Tag: ufc fight night

UFC Fight Night 114 live results: Sergio Pettis vs. Brandon Moreno

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 114: Pettis vs. Moreno, eminating from Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico.

The event is headlined by a pair of young, talented, and rising prospects looking to earn a title shot in the flyweight division as Sergio Pettis takes on Brandon Moreno, which marks the first flyweight bout to headline a UFC event that didn’t feature Demetrious Johnson.

Both men are on good win streaks as Pettis has won three straight, including wins over former title challengers John Moraga and Chris Cariaso. Moreno has won eleven straight fights, and is undefeated in the Octagon having won three straight UFC bouts since signing less than a year ago.

In the co-main event, it’s a battle in the women’s strawweight division as Randa Markos looks for her second straight win as she takes on Alexa Grasso, who is looking to rebound from her first career loss. Grasso did miss weight for the bout.

Also on the card is former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans, looking to get his first win since November 2013, when he takes on Sam Alvey.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

RULES: We are under the new rules system for this event.

UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

> Alvaro Herrera (9-4, 1-1 UFC) vs. Jordan Rinaldi (12-5, 0-1 UFC):
Lightweights

They were trading early with Herrera landing better. Rinaldi started landing but Herrera landed a good right hand and went for a guillotine but Rinaldi popped out into side control. Rinaldi had a Von Flue Choke locked in and Herrera tapped out. He tapped several times before the referee finally caught it, but a big submission win for Rinaldi.

Official Result- Jordan Rinaldi def. Alvaro Herrera by submission (Von Flue Choke) at 2:01 of Round 1

> Joseph Morales (8-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Roberto Sanchez (7-0, 0-0 UFC)
Flyweights

Sanchez went straight for a takedown and got it. Sanchez was able to get it dragged towards the center of the Octagon for a bit but they went back towards the fence. Sanchez was landing some punches from the top. Morales grabbed the neck and used it to sprawl out from the bottom and then he dropped Sanchez immediately with a right hand. Sanchez was in a lot of trouble and eating punches from Morales. Morales grabbed the back and was working for a choke and almost had it locked it. Sanchez recovered but was still in trouble. Morales looked for the choke again and had it locked in deep and Sanchez tapped! Morales with a big submission win in his UFC debut. He is one of Urijah Faber’s prized pupils from Team Alpha Male.

Official Result- Joseph Morales def. Roberto Sanchez by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:56 of Round 1

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

> Jose Alberto Quinonez (5-2, 2-1 UFC) vs. Diego Rivas (7-0, 2-0 UFC)
Bantamweights

This is Rivas’ first fight since overcoming a battle with cancer. They were trading kicks early. Quinonez came inside with a combo but both men were keeping their distance. Quinonez landed some knees in a tie-up. Quinonez landed a head kick. Rivas is more looking for counters. Rivas landed a body kick. Quinonez landed a couple of kicks. Quinonez with a short uppercut late. 10-9 Quinonez.

Quinonez landed a couple of kicks early on in the second. They were trading and Quinonez was throwing with more volume. Rivas landed a right hand. Rivas landed another nice right hand. Quinonez scoring with some leg kicks. Quinonez scored a takedown and was inside the guard of Rivas. Quinonez was landing big right hands from the top. Rivas was working for a kimura but Quinonez spun out and landed some more punches as the round ended. 10-9 Quinonez, 20-18 Quinonez.

Rivas landed a right hand to start the third. Quinonez landed a solid combination. Quinonez landed a left hand. Quinonez just landing with a lot more volume as Rivas is fighing slow right now. They battled for underhooks and Rivas got a brief takedown. They went back to the ground and Quinonez got into the guard of Rivas. Rivas grabbed the neck looking for a choke but Quinonez scrambled out to his feet. They traded kicks. Should be a clear win for Quinonez. 10-9 Quinonez, 30-27 Quinonez.

Official Result- Jose Quinonez def. Diego Rivas by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Henry Briones (16-6-1, 1-2 UFC) vs. Rani Yahya (23-9 1 NC, 8-3 1 NC UFC)
Bantamweights

Yahya quickly went for a takedown from a long distance. He grabbed the back and got it and ended in side control. He was working for a choke and had a North-South choke in but Briones showed good defense to get out. Yahya was on top and grabbed an arm and locked in a kimura and forced Briones to tap out to get the win. He put on a ground clinic.

Official Result- Rani Yahya def. Henry Briones by submission (kimura) at 2:01 of Round 1

> Dustin Ortiz (#12, 16-7, 5-5 UFC) vs. Hector Sandoval (14-3, 2-1 UFC)
Flyweights

This didn’t go long. Sandoval was throwing punches and Ortiz was countering and rocked Sandoval with a right hand and then knocked him out cold with another right hand. It went about 14 seconds. It is the fastest finish in flyweight division history.

Official Result- Dustin Ortiz def. Hector Sandoval by knockout (punches) at :15 of Round 1

> Brad Scott (11-4, 3-3 UFC) vs. Jack Hermansson (15-3, 2-1 UFC)
Middleweights

They were feeling each other out early. Hermansson got a takedown and was landing punches from the top. Scott was looking for the triangle from the bottom. Hermansson escaped and started looking for a kimura but went to the mount. Hermansson got the back and was landing punches. Hermansson landed some big elbows. Scott is in a lot of trouble. Hermansson landing lots and lots of punches and the fight was stopped. Hermansson just completely dominant in this fight.

Official Result- Jack Hermansson def. Brad Scott by TKO (strikes) at 3:50 of Round 1

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

> Alejandro Perez (17-6-1, 3-1-1 UFC) vs. Andre Soukhamthath (11-4, 0-1 UFC)
Bantamweights

They were feeling each other out early on. Perez was landing leg kicks and starting to land with more volume. Soukhamthath started to land left hands and dropped Perez twice with them. Perez was landing more leg kicks as the round went on and Soukhamthath wasn’t doing much to defend them. His dropping Perez twice likely won him a close round. 10-9 Soukhamthath.

They were trading back-and-forth and Soukhamthath dropped Perez again with a jab. Perez was able to get up and started landing the leg kicks again as Soukhamthath wasn’t defending them still. Perez then dropped Soukhamthath with a right hand and got into the guard and was landing body punches. They scrambled back to the feet and Perez hit a spinning elbow. Fun round as Perez came on strong late. 10-9 Perez, 19-19.

They were firing back-and-forth and Perez was landing the harder punches as Soukhamthath was beginning to slow down. Soukhamthath was backing up a lot and looking to find the left hand. Perez hurt him with a hard leg kick and Soukhamthath lost his balance. Perez got a takedown but they got back to their feet. Soukhamthath stuffed a takedown and landed a knee followed by a punch. Soukhamthath fell to his back after throwing a kick. Perez ended strong with some big leg kicks. Good fight. 10-9 Perez, 29-28 Perez.

Official Result- Alejandro Perez def. Andre Soukhamthath by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

> Sam Alvey (30-9 1 NC, 7-4 UFC) vs. Rashad Evans (19-6-1, 14-6-1 UFC)
Middleweights

Evans with a leg kick. Evans went for a takedown but it was defended by Alvey. Alvey with a knee to the body. They are battling for underhooks and both land some elbows. Evans then gets Alvey down to the mat. They got to their feet and separated. Evans lands a right hand. Alvey just missed a left hand. Evans with a high kick. Evans lands a late right hand. 10-9 Evans.

