mattu29 Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 that's a really great idea! boost them so you have competition, and I have to agree, see how the AI gets on trying to go against you, will be interesting to see if they outbid you for fighters etc, that's one issue with being the ufc, its easy to snatch up every decent fighter and the other companies are fighting to sign bums so will never be competition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted March 9, 2020 Author Share Posted March 9, 2020 <img src=https://i.imgur.com/eYAV0hw.jpg> WEEK 1 - FEBRUARY 2021 UFC Fight Announcement <img src=https://i.imgur.com/K5pjE10.png> Undefeated Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya defends title against Darren Till at UFC 260 in Dallas, Texas UFC announced today that they're returning to Dallas, Texas for the first time in over 3 years, and just like last time the main event will feature the Middleweight title contender Darren Till (19-2-1). Just like the last time he main evented a show in Dallas, when he faced Tyron Woodley for the Welterweight crown, the Englishman has the opportunity to become champion as he takes on the undefeated Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (19-0) at the American Airlines Center. Adesanya recently defeated Paulo Costa in his first title defense while Till is undefeated since moving up to the Middleweight division with two straight wins over Kelvin Gastelum and Yoel Romero. The betting line sees the champion as a close -100 favorite while Till is the slight underdog with +150, which is similar to the last time he fought in Dallas. Hopefully for Till's sake, he can perform better this time around. A highly anticipated Light Heavyweight title eliminator between two former title challengers Thiago Santos (22-7) and Dominick Reyes (13-1) will co-main event on the card. Santos lost a razor sharp Split Decision against the champion Jon Jones in 2019 while Reyes lost his title shot with a rear naked choke in the first round last year. Both fighters comes from big victories as Santos defeated the perennial top ranked Volkan Özdemir while Reyes defeated another one of Jones' victims in Anthony Smith. A win for either Santos or Reyes will probably result in a second championship opportunity as the division is pretty thin at the top. The only other viable option for Jones beside Santos and Reyes is the newly acquired Ryan Bader, but the former Bellator double champion likely needs one win in his return before getting the opportunity to dethrone the all-time great. During the event, two of the newly signed fighters will make their anticipated UFC-debuts. The undefeated, former Bellator Featherweight champion A.J. McKee (18-0) looks to kick start his career in the leading organization of the MMA-world as he faces the veteran Jeremy Stephens (28-19). McKee has already made an impact in the UFC as fans has grown fond of his charismatic personality which he often demonstrates on social media. A win for McKee here would be extremely valuable as he is incredibly marketable and has the potential of be one of the biggest stars in the company. The other debutante is the Swedish former ONE Championship Welterweight title holder Zebaztian Kadestam (13-5-1) who faces Middleweight gatekeeper Brad Tavares (18-6) during the main card. This bout was, as you probably remember, initially booked for UFC Fight Night 185: Hermansson vs. Romero in Kadestam's native Sweden but injuries pulled him from that event. Instead, he makes his debut during the bigger stage in Dallas, Texas as the main card opener. Last but not least, a Lightweight bout between two of the biggest prospects in the division in form of Alexander Hernandez (12-2), who hails from San Antonio, Texas, and Islam Makhachev (18-2) is the fifth and final fight on the main card. The preliminary portion of the event will also feature the UFC-debut of former PFL-star Lance Palmer (24-3) and the return of current Invicta Featherweight champion Alexis Dufresne (8-3) who has been called up to the big league for her second ever UFC-bout to deepen the severely lacking Women's Featherweight division. The entire UFC 260: Adesanya vs. Till-card looks like this: Main Event Middleweight Championship Bout: © Israel Adesanya vs. (#1) Darren Till Co-Main Event Light Heavyweight Bout: (#1) Thiago Santos vs. (#2) Dominick Reyes Main Card Featherweight Bout: A.J. McKee vs. (#11) Jeremy Stephens Lightweight Bout: (#12) Alexander Hernandez vs. (#13) Islam Makhachev Middleweight Bout: Zebaztian Kadestam vs. (#11) Brad Tavares ESPN Preliminary Card Featherweight Bout: Lance Palmer vs. Kevin Aguilar Heavyweight Bout: Juan Adams vs. Sergey Spivak Women's Flyweight Bout: (#14) Antonina Shevchenko vs. (#11) Andrea Lee ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Middleweight Bout: Marvin Vettori vs. Zak Cummings Women's Featherweight Bout: Alexis Dufresne vs. (#7) Zarah Fairn dos Santos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageRage Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 Looking forward to Israel vs. Till, think Israel will probably win, but I'll probably say that until he doesn't. Santos vs Reyes should be a cracker of a fight as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattu29 Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 <p>damn that's great as a brit to see, Till actually winning at MW lol, hes done terribly on my game so to see him beating kelvin and yoel romero is surprising but great <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p><p> like cagerage said, I think Israel takes this, but this game is crazy for upsets so who knows <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p><p> Hoping Marreta beats Reyes to set up his rematch, hes another fighter whos very up and down in game but always been a big fan so would love to see him dethrone Bones</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 <img src=https://i.imgur.com/eYAV0hw.jpg> WEEK 2 - FEBRUARY 2021 UFC on ESPN: Cejudo vs. Yan Attendance: 9,238 Gate: $2,309,500 Critical Rating: 74% Commercial Rating: 98% Main Event Petr Yan def. Henry Cejudo by Knock Out (Punch) in 0:56 of Round 3 to win the UFC Bantamweight title Co-Main Event Rose Namajunas def. Weili Zhang by Unanimous Decision Main Card Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua def. Volkan Özdemir by TKO (Strikes) in 1:52 of Round 1 Michael Johnson def. Shane Burgos b TKO (Strikes) in 4:55 of Round 3 Charles Jourdain def. Alex Caceres by Knock Out (Punch) in 2:19 of Round 2 ESPN+ Preliminary Card Trevin Giles def. Karl Roberson by Unanimous Decision Eduardo Garagorri def. Kyle Nelson by Submission (Anaconda Choke) in 2:11 of Round 3 Livia Renata Souza def. Marina Rodriguez by Unanimous Decision John Phillips def. Rafael Fiziev by Knock Out (Punch) in 4:06 of Round 1 Geraldo de Freitas def. Julio Arce by Submission (Heel Hook) in 2:14 of Round 2 Benito Lopez def. Andre Ewell by Unanimous Decision Summary King of Cringe is no more, at least not as the Bantamweight champion. The always dividing Henry Cejudo stepped into