The final numbers are in for Saturday’s UFC on FOX 22 broadcast, headlined by Michelle Waterson’s first round submission win over Paige VanZant and also featuring Sage Northcutt and Urijah Faber on the undercard.
The show did 3,178,000 viewers for the four-fight main card, which was the best number since 3.2 million tuned in to UFC on FOX 10 in January 2014.
It’s notable that this was the second straight televised fight for Northcutt on a show that did impressive TV ratings. His UFC 200 prelim fight with Enrique Marin set a record for viewership on FS2 with 582,000 viewers.
The only other two times that a VanZant fight has aired on television have both been FOX shows and the ratings for those fights were nothing out of the ordinary. In fact the last fight, with Bec Rawlings, was on one of only two UFC on FOX shows that failed to break two million viewers.
Faber’s final fight of his career may have helped Saturday’s rating as well, although none of his recent televised fights have done numbers that were particularly notable. Outside of Conor McGregor, he has consistently been the biggest draw in UFC of anyone below 155 lbs since debuting in 2012, though.
The prelims for Saturday’s show, which aired on FS1, did 679,000 viewers. The last time the prelims for a FOX show aired on FS1, they did 702,000 but the average over the last three years has been about 648,000.
*****
In other MMA ratings news, Friday’s Bellator 169 on Spike TV did 643,000 viewers, their best number since September. This was for a taped show from Dublin with no star power outside of the main event of King Mo vs. Satoshi Ishii.
There has been virtually no ratings difference when Bellator runs either live or on tape delay with the international shows they’ve run of late.
Last night’s UFC on FOX show told a marketing lesson that can’t be ignored.
A show headlined by Paige VanZant vs. Michelle Waterson and Mickey Gall vs. Sage Northcutt did 2.69 million viewers on the fast nationals.
The number is 17 to 20 percent above what the December shows have done the past three years with championship fights headlining in 2013 and 2015 and a top heavyweight fight of Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic as the 2014 main event.
Urijah Faber’s retirement fight may have also played heavily into the number. In the arena, it was clearly the real main event at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
The fast nationals measure the first two hours of the show everywhere but the West Coast, which is not figured in because it measures 8-10 p.m. Pacific, and the show aired from 5-7:15 p.m.
That means the VanZant vs. Waterson fight, which started after 10 p.m. is not figured into the average, and with Faber and VanZant being West Coast fighters, that should help the growth when that is figured in.
A card promoted around VanZant vs. Waterson doing so well, coming on the heels of Holly Holm vs. Valentina Shevchenko doing the best summer numbers in years, shows that audiences for women’s main events are strong on FOX.
The UFC show was the least-watched show on the four networks last night, but in the 18-49 demo, which is what FOX gears the show toward, it was second only to SNL Christmas on NBC.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 22: VanZant vs. Waterson, eminating from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
The event is headlined by a five-round bout in the women’s strawweight division as rising contender Paige VanZant looks to score another win inside the Octagon as she takes on Michelle Waterson. VanZant is looking to score her second straight win and continue the rise in her growing popularity. Waterson fights for the first time since July 2015, and she has won seven of her last eight fights.
The co-main event sees a pair of welterweights looking to continue their breakout careers in 2016 as Sage Northcutt takes on Mickey Gall. Gall is coming off a big win over C.M. Punk in Punk’s MMA debut in September, and he called out Northcutt for this fight. Northcutt has become one of the most popular fighters in the UFC since his debut just over a year ago.
This event will also mark the final fight in the illustrious career of Urijah Faber, as he fights one last time in his hometown. Faber is a former WEC Featherweight Champion, but he was never able to capture gold in the UFC. Despite that, he remains one of the more popular fighters in the sport, and brings his potential hall of fame career to an end in his 45th career fight. He will be taking on Brad Pickett on the main card.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 3:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
> Bojan Velickovic (14-3-1, 1-0-1 UFC) vs. Sultan Aliev (13-2, 0-1 UFC) Welterweights
The first round was standing early with Velickovic having an edge before Aliev decided to take the fight to the mat. Both men did solid work on the mat before getting to the feet with seconds remaining. It was close but I had Aliev winning the first round, 10-9.
Velickovic was winning the standing in the second round, but Aliev scored two takedowns and did some good work from the top position. He had nothing for Velickovic standing. Aliev’s round in the second, 10-9, and up 20-18.
Aliev got another takedown in the third. Velickovic worked for submissions but Aliev just grinded from the top. He didn’t do a whole lot in the fight whether standing or on top as Velickovic was more active all around. However, I think the judges will see him as the winner. I do as I had round three also 10-9 for Aliev, and him winning 30-27.
Aliev took the decision but only got the fight on two scorecards. Both of those scorecards were 30-27 for him. The third judge had it 29-28 for Velickovic, and I really don’t know how. I could see the first going to him, but neither the second or third. This was a very boring fight.
Official Result: Sultan Aliev def. Bojan Velickovic by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)
Sandoval was the pressure fighter in the first and landed more strikes and a takedown. Serrano couldn’t adjust during the round. Round one was 10-9 for Sandoval.
Sandoval dropped Serrano and almost finished him with a choke early in the second. Serrano was having trouble landing his strikes and Sandoval was picking him apart on the feet. It was another 10-9 round for Sandoval, and him up 20-18.
Sandoval got another takedown in the third and was winning the fight on the feet, tagging Serrano with a lot of punches. He was the better fighter in this one. I had round three 10-9 for Sandoval, and him winning the fight 30-27.
All three judges had it for Sandoval, with him winning all three rounds on two cards and 29-28 on the third. I’m not sure Serrano won a round there but at least it didn’t end up mattering. This was a solid fight.
Official Result: Hector Sandoval def. Fredy Serrano by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
> Eddie Wineland (#13, 22-11-1, 4-5 UFC) vs. Takeya Mizugaki (#14, 21-10-2, 8-5 UFC) Bantamweights
They were trading punches back-and-forth. Mizugaki was getting the better of it Wineland then dropped Mizugaki with one punch, Mizugaki got up and then got dropped again and finished off by Wineland. Big knockout win by Wineland in the opening round. Mizugaki’s chin just can’t handle much of a punch anymore. Wineland dedicated the win to his kids and mentioned how he fights without handwraps on his hands.
Official Result: Eddie Wineland def. Takeya Mizugaki by TKO (punches) at 3:04 of Round 1
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> Leslie Smith (8-7-1, 2-3 UFC) vs. Irene Aldana (7-2, 0-0 UFC) Women’s Bantamweights
Smith was tagging Aldana early and dropped her and nearly finished the fight. Aldana was able to survive the swarm and they were trading back and forth as a great opening round ended. Smith took the first 10-9.
Smith was really pressuring Aldana in the second and was landing some very good combinations, but Aldana was landing as well and was brutalizing the leg of Smith with kicks. Aldana then tagged Smith and had her rocked late in the round. It’ll be interesting to see how the judges scored this one as Aldana was backing up as Smith was pressuring, but Aldana landed the harder punches. I had it 10-9 for Aldana, and it tied up 19-19 after two. There is lots of action in this fight.
Smith was really pressuring Aldana and pushing her against the fence and landing more in the third. Aldana would circle away every time she was in trouble but was only really striking when it was returning. Smith landed more punches but Aldana’s seemed to have more power behind them. Aldana got a late takedown in looking to steal the fight but Smith charged with strikes late. A close third round that I had 10-9 for Smith, and I had her winning 29-28 overall.
Smith won on all three scorecards, two 29-28s and one 30-27. This is an early contender for fight of the night. Smith looked the best she has in the UFC so far.
Official Result: Leslie Smith def. Irene Aldana by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
> Josh Emmett (10-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Scott Holtzman (9-1, 2-1 UFC) Lightweights
This was a good first round with both men landing solid strikes, and Emmett changed things up with two takedowns. Holtzman was able to get up both times and ended up scoring a takedown of his own late in the round. Holtzman was landing from the top late and was landing late and I think he stole the round at the end. I had it 10-9 for Holtzman.
Emmett landed a huge flurry in the opening minute and had Holtzman in a lot of trouble. Emmett tried to finish the fight but it looked to gas him out as Holtzman scored an easy takedown. Emmett reversed it though but Holtzman reversed that. Holtzman was landing knees and punches late as Emmett was breating heavy. Emmett rocked Holtzman late with a flying knee. A close round but I had it 10-9 for Emmett and it tied up 19-19 after two.
They were trading and then Emmett dropped Holtzman and swarmed on looking to take advantage. Both men were very tired. Holtzman was able to take the fight down despite a blatant fence grab by Emmett. It was really a grappling battle as each man was trying to do something to ensure they won the last round in a close fight. They traded shots late with both trying to close the fight strong. I had the last round 10-9 for Emmett and him winning 29-28. This is going to be close on the scorecards.
All three judges had it 29-28 for Emmett. He got a big reaction. This was a great fight and also in contention for fight of the night. Emmett thought he broke his hand.
Official Result: Josh Emmett def. Scott Holtzman by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> James Moontasri (9-4, 2-3 UFC) vs. Alex Morono (12-3, 1-0 UFC) Welterweights
They spent the first round on the feet. Moontasri hurt Morono with a left hand at one point and was trying all sorts of spin kicks throughout the round. He was showing good hand speed and good movement on the feet and Morono wasn’t able to do much outside of landing a couple of leg kicks. It was good action but far from the best round tonight. I had it 10-9 Moontasri.
They were trading on the feet in the second round. Moontasri was continuing with spinning stuff but was landing more. Morono was showing it on his body with it changing colors. Morono finally started timing the kicks and adjusted well and was landing some punches late. Morono cut Moontasri open with an elbow. Each man landed a spinning attack at the end. Another good action round between the two. I had it 10-9 for Morono and it tied 19-19.
Morono rocked Moontasri with a big right hand and was going for the finish with lots of big punches. Morono was tagging Moontasri at will as Moontasri had his hands low. Both men were breathing heavy but it was the pressure and punches of Morono that was making the difference. Both men were able to make it to the end, which was surprising. The third round was the most clear round as I had it 10-9 Morono. I had Morono winning 29-28 but the scores for the first two could go either way.
All three judges had it 29-28 for Morono. No post-fight interview for him. Solid fight but both men were very tired in the last round.
Official Result: Alex Morono def. James Moontasri by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Covington got a couple of takedowns but wasn’t able to do much with them. Barberena was stronger on the feet but Covington was landing some good counters. Covington was relying primarily on his takedowns though. It likely got him the round, and I had it 10-9 for him.
Barberena was getting the better of Covington on the feet, so Covington decided to go back to the takedown game, punching his way there. He was having a much easier time taking Barberena down in the second, not that it was that difficult for him in the first. Barberena landed solid punches on the feet but this was Covington’s round again, 10-9, and I had him up 20-18. Covington has scored eight takedowns through two rounds.
