Author: Donald Wood

Many fans are excited about the UFC 179 main event featuring featherweight champion Jose Aldo defending the title against Chad Mendes, but the entire fight card for Saturday’s pay-per-view is worth watching.

With Glover Teixeira going to battle against Phil Davis in the light heavyweight division and Darren Elkins and Lucas Martins fighting each other at featherweight to impress UFC officials, the undercard bouts could be just as entertaining as the main event.

Here is the entire UFC 179 fight card, predicted winners in every bout and a preview of the most underrated matchup on the card.

Where: Ginasio do Maracanazinho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

When: Saturday, October 25

Start Time: 10 p.m. ET

Watch: PPV (local service providers)

Live Stream: UFC.com

Most Underrated Fight: Darren Elkins vs. Lucas Martins

There are several bouts that could theoretically steal the show as the Fight of the Night, but the featherweight bout between Darren Elkins and Lucas Martins could legitimately go either way and has possible title implications.

For Martins, his path to title contention has been under the radar. Many MMA fans initially wrote him off after he lost to Edson Barboza in his debut. Previously, Martins had gone 12-0 in his career and was one of the brightest stars in the division.

The Brazilian bounced back with three straight victories, including two knockouts and a submission. Martins isn’t just winning again; he is winning in dominant fashion and looks more focused than ever.

When asked about his loss to Barboza, Martins spoke to Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com regarding the lessons he learned and how it has refocused him:

Barboza had a big name at 155. There was a lot of talk about him being a future champion, and people know your first fight in UFC is very hard. Now I just focus on my next opponent, fight hard, and good things happen. You always learn more from a loss then you do a win, and you see I have not lost since.

Adam Martin of MMAOddsBreaker.com talks about his excitement for the matchup:

As good as Martins has been since his UFC debut, Elkins is a UFC veteran who’s had his share of adversity during his career. Elkins has lost two of his last three fights (including a TKO defeat against featherweight No. 1 contender Mendes), but each of the last two bouts have been decided by the judges.

If Elkins wants to win on Saturday, he will have to finish the fight early and not allow the judges’ scorecards to play into the result. Even with his ability to take a punch and keep coming, Elkins will be in trouble against an elite striker like Martins.

Aldo is favored to win over Mendes again, and the champion will be looking for a new challenger if those predictions are correct. With Martins possibly stringing four wins together if he takes down Elkins, Dana White and UFC officials must consider the Brazilian as a championship contender.

The key for Elkins will be to bull rush his opponent and never give him the chance to land his heavy strikes. In the event that Elkins’s game plan fails, Martins will be right there to end this fight quickly and cement his spot as one of the top fighters in the division.

Predicted winner: Martins defeats Elkins via first-round TKO.

Stats via UFC.com.

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The UFC 178 pay-per-view was one of the best of 2014 thus far, and the results from the card headlined by the championship match between Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso made for an unforgettable event.

As if Johnson retaining the UFC Flyweight Championship wasn’t enough, the co-headlining Donald Cerrone vs. Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier fights lived up to the hype. Add in Dominick Cruz’s dominant return to the Octagon, and UFC 178 was worth the purchase price.

Here are the full results from Saturday’s PPV, the bonus award winners and the biggest winner and loser from the marquee UFC event.

Biggest Winner: Dominick Cruz

The biggest winner from UFC 178 was former WEC and UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. After almost three full years away from the sport, Cruz returned to the Octagon and looked even more dominant than ever when he knocked out Takeya Mizugaki in the first round.

Cruz looked to have regained his old form, and he told Ben Fowlkes of MMAJunkie.com about his reaction to the fight and how he could be better than before:

It’s a weird thing when you’re out there … it’s all just reaction. I felt like I had to do what I did after all this time. That’s the only thing that would’ve felt right. It was an amazing feeling and I have so much thanks for the fans who helped me through all this difficult time off. I think I’ve grown into my body and I’m faster and powerful than I was before.

For the rest of the bantamweight division, Cruz’s dominant performance was bad news.

Cruz has not lost a fight since March of 2007. While multiple knee surgeries and a torn groin had temporarily derailed his career, the former champion is back to regain the title the company stripped from him while he was recovering.

Dana White and the UFC officials will likely give Cruz one more warm-up fight on PPV (possibly a rubber match against Urijah Faber, teased in the video above), but the stage will soon be set for an eventual return to the title scene.

It’s just a matter of time before Cruz is once again bantamweight champion.

Biggest Loser: Dustin Poirier

The battle between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier was arguably the most anticipated fight of the night, but it was McGregor who proved to be the more dominant fighter. For Poirier, it was an utterly disappointing performance.

Poirier had won three fights coming into his matchup against McGregor, and the chatter before the fight had anticipation through the roof. Many expected Poirier to back up his talk with an elite performance—getting knocked out in the first round is not what fans expected.

