Author: Brian Mazique

UFC Fight Night 92 Results: Winners, Scorecards for Rodriguez vs. Caceres Card

The main event was an all-action bout filled with high-risk maneuvers, but Yair Rodriguez moved to 9-1 in his career and a perfect 5-0 in the UFC after eking out a split-decision victory over Alex Caceres at UFC Fight Night 92 in Salt Lake City on Satu…

The main event was an all-action bout filled with high-risk maneuvers, but Yair Rodriguez moved to 9-1 in his career and a perfect 5-0 in the UFC after eking out a split-decision victory over Alex Caceres at UFC Fight Night 92 in Salt Lake City on Saturday.

Rodriguez’s constant pressure and unorthodox attacks made the fight fun to watch.

Fox Sports: UFC shared the exciting ending to the wild fight:

Caceres handled Rodriguez’s style better than any other UFC opponent the 23-year-old Mexican has faced, but he couldn’t consistently land enough counters to sway the judges.

Caceres is one of the few featherweights athletic enough to evade Rodriguez’s highlight-reel shots. Unfortunately, that’s just one part of the puzzle.

Rodriguez keeps his opponents on their heels with his offense. It would be interesting to see how he performs against someone like Frankie Edgar, who is capable of taking him down.

Then again, someone else already has his eyes on Edgar.

            

Bermudez Dominates Jason and Calls Out Edgar

The co-main event was supposed to be competitive, but nobody told Dennis Bermudez. He dominated Rony Jason with his quickness, explosive takedowns and ruthless ground-and-pound attack.

Bermudez opened a nasty gash on Jason’s forehead in the first round, and it was downhill from there for the Brazilian.

After the lopsided victory, Bermudez had a quick message to deliver during his post-fight interview, via the UFC:

The UFC 205 card is in both Bermudez and Edgar’s home state of New York, so the matchup makes sense. Edgar is coming off a loss to Jose Aldo at UFC 200, so he could be ready and hungry for another challenge.

              

Results

  • Justin Ledet def. Chase Sherman by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
  • Cub Swanson def. Tatsuya Kawajiri by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
  • Teruto Ishihara def. Horacio Gutierrez by first-round technical knockout.
  • David Teymur def. Jason Novelli by second-round technical knockout.
  • Marcin Tybura def. Viktor Pesta by second-round knockout.
  • Court McGee def. Dominic Steele by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).
  • Maryna Moroz def. Danielle Taylor by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27).
  • Trevor Smith def. Joe Gigliotti by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26).
  • Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Zak Cummings by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).
  • Thales Leites def. Chris Camozzi by third-round submission (rear-naked choke).
  • Dennis Bermudez def. Rony Jason by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26).
  • Yair Rodriguez def. Alex Caceres by split decision (46-49, 48-47, 48-47).

             

Analysis and Highlights

Ishihara Is Something Else

Japanese rising star Teruto Ishihara is one of the most electric performers in the UFC. He showed off his exciting style and deadly striking with a knockout victory over Horacio Gutierrez.

This step-back left hook was the end of Gutierrez, as Fox Sports: UFC showed:

After the fight, Ishihara did a little dance to celebrate, courtesy of the UFC:

Whenever you watch him fight, it’s hard not to expect something exciting to happen. He rarely lets fans down.

          

Teymur Topples Novelli and Calls Out Sage Northcutt

Jason Novelli’s defense needs some work. He insisted on blocking David Teymur’s left hand with his face, and that didn’t work out well, as Fox Sports: UFC showed:

Novelli never moved his head despite being caught multiple times with the same punch. Nonetheless, Teymur has continued to show excellent finishing instincts in the UFC.

This was his second straight second-round knockout. After the fight, he called out one of the UFC’s brightest young stars, via Fox Sports: UFC:

That would be an interesting fight, but Teymur might be too much for Sage Northcutt at this stage of their careers.

