In what many expected to be fait accompli win or lose, former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic indeed called it a career following his loss to reigning champion Jon Jones at Saturday’s UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden.
Jones (pictured left) defeated Miocic (pictured right) by third round TKO in the main event after landing a heel kick to Miocic’s left rib cage that dropped him to the mat. He followed that up with ground and pound to get the victory in what was a dominant performance.
It was Jones’ first fight since winning the then-vacant title in March 2023. He was set to face Miocic at last year’s MSG show but had to pull out due to a pectoral injury.
Despite hinting he might retire, Jones told Joe Rogan after the fight that he is going to keep going and is going to talk with Dana White and Hunter Campbell about what could be next. He heavily hinted he may agree to a unification fight with interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall that he had shown no interest this week in doing.
It was the 42-year-old Miocic’s first fight since March 2021 when he lost the title to Francis Ngannou. He ends his career with a 20-5 mark and two heavyweight title runs. He won his first title with a victory over Fabricio Werdum in May 2016 and broke the record for most consecutive title defense with three. He lost the title to Daniel Cormier in July 2018 and the two would fight two more times with Miocic regaining the title in the rematch and defending it in the trilogy.
The Octagon is back inside the “World’s Most Famous Arena,” marking the return of arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history with UFC 309 from New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones makes his long-awaited return as he defends against former champion Stipe Miocic in a fight that has been years in the making. Originally scheduled for last year’s event at MSG, it was called off after Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle and subsequent surgery that has kept him out of action since then.
Jones won the title with a win over Ciryl Gane in March 2023. Miocic, often regarded as the best heavyweight in UFC history, has not fought since losing the title to Francis Ngannou in March 2021. It is possible this will be the last fight for both men while interim champion Tom Aspinall is waiting in the wings for the winner in the event that isn’t the case.
The co-main event will be a five-round rematch of a May 2021 fight as former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira takes on Michael Chandler in a no. 1 contender’s match. Oliveira scored a second-round TKO over Chandler at UFC 262 to win the vacant title.
Also on the main card is a middleweight bout between undefeated prospect Bo Nickal and Paul Craig; a women’s flyweight fight pitting Viviane Araujo against Karine Silva; and a catchweight fight between highly-touted prospect Mauricio Ruffy and James Llontop.
Among the fighters competing on the preliminary card are former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman as well as Jim Miller who is the all-time leader in UFC wins and fights.
*BREAKING- Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders has been scratched from the card due to an illness for Anders, who wasn’t medically cleared to compete.
Moura connects with a solid right hand. Hardy connects to the body. They trade in close range. Hardy with a body kick and Moura counters with a combination. Hardy lands a body kick. There’s not a ton of action going on. Moura lands a big right hand. Hardy lands a left hand. Hardy with a right hand followed by a body kick. Hardy lands a left hand and a high kick but Moura is able to score a takedown. 10-9 Moura.
Hardy lands a left hand and a body kick. Moura scores a takedown and has the back as they stand. Hardy with some back elbows. Moura has Hardy back on the mat and with back control but not doing anything as Hardy lands elbows. Moura gets inside the guard of Hardy and lands some as Hardy still lands some elbows from the bottom. Moura ends the round on top as both land. 10-9 Moura, 20-18 Moura.
Hardy lands a body kick. Both still looking for openings. Moura lands a right hand as Hardy comes in. Moura lands a right hand. Hardy with a left hand. The action is lacking here. Moura lands a leg kick. Hardy with a hard leg kick. Hardy lands a body kick. Hardy with a couple more leg kicks. Hardy lands a left hand and they trade late. 10-9 Hardy, 29-28 Moura.
Official Result- Eduarda Moura def. Veronica Hardy by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Elliott with some kicks to Hafez’ lead leg. They clinch as both look for a takedown. Hafez lands an elbow as they break. Elliott with a pair of jabs. Elliott with a body kick. Hafez lands a left hand. Hafez missing when he throws. Elliott with a body kick. Hafez lands a big kick. Hafez with a body kick. Elliott continues to land with more volume. Elliott with a series of leg kicks. 10-9 Elliott.
Hafez works the jab. Hafez lands a left hand and Elliott counters with a calf kick. Elliott lands some more leg kicks. Elliott with a body kick and they both connect with a right hand. They trade in close range. Elliott with a leg kick then he lands a body kick. Elliott with another leg kick. They trade. Hafez lands a straight left hand. Elliott with a high kick then a leg kick. Elliott lands a combination. Hafez with a left hand. Elliott lands a high kick. Elliott with a body kick. 10-9 Elliott, 20-18 Elliott.
Hafez lands a left hand. Hafez pressuring and lands some short leg kicks. Elliott drops Hafez with a right hand and starts landing from the top and it is all over! Big finish from Elliott to pick up the win.
Official Result- Oban Elliott def. Bassil Hafez by knockout (punches) at :40 of Round 3
> Welterweights- Mickey Gall (7-6, 6-6 UFC) vs. Ramiz Brahimaj (10-5, 2-3 UFC)
Brahimaj with a pair of leg kicks as they trade punches. Gall lands a right hand to the body. They trade jabs. They clinch and Brahimaj with some uppercuts before he slips and they separate. Gall lands a right hand. He lands another. Brahimaj with a head kick. Brahimaj starting to land more and he drops Gall with a massive right hand and it is all over! What a finish from Brahimaj!
Official Result- Ramiz Brahimaj def. Mickey Gall by knockout (punch) at 2:55 of Round 1
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> Heavyweights- #9 Marcin Tybura (25-9, 12-8 UFC) vs. Jhonata Diniz (8-0, 2-0 UFC)
Tybura tries a kick but Diniz grabs it and lets go. Diniz with a high kick and then stuns Tybura with a left hand as they go to the mat. Diniz with some elbows from the top. Tybura rolls for a leg as Diniz lands some hammerfists. Tybura ends up on top. Tybura lands and is looking to set up a choke. Tybura with some short elbows and punches as he moves to the mount. Tybura landing from the top. Tybura with an elbow. 10-9 Tybura.
Tybura with a body kick. Diniz lands a right hand. Tybura lands a left hand. He lands another. Tybura lands a jab as Diniz barely lands a right hand. Tybura scores a takedown. Tybura controlling from the top. Tybura gets the mount and is landing punches. Tybura with short right hands and lands a big elbow. Tybura lands some big elbows and Diniz has a big cut opened up. Tybura reigning down with elbows and Diniz is bleeding everywhere. It is close to being stopped as Tybura continues to land but time runs out. 10-8 Tybura, 20-17 Tybura.
The fight is stopped by the doctor after he checked on Diniz. Diniz was stumbling after the round and he was protesting, but this feels like a good stoppage.
Official Result- Marcin Tybura def. Jhonata Diniz by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 2
> Lightweights- David Onama (12-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Roberto Romero (8-3-1, 0-0 UFC)
Romero lands a right hand and a leg kick. He lands another. Romero with some more leg kicks. Onama lands a pair of leg kicks. They continue to trade and Romero drops Onama with a right hand. Romero jumps on the back and looks for a choke. Onama gets out and they clinch against the fence. They trade knees to the body. Onama grabs the neck and looks for a choke. Romero looking for a takedown but Onama defends and they separate. Romero with a leg kick and lands a right hand. Onama rocks Romero with a left hand. Onama with a big flurry and Romero goes to the mat and Onama lands to end the round. 10-9 Romero.
They’re trading big shots to start the second. Onama landing the jab. They trade leg kicks and both land a jab. Onama lands a heavy jab. Onama with a big combination. Onama with a jab. Onama lands a right hand. Romero is gassing out. Onama lands and Romero goes to the mat and Onama gets into the guard and starts landing from the top. Onama with some big shots from the top. 10-9 Onama, 19-19.
Onama lands a left hand. Onama working the jab. Romero with a pair of body kicks. Onama lands a left hand. Romero with an overhand right. Onama lands a series of jabs followed by a knee. Onama with some left hands and jabs but Romero trips him up with a leg kick. Romero with a high kick and Onama catches it and dumps Romero to the mat. Onama gets into the mount. Onama controlling and landing a lot from the top. Onama stands and lands to the body then gets back on top and lands a flurry as the fight ends. 10-9 Onama, 29-28 Onama.
Official Result- David Onama def. Roberto Romero by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Lightweights- Jim Miller (37-18 1 NC, 26-17 1 NC UFC) vs. Damon Jackson (23-7-1 1 NC, 6-5-1 1 NC UFC)
They come out trading as Jackson lands a body kick and a combination. Miller lands a left hand. Jackson with a body kick. They briefly clinch then break apart. Jackson lands a right hand. Miller lands an elbow. Jackson with a right hand and a front kick. Miller lands a left hand. Jackson looks for a takedown but Miller locks in a guillotine choke. It is in tight and Jackson taps! Miller gets the submission win and adds to his all-time UFC wins record.
Official Result- Jim Miller def. Damon Jackson by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:44 of Round 1
> Bantamweights- #13 Jonathan Martinez (19-5, 10-4 UFC) vs. Marcus McGhee (9-1, 3-0 UFC)
They trade kicks as both land hard leg kicks. McGhee lands a combination. McGhee lands a leg kick. He lands another. McGhee with a right hand and a high kick. McGhee with another leg kick and a left hand. McGhee with a body kick and a combination. Martinez getting nothing going as McGhee is constantly pressing forward and landing. Martinez with a leg kick. He lands another. McGhee lands a combo. Martinez with a leg kick. McGhee lands a leg kick followed by a combo then a stiff jab. 10-9 McGhee.
McGhee lands a combination with a high kick. Martinez lands a leg kick. Martinez lands a right hand as McGhee came in and landed. McGhee with a leg kick. McGhee with a series of jabs. Martinez lands a right hand. McGhee with a stiff jab. He lands two more. McGhee with a quick combo ending with a knee then back to the jab. Martinez with a heavy leg kick. McGhee lands a combination. McGhee landing with more volume. Martinez lands a left hand. Martinez with a jab. Martinez with a step-in elbow. McGhee lands a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. They trade at the end. 10-9 McGhee, 20-18 McGhee.
McGhee lands a few right hands. They trade leg kicks. Martinez lands as McGhee comes in. They trade leg kicks. McGhee with some uppercuts to the body. They trade jabs. Martinez hurts McGhee with a leg kick and lands two more. McGhee with a right hand. They tie up against the fence. They separate and McGhee is having trouble on his feet. Martinez with a leg kick. McGhee lands a right hand and then another. McGhee lands and Martinez with a leg kick and then lands a right hand. Martinez with another leg kick. 10-9 Martinez, 29-28 McGhee.
Official Result- Marcus McGhee def. Jonathan Martinez by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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> 165-pound Catchweights*- Mauricio Ruffy (10-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. James Llontop (14-4, 0-2 UFC)
*Llontop missed weight by 1.2 pounds
Ruffy lands a right hand. Ruffy with a leg kick. Ruffy with a jab. Llontop lands a leg kick. Ruffy lands a leg kick. Llontop lands a leg kick. Llontop connects with a right hand. Ruffy lands a jab. Ruffy with a hard leg kick. Ruffy with a counter left hand. Ruffy rocks Llontop with a hard right hand but then tried a crazy kick that missed and allowed Llontop to recover. Ruffy with a spin kick to the body. 10-9 Ruffy.
Ruffy lands a leg kick. Llontop lands a body kick then a leg kick. Ruffy with a jab. Ruffy drops Llontop with a left hand and starts landing from the top. Llontop is able to survive and gets back to his feet as they clinch against the fence. They separate. Ruffy with a wheel kick and follows with a right hand. Llontop lands a body kick then a leg kick. Ruffy with a pair of jabs. He rocks Llontop with a big right hand. Llontop lands a left hand. Ruffy with some right hands. 10-9 Ruffy, 20-18 Ruffy.
Llontop with a leg kick then a body kick. Llontop pushes it against the fence but they separate. Ruffy lands a right hand. Ruffy is slowing down and Llontop pushes it against the fence. Ruffy lands a right hand as they separate. Ruffy lands a left hook. Llontop lands to the body. Llontop with a pair of leg kicks. Llontop lands a right hand. Llontop with a body kick. They clinch against the fence. Llontop lands a combination as they separate. Llontop with a body kick and a combo. Ruffy lands a big left hand. 10-9 Llontop, 29-28 Ruffy.
Official Result- Mauricio Ruffy def. James Llontop by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Silva lands a leg kick. Silva with a body kick. Araujo lands a right hand. Araujo lands a right hand. Araujo lands an uppercut. They trade kicks. Silva lands a high kick and Araujo counters with a right hand. Araujo lands a left hand then a leg kick. Silva lands a leg kick. Silva clips Araujo with a left hand then a right hand. Silva lands a left hand as Araujo was retreating. Araujo lands a right hand. 10-9 Silva.
