The hype for a potential Jon Jones vs. Brock Lesnar superfight isn’t stopping any time soon.
After defeating Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 on Saturday night, Jones took some of his post-fight interview time to challenge the WWE Universal Champion. “Brock Lesnar,” Jones said. “If you want to know what it feels like to get your ass kicked by a guy who weighs 40 pounds less than you, meet me in the Octagon.”
Lesnar then responded to Jones calling him out. “Be careful what you wish for, young man,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Speculation about Jones vs. Lesnar began as soon as rumors started to surface about Lesnar making a UFC return, with both fighters then confirming that they were interested in the matchup. Lesnar told Jones to focus on Cormier then, but Jones’ win would seem to inch the dream fight closer to reality.
One of the hurdles that remains is that Lesnar is currently under a one-year suspension for drug test failures surrounding his UFC 200 fight against Mark Hunt. That suspension was frozen when Lesnar “retired” from MMA in February, and the clock would only start counting down again if Lesnar enters himself back into the USADA drug testing pool.
The UFC’s Jeff Novitzky denied that Lesnar had officially entered back into the pool on July 19th. It’s not clear whether he would be eligible to return by the UFC’s last show of 2017 on December 30th or if a return would have to wait until 2018 if he decides to come back.
Another possible hurdle is Lesnar’s WWE contract. WWE would have to approve Lesnar fighting again while under a deal with them, but the three-year contract that he signed in 2015 is up after next year’s WrestleMania.
Jones reclaimed the light heavyweight title by knocking out Cormier in the third round on Saturday night. A fight against Lesnar would require Jones to at least temporarily move up to heavyweight.
While those are only some of the barriers that could prevent Lesnar vs. Jones from happening, a fight that once seemed to be an impossibility will be one of the things that everyone is talking about coming out of UFC 214.
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:
Finally, we have a huge UFC show to get excited for.
Saturday’s UFC 214 is the promotion’s biggest event since last November’s Madison Square Garden show, headlined by a blood rivalry between light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and former champion Jon Jones.
Previewing the show on the latest Punch-Out is The Guardian’s MMA writer, podcaster, and returning guest Josh Gross.
Josh and Josh talked for 40 minutes on a variety of topics:
– The resurgence in interest for the Ali vs. Inoki book given the buzz over Mayweather vs. McGregor
The promotional push for UFC 214 is in full swing which brings us to Wednesday: the official pre-event press conference.
Headlining a stellar PPV main card from the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, is light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier vs. former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in a rematch from January 2016. The two rivals were supposed to fight again at last summer’s UFC 200, but a USADA flag from Jones that week pulled him out of the epic encounter.
Starting at 4 PM EST, you can stream the presser below:
Also on the main card, welterweight champion Tyron Woodley faces Demian Maia in an interesting co-main event tilt while Cris “Cyborg” Justino will look to claim the vacant UFC women’s featherweight belt against injury fill-in Tonya Evinger.
Rounding out the main card is a dream match-up between former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler and fan favorite Donald Cerrone, in addition to a top light heavyweight battle between Jimi Manuwa and Volkan Oezdemir.
Fireworks erupted at today’s UFC “Summer Kickoff” press conference in Dallas, which included some key announcements of fights between now and the end of July.
Most of the focus was on UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, who meet for the title on July 29th at the Honda Center in Anaheim. This time, Cormier was cheered more than Jones, and had the louder chants.
Jones talked about how Cormier’s belt is “a piece of sh*t” because he never beat him, and both talked about an incident that happened just before the event started.
“F*** no, he never beat me,” said Jones. “The belt he has over there is an imaginary belt. I messed up.”
Before it was over, Cormier made remarks about Jones doing steroids, cocaine, and “sandblasting” prostitutes, while Jones claimed that he had a great month a few years ago when he did cocaine all weekend and then beat Cormier a week later.
“Is he really going to be in Anaheim?,” said Cormier, who was embracing being a heel, only to get cheered, and even did the Chris Jericho “Drink it in man” pose. “Is this guy really going to be at the fight? Is he going to mess this up by doing steroids, doing cocaine, or sandblasting prostitutes?”
Jones then responded, “I beat you after a weekend of cocaine. I had great back-to-back weekends, cocaine one weekend and you next.”
Jones also said that Cormier has shown him nothing in his recent fights, saying Anthony Johnson handed him a win and he looked even worse against Anderson Silva.
Cormier did seem off over an incident that had taken place before the press conference. Cormier said that Jones said something about Cormier’s kids and he smashed him in the face with a water bottle. Jones claimed that Cormier was crying and hugging Cain Velasquez and that he’d better love the next 11 weeks as champion and make Christmas cards while holding the belt.
Later, when it came down to pose-offs, Cormier and Jones were kept far apart. Jones came out with a replica belt and was heavily booed by a crowd that chanted “DC” with light chants for Jon Jones.
The biggest announcement of the show was more weekly UFC fights. They announced a weekly five-fight show that will air every Tuesday night, starting on July 11th, called “Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series.”
This will finally culminate White’s dream from 15 years ago about redoing the Tuesday Night Fights show that was a staple of USA Network programming in the 80s and 90s.
The show will take place from the UFC’s Gym in Las Vegas, and air on Fight Pass.
There were a lot of verbal fireworks, but the only physical fireworks were between Kevin Lee and Michael Chiesa, who headline a June 25th event in Oklahoma City. Lee, dressed up like Jimmy Snuka and trying to play a badass from the hood, claimed Conor McGregor was trying to take from him when accused of copying McGregor. He talked about being a product of hood and hip hop culture, that he’s real and McGregor isn’t, and how there’s nothing better than being young, black, and rich.
Later, when Michael Johnson, who faces Justin Gaethje on July 7th, talked about how Gaethje needs to be ready to die, Lee said that Johnson has had 30 fights, lost half of them, and never killed anyone.
Chiesa said Lee “looks like some dork who got kicked out of Woodstock,” after Lee made fun of his mullet.
Lee mentioned Chiesa’s mother being at the fight, and Chiesa said “Don’t you ever talk about my mom.” After a few seconds of them yelling at each other, Chiesa got up and made a beeline toward Lee. Lee threw a punch when he got there and both were pulled apart and kicked off the stage. Later, they were brought out to pose for photos together and both said words to each other but security let them near each other, something they wouldn’t allow Jones and Cormier to do.
