Author: Nathan McCarter

GSP Joins USADA Testing Pool, ‘To Be Eligible to Fight You Need to Be Tested’

The return of Georges St-Pierre is inching closer to reality with each passing day.
He is ready to take the next step. In an interview with Ram Gilboa for Bloody Elbow, GSP let it be known that he is in negotiations with the UFC and will be starting th…

The return of Georges St-Pierre is inching closer to reality with each passing day.

He is ready to take the next step. In an interview with Ram Gilboa for Bloody Elbow, GSP let it be known that he is in negotiations with the UFC and will be starting the process to be tested by USADA.

The former undisputed welterweight champion has long been outspoken about performance-enhancing drugs in the sport and has been vocal in his support of the USADA testing in the UFC, via Ryan McKinnell of Yahoo Sports.

In the interview with Gilboa, GSP stated that he would have begun his testing in Las Vegas on August 10. He was also candid about receiving an exemption, stating, “I don’t want to be an exception, because I was very outspoken about performance-enhancing drugs. It would be bad for my reputation if I would have an exemption—I don’t want to have a free pass, I want to be like everybody else.”

Who is on his radar? Perhaps the current welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley?

GSP said that Michael Bisping was originally the opponent offered, but negotiations stalled once the UFC sold. Now, Bisping is scheduled to fight Dan Henderson in a rematch of their UFC 100 encounter.

A second fight with Nick Diaz would also interest GSP as well.

The Canadian star mentioned that he is still a welterweight, and that makes the fight with Woodley the logical decision. The new champion called for the fight soon after winning the gold, stating he only wanted “money fights,” per Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting.com. GSP’s return against Woodley would surely be a premiere bout the UFC would love to have atop a marquee sooner than later.

GSP’s return is still not official, but with each passing day, it seems more like an inevitability. It is time for the UFC and GSP to come to terms, dot the i’s, cross the t’s and put him back under the bright lights fighting for gold. And there’s no better place than Madison Square Garden for that to happen.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Fight Night 92 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers

UFC Fight Night 92 came to Salt Lake City to deliver an evening’s worth of action.
The main card dragged on at points, but a main event featuring two of the UFC’s most creative and fun fighters delivered to make everyone forget about the preceding bout…

UFC Fight Night 92 came to Salt Lake City to deliver an evening’s worth of action.

The main card dragged on at points, but a main event featuring two of the UFC’s most creative and fun fighters delivered to make everyone forget about the preceding bouts.

Yair Rodriguez edged Alex Caceres on the scorecards to win a split decision victory. His ascent up the featherweight division continues, but how far will the UFC push him? That’s the big question exiting Utah.

Also in action, No. 8-ranked featherweight contender Dennis Bermudez defeated Rony Jason in the co-main event. Will he be usurped by Rodriguez?

Stepping back and looking at the complete picture following the results allows us to begin the matchmaking process to answer those questions. Want to see what the matches to make are following UFC Fight Night 92? Then read on as we tackle each and every combatant on the card in the look at what fights should come your way next.

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Yair Rodriguez vs. Alex Caceres: Results and Reaction from UFC Fight Night 92

Salt Lake City was treated to a special featherweight showcase for the UFC Fight Night 92 main event.
Rising star Yair Rodriguez (8-1) defeated Alex Caceres (12-9, 1 NC) by split decision (46-49, 48-47, 48-47), but fight fans will be walking away impre…

Salt Lake City was treated to a special featherweight showcase for the UFC Fight Night 92 main event.

Rising star Yair Rodriguez (8-1) defeated Alex Caceres (12-9, 1 NC) by split decision (46-49, 48-47, 48-47), but fight fans will be walking away impressed with both men. The action-packed fight, at elevation, was a never-ending treat of a striking arsenal few only dream about having.

The fight began with a feeling out process, but it was one of the most creative feeling out processes you’ll ever see.

Rodriguez found more success as Caceres continually gave him space to create. Rodriguez showed why he’s such an exciting fighter with continual spinning attacks. The second round was similar and did not have any less coming from both men.