          

OMG…Tybura

Head-kick knockouts are rare. You almost never see them in the heavyweight division, but when you do, they’re memorable.

Add Marcin Tybura’s finish against Viktor Pesta to that list.

Fox Sports: UFC shared its excitement:

The final shot was set up perfectly. The preceding shots got Pesta to lower his hands, and then, bang, the kick landed squarely.

Tybura rebounded from his loss to Timothy Johnson in his UFC debut emphatically.

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UFC 201 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Lawler vs. Woodley Card

This is beginning to sound like a broken record, but we have a new UFC champion.
On Saturday night in Atlanta, Tyron Woodley destroyed Robbie Lawler in the very first round of the UFC 201 main event to become the new promotion’s new welterweight champi…

This is beginning to sound like a broken record, but we have a new UFC champion.

On Saturday night in Atlanta, Tyron Woodley destroyed Robbie Lawler in the very first round of the UFC 201 main event to become the new promotion’s new welterweight champion.

It happened in a flash, but the UFC tweeted this message almost as fast as Woodley finished Lawler:

Woodley landed the big right hand with just under three minutes left in the first round and Lawler was flattened. The former closed in on his fallen opponent and delivered a few shots that forced referee Dan Miragliotta to stop the bout.

Woodley gave honor to God after his victory, per this quote tweeted by Mark La Monica of Newsday:

Since April, six UFC champions have now lost their titles. Sports Illustrated’s Jeff Wagenheim adds even more perspective:

Woodley would appear to be on a collision course with Stephen Thompson. That would be a matchup between dynamic strikers and superb athletes. 

It could be a race to see who lands the first big shot. As we saw on Saturday, Woodley only needs one.

   

 

Kowalkiewicz Edges Namajunas

In the co-main event, Karolina Kowalkiewicz set herself up for a shot at UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk with a hard-fought split-decision win over Rose Namajunas.

Kowalkiewicz used well-placed knees and counter shots to earn an advantage. Namajunas secured two first-round takedowns to grab the early momentum, but Kowalkiewicz’s striking in close quarters became a factor in the second round.

The aforementioned knees did more damage in the third and were enough to earn her the decision.

   

 

Results

  • Damien Brown def. Cesar Arzamendia via first-round KO
  • Michael Graves def. Bojan Velickovic majority draw (30-28 Graves, 28-28 x2)
  • Wilson Reis def. Hector Sandoval via first-round submission
  • Anthony Hamilton def. Damian Grabowski via first-round KO
  • Jorge Masvidal def. Ross Pearson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28×2)
  • Nikita Krylov def. Ed Herman via first-round KO
  • Ryan Benoit def. Fredy Serrano via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
  • Erik Perez def. Francisco Rivera via unanimous decision (30-26×2, 29-28)
  • Jake Ellenberger def. Matt Brown via first-round KO
  • Karolina Kowalkiewicz def. Rose Namajunas via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)
  • Tyron Woodley def. Robbie Lawler via first-round TKO 

    

Analysis and Highlights

Savage Beatdown

Damien Brown was hellbent on putting in a short night’s work. He walked through Cesar Arzamendia with a ferocious first-round KO. 

Brown initially hurt Arzamendia with a counter right hand, and once he did the damage, he would not relent until he had captured the victory via stoppage, footage courtesy of the UFC:

It was a brutal way to kick off the UFC Fight Pass prelims.

   

 

Quick Tap

Wilson Reis was supposed to face Demetrious Johnson for the UFC flyweight title on Saturday, but an injury forced the champion out of the fight.

Perhaps Reis was irritated and decided to take out his frustrations on Hector Sandoval. The result was the fastest submission win in the history of the UFC featherweight division.

Here’s a look at the finish, via Fox Sports: UFC:

Reis proved he’s ready for a shot at the title whenever the opportunity arises.

