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!
As part of an interview CM Punk did with Ron Kruck for Inside MMA this week, a YouTube only one-liner has got some attention as relates to Punk’s current relationship with WWE head Vince McMahon.
In the three-minute clip below, Kruck asked Punk about whether he’s heard from his old boss, being a 3-to-1 underdog in Vegas, and whether anything he learned in pro wrestling can be carried over to MMA:
The assumption is the comment is about the lawsuit that WWE doctor Chris Amann has against Punk and Colt Cabana stemming from Punk’s much-discussed appearance on Cabana’s podcast. When asked on Twitter about the comment, our Dave Meltzer said, “I’m surprised he said that publicly.”
Here’s a four-minute segment that made air Friday sans the WWE discussion:
And if you couldn’t get enough Punk, here’s a near 30-minute interview he did with Fox Sports’ Carrlyn Bathe:
Get even more CM Punk news all week long here on the site as we cruise toward his MMA debut at Saturday’s UFC 203.
The UFC 202 prelims on Saturday night did an average of 1.3 million viewers for the four fights on FS 1 from 8-10 p.m. ET. That was down 30% from the 1.84 million the UFC 196 prelims did in March, the last time Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz faced each other in the main event.
That would seem to be an indication that the pay-per-view number for this show might be down from the record 1.6 million buys that their first fight did, but there are extenuating factors here that may mean that is not necessarily the case.
First off, this show was up against the Summer Olympics, which did 15 million viewers during prime time. Because the PPV started at 10 p.m. ET with the main event not starting until about 11:30, it’s possible that people would’ve ordered the PPV but not even watched the prelims, similar to a boxing audience.
The prelims were also up against NXT TakeOver on the WWE Network, and with a big UFC show there is usually crossover with a pro wrestling audience. The NXT show ended right around the time the second PPV match was underway.
As reported by Dave Meltzer on Sunday, the UFC show had over five million Google searches as of Sunday afternoon, which would be indicative of another huge PPV buy number.
– Best Match: AJ vs Cena – Worst Match: Nattie, Nikki Bella & Alexa Bliss vs Naomi, Carmella & Becky Lynch
The Balor vs Rollins match was brought down by the annoying commentary. How many times do they have to say Demon King? It would have been a good drinking game to get hammered on. Same thing applied to Raw when he appeared. Just overkill.
Great to see AJ get the clean win over Cena to elevate him even more. Styles has performed in every WWF match he has had and with a couple years of great PPV performances, it should solidify him a spot in the Observer Hall of Fame along with his dominance in TNA and great run in NJPW.
Brock vs Orton was an interesting finish but something that will get people talking. Will they go the PED route and overturn the TKO win? All I can say is this better not end up with Shane vs Brock with Shane beating Brock to avenge Summerslam.
Grant Zwarcych
– Best match: John Cena vs AJ Styles
– Worst match: Carmella, Naomi and Becky Lynch vs Natalya, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Bella
Thumbs up. This show definitely could have had some different match order and there were parts of the show that suffered from it.
I had minimal interest in Orton vs Lesnar and although their work was good I am still not all that interested in them. I’ve enjoyed Lesnar over the years but at this point he is given so many privileges including using juicing in more ways than one that it is hard to have interest in him.
But Cena vs Styles was an incredible match. Ambrose vs Ziggler suffered but the result works out well. And although the heat was weak early on I would call Rollins vs Balor a big success.
Dave Musgrave of Oshawa, ON
Best Match: Cena vs. Styles
Thumbs up show. First I appreciate they are trying to give you your money’s worth, but they don’t need to make these shows six hours long. One hour for a preshow would be fine with one or two matches and then a three plus hour show. It doesn’t need to be this long. As far as the preshow goes the 12 man tag was fine for what it was to kick things off, but it still didn’t do a great job of putting over the tag team division on Smackdown except for a couple of teams. Everyone else is basically just there.
Neville & Sami Zayn vs. Dudleys was just a nothing match. Neville and Zayn deserve much better than this and a Dudleys break up didn’t work too well the last time they did it. Hope they have a reason to split them up.
Sheamus vs. Cesaro was good, but after two weeks of them in a row, now we get another six weeks of this I assume. Not sure that is necessary. I hope the end result is a big push for Cesaro, but I won’t hold my breath.
Now the main show starts. Jericho and Owens beat Enzo and Cass. Decent match. These guys are all fun, but again I think there is a better use for Owens and Jericho then this. The end spot wasn’t timed out great. We will probably get Owens vs. Jericho at some point out of this when they can’t stand each other anymore.
Charlotte vs. Sasha wasn’t going so well early on. Looks Charlotte was trying to kill Sasha. Then they still tried to do some horrendous stuff. That top rope Razor’s Edge into the huracanrana looked to dangerous and nearly a bad landing. I’m surprised at some of what they attempt. Was a little surprised at Charlotte winning it back this quickly but it ended up a good match overall.
Miz vs. Crews for the I-C TItle was nothing special. I don’t like Miz with the title and there is no reason for Crews to keep jobbing out. I-C Title seems like the least important title in the company right now as in dead last below every title including the NXT Titles which seems more important even than the main roster ones. At least they don’t all look the same either.
AJ Styles vs. John Cena was tremendous. Best match on the show. Cena really pulled out a number of moves that he doesn’t usually do and Styles is just great. Plus Styles winning clean made it even better. Hope Styles gets a title shot soon.
Tag Titles was nothing memorable really. Jon Stewart didn’t seem to really add anything and no one seemed to care that he was there. I thought they would finally do a title change, but maybe they are saving it for Clash of Champions.
Ambrose vs. Ziggler should have gone later in the show. This was lacking something. I guess that’s it for Dolph. He lost clean so seems like there isn’t much left for him. No Bray Wyatt involvement. Surprised he wasn’t on the show at all.
Six woman tag was decent with the return of Nikki Bella. She gets the win which makes sense. Guess she had to be on Cena’s brand.
Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins was a good match. Glad to see Balor win the title, but I don’t like the title itself. Now we have three titles in the company that are nearly identical with the WWE, Universal, and Women’s Titles. Each title should have a unique look. They must be using a cookie cutter mold for the belts now.
Rusev vs. Reigns wasn’t a match. Why they didn’t just do this angle on Raw instead of Summer Slam I don’t know. I guess Rusev and Lana are headed for their Bulgarian wedding ceremony.
Lesnar vs. Orton was a different kind of good, but not sure I would have done the non match and then this finish in a row instead of having the big title match at the end. The match really puts Lesnar over strong again and thought it would be more competitive with Orton. No sign of Goldberg who I thought maybe would come in after Orton was bleeding. Lesnar vs. Shane next? Maybe Orton gets another match with Lesnar? Not sure what this leads to.
It wasn’t the greatest Summer Slam and again they had a hard time following NXT the night before, but the Cena vs. Styles match was great and that made it worth while.
Robb Block
– Best Match: Cena v Styles – Worst Match: Six Women tag – Worst segment: KFC
Thumbs up. Dont mind the way the show ended with Brock laying waste but have to start by saying I would have sent the crowd home happy with say the Balor win. Hard to say that since Lesnar/Orton always felt” like the main event. Instantly wondered if that was the planned finish and perhaps just too much blood ended whatever other lead up they had until the finish.
They need to shorten these shows. Sorry but the six woman match and the dudleys match added nothing. As a result we have the crowd dying totally during a solid match. Its just too too long. A rematch of the 12 team too. Man. And that match was fun but not at the cost.
Cena and AJ may have been my favorite of the weekend. And thats over three amazing NXT matches and a wonderful Sasha Charlotte match. Sheamus Cesro was very good. Hope they can keep topping it for another 6. Ziggler Ambrose didnt deserve that reaction but as mentioned crowd ran out of gas. Balor Rollins was great. Surreal to see Balor with a “world” title. Even if it looks live eva marie designed it. Cant believe they still did the Eva Marie gimmick!!
