Pontarii

Is there a way to get the exact number of attributes instead of the scale used? Kind of like Fog of War from the earlier versions.

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 4 - JUNE 2021 UFC Event Preview <img src=https://i.imgur.com/hm6j22M.png> Israel Adesanya: “My ambition is to become first ever triple champion by end of 2022” In front of a roaring Houston-crowd in the packed Toyota Center, the press conference before one of the biggest events of the year took place which brought several memorable moments for fans, the media, and everyone associated with the UFC heading into UFC 263 this Saturday. The highly anticipated headliner, which features a Light Heavyweight title bout between the recently crowned champion Israel Adesanya (21-0) and the rightful number one contender Glover Teixeira (32-7), was the topic of discussion during the press conference, with the champion leading the talk against his 10 years older challenger. “With all due respect to him [Glover Teixeira] and all of his accomplishments in the sport, but just like the saying goes; there are levels to this. And I hate to be the one breaking the news to you, Glover, but you’re not on my level. You’re what, 41 years old? And this is your second title shot? It’s impressive, of course, to see you reach this position so late in your career, but it’s also kind of sad to know that this is as far as you’ll reach in your career. I promise I’ll make it quick and not prolong your suffering when you step inside the cage against me this Saturday. I’ll send you on your merry way to retirement, old man”, said an instigating Adesanya to his opponent before the fight. The 41-year old challenger didn’t get drawn in to a war of words against the champion, instead opting to praise his opponent for his quickly reached status in the sport and to both acknowledge his status as a big betting underdog but also promising a shocking, historic upset. This Saturday’s championship bout wasn’t the only thing on Israel Adesanya’s mind this press conference, as he also talked about his future plans after making his self-proclaimed “first title defence” as the Light Heavyweight Champion. “I’ve already made history and I’ll continue making it every single time I set my foot inside the Octagon. After I defeat Glover this Saturday and successfully defend my Light Heavyweight belt, I’ll go down and whoop Darren Till’s British bum as well. And after that, the only way to go is up. I’m 100 percent looking towards the Heavyweight division and adding that belt to my collection as well. My ambition is to become the first ever triple champion before the end of next year, it doesn’t matter who the champion is, I’ll destroy them all”, said the much confident champion. The other headlining title bout this Saturday is the co-main event Women’s Flyweight Championship bout between the reigning, defending, undisputed champion and one of the all-time greatest female fighters Valentina Shevchenko (20-3) and the number three ranked challenger Lauren Murphy (14-4). Despite being the biggest betting favourite on the entire card, the 33-year old champion was adamant not to underestimate her opponent, the 37-year old veteran Murphy. “I’ve stayed champion for a long time both because of my attributes and skillset, but also for my mentality. I’ve never underestimated an opponent in my entire career, and I won’t start doing it this Saturday. Lauren Murphy is a great fighter with many impressive victories in the UFC, she is a real threat and tough opponent for anyone, I will approach this bout just like I always do with my mind focused on defending my belt and my status as champion. After that, we can discuss what’s next for me and my career”, said Valentina Shevchenko when asked about if she’s already looking past Lauren Murphy onto a potential trilogy bout with the female GOAT Amanda Nunes. Her opponent, the former Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion, said that this is her golden opportunity to earn what she has been fighting for her entire career, the chance to call herself a UFC Champion. Murphy also said she has the utmost respect for her opponent Valentina Shevchenko and her legacy in the sport, but she also stated that the champion is also human and that every human can be defeated with the right game plan and timing. Perhaps the most anticipated bout besides the main event is the main card bout between the 42-year old former WEC Featherweight Champion and one of the all-time greats in the Bantamweight division Urijah Faber (35-11) and the brash, provocative rising prospect “Sugar” Sean O’Malley (13-1), an alumni of the popular show DWCS. As expected, it was the latter who initiated the trash talk between them, as O’Malley claimed “Faber is the most overrated fighter in the entire history of the UFC”. When asked about why he thought Faber, a multiple time title challenger in the division, was overrated, O’Malley said that “he is an expert in failure and is only known in the sport for being a Conor McGregor’s, T.J. Dillashaw’s, and Dominick Cruz’s b*tch”. This in turn made Faber visibly angry, saying that “O’Malley is a hype job with zero self-realization” and that his biggest accomplishment in the sport today is “being embarrassed by a journeyman”, referring to Marlon “Chito” Vera’s, who also fights this Saturday against Marlon Moraes, victory over the 26-year old. The war of words continued throughout the press conference, with O’Malley claiming that Team Alpha Male, the well-known team of Urijah Faber, reached out to him, wanting him to join them and be their next big star, an offer O’Malley said he laughed at. Unsurprisingly, Faber disputed this, saying that O’Malley wouldn’t even be allowed to hold Team Alpha Male’s jockstraps. The eventual winner this Saturday will undoubtedly enjoy a big boost of momentum, with this hype surrounding the already intriguing bout. UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Teixeira is shaping up to be one of, if not the biggest event of the year with a stacked line-up from start to finish. Joining the two title bouts and the Faber vs. O’Malley bout on the main card is the Welterweight bout between the former Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler (28-15-1 NC), who returns to action after losing his fourth bout in a row against Neil Magny, and the 33-year old Jingliang Li (18-6), who lastly defeated Santiago Ponzinibbio with a thunderous knockout. A Marlon vs. Marlon bout between Marlon Moraes (23-8-1) and Marlon Vera (16-7-1) will open the main card portion of the event, which is a big bout for the Bantamweight landscape. The prelims are also rather stacked with an exciting Welterweight bout between two unorthodox personalities in Mike Perry (14-7) and Michel Pereira (24-11-2 NC) that serves as the headliner. We will also see a big bout in the Women’s Strawweight division as number four ranked Xiaonan Yan (13-1-1 NC) takes on number five ranked, former champion Carla Esparza (17-6). The polarizing Greg Hardy (7-3-1 NC) also takes on the Brazilian Carlos Felipe (10-1) in the Heavyweight division. UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Teixeira looks like this: Main Event Light Heavyweight Championship Bout: © Israel Adesanya vs. (#1) Glover Teixeira Co-Main Event Women's Flyweight Championship Bout: © Valentina Shevchenko vs. (#3) Lauren Murphy Main Card Bantamweight Bout: Urijah Faber vs. Sean O'Malley Welterweight Bout: (#15) Robbie Lawler vs. (#14) Jingliang Li Bantamweight Bout: (#11) Marlon Moraes vs. (#13) Marlon Vera ESPN Preliminary Card Welterweight Bout: Mike Perry vs. Michel Pereira Women’s Strawweight Bout: (#4) Xiaonan Yan vs. (#5) Carla Esparza Heavyweight Bout: Greg Hardy vs. Carlos Felipe ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Bantamweight Bout: Felipe Corales vs. Frankie Saenz Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Leah Letson vs. Zarah Fairn Dos Santos* Middleweight Bout: Abu Azaitar vs. Marcelo Guimares Zarah Fairn Dos Santos missed weight by 4lbs. She forfeited 20% of her purse to her opponent Leah Letson. Due to the lack of a higher division, she will remain in the Bantamweight division but has received a stern warning.

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 3 - JUNE 2021 UFC Event Announcement <img src=https://i.imgur.com/CpUYbuZ.png> Chimaev vs. Thompson headlines UFC-return to Stockholm, Sweden The prolific Scandinavian market will be on display next month when UFC makes its return to the region for the first time in roughly two years. The last time UFC held an event in Scandinavia was back in 2019 at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark which marked the first time the company hosted an event in the country. This time around, the ESPN-aired event will take place in a more familiar place with Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden being targeted as the venue of choice for the sixth time in UFC event history. A common practice for UFC when hosting an event in Sweden, and in particular other European countries as well, is to have one of the biggest stars from that specific nation main eventing in a big spot bout, and the ESPN-event in Sweden is no different. Perhaps the fastest rising star in recent memory and one of the most hyped fighters on the entire roster, Khamzat Chimaev (10-0) will main event for the second time in his still young UFC-career in what is expected to be a Welterweight title eliminator. His opponent is none other than the ever-so popular Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-4-1), a fighter with a compelling case for a shot at the champion Kamaru Usman’s title in his own right. Chimaev, who is putting his 10-0 undefeated record on the line, defeated fellow top ranked Welterweight Leon Edwards in his last Octagon outing, earning a clear and decisive Unanimous decision victory in his debut five rounder. He has gone from unknown and undefeated prospect to a legit title contender and one of the biggest names on the entire roster in only four UFC-bouts, a historic accomplishment for the 27-year old nicknamed “Borz”. The former kick boxing prodigy turned two-time UFC Welterweight title challenger, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson has looked sensationally good in his last two bouts, totally outclassing two rising fighters in the division in Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal respectively, making a clear statement to once again fight for the title before ending his career considering he’s edging closer towards the 40-year old mark. With no clear cut contender in the division, and with Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal pitted against each other as coaches on the ongoing TUF-season, the eventual winner between Chimaev and “Wonderboy” would most likely become the next contender for Usman’s coveted Welterweight title. Another notable Swede on the roster will have a big bout in the co-main event, with Ilir “The Sledgehammer” Latifi (15-8-1 NC) continuing his quest to earn a title shot in the Light Heavyweight division since making his return to the division earlier this year. The 37-year old Latifi earned high praise with his 46 second knockout on the veteran Nikita Krylov in his latest bout and with such a big momentum on his side, the stocky powerhouse from Malmö, Sweden has his eyes set on climbing the 205lbs rankings. His opponent in the co-main event of the ESPN-event is another 205 pounder looking to rise through the rankings and enter the top ten for the first time, Ryan “Superman” Spann (19-6). The 29-year from Beaumont, Texas has victories over several big names since earning a contract on the second season of DWCS, defeating the likes of Antonio Rogerio “Lil Nog” Nogueira, Sam Alvey, and lastly Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. His only loss to date in the UFC has come by a brutal elbow knockout from Johnny Walker last year, and many fans and experts alike has hailed Spann as a potential prospect in the division. With Latifi in the twelfth position and Spann in the fifteenth position in the rankings, a spot in the top 10 would be probable for the winner of the contest. Danish superstar and the former Olympian silver medalist Mark O. Madsen (11-0) takes on the rising prospect Thiago Moises (15-4) in the Lightweight division on the event. Madsen has been dominant in his three bouts in the Octagon, defeating Danilo Belluardo, Austin Hubbard, and Scott Holtzman respectively, relying primarily on his superior Greco-Roman wrestling. The 36-year old has been touted as a potential future champion in the division with many comparing his dominate style with the retired Khabib Nurmagomedov, and a win against a fellow prospect like Moises would be big for the Danish fighter’s career. His opponent, the 26-year old Moises, is riding a three fight win streak over big names in the 155lbs division like Michael Johnson, Bobby Green, and lastly Alexander Hernandez, and a win over perhaps the biggest prospect as well as an undefeated former Olympian would also be incredibly big for the career of the Brazilian. Filling the other announced bouts on the main card is two rising Swedish prospects in Pannie Kianzad (14-5), the former TUF-finalist, and the Swedish-Georgian Guram Kutateladze (13-2), who famously defeated the then undefeated, former KSW double champion Mateusz Gamrot in his UFC-debut. Kianzad takes on the 11-fight UFC-veteran and former Olympic medalist Sara McMann (12-6) while Kutateladze takes on a tough veteran in Leonardo Santos (18-4-1), who saw his undefeated UFC-win streak come to an end at the hands of Grant Dawson in his last bout. The announced bouts on UFC on ESPN: Chimaev vs. Thompson from Stockholm, Sweden looks like this: Main Event Welterweight Bout: (#4) Khamzat Chimaev vs. (#5) Stephen Thompson Co-Main Event Light Heavyweight Bout: (#12) Ilir Latifi vs. (#15) Ryan Spann Main Card Lightweight Bout: Mark O. Madsen vs. Thiago Moises Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#11) Pannie Kianzad vs. (#9) Sara McMann Lightweight Bout: Guram Kutateladze vs. Leonardo Santos