   

 

Hammerin’ Hamilton

It only took 15 seconds for Anthony Hamilton to take out Damian Grabowski. A quick onslaught from the big heavyweight left his opponent down and humbled next to the cage.

Hamilton has unquestionable power, and this quick victory could put him in line to appear on another card before the end of the year.

   

 

Krylov the Crusher

Nikita Krylov is a fun fighter to watch, but not too joyous to face. Ed Herman found that out the hard way. Take a look at the head kick that spelled the end for Herman, via Fox Sports: UFC:

Rarely do you see a light heavyweight fight finished with a head kick. When you consider Krylov used to fight at heavyweight, it makes the finish even more impressive.

Krylov has now won five fights in a row, and each of the victories have come by stoppage. With two or three more wins, he could be fighting for the title.

   

 

Ellenberger Blows Up Brown

The finishes just kept coming. In the second-biggest surprise of the evening, Jake Ellenberger stopped the rugged Matt Brown in the very first round.

Brown is known for his toughness, but on Saturday, he fell victim to Ellenberger’s titanic right hand. No one has ever questioned Ellenberger’s punching power, and Brown found that out firsthand.

The victory might have saved Ellenberger’s spot on the roster as he had lost two fights in a row and five of his last six. If he wasn’t dangling on the cut line, no one should be.

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UFC 201: Lawler vs. Woodley Odds, Tickets, Predictions and Pre-Weigh-In Hype

The UFC welterweight title will be on the line Saturday in Atlanta when the champion Ruthless Robbie Lawler defends his belt against The Chosen One Tyron Woodley.
Both men represent American Top Team, though Lawler trains in the epicenter of …

The UFC welterweight title will be on the line Saturday in Atlanta when the champion Ruthless Robbie Lawler defends his belt against The Chosen One Tyron Woodley.

Both men represent American Top Team, though Lawler trains in the epicenter of the gym in Coconut Creek, Florida, while Woodley moves around more during training.

Because of the different locations for training, Lawler has stated he doesn’t consider Woodley a teammate. The Chosen One’s view is a little different, per Sherdog’s Tristen Critchfield:

His thoughts on what a teammate is, it’s what he said: A lot of training side by side and getting guys ready.

But my idea of a person who’s affiliated with the American Top Team, I feel like I encompass all those things. I started out as an amateur with American Top Team. I was a coach for four of the top five or so of the American Top Teams. 

His concept is that you should be there, down there, live there, train there and he’s allowed his own opinion of it, and no, I did not take it personal.

However you look at it, they won’t be teammates on Saturday. This short highlight promo tweeted by UFC President Dana White shows off both men’s power:

Here’s a look at the odds and ticket info for the event.

   

Odds: Lawler (-210), per Odds Shark

Tickets: ScoreBig

Full Card: UFC.com

Weigh-In: Friday, July 29

       

Other Notable Bouts

The card is not as stacked as most of the UFC’s pay-per-view events. It was originally supposed to feature UFC flyweight champion and pound-for-pound kingpin Demetrious Johnson against Wilson Reis.

An injury to Johnson forced him out and weakened the card. Reis is set to face newcomer Hector Sandoval, but that bout is now a part of the prelims rather than the co-main event.

The new co-main event will see 115-pound contender Rose Namajunas face Karolina Kowalkiewicz. 

The winner could be next in line for UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Namajunas has established a following with her distinct look, toughness and excellent ground game.

Kowalkiewicz will present an interesting challenge with her muay thai background, though.

If you’re looking for a sleeper bout, keep an eye out for Jorge Masvidal vs. Ross Pearson. These two guys are among the toughest outs in the UFC’s lightweight division.

They are both tough and skilled, but rarely come out on the winning side against other elite opponents. Against each other, it looks almost like a toss-up affair.

This could be Fight of the Night.

   

Woodley Will Upset Lawler

With good reason, Lawler is favored to successfully defend his welterweight title, but recent UFC action has been packed with upsets, and the next main event will be no different.

