Tiffany van Soest goes after her second title on Friday night (Jan. 29, 2016) when she takes on Ashley Nichols at Lion Fight 27 for the super bantamweight title. “Time Bomb” spoke to MMAmania.com about her upcoming fight and signing on with the EPOK Agency to advance her career outside of the ring.
If you follow the muay thai promotion Lion Fight, then chances are you know who Tiffany van Soest is. If you don’t, then you’ve been missing the rise of one of the most talented female fighters in all of combat sports, who isn’t quite satisfied with her current presence inside the realm of the fight game.
“No, there is a still a lot more that can be done and a lot more people who can and will know who I am,” van Soest told MMAmania.com. “It’s only a matter of time.”
Van Soest, 26, has taken a major step recently to broaden her exposure outside of of the ring and also to bring in additional revenue streams by signing with Ajay Chander and the EPOK Agency. “Time Bomb” credits UFC welterweight Alan Jouban for the initial push to sign on with EPOK.
“Alan and I have trained together in the past at Blackhouse, when I was living up there in LA. And just in passing he would make mention of his manager. He mentioned one time, ‘my agency would probably be a really good fit for you.’ I thought, ‘oh yeah, that would be cool.’ I knew timing would be everything. So when it got to a point where I was like, ‘I can’t do all of this on my own anymore I need a management team.’ Then it started to come down to, okay there are so many fight managers out there, but I don’t want to known as just a fighter.
“I’ve put too much into this. I’m a brand. Who is going to market me? Who is going to help my career grow the most on both sides of the fence? Like, in the ring and on the outside. Where am I going to get the most opportunity, the most bang for my buck essentially? After being friends with Alan and knowing him and how his career his going it seemed like EPOK was a good fit. After contacting Ajay and speaking with him, we both have a lot of the same goals and are envisioning a lot of the same things. It was a good team up.”
Chander already has a photo shoot booked for van Soest to get the ball rolling on her career outside of the ring, but fighting is still the number one priority, she says. However, she is definitely looking forward to the challenge of being outside of her element.
“You know what I’m kind of shy when it comes to that kind of stuff because it’s obviously not what my natural ability is and it’s new,” she said. “But, that’s what makes it cool because it is different and new. Like anything else it’s going to take a lot of practice. It’s something I can look forward to doing and something I will be able to fall back on when I don’t want to fight any more. Fighting is always the number one priority.”
And she won’t be worried about getting her face marked up either.
“I know if my face gets messed up than I probably didn’t do a good enough job keeping my hands up. It might add some type of dark artistry or edge to it or something,” she joked.
The California native has been dominant and has only tasted defeat twice in 15 career fights. At Lion Fight 22 she defeated Bernice Aldis for the featherweight title, splitting her opponent’s face wide open with a vicious elbow during the bout to regain the title she lost to Caley Reece by a heart breaking split decision only a few months prior. She successfully defended it against Martyna Kroll in her last fight at Lion Fight 23, winning by unanimous decision.
On Friday night (Jan. 29, 2016) at Lion Fight 27 “Time Bomb” will be fighting Ashley Nichols for a chance at a second championship: the Lion Fight super bantamweight title.
Van Soest was complimentary of Nichols and expects her to be a formidable challenge on Friday night at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif.
“She has won some medals in Thailand,” said van Soest, who has worked with Carl Gebhardt from Team Nogueira out of Blackhouse Gym for this fight camp. “She has some MMA and pro boxing experience as well. We are expecting a well-rounded fighter. She comes from a traditional camp. Being the champ, of course, I expect to get everyone at their best. And I expect nothing less because of the work that I put in if someone is fighting me they should be putting in the work too. And Ashley seems like the type of opponent who is doing that. I feel with the drop in weight and her fighting experience and skills and mine it’s going to be a really, really good fight. We are both really fast. I just feel I’m going to be stronger and better.”