It was more of the same in the third round. Barberena was slightly better on the feet but Covington was countering well and would switch everything up into takedowns. Barberena had no takedown defense in this fight. Covington ended the fight on top. Covington got three more takedowns in the third, making it eleven in all. Dominating performance for him. 10-9 Covington in the third, 30-27 overall for him. The crowd booed this fight.
All three judges had it 30-27 for Covington. No post-fight interview but a strong performance by Covington in this fight.
Official Result: Colby Covington def. Bryan Barberena by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Cole Miller (21-10 1 NC, 10-8 1 NC UFC) vs. Mizuto Hirota (17-7-2, 0-2-1 UFC) Featherweights
Miller hurt Hirota early with a punch and went for a choke but couldn’t get it. Hirota ended up getting two takedowns and was controlling Miller from the top. Hirota ended the round on top with landing punches, but otherwise not a lot of action. Miller came out strong but Hirota came on as the round went on. A 10-9 round for Hirota.
Miller got taken down but grabbed a foot and used it to reverse. He wasn’t doing much on the feet despite being the taller fighter. That’s pretty much the story of every Cole Miller fight. Hirota reversed positions and was working on the top. There is not a lot going on in this fight. Hirota landed on top to end the round, a very boring round. 10-9 for Hirota in the second, with him up 20-18.
Miller looked absolutely awful in the last round. He was throwing slow punches and just gave up an easy takedown to Hirota, and then wasn’t doing anything on the bottom. It was almost like he just quit on the fight. Hirota was staying busy so he could keep this fight on the mat. This was one bad fight. An easy 10-9 round for Hirota, and I had him winning 30-27.
All three judges had all three rounds for Hirota, and he got one 10-8 round on one scorecard. There was really no other score. This fight was bad.
Official Result: Mizuto Hirota def. Cole Miller by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
> Henrique da Silva (12-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Paul Craig (8-0, 0-0 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Craig bloodied da Silva up before taking him down and working from the top. da Silva got up but Craig had a guillotine in but it wasn’t tight as he was in bad position against the fence on the bottom. da Silva got out and is gushing blood. They got to their feet and da Silva tried a lazy takedown and, well, it didn’t work out for him. 10-9 Craig in the first round.
da Silva didn’t look good in the opening moments of the second round but Craig looked just as tired. Craig pulled guard and was working for an armbar, got it, and da Silva tapped instantly. It was like da Silva just decided to give up and found the spot to tap out. A pretty bad showing for da Silva and Craig remains undefeated.
Official Result: Paul Craig def. Henrique da Silva by submission (armbar) at 1:59 of Round 2
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> Alan Jouban (14-4, 5-2 UFC) vs. Mike Perry (9-0, 2-0 UFC) Welterweights
Jouban rocked Perry early but Perry was coming on strong with his kicks. Jouban got a takedown against the fence and Perry was looking uncomfortable on the ground but able to get up. Jouban landed a left hand but ate a head kick that rocked him. Perry was keeping his hands low and was eating some punches from Jouban. Good opening round but I have it 10-9 for Jouban.
Perry was starting to open up more but Jouban was landing more when he struck. Jouban rocked Perry with a left hand and a head kick. Jouban was landing body kicks and Perry was keeping his hands low. Perry would try and attack but he wasn’t landing on a lot of his attacks, and his head movement was pretty much non-existant. Jouban rocked and dropped Perry late with a left hand and that likely got him the round. It did in my eyes. 10-9 for Jouban, 20-18 Jouban after two.
Jouban was really aggressive in this round. He would fake a body kick and Perry would flinch like he was afraid to take it. It allowed Jouban to attack the legs of Perry with kicks. Perry was really slow this round and was just looking for the one punch. Jouban was teeing off on Perry. Perry was keeping his hands low, had no head movement and wasn’t working his feints or fakes in the third, and he looked tired. A real strong third round for Jouban as I had it 10-9 for him. I have the fight 30-27 for Jouban.
Jouban got the decision on all the scorecards. It was a really smart and disciplined fight from Jouban, and it exposed that Perry isn’t ready for that level of competition just yet.
Official Result: Alan Jouban def. Mike Perry by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Faber was getting in-and-out of the pocket early and landed a big right hand on Pickett. They went to grapple and Pickett got a takedown. They got to their feet and Faber dropped Pickett with a big left hand and the crowd came unglued. Faber was landing punches and took the back and was landing punch after punch and this fight could’ve been stopped. Faber went for a rear-naked choke but switched to mount and was landing elbows. He went back to the back and Pickett is cut open pretty big. Pickett somehow survived the round but a huge 10-8 round for Faber.
Huge chants for Faber from the crowd. They were trading on the feet and Faber scored a takedown. Faber was working for the top and went for a guillotine choke but Pickett escaped to his feet. Faber got a late takedown. Another good round showing from Faber. 10-9 Faber in the second and him up 20-17.
Faber got an early takedown and was working in the guard of Pickett. They got to their feet and Faber scored another takedown. Faber went for another guillotine but Pickett blocked it and Faber ended in side control. They got to their feet and Pickett dropped Faber with a punch but Faber got right back up. It was actually a punch to the shoulder. Faber landed a knee to the body of Pickett. The crowd got loud for the last twenty seconds and exploded at the end of the fight. A great showing from Faber in his last fight. 10-9 Faber in the third, 30-26 Faber overall.
All three judges had it the same for Faber. He gave a speech and thanked everyone for supporting him on his amazing career and said he was ready to move forward.
Official Result: Urijah Faber def. Brad Pickett by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
> Sage Northcutt (8-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Mickey Gall (3-0, 2-0 UFC) Welterweights
Gall got an early takedown. Neither was doing much on the ground and Northcutt tried to explode out from the bottom but Gall had a guillotine locked in. Northcutt was able to escape and had the top position. Northcutt landed a big hammerfist and they started talking trash to each other as Gall wanted him on the ground and Northcutt wanted him standing. Gall got another takedown. Northcutt is a really bad MMA wrestler. Gall’s takedowns got him the round 10-9.
Northcutt knocked Gall down with a left hand in the opening moments of round two. Gall is bleeding but he dropped Northcutt with a big right hand. Gall took the back and was looking for the choke. He got it locked in and Northcutt tapped out! Gall wins by submission with a rear-naked choke and improves to 4-0 in his career.
Gall said post-fight that he is dropping to 155 pounds and called out Dan Hardy for a fight if Hardy decides to return to fighting.
Official Result: Mickey Gall def. Sage Northcutt by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:40 of Round 2
They were each landing side kicks and some winging punches before going to a clinch. Waterson got a head-and-arm throw takedown and took the back of VanZant. Waterson has a rear-naked choke locked in and is looking to finish. VanZant is fighting it very hard but it is in very deep. VanZant goes out! Waterson submits VanZant in the opening round, VanZant went out cold and didn’t tap out.
Official Result: Michelle Waterson def. Paige VanZant by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:21 of Round 1
UFC returns to Sacramento, CA, tonight for their final Fox event of 2016. This one is very interesting in that the two biggest fights feature two young, good-looking and inexperienced stars — Paige VanZant and Sage Northcutt — with not a lot of headlining capacity, especially on network TV. (Well, maybe if you count Dancing With The Stars.)
It was just a year ago where PVZ got her first UFC main event opportunity, but suffered her first career loss at the hands of Rose Namajunas. On that same show, Northcutt scored a second round stoppage win over Cody Pfister but showed vulnerability for the first time in his UFC career. He went on to suffer his first career loss to Bryan Barberena (who also fights on this card) before rebounding with a win at UFC 200.
The show also features the final fight in the career of “The California Kid” Urijah Faber. He has headlined many shows in this city and this card has a definite vibe of the old WEC cards he used to headline. WEC vets Takeya Mizugaki vs. Eddie Wineland on the Fight Pass prelims are a reminder of that.
Rounding out the four-fight main card is a welterweight clash between Mike Perry and Alan Jouban. This is on the main card specifically because of Perry, who has generated a lot of buzz both with his mouth and with his finishing power as he has KOd every one of his opponents as a pro including 2 in UFC.
Our panel has picks on the top five fights from tonight’s card below with odds coming from bestfightodds.com. Year to date record is in parenthesis with panel consensus picks and a record of the favorites as well.
Josh Nason (72-46; .610): Host of Josh Nason’s Punch Out; writer/editor WrestlingObserver.com , WON Twitter guy
John Pollock (72-46; .610): Fight Network analyst, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, MMA Report co-host
David Bixenspan (70-48; .593): Figure Four Weekly writer, podcast host
Favorites (69-49; .585)
Dave Meltzer (68-50; .576): Wrestling Observer founder
Mike Sawyer (68-50; .576): Tough Talk MMA
Ryan Frederick (67-51; .568): WrestlingObserver.com UFC writer, WON Twitter guy
Mike Sempervive (67-51; .568): Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
Consensus picks (60-47; .561)
Front Row Brian (65-53; .551): MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, podcast host
Steve Juon (65-53; .551): MMA Mania writer. Angry Marks founder
Paul Fontaine (58-60; .492): MMADraws.com founder, WrestlingObserver.com writer
> Paige VanZant (7-2) vs Michelle Waterson (13-4)
While most wouldn’t give either of these fighters much of a chance against Joanna Champion, this is still an intriguing matchup between strawweight contenders. PVZ has only lost once inside the Octagon while Waterson is a former Invicta champion at atomweight. While they may not be ready for it, it’s likely that the winner here will be pushed into a title fight. This is one of many fights on the card that is a virtual coinflip in the eyes of the oddsmakers…and our panel.
After beating CM Punk at UFC 203, Mickey Gall called out the 20-year-old Northcutt and this fight was made. Northcutt came into the UFC with a lot of hype and mowed through his first two opponents on the way to stoppage wins. He hasn’t looked nearly as good in his last two, although he did squeak out a decision win at UFC 200.
Gall has looked great but every one of his pro opponents was making their professional MMA debuts. This is another one that is hard to pick, although a lot of money has been coming in this week on Gall, skewing the odds in his favor. Although he has competed at 170 before, Northcutt is moving up from lightweight, where he’d fought 2 of his 3 UFC fights. His only loss came at welterweight.
This is supposed to be the retirement fight for Faber after a long successful career where he, as much as anyone, was responsible for sub-155 lb weight divisions being added to UFC. The former WEC featherweight champion takes on a former flyweight in Pickett, who has had a mediocre UFC record. Fighting in front of his hometown fans should also help out the veteran Faber who is one of the biggest favorites on the entire card.
Perry is fighting on a UFC main card for the first time and this could be a star-making performance for the brash 25 year old. He has scored KO wins in his first two UFC fights, and has knocked out 12 straight going back to his amateur career. Jouban is no slouch, having won 5 of his 7 UFC fights, but he was KOd in the first round by Albert Tumenov. With another win here, it’s very likely that Perry could get the Gall/Northcutt winner in his next fight.