Chris Weidman vs. Kelvin Gastelum was announced as the main event for a FOX show on July 22nd at the Nassau Coliseum. Weidman said he wanted Gegard Mousasi, but was not going to turn down a main event at the Nassau Coliseum. Both were respectful to each other — really the only ones who were.
Weidman vs. Gastelum and Gaethje vs. Johnson were made official, as was a July 8th women’s bantamweight title fight with Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko that had been rumored. Nunes and Shevchenko went back-and-forth verbally with Nunes talking about how she had already beaten Shevchenko.
The scheduled July 8th main event with Cody Garbrandt vs. TJ Dillashaw for the bantamweight title is in jeopardy. The video package before the press conference hyped the fight with lots of clips and a storyline about Dillashaw leaving Team Alpha Male, but neither were there. An excuse was made for Garbrandt, but Ariel Helwani on Twitter reported that Garbrandt is dealing with serious back issues and the fight is in jeopardy.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 210: Cormier vs. Johnson II, emanating from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
The event is headlined by a rematch for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship as champion Daniel Cormier defends against challenger Anthony Johnson. They have met before, when the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship was vacant and up for grabs, at UFC 187 in May 2015.
After surviving an early onslaught from Johnson, Cormier was able to take over with his wrestling and ultimately submitted Johnson in the third round to win the championship. Cormier has since successfully defended the title against Alexander Gustafsson and scored a win over Anderson Silva, while Johnson has scored three straight vicious knockout wins over Jimi Manuwa, Ryan Bader, and Glover Teixeira to set these two on a collision course for a rematch.
In the co-main event, Chris Weidman looks to get back into the win column after losing two straight as he takes on Gegard Mousasi, winner of four straight fights. Weidman finds himself in what he considers a must-win situation if he wants to regain the UFC Middleweight Championship, while Mousasi is looking to get one step closer in securing his first chance at winning UFC gold.
Also on the main card is a bout in the women’s strawweight division as Cynthia Calvillo appears for the second straight time on a pay-per-view main card against Pearl Gonzalez, a welterweight clash between former title challengers Thiago Alves and Patrick Cote, and a lightweight encounter between Will Brooks and Charles Oliveira opens up the main card.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:15 p.m. ET with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on the show, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down, or a thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 6:15 PM ET/3:15 PM PT
> Jenel Lausa (7-2, 1-0 UFC) vs. Magomed Bibulatov (13-0, 0-0 UFC) Flyweights
Bibulatov was threatening with the takedowns early on, as well as spinning attacks, but Lausa was defending. Lausa was being way tentative in this round, but Bibulatov wasn’t doing much to get on the offensive, though he was throwing punches and kicks. The crowd started booing early. Bibulatov landed a spinning back fist and was then attacking the legs with kicks, but did knee Lausa below the belt to cause a stop in the action. Bibulatov got a late knee to the body, maybe after the horn. Bibulatov got the round, 10-9.
Bibulatov landed a big knee and an uppercut and went for a throw but Lausa defended. Bibulatov landed another low blow, this time a big kick, and we had a long break in action. Bibulatov got a point deducted from him by John McCarthy since it was a second low blow. Back to action, Bibulatov landed a takedown and was working from the top. Lausa was defending from the bottom but Bibulatov was smothering from the top. This was clearly Bibulatov’s round, but he was deducted the point, so it’s a 9-9 round. I have Bibulatov up 19-18.
Bibulatov scored a big takedown early and Lausa had no defense for them. Bibulatov was smothering from the top but wasn’t really working for a finish and seemed content to ride out a victory. He was landing some punches and elbows and it wasn’t being defended well, but they weren’t fight-ending strikes. Bibulatov then transitioned to the mount but Lausa got him back into the guard. Bibulatov landed more but Lausa survived the round. 10-9 round for Bibulatov and I had him winning 29-27. All three judges had it 29-26, so Bibulatov had a 10-8 round in there from all the judges, likely the third.
Official Result- Magomed Bibulatov def. Jenel Lausa by unanimous decision (29-26, 29-26, 29-26)
They exchanged in the pocket early and Aldana was starting to time the jab of Chookagian. Chookagian was landing her kicks but Aldana was returning kicks. Chookagian landed a solid combo towards the end. It was a real back-and-forth round with both landing quite a bit. Chookagian got a late takedown but Aldana got right back up. Close round with Aldana landing cleaner but Chookagian landing with more volume. I go 10-9 Chookagian.
Aldand was turning up the pressure early and even landed a spinning back fist. Chookagian was getting warned a lot for leading with her fingers out, which is a foul. Aldand was getting the better of the exchanges as she was the last to land. Aldana landed a big right hand but then slipped and Chookagian jumped on the attack. Chookagian went for a takedown but it was defended. Another close round but Aldana was landing better the majority of the round. I had it 10-9 for Aldana, and it tied 19-19 after two.
They were trading with lots of volume but neither was landing anything clean. Chookagian landed some inside leg kicks but Aldana was firing back with punches. Chookagian is being very aggressive but Aldana is landing harder, and this one is going to be very tough to score. Chookagian landed some leg kicks and has landed a lot of body kicks. Aldana started to turn up the volume late but it may be too late. Chookagian controlled the round before Aldana came on late. 10-9 Chookagian in the third, and I have it 29-28 Chookagian.
The judges were split but Chookagian pulled out the decision. Not a bad scorecard from any judge as all rounds were close. Solid fight.
Official Result- Katlyn Chookagian def. Irene Aldana by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
> Josh Emmett (11-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Desmond Green (19-5, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
Green is making his UFC debut in his 25th career fight. Green landed a solid combination early. Emmett landed a solid right hand. Emmett landed a big low blow with a kick and we have a break in the action. Emmett was landing some solid combos but Green landed a big left hand that stumbled Emmett. Green landed some good punches in the last minute of the round. Close round and Green came on strong in the last minute. 10-9 Green.
