UFC 2020 and Beyond - Continuing the Legacy

Pontarii · January 23, 2020

WEEK 2 - JUNE 2020

UFC Fight Night 174: dos Anjos vs. Maia

Attendance: 8,692

Gate: $2,307,726

Critical Rating: 69%

Commercial Rating: 96%

Main Event

Rafael dos Anjos def. Demian Maia by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:52 of Round 2

Co-Main Event

Luke Rockhold def. Omari Akhmedov by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:06 of Round 1

Main Card

Ketlen Vieira def. Yana Kunitskaya by Majority Decision

Francisco Trinaldo def. Beneil Dariush by Unanimous Decision

Randa Markos def. Cynthia Calvillo by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:20 of Round 2

ESPN+ Preliminary Card

Erik Koch def. Bryan Barbarena by Knock Out (Punch) in 0:40 of Round 2

Alex Reyes def. Peter Barrett by Knock Out (Punch) in 3:35 of Round 3

Jessica Penne def. Ashley Yoder by Unanimous Decision

Matt Sayles def. Herbert Burns by Unanimous Decision

Vinc Pichel def. Eric Wisely by TKO (Strikes) in 1:13 of Round 2

Summary

Two Brazilians headlined the event in Sacramento, California as Welterweight contenders Rafael dos Anjos and Demian Maia battled it out in a true UFC-veteran's bout. During the preview, many speculated if Maia could take down the stronger dos Anjos to utilize what many believes is the best pure grappling in the entirety of Mixed Martial Arts but at the same time the experts highlighted dos Anjos elite level striking skills as a potential threat to Maia. Having only been knocked out once during his career, against Nate Marquardt in his first loss back in 2009, the odds of Maia getting knocked out by dos Anjos was slim but the former Lightweight champion showed his punching power when he put Maia away completely with a stunning uppercut as the grappler was setting up a takedown. A truly impressive victory for dos Anjos who has looked great since moving up to the Welterweight division, only losing decision bouts to the three best fighters in the division right now in champion Kamaru Usman as well as Leon Edwards and Colby Covington. If the 35-year old puts all of his skills together, he could be a real threat to everyone in the division. Another former champion who was victorious this evening was former Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, who defeated the ranked Russian Omari Akhmedov with a beautiful rear naked choke. Rockhold looked really good showing some of the things that made him champion in the first place, especially his solid ground game. In the other bouts this evening, we saw Ketlen Vieira bouncing back after her upset loss against Irene Aldana with an impressive decision victory against Yana Kunitskaya as well as a good performance from the 41-year old Francisco Trinaldo beating the ranked Beneil Dariush. Worth noting is that Bryan Barbarena, who famously ended the hype train of Sage Northcutt earlier in his career, was released following his loss against Erik Koch. Barbarena has fought many ranked fighters in the Welterweight division including Colby Covington, Leon Edwards and Vicente Luque but has come up short every time. With a UFC-record of 5-6, he will continue his career elsewhere.

Bonus Awards

Fight of the Night: Matt Sayles vs. Herbert Burns

Knockout of the Night: Rafael dos Anjos

Submission of the Night: Luke Rockhold

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/sYISoJ2.jpg

Pontarii · January 25, 2020

WEEK 3 - JUNE 2020

TUF 29: Team Masvidal vs. Team Covington

Round 3 - Put Up or Shut Up

The last episode of the 29th season of The Ultimate Fighter kicks off with Dana breaking the news to the fighter and the coaches that the semifinal bouts will not be picked by the teams. Instead, they're matched according to the order the fighters were picked. This pits Antiere Terblanche against Levon Theunissen and Kovan Falana against Ceasar Beaman. White also announce that the Finale event will be headlined by a rematch between both former Women's Strawweight champions Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Carla Esparza. Both women enter the show, greets the fighters and poses for promotional pictures. Colby Covington tries to flirt with Joanna, but is dismissed much to the delight of Jorge Masvidal. The first fight will take place next.

Week 11 - Antiere Terblanche def. Levon Theunissen by Unanimous Decision

- We have our first finalist confirmed as the Nigerian Antiere Terblanched topped the South African Levon Theunissen with a dominant decision victory. Terblanche showed great awareness and ability to control the fight, leading to a 30-26 victory in the third rounds of the semi-finals.

Celebrating with his teammates and congratulated by the opposition, Antiere Terblanche secured his spot in the finals in an impressive way. He talks to his coach Jorge Masvidal who praises him for all his hard work and good effort during the season. Terblanche himself says that he hopes that Kovan Falana is victorious in the second semi-finals bout as that fight would be the two favorite against each other as well as two African-born fighters. The last semi-finals bout is between Kovan Falana and Ceasar Beaman.

Week 11 - Kovan Falana def. Ceasar Beaman by Submission (Guillotine)

- Terblanche got his wish granted as the South African BJJ-specialist Kovan Falana secured the second spot in the finals with a great guillotine-choke in the first round against the American Ceasar Beaman. Falana is really excellent on the ground and has put on great performances through out the season. It's now wonder why he's the betting favorite heading in to the final fight between himself and Antiere Terblanche.

Falana was visibly happy after his win, kissing the camera and vowing to his family that he'll win the show and the eventual title shot. The last images we saw for the 11th and last show of the season was the head to head-shot of Terblanche and Falana as well as one between the coaches.

The Ultimate Fighter 29 Finale: Jedrzejczyk vs. Esparza II will take place in the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine during the 12th of August. The card features the following fights:

Main Event

Women's Strawweight Bout: (#5) Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Carla Esparza (#6)

Co-Main Event

Flyweight Bout: (#4) Brandon Moreno vs. (#2) Deiveson Figueiredo

Main Card

TUF Finale Flyweight Bout: Antiere Terblanche vs. Kovan Falana

Flyweight Bout: (#5) Alexandre Pantoja vs. (#6) Ray Borg

Flyweight Bout: (#9) Askar Askarov vs. (#8) Rogerio Bontorin

Preliminary Card

TUF Flyweight Bout: Bertie Carper vs. Ryker Grainger

TUF Flyweight Bout: Ruaridh Griffen vs. Maximilian Hathaway

TUF Flyweight Bout: Alder Schomp vs. Guthrie Heidtman

TUF Flyweight Bout: Amir Threatt vs. Ilyas Forehand

TUF Flyweight Bout: Jamarion Woodley vs. Oddmund Duus

*Note: Caesar Beaman, Duane Sylvia, Mathew Haygood & Levon Theunissen are unable to compete during the show due to injuries.

Pontarii · January 25, 2020

WEEK 3 - JUNE 2020

UFC News

UFC 252: Adesanya vs. Costa announced

Some big news coming this evening from UFC as they've announced their next numerical PPV-card, and as expected it's a big one. Taking place in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey 25th of July, we'll being spoiled with two great title fights in the main event and co-main event respectively. Israel Adesanya (18-0) makes his first title defense after unifying the gold following his victory over Robert Whittaker last year. He takes on the dangerous, explosive Brazilian striker in Paulo Costa (13-0). This fight between two of the sports best undefeated fighters has been rumored for a while but with Costa sidelined due to injuries, the bout hasn't been officially booked until now. It certainly looks like a great match-up for both fighters and it'll be very interesting to see who walks out of the event as champion.

In the co-main event, we have the long awaited title rematch between the new Featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski (22-1) and the man he beat to claim the title, Max Holloway (21-5). The first bout went to decision where Volkanovski, a member of the same team as Adesanya, got the victory but it was certainly a narrow one. With Zabit Magomedsharipov, the clear number one contender in the division, sidelined with recuperation for a couple of months following his hard-fought victory over Yair Rodriguez earlier this year no other option than a immediate rematch for the former champ Holloway was possible.

We also see the returns of two legends of the fighting game in Urijah Faber (35-11) and Carlos Condit (30-13). Faber takes on the dangerous Cody Stamann (18-2-1) on the main card while Condit faces the difficult James Krause (27-7) in the ESPN+ Prelims-portion of the card.

The UFC 252: Adensaya vs. Costa card looks like this:

Main Event

Middleweight Championship Bout: © Israel Adesanya vs. (#1) Paulo Costa

Co-Main Event

Featherweight Championship Bout: © Alexander Volkanovski vs. (#1) Max Holloway

Main Card

Bantamweight Bout: (#9) Cody Stamann vs. (#13) Urijah Faber

Women's Strawweight Bout: (#3) Claudia Gadelha vs. (#8) Michelle Waterson

Welterweight Bout: (#11) Vicente Luque vs (#13) Geoff Neal

ESPN+ Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: James Krause vs. Carlos Condit

Women's Strawweight Bout: Virna Jandiroba vs. (#13) Felice Herrig

Lightweight Bout: Chris Gruetzemacher vs. Alex da Silva

ESPN Early Preliminary Card

Featherweight Bout: Michel Trizano vs. Martin Buschkamp

Lightweight Bout: Joseph Solecki vs. Clay Collard

Pontarii · January 25, 2020

WEEK 3 - JUNE 2020

UFC News

ONE Championship Atomweight champion Nong Stamp Fairtex & former champion Angela Lee signs six fight-deals with UFC

The women's divisions in the UFC is getting better for each year with many female fighters reaching the popularity status even to or in some cases even exceeding the top ranked male fighters. Especially the Women's Strawweight division has emerged as the premiere division when it comes to quality and depth with fighters like the champion Weili Zhang, former champions like Rose Namajunas, Jessica Andrade, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Carla Esparza as well as other top ranked fighters like Tatiana Suarez and Michelle Waterson. And as of today, UFC is strengthening the popular division even further with two highly touted prospects with the necessary accomplishments to back the hype up - ONE Championship's current undefeated Atomweight Champion Nong Stamp Fairtex (5-0) as well as the former champion Angela Lee (11-3).

Nong Stamp Fairtex, the 22-year old Muay Thai prodigy from Thailand, has amassed astonishing amount for being so young and so fresh in her Mixed Martial Arts-career. Having started in Muay Thai combined with an high level of Kickboxing, Stamp Fairtex amassed an impressive 63 wins in her 83 professional Muay Thai career where she claimed both the ONE Championship Muay Thai Atomweight title as well as the ONE Championship Kickboxing Atomweight title making her the first dual-sport champion in the organization. She further proved that she's a "one of a kind"-type of athletes when she transitioned into the world of Mixed Martial Arts, going 4-0 in ONE Championship before facing the heavy favorite Angela Lee for the ONE Championship Atomweight title. After a shocking upset ending Lee in only 28 seconds with some lethal TKO-strikes, Stomp Fairtex was crowned the champion as well as the first triple-sport champion. After winning the title, Stomp Fairtex entered re-negotiations over her contract and with ONE Championship not offering her desired base pay, she was eligible to negotiate with other organizations. Bellator and Rizin were apparently keen on signing the 22-year old as well as ONE Championship trying hard to resign her, but she eventually signed a lucrative 6-fight deal with the world's leading Mixed Martial Arts company UFC. As a result, she has vacated her titles with ONE Company as she's expected to debut in the UFC's Strawweight division later this year.

