Tag: Nate Diaz

UFC 241 live results: Cormier vs. Miocic 2, Nate Diaz returns

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 241: Cormier vs. Miocic 2, emanating from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

The Octagon heads back to Southern California for one of the biggest fight cards of the year featuring a heavyweight title fight and the long-awaited return of one of the biggest stars in the sport.

In the main event, UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier defends the championship against the main he defeated to win that title, Stipe Miocic. Cormier returns to action for the first time since a November title defense over Derrick Lewis as he has spent time recovering from a back injury. Miocic is fighting for the first time since losing the championship to Cormier at UFC 226 in July 2018.

In the co-main event, it is the return of Nate Diaz, fighting for the first time in three years, as he takes on former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis. Diaz returns to a lot of fanfare and gets a fight he’s wanted for a while against Pettis, who is looking to go 2-0 at 170 pounds after knocking out former title challenger Stephen Thompson in March.

Also on the main card is a middleweight bout that has been in the makings for a while as former title challenger Yoel Romero takes on undefeated Paulo Costa in what could bring on lots of fireworks.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].

ESPN+/UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT

> Sabina Mazo (6-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Shana Dobson (3-2, 1-1 UFC)
Women’s Flyweights

They trade kicks to start. They trade high kicks. Mazo hurts Dobson with a body kick and starts landing punches and then some knees and elbows in the clinch. Mazo gets a takedown against the fence. Mazo with some punches from the top. Mazo with a few elbows from the top. Dobson able to sweep and almost got the back of Mazo but Mazo ends up back in her guard. Mazo landing more and they stand and Mazo lands some knees. Mazo gets another takedown against the fence. Mazo gets the mount. Mazo with some more punches from the top as the round ends. 10-8 Mazo.

Mazo landing some punches and Dobson shoots in for a takedown but Mazo defends and lands some knees. Mazo controlling the clinch as she keeps landing knees against the fence. Dobson lands a couple elbows but is still eating knees from Mazo. Mazo gets Dobson down to the ground. Mazo lands some on top but they get to their feet. Dobson lands a right hand. Mazo with a front kick. 10-9 Mazo, 20-17 Mazo.

Dobson trying to land the right hand but missing. Dobson with a leg kick and Mazo fires back with a body kick. Mazo with a body kick. Mazo with some leg kicks and then a liver kick. Dobson lands a combo. Mazo lands a bunch of knees against the fence, going to the body and the head. Mazo with more knees and Dobson is having trouble defending. Mazo gets a takedown and into side control and lands some knees to the body. Mazo looking for the mount but lands from the top and is in complete control. This fight hasn’t even been close. Mazo lands more punches from the top as the fight ends. 10-8 Mazo, 30-25 Mazo.

Official Result- Sabina Mazo def. Shana Dobson by unanimous decision (30-24, 30-25, 30-25)

> Kyung Ho Kang (15-8 1 NC, 4-2 1 NC UFC) vs. Brandon Davis (10-6, 2-3 UFC)
Bantamweights

They trade leg kicks. Kang with a right hand. They trade right hands. Kang goes for a takedown but Davis defends. Davis with a knee as they break. Kang with the jab. Davis with a leg kick and Kang slips. Kang stuns Davis with a jab. Davis with more low leg kicks. They trade and Kang with a high body kick. Kang is landing the jab and drops Davis with a right hand. Davis quickly gets up and Kang takes the back. They go to the mat and Davis is trying to shake Kang off. Kang gets to mount but loses it and in the half-guard of Davis. Kang ends the round on top. 10-9 Kang.

They both come out firing to start the second. Kang with a leg kick. Kang shoots for a takedown but Davis defends it, goes for an armbar and loses his guard to Kang. Davis able to explode out from the bottom and they get up and break to the center. They trade punches. Davis with a high kick but Kang blocks it. Kang with a combo ending with an inside leg kick. Kang lands a right hand. Davis with a body kick. Davis lands a right hand. Davis with a leg kick and lands a late flying knee. Close round. 10-9 Davis, 19-19.

Davis with a right hand and follows with a leg kick. Davis slips on a kick attempt and Kang takes advantage and gets to side control on Davis. They are stood up from side control as Kang had good positioning. That was a bad stand-up. Kang gets Davis back down and is in side control once again. Kang isn’t doing much here but lands a couple of punches. Davis scrambles to his feet. Kang tries to take the back but Davis slips away and lands a big combo. Kang gets a takedown and is in the guard. Both are landing on the ground. Kang landing from the top and keeping busy. 10-9 Kang, 29-28 Kang.

Official Result- Kyung Ho Kang def. Brandon Davis by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

> Hannah Cifers (9-3, 1-1 UFC) vs. Jodie Esquibel (6-5, 0-3 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

Both ladies being patient in the first minute. Cifers lands a right hand. Esquibel lands a right hand. Cifers with a body kick. They trade punches. Esquibel lands a right hand and Cifers lands a counter right. Cifers with a right hand that lands right on the jaw. Esquibel with a head kick. Esquibel lands a left hand. Cifers with a combo. Esquibel shoots for a takedown but Cifers shakes her off. Cifers with a hard leg kick. Cifers with a right hand. Esquibel almost had a takedown at the end. 10-9 Cifers.

They are both throwing to start the second but nothing much is landing. Cifers with a leg kick that hurts Esquibel. Esquibel gets a takedown and is in the guard of Cifers. They are stood up. Cifers gets a takedown and lands a punch to the back of the head and they get up and break and Cifers lands a knee. Esquibel gets a takedown and Cifers is going for a triangle and an armbar but is in a bad position to secure it. They scramble to their feet. They trade late. 10-9 Cifers, 20-18 Cifers.

Esquibel misses a left hand and Cifers lands a leg kick. Cifers with a high kick. There is not a lot of offense going on. Cifers with a leg kick. Cifers with a leg kick and follows with a body kick. They trade punches. Esquibel gets a takedown and is in the guard and lands an elbow. Esquibel with some body punches from the top. They are stood up. Esquibel with a front kick to the chest. Esquibel with a left hand. Cifers with a combo and lands a body kick. Esquibel gets a late takedown but Cifers reverses to the feet. 10-9 Esquibel, 29-28 Cifers.

Official Result- Hannah Cifers def. Jodie Esquibel by unanimous decision (30-28, 30-27, 30-27)

ESPN PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Manny Bermudez (14-0, 3-0 UFC) vs. Casey Kenney (12-1-1, 1-0 UFC)
140-pound Catchweight

They are trading early and Bermudez lands a punch and Kenney with a head kick that just barely lands. Bermudez gets a takedown. Kenney is going for a leg. Bermudez gets into the half-guard and moves to the full guard of Kenney. They get up and Kenney gets a takedown. Kenney is locked up in the half-guard of Bermudez. They scramble to their feet. They trade and Kenney with a left hand late. 10-9 Kenney.

Bermudez shooting for a takedown against the fence to start the second. Bermudez gets the back as they go to the mat and Bermudez scrambles to side control. Kenney reverses to the top. Kenney switches and has the back and locks in a rear-naked choke. Bermudez trying to slide out and does. They scramble to their feet. Bermudez lands a punch and they clinch. Kenney is tired. Bermudez gets Kenney to the mat and takes the back and is looking for a choke now. Kenney slips out and gets to his feet and goes back to the ground on top. Close round. 10-9 Kenney, 20-18 Kenney.

Kenney with a leg kick. Bermudez lands a right hand. They both land a combo. Bermudez with a nice combination. Bermudez gets a takedown and is in side control. Bermudez looks for a guillotine from the top but doesn’t have it locked in and he goes back to the half-guard. Bermudez landing from the top. He has big control from the top and ends the round with punches from the top. Close fight. 10-9 Bermudez, 29-28 Kenney.

Official Result- Casey Kenney def. Manny Bermudez by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Christos Giagos (17-7, 3-3 UFC) vs. Drakkar Klose (10-1-1, 4-1 UFC)
Lightweights

Giagos with a body kick to start. Klose with some leg kicks. Giagos tags Klose with a left hand. They tie up and Klose lands several knees to the body. They break but then tie up once again. They trade knees and Giagos lands his knee harder. Giagos has been the controlling fighter in the clinch. They break and both miss punches. Klose initiates the clinch and pushes Giagos against the fence. Klose with an elbow as they break. Giagos with a combo late and Klose tags Giagos with a hard right hand at the end of the round. 10-9 Giagos.

Giagos with a big knee to start and they have a wild exchange. Giagos with a body kick and goes into a takedown and in the guard of Klose. Giagos landing from the top and then gets the back of Klose and has a rear-naked choke locked in. It is just on the chin and Klose gets out for a moment. Klose stands and Giagos is still on his back. He loses it and they break. They trade and Giagos lands a nice right hand. Klose with an uppercut and follows it with a hard right and Giagos is hurt. Giagos goes for a takedown but Klose defends. Klose trips Giagos to the mat and gets on top and lands a hammerfist. Klose with big punches from the top. Klose opens up a cut on Giagos. Big end of the round for Klose. 10-9 Klose, 19-19.

They clinch right away but break. Klose with a big leg kick and Giagos went to the ground but got up. Klose with an uppercut but Giagos counters with a left hook. Both throwing punches. Giagos lands a right hand. Giagos lands a combo. Klose clinches and lands a knee to the body followed by an uppercut. Giagos lands a right hand after they break. They both land punches. They trade and clinch and Klose with a foot stomp. They break and trade. Klose shoots for a takedown and picks Giagos up and slams him down but Giagos grabs the arm and tries for an armbar but Klose gets free. They get up and Giagos’ left eye is a mess. Giagos lands a right hand. They exchange late. Really good fight. 10-9 Klose, 29-28 Klose.

Official Result- Drakkar Klose def. Christos Giagos by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Raphael Assuncao (#3, 27-6, 11-3 UFC) vs. Cory Sandhagen (#9, 11-1, 4-0 UFC)
Bantamweights

Sandhagen lands a right hand. Sandhagen lands an uppercut. Assuncao with a left hand. Sandhagen with an inside leg kick. Sandhagen with another inside leg kick. Assuncao with the jab. Sandhagen lands a right hand. Sandhagen with a left hook to the body. They clinch and Assuncao with a couple of knees to the body. They break and Assuncao with a left hand. Sandhagen with a right hand and then a flying knee. Sandhagen with a leg kick. 10-9 Sandhagen.

