Tag: Roy Nelson

Bellator 216 live results: MVP vs. Daley, Cro Cop vs. Nelson

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

(Image courtesy of Bellator MMA)

Welcome to our live coverage of Bellator 216. It’s night two of back-to-back shows for Bellator MMA from the Mohegan Sun Arena — and the main event is a grudge match years in the making. 

Michael “Venom” Page, aka MVP, puts his unbeaten record on the line against fellow Brit Paul Daley as both men attempt to advance to the semifinal round of the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix tournament where the winner will get a million dollars and the 170 lb championship. 

The co-main may be 10-15 years late for some, but it should still be fun to see former TUF winner Roy Nelson lock up with the legendary Mirko Cro Cop. Cro Cop promises that this will be his retirement fight, although he’s said that before. Nelson will attempt to halt a two-fight losing streak, while Cro Cop has won nine in a row and has not lost in over five years. 

Former heavyweight champion Vitaly Minokov returns to the promotion after a long hiatus and will attempt to earn a shot at the belt he never lost. Stepping up against him is another long-in-the-tooth veteran, Cheick Kongo. Kongo was inexplicably left out of the recent heavyweight Grand Prix, despite a seven-fight win streak in Bellator, and is out to prove a point. 

The other fight with some intrigue is the promotional debut of Erick Silva, the former UFC welterweight. He will face a man fighting on a main card for the first time, Yaroslav Amosov, who comes in with a dazzling 20-0 record. 

Action kicks off with the main card fights at 10 p.m. Eastern.

Quick results from Bellator 215 last night, which was recapped by Dave Meltzer and Garrett Gonzalez on last night’s Wrestling Observer Radio, available now for subscribers:

  • Matt Mitrione (13-6, 1 NC) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (29-7, 2 NC) ended in a no contest
  • Logan Storley (10-0) defeated Ion Pascu (18-9) via unanimous decision (30-27 30-26, 30-26)
  • Eduardo Dantas (21-6) defeated Toby Misech (11-7) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • John Douma (4-1) defeated Mike Kimbel (2-1) via submission (triangle choke) at 2:51 of round one
  • Austin Vanderford (7-0) defeated Cody Jones (6-3) via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 4:49 of round one

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Kicking off the main card is a women’s flyweight fight. 

Colby “Dreamcatcher” Fletcher (1-2) vs “Master” Valerie Loureda (pro debut)

Loureda is an accomplished Tae-Kwon Do expert coming in with a lot of hype and she gets a huge reaction from the crowd so that explains why this fight is on the main card. Fletcher is clearly something of a set-up fight for her. The “Master” in Loureda’s name is actually a title she earned, as explained by commentator John McCarthy. Loureda is only 20 years old so could be at this for awhile. 

Fletcher throwing a lot of punches early. Loureda mixing in high and low kicks. Loureda lands a great punch combo and follows up with a high kick. Great punch exchange about 2 minutes in. Fletcher is the one controlling the pace so far. Loureda knocks her down with a body kick and finishes her off with a vicious barrage of punches and the ref may have let it go on a little long honestly. 

Official result – Valerie Loureda (1-0) by TKO (punches) at 2:55

Loureda cut a tearfelt promo after the fight, saying she’s been dreaming of this moment since she was a little girl. Her coaches were in tears as she thanked them for making her the woman and the mixed martial artist that she is today. 

Two welterweights making their Bellator main card debut are next up. 

Erick “The Tiger” Silva (20-9) vs Yaroslav Amosov (20-0)

For those that remember Silva from UFC, his fights usually end early and are almost always exciting. Amosov trains with American Top Team and it’s not easy to rack up 20 wins in a row in this sport. He did handle another former UFC vet, Gerald Harris, pretty easily, in his first Bellator fight. 

Mauro Ranalo points out that both guys have 12 first round finishes on their record. Silva pushign the pace early. Silva lands a nice punch combo 90 seconds in that opens a cut around Amosov’s right eye. Silva is pacing himself much better than usual. Silva blocks a takedown attempt at 2:45. Amosov controlling a clinch on the cage. They separate 30 seconds later and Amosov lands a nice punch combo. Amosov goes back to the clinch but Silva breaks free quickly. Amosov rocks Silva with punches at 4:00. Amosov now pushing the pace. Silva lands some nice counter punches. 10-9 Silva but close

Silva stuffs a takedown early. Silva again controlling the pace. Amazov gets a takedown. Silva up quickly but Amosov controlling his back and drags him down again. Amosov landing punches to the head but Silva gets to his feet. Amosov drags him down again. Silva blocking most of the punches as Amosov attempts to secure a body lock. Silva to his feet and immediately thrown to the canvas by Amosov at 3:00. Amosov landing punches and elbows as he attempts to advance position. Crowd getting restless at the 4 minutes mark. Ref not warning them as Amosov is controlling Silva pretty well. Silva ties up Amosov with a body lock at 4:45 as he is trying to work out a sub from his back but not enough time. 10-9 Amosov, 19-19

Both guys throwing leg kicks early in round 3. Amosov moves in for a takedown but Silva defends it. Silva with a hard knee to the body as Amosov moves in for a takedown. Amosov gets him down but Silva right up. Amosov controlling the back again through. Silva breaks free and grabs a standing guillotine. He gives it up quickly and eats a body kick for his efforts. Both guys looking pretty tired. Amosov gets a takedown at 2:00. Amosov landing punches from half guard. Amosov takes the back  but Silva to his feet. Amosov drags him right down again and lands more punches to the head. Silva works back to guard but still eating punches. Silva to his feet but Amosov takes the back again. Amosov throws him down at 4;00. Silva to his feet again but Amosov still on his back. Amosov throws him down again. Silva up again at 4:30 and right back down. 10-9 Amosov, 29-28 overall

Official result – Yaroslav Amosov (21-0) by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28 x 2)

Next up is a heavyweight rematch. In Vitaly Minakov’s last Bellator fight in April 2014, he won a unanimous decision over Cheick Kongo. He returns to the promotion and faces the same opponent. Kongo is on the wrong side of 40 but on the longest winning streak of his career, with 7 straight. In fact his only loss since the previous Minakov fight was a split decision vs King Mo. 

Vitaly Minakov (21-0) vs Cheick Kongo (29-10-2)

Scott Coker has promised a title shot to the winner of this fight. With a win tonight, Cheick Kongo will set the record for most wins as a heavyweight and his 14th fight is also a heavyweight record. This came all after a long UFC career. 

Nice punch exchange 15 seconds in. Minakov is the one advancing but Kongo landed a nice counter punch in the exchange. Minakov with a takedown attempt blocked and Kongo clinches up on the cage. They separate at 1:15. Kongo lands a nice punch combo at 2:00 and goes back to the clinch. Kongo lands an inadvertent low blow in the exchange. Minakov is looking very tired when the action restarts. Minakov goes back to the clinch after missing some punches. Kongo breaks free. Kongo mixes in some kicks as Minakov is looking to land a home run shot. Minakov catches a kick and Kongo slips but gets up quickly after a guillotine attempt by Minakov. Kongo controlling the clinch but they separate quickly. Kongo lands a nice punch combo and some knees to the body. 10-9 Kongo

Herschel Walker and Michael Strahan were shown sitting together at cageside and Mauro brings up having called Walker’s MMA fights. John McCarthy disagrees with me and gives round 1 to Minakov. He also gave Amosov round 1 in the last fight and all 3 judges disagreed. Kongo throwing counter kicks as Minakov is controlling the pace and again looking for that big punch. Crowd getting restless as they’ve barely touched 2 minutes in. Some chants for Kongo. Heavy boos from the crowd at 2:45 as they’ve still barely touched. Minakov is throwing punches but they’re missing and Kongo not throwing anything. Ref warning them to engage at 3:45. More heavy boos. Kongo with a punch combo and then he clinches up at 4:15. Kongo with a knee/punch combo as they separate. Kongo lands a couple of counters as Minakov misses more punches. Kongo with some punches landed right before the bell. 10-9 Kongo, 20-18 overall

Kongo landing hard leg kicks to start. Minakov is advancing but very tentative and very tired. He misses a huge punch but catches a kick and gets a takedown at 1:00. Minakov setting up a head and arm choke while landing punches to the body and head. Minakov with an Ezekiel joke from the top. Kongo landing desparation punches  from his back and gets out of it but Minakov maintains top position. Minakov postures up to land some hammer fists before settling back into half guard. Kongo makes his way to the cage as he attempts to get to his feet . Kongo with a guillotine attempt and gets to his feet at 4:30. Kongo unloads with a punch/knee combo. Kongo with vicious knees to the head and Minakov is barely standing but the round ends. 10-9 Minakov, 29-28 Kongo overall. 