Emmett was landing the overhand right but Green was executing with his jab early and stuffed a takedown from Emmett. Green was landing much more and more cleaner in this round. Green was finding his range and his timing and his footwork was looking real crisp in this round. He was making Emmett miss and he would land counter punches. Green kept pressuring Emmett late in this round and he was landing his left hand almost at will. Strong round for Green. 10-9 Green, and 20-18 Green.
Green got a takedown at the start of the third and was working from the top. Emmett got back to his feet but gave up a lot of momentum on the ground. Green landed an uppercut and a chant for Green started from the crowd. Emmett was throwing punches as Green was starting to get conservative. Emmett was cut open on the side of his head. Green started to show signs of fatigue. Emmett has thrown a lot of volume and it could sway the judges. Close final round but I had it 10-9 for Green and it 30-27 for Green overall.
This was another split as one judge had gave Emmett two rounds, but the other two had Green winning two rounds and Green winning all three rounds. No bad scorecards in there as they were all close and Emmett was throwing with a lot of volume that had a clear impact on scoring. A solid fight and Emmett is now no longer undefeated.
Official Results- Desmond Green def. Josh Emmett by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
> Gregor Gillespie (8-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Andrew Holbrook (12-1, 2-1 UFC) Lightweights
This didn’t last long at all. Gillespie landed a left hook that dropped Holbrook and after a few more punches Dan Miragliotta stepped in and stopped the fight. 21 seconds is all it took. Gillespie looked very good here. Gillespie called himself the best fisherman in the UFC in his post-fight interview.
Official Result- Gregor Gillespie def. Andrew Holbrook by knockout (punches) at :21 of Round 1
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> Patrick Cummins (#12, 8-4, 4-4 UFC) vs. Jan Blachowicz (#12, 19-6, 2-3 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Blachowicz dropped Cummins with a big uppercut and was starting to tee off but Cummins got to his feet. Blachowicz slipped as he was punching and Cummins went after him and grabbed the neck and was looking for a choke. Blachowicz escaped and landed a big body kick. Cummins is bleeding over his right eye. Cummins is still wobbly on his feet. Blachowicz rocked Cummins again with a punch. Cummins got a takedown and was working in the guard of Blachowicz. Blachowicz was able to get to his feet at the end of the round. 10-9 Blachowicz.
They were exchanging and Cummins got a takedown and into the guard of Blachowicz. Cummins has strong wrestling but has horrible defense on his feet and he is cut heavily on his head. Blachowicz was looking for a kimura but Cummins got out and was landing some big punches from the top. They got back to their feet. Blachowicz got a takedown but they got right back up. Both men are exhausted and Blachowicz put his hands on his knees. Cummins stuffed a takedown from Blachowicz and Cummins landed to the body. 10-9 Cummins, 19-19 after two.
They were trading early on in the third as both are tired. Cummins got a takedown that looked very bad defensively from Blachowicz. Cummins working in the guard of Blachowicz. Blachowicz was able to scramble out from the bottom. Blachowicz landed some body kicks. Cummins landed a series of knees to the head of Blachowicz. He stopped as he was warned by John McCarthy about the placement of the knees. Cummins got the fight to the mat and was landing in the guard as the fight ended. 10-8 Cummins, 29-27 Cummins.
Cummins got the decision, winning two rounds to one on two scorecards, with no 10-8 rounds. We are under the new scoring criteria. The third scorecard was a 28-28, which seems to be Blachowicz getting a 10-8 round one, and Cummins getting rounds two and three. If that judge didn’t have Cummins 10-8 for round three, then I don’t know what the hell they were watching.
Official Result- Patrick Cummins def. Jan Blachowicz by majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
> Shane Burgos (8-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Charles Rosa (11-2, 2-2 UFC) Featherweights
Rosa came out kicking the legs of Burgos as Burgos has a huge reach advantage. Burgos rocked Rosa with a punch early. Rosa was looking to land spin kicks as Burgos was just chasing him around the Octagon. They were trading punches and Rosa was chopping at the leg of Burgos. Rosa landed a spin kick to the head but not with a lot of power. A low blow by Rosa gives a pause in the action. Burgos came back strong by landing punches and took the fight down for a moment. Burgos started to check the leg kicks. Rosa went for a takedown but it was stuffed. Rosa landed a right hand late. Close round. 10-9 Burgos.
Rosa got an early takedown but Burgos got back to this feet. Rosa went back on the attack with leg kicks. Burgos was landing his punches but Rosa was being more active. Burgos landed a big left hand on a counter of a leg kick. Rosa has been very accurate with the leg kicks and they have kept Burgos from going fully on the offensive. Rosa landed a right hand and then came back with a body kick. Rosa landed a spinning back fist. Rosa got this round as he was more active and was landing a lot. 10-9 Rosa, 19-19 after two.
Rosa went for a takedown and had the leg but Burgos was landing big hammerfists and Rosa let go of the leg. Burgos dropped Rosa with a nice combo and then started to tee off. Burgos landed a flying knee and was teeing off on Rosa but Rosa was standing. Rosa was rocked and Burgos landed a big combo against the fence and the referee stepped in and stopped it! Rosa was disputing the stoppage but he looked out on his feet and it was a good stoppage. Big win for Burgos as he remains undefeated. Real good fight.
Official Result- Shane Burgos def. Charles Rosa by TKO (punches) at 1:59 of Round 3
> Kamaru Usman (#11, 9-1, 4-0 UFC) vs. Sean Strickland (18-1, 5-1 UFC) Welterweights
Usman got a quick takedown and was landing some knees as Strickland had only one hand down, which are now legal. Strickland tried to protest but was told they were legal so I guess he forgot. Usman was landing more knees against the fence as he had the back of Strickland. Usman got a full takedown and was on the top. Usman landing a barrage of punches and he was in complete control of the round. 10-8 Usman.
Strickland can’t see out of his left eye. Usman tagged Strickland and is clearly the better fighter in there tonight. Usman dropped Strickland with a big left hand and was pounding away looking for a finish from the top. Usman has been non-stop with his pressure tonight. Usman landing from the top as Strickland was looking to scramble out. They got back to their feet. Usman landed a combo as Strickland had his back against the fence. Another strong round for Usman. 10-8 Usman, 20-16 Usman after two.
