Author: Nathan McCarter

Dana White Predicts a Rousey-Cyborg PPV Would Reach 2 Million Buys

Dana White appeared on The Jim Rome Show on Wednesday afternoon, and one of the news bits that trickled out of the interview was a lofty prognostication for the much-talked-about hypothetical fight between Ronda Rousey and Cris “Cyborg” Jus…

Dana White appeared on The Jim Rome Show on Wednesday afternoon, and one of the news bits that trickled out of the interview was a lofty prognostication for the much-talked-about hypothetical fight between Ronda Rousey and Cris “Cyborg” Justino.

The UFC President did not just guess—he guaranteed the possible pay-per-view headliner would reach two million buys: “And I’ll tell you this, Jim, when that fight happens I guarantee you that fight does over 2 million pay-per-view buys. It will be massive.”

You read that correctly. Two million.

It is certainly a bold statement given the UFC’s pay-per-view history. UFC 100 remains their top-selling PPV events, reaching 1.6 million buys. The last time the organization topped the 1 million-buy benchmark was for UFC 168 featuring the Anderson Silva-Chris Weidman rematch. UFC 168 PPV was the first time they reached 1 million buys since 2010.

Rousey herself had yet to clear 500,000 buys as a headliner prior to her fight with Cat Zingano. UFC 184 looked to have exceeded that mark, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter‘s Dave Meltzer (h/t MMA Payout). White’s prediction would mean that the Cyborg matchup would see her PPV numbers quadruple. That would be unprecedented growth for a UFC star on PPV.

There is little doubt the Rousey-Cyborg fight has drawn a lot of interest on social media, but neither Rousey nor Cyborg has proved to be the kind of superstar who can reach that massive number. Cyborg has fought exclusively via Internet streams since 2013. The Invicta FC featherweight champion has yet to prove she can be a significant draw on the grandest stage of MMA.

Rousey vs. Cyborg would be the biggest women’s fight in combat sports history, but 2 million buys seems like an outrageous prediction. If the fight comes to fruition, White and the UFC will have their hands full to generate enough interest to reach that astonishing figure.

Cyborg will defend her featherweight title on July 10 at Invicta FC 13, and Rousey‘s next title defense is slated for UFC 190 on August 1 against Bethe Correia on PPV.

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Sans Jon Jones: UFC 187 Still a Stacked Card with 13 Top 10 Fighters in Action

Jon Jones was set to headline this fantastic event, but he is serving an indefinite suspension for his out-of-cage events. Fear not, fight fans. UFC 187 remains spectacular.
Jones did not make this fight card. Although his exclusion casts a shadow over…

Jon Jones was set to headline this fantastic event, but he is serving an indefinite suspension for his out-of-cage events. Fear not, fight fans. UFC 187 remains spectacular.

Jones did not make this fight card. Although his exclusion casts a shadow over the main event, the UFC built this to be a stacked card without him.

From top to bottom, UFC 187 delivers. The Fight Pass prelims are great, the Fox Sports 1 prelims are stacked and the main card may be the best main card slate you will see in 2015. This is a monster of an event. It was structured magnificently.

The Fight Pass prelims kick off with a stellar flyweight bout between Justin Scoggins and Josh Sampo. It follows with undefeated prospect Islam Makhachev’s company debut before moving onto its final contest between noted veteran Mike Pyle vs. Colby Covington.

The Fox Sports 1 prelims get underway with the first of the 13 top-10 ranked fighters. No. 4-ranked strawweight contender Rose Namajunas steps into the cage against Nina Ansaroff. This will be the first time Namajunas steps in the cage since failing to win The Ultimate Fighter Season 20 finale against Carla Esparza.

The entertaining prelims continue along with Uriah Hall vs. Rafael Natal and No. 8-ranked welterweight Dong Hyun Kim vs. Josh Burkman. The featured prelim of the night belongs to No. 9-ranked flyweight Zach Makovsky and No. 1-ranked John Dodson in what could be a title eliminator.

If you’re counting along, that’s four top-10 ranked fighters before the main card hits, meaning all but one of the main card combatants is a top-10 fighter.

The main card starts in the flyweight division. No. 5-ranked John Moraga will try to upend No. 2-ranked Joseph Benavidez. The fight holds a lot of weight in the division not just because of their high rankings, but because top-ranked contender Dodson is fighting just prior. How these two battles play out will go a long way in determining who challenges Demetrious Johnson.

The opposite end of the spectrum follows the flyweights as No. 8-ranked heavyweight Andrei Arlovski squares off against No. 3-ranked Travis Browne in another bout with substantial title implications.

The lone bout that does not feature two top-10 fighters is in the lightweight division. No. 2-ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov was forced off the card with an injury, and John Makdessi accepted the fight on short notice. No. 3-ranked Donald Cerrone will stand opposite the cage. Oddly enough, Nurmagomedov is on record as saying Cerrone deserves the next title shot if he wins this weekend.