UFC has also signed the aforementioned Angela Lee to a 6-fight deal starting immediately, but following her loss to Stamp Fairtex it's expected that she's going to be sidelined with a medical suspension for a while. Despite losing the title in such quick fashion, Angela Lee, the 23-year old Canadian fighter with both Chinese and Korean-heritage, has been one of the most talented fighters in the world, not only in the women's divisions. Going 9-0 in her first nine professional MMA-fights with ONE Championship, she both won and defended the Atomweight title on several occasions with some elite level ground game considering she's a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It was only when she tried to win the ONE Championship Strawweight title against the current champion Xong Jingnan as she received her first loss in her career, which she ultimately followed up with another decision loss against the though Michelle Nicolini. Moving back down to Atomweight, she defended her title against this time against the aforementioned Xong Jingnan, who moved down to become a two-division champion herself. As previous mentioned, Lee lost the title to the young phenom Nong Stamp Fairtex last month but has always been a desirable addition to the UFC. She's got a great look, she's very marketable and has the skills to rise through the rankings even against higher level of competition. Lee is also expected to debut in the Strawweight division later this year. Perhaps we'll get to see the rematch between the two former ONE Championship Atomweight champions, this time in the UFC.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UFC Fight Night 175: Yair vs. Zabit - Preview

Strap yourself in, because this Saturday we're expected to see fireworks in the Featherweight division as the top ranked contenders Yair Rodriguez (13-2-1NC) and Zabit Magomedsharipov (18-1) will main event the card emerging from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Both fighters are considered as two of the most entertaining fighters in the entire roster and to see them face each other is a dream come through for many UFC-fans around the world. The winner will most likely get the next title shot against the winner between the current champion Alexander Volkanovski and the former champion Max Holloway.

In the Co-main event of the evening, another highly anticipated bout between Lightweights Kevin Lee and Islam Makhachev is taking place. Kevin Lee, who knocked out the then undefeated prospect Gregor Gillespie in his last fight, has openly talked about being the only fighter bold enough to face the dangerous Islam Makhachev, who trains with and grep up with the champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Can Lee once again derail another hype-train or is it finally Islam's time to shine and climb the rankings?

The rest of the UFC Fight Night 175: Yair vs. Zabit card looks like this:

Main Event

Featherweight Bout: (#5) Yair Rodriguez vs. (#3) Zabit Magomedsharipov

Co-Main Event

Lightweight Bout: (#9) Kevin Lee vs. (#13) Islam Makhachev

Main Card

Light Heavyweight Bout: (#9) Aleksandar Rakic vs. (#11) Shogun Rua

Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#12) Bethe Correia vs. Sarah Moras

Lightweight Bout: Mateusz Gamrot vs. John Makdessi

ESPN+ Preliminary Card

Featherweight Bout: Charles Jourdain vs. Charles Rosa

Flyweight Bout: Matt Schnell vs. Su Mudaerji

Lightweight Bout: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Rick Glenn

Women's Flyweight Bout: (#14) Gillian Robertson vs. Antonina Shevchenko

Middleweight Bout: Shamil Gamzatov vs. John Phillips

Pontarii · January 25, 2020

WEEK 3 - JUNE 2020

UFC Fight Night 175: Yair vs. Zabit

Attendance: 4,722

Gate: $1,062,450

Critical Rating: 73%

Commercial Rating: 96%

Main Event

Zabit Magomedsharipov def. Yair Rodriguez by Knock Out (Kick) in 0:34 of Round 5

Co-Main Event

Kevin Lee def. Islam Makhachev by Knock Out (Punch) in 4:59 of Round 2

Main Card

Shogun Rua def. Aleksandar Rakic by Submission (Guillotine) in 4:02 of Round 1

Bethe Correia def. Sarah Moras by Unanimous Decision

Mateusz Gamrot def. John Makdessi by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:29 of Round 1

ESPN+ Preliminary Card

Charles Jourdain def. Charles Rosa by Unanimous Decision

Su Mudaerji def. Matt Schnell by Split Decision

Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Rick Glenn by Unanimous Decision

Antonina Shevchenko def. Gillian Robertson by Unanimous Decision

John Phillips def. Shamil Gamzatov by Knock Out (Punch) in 0:43 of Round 2

Summary

The hype surrounding the two Featherweights main eventing the Fight Night 175-card in Bell Centre, Montreal was boiling hot leading into the fight. Two charismatic, unorthodox fighters with creative approaches to the sport is always gonna draw interests from the fans, and combined with Yair and Zabit coming from two patriotic nations in Mexico and Russia respectively it's no wonder why many fans expected something special from the 5-rounder. With evidence in hand, no one can be disappointed about what transpired. The bout started of with Zabit rejecting Yair's attempt to touch gloves which resulted in some heat from the crowd, but the boos where quickly switched to shock and cheer as Yair hit the Russian with a swift left head kick 2 minutes into the first round making him wobbly. Yair quickly rushed to the opportunity landing a flying knee on Zabit which dropped him almost to the point where the referee Marc Goddard stopped the fight but the 29-year old from Dagestan recovered enough to avoid the stoppage. The rest of the round continued with Yair trying to submit Zabit but to no avail. Having won the first round, the Mexican-born Rodriguez looked fired up in the second round but the tables was going to turn one minute in when the scene was reversed. Zabit countered Yair with a head kick staggering the 27-year old which was followed up with a huge right uppercut that made Yair fall to the floor. Once again, referee Marc Goddard almost stopped the fight but "El Pantera" survived the onslaught from Zabit who, just like Yair in round 2, spent the reminder of the second round trying to submit his opponent to no success. Round 3 and 4 was exciting as well despite the lack of big knockdowns with Yair controlling the striking in the third and Zabit utilizing his takedown and grappling in the fourth. The scorecards were totally even heading in to the fifth and final round when the dust was going to get settled, and oh my the way it was settled. Opening the last round with a spinning back kick, Yair missed the target and left him self being open for yet another counter head kick from Zabit. This time, the kick ended the fight directly with Yair getting brutally knocked out in front of the stunned Bell Centre. Zabit showed sportsmanship and respect when he checked on Yair following the knockout, as well as paying respects to him during his post-fight interview. He also called out the winner between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, claiming that no one besides him is the rightful number one contender next in line. During the co-main event, we saw the resurgent Kevin Lee once again derailing a hype-train when he knocked Zabit's countryman Islam Makhachev out cold with one second left of the second round. Islam had controlled the fight up to the eventual losing sequence, so it was really a hard pill to swallow for the Russian. Also worth noting this evening was the successful UFC-debut for the former KSW-double champ Mateusz Gamrot as he submitted UFC-veteran John Makdessi in the first round, just like the legend Shogun Rua submitted the favorite Aleksandar Rakic in the first round with a guillotine.

Bonus Awards

Fight of the Night:vs. Yair Rodriguez vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov

Knockout of the Night: Kevin Lee

Submission of the Night: Mateusz Gamrot

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/mCLxs8o.jpg

Pontarii · January 26, 2020

WEEK 4 - JUNE 2020

UFC News

Ben Rothwell suffers severe neck injury - Aleksei Oleynik steps up as replacement for Marcin Tybura

"Big" Ben Rothwell is out of his scheduled fight against Polish Heavyweight Marcin Tybura at the upcoming UFC Fight Night 177: Santos vs. Özdemir-event in Birmingham, Alabama. According to early reports, Rothwell suffered a severe neck injury during wrestling training and was rushed to the hospital were Rothwell was deemed as "definitively out of the fight". If the severity of the injury is as bad as the reports, the charismatic Heavyweight will be sidelined for a period between 9-12 months which is hard enough, but considering that Rothwell is 38-years old and has a track record of both health and injury issues it could potentially be the end of his career.

UFC has called upon the Russian veteran Aleksei Oleynik to replace Rothwell in the upcoming fight against the aforementioned Tybura next month. Oleynik lastly won a decisive victory against the 6'7'' Maurice Greene back at UFC 246: Conor vs. Cowboy. The fight against Tybura will be the 43-year old Oleynik's 73th professional Mixed Martial Arts bout as well as his 12th in the UFC. He's currently ranked number 12 in the Heavyweight division and has publicly stated that he intend on retiring either this year or the next year.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UFC on ESPN: Yan vs. Moraes in St. Petersburg, Russia announced

UFC is finally coming back to Russia this summer as the hometown-hero Petr Yan (14-1) main events his first UFC-event as the organization returns for the fourth time to the Federation in the East. The event will take place in the Yubileyny Sports Palace in St. Petersburg, an arena that has hosted one UFC-event before when Alistair Overeem defeated Aleksei Oleynik in front of a sold-out crowd. UFC president Dana White has been very keen on growing the company in the lucrative Russian market. "One way of achieving that growth is to host a yearly event there. We've got some very good Russian fighters in different divisions so of course we want to bring them home to their fans and families", said White back in 2019 when UFC hosted not only one but two events in Russia.

As previous mentioned, the highly praised Bantamweight contender Petr Yan, born in Dudinka, Russia which is a 3-hour flight from St. Petersburg, will main event the card against fellow top ranked Bantamweight and former title challenger Marlon Moraes (23-6-1). Yan has looked incredibly good during his UFC-stint so far with impressive wins over the likes of Urijah Faber, Jimmie Rivera and John Dodson. He possesses explosive knockout power and has an elite-level of striking which no one in the UFC has been able to defeat. Marlon Moraes, on the other hand, is a well-rounded fighter with skills in many areas of the game even though he's also mostly focused on the stand-up aspect. This combination of two strikers with incredibly power and strength promises a very interesting fight indeed.

