Tag: ufc on fox

UFC on FOX 31 live results: Kevin Lee vs. Al Iaquinta 2

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 31: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2, emanating from the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Octagon heads back to Milwaukee for the first time since August 2013 for the final event to be televised on the FOX network before UFC coverage moves over to ESPN in 2019.

In the main event, it is a rematch in the lightweight division as Kevin Lee looks to score his second straight win when he takes on Al Iaquinta. Lee and Iaquinta fought in February 2014 at UFC 169, a bout that Iaquinta won by unanimous decision. Flash-forward nearly five years later, and both men have come up short in title fights, but Lee finds himself ranked higher at 155 pounds.

In the co-main event, it is another lightweight clash that could bring fireworks as Edson Barboza takes on the streaking Dan Hooker, winner of four straight. Also on the main card, Rob Font welcomes Sergio Pettis back to the bantamweight division, and Jim Miller adds to his resume as the fighter with the most UFC bouts in history when he takes on Charles Oliveira in more lightweight action.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 4 PM ET/1 PM PT

> Chris de la Rocha (5-2, 1-2 UFC) vs. Juan Adams (4-0, 0-0 UFC)
Heavyweights

de la Rocha lands early. Adams with a big leg kick and follows it with some right hands. They each land a jab. Adams is popping the jab. Adams with a couple of leg kicks. Adams lands a combo. de la Rocha lands a right hand and Adams is able to get a takedown into side control. Adams with some hammerfists. Adams landing some punches from the half-guard and de la Rocha is bleeding over the place. Adams with some elbows. Adams takes the back and is keeping the fight on the mat as he goes back to the guard. de la Rocha sweeps and is looking for a heel hook. Adams spins out and lands more punches from the top. They get to their feet late. 10-8 Adams.

They trade to start the second. Adams lands some punches but de la Rocha throws him to the ground. They scramble to their feet. de la Rocha grabs the single leg but lets go. They both land punches and Adams has him rocked. They are swinging and both are tired. Adams was working in the clinch and landed some body punches but for some reason the referee broke them up. That was dumb. de la Rocha lands a big right hand. They are exhausted. de la Rocha lands a right hand and then another. Adams lands a combo and gets a takedown and has the back. Adams lands some hammerfists and flips him to the half-guard. Adams with some ground and pound at the end. 10-9 Adams, 20-17 Adams.

Both are really exhausted coming out for the third. Adams with a body kick. They trade punches and both hold their hands low. Adams with a knee to the body and landing punches against the fence and the referee stops the fight. Adams gets the win in his debut although it was an ugly fight.

Official Result- Juan Adams def. Chris de la Rocha by TKO (punches) at :58 of Round 3

> Adam Milstead (8-2 1 NC, 1-1 1 NC UFC) vs. Mike Rodriguez (9-3, 0-1 UFC)
Light Heavyweights

Rodriguez with a leg kick and they start throwing at each other. Rodriguez drops Milstead with a left hand and goes into the guard. Rodriguez lands some from the top. Rodriguez with a big elbow and Milstead almost reversed but the fence got in the way. They get to their feet. Rodriguez trips him up with a leg kick. Rodriguez with some knees against the fence. They trade elbows. Rodriguez with a front kick followed by a left hand and a knee to the body drops Milstead and he finishes him off with punches on the ground. Great finish by Rodriguez.

Official Result- Mike Rodriguez def. Adam Milstead by knockout (strikes) at 2:59 of Round 1

FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS | 5 PM ET/2 PM PT

> Dan Ige (9-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Jordan Griffin (17-5, 0-0 UFC)
Featherweights

They trade leg kicks early. Ige swings a big right hand but Griffin ducks under and gets a takedown but Ige is able to reverse it to the top. Ige with a big punch that cuts Griffin open. Ige has control and looking for a choke. Ige with some big left hands. Ige has the back and Griffin in a lot of trouble. Ige with more big left hands. Ige has the mount and lands some big elbows. This is vicious from Ige. Griffin gives up his back. Ige up high and Griffin able to get out. Griffin has the neck and is looking for a choke and has one in tight. Ige is fighting and trips Griffin to the ground and lets go. Ige gets back to the mount and lands some elbows. That was a crazy scramble. Ige landing more left hands as he has wrist control. Griffin gives up his back again. Ige with left hands as they get to their feet and break. Griffin with a head kick. They swing at the end of the round. Crazy round. 10-9 Ige.

They trade punches to start the second round. They continue to both land. Ige lands a combo and gets a takedown into side control. Ige has the back and is working for a choke. Griffin able to scramble out and grabs Ige’s neck. Griffin has the neck of Ige and looking for a choke but Ige able to scramble out and Griffin now in Ige’s guard. Griffin stands and lands some punches. Griffin with more punches. Ige trying some upkicks. Griffin lands some more and goes back into the guard. Griffin with a big right hand as he passes guard. Griffin stands and lands a right as Ige was trying to posture up on the mat. Ige grabs the ankle and goes for a heel hook but Griffin able to pass and has the back. Crazy round again. 10-9 Griffin, 19-19.

They trade to start the third. Griffin goes for a takedown but Ige stuffs it. They break after an exchange. Griffin with a high kick. They trade punches and Ige looked to land better. Ige shoots for a takedown and has Griffin against the fence and is able to get it. Ige in the guard. Griffin able to get out and looking to pop up and they get to their feet. They break out in the open. Both guys landing punches and Ige looks for an ankle pick to takedown. They scramble and Ige ends up on top and has the back. They get to their feet. Ige with a knee to the body and they get back to the mat. Ige takes the back and is looking for a choke late. He didn’t have it under the neck due to a bad angle. They scramble and Griffin ends on top to end the fight. Fun fight. 10-9 Ige, 29-28 Ige.

Official Result- Dan Ige def. Jordan Griffin by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Trevor Smith (15-8, 5-5 UFC) vs. Zak Cummings (21-6, 6-3 UFC)
Middleweights

Cummings lands a left hand. Cummings with a leg kick followed by a left hand. Smith misses a knee on a brief clinch. Cummings with a head kick. Cummings with a leg kick. Smith with a body kick but Cummings grabs the leg though he lets go. They trade punches. Smith with a right hand. Cummings with a head kick and lands a short right hand. Cummings with a nice combo. They trade punches. Cummings with a couple of kicks. Cummings lands a left hand. Smith with a leg kick and lands a right hand. They both have small cuts. Cummings eats a knee as he goes for a takedown. They clinch against the fence. They trade late. 10-9 Cummings.

Smith lands a good combo to start the second. Smith with a leg kick but Cummings counters with a left hand. Both men landing punches but not much happening. Cummings with a left hook. Smith misses a right hand. Neither really landing clean. They trade in close range. Smith landing harder. Cummings lands a nice left hand. Cummings lands a combo. Cummings with a body kick but eats a left hand counter from Smith. Smith coming forward more. Cummings with a leg kick but misses on a takedown attempt. Smith lands a left hand counter. Tough round to score. 10-9 Smith, 19-19.

Cummings lands some combos. Smith with a body kick but eats a left hand from Cummings that drops Smith. Cummings takes the back of Smith. Smith able to get to the half-guard as Cummings gets on his back. Smith with some left hands from the top. Smith remains in the half-guard and lands some elbows. They get to their feet and Smith has the back against the cage. Cummings reverses position. Cummings lands some left hands as they break. Smith lands some. Cummings with a high kick. Smith grabs the neck and drops down looking for a choke but Cummings gets side control. Smith gives up his back. Cummings tried to slide a hook in and ended up on his back and is eating punches from Smith. They get to their feet. Cummings going for a takedown. They scramble. Cummings with a knee to the body and then another as they get to their feet. They break and Smith lands a knee right at the horn. 10-9 Cummings, 29-28 Cummings.

Official Result- Zak Cummings def. Trevor Smith by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Gerald Meerschaert (28-9, 4-1 UFC) vs. Jack Hermansson (17-4, 4-2 UFC)
Middleweights

They clinch right away and Hermansson with a knee to the body. Hermansson gets a takedown and into side control. Hermansson gets to full mount but Meerschaert gets out of it. Hermansson in the guard and lands an elbow. Hermansson grabs the neck. They get to their feet and Hermansson gets another takedown and is the mount. Hermansson with big punches and Meerschaert gives up his back. Hermansson landing big punches from the back and looking to finish. Big ground and pound. Big elbow from Hermansson. Hermansson with a knee to the body. Hermansson gets back to the mount but moves back to the back. Meerschaert reverses to the top and they get to their feet. Meerschaert tries a guillotine and ends back up on his back. Hermansson has the mount again and Meerschaert gives up his back. Hermansson with big punches. Hermansson to side control. Hermansson grabs a guillotine and its tight and Meerschaert taps! Hermansson with a big submission win and a dominant showing.

Official Result- Jack Hermansson def. Gerald Meerschaert by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:25 of Round 1

> Jared Gordon (14-2, 2-1 UFC) vs. Joaquim Silva (10-1, 3-1 UFC)
Lightweights

Gordon rocked Silva several times with right hands. Gordon dropped Silva with a right hand. He was landing some good punches from the top. He scored a couple of takedowns and almost had a choke locked in. Silva was able to survive and landed a big right hand and then rocked Gordon with a flying knee. Silva had a late choke locked in but Gordon escaped and survived the end. 10-9 Gordon. 

They come out swinging to start the second. Gordon with a body kick. Silva goes for a takedown but it’s defended. Gordon lands a right hand. Silva with an uppercut. Gordon grabs the back as they go to the mat. Gordon trying to get the hooks in. Gordon moves to the half-guard and lands some punches. Silva gives up his back and they get to their feet. They break. Gordon with a leg kick. Gordon with another leg kick and then goes high. Gordon tries a takedown but Silva defends it. They trade punches. Gordon lands a right hand. Silva gets a takedown. Gordon grabs an ankle to try and scramble out. 10-9 Silva, 19-19.

They come out trading to start the third. They trade right hands in close range. Silva with a leg kick. They are swinging hard and both biting down on the moutpiece and trading. Gordon goes for a takedown. Silva defends it. Both are swinging. Silva lands a right hand that rocks Gordon and then knocks Gordon out on his feet. Wow. That was a crazy finish. Silva hurt him back with a right hand and then a flurry on the feet finish it off.

Official Result- Joaquim Silva def. Jared Gordon by knockout (punches) at 2:39 of Round 3

> Bobby Green  (24-8-1, 5-3-1 UFC) vs. Drakkar Klose (9-1-1, 3-1 UFC)
Lightweights

Klose with some leg kicks. Green coming forward and lands a front kick followed by a double jab. They clinch and Green working for underhooks. Klose gets warned for grabbing the inside of Green’s gloves. Green with an overhand right and inside leg kick. Green almost has a choked locked in but Klose escapes. Green lands some good punches. They trade late and Klose still landing leg kicks. Close round. 10-9 Green.

