UFC - The Art of Fighting

maxicheezestick · May 11, 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

vladjarca · May 11, 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

Pontarii · May 11, 2021

WEEK 3 - JUNE 2021

UFC Fight Night 192: Joanna vs. Suarez

Critical Rating: 68%

Commercial Rating: 89%

Profit/Loss: $3.213.465

Main Event

Joanna Jedrzejczyk def. Tatiana Suarez by TKO (Strikes) in 0:58 of Round 5

Co-Main Event

Luke Rockhold def. Brad Tavares by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

Main Card

Geoff Neal def. Neil Magny by TKO (Strikes) in 0:44 of Round 1

Carlos Diego Ferreira def. Al Iaquinta by Submission (Guillotine) in 2:05 of Round 2

Cub Swanson def. Hakeem Dawodu by Submission (Kimura) in 1:51 of Round 2

ESPN Preliminary Card

Manel Kape def. Matt Schnell by Knock Out (Kick) in 2:40 of Round 1

Alonzo Menifield def. William Knight by Submission (Armbar) in 2:17 of Round 2

Amir Albazi def. Raulian Paiva by Knock Out (Punch) in 4:18 of Round 2

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Chris de la Rocha def. Roque Martinez by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27 x2)

Liliya Sharikova def. Ashlee Evans-Smith by Submission (Armbar) in 4:50 of Round 2

Alex Reyes def. Michel Quinones by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:43 of Round 3

Summary

Many fans and experts predicted the Women’s Strawweight main event of UFC Fight Night 192 emerging from The Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California between the former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and the undefeated prospect Tatiana Suarez to be a close and tight affair, and it certainly lived up to that expectation. The 30-year old Suarez got a big ovation from the Sacramento-crowd due to the fact that she’s born in Covina, California and fighting out of Rancho Cucamonga which is only a few hours away from the hosting city, and the crowd was firmly behind the former TUF-winner. Joanna did her best to get an advantage in the psychological warfare, a common practice for the 33-year old Polish-native in her bouts as she refused to touch gloves when the fight started. A topic of discussion before the fight was how long it would take for Suarez to try and take Joanna down, and the answer was as short as it could when the Wrestling standout shot for it early, only for Joanna to calculate it and defend it very well with some counter striking. A rare sight for Suarez as she is used to successfully take down her opponents, considering she was the clear stat leader in takedown accuracy for the entire Women’s Strawweight division at 62.9%. Round one was a beautiful display of high level striking from the former champion as Joanna used her trademark high volume striking to keep the distance to Suarez and easily earn her the clear 10-9 on all judges’ scorecards as well as in the eyes of the fans and experts pitching in on social media. A repetition of the round one’s first sequence played out in the beginning of the second round as Suarez again went for a takedown early, but Joanna defended it yet again which showed how much focus she and her coaches and put on takedown defence during their fight camp. Joanna once again initiated a striking battle in which she looked like the better fighter, but the third time’s the charm as Suarez finally completed a takedown three minutes into the round which got a big reaction from the crowd. The happiness was short-lived however as Joanna scrambled well and even got Suarez’ back at one point in the ground battle, but the superior grappling from the hometown hero was apparent as she once again took control and ended the round in top position. Round three was a pretty dull affair as Suarez shot for an early takedown yet again but Joanna defended it enough to end up against the cage, where Suarez just held her there without doing much damage, which surprisingly earned a lot of boos from the crowd who wanted more entertainment. After more than half the round had passed and no advancements had been made from either fighter, referee Jake Montalvo finally separated the two fighters from the cage clinch. Suarez once again went for a takedown after feinting strikes, successfully taking Joanna down and yet again ending the round in top control, a big statement in the eyes of the judges. Round four was a close contested bout as both fighters had their moments, Joanna outstriking Suarez for the most part and Suarez taking the former champion down at the end of the round to add valuable time on her total top control and it could realistically have gone either way depending on what you value more; effective striking or dominant top positioning. It wasn’t necessary however as the bout wouldn’t go to the judges’ decision, instead it would be over inside the first minute of the fifth and final round. It was the genius advice from Joanna’s corner and the head trainer of the much respected American Top Team Mike Brown who instructed his fighter to attack instead of defending the takedown, either with a knee or a uppercut when Suarez would inevitably shoot in for it, that led to the ending of the bout as Joanna did just that. After only 30 seconds, Suarez went in for the double leg takedown but was met with a big uppercut from the Polish fighter that instantly sent her down to the canvas in desperation defence mode. The former champion quickly jumped at the opportunity to finish the fight, landing three big strikes on Suarez which forced the referee to end the bout, awarding Joanna Jedrzejczyk the TKO-victory in the fifth round. In the least surprising move of the night, the 33-year old took the microphone from the interviewing Paul Felder and launched a tirade of insults to the champion Weili Zhang, saying that “she is the most overrated champion in the entire UFC” as well as saying “she better vacate the belt already, because her worst nightmare will soon come true”. If the rematch wasn’t highly anticipated already following the great first bout, Joanna’s cold callout has put Weili vs. Joanna II levels above any other title bout at the moment.

If the Tatiana Suarez-loss was a tough pill to swallow for the California-crowd, the successful return of another California-native Luke Rockhold was undoubtedly a very pleasant one for the fans. The former champion looked very good against Brad Tavares in the first round, looking very confident and loose in his striking, landing several big strikes and even a few of his trademark kicks. It was especially the body kicks from Rockhold that damaged the 33-year old Hawaiian, who had his fellow BMF Ranch-teammate Donald Cerrone in his corner for this bout. Despite having a large bruising on the right side of the ribcage area, Tavares rallied back and took the fight to Rockhold, turning the bout into a brawl as he landed a few big shots of his own, and even though he got the nod from the judges in the second round, he wasn’t particularly close to finish the bout at any time. Instead, it was the former champion Rockhold who went out in the third round with motivating words from both Javier Mendez and Khabib Nurmagomedov in between the rounds and really delivered. He showed great versatility, successfully taking Tavares down four times out of four attempts during the entire bout and when it only seconds left of the bout, Rockhold landed a thunderous elbow straight to the face of Tavares which most likely broke the nose of the 33-year old in the process. If the time hadn’t run out, the odds on Rockhold finishing Tavares right there would be unplayable but the time and referee Keith Peterson saved Tavares from both suffering more damage and losing the bout via stoppage. It was however not enough to stop Rockhold from winning the bout as all three judges deemed it a 29-28 Unanimous Decision victory for the 37-year old, who will unquestionably re-enter the Middleweight rankings yet again following this clear, decisive victory. Even though he may not be the most liked personality in the game, and he has several doubters claiming he’s not as good as he’s portraying himself, but you can’t really argue with the fact that Luke Rockhold is a big name in the Middleweight division and big draw when it comes to potential matchmaking. You could realistically put him against anyone in the top 15 and you’d have at least a qualified co-main event on a decent sized event anywhere in the world. For now, one of the hottest matchups discussed for the former champion is a rematch against Chris Weidman, another former champion who has resurfaced as of late in the division, but Rockhold was firm in his post-fight interview on his plans to go for the belt, not fight “bums he already has defeated” which was a clear jab at the All-American.

A big victory in the Welterweight division took place as Geoff Neal did what only two fighters before him had done when he finished Neil Magny by strikes. It only took a mere 44 seconds for the 30-year old knockout artist from Harker Heights, Texas to finish one of the most experienced veterans in the entire division, and it certainly catapults Geoff Neal in the divisional rankings. The man they call “Handz of Steel” called out Demian Maia for a fight, saying that he’s “ready to continue his path to gold as soon as the UFC wants him to be back”, but the latest unofficial booking rumours already has the 44-year old Maia fighting a rather big name ranked higher than Neal in a proposed retirement bout, which could potentially hinder Neal’s wishes. During the main card portion of the event, we also witnessed two big submission victories. Carlos Diego Ferreira became the first fighter since 2014 to submit the durable Al Iaquinta with a slick Guillotine choke in the second round while Cub Swanson defeated the rising prospect Hakeem Dawodu with a Kimura in the same round. Ferreira is positioning himself as a dark horse in the Lightweight division and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was pitted against another big name in his next bout, potentially one in the top 10 of the 155lbs division. For Swanson, he has cemented his spot as a sort of “hype killer” in the Featherweight division, as he’s often matched up against rising prospects to see if they have what it takes to go against a true veteran in the division. “Killer” Cub isn’t ranked at the moment, but he made a good case to welcome back José Aldo to the division, saying that “it has been a goal for years to avenge the 8-second loss from their first bout” which took place in the now defunct WEC back in 2009, and that “it would be an honour to fight him [José Aldo] and to be the one to retire one of the all-time greats of the sport”. The prelims provided big victories for Manel Kape, who defeated Matt Schnell with a beautiful head kick in the first round, Alonzo Menifield, who defeated the hyped William Knight with an Armbar in the second round, and Amir Albazi, who finished Raulian Paiva late in the second round with a great left overhand. For the trio of Michel Quinones, Ashlee Evans-Smith, and Roque Martinez, it would be a particular bad night as they not only lost their respective bouts, but also received news about their contractual terminations after the event. Quinones and Martinez both went 0-3 in the UFC while the more experienced Evans-Smith went 3-6 in the organization before subsequently getting released.