The doctor checked on Strickland’s eye but let him continue on. Usman was landing on his feet with no return from Strickland. Usman scored the takedown and was landing from the top. Strickland is way out of his league in this fight and Usman is making it look easy. Usman was even punching Strickland in the butt. They got back up and Usman landed a flurry and Strickland had to back away. Strickland doing absolutely nothing. Usman cracked Strickland with a right hand. This is an easy win for Usman. 10-9 Usman, 30-25 Usman.
Usman got the decision and won all three scorecards easily, but one judge did not give a 10-8 round. There was at least one clear 10-8 round under the new scoring criteria, and if a judge isn’t going by it, there needs to be more education on it. Usman called out Neil Magny after the fight.
Official Result- Kamaru Usman def. Sean Strickland by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
> Myles Jury (15-2, 6-2 UFC) vs. Mike de la Torre (14-6 1 NC, 2-3 1 NC UFC) Featherweights
Jury with a very quick takedown and he lands a right hand from the top. Jury takes the back and is looking for a choke. de la Torre in a lot of trouble. He was defending but eating some punches from the back from Jury. Jury flattens de la Torre out and is landing punches from the back. This is close to being stopped. de la Torre has a big cut opened up. Big elbows from Jury. This should be stopped. It finally is and Jury gets the win. Complete domination by Jury.
Official Result- Myles Jury def. Mike de la Torre by TKO (punches) at 3:30 of Round 1
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> Will Brooks (19-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Charles Oliveira (#9 FW, 21-7 1 NC, 9-7 1 NC UFC) Lightweights
They traded kicks and Oliveira scored a takedown. Brooks used the fence to get back to his feet but Oliveira got another takedown and took the back. Brooks stood up but Oliveira is on the back and has a standing rear-naked choke locked in and Brooks is in trouble. Brooks taps out! Oliveira with a big submission win as he jumps over the cage to celebrate and Brooks is visibly upset.
Official Result- Charles Oliveira def. Will Brooks by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:30 of Round 1
Urijah Faber was announced as the first inductee of the 2017 UFC Hall Of Fame class. He will be the inducted into the Modern Era wing.
> Thiago Alves (21-11, 13-7 UFC) vs. Patrick Cote (23-10, 10-10 UFC) Welterweights
They were throwing early. Alves clipped Cote with a knee and Cote was backing up. They exchanged leg kicks. They were trading against the fence and Alves landed a nice combo that backed Cote back up. They traded leg kicks again. Alves dropped Cote with a left hand and Alves swarmed on top looking to finish. Alves with punches and elbows from the top. He gets into half-guard and lands some punches to the body. Alves gets to side control and lands some elbows and more punches as the round ends. 10-9 Alves.
Alves looking outstanding in the first minute of the second round. He rocked Cote with a combo and some leg kicks and had him in trouble against the fence. Alves landed a big leg kick but Cote landed a combo in return. Cote is being more aggressive in this round but Alves is keeping him at a distance with leg kicks. Cote landed some punches but then got dropped again by Alves. Alves landed a knee to the body as Cote got up and Cote did land a right hand. Cote’s lead leg is as red as his shorts. They traded punches and kicks at the end of the round. 10-9 Alves, 20-18 Alves.
Alves landed a groin strike at the start and we have a quick timeout. Cote landed some good punches to the body against the fence. Cote went for a takedown but it was defended against the fence by Alves. Alves got a trip takedown into the guard of Cote. Alves landed some elbows and Cote is cut open big. Cote was able to push Alves off and they got to their feet. Alves with a big body kick but Cote countered with an uppercut. Cote was winding up his right hand up to a big reaction. He did land it on Alves. Alves landed a flying knee to cap off the fight. Excellent performance from Alves.
Alves took the fight on all three scorecards. After the fight, Cote announced his retirement at the age of 37.
Official Result- Thiago Alves def. Patrick Cote by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Cynthia Calvillo (4-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Pearl Gonzalez (6-1, 0-0 UFC) Women’s Strawweights
This is the fight that got a lot of attention yesterday. They were trading early. Calvillo is landing punches but they are just hitting the arms of Gonzalez. Gonzalez is pressuring Calvillo around the Octagon. Calvillo landed a combo but it was mostly hitting Gonzalez’ arms. Gonzalez initiated a clinch but Calvillo landed some uppercuts that busted Gonzalez up a bit. Gonzalez got a takedown but Calvillo transitioned to the back and was looking for a triangle. Not enough time left in the round as it ends with Gonzalez in the triangle. 10-9 Calvillo.
Calvillo was landing but Gonzalez got a big takedown. Gonzalez was looking for an armbar but she was in a bad angle for it. She lost it and Calvillo ended up in side control. Calvillo took the back of Gonzalez and was looking for the choke but Gonzalez was defending it well. Calvillo kept working for it and had it across the face. Gonzalez was landing back punches. Calvillo scrambled into the mount and then transitioned back to Gonzalez’ back. Great round for Calvillo. 10-9 Calvillo, 20-18 Calvillo.
Gonzalez came out with a strong leg kick. They were trading and Calvillo got a trip takedown and is in the half-guard of Gonzalez. Calvillo looking to set up an arm-triangle. Calvillo got into the mount and then transitioned to the back of Gonzalez. Calvillo has the choke locked in but Gonzalez slipped out. Calvillo got it locked in again and Gonzalez taps out. Big submission win by Calvillo, her second UFC win in just over a month.
Official Result- Cynthia Calvillo def. Pearl Gonzalez by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:45 of Round 3
> Chris Weidman (#4, 13-2, 9-2 UFC) vs. Gegard Mousasi (#5, 41-6-2, 8-3 UFC) Middleweights
Mousasi landed a stiff jab that caught Weidman. Weidman landed a body kick. Weidman with a big takedown early. Weidman has a guillotine locked in but Mousasi defended well and escaped. Weidman with a leg kick. Weidman scored another takedown. Mousasi got back up. Weidman working for another takedown against the fence and he let go. Weidman rocked Mousasi with a right hand but Mousasi rocked him back with a jab. Mousasi slipped to the mat and Weidman ended on top. 10-9 Weidman.
