UFC - The Art of Fighting

vladjarca · April 16, 2021

Should be a great Fight Night!

Pontarii · April 17, 2021

WEEK 4 - MAY 2021

UFC Event Preview

Dustin Poirier: “My ambition is to clean out the Lightweight division one by one, and Charles Oliveira is next in line”

The first UFC PPV of the year not taking place inside the Apex Centre in Las Vegas, Nevada happens this Saturday as UFC 262, which emerges from the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, waits just around the corner. A huge main event and perhaps one of the most anticipated title bouts in recent memory will main event the card as Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier (27-6-1 NC) takes on the Brazilian standout Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira (30-8-1 NC) for the vacant Lightweight title, a bout that will most likely change the course of the division’s future. With the former champion and undefeated phenom Khabib Nurmagomedov seemingly retired for good, a new champion will be crowned and that will either be the number ten ranked pound-for-pound fighter Poirier or the resurging Oliveira, who is riding a spectacular 8-fight win streak with impressive victories over big names like Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee. The American Top Team-member and former Interim Lightweight Champion Poirier was very vocal about his thoughts on the situation in the division. “I think it’s about time that the UFC crown a new Lightweight champion. With all due respect to Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and all his accomplishments, being perhaps the greatest fighter of all time, but if you’re not here to defend your status as the champion, the division has to move on without you. That’s not a knock on him either. It’s about what’s fair for the fighters going to the gym every day, training their asses off to one day become the champion. I respect Khabib enormously and admire everything he has done in his fantastic career, but it’s time for a new chapter in the Lightweight division”, said Poirier during the pre-fight press conference. The 32-year old from Lafayette, Louisiana also talked about his future plans for both him and the division, in which he sees himself as the new champion after this Saturday. “Charles Oliveira is a great fighter and a tough opponent, but I’m the best 155lbs fighter in the world and I’ll prove it this Saturday in his own backyard. I believe I’ll finish him in the second or third round, and leave Brazil as the new rightful Lightweight champion. No questions about it. And after that, I’ll defend my belt against everyone, anytime. My ambition is to not only defend my belt; it’s about cleaning out the entire Lightweight division one by one. Charles Oliveira is next in line, but after him, the line is open for anyone”, said a much confident Poirier during the pre-fight press conference.

His opponent, the 31-year old they call “Do Bronx”, also talked about his ambitions heading into his first ever UFC-title bout during the pre-fight press conference. “I feel like a new and improved fighter”, said Oliveira. “My goal has always been to be a champion in the best MMA organization in the world, and now I finally have the opportunity to do so. This is my 28th fight in the UFC, I’ve envisioned this moment since the day I signed with the company back in 2010 and to finally be on the verge of fulfilling my dream is a big moment for me, for sure. I really like Dustin [Poirier] as a fighter but even more as a person, he has done some amazing things both inside and outside the Octagon and I respect him tremendously, but he has had his shot at glory. He has held the Interim title and lost it against arguably the best Lightweight ever in Khabib Nurmagomedov, so I don’t know if he has that drive inside him like I have. I’ve trained so hard for this moment and I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life, so of course my ambition is to go out there and beat him. It doesn’t matter how I do it. I can finish him on the feet, I can submit him on the ground, or I can win by decision. It doesn’t matter. What matters for me is that I win and bring the Lightweight belt to Brazil, the best country in the world”, said Oliveira during the pre-fight press conference, which unsurprisingly resulted in a big joyous ovation from the Brazilian crowd in attendance.

If such a momentous main event wasn’t enough, the co-main event featuring a potential Fight of the Night-candidate between two of the best Bantamweights in the world in José Aldo (29-7) and Cody Garbrandt (12-3) was also a hot topic of discussion during the pre-fight press conference, and it was no surprise to see the younger Garbrandt initiating the trash talk between them. “José Aldo had a great career at Featherweight, I’ll give him that, but he’s finished. He can’t compete with the new breed of fighters like me and the other rising talents in the 135lbs division. He may be 34 years old on paper, but in terms of fighting years, he’s at least 50 years old considering the damage he has received in his career. He crumbles every time he faces adversity, just like he did against the Russian chicken [Petr Yan] and the bald-headed Brazilian [Marlon Moraes]. I’ll knock him out in the first round, I guarantee it”, said Garbrandt during the pre-fight press conference, who garnered a lot of negative heat from the patriotic Brazilians in the crowd. Aldo was as calm and collective as always, only saying that “he [Cody Garbrandt] is a Conor McGregor-wannabe” and that he will “show him that experience is a far more dangerous weapon in MMA than any other attribute”. It will be very interesting to see who leaves the Jeunesse Arena victorious and who will leave it with a loss on their record, especially since both Aldo and Garbrandt has identical amount of wins and losses in their four previous bouts at 1-3.

The rest of the card features some of the best talent Brazil has to offer in MMA today. A certified barnburner between Edson Barboza (21-9) and Shane Burgos (13-2) takes place on the main card together with the Middleweight of the popular Jacaré Souza (26-9-1 NC) as he takes on a dangerous wrestler in Sean Strickland (22-3). The only bout that doesn’t feature a Brazilian in it is the main event bout between Julianna Peña (10-4) and Aspen Ladd (9-1), a fight with serious title implications in the Women’s Bantamweight division. As for the preliminary portion of the card, a Flyweight scrap between the always entertaining Alexandre Pantoja (23-5) and the former Flyweight title challenger Alex Perez (24-6) headlines it while several interesting bouts across multiple divisions also takes place.

Who will leave Rio de Janeiro the new Lightweight king? And who will emerge as a potential title challenger in both the male and female Bantamweight division? Tune in to UFC 262: Poirier vs. Oliveira this Saturday to find out.

Main Event

Lightweight Championship Bout: (#1) Dustin Poirier vs. (#3) Charles Oliveira

Co-Main Event

Bantamweight Bout: (#7) José Aldo vs. (#4) Cody Garbrandt

Main Card

Featherweight Bout: (#14) Edson Barboza vs. (#12) Shane Burgos

Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#8) Julianna Peña vs. (#3) Aspen Ladd

Middleweight Bout: Jacaré Souza vs. (#15) Sean Strickland

ESPN Preliminary Card

Flyweight Bout: (#3) Alex Perez vs. (#4) Alexandre Pantoja

Women’s Flyweight Bout: (#4) Jennifer Maia vs. (#5) Cynthia Calvillo

Welterweight Bout: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Ramazan Emeev

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Women’s Flyweight Bout: (#6) Jessica Eye vs. (#13) Taila Santos

Middleweight Bout: Antonio Braga Neto vs. Collin Huckbody

Featherweight Bout: Martin Buschkamp vs. Chris Fishgold

McDojoDelux · April 17, 2021

Very hard main-event to predict I'm completely 50/50 on who I see winning this but I'll lean with the diamond to get it done, also if Aldo actually uses his leg kicks I think he can beat Garbrandt even with all the damage he's taken but since he mostly just uses his boxing nowadays I think it's likely he'll eventually get caught.