Bonus Awards

Fight of the Night: Alex Reyes vs. Michel Quinones

Performance of the Night: Carlos Diego Ferreira, Cub Swanson, and Manel Kape

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/jVtWp7L.png

Prediction Table

maxicheezestick = 7 out of 11

Majster_93 = 7 out of 11

McDojoDelux = 4 out of 11

vladjarca = 2 out of 11

Pontarii · May 15, 2021

WEEK 3 - JUNE 2021

UFC Event Announcement

Chimaev vs. Thompson headlines UFC-return to Stockholm, Sweden

The prolific Scandinavian market will be on display next month when UFC makes its return to the region for the first time in roughly two years. The last time UFC held an event in Scandinavia was back in 2019 at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark which marked the first time the company hosted an event in the country. This time around, the ESPN-aired event will take place in a more familiar place with Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden being targeted as the venue of choice for the sixth time in UFC event history. A common practice for UFC when hosting an event in Sweden, and in particular other European countries as well, is to have one of the biggest stars from that specific nation main eventing in a big spot bout, and the ESPN-event in Sweden is no different. Perhaps the fastest rising star in recent memory and one of the most hyped fighters on the entire roster, Khamzat Chimaev (10-0) will main event for the second time in his still young UFC-career in what is expected to be a Welterweight title eliminator. His opponent is none other than the ever-so popular Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-4-1), a fighter with a compelling case for a shot at the champion Kamaru Usman’s title in his own right. Chimaev, who is putting his 10-0 undefeated record on the line, defeated fellow top ranked Welterweight Leon Edwards in his last Octagon outing, earning a clear and decisive Unanimous decision victory in his debut five rounder. He has gone from unknown and undefeated prospect to a legit title contender and one of the biggest names on the entire roster in only four UFC-bouts, a historic accomplishment for the 27-year old nicknamed “Borz”. The former kick boxing prodigy turned two-time UFC Welterweight title challenger, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson has looked sensationally good in his last two bouts, totally outclassing two rising fighters in the division in Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal respectively, making a clear statement to once again fight for the title before ending his career considering he’s edging closer towards the 40-year old mark. With no clear cut contender in the division, and with Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal pitted against each other as coaches on the ongoing TUF-season, the eventual winner between Chimaev and “Wonderboy” would most likely become the next contender for Usman’s coveted Welterweight title.

Another notable Swede on the roster will have a big bout in the co-main event, with Ilir “The Sledgehammer” Latifi (15-8-1 NC) continuing his quest to earn a title shot in the Light Heavyweight division since making his return to the division earlier this year. The 37-year old Latifi earned high praise with his 46 second knockout on the veteran Nikita Krylov in his latest bout and with such a big momentum on his side, the stocky powerhouse from Malmö, Sweden has his eyes set on climbing the 205lbs rankings. His opponent in the co-main event of the ESPN-event is another 205 pounder looking to rise through the rankings and enter the top ten for the first time, Ryan “Superman” Spann (19-6). The 29-year from Beaumont, Texas has victories over several big names since earning a contract on the second season of DWCS, defeating the likes of Antonio Rogerio “Lil Nog” Nogueira, Sam Alvey, and lastly Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. His only loss to date in the UFC has come by a brutal elbow knockout from Johnny Walker last year, and many fans and experts alike has hailed Spann as a potential prospect in the division. With Latifi in the twelfth position and Spann in the fifteenth position in the rankings, a spot in the top 10 would be probable for the winner of the contest.

Danish superstar and the former Olympian silver medalist Mark O. Madsen (11-0) takes on the rising prospect Thiago Moises (15-4) in the Lightweight division on the event. Madsen has been dominant in his three bouts in the Octagon, defeating Danilo Belluardo, Austin Hubbard, and Scott Holtzman respectively, relying primarily on his superior Greco-Roman wrestling. The 36-year old has been touted as a potential future champion in the division with many comparing his dominate style with the retired Khabib Nurmagomedov, and a win against a fellow prospect like Moises would be big for the Danish fighter’s career. His opponent, the 26-year old Moises, is riding a three fight win streak over big names in the 155lbs division like Michael Johnson, Bobby Green, and lastly Alexander Hernandez, and a win over perhaps the biggest prospect as well as an undefeated former Olympian would also be incredibly big for the career of the Brazilian. Filling the other announced bouts on the main card is two rising Swedish prospects in Pannie Kianzad (14-5), the former TUF-finalist, and the Swedish-Georgian Guram Kutateladze (13-2), who famously defeated the then undefeated, former KSW double champion Mateusz Gamrot in his UFC-debut. Kianzad takes on the 11-fight UFC-veteran and former Olympic medalist Sara McMann (12-6) while Kutateladze takes on a tough veteran in Leonardo Santos (18-4-1), who saw his undefeated UFC-win streak come to an end at the hands of Grant Dawson in his last bout.

The announced bouts on UFC on ESPN: Chimaev vs. Thompson from Stockholm, Sweden looks like this:

Main Event

Welterweight Bout: (#4) Khamzat Chimaev vs. (#5) Stephen Thompson

Co-Main Event

Light Heavyweight Bout: (#12) Ilir Latifi vs. (#15) Ryan Spann

Main Card

Lightweight Bout: Mark O. Madsen vs. Thiago Moises

Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#11) Pannie Kianzad vs. (#9) Sara McMann

Lightweight Bout: Guram Kutateladze vs. Leonardo Santos

Pontarii · May 19, 2021

WEEK 4 - JUNE 2021

UFC Event Preview

Israel Adesanya: “My ambition is to become first ever triple champion by end of 2022”

In front of a roaring Houston-crowd in the packed Toyota Center, the press conference before one of the biggest events of the year took place which brought several memorable moments for fans, the media, and everyone associated with the UFC heading into UFC 263 this Saturday. The highly anticipated headliner, which features a Light Heavyweight title bout between the recently crowned champion Israel Adesanya (21-0) and the rightful number one contender Glover Teixeira (32-7), was the topic of discussion during the press conference, with the champion leading the talk against his 10 years older challenger. “With all due respect to him [Glover Teixeira] and all of his accomplishments in the sport, but just like the saying goes; there are levels to this. And I hate to be the one breaking the news to you, Glover, but you’re not on my level. You’re what, 41 years old? And this is your second title shot? It’s impressive, of course, to see you reach this position so late in your career, but it’s also kind of sad to know that this is as far as you’ll reach in your career. I promise I’ll make it quick and not prolong your suffering when you step inside the cage against me this Saturday. I’ll send you on your merry way to retirement, old man”, said an instigating Adesanya to his opponent before the fight. The 41-year old challenger didn’t get drawn in to a war of words against the champion, instead opting to praise his opponent for his quickly reached status in the sport and to both acknowledge his status as a big betting underdog but also promising a shocking, historic upset. This Saturday’s championship bout wasn’t the only thing on Israel Adesanya’s mind this press conference, as he also talked about his future plans after making his self-proclaimed “first title defence” as the Light Heavyweight Champion. “I’ve already made history and I’ll continue making it every single time I set my foot inside the Octagon. After I defeat Glover this Saturday and successfully defend my Light Heavyweight belt, I’ll go down and whoop Darren Till’s British bum as well. And after that, the only way to go is up. I’m 100 percent looking towards the Heavyweight division and adding that belt to my collection as well. My ambition is to become the first ever triple champion before the end of next year, it doesn’t matter who the champion is, I’ll destroy them all”, said the much confident champion.

The other headlining title bout this Saturday is the co-main event Women’s Flyweight Championship bout between the reigning, defending, undisputed champion and one of the all-time greatest female fighters Valentina Shevchenko (20-3) and the number three ranked challenger Lauren Murphy (14-4). Despite being the biggest betting favourite on the entire card, the 33-year old champion was adamant not to underestimate her opponent, the 37-year old veteran Murphy. “I’ve stayed champion for a long time both because of my attributes and skillset, but also for my mentality. I’ve never underestimated an opponent in my entire career, and I won’t start doing it this Saturday. Lauren Murphy is a great fighter with many impressive victories in the UFC, she is a real threat and tough opponent for anyone, I will approach this bout just like I always do with my mind focused on defending my belt and my status as champion. After that, we can discuss what’s next for me and my career”, said Valentina Shevchenko when asked about if she’s already looking past Lauren Murphy onto a potential trilogy bout with the female GOAT Amanda Nunes. Her opponent, the former Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion, said that this is her golden opportunity to earn what she has been fighting for her entire career, the chance to call herself a UFC Champion. Murphy also said she has the utmost respect for her opponent Valentina Shevchenko and her legacy in the sport, but she also stated that the champion is also human and that every human can be defeated with the right game plan and timing.

Perhaps the most anticipated bout besides the main event is the main card bout between the 42-year old former WEC Featherweight Champion and one of the all-time greats in the Bantamweight division Urijah Faber (35-11) and the brash, provocative rising prospect “Sugar” Sean O’Malley (13-1), an alumni of the popular show DWCS. As expected, it was the latter who initiated the trash talk between them, as O’Malley claimed “Faber is the most overrated fighter in the entire history of the UFC”. When asked about why he thought Faber, a multiple time title challenger in the division, was overrated, O’Malley said that “he is an expert in failure and is only known in the sport for being a Conor McGregor’s, T.J. Dillashaw’s, and Dominick Cruz’s b*tch”. This in turn made Faber visibly angry, saying that “O’Malley is a hype job with zero self-realization” and that his biggest accomplishment in the sport today is “being embarrassed by a journeyman”, referring to Marlon “Chito” Vera’s, who also fights this Saturday against Marlon Moraes, victory over the 26-year old. The war of words continued throughout the press conference, with O’Malley claiming that Team Alpha Male, the well-known team of Urijah Faber, reached out to him, wanting him to join them and be their next big star, an offer O’Malley said he laughed at. Unsurprisingly, Faber disputed this, saying that O’Malley wouldn’t even be allowed to hold Team Alpha Male’s jockstraps. The eventual winner this Saturday will undoubtedly enjoy a big boost of momentum, with this hype surrounding the already intriguing bout.

UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Teixeira is shaping up to be one of, if not the biggest event of the year with a stacked line-up from start to finish. Joining the two title bouts and the Faber vs. O’Malley bout on the main card is the Welterweight bout between the former Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler (28-15-1 NC), who returns to action after losing his fourth bout in a row against Neil Magny, and the 33-year old Jingliang Li (18-6), who lastly defeated Santiago Ponzinibbio with a thunderous knockout. A Marlon vs. Marlon bout between Marlon Moraes (23-8-1) and Marlon Vera (16-7-1) will open the main card portion of the event, which is a big bout for the Bantamweight landscape. The prelims are also rather stacked with an exciting Welterweight bout between two unorthodox personalities in Mike Perry (14-7) and Michel Pereira (24-11-2 NC) that serves as the headliner. We will also see a big bout in the Women’s Strawweight division as number four ranked Xiaonan Yan (13-1-1 NC) takes on number five ranked, former champion Carla Esparza (17-6). The polarizing Greg Hardy (7-3-1 NC) also takes on the Brazilian Carlos Felipe (10-1) in the Heavyweight division.

UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Teixeira looks like this:

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

ESPN Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Mike Perry vs. Michel Pereira

Women’s Strawweight Bout: (#4) Xiaonan Yan vs. (#5) Carla Esparza

Heavyweight Bout: Greg Hardy vs. Carlos Felipe

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Bantamweight Bout: Felipe Corales vs. Frankie Saenz

Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Leah Letson vs. Zarah Fairn Dos Santos*

Middleweight Bout: Abu Azaitar vs. Marcelo Guimares

Zarah Fairn Dos Santos missed weight by 4lbs. She forfeited 20% of her purse to her opponent Leah Letson. Due to the lack of a higher division, she will remain in the Bantamweight division but has received a stern warning.

vladjarca · May 19, 2021

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

ESPN Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Mike Perry vs. Michel Pereira

Women’s Strawweight Bout: (#4) Xiaonan Yan vs. (#5) Carla Esparza

Heavyweight Bout: Greg Hardy vs. Carlos Felipe

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Bantamweight Bout: Felipe Corales vs. Frankie Saenz

Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Leah Letson vs. Zarah Fairn Dos Santos*

Middleweight Bout: Abu Azaitar vs. Marcelo Guimares

McDojoDelux · May 19, 2021

Main Event

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

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

ESPN Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Mike Perry vs. Michel Pereira

Women’s Strawweight Bout: (#4) Xiaonan Yan vs. (#5) Carla Esparza

Heavyweight Bout: Greg Hardy vs. Carlos Felipe

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Bantamweight Bout: Felipe Corales vs. Frankie Saenz

Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Leah Letson vs. Zarah Fairn Dos Santos*

Middleweight Bout: Abu Azaitar vs. Marcelo Guimares

Majster_93 · May 20, 2021

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

ESPN Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Mike Perry vs. Michel Pereira

Women’s Strawweight Bout: (#4) Xiaonan Yan vs. (#5) Carla Esparza

Heavyweight Bout: Greg Hardy vs. Carlos Felipe

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Bantamweight Bout: Felipe Corales vs. Frankie Saenz

Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Leah Letson vs. Zarah Fairn Dos Santos*

Middleweight Bout: Abu Azaitar vs. Marcelo Guimares

maxicheezestick · May 20, 2021

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

ESPN Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Mike Perry vs. Michel Pereira

Women’s Strawweight Bout: (#4) Xiaonan Yan vs. (#5) Carla Esparza

Heavyweight Bout: Greg Hardy vs. Carlos Felipe

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Bantamweight Bout: Felipe Corales vs. Frankie Saenz

Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Leah Letson vs. Zarah Fairn Dos Santos*

Middleweight Bout: Abu Azaitar vs. Marcelo Guimares

Pontarii · May 22, 2021

WEEK 4 - JUNE 2021

UFC Hall of Fame Ceremony

UFC Hall of Fame 2021: Dan Henderson and Cain Velasquez amongst new additions to the UFC HoF

The annual UFC Hall of Fame ceremony took place tonight at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada one night prior to this Saturday’s big UFC 263-event which is headlined by a Light Heavyweight title bout between Israel Adesanya and Glover Teixeira, and it was a night of big festivities. Hosted by the great Jon Anik, the 2021 ceremony was headlined by the two of the greatest fighters in their respective eras as Dan “Hendo” Henderson (32-15) and Cain Velasquez (14-3) joined the pioneer wing and the modern era wing respectively.

Dan Henderson made his professional MMA debut in 1997 after competing in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics Greco-Roman wrestling tournaments, winning the one-night Brazil Open ’97 tournament at Lightweight, the lightest division Henderson would ever compete in during his long and storied career, and he made his UFC-debut a year after that in 1998, winning the UFC 17 Middleweight tournament after defeating Allan Goes and Carlos Newton respectively on his way to glory. Henderson went undefeated for his first nine professional fights, defeating big names like “Big Nog” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Renato Sobral, and Gilbert Yvel to become the Rings King of Kings 1999 Tournament winner before losing to Wanderlei Silva in his PRIDE debut in late 2000, a loss he avenged seven years later. One of his biggest accomplishments came in 2005 when he won the PRIDE 2005 Welterweight Grand Prix, thus becoming the PRIDE Welterweight Champion after defeating Murilo Bustamante in the final, and he later added the PRIDE Middleweight title to his repertoire in the aforementioned Wanderlei Silva-victory, becoming the first ever double champion in a major promotion, in his last fight for PRIDE before joining the UFC for a second time. His second stint with the company was a fairly successful one going 3-2 in the company as well as producing on of the greatest knockouts the sport has even seen when he defeated his biggest rival Michael Bisping at UFC 100 after the two coached The Ultimate Fighter opposite each other. Henderson then joined the glooming organization Strikeforce in a lucrative deal, where he would not only become their Light Heavyweight Champion but also defeat the legendary Heavyweight phenom Fedor Emelianenko. Henderson re-joined the UFC for a third time in 2011 after the Fedor-victory, defeating another legendary fighter in Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in his first fight after his return, a fight that was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame back in 2018 and is regarded as one of the absolute best MMA fights of all time. After a long and historic career, Henderson fought his final fight in 2016 against Michael Bisping for the Middleweight title in a close, losing effort before hanging up his gloves for good. Although Henderson never held an official title in the UFC, his contributions to the sport in its entirety can’t be overstated and he is a truly worthy Hall of Famer.

The second inductee this evening was another highly decorated wrestler and one of the all-time Heavyweight greats as Cain Velasquez joined the modern-era wing. One of the fastest rising stars in the modern era of MMA and UFC, Velasquez debuted in Strikeforce in late 2006, defeating Jesse Fujarczyk in the first round, and he went on to win one more time before UFC came calling one and a half year later. The Mexican-American defeated Brad Morris in his UFC-debut at UFC 83, and went on to rise through the Heavyweight rankings with impressive performances over names like Cheick Kongo, Ben Rothwell, and “Big Nog” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira before earning an opportunity to fight for the Heavyweight belt in his ninth professional fight against one of the biggest stars the company has ever seen in Brock Lesnar. Velasquez demolished Lesnar, finishing him in the first round, thus becoming the UFC Heavyweight Champion at only 28-years old, a great achievement for the AKA-standout despite being a mere 4 years into his professional MMA career. He would eventually drop the title to Junior dos Santos in his first title defence a year later following a string of injuries, but Velasquez bounced back after that defeat with a big victory over Antonio “Big Foot” Silva, which earned him a rematch against the champion dos Santos. He would go on to avenge his loss and once again become the Heavyweight Champion, defeating dos Santos in a clear Unanimous Decision victory, as well as defeating “Big Foot” once again in his first title defence during his second title run. With a victory each, the storied rivalry with dos Santos needed a decisive ending and thus a trilogy bout was booked for the Heavyweight title at UFC 166, in which Velasquez would be victorious with a fifth round TKO finish, ending one of the biggest rivalries in the UFC history. Velasquez, who at this time in his career had earn the distinction of being one of the best fighters of all time, would subsequently lose his title against Fabricio Werdum at UFC 188 in an infamous way, surprisingly gassing out early due to the high altitude of Mexico City and being choked out in the third round by a Guillotine, in which the nickname “Sea Level Cain” was born. The rest of Velasquez’s career would be riddled with injuries keeping him out of the game for much of his prime years, as he only fought twice since losing to Werdum back in 2015, defeating Travis Browne at UFC 200 in 2016 and losing to the current champion Francis Ngannou before finally retiring for good in 2019 to focus on other things in life, including a short stint with the WWE. Cain Velasquez has been heralded as not only one of the greatest Heavyweights of all time, but also one of the greatest fighters of all time, and his induction into the UFC Hall of Fame is much granted.

Two other UFC Hall of Fame inductions were made official tonight. “Big” John McCarthy, perhaps the greatest referee in MMA history and a big reason why the sport has grown into the global juggernaut it is today, was inducted into the Contributors Wing. A key figure in the writing of the current Unified Rules of the sport of MMA, McCarthy served as one of the head referees for several years, and he has been the Octagon official for many of the most famous bouts in UFC history including Conor McGregor’s record breaking 13-seconds title victory over Jose Aldo. The multiple times Referee of the Year-award winner retired for good in 2018, and has since joined rival company Bellator as commentator, but his contributions to the sport and the UFC makes his induction a no-brainer despite being associated with a rival company. The fourth and last induction into the UFC Hall of Fame this year was the second fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard from 2011, which was inducted into the Fights Wing. One of the greatest UFC-bouts of all time, the rematch between Edgar and Maynard from UFC 125, which ended in a Split Draw, join the likes of Griffin vs. Bonnar I, Sanchez vs. Guida, and Jones vs. Gustafsson I in the section that honours the best fights in the history of the organization.

McDojoDelux · May 22, 2021

Great to see Edgar vs Maynard II inducted into the hall of fame in all honesty their 3rd fight could also be inducted as well. A little surprised Big John got inducted given his current contract with Bellator, I know Dana probably isn't happing having to recognize a rival promotion.

