UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson didn’t just pick up another win with his fifth-round submission over Kyoji Horiguchi on Saturday night, he also earned an additional $50,000 with a Performance of the Night bonus at UFC 186. The awar…
UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson didn’t just pick up another win with his fifth-round submission over Kyoji Horiguchi on Saturday night, he also earned an additional $50,000 with a Performance of the Night bonus at UFC 186. The awards were announced by UFC President Dana White at the event’s post-fight press conference.
Johnson won all four rounds on the judges’ scorecards before the fifth-round submission, but Horiguchi made him work for it. ‘Mighty Mouse’ wasn’t able to get much going striking in close or on the outside and was forced to rely on relentless pressure and takedowns to have any effect. Through the first four rounds, the takedowns admittedly came easier and easier to the champion, but many were either stuffed or the Japanese contender was able to get back to his feet.
By the fifth round, though, Johnson secured a double leg takedown towards the end of the frame. He easily passed to side control and was able to lock up a mounted crucifix. Horiguchi struggled mightily to get free, so rather than trying to hold him down, Johnson isolated the nearside arm, which he used to spin into an armbar. The end came officially at 4:59 of round five, the latest stoppage in UFC history.
Also earning $50,000 a Performance of the Night bonus was Brazilian bantamweight Thomas Almeida for his first-round stoppage of Yves Jabouin. The two strikers slugged it out early, with the Canadian scoring a strong double leg takedown early in the first round. However, the combinations and hand speed of Almeida were simply too much for Jabouin, who succumbed to a blitzing by Almeida that all began with a stinging right hand that sent Jabouin reeling. The end came officially at 4:18 of round 1.
Earning Fight of the Night honors – and $50,000 each – were Chad Laprise and Bryan Barberena for their preliminary card back-and-forth contest. Laprise looked sensational early, easily catching Barberena with all manner of striking combinations from either side or level. But by the second round, and especially into the third, Barberena’s perseverance and distance closing took away many of Laprise’s early weapons and advantages. By the third round, Barberena had taken Laprise’s early momentum and was bullying him with forward pressure and inside fighting. In the end, the judges awarded the bout to Laprise via unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27.
UFC 186 took place at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The main card aired on pay-per-view.
This is the UFC 186 live blog for Demetrious Johnson vs. Kyoji Horiguchi, a flyweight bout at Saturday night’s UFC event at the Bell Centre in Montreal.Johnson, who has won seven straight fights, will face Horiguchi, who has won nine straigh…
This is the UFC 186 live blog for Rampage Jackson vs. Fabio Maldonado, a catchweight bout at Saturday night’s UFC event at the Bell Centre in Montreal.Jackson, who has won two of his past five fights, will face Maldonado, who has won three o…
This is the UFC 186 live blog for Rampage Jackson vs. Fabio Maldonado, a catchweight bout at Saturday night’s UFC event at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Jackson, who has won two of his past five fights, will face Maldonado, who has won three of his past five fights, on the main card.
Round 1: Marc Goddard is your referee. Rampage is stalking Maldonado. Hard outside leg kick and a right to the body by Rampage just before the two clinch. Jackson fires a right and they separate. Decent uppercut and leg kick by Rampage, but he eats a jab. Maldonado is lightly jabbing to the body, but it’s not doing much. Rampage is crusihng Maldonado with an array of strikes, from hooks to knees up the middle and more. The two go back to clinching, this time with the Brazilian pressing Jackson into the fence. They separate and Rampage double jabs. Two good jabs to the body by Maldonado plus a left hook.
MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Rampage
Round 2: Jackson lands an uppercut, but says he’s eye poked. The fight is not halted, so they clinch instead. Rampage secures the Thai clinch, but can’t land much effectively. Maldonado is pressing him against the fence again, but Rampage throws a punch and backs away. Hard body shot by Rampage, but Maldonado taunts him to do more. Maldonado digs two more to the body, but Rampage responds with one of his own. Outside leg kick now by the Brazilian, but he eats to front hand uppercuts in the process. Plus a one-two. Maldonado hits an inside trip just before the end of the round.
MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Rampage
Round 3: Maldonado leads things off with a body shot and a checked leg kick. Thudding right to the body from Rampage. Jackson jabs twice, but checks a leg kick. He fires two hard uppercuts that land, but Maldonado is still sort of there at all times. Series of hooks from Rampage finds the mark. Maldonado loses his mouthpiece, but immediately puts it back in. Another hard body shot from Rampage, although the Brazilian manages a left of his own. The two exchange a series of punches before the final bell.
MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Rampage and the fight 30-27 Rampage
Rampage Jackson def. Fabio Maldonado via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
This is the UFC 186 live blog for Michael Bisping vs. C.B. Dollaway, a middleweight bout at Saturday night’s UFC event at the Bell Centre in Montreal.Bisping, who has won two of his past five fights, will face Dollaway, who has won three of …
This is the UFC 186 live blog for Michael Bisping vs. C.B. Dollaway, a middleweight bout at Saturday night’s UFC event at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Bisping, who has won two of his past five fights, will face Dollaway, who has won three of his past five fights, on the main card.
Check out the UFC 186 live blog below.
Round 1: Jerin Valel is the referee in charge of the action. Both fighters are orthodox. THe fight is briefly halted due to an inadvertent groin strike, but quickly resumes. Dollaway is stalking, but largely covering up to Bisping’s double jabs and movement. Dollaway shoots a double, but Bisping easily stuffs it with two underhooks. Now Bisping’s stalking, landing two punch combos. Good right hand barely touches Bisping from Dollaway, but certainly gets his attention. Hard outside leg kick now for the Brit, but Dollaway returns the favor. Dollaway ducks a punch and eats a left for his efforts, but a winging left hook from him drops him. Bisping is able to stand and the two slug it out, but Dollaway did the better work.
MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Dollaway
Round 2: Dollaway whips the left hook again to drill Bisping, but hits air as Bisping is aggressive from the opening bell with pressure. Bisping scores with a right and Dollaway tries again with the left, but hits nothing. Absolutely superb takedown defense from Bisping in the center of the cage. Decent body kick now for the Brit, but nothing that changes the complexion of the round. As I write that he hurts Dollaway with a right hand and the American partially retreats, but a left hook from Dollaway keeps Bisping honest. Dollaway fails on a double, but transitions to a single and gets it just before the bell.
MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Bisping Round 3: Left hook from Dollaway to start the round. Bisping circles out and drills him with a right hand. Dollaway times a punch into a level change and puts Bisping on his rear. Bisping gets two on one control against the cage and stands to his feet. Crunching left hook from Dollaway lands, but Bisping responds with a two-punch shot. And another hard right hand. Bisping catches a kick and lands another one-two, but only at the edge of his punch. Bisping stuffs a takedown, but gets hit on the way out. Two inside leg kicks lands now for the Brit, plus a jab, but he’s still get stalked. Bisping manages to stuff a takedown and circles out so hard it puts Dollaway on his back. Bisping is all over him. Dollaway granby rolls and stands, only to eat a crushing right hand.
MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Bisping and the fight 29-28 Bisping
Michael Bisping def. C.B. Dollaway via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
The biggest stakes involved here aren’t those in the Octagon, but outside of it. The UFC is determined to take their product global even though a compelling argument can be made one brand can’t consistently deliver product at that kind of sc…
The biggest stakes involved here aren’t those in the Octagon, but outside of it. The UFC is determined to take their product global even though a compelling argument can be made one brand can’t consistently deliver product at that kind of scale. The talent, globally speaking, simply isn’t there. That means UFC shows aren’t just inconsistent, but, at times, wildly so across all tiers. Fight Pass events can be incredible while pay-per-views turn out uninspired.
The point is this: as the UFC takes their product to all the far reaches of the planet, the Canadian market has suffered. Perhaps some of that is coincidental, e.g., injuries affecting what otherwise would have been good cards. But much of it is because there simply aren’t the resources available. That’s true not just because of injury, but by the sweeping vision the UFC holds for itself in its ambitions.
There are benefits to going global in the way the UFC is attempting. They can help expedite the sport’s growth in key markets, diversify revenue streams and showcase their brand in a way few sporting organizations can.
But there are costs, too. Among many others, it’s that you can’t service all markets at all times, even at the relative levels each needs. The once roaring Canadian market isn’t so much in decline as it is unattended. Georges St-Pierre’s absence doesn’t help matters much, but neither do a string of shows that, for reasons accidental and self-imposed, fail to deliver upon fan expectations or market realities.
This isn’t a SOS message, but one wonders how much longer it will be before a concerted effort to bring a top tier show to Canada takes place. Only UFC knows the answer to that question, but consumer loyalty for any brand in any market has limits. Canadians are thirsting for a grand UFC show. How willing to drink it in will they be by the time it arrives? Even if the answer is a lot (and it may well be), will there be another protracted period before another show like it arrives? There is uncertainty up north.
At stake: not much, insofar as UFC title fights are concerned. I’m not going to diminish the title fight by saying there’s not much at stake. There obviously is, however, relative to other UFC title fights, it’s not a lot. I’m sure Johnson doesn’t feel that way. He’s trying to carve out a legacy, and a win here helps in doing that. That’s important and should count, but it’s not particularly unique as far as champions looking to defend their belts.