Again, a thumbs up show very entertaining just lets not overdo the time on the big ppvs guys
Submitted anonymously
Thumbs in the middle to SummerSlam
– Best: AJ Styles vs. John Cena
– Worst: Lesnar vs. Orton
I cannot believe what I just saw. SummerSlam totally went off a cliff after AJ/Cena – and even though they had a good match for the Universally Red title, the crowd turning on that belt left a real stink on the match.
It was a weird show. The order of the matches really telegraphed where WWE have slotted people Ambrose is not going to last as a champion on SmackDown, judging by his midcard match and reaction, but likewise, aside from AJ, who else does that brand have? Orton’s stock has to have taken a battering from that main event finish, at least in the eyes of the fans.
Whether Lesnar “went into business for himself” with those elbows, or the spot was planned (and the blood wasn’t), I think Lesnar’s overall stock has to have taken a hit. He cannot be seen as being reliable to either UFC or WWE, not now he’s had a heavily promoted main event that was stopped because he didn’t pull his punches.
Ian Hamilton
– Best match: AJ vs Cena – Worst match: Miz vs Crews
Thumbs in the middle. Show was way too long. Really enjoyed Charlotte v Sasha but so scary. Enjoyed Brock v Orton finish as well. Much of the show unnecessary. Jon Stewart was awful. Ambrose v Ziggler was super underwhelming as well.
Erin Hotovy
NXT Takeover
– Best Match: Revival v Gargano Ciampa
– Worst Match: Roode v Cien (but fine!)
Thumbs up. Those three title matches, wow. Very difficult to pick between the 3 but Dash and Dawsons performance wa something else. If youve never seen these guys at a house show they even add in more perfect heel pro wrestling stuff and just nail everything on TV. Nakumaras entrance was electric and their work was outstanding. Dying for Joe Lesnar eventually. Ive gotten a bigger reaction in public wearing my Nakamura shirt than any wrestling apparel in years.
They need to also call him up ASAP and push him differently than every stereotypical role they have basically given to so many other folks who have come over from Japan. Bayley/Asuka was even better than the first one, which was awesome and so much emotion at the end. Wish Roode was in the company years ago and hope they dont delay his call up too long either though do all those call up requests cause an end to the never ending string of mind blowing Takeovers?
A great weekend with that great UFC main event thrown in!!
Michael O’Brien | Brockton, MA
I thought that the Tag Team title match was by far the best match on the show tonight. Just an excellent match, both teams were great, I hope they do it again some time in the future.
Austin Aries and No Way Jose was good opener.
I liked Ember Moon but she’ll be much better when she wrestles against women who are less green.
Bobby Roode’s entrance was great, but one thing that really stood out to me in the match was that Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas can get over with his work. The big problem with him is his gear. I also don’t see why he comes out with red suspenders and a red hat but then wrestles in white gear. They need to just ditch the suspenders and hat.
I liked the Women’s title match, though I didn’t think it was as good as last year’s. Now I’m just hoping that they don’t squander Bayley on the main roster. Honestly she’s the one wrestler in the company I’m most frightened for in that regard.
The first half of Joe and Nakamura I thought was a little disappointing to be honest. Granted it did pick up by the end, but I didn’t think it was as good as the other two title matches.
Overall, I thought the show was 7-8 out of 10
– Kevin Timmins
Thumbs way up. May be the best takeover to date. Incredible atmosphere and everything a wrestling show should be. Worst match: moon-Kay. Just kinda eh. Finished was impressive though.
Best match: I’m going to go with Revival-ciampa/gargano. Nakamura-Joe was awesome but the tag match had such raw emotion from the crowd whole heartedly wanting Gargano-Ciampa to win. Incredible near falls and wrestling.
Mike Flynn
Best match tag title match. the most heated match on the show. Great work by all involved. Worst was Roode v Almas. Roode entrance was super over but it was just a match. Nothing really special.
Becky and Sasha turned down going backstage after the Women’s title match and stayed for the main event. It was funny because Mick was initially sitting next to Finn Balor then slowly changed seats with each member of his family until he was next to Becky. Not implying anything just thought it was funny.
Everyone in the area was singing ‘All night long’ at Rich Swann. He was by far the most over of the guys. Will be a real star if they pull the trigger on him.
The main event was mostly just entrances. Nakamura’s entrance was really something special. It has to be experienced live. The match was a bit slow and seemed rushed to finish. Maybe Joe being injured sped up the ending.
John Berke
ROH Death Before Dishonor
– Thumbs: Middle tilted up
– Best Match: Okada vs Castle
– Worst match: Shibata vs Young
I’m not a regular viewer of ROH’s stuff but I thought the show was about thumbs middle curving upward. I bought in tonight because I was really looking forward to the main event and Okada vs Castle. Commentary and videos did a good job keeping me caught up on what was going on. The production missing spots commentary was calling was really bad though. The best match of the night for me was Okada vs Castle, Dalton Castle looked great and the big personalities were on full display even if it looked like at points Okada was running at about 50 percent.
The worst match of the night was Shibata vs Silas Young, Shibata doesn’t really do much for me even when he’s against great opponents and Silas Young is not what I’d call great. Overall I enjoyed the show but probably won’t be following up on more ROH stuff until the next big show.
– James Rood
– Best Match: Revival vs. Gargano & Ciampa
– Worst Match: Ember Moon vs. Billy Kay
Thumbs up. From top to bottom, once again NXT delivers a solid fun show with not really anything to complain about. Not like a WWE show where it may be very good, but there is always something to be criticized.
Austin Aries vs. No Way Jose was a good opener and Jose is fun to watch, but I am glad to see Aries pick up the win and now he heads into a feud with Hideo Itami. Looking forward to that match. I didn’t think Ember Moon vs. Billy Kay was too bad, but it was the weakest thing on the show. The big stunner off the top was a cool move.
Bobby Roode vs. Andrade Cien Almas was a fun match. Not sure what they should do with Almas. He isn’t really getting over like they want. He seems more like a heel with his mannerisms and he just looks cocky even if he isn’t. Roode has a great entrance is a good solid heel. Glad to see him get over. I mean he is Glorious right
Revival vs. Gargano and Ciampa was great. I love watching real tag team matches. You don’t see them on WWE TV. I love seeing double team moves, the hot tag that was missed by the ref and all that kind of stuff. Tag matches today in WWE really have that kind of flow usually. This was great. I imagine they will meet again.
Asuka vs. Bayley for the Women’s Title was another strong match. I assume with Bayley losing again that she will finally be moving to the main roster. They probably need her more on Smackdown, but she’ll end up on Raw because they have more going on.
Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke was a strong main event and once again these two are so great. How can they not be headlining WWE ppvs? Perhaps a Joe lost means he is also moving up soon. I do hope we get a Joe vs. Lesnar properly built match for a WrestleMania. That just seems like a natural.
Like so many times before NXT delivers big and now WWE has to follow the next day. It’s a pretty strong line up for Summer Slam so hopefully they deliver the goods.
– Robb Block
UFC 202
– Best Match: Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz
– Worst Match: Raquel Pennington vs Elizabeth Phillips
Thumbs up. This show was very easy to watch and entertaining. That punch that Johnson delivered could have knocked out a buffalo or bison.
– Eric Poon
Thumbs way up. Only caught the last three bouts but they were all amazing. The rest of the show could’ve been crap and I’d still give the show a positive review. Cerrone’s liver kick was killer and Johnson’s KO was awesome, but hell. Let’s give it up for Conor and Diaz. That was arguably the best fight of 2016, if not ever. Just amazing guts and determination from both guys. I honestly thought Diaz won more rounds, but I could see why Conor got the nod from the judges.
McGregor’s salvation is the story of the year. Can’t wait for McGregor vs Diaz III.