Evans starts with a leg kick. Alvey chased Evans around the Octagon unable to land a punch. Evans with a big body kick. Alvey landed a right hand. Neither man is doing much. Evans got a big takedown and had the back. Alvey able to hit the fence and get to his feet. Alvey landed a knee in the clinch. They broke and neither man landed much of anything the rest of the round. Evans has slowed down so much in his career. Close round. 10-9 Alvey. 19-19.

Evans with a leg kick. Alvey landed a left hand and then a right hand. Evans lands a left hook. They clinch and Evans working for a takedown. Alvey lands some short punches. Evans lands a right hand and has a takedown stuffed. Evans landed a big right hand. Alvey is missing his punches and Evans drops down for a takedown against the fence. Alvey landed a knee in the clinch. Evans working hard for the takedown. Evans with a right hand late. Close round, tough fight to score. Crowd booing. Bad fight. 10-9 Evans, 29-28 Evans.

Official Result- Sam Alvey def. Rashad Evans by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

> Martin Bravo (11-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Humberto Bandenay (13-4 1 NC, 0-0 UFC)
Featherweights

Bravo with a spin kick. Bandenay with a body kick. Bandenay then landed a knee right to the face of Bravo and Bravo went out cold. It was a brutal and scary knockout less than a minute into the fight. We’ve had a lot of great knockouts tonight.

Official Result- Humberto Bandenay def. Martin Bravo by knockout (knee) at :26 of Round 1

> Alan Jouban (15-5, 6-3 UFC) vs. Niko Price (9-0 1 NC, 1-0 1 NC UFC)
Welterweights

Price came out looking to land the right hand. Jouban with a body kick and Price fires back a leg kick. They trade punches. Price dropped Jouban with a right hand and then finished Jouban off with some punches on the ground. Another first-round knockout on a show filled with them.

Official Result- Niko Price def. Alan Jouban by TKO (punches) at 1:44 of Round 1

> Randa Markos (#9, 7-4, 3-3 UFC) vs. Alexa Grasso (9-1, 1-1 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights* (Grasso missed weight by 3 pounds)

They are trading and Markos landed a strong right hand. Both ladies are landing good punches. Grasso with a leg kick. Both ladies landing good punches and they clinch against the fence but break. Grasso lands a right hand and then a leg kick. Grasso with a body kick followed by a right hand and a left hook and Grasso hurt Markos. They clinched against the fence and Grasso with some knees. Markos tried a head-and-arm throw but Grasso reversed and took the back and was landing punches. Grasso into the half-guard and landed some elbows. Markos scrambled to her feet and they broke clinch before the end of the round. Good round. 10-9 Grasso.

Grasso with a high kick and then they started trading punches back-and-forth. Markos tried a takedown but Grasso defended it and ended up on top against the fence. They got back up. Markos got a brief takedown but Grasso back up and has the body lock against the fence. They separated. Grasso with a leg kick and then a high kick but Markos grabbed the leg and got a trip takedown. Markos into side control. Markos in the half-guard and lands some body punches. Grasso able to sweep to her feet. Grasso with a body kick but Markos again grabs the leg and gets a takedown but Grasso sweeps to the top. Markos sweeps back into the mount and lands some elbows. Markos is landing big punches from the top. 10-9 Markos, 19-19.

Both looking a little tired and the pace slowed down to start the third. Grasso landing leg kicks and Markos looking for the takedown. Markos gets the takedown. Grasso pushes Markos off and they get to their feet. Grasso lands a right hand and then a left hand and then another right hand. Markos tries a takedown but it is stuffed and Grasso lands an elbow on the break. Grasso with a left hand. Markos tries a takedown but Grasso grabs the neck for a standing guillotine and then Grasso lands some punches as they break. Grasso then lands some right hands. Grasso coming on strong late. Grasso defends a late takedown attempt. Grasso finished strong. Close round, good fight. 10-9 Grasso, 29-28 Grasso.

Official Result- Alexa Grasso def. Randa Markos by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

> Sergio Pettis (#6, 15-2, 6-2 UFC) vs. Brandon Moreno (#7, 14-3, 3-0 UFC)
Flyweights

Moreno with an early leg kick. Moreno caught a kick from Pettis and turned it into a takedown. Pettis tried a push kick off but Moreno was able to get the back. Moreno looking for a choke. Pettis defending well and Moreno landing punches from the back. Moreno able to maintain back control. Pettis having trouble breaking the body triangle lock. Moreno almost had the choke locked in but Pettis is going to survive the round. Could be a 10-8 round but I didn’t think Moreno came close to finishing it as Pettis played defense on the mat perfectly. 10-9 Moreno

Pettis with a side kick to Moreno. Both men miss their strikes for the rest for the first minute. Pettis with a leg kick. Pettis with a body kick. Pettis connects with a head kick. Pettis lands another head kick but Moreno is able to counter it into a takedown. Pettis has a triangle and an arm and Moreno squirms out and they get to their feet. Pettis with some leg kicks. Pettis with another low kick. Moreno has a unique style standing as he doesn’t telegraph what strikes he’s about to throw. They trade punches but Pettis is getting the better of the striking. 10-9 Pettis, 19-19.

Pettis landing some kicks and punches. Moreno is landing as well but not with the same power or volume. Moreno flops to the mat after getting kicked by Pettis. Pettis lands a good combination. Moreno tried a long takedown and missed and fell to the mat. Pettis landed a head kick and then rocked Moreno with some right hands. Moreno not even close on a takedown attempt. Crowd chanting for Moreno. Pettis with a leg kick. Moreno telegraphing everything he is doing and Pettis has his timing down. Pettis with a hard right hand. Moreno with a high kick but Pettis fires back with a right hand. Moreno is cut over his right eye. 10-9 Pettis, 29-28 Pettis.

Pettis landing and chasing Moreno around the Octagon. We have a time out for an eye poke as Pettis caught Moreno with it. Back to action and Pettis lands an overhand right. Pettis lands another right hand and is ducking all of Moreno’s punch attempts. Pettis with a leg kick and then another and then a jab. Pettis with a right hand followed by a knee right to the jaw. Moreno lands a right hand. He is landing punches but not with the power or volume of Pettis. And then Pettis lands a harder right hand. Pettis just misses a spin kick. They trade punches. Pettis with a cartwheel kick and Moreno counters it into a takedown right at the end of the round. 10-9 Pettis, 39-37 Pettis.

Pettis with the straight jab. Moreno gets a takedown and has Pettis on his back. Moreno with some soft punches. Pettis landed a couple of upkicks as Moreno was posturing up. Moreno trying to improve position and Pettis is landing more from the bottom. They almost got to their feet until Moreno got him back down. Moreno tried to take the back but Pettis shook him off and they got to their feet. Pettis landing some punches and body kicks. Pettis with a right hand as Moreno defended a takedown attempt. They threw punches at the end. Good fight. 10-9 Moreno, 48-47 Pettis.

Official Result- Sergio Pettis def. Brandon Moreno by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-46, 48-46)

UFC Fight Night 111 live results: Holm vs. Correia

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 111: Holm vs. Correia, emanating from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore.

The event is headlined by a five-round bout in the women’s bantamweight division as former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm takes on former title challenger Bethe Correia.

