Known for his fighting inside the cage, former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett won a legal fight against USADA Friday, setting a blueprint for how future accused fighters can better document their supplement intake.
An independent arbitrator ruled that the 40-year-old should have only received a public reprimand and not a suspension for his December 2016 out-of-competition test failure for ostarine. The color commentating voice of New Japan Pro Wrestling on AXS TV is now eligible to return to action immediately.
He also makes history as the first fighter to test positive and not get a suspension since USADA took helm of UFC’s anti-doping program in 2015.
Barnett kept track of his supplements and his legal team were able to prove the ostarine came from a tainted supplement. In his ruling, the arbitrator (Richard H. McLaren of McLaren Global Sport Solutions) said that “On the evidence before me, the Applicant is not a drug cheat” and said that while he did ingest ostarine, he did so unknowingly.
Barnett tweeted, “I proved my innocence as I stated from the beginning and now I can look towards getting back in the ring in the neat (sic) future. The time I lost though can never be regained. It should not havr (sic) had to come to all of this. Ever onwards…”
What will be interesting to see if whether there is a lawsuit over the loss of fight income he could have earned over the 16 months he’s been on the sidelines dealing with this and/or legal fees. When writer Jonathan Snowden asked how on Twitter how UFC and USADA might compensate him for the time missed, Barnett replied, “Good question…”
AXS TV officially announced today that Jim Ross and Josh Barnett have signed new contracts and will continue to host New Japan Pro Wrestling on the station.
“I’m excited to be returning to AXS TV, and with my partner, Josh Barnett, we look forward to another exciting year with AXS TV and their NJPW programming,” Ross said. “NJPW has some of the finest athletes in the world performing for them and it’s an honor to be able to add a narrative to their bouts.”
It was noted in the Observer earlier this month that Ross and AXS had verbally agreed on a new contract, with WWE not standing in the way of the deal. Ross’ agreement with WWE allows him to continue doing his existing work.
“Together, Jim Ross and Josh Barnett form one of the strongest and most unique commentary teams in pro wrestling,” AXS Fights CEO Andrew Simon said. “J.R.’s experience is second to none and his iconic voice provides a captivating soundtrack for NJPW, while Josh’s career in both pro wrestling and combat sports allows him to add compelling depth and a combatant’s perspective to the action.”
This will be the fourth season of NJPW on AXS and will feature more up-to-date programming than ever before, notably the January 4th Tokyo Dome show in which the top three hours of the show will be edited and broadcast on January 6th, just two days after it takes place.
As part of the build for this weekend’s NJPW shows in the U.S. with Saturday night’s show airing live on AXS TV, color commentator, pro wrestler, and former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett answered media questions for about 45 minutes on Wednesday afternoon.
A few of the topics Barnett talked about:
– Whether he’s had discussions about getting into pro wrestling again
– Thoughts on his recent match with Jeff Cobb and past matches with Suzuki and Bobby Lashley
– Whether he wanted to work more with Impact Wrestling
– Working with Jim Ross and the transition of working with him vs. Mauro Ranallo
– What NJPW talent that he helped train has surprised him the most with his success
– What NJPW can learn from PRIDE’s expansion into the U.S.
– How he would compare the two Okada vs. Omega matches
– What NJPW talents he has seen progress since he began commentating on matches
– What pro wrestlers could hold their own in MMA…and more.
Previously: Braxton Sutter dumped Laurel Van Ness during their wedding ceremony last week and then finally kissed Allie. Also, Cody Rhodes returned to Impact and turned heel when he attacked Moose because he was jealous of the friendship between Moose and Brandi Rhodes.
Tonight: TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Lashley defends his title against Josh Barnett.
Show Recap —
TNA Knockouts Champion Rosemary defeated Jade to retain her title in a Last Knockout Standing match
Rosemary hit a coast-to-coast dropkick using a trash can but Jade was able to beat the count. Jade leapt off the top rope and Rosemary spit the mist in her eyes. Rosemary hit the Red Wedding but Jade got back to her feet.
Rosemary hit a second Red Wedding on the floor, though Jade beat the count again. Jade attempted a powerbomb on the top of the ramp, but Rosemary spit mist in Jade’s eyes again and hit a third Red Wedding to win the match.
– The Broken Hardys, Reby, King Maxel, and Senor Benjamin gathered at Matt’s personal zoo. Matt wanted to test Jeff’s newfound abilities.
– Moose made his way down to the ring to call out Cody. Josh Mathews mentioned that Cody isn’t here tonight. Moose doesn’t care what club Cody’s a member of, doesn’t care who his father was, and doesn’t care that he’s the American Nightmare. Cody ran in from the crowd and jumped Moose from behind.
They brawled around ringside and it required several referees, security, and wrestlers to separate them. Brandi ran down and pleaded with Cody to stop. He briefly stopped, then suddenly grabbed Mathews and threw him down. Moose dove over the top rope onto Cody and the others. Cody grabbed Brandi and dragged her away.
– Mathews returned to commentary and said the he might have broken ribs. He mentioned that he’s showing great courage by returning to commentary. He’s worried that new management might replace him and asked Pope if he knows anything. Mathews thinks that Jeremy Borash is the one who should be fired. Mathews was a total heel the rest of the night.
James Storm defeated Jessie Godderz
Godderz had the match won with a Boston crab until Kingston distracted the referee, which allowed Bram to hit Godderz with a chair. Storm hit the Last Call superkick to win the match.
X Division Champion Trevor Lee (w/ Gregory Shane Helms) defeated Andrew Everett to retain his title
Everett hit two flip dives to the outside and followed up with a beautiful Asai moonsault. Everett hit a sick hurricanrana, sending Lee head first to the mat. Everett went for a shooting star press but Lee got his knees up and rolled Everett up to retain the title.
– At the Hardy zoo, Jeff had a premonition and they teleported to a flea market. They went in search of the tag team champions. The Hardys demanded a National tag title shot but the Appalachian Outlaws are the number one contenders. Senor Benjamin took out the Outlaws with a taser so The Hardys could get the title shot.
The Broken Hardys defeated The Ecktourage to win the National Tag Team Championship
The Expedition of Gold continued. The Appalachian Outlaws ran out and fought Jeff to the back while the heels worked over Matt. Jeff and Senor Benjamin chased the Outlaws with fireworks. Jeff returned to the ring to save Matt. Matt hit the Twist of Fate and Jeff followed up with the Swanton Bomb to win the titles. This was likely the Broken Hardys’ final TNA appearance.
– A doctor was checking on Moose when Drew Galloway approached and offered him a title match right now.
– A great video package on the non-wedding of Braxton Sutter and Laurel Van Ness aired. Van Ness was shown in a dark room drunk and crying after. She hates Sutter and Allie.
Moose defeated Drew Galloway to win the Grand Championship
Moose was selling injuries from his brawl with Cody. Galloway hit the Celtic Cross on the steel steps and won round one.
They brawled on the floor and Galloway hit a Death Valley Driver on the apron. Moose responded with a powerbomb on the apron. The judges gave the second round to Moose.
Galloway scored a close near fall with a tombstone. Galloway hit the Claymore and Moose followed up with the Game Changer but the time limit expired.
The match went to the judges for a decision. Moose won the match and the Grand Championship by split decision. This was likely Galloway’s final TNA appearance.
TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Lashley defeated Josh Barnett to retain his title
The match had an MMA feel to it. They traded submission attempts early, but nobody got the advantage. Lashley took over on Barnett and worked him over in the corner. Barnett fired back with knee strikes but Lashley caught him with an elbow.
Lashley went for a spear but Barnett caught him and rolled into an armbar. Lashley made it to the ropes to break the hold. Barnett rocked Lashley with a kick to the head. They collided and Barnett went down. Lashley quickly recovered and hit the spear to score the win and retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
Next Week: The Pope promised that the new regime will officially take over next week and said to expect major changes.
As you can see, the match was relatively short and one that Barnett won handily by submission. He moves on to face TNA Champion and Bellator MMA heavyweight Bobby Lashley on next week’s edition of the show in, essentially, a UFC vs. Bellator match.
The 39-year-old is currently on the MMA shelf as he was notified in December of an out-of-competition potential anti-doping violation by USADA. He last was seen submitting Andrei Arlovski in a September headliner in Germany.
Barnett has a history of pro wrestling dating back to 2003 when he began work in New Japan Pro Wrestling and later the IGF. He last wrestled in 2011 on a DREAM New Year’s Eve event, but focused on MMA competition in Strikeforce and the UFC since then.
As of now, it’s unclear what Barnett’s future is with the company, but with March’s set of tapings fast approaching, we’ll likely find out soon.
Previously: Davey Richards defeated Eddie Edwards in an intense street fight. Also, the Broken Hardys defeated Psicosis & Super Crazy to win the Crash Tag Team Championship.
Tonight: The Expedition of Gold continues when the Broken Hardys challenge Mathis & Rage for the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship. Additionally, the wedding of Braxton Sutter and Laurel Van Ness will take place tonight. Plus, Cody Rhodes returns to Impact.
Show Recap —
– An in memoriam graphic for George “The Animal” Steele, Chavo Guerrero Sr., Ivan Koloff, and Nicole Bass aired.
– In Cameron, North Carolina, Broken Matt was going on an odyssey so he gave all of his powers to Jeff Hardy. Jeff had a premonition that Matt was going to Egypt and he transported moments later.
– Cody and Brandi Rhodes came down to the ring. Cody mentioned that last week when teaming with Moose, Brandi went by the name Mini-Moose. Brandi thanked Cody for supporting her and thanked Moose for being her partner. Cody told Brandi that she’s perfect and invited Moose to the ring.
The crowd chanted “Moose-Brandi,” which seemed to bother Cody. Moose mentioned that both Cody and Brandi have his number. Cody got mad that Brandi has Moose’s number and asked if they’re going to sleep together.
He called Moose a disparaging name for someone who sleeps around but then said he was just joking. They shook hands but Cody gave Moose a low blow and beat him down. Cody did the Bullet Club gun sign as Brandi checked on Moose. Cody dragged Brandi away.
In the back, Cody and Brandi stormed away as Cody screamed at the cameraman to stay away from his wife.
Tyrus defeated Eli Drake by DQ
Drake tried to negotiate with Tyrus to let him win the match but Tyrus refused. Drake teased starting the match but instead knocked down referee Earl Hebner. Drake offered Tyrus a raise not to fight. Tyrus accepted and they hugged.
