Author: Nathan McCarter

Invicta FC 13: Cris Cyborg Gets Another Tuneup Fight Before Attempting 135 Lbs

Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino returns to action this week, and it will be just another fight of total destruction to add to her resume.
Justino, the Invicta FC featherweight champion, defends her title against Faith Van Duin at Invicta FC 13 i…

Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino returns to action this week, and it will be just another fight of total destruction to add to her resume.

Justino, the Invicta FC featherweight champion, defends her title against Faith Van Duin at Invicta FC 13 in Las Vegas. Van Duin has a 5-1 professional record and earned her title shot with a submission victory over Amanda Bell.  It is a notable win, but it’s the only thing of note on her resume.

For Cyborg, this is a tuneup fight—perhaps her last at 145 pounds.

Cyborg has not lost since her MMA debut in 2005. The only other blemish on her record is a no-contest against Hiroko Yamanaka following a positive test for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. But Cyborg returned from her suspension to reel off three more dominant performances.

Earlier this year, it was discovered that Cyborg was not signed by Invicta FC, but rather the UFC prior to her Invicta FC 11 title defense against Charmaine Tweet. However, not having a women’s featherweight division, the UFC simply paid for her contract as she fought in Invicta FC. The UFC signee will attempt to make 135 pounds for her official UFC debut at some point in the future.

In February, Cyborg gave an interview with espnW and mentioned that she has a diet coach to help her achieve cutting to 135 pounds:

I’m doing my best now to make 135, I have a new diet coach. He follows me and I’m doing my best to make that, because the UFC doesn’t have my weight class at 145. We have goals now and we work together, the UFC and Invicta, to get there.

It is clear that a potential Cyborg-Ronda Rousey fight is the premier fight in women’s MMA. The two dominant figures is the money fight, but Cyborg’s weight has always been the question mark. It is unclear at this point if the UFC would sign Cyborg-Rousey right away without proof that she can make the weight, or if they will have Cyborg fight one fight in the UFC at 135 pounds prior to making the bout.

The weigh-ins for this event will be more closely watched than any previous Invicta weigh-in. How will Cyborg look? Will she be as big and lean as ever, or will she come out with an even slimmer figure to show off her hard work?

One thing’s for certain—Van Duin is going to take a beating at Invicta FC 13.

Most fans want Cyborg-Rousey to happen, but she has to make the weight for it to be a possibility. She has not shown that ability yet, but everyone still talks about that fight. Cyborg’s title defense will do nothing to prove that, either. This is about building hype of another unstoppable fighting machine. The fight this week will only add to the fervor as Cyborg crushes another outmatched opponent with ease.

This fight card takes place during International Fight Week, and it will draw a lot of interest. It is the perfect time to have another classic Cyborg performance followed by announcing her plans to drop to bantamweight. Santos is not in danger against Van Duin. This is a showcase fight, and it will be a violent one.

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UFC Fight Night 70: Live Results, Play-by-Play and Fight Card Highlights

UFC Fight Night 70 comes to you from Hollywood, Florida on Saturday evening. The fight card features nine fights across four divisions.
In the main event, middleweight contenders Lyoto Machida and Yoel Romero duke it out to see who can join title conte…

UFC Fight Night 70 comes to you from Hollywood, Florida on Saturday evening. The fight card features nine fights across four divisions.

In the main event, middleweight contenders Lyoto Machida and Yoel Romero duke it out to see who can join title contention. Welterweights Santiago Ponzinibbio and Lorenz Larkin meet in the co-main event of the evening.

Bleacher Report will be here all evening to provide you play-by-play analysis of the action.

The preliminary action kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 2. The main card is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET, following the Women’s World Cup, on Fox Sports 1.

UFC Fight Night 70 Fight Card

  • Lyoto Machida vs. Yoel Romero
  • Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Lorenz Larkin
  • Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Eddie Gordon
  • Thiago Santos vs. Steve Bosse
  • Hacran Dias vs. Levan Makashvili
  • Alex Oliveira vs. Joe Merritt
  • Leandro Silva vs. Lewis Gonzalez
  • Steve Montgomery vs. Tony Sims
  • Danny Martinez vs. Sirwan Kakai

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The UFC Giving Paige VanZant a Squash Match Is the Right Strategy

Paige VanZant (5-1) has her next fight booked, but it’s not against top-10 opposition. VanZant will meet Alex Chambers (5-2) at UFC 191.
VanZant stunned most with her impressive UFC debut against Kailin Curran and followed that up with a drub…

Paige VanZant (5-1) has her next fight booked, but it’s not against top-10 opposition. VanZant will meet Alex Chambers (5-2) at UFC 191.

