The UFC is back in action this weekend with an elite-level welterweight showdown leading the charge.
No. 2-ranked welterweight* Rory MacDonald (18-3) meets No. 3-ranked Stephen Thompson (12-1) in a five-round main event that could put the winner in lin…
The UFC is back in action this weekend with an elite-level welterweight showdown leading the charge.
No. 2-ranked welterweight* Rory MacDonald (18-3) meets No. 3-ranked Stephen Thompson (12-1) in a five-round main event that could put the winner in line for the next title shot at 170 pounds.
MacDonald is 3-2 in his last five outings, but both losses were to current champion Robbie Lawler. This will be his first fight back since the epic encounter with Lawler last July at UFC 189. Thompson, meanwhile, has been lighting the welterweight world on fire.
Thompson is on a six-fight winning streak in the division and is coming off back-to-back knockout victories over Jake Ellenberger and Johny Hendricks.
With a potential title shot hanging in the balance, fans can expect MacDonald and Thompson to leave everything inside the cage.
Which welterweight will walk out of Ottawa with a strong case to make for a title shot later in the year? Here is your head-to-toe breakdown for UFC Fight Night 89’s marquee fight.
If Donald Trump has his way, then UFC President Dana White will be speaking at the Republican National Convention in August.
The presumptive Republican nominee for President proposed his idea for an evening of sports figures to speak at the convention …
If Donald Trump has his way, then UFC President Dana White will be speaking at the Republican National Convention in August.
The presumptive Republican nominee for President proposed his idea for an evening of sports figures to speak at the convention during a rally in Virginia on Friday per the New York Times. Trump already has an endorsement from former Indiana head coach Bobby Knight. Trump also claims boxing promoter Don King has endorsed him, but King denies the claim.
While appearing on TMZ Sports in December, White said that Trump would in fact “get my vote”.
Trump and White have a long history. Trump’s Atlantic City casino the Trump TajMahal played host to the first two events under the Zuffa banner after White and the Fertitta Brothers bought the company (UFC 30 and 31). Trump would not just host the events, but also show up in the crowd in support of the promotion.
There has been nothing conventional about Trump’s campaign thus far, but having a celebrity appear at the Republican National Convention would not be groundbreaking. Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood made a memorable visit to the stage in 2012.
If Trump gets his way and White does show up at the convention, he would beat the UFC to the Quicken Loans Arena by a month.
The UFC is scheduled for its first event in Cleveland, the site of the Republican National Convention, on September 10th. UFC 203 will be headlined by StipeMiocic defending his heavyweight championship against Alistair Overeem.
UFC 199 in Inglewood, California, on Saturday was one of the best events in UFC history.
From the first fight to the incredible main event, fans were on the edge of their seats. And when it was all over, an unlikely champion was crowned following a stu…
UFC 199 in Inglewood, California, on Saturday was one of the best events in UFC history.
From the first fight to the incredible main event, fans were on the edge of their seats. And when it was all over, an unlikely champion was crowned following a stunning upset KO. Michael Bisping did what few thought he could ever do—wear UFC gold.
Now the attention turns toward the future and what’s next for everyone on the fight card. The UFC has a lot of difficult decisions to make concerning prospects, challengers and champions. A bountiful slate of options are at their table.
So, what should the UFC do?
One thing is for sure: After those performances, no one should be in the bread line with a pink slip. Everyone earned another fight inside the Octagon by simply giving his or her best in one of the most entertaining nights in the sport’s history.
Twenty-six men and women are awaiting their marching orders. Here are the fights to make in the wake of UFC 199.
Can you see him now? Brock Lesnar is coming back to the Octagon.
The UFC aired its trailer for UFC 200 during the pay-per-view telecast of UFC 199 on Saturday, revealing The Beast Incarnate’s return, which is scheduled for July 9 in Las Vegas.
Th…
Can you see him now? Brock Lesnar is coming back to the Octagon.
The UFC aired its trailer for UFC 200 during the pay-per-view telecast of UFC 199 on Saturday, revealing The Beast Incarnate’s return, which is scheduled for July 9 in Las Vegas.
