Tag: mike perry

Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano on Netflix live results: Two legends return to the MMA cage

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

For the first time ever, Netflix will hold an MMA event as they continue their relationship with Jake Paul’s MVP promotion.

The headliner features former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey returning to action for the first time in nearly a decade against former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gina Carano, fighting for the first time in 17 years. It will likely be the final bout for both women.

The co-main event will see former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou battle former UFC fighter Philipe Lins.

In a high-profile fight between two fan favorites, Nate Diaz returns to the MMA cage against Mike Perry who transitioned from MMA to bare knuckle fighting to raise his profile.

The rest of the main card features Salahdine Parnasse vs. Kenneth Cross at lightweight and former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos against Robelis Despaigne.

Our live coverage kicks off with the main card at 9 pm Eastern.

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Former UFC Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is on the analyst desk along with Ariel Helwani. Cain Velasquez is interviewed cageside before the first fight featuring his long time rival Junior Dos Santos and he doesn’t think it will go long. 

Mauro Ranallo and Kenny Florian are the play by play team for this card. 

Junior Dos Santos (21-10) vs Robelis Despaigne (5-2) – Heavyweights

JDS out to “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky. Gets a nice response from the late arriving crowd. JDS comes in on a 5 fight losing streak, having lost won in 2019. Despaigne lost his last two UFC fights before being cut in 2024 and this is his first fight back. Frank Trigg is the referee. 

Despaigne rocks JDS with his first few shots. JDS makes an impact with a hard leg kick. JDS drops him with a leg kick. Despaigne lands a nice punch combo to the head and follows up with an uppercut. Great punch combo and a head kick by Despaigne and JDS is reeling. He’s busted open and bleeding from the mouth. Despaigne knocks him out cold with a beautiful combo. 

Winner – Robelis Despaigne (6-2) by KO at 2:59

Ariel Helwani interviews Despaigne after the fight. Asks if he will stay in MMA now after leaving in 2024 or go back to karate. Calls out Francis N’Gannou but says he’d like to do both. He also wants a bonus for the knockout and Ariel tells him to talk to “Jake” (Paul). 

Salahdine Parnasse (22-2) vs Kenneth Cross (17-4) – Lightweights

Cross is training partners with Gina Carano, who fights later tonight in the main event. Parnasse is a 2 division champion of KSW in Poland and comes in on a 4 fight win streak. Cross has also won 4 straight but lost his only fight for a major promotion, in Bellator, in 2023. Jason Herzog is the official for this fight. 

Parnasse immediately catches a kick and takes Cross down but he gets right up. They fight for control on the cage before Parnasse takes him down again. Cross up fairly easily. Both guys landing wild strikes after they separate. Cross stuffed on a takedown attempt. Parnasse takes him down again and lands some ground and pound. Takes the back and working for a rear naked choke. Parnasse flattens him out with punches. Cross is turtling and the ref warns him to fight back. Cross to his feet but still eating a lot of punches. Parnasse mixing in strikes to the head and body and Cross goes down clutching his liver and the ref stops it. 

WInner – Salahdine Parnasse (23-2) by TKO at 4:18

That was the first knockout loss of Cross’ career. Parnasse interviewed after the fight and talks in both English and French. Says he’d be willing to box or fight MMA and just wants another fight in this company. Was asked if he felt pressure for this fight and he said he didn’t because he feels he’s the best fighter in the world. Is asked who he’d like to fight next and says “anyone, anytime”. Then says Diaz or Perry. 

One of the promoters was interviewed by Helwani. Says he’s pleased with the show so far. Will not commit to doing another show. Asked if he’ll try to convince Ronda to fight again and he says she’ll always have a place with MVP either as a fighter or promoter. 

Francis Ngannou (18-3) vs Philipe Lins (18-5) – Heavyweights

Lins comes in on a 4 fight win streak in UFC, but hasn’t fought since March 2024. Ngannou is being billed as the linneal heavyweight champion, having left UFC as champion in a contract dispute. He is on a 6 fight win streak in MMA. Herb Dean is the referee. 

Ngannou throwing a lot of kicks early. Lins with a takedown attempt and Ngannou takes his neck. Gives the choke up quickly. Both guys having good success with leg kciks. Ngannou sprawls out of a takedown attempt and gets Lins on his back. Lands some ground and pound before Lins ties him up. Lins up but Ngannou stalking him with punches. Lins lands a nice hope shot. Ngannou up 22-3 in strikes landed 3 minutes in. Seems to be tiring already. Ngannou starting to work the body in the clinch. They separate with 45 seconds left. Ngannou knocks him out cold. 

Winner – Francis Ngannou (19-3) by KO at 4:31

Ariel interview Ngannou after the fight. Says he respects Lins, who was tougher than he thought. Says this was a reminder of just who he is. Says he wasn’t worried about cage rust. It’s an instinct that’s always in him. Ariel asks about Robelis Despaigne. Said he had a good knockout. They are both in the running for performance of the night and they are on a collision course. Jon Jones was watching and Ariel points him out at the analyst desk. Says Joes is a great fighter but he has something to learn about business. Said this fight needs to happen before they retire. But it has to be here. Said that Jake Paul is just a blah blah guy and he doesn’t respect him. He’s glad he found someone to run the business side. Says Jones is tied up but Paul isn’t and if he wants him next. Says if he’s grown up, then maybe. Asks Jake about it. Crowd gives him the loudest boos of the night. Says he’ll fight him. They’re here to get fighters paid more and to get them watched more than people in the UFC. Says he’ll box him, doesn’t seem to want to fight him. Ngannou closes saying he’s the best heavyweight in the world, period while Jon Jones smiles from the desk. 

Woodley and Jones talk on the desk. Jones says he’s trying to get out of his UFC contract. Wants to fight Francis and since Dana won’t make the fight it’s got to happen here. Jones says Francis fought a light heavyweight tonight but he looked good. Woodley says that he should get Netflix to pick up the legal tab to get him out of his UFC contract. Jones is asked about the main event. Says that Ronda is the main reason he’s here. He’s close friends with her and think she’ll do amazing tonight. Also says that Gina is the reason Rousey was able to do what she did and puts her over as the most important woman in the history of MMA. Jones closes by saying he’s officially retired. He’s asked about Ronda and Gina coming back after being retired and he says “well they don’t have arthritis and I do”. 

Mike Perry (14-8) vs Nate Diaz (21-13) – Welterweights 

Perry is fighting MMA for the first time since 2021 where he lost his last two fights in UFC. He last won over Mickey Gall in June 2020. Diaz won his last UFC fight in September 2022 over Tony Ferguson and has gone 1-1 in boxing matches since then. He gets the loudest pop of the night so far for his walkout. Mike Beltran is the ref.

