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UFC Fight Night 75 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Barnett vs. Nelson Card

Josh “The Warmaster” Barnett was in excellent shape, and he needed the additional stamina. He outworked Roy Nelson en route to a unanimous-decision victory (48-47, 48-47, 50-45) at UFC Fight Night Japan in Saitama. Barnett showed off a diverse striking…

In the first round, Nelson secured two takedowns—which were slightly surprising, considering Barnett’s grappling prowess—but the Warmaster would rise and regain control with uppercuts, elbows and a steady diet of knees and kicks to Nelson’s gut.

Per UFC.com, Nelson landed 212 strikes, while Nelson landed just 101.

Throughout the fight, Barnett eluded Nelson’s big right hand and closed the distance to wear down his less conditioned opponent. When the fight was over, Barnett called Nelson over during his post-fight interview.

He gave his opponent credit for his toughness, resolve and willingness to mix it up. With Nelson having lost his fourth fight in his last five outings, Barnett’s graciousness came off as a plea to the UFC to not cut the 39-year-old veteran. Jay Anderson of the MMA Corner loved the gesture:

It’s hard to find a spot for Nelson among the elite heavyweights—which is especially bad because the division isn’t the strongest in the promotion. The best thing for him might be to explore his options elsewhere or to retire.

Barnett could be a serious player in the division if he can maintain his current conditioning. He looked much faster than normal in his stand-up game, and he had enough left in the tank to get the job done over five rounds.

Dating back to his days in Pride, Barnett has built a huge following in Japan. It was evident as he was the clear fan favorite throughout. Barnett is so acclimated to the country’s culture that he spoke in Japanese during most of his post-fight interview.

Uriah Hall Shocked the World

Almost no one gave Uriah Hall a chance to beat Gegard Mousasi—except for me—but the ultra-talented middleweight reminded us how dynamic he can be in the Octagon. After a rough first round that saw Mousasi take him down and the latter escape a few rear-naked choke attempts, Hall turned on the highlight reel to begin the second round.

Seconds into the frame, he landed a spinning kick to Mousasi‘s face that dazed him. Hall followed that up with a leaping knee that rolled Mousasi over. Without hesitation, he pounced and pounded his wounded opponent to earn the technical-knockout win. Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting shared the maneuver that started it all:

For a guy whose desire and finishing instincts had been questioned by everyone from fans to UFC President Dana White, Hall proved to have what it took to finish an elite veteran who had never been stopped in his career.

Without question, Hall should vault into the top 10 at 185 pounds with this win. Here’s a look at every result from the night in Japan:

Horiguchi and Mizugaki Delight Japanese Crowd

In a dominating performance, Kyoji Horiguchi looked like the second-best flyweight in the UFC on Saturday. He made a tough Chico Camus look out of his league en route to an easy unanimous-decision win.

Horiguchi‘s movement and striking picked Camus apart all night. The 24-year-old Japanese star snapped Camus’ head back with regularity and sliced up the Milwaukee native’s face. While Horiguchi didn’t get the finish, he did rebound nicely from his defeat to flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson in his last outing. UFC fighter Eddie “Truck” Gordon thought Horiguchi looked great in his return to the Octagon:

Horiguchi‘s countryman Takeya Mizugaki used fast hands and sharp counters to beat up veteran George Roop. Mizugaki landed 97 total strikes to Roop‘s 88 in the fight, and his shots did more damage. That explains why Mizugaki earned the unanimous-decision victory.

Despite Mizugaki‘s winning performance, Jordan Breen of Sherdog doesn’t see the veteran as more than a gatekeeper:

Mizugaki was emotional in the cage after his win. He seemed moved to have performed well in front of his home crowd.

Explosive Brandao

It took about 30 seconds for Diego Brandao to take care of Katsunori Kikuno. Brandao landed a big right hand in the opening seconds and overwhelmed the dazed Kikuno until the referee called a halt to the bout.