Araujo lands a combination then lands to the body. Araujo with a leg kick. Silva shoots for a takedown and pushes it against the fence. They separate. Araujo with a right hand. Silva lands a kick up the middle and then two big right hands. Silva kind of scores a takedown as they quickly get up. Araujo grabbed the fence multiple times. Silva gets the takedown. Araujo looks for an armbar. She almost had it but Silva was able to transition to side control. Both women are bleeding. Silva looks for a D’Arce choke. Araujo is able to escape. Araujo with some punches from the top. 10-9 Silva, 20-18 Silva.
Silva lands a body kick. Silva grabs the body lock and gets it down but Araujo ends up on top. They get to their feet. Silva with a body kick. Araujo lands a leg kick. Silva tries a body kick and Araujo grabs the leg and Silva falls right to the mat. Araujo lands leg kicks standing before Silva is ordered up. Both women are tired. Araujo with a body kick and lands an uppercut. Araujo lands a stiff right hand. Silva falls to the mat and Araujo with some standing leg kicks before Silva is ordered up. Araujo with a body kick and a right hand. Silva lands a right hand. She falls to the mat after missing a punch but is ordered up. They clinch and Silva lands a knee. Araujo gets a takedown. 10-9 Araujo, 29-28 Silva.
Official Result- Viviane Araujo def. Karine Silva by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Middleweights- Bo Nickal (6-0, 3-0 UFC) vs. Paul Craig (17-7-1, 9-7-1 UFC)
Nickal with a leg kick. Nickal with a pair of leg kicks. Craig lands a leg kick. Craig lands another leg kick. Nickal with an inside leg kick. Nickal lands a left hand. Craig lands a leg kick. Craig works the jab. Nickal with a leg kick. Craig lands a right hand. Craig with a high kick. Nickal lands a left hand. Craig lands a body kick. 10-9 Craig.
Craig lands a body kick. Craig with a high kick. Nickal lands a left hand. Craig with a short leg kick. Nickal connects with a left hand. Craig with a high kick. Nickal lands a left hand. Nickal lands a solid right hand then a leg kick. Nickal with a left hand to the body. Nickal lands a left hand. Craig with two body kicks. Craig lands a left hand. Craig with another kick to the arms of Nickal. Nickal lands a left hand. Nickal lands a left hand. 10-9 Nickal, 19-19.
Nickal lands a right hand. Craig lands a body kick. Craig with a body kick. They aren’t doing much. Nickal with a leg kick. Craig lands a body kick. Nickal connects with a left hand. Nickal with a leg kick. Nickal lands to the body. Nickal with a leg kick. Nickal lands a left hand. 10-9 Nickal, 29-28 Nickal.
Official Result- Bo Nickal def. Paul Craig by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Lightweights- #2 Charles Oliveira (34-10 1 NC, 22-10 1 NC UFC) vs. #7 Michael Chandler (23-8, 2-3 UFC)
Oliveira with a front kick. Oliveira with a right hand. Chandler lands a jab. Oliveira lands a body kick. Chandler with a right hand to the body. Oliveira looks for a takedown and is able to get Chandler to the mat. Oliveira has control of a leg as he is on top. Oliveira trying to clear his leg. Chandler with some punches from the bottom. Oliveira ends the round on top. 10-9 Oliveira.
Oliveira lands a leg kick. Chandler lands to the body. Oliveira with a combo and Chandler slips to the mat. Oliveira lands a big right hand and Chandler runs away. Oliveira lands another right hand. Chandler lands a leg kick. Oliveira with a high kick. Oliveira lands a big knee. Chandler loading up and landed a left hand. Oliveira gets a takedown right into full mount. Oliveira with an elbow from the top. Oliveira with more elbows. Oliveira lands some more big elbows. Oliveira with some 12-6 elbows. 10-9 Oliveira, 20-18 Oliveira.
Chandler lands a jab. Oliveira lands a left hand. Chandler with a leg kick. Oliveira lands an uppercut then a right hand. Chandler lands a jab. Oliveira lands an uppercut. Oliveira with a knee. They trade right hands. Oliveira mixes everything against the fence. Oliveira gets the back and scores a takedown. Oliveira working for a choke and lands some elbows. Oliveira lands to the body. Oliveira almost gets the choke but Chandler slips out. 10-9 Oliveira, 30-27 Oliveira.
Oliveira with a pair of body kicks. Chandler with a left hand and a leg kick. Chandler lands a left hand. Oliveira lands and lands a flying knee. Oliveira gets it down and is on Chandler’s back. Oliveira looking for a choke. Chandler tries to escape. Oliveira gets the choke under the chin but Chandler fights it off. Oliveira holds on. 10-9 Oliveira, 40-36 Oliveira.
Chandler lands a left to the body. Oliveira with a body kick. Oliveira shoots for a takedown but Chandler defends. Oliveira lands a right hand. Chandler lands a right hand and hurts Oliveira with some punches. Oliveira looks for a takedown and Chandler starts landing punches, most to the back of the head. Chandler with some elbows. Oliveira is able to get to his feet. Chandler lands a left hand. Oliveira gets the back and drags it down. Chandler gets to his feet with Oliveira on his back and slams backwards. He does it again. 10-9 Chandler, 49-46 Oliveira.
Official Result- Charles Oliveira def. Michael Chandler by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-45)
> UFC Heavyweight Championship- C Jon Jones (27-1 1 NC, 21-1 1 NC UFC) vs. #8 Stipe Miocic (20-4, 14-4 UFC)
Jones lands a left hand and Miocic counters with a right hand. Jones with a body kick. Jones with an inside leg kick. Jones gets a big trip takedown and lands a big elbow. Jones with an elbow from the top. Jones with more big elbows. Jones landing tons of elbows and has Miocic in trouble. Miocic gets Jones into his guard. Jones gets to side control. Jones with more big elbows. 10-8 Jones.
Miocic lands a jab. He lands a left hand. Jones with a jab and Miocic lands an uppercut. Jones lands a body kick. Jones with an elbow and lands a body kick. Jones with an inside leg kick and lands a knee to the body. Jones lands a jab. Miocic lands a right hand. Jones with a high body kick. Jones with a series of kicks. Miocic barely lands and Jones circles away. Jones with a spin kick to the body. 10-9 Jones, 20-17 Jones.
Miocic lands a right hand. Jones with a series of jabs. Miocic with an uppercut and a right hand. Jones with a body kick then a leg kick. Jones lands an elbow then a right hand. Jones rocks Miocic with a right hand. Jones with a head kick. Jones with more kicks. Jones lands a jab. Miocic lands a right hand. Jones with a side kick to the body. Jones lands a left hand. Jones drops Miocic with a spin kick to the body and finishes it off with punches from the top. A completely dominant showing from Jones as he retains the championship and adds to his legacy.
Official Result- Jon Jones def. Stipe Miocic by TKO (strikes) at 4:29 of Round 3 to retain the UFC Heavyweight Championship
A long-discussed fight between UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former champion Stipe Miocic is official.
Announced Friday night by Dana White, Jones will defend against Miocic at UFC 295 on Saturday, November 11th in the company’s annual trip to New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Earlier this year, the 35-year-old Jones returned from a lengthy absence and won the vacant title in a fight with Cyril Gane in his first ever trip in the division after a Hall-of-Fame level run at light heavyweight.
In similar fashion, Miocic will return after nearly three years off himself in an effort to kick off his third reign with the belt. The 40-year-old was last seen losing the title to Francis Ngannou in March 2021 which followed his trilogy of fights with Daniel Cormier.
The news comes on the heels of rumblings that Ngannou, who had a very public falling out with UFC and White when they went their separate ways this year, will fight Tyson Fury in the former’s first-ever boxing match. Ngannou also signed with the PFL this year and is expected to return to MMA next year.
Just over three years ago, Francis Ngannou was dominated by then-UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 220 in Boston, MA. It was a humbling, one-sided defeat as Ngannou had no answer to Miocic’s wrestling and spent the majority of the fight on his back.
Fast forward to Saturday’s UFC 260 where a more patient Ngannou knocked Miocic out cold in the second round to win the title and potentially set up a mega-fight with former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Ngannou showed he was a much different fighter in the first round as after hurting Miocic, he stuffed a takedown attempt and even landed some hard shots in response. In the second round, a Ngannou power jab put Miocic down and a flurry sent him scrambling. Then after Miocic landed a punch, a short left dropped Miocic cold and a hammer punch while he was on the canvas was the final nail in the coffin.
The 34-year-old is now riding a five-fight win streak with first or second round KO/TKO finishes in all of them. Jones tweeted “Show me the money” after the fight while Ngannou showed interest in the Jones fight during his post-fight talk with Joe Rogan.
The 38-year-old Miocic has lost two of his last four and has only fought either Daniel Cormier or Ngannou dating back to the aforementioned January 2018 fight. Given his other career as a firefighter and infrequent fighting schedule, he may choose to outright retire. He didn’t speak on the broadcast after the fight ended.
UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic will return to action against Francis Ngannou at March 27th’s UFC 260 in a rematch of their one-sided clash from January 2018.
This will be Miocic’s first fight since defeating Daniel Cormier last August to finish off their trilogy while Ngannou is riding a four-fight win streak, all by first round knockout or TKO. His total cage time during those four fights is under three minutes.
In their first meeting at UFC 220 in Boston, Miocic (20-3) dominated Ngannou (15-3) en route to a unanimous decision which snapped Ngannou’s ten fight win streak at the time. Miocic is a two-time UFC heavyweight champion with four successful title defenses under his belt.
UFC 260 (location TBA) is also expected to feature a co-main event of featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega. The champion (22-1) will be looking for the second defense of his title while Ortega (15-1-0-1) is coming off a dominant win over “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung last October.
A look at the life of James “Kamala” Harris, one of pro wrestling’s biggest stars of the 80s, and Daniel Cormier, one of the biggest MMA stars of all-time, are the lead stories in the current issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
The Kamala story goes through how he got the Kamala gimmick, who came up with the idea, the story around the video that instantly made him a star, how Kamala worked in that time but wouldn’t now, how he was as a draw against Hulk Hogan, his late life health issues, his original meeting with Bobo Brazil, how he started watching wrestling, his pre-Kamala career, going to Europe, how J.J. Dillon was a key in getting him over and a look weekly at the first Memphis run that made him a big star.
His rivalry with Andre the Giant and how it was ugly early on, the feud with Bruiser Brody and every WWF run. We look at his career peak in 1986-87 and the gates and payoffs he got, his working Mexico, his last big WWF run, and the declines of his health.
Daniel Cormier’s quest for the storybook ending, others who tried to have that ending, the greatest heavyweight of all-time, his tragic upbringing, growing up as a wrestler, competing with Cael Sanderson, his Olympic dream crushed, his MMA beginnings, his word title wins, and more building the fight with Stipe Miocic.
Also in this issue:
Return of ROH to action, what the new TV will be about, the creative involved, testing and more.
How Kevin Reilly is one of the key people who fell into place and without him there would be no AEW. We look at the changes in TNT management including a unique note about Reilly’s successor.
A scary scene at NXT tapings, Dwayne Johnson’s earnings for the year, New contracts signed in WWE, Sports ratings, U.K. ratings and Canadian ratings, Lawler 50th anniversary sow, WWE market value, and most-watched shows on WWE Network.
WWE moving TV into the Amway Center, Takeover and SummerSlam news updates and creative.
COVID updates from Japan, with many shows canceled this past week, why they were, and what this says about Japan in comparison with the U.S.
New Japan’s Jingu Stadium show for the end of the month.
WWE Network featuring independents.
Saturday’s UFC show with a complete rundown and match-by-match coverage.
Kenny Omega and Michael Nakazawa doing a lecture for students at Tokai University on sports entertainment during the COVID era, with notes on AEW profitability, ad spending, how COVID has changed the world, how the AEW audience has changed, A.J. Styles, personal goals and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
New Japan, All Japan and NOAH have their biggest tournaments of the year at the same time.
CMLL’s planned return.
Ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE
We have two weekend shows up. Last night’s show has Bryan and I talking UFC 252, Smackdown, Wednesday & Friday ratings, and other topics. We also had an afternoon discussion with Lance Storm regarding a number of different subjects.
Regarding Daria Berenato (Sonya Deville), she is said to be doing okay all things considered.
Ariel Helwani of ESPN reported that Daniel Cormier suffered a torn cornea in round three from an eye poke. Cormier fought the last two rounds of the fight without any vision in his left eye, and even won round four under those circumstances. Realistically the fight should have been stopped and medical checks and balances should be a lot better than fans at home and announcers making it clear he can’t see and the fight still not ending. Cormier won’t immediately need surgery but the situation is being monitored.