– Dann Lennard | Sydney, Australia
– Best: Diaz vs. McGregor
– Worst: Lobov vs. Avila
Best UFC show I’ve seen this year, headlined by the FOTY so far. I had the main event a draw and can’t wait for the rubber match.
– Nick Randall
After seeing some of parts of the first fight and listening to you guys talk about the press conference and the weigh in, I decided to make my way down to the local bar and watch UFC 202. Before I go any further, even though I have been a subscriber for a number of years, this is the first time I’ve watched a UFC card.
I got there about 10am my time (12 hours ahead of US east coast time) and the place was about a quarter full. The main card had just started with Tim Means winning in the second round. Slowly over the next hour to hour and a half, the crowd grew to being three quarters full for the start of Conor vs Nate and pretty close to being full by the end.
By the way, What an uppercut by Rumble Johnson and combination by Cowboy Cerrone.
Now to the Main Event, first round obviously went to Conor 10-9, but I thought Nate was smart by making sure Conor couldn’t get on top of him. Second round maybe went to Conor as Nate went to the canvas mind you Nate came back towards the end of the round. I thought the third round went to Nate as he seemed the more aggressive of the two. Fourth round seemed pretty even as fatigue settled in. I have no idea how to score the fifth round with all the grappling and leaning on the fence. Crowd gives both fighters a rapturous round of applause.
If I were to judge a winner, Nate wins but it could go either. Crowd goes wild with Conor’s decision. A good card for my first UFC but it would have been cooler if the main event didn’t go to a decision.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Arguably the biggest event of the year for the UFC, this event is headlined by the anticipated rematch between Nate Diaz and UFC Welterweight Champion Conor McGregor. McGregor will seek revenge after suffering a submission loss at the hands of Diaz at UFC 196 in March, and they go at it again at 170 pounds.
The co-main event is a light heavyweight bout that could determine the next title challenger as Anthony Johnson takes on Glover Teixeira.
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.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS ALBERTO UDA (9-1, 0-1 UFC) VS. MARVIN VETTORI (10-2, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- They traded takedowns early. Uda did good work holding Vettori in his guard and playing defense on the top control from Vettori. Vettori started to land and Uda wasn’t doing much to get up or defending well, but he did cut Vettori open with an elbow. Uda was more stalling on the bottom and not going for submissions and Vettori started landing more as the round went on. Vettori was able to get to his feet and started pouring on punches from the top before taking the back and getting a guillotine choke in and forcing Uda to tap out to get the win in his UFC debut.
Official Result- Marvin Vettori def. Alberto Uda by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:30 of Round 1
INSTANT ANALYSIS- Marvin Vettori looked like the solid prospect he is in getting his eleventh career win and first inside the Octagon. He now has six straight wins, and he is just 22-years-old. He will come along nicely and likely be featured on some European cards in the future, and this is a solid win for his debut. Alberto Uda is now 0-2 in the UFC after starting his career 9-0, and with two straight losses in both UFC bouts, being finished in both, it is likely that he will be cut and sent back to the regional promotions.
WELTERWEIGHTS COLBY COVINGTON (9-1, 4-1 UFC) VS. MAX GRIFFIN (12-2, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- They came out swinging early. Covington was able to get a takedown and controlled from the top before Griffin got up. Covington went into grind mode against the fence and got a nice takedown into full mount. Covington controlled on the mat but he wasn’t working hard for a finish and seemed to want to ride the round out. Griffin had no answer from the bottom but tried some elbows. Covington just in full control for the round. 10-9 Covington.
ROUND 2- Covington went for a flying knee early and hurt Griffin standing but went back for the takedown and control on the top. Griffin had no answer for the top control of Covington as he was eating a lot of punches, but was never in danger of being finished early on. Covington got back into full mount and cut Griffin open. Covington just in complete control as Griffin had no offense off his back and was in survival mode. Covington with multiple takedowns and relentless pressure and Griffin was exhausted. A complete dominant round from Covington. 10-8 Covington, 20-17 Covington.
ROUND 3- Griffin had to get the finish in this round as he was clearly down two rounds. However, it was more of the same as Covington got the early takedown and went into grind mode. Griffin had zero offense as Covington started to pour on his attack more. With Griffin doing nothing and Covington landing lots of punches, it was finally stopped midway through the third round. Dominant win from Covington.
Official Result- Colby Covington def. Max Griffin by TKO (punches) at 2:18 of Round 3
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was a complete domination from Colby Covington, who moves to 5-1 in the UFC. It was the first stoppage by strikes in his career. Covington has been excellent against lower competition, and he makes claims that he wants the championship. The biggest issue with this fight, while he was dominant, is he wasn’t really going for a stoppage hard, and he should have finished this fight sooner. That griding style is going to hurt him when he faces stiffer competition. Max Griffin got dominated in his UFC debut, but it was a tall order for him in getting a tough opponent in Covington. I’d like to see him back against someone on his level, perhaps a losing fighter from some later welterweight bouts on this card.
WELTERWEIGHTS (#7) NEIL MAGNY (18-4, 11-3 UFC) VS. LORENZ LARKIN (17-5 1 NC, 4-5 UFC)
ROUND 1- Larkin had Magny in trouble early. He dropped Magny early and started picking him apart and Magny’s lead leg was giving him fits. Larkin went so hard on Magny’s legs with kicks that Magny’s legs started bleeding. Magny’s leg was a mess. Larkin was destroying Magny standing and started landing some elbows and Dan Miragliotta stepped in and stopped the fight. Larkin looked very impressive.
Official Result- Lorenz Larkin def. Neil Magny by TKO (elbows) at 4:08 of Round 1
INSTANT ANALYSIS- Lorenz Larkin looked the best he ever as and he heads into free agency following this win. He is going to re-sign with the UFC and he is ready for top-15 competition. Neil Magny had never been stopped by strikes, and while he was on his way towards the top, this loss will send him back down. For Larkin, a fight against Dong Hyun Kim may be interesting for him while Magny could face someone like Tarec Saffiedine next.
ROUND 1- It took a minute for these ladies to get going but Casey was able to get on the attack early. Markos then went into takedown mode and had Casey in a bad position. Markos was landing punches from a headlock but Casey was able to reverse position for a moment. Markos got back on top and Casey was attacking with the arm and got the armbar and Casey submitted Markos. Big win for Casey.
Official Result- Cortney Casey def. Randa Markos by submission (armbar) at 4:34 of Round 1
INSTANT ANALYSIS- Cortney Casey has now won two straight after losing her first two UFC bouts. She has scored finishes in both fights. Casey should find herself in the next set of rankings and a match-up against the winner of next week’s bout between Paige VanZant and Bec Rawlings would be a nice next fight. Randa Markos is now 3-3 in her UFC career, but this is the first time she has been stopped. She is still developing as this was just her tenth career fight, but a step down in competition would be best for her. She isn’t in danger of being cut, but needs a bounce back fight. A fellow TUF castmate, Angela Magana, might be good for her.
FEATHERWEIGHTS ARTEM LOBOV (11-12-1 1 NC, 0-2 UFC) VS. CHRIS AVILA (5-2, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Lobov came out as the aggressor as he had Avila circling around the fence. Lobov was switching stances and keeping a distance and he was keeping Avila guessing. Avila would think takedown but Lobov had it defended and went to leg kicks. Lobov continued to chop at the legs and it opened up some left hands. Avila didn’t have much of an attack for Lobov, who countered whatever Avila threw well. Lobov really showed his experience over Avila and had him pinned against the fence at the end. 10-9 Lobov.
ROUND 2- Lobov went right after the legs with kicks. Avila throwing short punches but Lobov is ducking away from them all. Lobov is controlling the cage and continually backing Avila up with kicks. This fight really slowed down in this round and Avila looked gassed. Lobov continued on the attack of the legs and was landing the combos. Lobov did a lot of damage to the lead leg of Avila in that round. 10-9 Lobov, 20-18 Lobov.