Perry all over Diaz early. Diaz trying to clinch up. Diaz takes him down but Perry takes top position. Perry landing ground and pound. Diaz working a sub from his back. He’s got Perry’s legs all tied up. Loud DIAZ chants from the crowd. Perry gets up and forces Nate to follow. Perry starting to work the body. both guys looking tired. Perry lands a knee to the body and Diaz seems to be in real trouble. Diaz covering up his body which opens up the head.  Diaz starting to fight back with 2 minutes left. Diaz is busted open with a cut over his right eye. Diaz firing back with hard jabs. Perry cut open now beside his nose. More DIAZ chants. Diaz takes the back standing but Perry quickly takes control> Elbows to the head to close the round. 10-9 Perry

Mauro brings up that Diaz would like a rubber match with Conor McGregor which is interesting since his return fight for UFC was just announced for July 11. Perry looking really good early in the 2nd, landing a lot of punches standing. Perry mixing in elbows to the head and punches to the body. Diaz still firing back. Perry is definitely looking most tired although Diaz’ face is covered with blood. Perry takes his back standing. Tries for a choke and that allows Diaz to escape. The blood is dripping into Diaz’ eyes, which is bothering him. Perry throws Diaz to the matt and then follows up with punches to the head. Diaz throws up an armbar but Perry escapes easily. Perry backs off, forcing Diaz up. He gets up very slowly. He’s now bleeding from the back of his head as well. The blood is really getting bad and this could be stopped after the round. Diaz needs the cage to hold him up at points. Perry continuing to stalk him. Perry drops him to close the round. 10-8 Perry but this could be over. 

The fight is indeed stopped between rounds. 

Winner – Mike Perry (15-8) via corner stoppage at 5:00 of Round 2

Ariel Helwani interviews Mike Perry. Says he got tired from hitting Diaz so much. Puts him over as being tough and has no quit in him. Says they did their job. Crowd cheered Diaz and booed him. He’s thankful for the opportunity given by Netflix and MVP. Ariel asks him if he’s disappointed for not winning emphatically, which was kind of a dumb question and Perry says it was emphatic. Couldn’t have been more definitive than that. He calls out Conor McGregor and the fans cheer that. He asks for an MMA fight with Jake Paul and Jake is up for that. Paul beat him in a boxing match. Says cardio wasn’t an issue tonight because he didn’t get to the championship rounds. He’s asked if he’ll stick with MMA now. Says he’s an all around fighter and great in the clinch so seems up to another fight. 

He talks to Diaz as well. Congratulates him on a valiant effort. Says Perry did everything he was expecting. Broke his finger two minutes in. Says he’ll come back and get Perry and even says he’ll take out Paul and Helwani. He congratulates Perry on a good fight and says the stoppage was warranted. Perry seems up for another fight. 

CM Punk was interviewed at cageside. He’s picking Ronda Rousey to win by armbar. Celebrities shown at ringside include James Cameron, David Spade, Tommy Lee and Michael Irvin. 

Main Event – Gina Carano (7-1) vs Ronda Rousey (12-2) – Featherweights

Rousey out to “Bad Reputation” and gets a mixed reaction from the crowd. This is Gina’s first fight since losing to Cris Cyborg in Strikeforce in August 2009. Ronda is fighting for the first time since December 2016, having lost her last two UFC fights. Big John McCarthy is the referee. 

Ronda takes her down immediately. Gina with a guillotine attempt. Ronda with an armbar and it’s over. 

Winner – Ronda Rousey 13-2) via armbar submission in 17 seconds

Ariel interviews both ladies in the cage. Compares it to Cat Zingano in this same city. Ronda says Gina brought her in and is the only person who could’ve brought her back. She’s in tears. “You changed my world and we changed the world”. Ronda thanks MVP and Netflix and says the fans in the building and at home give this show value. They’re here to fight for the fans. She says she was hoping it would go like it did. She didn’t want to hurt Gina. Ariel asks if she wanted more time and Ronda says “hell no!”. Thanks her family and coaches and training partners for getting her here. Says that Gina is her hero and thanked her for bringing her home. Ariel asks if we could see more of Ronda in a cage. Ronda says this was the perfect ending and she wants to go have babies now. 

Gina says she wanted it to last longer. She’s never felt that good in the cage. Says that just getting back in the cage was a victory. She is disappointed because she wanted a fight and didn’t really get it. Says she lost 100 lbs and probably added years to her life because of it. Ariel asks if she wants to keep doing this. Being away 17 years and being 44 years old is a lot. She’ll talk about it with her family. Says you never know. Maybe she should’ve matched up against a striker.

Jake Paul says we will definitely see more MVP MMA. Says they’re taking over MMA and Dana White better be prepared. 

 

Nate Diaz return added to Netflix’s Rousey vs. Carano card

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Former UFC star Nate Diaz is returning on the card for Netflix’s first-ever live MMA special.

It was announced today that Diaz vs. Mike Perry will take place on the undercard of Netflix’s Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano event on May 16. The show is being held at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California and will stream live for Netflix subscribers at no additional cost.

Diaz vs. Perry will be contested at 170 pounds. It’s Diaz’s first MMA fight since 2022 and Perry’s first since 2021. Both are former UFC fighters who have tried their hand at boxing in recent years. Perry has also competed for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

Netflix hyped up Diaz as a “combat sports icon” whose rivalry with Conor McGregor was the biggest box-office feud in MMA history.

“The bout adds another explosive matchup to a blockbuster triple-headliner that already includes a heavyweight clash between Francis Ngannou and Philippe Lins and a historic women’s main event between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano,” the streaming platform wrote in a press release.

MVP Promotions — owned by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian — is the promoter of this event. Diaz and Perry have each worked with Paul before, losing to him in boxing matches.

Bidarian thanked Netflix for believing in MVP’s and said he believes the future of MMA is bright with them working together.

“Nate Diaz is the Real BMF, and Mike Perry is the King of Violence — this will be a war from the first press conference all the way to the end when one of them has their hand raised,” Bidarian said. “It’s an absolutely massive night of fights in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 16th, as we continue building some of the biggest global events in combat sports. Thank you to Netflix for believing in our vision. The future of MMA is bright.”

To help promote the MMA card, Rousey showed up at AEW Revolution on Sunday night after her friend Marina Shafir lost to “Timeless” Toni Storm.