As far as the judging went, 88% of media scores went to Miocic and 12% for Cormier. Most were 48-47, however the actual judges had 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. Derek Clearly had Cormier only winning round one. Sal D’Amato had Cormier only winning round four. Junichiro Kamijo had Cormier winning rounds one and four.
UFC 252 had about 2.35 million searches, which is the level of a pretty major show, but not a 1 million buy show. UFC 252 was the second most searched term on the Internet yesterday at 2 million, trailing only Robert Trump’s death. This number would cover searches for Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic. Other top searches were Sean O’Malley at No. 5 with 200,000, Jared Rozenstruik at No. 7 with 100,000 and Merab Dvalishvili at No. 18 with 50,000. During the past week, there were no other boxing, wrestling or MMA searches. My gut says that Kamala searches on Sunday that were near the top were at least some for Kamala, as opposed to Kamala Harris, that they were credited to.
Jon Jones last night was tweeting about how he wanted Stipe Miocic. Really Francis Ngannou deserves the next shot at Miocic, but if Jones beats Dominick Reyes in a rematch, he should be able to then face the champion should he want that fight. Jones is clearly goading for another Daniel Cormier fight, saying that you can’t go out with a loss in a show with no fans.
Based on what we’re told, the 8/22 Dynamite show will be airing at 6 p.m. on TSN 3 and midnight on TSN 1 that night.
WWE
Independent content from Evolve, wXw and Progress debuted yesterday on the WWE Network.
The Miz on Instagram noted that he and his wife have a new television series in development which would be a joint venture of Mad Rose Productions, their company and WWE Studios.
The Miz’s TV show Cannonball airs tonight on NBC at 6 p.m. Eastern. They will also air another episode next Sunday.
A WWE Timeline special on the Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart feud is on the WWE Network.
WWE Network News reported that the WWE Network will be adding Superstars shows from 3/20/93 to 5/22/93 tomorrow.
UFC
Sportsbetting.ag has released these prospective odds:
Stipe Miocic +180 vs. Francis Ngannou -210
Stipe Miocic +130 vs. Jon Jones -150
Jon Jones +125 vs. Francis Ngannou -145
BetOnline.ag:
Stipe Miocic +190 vs. Francis Ngannou -225
Stipe Miocic +155 vs. Jon Jones -180
Jon Jones +105 vs. Francis Ngannou -125
CWE from Friday night in St. Albert, Alberta: Gabriel Lestat b Travis Cole, Alix Zwicker b Kylie Morgan, Shaun Martens b Lumberjack Larry-DQ to keep the HIW Grand Championship, Bobby Sharp b Kevy Chevy, Chris Perish b Danny Duggan, Marky & Jude Hawkins b AJ Sanchez & Kevin O’Doyle. Next show in St Albert is 10/24.
The Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling Facebook has an interview with Gerald Brisco talking about The Funks, Hulk Hogan and St. Louis Wrestling.
Championship Wrestling from Hollywood will be taping at the Oceanview Pavilion with safety measures in place including mandatory COVID-19 testing for talent and staff. Fans are not allowed in. Multiple episodes are being filmed for distribution starting in September. They will be doing similar procedures as New Japan did for its U.S. tapings.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier 3, emanating from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It is arguably the biggest fight of 2020 as the greatest UFC heavyweight of all-time will be determined when two UFC heavyweight legends finish their trilogy.
UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic defends the championship against former two-division champion Daniel Cormier in the biggest heavyweight fight in UFC history in the main event. It is the third time they will fight. Cormier defeated Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 226 in July 2018, and Miocic got revenge when he regained the title by defeating Cormier at UFC 241 in August 2019. This could also potentially be the final fight in the storied career of Cormier.
In the co-main event, Sean O’Malley gets the spotlight as he looks to remain undefeated when he takes on Marlon Vera. They were scheduled to fight once before and have had a heated rivalry leading into this fight. Also on the main card is a heavyweight battle between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and a bantamweight fight between John Dodson and Merab Dvalishvili.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
ESPN PRELIMS | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
> Kai Kamaka (7-2, 0-0 UFC) vs. Tony Kelley (5-1, 0-0 UFC) Featherweights
Both men are making their UFC debuts. Kelley showing good footwork early on and landing. Kamaka with the jab. Kelley with a leg kick and Kamaka is landing the left hook and lands a right hand. Kelley with a hard leg kick and a straight right hand. Kamaka with a right hand. Kamaka lands a knee as they quickly clinch. Kamaka with a hard body kick and then a right hand. Kelley slowing down a little. Kamaka with a knee. Kamaka with a body kick. Kamaka with a flurry of punches against the fence. Kamaka with a left to the body and he is wearing Kelley down. Kamaka gets Kelley to the mat. He lands from the top as the round ends. Great round for Kamaka. 10-9 Kamaka.
Kelley comes out first with the jab and Kamaka counters with a combo. They trade kicks and Kelley lands a couple of good body kicks. Kamaka with a left hook that staggers Kelley. Kelley with a leg kick and Kamaka counters with a right hand. Kamaka with a counter combo and the right hand lands clean. Kamaka with some body punches. Kelley with a combo and now they are trading in the center of the Octagon. Kelley with a combo and lands a knee to the body. Kamaka gets a takedown against the fence. Kelley is cut along the top of his forehead. Kamaka looking to take the back as Kelley is warned about grabbing the fence. Kamaka gets another takedown. They scramble up and Kelley lands an elbow. Kelley with a combo and lands some knees and elbows at the end. Strong end of the round for Kelley but Kamaka controlled more of it. 10-9 Kamaka, 20-18 Kamaka.
Kelley with a big body kick and a flurry to start the third. Kelley dropped down for a guillotine and lost position as Kamaka is now in his guard. Both men working on the mat as Kelley is looking to scramble out from the bottom. They get up and separate. Kamaka with a jab and right hand and Kelley counters with a right hand. They are trading in close range and Kelley with some knees and elbows. Kamaka pushes Kelley against the fence. Kamaka working for the takedown against the fence and Kelley landing some short elbows and punches. Kelley with an elbow and some knees as they break. Kelley with a body kick and some more knees. We have a timeout for a groin strike by Kelley. They get back to action and trade in close range. They clinch and Kamaka attacks the body as Kelley lands some knees. They trade again. They trade late. Fantastic fight. 10-9 Kelley, 29-28 Kamaka.
Official Result- Kai Kamaka def. Tony Kelley by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Chris Daukaus (8-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Parker Porter (10-5, 0-0 UFC) Heavyweights
Both men are making their UFC debuts. Porter with a leg kick. They trade in close range and Porter with a right hand and Daukaus with a knee and some punches in the clinch. They push up against the fence. Daukaus with some punches to the body. Porter with an elbow and right hand as they break and then lands a combo. Daukaus with a series of punches. Porter with a leg kick. Daukaus with a leg kick. Porter lands a jab and follows with a right hand. Daukaus drops Porter with a right hand but Porter quickly gets to his feet. Porter with a leg kick. Daukaus then stuns Porter with a combo and Porter starts going down after a right hand and Daukaus lands a big knee right to the jaw as Porter was going down and Herb Dean stops it after a couple more shots. Big knockout win by Daukaus.
Official Result- Chris Daukaus def. Parker Porter by TKO (strikes) at 4:28 of Round 1
They quickly go to the mat and Souza is on top in the guard of Yoder. Souza with some body punches from the top. Souza postures up and lands a big right hand before they get to their feet. Souza with a right hand. Yoder with a body kick. Souza with an inside leg kick. Souza with a big right hand. They clinch and Yoder with some short knees as she has the head. Souza escaped a guillotine attempt from Yoder. They break and Souza with a right hand and Yoder with a push kick. Souza goes for a late takedown and Yoder grabs the back and lands to end the first. 10-9 Souza.
Yoder with a left hand. Souza with a right hand to the body. Yoder with a left hand and then a body kick. Souza lands a right hand. Yoder keeping a tight grip of Souza in the clinch. They finally break and Souza with a leg kick and then lands a right hand. They trade kicks. Yoder with a left hand. They clinch against the fence. They trade short knees against the fence and break the clinch. Souza with a high kick. Yoder goes for a takedown but Souza slips out and is on top. They get up and are battling for ground position as the round ends. Grueling round. 10-9 Yoder, 19-19.
Souza with a right hand and an inside low kick. Yoder pressures with the clinch against the fence but Souza spins it around. They are battling for clinch position against the fence. They break. Souza with a leg kick and Yoder lands a combo. Yoder with a left hand. We have a timeout for a groin strike but quickly back to action. They trade kicks. Yoder with a left hand. Yoder with a teet kick and a left hand. They trade punches and Yoder landing more. Yoder with a front push kick right to the face. Yoder with a high kick. Souza gets a late takedown and ends up on top. Close fight. 10-9 Yoder, 29-28 Yoder.
Official Result- Livinha Souza def. Ashley Yoder by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
> TJ Brown (14-7, 0-1 UFC) vs. Danny Chavez (10-3, 0-0 UFC) Featherweights* (Brown missed weight by .5 pounds)
They are trading in close range and Chavez with an uppercut and leg kick. Chavez with a leg kick and just misses a head kick. Brown with a body kick. Brown with a low calf kick. Brown rushes in and both land punches. Chavez with a couple of leg kicks. Brown with a body kick. Brown with an inside low kick. Chavez with a quick leg kick and Brown falls to the mat but pops right back up. Chavez with a leg kick as Brown lands a right hand. Chavez with a leg kick and Brown lands a hard counter right hand. Brown with a body kick and goes for a takedown but Chavez defends. Chavez with a late head kick that just misses fully connecting. Good opening round. 10-9 Chavez.
Chavez with some more leg kicks to start the second. Brown with a high kick. Chavez with a head kick and then lands two leg kicks. Brown having trouble putting weight on his lead leg. They trade punches. Brown lands a left hand and then a knee to the body as they clinch but quickly break. Brown with a combo against the fence. Chavez with a body kick and Brown lands a left hand counter. Chavez knocks Brown down for a moment with an elbow and then they rush to the mat as Chavez lands some right hands. Chavez on top and lands and then grabs the neck as Brown tries to scramble up. They get to their feet. Chavez with a right hand and then a snapping straight left. Brown with a body kick. They clinch late after Brown misses a spinning back fist attempt. 10-9 Chavez, 20-18 Chavez.
They scramble to the mat early on but get to their feet. Brown with a left hand and Chavez makes him stumble a little with a short right hand. They trade and both land kicks. They are both throwing and landing against the fence. Brown goes for a takedown but Chavez defends against the fence. Brown with a right hand and a combo. Brown with another overhand right. Brown with a body kick and then goes for a takedown against the fence. Brown with some knees before they break the clinch. They clinch again and Brown with an elbow. Brown with more elbows and Chavez drops down and gets a takedown but Brown has his neck. Chavez escapes and they stand and Chavez gets a trip takedown. They get to their feet and Chavez has the back but Brown rolls out. They get back on the ground and Chavez with some knees to the body. They stand and Chavez gets two late takedowns. Fun fight. 10-9 Brown, 29-28 Chavez.
Official Result- Danny Chavez def. TJ Brown by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Jandiroba goes right for a takedown. Jandiroba in the half-guard of Herrig. Herrig now gets Jandiroba in her full guard. Jandiroba now looking to take the back but then moves to the mount. Jandiroba lands from the top and then moves to an armbar and gets Herrig to tap. Jandiroba with complete domination there.
Official Result- Virna Jandiroba def. Felice Herrig by submission (armbar) at 1:44 of Round 1
> Jim Miller (32-14 1 NC, 21-13 1 NC UFC) vs. Vinc Pichel (12-2, 5-2 UFC) Lightweights
Miller with a left hand. Pichel with an inside leg kick. Miller with a left hand and then an inside leg kick. Miller lands an uppercut and then an accidental groin strike. They quickly get back to work. Pichel lands a hard knee. They trade punches and clinch. Miller has the body lock against the fence. They trade knees. They break after Miller lands a nice elbow. They trade left hands. Miller gets a takedown and works to the back of Pichel. Miller starts to work for a choke. Miller working for an arm-in guillotine. Miller then transitions to a calf slicer but time runs out. 10-9 Miller.
Pichel lands a head kick and Miller runs right through it and gets a takedown. Miller working in the guard of Pichel. Miller pushes Pichel against the fence and looks to transition and lands from the top until Pichel pushes him off. They clinch against the fence. Pichel gets a takedown and Miller grabs the neck. Miller gets Pichel into his guard and is working for a triangle. Pichel passes into side control and then moves to the half-guard. Miller now working to grab a leg of Pichel. Pichel gets back into the half-guard and lands from the top. Pichel lands some big shots late. 10-9 Pichel, 19-19.
