The three-month stretch between July-September 2016 was the biggest in UFC history from a news perspective, a busines perspective, and the massive implications on the sport of MMA.
– UFC 200 and the drama surrounding Jon Jones being removed from the show, the new main event, Anderson Silva’s return, Brock Lesnar’s subsequent USADA failure, and that damn gold mat
– The rumors that led to truth about the UFC being sold for $4+ billion to WME-IMG
– The Conor McGregor/Nate Diaz rematch at UFC 202 and everything surrounding the outcome
– Key departures from the UFC including Joe Silva
– UFC’s debut at Madison Square Garden taking shape and how the main event of McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez was made
– The MMA/UFC debut of CM Punk
– Chael Sonnen signing with Bellator…and more!
Mark Hunt today filed a lawsuit in Nevada District Court against the UFC, Brock Lesnar, and Dana White.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported the story earlier tonight. It’s a landmark case because Hunt is claiming that the defendants “affirmatively circumvented and obstructed fair competition for their own benefit.”
Hunt had been threatening legal action, feeling that his career has been harmed by facing people who have cheated. Hunt was upset because he felt Lesnar was not punished enough for a failed drug test before their fight took place, and that he went into the cage without knowledge that Lesnar had already failed a test, as the result of a June 28th test didn’t come back until after the July 9th fight.
The tough aspect of this case is that Lesnar failed for Hydroxy Clomiphene, and not for steroids or another PED. So while there are two failed tests, on June 28th and July 9th, there is no evidence that specifically ties Lesnar to PED usage for the Hunt fight.
Lesnar is currently serving a one-year suspension from UFC competition as well as within commission states that license pro fighters and wrestlers due to the positive tests.
USADA announced Wednesday that Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar could be facing a maximum suspension of just one year for their recent drug test failures, and not the traditional two-year ban.
Both Jones and Lesnar failed drug tests by testing positive.for hydroxy clomiphene in and around their scheduled fights at UFC 200. In Jones’ case, he also failed for the letrozole metabolite. Jones was pulled just days before his fight against Daniel Cormier, while Lesnar’s results didn’t come out until after he had beat Mark Hunt on the show. It was revealed Lesnar failed tests prior to UFC 200 as well as on fight night itself.
The reason for the shorter suspension is that hydroxy clomiphene is classified as a “specified substance” under the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) code. According to that code, that means it’s “susceptible to a credible non-doping explanation”. To WADA, specified substances can enter the body inadvertently, allowing governing bodies to limit suspensions.
Both Jones and Lesnar still face the possibility of fines and/or suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission. On Tuesday, Lesnar was placed under temporary suspension while he awaits a full hearing. This is the first PED suspension for either fighter and penalties are usually less severe for first-time offenders.
Then on Tuesday morning, Lesnar got word that he’s been issued a temporary suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission as a result of his multiple drug failures following UFC 200. It’s the first step in a process that will eventually lead to a formal hearing where Lesnar could face a two-year suspension under USADA guidelines.
The 39-year-old tested positive for hydroxy clomiphene in two separate tests, one on June 28th prior to UFC 200 and then during an in-competition test at the show. Lesnar bested Mark Hunt via unanimous decision in his first appearance back in the UFC in nearly five years.
Now back in WWE, Lesnar returned to in-ring action against Orton and won via TKO after brutal elbows that required 10 staples to close. Lesnar was not on Raw this week, and his storyline future is undetermined as of this point.
Welcome to our live coverage of UFC 200 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, — the conclusion of UFC’s International Fight Week and the biggest card in UFC history with two title fights, the return of a huge star, and an icon coming in on short notice.
UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate defends her title for the first time against challenger Amanda Nunes in the main event, leading many to speculate that Ronda Rousey may be floating around the venue to challenge the winner tonight. In the co-main event, it is the return of WWE superstar and former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar as he takes on hard hittin’ Mark Hunt.
In other action, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, originally scheduled to headline against Jon Jones, now faces Anderson Silva, who took this fight on two days notice, in a non-title bout. Also, former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo takes on former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in a rematch of their UFC 156 battle from February 2013 with the interim UFC featherweight champion on the line.
We’re looking for your thoughts on this show so you can send a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
– JIM MILLER (25-8 1 NC, 14-7 1 NC UFC) VS. TAKANORI GOMI (35-11 1 NC, 4-6 UFC) | Lightweights
First round: Miller connected with a left. Gomi went for a kick. Miller took him down off the kick and immediately got his back. He’s working for a choke. Miller has a body triangle. Miller now throwing hard punches from back position over and over and it’s over. 2:18
First round: Head kick by Mousasi. Mousasi with a left jab. Low kick by Mousasi and Santos back with a low kick. Mousasi with a jab. Mousasi got the jump on him and landed a lot of punches, took him down and got his back. Mousasi working for a choke but doesn’t have it. Mousasi took him down again. Mousasi in side control. Mousasi landing punches. Santos up, Mousasi nailed him with a hard right and a hard left that put him down and it was over. 4:32
– DIEGO SANCHEZ (26-8, 15-8 UFC) VS. JOE LAUZON (25-11, 12-8 UFC) | Lightweights
First round: Body kick by Sanchez. Sanchez with a flurry. Low kick by Sanchez. Lauzon knocked Sanchez down twice and Sanchez is back up. Lauzon is just killing him with punches. Sanchez was stunned and was taking several hard flush shots and it was stopped. Lauzon’s boxing was just on point. 1:26
First round: Northcutt fighting karate style. He threw a high kick. Marin landed a right. Nice high kick by Northcutt. Marin had him pinned against the fence. Marin took him down. Northcutt went for a kneebar. Northcutt reversed to the top. Northcutt has his back. He’s working for a choke. Marin turned. Marin got Northcutt’s back. He flipped him off and is on top. Northcutt with a few hard punches. Marin back on top. 10-9 Northcutt.
Second round: Northcutt with a right. They traded punches. Northcutt took him down but Marin reversed and got to the top. Marin in side control. Northcutt working for an armbar. Marin sat on his face and working for an armbar. Northcutt is in the armbar. He escaped out of it. Marin sitting on his face again trying to set up a Kimura. Northcutt is in trouble again. Northcutt reversed to the top out of it. Norrthcutt dropped elbows at the end of the round. Marin so 19-19. The crowd loved this round.
Third round: Both trading punches dtraidng punches. Marin took him down again. Nothing is happening against the fence. Marin is working for a takedown. Norhcutt blocked and is going for a choke. Marin out of it. Marin just took him down. Marin got his back. Northcutt threw him off and now he’s on top. Close round, win or lose a bad showing for Northcutt. I did have Northcutt winning 29-28 but third could go either way,.
Scores: All three had it 29-28 Northcutt. Most fans cheered the decision, I thought they’d boo just because Marin was such an underdog.