Main Event

Lightweight Championship Bout: (#1) Dustin Poirier vs. (#3) Charles Oliveira

Co-Main Event

Bantamweight Bout: (#7) José Aldo vs. (#4) Cody Garbrandt

Main Card

Featherweight Bout: (#14) Edson Barboza vs. (#12) Shane Burgos

Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#8) Julianna Peña vs. (#3) Aspen Ladd

Middleweight Bout: Jacaré Souza vs. (#15) Sean Strickland

ESPN Preliminary Card

Flyweight Bout: (#3) Alex Perez vs. (#4) Alexandre Pantoja

Women’s Flyweight Bout: (#4) Jennifer Maia vs. (#5) Cynthia Calvillo

Welterweight Bout: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Ramazan Emeev

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Women’s Flyweight Bout: (#6) Jessica Eye vs. (#13) Taila Santos

Middleweight Bout: Antonio Braga Neto vs. Collin Huckbody

Featherweight Bout: Martin Buschkamp vs. Chris Fishgold

vladjarca · April 17, 2021

Main Event

Lightweight Championship Bout: (#1) Dustin Poirier vs. (#3) Charles Oliveira

Co-Main Event

Bantamweight Bout: (#7) José Aldo vs. (#4) Cody Garbrandt

Main Card

Featherweight Bout: (#14) Edson Barboza vs. (#12) Shane Burgos

Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#8) Julianna Peña vs. (#3) Aspen Ladd

Middleweight Bout: Jacaré Souza vs. (#15) Sean Strickland

ESPN Preliminary Card

Flyweight Bout: (#3) Alex Perez vs. (#4) Alexandre Pantoja

Women’s Flyweight Bout: (#4) Jennifer Maia vs. (#5) Cynthia Calvillo

Welterweight Bout: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Ramazan Emeev

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Women’s Flyweight Bout: (#6) Jessica Eye vs. (#13) Taila Santos

Middleweight Bout: Antonio Braga Neto vs. Collin Huckbody

Featherweight Bout: Martin Buschkamp vs. Chris Fishgold

Majster_93 · April 18, 2021

Poirier

Garbrandt

Barboza

Ladd

Jacare

Perez

Maia

Emeev

Eye

Neto

Fishgold

maxicheezestick · April 19, 2021

Main Event

Lightweight Championship Bout: (#1) Dustin Poirier vs. (#3) Charles Oliveira

Co-Main Event

Bantamweight Bout: (#7) José Aldo vs. (#4) Cody Garbrandt

Main Card

Featherweight Bout: (#14) Edson Barboza vs. (#12) Shane Burgos

Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#8) Julianna Peña vs. (#3) Aspen Ladd

Middleweight Bout: Jacaré Souza vs. (#15) Sean Strickland

ESPN Preliminary Card

Flyweight Bout: (#3) Alex Perez vs. (#4) Alexandre Pantoja

Women’s Flyweight Bout: (#4) Jennifer Maia vs. (#5) Cynthia Calvillo

Welterweight Bout: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Ramazan Emeev

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Women’s Flyweight Bout: (#6) Jessica Eye vs. (#13) Taila Santos

Middleweight Bout: Antonio Braga Neto vs. Collin Huckbody

Featherweight Bout: Martin Buschkamp vs. Chris Fishgold

Pontarii · April 19, 2021

WEEK 4 - MAY 2021

UFC 262: Poirier vs. Oliveira

Critical Rating: 73%

Commercial Rating: 100%

Profit/Loss: $4.450.627

Main Event

Dustin Poirier def. Charles Oliveira by TKO (Body Kick) in 3:33 of Round 1 to win the UFC Lightweight Championship

Co-Main Event

Cody Garbrandt def. Jose Aldo by TKO (Strikes) in 2:49 of Round 1

Main Card

Shane Burgos def. Edson Barboza by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

Julianna Peña def. Aspen Ladd by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)

Jacaré Souza def. Sean Strickland by Submission (Armbar) in 2:37 of Round 1

ESPN Preliminary Card

Alexandre Pantoja def. Alex Perez by Submission (Kimura) in 3:21 of Round 3

Cynthia Calvillo def. Jennifer Maia by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:23 of Round 3

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Ramazan Emeev by TKO (Strikes) in 0:54 of Round 1

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Taila Santos def. Jessica Eye by Knock Out (Kick) in 1:13 of Round 2

Collin Huckbody def. Antonio Braga Neto by TKO (Strikes) in 2:28 of Round 3

Martin Buschkamp def. Chris Fishgold by TKO (Strikes) in 1:25 of Round 1

Summary

The hype surrounding the UFC 262 main event between Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier and Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira for the undisputed Lightweight title had reached astonishing levels when the two combatants entered the Octagon in the famous Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As to be expected in Brazil when a fellow countryman performs in a big fight, or in any fight really, was the crowd’s cheerful reception to Oliveira, and despite him being a slight underdog in the eyes of the bookmakers, he was undoubtedly the favourite in the eyes of the people attending the event. Poirier wasn’t necessarily booed or anything, it was clear the Brazilian fans respected him and his accomplishments enough to grant him the respect he deserves, but the crowd noise was deafening when Oliveira had his name announced by Bruce Buffer before the bout started. To have another Brazilian Lightweight Champion, the second after Rafael dos Anjos, would be a big deal for the loyal Brazilian UFC-fans, especially if that champion would be a well-respected veteran like Charles Oliveira, and you could only imagine what levels of popularity he would reach if he was to be successful against Poirier. Herb Dean instructed the fighters to fight hard but clean and obey his commands at all time, and when the words “touch gloves if you want” was voiced, it was no surprise to see two of the most respectful fighters in the game show respect to each other. Right from the get go, it was obvious that Oliveira’s game plan was to utilize his superior grappling and not indulge in a boxing contest with perhaps the greatest pound-for-pound boxer on the roster, but as soon as he advanced forward to get into position, Poirier would land slick combinations and get out quick before the Brazilian could enforce himself on him. A trait of Poirier which he has adapted more and more in his latest bouts is the devastating calf kick, and it continued here against Oliveira as almost every combination ended with an angled kick which undoubtedly would take its toll on the legs of “Do Bronx”. The 32-year old American dominated the early part of the first round with quick movement and a variation of punches and kicks to keep his opponent guessing, damaging several parts of Oliveira’s body while the Brazilian still tried to figure out how to close the distance and not get hit in the process. Just when it looked like the 31-year old Sao Paulo-native had succeeded and initiated a takedown, Poirier defended it well and avoided being taken down to the deep end by perhaps the best grappler in the division. As previously mentioned, the big amount of leg kicks thrown by Poirier had really damaged the lead leg of Oliveira which resulted in him limping early, something that would lead to the early downfall of the hometown hero. With less than two minutes on the clock left for the first round, the Lafayette-native landed a two strike combo and ended it with a murderous left roundhouse kick to the ribs of Oliveira and he instantly collapsed to the floor, incapable of continuing but before Herb Dean had stopped the fight, Poirier landed a big strike to the downed Oliveira to make sure it was enough for a stoppage. Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier had managed to live up to the status of being a betting favourite as he totally dominated Oliveira on his way of becoming the undisputed, true UFC Lightweight Champion, an incredible moment for one of the most loyal, popular, and active fighters on the entire roster. In a sentimental post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Poirier showed gratitude towards the UFC for getting the opportunity to fulfil his dreams, as well as thanking his family, team, friends, and fans for their support on his journey to the title. He also thanked Khabib Nurmagomedov for doing the right thing and vacating the title instead of holding the division down like other inactive champions had done before, a clear jab at his big rival Conor McGregor during his short lived championship reign. It’s going to be very interesting to see how Dustin Poirier fairs as the 155lbs champion, but it’s certainly great to see a fighter of his stature finally be rewarded for all the hard work and dedication he has put out in his long and decorated career.

Just like in the case with Charles Oliveira, José Aldo was given a hero’s welcome in the Jeunesse Arena when he entered the Octagon for his co-main event bout against the knockout artist Cody “No Love” Garbrandt. Aldo, a slight betting underdog, had talked openly before the fight about his ambitions of add another belt to his collection, this time the 135lbs title who currently is being held by Aljamain Sterling, and to do that he had to defeat the former champion Cody Garbrandt in decisive fashion. The fight started out really well for Aldo as well, looking like his old glory days using hard-hitting leg kicks and circling in and out while Garbrandt looked for his characteristic countering one punch knockout. However, the momentum started swinging in the American’s favour roughly around two minutes in to the fight when the two warriors engaged in the centre of the Octagon, with Garbrandt landing more damaging shots. The comparisons to Charles Oliveira didn’t end with the crowd reception for Aldo as he was also struck hard by a body shot which sent him to the floor in crushing pain, this time by a left jab and powerful right hook. Garbrandt, sensing a victory, started to unload on his grounded opponent which saw Aldo take a big amount of unnecessary damage to the head before referee Dan Miragliotta could stop the fight, giving the former champion Garbrandt a big victory against one of the biggest names in the division. If the crowd showed respect to Dustin Poirier in the main event, it can’t be said the same for the response Cody Garbrandt was given when he defeated perhaps the greatest Brazilian MMA fighter of all time, with the boos echoing through the arena, but the 29-year old from Uhrichsville, Ohio didn’t let the fans hatred that night get to him. Instead, he took the microphone during the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan and immediately called out Cory Sandhagen for a title eliminator, saying that “he would absolutely destroy that skinny clown inside the first round”. A rather surprising callout for many fans and experts as many on social media predicted Garbrandt to call out his former nemesis T.J. Dillashaw or even the champion Aljamain Sterling, but it seemed that many fans at home would have loved to see the fight against Sandhagen become a reality in the near future. For Aldo, this was yet another devastating loss in his quest to become the Bantamweight champion, as this was his third loss in four bouts since moving down, and he would later announce on Instagram that he would return to Featherweight in his next bout. He also admitted to contemplate retirement after the loss to Garbrandt, saying that he questioned if he had it in him to continue his career, which is closing in on 20 years soon, but he promised his fans to give it one last chance before hanging up his gloves for good.