The fight against Nichols is at 120 pounds, which is five less than what she is used to fighting at, but states the weight cut is “not too much of a stretch or challenge” for her. “I usually walk around between 130-135 when I’m behaving myself,” she laughed.
In addition to working with Gebhardt for this camp, she’s also sparred with former UFC and current Invicta strawweight Angela Hill, who has faced Nichols in muay thai competition. “That has been helpful,” she stated.
An avid surfer when she is not competing, van Soest said she hasn’t gone into the ocean much since the water hasn’t been that warm.
“I’m a sissy and I hate wearing a wet suit, but the waves have been good the last few days and the sun has been out so it hasn’t been too terrible and miserable,” van Soest said. “I’m really tempted. I think I might just jump in the ocean because I need it for my sanity, my salt water therapy. Even if it’s just a polar bear dip to refresh myself.”
The Lion Fight featherweight champion revealed she is relocating to Bali in Indonesia after her fight on Friday night. She had spent three months there recently and fell in love with it on top of scoring a great opportunity that she couldn’t pass up: Training and teaching at Bali Muay Thai and MMA. A gym owned by New York brothers and MMA veterans Andrew and Anthony Leone.
“I’m able to train there, surf and I’ll be teaching classes there,” she said. “That’s all I do here in San Diego is surf, train and teach and I’ll have the opportunity to do it in a tropical paradise where it’s warm all the time, the waves are a world class. I can focus on all the same things, save a lot more money, and just be in a place where… I don’t know man, Southern California and San Diego are not bad at all, but Bali is Bali. They say don’t talk about heaven if you’ve never been to Bali. I’ll still be coming back to the states for training camps and stuff and work, but yeah, it will be a new adventure, something new, something different.”
So, she is fighting at 120 this week, which is only five pounds over the women’s strawweight division in MMA and relocating to a gym offering MMA. Not to mention, this fight against Nichols is her last fight on her current contract. She’s taken some heat for discussing her desire to compete in MMA before, but it is still a very strong possibility she could go that route.
Van Soest wasn’t going to go there though and said, “I really like surfing,” and laughed to halt the conversation from heading in that direction.
She is looking forward to facing Nichols on Friday and the new challenges that await her overseas in Bali, and mentioned her father as the one who gave her key advice to make the move.
“I always talk to my dad when it comes to making decisions and he said, ‘you can always come home.’ It was so simple. That is the same advice I would’ve given to someone else. You can always come home. Go for it so you don’t wonder ‘what if’ for the rest of your life. I’m really looking forward to the fight and to the next few months and years.”
Tiffany van Soest goes after her second title on Friday night (Jan. 29, 2016) when she takes on Ashley Nichols at Lion Fight 27 for the super bantamweight title. “Time Bomb” spoke to MMAmania.com about her upcoming fight and signing on with the EPOK Agency to advance her career outside of the ring.
If you follow the muay thai promotion Lion Fight, then chances are you know who Tiffany van Soest is. If you don’t, then you’ve been missing the rise of one of the most talented female fighters in all of combat sports, who isn’t quite satisfied with her current presence inside the realm of the fight game.
“No, there is a still a lot more that can be done and a lot more people who can and will know who I am,” van Soest told MMAmania.com. “It’s only a matter of time.”
Van Soest, 26, has taken a major step recently to broaden her exposure outside of of the ring and also to bring in additional revenue streams by signing with Ajay Chander and the EPOK Agency. “Time Bomb” credits UFC welterweight Alan Jouban for the initial push to sign on with EPOK.
“Alan and I have trained together in the past at Blackhouse, when I was living up there in LA. And just in passing he would make mention of his manager. He mentioned one time, ‘my agency would probably be a really good fit for you.’ I thought, ‘oh yeah, that would be cool.’ I knew timing would be everything. So when it got to a point where I was like, ‘I can’t do all of this on my own anymore I need a management team.’ Then it started to come down to, okay there are so many fight managers out there, but I don’t want to known as just a fighter.