– (#1) T.J. DILLASHAW (12-3, 8-3 UFC) VS. (#3) RAPHAEL ASSUNCAO (23-4, 7-1 UFC) | Bantamweights
First round: Not much happening here. Dillashaw tried a kick but Asscuncao caught the leg. Assuncao landed a punch. Head kick by Dillashaw. Another head kick by Dillashaw. Assuncao with head kick. Dillashaw 10-9
Second round: Low kick by Assuncao. Dillashaw tried a takedown but it was stopped by Assuncao. Assuncao may have a broken nose. Spin kick by Assuncao landed short. Dillashaw with a body kick. Assuncao with a takedown but Dillashaw right back up. They’re stopping the fight to look at Assuncao’s nose. The doctor let him continue. Dillashaw dropped him with a right and went for a guillotine but Assuncao got right out. Right by Dillahsaw. Dillashaw 20-18.
Third round: Body kick by Dillashaw. Crowd has been quiet this entire fight. Front kick by Assuncao. Right by Dillashaw. Dillashaw went for a takedown but didn’t get it. Body kick by Dillashaw. Assuncao’s kicks are being blocked and Dillashaw missed a kick. Assuncao tried tried a takedown but Dillashaw easily evaded it. Body kick by Assuncao. Dillashaw with a nice right counter. Dillashaw got the takedown. Dillashaw 30-27. He won but didn’t look very impressive in doing so.
First round: Hendricks missed weight by ¼ pound. Physically he doesn’t look close to the same guy as fought GSP. Gastelum landed a left. Gastelum with a low kick. Gastelum landing all kinds of low kicks. Gastelum with a left. Right by Gastelum. Left by Gastelum. Hendricks landed a few. Low kick by Gastelum. Gastelum landing all kinds of punches. Hendricks is a different guy. Gastelum is just nailing him. Gastelum landed a hard punch but Hendricks back with some good punches. Body kick by Hendricks. Gastelum 10-9.
Second round: Hendricks with some counter shots and went for a takedown. Hendricks behind him but Gastelum escaped. Hendricks pushed him into the fence. Gastelum landed a good left. Spin kick by Gastelum. Knee by Hendricsk. Gastelum with a knee to the head and punches. Hendricks dancing away. Hendricks landed the left. Gastelum landed the left. Both traded punches. Gastelum 20-18.
Third round: Gastelum is chasing Hendircks throwing punches. Knee by Hendricks. Gastelum chasing him around the cage. Hendricks back throwing. Gastelum moving forward and mostly missing. Gastelum landed a nice left. Body kick by Gastelum Body kick by Hendricks. Hendricks got the takedown but Gastelum right back up. Gastelum with elbows. Hendricks couldn’t get a takedown. Gastelum tried for a takedown and couldn’t get it. Big exchange late that lit up the crowd. Gastelum 30-27.
First round: Zingano pushed her into the fence and took her right down. Pena back up. Another takedown by Zingano. Pena back up. Pena got a takedown. Zingano reversed to the top. Zingano dropped an elbow. Pena up and landed some punches. 10-9 Zingano.
Second round: Zingano with a body kick and a hip toss takedown. Beautiful belly-to-belly by Zingano. Pena reversed to the top in side control. Pena with a crossface. Pena got her back. Pena is working for a choke. Pena is holding her in back position with a body triangle. Pena’s round so 19-19 after two.
Third round: Nice trip takedown by Pena. Pena stayed on top. Pena worked for a choke but didn’t have it. Pena with a body triangle. Pena with a few punches fro back position. She’s landing more punches now. Zingano reversed with nine seconds left. Pena 29-28, no other score possible
First round: Velasquez got a big pop. Browne landed a right . Velasaquez with low kicks. More low kicks by Velasquez. Knee by Bowne. Velasquez couldn’t take him down but has him against the fence. Velasquez moving forward. Velasquez moved in with punches. Spin kick by Velasquez and he’s pounding on him. Velasquez dropped him with a right. Velasquez landing punches on the ground. Vealasquez working for a choke but doesn’t have it. Velasquez throwing punches while having back control. Browne back up. Trading punches. Velasquez with more punches and a knee. Velasquez took him down and pounding on him. Velasquez threw punches on the ground and it was stopped. Fantastic performance by Velaquez here. 4:57
Velasquez didn’t say much in his interview. He should have challenged directly for the title after that win.
– INTERIM UFC FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: (#1) JOSE ALDO (25-2, 7-1 UFC) VS. (#2) FRANKIE EDGAR (20-4-1, 14-4-1 UFC)
First round: Edgar the more popular of the two. This is a heavy American crowd instead of Brazilian crowd. Nice right by Aldo. Left by Aldol Big let’s go Frankie cdhant. Low kicks by Edgar. Edgar in with punches and a low kick. Aldo with a right. Both traded. Edgar almost took him down. Edgar with a body kick. Edgar with a right. Both tried spin kicks at the same time. Aldlo cracked him with a right. Knee by Aldo. Wild finish with both missing shots. Great round. Very close. Aldo 10-9.
Second round: Aldo with a right and Edgar with a body kick. Left by Aldo. Aldo with a knee, Edgar tried a takedown but Aldo nearly threw him down. Right by Edgar. Edgar bleeding from the right eye. Head kick by Edgar blocked. Edgar with a right. Edgar tried a takedown but didn’t get it. Edgar tried another takedown and didn’t get it. Left by Edgar. Left and right by Aldo. Big right by Edgar staggered him. Best punch of the fight. Left by Edgar. Edgar 19-19
Third round: Edgar with a left. Low kick by Edgar. Right and left by Aldo. Both trading punches. Edgar tried a takedown but didmn’t get it and punched on the exit. Edgar pushed him to the fence. Edgar with knees to the thigh. Edgar hurt him with two rights. Aldo with a hard right. Edga back with a hard right. Hard knee by Aldo. Edgar’s right eye is looking bad. Edgar fighting for a takedown and can’t get it. Edgar got two punches in on the exit. Right by Edgar. Left by Aldo. Knee by Aldo. Edgar 29-28
Fourth round: Edgar is still the aggressor. Right by Aldo. Slower round than the first three. Low kick by Edgar. Right and head kick by Edgar. Right by Aldo. Aldo with another. Aldo landing good shots. Edgar bleeding bad from the right eye now. Aldo with a left jab. Aldo dropped him momentarily with a left and hit a knee. Aldo’s round 38-38 going into the fifth.
Fifth round: Low kick by Aldo. Aldo with a left. Left by Aldo. Aldo with a nice kick. Left by Edgar. Right by Aldo. Right by Aldo. Edgar with a low kick. Edgar hurt him with a right. Aldo with a right. Very close round. Aldo landed the better stuff but he was backpedaling a lot late and that could cost him. Aldo 48-47.
Scores: 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 Aldo. Lots of loud booing the decision.
– DANIEL CORMIER (17-1, 6-1 UFC) VS. (#5 MW) ANDERSON SILVA (33-7 1 NC, 16-3 1 NC UFC) | Light Heavyweights
First round: Silva got a huge reaction, much more than Cormier. Body kick by Cormier. Cormier took him right down. Cormier with some body and head punches. Elbow and punches by Cormier. Cormier with body punches. Elbow by Cormier. Another elbow by Cormier. Cormier with more punches and elbows. 10-8 Cormier.
