After the greatness that was UFC 189, we turn to The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale on Sunday evening.
Welterweights Jake Ellenberger and Stephen Thompson will face off in the evening’s main event. A win should catapult the victor into contention. The co-m…
After the greatness that was UFC 189, we turn to The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale on Sunday evening.
Welterweights Jake Ellenberger and Stephen Thompson will face off in the evening’s main event. A win should catapult the victor into contention. The co-main event pits American Top Team’s HayderHassan against the Blackzilians‘ KamaruUsman.
All of the action gets underway at 6:30 p.m. ET. The opening bout takes place on UFC Fight Pass before the event transitions to Fox Sports 1 at 7 p.m. for the remainder of the card. Bleacher Report will be here all evening to break down the event.
Come back for complete coverage and analysis of The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale.
Conor McGregor is your new—interim—UFC featherweight champion. It isn’t the championship he had hoped to have around his waist at UFC 189, but it still felt pretty sweet.
McGregor bested Chad Mendes in under two rounds by TKO. The UFC’s Iri…
ConorMcGregor is your new—interim—UFC featherweight champion. It isn’t the championship he had hoped to have around his waist at UFC 189, but it still felt pretty sweet.
McGregor bested Chad Mendes in under two rounds by TKO. The UFC’s Irish star got the signature win that critics had chastised him for lacking, and now he can firmly stand atop the division alongside Jose Aldo. UFC 189 is one of the biggest and best events in UFC history.
This is how the world of Twitter reacted to his championship performance.
Sinead O’Connor Sings McGregor‘s Entrance
The Irish singer performed McGregor‘s entrance at UFC 189, and it marked one of the few times a live performance accompanied a fighter. The production improvements made this fight feel special, and this is hopefully where the UFC is going. Embrace the spectacle.
Round 1
Mendes took the fight round of the fight, but it wasn’t easy. He was visibly tired in the cage in just the first five minutes. He still was able to take McGregor down and land several elbows. His success would be short-lived.
Round 2
McGregor is taken down again, but once he gets back to his feet, he finishes the fight. Mendes went for a guillotine, but it didn’t work. That little bit of space is what allowed McGregor back up in the early going. Some also questioned the stoppage of the fight. Too soon? You be the judge.
Post-Fight Reaction
Media and fighters were not short on opinions following the victory. UFC 189 came through in just about every way. It was exciting, and it gave us stars to follow in the future. This was a successful event, and the UFC brass has to be thrilled.
UFC 189 was supposed to be Jose Aldo defending his UFC Featherweight Championship against Conor McGregor. The UFC threw money into the promotion for the fight, but an injury sidelined the champion.
Enter Chad Mendes and an interim title belt.
McGregor …
UFC 189 was supposed to be Jose Aldo defending his UFC Featherweight Championship against Conor McGregor. The UFC threw money into the promotion for the fight, but an injury sidelined the champion.
Enter Chad Mendes and an interim title belt.
McGregor was taken down but proved to be tough as nails as he got back to his feet to finish off the American wrestler in the second round on Saturday. The UFC’s newest superstar came through in a big way, and the question of what was next loomed after the fight.
Frankie Edgar stood outside the Octagon and talked briefly with McGregor. He appeared to want a shot at McGregor and the interim title.
At the post-fight press conference, Dana White was non-committal about anything regarding McGregor and Aldo. He did not divulge any information about a possible date, but the same cannot be said for Lorenzo Fertitta.
Per Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Fertitta says the UFC would probably schedule the Aldo-McGregor unification bout for January 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Casino. The company has a hold on the arena for that date already, as the New Year’s fight card is usually one of the UFC’s premier dates.
There are still a lot of details to work out. Aldo is recovering from his rib injury, and McGregor is coming off the fight at UFC 189. There is no timetable for a bout for either man at this juncture, but the UFC seemingly wants this fight to be next for the featherweight division.
It is the UFC’s money fight.
The promotion returns to Ireland in October. That would seemingly be a prime spot for McGregor to defend the interim title, but it would be a big risk for the UFC. That decision would likely come down to the health of Aldo and if the UFC needs McGregor to defend the belt on that date. It seems unlikely the Irish crowd will get the hometown boy on that card.
Aldo vs. McGregor is the biggest fight the UFC can possibly make at this point in time. It makes sense the powers that be want to do this fight as soon as possible and not risk losing it again.
The McGregor victory at UFC 189 only made the fight bigger. The media surrounding the unification bout will be enormous, and the UFC will want to make sure this fight happens on the biggest stage possible.
