58
HOT TAKE – Huge win for Spicely as he was on the verge of being cut. That’s 2 straight losses for Santos although the last was against top contender Gegard Mousasi so he isn’t going anywhere. Spicely looked very confident and his ground game has improved a lot since working with Tri-Star. Crowd was deathly quiet at the end of this.
> Francisco Trinaldo (20-4, 10-3 UFC) vs. Paul Felder (12-2, 4-2 UFC) Lightweights
Trinaldo is the Brazilian here. He’s 38 and 6 years older. Felder has a 2 inch height and half inch reach advantage. Trinaldo is the slight betting favorite at -135. Osiris Maia is the referee.
ROUND 1 – They keep their distance for the first part of the fight, mainly just trading single kicks. Trinaldo starting to take over at the 2:00 mark, landing a lot of punches and backing Felder up to the cage.
They battle on the cage for a couple minutes with Trinaldo controlling things. They separate in the last minute and it’s pretty even on the feet. 10-9 Trinaldo
ROUND 2 – Trinaldo cut under the right eye from a Felder punch early in the round. Trinaldo gets a takedown 2:00 in.
An elbow from Trinaldo opens up a cut around Felder’s right eye and it’s bleeding pretty heavily. Trinaldo with a guillotine attempt but Felder fights him off.
Hard elbows to the head from Trinaldo as he’s trying to advance but Felder manages to get to his feet at 4:00. Trinaldo still controlling his back but Felder works around to front position with 15 seconds left. 10-9 Trinaldo, 20-18 overall
ROUND 3 – Felder is pretty fresh coming out for the round and more aggressive to start. First 2:00 pretty even with both guys landing single shots.
Trinaldo opens up the cut again with an elbow and hte ref stops the fight to check on the cut. The doctor stops it.
RESULT – FRANCISCO TRINALDO (21-4) by TKO (referee stoppage due to a cut) at 2:25
HOT TAKE – That’s seven straight wins for Trinaldo, who almost assuredly will move into the top 15. Felder’s a tough guy and wanted to continue despite the gruesome cut. He always delivers in his fights so he’ll stick around.
> Roy Nelson (#11, 21-13, 8-9 UFC) vs. Antonio SIlva (#15, 19-9-1, 3-6 1 NC UFC) Heavyweights
Nelson is the -450 betting favorite and looks fatter than ever. Silva with a 17 lb weight, 4 inch height and 8 inch reach advantage. At 37, he’s also 3 years younger. Big John McCarthy is the ref and for once may be the smallest guy in the Octagon.
ROUND 1 – Silva throwing mostly kicks early. Nelson keeping his distance but throwing, and landing, occasional punches early.
Silva doesn’t seem to be affected much by Nelson’s punches through 3:00. Silva continuing to land hard leg kicks and also getting off punch combos.
Nelson stuffed on a takedown attempt and they end up in a cage clinch with not a lot happening. Close round, 10-9 Silva
ROUND 2 – Nelson a little more aggressive to start but Silva still landing kicks to the legs and body. One of them lands low at 2:00, forcing a break.
Silva rushes Nelson on the restart and tries for a takedown but Nelson defends it. Nelson lands a couple really hard punches to the head but Silva seems to be okay.
Nelson drops him at 4:00 with a punch and Big John stops it after a couple more punches on the ground.
RESULT – ROY NELSON (22-13) by KO (punch) at 4:10 of the 2nd round
HOT TAKE – That last longer than anyone thought it would and Silva looked okay until he got tagged. That said, he’s beyond done as a fighter and should really never be fighting again. Nelson was angry with McCarthy as he thought it should’ve been stopped earlier. He’s really not all that much better but will be around as long as he wants to be.
Nelson said he was maybe one fight away from a title shot. At least I think that’s what he was saying. He’s not, by the way. He did confirm that he thought it was a late stoppage and didn’t want to keep punching Bigfoot because they’re friends. He’s probably going to get fined as he laid his hands on McCarthy.
Barao is 3 years younger, 3 inches shorter and Nover has a 2 inch reach advantage. Nover is a +350 betting underdog. Big John is the ref for the 2nd straight fight.
ROUND 1 – Nover more active early, landing punches and body kicks. Barao gets caught by a counter punch when he goes in for his first combo and gets staggered a bit at 2:00.