Second round: Sivla with a jumping body kick. Cormier with a nice right. Head kick by Silva. Takedown by Cormeir. He landed in side control. Cormier is back on top. Cormier landing punches. Clormeir landing a lot of punches form the toip. Cormier with short elbows. Cormier landing punches. John McCarthy stood them up. That was a bad call because Cormier was hurting him on the ground but the crowd was brutal to the ground, very much like the Lesnar vs. Mir II fight reaction. Cormier with a right. Hard knee by Silva. Left by Silva. Body kick by Cormier. Body kick and low kicki by Silva. The crowd is booing like crazy whenever Cormier neutralizes Silva. Cormier 20-18
Third round: Low kick by Silva. Body kick by Silva. Big right by Cormier. Cormier with a takedown. The crowd is ridiculous. Crowd booing like crazy. Cormier busy with punches from the top. Cormier with body shots. Loud stand them up chants. Cormier busy landing all kinds of punches McCarthy ordered a standup with 2:00 left. Low kick by Cormier. Silva with a low kick and a body kick. Cormier 30-26.
Scores: All three had it 30-26 Cormier. Fans booed the decision bad but it was clear.
The crowd booed Cormier’s interview heavily. He said how difficult it was, he trained for someone else, praised Silva for being the greatest ever and still pretty much booed. The crowd cheered Silva.
– BROCK LESNAR (5-3, 4-3 UFC) VS. (#8) MARK HUNT (12-10-1, 7-4-1 UFC) | Heavyweights
First round: Lensar shot for a takedown. Hunt back up. Lesnar took him down a second time. Lesnar in side control. Lesnar with punches. Knee to the body and punches by Lesnar. Lesanr hurt with punches. Lesnar took him down again into mount and more punches. 10-9 Lesanar.
Second round: Hunt with a right. Humt blocked the takedown. Lesnar tried another takedown but Hunt escaped. Hunt with an uppercut. Hunt with a right. Hunt with another right. Hunt missed a right. Lesnar with a left. Lesnar going for a takedown. Hunt punching the body. Close round for Hunt 19-19.
Third round: Hunt landed a hard right. Lesnar took him down. Lesnar landing punches on the ground. Lesnar landing lefts on the ground. Fans boooing. Lesnar landing hard lefts from the top. Lesnar now in full mount. Lesnar landing a lot of punches. 10-8 round for Lesnar, should win 29-27.
Scores: All three had it 29-27 for Lesanr. Everyone cheered Lesnar.
He said it took him a while to get acclimated, he thanked the fans. He thanked the Armed Forces and told people of all nationalities to stand together.
First round: Tate got a nice reaction, not nearly as big as Silva. Nunes with a low kick.
Tate took he down but Nunes back up. Nunes with punches. Tate went for a takedown, got reversed and Nunes landed a knee. Nunes conneciting with great punches. Nunes is destroying her standing. Nunes pouded away, landed a hard kick. Tate is all busted up. Nunes got her back and landing punches. Nunes got a choke and Tate tapped out. Tate got destroyed here. 3:16
It is the biggest event in UFC history as the Octagon makes its’ debut in the brand new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for UFC 200. A stacked card that has undergone some last-minute changes finds UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate and challenger Amanda Nunes as the main event.
Below are our studs, value plays and fighters to avoid when setting your fantasy line-ups for Saturday night’s event.
STUDS
Sage Northcutt ($11,300)
He’s the biggest betting favorite and has the highest salary on the UFC 200 card, but I also think he is the safest play in terms of scoring a finish win on the card, so Sage Northcutt is my top play for this event.
He looked like the beginner he is in his last fight, his first career loss, when he was submitted by Bryan Barberena, but I see that fight as too much and too soon for him. Plus, he went up a weight class at last minute notice, and he openly has admitted he was really sick and not feeling himself and probably shouldn’t have fought.
I don’t see those factors being there this time, and he is getting another step down back to the lower levels of the lightweight division as he takes on Enrique Marin.
Marin is 8-3 in his career but is coming off a split decision loss in his UFC debut, and he didn’t look all that impressive. I actually think this is the most favorable match-up Northcutt has had in his UFC career, and he has two finishes in his two wins. I think he bounces back and gets a finish, so Northcutt is worth the risk.
T.J. Dillashaw ($11,100)
T.J. Dillashaw is an interesting play at his salary as he has the third-highest salary on the card, and what happens when he steps inside the Octagon across from Raphael Assuncao on Saturday night will be really interesting.
They are battling for a title shot and Assuncao is riding a 7-fight win streak, which includes a previous win over Dillashaw, but he hasn’t fought since October 2014 as he has battled injuries. The rust will likely be there for Assuncao, and this is his first fight since the new testing regime, and he was always a huge bantamweight.
Dillashaw is coming off a close loss to Dominick Cruz in losing the UFC Bantamweight Championship, and he wants that back.
That gives him plenty of motivation to make quick work of Assuncao, and that is before mentioning he is looking to avenge a loss. I see Dillashaw racking up a lot of points, and if you are someone wanting to avoid using Sage Northcutt, I see Dillashaw as a solid stud to take.
VALUE PLAYS
Jose Aldo ($9,500)
Jose Aldo has a little higher salary than I usually put in the value plays section, but he has some good value at a relatively solid salary for his fight at UFC 200 on Saturday night. Aldo is taking on Frankie Edgar for the Interim UFC Featherweight Championship, and he holds a win over Edgar at UFC 156 in February 2013.
Aldo is hungry to erase the stinging memory of his 13-second knockout loss to Conor McGregor in December, and he wants that rematch with McGregor, and a win over Edgar would make that wish come closer to happening.
I do expect the fight to go the full 25 minutes, giving both men more chances to score points. It is hard to say what Aldo will look like as he has only fought for 13 seconds since October 2014, and he is kind of a wild card in this new era of the UFC.
Edgar is still quick on his punches but Aldo was able to negate what Edgar was good at in their first bout. It’s really a toss-up as to who will win, so going with Aldo would provide good value for this card.
Takanori Gomi ($8,600)
Let me start this by saying that I had Daniel Cormier as my second value play, but that all changed on Wednesday, so this article had to be edited. It is hard to find value with other fighters on this card as I think the betting favorites are going to win, but I like Takanori Gomi at his salary.
He has struggled in losing three of his last four fights, but so has his opponent, Jim Miller, who has lost four of his last five. They will fight in the opening bout of the card, and they wanna set the stage early and go for the fight of the night bonus early, so I expect fireworks in this bout.
Gomi hits hard but Miller is tough to finish on his feet, so he will need to avoid being taken down. They will probably trade a lot of punches and score some points, and I expect a close decision.
It is a long-shot, but I feel Gomi has one of the best chances to score an upset. I think he is worth taking a value risk.
FIGHTERS TO AVOID
Kelvin Gastelum ($9,300)
Kelvin Gastelum is looking to rebound from the disappointments of his first two career losses when he takes on Johny Hendricks at UFC 200. He does have a quick knockout win over Nate Marquardt, but Marquardt is on the back end of his career, and his losses have come to top fighters in Tyron Woodley and Neil Magny.