Mousasi hurt Weidman early with a jab and an uppercut and Weidman was retreating. Mousasi went for a takedown but Weidman defended against the fence and they held each other until the referee broke them up. Weidman scored an immediate takedown and is in the guard. Weidman got into the mount on Mousasi. Mousasi rolled over and gave up his back. Weidman working for the choke. They scrambled around and got back to their feet. Mousasi landed a knee. Weidman looking tired. Weidman had both hands down and Mousasi landed a knee. It was close but there is no instant replay. We had a break and no points deducted. The knee was legal. They stopped the fight after mass confusion. Everyone is livid. The doctors called the fight off because they didn’t know the rule.
Official Result- Gegard Mousasi def. Chris Weidman by TKO (knee) at 3:13 of Round 2
> Daniel Cormier (C, 18-1, 7-1 UFC) vs. Anthony Johnson (#1, 22-5, 13-5 UFC) UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Cormier threw a big right hand that backed Johnson up. Johnson looking for a takedown against the fence but Cormier defending. Cormier with elbows as Johnson got a quick second takedown. They stayed clinched and the fans were booing. Cormier had the front headlock and was landing knees. They broke and Johnson was trying some wild strikes and Cormier got them back in the clinch. They were broke after John McCarthy said Cormier was holding the fence. Johnson landed a big head kick that hurt Cormier. Johnson went for another takedown but Cormier defended and Johnson was just holding on not doing anything. Perplexing strategy by Johnson this round. 10-9 Johnson.
Cormier has a broken nose. They went back into a clinch battle with Cormier having Johnson against the fence. Johnson got a quick takedown but Cormier got back up. Cormier got a takedown and took the back of Johnson. Cormier with punches from the back and he is working for a choke. Cormier landing punches from the back. Cormier has a rear-naked choke locked in and Johnson taps out! Cormier remains the champion.
Anthony Johnson retired inside the Octagon after the fight. That is a huge shocker. He said he gave his commitment to another job outside of MMA. Cormier talked about Jimi Manuwa wanting a title shot and threw him under the bus, and then talked about Jon Jones, telling him to get his shit together.
Official Result- Daniel Cormier def. Anthony Johnson by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:37 of Round 2- Cormier remains the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
For 2:24, it appeared that Saturday’s rematch between UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at UFC 210 was off.
Cormier weighed in naked behind a towel at 206.2 pounds, 1.2 pounds above the championship limit. Weigh-in time had nearly expired and had no more time to drop weight. However, due to a New York state athletic commission championship clause, he came back just 2:24 later, again stripped naked behind a towel, and hit 205 pounds.
There was also some question about whether Cormier grabbed the towel during the weigh-in which could have thrown things off.
The fight is official, but it’s telling that Cormier struggled to make weight. A minute afterward at the deadline, Johnson weighed at 203.8 pounds. The irony is that Johnson spent a few years of his career struggling to make weight at several weight classes.
The only other incident anyone could remember like that was when Gina Carano was 142.75 pounds for a fight in Florida in 2008, and then stripped and somehow make 141.0 on the nose as people wondered exactly how her underwear could have weighed 1.75 pounds.
However, that was only part of today’s controversy.
A fight between strawweights Pearl Gonzalez and Cynthia Cavillo was temporarily pulled after both had made weight. Why? Because Gonzalez has breast implants, something NYSAC doesn’t allow even though UFC fighters with breast implants have competed in NY State before.
After an 11-week hiatus, Josh Nason’s Punch-Out returns to the Internet airwaves with its 62nd episode: a focus on UFC 210 and more with TSN’s UFC Content Editor and Producer of Talent Relations Aaron Bronsteter.
In a 45-minute talk, the two went all over the combat sports map. A few stops included:
– Aaron’s past working on The Fight Show/The MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo, a show Josh did several guest appearances for
– The experience of working on TSN’s Off The Record with Michael Landsberg and some of the show’s most memorable interviews like Chael Sonnen and CM Punk
– A look at this Saturday’s UFC 210 with a deeper dive into the implications from Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson and Chris Weidman vs. Gegard Mousasi
– The positives and negatives of working with an official UFC broadcast partner
– The temperature of MMA in Canada now that GSP’s return is imminent
– The unusual feeling of seeing former co-worker and current WWE media star Renee Young on shows like Total Divas…and more.
While appearing on UFC Tonight on Wednesday, UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier announced that he would be defending his belt against number one contender Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at UFC 210 in Buffalo, New York on April 8th.
Cormier had been scheduled to defend his title against Johnson in the main event of UFC 206 in Toronto last December before having to pull out of the fight due to injury.
Their bout at UFC 210 will be a rematch of a May 2015 fight, which Cormier won via a third-round submission to capture the title. Cormier was nearly stopped in the first round of that fight but came back to win. He’s since defended against Alexander Gustafsson and beat Anderson Silva in a non-title matchup at UFC 200.
Johnson has scored three straight wins by knockout since the loss to Cormier, which was his only setback since January 2012, a span of 13 fights. The winner of Cormier vs. Johnson would be expected to defend against former champion Jon Jones, who is currently serving a suspension but is eligible to return in July.
A top middleweight contender’s fight between Chris Weidman and Gegard Mousasi is the only other fight announced for UFC’s return to Buffalo. UFC 210 will be the company’s first show in the city in over 20 years.
UFC 206 reportedly has a new main event, and Conor McGregor might be down a title belt.
Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com reported on Saturday that McGregor is expected to be stripped of the featherweight title as a new main event has been booked for UFC 206. Anthony Pettis will now face Max Holloway for the interim featherweight championship in the show’s headliner as Jose Aldo “likely” becomes the division’s champion.
While breaking the news, Helwani noted that McGregor hasn’t necessarily agreed to give up the title but that UFC has the legal right to strip him of it. Dana White had said in the lead up to UFC 205 that McGregor would have to forfeit one of his championships if he defeated Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title in the main event.
McGregor hasn’t yet commented publicly on the situation and the UFC has yet to officially confirm the news.
Pettis vs. Holloway was originally scheduled to be the semi-main event at UFC 206 on December 10th at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto before Daniel Cormier had to pull out of the show due to an injury. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, who was scheduled to challenge Cormier for his light heavyweight championship, is no longer on the card.
Helwani reported that the UFC wanted to make Johnson vs. Gegard Mousasi for Toronto, but Johnson preferred to wait until Cormier is healthy to fight again.