“I’ve put too much into this. I’m a brand. Who is going to market me? Who is going to help my career grow the most on both sides of the fence? Like, in the ring and on the outside. Where am I going to get the most opportunity, the most bang for my buck essentially? After being friends with Alan and knowing him and how his career his going it seemed like EPOK was a good fit. After contacting Ajay and speaking with him, we both have a lot of the same goals and are envisioning a lot of the same things. It was a good team up.”
Chander already has a photo shoot booked for van Soest to get the ball rolling on her career outside of the ring, but fighting is still the number one priority, she says. However, she is definitely looking forward to the challenge of being outside of her element.
“You know what I’m kind of shy when it comes to that kind of stuff because it’s obviously not what my natural ability is and it’s new,” she said. “But, that’s what makes it cool because it is different and new. Like anything else it’s going to take a lot of practice. It’s something I can look forward to doing and something I will be able to fall back on when I don’t want to fight any more. Fighting is always the number one priority.”
And she won’t be worried about getting her face marked up either.
“I know if my face gets messed up than I probably didn’t do a good enough job keeping my hands up. It might add some type of dark artistry or edge to it or something,” she joked.
The California native has been dominant and has only tasted defeat twice in 15 career fights. At Lion Fight 22 she defeated Bernice Aldis for the featherweight title, splitting her opponent’s face wide open with a vicious elbow during the bout to regain the title she lost to Caley Reece by a heart breaking split decision only a few months prior. She successfully defended it against Martyna Kroll in her last fight at Lion Fight 23, winning by unanimous decision.
On Friday night (Jan. 29, 2016) at Lion Fight 27 “Time Bomb” will be fighting Ashley Nichols for a chance at a second championship: the Lion Fight super bantamweight title.
Van Soest was complimentary of Nichols and expects her to be a formidable challenge on Friday night at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif.
“She has won some medals in Thailand,” said van Soest, who has worked with Carl Gebhardt from Team Nogueira out of Blackhouse Gym for this fight camp. “She has some MMA and pro boxing experience as well. We are expecting a well-rounded fighter. She comes from a traditional camp. Being the champ, of course, I expect to get everyone at their best. And I expect nothing less because of the work that I put in if someone is fighting me they should be putting in the work too. And Ashley seems like the type of opponent who is doing that. I feel with the drop in weight and her fighting experience and skills and mine it’s going to be a really, really good fight. We are both really fast. I just feel I’m going to be stronger and better.”
The fight against Nichols is at 120 pounds, which is five less than what she is used to fighting at, but states the weight cut is “not too much of a stretch or challenge” for her. “I usually walk around between 130-135 when I’m behaving myself,” she laughed.
In addition to working with Gebhardt for this camp, she’s also sparred with former UFC and current Invicta strawweight Angela Hill, who has faced Nichols in muay thai competition. “That has been helpful,” she stated.
An avid surfer when she is not competing, van Soest said she hasn’t gone into the ocean much since the water hasn’t been that warm.
“I’m a sissy and I hate wearing a wet suit, but the waves have been good the last few days and the sun has been out so it hasn’t been too terrible and miserable,” van Soest said. “I’m really tempted. I think I might just jump in the ocean because I need it for my sanity, my salt water therapy. Even if it’s just a polar bear dip to refresh myself.”
The Lion Fight featherweight champion revealed she is relocating to Bali in Indonesia after her fight on Friday night. She had spent three months there recently and fell in love with it on top of scoring a great opportunity that she couldn’t pass up: Training and teaching at Bali Muay Thai and MMA. A gym owned by New York brothers and MMA veterans Andrew and Anthony Leone.
“I’m able to train there, surf and I’ll be teaching classes there,” she said. “That’s all I do here in San Diego is surf, train and teach and I’ll have the opportunity to do it in a tropical paradise where it’s warm all the time, the waves are a world class. I can focus on all the same things, save a lot more money, and just be in a place where… I don’t know man, Southern California and San Diego are not bad at all, but Bali is Bali. They say don’t talk about heaven if you’ve never been to Bali. I’ll still be coming back to the states for training camps and stuff and work, but yeah, it will be a new adventure, something new, something different.”