Green switching his stances. Green with some low kicks. Klose misses some kicks but tries a takedown and lands a low knee. Klose with a right hand. They clinch and Green gets a takedown into side control. Green with some punches from the top and gets to mount but Klose recovers half-guard. Green working for a choke. Green with some shoulder strikes and he gets to the mount. Green with some punches from the mount and has a lot of pressure going on from the top. Klose able to cage walk and they get to their feet. Green is cut by his right eye. Klose with a knee. Green with an elbow over the top. Klose gets the back and looks for a takedown but Green reverses it and gets to the half-guard. 10-9 Green, 20-18 Green.

They both look to land and are trading. Klose lands a leg kick that stumbles Green. Green gets up and lands a right hand. Klose landing punches and Green trying to goad him into something. Green gets underhooks and is now looking for a takedown. They break away. Green with an uppercut. Klose counters with a right hand. Green with a combo. Green lands a right hand. Klose with a leg kick. Green landing with more volume but Klose lands a couple of right hands. Klose with a leg kick. Green grabs a leg and is looking for a takedown against the fence. Klose lands a combo and a knee to the body. Green retreating and eats a combo from Klose. Klose with a leg kick. Green lands a left hand. Green lands a string of punches late. Close fight. 10-9 Klose, 29-28 Green.

Official Result- Drakkar Klose def. Bobby Green by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Zak Ottow (16-6, 3-3 UFC) vs. Dwight Grant (8-1, 0-0 UFC)
Welterweights

Grant lands some big punches inside the first thirty seconds. Grant lands some more big punches and they go to the mat and Ottow eats some punches before they get to their feet. Ottow with a high kick. Ottow misses a high kick. Ottow lands a short right hand. Grant is looking to wind up and land something big. Ottow has a high kick checked. Grant misses a big uppercut. Grant with a leg kick and lands a big right hand late. 10-9 Grant.

Ottow being cautious and Grant is looking for a power counter. Ottow with a leg kick. Ottow with a head kick. Grant has slowed down. Ottow with a left hand. Ottow misses a right hook but lands a head kick. Ottow with a leg kick. Grant misses a winging left hook. Grant hurts Ottow with a right hand. Ottow with a front kick. They clinch and Ottow has position with Grant against the fence. Grant with a right hand. 10-9 Grant, 20-18 Grant.

Grant with a knee to the body but Ottow is able to get an underhook and gets a takedown. Ottow in the half-guard. Ottow doesn’t do much from the top and Grant able to scramble to his feet. Grant grabs the fence rather blatantly to prevent a takedown. Ottow has Grant against the fence and lands a knee. They break the clinch. Grant lands a right hand. Ottow keeps coming forward. Ottow with a high kick and shoots for a takedown but Grant defends it well. Ottow shoots but Grant defends it. 10-9 Ottow, 29-28 Grant.

Official Result- Zak Ottow def. Dwight Grant by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

FOX MAIN CARD | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Jim Miller (29-12 1 NC, 18-11 1 NC UFC) vs. Charles Oliveira (24-8 1 NC, 12-8 1 NC UFC)
Lightweights

Oliveira gets a takedown and quickly takes the back of Miller and is looking for a choke. Oliveira with some punches from the back. Oliveira has the choke locked in tight now and Miller is defending but eventually taps. Big win from Oliveira as he gets yet another submission win to extend his UFC record.

Official Result- Charles Oliveira def. Jim Miller by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:15 of Round 1

> Rob Font (#10, 15-4, 5-3 UFC) vs. Sergio Pettis (#2 FLW, 17-4, 8-4 UFC)
Bantamweights

Both looking to land the jab early. Pettis with an inside leg kick. Font landing the jab. Font with a right hand to the body. They trade kicks. Both land a stiff jab at the same time. Font with a right hand and then lands a leg kick. Font just misses an uppercut. Pettis with a body kick. Font with a combo ending with a nice right hand. Font with a right hand to the body. Font is coming forward and gets a takedown. Font looking to pass over to side control but remains in the guard. Font gets to his feet and lands two right hands. Font with a leg kick and then a right hand to the body. Font goes back down and lands some punches and stands back up. Pettis gets up and with a spin kick. They trade late. 10-9 Font.

Pettis with a body kick and Font counters with a right hand. Font with the jab. He just misses an uppercut. They trade jabs. Font lands a good jab. Font with a right hand to the body. Font is really working the jab. Pettis lands a right hand. Font with a leg kick. They trade jabs. Pettis with a head kick. They trade kicks. Both land a jab. Pettis lands an overhand right. Pettis gets a late takedown. Font working from the bottom and looking for a kimura and uses it to sweep to the top. Pettis escapes the attempt. 10-9 Font, 20-18 Font.

Pettis with a body kick. They each land a knee in close range. Pettis with a right hand. Font lands the jab again. Pettis with a right hand. Font just misses an uppercut. Font with an inside leg kick. Pettis with one of his own. Pettis with a spin kick and then follows with a right hand and then another. They clinch and Font gets a takedown. Font with a right hand from the top. Pettis trying to scramble out from the bottom and gives up his back. They get to their feet. Font drags Pettis back down. Pettis tries to roll out and gets Font in his guard. Font stands and lands some punches from the top. 10-9 Font, 30-27 Font.

Official Result- Rob Font def. Sergio Pettis by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Edson Barboza (#5, 19-6, 13-6 UFC) vs. Dan Hooker (#14, 17-7, 7-3 UFC)
Lightweights

Hooker with some inside leg kicks to start off the fight. They trade leg kicks. Hooker with a high kick. Hooker lands a left hand. Barboza with a quick combo and then a leg kick. They trade kicks. Barboza with a leg kick. Hooker with a high kick followed by a straight left. Barboza lands a right hand and then a big body kick. They trade kicks. Barboza with a right hand. They trade kicks. Barboza lands a big right hand that rocks Hooker and follows it with a high kick. Barboza with a big combo and misses a wheel kick. Barboza with a leg kick. 10-9 Barboza.

Barboza hurts Hooker bad with a big leg kick. Hooker is having trouble walking. Barboza with another leg kick. Hooker closing the distance and landing some punches. They are trading in close range. Hooker lands the jab. They trade in the pocket. Barboza with an elbow. Barboza getting tired and Hooker falls to the ground but sweeps Barboza down and Hooker in the half-guard. Barboza trying to sweep up to his feet. Hooker on top and landing short punches. They get to their feet. Barboza with a nice combo. Barboza with a switch kick to the body followed by a jab and a huge right hand. Barboza with a hard left hook and a body kick and just misses a spinning wheel kick. They trade punches. They trade in close. Barboza with an uppercut and a big body kick. Barboza with a left hand to the body followed by a body kick and then two huge right hands. Hooker somehow surviving these punches. Wild round. 10-9 Barboza, 20-18 Barboza.

Barboza with an inside leg kick. Barboza landing the jab. They trade in close range. Hooker shoots for the single leg and gets Barboza against the fence. Barboza with a big spin kick to the body and is kicking Hooker so much. He just misses a wheel kick. Barboza with another spin kick to the body followed by a right hand. Barboza with more big shots, kicks, punches, knees. Barboza with another spin kick to the body followed by a body punch and Hooker falls to the mat and the fight is stopped. it was stopped way too late and Hooker is too tough for his own good. Big win for Barboza as he looked real good here.

Official Result- Edson Barboza def. Dan Hooker by knockout (strikes) at 2:19 of Round 3

> Kevin Lee (#4, 17-3, 10-3 UFC) vs. Al Iaquinta (#8, 13-4-1, 8-3 UFC)
Lightweights

Lee with a leg kick. They trade punches. Iaquinta with a leg kick. Iaquinta grabs a leg, lets go and lands a spinning back fist. Iaquinta lands a right hand and a body kick. Lee with a body kick. Iaquinta lands a left hand. Iaquinta with a combo. Lee with a high kick and then a leg kick. Lee with a head kick. Iaquinta with a high kick. Iaquinta lands a left hand and fakes a takedown. Iaquinta lands a right hand. Lee with a high kick. Iaquinta with the jab. Lee with a leg kick and Iaquinta fires back with his own. Iaquinta with an uppercut. Iaquinta lands a left hook off a takedown attempt. 10-9 Iaquinta.

They trade in close range. Iaquinta with a leg kick. He is switching stances throughout the fight. Lee goes for a takedown but Iaquinta defends it until Lee gets the body lock and completes the takedown. Lee landing punches from the top and Iaquinta gives up his back. Lee with the body triangle and now going to work for the choke. Lee with some hammerfists. Lee with elbows and punches from the back. Iaquinta able to reverse and they get to their feet. Iaquinta lands a right hand. Iaquinta with the jab followed by a right hand to the body. Iaquinta with a left hook to the body. Iaquinta with a stiff jab. Lee with a body kick but eats a counter right hand. Lee with a leg kick. Iaquinta with a right hand. 10-9 Lee, 19-19.

Lee landing the left but eating counter right hands from Iaquinta. Iaquinta is countering pretty consistently. Iaquinta with a Superman punch. Lee with a step-in knee. Iaquinta with a straight right hand. Iaquinta lands an overhand right. Iaquinta shoots for a takedown but Lee counters and gets his own takedown. They scramble to their feet but Lee has the body lock looking to get the fight back down. Lee with a knee and gets a takedown and has the back and a body triangle. Lee with some punches from the back and is working hard for a choke. Iaquinta was turning into the choke but Lee couldn’t find it. Lee ends the round on the back. 10-9 Lee, 29-28 Lee.

Iaquinta lands a big right hand and is looking to find more openings. Iaquinta lands another right hand and Lee is hurt a little bit and back pedaling. Lee is on his bike. Iaquinta with a short uppercut followed by a right hand. Lee looking to shoot for a takedown. Iaquinta landing with some good punches and a head kick that stuns Lee. Iaquinta lands another right hand. Lee is busted up and eats another right hand from Al. Iaquinta really landing punches this round and Lee is in trouble heading to the final round. 10-9 Iaquinta, 38-38.

Lee with a leg kick. Iaquinta with the jab and follows with a right hand. Lee with a right hand. Lee shoots for a single leg but doesn’t finish it off. They scramble and Iaquinta passes the shoulder and they scramble to their feet. Lee shooting against the fence. Lee working hard to score it. They’re stuck in position as Lee can’t complete the takedown and the fence is blocking Iaquinta from exploding out. Lee switches to the back. Iaquinta fighting the hands and they break. Iaquinta with the jab and a right hand. They trade punches. Iaquinta with the jab. Lee with a head kick but Iaquinta counters with a combo. Iaquinta with a right hand. Iaquinta with a big combo and Lee is hurt. Iaquinta lands a left followed by a right hand and then another. Iaquinta landing more here. Lee lands a punch but Iaquinta fires back with multiple punches and Lee is backing away. Iaquinta pouring it on late and lands a front kick to the chin of Lee. Iaquinta with a big right hand late. Big finish to the fight for Iaquinta. 10-9 Iaquinta, 48-47 Iaquinta.

