For the first time since April 2014, the Bellator heavyweight title will be defended.
Saturday’s Bellator 226 from San Jose, CA, is headlined by heavyweight champion Ryan Bader defending against Cheick Kongo, coincidentally the man who last competed for the title back in April 2014 when he was defeated by then-champion Vitaly Minakov.
Bader defeated Fedor Emelianenko in the finals of the Heavyweight Grand Prix earlier this year to win the belt, completing a tournament in which two of the bouts lasted less than 35 seconds. Kongo, a fixture in Bellator since 2013, is riding an eight fight win streak.
We’re looking for your thoughts on today’s UFC show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
The event also features the kickoff of the Featherweight Grtand Prix with four fights including former champion Daniel Strauss vs. Derek Campos, former champion Pat Curran vs. undefeated prospect Adam Borics, undefeated prospect Tywan Claxton vs. Emmanuel Sanchez, and Sam Sicilia vs. Pedro Carvalho.
The main card will air exclusively on DAZN starting at 10 PM Eastern.
By Dave Meltzer
DANIEL CAREY (6-3) VS. GASTON BOLANOS (5-1), FEATHERWEIGHTS
First round: Bolanos is the bigger crowd favorite. They are both from Northern California. Slow open. Bolanos thowing some low kicks. He landed two punches. Both very cautious. Front kick by Bolanos. Left landed by Bolanos. Bolanos pushed him against the fence. Carey grabbed a jumping guillotine and it’s over.. 4:19
Carey did a spoof of a call-out, challenging Chael Sonnen. He laughed because obvously there’s about 60 pounds difference there.
The next four fights are all featherweight tournament first round fights. This tournament will continue in three weeks in Los Angeles and will take up to a year to finish.
EMMANUEL SANCHEZ (18-4) VS. TYWAN CLAXTON (5-0), FEATHERWEIGHTS
First round: Sanchez came out twisting his nipples like Rashad Evans and rolling his wrist like Wanderlei Silva. He missed a flying knee right away. Claxton with the takedown and drove him into the cage. Knee by Claxton as he tried another takedown but didn’t get it. Another takedown by Claxton. Claxton mostly wrestling him, and not getting many shots in. Sanchex is back up. Now Sanchez took Claxton down and got mount. Sanchez had him in trouble when time ran out. Sanchez nearly took the round by winning the last few seconds but I’ve got Claxton 10-9 in the first.’
Second round: Claxton tried a jumpng knee but it didn’t land. Both are going for a takedown and neither got it. Sanchez has Claxton pushed up agiasn the fence. Sanchez tried some stomping on the foot. Claxton got the takedown. Sanchez is working on a triagnle and punching Claxton as well. Claxton escaped. Sanchez is back working for the triangle. Sanchez is landing a ton of elbows while holding the triangle. The ref stopped the fight. Sanchez moves to the quarterfinals. 4:11.
SAM SICILIA (17-9) VS. PEDRO CARVALHO (10-3), FEATHERWEIGHTS
First round: Siciala slipped throwing a high kick. Body kick by Cafrvalho. Another body kick by Caval;ho and he landed a punch. Sicilia got the takedown. Sicilia stacked him up. Now Sicilia has got his back and is working for a choke. Sicilia landed punches after Carvahlo got up. Sicliia took him down again. Sicilia got his back again. Carvalho reversed to the top. Carvalho working or a guillotine. Now Siciilia is in troube. Sicilia escaped. Carvalho is still on top throwing some punches as the round ended. 10-9 Carvalho
Second round: Nice left and body kiclk by Carlvalho. Sicilia missed on punches. Body kick by Carvalho. Carvalho with a left and Siciilia missed a backfist. Nice left by Carvalho. Another left landed by Carvalho. Sicilia landed some good punches. Hard body kick by Carvalho. Carvalho got the takedown. Now Carvalho has Sicilia’s back. He’s working for a choke. It looked more like neck crank and Sicilia tapped out. 1:06
PAT CURRAN (23-8) VS. ADAM BORICS (13-0), FEATHERWEIGHTS
First round: Borics is coming off his knockout win over Aaron Pico. Curran is a two-time Bellator champion. Hard low kicks by Borics. Borics with more low kicks. He missed a spinning kick. Head kick by Borics. Slow round. Borics landed a right. Borics tried a jumping kick but it didn’t land. Lots of Ric Flair’s Whoo’s all over the place with little happening. Borics 10-9.
Second round: Still little happening. Fans are starting to boo now. Now they are booing loudly. Borics is at least the more aggressive in not landing much past some low kicks Borics landeed a knee that dropped Curran and got his back. Borics is landing a lot of punches from the toip on the gorund. Borics is now landing big punches and elbows on the ground as time is running out. It really can be stopped now. Time ran out but ref Frank Trigg waved it off right after the round ended. 4:59
DEREK CAMPOS (19-9) VS. DANIEL STRAUS (26-8), FEATHERWEIGHTS
First round: Straus slipped throwing a high kick and Campos jumped on top. Campos on top wrestling him but not doing any damage. Campos landing some body punches but still mostly just rode out the round. 10-8 Campos.
Second round: Campos took him right down. Same as round one. Campos is on top and just wrestling him. He threw a quick elbow. Fans are starting to boo. Campos is throwing body punches. Campos is in full mount. He landed enough to keep busy but never had Straus in trouble of being finished. Still, complete domination, 20-16 Campos.
Third round: Campos got another takedown. Campos moved to mount and now working for a head and arm choke. Straus hasn’t been able to get up the entire fight. It’s as one-sided a long fight as you’ll see. Straus finally got up with 29 seocnds left. Straus hurt his shoudler, Campos threw a jumping kick, landed a punch and Campos threw Straus down. Campos tried to do a cartwheel guard pass to entertain fans as time ran out. 30-24 Campos.
Scores: 30-26, 30-25, 30-25 for Campos
This was more Straus doing nothing than Campos looking great. It’s hard to tell who was the best of tonight’s four winners, but it seemed to be Sanchez.’
RYAN BADER (27-5) VS. CHEICK KONGO (30-10-2) FOR BELLATOR HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
First round: Bader landed a good left. Bader landd another one. Kongo tried for a takedown. Bader with a knee ana another knee and punches. Bader with a left. Bader got the takedown. Bader moved to side control. Bader moved to mount. Bader is keeping Kongo down. Bader got his finger in Kongo’s eye. The ref saw it and stopped the action. The doctor came in. Koingo was having trouble seeing. Bader actaully got him in one eye and then the other. Bader was in complete control when this happened. It was ruled a no contest. Talk about anti-climactic. 3:50
Bader said he didnt’ know his finger went in the eye.
Between NXT TakeOver, the Royal Rumble and Bellator MMA, last weekend was another great one for combat sports couch potatoes.
I had a few things to get off my chest with all the happenings, so I brought in pro wrestling fan and MMA Fighting deputy managing editor Marc Raimondi back into our Punch-Out life to be my podcast sounding board.
Among the things we talked about:
His feelings on last Sunday’s Royal Rumble and what we liked and didn’t like
How he was able to catch some of TakeOver while on press row for Saturday’s Bellator show
Who is to blame for how Aaron Pico’s promising career has stopped and started at this early stage
The feel-good story that is new Bellator champ-champ Ryan Bader
What our hopes and dreams are with the meat of the UFC-ESPN era kicking off this weekend
The rise of the A Side podcast on MMA Fighting and what people have requested the most
As the kids say, it’s a fun show as always so check it out.
After a year and six fights, the finals of the Bellator heavyweight Grand Prix are finally here. Chael Sonnen, Frank Mir, Matt Mitrione, King Mo, Roy Nelson, and Rampage Jackson all fell by the wayside and now, Fedor Emelianenko and Ryan Bader remain.
Luke Thomas pointed out on this week’s MMA Beat that while the sports world is buzzing about the length of time between Tom Brady’s first Super Bowl and this year’s big game, Fedor has been in the game for an incredible 19 years, most of which has been at a high level.
Bader is the company’s light heavyweight champion, but the fight is lacking that champ-champ feel. Perhaps that’s because the vacant heavyweight title has been pushed far into the background throughout this whole tournament in favor of the Grand Prix name. Bader has looked great in this new weight class and his signing several years ago continues to pay off dividends for all parties involved.