White also stated at the post-fight presser that Aldo vs. McGregor would happen in Las Vegas. When a reporter asked about the possibility of AT&T Stadium, White remarked that it is hard to leave Vegas. It is the fight capital of the world. With a fight the size of Aldo vs. McGregor, it will be hard to take it anywhere other than Vegas.
It was possibly the fight of the year. Robbie Lawler defended his UFC welterweight championship against Rory MacDonald in a fantastic bout that went into the fifth round Saturday night.
The opening round was slower than some may have expected, but it w…
It was possibly the fight of the year. Robbie Lawler defended his UFC welterweight championship against Rory MacDonald in a fantastic bout that went into the fifth round Saturday night.
The opening round was slower than some may have expected, but it was not light on technique and drama. Lawler was more tactical against MacDonald in their rematch, and the Canadian challenger held his own against the champion. The first five minutes of the fight was hard to call.
The champion got his offense going in the second round. He was able to land more frequently with combinations. It looked like he was well on his way to defending the title without much issue as MacDonald sported a busted up nose. He was having issues breathing but remained active against Lawler.
MacDonald fired back in the third and fourth rounds. He hurt Lawler with a high kick, and it seemed as if he was just moments away from getting the fight stopped. Instead, Lawler showcased his champion’s resolve by staying in the fight. He routinely assured referee John McCarthy that he was OK. MacDonald won the two frames to set up a potentially decisive fifth and final round.
It wouldn’t last long. Lawler landed a vicious punch down the pipe right on MacDonald’s broken nose. The Canadian grabbed his face and went to the mat. The fight was called just one minute into the round. Lawler retained in a high-level affair with plenty of action.
After the fight, the two went to the hospital to get fixed up. It was there that they took a photo that will surely live on in MMA folklore. Both men were battered, but MacDonald more so. He looked like a Comic Con fanatic who did a Voldemortcosplay. The warriors posed for a picture that would make almost any fighter rethink this business.
The co-main event was not talked about nearly enough prior to UFC 189, but it will most certainly be discussed in the aftermath of all that happened. These two fighters put themselves in the history books.
These kinds of battles can take years off an athlete’s career. We should be grateful they stepped into the cage to put on a show for us. There was no backing down. It was a chess match between the elite fighters of the welterweight division. It is the championship fight that we hope to get when we purchase events.
Their wounds from UFC 189 tell the tale of their epic encounter. It shows the world how courageous they are for stepping into the cage to find out who the baddest at 170 pounds is. These are the fighters we should be celebrating. They entertain us with fisticuffs, and this is the result.
UFC 189 got off to a slow start with lackluster preliminary bouts, but the main card came with the fire.
Brad Pickett and Thomas Almeida started the main card with a fun and competitive first round. In the second frame Almeida put a stop to the fight w…
UFC 189 got off to a slow start with lackluster preliminary bouts, but the main card came with the fire.
Brad Pickett and Thomas Almeida started the main card with a fun and competitive first round. In the second frame Almeida put a stop to the fight with a flying knee. Gunner Nelson flattened and submitted Brandon Thatch in the second fight to get back in the win column in emphatic fashion.
Dennis Bermudez and Jeremy Stephens threw leather in the next bout, which ended with Stephens landing a knee that floored Bermudez. Stephens missed weight, and therefore he was not eligible for bonuses.
Then came the title fights.
Rory MacDonald failed to capture glory as Robbie LawlerTKO’d him in the fifth and final round of an astounding welterweight war. It was a battle that will be hard to top for Fight of the Year. And in the main event, ConorMcGregor captured interim UFC gold by TKO’ing Chad Mendes at the tail end of the second frame.
With all that action, picking performance winners was going to be a challenge, but the UFC did it. Here are the winners of $50,000 in bonus money for their showings at UFC 189.
Performance of the Night—Thomas Almeida
The highly touted bantamweight prospect got off to a rough start, but he rebounded to claim a bonus.
Brad Pickett is a crafty veteran with well-rounded skills, and he gave it all to Almeida. The youngster struggled in the first round as Pickett connected time and again. Pickett dropped the Brazilian twice in the round. However, Almeida had some offense of his own as he briefly dropped Pickett as well.
In the second round, Almeida put an end to the fight. He landed a crisp straight, and then he followed it up with a flying knee that shut out the lights.
Pickett hit the canvas hard. John McCarthy was on his way to stop the fight, but Almeida had already peeled off as to not do anymore damage. Almeida is the real deal. A well-earned performance bonus.