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 3 - JUNE 2021 UFC Fight Night 192: Joanna vs. Suarez Critical Rating: 68% Commercial Rating: 89% Profit/Loss: $3.213.465 Main Event Joanna Jedrzejczyk def. Tatiana Suarez by TKO (Strikes) in 0:58 of Round 5 Co-Main Event Luke Rockhold def. Brad Tavares by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3) Main Card Geoff Neal def. Neil Magny by TKO (Strikes) in 0:44 of Round 1 Carlos Diego Ferreira def. Al Iaquinta by Submission (Guillotine) in 2:05 of Round 2 Cub Swanson def. Hakeem Dawodu by Submission (Kimura) in 1:51 of Round 2 ESPN Preliminary Card Manel Kape def. Matt Schnell by Knock Out (Kick) in 2:40 of Round 1 Alonzo Menifield def. William Knight by Submission (Armbar) in 2:17 of Round 2 Amir Albazi def. Raulian Paiva by Knock Out (Punch) in 4:18 of Round 2 ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Chris de la Rocha def. Roque Martinez by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27 x2) Liliya Sharikova def. Ashlee Evans-Smith by Submission (Armbar) in 4:50 of Round 2 Alex Reyes def. Michel Quinones by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:43 of Round 3 Summary Many fans and experts predicted the Women’s Strawweight main event of UFC Fight Night 192 emerging from The Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California between the former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and the undefeated prospect Tatiana Suarez to be a close and tight affair, and it certainly lived up to that expectation. The 30-year old Suarez got a big ovation from the Sacramento-crowd due to the fact that she’s born in Covina, California and fighting out of Rancho Cucamonga which is only a few hours away from the hosting city, and the crowd was firmly behind the former TUF-winner. Joanna did her best to get an advantage in the psychological warfare, a common practice for the 33-year old Polish-native in her bouts as she refused to touch gloves when the fight started. A topic of discussion before the fight was how long it would take for Suarez to try and take Joanna down, and the answer was as short as it could when the Wrestling standout shot for it early, only for Joanna to calculate it and defend it very well with some counter striking. A rare sight for Suarez as she is used to successfully take down her opponents, considering she was the clear stat leader in takedown accuracy for the entire Women’s Strawweight division at 62.9%. Round one was a beautiful display of high level striking from the former champion as Joanna used her trademark high volume striking to keep the distance to Suarez and easily earn her the clear 10-9 on all judges’ scorecards as well as in the eyes of the fans and experts pitching in on social media. A repetition of the round one’s first sequence played out in the beginning of the second round as Suarez again went for a takedown early, but Joanna defended it yet again which showed how much focus she and her coaches and put on takedown defence during their fight camp. Joanna once again initiated a striking battle in which she looked like the better fighter, but the third time’s the charm as Suarez finally completed a takedown three minutes into the round which got a big reaction from the crowd. The happiness was short-lived however as Joanna scrambled well and even got Suarez’ back at one point in the ground battle, but the superior grappling from the hometown hero was apparent as she once again took control and ended the round in top position. Round three was a pretty dull affair as Suarez shot for an early takedown yet again but Joanna defended it enough to end up against the cage, where Suarez just held her there without doing much damage, which surprisingly earned a lot of boos from the crowd who wanted more entertainment. After more than half the round had passed and no advancements had been made from either fighter, referee Jake Montalvo finally separated the two fighters from the cage clinch. Suarez once again went for a takedown after feinting strikes, successfully taking Joanna down and yet again ending the round in top control, a big statement in the eyes of the judges. Round four was a close contested bout as both fighters had their moments, Joanna outstriking Suarez for the most part and Suarez taking the former champion down at the end of the round to add valuable time on her total top control and it could realistically have gone either way depending on what you value more; effective striking or dominant top positioning. It wasn’t necessary however as the bout wouldn’t go to the judges’ decision, instead it would be over inside the first minute of the fifth and final round. It was the genius advice from Joanna’s corner and the head trainer of the much respected American Top Team Mike Brown who instructed his fighter to attack instead of defending the takedown, either with a knee or a uppercut when Suarez would inevitably shoot in for it, that led to the ending of the bout as Joanna did just that. After only 30 seconds, Suarez went in for the double leg takedown but was met with a big uppercut from the Polish fighter that instantly sent her down to the canvas in desperation defence mode. The former champion quickly jumped at the opportunity to finish the fight, landing three big strikes on Suarez which forced the referee to end the bout, awarding Joanna Jedrzejczyk the TKO-victory in the fifth round. In the least surprising move of the night, the 33-year old took the microphone from the interviewing Paul Felder and launched a tirade of insults to the champion Weili Zhang, saying that “she is the most overrated champion in the entire UFC” as well as saying “she better vacate the belt already, because her worst nightmare will soon come true”. If the rematch wasn’t highly anticipated already following the great first bout, Joanna’s cold callout has put Weili vs. Joanna II levels above any other title bout at the moment. If the Tatiana Suarez-loss was a tough pill to swallow for the California-crowd, the successful return of another California-native Luke Rockhold was undoubtedly a very pleasant one for the fans. The former champion looked very good against Brad Tavares in the first round, looking very confident and loose in his striking, landing several big strikes and even a few of his trademark kicks. It was especially the body kicks from Rockhold that damaged the 33-year old Hawaiian, who had his fellow BMF Ranch-teammate Donald Cerrone in his corner for this bout. Despite having a large bruising on the right side of the ribcage area, Tavares rallied back and took the fight to Rockhold, turning the bout into a brawl as he landed a few big shots of his own, and even though he got the nod from the judges in the second round, he wasn’t particularly close to finish the bout at any time. Instead, it was the former champion Rockhold who went out in the third round with motivating words from both Javier Mendez and Khabib Nurmagomedov in between the rounds and really delivered. He showed great versatility, successfully taking Tavares down four times out of four attempts during the entire bout and when it only seconds left of the bout, Rockhold landed a thunderous elbow straight to the face of Tavares which most likely broke the nose of the 33-year old in the process. If the time hadn’t run out, the odds on Rockhold finishing Tavares right there would be unplayable but the time and referee Keith Peterson saved Tavares from both suffering more damage and losing the bout via stoppage. It was however not enough to stop Rockhold from winning the bout as all three judges deemed it a 29-28 Unanimous Decision victory for the 37-year old, who will unquestionably re-enter the Middleweight rankings yet again following this clear, decisive victory. Even though he may not be the most liked personality in the game, and he has several doubters claiming he’s not as good as he’s portraying himself, but you can’t really argue with the fact that Luke Rockhold is a big name in the Middleweight division and big draw when it comes to potential matchmaking. You could realistically put him against anyone in the top 15 and you’d have at least a qualified co-main event on a decent sized event anywhere in the world. For now, one of the hottest matchups discussed for the former champion is a rematch against Chris Weidman, another former champion who has resurfaced as of late in the division, but Rockhold was firm in his post-fight interview on his plans to go for the belt, not fight “bums he already has defeated” which was a clear jab at the All-American. A big victory in the Welterweight division took place as Geoff Neal did what only two fighters before him had done when he finished Neil Magny by strikes. It only took a mere 44 seconds for the 30-year old knockout artist from Harker Heights, Texas to finish one of the most experienced veterans in the entire division, and it certainly catapults Geoff Neal in the divisional rankings. The man they call “Handz of Steel” called out Demian Maia for a fight, saying that he’s “ready to continue his path to gold as soon as the UFC wants him to be back”, but the latest unofficial booking rumours already has the 44-year old Maia fighting a rather big name ranked higher than Neal in a proposed retirement bout, which could potentially hinder Neal’s wishes. During the main card portion of the event, we also witnessed two big submission victories. Carlos Diego Ferreira became the first fighter since 2014 to submit the durable Al Iaquinta with a slick Guillotine choke in the second round while Cub Swanson defeated the rising prospect Hakeem Dawodu with a Kimura in the same round. Ferreira is positioning himself as a dark horse in the Lightweight division and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was pitted against another big name in his next bout, potentially one in the top 10 of the 155lbs division. For Swanson, he has cemented his spot as a sort of “hype killer” in the Featherweight division, as he’s often matched up against rising prospects to see if they have what it takes to go against a true veteran in the division. “Killer” Cub isn’t ranked at the moment, but he made a good case to welcome back José Aldo to the division, saying that “it has been a goal for years to avenge the 8-second loss from their first bout” which took place in the now defunct WEC back in 2009, and that “it would be an honour to fight him [José Aldo] and to be the one to retire one of the all-time greats of the sport”. The prelims provided big victories for Manel Kape, who defeated Matt Schnell with a beautiful head kick in the first round, Alonzo Menifield, who defeated the hyped William Knight with an Armbar in the second round, and Amir Albazi, who finished Raulian Paiva late in the second round with a great left overhand. For the trio of Michel Quinones, Ashlee Evans-Smith, and Roque Martinez, it would be a particular bad night as they not only lost their respective bouts, but also received news about their contractual terminations after the event. Quinones and Martinez both went 0-3 in the UFC while the more experienced Evans-Smith went 3-6 in the organization before subsequently getting released. Bonus Awards Fight of the Night: Alex Reyes vs. Michel Quinones Performance of the Night: Carlos Diego Ferreira, Cub Swanson, and Manel Kape <img src=https://i.imgur.com/jVtWp7L.png Prediction Table maxicheezestick = 7 out of 11 Majster_93 = 7 out of 11 McDojoDelux = 4 out of 11 vladjarca = 2 out of 11

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 3 - JUNE 2021 UFC Event Preview <img src=https://i.imgur.com/B0zYYMm.png> Joanna Jedrzejczyk: “Move up to Flyweight inevitable, but I want to leave 115lbs division as the undisputed queen” It will be a night of returns in the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California this Saturday as many of the participating fighters will return to action following lengthy time away from the sport. The main event of the UFC Fight Night-event, a Women’s Strawweight clash between the number two ranked Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-4) and the number three ranked Tatiana Suarez (8-0) is perhaps the most fitting bout to this description as the former champion and one of the all-time greats Jedrzejczyk hasn’t fought in over a year following her title bout loss to the current champion Weili Zhang, while Tatiana Suarez hasn’t fought in almost two years due to several career threatening injuries related to her neck. Despite the lengthy absences for both fighters, this main event will most likely determine the next title challenger in the Strawweight division as no other viable option has really presented themselves beside Rose Namajunas, who lost her title bout against the dominant champ earlier this year. For Joanna, this is her opportunity to once again show that she is the best fighter in the division and the one to dethrone Weili Zhang once and for all, and a win over the best wrestler in the division, who happens to be undefeated, would certainly earn her that opportunity. Speaking to Ariel Helwani in an interview on the MMA Show before this Saturday’s main event, the 33-year old Polish fighter talked about her mindset and her future plans in her already astonishing career. “I have had a great career, Ariel, and I am really proud of every accomplishment I’ve done, but I am not done in this sport. I still believe I am the best fighter in the entire division. I’ve gone to war with the current champ [Weili Zhang] and I hurt her more than anyone has ever hurt her before and after, you can even make the argument that I was the winner that night if it hadn’t been for the judges’ decision. That’s not my point though, my point is that I can defeat her and everyone else in the division, I know this. Of course I have ambitions in my career to move up a division and really commit my career to the Flyweight division and become champion there, I think that is an inevitable path for me to take, but before I make the switch I want to become the queen of the 115lbs division again. I am not looking past Tatiana Suarez, she is a great fighter and I know this first hand because of The Ultimate Fighter season I coached in which she was part of the opposite team, but she is too inexperienced to go toe-to-toe with me. On Saturday you will see the best Joanna Jedrzejczyk you’ve ever seen”, said the former champion confidently in the interview. Her opponent, the 30-year old TUF-winner Tatiana Suarez has never been known for her trash talk, instead opting to do the talking inside the Octagon, and this time is no different. During an episode on the Anik & Florian Podcast, Suarez expressed her respect for her opponent this Saturday saying that “Joanna [Jedrzejczyk] is one of the best fighters to ever compete inside the Octagon and it will be a huge honour to test her abilities against such a legend in a main event”. Also making his return to the Octagon following a two year layoff from the sport is the former Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold (16-5) who will return to the division he once ruled against a perennial gatekeeper of the division in Brad Tavares (18-6) which will serve as the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 192. The now 37-year old Rockhold hasn’t really been active in the sport since losing the belt to his fierce rival Michael Bisping back in 2016, only competing once every year up to his latest bout, a devastating knockout loss in his Light Heavyweight debut against the former champion Jan Blachowicz. Injuries has kept him on the sidelined, but the AKA standout has completely changed his approach to the game in terms of both training and recuperating, taking inspiration from his teammates Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier, to be in the best shape of his life both physically and mentally. “I was in a bit of a crossroads after my last bout, deciding whether to retire for good or dedicate myself completely to the sport leaving nothing to chance. It was a tough decision to make, I won’t lie and say that I always knew that I wanted to return because it’s not true, I’ve seriously contemplated retirement and leaving it all behind for good, but the love for the sport inside me is too strong to do it. I love coming to the gym every day and work my ass off with the people I consider family, and to have the best minds in the game pushing you and teaching you new things even in your late thirties is a privilege like no other. My body is healed up and recovered, I’m physically and mentally ready to once again become Middleweight champion and I will do anything I can to fulfil that goal”, said Rockhold in a open-hearted interview with media personality “The Schmo” on his Youtube channel. UFC Fight Night 192 will feature several intriguing bouts, both on the main card and on the prelims. Excluding the previously mentioned main event and co-main event, the main card also consists of a Welterweight bout between the versatile veteran Neil Magny (24-8), who most recently lost his main event bout against Michael Chiesa, and the dangerous knockout artist Geoff Neal (13-3), who is looking to rebound following his first UFC-loss against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson which happened in his main event debut for the organization. A scrappy Lightweight bout between the former title challenger Al Iaquinta (14-6-1) and the tough Brazilian Carlos Diego Ferreira (17-3) also takes place, while the Featherweight bout between yet another veteran in Cub Swanson (27-11) battles it out against a rising prospect in Hakeem Dawodu (12-1). For the prelims, especially the headliner is an interesting one as ranked Flyweights Manel Kape (15-5) and Matt Schnell (15-5) puts their identical records on the line to rise through the rankings. The former Rizin Bantamweight Champion Kape lost his UFC-debut against Alexandre Pantoja, but he has a big following and many expect the Portuguese fighter to be a serious contender in the 125lbs division while Schnell is an experienced and dangerous striker with several impressive victories on his resume that should not to be overlooked. Main Event Women's Strawweight Bout: (#2) Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. (#3) Tatiana Suarez Co-Main Event Middleweight Bout: Luke Rockhold vs. (#13) Brad Tavares Main Card Welterweight Bout: (#11) Neil Magny vs. (#12) Geoff Neal Lightweight Bout: (#13) Al Iaquinta vs. (#11) Carlos Diego Ferreira Featherweight Bout: Cub Swanson vs. Hakeem Dawodu ESPN Preliminary Card Flyweight Bout: (#7) Manel Kape vs. (#9) Matt Schnell Light Heavyweight Bout: Alonzo Menifield vs. William Knight Flyweight Bout: (#11) Raulian Paiva vs. (#12) Amir Albazi ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Heavyweight Bout: Roque Martinez vs. Chris de la Rocha Women’s Flyweight Bout: Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Liliya Sharikova Lightweight Bout: Alex Reyes vs. Michel Quinones

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 2 - JUNE 2021 UFC Event Announcement <img src=https://i.imgur.com/lwvcXUE.png> UFC returns to ABC with potential Middleweight title eliminator between Kevin Holland and Darren Till For the second time ever, UFC will once again host an event broadcasted on ABC. Following a successful first show, which featured a memorable main event between the dominant Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar, the company announced today that a second ABC-show will take place next month. The event will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and features a big Middleweight showdown between two of the most in-form fighters in the division in Kevin Holland (22-5), the 2020 UFC Breakout Fighter of the Year, and Darren "The Gorilla" Till (19-3-1), the former Welterweight title challenger and perhaps the best active English fighter on the planet. Kevin Holland lastly defeated the tough and gritty Derek Brunson, earning a rather decisive Unanimous Decision in what was considered a pretty boring bout, and after securing the victory over Brunson, Holland called out the eventual winner between Darren Till and Marvin Vettori. That fight was definitely closer and more entertaining with Till earning a Majority Decision against his Italian foe on that night, and with the current champion Israel Adesanya currently focused on defending his Light Heavyweight title, there’s a big spot for the next title challenger to be made. Both fighters are in prime positions of earning the next Middleweight title shot, together with the former champion Robert Whittaker, and a victory on the big stage ABC provides, it would come as no surprise to see the eventual winner between Kevin Holland and Darren Till getting awarded with a shot at Adesanya’s coveted Middleweight title. Co-main eventing the UFC on ABC-event will two of the best Lightweights do as the former champion Rafael dos Anjos (30-13) competes in his 31st UFC-fight against the resurging contender Beneil Dariush (20-4-1) who will makes his 20th walk to the Octagon in the biggest bout of his career thus far. The Brazilian dos Anjos looked supreme in his return to the 155lbs division, earning a Split Decision victory over his short notice opponent Paul Felder back in November of 2020 while the 32-year old Dariush is riding one of the most impressive win streaks in the division with six wins over the likes of Carlos Diego Ferreira, Thiago Moises, and Drew Dober. With dos Anjos positioned at the number sixth spot in the rankings and with Dariush firmly in the eighth position, the winner of this bout will be in a big spot in the Lightweight as the division is more wide-open now than it ever has been. The Women’s Strawweight division will also be on a big spot this event as the sixth ranked Marina Rodriguez (13-1-2), who upset her fellow Brazilian prospect Amanda Ribas in her latest bout, and eleventh ranked “The Karate Hottie” Michelle Waterson (18-8), who continues being one of the most prominent faces of the division, squares off inside the Octagon. Just like in the case with the 155lbs division, the division is very open and the path for a new title challenger is just waiting to be explored, perhaps by an intriguing prospect like Rodriguez or a veteran like Waterson? Another bout that has FOTN-aura written all over it is the Welterweight scrap between the Argentinian Santiago Ponzinibbio (27-4) and the 31-year old Niko Price (15-4-2 NC), who returns to the Octagon following a six months USADA-suspension. Both fighters have been prominent recipients of performance of the night-bonuses in the past and with both fighters looking to return to the top 15 in the division, we’re almost guaranteed an entertaining bout. Opening the main portion of the event is a classic prospect vs. veteran bout in the Lightweight division as 29-year old Brad Ridell (9-1) takes on 34-year old Michael Johnson (19-17). Riddell, who is undefeated in the UFC with three straight victories, is part of the prominent team City Kickboxing together with names like Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski, and Dan Hooker, and he also as an extensive background in the sport of kickboxing, with a win over the legendary John Wayne Parr on his resume. For Johnson, who has competed 24 times in the UFC with a losing record of 11-13, it’s a “do or die”-type of fight as he’s currently on a four fight losing streak. Another loss would most likely result in him being released from the company, a devastating blow for the man who has wins over names like Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson, and Edson Barboza. For Riddell, it’s a chance to earn a victory over the biggest name he’s ever faced and one who could potentially insert his name in the top 15 rankings of the stacked 155lbs division. The announced main card of UFC on ABC: Holland vs. Till looks like this: Main Event Middleweight Bout: (#7) Kevin Holland vs. (#2) Darren Till Co-Main Event Lightweight Bout: (#6) Rafael dos Anjos vs. (#8) Beneil Dariush Main Card Women's Strawweight Bout: (#6) Marina Rodriguez vs. (#11) Michelle Waterson Welterweight Bout: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Niko Price Lightweight Bout: Brad Riddell vs. Michael Johnson