the octagon at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada looking to make his third title defense since winning the title back in 2019. The champion was the slight betting favorite heading into the bout as many predicted his grappling and wrestling being two keys to a victory over the fairly one dimensional Petr Yan, who solely relies on his knockout power. And their predictions seemed pretty spot on as Cejudo dominated the first round with his wrestling, and his opponent looked pretty lackluster early on. It all changed in the second round as the Russian heavy hitter grew into the fight and stuffed Cejudo's takedowns, something that turned the fight into a stand-up exchange. Cejudo was the aggressor with a pressure striking game plan while Yan focused on his powerful counter striking. Both men had their moments of brilliance in the second round where Cejudo landed an elbow to the dome of Yan which stunned the Russian, but Yan returned it with a big head kick that nearly finished the fight late in the second. Perhaps it was the effects of that kick that led to the finish early in the third, but it's safe to say that Petr Yan's knockout punch on Cejudo was devastating. A clean right hook dropped Cejudo and Marc Goddard the referee stopped the fight shortly thereafter. Cejudo tried to dispute it as an early stoppage but the stoppage was pretty obvious a right call by Goddard. Petr Yan joins Khabib Nurmagomedov as the second ever Russian title holder in the UFC and he has vowed to both defend the title and honor it during his reign. His first title defense will probably happen later this year with several candidates named, including a rematch against Cejudo, or one of the two former champions Dominick Cruz and Cody Garbrandt who both have two-fight win streaks. Two other former champions in a totally different division that fought during the co-main event was Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang, both former Women's Strawweight champions. The bout, which was labeled as a title eliminator for Tatiana Suarez' first title defense, was a very close. Realistically it could have gone either way as both fighters preformed a great bout but in the end it was Rose Namajunas that got the nod from the judges as she took home the 29-28 decision victory. Rose has defeated both Jessica Andrade and Weili Zhang since she fought Tatiana Suarez the first time last summer and she has really proved that she is the rightful number one contender. The legendary 'Shogun Rua has revitalized his career as he knocked out one of the perennial top ranked Light Heayvweight fighters in Volkan Özdemir. This victory moves 'Shogun' up to the sixth spot in the rankings, and how crazy it might seemed two and a half years ago when he fought the unranked Paul Craig to a Split Draw, Rua is on his way to a golden opportunity. One big win more against one of the top five ranked fighters can result in a title fight, which would be a tremendous effort for the Brazilian in the late stage of his career. We also saw big wins for one of the true UFC-veterans in Michael Johnson as he TKO:ed Shane Burgos despite being a big underdog, as well as the former TKO Featherweight champion Charles Jourdain who defeated another UFC-veteran in Alex Caceres in a spectacular fight. Jourdian, who is on his way of becoming a ranked Featherweight, thanked his countrymen in the audience and called out Jeremy Stephens for a future showdown which indeed sounds like an exciting bout. Two fighters was released from the UFC following the event, including Kyle Nelson (1-3 in the UFC) and Rafael Fiziev (1-3 in the UFC). Bonus Awards Fight of the Night: Charles Jourdain vs. Alex Caceres Knockout of the Night: Petr Yan Submission of the Night: Eduardo Garagorri <img src=https://i.imgur.com/cObEjXx.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageRage Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Good for Petr Yan. Can't wait to see Rose fighting for the title. Can't wait to see who Shogun's next fight is, and whether he can win himself a title shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattu29 Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 That’s awesome for Yan! Would be great to see Cruz vs garbrandt again as a no.1 contender fight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 <img src=https://i.imgur.com/eYAV0hw.jpg> WEEK 3 - FEBRUARY 2021 UFC Fight Announcement & Preview <img src=https://i.imgur.com/YyfWBke.png> Michael 'Venom' Page debuts in London, headlines UFC Fight Night: 188 vs. Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson One of the most exciting fighters not only on the UFC-roster, but in the entire Mixed Martial Arts world is the charismatic and energetic Michael 'Venom' Page (17-2). The former Bellator Welterweight has recently signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC and rumors about his debut has circulated ever since, but as of today his first opponent has been made official. 'MVP' as Page is often refereed to will face former two-time Welterweight title challenger and kickboxing ace Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson (15-5-1) as the organization returns to London, England. Coincidentally, Page is a London-native and one of the biggest stars on the English MMA-scene. For him to headline his first ever UFC-bout in his hometown is certainly something special for the 33-year old elusive striker. As expected, the rest of the card is also pretty stacked with big names as London is one of the premiere European cities for the UFC. Former Light Heavyweight title challenger Anthony Johnson (23-6), who made his successful return to UFC last year in the Heavyweight division, will take on one of the constants of the division in Marcin Tybura (17-7). The Polish heavy-hitter has lost his three latest bouts against Shamil Abdurakhimov, Augusto Sakai and the recently retired Aleksei Oleynik but he's still ranked in the top 15 and a win for Johnson would definitely make him a ranked Heavyweight for the first time in his career. With the division consisting of many aging fighters past their prime, a 36-year old Johnson with unparalleled knockout power would be a serious threat to anyone. Two of the most exciting young British fighters will also fight on the main card as Marc Diakiese (16-3) and Arnold Allen (16-1) faces veterans Beneil Dariush (17-5-1) and Cub Swanson (26-12) respectively. Diakiese has looked very impressive after a 3-fight slump earlier in his UFC-career and a win against Dariush would probably result in him entering the prestigious top 15 Lightweight rankings for the first time. As for Allen, who's already the top 15 Featherweight rankings, the Cub Swanson-bout is more about adding another big name to his already impressive resume, but never count out the former Fight of the Year-winner Swanson. He is one of the most experienced fighters in the entire roster and can cause problems to anyone. The UFC Fight Night 188: MVP vs. Wonderboy main card looks like this: Main Event Welterweight Bout: Michael Page vs. (#11) Stephen Thompson Co-Main