After a long wait, the UFC finally comes to the Philippines, and it brings one of the best main events of the year for UFC Fight Night 66.
No. 2-ranked featherweight contender Frankie Edgar takes on No. 3-ranked bantamweight Urijah Faber in a five-roun…
After a long wait, the UFC finally comes to the Philippines, and it brings one of the best main events of the year for UFC Fight Night 66.
No. 2-ranked featherweight contender Frankie Edgar takes on No. 3-ranked bantamweight Urijah Faber in a five-round affair.
This marks Faber’s return to featherweight after nearly a five-year absence from the division. Since that time, he has been in the title hunt at 135 pounds but has failed to capture gold. Faber, a former WEC featherweight champion, gets another big bout with this matchup.
Edgar is on the cusp of another shot at UFC gold. He is currently on a three-fight win streak, and the former UFC lightweight champion has looked stellar in recent outings. This fight has all the makings to be a Fight of the Year contender.
Enough beating around the bush. Here is your breakdown for this weekend’s astounding main event.
Stipe Miocic battered Mark Hunt in the main event of UFC Fight Night 65.
It was brutal. Hunt had nothing to offer Miocic. The Cleveland native fought smart and never gave Hunt a chance. He wore him out. Miocic solidified his spot in the upper echelon o…
StipeMiocic battered Mark Hunt in the main event of UFC Fight Night 65.
It was brutal. Hunt had nothing to offer Miocic. The Cleveland native fought smart and never gave Hunt a chance. He wore him out. Miocic solidified his spot in the upper echelon of the division, inches closer to securing a potential title shot down the line.
As for Hunt, it is hard to gauge where he is. This was not a good showing.
Regardless, this is what we learned from the main event beatdown.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Hunt’s battered face.
It was ugly. His eye was starting to swell shut, and it is probably debatable if he could even see out of it. The ringside physician checked on him and allowed the fight to continue. He probably should have stopped it.
Hunt took a prolonged beating at the hands of Miocic.
What We Learned About Mark Hunt
We learned that he is done as a top-five heavyweight. His ascent was fun, but this was the kind of performance that removes him from future consideration.
He’s older, slower and doesn’t have the defense to contend with fighters like Miocic.
He got lambasted. If he returns there are plenty of fun fights for him to take, but fights against true contenders is not where his future lies.
What We Learned About StipeMiocic
This is difficult to say. Miocic dominated the fight but never really looked spectacular. His stoppage came by way of accumulation. He didn’t put Hunt away with a nice submission or a heavy-handed flurry on the canvas.
The referee had just seen enough of Hunt getting smoked.
This performance did little to suggest Miocic is a legitimate threat to a healthy Cain Velasquez. I am not even sure if it makes anyone believe he is a threat to the monstrous Fabricio Werdum. He is a contender, but how people perceive his chances is a different matter.
I’m not sure this fight did anything to make him stand out as a realistic championship threat.
What’s Next for Mark Hunt?
Hunt is still fun and serviceable. There are two names that come to mind immediately—Bigfoot Silva and Cro Cop.
Bigfoot returns in August. Win or lose, most fans would relish a rematch of their classic fight. It is a fight that should happen at some point, and both fighters are not making their way to the gold anytime soon.
Likewise, Cro Cop makes sense. Two historically fun strikers squaring off in a match built on just being fun? Sign me up. Either fighter will do.
What’s Next for StipeMiocic?
The winner of UFC 187’s Travis Browne-Andrei Arlovski fight is the only thing that makes sense.
Miocic is just now getting back in the win column, and the heavyweight unification bout isn’t until UFC 188. Miocic vs. Browne or Arlovski in a title eliminator is just about the only thing that makes any sense in this division.
There is no timetable for Junior dos Santos’ return, which leaves a gaping hole for the next title contender. A title eliminator between Miocic and the UFC 187 winner should await us later this year.
UFC Fight Night 65 was Down Under in Australia, and it was a paradise for the underdogs.
Eight underdogs came out on top at UFC Fight Night 65. The favorites struggled to find paydirt.
Stipe Miocic dominated Mark Hunt until the referee finally stopped …
UFC Fight Night 65 was Down Under in Australia, and it was a paradise for the underdogs.
Eight underdogs came out on top at UFC Fight Night 65. The favorites struggled to find paydirt.
StipeMiocic dominated Mark Hunt until the referee finally stopped the fight in the fifth and final round. It likely should have ended much, much sooner. It was not even remotely competitive and bordered on difficult to watch.
Eleven other bouts came through for an exciting night of fights.
It was a fun event on Fight Pass with close matchups, rising prospects and stellar finishes. You cannot ask for more from a Fight Night card.
Here are the real winners and losers from Saturday’s action in Australia.
Tim Means will take a step up in the welterweight division when he meets No. 5-ranked Matt Brown at UFC 189.
Will jumping into a fight against a top-five opponent put Means in over his head? No, I don’t think so.
It’s understandabl…
Will jumping into a fight against a top-five opponent put Means in over his head? No, I don’t think so.