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 2 - JUNE 2021 UFC Fight Night 191: Zabit vs. Yair Critical Rating: 65% Commercial Rating: 96% Profit/Loss: $3.353.667 Main Event Zabit Magomedsharipov def. Yair Rodriguez by Unanimous Decision (50-45 x3) Co-Main Event Sergey Pavlovich def. Shamil Abdurakhimov by TKO (Strikes) in 4:00 of Round 3 Main Card Sergey Spivak def. Stefan Struve by Knock Out (Punch) in 2:37 of Round 2 Antonina Shevchenko def. Andrea Lee by Unanimous Decision (30-26 x2, 30-27) Omari Akhmedov def. Krzysztof Jotko by Unanimous Decision (30-26 x3) ESPN Preliminary Card Khusein Askhabov def. Ricky Simon by Submission (D'Arce Choke) in 1:16 of Round 3 Movsar Evloev def. Daniel Pineda by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3) Ante Delija def. Dmitriy Sosnovskiy by Knock Out (Kick) in 1:05 of Round 3 ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Brian Camozzi def. Alexey Kunchenko by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3) Alexandra Albu def. Alex Chambers by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3) Sergey Khandozhko def. Luan Chagas by Unanimous Decision (30-26 x3) Summary The Moscow-crowd was really energetic when it was finally time for the anticipated main event between their big hometown favourite Zabit Magomedsharipov as he was about to take on perhaps his biggest rival yet in Yair Rodriguez, a big fight with huge implications for the Featherweight title picture. The 6 foot 1 Wushu-master, who has gained notoriety for his similar appearance to Abraham Lincoln amongst MMA fans, looked calm and collective when referee Marc Goddard instructed the two fighters to follow his instructions at all time and have a good, clean fight, while Yair had a more aggressive demeanour before the bout. The 28-year old Mexican-born fighter attracted a lot of boos from the patriotic Russian crowd early on when he refused to touch Zabit’s offer to touch gloves, perhaps a sign of his feelings towards what Yair called “the disrespectful words” from his opponent, or perhaps it was a way for the former TUF-winner to play some mind games. Nevertheless, the bout started out as a striking contest with both fighters trading distance strikes, Zabit focusing on a kick-oriented game plan while Yair’s tactic was to find the counter striking he has used to great success in earlier UFC-bouts. A rather tentative first round played out and the only real difference between them two was Zabit’s successful takedown attempt he made with only a minute left, which he used to control the round and earn a 10-9 scoring on the judges’ score cards, which could be vital if the bout would go all five rounds. Zabit continued his controlling way in the second round, landing the takedown much earlier this time and using a pressure style of grappling to keep the dangerous 28-year old striker at bay, and even attempting two unsuccessful Guillotine chokes before the round ended. Perhaps getting frustrated and tired of being kept down on the ground, Yair Rodriguez attacked Zabit early in the third round with a flurry of punches and kicks, but history repeated itself when the 30-year old Russian timed a beautiful takedown as Yair missed a left high kick. Just like he did against Brandon Davis at UFC 228, Zabit attempted the rare Suloev Stretch submission during a scramble but having done his defensive homework, Yair managed to defend himself well enough for the move to not be successful, but Zabit continued attempting submissions on a regular basis throughout the third round to no avail. “El Pantera” had a big opportunity late in the round when he almost clipped Zabit with a beautiful spinning elbow, but the close betting favourite managed to sway away from danger in that particular situation. Round four was the closest one thus far as Yair Rodriguez really found his range and landed several strikes on Zabit who started to show signs of slowing down, but the deciding factor was once again the effective takedowns and ground control on the Russian’s side as he made two successful takedown attempts as well as continuing to attack with a variety of submissions, showing that he’s not a lay and pray-type of wrestler but instead a dangerous, attacking one. This continued throughout the fifth and final round in which Zabit shot for a takedown straight away and kept Yair grounded for most of the round, attempting four different types of submission during the five minutes, but the durable Mexican withstood them all and showed great heart to keep himself in the fight despite knowing that he was well behind on the scorecards. When the 25 minutes of main event fighting was over, Zabit Magomedsharipov was awarded a crystal clear 50-45 victory on all judges’ scorecards. A clear dominating win for the number two ranked Featherweight, which ultimately places him firmly in a position of challenging for the title. When asked by commentator Michael Bisping about his intentions after this impressive performance, Zabit unsurprisingly called for a title bout against Alexander Volkanovski or Max Holloway, depending on who will earn the 145lbs strap when they inevitably meet, as well as entering his name as a potential backup should either fighter not be able to make it for whatever reason. No official date has been made from the UFC regarding the next Featherweight title bout, with late summer or early fall being reported as likely targets, but you can bet your money on that Zabit Magomedsharipov will be watching closely how it all unfolds no matter when it happens. A good and solid main card took place in the CSKA Arena in Moscow, Russia in front of a sold out crowd of 14 000 people, and it was a particular good night for the Russian associated fighters. In the co-main event between the young, Russian prospect Sergey Pavlovich and the older Russian veteran Shamil Abdurakhimov, it was the former who went home victorious after a TKO finish late in the third round. The bout was very close with Pavlovich and Abdurakhimov trading rounds on the scorecards, but in the end it was the strength and striking ability of the former FNG Heavyweight Champion which was the deciding factor. Having only lost once in his career, a tough bout against the legendary Alistair Overeem, the 29-year old Sambo master is a big prospect in the Heavyweight division and he took the opportunity to call out another fellow countryman and veteran in the 43-year old Aleksei Oleinik, who is currently ranked at number seven after defeating Chris Daukaus in his last bout. Pavlovich proposed an event in Russia later this year where he and Oleinik would be the main event, saying that “he would love to be the one retiring such a legendary Russian MMA fighter”. The third and final Russian fighting on the main card this evening, the Middleweight Omari Akhmedov, showed incredible dominance over the Polish Judoka Krzysztof Jotko as he earned a one-sided 30-26 Unanimous Decision victory on all judges’ scorecards. The 37-year old, whose only defeat in five years has been against Chris Weidman, called out Jacaré Souza in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping saying that “it would be an honour to face a legendary fighter like Jacaré in the Octagon”. The other two successful winners on the main card this evening were Antonina Shevchenko, who dominated Andrea Lee and earned a clear Unanimous Decision victory, and Sergey Spivak, who knocked out “The Skyscraper” Stefan Struve in the second round, thus earning a Performance of the Night bonus. This was Struve’s sixth loss in his seven latest bouts, and it would be announced the day after the event that the 33-year old Dutch Heavyweight had been released from the company. Having already retired once, the towering Beverwijk-native with notable victories over Stipe Miocic and “Big Foot” Silva has openly talked about potentially retiring for good in the past, but remained positive in his options as a free agent for the first time in his career. The highly anticipated UFC-debut of undefeated phenom Khusein Askhabov delivered an instant memorable moment in his prelim headlining bout against the tough Ricky Simon, finishing him in the third round with a nasty D’Arce Choke reminiscent of a certain Tony Ferguson. Humble in victory as always, Askhabov refused to callout anyone after his victory, saying that he is thankful for the opportunity of realizing his dreams as well as having faith in the matchmakers to give him a suitable opponent in his next bout. The 26-year old nicknamed “The Lion” has something special about him as he oozes of marketability, and if the UFC plays their cards right they could have a potential superstar on their hands in Khusein Askhabov. Another undefeated prospect in Movsar Evloev added another victory to his growing unblemished record as he defeated Daniel Pineda in controlled fashion, earning a clear Unanimous Decision victory. Evloev, who is on the verge of breaking into the top 15 Featherweight rankings following this victory, is another big prospect out of Russia who could easily become a staple of his division should he continue his great form. A previously undefeated fighter who tasted defeat for the first time this evening was Dmitriy Sosnovskiy, who was knocked out by a brutal head kick by the debuting Ante Delija, a former PFL, Rizin, and KSW Heavyweight star. Delija, who is only 30-years old, called out the controversial Greg Hardy following his victory, saying that he “would destroy that coward if he got his wish granted”. Hardy responded on Twitter, accepting the callout with the caption “dead man walking”. Another notable thing happening in association with this event was the release of Alex Chambers, the 42-year old Australian fighting in the Women’s Strawweight division, as she lost to Alexandra Albu on the early prelims. This was the fifth loss in six bouts for Chambers and she went 1-5 in the organization before being released. She subsequently announced her retirement from the sport on her Instagram the day after the event. Bonus Awards Fight of the Night: Movsar Evolev vs. Daniel Pineda Performance of the Night: Sergey Spivak, Khusein Askhabov, and Ante Delija <img src=https://i.imgur.com/eZWEBI9.png Prediction Table maxicheezestick = 7 out of 11 McDojoDelux = 6 out of 11 Majster_93 = 6 out of 11

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 2 - JUNE 2021 UFC Event Preview <img src=https://i.imgur.com/0C17OS8.png> Dana White: “Max Holloway 100% next in line for a title shot, winner of Zabit vs. Yair next in line after him” A big Featherweight clash is about to take place tomorrow night as the number two ranked Zabit Magomedsharipov will face the number four ranked Yair Rodriguez in the main event of UFC Fight Night 191 from the CSKA Arena in Moscow, Russia. This is the third time the bout has been officially booked with the latter pulling out twice citing injury, but with both fighters successfully weighing in at the 145lbs limit, we’ll finally get to see the highly anticipated bout between two of the biggest prospects not only in the Featherweight division, but on the entire roster. Entering as a close -100 favourite, Zabit Magomedsharipov has looked sensational in his short but eventful UFC-career, with victories over the likes of Calvin Kattar and Jeremy Stephens, but questions surrounding his stamina and capability of fighting in a five round main event has existed ever since the 30-year old from the Khasavyurt, Dagestan, Russia joined the organization back in 2017, and this time is no different. His opponent, the 28-year old Yair Rodriguez from Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico, debuted as early as 2014 when he defeated Leonardo Morales to become the TUF: Latin America-winner and he currently holds an 8-1-1 NC record in the UFC, with his only loss coming at the hands of Frankie Edgar. The man they call “El Pantera” has big wins over several noteworthy opponents like the aforementioned Jeremy Stephens, The Korean Zombie, B.J. Penn, and even Dan Hooker, and you could easily argue that both fighters are deserving of a shot at Alexander Volkanovski’s Featherweight belt, something that Dana White addressed on the pre-fight press conference. “I love how stacked the 145lbs division is right now, especially at the top. You have all these killers aiming for [Alexander] Volkanovski’s title, and there’s a case to be made for a lot of fighters of who should be next in line, including both Zabit [Magomedsharipov] and Yair [Rodriguez], but for me there’s one standout at the moment and that is Max Holloway. Did you see his fight against Calvin Kattar? That was brutal, man. He has done enough to earn another shot at the belt, and if it’s up to me he’s next in line, but the winner of the main event this Saturday is in my book definitely fighting for the belt after Max and Volkanovski settle their rivalry. That really shows how important the fight is this Saturday, go out and put on a performance and you’ll fight for the chance of becoming a champion. There’s no better motivation than that”, said Dana White during the pre-fight press conference. Both Zabit and Yair was fairly respectful towards each other on the pre-fight press conference, with both fighters complementing the other for their fun and attractive fighting style, but when the topic touched upon the history of their booked bouts, we saw a bit of animosity between them. When asked about why he thinks his opponent pulled out twice before this bout, Zabit mentioned that “some fighters don’t have the mentality of fighting through injuries and take the easy way out”, which sparked a bit of annoyance on Yair’s part. “For me, that’s kind of disrespectful. I have fought injured many times, I’ve fought with broken bones and torn muscles, and I’ve been in some wars inside the Octagon. I have twice the amount of fights in the UFC than him [Zabit Magomedsharipov] and he has turned down multiple fights because of injuries and other reasons before. To say that I don’t have the mentality of fighting through injuries just because I broke my arm the first time and broke my ankle the second time is nonsense. I won’t risk my career and my body to fight someone when I’m not ready, I’m a fighter and a business man at the same time who knows my worth. I respect Zabit as a fighter and as a man, but he will pay for his words this Saturday”, said Yair Rodriguez during the pre-fight press conference. As always then the UFC is hosting events in a specific country outside the U.S., there’s a hefty focus on Russian fighters this event as nine out of eleven bouts features at least on Russian-born or associated fighter. Despite featuring a good, solid main card with skilled fighters like Sergey Pavlovich, Shamil Abdurakhimov, Antonina Shevchenko, and Omari Akhmedov, the most anticipated bout outside the main event isn’t even on the main card. Instead, it’s the prelim headliner between Khusein Askhabov (24-0) and Ricky Simon (18-3) that has got a lot of attention, mainly because of the UFC-debut of the undefeated 26-year old sensation Askhabov after his impressive showing on DWCS earlier this season. With Khabib Nurmagomedov retired at 29-0, the only active fighter in all of MMA with a better undefeated than Askhabov is the outstanding Bellator Welterweight Yaroslav Amosov, who has two victories more than Ashkhabov and sits at a current 26-0 record. UFC is apparently very high on the BJJ Black Belt, and he draws a tough test immediately in Ricky Simon, who is a bright prospect in his own right with wins over the likes of Merab Dvalishvili, Ray Borg, and Brian Kelleher on his resume. If Askhabov would defeat Simon in the prelim headliner, he would with a doubt be on the verge of entering the top 15 Bantamweight rankings already, while Simon has the opportunity to upset the enormously hyped 26-year old and end the second biggest undefeated streak in all of MMA. The question is, will Khusein Askhabov leave his UFC-debut in Moscow, Russia still undefeated or will Ricky Simon be the man to end the hype train? Main Event Featherweight Bout: (#2) Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. (#4) Yair Rodriguez Co-Main Event Heavyweight Bout: (#15) Sergey Pavlovich vs. (#10) Shamil Abdurakhimov Main Card Heavyweight Bout: Sergey Spivak vs. Stefan Struve Women's Flyweight Bout: (#14) Antonina Shevchenko vs. (#12) Andrea Lee Middleweight Bout: (#14) Omari Akhmedov vs. Krzysztof Jotko ESPN Preliminary Card Bantamweight Bout: Khusein Askhabov vs. Ricky Simon Featherweight Bout: Movsar Evloev vs. Daniel Pineda Heavyweight Bout: Dmitriy Sosnovskiy vs. Ante Delija ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Welterweight Bout: Alexey Kunchenko vs. Brian Camozzi Women’s Strawweight Bout: Alexandra Albu vs. Alex Chambers Welterweight Bout: Sergey Khandozkho vs. Luan Chagas