Pichel with a quick flurry and gets a takedown against the fence. Pichel landing from the top. Pichel now takes the back of Miller. Miller spins out and then lands a knee to the body and grabs the neck of Pichel. They scramble and Miller takes the half-guard of Pichel. Miller now in good position and lands some punches. Miller has back control and looks for the hooks. Pichel then transitions to taking Miller’s back but they scramble up. Miller with a knee and Pichel lands a couple of elbows and then a knee. Miller has the body lock against the fence. Pichel lands a knee and they separate. Pichel with a right hand and then looks for a takedown against the fence. Pichel with a right hand and then a big knee to the body. They break and Pichel with a big head kick that MIller barely blocks. Miller then grabs a guillotine and has it in tight. Pichel is able to escape and is in the guard of Miller. Pichel with some strikes from the top at the end. Good fight. 10-9 Pichel, 29-28 Pichel.
Official Result- Vinc Pichel def. Jim Miller by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
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> John Dodson (#12, 21-11, 10-6 UFC) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (#15, 11-4, 4-2 UFC) Bantamweights
Both are looking for openings in the first minute. Dodson throws a left hand. Dodson with an inside leg kick. Dvalishvili with a right hand and goes in for a takedown but Dodson defends. Dvalishvili has the body lock against the fence and landing knees to the thigh of Dodson. Dvalishvili has the back. Dvalishvili kicking the calves of Dodson from behind. Dvalishvili with more knees to the thighs. They break and Dvalishvili lands a left hand on the break. Dodson with a quick flurry and left hand. 10-9 Dvalishvili.
Dvalishvili with a low kick. Dodson lands a left hand to the body. Dvalishvili grabs a leg but lets go and lands a left hand. Dodson with an inside leg kick. Dodson with a leg kick. Dvalishvili lifts Dodson up and takes him to the center and slams him down but Dodson quickly gets right up. Dvalishvili with a spinning back fist then a left hook. Dodson defends a takedown attempt by Dvalishvili. They clinch again as Dvalishvili goes for a takedown. Dvalishvili gets a brief takedown but Dodson is able to quickly scramble to his feet. Dodson with an inside leg kick. Dvalishvili fakes a takedown and lands a left hook. They trade some short punches. Dvalishvili gets a late takedown. 10-9 Dvalishvili, 20-18 Dvalishvili.
They both yell out loud screams at each other. Dodson lands a left hand. Dvalishvili lands a right hand. Dvalishvili lands a right hand. Dvalishvili lands another right hand as he shoots in for a takedown. Dvalishvili tries for another takedown but Dodson squirms away. They trade punches and Dodson landed a hard left hand. Dvalishvili with a combo against the fence and then a low kick. Dvalishvili with some kicks up the middle. Dvalishvili lands a right hand. Dvalishvili tries for a takedown but Dodson able to defend it. Dvalishvili has Dodson pinned against the fence and lands some hammerfists to the thighs. Dodson lands a left late. 10-9 Dvalishvili, 30-27 Dvalishvili.
Official Result- Merab Dvalishvili def. John Dodson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Herbert Burns (11-2, 2-0 UFC) vs. Daniel Pineda (26-13 2 NC, 3-4 UFC) Featherweights* (Burns missed weight by 3.5 pounds)
Pineda with a big right hand early. Burns with a takedown but they scramble up and Burns has the back. Pineda is cut open. They scramble up and Pineda lands to the body and gets a takedown. Pineda with some top pressure as he lands body punches and some big elbows. Pineda with some big punches from the top and passes to half-guard. Pineda stands and lands an uppercut to a grounded Burns and then gets back on top and is unloading with punches. Pineda with more elbows from the top. Big round for Pineda. 10-8 Pineda.
Burns with a right hand and immediately scores a takedown. Burns stands and lands some punches and they scramble up and Burns has the back and drags Pineda back down. Burns landing from the top and now Pineda is able to sweep to the top and is in side control. Pineda gets the crucifix position and lands some big elbows. Pineda is unloading and lots of shots landing and it is stopped. Pineda with the big win in his UFC return.
Official Result- Daniel Pineda def. Herbert Burns by TKO (elbows) at 4:37 of Round 2
> Junior Dos Santos (#5, 21-7, 15-6 UFC) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (#6, 10-1, 4-1 UFC) Heavyweights
Dos Santos with a body shot. Rozenstruik with a low kick. Dos Santos with another body shot and Rozenstruik with a leg kick. Dos Santos with a high kick. They trade right hands. Dos Santos with a right hand and Rozenstruik is landing the inside leg kick. Rozenstruik lands a hard right hand. Rozenstruik with a kick to the groin and we have a timeout. They get back to action with not much time left. 10-9 Dos Santos.
Rozenstruik with a leg kick. Rozenstruik with another leg kick. Dos Santos with a right hand. Dos Santos with another right hand and lands a jab. Dos Santos lands a clean right hand. Rozenstruik with a right hand. Rozenstruik then drops Dos Santos with a right hand after a left hook and then starts landing more punches and it is finished off. Rozenstruik with the big stoppage.
Official Result- Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Junior Dos Santos by TKO (punches) at 3:47 of Round 2
> Sean O’Malley (#14, 12-0, 4-0 UFC) vs. Marlon Vera (15-6-1, 9-5 UFC) Bantamweights
Vera with an inside leg kick. O’Malley returns with one of his own. O’Malley throwing a lot of kicks in the first minute. O’Malley with a hard leg kick. They are feeling each other out. Vera with a high kick. O’Malley tried to use his footwork and looked to hurt his ankle. His right leg looks done. Vera with a leg kick. Vera with a high kick. O’Malley lands a right hand. O’Malley falls down trying to circle away. Vera then starts landing some elbows and punches from the top and Herb Dean stops the fight. Big upset win by Vera.
Official Result- Marlon Vera def. Sean O’Malley by TKO (strikes) at 4:40 of Round 1
Miocic with an inside leg kick. Miocic with another leg kick. Miocic with a strong leg kick. Miocic with a left hook to the body and then Cormier gets a takedown but Miocic gets up. They break after Cormier lands a knee to the body. Miocic lands a combo. Miocic with a right hand to the body. Cormier with a low calf kick and then a jab. Cormier with an overhand right. Cormier with an eye poke and we have a timeout. They get back to action. They trade leg kicks. Miocic with a right hand followed by a left. Cormier lands a couple of right hands. Cormier rocks Miocic with a right hand late and then lands a couple of leg kicks. 10-9 Cormier.
They trade kicks to start the second and Miocic lands a groin strike. Cormier quickly gets back to work. Miocic with a left hand. Cormier with the jab and lands a couple of right hands. Cormier loading up on his punches. They trade leg kicks. Miocic with a jab. Cormier with the jab. Miocic with a left hook and Cormier counters with a jab. Cormier lands a right hand. Cormier with a combo. Miocic lands a right hand that drops Cormier late. Cormier stumbled to his corner after the round ended. Close round. 10-9 Miocic, 19-19.
They trade right hands to start the third. Miocic with a right hand. Miocic landing more throughout the first minute of the third. They clinch and Miocic pushes Cormier against the fence. They break and Miocic misses a spinning elbow. Cormier with a low kick. Miocic lands a combo and they clinch against the fence. Miocic leaning on Cormier against the fence. Miocic lands a right hand as they break. They trade leg kicks. They trade in close range. Cormier with a heavy leg kick. They trade hard right hands late. 10-9 Miocic, 29-28 Miocic.
Cormier says he can’t see after a late eye poke in the third. Cormier with some leg kicks and lands a right hand. Cormier with a jab and then a combo. They clinch against the fence. They break and Cormier with the jab. Miocic with a right hand. They trade right hands. They clinch against the fence. They break and Cormier with a right hand and then lands a left hook to the body. Miocic with a right hand. Cormier lands a big right hand. They clinch against the fence and break and Miocic lands a left hook. They clinch again but break. Cormier lands two late right hands. 10-9 Cormier, 38-38.
Miocic with a left hook to the body. They trade punches and Cormier lands a right hand. Miocic with the jab. They clinch against the fence and not much is happening. They break and Cormier lands some punches. Miocic lands some punches and they clinch again. Cormier lands a right hand as they break. They clinch again. They break and both land punches. Cormier now initiates a clinch and lands an uppercut but they break. Cormier lands a right hand. They are battling against the fence in the clinch. Both are gassed and the fight ends. Close fight. 10-9 Miocic, 48-47 Miocic.
Official Result- Stipe Miocic def. Daniel Cormier by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) to retain the UFC Heavyweight Championship
During an appearance on ESPN First Take Tuesday where he made a formal announcement about Fight Island, UFC president Dana White discussed some other topics including the trilogy fight that could determine the best UFC heavyweight of all time.
White said that UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormer III is set for Saturday, August 15th, but doesn’t have a location yet. The two first fought in July 2018 when the then-light heavyweight champion Cormier knocked out Miocic in the first round to become a double champion. They rematched just over a year later and Miocic reclaimed the title with a fourth round TKO win.
Miocic had set the record for most consecutive title defenses (three) before the Cormier loss while Cormier had never been beaten at heavyweight before MIocic beat him.
Other notes from the conversation:
White claimed that Conor McGregor could have fought at UFC 249 as a replacement for either lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov or Tony Ferguson, but chose not to because he said “I’m not a replacement fighter. I’m not going to do it.” Justin Gaethje instead moved into Nurmagomedov’s position and defeated Ferguson for the interim lightweight title. White said McGregor was frustrated that he can’t get what he wants, and recommended the former two divison champion sit back and wait to see how things play out.
When asked about the contracts for Jon Jones and Jorge Masvidal, White aired frustration since both signed new deals recently. He said Jones signed a new deal less than a year ago and has eight fights remaining which contradicts what Jones said. With Masvidal, White said he signed a new deal seven months ago.
He said Kamaru Usman just signed a new six fight deal.
Daniel Cormier has confirmed that he’s planning on returning to the Octagon for one more fight.
During an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show today, Cormier said that he’ll return to face Stipe Miocic one more time. “I’m gonna fight this guy again,” Cormier told Helwani. “My intention is to fight him in the right way.”
Cormier said Miocic has to be the opponent and no one else matters to him. Cormier also noted that — win or lose — this will be his last fight.
Cormier told Helwani that there’s no date attached to the potential fight, but he’s ready to go. Cormier said the sooner the better for him and he’d be willing to face Miocic at UFC 245 in Las Vegas on December 14 if it becomes available.
Dana White told Barstool Sports last week that the UFC planned to book the trilogy fight between Miocic and Cormier after Miocic recovers from “bumps and bangs” he suffered in their last matchup.
“I’m not in a place right now where I’m chasing, I’m waiting, I’m begging. I’m not doing any of that stuff — I don’t need to,” Cormier said during his interview with Helwani. “I hope he fights me, run it back like I ran it back for him. I didn’t necessarily have to. I could have took that win last July and said that was beautiful and fought somebody else.”
Miocic won the UFC heavyweight title by defeating Cormier by TKO in the fourth round at UFC 241 this August. Cormier was ahead on the judges’ scorecards heading into that round. The fight was a rematch from UFC 226, where Cormier had knocked out Miocic in the first round to become heavyweight champion.
Cormier told Helwani that he probably would have retired if he defeated Miocic at UFC 241. After the loss, Cormier said he was going to talk to his wife and they would make an educated decision about what’s next.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 241: Cormier vs. Miocic 2, emanating from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The Octagon heads back to Southern California for one of the biggest fight cards of the year featuring a heavyweight title fight and the long-awaited return of one of the biggest stars in the sport.
In the main event, UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier defends the championship against the main he defeated to win that title, Stipe Miocic. Cormier returns to action for the first time since a November title defense over Derrick Lewis as he has spent time recovering from a back injury. Miocic is fighting for the first time since losing the championship to Cormier at UFC 226 in July 2018.
In the co-main event, it is the return of Nate Diaz, fighting for the first time in three years, as he takes on former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis. Diaz returns to a lot of fanfare and gets a fight he’s wanted for a while against Pettis, who is looking to go 2-0 at 170 pounds after knocking out former title challenger Stephen Thompson in March.
Also on the main card is a middleweight bout that has been in the makings for a while as former title challenger Yoel Romero takes on undefeated Paulo Costa in what could bring on lots of fireworks.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
> Sabina Mazo (6-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Shana Dobson (3-2, 1-1 UFC) Women’s Flyweights
They trade kicks to start. They trade high kicks. Mazo hurts Dobson with a body kick and starts landing punches and then some knees and elbows in the clinch. Mazo gets a takedown against the fence. Mazo with some punches from the top. Mazo with a few elbows from the top. Dobson able to sweep and almost got the back of Mazo but Mazo ends up back in her guard. Mazo landing more and they stand and Mazo lands some knees. Mazo gets another takedown against the fence. Mazo gets the mount. Mazo with some more punches from the top as the round ends. 10-8 Mazo.
