maxicheezestick Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Main Event Heavyweight Bout: Hugo Cunha vs. Ioannis Arzoumanidis Co-Main Event Light Heavyweight Bout: Jailton Junior vs. Azamat Murzakanov Main Card Lightweight Bout: Aaron McKenzie vs. Tobias Harila Flyweight Bout: Nate Smith vs. Sam Creasey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vladjarca Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Main Event Heavyweight Bout: Hugo Cunha vs. Ioannis Arzoumanidis Co-Main Event Light Heavyweight Bout: Jailton Junior vs. Azamat Murzakanov Main Card Lightweight Bout: Aaron McKenzie vs. Tobias Harila Flyweight Bout: Nate Smith vs. Sam Creasey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageRage Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Main Event Heavyweight Bout: Hugo Cunha vs. Ioannis Arzoumanidis Co-Main Event Light Heavyweight Bout: Jailton Junior vs. Azamat Murzakanov Main Card Lightweight Bout: Aaron McKenzie vs. Tobias Harila Flyweight Bout: Nate Smith vs. Sam Creasey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted April 3, 2021 Author Share Posted April 3, 2021 <img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 1 - MAY 2021 DWCS 42 Main Event Hugo Cunha def. Ioannis Arzoumanidis by Submission (Armbar) in 3:03 of Round 2 Co-Main Event Azamat Murzakanov def. Jailton Junior by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3) Main Card Tobias Harila def. Aaron McKenzie by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28 x2) Sam Creasey def. Nate Smith by TKO (Strikes) in 1:29 of Round 1 Summary There have been a few standout performances in during the five seasons of the Contender Series. Names like Sean O’Malley, Sodiq Yusuff, Ryan Spann, Dan Ige, and Maycee Barber springs to mind when talking about the alumni of the show, and with every new episode UFC have high hopes of finding the next big thing in the sport. Perhaps the powerful, versatile Hugo “Silverback” Cunha will be held in the same high regard as those mentioned previously, especially since his second round submission victory over the Greek Ioannis Arzoumanidis was very impressive. Despite facing a bronze medalist in Freestyle Wrestling World Championship, Cunha was the better fighter on the ground and dominated the former ACA Heavyweight in every aspect of the game before submitting his opponent with an Armbar in the second round. Dana White was very excited of the Brazilian’s performance, saying he resembled a young Brock Lesnar in his fighting approach, and it was no surprise to see him award Hugo Cunha with a UFC-contract after the show. It’s clear to see why UFC is so high on the 6’4’’ Brazilian as he has all the tools to become one of the new faces of the resurging Heavyweight division. Both the Russian Azamat Murzakanov and the Swede Tobias Harila were successful in defeating their respective opponents Jailton Junior and Aaron McKenzie, but the committee consisting of Dana White, Sean Shelby, and Mick Maynard agreed that both fighters needed a few more fights to really impress and perform on the level the UFC wants them to. One who did perform was the Englishman Sam Creasey, who finished the LFA Flyweight Nate Smith with strikes in the second round. Creasey looked very good in the bout, utilizing a great stand up game with many crushing leg kicks, which ultimately earned him the coveted UFC-contract after the show. If the 33-year old Cage Warriors-veteran plays his cards right, he can be a serious threat in the 125lbs division. For Smith, this was his second defeat on the show, and you can only assume that this was his last chance to earn a spot on the coveted UFC-roster. Contracts Awarded Hugo Cunha – Heavyweight Sam Creasey - Flyweight <img src=https://i.imgur.com/SjFyhFu.png Prediction Table CageRage = 3 out of 4 vladjarca = 3 out of 4 maxicheezestick = 1 out of 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted April 4, 2021 Author Share Posted April 4, 2021 <img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 2 - MAY 2021 UFC Event Preview <img src=https://i.imgur.com/nE24qf1.png> T.J. Dillashaw: “Road to Redemption starts with dominant victory against ‘overrated’ Sandhagen” The much anticipated return of the former Bantamweight Champion and one of the all-time greats in the division T.J. Dillashaw (16-4) is upon us. After serving a 2-year suspension due to EPO usage, the now 35-year old California-native headlines this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night-event taking place at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado against his former teammate Cory Sandhagen (14-2), but despite being former Elevation Fight Team-comrades and even friends back in the days, Dillashaw has not eased up on his words against his 27-year old opponent. “I think it’s unfair and disrespectful for me not fighting for the belt in my comeback fight. You can talk all you want about me being a cheater and a bad person, it is what it is, but you can’t argue the facts. I was the undisputed champion and vacated the belt on my behalf before I left. I didn’t lose my belt against anyone other than myself. I really believe that I’m most deserving of a title shot against the champion [Aljamain Sterling] because everyone one else has already failed at their task of taking the gold from him. [Petr] Yan lost the belt to him, so he’s out. [Cory] Sandhagen lost to the champion in quick fashion not long ago, so why would he get a title shot? He hasn’t done anything noteworthy to earn it. And then what? Cody Garbrandt, who I embarrassed on two seperate occasions? I will channel this frustration about not getting what I deserve and use it to motivate me, because I see this as my Road to Redemption. I’ll be the champion before the end of the year and I’ll reign over my division, it all starts with a dominant win over Cory Sandhagen, who I personally think is a bit overrated. His biggest wins have come against irrelevant fighters past their prime, I’ll make easy work of him, trust me”, said T.J. Dillashaw in an interview with MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin before the event. His opponent this Saturday, Cory Sandhagen is happy to face the former champion, much thanks to their previous training episodes in which the younger prospect allegedly got the better of the then champion on multiple occasions. “It’s the number one thing you don’t talk about in this sport, but T.J. [Dillashaw] himself has talked about it publicly before so I guess it’s no secret. Even before I signed with the UFC, I sparred with him on multiple occasions back when he was a part of our team [Elevation Fight Team]. Before he was the champion and even after he defeated Cody [Garbrandt] to become champion again, and without exaggeration I was the better fighter in those situations, but ultimately that doesn’t mean anything. You don’t win any titles or fights in the gym. I’m thankful for the experience T.J. gave me and it has truly given me a confident boost now when we’re facing each other for real. I know I can beat him, he knows I can beat him, and I’ll go out there in front of a sold out crowd in my home-state of Colorado to show why I’m the best Bantamweight fighter in the world”, said Sandhagen in an interview with Ariel Helwani on his MMA Show. In perhaps the strangest co-main event in recent memory, a Welterweight bout between two true UFC-veterans in Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (36-15-2 NC) and Diego “The Nightmare” Sanchez (30-13) will take place in what is believed to be the inaugural TUF-winner’s last fight in his long and storied career. The 39-year old Sanchez, who recently joined forces with the California-based Team Oyama before this fight against Cerrone, is a big betting underdog in what will be his 33rd UFC-fight with a +310 line attached to his name, but “The Nightmare” is confident in his ability to overcome his former Jackson Wink MMA-teammate. “Donald Cerrone is a great fighter and a true warrior. We’ve had our differences in the past and stuff like that, but I