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Yoel Romero vs. Tim Kennedy Set for UFC 178

UFC 178 will be the setting of an important middleweight fight, as Strikeforce veteran Tim Kennedy takes on Cuban Olympic wrestler Yoel Romero. This was reported by Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Tuesday.
The important midd…

The important middleweight tilt will likely be on the main card, seeing as Romero and Kennedy are arguably top-10 fighters in the weight class. The event takes place September 27 in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweight title rematch between champion Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson.

Kennedy (18-4) is undefeated in the UFC at 3-0. The outspoken former Green Beret owns UFC decision victories over jiu-jitsu ace Roger Gracie and title challenger Michael Bisping. He also possesses a massive knockout victory over Rafael Natal.

Kennedy is known for his powerful wrestling and brute strength. His most recent outing saw him outhustle and outmuscle Bisping, utilizing wrestling and heavy top pressure to defeat the brash Brit.

Romero (8-1) is undefeated in the UFC at 4-0. All four of those wins also coincide with Romero’s drop to the middleweight division, as he competed as a light heavyweight in Strikeforce and other regional organizations.

Romero is also known for his powerful wrestling and brute strength, though it has been incredibly violent striking that has been cashing his checks lately.

Until his last fight against Brad Tavares, which went to a decision and saw him use his wrestling more, Romero had three straight vicious knockouts. After a flying knee that downed Clifford Starks, Romero destroyed Ronny Markes and Derek Brunson with his concrete hands.

This fight sees two very different styles collide. Both are wrestlers by trade, though Romero has wrestled at a very high level as an amateur. He was a silver medalist for Cuba in Olympic wrestling during the 2000 Sydney Games.

On the feet, one has to believe Romero has his biggest advantage. He has been downing guys left and right with his jaw-rattling strikes and consciousness-stealing power.

All things considered, this bout should be very interesting. It could also push the winner extremely close to a title shot.

Stay tuned with Bleacher Report as more information comes in on UFC 178.

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TUF 20: Scouting Report for Every Fighter

Last week, The Ultimate Fighter 20 cast was revealed at the UFC Expo in Las Vegas. Although we already knew the first eight participants, we were shown the other eight ladies set to join the cast on one of the most anticipated seasons of the show ever….

Last week, The Ultimate Fighter 20 cast was revealed at the UFC Expo in Las Vegas. Although we already knew the first eight participants, we were shown the other eight ladies set to join the cast on one of the most anticipated seasons of the show ever.

Coached by Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez, the show will crown the first 115-pound women’s champion. Of the 16 ladies on the cast, six are in Bleacher Report’s top-15 rankings.

Not familiar with all the ladies on the cast? Here is an early scouting report on all 16 competitors.

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TUF 19 Results: 3 Fights for Frankie Edgar to Take Next

On Sunday night in Las Vegas, Frankie Edgar moved to 3-0 against BJ Penn in his career. That win came as a result of a TKO on the ground, where Edgar battered Penn with big ground-and-pound.
The win keeps Edgar in the top part of the featherweight divi…

On Sunday night in Las Vegas, Frankie Edgar moved to 3-0 against BJ Penn in his career. That win came as a result of a TKO on the ground, where Edgar battered Penn with big ground-and-pound.

The win keeps Edgar in the top part of the featherweight division, as the former lightweight champ is now 2-1 as a featherweight, with his only loss coming to current champ Jose Aldo. He has to be around the title picture, especially given his credentials.

So, what’s next for Mr. Edgar at 145? Here are three fights Edgar could take next.

Urijah Faber

UFC 176 needs a main event. Urijah Faber fought Saturday night. Frankie Edgar fought Sunday night.

Perhaps these two could make a quick turnaround for that main event.

Faber would have to move up from bantamweight to take this fight. But as a former featherweight world champion, he would likely jump at the opportunity. It’s also a great stylistic matchup, as both men are boxing wrestlers.

