Author: Alex Ballentine

UFC 179 Results: Forecasting What’s Next for Card’s Biggest Winners

UFC 179 didn’t turn out to be the most entertaining card ever, but it did yield some big winners on Saturday night. 
Phil Davis stepped up to the plate in a big way on foreign soil. The former Penn State wrestler took care of a hometown hero in Gl…

UFC 179 didn’t turn out to be the most entertaining card ever, but it did yield some big winners on Saturday night. 

Phil Davis stepped up to the plate in a big way on foreign soil. The former Penn State wrestler took care of a hometown hero in Glover Teixeira in the co-main event. Jose Aldo put on yet another showcase of his incredible skills, while the undercard was littered with those who earned impressive stoppage wins. 

With a few big wins now in the book, the focus shifts to the future. What’s next for the fighters who made a statement in Rio de Janeiro? 

Here’s a look at the complete results from the card followed by a forecast for what direction some of the biggest winners will be headed. 

 

Neil Magny

Welterweight Neil Magny wasn’t necessarily one of the night’s biggest winners because of his performance. After all, his opponent, William Macario, was still fairly raw at just 23 years old. But the fact that it was a record fifth win for the 26-year-old in 2014 makes him a winner. 

And an interesting guy to project going forward. 

On one hand, the Brazilian has earned the right to jump up in competition. A five-fight winning streak will do that for you. On the other hand, he suffered back-to-back losses against Seth Baczynski and Sergio Moraes in 2013 prior to his big 2014.

So will Magny wilt against better competition?

The only thing left to do now is find out. Adam Martin of MMA Odds Breaker has an idea for an opponent to test the legitimacy of Magny‘s record:

With Story coming off a momentous split-decision win over Gunnar Nelson, the matchup would be an interesting battle of fighters who are trending upward. 

 

Wilson Reis

Glover Teixeira aside, Saturday was a big night for a few Brazilians. Few had a better night than 29-year-old flyweight Wilson Reis. 

The fact that Reis won his fight wasn’t a big deal. Beating Scott Jorgensen hasn’t been an impressive feat lately. The 32-year-old is now just 2-6 over last the two years. 

What was impressive was the way in which Reis won. He dominated the fight on the feet, peppering Jorgensen with some nasty strikes to the body, and the ground, where he locked up the submission that ended the bout in Round 1. 

Patrick Wyman of Sherdog tweeted a photo of some of Reis‘ handiwork:

With Reis now 2-1 in the UFC, it isn’t likely that he’s ready for a huge step up in competition just yet. As MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani reported, Reis would like to fight the winner of the upcoming bout between John Moraga and Jussier Formiga. 

However, expect the UFC to bring him along a little bit slower than that. With the pool of contenders for champion Demetrious Johnson to take on dwindling, the organization should look to develop Reis as a contender more gradually.

That means he’ll be taking on a much lesser opponent than Moraga or Formiga in the near future. 

 

Phil Davis

It felt obvious that Phil Davis was the biggest winner of the night. He wasn’t expected to win but needed to find a way if he wanted to lessen the damage his title campaign took when he lost to Anthony Johnson. 

As it turns out, he was ready to do just that. 

Davis got back to basics in this win. He relied heavily on his takedowns as he threw his Brazilian opponent to the mat nine times, per FightMetric.

Looking ahead, Davis’ next move was almost as surprising as his domination in the bout. He called out Anderson Silva. 

That fight isn’t likely to happen. Silva is a bit preoccupied with Nick Diaz right now and likely wants nothing to do with Davis’ wrestling ability. Damon Martin of Fox Sports has a better idea, though:

Ryan Bader is also coming off an impressive win over Ovince Saint Preux in a five-round main event. The winner of that bout would have a fairly strong argument to enter the title picture. 

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UFC 179: Complete Results and Most Impressive Performances from PPV Event

UFC 179 provided fans in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with a little bit of everything on Saturday night. 
The card—which featured a heavy Brazilian flavor—saw some history made, a few upsets and yet another successful title defense by one of…

UFC 179 provided fans in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with a little bit of everything on Saturday night. 

The card—which featured a heavy Brazilian flavor—saw some history made, a few upsets and yet another successful title defense by one of the country’s most beloved fighters. 