respect him and his values as a fighter and as a man. However, I’m not going to treat him any different when we enter the Octagon this Saturday. He’s the favourite, props to him for that, but I’m confident in my abilities to defeat “The Cowboy” in front of the crowd. Perhaps for the last time in my career”, said Sanchez in an interview with MMAJunkie. Cerrone on the other hand was not so respectful in his pre-fight comments, saying that “despite this fight being billed as legend vs. legend, I don’t think that Diego [sanchez] is deserving of that status” as well as saying that his opponent this Saturday will be “held accountable for all the shit he has talked when he made the same thing and left”, referring to the Jackson Wink-MMA situation a few years back. In a rather interesting event filled with potential Fight of the Night-bouts all the way from the early prelims up to the main event, the Heavyweight clash between the two Brazilians Augusto Sakai (15-2-1) and the former champion Junior dos Santos (21-9) is an intriguing one, especially with the possible effects of the fight. If dos Santos is unsuccessful for a fifth straight time and with his big salary demands, it would be no surprise if he was to be released from the company. For Sakai, a victory against a former champion would certainly catapult him higher up the stacked Heavyweight rankings. If the roles are reversed, dos Santos would yet again be in a good position in the top 10’s to earn a big fight against one of the several tough opponents aiming for Francis Ngannou’s newly won title. For the other two main card fights, it’s a glimpse into the future of the Middleweight and Lightweight division. Despite missing weight with 2lbs, UFC is reportedly very high on the undefeated knockout artist Punahele Soriano (8-0) who takes on the always game Alessio Di Chirico (13-5) and a win for Soriano could perhaps land him right about the top 15-rankings spot. The Lightweight bout between prospects Arman Tsarukyan (16-2) and Nasrat Haqparast (12-3) is an exciting fight, with both fighters being touted for a bright future in the company. The entire UFC Fight Night 189: Dillashaw vs. Sandhagen, which features names like the veteran James Krause (28-8) against his rival and 2020 KO of the Year-winner Joaquin Buckley (12-4), the former UFC Women’s Strawweight title contender Karolina Kowalkiewicz (12-6) and the TUF 28 Heavyweight-winner Juan Espino (10-1), looks like this: Main Event Bantamweight Bout: T.J. Dillashaw vs. (#1) Cory Sandhagen Co-Main Event Welterweight Bout: Donald Cerrone vs. Diego Sanchez Main Card Heavyweight Bout: (#11) Augusto Sakai vs. (#12) Junior dos Santos Middleweight Bout: Alessio Di Chirico vs. Punahele Soriano* Lightweight Bout: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Nasrat Haqparast ESPN Preliminary Card Middleweight Bout: James Krause vs. Joaquin Buckley Women’s Strawweight Bout: Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Cory McKenna Flyweight Bout: (#12) David Dvorak vs. (#8) Brandon Royval ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Heavyweight Bout: Juan Espino vs. Jake Collier Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Sarah Alpar vs. Veronica Macedo Bantamweight Bout: Teruto Ishihara vs. Benito Lopez *Punahele Soriano missed weight by 2lbs. He forfeited 20% of his purse to his opponent Alessio Di Chirico, but will remain in the Middleweight division. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDojoDelux Posted April 4, 2021 Share Posted April 4, 2021 Main Event Bantamweight Bout: T.J. Dillashaw vs. (#1) Cory Sandhagen Co-Main Event Welterweight Bout: Donald Cerrone vs. Diego Sanchez Main Card Heavyweight Bout: (#11) Augusto Sakai vs. (#12) Junior dos Santos Middleweight Bout: Alessio Di Chirico vs. Punahele Soriano* Lightweight Bout: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Nasrat Haqparast ESPN Preliminary Card Middleweight Bout: James Krause vs. Joaquin Buckley Women’s Strawweight Bout: Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Cory McKenna Flyweight Bout: (#12) David Dvorak vs. (#8) Brandon Royval ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Heavyweight Bout: Juan Espino vs. Jake Collier Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Sarah Alpar vs. Veronica Macedo Bantamweight Bout: Teruto Ishihara vs. Benito Lopez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageRage Posted April 5, 2021 Share Posted April 5, 2021 <p>Main Event</p><p> Bantamweight Bout: T.J. Dillashaw vs. <strong>(#1) Cory Sandhagen</strong></p><p> </p><p> Co-Main Event</p><p> Welterweight Bout: <strong>Donald Cerrone</strong> vs. Diego Sanchez</p><p> </p><p> Main Card</p><p> Heavyweight Bout: (#11) Augusto Sakai vs. <strong>(#12) Junior dos Santos</strong></p><p> </p><p> Middleweight Bout: Alessio Di Chirico vs. <strong>Punahele Soriano*</strong></p><p> </p><p> Lightweight Bout: Arman Tsarukyan vs.<strong> Nasrat Haqparast</strong></p><p> </p><p> ESPN Preliminary Card</p><p> Middleweight Bout: James Krause vs. <strong>Joaquin Buckley</strong></p><p> </p><p> Women’s Strawweight Bout: Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. <strong>Cory McKenna</strong></p><p> </p><p> Flyweight Bout: (#12) David Dvorak vs. <strong>(#8) Brandon Royval</strong></p><p> </p><p> ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card</p><p> Heavyweight Bout: <strong>Juan Espino</strong> vs. Jake Collier</p><p> </p><p> Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Sarah Alpar vs. <strong>Veronica Macedo</strong></p><p> </p><p> Bantamweight Bout: Teruto Ishihara vs. <strong>Benito Lopez</strong></p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majster_93 Posted April 5, 2021 Share Posted April 5, 2021 <p>Main Event</p><p> Bantamweight Bout: <strong>T.J. Dillashaw</strong> vs. (#1) Cory Sandhagen</p><p> </p><p> Co-Main Event</p><p> Welterweight Bout: <strong>Donald Cerrone</strong> vs. Diego Sanchez</p><p> </p><p> Main Card</p><p> Heavyweight Bout: (#11) <strong>Augusto Sakai</strong> vs. (#12) Junior dos Santos</p><p> </p><p> Middleweight Bout:<strong> Alessio Di Chirico</strong> vs. Punahele Soriano*</p><p> </p><p> Lightweight Bout: Arman Tsarukyan vs. <strong>Nasrat Haqparast</strong></p><p> </p><p> ESPN Preliminary Card</p><p> Middleweight Bout: James Krause vs. <strong>Joaquin Buckley</strong></p><p> </p><p> Women’s Strawweight Bout: Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. <strong>Cory McKenna</strong></p><p> </p><p> Flyweight Bout: (#12) David Dvorak vs. (#8) <strong>Brandon Royval</strong></p><p> </p><p> ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card</p><p> Heavyweight Bout: <strong>Juan Espino </strong>vs. Jake Collier</p><p> </p><p> Women’s Bantamweight Bout: <strong>Sarah Alpar</strong> vs. Veronica Macedo</p><p> </p><p> Bantamweight Bout: <strong>Teruto Ishihara</strong> vs. Benito Lopez</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxicheezestick Posted April 5, 2021 Share Posted April 5, 2021 <p>Main Event</p><p> Bantamweight Bout: <strong>T.J. Dillashaw</strong> vs. (#1) Cory Sandhagen</p><p> </p><p> Co-Main Event</p><p> Welterweight Bout: Donald Cerrone vs. <strong>Diego Sanchez</strong></p><p> </p><p> Main Card</p><p> Heavyweight Bout: <strong>(#11) Augusto Sakai</strong> vs. (#12) Junior dos Santos</p><p> </p><p> Middleweight Bout: Alessio Di Chirico vs. <strong>Punahele Soriano*</strong></p><p> </p><p> Lightweight Bout: <strong>Arman Tsarukyan</strong> vs. Nasrat Haqparast</p><p> </p><p> ESPN Preliminary Card</p><p> Middleweight Bout: James Krause vs. <strong>Joaquin Buckley</strong></p><p> </p><p> Women’s Strawweight Bout: Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. <strong>Cory McKenna</strong></p><p> </p><p> Flyweight Bout: (#12) David Dvorak vs. <strong>(#8) Brandon Royval</strong></p><p> </p><p> ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card</p><p> Heavyweight Bout: <strong>Juan Espino</strong> vs. Jake Collier</p><p> </p><p> Women’s Bantamweight Bout: <strong>Sarah Alpar</strong> vs. Veronica Macedo</p><p> </p><p> Bantamweight