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UFC on Fox 18 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Johnson vs. Bader Card

No one in mixed martial arts punches harder than Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Ryan Bader found that out first-hand Saturday night at UFC on Fox 18 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The main event didn’t last long. Bader predictably went for …

No one in mixed martial arts punches harder than Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Ryan Bader found that out first-hand Saturday night at UFC on Fox 18 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

The main event didn’t last long. Bader predictably went for the takedown early in the fight. Johnson stuffed the attempt, worked his way to Bader’s back and secured the back mount.

From there, he rained down the types of shots that set him apart from other power punchers. Within seconds, Bader was out cold. It took just one minute, 26 seconds.

It was as dominant of a performance as you’ll see in a fight at this level of the sport. Fox Sports: UFC stated the obvious:

UFC lightweight contender Eddie Alvarez talked about Johnson’s improved ground game and the impending doom that development could mean for the light heavyweight division:

Bader attempted a kimura as Johnson moved toward a mount, but he didn’t have good position. The poor strategy momentarily cost him his consciousness.

With the win, Johnson put himself in position to take on the winner of the UFC light heavyweight title bout between former champion Jon “Bones” Jones and titleholder Daniel Cormier. That fight could take place at UFC 200 in July, or even earlier.

If Cormier successfully defends his title, he and Jones could theoretically have a third fight immediately. Jones won their first meeting at UFC 182 in January 2015.

If Jones wins, it should open the door for Johnson to get a shot at the belt. The two were supposed to fight at UFC 187, but Jones’ legal issues and subsequent suspension took him out of the fight and stripped him of the title. Cormier went on to defeat Johnson for the vacant title that he still holds.

A Johnson vs. Jones battle would undoubtedly be one of the biggest fights in the UFC this year, and it would be cooler to see than a third bout between Jones and Cormier—no matter who wins the rematch.

Rothwell Submits Barnett

It’s time to take Big Ben Rothwell seriously. In the co-main event, Rothwell submitted former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett in the second round. After eating some steady jabs from Barnett in the first round and suffering a nasty gash across the bridge of his nose, Rothwell started closing the distance and landing shots.

Rothwell locked in what he later called a GoGo choke. It didn’t take long for Barnett to tap.

Barnett had never tapped out via submission in his professional career. That’s part of what made the win special. Per Fox Sports, Rothwell also pointed to his immense respect for Barnett as another factor:

Rothwell has now won four straight fights. He came into the fight ranked seventh in the UFC’s heavyweight division. The impressive victory might vault him into the top five.

Sage Fails 170-Pound Test

Nineteen-year-old sensation Sage Northcutt had been on a roll heading into his fight with Bryan Barberena on Saturday. Barberena put an end to the roll.

After a first round that saw Barberena hold his own against Northcutt’s hard-charging style, the former took control in the second frame. Northcutt swung and missed wildly with his right hand and tried an unorthodox kick as he was losing his balance.

He wouldn’t stand again during the bout.

Barberena took top position and pounded Northcutt, opening up a gash over his right eye. While working from half-guard, Barberena sunk in an arm triangle choke. He was trying to work his way out of guard and to the same side as the choke, but it turned out to be unnecessary.

Northcutt inexplicably tapped out. Twitter exploded with reactions. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden and Fox Sports’ Ariel Helwani and Damon Martin were three from the MMA community to chime in:

Renowned MMA aficionado Caposa offered a sensible defense for Northcutt:

Northcutt is probably going to have his best performances at 155 pounds—especially this early in his career. He’s fought seven times in nine months, and this was his first bout at 170 pounds. He’s still 7-1 and more than a year away from his 21st birthday.

He needs some immediate coaching to keep his confidence from taking a hit.

Barberena moved to 2-1 in the UFC. He’d lost a unanimous decision to Chad Laprise in his last fight at UFC 186 in April 25. This is a high-profile victory that he’ll try to build on moving forward.

UFC on Fox 18 Main Card

Anthony Johnson def. Ryan Bader, knockout (Round 1, 1:26)
Ben Rothwell def. Josh Barnett, submission (Round 2, 3:48)
Jimmie Rivera def. Iuri Alcantara, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bryan Barberena def. Sage Northcutt, submission (Round 2, 3:06)

Prelims on Fox Sports 1

Tarec Saffiedine def. Jake Ellenberger, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Carlos Diego Ferreira def. Olivier Aubin-Mercier, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Rafael Natal def. Kevin Casey, TKO (Round 3, 3:37)
Wilson Reis def. Dustin Ortiz, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Alexander Yakovlev def. George Sullivan, knockout (Round 1, 3:59)
Alex Caceres def. Masio Fullen, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Prelims on UFC Fight Pass

Randy Brown def. Matt Dwyer, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Damon Jackson vs. Levan Makashvili —Majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)
Tony Martin def. Felipe Olivieri, submission (Round 3, 3:02)

The Finishes

Martin Chokes Out Olivieri

During the Fight Pass prelims, American Tony Martin secured a much-needed win via submission over Felipe Olivieri. The 26-year-old from Palos Heights, Illinois, had lost three of his last four fights.