So, she is fighting at 120 this week, which is only five pounds over the women’s strawweight division in MMA and relocating to a gym offering MMA. Not to mention, this fight against Nichols is her last fight on her current contract. She’s taken some heat for discussing her desire to compete in MMA before, but it is still a very strong possibility she could go that route.
Van Soest wasn’t going to go there though and said, “I really like surfing,” and laughed to halt the conversation from heading in that direction.
She is looking forward to facing Nichols on Friday and the new challenges that await her overseas in Bali, and mentioned her father as the one who gave her key advice to make the move.
“I always talk to my dad when it comes to making decisions and he said, ‘you can always come home.’ It was so simple. That is the same advice I would’ve given to someone else. You can always come home. Go for it so you don’t wonder ‘what if’ for the rest of your life. I’m really looking forward to the fight and to the next few months and years.”
“The Warmaster” spoke with Michael Stets and RJ Clifford on SiriusXM Fight Club about his matchup with Ben Rothwell, fighting on a FOX card, and keeping busy with movie roles and commentating for New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Josh Barnett’s (34-7) career in mixed martial arts (MMA) has spanned the course of almost 20 years.
There isn’t much he hasn’t seen since his professional debut back in January of 1997. From his early days on the Washington regional scene, to fighting in Japan for PRIDE and now his second stint in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the heavyweight division — where he is currently ranked No. 7 — the former champion has witnessed the sport’s steady progression to mainstream.
On Jan. 30, 2016, Barnett, 38, will take on Ben Rothwell (35-9) in the co-main event at UFC on FOX 18 in Newark, NJ, his first fight on the main FOX channel.
“The Warmaster” was a guest on SiriusXM Fight Club this past Tuesday (Jan. 19) and told hosts RJ Clifford and Michael Stets he was highly in favor of fighting on these cards.
“It’s pretty amazing to think of MMA on FOX–Channel 13 where I grew up,” Barnett said. “To think that I could tune in and see MMA for free on a weekday or weekend, that’s pretty crazy. That’s nothing short of incredible to a guy that started back in the days of ‘no holds barred,’ and I like fighting on these FOX cards, personally. It’s great that everybody can tune in and watch it for free on such a big platform. It’s actually what I prefer.”
Like Barnett, Rothwell is a pro wrestling fan and has bee incorporating some shtick in his interviews, most noticeable after he defeated Matt Mitrione in his last bout.
Barnett, who has over 50 professional wrestling matches under his belt, knows a good promo when he hears one. He wasn’t heaping a large amount of praise, but he did appreciate Rothwell’s efforts.
“I think they’re a B+ at this moment, only because he can be taken out of character quite easily with a follow-up question,” said Barnett on Rothwell’s promo skills. “I dig it and I think he is having a good time with it. I support it. I support ‘Big Ben’ and the stuff that he’s doing out there. He’s always been a dangerous heavyweight and he has quite a decent record underneath him. He’s always been underrated. Even going into this fight — €”I’m going to tell you I’m going to win this bad boy, €”but I don’t think Ben is going to look anything less than a world-level heavyweight.”
Rothwell is on a three-fight win streak and while Barnett isn’t taking the No. 6-ranked UFC heavyweight lightly by any means and is respectful of his upcoming opponent, he’s confident he is the better fighter overall.
“I think my strengths lie in that I’m just a much more well-rounded fighter,” he said. “I’m quicker and I have a dangerous ground game. He’s got such heavy hands and a great chin, which is always a good recipe for a decent amount of success, especially as a heavyweight. But hey, so does Roy Nelson and I didn’t let him tee off on me either. I don’t think Ben is going to have a whole lot of success in being able to hit me, but a lot of that has to do with my preparation. I feel pretty good for this fight.”