Holm is looking to end a three-fight losing skid she has found herself on since winning the championship from Ronda Rousey in November 2015, and to start working her way back into the title picture. Correia is looking to extend her two-fight unbeaten streak in her second main event bout in the UFC.

Also on the main card is a heavyweight bout pitting former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski against Marcin Tybura. Two welterweights riding three-fight win streaks, Dong Hyun Kim and Colby Covington, square off in a pivotal match-up, and former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos makes his move up to 170 pounds as he takes on Tarec Saffiedine.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 4:45 a.m. ET with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 4:45 AM ET/1:45 AM PT

> Ji Yeon Kim (6-0-2, 0-0 UFC) vs. Lucie Pudilova (6-2, 0-1 UFC)
Women’s Bantamweights

They were trading early. Both were landing with Pudilova getting more volume in, but they were both landing shots. Pudilova was really landing with her left hand. Kim was firing back but with each flurry, she’d eat a lot of punches from Pudilova. They were working at a quick pace and Kim landed a big right hand late. Pudilova landed some good punches at the end of the round. 10-9 Pudilova.

They were working at a quick pace to open the second round. Kim was starting to land with more volume, including a huge uppercut, which led to Pudilova initiating a clinch against the fence. Both were looking for position in the clinch but were broken up. They went back to a clinch and not much happened. 10-9 Kim, 19-19.

Pudilova went right to the clinch. They were split up by the referee but went right back to it after getting reset. Pudilova grabbed the neck and was working for a guillotine choke and Kim was having to defend against the fence. Pudilova drug it to the mat working for the choke but Kim was able to pop her head out and was in the guard. Kim landed a right hand before they scrambled to their feet. Pudilova pushed Kim against the fence and had the neck late but time ran out. 10-9 Pudilova, 29-28 Pudilova.

Official Result- Lucie Pudilova def. Ji Yeon Kim by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Naoki Inoue (10-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Carls John de Tomas (8-0, 0-0 UFC)
Flyweights* (de Tomas missed weight, coming in at 131 pounds)

de Tomas came out fast with some kicks and left hands and scored a big slam takedown. Inoue was looking for submissions on the bottom by de Tomas was defending. Inoue grabbed the arm and took the back of de Tomas on the mat. Inoue was able to get on top and was working for a submission. Inoue tried to step over to mount but was only able to get to the guard. 10-9 Inoue.

They were trading kicks. Inoue landed a big punch and a nice leg kick. Inoue was landing his punches better as de Tomas was slowing down. de Tomas went for a takedown but Inoue sprawled and took the back and was looking for a choke. de Tomas defending but Inoue landing punches from the back. They were scrambling on the mat but Inoue had the edge looking for an armbar. He had it late but de Tomas was able to survive. 10-8 Inoue, 20-17 Inoue.

Inoue was working for a takedown but was eating elbows from de Tomas. Inoue was able to get the takedown and was working for an armbar. Unable to get it, Inoue took the back and was landing punches from the back. Inoue looked for a choke. Inoue was scrambling around looking for something and they got to their feet briefly. de Tomas had the back and was looking for a choke now. Inoue was able to slip out and into the guard. Inoue landed elbows late. Really fun fight. 10-9 Inoue, 30-26 Inoue.

Official Result- Naoki Inoue def. Carls John de Tomas by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

> Kwan Ho Kwak (9-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Russell Doane (14-7, 2-4 UFC)
Bantamweights

Kwak started off with a big leg kick. They weren’t doing a whole lot on the feet aside from an occasional leg kick from Kwak. They started opening up and traded punches. Doane with a spin kick. Doane with a body kick and a head kick. They were trading and Doane landed a big right hand that dropped Kwak. A couple more punches and the referee stepped in to stop it, Big TKO win by Russell Doane in the first round.

Official Result- Russell Doane def. Kwan Ho Kwak by TKO (punches) at 4:09 of Round 1

> Li Jingliang (12-4, 4-2 UFC) vs. Frank Camacho (20-4, 0-0 UFC)
Welterweights

Camacho rocked Jingliang with a big right hand inside the first minute. Jingliang stumbled and was eating some more punches from Camacho. Jingliang able to survive for now but he is rocked. Camacho landed some more punches. Jingliang went for a takedown but Camacho reversed and scored a takedown and ended up on top. They got back to their feet. Jingliang landed some leg kicks but Camacho was able to counter with a big right hand. Jingliang with a big takedown slam. Jingliang had the back in the last minute and got another slam and looked for a choke but time ran out. 10-9 Camacho.

Jingliang working for a takedown early but Camacho showed good balance in being able to defend it. Camacho has slowed down from his early fight pace. Jingliang landing some punches and kicks. Jingliang landed some kicks but Camacho started to land punches. Jingliang landed a big overhand right. Jingliang was started to land more and more at the end of the round. Camacho clearly gassed at the end of the second. 10-9 Jingliang, 19-19.

Camacho was comng out with punches looking to get a good start. Jingliang slowed him down with a leg kick. Camacho’s lead leg is hurting him. Jingliang was landing punches and kicks. Camacho landed a punch in return. Jingliang with a big right hand that rocks Camacho. Jingliang landing lots of punches but Camacho is surviving and coming forward. Jingliang with a big right hand followed by a big leg kick that has Camacho against the fence. Camacho walking like a zombie and eating lots of punches but survives the fight. Fun fight. 10-9 Jingliang, 29-28 Jingliang.

Official Result- Li Jingliang def. Frank Camacho by unanimous decision (29-27, 28-27, 29-27)

> Justin Scoggins (11-3, 4-3 UFC) vs. Ulka Sasaki (19-4-2, 2-3 UFC)
Flyweights

Scoggins got a big suplex slam less than ten seconds into the fight. They got back up and Sasaki got a brief takedown. They got back up and were scrambling all over the mat. Scoggins got on top and landed but they got back to their feet and traded punches. Scoggins landed some punches and dropped Sasaki with a left hand. Scoggins got on top and was landing lots of punches from the top as the round ended. 10-9 Scoggins.

Scoggins dropped Sasaki with a kick to the body and he went right to the top landing elbows and punches. Scoggins with some big elbows from the top. Sasaki trying to sweep out from the bottom but Scoggins scrambled away and was able to grab the back. Sasaki reversed and got into the mount and then took the back looking for a choke. He had it locked in and Scoggins tapped! What a comeback from Sasaki as he scores the upset. Scoggins was the second biggest favorite on this card.

Official Result- Ulka Sasaki def. Justin Scoggins by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:19 of Round 2

> Alex Caceres (12-10 1 NC, 7-8 1 NC UFC) vs. Rolando Dy (8-4-1 1 NC, 0-0 UFC)
Featherweights

Caceres was landing some punches and leg kicks. Dy not doing a whole lot as Caceres is mixing his strikes well. Caceres with a head kick and then some solid punches. Dy is in trouble. Caceres knocks Dy down and Caceres lands some punches and locks in a guillotine but transitions to the back. Caceres looked for a rear-naked choke and he almost has it locked in. He lets go and lands punches and goes back for the choke. Dy is able to somehow escape. Caceres grabs the back as they get to their feet and separate. Caceres with a body kick. Dy grabs the body and looks for a takedown but the round ends. 10-8 Caceres.

