UFC on FOX 14: Gustafsson vs. Johnson — Live Results & Commentary


(Alexander Gustafsson, Anthony Johnson, and DMX in the camouflage, ready to ask some hard-hitting questions./Photo via Getty)

The UFC showcase on FOX returns tonight for its 14th installment, featuring a huge light heavyweight title eliminator on deck. Alexander Gustafsson will be looking to book his rematch against Jon Jones, as he dukes it out against rising contender Anthony Johnson in the five-round main event inside Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. The winner of this bout will most likely square off against the champion later this year.

In the co-main event, Dan Henderson will try to prove he’s not way over the hill like most of us think he is, as he faces Gegard Mousasi. Both combatants are coming off submission losses, looking to storm back into the win column. Also on the card, Phil Davis battles Ryan Bader, and kicking off the FOX action will be Akira Corassani vs. Sam Sicilia.


(Alexander Gustafsson, Anthony Johnson, and DMX in the camouflage, ready to ask some hard-hitting questions./Photo via Getty)

The UFC showcase on FOX returns tonight for its 14th installment, featuring a huge light heavyweight title eliminator on deck. Alexander Gustafsson will be looking to book his rematch against Jon Jones, as he dukes it out against rising contender Anthony Johnson in the five-round main event inside Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. The winner of this bout will most likely square off against the champion later this year.

In the co-main event, Dan Henderson will try to prove he’s not way over the hill like most of us think he is, as he faces Gegard Mousasi. Both combatants are coming off submission losses, looking to storm back into the win column. Also on the card, Phil Davis battles Ryan Bader, and kicking off the FOX action will be Akira Corassani vs. Sam Sicilia.

Our man Alex Giardini will be providing round-by-round UFC on FOX 14 results from the FOX main card, after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and hit us up on twitter to share your own thoughts.

UFC on FOX 14 Preliminary Card Results:
Albert Tumenov def. Nico Musoke via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Kenny Robertson def. Sultan Aliev via TKO (strikes) at 2:42 of R1
Makwan Amirkhani def. Andy Ogle via TKO (strikes) at 0:08 of R1
Nikita Krylov def. Stanislav Nedkov via submission (guillotine) at 1:24 of R1
Mairbek Taisumov def. Anthony Christodoulou via knockout (strikes) at 0:38 of R2
Mirsad Bektic def. Paul Redmond via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-25)
Viktor Pesta def. Konstantin Erokhin via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Neil Seery def. Chris Beal via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)

Alright, Nation … it’s been a rough week, so let’s try to have some fun tonight. After all, the majority of us aren’t in an arena watching MMA at 2 a.m. right now (much love to our readers from Sweden, as always).

Akira Corassani vs. Sam Sicilia

Round 1: No glove touch, and we’re off. Akira looking faster than usual, bouncy and light on his feet. Both guys trying to feel each other out, and it’s Sicilia that lands a nice hook. They jostle against the fence after both land hard shots in a flurry. Good leg kicks from Akira, and he gets nailed with a left hook shortly after throwing wildly. Akira catches a leg kick, and puts the hands on Sicilia. Akira comes in with an uppercut, but Sicilia stays out of the way. Akira looking agile, working on the outside, but not really troubling his opponent, either. Sicilia throws a counter, and both guys land on the chin. Akira comes in, they exchange and then he gets flattened by a humongous right hand. Akira hits the mat hard, out like a light. Very much like an H-Bomb…sign of things to come?

Sam Sicilia def. Akira Corassani via knockout (strikes) at 3:26 of R1

Phil Davis vs. Ryan Bader

Round 1:

Video: Watch Jose Aldo’s Miserable UFC Q&A Session With Drunk Bostonians

(Video courtesy of YouTube.com/UFC)

Fresh off the most embarrassing UFC Q&A ever involving CM Punk earlier this month in Las Vegas, NV., at UFC 182, the UFC thought it would be a great idea to call upon its featherweight kingpin, Jose Aldo, to answer some hard-hitting questions in Boston a day before UFC Fight Night 59 (which takes place tonight, if you haven’t heard already).