Mazo landing some punches and Dobson shoots in for a takedown but Mazo defends and lands some knees. Mazo controlling the clinch as she keeps landing knees against the fence. Dobson lands a couple elbows but is still eating knees from Mazo. Mazo gets Dobson down to the ground. Mazo lands some on top but they get to their feet. Dobson lands a right hand. Mazo with a front kick. 10-9 Mazo, 20-17 Mazo.
Dobson trying to land the right hand but missing. Dobson with a leg kick and Mazo fires back with a body kick. Mazo with a body kick. Mazo with some leg kicks and then a liver kick. Dobson lands a combo. Mazo lands a bunch of knees against the fence, going to the body and the head. Mazo with more knees and Dobson is having trouble defending. Mazo gets a takedown and into side control and lands some knees to the body. Mazo looking for the mount but lands from the top and is in complete control. This fight hasn’t even been close. Mazo lands more punches from the top as the fight ends. 10-8 Mazo, 30-25 Mazo.
Official Result- Sabina Mazo def. Shana Dobson by unanimous decision (30-24, 30-25, 30-25)
> Kyung Ho Kang (15-8 1 NC, 4-2 1 NC UFC) vs. Brandon Davis (10-6, 2-3 UFC) Bantamweights
They trade leg kicks. Kang with a right hand. They trade right hands. Kang goes for a takedown but Davis defends. Davis with a knee as they break. Kang with the jab. Davis with a leg kick and Kang slips. Kang stuns Davis with a jab. Davis with more low leg kicks. They trade and Kang with a high body kick. Kang is landing the jab and drops Davis with a right hand. Davis quickly gets up and Kang takes the back. They go to the mat and Davis is trying to shake Kang off. Kang gets to mount but loses it and in the half-guard of Davis. Kang ends the round on top. 10-9 Kang.
They both come out firing to start the second. Kang with a leg kick. Kang shoots for a takedown but Davis defends it, goes for an armbar and loses his guard to Kang. Davis able to explode out from the bottom and they get up and break to the center. They trade punches. Davis with a high kick but Kang blocks it. Kang with a combo ending with an inside leg kick. Kang lands a right hand. Davis with a body kick. Davis lands a right hand. Davis with a leg kick and lands a late flying knee. Close round. 10-9 Davis, 19-19.
Davis with a right hand and follows with a leg kick. Davis slips on a kick attempt and Kang takes advantage and gets to side control on Davis. They are stood up from side control as Kang had good positioning. That was a bad stand-up. Kang gets Davis back down and is in side control once again. Kang isn’t doing much here but lands a couple of punches. Davis scrambles to his feet. Kang tries to take the back but Davis slips away and lands a big combo. Kang gets a takedown and is in the guard. Both are landing on the ground. Kang landing from the top and keeping busy. 10-9 Kang, 29-28 Kang.
Official Result- Kyung Ho Kang def. Brandon Davis by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Both ladies being patient in the first minute. Cifers lands a right hand. Esquibel lands a right hand. Cifers with a body kick. They trade punches. Esquibel lands a right hand and Cifers lands a counter right. Cifers with a right hand that lands right on the jaw. Esquibel with a head kick. Esquibel lands a left hand. Cifers with a combo. Esquibel shoots for a takedown but Cifers shakes her off. Cifers with a hard leg kick. Cifers with a right hand. Esquibel almost had a takedown at the end. 10-9 Cifers.
They are both throwing to start the second but nothing much is landing. Cifers with a leg kick that hurts Esquibel. Esquibel gets a takedown and is in the guard of Cifers. They are stood up. Cifers gets a takedown and lands a punch to the back of the head and they get up and break and Cifers lands a knee. Esquibel gets a takedown and Cifers is going for a triangle and an armbar but is in a bad position to secure it. They scramble to their feet. They trade late. 10-9 Cifers, 20-18 Cifers.
Esquibel misses a left hand and Cifers lands a leg kick. Cifers with a high kick. There is not a lot of offense going on. Cifers with a leg kick. Cifers with a leg kick and follows with a body kick. They trade punches. Esquibel gets a takedown and is in the guard and lands an elbow. Esquibel with some body punches from the top. They are stood up. Esquibel with a front kick to the chest. Esquibel with a left hand. Cifers with a combo and lands a body kick. Esquibel gets a late takedown but Cifers reverses to the feet. 10-9 Esquibel, 29-28 Cifers.
Official Result- Hannah Cifers def. Jodie Esquibel by unanimous decision (30-28, 30-27, 30-27)
They are trading early and Bermudez lands a punch and Kenney with a head kick that just barely lands. Bermudez gets a takedown. Kenney is going for a leg. Bermudez gets into the half-guard and moves to the full guard of Kenney. They get up and Kenney gets a takedown. Kenney is locked up in the half-guard of Bermudez. They scramble to their feet. They trade and Kenney with a left hand late. 10-9 Kenney.
Bermudez shooting for a takedown against the fence to start the second. Bermudez gets the back as they go to the mat and Bermudez scrambles to side control. Kenney reverses to the top. Kenney switches and has the back and locks in a rear-naked choke. Bermudez trying to slide out and does. They scramble to their feet. Bermudez lands a punch and they clinch. Kenney is tired. Bermudez gets Kenney to the mat and takes the back and is looking for a choke now. Kenney slips out and gets to his feet and goes back to the ground on top. Close round. 10-9 Kenney, 20-18 Kenney.
Kenney with a leg kick. Bermudez lands a right hand. They both land a combo. Bermudez with a nice combination. Bermudez gets a takedown and is in side control. Bermudez looks for a guillotine from the top but doesn’t have it locked in and he goes back to the half-guard. Bermudez landing from the top. He has big control from the top and ends the round with punches from the top. Close fight. 10-9 Bermudez, 29-28 Kenney.
Official Result- Casey Kenney def. Manny Bermudez by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Giagos with a body kick to start. Klose with some leg kicks. Giagos tags Klose with a left hand. They tie up and Klose lands several knees to the body. They break but then tie up once again. They trade knees and Giagos lands his knee harder. Giagos has been the controlling fighter in the clinch. They break and both miss punches. Klose initiates the clinch and pushes Giagos against the fence. Klose with an elbow as they break. Giagos with a combo late and Klose tags Giagos with a hard right hand at the end of the round. 10-9 Giagos.
Giagos with a big knee to start and they have a wild exchange. Giagos with a body kick and goes into a takedown and in the guard of Klose. Giagos landing from the top and then gets the back of Klose and has a rear-naked choke locked in. It is just on the chin and Klose gets out for a moment. Klose stands and Giagos is still on his back. He loses it and they break. They trade and Giagos lands a nice right hand. Klose with an uppercut and follows it with a hard right and Giagos is hurt. Giagos goes for a takedown but Klose defends. Klose trips Giagos to the mat and gets on top and lands a hammerfist. Klose with big punches from the top. Klose opens up a cut on Giagos. Big end of the round for Klose. 10-9 Klose, 19-19.
They clinch right away but break. Klose with a big leg kick and Giagos went to the ground but got up. Klose with an uppercut but Giagos counters with a left hook. Both throwing punches. Giagos lands a right hand. Giagos lands a combo. Klose clinches and lands a knee to the body followed by an uppercut. Giagos lands a right hand after they break. They both land punches. They trade and clinch and Klose with a foot stomp. They break and trade. Klose shoots for a takedown and picks Giagos up and slams him down but Giagos grabs the arm and tries for an armbar but Klose gets free. They get up and Giagos’ left eye is a mess. Giagos lands a right hand. They exchange late. Really good fight. 10-9 Klose, 29-28 Klose.
Official Result- Drakkar Klose def. Christos Giagos by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Sandhagen lands a right hand. Sandhagen lands an uppercut. Assuncao with a left hand. Sandhagen with an inside leg kick. Sandhagen with another inside leg kick. Assuncao with the jab. Sandhagen lands a right hand. Sandhagen with a left hook to the body. They clinch and Assuncao with a couple of knees to the body. They break and Assuncao with a left hand. Sandhagen with a right hand and then a flying knee. Sandhagen with a leg kick. 10-9 Sandhagen.
They trade punches and Sandhagen gets the clinch. Sandhagen with a knee to the head and they break. Sandhagen with a leg kick and Assuncao grabs it and they scramble to the ground and Assuncao has the back. Sandhagen able to reverse to the top and passed guard. They get up and Sandhagen takes Assuncao’s back as they go to the mat. Assuncao goes to the top as Sandhagen grabs the leg. Assuncao gets to the back and lands some punches. They continue to scramble on the mat. They continue to scramble on the mat as the round ends. Close round. 10-9 Sandhagen, 20-18 Sandhagen.
They trade to start the third. Assuncao lands a nice combo. Sandhagen with a right hand to the body. Assuncao gets a single leg and scores a takedown but they scramble to their feet. Sandhagen with an uppercut to the body. They trade body kicks. Assuncao grabs the back against the fence. Assuncao gets a brief takedown. They get up and Assuncao still has the back and lands a knee. Assuncao picks Sandhagen up and delivers a big slam but Sandhagen gets up and gets the clinch advantage. Sandhagen with the jab. Assuncao just slips away from a knee and gets the clinch. Sandhagen with a flying knee. 10-9 Assuncao, 29-28 Sandhagen.
Official Result- Cory Sandhagen def. Raphael Assuncao by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
> Devonte Smith (10-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Khama Worthy (14-6, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
Worthy took this fight earlier this week. Smith with a body kick. Smith lands a right hand. Smith with a high kick and Worthy blocks it. Smith with a leg kick. Worthy with a right hand to the body. Smith with a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Smith with a leg kick. Neither able to find much with their punches. Worthy with a leg kick. Worthy then drops Smith with a left hand followed by an uppercut and Smith is in all sorts of trouble and Worthy finishes him off. Wow, what a win for Worthy after taking this fight less than a week ago.
Official Result- Khama Worthy def. Devonte Smith by TKO (punches) at 4:15 of Round 1
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> Derek Brunson (#8, 19-7, 10-5 UFC) vs. Ian Heinisch (#10, 13-1, 2-0 UFC) Middleweights
Heinisch opening up quick with an uppercut and hurts Brunson with a head kick but Brunson shakes it off and grabs ahold of Heinisch. They break. They trade. Brunson with a body kick. Brunson is landing the straight left hand. Brunson shoots for a takedown but Heinisch defends. Heinisch lands a right hand. Brunson with a combo. Brunson shoots from a distance and pushes Heinisch against the fence. Close round. 10-9 Heinisch.
They trade leg kicks to start. Heinisch with a right hand that Brunson barely blocks. Brunson with a hard combo and Heinisch shoots for the takedown but Brunson sprawls. Brunson with a high kick. Brunson with a left hand and then another and Heinisch is stunned. Brunson with a body kick. Big flurry from Brunson and he takes the back of Heinisch. Brunson lets go and they trade punches. Brunson misses a head kick and slips but gets up. Brunson with some body kicks. Heinisch misses some heavy right hands. Heinisch goes for a takedown but Brunson defends and lands some big left hands. 10-9 Brunson, 19-19.
They are trading punches and Brunson lands a left hand and grabs a leg. He moves to the back and slams Heinisch down but they pop back up. Brunson lands a nice left hand. Heinisch shoots for a takedown but Brunson stuffs it. Brunson gets the body lock and gets a takedown and has the back. Heinisch gets out and grabs the leg but they break. They trade and Brunson getting the better of the exchanges. Brunson landing body kicks but Heinisch lands some punches. Both men are tired with a minute left. They trade late. 10-9 Brunson, 29-28 Brunson.
Official Result- Derek Brunson def. Ian Heinisch by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Gabriel Benitez (21-6, 5-2 UFC) vs. Sodiq Yusuff (9-1, 2-0 UFC) Featherweights
Yusuff throwing bombs right away and cuts Benitez open within seconds. Yusuff with a hard kick and follows with a right hand. Yusuff with more big punches. Yusuff with a combo. Benitez with a knee to the body followed by a leg kick. Benitez with a leg kick. Benitez with more inside leg kicks and Yusuff lands some punches. Benitez lands two left hands. Benitez drops Yusuff with a left hand but he gets up. Benitez swarms on him as he covers up. Benitez lands another left hand. Benitez with a leg kick. Yusuff drops Benitez with a right hand and then finishes him off with hammerfists on the ground. What a great finish by Yusuff as he gets the first-round stoppage.