In all, 11 fighters had their hands raised in victory by the end of the night. Here’s a look at the results, plus a closer look at the best performances of the night. 

 

Most Impressive Performances

Neil Magny Enters the Record Books with TKO Win Over William Macario

Welterweight Neil Magny entered 2014 on the heels of a disappointing two-fight losing streak. Fast forward 10 months and the 26-year-old is now a UFC record-holder. 

According to the UFC’s official Twitter feed, the Brazilian tied Roger Huerta for the most victories in a calendar year. His impressive TKO victory on Saturday was his fifth victory in 2014:

Granted, Magny‘s victories haven’t been against the best of competition. Macario came in as a 23-year-old The Ultimate Fighter runner-up with a 1-1 record in the UFC. But a five-fight win streak in one year is impressive regardless of competition. 

Matt Erickson of MMAJunkie even posited that Magny should receive a post-fight bonus for the feat:

After this win it may be time for Magny to get a shot at some real competition. At 6’3″ he’s an incredibly long welterweight who has shown he can dominate lesser competition. 

 

Phil Davis Manhandles Glover Teixeira to Unanimous Decision

It was deja vu all over again for Phil Davis on Saturday night. For the fourth time in his last five fights he found himself going against a Brazilian who was favored to win. 

For the fourth time in his last five fights, Davis proved everyone wrong. 

The former All-American wrestler used his superior grappling to ragdoll Teixeira throughout the three-round bout. Michael Carroll of FightMetric provided some insight into Davis’ career day:

Coming off a unanimous-decision loss to Anthony Johnson, Davis had his back against the wall going against the No. 4 light heavyweight in the UFC rankings. But picking up the win over Teixeira in Brazil should have him in line to continue his rise to the top of the heap at 205 pounds. 

So what did Davis do after pulling off the upset in front of a raucous Brazilian crowd?

Call out the highest-profile Brazilian fighter of them all, of course:

 

Jose Aldo Successfully Defends Title against Improved Chad Mendes

The recent success of Demetrious Johnson has led Mighty Mouse to climb the pound-for-pound rankings. It’s also begged the question, who is the UFC’s best little man?

At UFC 179, Jose Aldo emphatically reminded everyone that he is. 

Despite a commendable effort from a vastly improved Chad Mendes, the 28-year-old champion outpointed his challenger throughout five rounds. While Money was able to take Aldo down once, the fight mostly took place on the feet. 

And that’s where Aldo set a career high of his own, according to Carroll:

Just when you think that Aldo has maxed out his skills, he goes and puts on a performance like the one he delivered on Saturday. That’s why he will remain near the top of the pound-for-pound rankings for the foreseeable future. 

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UFC 178 Start Time: Last-Minute Odds and Predictions for Entire Card

UFC 178 isn’t big on size, but it should more than make up for that with excitement. 
Headlined by a flyweight title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso, the lighter weight classes are set to take center stage at the MGM Grand in La…

UFC 178 isn’t big on size, but it should more than make up for that with excitement. 

Headlined by a flyweight title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso, the lighter weight classes are set to take center stage at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night. With the long-awaited debut of Eddie Alvarez and the return of former UFC champion Dominick Cruz also on tap, the card is chock full of intrigue. 

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

Odds via OddsShark.com.

 

Storylines to Watch

The Return of Dominick Cruz

Demetrious Johnson may serve as the headliner for Saturday night’s card, but the man who sent the champion to the flyweight division might be the most intriguing fighter on the card. 

After a nearly three-year layoff, former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will finally return to the Octagon against Takeya Mizugaki. 

The last time we saw The Dominator in the cage, he was showcasing his well-rounded skill set in a successful title defense against Johnson. Now, the question everyone has on their mind is whether Cruz can regain that form after such a long time away from fighting, two ACL reconstruction surgeries and a torn groin, as noted by Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports. 

Even though three years seem like an eternity in the sport of MMA, it isn’t difficult to remember that Cruz once lived up to his Dominator moniker. His only loss came back in 2007 to Urijah Faber, and it would be shocking to see him add one to the loss column against Mizugaki. 

Expect there to be some rust for the 29-year-old but not enough to keep him from outpointing his veteran opponent. 