It was sort of like a fair exchange, seeing how tonight’s headliner, Conor McGregor, goofed around with the Brazilian fans at his Q&A during UFC 179 weekend in Brazil, teasing the country and calling out some “mamacitas.”

If you predicted this installment was going to be as cringeworthy as the last few, then you deserve the Medal of Honor. Then again, would you rather watch these types of train wrecks, or a respectful and intelligent session with the likes of Cain Velasquez (UFC 180) or T.J. Dillashaw (UFC 181)?

It’s a tough call, really.


(Video courtesy of YouTube.com/UFC)

Fresh off the most embarrassing UFC Q&A ever involving CM Punk earlier this month in Las Vegas, NV., at UFC 182, the UFC thought it would be a great idea to call upon its featherweight kingpin, Jose Aldo, to answer some hard-hitting questions in Boston a day before UFC Fight Night 59 (which takes place tonight, if you haven’t heard already).

It was sort of like a fair exchange, seeing how tonight’s headliner, Conor McGregor, goofed around with the Brazilian fans at his Q&A during UFC 179 weekend in Brazil, teasing the country and calling out some “mamacitas.”

If you predicted this installment was going to be as cringeworthy as the last few, then you deserve the Medal of Honor. Then again, would you rather watch these types of train wrecks, or a respectful and intelligent session with the likes of Cain Velasquez (UFC 180) or T.J. Dillashaw (UFC 181)?

It’s a tough call, really.

But at the end of the day, the brass is already thinking ahead and promoting a contest between Aldo and McGregor for the UFC featherweight championship, considering the Irishman will crush the living hell out of that guy he’s fighting tonight.

Here are some low-points worth noting:

1:19 – Host Megan Olivi introduces Aldo to the Boston crowd, who gets booed like a classic pro wrestling heel with a smile on his face. The crowd is already chanting.

3:50 – Olivi asks “Are they serving beer here?” Gosh, she’s so naive in a really cute way.

5:20 – Co-host and translator Jorge Gurgel pleads with the audience to keep it down so he can hear the questions.

6:10 – Aldo sneaks in a gem, and says he has his mind on Dennis Siver after being asked a question of who would you rather, Anthony Pettis or T.J. Dillashaw. Either that, or Gurgel got it wrong. We don’t speak Portuguese.

6:30 – A kid who looks like a retired child actor asks Aldo if he would take McGregor seriously after he’s wearing his belt. Look, it’s kind of witty and all, but these trolling sessions are becoming excruciating.

7:34 – A guy asks what Aldo’s thoughts are on Jon Jones and the cocaine scandal, and if he’s “ever been in love with the coco himself.”

10:46 – A nine-year-old child asks what Aldo would think about fighting in Ireland once McGregor beats Siver. We’ll applaud this young hopeful for having the best question out of his peers. A future Helwani in the making.

11:43 – They take a small pause to let the fans chant. It’s getting exhaustive now, and it’s just over 10 minutes in.

12:08 – Some dude who looks like prime Kevin Smith comes up to the mic to laud McGregor, and impersonates his idol, without asking a question.

16:49 – Another young kid asks if Aldo has already started cleaning the belt for McGregor. The balls on this one.

17:45 – Olivi gets booed for saying they shouldn’t serve beer during these ordeals. A drunken buffoon immediately thanks her for “wearing those pants.” He then asks Gurgel for an Aldo vs. McGregor prediction fight, and despite initially refusing, the MMA veteran claims Aldo will beat him.

22:39 – Another wizard with a beer in hand asks roughly the same Pettis or Dillashaw question, thinking he just cracked the Da Vinci code.

24:46 – A guy asks Aldo if he will be rooting for the New England Patriots in their championship game. Sigh.

26:25 – No idea what this bonehead said.

27:17 – Lastly (for us, at least), a guy asks for Conor’s sister’s hand, and then starts chanting, “There’s Only One Conor’s Sister.” Olivi reminds this idiot McGregor has two sisters.