After back-to-back knockout losses to Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, Brandao has now secured consecutive knockout finishes to get back on track. He has a while to go before he can be considered a contender, but he’s off the skids.

What’s Next?

On Saturday, October 3, UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier will defend his title against Alexander Gustafsson in Houston in the main event of UFC 192. That spectacular bout will be supported by a stellar welterweight clash between Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley and a light heavyweight scrap between veterans Ryan Bader and Rashad Evans.

It could be a great card. Check back to Bleacher Report for coverage leading up to the event as well as an analysis after the fights.

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UFC Fight Night 75: Barnett vs. Nelson Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions, More

Two big and powerful men who possess elite grappling ability will square off in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night Japan.
“The Warmaster” Josh Barnett makes his return to the Octagon after a near two-year absence. He’ll face “Big Country” Roy…

Two big and powerful men who possess elite grappling ability will square off in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night Japan.

“The Warmaster” Josh Barnett makes his return to the Octagon after a near two-year absence. He’ll face “Big Country” Roy Nelson in a battle of heavyweights who are seemingly at a crossroads in their careers.

Nelson has lost his last two fights and four of the last five. If he doesn’t get a win on Saturday, the 39-year-old may have to ask himself some serious questions. Unfortunately for Big Country, he’s going to need some answers after this one is over.

Never one for optimal conditioning, Nelson’s lack of stamina doesn’t allow him to show off his excellent Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Instead, he depends on his thudding right hand to win every fight. Obviously, that hasn’t been working of late.

Against Barnett, standing and striking might be Nelson’s only hope of winning. Barnett is perhaps the only heavyweight in the world who is more skilled than Nelson on the ground. In The Warmaster’s career, he has 33 wins, with 20 of them by submission.

Big Country is still at a noticeable disadvantage on the feet in this one as well. He stands three inches shorter with a six-inch reach disadvantage. Because of the disparity in size and grappling skills, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Nelson wins. Although this is MMA and anything can happen, it seems unlikely Nelson will overcome all of the matchup disadvantages.

Hall Will Live Up to His Potential

During the The Ultimate Fighter Season 17, no fighter was more promising than Uriah “Prime Time” Hall. His athleticism, varied striking game and explosive power had many fans excited. Unfortunately, ever since the TUF 17 Finale against Kelvin Gastelum, Hall has been underachieving.

Gastelum outworked him and took away the TUF 17 title, and Hall has since lost to fighters like John Howard and Rafael Natal. Fresh off a TKO victory over Oluwale Bamgbose last month, Hall has stepped in for the injured Roan Carneiro and will face the most difficult test of his MMA career.

Hall has been criticized for not fitting the profile of a fighter with a killer instinct, but he embraces and admits things most fighters wouldn’t dare. Per Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com, Hall said: “I have no problem being honest. I was scared. It’s that simple. I was scared and not everyone wants to admit that, especially in a sport like this. You don’t want to tell the world you’re scared because people expect you to go out there and be a warrior.”

Stepping up to take this fight sends a message that Hall is actually reaching for new heights.

Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi is ranked sixth in the UFC at 185 pounds. He has 44 professional bouts under his belt and myriad skills. That’s why Hall’s win on Saturday will finally allow him to begin to live up to his massive potential.

Hall will have the speed advantage. When it comes to quick-twitch athleticism, the only fighters in the UFC who may be superior to Hall are Demetrious Johnson, John Dodson and Tyrone Woodley. Mousasi will have to be aware of Hall’s explosiveness.

The Dreamcatcher is a cerebral fighter who will want to make this fight easy by taking it to the ground. Only Hall is not an easy man to take down. His takedown defense is 76 percent, and you can bet he’s been working on that since he learned he’d be facing Mousasi.

It’s a bit of a long shot, but the formula is there for a stoppage win from Hall. Mousasi has never been stopped via strikes, but if he’s on, Hall has the skill set to do what no other opponent has been able to do.