Event Heavyweight Bout: Anthony Johnson vs. (#15) Marcin Tybura Main Card Lightweight Bout: Marc Diakiese vs. Beneil Dariush Featherweight Bout: (#15) Arnold Allen vs. Cub Swanson Middleweight Bout: Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Anatoly Tokov ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <img src=https://i.imgur.com/I0N5AI6.png> UFC on ESPN: Dillashaw and Faber nearly comes to blow during weigh-ins & Joanna Jedrzejczyk on her future in the Strawweight division Tomorrow night at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona the much anticipated grudge match between former friends and teammates turned foes T.J. Dillashaw and Urijah Faber will battle it out in the center of the octagon. The UFC-fans are eager to see how the 2-year suspension has effected the former Bantamweight king Dillashaw, but considering he's the slight betting favorite at -150 many expect him to be somewhere around his former level. The talk surrounding Faber on the other hand has revolved around his potential retirement following the fight, but he denied the rumors loud and clear during the weigh-ins as he said he wants another shot at the title after defeating 'the cheat' this Saturday. T.J. Dillashaw apparently didn't take kindly to Faber's comments which resulted in some shoving and kicking before security stepped in. During the week, several of the fighters on the card has talked to various media outlets including Yair Rodriguez, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Carlos Condit and Lyman Good. Fighting in the co-main event slot, 28-year old Mexican Rodriguez talked to MMAJunkie about his position in the Featherweight division as he predicted a knockout win over Mirsad Bektic tomorrow night. "I'm still in the top 5 and I'm evolving every fight, every training session. I'm looking for a first round KO on Bektic, and to fight one of the guys ahead of me", said Rodriguez to MMAJunkie. Joanna Jedrzejczyk spoke to Bloody Elbow about her future in the Women's Strawweight division, as she confirmed that she's aiming at one more title shot before stepping up to Flyweight. "I've been the champion for a long time. I've fought the best, I've beaten the best. I can still win the title and that's my goal. After that, I'm stepping up to Flyweight to try and become champion in two divisions. I think this will be my final legacy in UFC", said Joanna to Bloody Elbow. Opponents this Saturday but highly respectful of each other was Carlos Condit and Lyman Good during their interviews with MMA on Point. The former Interim Welterweight champion Condit praised his opponent for his time in Bellator, saying that "Good is one of the most underrated fighters in the world" and that their bout this Saturday would be "a great fight for the fans to watch". The inaugural Bellator Welterweight champion Lyman Good also praised Condit, calling him "a legend of the sport" and "one of the best fighters in the history of the Welterweight division". Condit has bounced back after a terrible 5-fight losing streak which almost had him released by the UFC, while Lyman Good has had mixed success since joining the UFC in 2015. The UFC on ESPN: Dillashaw vs. Faber card looks like this: Main Event Bantamweight Bout: T.J. Dillashaw vs. (#9) Urijah Faber Co-Main Event Featherweight Bout: (#6) Yair Rodriguez vs. (#8) Mirsad Bektic Main Card Women's Strawweight Bout: (#2) Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. (#7) Randa Markos Welterweight Bout: Lyman Good vs. Carlos Condit Welterweight Bout: Erik Koch vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan ESPN+ Preliminary Card Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#11) Yana Kunitskaya vs. (#14) Nicco Moñtano Flyweight Bout: Matt Schnell vs. Ruaridh Griffen Light Heavyweight Bout: Devin Clark vs. Paul Craig Light Heavyweight Bout: Alonzo Menifield vs. Michal Oleksieczjuk Flyweight Bout: Su Mudaerji vs. Oddmund Duus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majster_93 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 I've been reading dynasty for about a month and I'm always waiting for the next one. I like it very much. MVP vs. Wonderboy promises to be very interesting, I would like Tybura, Jedrzejczyk and Oleksiejczuk to win their fights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 I've been reading dynasty for about a month and I'm always waiting for the next one. I like it very much. MVP vs. Wonderboy promises to be very interesting, I would like Tybura, Jedrzejczyk and Oleksiejczuk to win their fights. Thank you Majster, I appreciate it a lot! Good luck with your dynasty as well, always great to see more people on here to make the forum active again. I agree with you, I feel like Wonderboy is the perfect match up for MVP in his debut. A highly skilled striker with next to none ground game, so it's basically a striker vs. striker bout. As for your fellow Polish fighters, all I can say is powodzenia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majster_93 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Thank you Majster, I appreciate it a lot! Good luck with your dynasty as well, always great to see more people on here to make the forum active again. I agree with you, I feel like Wonderboy is the perfect match up for MVP in his debut. A highly skilled striker with next to none ground game, so it's basically a striker vs. striker bout. As for your fellow Polish fighters, all I can say is powodzenia! Yes, yes I'm with Poland. I hope that Diakase, Tokov and Condit will win their fights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted March 14, 2020 Author Share Posted March 14, 2020 <p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><img src=https://i.imgur.com/eYAV0hw.jpg></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>WEEK 3 - FEBRUARY 2021</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:14px;">UFC on ESPN: Dillashaw vs. Faber</span></strong></p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:10px;">Attendance: 7,315</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Gate: $1,828,750</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Critical Rating: 71%</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Commercial Rating: 92%</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Main Event</strong></span></p><p> <strong>T.J. Dillashaw def. Urijah Faber by Unanimous Decision</strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Co-Main Event</strong></span></p><p> <strong>Yair Rodriguez def. Mirsad Bektic by TKO (Strikes) in 0:49 of Round 1</strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Main Card</strong></span></p><p> <strong>Joanna Jedrzejczyk def. Randa Markos by Split Decision</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Carlos Condit def. Lyman Good by TKO (Strikes) in 1:16 of Round 1</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Erik Koch def. Abdul Razak Alhassan by Knock Out (Punch) in 0:39 of Round 1</strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>ESPN+ Preliminary Card</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Nicco