Did you know they haven’t had a heavyweight champion in nearly three years? Very odd.
Anyway, Aaron Pico is also on the show and could earn a title shot with a big win, but the bigger news for our audience is the MMA debut of Jake Hager, the former WWE champion Jack Swagger. He has a great pedigree as a college wrestler, but at 36 years old, this is a big shift. He faces a relatively inexperienced fighter in J.W. Kiser on the main card.
Paul Fontaine kicks us off with results from the main event, the Pico fight and the Hager fight later tonight.
**********
Earlier in the show:
Adel Altamimi (8-5) submitted Brandon Macmahan (5-7) with an armbar in the first round. Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt was in the corner of Altamimi and celebrated with him in the cage afterward.
Juan Archuleta (22-1) won an unanimous decision (29-28 x 3) over Ricky Bandejas (11-2). Archuleta was cornered by UFC champion TJ Dillashaw. This was a good fight and worth checking out if you have DAZN.
Bellator announced 2 title fights for April 27 in San Jose with Rory McDonald defending his welterweight title against Jon Fitch, which is also a first round match in the welterweight Grand Prix. Ilema-Lei MacFarlane and Veta Artega meet up for MacFarlane’s flyweight belt.
Leading up to the Hager fight, analyst Frank Mir talked about taking on a former WWE champion himself earlier in his career when he faced Brock Lesnar. The commentators joked that Hager and Lesnar had legit credentials as compared to another former WWE champ, CM Punk, who also tried MMA and didn’t do so well.
Jake Hager vs. J.W. Kiser – heavyweights
Hager reprised his WWE catchphrase of “We The People” to zero reaction from the crowd during his entrance. Ron Killings, aka R-Truth, sang his entrance song. Not making that up.
Hager has a 6 inch height and 12 inch reach advantage over his opponent, who is also 3 years older and giving up about 20 lbs of weight.
Hagger gets a takedown to start. Mick Foley tweeting support. Heger with a Kumura attempt as he eats punches from Kiser. Goldberg mentions Bautista, Lashley, Lesnar and CM Punk as former pro wrestlers who have done MMA. Hager landing punches to the head and sets up an arm triangle and gets the quick tap.
Official result – Jake Hager (1-0) by submission (head and arm choke) at 2:09
Hager said that hard work paid off and gave a shout-out to Parry, OK and, not surprisingly, he got no reaction from the LA crowd. They clearly have no idea who he is or just don’t care because he’s not getting any more reaction than any other 1-0 fighter. He promised to be in the Bellator cage alot and says he’ll be fighting for the next decade.
He addressed Vince McMahon telling him not to lose by saying “Sometimes to convince Vince, you have to con Vince”. Again, zero reaction and he again tried the “We The People” gimmick to no reaction.
Aaron Pico vs. Henry Corrales
Corrales is a real fighter who has only 3 losses, all to former Bellator champions, in his career. Pico has the crowd chanting for him from the start of the fight.
Pico stunned Corrales with an uppercut 45 seconds in. Corrales recovers and lands a combo that knocks Pico out cold.
Official result – Henry Corrales (17-3) by knockout (punches) at 1:07
While Corrales was giving his post-fight promo, the camera was showing Pico walking back to the cage. There is a reason why fighters are brought up slowly and why prospects are generally protected early in their careers and this is it. Corrales is a world title contender and Pico was not even close to being ready for him. Corrales asked for a rematch with Patricio Pitbull, who beat him in a fight he took on short notice first time out. His promo was expletive-ridden and I watched on DAZN so not sure how much of it would’ve made air on Paramount.
Andrew Whitworth of the LA Rams was interviewed in the crowd and got a lot of boos in advance of next week’s Super Bowl. Must be Chargers fans at the Forum tonight. He was asked for a prediction in the main event and took Bader, which drew a mixed reaction from the crowd.
Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix/Vacant Championship Finals: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Ryan Bader
Both national anthems were played in their entirely. A ton of down-time on this show with all the early finishes and a 3 hour broadcast window to fill for 5 fights, only 3 of which anyone cares about.
Still kind of unreal that Fedor is fighting for a major world title in 2019. Bader looks like he’s giving up some size,
Bader knocks out Fedor with the first punch of the fight, a left hook. Frank Mir had called that earlier in the night as being what Fedor would need to look out for.
Official result – Ryan Bader (27-5) by KO (punch) at 35 seconds
Bader got two more belts with the heavyweight title as well as a belt for winning the Grand Prix. Bader said it was an honor just to be in “the ring” with Fedor.
Bader said he would talk to his team and see what he would do but that he would like to defend both belts if at all possible. He also said he loved the idea of the tournament and put over Bellator for making it happen. He got a nice reaction from the crowd, who seemed pro-Fedor before the fight.
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.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 100: Bader vs. Nogueira 2, eminating from Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The second of two UFC events today is headlined by a five-round bout in the light heavyweight division as fourth-ranked Ryan Bader takes on ninth-ranked Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Bader stepped in as a replacement for Alexander Gustafsson, who pulled out due to a back injury. This is the second time Bader and Nogueira will fight, after having previously fought at UFC 119 in September 2010. Bader won that fight by unanimous decision, and he looks to repeat that result here.
In the co-main event, bantamweight prospect Thomas Almeida looks to rebound from the first loss of his career as he takes on unbeaten Albert Morales, in a big test for his second UFC bout. Also on the main card is Claudia Gadelha, who looks to get back into strawweight title contention following her July loss to champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, as she takes on Cortney Casey, winner of two straight fights.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
Darren Stewart (8-0) beat Francimar Barroso by TKO at 1:34
Stewart hit an accidental headbutt that the ref missed and may have had his jaw broken. Stewart finished him with ground and pound.
Can’t really tell much about Stewart but he did win his UFC debut. He’s a pretty small light heavyweight and will probably drop a weight class for his next fight.
Stewart apologized “if it was a headbutt”, saying he’s not that kind of fighter. Crowd not happy with him. He tried to play up to the crowd but that only made them boo him more.
Theme for tonight is Brazil vs The World so right now we’re at – WORLD 1 BRAZIL 0
Pedro Munhoz (13-2) submitted Justin Scoggins at 1:55 of the 2nd round
This was crazy. Scoggins was making his bantamweight debut at the #11 flyweight contender and pretty much dominated the first round that was all standup. In the second, he was on his way to doing the same and he slipped after throwing a kick. Munhoz pounced on him and slapped on a guillotine out of nowhere and it was tight and Scoggins tapped quickly.
That was his second straight come from behind win. The crowd was crazy for him and reacted huge for every strike he landed. He’s a Sao Paulo guy and for the 2nd match on a 12 fight card, it’s rare you’ll hear reactions like this.
Score now – BRAZIL 1 WORLD 1
FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
Luis Henrique (10-2) submitted Cristian Colombo (8-2-1) at 2:12 of the third round
Henrique completely dominated Colombo for the whole fight. In round 1 it was pretty even until Henrique took him down and did a lot of damage with ground and pound. Round 2, he took him down at will and opened up a huge cut, which caused a break.
On the restart, the ref let it continue but didn’t put the guys back into position. It didn’t matter as Henrique took him right down again. I had it 20-18 after 2 but you could make a case for a 10-8 2nd. In the third, it was more of the same before Henrique slapped on a mounted guillotine.
This was Henrique’s 2nd straight submission win after losing in his UFC debut. He’s just 23 and could be a real prospect the relatively weak UFC heavyweight division.
We are now at BRAZIL 2 WORLD 1
Johnny Eduardo (28-10) beat Manny Gamburyan (15-10) by TKO at 46 seconds of the 2nd round
First round was really close, like as close to a 10-10 as you’ll see. I gave it to Eduardo as I thought his leg kicks were more effective than Gamburyan’s punching. Early in the second, Eduardo dropped him with a short punch that almost looked like a slip from Gamburyan and then he destroyed him on the ground before ref Mario Yamasaki stopped it.
Eduardo has won 3 of 4 in the bantamweight division since losing his UFC debut. His only loss in that span has been to the very tough Aljamain Sterling. He’s a solid top-10 guy and good to have on these Brazilian shows. Speaking of which…..
