UFC 2020 and Beyond - Continuing the Legacy

[Pontarii]

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WEEK 3 - MARCH 2021

UFC Rumors & Roster Additions

 

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GSP: "I'm happily retired, but I would definitely come back for fight against one of four opponents"

 

Perhaps the Greatest Mixed Martial Artist of all time, former UFC Welterweight and Middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre (26-2) has revealed that even though he's enjoying retirement, he would make an historic comeback to the UFC if one of four named opponents was offered him. Speaking with Ariel Helwani on the Helwani MMA Show, the now 40-year old French-Canadian discussed his life after retiring back in 2017 following his historical title victory in the Middleweight division over Michael Bisping in a bout that will go down in UFC-history as one of the greatest moments ever.

 

"You know Ariel, I'm an honest guy. I tell people how I feel and why I feel the way I do, and for me to sit here and say 'I don't think about MMA or UFC' would be a lie. Of course I think about it, everyday. I still train with Tristar Gym everyday, I teach the sport and I'm involved in several fighters careers both in the UFC and in other organizations, and that makes me happy. I believe in giving back what you was given, and for me to pass the knowledge on to others is a blessing for me. To be honest with you Ariel, I'm happily retired. I've had a perfect career with a lot of great moments that I will cherish for the rest of my life. If I never fight in the octagon again, that would be okay with me, it truly will. But, and I've always said this; if the opportunity and the timing is right, I would do it. I would return, no matter if it's one or two bouts", said GSP during the interview with Ariel Helwani.

 

When asked about what this 'opportunity and timing' meant more specifically, St-Pierre gave an honest answer about which four opponents he can see himself return to the UFC for. "I see four potential opponents, Ariel. It's no secret that I admire Khabib [Nurmagomedov] as a fighter and as a human being. He's the Greatest Lightweight of all time and to challenge him at either Lightweight or at Welterweight would definitely be one opportunity that I would jump on if it was seriously presented to me. The second one is Kamaru Usman. He's a great fighter, a great wrestler and a great champion in the division I hold closest to my heart. If he stays champion, which I think he will, a fight against him for the Welterweight title would be something I would be interested in. The third one is [israel] Adesanya. He is something new and exciting in the sport, he is undefeated and he reminds me very much about Anderson Silva, which was my all-time dream fight before we both retired. I've proven I can make Middleweight and that I can compete there, so to face Adesanya for the Middleweight title would also be something I would seriously consider. And the last one is Conor [McGregor]. It doesn't matter if it's Lightweight or Welterweight, he's the biggest star in the history of the sport and to face him in a battle of the ages is 100 percent something I would do. But as I said Ariel, I'm happily retired and I don't actively look for this to happen. If it does, it would be great. If it doesn't, that's great too", said Georges St-Pierre.

 

Rumors about Georges St-Pierre's future is always a talking point in the MMA community and either of those fights would certainly be something to hope for in the near future, but the clock is ticking. GSP is currently 40-years old and the window of opportunity is closing piece by piece everyday. If GSP was to return, who would YOU like to see him face in one final showdown?

 

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UFC announce four multi-bout signings including former UFC Lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, PFL Flyweight Tournament-winner John Moraga

 

In some breaking news, UFC has today announced the signings of four new fighters, with three of them returning to the company after stints in various other organizations. The list includes the former UFC Lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez [31-8-1NC], the PFL Flyweight Tournament-winner as well as former UFC Flyweight title challenger John Moraga [22-7], the former PXC Bantamweight champion Michinori Tanaka [16-3] and the JEWELS Bantamweight champion Kinuyo Ishibashi [5-0].

 

The most name-worthy signing is of course the former UFC Lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, who left the company in 2018 to sign a highly lucrative deal with ONE Championship. Alvarez, who lost his UFC Lightweight title to Conor McGregor in one of the biggest fights in the modern era, went 2-2 with the Singapore-based company before opting to not renew his ending contract. Despite losing his last bout as a big -600 favorite against Christian Lee, the brother of current UFC Women's Strawweight fighter Angela Lee, Alvarez returns to the UFC as a big name to strengthen the already steep Lightweight division with high hopes of once again becoming the champion. The 37-year old went 4-3-1NC in his previous stint with the UFC.

 

A 14-fight veteran of the UFC, John Moraga has signed a 5-fight deal with the company to make his return following his departure in 2018. After going 8-6 in the UFC during his first stint, Moraga was released from the company in midst of the uncertainty surrounding the Flyweight division. He signed a deal with Professional Fighters League [PFL] where he entered in their first ever One Million Dollar Flyweight Tournament - which he ultimately won after defeating another former UFC-fighter in Eric Shelton in the final. Moraga informed PFL after his Tournament victory that he intended on returning to the UFC, and his wish was granted two months later. Moraga is currently ranked as the fourth best Flyweight in the world, and his return is certainly one to take notice of.