Lawler is as rugged and determined as they come, but Woodley is a bad matchup for him.

The Chosen One will be the first opponent Lawler has faced who is faster and more explosive. Woodley also has a high fight IQ.

He knows Lawler has an excellent chin and stand-up skills. He’s also aware the champion is tough to take down.

Look for Woodley to use his movement to outstrike Lawler. In the end, he’ll win a decision based on more effective striking and a few key takedowns.

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UFC on Fox 20 Results: Winners, Scorecards for Holm vs. Shevchenko Card

In a tactical, stand-up battle, Valentina Shevchenko handed former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm her second straight loss. Shevchenko earned the unanimous-decision victory (49-46×3).
Normally, Holm would win any striking battle, but Shev…

In a tactical, stand-up battle, Valentina Shevchenko handed former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm her second straight loss. Shevchenko earned the unanimous-decision victory (49-46×3).

Normally, Holm would win any striking battle, but Shevchenko is one of the few women with the skills to best the former champion.

Shevchenko’s counter striking was the biggest factor.

She kept catching Holm with right hands as Holm tried to advance. Holm’s punches and kicks were coming up short, and her timing was clearly off.

Stylistically, this was a nightmare matchup for Holm, and that played out in reality. Holm was forced to be the aggressor, and that’s not her specialty.

Shevchenko faced current champion Amanda Nunes in her last fight in March. Nunes won the bout, but Shevchenko made a good account of herself.

A rematch is a possibility, as the 135-pound women’s division has become increasingly volatile. We’ll see where the weight class goes from here.

 

Barboza Picks Melendez Apart

Edson Barboza’s speed and striking were too much for Gilbert Melendez. The latter needed to take the fight to the ground, but he couldn’t get it there.

Leg kicks were the story of the bout. That strike has long been a staple of Barboza’s attack, and Melendez found out firsthand how dangerous the Brazilian’s kicks can be.

Barboza chopped Melendez’s leg up throughout the three-round fight en route to a unanimous-decision win. When the bout was over, Barboza said he wanted to fight the three fighters ranked ahead of him in the lightweight division, per MMA Fighting:

Any of those three would make excellent opponents for Barboza is his next fight.

  • Valentina Shevchenko def. Holly Holm via unanimous decision (49-46×3)
  • Edson Barboza def. Gilbert Melendez via unanimous decision (30-27×2, 29-28)
  • Francis Ngannou def. Bojan Mihajlovic via first-round TKO
  • Felice Herrig def. Kailin Curran via first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
  • Eddie Wineland def. Frankie Saenz via third-round TKO
  • Darren Elkins def. Godofredo Pepey via unanimous decision (29-27×2, 30-26)
  • Kamaru Usman def. Alexander Yakovlev via unanimous decision (30-25×3)
  • Michel Prazeres def. J.C. Cottrell by unanimous decision (30-27×2, 30-26)
  • Alex Oliveira def. James Moontasri via unanimous decision (30-26×2, 30-25)
  • Jason Knight def. Jim Alers via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) 
  • Luis Henrique def. Dmitry Smoliakov by second-round submission (rear-naked choke)

 

Analysis and Highlights

Knight and Alers Throw Down and Talk Trash

This UFC Fight Pass prelim had the look of a good one from the beginning. The two men went to meet each other in the center of the Octagon minutes before the bout was set to start.

Once the action began, Jim Alers and Jason Knight didn’t disappoint. Per UFC on Twitter, take a look at the mean-spirited kicks Knight landed as he advanced position:

Knight did the better work in stand-up, landing 76 significant strikes to 41 for Alers, but one judge still saw the fight for the latter.

Knight’s in-your-face style won him the bout and some fans.

 

Wineland Plants Saenz

Eddie Wineland and Frankie Saenz were determined to stand and trade. That approach made for an entertaining scrap. 

