Author: Andrew Saunders

UFC on Fuel 9 Results: Recapping the Fight Night Bonuses

The UFC made its return to Sweden on Saturday, and while many fans scoffed at the lack of star power offered by UFC on FUEL 9, the event certainly didn’t lack excitement.More than half of the afternoon’s bouts were halted before reaching the scorecards…

The UFC made its return to Sweden on Saturday, and while many fans scoffed at the lack of star power offered by UFC on FUEL 9, the event certainly didn’t lack excitement.

More than half of the afternoon’s bouts were halted before reaching the scorecards, and four bouts didn’t even make it out of the first frame.

As is customary with Zuffa events, the UFC awarded post-fight bonuses to the best Fight, Knockout and Submission of the Night. For this night, bonus checks were cut in the amount of $60,000.

Highly touted Irish fighter Conor McGregor earned Knockout of the Night honors for his dismantling of featherweight Marcus Brimage. The stoppage came after McGregor leveled his opponent with a series of uppercuts before finishing him on the ground.

The competition was fierce in this category, as there were three exceptional knockouts on the card. That fight beat out a 19-second knockout from Matt Mitrione against Phil De Fries, as well as a leaping left hook-induced TKO delivered from Ross Pearson to Ryan Couture.

Submission of the Night went to Reza Madadi, who survived a nasty head kick in the first round that would have stopped most mortal beings. Madadi scored a thrid-round submission over Michael Johnson after locking him in a D’Arce choke.

Other nominees for this award were all Ultimate Fighter alumni: Tor Troeng, Tom Lawlor and Diego Brandao.

Fight of the Night was awarded to the main-card war between Brad Pickett and Mike Easton, who battled to a split decision. Pickett was awarded the victory, but both fighters get to fatten their bank accounts due to their thrilling performances.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for post-fight analysis of UFC on FUEL 9, as well as preview pieces for the rest of April’s fight calendar.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fuel 9 Start Time: When and Where to Watch UFC on Fuel 9

This Saturday, April 5, Sweden warmly welcomes the Octagon back to the Ericsson Globe Arena for the UFC’s ninth installment of its Fuel TV series. UFC on Fuel TV 9 will feature a light heavyweight contest between Gegard Mousasi and Ilir Latif…

This Saturday, April 5, Sweden warmly welcomes the Octagon back to the Ericsson Globe Arena for the UFC’s ninth installment of its Fuel TV series. 

UFC on Fuel TV 9 will feature a light heavyweight contest between Gegard Mousasi and Ilir Latifi in the evening’s main event.

This scrap is a late replacement for a matchup between Mousasi and No. 2 contender Alexander Gustafsson, the latter of which was removed from the fight due to a cut over his left eye.

In the evening’s co-main event, Ultimate Fighter winner Ross Pearson welcomes Ryan Couture, son of Randy, into the Octagon.

The action promises to be electric, but if you don’t know how to tune in, seeing the fights could prove to be quite tricky. Due to the time difference between Stockholm and the U.S.A., there is a substantial time difference between this card and most other UFC offerings.

 

Facebook Prelims:

Fans who do not have FUEL TV will still have a healthy serving of UFC at their disposal, as the official UFC Facebook page will be streaming seven fights from the preliminary card.

  • Reza Medadi vs. Michael Johnson
  • Tor Troeng vs. Adam Cella
  • Chris Spang vs. Adlan Amagov
  • Marcus Brimage vs. Conor McGregor
  • Ben Alloway vs. Ryan LaFlare
  • Michael Kuiper vs. Tom Lawlor
  • Papy Abedi vs. Besam Yousef

The Facebook fights are scheduled to begin at 10:50 a.m. EST.

Main Card:

Once the main card rolls around, it’s time to put down the laptop and turn on your big screen. At 2:00 p.m. the FUEL TV portion will begin. There, you’ll see the following matchups:

  • Gegard Mousasi vs. Ilir Latifi
  • Ross Pearson vs. Ryan Couture
  • Matt Mitrione vs. Phil De Fries
  • Brad Pickett vs. Mike Easton
  • Diego Brandao vs. Pablo Garza
  • Akira Corassani vs. Robbie Peralta

Don’t forget to stay close to Bleacher Report MMA for live event coverage and post-fight analysis on all things UFC on FUEL 9. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fuel 9: Which Fighter Has the Most to Gain?

