Author: Riley Kontek

TUF 21 American Top Team vs. Blackzilians: Episode 1 Recap and Results

The Ultimate Fighter returned with its 21st season of the long-running reality TV series Wednesday night with the first episode. This season is not like any other season, though, as two MMA gyms in the American Top Team and Blackzilians square off in t…

The Ultimate Fighter returned with its 21st season of the long-running reality TV series Wednesday night with the first episode. This season is not like any other season, though, as two MMA gyms in the American Top Team and Blackzilians square off in their South Florida rivalry.

Both gyms were introduced to allow audience members get to know both squads better. We got a glimpse into the background of their feud, which stems from some of Dan Lambert’s ATT fighters breaking away from the gym and joining the Blackzilian gym under Glenn Robinson.

Both sets of coaches met to talk about which eight fighters they would bring onto the all-welterweight cast. The fighters stemmed from longtime vets of the sport such as Steve Carl and Luiz Firmino, to newcomers to the scene such as Carrington Banks and Mike Graves.

As normal, the fighters live in a house together, which has already proved kind of awkward for the fighters. They are on rival teams and are already showing signs of conflict, which will be key going along.

A new format was installed this season which will ensure teammates don’t fight teammates. Neither team has control of the fights, as both coaches pick a fighter blindly whom they present on weigh-in day, when the fighters find out their opponent.

No fighter is actually eliminated; even if they lose, they are still eligible to fight down the line. That is because there is a point-tier system where team points are based on wins at certain points. For example, the first tier of fights are worth 25 points, whereas the second tier of fights are worth 50 points.

It’s certainly an interesting system, though at the end of all the fights, it will be tough to choose who fights in the finale to become the actual Ultimate Fighter.

The first fight selected is against two of the brightest young prospects in the house. ATT chose to go with workhorse Mike Graves, while Blackzilians went with uber-wrestler and physical specimen Kamaru Usman.

The fight itself was decent at best. Graves was tentative, knowing the takedown was high priority, while Usman did a lot of wrestling and clinch.

After two rounds of fighting, Usman won a majority decision in a bout most people thought deserved a third round (or sudden-death round). The consensus was that Usman took the first round, but Graves edged the second. Regardless, Usman won and put the Blackzilians on the board.

Dana White panned the fight for its lack of urgency in terms of pushing the action. Hopefully, this is not a sign of things to come, as it could lead to another disappointing season.

 

Season Results

Winner Loser Points Total
Kamaru Usman (BLK) Mike Graves (ATT) 25 Blackzilians lead 25-0

 

Notes and Observations

  • Usman had a great house observation in terms of figuring out who will be fighting next for the other team. He has observations based on who is really eying up the other team’s guys, but it’s noticing the other guy’s diets where you can probably figure out who will be picked by the other team.
  • I don’t know why I noticed this, but during the one-on-one confessional interviews, Graves, to me, looked like a longer-haired version of Jason Segal of Forgetting Sarah Marshall fame.
  • During the training footage, they showed Graves training in takedown defense with Yoel Romero, an Olympic silver medalist turned middleweight MMA contender. That’s a good guy to have as a training partner.
  • Dan Lambert and Glenn Robinson may have the most intriguing rivalry and exchanges on this show in several seasons. These guys legitimately dislike each other and are bound to have some great verbal-sparring matches.
  • I love this new format, editing and feel. I know they are going back to the old format for the 22nd season of the show, but they should really consider doing another version of this show. My venture would be that Team Alpha Male vs. Nova Uniao in Las Vegas would be an awesome show.
  • I personally thought the fight should have gone to the third round, but it was close. Graves had great ability to get off the ground, which didn’t allow Usman to really get going. The striking was pretty even, but Graves looked to get the better. Plus, the back-take in the second round was the most significant thing of the fight. Either way, Graves could be back sometime down the line.

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UFC 186 Preliminary Card Predictions

The busy UFC schedule continues this weekend and marks the promotion’s return to Montreal. UFC 186 comes live Saturday night with a title bout and several other intriguing feature bouts.
Dominant flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson headlines the card…

The busy UFC schedule continues this weekend and marks the promotion’s return to Montreal. UFC 186 comes live Saturday night with a title bout and several other intriguing feature bouts.