– On commentary, The Pope mentioned that Anthem management is going to be making some changes. Josh Mathews was frustrated that Pope knew this and he didn’t. Mathews wondered if he’ll still have a job when Anthem fully takes over.
– Maria Kanellis, Sienna, and Laurel Van Ness were getting ready for the wedding. Allie had the rings but they didn’t know where she was.
– Matt and Skarsgard the golden boat transported back to Jeff. They then transported to their next destination on the Expedition of Gold.
– Jade came down to the ring and said the feud with Knockouts Champion Rosemary isn’t over. Rosemary is finished facing Jade but Jade isn’t finished with Rosemary. Jade and Rosemary agreed to battle in a last Knockout standing match.
– In the back, a drunken Mike Bennett gave Braxton Sutter marriage advice. Sutter doesn’t want to marry Laurel because he has feelings for Allie.
Jessie Godderz defeated Bram (w/ Kingston)
The finish came when Godderz sent Bram into Kingston and rolled up Bram for the win. After the match, Bram and Kingston tried to jump Godderz but he fought them off.
– The Broken Hardys arrived in the Mid-Atlantic babyface locker room. The Mid-Atlantic Cowboys gave up their title shot so the Hardys can challenge for the titles.
– At the Impact Zone, Allie tried to get out of being the ring bearer but Maria wouldn’t let her. Allie ran into Sutter and asked if he really loves Laurel. Sutter didn’t answer so she ran off.
The Broken Hardys defeated Mathis & Rage to win the Mid-Atlantic tag titles
This match took place at the Madison Civic Center. Mathis and Rage attempted a double clothesline on Jeff but he countered and made the hot tag to Matt. Matt ran wild on the heels. Matt hit the Twist of Fate on Mathis, followed by Jeff hitting the Swanton Bomb to pick up the win.
The Hardys, the babyfaces, and the audience celebrated the victory. The Hardys then suddenly disappeared.
Josh Barnett defeated Bad Bones
Bobby Lashley joined in on commentary. Barnett was introduced as a former UFC heavyweight champion. Barnett took Bones to the ground to start the match and then knocked him out of the ring. Bones had the brief advantage until Barnett hit a sick looking powerbomb. Barnett got the submission win with the keylock.
X Division Champion Trevor Lee (w/ Gregory Shane Helms) defeated DJ Z to retain his title
DJ Z aggravated his knee after hitting a hurricanrana from the apron to the floor. Lee took over and worked over the knee. DJ Z made a comeback and hit a reverse hurricanrana. DJ Z went for the ZDT but Lee rolled him up for the win. After the match, Lee and Helms beat down DJ Z until Andrew Everett made the save.
– In the back, Maria threatened Sutter that she’ll fire Allie if Sutter doesn’t go through with the wedding.
The Wedding of Braxton Sutter and Laurel Van Ness
The Impact Zone was transformed into a wedding chapel. A very intoxicated Mike Bennett walked Sutter to the ring. Rockstar Spud and Aron Rex arrived for the wedding. Spud was the flower girl. Van Ness came out and almost tripped on the steps.
Maria welcomed everyone to the greatest wedding since hers. Maria invited Allie to the ring. It seemed strange that the ring bearer came out after the bride.
Sutter’s jaw dropped when he saw Allie. Van Ness read her vows but Sutter forgot his. The minister asked if anyone objected and Allie teased objecting. The crowd chanted “We object.” Sutter teased saying “I do” but instead said “I don’t.” He can’t marry Van Ness because he’s in love with Allie.
Maria freaked out on Sutter and fired Allie but instead Allie quit. Sutter took down Bennett and Allie speared Maria. Brooke and Robbie E ran out to join the brawl. Sutter and Allie finally kissed as Laurel cried in the background.
Next Week: Bobby Lashley defends the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Josh Barnett.
Notes from tonight’s Impact tapings which were built around Braxton Sutter not marrying Laurel Van Ness, and Bobby Lashley vs. Josh Barnett for the TNA title.
– DCC came out and issued a challenge to Decay for a falls count anywhere match. DCC won the match when Bram gave Crazzy Steve a piledriver through a table.
– Bobby Lashley came out for an interview and said he was the baddest man on the planet. I thought that was Joe Warren. Lashley said that nobody in pro wrestling or MMA could beat him. This led to Josh Barnett coming out. Barnett challenged Lashley for the title. Lashley accepted.
– Moose defeated Drew Galloway via split decision to regain the Grand Championship.
– Eddie Edwards challenged Davey Richards to a match. Angelina Love came out. She said that you can’t get what you want and you won’t get a match with Richards until she okays it.. She said that Eddie wasn’t Davey’s real friend. Richards eventually came out and they had a brawl which led to a challenge for a street fight match.
– Josh Barnett defeated Bad Bones John Klinger with a Kimura submission.
– Rosemary defeated Jade in a Last Knockout standing match to retain her title.
– James Storm defeated Jessie Godderz when both Bram and Eddie Kingston interfered.
– Richards defeated Edwards in the street fight.
– Josh Barnett first seemed to beat Lashley to win the title but there were some issues and the match was restarted. Before the restart, Lashley protested and it was shown on tape that he got his shoulders up before three so Earl Hebner came out and started it over.
Lashley then defeated Barnett to retain the title. When Lashley pinned Barnett, Barnett also got his shoulder up, but it was counted, so that seems to leave things open for a rematch.
– Next was the wedding. As one would expect, right when they asked Sutter if he takes Van Ness to be his wife, he said that he didn’t, and that he was in love with Allie but said that he never could date Allie because Maria told him that she’d fire Allie if he dated her. Maria then fired Allie but Allie then said she quit.
It ended with a big brawl with Sutter and Allie together.
UFC star Josh Barnett will be appearing at tonight’s TNA television tapings in Orlando and making his debut for a national U.S. promotion.
Barnett, currently on a USADA temporary suspension regarding an out of competition drug test taken on December 9th, has a pro wrestling background and was a disciple of Billy Robinson, one of the biggest stars of the 60s and 70s.
Barnett is expected to work some kind of an angle with TNA champion Bobby Lashley, which would be notable for a pro wrestling feud between a UFC star and a Bellator star.
Tonight is the final night of the TNA tapings and will also include a mock wedding with Laurel Van Ness and Braxton Sutter.
Barnett, who announces for New Japan Pro Wrestling on AXS, left California after doing the voice overs for six weeks worth of shows, including Tokyo Dome shows that begin airing tomorrow night.
He has done pro wrestling on-and-off in Japan, including being one of the few Americans to headline a show at the Tokyo Dome, when he faced Yuji Nagata for the IWGP heavyweight title on January 4th, 2003. He later worked for the IGF in Japan, a promotion that Lashley worked for at the same time.
In 2011, as part of a tournament to crown an IGF pro wrestling world heavyweight champion, Barnett beat Lashley at the Tokyo Dome City Hall. Barnett ended up losing to Jerome LeBanner, a famous kickboxer, in the finals.
Josh Barnett is the latest UFC fighter to be flagged for a potential drug test violation.
Barnett, 39, who doubles as co-host of New Japan World Pro Wrestling on AXS, was reported today to have had an issue with a December 9th out-of-competition test issued by USADA.
Barnett had tested positive for banned substances previously in 2001 in Nevada, after a win over Bobby Hoffman, in 2002 in Nevada, after he captured the UFC heavyweight title from Randy Couture, and in 2009 in California, prior to a fight with Fedor Emelianenko.
He is coming off a win over Andrei Arlovski on September 3rd in Hamburg, Germany and was not signed to a new fight.
Barnett was also a pro wrestling star in Japan, and became a protege of Billy Robinson. He headlined the January 4th, 2003, show at the Tokyo Dome, losing in the main event for the IWGP title against Yuji Nagata.
sWelcome to our live coverage of UFC Fight Night 93: Arlovski vs. Barnett, emanating from the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany.
The event is headlined by a heavyweight clash between two former UFC Heavyweight Champions as Andrei Arlovski takes on Josh Barnett. A pair of light heavyweight bout round out the top three as former top contender Alexander Gustafsson returns to action against Jan Blachowicz, while Ryan Bader squares off against Ilir Latifi.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 11:45 AM EST with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
ROUND 1- They had an early feeling out process with both men landing strikes but neither dominating on the feet. Khabilov was getting the upper hand on the feet and then started working for takedowns, but Silva had good defense. Silva rocked Khabilov with a left hand and got a takedown into mount with less than a minute to go but Khabilov was able to reverse and ended the round on top landing strikes. A close round but Silva rocking Khabilov and getting the takedown won him the round. 10-9 Silva.
ROUND 2- They traded strikes on the feet with both equally landing but Khabilov landing with more power. The pace really slowed and Khabilov started working for the takedown and got it with an inside trip. Silva showed good defense and went for sweeps but Khabilov landed some punches from inside the guard. Not much to the round as both were tentative on the feet but Khabilov got it with the takedown. 10-9 Khabilov, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Silva landed early and Khabilov went for a takedown but it was defended well. They were warned to work and Khabilov went back to the takedown game but Silva showed good defense. Khabilov got the takedown with over a minute left after working hard for it and started landing punches. They got back to their feet and both started landing and Silva had a takedown stuffed and Khabilov landed to end the fight. Close fight. 10-9 Khabilov, 29-28 Khabilov.
Official Result- Rustam Khabilov def. Leandro Silva by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- The 30-27 score was perplexing as it was a close fight but Silva definitely got the first round. Neither man was overly impressive but Rustam Khabilov did enough to get the win. He isn’t on the same level as he was years ago before fighting Benson Henderson, but that is now three straight wins. He is coming back along nicely. Leandro Silva showed solid takedown defense against a heavy wrestler, and he landed good on the feet, but he couldn’t block the takedowns when needed. He’s lost two straight, but this was a solid effort and he should be back for another UFC fight.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS SCOTT ASKHAM (14-2, 2-2 UFC) VS. JACK HERMANSSON (13-2, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- They traded early and both men got in good punches. They both landed uppercuts in a clinch. Askham landed a solid uppercut at range. They traded big kicks and Askham landed some knees in a clinch. It was a close round but Askham did more with his striking and worked better in the clinches. 10-9 Askham.