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png></p><p> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>WEEK 1 - JUNE 2021</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:14px;">DWCS 43</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Main Event</strong></span></p><p> <strong>Rinat Fakhretdinov def. James Webb by Unanimous Decision </strong><strong><span style="font-size:8px;">(30-27 x3)</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Co-Main Event</strong></span></p><p> <strong>Carlos Augusto Santos def. Jake Hadley by TKO (Strikes) in 4:26 of Round 3</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Main Card</strong></span></p><p> <strong>Julia Polastri def. Vanessa Demopoulos by TKO (Strikes) in 0:38 of Round 1</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Fabio Cherant def. Duke Didier by Unanimous Decision </strong><strong><span style="font-size:8px;">(30-27 x2, 29-28)</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Summary</strong></span></p><p> Perhaps the most stacked DWCS episode thus far talent wise, the fourth episode of the new season really delivered entertaining bouts and, as expected, some really interesting signings for the UFC. The headlining three rounder between Middleweights Rinat Fakhredinov and the Cage Warriors Middleweight Champion James Webb wasn’t particular close, but it was certainly a great showing for the 29-year old Russian nicknamed “Gladiator” as he dominated Webb and earned a Unanimous Decision victory with 30-27 on all judges’ score cards. The now 22-2 fighter who previously fought under the UAE Warriors banner showed enormous strength and power when he rag dolled his opponent to the ground and demolished him with astonishing 116 ground strikes in the fifteen minutes the bout lasted. Webb, who was taken down five out of five attempts, showed incredible heart and an incredible chin to last the entire three rounds, but in reality it wasn’t really a contest. Fakhretdinov, who has previously fought in Welterweight earlier in his career, showed a total destruction resembling the likes of Khamzat Chimaev and it was no surprise to see Dana White handing him a contract after his dominant win.</p><p> </p><p> The closest and most entertaining bout of the four was the Bantamweight scrap between the other Cage Warriors Champion Jake Hadley, who stepped up from his normal weight class at Flyweight, and the Brazilian Carlos Augusto Santos. Hadley, who was undefeated heading into the bout, started the fight really well and almost finished Augusto Santos early in the first, but the durable Brazilian survived and bounced back at the end of the round. The second round was entirely the Brazilian’s as he dominated from start to finish with nice striking and ground control. Round three was also a good round for Augusto Santos as he would eventually finish Hadley with strikes late with only 34 seconds left on the clock. An impressive showing from Carlos Augusto Santos, who earned a UFC-contract following the victory, and high praise from the UFC President Dana White. It was later announced that he had suffered a broken hand in the bout and would be medically suspended for at least four months, which means that the 27-year old will have to wait patiently for his real UFC-debut.</p><p> </p><p> Julia Polastri also earned a UFC-contract after the fastest finish so far this season when she defeated the former LFA Women’s Strawweight Champion Vanessa Demopoulos in only 38 seconds via strikes. In all reality, the bout should have been stopped way earlier as Demopoulos was out cold already from the first right hook the 24-year old Brazilian prospect landed, but the referee hesitated to stop the fight before Polastri followed up with some brutal ground strikes which ended the bout. It’s going to be really interesting to see how Polastri will fare on the main roster as she has all the tools to become a real threat in the division. The fourth and final bout was the Light Heavyweight clash between Fabio Cherant and Duke Didier, which Cherant won with a Unanimous Decision. It was however not enough to earn him a UFC-contract this time.</p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Contracts Awarded</strong></span></p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:10px;">Rinat Fakhretdinov - Middleweight</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Carlos Augusto Santos - Bantamweight</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Julia Polastri - Women's Strawweight</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/ANjsNgQ.png%3C/div</p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Prediction Table</span></strong></span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> vladjarca = 3 out of 4</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> maxicheezestick = 3 out of 4</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> McDojoDelux = 2 out of 4</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> </span></em></p></div><p></p>

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 1 - JUNE 2021 DWCS Preview <img src=https://i.imgur.com/lryVCdI.png> DWCS 43 pits Middleweights Rinat Fakhretdinov against James Webb in anticipated headliner The first week of June is here and while it means summertime for everybody else, the start of the new month is always DWCS episode time for the die hard fans of the UFC. After three rather successful episodes during the previous months, the fourth episode of the season and the 43th episode in general is also looking like it will be a great one. Perhaps one of the most stacked Contender Series-events in recent memory, DWCS 43 features a Middleweight headliner between the much hyped 29-year old Rinat “Gladiator” Fakhretdinov (21-2), potentially the first Tatar man to fight for the UFC, as he takes on another big prospect in the Cage Warriors Middleweight Champion James Webb (9-2-1) from Colchester, England. Fakhretdinov is on an impressive 15-fight win streak, with wins over UFC-veterans Eric Spicely and Alberto Uda on his resume. He last fought in the Abu Dhabi-based organization UAE Warriors while Webb laid claims to the Cage Warriors Middleweight title after a victorious rematch against the former champion Nathias Frederick earlier this year. It’s undoubtedly a big test for both men and the eventual winner could be a big recruitment for the UFC. Webb’s colleague on the Cage Warriors roster, the current Flyweight Champion Jake “White Kong” Hadley (7-0) will move up one weight class to challenge the Jungle Fight Bantamweight Carlos Augusto “Spartas” Santos (20-2) in an attempt to earn a UFC-contract. The 24-year old Hadley, who is undefeated in his professional MMA career with seven straight wins, is one of the brightest prospects on the British scene and has been named a potential future superstar. For Augusto Santos, this is an opportunity he has been waiting for a long time as he’s on an incredible 17-fight win streak on the Brazilian regional scene. His last defeat came at the hands of the UFC-signed Lightweight Rafael Alves almost seven years ago, and he has been named as the best Brazilian Bantamweight fighter not currently signed with a major promotion. As if the main and co-main event wasn’t enough, two intriguing bouts in the Women’s Strawweight and the Light Heavyweight division also feature on this episode. The current DEEP Women’s Strawweight Champion Julia Polastri (9-2), a highly touted 24-year old Brazilian prospect, will face the former LFA Women’s Strawweight Champion and former DWCS-challenger Vanessa “Lil Monster” Demopoulous (7-3), who has a victory over the currently UFC-signed Sam Hughes on her record. The fourth bout features another former DWCS-challenger in Fabio “Water Buffalo” Cherant (7-1), who is the current LFA Light Heavyweight Champion, and the Australian powerhouse Duke Didier (6-1), a teammate of the former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker as well as the former Light Heavyweight Champion in the now defunct Australian based organization BRACE MMA. This will be four highly interesting bouts in which multiple fighters could easily get signed with the UFC if they can deliver when it matters the most, because it’s just like UFC President Dana White always says: “This is the best job interview in the world”. Main Event Middleweight Bout: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. James Webb Co-Main Event Bantamweight Bout: Jake Hadley vs. Carlos Augusto Santos Main Card Women's Strawweight Bout: Julia Polastri vs. Vanessa Demopoulous Light Heavyweight Bout: Fabio Cherant vs. Duke Didier

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> RANKINGS UPDATE - APRIL & MAY <img src=https://i.imgur.com/RjAm7T3.png>

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 4 - MAY 2021 UFC Event Announcement <img src=https://i.imgur.com/vvfIZ4W.png> UFC 263 in Houston announced, Israel Adesanya to make first Light Heavyweight title defence against Glover Teixeira Big news emerging from UFC earlier today as the organization announced UFC 263 taking place at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas next month, and it’s a real treat for fight fans all around the world. The newly crowned Light Heavyweight Champion and the only currently active double champion in the UFC, Israel Adesanya (21-0) will make his first title defence in his new division as he is scheduled to face the undisputed number one contender Glover Teixeira (32-7). The 41-year old Brazilian has been in sensational form during his last bouts, winning his last five bouts against big names like Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith in devastating fashion. This will be Glover's second ever title shot in the UFC with his first happening as early as in 2014 against the then champion Jon Jones in a clear Unanimous Decision loss, but the versatile finisher and former training partner of Chuck Liddell has looked better than ever and is ready to show the world what he is capable of. In his way stands the undefeated superstar Israel Adesanya, who has emerged as one of the biggest stars in the entire business since making his UFC-debut only three years ago, and the former Glory kickboxer who is considered by many as the best pound for pound striker in the entire UFC has destroyed everyone coming into his path, including the former Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz earlier this year. As expected, the betting lines favours the reigning, defending champion with a -300 odds attached to his name while Glover Teixeira is a +250 underdog, but the 41-year old veteran has made himself a name in the business being a underdog and upsetting favourites. UFC 263 will also feature another championship bout with Valentina “Bullet “Shevchenko (20-3) making her fifth Women’s Flyweight title defence against another gritty veteran in the 37-year old Lauren Murphy (14-4). Murphy, who is a former Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion, is on a 4-fight win streak with wins over the likes of Roxanne Modafferi and Andrea Lee and has been calling for a long-awaited title shot a good while now, and at UFC 263 next month she will finally get her opportunity at the gold. Valentina Shevchenko, one of two fighters constantly named as the best female fighters on the planet together with her rival Amanda Nunes, has looked sensational since moving down to Flyweight, making every fight she’s been in look very easy and not many people give Lauren Murphy a realistic chance to beat the 33-year old in this upcoming title bout. The fact is that Murphy is a hefty +500 underdog against the champion, which is a bigger underdog than Katlyn Chookagian was in her title bout against Shevchenko albeit a smaller underdog than the previous title challenger Jennifer Maia was. Is Murphy was to defeat Valentina Shevchenko, that would unquestionably be one of the biggest upsets in not only UFC history but in MMA history. For Valentina, this is yet another chance to further add names to her growing list of victims and a victory could see her challenge the aforementioned Amanda Nunes for a third time, this time for the chance at becoming a historic double champion. But to do that, Valentina has to defeat the durable 37-year old nicknamed “The Pirate”, a task easier said than done. One of the most polarizing figures on the roster, “Sugar” Sean O’Malley (13-1) asked the matchmakers for a big name during his last victory over Thomas Almeida, and his wish has certainly been granted. One of the greatest Bantamweights of all time, a former WEC Featherweight Champion and even a Hall of Famer will face the 26-year old O’Malley, and it’s none other than the ever-so popular “California Kid” Urijah Faber (35-11). The 42-year old, who has challenged four times for the Bantamweight title in the UFC without ever winning it, returns to the Octagon after a one and a half year layoff following a crushing defeat at the hands of the former champion Petr Yan in late 2019, and many are speculating if this is Faber’s last fight in his long and storied career. Having already retired once, after his 2016 victory over Brad Pickett, Faber made a surprise return to the sport in 2019, defeating Ricky Simon before losing to Yan with a vicious head kick. For O’Malley, one of the fastest rising prospects in the entire UFC, this is a big opportunity to make a name for himself on the biggest stage of them all, and a victory over a big name like Urijah Faber would undoubtedly catapult him into the top 15 Bantamweight rankings. Faber on the other hand has an opportunity to show the fans that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level and what better way to show that than to defeat Sean O’Malley in front of a sold-out crowd in the Toyota Center. Two other potentially great bouts has been made official for this stacked pay-per-view event as the former Welterweight Champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (28-15-1 NC) makes his return to the Octagon after a disappointing showing in his latest bout against Neil Magny last year. Lawler, who is on a 4-fight losing streak, faces the dangerous knockout artist Jingliang Li (18-6), who knocked out the returning Santiago Ponzinibbio in his last bout earlier this year. Opening the main card will two namesakes do as Marlon Moraes (23-8-1), the former Bantamweight title challenger, takes on Marlon “Chito” Vera (16-7-1) in an intriguing bout. The Brazilian Moraes, who joined UFC to much fanfare back in 2017, has been on a rough patch as of late with three defeats in his four last bouts while the Ecuadorian Vera, who famously ended Sean O’Malley’s undefeated streak, was defeated by Jose Aldo in his last Octagon showing. The UFC 263 event is shaping out to be one of the biggest shows of the year, and you don’t want to miss this stacked event, that’s for sure. Main Event Light Heavyweight Championship Bout: © Israel Adesanya vs. (#1) Glover Teixeira Co-Main Event Women's Flyweight Championship Bout: © Valentina Shevchenko vs. (#3) Lauren Murphy Main Card Bantamweight Bout: Urijah Faber vs. Sean O'Malley Welterweight Bout: (#15) Robbie Lawler vs. (#14) Jingliang Li Bantamweight Bout: (#11) Marlon Moraes vs. (#13) Marlon Vera