It’s understandable why that thought may creep into your minds. Means has had the chance on several occasions to make a statement at both 155 and 170, but he has come up short each time. He lacks a signature win over a top-level opponent. So it’s fair to suggest that Means dove into the deep end too quickly in accepting a fight with a top-five opponent.
For many fighters, it is best to work their way up the ranks slowly. Top 15, top 10 and then top five. But Means can make this jump because he is a crafty veteran who has fought legit competition. This won’t be a monumental leap for Means.
The Dirty Bird has been on fire since returning to the 170-pound division. He is 6-1 with four straight wins. He has a fan-pleasing style that invites gritty exchanges, and he takes full advantage of it. The matchup with Brown is one that could easily steal Fight of the Night, and it’s winnable for Means.
Brown and Means are very similar. Brown worked his way up the ranks after a rough stint from 2010 to 2011. Starting in 2012, he put together seven consecutive wins. That stretch moved him into a title eliminator against Robbie Lawler.
After dropping that fight, he took on Johny Hendricks in another losing effort. Brown received his adulation in part because his style was so exciting. However, it was not a seven-fight win streak over seven elite talents. It was a win streak of impressive finishes.
Brown earned his standing in the division, but it is slightly inflated.
Means’ skill set matches up well with Brown’s. He has a dynamic striking game with excellent elbows in tight and a solid ground game, should Brown try to take the fight to the canvas. Brown’s propensity to engage in a brawl should give Means opportunities to score on foot.
Brown loves to brawl, but where he may have the advantage is on the ground.
He may also have a slight overall advantage, but nothing that should make Means a massive underdog. It is a winnable fight for Means, and one that could move him into the top 10 in this division. It’s a big fight for this weight class.
If this was a fight against Hendricks, then Means would be out of his depth—at least where he stands today. But against Brown, it is a fight that makes sense.
Styles make fights. Brown is not a defensive genius. He gets hit. That bodes well for Means’ chances.
It’s a bit too far out to side with either fighter, but this matchup is closer than the rankings suggest.
This is undoubtedly a step up in competition, but Means is not in over his head against Brown.
UFC Fight Night 65 comes to you from Australia this weekend. The exclusive UFC Fight Pass card has 12 bouts scheduled, with four slated for the main card.
In the main event, No. 4-ranked heavyweight contender Stipe Miocic will stand across the cage fro…
UFC Fight Night 65 comes to you from Australia this weekend. The exclusive UFC Fight Pass card has 12 bouts scheduled, with four slated for the main card.
In the main event, No. 4-ranked heavyweight contender StipeMiocic will stand across the cage from No. 5-ranked Mark Hunt. The winner will put himself right back in the title picture in the division.
The co-main event takes place at 185 pounds when Brad Tavares meets Robert Whittaker. Also on the card, Anthony Perosh faces off against Sean O’Connell and highly touted prospect Jake Matthews matches up with the undefeated James Vick.
The oddsmakers see this has a competitive main card. The odds are tight for several of the main card fights. So, who should you look to go with this weekend? That is what we will take a look at ahead of UFC Fight Night 65.
Here are the betting odds and predictions for the four-fight main card this weekend.
Ronda Rousey appeared at WrestleMania 31, and it lit the worlds of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts on fire. Since then, she has stated she has to find a way back into the WWE ring.
And she should.
No one should be under illusions that Rou…
No one should be under illusions that Rousey will be sticking around the UFC for a long time. Her future lies outside of the cage. Her popularity explosion has led her to becoming an actress and getting opportunities such as WrestleMania. And the WWE can be a pathway to extend her brand.
Professional wrestling covers every demographic, and WrestleMania is a pop culture phenomenon. The press coverage of her WrestleMania appearance eclipsed most of her dealings in MMA. It was big for her, but she should only go back for select appearances.
The UFC will not keep Rousey forever, and it knows this. The more she can extend her brand, the more it will help the UFC. Her star only gets brighter. Dana White and company should embrace that. They should not try to keep Rousey out of the ring unless the WWE wants her to work a match. The fear of an injury would be a concern.
Rousey is a special attraction. The WWE, Rousey and the UFC should identify select events where Rousey can appear. It is mutually beneficial to all.
If Rousey tries to appear as frequently as she can, it could ruin what makes her appearances special. They should be reserved for big events and key moments. The WWE is already doing this effectively with Brock Lesnar. He is special because he is not there often. They can do the same with Rousey.
The biggest reason why Rousey should find her way back to the WWE ring is that she loves it.
Rousey’s passion for sports entertainment has been on display numerous times. She and her friends appear at WWE events, and even small independent promotions such as Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. Rousey has posted clips to Instagram of her performing moves at her camp in the past. If Rousey wants to go back to the squared circle, she should.
The key is to do it right. She is being pulled in a multitude of directions right now with a budding movie career and focusing on running through any and every contender in the 135-pound division.
Keeping her WWE appearances rare will be beneficial to all and allow her to continue being an attraction that people will pay to see.
As a fan of both pro wrestling and MMA, I am all in on Rousey keeping with her WWE appearances. Rousey is taking full advantage of the stardom she has earned through years of hard work, and it is great to see.
