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Ultimate Fighter Brazil 21 Finale Results: Winners, Scorecards and Reaction

Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson should have been a part of the UFC 189 fight card. A night after the UFC put on a show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Thompson scored a highlight-reel KO over Jake Ellenberger with a Power Ranger-like spinning hook kick.&nb…

ABS-CBN Sports has the kick that ended Ellenberger’s night:

Thompson had floored Ellenberger with the same maneuver just moments before. With Ellenberger still dazed, Thompson’s coaches urges him to go back to the move and he did. The shot landed on top of Ellenberger’s head, and he crumpled to the mat. Referee John McCarthy called an end to the bout almost immediately.

Thompson could very well find himself ranked in the top 10 after this performance. He’s won four fights in a row since losing a unanimous decision to Matt Brown back in 2012. Thompson’s crowd-pleasing style should make him an attractive prospect for the UFC to find an opponent for in his next fight.

As for Ellenberger, things aren’t looking good. This was his fourth loss in five fights with his only win coming over Josh Koscheck. In an effort to continue to fight, Koscheck recently signed with Bellator. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Ellenberger follow suit.

Usman and Blackzilians Reign Supreme over Hassan and American Top Team

With a suffocating attack, Kamaru Usman controlled Hayder Hassan for all of the first round. In the second round, he seemed buzzed by an uppercut, and the Blackzilians representative quickly took Hassan down again. Usman sunk in the arm-triangle choke from the mount position and forced the tapout.

Usman is only going to get better. That’s scary news for other 170-pounders in the UFC. He now has a 6-1 record in his MMA career with all of his wins coming by stoppage. On Sunday, he won the Blackzilians the $300,000 grand prize for The Ultimate Fighter Season 21 finale.

In a few years, he could be going for individual gold. Bloody Elbow likes his potential:

Here’s a look at the results table and a breakdown of the other fights on the card.

Gates Lives Up to His Nickname

Willie “Whoop Ass” Gates made quick work of Darrell Montague in the opening fight of the evening. Gates came out with a variety of kicks and punches that led to the stoppage win just 1:36 into the fight.

Speed was the biggest factor and figures to be Gates’ biggest advantage in most fights. It was a nice bounce-back win after being submitted by John Moraga in his UFC debut, but we need to see much more before we’ll know if the 28-year-old from Los Angeles can grow into a contender.

Sullivan Muddies Waters

For three rounds, George Sullivan outlanded Dominic Waters by a wide marginSunday. Neither man looked exceptionally skilled on their feet, but Sullivan got the better of most of the exchanges and looked to have a shot at finishing Waters late in the third.

He couldn’t get it done, but he still took the lopsided unanimous decision

Smith Dominates Miller

Without question, Trevor Smith dominated Dan Miller, but some of the scorecards were odd. Clearly, Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter agrees:

You can see from the fight stats Smith dominated the striking, but a 30-25 score seemed strange. Nonetheless, the right man won the fight and continues to alternate wins and losses in the UFC.

In six fights, Smith has yet to win or lose two in a row. That’s not exactly a formula for advancement.

Sanders Wins Terrible Fight

After UFC 189 Saturday night, fights like the one Jerrod Sanders had with Russell Doane should be banned. Saturday’s action was great almost from start to finish, but this fight had a total of 28 significant strikes.

Sanders’ wrestling was the biggest factor in his win, but I promise you there was nothing much to discuss about this fight. If you saw it live, you have my condolences. I’m sorry for your loss…of time.

Samman Continues to Sizzle

After a highlight-reel KO of Eddie “Truck” Gordon at UFC 182, Josh Samman won his fourth straight fight—all by stoppage—on Sunday night. Samman submitted Caio Magalhaes in the first round.

Magalhaes is known as a solid submission artist, but it was Samman who obtained his back in a scramble and secured the finish.

Suddenly, Samman has become an interesting contender at 185 pounds. He’s not just winning, he’s also finishing opponents in spectacular fashion. Keep an eye on him as he attempts to progress toward a top-15 ranking.

Per MMA Fighting and John Morgan of MMA Junkie, Magalhaes wasn’t exactly a good sport before or after he was made to tap out:

Well then.

Blanco Wins By Premature Stoppage

Just 16 seconds into the fight, Maximo Blanco landed a hard right hand that wobbled Mike De La Torre. The latter looked to be headed for serious trouble, but he was about two punches away from being totally out of the fight.