Horiguchi Will Overwhelm Camus

Kyoji Horiguchi was dominated by Johnson when he got a shot at the UFC flyweight title back in April, but there’s no shame in losing to a man who might be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. It’s also easy to forget that Horiguchi is still only 24 years old.

His best fighting is still ahead of him, and it’s probably just a matter of time before he earns another shot at the 125-pound title.

Chico Camus stands in his way, but he won’t be there for long.

Horiguchi will be fighting in his home country, and he’ll be eager to impress. Something tells me this fight will take place primarily in the stand-up, as that’s the best way for Horiguchi to be impressive in this fight, and it’s probably the way Camus would prefer to fight.

The advantage in dexterity goes to Horiguchi, as does the striking power. He has 15 career wins with nine knockouts. Camus is too tough to get stopped by strikes, but Horiguchi’s power should score a knockdown and pave the way for a decision win.

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Daily Fantasy MMA: DraftKings Picks for UFC Fight Night Barnett vs. Nelson Card

Knockout wins are great for UFC DraftKings contests. Saturday’s UFC Fight Night Japan features a main event with two bruising heavyweights, which usually all but guarantees a stoppage win for someone.
“The Warmaster” Josh Barnett ($10,800) takes on “Bi…

“The Warmaster” Josh Barnett ($10,800) takes on “Big Country” Roy Nelson in a battle between heavyweight veterans in need of a victory. Barnett was viciously knocked out by Travis Browne in his last fight back in December 2013.

Nelson has lost his last two fights, and neither of them have been close. In March, Nelson was picked apart by Alistair Overeem for three rounds in a lopsided unanimous-decision loss. Before that, he was knocked out by Mark Hunt in September 2014.

Against Barnett, he’ll be at a height and length disadvantage. Barnett stands 6’3″ with a 79″ reach compared to 6’0″ and a 72″ reach for Nelson. Conditioning is routinely an issue for Nelson in his fights. Despite a mature Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu game, he’s usually restricted to winning fights with a big right hand because he doesn’t have the stamina to outwork an opponent on the ground.

Even if he did have the wind, Barnett might be the only heavyweight in the UFC Nelson can’t out-grapple. Barnett’s wrestling and submission skills are elite. When you group that skill set with his superior reach against a less-than-mobile Nelson, it’s hard to imagine Barnett losing this fight.

In his career, 28 of Barnett’s 33 wins have come by submission or KO. The Warmaster is the smart play in the main event. Here’s a look at all of the best DK picks for the card:

Kyoji Horiguchi ($11,000)

Kyoji Horiguchi has the home-field advantage on Saturday night as the 24-year-old Japanese star gets set to entertain his countrymen.

It wouldn’t be totally crazy to think that Horiguchi has a good chance to beat any flyweight not named Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. In his last fight, he was outclassed by Johnson en route to a last-second submission defeat at the hands of the pound-for-pound king.

On Saturday, Horiguchi will be taking on a tough, but physically overmatched Chico Camus.

What Camus lacks in pure athleticism he’s usually able to compensate for with heart and relentlessness. That won’t be the case against Horiguchi.

When it comes to speed and explosiveness, Horiguchi is second only to John Dodson in his weight class. He has 10 finishes in 15 professional wins, and he could be pushing for a stoppage to make amends for his loss against Johnson, and to please his home fans.

In any case, Horiguchi is one of the safer picks to make on this card.

Jingliang Li ($10,300)

All action fighters like Jingliang Li are a DK player’s dream. He lands an impressive 3.72 strikes per minute in his fights and he’s tough as nails. Despite his defense being relegated to an afterthought at times (3.6 strikes absorbed per minute) he has never been stopped in his career.

Based on those qualities alone you have to like Li to beat Keita Nakamura. The latter hasn’t fought in the UFC since 2006. He lost his last three fights in the promotion and has bounced around with smaller organizations since then. He’s compiled a solid record at 30-6, but he has wilted against top competition.