> Eddie Wineland (22-11-1) vs Takeya Mizugaki (21-10-2)
This is the featured Fight Pass prelim and really harkens back to the days of WEC, which ran often in Sacramento. Both veterans came to prominence in that company and will square off against each other for the first time here. Wineland has a sub-.500 UFC record but has faced nothing but top competition. He has picked up KO wins in 2 of his last 5 fights, though. Mizugaki has been finished in 3 of his last 4 and badly needs a win here.
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.
Headlined by Demian Maia’s first round submission win over Carlos Condit, Saturday night’s UFC on FOX saw a ratings dip of about 9% from the July show featuring Holly Holm and Valentina Shevchenko in the main event.
According to overnight ratings, the show averaged 2.221 million viewers over the two hours. The overnight number was the second lowest in the last two years, beating only UFC on FOX 19 in April with Glover Teixeira and Rashad Evans in the main event.
Saturday’s show also featured Paige VanZant picking up a win over Bec Rawlings by knockout and Anthony Pettis submitting Charles Oliveira in the semi-main event.
The show did 2.184 million viewers in the first hour, then increased slightly to 2.258 million in the second. It put FOX in third place for the night among major networks, beating NBC, which aired original episodes of serial drama Aquarias.
Final numbers won’t be available until Tuesday. Those are usually 10-15% higher, which would mean this show should end up doing in the 2.5-2.6 million viewer range.
Here’s a chart comparing overnight ratings of the past 10 UFC on FOX shows:
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 21: Maia vs. Condit from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The event is headlined by a five-round welterweight bout between top contenders as Demian Maia takes on former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit. In the co-main event, former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis fights for the first time at 145 pounds as he takes on Charles Oliveira. Plus, Paige VanZant makes her return to the Octagon to take on Bec Rawlings.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 5 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
LIGHTWEIGHTS JEREMY KENNEDY (8-0, 0-0 UFC) VS. ALESSANDRO RICCI (10-3, 0-0 UFC)
Both these guys are Canadian and both are making their UFC debuts. Even though Ricci has three losses they have all come against guys with big-league experience. Kennedy has racked up his perfect record against no-names on the Canadian and Taiwan regional scene.
Ricci took this fight on five days notice. Kennedy is the big crowd favorite, being from suburban Vancouver. Brian Stann joins Mike Goldberg for commentary for this show as Joe Rogan is pretty much only doing PPVs with his new deal.
Kennedy is 11 years younger than Ricci and has a slight reach advantage. Yves Lavigne is the referee.
ROUND 1 – Kennedy trying to make it a clinch game early, controlling Ricci on the cage. Crowd chanting JUNIOR BACON CHEESEBURGER, which apparently is Kennedy’s nickname. Sounded like KENNEDY to me.
Kennedy finally got a takedown with 30 seconds left after controlling the clinch all round. Ricci got right up though. Very close round, 10-9 Kennedy
ROUND 2 – Significant strikes are 23-15 through 1:15 of round 2 for Kennedy. Kennedy starting this round the same way much of Round 2 went. He did get a takedown at 1:45
Ricci up quickly but Kennedy still controlling things and doing more damage here from the clinch. Kennedy got another takedown at 3:30 and controlled things the whole way up until then.
Kennedy 3 of 9 on takedowns through 4:30 of Round 2. Ricci has done almost nothing this round though. Kennedy with a really nice punch combo right before the round ended. Easy 10-9 Kennedy, 20-18
ROUND 3 – Ricci looks exhausted coming out while Kennedy is still fresh. Ref warns them to work 1:00 in as they started off in the clinch and nothing happening.’
Kennedy with 7:17 of clinch control through 13 minutes of the fight and gets another takedown at 2:15. Ricci easily up again and they’re right back to the clinch.
Kennedy with another takedown at 3:30 but Ricci with a guillotine attempt. Kennedy easily escapes it. Crowd starting to boo a bit even though their guy is winning, mostly cause this fight is awful.
Ricci got up briefly but Kennedy took him right down again for his fifth takedown. He’s doing absolutely nothing on top though, not even trying to advance or land strikes. Enough to win the round and the fight though. 10-9 Kennedy, 30-27
WINNER – JEREMY KENNEDY (9-0) by unanimous decision (30-27 x 2; 29-28)
HOT TAKE – Terrible fight. Kennedy won but he’s going to get lit up by most guys in this division. Ricci took the fight on short notice and might get another chance but he’s not really UFC caliber either.
149 LB. CATCHWEIGHT (LAPRISE MISSED WEIGHT) CHAD LAPRISE (10-2, 3-2 UFC) VS. THIBAULT GOUTI (11-2, 0-2 UFC)
Canada vs France here with Laprise having the hometown advantage. Both guys are on two fight losing streaks so this could be loser leaves town.
Gouti is slightly younger and a has a 1.5 in reach advantage. Laprise of course missed weight pretty badly. Kevin Dornan is the ref.
ROUND 1 – Laprise dropped Gouti with a punch 1:30 and all over him. Gouti briefly up but gets dropped again and turtles so the ref stepped in to call it.
WINNER – CHAD LAPRISE (11-2) by TKO (punches) at 1:36
HOT TAKE – Well, that’s it for Gouti. With a couple wins in Europe he could get brought back at some point, I suppose. Laprise did what he had to do. If he missed weight like this again he might have to go back to 170, where he won the TUF Nations show.
In Laprise’s post-fight interview he apologized to Gouti, the fans and Joe Silva for missing weight and said that he’ll be going back to 170. He put over his coaches, including the late Shawn Tompkins in the most Canadian of Canadian accents you could imagine.
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX- 6 PM ET/3 PM PT)
LIGHTWEIGHTS SHANE CAMPBELL (12-5, 1-3 UFC) VS. FELIPE SILVA (7-0, 0-0 UFC)
Campbell is the last Canadian on the card here in the third fight on the show. Silva is Brazilian and making his UFC debut.
Campbell is 3 years younger, at 29, but is giving up six inches of reach to Silva. Silva KO’d a former UFC fighter in the first round in his last fight. Big John is the referee.
ROUND 1 – Silva looking really crisp with his striking and drops Campbell with his first extended combination. Campbell down and Silva all over him until the ref stops it.
WINNER – FELIPE SILVA (8-0) by TKO (punches) at 1:13
HOT TAKE – Silva looked really good here. He’s got crazy power which you could see in the limited time he was in there and he’s going to have a reach advantage against most guys in the division. Campbell may get another chance but with 4 losses in 5 UFC fights, maybe not.
In his post-fight promo, Silva didn’t want to call any specific fighter out, saying it was too early in his UFC career to do that, but said he really wants to be on the November show in Brazil.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS GARRETH MCLELLAN (13-4, 1-2 UFC) VS. ALESSIO DI CHIRICO (9-1, 0-1 UFC)
South Africa vs USA is up next. Di Chirico’s perfect record was spoiled in his UFC debut in April. McLellan is fighting for the first time in North America after a long career in Europe and his native continent of Africa.
Di Chirico is 7 years younger, at 26, and has a 2 inch reach advantage. Ref is Kevin Dornan once again, who gives the 4 Horseman hand signal after McLellan does the John Cena salute. Not making that up.
ROUND 1 – Di Chirico with the clear advantage on the feet early. McLellan throwing a variety of kicks but Di Chirico blocking or checking most of them.
McLellan landed a nice uppercut that opened up a cut under the left eye of Di Chirico. Di Chirico with a 16-4 advantage in head strikes landed through 4 minutes.
McLellan stuffed on a late takedown attempt. 10-9 Di Chirico
ROUND 2 – McLellan took him down to open but Di Chiricho gut up quickly and then got a takedown of his own and blitzed him with ground and pound.
McLellan weathered it but there’s some pretty heavy bleeding around his right ear from the elbows of Di Chirico. McLellan visibly tired, though, halfway through the round.
Di Chirico got another takedown at 3:00 but didn’t do any damage and McLellan up. Di Chirico’s punches are much slower now and don’t have the power behind him they did earlier.
Both guys landing heavy shots from the clinch in the last minute. Di Chirico with a 22-12 advantage in significant strikes. Di Chirico grabbed the fence to avoid a takedown but the ref missed it. 10-9 Di Chirico, 20-18 overall
ROUND 3 – Brian Stann said that in looking at the replay it appeared Di Chirico didn’t grab the fence in the last minute there. Di Chirico got an early takedown and moved right into mount.
McLellan with a nice escape and ended up in top position. He did nothing on the ground though and Di Chirico got up pretty easily.
Both guys just throwing haymakers and landing 3:00 in. McLellan looks dead on his feet but not really in danger of being finished just yet.
McLellan’s face is a bloody mess and Di Chirico’s white trunks are red with his blood as well. McLellan got a late takedown but seems content to lay and pray. 10-9 Di Chirico, 30-27
WINNER – ALESSIO DI CHIRICO (10-1) by split decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29)
HOT TAKE – I’ve seen (a lot) worse but 29-28 McLellan was a bad scorecard there. Third round was close I suppose. Neither of these guys will ever contend for a title. Di Chirico earned another fight though.
McLellan is just not a UFC-level fighter and I’ve never thought he was. I’m baffled how he still keeps getting fights.
Di Chirico sent shout-outs to his friends and family in Italy after the tragedy there earlier this week.
Barzola is from Peru and was the season 2 winner of TUF Latin America. Bochniak is the first American on this card and lost his UFC debut after coming in with a lot of hype.
Their heights and reach identical but Barzola is 2 years younger at 27. Dan Miragliotta is the ref for the first time tonight.
ROUND 1 – First couple of minutes very even on the feet. Barzola with a 21-5 advantage in strikes landed through 4 minutes.
Bochniak came on a bit at the end but Barzola did enough to win a boring first round. 10-9 Barzola
ROUND 2 – Bochniak may have hurt himself landing his foot after throwing a kick early in the first. First half of the round is almost exactly the same as the first. Barzola with maybe a slight advantage.
Bochniak with 12 leg kicks landed through 3:30 of round 2. None of them have done significant damage though as Barzola is moving exactly the same as he did at the start of the fight.
Bochniak had a nice punch combo at the 4:00 mark that may be enough to steal the round. Barzola got a late takedown though and I don’t know how to score this one. I rarely do this but 10-10, 20-19 overall for Barzola
ROUND 3 – Total strikes landed through 11 minutes were 58-24 for Barzola. Bochniak has probably landed the harder strikes though.
Barzola with his first takedown attempt at 2:30 but stuffed after they had fairly even stand-up again to start the round. Bochniak has a mouse under his right eye.
Crowd getting restless as they’re basically just dancing around now. Barzola with a very slight striking advantage but again very close. Bochniak coming on late in the round as he probably senses he’s down in the fight. 10-9 Barzola, 30-28 overall
WINNER – KYLE BOCHNIAK (7-1) by split decision (29-28 x 2; 27-30)
HOT TAKE – All 3 rounds were very close so any score was okay. Bochniak looked baffled when the 30-27 score went against him. Both guys are prospects but have a long way to go. They each fought like they were trying not to lose which is going to hurt them moving forward.