Most recently, he submitted via rear-naked choke by Leonardo Santos at UFC Fight Night 62 in March 2015. On Saturday night, Martin used the rear-naked choke to obtain a victory. Per UFC.com, Olivieri landed 87 significant strikes, compared to just 60 for Martin.

Many of those shots landed in the first round, when it seemed the Brazilian was in control. However, in the third round, Martin was able to take the fight to the ground.

He took Olivieri’s back, locked in both hooks and left his opponent unconscious. It was Olivieri’s UFC debut and didn’t go the way he’d hoped. The 30-year-old will almost certainly get another chance to prove himself.

Yakovlev Sends Sullivan Night-Night

While it lasted, Alexander Yakovlev was all over George Sullivan. The 31-year-old Russian made sure the fight didn’t last long. In the first round, Yakovlev landed a brutal combination that knocked Sullivan cold and gave the former the knockout victory.

Fox Sports shared the finish:

MMA Fighting had nothing but praise for Yakovlev after the win:

Per the MMA Corner, Sullivan couldn’t give much insight into the shots that ended his night:

After losing his first two UFC fights, Yakovlev has won two in a row. It’s too early to look at him as a legitimate contender in the ultra-competitive welterweight division, but he’s moving in the right direction.

Natal Dominates Casey

Physically, Kevin Casey looks like a threat in the Octagon. He’s a product of the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy and has proven knockout power. Even with all of those positives, Casey has yet to accomplish anything of note.

On Saturday, Rafael Natal made Casey look like an amateur. He dropped Casey at the end of the first round with a hard right hand. Had the shot landed 15 to 20 seconds earlier, Natal would have gotten the finish in the first frame.

Natal dominated the remainder of the fight and gain the technical-knockout finish in the third round via ground-and-pound. Casey was unable to regain his spark, and it was all downhill from there.

Natal once looked like an overrated underachiever, but he’s now won four fights in a row. He came into Saturday’s fight ranked 15th at 185 pounds. Women’s bantamweight contender complimented Natal’s performance:

At 33, Natal may have one more strong run at a spot in the top 10 of the UFC’s middleweight rankings.

What’s Next?

On Saturday, Feb. 6, the UFC will travel back to Las Vegas for a card headlined by former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks and exciting striker Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Few have the dynamic striking arsenal that Thompson possesses. He can put his opponents to sleep in a variety of ways.

Hendricks has thudding power and excellent resolve. He’s also a world-class wrestler. This matchup could produce fireworks. The co-main event is a heavyweight tilt between Roy Nelson and Jared Rosholt. Both men have big bodies and tons of power.

Let’s say this: Conditioning could be a factor. You can see the entire card on UFC.com. Be on the lookout for coverage on Bleacher Report.

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Bellator 148 Results: Winners, Scorecards, Reaction from Daley vs. Uhrich

Paul “Semtex” Daley made quick work of Andy Uhrich in the main event at Bellator 148 in Fresno, California, on Friday night. The powerful British welterweight stalked his overmatched opponent and ultimately landed a right uppercut on Uhrich’s jaw.
The …

The latter face planted, and referee John McCarthy stepped in to waive off the rest of the fight. This one wasn’t competitive at all, and it topped off a night filled with knockouts at the Save Mart Center. Zombie Prophet has the KO:

Here’s a look at all of the results from the card:

Prelim Results

Justin Smitley defeats Art Arciniega by unanimous decision (30-27 x3).
Ilima MacFarlane defeats Amber Tackett by submission (armbar) in first round.
Carl Seumanutafa defeats Javy Ayala by TKO (punches) in second round.

Main Card Results

Tony Johnson defeats Raphael Butler by TKO (punches) in third round.
Patricky Pitbull defeats Ryan Couture by KO (left hook) in first round.
Paul Bradley defeats Chris Honeycutt by TKO (punches) in first round.
Paul Daley defeats Andy Uhrich by KO (right uppercutt) in first round.

Chasing Koscheck

Daley and Uhrich weren’t supposed to be the main event matchup. Daley’s longtime rival Josh Koscheck was supposed to make his Bellator debut against Matt Secor, but the former had to bow out due to injury. He was on hand for Daley’s win, and there were plenty of words exchanged between the two veteran welterweights.