It’s a sort of “superfight” that could draw interest. Faber is a definite draw, and Edgar is no slouch himself.

Of course, both men will have to come out of their fights without injuries, so this may be a pipe dream.

Chad Mendes

Chad Mendes was set to fight Jose Aldo in the UFC 176 main event. If he wishes to still headline, maybe Edgar could be his opponent.

It could be a top contender’s bout between the two. It could eliminate a challenger to Aldo while presenting the outright No. 1 contender.

Edgar’s speed versus Mendes‘ power would be a nice contrast. It could be an entertaining fight that saves a main event that needs bodies right now.

Cub Swanson

Cub Swanson is probably next in line for a title shot after Mendes. If he wishes to stay busy, a top contender’s fight with Edgar could be awesome.

Swanson is a devastating striker who has been on a huge run lately. He would present a fun challenge to Edgar, as Edgar is quick and tough. It would be crazy to see him try to use his chin against Swanson’s power.

It’s a fight that could headline a Fox show or co-headline a pay-per-view card. It’s also a lock for a Fight of the Night for any card it would be on.

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3 Stars from the TUF 19 Finale

The end of The Ultimate Fighter 19 came Sunday night, as TUF 19 Finale came live from Las Vegas. It was an entertaining night of fights with knockouts and submissions aplenty.
The card was headlined by a third fight between BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar. E…

The end of The Ultimate Fighter 19 came Sunday night, as TUF 19 Finale came live from Las Vegas. It was an entertaining night of fights with knockouts and submissions aplenty.

The card was headlined by a third fight between BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar. Edgar took the bout via TKO, pushing his record to 3-0 against Penn.

Who were the three stars of the event? Let’s take a look now at who were the performers of the night.

1. Derrick Lewis

In looking at who boosted his stock the most Sunday night, Derrick Lewis is definitely in contention. Between his drubbing of Guto Inocente and post-fight awesomeness, Lewis probably picked up a few fans in the process.

Lewis is a large heavyweight with a great amount of power. When he gets on top, his ground-and-pound is aimed to break bones and steal consciousness.

Following his massive beatdown of Inocente, which saw several huge ground strikes that put Inocente out, Lewis had a crazy post-fight celebration with gorilla chest bumps and the throat slash gesture. He also called out Cain Velasquez.

With Matt Mitrione reportedly yelling to fight Lewis from the crowd and Lewis’s all-around greatness Sunday night, it’s hard not to be intrigued by this new UFC heavyweight.

2. Corey Anderson

TUF 19 was panned by fans for boring fights and a lack of finishes. Corey Anderson must have heard the complaints, because he didn’t work for long Sunday night.

Taking on a striker in Matt Van Buren, Anderson came into the fight as purely a wrestler in most people’s eyes. However, it was his boxing and power that brought a stop to the fight early in the first round.

Anderson is now a very intriguing prospect at 205, a division that lacks a lot of new blood and prospects. He is a powerful guy who rapidly improved from the first day of TUF.

It will be interesting to see where he goes from here.

3. Eddie Gordon

As stated, TUF 19 was a disappointing season that fans reviewed negatively. Eddie Gordon, like Anderson, must have received that memo because he came out looking to knock Dhiego Lima’s head off.

Despite a couple of shots to the back of the head, which were probably accidental, Gordon bullrushed through Lima with power hooks and beat him up bad.

Gordon, who works with trainers Matt Serra and Ray Longo, is a training partner of Chris Weidman. He made things a great weekend for that team, as Weidman retained his title at UFC 175 and Gordon gained the title of Ultimate Fighter winner.

Gordon is well-rounded and a huge middleweight. He is now an exciting fighter to keep your eye on.

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Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida: What Went Wrong for the Challenger?

Saturday night was UFC 175, the biggest event of the year for the world’s largest MMA promotion. In the main event, Lyoto Machida challenged Chris Weidman for his UFC Middleweight Championship in an attempt to be just the third fighter to hold belts in…

Machida came up short in his effort to become champion, dropping a unanimous decision to Weidman. It was a fight that was largely contested on the feet and excited the fans throughout.