They are airing a ton of commercials for UFC 203 and heavily featuring CM Punk. They’ve also showed clips from the reality show so it’s clear that he’s the focus of that show in terms of drawing casuals.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS SAM ALVEY (27-8 1 NC, 4-3 UFC) VS. KEVIN CASEY (9-4-1 2 NC, 1-2-1 2 NC UFC)
A battle of Americans here although Alvey has fought in Canada before and always puts the fans over. Alvey said in the pre-fight video package that Casey’s jaw “looks pretty punchable”.
Alvey is 3 inches taller but Casey has a 1.5 inch reach advantage. Casey is 35 years and 5 years older than Alvey. Yves Lavigne is the ref for the 2nd time tonight.
ROUND 1 – First couple minutes was Alvey stalking Casey and Casey landing occasional punches or kicks while retreating. Alvey hasn’t landed a single punch through 2:15.
Casey took it to the clinch and they basically had a stalemate for the next couple of minutes. Ref didn’t even threaten to separate them, which is unusual because neither guy doing anything.
Alvey landed a couple knees to the body, which may have been his first strikes landed and then closed with a flurry of punches that stole the round in my eyes. 10-9 Alvey
ROUND 2 – Alvey’s corner told him to pick up the pace between rounds. He does come out throwing early and also lands a couple of leg kicks.
Alvey dropped Casey with a combo at 2:00 and then backed up, forcing Casey back up. Alvey with another combo around 3:30 and Casey looks like he’s just waiting to get knocked out.
Alvey with a 19-6 advantage in head strikes landed through 9 minutes. Alvey dropped him with another combo at 4:30 and went to the ground with punches and elbows. Casey barely defending the ref stopped it just before the round was going to end.
WINNER – SAM ALVEY (28-8) by TKO (punches and elbows) at 4:56 of the 2nd round
HOT TAKE – Another impressive finish from Alvey. That should be it for Casey as he just has no heart. Not sure why Alvey waited so long to throw punches because it seemed at any point in this fight that he could’ve finished it.
Alvey put over the Canadian fans. He then put over his wife for taking care of 3 kids, including a one-month old, and also taking care of him during his fight camp.
Then he asked for a fight on the Manchester show against anyone at 185 or 205. Are you listening Tom Lawlor?
Stann then asked him to talk about his wife and the excellent corner job she did. Alvey gave his wife credit for scouting his opponent, finding him a fight team and said she knows more about MMA than he does. Crowd loved this.
MAIN CARD (FOX- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
LIGHTWEIGHTS JOE LAUZON (26-11, 13-8 UFC) VS. JIM MILLER (26-8 1 NC, 15-7 1 NC UFC)
This is a rematch from UFC 155 in what was an all-time great fight. Both guys scored 1st round KO’s at UFC 200 and this has fight of the night written all over it as they’ve combined for 24 post-fight award bonuses.
Both guys are 32. Lauzon has a 2 inch height and a very slight reach advantage. Big John will officiate.
ROUND 1 – Lauzon with a submission attempt 15 seconds in, taking Miller down with a leg lock but he got out of it. Both guys throwing at a pretty heavy pace early one they got back to the standup.
Lauzon definitely the aggressor but Miller landing a lot of strikes while retreating. Miller falls down after missing a spinning back fist and Lauzon into his guard at 2:30.
Lauzon pretty active from the top, mixing in punches, elbows and even knees to the body. Miller gets to his feet at 3:45.
Total strikes are 29-21 for Lauzon through 4 minutes. Lauzon defended a takedown attempt with 15 seconds left that saved the round for him. 10-9 Lauzon
ROUND 2 – Miller has a 26-15 advantage in distance strikes landed through 30 seconds of round 2 and he’s closed the gap in total strikes to where they’ve even. Lauzon backs up Miller to the cage with punches at 1:30 but Miller punches his way right back to the center.
Miller with small cuts on his forehead and around his nose but no heavy blood yet. Miller really landing a lot of counter punches.
Lauzon with a knockdown at 3:15. He’s landed 20 body strikes through 8 1/2 minutes. Lauzon with a Kimura attempt but gives it up quickly.
Miller working for a triangle from the bottom. He gives that up but lands a lot of head punches. Lauzon finished on top and probably did enough to take the round but it was close. 10-9 Lauzon, 20-18
ROUND 3 – Huge ovation for both guys to start the round. Miller all over Lauzon with punches to start, way more aggressive than he’s been the entire fight but Lauzon not anywhere close to going down.
Lauzon’s face showing the effects of that flurry from Miller and Miller now with a big cut under his left eye. Lauzon with a takedown at 1:45.
Lauzon not doing a lot of damage from top position but working very hard to advance position. Miller to his feet at 3:30. Lauzon with a late takedown that may cinch the round and the fight if any judges had it even after 2.
Lauzon into mount right before the round ended and an armbar attempt at the buzzer. 10-9 Lauzon, 30-27. Fight was way closer than that score would indicate.
WINNER – JIM MILLER (27-8) by split decision (29-28 x 2; 28-29)
HOT TAKE – All 3 rounds were close so again, any score was possible. This was definitely fight of the night but not quite a fight of the year candidate. Neither guy is a top contender but we should be able to see them in fun fights for another couple of years at least.
Great way to kick off the main card. Miller says that Lauzon said “no more” to him after the fight so we won’t get a third fight.
We are back to international conflict here after a couple of USA vs USA fights. USA takes on Australia in a strawweight fight.
VanZant is just 22 and 5 years younger than Rawlings. Rawling has a two inch height advantage but VanZant with one more inch of reach. Dan Miragliotta is the ref.
PVZ runs across the Octagon to start but Rawlings very quickly establishes control. VanZant doing a lot of dancing, ironically, but Rawlings landing more strikes through 2 minutes.
Crowd reacting big time to a lot of Paige’s moves but the spectacular kicks are missing by a large margin. Rawling very patient and waiting for her opportunities and landing at an efficient clip.
Total strikes are 22-9 for Rawlings through 4 minutes. VanZant landed her only combo of punches with about 15 seconds left but not enough to take the round. 10-9 Rawlings
ROUND 2 – PVZ dropped her with a flying head kick and finished Rawlings with punches on the ground.
WINNER – PAIGE VANZANT (7-2) by KO (kick) at 17 seconds of the seconds round
HOT TAKE – Well that finish came out of nowhere. Seemed like a bit of an early stoppage but the way that Rawlings went down, it can certainly be justified. VanZant has a lot of work to do if she’s going to keep fighting though because Rawlings was dominating her before she got caught.
VanZant said she had a terrible fight camp and almost pulled out of the fight. She asked for a fight on the Sacramento card later this year which she will certainly get.
CM Punk was interviewed via satellite from Chicago. Punk says he doesn’t think the crowd or the cameras or anything will affect him. He will be nervous to be in a fight for the first time.
Punk says that he’s not doing this to become a star, he’s doing this because he wanted to do it. He thinks that if Gall is focused on that, it will be to his disadvantage.
He says that no one has managed to put any kind of pressure on Mickey Gall in his fights and that’s what he intends to do. Much better interview than the one on Fight Pass earlier this year.
FEATHERWEIGHTS (#7 LW) ANTHONY PETTIS (18-5, 5-4 UFC) VS. (#6) CHARLES OLIVEIRA (21-5 1 NC, 9-5 1 NC UFC)
Pettis is dropping down a weight class after two straight loss at 155. Oliviera has won 6 of his last 7 with the only loss being something of a fluke to Max Holloway.
Oliveira is 26 and 3 years younger. He also had a 1.5 inch reach advantage. Yves Lavigne is the ref for the third time tonight.
ROUND 1 – Oliveira caught a kick to open and used it on a takedown attempt. After a minute of struggling on the cage, he gave it up.
Oliveira took him down at 1:45 and immediately took Pettis’ back. Pettis swept into top position and the crowd exploded. Pettis got to his feet and forced Oliveira to follow.
Pettis dropped Oliveira with a couple of body kicks and went into his guard, landing a ton of punches. Pettis moved into side control fairly easily as Oliveira is clearly rocked.
Total strikes are 24-9 for Pettis through 3:45. Oliveira to his feet and got another takedown. He immediately took Pettis’ back but again Pettis escaped and ended up in top position.
Pettis landing a ton of punches i the last 30 seconds with no defense from Oliveira but he rides out the round. 10-8 Pettis
ROUND 2 – Oliveira went for a takedown to start but Pettis ended up on top. He quickly stood up as he wants no part of Oliveira’s ground game, despite his advantage in Round 1.
Oliveira’s midsection is bright red from the Pettis body kicks earlier. He’s also got some bruising under his left eye.
Oliveira way more aggressive this round, landing a lot of punches standing. Pettis keeping up with him though. Oliveira takes his back standing and drags him to the mat at 2:45.
Oliveira secured a body lock while working for a rear naked choke. Pettis again escaped and swept into position. He went to his feet at 4:00 and Oliveira followed.
Both guys landing super hard strikes in the last minute and Oliveira got another takedown right before the bell, 10-9 Oliveira, 19-18 Pettis overall
ROUND 3 – Oliveira got another takedown to open the round. Pettis with an armbar attempt from the bottom but Oliveira defends it and takes the back.
Pettis again escapes and ends up on top in north/south position. Oliveira to his feet and took Pettis down again but Pettis grabbed him in a guillotine and got the tap.
WINNER – ANTHONY PETTIS (19-5) by submission (guillotine) at 1:49 of the third
HOT TAKE – That couldn’t have gone better for Pettis. He beat Oliveira at his own game and immediately established himself as a contender. He should get a big name next like Frankie Edgar or Max Holloway as he’s definitely a future title contender. Great fight.
Pettis admitted that he was a little gassed out at the end. Stann tried to get him to call someone else but all he would say is that he was here to win the belt.
More CM Punk hype as they showed clips of the reality show, including some still shots from his pro wrestling days. They showed clips of Mickey Gall in training and talking as well.
There’s been virtually no hype for the heavyweight title fight or top contender’s fight on the same show. Clearly this is being marketed around Punk.
WELTERWEIGHTS (#3) DEMIAN MAIA (23-6, 17-6 UFC) VS. (#4) CARLOS CONDIT (30-9, 7-5 UFC)
Maia is a former middleweight title contender who has a well-established rep as the best grappler in all of MMA. Condit formerly held the interim welterweight title and the WEC title and is coming off a fight of the year candidate in a title fight with Robbie Lawler in January.
Condit is the clear crowd favorite in Vancouver. Maia is walking a little gingerly on the way to the cage.
Maia is 6 years older, at 38. Condit has a 1 inch height and 3.5 inch reach advantage. Big John is the ref for the main event.
ROUND 1 – Well, Maia got it to the ground 45 seconds in with a takedown. Maia took his back at 1:30. Full body lock and rear naked choke from Maia and Condit taps.
WINNER – DEMIAN MAIA (24-6) by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:52
HOT TAKE – The look on Condit’s face after the ref stopped it tells me that he’ll probably retire after this fight, which is a shame. Maia did what everyone knew he that he could do and is certainly in line for a title shot. Whether he gets it or not, who knows?