BRAZIL 3 WORLD 1
Eduardo was very happy in his post-fight promo, asking for more fights, as he’s only fought 5 times in the last 5 years. Manny Gamburyan basically retired “probably” after the fight. He said it’s been a long road, this is getting really hard. He loves UFC and would like to stick around and help others but he’s done.
Gadzhimurad Antigulov (19-4) submitted Marcos Rogerio de Lima (14-4-1) in 1:07
Very impressive showing by the debuting Russian light heavyweight. He got a quick takedown and then after posturing up to improve position, he ate an upkick but went back into de Lima’s guard. He secured a guillotine and got the quick tap.
That’s 13 wins in a row for Antigulov and he couldn’t have looked better. The crowd, which had been hot all night went quiet so quick, it was like someone had a switch and turned them off. de Lima is not just Brazillian, he’s from Sao Paulo.
Scoreboard now BRAZIL 3 WORLD 2
Cezar Ferreira (11-5) submitted Jack Hermansson (14-3) at 2:11 of the 2nd round
Really close first round that could’ve gone either way. I almost scored it 10-10 but gave it to Ferreira based on more output. Second round Hermansson was looking better on his feet and Ferreira took him down. Hermansson had a weak guillotine attempt that Ferreira easily escaped. He then secured a head and arm choke and Hermansson fought it off for a long time before finally tapping.
BRAZIL 4 WORLD 2
FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD | 9 PM ET/6 PM PT
Sergio Moraes (11-2-1) won a split decision over Zak Ottow (14-4) on scores of 28-29 and 30-27 x 2
I had it 29-28 Moraes. First round, Moraes got a takedown about 2:00 and stayed on top the rest of the round, doing almost no damage. 2nd round was all on the feet and rather close but Ottow was landing the harder shots. Didn’t really think there was much of a question Ottow won the round. 3rd was very close. Moraes got a takedown about a minute in and didn’t do any damage. Ottow made it to his feet and they were fairly even standing.
Moraes claims that he didn’t understand how one judge could’ve thought he lost the fight and promised to never let a fight go to the judges again.
BRAZIL 5 WORLD 2
Kamaru Usman (9-1) won a unanimous decision over Warlley Alves (10-2) on scores of 29-27, 30-26 and 29-28
I scored it 30-26. First round was fairly close and was entirely on the feet. Usman seemed to do more damage. 2nd round was also on the feet and Usman did even more damage. At some point in the round, he may have broken Alves’ nose.
Third round was almost all Usman. He managed to finally get a takedown and dominated on the ground. Alves briefly gained control with a guillotine but after Usman popped out, he did a ton of damage with ground and pound and nearly finished him with an arm triangle.
After the fight, Usman did a great promo, partially in Portugese. He called out Demian Maia, said that with all the BS in this division, he’d fight anyone, even bringing up Conor McGregor.
BRAZIL 5 WORLD 3
They aired a promo for the Rousey/Nunes show on December 30th. Didn’t even mention any other fights and barely mentioned Nunes, the champion.
Krzysztof Jotko (19-1) won a unanimous decision over Thales Leites on scores of 29-27 and 30-27 x 2
I had it 29-28 Jotko but it wasn’t nearly as close as that sounds. First round could’ve gone either way. Leites got a takedown halfway through the round. Jotko reversed and ended up on top. Second round, Jotko started to take over. He got a takedown 2:00 in and pretty much held Leites down for the rest of the round, doing a lot of damage.
In the third, Leites had almost nothing for him. Jotko took him down a few times and did damage. It was never close to being stopped but by the end of the round, Leites was exhausted and his face was a blood mess.
That was the 4th straight win for Jotko, who may move into the top 10 after this. A matchup with someone the level of Uriah Hall would probably be the way to go for him.
BRAZIL 5 WORLD 4
Claudia Gadelha (14-2) won a unanimous decision over Cortney Casey (6-4) on scores of 30-27 x 3
I had the same score and it was pretty obvious. Gadelha dominated the first two rounds, scoring several takedowns. She didn’t do a lot of damage on the ground and completely controlled Casey.
There was some controversy in the third. After scoring a takedown, Gadelha stood up and while Casey was making her way to her feet, Gadelha appeared to kick her with what was clearly an illegal kick. The ref gave Casey time to recover but didn’t deduct a point. The replays showed that the kick at best grazed Casey’s ponytail but may not have even connected.
Gadelha was disappointed after the fight. She wanted a ranked appointment. She thought she should have finished the fight. She promised to be back soon.
BRAZIL 6 WORLD 4
Thomas Almeida (22-1) scores a TKO over Albert Morales (6-1-1) at 1:37 of the 2nd round
Almeida looked great in rebounding from his loss to Cody Garbrandt in May. The first round was crazy with both guys hurting the other. Morales was working for a standing rear naked choke in his best moment of the fight but Almeida shook him off.
In the second, Almeida took over. He clearly had him finished as Morales just stopped fighting back but the ref didn’t stop it so Almeida landed about 20 unnecessary strikes before Morales just crumpled to the ground and the ref finally stepped in. This was a young ref and he had done a bad job in his earlier fights as well.
Almeida put over Morales as a tough guy who can take a lot of punishment. He wouldn’t call anyone out in specific but said he’d like a top 10 opponent next.
BRAZIL 7 WORLD 4, so Brazil will take the night, no matter what happens in the main event.
Ryan Bader (22-4) won by TKO over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (22-8) at 3:51 of the third round
This was as dominant as you’ll ever see in a UFC main event, just a one-sided beatdown. Little Nog hurt Bader a bit early in the first but Bader took him down and kept him there for the rest of the round, doing a ton of damage. No idea how Nogueira survived and he wasn’t even really cut but it was a clear 10-8.
Second round was almost as dominant, I had it 10-8 as well but it was the same thing. Early takedown and extended ground and pound from Bader. Almost no offence at all from Little Nog. Third round was exactly the same and finally Nogueira just stopped fighting back and the ref quickly stepped in to stop it.
Great performance from Bader. They acknowledged that it was the last fight on his contract but he seemed to indicate he’ll re-sign with the promotion and hopes to work his way back into title contention.
Nogueira took a lot of punishment and at 40 years old, he just can’t keep doing this.
After 12 straight hours of UFC action, I’m not the least bit tired of it and I think I’m gonna watch the last two Bellator fights and then Takeover. Thanks for joining me tonight!
If you prefer the play by play style of recap, check me out over at MMADraws.com
sWelcome to our live coverage of UFC Fight Night 93: Arlovski vs. Barnett, emanating from the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany.
The event is headlined by a heavyweight clash between two former UFC Heavyweight Champions as Andrei Arlovski takes on Josh Barnett. A pair of light heavyweight bout round out the top three as former top contender Alexander Gustafsson returns to action against Jan Blachowicz, while Ryan Bader squares off against Ilir Latifi.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 11:45 AM EST with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
ROUND 1- They had an early feeling out process with both men landing strikes but neither dominating on the feet. Khabilov was getting the upper hand on the feet and then started working for takedowns, but Silva had good defense. Silva rocked Khabilov with a left hand and got a takedown into mount with less than a minute to go but Khabilov was able to reverse and ended the round on top landing strikes. A close round but Silva rocking Khabilov and getting the takedown won him the round. 10-9 Silva.
ROUND 2- They traded strikes on the feet with both equally landing but Khabilov landing with more power. The pace really slowed and Khabilov started working for the takedown and got it with an inside trip. Silva showed good defense and went for sweeps but Khabilov landed some punches from inside the guard. Not much to the round as both were tentative on the feet but Khabilov got it with the takedown. 10-9 Khabilov, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Silva landed early and Khabilov went for a takedown but it was defended well. They were warned to work and Khabilov went back to the takedown game but Silva showed good defense. Khabilov got the takedown with over a minute left after working hard for it and started landing punches. They got back to their feet and both started landing and Silva had a takedown stuffed and Khabilov landed to end the fight. Close fight. 10-9 Khabilov, 29-28 Khabilov.