Official result – Cheick Kongo (30-10-2) by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x 2)

John McCarthy had Kongo winning all 3 rounds and Mauro reacts like it was a bad decision. I’m not sure what those two were watching because Minakov did not win this fight. 

Co-main event is next up and it’s a battle of the legends. 

Roy “Big Country” Nelson (23-16) vs Mirko Cro Cop (37-11-2)

Cro Cop is introduced as a former K-1, Pride and RIZIN champion and comes out to the vintage “Wild Boys” theme. If he’s interested in fighting again after this, he could steal Kongo’s title shot with an impressive win. 

Nelson advancing to start. Cro Cop blocks a takedown attempt 45 seconds in. Cro Cop blocks another takedown and pushes Nelson to the other side of the cage. Nelson takes over clinch control at 1:45 after eating an uppercut. Cro Cop lands some punches to the body and then walks Nelson across the cage again. Cro Cop rocks Nelson with an uppercut and then lands more punches to the body. They separate at 3:30. Back to the cage clinch and Cro Cop quickly takes control. Cro Cop with knees to the body and more uppercuts before separating. Nelson looking tired. Cro Cop wih a vicious body kicks and then blocks a takedown. 10-9 Cro Cop

Nelson against controlling the pace early. Cro Cop to the cage clinch at 1:00. Knees and punches to the body from Cro Cop. They trade elbows to the head. Cro Cop with hard uppercuts to the head and Nelson is rocked. They separate. They trade hard body kicks. Cro Cop just landing hard single shots but no combos. Nelson stuffed on another takedown attempt and Cro Cop ends up controlling a cage clinch. They separate after Cro Cop lands body punches. Nelson lands some punches that rock Cro Cop. Nelson with a punch/knee combo at 3:30. Nelson again stuffed on a takedown attempt. Cro Cop with a standing guillotine attempt but gives it up quickly. Cro Cop controlling a cage clinch and lands punches to the body and head. Separation at 4:30. Nelson lands some uppercuts to the head at 4:45. They trade hard body shots. 10-9 Cro Cop, 20-18

When they fought in 2011, Nelson scored a finish in the 3rd round and he’ll have to do the same to win here. Cro Cop starting to land leg kicks. Nelson lands some uppercuts to the head as Cro Cop tries to clinch. Cro Cop starting to tire. Nelson advancing. More leg kicks from Cro Cop and he stuffs another takedown attempt from Nelson. Yet another takedown attempt blocked by Cro Cop. Punch combo from Nelson and he attempts another takedown but fails. Cro Cop walks him across the cage but Nelson breaks free. Cro Cop blocks another takedown attempt. Crowd starting to get restless. Nelson with a punch combo and another takedown attempt and then finally lands one at 4:00. Cro Cop landing punches to the head from his back. Cro Cop ties him up with a body lock. 10-9 Nelson, 29-28 Cro Cop

Official result – Mirko Cro Cop (38-11-2) by unanimous decision (30-27; 29-28 x 2)

Main event is a first round match in the Bellator welterweight Grand Prix tournament with the winner advancing to face Douglas Lima for a spot in the finals. Sonnen, Thomson and Glazer interview Lima at the desk about his thoughts on the main event. He thinks Daley’s durability may be the difference. 

Michael “Venom” Page (13-0) vs Paul “Semtex” Daley (40-16-2)

MVP chants as Page makes his entrance. Daley was much more subdued but Page clowning all the way down the ramp. Daley giving up 6 inches of height and 3 inches reach, which could be telling. Because this is a tournament match, it’s five rounds. Page is also 2-0 as a pro boxer. They do not touch gloves. 

Page takes the center of the cage to start. Loud MVP chants before they even engage. They don’t touch for the first minute and there are some boos. Boos getting louder at 1:30. MVP has thrown a couple shots but missed while Daley hasn’t even thrown a thing. MVP just backing off and taunting Daley, who won’t engage. 3:30 in and no one has landed a strike. Daley finally throws a kick but misses. Page may have landed a punch at 4:30. Page lands a leg kick at 4:45. Deafening boos at the end of the round. 10-9 Page

Round 2 starts the same as the whole first round went. Page doing more taunting. Page lands a front kick to the head. Daley misses a takedown attempt as he’s chasing MVP around the cage. He catches him and they end up in a cage clinch with Daley in control. Daley with knees to the body. Separation at 2:45. Daley gets a takedown at 3:00. Daley with punches to the body. MVP doing nothing from his back. Daley has the legs tied up so MVP basically trapped on the ground. MVP does gets up but Daley lands some nice punches on the feet at the end of the round. 10-9 Daley, 19-19

MVP landing shots from distance early in round 3. Daley controlling the pace but MVP timing the counters well. MVP lands a great right cross at 1:15. MVP stuffs a takedown at 1:45. Daley controlling the cage clinch. Page takes control  at 2:30 but Daley gets a takedown. MVP ties up the body but Daley landing body punches. Daley postures up to break the body lock and then goes back into guard. Daley postures up and lands punches to the body and head and the crowd explodes. Page to his feet at 4:45 but Daley still controlling the clinch. 10-9 Daley, 29-28

PAge advancing to start and lands a couple of strikes early. He’s just landing single shots and moving. Daley gets a takedown at 1:00. MVP lands a couple of weak elbows from his back. MVP ties up the body of Daley and lands more elbows. They’re not doing damage but they are landing. Page with punches to the head from his back. Ref warns them to work. Daley stands up and MVP follows. MVP lands a hard kick to the body. MVP lands a flying knee that hurts Daley and clinches on the cage at 3:30. MVP gets a takedown at 3:45. MVP lands hard punches to the head. Page with more punches to the head at 4:45. 10-9 Page, 38-38 overall

MVP lands a jumping knee and attempts a takedown but Daley lands one. Daley stands up but MVP stays on his back throwing upkicks. Daley landing kicks to the legs. before going back into guard. MVP ties up his body so Daley stands up to break it. MVP setting up a triangle from his back. Daley lands some punches to the head as Page attempts to get to his feet. Page to his feet at 2:30. Page with elbows to the head as he defends a takedown attempt. Page takes the back standing and drags Daley to the ground. Page landing punches to the head as he sets up a rear naked choke. Daley to his feet but Page still on his back and drags him down again. Page landing punches to the head as he contrinues to look for the choke. MVP chants from the crowd. Elbows to teh head from Page. Daley to his feet at 4:15 but Page controlling the clinch. Daley with a takedown attempt but MVP reverses and on top, landing punches as the round ends. 10-9 Page, 48-47 overall

Official result – Michael Page (14-0) by unanimous decision (48-47 x 3)

Crowd boos the result but the scoring of each round was pretty obvious and it’s good that all the judges got it right after some questionable scorecards in earlier fights. MVP said that Daley tried to take it to the ground but he beat him there and he’ll take the belt. He says he respects Douglas Lima a lot and it will be an honor to fight him in the next round. 

Ryan Bader dominates Matt Mitrione to advance to Bellator Grand Prix final

Posted on by Josh Nason

In a battle of former UFC talents, Ryan Bader dominated Matt Mitrione at Bellator 207 Friday at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun to advance to January’s Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament finals to crown a new champion. 

Bader, the promotion’s light heavyweight champion, took a unanimous decision by scores of 30-25, 30-24, and 30-25.

Bader’s wrestling and pure dominance on the mat negated anything Mitrione tried to do, leading to, at one point, ten minutes of time without getting any offense in.

In the opening round, Bader, outweighed by roughly 25 pounds, was dominant, grounding Mitrione early and using his wrestling to control him. He leveraged that to land hard left hands that Mitrione had no answer for, easily winning a 10-8 round on this writer’s scorecard.

