Author: Nathan McCarter

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Brutalizes Patrick Cummins in 1st Round at UFC 198

A raucous Curitiba crowd had plenty to cheer about when Antonio Rogerio Nogueira clobbered Patrick Cummins in the first round.
Nogueira picked up his first win since 2013 with his first-round TKO showing. The official end came at 4:52 of the first roun…

A raucous Curitiba crowd had plenty to cheer about when Antonio Rogerio Nogueira clobbered Patrick Cummins in the first round.

Nogueira picked up his first win since 2013 with his first-round TKO showing. The official end came at 4:52 of the first round.

It was a tentative start to the fight as Cummins stayed on the outside, and Nogueira was trying to locate his range. Cummins threw more leg kicks than usual early on in the round. Nogueira landed a good straight left that caught Cummins’ attention. Cummins immediately clinched with the Brazilian.

His leg kicks were highly successful with a focus on the inside low kick. Then the round shifted with just one punch.

Nogueira clipped Cummins with a right hand that wobbled his legs. The Brazilian smelled blood and began to pile on the offense. His signature left hand would be the weapon of choice as Cummins was out on his feet, but the referee continued to let Nogueira brutalize the American. Eventually, even he had seen enough.

Cummins had a decent game plan, but his inability to get the fight to the mat all but removed his chances of winning the fight. Nogueira is a much-better striker, and Cummins was forced to play with fire. He got burned.

The former Penn State Nittany Lion is still a decent fighter to have on the roster, but fighting top-tier light heavyweights isn’t what he should be doing. The UFC should look toward the bottom of the roster for his next opponent. A favorable matchup against hard-hitting Steve Bosse is a fight that makes sense.

Nogueira, on the other hand, is back in the fray at 205 pounds.

The fight that stands out for Nogueira to take next is against Ovince Saint Preux. OSP is coming off a failed title bid against Jon Jones, and the two would meet in an important fight to elevate the winner back into title contention.

That is for the future, but the present saw Nogueira announce his return to the light heavyweight division’s upper echelon. Father Time may be catching up to him, but he has enough left in the tank to be a danger. Just ask Cummins.

Nogueira’s TKO was a feel-good moment for UFC 198’s Brazilian crowd.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 198 Weigh-In Results: Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic Fight Card

UFC 198 became more official Friday afternoon after the 24 athletes each stepped on the scale.
The main event features UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum defending his title against Stipe Miocic. The co-main event is a high-stakes middleweight af…

UFC 198 became more official Friday afternoon after the 24 athletes each stepped on the scale.

The main event features UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum defending his title against Stipe Miocic. The co-main event is a high-stakes middleweight affair between Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Vitor Belfort. And those are just the fights on the marquee.

Curitiba, Brazil, is in for a treat, and so are fans across the world.

 

UFC 198 Quick Weigh-In Results

  • UFC Heavyweight Championship: Fabricio Werdum (240) vs. Stipe Miocic (241)
  • Ronaldo Souza (186) vs. Vitor Belfort (185)
  • Cris Cyborg (139) vs. Leslie Smith (139)
  • Mauricio Rua (205) vs. Corey Anderson (204)
  • Warlley Alves (170) vs. Bryan Barberena (170)
  • Demian Maia (171) vs. Matt Brown (171)
  • Thiago Santos (185) vs. Nate Marquardt (186)
  • Francisco Trinaldo (156) vs. Yancy Medeiros (156)
  • John Lineker (135) vs. Rob Font (135)
  • Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (205) vs. Patrick Cummins (206)
  • Sergio Moraes (171) vs. Luan Chagas (169)
  • Renato Moicano (146) vs. Zubaira Tukhugov (146)

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 198: Demian Maia vs. Matt Brown, a Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 198 is stacked, but the main card isn’t the only place you will find high-level action with heavy implications.
The Fox Sports 1 featured preliminary contest is a high-stakes welterweight showdown between Matt Brown and Demian Maia, ranked No….