ROUND 2- Hermansson came out aggressive but Askham started to get more aggressive in response. Askham was landing cleaner but Hermansson started to come back strong. Hermansson landed some uppercuts in close range. Hermansson with a strong second half of the round closed out with a takedown got this round for him. 10-9 Hermansson, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Hermansson turned on the striking but got a takedown. Askham worked for submissions but they got to their feet. Hermansson started to land a lot of punches. Askham found himself against the fence too much and he ate punches due to it. Askham survived and started to land late and had Hermansson defending a choke late. Askham came on and won the last minute but may have been too little too late. 10-9 Hermansson, 29-28 Hermansson.
Official Result- Jack Hermansson def. Scott Askham by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- A solid back-and-forth fight by both men and it was a lot closer than the two 30-27 scores indicate. Jack Hermansson has now win nine straight fights and will be a solid addition to European UFC cards, but I’m not sure he’ll ever be a true contender in a stacked middleweight division. Scott Askham is now 2-3 in the UFC but has had entertaining fights, and he hasn’t been stopped in his career yet. He showed good skills but fell down early in each round, which has hindered him before. He will be back in the future as he has some solid talent.
HEAVYWEIGHTS JARJIS DANHO (6-1 1 NC, 0-1 UFC) VS. CHRISTIAN COLOMBO (8-1, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Danho was looking at the clock very early but landed right hands. Danho was only looking to land that right hand and work in the clinch. Colombo was getting the upper hand in the clinch. Danho didn’t do much but landed some solid punches and ate an illegal knee. Colombo got docked a point for the illegal strike. They got back to action and not much happened. 9-9.
ROUND 2- They both traded and Colombo fell to the mat and Danho pounced. Colombo started to land some heavy knees. Danho used the same punch then clinch strategy. Both men very tired. Colombo had Danho in trouble. Colombo landed some knees to the body. Colombo had Danho in trouble at the end. This fight is ugly. 10-9 Colombo, 19-18 Colombo.
ROUND 3- They landed punches and both men are tired. Colombo was landing knees to the body. Danho looked like he could pass out at any second. This is honestly one of the worst fights I’ve seen in a while. Colombo went for a kimura and slipped and Dahno ended on top. They got up and Danho landed a few punches that cut open Colombo. Colombo landed some knees towards the end. I don’t know who won this fight. 10-9 Danho, 28-28.
Official Result- Jarjis Danho vs. Christian Colombo ruled a majority draw (27-29, 28-28, 28-28)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This fight was awful. I don’t know what to really say. Jarjis Danho got tired quickly and looked like he was going to pass out at any time. Christian Colombo was slow and sluggish and couldn’t finish Danho when he should have. Colombo would have gotten the decision if he didn’t get deducted a point, which was questionable. A bad heavyweight fight I don’t wanna speak of again.
BANTAMWEIGHTS TAYLOR LAPILUS (10-2, 2-1 UFC) VS. LEANDRO ISSA (13-5, 2-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Issa was just working for takedown after takedown and got a couple. It was clear he didn’t wanna stand with Lapilus. Lapilus was getting the better in the clinch. Lapilus landed a lot of punches on the feet and had Issa rocked. Lapilus with some big punches towards the end of the round. 10-9 Lapilus.
ROUND 2- Lapilus just getting the better of the striking battle. Issa spent time running away from danger. Issa landed some power kicks but Lapilus kept landing power punches and blocking takedown attempts from Issa. Issa was able to grab the neck and pull guard but Lapilus escaped and landed from the top as the round ended. 10-9 Lapilus, 20-18 Lapilus.
ROUND 3- Issa down two rounds and went to work for the takedown but it was defended by Lapilus. Lapilus stunned Issa with a left hand and had Issa running away. Issa went back for the takedowns but couldn’t get them and ate elbows and punches from Lapilus. Lapilus with several left hands but Issa got a scramble takedown but they got right back up. Lapilus landed at the end. This should be a shutout for Lapilus. 10-9 Lapilus, 30-27 Lapilus.
Official Result- Taylor Lapilus def. Leandro Issa by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- The 29-28 score is another indication of bad judging, though it hasn’t robbed a fighter of a decision yet. Taylor Lapilus had a disciplined performance and showed some excellent striking skills and was able to defend takedowns and showed he can be a future contender with more seasoning. Leandro Issa was unable to execute his gameplan and it was obvious he couldn’t stand with Lapilus as he kept running from trouble instead of trying to engage. Falling to 2-3 in the Octagon, it could be the end of him in the UFC for now.
ROUND 1- Macedo landed some kicks early. Evans-Smith was working to establish the clinch and work for takedowns as Macedo was getting the better of the striking. Evans-Smith got the takedown. She flattened Macedo out and was dominant from the top. Evans-Smith almost had a kimura but Macedo scrambled to her feet. They traded to end a good round of action. 10-9 Evans-Smith.
ROUND 2- Macedo landed a head kick and they went right to the clinch. Macedo went for a kneebar but it was defended. They worked in the clinch with both landing before they broke. Evans-Smith out-muscling Macedo in the clinch. Macedo rolled for a kneebar but gave up top position and Evans-Smith capitalized. Evans-Smith with a hip throw at the end after landing some punches. 10-9 Evans-Smith, 20-18 Evans-Smith.
ROUND 3- Evans-Smith defended the takedown and ended on top and started to land lots of punches and tons of big elbows and the fight was stopped by the referee. It should have been stopped much sooner. Impressive finish by Evans-Smith.
Official Result- Ashlee Evans-Smith def. Veronica Macedo by TKO (elbows) at 2:46 of Round 3
INSTANT ANALYSIS- Ashlee Evans-Smith scored the first finish of the card and was impressive in doing so. She has only fought five times in her career and this was her best showing so far in her young career. She looks like an evolving future contender. Veronica Macedo is just 20-years-old and only made her debut in March, but she has already fought a lot. The inexperience showed here but she did start off strong. She’ll be back with hopefully some time away to improve her skills as she is a raw talent.
WELTERWEIGHTS PETER SOBOTTA (15-5-1, 2-4 UFC) VS. NICOLAS DALBY (14-1-1, 1-1-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Sobotta dropped Dalby with a big left hand and swarmed on with a lot of punches looking to finish. Dalby survived. Sobotta with lots of control on the top in side control and he did great at keeping Dalby down on the mat. Sobotta was able to take the back and looked for the choke and had it in for a moment. Dalby survived the round but it was a big one for Sobotta. 10-8 Sobotta.
ROUND 2- Dalby poked Sobotta right in the eye and we had a long break in action. Sobotta dragged Dalby to the mat. Sobotta landing lots of punches from the half-guard. Dalby was just unable to get himself off the mat though he created space and landed some from the bottom. It was just suffocating top pressure from Sobotta who landed punches and worked for some submissions. Dalby survived for the third. 10-9 Sobotta, 20-17 Sobotta.
ROUND 3- Dalby has to finish Sobotta here. They were trading on the feet and Dalby actually getting the better of it. They traded kicks and Sobotta landed a nice left hand. Sobotta landed a body kick and got a takedown. Dalby doing nothing to get up. Sobotta controlling on the mat and grabs the neck. Dalby got to his feet and Sobotta dragged the fight to the end. 10-9 Sobotta, 30-26 Sobotta.
Official Result- Peter Sobotta def. Nicolas Dalby by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was the best performance of Peter Sobotta’s UFC career. He dominated a tough Nicolas Dalby and showed great takedowns and great top control. Dalby had no answer for him and struggled to get to his feet. With just one win in four UFC fights, he may be headed back to the regional promotions. He has good talent but is missing something when fighting inside the Octagon.
WELTERWEIGHTS JESSIN AYARI (15-3, 0-0 UFC) VS. JIM WALLHEAD (29-9, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- They had a feeling out process to start off with both men landing. Wallhead landed a leg kick and a glancing punch that sent Ayari to the mat for a second. Wallhead landed the right hand. They are still feeling each other out and neither man has been able to capitalize much. It was a close round. 10-9 Wallhead.
ROUND 2- Wallhead landed two big punches and had Ayari backtracking. Ayari throwing big punches from outside range but just isn’t engaging and Wallhead lands more big punches. Wallhead spent the round stalking down Ayari and he was getting the better of the action on the feet. Lots of boos coming from the crowd as there is not a whole lot of action. Wallhead lands a combo at the end. 10-9 Wallhead, 20-18 Wallhead.
ROUND 3- This fight is very close after two uneventful rounds. Ayari mixing strikes more and lands to the body. Both men trying to land punches and missing badly and the fans are not happy about it. It is a boring fight. Ayari landed a solid combo. Wallhead dropped Ayari with a big left hook. Wallhead went for the finish but couldn’t get it as Ayari got to his feet. Ayari survived and came back strong late in the fight. Wallhead stunned Ayari at the end. Stong finish for both after a boring fight. 10-9 Wallhead, 30-27 Wallhead.
Official Result- Jessin Ayari def. Jim Wallhead by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- I don’t agree with this decision as I thought Wallhead won the fight. He definitely didn’t lose all three rounds. The rounds were close though except the third. As for the fight, it was rather uneventful and quite boring until a strong third round. Both men were debuting and will be back. It should be a disappointing loss for Wallhead who fought so long to get to the UFC and he will have his back against the wall in his next bout. Ayari has some clear improvement he needs to make.
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 3 PM ET/12 PM PT)
LIGHTWEIGHTS NICK HEIN (13-2 1 NC, 3-1 UFC) VS. TAE HYUN BANG (18-9, 2-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- They didn’t do much early then both men landed punches. Bang landed a solid combo. Hein got a takedown off a right hand and was able to hold Bang down for a good minute. They traded punches and Hein was getting the better of the striking. Neither man did much outside of a takedown from Hein. 10-9 Hein.
ROUND 2- Bang came out with punches and knocked Hein down for a second but Hein got up and went to work in the clinch. They broke and both men continued to feel each other out. Neither man is doing much to win this fight. Hein got a solid takedown after not doing anything on the feet but Bang got up. Bang with a judo throw. Another boring round. 10-9 Hein, 20-18 Hein.
ROUND 3- Let’s see if something, anything, happens here. They are still feeling each other out. They butted heads and Bang is cut open. They keep going but both men just winging punches. Hein misses a takedown. There haven’t been as many boring fights this year than this one. Bang tried to land a combo but Hein was running away. Bang did land. Both landed punches. Thankfully this one is over. 10-9 Hein, 30-27 Hein.