Official Result- Rustam Khabilov def. Leandro Silva by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- The 30-27 score was perplexing as it was a close fight but Silva definitely got the first round. Neither man was overly impressive but Rustam Khabilov did enough to get the win. He isn’t on the same level as he was years ago before fighting Benson Henderson, but that is now three straight wins. He is coming back along nicely. Leandro Silva showed solid takedown defense against a heavy wrestler, and he landed good on the feet, but he couldn’t block the takedowns when needed. He’s lost two straight, but this was a solid effort and he should be back for another UFC fight.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS SCOTT ASKHAM (14-2, 2-2 UFC) VS. JACK HERMANSSON (13-2, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- They traded early and both men got in good punches. They both landed uppercuts in a clinch. Askham landed a solid uppercut at range. They traded big kicks and Askham landed some knees in a clinch. It was a close round but Askham did more with his striking and worked better in the clinches. 10-9 Askham.
ROUND 2- Hermansson came out aggressive but Askham started to get more aggressive in response. Askham was landing cleaner but Hermansson started to come back strong. Hermansson landed some uppercuts in close range. Hermansson with a strong second half of the round closed out with a takedown got this round for him. 10-9 Hermansson, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Hermansson turned on the striking but got a takedown. Askham worked for submissions but they got to their feet. Hermansson started to land a lot of punches. Askham found himself against the fence too much and he ate punches due to it. Askham survived and started to land late and had Hermansson defending a choke late. Askham came on and won the last minute but may have been too little too late. 10-9 Hermansson, 29-28 Hermansson.
Official Result- Jack Hermansson def. Scott Askham by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- A solid back-and-forth fight by both men and it was a lot closer than the two 30-27 scores indicate. Jack Hermansson has now win nine straight fights and will be a solid addition to European UFC cards, but I’m not sure he’ll ever be a true contender in a stacked middleweight division. Scott Askham is now 2-3 in the UFC but has had entertaining fights, and he hasn’t been stopped in his career yet. He showed good skills but fell down early in each round, which has hindered him before. He will be back in the future as he has some solid talent.
HEAVYWEIGHTS JARJIS DANHO (6-1 1 NC, 0-1 UFC) VS. CHRISTIAN COLOMBO (8-1, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Danho was looking at the clock very early but landed right hands. Danho was only looking to land that right hand and work in the clinch. Colombo was getting the upper hand in the clinch. Danho didn’t do much but landed some solid punches and ate an illegal knee. Colombo got docked a point for the illegal strike. They got back to action and not much happened. 9-9.
ROUND 2- They both traded and Colombo fell to the mat and Danho pounced. Colombo started to land some heavy knees. Danho used the same punch then clinch strategy. Both men very tired. Colombo had Danho in trouble. Colombo landed some knees to the body. Colombo had Danho in trouble at the end. This fight is ugly. 10-9 Colombo, 19-18 Colombo.
ROUND 3- They landed punches and both men are tired. Colombo was landing knees to the body. Danho looked like he could pass out at any second. This is honestly one of the worst fights I’ve seen in a while. Colombo went for a kimura and slipped and Dahno ended on top. They got up and Danho landed a few punches that cut open Colombo. Colombo landed some knees towards the end. I don’t know who won this fight. 10-9 Danho, 28-28.
Official Result- Jarjis Danho vs. Christian Colombo ruled a majority draw (27-29, 28-28, 28-28)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This fight was awful. I don’t know what to really say. Jarjis Danho got tired quickly and looked like he was going to pass out at any time. Christian Colombo was slow and sluggish and couldn’t finish Danho when he should have. Colombo would have gotten the decision if he didn’t get deducted a point, which was questionable. A bad heavyweight fight I don’t wanna speak of again.
BANTAMWEIGHTS TAYLOR LAPILUS (10-2, 2-1 UFC) VS. LEANDRO ISSA (13-5, 2-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Issa was just working for takedown after takedown and got a couple. It was clear he didn’t wanna stand with Lapilus. Lapilus was getting the better in the clinch. Lapilus landed a lot of punches on the feet and had Issa rocked. Lapilus with some big punches towards the end of the round. 10-9 Lapilus.
ROUND 2- Lapilus just getting the better of the striking battle. Issa spent time running away from danger. Issa landed some power kicks but Lapilus kept landing power punches and blocking takedown attempts from Issa. Issa was able to grab the neck and pull guard but Lapilus escaped and landed from the top as the round ended. 10-9 Lapilus, 20-18 Lapilus.
ROUND 3- Issa down two rounds and went to work for the takedown but it was defended by Lapilus. Lapilus stunned Issa with a left hand and had Issa running away. Issa went back for the takedowns but couldn’t get them and ate elbows and punches from Lapilus. Lapilus with several left hands but Issa got a scramble takedown but they got right back up. Lapilus landed at the end. This should be a shutout for Lapilus. 10-9 Lapilus, 30-27 Lapilus.
Official Result- Taylor Lapilus def. Leandro Issa by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- The 29-28 score is another indication of bad judging, though it hasn’t robbed a fighter of a decision yet. Taylor Lapilus had a disciplined performance and showed some excellent striking skills and was able to defend takedowns and showed he can be a future contender with more seasoning. Leandro Issa was unable to execute his gameplan and it was obvious he couldn’t stand with Lapilus as he kept running from trouble instead of trying to engage. Falling to 2-3 in the Octagon, it could be the end of him in the UFC for now.
ROUND 1- Macedo landed some kicks early. Evans-Smith was working to establish the clinch and work for takedowns as Macedo was getting the better of the striking. Evans-Smith got the takedown. She flattened Macedo out and was dominant from the top. Evans-Smith almost had a kimura but Macedo scrambled to her feet. They traded to end a good round of action. 10-9 Evans-Smith.
ROUND 2- Macedo landed a head kick and they went right to the clinch. Macedo went for a kneebar but it was defended. They worked in the clinch with both landing before they broke. Evans-Smith out-muscling Macedo in the clinch. Macedo rolled for a kneebar but gave up top position and Evans-Smith capitalized. Evans-Smith with a hip throw at the end after landing some punches. 10-9 Evans-Smith, 20-18 Evans-Smith.
ROUND 3- Evans-Smith defended the takedown and ended on top and started to land lots of punches and tons of big elbows and the fight was stopped by the referee. It should have been stopped much sooner. Impressive finish by Evans-Smith.
Official Result- Ashlee Evans-Smith def. Veronica Macedo by TKO (elbows) at 2:46 of Round 3
INSTANT ANALYSIS- Ashlee Evans-Smith scored the first finish of the card and was impressive in doing so. She has only fought five times in her career and this was her best showing so far in her young career. She looks like an evolving future contender. Veronica Macedo is just 20-years-old and only made her debut in March, but she has already fought a lot. The inexperience showed here but she did start off strong. She’ll be back with hopefully some time away to improve her skills as she is a raw talent.
WELTERWEIGHTS PETER SOBOTTA (15-5-1, 2-4 UFC) VS. NICOLAS DALBY (14-1-1, 1-1-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Sobotta dropped Dalby with a big left hand and swarmed on with a lot of punches looking to finish. Dalby survived. Sobotta with lots of control on the top in side control and he did great at keeping Dalby down on the mat. Sobotta was able to take the back and looked for the choke and had it in for a moment. Dalby survived the round but it was a big one for Sobotta. 10-8 Sobotta.
ROUND 2- Dalby poked Sobotta right in the eye and we had a long break in action. Sobotta dragged Dalby to the mat. Sobotta landing lots of punches from the half-guard. Dalby was just unable to get himself off the mat though he created space and landed some from the bottom. It was just suffocating top pressure from Sobotta who landed punches and worked for some submissions. Dalby survived for the third. 10-9 Sobotta, 20-17 Sobotta.
ROUND 3- Dalby has to finish Sobotta here. They were trading on the feet and Dalby actually getting the better of it. They traded kicks and Sobotta landed a nice left hand. Sobotta landed a body kick and got a takedown. Dalby doing nothing to get up. Sobotta controlling on the mat and grabs the neck. Dalby got to his feet and Sobotta dragged the fight to the end. 10-9 Sobotta, 30-26 Sobotta.
Official Result- Peter Sobotta def. Nicolas Dalby by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was the best performance of Peter Sobotta’s UFC career. He dominated a tough Nicolas Dalby and showed great takedowns and great top control. Dalby had no answer for him and struggled to get to his feet. With just one win in four UFC fights, he may be headed back to the regional promotions. He has good talent but is missing something when fighting inside the Octagon.