Bout: Teruto Ishihara vs. <strong>Benito Lopez</strong></p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vladjarca Posted April 5, 2021 Share Posted April 5, 2021 <p>Main Event</p><p> Bantamweight Bout: T.J. Dillashaw vs. (#1) <strong>Cory Sandhagen</strong></p><p> </p><p> Co-Main Event</p><p> Welterweight Bout: <strong>Donald Cerrone</strong> vs. Diego Sanchez</p><p> </p><p> Main Card</p><p> Heavyweight Bout: (#11) <strong>Augusto Sakai</strong> vs. (#12) Junior dos Santos</p><p> </p><p> Middleweight Bout:<strong> Alessio Di Chirico</strong> vs. Punahele Soriano*</p><p> </p><p> Lightweight Bout:<strong> Arman Tsarukyan</strong> vs. Nasrat Haqparast</p><p> </p><p> ESPN Preliminary Card</p><p> Middleweight Bout: <strong>James Krause </strong>vs. Joaquin Buckley</p><p> </p><p> Women’s Strawweight Bout: Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. <strong>Cory McKenna</strong></p><p> </p><p> Flyweight Bout: (#12) David Dvorak vs. (#8) <strong>Brandon Royval</strong></p><p> </p><p> ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card</p><p> Heavyweight Bout: <strong>Juan Espino</strong> vs. Jake Collier</p><p> </p><p> Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Sarah Alpar vs. <strong>Veronica Macedo</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> Bantamweight Bout: Teruto Ishihara vs. <strong>Benito Lopez</strong></p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted April 6, 2021 Author Share Posted April 6, 2021 <p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png></p><p> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>WEEK 2 - MAY 2021</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:14px;">UFC Fight Night 189: Dillashaw vs. Sandhagen</span></strong></p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:10px;">Critical Rating: 75%</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Commercial Rating: 90%</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Profit/Loss: </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"><span style="color:#008000;">$2.281.254</span></span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Main Event</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Cory Sandhagen def. T.J. Dillashaw by Unanimous Decision </strong><strong><span style="font-size:8px;">(50-45 x2, 49-46)</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Co-Main Event</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Donald Cerrone def. Diego Sanchez by Submission (Kimura) in 1:45 of Round 1</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Main Card</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Augusto Sakai def. Junior dos Santos by Knock Out (Knee) in 4:59 of Round 2</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Punahele Soriano def. Alessio Di Chirico by Knock Out (Punch) in 2:13 of Round 1</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Arman Tsarukyan def. Nasrat Haqparast by Unanimous Decision </strong><strong><span style="font-size:8px;">(30-27 x3)</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>ESPN Preliminary Card</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>James Krause def. Joaquin Buckley by Split Decision </strong><strong><span style="font-size:8px;">(30-27, 29-28, 28-29)</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:8px;"> </span></strong></p><p><strong> Cory McKenna def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:34 of Round 1</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Brandon Royval def. David Dvorak by Submission (Armbar) in 2:25 of Round 3</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Juan Espino def. Jake Collier by Submission (Leglock) in 1:30 of Round 1</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Veronica Machedo def. Sarah Alpar by Knock Out (Punch) in 2:21 of Round 1</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> Teruto Ishihara def. Benito Lopez by TKO (Strikes) in 3:34 of Round 2</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Summary</strong></span></p><p> A sold-out crowd inside the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver, Colorado was gifted with the Bantamweight main-event between the hometown hero Cory Sandhagen as he challenged the returning T.J. Dillashaw, who received an enormous amount of boos when Bruce Buffer announced his name, in a presumed title eliminator. The atmosphere in the arena, which have hosted four previous UFC-events with the most recent being UFC Fight Night: The Korean Zombie vs. Rodriguez, was as electric as one could have hoped for in the first full capacity UFC-event in the United States since the Covid-19 pandemic, and to cap the night of with such an anticipated bout between two of the best Bantamweights on the planet gave the show a spectacular feeling. You could almost feel the tension in the air when the tall and lengthy Sandhagen stood face to face with perhaps the most dividing UFC-fighter on the roster in Dillashaw as referee Marc Goddard gave his final instructions before the fight. It was the returning Dillashaw, who entered the bout as a +150 underdog against the -100 favourite Sandhagen that took the early initiative, rushing the 27-year old and landing a three piece combination but narrowly missing the final big right. A high-paced striking battle ensued with both fighters displaying high quality in their strikes and kicks, in which Dillashaw tried closing the distance on the much taller Sandhagen. The 27-year old Aurora, Colorado-native secured the first takedown of the bout around four minutes in to the first round, but after a scramble of positioning, it was Dillashaw who secured the more dominant position as he ended up in guard. With the clock winding down, Sandhagen attempted a submission from the bottom but the experienced Dillashaw controlled the situation with ease. With the first round in the books, there was very little to separate them in the first round and it could’ve realistically gone either way should the bout go the distance. The second round was a much more decisive one for Cory Sandhagen as he utilized his grappling to an effective level, twice taking down Dillashaw in the round who desperately tried using the cage to stop the constant grappling pressure from the number one contender. The biggest moment of the fight thus far happened in the middle of the third round after yet another close striking battle. Despite initially getting the better of the exchange with a quick flurry of four punches that all landed, Dillashaw missed with a left cross that opened up an angle for the skilled kick boxer Sandhagen who missed a jab but landed a vicious head kick that instantly wobbled the former champion. After Dillashaw falled to the floor, Sandhagen jumped in and pounded away with several enormous hammerfists that easily got have warranted a stoppage from Marc Goddard, but the resilient Dillashaw defended them well enough for the constant to continue. A clearly hurt Dillashaw couldn’t do much more than defend while Sandhagen continued advancing to dominant positions on the ground, but the referee was not satisfied with the progression and therefore stood the fighters up with 30 seconds remaining of the round. The 35-year old Sacramento, California-native withstood more damage and survived another round, while the commentary team of Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping questioned if he had anything left in the tank for this gruelling bout. Round four was a copy of the second round in which Sandhagen controlled the bout with versatile attacks, securing yet another takedown on the otherwise excellent takedown defender Dillashaw and pressure him with both strikes and transitions before the bell ended. The fifth and final round was the last chance for the returning Dillashaw to show the world why he would be next in line for the UFC Bantamweight title, but despite putting everything he had in every strike he threw, it was not Dillashaw’s night tonight. Instead, Cory Sandhagen put on a clinic and secured not only the fifth round and an eventual decision victory over the biggest opponent he’s ever faced, he also secured his spot in a rematch against the champion Aljamain Sterling. When Bruce Buffer announced the judges’ scorecards, which was unanimously given to Sandhagen, the Pepsi Center erupted in loud and visible celebration as their hometown hero had prevailed. A teary Sandhagen thanked everyone in the crowd and everyone at home for their support, but also showed class when he defended his opponent T.J. Dillashaw saying that “the past is the past, let’s give T.J. a big round of applause for his return. The Bantamweight division is a much better division with him in it”. The two fighters embraced with a big hug which gave the fans a stunning visual in the much anticipated return to full capacity events. It was later announced that T.J. Dillashaw had been rushed to the hospital following the fight with a fractured right orbital, which will see him sidelined for at least four months of action.