Dominant flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson headlines the card against surging contender Kyoji Horiguchi. Then, Michael Bisping and CB Dollaway get down in the co-main event in a pivotal middleweight bout.

Before that we have the preliminary card. Last week was a rough one for me, whether it was a call-out from Tim Means or a dismal 2-5 run. We look to improve drastically this time around.

With that, let’s take a look the preliminary card and make some picks.

 

2015 Riley’s Record: 46-28

Last Event: UFC on Fox 15 (2-5)

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Invicta 12’s Maureen Riordon: Looking Forward to First-Ever Grudge Match

The sport of MMA is crazy. One minute, you are very close with people in the sport—casual acquaintances or even the best of friends. The next minute, there’s a falling-out, and things get chippy.
There are many great examples of this. The most fa…

The sport of MMA is crazy. One minute, you are very close with people in the sport—casual acquaintances or even the best of friends. The next minute, there’s a falling-out, and things get chippy.

There are many great examples of this. The most famous could be the Jon Jones-Rashad Evans feud that we were graced with not long ago, culminating in a title fight that the younger champion Jones was successful in.

On the regional levels, there has been a grudge match in the making for some time. It involves two Colorado fighters who were formerly training partners but are now rivals.

Those two women are Shannon Sinn and Maureen Riordon.

Riordon and Sinn‘s falling-out has now led to a matchup at the upcoming Invicta 12. It’s a fight that can maybe settle some differences, but one thing is for sure: It will allow some aggression to be released.

“This is my first grudge match, I guess you would say,” Riordon told Bleacher Report in an interview. “For the first couple years of our careers, we trained together and were sparring partners. We then had a falling-out, she had some personal issues that I didn’t know about, and she left the gym.”

For Riordon, a spot on the Invicta roster is huge. It means a platform to get her name out there and potentially the ability to increase the activity of her schedule.

Like most women’s MMA fighters, Riordon has struggled to secure fights on the regional scene. This is especially true as an amateur, where she had five of her career fights.

In addition to that, she had to move outside the realm of MMA for fights. She was even offered a spot on a Glory kickboxing card, something she took and was successful in.

“As an amateur, it’s so difficult to get fights,” Riordon explained. “I wanted to just do MMA, but as I kept getting fights turned down, I got an offer to do a kickboxing match. I didn‘t really want to do it, but if I didn‘t take it, I wouldn’t fight at all. Also, people told me I couldn’t be successful not focusing on one combat sport, so I wanted to prove them wrong. When that opportunity knocks on your door, you jump at it.”

When she eventually decided to turn pro, she was given a big opportunity in the form of a fight with Resurrection Fighting Alliance, an organization known for sending fighters to the UFC. It was her pro debut, but it was an opportunity she could not turn down.

In her way was a then-unknown MMA fighter by the name of Marion Reneau. In a fun fight, Reneau was able to secure an armbar victory over Riordon—though Riordon showed good heart and potential.

“Fighting for RFA was a huge opportunity for me and something I am extremely grateful for,” Riordon stated. “I would love to rematch Marion Reneau in the future because I learned a lot from that fight process. Not to take anything away from Marion, but I had basically one training partner who I had to show how to do an armbar on the first day of fight camp. And I was not allowed to cross-train for that fight camp because my coach didn‘t want me to, so I realized to meet my needs first when in a fight camp. The fight with Marion might have been different, and it might not have been different, but I would like to try that fight again in the future where I am able to work with more training partners and prep better.”

However, that is all in the past, and Riordon is looking toward the future. She has an important fight with Sinn that could jump-start her career quickly.

It’s a matchup that she’s excited for and knows will be good.

“This will be a good, interesting fight,” Riordon predicted. “This is business, and she’s just another opponent. I’ll punch her in the face, and she’ll punch me in the face. There will definitely be more satisfaction in punching each other in the face than normally. I want to win every fight, obviously, but this is one that I really want to win, and I know she feels the same way. We’re different fighters than we were when we trained together.”

That’s the kind of attitude that will put Riordon over in this fight. She knows nothing will be easy, yet she looks forward to the challenge.

A win here definitely solidifies her on the Invicta roster, whether it’s at 135 or 125 pounds. She’s excited to be on this roster because it means a chance to gain recognition and fans.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Riordon asserted. “I just hope the fans like what I show them because I will give it my all out there.”

