Author: Luke Thomas

UFC keeps on staging events, this Saturday being a return to Brazil. The main event features two top welterweight strikers hoping to prove their worth one more crack at a title run. The card also features a long-awaited featherweight rematch and a host of Brazilian nationals looking to gain experience.

What: UFC Fight Night 67 (UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Alves)

Where: Goiânia Arena, Goiânia, Brazil

When: Saturday, the two-fight Fight Pass preliminary card starts at 7 p.m. ET and the four-fight preliminary card kicks off on Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. and the six-fight main card begins at 10 p.m. ET.

Carlos Condit vs. Thiago Alves

I like Alves early and Condit late, basically. Alves isn’t quite the dynamic force he was when he was beating the likes of Matt Hughes, but he’s still pretty potent early. His outside low kick counters are deadly and his output remains uncomfortably high for opposition to deal with. That said, Condit is extremely durable and can pick up the pace as time goes on; that’s something Alves lacks. It’s good this fight is five rounds if you’re Condit. He’ll likely struggle early only to turn it on and seal the deal in the championship rounds.

Pick: Condit

Nik Lentz vs. Charles Oliveira

These two finally meet. I’m going to side with the Brazilian. His offensive striking isn’t necessarily amazing, but he’s much more defensively responsible. But we all know how this fight is going to go. Lentz is going to press Oliveira against the fence, work for a takedown and try to use top control to ride out a decision. Oliveira’s takedown defense is better than ever, but not good enough. Still, I’m not entirely sure it will matter. Even if he gets taken down, his submission savvy or ability to secure sweeps it fantastic. I’m not sure if he submits Lentz, but I do expect him to constantly disrupt his top control while doing more of the damage.

Pick: Oliveira

KJ Noons vs. Alex Oliveira

Noons is obviously clever and deadly with his boxing combinations, but Oliveira is probably too much for him to handle. He has better movement, more attacks at different ranges and, generally speaking, more weapons. Noons is durable, but he’s likely going to come up short trying to score meaningful offense.

Pick: Oliveira

Francimar Barroso vs. Ryan Jimmo

Jimmo can sometimes be all over the place, but I like his chances here. His patience in both engagement and shot selection will essentially give him this contest, as will his ability to be more potent at range. This is entirely Jimmo’s fight to lose.

Pick: Jimmo

Norman Parke vs. Francisco Trinaldo

Parke’s chances are good here. Trinaldo has been ever so slightly slowing down of late. He’s still quite the dynamo, but a manageable task for the Northern Irishman. Parke can stuff Trinaldo’s takedown attempts or even get on top himself with counters inside the clinch. If that doesn’t work, he can work around Trinaldo’s one-note overhand punching, also with punching on the inside. Parke has to be sharp here, but Trinaldo is slowing down. If he can avoid being pulled into any brawl or overwhelmed physically, he should be fine.

Pick: Parke

Wendell Oliveira vs. Darren Till

I’m going to side with Marques here. Till does decent body and leg work from the outside, but the bigger power puncher in the Brazilian is going to be able to advantage of Till’s defensive lapses. I expect a stoppage for Marques inside the distance.

Pick: Marques

From  the preliminary card:

Rony Jason def. Damon Jackson
Jussier Formiga def. Wilson Reis
Nicolas Dalby def. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Mirsad Bektic def. Lucas Martins
Juliana Lima def. Ericka Almeida
Luiz Dutra def. Tom Breese

UFC middleweight Michael Bisping is back on the winning track. The long-time contender has been alternating wins and losses in the Octagon since 2012, but righted the ship against C.B. Dollaway at UFC 186 in April.

Rather than settling for .500 record, now he’s trying to put together a win streak that’ll finally get him the elusive title shot that’s never come his way in his near decade run in the Octagon. That process takes its next step in July when he faces Thales Leites in the main event of UFC Fight Night 72 in Glasgow, Scotland.

And what does Bisping think a win over the Brazilian will net him? Nothing short of a fight against a top contender, one that could be a title eliminator.

“Obviously my last fight defined my position amongst the elite in the UFC,” Bisping told the media on a conference call on Wednesday. “If I get the job done against Thales, which, of course, I plan on doing that, with the greatest of respect, I think it certainly puts me in the discussion. Obviously Vitor [Belfort] is out of the window now.”