Li is the right pick on Saturday because even if he doesn’t defeat Nakamura—which he should—he’s going to throw a ton of punches to maximize a losing slot in your lineup. If he wins and doesn’t get the stoppage, he’s still liable to produce one of the more productive non-stoppage wins on the card.

Shinsho Anzai ($9,700)

Both Shinsho Anzai and Roger Zapata are carrying DK salaries of $9,700 heading into their preliminary bout. Anzai gets the edge in this toss up because he’s an absolute wild man with excellent striking.

He ran into a buzz saw in his UFC debut against the undefeated Alberto Mina, but Zapata isn’t on that level. In defeat, Anzai threw 7.24 strikes per minute and landed 61 percent of them.

Zapata is a slow starter who likes to work behind the jab. That could be a solid strategy against an aggressive fighter like Anzai, but I believe the Japanese fighter’s pressure and power will overwhelm Zapata.

In what could turn out to be a huge value selection, Anzai is the pick by first-round TKO.

Uriah Hall ($8,100)

You have to have a low-cost pick in any DK UFC contest, and Uriah Hall is the man to draft in this event with that concept. On pure talent, there’s no one on the card even close to him. That said, he’s underachieved in his UFC career and allowed himself to lose decisions to fighters he was simply better than.

He has won four of his last five fights and he now has the toughest test of his UFC career ahead of him in Gegard Mousasi. As a grappler, Mousasi is one of the best in the middleweight division. He has great experience with 44 professional fights, and it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see him out-work Hall en route to a decision victory.

It’s also not hard to see Hall finally living up to his potential and scoring one of the highlight-reel KOs we saw him produce when he was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 17. He’s long, quick, explosive and well worth the investment at just $8,100 in DK salary.

Records, stats and physical references per FightMetric.com

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Bellator 142 Results: Winners, Scorecards, Reaction from McGeary vs. Ortiz

Bellator MMA and Glory Kickboxing teamed up to deliver the first of what promises to be a series of super combat sports shows on Saturday night in San Jose, California. It was called Bellator Dynamite 1, and the event was mostly entertaining.Things di…

Bellator MMA and Glory Kickboxing teamed up to deliver the first of what promises to be a series of super combat sports shows on Saturday night in San Jose, California. It was called Bellator Dynamite 1, and the event was mostly entertaining.

Things didn’t go exactly as planned, but there were still some fireworks.

In the main event, Bellator light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary beat the legend Tito Ortiz at his own game. Most felt that McGeary needed to keep the fight with Ortiz standing to win. Instead, he put his magnificent submission game on display and became just the third man in history to force Ortiz to submit to a choke.

Bellator MMA congratulated its champ after the fight.

Early in the bout, Ortiz was in control. He secured a takedown and landed some strong ground-and-pound. The slippery 6’6″ champion was able to keep his composure and maneuver out of harm’s way. Ultimately he moved into a position to put Ortiz in danger.

An armbar attempt was the first move to put Ortiz in trouble. The former UFC champion powered out of that attempt, but within seconds, McGeary locked in an inverted triangle that forced Ortiz to tap. Here’s a look at the finish:

This was the second time in three fights McGeary has used that move to finish an opponent. The inverted triangle was the move of choice when he beat Kelly Anundson in September 2014. At 12-0, McGeary is quickly making a name for himself as one of the best 205-pound fighters in the world—regardless of promotion.

His next challenge is waiting for him.

Light Heavyweight Tournament

Four top-level light heavyweights competed for the opportunity to challenge the champion. The first semifinal saw Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal dismantle Linton Vassell over the two scheduled rounds.

Lawal dropped Vassell early in the first round with a big right hand and the onslaught was on. This shot set the tone for the fight as Lawal proved to have the heavier hands all night.

Vassell had a noticeable reach advantage, but Lawal’s speed and timing negated it.

In the second round, Vassell did hit a highlight-reel takedown, but Lawal would answer with his own to punctuate a dominant performance and secure the decision victory.

