UFC 178 on Saturday may be headlined by Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso, but it’s not the whole story. In fact, it may not be the most enthralling fight on the card.
That distinction may land upon a main card bout between Dustin Poirier and C…
UFC 178 on Saturday may be headlined by Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso, but it’s not the whole story. In fact, it may not be the most enthralling fight on the card.
That distinction may land upon a main card bout between Dustin Poirier and ConorMcGregor. It is a featherweight bout with high implications that could establish one of the next men to jump into the title picture.
There is also some animosity. McGregor is a showman and a seller, while Poirier is a no-nonsense bayou boy who has grown weary of the McGregor show.
What is going to happen when this bout goes down? Let’s break this fight down from the top to the bottom and make a prediction when it’s all said and done.
Get ready fans, UFC 178 is coming at you like a ton of bricks. The event, which marks the return to pay-per-view for the company, boasts a UFC title fight and some other awesome bouts.
Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso headlines the card, but the bi…
Get ready fans, UFC 178 is coming at you like a ton of bricks. The event, which marks the return to pay-per-view for the company, boasts a UFC title fight and some other awesome bouts.
Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso headlines the card, but the bigger stories may lie on the lower main card bouts. Names like ConorMcGregor, Cat Zingano and Donald Cerrone will perform on this show.
With that, we come with our normal installment of “Reasons to Watch.” As if you need them, here are five reasons you should watch UFC 178 this Saturday on PPV.
Fans have eagerly awaited news on the return of Cris “Cyborg” Justino, and the UFC delivered today.
According to UFC.com, Cyborg is set to make her return to Invicta at its 10th event, which will take place December 6. The venue, location and an oppone…
Fans have eagerly awaited news on the return of Cris “Cyborg” Justino, and the UFC delivered today.
According to UFC.com, Cyborg is set to make her return to Invicta at its 10th event, which will take place December 6. The venue, location and an opponent have not yet been announced.
Cyborg is arguably the second-biggest draw in women’s MMA behind only Ronda Rousey. She will be making her awaited drop to 135 pounds, likely in the pursuit of a title match with Rousey in the near future.
Cyborg has had just two bouts with Invicta thus far. In her debut, she smashed Fiona Muxlow and followed that up with a Invicta FC Featherweight Championship win over MarloesCoenen.
In terms of opponents for Cyborg, there doesn’t seem to be many options. EdianeGomes was an option until her submission loss to Tonya Evinger, so Evinger herself may be an option. Other than that, there is a major lack of depth in Invicta due to the influx of top fighters currently in the UFC.
Obviously, a successful weight cut, clean drug test and impressive performance would likely earn her an immediate go-around with her rival Rousey.
In addition to the news on Cyborg’s return, a date, location and main event has been announced for Invicta 9.
Barb Honchak will defend her flyweight title against Japanese veteran TakayoHashi in the main event. The card takes place November 1 in Davenport, Iowa.
This marks the first time Invicta has ventured outside of Kansas City. All eight cards were held there, but with the addition of UFC Fight Pass and the demand for more Invicta events by fans, the company has opted to take the show on the road.
Honchak is currently on an eight-fight win streak, including a 4-0 record in Invicta. She won the vacant title by besting Vanessa Porto at Invicta 5. She followed that up in her first title defense by defeating now-UFC fighter Leslie Smith in an exciting bout.
As for Hashi, she recently returned from an almost two-year hiatus this year and has gone 1-0-1 in 2014. After a unanimous draw in her return bout, she knocked out top Japanese fighter ShizukaSugiyama in her sophomore outing of 2014.
That is the only announced bout of Invicta 9. Stay tuned with Bleacher Report as more fight announcements are made in the coming weeks.
The venue was Saitama Super Arena. No, it wasn’t a Pride show, it was UFC Fight Night 52 and it took place in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The card was headlined by Pride throwback Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson. It was a heavyweight bout that …
The venue was Saitama Super Arena. No, it wasn’t a Pride show, it was UFC Fight Night 52 and it took place in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The card was headlined by Pride throwback Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson. It was a heavyweight bout that featured two of the most durable, deadly one-punch knockout artists in the division.
When fight time came, fans eagerly sat at the edge of their seat, knowing the bout could end in the blink of an eye. That happened in the second round, as Hunt nailed Nelson with a one-hitter quitter and walked off into the sunset before the ref could stop him.
What did we learn from this Hunt win? Let’s take a look and peer into the future as well.
What We’ll Remember From This Fight
The finish is what we’ll remember. The uppercut Hunt hit Nelson with was equal parts beautiful as it was devastating.