Caceres lands a leg kick and punches and the referee steps in for a timeout as Dy is having trouble seeing. Dy continues on. Caceres swarming on with lots of punches and a spin kick. Dy able to get a takedown and took the back of Caceres. Caceres got on his feet but Dy still has the back. They separate. Dy still having trouble seeing. Caceres has slowed down but still landing more. Dy landed a right hand. Caceres with a left hand and a late head kick. 10-9 Caceres, 20-17 Caceres.

The fight was stopped in between rounds as Dy was having a lot of trouble seeing and the doctor decided to stop the fight, Dy didn’t have the best reaction to the stoppage.

Official Result- Alex Caceres def. Rolando Dy by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 2

> Cyril Asker (8-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Walt Harris (9-5, 2-4 UFC)
Heavyweights

Harris with a body kick. Asker lands a right hand. Asker landed another right hand. Harris dropped Asker with two punches and Harris went right into the guard looking for a finish. Harris with big elbows and punches and this fight is stopped! Big finish by Walt Harris in the opening round.

Official Result- Walt Harris def. Cyril Asker by TKO (strikes) at 1:44 of Round 1

> Takanori Gomi (35-12 1 NC, 4-7 UFC) vs. Jon Tuck (9-4, 3-4 UFC)
Lightweights

Tuck came out quickly with a big body kick that hurt Gomi and then another that dropped him to a knee. Tuck was landing punches and then took the back of Gomi and had the choke locked in. It was tight and Gomi tapped! Quick win for Tuck as he dispatches the former PRIDE champion.

Official Result- Jon Tuck def. Takanori Gomi by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:12 of Round 1

UFC FIGHT PASS MAIN CARD | 8 AM ET/5 AM PT

> Tarec Saffiedine (#11, 16-6, 2-3 UFC) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (#5 LW, 25-9, 14-7 UFC)
Welterweights

Saffiedine with a head kick and Dos Anjos fires back a hard body kick. Saffiedine with a kick and Dos Anjos slips on a kick and they go to the mat with Saffiedine in half-guard. Dos Anjos working for a kimura from the bottom but couldn’t get it. Dos Anjos able to scramble to his feet. Saffiedine grabs the neck and pushes Dos Anjos against the fence. They trade knees. Dos Anjos scores a takedown and is in side control. Dos Anjos landed from the top but they scrambled to the feet. A late exchange to end the round with Dos Anjos landing more volume. 10-9 Dos Anjos.

Dos Anjos in control of the striking in the second round. He is finding his punches landing and Saffiedine is missing on his punches. Dos Anjos went for a takedown but it was defended. Dos Anjos has the neck and dragged Saffiedine to the mat and landed some knees. Dos Anjos landed an illegal knee that was missed by the referee. They got to their feet and Dos Anjos had Saffiedine pressed against the fence. Saffiedine landed an elbow as they broke the clinch. Dos Anjos with a knee to the body. Dos Anjos with a left hand but Saffiedine fires back with a leg kick. Dos Anjos with a combo late. 10-9 Dos Anjos, 20-18 Dos Anjos.

Dos Anjos with a big body kick to start the third. The pace has slowed in the third as both men starting to fatigue. Dos Anjos is landing to the body but Saffiedine continues to press forward. They clinch and Saffiedine lands an elbow on the break. Dos Anjos with somre more leg kicks. Saffiedine has abandoned any leg kick attempts. They start trading and Saffiedine is circling away as Dos Anjos lands some body kicks. They clinch and trade knees. Saffiedine attempts a late takedown but Dos Anjos defends it and lands a left hand. Solid showing from Dos Anjos in his welterweight debut. 10-9 Dos Anjos, 30-27 Dos Anjos.

Official Result- Rafael Dos Anjos def. Tarec Saffiedine by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

> Dong Hyun Kim (#7, 22-3-1 1 NC, 13-3 1 NC UFC) vs. Colby Covington (11-1, 6-1 UFC)
Welterweights

Covington slipped early but then got a takedown on Kim. He didn’t do anything with it, though, and Kim got to his feet. Covington with a couple of knees to the body on Kim. Covington has the back working for a takedown. He lands a head kick in that position. Covington gets Kim down. Kim lands some elbows and gets to his feet. Covington lands some hard elbows and knees. They trade knees in a tie-up. Kim with a spinning elbow and then lands some punches. Kim lands some strikes and Covington scores a takedown. They get to their feet. 10-9 Covington.

They traded early. Covington shot for a takedown from a long ways and Kim sprawled and started landing punches to the body and head. Covington scrambled out and finished the takedown. Crowd beginning to boo as Kim gets to his feet. Covington still has the body locked and Kim is having to defend. Kim able to break away. Covington lands a big left hand and then a flying knee and some kicks. Covington got a takedown. Kim sort of got a judo throw but Covington had good balance and landed in a good position. Covington has the body again and landing some knees. 10-9 Covington, 20-18 Covington.

Kim looks tired coming out for the third. Covington landing some left hands. Kim landing some punches as well. Covington lands a solid right hand that hurt Kim and then another. Covington scored a takedown. They get to their feet and scramble around. Covington gets another takedown. Crowd really booing and this hasn’t been very exciting. Kim scored a takedown but is defending Covington trying to get out from the bottom, which he does. Covington with a late takedown. Good performance by Covington but a boring fight. 10-9 Covington, 30-27 Covington.

Official Result- Colby Covington def. Dong Hyun Kim by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-27)

> Andrei Arlovski (#8, 25-14 1 NC, 14-8 UFC) vs. Marcin Tybura (#13, 15-2, 2-1 UFC)
Heavyweights

Arlovski starts off with a spinning back kick that pushes Tybura back. Tybura catches a kick from Arlovski and takes him down and is in the guard. Tybura landing from the top and Arlovski trying to spin out. Tybura lands and then gets into the mount and is landing hammerfists. Arlovski surviving but is still mounted and then gives up his back. More big punches from Tybura who is looking to finish. Arlovski gives up his back and Tybura landing from the back. Arlovski able to get to his feet and he lands big punches at the end of the round and had Tybura in trouble. Late flurry saved Arlovski from being down big after the round. 10-9 Tybura.

Tybura looks gassed, Arlovski looks better right now. Arlovski with a right hand. Arlovski initiates a clinch and is looking for a takedown. Arlovski breaks and lands a flurry. Arlovski gets a brief takedown. They are tied back up. Tybura doing absolutely nothing right now. Arlovski with a big elbow. Not much going on at all and they are broken up by the referee. They trade and Arlovski gets a clinch and pushes Tybura against the fence. Arlovski with a knee. 10-9 Arlovski, 19-19.

Arlovski lands a couple of right hands but misses a spinning back fist. Tybura gets a clinch but Arlovski is landing elbows as Tybura looks for a takedown. Tybura gets a brief takedown. He’s not doing anything with it. They get up and Tybura with a big takedown now and he’s in the guard. Neither man doing anything on the ground. Tybura gets the back and is looking for a choke. Tybura moves into the mount and has Arlovski in trouble. Arlovski gives up his back again. Tybura lands to end the fight. 10-9 Tybura, 29-28 Tybura.