At least Aldo stayed strong and stood his ground with his answers, stating on multiple occasions that he’s going to beat McGregor, and had no problem playing the bad guy. After multiple questions from people reading them on their mobiles and asking for pictures, loud chanting, and a segment that went way too long, the hosts seemed completely exhausted by the end of it all.

Now, we all know the UFC will never garner the mainstream attention it truly desires, but this doesn’t help. It’s hard enough to convince a friend that MMA is really special at times, considering we have to put up with this nonsense more often than not. It also proves that UFC fans (not all of them) really fit the stereotypes of lifeless and bloodthirsty ignoramuses.

Maybe (and this is just an idea) the company should consider cleaning up these types of shindigs. When someone neat and accomplished came through our high school for a Q&A, a teacher normally stood by the mic and asked a student to tell them their question first, before spewing saliva all over the place. It wouldn’t be bad for UFC to send someone down to control the questions, or better yet, control the beer sales.

Until then, these Q&A’s will just be a big drunken party where aspiring journalists will ruin their credibility in six seconds.

Alex G.

WSOF 17 Results and GIFs: Shields Taps Foster And…That’s…About…It

(Photo via Getty)

WSOF 17: “Shields vs. Foster” took place last night from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV., featuring former Strikeforce champion and UFC alumni Jake Shields against another fellow UFC veteran Brian Foster.

The winner of their contest would go on to challenge Rousimar Palhares for the welterweight title at a later date, and despite the slow start, Shields scored his second consecutive submission win. He’s now 2-0 since being fired from the UFC:

(Photo via Getty)

Did you forget there was a WSOF event on last night? It’s okay, so did the guy on the left … (all GIFS courtesy of ZombieProphet):

WSOF 17: “Shields vs. Foster” took place last night from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV., featuring former Strikeforce champion and UFC alumni Jake Shields against another fellow UFC veteran Brian Foster.

The winner of their contest would go on to challenge Rousimar Palhares for the welterweight title at a later date, and despite the slow start, Shields scored his second consecutive submission win. He’s now 2-0 since being fired from the UFC:

Shields didn’t play nice in his post-fight interview when asked about the champion, stating he was “a dirty fighter” and that he’s going to “whoop his ass,” too. Apart from that, the event was rather slow, with a few notable occurrences. After all, every MMA media member devoted their Saturday night to a heavyweight boxing fight featuring Bermane Stiverne vs. Deontay Wilder, which also took place in Las Vegas.

Joe Condon hit one hell of a Hail Mary, choking out Johnny Nunez with under one minute left in their co-main event contest. The guillotine was pretty freaking nasty, to say the least (that’s not Brian Cobb, though … he was injured on a treadmill):

Bryson Hansen defeated Rudy Morales in a dud of a fight, minus the fact that Morales was cut in the first round and bled all over the place. This is an early candidate for GIF of the year, presumably titled, “Look Ma! I’m actually not roadkill:”

Danny Davis Jr. defeated Adam Cella via unanimous decision, but he was lucky to not get disqualified for a Steven Gerrard-style bullet to Cella’s cranium:

On the preliminary card, Jordan Rinaldi scored a sweet submission over Soslan Abanokov earlier in the evening, submitting the latter with an americana:

And finally, apart from the other uneventful fights, the torrid theme music, interviews in between fights, shitty video players MMA sites still have the patience for, and a ring announcer named Jazz Securo, referee Kim Winslow really dropped the ball by letting Trey Williams hold onto his anaconda choke for way too long and nearly killed Jamie Point in the process. Point’s stiff, cold body and long stare is downright harrowing:

WSOF 17 QUICK RESULTS:

Main Card:

Jake Shields def. Brian Foster via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:51 of R1
Joe Condon def. Johnny Nunez via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:22 of R3
Krasimir Mladenov def. Brendan Kornberger via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Bryson Hansen def. Rudy Morales via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-27)
Danny Davis Jr. def. Adam Cella via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)

Preliminary Card

Jordan Rinaldi def. Soslan Abanokov via submission (armbar) at 3:02 of R3
Donavon Frelow def. Taylor McCorriston via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Trey Williams def. Jamie Point via technical submission (anaconda choke) at 3:52 of R1

Alex G.