Official Result- Nick Hein def. Tae Hyun Bang by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-28, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- There have been some bad fights tonight and this one was definitely the worst. One of the most boring fights this year, and personally, I hated this one. Nick Hein is 4-1 in the UFC and they have all been boring decision wins. He takes no chances and does nothing in going for a finish, and is one of the most boring fighters in the UFC, and I don’t think he really belongs in there as he doesn’t even face tough competition, having been known for turning down hard fights. I know that sounds like a huge shot at the guy, but he has shown nothing of value. Tae Hyun Bang couldn’t get off any offense and he is just as much at fault for a boring fight. With a 2-3 UFC record and this performance, I don’t think he’ll be back.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (#4) RYAN BADER (20-5, 13-5 UFC) VS. (#12) ILIR LATIFI (12-4 1 NC, 5-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- They had a feeling out process early with both men missing punches. Bader hurt him with a body kick. Latifi was looking to land that big punch but Bader was expecting it and keeping his distance. Latifi tried a takedown off a brief clinch but Bader defended it strongly. Latifi landed an overhand right twice that hit the arm of Bader. Latifi drops Bader with a right hand and rocked him at the end of the round. 10-9 Latifi.
ROUND 2- Bader landed a right hand. Latifi surges forward with punches looking to land a big one. Latifi stuffed a takedown attempt and landed a right hand. Out of nowhere Bader lands a big knee to the face and Latifi is out cold! Big knockout win from Bader.
Official Result- Ryan Bader def. Ilir Latifi by knockout (knee) at 2:06 of Round 2
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was close until the end. Ilir Latifi was getting the better of the battle and left himself open, and Ryan Bader capitalized by landing that huge knee to knock Latifi out cold. Bader was in trouble but fought back and got the finish, his first one in over three-and-a-half years. He is still a contender but has to beat a top contender if he is ever going to get a title shot. Latifi is a solid gatekeeper in the division but after this, I don’t see him ever getting into title contention. He was doing well until the end.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (#2) ALEXANDER GUSTAFSSON (16-4, 8-4 UFC) VS. JAN BLACHOWICZ (19-5, 2-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Blachowicz landing a lot of punches early. Gustafsson is bleeding early. Gustafsson lands a right hand and goes into the clinch. Gustafsson unable to land his punches and now Blachowicz lands some uppercuts in the clinch. Blachowicz lands to the body and Gustafsson gets a trip takedown into guard. Gustafsson lands some elbows inside the guard and closes the round out on top. I don’t think it was enough to warrant him winning the round. 10-9 Blachowicz.
ROUND 2- Both men come out swinging and land punches and Gustafsson gets a big takedown twenty seconds into the round. Gustafsson with an elbow and he has cut Blachowicz open. Gustafsson tried a step over but Blachowicz able to keep him in the guard. Blachowicz is just struggling to get out of the bottom. Gustafsson with more of a barrage of punches and elbows from the top. Gustafsson went to his feet and went back into guard with some punches. 10-9 Gustafsson, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Gustafsson with a big right hand. Gustafsson takes this fight right back to the ground with a quick takedown and is in the guard. Gustafsson with some elbows from the top. Gustafsson with smothering top control and Blachowicz doing nothing to get up but they get stood up. Gustafsson gets another takedown back into the guard and this should close out the fight. Gustafsson with punches from the top and a big elbow. He finishes out strong with ground-and-pound. 10-9 Gustafsson, 29-28 Gustafsson.
Official Result- Alexander Gustafsson def. Jan Blachowicz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- A nice comeback for Alexander Gustafsson after being controlled by Jan Blachowicz in the opening minutes. I don’t agree with the straight 30-27 scores as I saw Blachowicz doing enough on the feet to win the first, and that shows how much the judges value takedowns. But, it was a close round. Gustafsson did what he needed to do to win the fight in getting the takedowns, and signs of ring rust were apparent. He will be looking to get into title contention quickly, and perhaps a fight with Ryan Bader should be next as they have never fought each other. Blachowicz is now 2-3 in the UFC and is in gatekeeper mode, but I am sure we will see him again early next year.
HEAVYWEIGHTS (#6) ANDREI ARLOVSKI (25-12 1 NC, 14-6 UFC) VS. (#9) JOSH BARNETT (34-8, 6-3 UFC)
ROUND 1- They both rocked each other and dropped each other in the first 30 seconds. Both survived and right into the clinch. Arlovski with an elbow on the break. They clinch and Arlovski with a trip takedown into the half-guard. Arlovski is bleeding from his forehead. Arlovski with a big combo that had Barnett in trouble. Back to the clinch seeing Barnett looking for the takedown. Unable to get the takedown as the round ends. 10-9 Arlovski.
ROUND 2- Barnett with a right hand and they go into the clinch. Not much happened as Barnett controlled the clinch but they eventually got broken up. They trade punches and Arlovski lands big and they clinch back up. Arlovski gets the takedown but Barnett reverses into full mount. Barnett with some short elbows from the top as he was looking for a submission. Barnett with some heavy ground-and-pound and looking for the finish. Arlovski survives but a big round for Barnett. 10-9 Barnett, 19-19.
ROUND 3- They trade big punches and Barnett lands. Arlovski with some uppercuts and a big knee and Barnett is in trouble. He has an issue with his eye but Arlovski was unable to capitalize. Barnett grabs the arm and sweeps for the armbar but gets on top. Barnett gets to the back and has the rear-naked choke in. Arlovski taps! Big submission win for Barnett.
Official Result- Josh Barnett def. Andrei Arlovski by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:53 of Round 3
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was a fun fight and both men had each other in trouble. Andrei Arlovski was unable to capitalize on the striking advantage and got tired early, which hurt him as the fight went along. It is now three straight losses for him, and you have to wonder where he goes from here. I don’t see him being cut, but there’s little chance of him ever fighting for a title now. Josh Barnett bounced back nicely, and if it weren’t for a small mistake against Ben Rothwell, he might be right on the cusp of a title fight. He’s still the best heavyweight on the ground, and now he is primed for a big fight.
FINAL THOUGHTS- This was one of the more uneventful UFC events of the year. There were a lot of boring fights, and a very bad fight in the Nick Hein against Tae Hyun Bang fight. The main event delivered a solid fight, and the highlight of the event was Ryan Bader’s knockout of Ilir Latifi. Alexander Gustafsson and Ashlee Evans-Smith also had solid performances. This isn’t an event worth going out of your way to see as nothing was memorable, but a good main event between Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski.
The Octagon returns to Germany on Saturday for UFC Fight Night 93 at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany, with the full card airing on UFC Fight Pass. The event is headlined by a five-round heavyweight battle between former UFC Heavyweight Champions as Andrei Arlovski takes on Josh Barnett.
Below are our fighters to target when setting your daily fantasy line-ups for Saturday’s event.
TOP TARGET
Alexander Gustafsson ($12,500)
Alexander Gustafsson is making his return to the Octagon for the first time in nearly a year as he takes on Jan Blachowicz in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 93 card. Gustafsson was last seen dropping a close split decision to Daniel Cormier at UFC 192 in October in his second chance at becoming the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
The road back to a title shot starts for Gustafsson in Germany as he looks to bounce back from having lost three of his last four fights. Blachowicz represents a step back in competition for Gustafsson, and it set up as a bounce back fight for him.
Blachowicz is not an opponent to take lightly, though, as he sports a 19-5 career record, but he has lost two of his last three fights. Gustafsson is the superior fighter, but he has also talked about retirement after recent struggles.
Anytime a fighter has retirement on the mind, you have to wonder how much time they have left. I don’t believe that Gustafsson is close to leaving the sport, and I see having the nearly year-long layoff being a benefit to him. Gustafsson is quick on his feet and works best as a pressure fighter, and Blachowicz isn’t an opponent that is going to bring the fight to him.
Blachowicz is slow on his feet and has the tendency to be a boring fighter, and lesser opponents will fall to him due to his style. Gustafsson’s striking and movement will be key here as well as shaking off any ring rust that may creep in. He’s far too talented to fall to an opponent like Blachowicz.
Blachowicz has only been stopped twice in his career while Gustafsson has stopped 13 opponents in his career. Gustafsson commands one of the highest salaries ever for an MMA fighter on DraftKings since its inception, but despite that, he is the top target on this card as I expect him to get a second-round finish of Blachowicz. He is worth his salary.
VALUE TARGET
Josh Barnett ($9,700)
Josh Barnett is headlining his second UFC event since making his return to the company in 2013 as the former UFC Heavyweight Champion takes on another former UFC Heavyweight Champion in the form of Andrei Arlovski for five rounds in Hamburg.
Barnett is a slight betting favorite heading into the fight but both men have the same salaries, which makes Barnett a more valuable target between the two. Barnett is looking to rebound from being submitted for the first time in his career when he fell to Ben Rothwell in January. He was in control of the fight before being caught by Rothwell in the second round, and it derailed Barnett’s run towards getting a title shot.
Arlovski himself was very close to securing a title shot, but he has lost two straight fights by knockout to Stipe Miocic and Alistair Overeem, who fight next week for the championship. Arlovski is the better pure striker on the feet, but where Barnett will excel in this match-up is when he closes the distance and gets into a grappling battle with Arlovski.
Barnett does excellent work in the clinch between switching up elbow strikes with knee strikes. While Arlovski is an excellent wrestler, Barnett will be looking to wear him down in the clinch and open him up for being taken down. Barnett is world-class on the mat with his submissions, and he has very strong ground-and-pound to compliment his suffocating top control.
Arlovski still can land a punch, but he doesn’t pack the power he used to against fighters with strong chins, and Barnett has a very strong chin.
Arlovski has gotten hit a lot in his career, and his chin has taken a beating lately, and Barnett still possesses a strong right hand. This fight being 25 minutes opens it up for more scoring opportunities, but I don’t see it going past two rounds, and Barnett winning by TKO inside the first two rounds. Barnett should have a higher salary, but with just a $9700 salary, it gives him excellent value.