Wineland got the better of the exchanges, and he landed a huge right hand in the third round that led to the finish. Here’s a look at the punch, per Fox Sports UFC:

Both men came in ranked in the top 15 at 135 pounds. By Monday, Wineland will have ascended above Saenz.

 

Herrig Submits Curran

After a long layoff, Felice Herrig returned to the Octagon in her hometown and came away with an impressive first-round victory over Kailin Curran.

Herrig’s jiu-jitsu game was on full display.

She took Curran down and quickly transitioned to her back. Herrig locked in the rear-naked choke to get the submission win. 

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Bellator 159 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Caldwell vs. Taimanglo Card

“Baby” Joe Taimanglo has pulled the latest major upset in MMA. 
On Friday night in Mulvane, Kansas, the Guamanian knocked off Darrion Caldwell in the main event of Bellator 159 with a stunning third-round victory, via submission.&nb…

“Baby” Joe Taimanglo has pulled the latest major upset in MMA. 

On Friday night in Mulvane, Kansas, the Guamanian knocked off Darrion Caldwell in the main event of Bellator 159 with a stunning third-round victory, via submission. 

Caldwell was controlling the fight through the first two rounds, but he shot for a double-leg takedown in the opening seconds of the third round, and Taimanglo was prepared for it.

Caldwell has dominated opponents with his wrestling throughout his career, but Taimanglo did a great job of surviving the first two rounds—though he hadn’t mounted much offense.

In the third, he had a plan. As he stuffed the takedown attempt, he immediately cinched in the guillotine choke and locked both hooks in. 

The choke was tight and Caldwell tapped almost instantly. Here’s a look at the finish, per Bellator MMA:

The loss was devastating for Caldwell. Not only was it the first of his career, it also denied him a shot at the Bellator bantamweight title.

Taimanglo repped Guam with pride during his post-fight interview and now Caldwell must pick up the pieces after a humbling setback.

Here’s a look at all of the results from the event.

 

Results

Main Card

  • Joe Taimanglo def. Darrion Caldwell via third-round submission (guillotine)
  • Melvin Guillard def. David Rickels by first-round TKO (punches)
  • Emily Ducote def. Bruna Vargas via second-round submission (rear naked choke)
  • Daniel Weichel def. Emmanuel Sanchez via split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28)

Non-Televised Prelims

  • Jessica Middleton def. Bruna Ellen via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
  • Gaston Reyno def. L.J. Hermreck via third-round TKO (3:57)
  • Fernando Martinez def. Marcio Navarro via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
  • Johnny Marigo def. Andy Riley via first-round verbal submission (armbar)
  • Philipe Lins def. Guilherme Viana via second-round KO (1:13)

 

Ducote Overcomes Vargas

From the beginning of the fight, Emily Ducote was too much for Bruna Vargas. Ducote‘s combinations did a number on Vargas’ face in the first round.

Just as it appeared Ducote was going to pick Vargas apart with strikes, she hit a well-timed strike that put her opponent on the mat. Vargas would survive the first round, but her time was coming to an end shortly.

In the second round, a stinging right hand drops Vargas. Ducote was initially looking to pound her opponent out with punches, but she decided to take Vargas’ back.

Using the rear-naked choke, Ducote earned the submission victory.

 

Guillard Bashes Rickels

The Young Assassin might have saved his career on Friday night. The 33-year-old veteran came into his bout with David Rickels on a three-fight losing streak—and he missed weight on Friday, per Sherdog.com.

That skid ended with a bang.

Rickels, the hometown favorite, appeared to be getting the better of Guillard early in the first. Guillard fought off Rickels‘ attempt to control him on the fence by landing a hard right hand.