VanZant stunned most with her impressive UFC debut against Kailin Curran and followed that up with a drubbing of Felice Herrig. The win moved her into the top 10 where she currently is the No. 8-ranked contender in the strawweight division. As a top-10 fighter with a lot of buzz, the UFC could have easily put her in a prime-time bout with potential title implications, but it made the right decision not to.

Chambers is not a big threat to VanZant. She is a former atomweight with a decent overall game but shouldn’t threaten VanZant in a serious manner. Chambers was able to score an upset over Curran earlier in 2015 via armbar, but it was a fight that she was losing up until that point. VanZant should be able to dominate this fight.

The biggest reason the UFC is right in making this fight? VanZant is 21.

There is no reason it should rush one of its most talked about prospects up the ladder. She is still a developing fighter. Prior to making her UFC debut, she met Tecia Torres in Invicta FC where she lost a decisive decision. It wasn’t until everyone saw how much she grew as a fighter in her UFC debut that she was taken as a serious prospect. She has a very high ceiling, and pushing her into the deep end of the pool is nonsensical at this juncture.

The UFC has, for years, rushed young prospects into beatings against elite opposition. It has been a common critique of how it treated prospects. This should be a welcome change. At just 21, VanZant has much to learn. Team Alpha Male is the perfect camp to hone her skills, and with time she could become a legitimate threat to the title—but that time is not now.

Chambers is a great opponent for her development. VanZant should not be threatened, but Chambers is quality enough to potentially find success on the feet or the floor. It will force VanZant to be sharp. It is a low-risk fight with potential high-end rewards for 12 Gauge.

Do fights against Claudia Gadelha, Jessica Aguilar or, even, Joanna Jedrzejczyk make sense for VanZant? Does pitting her against other prospects such as Rose Namajunas serve the UFC better? No.

The options for top-10 opponents were slim, and even if there were more options the UFC made the right call to put VanZant on the slow path to the top. It has an investment in VanZant, and it wants to maximize the rewards.

With an impressive victory against Chambers, VanZant could then take a bigger fight on the back end of the top 15. And another victory could then put her into the talks for an elite fight. But not now. As it stands today, in mid-2015, there is no reason VanZant should be fighting the elite.

The UFC should be commended for treating a prospect like a prospect. It made the right call.

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UFC on Fox 16: Can Jessica Eye Knock Off Perennial Contender Miesha Tate?

UFC on Fox 16 plays host to a critical bantamweight matchup between No. 2-ranked contender Miesha Tate and No. 5-ranked Jessica Eye. This could be a title eliminator taking place in Chicago.
Tate is riding a three-fight winning streak in her attempt to…

UFC on Fox 16 plays host to a critical bantamweight matchup between No. 2-ranked contender Miesha Tate and No. 5-ranked Jessica Eye. This could be a title eliminator taking place in Chicago.

Tate is riding a three-fight winning streak in her attempt to earn a third shot against Ronda Rousey. Eye is coming off a gruesome win against Leslie Smith last November. This fight will be a big test for Eye in her attempt to get the elusive title shot. Is she able to beat Tate to earn that opportunity? Absolutely.

Eye has all the tools to win this fight.

The Cleveland native loves to brawl, and she has a high output. Her FightMetric numbers show her landing 5.26 significant strikes per minute. Unfortunately, she also absorbs 4.6 per minute. Still, her output is more than three times as high as Tate’s significant strikes.

The numbers indicate that this will be a striker vs. grappler matchup. Tate will want to put Eye on her back. Tate is a decent wrestler, and Eye’s stats don’t show her to be a great defensive grappler. This could play right into Tate’s game plan, but the numbers are a bit misleading.

Eye is a smart fighter. There is little doubt she is preparing to stifle the takedown attempts, and she is not inept on the mat either. If Eye is able to keep the fight standing, her boxing will be on display.

She holds a slight reach advantage over Tate, and the footage shows who is the better striker. Tate’s boxing is rudimentary. She uses it to get inside, but it is not technical in any sense. Eye, on the other hand, has much better boxing. She should be able to touch up Tate and easily slip to avoid Tate getting inside to grapple with her. In a three-round fight, Eye could easily take a decision by point fighting.

Even though Tate will be seeking the takedown, she has a penchant for getting caught up in striking battles. She does not mind a brawl, but approaching a fight with Eye that way would be a mistake. If the Ohioan can suck her into a stand-up battle, she will punch her ticket to a title fight.

This being a three-round fight drastically helps Eye. Tate would be more able to grind in later rounds when the pace slows, but in a three-round fight, Eye can let her hands go with ferocity. She won’t tire in 15 minutes, and the judges will be more easily swayed by punches connecting than grappling. Tate must be successful in her takedown attempts.