WELTERWEIGHTS JESSIN AYARI (15-3, 0-0 UFC) VS. JIM WALLHEAD (29-9, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- They had a feeling out process to start off with both men landing. Wallhead landed a leg kick and a glancing punch that sent Ayari to the mat for a second. Wallhead landed the right hand. They are still feeling each other out and neither man has been able to capitalize much. It was a close round. 10-9 Wallhead.
ROUND 2- Wallhead landed two big punches and had Ayari backtracking. Ayari throwing big punches from outside range but just isn’t engaging and Wallhead lands more big punches. Wallhead spent the round stalking down Ayari and he was getting the better of the action on the feet. Lots of boos coming from the crowd as there is not a whole lot of action. Wallhead lands a combo at the end. 10-9 Wallhead, 20-18 Wallhead.
ROUND 3- This fight is very close after two uneventful rounds. Ayari mixing strikes more and lands to the body. Both men trying to land punches and missing badly and the fans are not happy about it. It is a boring fight. Ayari landed a solid combo. Wallhead dropped Ayari with a big left hook. Wallhead went for the finish but couldn’t get it as Ayari got to his feet. Ayari survived and came back strong late in the fight. Wallhead stunned Ayari at the end. Stong finish for both after a boring fight. 10-9 Wallhead, 30-27 Wallhead.
Official Result- Jessin Ayari def. Jim Wallhead by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- I don’t agree with this decision as I thought Wallhead won the fight. He definitely didn’t lose all three rounds. The rounds were close though except the third. As for the fight, it was rather uneventful and quite boring until a strong third round. Both men were debuting and will be back. It should be a disappointing loss for Wallhead who fought so long to get to the UFC and he will have his back against the wall in his next bout. Ayari has some clear improvement he needs to make.
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 3 PM ET/12 PM PT)
LIGHTWEIGHTS NICK HEIN (13-2 1 NC, 3-1 UFC) VS. TAE HYUN BANG (18-9, 2-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- They didn’t do much early then both men landed punches. Bang landed a solid combo. Hein got a takedown off a right hand and was able to hold Bang down for a good minute. They traded punches and Hein was getting the better of the striking. Neither man did much outside of a takedown from Hein. 10-9 Hein.
ROUND 2- Bang came out with punches and knocked Hein down for a second but Hein got up and went to work in the clinch. They broke and both men continued to feel each other out. Neither man is doing much to win this fight. Hein got a solid takedown after not doing anything on the feet but Bang got up. Bang with a judo throw. Another boring round. 10-9 Hein, 20-18 Hein.
ROUND 3- Let’s see if something, anything, happens here. They are still feeling each other out. They butted heads and Bang is cut open. They keep going but both men just winging punches. Hein misses a takedown. There haven’t been as many boring fights this year than this one. Bang tried to land a combo but Hein was running away. Bang did land. Both landed punches. Thankfully this one is over. 10-9 Hein, 30-27 Hein.
Official Result- Nick Hein def. Tae Hyun Bang by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-28, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- There have been some bad fights tonight and this one was definitely the worst. One of the most boring fights this year, and personally, I hated this one. Nick Hein is 4-1 in the UFC and they have all been boring decision wins. He takes no chances and does nothing in going for a finish, and is one of the most boring fighters in the UFC, and I don’t think he really belongs in there as he doesn’t even face tough competition, having been known for turning down hard fights. I know that sounds like a huge shot at the guy, but he has shown nothing of value. Tae Hyun Bang couldn’t get off any offense and he is just as much at fault for a boring fight. With a 2-3 UFC record and this performance, I don’t think he’ll be back.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (#4) RYAN BADER (20-5, 13-5 UFC) VS. (#12) ILIR LATIFI (12-4 1 NC, 5-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- They had a feeling out process early with both men missing punches. Bader hurt him with a body kick. Latifi was looking to land that big punch but Bader was expecting it and keeping his distance. Latifi tried a takedown off a brief clinch but Bader defended it strongly. Latifi landed an overhand right twice that hit the arm of Bader. Latifi drops Bader with a right hand and rocked him at the end of the round. 10-9 Latifi.
ROUND 2- Bader landed a right hand. Latifi surges forward with punches looking to land a big one. Latifi stuffed a takedown attempt and landed a right hand. Out of nowhere Bader lands a big knee to the face and Latifi is out cold! Big knockout win from Bader.
Official Result- Ryan Bader def. Ilir Latifi by knockout (knee) at 2:06 of Round 2
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was close until the end. Ilir Latifi was getting the better of the battle and left himself open, and Ryan Bader capitalized by landing that huge knee to knock Latifi out cold. Bader was in trouble but fought back and got the finish, his first one in over three-and-a-half years. He is still a contender but has to beat a top contender if he is ever going to get a title shot. Latifi is a solid gatekeeper in the division but after this, I don’t see him ever getting into title contention. He was doing well until the end.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (#2) ALEXANDER GUSTAFSSON (16-4, 8-4 UFC) VS. JAN BLACHOWICZ (19-5, 2-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Blachowicz landing a lot of punches early. Gustafsson is bleeding early. Gustafsson lands a right hand and goes into the clinch. Gustafsson unable to land his punches and now Blachowicz lands some uppercuts in the clinch. Blachowicz lands to the body and Gustafsson gets a trip takedown into guard. Gustafsson lands some elbows inside the guard and closes the round out on top. I don’t think it was enough to warrant him winning the round. 10-9 Blachowicz.
ROUND 2- Both men come out swinging and land punches and Gustafsson gets a big takedown twenty seconds into the round. Gustafsson with an elbow and he has cut Blachowicz open. Gustafsson tried a step over but Blachowicz able to keep him in the guard. Blachowicz is just struggling to get out of the bottom. Gustafsson with more of a barrage of punches and elbows from the top. Gustafsson went to his feet and went back into guard with some punches. 10-9 Gustafsson, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Gustafsson with a big right hand. Gustafsson takes this fight right back to the ground with a quick takedown and is in the guard. Gustafsson with some elbows from the top. Gustafsson with smothering top control and Blachowicz doing nothing to get up but they get stood up. Gustafsson gets another takedown back into the guard and this should close out the fight. Gustafsson with punches from the top and a big elbow. He finishes out strong with ground-and-pound. 10-9 Gustafsson, 29-28 Gustafsson.
Official Result- Alexander Gustafsson def. Jan Blachowicz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- A nice comeback for Alexander Gustafsson after being controlled by Jan Blachowicz in the opening minutes. I don’t agree with the straight 30-27 scores as I saw Blachowicz doing enough on the feet to win the first, and that shows how much the judges value takedowns. But, it was a close round. Gustafsson did what he needed to do to win the fight in getting the takedowns, and signs of ring rust were apparent. He will be looking to get into title contention quickly, and perhaps a fight with Ryan Bader should be next as they have never fought each other. Blachowicz is now 2-3 in the UFC and is in gatekeeper mode, but I am sure we will see him again early next year.
HEAVYWEIGHTS (#6) ANDREI ARLOVSKI (25-12 1 NC, 14-6 UFC) VS. (#9) JOSH BARNETT (34-8, 6-3 UFC)
ROUND 1- They both rocked each other and dropped each other in the first 30 seconds. Both survived and right into the clinch. Arlovski with an elbow on the break. They clinch and Arlovski with a trip takedown into the half-guard. Arlovski is bleeding from his forehead. Arlovski with a big combo that had Barnett in trouble. Back to the clinch seeing Barnett looking for the takedown. Unable to get the takedown as the round ends. 10-9 Arlovski.
ROUND 2- Barnett with a right hand and they go into the clinch. Not much happened as Barnett controlled the clinch but they eventually got broken up. They trade punches and Arlovski lands big and they clinch back up. Arlovski gets the takedown but Barnett reverses into full mount. Barnett with some short elbows from the top as he was looking for a submission. Barnett with some heavy ground-and-pound and looking for the finish. Arlovski survives but a big round for Barnett. 10-9 Barnett, 19-19.
ROUND 3- They trade big punches and Barnett lands. Arlovski with some uppercuts and a big knee and Barnett is in trouble. He has an issue with his eye but Arlovski was unable to capitalize. Barnett grabs the arm and sweeps for the armbar but gets on top. Barnett gets to the back and has the rear-naked choke in. Arlovski taps! Big submission win for Barnett.