Official Result- Al Iaquinta def. Kevin Lee by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)

UFC on Fox Milwaukee: Questions, answers, predictions

Posted on by Josh Nason

After a five-year run, the UFC’s run on “big” Fox ends tonight with an interesting card that isn’t exactly star-laden but, well, that’s the UFC today. (In retrospect, I should have added tonight’s Bellator show from Hawaii which features some interesting fights as well.)

Helping me look at the show are our friends Ryan Frederick and Paul Fontaine. Note that the card has likely kicked off by the time you’re reading this as the main card starts at 8 PM Eastern.

The card

  • Kevin Lee vs. Al Iaquinta II
  • Edson Barboza vs. Dan Hooker
  • Rob Font vs. Sergio Pettis
  • Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira
  • Zak Ottow vs. Dwight Grant
  • Bobby Green vs. Drakkar Klose
  • Jared Gordon vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Gerald Meerschaert vs. Jack Hermansson
  • Dan Ige vs. Jordan Griffin
  • Adam Millstead vs. Mike Rodriguez
  • Trevor Smith vs. Zak Cummings
  • Chris de la Rocha vs. Juan Adams

What are you most looking forward to?

Paul: There’s a lot of good stuff on this card. I’m very interested in the opening Fight Pass fight because heavyweight prospects are few and far between and Juan Adams is a good one with four first round finishes in just four pro fights and Chris De La Rocha has been knocked out in both of his losses. S,  it’s a recipe for an impressive KO for the UFC newcomer Adams.

Ryan: I really like the feel of the main card. It’s not the most stacked one for a Fox show, but it is really good. Lee and Iaquinta should be a good rematch and they are both worlds better than when they first fought. Barboza and Hooker is a fireworks fight that will show whether Hooker is a real threat at 155 pounds. Pettis has a chance to show he can be a real player in a deep bantamweight division, and Miller and Oliveira always bring it. Solid stuff there.

Josh: Yeah, the main card isn’t big on any type of star power but all the fights have some meat and some intrigue to them. It’s fascinating to think back on the first Fox show that featured a heavyweight title fight to this one which has two lightweight contenders in the main event. The ratings probably won’t be that great, but the action should be.

Anything being slept on?

Ryan: It’s not the most exciting event, but there are a lot of good fights on this show. The entire thing is being slept on with it being such a busy time and weekend in combat sports. 

Paul: The whole card in general. It’s the last UFC card on Fox and is the very definition of going out with a whimper. They peaked at over 10 million viewers for their Fox debut just over seven years ago and this show will be lucky to average two million. That’s no aberration because the last TUF Finale on Spike did 2.5 million viewers while the last one on FS1 did a shade under 400,000.

Josh: I have found myself looking at that Bobby Green/Drakkar Klose fight with some intrigue. Green is a big talker but hasn’t been able to sustain any momentum over the last few years due to injury and losses. Klose is a guy you forget about until he fights on the prelims three times a year, but he’s kinda good! 

Anything not doing it for you?

Josh: Not at this point, but I feel like the middle of the card is going to feature a lot of decision fights which isn’t fun. I have no scientific evidence, but it just feels like that kind of show. 

Paul: Miller vs. Oliveira could be fun and both guys have had great fights in the past, but Miller is a couple steps below him and this could be embarrassing. I have thought Miller was done a few times in the last couple of years and I really hope he isn’t a shell of his former self on Saturday night.

Ryan: Maybe the Trevor Smith against Zak Cummings fight because it could be boring if it gets dragged out the full 15 minutes. It’s a solid, if unspectacular, show we have here.

What will be people talking about most after the show is done?

Paul: “That’s it?” I think it’s finally going to sink in to people after this show ends that the Fox era is over and maybe there wil be a lot of talk about where we now compared to the end of 2011 when this all started.

Ryan: Kevin Lee should still be mentioned as among the best at 155 pounds, and that Dan Hooker is going to be right there with him soon.

Josh: I feel like Lee will be doing all the talking after this one is done. I still don’t buy him as an upper-tier lightweight, but his performance against Iaquinta could sway me.

Do you have a favorite Fox fight(s) of all time?

Paul: There’s a lot of good fights to choose from, obviously. For me, I’ll go with Urijah Faber’s retirement fight where he beat Brad Pickett to snap a two fight win streak and go out on a winning note. That show did a really good rating (Paige VanZant also fought on the card) and I remember being very optimistic for the future of MMA coming out of that show.

Ryan: I don’t know about fight as there’s so many and so many good moments that have come out of the Fox events. To me, the most memorable moment wasn’t a fight, but a promo by Nate Diaz after he beat Michael Johnson that led to him calling out Conor McGregor, which eventually led to two of the biggest fights in company history.

Josh: I’m going to tackle this topic on a future JNPO, but at a quick glance, that Junior dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic banger from December 2014 is right up there.

Who wins?

  • Paul: Lee, Barboza, Pettis, Oliveira
  • Ryan: Lee, Hooker, Pettis, Miller
  • Josh: Lee, Hooker, Pettis, Miller

UFC on FOX 30 live results: Eddie Alvarez vs. Dustin Poirier 2

Posted on by Ryan Pike

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 30: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2, emanating from the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The Octagon heads back to Calgary for the first time in six years bringing an exciting main card that should have fans in the city excited for some fun fights.

The main event is a rematch in the lightweight division as former UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez takes on Dustin Poirier in what could end up being one of the best fights of 2018. Alvarez and Poirier look to finish their unfinished business from UFC 211 in May 2017, when their bout ended in a no contest after Alvarez landed illegal knees. Alvarez has a win over Justin Gaethje since then, while Poirier has scored wins over Gaethje and Anthony Pettis since.

In the co-main event, former UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo fights in his first-ever non-title UFC bout as he takes on Jeremy Stephens, who is looking to get a title shot as he goes for his fourth straight win.

Also on the main card, former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk fights in her first non-title UFC bout in over three years as she takes on Tecia Torres. In lightweight action to open the main card, Alexander Hernandez goes for his eighth straight win as he battles Olivier Aubin-Mercier, winner of four straight fights.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 4 PM ET/1 PM PT

> Devin Powell (8-3, 0-2 UFC) vs. Alvaro Herrera (9-5, 1-2 UFC)
Lightweights

The Saddledome was roughly 30% full as the first fight hit the Octagon. Both guys were swinging early to try to find their striking range. Herrera wriggled out of takedown attempt along the wall and knocked down Powell with a left punch to the body. Powell kept his distance to avoid any more punches from Herrera, then countered with a pair of stiff left kicks to Herrera’s body and finished him with punches on the ground.

Official Result: Devin Powell def. Alvaro Herrara by knockout (punches) at 1:52 of the first round

> Randa Markos (#12, 8-5, 4-4 UFC) vs. Nina Ansaroff (#13, 8-5, 2-2 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

The crowd was behind Markos, as she was announced as fighting out of Canada. Ansaroff tried to use leg kicks early, but Markos caught one and took her to the ground after briefly working on a clinch along the cage. She got Ansaroff’s back and tried to get a choke, but Ansaroff defended well and managed to get Markos off her back, then eventually battled from the bottom back to her feet. The pair traded standing strikes briefly before the round ended. 10-9 Markos.

Both fighters attempted to establish their striking in the second round. Markos attempted a takedown by going for a leg but Ansaroff managed to dodge it. Midway through the round the tentative striking from both fighters became more effective, with Markos getting the better of a few exchanges on the feet. Ansaroff avoided a second takedown late in the round, this time along the fence. Tough round to score, narrowly 10-9 Markos due to her doing a bit more damage with her strikes. 20-18 Markos through two rounds.

Markos got the better of a striking exchange early in the third round, but wasn’t able to capitalize while clinching against the fence. Ansaroff avoided a pair of takedown attempts from Markos, but wasn’t able to execute any counters standing. She ended up on top of Markos on a third takedown attempt, but wasn’t able to do much damage from that position. Narrowly 10-9 Markos by virtue of initiating more takedowns and getting the better of the striking exchanges. 30-27 Markos, but the second and third rounds could go either way due to Ansaroff defending well.

Official Result: Nina Ansaroff def. Randa Markos by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

All three judges gave Ansaroff the second and third rounds.

> Dustin Ortiz (#9, 18-7, 7-5 UFC) vs. Matheus Nicolau (#12, 13-1-1, 3-0 UFC)
Flyweights

This bout was full of frenetic energy, with both fighters constantly moving and altering their footwork. Nicolau knocked Ortiz down with a leg kick that swept his leg out from under him, but Ortiz popped back up. They had a series of quick striking exchanges with Nicolau slightly getting the better of them until Ortiz dropped Nicolau with a right head-kick, then finished him with punches on the ground.

Official Result: Dustin Ortiz def. Matheus Nicolau by knockout (punches) at 3:49 of the first round

> Alexis Davis (#3, 19-7, 6-2 UFC) vs.Katlyn Chookagian (#7, 10-1, 3-1 UFC)
Women’s Flyweights

The crowd was decidedly on Davis’ side, as she’s from Canada. The entire round was spent on their feet, with five minutes of fairly even striking exchanges. Chookagian consistently intiated the exchanges and did more damage, but Davis mixed up her striking, used leg kicks more effectively, and had Chookagian backing up for much of the round. Narrowly 10-9 Chookagian.

The second round was very much a continuation of the first. The leg kicks by Davis kept landing during their standing exchanges, though Chookagian managed to block a couple as the round wore on. Davis seemed content to keep standing in Chookagian’s striking range and eat punches in order to land leg kicks. Another very close round, narrowly leaning 10-9 Davis. 19-19 through two rounds.

Chookagian got the better of a couple early striking exchanges, landing quickly. Davis caught a leg but wasn’t able to take Chookagian down. Davis kept Chookagian backing up, but Chookagian kept doing more damage in their exchanges and was able to avoid Davis’ kicks. Davis got Chookagian down via a clinch late in the round, but wasn’t able to do any damage on the ground. 10-9 Chookagian, 29-28 Chookagian. Davis had a clear positional advantage, but Chookagian did much more damage striking.

Official Result: Katlyn Chookagian def. Alexis Davis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

> John Makdessi (15-6, 8-6 UFC) vs. Ross Pearson (20-14 1 NC, 12-11 1 NC UFC)
Lightweights

The opening round was spent entirely on their feet. They had a series of quick striking exchanges that were fairly even. Pearson used levels well with his kicks, particularly with a few leg kicks on Makdessi’s lead leg. Pearson may have gotten the better of the exchanges, slightly, for a very narrow 10-9 edge. But Makdessi getting the round wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.

The next round was also entirely standing striking exchanges. Each man was able to get the better of a couple exchanges. On the whole, Makdessi spent the majority of the round backing up and making Pearson come to him, but also did more damage with inside punches and counters. 10-9 Makdessi.