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Invicta 12’s Lacey Schuckman: Looking to Settle in at 115

Life on the MMA regional scene can be tough. Paychecks are unpredictable, fights can be hard to come by, and you’re not always fighting the most legit talents around.
Compound that with the fact that women’s MMA is still in its early stages, and a woma…

Life on the MMA regional scene can be tough. Paychecks are unpredictable, fights can be hard to come by, and you’re not always fighting the most legit talents around.

Compound that with the fact that women’s MMA is still in its early stages, and a woman’s life in the regional scene is even tougher.

Lacey Schuckman has found that out. The Colorado-based fighter has been jumping around the regionals for most of her career, taking fights from the 125-pound weight class all the way down to the 105-pound weight class.

At 10-8, Schuckman‘s record is deceiving. Sure, she’s just a tad over .500, but she has taken on some tough competition and has done so, often times, in a weight class above where she should be fighting.

“It’s been tough to find fights; that’s why you see me jumping between weight classes,” Schuckman told Bleacher Report in an interview. “I usually walk around at about 135, so I was able to make 125 and 115 easy. I can fight at 105 if it’s worth it, but that’s a hard cut.”

Schuckman, although a staple of the regional MMA scene, is no stranger to the bright lights. She has been on a Strikeforce Challengers card but has also already taken a couple of fights with Invicta.

Of those fights in Invicta, Schuckman is 0-2 against two of the better fighters on the roster. Top Japanese fighter Ayaka Hamasaki submitted her, and Michelle Waterson bested her in what was an amazing, back-and-forth MMA match that you should check out.

Now, she’s back with Invicta and hoping for longevity.

“I’m really excited to be back with Invicta. It’s been a while since I fought for them. I wanna show my improvements and solidify myself in the cage.”

Schuckman now looks to start her run at strawweight at Invicta 12 when she takes on Jenny Liou Shriver, another woman making her return to Invicta. In Shriver, you have a less-experienced fighter with good skills and potential.

It’s the type of matchup that has Fight of the Night written all over it.

“I think we match up really well; she’s a jiu-jitsu fighter as well,” Schuckman pointed out. “I try to be as well-rounded as possible. I started as a striker but found my niche as a grappler. On the feet, this is more my game, but I don’t want to underestimate her. I expect her striking to be improved since her last fight with Invicta.”

Shriver is just the first fighter in a line of fighters Schuckman will have to defeat to catch the eye of the big promotion, the UFC. She wants to start a winning streak and continue to stay busy with Invicta.

Although she’s definitely not looking past Shriver, Schuckman already has future fights on her mind. She bases who she wants next on skills and style, something that will test her and make fun fights for the fans.

“Myself vs. Mizuki Inoue would be a great fight. I really respect her; she’s definitely somebody I have had an eye on for a while. Also, I think a matchup with Jasminka Cive, another fighter known for her striking, is another person I’d like to test myself against.”

Of course, her first obstacle lies in Shriver. Come Invicta 12 fight night, she will be ready to start her run up the ladder in the strawweight division.

 

Lacey would like to thank her head coach, Randall Schuckman, her kickboxing coach, Don Lee, her boxing coach, Steve Mestas, her BJJ professor, Joaquin Baca, and her wrestling coach, Mike Laurita, as well as all of her teammates at #TeamGoonies. She would also like to thank her sponsors, 90 Degree by Reflex, Martial Arts Life Apparel, Fighter Girls, Grit Mouthguards, Mass Destruction MMA, MMAROADHOG Racing, Tan Time, LUB MMA and Xionx-mma.com. She’d like to send a shout-out to her manager, Rosa Freitas, for all the hard work. Follow her on Twitter @ladielacey

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UFC on Fox 15 Results: 3 Fights to Make for Ovince Saint Preux

The light heavyweight division is shallow in terms of capable bodies in the UFC, so every win is huge. That can especially be said about Ovince Saint Preux’s performance Saturday night. He scored a big knockout win over Patrick Cummins.
Saint Preux, a …

The light heavyweight division is shallow in terms of capable bodies in the UFC, so every win is huge. That can especially be said about Ovince Saint Preux‘s performance Saturday night. He scored a big knockout win over Patrick Cummins.