But with all due respect to Petr Yan and Marlon Moraes, but one fighter on the card has gotten the most attention as it was made official and dare I say it's rightfully so. Abdulrashid Sadulaev (0-0) - the best pure wrestler in the world, perhaps even in history, is finally making both his UFC and his MMA debut. And it's not an easy task standing in front of him. The 44-year old Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (23-9), or "Lil Nog" as he's more known as, returns to the octagon after his knockout-loss to Ryan Spann a year ago. Nogueira, perhaps best known for both his time in Pride as well as being the twin brother to one of the greatest Heavyweights of all time in Antonio "Big Nog" Rodrigo Nogueira, has stated that this will be his farewell fight and that he specifically asked the UFC to get the chance of welcoming Sadulaev to MMA. "I want to end my career with a victory over the greatest wrestler of all time. That would be a great crowning achievement for me and my career", said "Lil Nog" during an interview with Luke Thomas at the MMA Hour-show.

The interest for Sadulaev's debut is very high as he's regarded as one of the biggest sports stars in the entirety of Russia, if he's successful in his debut it would be of great interest to the UFC to further build him up as one of the true main eventers in Eastern Europe. It's also worth noting that the recently signed Albert Tumenov (20-5) and Anatoly Tokov (29-3) will make their return and debut respectively on this card.

The main card of UFC on ESPN: Yan vs. Moraes looks like this:

Main Event

Bantamweight Bout: (#2) Petr Yan vs. (#1) Marlon Moraes

Co-Main Event

Light Heavyweight Bout: Abdulrashid Sadulaev vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Main Card

Welterweight Bout: Albert Tumenov vs. Court McGee

Women's Strawweight Bout: Aleksandra Albu vs. Brianna van Buren

Middleweight Bout: Anatoly Tokov vs. Cezar Ferreira

Pontarii · January 26, 2020

WEEK 4 - JUNE 2020

UFC 251: Miocic vs. Cormier III - Preview

Daniel Cormer: "I'll retire when I lose or when my body says stop"

The storied trilogy fight between the current champion Stipe Miocic (19-3) and the former champion Daniel Cormier (22-2-1NC) will finally be resolved this Saturday at the Mississippi Coast Colosseum in Biloxi, Mississippi. Having won one bout each, the stage is set for the two Heavyweight combatants to lay it all on the line for the opportunity of leaving the rivalry victorious. One thing that both the previous fights have had in common is that Cormier has won all rounds that they've fought, and that key element is one that motivates the former champ even more heading into the fight.

"I feel great. I can't remember the last camp that felt as good as this one, not the first one against Stipe nor the last one did. I'm training with the best team everyday and I'm getting better and better even though I'm past 40 now. I want to be the Heavyweight champion of the world again, that's my goal for the upcoming future. Knowing that I've dominated every round against Stipe [Miocic] is motivating me more than anything else, I know I'm better than him and I know I'll leave UFC 251 as the new champion once again", said Miocic during the press conference leading up to the fight.

When asked about whether or not this would be the last of his career, as previous rumored, Cormier was open about his future plans regarding his career. "To be honest, I don't think about it as much but I've informed the UFC about what me and my family has decided. I'm 41-years old and a true believer in fighting evolution, I know I can't fight forever. In all honesty, if I lose to Stipe this Saturday everything in my body tells me to retire and perhaps I will. I can't go down the hamster wheel yet again to fight for another title shot. But, make no mistake about it, I believe in all of my heart that I'll beat him and become the champ again. When that happens, I'll continue fighting until I lose or until my body says no", said Cormier during the same press conference.

We also get the chance to see the return of former Featherweight title challenger Brian "T-City" Ortega (14-1-1NC) when he faces the dangerous The Korean Zombie (16-5) in the co-main event. Ortega hasn't fought since losing the title bout against the then champion Max Holloway back in December 2018, so it's going to be interesting to see how he fairs against the veteran from South Korea.

The rest of the card looks like this:

UFC 251: Miocic vs. Cormier III

Date: May 27th, 2020

Venue: Mississippi Coast Colosseum, Biloxi

Main Event

Heavyweight Championship Bout: © Stipe Miocic vs. (#1) Daniel Cormier

Co-Main Event

Featherweight Bout: (#4) The Korean Zombie vs. (#2) Brian Ortega

Main Card

Welterweight Bout: (#12) Neil Magny vs. (#14) Gilbert Burns

Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#2) Germaine de Randamie vs. (#4) Irene Aldana

Featherweight Bout: (#8) Jeremy Stephens vs. Al Iaquinta*

ESPN Preliminary Card

Middleweight Bout: Ian Heinisch (#12) vs. Brad Tavares (#14)

Women's Flyweight Bout: Mackenzie Dern vs. Yanan Wu

Featherweight Bout: Guan Wang vs. Nate Landwehr

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Heavyweight Bout: Tom Aspinall vs. Dmitriy Sosnovskiy

Flyweight Bout: Frankie Saenz vs. Pingyuan Liu

*Originally Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar but Kattar pulled out citing injuries. Al Iaquinta steps up on short-notice.

mattu29 · January 26, 2020

Be interesting to see how Zabit does against Volkanovski, if he gets by Holloway again, i've got the volk vs zabit fight coming up in my thread so will be interesting to see how different the fights will go

Pontarii · January 26, 2020

Be interesting to see how Zabit does against Volkanovski, if he gets by Holloway again, i've got the volk vs zabit fight coming up in my thread so will be interesting to see how different the fights will go

Certainly, Zabit really showed that he's ready for the title shot going 5 rounds and finishing Yair. I'm not there yet in my save, but I believe Max will beat Volkanovski in the rematch which will set up Max vs Zabit. But either way, I'm happy with every possible match-up between the three.

Nice to hear that man, I've read your dynasty and will follow it for sure. Thanks for the comments and good luck with your save!

Pontarii · January 26, 2020

WEEK 4 - JUNE 2020

UFC 251: Miocic vs. Cormier III

Attendance: 18,349

Gate: $4,376,237

Critical Rating: 75%

Commercial Rating: 89%

Main Event

Daniel Cormier def. Stipe Miocic by Unanimous Decision to win the UFC Heavyweight title

Co-Main Event

Brian Ortega def. The Korean Zombie by Submission (D'Arce Choke) in 4:22 of Round 1

Main Card

Gilbert Burns def. Neil Magny by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:03 of Round 3

Germaine de Randamie def. Irene Aldana by Majority Decision

Al Iaquinta def. Jeremy Stephens by Unanimous Decision

ESPN Preliminary Card

Brad Tavares def. Ian Heinisch by Split Decision

Mackenzie Dern def. Yanan Wu by Split Decision

Guan Wang def. Nate Landwehr by Submission (Armbar) in 4:31 of Round 1

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Dmitriy Sosnovskiy def. Tom Aspinall by Split Decision

Pingyuan Liu def. Frankie Saenz by Submission (Armbar) in 2:37 of Round 2*

*Pingyuan Liu missed weight with 2lbs. He forfeited 20% of his purse to his opponent.

Summary

The old saying of "age is just a number" maybe cliche but the 41-year old Daniel Cormier makes a great way of showcasing that, especially after his decision victory over the 4 years younger Stipe Miocic. Utilizing his superior wrestling-skills, Cormier opened the fight taking the champion down at will and working good with the strikes from top. Stipe tried to separate from "DC" but every time the former champion would close the distance and lock his opponent either in a clinch or taking him down. Round 2 went Stipe's way as he managed to keep distance with his striking and his body kicks, which halted Cormier's attempts of takedowns and wrestling. The two fighters continued trading rounds with each other in the third and the fourth round as they headed into the fifth and final round with dead even scores on the judges cards. Either a finish from either fighter would end it there, or the fighter who made the most in the last round would be victorious and the Heavyweight champion. And the one that made the most of it would turn out to be the former champion Daniel Cormier. Putting the pressure on Stipe, "DC" used a variety of strikes and clinches to neutralize his opponents offense during the entire five minutes which resulted in him getting the nod from the three judges. The victory means that Daniel Cormier is once again the UFC Heavyweight Champion for the second time in his career while Stipe once again comes up short against the Lafayette-native. If logic is something to go by, then Francis Ngannou is the next realistic title challenger and the thought of Cormier defending the title against "The Predator" is definitely something to look forward to. Another exciting fight to look forward to is the possibility of Brian Ortega facing either Alexander Volkanovski or Zabit Magomedsharipov in the Featherweight division, or perhaps even a rematch against Max Holloway. Ortega looked stunningly good against the hard-as-nails Korean Zombie as he pulled of his first MMA-career D'Arce Choke late in the first round. Ortega showed of his trademark calmness and respectfulness in the post-fight interview saying that he'll gladly face whoever the UFC wants him to. During the main portion of the card, we also saw Al Iaquinta getting a huge crowd reaction when his short-notice transition to the Featherweight division was very successful, defeating the though gatekeeper of the weight class Jeremy Stephens with a unanimous decision. Iaquinta later announced during the post-fight press conference that he intend on staying down at Featherweight feeling greater than ever. His immense pressure and "never quit"-attitude is a great fit for the division and it's going to be interesting to see how he fairs against the top 7-ranked opponents currently above him.

Bonus Awards

Fight of the Night: Jeremy Stephens vs. Al Iaquinta

Knockout of the Night: N/A

Submission of the Night: Brian Ortega & Guan Wang

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/QJVtJhc.jpg

Pontarii · January 27, 2020

WEEK 1 - JULY 2020

UFC News

Alexander Volkanovski out of title fight vs. Max Holloway - Edson Barboza steps up as replacement

Devastating news regarding the second title fight of the upcoming UFC 252 card coming from the UFC today as it's officially announced that the Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has suffered an injury which forces him out of the fight. According to sourced, Volkanovski suffered a serious shoulder injury during training yesterday and after a visit to the local hospital it was clear that the injury is a serious one. No time frame has been set for the champion's absence but it's speculated that it will put him on the shelf for around 3-4 months.

For Max Holloway, the news was extra hard since he's been working hard during his fight camp in hopes of regaining his championship belt. After some speculations about whether or not Holloway would continue fighting on the card, it was also official that he indeed would stay on the card and in the co-main event. Instead of Volkanovski, he gets a fresh challenger in the former Lightweight contender Edson Barboza.