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png></p><p> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>WEEK 4 - MAY 2021</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:14px;">UFC 262: Poirier vs. Oliveira</span></strong></p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:10px;">Critical Rating: 73%</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Commercial Rating: 100%</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Profit/Loss: </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"><span style="color:#008000;">$4.450.627</span></span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Main Event</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Dustin Poirier def. Charles Oliveira by TKO (Body Kick) in 3:33 of Round 1 to win the UFC Lightweight Championship</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Co-Main Event</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Cody Garbrandt def. Jose Aldo by TKO (Strikes) in 2:49 of Round 1</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Main Card</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Shane Burgos def. Edson Barboza by Unanimous Decision </strong><strong><span style="font-size:8px;">(29-28 x3)</span></strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Julianna Peña def. Aspen Ladd by Unanimous Decision </strong><strong><span style="font-size:8px;">(30-27, 29-28 x2)</span></strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Jacaré Souza def. Sean Strickland by Submission (Armbar) in 2:37 of Round 1</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>ESPN Preliminary Card</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Alexandre Pantoja def. Alex Perez by Submission (Kimura) in 3:21 of Round 3</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Cynthia Calvillo def. Jennifer Maia by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:23 of Round 3</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Ramazan Emeev by TKO (Strikes) in 0:54 of Round 1</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Taila Santos def. Jessica Eye by Knock Out (Kick) in 1:13 of Round 2</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Collin Huckbody def. Antonio Braga Neto by TKO (Strikes) in 2:28 of Round 3</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Martin Buschkamp def. Chris Fishgold by TKO (Strikes) in 1:25 of Round 1</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Summary</strong></span></p><p> The hype surrounding the UFC 262 main event between Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier and Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira for the undisputed Lightweight title had reached astonishing levels when the two combatants entered the Octagon in the famous Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As to be expected in Brazil when a fellow countryman performs in a big fight, or in any fight really, was the crowd’s cheerful reception to Oliveira, and despite him being a slight underdog in the eyes of the bookmakers, he was undoubtedly the favourite in the eyes of the people attending the event. Poirier wasn’t necessarily booed or anything, it was clear the Brazilian fans respected him and his accomplishments enough to grant him the respect he deserves, but the crowd noise was deafening when Oliveira had his name announced by Bruce Buffer before the bout started. To have another Brazilian Lightweight Champion, the second after Rafael dos Anjos, would be a big deal for the loyal Brazilian UFC-fans, especially if that champion would be a well-respected veteran like Charles Oliveira, and you could only imagine what levels of popularity he would reach if he was to be successful against Poirier. Herb Dean instructed the fighters to fight hard but clean and obey his commands at all time, and when the words “touch gloves if you want” was voiced, it was no surprise to see two of the most respectful fighters in the game show respect to each other. Right from the get go, it was obvious that Oliveira’s game plan was to utilize his superior grappling and not indulge in a boxing contest with perhaps the greatest pound-for-pound boxer on the roster, but as soon as he advanced forward to get into position, Poirier would land slick combinations and get out quick before the Brazilian could enforce himself on him. A trait of Poirier which he has adapted more and more in his latest bouts is the devastating calf kick, and it continued here against Oliveira as almost every combination ended with an angled kick which undoubtedly would take its toll on the legs of “Do Bronx”. The 32-year old American dominated the early part of the first round with quick movement and a variation of punches and kicks to keep his opponent guessing, damaging several parts of Oliveira’s body while the Brazilian still tried to figure out how to close the distance and not get hit in the process. Just when it looked like the 31-year old Sao Paulo-native had succeeded and initiated a takedown, Poirier defended it well and avoided being taken down to the deep end by perhaps the best grappler in the division. As previously mentioned, the big amount of leg kicks thrown by Poirier had really damaged the lead leg of Oliveira which resulted in him limping early, something that would lead to the early downfall of the hometown hero. With less than two minutes on the clock left for the first round, the Lafayette-native landed a two strike combo and ended it with a murderous left roundhouse kick to the ribs of Oliveira and he instantly collapsed to the floor, incapable of continuing but before Herb Dean had stopped the fight, Poirier landed a big strike to the downed Oliveira to make sure it was enough for a stoppage. Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier had managed to live up to the status of being a betting favourite as he totally dominated Oliveira on his way of becoming the undisputed, true UFC Lightweight Champion, an incredible moment for one of the most loyal, popular, and active fighters on the entire roster. In a sentimental post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Poirier showed gratitude towards the UFC for getting the opportunity to fulfil his dreams, as well as thanking his family, team, friends, and fans for their support on his journey to the title. He also thanked Khabib Nurmagomedov for doing the right thing and vacating the title instead of holding the division down like other inactive champions had done before, a clear jab at his big rival Conor McGregor during his short lived championship reign. It’s going to be very interesting to see how Dustin Poirier fairs as the 155lbs champion, but it’s certainly great to see a fighter of his stature finally be rewarded for all the hard work and dedication he has put out in his long and decorated career.</p><p> </p><p> Just like in the case with Charles Oliveira, José Aldo was given a hero’s welcome in the Jeunesse Arena when he entered the Octagon for his co-main event bout against the knockout artist Cody “No Love” Garbrandt. Aldo, a slight betting underdog, had talked openly before the fight about his ambitions of add another belt to his collection, this time the 135lbs title who currently is being held by Aljamain Sterling, and to do that he had to defeat the former champion Cody Garbrandt in decisive fashion. The fight started out really well for Aldo as well, looking like his old glory days using hard-hitting leg kicks and circling in and out while Garbrandt looked for his characteristic countering one punch knockout. However, the momentum started swinging in the American’s favour roughly around two minutes in to the fight when the two warriors engaged in the centre of the Octagon, with Garbrandt landing more damaging shots. The comparisons to Charles Oliveira didn’t end with the crowd reception for Aldo as he was also struck hard by a body shot which sent him to the floor in crushing pain, this time by a left jab and powerful right hook. Garbrandt, sensing a victory, started to unload on his grounded opponent which saw Aldo take a big amount of unnecessary damage to the head before referee Dan Miragliotta could stop the fight, giving the former champion Garbrandt a big victory against one of the biggest names in the division. If the crowd showed respect to Dustin Poirier in the main event, it can’t be said the same for the response Cody Garbrandt was given when he defeated perhaps the greatest Brazilian MMA fighter of all time, with the boos echoing through the arena, but the 29-year old from Uhrichsville, Ohio didn’t let the fans hatred that night get to him. Instead, he took the microphone during the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan and immediately called out Cory Sandhagen for a title eliminator, saying that “he would absolutely destroy that skinny clown inside the first round”. A rather surprising callout for many fans and experts as many on social media predicted Garbrandt to call out his former nemesis T.J. Dillashaw or even the champion Aljamain Sterling, but it seemed that many fans at home would have loved to see the fight against Sandhagen become a reality in the near future. For Aldo, this was yet another devastating loss in his quest to become the Bantamweight champion, as this was his third loss in four bouts since moving down, and he would later announce on Instagram that he would return to Featherweight in his next bout. He also admitted to contemplate retirement after the loss to Garbrandt, saying that he questioned if he had it in him to continue his career, which is closing in on 20 years soon, but he promised his fans to give it one last chance before hanging up his gloves for good. </p><p> </p><p> It wasn’t a particular good night for the Brazilian fighters this night, especially not for the main card ones as three of the four fighters lost their bouts. The much anticipated barnburner between Edson Barboza and Shane Burgos certainly delivered as the fight earned Fight of the Night bonus, with it being a back-and-forth affair between two high level strikers with excellent chins. Barboza earned the first round with his great distance striking which saw Burgos getting rocked early, but the 30-year old American not only survived but also turned the tide on the fight, winning both the second and the third round in decisive fashion with a beautiful display of pressure boxing. All three judges scored the bout 29-28 in Burgos’ favour and the New Yorker took the opportunity to call out Josh Emmett for a rematch of their 2020 bout which also earned Fight of the Night on that occasion. The only victorious Brazilian on the main card was the oldest one as the 42-year old Jacaré Souza showed that experience is key with a slick Armbar victory over Sean Strickland in the first round. Jacaré showed his world class grappling credentials when he took down the wrestler Strickland early and used continuous advancing before finding the eventual Armbar position. This victory was highly needed for the Brazilian veteran as he ended his three fight losing streak, a loss against Strickland would probably result in a termination of his UFC-contract but Jacaré prevailed and left Rio de Janeiro as a winner once again. Joining him on the winning side did the “Venezuelan Vixen” Julianna Peña as she dominated one of the brightest prospects in the Women’s Bantamweight division in Aspen Ladd, taking home a clear Unanimous Decision victory. Unsurprisingly, Peña called out the champion Amanda Nunes for her next opponent, something she has done for a while now, claiming that she possess the tools to dethrone the “Lioness” once and for all. With everything indicating that Germaine de Randamie is next in line for a shot at Nunes’ title, Peña may have to earn one more victory on her resume before she’s getting the nod from the matchmakers in such a high profile bout.</p><p> </p><p> Four out of the six Brazilian fighters on the prelims were successful in their bouts, with Alexandre Pantoja scoring perhaps the biggest of them with his third round Kimura finish over the former title challenger Alex Perez. Pantoja has been the dark horse in the Flyweight title scene and with this big win over the third ranked Perez he can certainly lay claims for a shot at the title or at least a title eliminator fight. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos also scored a big victory over the tough Sambo fighter Ramazan Emeev, knocking him out in 54 seconds and winning his ninth UFC bout in twelve fights. The 33-year old is almost always part of entertaining bouts and it would be no surprise to see him earn a bigger name in his next bout. The best knockout of the night however came from Taila Santos, who knocked out the former Women’s Flyweight title challenger Jessica Eye with a swift front kick right to the face in the second round. A big win for the talented Santos, who will certainly rise up through the rankings with this victory over Eye, who was ranked at number seven heading into the fight but is now on a three fight losing streak. After the event had finished, UFC announced that the 27-year old Englishman Chris Fishgold had been released from the company following his loss to the debuting Martin Buschkamp. The former Cage Warriors Lightweight, who defended his belt three times before leaving in 2018, competed in the Featherweight division in the UFC and went 1-4 in the organization before his release.</p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Bonus Awards</strong></span></p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:10px;">Fight of the Night: Edson Barboza vs. Shane Burgos</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Performance of the Night: Dustin Poirier, Alexandre Pantoja, and Taila Santos</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/DqyzYv4.png</p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Prediction Table</span></strong></span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> maxicheezestick = 6 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> McDojoDelux = 6 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> vladjarca = 6 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> Majster_93 = 3 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> </span></em></p></div><p></p>

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 4 - MAY 2021 UFC Event Preview <img src=https://i.imgur.com/jrKe58W.png> Dustin Poirier: “My ambition is to clean out the Lightweight division one by one, and Charles Oliveira is next in line” The first UFC PPV of the year not taking place inside the Apex Centre in Las Vegas, Nevada happens this Saturday as UFC 262, which emerges from the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, waits just around the corner. A huge main event and perhaps one of the most anticipated title bouts in recent memory will main event the card as Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier (27-6-1 NC) takes on the Brazilian standout Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira (30-8-1 NC) for the vacant Lightweight title, a bout that will most likely change the course of the division’s future. With the former champion and undefeated phenom Khabib Nurmagomedov seemingly retired for good, a new champion will be crowned and that will either be the number ten ranked pound-for-pound fighter Poirier or the resurging Oliveira, who is riding a spectacular 8-fight win streak with impressive victories over big names like Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee. The American Top Team-member and former Interim Lightweight Champion Poirier was very vocal about his thoughts on the situation in the division. “I think it’s about time that the UFC crown a new Lightweight champion. With all due respect to Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and all his accomplishments, being perhaps the greatest fighter of all time, but if you’re not here to defend your status as the champion, the division has to move on without you. That’s not a knock on him either. It’s about what’s fair for the fighters going to the gym every day, training their asses off to one day become the champion. I respect Khabib enormously and admire everything he has done in his fantastic career, but it’s time for a new chapter in the Lightweight division”, said Poirier during the pre-fight press conference. The 32-year old from Lafayette, Louisiana also talked about his future plans for both him and the division, in which he sees himself as the new champion after this Saturday. “Charles Oliveira is a great fighter and a tough opponent, but I’m the best 155lbs fighter in the world and I’ll prove it this Saturday in his own backyard. I believe I’ll finish him in the second or third round, and leave Brazil as the new rightful Lightweight champion. No questions about it. And after that, I’ll defend my belt against everyone, anytime. My ambition is to not only defend my belt; it’s about cleaning out the entire Lightweight division one by one. Charles Oliveira is next in line, but after him, the line is open for anyone”, said a much confident Poirier during the pre-fight press conference. His opponent, the 31-year old they call “Do Bronx”, also talked about his ambitions heading into his first ever UFC-title bout during the pre-fight press conference. “I feel like a new and improved fighter”, said Oliveira. “My goal has always been to be a champion in the best MMA organization in the world, and now I finally have the opportunity to do so. This is my 28th fight in the UFC, I’ve envisioned this moment since the day I signed with the company back in 2010 and to finally be on the verge of fulfilling my dream is a big moment for me, for sure. I really like Dustin [Poirier] as a fighter but even more as a person, he has done some amazing things both inside and outside the Octagon and I respect him tremendously, but he has had his shot at glory. He has held the Interim title and lost it against arguably the best Lightweight ever in Khabib Nurmagomedov, so I don’t know if he has that drive inside him like I have. I’ve trained so hard for this moment and I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life, so of course my ambition is to go out there and beat him. It doesn’t matter how I do it. I can finish him on the feet, I can submit him on the ground, or I can win by decision. It doesn’t matter. What matters for me is that I win and bring the Lightweight belt to Brazil, the best country in the world”, said Oliveira during the pre-fight press conference, which unsurprisingly resulted in a big joyous ovation from the Brazilian crowd in attendance. If such a momentous main event wasn’t enough, the co-main event featuring a potential Fight of the Night-candidate between two of the best Bantamweights in the world in José Aldo (29-7) and Cody Garbrandt (12-3) was also a hot topic of discussion during the pre-fight press conference, and it was no surprise to see the younger Garbrandt initiating the trash talk between them. “José Aldo had a great career at Featherweight, I’ll give him that, but he’s finished. He can’t compete with the new breed of fighters like me and the other rising talents in the 135lbs division. He may be 34 years old on paper, but in terms of fighting years, he’s at least 50 years old considering the damage he has received in his career. He crumbles every time he faces adversity, just like he did against the Russian chicken [Petr Yan] and the bald-headed Brazilian [Marlon Moraes]. I’ll knock him out in the first round, I guarantee it”, said Garbrandt during the pre-fight press conference, who garnered a lot of negative heat from the patriotic Brazilians in the crowd. Aldo was as calm and collective as always, only saying that “he [Cody Garbrandt] is a Conor McGregor-wannabe” and that he will “show him that experience is a far more dangerous weapon in MMA than any other attribute”. It will be very interesting to see who leaves the Jeunesse Arena victorious and who will leave it with a loss on their record, especially since both Aldo and Garbrandt has identical amount of wins and losses in their four previous bouts at 1-3. The rest of the card features some of the best talent Brazil has to offer in MMA today. A certified barnburner between Edson Barboza (21-9) and Shane Burgos (13-2) takes place on the main card together with the Middleweight of the popular Jacaré Souza (26-9-1 NC) as he takes on a dangerous wrestler in Sean Strickland (22-3). The only bout that doesn’t feature a Brazilian in it is the main event bout between Julianna Peña (10-4) and Aspen Ladd (9-1), a fight with serious title implications in the Women’s Bantamweight division. As for the preliminary portion of the card, a Flyweight scrap between the always entertaining Alexandre Pantoja (23-5) and the former Flyweight title challenger Alex Perez (24-6) headlines it while several interesting bouts across multiple divisions also takes place. Who will leave Rio de Janeiro the new Lightweight king? And who will emerge as a potential title challenger in both the male and female Bantamweight division? Tune in to UFC 262: Poirier vs. Oliveira this Saturday to find out. Main Event Lightweight Championship Bout: (#1) Dustin Poirier vs. (#3) Charles Oliveira Co-Main Event Bantamweight Bout: (#7) José Aldo vs. (#4) Cody Garbrandt Main Card Featherweight Bout: (#14) Edson Barboza vs. (#12) Shane Burgos Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#8) Julianna Peña vs. (#3) Aspen Ladd Middleweight Bout: Jacaré Souza vs. (#15) Sean Strickland ESPN Preliminary Card Flyweight Bout: (#3) Alex Perez vs. (#4) Alexandre Pantoja Women’s Flyweight Bout: (#4) Jennifer Maia vs. (#5) Cynthia Calvillo Welterweight Bout: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Ramazan Emeev ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Women’s Flyweight Bout: (#6) Jessica Eye vs. (#13) Taila Santos Middleweight Bout: Antonio Braga Neto vs. Collin Huckbody Featherweight Bout: Martin Buschkamp vs. Chris Fishgold