Pontarii · May 24, 2021

WEEK 4 - JUNE 2021

UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Teixeira

Critical Rating: 74%

Commercial Rating: 100%

Profit/Loss: $7.197.276

Main Event

Israel Adesanya def. Glover Teixeira by Knock Out (Kick) in 2:52 of Round 1

Co-Main Event

Valentina Shevchenko def. Lauren Murphy by Knock Out (Elbow) in 0:44 of Round 2

Main Card

Sean O'Malley def. Urijah Faber by TKO (Strikes) in 0:49 of Round 1

Robbie Lawler def. Jingliang Li by Knock Out (Punch) in 1:03 of Round 1

Marlon Moraes def. Marlon Vera by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)

ESPN Preliminary Card

Michel Pereira def. Mike Perry by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

Carla Esparza def. Xiaonan Yan by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

Carlos Felipe def. Greg Hardy by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

ESPN+ Early Preliminary Card

Felipe Corales def. Frankie Saenz by Submission (Armbar) in 4:01 of Round 1

Zarah Fairn dos Santos def. Leah Letson by TKO (Strikes) in 0:35 of Round 2

Abu Azaitar def. Marcelo Guimaraes by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

Summary

UFC 263 emerging from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas had provided the buzzing crowd with a rather great show thus far, especially with the main card portion of the bout. When the time had come for the much anticipated main event featuring a Light Heavyweight Championship bout between the undefeated sensation Israel Adesanya, making his first title defence in the division since claiming the title against Jan Blachowicz earlier in the year, and the veteran challenger Glover Teixeira, a man that has almost done it all in the sports besides just winning the coveted UFC-title. A sense of expecting something memorable was oozing through the crowd, with the reigning, defending champion being the clear fan favourite in the sold out arena, but to count out the 41-year old Brazilian standing opposite him would be a crucial mistake, as Teixeira has defeated many big names in his long and storied career. Dan Miragliotta had been assigned the prestigious referee role in the main event, a true veteran and one trustworthy man to officiate such an important bout as this truly was. Both fighters touched gloves and the bout kicked off with Adesanya and Teixeira meeting in the centre of the Octagon, circulating for a first window of opportunity to strike. It was the veteran who landed the first shot of the bout, a left jab to the face of the champion but the quicker Adesanya wasted no time utilizing his swift combinations, landing a four strike combo that ended with a beautiful right cross. It was clear from the first thirty seconds of the first round that Teixeira’s game plan consisted of either shooting in for a takedown or land a big right overhand, reminiscent of his old training partner and good friend Chuck Liddell. His second attempt at this technique would be disastrous as Adesanya dodged the strike, only for Teixeira to be completely unbalanced which gave the champion a straight path to land a big right head kick, clearly hurting the 41-year old challenger. Luckily for Teixeira, his wobbly movement made Adesanya miss the following uppercut, and as the Brazilian did everything in his power to regain composure, he accidentally bumped heads with the 31-year old which opened up a large gash above the right eye, as blood poured out on Adesanya. Determined not to let his opponent rest and regain his composure, the champion waived off Miragliotta’s attempts of stopping the bout for a timeout, instead focusing on further hurt the BJJ specialist on the feet. Both fighters once again engaged in a striking battle in the centre of the Octagon, with strikes landing from each side, but it was no doubt Adesanya who dealt the more damaging blows to Teixeira in this exchange. This all culminated in one of the smoothest finishes to a title fight you’ve ever seen as Adesanya landed a four piece combination similar to the one Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone landed on Rick Story a few years back, with a jab to the face followed up by a right hand to the stomach and a left hook to the face, ending with a devastating right head kick which sent Glover Teixeira right to the shadow realm instantly. Israel Adesanya had made his first Light Heavyweight title defence look so childishly easy, finishing one of the best fighters in the entire 205lbs division at ease with one of the most memorable finishing sequence the sport had seen up to this point. He may be a controversial fighter and one many fans love to hate, but you can’t argue with his skills and accomplishments in his still young career. “The Last Style Bender” didn’t call out anyone in particular following his successful title victory, instead welcoming anyone, anywhere at any time.

Israel Adesanya wasn’t the only dominant champion this evening as the Women’s Flyweight Champion and perhaps one of two greatest female fighters of all time, Valentina Shevchenko once again showed her incredible dominance over the challenger Lauren Murphy in the co-main event. “The Bullets” sixth title defence was as devastating as you expected it to be, with Shevchenko absolutely obliterating Murphy in the first round both on the feet and on the ground, scoring an easy 10-8 round in the fans, the media and the judges’ eyes respectively. Hadn’t it been for the time running out, the champion would easily had finished “The Pirate” in the first round, but it wouldn’t take long in the second round for the end to come. With the first punch of the second round, Shevchenko hurt Murphy really bad and it was a surprise to see the referee Keith Peterson not stopping it right then and there, but seeing as Murphy still was standing, she was given the opportunity to fight back, something she wasn’t capable of doing. Instead, it was the champion who forced her opponent into a Muay Thai Clinch from which she landed a nasty, brutal elbow straight to the face of Murphy, who crumbled to the ground completely out cold. The second round wasn’t even one minute old as Valentina Shevchenko claimed yet another victim on her path to dominance. This makes you truly questioned if any fighter in the Women’s Flyweight division is anywhere near the level of the champion, as she has made everyone look miles away from being on her level. Perhaps the only fight left to make for Valentina is the one she called for after the fight, the long awaited trilogy bout against the only fighter to defeat her inside the Octagon, the consensus female GOAT Amanda Nunes. “She has defeated everyone in the 135lbs division, I have defeated everyone in the 125lbs division. It doesn’t matter in what weight class we fight, but I know what I want and that is a chance of settling the score against Amanda Nunes. Let’s make the biggest fight in the history of Women’s MMA”, said a fired up Shevchenko after her dominant showing against Lauren Murphy. Despite not getting a reaction or response from Nunes herself, the entire MMA community with fans, media, and other fighters alike was completely and utterly in agreement of the need to see the trilogy between them two, preferably as soon as possible.

As previously mentioned, the main card of UFC 263 delivered some incredible moments and highly entertaining bout. The much anticipated bout between the old guard and the new generation in Urijah Faber and Sean O’Malley provided something as unexpected yet amazing at the same time. It was Faber who entered the bout as a slight favourite with many expecting his ground game to be the deciding factor, but considering many people are very high on the talents of O’Malley, many experts and fans gave predicted him to either earn a decision victory over the veteran or perhaps even finish him late. Something not many, if anyone at all, had predicted was a first round finish from O’Malley, especially not a finish inside the first minute of the contest but that was exactly what happened. The two trash talkers met inside the Octagon and traded strikes for the opening seconds of the round, with Faber feinting a takedown early, but when Faber tried closing the distance with a left hook, the counter striking excellence of O’Malley really showed as he hit Faber with a left jab and a following right cross that sent the 42-year old “California Kid” straight to the floor, both hurt and shocked equally. Quickly pouncing away with big strikes on the stunned Faber, O’Malley fired away and continued doing so until referee Herb Dean had seen enough and pulled him away. Faber quickly argued the stoppage, claiming it was an early stoppage and that he was fine, but you can’t really fault Herb Dean at all as Faber took some real damaging blows to the head from the lethal O’Malley. Just like that had Sean O’Malley made even a bigger name of himself, finishing one of the best Bantamweights in the history of MMA and one of the biggest names in the sport, a monumental moment for the popular 26-year old. He also made a memorable post-fight interview, calling out other legendary figures of the sport like Dominick Cruz, T.J. Dillashaw, and Frankie Edgar, saying that he “wants to go on a legend killing tour this year to send them all to an early retirement”. UFC undoubtedly has a big star on their hands in Sean O’Malley both inside and outside of the Octagon, and if they play their cards right, they could have a new global superstar ready to take on the world one step at a time.

Two very important wins from the former Welterweight champion Robbie Lawler and the former Bantamweight title challenger Marlon Moraes took place on the main card portion of the event. Lawler, who began training with the incredibly talented Trevor Wittman for the first time before this fight, looked sensational against the dangerous Jingliang Li, finishing in only a minute into the first round with a thunderous knockout. The 39-year old was a betting underdog in the fight and many had predicted this was the last bout in Lawler’s career should he lose, but “Ruthless” Robbie proved everyone wrong with one of the best knockouts he’s ever produced. Marlon Moraes was also victorious in his bout against his namesake Marlon “Chito” Vera, earning a Unanimous Decision victory to end his two fight losing streak. The 33-year old Brazilian said in his post-fight interview that he would enjoy a trilogy fight with Raphael Assuncao, who had called him out earlier after his victory over Raoni Barcelos earlier in the year, but he also said he had unsettled business with “the retired coward” Henry Cejudo, the man who famously defeated Moraes in his first and only UFC title opportunity. The prelims wasn’t as good as the main card, expect for perhaps the submission victory for Felipe Corales over the veteran Frankie Saenz, who suffered his third loss in a row and was subsequently released from the UFC shortly after the event had finished. The three anticipated prelim fights between Michel Pereira vs. Mike Perry, Xiaonan Yan vs. Carla Esparza, and Greg Hardy vs. Carlos Felipe all failed to deliver anything special, with all three ending in decisions. All in all, UFC 263 was a pretty great event with the main card undeniably delivering several moments that will be remembered when 2021 will be summarized.

Bonus Awards

Fight of the Night: Marlon Moraes vs. Marlon Vera

Performance of the Night: Israel Adesanya, Valentina Shevchenko, Sean O'Malley, and Felipe Corales

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/wwWaR3L.png

Prediction Table

maxicheezestick = 8 out of 11

vladjarca = 7 out of 11

Majster_93 = 5 out of 11

McDojoDelux = 4 out of 11

Pontarii · May 27, 2021

WEEK 4 - JUNE 2021

UFC Event Announcement

Trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz headlines UFC 264 in Madison Square Garden

"F*ck that! Conor McGregor, you taking everything I've worked for m*therf*cker. I'mma fight your f*cking ass. You know what the real fight, the real money fight is? Me. Not these clowns that you already punked at the press conference. Don’t no one want to see that. You know you beat them already. That’s an easy fight. You want that real shit? Right here!” The infamous words from Nate Diaz after his decision victory over Michael Johnson back at UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy II in 2015 was the spark that ignited perhaps the biggest rivalry in Mixed Martial Arts history between “The Notorious” Conor McGregor (22-5) and the fan favourite Nate Diaz (20-12). The two would eventually face each other for the first time in 2016 after McGregor's original opponent Rafael dos Anjos, then Lightweight champion, pulled out from the highly anticipated Champion vs. Champion fight due to a broken foot. Diaz stepped up on short notice and took on McGregor at Welterweight in a historic fight, in which Diaz submitted McGregor in the second round despite being a huge underdog. The fight catapulted Diaz into super-stardom and instantly made him one of the most recognizable athletes in the sport. Having rematched later the same year, this time McGregor was the victor as the fight went to decision after a great back-and-forth between the two in one of all-time classics. Since then, many have speculated about a potential third fight for a good while with the fighters teasing it for several years, and now it's finally official.