Montaño def. Yana Kunitskaya by TKO (Strikes) in 3:25 of Round 2</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Ruaridh Griffen def. Matt Schnell by Split Decision</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Devin Clark drew with Paul Craig by Majority Draw</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Michal Oleksiejczuk def. Alonzo Menifield by TKO (Strikes) in 1:56 of Round 3</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Oddmund Duus def. Su Mudaerji by Submission (Armbar) in 2:22 of Round 1</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Summary</strong></span></p><p> One of the most heated rivalries in the entire sport of Mixed Martial Arts is the one featuring T.J. Dillashaw, together with his long-time coach Duane Ludwig, vs. the entire Team Alpha Male, spearheaded by the founder Urijah Faber. The rivalry has been brewing for years with many heated moments between the two parties, including Dillashaw's bouts with one of the elite Alpha Male-members Cody Garbrandt, the TUF-season opposite each other and multiple verbal assaults. During the 20th of February, 2021 the rivalry was ignited once again as Dillashaw returned to the octagon following his 2-year drug suspension against the aforementioned Faber. The war of words had been escalating during the lead up to the fight and the two combatants nearly came to blows during the ceremonial weigh-ins and face offs, which added fuel to the fire even more heading into the main event of UFC on ESPN: Dillashaw vs. Faber in Phoenix, Arizona. The crowd was more or less entirely on Faber's side as the boos rained down Dillashaw during his entrance, and his newfound heel-persona embraced it all with finger gesturing to the crowd. An intense staredown with the expected no glove touch took place seconds before referee Herb Dean called for the start of the fight. Dillashaw took the initiative early on using a high pressure game plan with combinations and in-and-out movement like he always does. Faber tried closing the distance and engaging in the clinch with the ultimate goal of taking Dillashaw down, but the former Bantamweight champion was one step ahead during the first round which he won comfortably. He also won the second round just as easily as it was a identical round to the first with Dillashaw controlling the pace and the striking exchange. Faber managed to take his opponent down one time during the latter stages of the second round, but it was a little to late to get anything of value from the judges standpoint. Faber grew in to the fight more and more during the third and fourth round, as his takedowns became more efficient and his ground game neutralized Dillashaw's striking. Faber even locked in a kimura which was close to ending the fight, but Dillashaw eventually got out of the situation. With one final round left, the judges scorecards had it dead even. Both fighters sensed this as they went gun blazing for the fifth and final round, swinging for the fences in hope of securing the final round and eventually the victory. After all five rounds was done, T.J. Dillashaw got the nod from the judges as he won 48-47 on all three scorecards, but it ultimately could have gone either way. Dillashaw was the better striker with much more significant strikes while Faber had much more control time on the ground and more strikes landed in that position. After the fight, both fighters showed respect and raised the arm of each other as a sign of the personal rivalry between the two being buried, although no one believes that the bigger rivalry between T.J. and Alpha Male is over in any sense of the word. During the post-fight interview, Faber announced that he indeed was retiring from the sport once again. He told the fans that he made the decision there and now, and it was the right decision to make as he wanted to spend more time with his family. He thanked everyone for the support over the years while the applause echoed in the arena. T.J. Dillashaw joined him in his career celebration as he took the microphone from Daniel Cormier and congratulated Faber on a great career, as well as saying that it was an honor for him to be Faber's last opponent. For the rest of the card, we saw some notable things transpire. Yair Rodriguez strengthen his position in the top five ranking of the Featherweight division as he defeated Mirsad Bektic in under one minute, the Mexican also called out the former champion Alexander Volkanovski for an upcoming bout. Joanna Jedrzejczyk took home a close Split Decision over Randa Markos, which didn't really do much for her stock in the Women's Strawweight division. A strong showing could lead to a future title shot for Joanna, but she looked tentative against Markos which ultimately has her staying put in the rankings. Carlos Condit finished Lyman Good in the first, Erik Koch knocked out Abdul Razak Alhassan in 39 seconds, Nicco Montaño defeated Yana Kunitskaya in a fantastic prelim-bout and Michal Oleksiejczuk ended Alonzo Menifield's undefeated record with strikes in the third round. It was also fun to see two TUF-alumni in Oddmund Duus and Ruaridh Griffen winning their respective bouts, despite being underdogs. </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: Yana Kunitskaya vs. Nicco Montaño</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Knockout of the Night: Erik Koch</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Submission of the Night: Oddmund Duus</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/59wmVii.jpg</p></div><p></p><p></p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majster_93 Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Polish figters winners, I like it, wait for them next opponents <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted March 15, 2020 Author Share Posted March 15, 2020 <img src=https://i.imgur.com/eYAV0hw.jpg> WEEK 4 - FEBRUARY 2021 UFC Fight Preview <img src=https://i.imgur.com/rVB7mYZ.jpg> Israel Adesanya: "Career defining fight against Jon Jones inevitable in the future, but Darren Till has my full attention" The Middleweight crown is on the line tomorrow night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas as undefeated champion Israel Adesanya (19-0) defends his title against the former Welterweight title challenger Darren Till (19-2-1). Fans around the world has traveled to The Lone Star State to witness one of the most anticipated Middleweight title bouts in the history of the division as many see the Englishman Till as the perfect candidate to dethrone the Nigerian Adesanya. Since moving up from Welterweight, Till has looked incredibly good with renewed confidence and a more tactical approach to his fights which he demonstrated against both perennial contenders Kelvin Gastelum and Yoel Romero. Till himself praised the champion during his pre-fight interview, but he also notified the 31-year old of his plans for tomorrow. "I'm a big fan of him [israel Adesanya]. He's the best Middleweight champion since Anderson Silva and to see him outstrike the Greatest of All Time in my books