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 3 - MAY 2021 UFC Event Announcement <img src=https://i.imgur.com/iZymluB.png> Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Tatiana Suarez main events UFC Fight Night 192 in Sacramento, California The Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California will host the next American-based UFC-event as UFC Fight Night 192 will emerge from the arena on the third weekend of next month, according to the official announcement from UFC's social media pages made earlier today. This will be the first time in roughly two years that we'll witness an event taking place at the Golden 1 Center, which has a capacity of 16 000 people, with the latest one being UFC Fight Night 155: de Randamie vs. Ladd. Similar to that event, the UFC Fight Night 192-event also features a highly anticipated female main event with some serious title implications as the former Women’s Strawweight Champion and perhaps one of women’s MMA all-time greats in Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-4) takes on the undefeated, TUF 23-winner Tatiana Suarez (9-0). Suarez will fight in her native California in front of many friends, family, and fans in her return to the Octagon following a 2-year long layoff due to a severe neck injury. The former Bronze medallist in World Wrestling Championships 2008 and 2010 as well as the former Gold medallist in World Jiu-Jitsu Championships 2013 and 2015 has openly talked about the frustration of being sidelined for so long, but with the injuries now in the rear-view mirror, Tatiana looks set to show her worth in the tough Women’s Strawweight division. Both fighters are also familiar with each other considering Joanna coached on the same TUF-season Tatiana was victorious as the first pick by the opposing coach Claudia Gadelha, and to have a former coach and winner square off against each other in a UFC-fight is not a common practice. With the champion Weili Zhang looking for new challengers after defeating Rose Namajunas in convincingly fashion, it would come as no surprise if the winner of the Joanna vs. Suarez bout would be granted the much sought after title shot. If the return of Tatiana Suarez wasn’t enough for the local UFC-fans, the co-main event Middleweight showdown also features a big return that will certainly be well welcomed for the California natives in attendance. None other than the former Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold (16-5), who is born in Santa Cruz, a mere 2 hour drive from Sacramento where the event will be held, will make his return to the Octagon after a two year long layoff from the sport following his knockout loss to the former Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz in his attempt to move up to a bigger weight class. Rockhold returns to the division he once ruled and will face one of the perennial ranked Middleweights in Brad Tavares (18-6), who is currently at the 13th spot in the divisional rankings after defeating Antonio Carlos Junior in his latest bout earlier this year. One time heralded as perhaps the greatest 185lbs fighter on the planet, Rockhold has had a tough period in his still young career with tough losses against both Michael Bisping and Yoel Romero respectively and many questioned if the 37 year old was done with the sport for good, but a more focused and disciplined Rockhold has looked great in the various social media clips displaying his high intensive training before the imminent return with his AKA training partner, good friend, and the Greatest Lightweight of all time in Khabib Nurmagomedov. Having been called out by his former nemesis Chris Weidman earlier this year, a victory for the former champion would open up big opportunities for several potential matchups in the stacked division, but Brad Tavares would undoubtedly enjoy spoiling those plans when the pair meets in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 192 next month. Three more fights have been made official with one Welterweight bout, one Lightweight bout, and one Featherweight bout taking place on the main card. An exciting bout between the #11 ranked Welterweight-veteran Neil Magny (24-8) and the #12 ranked Welterweight Geoff “Handz of Steel” Neal (13-3) is the third main card bout announced, a fight that has been rumoured for a while now. Magny recently lost his main event bout against Michael Chiesa in the beginning of the year while Neal, a DWCS Alumni, lost his first UFC-bout at the hands of Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in his main event debut. The Lightweight bout will feature the former title challenger and one of the most charismatic personalities on the entire UFC-roster in “Raging” Al Iaquinta (14-6-1) as he takes on the durable Brazilian Carlos Diego Ferreira (17-3). The Serra-Longo Fight Team-member Iaquinta, who is perhaps the most famous real estate agent in the game, hasn’t fought since losing a Unanimous Decision against Dan Hooker in October of 2019 while Diego Ferreira lost to the surging Beneil Dariush earlier this year. Opening the main card will a certified banger between a true UFC-veteran in “Killer” Cub Swanson (27-11) and the dangerous “Mean” Hakeem Dawodu (12-1). Both fighters are on the verge of entering the top 15 rankings in the 145lbs division, and a victory for either one could be the deciding factor. Main Event Women's Strawweight Bout: (#2) Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. (#3) Tatiana Suarez Co-Main Event Middleweight Bout: Luke Rockhold vs. (#13) Brad Tavares Main Card Welterweight Bout: (#11) Neil Magny vs. (#12) Geoff Neal Lightweight Bout: (#13) Al Iaquinta vs. (#11) Carlos Diego Ferreira Featherweight Bout: Cub Swanson vs. Hakeem Dawodu

Agreed, I thought de Randamie would dominate Holm on the feet and cruise to a controlled decision, but Holly came to fight and certainly delivered big time right up until the knockout. Pretty disappointed as a Holm vs. Nunes fight seems more attractive considering de Randamie got her shot recently and already has two bouts against the champ, but it is what is is. Both Shore and Muradov is in my personal top 20, so both fighters are really close to crack the official top 15 rankings. They will most likely fight a ranked opponent in their next respective bouts

A combination of name recognition/popularity as well as the first person booked in the bouts. In the case with Holm vs. de Randamie, Holm is the bigger star and has more name recognition compared to de Randamie, despite their positioning in the rankings. Therefor, Holm is listed as the first fighter in the bout. And in the case with Latifi vs. Krylov for example, Latifi is the more popular fighter in the region and therefor he's listed first, despite Krylov being ranked. Just my personal preference of structuring the events

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 3 - MAY 2021 UFC Fight Night 190: Holm vs. De Randamie II Critical Rating: 71% Commercial Rating: 94% Profit/Loss: $2.773.192 Main Event Germaine de Randamie def. Holly Holm by Knockout (Knee) in 3:18 of Round 5 Co-Main Event Gunnar Nelson def. Carlos Condit by Submission (Leglock) in 2:23 of Round 1 Main Card Ilir Latifi def. Nikita Krylov by TKO (Strikes) in 0:46 of Round 1 Jessica Andrade def. Joanne Calderwood by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3) Makhmud Muradov def. Tom Breese by TKO (Strikes) in 1:10 of Round 2 ESPN Preliminary Card Jack Shore def. Alejandro Perez by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3) Marc Diakiese def. Yancy Medeiros by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:49 of Round 3 Lerone Murphy def. Makwan Amirkhani by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:31 of Round 3 ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Miranda Granger def. Molly McCann by Submission (Guillotine) in 4:41 of Round 1 Adam Wieczorek def. Alexander Romanov by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3) J.P. Buys def. Bruno Gustavo da Silva by TKO (Strikes) in 1:47 of Round 1 Summary It was quite an incredible atmosphere in the O2 Arena during the long awaited return of a UFC-event in England, the first in almost exactly two years. Despite the main event not featuring a British born fighter, the crowd was ecstatic to see the rematch between two of the biggest female fighters in the world of Mixed Martial Arts as the ever so popular Holly Holm sought after revenge on perhaps her biggest rival since Ronda Rousey in the Dutch kick boxing legend Germaine de Randamie. Considering Holm is 39 years old and de Randamie is 37 years old, this could perhaps be the last opportunity for both fighters to lay claims of a potential title bout against the undisputed champion and greatest female fighter of all time, Amanda Nunes. It was the winner of their first bout, de Randamie, who entered the contest as a slight -110 favorite against the +100 underdog Holm, but judging by the expert and fighter picks before the fight, it was really a pick‘em fight split right in the middle. Referee Marc Goddard, perhaps the best referee in the entire business, was assigned the fight to avoid or at least minimize a repeat of the controversial first bout, and he called for the start of the anticipated main event. As expected, Holm refused a touch of gloves before the fight with their problematic history still being a unresolved subject for her in particular, something the crowd really got into with one half cheering for Holm and one half booing her simultaneously. A visibly fired up Holm wasted no time and began an intensive attack on the 37-year old Utrecht-native with swift strikes and leg kicks, only to follow them up with a big left hand fifty seconds into the bout which clearly hurt her opponent. Germaine de Randamie was on wobbly legs early, trying to defend herself against a pressuring Holm, who in turn went for a flying knee attempt but narrowly missed. “The Iron Lady” did enough to endure the onslaught of attacks from the Jackson Wink MMA-member, only to suffer a big cut a mere minute later after a slicing elbow by Holm in the clinch. A tough round in the books for the favourite, who was patched up by the cut man in-between the rounds, and it only continued during the second round with a clear domination from Holly, who used a versatile attacking game plan to keep de Randamie guessing. Showing a bit of desperation, the Xtreme Couture-member ditched her otherwise solid kick boxing game to focus more on takedowns and grappling, but a confident Holm denied every single attempt in the third round, as well as putting on a striking clinic which saw her undeniably earn her third straight round. Round four was the closest round thus far with de Randamie getting the advantage inside the clinch, nailing Holm with several hard knees to the body, but the former Women’s Bantamweight Champion stood toe to toe with her opponent at every turn, hurting her on multiple occasions with strikes and kicks. With either 4-0 or 3-1 to Holm respectively heading into the fifth and final round, Germaine de Randamie had to finish the fight to leave the O2 Arena victorious, and finish her she did. A rare and costly mistake by “The Preacher’s Daughter”, who instead of utilizing the distance and force de Randamie to make a move went for the close striking against the dangerous clinch fighter, saw a rather gasser Holm get absolutely obliterated by a knee to the face, which saw her get completely knocked out cold. MMA can be a cruel bastard sometimes, and to see Holly Holm dominate Germaine de Randamie for four straight rounds, only to make one mistake and get knocked out as a result of it is nothing but sad. After being helped up by de Randamie in a way to show respect despite their rivalry, the crowd applauded the 39-year old Holm for her effort and the two fighters for a great bout, after which they embraced each other to put an end to the animosity between them. Many fans feared that this was the last time we saw Holly Holm inside the Octagon considering her age and the brutality of her loss, but the former champion vowed to return better than ever and to once again earn her shot at the title. UFC Fight Night 190 produced several entertaining bout throughout its entirety. The co-main event between two real UFC-veterans in Carlos Condit and Gunnar Nelson saw two and a half minute of pure violence. Condit rushed Nelson early and unleashed several combinations like it was a videogame, almost putting the Icelandic fighter away early, but he paid dearly for his reckless style as Nelson went for a takedown and secured a nasty Leglock which gave the former Interim Welterweight Champion no option but to tap. Having switched camps from SBG Ireland, who Conor McGregor famously trains with, to the Scandinavian based Allstars Training Center, in which fighters like Khamzat Chimaev and Alexander Gustafsson trains, the 32-year old Nelson said that he “feels like a better fighter than ever before” and that “Allstars is the most underappreciated team in MMA today”. He also took the time to call out Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone for a Welterweight matchup as he has “big respect for his contributions in the sport”, a rather intriguing fight to say the least. His teammate, Ilir “The Sledgehammer” Latifi” was also victorious in his main card bout against the number ten ranked Light Heavyweight fighter Nikita Krylov, securing a quick TKO-victory inside the first minute of the bout. Latifi’s knockout power is amongst the absolute best of the division, and he’s determined to make a serious run for the title now that his training partner and good friend Alexander Gustafsson has left the division. We also saw Jessica Andrade securing almost a guaranteed title shot against the Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko, as she defeated Joanne Calderwood in a rather convincing Unanimous Decision victory, as well as a big win for the hyped prospect Makhmud Muradov, who continued his undefeated UFC-streak with a TKO-victory over the hometown favourite Tom Breese in the second round. As for the prelims, Jack Shore also remains undefeated, not only in the UFC but in his whole career, as he defeated Alejandro Perez in a dominant fashion. This was the former Cage Warriors Bantamweight Champion’s 14th career win and his third UFC win, a highly impressive way to make a name for himself in the big leagues. Shore also made an interesting callout after the fight, calling out the charismatic prospect Sean O’Malley for a prospect vs. prospect bout to show “who the best 135lbs is fighter outside the top fifteen rankings is”. O’Malley himself responded on Twitter with a snoozing emoji, which you could only guess means that he’s not particular interested in a bout against Shore in the near future. Marc Diakiese and Lerone Murphy also did well in home soil, knocking out their UFC-veteran opponents Yancy Medeiros and Makwan Amirkhani respectively in the third round. While Diakiese has had his ups and downs in his UFC-career, for Murphy this was a big win and perhaps a win that catapults him towards the top fifteen Featherweight rankings. UFC certainly has a big British prospect on their hands in him, that’s for sure. It wasn’t a good night for the female British fighters tonight as Molly McCann followed in Joanne Calderwood’s footsteps and was surprisingly defeated by the rather big +250 underdog Miranda Granger with a Guillotine choke in the first round. This was McCann’s third straight loss and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the UFC decide to cut the popular 27-year old nicknamed “Meatball”, but no words of it has been made as of yet. Two fighters who were cut after the event was the aforementioned Yancy Medeiros, who lost his fourth straight bout and went 6-8-1 NC in the UFC, and Bruno Gustavo da Silva, who lost his third straight bout and went 0-3-1 NC in the UFC. Bonus Awards Fight of the Night: Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Andrade Performance of the Night: Germaine de Randamie, Gunnar Nelson, and Miranda Granger <img src=https://i.imgur.com/6RAvNGr.png Prediction Table maxicheezestick = 8 out of 11 McDojoDelux = 8 out of 11 vladjarca = 6 out of 11 Majster_93 = 6 out of 11 mmaaddict = 5 out of 11

Just testing your reading skills Fixed it now, thanks for correcting me, always appreciated