Official Result- Sodiq Yusuff def. Gabriel Benitez by TKO (punches) at 4:14 of Round 1
> Yoel Romero (#2, 14-3, 9-2 UFC) vs. Paulo Costa (#7, 12-0, 4-0 UFC) Middleweights
Costa with a body kick to start. Romero with a left hand and Costa stumbles back. Romero with a head kick. They have a quick scramble. Costa misses a head kick. Costa hurts Romero with a punch and then Romero drops Costa with a left hand. Costa gets up. Costa with a body kick. Romero with another left hand. Costa with a right hand followed by a body kick. Costa with a combo. Romero with a knee to the body. Costa with a knee to the groin of Romero and Romero goes down and we have a timeout. We get back to action. Romero with a left hand. Costa with a head kick that Romero blocks. Romero with a takedown attempt and Costa lands punches and then Romero lands punches. They both land hard punches. Romero with a left hand. Romero with more left hands. Costa applying pressure and lands a wheel kick. 10-9 Costa.
Romero with a body kick. Costa with a combo. Costa with a body kick and Romero counters with a right hand. Costa with a couple of left hooks. Costa with a combo and he is teeing off and Romero is yelling at him while he is eating punches. They trade kicks. They trade punches. Romero has great speed but his footwork has seemed off. They trade punches. Romero with a left hand. Costa lands a right hand but Romero counters with a left hand. Costa with a high kick and Romero sticks his tongue out at him. Romero with an uppercut. Romero with a late takedown. 10-9 Romero, 19-19.
Romero with a left hand and then he lands a big flurry. Romero with a left hand and Costa lands two body kicks. Romero with a straight left hand. Romero pokes Costa in the eye and we have a timeout. Back to action and Costa with a leg kick. Costa keeps landing punches and Romero sticks his tongue out every time. Romero with a combo. Romero with a pair of left hands. Costa with a body punch and one to the head. Romero with an uppercut and a left hand. Costa with a right hand. They are throwing down and Romero lands some big punches. This is wild. Romero with a big flurry of punches and Costa is fading. Costa’s nose is pouring blood. Romero with a combo. Costa with a head kick that Romero eats. Romero gets a takedown but Costa is able to scramble up. Great, great fight. 10-9 Romero, 29-28 Romero.
Official Result- Paulo Costa def. Yoel Romero by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Anthony Pettis (#7, #9 LW, 22-8, 9-7 UFC) vs. Nate Diaz (19-11, 14-9 UFC) Welterweights
Diaz with a combo to start his attack. They trade kicks. Diaz with some pressure and Pettis lands a right hand. Pettis with a leg kick. They trade punches. They trade and clinch and Diaz lands a knee to the body and some body punches. Pettis lands a combo as they break. Diaz with a front kick to the body. Pettis with a combo and high kick. They clinch and Diaz with some body shots. They break. Diaz with a right hand. Pettis with a knee and Diaz gets a takedown. Pettis looking for a guillotine but Diaz pops out. Diaz in the guard. Diaz takes the back and lands some punches and then gets to the mount. Diaz gets the back again and lands some punches and has back control as the round ends. 10-9 Diaz.
Pettis falls down after they trade leg kicks but gets up and they clinch for a moment. Pettis lands a left hand. Pettis with a combo and lands a right hand. Diaz is cut around his eye and he keeps checking it. We have a timeout so the doctors can check on the eye of Diaz. Back to action. Pettis with a right hand. They trade right hands. Diaz with a knee to the body. Pettis lands a left hand. Diaz gets the back and scores a takedown and has side control. Diaz lands from the top but Pettis scrambles out. Diaz with a knee after they stand. Diaz with a big elbow along with fence. Diaz with a combo. Pettis is running out of gas. Diaz with a knee to the body. Loud chants for Diaz. Diaz with a big knee followed by a right hand. Pettis counters with a right but Diaz with an uppercut. Pettis with an elbow and Diaz is cut open. They trade at the end. 10-9 Diaz, 20-18 Diaz.
Diaz looks the fresher fighter heading to the third. Pettis with an uppercut as they clinch. They trade in phone booth range. Diaz with a combo. Pettis with a high kick. Diaz with a front kick. Pettis lands a right hand. Diaz with a combo and then more punches and lands some knees to the body and head. Pettis goes to the mat and Diaz is on top and landing punches. Diaz has the back and tries to get the hooks in. Crowd is loud for Diaz. Pettis spins into the guard of Diaz. Diaz landing from the bottom and blocking any offense from Pettis. Pettis lands an elbow and stands but goes back into the guard. Diaz landing from the bottom and went for an armbar but Pettis escapes and Diaz ends up on top and then gets the back. Great grappling here. Diaz landing punches from the back and takes the back. Pettis gets to the guard and Diaz throws up a triangle as time runs out. 10-9 Diaz, 30-27 Diaz.
Official Result- Nate Diaz def. Anthony Pettis by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Miocic with an inside leg kick. Cormier with a pair of leg kicks. Cormier with a left hook. Miocic with an inside leg kick. Miocic with another. Cormier with a right hand. Cormier with another right hand. They trade. Cormier shoots for a single leg and then picks him up and slams him to the ground. Cormier in side control and gets to the half-guard. Cormier with some short punches from the top but Miocic defending well. Cormier being patient from the guard of Miocic. Cormier with a big left hand from the top. Cormier with more punches from the top. Miocic tries an upkick and now Cormier trying for the back. Cormier with hammerfists. They get to their feet. Cormier with late elbows. 10-9 Cormier.
Miocic lands a jab. Miocic with an inside leg kick. Cormier with a hard leg kick. Miocic with a knee to the body. Miocic lands a right hand. Miocic with a combo. Cormier with the jab. Cormier with an elbow. Cormier with an uppercut and then a straight right hand. Cormier with another right hand. They trade punches. Miocic lands a right hand. Cormier with a hard right hand. Cormier with an elbow and they clinch. They break and Miocic lands a combo. Cormier with a right hand. They both land in an exchange. Miocic with a left hand. Cormier with a left hand and they clinch. They break. Miocic lands a right hand. Cormier with a hard uppercut. Cormier with a jab. They trade punches. Miocic with a body kick. Cormier with some punches and a head kick. They trade late. 10-9 Cormier, 20-18 Cormier.
Miocic lands a combo with a hard right hand. Miocic tries a takedown but Cormier easily defends and just misses a head kick. Cormier with the double jab. They are tagging each other in close range. They clinch and Miocic pushes Cormier to the fence. Miocic with a knee to the body. Miocic tried a spinning elbow as they broke but missed. Miocic with a combo. Cormier with the double jab. Cormier with a body kick. Cormier with the jabs again. Cormier lands a right hand. Miocic takes Cormier down but Cormier right back up. Miocic with a knee to the body. Cormier lands a combo. Cormier with a hard right hand. Cormier with a combo but Miocic lands a right hand. They trade punches late. 10-9 Cormier, 30-27 Cormier.
Miocic with an inside leg kick. Cormier with a leg kick. Cormier lands a left hand. Miocic misses a right hand. Miocic with a left hand to the body and then a right hand. The pace has slowed. Miocic is applying pressure but not throwing a lot. Miocic now going with left hands to the body. Cormier with a right hand. Miocic still ripping to the body. Cormier with a right hand. Cormier lands another right hand. Miocic lands another left hand to the body and follows it with a right hand. Miocic then lands a right hand that drops Cormier and he finishes him off in the fourth round. Wow, big win by Miocic as he regains the title.
Official Result- Stipe Miocic def. Daniel Cormier by TKO (punches) at 4:09 of Round 4 to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship
Just over a year from when they first fought, UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic will do it again.
Made official Saturday, Cormier vs. Miocic will headline August’s UFC 241 from Anaheim, CA, in a rematch of last July’s champion vs. champion encounter that saw Cormier knock out Miocic and walk away with two belts.
The fight came together after negotations for Brock Lesnar to return and fight the 40-year-old Cormier fell apart over money according to our Dave Meltzer. According to UFC president Dana White, Lesnar told him he retired.
The 36-year-old Miocic has been campaigning for a rematch with Cormier for some time and showed little to no interest in fighting anyone else. Cormier didn’t show much interest in the rematch but wasn’t left with a lot of options if he indeed wants to retire this year.
Miocic made UFC heavyweight history with a record three consecutive defenses of the title. Cormier will be looking for his second consecutive defense after submitting Derrick Lewis in November.
For the second straight year, WWE went with two fan-pleasing choices as their Royal Rumble winners. WWE followed up on Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka’s wins from last year by having Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch win their respective Rumble matches on Sunday night. The results were entirely predictable, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t the right choices. While there are other stories that WWE can tell, top babyfaces beginning their road to WrestleMania by winning the Royal Rumble will pretty much always work.
A quick note that the format of this issue is different due to the fact I messed up my left hand in a bicycle crash on 1/24 making typing extremely difficult.
This issue has complete Royal Rumble and NXT results with eliminations, stats, and facts, plus Dave’s comments. It also includes star ratings, NXT awards, and notes on the post show angle.
Roman Reigns is going to be in the Rock’s new movie. There were some photos of Roman Reigns last week from where he’s been filming the new sequel of the Fast and the Furious franchise, which had been kept kind of quiet. Reigns is playing Rock’s character Hobbs’ brother…
AEW released a short video with Cody Rhodes talking about signing Jungle Boy and the announcement that on February 7th, there is a Ticket Announcement Party at the MGM from Las Vegas. Brandi teased announcing more women at that event. There is a lot of talent expected at that event. CIMA is likely going to be there…
NJPW is very confident that it will not be an issue by the time the MSG G1 Supercard show comes up, with it being several months away…
From reports of the Dallas, TX Road to G1 Supercard show, Shibata’s students, Clark Connors, Karl Fredericks, and Alex Coughlin are all seemed as really good in the technical aspect, with all their basics down, as they’re being trained with the Japanese New Japan Dojo mentality. Shibata, who is the lead trainer in the US Dojo, has interpreters with him at all time during training…
Matt Sydal’s contract with Impact Wrestling ended January 1st. He should be ready in a couple of months from a minor knee surgery he got last week…
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TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE
by Joseph Currier and Bryan Rose
WWE
SmackDown tonight takes place at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington. Matches set for tonight include Daniel Bryan vs. Jeff Hardy, Mustafa Ali vs. Randy Orton and the new team of Rusev & Nakamura vs. Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows.
The Revival defeated The B-Team, Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik, and Heavy Machinery in a fatal four-way match on last night’s Raw to get a future Tag Team title shot. When they’ll be challenging for Bobby Roode & Chad Gable’s titles wasn’t announced.
Heavy Machinery’s names have been tweaked to Otis and Tucker on WWE.com. Their full names were still used on last night’s Raw.
A match between Natalya and Dana Brooke has been teased for next week’s Raw.
WWE writer Kazeem Famuyide wrote about finishing up with the company: “I want to thank the wonderful folks at the @wwe for letting a kid get to live his dream for the past year. Never would have thought I would’ve got to write and create for something i grew up watching, and moreso, making some lifelong friends along the way. The journey was incredible, the experience was immeasurable, and the respect that I’ll have for every single man and woman that helps put this show together every week will never ever dissipate. Thank you to the incredible creative writing team for making me feel welcomed and everyone else at WWE for the hell of a ride. It’s on to the next one”
Kairi Sane tweeted about wrestling at this past weekend’s SmackDown house shows: “Last weekend, I participated in the #SmackDown Live house shows for the first time. Everyone was really kind and it was such a moving experience. Thank you so much for giving me this great opportunity Ahoy‼︎”
Dustin Rhodes spoke to Sports Illustrated about the evolution of his Goldust character and his brother Cody being involved with All Elite Wrestling. “Me and Cody talk a lot, and I was on a movie set for a horror film that I’m doing, and we were texting about that AEW rally in Jacksonville. The pyro alone was spectacular. They’re doing it really professionally, from the heads of the company to their big talent to the newer stars. I’m very curious to see what Cody and the Young Bucks can do with All Elite Wrestling,” Rhodes said. “I hope this really takes storm and becomes something formidable. You need places to go and work, competition is great and it is the best thing that can happen for WWE.”
Brian Milonas has signed a contract with ROH. Milonas & Beer City Bruiser team together as The Bouncers in the promotion.
Katsuya Kitamura posted the following after news broke he had left NJPW (via translation): ”Lastly, thank you for your continued support and encouragement over the past three years. Your support meant everything to me. I am thankful and hope you continue to support Katsuya Kitamura when he goes to a new stage.”