Official Result- Marcin Tybura def. Andrei Arlovski by unanimous decision (29-28, 28-27, 29-27)

> Holly Holm (#5, 10-3, 3-3 UFC) vs. Bethe Correia (#11, 10-2-1, 4-2-1 UFC)
Women’s Bantamweights

Nothing has happened in the first minute. Holm with a side kick. Holm with another side kick. Another side kick from Holm. Neither throwing many punches or even coming close to landing them. Holm with a leg kick. Correia landed a left hand after Holm landed a left. Correia backs Holm up with a right hand that just misses. Holm with a side kick. Hard to score as neither did much. They landed a combined total of nine strikes. NINE. 10-9 Holm.

Neither landing anything in the second round. Correia lands a right hand. Holm just misses a high kick. Holm with a side kick. Correia with a right hand. Referee Marc Goddard gave them a warning for timidity as nothing has happened at all and we are almost ten minutes into the fight. Correia with a spinning back fist. They started trading and Correia got a body lock against the fence. 10-9 Correia, 19-19.

Correia with a leg kick. Holm with a body kick. Holm with an oblique kick. Correia taunting Holm. Holm then lands a big head kick that drops Correia and one more punch to the chin finishes Correia off. Big knockout win by Holm.

Official Result- Holly Holm def. Bethe Correia by knockout (head kick & punch) at 1:09 of Round 3

UFC Fight Night 106 live results: Vitor Belfort vs. Kelvin Gastelum

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 106: Belfort vs. Gastelum, emanating from the Olympic Training Center in Fortaleza, Brazil.

The event is headlined by a five-round bout in the middleweight division as former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort looks to halt retirement talk and get back into the win column when he takes on TUF 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum. Belfort has lost two straight fights and is looking for his first win since November 2015, while Gastelum is looking to win his third straight and improve to 4-0 at 185 pounds inside the Octagon.

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua returns to action in the co-main event looking to win his third straight fight when he faces Gian Villante. Also on the main card is a lightweight bout featuring top-ten fighters as Edson Barboza squares off against Beneil Dariush.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7 p.m. ET with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

> Garreth McLellan (13-5, 1-3 UFC) vs. Paulo Henrique Costa (8-0, 0-0 UFC)
Middleweights

This one didn’t last long. Costa came out firing and McLellan was defending early and landing some knees in the clinch until Costa started swarming with some punches and kicks. Costa then dropped McLellan with some punches and then finished him off with some more punches on the ground. It went just over a minute. Costa looked very impressive in this fight.

Official Result- Paulo Borrachinha def. Garreth McLellan by TKO (strikes) at 1:17 of Round 1

> Rony Jason (14-6 1 NC, 4-3 1 NC UFC) vs. Jeremy Kennedy (9-0, 1-0 UFC)
Featherweights

They were trading back-and-forth early on with Jason getting the better of it, even dropping Kennedy for a brief moment. Kennedy came back and scored some takedowns on Jason and was pressuring him against the fence while standing. Kennedy was landing some good elbows and punches from inside the guard of Jason as the round came to a close. 10-9 first round for Kennedy.

Jason was landing some good punches early in the second but Kennedy was firing back. Jason landed a flying knee that dropped Kennedy and Jason went hunting for the finish with some punches from the top. Kennedy hung on but was stuck on the bottom and unable to scramble out. Jason wasn’t able to pass the guard, either, but was landing from the top. They got stood up and Kennedy landed a low blow kick that caused a break, but nothing happened after they got back to action. 10-9 Jason in the second, 19-19 after two.

Jason was doing some showboating early in the third, including putting his hands behind his back, and it let Kennedy take him down with ease. Jason was able to get to his feet but Kennedy was relentless with a tie-up, but Jason was able to escape. Kennedy then scored another takedown in the center of the Octagon. Jason was landing elbows from the bottom but Kennedy was mixing it up from the top. Jason was going for submissions from the bottom but Kennedy was escaping and able to take Jason down again. Kennedy got another two more takedowns late and was landing at the end. 10-9 round three for Kennedy and I have it 29-28 Kennedy.

All of the judges had it for Kennedy, including a judge giving him a 10-8 round, which could have been the third.

Official Result- Jeremy Kennedy def. Rony Jason by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)

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

> Michel Prazeres (21-2, 5-2 UFC) vs. Josh Burkman (28-14 1 NC, 6-9 1 NC UFC)
Lightweights

Prazeres rocked Burkman early and often and had Burkman in a lot of trouble. Prazeres took him down and was pounding away from the back but Burkman was surviving. Prazeres took the fight down and had a north-south choked locked in which got Burkman to tap out. Impressive performance from Prazeres as he just dominated Burkman.

Official Result- Michel Prazeres def. Josh Burkman by submission (north-south choke) at 1:42 of Round 1

> Rani Yahya (#14, 23-8 1 NC, 8-2 1 NC UFC) vs. Joe Soto (17-5, 2-3 UFC)
Bantamweights

Yahya was aggressive early but then got dropped by a right hand from Soto. Soto celebrated but Yahya got up and shook it off. Each man landed a hard punch and each shook it off. They were each landing some good punches and the grappling was being avoided for most of the round. Yahya got a takedown but Soto grabbed the neck looking for a guillotine but abandoned it. Yahya got into the guard and finished on top. Close, good round but I go 10-9 for Yahya there.

They clashed heads and Soto had a cut open and he was gushing blood. They had a break to get it checked but Soto continued on. Yahya was going for takedowns but they were getting defended. Soto was landing on the feet and defending takedowns. Yahya was landing some combinations and was getting desperate for the takedown. Soto still bleeding heavily. They were trading and both are looking tired. Soto reversed a takedown attempt and Soto ended on top and was landing. Soto got Yahya mounted and was landing late but both men survived. 10-9 second round for Soto and 19-19 after two.

Yahya had to be carried to the stool after the second round and he looks gassed. Yahya went for a takedown but Soto sprawled and ended up on top. Soto was landing from the top and Yahya wasn’t doing much to get up from the bottom. There is so much blood everywhere. Soto in complete control from the top and Yahya can’t do a thing from the bottom. Yahya got up and they were trading late. Yahya landed a nice combo but Soto got a late takedown. 10-9 Soto in the third, 29-28 Soto overall.

Soto took the decision on all scorecards, winning two rounds. Two judges had a 10-8, likely the third.

Official Result- Joe Soto def. Rani Yahya by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)

> Sergio Moraes (11-2-1, 5-1-1 UFC) vs. Davi Ramos (6-1, 0-0 UFC)
Welterweights

Moraes landed a big right hand early on. They were trading with neither man getting any sort of an advantage. They aren’t doing much and the crowd started to boo. Ramos was looking to land the jab and did a couple of times. Not much happened in this round, Moraes was more aggressive. 10-9 for Moraes.

It was a lot of the same in the second but Ramos was on the more aggressive side early on. Moraes went for the front kicks but was eating a jab every time he got in close. Moraes was starting to land with more volume late. Ramos went for a takedown but Moraes sprawled away. 10-9 second for Ramos and I had it 19-19 after two.

Both men need this round and neither were doing much to win it. Moraes was throwing more but a lot of it was a staring contest. Ramos was starting to throw with volume but he wasn’t landing. Moraes was actually landing the punches he was throwing. This was real boring. 10-9 Moraes in the third. I had it 29-28 Moraes.

Moraes took all three rounds on all scorecards. Who cares though as this fight was bad. Neither man deserved to win.