</p><p> </p><p> The co-main event which saw two of the most grizzled veterans the company has on its payroll, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Diego “The Nightmare” Sanchez, also delivered rather entertaining bout. Surprisingly, the bout was much closer and more even than the betting lines had predicted it to be as the big +310 underdog Sanchez really took it to the repeatedly slow starter Cerrone early on, opening up a big cut above the right eye of favorite with a swift head kick. Perhaps sensing a bit of unexpected trouble, Cerrone turned to a more grappling-based game plan in the second round, shooting for several takedowns but the 39-year old Sanchez was very effective with his takedown defence, stopping the first four attempts with great reading of the game. The fifth and final takedown attempt of the second round for Cerrone was successful, but the consensus was that Sanchez had done enough to win both the first and second round with his advantage in the strikes landed department as well as with his great takedown defence. With a potential upset edging closer and closer, the Pepsi Center-crowd cheered on the veteran and inaugural TUF-winner Diego Sanchez into the third and final round, but their expectations was cut short when Cerrone successfully took the underdog down with his first attempt. Positioning himself around the raised legs of Sanchez onto the side control, the underestimated grappling credentials of “Cowboy” Cerrone saw him secure a fully applied Kimura that, despite trying to fight the hold for as long as he could, forced Sanchez to tap. The fight was unexpectedly great and provided a memorable fight between two of the greatest veterans in the history of the business, and with Cerrone back in win column again, he vowed to return to Lightweight to once again test his skills against the best of the best. For Diego Sanchez, the expected retirement was put on hold. In a written statement on his Twitter, the 39-year old wrote that “the performance he gave tonight, getting the better of one of the best to ever do it for two straight rounds, is a sign that he has a lot more to offer”. In the statement, Sanchez wrote “I’m not in this anymore to win the title. I’m in this to show that Diego Sanchez is a true legend of the sport. Win, lose or draw, I will always deliver and show you, the fans, that I am a true warrior and a real fighter”. Even though you can really respect Diego Sanchez for this kind of mentality, it would be very surprising to see the UFC wanting a soon-to-be 40-year old be used in a position of fighting other veterans which ultimately doesn’t gain the company anything other than nostalgia for the fans. If the UFC decide to keep Sanchez, who is entering his last contractual fight next time he steps inside the Octagon, it would most certainly be against a young prospect that can gain some notoriety with a win over a big name.</p><p> </p><p> One fighter who will not be under contract with the UFC anymore is the former Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos. Once riding the biggest UFC-win streak in Heavyweight division history with nine straight victories including two title bouts against Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir, the 37-year old has fallen hard in recent years with his deteriorating chin being a constant tough topic of discussion amongst fans and experts alike. Despite getting the better of his countryman and the 8-years younger Augusto Sakai for the first round, the second round really showed everyone that Junior dos Santos is a shell of his former fighting self as he took multiple heavy shots without defending them throughout the round. It all came to an end in the last second of round 2 when Augusto Sakai landed a thunderous knee to the dome of the former champion in the clinch, which resulted in an instant knockout. This is the fifth straight loss for the 24-fight UFC-veteran and one of the all-time Heavyweight greats, which resulted in his contractual release on the Sunday after the event. With Junior dos Santos gone from the UFC, together with his former rivals Fabricio Werdum being in PFL and Cain Velasquez being retired, this is truly the end of an era in the Heavyweight division as the trio ruled over the division for many years. For Sakai, this is undoubtedly his biggest win thus far in his UFC-career, and he took the opportunity to call out the number seven ranked Aleksei Oleinik as his next potential opponent.</p><p> </p><p> Throughout the rest of the card, we witnessed several great and entertaining bouts from top to bottom. Punahele Soriano continued his path of destruction in the Middleweight division as he knocked out Alessio Di Chirico in the first round with a massive right hand, adding another victory to his undefeated record of 9-0. The Xtreme Couture-member was apologetic for missing weight in his post-fight interview, saying that “this was the first and last time I miss weight” as well as calling out Uriah Hall, who recently lost to Chris Weidman at UFC 261: Weili vs. Namajunas, to an epic showdown between to KO-artists. Arman Tsarukyan defeated fellow Lightweight prospect Nasrat Haqparast with a clear Unanimous Decision victory, showing that he is on the verge of cracking the razor sharp top-15 Lightweight rankings. During the prelims, James Krause got the better of the rival bout against Joaquin Buckley in a close Split Decision victory while Brandon Royval took another step towards the top of the Flyweight division. For the 21-year old Cory McKenna, her KO-victory over the former Women’s Strawweight title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz was the biggest victory in her career thus far. For Karolina, this was her fifth straight loss in the UFC and the company announced her release shortly after the event had finished. </p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Bonus Awards</strong></span></p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:10px;">Fight of the Night: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Nasrat Haqparast</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:10px;"> Performance of the Night: Augusto Sakai, Cory McKenna, and Juan Espino</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/LeCStJ0.png</p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Prediction Table</span></strong></span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> vladjarca = 9 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> CageRage = 7 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> Majster_93 = 6 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> maxicheezestick = 6 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> McDojoDelux = 6 out of 11</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:8px;"> </span></em></p></div><p></p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 <img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 2 - MAY 2021 UFC Event Announcement <img src=https://i.imgur.com/k1jJNza.png> Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Yair Rodriguez headlines UFC