Referee Yves Lavigne seemed to think the dazed fighter had already been damaged beyond recovery. He stopped the fight and the crowd booed…loudly.

Bleacher Report’s Duane Finley and Jeremy Botter shared their disappointment in Lavigne’s decision:

Was De La Torre probably going to get stopped? Yes, but the referee has to give a hurt fighter a reasonable chance to recover. Lavigne is a good referee, but this was a bad call.

The Karate Hottie is More Than a Pretty Face

Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson was excellent in her UFC debut against Angela Magana. She fought off a strong armbar submission attempt in the first round and dominated on the feet and in the grappling department en route to the third-round submission victory.

Here’s what Waterson said about the submission attempt she escaped, per MMA Fighting’s Shaheen Al-Shatti:

We knew Waterson was a dynamic striker, but her wrestling and submission defense were also solid. She’s about three fights away from being ready to challenge UFC strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk. That said, the competition will get much tougher than what Magana provided.

Masvidal Mashes Mutante

The most underrated fighter in the UFC again proved himself. Jorge Masvidal scored the stoppage win that has eluded him for much of his UFC career when he knocked out Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira. A short left elbow dazed Ferreira. A followup right hand sent him to the mat, and Masvidal landed four nasty punches to his downed opponent to get the stoppage win.

This was Masvidal’s first fight at welterweight, and he looked solid. It was just his second win by stoppage since 2009.

Obviously, the 170-pound division is stacked, but don’t bet against Masvidal becoming a ranked and legit contender with two more wins. Al-Shatti is appropriately excited about Masvidal’s opportunities at welterweight.

During the post-fight interview, Masvidal called out Matt Brown. Yes, please.

Graves Outworks Luque

With a relentless wrestling attack, Michael Graves took the first two rounds before gassing in the final frame. He was still able to protect himself against Vicente Luque’s submission attempts and win a unanimous decision.

Graves’ six takedowns showed off his impressive ground game, but in order to take the next step, he will need to improve his striking. He still looks a little clumsy in that area.

All stat images from Sportz Visionz on Twitter, per UFC.com.

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UFC 189 Results: Winners and Scorecards from Mendes vs. McGregor Fight Card

What a night.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship put on a phenomenal show on Saturday night in Las Vegas at UFC 189. “The Notorious” Conor McGregor won the UFC interim featherweight title by thrilling second-round TKO over Chad “Money” Mendes.
McGregor…

What a night.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship put on a phenomenal show on Saturday night in Las Vegas at UFC 189. “The Notorious” Conor McGregor won the UFC interim featherweight title by thrilling second-round TKO over Chad “Money” Mendes.

McGregor took more damage in this scrap than he has in all his previous UFC bouts put together, but in the end, he emerged victorious. The UFC was quick to congratulate the new interim champion:

In the first round, McGregor’s striking and length proved to be too much for Mendes. The Irishman was seemingly landing at will with straight right hands, jabs and kicks, but Mendes would adjust. He was able to counter and secure the first takedown against McGregor in his career.

Mendes didn’t just plant McGregor—he teed off with elbows from the top position. One of them opened a cut near McGregor’s right eye. In all, Mendes would score three takedowns in the opening round. McGregor showed solid defense from his back and the ability to get to his feet, but Mendes’ path to victory seemed clear.

In the second round, Mendes didn’t waste as much time looking for the takedown. He dragged McGregor down early and held him there for much of the round. He was again dropping elbows on McGregor’s face, but with about 25 seconds left, Mendes made the mistake of going for a guillotine.

The slippery McGregor used the opportunity to rise to his feet. It was quickly apparent Mendes was spent from trying to hold McGregor down the entire round. Instead of shooting the legs for a takedown to survive the final 15 seconds of the round, an exhausted Mendes stood right in front of McGregor and ate the decisive one-two combination that ended the fight.

Referee Herb Dean rushed in to stop the bout as Mendes crumbled from a clean right hand from McGregor.

When the fight was over, McGregor was overcome with emotion and shelved the Notorious persona. He spoke honestly when he talked about his supporters and close-knit circle of friends and family, per Fox Sports’ Ariel Helwani:

Mendes offered no excuses for his loss after stepping in on two weeks’ notice for the injured Jose Aldo. Per Helwani, he put aside the bad blood leading up to the fight and thanked McGregor for fighting him:

While Mendes didn’t have any excuses, some in the MMA community pointed out the details that may have cost him the bout. Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports has some solid points:

It’s hard to argue with his logic. Mendes looked to be on his way to a win. McGregor had no answer for the takedown. Mendes simply ran out of gas and patience when he gave up position.

