UFC on Fox 15 hits New Jersey this weekend for high stakes in the middleweight division.
No. 2-ranked contender Lyoto Machida meets No. 4-ranked Luke Rockhold in the main event, and No. 1-ranked Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza competes in the co-main event agai…
UFC on Fox 15 hits New Jersey this weekend for high stakes in the middleweight division.
No. 2-ranked contender LyotoMachida meets No. 4-ranked Luke Rockhold in the main event, and No. 1-ranked Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza competes in the co-main event against Chris Camozzi.
Also featured on the main card will be featherweight contenders Cub Swanson and Max Holloway, and strawweight contenders Felice Herrig and Paige VanZant. The main card is stacked, but the undercard is also packed with talent.
Prior to Saturday’s action the 22 fighters on the card must first make weight.
Bleacher Report will have all weigh-in updates for you when the fighters tip the scale at 4 p.m. ET on Friday. Come back for complete coverage.
The opening bout of the UFC on Fox 15 main card has big implications in the strawweight division.
The slot opposing Joanna Jedrzejczyk for her first title defense is more open than ever following Joanne Calderwood’s recent loss. No. 8-ranked conte…
The opening bout of the UFC on Fox 15 main card has big implications in the strawweight division.
The slot opposing Joanna Jedrzejczyk for her first title defense is more open than ever following Joanne Calderwood’s recent loss. No. 8-ranked contender Felice Herrig and No. 12-ranked Paige VanZant each have a chance to make a big impression on a huge platform this Saturday.
Who can take advantage?
This is a compelling and interesting matchup between a longtime vet and a rising prospect. VanZant is getting a majority of the press leading up to the bout, but the boisterous Herrig will try to play the role of spoiler. VanZant enters as a slight favorite, according to the betting odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
This is your complete breakdown of Saturday’s strawweight attraction.
UFC on Fox 15 is a stacked event headlined by a potential title eliminator at 185 pounds.
No. 2-ranked contender Lyoto Machida takes on No. 4-ranked Luke Rockhold in the night’s final bout with No. 1-ranked Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza taking on Chris Camozz…
UFC on Fox 15 is a stacked event headlined by a potential title eliminator at 185 pounds.
No. 2-ranked contender LyotoMachida takes on No. 4-ranked Luke Rockhold in the night’s final bout with No. 1-ranked Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza taking on Chris Camozzi in the co-main event. Jacare was originally slated to fight No. 6-ranked Yoel Romero, but an injury forced Romero out of action.
Those are not the only ranked fighters on the card. Top 10 featherweights Cub Swanson and Max Holloway battle it out on the main card, and Top 15 strawweights Felice Herrig and Paige VanZant will open the action.
The preliminary action is stacked as well. There is a featured preliminary bout between Jim Miller and BeneilDariush.
This is a fantastic card, and it will be free on Fox.
Which prospects take the next step up the ladder? Which fighters will make their case for a title shot later in 2015?
Read on to find out in your complete guide to UFC on Fox 15.
Maryna Moroz made her UFC debut in a big way at UFC Fight Night 64, and following her triumph she wasted no time in calling out champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk for a title tilt.
The UFC should make that fight.
Heading into UFC Fight Night 64 the title pict…
MarynaMoroz made her UFC debut in a big way at UFC Fight Night 64, and following her triumph she wasted no time in calling out champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk for a title tilt.
The UFC should make that fight.
Heading into UFC Fight Night 64 the title picture looked clear — whoever looked more impressive between Claudia Gadelha and Joanne Calderwood would get the shot at Jedrzejczyk‘s gold belt. Gadelha had to pull out due to an injury, and Calderwood was upset in just 90 seconds. Now, there is no clear cut contender.
Both No. 1 and No. 2-ranked contenders Carla Esparza and Claudia Gadelha have fought since losing to Jedrzejczyk. Gadelha could conceivably get a title shot due to how close their fight was, and it being a contentious decision. However, it just makes good sense that she’ll need one win before vying for the championship.
The remaining top five in the division — Jessica Penne, Rose Namajunas and Tecia Torres — all have fights currently booked. Another high-profile bout pits No. 8-ranked contender Felice Herrig against No. 12-ranked Paige VanZant — a fight B/R’s Jeremy Botter pontificated on earlier this week regarding its potential title ramifications.
Of those contenders only Torres has a victory over a top 10 opponent to their official record at the time of their fight (vs. Herrig, Invicta FC 7). And only Penne and Torres are on a winning streak. Herrig could make it two-in-a-row this Saturday with a win over VanZant, but still would lack a top-10 victory.
Moroz‘s resume already supercedes their accomplishments with an undefeated record and her win over then ranked No. 6 Calderwood.
She is undefeated at 6-0 with a Rousey like finish rate. All six fights have been stopped with five coming in the first round, and of the six finishes five have come by way of armbar. The Ukrainian’s boisterous callout of Jedrzejczyk following her UFC win also provided some quality entertainment in spite of the language barrier. It is a marketable fight — in Europe.