Pearson visibly tired and slowed down in the third round, as Makdessi continued with his tactical striking and was content to pepper away at him with inside jabs and uppercuts. Makdessi caught Pearson low with a kick and the referee gave him a timeout to recover. Pearson shoved Makdessi to the fence and clinched, but couldn’t take him down. Things opened up more as the round wore on, with Pearson throwing bigger and bigger punches. Makdessi caught Pearson a couple times with nice crosses and jabs to the face, and dropped him briefly with a jab that countered a Pearson counter. Makdessi missed a spinkick late and Pearson took him down, but Makdessi ended up on top of him as the horn went. 10-9 Makdessi. Fight should be 30-27 or 29-28 Makdessi based on damage alone.

Official Result: John Makdessi def. Ross Pearson by unanimous decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-27)

Two out of three judges gave Pearson the first round. All three judges gave Makdessi the second and third rounds, with two judges (Derek Cleary and Chris Lee) giving him the third by 10-8 margins.

FOX PRELIMS | 6 PM ET/3 PM PT

> Gadzhimurad Antigulov (#15, 20-4, 2-0 UFC) vs. Ion Cutelaba (13-3 1 NC, 2-2 UFC)
Light Heavyweights

Antigulov got a takedown right away. Cutelaba eventually shoved him off with a kick, but Antigulov went right back at him and got his back briefly before Cutelaba wriggled free of that position. Antigulov kept pressuring, but Cutelaba countered with some knees to Antigulov’s face. Cutelaba got some solid punches in on Antigulov along the fence. Antigulov briefly responded with a few of his own, but Cutelaba continued with punches and elbow to a standing (but fairly non-responsive) Antigulov before the referee jumped in to end it.

Official Result: Ion Cutelaba def. Gadzhimurad Antigulov by technical knockout (strikes) at 4:25 of the first round

> Kajan Johnson (23-12-1, 4-1 UFC) vs. Islam Makhachev (15-1, 4-1 UFC)
Lightweights

As you’d expect, the crowd was firmly in Johnson’s corner (as he’s another Canadian). The standing portion early on involved Makhachev stalking Johnson, and Johnson occasionally creating separation with some weak leg kicks to get breathing room. For his part, Makhachev seemed to respect Johnson’s striking and didn’t get too close. Makhachev eventually got a takedown along the cage and worked for position, throwing punches and elbows on the ground. Faced with taking punishment or trying to escape, Johnson tried to use his legs to grab Makhachev and pull him away. But Makhachev anticipated that and used the brief window to grab Johnson’s arm and slap on an armbar. Johnson quickly submitted.

Official Result: Islam Makhachev def. Kajan Johnson by submission (armbar) at 4:43 of the first round

In his post-fight interview, Makhachev said he should fight somebody in the top 15, and joked or he would like to fight Brock Lesnar.

> Hakeem Dawodu (7-1-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Austin Arnett (15-4, 0-1 UFC)
Featherweights

Dawodu is from Calgary and was a big hometown favourite, with frequent cheers and “Hakeem” chants during the fight. Lots of circling early. Dawodu connected with some early leg kicks and wriggled free from an Arnett takedown attempt. Another Arnett attempt was stopped when Dawodu got some strikes off as he shot in on him. Arnett was open for a big strike after whiffing on a big kick, but Dawodu opted for a conservative stance and didn’t engage. 10-9 Dawodu.

Dawodu continued to get the better of striking exchanges in the second round. He mixed up his strikes and his levels, and continued to utilize kicks well – he threw leg kicks less often, but threw some head-kicks and back kicks effectively. Arnett moved forward and tried to initiate striking, but was out-classed by Dawodu. 10-9 Dawodu, 20-18 Dawodu through two rounds.

The third round was a repeat of the first two. Dawodu easily got the better of the striking exchanges, repeatedly throwing combos. Arnett tried a takedown, but Dawodu stuffed it calmly. He turned a second Arnett attempted into a clinch on the cage. Arnett seemed to have no answer for Dawodu’s speed and movement, though he never seemed overly hurt by his striking. 10-9 Dawodu, 30-27 Dawodu.

Official Result: Hakeem Dawodu def. Austin Arnett by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Jordan Mein (30-12, 4-4 UFC) vs. Alex Morono (14-4 1 NC, 3-1 1 NC UFC)
Welterweights

Mein is from nearby Lethbridge, Alberta, and was a big crowd favourite. Morono nearly caught Mein flat-footed with some attempted strikes as the round began, then Mein returned the favour with a flurry a few seconds later. Mein caught Morono with a kick to the chest, then was countered into a brief clinch on the cage, which was then countered again with a slick hiptoss takedown from Mein. Morono defended well from the bottom and tied up Mein, to the point where the referee stood them up. After a brief exchange on the feet, Mein took down Morono again and worked into side control, but Morono again defended well for the remainder of the round. 10-9 Mein.

Morono missed a spinning back fist. Mein caught a Morono leg kick attempt, then took him down again. This time Mein managed to lock on a head-and-arm choke but Morono broke it with some punches to Mein’s ribs. They continued to jockey for position on the ground, with Mein briefly able to post up a couple times to deliver some strikes while in Morono’s guard. 10-9 Mein, 20-18 Mein through two rounds.

Mein landed an overhand right in a striking exchange. Morono hit a spinning backfist later on that was loud but didn’t seem to do much damage. Morono cornered Mein by the cage and Mein attempted to duck under a strike, but ended up getting clipped and dropped to the mat. Morono tried to get position on top of Mein, and eventually got hold of his head with a modified guilloitine choke but Mein rolled on top of him to eventually escape. Mein worked for position on Morono and nearly grabbed a guillotine of his own, but the clock ran out on the round as the two grappled on the ground. Morono 10-9, 29-28 Mein overall.

Official Result: Jordan Mein def. Alex Morono by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

All three judges gave Mein rounds one and two, and Morono round three.

FOX MAIN CARD | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Alexander Hernandez (#13, 9-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier (11-2, 7-2 UFC)
Lightweights

The opening round alternated between brief clinches along the cage and brief striking exchanges. Hernandez was aggressive throughout the round, closing the distance frequently and pressing Aubin-Mercier. Neither fighter did a ton on their feet, though, other than a handful of quick knees from either man. Hernandez took down Aubin-Mercier late in the round, but couldn’t gain much position. Hernandez 10-9.

Once again Hernandez was the aggressor, taking down Aubin-Mercier immediately along the cage. Aubin-Mercier fought back to his feet and stuffed another takedown, following up by taking down Hernandez with a flying armbar attempt. Hernandez fought from below, almost caught Aubin-Mercier with an armbar of his own but he broke free. They jockeyed for position with Hernandez ending up on top. The referee stood them up after a few slow moments on the mat. Hernandez tried another takedown, but Aubin-Mercier was able to stay on his feet. More clinching initiated by Hernandez. Hernandez couldn’t take him down, threw light punches and knees until the round ended. 10-9 Hernandez. 20-18 Hernandez.

Right after the round began Aubin-Mercier was hit below the belt with a knee and was given a time out from the referee. After the time out, Hernandez took him down again. The ref stood them up again due to inactivity. Hernandez took him down again, but Aubin-Mercier gained position and battled to his feet. Aubin-Mercier took Hernandez down along the cage after some clinching. Hernandez gained position and got Aubin-Mercier’s back, but couldn’t take advantage before the round ended. 10-9 Hernandez, 30-27 Hernandez.

Official Result: Alexander Hernandez def. Olivier Aubin-Mercier by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Two of three judges gave Hernandez the first round. Two of three judges gave Hernandez the second round. All three judges gave Hernandez the third round.

> Joanna Jedrzejczyk (#1, 14-2, 8-2 UFC) vs. Tecia Torres (#5, 10-2, 6-2 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

Jedrzejczyk circled and threw a lot of quick strikes early. Torres closed the distance and threw some of her own, which led to some grappling along the fence. Jedrzejczyk threw some knees with her back against the cage. They continued to grapple along the cage and jockey for position, with both fighter connecting with some knees. Jedrzejczyk threw several short-distance knees to Torres’ thighs while grappling on the fence. Torres tried to take Jedrzejczyk down, but she prevented it. 10-9 Jedrzejczyk.

Jedrzejczyk threw some leg kicks. Jedrzejczyk got the better of a few striking exchanges. Torres shot for a takedown on the fence, but Jedrzejczyk stayed upright. Torres continued to be the aggressor in the fight, initiating takedown attempts and offensive exchanges, but Jedrzejczyk continued to get the better of their grappling on the fence and their striking exchanges. 10-9 Jedrzejczyk, 20-18 Jedrzejczyk.

Striking exchange. Jedrzejczyk got the better of a few counter-punch flurries, including an overhand right that knocked Torres back on her heels. Torres dodged a Jedrzejczyk kick and took her to the fence, but couldn’t get a takedown and she ate a couple Jedrzejczyk while grappling along the fence. Torres got a single leg takedown, but Jedrzejczyk popped back up. They continued to grapple along the fence for the remainder of the round. 10-9 Jedrzejczyk, 30-27 Jedrzejczyk.

Official Result: Joanna Jedrzejczyk def. Tecia Torres by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Torres stormed out of the cage after the decision was read.

> Jose Aldo (#2, 26-4, 8-3 UFC) vs. Jeremy Stephens (#4, 28-14, 15-13 UFC)
Featherweights

Both fighters traded kicks and strikes early to try to find their range. Aldo landed a couple quick combos and the fight opened up. Stephens got the better of a few wild exchanges, including cornering Aldo along the fence and wildly swinging and throwing knees at him. Aldo escaped, though, and landed a body shot that dropped Stephens. Aldo followed him to the ground with punches. Initially Stephens was able to avoid a stoppage, but Aldo’s flurries were too ferocious and the referee jumped in for the stoppage.

Official Result: Jose Aldo def. Jeremy Stephens by technical knockout (strikes) at 4:19 of the first round

> Eddie Alvarez (#3, 29-5 1 NC, 4-2 1 NC UFC) vs. Dustin Poirier (#4, 23-5 1 NC, 15-4 1 NC UFC)
Lightweights

The opening minutes were tentative as both fighters felt each other out with some quick striking exchanges. Poirier checked a loud kick to the body from Alvarez. A leg kick from Poirier almost knocked Alvarez down, as he tried to dodge it and lost his balance. Poirier foiled an Alvarez takedown attempt. Poirer got the better of a pair of brief striking exchanges, but Alvarez followed up with a nice combination and some jabs as the round ended. Very close, 10-9 Poirier based on effective striking.