Hendricks is another top opponent who is looking to bounce back from losses in two of his last three fights as well. Both men are in need of a win to stay in that title hunt mix, and both men are real mirror images of each other.
Both are southpaws with strong wrestling, though Hendricks hits harder and is the better wrestler of the two. I think that the similar styles will make for a lackluster bout, and neither will take many chances as they both try to get the win.
I like Hendricks to win the fight, and Gastelum doesn’t offer much from a fantasy standpoint for this fight. I’m avoiding him this event.
Amanda Nunes ($8,700)
Amanda Nunes is in the biggest fight of her career at UFC 200 when she challenges Miesha Tate for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship. Nunes has scored wins in three straight fights and is 5-1 in her UFC career.
She has earned her opportunity. She has a chance to get the win over Tate, but I don’t see it. Nunes always starts out strong but starts fading about seven minutes into a fight, and Tate is tough and gritty and will grind Nunes down from there. I don’t see Nunes finishing Tate in the first round, so it will be a tough road for her to get a decision from Tate.
She has that chance but has to strike early, and for that, I don’t see her being a viable fantasy option on this card. She is an avoid for me.
OUR LINE-UPS
RYAN FREDERICK- Sage Northcutt ($11,300), Cain Velasquez ($11,200), Frankie Edgar ($9,900), Brock Lesnar ($9,000), Takanori Gomi ($8,600)
I’ve got Sage Northcutt as my top play, and he is leading off my roster. I think he makes quick work of Enrique Marin.
Cain Velasquez has a high salary, but with being able to do a full camp alongside Daniel Cormier, I think he will score a lot of points against Travis Browne.
Frankie Edgar has 25 minutes to score points, and he is very active with his striking. I like him to win over Jose Aldo and score a lot. I have Takanori Gomi as a low-salary option on my team. I’m not too confident in this, but he does have power.
Lastly, I’m going with Brock Lesnar. I think he beats Mark Hunt, and finishes him in the second round.
PAUL FONTAINE- TJ Dillashaw ($11,100), Mark Hunt ($10,400), Amanda Nunes ($8,700), Thiago Santos ($8,400), Travis Browne ($8,200)
TJ Dillashaw has wanted this rematch with Raphael Assuncao for a long time. He’s a much better and complete fighter than he was when they first met and TJ lost a split decision in 2013. Assuncao hasn’t fought in almost 2 years and I think that hurts him here.
Hunt, to me, is the biggest lock on the card. I don’t see anything but a quick KO win over Lesnar.
I like Nunes to score the upset win over Tate. She’s a finisher and while Tate is a determined fighter, her last 3 losses have all come by finish. Santos has a lot of power for the middleweight division and I think that he will KO Mousasi.
Travis Browne is my last pick and I think that his fight with Cain Velasquez is going to be quick either way but I do think that Cain is starting to show his age and is prime for a finish at the hands of the rising contender Browne.
Cain. Edgar. Always. Lesnar because it’s only 3 rounds. He can grind out Hunt for 15 minutes. Gastelum is better at 185 but I think he’ll be better than Hendricks at 170. I’m betting Hendricks misses weight. Zingano has had a lot of time off since her destruction at the hands of Rousey, but I predict there’s no ring rust for her and she smashes Pena. Another perfect team.
Wrestling Observer Live with Mike Sempervive and Josh Nason is back today, right in the midst of International Fight Week, and boy do we have a lot to talk about. Not the least of which was the decision to add Anderson Silva to the show, taking the place of Jon Jones against Daniel Cormier. Of course, Brock Lesnar’s fight against Mark Hunt takes center stage, as well – with the new twist being that his WWE SummerSlam opponent has been announced: generational rival Randal K. Orton. All that, your calls, and so much more!
As some dude who’s a dad now would say, a fun show as always so check it out~!
It has been a roller coaster of a week in mixed martial arts, but the UFC 200 card is finally set after the official weigh-ins Friday morning (video below) with the ceremonial weigh-ins happening Friday night (video above).
It was officially announced that UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate would defend her title against Amanda Nunes in the main event of the show. It is the third scheduled show-closer just this week. In a shocker, Tate almost missed weight today which would have further thrown the show into chaos.
UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier vs. MMA legend Anderson Silva was also officially announced for the card. The event was sent into array by Jon Jones’ drug test failure, and it was initially unclear if Cormier would fight on Saturday night, but Silva stepped in to face Cormier in a non-title fight at 205 lbs.
Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Hunt, which was briefly scheduled to be the main event, is now the second fight from the top.
Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar for the interim featherweight championship and Cain Velasquez vs. Travis Browne round out the main card.
Cat Zingano vs. Julianna Pena, Johny Hendricks vs. Kevin Gastelum, TJ Dillashaw vs. Raphael Assuncao, and Sage Northcutt vs. Enrique Marin will be on the FS1 prelims. Hendricks missed weight today by .25 and will forfeit 20% of his purse.
As if that wasn’t enough, Diego Sanchez vs. joe Lauzon, Gegard Mousasi vs. Thiago Santos, and Jim Miller vs. Takanori Gomi will start off the night on UFC Fight Pass.
Here’s Friday’s weigh-ins, courtesy of MMA Fighting:
This is quite the newsworthy day and with more to come given we still may have the announcement of a UFC light heavyweight title fight, or at least a fight with the champion, before long. The betting line is that Daniel Cormier will face Gegard Mousasi, although Combate, which is UFC’s broadcast partner in Brazil just reported it would be Anderson Silva, believe it or not, which would be the best choice possibly even including Michael Bisping. We’ll have to wait and see.
Mousasi was to face Thiago Santos on Saturday so he’s peaked and ready, but he was preparing for 185. He did immediately say he was willing to fight. As noted, Dana White earlier today nixed the idea of Michael Bisping fighting Cormier, which would have been the best salvation of the show from a marketing and storyline standpoint, feeling Bisping isn’t ready to fight. I would strongly favor Cormier against Mousasi, particularly because his wrestling isn’t that good, but after all the emotions Cormier has gone through in the past 24 hours, if ever there was a time to beat him when he’s off his game mentally, this would be that time.
If Bisping isn’t in condition to fight, kudos to UFC for not booking it even though it’s the fight that would save the show more than any other. But for whatever it’s worth, Bisping was one of the first people who publicly said he wanted the fight.
Brock Lesnar was scheduled for a public workout this morning. He came, didn’t work out, and talked to media. He said he didn’t care that he was now in the main event but said Jon Jones was unprofessional. If Lesnar was fighting on a percentage, and he most likely was, Jones hurt him in the pocketbook as he did with all the headliners getting a percentage. Video of Lesnar from earlier today
WWE has been promoting the fight now on its YouTube channel with a number of UFC videos. Unless something has changed and they re-edit the show, which virtually never happens, not only is the fight not mentioned on Smackdown tonight (I’d almost be sure it won’t be), but all the push about Lesnar’s opponent may not be as well. It is possible they held it off the Canadian show last night so it wouldn’t get out, and forgot to tell the Aftermath crew not to announce it. I guess we’ll find out soon.