Some may have wanted Lawal to go for the finish, but Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks loved Lawal’s approach:

In the second semifinal, Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis’ grappling proved to be too much for Emanuel “Hardcore Kid” Newton in the former’s Bellator debut. Sporting his normal awkward style, Newton was able to hold off Davis for the first few moments of the bout.

However, once Davis closed the distance, he had Newton at his mercy on the mat. Davis’ world-class wrestling was the difference. The Hardcore Kid was able to escape the first few submission attempts, but ultimately Mr. Wonderful locked in a kimura that Newton couldn’t stave off.

Here’s a look at the finish:

Davis drew a ton of admiration from media and former legends. Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting and Randy Couture gave Davis his props for the execution.

While it appeared things were set for an intriguing tournament final, unfortunate happenstance took that off the table. Per MMA Fighting, Lawal injured his foot and had to be replaced in the final by Francis Carmont:

The latter won an alternate bout earlier in the event and was ready to step in for the injured Lawal. It was a bummer, but Davis made sure the makeshift final didn’t last long.

He landed a leaping left hook that dropped Carmont midway through the first round, and the fight would be called to an end shortly thereafter. Check out Davis’ uncharacteristic striking power and his post-fight interview:

The win was just the third in Davis’ career to come by KO. It was an impressive evening overall for Mr. Wonderful.

The two men met face-to-face after McGeary’s win:

With a ton of momentum, he’ll now have a chance to do what Ortiz could not; and that’s dethrone McGeary.

The Punk’s Excellent Performance

Josh “The Punk” Thomson proved he was a cut above Mike Bronzoulis in winning by submission in the third round. Thomson’s grappling and superior positioning befuddled Bronzoulis through the first two rounds.

In the third, Thomson secured a takedown and immediately transitioned to a head-and-arm choke. It took just a couple o seconds before Bronzoulis was forced to tap out. Check out the finish:

It was a great win for Thomson, who was fighting in his hometown. Here’s a look at Thomson’s post-fight interview:

Fedor Is Coming

The action was solid, but one of the biggest moments of the event came when Pride FC founder Nobuyuki Sakakibara came to the cage and announced the return of the legendary Fedor Emelianenko.

He will be headlining a New Year’s Eve card in Japan with an as-yet-determined opponent.

A bidding war had been taking place for Emelianenko’s services, but it appears a deal has been struck with Sakakibara and Spike TV. While this announcement took place during a Bellator event, there was no mention of Emelianenko actually being signed to the promotion.

It appears his deal is with Sakakibara, and the American TV partner is Spike TV, per the Spike broadcast. In any case, it’s exciting for MMA fans to have back the man many regard as the greatest heavyweight in MMA history. MMA Infographics remind us of the Last Emperor’s accomplishments in this tweet:

We’ll be looking forward to New Year’s Eve when the legend returns to the cage.

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Glory Kickboxing 24 Results: Winners, Scorecards, Reaction from San Jose

Glory and Bellator banded together for a combat sports extravaganza called Bellator Dynamite 1 on Saturday night in San Jose, California. There were three Glory fights on the card highlighted by a bout for the vacant Glory light heavyweight championshi…

Saulo Cavalari defeated Zack Mwekassa for the second time to capture the title. Cavalari scored a KO victory over the powerful Congolese fighter back in November 2014. Cavalari had to overcome a few obstacles to win the title.

Cavalari used a knockdown in the second round, a strong fourth- and fifth-round performance to overcome a deducted point for holding, and a fast start from Mwekassa. One judge called the fight even at 47-47; the other two gave Cavalari a 48-47 edge.

Here’s a look at the head kick in the second round that caused the knockdown:

Late in the fight, Cavalari had more in the tank, and he was able to use his edge in energy to take away the last two rounds. When the fight was over, Cavalari talked about his win and potential next opponent through a translator:

Daley Less Than Impressive in Victory

Most were expecting Paul “Semtex” Daley to detonate one of his patented left hands on the chin of Fernando Gonzalez. It never happened.