DO NOT TARGET
Leandro Silva ($9,200)
Leandro Silva is looking to get back into the win column on Saturday when he takes on Rustam Khabilov in the opening bout of the UFC Fight Night 93 card. Silva is actually taking this fight on shorter notice as an injury replacement. This is a dangerous fight for Silva to be taking on short notice, and I’m actually surprised he doesn’t have a much lower fantasy salary compared to how big of an underdog he is in the betting odds.
Silva is a decent striker but he tends to only throw one strike at a time and will get outstruck by a superior opponent. Khabilov is a superior opponent who holds a lot of power in his hands. He also mixed up his striking more in his most recent win over Chris Wade.
Khabilov had regressed a little as visa problems have prevented him from coming to the US and working under Greg Jackson, though he will be in his corner on Saturday. Silva doesn’t have the grappling to handle Khabilov, who had gotten a reputation for his impressive suplexes. Silva is not a bad wrestler by any means, but he doesn’t match up well against Khabilov.
There is nothing in this fight that Silva is better in than Khabilov, and that makes this a tough match-up for him. Silva is one fighter on this fight card I wouldn’t want in my line-up, and I don’t suggest readers using him as well. He is a must-avoid on this fight card.
UNDERDOG TARGET
Ilir Latifi ($9,100)
Ilir Latifi is taking on Ryan Bader in an interesting light heavyweight bout on the main card of UFC Fight Night 93 on Saturday. Latifi comes into the fight having won three straight fights and five of his last six overall, and he is sneakily climbing the rankings of the 205-pound division.
Bader has been a long-time contender but has never fought for the title. He was in a title eliminator bout in his last fight, but was starched in just over a minute by Anthony Johnson. It was the end of Bader’s five-fight win streak and he looks to start a new streak on Saturday. Latifi is a power puncher, maybe not having quite the same power as Johnson, but certainly way up there at 205 pounds.
He was five wins by knockout, but also has seen four wins come by submission. Inside the Octagon, three of Latifi’s five wins have come by knockout, all three in the first round, and two in less than a minute. Bader has five career losses, three of which have come by knockout, and all five of his losses have seen him finished.
Bader is the strong betting favorite in this bout, and it makes Latifi one of the biggest underdog targets on the fight card. Bader has turned into more of a striker these days, and he isn’t going to match the power of Latifi. If Bader goes back to his wrestling roots, well, Latifi is a powerhouse wrestler who has never been taken down in his UFC career.
Bader would be best served keeping the fight at a distance as Latifi is powerful in close range. Bader’s suspect chin is a dangerous target that Latifi is going to look to exploit, and Bader’s best chance to win is to drag this fight into the later rounds where Latifi’s cardio comes into question. It’s a tough fight to pick, but if you are looking for the perfect underdog target to add to your line-up, Latifi’s salary is perfect for your team. He can finish this fight quickly.
SURPRISE TARGET
Jack Hermansson ($9,800)
Jack Hermansson finds himself as our surprise target for the card due to the fact he is making his UFC debut and fans may not know what to expect. He signed with the UFC on the heels of eight straight wins, and he is a former Cage Warriors Fight Championship Middleweight Champion. He is 13-2 overall in his career with twelve finishes in his career, and he is an excellent addition to the UFC roster. He makes his Octagon debut against Scott Askham, who fights for the UFC for the fifth time.
Askham has rotated wins-and-losses in his four previous appearances, with both wins coming by first-round knockout and both losses seeing him drop decisions. History says Askham is due for a loss in this bout, but he is a tough match-up here for Hermansson
It’s a close fight on paper and Askham has that previous experience inside the Octagon. Askham is solid on his feet and very rangy at six-foot-three, and he will have some reach on Hermansson. Hermansson is more unorthodox on his feet and he is mainly a puncher while Askham mixes his strikes well. Askham has sharp elbows at well, but he isn’t as flashy as Hermansson. Hermansson also has a solid takedown game when he chooses to mix it in, and he has solid submission skills.
Askham has never been finished in his career but tends to fade late and give up decisions. This fight will probably be a back-and-forth affair and the longer it goes, the more it gives Hermansson the edge. I don’t see him finishing Askham, but if there is a time and place and opponent to hand Askham his first stoppage loss, it will be Hermansson. He is a sneaky surprise target and has very solid value as well.
OUR LINE-UPS
RYAN FREDERICK- Alexander Gustafsson ($12,500), Josh Barnett ($9,700), Scott Askham ($9,600), Ilir Latifi ($9,100), Christian Colombo ($9,000)
Alexander Gustafsson is my top target this week, and I’m doing everything I can to have him on my roster. I do expect him to get a finish of Jan Blachowicz inside of two rounds, and I see him racking up over 100 points, which is what you hope for when selecting your fantasy line-ups.
With his $12,500 salary, it leaves me little room for the remaining four line-up slots, so I am looking to take a couple of chances. Josh Barnett is on my team as I see him being excellent value and his salary is reasonable. I sense he’s finishing Andrei Arlovski and has a good chance at getting to the 100 point mark.
Scott Askham is a slight underdog to Jack Hermansson, but his UFC experience is key and I am going with him as he is a finisher though Hermansson is a very tough match-up for him. Ilir Latifi has power and Ryan Bader can be finished, and he has a very great salary for the match-up.
Latifi at $9,100 is very hard to pass up given Bader’s chin. Christian Colombo fills out my line-up. He is making his UFC debut against Jarjis Danho, who didn’t have an impressive UFC debut in February. I can’t find much footage of Colombo and I have no idea what to expect, but he is a heavyweight finisher and heavyweights can be finished. I’m taking a chance on him.
PAUL FONTAINE- Jarjis Danho ($10,400), Taylor Lapilus ($10,000), Josh Barnett ($9,700), Jim Wallhead ($9,300) and Ilir Latifi ($9,100)
My team has the absolute best nicknames of any team in the history of Draft Kings and that’s gotta be worth something! “Man Mountain” (Danho) is going to rebound from a lackluster performance in his UFC debut and get back to his wildman ways with a destruction of fellow meathead Christian Columbo. “Double Impact” (Lapilus) will make France proud when he finishes off Leandro Issa in short order. “The Warmaster” (Barnett) will wear down Andrei Arlovski and submit him in the 3rd or 4th round.
“Judo” Jim Wallhead is one of the main reasons I used to go out of way to watch Cage Warriors and BAMMA and I remember him from his Bellator days. He’s improved since then and I like him to get the W in his long-awaited UFC debut. Finally “The Sledgehammer” (Latifi) is going to pound out Ryan “The Master” Bader (my nickname for him) to finally end his time on the periphery of the title picture.
PEACH MACHINE- Alexander Gustafsson ($12,500), Rustam Khabilov ($10,200), Josh Barnett ($9,700), Ilir Latifi ($9,100), Peter Sobotta ($8,400)
I like Barnett here. He was clowning around before his last fight with Rothwell and it cost him. This time, he’s going to be focused. Latifi always surprises me and Bader is coming off a devastating KO loss to Rumble. I like Latifi to do the same thing and send Bader into retirement.
Sobotta is a big time underdog but I don’t care. Dalby isn’t anything special. Besides, taking Sobotta allows me to take Gustafsson which I’m sure everyone will avoid because of his price tag. A 2-3 outing last week means I’m due for a 5-0 night. Or maybe 0-5.
Time for another fine edition of Wrestling Weekly where we’ll start with Les returning the favor from Smackdown this week and giving Mauro Ranallo a mention, including the story of how Les gave him some pointers early in Mauro’s career and didn’t realize it at the time! We’ll also discuss the great interview Dave and Bryan did with Josh Barnett (6:23) on Wrestling Observer Radio regarding Josh’s views on both wrestling and his role as an analyst for New Japan on AXS. That leads to the story of Les getting thrown into his first broadcasting experience with no training, no advice and barely any advance notice in the Maritimes (19:19), as well as a little bit on the Maritimes territory. We’ll then open up the mailbag to answer questions about cable vs ropes for a ring (29:06), the biggest differences between wrestling today as opposed to 30 years ago (34:54), a look back at wrestler Bobby Shane (49:18), and older wrestlers who do shoot interviews where they blame everyone else for their problems except themselves (57:18). Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 18: Johnson vs. Bader from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The event is headlined by a title elminator bout in the UFC’s light heavyweight division as former title challenger Anthony Johnson takes on Ryan Bader, winner of five straight fights. In the co-main event, it will be former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett taking on Ben Rothwell. Also on the main card is the FOX network debut of rising lightweight star Sage Northcutt. Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 3:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s show, so send whether you think the show was a thumbs up, a thumbs down, or a thumb in the middle as well as a best fight and a worst fight to [email protected]”>Dave Meltzer.
LIGHTWEIGHTS- TONY MARTIN (9-3, 1-3 UFC) VS. FELIPE OLIVIERI (14-4 1 NC, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Olivieri starts off with a leg kick. Another big kicks from Olivieri drops Martin for a second. Big leg kick from Olivieri and Martin clinches them up against the fence. Martin lifts him up and takes him down but Olivieri back to his feet. Martin takes him back down. Olivieri gets to the fence and wall walks up to his feet. Olivieri with an elbow as Martin looks for another takedown. Olivieri defends and lands another elbow and a couple more. They are broken up by the ref. Olivieri lands a leg kick that hurts Martin and Martin grabs the leg. Olivieri with some hard elbows. Martin working for the takedown against the fence. Olivieri with some knees to the body. Olivieri with another series of leg kicks. Back fist from Olivieri. 10-9 Olivieri.
ROUND 2- Olivieri with another leg kick to start. Olivieri with an overhand right and a high kick. More leg kicks from Olivieri and Martin isn’t checking them. Martin lands a leg kick of his own. Leg kicks from Olivieri but Martin lands a straight right hand. Martin lands a combo. Olivieri lands another leg kick. Martin lands a right. They trade punches and Olivieri lands a high kick. Martin lands a nice combo. They trade right hands. They trade punches and Martin stuns him with a right hand. Martin with a nice combo that hurts Olivieri. Olivieri looks for a desperate takedown but Martin defends as the round ends. 10-9 Martin, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Olivieri lands a combo and ends with a leg kick. Martin with a nice combo. Olivieri lands a right hand. Olivieri lands a body kick. Martin shoots for a takedown and pushes Olivieri against the fence. Martin gets a trip and takes Olivieri down to the mat. Martin looking for control on the ground. Olivieri gives up his back and Martin looks to get the hooks in. Martin looking for the choke and has it locked in. Olivieri is out cold and Martin wins by submission!