For those of you who heard that Bruce Buffer was injured in a Lip Sync battle, he was hurt but will be ring announcing all three shows this week.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT TODAY AT 6:30 P.M. EASTERN TIME ON FIGHT PASS FROM THE MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA
Alvaro Herrera (9-3, 171) vs. Vicente Luque (8-5-1, 170)
Marco Beltran (7-3, 136) vs. Reginaldo Vieira (13-3, 134.5)
Gilbert Burns (10-1, 155) vs. Lukasz Sajeweski (13-1, 156)
Felipe Arantes (17-7-1, 136) vs. Jerrod Sanders (15-2, 136)
Russell Doane (14-5, 135.5) vs. Pedro Munhoz (11-2, 135)
Anthony Birchak (12-3, 135.5) vs. Dileno Lopes (18-2, 135)
Mehdi Baghdad (11-4, 155.5) vs. John Makdessi (13-5, 155)
Alberto Mina (12-0, 171) vs. Mike Pyle (27-11-1, 170.5)
Mitch Clarke (11-3, 155.5) vs. Joe Duffy (14-2, 155.5)
Alan Jouban (13-4, 170) vs. Belal Muhammad (9-0, 170)
Derrick Lewis (15-4, 265.5) vs. Roy Nelson (21-12, 263)
Rafael dos Anjos (25-7, 155) vs. Eddie Alvarez (27-4, 155) for the UFC lightweight title
The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11. Stay up to date on all the latest wackiness by following Ed in San Antonio on Facebook. Plus, follow us on @WONF4W or @BryanAlvarez. We will be live tweeting from all the events. Use #F4WVegas to get in on the fun.
If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!
We look at the biggest week in UFC history and update where sale talks are as the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. We also have a look at the WWE brand split from a business standpoint and update changes since the original plans were made, cover the return of Shinsuke Nakamura to Japan as a WWE star, Final Deletion and a history of pro wrestling on July 4th.
UFC’s record numbers they are hoping to beat, the role of Brock Lesnar, the difference between Lesnar in UFC in 2008 and 2016, price changes, the prior record gate, Lesnar vs. Hunt, wrestlers vs. strikers as they age, what happens if Lesnar wins, what WWE did get from UFC, advertising Lesnar to the WWE audience, looking at the different fights and the card.
The WWE draft, the changes in the WWE audience, doing additional PPV and the economics of it, what we should look at to determine if the brand split has worked and why the moves have been made. The WWE tour this past week going to Hawaii for the first time in six years, and Shinsuke Nakamura returns to Japan as the star of the tour.
What Stephanie McMahon said about Lesnar and his response, Stephanie McMahon honored, Hideo Itami’s return, update on Jerry Lawler, A.J. Styles, Hiroshi Tanahashi talks Styles and his ring psychology, Battleground, new programs planned, Dr. Chris Amann vs. C.M. Punk lawsuit update, Nike opposing WWE in trademark case, and another group of names WWE has shown some interest in.
WWE company worth, new deal for comic books, more on the cruiserweight classic tournament, Jericho’s plans for 2017, new WWE TV deal and the most watched shows on the network.
A big history piece on pro wrestling on July 4th, dating back 136 years, including one of the most legendary matches from 100 years ago, and the big July 4th events of the 80s. Why July 4th hasn’t had a lot of major shows, but there have been some major historical events on the day as well as why for more than three decades no super shows were held on the day. The last year’s of the regional era and the beginning of the national era with the WWF vs. Jim Crockett Promotions.
New Japan’s last big show before the G-1 Climax tournament and update the biggest shows in G-1 with angle and match changes. We’ve got match-by-match coverage with star ratings for the Kizuna Road show. The first round of the 2016 Super J Cup that starts on 7/20. CMLL World Grand Prix show from Arena Mexico featuring a great hair match and stars from New Japan. The death of CMLL star Luke Fordward, Thunder at the age of 34.
You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer.
For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to [email protected]. For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.
If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today. With a 40-issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues.
Bryan and I will be back late tonight talking about all the UFC and pro wrestling news, and there is a ton of it. We will also have a show on Friday night covering the UFC show, and of course Saturday night.
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz had a press conference earlier today to promote UFC 202. McGregor said that it’s the real UFC 200. He claimed he was the reason UFC was worth $4.2 billion and that he carried the record-breaking 2015 year on his back. He claimed that he’s going to beat the PPV record and that he already beat it once with UFC 196. He also said that he would be making 145 again and defend his title there. He said that because he lost at 170, he wanted to avenge that loss by winning at 170 against the same opponent. Nate Diaz was asked about Jon Jones and just said that everyone is on steroids.
Sad to report the death of Major Duke George, who was the manager of The Valiant Brothers and Ox Baker, among others, as they feuded with Dick the Bruiser in the WWA in Indiana during the 70s. (thank to Jerry Wiseman)
TNA has announced a move to the Thursday at 8 p.m. time slot formerly occupied by Smackdown starting on 7/21, which would be the first Thursday without Smackdown on USA.
WWE
Nick Nemeth, better known as Dolph Ziggler, will be inducted into the Kent State University Varsity K Hall of Fame on 9/17 at 10 a.m. Nemeth was a three-time Mid-American conference champion in wrestling in 2001, 2002 and 2003 at 165 pounds.
A story about fan reactions to the cancer of former WWWF television announcer Bill Cardille of Pittsburgh, a close friend of Bruno Sammartino
UFC
A reminder that if you are in Las Vegas this weekend and go to the Las Vegas Fight Shop (which has tons of pro wrestling & MMA merchandise) and mention the Wrestling Observer/Figure Four convention and you can get 20 percent all merchandise as well as a VIP line pass for signings with Randy Couture tomorrow night from 6-8 p.m. and Nate Diaz on Saturday from Noon to 2 p.m.
This is tomorrow’s schedule of UFC activities. The Fan Expo will be open at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Weigh-ins for UFC 200 will be at 3 p.m. at the T Mobile Arena. The live show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena starts at 4 p.m. local time.
On Saturday, Fan Expo is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m..and it will also be open Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Hall of Fame ceremony will be at Noon on Sunday. I expect Don Frye to be the star of the ceremony.
Chael Sonnen claims that PED users “know our own” and said “When a guy takes his shirt off I can tell you what he’s on and how long he’s been doing it and my first reaction was simply, `What took them so long?'” He also said that if a guy is using cocaine, a substance that can hurt him, a reasonable person would say that he’s probably also taking substances that will help him. But he also said it’s all speculation.
The team of Fabio Maldonado has filed an appeal of the result of his 7/17 fight with Fedor Emelianenko in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He is clamming a conflict of interest because all of the judges were employed by the Russian MMA Union. The President of the Russian MMA Union is Fedor Emelianenko. Well, it was kind of telling that the announcer kept talking about how Fedor was losing the fight, and then, before the decision was read, said that of course Fedor would be winning the decision. They are asking for an independent international judging committee to watch to footage and render a fair decision. WMMAA president Vadmin Finkelchtein did temporarily suspend head judge Radmir Gabdullin and they are going to listen to the appeal.