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 3 - MAY 2021 UFC Event Preview <img src=https://i.imgur.com/OC2TwuW.png> Holly Holm: “I’ve lost all respect for Germaine de Randamie after her actions last time, I’m here to get my revenge” With the pending return to one of the biggest markets in the sport, UFC’s event in the O2 Arena in London, England will have a firm spotlight on itself from fans around the world. The arena has hosted several big events throughout the years with main events such as Bisping vs. Silva, Till vs. Masvidal, and even a Champion vs. Champion bout between Quntion “Rampage” Jackson vs. Dan Henderson a couple of years back. This Saturday, the main event will feature a grudge match between the former Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm (14-5) and the inaugural Women’s Featherweight Champion Germaine de Randamie (10-4), a rematch from their 2017 bout in which the latter was victorious. Considering how the first bout went, with de Randamie receiving a lot of backlash over several after-the-bell shots on Holm which realistically should have been punished with point deductions but who ultimately went unpunished, it's a chance for revenge for the Jackson Wink MMA-staple Holly Holm. The actions of the eventual winner has left a sour note on the mind of Holm, who said that she has lost respect for someone she previously referred to as a great fighter. “Germaine de Randamie is a skilful fighter, don’t get me wrong, but what she did in our first bout is so disrespectful, so unjustifiable, and downright cheating. She hit me after the bell multiple times and was not punished one single time by the referee, whose job is to keep us safe at all times in the Octagon. Instead, she was allowed to break the rules without consequences and worst of all is that she’s claiming that it wasn’t intentional, that it was just a ‘heat of the moment’ thing and that she did nothing wrong. I’ve lost all respect for her, I truly have. I took this fight to get my revenge and to show her, her team, and everyone that I’m a better fighter than her. My goal is to challenge for the title once again before the end of the year, and to do that I have to beat Germaine de Randamie”, said Holly Holm on a recent episode of What the Heck with Alexander K. Lee of MMA Fighting. On the other side of the argument stands Germaine de Randamie, who is adamant that she has been punished for her unintentional mistakes in the bout, saying that the hate she has received after the incident is a far worse punishment than a loss or a no contest. “It has been insane. I stand by my words, it was totally unintentional. I’m not a dirty fighter, I’ve never done anything bad in a fight on purpose, yet people have treated me like I’m a criminal or a thief after that fight. People have said some really harsh things, and it hurt me. I apologized immediately to Holly [Holm] and her team for it, and if the referee had deemed it worthy of a point deduction, I wouldn’t have complained, but he didn’t. Sometimes you just got to move on and put those things in the rear view mirror, you know. I respect Holly as a fighter, as a champion, and as a person. I hope we can bury the hatchet on Saturday”, said the 37-year old de Randamie in an interview with Sherdog.com. Whenever the UFC returns to England, the event features many of the most popular and most talented fighters emerging from the United Kingdom and across Europe, and this Fight Night-event is no different. As previously mentioned, a Welterweight bout between the legendary Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit (32-13) and the Icelandic veteran Gunnar Nelson (17-5-1) co-main events in a bout which certainly has potential to be an entertaining clash of styles. The Swede Ilir Latifi (14-8-1 NC) makes his comeback to the Light Heavyweight division against a perennial staple in the division’s rankings in Nikita Krylov (26-8) while the assumed Women’s Flyweight Title Eliminator between Joanne Calderwood (15-5), who will have sort of a hometown advantage considering she’s Scottish, and the hard-hitting Brazilian powerhouse Jessica Andrade (21-8) also features on the main card. Perhaps a sleeper pick for most anticipated bout on the card is the main card opener between the Birmingham-native Tom Breese (12-3) and the rising prospect Makhmud Muradov (25-6) who fights out of the Czech Republic. Muradov, who is on an astonishing 14-fight win streak, has gained a lot of traction since joining the UFC back in late 2019, with many fans and experts naming him as a potential title prospect in the near future, but the Brit Tom Breese is no easy opponent. His three career losses is against fighters who are either currently ranked in the top 15 or has been in recent time, so the fans in the O2 Arena is certainly in for a treat with this Middleweight clash. As for the preliminary bouts, four out of the six bouts features British fighters with the undefeated Welsh Bantamweight prospect Jack Shore (13-0) headlining the prelims against a tough opponent in Alejandro Perez (21-8-1). Marc Diakiese (14-4), Lerone Murphy (10-0-1), and Molly McCann (10-4) is the other three fighters fighting on home soil with all of them being betting favourites against their respective opponents. Main Event Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#2) Holly Holm vs. (#1) Germaine de Randamie Co-Main Event Welterweight Bout: Carlos Condit vs. Gunnar Nelson Main Card Light Heavyweight Bout: Ilir Latifi vs. (#10) Nikita Krylov Women's Flyweight Bout: (#6) Joanne Calderwood vs. (#1) Jessica Andrade Middleweight Bout: Tom Breese vs. Makhmud Muradov ESPN Preliminary Card Bantamweight Bout: Jack Shore vs. Alejandro Perez Lightweight Bout: Marc Diakiese vs. Yancy Medeiros Featherweight Bout: Lerone Murphy vs. Makwan Amirkhani ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Women’s Flyweight Bout: Molly McCann vs. Miranda Granger Heavyweight Bout: Adam Wieczorek vs. Alexander Romanov Flyweight Bout: J.P. Buys vs. Bruno Gustavo da Silva

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 2 - MAY 2021 UFC Event Announcement <img src=https://i.imgur.com/k1jJNza.png> Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Yair Rodriguez headlines UFC Fight Night-event in Moscow, Russia UFC will continue its presence in Europe after the decision to once again host full capacity events following the now manageable Covid-19 pandemic situation as the organization today announced a return to Moscow, Russia for next month. The news, which was announced through social media earlier today, is big for the European market, and it's certainly a indication of how valuable the UFC sees the European fans as this is the second event on the continent in a short amount of time. With UFC Fight Night 190: Holm vs. de Randamie II taking place at the O2 Arena next Saturday, the European fans will be treated with two impactful events close to each other as UFC Fight Night 191, who emerges from the CSKA Arena in the Russian capital, also features a noteworthy main event with some serious title implications, this time for the Featherweight division. None other than two of the biggest prospects and most popular fighters in the Featherweight division will battle it out for a chance at the 145lbs gold when the number two ranked Zabit Magomedsharipov (18-1) takes on the number four ranked Yair "El Pantera" Rodriguez (13-2) in a five round main event. This is the third time the bout has been made official, with the TUF: Latin America-winner Rodriguez pulling out twice due to injuries, but everything is set for these two highly entertaining fighters to finally settle their score and battle it out inside the Octagon. It would be no surprise if the eventual winner of the bout will go on and challenge for the Featherweight title, who currently is held by Alexander Volkanovski, which undoubtedly makes the bout even more of a must-watch than it was before. This will be the second time Zabit Magomedsharipov main events a UFC-event with his first coming against fellow top ranked Featherweight Calvin Kattar at the same venue one and a half year earlier, which coincidentally is also the last time we saw the unorthodox fighter. For Yair Rodriguez, it's also the first time in one and a half year that he will fight inside the Octagon with his latest bout being a victory over Jeremy Stephens at UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Weidman. The co-main event of the UFC Fight Night 191: Zabit vs. Yair event will feature two Russians in a Heavyweight scrap between the rising prospect Sergey Pavlovich (14-1) and the veteran Shamil Abdurakhimov (20-5). UFC is reportedly very high on the talented Pavlovich, who is a former Fight Night Global Heavyweight Champion, and is looking to fast-track him up the divisional rankings. He has fought three times in the organization before this bout, winning twice against Marcelo Golm and Maurice Green and losing his UFC-debut against Alistair Overeem, but injuries has kept him sidelined since October of 2019. His opponent, the 39-year old Abdurakhimov has fought eight times for the UFC with a record of 5-3. Andrei Arlovski, Marcin Tybura, and Walt Harris are some of his biggest wins, while he has lost against top contenders like Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis. According to the current Heavyweight rankings, Pavlovich sits at the number fifteen spot while Abdurakhimov is ranked in the number ten spot. Despite being held as a potential future star, the 29-year old Wrestling-based Pavlovich is entering the contest against Abdurakhimov as a +150 underdog, so a win for him could lead to a quick rise through the rankings. As to be expected when UFC host a European event, the rest of the card is riddled with fighters from that specific country and the Moscow-event is no exception. Three other fights has been made official; a Heavyweight bout between the Moldovan-Ukrainian prospect Sergey Spivak (12-2), who fights out of Moscow, Russia, and the veteran Stefan "The Skyscraper" Struve (29-13), a Women's Flyweight bout between Antonina Shevchenko (9-2), the older sister of the divisional champion Valentina Shevchenko, against Andrea Lee (11-5), and a Middleweight bout between the ranked Russian Omari Akhmedov (21-5-1) and the Polish judoka Krzysztof Jotko (22-4). Main Event Featherweight Bout: (#2) Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. (#4) Yair Rodriguez Co-Main Event Heavyweight Bout: (#15) Sergey Pavlovich vs. (#10) Shamil Abdurakhimov Main Card Heavyweight Bout: Sergey Spivak vs. Stefan Struve Women's Flyweight Bout: (#14) Antonina Shevchenko vs. (#12) Andrea Lee Middleweight Bout: (#14) Omari Akhmedov vs. Krzysztof Jotko

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png></p><p> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>WEEK 2 - MAY 2021</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:14px;">UFC Fight Night 189: Dillashaw vs. Sandhagen</span></strong></p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:10px;">Critical Rating: 75%</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Commercial Rating: 90%</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Profit/Loss: </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"><span style="color:#008000;">$2.281.254</span></span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Main Event</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Cory Sandhagen def. T.J. Dillashaw by Unanimous Decision </strong><strong><span style="font-size:8px;">(50-45 x2, 49-46)</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Co-Main Event</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Donald Cerrone def. Diego Sanchez by Submission (Kimura) in 1:45 of Round 1</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Main Card</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Augusto Sakai def. Junior dos Santos by Knock Out (Knee) in 4:59 of Round 2</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Punahele Soriano def. Alessio Di Chirico by Knock Out (Punch) in 2:13 of Round 1</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Arman Tsarukyan def. Nasrat Haqparast by Unanimous Decision </strong><strong><span style="font-size:8px;">(30-27 x3)</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>ESPN Preliminary Card</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>James Krause def. Joaquin Buckley by Split Decision </strong><strong><span style="font-size:8px;">(30-27, 29-28, 28-29)</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:8px;"> </span></strong></p><p><strong> Cory McKenna def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:34 of Round 1</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Brandon Royval def. David Dvorak by Submission (Armbar) in 2:25 of Round 3</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Juan Espino def. Jake Collier by Submission (Leglock) in 1:30 of Round 1</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Veronica Machedo def. Sarah Alpar by Knock Out (Punch) in 2:21 of Round 1</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Teruto Ishihara def. Benito Lopez by TKO (Strikes) in 3:34 of Round 2</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Summary</strong></span></p><p> A sold-out crowd inside the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver, Colorado was gifted with the Bantamweight main-event between the hometown hero Cory Sandhagen as he challenged the returning T.J. Dillashaw, who received an enormous amount of boos when Bruce Buffer announced his name, in a presumed title eliminator. The atmosphere in the arena, which have hosted four previous UFC-events with the most recent being UFC Fight Night: The Korean Zombie vs. Rodriguez, was as electric as one could have hoped for in the first full capacity UFC-event in the United States since the Covid-19 pandemic, and to cap the night of with such an anticipated bout between two of the best Bantamweights on the planet gave the show a spectacular feeling. You could almost feel the tension in the air when the tall and lengthy Sandhagen stood face to face with perhaps the most dividing UFC-fighter on the roster in Dillashaw as referee Marc Goddard gave his final instructions before the fight. It was the returning Dillashaw, who entered the bout as a +150 underdog against the -100 favourite Sandhagen that took the early initiative, rushing the 27-year old and landing a three piece combination but narrowly missing the final big right. A high-paced striking battle ensued with both fighters displaying high quality in their strikes and kicks, in which Dillashaw tried closing the distance on the much taller Sandhagen. The 27-year old Aurora, Colorado-native secured the first takedown of the bout around four minutes in to the first round, but after a scramble of positioning, it was Dillashaw who secured the more dominant position as he ended up in guard. With the clock winding down, Sandhagen attempted a submission from the bottom but the experienced Dillashaw controlled the situation with ease. With the first round in the books, there was very little to separate them in the first round and it could’ve realistically gone either way should the bout go the distance. The second round was a much more decisive one for Cory Sandhagen as he utilized his grappling to an effective level, twice taking down Dillashaw in the round who desperately tried using the cage to stop the constant grappling pressure from the number one contender. The biggest moment of the fight thus far happened in the middle of the third round after yet another close striking battle. Despite initially getting the better of the exchange with a quick flurry of four punches that all landed, Dillashaw missed with a left cross that opened up an angle for the skilled kick boxer Sandhagen who missed a jab but landed a vicious head kick that instantly wobbled the former champion. After Dillashaw falled to the floor, Sandhagen jumped in and pounded away with several enormous hammerfists that easily got have warranted a stoppage from Marc Goddard, but the resilient Dillashaw defended them well enough for the constant to continue. A clearly hurt Dillashaw couldn’t do much more than defend while Sandhagen continued advancing to dominant positions on the ground, but the referee was not satisfied with the progression and therefore stood the fighters up with 30 seconds remaining of the round. The 35-year old Sacramento, California-native withstood more damage and survived another round, while the commentary team of Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping questioned if he had anything left in the tank for this gruelling bout. Round four was a copy of the second round in which Sandhagen controlled the bout with versatile attacks, securing yet another takedown on the otherwise excellent takedown defender Dillashaw and pressure him with both strikes and transitions before the bell ended. The fifth and final round was the last chance for the returning Dillashaw to show the world why he would be next in line for the UFC Bantamweight title, but despite putting everything he had in every strike he threw, it was not Dillashaw’s night tonight. Instead, Cory Sandhagen put on a clinic and secured not only the fifth round and an eventual decision victory over the biggest opponent he’s ever faced, he also secured his spot in a rematch against the champion Aljamain Sterling. When Bruce Buffer announced the judges’ scorecards, which was unanimously given to Sandhagen, the Pepsi Center erupted in loud and visible celebration as their hometown hero had prevailed. A teary Sandhagen thanked everyone in the crowd and everyone at home for their support, but also showed class when he defended his opponent T.J. Dillashaw saying that “the past is the past, let’s give T.J. a big round of applause for his return. The Bantamweight division is a much better division with him in it”. The two fighters embraced with a big hug which gave the fans a stunning visual in the much anticipated return to full capacity events. It was later announced that T.J. Dillashaw had been rushed to the hospital following the fight with a fractured right orbital, which will see him sidelined for at least four months of action.</p><p> </p><p> The co-main event which saw two of the most grizzled veterans the company has on its payroll, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Diego “The Nightmare” Sanchez, also delivered rather entertaining bout. Surprisingly, the bout was much closer and more even than the betting lines had predicted it to be as the big +310 underdog Sanchez really took it to the repeatedly slow starter Cerrone early on, opening up a big cut above the right eye of favorite with a swift head kick. Perhaps sensing a bit of unexpected trouble, Cerrone turned to a more grappling-based game plan in the second round, shooting for several takedowns but the 39-year old Sanchez was very effective with his takedown defence, stopping the first four attempts with great reading of the game. The fifth and final takedown attempt of the second round for Cerrone was successful, but the consensus was that Sanchez had done enough to win both the first and second round with his advantage in the strikes landed department as well as with his great takedown defence. With a potential upset edging closer and closer, the Pepsi Center-crowd cheered on the veteran and inaugural TUF-winner Diego Sanchez into the third and final round, but their expectations was cut short when Cerrone successfully took the underdog down with his first attempt. Positioning himself around the raised legs of Sanchez onto the side control, the underestimated grappling credentials of “Cowboy” Cerrone saw him secure a fully applied Kimura that, despite trying to fight the hold for as long as he could, forced Sanchez to tap. The fight was unexpectedly great and provided a memorable fight between two of the greatest veterans in the history of the business, and with Cerrone back in win column again, he vowed to return to Lightweight to once again test his skills against the best of the best. For Diego Sanchez, the expected retirement was put on hold. In a written statement on his Twitter, the 39-year old wrote that “the performance he gave tonight, getting the better of one of the best to ever do it for two straight rounds, is a sign that he has a lot more to offer”. In the statement, Sanchez wrote “I’m not in this anymore to win the title. I’m in this to show that Diego Sanchez is a true legend of the sport. Win, lose or draw, I will always deliver and show you, the fans, that I am a true warrior and a real fighter”. Even though you can really respect Diego Sanchez for this kind of mentality, it would be very surprising to see the UFC wanting a soon-to-be 40-year old be used in a position of fighting other veterans which ultimately doesn’t gain the company anything other than nostalgia for the fans. If the UFC decide to keep Sanchez, who is entering his last contractual fight next time he steps inside the Octagon, it would most certainly be against a young prospect that can gain some notoriety with a win over a big name.</p><p> </p><p> One fighter who will not be under contract with the UFC anymore is the former Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos. Once riding the biggest UFC-win streak in Heavyweight division history with nine straight victories including two title bouts against Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir, the 37-year old has fallen hard in recent years with his deteriorating chin being a constant tough topic of discussion amongst fans and experts alike. Despite getting the better of his countryman and the 8-years younger Augusto Sakai for the first round, the second round really showed everyone that Junior dos Santos is a shell of his former fighting self as he took multiple heavy shots without defending them throughout the round. It all came to an end in the last second of round 2 when Augusto Sakai landed a thunderous knee to the dome of the former champion in the clinch, which resulted in an instant knockout. This is the fifth straight loss for the 24-fight UFC-veteran and one of the all-time Heavyweight greats, which resulted in his contractual release on the Sunday after the event. With Junior dos Santos gone from the UFC, together with his former rivals Fabricio Werdum being in PFL and Cain Velasquez being retired, this is truly the end of an era in the Heavyweight division as the trio ruled over the division for many years. For Sakai, this is undoubtedly his biggest win thus far in his UFC-career, and he took the opportunity to call out the number seven ranked Aleksei Oleinik as his next potential opponent.</p><p> </p><p> Throughout the rest of the card, we witnessed several great and entertaining bouts from top to bottom. Punahele Soriano continued his path of destruction in the Middleweight division as he knocked out Alessio Di Chirico in the first round with a massive right hand, adding another victory to his undefeated record of 9-0. The Xtreme Couture-member was apologetic for missing weight in his post-fight interview, saying that “this was the first and last time I miss weight” as well as calling out Uriah Hall, who recently lost to Chris Weidman at UFC 261: Weili vs. Namajunas, to an epic showdown between to KO-artists. Arman Tsarukyan defeated fellow Lightweight prospect Nasrat Haqparast with a clear Unanimous Decision victory, showing that he is on the verge of cracking the razor sharp top-15 Lightweight rankings. During the prelims, James Krause got the better of the rival bout against Joaquin Buckley in a close Split Decision victory while Brandon Royval took another step towards the top of the Flyweight division. For the 21-year old Cory McKenna, her KO-victory over the former Women’s Strawweight title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz was the biggest victory in her career thus far. For Karolina, this was her fifth straight loss in the UFC and the company announced her release shortly after the event had finished. </p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Bonus Awards</strong></span></p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:10px;">Fight of the Night: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Nasrat Haqparast</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Performance of the Night: Augusto Sakai, Cory McKenna, and Juan Espino</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/LeCStJ0.png</p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Prediction Table</span></strong></span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> vladjarca = 9 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> CageRage = 7 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> Majster_93 = 6 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> maxicheezestick = 6 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> McDojoDelux = 6 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> </span></em></p></div><p></p>