 

Japanese Bantamweight Michinori Tanaka [16-3], with five UFC-fights on his resume, will also return to the company. Tanaka went 2-3 in the UFC, including a Split Decision victory over the former title challenger Joe Soto, before getting released back in 2017. Since then, Tanaka has fought in various organizations including ACA, Shooto and Pancrase where he has amassed a 5-0 record. It's believed that the signing of the 30-year old is purely meant to bolster the Asian market as the UFC intends on hosting several events on the continent this year.

 

The fourth and final signing is another Japanese fighter, this time it's the JEWELS Bantamweight champion Kinuyo Ishibashi. Despite having only fought five times in her early Mixed Martial Arts career, Ishibashi has made a name for herself as a great Hybrid Fighter. She has a background in several areas of the sport including boxing, wrestling and Judo, this has certainly showed of in her five career bouts as she has five different finishes, including a highlight reel flying knee knockout against the former champion Akiko Naito, on her resume. With the Women's Bantamweight division lacking some new blood, the signing of Ishibashi will hopefully be a valuable one for the UFC.

 

[Pontarii]

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WEEK 3 - MARCH 2021

 

UFC Fight Night 188: MVP vs. Wonderboy

Attendance: 4,758

Gate: $1,332,240

Critical Rating: 75%

Commercial Rating: 80%

 

Main Event

Michael Page def. Stephen Thompson by TKO (Strikes) in 2:19 of Round 1

 

 

Co-Main Event

Anthony Johnson def. Marcin Tybura by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:15 of Round 1

 

 

Main Card

Marc Diakiese def. Beneil Dariush by Knock Out (Kick) in 4:47 of Round 2

 

Arnold Allen def. Cub Swanson by Unanimous Decision

 

Anatoly Tokov def. Antonio Carlos Junior by Knock Out (Punch) in 0:34 of Round 1

 

 

ESPN+ Preliminary Card

 

Danny Roberts drew with Sheldon Westcott by Majority Draw

 

Gavin Tucker def. Mike Grundy by Split Decision

 

Adam Proctor def. Takashi Sato by Split Decision

 

Salimgirey Rasulov def. Tom Aspinall by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:30 of Round 2

 

Christos Giagos def. Drew Dober by Unanimous Decision

 

Summary

UFC returned this Saturday to London, England for the first time since last year when Leon Edwards defeated Tyron Woodley in the fourth round to secure his title shot. This time it was yet another Englishman who main evented, as Michael 'Venom' Page made his highly anticipated UFC-debut against one of the most electrifying strikers on the roster in Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson. The Welterweight clash was supposed to be a finger pointing to where the former Bellator superstar would fit into his new surroundings, was he immediately going to be ranked in the top 15 or was he about to take a disappointing position at the back of the line? Page entered the octagon to a roar from his hometown fans, looking relaxed and entertaining as always in the process. Wonderboy looked just as calm and focused, ready to spoil the debut of the showboating Page. This was also the second time that Wonderboy had main evented a card in England, with his first one being the close decision loss to Darren Till in Liverpool back in 2018. Referee Marc Goddard started the bout and both fighters touched gloves before the fighters engaged in combat, with MVP being the early aggressor. Wonderboy looked primarily for counters, like he often does, but neither of his strikes connected early on. One minute into the fight, the first major event of the bout took place when MVP feinted a right hook and threw a vicious head kick that hit Wonderboy clean. The Simpsonville-native was wobbly and backed up against the cage while MVP, sensing a victory, landed a flying knee. Wonderboy still managed to survive as MVP threw another head kick, this time being blocked by Wonderboy's forearm. The sequence looked to be over as Wonderboy seemed to recover and get back to his normal state, but seconds later MVP landed a big right hook that sent Wonderboy to the ground, followed by MVP who pounded away with big shots. Marc Goddard jumped in and stopped the bout to declare Michael 'Venom' Page victorious in his UFC-debut. A very well fought fight and an impressive outing for the flashy Page indeed. The 33-year old wasted no time in his first UFC-post fight interview, calling out the former Lightweight champion and current number 7-ranked Welterweight in Rafael dos Anjos. For Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson, this was his second loss in a row. The former title challenger has certainly a lot to think about moving forward, if he intends to stay in the Welterweight division, if a move up to Middleweight is something to consider or perhaps if it's time to call it quits for the now 38-year old. Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson continued his path of destruction in the Heavyweight division as he knocked out Marcin Tybura in the first round, making his divisional rankings debut. Johnson also called out the winner of the upcoming Heavyweight clash between Derrick Lewis and Sergey Pavlovich, saying that either one of them will feel his power. It was also a very impressive night for Marc Diakiese, who knocked out the veteran Beneil Dariush with a deadly head kick. After having a tough period with three straight losses, the English-Congolese fighter has really turned it around amassing five straight victories. This big win means that Diakiese is now ranked fifteen in the Lightweight division and he's almost certain to get a big name fighter in his next fight in the near future. During the main card we also saw big wins for Arnold Allen, who defeated the veteran Cub Swanson by Unanimous Decision, and Anatoly Tokov, who knocked out Antonio Carlos Junior inside the first 35 seconds of the fight. The preliminary portion of the card gave us a rare draw between Danny Roberts and Sheldon Westcott, a UFC-debut victory for Adam Proctor and a big upset as the -460 favorite Mike Grundy, teammate of Darren Till, fell to the +380 underdog Gavin Tucker by Split Decision. All in all a good event in London with many positives and few negatives.