They trade punches and Sandhagen gets the clinch. Sandhagen with a knee to the head and they break. Sandhagen with a leg kick and Assuncao grabs it and they scramble to the ground and Assuncao has the back. Sandhagen able to reverse to the top and passed guard. They get up and Sandhagen takes Assuncao’s back as they go to the mat. Assuncao goes to the top as Sandhagen grabs the leg. Assuncao gets to the back and lands some punches. They continue to scramble on the mat. They continue to scramble on the mat as the round ends. Close round. 10-9 Sandhagen, 20-18 Sandhagen.

They trade to start the third. Assuncao lands a nice combo. Sandhagen with a right hand to the body. Assuncao gets a single leg and scores a takedown but they scramble to their feet. Sandhagen with an uppercut to the body. They trade body kicks. Assuncao grabs the back against the fence. Assuncao gets a brief takedown. They get up and Assuncao still has the back and lands a knee. Assuncao picks Sandhagen up and delivers a big slam but Sandhagen gets up and gets the clinch advantage. Sandhagen with the jab. Assuncao just slips away from a knee and gets the clinch. Sandhagen with a flying knee. 10-9 Assuncao, 29-28 Sandhagen.

Official Result- Cory Sandhagen def. Raphael Assuncao by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

> Devonte Smith (10-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Khama Worthy (14-6, 0-0 UFC)
Lightweights

Worthy took this fight earlier this week. Smith with a body kick. Smith lands a right hand. Smith with a high kick and Worthy blocks it. Smith with a leg kick. Worthy with a right hand to the body. Smith with a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Smith with a leg kick. Neither able to find much with their punches. Worthy with a leg kick. Worthy then drops Smith with a left hand followed by an uppercut and Smith is in all sorts of trouble and Worthy finishes him off. Wow, what a win for Worthy after taking this fight less than a week ago.

Official Result- Khama Worthy def. Devonte Smith by TKO (punches) at 4:15 of Round 1

ESPN+ PPV MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT

> Derek Brunson (#8, 19-7, 10-5 UFC) vs. Ian Heinisch (#10, 13-1, 2-0 UFC)
Middleweights

Heinisch opening up quick with an uppercut and hurts Brunson with a head kick but Brunson shakes it off and grabs ahold of Heinisch. They break. They trade. Brunson with a body kick. Brunson is landing the straight left hand. Brunson shoots for a takedown but Heinisch defends. Heinisch lands a right hand. Brunson with a combo. Brunson shoots from a distance and pushes Heinisch against the fence. Close round. 10-9 Heinisch.

They trade leg kicks to start. Heinisch with a right hand that Brunson barely blocks. Brunson with a hard combo and Heinisch shoots for the takedown but Brunson sprawls. Brunson with a high kick. Brunson with a left hand and then another and Heinisch is stunned. Brunson with a body kick. Big flurry from Brunson and he takes the back of Heinisch. Brunson lets go and they trade punches. Brunson misses a head kick and slips but gets up. Brunson with some body kicks. Heinisch misses some heavy right hands. Heinisch goes for a takedown but Brunson defends and lands some big left hands. 10-9 Brunson, 19-19.

They are trading punches and Brunson lands a left hand and grabs a leg. He moves to the back and slams Heinisch down but they pop back up. Brunson lands a nice left hand. Heinisch shoots for a takedown but Brunson stuffs it. Brunson gets the body lock and gets a takedown and has the back. Heinisch gets out and grabs the leg but they break. They trade and Brunson getting the better of the exchanges. Brunson landing body kicks but Heinisch lands some punches. Both men are tired with a minute left. They trade late. 10-9 Brunson, 29-28 Brunson.

Official Result- Derek Brunson def. Ian Heinisch by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Gabriel Benitez (21-6, 5-2 UFC) vs. Sodiq Yusuff (9-1, 2-0 UFC)
Featherweights

Yusuff throwing bombs right away and cuts Benitez open within seconds. Yusuff with a hard kick and follows with a right hand. Yusuff with more big punches. Yusuff with a combo. Benitez with a knee to the body followed by a leg kick. Benitez with a leg kick. Benitez with more inside leg kicks and Yusuff lands some punches. Benitez lands two left hands. Benitez drops Yusuff with a left hand but he gets up. Benitez swarms on him as he covers up. Benitez lands another left hand. Benitez with a leg kick. Yusuff drops Benitez with a right hand and then finishes him off with hammerfists on the ground. What a great finish by Yusuff as he gets the first-round stoppage.

Official Result- Sodiq Yusuff def. Gabriel Benitez by TKO (punches) at 4:14 of Round 1

> Yoel Romero (#2, 14-3, 9-2 UFC) vs. Paulo Costa (#7, 12-0, 4-0 UFC)
Middleweights

Costa with a body kick to start. Romero with a left hand and Costa stumbles back. Romero with a head kick. They have a quick scramble. Costa misses a head kick. Costa hurts Romero with a punch and then Romero drops Costa with a left hand. Costa gets up. Costa with a body kick. Romero with another left hand. Costa with a right hand followed by a body kick. Costa with a combo. Romero with a knee to the body. Costa with a knee to the groin of Romero and Romero goes down and we have a timeout. We get back to action. Romero with a left hand. Costa with a head kick that Romero blocks. Romero with a takedown attempt and Costa lands punches and then Romero lands punches. They both land hard punches. Romero with a left hand. Romero with more left hands. Costa applying pressure and lands a wheel kick. 10-9 Costa.

Romero with a body kick. Costa with a combo. Costa with a body kick and Romero counters with a right hand. Costa with a couple of left hooks. Costa with a combo and he is teeing off and Romero is yelling at him while he is eating punches. They trade kicks. They trade punches. Romero has great speed but his footwork has seemed off. They trade punches. Romero with a left hand. Costa lands a right hand but Romero counters with a left hand. Costa with a high kick and Romero sticks his tongue out at him. Romero with an uppercut. Romero with a late takedown. 10-9 Romero, 19-19.

Romero with a left hand and then he lands a big flurry. Romero with a left hand and Costa lands two body kicks. Romero with a straight left hand. Romero pokes Costa in the eye and we have a timeout. Back to action and Costa with a leg kick. Costa keeps landing punches and Romero sticks his tongue out every time. Romero with a combo. Romero with a pair of left hands. Costa with a body punch and one to the head. Romero with an uppercut and a left hand. Costa with a right hand. They are throwing down and Romero lands some big punches. This is wild. Romero with a big flurry of punches and Costa is fading. Costa’s nose is pouring blood. Romero with a combo. Costa with a head kick that Romero eats. Romero gets a takedown but Costa is able to scramble up. Great, great fight. 10-9 Romero, 29-28 Romero.

Official Result- Paulo Costa def. Yoel Romero by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Anthony Pettis (#7, #9 LW, 22-8, 9-7 UFC) vs. Nate Diaz (19-11, 14-9 UFC)
Welterweights

Diaz with a combo to start his attack. They trade kicks. Diaz with some pressure and Pettis lands a right hand. Pettis with a leg kick. They trade punches. They trade and clinch and Diaz lands a knee to the body and some body punches. Pettis lands a combo as they break. Diaz with a front kick to the body. Pettis with a combo and high kick. They clinch and Diaz with some body shots. They break. Diaz with a right hand. Pettis with a knee and Diaz gets a takedown. Pettis looking for a guillotine but Diaz pops out. Diaz in the guard. Diaz takes the back and lands some punches and then gets to the mount. Diaz gets the back again and lands some punches and has back control as the round ends. 10-9 Diaz.

Pettis falls down after they trade leg kicks but gets up and they clinch for a moment. Pettis lands a left hand. Pettis with a combo and lands a right hand. Diaz is cut around his eye and he keeps checking it. We have a timeout so the doctors can check on the eye of Diaz. Back to action. Pettis with a right hand. They trade right hands. Diaz with a knee to the body. Pettis lands a left hand. Diaz gets the back and scores a takedown and has side control. Diaz lands from the top but Pettis scrambles out. Diaz with a knee after they stand. Diaz with a big elbow along with fence. Diaz with a combo. Pettis is running out of gas. Diaz with a knee to the body. Loud chants for Diaz. Diaz with a big knee followed by a right hand. Pettis counters with a right but Diaz with an uppercut. Pettis with an elbow and Diaz is cut open. They trade at the end. 10-9 Diaz, 20-18 Diaz.

Diaz looks the fresher fighter heading to the third. Pettis with an uppercut as they clinch. They trade in phone booth range. Diaz with a combo. Pettis with a high kick. Diaz with a front kick. Pettis lands a right hand. Diaz with a combo and then more punches and lands some knees to the body and head. Pettis goes to the mat and Diaz is on top and landing punches. Diaz has the back and tries to get the hooks in. Crowd is loud for Diaz. Pettis spins into the guard of Diaz. Diaz landing from the bottom and blocking any offense from Pettis. Pettis lands an elbow and stands but goes back into the guard. Diaz landing from the bottom and went for an armbar but Pettis escapes and Diaz ends up on top and then gets the back. Great grappling here. Diaz landing punches from the back and takes the back. Pettis gets to the guard and Diaz throws up a triangle as time runs out. 10-9 Diaz, 30-27 Diaz.

Official Result- Nate Diaz def. Anthony Pettis by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

> Daniel Cormier (C, 22-1 1 NC, 11-1 1 NC UFC) vs. Stipe Miocic (#1, 18-3, 12-3 UFC)
UFC Heavyweight Championship

Miocic with an inside leg kick. Cormier with a pair of leg kicks. Cormier with a left hook. Miocic with an inside leg kick. Miocic with another. Cormier with a right hand. Cormier with another right hand. They trade. Cormier shoots for a single leg and then picks him up and slams him to the ground. Cormier in side control and gets to the half-guard. Cormier with some short punches from the top but Miocic defending well. Cormier being patient from the guard of Miocic. Cormier with a big left hand from the top. Cormier with more punches from the top. Miocic tries an upkick and now Cormier trying for the back. Cormier with hammerfists. They get to their feet. Cormier with late elbows. 10-9 Cormier.

