Author: Chris Roling

A UFC 186 card put through the ringer in terms of card construction leading up to the event wound up as one of the most memorable events of the year.

Rampage Jackson returned to the Octagon in dominant form, Demetrious Johnson once again proved he’s the best flyweight on the planet and young guns such as Kyoji Horiguchi and Thomas Almeida broadcasted loud and clear the future of the promotion is in good hands.

On a night of many memorable moments, UFC president Dana White issued several awards, each worth a grand total of $50,000 in bonuses on top of each fighter’s salary, per Matt Erickson of MMAJunkie.com.

Below, let’s take a look at the full results and the bonus winners.

 

UFC 186 Results

 

Top Performers and Bonus Recipients

Performance of the Night: Demetrious Johnson

Johnson, perhaps the most dominant champion in a division this side of Ronda Rousey, of course took home a major bonus for his performance against Horiguchi.

An unorthodox style helped the budding superstar to hang tough with the champion for quite a while, but the disparity in talent grew as the fight wore on to its epic conclusion.

There, Johnson put on a showcase of technical skill which the globe rarely sees, as Sherdog’s Jordan Breen explains:

Thanks to the stunning last-second finish, literally, Johnson now sits alone in UFC history, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Johnson took to Twitter to thank everyone after the epic showing:

There’s a chance Johnson would have won the award without the epic finish, though. According to UFC.com, he landed 149 strikes on 72 percent accuracy to Horiguchi‘s 61 on 48 percent. He also scored 14 takedowns to just one by Horiguchi.

A little extra change for Johnson’s efforts doesn’t hurt, although remaining the king of a competitive division seems the best prize of all.

 

Performance of the Night: Thomas Almeida

Almeida is proof enough of UFC’s sound future.

The 23-year-old star ran his record to 19-0 Saturday night thanks to a ho-hum triumph in the first round against Yves Jabouin. By way of 31 significant strikes, Almeida picked up the technical knockout despite absorbing 20 significant strikes of his own.

White took to Twitter to celebrate Almeida‘s success:

Part of what makes Almeida‘s performance so impressive is the fact it came against a 35-year-old veteran such as Jabouin, who enjoys standing in, trading blows and taking things to the mat when necessary.

As the finish, continued hype and bonus show, Almeida is one name to keep an eye on as he looks to take the next step up the bantamweight ladder.

 

Fight of the Night: Chad Laprise vs. Bryan Barberena

It was only right to expect fireworks between Chad Laprise and Bryan Barberena.

The two heavy-hitting strikers with unpredictable offenses put on a show, with Laprise dominating the opening frame with ease. Barberena proved game and battled back, though, making the fight much more entertaining than the opening salvo suggested it would be.

Barberena forced Laprise from his technical comfort zone in the second round, forcing him backwards and on the defensive. The eventual winner rediscovered his mix of body and head kicks dispersed with straight shots to take the win on the scorecards.

Per UFC.com, Barberena landed 10 more significant strikes, but he did it with less accuracy on more attempts. It was enough to rattle Laprise, at least, as MMA Report’s John Pollack illustrates:

A war of wills coming down to the wire preceded by a bit of a chess match will win Fight of the Night most times out.

It did Saturday and both men are better for it, both in their pockets and in division standing.

 

Stats and info via UFC.com, unless otherwise specified.

 

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With the UFC 186 card official, bettors can get to throwing down with Las Vegas after a long wait.

The card itself continued to alter for quite a while, but it’s hard to complain with what the promotion crafted in the end. UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson versus Kyoji Horiguchi is a balancing act between old and new, and everyone with a stake in the sport will love to see the return of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Much will unfold in the way of ladder standings in each division Saturday. For bettors, it’s a chance to make decent coin, so let’s take a look at the odds and other factors surrounding the event.

 

Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec

When: Saturday, April 25

Start Time: UFC Fight Pass prelims start at 6:30 p.m. ET; Fox Sports 1 preliminary card starts at 8 p.m. ET; main pay-per-view card starts at 10 p.m. ET

Watch: Pay-per-view

Live Stream: UFC.TV; Fox Sports Go (preliminary card)

 

UFC 186 Viewing Information and Predictions

 

UFC 186 Safest Bets 

No. 5 Sarah Kaufman (-200, 1-2) vs. No. 3 Alexis Davis (+185, 37-20)

What, adverse to preliminary bouts?