Daniel Cormier won’t be able to compete at UFC 206 next month.
Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com reported on Friday that Cormier is out of his scheduled fight against Anthony “Rumble” Johnson due to an injury. Cormier and Johnson were scheduled to main event the December 10th show at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto in a light heavyweight championship match.
Dave Meltzer also confirmed that Cormier is off of the show. Meltzer reports that Cormier has a partially torn adductor muscle with a mild inguinal hernia. That’s essentially the injury that Terry Funk underwent surgery for recently.
After a second opinion from a specialist, the injury was worse than what was originally diagnosed and Cormier is expected to need surgery for it.
Helwani reported that the UFC is looking for a new fight to headline the show and that the current plan is to keep Johnson on the card. The number two bout on the card is Anthony Pettis vs. Max Holloway, which is a key featherweight bout but not a PPV main event, plus a match strong on paper with Matt Brown vs. Donald Cerrone.
It’s a hard position to fill because the top light heavyweights in the promotion, Ryan Bader, who just fought on Saturday, Glover Teixeira, and Alexander Gustafsson (who has been battling injuries) are all people Johnson has knocked out in the first round.
This is the second fight that UFC 206 has lost recently with Rashad Evans not being given clearance to face Tim Kennedy on the show. Helwani mentions that the UFC is hoping to make Kennedy vs. Kelvin Gastelum for Toronto but nothing is yet official. Evans vs. Kennedy was also pulled off of the UFC 205 card earlier this month due to Evans not being granted a license by the New York State Athletic Commission because of a medical issue.
Despite Dana White publicly pining for Jon Jones vs. Anthony Johnson to determine Daniel Cormier’s next title challenger, the UFC light heavyweight champion will instead rematch Johnson in what’s expected to be the main event of December’s UFC 206 in Toronto, Canada.
Cormier made the announcement on Wednesday’s UFC Tonight.
Cormier (18-1) will be looking for the second successful defense of the title he first won by defeating Johnson via third round submission at UFC 187 in May 2015. Since that night, he earned a October 2015 split decision over Alexander Gustafsson, and defeated Anderson Silva by unanimous decision at this past July’s UFC 200.
The Silva fight was a short notice affair as original opponent Jones was scrapped during fight week due to a positive drug test. Despite making rumblings that he could return sooner than later, Jones’ status is still in a period of statis as everyone awaits any new USADA findings and/or what the Nevada Athletic Commission has to say about the matter.
Since the DC loss, Johnson (22-5) has won three in a row by KO in putting Jimi Manuwa, Ryan Bader, and Glover Teixeira to sleep, the latter in just 13 seconds in August.
The Toronto show is set for Saturday, December 10th, and could also feature the return of MMA legend Georges St. Pierre as has been rumored for some time.
We’ll have more on this story on Wrestling Observer Radio later tonight.
Welcome to our live coverage of UFC 200 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, — the conclusion of UFC’s International Fight Week and the biggest card in UFC history with two title fights, the return of a huge star, and an icon coming in on short notice.
UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate defends her title for the first time against challenger Amanda Nunes in the main event, leading many to speculate that Ronda Rousey may be floating around the venue to challenge the winner tonight. In the co-main event, it is the return of WWE superstar and former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar as he takes on hard hittin’ Mark Hunt.
In other action, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, originally scheduled to headline against Jon Jones, now faces Anderson Silva, who took this fight on two days notice, in a non-title bout. Also, former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo takes on former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in a rematch of their UFC 156 battle from February 2013 with the interim UFC featherweight champion on the line.
We’re looking for your thoughts on this show so you can send a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
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.
– JIM MILLER (25-8 1 NC, 14-7 1 NC UFC) VS. TAKANORI GOMI (35-11 1 NC, 4-6 UFC) | Lightweights
First round: Miller connected with a left. Gomi went for a kick. Miller took him down off the kick and immediately got his back. He’s working for a choke. Miller has a body triangle. Miller now throwing hard punches from back position over and over and it’s over. 2:18
First round: Head kick by Mousasi. Mousasi with a left jab. Low kick by Mousasi and Santos back with a low kick. Mousasi with a jab. Mousasi got the jump on him and landed a lot of punches, took him down and got his back. Mousasi working for a choke but doesn’t have it. Mousasi took him down again. Mousasi in side control. Mousasi landing punches. Santos up, Mousasi nailed him with a hard right and a hard left that put him down and it was over. 4:32
– DIEGO SANCHEZ (26-8, 15-8 UFC) VS. JOE LAUZON (25-11, 12-8 UFC) | Lightweights
First round: Body kick by Sanchez. Sanchez with a flurry. Low kick by Sanchez. Lauzon knocked Sanchez down twice and Sanchez is back up. Lauzon is just killing him with punches. Sanchez was stunned and was taking several hard flush shots and it was stopped. Lauzon’s boxing was just on point. 1:26
First round: Northcutt fighting karate style. He threw a high kick. Marin landed a right. Nice high kick by Northcutt. Marin had him pinned against the fence. Marin took him down. Northcutt went for a kneebar. Northcutt reversed to the top. Northcutt has his back. He’s working for a choke. Marin turned. Marin got Northcutt’s back. He flipped him off and is on top. Northcutt with a few hard punches. Marin back on top. 10-9 Northcutt.
Second round: Northcutt with a right. They traded punches. Northcutt took him down but Marin reversed and got to the top. Marin in side control. Northcutt working for an armbar. Marin sat on his face and working for an armbar. Northcutt is in the armbar. He escaped out of it. Marin sitting on his face again trying to set up a Kimura. Northcutt is in trouble again. Northcutt reversed to the top out of it. Norrthcutt dropped elbows at the end of the round. Marin so 19-19. The crowd loved this round.
Third round: Both trading punches dtraidng punches. Marin took him down again. Nothing is happening against the fence. Marin is working for a takedown. Norhcutt blocked and is going for a choke. Marin out of it. Marin just took him down. Marin got his back. Northcutt threw him off and now he’s on top. Close round, win or lose a bad showing for Northcutt. I did have Northcutt winning 29-28 but third could go either way,.
Scores: All three had it 29-28 Northcutt. Most fans cheered the decision, I thought they’d boo just because Marin was such an underdog.