Miocic lands a jab. Miocic with an inside leg kick. Cormier with a hard leg kick. Miocic with a knee to the body. Miocic lands a right hand. Miocic with a combo. Cormier with the jab. Cormier with an elbow. Cormier with an uppercut and then a straight right hand. Cormier with another right hand. They trade punches. Miocic lands a right hand. Cormier with a hard right hand. Cormier with an elbow and they clinch. They break and Miocic lands a combo. Cormier with a right hand. They both land in an exchange. Miocic with a left hand. Cormier with a left hand and they clinch. They break. Miocic lands a right hand. Cormier with a hard uppercut. Cormier with a jab. They trade punches. Miocic with a body kick. Cormier with some punches and a head kick. They trade late. 10-9 Cormier, 20-18 Cormier.

Miocic lands a combo with a hard right hand. Miocic tries a takedown but Cormier easily defends and just misses a head kick. Cormier with the double jab. They are tagging each other in close range. They clinch and Miocic pushes Cormier to the fence. Miocic with a knee to the body. Miocic tried a spinning elbow as they broke but missed. Miocic with a combo. Cormier with the double jab. Cormier with a body kick. Cormier with the jabs again. Cormier lands a right hand. Miocic takes Cormier down but Cormier right back up. Miocic with a knee to the body. Cormier lands a combo. Cormier with a hard right hand. Cormier with a combo but Miocic lands a right hand. They trade punches late. 10-9 Cormier, 30-27 Cormier.

Miocic with an inside leg kick. Cormier with a leg kick. Cormier lands a left hand. Miocic misses a right hand. Miocic with a left hand to the body and then a right hand. The pace has slowed. Miocic is applying pressure but not throwing a lot. Miocic now going with left hands to the body. Cormier with a right hand. Miocic still ripping to the body. Cormier with a right hand. Cormier lands another right hand. Miocic lands another left hand to the body and follows it with a right hand. Miocic then lands a right hand that drops Cormier and he finishes him off in the fourth round. Wow, big win by Miocic as he regains the title.

Official Result- Stipe Miocic def. Daniel Cormier by TKO (punches) at 4:09 of Round 4 to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship

Daily Update: UFC 239 fallout, Khabib/Diaz, Teddy Hart update

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

We’re doing three polls this weekend, for the UFC 239 show in Las Vegas, NJPW G-1 opener in Dallas and the Impact PPV on Sunday in Dallas, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]” target=”_blank”>[email protected]

We’re also looking for reports to [email protected] on these shows:

  • APW/Rev Pro King of Indies Friday in Daly City, CA
  • WWE Raw house show last night in Washington, DC
  • MLW from last night in Chicago
  • WWE Raw tonight in Wilkes-Barre, PA
  • WWE Smackdown tonight in Binghamton, NY

IMPACT SLAMMIVERSARY ON SUNDAY AT 8 P.M. EASTERN FROM GILLEY’S IN DALLAS ON PPV

  • TJP open challenge
  • Rob Van Dam vs. Moose
  • Eddie Edwards vs. Killer Kross first blood match
  • Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard
  • Taya Valkyrie defends the Knockouts title against Rosemary, Su Yung and Jessicka Havok in a Monster’s Ball match
  • The North (Josh Alexander & Ethan Page) defend the tag titles against LAX and Dezmond Xavier & Trey Miguel
  • Rich Swann vs. Johnny Impact for X title
  • Brian Cage vs. Michael Elgin for Impact title

Monday has Raw TV from Newark, NJ at the Prudential Center.  Rey Mysterio returns Monday.  There is also a Smackdown brand house show on Monday in Glens Falls, NY.

Smackdown and 205 take place Tuesday from Manchester, NH.

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Recapping WWE Stomping Grounds

After a lack of interest heading into the pay-per-view, Stomping Grounds was a show that exceeded expectations.

Given that there weren’t really any surprises at the PPV, that’s probably mostly due to expectations being set too low. Nothing on the show was dramatically better than it should have been. The PPV succeeded where most good WWE shows do. Even if the build was underwhelming, a talented roster was able to go out to the ring and have good matches throughout much of the card.

WON NEWSLETTER: July 8, 2019 Observer Newsletter: The life and death of Perro Aguayo

With a gigantic week of news, we’ve got a double issue of the Observer this week, leading off with a look at the career of Perro Aguayo, one of the biggest drawing cards in pro wrestling history.

We look at his career highlights, the feud that made him a superstar, the big rivalries and big business booms he was part of, his most famous matches, the formation of AAA and his biggest career wins.

We also have more on Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman leading brands going forward.  We look at the angles on Raw and whose fingerprints were on what, the level of power they look to have, why this move was made, Wall Street’s reaction to the move, how AEW fits into the picture, the audience they are trying to get back the Raw ratings increase that didn’t hold for Smackdown, Heyman and Bischoff talk about their new positions, when Bischoff starts and an analysis of Heyman’s first moves.

We also look at AEW’s Fyter Fest, the chair shot, the preshow, the business numbers, comparisons with WWE and UFC programming, match by match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

We also look at why the U.K. November tour is being rapidly changed, the Evolve special on WWE Network, Stomping Grounds business update, the story behind David Starr stomping on WWE tile belt and WWE reaction, Performance Center news, most-watched shows on the WWE Network and a rundown with business notes on all the WWE arena events this past week.

We also look at the career of Jacques Rougeau Sr, one of the biggest stars in Montreal wrestling history.  We look at the history of the Rougeau family, how Jacques got into wrestling, why he quit at first, what brought him back, how role in making the career of Ivan Koloff, his sons getting into wrestling, his biggest matches, his Jarry Stadium main event, the first $100,000 gate in Canada, and the Rougeaus feud with the Garvins.

We also look at WWE’s tour of Japan this past week, with notes on both shows and business notes as well.

We run through New Japan’s tour of Australia, with business notes , Southern Showdown match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results and the Ospreay-Eagles match.

We also update Extreme Rules with matches announced and others that could be added.

We’ve also got full coverage of UFC in Minneapolis including detailed business notes.

We’ve got a rundown on ROH Bet in the World from Baltimore, with business notes, match-by-match coverage and star ratings.

We also look at the changing television situation in the U.K. with the WWE’s new deal with BT Sports and AEW’s new deal.

We look at the TripleMania card and the unique team of Cody & Psycho Clown & Cain Velasquez.  There’s also notes from Killer Kross, who is training Velasquez.

We also look at the wrestling career of Yoshiaki Yatsu, who had his leg amputated over the past week.  We look at his 1980s heyday when he was one of the best in the world, why he was important in history, his amateur background and his famous Pride match with Gary Goodridge.

We also look at the death of Jerry Seltzer, the famed Roller Derby promoter, how that game worked, how it exploded in popularity, why it died off, and Seltzer’s later role in the ticketing business.

We also run down the ratings of all the major TV shows, along with detailed demo info for the WWE shows.

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].

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

SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE

Garrett Gonzalez and I will be back tonight after Impact’s Slammiversary show talking the latest news.  You can send questions to the show to [email protected]. We also have a new show up for the weekend covering the G-1 and UFC 239, and have new interview shows up with both Jushin Liger and Kota Ibushi.

Luke Rockhold suffered a broken jaw in his fight with Jan Blachowicz.

All of Ben Askren’s tests reportedly came back negative so he’s okay according to Dana White after the show.  He was obviously hospitalized after a brutal knockout.

No update on Jon Jones, who was helped out.  Thiago Santos had minor surgery on his right knee a few months ago and blew out his left knee in the first round of the fight.  Media scores were 78-22% in favor of Jones, although I felt the fight could have gone either way.  Story on the surgery from MMA Fighting.

The judges scores were:

  • Michael Bell gave Jones rounds 2, 3 and 4
  • Derek Cleary gave Jones 2, 3 and 5
  • Junichiro Kamijo gave Jones 3 and 5.  If Clearly had given Santos 5, a round many thought he won clearly, Santos would be champion. Dana White said Jones won and has no interest in making a rematch

Nate Diaz and Khabib Nurmagomedov, who were seated not far from each other, nearly got into it last night. Security broke it up before anything serious happened and they moved Diaz to a different seat.  Diaz ended up leaving the show after the Gilbert Melendez fight.

WWE

  • Sheamus and Natalya are both appearing at the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame induction ceremony on 7/25 to 7/27 in Waterloo, IA.  Gerald Brisco is doing a talent evaluation for WWE.  Among others appearing for the weekend are Beth Phoenix, Ultimo Dragon, Gerald Brisco, Sgt. Slaughter, Thunderbolt Patterson, Nick Dinsmore, Lisa Marie Varon, Jim Ross, J.J.Dillon, Tony Garea, Brian Shields, Wes Brisco, James Beard, Brian Blair, Baron Von Raschke, Ric McCord,, Bob Roop and Brian Pillman Jr.  There will also be a pro wrestlnig with an eight-man tournament and what is being billed as Blair’s retirement match.
  • Dolph Ziggler is doing comedy shows on Wednesday and Thursday night in Appleton, WI at Skyline Comedy.  The former Hornswoggle will be on the bill with him.