Official Result- Tony Martin def. Felipe Olivieri by technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:02 of Round 3
FEATHERWEIGHTS- DAMON JACKSON (9-1 1 NC, 0-1 1 NC UFC) VS. LEVAN MAKASHVILI (7-2, 1-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Jackson comes out swinging. Jackson lands a right hand. Makashvili lands a right hand. They clinch against the fence. They battle for position. They trade knees against the fence. They are broken up by the referee. Makashvili lands a nice combo. Jackson shoots for a takedown but it is defended. They battle for underhooks against the fence. Jackson is cut. Makashvili with some left hands in the clinch. Jackson works hard for the takedown. It is defended. 10-9 Makashvili.
ROUND 2- Jackson with the jab. They trade strikes. Jackson lands a right hand. They trade kicks. Makashvili lands a left hook. They trade punches. Jackson lands a combo. Jackson lands a knee but eats some punches in the clinch. They clinch and Makashvili lands a knee. They battle in the clinch against the fence. They are broken up by the ref. They trade punches. Makashvili grabs the right leg off a kick and lands some punches. Jackson goes back for a takedown. They clinch against the fence again. Jackson lands an elbow on the break and they clinch up again. 10-9 Makashvili, 20-18 Makashvili.
ROUND 3- Jackson comes out swinging. Jackson with a knee to the body. Makashvili goes for a takedown but Jackson reverses the clinch against the fence. They trade knees against the fence. They are broken up again by the ref. Makashvili with a head kick and gets a takedown. Jackson grabs the neck looking for a choke. They scramble to their feet. Makashvili with a high kick. They clinch against the fence. Makashvili gets a takedown. Jackson looks to scramble out. They get to their feet and Makashvili lands an illegal knee and we have a timeout. Back to action with no point taken away. No we have an eye poke by Makashvili and another timeout. Makashvili has a point taken away due to the two fouls in five seconds. That could play a big difference in the outcome. Jackson misses a head kick as we get back to action. Both come out swinging as the fight ends. 9-9 Makashvili with the deduction, 29-27 Makashvili.
Official Result- Damon Jackson vs. Levan Makashvili declared a majority draw (29-27 Jackson, 28-28, 28-28)
WELTERWEIGHTS- MATT DWYER (8-3, 1-2 UFC) VS. RANDY BROWN (6-0, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Brown is from Dana White’s new television show. Dwyer with a leg kick. Brown lands a left hand. Dwyer with a leg kick. Dwyer with another. Dwyer lands a big right hand. Brown with a high body kick. Dwyer lands another right hand. Brown with a front side kick. Brown with a front body kick. Dwyer lands a punch but eats a jab from Brown. Brown misses a spinning kick. Dwyer with a leg kick. Brown with a leg kick. 10-9 Dwyer.
ROUND 2- Dwyer with two leg kicks. They clinch and switch around. Not much happens and they are broken up. Brown with a right hand. Dwyer lands a right hand. They each land right hands. Brown with a big throw takedown and he is looking for a choke. Brown had it deep but lets go and they get to their feet. Dwyer pushing for a takedown. Brown defends but Dwyer is able to score the takedown. They get back to their feet and Brown lands a series of big elbows. Brown with a knee. 10-9 Brown, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Brown may have poked the eye but he is landing punches as Dwyer is backing up. The fight goes down and Dwyer takes the back of Brown and they get to their feet. Brown transitions and takes the back of Dwyer. Brown with an elbow and Dwyer lands a right hand. They are trading and Brown lands a low knee and we have a break in action. They go back to the mat and Brown has the neck but lets go. They get to their feet and Dwyer looking for another takedown. Dwyer tries to drag it down but Brown ends on top and they scramble to their feet. Brown with some elbows and a knee. Close fight. 10-9 Brown, 29-28 Brown.
Official Result- Randy Brown def. Matt Dwyer by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT)
FEATHERWEIGHTS- ALEX CACERES (10-8 1 NC, 5-6 1 NC UFC) VS. MASIO FULLEN (10-5, 1-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- They trade kicks. Caceres with a leg kick and then one to the body. Fullen lands a short right hand. Caceres with a jumping head kick and misses a spin kick. They trade punches. Caceres with a head kick and then lands a left hand. They trade punches and Caceres lands a 360 roundhouse kick. Fullen is rocked and Caceres clinches them up against the fence and lands a knee. They battle for position and Caceres trips Fullen to the mat. They get back up. Caceres with a high knee. Knee to the body on the break by Caceres. Fullen with a right hand. 10-9 Caceres.
ROUND 2- Caceres with some kicks but Fullen lands a right hand. Fullen with a spin kick to the body of Caceres and then lands a right hand. They clinch against the fence. Caceres lands a left hand. Each lands a combo and Caceres lands a nice body kick. Caceres with a leg kick and then one to the head and then another. Caceres keeps going high then low then back high again. They each land a punch. Caceres with a flying knee. Some nice combos landed by Caceres. 10-9 Caceres, 20-18 Caceres.
ROUND 3- Fullen may need a finish and he comes out swinging. Each lands a leg kick. Short uppercut by Caceres and then a left hand. Fullen with a side kick to the body. Caceres with some more combos. Fullen with a leg kick. Fullen lands a left hand as Caceres lands a leg kick. Caceres with a leg kick. Caceres with a left hand and a knee to the body and then a high kick. Caceres looks good with his footwork and combos. Caceres with two left hands but Fullen catches him with a left hook. Caceres tags Fullen with an uppercut and lands some punches. Caceres goes to the body and back to the head. Fullen with a spin kick. Caceres with a combo to end. 10-9 Caceres, 30-27 Caceres.
Official Result- Alex Caceres def. Masio Fullen by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
WELTERWEIGHTS- GEORGE SULLIVAN (17-4 1 NC, 3-1 UFC) VS. ALEXANDER YAKOVLEV (22-6-1, 1-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Sullivan starts off with a couple of leg kicks. Yakovlev comes back with some leg kicks of his own and then scores a takedown. Sullivan gets back to his feet. Sullivan with a leg kick and Yakovlev is able to counter with a takedown. Yakovlev gets full mount and Sullivan gives up his back. Sullivan gets to his feet but Yakovlev still has the back and lands a knee to the head. Sullivan with a body kick. They trade kicks. Yakovlev drops Sullivan with a right hand and three more punches on the ground and the fight is stopped. Yakovlev with the big knockout.
Official Result- Alexander Yakovlev def. George Sullivan by knockout (punch) at 3:59 of Round 1
FLYWEIGHTS- (#9) DUSTIN ORTIZ (15-4, 4-2 UFC) VS. (#12) WILSON REIS (19-6, 3-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- They trade some punches. Ortiz lands a right hand. Reis with an inside leg kick and Ortiz counters with a combo. They clinch up and each lands a punch on the break. They trade punches. Reis with a leg kick. Reis goes for a takedown and they go to the mat but Ortiz lands some elbows. Reis still has the body locked and gets Ortiz down and takes the back. Ortiz shakes him off and they get to their feet and Reis lands a right hand. Reis lands a solid left hand. Reis with a body kick and Ortiz returns a head kick. Ortiz with a knee to the body as he defends a takedown. Reis has Ortiz pushed against the fence. Reis defends a takedown attempt from Ortiz and grabs the back. Ortiz was a back elbow. Ortiz with a right hand and Reis gets a takedown as the round ends. 10-9 Reis.
ROUND 2- They exchange and Reis lands a left hand. Ortiz with a body kick. Ortiz goes for a takedown but Reis scrambles. Ortiz with a Superman Punch and Reis counters with a right hand. Reis shoots for a takedown and has Ortiz against the cage. They break and Ortiz lands a body kick. They trade kicks. Reis with a leg kick. Ortiz lands a solid right hand. Ortiz goes for a takedown but it is defended. Reis with a brief takedown. Ortiz with a deep shot but Reis sprawls. Reis lands a left hand after they break a clinch. Reis gets a takedown and takes the back and has full back mount. Reis looks for a choke but Ortiz is defending. Reis looks to switch to an armbar and works for it but the round ends. 10-9 Reis, 20-18 Reis.
ROUND 3- Ortiz with a head kick attempt but Reis checks it. They trade punches and Reis goes for a takedown but it is defended. Reis gets the fight down and takes the back of Ortiz. They get to their feet and Reis gets a trip takedown. Reis gets the back and looks for the choke. They get back to their feet. They trade punches. Ortiz lands a left hand. Reis grabs the body and looks for the back. Reis trips Ortiz down and has the back. Ortiz with a back elbow. They get up and Reis with a solid takedown. Reis with some knees to the body. Ortiz gets a quick takedown but they get up. Ortiz with a short elbow and some punches but Reis is able to get a takedown and goes into full mount. Reis is landing big punches from the back as Ortiz tries to scramble up. They get to their feet. Reis has the back and lands some punches. 10-9 Reis, 30-27 Reis.
Official Result- Wilson Reis def. Dustin Ortiz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- (#15) RAFAEL NATAL (20-6-1, 8-4-1 UFC) VS. KEVIN CASEY (9-3 2 NC, 1-1 2 NC UFC)
ROUND 1- They trade punches and Casey lands a head kick. Natal with a leg kick. They clinch against the fence as both battle for underhooks. Natal lands a punch on the break. Natal with a right hand. Casey with a left hand and uppercut. Natal gets a takedown and is in the full guard of Casey. Natal with some punches from the top. They scramble to their feet. Natal goes for a takedown but Casey reverses and grabs the back. They get to their feet. Casey lands a left hand on the break. Casey lands a good combo and Natal drops Casey right as the round ends. 10-9 Casey.
ROUND 2- Natal with a kick that hits the groin and we have a timeout. We get back to action. Natal lands a big right hand and then gets a takedown and is in the full guard of Casey. Natal with some punches from the top. Natal goes into the half-guard and lands some hard punches. They get to their feet but Natal grabs the body and lands a knee. Natal with some hard knees to the body against the fence. They break and Natal lands a big leg kick. Natal ducks under a punch and gets a takedown into the guard of Casey. Natal with a big hammerfist. More hammerfists from Natal. Natal with more control and punches from the top. Natal with big hammerfists as he looks to finish the fight late. Casey able to sweep Natal away as the round ends. 10-9 Natal, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Natal with a big leg kick and lands a hard right hand. Natal with a leg kick. Natal with the jab. Casey lands a right hand but Natal comes back with a takedown. Natal passes to half-guard. Natal with punches from the top. Natal looking to set up a choke as Natal moves to full mount. Natal has an arm-triangle attempt but lost it. Natal just smothering. Natal landing big punches from the top and Casey is bleeding. This fight is close to being finished and it is. TKO win by Natal.