ROUND 3- Lobov went back after the legs of Avila. Avila tried a clinch but Lobov was able to shake him off. Lobov did suffer a cut on his head. Avila started to land punches but right away Lobov went back on the attack of the legs. This fight has been really boring. Lobov slipped and Avila went on top but decided to get back to his feet and not take advantage of the situation. Lobov landed more and should get the win. 10-9 Lobov, 30-27 Lobov.
Official Result- Artem Lobov def. Chris Avila by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was a boring fight. Artem Lobov used his experience well but he still isn’t a UFC caliber fighter at this stage with just a .500 record. He will get another fight but it’s going to be tough to see him defeating a quality opponent. Chris Avila looked not ready for the UFC and it wouldn’t surprise me if he were one-and-done in the UFC. He needs some more seasoning if he is going to be back.
WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS (#8) RAQUEL PENNINGTON (7-5, 4-2 UFC) VS. ELIZABETH PHILLIPS (5-3, 1-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- They had a clinch battle early and Phillips was getting the advantage. It was a grind in the clinch for most of the round and each woman landed some shots. Neither was able to take advantage until they broke. Pennington was able to get the takedown against the fence late in the round but Phillips was able to get back to her feet and had the neck. The late takedown likely got Pennington the round and she landed a flurry at the end. 10-9 Pennington.
ROUND 2- Pennington started off the second round how she ended the first by pressing forward and getting the better of the clinch. Pennington grabbed the neck and went for a choke but didn’t have it in. Phillips escaped and was in side control but they got to their feet. Phillips tried to work for takedowns but Pennington was defending well. Pennington got a late takedown again and went to work with elbows but didn’t get the finish. It got her the round though. 10-9 Pennington, 20-18 Pennington.
ROUND 3- More of the same in the final round as Pennington controlled the pace and got an early takedown. Phillips took a deep breath and gave up her back and Pennington went to work. Pennington went for a choke but Phillips was defending well and scrambled out but Pennington got into full mount. Pennington locked up an arm-triangle from the bottom but didn’t get the submission. Phillips ended up on top and started to look for the finish but there wasn’t enough time left as Pennington took back over in the last 25 seconds. 10-9 Pennington, 30-27 Pennington.
Official Result- Raquel Pennington def. Elizabeth Phillips by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- This was a solid win by Raquel Pennington. It was a step down from recent competition, but she now has a three-fight win streak and is 4-1 in her last five fights. She has let it be known that she wants to avenge her losses, so a rematch with Holly Holm may be a good time to happen right now. Other than that, a fight against Sara McMann would be a good one as well. Elizabeth Phillips now falls to 1-3 in her UFC career and she didn’t do much offensively in this bout. It is tough to say if we will see her in the UFC again, but she has solid skills. Perhaps a bout with Invicta may revive her.
ROUND 1- Cody Garbrandt dropped Mizugaki quickly and won in the first minute after landing a lot of punches. Big, impressive win by Garbrandt.
Official Result- Cody Garbrandt def. Takeya Mizugaki by TKO (punches) at :48 of Round 1
INSTANT ANALYSIS- Cody Garbrandt gets his third straight first-round knockout win, and is now 10-0 in his career and 5-0 in his UFC career. He has been taking shots at UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz, and while T.J. Dillashaw and Bryan Caraway are also in contention, neither man has been as impressive as Garbrandt. Him against Cruz is probably the best match-up they can make, and he wants that title shot. It is time to make that fight. Takeya Mizugaki is still a solid gatekeeper in the division, but he is never going to be able to fight for a title. He will still get more opportunities in the UFC and he is a quality fighter still.
MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
WELTERWEIGHTS TIM MEANS (25-7-1, 7-4 UFC) VS. SABAH HOMASI (11-5, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Means was using his long range well early before getting taken down. They got to their feet and both men were swinging and Homasi started to take big breaths early. Homasi got another takedown but started eating elbows as he wasn’t doing anything. Means cut Homasi open big with an elbow. Means started teeing off on Homasi at the end of the round and Means had a big finish to the round. 10-9 Means.
ROUND 2- Means came out for the second round strong as Homasi was fading. Means started teeing off with elbows and knees and Homasi was bleeding pretty badly. Homasi was surviving some big shots in the first half of the round. Homasi was is full survival mode and bleeding heavily and after Means started landing more punches Herb Dean finally stepped in and stopped the fight and Means scores the big win.
Official Result- Tim Means def. Sabah Homasi by TKO (strikes) at 2:56 of Round 2
INSTANT ANALYSIS- Tim Means looked incredible and had an amazing performance. He is now 5-1 in his last six fights and is on the cusp of top-15 contention. He hard sharp combinations and worked the elbows well and was able to get off the mat when taken down. A fight with Jake Ellenberger next may be a good test for him. Sabah Homasi gave a good showing but took the fight on very short notice. He will get another chance and hopefully with a full camp as he is a solid addition to the lower level at 170 pounds.
WELTERWEIGHTS HYUN GYU LIM (13-5-1, 3-2 UFC) VS. MIKE PERRY (7-0, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Perry came out strong looking to get inside the long range of Lim. Perry dropped Lim and instead of working for the finish he went into the guard. Lim made a mistake though and Perry got him pinned on the bottom. Perry dropped Lim once again and had him in a lot of trouble but Lim somehow survived. Perry dropped him one more time and finally finished him off to get a huge win in his UFC debut.
Official Result- Mike Perry def. Hyun Gyu Lim by TKO (punches) at 3:38 of Round 1
INSTANT ANALYSIS- Mike Perry had an impressive debut dropping Hyun Gyu Lim three times. He is undefeated and now has eight wins, all by stoppage. He had a star-making performance and is going to be a solid prospect in the welterweight division. As long as he keeps developing, the sky is the limit for him. Lim is a tough opponent, and he has some exciting fights. He won’t ever fight for a title, but he will be an exciting addition to any card.
WELTERWEIGHTS (#9) RICK STORY (19-8, 12-6 UFC) VS. (#14, #6 LW) DONALD CERRONE (30-7 1 NC, 17-4 UFC)
ROUND 1- Cerrone actually took Story down early but Story got to his feet and took Cerrone down. Cerrone looked for submissions but Story escaped out of them. Cerrone did a nice escape to get back to his feet. Cerrone is getting the better of the striking exchanges. Cerrone tagged Story late in the round. Story had not much of an answer for the striking exchanges as Cerrone has more weapons on the feet and is a very accurate striker. Story may have gotten a big takedown but Cerrone got the round late with the striking. 10-9 Cerrone.
ROUND 2- Story tried for the takedowns as he has no answer for Cerrone on the feet. Cerrone had Story in trouble with a body combination followed by a head kick and finished him off with big punches on the ground. Huge win for Cerrone.
Official Result- Donald Cerrone def. Rick Story by TKO (strikes) at 2:02 of Round 2
INSTANT ANALYSIS- Donald Cerrone has looked fantastic at 170 pounds with three straight wins, all by stoppage. He has talked about wanting to challenge Eddie Alvarez for the championship, and he called him out after the fight. Cerrone has a win over Alvarez and challenged him for UFC 205 in New York City. He hasn’t won at 155 pounds since losing to Rafael Dos Anjos in a title fight in December, but three wins over quality competition at 170 pounds is hard to overlook. Rick Story has some solid wins but falters against top competition, and he couldn’t get his style in motion against an excellent striker in Cerrone. He will go back to the drawing board and look to remain in the top-15 in the division.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (#1) ANTHONY JOHNSON (21-5, 12-5 UFC) VS. (#2) GLOVER TEIXEIRA (25-4, 8-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- It took one punch and Rumble Johnson knocked Teixeira out in seconds. It was quick and violent.