UFC

  • Interest in last night’s show was high, as there were 2.5 million Google searches making UFC 239 the most searched for topic in the U.S.  Ben Askren, at 500,000, after his spectacular knockout loss, was the third most searched term yesterday.  The New Japan G-1 show did not crack the top 20, although that is not unexpected as previous show haven’t either.  When it comes to big events, it’s pretty clear the UFC big events have the most mainstream interest, followed by WWE and Bellator.  AEW Double or Nothing did crack the list as has Bare Knuckle Boxing, and NXT has twice at a low level.    
  • A story in the Buffalo News on Rashad Evans going into the UFC Hall of Fame (thanks to Tom Mehs)

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Former pro wrestler Don Wright, and wife Sandy, lost her home and their car due to a home fire.  They are raising five grandchildren who start school soon.  Jon Moxley found out about a Go Fund Me set up by a coworker of Sandy and donated $5,000 enabling them to reach their goal.
  • Sporting News talked to Sami Callihan regarding tonight’s match with Tessa Blanchard.
  • In an update of something talked about on the show last night, Teddy Hart didn’t go through a door, but crashed into a ladder and seemed to hurt his back but Court Bauer said that Hart is fine today.  MLW sold out Cicero for the third time in a row last night.
  • Dolph Ziggler will be participating in the panel “Happy Birthday Troma” for the 45th anniversary of Troma Entertainment and for Lloyd Kaufman’s 50 years as a filmmaker on 7/20 at the San Diego Comic Con in Room 25ABC at 9 p.m.  Former wrestler Scott Lost, now a comic book artist, will be part of a panels on 7/18 called “Not So Strange Bedfellows:  The Relationship between comics and pro wrestling in Room 29AB at 1 p.m.  Rob Van Dam will appear in a panel on Independent Filmmaking for Low Budget Film, TV and web series on 7/18 in Room 25ABC at 9 p.m.  Women of Wrestling at Headlocked Comics in booth #1901 on 7/20 from 1-3 p.m. has David McLane, Jeanie Buss and The Beast and 7/21 from Moon to 2 p.m. has Tessa Blanchard and McLane.
  • Former pro wrestler Anthony Carelli (Santino Marella) joined Neil Adams (former Olympic medalist and the brother of former pro wrestler Chris Adams) as announcers this weekend for judo’s Montreal Grand Prix.  Today is the final day and it’s streams at live.ijf.org  I’ve seen photos of pro wrestling legend Volk Han there. 
  • The AAW Jim Lyman Memorial tournament takes place on 8/29 and 8/30 at the Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago.
  • Phil DeFries (17-6) defends the KSW heavyweight title against Damian Grabowski (22-5) in the main event of the KSW show on 9/14 at SSE Wembley in London.  Tomasz Narkun (16-3) will also defend the light heavyweight title and Norman Parke (27-6-1) vs. Marian Ziolowski (21-7-1) are also announced.
  • AAW on 7/12 in Milwaukee at Turners Hall Ballroom has Sami Callihan vs. Fatu for the heavyweight title, Jessicka Havok vs. Taya Valkyrie for the women’s title, John Morrison vs Juventud Guerrera, Rey Fenix & Penta 0M vs. Myron Reed & A.R. Fox and Josh Briggs vs. Josh Alexander.
  • Warrior Wrestling 6 on 9/1 in Chicago (the day after All Out) at the Marian Catholic High School at 7 p.m.   Announced as appearing are Mick Foley, Brian Cage, Tessa Blanchard, Pentagon Jr., Fenix, Dragon Lee, Ultimo Guerrero, Atlantis, Caristico, Michael Elgin, Austin Aries Tom Lawlor, Daga, Sam Adonis, Brian Pillman  Jr., Wardlow, Andrew Everett, Templario, Soberano Jr. and more.
  • Progress from yesterday in Newcastle, U.K.:  Fraser Thomas & HT Drake & Screwface Ahmed b Benji & Conor Renshaw & Zeo Knox, Darren Kearney & LJ Clearly & Natthan Martin b Chuck Mambo & Spike Trivet & William Eaver-DQ, Jurn Simmons b Connor Mills, Holidead b Candy Floss, Ilja Dragunov b Jordan Devlin to become top contender for the Progress title, Paul Robinson b Primate, David Starr b Brent Banks, Walter b Eddie Kingston to keep Progress title (thanks to Paul Sosnowski)
  • Progress from today in Manchester, U.K.:  Soner Dursun b Luke Jacobs, LJ Clearly b Chuck Mambo, Holidead b Lana Austin, Jordan Devil b Conor Mills, Jonathan Gresham b Eddie Kingston-COR, Trent Seven b Paul Robinson, Spike Trivet & William Eaver b Darren Kearney & Nathan Martin, Walter b Ilja Dragunov to keep the Progress title
  • Future Stars of Wrestling from Friday night in Las Vegas in a UWFI style show:  Ryan Couture b Dave Mazany, Stephan Bonnar b Sinn Bohdi, Gina Mazany b Kyra Batara, Tom Lawlor b Douglas James (said to be best bout of the show), Frank Mir b Simon Grimm, Killer Kross b Dan Severn, Killer Kross NC Jon Moxley with a double knockout finish.  Moxley wasn’t advertised but just showed up. (thanks to Armando Aguilar)
  • IWF on 10/11 in Wayne, NJ at the Wayne PAL Building with Tony Atlas, Tito Santana and Bull James Dempsey.
  • Impact from last night in Texas City, TX in a joint show with Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling:  Jordynne Grace b Alex Gracia, Jonathan Vega & Diego De La Cruz b Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz, Moose b Mysterious Q, Brenden Steen won scramble over Ayden Cristiano, Cameron Cole, Bryan Keith, Will Allday, Isaiah, Josh Alexander, Jake Crist, Dave Crist, Ethan Page, Mad Man Fulton and Willie Mack, Brenden Steen b Josh Alexander, Sami Callihan DCOR Terrell Tempo, Michael Elgin b Moonshine Mantell (ROW champion) due to distraction from The North, Gino b Eddie Edwards, Tessa Blanchard won four-way over AQA, Hyan and Su Yung, Zack Zilla & Warren J b LAX, (thanks to Shannon Walsh and wrestlingwithdemons.net)
  • MWE on 7/12 in St. Louis Park, MN at the Rec Center with Flash Gordon vs Kongo Kong.  Nikita Koloff will appear on the show.
  • I Believe in Wrestling from Friday night in Orlando:  Carlos Gabriel b Jay Sky, JD Amazing b Caius Wolfe, Mike Reed b Danny Malo, Deon James b Antony Catena, Ali Mohammed b Reni Danilo, Chasyn Rance & Amber Nova & Lexi Gomez & Gia Roman b Blake Burke & Ahmed Ayuooti & Kaci Lennox & Dank the Clown, Josh Dawkins b Johnny Zekie, Aaron Epic d Andrew Marlin.  Next show is 8/2 with Epic vs. Merlin 2/3 falls and Amber Nova vs. Blake Banks. 
  • Tickets for Defy’s Defyane Forever show are on sale for 8/23 in Tacoma, WA at the Temple Theater which will include New Japan talent.
  • Innovate Wrestling on 8/10 in Kingsport, TN at the Civic Auditorium for Fire in the Mountain 2019.
  • Tickets for the 9/18 and 9/19 WOW TV tapings in Los Angeles at the Belasco Theater are on sale.   Both nights are AXS tapings for the new season and start at 6:30 p.m.
  • RevPro today in London at the Cockpit:  James Mason b Kenneth Halfpeny, Dan Moloney & MK McKinnan b Dan Magee & Kurtis Chapman, Gabriel Kidd b Jaxton Stone, Kyle Fletcher b Josh Bodom, Seleziya Sparks b Shazza McKenzie, Mark Davis NC Sha Samuels, El Phantasmo & Hikuleo b A-Kid & Carlos Romo, Pac b David Starr
  • A story on an indie show in Butler, OH (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
  • Colt Cabana was announced for the RetroMania Wrestling video game.
  • A trailer for a new wrestling movie about a wrestler with Down’s Syndrome (thanks to Joe Puccio)

Daily Pro Wrestling History: The NWO forms at Bash at the Beach 1996

CONTACT INFORMATION

Nate Diaz vs. Anthony Pettis set for UFC 241

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Nate Diaz is set to fight for the first time in nearly three years.

Dana White made the announcement on Twitter that Diaz will face Anthony Pettis at UFC 241. The fight will be at 170 pounds.

This will be Diaz’s first MMA fight since August 20, 2016 when he lost to Conor McGregor by majority decision at UFC 202. Pettis last fought back in March, defeating Stephen Thompson by KO.

There were attempts last year to make a match between Diaz and Dustin Poirier in a lightweight bout for UFC 230. However, Poirier pulled out of the event due to an injury and the fight ended up being cancelled.  

Diaz and Pettis will co-main UFC 241, as Daniel Cormier will be in the main event defending the UFC Heavyweight championship against the person he beat for it, Stipe Miocic. A match between Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa has also been signed.

UFC 241 takes place on August 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Daily Update: Saudi Arabia, Super Jr. Tag League, Nate Diaz

Posted on by Bryan Rose

DAILY UPDATE

The Latest News

The Latest Audio

We’re looking for reports on tonight’s Raw show in Bangor, ME and NXT show in St. Augustine, FL to [email protected].

NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS TOURNAMENT FROM HIROSHIMA ON NEW JAPAN WORLD (Up on tape delay today)

  • Tiger Mask & Jushin Liger vs. Bushi & Shingo Takagi
  • ACH & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Desperado

NEW JAPAN WORLD PRO WRESTLING ON AXS TV TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. EASTERN TIME

  • Hirooki Goto vs. Taichi for Never Open weight title
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Minoru Suzuki

MLW FUSION ON BEIN SPORTS TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. EASTERN

Barrington Hughes & Kotto Brazil vs. Samu & Lance Anoa’i

  • El Hijo de L.A. Park vs. Sammy Guevara
  • Shane Strickland vs. Tom Lawlor

CMLL FROM ARENA MEXICO AT 9:30 P.M. EASTERN TONIGHT ON THE MARCO CLARA FACEBOOK PAGE

  • Pegasso & Stigma vs. Cancerbero & Coyote
  • Diamante Azul & Mistico & Valiente vs. Dark Magic & Felino & Negro Casas
  • Copa Halcon Suriano Cibernetico match: Angel de Oro, Black Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Niebla Roja, Stuka Jr., Dragon Rojo Jr., Espanto Jr., Luciferno, Misterioso Jr. and Templario
  • Blue Panther & Black Warrior & Euforia & Panterita del Ring vs. Cuatrero & Forastero & Mascara Ano 2000 & Sanson
  • Caristico & David Finlay & Penta 0M vs. Rush & Cavernario & El Terrible

PWG TONIGHT FROM THE GLOBE THEATER IN LOS ANGELES

  • Flamita vs. Rey Hours vs. Puma King
  • Brody King vs. Timothy Thatcher
  • Trevor Lee vs. Darby Allin
  • Rey Fenix vs. Bandido
  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hechicero
  • Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz vs. LAX for PWG tag titles
  • Walter vs. Jeff Cobb for PWG title

We’re looking for reports on Saturday’s WWE Super show in Hartford, CT (all the Smackdown crew, plus Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Ronda Rousey, Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns and Alexa Bliss) and the Raw show in Portland, ME (headlined by Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler), as well as the NXT show in Venice, FL to [email protected].

NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS FROM EHIME ON SATURDAY ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

  • Chris Sabin & Kushida vs. Soberano Jr. & Volador Jr.
  • Sho & Yoh vs. Robbie Eagles & Taiji Ishimori

PFL MIDDLEWEIGHT AND WELTERWEIGHT PLAYOFFS SATURDAY ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK AT 9 P.M. EASTERN TIME

  • Middleweight bouts: Abusupiayn Magomedov vs. Gasan Umalatov, Bruno Santos vs. Sadibou Sy, John Howard vs. Shamil Gamzatov, Louis Taylor vs Rex Harris
  • Welterweight bouts: Ray Cooper III vs. Jake Shields, Rick Story vs. Handesson Ferreria, Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Pavel Kusch, Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Bojan Velickovic

Sunday has a Super show in Boston with the entire Smackdown crew including Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio, plus Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Ronda Rousey and Alexa Bliss.

Raw is Monday from Providence, RI. There is also a Smackdown house show Monday night in White Plains, NY.

NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS ON MONDAY FROM SHIMANE ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

  • Volador Jr. & Soberano Jr. vs. Taiji Ishimori & Robbie Eagles
  • Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask vs. Sho & Yoh

Tuesday has Smackdown, 205 Live and Mixed Match Challenge from Newark, NJ with MMC bout of Bobby Roode & Natalya vs. Finn Balor & Bayley and Jimmy Uso & Naomi vs. Miz & Asuka plus 205 Live bouts with Mike Kanellis vs. Lince Dorado and Hideo Itami vs. Mustafa Ali in a falls count anywhere match.

NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS ON TUESDAY FROM TOTTORI ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

  • Robbie Eagles & Taiji Ishimori vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Desperado
  • ACH & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Chris Sabin & Kushida

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Backlash to WWE Saudi Arabia relationship picks up

WWE’s deal with Saudi Arabia has always been a bet that the overwhelming financial rewards would outweigh the inevitable public relations damage that it brings. With it so overtly going against the women’s evolution messaging that the company is promoting, WWE entered into the 10-year agreement with the knowledge that there would be backlash. But that was a controversy that would mostly exist inside the wrestling bubble. 

WON NEWSLETTER: October 22, 2018 Observer Newsletter: WWE Crown Jewel controversy, plus tons of news

A detailed look at how the problems with Saudi Arabia affect WWE’s 11/2 show is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.  
Read about the crowd reactions, John Layfield’s television appearance, the different stages of reaction, the profit margin of the shows this year and next, and reaction of some senators.

Look at the issues with UFC and Khabib Nurmagomedov coming after UFC pulled Nurmagomedov’s teammate off the company’s next show, as well as where Nurmagomedov stands in popularity, and what is next for him.

Find out about the NXT U.K. television deal and how it went down, Kevin Owens injury update, ticket sales for Evolution, next PPV cards from WWE as well as major house show cards, and what FOX is looking for out of the wrestling product. 

Also look at the WrestleMania main event, what happen at Smackdown, WWE signs 7-foot-3 basketball player, WWE cuts three wrestlers, this week’s schedule as well as a look at the most-watched shows on the WWE Network.

Find out about Eddie Alvarez signing with ONE and their financial information.

Look at the game changing team DAZN signed with Canelo Alvarez and how this changes the economics and culture of fight sports.

This issue has a huge feature on the life and times of Don Leo Jonathan, his legacy, his biggest matches, his title history around the world, his world titles, shoots, comparisons to modern wrestles, praise from other wrestlers and more. 

Read full coverage of both the good and the bad of Bound for Glory, with business and other thoughts on the show, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results. Also look at surprises for the show that fell through.

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 Dave Meltzer, or by using PayPal directing funds to [email protected]. 

Rates in the United States are $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to [email protected]. For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52. If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.)

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can choose one free classic issue or two free classic issues with a 40-issue subscription.

FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

Pro Wrestling

  • Today’s Super Junior Tag League matches in Hiroshima had Tiger Mask & Jushin Thunder Liger (2-1) defeat Shingo Takagi & BUSHI (2-1) and ACH & Ryusuke Taguchi (1-2) defeat El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru (1-2).
  • Here is the poster for the Pro Wrestling All Stars Battle on February 19. It will feature a retirement ceremony for Abdullah the Butcher, who hasn’t wrestled since 2010. Stan Hansen will also be in attendance as a special guest.
  • ROH has begun announcing matches for next month’s Global Wars tour. Jay Lethal, KUSHIDA, Chris Sabin & Jonathan Gresham vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA & BUSHI) is set for Lewiston, Maine on November 7, The Young Bucks vs. KUSHIDA & Sabin vs. Lethal & Gresham vs. The Kingdom (Vinny Marseglia & TK O’Ryan) will be taking place in Lowell, Massachusetts on November 8, KUSHIDA vs. Gresham vs. Flip Gordon vs. BUSHI is set for Buffalo, New York on November 9, and Lethal will defend his ROH World Championship against Kenny King in Toronto on November 11.
  • Dalton Castle and CMLL’s Stuka Jr. and Guerrero Maya Jr. have been announced for ROH’s Survival of the Fittest tournament in Columbus, Ohio on November 4.
  • Pro Wrestling EVE has uploaded their entire WrestleQueendom show from May 5, featuring a match between Meiko Satomura and Kay Lee Ray.
  • PAC cuts a promo for the Dragon Gate Network.
  • David Starr vs. Tomohiro Ishii has been added to the 11/9 Rev Pro Uprising event in York Hall. The match was made after Starr issued a challenge to Ishii.
  • The Rock’s Jungle Cruise movie has been pushed back to July 24, 2020.
  • Anthony Carelli (Santino Marella) and his way welcomed the birth of their son Marko Jason Carelli.

UFC/MMA

  • Dana White on if he would want to rebook a Nate Diaz/Dustin Poirier bout: “I’m not interested in making a Diaz fight until Diaz is just absolutely dying to fight. When he’s ready to fight he’ll let us know.”
  • Speaking of Poirier, he mentioned on his Twitter account that he will not need surgery and will recover in three weeks.
  • Nate Diaz on Poirier: “This guy mysteriously pulls out [with] no injury and it’s crickets from from the whole roster? I’m going back out on tour till the game mans up .. Shoutout to @GamebredFighter hes down respect.”
  • White also mentioned in an interview with ESPN that if Georges St-Pierre wants to challenge Khabib Nurmagomedov, he’d have to go through a ranked contender first.
  • MSG Networks announced this morning that a three-part series called “Weidman’s World” will air on their network. It will feature his training prior to his 11/3 UFC 230 bout, which was originally supposed to be against Luke Rockhold.
  • Jorge Masvidal had some words for Leon Edwards, who he will face on the 12/29 UFC show.
  • Elizeu Capoeira will face Li Jingliang at UFC Beijing on 11/24.

Daily Professional Wrestling History: WWE No Mercy 2003

CONTACT INFORMATION

JNPO: CBS Sports’ Brian Campbell

Posted on by Josh Nason

Josh Nason’s Punch-Out returns with a brand-new episode featuring first-time guest and longtime combat sports writer and podcaster Brian Campbell of CBS Sports.

The host of the thrice-weekly ‘In This Corner‘ and yours truly talked for 30 minutes about some of the recent MMA headlines including:

– The $28 million in investments that the Professional Fight League got this week and what it means

– “We gotta talk about Conor”

– Brian’s thoughts on the Nate Diaz-UFC relationship given his abrupt departure from a press conference and subsequent tweets

– How Ronda Rousey’s run in WWE has been so far

– Ideas for what the main event for UFC’s November return to Madison Square Garden could be

You can listen to this free episode by clicking below. If you’re new here, you can listen to more than 100 episodes of JNPO with guests like Jeremy Botter, Jack Encarnacao, John Pollock, and more in our archives anytime.

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Nate Diaz-Dustin Poirier booked for UFC’s November return to MSG

Posted on by Josh Nason

Two years removed from his last fight in the UFC, popular lightweight Nate Diaz will make his long-awaited return to face Dustin Poirier in the co-main event of November’s UFC 230 from New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

The fight was first announced by the LA Times’ Lance Pugmire, but has not officially been announced yet. It’s expected the two will be part of Friday’s UFC press conference that will feature a slew of fighters and fight announcements for the promotion’s final months of 2018.

Poirier is coming off a second round TKO of Eddie Alvarez this past Saturday at UFC Calgary while Diaz was last seen losing a unanimous decision to Conor McGregor at UFC 202 in August 2016.

For Poirier, he gets another big name after calling out UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov who is expected fo face McGregor this year if the two sides can come to an agreement. For Diaz, he gets back into the mix against a higher-profile opponent after a long absence and wanting more money to return. Even with a loss, a trilogy fight against McGregor seems inevitable while a win could also mean McGregor or even Nurmagomedov if he was to beat the Irishman.

Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: MMA Year In Review (January-March)

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: MMAFighting.com

In the most newsworthy and eventful year in MMA history coming to a close, it’s time to begin the MMA year in review process one quarter at a time. 

A year that featured Conor McGregor climbing to new heights, Brock Lesnar returning, Jon Jones doing Jon Jones things, and the near year-long absence of Ronda Rousey, things kicked off strong in the first three months with a Fight of the Year candidate, a big Bellator free agent signee, and one of the biggest events in the sport’s history coming together in less than two weeks.