Daley still won the fight by unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27), but Gonzalez had his moments in the third and final round. Semtex looked to lose pace, and Gonzalez took advantage by turning up his punch output.

Two of the judges gave Gonzalez the final round, but Daley’s powerful leg and body kicks were the predominant strikes in the first two rounds. Those strikes earned him the decision.

Mrs. Melendez Dominates

Keri Melendez won a lopsided unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-26) over Hadley Griffith on Saturday night. It was a historic event as the bout was the first female fight under Glory kickboxing rules.

This one was a mismatch and showcase bout for Melendez—who is the wife of the UFC’s Gilbert Melendez. Here’s a look at some highlights from the fight:

Griffith had never competed in a professional kickboxing event, and it showed. Her hands and feet were slow as Christmas. Melendez battered her for three rounds and was never threatened.

No Finishes

The fact that there were no finishes on the Glory side might have dimmed an otherwise bright evening of kickboxing, but sharing the stage with Bellator brought the promotion a new level of exposure.

Overall, this was still a win for Glory.

All videos from Whipclip

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Glory Kickboxing 24: San Jose Fight Card, TV Schedule and Predictions

If you love combat sports, Spike probably has you covered on Friday. Glory Kickboxing will share the SAP Center with Bellator MMA for a combat sports extravaganza. It’s called Bellator MMA Dynamite 1, but the Glory fighters will factor prominently…

Saulo “Cassius Clay” Cavalari will rematch Zack “The Black Warrior” Mwekassa for the vacant Glory light heavyweight title. Cavalari defeated Mwekassa via TKO in November 2014 at Glory 18.

If Cavalari can duplicate that performance, he’ll be the next Glory light heavyweight champion. Bellator welterweight contender Paul Daley will also be in action—only he’ll be kickboxing.

Here’s a look at the Glory card for the evening, viewing information and predictions for each bout. Prelims begin at 6:30 p.m. The feature card starts at 9 p.m. ET.

Paul Daley Will Wreck Another Opponent

Ever the KO artist—no matter the combat sport—Daley climbs into the Glory ring looking to claim another victim. The unlucky foe this time will be Fernando Gonzalez.

Daley has some weaknesses in his game as a kickboxer and mixed martial artist, but matchmakers have seemingly been reluctant to put him in with anyone who can expose those shortcomings.

Gonzalez doesn’t have the work rate or power to trouble Daley. Thus, this one will be over as the powerful Daley will have flattened Gonzalez by the second round.

Mrs. Melendez Will Continue the Showcase

Keri Melendez, the wife of UFC lightweight contender Gilbert Melendez, will make her Glory debut against unknown featherweight opponent Hadley Griffith.

Bellator, Glory and Spike seem to have plans for Melendez. She’s a talented fighter looking to ultimately make the move to MMA exclusively, per a press release from Spike.com. This bout is hers to lose as she weens her way off kickboxing into a world of full-time MMA.

Mwekassa‘s Revenge

In the first fight between Cavalari and Mwekassa, the latter came out very aggressive in the first round. He landed some solid shots, but Cavalari stood his ground and kept the hard-punching Mwekassa off balance with hard leg kicks.

Ultimately, the lower-body strikes and the pace slowed Mwekassa down.

Sensing a decrease in aggression, Cavalari landed a perfectly placed head kick on Mwekassa‘s temple and knocked him out.

This time, Mwekassa will be smarter. From the sound of the tweets he’s been sending lately, Mwekassa doesn’t really want to talk about how he’ll get his revenge; he just seems confident he’ll get it.

Look for Mwekassa to use his deadly jab to set the pace and beat Cavalari to the punch or kick. This strategy will also allow him to slow the pace and keep his stamina up for the latter rounds. The tables will be turned as Cavalari will be the one winded in the latter part of the second round.

That’s when Mwekassa will pounce and finish his opponent to win the Glory light heavyweight title. If you dig kickboxing and KOs, you won’t want to miss the Glory portion of this card.

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