In the second round, Mitrione threw hands trying to hurt Bader, but Bader took him down within seconds and went to work again with more of the same. He locked on a kimura midway through the round that almost got Mitrione to tap, but he was able to defend enough to barely survive. Mitrione was exhausted at the end of the round, arguably another 10-8. 

The third round started the same way: with Bader easily getting a takedown, but the crowd was less and less enthusiastic. Bader tired a bit, but didn’t let Mitrione escape, pounding him on the mat and using his wrestling to outclass his opponent for another 10-8.

The promotion returns Saturday night at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY, with the other Heavyweight Grand Prix semi-final featuring Chael Sonnen vs. Fedor Emelianenko. Starting at 9 PM Eastern, we’ll have live coverage of that show courtesy of Paul Fontaine. Like tonight, the show can be seen on Paramount Network and DAZN.

In the co-main event, Sergei Kharitonov defeated Roy Nelson by knockout with one second left to go in the first round afer he unloaded a barrage of unanswered punches that ended wih Nelson Flair flopping. Kharitonov got a point taken in the first round after he kneed Nelson in the head while he was kneeling.

On the undercard:

  • Lorenz Larkin took a unanimous decision win over Ion Pascu (29-28 x3) to earn the alternate position in the Welterweight Grand Prix.
  • Corey Browning scored a minor upset with a second round TKO of Kevin “Baby Slice” Ferguson Jr. in an entertaining fight. 
  • Mandel Nallo defeated Carrington Banks with a second round knockout of the year candidate, a standing knee to Banks’ chin that had him out on his feet.

Bellator signs Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson for Bellator 200

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Mirko Cro Cop, one of the legends of the PRIDE era, who told John McCarthy in 2007 that he was “getting too old for this,” has signed with Bellator.

The promotion wasted no time in booking his first fight as he’ll face Roy Nelson at Bellator 200 in London, England on May 25th. This will be a rematch of their October 29th, 2011 UFC fight that Nelson won via third round KO.

The 43-year-old was in talks with Bellator in 2015, but UFC beat their offer and he signed with the company. Just before his second fight with UFC that year, he announced his retirement, although it later came out that he had been suspended but it had not been announced yet. He later admitted to using HGH to attempt to heal up from a shoulder injury. He said that when USADA came for a surprise test, although due to the difficulty of catching HGH usage, he actually did not test positive.

Given his retirement, UFC released him from his contract, but he came out of retirement in 2016 for Japan’s RIZIN group. He’s gone 5-0 in Rizin, including a knockout of King Mo Lawal.

Nelson is coming off a February decision loss to Matt Mitrione in the first round of the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix. He’s 1-1 since signing with Bellator and hasn’t won two in a row since 2012-13.

Bellator 200 features middlewight champion Rafael Carvalho vs. Gegard Mousasi, and Michael “Venom” Page vs. David Rickels.

Matt Mitrione advances past Roy Nelson in Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Photo: Bellator MMA

Matt Mitrione advanced in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament Friday night, downing Roy Nelson via majority decision at Bellator 194 at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena.

He moves on to face the winner of the May Ryan Bader vs. King Mo quarterfinal while Chael Sonnen awaits the winner of the April Fedor Emelianenko vs. Frank Mir fight. 

Mitrione came out strong and dominated the first two rounds, but gassed out in the third. Nelson took him down early in the round and eventually moved into a crucifix position, doing a lot of ground and pound damage. Referee Dan Miragliotta looked like he might be close to stopping it, but allowed Mitrione the chance to escape which he eventually did. Mitrione was able to get to his feet, only to be taken down again for the duration of the round.

Sonnen, acting as color commentator for the night, speculated that it may have been enough to earn Nelson a 10-8 round, which would’ve made the fight a draw and an “overtime” fourth round because it was a tournament match. However, only one judge saw it that way while the other gaves 29-28 scores for Mitrione.

Former referee and sometimes judge John McCarthy was a desk analyst for the show and he said that he would’ve been very close to ruling the third round a 10-8 for Nelson and the fight a draw, adding that he would have to have paid more attention to see how much damage the ground strikes were doing. McCarthy said that Nelson had two of the three “Ds” (domination, duration, damage) required for a 10-8.

The fight was a rematch from December 2012 in the UFC’s TUF 16 finale show where Mitrione was knocked out in the first round.

Also on the show:

– Patricky Pitbull scored a first round KO win over Derek Campos to become the no. 1 contender to lightweight champion Brett Primus.

– Heather Hardy scored a somewhat questionable decision win over Ana Julaton in a boring fight. 

– Fedor protege Vadim Nemkov used leg kicks to earn a third round TKO win over former light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary in a fight reminiscent of the Jose Aldo-Urijah Faber WEC fight where Aldo destroyed Faber’s leg. 

– In the opener, prospect Taiwan “Air” Claxton got a second round TKO win over winless Jose Perez in a showcase bout.

Bellator 183 live results: Benson Henderson, Roy Nelson, Paul Daley, Aaron Pico

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Preview by Josh Nason

Bellator returns to San Jose, CA, for the first time since the failed Fedor vs. Matt Mitrione fight with an entertaining live card on Spike TV featuring a former UFC lightweight champion, a fan favorite, and a prospect looking to reclaim his buzz after a disastrous debut.

In the main event, former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson returns to action against Patricky “Pitbull” Freire. Coming off a loss to lightweight champion Michael Chandler in November 2016, the 33-year-old is looking to get his name back in the mix after a strange 1-2 start to his Bellator career. Freire has won three of his last four and is coming off a convincing second round knockout of Josh Thomson in February. He is looking to avenge his brother’s loss to Henderson in 2016 although it was an injury that stopped the fight.

Former UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson makes his promotional debut against Javy Ayala, winner of his last two by first round T/KO. Nelson is 3-5 since 2014 and hasn’t won two in a row since last 2012-13. At 41, this is his last chance.

Also on the show, you’ll get what promises to be an entertaining welterweight tilt between Paul Daley and Lorenz Larkin with both guys looking for some redemption after their last outings. Additionally, uber prospect Aaron Pico looks to redeem himself after a terrible debut outing at the promotion’s MSG debut against Justin Linn, a fighter who hasn’t competed since April 2016.

Dave Meltzer will have your main card live coverage from cageside tonight.

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ADAM PICCOLOTTI (9-0) VS. GOITI YAMAUCHI (21-3), LIGHTWEIGHTS

First round: Low kick by Yamaguchi and another. Piccolotti in with pucnhes. Jumping knee and guillotine by Yamauchi. Piccolotti escaped and is on top. . Yamaguchi going for an uma plata. Yamaguchi now has his back standing. Yamauchi with a knee. Yamauchi tried a German suplex but blocked. Yamauchi jumped on his back and has a choke. Piccolotti had to tap out. Yamauchi was just superior in the grappling game.  3:19

AARON PICO (0-1) VS.  JJSSTIN LINN (7-3), FEATHERWEIGHTS

First round: No reaction to Pico, what a difference one big loss makes in your debut. Linn is relaxed. Pico nervous as hell. Pico with a high takedown. Pico unloaded with several punches. Pico let him up. Linn landed punches. Pico is just overwhelming him with punches. Linn stayed up from the barrage. The crowd is going nuts. Another takedown by Pico. Pico with more punches and elbows on the ground. Pico let him up again. Pico knocked him cold with al left hook.  3:45

Linn is in real bad shape from that knockout. The stretcher is out and this is genuinely scary.

Linn was able to get up on his own.  He was down for a few minutes.

This was Pico’s 21st birthday. 

Pico vowed that he would win the title.