Helping Josh Nason assess January-March is fellow site writer and MMADraws.com founder Paul Fontaine.

Among the topics:

– The Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit classic at UFC 195

– CM Punk’s first opponent is found

– Conor McGregor’s quest for two titles hits a roadblock, but runs into a financial mountain that was UFC 196

– The return of Dominick Cruz to bantamweight glory in thrilling fashion

– Benson Henderson, Alistair Overeem, and Matt Mitrione testing free agency

– Ronda Rousey admitting she contemplated suicide after losing to Holly Holm

– The 50 car pileup that was Bellator’s Kimbo Slice/Dada 5000 and Royce Gracie/Ken Shamrock III double main event

– Michael Bisping facing and beating Anderson Silva

– The awesomeness of UFC 196 

– MMA’s run to legalization in New York State reaches its conclusion

– A date for Cris Cyborg’s UFC debut…and plenty more!

Click below to listen or right click to subscribe:

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UFC 202 Las Vegas live results: Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor 2

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Arguably the biggest event of the year for the UFC, this event is headlined by the anticipated rematch between Nate Diaz and UFC Welterweight Champion Conor McGregor. McGregor will seek revenge after suffering a submission loss at the hands of Diaz at UFC 196 in March, and they go at it again at 170 pounds.

The co-main event is a light heavyweight bout that could determine the next title challenger as Anthony Johnson takes on Glover Teixeira.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.

– UFC 202 Observer Panel Predictions
– UFC 202 DFS Playbook

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT)

MIDDLEWEIGHTS
ALBERTO UDA (9-1, 0-1 UFC) VS. MARVIN VETTORI (10-2, 0-0 UFC)

ROUND 1- They traded takedowns early. Uda did good work holding Vettori in his guard and playing defense on the top control from Vettori. Vettori started to land and Uda wasn’t doing much to get up or defending well, but he did cut Vettori open with an elbow. Uda was more stalling on the bottom and not going for submissions and Vettori started landing more as the round went on. Vettori was able to get to his feet and started pouring on punches from the top before taking the back and getting a guillotine choke in and forcing Uda to tap out to get the win in his UFC debut.

Official Result- Marvin Vettori def. Alberto Uda by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:30 of Round 1

INSTANT ANALYSIS- Marvin Vettori looked like the solid prospect he is in getting his eleventh career win and first inside the Octagon. He now has six straight wins, and he is just 22-years-old. He will come along nicely and likely be featured on some European cards in the future, and this is a solid win for his debut. Alberto Uda is now 0-2 in the UFC after starting his career 9-0, and with two straight losses in both UFC bouts, being finished in both, it is likely that he will be cut and sent back to the regional promotions.

WELTERWEIGHTS
COLBY COVINGTON (9-1, 4-1 UFC) VS. MAX GRIFFIN (12-2, 0-0 UFC)

ROUND 1- They came out swinging early. Covington was able to get a takedown and controlled from the top before Griffin got up. Covington went into grind mode against the fence and got a nice takedown into full mount. Covington controlled on the mat but he wasn’t working hard for a finish and seemed to want to ride the round out. Griffin had no answer from the bottom but tried some elbows. Covington just in full control for the round. 10-9 Covington.

ROUND 2- Covington went for a flying knee early and hurt Griffin standing but went back for the takedown and control on the top. Griffin had no answer for the top control of Covington as he was eating a lot of punches, but was never in danger of being finished early on. Covington got back into full mount and cut Griffin open. Covington just in complete control as Griffin had no offense off his back and was in survival mode. Covington with multiple takedowns and relentless pressure and Griffin was exhausted. A complete dominant round from Covington. 10-8 Covington, 20-17 Covington.

ROUND 3- Griffin had to get the finish in this round as he was clearly down two rounds. However, it was more of the same as Covington got the early takedown and went into grind mode. Griffin had zero offense as Covington started to pour on his attack more. With Griffin doing nothing and Covington landing lots of punches, it was finally stopped midway through the third round. Dominant win from Covington.

Official Result- Colby Covington def. Max Griffin by TKO (punches) at 2:18 of Round 3

INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was a complete domination from Colby Covington, who moves to 5-1 in the UFC. It was the first stoppage by strikes in his career. Covington has been excellent against lower competition, and he makes claims that he wants the championship. The biggest issue with this fight, while he was dominant, is he wasn’t really going for a stoppage hard, and he should have finished this fight sooner. That griding style is going to hurt him when he faces stiffer competition. Max Griffin got dominated in his UFC debut, but it was a tall order for him in getting a tough opponent in Covington. I’d like to see him back against someone on his level, perhaps a losing fighter from some later welterweight bouts on this card.

WELTERWEIGHTS
(#7) NEIL MAGNY (18-4, 11-3 UFC) VS. LORENZ LARKIN (17-5 1 NC, 4-5 UFC)

ROUND 1- Larkin had Magny in trouble early. He dropped Magny early and started picking him apart and Magny’s lead leg was giving him fits. Larkin went so hard on Magny’s legs with kicks that Magny’s legs started bleeding. Magny’s leg was a mess. Larkin was destroying Magny standing and started landing some elbows and Dan Miragliotta stepped in and stopped the fight. Larkin looked very impressive.

Official Result- Lorenz Larkin def. Neil Magny by TKO (elbows) at 4:08 of Round 1

INSTANT ANALYSIS- Lorenz Larkin looked the best he ever as and he heads into free agency following this win. He is going to re-sign with the UFC and he is ready for top-15 competition. Neil Magny had never been stopped by strikes, and while he was on his way towards the top, this loss will send him back down. For Larkin, a fight against Dong Hyun Kim may be interesting for him while Magny could face someone like Tarec Saffiedine next.

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS
(#13) RANDA MARKOS (6-3, 3-2 UFC) VS. CORTNEY CASEY (5-3, 1-2 UFC)

ROUND 1- It took a minute for these ladies to get going but Casey was able to get on the attack early. Markos then went into takedown mode and had Casey in a bad position. Markos was landing punches from a headlock but Casey was able to reverse position for a moment. Markos got back on top and Casey was attacking with the arm and got the armbar and Casey submitted Markos. Big win for Casey.

Official Result- Cortney Casey def. Randa Markos by submission (armbar) at 4:34 of Round 1

INSTANT ANALYSIS- Cortney Casey has now won two straight after losing her first two UFC bouts. She has scored finishes in both fights. Casey should find herself in the next set of rankings and a match-up against the winner of next week’s bout between Paige VanZant and Bec Rawlings would be a nice next fight. Randa Markos is now 3-3 in her UFC career, but this is the first time she has been stopped. She is still developing as this was just her tenth career fight, but a step down in competition would be best for her. She isn’t in danger of being cut, but needs a bounce back fight. A fellow TUF castmate, Angela Magana, might be good for her.

FEATHERWEIGHTS
ARTEM LOBOV (11-12-1 1 NC, 0-2 UFC) VS. CHRIS AVILA (5-2, 0-0 UFC)

ROUND 1- Lobov came out as the aggressor as he had Avila circling around the fence. Lobov was switching stances and keeping a distance and he was keeping Avila guessing. Avila would think takedown but Lobov had it defended and went to leg kicks. Lobov continued to chop at the legs and it opened up some left hands. Avila didn’t have much of an attack for Lobov, who countered whatever Avila threw well. Lobov really showed his experience over Avila and had him pinned against the fence at the end. 10-9 Lobov.

ROUND 2- Lobov went right after the legs with kicks. Avila throwing short punches but Lobov is ducking away from them all. Lobov is controlling the cage and continually backing Avila up with kicks. This fight really slowed down in this round and Avila looked gassed. Lobov continued on the attack of the legs and was landing the combos. Lobov did a lot of damage to the lead leg of Avila in that round. 10-9 Lobov, 20-18 Lobov.

ROUND 3- Lobov went back after the legs of Avila. Avila tried a clinch but Lobov was able to shake him off. Lobov did suffer a cut on his head. Avila started to land punches but right away Lobov went back on the attack of the legs. This fight has been really boring. Lobov slipped and Avila went on top but decided to get back to his feet and not take advantage of the situation. Lobov landed more and should get the win. 10-9 Lobov, 30-27 Lobov.

Official Result- Artem Lobov def. Chris Avila by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was a boring fight. Artem Lobov used his experience well but he still isn’t a UFC caliber fighter at this stage with just a .500 record. He will get another fight but it’s going to be tough to see him defeating a quality opponent. Chris Avila looked not ready for the UFC and it wouldn’t surprise me if he were one-and-done in the UFC. He needs some more seasoning if he is going to be back.

WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS
(#8) RAQUEL PENNINGTON (7-5, 4-2 UFC) VS. ELIZABETH PHILLIPS (5-3, 1-2 UFC)

ROUND 1- They had a clinch battle early and Phillips was getting the advantage. It was a grind in the clinch for most of the round and each woman landed some shots. Neither was able to take advantage until they broke. Pennington was able to get the takedown against the fence late in the round but Phillips was able to get back to her feet and had the neck. The late takedown likely got Pennington the round and she landed a flurry at the end. 10-9 Pennington.

ROUND 2- Pennington started off the second round how she ended the first by pressing forward and getting the better of the clinch. Pennington grabbed the neck and went for a choke but didn’t have it in. Phillips escaped and was in side control but they got to their feet. Phillips tried to work for takedowns but Pennington was defending well. Pennington got a late takedown again and went to work with elbows but didn’t get the finish. It got her the round though. 10-9 Pennington, 20-18 Pennington.

ROUND 3- More of the same in the final round as Pennington controlled the pace and got an early takedown. Phillips took a deep breath and gave up her back and Pennington went to work. Pennington went for a choke but Phillips was defending well and scrambled out but Pennington got into full mount. Pennington locked up an arm-triangle from the bottom but didn’t get the submission. Phillips ended up on top and started to look for the finish but there wasn’t enough time left as Pennington took back over in the last 25 seconds. 10-9 Pennington, 30-27 Pennington.