MMA insider Mike Chiappetta talked about the lopsided matchup:

Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMAFighting.com talked about the look on Poirier’s face:

After coming into the fight as the fifth-ranked competitor in the featherweight division, via UFC.com, he was dominated by the ninth-ranked fighter in McGregor. Poirier needs a bounce-back performance, and a matchup against Cub Swanson would be ideal.

Swanson beat Poirier in 2013. If Swanson loses to Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night 57, a rematch between the two men could be a marquee fight that would add depth on any major PPV card.

*Stats via UFC.com.

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Despite the epic main event between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier being removed from Saturday’s UFC 178 card, UFC president Dana White and other company officials have ensured a great show by moving Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso for the flyweight title to this event.

The main event is intriguing, but this is one of the deepest pay-per-view cards of the year for UFC. With Donald Cerrone vs. Eddie Alvarez, Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor and the return of Dominick Cruz added to the card, this is a show MMA fans won’t want to miss.

Here is the vital viewing information, the full PPV card with predictions and a complete breakdown of the main event.

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

When: Saturday, Sept. 27

Start Time: 10 p.m. ET

Watch: PPV (local service providers)

Breaking Down the Main Event

The UFC 178 card is stacked, but there is a serious focus on the main event featuring Demetrious Johnson fighting Chris Cariaso for the UFC Flyweight Championship.

Johnson has won six straight fights since a draw against Ian McCall in 2012 and has successfully retained the title four times since becoming the inaugural winner of the belt. As well as Cariaso has fought over the last year (three straight wins), he is not on the same level as Johnson.

After beating Ali Bagautinov in a five-round war, Johnson has supreme confidence in his reign as champion. A rare knockout victory in the flyweight division over Joseph Benavidez in December 2013 has also helped build the defending champion’s confidence.

When asked about the lack of knockouts in his weight class, Johnson told Mike Straka of UFC.com about what it takes to achieve a KO and why it doesn’t take place more often:

I’m not knocking out everyone left and right. In the lighter divisions guys move around a lot. When I knocked out Joseph Benavidez we were both standing still and not moving, and we both threw at the same time and whoever was going to land first was going to get the knockout, and mine just happened to land first. Don’t forget, every time I fight I’m fighting the best guy in the world who earned his shot at the belt, so knocking guys out is the furthest thing from my mind. I’m worried about what I’m going to do to win, to execute what I worked on in camp with my coaches, stuff like that. Cariaso knocked out Iliarde Santos, so it happens in the flyweight division, just not as much as in the heavyweight division.

According to a tweet from UFC Tonight, Johnson has no plans of moving up a weight class:

The UFC Tonight crew also picked Johnson as the unanimous victor:

Johnson is the favorite in this fight for good reason. While Cariaso has beaten the challengers put in front of him, his victories have come against lackluster competition. The 33-year-old fighter has never faced a challenger as well-rounded as Johnson.

What makes Johnson so dangerous is his ability to do everything well. As an elite wrestler, the defending champion is comfortable taking the fight to the ground and winning by pounding his opponent over the course of a five-round fight. On the other hand, Johnson is more than willing to stand in the center of the Octagon and exchange punches and kicks with his opponent.

Add in his elite speed and overall reactionary quickness, and there is little doubt that Johnson should be able to pull out the victory on Saturday night. Unlike many other flyweight fights, though, this main event will end early.

Predicted Winner: Johnson via fourth-round TKO

*Stats via UFC.com.

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Despite losing a Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier championship fight, the UFC 178 card is one of the deepest pay-per-view events of 2014 and should satisfy even the most fickle MMA fans.

With Demetrious Johnson fighting Chris Cariaso for the UFC Flyweight Championship, and an undercard that features Donald Cerrone vs. Eddie Alvarez, Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor and the return of Dominick Cruz, this is a pay-per-view you can’t miss.

Here is the vital viewing information, the full pay-per-view card with predictions and the most underrated matchup of UFC 178.

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas

When: Saturday, Sept. 27

Start Time: 10 p.m. ET

Watch: PPV (local service providers)

Most Underrated Matchup: Dominick Cruz vs. Takeya Mizugaki

While the main event for the UFC Flyweight Championship between Johnson and Cariaso has stolen most of the headlines, the return of former UFC and WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is the biggest news for the sport.

Cruz was one of the most popular stars in MMA, but he has been away from the Octagon for almost three years. After winning the inaugural bantamweight title and successfully defending it twice (including a win in October 2011 against Johnson), Cruz suffered a torn ACL in May 2012 and underwent surgery.

According to MMAJunkie.com, Cruz’s body rejected the ACL ligament from a cadaver and his knee was once again rebuilt. After returning to full health, Cruz was expected to fight Renan Barao to unify the bantamweight championships, but he tore his groin and was removed from the UFC 169 card. UFC president Dana White also stripped Cruz of his championship following the groin injury.

As Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report pointed out, though, there are precedents for Cruz’s return:

When asked about his journey to Saturday’s fight, Cruz spoke to Damon Martin of Fox Sports regarding his time off, his health and where he’s at mentally:

I’ve had a fight around the corner before and it was exciting, but not as exciting as it is now. Right now, it sounds crazy, but this is the healthiest I’ve been since I last fought (Urijah) Faber for the second time. Because even when I went into that fight with Demetrious Johnson, I had a broken hand.

Now I don’t have one injury in my whole body, I’ve had this long layoff unfortunately, but it’s also given me a lot of time to heal, understand and learn about my body, build my mind, build my spirit, so I’m feeling really good and really confident.

Now Cruz will be forced to square off against Takeya Mizugaki in his return fight. Since losing to Cariaso in February 2012, Mizugaki has won five straight fights and has proven to be a viable threat in the bantamweight division. Cruz will be making his return against a very difficult opponent.

While the matchup may be difficult, White took to Twitter to share his excitement:

Mizugaki’s winning streak is impressive, but he has not beaten any of the top fighters in the division during that period. Even with three years away from the Octagon, Cruz is still one of the most naturally gifted athletes in the sport and should be able to dominate his challenger.

Using a unique mix of wrestling, boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as well as the elite speed he possessed before his knee injuries, Cruz will be looking to send a message to the division and the entire sport that he is back and hasn’t missed a step.

A dominant TKO would send that message loud and clear.

Predicted Winner: Cruz via third-round TKO

*Stats via UFC.com.

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When bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw successfully defended his title Saturday night against Joe Soto at UFC 177, he proved that he belongs in the conversation as one of the pound-for-pound toughest men in the sport.

The results of the pay-per-view were much more entertaining than the card should have been. The event felt incredibly lackluster after several injuries and misses at weight, though, including the removal of Renan Barao from the main event just 48 hours before the show.

Here are the full results from UFC 177, a breakdown of the main event and where each fighter goes from here.

Breaking Down the Main Event

The main event of UFC 177 was going to be the rematch between Dillashaw and Barao for the bantamweight championship, but Barao was forced to pull out of the fight before weigh-ins when he passed out, according to Shaun Al-Shatti of MMAFighting.com, and was taken to the hospital.

The last-second scratch forced Dana White and UFC officials to promote Joe Soto from a fight against Anthony Birchak to the main event. Fortunately for the company, Soto proved his worth by giving Dillashaw a serious challenge in his first showing with his new employer.

Both Dillashaw and Soto were preparing for a different fight on Saturday night, but each was put on an even playing field when they were reassigned each other. While Soto deserves immense credit for taking this fight and forcing this bout to the fifth round, Dillashaw was the superior competitor throughout the matchup.

Using his elite striking, Dillashaw forced Soto into a defensive game plan. Soto did manage to block many of the heaviest shots from the champion, but the constant attacks began to take their toll as the fight wore on. By the time the fifth round began, Soto was clearly tiring, and Dillashaw took advantage.

Dillashaw continued to pick his challenger apart until he landed a devastating head kick and followed it up with a heavy punch to the head. The combination sent Soto to the mat and forced the referee to step in and ensure the fight was over.

Now that Dillashaw is still champion, it’s time to determine what’s next for the bantamweight star. After the win, he told Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com, “I’m not really sure [who’s next]. My mind has been on Renan Barao the last four months. I haven’t thought of anyone else. I would like a little break. After that, I’ll fight anybody the UFC wants to put in front of me — and I’ll beat them.”

Despite White claiming that Barao would not get a title shot upon his return, via Mookie Alexander of BloodyElbow.com, the rematch between the champion and the former divisional king is the biggest possible bout he could book.

White and UFC officials must do what is best for business. Barao hurt the company with his inability to make the fight Saturday, but he is still the biggest name in the division besides the champion. After the shocking outcome of the first fight and the tease of the rematch, there would be a serious buzz when Dillashaw vs. Barao II finally happens.

If not Barao, look for Dillashaw to square off against Urijah Faber or Raphael Assuncao.

On the other hand, Soto should be rewarded for his valiant performance and be given a marquee opponent for his second fight under the UFC banner. The former Bellator champion was unable to dethrone Dillashaw, but it would be interesting to see how Soto handles Barao if White stays true to his word and doesn’t award the Brazilian a title shot.

The perfect scenario would be UFC booking Dillashaw vs. Assuncao and Soto vs. Barao on the same PPV card. If Dillashaw and Barao both won their respective fights, the rematch MMA fans never knew they wanted would finally come to fruition.

*Stats via UFC.com.

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