Per the pay-per-view broadcast, featherweight contender Frankie Edgar took the opportunity to call out McGregor. It’s understandable and logical that Edgar would want a shot at McGregor, but that fight is unlikely—at least any time soon.

Aldo vs. McGregor is an even bigger gold mine for the UFC now than it would have been before this fight. If Edgar were to beat McGregor, that payday for the promotion and both fighters would go by the boards.

The only opponent for McGregor to face next is Aldo. Now that the Irishman has interim gold, he must meet Also to determine the undisputed 145-pound champion.

As good and deserving as Edgar is, he’ll have to wait.

As exciting as this fight was, it wasn’t even the best of the night. That distinction belongs to the co-main event.

Lawler Stops MacDonald in Bloody Classic

You’ll have a hard time finding a better championship bout in the UFC’s past or future. Robbie Lawler kept his UFC welterweight title by stopping Rory MacDonald in the fifth round of a fight that seemed super close.

Both men’s faces were covered with blood from multiple lacerations. Lawler dominated the second round with stellar boxing, but MacDonald nearly stopped the champion in the third round with a massive head kick.

Lawler remarkably survived the round, got his wherewithal in the fourth and came out with more steam in the fifth. Watch this amazing and macabre standoff at the end of the fourth round:

As the hungrier pursuer in the final frame, Lawler appeared to shatter MacDonald’s nose with a left hand that sent the challenger to the mat like a bully who had finally been stood up to.

When it was over, congratulations and admiration for both fighters came pouring in. Rob Goldberg of Bleacher Report had an interesting assessment of the bout:

Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie marveled at both men’s MMA skills and warrior mentality:

No matter what Lawler does for the rest of his career, his status as a legend is now secured with one of the most amazing title defenses in history.

Let’s take a look at all of the results table from the UFC 189 card and a breakdown of each bout.

UFC Fight Pass Prelims

Pfister’s Grappling Trips Up Cedeno

In an entertaining opening bout, Cody Pfister’s five takedowns earned him a unanimous-decision victory over Yosdenis Cedeno. Take a look at some of the early action:

Cedeno took the first round by landing 21 strikes to Pfister’s eight. Most importantly, Cedeno avoided the takedown in the first five minutes. Despite being outstruck on the feet early, Pfister stuck to his game plan and stayed glued to Cedeno to take advantage of his edge in wrestling in the final two rounds.

These two guys are headed in opposite directions. Pfister rebounded from a loss in his UFC debut to James Moontasri at UFC Fight Night 60 in February. He’s not a top-notch prospect, but winning is always good.

On the other side of the spectrum, Cedeno’s stay in the UFC may be in danger. The 30-year-old Cuban has now lost three of his four fights with the promotion.

Smolka Controls Seery

Louis Smolka had no problem taking a unanimous decision over Neil Seery in the final Fight Pass preliminary bout. The Hawaiian was a wizard on the ground, as you can see in the highlight below:

Smolka secured six takedowns en route to his second straight victory in the UFC. With a superior ground game at his disposal, the 23-year-old could evolve into a formidable flyweight contender.

Seery continues to look run-of-the-mill. He’s 2-2 in the UFC but has yet to show himself to be a name that fans will need to watch moving forward.

Fox Sports 1 Prelims

Garbrandt Outslugs Briones

It didn’t seem as though Cody Garbrandt vs. Henry Briones would go the distance, but it did. Garbrandt remained undefeated with a hard-fought unanimous-decision victory.

Briones landed a solid left hand that got Garbrandt’s attention in the first round, but the latter gained top position at the end of the frame to take the opening round.

In the second, this sequence from Garbrandt left Briones on his butt:

Briones would get up and remain competitive, but Garbrandt’s speed and powerful boxing proved to be too much. Garbrandt is Team Alpha Male’s newest highly touted prospect. The win made him 2-0 in the UFC, but he didn’t get the finish he had earned in each of his previous six fights.

Brett Okamoto of ESPN is still high on the 24-year-old bantamweight:

He’s a ways off from contending as he needs to tighten up his defense, but the striking prowess and athleticism are undeniable.