It wasn’t a particular good night for the Brazilian fighters this night, especially not for the main card ones as three of the four fighters lost their bouts. The much anticipated barnburner between Edson Barboza and Shane Burgos certainly delivered as the fight earned Fight of the Night bonus, with it being a back-and-forth affair between two high level strikers with excellent chins. Barboza earned the first round with his great distance striking which saw Burgos getting rocked early, but the 30-year old American not only survived but also turned the tide on the fight, winning both the second and the third round in decisive fashion with a beautiful display of pressure boxing. All three judges scored the bout 29-28 in Burgos’ favour and the New Yorker took the opportunity to call out Josh Emmett for a rematch of their 2020 bout which also earned Fight of the Night on that occasion. The only victorious Brazilian on the main card was the oldest one as the 42-year old Jacaré Souza showed that experience is key with a slick Armbar victory over Sean Strickland in the first round. Jacaré showed his world class grappling credentials when he took down the wrestler Strickland early and used continuous advancing before finding the eventual Armbar position. This victory was highly needed for the Brazilian veteran as he ended his three fight losing streak, a loss against Strickland would probably result in a termination of his UFC-contract but Jacaré prevailed and left Rio de Janeiro as a winner once again. Joining him on the winning side did the “Venezuelan Vixen” Julianna Peña as she dominated one of the brightest prospects in the Women’s Bantamweight division in Aspen Ladd, taking home a clear Unanimous Decision victory. Unsurprisingly, Peña called out the champion Amanda Nunes for her next opponent, something she has done for a while now, claiming that she possess the tools to dethrone the “Lioness” once and for all. With everything indicating that Germaine de Randamie is next in line for a shot at Nunes’ title, Peña may have to earn one more victory on her resume before she’s getting the nod from the matchmakers in such a high profile bout.

Four out of the six Brazilian fighters on the prelims were successful in their bouts, with Alexandre Pantoja scoring perhaps the biggest of them with his third round Kimura finish over the former title challenger Alex Perez. Pantoja has been the dark horse in the Flyweight title scene and with this big win over the third ranked Perez he can certainly lay claims for a shot at the title or at least a title eliminator fight. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos also scored a big victory over the tough Sambo fighter Ramazan Emeev, knocking him out in 54 seconds and winning his ninth UFC bout in twelve fights. The 33-year old is almost always part of entertaining bouts and it would be no surprise to see him earn a bigger name in his next bout. The best knockout of the night however came from Taila Santos, who knocked out the former Women’s Flyweight title challenger Jessica Eye with a swift front kick right to the face in the second round. A big win for the talented Santos, who will certainly rise up through the rankings with this victory over Eye, who was ranked at number seven heading into the fight but is now on a three fight losing streak. After the event had finished, UFC announced that the 27-year old Englishman Chris Fishgold had been released from the company following his loss to the debuting Martin Buschkamp. The former Cage Warriors Lightweight, who defended his belt three times before leaving in 2018, competed in the Featherweight division in the UFC and went 1-4 in the organization before his release.

Bonus Awards

Fight of the Night: Edson Barboza vs. Shane Burgos

Performance of the Night: Dustin Poirier, Alexandre Pantoja, and Taila Santos

<div style="text-align:center;">Prediction Table

maxicheezestick = 6 out of 11

McDojoDelux = 6 out of 11

vladjarca = 6 out of 11

Majster_93 = 3 out of 11

</div>

Pontarii · April 21, 2021

WEEK 4 - MAY 2021

UFC Event Announcement

UFC 263 in Houston announced, Israel Adesanya to make first Light Heavyweight title defence against Glover Teixeira

Big news emerging from UFC earlier today as the organization announced UFC 263 taking place at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas next month, and it’s a real treat for fight fans all around the world. The newly crowned Light Heavyweight Champion and the only currently active double champion in the UFC, Israel Adesanya (21-0) will make his first title defence in his new division as he is scheduled to face the undisputed number one contender Glover Teixeira (32-7). The 41-year old Brazilian has been in sensational form during his last bouts, winning his last five bouts against big names like Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith in devastating fashion. This will be Glover's second ever title shot in the UFC with his first happening as early as in 2014 against the then champion Jon Jones in a clear Unanimous Decision loss, but the versatile finisher and former training partner of Chuck Liddell has looked better than ever and is ready to show the world what he is capable of. In his way stands the undefeated superstar Israel Adesanya, who has emerged as one of the biggest stars in the entire business since making his UFC-debut only three years ago, and the former Glory kickboxer who is considered by many as the best pound for pound striker in the entire UFC has destroyed everyone coming into his path, including the former Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz earlier this year. As expected, the betting lines favours the reigning, defending champion with a -300 odds attached to his name while Glover Teixeira is a +250 underdog, but the 41-year old veteran has made himself a name in the business being a underdog and upsetting favourites.

UFC 263 will also feature another championship bout with Valentina “Bullet “Shevchenko (20-3) making her fifth Women’s Flyweight title defence against another gritty veteran in the 37-year old Lauren Murphy (14-4). Murphy, who is a former Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion, is on a 4-fight win streak with wins over the likes of Roxanne Modafferi and Andrea Lee and has been calling for a long-awaited title shot a good while now, and at UFC 263 next month she will finally get her opportunity at the gold. Valentina Shevchenko, one of two fighters constantly named as the best female fighters on the planet together with her rival Amanda Nunes, has looked sensational since moving down to Flyweight, making every fight she’s been in look very easy and not many people give Lauren Murphy a realistic chance to beat the 33-year old in this upcoming title bout. The fact is that Murphy is a hefty +500 underdog against the champion, which is a bigger underdog than Katlyn Chookagian was in her title bout against Shevchenko albeit a smaller underdog than the previous title challenger Jennifer Maia was. Is Murphy was to defeat Valentina Shevchenko, that would unquestionably be one of the biggest upsets in not only UFC history but in MMA history. For Valentina, this is yet another chance to further add names to her growing list of victims and a victory could see her challenge the aforementioned Amanda Nunes for a third time, this time for the chance at becoming a historic double champion. But to do that, Valentina has to defeat the durable 37-year old nicknamed “The Pirate”, a task easier said than done.

One of the most polarizing figures on the roster, “Sugar” Sean O’Malley (13-1) asked the matchmakers for a big name during his last victory over Thomas Almeida, and his wish has certainly been granted. One of the greatest Bantamweights of all time, a former WEC Featherweight Champion and even a Hall of Famer will face the 26-year old O’Malley, and it’s none other than the ever-so popular “California Kid” Urijah Faber (35-11). The 42-year old, who has challenged four times for the Bantamweight title in the UFC without ever winning it, returns to the Octagon after a one and a half year layoff following a crushing defeat at the hands of the former champion Petr Yan in late 2019, and many are speculating if this is Faber’s last fight in his long and storied career. Having already retired once, after his 2016 victory over Brad Pickett, Faber made a surprise return to the sport in 2019, defeating Ricky Simon before losing to Yan with a vicious head kick. For O’Malley, one of the fastest rising prospects in the entire UFC, this is a big opportunity to make a name for himself on the biggest stage of them all, and a victory over a big name like Urijah Faber would undoubtedly catapult him into the top 15 Bantamweight rankings. Faber on the other hand has an opportunity to show the fans that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level and what better way to show that than to defeat Sean O’Malley in front of a sold-out crowd in the Toyota Center.