MMA Fighting and Fox Sports’ Ariel Helwani noted some of the trash talk from Daley’s brief, but in-your-face post-fight interview:

Back in 2010, when Daley and Koscheck were fighting in the UFC, the two faced off at UFC 113. Koscheck won a unanimous decision. Moments after the final bell, a frustrated Daley sucker-punched Koscheck. The infraction got him banned from the UFC and ignited a bitter feud between him and Koscheck.

Bellator’s promotional team has been attempting to align the two men on a collision course for the ultimate grudge match. They were both supposed to fight on Friday’s card to set up the rematch, but Koscheck’s injury derailed the plans.

Chances are, the shouting match after Daley’s win was enough to keep the flame burning and some fans interested in seeing the rematch.

Quite honestly, Koscheck looked like a shopworn and whooped fighter in his last four UFC fights. At this point, he may just be a recognizable name headed for a beatdown in Bellator. Only time will tell.

Bradley Smokes Honeycutt

The first meeting between Paul Bradley and Chris Honeycutt ended in a no-contest after an accidental headbutt back in July 2015. Bradley made sure the judges wouldn’t be a factor in the rematch.

Early in the first round, Bradley landed a right hand that was more of a forearm, but it dazed Honeycutt. A follow-up right hand sent him falling backward. Sensing the finish, Bradley pounced and pumped right hands to the side of Honeycutt’s head until the fight was stopped.

It was Honeycutt’s first loss as a pro. To add insult to injury, the bout took place in his hometown. He still has a bright future, but he’ll have to pick up the pieces after this one.

Johnson’s Wrestling Is Too Much for Butler

Raphael Butler hoped to use his boxing prowess to pick Tony Johnson apart with jabs and power punches, but that didn’t happen. Johnson used his wide body, low center of gravity and wrestling expertise to dominate Butler.

Every round looked like a carbon copy of the one before it. Johnson would shoot for the takedown, secure it on the first attempt and maintain top position. In the third round, referee Mike Beltran grew tired of the one-way traffic, and he stopped the bout due to unanswered strikes.

It was a questionable decision by Beltran, but Butler had no chance to win. There was only 30 seconds remaining in the fight, and Butler was making no moves to change the momentum. Here’s a look at the finish from Zombie Prophet:

Bellator congratulated Johnson on his win:

With the victory, Johnson has positioned himself for a title shot whenever heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov returns to the cage. He hasn’t fought in over two years, but somehow he’s been allowed to remain champion. Johnson is applying the heat that figures to force Minakov’s hand.

Bang

Ryan Couture tried to trade with Patricky Pitbull, and things didn’t end well for the son of the MMA legend. A smashing left hook from the Brazilian sent Couture crashing to the mat just three minutes into the fight. It was sudden, nasty and devastating.

Zombie Prophet has the punch:

When it was over, the MMA community had immediate reaction. Sherdog.com tabbed it as an early candidate for KO of the Year:

Thankfully, Bellator cutman Matt Marsden tweeted good news about Couture after the scary KO:

You could see the wickedness on its way in the early seconds of the fight. Couture seemed to be trying to prove he could strike with Pitbull. That was a surprising strategy considering Couture is known for his grappling and submission skills, while Pitbull boasts explosive punching power.

Before he turned Couture’s lights out with the left hook, he dazed him with a fierce straight right hand. It would have been smart for Couture to try and take the fight to the ground at that point, but he didn’t. Unfortunately for him, Pitbull’s left hand took him to the ground instead.

What’s Next?

On February 19, two MMA fossils will battle for something, we’re just not sure what it is. The legendary Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock will fight for the third time in their seemingly never-ending careers.

Also on the card is a matchup between Kimbo Slice and Dada 5000. Yeah, this one isn’t exactly targeted for the MMA purists, but it’s a fight that many people are likely going to be interested in seeing.

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Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich Fight Card, TV Schedule, Predictions

Paul “Semtex” Daley will face Andy Uhrich in the Bellator 148 main event on Friday from the SaveMart Center in Fresno, California. Originally, the main event was supposed to feature Josh Koscheck in his Bellator debut against Matt Secor, but an injury …

Here’s a look at predictions for the televised bouts:

Many of the early prelims will not be televised or streamed. The featured prelims will be streamed on Spike.com beginning at 7:45 p.m. ET. The main card begins at 9 p.m. ET and will air on Spike.

Daley-Koscheck Connection

Daley is one of the sport’s most devastating strikers. Honestly, he should tear through Uhrich. The latter lacks the striking prowess to hang with Daley in stand-up encounters.

Uhrich‘s only hope is to take the fight to the ground and wear down the Brit. He will have a three-inch height advantage over Daley, but that will wind up being a disadvantage in the fight.

Daley’s most dangerous strikes are his short, quick hooks on the inside. Look for him to slip Uhrich‘s long and slow jab and counter with short, powerful hooks. It would be surprising if this one goes the distance.