is not only a great accomplishment but it's also somewhat poetic as I know Adesanya consider Silva to be his idol and inspiration. I've watched everyone of his fights in the UFC. His progress has been great to watch and I consider him as the best Middleweight on the planet, but he's not the only best Middleweight on the planet. I am as well. I'm confidant in myself and my abilities to beat Adesanya, I'm going out there tomorrow night for the kill. My goal is of course to knock him out, as my plan is for every opponent I face, but it's not solely "knock out or nothing" for me. I can go the distance, I can outwrestle him, I can clinch him, I'll do whatever it takes to get the W tomorrow", said Till during the interview leading up to the fight. Adesanya however was more harsh with his words to Till, perhaps in an attempt to wind him up a bit for the upcoming bout. The champion also went on to further discuss an upcoming bout with Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones, which Adesanya believes is destined to happen in the near future. "My legacy is being built every single day, no one comes close to what I've accomplished in the UFC and the world of combat sports. You can talk about your Khabib's, your Jon Jones', your McGregor's and all that crap but no one has had the rise and dominance like I've had. I've decimated every single opponent put in front of me and I will continue doing it until I'm done with this sport, and Darren Till is no exception. He's a good fighter, no doubt about it or else he wouldn't be here fighting for the belt tomorrow, but he's not on my level. No one is. He's a big and powerful striker that can knock people out, but he has some serious holes in his game that I will exploit. Just like Tyron Woodley and Jorge Masvidal did during his Welterweight days. I will knock him out for sure inside two rounds. And when I do, I will fight the next challenger in my division. The Edmen-kid [shahbazyan] I believe is next. And when I destroy his undefeated record, I've got no challenger left in the Middleweight division which leads me to my next target - Jon Jones. We've been going at it for a while now and I believe a fight against him is inevitable, we're in each others paths and I truly believe it's my destiny to be the one to finish him once and for all. It will be a sort-of career defining moment. I will become a double champion with the world at my feet, just like my plan has been all along. But for now, Till is my target and he has my full attention. I'm bringing the best of me tomorrow", said Adesanya during the pre-fight interview. There are several interesting bouts taking place this Saturday along with the main event, including a potential Light Heavyweight title eliminator between Thiago Santos (22-7) and Dominick Reyes (13-1). Both fighters has fought Jones in the recent past, and both fighters has wins against top contenders after that to solidify a second title opportunity. Santos beat Volkan Özdemir in July of last year while Reyes defeated Anthony Smith in September. With the division lacking a clear cut contender, with Ryan Bader being a potential exception, it's safe to say that the eventual winner will get the next shot at Jones' title once more. We will also witness the UFC-debut of the undefeated, former Bellator Featherweight champion A.J. McKee (18-0) as he takes on the dangerous striker Jeremy Stephens (28-19). This will be a historic bout for McKee as he, together with his father former one-time UFC-fighter Antonio McKee, will be the first ever father and son duo to have fought in the company. It will also be the UFC-debut of the former ONE Championship Welterweight champion Zebaztian Kadestam (13-5-1) of Sweden as his bout against Brad Tavares (18-6) in the Middleweight division will finally take place. The bout was initially meant to take place at the Stockholm-event last year but Kadestam pulled out of the fight citing injuries. Last but not least, the event will also feature the UFC-debut of former PFL-star Lance Palmer (24-3) as he takes on Kevin Aguilar (17-3) in the headlining Prelim-fight. The UFC 260: Adesanya vs. Till card looks like this: Main Event Middleweight Championship Bout: © Israel Adesanya vs. (#1) Darren Till Co-Main Event Light Heavyweight Bout: (#1) Thiago Santos vs. (#2) Dominick Reyes Main Card Featherweight Bout: A.J. McKee vs. (#11) Jeremy Stephens Lightweight Bout: (#12) Alexander Hernandez vs. (#13) Islam Makhachev Middleweight Bout: Zebaztian Kadestam vs. (#11) Brad Tavares ESPN Preliminary Card Featherweight Bout: Lance Palmer vs. Kevin Aguilar Heavyweight Bout: Juan Adams vs. Sergey Spivak Women's Flyweight Bout: (#14) Antonina Shevchenko vs. (#11) Andrea Lee ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Middleweight Bout: Marvin Vettori vs. Zak Cummings Women's Featherweight Bout: Alexis Dufresne vs. (#7) Zarah Fairn dos Santos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majster_93 Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 Very interesting event. In fights for Middleweight title i think is 50-50. Co-main event too is very strong fight but i bet 60-40 for Reyes. A.J. for me an easy victory for him and I'm curious about the debut of Lance Palmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageRage Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 I think Adesanya will probably win the main event, but I don't think he'll steamroll Till or anything, I'm hoping for a good fight. Pulling for Reyes in the co-main. Also intrigued to see how Palmer does in the UFC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted March 16, 2020 Author Share Posted March 16, 2020 <img src=https://i.imgur.com/eYAV0hw.jpg> WEEK 4 - FEBRUARY 2021 UFC 260: Adesanya vs. Till Attendance: 23,510 Gate: $6,230,150 Critical Rating: 72% Commercial Rating: 100% Main Event Israel Adesanya def. Darren Till by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:42 of Round 1 to retain the UFC Middleweight title Co-Main Event Dominick Reyes def. Thiago Santos by Knock Out (Punch) in 0:13 of Round 3 Main Card A.J. McKee def. Jeremy Stephens by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:47 of Round 2 Alexander Hernandez def. Islam Makhachev by Unanimous Decision Zebaztian Kadestam def. Brad Tavares by TKO (Strikes) in 0:47 of Round 3 ESPN+ Preliminary Card Lance Palmer def. Kevin Aguilar by Unanimous Decision Sergey Spivak def. Juan Adams by Submission (Guillotine) in 4:13 of Round 2 Antonina Shevchenko def. Andrea Lee by TKO (Strikes) in 2:30 of Round 2 Zak Cummings def. Marvin Vettori by Unanimous Decision Alexis Dufresne def. Zarah Fairn dos Santos by Split Decision Summary Even though Israel Adesanya has only been in the UFC for only four years now, he has become one of the biggest draws in combat sports. He can sell out arenas purely based on his name value, and when combined with one of the best young fighters in the game, Darren Till, with a big name value himself, especially in the UK, made for a big night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The prestigious UFC Middleweight title