Daily Update: CMLL, Jake Paul-Mike Perry fallout, TNA notes

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • The new issue of the Wrestling Observer is up on the site right now:
  • The updated details of the biggest lawsuit that ever faced TKO
  • Build to SummerSlam and All In
  • Updated PPV numbers on Forbidden Door, Money in the Bank and Diaz vs. Masvidal
  • G-1 is starting and a look at the first week of the tournament
  • The first Fantastica Mania show in the U.S.
  • The latest moves by Janel Grant’s legal team regarding Vince McMaahon’s doctor, the motion, why they are doing this and more on Vince’s doctor including bigger celebrities than Vince that he’s worked with along with legendary fighters
  • Pro Wrestling NOAH runs Budokan Hall with A.J. Styles
  • A look at the N-1 tournament
  • Longtime NOAH star retires
  • NOAH star joining New Japan and Bullet Club
  • A look at Marigold’s biggest show in its history with Iyo Sky plus Sareee vs Giulia
  • Giulia timeline updated of going to WWE
  • Upcoming Marigold PPV shows
  • A look at the Category A Observer awards and favorites after six months of 2024, who should win MVP in pro wrestling and MMA, match & fight of the year
  • The closing months of  WCW looked at as Lenita Erickson says she played a part in killing Eric Bischoff’s TV deal that would have kept the company alive
  • Lots of talk regarding different negotiations to get the company
  • The most detailed look at the ratings from the past week
  • What place did the pro wrestling and MMA shows finish in the ratings
  • How the different shows did  with ratings, segment-by-segment, competition and placings as well as other notes on viewership
  • Lots of big things coming to Arena Mexico
  • Leyenda de Plata tournament
  • 11 companies join together with a united front to government
  • Death of Ken Hoffman and the major title change that happened because of what he wrote in the newspaper
  • Notes on a number of wrestling movies and documentaries
  • MLW with big show with lots of CMLL talent
  • More on Bloodsport with WWE talent
  • TNA looking at biggest crowd in years
  • As AEW talks with WBD about  a new deal, lots of things are going on in that world
  • International ratings and streaming numbers
  • Advance ticket sales for all upcoming AEW & WWE shows
  • More on Nate Diaz lawsuit against promoter
  • Peacock raising prices
  • WWE Survivor Series notes
  • Lots of new WWE dates
  • Cody Rhodes talks AEW

This Week’s Wresting Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Sunday Update

– Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about all the latest news, including this week and next week’s Smackdown, the first AEW show in Arlington, TX and G-1, as well as Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry with Wrestling Observer Radio tonight.

– Although Judge Richard Boulware said he would make his ruling on whether to accept the $335 million settlement by TKO in the Cung Le lawsuit over this past week, it came and went  with no news.

– There will be a one-night tournament on Tuesday night at Arena Mexico with Flip Gordon, Templario, Valiente, Esfinge, Rugido, Zandokan Jr., Stuka Jr. and Averno and the winner will get the shot at MJF and his International title on 8/2 at Arena Mexico. It’s notable because the tradition at Arena Mexico is angles are shot for the night of the week, so it’s rare a Tuesday night tournament will lead to a Friday night match, but times are changing.

– The story of Naomichi Marufuji going to SummerSlam was overblown. The actual story is that Marufuji will be announcing the show for the Japanese broadcast on ABEMA PPV, but he will be doing so from Japan.

– Added to the ROH Death Before Dishonor show on Friday night in Arlington, TX is Diamante vs. Leyla Hirsch in a Texas death match.

– Skye Blue suffered an ankle injury last night in her match with Hikaru Shida and they stopped the match immediately upon orders of the doctor. Shida’s win was planned and was to set up Shida vs. Britt Baker on Wednesday night’s show in Nashville.

– We’re looking for reports on these weekend shows:

  • Smackdown in Omaha (everything not on the live show)
  • Dragon Gate Kobe World Festival from today in Kobe

– We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to [email protected]. We’re also doing polls from both nights of  G-1 in Osaka as well as last night’s TNA Slammiversary show in Montreal, thumbs up, down or middle, best and worst match for each show to [email protected]

– As expected by most, Jake Paul, the actual boxer, had his way with MMA fighter/Bare Knuckle boxer Mike Perry, who is smaller and comes from a different sport. Paul scored several knockdowns and won via sixth round stoppage. Paul then issued a challenge to Alex Pereira, the UFC light heavyweight champion, but of course not under MMA or kickboxing rules but boxing rules, a sport Pereira only competed in once, in 2017. This fight can’t happen because Pereira is under contract with UFC who will never let him do that fight

Perry, who was the top star of Bare Knuckle Fighting, which Conor McGregor owns a piece of, saw McGregor rip on Perry who claimed that he’d never fight in BKFC again.  Perry said that wasn’t going to happen, saying, “Me and him are both owners of BKFC, so he can’t fire me.  We can fight in Bare Knuckle.  Look at me. I lost to Jake Paul. Why don’t you go fight Jake Paul in boxing with the gloves on? I think it would be worse that Conor McGregor vs. Mayweather.”

McGregor made these tweets, which he then deleted, writing, “Perry took a pay cut to take that fight btw. It was a wish of his. Astounding.  He will not be offered a return to the BKFC ring. He can do a few matches of his new Dirty Boxing thing with MMA sparring gloves he has set up.  We wish him well,  Wish granted.

After Perry responded saying he was a oc-owner, McGregor said “Michael you are not an owner in BKFC. Not an iodta. You have the tiniest minute dot of a share in the social media app.  Which is promising, in fairness. But  it’s’ a speckle you have. You own nothing  in (BKFC). Not an iota. And trust me, you are out, bro.”

– At yesterday’s UFC show it was announced that the 8/3 co-main event in Abu Dhabi of Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque is off. The reason  given was travel issues. No more details were said. The claim is they are looking at still holding the fight later in the year. This would have been Diaz’s first fight since 2021, when he lost to Robbie Lawler. The new No. 2 bout on the show is Shara Magomedov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk in a middleweight bout. Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Cory Sandhagen is the main event.

– In Google searches, the Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry boxing match did 1 million searches yesterday and was No. 1. The only other stuff related to boxing, wrestling and MMA that cracked the lists this week were Hulk Hogan, Dana White and Linda McMahon on Thursday speaking at the  Republican convention at 500,000 (No. 3 for the day) and Paul vs. Perry was No. 9 on Thursday with 100,000. The UFC show yesterday did not crack the list.

– Mike Perry announced this week a new promotion with new rules. He announced a company called Dirty Boxing Championships that he’s starting along with his team at First Round Management, Adam Kovacs (Karate Combat) and Josh McLean. It will combine boxing with five ounce gloves and allow limited ground-and-pound. It will be fought in an 18×18 boxing ring with strikes allowed from fists, slaps, palms and elbows. If  someone is knocked down, they can finish with ground-and-pound. The person punching has to remain on his feet. They are looking at debuting in September or October.

– AEW didn’t have the Elton John Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting open on last night’s show in Arlington, TX. No word as to why. It was expensive to use and there have been cutbacks on using some expensive music.

– Tonight’s A&E Biography wll be on Mark Henry at 8 p.m.