Howard Wins Snoozer

In a horrible fight, John “Doomsday” Howard defeated Cathal Pendred via split decision. Howard really deserved to win the fight 30-27 on all three cards, but apparently one judge was influenced by the large Irish contingency on hand rooting for Pendred.

There was really no logical way to give Pendred the decision. This was one of the only memorable exchanges, and Howard got the best of it:

UFC President Dana White didn’t like the fight or the result:

Howard did little that was overly impressive, but Pendred did even less. If there’s a way for both fighters to come out as losers, this is one of those cases. Howard did capture a much-needed victory after losing three consecutive fights, but this win did little to improve his stock.

Pendred’s striking is as bad as anyone you’ll ever see in the UFC. His hands are so slow that his opponents have time to phone a friend before they need to block or slip the strike. CagePotato.com took a dig at Pendred’s striking efficiency as well:

Quite honestly, Pendred and Cezar Ferreira have to be in a dead heat when it comes to the most overrated fighters in the promotion.

Garcia Wins Another Ho-Hum Scrap

Alex Garcia’s dominant wrestling kept Mike Swick reeling for three rounds. Both men were making their returns to the Octagon after long layoffs, but only Garcia looked prepared.

Swick was unable to stop the powerful Brazilian from picking him up and dropping him six times in the fight. As you can see in the video below, the grappling exhibition began in the first round:

Without question, this was a disappointing return for Swick, who hadn’t fought in the UFC since 2012 when he lost to Matt Brown. He experienced some Octagon rust that he’ll need to clear up before his next bout.

Garcia doesn’t have great stamina, but his strength and grappling are top-notch. If he faces a fighter capable of defending his takedown attempts, he might be in trouble.

Brown Elbows and Submits Means

In a battle of guys with great elbow attacks, Brown’s proved to be the most dangerous of all. After eating some nasty elbow shots from Tim Means and being hurt early in the first round, Brown showed the heart and finishing instinct that have defined his career.

Brown landed two elbow strikes that sent Means reeling with just under 20 seconds remaining in the opening round. He immediately slapped on the guillotine choke and forced Means to tap.

UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman enjoyed the one-round brawl:

Brown snapped a two-fight losing streak and has now finished his opponents in his last six wins. Means’ four-fight win streak came to an end, but he still fought well until he was caught.

When the fight was over, several members of the MMA community including Fox Sports’ Damon Martin were calling for Brown to face Carlos Condit:

That could truly be an epic battle. Hopefully, UFC matchmakers are listening.

Main Card

Almeida Absorbs Punishment and Spectacularly Finishes Pickett

Thomas Almeida faced as much adversity as he has in any of his 20 professional fights. Brad Pickett floored Almeida twice in the first round with counter power shots and had the 23-year-old Brazilian’s face badly bloodied.

Almeida would gain some momentum at the end of the round. A hard right elbow dropped Pickett and gave the youngster some confidence.

In the second round, he had begun slipping Pickett’s punches and landing counters. The decisive moment came when Almeida landed a straight right hand and followed it up with a flying knee to Pickett’s face. The latter was out before he hit the mat.

Referee John McCarthy immediately stepped in to call a halt to the fight.

Chamatkar Sandhu of MMA Junkie thinks a Street Fighter legend would be proud of Almeida’s flying knee:

Almeida took some shots in this one, but his chin and ability to adjust were impressive. This kid is a future champion. MMA History Today sees the same thing:

Pickett looked good before he was dropped in the first round, but the 36-year-old is nearing his end in the sport.

Gunnar Smokes Thatch

Brandon Thatch came into the fight with Gunnar Nelson as the man lauded for his striking prowess. On Saturday night, it was a right-left combination from Nelson that floored Thatch and set up the submission victory.

Nelson is one of the most dangerous grapplers in the sport, and he systematically set Thatch up for the finish. By transitioning from side control to full mount and finally taking Thatch’s back, Nelson sunk in the choke and forced the finish. Here’s a look at the ending:

Both men were coming off losses. Nelson had lost to Rick Story at UFC Fight Night 53. Thatch was submitted by Benson Henderson at UFC Fight Night 60. With two straight losses by submission, it’s clear what Thatch must work on.

Nelson’s striking was improved, and his ground game was as good as ever. His future again looks bright.

Stephens Keeps the Knees Coming

In a bloody battle, Jeremy Stephens scored a second-round TKO win over Dennis Bermudez with the second insane knee of the night.