ROH has announced a return to England with shows on 11/18, 11/19 and 11/20. No other details have been announced.
CMLL from Monday night in Puebla: Astro & Centella Roja & Paris b Guerrero Especial & Mini Jocker & Sauron, Black Tiger & King Jaguar & Oro Jr. b Ares & Inquisidor & Policeman, Okumura & Virus & Bobby Z b Esfinge & Guerrero May Jr. & Rey Cometa, Michael Elgin & Kushida & Mascara Dorada b Felino & Tama Tonga & Tanga Roa-DQ, Mistico & Negro Casas & Shocker b La Mascara & Mephisto & Sharly Rockstar. Mistico pinned Mephisto to set up a shot at the CMLL welterweight title (thanks to Kris Zellner)
Bob Backlund and the Iron Sheik, who had a couple of matches in Madison Square Garden, most notable being when Sheik beat Backlund for the WWF title in 1983, will be doing a podcast together on 7/22 at 2:30 p.m. from the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in Waterloo, IA. Both will be inducted into the Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame together with Joe Blanchard, Chael Sonnen, JJ Dillon and myself that weekend.
TONIGHT – Rock Solid Wrestling runs in Sudbury, ON.
TONIGHT – World Womens’ Wrestling tomorrow night in Brockton, MA at the Brockton Fair. It’s an all-womens’ show free with fair admission.
TONIGHT – UFC Fight Night Las Vegas at MGM Grand. Rafael Dos Anjos vs Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight title
FRIDAY – The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Claudia Gadelha for the UFC strawweight title
SATURDAY – UFC 200 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier for the UFC light heavyweight title; Brock Lesnar vs Mark Hunt; Miesha Tate vs Amanda Nunes for the UFC women’s bantamweight title; Jose Aldo vs Frankie Edgar for the interim UFC featherweight title
SATURDAY – Pure Wrestling Association in Kitchener, ONT at the Alpine Club.
SATURDAY – New England Championship Wrestling presents World Women’s Wrestling at The Brockton Fair, 600 Belmont St, Brockton, MA
SATURDAY – Pure Wrestling Association “Summer Assault” 11 Year Anniversary – Alpine Club, 464 Maple Avenue, Kitchener, Ontario
SATURDAY – All Pro Wrestling + Fit of Mind present: #MalaceInThePalace from the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, CA.
SATURDAY – Upstate Pro Wrestling in Rochester, NY, features Ethan Page, HC Loc, a triple threat match main event, and more.
SATURDAY – Smash Wrestling in Fort Erie, ONT at the Native Friendship Center. Chris Hero will headline this fundraising event.
SUNDAY – CCW in Essex, ONT at 26 Fairview Ave. with Cody Deaner headlining.
July 13 – UFC Fight Night in Sioux Falls, SD. Michael McDonald vs John Lineker
July 15 – NWA Texoma in Sherman, TX headlined by Rob Conway & Matt Riviera defending the NWA world tag team titles plus Greg Valentine making an appearance.
July 16 – In Your Face Wrestling Presents: “Malicious Intent” – Polish Community Center, 225 Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NYwww.iyfwrestling.com
July 16 – Bellator 158 : London featuring Paul Daley vs Douglas Lima, Michael Venom Page, Linton Vassell and Matt Mitrione
July 17 – Lucha by the Water ft Blue Demon Jr! – Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2G8, 3-6 pm. Tickets here.
July 17 – Premier Wrestling at the IFDES Lodge and Portuguese Hall in Gilroy, CA with Joe Graves vs. Gabriel Gallo for the Premier. Tickets at www.premierwrestle.com.
July 22 – Ignite Wrestling in Fort Pierce, FL at the National Guard Armory on a show with Lince Dorado, Mr. 450 Hammet, Lio Rush, Martin Stone, Los Ben Dejos, and more
July 22 – AIW runs on 7/22 in Cleveland, OH, with Ethan Page vs. Josh Prohibition vs. Josh Alexander, and Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae vs. Ethan Carter III & Karlee Perez
July 22 – The Lou Thesz Hall of Fame weekend show in Waterloo, IA, featuring Ricochet vs. Sami Callihan, Wes Brisco, B. Brian Blair, Jessika Havok, Tessa Blanchard, a steel cage match and more – This is the weekend Dave Meltzer will be honored.
July 22 – Bellator 159 from Mulvane, KS. Darrion Caldwell vs Joe Taimanglo. Melvin Guillard vs David “Caveman” Rickells
July 22 – National Fighting Championships in Kennesaw, GA at the Electric Cowboy with Chazz Walton (6-0 vs. Warren Smith (5-4) for the Georgia lightweight title.
July 22 – Absolute Intense Wrestling in Cleveland at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel features Dutch Mantell, plus Ethan Page vs. Josh Prohibition vs. Josh Alexander for the Absolute title, Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae vs. Ethan Carter III & Karlee Perez (Catrina in Lucha Underground), Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Louis Lyndon, Skayde Jr. & Steve Pain & Gringo Loko vs. DJZ & Laredo Kid & Bandolero, Ray Rowe vs. Tim Donst plus B.J. Whitmer and Cedric Alexander.
July 23 – Live Pro Wrestling, Glengarry Sports Palace, 170 McDonald Blvd. Alexandria, Ontario
July 23 – Battle Arts will be taping television on at Santino Marella’s Battle Arts Academy in Mississauaga, ONT. The taping begins at 7 p.m.
July 23 – UFC on FOX from Chicago – Holly Holm vs Valentina Shevchenko.
July 23 – AAW in Merrionnette Park, IL, with Sami Callihan vs. Pentagon Jr., Zack Sabre Jr., Marty Scurll; Tommaso Ciampa; Fenix; Johnny Gargano, and plenty more. Here’s what you missed on their last show.
July 23 – Masters of Ring Entertainment in Wilmington, NC, as part of Pro Wrestling Fan Expo 3 will feature Jeff Jarrett vs. ECIII vs. James Storm, announced by Jarrett in this video.
Merritton Community Centre 7 Park Ave St. Catharines, ON
July 24 – Crossfire Wrestling – Merritton Community Centre, 7 Park Avenue St. Catharines ON, for our 5 year Anniversary show “BRING THE HEAT V”
July 24 – PWEclipse – Summer Surrender, Oshawa, Ontario
July 24 – Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. headlines for Lucha Libre New York at Club LaBoom in Queens, NY
July 29 – Pro Wrestling Phoenix in Omaha at the Waiting Room Lounge features Sonjay Dutt vs. Hype Gotti.
July 30 – WSOF 32: Moraes vs. Hill 2 – Live on NBCSN from Everett, Washington. Also featuring Ben “Phoenix Jones” Fodor vs Caros Fodor in a brother vs brother fight
July 30 – Smash Wrestling – Oshawa Music Hall, 39 King St E, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 1B2
July 31 – BATTLEWAR 36; Les Foufounes Électriques, 87 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Montreal, QC
Aug 21 – Chavo Guerrero Jr. will appear for Smash Wrestling on in Pickering, Ontario at Super Showdown lV.