As ‘The Count’ sees it, after Leites, there are two names ahead of him: Luke Rockhold and Ronaldo Souza. Bisping acknowledges they’re ahead of him for now, but with his aim still being the UFC title, he believes a showdown with one of them is inevitable.

“We’ve got Rockhold and Jacare, which are the next two guys in shot,” he said. “Let’s say Luke gets the next shot. By the time he’s at that fight, I’ll have beaten Thales Leites. I’ll almost be there. That’s always been my dream, my goal, and it still is. While I’m still in the UFC, I’m always going to [want to] be the world champion.

“I’m getting better all the time. I’m 36, but I still feel like I’m in my prime. I’m actually learning more and more as a martial artist, so I’m getting better. That’s always been the goal and it still is, believe you me.”

Bisping insisted he isn’t trying to call anyone out. He claims he’s intently focused on Leites. Still, there’s a part of him that is always thinking about the path to the title.

“To be honest, I had the fight with Luke Rockhold. He head butted me,” Bisping asserted. “That kind of affected the outcome of the fight. So I’d love a rematch with Luke, but when I look at Chris Weidman, of course I respect the guy. He’s a great champion and a great person. But I believe I match up very well with Chris as well. Regardless of who it is, as I said before, I’m focused on my fight with Thales. That’s going to be a tough match up, for sure. I’d be a fool to look anywhere else. Once I’m done with that, regardless of who is champion, I’ll be confident in my ability.

“People I want to fight next are Luke Rockhold, Chris Weidman and Jacare Souza,” Bisping said matter-of-factly. “They will be the top three names in the division and certainly, a win over Rockhold or Jacare would get you a title shot. Weidman is the champion. I believe one of those guys is going to fight for the title next, anyway. Either one of those guys would be a dream opponent after Thales Leites, but I would be a fool to look past Thales. That’s lesson no. 1: Never underestimate your opponent, never look past an opponent. I’m not doing that.”

For now, Bisping is turning his attention to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt he has to fight in July. However, he noted, there’s a conversation to be had once that’s over. A conversation, he argued, that will be centered on him trying to extend his win streak.

“We’ll discuss that in eight weeks after I sent Thales home with a sore backside,” Bisping contended. “We’ll discuss who I’ll fight next.”

UFC middleweight Michael Bisping spoke to the media on Wednesday to promote his upcoming headlining fight opposite Thales Leites at UFC Fight Night 72, which takes place on July 18 and marks the promotion’s debut event in Scotland (Glasgow is the host city). Still, the long-time UFC veteran couldn’t help himself when asked about the misfortune of fellow UFC middleweight and former opponent Vitor Belfort, who lost to UFC middlweight champion Chris Weidman via first-round TKO at UFC 187.

The 36-year-old Bisping told the media he’s looking for fights that get him on track to a title shot, something he says a rematch with Belfort wouldn’t provide. “Well, of course I would like to avenge any loss on my record, but I’m not sure avenge is the correct word. I mean, he was on TRT, so he was at an unfair advantage,” he said.

Bisping fought Belfort in January 2013 and lost via second-round TKO. During this time, Belfort was legally using testosterone replacement therapy, the now-banned practice of having testosterone administered by a medical professional to treat a diagnosed condition in those whose bodies do not produce enough for normal human functioning. TRT was essentially outlawed in February of 2014.

“Yes, I would like a rematch, but also I’m focused on the title. I don’t really want match-ups that aren’t going to do anything for me. Of course, Vitor, I owe him a kick in the head or a punch in the face. It’s as simple as that, whichever way round we get it done it’s fine by me. But like I said, I’m focused on the title.

“A fight with Vitor isn’t something right now that’s going to help achieve that, but certainly, as I just said, I would love to punch that guy in the face.”

The British fighter also commented on Belfort’s appearance at UFC 187 as well as the perceived justice that was handed out by Weidman. The entire experience, Bisping said, had its plusses and minuses.

“It was a bittersweet experience because I looked at him,” he continued, “he looks like he half the man he used to be, quite literally. His legs are like two little chicken legs dangling out of a female’s body. He looks like, to be honest, my 14-year-old son could’ve beaten him up.

“Chris Weidman made him look like the coward that he is,” Bisping noted. “So, yes, I enjoyed seeing it, but it was also bittersweet, because I would’ve loved the chance to get to have done that.”

This is episode 140 of the Promotional Malpractice Live Chat.