The UFC is still in need of a main event for their July trip to Glasgow, Scotland. Why not headline it with a title fight between Jedrzejczyk and Moroz?
As an added bonus for the organization the title tilt adds value to their subscription service Fight Pass. More fans would be inclined to subscribe to the surface knowing there is a title at risk. But most importantly, this fight gives them time to settle who comes next.
Heading into UFC Fight Night 64 things were pretty clear, but coming out it was murky at best. There is a lot of talent in this division with a lot of potential marketable fighters, but their resumes are lacking. Moroz‘s is just as, if not more, qualified than any other contender’s at this time.
Moroz stands at No. 9 in the division currently. There is nothing wrong with her getting the title shot right now.
This is a fight that can help the UFC’s footprint with female fighters overseas. Moroz can reach a whole new market in the lead-in to the fight, and Jedrzejczyk is one of the most charismatic forces in the organization. Meanwhile, the contenders on the brink of a title shot can duke it out to determine who is next. Moroz has earned the shot. She is undefeated with the highest-ranked victory of any other legitimate contender right now, and she asserted herself in the jawing with Jedrzejczyk as interesting opposition.
Moroz vs. Jedrzejczyk is the right title fight to make. Put it in Glasgow, and give European fans a true main event worthy of their time.
Joe Schilling returns to the cage at Bellator 136, and after an impressive organizational debut, there will be a lot of eyes on him when the bell sounds. His MMA record is still below .500 (2-3), but he could turn out to be a Bellator star.
Despite his…
Joe Schilling returns to the cage at Bellator 136, and after an impressive organizational debut, there will be a lot of eyes on him when the bell sounds. His MMA record is still below .500 (2-3), but he could turn out to be a Bellator star.
Despite his impressive striking credentials outside of MMA, I stated bluntly he was a “lamb being led to slaughter” against Melvin Manhoef. Schilling made me eat crow—a lot of it.
He was submitted in three of his four prior MMA bouts. While I knew Manhoef would not be taking him to the canvas, I felt as if the experience would make it an easy fight for the powerful striking. Schilling ate an early barrage and then finished him promptly in the second round.
That is what gives me hope for his future.
No one in the middleweight division will hit him harder than Manhoef, and Schilling survived his bout with him. He has a good chin, and his ability to recover quickly is crucial. He just has to improve his defensive wrestling to become a true threat in Bellator.
On Friday, Schilling meets Rafael Carvalho (10-1).
This should be another electric stand-up fight. Carvalho has finished nine of his 10 opponents by TKO, but his striking is not on Schilling’s level. This is a great matchup to see where both men’s grappling ability is. Carvalho is not an accomplished wrestler, but against Schilling, that may be his best path to victory. It would not be shocking to see Carvalho play the role of grappler.
If Schilling can avoid the grappling exchanges, this should be his fight. He is just a better striker than Carvalho.
Bellator needs a Schilling victory. He can breathe life back into the middleweight division and has the personality of a potential star. He is a fun fighter to watch, and if he continues to develop his all-around MMA skill set, he could become a legitimate threat to Brandon Halsey’s crown.
That potential fight is still a ways off.
First, Schilling has to get past Carvalho in a stylistically favorable matchup. He set the bar for himself against Manhoef, and now everyone is expecting him to clear it. It is a tall order for the 31-year-old, but Bellator has set him up nicely to succeed.
Schilling can earn his second straight victory this Friday, and he will.
The co-main event on Spike TV is set up to showcase Schilling, a star they will invest a lot in with Bellator, GLORY and Premier Boxing Champions. Carvalho won’t go quietly, but he wasn’t brought in to knock off Schilling.
The co-main event of Friday’s Bellator action is all about Schilling and showcasing his improvements. There may not be a more scary contender in Bellator than Schilling, and his lethal stand-up skills will shine again on Friday.
UFC Fight Night 64 hits Krakow, Poland, this weekend with a heavyweight main event.
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic returns to the UFC to battle Gabriel Gonzaga. They first met at UFC 70, and that fight ended with one of the most brutal and most surprising k…
UFC Fight Night 64 hits Krakow, Poland, this weekend with a heavyweight main event.
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic returns to the UFC to battle Gabriel Gonzaga. They first met at UFC 70, and that fight ended with one of the most brutal and most surprising knockouts in UFC history. Gonzaga landed a head kick to crumple Cro Cop.
There are 11 more fights on the card, and a couple of them have big impact in their respective divisions. The rest of the card features some intriguing matchups and some new faces.
The card airs on Fight Pass with an eight-fight preliminary card and a four-fight main card, which includes three ranked fighters to help give it some credence.
Want to know more about the fights? Well, here is your guide to Saturday’s action.