Official Result- Josh Barnett def. Andrei Arlovski by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:53 of Round 3
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was a fun fight and both men had each other in trouble. Andrei Arlovski was unable to capitalize on the striking advantage and got tired early, which hurt him as the fight went along. It is now three straight losses for him, and you have to wonder where he goes from here. I don’t see him being cut, but there’s little chance of him ever fighting for a title now. Josh Barnett bounced back nicely, and if it weren’t for a small mistake against Ben Rothwell, he might be right on the cusp of a title fight. He’s still the best heavyweight on the ground, and now he is primed for a big fight.
FINAL THOUGHTS- This was one of the more uneventful UFC events of the year. There were a lot of boring fights, and a very bad fight in the Nick Hein against Tae Hyun Bang fight. The main event delivered a solid fight, and the highlight of the event was Ryan Bader’s knockout of Ilir Latifi. Alexander Gustafsson and Ashlee Evans-Smith also had solid performances. This isn’t an event worth going out of your way to see as nothing was memorable, but a good main event between Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 18: Johnson vs. Bader from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The event is headlined by a title elminator bout in the UFC’s light heavyweight division as former title challenger Anthony Johnson takes on Ryan Bader, winner of five straight fights. In the co-main event, it will be former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett taking on Ben Rothwell. Also on the main card is the FOX network debut of rising lightweight star Sage Northcutt. Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 3:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s show, so send whether you think the show was a thumbs up, a thumbs down, or a thumb in the middle as well as a best fight and a worst fight to [email protected]”>Dave Meltzer.
LIGHTWEIGHTS- TONY MARTIN (9-3, 1-3 UFC) VS. FELIPE OLIVIERI (14-4 1 NC, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Olivieri starts off with a leg kick. Another big kicks from Olivieri drops Martin for a second. Big leg kick from Olivieri and Martin clinches them up against the fence. Martin lifts him up and takes him down but Olivieri back to his feet. Martin takes him back down. Olivieri gets to the fence and wall walks up to his feet. Olivieri with an elbow as Martin looks for another takedown. Olivieri defends and lands another elbow and a couple more. They are broken up by the ref. Olivieri lands a leg kick that hurts Martin and Martin grabs the leg. Olivieri with some hard elbows. Martin working for the takedown against the fence. Olivieri with some knees to the body. Olivieri with another series of leg kicks. Back fist from Olivieri. 10-9 Olivieri.
ROUND 2- Olivieri with another leg kick to start. Olivieri with an overhand right and a high kick. More leg kicks from Olivieri and Martin isn’t checking them. Martin lands a leg kick of his own. Leg kicks from Olivieri but Martin lands a straight right hand. Martin lands a combo. Olivieri lands another leg kick. Martin lands a right. They trade punches and Olivieri lands a high kick. Martin lands a nice combo. They trade right hands. They trade punches and Martin stuns him with a right hand. Martin with a nice combo that hurts Olivieri. Olivieri looks for a desperate takedown but Martin defends as the round ends. 10-9 Martin, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Olivieri lands a combo and ends with a leg kick. Martin with a nice combo. Olivieri lands a right hand. Olivieri lands a body kick. Martin shoots for a takedown and pushes Olivieri against the fence. Martin gets a trip and takes Olivieri down to the mat. Martin looking for control on the ground. Olivieri gives up his back and Martin looks to get the hooks in. Martin looking for the choke and has it locked in. Olivieri is out cold and Martin wins by submission!
Official Result- Tony Martin def. Felipe Olivieri by technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:02 of Round 3
FEATHERWEIGHTS- DAMON JACKSON (9-1 1 NC, 0-1 1 NC UFC) VS. LEVAN MAKASHVILI (7-2, 1-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Jackson comes out swinging. Jackson lands a right hand. Makashvili lands a right hand. They clinch against the fence. They battle for position. They trade knees against the fence. They are broken up by the referee. Makashvili lands a nice combo. Jackson shoots for a takedown but it is defended. They battle for underhooks against the fence. Jackson is cut. Makashvili with some left hands in the clinch. Jackson works hard for the takedown. It is defended. 10-9 Makashvili.
ROUND 2- Jackson with the jab. They trade strikes. Jackson lands a right hand. They trade kicks. Makashvili lands a left hook. They trade punches. Jackson lands a combo. Jackson lands a knee but eats some punches in the clinch. They clinch and Makashvili lands a knee. They battle in the clinch against the fence. They are broken up by the ref. They trade punches. Makashvili grabs the right leg off a kick and lands some punches. Jackson goes back for a takedown. They clinch against the fence again. Jackson lands an elbow on the break and they clinch up again. 10-9 Makashvili, 20-18 Makashvili.
ROUND 3- Jackson comes out swinging. Jackson with a knee to the body. Makashvili goes for a takedown but Jackson reverses the clinch against the fence. They trade knees against the fence. They are broken up again by the ref. Makashvili with a head kick and gets a takedown. Jackson grabs the neck looking for a choke. They scramble to their feet. Makashvili with a high kick. They clinch against the fence. Makashvili gets a takedown. Jackson looks to scramble out. They get to their feet and Makashvili lands an illegal knee and we have a timeout. Back to action with no point taken away. No we have an eye poke by Makashvili and another timeout. Makashvili has a point taken away due to the two fouls in five seconds. That could play a big difference in the outcome. Jackson misses a head kick as we get back to action. Both come out swinging as the fight ends. 9-9 Makashvili with the deduction, 29-27 Makashvili.
Official Result- Damon Jackson vs. Levan Makashvili declared a majority draw (29-27 Jackson, 28-28, 28-28)
WELTERWEIGHTS- MATT DWYER (8-3, 1-2 UFC) VS. RANDY BROWN (6-0, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Brown is from Dana White’s new television show. Dwyer with a leg kick. Brown lands a left hand. Dwyer with a leg kick. Dwyer with another. Dwyer lands a big right hand. Brown with a high body kick. Dwyer lands another right hand. Brown with a front side kick. Brown with a front body kick. Dwyer lands a punch but eats a jab from Brown. Brown misses a spinning kick. Dwyer with a leg kick. Brown with a leg kick. 10-9 Dwyer.
ROUND 2- Dwyer with two leg kicks. They clinch and switch around. Not much happens and they are broken up. Brown with a right hand. Dwyer lands a right hand. They each land right hands. Brown with a big throw takedown and he is looking for a choke. Brown had it deep but lets go and they get to their feet. Dwyer pushing for a takedown. Brown defends but Dwyer is able to score the takedown. They get back to their feet and Brown lands a series of big elbows. Brown with a knee. 10-9 Brown, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Brown may have poked the eye but he is landing punches as Dwyer is backing up. The fight goes down and Dwyer takes the back of Brown and they get to their feet. Brown transitions and takes the back of Dwyer. Brown with an elbow and Dwyer lands a right hand. They are trading and Brown lands a low knee and we have a break in action. They go back to the mat and Brown has the neck but lets go. They get to their feet and Dwyer looking for another takedown. Dwyer tries to drag it down but Brown ends on top and they scramble to their feet. Brown with some elbows and a knee. Close fight. 10-9 Brown, 29-28 Brown.
Official Result- Randy Brown def. Matt Dwyer by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT)
FEATHERWEIGHTS- ALEX CACERES (10-8 1 NC, 5-6 1 NC UFC) VS. MASIO FULLEN (10-5, 1-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- They trade kicks. Caceres with a leg kick and then one to the body. Fullen lands a short right hand. Caceres with a jumping head kick and misses a spin kick. They trade punches. Caceres with a head kick and then lands a left hand. They trade punches and Caceres lands a 360 roundhouse kick. Fullen is rocked and Caceres clinches them up against the fence and lands a knee. They battle for position and Caceres trips Fullen to the mat. They get back up. Caceres with a high knee. Knee to the body on the break by Caceres. Fullen with a right hand. 10-9 Caceres.
ROUND 2- Caceres with some kicks but Fullen lands a right hand. Fullen with a spin kick to the body of Caceres and then lands a right hand. They clinch against the fence. Caceres lands a left hand. Each lands a combo and Caceres lands a nice body kick. Caceres with a leg kick and then one to the head and then another. Caceres keeps going high then low then back high again. They each land a punch. Caceres with a flying knee. Some nice combos landed by Caceres. 10-9 Caceres, 20-18 Caceres.