Bermudez opened a nasty cut to the outside of Stephens’ right eye. It left his face a crimson mess midway through the opening round. The gash made it look as if he was getting the worst of the scrap, but that wasn’t the case.

Bermudez landed some solid strikes throughout the first two rounds, but it was Stephens who hurt and dazed his opponent several times.

The decisive blow came when Stephens caught Bermudez with the leaping knee as his opponent surged in for the attack.

Stephens swarmed and pounded Bermudez out until the fight was stopped. Stephens missed weight and had to surrender 20 percent of his purse to Bermudez, per Matt Erickson of MMA Junkie, but he had the last laugh.

There will be other cards this year, but it’ll be hard to top UFC 189.

All fight highlights from official UFC Twitter account unless otherwise noted.

Fight Stat images per Sportz Visionz captured from UFC.com.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians Fight Card, More

Did you know the UFC actually has the MGM Grand booked for the entire weekend? UFC 189 is getting so much attention that it seems no one even knows The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale is going to take place in the same building on Sunday.
After Chad Mendes …

Did you know the UFC actually has the MGM Grand booked for the entire weekend? UFC 189 is getting so much attention that it seems no one even knows The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale is going to take place in the same building on Sunday.

After Chad Mendes and Conor McGregor battle on Saturday night, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson will take on Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger in the main event of TUF 21.

Ellenberger is coming off a huge, potentially career-saving win in his last bout against Josh Koscheck. He submitted Koscheck to snap a three-fight losing streak. He now faces one of the most exciting and athletic welterweights in the UFC.

Thompson’s dynamic striking makes him a potential highlight in every fight. He hasn’t fought since winning a unanimous decision over Patrick Cote in September 2014, though. He was supposed to take on Brandon Thatch in the main event of UFC Fight Night 60, but a rib injury forced him out. Benson Henderson came up in weight and replaced him, submitting Thatch.

Wonderboy now has another opportunity to shine in a main event. If he wins, he’ll put himself in position to join the top 15 in the division. He talks about Ellenberger and the preparation for the fight in this interview with Fox Sports’ Karyn Bryant:

Ellenberger may need this win even more than Thompson. Another victory would validate him as a formidable welterweight contender. Ellenberger (30) is two years younger than Thompson (32), but he has far more wear on his proverbial tires.

His shelf life will be shortened with a fourth loss in five fights.

The best fights seem to happen when both fighters are hungry and desperate for a victory. Hopefully, we’ll see a good battle in this one.

The TUF finales are supposed to be about the top talent from the current season of the series, but quite honestly, something was missing from this season. Kamaru Usman has scary power, and he’ll represent the Blackzilians in the finale.

Usman will face Hayder “Hulk” Hassan from American Top Team, who has even more power in his hands. Usman is the better wrestler and submissions fighter, but he must be careful against Hulk. While both have their qualities, neither has the MMA community anxiously awaiting his arrival.

The two men traded barbs in a recent interview with Bryant of Fox Sports’ TUF Talk. Usman called Hassan “overrated.” Hassan retorted, calling Usman “an idiot.”

Things are getting testy. Perhaps these two can add the spark the 21st season of the reality show lacked.

Here’s a look at the complete card:

Other Fights to Watch

Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal vs. Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira

If you make a list of the most underrated fighters in the UFC, Jorge Masvidal‘s name should be at the top of the list. He’s is tough as nails. His chin is exemplary. His ground game is spectacular. The only thing missing from his repertoire is major knockout power.

That might be why he doesn’t get the props he deserves.

On Sunday, he’ll face a fighter many might call the most overhyped fighter in the promotion. Ferreira came into the UFC with a great reputation, but he’s yet to put together an impressive performance against a noteworthy opponent.

He’s been stopped twice via punches. Most recently, Sam Alvey knocked him out at UFC Fight Night 61 in February. Ferreira fought at middleweight most of his career, but he’s making the trip down to 170 pounds in hopes of finding the success many predicted he’d have in the UFC.

If Ferreira loses again, he can cancel any thoughts of joining the ranks of the elite.

Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson vs. Angela “Your Majesty” Magana

With a name like The Karate Hottie, it’s clear Michelle Waterson not only knows how to fight but understands marketing. Her looks are stunning, but Angela Magana will aim to change that—at least temporarily on Sunday.