The Brazilian Barboza made his Featherweight debut last against Cub Swanson in a winning effort on the UFC 250: Jones vs. Reyes' card two months ago and looked really impressive since cutting down to 145 pounds. The step up in competition is a big one for Barboza, but he was actively campaigning for the shot and UFC match maker Mick Maynard was obviously intrigued by the potential match up. Other potential replacements for Volkanovski was rumored to be Al Iaquinta, following his impressive short-notice debut in the division against Jeremy Stephens, as well as a rematch against the though André Fili but UFC ultimately went with Barboza as Holloway's opponent. The bout will not be an interim title fight as Volkanovski will be ready to defend his belt before the end of the year.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UFC Fight Night 176: Volkov vs. Overeem - Preview

Tauron Arena Kraków in Krakow, Poland will host this Saturday's UFC Fight Night card when two of the top European fighters collides as the Russian Alexander Volkov (31-7) takes on the Dutch Alistair Overeem (45-18-1NC) in the Heavyweight division. Both Volkov and Overeem are key pillars of the division with the Russian being ranked at seventh while Overeem is ranked in nine. The two was initially scheduled to face each other last year in Russia, but Volkov pulled out due to injuries and was subsequently replaced with fellow Russian Aleksei Oleynik in a losing effort. The 40-year old Overeem has made getting another title shot as his final goal in his illustrious career while Volkov, the former Bellator Heavyweight champion, is also looking for a shot at the title in the upcoming future.

On the rest of the card, we see a dominance in European fighters with the two hometown-fighters Krzsysztof Jotko (21-4) and Oskar Piechota (11-3-1) facing though opponents in Antonio Carlos Junior (10-4-1NC) and Karl Roberson (9-2) respectively. We'll also see the former Heavyweight champion and one of the true legends of the sport Andrei Arlovski (28-19-2NC) as he faces the young Russian Sergey Spivak (10-1) on the main card. Another bout to keep an eye out for is the return of French Bantamweight fighter Tom Duquesnoy (16-2-1NC) as he faces Aiemann Zahabi (7-2), the younger brother of the famous Tristar Gym head trainer Firas Zahabi.

The UFC Fight Night 176: Volkov vs. Overeem card looks like this:

Main Event

Heavyweight Bout: (#7) Alexander Volkov vs. (#9) Alistair Overeem

Co-Main Event

Middleweight Bout: Antonio Carlos Junior vs. (#15) Krzsysztof Jotko

Main Card

Heavyweight Bout: Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergey Spivak

Middleweight Bout: Karl Roberson vs. Oskar Piechota

Bantamweight Bout: (#12) Yadong Song vs. (#11) Rob Font

ESPN+ Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Jordan Mein vs. Bartosz Fabinski

Heavyweight Bout: Tanner Boser vs. Salimgirey Rasulov

Bantamweight Bout: Tom Duquesnoy vs. Aiemann Zahabi

Women's Flyweight Bout: Hannah Goldy vs. Diana Belbita

Lightweight Bout: Luigi Vendramini vs. Uros Jurisic

Bantamweight Bout: Chris Fishgold vs. Sergio Giglio

Pontarii · January 28, 2020

WEEK 2 - JULY 2020

UFC Fight Night 176: Volkov vs. Overeem

Attendance: 3,908

Gate: $773,784

Critical Rating: 76%

Commercial Rating: 95%

Main Event

Alexander Volkov def. Alistair Overeem by Knockout (Punch) in 3:59 of Round 1

Co-Main Event

Krzsysztof Jotko def. Antonio Carlos Junior by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:38 of Round 3

Main Card

Andrei Arlovski def. Sergey Spivak by TKO (Strikes) in 0:42 of Round 1

Oskar Piechota def. Karl Roberson by Submission (Kimura) in 2:50 of Round 1

Yadong Song def. Rob Font by Unanimous Decision

ESPN+ Preliminary Card

Bartosz Fabinski def. Jordan Mein by Submission (Kimura) in 3:48 of Round 2

Salimgirey Rasulov def. Tanner Boser by Unanimous Decision

Tom Duquesnoy def. Aiemann Zahabi by Unanimous Decision

Diana Belbita def. Hannah Goldy by TKO (Strikes) in 1:57 of Round 2

Luigi Vendramini def. Uros Jurisic by Unanimous Decision

Sergio Giglio def. Chris Fishgold by Submission (Kimura) in 3:49 of Round 1

Summary

The clash between Heavyweight staples Alexander Volkov and Alistair Overeem in Krakow, Poland was a typical fight in the division. Both fighters started out slow with both showing tremendous respect for the opponents knockout power, which we often see in the Heavyweight division. Volkov was the aggressor when the first round came to life as he traded nice combinations while Overeem mostly focused on leg kicks and distance control against the 6'7'' Russian. During an exchange in the later stage of the first round, Volkov feinted a right straight and followed up with a gruesome left hand uppercut which turned the lights out completely for Overeem, mostly because of the Dutch fighters questionable chin. The knockout was Overeem's 15th career total in Mixed Martial Arts and with 3 more knockouts in kickboxing, one has the question how damaged his chin really is and which consequences it can have on his health moving forward. For Volkov, the win was a big one has he climbs the ranking in hopes of securing a title shot. Having only lost once in the UFC, in a fluky way against Derrick Lewis with eleven seconds left in a otherwise dominant effort, the opinion about Volkov as one of the elite Heavyweights in the UFC is a really valid one. There's a lot of potential match-ups for him as well. You can put the man the call "Drago" against either in the top 5 and you would have an intriguing fight either way. The rest of the card was your typical European UFC-card as many of the hometown-fighters won much to the delight of the local fans. One key highlight of the night was Andrei Arlovski TKO:ing Sergey Spivak early in the first round in a big underdog victory, but the highlight came afterwards when he told the fans in attendance that this was his last fight. He left his gloves on the mat and walked away with big cheers coming his way, a truly great way to put an end to a Hall of Fame-worthy career. UFC also announced after the event that Aiemann Zahabi and Hannah Goldy was released from their contracts following their losses on the card, with an 1-3 and 0-2 record in the UFC respectively.

Bonus Awards

Fight of the Night: Diana Belbita vs. Hannah Goldy

Knockout of the Night: Alexander Volkov

Submission of the Night: Oskar Piechota

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/VLBohQJ.jpg

mattu29 · January 28, 2020

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/eYAV0hw.jpg>

WEEK 2 - JULY 2020

UFC Fight Night 176: Volkov vs. Overeem
Attendance: 3,908
Gate: $773,784
Critical Rating: 76%
Commercial Rating: 95%

Main Event
Alexander Volkov def. Alistair Overeem by Knockout (Punch) in 3:59 of Round 1

Co-Main Event
Krzsysztof Jotko def. Antonio Carlos Junior by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:38 of Round 3

Main Card
Andrei Arlovski def. Sergey Spivak by TKO (Strikes) in 0:42 of Round 1

Oskar Piechota def. Karl Roberson by Submission (Kimura) in 2:50 of Round 1

Yadong Song def. Rob Font by Unanimous Decision

ESPN+ Preliminary Card

Bartosz Fabinski def. Jordan Mein by Submission (Kimura) in 3:48 of Round 2

Salimgirey Rasulov def. Tanner Boser by Unanimous Decision

Tom Duquesnoy def. Aiemann Zahabi by Unanimous Decision

Diana Belbita def. Hannah Goldy by TKO (Strikes) in 1:57 of Round 2

Luigi Vendramini def. Uros Jurisic by Unanimous Decision

Sergio Giglio def. Chris Fishgold by Submission (Kimura) in 3:49 of Round 1

Summary
The clash between Heavyweight staples Alexander Volkov and Alistair Overeem in Krakow, Poland was a typical fight in the division. Both fighters started out slow with both showing tremendous respect for the opponents knockout power, which we often see in the Heavyweight division. Volkov was the aggressor when the first round came to life as he traded nice combinations while Overeem mostly focused on leg kicks and distance control against the 6'7'' Russian. During an exchange in the later stage of the first round, Volkov feinted a right straight and followed up with a gruesome left hand uppercut which turned the lights out completely for Overeem, mostly because of the Dutch fighters questionable chin. The knockout was Overeem's 15th career total in Mixed Martial Arts and with 3 more knockouts in kickboxing, one has the question how damaged his chin really is and which consequences it can have on his health moving forward. For Volkov, the win was a big one has he climbs the ranking in hopes of securing a title shot. Having only lost once in the UFC, in a fluky way against Derrick Lewis with eleven seconds left in a otherwise dominant effort, the opinion about Volkov as one of the elite Heavyweights in the UFC is a really valid one. There's a lot of potential match-ups for him as well. You can put the man the call "Drago" against either in the top 5 and you would have an intriguing fight either way. The rest of the card was your typical European UFC-card as many of the hometown-fighters won much to the delight of the local fans. One key highlight of the night was Andrei Arlovski TKO:ing Sergey Spivak early in the first round in a big underdog victory, but the highlight came afterwards when he told the fans in attendance that this was his last fight. He left his gloves on the mat and walked away with big cheers coming his way, a truly great way to put an end to a Hall of Fame-worthy career. UFC also announced after the event that Aiemann Zahabi and Hannah Goldy was released from their contracts following their losses on the card, with an 1-3 and 0-2 record in the UFC respectively.

Bonus Awards
Fight of the Night: Diana Belbita vs. Hannah Goldy
Knockout of the Night: Alexander Volkov
Submission of the Night: Oskar Piechota

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/VLBohQJ.jpg

Great results for the Polish guys on this card, I do enjoy putting on nation specific cards and seeing how home advantage works out for those fighters.

Reem got smashed tho love that guy!

Again great stuff bud, good fun reading it!

Pontarii · January 29, 2020

WEEK 3 - JULY 2020

UFC News

Alistair Overeem suspended 1 year for USADA Violation

The streak of bad news continues for the UFC veteran and former title challenger Alistair Overeem. Following his knockout loss to Russian Alexander Volkov last week, UFC announced today that the 40-year old Dutch Heavyweight has failed his post-fight drug test. According to sources, "The Reem" tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. This is the second time that Overeem has been found guilty of doing prohibited things as he was caught and subsequently suspended by the NSAC one year for TRT-usage back in 2012, before USADA started working with the company Overeem, who's gone 11-8 in the UFC, issued an official statement regarding the situation as he comes clean about the prohibited use of PED's.

"To my friends, my fans and the UFC

I am deeply saddened to announce that my post-fight testing after my last fight came back positive. This statement is first of foremost my chance of issuing all of you an apology for my actions as they were regretful, shameful and wrong. I admittedly used an illegal substance as a result of a serious injury I received during this fight camp. It's not an excuse why I did what I did, but my intentions were never to get an unfair advantage - it was just a way for me to heal up and be ready for the fight. I cannot express how sorry I am to you my friends, my fans, my opponent Alexander Volkov and the entire UFC as well as other people who's been affected by this situation. I will serve my suspension and continue working hard for my return to the thing I've dedicated my life and health to", wrote Overeem in the statement.