ROUND 3- Fullen may need a finish and he comes out swinging. Each lands a leg kick. Short uppercut by Caceres and then a left hand. Fullen with a side kick to the body. Caceres with some more combos. Fullen with a leg kick. Fullen lands a left hand as Caceres lands a leg kick. Caceres with a leg kick. Caceres with a left hand and a knee to the body and then a high kick. Caceres looks good with his footwork and combos. Caceres with two left hands but Fullen catches him with a left hook. Caceres tags Fullen with an uppercut and lands some punches. Caceres goes to the body and back to the head. Fullen with a spin kick. Caceres with a combo to end. 10-9 Caceres, 30-27 Caceres.
Official Result- Alex Caceres def. Masio Fullen by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
WELTERWEIGHTS- GEORGE SULLIVAN (17-4 1 NC, 3-1 UFC) VS. ALEXANDER YAKOVLEV (22-6-1, 1-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Sullivan starts off with a couple of leg kicks. Yakovlev comes back with some leg kicks of his own and then scores a takedown. Sullivan gets back to his feet. Sullivan with a leg kick and Yakovlev is able to counter with a takedown. Yakovlev gets full mount and Sullivan gives up his back. Sullivan gets to his feet but Yakovlev still has the back and lands a knee to the head. Sullivan with a body kick. They trade kicks. Yakovlev drops Sullivan with a right hand and three more punches on the ground and the fight is stopped. Yakovlev with the big knockout.
Official Result- Alexander Yakovlev def. George Sullivan by knockout (punch) at 3:59 of Round 1
FLYWEIGHTS- (#9) DUSTIN ORTIZ (15-4, 4-2 UFC) VS. (#12) WILSON REIS (19-6, 3-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- They trade some punches. Ortiz lands a right hand. Reis with an inside leg kick and Ortiz counters with a combo. They clinch up and each lands a punch on the break. They trade punches. Reis with a leg kick. Reis goes for a takedown and they go to the mat but Ortiz lands some elbows. Reis still has the body locked and gets Ortiz down and takes the back. Ortiz shakes him off and they get to their feet and Reis lands a right hand. Reis lands a solid left hand. Reis with a body kick and Ortiz returns a head kick. Ortiz with a knee to the body as he defends a takedown. Reis has Ortiz pushed against the fence. Reis defends a takedown attempt from Ortiz and grabs the back. Ortiz was a back elbow. Ortiz with a right hand and Reis gets a takedown as the round ends. 10-9 Reis.
ROUND 2- They exchange and Reis lands a left hand. Ortiz with a body kick. Ortiz goes for a takedown but Reis scrambles. Ortiz with a Superman Punch and Reis counters with a right hand. Reis shoots for a takedown and has Ortiz against the cage. They break and Ortiz lands a body kick. They trade kicks. Reis with a leg kick. Ortiz lands a solid right hand. Ortiz goes for a takedown but it is defended. Reis with a brief takedown. Ortiz with a deep shot but Reis sprawls. Reis lands a left hand after they break a clinch. Reis gets a takedown and takes the back and has full back mount. Reis looks for a choke but Ortiz is defending. Reis looks to switch to an armbar and works for it but the round ends. 10-9 Reis, 20-18 Reis.
ROUND 3- Ortiz with a head kick attempt but Reis checks it. They trade punches and Reis goes for a takedown but it is defended. Reis gets the fight down and takes the back of Ortiz. They get to their feet and Reis gets a trip takedown. Reis gets the back and looks for the choke. They get back to their feet. They trade punches. Ortiz lands a left hand. Reis grabs the body and looks for the back. Reis trips Ortiz down and has the back. Ortiz with a back elbow. They get up and Reis with a solid takedown. Reis with some knees to the body. Ortiz gets a quick takedown but they get up. Ortiz with a short elbow and some punches but Reis is able to get a takedown and goes into full mount. Reis is landing big punches from the back as Ortiz tries to scramble up. They get to their feet. Reis has the back and lands some punches. 10-9 Reis, 30-27 Reis.
Official Result- Wilson Reis def. Dustin Ortiz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- (#15) RAFAEL NATAL (20-6-1, 8-4-1 UFC) VS. KEVIN CASEY (9-3 2 NC, 1-1 2 NC UFC)
ROUND 1- They trade punches and Casey lands a head kick. Natal with a leg kick. They clinch against the fence as both battle for underhooks. Natal lands a punch on the break. Natal with a right hand. Casey with a left hand and uppercut. Natal gets a takedown and is in the full guard of Casey. Natal with some punches from the top. They scramble to their feet. Natal goes for a takedown but Casey reverses and grabs the back. They get to their feet. Casey lands a left hand on the break. Casey lands a good combo and Natal drops Casey right as the round ends. 10-9 Casey.
ROUND 2- Natal with a kick that hits the groin and we have a timeout. We get back to action. Natal lands a big right hand and then gets a takedown and is in the full guard of Casey. Natal with some punches from the top. Natal goes into the half-guard and lands some hard punches. They get to their feet but Natal grabs the body and lands a knee. Natal with some hard knees to the body against the fence. They break and Natal lands a big leg kick. Natal ducks under a punch and gets a takedown into the guard of Casey. Natal with a big hammerfist. More hammerfists from Natal. Natal with more control and punches from the top. Natal with big hammerfists as he looks to finish the fight late. Casey able to sweep Natal away as the round ends. 10-9 Natal, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Natal with a big leg kick and lands a hard right hand. Natal with a leg kick. Natal with the jab. Casey lands a right hand but Natal comes back with a takedown. Natal passes to half-guard. Natal with punches from the top. Natal looking to set up a choke as Natal moves to full mount. Natal has an arm-triangle attempt but lost it. Natal just smothering. Natal landing big punches from the top and Casey is bleeding. This fight is close to being finished and it is. TKO win by Natal.
Official Result- Rafael Natal def. Kevin Casey by TKO (punches) at 3:37 of Round 3
LIGHTWEIGHTS- OLIVIER AUBIN-MERCIER (7-1, 3-1 UFC) VS. CARLOS DIEGO FERREIRA (11-2, 2-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Ferreira had to shave his head to make weight. Aubin-Mercier with two nice body kicks. Ferreira with a right hand. They trade punches. They trade kicks. Aubin-Mercier with a head kick but Ferreira tags him with a big punch. Ferreira with a kick and Aubin-Mercier catches it and lands some punches and then a body kick. Aubin-Mercier with a head kick. They clinch and move up against the fence. Ferreira lands a punch on the break. Aubin-Mercier with a body kick. Ferreira just misses a head kick. 10-9 Ferreira.
ROUND 2- Ferreira with a body kick. They trade punches and Aubin-Mercier lands an uppercut. Aubin-Mercier with a high kick and Ferreira pushes him down but they get back to their feet. Aubin-Mercier pins him against the fence but they break and Ferreira sprints away. Aubin-Mercier with a solid combo. They trade punches and Ferreira lands a flush head kick. They clinch for a moment but break. Ferreira with a body kick. They trade some solid punches. Aubin-Mercier with a short uppercut. Ferreira with a quick takedown and lands a knee on the way up. Aubin-Mercier with a body kick and then a head kick. Short uppercut lands by Aubin-Mercier and then a body kick and then a head kick. Ferreira with a head kick. 10-9 Aubin-Mercier, 19-19.
ROUND 3-Ferreira with an inside leg kick. Aubin-Mercier with a body kick followed by a head kick and lands an uppercut. They scramble to the mat but get right back up. Aubin-Mercier gets a takedown but Ferreira scrambles to the top in the half-guard. Ferreira transitions and takes the back and has the hooks in. Ferreira with some punches from the back. Ferreira looking for the choke. Ferreira had it over the chin but Aubin-Mercier escapes and scrambles to half-guard. Ferreira with some elbows. Ferreira has the back again and looking for the choke. Ferreira with big punches and elbows from the back. Aubin-Mercier survives but clear round for Ferreira. 10-9 Ferreira, 29-28 Ferreira.