UFC 187 is in the books and what an event it was. A new champion in Daniel Cormier was crowned, another champion inChris Weidman defended his title, top contender Donald Cerrone seems to have earned himself a title shot, former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski proved the impossible is real and on and on and on and on. It was one of the better UFC events in some time, so we’ll explore every angle of what happened and what it means.

But the UFC train rolls on as Carlos Condit returns to competitive action, this time against Thiago Alves. The card has quite a bit of filler, but important bouts on it, too, like Jussier Formiga vs. Wilson Reis, among others.

The Reebok…

UFC 187 had a ton of positives to offer. The card was stacked top to bottom, the main card delivered in every way, a new champion was crowned and so much more. Then again, there were some things to dislike, not least of which were curious production elements.

It’s time to separate the good from the bad, the winners from the losers and the signal from the noise from Saturday’s UFC 187.

1. All We Can Ask Award: UFC 187

We are living in an age of too much product combined with too many fighter injuries. Cards are routinely watered down to begin with or become that way with devastating injuries happening at an alarming rate. With its ample resources, all we can ask is UFC put together a card that stands a reasonable chance of providing value in the event something(s) go wrong.

With UFC 187, they did exactly that. The card lost the pound-for-pound best fighter in the sport and carried on. It lost its number-one contender fight in its most stacked weight division and carried on. In the end, it produced wild action, elite skill and meaningful results. It showcased a version of the UFC product no other promoter on their best day can touch or hope to duplicate.

As a reader pointed out, when Jon Jones refused to fight Chael Sonnen at UFC 151, the entire event crumbled. When Jones was removed from this card (albeit more than a week out), the event not only went forward, but was an unequivocal success. In MMA, big fights are important, but the sport is organized with events serving as historical benchmarks. That doesn’t happen just when the action is good, but when the fighting stars shine bright, the stakes are high and the product delivers. UFC 187 was MMA at its near best and UFC on top of their game.

2. Best Feel Good Moment: Andrei Arlovski’s Win Over Travis Browne

When Sergei Kharitonov stopped Andrei Arlovski in a Strikeforce bout in 2011, the former UFC heavyweight champion walked past me with coach Greg Jackson about 10 feet behind him, to the dressing room. Arlovski had more than a look of disbelief on his face. It wasn’t even desperation. It was a face that signaled even desperation and fervent self-belief wasn’t going to save him from the unimaginable hole he’d dug himself. It wasn’t acceptance of a fate, but the horror that comes just before it. Seeing that as he walked past me to the dressing room had a profound effect on me.

That’s why I’m not just surprised by the turnaround, but frankly, happy for the guy. I’ve also been dead wrong about him, too. After watching him lose that bout in New Jersey, I was convinced there was no coming back. Whatever magic he had, I thought, was gone for good. There are comeback stories in MMA, but they usually involve a boomerang that hasn’t gone too far out. Arlovski, so it seemed at the time, was beyond redemption.

Call it a will that couldn’t be broken. Call it luck. Call it just plain old getting better. Whatever you call it, it’s real and it’s here. Arlovski has silenced every critic, answered many (albeit not all) questions and managed to work himself into a UFC title shot picture. We see reformation projects in MMA all the time, but not for those fighters getting badly and consistently knocked out in their thirties. That just doesn’t happen…until now. Arlovski hasn’t just done himself proud, he’s literally redefined what’s possible.

3. Best Photo: Anthony Johnson’s Crippling Power

This photo is incredible. Cormier bellying out and off of his feet is what catches your eye at first. Then you pan to the left of the photo and see only Johnson’s balled up fist outstretched, but also a noticeable distance away. It’s the best real-world example of ‘Rumble’s’ nightmarish power. Check out all of Esther Lin’s UFC 187 photos.

4. Worst Reaction: ‘Daniel Cormier Isn’t the Real Champion’

I have a hard time understanding why there’s so much controversy. If Jon Jones had a timetable for a UFC return, that would justifiably complicate matters. As of now, however, he doesn’t and with each passing day, the ease to accept Cormier’s status as the division’s ruler becomes more automatic. After all, no one defeated Dominick Cruz either. There is interest in eventually booking a fight between bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw and Cruz, but few view Dillashaw as some underserving squatter. I expect Jones to return to MMA, but what if it comes after more than one or two years of jail time? That isn’t merely time away, but life events derailing focus, skill investment and potential ability, too.