Two other potentially great bouts has been made official for this stacked pay-per-view event as the former Welterweight Champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (28-15-1 NC) makes his return to the Octagon after a disappointing showing in his latest bout against Neil Magny last year. Lawler, who is on a 4-fight losing streak, faces the dangerous knockout artist Jingliang Li (18-6), who knocked out the returning Santiago Ponzinibbio in his last bout earlier this year. Opening the main card will two namesakes do as Marlon Moraes (23-8-1), the former Bantamweight title challenger, takes on Marlon “Chito” Vera (16-7-1) in an intriguing bout. The Brazilian Moraes, who joined UFC to much fanfare back in 2017, has been on a rough patch as of late with three defeats in his four last bouts while the Ecuadorian Vera, who famously ended Sean O’Malley’s undefeated streak, was defeated by Jose Aldo in his last Octagon showing.

The UFC 263 event is shaping out to be one of the biggest shows of the year, and you don’t want to miss this stacked event, that’s for sure.

Main Event

Light Heavyweight Championship Bout: © Israel Adesanya vs. (#1) Glover Teixeira

Co-Main Event

Women's Flyweight Championship Bout: © Valentina Shevchenko vs. (#3) Lauren Murphy

Main Card

Bantamweight Bout: Urijah Faber vs. Sean O'Malley

Welterweight Bout: (#15) Robbie Lawler vs. (#14) Jingliang Li

Bantamweight Bout: (#11) Marlon Moraes vs. (#13) Marlon Vera

Pontarii · April 23, 2021

RANKINGS UPDATE - APRIL & MAY

Pontarii · April 25, 2021

WEEK 1 - JUNE 2021

DWCS Preview

DWCS 43 pits Middleweights Rinat Fakhretdinov against James Webb in anticipated headliner

The first week of June is here and while it means summertime for everybody else, the start of the new month is always DWCS episode time for the die hard fans of the UFC. After three rather successful episodes during the previous months, the fourth episode of the season and the 43th episode in general is also looking like it will be a great one. Perhaps one of the most stacked Contender Series-events in recent memory, DWCS 43 features a Middleweight headliner between the much hyped 29-year old Rinat “Gladiator” Fakhretdinov (21-2), potentially the first Tatar man to fight for the UFC, as he takes on another big prospect in the Cage Warriors Middleweight Champion James Webb (9-2-1) from Colchester, England. Fakhretdinov is on an impressive 15-fight win streak, with wins over UFC-veterans Eric Spicely and Alberto Uda on his resume. He last fought in the Abu Dhabi-based organization UAE Warriors while Webb laid claims to the Cage Warriors Middleweight title after a victorious rematch against the former champion Nathias Frederick earlier this year. It’s undoubtedly a big test for both men and the eventual winner could be a big recruitment for the UFC.

Webb’s colleague on the Cage Warriors roster, the current Flyweight Champion Jake “White Kong” Hadley (7-0) will move up one weight class to challenge the Jungle Fight Bantamweight Carlos Augusto “Spartas” Santos (20-2) in an attempt to earn a UFC-contract. The 24-year old Hadley, who is undefeated in his professional MMA career with seven straight wins, is one of the brightest prospects on the British scene and has been named a potential future superstar. For Augusto Santos, this is an opportunity he has been waiting for a long time as he’s on an incredible 17-fight win streak on the Brazilian regional scene. His last defeat came at the hands of the UFC-signed Lightweight Rafael Alves almost seven years ago, and he has been named as the best Brazilian Bantamweight fighter not currently signed with a major promotion.

As if the main and co-main event wasn’t enough, two intriguing bouts in the Women’s Strawweight and the Light Heavyweight division also feature on this episode. The current DEEP Women’s Strawweight Champion Julia Polastri (9-2), a highly touted 24-year old Brazilian prospect, will face the former LFA Women’s Strawweight Champion and former DWCS-challenger Vanessa “Lil Monster” Demopoulous (7-3), who has a victory over the currently UFC-signed Sam Hughes on her record. The fourth bout features another former DWCS-challenger in Fabio “Water Buffalo” Cherant (7-1), who is the current LFA Light Heavyweight Champion, and the Australian powerhouse Duke Didier (6-1), a teammate of the former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker as well as the former Light Heavyweight Champion in the now defunct Australian based organization BRACE MMA. This will be four highly interesting bouts in which multiple fighters could easily get signed with the UFC if they can deliver when it matters the most, because it’s just like UFC President Dana White always says: “This is the best job interview in the world”.

Main Event

Middleweight Bout: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. James Webb

Co-Main Event

Bantamweight Bout: Jake Hadley vs. Carlos Augusto Santos

Main Card

Women's Strawweight Bout: Julia Polastri vs. Vanessa Demopoulous

Light Heavyweight Bout: Fabio Cherant vs. Duke Didier

vladjarca · April 25, 2021

Main Event

Middleweight Bout: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. James Webb

Co-Main Event

Bantamweight Bout: Jake Hadley vs. Carlos Augusto Santos

Main Card

Women's Strawweight Bout: Julia Polastri vs. Vanessa Demopoulous

Light Heavyweight Bout: Fabio Cherant vs. Duke Didier

maxicheezestick · April 27, 2021

Main Event

Middleweight Bout: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. James Webb

Co-Main Event

Bantamweight Bout: Jake Hadley vs. Carlos Augusto Santos

Main Card

Women's Strawweight Bout: Julia Polastri vs. Vanessa Demopoulous

Light Heavyweight Bout: Fabio Cherant vs. Duke Didier

McDojoDelux · May 1, 2021

Main Event

Middleweight Bout: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. James Webb

Co-Main Event

Bantamweight Bout: Jake Hadley vs. Carlos Augusto Santos

Main Card

Women's Strawweight Bout: Julia Polastri vs. Vanessa Demopoulous

Light Heavyweight Bout: Fabio Cherant vs. Duke Didier

Pontarii · May 1, 2021

WEEK 1 - JUNE 2021

DWCS 43

Main Event

Rinat Fakhretdinov def. James Webb by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

Co-Main Event

Carlos Augusto Santos def. Jake Hadley by TKO (Strikes) in 4:26 of Round 3

Main Card

Julia Polastri def. Vanessa Demopoulos by TKO (Strikes) in 0:38 of Round 1

Fabio Cherant def. Duke Didier by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)

Summary

Perhaps the most stacked DWCS episode thus far talent wise, the fourth episode of the new season really delivered entertaining bouts and, as expected, some really interesting signings for the UFC. The headlining three rounder between Middleweights Rinat Fakhredinov and the Cage Warriors Middleweight Champion James Webb wasn’t particular close, but it was certainly a great showing for the 29-year old Russian nicknamed “Gladiator” as he dominated Webb and earned a Unanimous Decision victory with 30-27 on all judges’ score cards. The now 22-2 fighter who previously fought under the UAE Warriors banner showed enormous strength and power when he rag dolled his opponent to the ground and demolished him with astonishing 116 ground strikes in the fifteen minutes the bout lasted. Webb, who was taken down five out of five attempts, showed incredible heart and an incredible chin to last the entire three rounds, but in reality it wasn’t really a contest. Fakhretdinov, who has previously fought in Welterweight earlier in his career, showed a total destruction resembling the likes of Khamzat Chimaev and it was no surprise to see Dana White handing him a contract after his dominant win.

The closest and most entertaining bout of the four was the Bantamweight scrap between the other Cage Warriors Champion Jake Hadley, who stepped up from his normal weight class at Flyweight, and the Brazilian Carlos Augusto Santos. Hadley, who was undefeated heading into the bout, started the fight really well and almost finished Augusto Santos early in the first, but the durable Brazilian survived and bounced back at the end of the round. The second round was entirely the Brazilian’s as he dominated from start to finish with nice striking and ground control. Round three was also a good round for Augusto Santos as he would eventually finish Hadley with strikes late with only 34 seconds left on the clock. An impressive showing from Carlos Augusto Santos, who earned a UFC-contract following the victory, and high praise from the UFC President Dana White. It was later announced that he had suffered a broken hand in the bout and would be medically suspended for at least four months, which means that the 27-year old will have to wait patiently for his real UFC-debut.