Dana White said this afternoon that Daniel Cormier will be fighting at UFC 200, and in speaking off the cuff, seemed to intimate Jon Jones may be in even more trouble than previously thought.
“There are tons of guys that are interested. We’ll get a fight done,” White said to Colin Cowherd on FS 1 today.
Later, White said Cormier would fight this weekend, would get the same money* as he would have against Jones, and that they hope to have the fight finalized and announced by the end of the day today.
*Cormier’s money is based on a percentage, but the amount is expected to be lower since the number of buys will likely be lower.
Cormier had said he was willing to fight anyone up to 220 pounds, saying that because he’s dropped so much weight he wasn’t willing to fight a big heavyweight.
White nixed the talk of Michael Bisping, which would be the most marketable potential fight for storyline reasons.
“Bisping just won the 185 pound title,” he said. “Let me tell you what Bisping does in his off season. When Bisping’s not training, he goes on a bender. He’s in no condition to fight Daniel Cormier. I promise you that. I don’t even have to ask him.”
Bisping was the third name after Gegard Mousasi and Tom Lawlor who publicly asked for the fight when word got out that Jones was off. He would make the most sense given it would create an historical champion vs. champion fight, and there is a storyline situation with Bisping having just beaten Luke Rockhold on June 4 to win the middleweight title.
Even if odds would be against it, it would make for a remarkable story if Bisping could win two titles on short notice. In fact, if such a thing would happen, it would probably go down as something that would be a huge part of the history of the sport that would be talked about for decades as the perhaps the most remarkable feat in UFC history.
Mousasi was already scheduled to fight Thiago Santos on Saturday. For fighters who have trained and are in top condition, Mousasi is really the only choice, but there is no story built around that fight. Mousasi was to fight at middleweight, but has fought at heavyweight in the past and fought for years at light heavyweight.
Glover Teixeira said today it would be impossible for him to make weight to fight Cormier, but Alexander Gustafsson said he could make it and do the fight. In the case of the former, Teixeira is set to face Anthony Johnson later this summer in essentially a #1 contender’s fight while Gustafsson and Cormier had a Fight of the Year candidate in 2015.
Onto the Jones story, White confirmed that Jones did not test positive for a recreational drug.
Also, when saying how it’s virtually impossible the B sample will come back clean, White mentioned two different agents in the A sample test failure. It is possible testing positive for two agents could lead to a suspension longer than two years.
A visibly distraught Jon Jones denied knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs at a press conference Thursday morning after being flagged by USADA for a potential out of competition drug test failure on Wednesday night.
The emotional Jones had to leave the press conference to gather himself briefly before coming back. He apologized for the fans, the UFC, and Daniel Cormier for being removed from the fight.
“I want to apologize to Daniel Cormier. I know that this fight means a lot to him. The fight means a lot to me and the fight is not happening. So I just want to apologize to everyone sincerely.”
The interim light heavyweight champion and top pound-for-pound fighter in the world was joined by agent Malki Kawa and said that he had never even heard of the substance that led to him being removed from the main event of UFC 200 against Cormier. Kawa said that it is possible that the failure could’ve come from a tainted supplement.
“I’ve been taking the same supplements for the majority of my career and I’ve been so outspoken about being against any type of performance enhancers,” Jones said. “The whole thing sucks because being labeled someone who would ever cheat just really hurts more than anything else I’ve been through in my whole career.”
Both Yoel Romero and Tim Means were able to prove to the satisfaction of USADA officials that it was a supplement they had taken which caused a positive test. In those situations, the fighters were suspended for six months, rather than the usual two years for a first offense.
If such a thing happens here Jones would be eligible to fight on the New Year’s show, but would miss the Madison Square Garden show that he was expected to be part of, whether he won or lost against Cormier.
Kawa said that Jones’ B sample will be tested tonight in Salt Late City, Utah, but that chances the test would come back negative weren’t good.
The big question coming out of this is why it took until July 6 to get the result from the A sample for a test on June 16, and yet a B sample test could come back immediately. And if that is the case, if the B sample comes back clean (unlikely but it is possible), what that would mean, because in that theory the fight should still be on.
If Jones is unable to prove that the positive test came from a contaminated supplement, that would mean a two-year suspension from the sport. Jones vowed to continue fighting even if given the lengthy suspension.
36 fights. 72 fighters. Three shows. Lots of punches.
That’s what we’re looking at as International Fight Week kicks into full swing Thursday night as the first of three UFC shows in Las Vegas happens, headlined by lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos defending the belt against Eddie Alvarez on UFC Fight Pass. After Friday night’s TUF Finale show on FS1, the big one is upon us: UFC 200 — arguably the greatest card that has ever been assembled…on paper, anyway.
But with all of those fights and fighters, surely some stand out more than others, right? That’s why Josh brought in special guest Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting to help him preview the week in a slightly different way.
Both Josh and Dave jotted down 10 fighters competing over the next three days that they are most interested in seeing how this week plays out for. While there was a little bit of crossover, both guys had distinct picks and rationale for why they’re so intriguing to them. There’s a few names you might expect (Brock, Cain), but many that you might not expect.
Click below to listen to a special 45-minute conversation that will get you ready for all three UFC events!
Brock Lesnar, Mark Hunt, UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, interim light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate, Amanda Nunes, Cain Velasquez, and Travis Browne will address the MMA media this afternoon at 3 PM EST.
The press conference is in anticipation of this Sunday’s UFC 200 event that the promotion is hoping will be the biggest show in company history.
On the show, Lesnar will make his return to mixed martial arts after an almost five-year layoff against Hunt. Lesnar last fought at UFC 141 in a loss against Alistair Overeem.
Jones is challenging Cormier in a light heavyweight championship unification bout as Jones was forced to vacate his title after a string of personal issues kept him out of the sport for a year. He won the interim version of the belt earlier this year in a unanimous decision win over Ovince Saint Preux.
Tate will defend her championship against Nunes with the winner likely to face either Ronda Rousey or Holly Holm later this year if the cards falls right.
Also on the show, Aldo faces Edgar for the interim featherweight championship, and Velasquez vs. Browne opens the PPV portion of the card.
It is UFC International Fight Week in Las Vegas, Nevada and Thursday night brings us UFC Fight Night 90, the first of three straight nights of action inside the Octagon.
This event will be headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship bout as champion Rafael Dos Anjos defends against challenger Eddie Alvarez.
Below are our studs, value plays and fighters to avoid when setting your fantasy lineups for Thursday night’s event.
STUDS
Joseph Duffy ($11,100)
Joseph Duffy is coming off a loss to Dustin Poirier in which he was completely outclassed, so he takes a big step backwards in taking on Mitch Clarke on Thursday.
Clarke will be fighting for the first time since losing to Michael Chiesa in April 2015. The 2-3 Clarke appears to be a rebound fight for Duffy, who is 14-2 in his career and was ranked in the top 15 prior losing against Poirier.