Performance of the Night—ConorMcGregor
The new Irish interim featherweight champion of the world picked up an extra $50,000 for his showing against Chad Mendes.
The newly crowned champion had to battle through some adversity, but he landed most of the significant blows. He was taken down multiple times, ate short elbows from Mendes and still got up to finish within the first two rounds.
He answered a lot of his critics, but he still showed holes in his game. All that aside, he delivered. He talked a big game and backed it all up inside the cage. He finished Mendes with his biggest weapon – the left hand. The win sets up the biggest fight in 145-pound history between McGregor and Jose Aldo at a date to be determined.
Fight of the Night—Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald
The UFC welterweight title fight no one was talking about delivered a potential Fight of the Year contender.
Lawler and MacDonald had a measured, but excellent, first round. It was a narrow round that could have gone either way. In the second round, Lawler started to take a little bit of control. He peppered MacDonald with a crisp jab and a straight left.
MacDonald came back in the third and fourth rounds. He had Lawler badly hurt and nearly finished, but the champion showed his resolve by not buckling. MacDonald worked his way into a decisive fifth round against the champion with his excellent showing in the previous two rounds.
Just one minute into the final frame, Lawler retained. A blistering left hand landed flush on an already broken nose of MacDonald. The challenger grabbed his nose and fell to the canvas, signaling he was finished. Lawler made a mess of MacDonald’s face, and the accumulation of strikes finally made it too painful to continue for MacDonald.
It was a phenomenally technical and brutal fight. It was the perfect blend. This fight is what high-level championship fights should strive to be, and the two warriors earned their performance bonuses on Saturday evening.
The highly anticipated welterweight scrap fulfilled expectations. Matt Brown and Tim Means delivered in a stellar one-round altercation.
Means looked sharp early and staggered Brown. The ultra-tough Ohio native returned the favor and dropped Means lat…
The highly anticipated welterweight scrap fulfilled expectations. Matt Brown and Tim Means delivered in a stellar one-round altercation.
Means looked sharp early and staggered Brown. The ultra-tough Ohio native returned the favor and dropped Means later in the first. Means seemed to lose the range after that, but he did land one of his nasty elbow strikes. Brown just smiled in return.
Brown then landed a fight-altering elbow. Means was hurt, shot in and Brown locked in a guillotine on Means. The end came at 4:44 of the first round. Brown moves back into contention at 170 pounds.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
The end came with the guillotine, but it is the elbows that we will remember.
Those are the strikes that changed the course of the fight. Brown placed them perfectly to hurt and wobble Means. Brown is one of the best finishers in the UFC today. When he knows he has his opponent hurt, he knows exactly how to finish them off.
We will recall how Brown slipped in the heavy elbow right on the side of Means’ head.
What We Learned About Tim Means
If there was any question Means can compete against the upper echelon, he answered it on Saturday.
Yes, he lost. Yes, he lost in the first round. But he was in this fight. He hurt Brown. He just got caught. That was the only difference in this fight, and Means showed that he can compete with his style against anyone in the division. He still has numerous holes in his game, but he is continually improving.
Means is a fun fighter to watch. This was a learning experience that will only benefit Means down the road.
What We Learned About Matt Brown
This is a tough one to answer because we honestly did not learn anything new about Brown. This was a classic Matt Brown performance.
Brown is a gritty fighter who has sneakily improved into being one of the best in the world. His style opens himself up to get caught from time to time, and he lacks some of the top-end athleticism to consistently compete against the elite. However, his technical proficiency helps keep him in fights to make him a constant threat to finish at any point.
What’s Next for Tim Means
I would hate to see Means fight someone outside of the top 15. He showed he belongs.
A matchup against Ryan LaFlare could be the right fight. The winner would solidify their spot in the top 15. LaFlare is coming off a loss to Demian Maia.
It’s a stylistic matchup that is troublesome for both men. Means would have to prevent LaFlare from his grinding grappling, and LaFlare would have to avoid standing with Means for prolonged periods. It may not be the most enticing matchup available, but it makes sense for where they stand in the division.
I just do not want Means to be pushed back into fighting someone outside of the top 15. He has earned big-time fights.
What’s Next for Matt Brown
Carlos Condit. Please let it be Carlos Condit.
That fight would be amazing, and it could be a title eliminator. They are both ranked in the top five, and they are both finishers. Their styles complement each other so well it would be a shock if it weren’t Fight of the Night, regardless of what card it ends up on.