UFC announced earlier today that Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz will settle their rivalry on the biggest stage of them all next month as UFC 264 will emerge from the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York, New York in front of a sold-out crowd. This will be the fifth time the company host an event at the Garden with the latest one being UFC 244, the memorable night in which Jorge Masvidal earned his biggest victory of his career when he defeated none other than Diaz himself to become the first and only BMF Champion, and with such a monumental main event in place, it’s undoubtedly shaping up to be one of the biggest events in UFC-history. The third fight between McGregor and Diaz will be contested at 155lbs and not the 170lbs limit as the two previous bouts, with it serving as a big deciding fight for the future of the Lightweight division. A victory for either man would certainly put them inside the title contention as both fighters have a big history with the newly crowned current champion Dustin Poirier, especially since no real title challenger besides “the usual suspects” Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler has emerged in the divisional top spots.

A Welterweight bout between two of the best grapplers on the entire planet in number eight ranked Michael “Maverick” Chiesa (18-4) and number nine ranked Demian Maia (28-10) will serve as the co-main event for the event. Since moving up from the Lightweight division, Michael Chiesa has looked phenomenal scoring victories over big names like Carlos Condit, Diego Sanchez, Rafael dos Anjos, and most recently Neil Magny which has made him a potential title challenger. A victory over such a savvy veteran and one of the perennial gatekeepers of the Welterweight top spots in Maia would most likely generate a title eliminator or at least a main event against a fellow top ranked fighter for the 33-year old former TUF-winner Chiesa. For the 44-year old Brazilian Maia, this could potentially be his last showing in the Octagon as he has previously stated that he only has one or two fights left in him before it’s time to hang up the gloves for good, and what better way to potentially say farewell to his fans than a victory over a fighter with such big momentum as Chiesa has? The rest of the announced main card is stacked with potential Fight of the Night-candidates. Kevin Lee (18-6) returns to the Octagon following a lengthy absences from the sport as he takes on the surging prospect Rafael Fiziev (9-1) in the Lightweight division while Maycee Barber (9-1) looks to further climb the Women’s Flyweight rankings as she faces the former Women’s Bantamweight title challenger Alexis Davis (20-10). Opening the main card will Jeremy Stephens (28-18) and the undefeated Bryce Mitchell (14-0) do. An intriguing Featherweight bout as it features two clashing styles against each other with big implications for the 145lbs division.

The announced main card for UFC 264: McGregor vs. Diaz III in Madison Square Garden is as follows:

Main Event

Lightweight Bout: (#4) Conor McGregor vs. (#11 WW) Nate Diaz

Co-Main Event

Welterweight Bout: (#8) Michael Chiesa vs. (#9) Demian Maia

Main Card

Lightweight Bout: (#13) Kevin Lee vs. Rafael Fiziev

Women's Flyweight Bout: (#9) Maycee Barber vs. (#11) Alexis Davis

Featherweight Bout: (#11) Jeremy Stephens vs. (#13) Bryce Mitchell

Pontarii · June 5, 2021

WEEK 1 - JULY 2021

DWCS Preview

UFC veterans John Moraga & Wilson Reis battling for organizational return at DWCS 44

The start of July provides MMA fans worldwide with the fifth DWCS episode of the fourth season. Several fighters has capitalized on the opportunity to showcase their talent and abilities on the show this season with approximately two fighters signing with the company each episode, and this Tuesday night’s episode has the potential to provide more eventual signings for the company. Headlining the fifth episode will two familiar faces for the UFC fans do as Flyweights John Moraga (19-7) and Wilson Reis (23-10) will battle it out for a chance to return to the organization following their releases a few years ago. In fact, this will be a rematch of their 2018 bout in which Moraga took home the Unanimous Decision victory at UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje.

The 37-year old Moraga has fought fourteen times in the UFC, going 8-6 with victories over veterans like Dustin Ortiz, Justin Scoggins, and Chris Cariaso, and he has both competed in MMA and professional boxing since his UFC-release back in 2018 following a loss to the former champion Deiveson Figueiredo. His opponent, the 36-year old Reis, has a similar record in the company with 7 victories and 6 defeats. The Brazilian has scored victories over the like of Ben Nguyen, Dustin Ortiz, and Scott Jorgensen during his tenure with the company, which ended in 2019 following a TKO loss to top ranked Alexandre Pantoja. Considering both Moraga and Reis are former title challengers and multiple fight veterans in the UFC, a return for either of them to the pretty shallow Flyweight division would without a doubt be a valuable asset.

Also fighting on the fifth episode of DWCS season 4 will the 22-year old Women’s Flyweight prospect Erin Blanchfield (6-1), who competes in Invicta FC, and the more experienced 34-year old Jennifer Gonzalez Araneda (12-5), who competes in Combate America. A Featherweight bout between the UAE Warriors-affiliated Ben Hollier (6-1) and the Peruvian Rodrigo Vera (10-1-1) will also take place, together with a Lightweight scrap between the undefeated Argentinian Esteban Ribovics (9-0) and the 24-year old Brazilian prospect Rangel de Sa (11-1).

Main Event

Flyweight Bout: John Moraga vs. Wilson Reis

Co-Main Event

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Erin Blanchfield vs. Jennifer Gonzalez Araneda

Main Card

Featherweight Bout: Ben Hollier vs. Rodrigo Vera

Lightweight Bout: Esteban Ribovics vs. Rangel de Sa

McDojoDelux · June 6, 2021

Main Event

Flyweight Bout: John Moraga vs. Wilson Reis

Co-Main Event

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Erin Blanchfield vs. Jennifer Gonzalez Araneda

Main Card

Featherweight Bout: Ben Hollier vs. Rodrigo Vera

Lightweight Bout: Esteban Ribovics vs. Rangel de Sa

maxicheezestick · June 7, 2021

Main Event

Flyweight Bout: John Moraga vs. Wilson Reis

Co-Main Event

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Erin Blanchfield vs. Jennifer Gonzalez Araneda

Main Card

Featherweight Bout: Ben Hollier vs. Rodrigo Vera

Lightweight Bout: Esteban Ribovics vs. Rangel de Sa

Pontarii · June 13, 2021

WEEK 1 - JULY 2021

DWCS 44

Main Event

Wilson Reis def. John Moraga by Submission (D’Arce Choke) in 1:12 of Round 1

Co-Main Event

Erin Blanchfield def. Jennifer Gonzalez Araneda by Submission (Armbar) in 3:09 of Round 1

Main Card

Rodrigo Vera def. Ben Hollier by TKO (Strikes) in 4:22 of Round 2

Esteban Ribovics def. Rangel de Sa by Knock Out (Kick) in 2:23 of Round 3

Summary

The UFC Flyweight division has gone from being on the verge of ceasing to exist to becoming one of the most prolific divisions the organization has the offer, and the search to further bolster the 125lbs division with talents is an ongoing process for Dana White and his peers. Two former UFC Flyweight-title challengers headlined the fifth DWCS episode of the fourth season as John Moraga battled Wilson Reis to once again earn a UFC-contract and a spot on the Flyweight roster. With this being a rematch, and with Moraga winning the first bout between the two, it was expected to end just like the first one did, but it didn’t take long for that prediction to be severely wrong. With the first real move of the bout except a few non-damaging strikes from both men, the 37-year old Moraga shot for a takedown on the 36-year old Reis, but with great takedown defense, the Brazilian stopped that attempt and turned it into a move of his own. Locking in a lethal D’Arce choke after an excellent sprawl, Moraga had no other option but to tap to the BJJ ace a mere minute and twelve seconds into the contest. Wilson Reis had not only avenged his loss to Moraga a few years earlier, he had also earned his way back into the world’s leading MMA organization as he was awarded a new two-fight deal with the UFC after the show to prove that he didn't deserve to be released a few years back.

It turned out to be an eventful episode with four contracts handed out, one to each winner of the four bouts taking place. Erin Blanchfield earned a contract following her dominant Armbar-victory over Jennifer Gonzalez Araneda, and the 22-year old prospect from Elmwood Park, New Jersey has all the potential to be a serious threat in the Women’s Flyweight division. In the best bout of the episode, the 25-year old Rodrigo Vera from Lima, Peru finished the 30-year old Ben Hollier with strikes which really impressed Dana White, Sean Shelby, and Mick Maynard. Vera, together with the undefeated Argentinian Esteban “Gringo” Ribovics who defeated Rangel de Sa with a vicious head kick in the third round, also earned UFC-contracts. DWCS 44 didn’t only deliver four new additions to the roster; it was also the best rated episode of the fourth season thus far.

Contracts Awarded

Wilson Reis - Flyweight

Erin Blanchfield - Women's Flyweight

Rodrigo Vera - Featherweight

Esteban Ribovics - Lightweight

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/LH8OFUw.png%3C/div

Prediction Table

maxicheezestick = 3 out of 4

McDojoDelux = 2 out of 4

Pontarii · June 14, 2021

WEEK 1 - JULY 2021

USADA Athlete Sanctions

Breaking News: Alex Reyes suspended 1 year for USADA Violation

UFC Lightweight Alex Reyes (13-3-1 NC), the older brother of the former UFC Light Heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes, has been suspended for one year following his first USADA Violation, according to the UFC’s official website as well as USADA’s official website. The one time Fight of the Night-winner tested positive for the banned substance LGD-4033 in a post-fight drug test following his third round knockout victory over Michel Quinones at UFC Fight Night 192: Joanna vs. Suarez, a victory that will now be overturned to a No Contest. The world’s leading anti-doping testing agency USADA released the following statement on its website;

“USADA announced today that Alex Reyes, of Victorville, CA., has been given a one-year sanction for a violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy. Reyes, 33, tested positive for LGD-4033 and its metabolite dihydroxy-LHD-4033 as the result of a sample collected in-competition at a UFC-event on Jun 19, 2021. LGD-4033 is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and UFC Prohibited List. Reyes’ one-year period of ineligibility began on June 19, 2021, the date his positive sample was collected”.