 

The Debut of Eddie Alvarez

For years, Eddie Alvarez has been near the top of nearly every “Fighters We Wish Were in the UFC” list. The two-time Bellator champion has always tantalized fans with his ability to finish fights and sparked the matchmaking imaginations of those who want to know where he ranks among the UFC’s lightweights. 

On Saturday night, he’ll finally answer those questions. 

Alvarez won’t be stepping into the easiest of challenges in his debut, either. Donald Cerrone will welcome him to the Octagon. With Cowboy winning four consecutive fights by finish, he’s not an easy out for anyone. 

Still, Alvarez has already promised fireworks, per UFC Tonight:

The newcomer may have the purest of intentions. He’s used to throwing down and providing the fans with what they want. 

However, it’s hard to shake the feeling things won’t go as planned for Alvarez. He wouldn’t be the first one to struggle in his UFC debut after dominating in Bellator (looking at you, Hector Lombard). Alvarez should eke out a victory, but finishing Cerrone is a tall task. 

 

The Dominance of Demetrious Johnson

It’s taken a while, but Demetrious Johnson is finally getting the respect he deserves. Few fighters can match the technical prowess and pure athleticism that Mighty Mouse possesses in the cage, and now he’s No. 4 in the latest UFC pound-for-pound rankings. 

The opponent Johnson faces on Saturday night might not be that exciting. Chris Cariaso last fought Louis Smolka to a split decision. Smolka doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page. 

However, that doesn’t mean that the fight will be a total snoozefest. Watching one of the best in the sport do his thing is something that every fight fan should be able to enjoy. 

This should also be yet another opportunity for Johnson to fight the criticism that he’s unable to finish fights after failing to put away Ali Bagautinov in his last title defense. Johnson should be able to put an emphatic exclamation mark on an exciting card with his third finish in four fights. 

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Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida: The All-American Proves to Be Legitimate Champ

As if two victories against Anderson Silva weren’t enough, Chris Weidman sealed his status as a legitimate UFC champion with a unanimous-decision victory (49-45, 48-47, 49-46) over Lyoto Machida at UFC 175 in Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Ce…

As if two victories against Anderson Silva weren’t enough, Chris Weidman sealed his status as a legitimate UFC champion with a unanimous-decision victory (49-45, 48-47, 49-46) over Lyoto Machida at UFC 175 in Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday.

The fact that Weidman had to “prove himself” at all in his second title defense was always a silly notion. The ending of his second bout with Silva may have ended on an unlikely injury, but he more than held his own before the finish and scored an emphatic knockout victory in their first encounter. 

Now, the champion can add a former light heavyweight champion to his list of dispatched opponents. No, it wasn’t easy. Beating a former champion is never an easy task. Weidman lost at least one round on each judge’s scorecard, per Matt Erickson of MMA Junkie:

However, there was no fluke end to this one. There was no doubting that Machida took the champion serious and certainly no doubt that Machida put his all into besting Weidman.

As Damon Martin of Fox Sports intimated after the fight, there’s no more questioning Weidman‘s skills:

What stood out in Weidman‘s title defense was not just that he won, but that he did so by turning in a performance that had a little bit of everything. Given the origin of Weidman‘s “All-American” moniker as a collegiate wrestler, the assumption is that he might be a one-trick pony. 

As it turns out, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. 

By the first round it was clear wrestling isn’t Weidman‘s only strong suit. With Machida looking to keep the fight standing, Weidman was willing to oblige for the entire opening frame. He chose to make an impact with kicks to the legs and body, as noted by Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports:

Of course that doesn’t mean Weidman didn’t showcase the wrestling. After all, you have to dance with the girl who brought you, and the champion isn’t going to abandon what comes natural to him.

Machida possesses some of the best takedown defense in the sport but still couldn’t stop Weidman from taking the fight where he wanted it. He took The Dragon down five times in the fight and did some of his best damage once he pinned his opponent to the ground. 

But most of all, Weidman proved that he has the heart of a champion. Regardless of how good a champion is, there will come a time during his/her title reign when challenges will present themselves.

After very little resistance from Silva in Weidman‘s first two title fights, adversity came in the form of a Machida left hand that landed flush in the fourth round. Coming from a dangerous fighter like Machida, it turned the fight on its head and put into doubt whether Weidman could survive another round-and-a-half. 