Saint Preux, a former collegiate football player, has been successful since coming to the UFC. With last night’s victory, he took a giant leap forward in the division, as the underrated 205’er inched closer to the title picture.

He took out Cummins, a guy many thought would outwrestle him for three rounds, with a violent multiple-punch knockout. It was an exciting finish that had fans on their feet.

Where does Saint Preux go next from here? Let’s examine three fights that could be up next for OSP.

 

Jimi Manuwa

Watching OSP‘s brutal knockout of Cummins Saturday night reminded me of another brutal striker at 205 by the name of Jimi Manuwa. That leads me to believe that could be a fun matchup.

Manuwa will be mending a knee injury for a while, but a return bout against OSP makes sense. Both men are rising in the divisional rankings and each would benefit from a win over the other.

Power vs. power is always intriguing. That’s why this potential main card bout has all the interest of this writer and other MMA fans.

 

Glover Teixeira/Alexander Gustafsson Winner

Glover Teixeira and Alexander Gustafsson, two Top 10 light heavyweights, are scheduled to throw down in Germany as the main event of a UFC Fight Night.

Both men have had title shots and are at the top of the division. However, they are a couple fights away from a title shot. That’s why whoever wins that bout should get another fight before challenging for the title.

That’s where OSP comes in.

He is making a beeline toward the title picture and can get into serious consideration if he were to not only get a fight with one of these two but win it. It’s an interesting matchup, to say the least.

 

Rashad Evans

Rashad Evans has been on the sidelines due to injury for a while. When he’s ready to make a return, OSP could be his first test after said injury.

Evans is a former champion and a major obstacle for OSP‘s march toward the title. It would be a good measuring test for Evans to see where he is in his return, while it would be a preparation fight for OSP to see if he is good enough for a title shot.

Both men are athletic and powerful. It could be a Fight of the Night in the making.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fox 15 Results: 3 Fights to Make for Paige VanZant

Saturday night was a coming-out party for one of the hottest up-and-coming fighters in the women’s strawweight division. That party was for Paige VanZant, who took advantage of mainstream exposure in her fight with Felice Herrig to turn in her best per…

Saturday night was a coming-out party for one of the hottest up-and-coming fighters in the women’s strawweight division. That party was for Paige VanZant, who took advantage of mainstream exposure in her fight with Felice Herrig to turn in her best performance to date.

Dominant in her bout, VanZant mixed up her attacks on Herrig and completely overwhelmed the TUF 20 veteran to a lopsided decision. It was a performance that has taken VanZant from promising prospect to potential contender at 115.

In VanZant, you have a marketable top fighter in the strawweight division. However, you don’t want to give her too much, too soon. That’s why a slow build is the way to go for “12 Gauge.”

So who should she be matched up with next? Let’s examine three potential opponents who could be next up for VanZant.

 

Maryna Moroz

If VanZant’s coming-out party was Saturday night in New Jersey, Maryna Moroz’s coming-out party was in Poland the previous week. Moroz went from unknown sacrificial lamb for Joanne Calderwood to bona fide contender in quick, impressive fashion.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk is going to need a challenger in the near future. While Moroz and VanZant are certainly on track to grab said title shot, they are still early in their careers and could benefit from added experience.

That’s why a VanZant-Moroz matchup makes a ton of sense. A title shot could be on the horizon, and each woman would have to go through one another to get it.

 

Rose Namajunas/Nina Ansaroff Winner

In examining a bout between Rose Namajunas and Nina Ansaroff, you have a fun little scrap. Examining further, it’s a fight that could provide a good matchup for VanZant regardless of the winner.

Namajunas is a TUF runner-up; Ansaroff is a tough Invicta vet. They both have styles that could play well against VanZant.

They have to settle their business first. VanZant against Namajunas is probably the fight to make, but if Ansaroff was able to pull out the victory, she could also fight the bill.

 

Tecia Torres/Angela Hill Winner

Paige VanZant was supposed to be on TUF 20 but was deemed too young for the house. What if her MMA gimmick became running through all of the people who were supposed to be her castmates?

That’s where a UFC 188 bout between Tecia Torres and Angela Hill comes into play. Both were cast members of TUF 20, and they will collide in a bout that could produce a great matchup with VanZant.

Both Hill and Torres would match up well with VanZant in terms of excitement. It would be a great fight that would benefit any UFC Fight Night main card.

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