All of that incredible action builds to the two title tilts.

No. 3-ranked middleweight Vitor Belfort challenges Chris Weidman for the middleweight crown, and No. 3-ranked light heavyweight Daniel Cormier meets No. 1-ranked Anthony Johnson for the vacant 205-pound title.

Jones does leave a hole on this card, but it is a small one given how deep this fight card is.

13 top-10 ranked fighters on a single fight card is astonishing. It is a credit to the UFC for stacking this card with elite talent. Moreover, putting them in bouts either for the gold or for opportunities to earn title shots only deepens the intrigue into their respective matchups. UFC 187 is the fight event of the year thus far. Saturday evening is a time to post up in front of the television, order the event and enjoy the high-level action from start to finish.

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Should Jon Jones Receive Immediate Title Shot Upon His Return?

UFC 187 is finally upon us—it’s fight week. The UFC Light Heavyweight Championship is up for grabs, but the man who became the most dominant champion in the division’s history is not defending it.
By now, most everyone has heard of Jon Jones’ tra…

UFC 187 is finally upon us—it’s fight week. The UFC Light Heavyweight Championship is up for grabs, but the man who became the most dominant champion in the division’s history is not defending it.

By now, most everyone has heard of Jon Jones‘ transgressions that have led to his indefinite suspension from the UFC. Jones’ issues are not settled. He has not been indicted over his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run, and there has been no court date set. These are the real issues he is facing, and they will not be resolved in short order. How that plays out in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is still to be determined.

For the UFC, those transgressions led to the organization stripping him of the gold he wore. UFC 187 will crown a new champion but perhaps not a true champion in light of how they will come to wear the title.

If and when Jones returns to action, should he get an immediate title shot? I lean toward yes, but if you delve deeper into the question, perhaps the answer is no.

Whether you agree with the suspension or not, what does it mean if Jones gets a title shot right away upon his return? He will have lost money from missing a fight or two and has defeated everyone in the top five not named Anthony Johnson, but an instant title shot rewards his return.

Taking a No. 1-contender bout would make Jones prove he is past his issues before stepping into the cage to compete for the title. The UFC should be concerned that he may fall back into the situations that led to his suspension. They may not want to take the chance of having him represent the brand as champion so soon following his suspension.

It is a realistic concern the company should have.

On the other side of the coin, it is the sporting thing to do. He never lost the belt.

No one has ever been as dominant at 205 pounds as Jon Jones. He ran through nearly everyone in his path and has only ever been in one competitive fight from start to finish. He is the reigning, defending champion in a lot of fans’ eyes. His in-cage track record should put him in the position to challenge for the belt as soon as he is ready to return to action.

There are still a lot of unknown factors surrounding Jones and his possible return. We still have no indication of when he plans to get back inside the cage. Should that play a factor? What if he is absent from the UFC for more than a year? Two years? Where is that line?

Daniel Cormier and Johnson make a good title fight with Jones on the shelf, and it is a disservice to both athletes that this black cloud will hang over the Octagon on Saturday. The winner may leave the cage as champion, but they should not be given the “undisputed” label.

Ultimately, when Jones’ suspension is lifted, the UFC needs to put him in a title fight.

It’ll be big business for the promotion. Redemption stories are interesting. Moreover, Jones has earned it on his previous merits. Jones is the lion of this division until proven otherwise inside the Octagon. If he returns, he should walk through the cage doors as the challenger in a five-round title fight with the opportunity to reclaim property he never lost.

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UFC Fight Night 66: Live Results, Play-by-Play and Fight Card Highlights

UFC Fight Night 66, or rather UFC Fight Morning, is upon us! The latest installment from the UFC comes to us from the Philippines, and it provides us with a marvelous main event.
No. 2-ranked featherweight contender Frankie Edgar welcomes No. 3-ranked …

UFC Fight Night 66, or rather UFC Fight Morning, is upon us! The latest installment from the UFC comes to us from the Philippines, and it provides us with a marvelous main event.

No. 2-ranked featherweight contender Frankie Edgar welcomes No. 3-ranked bantamweight Urijah Faber back to the featherweight division. The main event scrap has big implications for the 145-pound title picture with the Jose Aldo-Conor McGregor title tilt looming in July.

In the co-main event, No. 7-ranked Gegard Mousasi battles No. 12-ranked Costas Philippou.

B/R will have complete coverage of the event once it gets underway bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 7 a.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass. The event moves over to Fox Sports 1 for the duration of the event at 8 a.m. ET.