Barao starting to pick up the pace halfway through the round. Barao mixing in punches and leg kicks. Really close round. 10-9 Barao
ROUND 2 – Barao comes out firing, mixing in punches and leg kicks. Barao with a flying knee and follows up with punches, which staggers Nover at 1:30.
Nover hanging in though and connecting with leg kicks of his own in the 2nd half of the round. Barao picking it up again in the last minute and gets a takedown with 15 seconds left. 10-9 Barao, 20-18
ROUND 3 – Barao gets a takedown at 1:15 after fairly even standup to start the round. Nover gets up fairly quickly.
Nover more aggressive but also leaving himself open to getting hit more. Barao with a takedown attempt at 4:30 and completes it right before the round ends. 10-9 Barao, 30-27
RESULT – RENAN BARAO (34-4) by unanimous decision (29-28 x 2; 30-27)
HOT TAKE – Barao basically held serve there but he needed a more impressive win here to establish himself in a very tough division and after losing his first fight at 145 to Jeremy Stephens. Nover actually improved his stock in losing by going the distance with a former champion.
Cyborg is 3 years younger, has a 1 inch heigh and 2.5 inch reach advantage. This isn’t on the tale of the tape but she’s probably a good 20 lbs heavier than Lansberg in the cage as well. Mario Yamaski will officiate this massacre.
ROUND 1- They tie up in a cage clinch early and Cyborg landing knees to the body. Lansberg doing a good job holding the arms of Cyborg for a little while at least.
Cyborg gets free and unloads with punches at 2:00 but Lansberg manages to tie her up again. Ref breaks up the clinch at 3:00.
They clinch up again and go right back to the cage. Cyborg takes her down at 3:45. Cyborg into mount and unloading with punches. Lansberg manages to escape and get to her feet though at 4:15.
Cyborg unloading on her and Lansberg’s face is all busted up. She manages to last the round though. 10-9 Cyborg
ROUND 2 – Could’ve easily gone 10-8 in the first but this isn’t going the distance anyway. Cyborg all over her to start the round but Lansberg manages to clinch up again at 30 seconds.
Cyborg takes her down at 1:15 and right into side control. Cyborg throwing a lot of punches and gives up position to posture up.
Cyborg with elbows and punches to the face and Lansberg barely covering up, not really defending at all. Ref finally stops it after way too many elbows and punches.
RESULT – CRIS CYBORG (17-1) by TKO (punches and elbows) at 2:29 of the 2nd round
HOT TAKE – Cyborg seemed like she was having fun in there. Lansberg obviously lasted longer than anyone expected but the outcome was never in doubt. If this show does a good number, they can keep having her headline shows for a few more years. Lansberg will hopefully get a shot in UFC against someone in her actual weight class.
Jon Anik asked Cyborg what’s next. She just wants to put on super fights for her fans and make them happy. No callout of Ronda or Holly.
Lina Lansberg got some interview times as well. She said it was f—ing funny…not quite the reaction you’d expect after getting the crap beat out of her. Her eye was swollen up and she was covered in blood but smiling. Couldn’t help but like her after that.
Here’s some advice for who to pick in your DraftKings lineup for Saturday’s UFC Fight 95 in Brasilia, Brazil, headlined by Cris Cyborg vs. Lina Lansberg on FOX Sports 1.
TOP TARGET: Cris Cyborg ($13,000)
Cyborg headlines her first UFC event when she takes on newcomer Lansberg in a 140-pound catchweight bout. This is one of the most obvious picks when it comes to daily fantasy, but Cyborg also commands the highest salary I can ever remember at $13,000.
She is the toughest female fighter in the world, the hardest hitting, and the most feared. She has won 17 straight (15 by KO) and had one overturned due to a drug test failure. She hasn’t gone the distance in almost eight years. The biggest hurdle for her has been the extremely tough weight cut, and really, 140 pounds isn’t where she should be fighting. As long as her energy isn’t completely drained from the cut, Lansberg is just a sacrifical lamb. Cyborg also has more time to rehydrate, which will be to her benefit.
