Last night’s UFC show on FOX on paper promised great action, and largely delivered.
But the promise of great fights didn’t resonate with the audience.
The show, headlined by Dustin Poirier’s second-round stoppage of Eddie Alvarez, did 1,461,000 viewers on the fast nationals, the lowest in the seven year-history of UFC on the network. While FOX did win the night in the key demos, overall 18-49 (0.6 rating) and 18-34 (0.4), as well as dominated in men’s demos, the other three major networks had rerun programming on and still beat FOX for overall viewers.
The fast nationals measure FOX from 8-10 p.m., Eastern, 7-9 p.m. Central, and 6-8 p.m. Mountain time, but also measures 8-10 p.m. Pacific time because networks stagger prime time for more West Coast viewing.
However, for a live sports event, the Pacific time zone would be measured based on what programming the local stations aired from 8-10 p.m.
In addition, the main event ended at about 10:10 p.m., meaning most of the match was not measured. Still, no UFC on FOX has ever done less than the 1,593,000 fast nationals number for the Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Derek Brunson show in January, and this show was considered far stronger, although July is a much tougher month to draw.
There were three big matches on the main show, with Jose Aldo’s first-round win over Jeremy Stephens and Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s decision win over Tecia Torres. The number has to be a huge disappointment for a card that featured Alvarez, with a long history of great fights and being a former champion in both UFC and Bellator, Aldo, one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, and Jedrzejczyk, who was considered a superstar as the longtime strawweight champion.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 30: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2, emanating from the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The Octagon heads back to Calgary for the first time in six years bringing an exciting main card that should have fans in the city excited for some fun fights.
The main event is a rematch in the lightweight division as former UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez takes on Dustin Poirier in what could end up being one of the best fights of 2018. Alvarez and Poirier look to finish their unfinished business from UFC 211 in May 2017, when their bout ended in a no contest after Alvarez landed illegal knees. Alvarez has a win over Justin Gaethje since then, while Poirier has scored wins over Gaethje and Anthony Pettis since.
In the co-main event, former UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo fights in his first-ever non-title UFC bout as he takes on Jeremy Stephens, who is looking to get a title shot as he goes for his fourth straight win.
Also on the main card, former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk fights in her first non-title UFC bout in over three years as she takes on Tecia Torres. In lightweight action to open the main card, Alexander Hernandez goes for his eighth straight win as he battles Olivier Aubin-Mercier, winner of four straight fights.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
The Saddledome was roughly 30% full as the first fight hit the Octagon. Both guys were swinging early to try to find their striking range. Herrera wriggled out of takedown attempt along the wall and knocked down Powell with a left punch to the body. Powell kept his distance to avoid any more punches from Herrera, then countered with a pair of stiff left kicks to Herrera’s body and finished him with punches on the ground.
Official Result: Devin Powell def. Alvaro Herrara by knockout (punches) at 1:52 of the first round
The crowd was behind Markos, as she was announced as fighting out of Canada. Ansaroff tried to use leg kicks early, but Markos caught one and took her to the ground after briefly working on a clinch along the cage. She got Ansaroff’s back and tried to get a choke, but Ansaroff defended well and managed to get Markos off her back, then eventually battled from the bottom back to her feet. The pair traded standing strikes briefly before the round ended. 10-9 Markos.
Both fighters attempted to establish their striking in the second round. Markos attempted a takedown by going for a leg but Ansaroff managed to dodge it. Midway through the round the tentative striking from both fighters became more effective, with Markos getting the better of a few exchanges on the feet. Ansaroff avoided a second takedown late in the round, this time along the fence. Tough round to score, narrowly 10-9 Markos due to her doing a bit more damage with her strikes. 20-18 Markos through two rounds.
Markos got the better of a striking exchange early in the third round, but wasn’t able to capitalize while clinching against the fence. Ansaroff avoided a pair of takedown attempts from Markos, but wasn’t able to execute any counters standing. She ended up on top of Markos on a third takedown attempt, but wasn’t able to do much damage from that position. Narrowly 10-9 Markos by virtue of initiating more takedowns and getting the better of the striking exchanges. 30-27 Markos, but the second and third rounds could go either way due to Ansaroff defending well.
Official Result: Nina Ansaroff def. Randa Markos by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
All three judges gave Ansaroff the second and third rounds.
This bout was full of frenetic energy, with both fighters constantly moving and altering their footwork. Nicolau knocked Ortiz down with a leg kick that swept his leg out from under him, but Ortiz popped back up. They had a series of quick striking exchanges with Nicolau slightly getting the better of them until Ortiz dropped Nicolau with a right head-kick, then finished him with punches on the ground.
Official Result: Dustin Ortiz def. Matheus Nicolau by knockout (punches) at 3:49 of the first round
The crowd was decidedly on Davis’ side, as she’s from Canada. The entire round was spent on their feet, with five minutes of fairly even striking exchanges. Chookagian consistently intiated the exchanges and did more damage, but Davis mixed up her striking, used leg kicks more effectively, and had Chookagian backing up for much of the round. Narrowly 10-9 Chookagian.
The second round was very much a continuation of the first. The leg kicks by Davis kept landing during their standing exchanges, though Chookagian managed to block a couple as the round wore on. Davis seemed content to keep standing in Chookagian’s striking range and eat punches in order to land leg kicks. Another very close round, narrowly leaning 10-9 Davis. 19-19 through two rounds.
Chookagian got the better of a couple early striking exchanges, landing quickly. Davis caught a leg but wasn’t able to take Chookagian down. Davis kept Chookagian backing up, but Chookagian kept doing more damage in their exchanges and was able to avoid Davis’ kicks. Davis got Chookagian down via a clinch late in the round, but wasn’t able to do any damage on the ground. 10-9 Chookagian, 29-28 Chookagian. Davis had a clear positional advantage, but Chookagian did much more damage striking.
Official Result: Katlyn Chookagian def. Alexis Davis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
> John Makdessi (15-6, 8-6 UFC) vs. Ross Pearson (20-14 1 NC, 12-11 1 NC UFC) Lightweights
The opening round was spent entirely on their feet. They had a series of quick striking exchanges that were fairly even. Pearson used levels well with his kicks, particularly with a few leg kicks on Makdessi’s lead leg. Pearson may have gotten the better of the exchanges, slightly, for a very narrow 10-9 edge. But Makdessi getting the round wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.
The next round was also entirely standing striking exchanges. Each man was able to get the better of a couple exchanges. On the whole, Makdessi spent the majority of the round backing up and making Pearson come to him, but also did more damage with inside punches and counters. 10-9 Makdessi.
Pearson visibly tired and slowed down in the third round, as Makdessi continued with his tactical striking and was content to pepper away at him with inside jabs and uppercuts. Makdessi caught Pearson low with a kick and the referee gave him a timeout to recover. Pearson shoved Makdessi to the fence and clinched, but couldn’t take him down. Things opened up more as the round wore on, with Pearson throwing bigger and bigger punches. Makdessi caught Pearson a couple times with nice crosses and jabs to the face, and dropped him briefly with a jab that countered a Pearson counter. Makdessi missed a spinkick late and Pearson took him down, but Makdessi ended up on top of him as the horn went. 10-9 Makdessi. Fight should be 30-27 or 29-28 Makdessi based on damage alone.
Official Result: John Makdessi def. Ross Pearson by unanimous decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-27)
Two out of three judges gave Pearson the first round. All three judges gave Makdessi the second and third rounds, with two judges (Derek Cleary and Chris Lee) giving him the third by 10-8 margins.
FOX PRELIMS | 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
> Gadzhimurad Antigulov (#15, 20-4, 2-0 UFC) vs. Ion Cutelaba (13-3 1 NC, 2-2 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Antigulov got a takedown right away. Cutelaba eventually shoved him off with a kick, but Antigulov went right back at him and got his back briefly before Cutelaba wriggled free of that position. Antigulov kept pressuring, but Cutelaba countered with some knees to Antigulov’s face. Cutelaba got some solid punches in on Antigulov along the fence. Antigulov briefly responded with a few of his own, but Cutelaba continued with punches and elbow to a standing (but fairly non-responsive) Antigulov before the referee jumped in to end it.
Official Result: Ion Cutelaba def. Gadzhimurad Antigulov by technical knockout (strikes) at 4:25 of the first round
> Kajan Johnson (23-12-1, 4-1 UFC) vs. Islam Makhachev (15-1, 4-1 UFC) Lightweights
As you’d expect, the crowd was firmly in Johnson’s corner (as he’s another Canadian). The standing portion early on involved Makhachev stalking Johnson, and Johnson occasionally creating separation with some weak leg kicks to get breathing room. For his part, Makhachev seemed to respect Johnson’s striking and didn’t get too close. Makhachev eventually got a takedown along the cage and worked for position, throwing punches and elbows on the ground. Faced with taking punishment or trying to escape, Johnson tried to use his legs to grab Makhachev and pull him away. But Makhachev anticipated that and used the brief window to grab Johnson’s arm and slap on an armbar. Johnson quickly submitted.
Official Result: Islam Makhachev def. Kajan Johnson by submission (armbar) at 4:43 of the first round
In his post-fight interview, Makhachev said he should fight somebody in the top 15, and joked or he would like to fight Brock Lesnar.
Dawodu is from Calgary and was a big hometown favourite, with frequent cheers and “Hakeem” chants during the fight. Lots of circling early. Dawodu connected with some early leg kicks and wriggled free from an Arnett takedown attempt. Another Arnett attempt was stopped when Dawodu got some strikes off as he shot in on him. Arnett was open for a big strike after whiffing on a big kick, but Dawodu opted for a conservative stance and didn’t engage. 10-9 Dawodu.
Dawodu continued to get the better of striking exchanges in the second round. He mixed up his strikes and his levels, and continued to utilize kicks well – he threw leg kicks less often, but threw some head-kicks and back kicks effectively. Arnett moved forward and tried to initiate striking, but was out-classed by Dawodu. 10-9 Dawodu, 20-18 Dawodu through two rounds.
The third round was a repeat of the first two. Dawodu easily got the better of the striking exchanges, repeatedly throwing combos. Arnett tried a takedown, but Dawodu stuffed it calmly. He turned a second Arnett attempted into a clinch on the cage. Arnett seemed to have no answer for Dawodu’s speed and movement, though he never seemed overly hurt by his striking. 10-9 Dawodu, 30-27 Dawodu.
Official Result: Hakeem Dawodu def. Austin Arnett by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Jordan Mein (30-12, 4-4 UFC) vs. Alex Morono (14-4 1 NC, 3-1 1 NC UFC) Welterweights
Mein is from nearby Lethbridge, Alberta, and was a big crowd favourite. Morono nearly caught Mein flat-footed with some attempted strikes as the round began, then Mein returned the favour with a flurry a few seconds later. Mein caught Morono with a kick to the chest, then was countered into a brief clinch on the cage, which was then countered again with a slick hiptoss takedown from Mein. Morono defended well from the bottom and tied up Mein, to the point where the referee stood them up. After a brief exchange on the feet, Mein took down Morono again and worked into side control, but Morono again defended well for the remainder of the round. 10-9 Mein.
Morono missed a spinning back fist. Mein caught a Morono leg kick attempt, then took him down again. This time Mein managed to lock on a head-and-arm choke but Morono broke it with some punches to Mein’s ribs. They continued to jockey for position on the ground, with Mein briefly able to post up a couple times to deliver some strikes while in Morono’s guard. 10-9 Mein, 20-18 Mein through two rounds.
Mein landed an overhand right in a striking exchange. Morono hit a spinning backfist later on that was loud but didn’t seem to do much damage. Morono cornered Mein by the cage and Mein attempted to duck under a strike, but ended up getting clipped and dropped to the mat. Morono tried to get position on top of Mein, and eventually got hold of his head with a modified guilloitine choke but Mein rolled on top of him to eventually escape. Mein worked for position on Morono and nearly grabbed a guillotine of his own, but the clock ran out on the round as the two grappled on the ground. Morono 10-9, 29-28 Mein overall.
Official Result: Jordan Mein def. Alex Morono by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
All three judges gave Mein rounds one and two, and Morono round three.