Maia put over Condit after the fight, saying that he thought that he was the uncrowned champ. He says he’s earned a title shot and hopes he’ll get a title shot.
He says that he wants the winner of Tyron Woodley and Steven Thompson, which Bryan Stann says is the next title fight in the division. I’m not sure Woodley is aware of that.
Condit got interview time as well. Stann asked him if he would return to the Octagon. Condit said he doesn’t know what the future holds but put over Maia and says it just wasn’t his night.
The UFC returns to Canada this weekend for their next event on the FOX network as UFC On FOX 21 takes place on Saturday from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. The event is headlined by a five-round bout in the welterweight division as contenders Demian Maia and Carlos Condit do battle.
If you’re looking to score some money playing daily fantasy for Saturday night’s event, below is advice on some of the fighters featured on the card.
TOP PLAY
Anthony Pettis ($10,400)
After a long time competing as one of the best lightweights in the world, former UFC and WEC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis is dropping to 145 pounds in an attempt to revitalize his career and make a run at becoming a champion in the featherweight division. Pettis is coming in having lost three straight fights, which may make him a weird choice as the top fantasy play to some readers. However, when Pettis is on top of his game, he is one of the best fighters in the world. He hasn’t been at the top of his game recently, for whatever reasons, and perhaps the move to 145 pounds is what he needs to get him going again.
For his debut in the weight class, Pettis will be taking on Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of Saturday night’s card. Oliveira is one of the most pure talented fighters in the division, but one who hasn’t quite put everything together yet and get him into true title contention status. He has been on the cusp for some time, but every time he has that match-up that could propel him into the spotlight, he falls. He is a fighter who wins fights he’s expected to win, and loses fights he’s expected to lose, and hasn’t won that big one that he was supposed to lose. Going by the betting odds and the salaries for fighters on this card, he’s expected to lose, so this is his shot at scoring an upset. Pettis is going to have to come right after Oliveira if he’s going to take this win. Oliveira tends to fold under pressure, and while he has shown solid striking, Pettis’ flashy style is much more dangerous.
I also don’t think Oliveira is on the same level that the fighters who have defeated Pettis are on. Pettis has nasty kicks, and if he adjusts to the weight cut quickly, he has the chance to make this a quick night. I like Pettis as the top play.
BEST VALUE
Carlos Condit ($10,000)
Carlos Condit came super close to becoming the new UFC Welterweight Champion in January, losing a very close decision to then-champion Robbie Lawler. There was lots of talk that Condit was going to retire following the bout, but Condit returns on Saturday night for the headline position when he takes on Demian Maia. Condit brushed off the retirement talk saying he still loves what he’s doing, and he’s among the best welterweights in the world.
His five-round bout with Maia is going to pit your classic match-up in striker against grappler. Condit also has conditioning that is very hard for 170-pounders to match, and he can go for 25 minutes without getting tired. In fact, the longer a fight goes, the more in rhythm Condit begins to get with his huge arsenal of strikes. His opponent, Maia, has only been in three five-round fights, and he is 1-2 in those bouts. He lost decisions to Anderson Silva and Jake Shields, and won a lackluster decision over Ryan LaFlare. Maia is solid for a couple of rounds, but he begins to fade as the fight wears on. He is the best jiu-jitsu practiconer in the welterweight division, and he will be looking to take Condit down early, and he likely will. Condit is good at scrambling to his feet, and Maia uses a lot of energy holding opponents down.
Condit is very tough to submit, and if he can avoid the early grappling onslaught from Maia, it will open his striking late. As Maia begins to fade, Condit will be coming on strong, and a later round stoppage is certainly in the cards. With the fight being five rounds, and the match-up being very close, Condit is a great value at his salary as he will rack up points with striking, and his chance at a later finish is very solid. He has the best value for his salary.
FIGHTER TO AVOID
Kevin Casey ($9,200)
Kevin Casey’s six-fight UFC career has been weird, to say the least. He holds just one win in that time, two losses, a no contest due to a drug test failure overturning his win, a no contest due to an eye poke in the first minute, and, most recently, the rare split draw. Casey finds his back against the wall when he steps inside the Octagon on Saturday night as he takes on Sam Alvey. Alvey is looking to score his second straight win after a quick submission win over Eric Spicely.
Alvey is fighting for the third time in as many months, and he looks to keep the momentum going. Alvey is a finisher as 20 of his 27 career wins have come by stoppage, with 17 coming by knockout. Casey will also be giving up some size to Alvey to go along with giving up the experience. Casey is a solid jiu-jitsu artist, with a black belt, but he has yet to show his grappling skills all that much inside the Octagon. He has preferred to stand and strike, and, well, that isn’t condusive to getting a win over Alvey. Alvey hits hard, and Casey doesn’t have a strong chin. He also leaves himself open to be countered on the feet with the hands, and since Alvey is more of a straight puncher than an overall striker, Casey won’t often find a leg to grab in a striking attack to take the fight to the mat.
Casey has his back against the wall, and this is going to be a tough fight for him to get the win. I’m expecting Alvey to finish Casey, and I’m willing to say that this is fight most likely to see a finish. Casey is the one fighter to avoid on this card.
UNDERDOG TARGET
Shane Campbell ($8,800)
Shane Campbell will be making his fifth trip inside the Octagon on Saturday night, and he finds himself in a must-win situation. Campbell is just 1-3 in his first four UFC bouts and has lost two straight. He is coming into this fight after being submitted by Erik Koch in May in a fight where Campbell was winning early on the feet before succumbing to the grappling ability of Koch. Campbell will be taking on an opponent making his UFC debut in Felipe Silva, who enters the UFC with a perfect 7-0 record.
Silva has finished his opponents in six of those seven wins, with all of those wins coming in the first round. Silva is dangerous in that first round, but outside of that, his conditioning comes into play big time. He also has fought lower-level competition and Campbell is a big step up in competition with his experience. Campbell is a better striker on the feet as he has lots of professional kickboxing experience, and he is a much cleaner striker. Silva also doesn’t have the grappling credentials that both Koch and James Krause had when they took on Campbell in his last two fights.
Campbell is a sneaky play for an upset, and he has a low salary at just $8,800. Only two fighters have a lower salary than him. Silva’s undefeated record may scare people, but he is unproven on the big stage, and Campbell is a hard-nosed veteran. Campbell is your top underdog target.
WHO MIGHT SURPRISE
Paige VanZant ($10,800)
A Paige VanZant win wouldn’t be a surprise as she is one of the biggest betting favorites on the card and has the second-highest salary of all 22 fighters on the card. Many are expecting her to score the win when she makes her Octagon return taking on Bec Rawlings in one of the top fights on the card. Rawlings is a tough opponent and has won two straight fights, but VanZant is the more talented strawweight.
Both women are aggressive fighters though VanZant is a much more pressure fighter. She has also fought tougher competition, though she came up on the losing end in her last fight. She has a tremendous amount of heart that is matched only by her gas tank. VanZant doesn’t get tired, and Rawlings does as she carries a lot of size for a 115-pound fighter. Rawlings has good top control on the ground, but VanZant is crafty on the mat and is good at finding submissions. VanZant is also better on the feet of the two, and at just 22-years-old, the sky is still the limit for her. Rawlings is a good bounce back fight for VanZant as she is a tough test, but one that VanZant should be able to pass if she is going to be a title contender in the future.
A sneaky result here would be VanZant finding a submission after using a solid amount of ground-and-pound. She has done that before, and she is a scrappy fighter. She has a good chance at getting a finish, which even though her salary suggests might happen, it’s far from a guarantee. I think she finishes Rawlings, and that makes her a surprise play for those thinking she’ll just win by going the distance.
OUR LINE-UPS
RYAN FREDERICK- Paige VanZant ($10,800), Anthony Pettis ($10,400), Carlos Condit ($10,000), Adam Hunter ($9,700), Jim Miller ($9,100)
I have Anthony Pettis as my top play above, and I’m going with him in my line-up. I truly feel he will finish Charles Oliveira and get himself back on track. Oliveira is a very talented fighter, but he has a lot of flaws and falters against stiff competition. Pettis is stiff competition. He is risky based on his past three fights, but I see him getting back into the win column. Paige VanZant is making her return and looking to make a statement that she is going to be a future title challenger, and I expect her to be aggressive and wear down Bec Rawlings and score a finish in the later stages of their fight.
Carlos Condit is in the main event and has an extra ten minutes to score points. I expect him and Demian Maia to go the distance, though Condit can score a late finish. I like him to win the main event, and to score a handful of extra points in the extra time. Adam Hunter is making his UFC debut opposite an opponent also making his UFC debut in Ryan Janes. Hunter is an aggressive fighter and a finisher, and a quick finish and win for him is what I’m confident will happen. The last fighter on my team is Jim Miller. He holds a win over Joe Lauzon already, and I think he has a style that will have the upper hand on Lauzon. I like him to win.
PAUL FONTAINE- Alessio Di Chirico ($11,000), Sam Alvey ($10,200), Carlos Condit ($10,000), Jeremy Kennedy ($9,800), Charles Oliveira ($9,000)
Di Chirico is a huge favorite despite losing his UFC debut in April. I believe that’s more due to the fact that his opponent Garreth McLellan is just not a very good fighter. I expect a quick finish for the Italian fighter here. Smilin’ Sam Alvey should knock out Kevin Casey in fairly short order. Casey has just never lived up to the potential he showed on The Ultimate Fighter and he could be gone from UFC after this one. I like Condit to keep the main event on the feet and pepper Maia with punches the entire fight. If he doesn’t finish him, he’ll land a ton of strikes in a five round fight and score points.
Jeremy Kennedy is unbeaten coming into his UFC debut and he’s facing a fellow Canadian fighting for the first time in the Octagon as well. Ricci has faced similar competition and lost 3 times so I like Kennedy here. My last pick is Charles Oliveira who I think will finally win a big fight. I think the cut to 145 is really going to hurt Anthony Pettis and I like Oliveira to win by submission as he has in most of his UFC fights.
PEACH MACHINE- Paige VanZant ($10,800), Joe Lauzon ($10,300), Carlos Condit ($10,000), Chad Laprise ($9,900), Charles Oliveira ($9,000)
Condit will whhhhip Maia if Maia is dumb enough to keep it standing. I believe he’s that dumb and that Condit is a superior fighter. Oliveira has a lot of potential and Tony Pettis hasn’t exactly looked good recently. Pettis jumped the shark when he lost the strap. Lauzon looked great pummeling Diego Sanchez, and I expect JoeLa to toss a beatin’ on Jimmy Miller. PVZ needs a win here and I’m hoping she’s got her act together since DWTS. I picked Laprise because his cost allowed me to get to exactly 50,000. This is week 2 of 9 consecutive. We didn’t do great last week, not in the money, but my picks did go 4-1. This should be at least another 4-1 outing.