Making his return to the Octagon following a four year long absences from the sport due to a plethora of serious injuries, Reyes was hailed by many fans and experts alike as he overcame adversity and defeated his opponent Michel Quinones with a knockout in the third round. The victory earned the pair Fight of the Night honors and “The Executioner” looked like a new and improved version of himself, making his journey from a life threatening spinal infection to a successful Octagon return an inspiring one but reality reared is ugly head when the suspension for banned substances was made official today. Reyes refute the blame on social media, claiming that he is “innocent and that it’s either a case of tainted supplements or something else” that he “intend to go to the bottom with”. For the time being though, Reyes will serve his one year suspension while the Fight of the Night-bonus he received has been fully awarded his opponent Michel Quinones instead.

Alex Reyes will be eligible for return June 19, 2022.

Pontarii · June 14, 2021

WEEK 2 - JULY 2021

UFC Event Preview

Darren Till: “I’ll finish Kevin Holland inside the first round”

The verbal sparring between the two headliners this Saturday in Kevin “The Trailblazer” Holland (22-5) and Darren “The Gorilla” Till (19-3-1) was on showcase during the pre-fight press conference taking place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the press conference, the two charismatic trash talkers traded both insults and praise against each other and at the rest of the Middleweight division, especially the current double champion Israel Adesanya. “People always criticize me for having no ground game, while the champion [israel Adesanya] is the embodiment of that assessment. I consider myself the best natural striker in the division with Adesanya, [Darren] Till, and [Robert] Whittaker just behind me and I’ll showcase that trait on display this Saturday when I piece Darren Till’s British bum up from start to finish”, said Holland during the press conference. Darren Till laughed those plans off, saying that “You’re utterly clueless mate if you think that’s going to happen. I’ll knock you out cold inside the first round and run victory laps round your unconscious body. And when I’m done with you, I’m coming for the belt. Me vs. Izzy [israel Adesanya] in front of a sold out O2 Arena, London at the end of the year, how good does that sound”, said Till in his typical, thick Scouse accent which Holland continuously mocked during the entire event. With the Middleweight division currently wide open for any challengers to emerge, the main event for UFC on ABC 2 is certainly a big one for the title contention with the eventual winner being touted as the next challenger behind the former champion Robert Whittaker, who has reportedly verbally agreed to face the champion Adesanya in a rematch later this year. No official words has been made however as Israel Adesanya recovers following his recent successful Light Heavyweight title defense over Glover Teixeira.

Another division that is considered to be wide open and open for new challengers to emerge is the Lightweight division, in which Dustin Poirier is the new undisputed champion. The co-main event this Saturday will feature a Lightweight clash between the former champion and the current number sixth ranked fighter Rafael dos Anjos (30-13) as he takes on the resurging contender Beneil Dariush (20-4-1) who currently sits at the number eight spot in the rankings. The Brazilian dos Anjos defeated the veteran Paul Felder in a short notice Split Decision in his divisional return last November and has openly talked about reclaiming what he believes is his Lightweight title. “My mindset has always been that I am the champion of the division I am in. Even though I may not hold the belt as of now, I know deep down in my heart that I will become the undisputed champion once again. I respect Dustin Poirier and wish him all the best as the current champion of the Lightweight division, but he has something that is mine and I will take it back when I get the chance I deserve”, said dos Anjos during the pre-fight press conference. His opponent, the 32-year old Beneil Dariush has looked sensationally good since his last loss in the Octagon back in 2018, winning six straight bouts and climbing the rankings in the process. If the AKA fighter would be successful against the biggest name of his career thus far, a shot at the title or at least a title eliminator bout would be unquestionably on the mind of Dariush. “Of course, I think I have earned a shot at the title if I can beat a former champion in Rafael dos Anjos. I know [Dustin] Poirier is the champion and with [Justin] Gaethje most likely facing Michael Chandler before getting a title shot and Conor [McGregor] facing Nate [Diaz] in the trilogy, the road to a title shot is wide open for me. I may not be the biggest name but trust me, after Saturday everyone will know who Beneil Dariush is”, said the co-main eventing Dariush during the pre-fight press conference.

The Women’s Strawweight bout between the dangerous Brazilian Muay Thai-fighter Marina Rodriguez (13-1-2) and the veteran Michelle Waterson (18-8) is another bout with some serious implications on its division. With no clear cut number one contender having emerged, except for the former champions Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Carla Esparza, a victory for Rodriguez could catapult her into the title contention while Waterson, who is currently ranked at the number eleven spot, needs a big victory to keep her name as a relevant one in the Strawweight division. The other two main card bouts, a Welterweight scrap between Santiago Ponzinibbio (27-4) and Niko Price (15-4-1-1 NC) and the Lightweight clash between the veteran Michael Johnson (19-17) and the rising prospect Brad Riddell (9-1), may not feature ranked fighters, but the eventual winners of them could insert themselves into their respective divisional top 15 spots. Especially the 29-year old City Kickboxing Team-member Riddell, a teammate of champions Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski, has already made a name for himself as a fighter for the future with 3 wins in his 3 UFC-fights so far. A win over Johnson would be big for his career, while the 35-year old TUF-alumni Johnson, who famously has victories over the likes of Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson, and Edson Barboza on his record, is fighting for his job as he’s currently on a 4-fight losing streak. Also fighting on the card but on the prelims is rising prospects Ilia Topuria, who faces Darren Elkins, Chase Hooper, who’s taking on Darrick Minner, and Impa Kasanganay, who will battle it out against the veteran Tim Boetsch.

UFC on ABC 2: Holland vs. Till at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada this Saturday 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

ABC Preliminary Card

Featherweight Bout: Ilia Topuria vs. Darren Elkins

Featherweight Bout: Chase Hooper vs. Darrick Minner

Middleweight Bout: Tim Boetsch* vs. Impa Kasanganay

Flyweight Bout: Cody Durden vs. Jerome Rivera

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Ariane Carnelossi vs. Casey O’Neill

Welterweight Bout: Alberto Mina vs. Stefan Sekulic

Flyweight Bout: Sam Creasey vs. Jeff Molina

*Tim Boetsch missed weight by 2lbs. He forfeited 20% of his purse to his opponent Impa Kasanganay. As a result, Boetsch will move up to the Light Heavyweight division regardless of the outcome of this bout.

maxicheezestick · June 14, 2021

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

ABC Preliminary Card

Featherweight Bout: Ilia Topuria vs. Darren Elkins

Featherweight Bout: Chase Hooper vs. Darrick Minner

Middleweight Bout: Tim Boetsch* vs. Impa Kasanganay

Flyweight Bout: Cody Durden vs. Jerome Rivera

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Ariane Carnelossi vs. Casey O’Neill

Welterweight Bout: Alberto Mina vs. Stefan Sekulic

Flyweight Bout: Sam Creasey vs. Jeff Molina

McDojoDelux · June 15, 2021

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

ABC Preliminary Card

Featherweight Bout: Ilia Topuria vs. Darren Elkins

Featherweight Bout: Chase Hooper vs. Darrick Minner

Middleweight Bout: Tim Boetsch* vs. Impa Kasanganay

Flyweight Bout: Cody Durden vs. Jerome Rivera

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Ariane Carnelossi vs. Casey O’Neill

Welterweight Bout: Alberto Mina vs. Stefan Sekulic

Flyweight Bout: Sam Creasey vs. Jeff Molina

Pontarii · June 15, 2021

WEEK 2 - JULY 2021

UFC on ABC 2: Holland vs. Till

Critical Rating: 73%

Commercial Rating: 88%

Profit/Loss: $2.786.399

Main Event

Darren Till def. Kevin Holland by Knock Out (Elbow) in 3:07 of Round 1

Co-Main Event

Beneil Dariush def. Rafael dos Anjos by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

Main Card

Marina Rodriguez def. Michelle Waterson by Knock Out (Elbow) in 2:05 of Round 1

Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Niko Price by TKO (Strikes) in 1:30 of Round 2

Brad Riddell def. Michael Johnson by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 27-29)

ABC Preliminary Card

Ilia Topuria def. Darren Elkins by Submission (Guillotine) in 1:02 of Round 1

Chase Hooper def. Darrick Minner by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

Impa Kasanganay def. Tim Boetsch by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

Cody Durden def. Jerome Rivera by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x2, 30-28)

Ariane Carnelossi def. Casey O’Neill by TKO (Strikes) in 0:49 of Round 3

Alberto Mina def. Stefan Sekulic by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:30 of Round 3

Sam Creasey def. Jeff Molina by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