FOX MAIN CARD | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
> Alexander Hernandez (#13, 9-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier (11-2, 7-2 UFC) Lightweights
The opening round alternated between brief clinches along the cage and brief striking exchanges. Hernandez was aggressive throughout the round, closing the distance frequently and pressing Aubin-Mercier. Neither fighter did a ton on their feet, though, other than a handful of quick knees from either man. Hernandez took down Aubin-Mercier late in the round, but couldn’t gain much position. Hernandez 10-9.
Once again Hernandez was the aggressor, taking down Aubin-Mercier immediately along the cage. Aubin-Mercier fought back to his feet and stuffed another takedown, following up by taking down Hernandez with a flying armbar attempt. Hernandez fought from below, almost caught Aubin-Mercier with an armbar of his own but he broke free. They jockeyed for position with Hernandez ending up on top. The referee stood them up after a few slow moments on the mat. Hernandez tried another takedown, but Aubin-Mercier was able to stay on his feet. More clinching initiated by Hernandez. Hernandez couldn’t take him down, threw light punches and knees until the round ended. 10-9 Hernandez. 20-18 Hernandez.
Right after the round began Aubin-Mercier was hit below the belt with a knee and was given a time out from the referee. After the time out, Hernandez took him down again. The ref stood them up again due to inactivity. Hernandez took him down again, but Aubin-Mercier gained position and battled to his feet. Aubin-Mercier took Hernandez down along the cage after some clinching. Hernandez gained position and got Aubin-Mercier’s back, but couldn’t take advantage before the round ended. 10-9 Hernandez, 30-27 Hernandez.
Official Result: Alexander Hernandez def. Olivier Aubin-Mercier by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Two of three judges gave Hernandez the first round. Two of three judges gave Hernandez the second round. All three judges gave Hernandez the third round.
Jedrzejczyk circled and threw a lot of quick strikes early. Torres closed the distance and threw some of her own, which led to some grappling along the fence. Jedrzejczyk threw some knees with her back against the cage. They continued to grapple along the cage and jockey for position, with both fighter connecting with some knees. Jedrzejczyk threw several short-distance knees to Torres’ thighs while grappling on the fence. Torres tried to take Jedrzejczyk down, but she prevented it. 10-9 Jedrzejczyk.
Jedrzejczyk threw some leg kicks. Jedrzejczyk got the better of a few striking exchanges. Torres shot for a takedown on the fence, but Jedrzejczyk stayed upright. Torres continued to be the aggressor in the fight, initiating takedown attempts and offensive exchanges, but Jedrzejczyk continued to get the better of their grappling on the fence and their striking exchanges. 10-9 Jedrzejczyk, 20-18 Jedrzejczyk.
Striking exchange. Jedrzejczyk got the better of a few counter-punch flurries, including an overhand right that knocked Torres back on her heels. Torres dodged a Jedrzejczyk kick and took her to the fence, but couldn’t get a takedown and she ate a couple Jedrzejczyk while grappling along the fence. Torres got a single leg takedown, but Jedrzejczyk popped back up. They continued to grapple along the fence for the remainder of the round. 10-9 Jedrzejczyk, 30-27 Jedrzejczyk.
Official Result: Joanna Jedrzejczyk def. Tecia Torres by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Torres stormed out of the cage after the decision was read.
> Jose Aldo (#2, 26-4, 8-3 UFC) vs. Jeremy Stephens (#4, 28-14, 15-13 UFC) Featherweights
Both fighters traded kicks and strikes early to try to find their range. Aldo landed a couple quick combos and the fight opened up. Stephens got the better of a few wild exchanges, including cornering Aldo along the fence and wildly swinging and throwing knees at him. Aldo escaped, though, and landed a body shot that dropped Stephens. Aldo followed him to the ground with punches. Initially Stephens was able to avoid a stoppage, but Aldo’s flurries were too ferocious and the referee jumped in for the stoppage.
Official Result: Jose Aldo def. Jeremy Stephens by technical knockout (strikes) at 4:19 of the first round
The opening minutes were tentative as both fighters felt each other out with some quick striking exchanges. Poirier checked a loud kick to the body from Alvarez. A leg kick from Poirier almost knocked Alvarez down, as he tried to dodge it and lost his balance. Poirier foiled an Alvarez takedown attempt. Poirer got the better of a pair of brief striking exchanges, but Alvarez followed up with a nice combination and some jabs as the round ended. Very close, 10-9 Poirier based on effective striking.
Alvarez knocked down an off-balance Poirier with a jab early, but Poirier recovered and grabbed Alvarez in a guillotine choke takedown but Alvarez was able to use the cage to avoid going all the way down and escaped. Poirier grabbed another guillotine takedown attempt, but Alvarez managed to wriggle free. Alvarez got Poirier’s back but Poirier was able to protect against an attempted rear-naked choke due to his body positioning, ending up resisting what amounted to a neck crank. Alvarez ended up on top of Poirier along the fence and landed an illegal 12-6 elbow and the referee gave Poirier a timeout to recover. Back on their feet, Poirier got the better of a striking exchange and battered Alvarez with left jabs and knees to the face. Alvarez finally went down with a left hook and the referee stopped the bout.
Official Result: Dustin Poirier def. Eddie Alvarez by technical knockout (strikes) at 4:05 of the second round.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor, eminating from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.
This is the much anticipated debut of the UFC in New York, and they are bringing the most stacked card in company history for the Octagon’s first visit to famed Madison Square Garden, capping off a night of action with the biggest draw in company history looking to make history.
In the main event, UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor looks to become the first fighter to hold championships in two divisions at the same time as he challenges Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight Championship. McGregor is coming off two high-profile fights with Nate Diaz while Alvarez makes his first title defense after knocking out Rafael Dos Anjos in July.
In addition, there are two other championship bouts. UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley makes his first title defense against top contender, Stephen Thompson, winner of seven straight fights. Woodley knocked out Robbie Lawler to win the title at UFC 201 in July, while Thompson is getting his title shot on the heels of a dominant win over Rory MacDonald.
UFC Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk makes her fourth title defense against fellow Polish strawweight, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, in the third title fight on the card. Jedrzejczyk last fought in July, successfully defending against Claudia Gadelha, while Kowalkiewicz is coming off a decision win over Rose Namajunas in July. Both women are undefeated in their professional careers, but Jedrzejczyk holds a win over Kowalkiewicz in an amateur bout.
The main card also has a middleweight bout as former champion Chris Weidman takes on Yoel Romero, and Miesha Tate battles Raquel Pennington in women’s bantamweight action. The most stacked prelims of all-time includes featherweights Frankie Edgar and Jeremy Stephens doing battle as well as top lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov taking on Michael Johnson.
We’re looking for your thoughts on the show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbe in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on the event so leave your thumbs up, thumbs in the middle, or thumbs down along with a best and worst fight to [email protected].
The place is fairly empty at this point. More than a Las Vegas crowd but not like a lot of first-time markets. Carmouche is ripped, more than most of the guys.
First round: Carmouche with low kicks. Chookagian landed a right., Carmouche back with a right. Carmouche with a low kick and a right and a takedown. Carmouche is in side control Chookagian back up with minimal damage. Carmouche trying for another takedown. Carmouche has her against the fence. High slam by Carmouche with 1:05 left. Carmouche is just holding her down. Fans chanting Ole for no reason. Carmouche with some short elbows. Carmouche 10-9
Second round: Carmouche has her and trying to throw her. Both landed knees. Chookagian broke the clinch. Chookagian with a low kick. Carmouche took her down with a back suplex. She moved to side control. Carmouche with short elbows. Chookagian regained guard and wants a triangle. Carmouche with some short punches. The crowd is starting to boo them. Carmouche is staying busy but they could stand them up. Chookagaian up. Knee by Chookagian. Left by Chookagian. Chookagian whiffed on a combo. Right by Chookagian landed. Low kick by Chookagian. Carmouche’s round 20-18.
Third round: Chookagian dropped her with a great head kick. Carmouche back up. The crowd exploded. Knee by Chookagian. Carmouche going for a takedown. Chookagian momentarily got behind her but Carmouche turned her into the fence. Knee by Carmouche. Chookagian landed a combo. Big right by Chokagian. Chookagian landed solid punches now. Carmouche is bleeding from the nose. Carmouche took her down which drew a groan from the crowd. Carmouche is holding her down. Chookagian up and Carmouche threw a knee. Chookagian broke free. Head kick by Chookagian. Low kick by Carmouche. Chookagian in with punches. Low kick by Carmouche. Good right by Chookagian. Carmouche shot for a takedown but doesn’t have it. But she’s taking seconds off the clock. Chookagian’s round but Carmouche should win 29-28.
> Jim Miller (27-8 1 NC, 16-7 1 NC UFC) vs. Thiago Alves (21-10, 13-6 UFC)
Catch weight of 162.5
Alves missed weight by 6.5 pounds.
First round: Knee by Alves. Miller with a left. Miller in with an uppercut. Miller landed a punch and took Alves down off a kick. Miller is working to get his back. Alves scrambled up. Left kick to the body by Miller. Both landing now with Alves landing a good knee. Right by Alves and head kick by Alves. Alves came on strong at the end but 10-9 Miller.
Second round: Body kick by Alves. Body kick by Alves. He tried another and Miller tried to take him down off it. Alves defended the takedown. Miller with a blast double leg takedown. Miller cradled him on the ground. Miller is keeping him down. There was a USA chant. Miller landed a few punches as Alves got up. Miller with a left. Alves with a right. Body kick by Alves. Punch and knee by Alves. Alves missed a spinning backfist. Alves landed the backfist. Miller is bleeding. Close round. 20-18 Miller.
Third round: Body kick by Alves. Mller slipped. Alves landing punches and a body kick. Both swinging. Miller hit the blast double again. That could clinch him the fight. Alves back up. Alves with a body kcik. Miller got another takedown. Miller got his back. Alves almost got up but Miller wrestled him back down. Miller tried a guillotine and Alves slipped out and on top. Alves landed some elbows and punches from the top as the round ended. Another close round. Miller 30-27.
Scores: 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27 for Miller
FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
> Vicente Luque (10-5-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Belal Muhammad (10-1, 1-1 UFC) Welterweights
First round: Luque dropped him with a left hook and landed a few brutal shots on the ground before it was stopped. 1:19′
Luque said he dropped 30 pounds for the fight.
> Rafael Natal (#14, 21-7-1, 9-5-1 UFC) vs. Tim Boetsch (19-10, 10-9 UFC) Middleweights
First round: Boetsch landed a right as Natal went for a takedown. Boetsch is the one moving forward. Natal missed a spinning backfist. Trading punches and Boetsch got the better of it. Body kick by Natal. Boetsch dropped him with a right hook that knocked Natal flying and finished him on the ground. It was weird. It was like Natal wasn’t himself at all. 3:22
Boetsch credited the win to the Irish Hand Grenade Marcus Davis for the win. Joe Rogan and Boetch said the first punch early shook up Natal and he was tentative from there.
> Khabib Nurmagomedov (#2, 23-0, 7-0 UFC) vs. Michael Johnson (#6, 17-10, 9-6 UFC) Lightweights
First round: Johnson throwing early. He landed a nice left. He’s landing good punches on Khabib. He’s got Khabib hurt now. Johnson landed a hard left. Johnson blocked the takedown attempt. But Khabib powered him down into side control USA chants Khabib with lefts. Now he’s dropping elbows and throwing hard punches on the ground. Khabib dropping more elbows. Big punches by Khabib. He’s got his back and throwing more punches. Khabib 10-9. The crowd went nuts giving both a standing ovation after the round.
Second round: Johnson landed a left. Left to the body by Johnson. Khabib landing punches now and tied him up. Johnson got away from the takedown attempt. Johnson blocked another takedown,. Knee and punch and Johnson sprawled. Johnson going for a guillotine but Khabib popped out and is on top. Khabib immediately passed to side control and throwing punches. He’s got a crucifox position on Johnson and punching. More punches by Khabib. Khabib with hard lefts from the top. Now Khabib has back position and is throwing a ton of punches. More punches from side position. Now he’s throwing hard rights. 10-8 Khabib’s round so 20-17 after two.