UFC 198 is stacked, but the main card isn’t the only place you will find high-level action with heavy implications.

The Fox Sports 1 featured preliminary contest is a high-stakes welterweight showdown between Matt Brown and Demian Maia, ranked No. 5 in Bleacher Report’s May rankings of the weight class.

After back-to-back decision losses to Robbie Lawler and Johny Hendricks, Brown submitted Tim Means in the first round to re-establish his spot in the division. A win over Maia would put him back in the running for a shot at the strap.

Maia is on a four-fight win streak, and a victory on Saturday may make him the next title contender. His UFC 194 performance against Gunnar Nelson is a shining example of just how skilled the Brazilian is.

It’s time to break down the matchup between two of the upper echelon in the welterweight division, and see who makes a claim at being the next challenger for divisional gold.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 198: Jacare Souza vs. Vitor Belfort, a Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 198 plays host to a heavyweight title tilt on Saturday, May 14, but that isn’t the only big fight on the incredible card.
Bleacher Report’s No. 3-ranked middleweight Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza takes on No. 6-ranked Vitor Belfort in the co-main event.
S…

UFC 198 plays host to a heavyweight title tilt on Saturday, May 14, but that isn’t the only big fight on the incredible card.

Bleacher Report’s No. 3-ranked middleweight Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza takes on No. 6-ranked Vitor Belfort in the co-main event.

Souza returns to action for the first time since his contentious decision loss to Yoel Romero at UFC 194 in December. Prior to that contest, Souza reeled off eight consecutive wins. A victory in Curitiba, Brazil, this weekend puts him right back in the discussion for a title shot.

Also seeking another title berth is Belfort. The former light heavyweight champion failed at beating then champion Chris Weidman at UFC 187 in May, 2015, but he returned with an emphatic KO against Dan Henderson. Another win over an elite middleweight puts his name at the top of the list for a title shot.

This is an important and interesting 185-pound bout, and now is the time to break it all down before we get to the weekend’s festivities. Let’s move forward with the look at Jacare vs. Belfort.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 198: Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic, a Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 198 will be just the second time that the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship has been defended since October 19, 2013.
Fabricio Werdum, formerly the interim champion, unified the belts by defeating Cain Velasquez last June, but the belt has be…

UFC 198 will be just the second time that the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship has been defended since October 19, 2013.

Fabricio Werdum, formerly the interim champion, unified the belts by defeating Cain Velasquez last June, but the belt has been on the shelf ever since. This Saturday, a new challenger arrives on the scene.

Stipe Miocic, Steven Rondina of Bleacher Report’s No. 3-ranked heavyweight, gets his shot at gold.

Miocic earned his title shot with back-to-back knockout performances over Mark Hunt and Andrei Arlovski. The Ohioan will travel to Curitiba, Brazil, this weekend to try to bring a championship back to Cleveland before LeBron James can.

Striker vs. Grappler is the matchup, but what does the complete breakdown look like? That is what we are here to do as UFC 198 is just around the corner. Let’s get primed for Werdum vs. Miocic.

Begin Slideshow

UFC Fight Night 87 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers

UFC Fight Night 87 got Mother’s Day started off with a bang courtesy of a strong main card showing.
Of the six main card bouts, only one would go to the judge’s scorecards. No other fight on the featured telecast got passed the second round of action.
…

UFC Fight Night 87 got Mother’s Day started off with a bang courtesy of a strong main card showing.

Of the six main card bouts, only one would go to the judge’s scorecards. No other fight on the featured telecast got passed the second round of action.

It was all capped off by Alistair Overeem claiming his spot as the next title contender with a Karate Kid-style knockout over Andrei Arlovski. The victory puts his resume above all other heavyweights, and now he waits for this weekend’s UFC 198 to see who will be champion: Fabricio Werdum or Stipe Miocic.

What’s next for the other 25 combatants on the card?

Bleacher Report gives some insight into what could be next for each man and woman on the fight card as 2016 rolls on. Here are the matches to make following UFC Fight Night 87.

Begin Slideshow