Summary

Two of the most outspoken and charismatic figures on the entire UFC roster squared off in the main event of the second ever UFC on ABC-card as top ranked Middleweights Kevin “Trailblazer” Holland and Darren “The Gorilla” Till looked to insert their names into the title discussion. It was quite the heated build up to the bout with both fighters not backing down from the trash talking aspect with Holland claiming he’s above Till’s skill level while the 28-year old from Liverpool, England vowed to finish the self-proclaimed “big mouth” inside the first round. It was Holland who entered the bout as a slight betting favorite at -190 with his momentum and six fight winning streak as big factors while Till, a constant fan favorite for UFC-fans all over the world, had a +150 line attached to his name. As soon as referee Dan Miragliotta began the contest, it was clear we had a striking war to look forward to as Kevin Holland landed a quick kick to the lead leg of Till inside the first ten seconds. Not wanting to be overdone by his opponent, Till landed a roundhouse kick to the body straight after, which earned the applause from the crowd inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 28-year old from Fort Worth, Texas was the aggressor early on as he used a variety of strikes to damage his opponent early, but Till was effective with his counter striking, almost landing a clean hit every time Holland finished his combinations. Despite his team urging him to not to leave himself open after finishing his striking sequences, Holland continued being careless in his search for an early knockout of the former Welterweight title contender and it would cost him greatly. Initially, it was a missed right cross at the 1:20 mark that initiated the downfall of Holland as Till landed a swift spin kick counter to the rib cage that clearly hurt Holland, but it wasn’t enough at that point for the Englishman to finish it quite yet. However, one minute later, a similar sequence would lead to the finish of the fight when Holland yet again missed right cross which Till countered with a kick, not to the body but straight to the head of his opponent. This in turn made Holland retreating in desperation and on wobbly legs, almost stumbling over. Till rushed his opponent, secured the Muay Thai clinch and landed another vicious strike, this time a perfectly executed knee to the face of the 28-year old Texas-native which would knock anyone else out but Holland showed incredible heart and a granite chin to survive that shot. He didn’t survive the following elbow from the clinch however as he fell to the floor in a bloody mess, and to prevent further damage inflicted to an early defeated fighter, referee Dan Miragliotta signaled for the bout to be stopped at 3:07 in the first round. Darren Till had done exactly what he had promised to do as he finished Kevin Holland inside the first round, and he celebrated wildly on top of the cage as he screamed “Izzy, you’re next!” continuously towards the camera, a clear indication that he wants the champion Israel Adesanya next. When being interviewed by his fellow countryman Michael Bisping in the Octagon following his victory, Darren Till was clear as day with his intentions going forward. “I am 100 percent next in line for the Middleweight title. Rob [Robert Whittaker], you’ve had your chance and you blew it mate. I’m next, not you, and just like I promised everyone a finish inside the first round here, I’ll predict a first round knockout of the current champion as well”, said an emphatic Till after the fight. Darren Till left the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada not only a winner in the cage and $50k richer due to his Performance of the Night-bonus, he also left the arena as a guaranteed Middleweight title contender – the only question is, will he face Israel Adesanya next or will he have to wait for the rematch between Izzy and Robert Whittaker first before getting his much deserved opportunity at gold again?

Controversy sparked the co-main event of UFC on ABC 2 as the Lightweight battle between the former champion Rafael dos Anjos and the 32-year old veteran Beneil Dariush ended in one of the closest Split Decision you’ll ever see. Realistically, nothing separated the pairing in the bout or in the fight metrics department as both fighters had equal numbers between them with the only separation being that dos Anjos landed three times more ground strikes than Dariush in the bout, most of them in the third round. If the bout was to be scored in Pride, dos Anjos would be the clear victor as round one and two was incredibly close without anything really separating them while the third round was the only clear one, in which the former champion controlled it. But as we all know, the scoring in the UFC is being determined round by round and therefor, two of the three judges saw Beneil Dariush as the winner of round one and two while the third judge gave two rounds to dos Anjos. A split crowd both cheered and booed Beneil Dariush when it was announced that he was the winner and fans and experts alike discussed and argued the result on social media with many calling it a robbery while others agreed with the decision as Dariush was the aggressor in the first two rounds. Dariush himself said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping that he thought he did enough to earn the victory but also gave credit to Rafael dos Anjos for such a close contest. When asked about what’s next for him in the division, Dariush said: “I didn’t do enough to earn a shot at the title, so I need another big name to add to my resume. Charles Oliveira, you’re the only one in the top 5 currently without an opponent. How about you and me in October, either a main event or a co-main event? I’ll be waiting”. It didn’t take long for the man in question to respond on social media, saying that he would enjoy a bout against Dariush and that he welcomed an official contract from the UFC.

The first round Elbow knockout from Darren Till in the main event wasn’t the only first round Elbow knockout on the main card this evening as Marina Rodriguez became the first fighter to earn a KO-victory over Michelle Waterson in the UFC. It was the Brazilian who dominated the bout from start to finish, using her superior kicks and clinch game to prevent the former Invicta FC Atomweight champion to get into the fight at all. It was all over two minutes into the first round when Rodriguez finished a three strike combination inside the clinch with a vicious elbow that not only sliced open Waterson but also send her straight to the floor, which prompted the referee Jason Herzog to stop the bout. You could argue that Waterson wasn’t completely out cold and that she could be given a chance to survive, but Dana White agreed with the stoppage during the post-fight press conference, saying that it would be unnecessary and dangerous to let the fight continue after that Performance of the Night-worthy elbow. Fight of the Night-bonuses was awarded to Santiago Ponzinibbio and Niko Price who delivered a great war just like the fans expected when the bout was first announced, with Ponzinibbio finishing the 31-year old Price with strikes in the second round. We also witnessed an entertaining bout between the veteran Michael Johnson and the rising prospect Brad Riddell in the main card opener. It was a hard contest for the judges to assess with one judge not only deeming Johnson the winner but also giving him a big 10-8 round in the third round in which he had Riddell hurt on a couple of occasions. The other two judges gave Riddell two of the three rounds as the Split Decision verdict was announced. Michael Johnson was visibly upset and angry over the decision as he was sure he was doing enough to get the victory or at least a draw, and you really have to feel for the 25-fight UFC-veteran as his tenure with the organization came to an end as expected after the event with five straight losses and a 11-14 record with the company. The other fighter who was released following UFC on ABC 2 was Jerome Rivera, who suffered his fourth straight loss in the UFC against Cody Durden in a one-sided Unanimous Decision during the prelims. The prelims also provided us with impressive victories for Ilia Topuria, Chase Hooper, Impa Kasanganay, and the promotional newcomer Sam Creasey.

Bonus Awards

Fight of the Night: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Niko Price

Performance of the Night: Darren Till, Marina Rodriguez, and Ilia Topuria

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/9d6IgKO.jpg

Prediction Table

McDojoDelux = 9 out of 12

maxicheezestick = 7 out of 12

Pontarii · June 17, 2021

WEEK 2 - JULY 2021

UFC Event Announcement

Top ranked Heavyweights Curtis Blaydes and Ciryl Gane headlines UFC Fight Night 193 in Oklahoma City, OK

Although it’s widely considered a fact albeit not officially announced one that the current UFC Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will make his first title defense against one of the all-time greats in Jon Jones before the end of 2021, the Heavyweight title landscape is still up for grabs for the fighters ranked in the top 5. Many fighters can make claims for a shot at the title, but none more so than the two Heavyweights that will feature in the just announced main event of UFC Fight Night 193 from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The number two ranked Curtis Blaydes (15-2-1 NC) will face the number three ranked, undefeated Ciryl Gane (8-0), who defeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik in his last Octagon outing, in a five rounder to determine who will have the clearest case to make for a title shot. The 30-year old decorated collegiate wrestler Curtis “Razor” Blaydes has mauled through the competition in his UFC-career, defeating big names like Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Mark Hunt, Alexander Volkov, and lastly Derrick Lewis in a dominant Unanimous Decision victory. In fact, the only two losses he has suffered in his entire MMA career has been against the same fighter, none other than the current champion Francis Ngannou who firstly defeated a then undefeated Blaydes via Doctor Stoppage in 2016 and then again in quick fashion two years later. Since losing against the current champion back in 2018, Blaydes has been on a tear scoring five straight victories and looking like a whole new fighter in the process, one ready to avenge his only career losses against his main antagonist. For the 30-year old Ciryl “Bon Gamin” Gane, a native of Vircennes, France, it’s also an opportunity to face Francis Ngannou, but contrary to Blaydes’ case, it wouldn’t be a story of revenge nor distain. Instead, it would be a story of friendship and brotherhood. The 8-0 undefeated Gane is not only the main training partner for the champion Ngannou at MMA FACTORY, they are also close friends and has made their journeys on the MMA scene side by side through the years. Gane has previously stated that the only time he would even consider facing Francis Ngannou was if the belt was on the line, and even then would it be difficult for him to put aside their close friendship and battle it out inside the Octagon. With both Blaydes’ and Gane’s close connection to Francis Ngannou, perhaps both fighters would rather face Jon Jones for the title over “The Predator”? Nevertheless, the eventual winner of the UFC Fight Night 193 main event will have an undeniably strong case for a title shot, that’s for sure.

The co-main event of the UFC Fight Night 193 card is a fight that has been brewing for a couple of months, especially since March when DWCS-alumni Dan Ige (15-3), who defeated the incredibly dangerous BJJ phenom Ryan Hall in a Split Decision that night, called out “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (16-6) for a showdown between a rising prospect and a legend of the sport. It didn’t take long for the 34-year old South Korean to accept the challenge, saying that he “respects [Dan] Ige as a fighter and as a person” and that he “would be honored to share the cage with such a talented fighter”. After some difficulties finding a suitable date and location for the agreed bout, it has finally been made official as it will serve as the co-main event behind the Heavyweight main event in the Chesapeake Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The 29-year old Dan Ige from Honolulu, Hawaii has cemented himself as a mainstay in the talent stacked Featherweight division with wins over the likes of Edson Barboza and Mirsad Bektic, and many experts has named him as a potential future champion. His opponent, the man they call “Korean Zombie”, has a long history of grueling wars inside the Octagon against some of the best in the world in José Aldo, Frankie Edgar, Dustin Poirier, and most recently Brian Ortega, who he lost to in decisive fashion. That fight earned “T-City” a shot at the Featherweight title, so it’s safe to say that a win over “The Korean Zombie” can lead to a big fight should, and for Ige it’s no exception should he be victorious.