Daley should win inside two rounds.

The 32-year-old from Nottingham, England, has a rather dubious connection to Koscheck. When both were in the UFC, Koscheck defeated Daley by unanimous decision back in 2010.

Right after the bout, Daley sucker-punched Koscheck out of frustration.

UFC President Dana White famously announced after the fight that Daley’s contract was terminated with the organization and that he would never fight in the UFC again. Because of that incident, it’s ironic Daley would be replacing Koscheck as the main event attraction.

There was obviously an attempt being made to orchestrate a grudge match, but that can’t happen anytime soon with Koscheck‘s injury.

Honeycutt Will Take the Rematch over Bradley

Chris Honeycutt and Paul Bradley looked to be headed for a memorable scrap at Bellator 140 in July 2015. An accidental clash of heads opened a nasty gash on Bradley’s head, which caused the fight to be stopped and ruled a no-contest.

The two men are set for the rematch in the co-featured bout.

Honeycutt is undefeated in six professional bouts, but it seemed clear early on that Bradley would represent his toughest opponent to date. With over six months to ponder and prepare for the rematch, Honeycutt is the pick to win on Friday.

Athletically, he’s superior to Bradley. With 28 pro fights, Bradley has the upper hand from an experience standpoint. However, having faced Bradley for just under 10 minutes in their first fight, Honeycutt gained a measure of familiarity that will be valuable.

In the video interview below from Bellator, Honeycutt talks about how much he’s improved since the first fight:

He initially seemed a little shocked that Bradley was able to thwart his takedown attempts early, but Honeycutt looked to be settling in a bit before the clash of heads.

His power and technique in the ground game will push him to a dominant victory via third-round TKO.

Tony Johnson Will Power Past Butler

In his career, Tony Johnson has faced some big names in the sport. He defeated an over-the-hill Tim Sylvia in 2013 via TKO and lost via submission to Daniel Cormier in 2010. Johnson is now attempting to smash his way to the top of the Bellator heavyweight rankings, and Raphael Butler is next in line.

It’s all part of Johnson’s plan to one day hold the Bellator heavyweight title. The only problem is Bellator champion Vitaly Minakov has been missing in action for more than two years. Somehow the promotion has allowed him to remain the champion despite almost unprecedented inactivity.

Johnson told Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie:

It’s a little frustrating, but I can only control what I can control; and right now I have another fight. If I beat Butler it’s going to be hard for them to say no to a title shot. (Minakov) can’t hold it up for too much longer. They’ve got to do something. They have me, they have Rafael Butler, Bobby Lashley – we’re all in the hunt for the title and we just have to wait and see what happens.

Johnson will eliminate Butler’s name from immediate contention on Friday night. When he’s focused and in shape, Johnson is a wrecking ball who poses a serious threat to any Bellator heavyweight. Butler will have a length advantage, and he also possesses notable power.

However, he’ll be unnerved by Johnson’s pressure and strength in close quarters. Johnson will score a TKO victory to further pave his way toward a title shot—whenever Minakov returns or Bellator decides to do something with the title.

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UFC 195 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Lawler vs. Condit Card

UFC 195 finished with a classic. Main events rarely live up to the hype, but Saturday night’s featured bout surely did. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler retained his UFC Welterweight Championship with a thrilling and close split-decision win over “The Natural …

The fight had several momentum shifts, and it was punctuated by a fifth round that will go down as one of the best in welterweight history. ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto thought it might have been the best regardless of weight class:

Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter took it a step further:

The fight stats for the bout are interesting, but the numbers from the fifth round are especially notable. Per UFC.com, Condit landed 81 strikes to just 43 for the champion. By most accounts, Lawler took the final round because it looked as though he was on the verge of stopping Condit, but The Natural Born Killer proved to have a granite chin.

SB Nation’s Luke Thomas shared those sentiments:

Even with Lawler’s hard combinations wobbling the challenger, it’s hard to ignore Condit’s edge in volume. In fact, he had a huge advantage in strikes landed throughout the fight. Falling just shy of 200 strikes landed, Condit hit Lawler 198 times, while the champion landed 78 strikes. That’s a huge discrepancy.

Looking at those numbers, it’s easy to find fuel for opinions like the one former UFC fighter and current Fox Sports analyst Kenny Florian shared:

With that said, decisions aren’t awarded based on strikes landed; the judges go by rounds won. The third round was probably the toughest to call. No one was rocked, but Condit did outland Lawler 22-10 in the frame.