ROY NELSON (22-14) VS. JAVY AYALA (10-5), LARGE HEAVYWEIGHTS

First round: Ayala has a fan base coming from Porterville, CA. Nelson got a nice reaction. Ayala hurt him with a knee. Nice uppercut by Ayala. Ayala with two punches. He’s a step faster than Nelson. Nelson was thinking takedown. He’s going for it. Nelson got him down. Nelson is landing punches on the ground. Nelson with punches to the body. Nelson is remembering his Jiu Jitsu and moved to full mount. Ayala escaped and back up and landing knees and elbows. Nelson tied him up. Hard round to score. 10-9 Ayala

Second round: Crowd buzzing with the start of round two. Ayala with an elbow and head kick. Both trading punches. Nelson took him down again. Nelson landing punches on the ground. Nelson has his back now. Ayala reversed and up. Ayala took Nelson down and his his back. . Ayala let him up and kicked him in the head. Front kick by Ayala and Superman punch. Nelson with hard uppercuts. Nelson took him down again. People are loving this fight. Nelson landing a lot of elbows on the ground. Nelson’s round for sure so 19-19 after two

Third round: Head kick and jumping knee by Ayala. Right uppercut by Ayala. Front kick by Ayala. Body kick by Nelson. Ayala landing and Nelson running away. Another takedown by Nelson. Nelson landing punches on the ground. Nelson moved to side control. Ayala tried to use the cage to get up but Nelson kept him down. Nelson with knees to the body. Nelson now landing a lot of punches on the ground. Nelson landing hard shots on the ground. 29-28 Nelson.

Scores: 30-26, 29-28, 29-28 Nelson

LORENZ LARKIN (18-6) VS PAUL DALEY (39-15-2), WELTERWEIGHTS

First round: These two went at it a weigh-ins yesterday. Low kick by Daley. Fans booing quickly. Trading low kicks. Good low kick by Larkin. Larkin in with punches. Larkin landed another flurry as the crowd booed. Daley threw a head kick and slipped and fell down. Larkin on top and Daley working for a triangle. Larkin moved to side control. Larkin dropping short elbows. Larkin with more punches on the ground. Larkin 10-9

Second round: Larkin with a body kick. They are tied up. Daley with a knee and threw punches. Daley tied up with him again. Left by Larkin. Daley hurt him with a left hook and knocked him out with a left to the temple.  2:40

He said the only people who have beaten him standing were Douglas Lima and Nick Diaz.  He said if anyone else stands with him they’ll get knocked out.  Daley challenged Michael Page for England.

They are bringing out Douglas Lima and Rory MacDonald to build up their fight at the Forum in Los Angeles on 1/20.  MacDonald said he’s a level above these guys.

BENSON HENDERSON (24-7) VS. PATRICKY PITBULL FREIRE (17-8), LIGHTWEIGHT

First round: Henderson with a body kick. Henderson landed a punch and slipped. Henderson with a Superman punch. Henderson went for a body kick but Pitbull caught the kick. Pitbull short on a spinning kick. Accidental eye poke by Henderson. Henderson went for a kick and missed and slipped. Pitbull went for a kick but it was blocked. Both trading. Very close round. Pitbull 10-9

Second round: Henderson landed a left. Henderson working for a takedown . Jumping knee by Pitbull and an elbow. Henderson has him tied up but isn’t doing much. Fans are booing. Pitbull threw him down. Another close round. Henderson so 19-19 but you could go the other way in both of these rounds since nobody got any real advantage.

Third round: Henderson with a body kick. Henderson ducked for a takedown but didn’t get it. Pitbull with body kicks. Knee by Pitbull. Henderson went for a takedown and didn’t get it again. Pitbull dropped him to a knee with punch. Henderson with a hard body kick. Another body kick by Henderson. Pitbull hurt him again. Henderson landed a hard punch back. Head kick by Henderson. Henderson shooting for a takedown again. Crowd booing again. Right by Pitbull . Knee by Pitbull. Henderson is backing off in the closing seconds which isn’t going to help him at all in another close round. Henderson backing off again as the round ended. Pitbull’s round so I’ve got him winning 29-28.

Scores: 29-28 Henderson 29-28 Pitbull 29-28 Pitbull

Pitbull issued a challenge to Brett Primus for the title.  Lackluster main event after a good undercard. 

JNPO: Dave Doyle on Arena Mexico, UFC Sweden, Roy Nelson

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: MMAJunkie.com

Memorial Day Weekend is here in the U.S. and your trusted friend is back with a new edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, ideal for BBQs, road trips, or late night raves.

Joining Josh is friend of the site and MMA Fighting scribe Dave Doyle. The appearance was perfect timing given Dave’s debut piece for our site ran Friday. That’s timing, people.

On the topic board:

– Dave talked about his trip to Arena Mexico for CMLL and his feature for our site

– Five somewhat good minutes on this weekend’s UFC Sweden show, focused on Alexander Gustafsson vs. Glover Teixeira

– Roy Nelson’s signing with Bellator and what that means for both him and company’s heavyweight division in the future

– Whether the guys feel that Demetrious Johnson vs. TJ Dillashaw is the fight to make

– What Dave is looking forward to this summer for big fights…and more.

Click below to listen:

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UFC Fight Night 95 Brasilia live results: Cris Cyborg vs. Lina Lansberg

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 95: Cyborg vs. Lansberg, eminating from Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil.

The event is headlined by a five-round catchweight bout as one of the best womens’ fighters in the world, Cris Cyborg, steps inside the Octagon for the second time to take on newcomer Lina Lansberg at 140 pounds. In the co-main event, former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barao looks to get back in the win column against Phillipe Nover.

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

Some additional coverage:
– UFC Fight Night 95 DFS Playbook

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

Commentary team for tonight is Dominick Cruz and Jon Anik. 

> Glaico Franca (13-4, 1-1 UFC) vs. Gregor Gillespie (7-0, 0-0 UFC)
Lightweights

Gillespie is 4 years older, at 29. Franca has a 3 inch height and 6 inch reach advantage. Franca is the -145 betting favorite. Camila Albuquerque is the referee.

ROUND 1 – Crowd is really loud and reacting to every hard shot that lands from Franca and singing right out of the box. Gillespie cut under the left eye from strikes less than a minute in.

Gillespie takes it to the cage in a clinch battle and the crowd not liking that at all. Gillespie gets him down about 3:00 in and takes his back as well but not doing much damage.

Franca escapes and gets to his feet and the crowd explodes. Franca looking really tired and gets taken down again right before the end of the round. 10-9 Gillespie

ROUND 2 – Both guys landed hard shots early, including a flying knee from Franca but Gillespie took him down again 1:00 in. Franca up fairly quickly.

Crowd getting restless as Gillespie continously trying to get it to the ground and finally does again at 3:30. Gillespie quickly into side control and landing elbows to the head while maintaining control for the rest of the round. 10-9 Gillespie, 20-18

ROUND 3 – Even though Gillespie is clearly winning, you wouldn’t know it by looking at the faces of the two guys. Gillespie takes it right to the cage to start and gets a takedown 90 seconds in. 

Gillespie moves into mount fairly easily but not doing a a lot of damage with the position. Franca worked him back into guard at 3:00 but can’t get to his feet.

Gillespie gets mount back at 3:30 and landing more punches now. Franca gives up his back and eating a ton of punches as the round ends. 10-8 Gillespie, 30-26 overall

RESULT – GREGOR GILLESPIE (8-0) by unanimous decision (29-27 x 3)

HOT TAKE – Gillespie completely dominated Franca and will be in the UFC to stay. He did eat a lot of hard punches early and guys in the upper end of this division will hit harder and do more damage. He’s pretty small for lightweight and may have to drop a weight class. But his wrestling is very, very good. 

Gillespie put over the crowd iin his post-fight interview but didn’t do a call-out or really say much of anything. 

> Vicente Luque (9-5-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Hector Urbina (17-9-1, 1-1 UFC)
Welterweights

Luque is 5 years younger and has a 2 inch reach advantage. Urbina looks like the Mexican Briscoe brother. Fernando Portella is the ref. 

ROUND 1– Urbina tried to take it to the mat early but Luque escaped. Luque all over Urbina with punches 1:00 in and Urbina crumples to the canvas as the place explodes. 

WINNER – VICENT LUQUE (10-5-1) by KO (punches) at 1:00

HOT TAKE – You have to be careful when dealing with two guys this inexperienced to say they’ll be contenders but Luque looked really good here. At just 25, he’s clearly got a bright future. Crowd loved him in his post-fight interview. He showed class in not following him to the mat and landing a couple extra shots when his opponent was clearly out. 

> Alan Patrick (13-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Stevie Ray (19-5, 3-0 UFC)
Lightweights

Patrick is the Brazilian here and the obvious crowd favorite. He’s also a +140 betting underdog.