Jon Jones Fined $25,000 By The UFC For Violating The Promotion’s Code of Conduct


(“I’m deeply saddened by this whole situation. I’ll be honest, though … that beard trimmer I bought yesterday was more expensive than this fine.”/Photo via Getty)

The UFC announced via its website today that current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been fined $25,000 for violating the promotion’s Athlete Code of Conduct policy.

Jones, who defeated Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 on Jan. 3, 2015, failed an out-of-competition drug test administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Dec. 4, 2014, testing positive for cocaine metabolites.

The UFC had this to say about the fine (via UFC.com):


(“I’m deeply saddened by this whole situation. I’ll be honest, though … that beard trimmer I bought yesterday was more expensive than this fine.”/Photo via Getty)

The UFC announced via its website today that current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been fined $25,000 for violating the promotion’s Athlete Code of Conduct policy.

Jones, who defeated Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 on Jan. 3, 2015, failed an out-of-competition drug test administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Dec. 4, 2014, testing positive for cocaine metabolites.

The UFC had this to say about the fine (via UFC.com):

The UFC announced today that it has fined light heavyweight champion Jon Jones $25,000 for violating the organization’s Athlete Code of Conduct policy. Jones tested positive for cocaine during an out-of-competition drug test conducted by the Nevada Athletic Commission on Dec. 4, 2014. The $25,000 will be donated to a substance abuse prevention program.

The UFC came to this decision after reviewing the facts surrounding the issue, and after receiving confirmation from the Nevada Athletic Commission that Jones passed all required drug tests following his bout at UFC 182 on Jan. 3.”

The news itself was downright shocking, yet the fact that both the UFC and the NSAC knew about this plenty of time before his eighth-consecutive title defense (Dec. 23, 2014) was disconcerting, and the positive test was only made public on Jan. 6, 2015. But as we know, the show must go on. Jones checked himself into rehab directly after the incident, only to last one night inside the joint before cashing himself out.

There were also rumors of Jones having abnormal T/E ratios and hormone levels, but those worries were taken care of when the NSAC confirmed the samples came back clean.

Also, as per a tweet from MMA Fighting’s Luke Thomas, it should be noted that “Bones” will be fined the 25 grand out of his disclosed $500,000 payout he made from his unanimous decision win over “D.C.” (which tallies at a whopping 5%).

Lastly, for what it’s worth, FOX Sports announced today Jones will be sitting down with Charissa Thompson  to “break his silence” on this whole ordeal in a segment airing at 11 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 this upcoming Monday night. Considering FOX is in bed with the UFC, serving as the promotion’s mouthpiece more often than not, it’s hard to believe this is going to be a tell-all interview, and that the reigning champ would be grilled in Bob Costas fashion.

Either way, we’ll keep you posted on it.

Alex G.

TUF’s 10-Year Anniversary: The Legacy of the Most Drawn-Out MMA Show In History

(Photo via Getty)

By Alex Giardini

On Jan. 17, 2005, Spike TV aired a new show titled The Ultimate Fighter, which featured 16 combat sports athletes living under one roof in Las Vegas, competing for a six-figure contract with the UFC. What we didn’t know, however, was this exhaustive program was going to last over 20 seasons, complete with the FOX treatment, and plenty of drunken debauchery in between.

Long story short, the Zuffa brass was in serious trouble since their big gamble to buy the struggling Ultimate Fighting Championship wasn’t paying off. Simply put, that Fertitta money was being blown fast, with no real profit or indication of improvement. Spike TV founder Albie Hecht wanted a program that brought in a lot of viewers from all over, presumably because there are only so many reruns of the hyper masculine shows a person could watch.


(Photo via Getty)

By Alex Giardini

On Jan. 17, 2005, Spike TV aired a new show titled The Ultimate Fighter, which featured 16 combat sports athletes living under one roof in Las Vegas, competing for a six-figure contract with the UFC. What we didn’t know, however, was this exhaustive program was going to last over 20 seasons, complete with the FOX treatment, and plenty of drunken debauchery in between.