Third round: USA chant to start the round. Both throwing punches. Khabib took him down again. The crowd booed. Khabib is landing punches again from that position. Khabib is trying for a finish with punches but Johnson can take his shots. Johnson tried to kick off the cage to reverse. Now Khabib is working for a Kimura and got the tap. Very interesting because his win was more dominant than Ferguson but Ferguson is a more entertaining fighter 2:31
Khabib said I want to stay humble but I have to talk. I show the crazy power the UFC PR is. He cut a promo on Conor and the crowd stared to boo him. He wanted to face the Irish chicken, said
Irish only six million, Russia 150 million. He then talked Russian. He got great heat. The crowd hated him. He said Joe Rogan knows MMA for 20 years and asked Rogan if he desreved a title shot. Rogan said he deserved it which the crowd didh’t like.
> Frankie Edgar (#2, 20-5-1, 14-5-1 UFC) vs. Jeremy Stephens (#7, 25-12, 12-11 UFC) Featherweights
First round: Edgar got the biggest pop so far. The place is pretty packed now, I’d say 90-95%. Stephens looks 15 pounds heavier in the cage. Edgar tried a takedown and Stephens sprawled. Low kick by Stephens. Edgar moved in for a takedown but Stephens disengaged. Body kick by Edgar. Knee by Stephens. Low kick by Stephens. Edgar with a two punch combo. Let’s Go Frankie chant pretty loud. Edgar with a front headlock and throwing knees. He’s working for the takedown and not getting it. Edgar slammed him but Stephens right baacck up. Edgar slammed him again but Stephens up. Stephens poked Edgar in the eye and a time out was called. Stephens with punches. Edgar 10-9 but closer than you’d think.
Second round: Stephens complained of a low blow. Edgar with a right. Jumping kick by Stephens. Body kick by Edgar. Low kick by Edgar. Edgar got a momentary takedown . He got a back slam takedown. Stephens right back up again. Edgar in with punches. Good right by Edgar. Edgar with punches. Stephens with a great kick to the chin and Edgar went down. Edgar is hurt. Stephens with a right. Stephens going for the finish. Another right by Stephens. Stephens with a left. Hard left by Stephens. Let’s go Frankie chants. Stephens with a right. Edgar back with a combo, and got the takedown and got a guillotine. Stephens out of it. What a great round. Edgar on top. Loud Frankie chants. He’s going for the guillotine again. Edgar landed punches from the top late. 10-9 Stephens for 19-19 after two. Standing ovation for the round.
Third round: Let’s go Frankie chants. Stephens threw a kick and Edgar used it to take him down. Stephens working for a Kimura but Edgar out of trouble. Edgar elbowing the ribs. Edgar staying on top. Edgar trying to work for a choke. Edgar with a back suplex slam. Edgar is behind him working for a choke again. Stephens up with 2:13 left. Big right by Stephens. Edgar went for a takedown and couldn’t get it. Edgar with a left. Edgar with a right. Uppercut by Stephens. Both throwing and Stephens landed some good shots and Edgar back as the fight ended. Edgar 29-28. The crowd gave them a standing ovation again.
First round: Tate didn’t get nearly the reaction she usually gets. Tate with a right. Pennnington landing jabs. Pennington hurting her with punches. Rocky chant. Tate landing punches to the body and head and working for a takedown. Pennington lifted Tate up with a guollotone. It was crazy. Tate tried to kick off the cage. Tate finally go the takedown. Pennington back up. Pennington looks like she wants to do the old pump handle move. That’s a pro wrestling joke. Nothing much happening and crowd starting to get restless. Tate had her back. Tate did control the positioning but Pennington did more damage. Hard to score, 10-9 Pennington.
Second round: Pennington with a nice right. Left by Pennington. Anohter left by Pennington. Penningotn landed solid shots. Tate with lefts. Knee by Tate from the clinch. Tate trying for the takedown. Knee by Tate. Both throwing punches. Pennington got behind Tate. Tate throwing elbows. Crowd is bored by this fight. Pennington landing punches from the clinch. Tate with knees and Pennington with body shots as they’re in the clinch. Body shots by Pennington. Both landed punches as the round ended. Pennington 20-18.
Third round: Both the rounds were close so it’s anyone’s fight. Tate tried to pull guard to get it to the ground. She almost got an armbar. Pennington landing punches from the top. Tate again working for an armbar. Pennington landing punches from the top. Tate now trying for a triangle but doesn’t have it. Tate now going for a leglock. She tried a heel hook but didn’t get it. They’re in a clinch and Pennington is landing some short punches. Pennington took her down and is throwing more punches. Rare boring fight from Tate. Pennington landing a lot of punches late. Pennington 30-27.
Scores: 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 Pennington. Bad time for a loss for Tate.
Tate announced her retirement after. She said it’s not her time anymore and she’s been around for a long time and she couldn’t pull it off.
> Chris Weidman (#2, 13-1, 9-1 UFC) vs. Yoel Romero (#4, 12-1, 7-0 UFC) Middleweights
First round: This is a really big fight because a strong Weidman win can make him a New York superstar. Not to mention he’ll probably get a title match with a win. Romero is a freak athlete, but he’s also 39 years old. They showed Bisping watching the fight. USA chant to start. Hard body kick by Romero. Weidman tried a takedown but not hard, more diversion. Body kick by Weidman. Ole chants. Weidman took him down once but Romero back up. Body kick by Weidman. Body kicks by Weidman. Another takedown by Weidman and Romero back up. Low kick by Weidman. Left by Romero. Romero with lefts. Body kick by Romnero. Weidman took him down and got his back. Weidman 10-9.
Second round: The referee wiped Vaseline off Romero’s back at the start of the round. Left by Romero. Left by Romero. Body kick by Weidman. Knee by Weidman. Romero claimed an eye poke after the knee. Weidman in on the single but gave it up to land a head kick. Romero took Weidman down and got his back after Weidman got up. Romero with another takedown. Weidman escaped and Romero took him down again. Romero has his back on the ground. Romero’s round so 19-19.
Third round: Boyd kick by Weidman. Romero killed him with a flying knee that nailed Weidman in the left eye and and pounded on him and finished him. That’s not a good thing for UFC. Romero is strutting around the ring like he’s a foreign military soldier saluting the crowd. The crowd didn’t even boo him. They were just stunned. The two hugged. :24 The crowd was eerily quiet when this ended.
Romero said he wanted the belt. Joe Rogan said that Romero will be challenging for the title next. Michael Bisping said he wouldn’t face Romero. Bisping gave Romero the thumbs down and then flipped him off with both hands. Romero kept saying “I love you Mike, see you soon, boy.” Romero said you see now the real champion.
First round: Joanna with low kicks. Ole chants. Joanna with a combo. Both landing. Nice combo by Joanna. Karolina landed some punches. The Irish are singing to entertain themselves. Joanna with another combo. Joanna 10-9
Second round: Karloline pushed her against the fence and went for a takedown but didn’t get it. Joanna with a flurry. Karolina working for a takedown. Joanna has her against the fence and threw a knee. Front kick by Joanna. Spijnning backfist by Joanna. Joanna 20-18.
Third round: Joanna with a knee and punches. Joanna outlandig her. Arolian landed a right. The crowd is so quiet for this fight except a few chants having nothing to do with the fight. It’s like this is Raw from last Monday. Body kick by Karolina. Karolina with a floury. Joannan back and landed a body kick and knee. Elbow and punches by Joanna. Trading punches. Joanna 30-27. Some boos at the end. I can’t tell you how little the people care about this fight.
Fourth round: Joanna with a few kicks and they are back against the fence. Karolina with elbows. Spinning backfist by Karolina. Karolina hurt her bad with a right to the nose. Both are trading. Both trading some more. Karolina landed a big right. Karolina is landing big rights. Joanna took her down but Karolina back up. Joanna looking at the clock. Karolina with more punches from close range. Joanna landed aan elbow. Karolina landed a good right. Trading punches. Joanna seems recovered now. Backfist by Karolina. Joanna tried the same. Joanna with a combo. Both traded punches. Hard knee by Joanna. Joanna got good shots In late in the round. The crowd completely turned and gave both a huge ovation. Karolina’s round 39-37 Joanna.
Fifth round: Good combo by Joanna. Karolina with punches and Joanna with an elbow. Joanna using her kicks to keep Karolina at a distance by Karolina got in and landed a punch. Front kick by Joanna. Joanna landing more punches. Joanna with a left. Karolina back with punches. Joanna with solid punches now. The crowd came alive. Karolina with a spinning punch and Joanna back with punches. Joanna landed punches and elbows. Knee by Joanna. Body kick by Joanna. Joanna 49-46. After all that, the whole place is standing. The fourth round turned the crowd around.
Scores: All three had it 49-46 for Joanna.
Joanna was charming, said she wasn’t hurt in the fourth round. The crowd cheered Karolina a lot after the fight. Karolina said Joanna was the best in the world. She said she’s proud she gave a good fight and the crowd cheered big.
> Tyron Woodley (C, 16-3, 6-2 UFC) vs. Stephen Thompson (#2, 13-1, 8-1 UFC) UFC Welterweight Championship
First round: Body kick by Thonpson. Thompson threw a kick, Woodley countered with a right and took him down. Woodley with body shots. Woodley with a lot of short punches on the ground to smother him . He land hard body shots late, bloodied him with elbows and landed a hard shot at the horn. 10-9 Woodley, almost a 10-8.
Second round: Thompson landed some punches and Woodley tied him up. Thompson turned him around and then Woodley turned him back around. Spin kick to the body by Thompson. Left by Thompson. Right by Thompson. Thompson with punches. Thompson landing more. Woodley with a nice right. Body shot by Thompson. Another body shot by Thompson. Woodley with a nice right. Thompson’s round so 19-19 after two.
Third round: Side kick by Thompson. Woodley moved forward with punches. Woodley moved forward and landed again. Ole chants. Head kick by Woodley. Low kick by Thompson. Thompson moved in with punches. Good right by Thompson. Left by Woodley. Left by Thompson and landed more punches. Woodley moved in but didn’t connect. Thompson landed a few. Woodley with two nice rights late in the round. Close round. Thompson’s so 29-28 Thompson after three.
Fourth round: Thompson in with a few punches. Woodley dropped him with hard right. Woodley throwing punches. Woodley dropped him again with a right and throwing punches on the ground. Thompson is in trouble. Woodley is landing shot after shot. Knees by Woodley and punches. Woodley going for a guillotine. Thompson out of it but he’s hurt. Woodley went for a guillotine again and it’s tight. Thompson is surviving so far. Thompson punching back. The crowd went nuts seeing Thompson punch back. He popped out for the biggest pop so far this show. Wonderboy chants. Thompson landing big punches late. This place is now really alive. 10-8 but that comeback could keep it 10-9, but I’ve got 38-37 Woodley after four. This is going to be very interesting how it’s judged.
Fifth round: Jumping kick by Thompson. Body kick by Thompson. Low kick by Thompson. Loud Wonderboy chants. Right and a head kick by Thompson. Body kick by Thompson. Spin kick to the head by Thompson. Left and right by Thompson. Right by Thompson. Left and right by Thompson. Body kick by Woodley. Left by Thompson. Low kick by Thompson. Woodley landed a right. Body shot by Thompson. Left and right by Thompson. Thompson with a left. Two lefts by Thompson. Thompson with a good right. Thompson’s round, I’ve got it 47-47 all. This could go either way depending on a 10-8 in the first or fourth rounds.
Scores: Derek Cleary scored it 47-47, Doug Crosby scored it 47-47, Glenn Trowbridge 48-47 Woodley. That’s a screw-up, as that’s a majority draw but Woodley would still retain on the draw. Bruce Buffer later corrected himself a majority draw. The problem is Trowbridge looks to have given 3 rounds to Woodley and Thompson won three rounds and it came down to 10-8s in round one or four. Either way, Woodley retains on the draw.