Official Result- Sergio Moraes def. Davi Ramos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Francisco Trinaldo (#11, 21-4, 11-3 UFC) vs. Kevin Lee (14-2, 7-2 UFC)
Lightweights

Trinaldo got Lee pressed against the fence early but Lee reversed to a takedown. Lee was on top but Trinaldo scrambled to his feet. Trinaldo rocked Lee with a left hand that had Lee hurt so Lee went in for a takedown but it was defended. Lee landed a right but Trinaldo fired back with a hard left hand. Trinaldo landed in the clinch. Trinaldo hurt Lee and stuffed a takedown and was landing big left hands. Lee landed a knee to the body. Lee went for another takedown with no success. Trinaldo landed a big left hand at the end. 10-9 Trinaldo.

They were going back-and-forth with their strikes early on in the second. Trinaldo cracked Lee with a left hand. Lee went for a long, telegraphed takedown that was easily stuffed. Lee landed a head kick that rocked Trinaldo. Trinaldo went for a takedown but Lee ended up in the mount. Lee took the back and was looking for a choke. Lee had it locked in and Trinaldo tapped! Big win for Kevin Lee as Trinaldo had won eight straight fights coming into this.

Lee called out Khabib Nurmagomedov after this fight. I don’t think he’s going to get that fight right now, though.

Official Result- Kevin Lee def. Francisco Trinaldo by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:12 of Round 2

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

> Alex Oliveira (16-3-1 2 NC, 5-2 1 NC UFC) vs. Tim Means (26-7-1 1 NC, 8-4 1 NC UFC)
Welterweights

Oliveira landed a body kick early and then scored a takedown. Means was able to get back to his feet but Oliveira had him pressed against the fence. Oliveira had a big slam but Means got up. Oliveira got another two takedowns. Means kept popping back up. Means then reversed another takedown and was in side control. Means landed a couple of short elbows. Good end of the round for Means but I still had it the other way, 10-9 Oliveira.

Oliveira did some dancing at the start of the round and was scolded by John McCarthy. Oliveira scored another takedown but Means popped up only to get taken back down. Oliveira had the back with the hooks in looking for the choke. He had it locked in and Oliveira got Means to tap out! Impressive showing by Oliveira.

Official Result- Alex Oliveira def. Tim Means by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:38 of Round 2

> Bethe Correia (#9, 10-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Marion Reneau (#13, 7-3, 3-2 UFC)
Women’s Bantamweights

They were trading early and Reneau was getting the better of it. They clinched for a moment with nothing happening. Reneau landed with some knees in the clinch and a couple of body kicks. Correia was just standing in range but did land some punches. Reneau was landing better before Correia scored a takedown late and ended with some top punches. 10-9 Correia in the first,

Reneau was slowing in the second round and Correia was starting to find her punches even rocking Reneau with a right hand. Correia rocked her again with an uppercut. Reneau landed an uppercut herself. Correia scored a takedown into the guard. Reneau was looking for a triangle but Correia slid out. Correia ended the round on top. 10-9 Correia, 20-18 Correia after two.

Reneau stunned Correia with a head kick and was going after the finish with punches. Correia tried a takedown to recover but Reneau was able to slightly get the back and was landing some big punches and elbows. Reneau got into the mount and was unloading with punches looking to finish. It could be stopped as those punches are huge. Correia tried to reverse but Reneau reversed back to half-guard. Reneau landing lots of elbows. Reneau took the back and had the hooks locked in. Reneau was landing from the back but Correia somehow survived the round. 10-8 round for Reneau and I have it a 28-28 draw. Correia got to her feet and danced like she won the fight, but that is in question.

This one ended in a majority draw. One judge had it 29-27 for Reneau, giving her two rounds with a likely 10-8 in the third. The other two had it 28-28, likely with Correia winning one and two and Reneau with a 10-8 third. The fact that all of the judges seemed to score the third 10-8 for Renau is definitely the correct call, and surprising at the same time as judges can be stingy with that score. It was the correct call.

Official Result- Bethe Correia vs. Marion Reneau scored a majority draw (29-27 Reneau, 28-28, 28-28)

> Jussier Formiga (#3, 19-4, 5-3 UFC) vs. Ray Borg (#8, 10-2, 4-2 UFC)
Flyweights

They were even on the feet early before the battle in the clinch took over. Both were landing knees but Formiga had the pressure. Borg landed on the break. Formiga was getting the better of the exchanges on the feet but Borg was landing as well. Formiga landed an excellent combination at the end and a spinning back fist at the end as well. 10-9 Formiga.

Formiga was landing some good strikes and Borg went in for a takedown but it was defended. Borg still had Formiga pressured up against the fence. Not much was happening so Mario Yamasaki broke them away from the fence. Both were landing some good strikes and Formiga in particular landed a nice leg kick. Borg went for a late takedown to no avail. Close round. 10-9 Formiga, 20-18 Formiga.

Formiga got a takedown and transitioned right to mount but Borg was able to scramble out and had the back for Formiga before they got upright against the fence. Formiga ended up getting Borg to the mat and had the back despite a big fence grab by Borg. Borg was able to switch and got to the top in the guard. Borg waslanding from the top and Formiga was cut open. Borg landing good with big elbows from inside the guard. Formiga scrambles and Borg takes the back. Formiga got Borg into his half-guard as the fight ended. Close fight overall. 10-9 Borg in the third but I have it 29-28 Formiga.

Borg got 29-28 scores on all three scorecards to take the decision. A very big win for him. After the fight, he said he has some things to work on with his coaches (he is coached by Greg Jackson, Mike Winklejohn, Brandon Gibson and that crew), but that he is coming after Demetrious Johnson.

Official Result- Ray Borg def. Jussier Formiga by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Edson Barboza (#5, 18-4, 12-4 UFC) vs. Beneil Dariush (#9, 14-2, 8-2 UFC)
Lightweights

They were firing away at each other early on. Dariush was landing some left hands but Barboza was landing the jab and a head kick. Barboza landed a big body kick but Dariush was landing the left hand in return. Dariush has been very busy this round. Barboza landed another body kick and then another. Barboza started to get busy late but it may have not been enough to get the round. Close round though. 10-9 Dariush.

Barboza with a body kick but Dariush landed a head kick that was partially blocked. Barboza landed a counter right hand but Dariush with a spinning back fist. Dariush went for a takedown but it is defended. Barboza landed a heavy leg kick. They were trading and then a groin shot on Dariush. Out of nowhere a big flying knee from Barboza knocked Dariush out cold. One of the best knockouts of this young year so far, an incredible finish from Barboza.

Official Result- Edson Barboza def. Beneil Dariush by knockout (flying knee) at 3:35 of Round 2

> Mauricio Rua (#6, 24-10, 8-8 UFC) vs. Gian Villante (#12, 15-7, 5-4 UFC)
Light Heavyweights

Rua dropped Villante early but Villante got right back up. They were trading and Villante landed a left hook that had Rua rocked. Rua was in trouble but Villante clinched and Rua recovered. Rua landed a right hand after they broke that stunned Villante. Rua was landing his punches in close range. They were trading punches. Rua dropped Villante again but Villante up. Rua rocked him again. Rua started landing the jab. Villante landed the jab. Rua landed a late combo. 10-9 Rua.