– (#1) T.J. DILLASHAW (12-3, 8-3 UFC) VS. (#3) RAPHAEL ASSUNCAO (23-4, 7-1 UFC) | Bantamweights
First round: Not much happening here. Dillashaw tried a kick but Asscuncao caught the leg. Assuncao landed a punch. Head kick by Dillashaw. Another head kick by Dillashaw. Assuncao with head kick. Dillashaw 10-9
Second round: Low kick by Assuncao. Dillashaw tried a takedown but it was stopped by Assuncao. Assuncao may have a broken nose. Spin kick by Assuncao landed short. Dillashaw with a body kick. Assuncao with a takedown but Dillashaw right back up. They’re stopping the fight to look at Assuncao’s nose. The doctor let him continue. Dillashaw dropped him with a right and went for a guillotine but Assuncao got right out. Right by Dillahsaw. Dillashaw 20-18.
Third round: Body kick by Dillashaw. Crowd has been quiet this entire fight. Front kick by Assuncao. Right by Dillashaw. Dillashaw went for a takedown but didn’t get it. Body kick by Dillashaw. Assuncao’s kicks are being blocked and Dillashaw missed a kick. Assuncao tried tried a takedown but Dillashaw easily evaded it. Body kick by Assuncao. Dillashaw with a nice right counter. Dillashaw got the takedown. Dillashaw 30-27. He won but didn’t look very impressive in doing so.
First round: Hendricks missed weight by ¼ pound. Physically he doesn’t look close to the same guy as fought GSP. Gastelum landed a left. Gastelum with a low kick. Gastelum landing all kinds of low kicks. Gastelum with a left. Right by Gastelum. Left by Gastelum. Hendricks landed a few. Low kick by Gastelum. Gastelum landing all kinds of punches. Hendricks is a different guy. Gastelum is just nailing him. Gastelum landed a hard punch but Hendricks back with some good punches. Body kick by Hendricks. Gastelum 10-9.
Second round: Hendricks with some counter shots and went for a takedown. Hendricks behind him but Gastelum escaped. Hendricks pushed him into the fence. Gastelum landed a good left. Spin kick by Gastelum. Knee by Hendricsk. Gastelum with a knee to the head and punches. Hendricks dancing away. Hendricks landed the left. Gastelum landed the left. Both traded punches. Gastelum 20-18.
Third round: Gastelum is chasing Hendircks throwing punches. Knee by Hendricks. Gastelum chasing him around the cage. Hendricks back throwing. Gastelum moving forward and mostly missing. Gastelum landed a nice left. Body kick by Gastelum Body kick by Hendricks. Hendricks got the takedown but Gastelum right back up. Gastelum with elbows. Hendricks couldn’t get a takedown. Gastelum tried for a takedown and couldn’t get it. Big exchange late that lit up the crowd. Gastelum 30-27.
First round: Zingano pushed her into the fence and took her right down. Pena back up. Another takedown by Zingano. Pena back up. Pena got a takedown. Zingano reversed to the top. Zingano dropped an elbow. Pena up and landed some punches. 10-9 Zingano.
Second round: Zingano with a body kick and a hip toss takedown. Beautiful belly-to-belly by Zingano. Pena reversed to the top in side control. Pena with a crossface. Pena got her back. Pena is working for a choke. Pena is holding her in back position with a body triangle. Pena’s round so 19-19 after two.
Third round: Nice trip takedown by Pena. Pena stayed on top. Pena worked for a choke but didn’t have it. Pena with a body triangle. Pena with a few punches fro back position. She’s landing more punches now. Zingano reversed with nine seconds left. Pena 29-28, no other score possible
First round: Velasquez got a big pop. Browne landed a right . Velasaquez with low kicks. More low kicks by Velasquez. Knee by Bowne. Velasquez couldn’t take him down but has him against the fence. Velasquez moving forward. Velasquez moved in with punches. Spin kick by Velasquez and he’s pounding on him. Velasquez dropped him with a right. Velasquez landing punches on the ground. Vealasquez working for a choke but doesn’t have it. Velasquez throwing punches while having back control. Browne back up. Trading punches. Velasquez with more punches and a knee. Velasquez took him down and pounding on him. Velasquez threw punches on the ground and it was stopped. Fantastic performance by Velaquez here. 4:57
Velasquez didn’t say much in his interview. He should have challenged directly for the title after that win.
– INTERIM UFC FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: (#1) JOSE ALDO (25-2, 7-1 UFC) VS. (#2) FRANKIE EDGAR (20-4-1, 14-4-1 UFC)
First round: Edgar the more popular of the two. This is a heavy American crowd instead of Brazilian crowd. Nice right by Aldo. Left by Aldol Big let’s go Frankie cdhant. Low kicks by Edgar. Edgar in with punches and a low kick. Aldo with a right. Both traded. Edgar almost took him down. Edgar with a body kick. Edgar with a right. Both tried spin kicks at the same time. Aldlo cracked him with a right. Knee by Aldo. Wild finish with both missing shots. Great round. Very close. Aldo 10-9.
Second round: Aldo with a right and Edgar with a body kick. Left by Aldo. Aldo with a knee, Edgar tried a takedown but Aldo nearly threw him down. Right by Edgar. Edgar bleeding from the right eye. Head kick by Edgar blocked. Edgar with a right. Edgar tried a takedown but didn’t get it. Edgar tried another takedown and didn’t get it. Left by Edgar. Left and right by Aldo. Big right by Edgar staggered him. Best punch of the fight. Left by Edgar. Edgar 19-19
Third round: Edgar with a left. Low kick by Edgar. Right and left by Aldo. Both trading punches. Edgar tried a takedown but didmn’t get it and punched on the exit. Edgar pushed him to the fence. Edgar with knees to the thigh. Edgar hurt him with two rights. Aldo with a hard right. Edga back with a hard right. Hard knee by Aldo. Edgar’s right eye is looking bad. Edgar fighting for a takedown and can’t get it. Edgar got two punches in on the exit. Right by Edgar. Left by Aldo. Knee by Aldo. Edgar 29-28
Fourth round: Edgar is still the aggressor. Right by Aldo. Slower round than the first three. Low kick by Edgar. Right and head kick by Edgar. Right by Aldo. Aldo with another. Aldo landing good shots. Edgar bleeding bad from the right eye now. Aldo with a left jab. Aldo dropped him momentarily with a left and hit a knee. Aldo’s round 38-38 going into the fifth.