was on the line as the Nigerian champion and the British challenger made their respective entrances. As expected, the crowd erupted when Till's traditional entrance song "Sweet Caroline" echoed through the arena. Many experts hailed Till to be Adesanya's biggest test to date, which reflected in the late changes in the betting odds as both fighters entered as dead even with -150. Even UFC President Dana White joined in into Till's praise as he dubbed the Liverpudlian "the best British fighter since Michael Bisping" as well as naming him as a "guaranteed future champion" during the build up to the fight. It all came crashing down however during the first round of the highly anticipated title bout. Once the cage door was closed and the bout began, Adesanya started extremely aggressive as he wasted no time of hitting Darren Till with some big strikes. The usually calm and collected distance striker had turned into a pressure fighting, aiming to knock out his opponent inside the first round. And so he did. Hitting a barrage of strikes and finish the combination with a deadly right hook en route to a devastating finish, Adesanya silenced the doubters and ended Darren Till before the Brit even landed a handful of strikes. A total domination from start to finish that left Till wondering "what just happen?" in a bit sarcastic albeit kind-of serious way during the post-fight interview. Adesanya didn't even break a sweat in a bout that was supposed to be the toughest challenge in his career in this clean, clinical performance that really showed everyone in attendance as well as everyone watching at him that he's the real deal. The tall 31-year old is now 20-0 in his career, with nine of the victories coming in the UFC, which certainly puts him among the elite fighters - not only just in this generation but every generation of MMA. It's certainly not easy to see who, if any, can dethrone Adesanya as the Middleweight king in the near future, we may even see a lengthy title run for him pan out. If the rumors are to be expected, UFC is currently working on a Middleweight title bout between Adesanya and the next rightful challenger Edmen Shahbazyan later this year. This would put two undefeated records on the line with only one emerging victorious from it, a certain draw for the fans all around the world. The co-main event this evening between Brazilian Thiago Santos and American Dominick Reyes lasted far longer than the main event title fight as it finished in the third round. Both fighters had their moments in the bout, but eventually it was the "The Devastator" from Victorville, California that was victorious as he finished Santos with strikes. With this big win over the number one ranked Light Heavyweight fighter, Reyes more or less cements his position as Jones' next opponent in a rematch from their fight early last year. Hopefully for Reyes and for the UFC we'll see a far more competitive title bout this time. During the evening, we also saw three successful UFC-debuts. The most hyped of the trio was the former Bellator Featherweight champion A.J. McKee who continued his undefeated streak of 19-0 as he submitted Jeremy Stephens. Stephens on the other hand is on a real downwards spiral in his career with five losses and one no contest during his last six fights. Rumors surrounding his release from UFC circulates, but as of yet "Lil' Heathen" is still under contract with the company. Both Zebaztian Kadestam, who defeated perennial ranked Middleweight Brad Tavares, and Lance Palmer, who defeated Kevin Aguilar, was successful in their respective UFC-debuts. Another big winner this night was Alexander Hernandez who defeated the highly touted Islam Makhachev in his native Texas. The San Antonio-born Lightweight is now tenth in the division before big names like Donald Cerrone, who he previously lost to earlier in his career, and Dan Hooker. Makhachev however is now out of the top 15-rankings, as he was replaced by Marc Diakiese. Female Featherweight Alexis Dufresne was also successful in her UFC-return as she defeated Zarah Fairn dos Santos during the first bout of the night. This led to Fairn dos Santos getting released by the UFC, going 0-3 during her three fights. Bonus Awards Fight of the Night: Thiago Santos vs. Dominick Reyes Knockout of the Night: Israel Adesanya Submission of the Night: A.J. McKee <img src=https://i.imgur.com/HVObHcL.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageRage Posted March 16, 2020 Share Posted March 16, 2020 Wow. Adesanya is a beast, really thought Till would give him a fight. Good to see Reyes win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted March 17, 2020 Author Share Posted March 17, 2020 <img src=https://i.imgur.com/eYAV0hw.jpg> WEEK 1 - MARCH 2021 UFC Fight Announcement <img src=https://i.imgur.com/FYFATFf.png> UFC 261 to take place at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with Paulo Costa and Robert Whittaker headlining UFC will return to one of the most prominent Mixed Martial Arts-nations next month as UFC 261 takes place at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The company announced the news on their social media platforms earlier today with a Middleweight contender bout featuring former title challenger Paulo Costa (13-1) and the former Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (21-6) as the main event. Rumors has it that the main event of the event was initially planned to be the rematch between Junior dos Santos and the returning Fabricio Werdum, but reports suggest that dos Santos suffered an injury during his fight camp which scrapped the bout. This was denied by Dana White, who tweeted that Costa vs. Whittaker was both their plan all along as well as a 'fantastic fight'. Paulo Costa is currently ranked number two in the Middleweight division after succumbing to the champion Israel Adesanya's head kick knockout in the first title opportunity of his career. The 29-year old hasn't lost any other fight than the Adesanya-one, with big victories over the likes of Yoel Romero, Johny Hendricks and Uriah Hall. The number four ranked Robert Whittaker on the other hand has had a longer career in the UFC, making his debut in 2012. Whittaker became the interim UFC Middleweight champion in 2017 after defeating Yoel Romero in a Unanimous Decision victory. He was later promoted to the undisputed Middleweight champion following Georges St. Pierre's second retirement. He defended the belt once, facing and defeating Yoel Romero yet again in a true barn burner before losing the title to the current champion Israel Adesanya in October of 2019. Since then, Whittaker has won against Jared Cannonier at UFC 248, but he has also lost to Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 253. Both him and Costa are in a position of aiming to be the next Middleweight title challenger, but it's generally known that the undefeated 23-year old Edmen Shahbazyan will get the next title opportunity. The co-main event of UFC 261 will also feature a bout with potential title implications as Rafael dos Anjos (31-12) takes on Santiago