As for Horiguchi, the odds are stacked fairly heavily against him. That aside, there’s quite a bit for him here. A loss probably won’t be too damaging (although one never knows for sure), but a win would be massive. For a Japanese fighter to hold a UFC title in this era is a massive statement, both for the fighter and what it could potentially do for mixed martial arts in that country. This outcome would also be a major shake up of the division and to Johnson’s ultimate legacy.
Getting back to Johnson, though, it just feels like the nature of the fight – a rushed contender because the champion needs opponents to fight – makes it hard to say things are weighty in ways beyond what any title fight in the UFC already offers. That’s not fair to Johnson, but it’s the situation we find ourselves in, nonetheless.
At stake: a lot more than you think. Let’s game this one out a bit. If Maldonado loses, as most expect him to, does he really lose that much in the process? Aside from whatever he trades in health and future quality of life, he’s not expected to win this and intentionally competes in such a way that trades strategy for showmanship.
But, what about Rampage? This is where it gets much more interesting. For starters, this would be something of a devastating loss for Rampage, personally. It’s not that there haven’t been understandable if entirely noticeable signs of decline as he ages. There have, of course. This, however, would represent something of a high water mark in that regard. In addition, what would this say about Bellatoir’s light heavyweights? The truth is maybe Rampage didn’t train hard for this bout or the legal uncertainty made the training camp bad. Or maybe it just shows how feeble Bellator’s light heavyweight division is. Any of those conclusions would be possible.
Worse, if Rampage loses, would Bellator even want him back? It’s one thing to lose to wrestlers. It’s quite another to surrender a bout to someone who is willing to accommodate your fighting style. And if Bellator doesn’t want him back, does that mean the damages they’re seeking against him increase tenfold? After all, his participation at UFC 186, if he loses, potentially ruins him as a promotional entity for Bellator.
This bout is seen as something of a set up slug fest and maybe it is. It’s also a whole lot more than that.
At stake: relevancy. Losing this bout does not immediately render the loser ‘irrelevant’ in some grand sense, but it is damaging. These are two fighters who’ve hit some respectable highs, but plenty of crushing lows as well. Neither is exactly young anymore either. Forget title shots. This is about staying visible. That means main card fights or headlining roles. That means facing opposition who fans know or otherwise care about. That means being a part of the larger conversation about what matters in today’s UFC.
At stake: a chance to stunt. Look, every fight in the UFC is important. Every fight in a professional’s career is important. Wins and losses carry all sorts of challenges or opportunities. They matter in terms of how you’re remembered. If we take that as a given, there’s not much else to this fight. The bout pits two strikers, both of whom are Canadian, against one another. This is a moment for the victor to look good in front of their home country against a fighter who competes, relatively speaking, like they do. That’s a style that also happens to be the fan friendliest.
At stake: Almeida’s future. Jabouin is a successful MMA fighter, but we know his upper bound limits. This is about figuring out where Almeida’s are. He’s looked good so far, but seems a bit too hittable, too. Against a credentialed, experienced striker, can he demonstrate continued development? Does he have what it takes to mature into a real contender? This bout will, in a small way, help answer those questions.
It’s a card devastated by injuries and bizarre matchmaking plus the weird inclusion of Rampage Jackson, but UFC 186 rolls on on Saturday. The main event features a flyweight title clash while the rest of the card features UFC veterans in various different capacities.
Will Johnson retain his flyweight title or is Horiguchi set to make history? I answer these questions and more with my predictions for Saturday’s fights.
When: Saturday, the three-fight Fight Pass card starts at 6:30 p.m. ET, the four-fight Fox Sports 1 main card starts at 8 p.m. and the five-fight pay-per-view card kicks off 10 p.m.
I have an enormous amount of respect and hope for Horiguchi’s future, but Johnson’s ability coupled with the division’s thinness is simply too much to overlook. My guess is that Horiguchi will have more success at range, which means Johnson is going to try to take that away from him with constant pressure and ultimately a takedown coupled with top pressure. I don’t know if the fight will end there, but I do believe any ground work will make Horiguchi that much more readied to be finished. It’s a shame. A year or two from now, Horiguchi might truly be ready to challenge Johnson’s dominance. And hey, MMA is nuts. He can KO the champ or anyone else. He’s that good. But he’s dealing wthi Johnson, who has the potential to be an all-time great. That’s just too much to ask of him right now.