Lansberg only has seven career MMA fights, but a lot of professional kickboxing experience. She has won six straight with four finished by stoppage. She is older than Cyborg, and she has a good skillset, but this is a tall order. It goes without saying, but Cyborg is clearly the favorite in this fight, and definitely the top target on this card.
Her salary is going to make it hard to put together a quality lineup as I expect a lot of favorites on this card to win. If you can fit her in, Cyborg is the top play.
VALUE TARGET: Rani Yahya ($9,300)
Yahya will be looking to score his fourth straight win when he takes on Michinori Tanaka in a prelim bout. Tanaka is looking to score his second straight win after getting a split decision over Joe Soto at January’s UFC 195. This will only be Tanaka’s second fight in a two-year span as he was out of action for over a year prior to the Soto fight due to a drug test failure.
Tanaka comes from the Team Alpha Male camp, and he has solid striking. Yahya is a hard-nosed veteran of the sport and has good all-around skills, but he excels in his grappling. Where he gets into trouble at times is his willingness to strike, and that will cost him against Tanaka. He should be looking to take Tanaka down and use his submission game. He has good scrambling, but he excels in top control constantly looking for chokes.
Yahya is actually the betting favorite in this fight, though Tanaka has the higher fantasy value. That makes Yahya a very solid value play at his salary. He may not outstrike or outwrestle Tanaka, but he should be able to get the better of him on the mat. Tanaka had a very close fight with Soto, a fight that he probably should have lost, and Yahya has been impressive lately. Also of note: 17 of Yahya’s 22 career wins have come by submission.
If this fight goes to the ground, Tanaka has some big work ahead of him. Yahya’s $9,300 salary is very interesting, and in a night where a lot of favorites will likely win, go with the hometown guy. Yahya is a solid play.
TARGET TO AVOID: Antonio Silva ($7,900)
This feels like an obvious pick, but Silva is definitely the fighter to most avoid on this card. You can make a very good case that he shouldn’t even be fighting at this stage of his career as he has taken way more punishment than you like to see a fighter take. Silva only has one win in his last seven fights and his losses have been bad. Silva has nine career losses: eight by knockout.
In losing five of his last seven, SIlva has been knocked out in the first round in all of those fights. He doesn’t have the chin to withstand the punishment anymore, not to mention he is a heavyweight where the hardest hitters lie. He also gets one of the hardest hitters in the division in Nelson. Nelson has been struggling lately as he is just 2-6 in his last eight fights. Unlike, Silva, Nelson has only been finished once during that streak.
Nelson has fallen in love with the right hand as he has become one-dimensional in the latter stages of his career. That right hand is vicious though and can knock out just about anyone when it lands. Silva would be best served at using good footwork and movement as Nelson is flat-footed, but Silva’s big chin is a target that Nelson is going to exploit. Silva is going to sleep when it lands, and he is just too slow at this stage of his career.
I don’t see Silva getting out of the first round without going to sleep, and if that happens, I hope that it will be the last time that it happens. Silva is the most avoidable target on this card, even more than Lansberg.
UNDERDOG TARGET: Gregor Gillespie ($9,000)
Gillespie is making his UFC debut in the opening bout of the show, so it is no surprise that he is an underdog as he takes on Glaico Franca. However, Gillespie is a great underdog target at his $9,000 salary. Gillespie enters the UFC with an undefeated professional record at 7-0 with six wins coming by knockout or submission. Gillespie is an NCAA Champion and four-time All-American in wrestling, and he trains with a great camp under the leadership of striking coach Mark Henry, who works with a lot of top UFC fighters.
Gillespie is like any fighter with a strong wrestling background, working on developing his striking but has superior wrestling to back him up if he gets into trouble. He also has solid submission skills. Gillespie has a tough test in Franca, who took the fight on short notice as an injury replacement for Joaquim Silva. Franca is a big lightweight with a lot of experience in his career, though he has just two appearances inside the Octagon.
Franca dropped his most recent bout against the tough James Vick, a fight where the pressure brought by Vick was too much for Franca. Gillespie would be best served going for takedowns in close range as Franca is the more gifted striker, but Gillespie has the wrestling background to control this fight on the mat. Gillespie is a finisher, but Franca has only been finished once in his career.
Gillespie is the underdog, but I really like his chances in this fight. He is a very good underdog target on this card.