Fight Night-event in Moscow, Russia UFC will continue its presence in Europe after the decision to once again host full capacity events following the now manageable Covid-19 pandemic situation as the organization today announced a return to Moscow, Russia for next month. The news, which was announced through social media earlier today, is big for the European market, and it's certainly a indication of how valuable the UFC sees the European fans as this is the second event on the continent in a short amount of time. With UFC Fight Night 190: Holm vs. de Randamie II taking place at the O2 Arena next Saturday, the European fans will be treated with two impactful events close to each other as UFC Fight Night 191, who emerges from the CSKA Arena in the Russian capital, also features a noteworthy main event with some serious title implications, this time for the Featherweight division. None other than two of the biggest prospects and most popular fighters in the Featherweight division will battle it out for a chance at the 145lbs gold when the number two ranked Zabit Magomedsharipov (18-1) takes on the number four ranked Yair "El Pantera" Rodriguez (13-2) in a five round main event. This is the third time the bout has been made official, with the TUF: Latin America-winner Rodriguez pulling out twice due to injuries, but everything is set for these two highly entertaining fighters to finally settle their score and battle it out inside the Octagon. It would be no surprise if the eventual winner of the bout will go on and challenge for the Featherweight title, who currently is held by Alexander Volkanovski, which undoubtedly makes the bout even more of a must-watch than it was before. This will be the second time Zabit Magomedsharipov main events a UFC-event with his first coming against fellow top ranked Featherweight Calvin Kattar at the same venue one and a half year earlier, which coincidentally is also the last time we saw the unorthodox fighter. For Yair Rodriguez, it's also the first time in one and a half year that he will fight inside the Octagon with his latest bout being a victory over Jeremy Stephens at UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Weidman. The co-main event of the UFC Fight Night 191: Zabit vs. Yair event will feature two Russians in a Heavyweight scrap between the rising prospect Sergey Pavlovich (14-1) and the veteran Shamil Abdurakhimov (20-5). UFC is reportedly very high on the talented Pavlovich, who is a former Fight Night Global Heavyweight Champion, and is looking to fast-track him up the divisional rankings. He has fought three times in the organization before this bout, winning twice against Marcelo Golm and Maurice Green and losing his UFC-debut against Alistair Overeem, but injuries has kept him sidelined since October of 2019. His opponent, the 39-year old Abdurakhimov has fought eight times for the UFC with a record of 5-3. Andrei Arlovski, Marcin Tybura, and Walt Harris are some of his biggest wins, while he has lost against top contenders like Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis. According to the current Heavyweight rankings, Pavlovich sits at the number fifteen spot while Abdurakhimov is ranked in the number ten spot. Despite being held as a potential future star, the 29-year old Wrestling-based Pavlovich is entering the contest against Abdurakhimov as a +150 underdog, so a win for him could lead to a quick rise through the rankings. As to be expected when UFC host a European event, the rest of the card is riddled with fighters from that specific country and the Moscow-event is no exception. Three other fights has been made official; a Heavyweight bout between the Moldovan-Ukrainian prospect Sergey Spivak (12-2), who fights out of Moscow, Russia, and the veteran Stefan "The Skyscraper" Struve (29-13), a Women's Flyweight bout between Antonina Shevchenko (9-2), the older sister of the divisional champion Valentina Shevchenko, against Andrea Lee (11-5), and a Middleweight bout between the ranked Russian Omari Akhmedov (21-5-1) and the Polish judoka Krzysztof Jotko (22-4). Main Event Featherweight Bout: (#2) Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. (#4) Yair Rodriguez Co-Main Event Heavyweight Bout: (#15) Sergey Pavlovich vs. (#10) Shamil Abdurakhimov Main Card Heavyweight Bout: Sergey Spivak vs. Stefan Struve Women's Flyweight Bout: (#14) Antonina Shevchenko vs. (#12) Andrea Lee Middleweight Bout: (#14) Omari Akhmedov vs. Krzysztof Jotko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted April 10, 2021 Author Share Posted April 10, 2021 <img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 3 - MAY 2021 UFC Event Preview <img src=https://i.imgur.com/OC2TwuW.png> Holly Holm: “I’ve lost all respect for Germaine de Randamie after her actions last time, I’m here to get my revenge” With the pending return to one of the biggest markets in the sport, UFC’s event in the O2 Arena in London, England will have a firm spotlight on itself from fans around the world. The arena has hosted several big events throughout the years with main events such as Bisping vs. Silva, Till vs. Masvidal, and even a Champion vs. Champion bout between Quntion “Rampage” Jackson vs. Dan Henderson a couple of years back. This Saturday, the main event will feature a grudge match between the former Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm (14-5) and the inaugural Women’s Featherweight Champion Germaine de Randamie (10-4), a rematch from their 2017 bout in which the latter was victorious. Considering how the first bout went, with de Randamie receiving a lot of backlash over several after-the-bell shots on Holm which realistically should have been punished with point deductions but who ultimately went unpunished, it's a chance for revenge for the Jackson Wink MMA-staple Holly Holm. The actions of the eventual winner has left a sour note on the mind of Holm, who said that she has lost respect for someone she previously referred to as a great fighter. “Germaine de Randamie is a skilful fighter, don’t get me wrong, but what she did in our first bout is so disrespectful, so unjustifiable, and downright cheating. She hit me after the bell multiple times and was not punished one single time by the referee, whose job is to keep us safe at all times in the Octagon. Instead, she was allowed to break the rules without consequences and worst of all is that she’s claiming that it wasn’t intentional, that it was just a ‘heat of the moment’ thing and that she did nothing wrong. I’ve lost all respect for her, I truly have. I took this fight to get my revenge and to show her, her team, and everyone that I’m a better fighter than her. My goal is to challenge for the title once again before the end of the year, and to do that I have to beat Germaine de Randamie”, said Holly Holm on a recent episode of What the Heck with Alexander K. Lee of MMA Fighting. On the other side of the argument stands Germaine de Randamie, who is adamant that she has been punished for her unintentional mistakes in the bout, saying that the hate she has received after the incident is a far worse punishment than a loss or a no contest. “It has been insane. I stand by my words, it was totally unintentional. I’m not a dirty fighter, I’ve never done anything bad in a fight on purpose, yet people have treated me like I’m a criminal or a thief after that fight. People have said some really harsh things, and it hurt me. I apologized immediately to Holly [Holm] and her team for it, and if the referee had deemed it worthy of a point deduction, I wouldn’t have complained, but he didn’t. Sometimes you just got to move on and put those things in the rear view mirror, you know. I respect Holly as a fighter, as a champion, and as a person. I hope we can bury the hatchet on Saturday”, said the 37-year old de Randamie in an interview with Sherdog.com. Whenever the UFC returns to England, the event features many of the most popular and most talented fighters emerging from the United Kingdom and across Europe, and this Fight Night-event is