In any case, it was a great and competitive fight. Though I scored it for Condit, it was too close to call the decision a robbery. After the bout, the challenger seemed to feel slighted by the judges, per Bleacher Report MMA:

The classy champion gave Condit all the respect he earned in his post-fight interview. Per MMAFighting.com, he laid the groundwork for a potential rematch:

Lawler isn’t a matchmaker, and some fans are clamoring for Tyron Woodley—a man who defeated Condit—to finally get his shot at the gold. After this epic clash, fans might be more inclined to shell out dough to see Lawler vs. Condit II as a main event, though, than they would for Lawler vs. Woodley.

That could be all UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and UFC President Dana White need to book the rematch.

Miocic Smokes the Pit Bull

Stipe Miocic walked through former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in 54 seconds. The two men exchanged a few insignificant jabs and body shots, but the first shot of substance came from Miocic.

A hard right hand caught Arlovski on his ear, and Miocic followed up with a right and left hand that put the Belarusian down. Arlovski dropped to all fours, and Miocic dropped one more shot that forced referee Herb Dean to call an end to the fight.

Seconds after the win, Miocic ran over to White and began screaming at him, “I want my shot!” He was referring to a shot at the UFC Heavyweight Championship. The champion is Fabricio Werdum, but he has a rematch with Cain Velasquez already scheduled for UFC 196 on February 6.

With Miocic’s knockout victory over Arlovski, he has to be next in line for a shot at the winner of the UFC 196 main event. Bleacher Report MMA thinks it’s time for Miocic to get his crack at the belt, as well:

Here’s a look at all of the results from Saturday night’s card in Las Vegas:

Results

UFC 195 Main Card

(c) Robbie Lawler def. Carlos Condit, split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)
Stipe Miocic def. Andrei Arlovski, TKO (Round 1, 0:54)
Albert Tumenov def. Lorenz Larkin, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Brian Ortega def. Diego Brandao, submission (triangle choke, Round 3, 1:37)
Abel Trujillo def. Tony Sims, submission (guillotine, Round 1, 3:18)

Prelims on Fox Sports 1

Michael McDonald def. Masanori Kanehara, submission (rear-naked choke, Round 2, 2:09)
Alex Morono def. Kyle Noke, split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Justine Kish def. Nina Ansaroff, unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Drew Dober def. Scott Holtzman, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Prelims on UFC Fight Pass

Dustin Poirier def. Joe Duffy, unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Michinori Tanaka def. Joe Soto, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Sheldon Westcott def. Edgar Garcia, TKO (Round 1, 3:12)

The Highlights

Westcott Pounds Garcia

Edgar Garcia’s only chance to beat Sheldon Westcott was with his striking on his feet. Westcott made sure Garcia didn’t stay on his feet for long. Early in the first frame, Westcott secured a takedown and started pounding Garcia.

For some reason, referee Chris Tognoni elected to allow the fight to continue for 30 to 40 seconds longer than it needed to. Garcia was defenseless with Westcott clinging to his back. Finally, Tognoni called an end to the bout, and Westcott was named the victor.

The Canadian’s celebration made UFC Europe nervous:

The victory was a huge one for Westcott. He had lost his first two fights in the promotion, so the win might have saved him from the cut line.

McDonald Chokes out Masanori Kanehara

It had been more than two years since Michael McDonald last competed in the Octagon, and his return had some anxious moments. Masanori Kanehara proved to be a better grappler than most expected, and McDonald had to fight through a serious side arm-triangle choke.

Just when it looked as though McDonald was in trouble, he popped out of the hold and immediately took Kanehara’s back. Without hesitation, the American sunk his arm under Kanehara’s chin to force the tapout.

McDonald is just 24 years old despite his eight UFC bouts and 20 total professional fights. His future looks bright, but he may need to guard against overconfidence moving forward.

Trujillo Squeezes Sims

When you’re strong, you don’t necessarily need to do things in textbook fashion. Tony Sims was outstriking Abel Trujillo, before the former made the mistake of going for a takedown.

Sims slipped a wild punch nicely, but when he lifted Trujillo, the powerful Des Moines, Iowa, native was able to lock in a guillotine. Trujillo used the butterfly to push Sims over and apply his weight and strong arms on his opponent’s neck.

It didn’t take long for Sims to tap. Both fighters were coming off losses, so it was somewhat of a must-win situation. Trujillo got the much-needed victory.

T-City Explains the Meaning of His Name

I was wondering what Brian “T-City” Ortega’s nickname meant. In his victory over Diego Brandao, Ortega showed us and proved why the moniker makes sense. The “T” stands for triangle, and that’s the brand of choke he used to submit Brandao.

After likely losing the first two rounds, the Gracie-trained Ortega put his Brazilian jiu-jitsu into effect and displayed some high-level transitioning. The winning sequence started as an anaconda choke, moved to full mount and within seconds became a triangle choke.

T-City baby!