SURPRISE TARGET: Gilbert Burns ($9,800)
Burns is still one of the brightest prospects in the UFC’s lightweight division as he looks to score his second straight win when he takes on fellow Brazilian Michel Prazeres in the final prelim bout of the card. Burns started his career with a perfect 11-0 record before suffering his first loss last November. He bounced back with a first-round submission win over Lukasz Sajewski in July. Burns talked about how much the loss affected him, and he is committed to get back to his winning ways.
Burns is one of the most-gifted submission fighters in the sport, and he has scored eight of his twelve wins by submission, but has also scored three by knockout. Prazeres has won two straight fights against low-level competition, and he gets a tough opponent in Burns. Prazeres is a thick lightweight with a lot of power, but he also carries a lot of muscle on his frame, and it affects him late in his conditioning. Burns will look to take advantage of that, and he has really solid striking skills.
Prazeres is tough from the top on the mat, but he doesn’t have the overall submission game that Burns does. A late thing to keep in mind is that Prazeres missed weight, so that is another plus advantage for Burns. I expect Burns to negate Prazeres’ main attack, and I don’t think Prazeres’ cardio will be able to keep up the pace. I’m looking at Burns scoring a late submission as he is too good on the ground, and he’ll be able to beat Prazeres on the feet.
Burns should be a surprise in the sense that I expect a finish in this fight.
OUR LINEUPS —
RYAN FREDERICK: Roy Nelson ($11,500), Thiago Santos ($11,400), Rani Yahya ($9,300), Gregor Gillespie ($9,000), Luan Chagas ($8,800)
I’m not taking Cyborg in my lineup. I want to, but her salary makes it hard, and while I think she gets a quick finish, I also think Nelson and Santos get first-round finishes. I like the combo of them over just Cyborg when it comes to trying to maximize my points. Silva doesn’t have a chin, and Nelson has that big right hand which I think will put Silva to go to sleep.
Santos has a favorable match-up against Eric Spicely, and Santos’ only loss in his last five fights has come to Gegard Mousasi. I like Santos to bounce back in a major way against an overmatched Spicely. Yahya is a surprise underdog, but he performs well, and Tanaka is a beatable opponent. With two major salaries in my lineup, I have to take chances, and I like Yahya.
My last fighter is Luan Chagas. He takes on Erick Silva, who has had a disappointing UFC career. I’m honestly not too confident in Chagas’ chances, but Silva has been proven beatable. I like Chagas’ chances better than any other fighter at similar salaries.
PAUL FONTAINE: Cris Cyborg ($13,000), Michel Prazeres ($9,600), Rani Yahya ($9,300), Jussier Formiga ($9,200), Mike De La Torre ($8,900)
If I could figure out a way to pick five fighters and somehow get Cyborg on my team, I was gonna do it. And best of all, I think everyone on my team has a better than even chance of winning. Cyborg is going to score a first round finish; we all know it. If not for a decision loss to the very tough Kevin Lee, Michel Prazeres would be on a five fight win streak. I think he will grind out an upset win over Burns. Yahya will have an experience advantage, a likely size advantage, and home field advantage when he takes on Tanaka. That all adds up to a win in my book.
Jussier Formiga is on the short list of top flyweights in the world and I’m surprised that he comes at a lower salary than his opponent here. He’s a steal at this price for me. My last pick is Mike De La Torre, a world class jiu-jitsu guy. His last time in Brazil he spoiled it for the hometown boy with a first round KO and I’m looking for a repeat performance here.
PEACH MACHINE: Roy Nelson ($11,500), Dustin Ortiz ($10,200), Paul Felder ($9,700), Rani Yahya ($9,300), Mike de la Torre ($8,900)
Last week was bad for everyone, but I’m confident that I can rebound successfully and get in the money tonight. Nelson is an expensive pick but I’m taking him because you’re guaranteed a KO, and Cyborg is too expensive. I like Mike de la Torre over Pepe. I’ve never been impressed by Pepe and his hair makes me mad.
Paul Felder has been facing the top of the heap, as has Trinaldo, but I like Felder here to sneak out an upset win. Dustin Ortiz is tough and I usually take him when he’s on a card. Yahya has been successful recently and I expect that to continue. Play this lineup!