Ray is 7 years younger and one inch shorter. Patrick has a 4 inch reach advantage. Mario Yamasaki is the referee.

ROUND 1 – Patrick rushes in for a takedown away but can’t hold him down. Crowd explodes for it though. He gets another one but Ray reverses into top position on the way down and transitions to an armbar.

Patrick to his feet but Ray still holding onto the armbar and he’s in a headstand position. Patrick escapes and the crowd explodes again. 

Patrick gets another takedown but can’t really do anything in Ray’s guard. He advances to half guard at 3:30 and trying to set up a head and arm choke. 

Tough round to score as Patrick was on top the whole round but did no damage and Ray at least had submission attempts. 10-9 Ray but could easily see Brazilian judges giving it to Patrick

ROUND 2 – Patrick gets a takedown 15 seconds in after a weak guillotine attempt from Ray. Patrick again just holding him down and not really trying to advance or do damage. 

Crowd actually not liking this fight even though the Brazilian is in a dominant position. He takes Ray’s back at 2:45 and that wakes them up. Ray works him back to guard quickly though.

Ref stands them up at 3:30 as nothing was happening. Ray gets a guillotine off a takedown attempt and ends up taking Patrick’s back on the ground. 

Ray with a full bodylock and landing punches to the head in the last minute. 10-9 Ray, 20-18 overall but another close round.

ROUND 3 – Ray is definitely the fresher guy coming out for this round. Ray has to know that with two close rounds he could actually be down with Brazilian judges. 

Patrick gets a takedown 30 seconds in and again just lays in his guard. Patrick slightly more active with striking from the top in this round. 

Ray working for a key lock from the bottom and with that, Patrick starts throwing even more punches. Patrick escapes and working for one of his own around the 3:30 mark.

Patrick transitions to kind of an armbar in the last 30 seconds and rides out the round on top. 10-9 Patrick. I’ve got 29-28 Ray overall but I’m pretty sure judges will give it to Patrick. 

RESULT – ALAN PATRICK (14-1) by unanimous decision (29-28 x 2; 30-27)

HOT TAKE – Patrick showed almost no finishing instinct and will get lit up by anyone with better takedown defence than Ray. But it was a good win. Ray had won 5 straight prior to this and isn’t going anywhere but he now has something to work on. 

Patrick put over his coach Jacare Souza and pleaded for a post-fight bonus award. It’s one thing when someone does that after a KO or sub….but there is no chance in hell he’s getting a bonus off this fight. 

FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Erick Silva (18-7 1 NC, 6-6 UFC) vs. Luan Chagas (14-1-1, 0-0-1 UFC)
Welterweights

Both guys are from Brazil. Chagas is nine years younger, at 3 and has a one inch reach advantage. Osiris Maia is the referee. 

ROUND 1 – Pretty tentative start from both guys. Silva landing hard body kicks. Chagas drops Silva with a punch combo 2:00 in but he gets up quickly.

It’s notable that all of Silva’s UFC wins have been first round stoppages. Both guys starting to throw and land more in the second half of the round. 

Chagas’ midsection is reddened from the body kicks of Silva. Silva eating a lot of punishment himself though. Silva drops Chagas with a combo and all over hiim with punches with 15 seocnds left. 10-9 Silva as that last exchange stole it for him. 

ROUND 2 – Silva nailed with a low blow seconds into the round as Jon Anik points out again that Silva hasn’t won a fight that’s gone past the first round in UFC.

Silva defends a takedown attempt on the restart and ends up in top position. Silva scoring with punches and elbows from top position and then takes his back briefly but Chagas  escapes and to his feet. 

Chags drops Silva with a punch and goes into his guard. Silva seems okay but eating elbows from Chagas. Chagas takes his back 3:00 in. 

Silva works him back into guard but still eating punches and elbows. Chagas gains mount at 3:45 and goes for an armbar. Silva escapes and ends up in top position. 

Both guys are exhausted in the last minute. Silva takes his back with 15 seconds left and gets a choke but Chagas saved by the bell. 10-9 Chagas, 19-19 after 2

ROUND 3 – Silva had pretty much abandoned the body kicks halfway thru the first but lands a hard one early in this round. Chagas tried to take it to a cage clinch but the ref broke it up really quickly as he was clearly just stalling. 

Silva is clearly the fresher fighter and landing more through 2:00. Silva just picking him off with punches and lands a nice head kick at 2:30. 

Chagas just wandering around and eating jabs at will from Silva. Chagas missed a takedown badly and Silva quickly takes his back and secures a rear naked choke for the win.

RESULT- ERICK SILVA (19-7) by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:57 of Round 3

HOT TAKE – This was a very different Erick Silva. He was patient, measured and never tried to do too much. He badly needed this win after 2 straight losses and should get at least a couple more years of UFC fights after this performance. Chagas was clearly overmatched here but now is winless in 2 UFC fights. 

> Jussier Formiga (#3, 18-4, 4-3 UFC) vs. Dustin Ortiz (#12, 15-5, 4-3 UFC)
Flyweights

Formiga is the Brazilian here. He’s 4 years older, at 31 and has a 2 inch reach advantage. Camila Albuquerque is the ref.

ROUND 1 – Formiga gets a takedown right away and passes into side control 45 seconds in. Ortiz gets him back into guard and also lands a lot of punches from the bottom.

Formiga again gains side control at 1:45 but as of yet he hasn’t done much with the position. Ortiz still landing strikes from the bottom. 

Ortiz sweeps into top position at 2:15. Formiga actually more active from his back with a couple submission attempts. Crowd booing after the 4:00 mark as Ortiz just holding him down and not even trying to advance. 

Formiga to his feet as the round ends. Tough round to score as each guy had about equal control time and no real damage done by either. 10-9 Formiga but really close to a 10-10

ROUND 2 – Formiga again gets an early takedown. Ortiz again landing light strikes from the bottom while Formiga seems to be setting up a triangle choke. 

Formiga takes his back at 1:45 after briefly getting mount. Formiga with a full body lock and working for a rear naked choke, which he’s one 1/3 of his fights with. 

Formiga landing punches to the body while continuously working for the choke. Ortiz did a good job defending the choke for the round but not enough to escape a 10-8 Formiga round. 20-17 overall

ROUND 3 – Ortiz pretty fresh to start the third and much more active on his feet. Formiga takes his back standing at 2:00 though and takes him down. 

Formiga get the body lock quickly and it’s looking a lot like the second. Formiga patiently trying to set up the rear naked choke but Ortiz doing a good job defending. 

Ortiz actually reverses the position with 15 seconds left and ends the round on top. Enough to escape another 10-8 round but he’s lost this fight. 10-9 Formiga, 30-26 overall

RESULT – JUSSIER FORMIGA (19-4) by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-27 and 29-28)

HOT TAKE – First round was close so nothing wrong with any of those scores. Formiga earned a title shot off of this one as he’s highest ranked contender who’s never received one. Just not sure if or when he’ll get it. You don’t get the sense that he’d beat Mighty Mouse but his ground game is world class and he should at least get a chance. Ortiz is tough and will never contend for a title but deserves to be in the top 15.

> Rani Yahya (22-8 1 NC, 7-2 1 NC UFC) vs. Michinori Tanaka (11-1, 2-1 UFC)
Bantamweights

Yahya is the Brazilian native. Tanaka is 25 and 7 years younger. He’s also 1 inch shorter but with a slight reach advantage.  Fernando Portella is the ref.

ROUND 1 – Yahya with a takedown early and secures an arm triangle choke. Tanaka desparately trying to fight it off and Cruz explains why Tanaka will eventually just pass out due to the nature of the choke. 

Tanaka escapes at 2:45 but Yahya still on top. Yahya easily into side control but Tanaka escapes, gets to his feet and gets a quick takedown of his own. 

Yahya tying him up from the bottom and working for another triangle. Tanaka landing punches and knees to the body in the last minute. 10-9 Yahya

ROUND 2 – Nice grappling exchange 30 seconds in that ends up with Tanaka in top position but Yahya ends up taking his back. Tanaka gets to his feet quickly though.