Official Result- Rafael Natal def. Kevin Casey by TKO (punches) at 3:37 of Round 3
LIGHTWEIGHTS- OLIVIER AUBIN-MERCIER (7-1, 3-1 UFC) VS. CARLOS DIEGO FERREIRA (11-2, 2-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Ferreira had to shave his head to make weight. Aubin-Mercier with two nice body kicks. Ferreira with a right hand. They trade punches. They trade kicks. Aubin-Mercier with a head kick but Ferreira tags him with a big punch. Ferreira with a kick and Aubin-Mercier catches it and lands some punches and then a body kick. Aubin-Mercier with a head kick. They clinch and move up against the fence. Ferreira lands a punch on the break. Aubin-Mercier with a body kick. Ferreira just misses a head kick. 10-9 Ferreira.
ROUND 2- Ferreira with a body kick. They trade punches and Aubin-Mercier lands an uppercut. Aubin-Mercier with a high kick and Ferreira pushes him down but they get back to their feet. Aubin-Mercier pins him against the fence but they break and Ferreira sprints away. Aubin-Mercier with a solid combo. They trade punches and Ferreira lands a flush head kick. They clinch for a moment but break. Ferreira with a body kick. They trade some solid punches. Aubin-Mercier with a short uppercut. Ferreira with a quick takedown and lands a knee on the way up. Aubin-Mercier with a body kick and then a head kick. Short uppercut lands by Aubin-Mercier and then a body kick and then a head kick. Ferreira with a head kick. 10-9 Aubin-Mercier, 19-19.
ROUND 3-Ferreira with an inside leg kick. Aubin-Mercier with a body kick followed by a head kick and lands an uppercut. They scramble to the mat but get right back up. Aubin-Mercier gets a takedown but Ferreira scrambles to the top in the half-guard. Ferreira transitions and takes the back and has the hooks in. Ferreira with some punches from the back. Ferreira looking for the choke. Ferreira had it over the chin but Aubin-Mercier escapes and scrambles to half-guard. Ferreira with some elbows. Ferreira has the back again and looking for the choke. Ferreira with big punches and elbows from the back. Aubin-Mercier survives but clear round for Ferreira. 10-9 Ferreira, 29-28 Ferreira.
Official Result- Carlos Diego Ferreira def. Olivier Aubin-Mercier by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
ROUND 1- Saffiedine with a leg kick. Ellenberger with some dirty boxing. They trade leg kicks. Ellenberger connects with some punches. Saffiedine with a front kick to the face. Saffiedine with a leg kick and then a high kick. Ellenberger lands a big right hand that stuns Saffiedine. Saffiedine recovered and missed a head kick. Saffiedine with a high kick. Saffiedine with a high kick again and then lands a left hand. 10-9 Ellenberger.
ROUND 2- They trade punches as both look for the slightest opening. Both miss on punches. Saffiedine with a high kick. Ellenberger lands a left hand. Saffiedine with a high kick and then lands a leg kick. Saffiedine looks for a takedown but Ellenberger defends. Saffiedine lands a knee to the groin and we have a timeout. Saffiedine with two high kicks that land to the forearms of Ellenberger. Saffiedine lands a left jab. Ellenberger lands a late takedown but Saffiedine gets right back up. 10-9 Saffiedine, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Saffiedine with a high kick. He lands another but hits the forearms. Ellenberger clinches up against the fence. They break. Neither are initiating that much and the crowd is booing. Saffiedine lands a right hand and a leg kick. Ellenberger misses a big right hand. Saffiedine lands two leg kicks. Saffiedine lands another left hand and Ellenberger is bleeding. They clinch and Saffiedine with a knee to the body. Saffiedine lands another and Ellenberger lands one as well. Ellenberger goes for a desperate takedown and Saffiedine grabs the back and looks for the choke. Ellenberger defending and is out. They get up in the final seconds. Ellenberger lands a combo as the fight ends. Not much of a fight. 10-9 Saffiedine, 29-28 Saffiedine.
Official Result- Tarec Saffiedine def. Jake Ellenberger by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
ROUND 1- Northcutt with some right hands and clinches but they break. They kick each other at the same time and Barberena slips. Northcutt drops Barberena with a right but they get right back up and clinch. Northcutt with a takedown and takes the back. Barberena on his feet but Northcutt on his back. Northcutt lets go and they clinch along the cage. They trade punches on the break. Northcutt with some big right hands and Barberena nailed him with a right. Northcutt with a takedown and looks for the back. Barberena is cut. Northcutt with a body kick. Barberena gets a takedown and is on top. They get up. They trade. Barberena lands a nice right hand. They trade again. 10-9 Northcutt.
ROUND 2- Northcutt with a leg kick. Northcutt misses a punch and Barberena is able to get in his guard on the ground. Barberena with some punches and elbows from the top. Barberena steps over looking to go to side control from half-guard. Barberena with short elbows and still looking to pass to side control and lands another hard elbow. Barberena looking for an arm-triangle. Northcutt taps out! It didn’t even look that deep but Barberena taps Northcutt out with the arm-triangle from half-guard.
Official Result- Bryan Barberena def. Sage Northcutt by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:06 of Round 2
ROUND 1- Rivera has won 17 straight fights and is another good prospect at 135 pounds. They come out swinging. Alcantara with a knee to the body. Rivera counters with a right hand. Big chants for Rivera, who is from New Jersey. Alcantara lands a left hand and Rivera counters with a big right hand. Rivera with a nice combo on Alcantara up against the fence. Rivera lands to the body and goes to the head. Alcantara looking to counter and lands a body kick and left hand. Alcantara pokes Rivera in the eye and quick timeout. Back to action. They trade punches. Rivera gets a big takedown slam right at the end of the round. 10-9 Rivera.
ROUND 2- Alcantara with a body kick and Rivera lands a crisp combination. Alcantara faked a jumping knee and Rivera tagged him with a left hand. Alcantara with a body kick. Rivera with a right hand. Rivera with a side kick. Rivera with a combo and initates a clinch against the fence. Rivera with a knee to the body and then to the legs. Rivera with some short left hands. They break. Alcantara lands a body kick and stuffs a takedown attempt from Rivera. Alcantara with a straight left and Rivera goes down for a moment. Rivera gets up and scores a takedown. Rivera takes the back but they get up. 10-9 Rivera, 20-18 Rivera.
ROUND 3- Alcantara comes out with a head kick. They trade punches. Alcantara with a leg kick and then a body kick. Rivera gets Alcantara down to the mat for a moment but they get right back up. Alcantara with a body kick and Rivera fires back a body kick. Alcantara with a leg kick and then a front kick to the body. Rivera with a big leg kick. Alcantara lands a left hand and Rivera drops for a moment. Rivera gets up and lands a takedown but they get right back up. Alcantara with a front kick to the body. Rivera grabs the leg and pushes up against the fence. They trade punches as the fight ends. 10-9 Rivera, 30-27 Rivera.
Official Result- Jimmie Rivera def. Iuri Alcantara by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
HEAVYWEIGHTS- (#8) JOSH BARNETT (34-7, 6-2 UFC) VS. (#7) BEN ROTHWELL (35-9, 5-3 UFC)
ROUND 1- Rothwell with a low kick. Barnett with a right hand. Rothwell with a leg kick. Barnett with a leg kick and then a punch to the body. Rothwell with a leg kick. Barnett lands a stiff jab. Barnett with a short elbow. They clinch and Rothwell pushes against the fence but they break. Rothwell bleeding from the nose. Barnett connects with a left hand. Barnett with a stiff jab. Rothwell lands a right hand. Barnett with a punch and elbow and Rothwell counters with a leg kick. Barnett with a straight left hand. 10-9 Barnett.
ROUND 2- They clinch against the fence. Rothwell lands some uppercuts. They break. Rothwell with an uppercut. They trade punches. Not a lot of action going on. Rothwell misses a head kick. Barnett with a body kick. They trade punches. Barnett looking for a takedown. Rothwell has the neck as he drops to the mat. Rothwell has the guillotine choke and Barnett taps! That was a completely unexpected result.
Official Result- Ben Rothwell def. Josh Barnett by submission (guillotine choke) at 3:48 of Round 2
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS- (#2) ANTHONY JOHNSON (20-5, 11-5 UFC) VS. (#4) RYAN BADER (20-4, 13-4 UFC)
ROUND 1- Bader goes for a quick takedown but Johnson stuffs and takes the back. Bader looking for a kimura from the bottom. Johnson is able to mount Bader. Bader lets go of the arm and is stuck against the cage. Johnson dropping punches from the top and it is already over! Johnson knocked Bader out cold from the back mount.
Official Result- Anthony Johnson def. Ryan Bader by knockout (punches) at 1:26 of Round 1
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of the UFC On FOX 18: Johnson vs. Bader weigh-ins from the Prudential Center at the MGM Grand in Newark, New Jersey. The fighters will hit the scale at 4 PM eastern time. The card airs on Saturday with the main card on FOX at 8 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off at 3:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FOX Sports 1 at 5 PM eastern time with additional preliminary bouts. This will be the Octagon’s seventh visit to Newark.
The event is headlined by a title eliminator bout in the UFC’s light heavyweight division as #2 ranked Anthony “Rumble” Johnson takes on #4 ranked Ryan Bader, winner of five straight fights. In the co-main event, it will be a pivotal bout in the heavyweight division as former UFC Heavyweight Champion and #8 ranked Josh Barnett takes on #7 ranked Ben Rothwell. Also on the main card is the FOX network debut of rising 19-year-old prospect Sage Northcutt, who meets Bryan Barberena in a welterweight bout.
