In the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 85, No. 9-ranked welterweight contender Neil Magny (17-4) welcomes No. 13-ranked Hector Lombard (34-4-1, 2 NC) back to the Octagon.
Lombard is making his return after popping for an anabolic steroid last year. Th…
In the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 85, No. 9-ranked welterweight contender Neil Magny (17-4) welcomes No. 13-ranked Hector Lombard (34-4-1, 2 NC) back to the Octagon.
Lombard is making his return after popping for an anabolic steroid last year. The much feared, highly intense American Top Team fighter seeks a crucial victory to put him back in the top 10.
Magny has back-to-back victories over Erick Silva and Kelvin Gastelum, and a third straight over Lombard would put him in position to be a contender to Robbie Lawler’s gold belt. But defeating Lombard in front of a hostile crowd will be a tall order.
Twenty-two of Lombard’s 34 professional bouts have come down under. His record? 20-0-1 (1 NC). Suffice to say, Lombard does well fighting in Australia.
Can Magny defeat Lombard in Brisbane? Or will Lombard stay undefeated within the Australian borders?
This is your UFC Fight Night 85 co-main event head-to-toe breakdown.
UFC Fight Night 85 is headlined by a crucial showdown in the UFC’s heavyweight division.
No. 9-ranked heavyweight contender Mark Hunt (11-10-1) will stand opposite No. 10-ranked Frank Mir (18-10) on Saturday, March 19 at 10 p.m. ET.
Hunt is a former ti…
UFC Fight Night 85 is headlined by a crucial showdown in the UFC’s heavyweight division.
No. 9-ranked heavyweight contender Mark Hunt (11-10-1) will stand opposite No. 10-ranked Frank Mir (18-10) on Saturday, March 19 at 10 p.m. ET.
Hunt is a former title challenger, and Mir is a former champion. Both are looking for another run at gold in the top-heavy, and aging, UFC heavyweight division. This is a chance to win a main event on television and state their case.
Hunt is coming off a November victory against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, and Mir is returning from a decision loss to Andrei Arlovski at UFC 191. The result may end the title hopes for the loser and send them out of the top 10 for good.
Who can establish themselves once again as a contender? Where do the advantages lie for each fighter? Let’s take a look.
Here is your head-to-toe breakdown of UFC Fight Night 85’s main event.
There isn’t a UFC event this weekend, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t high stakes up for grabs elsewhere. Invicta FC is back with two title fights to help satisfy the appetites of fight fans everywhere.
Atomweight champion Ayaka Hamasaki will defend…
There isn’t a UFC event this weekend, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t high stakes up for grabs elsewhere. Invicta FC is back with two title fights to help satisfy the appetites of fight fans everywhere.
Atomweight champion AyakaHamasaki will defend her title against Amber Brown in the main event, and Vanessa Porto will battle Jennifer Maia in the co-main event for the interim Invicta FC flyweight championship. The fun doesn’t stop there.
Invicta FC 16 features seven more quality contests. It should be a fun evening with plenty of fisticuffs. Bleacher Report will have full coverage of the event beginning with Ashley Greenway vs. Sarah Click.
Invicta FC 16 gets underway on UFC Fight Pass at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Invicta FC 16 Fight Card
Invicta FC Atomweight Championship:AyakaHamasaki vs. Amber Brown
Invicta FC Interim Flyweight Championship: Vanessa Porto vs. Jennifer Maia
UFC 196’s two main events delivered in unexpected ways—not only that both underdogs won, but how each fight played out and where the results leave us exiting the exciting fight card.
Nate Diaz and Miesha Tate both sunk in rear-naked chokes …
UFC 196’s two main events delivered in unexpected ways—not only that both underdogs won, but how each fight played out and where the results leave us exiting the exciting fight card.
Nate Diaz and Miesha Tate both sunk in rear-naked chokes to win their contests. Diaz put a brief halt to the hype of ConorMcGregor, while Tate claimed UFC gold for the first time. Both results will pay off in the long-term for the UFC, but in the short term, questions linger about what will happen next.
Here is what should be coming up next for the four participants in UFC 196’s main events.
Holly Holm
Holm is an extraordinary fighter, and one who is still very much young to the grappling aspect of the sport. The inexperience showed when Tate was able to put her flat on the canvas. With time, these flaws will get fixed, and at a top-tier camp such as Jackson-Winkeljohn’s, she will right the mistakes.
Holm won’t be too far out of another title shot, but she needs to fight another contender to preserve that right. The best option would be fellow UFC 196 participant Amanda Nunes.