> Eddie Alvarez (C, 28-4, 3-1 UFC) vs. Conor McGregor (C FW, 20-3, 8-1 UFC) UFC Lightweight Championship
This crowd is now totally electric. They’re booing the hell out of Alvarez. Not the number of Irish flags as Vegas but a totally pro-McGregor crowd. Alvarez is called The Underground King. I wonder if he knows Sami Zayn.
First round: McGregor landed and stumbled. Low kick by Alvarez. Body kick by McGregor. McGregor dropped him with a left and Alvarez back up. Head kick by Alvarez. The crowd is really loud. Alvarez shot for a takedown. McGregor with a body kick. Alvarez landed punches and then slipped. Head kick by McGregor. McGregor dropped him with a left . McGregor with punches on the ground. Now he’s dropping elbows on him. Alvarez back up. Loud Conor chants. Alvarez shot in and McGregor evaded and landed an elbow. McGregor with a left. Body kick by McGregor. Right by McGregor. Alvarez with body shots. Alvarez with a body kick. Alvarez landed a good left. Body kick by Alvarez. McGregor 10-8.
Second round: Big left by McGregor hurt him. Alvarez shot for a takedown and it was easily stuffed. McGregor put his arms behind his back and dared Alvarez a free shot. Alvarez didn’t do anything. Body kick by McGregor. Right and left by McGregor. Alvarez with a right. He missed a left and McGregor put him down with a left. Alvarez working for a takedown. Alvarez pushing hard and couldn’t get the takedown. Push kick by Alvarez. McGregor with a series of punches put Alvarez down and ref John McCarthy waved it off. McGregor is the first two division champion in UFC history. It was a left hook, a right, a left and another right that put Alvarez down. A great combo, all four shots landed hard and McCarthy waved it after two punches on the ground. 3:04
McGregor wanted his second belt. McGregor said they’re not on my level, you need size and reach to beat him. He kept saying he wants that second belt. He I’ve ridiculed everyone on the roster, and I’d like to apologize to absolutely nobody. The place erupted on that one. Then he had both belts. He made no big announcement or anything.
Here’s some advice for who to pick in your DraftKings lineup for Saturday’s UFC 205 event in New York City, New York, headlined by UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez defending against Conor McGregor on pay-per-view.
Top Target: Joanna Jedrzejczyk ($9,300)
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is the biggest betting favorite on the UFC 205 card as she defends the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship against Karolina Kowalkiewicz. She also has the highest salary of all the fighters on the card, but that still makes her our top target for your fantasy line-ups at UFC 205. Jedrzejczyk is the most polished striker, not only out of all womens fighters, but perhaps in the entire sport.
She racks up a lot of points with significant strikes, so that is where she will excel in getting fantasy players points. She is also a finisher, and if she finds an opening, there is no doubt she will be going for the kill. The biggest key for Kowalkiewicz is to get ahead early. Jedrzejczyk can start off slow, but she has shown to have a never-ending gas tank, and she gets much stronger the later the fight goes. Kowalkiewicz fights at a fast pace, but Jedrzejczyk can match it, and her counterstriking will slow Kowalkiewicz down.
A key to the standing battle is that Jedrzejczyk has a punishing jab, and her technique on the feet is unmatched. Jedrzejczyk also trained for this camp with American Top Team, which will be her new home, so she won’t have to adjust due to traveling from overseas. It shouldn’t affect her power or speed.
This is a bad match-up for Kowalkiewicz, but anyone going against Jedrzejczyk is going to be a bad match-up for the opponent, as Joanna is the best in the world at 115 pounds. I expect her to score a lot of points and to get a finish late, and she is definitely the top play on this fight card.
Value Target: Eddie Alvarez ($7,600)
Eddie Alvarez is the underdog as he defends the UFC Lightweight Championship against the biggest star in the sport, Conor McGregor, in the main event of UFC 205. McGregor is looking to make history in becoming the first fighter to hold titles in two weight classes at the same time, and Alvarez is looking to play the spoiler. Alvarez is going to be giving up some length and reach to McGregor, and that is going to come into play.
McGregor likes to keep his opponents on the outside where he can set up leg kicks, spinning kicks and set up his straight left hand. Alvarez fights better inside the pocket where he can start a brawl, so he is going to have to navigate himself inside that five inches of reach that McGregor has the advantage of. Alvarez has talked of how this is an easy fight, and I hope he truly doesn’t believe that, because he’s in for a rude awakening if he does. It’s easy to knock McGregor, but he may truly be the best fighter that Alvarez has fought, and that spans a lot of high-level territory. Alvarez is very quick on his feet and with his hands, and he has solid takedowns.
He may utilize a wrestling-based attack, and takedowns score a lot of fantasy points. He could end up getting into a brawl with McGregor on the feet, and both can take a lot of punishment and dish it out. We’ve never seen McGregor knocked out, nor have we Alvarez, but Alvarez has been in a lot of trouble. I expect to see McGregor use a strategy similar to the one Donald Cerrone had against Alvarez, and that would spell trouble for Alvarez.
However, this is a very winnable fight for Alvarez, and for fantasy reasons, his salary is very valuable. It really is a tough fight to pick, but if you’re looking for someone to use on your roster, Alvarez is a solid selection.
Target To Avoid: Miesha Tate ($9,100)
Miesha Tate returns to the Octagon for the first time since losing the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship to Amanda Nunes at UFC 200 in July. Tate fights an opponent she has some familiarity with in Raquel Pennington, who she coached on The Ultimate Fighter. When you look at this fight, from an outside perspective, this looks like a rebound fight for Tate. Pennington is only 8-5 in her career. However, don’t let that record fool you.
She has won three straight fights and four of her last five, and the improvement has been very clear. She also has a style that could give Tate a lot of trouble. Pennington has some solid striking, but she tends to fight without a clear gameplan. She’s only lost to top-level opponents, and Tate is a top-level opponent. Tate is better all around, but it remains to be seen if she is over losing the championship. She is also coming back sooner than she anticipated as she was expecting to return in December.
Tate will be best served to make this a battle on the mat as her wrestling and ground game is light years ahead of Pennington. Where Pennington could give Tate fits is inside the clinch. She makes good use of dirty boxing and her elbows, and she is good at finding openings. Tate is a big favorite when it comes to fantasy value, but this fight is a lot closer on the betting odds than their salaries show. I do expect Tate to win, but Pennington is going to make her work for it.
I don’t see Tate finishing Pennington, so that takes her value down a little. With Tate having the third-highest salary on the card, without the sure thing of her getting a finish, it’s tough to justify having her on your roster. I’m saying avoid her just because of her salary, but I do think she will win this fight, but it won’t be easy.
Underdog Target: Tyron Woodley ($7,400)
Tyron Woodley is making his first defense of the UFC Welterweight Championship as he defends against Stephen Thompson on Saturday night. If you look at the betting odds and the fantasy salaries for this fight, Woodley is clearly getting no respect as it seems everyone is expecting him to lose the championship. It wouldn’t be a surprise as Woodley’s only fight in 19 months was hist first-round knockout over Robbie Lawler to win the title.
In that same time frame, Thompson has won three fights, and he has won seven straight overall to earn his title opportunity. Woodley and Thompson have completely different styles, and it makes for an interesting match-up. Woodley is a strong wrestler with heavy hands, and Thompson employs a unique karate-style striking attack. Thompson is crafty on his feet and knows how to keep a distance, and Woodley fights badly from the outside. Woodley also has a questionable gas tank, while Thompson can go a full 25 minutes.
Everything being said favors Thompson, so why should Woodley be considered an underdog target? It is because of that knockout power. Thompson is very hard to hit, and we haven’t seen his chin tested yet, but if Woodley can land that right hand, it could be lights out. Woodley also will test the wrestling of Thompson, who has improved his takedown defense, but he hasn’t been put to the test in recent fights. Woodley is also strong in the clinch, but Thompson isn’t easy to keep there.
You have to have underdogs on your roster, and honestly, the pickings are slim on this card. Woodley is going to have a tough time getting a win, but he has that equalizing right hand. He’s the best underdog target bet.
Our Line-Ups
Ryan Frederick: Joanna Jedrzejczyk ($9,300), Stephen Thompson ($8,800), Conor McGregor ($8,600), Chris Weidman ($8,500), Jim Miller ($7,800), Jeremy Stephens ($7,000)
I have Joanna Jedrzejczyk on my roster for all of the reasons she is my top target, and I am confident that she will finish Karolina Kowalkiewicz. I have Eddie Alvarez and Tyron Woodley as targets above, but I have their opponents, Stephen Thompson and Conor McGregor, in my line-up. I just have more confidence in them getting the win and am not taking the risks and am going for the win. I have Chris Weidman, Jim Miller and Jeremy Stephens rounding out my roster.
Finally fighting in New York will give Weidman some added confidence, and he wants an impressive showing to get that title shot. He’s going to bring a fight to Yoel Romero. Miller gets Thiago Alves debuting at lightweight, and it is a tough fight. I need underdogs on my roster, and Miller has a good chance. Stephens is the best that is left with what I have, and if he can connect on Frankie Edgar, he can finish him. I’m hoping so for fantasy sake.
Paul Fontaine: Joanna Jedrzejczyk ($9,300), Donald Cerrone ($8,900), Chris Weidman ($8,500), Belal Muhammad ($8,300), Eddie Alvarez ($7,600), Tyron Woodley ($7,400)
My top pick is the strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. I believe that she is far and away the best in her division and should handle her challenger with ease, either scoring a quick KO or an extended beatdown. Either is good for a lot of points. Donald Cerrone is next up for me. I see this fight going similar to the Joanna fight in the sense that Cerrone is very prolific on his feet. If it goes to the ground he has an underrated submission game. I think that age is finally going to catch up to Yoel Romero when he gets into the Octagon with former world champion Chris Weidman, allowing the All American to score a KO win.
I’m going with Belal Muhammad as one of my picks as I think he’s one of the better guys in the division and under a lot of people’s radar. His opponent, Luque, has shown to be vulnerable to submissions in the past and Muhammad should take advantage of that. My last two picks are the other two title holders on the card, Eddie Alvarez and Tyron Woodley. Alvarez hits harder, in my opinion, than anyone Conor McGregor has faced to date and the featherweight champion has shown in the past that he’ll eat a lot of punches. Woodley just needs to catch Thompson one time and I think he can do it. I’m glad I can get the two champions in under budget and really like my team here.
Peach Machine: Joanna Jedrzejczyk ($9,300), Frankie Edgar ($9,200), Miesha Tate ($9,100), Eddie Alvarez ($7,600), Tyron Woodley ($7,400), Kelvin Gastelum ($7,300)
I love Eddie in this match up. He’s too fast AND he can take a monster beatin’. T-Wood will simply outclass Thompson. He may be an awesome kick boxer, but he’s never wrestled a Mizzou Tiger. Joanna Champion is my current favorite fighter since Hendo retired. I just named my newest dog, Miesha, so I’m going with her. Gastelum could win this match with wrestling. I think he’ll decide to do that, since getting kneed in the mouth by Cerrone is bad for business. Frankie is gonna stomp Stephens, and he’d better, since he’s being screwed on title contention.
With the UFC just weeks away from what could be their biggest show of all time, the two combatants in the main event talk with the media Thursday afternoon to continue their hype.
UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez and UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor will be on the UFC 205 call, scheduled to kick off at 5 PM EST and available to stream below.
McGregor will look to become the promotion’s first two-division champion in gunning for Alvarez’s lightweight gold, a belt he won by dismantling Rafael dos Anjos earlier this year.
McGregor has yet to defend the featherweight gold he won by crushing Jose Aldo in their first clash, and if he wins the 155 pound crown, all bets are off on if he’ll continue to defend the 145 pound title.
The fight headlines a stacked show for the UFC’s debut in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, a show that features multiple title fights and plenty of well-known attractions.
With the UFC 205 card essentially finalized, the main attractions on the show will meet the media and fans Tuesday afternoon at Madison Square Garden at a 6 PM EST press conference.
On Monday night, UFC announced that featherweight champion Conor McGregor will attempt to become the promotion’s first dual-division champion in company history when he faces current UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez in the main event.
The show will be the first MMA event in MSG and the first UFC event since 1995 in Buffalo. The sport had been banned there until finally being legalized this year after years of political battle.
Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman makes his return to action against Yoel Romero in what is basically a middleweight title shot eliminator, welterweight champion Tyron Woodley will look to make the first defense of his title against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, and strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk will face Karolina Kowalkiewicz in a battle of Polish-born fighters.
As if that wasn’t enough, the undercard features Frankie Edgar vs. Jeremy Stephens, Rashad Evans dropping to middleweight to face the returning Tim Kennedy, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate, and more!
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 90: Dos Anjos vs. Alvarez from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event kicks off UFC’s International Fight Week and is the first of three events spanning three consecutive nights in the biggest week in UFC history, capped off with UFC 200.
The event is headlined by UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos defending his championship against challenger and former Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez. In the co-main event, it will be heavyweight sluggers as Roy Nelson takes on Derrick Lewis. 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.
ROUND 1- Luque with a leg kick to start. He lands another one that went low but they continue on. They trade left hands and Luque with a big leg kick but Herrera counters with a huge right hand. Luque with a body kick. Luque gets a brief takedown but they get right back up and clinch against the fence. Luque with a knee to the thigh. Luque trying hard for the takedown and he completes it. Luque with some punches and elbows from the top. Herrera looks to scramble out from the bottom. Luque with more elbows from the top. They get to their feet and Herrera lands a body punch. Herrera with a left hook and a spinning back elbow. Luque scores another takedown and some strikes from the top as the round ends. 10-9 Luque.
ROUND 2- Luque with a body punch then a left hook followed by a body kick. Luque with a leg kick. Luque grabs the single leg and is working for the takedown against the fence and scores it. Luque with punches from the top and then some elbows. Herrera tries to push off and get to his feet but Luque pulled himself right back in. Herrera gives up his back and Luque with some short punches. They get to their feet and Luque with a spinning elbow. Luque scores another easy takedown and back to landing punches from the top. Luque setting up for a choke and he might have it. He does and Herrera taps! Luque with the submission win.
Official Result- Vicente Luque def. Alvaro Herrera by submission (D’arce choke) at 3:52 of Round 2
BANTAMWEIGHTS MARCO BELTRAN (7-3, 2-0 UFC) VS. REGINALDO VIEIRA (13-3, 1-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Vieira is a TUF Brazil winner. Vieira comes out with a big combination. Vieira just misses a big right hand and he goes in for a takedown and gets it. They get right back to their feet and Vieira going back for the takedown and gets it. They trade elbows on the mat. They get to their feet and Beltran with a short uppercut in the clinch. Vieira with another takedown but they get to their feet and break. Beltran with a leg kick. Vieira lands a right hand. Beltran with a left hook. Beltran lands a big knee as he has Vieira stunned from a left hook. Vieira lands a right hand and an uppercut. Beltran with a side kick and Vieira gets a takedown right as the horn sounds. 10-9 Beltran.
ROUND 2- They each miss on their opening striking attacks. Vieira lands a right hand but gets stunned on a counter from Beltran. Vieira comes back and hurts Beltran with some punches and in the clinch. They are swinging wildly against the fence and Vieira goes for a takedown. Beltran with some elbows. Vieira lifts Beltran up and takes him down near the center of the Octagon. Vieira with some punches from the top. Vieira gets to the feet and Beltran lands two upkicks that drop Vieira! They are both on the mat with leg locks. Vieira gives up his back to Beltran and Beltran grabs the neck. Vieira with a massive fence grab in an attempt to block but Beltran has the rear-naked choke locked in and Vieira taps! Beltran with a nice comeback win by submission.
Official Result- Marco Beltran def. Reginaldo Vieira by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:04 of Round 2
ROUND 1- Both men are coming off their first loss. Sajewski with some quick left hands. They trade body kicks and Burns lands an uppercut. Burns shoots in for a takedown but is unable to finish it. They trade right hands. Sajewski rocks Burns with some punches and they are trading right hands. Burns lands an uppercut. Burns with a kick right right below the belt and we have a break in action. They get back to action and Burns with some kicks. Burns with a right hand and Sajewski is hurt. Burns grabs the neck and is deep but Sajewski escapes. They clinch against the fence and both battle for positioning. They break the clinch and Burns with a big knee and right hand and Sajewski is hurt. Burns gets a takedown. Burns takes the back and is looking for the choke. Burns gets the armbar and Sajewski taps! Burns with the submission win.
Official Result- Gilbert Burns def. Lukasz Sajewski by submission (armbar) at 4:57 of Round 1
BANTAMWEIGHTS FELIPE ARANTES (17-7-1 2 NC, 4-3-1 UFC) VS. JERROD SANDERS (15-2 1 NC, 1-1 1 NC UFC)
ROUND 1- Arantes with a leg kick and then a jumping high kick. Arantes with a leg kick and then drops Sanders with a right hand. Sanders looked for a takedown but Arantes is now looking for an anaconda choke. Arantes transitions to the back but Sanders scrambles and ends up on top. Sanders with some punches and he moves to the mount position against the fence. Sanders not doing much from the top and now lands punches as he gets to half-guard. Sanders with big punches from the top. Sanders with more big punches from the top and some elbows mixed in there. Sanders dominated from the top there. 10-9 Sanders.
ROUND 2- Sanders goes in for the takedown and Arantes defends for a moment but Sanders completes it. Arantes pushes him off but Sanders gets himself back into the guard of Arantes. Punches from the top by Sanders. Arantes looks for the armbar and he is able to get it! Comeback win from Arantes and Sanders submits. It was a verbal tap from Sanders who was in a lot of trouble.
Official Result- Felipe Arantes def. Jerrod Sanders by submission (armbar) at 1:39 of Round 2
BANTAMWEIGHTS RUSSELL DOANE (14-5, 2-2 UFC) VS. PEDRO MUNHOZ (11-2 1 NC, 1-2 1 NC)
ROUND 1- Doane coming out with some big kicks to the body and left hands. Big body kick by Doane. Doane with a combo ending with a knee. Doane with another big left hand. Munhoz attempts a takedown but misses. Doane with some big left hands and Munhoz is hurt. They are throwing big punches and Munhoz gets a takedown and they scramble and Munhoz has the back. Muhoz with a guillotine choke locked in and Doane taps out! Another submission tonight as Munhoz comes from being hurt badly and gets the tap out of Doane.
Official Result- Pedro Munhoz def. Russell Doane by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:08 of Round 1
BANTAMWEIGHTS ANTHONY BIRCHAK (12-3, 1-2 UFC) VS. DILENO LOPES (18-2, 0-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Birchak with a body kick and Lopes is firing back with punches and has double underhooks. Lopes gets a brief takedown but they are scrambling against the fence. Lopes has the body locked. Lopes tries to drag this fight down but Birchak ends on top and lands punches. Lopes transitions and grabs the back and they stand. Birchak walks to his corner with Lopes on his back. Birchak with elbows to the thighs. Birchak gets him off and they scramble and Lopes pulls Birchak into his guard. Birchak passes and has control of Lopes’ back. Birchack with a knee as they break. Birchak with a head kick and they are trading punches. Lopes gets the body lock and drags the fight to the mat and has the back of Birchak. Lopes has the body lock of Birchak as the round ends. Close round. 10-9 Lopes.
ROUND 2- Birchak with a leg kick. Each miss on their punches. Lopes with two big left hands. They trade short punches and Birchak with a high kick. They clinch and Birchak with short knees as he gets underhooks against the fence. They break and both men land big punches and both are on shaky legs. Birchak lands a nice combo. Lopes lands his own. Lopes tries a takedown but it is defended and they clinch against the fence. Birchak with knees to the legs of Lopes. Lopes looking for a takedown but eating punches from Birchak. Reversal from Birchak but Lopes grabs the neck for a moment but Birchak gets away. Knees to the body from Birchak. 10-9 Birchak, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Lopes with a leg kick. Birchak with a body kick. Birchak lands a big elbow. Lopes goes for a takedown but they scramble and Birchak lands a punch on the break. Birchak with a nice combo. Birchak with a knee. Birchak stuffs another takedown attempt from Lopes. Birchak lands some big punches that hurt Lopes. They are trading punches and Birchak is getting the better of it. Birchak stuffs a takedown and they clinch against the fence. Birchak with a right hand. Birchak with a leg kick. They trade kicks. Birchak stuffs another takedown. They trade punches as the fight ends. 10-9 Birchak, 29-28 Birchak.
Official Result- Anthony Birchak def. Dileno Lopes by split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
LIGHTWEIGHTS JOHN MAKDESSI (13-5, 6-5 UFC) VS. MEHDI BAGHDAD (11-4, 0-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Makdessi with a side kick. Baghdad with a leg kick but Makdessi catches the leg though he lets go. Baghdad lands a left hook and a leg kick. Baghdad with a leg kick. Makdessi lands a spin kick to the body. Baghdad with a leg kick but Makdessi grabs the leg and lands a right hand. They trade punches. Makdessi with a left hand to the body. Baghdad with a jab followed by a right hand and then lands a head kick. They trade punches. Baghdad with a right hand followed by a leg kick. Baghdad with another crisp combination. Right hand from Baghdad. They trade strikes. lose round. 10-9 Baghdad.
ROUND 2- Baghdad with a strong leg kick. Makdessi fires back with his own leg kick. They trade punches. Baghdad lands a right hand but Makdessi lands a big counterpunch. Makdessi with a spinning back kick to the leg. Baghdad slips on a punch. Makdessi with a nice combo. Makdessi with a leg kick. Baghdad with a leg kick. Baghdad misses a high kick. Makdessi just misses a wheel kick. Makdessi with a nice combo. Baghdad with a leg kick and then a right hand. Makdessi with a spinning back kick right to the body. Baghdad with a leg kick. They trade punches and leg kicks. Another close round. 10-9 Makdessi, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Baghdad with a big knee and Makdessi is in a lot of trouble as he goes down. They clinch and Baghdad goes for a flying armbar but misses it and Makdessi is now in the guard of Baghdad. Makdessi with some short punches from the top. They get back to their feet. Baghdad with a leg kick and Makdessi counters with a nice combo. Baghdad lands a massive left hook. They trade punches and Makdessi lands a big punch. Makdessi tries a takedown to no success. Baghdad just misses an uppercut. Baghdad with a leg kick. Makdessi misses a spinning kick. Baghdad with a leg kick. They start trading punches and Makdessi lands a big punch and Makdessi drops Baghdad and is pouring on the punches. Makdessi gets in the guard and lands from the top to end the fight. A close fight to call and Makdessi may have stolen it at the end. 10-9 Makdessi, 29-28 Makdessi.
Official Result- John Makdessi def. Mehdi Baghdad by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
WELTERWEIGHTS MIKE PYLE (27-11-1, 10-6 UFC) VS. ALBERTO MINA (12-0, 2-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Pyle with a leg kick. Mina just misses on his punches. Mina with a big leg kick. Mina with a right hand into a takedown and he is in the guard of Pyle. Not much going on down on the mat and they are stood up by the referee. Mina drops Pyle with a left hand and is landing a lot of punches looking to finish but he ends up in the guard as Pyle starts to recover. Mina with body punches on the ground. Mina with more punches inside the closed guard of Pyle. They get to their feet. Mina with another takedown as the round ends. 10-9 Mina.
ROUND 2- Mina gets Pyle down to the mat quickly but Pyle gets up. Mina misses a big punch. Pyle with a leg kick. Mina then lands a flying knee that sends Pyle to the mat and Mina finishes him off with big punches on the mat! Pyle is still down and hurt as Mina has scored the big knockout win in devastating fashion. Huge flying knee ended it all and Mina remains undefeated.
Official Result- Alberto Mina def. Mike Pyle by knockout (flying knee) at 1:17 of Round 2
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
LIGHTWEIGHTS JOSEPH DUFFY (14-2, 2-1 UFC) VS. MITCH CLARKE (11-3, 2-3 UFC)
ROUND 1- Duffy drops Clarke with a right hand and quickly takes the back. He has a choke locked in and Clarke taps out! Duffy makes quick work of Clarke and gets the submission win!