Julia Polastri also earned a UFC-contract after the fastest finish so far this season when she defeated the former LFA Women’s Strawweight Champion Vanessa Demopoulos in only 38 seconds via strikes. In all reality, the bout should have been stopped way earlier as Demopoulos was out cold already from the first right hook the 24-year old Brazilian prospect landed, but the referee hesitated to stop the fight before Polastri followed up with some brutal ground strikes which ended the bout. It’s going to be really interesting to see how Polastri will fare on the main roster as she has all the tools to become a real threat in the division. The fourth and final bout was the Light Heavyweight clash between Fabio Cherant and Duke Didier, which Cherant won with a Unanimous Decision. It was however not enough to earn him a UFC-contract this time.

Contracts Awarded

Rinat Fakhretdinov - Middleweight

Carlos Augusto Santos - Bantamweight

Julia Polastri - Women's Strawweight

<div style="text-align:center;">Prediction Table

vladjarca = 3 out of 4

maxicheezestick = 3 out of 4

McDojoDelux = 2 out of 4

</div>

Pontarii · May 2, 2021

WEEK 2 - JUNE 2021

UFC Event Preview

Dana White: “Max Holloway 100% next in line for a title shot, winner of Zabit vs. Yair next in line after him”

A big Featherweight clash is about to take place tomorrow night as the number two ranked Zabit Magomedsharipov will face the number four ranked Yair Rodriguez in the main event of UFC Fight Night 191 from the CSKA Arena in Moscow, Russia. This is the third time the bout has been officially booked with the latter pulling out twice citing injury, but with both fighters successfully weighing in at the 145lbs limit, we’ll finally get to see the highly anticipated bout between two of the biggest prospects not only in the Featherweight division, but on the entire roster. Entering as a close -100 favourite, Zabit Magomedsharipov has looked sensational in his short but eventful UFC-career, with victories over the likes of Calvin Kattar and Jeremy Stephens, but questions surrounding his stamina and capability of fighting in a five round main event has existed ever since the 30-year old from the Khasavyurt, Dagestan, Russia joined the organization back in 2017, and this time is no different. His opponent, the 28-year old Yair Rodriguez from Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico, debuted as early as 2014 when he defeated Leonardo Morales to become the TUF: Latin America-winner and he currently holds an 8-1-1 NC record in the UFC, with his only loss coming at the hands of Frankie Edgar. The man they call “El Pantera” has big wins over several noteworthy opponents like the aforementioned Jeremy Stephens, The Korean Zombie, B.J. Penn, and even Dan Hooker, and you could easily argue that both fighters are deserving of a shot at Alexander Volkanovski’s Featherweight belt, something that Dana White addressed on the pre-fight press conference. “I love how stacked the 145lbs division is right now, especially at the top. You have all these killers aiming for [Alexander] Volkanovski’s title, and there’s a case to be made for a lot of fighters of who should be next in line, including both Zabit [Magomedsharipov] and Yair [Rodriguez], but for me there’s one standout at the moment and that is Max Holloway. Did you see his fight against Calvin Kattar? That was brutal, man. He has done enough to earn another shot at the belt, and if it’s up to me he’s next in line, but the winner of the main event this Saturday is in my book definitely fighting for the belt after Max and Volkanovski settle their rivalry. That really shows how important the fight is this Saturday, go out and put on a performance and you’ll fight for the chance of becoming a champion. There’s no better motivation than that”, said Dana White during the pre-fight press conference.

Both Zabit and Yair was fairly respectful towards each other on the pre-fight press conference, with both fighters complementing the other for their fun and attractive fighting style, but when the topic touched upon the history of their booked bouts, we saw a bit of animosity between them. When asked about why he thinks his opponent pulled out twice before this bout, Zabit mentioned that “some fighters don’t have the mentality of fighting through injuries and take the easy way out”, which sparked a bit of annoyance on Yair’s part. “For me, that’s kind of disrespectful. I have fought injured many times, I’ve fought with broken bones and torn muscles, and I’ve been in some wars inside the Octagon. I have twice the amount of fights in the UFC than him [Zabit Magomedsharipov] and he has turned down multiple fights because of injuries and other reasons before. To say that I don’t have the mentality of fighting through injuries just because I broke my arm the first time and broke my ankle the second time is nonsense. I won’t risk my career and my body to fight someone when I’m not ready, I’m a fighter and a business man at the same time who knows my worth. I respect Zabit as a fighter and as a man, but he will pay for his words this Saturday”, said Yair Rodriguez during the pre-fight press conference.

As always then the UFC is hosting events in a specific country outside the U.S., there’s a hefty focus on Russian fighters this event as nine out of eleven bouts features at least on Russian-born or associated fighter. Despite featuring a good, solid main card with skilled fighters like Sergey Pavlovich, Shamil Abdurakhimov, Antonina Shevchenko, and Omari Akhmedov, the most anticipated bout outside the main event isn’t even on the main card. Instead, it’s the prelim headliner between Khusein Askhabov (24-0) and Ricky Simon (18-3) that has got a lot of attention, mainly because of the UFC-debut of the undefeated 26-year old sensation Askhabov after his impressive showing on DWCS earlier this season. With Khabib Nurmagomedov retired at 29-0, the only active fighter in all of MMA with a better undefeated than Askhabov is the outstanding Bellator Welterweight Yaroslav Amosov, who has two victories more than Ashkhabov and sits at a current 26-0 record. UFC is apparently very high on the BJJ Black Belt, and he draws a tough test immediately in Ricky Simon, who is a bright prospect in his own right with wins over the likes of Merab Dvalishvili, Ray Borg, and Brian Kelleher on his resume. If Askhabov would defeat Simon in the prelim headliner, he would with a doubt be on the verge of entering the top 15 Bantamweight rankings already, while Simon has the opportunity to upset the enormously hyped 26-year old and end the second biggest undefeated streak in all of MMA. The question is, will Khusein Askhabov leave his UFC-debut in Moscow, Russia still undefeated or will Ricky Simon be the man to end the hype train?

Main Event

Featherweight Bout: (#2) Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. (#4) Yair Rodriguez

Co-Main Event

Heavyweight Bout: (#15) Sergey Pavlovich vs. (#10) Shamil Abdurakhimov

Main Card

Heavyweight Bout: Sergey Spivak vs. Stefan Struve

Women's Flyweight Bout: (#14) Antonina Shevchenko vs. (#12) Andrea Lee

Middleweight Bout: (#14) Omari Akhmedov vs. Krzysztof Jotko

ESPN Preliminary Card

Bantamweight Bout: Khusein Askhabov vs. Ricky Simon

Featherweight Bout: Movsar Evloev vs. Daniel Pineda

Heavyweight Bout: Dmitriy Sosnovskiy vs. Ante Delija

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Alexey Kunchenko vs. Brian Camozzi

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Alexandra Albu vs. Alex Chambers

Welterweight Bout: Sergey Khandozkho vs. Luan Chagas

McDojoDelux · May 3, 2021

Main Event

Featherweight Bout: (#2) Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. (#4) Yair Rodriguez

Co-Main Event

Heavyweight Bout: (#15) Sergey Pavlovich vs. (#10) Shamil Abdurakhimov

Main Card

Heavyweight Bout: Sergey Spivak vs. Stefan Struve

Women's Flyweight Bout: (#14) Antonina Shevchenko vs. (#12) Andrea Lee

Middleweight Bout: (#14) Omari Akhmedov vs. Krzysztof Jotko

ESPN Preliminary Card

Bantamweight Bout: Khusein Askhabov vs. Ricky Simon

Featherweight Bout: Movsar Evloev vs. Daniel Pineda

Heavyweight Bout: Dmitriy Sosnovskiy vs. Ante Delija

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Alexey Kunchenko vs. Brian Camozzi

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Alexandra Albu vs. Alex Chambers

Welterweight Bout: Sergey Khandozkho vs. Luan Chagas

maxicheezestick · May 3, 2021

Main Event

Featherweight Bout: (#2) Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. (#4) Yair Rodriguez