Austin Theory will defend his EVOLVE Championship against Darby Allin at EVOLVE 121 in Atlanta, Georgia on February 15. Here’s the updated card for the show:
EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory defending against Darby Allin
Adam Cole vs. Shane Strickland
EVOLVE Tag Team Champions The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) defending against AR Fox & DJZ
Anthony Henry vs. Eddie Kingston
A Skulk scramble match featuring Leon Ruff, Adrian Alanis, Liam Grey, and other members of the WWA4 School
Josh Briggs vs. Curt Stallion
WWN Champion JD Drake vs. Harlem Bravado in a non-title match
Here’s the card for EVOLVE 122 in Concord, North Carolina on February 16:
WWN Champion JD Drake defending against Montez Ford
EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory defending against Anthony Henry
Adam Cole vs. Darby Allin
Angelo Dawkins vs. Eddie Kingston
AR Fox vs. Shane Strickland
DJZ vs. Josh Briggs
Harlem Bravado vs. Curt Stallion
Stipe Miocic posted a video on YouTube explaining why he feels he deserves another shot at the heavyweight title. Cormier responded on Twitter saying: “Do you guys wanna know why I’m not fighting @stipemiocic again? Reason 1: he’s being entitled, why have I fought since and he hasn’t. He lost the fight is he still the champ? Reason 2: I’m hurt Reason 3: how do I do it better? I beat him in a round last time ?”
Ed in San Antonio presents the WRESTLEMANIAWeekend Events (more to be added):
Sunday, April 6th, at 12:00 pm: Lunch (all you can eat) at Churrascaria Plataforma ($90 per person), located at 316 W. 49th street in Manhattan. Purchase tickets here~!
Luxury Bus to MetLife Stadium for Wrestlemania: We will depart from the Hilton Midtown (site of Wrestlecon) located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Departure time is 4:00 pm and will return from MetLife approximately 30 mins after the event. Times are subject to change, and cost $67.00 per person for the round trip. Purchase tickets here~!
At UFC 226 Saturday, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier became just the second simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history after knocking out former champion Stipe Miocic in the first round.
After winning the belt, Cormier challenged former heavyweight champion and current WWE Universal champion Brock Lesnar to face him and come into the Octagon. Lesnar had walked out to cageside before the main event, fueling speculation that he is indeed returning to the UFC.
Lesnar walked in and shoved Cormier, eventually getting the microphone. He cut an expletive-ridden promo calling Miocic and Francis Ngannou “pieces of sh*t” and said that he would beat Cormier before throwing the mic in the camera and shoving it. Cormier got the microphone again and said that Lesnar was from “the stone age” and that 2010 is a long time ago. He told Lesnar to get out of the cage as he had pictures to take. Dana White eventually escorted a heated Lesnar out of the cage.
The fight is rumored to be taking place at Madison Square Garden in November in what will serve as the unofficial UFC 25th anniversary show and celebration.
Cormer started his career at heavyweight and won the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix prior to entering UFC, amassing a 13-0 record in that weight class before moving to 205. His teammate Cain Velasquez was the champion at that time and Cormier was adamant that he didn’t want to fight him.
Cormier is still the promotion’s light heavyweight champion, but speculation could increase that he will vacate that belt as he has stated that he will not fight beyond his 40th birthday, which is in March of 2019. Prior to the Cormier loss, Miocic had established himself as the most dominant UFC heavyweight champion in history, being the only fighter to successfully defend that belt three times.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 226: Miocic vs. Cormier, emanating from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It is the second of two UFC events this weekend for the annual International Fight Week in Las Vegas, this one being the big event of the weekend with one of the biggest title fights in UFC history, being billed as the “Superfight”.
UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic looks to remain the top heavyweight in the world as he defends the title against UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier, who is looking to become the second ever UFC fighter to hold championships in two weight classes at the same time.
Cormier returns to the heavyweight division, where he is a perfect 13-0, and has never even lost a round as a heavyweight. This is Miocic’s fourth title defense and he looks to stamp his place in the record books even further as the best UFC heavyweight of all-time.
Despite the card taking a hit with the loss of the Max Holloway-Brian Ortega title fight, it is still an overall deep card. The rest of the main card sees heavyweight sluggers Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis do battle, Paul Felder moves up to the welterweight division to face Mike Perry, Michael Chiesa takes on former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis, and kickboxing legend Gokhan Saki goes up against Khalil Rountree.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
Whitmire comes out throwing strikes but not connecting. They trade in close range. Whitmire lands a couple of punches. They trade in the pocket. Whitmire lands a left. Moyle with a left hook followed by a leg kick. Whitmire counters well. They trade punches. They trade kicks. Whitmire lands a solid combination. All standing so far through the first. Lots of feeling out. Whitmire with a leg kick. Whitmire with a high kick. Whitmire staying more active and is landing more. 10-9 Whitmire.
Whitmire lands some punches to start the second. Moyle lands a solid left hook and a leg kick. Whitmire with a head kick. Moyle lands a one-two combo. They exchange leg kicks. Moyle looks to shoot for a takedown but misses wide. Moyle starting to land more in this round. Moyle drops down for a takedown but Whitmire has good defense and defends it and lands a knee to the body. Whitmire now shoots but Moyle scrambles and gets the back of Whitmire before they stand and break. They trade punches. Whitmire grabs a body lock and they battle against the fence. Moyle lands an uppercut as they break. Moyle with body punches against the fence. They trade and Moyle lands against the fence. 10-9 Moyle, 19-19.
They trade kicks early on in the third. Whitmire gets a big takedown and is on top. She’s in control landing punches from the top. Moyle unable to scramble from the bottom. Whitmire working in half-guard. Whitmire continuing to control landing punches from the top in half-guard. Moyle is not doing much from the bottom except throwing some strikes. Whitmire with elbows to the body from the top. Whitmire stands and lands some punches. She gets back into the guard against the fence. Whitmire finishes it with more shots from the top. Easy round for Whitmire. 10-9 Whitmire, 29-28 Whitmire.
Official Result- Emily Whitmire def. Jamie Moyle by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Dan Hooker (16-7, 6-3 UFC) vs. Gilbert Burns (14-2, 6-2 UFC) Lightweights
They trade kicks early. Burns with a spinning back kick to the body. Hooker with a leg kick and Burns counters with a huge right hand. Hooker with two leg kicks. They trade leg kicks. Hooker lands a combo. Hooker trips Burns to the mat with an inside leg kick. Hooker had a brief choke on the ground but they got to their feet. Hooker with a straight knee. Hooker then drops Burns with a big left hand and then finishes him off with one more punch on the ground. Big finish for Hooker, who looked very impressive.
Official Result- Dan Hooker def. Gilbert Burns by knockout (punches) at 2:28 of Round 1
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> Curtis Millender (15-3, 1-0 UFC) vs. Max Griffin (14-4, 2-2 UFC) Welterweights
Griffin with a left hand. They trade front kicks. Millender with a flying knee. Millender with another knee. Griffin lands a right hand. Millender with a leg kick. Griffin lands a left hand. Millender with a head kick. Griffin lands a right hand and scores a takedown. Griffin firmly on top and landing some short punches as he tries to pass guard. Griffin with an elbow followed by some punches. Griffin with another elbow. Millender can’t do anything on the bottom. Griffin with more elbows from the top followed by punches. Big end to the round for Griffin. 10-9 Griffin.
They trade punches to start the second. Griffin with a leg kick. Millender with a body combo and a flying knee. Millender lands a high body kick. Griffin lands a huge right hand but Millender counters with a knee to the body. Millender with a hard right hand. He lands another then grabs a neck standing but Griffin escapes. Griffin lands a left hand. Millender with a leg kick. Griffin just misses a right hand. Millender with a high kick. Griffin lands a left hand. They trade kicks. Millender lands a left hand and Griffin is hurt. Millender with a late takedown that should seal the round for him. 10-9 Millender, 19-19.
They trade to start the third as well. Millender with a leg kick. Millender with a knee to the body of Griffin. Griffin shoots for a takedown but Millender defends it. Griffin has Millender pressed against the fence. Millender with some elbows from against the fence. Griffin with a knee to the body. They break and go back to the center of the Octagon. They trade right hands. Griffin lands a right hand. Millender lands a right hand and has Griffin pushed against the fence. Griffin in trouble late. Millender with some knees to the body and a huge flurry on Griffin against the fence. Griffin with a late head kick. 10-9 Millender, 29-28 Millender.
Official Result- Curtis Millender def. Max Griffin by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Lando Vannata (9-2-1, 1-2-1 UFC) vs. Drakkar Klose (8-1-1, 2-1 UFC) Lightweights
Klose pins Vannata up against the fence and lands some shots and a spinning back elbow. Vannata able to grab the back and gets a brief takedown but they get up and break. Klose tries a slam but Vannata defends and gives up his back. Vannata with a combo as they break. Klose with a body kick. Vannata lands a combo after they break a clinch. They trade body kicks. Klose with a leg kick followed by a right hand. They trade kicks. Klose with a calf kick. Vannata with a head kick and a spinning back elbow. They tie up against the fence. They battle for underhooks against the fence. Klose lands a left on the break. 10-9 Klose.
They trade and Vannata lands a good right hand. They clinch and trade knees before breaking. They trade and Klose pushes Vannata against the fence and they battle for underhooks. Klose with a big elbow and he gets a brief takedown but Vannata scrambles to his feet. Vannata cut around his right eye. Vannata lands a right hand and a spinning back fist while Klose lands a right hand. Klose with the jab. Vannata with a spin kick to the body. Vannata with a combo. Vannata lands a right hand and then a spin kick to the body. Klose with a leg kick. Two close rounds. 10-9 Klose, 20-18 Klose.
Vannata with a leg kick. They trade punches and Vannata with a spin kick. Vannata with a body kick. Vannata with a switch kick and lands a right hand. Vannata with a side kick. They clinch against the fence and Klose has Vannata pinned against the cage. Klose working on a single-leg. They continue to battle for underhooks but the referee splits them up. Vannata with a leg kick. Vannata gets a takedown and takes the back of Klose. Vannata has the hooks in. Vannata lands some punches from the back. Vannata lets go and they get to their feet. Klose lands the jab. Klose tries a takedown and gets it for a moment. 10-9 Vannata, 29-28 Klose.
Official Result- Drakkar Klose def. Lando Vannata by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Raphael Assuncao (#3, 26-5, 10-2 UFC) vs. Rob Font (#11, 15-3, 5-2 UFC) Bantamweights
They both miss early strike attempts. Assuncao lands a right hand. They trade leg kicks at the same time. Assuncao with a leg kick. Font with the jab. Assuncao with a leg kick. Font just misses a head kick. Assuncao with a body kick and then a leg kick. Font with a left hook to the body. Font just misses a right hand. Assuncao lands a right hand. They trade kicks. Assuncao with a right hand. Assuncao drops Font for a moment with a right hand. Assuncao with a spinning wheel kick. Font with a flying knee. 10-9 Assuncao.
Assuncao with a quick takedown and he lands some punches from the top. Font rolls and Assuncao takes his back. Assuncao now working in the half-guard. Assuncao keeping Font firmly planted on the bottom but Font is able to scramble to his feet. They trade punches. Assuncao with a front kick. Font with a body punch. Assuncao lands a right hand followed by a quick left. Font with the jab. Assuncao with a leg kick. Font with the jab. Assuncao lands a right hand. 10-9 Assuncao, 20-18 Assuncao.
Font lands a right hand. Assuncao with a body punch and then lands a left hand. Font with a body kick and Assuncao returns his own body kick. Assuncao with a leg kick that trips Font up. Assuncao with a spinning head kick. Assuncao with an inside leg kick. We have an eye poke on Font and a timeout. Assuncao lands some left hands. They trade in close range. Left hand from Font. Assuncao gets a takedown and into the guard of Font. Assuncao with some body punches. Assuncao with punches from the top and he’s keeping Font on the mat easily. Font tried to find an armbar. Assuncao with some short elbows. Assuncao cruising to a win here. 10-9 Assuncao, 30-27 Assuncao.
Official Result- Raphael Assuncao def. Rob Font by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Uriah Hall (#9, 13-8, 6-6 UFC) vs. Paulo Costa (#10, 11-0, 3-0 UFC) Middleweights
Costa with a body kick. Hall with a leg kick. Costa with a body kick. Hall misses a spinning kick. Costa with another body kick. They are trading. Hall is using the jab well. Costa with a body kick and then a hard right hand. Costa with another body kick. Costa with a front kick right to the groin of Hall. Back to action and Hall with a spin kick to the body. They trade and Costa lands some big punches to the body and a body kick. Costa with a knee to the body and then some big punches against the fence. They are trading as Hall moves away. Costa with a right hand but Hall with a front kick to the body. Costa with a body kick. Costa with an overhand right. Another groin strike from Costa. They trade and trade body kicks at the end. 10-9 Costa.
They trade kicks early in the second. Costa with the jab and then a right hand and then a high kick. Big right hand from Costa. Hall with a body kick. Hall with a takedown but they get right back to their feet. Costa with a body kick. They trade right hands. Costa with an uppercut. They trade left hands. Costa with a combo and Hall counters with a right hand that hurts Costa. Costa with a body kick. Costa with an uppercut to the body. Costa with a big combination and a jab hurts Hall badly. Costa then drops Hall face first with a right hand and this fight is stopped. What a violent finish by Costa as he remains undefeated.