Nunes could very well vie for a title shot herself, but I’ll explain why that is a mistake (for the UFC) in just a second. Nunes vs. Holm would be a legitimate title eliminator that could take place in the late summer or early fall. That should be where the focus goes for Holm‘s next outing.
Miesha Tate
Ronda Rousey is guaranteed an immediate title shot upon her return, but the UFC isn’t expecting her back until the end of the year. That would put Nunes in the catbird seat, but the UFC should wait for Rousey.
Tate vs. Rousey is the longstanding rivalry at 135 pounds, and one that would draw a lot better than Tate vs. Nunes. That is just a fact. Rousey is a near-ubiquitous name at this point. Why waste the opportunity to take advantage of Rousey’s return against her most hated opponent for the belt she lost?
Rousey vs. Tate III is a money fight, and the UFC shouldn’t risk money fights. Period.
Nate Diaz
Diaz’s performance elevated his stock to heights he has never seen before. The exposure he received from the press conferences to fight week had his stock rising, and after the finish it is now as high as it will be. Buy low, sell high? Sell the title fight.
It is hard to justify a shot coming at 170 despite the UFC 196 bout happening at welterweight. Sticking to lightweight and challenging Rafael dos Anjos is the correct call.
Diaz has a bit of history with Dos Anjos that assists in the narrative arc of selling the fight. It is the only realistic option for the UFC and Diaz. It should be easy to pull the trigger and make this fight happen.
ConorMcGregor
McGregor is, by far, the most interesting case coming out of UFC 196. He is the featherweight champion but has bulked up considerably. The question becomes: Does he go to 145 again or does he try 155 full-time?
McGregor suggests he will defend his featherweight championship. Whether he can or not is yet to be seen. Regardless, there are only two names who can be his next opponent: Jose Aldo or Frankie Edgar.
If McGregor does indeed drop back to featherweight, then it has to be Edgar. It would be criminal for the UFC to shun him yet again. But, in spite of recent showings, White was not committing to Edgar being next in line for a shot at the gold. Aldo could usurp that fight just because of the heat between he and McGregor.
If McGregor can’t go to 145, meeting Aldo at 155 would be a perfect start. It’s marketable, it’s fascinating and it’s meaningful.
It’s as simple as 145 for Edgar, or 155 for Aldo. Either option is great for the UFC and the fans.
Ronda Rousey did not even bother to watch Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate live. She was enjoying her favorite pastime, professional wrestling. The former UFC champion, and one of the sport’s biggest stars, was in Los Angeles taking in the latest Pro W…
Ronda Rousey did not even bother to watch Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate live. She was enjoying her favorite pastime, professional wrestling. The former UFC champion, and one of the sport’s biggest stars, was in Los Angeles taking in the latest Pro Wrestling Guerilla (PWG) event.
That is not to say she wasn’t quick to learn of the result.
Dana White mentioned on the post-fight show that he textedRousey the outcome of the fight—a Miesha Tate victory.
Her response? “Back to work for me.”
But do not expect Rousey to make a quick return to fight her arch nemesis. The current calendar for Rousey’s return has the months of October and November circled. It would seem she won’t be returning until near 2017.
Rousey still has a full plate in front of her with film commitments, but seeing Tate wearing gold may be enticing enough to get her back in the cage sooner than previously anticipated.
Well, that didn’t take long.
Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo was quick to social media to call out Conor McGregor following the Irishman’s UFC 196 loss to Nate Diaz. Aldo desperately wants to avenge that loss, and he clearly fee…
Well, that didn’t take long.
Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo was quick to social media to call out Conor McGregor following the Irishman’s UFC 196 loss to Nate Diaz. Aldo desperately wants to avenge that loss, and he clearly feels that the UFC 196 result will give him that chance. (Warning: Tweet contains NSFW language.)
McGregor unseated Aldo last December in emphatic fashion by putting Aldo to sleep in just 13 seconds. Having an immediate rematch with other title contenders waiting in the wings may be a tough sell, but there is no guarantee that McGregor even returns to 145-pounds.
In the days and weeks to come, McGregor’s future will clear up. He may drop back to featherweight to defend his title or make a permanent move to 155. Should he stick around at 145, Aldo’s chances at a rematch could be slim with Frankie Edgar’s presence looming over the featherweight title picture.
Nevertheless, Aldo took a well-timed shot at McGregor to make that rematch viable. UFC 200 would be a prime spot for a return to that rivalry.
Later, at the post-fight press conference, McGregor was asked about the tweets from Aldo. The Irishman was quick to respond, and made pointed remarks back at the former champion.
Fuel continues to be thrown onto the fire between the two stars.