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 2 - MAY 2021 UFC Event Preview <img src=https://i.imgur.com/nE24qf1.png> T.J. Dillashaw: “Road to Redemption starts with dominant victory against ‘overrated’ Sandhagen” The much anticipated return of the former Bantamweight Champion and one of the all-time greats in the division T.J. Dillashaw (16-4) is upon us. After serving a 2-year suspension due to EPO usage, the now 35-year old California-native headlines this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night-event taking place at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado against his former teammate Cory Sandhagen (14-2), but despite being former Elevation Fight Team-comrades and even friends back in the days, Dillashaw has not eased up on his words against his 27-year old opponent. “I think it’s unfair and disrespectful for me not fighting for the belt in my comeback fight. You can talk all you want about me being a cheater and a bad person, it is what it is, but you can’t argue the facts. I was the undisputed champion and vacated the belt on my behalf before I left. I didn’t lose my belt against anyone other than myself. I really believe that I’m most deserving of a title shot against the champion [Aljamain Sterling] because everyone one else has already failed at their task of taking the gold from him. [Petr] Yan lost the belt to him, so he’s out. [Cory] Sandhagen lost to the champion in quick fashion not long ago, so why would he get a title shot? He hasn’t done anything noteworthy to earn it. And then what? Cody Garbrandt, who I embarrassed on two seperate occasions? I will channel this frustration about not getting what I deserve and use it to motivate me, because I see this as my Road to Redemption. I’ll be the champion before the end of the year and I’ll reign over my division, it all starts with a dominant win over Cory Sandhagen, who I personally think is a bit overrated. His biggest wins have come against irrelevant fighters past their prime, I’ll make easy work of him, trust me”, said T.J. Dillashaw in an interview with MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin before the event. His opponent this Saturday, Cory Sandhagen is happy to face the former champion, much thanks to their previous training episodes in which the younger prospect allegedly got the better of the then champion on multiple occasions. “It’s the number one thing you don’t talk about in this sport, but T.J. [Dillashaw] himself has talked about it publicly before so I guess it’s no secret. Even before I signed with the UFC, I sparred with him on multiple occasions back when he was a part of our team [Elevation Fight Team]. Before he was the champion and even after he defeated Cody [Garbrandt] to become champion again, and without exaggeration I was the better fighter in those situations, but ultimately that doesn’t mean anything. You don’t win any titles or fights in the gym. I’m thankful for the experience T.J. gave me and it has truly given me a confident boost now when we’re facing each other for real. I know I can beat him, he knows I can beat him, and I’ll go out there in front of a sold out crowd in my home-state of Colorado to show why I’m the best Bantamweight fighter in the world”, said Sandhagen in an interview with Ariel Helwani on his MMA Show. In perhaps the strangest co-main event in recent memory, a Welterweight bout between two true UFC-veterans in Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (36-15-2 NC) and Diego “The Nightmare” Sanchez (30-13) will take place in what is believed to be the inaugural TUF-winner’s last fight in his long and storied career. The 39-year old Sanchez, who recently joined forces with the California-based Team Oyama before this fight against Cerrone, is a big betting underdog in what will be his 33rd UFC-fight with a +310 line attached to his name, but “The Nightmare” is confident in his ability to overcome his former Jackson Wink MMA-teammate. “Donald Cerrone is a great fighter and a true warrior. We’ve had our differences in the past and stuff like that, but I respect him and his values as a fighter and as a man. However, I’m not going to treat him any different when we enter the Octagon this Saturday. He’s the favourite, props to him for that, but I’m confident in my abilities to defeat “The Cowboy” in front of the crowd. Perhaps for the last time in my career”, said Sanchez in an interview with MMAJunkie. Cerrone on the other hand was not so respectful in his pre-fight comments, saying that “despite this fight being billed as legend vs. legend, I don’t think that Diego [sanchez] is deserving of that status” as well as saying that his opponent this Saturday will be “held accountable for all the shit he has talked when he made the same thing and left”, referring to the Jackson Wink-MMA situation a few years back. In a rather interesting event filled with potential Fight of the Night-bouts all the way from the early prelims up to the main event, the Heavyweight clash between the two Brazilians Augusto Sakai (15-2-1) and the former champion Junior dos Santos (21-9) is an intriguing one, especially with the possible effects of the fight. If dos Santos is unsuccessful for a fifth straight time and with his big salary demands, it would be no surprise if he was to be released from the company. For Sakai, a victory against a former champion would certainly catapult him higher up the stacked Heavyweight rankings. If the roles are reversed, dos Santos would yet again be in a good position in the top 10’s to earn a big fight against one of the several tough opponents aiming for Francis Ngannou’s newly won title. For the other two main card fights, it’s a glimpse into the future of the Middleweight and Lightweight division. Despite missing weight with 2lbs, UFC is reportedly very high on the undefeated knockout artist Punahele Soriano (8-0) who takes on the always game Alessio Di Chirico (13-5) and a win for Soriano could perhaps land him right about the top 15-rankings spot. The Lightweight bout between prospects Arman Tsarukyan (16-2) and Nasrat Haqparast (12-3) is an exciting fight, with both fighters being touted for a bright future in the company. The entire UFC Fight Night 189: Dillashaw vs. Sandhagen, which features names like the veteran James Krause (28-8) against his rival and 2020 KO of the Year-winner Joaquin Buckley (12-4), the former UFC Women’s Strawweight title contender Karolina Kowalkiewicz (12-6) and the TUF 28 Heavyweight-winner Juan Espino (10-1), looks like this: Main Event Bantamweight Bout: T.J. Dillashaw vs. (#1) Cory Sandhagen Co-Main Event Welterweight Bout: Donald Cerrone vs. Diego Sanchez Main Card Heavyweight Bout: (#11) Augusto Sakai vs. (#12) Junior dos Santos Middleweight Bout: Alessio Di Chirico vs. Punahele Soriano* Lightweight Bout: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Nasrat Haqparast ESPN Preliminary Card Middleweight Bout: James Krause vs. Joaquin Buckley Women’s Strawweight Bout: Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Cory McKenna Flyweight Bout: (#12) David Dvorak vs. (#8) Brandon Royval ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Heavyweight Bout: Juan Espino vs. Jake Collier Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Sarah Alpar vs. Veronica Macedo Bantamweight Bout: Teruto Ishihara vs. Benito Lopez *Punahele Soriano missed weight by 2lbs. He forfeited 20% of his purse to his opponent Alessio Di Chirico, but will remain in the Middleweight division.

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 1 - MAY 2021 DWCS 42 Main Event Hugo Cunha def. Ioannis Arzoumanidis by Submission (Armbar) in 3:03 of Round 2 Co-Main Event Azamat Murzakanov def. Jailton Junior by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3) Main Card Tobias Harila def. Aaron McKenzie by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28 x2) Sam Creasey def. Nate Smith by TKO (Strikes) in 1:29 of Round 1 Summary There have been a few standout performances in during the five seasons of the Contender Series. Names like Sean O’Malley, Sodiq Yusuff, Ryan Spann, Dan Ige, and Maycee Barber springs to mind when talking about the alumni of the show, and with every new episode UFC have high hopes of finding the next big thing in the sport. Perhaps the powerful, versatile Hugo “Silverback” Cunha will be held in the same high regard as those mentioned previously, especially since his second round submission victory over the Greek Ioannis Arzoumanidis was very impressive. Despite facing a bronze medalist in Freestyle Wrestling World Championship, Cunha was the better fighter on the ground and dominated the former ACA Heavyweight in every aspect of the game before submitting his opponent with an Armbar in the second round. Dana White was very excited of the Brazilian’s performance, saying he resembled a young Brock Lesnar in his fighting approach, and it was no surprise to see him award Hugo Cunha with a UFC-contract after the show. It’s clear to see why UFC is so high on the 6’4’’ Brazilian as he has all the tools to become one of the new faces of the resurging Heavyweight division. Both the Russian Azamat Murzakanov and the Swede Tobias Harila were successful in defeating their respective opponents Jailton Junior and Aaron McKenzie, but the committee consisting of Dana White, Sean Shelby, and Mick Maynard agreed that both fighters needed a few more fights to really impress and perform on the level the UFC wants them to. One who did perform was the Englishman Sam Creasey, who finished the LFA Flyweight Nate Smith with strikes in the second round. Creasey looked very good in the bout, utilizing a great stand up game with many crushing leg kicks, which ultimately earned him the coveted UFC-contract after the show. If the 33-year old Cage Warriors-veteran plays his cards right, he can be a serious threat in the 125lbs division. For Smith, this was his second defeat on the show, and you can only assume that this was his last chance to earn a spot on the coveted UFC-roster. Contracts Awarded Hugo Cunha – Heavyweight Sam Creasey - Flyweight <img src=https://i.imgur.com/SjFyhFu.png Prediction Table CageRage = 3 out of 4 vladjarca = 3 out of 4 maxicheezestick = 1 out of 4

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png></p><p> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>WEEK 1 - MAY 2021</strong></span></p><p><strong> </strong><strong><span style="font-size:14px;">DWCS Preview</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/lryVCdI.png></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>DWCS 42 returns this Tuesday with Heavyweights Hugo Cunha and Ioannis Arzoumanidis headlining</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> After two impressive shows in March and April respectively, one of the most popular Mixed Martial Arts shows returns this May with the 42st episode of Dana White’s Contender Series. The show that has produced several new stars over its course is growing in popularity for every episode, and the UFC continues to showcase the biggest talents in the sport on a big, opportunistic platform. So far this season, five fighters have been signed to the world’s leading MMA organization, including Khusein Ashkabov and Lupita Godinez from the first episode of the season and the trio of Joseph Morales, Brett Martin, and Patricia Alujas from the second episode.</p><p> </p><p> Episode three will feature a 4-bout card headlined by a Heavyweight contest between the undefeated Brazilian Hugo “Silverback” Cunha (5-0) and the Greek wrestling powerhouse Ioannis “Arzoo” Arzoumanidis (8-1). This is a big fight between two potential Heavyweight prospects as Cunha enters the bout with all finishes on his record while the more experienced Arzoumanidis has competed in several Freestyle Wrestling competitions before turning his focus to MMA, including the 120kg World Championships 2009 and 2010 in which he won the Bronze medal both times. Cunha has also a pedigree of wrestling as well as a Black Belt in BJJ, so we’re in for a tough fight to predict.</p><p> </p><p> The co-main event features a Light Heavyweight bout between another Brazilian in Jailton “Malhadinho” Junior (12-2) and the once UFC-signed Russian Azamat “The Professional” Murzakanov (9-0). Junior has a big win over former UFC-veteran Ildemar Alcantara on his resume and is riding an impressive 8-fight win streak while Murzakanov is undefeated in his 9-fight career, switching between the Heavyweight and the Light Heavyweight division. As previously mentioned, Murzakanov was once signed with the UFC back in 2017 and was scheduled to make his debut against Joachim Christensen, but a failed USADA-test saw him being suspended for two years before his UFC-debut and he was subsequently released from the company in 2019. Murzanakov has bounced back since that fatal mistake with several wins, vowing to never do anything like that every again. “Everybody deserves a second chance, this guy included”, said UFC-matchmaker Sean Shelby when asked about Murzakanov’s participation on the DWCS.</p><p> </p><p> The last two bouts of the show feature a Lightweight bout between the LFA-prospect Aaron McKenzie (9-2-1) and the Cage Warriors-prospect Tobias “Bad Intentions” Harila (8-1) as well as a Flyweight bout between LFA-signed Nate “The Savage” Smith (6-1) and the Cage Warriors-signed Sam “Urai” Creasy (13-3). The American McKenzie is a slight betting favorite against the Swede Harila in the first bout while the Englishman Creasy, who has fought for the CWFC Flyweight title on multiple occasions in losing efforts, is a rather clear betting favourite against the American Smith, who has made an appearance on DWCS earlier, losing on the fourth season against the current UFC Flyweight Jimmy Flick.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Main Event</strong></p><p> Heavyweight Bout: Hugo Cunha vs. Ioannis Arzoumanidis</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Co-Main Event</strong></p><p> Light Heavyweight Bout: Jailton Junior vs. Azamat Murzakanov</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Main Card</strong></p><p> Lightweight Bout: Aaron McKenzie vs. Tobias Harila</p><p> </p><p> Flyweight Bout: Nate Smith vs. Sam Creasey</p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p>