Once again, Weidman proved that he was capable of carrying the title of champion by rallying to take the fifth round on one score card and getting his hand raised. 

What makes the performance even more impressive is the fact that Weidman might not have even been at the height of his powers. According to MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, the champion faced more than one health concern in training for this fight:

To make matters worse, Joe Ferraro of Sportsnet reports that Weidman injured his foot early in the fight, limiting his repertoire:

Obviously small injuries are part of the sport, but a healthier Weidman could conceivably be even better next time out. Looking ahead, another former light heavyweight champion is looking to get the next crack at the 185-pound king:

Vitor Belfort may want to be careful what he wishes for, though. If he’s hoping that challenging Weidman will be an easy road to the title, he’s got another thing coming.

The current king might not be around as long as the man he replaced, but he’s proved he’s here to stay. 

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Weidman vs. Machida: Last-Minute Odds and Prediction for UFC 175 Main Event

Chris Weidman vaulted into the UFC champions club by twice squashing The Spider. At UFC 175, we will see if he’s up for slaying The Dragon.
For the first time since July 2012, The All-American will be fighting someone not named Anderson Silva. And with…

Chris Weidman vaulted into the UFC champions club by twice squashing The Spider. At UFC 175, we will see if he’s up for slaying The Dragon.

For the first time since July 2012, The All-American will be fighting someone not named Anderson Silva. And with that comes the opportunity to expand his legacy beyond “the guy that dethroned the king.”

Of course, the game plan for Weidman isn’t going to change to much. When he looks across the cage on Saturday night, he’ll be seeing Lyoto Machida—the closest thing MMA has to an Anderson Silva clone. 

A win against the former light heavyweight champion would certainly silence any critics clinging to the notion that Weidman’s last two wins were flukes. Since moving down to middleweight, Machida has looked like the man that once wore UFC gold around his waist. 

Here’s a look last-minute look at the odds for the fight, via OddsShark, followed by a brief breakdown and prediction for the bout.

 

Preview

The most obvious point from a stylistic aspect regarding this fight is the fact that Weidman is a wrestler by trade, and Machida is among the most dangerous strikers in the UFC. 

But that alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

Yes, if Weidman has his druthers this fight will wind up on the mat. That’s exactly where he took Silva in the first round in both of his fights against the legend. However, what people often forget when looking back on the second bout is that Weidman also got to the fight on the ground by knocking The Spider down in the clinch. 

As Jack Slack of Fightland noted at the time, the punch was well-defended by Silva. But Weidman’s power is an underrated part of his game:

So while it’s easy to say that Weidman needs to get the fight to the ground, the real key will be closing the distance. 

For Machida, he’s going to look to do the exact opposite. As much power as Weidman has, his striking is still fairly rudimentary. That isn’t to say he isn’t dangerous, just that Machida’s striking is much more refined. 

It may not be the most fan-friendly style of fighting, but Machida’s best route of victory is going to maintaining as much distance as possible and using his sniper like accuracy to outpoint Weidman on the feet. 

With 54 percent striking accuracy over the course of his career, The Dragon is the much more efficient fighter in the stand-up department. 

The final key to this bout could be cardio. While Weidman has earned the championship. We’ve never seen him fight in championship rounds. However, his most lackluster performance was a three-round affair with Demian Maia. 

Machida—on the other hand—has gone five rounds twice in his career. Both resulted in victories as he outpointed Shogun Rua and Gegard Mousasi in main events. 

 

Prediction

All things considered, this figures to be an excellent bout. Weidman has proved that he won’t be intimidated against any opponent, so Machida is really going to have to earn it if he wants to take Weidman’s belt. 

Many will point out that Machida’s speed advantage could be the X-factor. There’s no denying his blitzkrieg style makes him a tough out for anyone.

However, it’s hard to imagine that Machida is going to be able to keep up a cat-and-mouse game with the champion for five rounds. Eventually, Weidman is going to be able to take the fight to the mat or trap Machida against the cage. 

Once Weidman gets the fight where he wants it to go, he’s a proven finisher. Be it submissions or with his strikes, he’s the kind of aggressive fighter that knows how to capitalize on opportunities. 