They were trading again early. Zero head movement from Villante. Villante landed a nice left hook and had Rua retreating for a moment. Rua landed a big right hand countering a leg kick. They were trading and both men landed big punches. It feels like a knockout is coming at any moment. Rua landed a big right hand and Villante slipped to the mat. Rua landed a big right hand late. 10-9 Rua, 20-18 Rua after two.

Both men have been eating huge punches. Rua rocked Villante and started attacking the body. Villante was in a lot of trouble and Rua started teeing off against the fence with a barrage of punches and finally it was stopped by Mario Yamasaki. Great fight. Rua has now won three straight fights for the first time in ten years.

Official Result- Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua def. Gian Villante by TKO (punches) at :59 of Round 3

> Vitor Belfort (#9, 25-13, 14-9 UFC) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (#10, 13-2, 8-2 UFC)
Middleweights

Belfort tried a spin kick early but Gastelum was too close for it to properly land. They traded left hands. Belfort just missed a flying knee but it did hit the chest. Spinning kick from Belfort lands. Gastelum drops Belfort with a left hand and is going for the finish but Belfort survives. Gastelum in the guard and looking for a choke. Belfort back to his feet. Belfort rocked Gastelum with a combo. Gastelum knocks Belfort down with another left hand and after another punch it is stopped by John McCarthy. Gastelum looked great here. He called for a fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 212 on June 3 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Belfort mentioned he has one fight left on his contract and hopes to fight in Rio as well.

Official Result- Kelvin Gastelum def. Vitor Belfort by TKO (punches) at 3:52 of Round 1

UFC Super Bowl weekend show does great ratings for FS1

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

This past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night event from Houston, TX, did the biggest number for a UFC show on Fox Sports One in a year.

The annual Super Bowl weekend show brought in 1.158 million viewers, the best number for the promotion on the network since last year’s Super Bowl weekend show did 1.32 million viewers.

This year’s show was headlined by the returning “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung taking on Dennis Bermudez. Jung scored an early first round knockout, possibly preventing the viewership from going higher.

While a fan favorite, Jung has never been a PPV or TV draw as the only two shows he did headline were UFC 163 vs. featherweight champion Jose Aldo (180,000 PPV buys) and UFC on Fuel TV 3 vs. Dustin Poirier (173,000 viewers).

Additionally, the prelims on FS1 averaged 834,000 viewers, also a very good number. The 2016 average for Fight Night prelims was nearly 730,000.

Perhaps helping the main card numbers were the two women’s strawweights fights (Felice Herrig vs Alexa Grasso, Jessica Andrade vs Angela Hill) as women’s fights have generally drawn very well for UFC of late.

Last year’s Super Bowl weekend show did have more star power as the show was originally scheduled to be a PPV but injuries to both Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum for their heavyweight title fight caused the event to be put on FS1 instead.

The show featured Johny Hendricks vs Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, plus Roy Nelson and Ovince St. Preux in main card bouts.

UFC Fight Night 90 DFS Playbook: value picks, who to avoid

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

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!

JNPO: MMA/hip-hop journalist Andreas Hale on Nate, Aljamain, WWE brand split

Posted on by Josh Nason

On the 39th Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, longtime MMA and hip-hop journalist Andreas Hale (Yahoo, The Source, Sherdog, many more) drops by to talk NJPW Best of the Super Juniors, WWE brand split, UFC’s fun Memorial Day weekend show, Nate Diaz, the state of boxing, and tons more.

> Listen to the show below by clicking the link or saving to your computer.

In this hour-long edition, the guys jumped into the following:

– How pro wrestling was Andreas’ gateway drug into other combat sports

– What he’s watching and why he’s watching it

– Talk on the WWE brand split and why both guys are skeptical of the outcome

– Last weekend’s disaster of a Bellator middleweight title fight and why their belts don’t seem to matter

– How UFC and Bellator fail on their community outreach programs

– Whether Kimbo Slice resonates with the black community

– Thoughts on Nate Diaz and his Wednesday interview with Ariel Helwani

– Andreas’ thoughts on the boxing scene and the plethora of PBC shows

– What both guys are excited about with this weekend’s UFC Fox Sports One show on Memorial Day

Beers. Food. You. Us. Let’s go.

Right click save

Anderson Silva should still be too good for Michael Bisping

Posted on by F4W Editors

Simply put, Anderson Silva vs. Michael Bisping is the biggest fight the UFC has promoted in Britain since 2008.

In terms of fan anticipation, it may be even bigger than title fights involving BJ Penn or Quinton Jackson as it sees the sport’s greatest ever champion test its greatest British fighter’s record of never having been defeated in his home country. While there may be no gold on the line, the stakes are high. Either man will proceed to further lucrative headlining appearances if they win, while a loss may bring their career to an end.

I consider myself second to nobody in my admiration for Bisping, but it’s hard to argue against the idea that at his best, Silva would have been too good for Britain’s finest. The former middleweight champion is such a nightmare matchup for “The Count” that predicting his route to victory in such a hypothetical fight becomes next to impossible due to the surplus of options.

A prime Silva would have dominated the stand-up game due to having greater knockout power, superior striking technique, and more durability. But it’s not just the stand-game where we the Brazilian would have the edge over the Brit. As seen in his fights against Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen, Bisping has the defensive wrestling to stop a takedown but he’s poor at evading or escaping the clinch. And while it’s frustrating to be held upright by a former collegiate wrestler that becomes a lethal weakness against a Muay Thai master. It’s very easy seeing a fight between Silva and Bisping end in a similar fashion to the Brazilian’s second fight against Rich Franklin. And should the fight go to the ground, Silva has the superior grappling skills, and would be favoured to secure the submission.  

Of course, Silva’s prime was a long time ago and it’s been almost three years since he was dethroned as middleweight champion. That fact has made some people overconfident about Bisping’s chances. The reality is that both men are approaching the end of their careers. Both men are not just older than either Luke Rockhold or Chris Weidman, but have significantly more fights than either man. (Bisping alone has more total fights than Rockhold and Weidman combined.) And both men have had to come back from significant health problems, whether it be Silva’s broken leg or Bisping’s detached retina.

The question is whether Silva can regain something of the spark that was clearly absent in his fight against Nick Diaz. While the Brazilian won a convincing (and of course tainted) victory, it was a lifeless performance from a man who seemed to be going through the motions. That he couldn’t knock out or even significantly hurt an opponent who was giving up so much size raises questions about the remaining potency of his striking.

And yet, I still believe that Anderson Silva will win Saturday given that Bisping has stylistic similarities with Diaz. While Bisping is a more traditional kickboxer, he shares with the American the ability to grind down his opponents through volume striking due to superior conditioning. The key difference is that whereas Diaz is always looking to come forward, Bisping often falls back against opponents with significant striking power. Remember that Bisping let a much diminished Wanderlei Silva escape with a victory due to refusing to engage in the pocket. Providing Silva can intimidate Bisping early on, the fight could quickly descend into a long-distance war of attrition that would play to the more precise and illusive Silva’s strengths.

It’s for that reason that Bisping’s best hope for a victory is that in his time away, Silva has further deteriorated from the diminished fighter we saw at UFC 183. It’s possible, but just as plausible, that Silva took the Diaz fight too soon after his leg surgery and that the past year has given his body and mind chance to fully heal from what he went through.