Is Jones the best fighter in the world and, as of now, the best light heavyweight on earth? Sure. Cormier’s title does nothing to change that. Yet, Jones’ status – really, everyone’s status – is always shifting. It is not true he gets to hold that designation from now until eternity. More importantly, it isn’t merely wins or losses in competition that affect it. Time away, and how that time away is spent, also have an impact on both perception of status as well as one’s ability to actually keep it.

So, for now, it’s a bit messy. Let’s see what happens with Jones. Still, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss Cormier’s position. MMA is a sport that changes in the blink of an eye. When Cormier lost to Jones in January, who predicted this eventual outcome? With the passage of time, new realities are set upon us and what seems strange at first become our unimpeachable truths soon thereafter.

5. Fight Most in Need of Booking: Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold

If there is a justification for putting Ronaldo Souza ahead in the title shot queue before Luke Rockhold, I’d really like to see UFC brass make it public. I’m willing to hear them out. Perhaps it’s a matter of them liking Weidman’s chances, nurturing the Brazilian market and holding true to a proposed Weidman vs. Rockhold showdown later this year at Madison Square Garden. Maybe it’s something else altogether.

Whatever it is, we need to hear it because without the logic being made explicit, there is no obvious reason to not book Weidman vs. Rockhold next. The fight is easy to sell, the match-up promises elite action and Rockhold’s the consensus top contender. There already appears to be huge fan enthusiasm bubbling up to the surface. This is so hand-in-glove that it requires zero matchmaking gymnastics to justify its appeal or purpose. That fight has everything one could want, including a result where no matter who wins, there are more matchmaking permutations to build off of that make the UFC’s job easy.

I’m willing to listen if there’s a bigger plan in place we aren’t aware of, but if the choice is simply about which fighter brings more to the table opposite Weidman at this space and time, the debate is already over.

6. The World Is Yours Award: Islam Makhachev

There’s no telling how far the latest Dagestani import will go in the sport or the UFC, but one thing is clear: their takeover seems inevitable. They don’t merely win, but do so with ease. They come perfectly equipped with portions of the game that take an eternity for most other athletes to master. They’re rough around the edges in some aspects, but one never gets the sense it’s something that can’t be addressed. Beyond skills, they have the temperament and life outlook that make fighting for a living a much more manageable task for the rest of it. So, is Makhachev going to wear UFC gold? I don’t know. Here’s what I do know, though. It’s the Dagestanis’ world. We’re just living in it.

7. Please Stop Nomination: Use of ‘Face the Pain’

It is incomprehensible that a company so bold, forward-thinking, edgy and envelope pushing in myriad facets of its self-organization, corporate ethos, product and consumer relations can be so anachronistic. What possible justification could there be to use this nu-metal song before pay-per-view events? Would the fights be worse without it? Would the crowd not be as enthusiastic? Would the fan experience in any realistic, measurable way be lessened? Please be serious.

It’s not as if it’s missed when it’s gone. The UFC’s television partner doesn’t use it, at least not for the millions of viewers at home. On UFC shows airing on Fox Sports 1 and big FOX, the producers there prefer custom opens that balance narration with high-intensity soundtracks (or familiar Fox Sports jingles). Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, but mostly it doesn’t matter. If the broadcast has a good tempo, modern graphics, talented analysts or commentators and quality fights (UFC has all of this), viewers at home don’t really care. Some, like me, outright prefer it.

How ‘Face the Pain’ has managed to be grandfathered into modern broadcasts is something beyond my ability to understand. It’s really bad art from a bygone era that never produced much good art to begin with. It isn’t necessary for the viewing experience. It isn’t in keeping with the sort of modernity the UFC rightfully enjoys on many other fronts. It’s remarkably terrible, really, and at some point, I can only hope its use in pay-per-view broadcasts stops for good.

UFC 187 results are in and what a phenomenal event it was. We break down all the technical action from the main event between Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson as well as Chris Weidman’s destruction of Vitor Belfort. It’s labeled as a brawl, but Andrei Arlovski had some interesting tricks for Travis Browne we go into as well, plus the rest of the fight card including Joseph Benavidez vs. John Moraga, the UFC debut of Islam Makhachev, John Dodson vs. Zach Makovsky and so much more.

News, video and notes from around the world in combat sports:

• James DeGale defeated Andre Dirrell and here’s how he did it:
• Taishan Dong did what he does, I suppose:
• GLORY 21 is now available for viewing for free:
• Lion Fight 22 results including…