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UFC 181: Start Time, Prelim Live Stream Info and Full Fight Card Predictions

There’s a whole lot to love about UFC 181.
High stakes? Check.
There will be not one, but two championship belts on the line.
Exciting fights? Check.
The four combatants in the co-main and main events have a combined 13 career p…

There’s a whole lot to love about UFC 181.

High stakes? Check.

There will be not one, but two championship belts on the line.

Exciting fights? Check.

The four combatants in the co-main and main events have a combined 13 career performance bonuses alone.

Heavy hitters? Check.

If you’re into heavyweight action, there’s plenty of that, too.

Before the belts are fought for, back-to-back heavyweight fights involving Travis Browne and Todd Duffee are sure to bring the violence throughout the card.

Here’s a look at how to catch all the action, along with predictions for every fight.

Predicting the Night’s Biggest Stars

Travis Browne

It wasn’t so long ago that Browne was considered one of the few legitimate threats to Cain Velasquez in the heavyweight division. Then his loss to Fabricio Werdum happened.

The 6’7″ Browne was dominated by Vai Cavalo for the duration of the five-round fight. According to FightMetric, he was outstruck in every round.

However, a lopsided loss to Werdum doesn’t look as bad in retrospect. The 37-year-old Brazilian is now the interim champion and has proven his worth as one of the best heavyweights in the sport not named Cain Velasquez.

On Saturday night, Browne has the opportunity to get his name right back in the conversation. In the land of the giants, it isn’t hard to recover from a loss in terms of the rankings—especially with wins over Josh Barnett, Alistair Overeem and Gabriel Gonzaga to your name.

Fresh off a split decision loss to Andrei Arlovski, Brendan Schaub is just 2-3 in his last five fights. Browne should be able to showcase the power that made him an exciting contender.

With a statement finish added to his resume, Browne will be right back in line for a big name in his next bout.

Anthony Pettis

In combat sports, it’s a general rule of thumb that a champion isn’t really a champion until he defends his belt. Anthony Pettis is acutely aware of this.

“I won the belt, but then I was off for a year,” Pettis told Greg Beacham of the Associated Press via the Houston Chronicle. “I can’t consider myself the best of the best until I prove it for about a year. That’s what I want to start this Saturday night.”

This might be considered your typical pre-fight talk from a new champion, but Pettis has the goods to back up his lofty goal. Even if the armbar that earned him the belt he now wears around his waist felt flukish, his body of work speaks for itself.

The 27-year-old hasn’t lost since 2011. In a division that was run by Benson Henderson for over a year, Pettis is the only fighter who can claim two victories over the now former champion.

Pettis might not be able to get the finish in Vegas. His opponent, Gilbert Melendez, has never been finished. However, Pettis‘ dynamic striking should deliver plenty of excitement as he outpoints the challenger through five rounds.

Johny Hendricks

The man they call Bigg Rigg should be able to identify with Pettis. He, too, will be looking to prove himself with his first title defense since becoming champ.

The only difference for Hendricks is that he’s running into an opponent he should be familiar with. After putting on one of the best fights of 2014 with Robbie Lawler, the new champion has been tasked with proving his mettle as champion by besting Lawler again.

With Ruthless’ ability to put opponents to sleep with a variety of strikes, that’s a tall order.

The champion was able to stand toe-to-toe with Lawler in their first bout. The two landed a combined 308 significant strikes, according to FightMetric‘s numbers.

However, those same numbers reveal that Hendricks was savvy enough to go to his wrestling as the fight progressed. He landed a takedown in each of the last two rounds, as he eked out the decision win.

This time around, the champion should use a more balanced approach and build a more comfortable lead on the scorecards.

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UFC 181: Early Predictions for Hendricks vs. Lawler 2 Main Event

UFC 181 will see two championship belts up for grabs, and the rematch between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler promises to end the night with an exclamation mark.
How could the two free-swinging welterweights not put on a show to remember? Even …

UFC 181 will see two championship belts up for grabs, and the rematch between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler promises to end the night with an exclamation mark.

How could the two free-swinging welterweights not put on a show to remember? Even with an electric co-main event between Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez on tap, the main event figures to be the favorite to take home fight of the night honors.

After all, there’s a reason it was chosen as the main event. The two landed a combined 308 significant strikes in their first five-round brawl, which saw Hendricks take the title by the narrowest of margins.