Official Result- Anthony Johnson def. Glover Teixeira by knockout (punches) at :13 of Round 1
INSTANT ANALYSIS- Anthony Johnson is getting a title shot and he is the scariest fighter in the UFC. One punch can end any fight he is in as evidenced in this fight. He had Daniel Cormier in trouble when they first fought, and I see him giving Cormier a much tougher time when they next fight. 13 seconds and it was done with Teixeira being stopped for the first time in 14 years. Teixeira is still a great fighter but he’s going to have to get another couple of wins to get back into contention. His only UFC losses are to Anthony Johnson, Jon Jones and Phil Davis, and he is still a top-five fighter.
ROUND 1- McGregor went after the lead leg with kicks early. He landed some left hands and knocked Diaz down with a left. McGregor landed some solid combos and is chopping away at the lead leg. Diaz had trouble landing the jab and wasn’t checking the leg kicks. Diaz also isn’t circling away from the leg kick. McGregor clipped Diaz late. A methodical round for McGregor. 10-9 McGregor.
ROUND 2- Diaz’ right leg is chewed up heading into the second. McGregor knocked Diaz down with another left hand. McGregor was picking Diaz apart on the feet with combos but Diaz started to apply pressure towards the end and had McGregor backing up. DIaz landed some big combinations and they clinched against the fence and traded for much of the end of the round. They were tagging each other. Diaz came on strong but still a round for McGregor. 10-9 McGregor, 20-18 McGregor.
ROUND 3- McGregor comes out breathing heavy. Diaz rocked McGregor with a left hand and started in the clinch. Big chants for Diaz. McGregor caught Diaz with a left hand and went back for the leg kicks. Diaz starts with the trash talking. McGregor landed an elbow in the clinch. Diaz is bleeding pretty solidly. Diaz landed a combo as they broke the clinch. They traded punches and Diaz is taunting and McGregor is tired. Diaz started pouring it on late in the round with lots of strikes landed. Diaz with a huge onslaught but McGregor survived it. 10-9 Diaz, 29-28 McGregor.
ROUND 4- McGregor landed some left hands to start this round. Diaz is a bloody mess. Both men are tired and McGregor is landing a lot of punches. Diaz went for a takedown but it was defended by McGregor. Diaz with short punches in the clinch. McGregor landed a big elbow. McGregor landed a big combination as they broke the clinch. Diaz did rock McGregor. McGregor has caught a second wind and is landing on Diaz. McGregor has Diaz hurt heading into the final round. 10-9 McGregor, 39-37 McGregor.
ROUND 5- This round will likely decide it. Diaz having a hard time seeing out of his eye. They clinched up and McGregor got the better of it. McGregor fighting smart circling out of the way and not expending energy. Diaz went for takedowns but McGregor has shown excellent takedown defense. Diaz lands a combo and McGregor circles out of the way. Diaz with the middle finger. Diaz landed a big elbow in the clinch. Diaz working hard for a takedown against the fence and can’t get it. Lots of pressure from Diaz though both are landing equally. McGregor tripped Diaz down and landed a big elbow as Diaz got up. Diaz with a big takedown at the end of the round and the fight ends. 10-9 Diaz, 48-47 McGregor.
Official Result- Conor McGregor def. Nate Diaz by majority decision (48-47, 47-47, 48-47)
INSTANT ANALYSIS- Conor McGregor fought a brilliant fight in the first two rounds picking apart Nate Diaz by attacking the leg. Diaz made an excellent comeback in the third round and this fight was interesting. It was incredibly close from the third round on, and Diaz clearly won round three and round five. It was how you scored round four as a viewer, and it was very close. It’s a good decision, as would have a 47-47. I personally thought McGregor won the fight. This is a definite fight of the year candidate, and it’s my choice for the best fight this year so far. The third fight is coming, but McGregor has other business right now.
With so many big matches and fights happening this weekend between ROH, Evolve, WWE, NXT, and UFC, I asked some of our writers, podcast hosts, editors, and contributors a simple question: what match or fight are you looking forward to the most this weekend?
With two huge EVOLVE shows, a Ring of Honor pay-per-view, NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, the 2016 Super J-Cup finals, and SummerSlam, this weekend probably even surpasses WrestleMania week as my most anticipated few days of wrestling of the year. And that’s not even considering that it includes what is probably the UFC’s biggest fight of 2016.
But even with so many options, TakeOver’s main event with NXT Champion Samoa Joe defending against Shinsuke Nakamura stands out as the clear choice for what I’m looking forward to most. The hard-hitting styles of both men should mesh well and it has the potential to be a truly classic match.
Nakamura has seamlessly blended into NXT since debuting against Sami Zayn in Dallas over WrestleMania weekend. And the role has been the perfect fit for his style. He can get by on charisma and showmanship on television and house shows while saving his body for the few big matches a year he competes in. Though it’s often been frustrating, he’s always been someone that saves himself for the right moment.
That’s why I was excited when he noted that this is his first WWE PPV main event in an interview segment on Wednesday’s go-home episode of NXT TV. Even with the Zayn match being one of my favorites of the year, I’ll be disappointed if Saturday isn’t Nakamura’s most inspired performance since joining NXT.
And despite obviously being excited to see what Nakamura can do, I’m looking forward to seeing how Joe fares even more. Joe’s ROH world title run last decade firmly established him as my favorite wrestler in the world then, but I lost touch with much of his career as he spent such a big part of it in TNA. I didn’t know what to expect when Joe came to NXT, and though I’ve been encouraged by what I’ve seen of him as a character, he has yet to put on a classic match that really cements him as one of the best workers in the world again.
Some of his performances have been close. I thought he shined in a couple of the Balor matches despite the end product not being as good as I hoped. But, I think Saturday is the night where everything clicks and Joe reminds the wrestling world that he’s a hall of fame caliber worker.
AJ Styles vs. John Cena are my two favorites right now (other than the Ascension), and to me, this is a battle between the two biggest stars from the post Monday night wars era from the surviving companies. I love Cena because he’s the New York Yankees of wrestling. He represents “the man”. He’s always had the WWE machine behind him, along with big money and big pushes. On the flipside, AJ is like the Tampa Bay Rays: an expansion team (TNA) that doesn’t have the big money supporting them, but they signed Evan Longoria and all he does is hit, and come up big in the field.
So to me, it’s Evan “AJ” Longoria hitting against Mariano “Cena” Rivera at SummerSlam, and that’s an awesome matchup.
I’m most excited to see Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins at SummerSlam. The personality profile hype videos they’ve done have been very good. While they haven’t done as good a job as possible introducing Balor to fans, they have at least made him seem like a main eventer right away. He’s positioned as a threat and they should pull the trigger on him. Seth is already made as a top guy, and Balor should be the guy they push for the second new era of the past second months on Raw. It’s a fresh match and one that feels like it could be a building block for the future.
While there is a ton of great wrestling action this upcoming weekend, I got to say that the Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz rematch at UFC 202 really intrigues me. You would think that with a full camp and with size on his side, Diaz has no way of losing. But McGregor still has that aura about him of being different than others, even if a lot of it was diminished when he lost the first time. Plus, given that this has been the year of the underdog with so many surprise title switches and upsets, maybe Conor can actually pull it off. I’d love to see if he can!
I’m most excited for Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. For me, Brock is what a big WWE event is all about as his presence and charisma are unrivaled in WWE. When he re-signed in 2012, there was a short list of who you knew could go with him. Here in 2016, that list is probably just as short but Orton is still right up at the top. Orton is such a smooth performer, and on his best day, he is easily one of the best in the US. Both have exquisite timing and so I really hope this delivers. My only fear is that Lesnar is losing.