UFC has opted not to release Overeem from his contract stating that they're condemning the actions of the Dutch fighter, but considering his honesty with the suspension and for his longtime serving in the company they're still honoring his contract. Overeem has 3 fights left on his contract.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Signings galore: Champions Kape, Kadestam and Soldic new additions to UFC roster

UFC has once again dived into the market for new and exciting talents as they've announced three new signings from various organisations around the MMA-world and as it happens, all three fighters are champions in their respective organizations and divisions. RIZIN's Bantamweight champion Manel Kape (15-4), ONE Championship's Welterweight champion Zebaztian Kadestam (13-5-1) and KSW's Welterweight champion Roberto Soldic (18-3) has all signed with the worlds leading Mixed Martial Arts organisation.

Manel Kape is a 26-year old Portuguese fighter of Angolan descent. He won the RIZIN Bantamweight title at the New Years Eve-event at RIZIN 20 against the former champion Kai Asakura, the same man who famously upset Kyoji Horiguchi in their last fight. Kape has notable victories over the likes of recently resigned UFC Flyweight Ian McCall as well as former UFC-veteran Takeya Mizugaki. Kape will fight in the UFC Flyweight division and is currently booked against Tyson Nam for an upcoming unnamed event.

Zebaztian Kadestam is a 29-year old Swedish fighter. He reclaimed his ONE Championship Welterweight title in his rematch against the man who first defeated him for the title in Kyrgyzstani fighter Kiamrian Abbasov. Kadestam defended the title further two times, once against the newly signed UFC-fighter Georgy Kichigin and once again former UFC-veteran Tamdan McCrory before signing with the company. Kadestam is a relative big name in the Scandinavian market, which UFC has been searching for since the retirement of the premiere Scandinavian-fighter Alexander Gustafsson. Kadestam is not currently booked as he's still recovering from his last fight.

Roberto Soldic is a 25-year old Croatian fighter born in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He won the KSW Welterweight title back in 2017 before trading the title back and forth with South African fighter Dricus du Plessis. Having held the title since late 2018, Soldic has defended the title two times. He has also won another two fights during this period, both taking place at 176 pounds catch weight against Vinicius Bohrer and Michal Pietrzak. The Croatian fighter's rise through the MMA ranks has made him one of the most sought after talents, which was evident when both Bellator and ONE Championship tried signing him up before he put pen to paper with the UFC. Soldic is currently booked against Tony Martin at an unnamed future event.

Pontarii · January 30, 2020

WEEK 3 - JULY 2020

UFC Fight Night 177: Santos vs. Özdemir

Attendance: 7,867

Gate: $1,876,280

Critical Rating: 73%

Commercial Rating: 88%

Main Event

Thiago Santos def. Volkan Özdemir by Knock Out (Punch) in 0:17 of Round 3

Co-Main Event

Chris Weidman def. Ed Herman by Unanimous Decision

Main Card

Aleksei Oleynik def. Marcin Tybura by Split Decision

Jessica Eye def. Jennifer Maia by TKO (Strikes) in 3:31 of Round 1

Chase Hooper def. Shane Young by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:28 of Round 1

ESPN+ Preliminary Card

Alonzo Menifield def. Tyson Pedro by Submission (Triangle) in 1:05 of Round 2

Leah Letson def. Liana Jojua by TKO (Strikes) 0:28 of Round 1

Eryk Anders def. Klidson de Abreu by Unanimous Decision

Brad Katona def. Joe Soto by Split Decision

Sean Brady def. Luan Chagas by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:20 of Round 3

Summary

Thiago "Marreta" Santos is one scary individual, especially at Light Heavyweight. After his close Split Decision loss to Jon Jones, many questions arouse regarding his future in the division and his fight against his fellow top ranked contender Volkan Özdemir was crucial one. The Brazilian is known for his immense knockout power with both hands and feet which he displayed a few times both in the first and second rounds. Özdemir on the other hand tried implying a distance-fighting approach with his kickboxing. The fight was close until the third round when the 36-year old Santos connected with a brutal right hand which knocked out the Swiss out cold. Having come close in his last outing against the champion, Santos once again called for a title fight. "I've beaten every contender in the division. [Volkan] Özdemir, [Anthony] Smith, [Jan] Blachowicz. You name them, I've beat them. I'm the one fighter who's pushed Jon Jones to his limits and I did it with destroyed knees. I know I can beat him, just give me my chance", said Santos during the post-fight interview. Another important victory was Chris Weidman's against Ed Herman. In a career deciding bout, Weidman rose to the occasion and out wrestled Herman to claim the Unanimous Decision from the judges. If given the right opponents and patience, Weidman can once again be a serious contender in the UFC albeit in a different division than before. Worth noting is that Alexei Oleynik, having taken the short-notice fight against Marcin Tybura, won and subsequently retired. A lengthy and impressive career is over for the Heavyweight and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Last but not least, we have to acknowledge the fight between Light Heavyweights Alonzo Menifield and Tyson Pedro as it was both fantastic and ended with the undefeated Menifield locking in a astonishing good triangle. The fight resulted in a Fight of the Night-reward while the young and talented Chase Hooper got the Submission of the Night-bonus.

Bonus Awards

Fight of the Night: Alonzo Menifield vs. Tyson Pedro

Knockout of the Night: Thiago Santos

Submission of the Night: Chase Hooper

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/qriiGwo.jpg

mattu29 · January 30, 2020

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/eYAV0hw.jpg>

WEEK 3 - JULY 2020

UFC Fight Night 177: Santos vs. Özdemir
Attendance: 7,867
Gate: $1,876,280
Critical Rating: 73%
Commercial Rating: 88%

Main Event
Thiago Santos def. Volkan Özdemir by Knock Out (Punch) in 0:17 of Round 3

Co-Main Event
Chris Weidman def. Ed Herman by Unanimous Decision

Main Card
Aleksei Oleynik def. Marcin Tybura by Split Decision

Jessica Eye def. Jennifer Maia by TKO (Strikes) in 3:31 of Round 1

Chase Hooper def. Shane Young by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:28 of Round 1

ESPN+ Preliminary Card

Alonzo Menifield def. Tyson Pedro by Submission (Triangle) in 1:05 of Round 2

Leah Letson def. Liana Jojua by TKO (Strikes) 0:28 of Round 1

Eryk Anders def. Klidson de Abreu by Unanimous Decision

Brad Katona def. Joe Soto by Split Decision

Sean Brady def. Luan Chagas by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:20 of Round 3

Summary
Thiago "Marreta" Santos is one scary individual, especially at Light Heavyweight. After his close Split Decision loss to Jon Jones, many questions arouse regarding his future in the division and his fight against his fellow top ranked contender Volkan Özdemir was crucial one. The Brazilian is known for his immense knockout power with both hands and feet which he displayed a few times both in the first and second rounds. Özdemir on the other hand tried implying a distance-fighting approach with his kickboxing. The fight was close until the third round when the 36-year old Santos connected with a brutal right hand which knocked out the Swiss out cold. Having come close in his last outing against the champion, Santos once again called for a title fight. "I've beaten every contender in the division. [Volkan] Özdemir, [Anthony] Smith, [Jan] Blachowicz. You name them, I've beat them. I'm the one fighter who's pushed Jon Jones to his limits and I did it with destroyed knees. I know I can beat him, just give me my chance", said Santos during the post-fight interview. Another important victory was Chris Weidman's against Ed Herman. In a career deciding bout, Weidman rose to the occasion and out wrestled Herman to claim the Unanimous Decision from the judges. If given the right opponents and patience, Weidman can once again be a serious contender in the UFC albeit in a different division than before. Worth noting is that Alexei Oleynik, having taken the short-notice fight against Marcin Tybura, won and subsequently retired. A lengthy and impressive career is over for the Heavyweight and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Last but not least, we have to acknowledge the fight between Light Heavyweights Alonzo Menifield and Tyson Pedro as it was both fantastic and ended with the undefeated Menifield locking in a astonishing good triangle. The fight resulted in a Fight of the Night-reward while the young and talented Chase Hooper got the Submission of the Night-bonus.

Bonus Awards
Fight of the Night: Alonzo Menifield vs. Tyson Pedro
Knockout of the Night: Thiago Santos
Submission of the Night: Chase Hooper

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/qriiGwo.jpg

Always been a massive fan of Marreta, so glad to see him getting a win here

BIG win for Katona too over Soto!

Sucks when you get an old guy like Oleynik beating a younger fighter when you know hes so close to retirement lol

Some great signings also like Soldic etc

Pontarii · January 31, 2020

Always been a massive fan of Marreta, so glad to see him getting a win here
BIG win for Katona too over Soto!
Sucks when you get an old guy like Oleynik beating a younger fighter when you know hes so close to retirement lol
Some great signings also like Soldic etc

Yeah, I agree, Santos was my pick to win as well as I don't see Özdemir as being something special. Santos is more capable of beating Jones in my opinion, and therefor his victory was welcomed.

Regarding Oleynik it's saddening to see him retire since he was on a roll for me, but I'm glad he got to retire with a win after his career. He has earned it, no doubt about it.

Thank you for the comment and the feedback buddy, always fun to see a comment on the story!

Pontarii · January 31, 2020

WEEK 4 - JULY 2020

UFC News

UFC 253: Trilogy fight between McGregor and Diaz announced

"F*ck that! Conor McGregor, you taking everything I've worked for m*therf*cker. I'mma fight your f*cking ass!". The infamous words from Nate Diaz back in 2015 sparked the interest of one of the biggest, if not the biggest, series of fights in Mixed Martial Arts history between Conor McGregor and the aforementioned Nate Diaz. The two would face each other for the first time in 2016 after McGregor's original opponent Rafael dos Anjos, then Lightweight champion, pulled out from the Champion vs. Champion fight. Diaz stepped up on short notice and took on McGregor at Welterweight in a historic fight, in which Diaz submitted McGregor in the second round despite being a huge underdog. The fight catapulted Diaz into super-stardom. Having rematched later the same year, this time McGregor was the victor as the fight went to decision after a great back-and-forth between the two. Since the two fights, many have speculated about a potential third fight for a good while and now it's finally official.

Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz III will face each other on the 29th of August at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida during UFC 253. The fight, which is going to take place in the Welterweight division, is a huge one for the UFC, it's expected to be one of the biggest events in the history of the organization with both fighters being massive draws as well as the trilogy being dead even with one victory each. The card also benefits from the other fights, especially on the main card as there's many great fights included. Former Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will face the former title challenger Kelvin Gastelum in the co-main event in a very important bout regarding the next challenger for the winner between Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa. We also have a potential title eliminator bout in the Women's Flyweight division between former champion Valentina Shevchenko and Joanne "JoJo" Calderwood, as well as an exciting fight between Lightweights Kevin Lee and Dan Hooker. The last fight of the main card is a real veterans fight between two of the most popular fighters ever in Diego Sanchez and Thiago Alves.

The UFC 253: McGregor vs. Diaz III card looks like this:

Main Event

Welterweight Bout: (#3LW) Conor McGregor vs. (#8) Nate Diaz

Co-Main Event

Middleweight Bout: (#3) Robert Whittaker vs. (#5) Kelvin Gastelum

Main Card

Women's Flyweight Bout: (#1) Valentina Shevchenko vs. (#4) JoJo Calderwood

Lightweight Bout: (#7) Kevin Lee vs. (#8) Dan Hooker

Welterweight Bout: Diego Sanchez vs. Thiago Alves

ESPN+ Preliminary Card

Flyweight Bout: Ian McCall vs. (#14) Mark de La Rosa

Lightweight Bout: Clay Guida vs. Nik Lentz

Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#15) Sijara Eubanks vs. (#13) Sara McMann

ESPN Early Preliminary Card

Lightweight Bout: Khama Worthy vs. Claudio Puelles

Welterweight Bout: Sergey Khandozhko vs. Shavkat Rakhomonov

</div>

Pontarii · February 2, 2020

WEEK 4 - JULY 2020

UFC News

UFC Fight Night 178: Moicano vs. Edgar slated for main event in Indianapolis, Indiana

UFC today announced that they're returning to Indiana for the first time in seven years when the two top ranked Featherweights Renato "Moicano" Carneiro (14-3-1) faces Frankie Edgar (23-8-1) in the main event. The event will take place in the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana which has hosted an UFC-event once before in 2013 when Carlos Condit defeated the Danish now retired Martin Kampmann in their second bout against each other. During that card, we also saw many of today's biggest stars in Robert Whittaker, Rafael dos Anjos, Donald Cerrone and Kelvin Gastelum.

Edgar is returning to the octagon following his loss against The Korean Zombie in December of last year, a loss that resulted in a lengthy medical suspension for the former Lightweight champion. He's on a two-fight losing streak after being defeated by Max Holloway in his third Featherweight title fight, and Edgar has spoken openly about potentially moving down to Bantamweight if he loses against the Brazilian. Moicano on the other hand is coming from a victory against Ricardo Lamas in his last Octagon outing, but before that he lost two big fights against fellow top contenders Brian Ortega and the aforementioned The Korean Zombie.

On the card, we'll also witness the long-awaited return of Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (22-6). The former Light Heavyweight title contender has moved up to Heavyweight and is taking on the tall and dangerous veteran Stefan Struve (29-12) in the co-main event. Johnson has vowed to knock out Struve in his comeback fight to begin the new chapter of his UFC-career. We'll also see the top undefeated prospect Maycee Barber (9-0) against the number four ranked Brazilian Viviane Araujo (8-2) as well as the debut of undefeated Japanese female star Kana Watanabe (9-0-1) as she faces another Brazilian in Poliana Botelho (8-2) during the prelims.

The main card of UFC Fight Night 178: Moicano vs. Edgar looks like this:

Main Event

Featherweight Bout: (#4) Renato Moicano vs. (#7) Frankie Edgar

Co-Main Event

Heavyweight Bout: Anthony Johnson vs. Stefan Struve

Main Card

Women's Flyweight Bout: (#7) Maycee Barber vs. (#4) Viviane Araujo

Light Heavyweight Bout: Ilir Latifi vs. Paul Craig

Featherweight Bout: (#14) Shane Burgos vs. Arnold Allen

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UFC 252: Adesanya vs. Costa - Preview

The enigmatic Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (18-0) returns this Saturday when he makes his first title defense against fellow undefeated as well as the number one ranked contender Paulo Costa (13-0) when UFC returns to the Meadowslands Arena, then named Continental Airlines Arena, for the first time since 2001. The opportunity to see two world class talents with undefeated records facing off is a rarity in Mixed Martial Arts and many predict a close fight between the two with Adesanya being a slight favorite. Adesanya himself believes that no one, especially not Costa, is on his level.

"It's obvious I'm miles better than everyone in the division, and in the UFC. Costa is a roided up steroid user with no fighting IQ, he's probably the easiest fight in the top 10. He possesses no danger to me at all. I'll out-strike him, I'll out-grapple him, I'll do everything ten times better than him to defend my title and after that, I'm taking on whoever is next", said Adesanya during the pre-fight press conference.

We'll also see a very interesting fight between Max Holloway (21-5) and Edson Barboza (21-8) in the co-main event. Originally, Holloway would fight for the Featherweight title against the champion Alexander Volkanovski, but the Australian had to pull out citing a shoulder injury. Holloway has said he's been guaranteed the next title shot no matter what the outcome of his fight against Barboza is, but he's also said that he intend to welcome Barboza to "his division". Other than the two main fights, a lot of prominent fighters will fight on the UFC 252-card with names like Urijah Faber, Michelle Waterson and Carlos Condit being on the card.

The UFC 252: Adesanya vs. Costa card looks like this:

Main Event

Co-Main Event

Featherweight Championship Bout: Edson Barboza vs. (#1) Max Holloway

Main Card

Bantamweight Bout: (#10) Cody Stamann vs. (#13) Urijah Faber

Women's Strawweight Bout: (#3) Claudia Gadelha vs. (#8) Michelle Waterson

Welterweight Bout: (#11) Vicente Luque vs (#13) Geoff Neal

ESPN+ Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: James Krause vs. Carlos Condit

Women's Strawweight Bout: Virna Jandiroba vs. (#13) Felice Herrig

Lightweight Bout: Chris Gruetzemacher vs. Alex da Silva

ESPN Early Preliminary Card

Featherweight Bout: Michel Trizano vs. Martin Buschkamp

Lightweight Bout: Joseph Solecki vs. Clay Collard

Pontarii · February 2, 2020

WEEK 4 - JULY 2020

UFC 252: Adesanya vs. Costa

Attendance: 24,915

Gate: $6,278.580

Critical Rating: 69%

Commercial Rating: 100%

Main Event

Israel Adesanya def. Paulo Costa by Knock Out (Kick) in 0:39 of Round 2 to retain the UFC Middleweight title

Co-Main Event

Max Holloway def. Edson Barboza by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:18 of Round 1

Main Card

Urijah Faber def. Cody Stamann by Submission (Guillotine) in 3:15 of Round 2

Michelle Waterson def. Claudia Gadelha by Unanimous Decision

Geoff Neal def. Vicente Luque by TKO (Strikes) in 1:41 of Round 2

ESPN Preliminary Card

Carlos Condit def. James Krause by Knock Out (Punch) in 4:24 of Round 1

Virna Jandiroba def. Felice Herrig by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:33 of round 1

Chris Gruetzemacher def. Alex da Silva by Unanimous Decision

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Michael Trizano def. Martin Buschkamp by TKO (Strikes) in 1:13 of Round 2

Clay Collard def. Joseph Solecki by TKO (Strikes) in 1:34 of Round 1

Summary

The Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey was jam-packed when UFC 252: Adesanya vs. Costa rode into town. A stellar card with the Middleweight title fight as the main event was scheduled and the hype and excitement on forehand was big. Who would leave the event still undefeated and champion and who would have their undefeated streak snapped? The reigning, defending champion Israel Adesanya was the slight betting favorite with -150 while Costa headed into the fight as an +100 underdog, about as close as you can come before a fight. Marc Goddard instructed the fighters after Bruce Buffer announced that it was time for the main event of the evening, with both fighters refusing to touch gloves - a testament of the bad blood between the two fighters. The fight started out with Costa trying to land his patented power punches while Adesanya stayed out of his way, working with combinations and leg kicks to avoid getting close to the much stronger and powerful Brazilian. Shots from both fighters were traded in the first round, but neither made any significant damage on the opponent. Closing the first round, both fighters talked trash to each other while Marc Goddard separated them after the round ended. A really close first round could go either way, but the champion had the slight advantage. The second round started identically with the first as the two combatants traded shots in the center of the octagon. Thirty seconds into the round, Adesanya feinted a hook and followed up with a swift roundhouse kick that hurt Costa really bad. Backing up against the cage, the Brazilian was in a world of trouble as Adesanya quickly punished him with a lethal hook. Being given every chance of surviving, Costa barely stood up as he leaned on the cage and a few seconds later the bout ended with Adesanya kicking Costa in the head which knocked him completely out cold. The 31-year old New Zealand-native of Nigerian descent had lived up to the hype and stayed true to his words before the fight, you can only wonder who will be his biggest challenge? Perhaps Darren Till, the clear number one contender, can give Adesanya a run for his money when the inevitably meet in the future. Hawaiian Max Holloway also looked impressive in his bout against the dangerous Edson Barboza which ended early in the first as Holloway, who put on a extremely high pace from the start, knocked the Brazilian out with a nice combination. It's no doubt that Holloway deserves a rematch against Volkanovski, which he initially was supposed to face this evening, and a potential championship rematch is discussed during the late part of the year. Massive props should also be given to a quartet of fighters who put on excellent showings against either though opponents or even heavy favorites. Urijah Faber showed how experience is a valuable asset when he submitted the young and talented Cody Stamann in the second round while Michelle Waterson bounced back after her loss against Joanna Jedrzejczyk with an impressive outing against fellow top ranked fighter Claudia Gadelha. Geoff Neal also looked astonishingly impressive when he, as a betting underdog, TKO:ed Vicente Luque for the first time in the Brazilians career. Last but not least, the veteran and former Interim Welterweight champion Carlos Condit ended his catastrophic 5-fight and four year losing streak when he defeated the underrated James Krause, who himself was on a 6-fight winning streak before the loss.