Alvarez knocked down an off-balance Poirier with a jab early, but Poirier recovered and grabbed Alvarez in a guillotine choke takedown but Alvarez was able to use the cage to avoid going all the way down and escaped. Poirier grabbed another guillotine takedown attempt, but Alvarez managed to wriggle free. Alvarez got Poirier’s back but Poirier was able to protect against an attempted rear-naked choke due to his body positioning, ending up resisting what amounted to a neck crank. Alvarez ended up on top of Poirier along the fence and landed an illegal 12-6 elbow and the referee gave Poirier a timeout to recover. Back on their feet, Poirier got the better of a striking exchange and battered Alvarez with left jabs and knees to the face. Alvarez finally went down with a left hook and the referee stopped the bout.

Official Result: Dustin Poirier def. Eddie Alvarez by technical knockout (strikes) at 4:05 of the second round.

UFC on FOX 29 draws disappointing fast nationals ratings number

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

The promise of a potential fight of the year did not lead to strong ratings last night for UFC.

Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje, on paper, was as close to a sure thing for an outstanding fight as UFC has presented since, well, the last time Gaethje fought. The fight delivered, making Gaethje three-for-three in match of the year contenders, but only 1-2 as far as his UFC record goes, since Poirier won via fourth round stoppage.

Based on the fast nationals, which wouldn’t have included most of the main event, the show did 1,780,000 viewers. That would be the fourth lowest in the nearly seven year history of the series. FOX also would have finished fourth among the four networks last night, although it did finish second to the Toronto vs. Boston NHL playoff game in the key demos, 18-34 and 18-49. The NHL game did 2,180,000 on the fast nationals.

The final number, which comes out Tuesday, will be higher, probably by a good margin. The fast nationals only measures FOX stations from 8-10 p.m.. Eastern, 7-9 p.m. Central, 6-8 p.m. Mountain, and 8-10 p.m. Pacific. So for the West Coast, which the show aired from 5-7:30 p.m., it counted local programming and not the show.

In addition, the four round main event started at 10 p.m. Eastern, meaning that none of the main event figured into the rating, and the match going four rounds, and being such an exciting fight, meant it had a lot of time to build the number.

UFC on FOX 29 live results: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 29: Poirier vs. Gaethje, emanating from the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

The Octagon heads to Glendale with an exciting main event that has the potential to live up to the hype as an early contender for fight of the year.

Lightweights Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will square off in the five-round headline bout. Poirier is looking to score his second straight win and cement himself as next in line at 155 pounds while Gaethje is looking to rebound from his first career loss. Both men have reputations as being two of the most exciting fighters in the sport.

In the co-main event, former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit looks to end a three-fight losing skid as he takes on Alex Oliveira in another bout that has fireworks written on it. Also on the main card is exciting undefeated middleweight prospect Israel Adesayna, who fights Marvin Vettori, and women’s strawweights Michelle Waterson and Cortney Casey open the main show.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT

> Luke Sanders (11-2, 1-2 UFC) vs. Patrick Williams (8-5, 1-2 UFC)
Bantamweights

Becky Lynch was front row ringside and identified by Daniel Cormer as a former champion wrestler who was there to root on her boyfriend. Dolph Ziggler was also there and mentioned by Cormier, calling both of them “two of the biggest stars in WWE”

Sanders looked really good on the feet in round 1, landing a lot of nice punch combos and even some nasty elbows that opened a cut on Williams’ forehead. Williams got a couple of flash takedowns but couldn’t keep Sanders down. Sanders was clinching up a lot at the end of the round. Easy 10-9 Sanders

Williams looked very tired coming out for the 2nd but never stopped fighting. Sanders again had the advantage in the striking through most of the round but Williams did land some nice shots and opened up a huge cut under Sanders’ left eye. Williams landed a huge overhand right that rocked Sanders with about 30 seconds left and got a takedown at the end the round. 10-9 Williams, 19-19 overall

Close final round. Sanders pressed the action the whole way but barely even threw a strike for the first half of the round. Williams was landing leg kicks and the occasional punch but nothing sustained. Sanders got off a nice punch combo halfway through the round and picked up the striking a bit after that. 10-9 Sanders, 29-28 overall

Official result – Luke Sanders (12-2) by unanimous decision (30-27 x 2; 29-28)

Dolph Ziggler was at ringside with Becky after the fight, cheering on Sanders. 

> Matthew Lopez (10-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. Alejandro Perez (19-6-1, 5-1-1 UFC)
Bantamweights

Perez landing a lot of leg kicks early, which could have more of an effect later in the fight. Lopez got a couple takedowns and was able to take the back. On the first, he secured a rear naked choke that looked tight but Perez punched out of it and eventually reversed position. On the second, Lopez was able to again take the back and held Perez down for over a minute to end the round. 10-9 Lopez

Perez looked very off coming out for the second. Perez was landing occasional shots and Lopez was pushing the action but not even throwing strikes, let alone landing them. He went for a takedown that Perez stuffed and then Perez landed some knees to the body that hurt him. Perez all over him with punches and Lopez just basically stopped fighting back. Ref stepped in and stopped it before Lopez even went down.

Official result – Alejandro Perez (20-6-1) by TKO (punches) at 3:42 of the 2nd round

> Arjan Bhullar (7-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Adam Wieczorek (9-1, 1-0 UFC)
Heavyweights

Bhullar got a takedown almost immediately. He wasn’t terribly active on the ground but did land some punches to the head and body. Wieczorek threw some futile elbows from his back. Ref stood them up with about 45 seconds left without even warning, probably because the crowd was booing. Easy 10-9 for Bhullar

Bhullar rocked Wieczorek with punches early and then got a takedown. He was looking to do the same as the first when, from out of nowhere, Wieczorek was able to reverse and secure an Oma Plata for the submission, just the second time in UFC that someone won with that move. 

Official result – Adam Wieczorek (10-1) by submission (Oma Plata) at 1:59 of the 2nd round

> Dhiego Lima (12-6, 1-4 UFC) vs. Yushin Okami (34-11, 13-6 UFC)
Welterweights

Okami got an early takedown and basically held Lima down for the rest of the round.Okami did just enough to avoid a standup…maybe not enough honestly as a lot of refs would’ve stood this up but this was a relatively new official named Nic Jones. 10-9 Okami

It took a little longer for Okami to get him down this round but once he did, he basically held Lima there. Lima did get up at one point but Okami maintained control of his body and eventually took the back standing. Another 10-9 Okami, and 20-18 overall

Okami took him down 30 seconds in and, while Lima was able to briefly get up a few times, he basically held him down the entire round. Okami was a little more active this round, especially toward the end, and probably did enough to get a 10-8 and 30-26 overall

Official result – Yushin Okami (35-11) by decision (30-26 x 3)

> Shana Dobson (3-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Lauren Mueller (4-0, 0-0 UFC)
Women’s Flyweights

First round entirely on the feet. Mueller was more active and seemed to do more damage as well although Dobson did land a lot of nice shots. Dobson was stuffed on the only takedown attempt of the round. Mueller did have some swelling around her nose as the round ended. 10-9 Mueller

Another round that was exclusively on the feet. Mueller pressed the action the whole way but Dobson was landing far more strikes. Mueller did come on at the end of the round to make it closer but not enough to steal the round. 10-9 Dobson, 19-19 overall

Mueller did some damage with punches early and Dobson landed a takedown in desparation. She wasn’t able to do much on the ground and Mueller was able to get to her feet. Mueller got a knockdown and spent some time in guard but didn’t do a lot. Dobson got back up and Mueller got a takedown after that. Dobson was up quickly and hurt Mueller with shots to the body in the last minute. Very close but I gave the third round to Mueller 10-9 and 29-28 overall for Mueller

Official result – Lauren Mueller (5-0) by unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)

> Gilbert Burns (13-2, 5-2 UFC) vs. Dan Moret (13-3, 0-0 UFC)
Lightweights

Burns was throwing a lot of power shots early but Moret was more effective iwth combinations. With about 2 minutes left, Moret had Burns in trouble with a flurry of punches and Burns got a desparation takedown. He gathered his wits and held Moret down for most of the rest of the round and did a lot of ground and pound late to cinch it. 10-9 Burns

Burns hurt Moret with a punch combo that backed him up and just did let up. A beautiful uppercut/straight cross combo dropped Moret as his legs buckled underneath him and Burns just stopped punching before the ref even stepped in.

Official result – Gilbert Burns (14-2) by KO (punches) at 59 seconds of the 2nd round

FOX PRELIMS | 6 PM ET/3 PM PT

> Krzysztof Jotko (#13, 19-3, 6-3 UFC) vs. Brad Tavares (#15, 16-4, 11-4 UFC)
Middleweights

Kind of a boring first round. Neither guy threw much of anything for the first 90 seconds. Tavares was more active after that but with about 2 minutes left, Jotko started to find his range. Each tried a takedown and Tavares did get one with about 15 seconds left but Jotko got right up. You could almost flip a coin. 10-9 Jotko although you could easily say 10-10

Tavares landed a flying knee followed by a punch combo early that rocked Jotko. After that they were clinched up on the cage for most of the round doing nothing and the ref never even threatend to break them up. They finally separated on their own in the last minute. Tavares landing another nice knee but that was pretty much it. Boring fight. 10-9 Tavares, 19-19

Jotko was looking better in the third, landing a couple of high kicks. Then Tavares dropped him with a punch out of nowhere and then pounced on him with a flurry of punches on the ground to get the stoppage. 

Official result – Brad Tavares (17-4) by TKO (punches) at 2:16 of the 3rd round

That was the first stoppage win for Tavares since Phil Baroni in 2011. He should go into the top 10 with his 4th straight win and he called out Michael Bisping at UFC 226, which is on July 7th, so the same card as the previous callout. Seems awfully conveninent. I can’t see Bisping taking that fight for a variety of reasons. 

> Wilson Reis (#6, 22-8, 6-4 UFC) vs. John Moraga (#10, 18-6, 7-5 UFC)
Flyweights

Fun first round. Moraga had the better striking early. Reis missed a couple of takedown attempts and on the third, Moraga grabbed a front choke. Reis ended up completing it but Moraga held onto the choke. By the time he let it go, Reis was in side control. They eventually got back to the feet and then Reis got another takedown. Moraga reversed into top position, Reis worked to his feet and then got another takedown, finishing the round in mount. 10-9 Reis

Reis got an early takedown but didn’t do much with it. Moraga landed a flying knee and followed up with a punch combo but Reis took him down again. Reis wasn’t doing a ton on the ground but was working for a submission in the last minute. Moraga reversed into top position and ended the round on top, landing punches. 10-9 Reis, 20-18 overall but round 2 was close

Third round was all Reis. He took Moraga down at least 3 times and did more damage on the ground than he had in either of the first two round. He was working submissions in the last minutes in addition to landing punches to the head. Round 2 was close but he should take the fight easily. 10-9 Reis, 30-27 overall

Offical result – John Moraga (19-6) by unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)

> Muslim Salikhov (12-2, 0-1 UFC) vs. Ricky Rainey (13-4, 0-0 UFC)
Welterweights

Close first round that was entirely standup. Salikhov was trying all kinds of spinning moves and did land a couple but didn’t do a ton of damage. Both had takedown attempts. Rainey landed the best punch of the fight but didn’t follow up on it. 10-9 Salikhov but very close

Rainey was looking a little better, pressing the action for the whole round. He wasn’t landing much though. Then Salikhov dropped him face first with what looked like a glancing blow and finished him with two hard shots right to the face on the ground. It looked like an early stoppage on first viewing but on the replay you could see he was clearly out and not defending. 