– The story behind the International belt from last night’s TNA show is that former Vermont promoter Gary Hathaway hold old plaques from one of the International title belts from Quebec in the 80s. They made a belt to look like the one used for International Wrestling, dominated by Dino Bravo, in the late 70s through mid 80s. a In storyline, AJ Francis bought it from Gino Brito and since the lineage goes back to the 30s it’s why he used names like Bravo, King Tonga (Haku) and Lou  Thesz. The big crowd (more than 3,000 but not the 4,000 number used, I was told 3,500 max) was a tribute to the promotional work of PCO, as well as local wrestlers who were allowed into a dark match Battle Royal if they sold a certain number of tickets. PCO, who sold a ton of tickets himself, got the biggest live reaction followed by Mike Bailey and Joe Hendry. Hendry’s T-shirt for the weekend said “Oui Believe” instead of “I believe.”  Lots of you screwed Bret chants for Earl Hebner, whose surprise appearance was booed more than anyone on the show. AJ Francis was second. This was the first time French language commentator Marc Blondin worked ringside on a PPV after a 40 year career. The security guard who held Bailey’s feet in the angle at the end with Ali was Zak Patterson, the son of author Bertrand Hebert (Patterson, Andre & Mad Dog bios as well as the great Montreal history book,). Hebert worked with PCO in promoting the show locally. Former area stars Paul LeDuc, Richard Charland, Louis Laurence (who trained Vampiro originally) and Gilles “The Fish” Poisson/Louis Cyr were in attendance. Kim LeDuc, who founded the first all-women’s promotion in Quebec in 2006 was also there (thanks to Pat Laprade)

– At tonight’s tapings in Montreal, new champion Nic Nemeth defends against Mustafa Ali and PCO defends the International and Digital belts against Moose. There will also be a PCO/Steph De Lander wedding angle. Other bouts have Jordynne Grace & Eric Young vs. Alex Hammerstone & Ash By Elegance, Jake Something vs. Steve Maclin and Masha Slamovich vs. Jody Threat.

– At the DDT Peter Pan show, which went five hours, was told there were great matches with Konosuke Takeshita vs. Masato Tanaka, Tetsuya Endo &  Yuki Iino vs. Go Shiozaki & Atsushi Kotoge for the KO-D tag titles and Yui Ueno vs Mao for the KO-D title was said to be awesome.  The champions retained in both matches.

– Raul Rosas Jr. vs Aoriqlieng was added to the UFC show at The Sphere on 9/14. Since the show is going to emphasize Mexican-American and Mexican fighters, Rosas being on it makes sense. Rosas, who is 19, the youngest fighter on the roster, is 3-1 in UFC competition.

– The NWA announced world tag team champions Blunt Force Trauma defending against 2023 Crockett Cup winners Mike Nox & Trevor Murdoch on the 8/31 NWA 76th anniversary show at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

– Defy from Friday night in Seattle: Artemis Spencer b Mark Haskins (from UK),  Marina Shafir b Amira to keep the Defy women’s title, Anthony Bowens & Randy Myers b Ricky Gibson & Eddie Pearl, Man Like DeReiss (UK) b Evan Rivers, Sebastian Wolfe b Coco Flash, Cody Chhun & Guillermo Rosas b Sinner & Saint and champions Bollywood Boyz to win the tag titles. Next show is 9/20 at Washington Hall in Seattle.  Max Caster wasn’t able to make the show due to the Microsoft glitch that caused all the computer errors including at many airports.

– At yesterday’s All Japan show, Musashi issued a challenge to Naruki Doi for a World jr. title match and Doi turned him down saying he’d only defend against an All Japan roster member, Musashi then asked President Fukuda at the timekeeper’s table and asked to join the promotion full-time and Fukuda agreed, to a big pop and chants (thanks to Gerard Di Trolio)

– Bleeding Gums Wrestling ran a show at  The Ice Factory in Perth, Scotland called Wire & Ice, featuring the first-ever no rope barbed wire death match in Scotland featuring Jack Harrop vs. Alton Thorne. Harrop won. Historian Bradley Craig noted to us that deathmatch culture has now expanded into Scotland.

– Ruthless Pro Wrestling from last night in Berwyn, IL: Schwartzy & Randi West b Brutus Dylan & Bull Bronson, Rickey Shane Page & Vincent Nothing b Zach Thomas & Gregory Iron, Remingon Rhor b Chuck Stein Shlak b Eric Dillinger, Tommy Vendetta b Otis Cogar, Judge Joe Dredd Casanova Valentine, Atticus Cogar kept the heavyweight title over Jake Crist, Malcolm Monroe III b Drake Younger (thanks to Leonard Brand)

Daily Update: SummerSlam preview, Mike Perry, Kenny Omega

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

WWE SUMMERSLAM ON SUNDAY AT 6 P.M. EASTERN ON WWE NETWORK

  • Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins for Universal title.  They’ve told the story that Rollins doesn’t have a chance.  The only way Rollins should lose is if they have a big-time challenger set up for Lesnar next.  The fact Braun Strowman isn’t on the show puts him on the list.  Bill Goldberg is there but that’s been done.  Lesnar is a -230 favorite so the Oddsmakers think the same as what WWE is leading people to think.  This is very unique in the idea that the PPV is built around the idea the babyface challenger doesn’t have a chance to win.
  • Kofi Kingston vs Randy Orton for WWE title.  Should be good but the interaction thus far has been well timed but nothing spectacular.  They have a nice story built in.  You would think on this stage it should be very good and they’ll get a lot of time.  Kingston is a -210 favorite.
  • Bill Goldberg vs, Dolph Ziggler.  This should be short.  If it goes too long, something is wrong.  Goldberg is a -475 favorite and even that feels like too low to me.   
  • Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon – If Owens loses he must quit WWE.  Because of the stip, Owens is the heavy favorite at -510.  I expect the match will be good since they’ll have a lot of latitude of which to work.
  • A.J. Styles vs. Ricochet for U.S. title – Based on pure talent this should be the best match on the show.  Styles is a -200 favorite to retain.  Gallows & Anderson should be around to get involved.  This is also a -133 favorite to be the best match on the show.  The second favorite for best match is Lesnar vs. Rollins at +165. 
  • Trish Stratus vs. Charlotte Flair.  Stratus has said this will be the last match of her career so she’ll be doing everything to make it memorable.  Logically Flair should win but wins and losses don’t mean much in WWE storylines so it’s not a lock.  Flair is listed as a -530 favorite.  I’ve got to think this will be a good match, plus the Toronto crowd will be way behind Stratus so they’ll get a benefit a lot of women’s matches on PPV don’t get.
  • Becky Lynch vs. Natalya submission match for Raw women’s title.  Lots has been talked about regarding how the crowd will react.  I expect a great atmosphere and maybe a mixed reaction.  It’s very unpredictable.  Natalya is there to get a good match from Lynch while losing most likely, and the odds have Lynch a -430 favorite.  .
  • Bayley vs. Ember Moon for Smackdown women’s title.  Should be good.  Moon is underrated and Bayley is a good worker.  Not sure how much the crowd will care about this though since Moon hasn’t been pushed much.  Bayley is a -245 favorite to retain the title.
  • Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt – Wyatt is a -1580 favorite as he should be.  This is likely Balor’s last match for a few months.  He may do TV tomorrow but the idea was he was finishing up here for a few months.  Really this should not be about having a great match but more about putting Wyatt over strong with his new gimmick.
  • Drew Gulak vs. Oney Lorcan for cruiserweight title.  This is confirmed a pre-show match.  On paper this should be a great match.  Technically it could be one of the best on the show.  Gulak is a -335 favorite at press time. 