The one they call Ruthless has done his part to earn a rematch since then, though. While Hendricks has been inactive, Lawler earned impressive victories over Jake Ellenberger and Matt Brown en route to another shot at UFC gold.

Here’s a look at all the information you’ll need to catch the sequel along with an early preview and prediction.

When: Saturday, Dec. 6

Start Time: Fight Pass Prelims at 7 p.m. ET; Fox Sports 1 Prelims at 8 p.m. ET; Main Card PPV at 10 p.m. ET

Where: Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas

Live Stream: UFC.tv

Odds via Odds Shark as of Sunday, Nov. 30 at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Fight Preview

There’s a reason these two put on a show in their first go-round. Each fighter has a penchant for trying to knock his opponent’s head off his shoulders. With the title on the line, we saw both Lawler and Hendricks swing for the fences, looking to win the fight at a moment’s notice.

It’s the type of fighting that makes for legendary fights. It’s also the kind that probably shortens careers. However, it’s the smartest path to victory for only one combatant—the challenger.

Looking at the statistical breakdown of these two fighters, they are almost identical in the stand-up game.

However, there’s a glaring difference between the two. Hendricks is the much more accomplished grappler. This is a shock to no one. Bigg Rigg‘s background as a collegiate wrestler at Oklahoma State has been well-publicized and shows in the Octagon when the new champion chooses to showcase it.

Lawler‘s takedown defense isn’t anything special. Granted, it’s not a complete walk in the park taking down the contender, but he defends only 65 percent of takedown attempts, per FightMetric.

It’s no coincidence that Hendricks attempted the most takedown attempts in Round 5 of their classic title fight. He had finally figured out that using his greatest strength was an easy way to win the round. The key to this bout will be how quickly Bigg Rigg goes back to that strategy.

Prediction

Using five rounds of action between these two, this is still a tough fight to call. Former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre predicts the bout will ultimately come down to how well Hendricks deals with a layoff that extends back to his first bout with Lawler back in March, via MMAFighting.com:

The first fight was very close. They gave it to Hendricks. I thought, personally, Hendricks won the fight, but a lot of people believe Lawler won. This time, I don’t know. Hendricks was out for a long time, but if he keeps that same explosiveness … I think he kind of lost it in his fight with Lawler. He didn’t look as powerful as he normally was. The good old Johny Hendricks as he’s always been, I believe Hendricks is supposed to win.

It’s hard to disagree with the former kingpin of the welterweight division on this one. Ultimately, Hendricks is the champion, and it’s his fight to lose.

However, just how close the bout is feels like it’s entirely up to him. Much like Dan Henderson—who had an impressive wrestling pedigree in his own right—it feels like Hendricks is never one to shy away from standing toe-to-toe with anyone, even if it means abandoning the most clear advantage he has.

If the champion utilizes his wrestling earlier and more often, he could finish Lawler. That doesn’t seem likely, though. Look for Hendricks to exchange leather with his aggressive opponent yet again and squeak out yet another decision victory.

Hendricks via unanimous decision.

All fight statistics used in this article via FightMetric unless otherwise noted.

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UFC 180 Results: Scorecards, Reaction and Analysis from Hunt vs. Werdum Event

UFC 180 reminded fans of one truth about MMA as a sport—a fight can end at a moment’s notice. The theme was apparent throughout the night in Mexico, as four of the five main card bouts ended in the first round.
Then—in the finale—Fabr…

Then—in the finale—Fabricio Werdum waited until the second round to knock out Mark Hunt en route to his coronation as the new interim heavyweight champion.

But Werdum wasn’t the only fight winner who got some bling for his efforts. The card also crowned two The Ultimate Fighter champions as part of the Fox Sports 1 preliminary portion of the card. Here’s a look at the complete results for Saturday night along with analysis and reaction to the biggest stories in Mexico City.

Yair Rodriguez and Alejandro Perez Become TUF Winners

The interim heavyweight title wasn’t the only award up for grabs on Saturday night. Four fighters were also attempting to stake their claim as the latest winners of The Ultimate Fighter.

Team Velasquez products Jose Alberto Quinonez and Alejandro Perez kicked off the TUF finale doubleheader in the bantamweight division. Perez and Quinonez engaged in a back-and-forth fight throughout most of the three rounds. However, an intentional headbutt from Quinonez turned the fight toward Perez in the third frame. Heidi Fang of Fox Sports noted how rare it is to see two points being taken away from a fighter:

Once Perez earned his title, it was on to the 145ers. Team Velasquez’s Yair Rodriguez met Team Werdum’s Leonardo Morales to determine the title. Although Morales held his own in the stand-up department, Rodriguez’s impressive ground game was the difference.