Weidman via 3rd-Round TKO. 

 

All statistics via FightMetric unless otherwise noted.

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UFC 175 Start Time: Complete Viewing Guide and PPV Schedule for Marquee Event

In an era of UFC where the market is saturated with events on an almost weekly basis, UFC 175 stands out as a truly special card. 
The stakes are certainly there. With Chris Weidman and Ronda Rousey looking to cement their places as UFC champions …

In an era of UFC where the market is saturated with events on an almost weekly basis, UFC 175 stands out as a truly special card. 

The stakes are certainly there. With Chris Weidman and Ronda Rousey looking to cement their places as UFC champions against Lyoto Machida and Alexis Davis respectively, fans will be treated to the rare two-title card. 

Depth isn’t really an issue, either. Outside of the two title fights, fan favorites such as Matt Mitrione, Urijah Faber and Uriah Hall can also be seen in action Saturday. Below is a look at all of the fights on the slate and how you can watch all of them. 

Storylines to Watch

Chris Weidman Attempts to Legitimize Middleweight Title Reign

Chris Weidman earned the middleweight championship against Anderson Silva at UFC 162. He then went on to defend that title against the former middleweight king when Silva fell victim to a broken leg at UFC 168. 

These facts are indisputable. The merits of those two accomplishments, however, have been questioned. Be it a stubborn belief that the former champion was truly invincible or a legitimate claim that the second fight ended in freaky fashion, Weidman just can’t seem to get the credit he deserves. 

Despite being an All-American fighting in America on an Independence Day show, he was received with plenty of boos at the weigh-ins for the event, per Bleacher Report MMA:

However, a win against Machida would solidify Weidman‘s status as a true champion. Conceptually, Machida is an opponent much like Silva. His striking is top-notch, he can end the fight at a moment’s notice with his counter-striking ability and could have better takedown defense than Silva.

Weidman has become a divisive fighter among fans. There are those who believe his two victories against Silva were a sign of future domination in the middleweight division. To others, he’s still the guy who got “lucky” against Silva—twice. 

When he steps into the Octagon against Machida, one side will have a strong piece of evidence to add to the debate. 

 

Can Alex Caceres Take Advantage of Spotlight?

The UFC made an interesting choice with Saturday’s fight card. Fan favorite (and UFC 169 headliner) Urijah Faber will be on the live and free prelims before the broadcast switches over to the pay-per-view. 

In theory, this may hurt pay-per-view buys. Faber’s personality and style made him a big draw in his WEC days. However, it also means that the prelims should see an uptick in viewership. 

Looking to take advantage of that spike in viewership will be Alex Caceres. The 26-year-old “Bruce Leeroy” is well-known from his days on The Ultimate Fighter, but he hasn’t had a fight quite like this to showcase his skills. 

Now is the time for Caceres to make the leap from recognizable name to actual contender. 

Doing that will be difficult, though. As Josh Gross notes, Faber’s veteran savvy could be the difference. 

With Faber looking to rebound from his loss to Renan Barao at UFC 169 and Caceres looking to capitalize on the opportunity, this one is bound to produce some fireworks. 

 

Stefan Struve Returns to the Octagon

At one point, it looked like Stefan Struve was on his way to becoming a legitimate contender. At seven feet tall, his unique frame made him fun to watch, and he had a four-fight win streak that featured two submissions and two TKO victories. 

A devastating knockout loss to Mark Hunt put an end to that hype. But even worse, doctors discovered a bicuspid aortic valve in Struve‘s heart that threatened his career. The previously undetected heart condition often left the heavyweight with just 70 percent of the blood his body needed, per Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie.

Now, more than a year later since that loss to Hunt, Struve will be back in action. With his condition now being treated by blood pressure medication and other adjustments to his training and diet, Struve might be even better than we’ve seen him in the past. 

Then again, this isn’t the best matchup for the 26-year-old. As impressive as he has been, five of his six losses have come by knockout. His opponent—Matt Mitrione—has earned six of his seven wins by way of knockout. 

Just about everyone will be pulling for Struve to put in a great performance on his comeback trail. But if Mitrione catches him early, the welcoming party could be short-lived. 

 

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