Yahya dominated the grappling for the rest of the round, constantly taking him down, advancing position but Tanaka would always manage to briefly get up.

Tanaka ended the round on top but clear 10-9 Yahya and 20-18 overall

ROUND 3 – They go to the ground right away again and Tanaka ends up on top. Crowd booing heavily but Tanaka very active on top, landing a lot of punches to the head. Ref stands them up at 1:45, which was kind of bad.

Tanaka takes him down right away again and again landing a lot of punches to the head and body. Yahya working for submissions from the bottom but Tanaka easily defending. 

Tanaka gets him in a crucifix position and working for an armlock. Yahya reverses though and ends up on top and the crowd like that. 

Yahya takes the back with a minute left but Tanaka ges to his feet. Tanaka landing punches to the head as the round end but should be another 10-9 Yahya. 30-27 overall

RESULT – RANI YAHYA (23-8) by unanimous decison (29-28 x 3)

HOT TAKE – Not sure which round  Tanaka won there, maybe the third. Doesn’t matter as the right guy won. This was kind of a boring fight but Tanaka was 11-1 coming in and Yahya dominated him for his 5th straight win. He’s probably earned a spot in the top 15 with that or at least should get a fight with a top 15 guy next. 

> Gilbert Burns (12-1, 4-1 UFC) vs. Michel Prazeres (20-2, 4-2 UFC)
Lightweights

In regards to the last round of the last fight, I almost definitely should’ve scored it for Tanaka. Osiris Maia is the ref for this one. 

ROUND 1 – Prazeres with an early knockdown but won’t follow Burns to the mat. Both guys landing a lot of punches in the first minute. 

Both guys really cautious but unloading punches in bursts. Prazeres does seem to be landing the harder strikes. Prazeres with a takedown at 4:00 but just stands up as he wants no part of Burns’ ground game. 10-9 Prazeres 

ROUND 2 – Burns with an inadvertent eye poke early in the 2nd. Burns misses a flying knee but then eats a flurry of punches. 

Prazeres catches a kick and Burns falls to the mat but again Prazeres stays on his feet. Burns lands a couple jumping knees but they don’t seem to faze Prazeres.

Burns stuffed on a couple of takedown attempts and eats a punch combo from Prazeres at 3:45. Prazeres landing more in the last minute. 10-9 Prazeres, 20-18

ROUND 3 – Prazeres knocks him down early with punches and folows Burns to the mat this time. Prazeres all over him with hard punches. 

Prazeres stands up and forces Burns to his feet. Burns doing nothing but retreating and eating punches.

Prazeres mixing in leg kicks along with the head strikes. Crowd really hating this as they’re both just keeping their distance. 

They exchange hard body kicks at 4:30 and then start throwing down. Pretty clear 10-9 Prazeres as he gets a late takedown to seal it. 30-27 overall

RESULT – MICHEL PRAZERES (21-2) by unanimous decision

HOT TAKE – This fight did neither guy any favors. First off, it was boring. Secondly, Prazeres missed weight so Burns has that buillt-in excuse. More importantly, Prazeres was clearly afraid to go to the ground with Burns and didn’t have much finishing instinct on his feet. Burns has been disappointing since coming into UFC with a lot of hype. He could get cut with another performance like this. 

FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT

> Godofredo Pepey (12-4, 4-4 UFC) vs. Mike de la Torre (14-5 1 NC, 2-2 1 NC UFC)
Featherweights

Pepey is the home country favorite. He’s also one year younger, at 29, and has a 2.5 inch reach advantage. De La Torre is 4 inches taller. Fight is a pick em by the oddsmakers. Mario Yamasaki is the referee.

ROUND 1 – Pepey staggers De La Torre with a spinning back early but De La Torre weathers it well and actually gets a takedown 30 seconds in. 

Both guys swinging wildly and landing a lot of them. De La Torre is rocked and barely on his feet. Crowd going nuts. 

Pepey takes his back standing and drags him down. Pepey with the body lock and working for a rear naked choke. 

Pepey gets the choke and the quick tap at 3:00

WINNER – GODOFREDO PEPEY (13-4) by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:03

HOT TAKE – That was a wild 3 minute fight and Pepey was just relentless. That’s 4 wins in 5 fights with the only loss coming to the very tough Darren Elkins and he should get a much higher ranked guy next. De La Torre looked completely out of it 1 minute in but managed to last another couple minutes on heart alone. 

> Thiago Santos (#15, 13-4, 5-3 UFC) vs. Eric Spicely (8-1, 0-1 UFC)
Middleweights

Santos is the local here. He’s 3 years older, at 32, and has a 3 inch reach advantage. Spicely is 1 inch taller. Santos is the biggest betting favorite on the card besides Cyborg. Big John is the ref.

ROUND 1 – Spicely with a couple early takedown attempts but Santos sprawls out on the second and ends up on top. Spicely with an armbar attempt from the bottom but Santos escapes and to his feet at 1:30.

Spicely gets a takedown. Spicely not doing a lot from top position but is trying to advantce. Spicely takes his back but Santos to his feet at 2:45. 

Spicely with a rear naked choke and takes it to the mat and gets the tap.

RESULTS – ERIC SPICELY (9-1) by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:58

HOT TAKE – Huge win for Spicely as he was on the verge of being cut. That’s 2 straight losses for Santos although the last was against top contender Gegard Mousasi so he isn’t going anywhere. Spicely looked very confident and his ground game has improved a lot since working with Tri-Star. Crowd was deathly quiet at the end of this. 

> Francisco Trinaldo (20-4, 10-3 UFC) vs. Paul Felder (12-2, 4-2 UFC)
Lightweights

Trinaldo is the Brazilian here. He’s 38 and 6 years older. Felder has a 2 inch height and half inch reach advantage. Trinaldo is the slight betting favorite at -135. Osiris Maia is the referee. 

ROUND 1 – They keep their distance for the first part of the fight, mainly just trading single kicks. Trinaldo starting to take over at the 2:00 mark, landing a lot of punches and backing Felder up to the cage.

They battle on the cage for a couple minutes with Trinaldo controlling things. They separate in the last minute and it’s pretty even on the feet. 10-9 Trinaldo

ROUND 2 – Trinaldo cut under the right eye from a Felder punch early in the round. Trinaldo gets a takedown 2:00 in.

An elbow from Trinaldo opens up a cut around Felder’s right eye and it’s bleeding pretty heavily. Trinaldo with a guillotine attempt but Felder fights him off.

Hard elbows to the head from Trinaldo as he’s trying to advance but Felder manages to get to his feet at 4:00. Trinaldo still controlling his back but Felder works around to front position with 15 seconds left. 10-9 Trinaldo, 20-18 overall

ROUND 3 – Felder is pretty fresh coming out for the round and more aggressive to start. First 2:00 pretty even with both guys landing single shots.

Trinaldo opens up the cut again with an elbow and hte ref stops the fight to check on the cut. The doctor stops it.

RESULT – FRANCISCO TRINALDO (21-4) by TKO (referee stoppage due to a cut) at 2:25

HOT TAKE – That’s seven straight wins for Trinaldo, who almost assuredly will move into the top 15. Felder’s a tough guy and wanted to continue despite the gruesome cut. He always delivers in his fights so he’ll stick around. 

> Roy Nelson (#11, 21-13, 8-9 UFC) vs. Antonio SIlva (#15, 19-9-1, 3-6 1 NC UFC)
Heavyweights

Nelson is the -450 betting favorite and looks fatter than ever. Silva with a 17 lb weight, 4 inch height and 8 inch reach advantage. At 37, he’s also 3 years younger. Big John McCarthy is the ref and for once may be the smallest guy in the Octagon. 

ROUND 1 – Silva throwing mostly kicks early. Nelson keeping his distance but throwing, and landing, occasional punches early. 

Silva doesn’t seem to be affected much by Nelson’s punches through 3:00. Silva continuing to land hard leg kicks and also getting off punch combos. 

Nelson stuffed on a takedown attempt and they end up in a cage clinch with not a lot happening. Close round, 10-9 Silva

ROUND 2 – Nelson a little more aggressive to start but Silva still landing kicks to the legs and body. One of them lands low at 2:00, forcing a break.