Official Result- Joseph Duffy def. Mitch Clarke by submission (rear-naked choke) at :25 of Round 1
WELTERWEIGHTS ALAN JOUBAN (13-4, 4-2 UFC) VS. BELAL MUHAMMAD (9-0, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Jouban with a leg kick. Jouban with a low kick and we have a quick break. Jouban drops Muhammad with a left hand and goes into his guard. Muhammad sweeps back to his feet and scores a takedown. Muhammad with some left hands as they get to their feet. They break after Muhammad tries a sweep. Jouban with a body kick. Jouban with a leg kick. Jouban drops Muhammad with a big head kick and is looking to finish. Jouban with huge elbows and punches but Muhammad is surviving. Jouban with a knee to the body and is in side control. Big elbows from Jouban. They get to their feet and Muhammad somehow survived. They are clinched against the fence. Jouban with a leg kick as the round ends. 10-8 Jouban.
ROUND 2- Muhammad lands a right hand. Jouban with a body kick. They each land a solid punch. Muhammad lands a jab. Jouban lands a body kick. Jouban drops Muhammad again with a left hand but Muhammad quickly gets up and they clinch against the fence. They trade shots against the fence in the clinch. Muhammad looking for a takedown but it is defended and they break. Jouban with a head kick. Muhammad with a leg kick. Jouban with a body kick. Muhammad gets a late takedown and lands some punches. 10-9 Jouban, 20-17 Jouban.
ROUND 3- Jouban lands some kicks but Muhammad lands a right hand. Jouban with a leg kick and Muhammad shoots for a takedown but Jouban sprawls and defends. Muhammad with a heavy head kick. They trade punches again as both men have slowed down. Muhammad lands a solid combo and then a big right hand that has Jouban in trouble. Muhammad with a solid combo. Jouban with a body kick. Muhammad lands a big right hand. Muhammad has Jouban in a lot of trouble as he lands another big right hand and then another. Muhammad looking to finish as Jouban fires back. Muihammad with big right and left hands and an uppercut. Jouban in a lot of trouble but he survives to end the fight. Great fight. 10-9 Muhammad, 29-27 Jouban.
Official Result- Alan Jouban def. Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision (28-27, 29-28, 29-27)
HEAVYWEIGHTS (#10) ROY NELSON (21-12, 8-8 UFC) VS. (#12) DERRICK LEWIS (15-4 1 NC, 6-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- These are some large men inside the Octagon. They trade and Lewis lands a knee to the body. They clinch against the fence. Not much happening as they remain in the clinch. Lewis with a head kick and then throws some big right hands. Nelson counters with a big takedown. Nelson in the half-guard. They get to their feet and Lewis rocks Nelson with a big knee to the body. Lewis pouring it on with big right hands and he has Nelson in a ton of trouble. Nelson is able to grab Lewis and work for a takedown against the fence. Lewis with a big elbow and Nelson is just hanging on. Nelson not doing anything as he is holding on and they are broken up again by John McCarthy. Lewis with big right hands and looking to finish. Lewis with a head kick. Nelson grabs the body and gets a takedown at the end of the round. Exciting round. 10-9 Lewis.
ROUND 2- Lewis with a right hand and then a flying knee. Nelson with a leg kick. Lewis with his own leg kick. Lewis with a head kick. Nelson misses a big right hand. Both men have slowed down. Lewis with a right hand and Nelson clinches with him. Nelson not doing much but gets a takedown into side control. Nelson with short punches on the ground. Nelson looking to mount but Lewis is able to get to his feet. Nelson takes the fight back to the mat. Lewis gets right back to his feet. They are clinched. Nelson gets another takedown into side control. Nelson with short punches on the mat. Lewis to his feet. Not as exciting as the first round. 10-9 Nelson, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Lewis with a double knee to the body. Both men are very tired. Nelson with the clinch and lands punches to the inside of the thigh of Lewis. Not much happening in the clinch. Nelson gets the takedown with not much defense from Lewis. Nelson in the half-guard landing small short punches. They get to their feet and Nelson lands a knee to the body. Lewis lands some elbows and Nelson takes him back down. They are clinched again. They are broken up. Big right hand from Lewis and Nelson clinches as the crowd boos. They break. Uppercut from Lewis. Big right hand from Lewis and Nelson is rocked and Lewis lands another to end the fight. Close round. 10-9 Lewis, 29-28 Lewis.
Official Result- Derrick Lewis def. Roy Nelson by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (C) RAFAEL DOS ANJOS (25-7, 14-5 UFC) VS. (#2) EDDIE ALVAREZ (27-4, 2-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Alvarez with an inside leg kick. Alvarez with another. They each land a punch. Dos Anjos with a leg kick. Dos Anjos lands a big uppercut. Dos Anjos lands a left hand and then another. Alvarez gets a takedown but Dos Anjos grabs the neck. They get up and Dos Anjos lands a knee. Dos Anjos goes for a takedown. Alvarez with a big right hand and Dos Anjos is in a lot of trouble. Big uppercuts from Alvarez and Dos Anjos is in trouble. Alvarez with a flying knee but misses and Alvarez with a takedown. Dos Anjos is in a lot of trouble. Big uppercuts from Alvarez and Herb Dean steps in! Eddie Alvarez has finished Rafael Dos Anjos and is the new UFC Lightweight Champion!
Official Result- Eddie Alvarez def. Rafael Dos Anjos by TKO (punches) at 3:49 of Round 1
It is UFC International Fight Week in Las Vegas, Nevada and Thursday night brings us UFC Fight Night 90, the first of three straight nights of action inside the Octagon.
This event will be headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship bout as champion Rafael Dos Anjos defends against challenger Eddie Alvarez.
Below are our studs, value plays and fighters to avoid when setting your fantasy lineups for Thursday night’s event.
STUDS
Joseph Duffy ($11,100)
Joseph Duffy is coming off a loss to Dustin Poirier in which he was completely outclassed, so he takes a big step backwards in taking on Mitch Clarke on Thursday.
Clarke will be fighting for the first time since losing to Michael Chiesa in April 2015. The 2-3 Clarke appears to be a rebound fight for Duffy, who is 14-2 in his career and was ranked in the top 15 prior losing against Poirier.
Duffy is a finisher and 13 of his 14 wins have come by stoppage. Clarke has only been finished once in his career, but he doesn’t have the same skillset that Duffy does. Duffy is a strong striker, has excellent submissions and good grappling. Clarke is a good grappler as well, but loses this match-up on foot.
Duffy has the highest salary of all the fighters on the card, but is still a good investment. I expect him to win big on Thursday.
Gilbert Burns ($10,800)
Gilbert Burns is looking to bounce back from his first career loss when he fights Lukasz Sajewski on the card’s prelims Thursday night. Burns had won the first 11 fights of his career before dropping a decision to Rashid Magomedov in November.
That loss is nothing for Burns to hang his head about as Magomedov is 19-1 in his career, but it showed some holes that Burns needs to fill to get back on track inside the Octagon.
At his best, Burns is arguably the lightweight division’s best submission artist and has the strongest grappling chops. He has scored 10 of his 11 wins by finish, with seven wins by submission. He also trains with a strong camp in the Blackzilians.
He is a strong favorite over Sajewski, who also lost for the first time in his career when he made his UFC debut in his last fight. Sajewski hasn’t fought the level of competition that Burns has. And if Burns can avoid the slow start that has often plagued him, he should be able to end this quickly. I feel confident in having him as a stud play.
VALUE PLAYS
Eddie Alvarez ($8,600)
Eddie Alvarez is looking to make history when he challenges Rafael Dos Anjos for the UFC Lightweight Championship in the main event of UFC Fight Night 90. And he is also looking to become the first fighter to hold championship gold in both the UFC and Bellator promotions.
He gets his title shot against Dos Anjos on the heels of wins over former champions in Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez. Alvarez has just two losses in the last eight years, coming to Michael Chandler and Donald Cerrone, so he presents a real challenge in this fight.
Dos Anjos has looked like a killer the last several years and is the rightful champion at 155 pounds. He finished Cerrone quickly in his last fight, but is coming off an injury and no one knows what he will look like in this new era of the UFC.
I actually like Alvarez to score an upset as this fight goes the distance and the extra time allows for more point scoring opportunities. He is a risk, but I find a lot of value in Alvarez.
Alvaro Herrera ($8,500)
Alvaro Herrera is another interesting fighter with a low salary who has a lot of value on Thursday night’s card. He is coming off a 30-second knockout win in his UFC debut in November, which was his first fight in over three years.
He gets back to action against Vicente Luque in the opening bout of Thursday’s card, and Luque is looking to score his second straight win.
Luque has been inconsistent in his career, winning just eight times in 14 career bouts. He is tough to finish, having only been finished twice in his five losses. But Luque has finished opponents in seven of his eight wins, including in his last bout against Hayder Hassan in December. Herrera has scored finishes in eight of his nine wins, but has also been finished in all three of his losses.
This fight is primed for a finish, and I see Herrera’s punching power being the difference. His salary is worth a good amount of value.
FIGHTERS TO AVOID
Anthony Birchak ($10,700)
Anthony Birchak has one of the highest salaries on the card, and I don’t think he’s worth that high price.
Birchak is just 1-2 inside the UFC Octagon, and all three of his fights have ended in the first round. He has suffered a submission loss to Ian Entwistle and a knockout loss to Thomas Almeida, and scored a knockout win over Joe Soto in betweeen those losses. Birchak does have 10 wins by finish, but he has been finished in all three of his losses.
I do like him to get the win over Dileno Lopes on Thursday, but I’m not all that confident in him winning by stoppage. I see him going the distance and getting a decision over Lopes. With his high salary, you have to expect a finish if you have him on your team. Birchak is an easy avoid for me.
Russell Doane ($9,000)
Russell Doane is another fighter that should be avoided on Thursday night’s card.
He hasn’t fought in almost a year and is coming in riding a two-fight losing skid. His last three fights have gone the distance and he hasn’t looked overly impressive in those bouts.
He gets a tough match-up against Pedro Munhoz, who has been one of the top prospects in the bantamweight division, but has struggled against tougher competition.
Doane doesn’t land a lot of strikes in his fights, but he is good at takedowns. Munhoz has good takedown defense and is the more well-rounded fighter. And I see that being the difference with him taking a decision. Avoid Doane as I feel he will be fighting a losing battle on Thursday.
OUR LINE-UPS
RYAN FREDERICK- Joseph Duffy ($11,100), Gilbert Burns ($10,800), Derrick Lewis ($9,600), Alberto Mina ($9,500), Eddie Alvarez ($8,600)
I like Joseph Duffy as my top play on the card and I see him having no troubles against Mitch Clarke. I’m expecting him to end it by at least the end of the second round, and probably even in the first.
I also like Gilbert Burns to bounce back and get a stoppage win, likely by submission as his ground game is so good.
I have Derrick Lewis on my team as well. He has the size and power edge over Roy Nelson, and I think he can knock Nelson out. Alberto Mina is undefeated with 11 stoppage wins, and is facing Mike Pyle who is nearing the end of his career. I can see Mina knocking Pyle out early in their fight.
The last fighter on my team is Eddie Alvarez. I believe he will end Thursday night as the new UFC Lightweight Champion, and that it will go the distance, which gives him more chances to score points.
PAUL FONTAINE- Vicente Luque ($10,900), Reginaldo Vieira ($10,200), Roy Nelson ($9,800), Alberto Mina ($9,500), Dileno Lopes ($8,700)
All but one of Luque’s career wins have come by finish and his opponent Alvaro Herrera has been finished in all three of his losses. To me, that’s a recipe for some bonus points for Luque.
Vieira was the TUF Brazil season 4 champion and he beat a guy I also have on my team in his official UFC debut. That win was the first time he’d gone to the judges in one of his wins. I see the fight with Marco Beltran being an all-out balls to the wall brawl with Vieira being the last one standing.
Roy Nelson should score a late KO or submission over Derrick Lewis. Nelson is tough to finish and Lewis will probably gas out before getting caught by a shot that drops him.
I’m surprised Alberto Mina is an underdog against the aging Mike Pyle. Mina scored a finish in his UFC debut and then beat a tough vet in Yoshihiro Akiyama in his follow-up. He’s unbeaten and an impressive finish over a another vet like Pyle should move him up the ranks.