 

UFC Fight Night 66 Fight Card

  • Frankie Edgar vs. Urijah Faber
  • Gegard Mousasi vs. Costas Philippou
  • Mark Muñoz vs. Luke Barnatt
  • Hyun Gyu Lim vs. Neil Magny
  • Phillipe Nover vs. Yui Chul Nam
  • Mark Eddiva vs. Levan Makashvili
  • Tae Hyun Bang vs. Jon Tuck
  • Zhang Lipeng vs. Kajan Johnson
  • Li Jingliang vs. Dhiego Lima
  • Ning Guangyou vs. Royston Wee
  • Roldan Sangcha-An vs. Jon Delos Reyes
  • Nolan Ticman vs. Yao Zhikui

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Edgar vs. Faber: A Complete Guide to UFC Fight Night 66

UFC Fight Night 66 will get underway this Saturday morning with an amazing main event fight.
This marks the first event the UFC has put on in the Philippines. The card takes place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
No. 3-ranked bantamweight contender …

UFC Fight Night 66 will get underway this Saturday morning with an amazing main event fight.

This marks the first event the UFC has put on in the Philippines. The card takes place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

No. 3-ranked bantamweight contender Urijah Faber moves back up to 145 pounds to take on No. 2-ranked featherweight contender Frankie Edgar. Faber is a former WEC featherweight champion, and Edgar is a former UFC lightweight titleholder. Their fighting styles will make for a great five-round contest.

No. 7-ranked middleweight contender Gegard Mousasi meets No. 12-ranked Costas Philippou in the co-main event.

The action begins on UFC Fight Pass at 7 a.m. ET before moving to Fox Sports 1 at 8 a.m. ET for the prelims. The main card action starts on Fox Sports 1 at 10 a.m. ET.

There are 10 other bouts scheduled for action this weekend, and we will take a look at them all. This is your complete guide to UFC Fight Night 66.

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Joanna Jedrzejczyk Is the Most Swagalicious Champion in the UFC Right Now

UFC strawweight world champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk is exactly what the UFC needs. She is boisterous, talented and fun. Where the current landscape of champions, aside from Ronda Rousey, are businesslike, Jedrzejczyk is a refreshing break from this mold….

UFC strawweight world champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk is exactly what the UFC needs. She is boisterous, talented and fun. Where the current landscape of champions, aside from Ronda Rousey, are businesslike, Jedrzejczyk is a refreshing break from this mold.

Demetrious Johnson, T.J. Dillashaw, Jose Aldo, Rafael dos Anjos, Robbie Lawler, Chris Weidman and Cain Velasquez are all extremely talented. They are fun to watch in the cage, but outside of the cage they lack something. Rarely do we get excited about what they do outside of their actual fight.

There is a lack of charisma at the championship level.

Does dos Anjos really excite you? Does Lawler show you charisma? No. They are excellent fighters, but fighters that don’t connect on that next level. Even Weidman fails at meeting that mark. Jon Jones, for better or worse, had that quality, but his transgressions keep him out of this discussion. Conor McGregor would quickly top this list should he defeat Aldo, but we aren’t there quite yet.

Rousey and Jedrzejczyk are the exceptions to this current run of champion, but they are vastly different.

Rousey is special. Without question. However, we are mostly enamored at the way she can flip the switch to being one of the most terrifying people on the planet. When she is focused on destroying someone, we sit on the edge of our seat and anxiously await how she will do it.

The bantamweight champion talks trash very well, but it is more matter-of-fact than showman. Jedrzejczyk is different.

Jedrzejczyk started to show her ability to be entertaining during the press conferences for her title fight against Carla Esparza. She went right after the then-champion. Jedrzejczyk was intense and made no bones about the fact she was the No. 1 fighter in that division. She proved it in the cage with yet another incredible performance.

Jedrzejczyk‘s personality also shines through her Instagram posts. It showcases a different side of the champion.

She’s silly and stylish. She’s endearing.

It makes her the most important champion the UFC has. Yes, even over Rousey.

Will she ever be as big a star as Rousey? No. Rousey broke the glass ceiling and is a true crossover star. And that’s great. But she is at her peak popularity. She is still an incredibly influential individual, but Jedrzejczyk is more important. She is able to connect through her personality to a whole new set of fans. As the UFC eyes more Eastern European events, a champion like Jedrzejczyk can reach that new audience.

The current slate of champions is bland. Many have taken to wearing a suit and tie to look professional, but they forget to sell themselves and the fights they have. Outside of the cage, the best word to describe the champions is “blah.” They’re mundane.

Jedrzejczyk, thankfully, is a breath of fresh air.

She has “It.” She makes us smile and want to see her compete. She is the champion of a difficult division but if she can continue to sit atop the mountain, she will only become a bigger figure in the sport. The UFC needs that.

Jedrzejczyk is the champion the UFC needs. Someone who is not just business-like and shies away from the media. She is someone who embraces the spotlight and shines beneath it.

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