Long story short, the Zuffa brass was in serious trouble since their big gamble to buy the struggling Ultimate Fighting Championship wasn’t paying off. Simply put, that Fertitta money was being blown fast, with no real profit or indication of improvement. Spike TV founder Albie Hecht wanted a program that brought in a lot of viewers from all over, presumably because there are only so many reruns of the hyper masculine shows a person could watch.

With one last ditch to bring this beautiful but often-problematic sport into the mainstream, both Fertitta brothers (Lorenzo and Frank III) were dealt an ace when Hecht flew over to Japan and insulted a gangster running K-1. It resulted in talks falling through with the officials running the kickboxing promotion, and TUF had a home. The show would air directly after WWE Raw (and they say MMA and pro wrestling are only distant cousins).

Anyhow, the show actually ended up being pretty damn good. Today marks the 10th anniversary of the very first episode, led by coaches Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture (who would fight in a rematch for the light heavyweight strap later on that year at UFC 52), Willa Ford, and 16 fighters that became major stars as the sport progressed (most of them, anyway).

The season finale pretty much saved the purchase, as Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar engaged in warfare for three rounds, in a bout widely perceived as the greatest fight of all-time (it got its fair share of competition over the years, for what it’s worth).

More importantly, people started to tune in by the hundred thousands, and the first-ever live MMA event on free television amassed approximately 1,900,000 viewers. The fight was so epic that Spike TV renewed the show for another season, and UFC President Dana White gave both men six-figure contracts for their efforts. Or, maybe he was onto something, seeing how judging would become atrocious in Nevada, and thought maybe Bonnar won (it’s not the boldest of claims if you rewatch the fight).

Sure, 2005 had a lot of big stars throughout the full year, including Liddell, Couture, Rich Franklin, Tito Ortiz, and Andrei Arlovski, but the sport was still pretty freaking niche for it to generate widespread appeal. To be honest, TUF really did save the UFC, and introduces many new fans to the sport known as “TUF Noobs.” If it weren’t for TUF, who knows … maybe Pride would still be around and putting on the best events fight fans would ever see.

As for the first episode titled “The Quest Begins,” this approach seemed refreshing. Later on, we also witnessed Dana White’s epic “Do You Want To Be A F*cking Fighter” rant, Chris Leben extremely drunk and pissing in people’s beds, Josh Koscheck and Bobby Southworth hosing “The Crippler” and calling him “a fatherless bastard,” Southworth killing himself cutting weight and almost getting killed by White when he mouthed off to him, a thief in the house, Bonnar and Diego Sanchez arguing over spilled bathwater, and some pretty good scraps.

Then, it all sort of went downhill from there.

Barring seasons two to four, which were all mildly entertaining, everything from season five onwards felt a little forced. We definitely appreciated the influx of lightweights that emerged from the fifth installment, yet did we really need a season six?

It all came full circle by season seven, and it was then made official that TUF was simply a reality show devoted to drunken mayhem and drama, just like the rest of them. Junie Browning cemented his status as the throne holder of TUF douchbaggery, starting fights with everyone and their mother. Season eight and nine were both snorefests, minus the fact that the Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping-led season was the United States vs. England. The show returned with a vengeance in season 10, due to the bitter quarrel between Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans, and the presence of Internet sensation Kimbo Slice. The brawler, who was mocked by White and then chosen as a participant, was matched up against jiu-jitsu black belt Roy Nelson, which turned out to be his demise. Still, it seemed like the first few episodes were good, and it became boring towards the end.

Season 11 saw Tito Ortiz back out of another fight against “The Iceman,” who nearly destroyed his phone when he heard the news. Season 12 was about a male nurse that was hired by Georges St-Pierre to get into Koscheck’s head, and then came the “chicken salad out of chicken shit” quotes from Brock Lesnar the next year. By season 14, the show had seen better days, and if it weren’t for Diego Brandao’s lunacy and Bryan Caraway’s unwanted shaved head, we couldn’t have cared less that the program produced talents such as T.J. Dillashaw, Dennis Bermudez, and John Dodson.