My last pick is more a pick against Anthony Birchak than for Dileno Lopes. Birchak has been finished in the first round of two of his last three fights. And Lopes has a KO or sub in eight of his last nine wins.
PEACH MACHINE- Rafael Dos Anjos ($11,000), Alan Jouban ($10,000), Derrick Lewis ($9,600), Alberto Mina ($9,500), Marco Beltran ($9,200)
I hate this card, but I love Rafael Dos Anjos. He’s really good and will most likely be one of the most dominant champions in UFC history after it’s all said and done.
Nelson is done and Lewis will KO him. I hate Pyle so I’m picking Mina. Jouban is handsome. I just love Carlos Beltran of the NY Yankees and I assume Marco is related. Play this lineup!
Welcome to our live coverage of UFC Fight Night 81: Dillashaw vs. Cruz from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The event is headlined by UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw making his third title defense against the man who never lost the championship, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who fights for the title for the first time since having to vacate it due to injuries. The co-main event will be a fight between former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis and former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.
> Francimar Barroso (18-4, 3-1 UFC) def. Elvis Mutapcic (15-4, 0-1 UFC) via u/d (30-27 x 2, 29-28) Light Heavyweights
Kicking off right on time with our first prelim fight of the night. Light attendance in the upper level and the lower bowl is slowing filling in. I’ll be tweeting random stuff as well, so follow me at @JoshNason for that and press conference stuff. I will say that I saw JNPO guest and Sherdog scribe/audio stylist Jack Encarnacao at dinner and he confirmed he will not be in this year’s Royal Rumble.
R1: Mutapic was breathing through his mouth early, likely because of a combination of an adrenaline dump in his first UFC fight and the kicks to the midsection from Barroso. Barroso got a takedown midway through the round and didn’t do a lot of advance, finally landing some ground and pound late to earn him the round. I didn’t catch the ref’s name, but he might be having a little Octagon shock himself. 10-9 Barroso
R2: Barroso found homes for his continued kicks to the midsection, landing a few leg kicks for good measure. Mutapcic’s mouthpiece fell out twice, much to the dismay of the crowd. Barosso bloodied up Mutapcic’s nose and right eyebrow, but Mutapcic started to find his range at the end of the round. Tough one to call, but I’ll swing it 10-9 Barroso for more damage. Mutapcic is mouth open gassed.
R3: Mutapcic’s mouthpiece fell out again and he was admonished by the ref. He’s got Octagon control on his side, and Barroso is looking like he’s in survive and escape mode. He keeps landing that midsection kick through, but isn’t throwing enough of them. Mutapcic won this round 10-9 as Barroso seemed confident he won the first two. If the judges saw that second round differently though…
Story Of The Fight: Barroso wins with one judge seeing it the way I did. Neither guy looks to be a prospect to worry about at 205.
> Rob Font (12-1, 2-0 UFC) def. Joey Gomez (6-1, 0-1 UFC) by TKO at 4:13 of round 2 Bantamweights
Gomez got introduced as Barroso was leaving as we’re on a tight timeframe for these FP prelims. Lots of bass in the intros. For those that haven’t been to UFC before, your ears will be ringing the next day. Font has trained a lot of BJJ with one of New Hampshire’s few BJJ black belts in Tim Barchard, the man I earned my blue belt from. During the intros, Font got a Joe Lauzon pop from the Boston crowd. Who knew he was such a hit? For those that went to that first Boston show, the Lauzon finish of Gabe Reudiger and the resulting ovation is something of legend in my old mind anyway.
R1: Not much happening on the feet, but Font is controlling the center of the cage early on. Font had no issues getting several takedowns and started to get more comfortable on his feet as the fight evolved. Font lands a nice right elbow near the end of the round to seal it 10-9. Gomez looks overwhelmed in his first UFC outing.
R2: Font is looking more and more comfortable on his feet, but is lunging a little bit — almost impatient waiting for Gomez to do something which he really isn’t. As I type that, Gomez lands a hard kick to Font’s side. Font hits Gomez with a left hook andd swarms. Gomez wisely waits out the storm and goes for a takedown, savvy for a young fighter. It’s almost like it woke him up. We get back to the feet and Font is pouring it on, knocking out Gomez’s mouthpiece with an uppercut. Gomez covers up, falls to his butt, and Herb Dean calls it quickly.
Story Of The Fight: With Joe Lauzon part of the old guard of New England MMA, Font could be the new guy around these parts if he can continue to put things together. Gomez looks overwhelmed and Font’s stand-up was just too much of him.
> Charles Rosa (11-2, 2-2 UFC) def. Kyle Bochniak (6-1, 0-1 UFC) by u/d (29-28 x 2, 30-27) Featherweights
Bochniak changed his nickname for the night to “Crash” out of respect to Ben “Killer B” Saunders who fights later in the show. This is the third straight fight of the night where a guy is making his Octagon debut, a symptom of an undercard crushed by injury.
R1: Large “Rosa” chant early as Bochniak makes Rosa’s left cheekbone turn pink. Rosa is content to throw kicks, but Bochniak nails him with a right to put him down. As Bochniak attacks, Rosa goes for a leglock but Bochniak escapes. Bochniak has a big red welt on his right side. With about 10 seconds to go, a whistle went off and both guys stopped for a minute. That was weird. 10-9 Bochniak. He seems very comfortable in there for a rookie.
R2: This is turning into a spirited affair on the feet. Rosa has a lot of fans, but Bochniak has got his people too. Rosa is still throwing kicks while Bochniak wants to throw harmful shots. Rosa secures a takedown with about a minute to go that might win him the round, but can’t hold him there for long. Then with 20 seconds left, bloody noseed Bochniak secures a power takedown on Rosa. Tough round to score, but I’ll say 10-9 Bochniak for the variety of shots, aggression, and the takedown.
R3: Bochniak is gassed, hands down by his side, and in survival mode. He’s still looking for headshots, but Rosa is smartly picking and choosing his shots. Still, Bochniak is landing. People are loving this fight. Bochniak looked for a takedown twice, but is dead. Rosa 10-9. Fun round between two completely exhausted fighters.
By my scorecard, that’s a 29-28 for Bochniak but that second round was tough to call.
Story Of The Fight: There were a few boos for the decision — surprising since Rosa is a Boston guy. I don’t understand a 30-27 card for Rosa, but then again, I scored the second for Bochniak, so what do I know?
> Ilir Latifi (11-4-0-1, 4-2 UFC) vs. Sean O’Connell (17-7, 2-3 UFC) by first round KO (:30) Light Heavyweights
These guys are out here in record time and only got one entrance song!
R1: Latifi hit a power right to O’Connell that put him on his back. He hit him again with a right on the way down and ref Kevin MacDonald jumped in to stop it quick. This felt like a quick stoppage for sure. Needing some extra time, UFC got a gift on that one.
Story Of The Fight: Latifi is a strong freakin’ dude, but the stoppage felt quick as O’Connell didn’t go flat and MacDonald essentially called the fight before he even fully hit the mat. Latifi said in the postfight that he wants to go fight in the main event of the next UFC show in Sweden this summer.
> Paul Felder (11-2, 3-2 UFC) def. Daron Cruickshank (16-8-0-1, 6-6-0-1 UFC) by third round RNC submission (3:53) Lightweights
This one should be fun as both guys are known for having, well, fun fights. I still can’t get over how Latifi and O’Connell got one entrance song and the fight was over in just 30 seconds, can you? UFC continues to experiment with having a “featured fight” on Fight Pass instead of loading up FS1 with all the good stuff. If you’re trying to build a service where people are paying for good fights, that seems to be a pretty good idea. Also a good idea: putting a guy named “The Irish Dragon” on a Boston show.
R1: Cruickshank is so quick with his kicks, it’s amazing. He went after Felder’s hips with them, which seems like a good idea. Felder is content to stalk him down, but the “Detroit Superstar” is too fast for that. Great spot with about 1:30 to go where Cruickshank went for a takedown and the crowd began to buzz, but Felder attempted a guillotine instead. After another spinning back kick from Cruickshank, Felder went for a takedown and got reversed immediately. Great round for DC: 10-9.
R2: Cruickshank is just so good on his feet; he misses a kick and lands one .0005 seconds later. This round was great when it wasn’t wrestling on the ground. Cruickshank loves the “spinning shit” and is overwhelming Felder with spinning back fists and spinning kicks. He hit a perfect side kick to the face that was a work of stand-up art. So much fun. Felder went for a reverse triangle ala Liam McGeary which has the Shankster in some trouble. The fans are into Shank’s stand-up so they want to see him get out of this. That offensive barrage in the middle? Awesome. 10-9 Shank.
R3: Cruickshank spent the first half of the round fighting off Felder’s backpack attack. With about 1:10 to go, he sunk in a guillotine choke and got the tap which the crowd popped big for. Impressive come from behind win!
Story Of The Fight: Cruickshank had this one in the bag, but had nothing in the third round and it cost him. At 3-2, he needs some consistency in the division to really be a force but he’s an action fighter so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to improve.
Fox Sports One prelims —
> Luke Sanders (11-0, 1-0 UFC) def. Maximo Blanco (12-7-1-1, 4-4 UFC) by first round submission at 3:38 Featherweights
R1: Another UFC debut in Sanders, an undefeated fighter giving up a little bit of size. A hard left by Sanders puts Blanco on his rear, but Blanco is a veteran and reversed it into top position and a sub attempt. Sanders hit another big left hook and dropped him again, snagging back control and a deep rear naked choke for the tap and win. Huge win by Sanders.
Story Of The Fight: Sanders made his mark here, the most impressive of the UFC Debut Crew tonight. His cornerman was talking to press row and I think he said Sanders usually fights down a weight class. That snaps a three-fight win streak for Blanco. Hard to say where Sanders goes from here, but I’m interested.
> Chris Wade (10-1, 3-0 UFC) vs. Mehdi Baghdad (11-3, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
If there was a musical artist that is most tied to UFC entrances, it’s think it’s either Eminem or DMX. Baghdad is our 5th of the UFC Debut Crew but the final one of the night.
R1: Crowd is chanting ‘USA’ a minute into the fight with the American on top. Okay then. The fight was all Wade working on the ground and Wade eventually sneaking in a rear naked choke for the tap. Baghdad had nothing for him from the second this started.
Story Of The Fight: There really wasn’t one. Wade cruised through an injury replacement and made it look easy.
> Ed Herman (23-11-0-1, 10-7-0-1 UFC) def. Tim Boetsch (18-10, 9-9 UFC) by second round TKO (1:39) Light Heavyweights
I am all in on these veteran vs. veteran “let’s see what you got” fights. Neither dude is going to be a UFC champion, but desperation and having nothing to lose usually makes for entertaining fights. Let’s do this.
R1: Slobberknocker action early on and Boetsch staggers Herman with a big left hand. In watching this, I feel like I’m outside a bar in my UMaine days at around 1:15 AM. Herman isn’t doing much as I think his gameplan is to have Boetsch wear himself out early. If so, he’s got to survive the meathooks TB is throwing. Herman did well in the clinch, so look for more of that in the second round. Boetsch 10-9
R2: Herman is starting to find a home for his punches and lands a huge knee up the middle to drop TB on his knees. I’m tempted to call ref MacDonald “Quick Draw”, but Boetsch was out of it and taking more shots on the ground. Nice effort for Herman in conserving energy and picking up a much-needed win in a new weight class.
Story Of The Fight: Herman survives to fight another day and with his third straight UFC defeat (six of his last eight), I could see Boetsch either getting cut or retiring. Post-fight, Herman said he’s at 205 to stay and thinks the drug testing and “the sport being cleaned up” will help him out a ton.
> Patrick Cote (24-9, 10-9 UFC) def. Ben Saunders (19-7-2, 7-4 UFC) by 2nd round TKO (1:14) Welterweights
We got another battle of veterans here to close up the FS1 portion of the show. A winner of five of his last seven, Cote is looking for his third straight victory tonight. Saunders has won all three of his fights since returning to the UFC and has won six of his last seven.