The masterfully produced trailer features all six title-fight participants as if they were preparing on fight day. They arrive, get their fists wrapped, warm up and make their way to the cage. The focus is on UFC 200 headliners Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, but Miesha Tate, Amanda Nunes, Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar are all featured in the promo.
As the trailer ends, a familiar voice is heard screaming, “Can you see me now?” Lesnar then appears on camera, smirks and fires a punch at the camera.
Dan Henderson (32-14) is known for his “H-Bomb” of a right hand, but at UFC 199 he brought out the “H-Bow” against Hector Lombard (34-6-1, 2 NC).
The two veteran middleweights went toe-to-toe in one of the most exciting bouts o…
Dan Henderson (32-14) is known for his “H-Bomb” of a right hand, but at UFC 199 he brought out the “H-Bow” against Hector Lombard (34-6-1, 2 NC).
The two veteran middleweights went toe-to-toe in one of the most exciting bouts of 2016.
The fight started off with a lot of tension. Both men understood the power the other possessed and they were not going to make a mistake right out of the gate.
As they got more comfortable with their range, the power shots came. Henderson connected with a straight right hand that caught Lombard flush.
Lombard began to come forward and that is when Henderson cracked him with a big right hand. It hurt Lombard, but as Henderson went in for the finish he got clipped himself with a left. Lombard tossed Henderson to the canvas and advanced to the crucifix position. Henderson worked his way up to his feet, but Lombard uncorked another power shot that knocked Henderson down.
The American survived the round, but it didn’t look good for the former PRIDE welterweight and middleweight champion.
After each took hard strikes in the first round, there was a clear respect for each other’s power as the second got underway. And just like that, it was over.
Henderson threw a kick that Lombard caught, and then Henderson connected with a back elbow that put Lombard out cold. Henderson followed up with a couple vicious elbows on the ground before the referee could peel him off of Lombard’s lifeless body.
It’s difficult to gauge what’s next for Lombard. This was his return to middleweight, and he got iced. Vitor Miranda recently suffered a loss of his own, and would make for an appropriate next bout for Lombard’s return.
Henderson is an even bigger question mark.
After taking a lot of damage throughout his MMA career the end is definitely near. But will he continue to fight on? Perhaps not. In the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Henderson noted that this could have been his final fight.
If that’s the case, then he went out in true Henderson style in front of a friendly California crowd. A true legend deserves to go out in such an impressive and exciting manner.
Beneil Dariush (13-2) took care of James Vick’s misleading undefeated record with a devastatingly beautiful knockout at UFC 199 in Los Angeles.
Fox Sports shared the replay:
Vick (9-1) was 5-0 in the UFC but suffered a knockout loss to Mic…
BeneilDariush (13-2) took care of James Vick’s misleading undefeated record with a devastatingly beautiful knockout at UFC 199 in Los Angeles.
Fox Sports shared the replay:
Vick (9-1) was 5-0 in the UFC but suffered a knockout loss to Michael Chiesa on The Ultimate Fighter season 15. That loss did not go on his record as all TUF contests are exhibitions.
Dariush was coming off a loss. He suffered a submission defeat to Chiesa in April and returned promptly to take on Vick at UFC 199. It was a quick turnaround, but he looked outstanding. Dariush took it to Vick straight from the opening bell. Vick’s lone offense in the fight were eye pokes.
No points were taken, but no worries came from Dariush. He took Vick’s consciousness.
Dariush entered the bout as the No. 10-ranked lightweight contender in the UFC’s official rankings. The jump up in competition proved to be too much for Vick. He was out of his element and clearly outclassed. Dariush noted in the post-fight interview that he scouted Vick’s arm extension on his strikes and knew exactly how to exploit the opening.
This type of emphatic victory will shoot Dariush back into legitimate contender-level bouts. His quality striking and sensational ground game make him a tough out for anyone in the lightweight division. Vick will have to go back to the drawing board to fix the multitude of holes he showed.
Keep rewatching that knockout video, because you will not see many better, more picturesque finishes.