Another bout that has been discussed a while now and is now officially announced is the Bantamweight scrap between Rob Font (18-4) and Jimmie “El Terror” Rivera (24-4). Font, who is on an impressive three fight win streak over names like Marlon Moraes and Sergio Pettis, had called Rivera out a few years back, saying that there’s bad blood between the two Puerto Rican-natives and that they need to settle their differences inside the Octagon once and for all. When Rivera secured a Split Decision victory over Pedro Munhoz back at UFC 258: Usman vs. Burns, he ignited the rivalry between them with a callout of his own that made the matchmaking a “no brainer” for the UFC. With Font ranked at the number four spot and Rivera ranked at the number seven spot, a victory for either man could also potentially have some big implications on the Bantamweight title picture, which makes the bout even more interesting to witness. Perennial Women’s Strawweight contenders Claudia Gadelha (18-5) and Tecia “Tiny Tornado” Torres (12-5) will also battle it out on the main card of UFC Fight Night 193 for a chance to once again climb the rankings and insert their name in the Strawweight title contention. Opening the main card is a Fight of the Night-candidate and almost certified banger when Lightweights Mateusz Gamrot (17-1-1 NC) and Drew Dober (23-10-1 NC) faces each other in an anticipated bout. Gamrot, a former KSW champ-champ before joining the UFC, suffered his first career defeat at the hands of another surging prospect in Guram Kutateladze during his UFC-debut in a controversial Split Decision, but despite the loss the UFC is reportedly very high on the 30-year old Polish fighter. He is pitted against the savvy veteran Drew Dober, who is currently ranked at the number 15 spot in the Lightweight division. Dober, now 32-years old, has fought a plethora of exciting fighters during his UFC-tenure and most recently lost a decisive Unanimous Decision to perhaps the biggest prospect of them all in Islam Makhachev. If Gamrot was to be successful, a fight up the rankings would unquestionably be on the horizon for him, while Dober looks to cement his place in the top fifteen.

UFC Fight Night 193: Blaydes vs. Gane main card emerging from the Chesapeake Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma next month looks like this:

Main Event

Heavyweight Bout: (#2) Curtis Blaydes vs. (#3) Ciryl Gane

Co-Main Event

Featherweight Bout: (#7) Chan Sung Jung vs. (#10) Dan Ige

Main Card

Bantamweight Bout: (#4) Rob Font vs. (#7) Jimmie Rivera

Women’s Strawweight Bout: (#7) Claudia Gadelha vs. (#10) Tecia Torres

Lightweight Bout: Mateusz Gamrot vs. (#15) Drew Dober

Pontarii · June 18, 2021

WEEK 3 - JULY 2021

UFC Event Preview

Dana White: “Winner of this main event will 100% be the next title challenger for Kamaru Usman”

UFC has made its way from the States over to Stockholm, Sweden and the newly renamed Avicii Arena for a much anticipated Welterweight main event between the undefeated sensation Khamzat Chimaev (10-0) and perhaps the best striker in the entire UFC in Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-4-1). This is truly a clash of styles kind of fight as Chimaev has emerged out of nowhere with a smothering, damaging wrestling-based style while “Wonderboy” has shown how good of a striker he is against the best in the world for years, and it will be supremely interesting to see which fighting style will prevail. Despite having only fought four times in the UFC with twice of them taking place at 170lbs, Chimaev has emerged as a true superstar and a certified needle mover in the short amount of time he has been with the company and according to Dana White, the 27-year old is one of the biggest stars in the company. “This kid [Khamzat Chimaev] is a true star, let me tell you. He came from nowhere and exploded on the scene with such dominance no one has ever seen before in the sport, he took out guys left and right no matter what division. He went from a complete unknown to have over 6 million followers on Instagram, that’s insane. He’s one of the biggest stars in the sport today in terms of a following, only Conor McGregor and Khabib [Nurmagomedov] can pull that kind of numbers”, said Dana White during the pre-fight press conference. The UFC President also confirmed that the eventual winner of the UFC on ESPN-event in Stockholm, Sweden would be next in line for a shot at Kamaru Usman’s Welterweight title. “No doubt, the winner of this fight will be the next title challenger, 100%. [Khamzat] Chimaev has already defeated a potential title challenger in Leon [Edwards] while “Wonderboy” has looked incredible in his latest bouts. Both guys deserve it, but only the winner will get the next one”, said White emphatically. Neither Chimaev nor “Wonderboy” was really interesting in utilizing trash talk against each other. Instead, it was quite the respectful build up between the pair that lead up to the fight. “I respect him [stephen Thompson] a lot; he is a great fighter and great person. I want to smash everybody, this is no exception, but I don’t dislike him at all”, said Chimaev to his opponent during the pre-fight press conference. “I enjoy challenging myself and this is the biggest challenge there is out there today. Khamzat [Chimaev] has destroyed everybody so far and has shown incredible power and control with his wrestling ability, so it will be a tough puzzle to solve. I believe he has a bright, bright future in the sport”, said “Wonderboy” as a response.

The third most notable Swede on the UFC roster will feature in the co-main event spot as Ilir “The Sledgehammer” Latifi (15-8-1 NC) continues his Light Heavyweight-return against the surging prospect Ryan “Superman” Spann (19-6). The now 37-year old Latifi has openly talked about making a last run for the 205lbs title after contemplating a Heavyweight run, but after losing a rather controversial Unanimous Decision against the top ranked Derrick Lewis in his divisional debut, he instead opted for a return back to the division he has fought almost his entire career. With a win over perennial gatekeeper of the division in Nikita Krylov, a TKO-victory in just 46 seconds, he is making his way up through the rankings in hopes of earning his first UFC-title bout. In his way this Saturday stands the 29-year old Texas-native Ryan Spann, who has really made a name for himself in the UFC Light Heavyweight division with big wins over legends like Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Antonio Rogerio “Lil Nog” Nogueira. The DWCS-alumni has five wins and only one loss, against Johnny Walker, during his UFC-tenure and is currently sitting comfortably at the number fifteen spot in the rankings while Latifi entered as number twelve following his last victory. With a sizeable length and reach advantage in the bout, Spann is the close betting favorite as he comes in at -100 while Latifi, despite fighting in front of a home town crowd, is entering the contest as a +150 underdog. Hopefully for the usually intense Swedish crowd, their countryman can prove the odds makers wrong and leave Avicii Arena as the winner to further climb the rankings on his quest for gold.

As to be expected when UFC puts on events in Scandinavia, both the main card and the prelims are stacked with fighters from nations like Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. A fight that has gain a lot of attention in the last days especially is the Lightweight bout between Danish Olympic silver medalist in Greco-Roman Wrestling Mark O. Madsen (11-0) as he takes on the 26-year old Brazilian prospect Thiago Moises (15-4). Madsen is a huge star in Denmark and is widely considered as one of, if not the greatest wrestler on the entire UFC roster and a victory over Moises, who is on a three fight win streak, would be enormous for his MMA career. With the suitable nickname “The Olympian”, the 36-year old Madsen has all the tools to become a serious threat in the Lightweight division while Moises is no one to underestimate. Another Olympian will feature on the card as Sara McMann (12-6) faces the Swedish prospect and TUF 28-finalist Pannie Kianzad (14-5) in the Women’s Bantamweight division. The 40-year old McMann has openly stated that this is most likely her last bout in her long and storied career, so a win for the former title challenger would be a much wanted ending for the Maryland-native while Kianzad is looking to add another big name to her growing resume. Opening the main card will another hot prospect from Sweden do as the Swedish-Georgian Guram Kutateladze (13-2) takes on Leonardo Santos (18-4-1) in a Lightweight bout. The 29-year old Kutateladze famously handed Mateusz Gamrot his first career defeat in their respective UFC-debuts and also earned a head kick knockout over Don Madge back in March of this year while Santos, who is currently 36-years old, lost for the first time in his UFC-career against another big prospect in Grant Dawson earlier in the year. If Kutateladze was to add Santos to the list of victories, a ranked opponent would undoubtedly be on the cards for him in the near future while the Brazilian veteran looks to regain his spot in the 155lbs rankings. Last but not least, the two brothers David and Daniel Teymur will compete on the preliminary portion of the event. David Teymur (8-2) takes on Khama Worthy (16-7) in the prelim headliner while Daniel Teymur (7-4) faces Matt Sayles (8-3) earlier on the card.

Main Event

Welterweight Bout: (#4) Khamzat Chimaev vs. (#5) Stephen Thompson

Co-Main Event

Light Heavyweight Bout: (#12) Ilir Latifi vs. (#15) Ryan Spann

Main Card

Lightweight Bout: Mark O. Madsen vs. Thiago Moises

Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#11) Pannie Kianzad vs. (#9) Sara McMann

Lightweight Bout: Guram Kutateladze vs. Leonardo Santos

ESPN2 Preliminary Card

Lightweight Bout: David Teymur vs. Khama Worthy

Welterweight Bout: Nicolas Dalby vs. Abubakar Nurmagomedov

Lightweight Bout: Damir Hadzovic vs. Thibault Goulti

Welterweight Bout: Danny Roberts vs. Chad Laprise

Featherweight Bout: Daniel Teymur vs. Matt Sayles

Welterweight Bout: Emil Meek vs. Mike Jackson

Lightweight Bout: Teemu Packalen vs. Claudio Puelles

CageRage · June 18, 2021

Main Event

Welterweight Bout: (#4) Khamzat Chimaev vs. (#5) Stephen Thompson

Co-Main Event

Light Heavyweight Bout: (#12) Ilir Latifi vs. (#15) Ryan Spann

Main Card

Lightweight Bout: Mark O. Madsen vs. Thiago Moises

Women's Bantamweight Bout: (#11) Pannie Kianzad vs. (#9) Sara McMann

Lightweight Bout: Guram Kutateladze vs. Leonardo Santos

ESPN2 Preliminary Card

Lightweight Bout: David Teymur vs. Khama Worthy

Welterweight Bout: Nicolas Dalby vs. Abubakar Nurmagomedov

Lightweight Bout: Damir Hadzovic vs. Thibault Goulti

Welterweight Bout: Danny Roberts vs. Chad Laprise

Featherweight Bout: Daniel Teymur vs. Matt Sayles

Welterweight Bout: Emil Meek vs. Mike Jackson

Lightweight Bout: Teemu Packalen vs. Claudio Puelles

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