Waterson is making her UFC debut and hopes to make a splash in the promotion’s strawweight division. The 29-year-old from Colorado Springs, Colorado, defeated Yasuko Tamada to win the Invicta Atomweight Championship. She lost it in her last bout against Herica Tiburcio, but she still arrives in the UFC with a good amount of fanfare.

An impressive win would only boost her popularity.

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Mendes vs. McGregor: Latest Comments, Weigh-In Info and Predictions for UFC 189

Both “The Notorious” Conor McGregor and Chad “Money” Mendes made weight for the main event scrap at UFC 189. Mendes was half a pound under the featherweight limit at 144.5 pounds, and McGregor was right on the money (no pun intended) at 145.
In case yo…

In case you missed it, here’s a look at the weigh-ins for the entire card:

Dale Jordan of MMA Mad tweeted this image of McGregor on the scales in front of a pro-Notorious crowd in Las Vegas:

Every fighter scheduled to compete on the card made weight with the exception of Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens. He was three-and-a-half pounds over the featherweight limit of 146 pounds. Here’s a look at the full weigh-in results:

Chad Mendes (144.5) vs. Conor McGregor (145)
Robbie Lawler (169.5) vs. Rory MacDonald (170)
Dennis Bermudez (146) vs. Jeremy Stephens (*149.5)
Gunnar Nelson (169.5) vs. Brandon Thatch (170.5)
Brad Pickett (136) vs. Thomas Almeida (136)
Matt Brown (171) vs. Tim Means (171)
Mike Swick (170.5) vs. Alex Garcia (171)
Cathal Pendred (171) vs. John Howard (170.5)
Cody Garbrandt (136) vs. Enrique Briones (136)
Neil Seery (125.5) vs. Louis Smolka (126)
Yosdenis Cedeno (155) vs. Cody Pfister (156)

Per Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting, Stephens did not attempt to cut the excess three pounds, which can be very dangerous. Instead, he elected to forfeit 20 percent of his purse to his opponent Dennis Bermudez.

Without question, the card lost a little bit of its luster when Jose Aldo was forced to back out because of a rib injury, but McGregor has proven to be such a magnetic presence, fans still packed the joint to capacity, per UFC president Dana White:

McGregor made weight, but he didn’t exactly look healthy. In fact, he looked frail and cranky. Once he got off the scales, McGregor ran into Mendes‘ stablemate and UFC featherweight contender Urijah Faber. The latter looked to be in the mood for a little horseplay, but an ill-looking McGregor just wanted to get to the bathroom. Take a look at the Instagram video Faber posted:

I’d picked Mendes to win the moment he stepped in for Aldo, but seeing how tough McGregor‘s weight cut appears to have been, I’m even more confident Money wins. A tough weight cut and an opponent with a non-complementary skill set is a bad combination for McGregor.

Mendes will take McGregor down and pound him out by the second round.

None of the other fights figure to be swayed by the weigh-ins. Here’s a look at all of the predictions for the fights on the card:

Other Fighters Who Will Make Biggest Impact

Rory MacDonald

The welterweight title is about to change hands on Saturday night. Rory MacDonald has seemingly been groomed for this title the last five years. The time has finally come for him to walk in his mentor Georges St-Pierre’s footsteps.

MacDonald lost to Lawler in their initial meeting back in November 2013. A late knockdown sealed the deal for Lawler. This time a stronger and more confident MacDonald will use his length, accurate striking and dominant ground game to earn a unanimous-decision win and the 170-pound championship.

Thomas Almeida

There’s a superstar on the rise in the bantamweight division and his name is Thomas Almeida. No matter who’s there when he gets in range of a title shot, they will likely be in serious trouble against the 23-year-old Brazilian.

His striking is diversified, controlled and vicious. His ground game is underrated and serves as another weapon in his back pocket should an opponent avoid his punches, elbows, knees and kicks. Almeida is the total package and the best MMA prospect since Jon Jones made the climb through the light heavyweight ranks.

On Saturday, he’s going to thrash the 36-year-old Brad Pickett in what will serve as the major coming-out party for a future champion.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Mendes vs. McGregor: Latest Odds, Predictions and Pre-Fight Twitter Hype

Per Odds Shark, Chad “Money” Mendes is the underdog heading into his clash with “The Notorious” Conor McGregor at UFC 189 on Saturday. The most recent odds have McGregor as a 27-50 favorite. As a late replacement for Jose Aldo, it seems only natural th…

Heading into the final hours of hype before the fight, there doesn’t seem to be much of a letdown of emotion. The pre-fight press conference wasn’t lacking fireworks. Mendes and McGregor delivered a seemingly unlimited amount of quotable one-liners.