One fight that isn’t getting a lot of talk but one I’m really excited for is the FS 1 featured prelim match for UFC 202: Cody Garbrandt vs Takeya Mizugaki. Garbrandt is expected to win and he’s managed to finish every one of his pro opponents so far. Mizugaki is a tough guy to put away and if Garbrandt does it, he’ll be in position to be the next challenger for Dominick Cruz’ bantamweight title. I really think Garbrandt has that “it” factor and could potentially be a breakout UFC star and this will be a huge stage for him.
This is a great weekend of all kinds of action, but being a big MMA guy, I’m definitely looking most forward to the rematch between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor. It is an intriguing fight, maybe more intriguing than the first time they stepped inside the Octagon together in March. It is interesting to see what kinds of adjustments McGregor will have made. For all of the talk of how big he is, from watching the UFC Embedded series, I don’t get the sense that McGregor is much bigger, and that is probably for the best.
He is a fighter obsessed with perfection, and Diaz showed him he wasn’t perfect, so I expect a better McGregor in this fight. As for Diaz, he got what he wanted, and that was the money, and I’m not sure anything else motivates him these days. He clearly isn’t as obsessed with the rematch as McGregor is, and he’s getting paid more than he ever has. Where he goes from here remains to be seen, but I just don’t think he cares about the outcome as much as McGregor. There is much more less for him to lose. It is going to be an interesting night in Las Vegas. I will also add I’m very excited for the match between Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura.
There are so many great matches this weekend that it’s almost hard to keep track. While I’m fascinated to see if Conor McGregor can correct the fatal flaws in his standup that Nate Diaz exploited and I always enjoy watching Brock Lesnar throwing somebody around, to me the big fight of the weekend is Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. That this is Nakamura’s first main event since he left New Japan is reason enough to be excited.
He’s always been a big match performer and so we should see him pull out all the stops on Saturday night. But more than that, he has the perfect opponent. To me, Joe vs. Nakamura is a genuine dream match, bringing together two strong style wrestlers who are equally adept at technical striking, intricate grappling exchanges and all-out brawling. This should be something special….and very, very stiff.
One of the matches I am looking forward to the most is flying comfortably under the radar thanks to the stacked main event of each show, but it is every bit as likely to deliver a classic that people will be talking about on Monday. I fully expect that The Revival and Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano will go out on Saturday night with the goal of upstaging each and every blockbuster bout of the weekend; given the talent involved, it is not outside of the realm of possibility that they would.
Ciampa and Gargano have already had a pretty exceptional few weeks with their incredible match in the first round of the CWC, and with the birth of the #GloriousBomb, while Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder continue to prove themselves to be modern masters of tag team wrestling. Reports out of the house show circuit have indicated that these four men are having blow-away matches every time they lock up, and with the stakes being raised at the Barclays on Saturday, I fully expect a high-drama tag team championship match that could wind up on some match of the year shortlists.
Notwithstanding the fact that I 100% won’t have the time to watch any of the ridiculous amount of awesome wrestling coming up this weekend, let alone the time to finish this sentence (thanks newborn baby!), if I could watch one match, it would probably be the Samoan Joe Machine vs. The King of The Style Which Is Strong, aka Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. One of Nakamura’s reasons for coming to the US was because he’d pretty much done all there was to do and wrestled everyone worth wrestling in New Japan, so I’m excited as a Nakamura fan to see him in a big match with a big name star like Samoa Joe. It’s new, it’s different, and it’s exactly why Nakamura left Japan. Also, Dalton Castle vs. Kazuchika Okada Friday should be all kinds of great.
Seemingly overshadowed by a packed weekend of events is the Super J-Cup. Though this year’s tournament might not become as legendary as the inaugural event that debuted in 1994, this year still has a loaded card on paper with a lot of tremendous talent. The sleeper match on the card, and possibly the sleeper match of the weekend, is probably Will Ospreay vs. Matt Sydal. The two are excellent high flyers and Sydal is now better than ever with psychology. If given enough time, it has the makings of being a helluva match and a true work of art. The weekend has many great events, but wrestlers on the card in Tokyo are sure to remind everyone that the Super J-Cup cannot be overlooked.
Mike DellaCamera, Columnist —
In an absolutely stacked NXT card, the match I’m most looking forward to this weekend is The Revival vs Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. The Revival have been having absolutely great matches, and one could argue they work their characters as good as anyone in the company. “Johnny Wrestling” and “The Psycho Killer” stole the show during their one-on-one match in the Cruiserweight Classic, and with this being the first TakeOver for each of them, look for the two long time indie standouts to try to be the newcomers who come out and steal the show.
Man, this is a tough one. There are a lot of good matches set for this weekend, and it’s a toss of a coin for me between Joe vs. Nakamura and Orton vs. Lesnar, both for different reasons. Will Joe lose and be brought up to the main roster? Will they have him win but lose it at the tapings next week? Will Vince wake up and decide that Brock needs to be taught a lesson? Will he stick with the program and keep Brock strong? I’m going with Orton vs. Lesnar. No, wait, change that: Joe vs. Nakamura.
For me, this weekend is all about what’s next. Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Nakamura, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, and Seth Rollins all have potentially interesting paths ahead depending on what happens in the next 48 hours with who wins and loses telling us a lot about WWE’s direction over the rest of the year. If Balor wins, will WWE really get behind him? How long is Nakamura staying in NXT anyway? Could a win actually revive Orton to the point we care about seeing him in top programs?
But there’s one match in which a company can’t dictate the outcome and that’s Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz II at UFC 202 Saturday night. When this fight was first made, I wasn’t that jazzed because of how the first fight went down. The past few months haven’t done much to fuel my interest, but there’s so much on the line for McGregor with a loss that I can’t help but be intrigued. The business could change a lot again Saturday night — either for the better or the worse.
As I said on my show this week, we need to be snapped out of our post-UFC 200 malaise and perhaps UFC 202 is the show to do it.
After Wednesday’s bottle throwing incident at the UFC 202 weigh-ins, anything is possible when Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz square off for the final time at Friday’s public weigh-ins prior to their Saturday rematch.
McGregor will be looking to avenge his loss earlier this year to Diaz when the Stockton, CA, native stepped in on short notice to face the Irishman at 170 pounds. Diaz handed McGregor his first UFC defeat and will be looking to do it again at the same weight.
Also on the card, Glover Teixeira and Anthony Johnson are both looking to get back to a light heavyweight title shot when they fight in the co-main event, while perennial fan favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone faces the always underrated Rick Story at welterweight.
There are some additionally intriguing fights on the show as Cody Garbrandt looks to take a step toward bantamweight title contention against veteran Takeya Mizugaki, and Neil Magny looks to continue his welterweight run against the always interesting Lorenz Larkin.
While the official weigh-ins are already finished, check out the public spectacle starting at 7 p.m. ET Friday.
What could end up being the biggest UFC event of the year comes to us on Saturday night, with UFC 202 on pay-per-view coming from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is headlined by the much-anticipated rematch between Nate Diaz and UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor, and they will do it again at 170 pounds. The lead-up to the fight in recent days has garnered a lot of attention, and fans are now ready for this fight.
Below are our studs, value plays and fighters to avoid when setting your fantasy line-ups for UFC 202 on Saturday.
STUDS
Tim Means ($10,900)
Tim Means is one of the top plays on this weekend’s UFC 202 card as he takes on Sabah Homasi in the main card opener. Means is a scrappy welterweight who tends to be an underrated fighter. He doesn’t seem like he will ever fight for a title as he has been unable to beat top competition, but he hangs around the bottom of the top twenty in the rankings and has exciting fights against lesser competition.
He was originally scheduled to fight Sean Strickland, but he pulled out due to injury. Homasi is coming in on very short notice, and he actually fought earlier this month on a Titan FC card. With two fights in three weeks, Homasi is going to be in shape, but Means has the benefit of a full training camp. Means is also coming off of having a drug policy violation shortened, and he has claimed his innocence, so he will have a chip on his shoulder in looking to have an impressive showing. Means has scored 21 of his 25 wins by stoppage, including 17 by knockout. He has also won five of his last six fights, and he last three wins have come by stoppage. Homasi has been finished in four of his five losses, and the short notice does him no favors.