Official result – Muslim Salikhov (13-2) by KO (punch) at 4:12 of the 2nd round

> Tim Boetsch (21-11, 12-10 UFC) vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (9-2 1 NC, 6-2 1 NC UFC)
Middleweights

Carlos Junior looked great here. He was landing all kinds of shots on the feet and then took down the All-American wrestler Boetsch. He wasted no time in taking the back and landing some punches to the head to set up a rear naked choke. Once he secured it, Boetsch tapped quickly and Carlos Junior picked up his fifth straight win. 

Official result – Antonio Carlos Junior (10-2) by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:28

Junior should get a top 10 opponent next and can’t be more than 1 or 2 wins away from a title shot. This was, by far, the biggest win of his career and Boetsch came in having won 3 of his last 4 so he’s no pushover. 

FOX MAIN CARD | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Michelle Waterson (#7, 14-6, 2-2 UFC) vs. Cortney Casey (#10, 7-5, 3-4 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

Casey was getting the better of the standup, landing several really nice combinations. Waterson’s main weapon was leg kicks but she didn’t land enough of them. Waterson managed a takedown with a minute left but Casey was active from her back, getting close on a triangle attempt. Waterson did some ground and pound but not enough to steal the round. 10-9 Casey 

Waterson got the takedown much earlier and held Casey down almost the entire round. Casey was going for submission and at one point had both a triangle and an armbar but Waterson escaped everything. They won’t close enough to make up for the fact that Casey spend so much time on her back though. Waterson stood up on her own with 30 seconds left and Casey followed her. Waterson dropped her with a front kick right before the bell. 10-9 Waterson, 19-19 after 2

Great round and a great fight. Waterson got a takedown 2 minutes in. Casey was again going for submissions, getting real close a couple of times. Waterson stood up on her own and Waterson followed. Both were landing good shots on the feet. Casey stuffed a takedown with a minute left and ended up taking the back. She got close with a rear naked choke and then secured a tight armbar just before the fight ended. 15 seconds more and Waterson probably has to tap. 10-9 Casey, 29-28 overall

Official result – Michelle Waterson (15-6) by split decision (29-28 x 2; 28-29)

> Israel Adesanya (12-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Marvin Vettori (12-3-1, 2-1-1 UFC)
Middleweights

Vettori was advancing most of the round and did land a lot of shots but he missed even more. Adesanya was very measured, maybe too much so, as he seemed to be willing to take shots just to figure out the timing of Vettori. It was close but I thought Vettori did more and took the round. 10-9 Vettori

Adesanya landed a lot more in the 2nd round and Vettori looked very confused at times. A body punch combo really seemed to hurt Vettori at one point but he stayed in there. Adesanya seemed to enjoy just making Vettori miss him and seemed to be showboating at times but easily took the second. 10-9 Adesanya, 19-19 overall

Vettori managed an early takedown and held Adesanya down the majority of the round. He did some ground and pound but not a lot. Ref Herb Dean warned them to work at least 5 times but never separated them until after Adesanya had stood them up and they were clinched on the cage. Standup was fairly even after that as Vettori never stopped throwing, even though he was clearly dog-tired. 10-9 Vettori, 29-28 overall

Official result – Israel Adesanya (13-0) by split decision (29-28 x 2; 28-29)

Adesanya has a definite hole in his game that he needs to patch up. He said he wasn’t happy with the win in his post-fight promo. He asked for another fight soon and he promised to be better next time. 

> Carlos Condit (#12, 30-11, 7-7 UFC) vs. Alex Oliveira (18-4-1 2 NC, 7-3 1 NC UFC)
Welterweights

Oliveira was getting the better of the standup and then he got a takedown midway through the round. He didn’t do a lot on the ground although he was trying to advance. Condit got to his feet and got a takedown of his own with a minute left. Condit took the back and was working for a rear naked choke, getting very close to a finish. Oliveira fought it off and Condit was landing punches as the round ended. 10-9 Condit

Oliveira gets a takedown 15 seconds in. Oliveira stands up at 45 seconds and eats some upkicks from Condit before backing off and letting him up. Oliveira takes him down again at 1:00. Condit trying to get to his feet and eating elbows but he makes it and then takes Oliveira right down. Condit bleeding badly from the elbows . Condit landing elbows and punches but Oliveira tying him up with a body lock. Condit stands up at 2:30 but Oliveira stays on his back. Oliveira to his feet and grabs a standing guillotine at 2:45. Oliveira drags him down to the canvas at 3:00 and Condit eventually taps.

Official result – ALEX OLIVEIRA (19-5-1) by submission (guillotine choke) at 3:17 of the 2nd round

> Dustin Poirier (#5, 22-5 1 NC, 14-4 1 NC UFC) vs. Justin Gaethje (#6, 18-1, 1-1 UFC)
Lightweights

Outstanding first round. Both guys throwing at an incredible pace. Poirier landed all kinds of combo, mixing in body punches with head strikes and Gaethje threw a ton of leg kicks that were really bothering Poirier. Gaethje had a cut under his left eye bleeding pretty badly and Poirier was cut on his right temple. 10-9 Poirier

Not quite the pace of the first but not far off. At one point the significant strikes count was 121-61 for Poirier and he’d landed 65% of his strikes thrown. He had to switch stances because of the legs kick landed and between rounds, the leg was hurting a lot. Gaethje closed the round with a crazy wheelbarrow kick and the crowd was loving every second of this. 10-9 Poirier, 20-18 overall

Gaethje come out stronger for round 3. The standup was more even except for the leg kicks, which Gaethje was landing at will, up to 37 by the end of the round. The big story of the round was that Gaethje was deducted a point for an eye poke, his 2nd of the fight. Poirier had an eye poke of his own at the end of hte round. 9-9 with the poiont deduction and 29-27 Poirier after 3

Poirier came out firing and was all over Gaethje. Gaethje was not even defending but wouldn’t go down. Poirier wouldn’t let up, landing all kinds of shots and eventually Gaethje dropped. Herb Dean let it go on as long as he could and it was a perfect stoppage. 

Official result – Dustin Poirier (23-5) by TKO (punches) at 33 seconds of the 4th round

Poirier asks the crowd to cheer him and Gaethje even though they were booing him the whole fight and they obliged. Poirier asks for a title shot with Khabib Nurmagomedov and he’s never had one and has definitely earned one with his 10th stoppage win since 2011, tied for 2nd in any weight class. 

UFC on FOX 27 draws lowest overnight ratings in series history

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Saturday night’s UFC on FOX show headlined by Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza’s first round win over Derek Brunson did 1.59 million viewers based on the overnight ratings.

The number would be the lowest overnight rating in the history of the series as the previous low was the July 22nd show with Chris Weidman vs. Kelvin Gastelum that did 1.64 million viewers.

Making it worse is that the winter number are historically stronger for UFC than the summer numbers.

The number isn’t a surprise, since the show looked to be the weakest UFC on FOX event based on marquee star power, with no names on the undercard having any strong name value.

FOX finished in last place among the networks in total viewers, and even in the 18-49 demo, where the show did a 0.5, it placed third among the four networks.

The Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics game on ABC did a 1.3 in the 18-49 demo and 3.70 million viewers.

The final number, which comes out on Tuesday, will rise based on including the West Coast, which the overnights only measure FOX stations from 8-10 p.m. and the show aired 5-7 p.m. on the West Coast. But the gain will be less than usual since the main event only went one round. For a UFC on FOX special, the highest ratings are traditionally after 10 p.m. and the longer the main event, the better for the final ratings.

UFC on FOX 26 does lowest December ratings in series history

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Last night’s UFC on FOX show headlined by Rafael dos Anjos’ win over Robbie Lawler, with a welterweight title shot at stake, did 1.78 million viewers on the fast nationals, which would be the lowest December rating in the history of the series and third lowest ever.

The Winnipeg show was down 34 percent from last year’s unusually high fast nationals number for a card featuring Michelle Waterson vs. Paige VanZant and Urijah Faber’s retirement fight against Brad Pickett.

While that’s not a fair comparison, it was down 21-22 percent from the first reported figure for the 2013 to 2015 shows at the same time of the year.

Lawler in particular is a well known fighter, a former welterweight champion who has been pushed as a star since he was a teenager in UFC, Strikeforce, and Elite XC, winning UFC and Elite XC titles. He’s also won an unprecedented three straight matches of the year, with his 2014 fight with Johny Hendricks, his 2015 fight with Rory MacDonald, and his 2016 fight with Carlos Condit. Dos Anjos is a former lightweight champion who is unbeaten as a welterweight.

Dos Anjos won a five-round decision to make him the top contender for Tyron Woodley’s belt.

The fast nationals only measure 8-10 p.m. for FOX, and also don’t measure the West Coast since it covers prime time and the fight airing live on the West Coast was out of what is considered prime time. The final three rounds of the main event aired after 10 p.m. so the final number should grow to closer to 2 million.

UFC on Fox 25 Observer Panel Picks: Chris Weidman vs. Kelvin Gastelum

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

UFC is back on Fox on Saturday with four+ hours of fights featuring the promotion’s debut at Long Island’s Nassau Coliseum, headlined by middleweight title contender Kelvin Gastelum taking on former champ and hometown boy Chris Weidman in a bout that could determine a future challenger for the 185-pound title.

Featherweights take the co-main event spot as Darren Elkins will try to keep an impressive streak going as he does battle with former TUF finalist and local fighter Dennis Bermudez.

Yet another local fighter, Gian Villante, meets former barista Patrick Cummins in a light heavyweight fight while Jimmie Rivera meets Thomas Almeida in a must-see bantamweight tilt.

For the fifth fight of our panel picks, we’re starting early with the show-opening fight featuring a pair of local lightweights with Chris Wade vs. Frankie Perez.