USA Today and MMA Junkie’s Ben Fowles understands the nickname but still doesn’t like it:

Whatever his alias is, Ortega showed an excellent chin, poise and some awesome grappling. Keep your eye on this young man.

What’s Next

UFC Fight Night 81

The main event scheduled for the January 17 card in Boston could easily be a headliner for a pay-per-view. MMA fans will be delighted to know it’ll be on Fox Sports 1.

UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw will defend his title against former titleholder Dominick Cruz in what could be a classic battle. In the co-main event, former UFC lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis will return to the Octagon to take on former Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 195: Lawler vs. Condit Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

The UFC begins 2016 with a tantalizing card from Las Vegas on Saturday for UFC 195. Welterweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler will defend his title against former interim champion “The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit.
In the co-main event, two …

In the co-main event, two powerful heavyweight contenders will square off for a chance to challenge for the UFC Heavyweight title. Stipe Miocic faces “The Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski in what could be a destructive bout. Here’s a look at the viewing information and predictions for the entire card.

Main Card (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

Champ Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit – for welterweight title – Condit by TKO
Andrei Arlovski vs. Stipe Miocic – Arlovski by TKO
Lorenz Larkin vs. Albert Tumenov – Larkin by TKO
Diego Brandao vs. Brian Ortega – Ortega by decision
Tony Sims vs. Abel Trujillo – Trujillo by KO

Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)

Masanori Kanehara vs. Michael McDonald – McDonald by TKO
Nina Ansaroff vs. Justine Kish – Kish by decision
Drew Dober vs. Scott Holtzman – Holtzman by submission
Alex Morono vs. Kyle Noke – Noke by TKO

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass, 6:30 p.m. ET)

Joseph Duffy vs. Dustin Poirier – Duffy by TKO
Joe Soto vs. Michinori Tanaka – Soto by decision
Edgar Garcia vs. Sheldon Westcott – Garcia by TKO

Predictions for Four Most Interesting Fights on the Card

Duffy over Poirier

Dustin Poirier was supposed to meet Joseph Duffy in the headline bout at UFC Fight Night 76, but the latter was scratched because of injury. The two talented lightweights will get it on in the featured UFC Fight Pass prelims on Saturday’s card.

Since moving up to 155 pounds, Poirier has looked like a new man. He’s won two fights in a row, finishing both by KO/TKO. Duffy is a different breed of lightweight than the ones Poirier has faced since joining the division.

The Ireland native is a physical grappler with excellent reach and length. He’s also the last man to defeat Conor McGregor. Duffy submitted the current UFC featherweight champion back in 2010.

At 5’10”, Duffy is one of the few fighters in the weight region that Poirier won’t be able to control with his long frame. Poirier may have a slight edge on the ground, as he is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu compared to the blue belt Duffy holds, but the difference won’t be significant enough.

Duffy’s strength and speed advantage as a striker will lead to a second-round TKO victory.

McDonald over Kanehara

After being sidelined almost two years with a hand injury, Michael McDonald is set to step back into the Octagon. His opponent, Masanori Kanehara, is an exciting Japanese fighter, but to put it plain, he’s going to get smashed on Saturday.

Assuming McDonald isn’t terribly rusty, his striking prowess will overcome Kanehara inside the first round. McDonald is too strong and accurate with his punches (42 percent striking accuracy, per FightMetric.com).

He won’t waste time disposing of Kanehara in an effort to emphatically announce his return to the UFC bantamweight division.

Miocic over Arlovski

Funny things happen in heavyweight bouts, but you can almost bet someone’s going to get knocked out in the co-main event. Neither Miocic nor Arlovski are big on grappling. Miocic does average 2.16 takedown attempts per fight, but he does his best work during stand-up exchanges.

While he’s dangerous as a striker, Miocic has had some issues protecting himself against shots. He’s defending just 52 percent of the strikes thrown at him. That could be a major problem against a big puncher like Arlovski.

Call him lucky, fortunate, opportunistic or anything else, but Arlovski has done nothing but win since he returned to the UFC in 2014. Many of us have simply been waiting for him to lose—officially (he deserved the loss when he defeated Brendan Schaub by decision in his UFC return)—but he keeps putting numbers in the win column.

Against a talented, but inconsistent opponent like Miocic, Arlovski is the pick to win again in this one. I’m calling the Pitbull for the win via third-round TKO.

Condit over Lawler

MMA History Today is one of many expecting the UFC 195 main event to be an epic clash:

It’s unlikely Lawler and Condit disappoint, but that’s not a good look for the champion. Lawler has been a great champion, but his reign has to come to an end at some point. There are so many legitimate contenders at 170 pounds, and Lawler has been in quite a few wars. His two battles with Johny Hendricks and his career-shortening masterpiece against Rory MacDonald will take a toll on him at some point.