no different. As previously mentioned, a Welterweight bout between the legendary Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit (32-13) and the Icelandic veteran Gunnar Nelson (17-5-1) co-main events in a bout which certainly has potential to be an entertaining clash of styles. The Swede Ilir Latifi (14-8-1 NC) makes his comeback to the Light Heavyweight division against a perennial staple in the division’s rankings in Nikita Krylov (26-8) while the assumed Women’s Flyweight Title Eliminator between Joanne Calderwood (15-5), who will have sort of a hometown advantage considering she’s Scottish, and the hard-hitting Brazilian powerhouse Jessica Andrade (21-8) also features on the main card. Perhaps a sleeper pick for most anticipated bout on the card is the main card opener between the Birmingham-native Tom Breese (12-3) and the rising prospect Makhmud Muradov (25-6) who fights out of the Czech Republic. Muradov, who is on an astonishing 14-fight win streak, has gained a lot of traction since joining the UFC back in late 2019, with many fans and experts naming him as a potential title prospect in the near future, but the Brit Tom Breese is no easy opponent. His three career losses is against fighters who are either currently ranked in the top 15 or has been in recent time, so the fans in the O2 Arena is certainly in for a treat with this Middleweight clash. As for the preliminary bouts, four out of the six bouts features British fighters with the undefeated Welsh Bantamweight prospect Jack Shore (13-0) headlining the prelims against a tough opponent in Alejandro Perez (21-8-1). Marc Diakiese (14-4), Lerone Murphy (10-0-1), and Molly McCann (10-4) is the other three fighters fighting on home soil with all of them being betting favourites against their respective opponents. Main Event Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#2) Holly Holm vs. (#1) Germaine de Randamie Co-Main Event Welterweight Bout: Carlos Condit vs. Gunnar Nelson Main Card Light Heavyweight Bout: Ilir Latifi vs. (#10) Nikita Krylov Women's Flyweight Bout: (#6) Joanne Calderwood vs. (#1) Jessica Andrade Middleweight Bout: Tom Breese vs. Makhmud Muradov ESPN Preliminary Card Bantamweight Bout: Jack Shore vs. Alejandro Perez Lightweight Bout: Marc Diakiese vs. Yancy Medeiros Featherweight Bout: Lerone Murphy vs. Makwan Amirkhani ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Women’s Flyweight Bout: Molly McCann vs. Miranda Granger Heavyweight Bout: Adam Wieczorek vs. Alexander Romanov Flyweight Bout: J.P. Buys vs. Bruno Gustavo da Silva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmaaddict Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#2) Holly Holm vs. (#1) Germaine de Randamie Welterweight Bout: Carlos Condit vs. Gunnar Nelson Light Heavyweight Bout: Ilir Latifi vs. (#10) Nikita Krylov Women's Flyweight Bout: (#6) Joanne Calderwood vs. (#1) Jessica Andrade Middleweight Bout: Tom Breese vs. Makhmud Muradov Bantamweight Bout: Jack Shore vs. Alejandro Perez Lightweight Bout: Marc Diakiese vs. Yancy Medeiros Featherweight Bout: Lerone Murphy vs. Makwan Amirkhani Women’s Flyweight Bout: Molly McCann vs. Miranda Granger Heavyweight Bout: Adam Wieczorek vs. Alexander Romanov Flyweight Bout: J.P. Buys vs. Bruno Gustavo da Silva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxicheezestick Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 Main Event Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#2) Holly Holm vs. (#1) Germaine de Randamie Co-Main Event Welterweight Bout: Carlos Condit vs. Gunnar Nelson Main Card Light Heavyweight Bout: Ilir Latifi vs. (#10) Nikita Krylov Women's Flyweight Bout: (#6) Joanne Calderwood vs. (#1) Jessica Andrade Middleweight Bout: Tom Breese vs. Makhmud Muradov ESPN Preliminary Card Bantamweight Bout: Jack Shore vs. Alejandro Perez Lightweight Bout: Marc Diakiese vs. Yancy Medeiros Featherweight Bout: Lerone Murphy vs. Makwan Amirkhani ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Women’s Flyweight Bout: Molly McCann vs. Miranda Granger Heavyweight Bout: Adam Wieczorek vs. Alexander Romanov Flyweight Bout: J.P. Buys vs. Bruno Gustavo da Silva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDojoDelux Posted April 11, 2021 Share Posted April 11, 2021 Main Event Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#2) Holly Holm vs. (#1) Germaine de Randamie Co-Main Event Welterweight Bout: Carlos Condit vs. Gunnar Nelson Main Card Light Heavyweight Bout: Ilir Latifi vs. (#10) Nikita Krylov Women's Flyweight Bout: (#6) Joanne Calderwood vs. (#1) Jessica Andrade Middleweight Bout: Tom Breese vs. Makhmud Muradov ESPN Preliminary Card Bantamweight Bout: Jack Shore vs. Alejandro Perez Lightweight Bout: Marc Diakiese vs. Yancy Medeiros Featherweight Bout: Lerone Murphy vs. Makwan Amirkhani ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Women’s Flyweight Bout: Molly McCann vs. Miranda Granger Heavyweight Bout: Adam Wieczorek vs. Alexander Romanov Flyweight Bout: J.P. Buys vs. Bruno Gustavo da Silva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majster_93 Posted April 11, 2021 Share Posted April 11, 2021 Holm Condit Krylov Andrade Muradov Shore Diakiese Amirkhani McCann Wieczorek Buys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vladjarca Posted April 11, 2021 Share Posted April 11, 2021 Main Event Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#2) Holly Holm vs. (#1) Germaine de Randamie Co-Main Event Welterweight Bout: Carlos Condit vs. Gunnar Nelson Main Card Light Heavyweight Bout: Ilir Latifi vs. (#10) Nikita Krylov Women's Flyweight Bout: (#6) Joanne Calderwood vs. (#1) Jessica Andrade Middleweight Bout: Tom Breese vs. Makhmud Muradov ESPN Preliminary Card Bantamweight Bout: Jack Shore vs. Alejandro Perez Lightweight Bout: Marc Diakiese vs. Yancy Medeiros Featherweight Bout: Lerone Murphy vs. Makwan Amirkhani ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Women’s Flyweight Bout: Molly McCann vs. Miranda Granger Heavyweight Bout: Adam Wieczorek vs. Alexander Romanov Flyweight Bout: J.P. Buys vs. Bruno Gustavo da Silva I'm kinda confused, tho, you said Calderwood vs. Andrade could be a SW title eliminator, but they fight at FlyW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted April 11, 2021 Author Share Posted April 11, 2021 I'm kinda confused, tho, you said Calderwood vs. Andrade could be a SW title eliminator, but they fight at FlyW Just testing your reading skills Fixed it now, thanks for correcting me, always appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted April 13, 2021 Author Share Posted April 13, 2021 <img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 3 - MAY 2021 UFC Fight Night 190: Holm vs. De Randamie II Critical Rating: 71% Commercial Rating: 94% Profit/Loss: $2.773.192 Main Event Germaine de Randamie def. Holly Holm by Knockout (Knee) in 3:18 of Round 5 Co-Main Event Gunnar Nelson def. Carlos Condit by Submission (Leglock) in 2:23 of Round 1 Main Card Ilir Latifi def. Nikita Krylov by TKO (Strikes) in 0:46 of Round 1 Jessica Andrade def. Joanne Calderwood by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3) Makhmud Muradov def. Tom Breese by TKO (Strikes) in 1:10 of Round 2 ESPN Preliminary Card Jack Shore def. Alejandro Perez by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3) Marc Diakiese def. Yancy Medeiros by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:49 of Round 3 Lerone Murphy def. Makwan Amirkhani by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:31 of Round 3 ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card Miranda Granger def. Molly McCann by Submission (Guillotine) in 4:41 of Round 1 Adam Wieczorek def. Alexander Romanov by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3) J.P. Buys def. Bruno Gustavo da Silva by TKO (Strikes) in 1:47 of Round 1 Summary It was quite an incredible atmosphere in the O2 Arena during the long awaited return of a UFC-event in England, the first in almost exactly two years. Despite the main event not featuring a British born fighter, the crowd was