Bonus Awards

Fight of the Night: Vicente Luque vs. Geoff Neal

Knockout of the Night: Israel Adesanya

Submission of the Night: Urijah Faber

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/T4dMIK6.jpg

</div>

Pontarii · February 3, 2020

WEEK 1 - AUGUST 2020

The Ultimate Fighter 29: Finale

Attendance: 5,955

Gate: $1.018,305

Critical Rating: 77%

Commercial Rating: 88%

Main Event

Joanna Jedrzejczyk def. Carla Esparza by Unanimous Decision

Co-Main Event

Antiere Terblanche def. Kovan Falana by TKO (Strikes) in 1:35 of Round 1 to win the 29th season of The Ultimate Fighter

Main Card

Brandon Moreno def. Deiveson Figueiredo by Unanimous Decision

Ray Borg def. Alexandre Pantoja by Knock Out (Knee) in 2:30 of Round 1

Rogerio Bontorin def. Askar Askarov by Unanimous Decision

Fight Pass Preliminary Card

Ryker Grainger def. Bertie Carper by Submission (Kneebar) in 2:01 of Round 1

Maximilian Hathaway def. Ruaridh Griffen by Submission (Kimura) in 2:55 of Round 2

Guthrie Heidtman def. Alder Schomp by Knock Out (Kick) in 0:35 of Round 1

Su Mudaerji def. Amir Threatt by Submission (Guillotine) in 1:37 of Round 1*

Oddmund Duus def. Jamarion Woodley by Submission (Kimura) in 2:17 of Round 1

*Originally Amir Threatt vs. Ilyas Forehand but Forehand pulled out of the fight citing injuries. Su Mudaerji stepped up on short-notice

Summary

Ladies and Gentlemen, your newest winner of The Ultimate Fighter is the Nigerian-born 26-year old kick boxer Antiere Terblanche. Having been picked number one in the show by his coach Colby Covington, a lot of pressure was put on the shoulders of Terblanche but the fact is that he was a slight underdog heading into the fight against the number four pick Kovan Falana, a BJJ black belt of South African descent. The fight went as perfect as Terblanche could hope for as he managed to keep the fight standing with Falana being cautious about shooting for a takedown. Both fighters traded shots before Terblanche landed a swift combination ending with an uppercut which Falana got rocked by. Jumping in while sensing a finish, the Nigerian landed some brutal hammerfists before the referee stopped the fight to declare Antiere Terblanche as the winner of the show. As promised, he'll get the next Flyweight title shot against the champion Joseph Benavidez at a later stage in the year. As for the main event, the former Women's Strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk once again dominated against another former champion in Carla Esparza to claim the victory. Having won all rounds, Joanna took the time to express her desire to once again fight for the title but she admitted during the post-fight interview that she needed another victory for it to happen. She called out both Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade as they are both ranked above her in the rankings. Last but not least, the competitors from this season of The Ultimate Fighter who won during the event was signed to short-term UFC contracts as well as Kovan Falana who lost in the final bout. The losing fighters was released from their contracts and will continue their career elsewhere with the only exception being Ruaridh Griffen who was rewarded with a guaranteed 1-fight contract in the UFC since his fight with Maximilian Hathaway was a fantastic affair that could have gone either way. The fighters from the show who didn't compete tonight will compete against either each other or against other lower-ranked Flyweight fighters when available to determine which fighters gets contracts and which fighters gets released.

Bonus Awards

Fight of the Night: Ruaridh Griffen vs. Maximilian Hathaway

Knockout of the Night: Ray Borg

Submission of the Night: Ryker Grainger

Season Awards

Fight of the Season: Ceasar Beaman vs. Ilyas Forehand during week 10

Knockout of the Season: Duane Sylvia's Elbow on Maximilian Hathaway week 7

Submission of the Season: Maximilian Hathaway's Kimura on Ruaridh Griffen during TUF: Finale

Pontarii · February 5, 2020

WEEK 1 - AUGUST 2020

UFC News

UFC 254: Masvidal vs. Covington announced

We've got some huge news coming from the UFC as they've just announced the UFC 254-card taking place at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main event of the card will feature a long-awaited grudge match between former teammates turned foes Jorge "Gamebred" Masvidal (35-13) and Colby "Chaos" Covington (15-2). The Welterweights coached opposite each other on the latest installment of The Ultimate Fighter and the rivalry has really escalated during the latest months.

Originally, Masvidal and Covington were both members of the American Top Team and considered each other as friends. It's not exactly clear what caused their friendship to sour, but according to Colby it all started with Masvidal being jealous of him and his accomplishments. "It has always been a bit different with him [Jorge Masvidal]. He's the jealous and greedy type. It all started when he lost to Demian Maia which I won against later, surpassing him in the rankings. That really pissed him off. I started making more money, getting the hotter chicks and being more famous than him and he can't take that shit. He's bitter and jealous. You can’t believe anything that comes out of Jorge’s mouth. The guy’s a liar, he’s a thief, you can’t trust that guy. Literally anything he says is fake news", said Covington in interviews before the fight was announced.

Jorge on the other hand has another version of the events leading up to the fallout between the two former teammates. According to him, it started with Covington ripping off his coach for money. "He ripped off my coach, that was his coach. We were with him until his title fight. After he won the title, he owed him a certain amount of money, didn’t pay him. I said if you don’t pay him I’m going to f—k you up. My coach got in between it, it doesn’t have to be like this, let it slide, since thing I ain’t talked to the dude", said Masvidal during interviews before the fight. He has also went on tweeting about several stories about him and Covington's past, claiming that he let Covington sleep on his couch when he was in need as well as feeding him and protecting him in hostile situations.

The fight will be a very big one for everyone involved as the rivalry between the two fighters guarantees a huge interests from fans and media. Being one month away, UFC has pulled no punches in the marketability regarding the fight. Being one month away, as well as being a few weeks after the long-awaited third fight between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, the company has market these events as "must see" for everyone. The rest of the card is also a solid one with many interesting fights to watch. Donald Cerrone (36-14-1NC) returns after his loss against the aforementioned McGregor when he takes on Paul Felder (18-4) in the co-main event in the Lightweight division. We'll also see a great fight in the huge undefeated prospect Edmen Shahbazyan (12-0) as he faces Jack Hermansson (21-5) in the Middleweight division together with Paige VanZant (9-4) vs. Mara Romero Borella (12-7-2NC) and Mirsad Bektic (14-2) vs. the active and striving Al Iaquinta (15-7-1). In the early preliminary opening fight, we'll also witness the UFC debut of 25-year old kickboxing world champion Yahir Delk (6-0). Delk, who was originally slated for the recent season of The Ultimate Fighter before focusing on the Kickboxing World Championship instead, is facing Ryan Benoit (10-6) in the Flyweight division.

The entire card of UFC 254: Masvidal vs. Covington looks like this:

Main Event

Welterweight Bout: (#3) Jorge Masvidal vs. (#1) Colby Covington

Co-Main Event

Lightweight Bout: (#4) Paul Felder vs. (#7) Donald Cerrone

Main Card

Middleweight Bout: (#8) Edmen Shahbazyan vs. (#3) Jack Hermansson

Women's Flyweight Bout: (#14) Paige VanZant vs. (#12) Mara Romero Borella

Featherweight Bout: (#9) Mirsad Bektic vs. (#7) Al Iaquinta

ESPN+ Preliminary Card

Lightweight Bout: Marc Diakiese vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira

Middleweight Bout: Kevin Holland vs. Rodolfo Vieira

Welterweight Bout: Niko Price vs. Belal Muhammad

ESPN Early Preliminary Card

Middleweight Bout: Gerald Meerschaert vs. Tim Boetsch

Flyweight Bout: Ryan Benoit vs. Yahir Delk

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UFC Fight Night 179: Blaydes vs. Lewis headlines Oregon-return

This August, the worlds leading Mixed Martial Arts-organization returns to Portland, Oregon for the first time in four years when top ranked Heavyweights Curtis Blaydes (13-2-1NC) and Derrick Lewis (23-7-1NC) main events the card at the Moda Center. The last time UFC was in Portland, current ONE Championship-fighter John Lineker defeated John Dodson in a Split Decision victory. Funny enough, Curtis Blaydes also competed at that card in the Early Prelims section when he beat Cody East via his patented elbows. Nowadays, Blaydes is ranked as number three in the Heavyweight division which is a far cry from fighting on the early prelims on a Fight Night-card. A big win against the person below him the rankings, Derrick Lewis, would be a big statement for him as he pushes for his first title opportunity.

"When I beat Derrick Lewis, I will get a title shot. Notice how I said "when" and not "if" because for me, it's already determined that I'll beat him. All due respect to Derrick since he's a great fighter and perhaps the greatest personality in all of UFC, but I'm the superior athlete and fighter. He has had trouble with top level wrestlers before and this time it will be no different. I'm gonna take him down and destroy him with punches and elbows. And when I do, no one can take my title shot from me. It doesn't matter if DC [Daniel Cormer] is the champion, if Stipe [Miocic] is or if Francis [Ngannou] is. I'm coming for the belt and that's a fact", said Blaydes after the news of the event was made public.

The rest of the main card is really a solid one with many enjoyable fights. Especially the co-main event is a great showing between two young and exciting fighters in Gregor Gillespie (14-1) and Alexander Hernandez (12-2). Both was incredibly hyped before they were stopped by Kevin Lee and Donald Cerrone respectively, but both Gillespie and Hernandez are still highly entertaining fighters with bright futures ahead of them. Another hyped prospect is the undefeated Sean O'Malley (11-0) who will face Casey Kenney (14-1-1) in the Bantamweight division during the first main card fight.

The UFC Fight Night 179: Blaydes vs. Lewis main card looks like this:

Main Event

Heavyweight Bout: (#3) Curtis Blaydes vs. (#4) Derrick Lewis

Co-Main Event

Lightweight Bout: (#10) Gregor Gillespie vs. (#12) Alexander Hernandez

Main Card

Welterweight Bout: Michael Chiesa vs. Alexey Kunchenko

Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#9) Lina Länsberg vs. (#6) Raquel Pennington

Bantamweight Bout: Sean O'Malley vs. Casey Kenney

mattu29 · February 5, 2020

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/eYAV0hw.jpg>

WEEK 1 - AUGUST 2020
UFC News

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/OPG6bPQ.jpg>

UFC 254: Masvidal vs. Covington announced

We've got some huge news coming from the UFC as they've just announced the UFC 254-card taking place at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main event of the card will feature a long-awaited grudge match between former teammates turned foes Jorge "Gamebred" Masvidal (35-13) and Colby "Chaos" Covington (15-2). The Welterweights coached opposite each other on the latest installment of The Ultimate Fighter and the rivalry has really escalated during the latest months.