The shot dropped Rickels and Guillard landed a series of elbows on his opponent that forced the stoppage. Here’s a look at the finish, per Bellator MMA:

After the fight, Guillard said he wants to move up from lightweight to welterweight. Bellator published this poll via Twitter:

Truth be told, the only guy on that list that Guillard has a chance of beating is Brennan Ward. Guillard‘s striking defense is too suspect to handle Michael Page or Paul Daley. We’ll see where Guillard goes from here, but he’s at least off the snide.

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Bellator 158 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Daley vs. Lima Card

On Saturday at the O2 Arena in London, Douglas Lima took down Paul Daley via unanimous decision in the main event at Bellator 158, but Michael “Venom” Page stole the show with a knockout over Evangelista Santos and a memorable Pokemon Go&nbsp…

On Saturday at the O2 Arena in London, Douglas Lima took down Paul Daley via unanimous decision in the main event at Bellator 158, but Michael “Venom” Page stole the show with a knockout over Evangelista Santos and a memorable Pokemon Go celebration.

       

Lima Is Too Much for Daley

Lima easily outpointed Daley with more effective striking and superior movement. Daley, who is known for his power, could never seem to find the range against the former welterweight champion.

The victory should earn Lima a second shot at Andrey Koreshkov, the man who took his 170-pound title in July 2015. Page may be waiting in the wings for the winner of the Lima-Koreshkov rematch.

         

MVP’s Flashy Finish

Page scored a sensational KO in the second round via flying knee against Santos. It was a perfectly placed and destructive shot. Page has gained fame for his dynamic finishing skills and flashy style.

Both were on display Saturday. After he defeated Santos, Page grabbed a pokeball from his trainers and a Pokemon Go hat. He rolled the pokeball toward Santos. The action mimicked what one must do to capture characters in the popular mobile game.

Take a look, via Bellator MMA:

Unfortunately, the seemingly light-natured event took a turn for the negative when Sports Illustrated‘s Nick Strickland reported Santos suffered serious injuries from the shot:

Hopefully, Santos can recover from his injuries without major issues. It’s never good to see anyone suffer an injury.

Here’s a look at all of the results from London.

           

Televised

  • Douglas Lima def. Paul Daley by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
  • Matt Mitrione def. Oli Thompson by TKO (punches, Round 2, 4:21).
  • Francis Carmont def. Lukasz Klinger by submission (D’Arce choke, Round 1, 3:54).
  • Michael Page def. Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos by knockout (flying knee, Round 2, 4:31).
  • James Gallagher def. Mike Cutting by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

              

Non-Televised

  • Manuel Garcia def. Alex Reid by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26).
  • James Mulheron def. Neil Grove by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-26).
  • Danny Mitchell def. C.J. Meeks by submission (twister, Round 1, 4:25).
  • Nathaniel Wood def. Chase Morton by submission (rear-naked choke, Round 3, 3:55).
  • Jason Radcliffe def. Jack Mason by knockout (knee, Round 1, 0:14).
  • Luiz Tosta vs. Dean Garnett ends in majority draw (29-27 Tosta, 28-28, 28-28).
  • Pietro Menga def. Spencer Hewitt by knockout (punch, Round 1, 0:41).
  • Michael Shipman def. Dom Clark by submission (anaconda choke, Round 1, 1:33).

                     

Mitrione Grabs Another KO Victory

A little more than three weeks after Matt Mitrione was knocked out by Carl Seumanutafa, he was back in the Bellator cage against Oli Thompson.

Mitrione came back to stop Seumanutafa in that fight, but it was easier against Thompson. Mitrione and Thompson went at it for a little more than a round, but Meathead prevailed with a combination that finished his opponent.

Here’s a look at the finish, via Mike Adlam, who was on hand for the event:

Both men traded trash talk leading up to the fight, but when it was over, each fighter showed respect for his opponent:

Mitrione is now 2-0 in Bellator.

The 38-year-old’s defense is still shoddy, but there’s no questioning his power and finishing ability. The heavyweight division is not stacked in Bellator, so Mitrione has a shot at reaching a level that eluded him in his days with the UFC.

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