Co-Main Event

Heavyweight Bout: (#15) Sergey Pavlovich vs. (#10) Shamil Abdurakhimov

Main Card

Heavyweight Bout: Sergey Spivak vs. Stefan Struve

Women's Flyweight Bout: (#14) Antonina Shevchenko vs. (#12) Andrea Lee

Middleweight Bout: (#14) Omari Akhmedov vs. Krzysztof Jotko

ESPN Preliminary Card

Bantamweight Bout: Khusein Askhabov vs. Ricky Simon

Featherweight Bout: Movsar Evloev vs. Daniel Pineda

Heavyweight Bout: Dmitriy Sosnovskiy vs. Ante Delija

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Alexey Kunchenko vs. Brian Camozzi

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Alexandra Albu vs. Alex Chambers

Welterweight Bout: Sergey Khandozkho vs. Luan Chagas

Majster_93 · May 3, 2021

Main Event

Featherweight Bout: (#2) Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. (#4) Yair Rodriguez

Co-Main Event

Heavyweight Bout: (#15) Sergey Pavlovich vs. (#10) Shamil Abdurakhimov

Main Card

Heavyweight Bout: Sergey Spivak vs. Stefan Struve

Women's Flyweight Bout: (#14) Antonina Shevchenko vs. (#12) Andrea Lee

Middleweight Bout: (#14) Omari Akhmedov vs. Krzysztof Jotko

ESPN Preliminary Card

Bantamweight Bout: Khusein Askhabov vs. Ricky Simon

Featherweight Bout: Movsar Evloev vs. Daniel Pineda

Heavyweight Bout: Dmitriy Sosnovskiy vs. Ante Delija

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Alexey Kunchenko vs. Brian Camozzi

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Alexandra Albu vs. Alex Chambers

Welterweight Bout: Sergey Khandozkho vs. Luan Chagas

Pontarii · May 5, 2021

WEEK 2 - JUNE 2021

UFC Fight Night 191: Zabit vs. Yair

Critical Rating: 65%

Commercial Rating: 96%

Profit/Loss: $3.353.667

Main Event

Zabit Magomedsharipov def. Yair Rodriguez by Unanimous Decision (50-45 x3)

Co-Main Event

Sergey Pavlovich def. Shamil Abdurakhimov by TKO (Strikes) in 4:00 of Round 3

Main Card

Sergey Spivak def. Stefan Struve by Knock Out (Punch) in 2:37 of Round 2

Antonina Shevchenko def. Andrea Lee by Unanimous Decision (30-26 x2, 30-27)

Omari Akhmedov def. Krzysztof Jotko by Unanimous Decision (30-26 x3)

ESPN Preliminary Card

Khusein Askhabov def. Ricky Simon by Submission (D'Arce Choke) in 1:16 of Round 3

Movsar Evloev def. Daniel Pineda by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

Ante Delija def. Dmitriy Sosnovskiy by Knock Out (Kick) in 1:05 of Round 3

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Brian Camozzi def. Alexey Kunchenko by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

Alexandra Albu def. Alex Chambers by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

Sergey Khandozhko def. Luan Chagas by Unanimous Decision (30-26 x3)

Summary

The Moscow-crowd was really energetic when it was finally time for the anticipated main event between their big hometown favourite Zabit Magomedsharipov as he was about to take on perhaps his biggest rival yet in Yair Rodriguez, a big fight with huge implications for the Featherweight title picture. The 6 foot 1 Wushu-master, who has gained notoriety for his similar appearance to Abraham Lincoln amongst MMA fans, looked calm and collective when referee Marc Goddard instructed the two fighters to follow his instructions at all time and have a good, clean fight, while Yair had a more aggressive demeanour before the bout. The 28-year old Mexican-born fighter attracted a lot of boos from the patriotic Russian crowd early on when he refused to touch Zabit’s offer to touch gloves, perhaps a sign of his feelings towards what Yair called “the disrespectful words” from his opponent, or perhaps it was a way for the former TUF-winner to play some mind games. Nevertheless, the bout started out as a striking contest with both fighters trading distance strikes, Zabit focusing on a kick-oriented game plan while Yair’s tactic was to find the counter striking he has used to great success in earlier UFC-bouts. A rather tentative first round played out and the only real difference between them two was Zabit’s successful takedown attempt he made with only a minute left, which he used to control the round and earn a 10-9 scoring on the judges’ score cards, which could be vital if the bout would go all five rounds. Zabit continued his controlling way in the second round, landing the takedown much earlier this time and using a pressure style of grappling to keep the dangerous 28-year old striker at bay, and even attempting two unsuccessful Guillotine chokes before the round ended. Perhaps getting frustrated and tired of being kept down on the ground, Yair Rodriguez attacked Zabit early in the third round with a flurry of punches and kicks, but history repeated itself when the 30-year old Russian timed a beautiful takedown as Yair missed a left high kick. Just like he did against Brandon Davis at UFC 228, Zabit attempted the rare Suloev Stretch submission during a scramble but having done his defensive homework, Yair managed to defend himself well enough for the move to not be successful, but Zabit continued attempting submissions on a regular basis throughout the third round to no avail. “El Pantera” had a big opportunity late in the round when he almost clipped Zabit with a beautiful spinning elbow, but the close betting favourite managed to sway away from danger in that particular situation. Round four was the closest one thus far as Yair Rodriguez really found his range and landed several strikes on Zabit who started to show signs of slowing down, but the deciding factor was once again the effective takedowns and ground control on the Russian’s side as he made two successful takedown attempts as well as continuing to attack with a variety of submissions, showing that he’s not a lay and pray-type of wrestler but instead a dangerous, attacking one. This continued throughout the fifth and final round in which Zabit shot for a takedown straight away and kept Yair grounded for most of the round, attempting four different types of submission during the five minutes, but the durable Mexican withstood them all and showed great heart to keep himself in the fight despite knowing that he was well behind on the scorecards. When the 25 minutes of main event fighting was over, Zabit Magomedsharipov was awarded a crystal clear 50-45 victory on all judges’ scorecards. A clear dominating win for the number two ranked Featherweight, which ultimately places him firmly in a position of challenging for the title. When asked by commentator Michael Bisping about his intentions after this impressive performance, Zabit unsurprisingly called for a title bout against Alexander Volkanovski or Max Holloway, depending on who will earn the 145lbs strap when they inevitably meet, as well as entering his name as a potential backup should either fighter not be able to make it for whatever reason. No official date has been made from the UFC regarding the next Featherweight title bout, with late summer or early fall being reported as likely targets, but you can bet your money on that Zabit Magomedsharipov will be watching closely how it all unfolds no matter when it happens.

A good and solid main card took place in the CSKA Arena in Moscow, Russia in front of a sold out crowd of 14 000 people, and it was a particular good night for the Russian associated fighters. In the co-main event between the young, Russian prospect Sergey Pavlovich and the older Russian veteran Shamil Abdurakhimov, it was the former who went home victorious after a TKO finish late in the third round. The bout was very close with Pavlovich and Abdurakhimov trading rounds on the scorecards, but in the end it was the strength and striking ability of the former FNG Heavyweight Champion which was the deciding factor. Having only lost once in his career, a tough bout against the legendary Alistair Overeem, the 29-year old Sambo master is a big prospect in the Heavyweight division and he took the opportunity to call out another fellow countryman and veteran in the 43-year old Aleksei Oleinik, who is currently ranked at number seven after defeating Chris Daukaus in his last bout. Pavlovich proposed an event in Russia later this year where he and Oleinik would be the main event, saying that “he would love to be the one retiring such a legendary Russian MMA fighter”. The third and final Russian fighting on the main card this evening, the Middleweight Omari Akhmedov, showed incredible dominance over the Polish Judoka Krzysztof Jotko as he earned a one-sided 30-26 Unanimous Decision victory on all judges’ scorecards. The 37-year old, whose only defeat in five years has been against Chris Weidman, called out Jacaré Souza in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping saying that “it would be an honour to face a legendary fighter like Jacaré in the Octagon”. The other two successful winners on the main card this evening were Antonina Shevchenko, who dominated Andrea Lee and earned a clear Unanimous Decision victory, and Sergey Spivak, who knocked out “The Skyscraper” Stefan Struve in the second round, thus earning a Performance of the Night bonus. This was Struve’s sixth loss in his seven latest bouts, and it would be announced the day after the event that the 33-year old Dutch Heavyweight had been released from the company. Having already retired once, the towering Beverwijk-native with notable victories over Stipe Miocic and “Big Foot” Silva has openly talked about potentially retiring for good in the past, but remained positive in his options as a free agent for the first time in his career.