Silva rushes Nelson on the restart and tries for a takedown but Nelson defends it. Nelson lands a couple really hard punches to the head but Silva seems to be okay.

Nelson drops him at 4:00 with a punch and Big John stops it after a couple more punches on the ground. 

RESULT – ROY NELSON (22-13) by KO (punch) at 4:10 of the 2nd round

HOT TAKE – That last longer than anyone thought it would and Silva looked okay until he got tagged. That said, he’s beyond done as a fighter and should really never be fighting again. Nelson was angry with McCarthy as he thought it should’ve been stopped earlier. He’s really not all that much better but will be around as long as he wants to be. 

Nelson said he was maybe one fight away from a title shot. At least I think that’s what he was saying. He’s not, by the way. He did confirm that he thought it was a late stoppage and didn’t want to keep punching Bigfoot because they’re friends. He’s probably going to get fined as he laid his hands on McCarthy. 

> Renan Barao (33-4 1 NC, 8-3 UFC) vs. Phillipe Nover (11-6-1, 1-4 UFC)
Featherweights

Barao is 3 years younger, 3 inches shorter and Nover has a 2 inch reach advantage. Nover is a +350 betting underdog. Big John is the ref for the 2nd straight fight. 

ROUND 1 – Nover more active early, landing punches and body kicks. Barao gets caught by a counter punch when he goes in for his first combo and gets staggered a bit at 2:00.

Barao starting to pick up the pace halfway through the round. Barao mixing in punches and leg kicks. Really close round. 10-9 Barao

ROUND 2 – Barao comes out firing, mixing in punches and leg kicks. Barao with a flying knee and follows up with punches, which staggers Nover at 1:30.

Nover hanging in though and connecting with leg kicks of his own in the 2nd half of the round. Barao picking it up again in the last minute and gets a takedown with 15 seconds left. 10-9 Barao, 20-18

ROUND 3 – Barao gets a takedown at 1:15 after fairly even standup to start the round. Nover gets up fairly quickly. 

Nover more aggressive but also leaving himself open to getting hit more. Barao with a takedown attempt at 4:30 and completes it right before the round ends. 10-9 Barao, 30-27

RESULT – RENAN BARAO (34-4) by unanimous decision (29-28 x 2; 30-27) 

HOT TAKE –  Barao basically held serve there but he needed a more impressive win here to establish himself in a very tough division and after losing his first fight at 145 to Jeremy Stephens. Nover actually improved his stock in losing by going the distance with a former champion. 

> Cris Cyborg (16-1 1 NC, 1-0 UFC) vs. Lina Lansberg (6-1, 0-0 UFC)
Women’s 140-pound catchweight

Cyborg is 3 years younger, has a 1 inch heigh and 2.5 inch reach advantage. This isn’t on the tale of the tape but she’s probably a good 20 lbs heavier than Lansberg in the cage as well. Mario Yamaski will officiate this massacre.

ROUND 1- They tie up in a cage clinch early and Cyborg landing knees to the body. Lansberg doing a good job holding the arms of Cyborg for a little while at least.

Cyborg gets free and unloads with punches at 2:00 but Lansberg manages to tie her up again. Ref breaks up the clinch at 3:00. 

They clinch up again and go right back to the cage. Cyborg takes her down at 3:45. Cyborg into mount and unloading with punches. Lansberg manages to escape and get to her feet though at 4:15.

Cyborg unloading on her and Lansberg’s face is all busted up. She manages to last the round though. 10-9 Cyborg

ROUND 2 – Could’ve easily gone 10-8 in the first but this isn’t going the distance anyway. Cyborg all over her to start the round but Lansberg manages to clinch up again at 30 seconds.

Cyborg takes her down at 1:15 and right into side control. Cyborg throwing a lot of punches and gives up position to posture up. 

Cyborg with elbows and punches to the face and Lansberg barely covering up, not really defending at all. Ref finally stops it after way too many elbows and punches. 

RESULT – CRIS CYBORG (17-1) by TKO (punches and elbows) at 2:29 of the 2nd round

HOT TAKE – Cyborg seemed like she was having fun in there. Lansberg obviously lasted longer than anyone expected but the outcome was never in doubt. If this show does a good number, they can keep having her headline shows for a few more years. Lansberg will hopefully get a shot in UFC against someone in her actual weight class. 

Jon Anik asked Cyborg what’s next. She just wants to put on super fights for her fans and make them happy. No callout of Ronda or Holly. 

Lina Lansberg got some interview times as well. She said it was f—ing funny…not quite the reaction you’d expect after getting the crap beat out of her. Her eye was swollen up and she was covered in blood but smiling. Couldn’t help but like her after that. 

UFC Fight Night 82: Hendricks vs. Thompson weigh-in results and live video

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night 82: Hendricks vs. Thompson weigh-ins from the Grand Ballroom at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fighters will hit the scale at 7 PM eastern time. The card airs on Saturday with the main card on FOX Sports 1 at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off at 7 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FOX Sports 1 at 8 PM eastern time with additional preliminary bouts. This event was originally scheduled to be UFC 196 headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship bout, but was moved to a free card on FOX Sports 1 after both Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez pulled out of the main event due to injuries. This will be the UFC’s first Super Bowl Weekend card to be featured on free television.

The event is now headlined by a five-round bout in the UFC’s welterweight division as former UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks looks to get back into a title fight as he takes on rising contender Stephen Thompson, winner of five straight bouts. In the co-main event on the evening, it will be former TUF winner and fan favorite Roy Nelson looking to end a three-fight losing skid as he takes on Jared Rosholt, winner of three straight fights. In an interesting bout headlining the preliminary portion on UFC Fight Pass, it will be Mickey Gall taking on Mike Jackson in a bout where Gall, if he wins, means he will take on C.M. Punk in Punk’s UFC debut later this year.

MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT):
Johny Hendricks (170) vs. Stephen Thompson (170)
Roy Nelson (258) vs. Jared Rosholt (245)
Ovince Saint Preux (206) vs. Rafael Cavalcante (205)
Joseph Benavidez (125) vs. Zach Makovsky (125)
Misha Cirkunov (206) vs. Alex Nicholson (201)
Mike Pyle (170) vs. Sean Spencer (170)

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):
Josh Burkman (156) vs. K.J. Noons (156)
Derrick Lewis (263) vs. Damian Grabowski (235)
Ray Borg (125) vs. Justin Scoggins (125)
Noad Lahat (145) vs. Diego Rivas (144)

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 7 PM ET/4 PM PT):
Mickey Gall (170) vs. Mike Jackson (170)
Artem Lobov (145) vs. Alex White (145)

UFC Fight Night 75 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

After a three-week break, which in this day-and-age is a long break, the Octagon returns on Saturday night as the UFC makes its now annual trip to Japan for UFC Fight Night 75 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The main card airs on FOX Sports 1 on Saturday night, with preliminary action taking place on FOX Sports 2.

The event will be headlined by a five-round bout in the UFC’s heavyweight division as veterans Josh Barnett and Roy Nelson square off following a coaching stint on the UFC Fight Pass exclusive television show, UFC: Road To Japan. The finals of that reality event will also take place on the card as Mizuto Hirota meets Teruto Ishihara. In the co-main event of the evening, former Strikeforce and DREAM champion Gegard Mousasi takes on Uriah Hall, who steps in as an injury replacement for the toughest bout of his career. The rest of the card will be filled with Japanese fighters. Let’s take a closer look at the night’s action and find five storylines to keep an eye on as we head into Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night 75 event.

1. Who has more left to give in their career: Josh Barnett or Roy Nelson?

Josh Barnett and Roy Nelson meet in the main event of Saturday’s event, and it is an interesting time in both men’s careers as they head into their headline bout. They coached eight fighters during UFC: Road To Japan in the lead-up to this event, and now they meet in a fight where both could be fighting for their UFC futures. It’s not to say either man will be cut due to the depth issues in the UFC’s heavyweight division, but Barnett is 37-years old and Nelson is 39-years old, and their best days are likely behind them. Barnett also hasn’t fought in over a year-and-a-half as he was last seen in the Octagon eating elbows from Travis Browne in a 60-second loss at UFC 168 in December 2013. Nelson has lost four of his last five fights, and he hasn’t looked all that competitive in those losses. His only win in over two years was a knockout win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who recently retired.