In examining Machida‘s performance, it’s easy to see where things went wrong for the Japanese-Brazilian karate master. His slow start and defensive style did him no favors early on, which got him behind on the scorecards.

First, it must be noted that Machida‘s takedown defense and ability to get off his back when he was taken down was on point as usual Saturday night. Weidman tried many times to plant Machida on the mat, but Machida would either fend that attack off or get up incredibly fast.

Also, it should be stated Machida finished the fight well. Despite his slow start, he picked up steam down the stretch, though, that could be viewed as a weakness in this fight.

Weidman‘s Octagon control was at the detriment of Machida in this bout. Weidman controlled the cage and was able to dictate the striking game. It made it tough for Machida to get off and blitz like he usually does in his fight.

Machida‘s defensive style also hurt him. He was waiting on Weidman too much, but because Weidman is athletic and quick, he was able to escape many of Machida‘s counters. He was able to land some, but not like he normally does in fights.

His slow start also did him no favors. He didn’t really look like the Machida of past until the late fourth round and entire fifth round. That’s where he finally started to get going, though, it was a little too late.

If there’s something to take from that, it’s that we now know that the weight cut doesn’t affect Machida‘s cardio. He was fresh throughout the fight and never really looked too gassed.

Most of the times that Machida hasn’t won fights was because he was too timid and not aggressive enough. That could easily be to blame here as well.

Machida is still a high-level middleweight and will stick around the title picture despite the loss. Seeing his recent performances against Mark Munoz and Gegard Mousasi show that he is going to be a tough out for any top-level 185-pounder that the UFC possesses.

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Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida: What Went Right for the Champ?

At UFC 175 on Saturday night, Chris Weidman retained the UFC Middleweight Championship in impressive fashion, taking a unanimous-decision win over challenger Lyoto Machida. It was a great performance for Weidman, who continues to build himself up as a …

Weidman, known for his impressive wrestling and grappling prowess, spent a majority of his time on the feet with Machida, where many people thought he’d be at a disadvantage. However, he won three or four rounds on all the judges’ scorecards, showing he was able to handle himself against the karate master.

In examining Weidman’s performance, it’s easy to see what went right for the champion. His ability to mix it up, be aggressive and keep Machida on his heels was the key to victory.

The biggest thing was that Weidman established control early. While he slowed a bit down the stretch, he was able to set the tone early to earn points on the scorecards.

He also mixed up his attacks well. Though it was tough for him to get takedowns and keep Machida on his back, the fact that he threatened with them kept Machida guessing throughout the bout.

Also, Weidman’s aggression earned him points. Machida is known as a defensive fighter, which should come as no surprise to fans. Weidman took the center of the cage, imposed his will with strikes and takedown attempts and made sure he was winning the rounds from the Brazilian.

His striking was also on point. Not long ago, Weidman was basically a submission wrestler. Now, under the tutelage of Ray Longo, the champion has developed amazing boxing with some solid kicks to mix things up.

Down the stretch, he started to slip a bit. However, that was because Machida got more aggressive and took the center of the cage from him.

Had Machida come out more aggressive like he did late in the fight, would the fight have gone the same way? The biggest thing that went right for Weidman was that he was aggressive and keeping Machida with his back to the cage.

Also, did Weidman slow as a result of his big weight cut? He is a mammoth at middleweight that has to cut a significant amount, which could affect his cardio.

Those points stated, they had a minimal effect on Weidman during the fight. They were a small crack in an otherwise polished armor.

All in all, Weidman put on a great performance that will continue to skyrocket his stock. He has beaten arguably the two best men at middleweight right now in Anderson Silva and Machida, and done so in impressive fashion.

Everything was on point Saturday night, as Weidman proved why he is the UFC champ. He is hard working, skilled and has the heart of a gladiator.

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