NEW JAPAN G-1 CLIMAX FINALS AT BUDOKAN HALL ON SUNDAY NIGHT AT 2 A.M. EASTERN AND 11 P.M. PACIFIC ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

Raw will be live on Monday from Toronto with Nikki Cross & Alexa Bliss defending the women’s tag titles against Asuka & Kairi Sane and The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler.

Smackdown and 205 Live will be Tuesday night from Toronto.

F4W NEWSLETTER: Rey Mysterio and avoiding missed opportunity

Joseph Currier looks at Rey Mysterio’s current WWE run and the value he could still have to the company. Plus, Vinny’s TV reviews.

After three years away from the company, Mysterio made his full-time return to WWE last fall. His current run hasn’t been a failure, but this is the time when he’s freshest to WWE and the fans. That hasn’t really been capitalized on.

Mysterio won the US title from Samoa Joe at Money in the Bank, but his reign never got a chance to begin. He had to vacate the title after separating his shoulder. Wherever WWE was going with Mysterio’s son Dominick being by his side against Joe, that’s seemingly been dropped. When Mysterio returned, he was demolished by Bobby Lashley in his first match back.

Mysterio also participated in a number one contender’s battle royal last month, with Rollins winning and advancing to challenge Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Mysterio defeated Zayn at Raw Reunion, though the segment was mostly about returning legends getting to appear. RVD, Sgt. Slaughter, The Hurricane, and Kurt Angle stopped Zayn from walking out. Mysterio then hit the 619 and a frog splash to get the win.

Raw Reunion capitalized on the nostalgia of returning wrestlers from previous eras. Mysterio appearing on the same episode as them showed how much of an opportunity WWE is missing with him. Even at 44 years old, Mysterio is such an incredible in-ring performer. He can still be one of the most marketable people on the roster and one of the wrestlers with the most mainstream appeal. He can still connect as a top babyface. He’s a Hall of Fame wrestler that still has a ton of value to the company. WWE moved on from John Cena too quickly when he should have had time left as a top star, and they shouldn’t make the same mistake with Mysterio.

WON NEWSLETTER: August 12, 2019 Observer Newsletter: Life and death of Harley Race

The early career of Harley Race, his road to the world title and his battles with Hulk Hogan is the lead story of a special double issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

We examine why Race made such a convincing champion, the story behind his seventh world title win over Ric Flair and how Vince McMahon attempted to sabotage what at the time was the biggest pro wrestling event in history.  We look at how the Flair vs. Race storyline at the first Starrcade went down, how Flair first became NWA champion, McMahon’s big move right before Starrcade, how many modern wrestlers copied him, what he was known for in Japan, the incident with Hogan and the story behind why there was so much of a delay in the Hogan vs. Race program in WWF and why it didn’t draw well.

We look at how Race first got involved in pro wrestling, the auto accident that killed his wife and nearly ended his career, his early career, how he got his first major career break at the age of 21, the legend of Bruiser & Crusher vs. The Dolly Sisters tag team, Race the street fighter, the creation of the world tag team championships in Australia, and his rise in the NWA.  We look at the unique situation that led to his first world title reign, why it was never planned and how his work in seven weeks as champion changed his entire career.  We also look at the road to his second world title.

We also update the G-1 Climax tournament with coverage of all the shows this past week with match-by-match coverage, star ratings and poll results.

We cover the biggest event of the year in Mexico, TripleMania, with business notes, lots on the debut of Cain Velasquez, the story behind his moves, the return of L.A. Park, The Elite, with match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results on the show.

We also explore how the creative changes impacted the SummerSlam show, with notes on the different changes, the Takeover card, and the ticket demand going into the big weekend.

We look at yet another new WWE television show being proposed, Dwayne Johnson retiring as a wrestler, notes on Hobbs & Shaw, NXT business, WWE rules regarding U.K. talent, Goldberg pay, WWE looking at a major acquisition, WWE thinking about house show changes and why, WrestleMania 2021 news, an update on WWE show in Saudi Arabia, and an update on WWE touring schedule.

We have notes on how TV will be routed come October, Fox talks abut Smackdown, lots of WWE injury updates, intergender matches, WWE ticket sales, Mae Young Classic 2019, a new WWE producer, Reigns talks Dean Ambrose, Lio Rush update, a surprise return to WWE in two weeks, complaints at NXT live events about fans, Evolve news, WWE market value, most-watched shows on WWE Network, as well as a rundown on all WWE live events held over the past week with results, highlights and business notes.

We’ve got full coverage of the UFC event in Newark headlined by Colby Covington’s win over Robbie Lawler.

We also look back at the PWG 16th anniversary show, the rise of PWG, and the Battle of Los Angeles participants.

We also have full coverage of all the WWE television shows from the past week.

As always, we have in-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows,the key demos for the WWE shows and what can be learned from them.

We also have the results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week. 

ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].

Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.

In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.

For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be back tonight with coverage of SummerSlam and both G-1 shows. We’ll also talk the latest news.

We got a lot of complaints yesterday regarding WWE Network. This was the first major show since the changes.  I don’t know how widespread the problems were but we did get a lot of complaints.  I had no trouble during Takeover, but I did want to watch the tag title match a second time and watching on replay buffered a few times, and today it went out once.  the demand today will be much higher than yesterday so hopefully all goes well. 

As far as trending numbers go for the weekend, three UFC topics got 50,000 or more searches, which were Valentina Shevchenko, Mike Perry (based on his surgery today) and UFC 241. It’s very rare that a show trends a week in advance. NXT Takeover did get 20,000 searches today so it’s on the early list although did not crack the top 20 yesterday and probably won’t by the end of the day today, but for NXT, just being no the list part of the day is better than usual.