The way in which Nelson went down was also an image to be remembered. After Hunt connected with the punch, Nelson went face down on the mat in a way we have never seen of “Big Country.”
Also, although this may be over-picky, we should remember that the announcers incorrectly said on multiple times this was the first time Nelson was ever knocked out. This was untrue, as Andrei Arlovski did it over five years ago.
That is something that should not happen. The announcers need to do their homework and be more precise with their stats and information.
What We Learned About Hunt
He is an entirely different man than he was a few years ago. In fact, Hunt is one of the best in the world, undoubtedly.
We all knew he can end a fight with one punch. But, now that he can defend takedowns and keep away from his suspect submission game, he is a guy that could be a threat to the UFC title.
What We Learned About Nelson
He is a gate keeper of the heavyweight division. He will be top 10 for a long time but he will fail to break through to bigger things.
That said, he’s good in that role. He is good at headlining smaller cards and creating memorable moments regardless. His one-punch KO ability is marketable, as is his personality.
That’s why he is still valuable.
What’s Next for Hunt?
To be honest, Hunt should be next up for the UFC title. He is the most marketable, dangerous finisher in line for the belt.
Figure that Junior dos Santos is way far off a title bout, StipeMiocic is not as marketable and both men are tied up anyways. That means that when Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum meet in November, Hunt could be lurking in the shadows.
What’s Next for Nelson?
There are a lot of options going forward for Nelson, however none of them will get him in the title picture very soon.
A guy I’d like to see Nelson throw down with is Antonio Silva, who is coming off a loss last weekend to Arlovski. Otherwise, should Josh Barnett return anytime soon, that is another fight that would be interesting.
If you were awake Saturday morning in America, you were treated to UFC Fight Night 52. Live from Japan, the card boasted a pretty deep card, including a vital women’s bout between Miesha Tate and Rin Nakai.
It was a bout that was filled with failed tak…
If you were awake Saturday morning in America, you were treated to UFC Fight Night 52. Live from Japan, the card boasted a pretty deep card, including a vital women’s bout between Miesha Tate and RinNakai.
It was a bout that was filled with failed takedown attempts and lots of clinch work. Tate was vastly superior on the feet, completely outclassing Nakai with her hands and feet.
When it was all said and done, Tate grabbed a clear-cut unanimous decision over Nakai. She showed some improvements in her game, indicating she is evolving.
What’s next for Tate? Let’s take a look at three opponents she could face going forward.
Sarah Kaufman
Tate and Sarah Kaufman have squared off before in 2009. In that fight, Kaufman took a unanimous decision over Tate in a three-minute, three-round bout.
It’s time for the rematch.
Both women are different fighters from the first fight. They have both improved and contributed further to their well-rounded games.
Not only that, but they are both in the top 10. All those things considered, this could be the best match going forward for both.
Sara McMann
Tate is a wrestler. Sara McMann is a wrestler. This could be a match made in heaven.
McMann obviously has a superior pedigree in the wrestling department, but things are different in MMA. Tate has solid takedown defense, which could make this a test of both women’s striking.
Both women are also in the top five at 135. They have proven to be superior among the women in the UFC and this bout could push a woman closer to a title rematch.
It could be a good one.
Alexis Davis
Coming off a quick title loss, Alexis Davis has a lot to prove. Who better to pro that you are still worthwhile than one of the golden girls of the division in Tate?
Tate’s wrestling would be an interesting contrast with Davis’ jiu-jitsu. If this fight went to the ground, it would be an awesome chess match of technical beauty.
On the feet, they have a similar skill level, though Davis uses more kicks in contrast to Tate’s punching preference.
Overall, this is a matchup that is desirable to see. It’s surprising it hasn’t happened already, to be honest.
Get ready for a late/early one folks. The UFC is back in Japan on Saturday, and if you are in America, you will be catching the fights late.
UFC Fight Night 52, headlined by Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson, should be a good one. There are great matchups throu…
Get ready for a late/early one folks. The UFC is back in Japan on Saturday, and if you are in America, you will be catching the fights late.
UFC Fight Night 52, headlined by Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson, should be a good one. There are great matchups throughout the card that should deliver on the entertainment.
As for the prelim predictions, I have been pulling up the nose lately, boosting my record with some good recent performances. We will try to continue that here with our six-fight preliminary card.
Without further ado, here are the picks for the undercard bouts.
Fans have eagerly awaited news on the return of Cris “Cyborg” Justino, and