Official Result- Carlos Diego Ferreira def. Olivier Aubin-Mercier by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
ROUND 1- Saffiedine with a leg kick. Ellenberger with some dirty boxing. They trade leg kicks. Ellenberger connects with some punches. Saffiedine with a front kick to the face. Saffiedine with a leg kick and then a high kick. Ellenberger lands a big right hand that stuns Saffiedine. Saffiedine recovered and missed a head kick. Saffiedine with a high kick. Saffiedine with a high kick again and then lands a left hand. 10-9 Ellenberger.
ROUND 2- They trade punches as both look for the slightest opening. Both miss on punches. Saffiedine with a high kick. Ellenberger lands a left hand. Saffiedine with a high kick and then lands a leg kick. Saffiedine looks for a takedown but Ellenberger defends. Saffiedine lands a knee to the groin and we have a timeout. Saffiedine with two high kicks that land to the forearms of Ellenberger. Saffiedine lands a left jab. Ellenberger lands a late takedown but Saffiedine gets right back up. 10-9 Saffiedine, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Saffiedine with a high kick. He lands another but hits the forearms. Ellenberger clinches up against the fence. They break. Neither are initiating that much and the crowd is booing. Saffiedine lands a right hand and a leg kick. Ellenberger misses a big right hand. Saffiedine lands two leg kicks. Saffiedine lands another left hand and Ellenberger is bleeding. They clinch and Saffiedine with a knee to the body. Saffiedine lands another and Ellenberger lands one as well. Ellenberger goes for a desperate takedown and Saffiedine grabs the back and looks for the choke. Ellenberger defending and is out. They get up in the final seconds. Ellenberger lands a combo as the fight ends. Not much of a fight. 10-9 Saffiedine, 29-28 Saffiedine.
Official Result- Tarec Saffiedine def. Jake Ellenberger by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
ROUND 1- Northcutt with some right hands and clinches but they break. They kick each other at the same time and Barberena slips. Northcutt drops Barberena with a right but they get right back up and clinch. Northcutt with a takedown and takes the back. Barberena on his feet but Northcutt on his back. Northcutt lets go and they clinch along the cage. They trade punches on the break. Northcutt with some big right hands and Barberena nailed him with a right. Northcutt with a takedown and looks for the back. Barberena is cut. Northcutt with a body kick. Barberena gets a takedown and is on top. They get up. They trade. Barberena lands a nice right hand. They trade again. 10-9 Northcutt.
ROUND 2- Northcutt with a leg kick. Northcutt misses a punch and Barberena is able to get in his guard on the ground. Barberena with some punches and elbows from the top. Barberena steps over looking to go to side control from half-guard. Barberena with short elbows and still looking to pass to side control and lands another hard elbow. Barberena looking for an arm-triangle. Northcutt taps out! It didn’t even look that deep but Barberena taps Northcutt out with the arm-triangle from half-guard.
Official Result- Bryan Barberena def. Sage Northcutt by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:06 of Round 2
ROUND 1- Rivera has won 17 straight fights and is another good prospect at 135 pounds. They come out swinging. Alcantara with a knee to the body. Rivera counters with a right hand. Big chants for Rivera, who is from New Jersey. Alcantara lands a left hand and Rivera counters with a big right hand. Rivera with a nice combo on Alcantara up against the fence. Rivera lands to the body and goes to the head. Alcantara looking to counter and lands a body kick and left hand. Alcantara pokes Rivera in the eye and quick timeout. Back to action. They trade punches. Rivera gets a big takedown slam right at the end of the round. 10-9 Rivera.
ROUND 2- Alcantara with a body kick and Rivera lands a crisp combination. Alcantara faked a jumping knee and Rivera tagged him with a left hand. Alcantara with a body kick. Rivera with a right hand. Rivera with a side kick. Rivera with a combo and initates a clinch against the fence. Rivera with a knee to the body and then to the legs. Rivera with some short left hands. They break. Alcantara lands a body kick and stuffs a takedown attempt from Rivera. Alcantara with a straight left and Rivera goes down for a moment. Rivera gets up and scores a takedown. Rivera takes the back but they get up. 10-9 Rivera, 20-18 Rivera.
ROUND 3- Alcantara comes out with a head kick. They trade punches. Alcantara with a leg kick and then a body kick. Rivera gets Alcantara down to the mat for a moment but they get right back up. Alcantara with a body kick and Rivera fires back a body kick. Alcantara with a leg kick and then a front kick to the body. Rivera with a big leg kick. Alcantara lands a left hand and Rivera drops for a moment. Rivera gets up and lands a takedown but they get right back up. Alcantara with a front kick to the body. Rivera grabs the leg and pushes up against the fence. They trade punches as the fight ends. 10-9 Rivera, 30-27 Rivera.
Official Result- Jimmie Rivera def. Iuri Alcantara by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
HEAVYWEIGHTS- (#8) JOSH BARNETT (34-7, 6-2 UFC) VS. (#7) BEN ROTHWELL (35-9, 5-3 UFC)
ROUND 1- Rothwell with a low kick. Barnett with a right hand. Rothwell with a leg kick. Barnett with a leg kick and then a punch to the body. Rothwell with a leg kick. Barnett lands a stiff jab. Barnett with a short elbow. They clinch and Rothwell pushes against the fence but they break. Rothwell bleeding from the nose. Barnett connects with a left hand. Barnett with a stiff jab. Rothwell lands a right hand. Barnett with a punch and elbow and Rothwell counters with a leg kick. Barnett with a straight left hand. 10-9 Barnett.
ROUND 2- They clinch against the fence. Rothwell lands some uppercuts. They break. Rothwell with an uppercut. They trade punches. Not a lot of action going on. Rothwell misses a head kick. Barnett with a body kick. They trade punches. Barnett looking for a takedown. Rothwell has the neck as he drops to the mat. Rothwell has the guillotine choke and Barnett taps! That was a completely unexpected result.
Official Result- Ben Rothwell def. Josh Barnett by submission (guillotine choke) at 3:48 of Round 2
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS- (#2) ANTHONY JOHNSON (20-5, 11-5 UFC) VS. (#4) RYAN BADER (20-4, 13-4 UFC)
ROUND 1- Bader goes for a quick takedown but Johnson stuffs and takes the back. Bader looking for a kimura from the bottom. Johnson is able to mount Bader. Bader lets go of the arm and is stuck against the cage. Johnson dropping punches from the top and it is already over! Johnson knocked Bader out cold from the back mount.
Official Result- Anthony Johnson def. Ryan Bader by knockout (punches) at 1:26 of Round 1
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of the UFC On FOX 18: Johnson vs. Bader weigh-ins from the Prudential Center at the MGM Grand in Newark, New Jersey. The fighters will hit the scale at 4 PM eastern time. The card airs on Saturday with the main card on FOX at 8 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off at 3:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FOX Sports 1 at 5 PM eastern time with additional preliminary bouts. This will be the Octagon’s seventh visit to Newark.
The event is headlined by a title eliminator bout in the UFC’s light heavyweight division as #2 ranked Anthony “Rumble” Johnson takes on #4 ranked Ryan Bader, winner of five straight fights. In the co-main event, it will be a pivotal bout in the heavyweight division as former UFC Heavyweight Champion and #8 ranked Josh Barnett takes on #7 ranked Ben Rothwell. Also on the main card is the FOX network debut of rising 19-year-old prospect Sage Northcutt, who meets Bryan Barberena in a welterweight bout.
MAIN CARD (FOX- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT): Anthony Johnson (205.25) vs. Ryan Bader (205) Josh Barnett (241) vs. Ben Rothwell (265) Iuri Alcantara (135.25) vs. Jimmie Rivera (135) Sage Northcutt (170) vs. Bryan Barberena (170)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT): Tarec Saffiedine (169.75) vs. Jake Ellenberger (170) Olivier Aubin-Mercier (155) vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira (156) Rafael Natal (185) vs. Kevin Casey (185.25) Dustin Ortiz (125) vs. Wilson Reis (126) George Sullivan (171) vs. Alexander Yakovlev (171) Alex Caceres (145) vs. Masio Fullen (145)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT): Matt Dwyer (169) vs. Randy Brown (171) Damon Jackson (145) vs. Levan Makashvili (145) Tony Martin (155) vs. Felipe Olivieri (155)