Since returning to UFC in 2013, Barnett has gone 2-1. He did not fight in 2014, and fought only once in 2015, a win over Nelson this past September in Japan. The reason his fights have been few and far between is because his acting career has become quite busy, along with his gig as a commentator for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), which airs on Friday nights on AXS TV.
Barnett was paired with Mauro Ranallo, but the veteran combat sports announcer was recently hired by WWE to join the “Smackdown” commentary team. “Luckily enough,” Barnett said, they were able to bring in legendary pro wrestling announcer Jim Ross to replace Ranallo.
“I’m really sad to have Mauro gone,” said Barnett. “It’s an opportunity and it’s a changing of the dynamic that was there already. I don’t think about it as any less or any more, but it’s a new opportunity. I know that J.R. is an incredible professional at calling the action. It’s going to be something else to sit next to him. I feel like it’s surreal, watching him growing up for so many years and now being able to work alongside him, that’s pretty crazy.”
With his movie career bringing in more opportunities (Never Back Down 3 is his latest film) coupled with his duties for NJPW, Barnett is unsure if he will fight more or less in 2016. It seems the longtime veteran is just going to take it as it comes, starting with his January 30th date with Rothwell.
“I don’t know. It really depends on how everything rolls out,” he said.
“We are going to be chugging away on AXS TV with new New Japan Pro Wrestling episodes coming up. We have a whole year’s worth of stuff there, and then any potential movie stuff that I may be involved in. Not to mention, training pros like Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler, Colleen Schneider, and Victor Henry and working with all them. I have a full plate, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m trying to live most of my life and not just think about it. The UFC has a pretty heavy schedule, but there is a lot of things that go into making a fight for that company and how things turn out.”
“The Warmaster” spoke with Michael Stets and RJ Clifford on SiriusXM Fight Club about his matchup with Ben Rothwell, fighting on a FOX card, and keeping busy with movie roles and commentating for New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Josh Barnett’s (34-7) career in mixed martial arts (MMA) has spanned the course of almost 20 years.
There isn’t much he hasn’t seen since his professional debut back in January of 1997. From his early days on the Washington regional scene, to fighting in Japan for PRIDE and now his second stint in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the heavyweight division — where he is currently ranked No. 7 — the former champion has witnessed the sport’s steady progression to mainstream.
On Jan. 30, 2016, Barnett, 38, will take on Ben Rothwell (35-9) in the co-main event at UFC on FOX 18 in Newark, NJ, his first fight on the main FOX channel.
“The Warmaster” was a guest on SiriusXM Fight Club this past Tuesday (Jan. 19) and told hosts RJ Clifford and Michael Stets he was highly in favor of fighting on these cards.
“It’s pretty amazing to think of MMA on FOX–Channel 13 where I grew up,” Barnett said. “To think that I could tune in and see MMA for free on a weekday or weekend, that’s pretty crazy. That’s nothing short of incredible to a guy that started back in the days of ‘no holds barred,’ and I like fighting on these FOX cards, personally. It’s great that everybody can tune in and watch it for free on such a big platform. It’s actually what I prefer.”
Like Barnett, Rothwell is a pro wrestling fan and has bee incorporating some shtick in his interviews, most noticeable after he defeated Matt Mitrione in his last bout.
Barnett, who has over 50 professional wrestling matches under his belt, knows a good promo when he hears one. He wasn’t heaping a large amount of praise, but he did appreciate Rothwell’s efforts.
“I think they’re a B+ at this moment, only because he can be taken out of character quite easily with a follow-up question,” said Barnett on Rothwell’s promo skills. “I dig it and I think he is having a good time with it. I support it. I support ‘Big Ben’ and the stuff that he’s doing out there. He’s always been a dangerous heavyweight and he has quite a decent record underneath him. He’s always been underrated. Even going into this fight — €”I’m going to tell you I’m going to win this bad boy, €”but I don’t think Ben is going to look anything less than a world-level heavyweight.”