Ponzinibbio (28-4) in a true South American-clash. The Brazilian dos Anjos is on a 2-fight winning streak, winning against Michael Chiesa and Demian Maia, while the Argentinian Ponzinibbio lost his recent bout against former champion Tyron Woodley, but he had a big victory over Stephen Thompson before that. With both fighters hovering around the top 5-ranking, a win for either of them could potentially lead to a big fight against one of the top dogs in the Welterweight division. There's, as expected, a big presence of Brazilian fighters fighting on the card. Former Flyweight title contender Deiveson Figueiredo (17-3) takes on Kai-Kara France (22-8), with both fighters also looking for a title opportunity in the Flyweight division. BJJ-ace Rodolfo Vieira (8-0) continues his undefeated MMA-career with his biggest test to date in veteran Tim Boetsch (21-14) while Leonardo Santos (17-4-1) faces the former PFL-star Chris Wade (20-6) during the last main card fight. The UFC 261: Costa vs. Whittaker card looks like this: Main Event Middleweight Bout: (#2) Paulo Costa vs. (#4) Robert Whittaker Co-Main Event Welterweight Bout: (#5) Rafael dos Anjos vs. (#7) Santiago Ponzinibbio Main Card Flyweight Bout: (#6) Deiveson Figueiredo vs. (#4) Kai-Kara France Middleweight Bout: Rodolfo Vieira vs. Tim Boetsch Lightweight Bout: Leonardo Santos vs. Chris Wade ESPN Preliminary Card Middleweight Bout: Cezar Ferreira vs. Oskar Piechota Women's Strawweight Bout: (#13) Virna Jandiroba vs. (#12) Cynthia Calvillo Heavyweight Bout: Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs. Todd Duffee ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#11) Bethe Correia vs. (#15) Talita Bernardo Welterweight Bout: Michel Pereira vs. Siyar Bahadurzada Light Heavyweight Bout: Smealinho Rama vs. Dalcha Lungiambula Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattu29 Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 Damn nice, Adesanya is a killer! Great to see wins for Reyes, Hernandez and McKee too! Future looks bright Love that main event of Costa vs Whittaker, plus the co-main is a really great fight too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted March 19, 2020 Author Share Posted March 19, 2020 <p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><img src=https://i.imgur.com/eYAV0hw.jpg></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>WEEK 1 - MARCH 2021</strong></span></p><p><strong> </strong><strong><span style="font-size:14px;">UFC Fight Announcement</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/hby0ORx.png></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>UFC returns to Rotterdam, Netherlands with Heavyweight clash between Derrick Lewis and Sergey Pavlovich headlining Fight Night 189</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> The world leader in Mixed Martial Arts will return to Europe next month as UFC today announced that the upcoming UFC Fight Night 189-card will take place at the Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam, Netherlands. This will be the third time the UFC host an event in Netherlands in its history, with Fight Night 87: Overeem vs. Arlovski and Fight Night 115: Volkov vs. Struve being the two previous ones. For the first time, the Netherlands-based event will not be headlined by a Dutch fighter. Instead it's a Heavyweight clash between the charismatic American Derrick Lewis (23-8-1NC) and the rising Russian prospect Sergey Pavlovich (16-1) that will headline the card. The aforementioned Stefan Struve (29-13) will however fight in his native Netherlands as he takes on the heavy-hitter Greg Hardy (7-2-1NC) in the third main card fight. </p><p> </p><p> The co-main event of the evening will also feature a big name fighter as the former Women's Bantamweight champion Holly Holm (13-6) takes on the former title challenger Aspen Ladd (9-3). As both fighters comes from a loss, with Holm losing to Germaine de Randamie and Ladd losing to Ketlen Vieira, a victory is much needed for both of them. A loss would probably result in a severe fall down the rankings as several new fighters including Julianna Peña and Lina Länsberg has climbed up to the top of the rankings in recent time. The event will also feature a Light Heavyweight bout between the number eight ranked Aleksandar Rakic (13-3) and the number ten ranked Misha Cirkunov (16-6). Both fighters are in the middle of the divisional ranking and a win here would be of great value for either of them.</p><p> </p><p> Several of the recent acquired fighters will either debut or return on the Netherlands-card including former Bellator fighters Vadim Nemkov (13-3) and Valentin Moldavsky (11-1), the former ACA Lightweight champion Marcin Held (28-8) and the former KOTC Lightweight champion Alex Munoz (8-0). Nemkov faces a real tough test in UFC-veteran and former Light Heavyweight title challenger Glover Teixeira (30-9) while Moldavsky takes on Rodrigo Nascimento (7-1) in the Heavyweight division. Marcin Held will face Rick Glenn (21-7-1) in his UFC-return while Munoz squares off with Roman Bogatov (10-1). </p><p> </p><p> The UFC Fight Night 189: Lewis vs. Pavlovich card looks like this:</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Main Event</strong></p><p> Heavyweight Bout: (#6) Derrick Lewis vs. (#7) Sergey Pavlovich</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Co-Main Event</strong></p><p> Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#3) Holly Holm vs. (#6) Aspen Ladd</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Main Card</strong></p><p> Heavyweight Bout: Stefan Struve vs. Greg Hardy</p><p> </p><p> Light Heavyweight Bout: (#13) Glover Teixeira vs. Vadim Nemkov</p><p> </p><p> Light Heavyweight Bout: (#8) Aleksandar Rakic vs. (#10) Misha Cirkunov</p><p> </p><p> <strong>ESPN Preliminary Card</strong></p><p> Lightweight Bout: Marcin Held vs. Rick Glenn</p><p> </p><p> Heavyweight Bout: Rodrigo Nascimento vs. Valentin Moldavsky</p><p> </p><p> Featherweight Bout: Chase Hooper vs. Nate Landwehr</p><p> </p><p> <strong>ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card</strong></p><p> Women's Flyweight Bout: (#8) Jennifer Maia vs. (#7) Viviane Araujo</p><p> </p><p> Lightweight Bout: Roman Bogatov vs. Alex Munoz</p><p> </p><p> Women's Strawweight Bout: Felice Herrig vs. Brianna van Buren</p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted March 19, 2020 Author Share Posted March 19, 2020 <p>Just want to give the readers a heads up that I'm currently very busy with work. I'm working at a Primary School and everything surrounding the Coronavirus has doubled my work time which affects both my available time for play and my energy for writing. I'm always aiming for at least one "chapter" per day, but it's not always possible and I apologize for the inconvenience. I promise that more stories, rumors and other interesting things will happen in the upcoming posts.</p><p> </p><p> Thanks for over 8700 views and all the comments you guys post, it's astonishing for me to have this kind of support. Thank you guys!