We have seen time and again what happens when grapplers have their early takedowns stuffed. It is demoralizing, and it forces them to spend time searching for different ways to get the fight to the floor. It allows the strikers more time to rack up points or land fight-altering blows. The first round will be vital in Eye vs. Tate.

Who wins next month will come down to where this fight takes place. Tate will not win standing against Eye. Can Eye keep the fight on the feet? It will not be easy, but she has the ability to do just that. This will be a close fight and a fun one. If Tate fails to put Eye on the canvas in the first round, expect to see the evil one getting her hand raised at the end of the fight.

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Machida vs. Romero: A Complete Guide to UFC Fight Night 70

UFC Fight Night 70 comes your way this Saturday with a compelling middleweight main event.
No. 4-ranked middleweight Lyoto Machida squares off against No. 6-ranked Yoel Romero. Machida is coming off a brutal loss to Luke Rockhold in April, while Romero…

UFC Fight Night 70 comes your way this Saturday with a compelling middleweight main event.

No. 4-ranked middleweight Lyoto Machida squares off against No. 6-ranked Yoel Romero. Machida is coming off a brutal loss to Luke Rockhold in April, while Romero returns for the first time since his controversial win over Tim Kennedy last September.

This event has undergone numerous changes that included visa troubles for several fighters including Erick Silva. This unfortunate shake-up has left the UFC with only nine fights for the weekend’s card. Regardless, it should still be a fun night of fights.

The co-main event now will be Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Lorenz Larkin.

Seven of the nine bouts take place in the welterweight and middleweight divisions. There will be a lot of movement within those divisions on Saturday.

After all the shuffling, we can finally get this card under our belts in just a few short days. Let’s take a look at the complete guide for the nine-fight card hitting Florida this weekend.

Begin Slideshow

Joanna Jedrzejczyk Bloodies Jessica Penne, Posts Massive Striking Differential

Joanna Jedrzejczyk defeated Jessica Penne at UFC Fight Night 69 in Berlin, and it wasn’t even close. Jedrzejczyk put on another stellar championship performance.
Jedrzejczyk ended the fight in the third round after brutalizing Penne with her stri…

Joanna Jedrzejczyk defeated Jessica Penne at UFC Fight Night 69 in Berlin, and it wasn’t even close. Jedrzejczyk put on another stellar championship performance.

Jedrzejczyk ended the fight in the third round after brutalizing Penne with her striking. She threw just about everything in the book, and referee Marc Goddard stepped in to rescue Penne from further punishment. Goddard saw a knee go down the pipe and decided to not prolong the beating. Jedrzejczyk made the first successful defense of the UFC’s newest title.

What was even more astonishing was the raw data from the fight:

Michael Carroll of FightMetric, the UFC’s official stats provider, reported that Jedrzejczyk landed 126 significant strikes during the contest to just 25 of Penne. Jedrzejczyk connected on 61 percent of her strikes. That is a phenomenal number at this high level.

Even more impressive?

The 101-strike differential is second in UFC history—only behind Rich Franklin’s championship performance against David Loiseau.

The Franklin-Loiseau fight went the distance. And it only had a 106-strike differential. It is hard to imagine what Jedrzejczyk could have done to the record with an extra 10-plus minutes to work with. Penne’s battered face would have only been thrashed more.

Jedrzejczyk is a charismatic champion who backs up her words in the cage. When asked after the fight who she would like to face, she merely responded to Dan Hardy, “Are they ready for me?”

Are they?

Jedrzejczyk’s staggering output is only made more incredible by how she defended the takedown attempts from Penne. She did not spend the entire rounds at a striking distance. She defended numerous takedown attempts from the clinch and worked her way out of the position. Jedrzejczyk’s hand speed is ludicrous, and it shows in the numbers.

The strawweight division will continually throw credible, interesting challengers her way. It is not a shallow division like bantamweight is. And it is only growing.

Even still, as we sit here today, it is difficult to imagine who can dethrone this champion. Her takedown defense is only improving, and she is far and away the most skilled striker. Jedrzejczyk is also the most powerful and has legitimate fight-ending capability with just one punch. There aren’t many other fights who can say that.

A plus-101 striking differential tells the tale of this fight, and the tale of Jedrzejczyk’s dominance in the division.

The Polish champion claims that she will be the champion for the foreseeable future, and it is difficult to argue. Her striking background is second to none in the division. She is so technical and precise in the Octagon, it is difficult for her opponents to find success on the feet.

Jedrzejczyk’s output is so high, it continually forces them to be defensive. That only allows Jedrzejczyk to tee off even more. She is an impressive champion whom we are fortunate to have.

Whoever comes to challenge the queen of this division next will have to be prepared for a constant onslaught of strikes. Jedrzejczyk’s speed and precision are going to be difficult to stop.

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