Condit will bring him another one, and this time, Lawler won’t be the last man standing. Condit is hungry, skilled and very tough. He’s three inches taller and more talented using his feet as weapons with kicks.

Expect Condit to hurt Lawler with leg kicks and high kicks to the head. Lawler is as tough as they come, but Condit will wear him down and finish him in the fourth round in what will prove to be another classic UFC welterweight title bout.

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UFC on Fox 17 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 Card

UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos may not be the high-profile, headline-grabbing champion the UFC craves, but he is the baddest man in the 155-pound division. He defeated Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone via TKO in just 66 seconds on Saturday night in O…

Per Fox Sports’ Ariel Helwani, via Michael Carroll of FightMetric.com, the victory was a record-setting one:

Cerrone is known as a notoriously slow starter. The hitch in his giddyup was his downfall on Saturday—that and a nasty left kick to his midsection. The champion left no doubt who the better man was as this was his second win over Cerrone in as many meetings.

From the outset, dos Anjos looked more lively as the first punches he threw found their mark. The two momentarily went into the clinch, and the champion landed a knee in the same spot that he would land the kick seconds later.

Cerrone winced from the knee, but he completely folded and retreated to the cage when the kick connected. Dos Anjos immediately began to launch a myriad of punches in an effort to finish Cerrone, but the latter showed heart and resolve as he tried to regain his breath.

The two fighters would go to the ground, but dos Anjos was the only one firing strikes. A turtled Cerrone was trying to cover up, but dos Anjos was relentless. Referee Herb Dean stopped the bout.

The first victory over Cowboy was a unanimous-decision win in 2013. Cerrone had put together an impressive eight-fight win streak since the loss. He had looked like a new-and-improved fighter, but he’s clearly still not on dos Anjos’ level.

When the fight was over, dos Anjos took the opportunity to address newly crowned UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor. Here’s the segment in this tweet from Fox Sports: UFC:

McGregor has talked about moving to 155 pounds after unifying the 145-pound crown. He did that last weekend when he knocked out Jose Aldo in 13 seconds at UFC 194. A battle with dos Anjos would give Brazilian fans a chance at revenge.

Stay tuned.

Overeem Overpowers Junior

Alistair Overeem has had some embarrassing UFC losses. He dropped three of four fights at one point from 2013-14. The only thing he dropped on Saturday was Junior dos Santos. After a cautious first round, Overeem took the former UFC heavyweight champion to the woodshed in the second.

Well-placed and timed body kicks softened dos Santos up; Left hooks would do him in. Overeem landed the first shot midway through the frame. It opened a gash over dos Santos’ right eye. Shortly after that initial shot wobbled the Brazilian, Overeem would turn out the lights with a counter left hook.

Overeem slipped dos Santos’ jab and came up with the definitive punch. He pounced on his opponent to land a few hammer fists and referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in. Dos Santos was unhappy with the decision to stop the fight, but it was the right one.

He was trying to get to his feet, but he was in a compromising position with a very powerful man hovering over him. Zombie Prophet captured dos Santos’ struggle faces:

When it was over, Overeem was asked about his preparedness for a potential title shot against the winner of the Fabricio Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez rematch in February at UFC 196. MMAFighting.com has a portion of the response:

Overeem had an excellent game plan for this bout. He knew he was the superior athlete, but he didn’t abandon his defense. He was patient, forcing dos Santos to initiate the action.

When he did, he made him pay. In the heavyweight division, it doesn’t take much. He has beaten Werdum once back in 2011 when the two were in Strikeforce. In fact, he’s the last man to beat the UFC champion.

If Werdum can defeat Velasquez again, the stage seems set for Werdum vs. Overeem 2. If you didn’t catch it, believe in what Fox Sports’ Damon Martin says about the event:

Here’s a look at the rest of the results and highlights from the card:

UFC on Fox 17 Results

Rafael dos Anjos defeated Donald Cerrone via first-round TKO (1:06).
Alistair Overeem defeated Junior dos Santos via second-round TKO (4:43).
Nate Diaz defeated Michael Johnson via unanimous decision (29-28 x3).
Karolina Kowalkiewicz defeated Randa Markos via unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27).
Charles Oliveira defeated Myles Jury via submission (guillotine) (R1, 3:05).
Nate Marquardt defeated C.B. Dollaway via second-round KO (0:28).
Valentina Shevchenko defeated Sarah Kaufman via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2).
Tamdan McCrory defeated Josh Samman via submission (triangle) (R3, 4:10).
Nik Lentz defeated Danny Castillo via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27).
Cole Miller vs. Jim Alers ruled a no- contest (accidental eye poke by Alers).
Kamaru Usman defeated Leon Edwards via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28).
Vicente Luque defeated Hayder Hassan via submission (anaconda choke) (R1, 2:13).
Francis Ngannou defeated Luiz Henrique via second-round KO (2:53).