TUF moved to FX a year later after the relationship between UFC and Spike TV turned sour, implementing a live format. It ran simultaneously with TUF: Brazil, and we’ve been depressed ever since. The show is so stale, they’ve ventured off to places like China and Latin America, turning it into a proving ground for fighters with a two-fight record. With that said, we even got seasons like TUF: Smashes (U.K. vs. Australia), TUF: Canada vs. Australia, and they’ve had multiple seasons in Brazil that only South Americans care about.

I guess that’s the point, since it’s not really designed for us to watch; yet, there’s a reason why good things must come to an end before the plot becomes lost. Can you imagine if Touched By An Angel was still running?

For the past few seasons, the brass teases how the show will be different, and how it’s going to blow you away, and so on. TUF 18 was the first co-ed season, and everyone tuned in because they thought they were getting Big Brother-style sex scenes. Instead, Jessamyn Duke vs. Raquel Pennington and Edmund Tarverdyan vs. Dennis Hallman was the best part of that garbage.

When White said TUF 19 was the worst season ever, you’d think he’d get a clue, however, they salvaged some interest with an all-womens TUF 20, with the inaugural women’s strawweight championship on the line. The problem is the promos were so sexist, and we got more shots of backsides than anything else. The rivalries were okay, however, nothing stood out to convince anyone to continue this putrid offering.

We’re now being told that TUF 21: ATT vs. The Blackzilians is going to be completely different, even though we’re going to ditch it midway into episode two. On the flipside, a string of TUF winners have gone on to claim gold in the Octagon, including Griffin, Evans, Matt Serra, and Carla Esparza, with many blooming prospects like Dodson, Kelvin Gastelum, and Tony Ferguson breaking out as fighters to watch.

On the contrary, some TUF winners aren’t even employed by the UFC anymore, including Jonathan Brookins and Colton Smith, and before his third UFC stint, Efrain Escudero was given the boot, too. With the influx of signees overpopulating the roster, does winning the reality show mean anything anymore? Or, is it about promoting bouts involving the coaches, more than anything?

So, all this to say TUF has been pretty central to the UFC’s growth. Nevertheless, it’s hard to believe MMA fans still watch the damn thing, considering how boring and drawn out it is. Yes, there have been hilarious moments and superb fights (like Matt Riddle vs. Tim Credeur on season seven, Damarques Johnson vs. Nick Osipczak on season 9, among others), but the volume of unworthy footage doesn’t add up in the end.

Video: UFC Fight Night 59 Weigh-In Replay, Watch Conor McGregor Just Because

(Video courtesy of YouTube.com/UFC)

The UFC Fight Night 59: “McGregor vs. Siver” weigh-in took place earlier today from Boston, MA., with all fighters on point in their respective weight classes. Check out the full video replay above, or storm to 25:10 to see what you really want.

With the Irish flag hovered around his body, Conor McGregor hit the stage, and upon making weight, bragged about hitting it right on the noggin and wrapped an imaginary title around his waist.


(Video courtesy of YouTube.com/UFC)

The UFC Fight Night 59: “McGregor vs. Siver” weigh-in took place earlier today from Boston, MA., with all fighters on point in their respective weight classes. Check out the full video replay above, or storm to 25:10 to see what you really want.

With the Irish flag hovered around his body, Conor McGregor hit the stage, and upon making weight, bragged about hitting it right on the noggin and wrapped an imaginary title around his waist.

In his short interview with Mike Goldberg, after trying to swipe away Dennis Siver‘s fist:

That’s 1-4-5 … that’s championship weight. Tell Jose I’m coming.”

Other highlights include Benson Henderson and Donald Cerrone being really great friends, Ron Stallings trying to get into Uriah Hall‘s head, and Sean O’Connell tapping Matt Van Buren’s nose in a flirty kind of way. Apart from that, composure was more or less maintained, and things didn’t get all that testy (no pun intended).

Join us tomorrow night for our habitual liveblog and post-fight recaps.

Alex G.