On Saturday, the UFC returns to Sweden for a card that is certainly lacking star power, but makes up for it with fights that promise to deliver thrills.With very few notables on the UFC on FUEL 9 card, there aren’t many fighters in a position to launch…

On Saturday, the UFC returns to Sweden for a card that is certainly lacking star power, but makes up for it with fights that promise to deliver thrills.

With very few notables on the UFC on FUEL 9 card, there aren’t many fighters in a position to launch their careers with a Stockholm win. After all, how much can you gain by stomping an unheralded opponent who is nowhere near title contention?

However, of the handful of fighters who are in featured matchups, only one man has the ability to stand tall and authoritatively plant his flag in the UFC.

So who has the most to gain on Saturday night?

Certainly not Gegard Mousasi, who once had the opportunity to take down the No. 2 ranked Alexander Gustafsson. That opportunity fell to the wayside when Gustafsson was removed from the fight due to a cut over his left eye. 

Instead, the Armenian faces a debuting Ilir Latifi, a man who only the most hardcore of fight fans had heard of before this week.

It is Latifi, however, who can quickly make an ascent towards the top of the light heavyweight division were he to pull off the upset.

If this absolute nobody (no offense intended) can make his UFC debut on less than one week’s notice and knock off a ranked fighter like Gegard Mousasi, his tale will forever live in MMA lore as the greatest underdog tale this side of Matt Serra. 

In terms of what one man can gain from a single fight, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Then again, scoring that upset is easier said than done. Mousasi is one of the most talented light heavyweights on the planet and is as much as a 15-to-1 favorite on some sites.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

25 Best Co-Main Event Fights in UFC History

Let’s be honest here. Not every UFC main event is worth the $55 price tag associated with a pay per view. Thankfully, a solid co-main event can be enough to turn any borderline card into a must-see PPV. Former champions trying to get back into tit…

Let’s be honest here. Not every UFC main event is worth the $55 price tag associated with a pay per view. Thankfully, a solid co-main event can be enough to turn any borderline card into a must-see PPV. 

Former champions trying to get back into title contention commonly find themselves in co-main event contests. Other times, a grudge match between two stars on the cusp of contention will take place in this spot. Depending on how stacked an event is, sometimes the co-main event is a title fight. 

Taking a stroll through memory lane, here is a look at the 25 best co-main event fights in UFC history. Some of them are in this list because of their importance in the history of the sport. However, most fights earned their spot in this countdown due to their incredible excitement.

Enjoy.

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Power Ranking the Best MMA Fights That Will Take Place in April

In the month of April, the UFC is slamming fans with a weekly helping of fight cards that has the potential to overwhelm even some of the most die-hard MMA fans.Over the course of four weeks, Zuffa is offering two title fights, an official title elimin…

In the month of April, the UFC is slamming fans with a weekly helping of fight cards that has the potential to overwhelm even some of the most die-hard MMA fans.

Over the course of four weeks, Zuffa is offering two title fights, an official title eliminator, a potential title eliminator and several other contests that have major impact on the championship picture across multiple weight classes.

As a way to ensure that important bouts don’t slip through the cracks, here is a look at at the 10 biggest fights taking place in April, power ranked by importance.

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15 MMA Fighters Who’ve Hurt Their Careers with Failed Drug Tests

In the world of mixed martial arts, there is always hushed talk of fighters who are getting a little additional strength from the end of a needle.With everyone from reigning champions to undercard fighters testing positive for banned substances these d…

In the world of mixed martial arts, there is always hushed talk of fighters who are getting a little additional strength from the end of a needle.

With everyone from reigning champions to undercard fighters testing positive for banned substances these days, it is clearly time for something to change.

The pugilists who agree to take steroids are usually looking at the benefits of cheating. They tend to ignore what sits in front of them in the event that they are caught.

To any professional fighter out there, think of this article as your version of Scared Straight, because here is a look at some of the horror stories of MMA stars who have ruined their careers by using drugs.

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