Caceres did much better in the third frame.

Rodriguez kept his high pace, but Caceres was able to be more effective with his strikes. When Cacers would close the distance, he would connect cleanly. His best moment, perhaps in the entire fight, came with a 1-2 combination that landed to get inside before following up with a knee to Rodriguez’s body. Late in the round, Caceres put Rodriguez on his back and scored with quality ground-and-pound.

The final two rounds echoed the first two.

Caceres certainly got in some offense of his own, but he was allowing Rodriguez to have too much space to generate his style of offense. Rodriguez also scored repeatedly with a sidekick to the lead leg of Caceres. “Bruce Leeroy” was being far too defensive. His output dropped as he backed away, circled away or covered up from Rodriguez’s attacks.

Rodriguez and Caceres threw down in the final minute of the fight, but Rodriguez was able to land a bit more than his counterpart.

Aside from their astonishing pace and cardio, the most shocking development may have been the 49-46 scorecard for Caceres.

Both men’s stock rose with the incredible fight, but it also highlighted the fact that neither are at the top of the division just yet. Rodriguez is still a developing prospect, and his inefficiency could cause trouble in the deep waters of 145 pounds.

Caceres made tactical errors that lessened his ability to win the fight.

He will take a small step back after the loss, but Caceres will have learned a lot from this experience. He got to go five rounds with one of the most physically gifted fighters in the division, and he was close to pulling off the upset.

As for Rodriguez, a win moves him forward. How far forward? Only the UFC matchmakers can answer that question. He, too, will grow from this fight and have a better understanding of pacing himself in a five-round main event.

The UFC Fight Night 92 main event delivered spectacular action, and both men will have earned a swath of new fans. That’s a positive for them and the UFC as it continues to search for more stars. There is a bright and insanely creative future in the UFC’s featherweight division.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Fight Night 92: Bleacher Report Main Card Staff Predictions

The UFC is in Salt Lake City for its next event, and it pits two exciting featherweights against one another in the main event of UFC Fight Night 92.
Yair Rodriguez squares off against Alex Caceres in the night’s premiere contest. The two creative and …

The UFC is in Salt Lake City for its next event, and it pits two exciting featherweights against one another in the main event of UFC Fight Night 92.

Yair Rodriguez squares off against Alex Caceres in the night’s premiere contest. The two creative and fun featherweights are being placed front and center for all to see. The winner moves into position for big contests in the division for the foreseeable future.

Also in action, featherweight contender Dennis Bermudez meets up with Brazil’s Rony Jason. The two will undoubtedly try to steal the spotlight away from their divisional counterparts in an effort to state their own case as contenders at 145.

Four other bouts line the card. Who will walk out of Utah with their hand raised high in victory? The Bleacher Report team is here to tell you exactly that. Need a refresher of the team and our 2016 records?

Craig Amos (61-51), Scott Harris (58-54), Sydnie Jones (64-48), Nathan McCarter (62-50) and Steven Rondina (66-46) are at the helm to give you a look at the main card and predict each of the six attractions coming your way on Saturday. Let’s see who gets the love from the B/R staff.

Begin Slideshow

UFC Fight Night 92: Bleacher Report Main Card Staff Predictions

The UFC is in Salt Lake City for its next event, and it pits two exciting featherweights against one another in the main event of UFC Fight Night 92.
Yair Rodriguez squares off against Alex Caceres in the night’s premiere contest. The two creative and …

The UFC is in Salt Lake City for its next event, and it pits two exciting featherweights against one another in the main event of UFC Fight Night 92.

Yair Rodriguez squares off against Alex Caceres in the night’s premiere contest. The two creative and fun featherweights are being placed front and center for all to see. The winner moves into position for big contests in the division for the foreseeable future.

Also in action, featherweight contender Dennis Bermudez meets up with Brazil’s Rony Jason. The two will undoubtedly try to steal the spotlight away from their divisional counterparts in an effort to state their own case as contenders at 145.