Originally, Masvidal and Covington were both members of the American Top Team and considered each other as friends. It's not exactly clear what caused their friendship to sour, but according to Colby it all started with Masvidal being jealous of him and his accomplishments. "It has always been a bit different with him [Jorge Masvidal]. He's the jealous and greedy type. It all started when he lost to Demian Maia which I won against later, surpassing him in the rankings. That really pissed him off. I started making more money, getting the hotter chicks and being more famous than him and he can't take that shit. He's bitter and jealous. You can’t believe anything that comes out of Jorge’s mouth. The guy’s a liar, he’s a thief, you can’t trust that guy. Literally anything he says is fake news", said Covington in interviews before the fight was announced.

Jorge on the other hand has another version of the events leading up to the fallout between the two former teammates. According to him, it started with Covington ripping off his coach for money. "He ripped off my coach, that was his coach. We were with him until his title fight. After he won the title, he owed him a certain amount of money, didn’t pay him. I said if you don’t pay him I’m going to f—k you up. My coach got in between it, it doesn’t have to be like this, let it slide, since thing I ain’t talked to the dude", said Masvidal during interviews before the fight. He has also went on tweeting about several stories about him and Covington's past, claiming that he let Covington sleep on his couch when he was in need as well as feeding him and protecting him in hostile situations.

The fight will be a very big one for everyone involved as the rivalry between the two fighters guarantees a huge interests from fans and media. Being one month away, UFC has pulled no punches in the marketability regarding the fight. Being one month away, as well as being a few weeks after the long-awaited third fight between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, the company has market these events as "must see" for everyone. The rest of the card is also a solid one with many interesting fights to watch. Donald Cerrone (36-14-1NC) returns after his loss against the aforementioned McGregor when he takes on Paul Felder (18-4) in the co-main event in the Lightweight division. We'll also see a great fight in the huge undefeated prospect Edmen Shahbazyan (12-0) as he faces Jack Hermansson (21-5) in the Middleweight division together with Paige VanZant (9-4) vs. Mara Romero Borella (12-7-2NC) and Mirsad Bektic (14-2) vs. the active and striving Al Iaquinta (15-7-1). In the early preliminary opening fight, we'll also witness the UFC debut of 25-year old kickboxing world champion Yahir Delk (6-0). Delk, who was originally slated for the recent season of The Ultimate Fighter before focusing on the Kickboxing World Championship instead, is facing Ryan Benoit (10-6) in the Flyweight division.

The entire card of UFC 254: Masvidal vs. Covington looks like this:

Main Event
Welterweight Bout: (#3) Jorge Masvidal vs. (#1) Colby Covington

Co-Main Event
Lightweight Bout: (#4) Paul Felder vs. (#7) Donald Cerrone

Main Card
Middleweight Bout: (#8) Edmen Shahbazyan vs. (#3) Jack Hermansson

Women's Flyweight Bout: (#14) Paige VanZant vs. (#12) Mara Romero Borella

Featherweight Bout: (#9) Mirsad Bektic vs. (#7) Al Iaquinta

ESPN+ Preliminary Card
Lightweight Bout: Marc Diakiese vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira

Middleweight Bout: Kevin Holland vs. Rodolfo Vieira

Welterweight Bout: Niko Price vs. Belal Muhammad

ESPN Early Preliminary Card
Middleweight Bout: Gerald Meerschaert vs. Tim Boetsch

Flyweight Bout: Ryan Benoit vs. Yahir Delk

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/i0tVx20.png>

UFC Fight Night 179: Blaydes vs. Lewis headlines Oregon-return

This August, the worlds leading Mixed Martial Arts-organization returns to Portland, Oregon for the first time in four years when top ranked Heavyweights Curtis Blaydes (13-2-1NC) and Derrick Lewis (23-7-1NC) main events the card at the Moda Center. The last time UFC was in Portland, current ONE Championship-fighter John Lineker defeated John Dodson in a Split Decision victory. Funny enough, Curtis Blaydes also competed at that card in the Early Prelims section when he beat Cody East via his patented elbows. Nowadays, Blaydes is ranked as number three in the Heavyweight division which is a far cry from fighting on the early prelims on a Fight Night-card. A big win against the person below him the rankings, Derrick Lewis, would be a big statement for him as he pushes for his first title opportunity.

"When I beat Derrick Lewis, I will get a title shot. Notice how I said "when" and not "if" because for me, it's already determined that I'll beat him. All due respect to Derrick since he's a great fighter and perhaps the greatest personality in all of UFC, but I'm the superior athlete and fighter. He has had trouble with top level wrestlers before and this time it will be no different. I'm gonna take him down and destroy him with punches and elbows. And when I do, no one can take my title shot from me. It doesn't matter if DC [Daniel Cormer] is the champion, if Stipe [Miocic] is or if Francis [Ngannou] is. I'm coming for the belt and that's a fact", said Blaydes after the news of the event was made public.

The rest of the main card is really a solid one with many enjoyable fights. Especially the co-main event is a great showing between two young and exciting fighters in Gregor Gillespie (14-1) and Alexander Hernandez (12-2). Both was incredibly hyped before they were stopped by Kevin Lee and Donald Cerrone respectively, but both Gillespie and Hernandez are still highly entertaining fighters with bright futures ahead of them. Another hyped prospect is the undefeated Sean O'Malley (11-0) who will face Casey Kenney (14-1-1) in the Bantamweight division during the first main card fight.

The UFC Fight Night 179: Blaydes vs. Lewis main card looks like this:

Main Event
Heavyweight Bout: (#3) Curtis Blaydes vs. (#4) Derrick Lewis

Co-Main Event
Lightweight Bout: (#10) Gregor Gillespie vs. (#12) Alexander Hernandez

Main Card
Welterweight Bout: Michael Chiesa vs. Alexey Kunchenko

Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#9) Lina Länsberg vs. (#6) Raquel Pennington

Bantamweight Bout: Sean O'Malley vs. Casey Kenney

Damn weve got alot of matching cards atm, about to post my adesanya vs costa results soon, be interesting to see if they differ much

also after edwards beat masvidal, im looking at usman vs edwards and like you, masvidal vs covington

and then ive also got blaydes vs lewis main eventing a event in Texas

Hows your TUF winner name value now after the tournament?

Pontarii · February 5, 2020

WEEK 2 - AUGUST 2020

UFC News

Bellator star Michael "Venom" Page & BJJ legend Garry Tonon signs lucrative multi-fight deals with UFC

ESPN is reporting that UFC has signed two new fighters to bolster their Welterweight and Lightweight division respectively.

Michael "Venom" Page (17-2) is one of the biggest stars in Mixed Martial Arts today outside the UFC. With his flashy and unorthodox techniques, the man who calls himself MVP has had a very interesting rise through the ranks in Bellator going 15-2 in the organization only losing twice to former champ Douglas Lima as well as current champ Andrey Koreshkov. As first reported by ESPN, MVP has signed a lucrative multi-fight deal with UFC. According to reports, the British fighter will make around $30,000 per fight combined with bonuses and other beneficial contractual things like PPV-bonuses. Page, now 33-years old, will debut later in the year in the Welterweight division.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu-legend and undefeated MMA-fighter Garry Tonon (7-0) is a multi-accomplished grappler with a black belt in the aforementioned martial art. Since transitioning to Mixed Martial Arts, Tonon has fought seven times in ONE Championship winning every fight via finishes. During his last fight against former ONE Championship Lightweight champion Kotetsu Boku, Tonon showed off his great skill set submitting the Japanese fighter with his trademark rear naked choke in the third and final round. As first reported by ESPN, Tonon has also signed a multi-fight deal with UFC. No reports about his potential fighting salary has been made, but according to several sources Tonon is expected to have signed a 5-fight deal. Tonon is expected to make his promotional debut in the Lightweight division against Drakkar Klose at an unnamed future event.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sara McMann: "Fight vs. Sijara Eubanks is the last in my career no matter the result"

The former Olympic wrestler and first American female in history to win a silver medal in Olympic wrestling, Sara McMann (11-6) has announced that her upcoming fight against Sijara Eubanks (4-4) at UFC 253: McGregor vs. Diaz III will be her last in her career. The number thirteen ranked Women's Bantamweight fighter broke the news on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show earlier today.

"I've contemplated this a while now and actually been waiting for it, but it's time to announce it. My next fight against Sijara Eubanks will be my last fight no matter if I win or lose. I think it's a perfect way to end it with it being on one of the biggest cards ever with a lot of eyes peeled our way. I've had a great career with many highs and a few lows and I still believe I can beat everyone, but my time has come. I'm 39-years old and a mother of two, so I've got a lot more than fighting in my life to prioritize right now but I'm thankful for the UFC and for my fans for giving my this wonderful career", said McMann during the interview with Ariel Helwani on his MMA show.

McMann will leave a mixed but largely positive legacy behind both on the wrestling scene as well in MMA. She started her MMA career in impressive fashion going 6-0 before signing with the UFC back in 2013 where she made her debut against the 12-fight veteran Sheila Gaff in a winning effort. After that fight, McMann was quickly picked as Ronda Rousey's next title challenger as she faced the champion at UFC 170 in her second-ever UFC-fight. The task was too big for McMann at the time as Rousey won via knees to the body in the first round but McMann continued her career in the UFC with both wins and losses. Before her last upcoming fight against Sijara Eubanks, McMann has a total record of 11-6 (5-6 in the UFC).

Pontarii · February 5, 2020

Damn weve got alot of matching cards atm, about to post my adesanya vs costa results soon, be interesting to see if they differ much
also after edwards beat masvidal, im looking at usman vs edwards and like you, masvidal vs covington
and then ive also got blaydes vs lewis main eventing a event in Texas
Hows your TUF winner name value now after the tournament?

Haha, I'm not surprised. The first year of WMMA-booking is pretty identical for everyone playing realistically. The landscape start to change after about a year so until then, you'll see us having a lot of similar fights that could happen in real life as well.

Terblanche, the winner of TUF, is a low rated national as of now. It's gonna be interesting to see how it does after the upcoming Benavidez fight. He's as expected a huge underdog with +650 right now.

Sign In

UFC 2020 and Beyond - Continuing the Legacy

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Join the conversation