Rothwell is on a three-fight win streak and while Barnett isn’t taking the No. 6-ranked UFC heavyweight lightly by any means and is respectful of his upcoming opponent, he’s confident he is the better fighter overall.
“I think my strengths lie in that I’m just a much more well-rounded fighter,” he said. “I’m quicker and I have a dangerous ground game. He’s got such heavy hands and a great chin, which is always a good recipe for a decent amount of success, especially as a heavyweight. But hey, so does Roy Nelson and I didn’t let him tee off on me either. I don’t think Ben is going to have a whole lot of success in being able to hit me, but a lot of that has to do with my preparation. I feel pretty good for this fight.”
Since returning to UFC in 2013, Barnett has gone 2-1. He did not fight in 2014, and fought only once in 2015, a win over Nelson this past September in Japan. The reason his fights have been few and far between is because his acting career has become quite busy, along with his gig as a commentator for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), which airs on Friday nights on AXS TV.
Barnett was paired with Mauro Ranallo, but the veteran combat sports announcer was recently hired by WWE to join the “Smackdown” commentary team. “Luckily enough,” Barnett said, they were able to bring in legendary pro wrestling announcer Jim Ross to replace Ranallo.
“I’m really sad to have Mauro gone,” said Barnett. “It’s an opportunity and it’s a changing of the dynamic that was there already. I don’t think about it as any less or any more, but it’s a new opportunity. I know that J.R. is an incredible professional at calling the action. It’s going to be something else to sit next to him. I feel like it’s surreal, watching him growing up for so many years and now being able to work alongside him, that’s pretty crazy.”
With his movie career bringing in more opportunities (Never Back Down 3 is his latest film) coupled with his duties for NJPW, Barnett is unsure if he will fight more or less in 2016. It seems the longtime veteran is just going to take it as it comes, starting with his January 30th date with Rothwell.
“I don’t know. It really depends on how everything rolls out,” he said.
“We are going to be chugging away on AXS TV with new New Japan Pro Wrestling episodes coming up. We have a whole year’s worth of stuff there, and then any potential movie stuff that I may be involved in. Not to mention, training pros like Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler, Colleen Schneider, and Victor Henry and working with all them. I have a full plate, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m trying to live most of my life and not just think about it. The UFC has a pretty heavy schedule, but there is a lot of things that go into making a fight for that company and how things turn out.”
GLORY recently announced the co-main event and the four participants for the middleweight “Contender” tournament for GLORY 27, which takes place on Feb. 26, 2016 at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
The fight card will be head…
GLORY recently announced the co-main event and the four participants for the middleweight “Contender” tournament for GLORY 27, which takes place on Feb. 26, 2016 at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
The fight card will be headlined by a middleweight title bout between current GLORY middleweight champion Artem Levin (51-4-2) and No. 1-ranked contender Simon Marcus (42-2). The two fought to a draw at GLORY 21, which took place last May.
Marcus won their first meeting at Lion Fight 9 by unanimous decision back in 2013.
The promotion also announced the featherweight co-main event between Giga Chikadze (33-4) and Anvar “The Uzbek” Boynazarov (80-21-2). The fight is a rematch from GLORY 23, where Boynazarov won by decision.
In the semifinal matchups for the night’s four-man middleweight “Contender” tournament, Dustin Jacoby (7-6) takes on Mike Lemaire (17-2) and Wayne Barrett (5-4) will face Robert Thomas (8-3).
The card will once again be aired on ESPN3 at 10 p.m. ET.
To watch Dominick Cruz vs. T.J. Dillashaw full fight video highlights from last night click here.
“The Dominator” is back.