According to FightMetric, Rodriguez scored two takedowns and five submission attempts, while Morales was unable to do much of anything when the fight hit the mat.

Rodriguez attempted to put into words how great it felt to win the show in his post-fight interview, per MMAFighting:

It would behoove the UFC to bring along both Perez and Rodriguez slowly. Neither fighter looked capable of making a splash in the near future. However, with the sport constantly looking for ways to improve its brand recognition in various parts of the globe, the two winners got their UFC careers heading in the right direction in a big spot.

Jessica Eye Bounces Back with Authority

Jessica “Evil” Eye’s 2014 didn’t get off to the best start. The Cleveland native lost a close split decision to Alexis Davis at UFC 170 in February. Then she had to turn around and watch Davis get a crack at Ronda Rousey (all 16 seconds of it).

But the No. 6 women’s bantamweight in the UFC rankings did a lot to get herself back on track to her own title shot on Saturday. Faced with an inferior opponent, she picked Leslie Smith apart through two rounds of action before nearly detaching Smith’s ear.

Gruesome ending aside, Eye’s striking ability really shined through in this one. As Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report noted, her athleticism was simply too much for Smith:

It’s time for Eye to once again get a Top Five opponent. She proved on Saturday that she can treat anyone below her in the rankings like her personal punching bag.

Fabricio Werdum Is the New Interim Heavyweight Champion

Obviously, the biggest story of the night was Werdum claiming the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship against Hunt.

The 37-year-old Brazilian went toe-to-toe with the Super Samoan for most of the first round. Although that would seem like a counterintuitive strategy for the jiu-jitsu wiz, it ended up paying dividends. Standing just outside of Hunt’s range in the second round, Werdum timed up a flying knee that sent Hunt tumbling to the canvas before follow-up strikes brought the end of the fight.

Werdum’s assumed next opponent—current champion Cain Velasquez—assessed the fight on the UFC Post Show, via Jeff Cain of MMAWeekly.com:

Hunt came out and stuck to his game plan pretty good; defended the takedowns and I think won most of the stand-up in the first round. He just got caught with that knee… It just shows that Fabricio does everything and he does everything well. He spins. He spin-kicks. He knees, throws elbows. He does everything well.

Now, the question is what—if anything—Werdum will be able to do against the actual champion. Velasquez is considered to be the undisputed best heavyweight in the world, but it’s been four years since he’s fought someone not named Junior dos Santos or Antonio Silva.

When the champion finally returns to the Octagon from injury, he’ll have a new challenge awaiting him. With Werdum’s ever-improving striking making him one of the most well-rounded fighters in the division, he has certainly earned his date with destiny when he finally gets his chance.

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UFC 180: Complete Results and Most Impressive Performances from PPV Event

If you’re a fan of first-round finishes, then UFC 180 was a dream card. The UFC’s maiden voyage to Mexico featured four straight fights that didn’t see the second round before crowning a new interim heavyweight champion.
The excitement didn’t stop when…

The excitement didn’t stop when a fight finally made it out of the first frame, either. As expected, Mark Hunt and Fabricio Werdum put on an exciting show for the interim heavyweight championship, with Vai Cavalo emerging as the winner thanks to a well-timed flying knee.

Amid all the excitement and explosive finishes, it was difficult for fighters to really stand out above the rest. Still, a few fighters earned statement victories that will propel them to the next level in their careers.

Here’s a look at the complete list of results and at the fighters with the most impressive performances of the night.

Ricardo Lamas Halts Dennis Bermudez’s Win Streak

UFC 180 was supposed to serve as another bullet point on Dennis Bermudez’s resume. Riding a seven-fight win streak, he went up against a fighter in Ricardo Lamas whose last two trips to the Octagon included a lopsided loss to Jose Aldo and an underwhelming decision victory over Hacran Dias.

None of that mattered to Lamas.

The 32-year-old reminded observers how he earned that shot against Aldo in the first place with an impressive first-round submission victory over The Menace. The brief performance served to remind fans that Lamas can earn stoppages with his striking as well as submissions, as a quick jab put Bermudez down before Lamas swarmed with a guillotine choke.