Panel picks are listed below with the panelist’s 2017 records is in parentheses. Listed alongside the fighter’s names are their worldwide FightMatrix rankings, as well as BestFightOdds.com betting odds. We also have panel consensus picks as well as a line where we show how the betting favorites did:

  • John Pollock (35-16; .686) — new dad, Fight Network analyst, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, MMA Report co-host
  • Favorites (35-16; .686)
  • Dave Meltzer (33-18; .647) — Wrestling Observer publisher
  • Consensus Picks (32-18; .640)
  • David Bixenspan (32-19; .627) – Deadspin pro wrestling columnist; Between the Sheets podcast host
  • Mike Sempervive (31-20; .608) — Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
  • Mike Sawyer (30-21; .588) — Tough Talk MMA publisher
  • Steve Juon (30-21; .588) — MMA Mania writer, Angry Marks publisher
  • Josh Nason (30-21; .588) — Host of Josh Nason’s Punch Out, WrestlingObserver.com assistant editor
  • Tom Lawlor (8-6; .571) – Co-host Filthy Four Daily; pro wrestling undercard fighter; UFC enhancement talent currently suspended due to wellness violation
  • Ryan Frederick (28-23; .549) — WrestlingObserver.com UFC writer
  • Paul Fontaine (26-25; .510) — MMADraws.com publisher, WrestlingObserver.com writer
  • Front Row Brian (25-26; .490) — MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, podcast host

> Chris Weidman (13-3) vs Kelvin Gastelum
MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Weidman has lost three straight after starting his career with an impressive 13-fight win streak that took him all the way to the UFC title and three successful defences. Now, he’s on the verge of being knocked out of contention thought and badly needs a win here. After having highly publicized weight issues after previous competing at welterweight, former TUF winner Kelvin Gastelum — who won that tournament at 185 — will add his name to a growing list of potential title challengers if he gets a win here.

It’s an intriguing fight with a lot on the line and somewhat surprisingly, the oddsmakers have Weidman as a slight underdog.

  • Weidman #7; +148 betting underdog: Frederick, Lawlor, Pollock, Fontaine, Nason, Meltzer
  • Gastelum #10; -155 betting favorite: FRB, Juon, Sawyer, Sempervive, Bixenspan

> Darren Elkins (22-5) vs Dennis Bermudez (16-6)
FEATHERWEIGHTS

Elkins has been on the most impressive run of his career, completely dominating each of his last four fights including a late 3rd round stoppage win over heavily favoured Mirsak Bektic in his last fight. Despite that fact, he finds himself in the underdog position against Bermudez here. Bermudez is coming off a stunning first round KO loss at the hands of The Korean Zombie, which was his third stoppage loss in the last five fights. He needs a win here to remain relevant in the division and to do so, he’ll have to find a way to stop the mauling that Elkins will attempt to put on him.

  • Elkins #7; +188 betting underdog: Juon, Fontaine, Bixenspan
  • Bermudez #25; -199 betting favorite: Frederick, FRB, Lawlor, Sawyer, Pollock, Sempervive, Nason, Meltzer

> Gian Villante (16-6) vs Patrick Cummins (9-4)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

After picking up an impressive KO win in his first fight in his home state in his pro career, Villante suffered a setback in being KO’d by former champion Shogun Rua in Brazil earlier this year. Villante had his moments in that fight, however, and will need all the power at his disposal to smother the wrestling game of Cummins. The guy famous for fighting Daniel Cormier on short notice has lost 3 of his last 5 and shown vulnerability to the KO, being finished in all of his losses. Another loss here could send him packing.

  • Villante #27; -152 betting favorite: Frederick, FRB, Lawlor, Sawyer, Sempervive, Fontaine, Bixenspan
  • Cummins #28; +145 betting underdog: Juon, Pollock, Nason, Meltzer

> Jimmie Rivera (20-1) vs Thomas Almeida (22-1)
BANTAMWEIGHTS

Rivera dominated former WEC champ Urijah Faber in his last fight to pick up his fourth straight UFC win and 19th in a row overall. The former WEC and Bellator veteran made the most of his second chance in the UFC after dropping an exhibition fight to Dennis Bermudez on the TUF 14 show and now finds himself on the fringe of title contention.

Almeida started his career with 21 straight wins before running into current divisional champ Cody Garbrandt in the main event of an FS1 show last May. He rebounded to KO Albert Morales in his last fight and hopes to keep that run going and eventually get a rematch with the champion.

  • Rivera #4; -187 betting favorite: Frederick, FRB, Lawlor, Sawyer, Pollock, Sempervive, Fontaine, Bixenspan, Meltzer
  • Almeida #28; +175 betting underdog: Juon, Nason

> Chris Wade (11-3) vs Frankie Perez (10-3)
Lightweights

Perez briefly retired after picking up his first UFC win against Sam Stout two years ago in Saskatoon. He returned last December and dropped a decision to Marc Diakese but hopes to rebound here close to his home of New Jersey.

New York State’s own Wade will attempt to kick off the show with a win for the locals in a show stacked with New York fighters. He’s lost two in a row after opening his UFC career with four straight wins and this could be his last chance to keep collecting checks from UFC.

  • Wade #107; -278 betting favorite: Frederick, FRB, Juon, Sawyer, Pollock, Sempervive, Fontaine, Bixenspan, Nason, Meltzer
  • Perez #295; +290 betting underdog: Lawlor

**********

The rest of the card:

> Lyman Good (19-3) vs Elizeu Zaleski (16-5)
WELTERWEIGHTS

  • Good NR; -155 betting favorite
  • Zaleski; #49; +160 betting underdog

> Rafael Natal (21-8-1) vs Eryk Anders (8-0)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS

  • Natal #32; +105 betting underdog
  • Anders #159; -115 betting favorite

> Ryan LaFlare (13-1) vs Alex Oliveira (17-4-1)
WELTERWEIGHTS

  • LaFlare #23; -175 betting favorite
  • Oliveira #13; +165 betting underdog

> Damian Grabowski (20-4) vs Chase Sherman (10-3)

HEAVYWEIGHTS

  • Grabowski #83; +220 betting underdog
  • Sherman #161; -235 betting favorite

> Kyle Bochniak (7-1) vs Jeremy Kennedy (10-0)
FEATHERWEIGHTS

  • Bochniak #202; +225 betting underdog
  • Kennedy #52; -240 betting favorite

> Brian Kelleher (17-7) vs Marlon Vera (11-3-1)
BANTAMWEIGHTS

  • Kelleher #11; -205 betting favorite
  • Vera #50; +195 betting underdog

> Timothy Johnson (11-3) vs Junior Albini (13-2)
HEAVYWEIGHTS

  • Johnson #24; -225 betting favorite
  • Albini #146; +215 betting underdog

Shane Burgos (9-0) vs Godofredo Pepey (13-4)
FEATHERWEIGHTS

  • Burgos #58; -333 betting favorite
  • Pepey #44; +355 betting underdog

Action begins with the Fight Pass prelims at 4:00 PM EST and moves over to Fox at 6 PM EST. The main card also airs on Fox at 8 PM EST, and will be covered by our own Ryan Frederick.

UFC on FOX 24 posts lowest overnight ratings in show history

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Even though Demetrious Johnson was going for his record-tying 10th consecutive title defense, and Michelle Waterson was coming off winning a main event that did big numbers, last night’s UFC on FOX show did the lowest numbers on the overnights in history.

Johnson’s third round win over Wilson Reis did 1.74 million viewers on the overnights, down 18 percent from last April’s Glover Teixeira vs. Rashad Evans main event, and down 28 percent from the numbers Luke Rockhold vs. Lyoto Machida pulled two years ago.

FOX drew the least amount of viewers in prime time last night of the four major networks last night. But they tied the NHL playoff game with the Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators for second place in the 18-49 demo, with a 0.6.

The audience number will increase when the final ratings come out Monday or Tuesday. The 1.74 million measures what is on during the 8-10 p.m. slot on the West Coast, which was local programming. It also doesn’t measure the period after 10 p.m., when most of the main event took place, and is almost always the most-watched portion of the show.

It was Johnson’s fourth time to headline on FOX, and his prior numbers on the overnights ranged from 2.04 million to 3.77 million. Waterson’s last fight, a win over Paige VanZant in December, drew the best UFC on FOX numbers for a live show in several years.

JNPO: Sean Wheelock on UFC Kansas City, NY commission issues

Posted on by Josh Nason

With a week in which UFC returns to the Midwest and questions about New York’s athletic commissions are swirling, who better to talk about it all than former Bellator play-by-play man, author, and Kansas Athletic Commission member Sean Wheelock?

On a packed 90-minute edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, your host Josh Nason and Sean jumped around the MMA map. A few points of discussion:

– Sean’s current gigs with MMA & boxing and what he takes into consideration when a new company comes calling

– What he thought when Bjorn Rebney reappeared as an MMA association lead and what’s next for him

– Whether time has changed his mind on his surprise release from Bellator MMA

– His thoughts on the current Mauro Ranallo/WWE situation

– The move of his podcast with Ben Askren and Joe Warren to Podcast One

– What he saw happening last Saturday at UFC 210 with the Chris Weidman/NY State Athletic Commission clusterf*ck

– A look at ahead to this Saturday’s UFC on Fox show in Kansas City, MO

– The plight of the UFC flyweight division…and plenty more.

Click below to listen or right-click to download:


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***As mentioned on the show, here is Dave & Bryan’s December 2015 interview with Sean, and their talk with Art Davie from August 2014.

Banned substance knocks Lyoto Machida out of Dan Henderson rematch

Posted on by Josh Nason

In a shocker, former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida (22-7) is out of his Saturday UFC on Fox tilt against Dan Henderson due to out-of-competition use of a banned substance. 

UFC released the following Wednesday:

“The UFC organization was made aware today by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency  (USADA), the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, that Lyoto Machida declared the usage of a banned substance during an out-of-competition sample collection last week. Machida stated that he was unaware that the substance was prohibited both in and out of competition and, in accordance with the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, his disclosure of usage will be taken into consideration by USADA during any potential results management and adjudication process.

Given this information, UFC officials have elected to remove Machida from his scheduled bout against Dan Henderson this Saturday in Tampa, Fla. Henderson will be re-booked for a new bout in the near future.”

This is the first drug test failure for the 13-year fighter. The 37-year-old was looking to snap a two-fight losing streak against Henderson, whom he had beaten by split decision in February 2013.

The main card has been decimated by injury and now, this. The main card on Fox is expected to now be:

– Rashad Evans vs. Glover Teixeira
– Rose Namajunas vs. Tecia Torres
– Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Darrell Horcher
– Cub Swanson vs. Hacran Dias

While Machida hasn’t commented publicly yet, Henderson did on Twitter:

P.O.S. -No respect https://t.co/03O5oM7sM9

— Dan Henderson (@danhendo) April 13, 2016

UFC on FOX: Rumble vs. Bader brings in 2.43 million viewers

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Additional reporting by Paul Fontaine

Saturday night’s UFC on FOX show, headlined by Anthony “Rumble” Johnson’s 86 second knockout win over Ryan Bader, did 2.43 million viewers and an 0.8 in the 18-49 demo based on the overnight ratings.

Due to the nature of live sports and the way ratings are measured, that number doesn’t figure West Coast viewership so the number will rise somewhat.  The show ended at 10 PM EST with the main event ending at about 9:50 p.m. so the usual late gain from the main event not being figured in won’t be there. Last year’s January show did 2.82 million viewers on the initial overnight rating and the final number came in at 3.049 million viewers. If this year’s number increases by the same percentage, the number should fall somewhere in the 2.6 to 2.7 million range.