The highly anticipated UFC-debut of undefeated phenom Khusein Askhabov delivered an instant memorable moment in his prelim headlining bout against the tough Ricky Simon, finishing him in the third round with a nasty D’Arce Choke reminiscent of a certain Tony Ferguson. Humble in victory as always, Askhabov refused to callout anyone after his victory, saying that he is thankful for the opportunity of realizing his dreams as well as having faith in the matchmakers to give him a suitable opponent in his next bout. The 26-year old nicknamed “The Lion” has something special about him as he oozes of marketability, and if the UFC plays their cards right they could have a potential superstar on their hands in Khusein Askhabov. Another undefeated prospect in Movsar Evloev added another victory to his growing unblemished record as he defeated Daniel Pineda in controlled fashion, earning a clear Unanimous Decision victory. Evloev, who is on the verge of breaking into the top 15 Featherweight rankings following this victory, is another big prospect out of Russia who could easily become a staple of his division should he continue his great form. A previously undefeated fighter who tasted defeat for the first time this evening was Dmitriy Sosnovskiy, who was knocked out by a brutal head kick by the debuting Ante Delija, a former PFL, Rizin, and KSW Heavyweight star. Delija, who is only 30-years old, called out the controversial Greg Hardy following his victory, saying that he “would destroy that coward if he got his wish granted”. Hardy responded on Twitter, accepting the callout with the caption “dead man walking”. Another notable thing happening in association with this event was the release of Alex Chambers, the 42-year old Australian fighting in the Women’s Strawweight division, as she lost to Alexandra Albu on the early prelims. This was the fifth loss in six bouts for Chambers and she went 1-5 in the organization before being released. She subsequently announced her retirement from the sport on her Instagram the day after the event.

Bonus Awards

Fight of the Night: Movsar Evolev vs. Daniel Pineda

Performance of the Night: Sergey Spivak, Khusein Askhabov, and Ante Delija

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/eZWEBI9.png

Prediction Table

maxicheezestick = 7 out of 11

McDojoDelux = 6 out of 11

Majster_93 = 6 out of 11

vladjarca · May 5, 2021

Main Event

Featherweight Bout: (#2) Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. (#4) Yair Rodriguez

Co-Main Event

Heavyweight Bout: (#15) Sergey Pavlovich vs. (#10) Shamil Abdurakhimov

Main Card

Heavyweight Bout: Sergey Spivak vs. Stefan Struve

Women's Flyweight Bout: (#14) Antonina Shevchenko vs. (#12) Andrea Lee

Middleweight Bout: (#14) Omari Akhmedov vs. Krzysztof Jotko

ESPN Preliminary Card

Bantamweight Bout: Khusein Askhabov vs. Ricky Simon

Featherweight Bout: Movsar Evloev vs. Daniel Pineda

Heavyweight Bout: Dmitriy Sosnovskiy vs. Ante Delija

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Alexey Kunchenko vs. Brian Camozzi

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Alexandra Albu vs. Alex Chambers

Welterweight Bout: Sergey Khandozkho vs. Luan Chagas

edit: gah dam it I came in too late

Pontarii · May 8, 2021

WEEK 2 - JUNE 2021

UFC Event Announcement

UFC returns to ABC with potential Middleweight title eliminator between Kevin Holland and Darren Till

For the second time ever, UFC will once again host an event broadcasted on ABC. Following a successful first show, which featured a memorable main event between the dominant Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar, the company announced today that a second ABC-show will take place next month. The event will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and features a big Middleweight showdown between two of the most in-form fighters in the division in Kevin Holland (22-5), the 2020 UFC Breakout Fighter of the Year, and Darren "The Gorilla" Till (19-3-1), the former Welterweight title challenger and perhaps the best active English fighter on the planet. Kevin Holland lastly defeated the tough and gritty Derek Brunson, earning a rather decisive Unanimous Decision in what was considered a pretty boring bout, and after securing the victory over Brunson, Holland called out the eventual winner between Darren Till and Marvin Vettori. That fight was definitely closer and more entertaining with Till earning a Majority Decision against his Italian foe on that night, and with the current champion Israel Adesanya currently focused on defending his Light Heavyweight title, there’s a big spot for the next title challenger to be made. Both fighters are in prime positions of earning the next Middleweight title shot, together with the former champion Robert Whittaker, and a victory on the big stage ABC provides, it would come as no surprise to see the eventual winner between Kevin Holland and Darren Till getting awarded with a shot at Adesanya’s coveted Middleweight title.

Co-main eventing the UFC on ABC-event will two of the best Lightweights do as the former champion Rafael dos Anjos (30-13) competes in his 31st UFC-fight against the resurging contender Beneil Dariush (20-4-1) who will makes his 20th walk to the Octagon in the biggest bout of his career thus far. The Brazilian dos Anjos looked supreme in his return to the 155lbs division, earning a Split Decision victory over his short notice opponent Paul Felder back in November of 2020 while the 32-year old Dariush is riding one of the most impressive win streaks in the division with six wins over the likes of Carlos Diego Ferreira, Thiago Moises, and Drew Dober. With dos Anjos positioned at the number sixth spot in the rankings and with Dariush firmly in the eighth position, the winner of this bout will be in a big spot in the Lightweight as the division is more wide-open now than it ever has been.

The Women’s Strawweight division will also be on a big spot this event as the sixth ranked Marina Rodriguez (13-1-2), who upset her fellow Brazilian prospect Amanda Ribas in her latest bout, and eleventh ranked “The Karate Hottie” Michelle Waterson (18-8), who continues being one of the most prominent faces of the division, squares off inside the Octagon. Just like in the case with the 155lbs division, the division is very open and the path for a new title challenger is just waiting to be explored, perhaps by an intriguing prospect like Rodriguez or a veteran like Waterson? Another bout that has FOTN-aura written all over it is the Welterweight scrap between the Argentinian Santiago Ponzinibbio (27-4) and the 31-year old Niko Price (15-4-2 NC), who returns to the Octagon following a six months USADA-suspension. Both fighters have been prominent recipients of performance of the night-bonuses in the past and with both fighters looking to return to the top 15 in the division, we’re almost guaranteed an entertaining bout. Opening the main portion of the event is a classic prospect vs. veteran bout in the Lightweight division as 29-year old Brad Ridell (9-1) takes on 34-year old Michael Johnson (19-17). Riddell, who is undefeated in the UFC with three straight victories, is part of the prominent team City Kickboxing together with names like Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski, and Dan Hooker, and he also as an extensive background in the sport of kickboxing, with a win over the legendary John Wayne Parr on his resume. For Johnson, who has competed 24 times in the UFC with a losing record of 11-13, it’s a “do or die”-type of fight as he’s currently on a four fight losing streak. Another loss would most likely result in him being released from the company, a devastating blow for the man who has wins over names like Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson, and Edson Barboza. For Riddell, it’s a chance to earn a victory over the biggest name he’s ever faced and one who could potentially insert his name in the top 15 rankings of the stacked 155lbs division.