The UFC Twitter account captured the best of the best:

Confidence doesn’t appear to be a problem for either man.

McGregor is clearly at his best on his feet. He does have a 100 percent takedown defense rating, per FightMetric, but he’s only faced five takedown attempts in the UFC. None of those five were attempted by a wrestler on Mendes‘ level.

Mendes is obviously at a height and reach disadvantage. He stands 5’6″ with a 66″ reach, while McGregor is 5’9″ and measures 74″ from armpit to knuckle.

However, Mendes has the speed and head movement to close the distance. Because of his opponent’s massive punching power, McGregor must be wary of the big right hand. It’s the punch that can stop anyone in the division—including McGregor.

Bleacher Report’s Riley Kontek thinks Mendes will stop McGregor:

I feel like a lot of people are going with McGregor here, but he just simply has not been tested by a wrestler, especially one of this caliber. Mendes is also not bad on the feet, but he needs to beat McGregor up early, or the Irishman will get comfortable and pick at him from a distance.

It may not be a popular opinion, but I also expect Mendes to stop McGregor. If Money can take McGregor down early in the first round, it’ll set the tone of the bout. He’ll take away some of the Irishman’s confidence and get him on his heels—literally and figuratively.

After inflicting some notable damage, he’ll finish McGregor via ground-and-pound in the second round. The UFC will then be charged with finding a way to rebuild McGregor‘s invincible image.

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UFC 189: Fight Night Bonus Predictions for Mendes vs. McGregor Fight Card

Scoring a second-round knockout against a brash and talented fighter like Conor McGregor should be enough to win Chad Mendes a Performance of the Night bonus. McGregor is the real deal, but it’s easy to forget how dangerous Mendes can be.
After all, th…

After all, the only man to ever beat him is the man he’s replacing in the UFC 189 main event, Jose Aldo. Mendes‘ skill set will be a nightmare for McGregor. The 30-year-old from Hanford, CA is an explosive athlete with heavy hands and a world-class wrestler.

If you were trying to find a style that could give McGregor problems, Mendes‘ combination of athleticism and skills would be perfect. The only potential drawback is Mendes‘ height. He’s only 5’6″, and he’ll be giving up a three-inch height and reach advantage.

However, he does have excellent head movement and speed. Mendes will use both to close the distance, take McGregor down and finish him via ground and pound in the second round. If you were worried about the main event losing some steam without Aldo, take a look at the pre-fight press conference highlights.

The energy is still there:

Thomas Almeida Will Annihilate Brad Pickett

The second POTN bonus should be a close one between Cody Garbrandt—who should stop Henry Briones— and Tim Means. Yes, I’m picking the Dirty Bird to submit “The Immortal” Matt Brown. However, rising superstar Thomas Almeida is likely to put on the most impressive striking clinic of the evening.

Brad Pickett is a tough veteran, but he’s 36 years old and set to face a 23-year-old whirlwind who will grow into the sport’s next superstar. At 19-0, with finishes in 95 percent of his fights, Almeida is already a force to be reckoned with—and he’s only getting better.

Bleacher Report’s Scott Harris summed up Almeida‘s rise and the predicted outcome of this fight perfectly:

If you did not know about Thomas Almeida before, you will know about him this Saturday around 11 p.m. The heavy-hitting, do-it-all Chute Boxe prodigy is coming for Brad Pickett’s soul, and he will have it.

Almeida is too fast and his striking game is too diversified for Pickett. Get ready for a systematic destruction to open up the main card.

Fight of the Night – Means vs. Brown

Brown is a FOTN magnet, but he usually wins the epic battles in which he competes. On Saturday, Means’ new-found confidence, striking prowess and submission skills will be the undoing of The Immortal.

Brown has a tendency to be wild with his striking—especially once he’s been hit or going in for the stoppage himself. Against a crafty and skilled fighter like Means, that’ll put him in a tough situation.

Expect Means to mix in takedowns and straight punches to counter Brown’s power shots. Stopping Brown with strikes has proved near impossible, but if Means secures a choke on the ground, his long limbs will lead to Brown’s voluntary or technical submission.

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