That would be the lowest number that UFC on FOX show has done since the July 26, 2014 show headlined by Robbie Lawler vs Matt Brown. It would also be the lowest number that UFC has ever done for a January show. The previous low was last year’s show on January 24th, headlined by Johnson knocking out Alexander Gustaffson in the first round.

In fact, the January number has fallen every year since UFC on FOX 2 in January 2012. That show did 4.7 million viewers for the show headlined by Rashad Evans over Phil Davis. UFC on FOX 6 in January 2013 did 4.22 million for a Demetrious Johnson-John Dodson flyweight title fight and Rampage Jackson in the co-main. The 2014 show, UFC on FOX 10, headlined by Benson Henderson vs Josh Thomson did 3.2 million viewers and then last year’s show at 3.049 million.

FOX is likely to end up as the lowest total viewing audience among the networks, although it may beat CBS with rerun programming.  In the demo,
it will likely end up second place behind ABC, which had live NBA programming.

UFC On FOX 18 DFS Playbook: value picks, who to avoid

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

The Octagon returns to Newark, New Jersey on Saturday night for UFC On FOX 18. The event is headlined by a five-round light heavyweight bout between Anthony Johnson and Ryan Bader. Below are our studs, value plays and fighters to avoid for UFC On FOX 18 to help you fill out your line-ups for your daily fantasy games.

STUDS

Sage Northcutt ($11,000)

Sage Northcutt has the highest salary of all 26 fighters on the card, and for good reason. He enters Saturday night with a perfect 7-0 record, with all wins by finish, and five in the first round. He fights a short-notice replacement, and is up a weight class due to the late switch, meaning no need to cut as much weight. He should be plenty fresh, which is good coming six weeks after his most recent fight. He has a real opponent in this bout in Bryan Barberena, who is 10-3 and has won seven of his last eight fights. This is Northcutt’s biggest test, but he has passed them all so far, and Barberena is taking the fight on short notice after starting preparations to fight in a month. If Northcutt is as good as he has been, he should get a finish here.

Randy Brown ($10,500)

Randy Brown is coming into his UFC debut with a little bit of fame after being featured on the first episode of Dana White’s “Looking For A Fight” television show. He has a perfect 6-0 record in less than two years as a professional fighter, and all six wins have come by stoppage. He is a very solid prospect, but he may be in the UFC just a little quick, but that is to be expected within the next several months. He gets a lower-level opponent in Matt Dwyer, who is tough but is just 1-2 inside the Octagon. Brown is a good bet to score some solid points and get a finish, and he is one of our top plays on an action-packed card.

VALUE PLAYS

Jake Ellenberger ($8,800)

There is zero question that Jake Ellenberger is struggling in the Octagon. He has just one win in his last five fights, and that was over a past his prime Josh Koscheck. Worst of all, Ellenberger has been finished in his last three losses. It’s a skid like that which makes Ellenberger an underdog on Saturday against Tarec Saffiedine. Saffiedine hasn’t fought since October 2014, and big injury issues have limited him to just two fights in the last three years. Ring rust could be a pivotal factor for Saffiedine, but Ellenberger’s chin, or perhaps lack of, could be a major factor as well. If you’re looking to spend up and need a cheap option, Ellenberger has good value at his salary.

Ryan Bader ($8,500)

It is crazy to think that Ryan Bader has the second lowest salary of the fighters on the card even though he has a five-fight win streak. He is getting greatly undervalued, especially considering he is in a five-round bout, which gives him more of an edge when it comes to scoring points with the extra ten minutes. He has a tough opponent in Anthony Johnson, who has knockout power. Johnson also tends to crumble when he is pressured by a wrestler, and Bader has a style to grind the fight out. Bader can also find submissions if there are openings, and Johnson leaves himself open a lot if he is being dominated on the mat. Bader is definitely worth looking at with his salary, and he has a good chance at scoring the upset.

FIGHTERS TO AVOID

Olivier Aubin-Mercier ($10,400)

Let’s start this off by saying that odds are pretty good that Olivier Aubin-Mercier walks away with a win. He is fighting a short notice opponent, has looked good in winning three straight, and is a solid prospect. Here is why I would avoid him. I see the fight going like his last bout, a win over Tony Sims. He won by a decision and scored six takedowns, all getting solid points. However, he landed just three significant strikes in that fight, good for 1.5 points. There are a lot better options with a similar salary. I don’t see him finishing Ferreira, but a grinding win is likely here. Being the case, I’m avoiding him on my rosters.

Kevin Casey ($9,500)

Kevin Casey has a middle of the road salary for Saturday night, and he is unbeaten since returning to the UFC. Granted, two of his three fights have been no contests- one, which was a win that was overturned after a failed drug test, and his most recent fight ended in a no contest after just 11 seconds after he was poked in the eyes. That happened just six weeks ago, and it remains to be seen if there will be any lingering damage. He has a tough opponent in Rafael Natal who is climbing up the middleweight rankings. Casey has a tough matchup, is coming back from tough circumstances, and is unlikely to finish Natal, even if he may get a win. I suggest avoiding him in your lineups.

OUR LINE-UPS

RYAN FREDERICK- Sage Northcutt ($11,000), Randy Brown ($10,500), Josh Barnett ($10,100), Rafael Natal ($9,900), Ryan Bader ($8,500)

I like Sage Northcutt to continue his undefeated streak and score a finish against a late replacement. Bryan Barberena will be tough but Northcutt really is a skilled fighter. It’ll get tougher from here for sure. I see Randy Brown getting a finish in his UFC debut. He has a good skillset and is a good prospect. Josh Barnett is another pick as I have him winning over Ben Rothwell, and I think a submission win is a good bet as he should be able to take Rothwell down. Rafael Natal is a pick I had to think about. I have him winning, but I don’t know if it’ll be by decision or a finish. I think he has a good shot at submitting Kevin Casey, but not overly confident he will finish him. I just see him as the best option with what I had left. Lastly, I’m going with Ryan Bader. His salary helped pick some higher-priced fighters, and I think if he can push a grinding fight, he has a good shot at submitting Anthony Johnson, or at worst, getting a decision win, and the extra ten minutes would add to the point totals.

PAUL FONTAINE- Sage Northcutt ($11,000), Olivier Aubin-Mercier ($10,400), Dustin Ortiz ($10,300), Felipe Olivieri ($9,400), Jake Ellenberger ($8,800)

Sage Northcutt is going to finish Bryan Barbarena. Everyone watching this show knows this and he’s a no-brainer for the team. Fighting at 170 could be to his advantage as he should have more power at that weight and his frame can certainly sustain it. Barbarena is taking the biggest fight of his life on short notice here and it should be a quick win for Zach Morris 2.0. Aubin-Mercier has been constantly improving since losing to Chad Laprise in his official UFC debut by split decision at the TUF Nations finale. He should grind out a late submission or possibly a dominant decision win here as he continues his rise up the lightweight rankings. Ortiz is one of the few flyweights with KO power and I like him to finish Wilson Reis. Ortiz’ only two UFC losses were to Joseph Benavidez and John Moraga and Reis isn’t in the class of either of those two. Ellenberger-Saffiedine is interesting. Ellenberger has been the more active fighter recently but he’s also on a slide. Saffiedine hasn’t fought in 15 months since suffering a KO loss to Rory McDonald. I like Ellenberger to rebound with a KO but I am going on a bit of a limb here as you sometimes have to do to get everyone in under the $50,000 cap. My last pick is someone making his UFC debut in Felipe Oliveri. He’s a finisher, having ran up 4 first round KO’s in his last 5 fights. His opponent Tony Martin has been finished in two of his 3 UFC losses. Oliveri scores another quick win here and probably sends Martin packing from UFC.

PEACH MACHINE- Anthony Johnson ($10,900), Alex Caceres ($10,800), Jimmie Rivera ($10,200), Jake Ellenberger ($8,800), Bryan Barberena ($8,400)

I like Johnson to KO Bader. As in, I’d love it. Bader has been such a disappointment. That said, I could see him exposing Rumble if he can make this a grinder. I don’t think he will though… Barbarena is tough and I was thoroughly unimpressed by Northcutt’s most recent outing… Bruce Leroy Caceres should be able to handle the guy on Sherdog who doesn’t have a profile pic. He has to, as he’s lost 3 in a row and needs a win badly here… I really like Jimmie Rivera. He’s on a 16 fight win streak, and Alcantara is not that good… I’m taking Ellenberger because I’m low on cash and don’t really like anyone else I can afford. 

Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: Jim Genia on MMA in New York, UFC on Fox, Ronda on SNL, more

Posted on by Josh Nason

With MMA’s legalization in New York delayed a bit longer this past week and with UFC touching down in New Jersey, who better to talk to about the MMA scene in the Empire State than New York-based MMA journalist and author Jim Genia?

Jim dropped by the 31st edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out with the following items on the menu:

– How Jim got into MMA writing

– His thoughts on Ronda Rousey’s debut on Saturday Night Live and the subsequent vitriol that erupted online

– The mess that was the former UFC 196 and thoughts on the roles of both Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez

– Whether Jim thinks Velasquez is past his “expiration date” as a fighter

– A detailed look at what this past week meant for MMA being legalized in New York, and what he’s learned in over 10 years of covering the case.

– His memories of seeing Frankie Edgar, Jon Jones, Chris Weidman and Aljamain Sterling on the regional scene and their current plight today

– Our thoughts on some of the action coming up on Fox in Newark, NJ….and more!

Take a look at Jim’s coverage here, here, and here, buy his book, and then click below to listen to the show:

*****

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Ratings for UFC on FOX 17 disappointing

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

The fast national ratings for Saturday’s UFC on FOX were disappointing as the show did a 0.9 in the key 18-49 demo and 2.28 million viewers.

Keep in mind that this number covers what the FOX affiliates did between 8-10 p.m. Eastern, 7-9 p.m. Central, 6-8 p.m. Mountain and 8-10 p.m. Pacific time.  That means it doesn’t include the main event, which started at about 10 p.m. and figures in West Coast programming that wasn’t the UFC which aired from 5-7 p.m. Pacific.

With the short main event, the growth from these numbers is unlikely to be as much as in most past FOX shows.

The number was weak for a football season number for a UFC show, and more along the lines of a summer show. Also, UFC usually wins the 18-49 demo with the networks and here, it finished third as both ABC and CBS are listed as doing 1.1 for prelim numbers with ABC running the Democratic Debate (6.71 million viewers) and CBS running an NCIS repeat (5.15 million), a Criminal Minds repeat (5.20 million) and a 48 Hours repeat (5.80 million). FOX only beat NBC, which aired The Wiz repeat that did a 0.4 in the demo and 1.59 million viewers.

The UFC also had to compete with an NFL game (Cowboys vs. Jets) on NFL Network, as well as people going to the movies to see the new Star Wars movie which has been crushing all-time box office numbers since it came out Thursday night.

Actual numbers will be released on Monday or Tuesday.