During an appearance with Hannah Storm on ESPN SportsCenter Thursday, UFC strawweight and Dancing With The Stars runner-up Paige VanZant alluded to the fact she’s not going to be appearing at WWE SummerSlam this year.
She said that she loves WWE and would love to work with them, but that she’s focused on her training for a fight that she announced during the interview. The 22-year-old also said that she declined to be in the Kickboxer reboot because filming would have got in the way of training.
VanZant said she’ll be fighting on August 27th against Bec Rawlings in Vancouver, Canada. There was a lot of speculation that Hollywood would come calling for PVZ and that perhaps her fighting career would be behind her, especially considering the beating she had laid on her last year by Rose Namajunas.
Given that SummerSlam is on August 21st, it’s highly doubtful she’ll do an appearance just six days before her return to action.
When asked about what she missed about fighting, she said “the violence” and how it was tough to sit cageside watching other people fight over the past few months. She also talked about the much-publicized incident about Ronda Rousey and that there’s really no relationship there. She wants to move forward from it, and speculated she may have just caught her on a bad day.
UFC strawweight Paige VanZant may not have a UFC title in her immediate future, but on Tuesday night, she came justthisclose to a different kind of championship: a Dancing With The Stars title.
After scoring a perfect 30 in her final dance with partner Mark Ballas, combined with a 59 from Monday’s show and fan voting, she and Ballas lost to overall winner Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd and third place finishers Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy. DiMarco was lauded for competing at a high level despite being deaf. They didn’t reveal the fan voting, but PVZ and Ballas were slightly in the lead before that was taken into the equation.
Despite a dancing background, PVZ wasn’t seen as an immediate favorite when the latest season of the ABC hit kicked off several months ago. But week by week, she continued to score big and finished consistently near the top of the weekly competitions.
Just 22 years old and coming off a devastating loss to Rose Namajunas in December, she was announced as joining the Kickboxer cast this week and seems closer to Hollywood and non-fighting opportunities than an impending UFC return.
Featherweight contender and teammate Chad Mendes was shown several times in the audience.
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 80: Namajunas vs. VanZant from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is headlined by a five-round women’s strawweight bout as former title challenger Rose Namajunas steps in on short notice to take on rising star Paige VanZant in the first-ever womens’ non-title bout to headline a UFC event. In the co-main event, it will be a lightweight contest as 14th-ranked UFC veteran Jim Miller takes on former “TUF” winner Michael Chiesa. Also on the card is the next UFC appearance of 19-year-old budding star Sage Northcutt as he takes on Cody Pfister. The entire event airs on the UFC’s digital network, UFC Fight Pass, with preliminary card action kicking off at 6:45 PM eastern time before heading into the main card at 10 PM eastern time.
ROUND 1- Both ladies throwing lots of punches right at the start. Kagan has underhooks against the fence but Curran scrambles out. Kagan clinches but Curran with a judo throw but they get right back up as Curran went for mount. Kagan with a knee against the fence. Kagan gets the back on a brief takedown. Kagan unable to get Curran down to the mat. Kagan with a brief takedown but they get right back up. Kagan trying real hard for the takedown but Curran lands knees to the body and a head kick followed by some punches. Kagan clinches back up against the fence. Kagan gets a takedown with just seconds left and ends the round in the guard as Curran went for a triangle. 10-9 Kagan.
ROUND 2- Curran tries to land a knee as Kagan punches her way back to the clinch. They separate and Curran lands a jab. Kagan with a left hand and a head kick. Curran with a knee in the clinch. Curran with a knee to the head in the clinch and they break. Kagan with a combo but not much lands. Kagan lands a left hand. Curran lands a right hand but Kagan counters with a left. Kagan is breathing heavily. They clinch and Curran lands a knee. Kagan gets the fight down but Curran reverses into half-guard. Curran switches to the back and has a hook in. Curran looking for a choke and she submits Kagan! Curran gets her first UFC win with a submission.
Official Result- Kailin Curran def. Emily Kagan by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:13 of Round 2
ROUND 1- Nover starts off with a high kick. Nover with another head kick. Tukhugov just misses a big right hand, and then misses another. Nover has a head kick checked. Both men missing on kicks. Tukhugov lands a head kick. Nover with a body kick. Tukhogov lands a right hand. Tukhogov with a spinning back kick. Nover with a head kick but Tukhugov grabs it and kicks the leg out from Nover to the mat. They scramble back to their feet. Tukhugov misses a spinning back fist but lands a left hook. Tukhugov with a right hand. 10-9 Tukhugov.
ROUND 2- Tukhugov starts with some kicks. Nover has a head kick checked. Tukhugov clips Nover with a left hook as he rushed in. Nover circles away. Tukhugov with a right hand. Nover with a leg kick and misses a takedown attempt. Tukhugov lands a left hand. Tukhugov with a head kick. Nover with a body kick but Tukhugov comes back with a combo. Tukhugov with a spin kick that barely lands. Tukhugov lands a big right hand and has Nover in trouble. Nover on the mat and eats a right hand but gets back to his feet. Nover with a body kick. Nover with another body kick and Tukhugov rushes in with a combo. Nover with another body kick. Tukhugov lands a left hand and stuffs a takedown. 10-9 Tukhugov, 20-18 Tukhugov.
ROUND 3- Tukhugov with some kicks and punches to start. Nover lands a body kick. Tukhugov lands a right hand. Tukhugov with a head kick. Nover lands a head kick and Tukhugov shakes it off and takes the fight down. Tukhugov in the guard and looking to pass. Nover with another high kick. Tukhugov breathing a little heavy. Nover with another head kick but Tukhugov fires back with a combo. Nover with a deep shot and misses but has the clinch against the fence. They break and Nover lands a left hand. Nover with a body kick. Tukhugov with a nice combo and Nover misses a takedown. Tukhugov with another kick. 10-9 Tukhugov, 30-27 Tukhugov.
Official Result- Zubaira Tukhugov def. Phillipe Nover by split decision (28-29, 30-27 , 30-27)
WELTERWEIGHTS- DANNY ROBERTS (11-1, 0-0 UFC) VS. NATHAN COY (14-5, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- This is the UFC debut for both men and Roberts is a solid prospect. They trade leg kicks. They trade and Roberts lands a big left hand. Roberts with a head kick. Roberts with a leg kick. They trade punches. Roberts with a head kick attempt and Coy eats it and takes Roberts down and is in the guard. Roberts with strikes from the bottom and looking for a triangle. Roberts with the armbar and Coy taps out! Roberts gets the submission win in his UFC debut.
Official Result- Danny Roberts def. Nathan Coy by technical submission (triangle choke) at 2:46 of Round 1
WELTERWEIGHTS- SANTIAGO PONZINIBBIO (20-3, 2-2 UFC) VS. ANDREAS STAHL (9-1, 0-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Stahl with a leg kick. Stahl with a combo and gets a big takedown and they scramble to their feet. Ponzinibbio with a leg kick and then a body kick. He lands a big combo against the fence and Stahl is covering up. Stahl with another takedown but Ponzinibbio back to his feet. Ponzinibbio with a leg kick and then a combo. Stahl lands a right hand. Ponzinibbio lands a nice combo. Ponzinibbio with another big combo against the fence. Stahl with a head kick but eats some punches from Ponzinibbio. Ponzinibbio drops Stahl with a big right hand and one more punch and this fight is over. Herb Dean stops the fight and Ponzinibbio gets the win by knockout.
Official Result- Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Andreas Stahl by TKO (punches) at 4:25 of Round 1
BANTAMWEIGHTS- (#5) ALJAMAIN STERLING (11-0, 3-0 UFC) VS. (#10) JOHNNY EDUARDO (27-9, 2-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Sterling is a big-time prospect at 135 pounds, but is in the last fight of his contract. They trade kicks. Sterling with a high kick but the leg is grabbed by Eduardo. Eduardo with a big leg kick. Both missing high kicks but Sterling gets the takedown and pushes Eduardo against the fence. Sterling in the half-guard of Eduardo. Sterling landing some punches from the top as Eduardo is unable to escape from the bottom. Left hands from the top by Sterling. More punches from Sterling as the round ends. 10-9 Sterling.
ROUND 2- Eduardo misses a leg kick. Sterling with a leg kick and follows with a right hand. Eduardo with a body kick. They trade kicks. Sterling misses a spinning back fist. Eduardo with a body kick and Sterling misses a head kick. Sterling with a leg kick. Eduardo with a head kick that is checked. They start trading punches and kicks. Sterling with a high kick. Sterling gets a takedown and some big punches from the top. Dominant from the top with elbows and punches. More big punches and Sterling goes for a choke. He’s got it! Sterling submits Eduardo with a guillotine choke and gets the big win.
Official Result- Aljamain Sterling def. Johnny Eduardo by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:18 of Round 2
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- ANTONIO CARLOS JUNIOR (5-1, 2-1 UFC) VS. KEVIN CASEY (9-3 1 NC, 1-1 1 NC UFC)
ROUND 1- Casey poked right in the eye as this fight begins. And it is stopped. That was weird. Fight stopped due to the eye poke. 11 seconds into the fight.
Official Result- Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Kevin Casey declared a no contest due to an eye poke at 0:11 of Round 1
ROUND 1- Both men missing on kicks but Akhmedov lands a spinning back fist. Moraes misses a high kick. Akhmedov with a big head kick but Moraes shakes it off. Moraes just misses a flying knee. Big left hook from Moraes stuns Akhmedov. Akhmedov with an uppercut. Akhmedov lands an overhand right and then lands a body kick. Akhmedov drops Moraes with a right hand and lands a big punch from the top and a couple of leg kicks. Akhmedov wants him up. Moraes goes for a takedown but it is defended. They trade right hands. 10-9 Akhmedov.
ROUND 2- Akhmedov misses a leg kick and a right hand. Body kick from Akhmedov. Big right hand from Moraes lands. Akhmedov misses some body kicks. Left hook by Akhmedov. Moraes misses a flying knee and may have a hand injury. Pace has slowed in this round. Akhmedov with a body kick. Moraes misses a big right hand. Leg kick by Akhmedov and Moraes counters with his own. Moraes misses a right hand and Akhmedov counters with some punches. Akhmedov with a takedown but Moraes grabs the neck and has a guillotine locked in but the clock runs out. Close round. 10-9 Akhmedov, 20-18 Akhmedov.
ROUND 3- This fight is close and up for grabs. They trade punches and Akhmedov taunts Moraes to come on. Moraes goes for a takedown but it is defended. They are each missing punches. Out of nowhere Moraes lands a big right hand and stuns Akhmedov and after a bunch of punches Akhmedov crumbles to the ground and the fight is stopped. Moraes with the comeback TKO win.