Duffy is a finisher and 13 of his 14 wins have come by stoppage. Clarke has only been finished once in his career, but he doesn’t have the same skillset that Duffy does. Duffy is a strong striker, has excellent submissions and good grappling. Clarke is a good grappler as well, but loses this match-up on foot.
Duffy has the highest salary of all the fighters on the card, but is still a good investment. I expect him to win big on Thursday.
Gilbert Burns ($10,800)
Gilbert Burns is looking to bounce back from his first career loss when he fights Lukasz Sajewski on the card’s prelims Thursday night. Burns had won the first 11 fights of his career before dropping a decision to Rashid Magomedov in November.
That loss is nothing for Burns to hang his head about as Magomedov is 19-1 in his career, but it showed some holes that Burns needs to fill to get back on track inside the Octagon.
At his best, Burns is arguably the lightweight division’s best submission artist and has the strongest grappling chops. He has scored 10 of his 11 wins by finish, with seven wins by submission. He also trains with a strong camp in the Blackzilians.
He is a strong favorite over Sajewski, who also lost for the first time in his career when he made his UFC debut in his last fight. Sajewski hasn’t fought the level of competition that Burns has. And if Burns can avoid the slow start that has often plagued him, he should be able to end this quickly. I feel confident in having him as a stud play.
VALUE PLAYS
Eddie Alvarez ($8,600)
Eddie Alvarez is looking to make history when he challenges Rafael Dos Anjos for the UFC Lightweight Championship in the main event of UFC Fight Night 90. And he is also looking to become the first fighter to hold championship gold in both the UFC and Bellator promotions.
He gets his title shot against Dos Anjos on the heels of wins over former champions in Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez. Alvarez has just two losses in the last eight years, coming to Michael Chandler and Donald Cerrone, so he presents a real challenge in this fight.
Dos Anjos has looked like a killer the last several years and is the rightful champion at 155 pounds. He finished Cerrone quickly in his last fight, but is coming off an injury and no one knows what he will look like in this new era of the UFC.
I actually like Alvarez to score an upset as this fight goes the distance and the extra time allows for more point scoring opportunities. He is a risk, but I find a lot of value in Alvarez.
Alvaro Herrera ($8,500)
Alvaro Herrera is another interesting fighter with a low salary who has a lot of value on Thursday night’s card. He is coming off a 30-second knockout win in his UFC debut in November, which was his first fight in over three years.
He gets back to action against Vicente Luque in the opening bout of Thursday’s card, and Luque is looking to score his second straight win.
Luque has been inconsistent in his career, winning just eight times in 14 career bouts. He is tough to finish, having only been finished twice in his five losses. But Luque has finished opponents in seven of his eight wins, including in his last bout against Hayder Hassan in December. Herrera has scored finishes in eight of his nine wins, but has also been finished in all three of his losses.
This fight is primed for a finish, and I see Herrera’s punching power being the difference. His salary is worth a good amount of value.
FIGHTERS TO AVOID
Anthony Birchak ($10,700)
Anthony Birchak has one of the highest salaries on the card, and I don’t think he’s worth that high price.
Birchak is just 1-2 inside the UFC Octagon, and all three of his fights have ended in the first round. He has suffered a submission loss to Ian Entwistle and a knockout loss to Thomas Almeida, and scored a knockout win over Joe Soto in betweeen those losses. Birchak does have 10 wins by finish, but he has been finished in all three of his losses.
I do like him to get the win over Dileno Lopes on Thursday, but I’m not all that confident in him winning by stoppage. I see him going the distance and getting a decision over Lopes. With his high salary, you have to expect a finish if you have him on your team. Birchak is an easy avoid for me.
Russell Doane ($9,000)
Russell Doane is another fighter that should be avoided on Thursday night’s card.
He hasn’t fought in almost a year and is coming in riding a two-fight losing skid. His last three fights have gone the distance and he hasn’t looked overly impressive in those bouts.
He gets a tough match-up against Pedro Munhoz, who has been one of the top prospects in the bantamweight division, but has struggled against tougher competition.
Doane doesn’t land a lot of strikes in his fights, but he is good at takedowns. Munhoz has good takedown defense and is the more well-rounded fighter. And I see that being the difference with him taking a decision. Avoid Doane as I feel he will be fighting a losing battle on Thursday.
OUR LINE-UPS
RYAN FREDERICK- Joseph Duffy ($11,100), Gilbert Burns ($10,800), Derrick Lewis ($9,600), Alberto Mina ($9,500), Eddie Alvarez ($8,600)
I like Joseph Duffy as my top play on the card and I see him having no troubles against Mitch Clarke. I’m expecting him to end it by at least the end of the second round, and probably even in the first.
I also like Gilbert Burns to bounce back and get a stoppage win, likely by submission as his ground game is so good.
I have Derrick Lewis on my team as well. He has the size and power edge over Roy Nelson, and I think he can knock Nelson out. Alberto Mina is undefeated with 11 stoppage wins, and is facing Mike Pyle who is nearing the end of his career. I can see Mina knocking Pyle out early in their fight.
The last fighter on my team is Eddie Alvarez. I believe he will end Thursday night as the new UFC Lightweight Champion, and that it will go the distance, which gives him more chances to score points.
PAUL FONTAINE- Vicente Luque ($10,900), Reginaldo Vieira ($10,200), Roy Nelson ($9,800), Alberto Mina ($9,500), Dileno Lopes ($8,700)
All but one of Luque’s career wins have come by finish and his opponent Alvaro Herrera has been finished in all three of his losses. To me, that’s a recipe for some bonus points for Luque.
Vieira was the TUF Brazil season 4 champion and he beat a guy I also have on my team in his official UFC debut. That win was the first time he’d gone to the judges in one of his wins. I see the fight with Marco Beltran being an all-out balls to the wall brawl with Vieira being the last one standing.
Roy Nelson should score a late KO or submission over Derrick Lewis. Nelson is tough to finish and Lewis will probably gas out before getting caught by a shot that drops him.
I’m surprised Alberto Mina is an underdog against the aging Mike Pyle. Mina scored a finish in his UFC debut and then beat a tough vet in Yoshihiro Akiyama in his follow-up. He’s unbeaten and an impressive finish over a another vet like Pyle should move him up the ranks.
My last pick is more a pick against Anthony Birchak than for Dileno Lopes. Birchak has been finished in the first round of two of his last three fights. And Lopes has a KO or sub in eight of his last nine wins.
PEACH MACHINE- Rafael Dos Anjos ($11,000), Alan Jouban ($10,000), Derrick Lewis ($9,600), Alberto Mina ($9,500), Marco Beltran ($9,200)
I hate this card, but I love Rafael Dos Anjos. He’s really good and will most likely be one of the most dominant champions in UFC history after it’s all said and done.
Nelson is done and Lewis will KO him. I hate Pyle so I’m picking Mina. Jouban is handsome. I just love Carlos Beltran of the NY Yankees and I assume Marco is related. Play this lineup!