Mike Chiappetta put the fight into perspective for the division quite nicely:

It appeared Lamas’ days as a title contender may have been over after his last two fights, but he’s now set up for bigger and better things. In a move that isn’t going to be uncommon in the featherweight division, he called out Conor McGregor after the fight, per Marc Raimondi of Fox Sports:

Lamas might not get his wish. McGregor may be in line for a title shot after his win over Dustin Poirier and his upcoming bout with Dennis Siver. But it doesn’t hurt to ask, and Lamas certainly didn’t hurt his stock on Saturday night.

Kelvin Gastelum Adds Jake Ellenberger to His Resume

Kelvin Gastelum is for real. That was the key takeaway from UFC 180’s co-main event featuring the former The Ultimate Fighter winner and Jake Ellenberger.

Tasked with his most well-known and experienced opponent to date, Gastelum didn’t shrink in the limelight. The 23-year-old showcased his grappling skills en route to a surprise first-round submission victory after locking up a rear-naked choke out of a scramble on the mat.

Ben Fowlkes of MMA Junkie was one of several who were impressed by his ability to lock up the choke so quickly:

The win was important for Gastelum on a few levels. First, it maintained his undefeated record. He is now a perfect 10-0 in his MMA career with five of those wins in the UFC.

Second, the bout proved that Gastelum can finish fights and be exciting. Projecting him as a potential star, it’s important that he isn’t perceived as a decision fighter. This result will go a long way in fighting off that perception. It was the second finish in his five UFC fights.

Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports was among the many who thought this fight launched Gastelum into the next tier of the welterweight division:

With Gastelum’s rugged wrestling style and ability to embrace the limelight, the list of challengers for him isn’t likely to be long.

Fabricio Werdum Knees His Way to Interim Title Belt

When Fabricio Werdum’s right knee collided with big Mark Hunt’s chin in the second round of UFC 180’s main event, Vai Cavalo etched his name into the record books as one of the few men to hold UFC heavyweight gold.

Sure, he’s still really just the No. 1 challenger to Cain Velasquez’s actual throne. But the champion’s extended absence from the cage has warranted the coronation of a temporary king. The 37-year-old has earned the right to be that champion.

Werdum extended his record in this stint with the UFC to a perfect 5-0 by showcasing his ever-improving striking skills. However, it wasn’t easy. Hunt showcased his trademark bombs early in the first round. The Super Samoan was the much busier fighter in the first frame, throwing 31 total strikes to the Brazilian’s 19, per FightMetric.

However, the Brazilian’s patience paid off in the second round. With an increasingly winded Hunt going a sloppy 1-of-11 on significant strikes in the round, Werdum timed up a perfect flying knee that sent his opponent to the canvas and put gold around his waist.

As Chuck Mindenhall noted, the fight highlighted an increasingly apparent truth:

The two-round affair wasn’t exactly what the Mexican crowd was expecting. Watching their hometown hero pummel Werdum would have been their dream scenario. Instead, they saw an impressive performance from their hero’s next opponent.

This fight should only serve to create an even bigger audience for that eventual championship tilt.

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UFC 180: Early Predictions for Werdum vs. Hunt Main Event

When UFC 180 comes to an end, we will see an interim UFC heavyweight champion for the fourth time in the division’s history. The question is, who will keep the belt warm until the return of champion Cain Velasquez affords the interim champion the oppor…

Fabricio Werdum has certainly earned his way to this spot. The 37-year-old Brazilian has gone 4-0 in his second stint with the UFC and holds wins over heavyweight notables Roy Nelson, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Travis Browne in that stretch.

Mark Hunt, meanwhile, is 1-1-1 in his last three UFC bouts, although it should be noted that the draw with Antonio Silva was changed to a no-contest on Silva’s record due to a failed drug test, according to MMA Junkie.

With 14 of their 21 collective wins coming by way of finish, this is a title fight you won’t want to miss. Here’s when and where you can catch all of the action.

When: Saturday, Nov. 15

Start Time: Fight Pass Prelims at 7 p.m. ET; Fox Sports 1 Prelims at 8 p.m. ET; Main Card PPV at 10 p.m. ET

Where: Arena Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico

Live Stream: UFC.tv

Odds via Odds Shark as of Sunday, Nov. 9 at 11:30 p.m. ET.

Fight Preview

Stylistically, it doesn’t get more interesting than this one. This is a classic slugger vs. grappler matchup, and the winner will be the fighter who can keep the fight where he wants it.

In Hunt’s case, that means keeping the fight right where it starts—standing. The Super Samoan is a knockout artist with the one-punch power to put the belt around his waist at any moment if Werdum loses focus for even a split second.