Other Card Highlights

Francis Ngannou is Big and Nasty

The heavyweight division always has room for a devastating puncher. France’s Francis Ngannou made a destructive statement in his UFC debut. A brutal left uppercut separated Luis Henrique from consciousness and gave the 29-year-old Ngannou the win.

UFC tweeted the finish:

It’s just his first win on the biggest stage, but one-punch knockouts are attention-grabbers. Let’s just hope Ngannou is more consistent than his countryman Cheick Kongo. The latter teased us with an imposing physique and a few exciting KOs.

Overall, his UFC career was less than spectacular.

Luque Chokes Out One-Dimensional Hassan

Hayder Hassan talks a great game, but when it comes down to it, he’s too dependent on his massive punching power. There’s no layers to his skill set, and that’s especially evident when his fights go to the ground.

His bout with Vicente Luque on Saturday did indeed go to the mat, and the latter was clearly superior. The fight was a rematch of a fight that originally took place during The Ultimate Fighter Season 21. Hassan won that bout, but Luque made sure the outcome would be different this time around.

He’d finish Hassan via anaconda choke in the second round. Unfortunately, everyone watching on television saw Hassan tap, but referee Jorge Alonso did not. Sherdog was dismayed with the way the fight ended:

SB Nation’s Luke Thomas wasn’t surprised with the result:

Luque talked about his victory afterward with Rodolfo Roman of the Roman Show:

If you watched Saturday’s bout and had never seen the two men’s initial meeting, it would be hard to convince you Hassan ever defeated Luque. It just goes to show how much one fighter can improve while another stays stagnant.

McCrory’s Jiu-Jitsu Smokes Samman

A brilliant exhibition of jiu-jitsu led to a submission victory via Triangle Choke for Tamdan McCrory over Josh Samman. Take a look at the finish in the tweet from Fox Sports: UFC:

With pressure and superior movement on the ground, McCrory proved to be too much for his opponent.

Samman’s athleticism and striking prowess might have gotten him the first round, but McCrory would take over in the second. He spent 3:14 of the frame in control and landed 17 significant strikes compared to just four for Samman.

In the third, McCrory took the fight to the ground again and locked in the choke. Samman was done. While his striking won’t win him many fights, his jiu-jitsu is advanced enough to make him a relatively tough out in the middleweight division.

Marquardt Starches Defenseless Dollaway

Elvis Presley once sang, “Only Fools Rush In.” Apparently, C.B. Dollaway doesn’t know that song. In the second round of his bout against Nate Marquardt, Dollaway ran face-first into a right hand that put him out before his body hit the mat.

Here’s the finish from Fox Sports: UFC:

Dollaway seemed to be winning the stand-up battle initially. Although he and Marquardt had both landed 13 significant strikes in the first round, it was Dollaway who was consistently coming forward.

Unfortunately for Dollaway, that pursuit led him to his destruction in the Octagon. Neither man has what it takes to become a serious contender at middleweight, but they could still be relevant in the promotion’s fictional veteran’s division—if that really existed.

Heavy Oliveira Nearly Hung Jury

The weekend didn’t begin well for Charles Oliveira. Per Matt Erickson and Christian Stein of MMA Junkie, the Brazilian missed weight on Friday before his bout with Myles Jury on Saturday night.

Oliveira didn’t just miss weight by a little. He weighed in at 150.5 pounds, which is 4.5 over the allowed weight. This is the fourth time Oliveira has missed weight in the UFC.

This latest lack of conditioning cost Oliveira 20 percent of his purse. It’s a good thing that deduction will come out of a winner’s portion. In the very first round, Oliveira was able to lock in one of his signature guillotines.

This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill guillotines while he was lying on his back. Oliveira applied it from the standing position, wrapped his legs around Jury’s waist and hung on his opponent’s neck until he tapped.

Fanaticos del MMA GT has the sequence:

If Oliveira can ever solve his weight issues, he’s a real contender at 145 pounds. It would be best for him to move to 155, but he obviously wants to maintain what he believes is a size advantage at featherweight.

Charles, there’s no advantage if you’re risking your health and giving up a fifth of your dough—just saying.

What’s Next?

The new year will begin with UFC 195 on Saturday, January 2 in Las Vegas. UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler will defend his title against Carlos Condit. That’s a fight with an excellent chance to become a classic bout.

The co-main event is a heavyweight tilt that will feature Stipe Miocic and Andrei Arlovski. That, too, could be a barnburner. New year…more punches.

All fight stats per UFC.com official event page.

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