I expect an impressive showing from Means, and another stoppage for him. He’s a safe bet for the top play on the card.
Cody Garbrandt ($10,300)
Cody Garbrandt is looking to get one step closer to a title shot as he looks to remain undefeated when he takes on Takeya Mizugaki on Saturday night. Garbrandt is 9-0 in his career and has scored eight of those wins by knockout. He has been super impressive in his career and his soaring stock and talent has made him the biggest betting favorite on the UFC 202 card.
Despite being the biggest favorite, Garbrandt has only the ninth-highest salary of all the fighters on the card, which is very unusual as the salaries are generally set by biggest betting favorites. Garbrandt’s $10,300 salary makes him almost a must-play. Mizugaki is a tough and durable opponent, but he hasn’t finished an opponent in almost five years, and Mizugaki’s last two losses have seen him finished by Dominick Cruz and Aljamain Sterling. Cruz is a champion and Sterling is a rising prospect, much like Garbrandt. Garbrandt has a lot of speed and power in his striking, much quicker than Cruz.
This is tailor made for Garbrandt to get an impressive win, and I expect him to do so, and then to call out Cruz for a title fight. Garbrandt is great value at his salary, and a must-play in your lineup.
VALUE PLAYS
Nate Diaz ($9,200)
They are close in the betting odds, but Nate Diaz has a significantly lower salary than Conor McGregor, and that makes Diaz an excellent value play. We all know how the first fight between McGregor and Diaz went, and many are expecting much of the same in the rematch.
The big questions are how are the changes McGregor made going to benefit him to the point of being able to defeat the larger Diaz, and if the fact that Diaz got what he wanted, the money, makes him any less motivated for the rematch. Diaz is still going to be the larger man of the two, and he has the submission game that McGregor had no answer for in March. Diaz does get hit a lot, but he is very durable and has only been knocked out once in his career. Cardio is going to play a big factor, and we all know that Diaz can go five rounds, though he does get tired towards the latter stages of 25 minutes.
This is a tough match-up for McGregor, but a winnable fight for him if he can apply the needed changes to get past Diaz. The first fight has everyone convinced Diaz is going to be able to pull off the win a second time. His salary being at $9,200 is hard to look past and he has excellent value at that price.
Marvin Vettori ($8,800)
Marvin Vettori is making his UFC debut in the opening bout of the UFC 202 card when he takes on Alberto Uda. He comes into the UFC riding a five-fight win streak, and wins in ten of his last eleven fights. Of those ten career wins, nine have come by stoppage, with seven wins by submission and two by knockout. He is a young prospect at 22-years-old, but he is a power striker who has shown that he excels at finding submissions.
Uda is coming off the first loss of his career in his UFC debut. He was finished in the first round by Jake Collier in May, and he didn’t show much in that fight. He is tall and lanky, and welterweight fits him better than middleweight. He is dangerous in the clinch with knees, but he doesn’t have the distance striking that Vettori does. Vettori is a better fighter at this stage, and the reason he comes in with the much lower salary is the fact he has yet to have that UFC exposure.
Vettori is the betting favorite as he should be, and his very low salary makes him a prime value play candidate. I see him finishing Uda early, so he has excellent value.
FIGHTERS TO AVOID
Artem Lobov ($10,800)
Honestly, Artem Lobov has no business being on the UFC roster. He doesn’t even have a winning record in his professional career, and he has suffered losses in both of his UFC bouts. He hasn’t looked good in both fights either. He is saved by the fact he is Conor McGregor’s teammate and they had the idea of doing fights between fighters on the teams from McGregor and Nate Diaz, as Lobov is taking on Diaz’ teammate, Chris Avila, which marks the UFC debut of Avila.
Lobov has a ridiculously high salary at $10,800, which is the fourth-highest on the card, and that doesn’t make sense at all. I’ve scratched my head at a lot of the salaries of the fighters on this card in putting my line-up together, and this one stands out as the absolute worst salary on the card. Lobov is a bad fighter who makes a lot of mistakes, but his experience may actually help him against Avila, who has just seven fights in his career. I don’t expect Lobov to get a finish, and there are much better options for your line-up.
I highly recommend avoiding Lobov at his salary.
Cortney Casey ($9,800) & Randa Markos ($9,600)
I’m doing a combination for this one as I’m really suggesting avoiding this fight in general. Both women are looking to score their second straight wins, and both are coming in on shorter notice after fighting recently. Markos won a decision over Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger in mid-June, and Casey is coming off a finish of Cristina Stanciu in mid-July.
I think Markos is the better fighter of the two, and she showed much improvement in her June win. Casey was the one who scored the finish, and she put together some solid striking, but Markos is one of the more durable women in the strawweight division. Markos has a style that doesn’t bode well for Casey as she is a good wrestler and has some tricky striking. Casey throws with a lot of volume, but she doesn’t defend against the striking as well, and she isn’t much of a counterstriker. Markos has the better wrestling of the two, though Casey is better on the mat with submissions.
It’s really a close fight on paper, but I do expect Markos to get the win. However, I expect it to go the distance, and not a lot of points fantasy wise to be scored. At their almost equal salaries, I’d recommend avoiding this fight, and both fighters, as there are much better options on the card.
OUR LINE-UPS
RYAN FREDERICK- Hyun Gyu Lim ($11,100), Tim Means ($10,900), Cody Garbrandt ($10,300), Marvin Vettori ($8,800), Glover Teixeira ($8,700)
Cody Garbrandt and Marvin Vettori are absolute steals at their salaries. Garbrandt is going to fight for a championship one day, and Takeya Mizugaki is actually a step back for him after fighting Thomas Almeida in his last bout. It screams like Garbrandt is a fighter that was turned down by other potential opponents, but Mizugaki is a game fighter. I expect Garbrandt to finish him. Vettori is making his UFC debut, but Alberto Uda is extremely beatable. Vettori is a finisher and I expect him to finish Uda. Hyun Gyu Lim is returning after a long layoff, but he is a big welterweight who likes to knock out opponents. He is getting a short notice opponent in Mike Perry, who, while undefeated, is very vulnerable to getting hit. Lim should finish him early. Tim Means also fights a short notice opponent, and he has become a vicious finisher in recent bouts. I see him making quick work of Sabah Homasi.
Glover Teixeira is my last pick for my roster, and he presents an interesting choice. Anthony Johnson is a monster, but a beatable monster. If Teixeira can weather the vicious early onslaught of Johnson, he has a style that can beat him as Teixeira can wrestle and submit opponents. Johnson gets in trouble after a round, and he can be taken down and submitted. That fight being three rounds makes Johnson more dangerous, but this is a winnable fight for Teixeira, and with spending big on three fighters, I like Teixeira’s chances at his low salary.
PAUL FONTAINE- Tim Means ($10,900), Cody Garbrandt ($10,300), Nate Diaz ($9,200), Marvin Vettori ($8,800) and Glover Teixeira ($8,700)
Means is one of the most underrated guys at 170 in my opinion and he’s facing a guy who is making his debut on short notice and just fought a couple weeks ago on a Titan show. Homasi might be a lower-level UFC calibre fighter but he isn’t in Means’ league. Garbrandt is going to wax Mizugaki in quick fashion, like he usually does. This guy is the one guy in UFC right now who I think has breakthrough star potential and with an impressive win her over a tough vet he could be in line for a shot at Dominick Cruz.
Diaz submitted Conor on a short camp in March and I see no reason why he doesn’t beat him pretty handily. I’m very surprised that he’s the underdog. Marvin Vettori should be able to finish Alberto Uda. Even though this is his UFC debut, he submitted UFC vet Igor Araujo in the first round in his last bout. I like Glover Teixeira to score a late submission win over Rumble Johnson. Teixeira is very tough to put away and I feel like Rumble will punch himself out in the first round and be vulnerable later in the fight.