Hunt’s power was on full display in his last bout against Roy Nelson. Taking on one of the toughest fighters in the division, Hunt handed Big Country his first knockout loss since 2008. By contrast, Vai Cavalo wasn’t able to put Nelson away, despite landing 91 significant strikes in three rounds, per FightMetric.

For Werdum, his goal should be to take this fight to the mat. The jiu-jitsu black belt is one of the best submission artists in the division and is facing an opponent who has historically been weak at defending submissions. Hunt has picked up six of his eight losses by way of submission.

Here’s a look at the statistical breakdown of these two fighters:

Prediction

As a man who has fought both Hunt and Werdum, Alistair Overeem has insight few others can provide. In an interview with Submission Radio, via Jamie Penick of MMATorch, the Demolition Man gave Werdum the slight edge despite a strength advantage for Hunt:

You know, at the heavyweight division it can go either way… Hunt is an exceptional fighter, but Fabricio has been showing great skill in his last several fights. It can go either way. That being said, I give Fabricio a slight advantage, but Hunt, Hunt is no easy [fight]. I fought him back in 2008. He’s the strongest guy I’ve ever fought. You know if you get hit [by Mark], you’ve got a problem.

It’s difficult to disagree with Overeem’s assessment. Werdum is the more skilled fighter overall. He has learned to utilize his length in the striking game. His ground game is far superior to Hunt’s, and he has more ways to win this fight.

It’s important to acknowledge that Hunt’s strength and power can be game-changers, though. The former K-1 combatant isn’t easy to take down and can end the fight with one punch at any time.

However, as the old adage goes, technique beats strength. Despite all of Hunt’s strength, few fighters possess better technique than Vai Cavalo. That should be the difference in this bout. Werdum will wear Hunt down early and submit him in the later rounds.

Werdum via fourth-round submission.

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Aldo vs. Mendes 2: Improved Money Still Not Enough to Top Featherweight Champion

Chad Mendes proved Saturday that he is far and away the second-best featherweight in the world.
Unfortunately for him, Jose Aldo still proved that he’s the best.
Despite a visibly better performance against the champion in his second shot a…

Chad Mendes proved Saturday that he is far and away the second-best featherweight in the world.

Unfortunately for him, Jose Aldo still proved that he’s the best.

Despite a visibly better performance against the champion in his second shot at the UFC title, Mendes ultimately came up empty yet again. UFC on Fox tweeted out the official scorecards for the five-round bout:

When looking back on this one, Mendes should still be proud of his effort in this bout. After suffering a first-round knockout in the first bout, Money was able to make this second bout a fight.

From the opening bell, the fight was characterized by intense exchanges such as the one described by Bleacher Report MMA:

It was in exchanges like the one described above that the evolution of Mendes as a fighter was revealed. In the first fight, Mendes approached the championship bout as a wrestler first and fighter second. When looking at the stats from FightMetric, it’s no surprise Aldo was able to catch him with a knee. Mendes attempted seven takedowns in the opening frame.

Failing at seven takedowns isn’t going to get the job done.

However, a new Mendes came out in the first round of the rematch. This Mendes was able to stand with Aldo and even rock him from time to time with a stand-up attack that had purpose. The challenger from Alpha Male attempted just one takedown in the first round this time.

But Mendes didn’t just stop with a strong first round. The one criticism of Aldo has always been his cardio, and Mendes did well to put that to the test. Using his newfound striking skills, the challenger looked to push the pace and make Aldo earn his title defense over the course of five rounds.

Jose Aldo is champion for a reason, though. Despite the criticisms for his perceived lack of cardio, he showed it’s possible there’s room for him to evolve, too. Rather than go into cruise control and allow Mendes the opportunity to get back in the fight, he remained steady.

In fact, Aldo threw more significant strikes than Mendes in all but the second round.

With growing buzz that Demetrious Johnson might be the best little man in the sport, this was a resounding reminder to MMA fans that Aldo is still the most dynamic small fighter in the sports. His domination of the division has been thorough and longstanding.

Michael Carroll of FightMetric highlighted that reign:

Mendes‘ losing effort has to be discouraging to the rest of the division. A potential bout with Conor McGregor would sell tickets because of his burgeoning stardom. But if an improved Chad Mendes can still only score one round in the eyes of the judge, then there isn’t much hope for McGregor.

For now, UFC 179 proved one thing—Jose Aldo is the best featherweight in the world. It isn’t even close.

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