Mike Perry underwent surgery for his badly broken nose today in Uruguay. He will be staying in Uruguay until tomorrow and then is expected to return home.  He will be unable to spar or test his nose for six months, so it will be some time before he gets back in the cage. 

OWE and Singapore Pro Wrestling announced a 9/15 show with Kenny Omega. The show sold out the first day of the announcement.  The show is called Klash of Kings.  Riho of AEW is their current Singapore Pro Wrestling champion. They are looking at adding tickets. (thanks to Kevin Chiat) 

WWE

  • I really liked this interview with Roman Reigns from when he was in Edmonton talking about his days on the football field.  He also confirmed he played here after his battle with leukemia which was known but turned into controversy when I pointed that out a few months ago and he talks about his time there and his first fight with the disease and the idea that he wanted to be a football player (he was all-ACC).
  • Another story on Reigns out of Montreal. (thanks to Barry Werner)
  • Daria Berenato aka Sonya Deville on coming out as being a lesbian in WWE on Tough Enough was covered in Parade this weekend. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
  • A story on Seth Rollins raising the ire of fans. (thanks to Chris Cruise)

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Kenny Omega and Michael Nakazawa were in Japan Saturday and at the Stardom show with Will Ospreay (who is at most Stardom Tokyo shows when he’s not on the road because his girlfriend, Bea Priestley, is champion of the promotion).
  • Omega also works 9/14 for New Taiwan Wrestling.
  • Kota Ibushi was established as a -154 favorite to beat Jay White in tomorrow’s G-1 finals.  Kambi has also released over/under star ratings for Ibushi vs. White at ****3/4
  • Thanks to everyone for their nice comments on the Harley Race story in the current Observer.  Race is definitely one of the all-time greats and a fascinating character regarding his time and place and the changes in the industry.
  • Another strong story on Harley Race, by Mike Mooneyham. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk and Chris Cruise)
  • wXw Toronto from Friday in a great show with an incredible main event:  Cima won four-way over Daniel Makabe, Brent Banks and Julian Pace, Emil Sitoci b Avalanche to keep the Shotgun title, Amale won three-way over LuFisto and Allysin Kay, Bobby Gunns b Mike Bailey to keep wXw title, Timothy Thatcher b Yuki Ishikawa (bout got a standing ovation when it was over), Alexander James & Jurn Simmons won three-way over T-Hawk & Lindaman and Aussie Open in a wild  tornado match, Walter b Daisuke Sekimoto.  After the match Walter turned on the crowd saying it’s an absolute disgrace to be wrestling on independent shows and he deserves better.  He was ripping on the fans until David Starr ran in, hit a German suplex and a tope and the brawled after the match.  Classic main event (thanks to Dave Musgrave)
  • The Summit, which was a combination of Shimmer, Rise, Smash and Femmes Fatales from yesterday in Toronto:  Rosemary b KC Spinelli to become the first Smash womens’ champ with Xandra Bale as referee, Ashley Vox & Delmi Exo b Dust & Veda Scott, Delilah Doom b Shotzi Blackheart, Aerial Monroe b Zoe Lucas to win the Phoenix of Rise title, Priscilla Kelly won four-way over Cheerleader Melissa, LuFisto and Allysin Kay, Mercedes Martinez b Jordynne Grace to keep the Femmes Fatales title in a match people were raving about, Nicole Savoy b Nicole Matthews to  keep the Shimmer title.   Lucas refused to hand over her title belt after losing and tried to walk about with it when bull Nakano came out and hit her with a weapon and got the belt away and gave it to Monroe (thanks to Shannon Walsh and Dave Musgrave)
  • After Takeover, Dave Musgrave had none of the Takeover matches in the top five for best match in Toronto this week. Top five were:
    Jordynne Grace vs. Mercedes Martinez from yesterday’s Summit show
    Walter vs. Daisuke Sekimoto from wXw
    Timothy Thatcher vs. Daniel Makabe from wXw on 8/8
    David Starr & Jody Threat vs. Chris Brookes & Jordynne Grace from Progress on 8/9
    Travis Banks vs. Jordan Devlin from Progress on 8/9
    Billy Corgan has been in Toronto because he’s got a concert there on Tuesday.
  • Legacy Fighting on 9/13 in Wichita, KS at the Hartman Arena on AXS TV headlined by Trey Ogden (12-3) vs. Nick Browne (8-1).
  • Stardom from yesterday at Korakuen Hall:  AZM won five-way over Leo Onozaki, Rina, Hina and Ruaka, Momo Watanabe b  Saya Kamitani (Kamitani’s debut match), Hana Kimura & Bobbi Tyler & Konami b Mayu Iwatani & Tam Nakano & Saya Iida, Riho won High Speed title over Death Yama-San, Kagetsu & Natsu Sumire & Andras Miyagi Hazuki & Jamie Hayter & Natsuko Tora, Arisa Hoshiki b Jungle Kyona to keep the Wonder of Stardom title, Bea Priestley b Utami Hayashishita to keep the World of Stardom title (thanks to Shannon Walsh and wrestlingwithdemons.net)
  • PCW Ultra from Friday night in Wilmington, CA:  Mil Muertes b Dan Maff to keep Ultra title, Daga b Puma King, Artemis Spencer b Matt Sydal to keep Defy title, Schaff won three-way over Brian Pillman Jr. and Douglas James, Jake Atlas b TJ Perkins to keep the Ultra light title, Sumie Sakai b Tessa Blanchard to win women’s title, Josef Samael & Jacob Fatu NC Eddie Kingston & Homicide in an unsanctioned match to keep the tag title (thanks to Eric Chase and Shannon Walsh)
  • Great North Wrestling from last night in Petawawa, ONT:  Teddy Hart DCOR Cazador de Sangre (replacing Davey Boy Smith Jr. who had travel issues), Wes Brisco b Max Testosterone, Jessika Black b Melanie Havoc to win the womens’ title, Rene Dupree b Steve McDaniel ,Nathan Banner b Jeremy Prophet, Bruiser b Harley Davidson in a tables match, Dave Juno b Mark Burelle in a kickboxing exhibition.  Next show is 10/20 in Ottawa with Haku vs. Blood Hunter plus Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Wes Brisco appearing.
  • CZW from last night in Voorhees, NJ:  Gabriel Skye & Tristen Thai b Budapest Bastards, Justin Wylde b KC Navarro, Suvanna Stone b Leyla Hirsch, Emil Sitoci d Jordan Oliver, Conor Claxton b Avalanche, Alexander James & Jurn Simmons b Nate Carter & Dave McCall, John Silver b Anthony Greene to keep CZW title.  Next show is the Chris Cash Memorial show 9/13. (thanks to Bob Magee)
  • A  story on Kingsport area wrestlers doing a benefit show for Don Wright, who lost his home and van in a fire.
  • The New York Times has a story on GLOW and AEW’s Kia Stevens aka Awesome Kong. (thanks to George Maranville)
  • Stephan Bonnar wrestles on a show tonight in San Jose  at The Ritz.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Masahiro Chono wins 1991 G1 Climax Tournament

CONTACT INFORMATION

UFC 226 card gets reshuffled following Holloway-Ortega cancellation

Posted on by Josh Nason

With the much-anticipated Max Holloway-Brian Ortega featherweight title clash now in moth balls due to Holloway’s sudden health issues, Saturday’s UFC 226 card got an adjustment Thursday assuming no other fights fall through due to weight cut issues.