Should Silva show up in anything approaching good condition, he will likely end not just Bisping’s undefeated home record but his outstanding hopes of finally receiving a UFC title shot.

Will Cooling is a freelance writer who writes on combat sports for Fighting Spirit Magazine, pop culture for Geeky Monkey and politics at It Could Be Said! He’ll be covering UFC Fight Night London for Wrestling Observer live from cageside.

UFC Fight Night 82 Hendricks vs Thompson: Wrestling Observer Panel Picks

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

If I’ve learned one thing in the world of UFC in 2016, it’s that UFC thinks that the value of a Fabricio Werdum fight is about $60. I say this because tonight’s card was originally scheduled for PPV and when the Werdum heavyweight title defence was pulled from the card, it became a free television show. As a PPV, this show would’ve been a tough sell but as a free card, it’s pretty damned good.

Former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks returns to the Octagon on his road back to the title, a rising heavyweight takes on a fan favorite but fading contender in Roy Nelson, two former Strikeforce fighters square off with title contention or irrelevancy on line, and two top 10 flyweights will meet in what is perhaps the most relevant fight on the show in terms of an immediate title contender. In the last of our panel picks, two former welterweights move down a weight class in an effort to jumpstart their careers. All of this AND Mickey Gall facing the King of Pop to get a chance to face former WWE Champion CM Punk in the summer!

Here’s our panel with the 2016 records in parenthesis. We’ve also added a running tally of the records of the favorites going into the fights and the panel consensus picks:

  • John Pollock (11-4; .733) – Fight Network analyst, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, MMA Report co-host
  • Mike Sawyer (10-5; .667) – Tough Talk MMA
  • Josh Nason (10-5; .667) – Host of Josh Nason’s Punch Out; writer/editor WrestlingObserver.com , WON Twitter guy
  • Steve Juon (9-6; .600) – MMA Mania/Wrestling Observer writer. Angry Marks founder
  • Mike Sempervive (9-6; .600) – Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
  • Ryan Frederick (9-6; .600) – WrestlingObserver.com UFC reporter, WON Twitter guy
  • Consensus picks (8-6; .571)
  • Favorites (8-7; .533)
  • Dave Meltzer (8-7; .533)– Wrestling Observer founder
  • Front Row Brian (7-8; .467) – MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, Podcast host
  • Paul Fontaine (7-8; .467) – MMADraws.com founder, WrestlingObserver.com writer
  • David Bixenspan (7-8; .467) – Figure Four Weekly writer, podcast host

Johny Hendricks (17-3) vs Steven Thompson (11-1)
Welterweights

Remember Johny Hendricks? The guy who’s struggled the last couple of years with his weight? The guy who took GSP to the limit in his final fight, with many believing he actually won the fight? The guy who had a 2 fight, 10 round series with Robbie Lawler that was as even as it could possibly be, coming out of the end of it without his title? Ya, that guy. He’s back and taking on a Karate fighter with a lot of hype and an impressive record and he’s out to prove that he should get the next shot at the 170 lb title. Thompson can knock out anyone with his kicks out of nowhere and this should be a great main event. It’s the first time Hendricks has fought on free TV in almost four years in an interesting note. Our panel does not think there’s much of a doubt in this one.

Hendricks (sizable favorite): Sempervive, Nason, Sawyer, Pollock, Front Row Brian, Frederick, Juon, Fontaine, Bix, Meltzer

Roy Nelson (20-12) vs Jared Rosholt (14-2)
Heavyweights

For the 2nd straight week, we have Heavyweights squaring off in the co-main event. Nelson was the TUF 10 champion, which seems like eons ago. In more recent times, he’s lost 6 of his last 7 fights but he’s also fought guys ranked ahead of him for the most part. Rosholt has the exact opposite UFC record, going 6-1 against mostly guys at or below his level although he did score a win over big Stefan Struve in his last fight. But he’s done so in non-typical Heavyweight fashion, grinding out decision wins in all but one of those fights. With a win over Nelson, he’ll likely move into the top 10 and start facing guys at the top of the division.

Nelson (moderate favorite): Sempervive, Sawyer, Pollock, Frederick, Meltzer
Rosholt: Nason, Front Row Brian, Juon, Fontaine, Bix

Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (12-6) vs Ovince St Preux (18-7)
Light Heavyweights

Feijao has struggled since coming over from Strikeforce when UFC absorbed the company in 2013. He’s got just one win in 4 UFC fights and this won’t get any easier for him tonight. OSP has fought twice as many times in the same time frame and has a 6-2 record, which propelled him into the top 10. His last 5 wins have all been by finish, with 4 of them coming in the first round. It’s unlikely that either of these guys will ever contend for a title but there should be some great action here. Once  again, there’s no doubt amongst our panel that OSP will emerge victorious. 

OSP (big favorite): Sempervive, Nason, Sawyer, Pollock, Front Row Brian, Frederick, Juon, Fontaine, Bix, Meltzer

Joseph Benavidez (23-4) vs Zach Makovsky (19-6)
Flyweights

If flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson didn’t exist, Benavidez would be unbeaten in the UFC and in fact going back to a split decision loss to current Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in WEC in 2010. Sandwiched around his 11 wins in that time are two losses to Johnson. It’s tough to justify giving him a third shot at the belt but Benavidez is doing what he can to make that happen. His opponent, Makosvsky, should be someone he can handle as he comes in with losses in 2 of his last 3 fights. Benavidez really has almost nothing to gain here with a win but everything to lose.

Benavidez (huge favorite): Sempervive, Nason, Sawyer, Pollock, Front Row Brian, Frederick, Juon, Bix, Meltzer
Makovsky: Fontaine

Josh Burkman (27-12) vs KJ Noons (13-8)
Lightweights

Burkman has had some fun fights since returning to UFC but unfortunately for him, he’s failed to score a victory and has been finished his last two times out. This has led him to make the drop to 155 lbs for the first time in his career as he hopes to get back on the winning track. In fact, his last UFC win was in 2007 and since that time, he’s lost 6 times in the Octagon (with one later being changed to a no-contest). Noons has fought 2 of his last 3 fights at Welterweight but returns to his more familiar weight class here. The former Elite XC Lightweight Champion is one of only two fighters to have KO’d Nick Diaz and has the power to stop anyone in the division.

Burkman (moderate favorite) – Sempervive, Nason, Sawyer, Pollock, Front Row Brian, Frederick, Juon, Bix, Meltzer
Noons: Fontaine

Two unanimous picks and two near-unanimous picks here and we’re split right down the middle in the co-main event.

*****

JNPO: 5 things to watch for at UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. Van Zant

Posted on by Josh Nason

With three UFC events in three days, who needs sleep?

For the next three days, JNPO host Josh Nason will do 15-minute preview shows highlighting five things to look for on each show. With UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. Van Zant set to go live in just a few hours, the first one has arrived.

Your five things: 

– Why the main event of Paige Van Zant vs. Rose Namajunas is so damn fun

– Why Josh is giving the edge to Michael Chiesa in his very important co-main event battle against Jim Miller

– How the reaction for Sage Northcutt’s second trip into the Octagon is going to be something to watch for

– Why the excitement level of John Howard vs. Tim Means is a coin flip

– The importance of the buried Aljamain Sterling-Johnny Eduardo prelims fight

Listen by clicking below or right clicking to save. Get ready for three days of fight heaven!

*****

Right click save