Dominick Cruz (21-1) regained the Bantamweight title, defeating T.J. Dillashaw (12-3) via split decision at UFC Fight…
Dominick Cruz (21-1) regained the Bantamweight title, defeating T.J. Dillashaw (12-3) via split decision at UFC Fight Night 81 last night inside TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
It was a vintage performance by Cruz, 30, who moved in and out, showcasing his accurate striking arsenal for 25 minutes and mixed in some key takedowns when needed. The split decision was a somewhat questionable one. Two judges had it 48-47 and 49-46 for Cruz, with the third scoring it 49-46 for Dillashaw.
“Honestly, nobody is retiring me but me, I’ve been through too much,” Cruz told Joe Rogan after the fight’s conclusion.
An momentous victory for Cruz, who was never defeated in the Octagon and had to relinquish the bantamweight title due to an extended layoff from various injuries that began over four years ago after a win over Demetrious Johnson back in 2011.
The first round unfolded as most expected. Both fighters used a ton of movement and moved and circled at a frenetic pace. Cruz was the more accurate striker of the two and landed more than Dillashaw over the course of the opening five minutes. He also scored a takedown after catching a kick.
In the second, Cruz continued to move in and out and land more than Dillashaw. The No.1-ranked UFC bantamweight landed a double-leg taken as Dillashaw came rushing in, and as Dillashaw got up he took him down a second time. However, Cruz could not capitalize and Dillashaw made it back to his feet.
Dillashaw came out aggressive in the third, but Cruz was unaffected. Dillashaw slowed down a bit and Cruz continued to find success by moving in and out with well-timed strikes and landing a key double-leg takedown as well. When Dillashaw did land he had little success. As the horn sounded, Cruz landed a big right hand.
The fourth round was Dillashaw’s best. He landed a huge leg kick that hurt Cruz and Cruz immediately went in on a takedown and got it. Dillahshaw popped back up soon after. Dillashaw landed his first takedown of the fight, but Cruz was able to scramble back up to his feet. Dillashaw began to bleed from above his left eye.
In the final frame, Dillashaw landed a head kick early, but could not follow it up or gain control. He was able to land another big kick to the left leg of Cruz, who was switching his stance to protect it. Dillashaw came on strong, but Cruz continued to do what he did the entire bout, and continued his fluid movement and accurate combinations.
Incredible win for Cruz, who hadn’t fought in over a year since defeating Takeya Mizugaki back in September of 2014. The win was only his second fight since defeating Johnson in October of 2011. Cruz is now 4-0 in the UFC.
A disappointing loss for Dillashaw, who is still one of the best bantamweights in the division and fought valiantly. Cruz was just too good for him tonight. He falls to 8-3 in the UFC and has his four-fight winning streak snapped.
For complete UFC Fight Night 81: “Dillashaw vs Cruz” results, including play-by-play updates, click here.
Eddie Alvarez (27-4) won the biggest fight of his UFC career at UFC Fight Night 81 earlier tonight (Sun., Jan. 17, 2016) inside TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
The former Bellator Lightweight champion defeated the former UFC 155-pound ch…
Eddie Alvarez (27-4) won the biggest fight of his UFC career at UFC Fight Night 81 earlier tonight (Sun., Jan. 17, 2016) inside TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
The former Bellator Lightweight champion defeated the former UFC 155-pound champion, Anthony Pettis (18-4) by split decision. Two judges scored it 29-28 for Alvarez, with the third judge giving a 29-28 to Pettis.
Alvarez used an excellent game plan and went with his wrestling against Pettis, landing six takedowns throughout the bout, which proved to be the difference.
In the opening round, Alvarez scored an early takedown on Pettis, but “Showtime” popped back up to his feet. Alvarez stayed on him along the fence and stayed committed to getting another takedown. Pettis landed some body punches, but could not circle away from the fence. With just under two minutes remaining, Pettis broke free, but Alvarez scored his second takedown of the round. The former UFC lightweight champion popped back up to his feet soon afterward.