Official Result- Raquel Pennington def. Elizabeth Phillips by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was a solid win by Raquel Pennington. It was a step down from recent competition, but she now has a three-fight win streak and is 4-1 in her last five fights. She has let it be known that she wants to avenge her losses, so a rematch with Holly Holm may be a good time to happen right now. Other than that, a fight against Sara McMann would be a good one as well. Elizabeth Phillips now falls to 1-3 in her UFC career and she didn’t do much offensively in this bout. It is tough to say if we will see her in the UFC again, but she has solid skills. Perhaps a bout with Invicta may revive her.

BANTAMWEIGHTS
(#8) CODY GARBRANDT (9-0, 4-0 UFC) VS. (#11) TAKEYA MIZUGAKI (21-9-2, 8-4 UFC)

ROUND 1- Cody Garbrandt dropped Mizugaki quickly and won in the first minute after landing a lot of punches. Big, impressive win by Garbrandt.

Official Result- Cody Garbrandt def. Takeya Mizugaki by TKO (punches) at :48 of Round 1

INSTANT ANALYSIS- Cody Garbrandt gets his third straight first-round knockout win, and is now 10-0 in his career and 5-0 in his UFC career. He has been taking shots at UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz, and while T.J. Dillashaw and Bryan Caraway are also in contention, neither man has been as impressive as Garbrandt. Him against Cruz is probably the best match-up they can make, and he wants that title shot. It is time to make that fight. Takeya Mizugaki is still a solid gatekeeper in the division, but he is never going to be able to fight for a title. He will still get more opportunities in the UFC and he is a quality fighter still.

MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)

WELTERWEIGHTS
TIM MEANS (25-7-1, 7-4 UFC) VS. SABAH HOMASI (11-5, 0-0 UFC)

ROUND 1- Means was using his long range well early before getting taken down. They got to their feet and both men were swinging and Homasi started to take big breaths early. Homasi got another takedown but started eating elbows as he wasn’t doing anything. Means cut Homasi open big with an elbow. Means started teeing off on Homasi at the end of the round and Means had a big finish to the round. 10-9 Means.

ROUND 2- Means came out for the second round strong as Homasi was fading. Means started teeing off with elbows and knees and Homasi was bleeding pretty badly. Homasi was surviving some big shots in the first half of the round. Homasi was is full survival mode and bleeding heavily and after Means started landing more punches Herb Dean finally stepped in and stopped the fight and Means scores the big win.

Official Result- Tim Means def. Sabah Homasi by TKO (strikes) at 2:56 of Round 2

INSTANT ANALYSIS- Tim Means looked incredible and had an amazing performance. He is now 5-1 in his last six fights and is on the cusp of top-15 contention. He hard sharp combinations and worked the elbows well and was able to get off the mat when taken down. A fight with Jake Ellenberger next may be a good test for him. Sabah Homasi gave a good showing but took the fight on very short notice. He will get another chance and hopefully with a full camp as he is a solid addition to the lower level at 170 pounds.

WELTERWEIGHTS
HYUN GYU LIM (13-5-1, 3-2 UFC) VS. MIKE PERRY (7-0, 0-0 UFC)

ROUND 1- Perry came out strong looking to get inside the long range of Lim. Perry dropped Lim and instead of working for the finish he went into the guard. Lim made a mistake though and Perry got him pinned on the bottom. Perry dropped Lim once again and had him in a lot of trouble but Lim somehow survived. Perry dropped him one more time and finally finished him off to get a huge win in his UFC debut.

Official Result- Mike Perry def. Hyun Gyu Lim by TKO (punches) at 3:38 of Round 1

INSTANT ANALYSIS- Mike Perry had an impressive debut dropping Hyun Gyu Lim three times. He is undefeated and now has eight wins, all by stoppage. He had a star-making performance and is going to be a solid prospect in the welterweight division. As long as he keeps developing, the sky is the limit for him. Lim is a tough opponent, and he has some exciting fights. He won’t ever fight for a title, but he will be an exciting addition to any card.

WELTERWEIGHTS
(#9) RICK STORY (19-8, 12-6 UFC) VS. (#14, #6 LW) DONALD CERRONE (30-7 1 NC, 17-4 UFC)

ROUND 1- Cerrone actually took Story down early but Story got to his feet and took Cerrone down. Cerrone looked for submissions but Story escaped out of them. Cerrone did a nice escape to get back to his feet. Cerrone is getting the better of the striking exchanges. Cerrone tagged Story late in the round. Story had not much of an answer for the striking exchanges as Cerrone has more weapons on the feet and is a very accurate striker. Story may have gotten a big takedown but Cerrone got the round late with the striking. 10-9 Cerrone.

ROUND 2- Story tried for the takedowns as he has no answer for Cerrone on the feet. Cerrone had Story in trouble with a body combination followed by a head kick and finished him off with big punches on the ground. Huge win for Cerrone.

Official Result- Donald Cerrone def. Rick Story by TKO (strikes) at 2:02 of Round 2

INSTANT ANALYSIS- Donald Cerrone has looked fantastic at 170 pounds with three straight wins, all by stoppage. He has talked about wanting to challenge Eddie Alvarez for the championship, and he called him out after the fight. Cerrone has a win over Alvarez and challenged him for UFC 205 in New York City. He hasn’t won at 155 pounds since losing to Rafael Dos Anjos in a title fight in December, but three wins over quality competition at 170 pounds is hard to overlook. Rick Story has some solid wins but falters against top competition, and he couldn’t get his style in motion against an excellent striker in Cerrone. He will go back to the drawing board and look to remain in the top-15 in the division.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
(#1) ANTHONY JOHNSON (21-5, 12-5 UFC) VS. (#2) GLOVER TEIXEIRA (25-4, 8-2 UFC)

ROUND 1- It took one punch and Rumble Johnson knocked Teixeira out in seconds. It was quick and violent.

Official Result- Anthony Johnson def. Glover Teixeira by knockout (punches) at :13 of Round 1

INSTANT ANALYSIS- Anthony Johnson is getting a title shot and he is the scariest fighter in the UFC. One punch can end any fight he is in as evidenced in this fight. He had Daniel Cormier in trouble when they first fought, and I see him giving Cormier a much tougher time when they next fight. 13 seconds and it was done with Teixeira being stopped for the first time in 14 years. Teixeira is still a great fighter but he’s going to have to get another couple of wins to get back into contention. His only UFC losses are to Anthony Johnson, Jon Jones and Phil Davis, and he is still a top-five fighter.

WELTERWEIGHTS
(#4 LW) NATE DIAZ (19-10, 14-8 UFC) VS. (C FW) CONOR MCGREGOR (19-3, 7-1 UFC)

ROUND 1- McGregor went after the lead leg with kicks early. He landed some left hands and knocked Diaz down with a left. McGregor landed some solid combos and is chopping away at the lead leg. Diaz had trouble landing the jab and wasn’t checking the leg kicks. Diaz also isn’t circling away from the leg kick. McGregor clipped Diaz late. A methodical round for McGregor. 10-9 McGregor.

ROUND 2- Diaz’ right leg is chewed up heading into the second. McGregor knocked Diaz down with another left hand. McGregor was picking Diaz apart on the feet with combos but Diaz started to apply pressure towards the end and had McGregor backing up. DIaz landed some big combinations and they clinched against the fence and traded for much of the end of the round. They were tagging each other. Diaz came on strong but still a round for McGregor. 10-9 McGregor, 20-18 McGregor.

ROUND 3- McGregor comes out breathing heavy. Diaz rocked McGregor with a left hand and started in the clinch. Big chants for Diaz. McGregor caught Diaz with a left hand and went back for the leg kicks. Diaz starts with the trash talking. McGregor landed an elbow in the clinch. Diaz is bleeding pretty solidly. Diaz landed a combo as they broke the clinch. They traded punches and Diaz is taunting and McGregor is tired. Diaz started pouring it on late in the round with lots of strikes landed. Diaz with a huge onslaught but McGregor survived it. 10-9 Diaz, 29-28 McGregor.

ROUND 4- McGregor landed some left hands to start this round. Diaz is a bloody mess. Both men are tired and McGregor is landing a lot of punches. Diaz went for a takedown but it was defended by McGregor. Diaz with short punches in the clinch. McGregor landed a big elbow. McGregor landed a big combination as they broke the clinch. Diaz did rock McGregor. McGregor has caught a second wind and is landing on Diaz. McGregor has Diaz hurt heading into the final round. 10-9 McGregor, 39-37 McGregor.

ROUND 5- This round will likely decide it. Diaz having a hard time seeing out of his eye. They clinched up and McGregor got the better of it. McGregor fighting smart circling out of the way and not expending energy. Diaz went for takedowns but McGregor has shown excellent takedown defense. Diaz lands a combo and McGregor circles out of the way. Diaz with the middle finger. Diaz landed a big elbow in the clinch. Diaz working hard for a takedown against the fence and can’t get it. Lots of pressure from Diaz though both are landing equally. McGregor tripped Diaz down and landed a big elbow as Diaz got up. Diaz with a big takedown at the end of the round and the fight ends. 10-9 Diaz, 48-47 McGregor.

Official Result- Conor McGregor def. Nate Diaz by majority decision (48-47, 47-47, 48-47)

INSTANT ANALYSIS- Conor McGregor fought a brilliant fight in the first two rounds picking apart Nate Diaz by attacking the leg. Diaz made an excellent comeback in the third round and this fight was interesting. It was incredibly close from the third round on, and Diaz clearly won round three and round five. It was how you scored round four as a viewer, and it was very close. It’s a good decision, as would have a 47-47. I personally thought McGregor won the fight. This is a definite fight of the year candidate, and it’s my choice for the best fight this year so far. The third fight is coming, but McGregor has other business right now.

UFC 202 weigh-ins: Sans bottles, McGregor & Diaz strip down for the masses

Posted on by Josh Nason

After Wednesday’s bottle throwing incident at the UFC 202 weigh-ins, anything is possible when Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz square off for the final time at Friday’s public weigh-ins prior to their Saturday rematch.