Official Result- Sergio Moraes def. Omari Akhmedov by TKO (punches) at 2:18 of Round 3
WELTERWEIGHTS- TIM MEANS (24-7-1, 6-4 UFC) VS. JOHN HOWARD (23-11, 7-6 UFC)
ROUND 1- Means lands a big left hand and rocks Howard. Howard grabs the fence and takes Means down. They get back up. They trade and Howard lands a big overhand right. They are throwing punches. Each man landing punches. Both men land combos. Howard with a nice combo. They are both still landing hard punches and Howard explodes with a takedown. Howard pulls Means away from the fence but Means gets to his feet. Howard gets another takedown but Means right back up and they break. Means with a knee to the body. Head kick misses from Means. Howard’s right eye is closed a little. Means lands a head kick. Close round. 10-9 Means.
ROUND 2- Means comes out and lands a big left hook and Howard goes out cold. Massive left hand and Means gets the knockout win.
Official Result- Tim Means def. John Howard by knockout (punch) at 0:21 of Round 2
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- ELIAS THEODOROU (11-0, 3-0 UFC) VS. THIAGO SANTOS (11-3, 3-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Theodorou is a solid middleweight prospect with an undefeated record. Theodorou with a nice head kick but Santos fires back a leg kick. Theodorou looking for that head kick. Theodorou with a combo and high kick. Santos with a leg kick. Theodorou with a leg kick. Santos with a front kick. Theodorou with a big leg kick and a body kick. Theodorou with another series of body kicks. More body kicks from Theodorou. He just misses a head kick. Spinning heel kick from Santos lands. Front kick from Theodorou trips up Santos. They trade kicks again. They clinch against the fence for a moment. Strong round from Theodorou. 10-9 Theodorou.
ROUND 2- They trade kicks. Lots of punches thrown. Santos with a big elbow. Theodorou goes for a takedown but Santos blatantly grabs the fence. Theodorou gets him down. Big knee from Theodorou as they get to their feet. Theodorou working for the takedown but Santos lands a series of elbows. Theodorou still working to take Santos to the mat. Santos landing lots of elbows. They are broken from their clinch. Theodorou goes for another takedown but Santos lands some knees and elbows and landing a lot of strikes. They are clinched against the fence. Santos reverses and gets a takedown and takes the back and lands a knee and some punches. Theodorou ends the round with a takedown. Close round. 10-9 Santos, 19-19.
ROUND 3- They clinch as Theodorou looks for a high-crotch takedown. Theodorou working hard for the takedown. They are broken up by referee Marc Goddard. Santos lands a knee as Theodorou goes for a shot. Theodorou pushes Santos up against the fence. Timeout as Theodorou has a massive cut over his eye. The doctor lets it go. Theodorou goes for the takedown again but Santos making him eat knees. Santos has Theodorou in trouble and lands a big kick and a big knee. Santos looking for the finish but Theodorou surviving and goes back for the takedown. Santos with some elbows. More big shots from Santos but Theodorou is surviving. Timeout as we have an eye poke. Back to action and Santos lands some big shots as the fight ends. Big round for Santos. Good fight. 10-9 Santos, 29-28 Santos.
Official Result- Thiago Santos def. Elias Theodorou by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
ROUND 1- Northcutt is one of the future stars UFC is banking on. Pfister gets an early takedown. Pfister in the guard of Northcutt. Pfister with some elbows and punches from the top. Northcutt having trouble getting out from the bottom. They are stood up by the referee. The crowd boos as that was bad. Northcutt immediately gets the takedown. Northcutt working in the half-guard. Northcutt with some elbows and is looking for a choke. Pfister survives with punches from the bottom. We are going to the second after Northcutt lands elbows to end the round. 10-9 Northcutt.
ROUND 2- Northcutt with a takedown and he grabs the neck. Guillotine choke locked in and Pfister taps! Northcutt gets the win by submission.
Official Result- Sage Northcutt def. Cody Pfister by submission (guillotine choke) at 0:41 of Round 2
LIGHTWEIGHTS- (#14) JIM MILLER (25-6 1 NC, 14-5 1 NC UFC) VS. MICHAEL CHIESA (12-2, 5-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- High-level lightweight fight here. They trade combinations. Miller with a big left hand. Miller with a body kick. They clinch and Chiesa gets a takedown. Chiesa in the half-guard. Chiesa with some elbows from the top. Chiesa with top control as Miller looks to grab the leg. Miller reverses to the top. Chiesa looking for the triangle. Miller transitions to the back of Chiesa. Miller looking for a choke and has the body locked. Miller with punches from the back. Miller has the body locked still as he maintains position. Punches from the back as he can’t find the choke. Good round. 10-9 Miller.
ROUND 2- Miller with a leg kick. Miller with a nice left hand. They both land punches and Chiesa ducks under and scores a takedown. Chiesa with punches from the top as Miller looks to roll out from the bottom. Miller is cut open but he looks for a leg lock. Nice defense from Chiesa as he lands punches. Chiesa gets into the mount and is landing a lot of punches. Chiesa has the rear-naked choke locked in. Miller taps! Chiesa with the big win in impressive fashion.
Official Result- Michael Chiesa def. Jim Miller by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:57 of Round 2
WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS- (#3) ROSE NAMAJUNAS (3-2, 1-1 UFC) VS. (#7) PAIGE VANZANT (6-0, 3-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- VanZant is the other future young fighter they are banking on to be a star. VanZant with a leg kick and Namajunas with some quick combos. Namajunas gets a takedown and is in half-guard. Big elbows from Namajunas and VanZant is cut on her cheek. VanZant rolls out to her feet. Namajunas with a nice right hand. They clinch and VanZant goes for a takedown but Namajunas takes the back and looks for a choke. Namjunas gets in the mount and lands some elbows and goes to the back and looks for a choke again. VanZant is bleeding badly. VanZant gets to her feet. Namajunas gets the fight back down and is in the guard. Namajunas with more big shots from the top. VanZant somehow survives the round. Big round for Rose. 10-8 Namajunas.
ROUND 2- Namajunas with a nice combination. Namajunas grabs the back of VanZant. Namajunas takes her down and is in side control. Namajunas gets the back and is looking for the choke. VanZant escapes and Namajunas back in side control. Namajunas into the half-guard. They get to their feet. Namajunas with a knee. VanZant gets a brief takedown but Namajunas is able to get to side control. Namajunas has the back of VanZant. They get to their feet and break. VanZant still bleeding badly. VanZant pulls guard and Namajunas in the half-guard. Namajunas with more short elbows from the top. 10-9 Namajunas, 20-17 Namajunas.
ROUND 3- They got back to the mat and Namajunas in the half-guard. They scramble and get to their feet. VanZant with a knee. They both land punches. VanZant misses a spinning back fist and Namajunas grabs the back. They break. They trade kicks. Namajunas with a left hand and then a head kick. They clinch and VanZant lands some knees. Namajunas with a takedown and looking for the back. VanZant rolls and has Namajunas in her half-guard. Namajunas takes the back and locks in a rear-naked choke. She has it in deep but VanZant isn’t tapping. VanZant escapes. VanZant survives the round. 10-9 Namajunas, 30-26 Namajunas.
ROUND 4- VanZant with a kick and they clinch. Namajunas with another takedown, her sixth of the fight. Namajunas in the full guard and postures up. Namajunas grabs the arm and goes for the armbar. VanZant escapes. Namajunas with some elbows and moves to the back. Namajunas locks in another armbar. This one is in deeper. VanZant manages to escape again. No idea how she got out of that one as her arm was all twisted. They get to their feet and Namajunas has VanZant against the fence. Namajunas with a front kick. Namajunas with a takedown. 10-8 Namajunas, 40-34 Namajunas.
ROUND 5- VanZant hanging in there. They trade punches. Namajunas with another takedown and into the half-guard. Namajunas in side control. Namajunas gets the back of VanZant and locks in the rear-naked choke. VanZant taps! Namajunas gets the submission win in a dominant performance and a gutsy performance by VanZant.
Official Result- Rose Namajunas def. Paige VanZant by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:25 of Round 5
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night 80: Namajunas vs. VanZant weigh-ins from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada kicking off at 7 PM eastern time. The event airs on Thursday on UFC Fight Pass at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 6:45 PM eastern time. This kicks off the biggest fight week in UFC history with the first of three straight nights of fights in Las Vegas.
The event will be headlined by a five-round bout in the women’s strawweight division as Rose Namajunas takes on rising star Paige VanZant in VanZant’s first headline spot. It will also mark the first non-title womens’ bout to headline a UFC event. In the co-main event, it will be a lightweight bout as UFC veteran Jim Miller takes on former “TUF” winner Michael Chiesa. Also on the card is 19-year-old Sage Northcutt taking on Cody Pfister.
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT): Rose Namajunas (115.5) vs. Paige VanZant (115.5) Jim Miller (155.5) vs. Michael Chiesa (156) Sage Northcutt (155.5) vs. Cody Pfister (156) Elias Theodorou (185) vs. Thiago Santos (185)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:45 PM ET/3:45 PM PT): Tim Means (170) vs. John Howard (170) Omari Akhmedov (170) vs. Sergio Moraes (171) Antonio Carlos Junior (185) vs. Kevin Casey (185) Aljamain Sterling (135.5) vs. Johnny Eduardo (135) Santiago Ponzinibbio (170) vs. Andreas Stahl (171) Danny Roberts (169.5) vs. Nathan Coy (170) Zubaira Tukhugov (145) vs. Phillipe Nover (145) Kailin Curran (115) vs. Emily Kagan (115)
*Everyone made weight with no issues, and everything was cordial when it came to the staredowns.
The biggest UFC Fight Week in company history is finally here, with three straight nights of fights coming from the fight capital of the world- Las Vegas, Nevada. It all kicks off with UFC Fight Night 80 on Thursday night at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, an exclusive event airing on UFC Fight Pass. The action kicks off at 6:45 PM eastern time with the preliminary card heading into a 10 PM eastern time start for the main card.
The main event will be the first time a female non-title bout has headlined a UFC event as former strawweight title challenger Rose Namajunas takes on budding star Paige VanZant in VanZant’s first showcase in a main event slot. The card as been billed as “Paige & Sage” as 19-year-old Sage Northcutt also competes on the card, taking on Cody Pfister in a lightweight bout. The UFC is banking on VanZant and Northcutt to carry the company into the future, and they get their chance to shine in the beginning of the biggest week in UFC history. There is more action on the card, so let us take a deeper look and give you five storylines to keep an eye on for UFC Fight Night 80 on Thursday.
1. Who wins the main event between Rose Namajunas and Paige VanZant?
Two rising contenders in the UFC’s women’s strawweight division square off in the main event of the first of three straight nights of UFC action. Paige VanZant, a 115-pound fighter being groomed for big things in the future at just 21 years of age, makes her first headline appearance against Rose Namajunas, an injury replacement for Joanne Calderwood, who was originally scheduled to fight VanZant. There is an argument to be made whether this is a stiffer test for VanZant as Namjunas and Calderwood have a different approach to a fight, but either way, it will be the toughest test for VanZant, winner of her first three UFC bouts, as she looks to knock on the door to a title shot. Namajunas has already fought once for the title, in the inaugural fight for the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship, but came up short in her quest as she was submitted by Carla Esparza. Esparza has since lost the title to the dominant champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, while Namjunas has fought just once since then, a submission win over Angela Hill in October.