MAIN CARD (FOX- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT): Anthony Johnson (205.25) vs. Ryan Bader (205) Josh Barnett (241) vs. Ben Rothwell (265) Iuri Alcantara (135.25) vs. Jimmie Rivera (135) Sage Northcutt (170) vs. Bryan Barberena (170)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT): Tarec Saffiedine (169.75) vs. Jake Ellenberger (170) Olivier Aubin-Mercier (155) vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira (156) Rafael Natal (185) vs. Kevin Casey (185.25) Dustin Ortiz (125) vs. Wilson Reis (126) George Sullivan (171) vs. Alexander Yakovlev (171) Alex Caceres (145) vs. Masio Fullen (145)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT): Matt Dwyer (169) vs. Randy Brown (171) Damon Jackson (145) vs. Levan Makashvili (145) Tony Martin (155) vs. Felipe Olivieri (155)
After a three-week break, which in this day-and-age is a long break, the Octagon returns on Saturday night as the UFC makes its now annual trip to Japan for UFC Fight Night 75 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The main card airs on FOX Sports 1 on Saturday night, with preliminary action taking place on FOX Sports 2.
The event will be headlined by a five-round bout in the UFC’s heavyweight division as veterans Josh Barnett and Roy Nelson square off following a coaching stint on the UFC Fight Pass exclusive television show, UFC: Road To Japan. The finals of that reality event will also take place on the card as Mizuto Hirota meets Teruto Ishihara. In the co-main event of the evening, former Strikeforce and DREAM champion Gegard Mousasi takes on Uriah Hall, who steps in as an injury replacement for the toughest bout of his career. The rest of the card will be filled with Japanese fighters. Let’s take a closer look at the night’s action and find five storylines to keep an eye on as we head into Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night 75 event.
1. Who has more left to give in their career: Josh Barnett or Roy Nelson?
Josh Barnett and Roy Nelson meet in the main event of Saturday’s event, and it is an interesting time in both men’s careers as they head into their headline bout. They coached eight fighters during UFC: Road To Japan in the lead-up to this event, and now they meet in a fight where both could be fighting for their UFC futures. It’s not to say either man will be cut due to the depth issues in the UFC’s heavyweight division, but Barnett is 37-years old and Nelson is 39-years old, and their best days are likely behind them. Barnett also hasn’t fought in over a year-and-a-half as he was last seen in the Octagon eating elbows from Travis Browne in a 60-second loss at UFC 168 in December 2013. Nelson has lost four of his last five fights, and he hasn’t looked all that competitive in those losses. His only win in over two years was a knockout win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who recently retired.
Barnett has had a lot of success in his career in Japan, and returning to action there may be quite the confidence boost for him. His time away should have gotten him healthy, but it will be interesting to see if he suffers from any form of rust. His only losses since 2006 have come to Browne and Daniel Cormier, so it’s not like he has been getting blown away by lesser fighters. Meanwhile, Nelson has only fought once in Japan, and it came one year ago when he was knocked out by Mark Hunt. It was the only time in Nelson’s career he has truly been knocked out, and it came at the hands of one of the hardest hitters in the sport. It is hard to envision a repeat of that on Saturday night.
All of Nelson’s wins in the UFC have come by knockout and he will be looking to do the same for Barnett. It has seemed for the longest time that Nelson has given up on following a gameplan in looking to headhunt. He either gets the knockout or he struggles mightily and doesn’t look good. Barnett has good wrestling and good submissions and a style to make Nelson look bad if Nelson can’t land the big right hand. Barnett will probably look to drag the fight out, but he will also want to test the chin of Nelson to see if there is anything left there. It’s heavyweights and anything can happen, but this fight has the chance to be a long, drawn-out and not neccessarily exciting fight. I like Barnett to get the win in this one as I see him having more to give at this stage in his career.
2. Can Uriah Hall score the upset win over Gegard Mousasi?
Gegard Mousasi is one a decent roll in the UFC’s middleweight division, scoring wins in his last two fights. His only UFC losses have come to Lyoto Machida and Ronaldo Souza, and he is currently ranked sixth in the UFC’s middleweight rankings. He is on the cusp of title contention, but has yet to beat a top-five ranked opponent. He was to face Roan Carneiro at this event, but with Carneiro being forced out due to injury, Uriah Hall stepped in to take a huge opportunity. It is going from a ranked opponent to an unranked opponent for Mousasi, but this is probably a more dangerous fight for him due to the striking prowess of Hall. Hall has solid kickboxing skills and is a violent opponent if he can connect. He fought recently, scoring a first-round TKO win over Oluwale Bamgbose on August 8 in Nashville. Stepping in on short notice will receive some good faith from the UFC brass, but he has a tough test.
Mousasi tends to, at times, fight below his skill level. He is highly talented and a legitmate contender to be a title challenger in the near future. He can have a boring and plodding style, but it is effective. Hall sometimes comes up mentally short, and he tends to fight below his skill set. Fighting Mousasi can be extremely frustrating, and it will likely get in the head of Hall. Mousasi may look to take the fight to the mat, and Hall would prefer to keep the fight on the feet. For all of Hall’s flashy kickboxing skills, Mousasi is a better overall striker. This is definitely Mousasi’s fight to lose. I don’t see Hall being able to score the upset, but funnier things have happened in the UFC. However, Mousasi will take this fight the distance and score an uneventful decision win.
3. Can Kyoji Horiguchi and Takeya Mizugaki rebound in their home country?
Kyoji Horiguchi and Takeya Mizugaki are the only Japanese fighters ranked in the top ten of their divisions, and both have fought for championships during their time under the Zuffa banner. Horiguchi is coming off a loss to Demetrious Johnson when he challenged for the UFC Flyweight Championship at UFC 186 in April. Mizugaki challeged for the WEC Bantamweight Championship in his Zuffa debut, losing a decision to Miguel Torres in April 2009 in one of the best fights in WEC history. Mizugaki is looking to bounce back from two straight losses to Dominick Cruz and Aljamain Sterling that ended his five-fight win streak.
Horiguchi will take on Chico Camus, who is looking to bounce back from a loss to Henry Cejudo at UFC 188 in June. Camus was looking to get into title contention after an impressive flyweight debut win over Brad Pickett, and he will be looking to improve on his record of just three wins in seven UFC bouts. Mizugaki will be taking on long-time UFC and WEC veteran George Roop, who returns after being out of the Octagon since a first-round knockout loss to Rob Font at UFC 175 in July 2014. Roop is just 4-5 since returning to the UFC following the WEC merger, and he could very well be fighting for his UFC future. The same could be said for Camus, so Horiguchi and Mizugaki will need to be impressive in front of their home country fans.
4. Katsunori Kikuno and Diego Brandao both have title aspirations. Who takes a step forward?
Admittedly, this fourth storyline was originally written about Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto, who was scheduled to compete on this card against Matt Hobar. However, both Yamamoto and Hobar fell victim to the injury bug, and the bout was scrapped from the card. The featured preliminary bout between Katsunori Kikuno and Diego Brandao was moved to the main card, and it takes this spot on our preview. Brandao is a former winner of The Ultimate Fighter, but he has had mixed success, sporting a 5-3 record in the Octagon, but those losses have come to Darren Elkins, Dustin Poirier and current interim champion Conor McGregor, all tough opponents. He won his last bout by stopping Jimy Hettes at the end of the first round in April.
Kikuno is just 2-2 in the UFC and is coming into the fight off a first-round knockout loss to Kevin Souza in March. He has talked lately about his big aspirations of being champion, but it is entirely possible that he is fighting for his UFC career in this bout. Both of his losses have come by knockout in the first round, but he did score an impressive submission win over Sam Sicilia in Japan last September. Both men are far away from title contention, but should be able to put together a nice little scrap on Saturday night. Brandao has a penchant for being violent, and Kikuno does have the suspect chin. I expect to see Brandao getting his hand raised and taking a step forward in the 145-pound division.
5. What else on the card is there to look forward to?
With this being a fight night event in Japan, the card is filled with Japanese fighters. In fact, nine of the eleven total bouts feature Japanese fighters. The fight card also features the finals of the “UFC: Road To Japan” when featherweights Mizuto Hirota and Teruto Ishihara meet. Hirota has fought in the UFC twice before, losing both bouts, but he returns on the heels of a three-fight win streak. Ishihara will grace the Octagon for the first time, and both of his career losses have come to fighters who have UFC experience.
In preliminary action, Keita Nakamura makes his return to the UFC on short notice when he fights Li Jingliang. A pair of lightweight bouts take place as Germany’s Nick Hein takes on the debuting Yusuke Kasuya, and Naoyuki Kotani takes on Kajan Johnson. All four of those bouts take place on FOX Sports 2. In the lone bout on UFC Fight Pass, Shinsho Anzai takes on Roger Zapata, who will be making his UFC debut after competing on season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter.
Full UFC Fight Night 75 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions
MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
Heavyweights: (#8) Josh Barnett vs. (#11) Roy Nelson Betting Odds: Barnett (-260), Nelson (+220) Prediction: Barnett by decision
Middleweights: (#6) Gegard Mousasi vs. Uriah Hall Betting Odds: Mousasi (-450), Hall (+360) Prediction: Mousasi by decision
Flyweights: (#7) Kyoji Horiguchi vs. (#13) Chico Camus Betting Odds: Horiguchi (-365), Camus (+255) Prediction: Horiguchi by decision
Bantamweights: (#8) Takeya Mizugaki vs. George Roop Betting Odds: Mizugaki (-245), Roop (+175) Prediction: Mizugaki by submission in round 2
Featherweights: Katsunori Kikuno vs. Diego Brandao Betting Odds: Kikuno (+170), Brandao (-230) Prediction: Brandao by knockout in round 1
UFC: Road To Japan Featherweight Finals: Mizuto Hirota vs. Teruto Ishihara Betting Odds: Hirota (-245), Ishihara (+175) Prediction: Hirota by submission in round 1
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 2- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
Welterweights: Keita Nakamura vs. Li Jingliang Betting Odds: Nakamura (+170), Jingliang (-230) Prediction: Jingliang by knockout in round 2
Lightweights: Nick Hein vs. Yusuke Kasuya Betting Odds: Hein (-280), Kasuya (+200) Prediction: Hein by decision
Lightweights: Naoyuki Kotani vs. Kajan Johnson Betting Odds: Kotani (+190), Johnson (-270) Prediction: Johnson by submission in round 3
Welterweights: Shinsho Anzai vs. Roger Zapata Betting Odds: Anzai (-130), Zapata (-110) Prediction: Zapata by decision