McGregor will be looking to avenge his loss earlier this year to Diaz when the Stockton, CA, native stepped in on short notice to face the Irishman at 170 pounds. Diaz handed McGregor his first UFC defeat and will be looking to do it again at the same weight.

Also on the card, Glover Teixeira and Anthony Johnson are both looking to get back to a light heavyweight title shot when they fight in the co-main event, while perennial fan favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone faces the always underrated Rick Story at welterweight.

There are some additionally intriguing fights on the show as Cody Garbrandt looks to take a step toward bantamweight title contention against veteran Takeya Mizugaki, and Neil Magny looks to continue his welterweight run against the always interesting Lorenz Larkin.

While the official weigh-ins are already finished, check out the public spectacle starting at 7 p.m. ET Friday. 

SPOILER ALERT – OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS BELOW

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Featherweight champ Conor McGregor (168) vs. Nate Diaz (170.5) non-title welterweight bout
  • Anthony Johnson (205.5) vs. Glover Teixeira (205.5)
  • Donald Cerrone (170) vs. Rick Story (171)
  • Hyun Gyu Lim (171) vs. Mike Perry (169)
  • Sabah Homasi (170.5) vs. Tim Means (171)

PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Cody Garbrandt (135) vs. Takeya Mizugaki (136)
  • Raquel Pennington (135.5) vs. Elizabeth Phillips (134)
  • Chris Avila (146) vs. Artem Lobov (144.5)
  • Cortney Casey (116) vs. Randa Markos (116)

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Lorenz Larkin (170.75) vs. Neil Magny (171)
  • Colby Covington (171) vs. Max Griffin (170.5)
  • Alberto Uda (185.5) vs. Marvin Vettori (185.5)

JNPO: Conor, Nate, bottles & UFC 202 with MMA Payout’s Jason Cruz

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: Zuffa/Getty

After a few weeks searching Parts Unknown and finding some stranger things, site editor and writer Josh Nason is back with the latest edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out with the topic of UFC 202 on the table.

Joining Josh on this journey is longtime MMA business writer for MMA Payout, Jason Cruz!

On this hour-long edition of the show, Josh and Jason hit up a slew of topics including:

– Jason’s legal background and how he found his way to Payout

– The UFC 202 press conference madness that happened Wednesday and the ramifications for both guys

– Whether that made Jason more interested in the fight or not

– The stakes for both Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz with a win or loss

– Other 202 fights the guys are interested in

– Thoughts on part 1 of the CM Punk documentary series

– Thoughts on the recent new pro-union group and how it affects the other groups

– And much more!

Click below to listen or right click to save the mp3. RSS subscribers can access shows here.

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UFC 202 press conference: Conor McGregor & Nate Diaz look to sell the drama

Posted on by Josh Nason

Just days before they’ll rematch at Saturday’s UFC 202, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz will play the roles of salesmen at a press conference.

The reigning featherweight champion and his main rival will be on the dais starting at 4 PM EST, though it likely will start later due to McGregor’s penchant for tardiness at press events. 

Co-main eventers Anthony Johnson and Glover Teixeira will also be at the presser as they look to draw interest for their fight over the #1 contendership for the UFC light heavyweight title.

McGregor and Diaz faced off in March at UFC 196 — a welterweight fight that saw Diaz submit McGregor in the second round to give the Irishman his first UFC defeat. The two were supposed to rematch at UFC 200 until McGregor’s refusal to come to a press conference turned into a much bigger issue.

Enjoy the (hopeful) fireworks later this afternoon.

UFC 202 conference call recap: McGregor predicts second round knockout against Diaz

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Conor McGregor may have predicted that he would knock Nate Diaz out in the first round the last time they fought, but McGregor has much more respect for his opponent after losing to him earlier this year.

On Friday afternoon’s media conference call, McGregor predicted that he will defeat Diaz by knockout in the second round when the two face off in one of the UFC’s most anticipated fights of the year at UFC 202 on August 20th.

“But this time I’m still going to march forward, I’m still going to press him, I’m still going to bust him, there’s just going to be a lot more in my tank. I’m going to be a lot more prepared for a man that can stay in there with me. But even still, I struggle to give him past round three.” McGregor said.

“If I was to make a prediction, which I will right now, I believe I will repay the favor and KO him inside the second round.”

Though McGregor was brash in making his prediction, he showed respect for his opponent’s durability and experience throughout the call.

“I didn’t give enough credit to Nate’s durability and his experience, he’s a very experienced fighter, he’s had more UFC fights than I’ve had fights. Also his height and his range and his reactions, I gave no respect to that.“

“For the first round and a half he was a heavy bag with eyeballs, so I was correcting that, but his durability held out, his experience held out for him. So this time I’ve been preparing for that. I’ve been preparing to face a durable, experienced fighter who has the reach, the height, and the length.” McGregor said. “I feel very confident that we will get this win back and put this man away.”

When asked about potentially appearing in WWE, McGregor claimed not to have thought about it and had harsh words for most professional wrestlers. But he called the McMahon family, Triple H, and The Rock dons of the wrestling game.

McGregor called the rematch with Diaz the biggest fight of his career. He claimed that he should be a champion in two weight classes, and said he would have knocked out Rafael dos Anjos with the shots Diaz was able to withstand if their scheduled match earlier this year came to fruition.

Diaz stepped in on short notice for the injured dos Anjos and tapped out McGregor in the second round at UFC 196.

McGregor said that the fight with Diaz means more to him more than any money or gold, and said that he gave up opportunities in Hollywood to prepare for the fight.

When asked about what motivates him in a second fight against McGregor, Diaz said that he wanted the fight because if he’s going to fight, it’s only going to be in a big fight. If he’s going to fight someone it’s going to be a big deal, a big payday, and a big fight.

On the topic of the recent $4+ billion UFC sale, McGregor commended the Fertitta family for bringing the sport up from nothing, but couldn’t resist taking credit for the lofty price tag. McGregor said he’s not wondering about the future with the UFC sale, but plotting his next moves.

McGregor talked about how he has improved his preparation to face the bigger Diaz in the rematch. He says that he’s been sparring with bigger guys while Diaz has been sparring with smaller fighters in preparation.

The two mostly avoided verbally sparring with each other, but McGregor jumped in and claimed that he “taught the kid well” when Diaz was questioned about his contractual negotiations for the fight.

“I was going to get that money regardless,” Diaz responded.

After McGregor’s refusal to fulfill media obligations forced the rematch off of the UFC 200 card, both men were questioned about promoting this fight.

McGregor touted the media projects his team has been doing on social media. Diaz talked about the obligations being an annoyance, but said that he didn’t want to regret not taking advantage of the opportunities.

When asked about USADA testing, McGregor also threw barbs at Diaz, noting that he has been tested six more times than his opponent.

The full conference call is available to listen to here.

AUDIO: UFC 202 conference call with Nate Diaz & Conor McGregor

Posted on by Joseph Currier

We’re only weeks away from one of the biggest UFC fights of the year, as Nate Diaz is set to take on Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 202 on August 20th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

In advance of the fight, both Diaz and McGregor will meet with media members on a conference call tonight. And there are sure to be verbal fireworks with two of the UFC’s most outspoken fighters on the call.

That call will be available to listen to live right here starting at (or approximately, given the two competitors) 6 p.m. EST.

After riding a massive wave of media hype created by his outspokenness and increasingly high profile victories, McGregor was tapped out by Diaz in their first fight earlier this year. The two were supposed to meet again in the main event of UFC 200, but McGregor was pulled from the show after refusing to fulfill promotional obligations.

McGregor will be out for revenge at UFC 202, while Diaz will be trying to prove that he was always deserving of the main event spotlight.

VIDEO: UFC 202 press conference with Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor won’t be headlining UFC 200, but the two are still part of International Fight Week.

McGregor and Diaz will appear at a press conference on Thursday afternoon promoting that tickets are now on sale for UFC 202. And with two of the UFC’s most outspoken stars involved there are sure to be fireworks.

The two previously faced off at UFC 196 in March with Diaz tapping out McGregor with a rear-naked choke in the second round.

The rematch was once scheduled to headline Saturday’s UFC 200 pay-per-view, but McGregor briefly delayed that after failing to fulfill promotional obligations.

UFC 202 will take place on August 20th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson vs. Glover Teixeira, Demian Maia vs. Carlos Condit, Donald Cerrone vs. Rick Story, Hyun Gyu Lim vs. Sultan Aliev, Alberto Uda vs. Marvin Vettori, Neil Magny vs. Dong Hyun Kim and Cody Garbrandt vs. Takeya Mizugaki are also scheduled for the show.

Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz II official for August’s UFC 202

Posted on by Josh Nason

So much for Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz II fading into the ethos.

UFC aired a promo spot Saturday during UFC 199 that the fight that headlined one of the most purchased UFC PPVs of all time will headline UFC 202 on Saturday, August 20th in Las Vegas, NV. 

After they aired the promo, Diaz was shown at cageside next to Dana White, flexing his biceps and getting a hero’s welcome. 

The road to the rematch is longform story worthy with the fight originally scheduled to headline UFC 200 only to fall apart supposedly because McGregor didn’t want to come to a press conference as he was training in Iceland. What followed was a classic “he said, they said, he said again” situation that saw UFC cancel the fight and eventually put a light heavyweight title unification bout between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier in its place.

After Diaz said he wouldn’t fight anyone else but McGregor, the Stockton, CA, native then decided to play some financial hardball about what it would take to get him to do the rematch: McGregor money. After a meeting between White, Diaz, and Lorenzo Fertitta reportedly went astray, White said this week that it didn’t look like the fight would happen and alternatives for McGregor were being explored. 

Well, there was no alternative. Diaz will get a chance to beat McGregor again, and the featherweight champion gets to prove that he can fight — and win — at 170 pounds on a full camp.

So yeah, this is a high stakes fight.

Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer will be back tonight to talk UFC 199, Brock Lesnar’s return to UFC and how this deal came to pass, the Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz rematch being signed for UFC 202 and more.  Sign up today for full access to all of our new and archived shows (8,000 total), new and archived Wrestling Observer Newsletters and more!