Replacing Holloway-Ortega on the PPV portion of the show will be a potentially fun lightweight tilt between Paul Felder and Mike Perry, a fight bumped up from FS1.

Franics Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis is now the co-main event. The card is headlined by heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic vs. light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier with Michael Chiesa vs. Anthony Pettis and Khalil Rountree vs. Gokhan Saki also on the main card.

In related news, ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported that the promotion was trying to put together Frankie Edgar vs. Jeremy Stephens for the interim featherweight title but due to a recent stem cell injection that Edgar got in his shoulder, he couldn’t be ready but was down to fight on three days notice. 

By all indications, Ortega is going to wait for the Holloway fight. There were rumors that the fight could be done on the promotion’s early August PPV in Los Angeles, but that would appear unlikely until Holloway gets a clean bill of health.

UFC On FOX 22 Betting & Fantasy Playbook

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Here’s some advice for your gambling and fantasy needs for Saturday’s UFC On FOX 22 event in Sacramento, California, headlined by Paige VanZant taking on Michelle Waterson in a five-round women’s strawweight bout on FOX.

MAIN CARD

Paige VanZant (7-2) vs. Michelle Waterson (13-4)

Betting Odds: VanZant (-115), Waterson (-105)
DraftKings Salaries: VanZant- $8,300, Waterson- $7,900
Key Statistic: Waterson hasn’t fought since July 2015
Analysis: VanZant and Waterson square off in the main event in what should be a very competitive bout. Waterson steps back into the Octagon for the first time in 17 months, so there will likely be some ring rust to shake off. VanZant showed more aggression in her last fight, and she should be looking to do the same against an opponent coming off the long layoff. Waterson has fought most of her career at 105 pounds, and she moved up in weight to get in the UFC, so she will be giving up a little bit of size. However, she has noticeably gotten a little bigger heading into this fight. VanZant’s striking was also much more improved in her last fight with Bec Rawlings, and she got a spectacular finish. Waterson is a better fighter than Rawlings, and she has some good striking and a good ground game. I feel like this fight will go 25 minutes. The betting odds are a pick ’em, and I favor VanZant in this fight. Both women would be solid fantasy plays, but I see more upside in VanZant. The extra ten minutes should give more scoring opportunities, and I feel she is a safe play.

Sage Northcutt (8-1) vs. Mickey Gall (3-0)

Betting Odds: Northcutt (-105), Gall (-115)
DraftKings Salaries: Northcutt- $8,000, Gall- $8,200
Key Statistic: Gall has never fought an opponent with UFC experience
Analysis: This one will be interesting as it is two marketable young fighters in a prime spot, but neither one is close to being ready for tough competition. Northcutt has actually beaten opponents who have won in the UFC. Gall has just three fights, all wins, but none against a true UFC fighter. Northcutt already has the edge there. Gall may actually be a better prospect in the future, but he is still unexperienced. Northcutt is not without his flaws, but his athleticism is great, and he is fast and powerful. He is moving back up to welterweight, and while he got his only career loss in that weight class, his growing size is more suitable for the division. Gall is going to have to pressure Northcutt and drag him down quickly, because Northcutt has shown to be lost most of the time on the mat. Northcutt will have the big edge on the feet. I’m surprised the betting odds and fantasy salaries are so close, and I think Northcutt is the easy play in this fight. He is definitely worth putting on your fantasy line-up, and I expect him to have a high draft percentage.

Urijah Faber (33-10) vs. Brad Pickett (25-12)

Betting Odds: Faber (-440), Pickett (+350)
DraftKings Salaries: Faber- $9,600, Pickett- $6,000
Key Statistic: Faber’s final career fight
Analysis: A future hall-of-famer and a bonafide legend of the smaller weight classes, Faber will walk to the Octagon for the final time in his career for his final fight. Pickett is also near the end of the road as a fighter, and this could be it for him as well. We could be treated to a special fight. Neither man is near their best, but Faber is still better at this stage. Pickett is coming off a bad loss, and Faber has been at least competitive in his recent fights. Pickett still packs some pop in his hands, but Faber is still more crafty on his feet. Faber is still the king of scrambles, and he has 19 wins by submission in his career. Pickett has been submitted five times in his career. This fight is better suited for Faber to end his career on a high note. Pickett is a big underdog, but he isn’t worth placing a bet on. Faber has the highest salary on the card, and you have to hope he gets a finish. He definitely has a big chance, but that is far from a guarantee. I would only roster him if you can afford to, though I do expect him in a high percentage of fantasy line-ups.

Alan Jouban (14-4) vs. Mike Perry (9-0)

Betting Odds: Jouban (+110), Perry (-130)
DraftKings Salaries: Jouban- $7,700, Perry- $8,500
Key Statistic: Each man has nine wins by knockout
Analysis: This one should be a slugfest and is a great bit of matchmaking. Both men are powerful strikers. Perry has won all of his professional fights by knockout. I don’t expect it to go to the ground, much, or even at all. Jouban has a more diverse arsenal, with some good wrestling and he is good in the clinch. Perry is more powerful, but his defense on the feet isn’t the greatest. He tends to leave his chin out there too much, and Jouban packs enough in his punches to make him pay. Jouban is also physically big, and that might be too much for Perry to bully around in a clinch. Jouban will also switch up his striking while Perry just looks to punch. With all of that being said, Perry has yet to lose, and Jouban has. Perry is the favorite here, and I favor him, but Jouban is a real live underdog play. When it comes to fantasy plays, both men are solid plays. It just depends on how you wanna fill your line-up. I feel this goes to a finish, and it’ll be a back-and-forth fight.

PRELIMS

Henrique da Silva (12-0) vs. Paul Craig (8-0)

Betting Odds: da Silva (-225), Craig (+185)
DraftKings Salaries: da Silva- $9,000, Craig- $7,200
Key Statistic: Each man has won all of their fights by finish
Analysis: Two undefeated prospects at 205 pounds highlight the prelims on Saturday. This should bring plenty of fireworks as both men have finished all of their opponents. Da Silva has had to come from behind in both of his fights in the UFC, but he has that Octagon experience while Craig is making his debut. Craig is tall for the division at six-foot-four, and he has some good submissions. Da Silva is powerful on his feet and is very aggressive in looking for the knockout. Da Silva is a big favorite due to his UFC experience, and that makes Craig a live underdog. This is a pick ’em fight in my view, and the winner is going to finish the loser. Craig is a great underdog play in fantasy.