Official Result- Paulo Costa def. Uriah Hall by TKO (punches) at 3:38 of Round 2
Saki with a leg kick. Saki with a head kick. They trade punches. Saki with a right hand but Rountree counters with a left. Saki with a leg kick. Rountree knocks Saki down with a left hand and then finishes him with more punches on the ground. Big win for Rountree as he knocks out the kickboxing legend.
Official Result- Khalil Rountree def. Gokhan Saki by knockout (punches) at 1:36 of Round 1
> Michael Chiesa (#9, 14-3, 7-3 UFC) vs. Anthony Pettis (#12, 20-7, 7-6 UFC) Lightweights* (Chiesa missed weight by 1.5 pounds)
Chiesa quickly shoots for a takedown and he gets it. Chiesa on top and is landing big punches. Pettis gets out from the bottom and quickly grabs the back and they stand. They break and Chiesa with a high kick. Chiesa tries for a takedown but misses it badly. Pettis has Chiesa held against the fence. They break and Chiesa lands a left hand and goes back hunting for the takedown and gets it. Pettis looking for a triangle but Chiesa escapes as he lands from the top. They get to their feet and Pettis lands a big kick. Pettis with a leg kick. He just misses a spin kick. Pettis with a right hand. Chiesa tries to pull guard but Pettis is on top and lands some punches. Pettis just misses a spin kick. 10-9 Chiesa.
Pettis with a body kick and then a right hand and then follows up with a knee as Cheisa goes to the ground. Pettis goes for a guillotine but doesn’t have it and now he is on bottom. Pettis now going for a triangle. He has it locked in and Chiesa taps! Wow. Pettis found an opening and capitalized and gets the win.
Official Result- Anthony Pettis def. Michael Chiesa by submission (triangle choke) at :52 of Round 2
> Paul Felder (#14 LW, 15-3, 7-3 UFC) vs. Mike Perry (11-3, 4-3 UFC) Welterweights
Felder right away with a leg kick and then throw punches. Felder already cut open. They clinch and Felder with a knee to the body. Perry also cut open. Felder with an elbow. Perry with an elbow as well. They break and Perry with some front kicks. Felder with a hard right hand. Felder with a leg kick. Perry lands a right hand and then an elbow. Felder with a spinning back elbow. They trade punches. Felder with a step-in knee. Felder with a right hand then a front kick to the body. Felder with a head kick. Felder with the double jab. Felder with some more leg kicks and then a spin kick. Perry with a body punch but eats a spinning back fist from Felder. 10-9 Felder.
Felder with a high kick. Felder lands a right hand. They trade and then Perry picks Felder up and slams him to the mat. Felder scrambles to his feet. Perry with an elbow in the clinch and they break. Felder with a spin kick to the body. Felder just misses a head kick. Felder with a leg kick after an exchange. Felder with two leg kicks back-to-back. Perry lands a left hook and Felder has a huge cut over his right eye. We have a timeout to check the cut and this fight might be stopped. Nope, the fight continues. Perry gets a takedown after grabbing Felder’s back. They get to their feet and Perry lands some punches. They exchange elbows in the clinch. Felder’s face is blood red. 10-9 Perry, 19-19.
They trade early on in the third. Felder has a broken arm as he has told his corner. Perry lands a left hook. Felder with a leg kick. Perry misses an uppercut and eats a counter elbow from Felder. Felder then with a spin kick to the liver of Perry. Felder with a knee to the body. Perry with a high kick then a front kick to the body. Felder misses the spin kick. Felder lands a combo with the broken arm. Felder with a body kick. Perry goes for a takedown but can’t get it though he gets the back of Felder. Perry with some knees but Felder throws some backward elbows. They break and trade punches. Perry with a right hand but Felder counters with a straight knee. They trade until the end. Great fight. 10-9 Perry, 29-28 Perry.
Official Result- Mike Perry def. Paul Felder by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
> Francis Ngannou (#1, 11-2, 6-1 UFC) vs. Derrick Lewis (#5, 19-5 1 NC, 10-3 UFC) Heavyweights
They size each other up in the first minute. Lewis with a body kick. Lewis tries a switch kick but Ngannou blocks it. Lewis with another body kick. Lewis misses a right hand. Ngannou has yet to throw a punch it seems. Lewis with a body kick and the briefly clinch. Ngannou lands the jab. Lewis with a leg kick. Lewis lands a right hand. Lewis with a switch kick. Not a lot of action from Ngannou this round and the crowd boos. 10-9 Lewis.
Ngannou fighting very cautiously. Lewis with a high kick. Lewis lands a right hand and they clinch for a moment but break. Lewis misses a right hand. Lewis with a switch kick. Ngannou is not engaging at all. This fight is bad. Both men are timid. Herb Dean just warned them for not fighting. Ngannou lands a jab. Lewis with a body kick. They fought more at the ceremonial weigh-ins. They didn’t do much after. 10-9 Lewis, 20-18 Lewis.
They still aren’t doung anything. This fight is truly awful. Neither man is throwing punches. Lewis claims to be having back spasms and Ngannou isn’t engaging at all. After all of this hype, this is one of the worst fights ever in the UFC. They finally trade a couple of punches with less than two minutes left. This is like watching the worst kind of sparring at your local gym. I’m done with this fight recap. 10-9 Ngannou, 29-28 Lewis.
Official Result- Derrick Lewis def. Francis Ngannou by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Miocic lands some punches against the fence. Cormier with a leg kick. Cormier lands an uppercut. They clinch against the fence. They go to the mat for a second. Miocic lands some left hands in the clinch. Miocic lands a knee on the break. Cormier lands a right hand followed by a jab. Miocic lands a right hand. Miocic with a knee to the body. Cormier lands a left hand followed by a leg kick. Cormier with a leg kick. Miocic lands a left hook and then rocks Cormier with a combo. Cormier stunned by a jab from Miocic. Cormier now hurts Miocic with a combo. Miocic gets poked in the eye and we have a timeout. They get back to action. Cormier then drops Miocic with a huge right hand and then finishes him on the ground. Wow. Daniel Cormier has finished Stipe Miocic and is now a two-division champion.
Official Result- Daniel Cormier def. Stipe Miocic by knockout (punches) at 4:33 of Round 1 to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship
After a trip overseas last weekend, UFC returns to Las Vegas for two shows this weekend, starting tonight on FS1 with the TUF 27 finale event and continuing Saturday with UFC 226, a buzzworthy and much-anticipated card despite the loss of the Max Holloway-Brian Ortega featherweight title bout.
As always, we have some questions about the 20+ fights we’re about to see and the storylines leading in/coming out of them. Joining me as always is Paul Fontaine and Ryan Frederick, one of which isn’t excited for Saturday one damn bit!
*Chiesa missed weight at 157.5. The fight still has to be agreed to as of this writing.
eeWhat are you most looking forward to?
Ryan: I’m really looking forward to UFC 226 as a whole. It sucks that the event lost the Max Holloway-Brian Ortega fight, but the card is deep overall with a really great main event. Some people may knock it, but maybe those people forgot how great Cormier was as a heavyweight. He’s never lost a round there and 13-0. The winner is arguably the greatest heavyweight of all time, and it’s the top fight I’m looking forward to. The Friday main event between Tavares and Adesanya is a very good fight as well.
Paul: I honestly couldn’t care less about almost everything on the PPV card. Personally, it’s the featherweight tourney final fight on the TUF Finale show between Brad Katona and Jay Cucciniello that interests me the most. Katona just happens to be from my hometown and he’s an exciting fighter and a great promo. Cuccinello is coming off one of the best fights of the year on the last episode of TUF and reminds me a lot of Brad Pickett.
Josh: Ladies and germs, only Paul would say he wouldn’t care about one of the better PPV cards of the year in favor of a TUF finale fight. I haven’t seen any of this season of TUF so you could have handed me a list of fake names and I would have believed they were on that show. The Miocic-Cormier fight is what I’m most looking forward to due to the legacy stakes for both men, but that whole PPV card is interesting even with Holloway-Ortega scrapped.
Anything being overlooked?
Ryan: Maybe the Tavares-Adesanya main event on Friday, but two fights that need more attention on Saturday’s show is Saki vs. Rountree and Felder vs. Perry. Those are both going to be violent. Saki is in the conversation of best kickboxer ever, and his lone UFC bout was all action with a great finish. Felder and Perry should be on all-violence teams, so that should be a war.
Paul: Gilbert Burns vs. Dan Hooker is on the Fight Pass portion of Saturday’s show. Between the two of them, they have 12 UFC wins and 11 of them have been by stoppage. Both are just on the outer fringe of contendership and a win on one of the biggest shows of the year could push one of them to the next level.
Josh: The return of the once buzzworthy Francis Ngannou. The guy fought six months ago in one of the most anticipated heavyweight title fights in years and finally returns. What did he learn? What if he brutally KOs Derrick Lewis? What if Lewis knocks him out? One loss put the halt on the momentum can help get the train moving again.
Anything not doing it for you?
Ryan: Both cards are good, considering the Friday TUF Finale is serving its purpose. Saturday is so deep that there is something for everyone, and even though the actual best fight heading into the week got cancelled, there is still 23 fun fights coming up.
Paul: I don’t care at all for the main event on Saturday, but I know I’m in the minority. Cormier isn’t even the real champion at light heavyweight as far as I’m concerned and him getting the title shot is a gimmick. I see Miocic winning fairly easily as his size and reach will be too much for DC. Cormier’s only path to victory is wrestling him to death and the prospects of that don’t exactly excite me.
Josh: That whole Friday show is a waste. Virtually no one watches TUF anymore and its importance shrinks by the day with the Tuesday Night Contender Series growing in popularity among hardcores. I also hate the Adesanya-Tavares fight. I think it’s too soon for the flashy Adesanya and a grinder loss to the boring fighting style of Tavares doesn’t do anyone any favors. I hope I’m wrong, but as you all know, I’m always right.
Any intrigue with these shows?
Ryan: For Friday, it’s whether Adesanya is being pushed too quick, facing a top-ten ranked opponent in just his third UFC bout. On Saturday, you have Ngannou and Lewis looking to take each others’ head off, and Chiesa looking to break into that next level while Pettis wants to prove he has a lot of fight left. Felder wants to fight badly after two cancelled fights. Assuncao wants to prove that he should be next in line at 135 pounds, not Dominick Cruz or Marlon Moraes. There’s a ton of other intrigue as well.
Paul: I couldn’t disagree more with Ryan. I don’t think anything on either show matters at all with the possible exception of a future champion in Israel Adesanya on Friday. But, no one will see that so it’s probably his next fight where he’ll make a bigger step. I suppose if DC pulls off the upset and beats Stipe, it will be a big story.
Josh: I am stunned at Paul’s lack of excitement for Saturday. Outside the main event on Friday, Saturday is where the attention should be focused. With nearly everything on the main card, we get great litmus tests to where fighters are at. Even that undercard has some talents looking to stake claims to bigger things. The results of Saturday should put some bigger fights for November and December into motion.
What will be people talking about most after the show is done?
Ryan: I do think Stipe Miocic is going to win the main event, so the thing people will be talking about is what is next for both Stipe and Cormier. For Stipe, you could be talking about fights against Brock Lesnar, Jon Jones, Alexander Volkov, or even Cain Velasquez when and if he returns. For Cormier, you’d have to think going back to 205 pounds would be where he heads off a loss, and there are fights with Jones (if he comes back soon) and Alexander Gustafsson looming. You also have less than a year left for Cormier in the sport. It’s the fight of the weekend to pay attention to.
Paul: People will be talking about Lesnar vs Cormier because I truly believe that, win or lose, that’s the next fight for him. Cormier is the one guy they can count on to make it to the fight and it’s a winnable fight for Lesnar. Cormier will talk it up to the point that it will probably do really well on PPV. Other than that, if Lewis pulls off a win over Ngannou, he probably sets himself up as a future title contender, but I’m fairly certain he won’t.
Josh: That the new heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier finally came through in a big spot and that we really need to see Jon Jones fight him at heavyweight, but that Miocic rematch needs to happen first…at MSG in November.
Who wins?
Stipe vs. DC
– Miocic: Ryan, Paul
– Cormier: Nason
Ngannou vs. Lewis
– Ngannou: Ryan, Paul, Nason
Adesanya vs. Tavares
– Adesanya: Ryan, Paul
– Tavares: Nason
Chiesa vs. Pettis
– Pettis: Ryan
– Chiesa: Paul, Nason
Assuncao vs. Font
– Assuncao: Ryan, Nason
– Font: Paul
Modafarri vs. Honchak
– Honchak: Ryan, Nason
– Modaferri: Paul
Follow along with all the happenings this weekend on this very site.