In the second, Alvarez utilized a similar strategy as the first round and looked to score another takedown along the fence. Alvarez landed some good punches and Pettis landed several low kicks. The two lightweights began mix it up in the center of the Octagon and Pettis began to thwart the takedown attempts of Alvarez.
Like the first two rounds, Alvarez came right in on a takedown attempt at the beginning of the round. Pettis avoided it and began to open up on Alvarez with leg kicks and a few punches. The No.4-ranked UFC lightweight landed another takedown, but Pettis threatened with a leg lock. Alvarez escaped it and got in top position. From there, Pettis got back up only to continue to get dragged back down to the canvas.
A huge win for Alvarez, who improves to 2-1 in UFC competition. He should jump up in the rankings now and could be next in line for a title shot. Meanwhile, Pettis — who lost the lightweight title to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185 — has now lost two in a row, the first time that has ever happened in his career.
For complete UFC Fight Night 81: “Dillashaw vs Cruz” results, including play-by-play updates, click here.
It wasn’t overwhelming, but Francisco Trinaldo (19-4) did enough to get the victory.
“Massaranduba” defeated Ross Pearson 18-10 (1) by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 81 tonight (Sun., Jan. 17, 2016) inside TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
Two judges scored it 30-27 and the third had it scored 29-28.
Pearson and Trinaldo spent the opening minute of the first round circling each other. As the fight began to take shape, Pearson stalked the Brazilian, but didn’t land much. Trinaldo continued to circle and occasionally stop to engage. He picked up Pearson and slammed him to the canvas in the closing seconds of the round.
In the second, Pearson caught a kick and took Trinaldo down to the mat. The Brazilian ate one punch before making his way back to his feet. He started to get the upper hand on Pearson in the striking department and landed a few solid knees from the clinch and mixed in some punches. Pearson continued to come forward, but without much offensive success.
Trinaldo landed a big right hand at the start of the final round that hurt Pearson, but he could not capitalize on the English veteran, who began to bleed above his left eye. Pearson landed a high kick and then caught a Trinaldo kick and took the Brazilian back down to the canvas, but Trinaldo got right back up to his feet. He attempted a takedown toward the end of the round, but Pearson avoided it.
Trinaldo has now won five in a row and improves his UFC record to 9-3. Pearson’s inconsistency continues. “Real Deal” hasn’t won two consecutive fights since defeating Ryan Couture back in 2013.
For complete UFC Fight Night 81 “Dillashaw vs Cruz” results, including play-by-play updates, click here.
It wasn’t overwhelming, but Francisco Trinaldo (19-4) did enough to get the victory.
“Massaranduba” defeated Ross Pearson 18-10 (1) by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 81 tonight (Sun., Jan. 17, 2016) inside TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
Two judges scored it 30-27 and the third had it scored 29-28.
Pearson and Trinaldo spent the opening minute of the first round circling each other. As the fight began to take shape, Pearson stalked the Brazilian, but didn’t land much. Trinaldo continued to circle and occasionally stop to engage. He picked up Pearson and slammed him to the canvas in the closing seconds of the round.
In the second, Pearson caught a kick and took Trinaldo down to the mat. The Brazilian ate one punch before making his way back to his feet. He started to get the upper hand on Pearson in the striking department and landed a few solid knees from the clinch and mixed in some punches. Pearson continued to come forward, but without much offensive success.
Trinaldo landed a big right hand at the start of the final round that hurt Pearson, but he could not capitalize on the English veteran, who began to bleed above his left eye. Pearson landed a high kick and then caught a Trinaldo kick and took the Brazilian back down to the canvas, but Trinaldo got right back up to his feet. He attempted a takedown toward the end of the round, but Pearson avoided it.
Trinaldo has now won five in a row and improves his UFC record to 9-3. Pearson’s inconsistency continues. “Real Deal” hasn’t won two consecutive fights since defeating Ryan Couture back in 2013.
For complete UFC Fight Night 81 “Dillashaw vs Cruz” results, including play-by-play updates, click here.