Cole Miller (21-10 1 NC) vs. Mizuto Hirota (17-7-2)

Betting Odds: Miller (-105), Hirota (-115)
DraftKings Salaries: Miller- $8,100, Hirota- $8,100
Key Statistic: Miller has 15 wins by submission
Analysis: A very vocal and unhappy Miller steps back into the Octagon for perhaps the last time as he takes on Hirota at 145 pounds. Hirota is still in search of his first UFC win in his fourth appearance, and this may be his best chance thus far. Miller is long for the division and he uses his jab well, and he has an excellent ground game with 15 career submissions. Hirota is a good wrestler but he may not wanna play in the guard of Miller for very long. This is essentially a pick ’em fight in the betting odds and in fantasy. I like Miller as the better play here due to his knack for getting submissions. He has a very good chance of finishing Hirota and is a solid pick at $8,100.

Bryan Barberena (12-3) vs. Colby Covington (10-1)

Betting Odds: Barberena (+300), Covington (-360)
DraftKings Salaries: Barberena- $7,300, Covington- $8,900
Key Statistic: Both men each have one career submission loss
Analysis: Barberena and Covington will each be looking to score their third straight win when they square off on Saturday. Covington is the better prospect of the two, but Barberena has scored some upset victories in his last two fights. Barberena is the better fighter on the feet with more aggression, but Covington makes up for that in his huge takedowns and strong top game. He is very powerful and Barberena is going to be giving up some size. Barberena has been known to spring on an upset, so a bet on him wouldn’t be a bad option, though he is the underdog for good reason. I’m not sure I would play either one in fantasy as I expect it to go the distance. If I were to play one, it would be Barberena as an upset play.

James Moontasri (9-4) vs. Alex Morono (12-3)

Betting Odds: Moontasri (-110), Morono (-110)
DraftKings Salaries: Moontasri- $7,800, Morono- $8,400
Key Statistic: Neither man has scored a takedown in UFC competition
Analysis: Morono is going to be in his second UFC bout, and while he won his first, it was controversial and he wasn’t all that impressive. He’s not overly great at anything, and is the definition of low-level UFC fighter. Moontasri has struggled inside the Octagon, but he really should be the favorite in this fight, which he is not. He has flashy striking and knockout power, and we aren’t sure if Morono can take a punch. Morono isn’t a great wrestler either, and that is what Moontasri has struggled against in the past. Moontasri is a great underdog play, and he has a nice path to a knockout finish. He is worth a look for fantasy line-ups.

Josh Emmett (10-0) vs. Scott Holtzman (9-1)

Betting Odds: Emmett (-170), Holtzman (+150)
DraftKings Salaries: Emmett- $8,700, Holtzman- $7,500
Key Statistic: Holtzman lands on over 52% of his strikes
Analysis: Emmett is undefeated and from the Team Alpha Male camp, so he will have the crowd behind him in Sacramento. Holtzman is the better looking athlete and he’s good in every aspect of the fight. Emmett is a strong wrestler with some good power in his combinations. Holtzman is probably the better grappler, but Emmett is also good on the ground, and should be considering his training camp. It’s a close fight on paper, but Emmett is a decent-sized favorite, which makes Holtzman a good underdog bet. I would lean away from putting either of these two in your fantasy line-ups, though, as I expect a decision and not a lot of scoring opportunities.

Leslie Smith (8-7-1) vs. Irene Aldana (7-2)

Betting Odds: Smith (+255), Aldana (-310)
DraftKings Salaries: Smith- $7,100, Aldana- $9,100
Key Statistic: Aldana has never been the distance in her career
Analysis: Aldana is making her UFC debut coming over from Invicta, and she gets a good match-up against the veteran in Smith. Smith is just 2-3 inside the Octagon and has struggled to put together a good run. She is a brawler at heart, but she will lose a brawl against Aldana, who is very technical on her feet and has a lot of power. The only issue with Aldana is she lacks head movement at times. I don’t see this one going to the ground at all. Smith has been knocked out by opponents, and with Aldana’s power and crisp boxing, she should be the overwhelming favorite, which she is. Aldana is also a good fantasy play, and I would avoid Smith completely.

Eddie Wineland (22-11-1) vs. Takeya Mizugaki (21-10-2)

Betting Odds: Wineland (-225), Mizugaki (+185)
DraftKings Salaries: Wineland- $8,800, Mizugaki- $7,400
Key Statistic: Mizugaki has scored 15 of his 21 wins by decision
Analysis: Wineland looked like he was headed to the end of his career, but looked fresh in his knockout win over Frankie Saenz in July. Mizugaki has lost three of his last four, and he has been getting knocked out in those. That spells trouble here. Wineland is a strong striker with a lot of power, and he has great head movement and good counters. Mizugaki likes to grapple and push the pace, but Wineland has good defense and will be looking to exploit the chin early. Wineland is going to find a way to keep this standing. This is Wineland’s fight to lose. He is a great betting option, and his fantasy value is very good despite a high salary.

Hector Sandoval (12-3) vs. Fredy Serrano (3-1)

Betting Odds: Sandoval (-130), Serrano (+110)
DraftKings Salaries: Sandoval- $8,100, Serrano- $8,100
Key Statistic: Serrano competed in the Olympics in wrestling
Analysis: Both fighters need a win in this one, and Sandoval will have the crowd behind him in Sacramento. Serrano is an Olympic wrestler, but he’s getting into MMA late. He has shown good power against weaker competition, and struggled against Ryan Benoit in his last fight. Serrano is a better athlete but Sandoval is the better overall fighter with crisper combinations. They are even in fantasy salaries, but I really wouldn’t recommend having either in your line-up.

Bojan Velickovic (14-3-1) vs. Sultan Aliev (13-2)

Betting Odds: Velickovic (-160), Aliev (+140)
DraftKings Salaries: Velickovic- $8,600, Aliev- $7,600
Key Statistic: Aliev hasn’t fought since January 2015
Analysis: Aliev is coming in off of an almost two-year long layoff while Velickovic is looking to remain unbeaten in the UFC. If this fight stays on the feet, it will belong to Velickovic as he is the better striker and comes from a southpaw stance. Aliev is a sambo specialist and has a strong takedown game and is powerful from the top. Each man has a clear path for victory and I give Velickovic a slight edge in this one due to being more active. I wouldn’t play either in fantasy line-ups though Aliev would be the more tempting play with the lower salary.