ecstatic to see the rematch between two of the biggest female fighters in the world of Mixed Martial Arts as the ever so popular Holly Holm sought after revenge on perhaps her biggest rival since Ronda Rousey in the Dutch kick boxing legend Germaine de Randamie. Considering Holm is 39 years old and de Randamie is 37 years old, this could perhaps be the last opportunity for both fighters to lay claims of a potential title bout against the undisputed champion and greatest female fighter of all time, Amanda Nunes. It was the winner of their first bout, de Randamie, who entered the contest as a slight -110 favorite against the +100 underdog Holm, but judging by the expert and fighter picks before the fight, it was really a pick‘em fight split right in the middle. Referee Marc Goddard, perhaps the best referee in the entire business, was assigned the fight to avoid or at least minimize a repeat of the controversial first bout, and he called for the start of the anticipated main event. As expected, Holm refused a touch of gloves before the fight with their problematic history still being a unresolved subject for her in particular, something the crowd really got into with one half cheering for Holm and one half booing her simultaneously. A visibly fired up Holm wasted no time and began an intensive attack on the 37-year old Utrecht-native with swift strikes and leg kicks, only to follow them up with a big left hand fifty seconds into the bout which clearly hurt her opponent. Germaine de Randamie was on wobbly legs early, trying to defend herself against a pressuring Holm, who in turn went for a flying knee attempt but narrowly missed. “The Iron Lady” did enough to endure the onslaught of attacks from the Jackson Wink MMA-member, only to suffer a big cut a mere minute later after a slicing elbow by Holm in the clinch. A tough round in the books for the favourite, who was patched up by the cut man in-between the rounds, and it only continued during the second round with a clear domination from Holly, who used a versatile attacking game plan to keep de Randamie guessing. Showing a bit of desperation, the Xtreme Couture-member ditched her otherwise solid kick boxing game to focus more on takedowns and grappling, but a confident Holm denied every single attempt in the third round, as well as putting on a striking clinic which saw her undeniably earn her third straight round. Round four was the closest round thus far with de Randamie getting the advantage inside the clinch, nailing Holm with several hard knees to the body, but the former Women’s Bantamweight Champion stood toe to toe with her opponent at every turn, hurting her on multiple occasions with strikes and kicks. With either 4-0 or 3-1 to Holm respectively heading into the fifth and final round, Germaine de Randamie had to finish the fight to leave the O2 Arena victorious, and finish her she did. A rare and costly mistake by “The Preacher’s Daughter”, who instead of utilizing the distance and force de Randamie to make a move went for the close striking against the dangerous clinch fighter, saw a rather gasser Holm get absolutely obliterated by a knee to the face, which saw her get completely knocked out cold. MMA can be a cruel bastard sometimes, and to see Holly Holm dominate Germaine de Randamie for four straight rounds, only to make one mistake and get knocked out as a result of it is nothing but sad. After being helped up by de Randamie in a way to show respect despite their rivalry, the crowd applauded the 39-year old Holm for her effort and the two fighters for a great bout, after which they embraced each other to put an end to the animosity between them. Many fans feared that this was the last time we saw Holly Holm inside the Octagon considering her age and the brutality of her loss, but the former champion vowed to return better than ever and to once again earn her shot at the title. UFC Fight Night 190 produced several entertaining bout throughout its entirety. The co-main event between two real UFC-veterans in Carlos Condit and Gunnar Nelson saw two and a half minute of pure violence. Condit rushed Nelson early and unleashed several combinations like it was a videogame, almost putting the Icelandic fighter away early, but he paid dearly for his reckless style as Nelson went for a takedown and secured a nasty Leglock which gave the former Interim Welterweight Champion no option but to tap. Having switched camps from SBG Ireland, who Conor McGregor famously trains with, to the Scandinavian based Allstars Training Center, in which fighters like Khamzat Chimaev and Alexander Gustafsson trains, the 32-year old Nelson said that he “feels like a better fighter than ever before” and that “Allstars is the most underappreciated team in MMA today”. He also took the time to call out Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone for a Welterweight matchup as he has “big respect for his contributions in the sport”, a rather intriguing fight to say the least. His teammate, Ilir “The Sledgehammer” Latifi” was also victorious in his main card bout against the number ten ranked Light Heavyweight fighter Nikita Krylov, securing a quick TKO-victory inside the first minute of the bout. Latifi’s knockout power is amongst the absolute best of the division, and he’s determined to make a serious run for the title now that his training partner and good friend Alexander Gustafsson has left the division. We also saw Jessica Andrade securing almost a guaranteed title shot against the Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko, as she defeated Joanne Calderwood in a rather convincing Unanimous Decision victory, as well as a big win for the hyped prospect Makhmud Muradov, who continued his undefeated UFC-streak with a TKO-victory over the hometown favourite Tom Breese in the second round. As for the prelims, Jack Shore also remains undefeated, not only in the UFC but in his whole career, as he defeated Alejandro Perez in a dominant fashion. This was the former Cage Warriors Bantamweight Champion’s 14th career win and his third UFC win, a highly impressive way to make a name for himself in the big leagues. Shore also made an interesting callout after the fight, calling out the charismatic prospect Sean O’Malley for a prospect vs. prospect bout to show “who the best 135lbs is fighter outside the top fifteen rankings is”. O’Malley himself responded on Twitter with a snoozing emoji, which you could only guess means that he’s not particular interested in a bout against Shore in the near future. Marc Diakiese and Lerone Murphy also did well in home soil, knocking out their UFC-veteran opponents Yancy Medeiros and Makwan Amirkhani respectively in the third round. While Diakiese has had his ups and downs in his UFC-career, for Murphy this was a big win and perhaps a win that catapults him towards the top fifteen Featherweight rankings. UFC certainly has a big British prospect on their hands in him, that’s for sure. It wasn’t a good night for the female British fighters tonight as Molly McCann followed in Joanne Calderwood’s footsteps and was surprisingly defeated by the rather big +250 underdog Miranda Granger with a Guillotine choke in the first round. This was McCann’s third straight loss and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the UFC decide to cut the popular 27-year old nicknamed “Meatball”, but no words of it has been made as of yet. Two fighters who were cut after the event was the aforementioned Yancy Medeiros, who lost his fourth straight bout and went 6-8-1 NC in the UFC, and Bruno Gustavo da Silva, who lost his third straight bout and went 0-3-1 NC in the UFC. Bonus Awards Fight of the Night: Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Andrade Performance of the Night: Germaine de Randamie, Gunnar Nelson, and Miranda Granger <img src=https://i.imgur.com/6RAvNGr.png Prediction Table maxicheezestick = 8 out of 11 McDojoDelux = 8 out of 11 vladjarca = 6 out of 11 Majster_93 = 6 out of 11 mmaaddict = 5 out of 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChadMiniMendes Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 Random question. Why do you list the lower ranked fighter first? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDojoDelux Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 Suprised Holm was pretty much able to outclass de Randamie on the feet for most of the fight, but a wins a win I guess. Hope Jack Shore and Makhmud Muradov can crack the top 15 sometime soon if they keep on winning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted April 14, 2021 Author Share Posted April 14, 2021 Random question. Why do you list the lower ranked fighter first? A combination of name recognition/popularity as well as the first person booked in the bouts. In the case with Holm vs. de Randamie, Holm is the bigger star and has more name recognition compared to de Randamie, despite their positioning in the rankings. Therefor, Holm is listed as the first fighter in the bout. And in the case with Latifi vs. Krylov for example, Latifi is the more popular fighter in the region and therefor he's listed first, despite Krylov being ranked. Just my personal preference of structuring the events Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted April 14, 2021 Author Share Posted April 14, 2021 Suprised Holm was pretty much able to outclass de Randamie on the feet for most of the fight, but a wins a win I guess. Hope Jack Shore and Makhmud Muradov can crack the top 15 sometime soon if they keep on winning. Agreed, I thought de Randamie would dominate Holm on the feet and cruise to a controlled decision, but Holly came to fight and certainly delivered big time right up until the knockout. Pretty disappointed as a Holm vs. Nunes fight seems more attractive considering de Randamie got her shot recently and already has two bouts against the champ, but it is what is is. Both Shore and Muradov is in my personal top 20, so both fighters are really close to crack the official top 15 rankings. They will most likely fight a ranked opponent in their next respective bouts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontarii Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 <img src=https://i.imgur.com/52XBiXl.png> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/4GsGaY5.png> WEEK 3 - MAY 2021 UFC Event Announcement <img src=https://i.imgur.com/iZymluB.png> Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Tatiana Suarez main events UFC Fight Night 192 in Sacramento, California The Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California will host the next American-based UFC-event as UFC Fight Night 192 will emerge from the arena on the third weekend of next month, according to the official announcement from UFC's social media pages made earlier today. This will be the first time in roughly two years that we'll witness an event taking place at the Golden 1 Center, which has a capacity of 16 000 people, with the latest one being UFC Fight Night 155: de Randamie vs. Ladd. Similar to that event, the UFC Fight Night 192-event also features a highly anticipated female main event with some serious title implications as the former Women’s Strawweight Champion and perhaps one of women’s MMA all-time greats in Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-4) takes on the undefeated, TUF 23-winner Tatiana Suarez (9-0). Suarez will fight in her native California in front of many friends, family, and fans in her return to the Octagon following a 2-year long layoff due to a severe neck injury. The former Bronze medallist in World Wrestling Championships 2008 and 2010 as well as the former Gold medallist in World Jiu-Jitsu Championships 2013 and 2015 has openly talked about the frustration of being sidelined for so long, but with the injuries now in the rear-view mirror, Tatiana looks set to show her worth in the tough Women’s Strawweight division. Both fighters are also familiar with each other considering Joanna coached on the same TUF-season Tatiana was victorious as the first pick by the opposing coach Claudia Gadelha, and to have a former coach and winner square off against each other in a UFC-fight is not a common practice. With the champion Weili Zhang looking for new challengers after defeating Rose Namajunas in convincingly fashion, it would come as no surprise if the winner of the Joanna vs. Suarez bout would be granted the much sought after title shot. If the return of Tatiana Suarez wasn’t enough for the local UFC-fans, the co-main event Middleweight showdown also features a big return that will certainly be well welcomed for the California natives in attendance. None other than the former Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold (16-5), who is born in Santa Cruz, a mere 2 hour drive from Sacramento where the event will be held, will make his return to the Octagon after a two year long layoff from the sport following his knockout loss to the former Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz in his attempt to move up to a bigger weight class. Rockhold returns to the division he once ruled and will face one of the perennial ranked Middleweights in Brad Tavares (18-6), who is currently at the 13th spot in the divisional rankings after defeating Antonio Carlos Junior in his latest bout earlier this year. One time heralded as perhaps the greatest 185lbs fighter on the planet, Rockhold has had a tough period in his still young career with tough losses against both Michael Bisping and Yoel Romero respectively and many questioned if the 37 year old was done with the sport for good, but a more focused and disciplined Rockhold has looked great in the various social media clips displaying his high intensive training before the imminent return with his AKA training partner, good friend, and the Greatest Lightweight of all time in Khabib Nurmagomedov. Having been called out by his former nemesis Chris Weidman earlier this year, a victory for the former champion would open up big opportunities for several potential matchups in the stacked division, but Brad Tavares would undoubtedly enjoy spoiling those plans when the pair meets in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 192 next month. Three more fights have been made official with one Welterweight bout, one Lightweight bout, and one Featherweight bout taking place on the main card. An exciting bout between the #11 ranked Welterweight-veteran Neil Magny (24-8) and the #12 ranked Welterweight Geoff “Handz of Steel” Neal (13-3) is the third main card bout announced, a fight that has been rumoured for a while now. Magny recently lost his main event bout against Michael Chiesa in the beginning of the year while Neal, a DWCS Alumni, lost his first UFC-bout at the hands of Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in his main event debut. The Lightweight bout will feature the former title challenger and one of the most charismatic personalities on the entire UFC-roster in “Raging” Al Iaquinta (14-6-1) as he takes on the durable Brazilian Carlos Diego Ferreira (17-3). The Serra-Longo Fight Team-member Iaquinta, who is perhaps the most famous real estate agent in the game, hasn’t fought since losing a Unanimous Decision against Dan Hooker in October of 2019 while Diego Ferreira lost to the surging Beneil Dariush earlier this year. Opening the main card will a certified banger between a true UFC-veteran in “Killer” Cub Swanson (27-11) and the dangerous “Mean” Hakeem Dawodu (12-1). Both fighters are on the verge of entering the top 15 rankings in the 145lbs division, and a victory for either one could be the deciding factor. Main Event Women's Strawweight Bout: (#2) Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. (#3) Tatiana Suarez Co-Main Event Middleweight Bout: Luke Rockhold vs. (#13) Brad Tavares Main Card Welterweight Bout: (#11) Neil Magny vs. (#12) Geoff Neal Lightweight Bout: (#13) Al Iaquinta vs. (#11) Carlos Diego Ferreira Featherweight Bout: Cub Swanson vs. Hakeem Dawodu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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