 

Bonus Awards

Fight of the Night: Marc Diakiese vs. Beneil Dariush

Knockout of the Night: Marc Diakiese

Submission of the Night: Salimgirey Rasulov

 

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[Pontarii]

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WEEK 4 - MARCH 2021

UFC Fight Preview

 

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Paulo Costa: "My loss to Adesanya was a fluke, I'm the best 185:er on the planet and I will destroy Whittaker inside one round"

 

The former Middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa (13-1) will headline UFC 261 in the Jeunesse Arena, Rio de Janeiro in his native Brazil this Saturday against the former Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (21-6), and the Brazilian has not backed down from throwing some verbal assaults at the Australian. During the pre-fight press conference, Costa proclaimed his intentions of knocking Whittaker out cold to once again get the shot at Israel Adesanya's coveted title.

 

"I've learnt a lot of lessons since the fight against the coward champion [israel Adesanya] and it has made me a better fighter, but if I'm being honest with you I believe that this fight was a one time happening. It was a fluke, no doubt about it. I dominated him until he caught me for one second, which was illegal since he poked me in the eyes before the kick. It should be overturned to a no contest. I'm not angry or disappointed or anything at all, I'm just honest with you guys and I know a lot of you agree with me. Adesanya is a b-tch champion, a fake m-therf-cker and I'm going to have my revenge soon enough. I'm still the best 185:er in the world. I'll knock Robert Whittaker out cold inside the first round and then no one can deny my title shot once more. And this time, the belt is coming home to Brazil", said Costa during the pre-fight press conference.

 

One fighter that has been in the spotlight during the recent week leading up to the event is another Brazilian-native in Bethe Correia (12-4-1). The former Women's Bantamweight title challenger has announced that her bout against fellow ranked Brazilian Talita Bernardo (5-4) in the ESPN+ Early Prelim headliner will be her last ever fight - regardless of the result. Correia spoke to the attending fans during the pre-fight press conference to confirm the news.

 

"It's true, this fight against Talita [bernardo] will be my last ever fight. Not only in the UFC but in my whole career. It doesn't matter if I win or lose, this is it. It's my final bout and I want to end on a high note, finishing her in a big way. Don't blink this Saturday, I promise you'll witness something spectacular in my farewell to the sport", said Correia during the pre-fight press conference.

 

The card features several interesting fighters to definitely take notice of. The co-main event between Rafael dos Anjos (31-12) and Santiago Ponzinibbio (28-4) is a no-brainer while the BJJ-legend Rodolfo Vieira (8-0) continues his undefeated MMA-career against a true UFC-veteran Tim Boetsch (21-14). The former PFL-star Chris Wade (20-6) clashes with the Brazilian Leonardo Santos (17-4-1) and the always entertaining Michel Pereira (23-11-2NC) faces Siyar Bahadurzada (24-8-1) during the Early Prelims.

 

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

 

[Pontarii]

Long time no see friends, just thought I would pop back in here to thank all of you for reading, commenting and following my first ever GDS Dynasty which turned out to be a huge success. I've played the game for a couple of years and have watched MMA for roughly 12 years so it wasn't new for me, but to go on and create the single dynasty with the most amount of views on the WMMA5 forum part of GDS is a proud and unexpected moment for sure.

 

The dynasty is sadly finished. I would have loved to continue it now when everything surrounding Covid-19, work and other time consuming things that initially took over back when the dynasty was active, but my hard drive decided to end its life around 2 months ago so the save file is gone for good.

 

However, I'm currently considering making a new, updated and better dynasty as my sort of return to the forum. Together with my irl friend and fellow GDS member, Daelh, I've spent roughly around 60-70 hours to update and make our real life database the best possible one out there. With over 500 new fighters, all UFC events updated, several fight history records for over 1000 fighters updated, a total rewamp of almost all UFC fighters combat moves and personality traits and much, much more.

 

It's not a promise nor a guarantee that I'll return with a new dynasty after this one, after all it accomplished many of my goals, but don't be surprised if you stumble across a new one from me in the near future.

 

In the infamous words of Conor McGregor:

"Catch ya's later"

 

Yours truly

Pontarii