This is an interesting bit of match making as both women could be built up for a fight for the championship. Granted that Namajunas is an injury replacement, but this is a tough match-up for VanZant, who the UFC is banking on as a potential challenger. Even though Claudia Gadelha is waiting in the wings, it would be easy to envision a scenario where VanZant gets a title shot with a win. She isn’t ready, but a win puts her at 4-0 in the UFC, a record only matched by Jedrzejczyk at 115 pounds. VanZant is a grinding wrestler with excellent conditioning and a solid top game and submission game. Namajunas has submissions for days, but she can break mentally when pushed into a tough fight. We haven’t seen VanZant tested too much as she has won her three UFC bouts with relative ease. This one won’t be as easy. It really is a tough fight to predict, but I do see VanZant getting the win in the later rounds.
2. Will Sage Northcutt continue to live up to the hype?
This event is being billed as the “Paige and Sage” show as, along with Paige VanZant, the UFC is banking on 19-year-old Sage Northcutt to be a future star in the sport. He has been impressive in his young career with six wins by stoppage, and five coming in the first round. He may be young, but he is clearly ready for the UFC with his skills, and he brings in a lot of hype. It may not be as warranted, but he has the marketability that the UFC looks for when grooming a future star, and he has shown the skills to back it up, albeit against lesser competition. He had an impressive UFC debut, destroying Francisco Trevino in just 57 seconds at UFC 192 in October. Trevino made it easy for him, though, as he came in four pounds overweight, didn’t look like he cared too much, didn’t put up much of a fight, complained when the fight was stopped, and, to top it all off, failed a drug test and was later released from the UFC.
Northcutt is going to be built up the right way by taking on lesser competition until you can no longer avoid giving him top-flight opponents. He is taking on Cody Pfister on Thursday night, a solid fighter, but one that doesn’t have the look of being a future contender. Pfister is 12-4-1 in his career and has just one loss in his last ten fights after starting his career 4-3, and he does train with a solid camp in the Team Takedown camp. He is just 1-1 in his UFC tenure and is coming off a decision win over Yosdenis Cedeno at UFC 189 in July. He is the perfect opponent for Northcutt at this point. The question is whether Northcutt is too overhyped. He has gotten a lot of attention in the last two months since his UFC debut, and he has gone and trained at other camps in the meantime. Whether how all of this fame, hype and change in fight status will affect him remains to be seen, but he gets the bigger stage to show if he will continue to live up to the hype, or if he just isn’t ready for the limelight yet. Pfister, despite being groomed as someone who is being fed, isn’t taking this lightly, but I see Northcutt getting the job done and continuing his path.
3. Who wins in a solid co-main event scrap when Jim Miller and Michael Chiesa do battle?
Lost in the shuffle of the hype behind Paige VanZant and Sage Northcutt is an excellent co-main event scrap in the lightweight division as UFC veteran Jim Miller makes his 21st appearance inside the Octagon to take on former “Ultimate Fighter” winner Michael Chiesa, winner of five of seven in the UFC. It will be the biggest fight to date for Chiesa, who is coming off a dominant decision win over Mitch Clarke in April. Chiesa’s only losses in the UFC have come to Jorge Masvidal and Joe Lauzon, a fight that was controversially stopped due to a cut. In Miller, he has an opponent who has scored 14 wins during his UFC career, but he has also scored just five wins in his last ten bouts after being very close to scoring a chance at earning a title shot at 155 pounds. Miller got back on track with a close split decision win over Danny Castillo in July.
These two men have similar fighting styles with wrestling and takedowns as their primary strengths to go along with solid submission skills. Both men grind their opponents, and it is an interesting clash of styles. Both men fight as southpaws, but land roughly the same amount of strikes with the same type of accuracy. Chiesa’s takedown game may be a little stronger as he averages more over the course of a fight, and he has shown better defense. Chiesa will also have a five-inch height advantage and a four-inch reach advantage, and he will want to exploit his length over Miller. Miller hits a little harder and mixes his kicks and knees in well. This is a tough fight to predict as the betting odds have it as pretty much a pick ’em. It will be Miller’s Octagon experience against the gritty nature of Chiesa in what should be an excellent fight. I like Miller just a little bit more to score the win due to his experience, but Chiesa is going to make it a battle.
4. Why is Aljamain Sterling in the prelims?
No offense to any other fighter competing on this card, but the best fighter fighting on the UFC Fight Night 80 card is buried way down in the preliminary card, and that is rising bantamweight prospect Aljamain Sterling. A product of the Serra-Longo fight team in New York, Sterling is a perfect 11-0 in his career, with his last three wins coming after signing with the UFC as an injury replacement in early 2014. He has scored wins over Cody Gibson, Hugo Viana and Takeya Mizugaki in his UFC career, and he has been dominant in all of his fights. He has scored seven of his eleven wins by stoppage, and alongside Thomas Almeida, he is looked at to be the future of the UFC bantamweight division. He has been inactive for a while, whether it be due to injury or the UFC matchmakers having trouble finding him an opponent and spot on a card.
Sterling deserves to be showcased on the main card. He is extremely talented and will likely fight for the title within the next two years. He had to campaign hard to get on a fight card, and his fight was the last fight put together for this card. The UFC realized they were making a mistake in not featuring him prominently, and made him a late addition to the open workouts for this event. He has an extremely tough opponent in Johnny Eduardo, who has 36 professional bouts in his career. Eduardo has scored wins in 13 of his last 14 fights, but injuries have limited him to just three fights in the last four years. Eduardo hasn’t fought since a May 2014 knockout win over Eddie Wineland, but it was his most impressive performance to date inside the Octagon. This is one fight that has been flying under the radar for this crazy fight week. Sterling deserved to be on the main card, and really, this fight did as well. He will show why when he steps into the Octagon on Thursday night.
5. What else on the card is there to keep an eye on?
Rounding out the main card for this UFC Fight Pass exclusive event is a former “TUF” winner, as “TUF: Nations” middleweight winner Elias Theodorou puts his perfect 11-0 record on the line against Thiago Santos. Theodorou is coming off a big TKO win over Roger Narvaez at UFC 185 in March, and he is a solid prospect at 185 pounds. He gets a big test in Santos, who has won three of his last four fights, and is coming off one of the best knockouts of the year, a head kick knockout of Steve Bosse at UFC Fight Night 70 in June. Headlining the preliminary portion of the card is a solid welterweight bout as Tim Means looks to get back into the win column following a loss to Matt Brown when he takes on John Howard, who got back into the win column after ending his three-fight losing skid when he scored a split decision win over Cathal Pendred at UFC 189 in July.
Three other fighters to keep an eye on during the preliminary card are Antonio Carlos Junior, Danny Roberts and Kailin Curran. Carlos Junior is a former “TUF: Brazil” winner as a heavyweight, and has since moved down to 185 pounds, where he has a huge size advantage. However, he utilized IV’s, and this will be his first fight without them, so it will be interesting to see how that effects him. Roberts is making his UFC debut with an 11-1 record and on the heels of five straight wins. He has an excellent mix of skills and has scored nine of his wins by stoppage. Curran is still in search of her first UFC win, having dropped both of her prior UFC bouts. She was in a heated battle with Paige VanZant in her UFC debut, and was dominating her fight with Alex Chambers before being submitted late in the fight. She has a lot of potential and just five career bouts, but gets a favorable match-up taking on Emily Kagan in the opening bout.
Full UFC Fight Night 80 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
Women’s Strawweights: (#3) Rose Namajunas vs. (#7) Paige VanZant Betting Odds: Namajunas (+160), VanZant (-185) Prediction: VanZant by submission in round 4
Lightweights: (#14) Jim Miller vs. Michael Chiesa Betting Odds: Miller (+105), Chiesa (-125) Prediction: Miller by decision
Lightweights: Sage Northcutt vs. Cody Pfister Betting Odds: Northcutt (-1250), Pfister (+800) Prediction: Northcutt by knockout in round 1
Middleweights: Elias Theodorou vs. Thiago Santos Betting Odds: Theodorou (-250), Santos (+210) Prediction: Theodorou by knockout in round 2
Welterweights: Tim Means vs. John Howard Betting Odds: Means (-335), Howard (+275) Prediction: Howard by decision
Welterweights: Omari Akhmedov vs. Sergio Moraes Betting Odds: Akhmedov (-140), Moraes (+120) Prediction: Akhmedov by knockout in round 2
Middleweights: Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Kevin Casey Betting Odds: Carlos Junior (-290), Casey (+245) Prediction: Carlos Junior by submission in round 3
Bantamweights: (#5) Aljamain Sterling vs. (#10) Johnny Eduardo Betting Odds: Sterling (-700), Eduardo (+500) Prediction: Sterling by submission in round 2
Welterweights: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Andreas Stahl Betting Odds: Ponzinibbio (-190), Stahl (+165) Prediction: Ponzinibbio by decision
Welterweights: Danny Roberts vs. Nathan Coy Betting Odds: Roberts (-155), Coy (+135) Prediction: Roberts by knockout in round 1
Featherweights: Zubaira Tukhugov vs. Phillipe Nover Betting Odds: Tukhugov (-330), Nover (+270) Prediction: Tukhugov by decision
Women’s Strawweights: Kailin Curran vs. Emily Kagan Betting Odds: Curran (-350), Kagan (+290) Prediction: Curran by submission in round 2
UFC Fight Night 80 has undergone a big change in the headline bout. Paige VanZant (6-1, 3-0 UFC) will make her first main event appearance, but her opponent, Joanne Calderwood (10-1, 2-1 UFC), has been forced out and will be replaced by Rose Namajunas (3-2, 1-1 UFC). The change was first reported on the Team Alpha Male radio show, Stud Show Radio, and was confirmed today by UFC President Dana White.
An official reason wasn’t given for the change in the main event, though it is said that Calderwood was forced out due to injury.
VanZant will be looking to remain undefeated inside the Octagon in her first headline bout as she is coming off a win over Alex Chambers at UFC 191 in September. She also holds wins over Felice Herrig and Kailin Curran during her UFC career. She is currently ranked sixth in the UFC’s official rankings in the women’s strawweight division.
Namajunas, currently ranked third in the UFC’s official rankings, will be looking to score her second straight win after submitting Angela Hill at UFC 192 earlier this month. It was her first appearance since being submitted by Carla Esparza in the inaugural UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship bout in December. Despite already having fought for the championship, she actually has less overall experience than her opponent, VanZant.
VanZant and Namajunas are two of the youngest fighters in the division with VanZant having just turned 21-years-old and Namajunas being 23-years-old.
UFC Fight Night 80 takes place on December 10 from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the entire event will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass. The event kicks off three straight nights of UFC events in the fight capital of the world, capped off with UFC 194 headlined by Jose Aldo against Conor McGregor.