The announced main card of UFC on ABC: Holland vs. Till looks like this:

Main Event

Middleweight Bout: (#7) Kevin Holland vs. (#2) Darren Till

Co-Main Event

Lightweight Bout: (#6) Rafael dos Anjos vs. (#8) Beneil Dariush

Main Card

Women's Strawweight Bout: (#6) Marina Rodriguez vs. (#11) Michelle Waterson

Welterweight Bout: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Niko Price

Lightweight Bout: Brad Riddell vs. Michael Johnson

McDojoDelux · May 8, 2021

This'll probably be one of the more funnier build-ups to a fight in recent memory I can already picture the exchanges on Instagram between Darren and Holland

Pontarii · May 9, 2021

WEEK 3 - JUNE 2021

UFC Event Preview

Joanna Jedrzejczyk: “Move up to Flyweight inevitable, but I want to leave 115lbs division as the undisputed queen”

It will be a night of returns in the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California this Saturday as many of the participating fighters will return to action following lengthy time away from the sport. The main event of the UFC Fight Night-event, a Women’s Strawweight clash between the number two ranked Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-4) and the number three ranked Tatiana Suarez (8-0) is perhaps the most fitting bout to this description as the former champion and one of the all-time greats Jedrzejczyk hasn’t fought in over a year following her title bout loss to the current champion Weili Zhang, while Tatiana Suarez hasn’t fought in almost two years due to several career threatening injuries related to her neck. Despite the lengthy absences for both fighters, this main event will most likely determine the next title challenger in the Strawweight division as no other viable option has really presented themselves beside Rose Namajunas, who lost her title bout against the dominant champ earlier this year. For Joanna, this is her opportunity to once again show that she is the best fighter in the division and the one to dethrone Weili Zhang once and for all, and a win over the best wrestler in the division, who happens to be undefeated, would certainly earn her that opportunity. Speaking to Ariel Helwani in an interview on the MMA Show before this Saturday’s main event, the 33-year old Polish fighter talked about her mindset and her future plans in her already astonishing career. “I have had a great career, Ariel, and I am really proud of every accomplishment I’ve done, but I am not done in this sport. I still believe I am the best fighter in the entire division. I’ve gone to war with the current champ [Weili Zhang] and I hurt her more than anyone has ever hurt her before and after, you can even make the argument that I was the winner that night if it hadn’t been for the judges’ decision. That’s not my point though, my point is that I can defeat her and everyone else in the division, I know this. Of course I have ambitions in my career to move up a division and really commit my career to the Flyweight division and become champion there, I think that is an inevitable path for me to take, but before I make the switch I want to become the queen of the 115lbs division again. I am not looking past Tatiana Suarez, she is a great fighter and I know this first hand because of The Ultimate Fighter season I coached in which she was part of the opposite team, but she is too inexperienced to go toe-to-toe with me. On Saturday you will see the best Joanna Jedrzejczyk you’ve ever seen”, said the former champion confidently in the interview. Her opponent, the 30-year old TUF-winner Tatiana Suarez has never been known for her trash talk, instead opting to do the talking inside the Octagon, and this time is no different. During an episode on the Anik & Florian Podcast, Suarez expressed her respect for her opponent this Saturday saying that “Joanna [Jedrzejczyk] is one of the best fighters to ever compete inside the Octagon and it will be a huge honour to test her abilities against such a legend in a main event”.

Also making his return to the Octagon following a two year layoff from the sport is the former Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold (16-5) who will return to the division he once ruled against a perennial gatekeeper of the division in Brad Tavares (18-6) which will serve as the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 192. The now 37-year old Rockhold hasn’t really been active in the sport since losing the belt to his fierce rival Michael Bisping back in 2016, only competing once every year up to his latest bout, a devastating knockout loss in his Light Heavyweight debut against the former champion Jan Blachowicz. Injuries has kept him on the sidelined, but the AKA standout has completely changed his approach to the game in terms of both training and recuperating, taking inspiration from his teammates Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier, to be in the best shape of his life both physically and mentally. “I was in a bit of a crossroads after my last bout, deciding whether to retire for good or dedicate myself completely to the sport leaving nothing to chance. It was a tough decision to make, I won’t lie and say that I always knew that I wanted to return because it’s not true, I’ve seriously contemplated retirement and leaving it all behind for good, but the love for the sport inside me is too strong to do it. I love coming to the gym every day and work my ass off with the people I consider family, and to have the best minds in the game pushing you and teaching you new things even in your late thirties is a privilege like no other. My body is healed up and recovered, I’m physically and mentally ready to once again become Middleweight champion and I will do anything I can to fulfil that goal”, said Rockhold in a open-hearted interview with media personality “The Schmo” on his Youtube channel.

UFC Fight Night 192 will feature several intriguing bouts, both on the main card and on the prelims. Excluding the previously mentioned main event and co-main event, the main card also consists of a Welterweight bout between the versatile veteran Neil Magny (24-8), who most recently lost his main event bout against Michael Chiesa, and the dangerous knockout artist Geoff Neal (13-3), who is looking to rebound following his first UFC-loss against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson which happened in his main event debut for the organization. A scrappy Lightweight bout between the former title challenger Al Iaquinta (14-6-1) and the tough Brazilian Carlos Diego Ferreira (17-3) also takes place, while the Featherweight bout between yet another veteran in Cub Swanson (27-11) battles it out against a rising prospect in Hakeem Dawodu (12-1). For the prelims, especially the headliner is an interesting one as ranked Flyweights Manel Kape (15-5) and Matt Schnell (15-5) puts their identical records on the line to rise through the rankings. The former Rizin Bantamweight Champion Kape lost his UFC-debut against Alexandre Pantoja, but he has a big following and many expect the Portuguese fighter to be a serious contender in the 125lbs division while Schnell is an experienced and dangerous striker with several impressive victories on his resume that should not to be overlooked.

Main Event

Women's Strawweight Bout: (#2) Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. (#3) Tatiana Suarez

Co-Main Event

Middleweight Bout: Luke Rockhold vs. (#13) Brad Tavares

Main Card

Welterweight Bout: (#11) Neil Magny vs. (#12) Geoff Neal

Lightweight Bout: (#13) Al Iaquinta vs. (#11) Carlos Diego Ferreira

Featherweight Bout: Cub Swanson vs. Hakeem Dawodu

ESPN Preliminary Card

Flyweight Bout: (#7) Manel Kape vs. (#9) Matt Schnell

Light Heavyweight Bout: Alonzo Menifield vs. William Knight

Flyweight Bout: (#11) Raulian Paiva vs. (#12) Amir Albazi

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Heavyweight Bout: Roque Martinez vs. Chris de la Rocha

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Liliya Sharikova

Lightweight Bout: Alex Reyes vs. Michel Quinones

Majster_93 · May 9, 2021

Main Event

Women's Strawweight Bout: (#2) Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. (#3) Tatiana Suarez

Co-Main Event

Middleweight Bout: Luke Rockhold vs. (#13) Brad Tavares

Main Card

Welterweight Bout: (#11) Neil Magny vs. (#12) Geoff Neal

Lightweight Bout: (#13) Al Iaquinta vs. (#11) Carlos Diego Ferreira

Featherweight Bout: Cub Swanson vs. Hakeem Dawodu

ESPN Preliminary Card

Flyweight Bout: (#7) Manel Kape vs. (#9) Matt Schnell

Light Heavyweight Bout: Alonzo Menifield vs. William Knight

Flyweight Bout: (#11) Raulian Paiva vs. (#12) Amir Albazi

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Heavyweight Bout: Roque Martinez vs. Chris de la Rocha

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Liliya Sharikova

Lightweight Bout: Alex Reyes vs. Michel Quinones

McDojoDelux · May 9, 2021

Main Event

Women's Strawweight Bout: (#2) Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. (#3) Tatiana Suarez

Co-Main Event

Middleweight Bout: Luke Rockhold vs. (#13) Brad Tavares

Main Card

Welterweight Bout: (#11) Neil Magny vs. (#12) Geoff Neal

Lightweight Bout: (#13) Al Iaquinta vs. (#11) Carlos Diego Ferreira

Featherweight Bout: Cub Swanson vs. Hakeem Dawodu

ESPN Preliminary Card

Flyweight Bout: (#7) Manel Kape vs. (#9) Matt Schnell

Light Heavyweight Bout: Alonzo Menifield vs. William Knight

Flyweight Bout: (#11) Raulian Paiva vs. (#12) Amir Albazi

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Heavyweight Bout: Roque Martinez vs. Chris de la Rocha

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Liliya Sharikova

Lightweight Bout: Alex Reyes vs. Michel Quinones

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