Barnett has had a lot of success in his career in Japan, and returning to action there may be quite the confidence boost for him. His time away should have gotten him healthy, but it will be interesting to see if he suffers from any form of rust. His only losses since 2006 have come to Browne and Daniel Cormier, so it’s not like he has been getting blown away by lesser fighters. Meanwhile, Nelson has only fought once in Japan, and it came one year ago when he was knocked out by Mark Hunt. It was the only time in Nelson’s career he has truly been knocked out, and it came at the hands of one of the hardest hitters in the sport. It is hard to envision a repeat of that on Saturday night.

All of Nelson’s wins in the UFC have come by knockout and he will be looking to do the same for Barnett. It has seemed for the longest time that Nelson has given up on following a gameplan in looking to headhunt. He either gets the knockout or he struggles mightily and doesn’t look good. Barnett has good wrestling and good submissions and a style to make Nelson look bad if Nelson can’t land the big right hand. Barnett will probably look to drag the fight out, but he will also want to test the chin of Nelson to see if there is anything left there. It’s heavyweights and anything can happen, but this fight has the chance to be a long, drawn-out and not neccessarily exciting fight. I like Barnett to get the win in this one as I see him having more to give at this stage in his career.

2. Can Uriah Hall score the upset win over Gegard Mousasi?

Gegard Mousasi is one a decent roll in the UFC’s middleweight division, scoring wins in his last two fights. His only UFC losses have come to Lyoto Machida and Ronaldo Souza, and he is currently ranked sixth in the UFC’s middleweight rankings. He is on the cusp of title contention, but has yet to beat a top-five ranked opponent. He was to face Roan Carneiro at this event, but with Carneiro being forced out due to injury, Uriah Hall stepped in to take a huge opportunity. It is going from a ranked opponent to an unranked opponent for Mousasi, but this is probably a more dangerous fight for him due to the striking prowess of Hall. Hall has solid kickboxing skills and is a violent opponent if he can connect. He fought recently, scoring a first-round TKO win over Oluwale Bamgbose on August 8 in Nashville. Stepping in on short notice will receive some good faith from the UFC brass, but he has a tough test.

Mousasi tends to, at times, fight below his skill level. He is highly talented and a legitmate contender to be a title challenger in the near future. He can have a boring and plodding style, but it is effective. Hall sometimes comes up mentally short, and he tends to fight below his skill set. Fighting Mousasi can be extremely frustrating, and it will likely get in the head of Hall. Mousasi may look to take the fight to the mat, and Hall would prefer to keep the fight on the feet. For all of Hall’s flashy kickboxing skills, Mousasi is a better overall striker. This is definitely Mousasi’s fight to lose. I don’t see Hall being able to score the upset, but funnier things have happened in the UFC. However, Mousasi will take this fight the distance and score an uneventful decision win.

3. Can Kyoji Horiguchi and Takeya Mizugaki rebound in their home country?

Kyoji Horiguchi and Takeya Mizugaki are the only Japanese fighters ranked in the top ten of their divisions, and both have fought for championships during their time under the Zuffa banner. Horiguchi is coming off a loss to Demetrious Johnson when he challenged for the UFC Flyweight Championship at UFC 186 in April. Mizugaki challeged for the WEC Bantamweight Championship in his Zuffa debut, losing a decision to Miguel Torres in April 2009 in one of the best fights in WEC history. Mizugaki is looking to bounce back from two straight losses to Dominick Cruz and Aljamain Sterling that ended his five-fight win streak.

Horiguchi will take on Chico Camus, who is looking to bounce back from a loss to Henry Cejudo at UFC 188 in June. Camus was looking to get into title contention after an impressive flyweight debut win over Brad Pickett, and he will be looking to improve on his record of just three wins in seven UFC bouts. Mizugaki will be taking on long-time UFC and WEC veteran George Roop, who returns after being out of the Octagon since a first-round knockout loss to Rob Font at UFC 175 in July 2014. Roop is just 4-5 since returning to the UFC following the WEC merger, and he could very well be fighting for his UFC future. The same could be said for Camus, so Horiguchi and Mizugaki will need to be impressive in front of their home country fans.

4. Katsunori Kikuno and Diego Brandao both have title aspirations. Who takes a step forward?

Admittedly, this fourth storyline was originally written about Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto, who was scheduled to compete on this card against Matt Hobar. However, both Yamamoto and Hobar fell victim to the injury bug, and the bout was scrapped from the card. The featured preliminary bout between Katsunori Kikuno and Diego Brandao was moved to the main card, and it takes this spot on our preview. Brandao is a former winner of The Ultimate Fighter, but he has had mixed success, sporting a 5-3 record in the Octagon, but those losses have come to Darren Elkins, Dustin Poirier and current interim champion Conor McGregor, all tough opponents. He won his last bout by stopping Jimy Hettes at the end of the first round in April.

Kikuno is just 2-2 in the UFC and is coming into the fight off a first-round knockout loss to Kevin Souza in March. He has talked lately about his big aspirations of being champion, but it is entirely possible that he is fighting for his UFC career in this bout. Both of his losses have come by knockout in the first round, but he did score an impressive submission win over Sam Sicilia in Japan last September. Both men are far away from title contention, but should be able to put together a nice little scrap on Saturday night. Brandao has a penchant for being violent, and Kikuno does have the suspect chin. I expect to see Brandao getting his hand raised and taking a step forward in the 145-pound division.

5. What else on the card is there to look forward to?

With this being a fight night event in Japan, the card is filled with Japanese fighters. In fact, nine of the eleven total bouts feature Japanese fighters. The fight card also features the finals of the “UFC: Road To Japan” when featherweights Mizuto Hirota and Teruto Ishihara meet. Hirota has fought in the UFC twice before, losing both bouts, but he returns on the heels of a three-fight win streak. Ishihara will grace the Octagon for the first time, and both of his career losses have come to fighters who have UFC experience.

In preliminary action, Keita Nakamura makes his return to the UFC on short notice when he fights Li Jingliang. A pair of lightweight bouts take place as Germany’s Nick Hein takes on the debuting Yusuke Kasuya, and Naoyuki Kotani takes on Kajan Johnson. All four of those bouts take place on FOX Sports 2. In the lone bout on UFC Fight Pass, Shinsho Anzai takes on Roger Zapata, who will be making his UFC debut after competing on season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Full UFC Fight Night 75 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions

MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)

Heavyweights: (#8) Josh Barnett vs. (#11) Roy Nelson
Betting Odds: Barnett (-260), Nelson (+220)
Prediction: Barnett by decision

Middleweights: (#6) Gegard Mousasi vs. Uriah Hall
Betting Odds: Mousasi (-450), Hall (+360)
Prediction: Mousasi by decision

Flyweights: (#7) Kyoji Horiguchi vs. (#13) Chico Camus
Betting Odds: Horiguchi (-365), Camus (+255)
Prediction: Horiguchi by decision

Bantamweights: (#8) Takeya Mizugaki vs. George Roop
Betting Odds: Mizugaki (-245), Roop (+175)
Prediction: Mizugaki by submission in round 2

Featherweights: Katsunori Kikuno vs. Diego Brandao
Betting Odds: Kikuno (+170), Brandao (-230)
Prediction: Brandao by knockout in round 1

UFC: Road To Japan Featherweight Finals: Mizuto Hirota vs. Teruto Ishihara
Betting Odds: Hirota (-245), Ishihara (+175)
Prediction: Hirota by submission in round 1

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 2- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

Welterweights: Keita Nakamura vs. Li Jingliang
Betting Odds: Nakamura (+170), Jingliang (-230)
Prediction: Jingliang by knockout in round 2

Lightweights: Nick Hein vs. Yusuke Kasuya
Betting Odds: Hein (-280), Kasuya (+200)
Prediction: Hein by decision

Lightweights: Naoyuki Kotani vs. Kajan Johnson
Betting Odds: Kotani (+190), Johnson (-270)
Prediction: Johnson by submission in round 3

Welterweights: Shinsho Anzai vs. Roger Zapata
Betting Odds: Anzai (-130), Zapata (-110)
Prediction: Zapata by decision