Four other bouts line the card. Who will walk out of Utah with their hand raised high in victory? The Bleacher Report team is here to tell you exactly that. Need a refresher of the team and our 2016 records?

Craig Amos (61-51), Scott Harris (58-54), Sydnie Jones (64-48), Nathan McCarter (62-50) and Steven Rondina (66-46) are at the helm to give you a look at the main card and predict each of the six attractions coming your way on Saturday. Let’s see who gets the love from the B/R staff.

Begin Slideshow

Yair Rodriguez vs. Alex Caceres: A Head-to-Toe Breakdown

The UFC is unrelenting in its 2016 schedule, and Salt Lake City is next on the list.
The main event for this Saturday’s Fight Night 92 features talented featherweights Alex Caceres and Yair Rodriguez. Caceres has always had a big personality, but after…

The UFC is unrelenting in its 2016 schedule, and Salt Lake City is next on the list.

The main event for this Saturday’s Fight Night 92 features talented featherweights Alex Caceres and Yair Rodriguez. Caceres has always had a big personality, but after back-to-back victories, he can now turn that into a big featherweight push with a third straight.

Rodriguez will have other ideas. The youngster is quickly rising up the ranks in the division with a flair for the dramatic.

How does this matchup shake out? Largely in favor of Rodriguez, but even still we will look at areas where Caceres can compete in an upset bid. This is your look at Saturday’s featherweight showdown. Let’s break the matchup down from head to toe.

     

Striking

When the fight is on the feet, it will be at its most competitive. Bruce Leeroy truly doesn’t get the credit he deserves for his striking and the strides he has made with his skills in recent fights. If you look solely at the FightMetric statistics for this matchup, you may conclude that Caceres has a small edge.

That’s a credit to his skills. Caceres has good output with his strikes and has been utilizing his reach well. That will be a key in this fight. Yet after all that, I will still give the edge to Rodriguez.

He offers substance along with his style, and he has fight-ending power added along with his strikes. Caceres would be more more apt to overwhelm his opponents with volume, whereas Rodriguez can end it with one shot. A stark contrast and big plus for Rodriguez.

Caceres is also slightly more hittable than Rodriguez. Caceres allows fighters to get inside his range, and those bits of defensive lapse could leave him laying flat on the canvas.

        

Grappling and Submissions

Typically these two categories are separated, but considering the one-sided nature, they will be lumped together.

Rodriguez has a decided edge should the fight go to the mat. Caceres is more than capable on the mat with his long limbs, but it’s not his strongest suit. Also, his defense isn’t top-notch. He has been stopped three times in the Octagon by way of submission.

Rodriguez is more active with his offensive grappling. Against Caceres, Rodriguez may play the grappling game a bit more. It’s a safer play over five rounds. He’ll have to be patient with Caceres’ active guard, but his top game should be strong enough to stifle any submission attempts.

       

X-Factor: Creativity

The X-Factor in this fight is the same for both men. It is almost a given at this juncture that Rodriguez is immensely creative with his strikes. He goes for high-risk strikes, for which he is often rewarded. However, the risk part is important to remember.

Caceres will also need to be creative in his own right. He cannot be one-dimensional, and he will have to prepare to combat Rodriguez’s wild style.

The two featherweights’ creativity should make this a fight to remember.

       

Prediction

It’s no surprise I am siding with Rodriguez. I have given him the edge in every category, and he is just the more skilled fighter.

Rodriguez will enter as a -270 favorite (bet $270 to win $100), according to BestFightOdds.com.

The question is: How will Rodriguez get the victory?

Caceres is tough, but his big weakness is in defending submissions. He’ll get caught again but only after wilting under the heavy striking arsenal that Rodriguez brings with him. He’ll get hit, a lot, before Rodriguez gets his back to sink in the rear-naked choke.

Caceres taps out and Rodriguez will move into contender territory for the foreseeable future.

Prediction: Yair Rodriguez defeats Alex Caceres via submission (rear-naked choke) in the third round.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com