This one has “free cash” written all over it.  Sarah Kaufman and Alexis Davis go way back, having fought in multiple promotions before Saturday’s debut encounter between the two in UFC.

Kaufman won both prior bouts; the first in 2007 by technical knockout, the second in 2012 by majority decision. As FoxSports.com’s Damon Martin points out, the third meeting between the rivals has all the making of an instant classic:

For bettors this seems an easy decision.

Kaufman touts two wins against Davis for good reason. Per UFC.com, she lands 7.1 significant strikes per minute to Davis’ 4.98. She’s at a disadvantage in takedown average, but she touts 100 percent accuracy and defends 85.71 percent of the opposition’s attempts.

To further throw things in Kaufman’s favor, keep in mind the globe hasn’t seen Davis since a dreadful loss at the hands of Ronda Rousey in just 16 seconds last July.

While not an amazing payout, Kaufman is the obvious choice.

 

John Makdessi (-150, 2-3) vs. Shane Campbell (+140, 7-5)

A showdown between John “The Bull” Makdessi and “Shaolin” Shane Campbell makes for quite a sound set of entertainment given the two’s love for standing in and delivering strikes no matter what.

Campbell is the underdog here, and perhaps for good reason with Saturday being his UFC debut. Still, he’s an elite kickboxer with three consecutive TKO victories to his name and a handful of submission wins, showing he can work the mat if things go there.

Makdessi is an elite striker who lands at 48.08 percent accuracy, but recent fights showcase his deficiencies when he cannot just overwhelm the opposition. Look at his bout against Alan Patrick at UFC 169, where the opposition kept at range and peppered him with shots before punishing him in the clinch en route to the unanimous decision.

Given his background and track record, Campbell can do much of the same. Look for him to keep Makdessi at bay and take this one on the scorecards.

 

Quinton Jackson (-245, 20-49) vs. No. 12 Fabio Maldonado (+225, 9-4)

Everyone has to know Rampage is easy money, right?

The 36-year-old superstar rides a three-fight streak into Saturday, a return to the UFC after some successful time in Bellator. UFC president Dana White wouldn’t throw such a major draw into an impossible situation upon his return to the promotion.

Said opponent is Fabio Maldonado, who is 1-1 over the course of his last two. On paper, he seems a sound opponent for Jackson, landing almost 61 percent of his significant strikes and connecting on 5.92 per minute, according to UFC.com.

One problem—Maldonado stands in and takes multiple shots on the chin just to achieve those averages. Against Jackson, the approach just won’t work.

Still, White told ESPN’s SportsCenter why the two will put on a show, per Nancy Gay of UFC.com:

We’ll find out on Saturday night. The thing that Rampage always brings is intensity. He comes in and he tries to finish you. I love that about him. And he’s taking on Maldonado, another guy who is a finisher and loves to stand, loves to trade toe-to-toe. And those are always really fun fights.

Jackson has plenty left in the tank when matched with such an opponent. As he continues to show each time out, his jaw is unflappable and his strikes devastating.

Look for Jackson to take advantage of Maldonado when he attempts to stand in and trade blows. In his return bout, Jackson won’t let somebody beat him at his own game.

 

Odds via OddsShark.com as of April 25 at 7 a.m. ET. Stats and info via UFC.com, unless otherwise specified.

 

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UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson versus upstart challenger Kyoji Horiguchi isn’t the fight the globe expected at UFC 186, but it’s one fans won’t want to miss either way.

Remember, UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw and Renan Barao was the original main event before the former pulled out due to injury. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson had a fair share of controversy around his fight, too.

Alas, Saturday marks the arrival of an underrated card quite important to the sport. The main event features one of the Octagon’s most dominant champions and one of its next biggest stars.

Even better, underrated fights line the card.

 

Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec

When: Saturday, April 25

Start Time: UFC Fight Pass prelims start at 6:30 p.m. ET; Fox Sports 1 preliminary card starts at 8 p.m. ET; main pay-per-view card starts at 10 p.m. ET

Watch: Pay-per-view

Live Stream: UFC.TV; Fox Sports Go (preliminary card)

 

UFC 186 Viewing Information and Predictions

 

Underrated Bouts to Watch

Yves Jabouin vs. Thomas Almeida

Horiguchi is a young upcoming star fans would be wise to remember no matter the main event’s result.