</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageRage Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Just want to give the readers a heads up that I'm currently very busy with work. I'm working at a Primary School and everything surrounding the Coronavirus has doubled my work time which affects both my available time for play and my energy for writing. I'm always aiming for at least one "chapter" per day, but it's not always possible and I apologize for the inconvenience. I promise that more stories, rumors and other interesting things will happen in the upcoming posts. Thanks for over 8700 views and all the comments you guys post, it's astonishing for me to have this kind of support. Thank you guys! Real life should always come first. I'm sure we all understand that. Interested in seeing who comes out on top between Lewis and Pavlovich, though I suspect it will be Lewis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattu29 Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Just want to give the readers a heads up that I'm currently very busy with work. I'm working at a Primary School and everything surrounding the Coronavirus has doubled my work time which affects both my available time for play and my energy for writing. I'm always aiming for at least one "chapter" per day, but it's not always possible and I apologize for the inconvenience. I promise that more stories, rumors and other interesting things will happen in the upcoming posts. Thanks for over 8700 views and all the comments you guys post, it's astonishing for me to have this kind of support. Thank you guys! I hear you bud, having the same issues atm too, works super busy, so not been able to update much at all :/ look forward to catching up with your results soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted March 22, 2020 Author Share Posted March 22, 2020 <img src=https://i.imgur.com/eYAV0hw.jpg> WEEK 2 - MARCH 2021 UFC Fight Night 187: Lee vs. Felder Attendance: 8,175 Gate: $1,798,500 Critical Rating: 78% Commercial Rating: 92% Main Event Kevin Lee def. Paul Felder by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:21 of Round 2 Co-Main Event Edson Barboza def. Josh Emmett by Knock Out (Elbow) in 2:09 of Round 1 Main Card Sean O'Malley def. Cody Stamann by Submission (Triangle) in 3:56 of Round 1 Michael Chiesa def. Mike Perry by Unanimous Decision Rani Yahya def. Marlon Vera by Unanimous Decision ESPN+ Preliminary Card Brett Johns def. Rob Font by Unanimous Decision Amir Aliakbari def. Ante Delija by Unanimous Decision Sarah Moras def. Leah Letson by Unanimous Decision Dan Ige def. Enrique Barzola by TKO (Cut) in 3:52 of Round 1 Mark de la Rosa def. Pingyuan Liu by TKO (Strikes) in 4:06 of Round 2* *Pingyuan Liu missed weight by 5lbs. He forfeited 30% of his purse to his opponent and will move up to Bantamweight after missing weight for a second time. Summary An historic event came to and end tonight as UFC hosted their first ever Delaware-based card at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, Delaware. The arena was filled to maximum capacity as the Detroit-native Kevin Lee faced the "Irish Dragon" Paul Felder in a main event bout to determine which of the two top ranked Lightweights that was heading towards a potential title fight. Lee received instant boos from the crowd as he refused Felder's offer to touch gloves, the 28-year old is certainly living up to the image of him being a 'bad guy'. The first half of the first round was a feeling out process for both Lee and Felder, neither really took control of the fight instead trading strikes without much damage infliction. It was ultimately Kevin Lee who was the more active striker in the first round with almost double the amount of strikes compared to Felder's output which gave Lee the 10-9 after the first round. Round two started out in a similar fashion as both fighters stayed close to each other striking without landing any potential fight enders. Two minutes into the round, a crucial mistake was made by Felder who, while in clinch, try to take down Lee to the ground. A uncommon thing for Felder to do, especially against a superior wrestler. Lee stopped the takedown, gained control over the clinch, pushed Felder to the cage and tripped him with underhooks in. Felder gave up the back off the takedown which Lee saw as an opportunity to apply a Rear Naked Choke. Felder initially stopped the submission attempt, but after Lee pounded away on Felder he found himself once again in a Rear Naked Choke which was more locked in than the first one. Without no other option for Felder than to tap, Kevin Lee earned perhaps the biggest victory of his career and he immediately took the microphone and called for a title shot against Khabib Nurmagomedov. The 28-year old has a strong case for a title shot as he has now won four fights in a row against four ranked opponents. Reality is though that everything depends on Conor McGregor. If the Irish superstar returns from his so-called 'hiatus', he's more than likely receiving a title shot against Khabib as that fight is significantly more rewarding for the UFC than if Lee gets the shot, but if Conor sits out the next couple of months as well - no other fighter is more worthy of a title shot in the Lightweight division than Kevin Lee. For Paul Felder, the loss was especially hard to swallow. To come so close to his dream of fighting for a title, only to have it taken away from you by one simple mistake is heartbreaking for everyone, but especially when you're talking about a true veteran of the sport. Felder reassured his fans that even though this was the most devastating moment of his MMA-career, he intend on bouncing back to the top of the heap once more before calling it quits. During the co-main event of the evening, Edson Barboza provided the Delaware-fans with a memorable moment as he knocked out Josh Emmett with a highlight reel-elbow KO. The Brazilian has really adapted well to his new division and he's now ranked in the Featherweight top fifteen. Sean O'Malley continued his undefeated career as he submitted the enduring Cody Stamann with a Triangle in the first round while Michael Chiesa finally picked up a victory after two setbacks in the Welterweight division as he got the judges decision over Mike Perry, thanks to his superior ground game. During the preliminary portion of the event, the Welsh prospect Brett Johns defeated Rob Font as he tries to enter the Bantamweight ranking and Amir Aliakbari spoiled the UFC-debut of former PFL- and KSW-star Ante Delija in a Unanimous Decision victory. It's also worth noting that Pingyuan Liu of the Flyweight division missed weight for the second time in one year, this time by 5lbs. Liu gave up 30% of his purse to Mark de la Rosa, as he eventually lost in his last ever Flyweight bout. He will now fight in the Bantamweight division. Bonus Awards Fight of the Night: Kevin Lee vs. Paul Felder Knockout of the Night: Edson Barboza Submission of the Night: Sean O'Malley <img src=https://i.imgur.com/PAP5FN1.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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