Nate is the man. I expect him to continue to screw up McGregor’s big plans. Glover is tougher than Johnson. I think he puts Rumble down. Cerrone vs Story is going to be awesome! I like Cerrone’s reach to give him the edge. Mizugaki is being fed to Garbrandt, and I think Cody has himself a nice meal, and gets the duke. Artem Lobov is 0-2 in the UFC. He’s beatable, but I think he’s being gifted a win here for doing them a favor by fighting Ryan Hall.
THIS is going to be an awesome show. I’m inking up my #6 stamp. We’ve got 9 shows in a row here. I challenge someone to use my picks all 9 times in a row. PM me on the board if you’re interested.
After a few weeks searching Parts Unknown and finding some stranger things, site editor and writer Josh Nason is back with the latest edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out with the topic of UFC 202 on the table.
Joining Josh on this journey is longtime MMA business writer for MMA Payout, Jason Cruz!
On this hour-long edition of the show, Josh and Jason hit up a slew of topics including:
– Jason’s legal background and how he found his way to Payout
Just days before they’ll rematch at Saturday’s UFC 202, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz will play the roles of salesmen at a press conference.
The reigning featherweight champion and his main rival will be on the dais starting at 4 PM EST, though it likely will start later due to McGregor’s penchant for tardiness at press events.
Co-main eventers Anthony Johnson and Glover Teixeira will also be at the presser as they look to draw interest for their fight over the #1 contendership for the UFC light heavyweight title.
McGregor and Diaz faced off in March at UFC 196 — a welterweight fight that saw Diaz submit McGregor in the second round to give the Irishman his first UFC defeat. The two were supposed to rematch at UFC 200 until McGregor’s refusal to come to a press conference turned into a much bigger issue.
Enjoy the (hopeful) fireworks later this afternoon.
In an interview today with the nationally syndicated Jim Rome Show, UFC president Dana White gave credence to Jon Jones’ claims Monday that good news could lead to him returning to the Octagon sooner than anticipated.
White told Rome, “It’s coming back now that it looks like he did not take the supplement everyone thought he took.”
On June 16th, Jones failed a test for clomiphene, an estrogen blocker commonly used for steroid users coming off of cycles. The test was taken in advance of his scheduled UFC 200 light heavyweight title unification fight at UFC 200 with champion Daniel Cormier.
White later said in the interview, “We’ll let this thing play out. If that’s true, and that’s what USADA and the Nevada State Athletic Commission say happened, it could look good for Jon Jones.”
White added, “Where he doesn’t come off clean is you have to tell USADA everything that you put into your body leading up to the fight and he did not.”
Jones has yet to have a hearing with the NSAC following his failed test. If he did take a banned substance, he would’ve been subject to a two-year suspension.
In the interview, White talked at length about Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz II and McGregor’s future-post UFC 202.
Conor McGregor may have predicted that he would knock Nate Diaz out in the first round the last time they fought, but McGregor has much more respect for his opponent after losing to him earlier this year.
On Friday afternoon’s media conference call, McGregor predicted that he will defeat Diaz by knockout in the second round when the two face off in one of the UFC’s most anticipated fights of the year at UFC 202 on August 20th.
“But this time I’m still going to march forward, I’m still going to press him, I’m still going to bust him, there’s just going to be a lot more in my tank. I’m going to be a lot more prepared for a man that can stay in there with me. But even still, I struggle to give him past round three.” McGregor said.
“If I was to make a prediction, which I will right now, I believe I will repay the favor and KO him inside the second round.”
Though McGregor was brash in making his prediction, he showed respect for his opponent’s durability and experience throughout the call.
“I didn’t give enough credit to Nate’s durability and his experience, he’s a very experienced fighter, he’s had more UFC fights than I’ve had fights. Also his height and his range and his reactions, I gave no respect to that.“
“For the first round and a half he was a heavy bag with eyeballs, so I was correcting that, but his durability held out, his experience held out for him. So this time I’ve been preparing for that. I’ve been preparing to face a durable, experienced fighter who has the reach, the height, and the length.” McGregor said. “I feel very confident that we will get this win back and put this man away.”
When asked about potentially appearing in WWE, McGregor claimed not to have thought about it and had harsh words for most professional wrestlers. But he called the McMahon family, Triple H, and The Rock dons of the wrestling game.
McGregor called the rematch with Diaz the biggest fight of his career. He claimed that he should be a champion in two weight classes, and said he would have knocked out Rafael dos Anjos with the shots Diaz was able to withstand if their scheduled match earlier this year came to fruition.
Diaz stepped in on short notice for the injured dos Anjos and tapped out McGregor in the second round at UFC 196.
McGregor said that the fight with Diaz means more to him more than any money or gold, and said that he gave up opportunities in Hollywood to prepare for the fight.
When asked about what motivates him in a second fight against McGregor, Diaz said that he wanted the fight because if he’s going to fight, it’s only going to be in a big fight. If he’s going to fight someone it’s going to be a big deal, a big payday, and a big fight.
On the topic of the recent $4+ billion UFC sale, McGregor commended the Fertitta family for bringing the sport up from nothing, but couldn’t resist taking credit for the lofty price tag. McGregor said he’s not wondering about the future with the UFC sale, but plotting his next moves.
McGregor talked about how he has improved his preparation to face the bigger Diaz in the rematch. He says that he’s been sparring with bigger guys while Diaz has been sparring with smaller fighters in preparation.
The two mostly avoided verbally sparring with each other, but McGregor jumped in and claimed that he “taught the kid well” when Diaz was questioned about his contractual negotiations for the fight.
“I was going to get that money regardless,” Diaz responded.
After McGregor’s refusal to fulfill media obligations forced the rematch off of the UFC 200 card, both men were questioned about promoting this fight.
McGregor touted the media projects his team has been doing on social media. Diaz talked about the obligations being an annoyance, but said that he didn’t want to regret not taking advantage of the opportunities.
When asked about USADA testing, McGregor also threw barbs at Diaz, noting that he has been tested six more times than his opponent.
The full conference call is available to listen to here.
We’re only weeks away from one of the biggest UFC fights of the year, as Nate Diaz is set to take on Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 202 on August 20th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
In advance of the fight, both Diaz and McGregor will meet with media members on a conference call tonight. And there are sure to be verbal fireworks with two of the UFC’s most outspoken fighters on the call.
That call will be available to listen to live right here starting at (or approximately, given the two competitors) 6 p.m. EST.
After riding a massive wave of media hype created by his outspokenness and increasingly high profile victories, McGregor was tapped out by Diaz in their first fight earlier this year. The two were supposed to meet again in the main event of UFC 200, but McGregor was pulled from the show after refusing to fulfill promotional obligations.
McGregor will be out for revenge at UFC 202, while Diaz will be trying to prove that he was always deserving of the main event spotlight.
Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor won’t be headlining UFC 200, but the two are still part of International Fight Week.
McGregor and Diaz will appear at a press conference on Thursday afternoon promoting that tickets are now on sale for UFC 202. And with two of the UFC’s most outspoken stars involved there are sure to be fireworks.
The two previously faced off at UFC 196 in March with Diaz tapping out McGregor with a rear-naked choke in the second round.
The rematch was once scheduled to headline Saturday’s UFC 200 pay-per-view, but McGregor briefly delayed that after failing to fulfill promotional obligations.
UFC 202 will take place on August 20th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson vs. Glover Teixeira, Demian Maia vs. Carlos Condit, Donald Cerrone vs. Rick Story, Hyun Gyu Lim vs. Sultan Aliev, Alberto Uda vs. Marvin Vettori, Neil Magny vs. Dong Hyun Kim and Cody Garbrandt vs. Takeya Mizugaki are also scheduled for the show.