Yet he still pales in comparison to Thomas Almeida, a 23-year-old prospect with an undefeated record in 18 bouts. Saturday is his second UFC bout, the first being a decision triumph over Tim Gorman on UFC Fight Night back in November.

Almeida is an elite striker when upright. According to UFC.com he lands a superb eight significant strikes per minute on 55.3 percent accuracy. By comparison, his opponent, Yves Jabouin, lands 3.07 at 41.32 percent.

Granted, Almeida can play the submission game well, too, with four of his wins coming via such a route, two by armbar.

Jabouin isn’t a slouch by any means, but this fight seems set by the promotion to help Almeida pave his way to the top. The 35-year-old veteran is susceptible to taking one on the chin and staying down, a reputation heightened in recent years with two losses in his last four outings, one a technical knockout and the other a knockout.

Look for Almeida to come out aggressive and capitalize on this weakness en route to a career-boosting win.

 

No. 10 Michael Bisping vs. No. 11 CB Dollaway

At first glance, a bout between two men over the age of 30, both coming off losses, does not seem the most exciting thing in the world. 

But when Michael Bisping and CB Dollaway step into the Octagon Saturday night, there is much more at stake than a losing skid in the middleweight division. For the former, now 36 years old, time is running out to make a run.

He seems to understand as much, as he told FoxSports.com’s Damon Martin:

Obviously my back’s up against the wall. I thought I was going to win the (Luke) Rockhold fight. I thought I did well in the first round, but we clashed heads — I call it a head butt, the referee calls it a clash of heads, the fact of the matter was it was pissing blood into my eye and I couldn’t really see much after that.

Bisping was last seen tapping out against Luke Rockhold, making him a loser in four of his last seven.

It’s a serious issue considering the fact Dollaway is an elite wrestler who averages 3.8 takedowns on 54.72 percent accuracy. For comparison’s sake, Bisping defends 62.5 percent of his takedowns, but doesn’t do much when on the mat, having never scored a submission win in the promotion.

To be fair, Dollaway enters Saturday off a loss against Lyoto Machida by TKO. He may want to gain some respect back and exchange blows with a proven striker, but as soon as things get dicey, he won’t have any qualms about taking things to the mat and finishing them.

Dollaway needs the fight more. Expect it to show Saturday.

 

Stats and info via UFC.com, unless otherwise specified. 

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Sometimes, the underrated cards turn out the best. Saturday’s UFC 186 may epitomize this thought when UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson puts his title on the line against Kyoji Horiguchi.

The main event is far from the only attraction of the night, though, not with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson back in the fold. Michael Bisping vs. CB Dollaway will turn some heads, as well, if not sort out some questions in the middleweight division.

Let’s take an early look at the full card, with an emphasis on the night’s top two encounters.

 

UFC 186 Card

 

Predicting Card’s Biggest Bouts 

Quinton Jackson vs. No. 12 Fabio Maldonado

Jackson is back with UFC after a stint with Bellator, where he beat the likes of Christian M’Pumbu and Joey Beltran.

On one hand, it would be hard to see UFC hitting Rampage with an opponent he cannot handle in his big return bout, but on the other, Fabio Maldonado is perhaps better than any fighter Jackson faced at the other promotion.

Regardless, Jackson took to Twitter to celebrate the fight coming to fruition:

Expect a mess of an encounter, which may end pretty early.

Maldonado is no pushover, touting nearly 61 percent accuracy and 5.92 significant strikes landed per minute, according to UFC.com. Those are better numbers than Jackson in both regards, but the major red flag is his 4.03 significant strikes absorbed per minute.

So while a Round 2 TKO victory against Hans Stringer last year looks great, think back a bit further to a bout lasting just 35 seconds last May when Maldonado suffered a TKO loss at the hands of Stipe Miocic.

Jackson has the power to take advantage of Maldonado’s erratic chin. Look for Rampage to end it before time runs out in the first round.

 

Demetrious Johnson vs. No. 7 Kyoji Horiguchi

Horiguchi is far from the biggest name in the world. On the other side of the Octagon on Saturday is Johnson, who is comparable to Ronda Rousey in how dominant he is over an entire division.