R1: Cote is having a tough time trying to get inside Saunders’ long reach. Saunders hits a takedown, but Cote is doing a nice job at closing the guard and not letting Saunders posture up. Then like an RKO outta nowhere, Cote nearly gets Saunders to tap to an armbar. Cote ended the round on top and won that round 10-9.
R2: For a Quebec guy, the Boston faithful love them some Patrick Cote. Clinch work in the middle and Cote starts landing 10 or so uppercuts in a row. Saunders ate a few and then folded, succumbing to some ground and pound for the finish.
Story Of The Fight: Cote now has three straight wins and six of his last seven. I’d like to see him in there against a higher level of competition, but does he want it or are these veteran fights satisfying enough for him?
FOX SPORTS ONE MAIN CARD —
> Francisco Trinaldo (19-4, 9-3 UFC) def. Ross Pearson (18-10-0-1 NC, 10-7-0-1 UFC) by u/d (30-27 x 2, 29-28) Lightweights
At 37 years old, Trinaldo is suddenly riding a four-fight win streak while Pearson is looking for his first two fight win streak since 2012-13. Also, I didn’t realize Face The Pain Classic was back as I missed the last few PPV opens. They just couldn’t do it, could they?
R1: Crowd booking early for this one as there’s a lot of feeling out…kind of like when a couple first starts dating. Trinaldo punctuated the round with a huge slam that nearly put Pearson on his head. I think that won the round 10-9 for Trinaldo.
R2: Pearson scored a big takedown, but couldn’t hold Trinaldo down for long. Following a nice spinning kick from Pearson, Trinaldo got Pearson up against the cage and landed two big knees of the ‘ooh…ahh’ variety. Pearson was game to get in there and throw, but Trinaldo’s collection of kicks and knees are finding places to inflict pain. 10-9 Trinaldo.
R3: Trinaldo is throwing Pedro Martinez 1999 heat in there. I remember a few weeks ago when Dave Meltzer was talking about judging, seeing the impact of the punches and how it meant something when it came to scoring. Not having been to a live UFC event in 16 months, I kinda dismissed it as, “Yeah, but…” Seeing this live, however, you really get the idea of how hard these Trinaldo shots are coming in. Pearson got a takedown midway through the round as Trinaldo is starting to fade a bit. Tight round that I’d give to Pearson but not by much.
Trinaldo wins and Pearson doesn’t like the decision.
Story Of The Fight: This is quite the improbable run for Trinaldo, now a winner of five straight. There is hope for guys in their late-30s! Pearson is a .500 fighter at this stage and perhaps a 155-pound liability for someone the UFC doesn’t want to lose. Just a thought.
> Travis Browne (18-3-1, 9-3-1 UFC) def. Matt Mitrione (9-5, 9-5 UFC) by third round TKO (4:09) Heavyweights
The last time Browne was on an FS1 show in Boston, he scored a huge come from behind win over Alistair Overeem. A loser in two of his last three, he needs to win big again here tonight. The same could be said for Mitrione who will become a free agent after this fight and turned down a new contract to see what he’s worth. Yep, we got some stakes in this one. Browne was also booed at weigh-ins, likely due to the accusations of domestic violence as well as his relationship to Ronda Rousey. Fans are like that.
R1: After a lot of circling, Browne opened up on his feet, landing a kick. Mitrione is charging in, but Browne is just missing on a crisp counter. Browne hits the deck, but it was hard to tell whether it was a slip or from a punch as he was back up quick. With 10 seconds to go, Mitrione got poked in the right eye as he charged in. Doctors came in, but Mitrione sad he was ok. I’ll give that to Browne 10-9, but that was kinda dull.
R2: Ohh boy. Browne poked Mitrione again, but because there was a flurry of action, the ref couldn’t stop the fight or didn’t see it so they kept going. Mitrione is fighting with one eye closed and still no stoppage. The look on the ref’s face during this was priceless. The doctors came in to examine as the ref finally called timeout and they didn’t seem to want to let it go. Mitrione seems fine though and we finally get back to action. You know there’s another poke coming though. You just know it. Weird spot as Browne feigned a strike and Mitrione covered up as if he had been hit…but he didn’t pop right back to action.
What a weird round. The one thing I know is these people hate Browne. 10-9 Browne, I guess?
R3: Browne hit a hard straight right that would have dropped either you or I, but man, this is not a good fight. Browne looks tentative, Mitrione probably can’t see, and this crowd is restless. Mitrione has some nasty looking swelling above his right eye. Browne hits a huge takedown, is in full mount, and is pounding away with two minutes to go. With less than a minute to go, the ref calls it and Browne is enjoying a raining of boos. Mitrione’s eye is enormous and the crowd responds like someone just got shot.
Story Of The Fight: Bad fight, everyone hates Browne (no post-fight interview), and Mitrione’s eye will be one of the most shared pics on Twitter tomorrow. At least we have a clear path to Mitrione vs. Kongo II: Electric Boogaloo. (Yes, I used the same joke on Twitter.)
> Eddie Alvarez (27-4, 2-1 UFC) def. Anthony Pettis (18-4, 5-3 UFC) Lightweights
The former UFC lightweight champion vs. the former Bellator lightweight champion? That’s what you call a dream match. I have a feeling we’ll be wanting five rounds of this before it’s over. There’s a lot to prove for both guys in this one. This is Pettis’ first fight since getting trucked by Rafael dos Anjos for the 155-pound title, while Alvarez is coming off a summer ’15 decision over Giblert Melendez. We still haven’t seen the best Alvarez yet and he’s got a big stage here to make a big statement.
Pettis is out to Eminem, so my prior theory is looking better, isn’t it? As Pettis got in the cage, he walks by Alvarez and the two locked eyes in one of those big fight glances. Good lord, I can’t wait. Both guys are jacked and in fantastic shape. Here we go!
R1: Alvarez doesn’t want to give Pettis any distance and is grinding him up against the cage. Finally free and Pettis shows why that game plan might be best as he throws a head kick and later a glancing back kick with crazy speed. Seconds later, Alvarez is back to the grind. Pettis is punishing Alvarez’s right side with kicks. There’s a group of fans here who are just yelling nonstop swears to Alvarez, but security is doing nothing. I’ll give that 10-9 to Alvarez because of the grappling control. I can see a round for Pettis as he did land more clean shots, just not a ton of them.
R2: Pettis a lot faster than Alvarez, landing two punch combos before Alvarez can respond. EA is going away from the cage grind and wants more of a kickboxing match. Tight round but I give it to Pettis 10-9. Thinking about round 2, I can see Pettis winning that so EA has to come out strong in the third. Security finally told the swearing dudes to hush up. I bet that won’t last long.
R3: If Alvarez thought he won the first round, his approach of grinding here in the third makes a ton of sense. Bloodied up, Alvarez secured a takedown about halfway through the round but Pettis nearly turned it into a heel hook. As Pettis worked his way back up, Alvarez dropped him back down. The last 30 seconds or so were a labor for Alvarez physically. People are going to be pissed one way or another, but this was a close, close round and fight. I gave this round to EA 10-9. Big “Eddie” chant as we await the judges’ scores.
Lots of cheers and boos for the decison and Alvarez’s post-fight promo. He said he wants the champion next and you know, he might have earned it.
Dominick Cruz (21-1, 4-0 UFC) def. T.J. Dillashaw (12-3, 8-3 UFC) to win the UFC Bantamweight title (48-47 Cruz, 49-46 Dillashaw, 49-46 Cruz)
This is a head vs. heart fight pick. My head tells me that Dillashaw was the guy to go with considering Cruz has fought once in the last four years or so. But my heart is saying Cruz is more experienced, confident, and will game plan accordingly. There’s no pressure on Cruz here as he’s playing with house money after all of the surgeries, injuries, and time off from the sport. Cruz’s footwork is on point in the pre-fight warmups.
R1: Dillashaw is swinging at air in the first few minutes. Cruz is still quick as all hell, so Dillashaw is likely going to want to get ahold of him and go to work. Cruz ducks out of the way and lands a nice two-punch combo. This is pretty incredible to watch in person. Dillashaw stalked him the entire round, did catch him occassionally, but Cruz was better on the feet and quicker. Cruz was walking kinda gingerly to the corner like he hurt his foot or something. Might be something to watch. 10-9 Cruz.
R2: Cruz is slowing down a bit and his mouth is open. Dillashaw is finding a rhythm, landing two head kicks and a few punches. Cruz gets back to back takedowns, but can’t hold Dillashaw down for long. These two can’t seem to hit each other. Cruz stared down Dillashaw after the round ended. There’s definitely is something up with Cruz’s right leg. Dillashaw 10-9.
R3: Media scores are all over the place, meaning this is a close fight and probably will end up in another controversal decision. Dillashaw again is landing more and more shots as Cruz slows down, mouth agape. The head kick is landing time and time again. Cruz gets a takedown with less than two minutes to go, but Dillashaw reverses and both guys get a huge pop. People are quietly just watching this play out — it’s kinda nice. Cruz is getting kicked when he looks to escape out the side hatch after a quick clinch. Jesus, that’s another tough round to score. I think Dillashaw took that one 10-9, but it’s a coinflip.
R4: Another Cruz takedown is reversed in milliseconds. Looks like Dillashaw has some swelling above the right eye. Cruz with some nice combos and Dillashaw answers with a takedown and submission attempt. Dillashaw has some blood above his left eye as Cruz is hitting a little harder on the exchanges. Again, another glare at Dillashaw as he walks away. I had this 10-9 Cruz and all tied up going into the 5th.
R5: I don’t even know how you begin to score this round or this fight. I would say 10-10, but that’s the coward’s way out. I think Cruz won that 10-9 and indeed, he is limping around in the cage. He might have a broken foot and is chatting with Dana and Lorenzo about it.
Cruz wins a tight split decision and the crowd is euphoric. What a moment. Dillashaw is just in disbelief, pacing around. Cruz says that his left foot was injured coming into the fight and is “torn in half” right now. Oh boy. Cruz says to Kenny Florian, “Quit copying and pasting, man!” Dillashaw thought he had the fight won, but there’s no surprise there. Cruz is noticably limping badly walking to the back.
That’s it from here. Hit me up on Twitter for any press conference news and notes!
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night 81: Dillashaw vs. Cruz weigh-ins from the Wang Theater in Boston, Massachusetts. The fighters will hit the scale at 4 PM eastern time. The card airs on Sunday with the main card on FOX Sports 1 at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off at 6 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FOX Sports 1 at 8 PM eastern time with additional preliminary bouts. This will be the fourth trip for the Octagon to Boston.
The event is headlined by a UFC Bantamweight Championship bout that will determine the true undisputed champion at 135 pounds as current UFC Bantamweight Champion T.J. Dillashaw makes his third title defense when he takes on the man who never lost the championship inside the Octagon, former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz, who fights for just the second time in 51 months. In the co-main event, it will be former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis fighting for the first time since losing the 155-pound title when he takes on Eddie Alvarez. Also featured on the main card is a heavyweight battle between Travis Browne and Matt Mitrione.
MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT): T.J. Dillashaw (135) vs. Dominick Cruz (135) – UFC Bantamweight Championship Anthony Pettis (155.5) vs. Eddie Alvarez (155.5) Travis Browne (238) vs. Matt Mitrione (249) Ross Pearson (155) vs. Francisco Trinaldo (155.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT): Patrick Cote (171) vs. Ben Saunders (170) Tim Boetsch (206) vs. Ed Herman (204.5) Chris Wade (155.5) vs. Mehdi Baghdad (156) Maximo Blanco (146) vs. Luke Sanders (145.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6 PM ET/3 PM PT): Paul Felder (155.5) vs. Daron Cruickshank (155) Ilir Latifi (205) vs. Sean O’Connell (205.5) Charles Rosa (145.5) vs. Kyle Bochniak (145) Rob Font (135) vs. Joey Gomez (135) Francimar Barroso (205) vs. Elvis Mutapcic (201)
NOTES: -Mehdi Baghdad initially missed weight, coming in one pound over at 157 pounds, but made weight after the towel was brought out. He did take his fight against Chris Wade on short notice.