I’m going to side with Jackson here, but let’s be clear: this is a totally winnable fight for Maldonado .Yes, his style is accommodating of Jackson’s, but so what? Maldonado’s ability to take a shot is just comically high. If he doesn’t get cut, he’s going to be in Rampage’s face for three rounds. Jackson can thump, yes, but not like he used to. I’m not suggesting a stoppage by Jackson is some remote possibility, but I’m also a little reluctant to put it on the front burner. I think in the end, Maldonado’s body punches won’t be enough opposite Jackson’s winging hooks, but I’m not going to make this fight a matter of routine for Jackson’s either.
Tim Kennedy showed there are some real liabilities for Bisping when it comes to not merely takedown defense, but scrambling from the bottom. I’d argue, though, that Dollaway’s ability to hold down opposition isn’t nearly on the same level. Bisping should be able to stop the takedown. And even if he has trouble with that phase of the game, I suspect Bisping will win in terms of the scramble.
It likely won’t be a ground battle, will it? I’m going to side with Makdessi here. I expect him to be able to keep the fight at range and be a touch more unorthodox with both attacks and movement. Campbell has fantastic muay Thai, but Makdessi has seen enough looks of that in MMA to know how to manage range and proactive offense.
Almeida is still a little wet behind the ears. He gets hit a bit more than I’m comfortable with, but the ferocity of his offense is just too hard to overlook. It’s not that Jabouin lacks the striking diversity or experience, but he’s a) been in far more fire fights and b) doesn’t have the same pop on his strikes as Almeida. I expect the Brazilian to essentially overwhelm the Canadian, breaking him down by the second or third round. Almeida’s counters are almost beyond compare relative to Jabouin’s. I’m looking to the Canadian to get lit up after throwing his own offensive set.
It’s a card devastated by injuries and bizarre matchmaking plus the weird inclusion of Rampage Jackson, but UFC 186 rolls on on Saturday. The main event features a flyweight title clash while the rest of the card features UFC veterans in various different capacities.
Will Johnson retain his flyweight title or is Horiguchi set to make history? I answer these questions and more with my predictions for Saturday’s fights.
When: Saturday, the three-fight Fight Pass card starts at 6:30 p.m. ET, the four-fight Fox Sports 1 main card starts at 8 p.m. and the five-fight pay-per-view card kicks off 10 p.m.
I have an enormous amount of respect and hope for Horiguchi’s future, but Johnson’s ability coupled with the division’s thinness is simply too much to overlook. My guess is that Horiguchi will have more success at range, which means Johnson is going to try to take that away from him with constant pressure and ultimately a takedown coupled with top pressure. I don’t know if the fight will end there, but I do believe any ground work will make Horiguchi that much more readied to be finished. It’s a shame. A year or two from now, Horiguchi might truly be ready to challenge Johnson’s dominance. And hey, MMA is nuts. He can KO the champ or anyone else. He’s that good. But he’s dealing wthi Johnson, who has the potential to be an all-time great. That’s just too much to ask of him right now.
I’m going to side with Jackson here, but let’s be clear: this is a totally winnable fight for Maldonado .Yes, his style is accommodating of Jackson’s, but so what? Maldonado’s ability to take a shot is just comically high. If he doesn’t get cut, he’s going to be in Rampage’s face for three rounds. Jackson can thump, yes, but not like he used to. I’m not suggesting a stoppage by Jackson is some remote possibility, but I’m also a little reluctant to put it on the front burner. I think in the end, Maldonado’s body punches won’t be enough opposite Jackson’s winging hooks, but I’m not going to make this fight a matter of routine for Jackson’s either.
Tim Kennedy showed there are some real liabilities for Bisping when it comes to not merely takedown defense, but scrambling from the bottom. I’d argue, though, that Dollaway’s ability to hold down opposition isn’t nearly on the same level. Bisping should be able to stop the takedown. And even if he has trouble with that phase of the game, I suspect Bisping will win in terms of the scramble.
It likely won’t be a ground battle, will it? I’m going to side with Makdessi here. I expect him to be able to keep the fight at range and be a touch more unorthodox with both attacks and movement. Campbell has fantastic muay Thai, but Makdessi has seen enough looks of that in MMA to know how to manage range and proactive offense.
Almeida is still a little wet behind the ears. He gets hit a bit more than I’m comfortable with, but the ferocity of his offense is just too hard to overlook. It’s not that Jabouin lacks the striking diversity or experience, but he’s a) been in far more fire fights and b) doesn’t have the same pop on his strikes as Almeida. I expect the Brazilian to essentially overwhelm the Canadian, breaking him down by the second or third round. Almeida’s counters are almost beyond compare relative to Jabouin’s. I’m looking to the Canadian to get lit up after throwing his own offensive set.