The champion seems to know better than to enter Saturday cocky, though.

Johnson made it clear to FoxSports.com’s Elias Cepeda he won’t underestimate the opposition:

It is what you say – ‘Oh, I can improve, I could do to have a few more fights.’ He’s a humble guy. I think he’s real hungry for this opportunity, though. And, he’s been beating a lot of people and has a long winning streak. He believes he’s ready.

It’s a smart move by the champ.

Horiguchi might be just 24 years old, but he’s a loser in just one fight of 16 attempts, the loss coming way back in 2012. He enters Saturday on a nine-fight tear, four of those wins coming in the UFC.

In the face of Johnson, though, the problems for Horiguchi seem bountiful. As the numbers to the side show, he’s at a severe disadvantage if things hit the mat, which seems likely because of Johnson’s world-class speed.

There’s a bright future ahead for Horiguchi, so remember the name. For Saturday, though, he’s encountering the best of the best, and his skill set isn’t robust enough just yet to survive.

Look for Johnson to secure a submission in the second round.

 

Stats and info via UFC.com, unless otherwise specified. 

 

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Ronda Rousey didn’t get the memo.

At UFC 184, Cat Zingano was supposed to represent Rousey’s toughest task to date. A talented offensive mind whose best trait was perseverance and the ability to sustain a lengthy bout before a storybook comeback, Zingano was the one to test not only Rousey’s chin but also her conditioning.

Instead, Zingano fell into the trap of those before her and tapped 14 seconds after the opening bell.

As a whole, an underrated card put on quite the show Saturday night at Staples Center. As expected, some of the outcome’s biggest implications moving forward are noteworthy to review.

 

UFC 184 Results 

 

Storylines to Watch

Cat Zingano’s Redemption Trail

For now, Zingano fades back to obscurity after a performance that makes her just another statistic—albeit a pretty historic one—smack in the middle of Rousey’s reign of terror.

The path back is easier than it seems, though.

Zingano can thank Rousey for that.

Rousey has now won 10 fights in the first round, and the average hardly hovers around four minutes at this point. She’s blown through the top names in the division, so Zingano is right to already be on the hunt for the No. 2 spot again, as captured by Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting:

Maybe that’s not entirely fair.

Zingano can also thank herself for her easy climb back to the top. Her heartbreaking out-of-Octagon story defines her in-Octagon approach, always on the rebound and overcoming the odds.

This is something UFC can build around so long as Zingano comes out strong in her next bout and wins. She’s the comeback kid who slipped up against Rousey (who doesn’t?) but can learn from the mistakes and give it a better go next time around.

The UFC hype machine is a beautiful, powerful thing that needs to go to work to keep the division interesting. So long as Zingano plays her part in her next fight, the door to the No. 2 slot and a rematch is wide open.

 

Ronda Rousey’s Next Step

Rousey has cleaned out a division—UFC’s 135-pound female division introduced in 2013—one that was mostly a byproduct of her immense popularity in the first place.

So what’s next?

Well, re-writing the record books seems to throw that sort of question for a loop:

“We were actually suspecting she might do something flying at me right away,” Rousey said, per ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto. “I’ve actually been working on that behind arm armbar. Not from that angle, but hey, it works.”

See, it pays to be prepared.

New blood is the name of the game if Rousey’s next fight is to put butts in seats. While she might be at the Floyd Mayweather point in which folks tune in just to see if she loses, it seems more unlikely than ever with most of the division demolished.

Cris “Cyborg” Justino is the first name many will point out. She just defended her title in all of 46 seconds at Invicta FC 11. Holly Holm is another name many will bring up, and despite a sloppy win against Raquel Pennington, the boxing legend will continue to be in the conversation—after all, UFC is all about deciding whether boxing or mixed martial arts is the dominant sport.

For her part, Rousey seemed to have a few other names in mind after Saturday’s triumph, as well:

Bethe Correia is undefeated, although Jessica Eye figures to remain in the conversation as well given a similar standing at the moment.

UFC can’t really go wrong with Rousey’s next fight so long as the booking surrounding other names builds another credible contender for further down the line. Justino is probably the best matchup and the name to most closely monitor, although looking ahead even further, Zingano will be back in the conversation soon.

 

Stats and info courtesy of UFC.com unless otherwise specified.

 

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