Fifth round: Low kick by Aldo. Aldo with a left. Left by Aldo. Aldo with a nice kick. Left by Edgar. Right by Aldo. Right by Aldo. Edgar with a low kick. Edgar hurt him with a right. Aldo with a right. Very close round. Aldo landed the better stuff but he was backpedaling a lot late and that could cost him. Aldo 48-47.
Scores: 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 Aldo. Lots of loud booing the decision.
– DANIEL CORMIER (17-1, 6-1 UFC) VS. (#5 MW) ANDERSON SILVA (33-7 1 NC, 16-3 1 NC UFC) | Light Heavyweights
First round: Silva got a huge reaction, much more than Cormier. Body kick by Cormier. Cormier took him right down. Cormier with some body and head punches. Elbow and punches by Cormier. Cormier with body punches. Elbow by Cormier. Another elbow by Cormier. Cormier with more punches and elbows. 10-8 Cormier.
Second round: Sivla with a jumping body kick. Cormier with a nice right. Head kick by Silva. Takedown by Cormeir. He landed in side control. Cormier is back on top. Cormier landing punches. Clormeir landing a lot of punches form the toip. Cormier with short elbows. Cormier landing punches. John McCarthy stood them up. That was a bad call because Cormier was hurting him on the ground but the crowd was brutal to the ground, very much like the Lesnar vs. Mir II fight reaction. Cormier with a right. Hard knee by Silva. Left by Silva. Body kick by Cormier. Body kick and low kicki by Silva. The crowd is booing like crazy whenever Cormier neutralizes Silva. Cormier 20-18
Third round: Low kick by Silva. Body kick by Silva. Big right by Cormier. Cormier with a takedown. The crowd is ridiculous. Crowd booing like crazy. Cormier busy with punches from the top. Cormier with body shots. Loud stand them up chants. Cormier busy landing all kinds of punches McCarthy ordered a standup with 2:00 left. Low kick by Cormier. Silva with a low kick and a body kick. Cormier 30-26.
Scores: All three had it 30-26 Cormier. Fans booed the decision bad but it was clear.
The crowd booed Cormier’s interview heavily. He said how difficult it was, he trained for someone else, praised Silva for being the greatest ever and still pretty much booed. The crowd cheered Silva.
– BROCK LESNAR (5-3, 4-3 UFC) VS. (#8) MARK HUNT (12-10-1, 7-4-1 UFC) | Heavyweights
First round: Lensar shot for a takedown. Hunt back up. Lesnar took him down a second time. Lesnar in side control. Lesnar with punches. Knee to the body and punches by Lesnar. Lesanr hurt with punches. Lesnar took him down again into mount and more punches. 10-9 Lesanar.
Second round: Hunt with a right. Humt blocked the takedown. Lesnar tried another takedown but Hunt escaped. Hunt with an uppercut. Hunt with a right. Hunt with another right. Hunt missed a right. Lesnar with a left. Lesnar going for a takedown. Hunt punching the body. Close round for Hunt 19-19.
Third round: Hunt landed a hard right. Lesnar took him down. Lesnar landing punches on the ground. Lesnar landing lefts on the ground. Fans boooing. Lesnar landing hard lefts from the top. Lesnar now in full mount. Lesnar landing a lot of punches. 10-8 round for Lesnar, should win 29-27.
Scores: All three had it 29-27 for Lesanr. Everyone cheered Lesnar.
He said it took him a while to get acclimated, he thanked the fans. He thanked the Armed Forces and told people of all nationalities to stand together.
First round: Tate got a nice reaction, not nearly as big as Silva. Nunes with a low kick.
Tate took he down but Nunes back up. Nunes with punches. Tate went for a takedown, got reversed and Nunes landed a knee. Nunes conneciting with great punches. Nunes is destroying her standing. Nunes pouded away, landed a hard kick. Tate is all busted up. Nunes got her back and landing punches. Nunes got a choke and Tate tapped out. Tate got destroyed here. 3:16
UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has a new opponent for UFC 200, and it’s one of the biggest stars in UFC history.
TMZ reported on Thursday night that Anderson Silva would now face Cormier at the event the organization had been hoping would be their biggest pay-per-view in history. Ariel Helwani also reported that it will be a three round fight at 205 lbs but that Cormier’s light heavyweight championship would not be on the line.
It was later announcd that Miesha Tate vs. Amanda Nunes is the show’s new main event with Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Hunt as the semi-main. Cormier vs. Silva will take place third from the top.
UFC president Dana White said that Silva passed all of the required medical tests with flying colors at a press conference on Thursday night.
Silva is one of the greatest fighters to ever step foot in the Octagon, but has struggled in the last few years. He lost his long-held middleweight championship to Chris Weidman in 2013 and broke his leg in their rematch later that year.
Silva beat Nick Diaz by unanimous decision in his return fight, but it was later ruled a no contest after both men failed drug tests.
He was again forced out of action after being suspended for a year following that failure for performance-enhancing drugs. He returned again in February 2016, losing by unanimous decision to now UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping. White said that Silva could possibly challege Bisping for the middleweight championship if he beats Cormier.
Silva was scheduled to fight Uriah Hall in May, but had to pull out of the fight after undergoing gallbladder surgery.
White posted a video with Silva announcing his return on Twitter.
During a rare impromptu press conference late Wednesday night, White announced that Jon Jones would not face Cormier in the scheduled main event after being flagged by USADA for a potential anti-doping violation.
Jones has since denied knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs.
White was initially dismissive about being able to find the right opponent for Cormier, but confirmed on the Colin Cowherd show on Thursday afternoon that Cormier would fight on the card.
White also previously suggested that Cormier would not be further compensated for the work he put in leading up to Saturday night’s fight if they could not find an opponent for him.
Bisping was thought to be a possibility to face Cormier, but White told Cowherd on Fox Sports One Thursday that Bisping “goes on a bender” during his “offseason” between fights.
