Author: Riley Kontek

4 WMMA Fighters Who Could Become Breakout Stars

Women’s MMA is on the rise. This much is certain. Between the UFC, Invicta and other promotions accepting their place in the sport, stars are sure to be made.
Ronda Rousey is easily the biggest star in the sport, though Miesha Tate, Cris “Cyborg” Justi…

Women’s MMA is on the rise. This much is certain. Between the UFC, Invicta and other promotions accepting their place in the sport, stars are sure to be made.

Ronda Rousey is easily the biggest star in the sport, though Miesha Tate, Cris “Cyborg” Justino and Gina Carano have also broken out into the spotlight.

With the increased exposure, including Invicta on UFC Fight Pass and WSOF on network TV, who are some women that can become breakout stars? Let’s take a look at four women who could fit that bill.

 

Michelle Waterson

The atomweight division is probably the least popular and exposed of the main four WMMA divisions. Now that UFC Fight Pass hosts Invicta events, champion Michelle Waterson can really break out into the mainstream.

Waterson, known as “The Karate Hottie,” has constantly found herself in outrageously entertaining fights. Just watch her bouts against Lacey Schuckman and Jessica Penne. They rivaled the entertainment of any fight you can possibly think of.

Then there’s Waterson’s looks. Her nickname isn’t an ironic one like the fat guy named, “Skinny Pete.” She is a model with the looks and charisma to shoot her stock through the roof.

She could, in theory, become the next Gina Carano in terms of all-around star power.

 

Joanne Calderwood

One of the most beautiful art forms in MMA is Muay Thai. When watching Joanne Calderwood perform that art form, it’s like watching a masterpiece in motion.

Fans have already gotten behind Calderwood in decent numbers, but many MMA fans are yet to be exposed to her. That’s where the potentially popular Ultimate Fighter 20 comes in handy for her.

Many fans are anxious to watch this season, as it’s the first-ever all-women’s season of the show. The women’s strawweight division is stacked with talent and should draw a near-record number of eyes on the season.

That means Calderwood will get her proper exposure. With her style and skill, fans have no choice but to take to his phenom.

 

Michelle Ould

Speaking of potential ladies on TUF 20, don’t be surprised if Michelle Ould, who tried out for the show, makes the cast. That would be interesting for ratings. 

Ould has always been outspoken and has the personality to win over fans. Mix in the fact that she is also a hottie, and she has the makings of a cult hero.

She’s not just a mouth and looks, though. She’s a badass fighter. That’s been proved in Bellator and other promotions, where Ould has showed off her well-roundedness.

If she makes the cast of TUF 20, like I predict she will, she could become a big star in the world of WMMA.

 

Ashlee Evans-Smith

Have you read my interview with Ashlee Evans-Smith? Well, if you haven’t, give it a gander because it’s insightful and quite interesting.

Evans-Smith has a stock that has already shot up big time due to her win over Fallon Fox, a transgender individual who was grabbing all the headlines. Now she is with World Series of Fighting, which will continue to give her widespread fame, as she is the first female bantamweight to fight under the company’s banner.

She has a great personality. In speaking with her, you could tell she was genuine, outgoing and a great figure to have in this sport.

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TUF 19 Episode 10 Results: 1st Middleweight Punches Ticket to Finale

The 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter continued Wednesday night, and the first middleweight semifinal was showcased. This time around, Team Penn’s Irish middleweight Cathal Pendred looked to show why he was so highly touted coming onto the show when …

The 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter continued Wednesday night, and the first middleweight semifinal was showcased. This time around, Team Penn’s Irish middleweight Cathal Pendred looked to show why he was so highly touted coming onto the show when he fought Chris Weidman teammate and physically imposing Team Edgar fighter Eddie Gordon.

This episode was the drinking episode, so we got to see some hijinks. It was nothing like the Julian Lane or Junie Browning drinking episodes of past, but it still earned a few chuckles.

As for the fight, we saw yet another decision. Gordon took a razor-thin split decision over the Irishman, effectively earning a spot in the finale.

I am now 1-0 on my semifinal picks, as I had Gordon over Pendred. That being said, it was so close that one could argue Pendred won the fight.

Next up are the light heavyweights, as Patrick Walsh takes on Corey Anderson. My pick for that fight is Anderson, as I think he is stronger, faster, more athletic and has a better gas tank than his Wai Kru counterpart.

 

Teams

Team Edgar 185 Team Penn 185 Team Edgar 205 Team Penn 205
Ian Stephens Mike King Corey Anderson Anton Berzin
Dhiego Lima Tim Williams Patrick Walsh Josh Clark
*Eddie Gordon Cathal Pendred Matt van Buren Dan Spohn
Hector Urbina Roger Zapata Todd Monaghan Chris Fields

*signifies that this fighter is a finalist.

 

Notes and Observations

  • For some reason, I find the episodes where they show the fighters drinking as the funniest. There are always near-fights, as seen with Chris Fields and Hector Urbina. Somebody always gets naked, as seen with Tim Williams. Basically, something crazy happens, which is entertaining. That short scene of them drinking was more entertaining than most of the fights on the season so far. 
  • Related to the drinking thing, the pan-out they did with the camera in the morning where Fields woke up on the floor and then we saw Williams sleeping naked face down on his bed was hilarious. Awesome job by the production crew; that was unintentional comedy at its best.
  • When Dana White brought the fighters to Mandalay Bay to show them what they could have in their future, what are the odds that he let them stay and watch the fights? It would be funny if he got them out of there before the show started.
  • The Gordon-Pendred fight was actually decent, showing the pep talk might have helped. It’s not gonna win any Fight of the Year awards soon, but it was better than most of the fights this season so far.
  • I personally scored it 29-28 for Pendred, but that was no robbery. Pendred clearly won the first round, Gordon easily took the second and really it could have gone either way in the third. I expect that Pendred and Fields will probably be added to the UFC Ireland card, assuming they are healthy.
  • Next week’s fight between Walsh and Anderson could be decent. Both have great wrestling, which may negate. On the feet, Walsh has more power, but Anderson has a much better gas tank, so it should be very interesting.

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TUF 19: Power Ranking the Fighters Going into the Semifinals

The Ultimate Fighter 19 is finished up with the quarterfinals in the middleweight and light heavyweight brackets, and it’s down to the final four in each respective field. One more win gets each fighter into the finale.
Sure, this season has been …

The Ultimate Fighter 19 is finished up with the quarterfinals in the middleweight and light heavyweight brackets, and it’s down to the final four in each respective field. One more win gets each fighter into the finale.

Sure, this season has been lackluster to say the least, but there is some viable talent in the house. This is especially true in the middleweight division, which has some very good fighters.

Following the quarterfinals, let’s take a look at the power rankings in each division.

 

Middleweight

  1. Eddie Gordon (Team Edgar)
  2. Dhiego Lima (Team Edgar)
  3. Cathal Pendred (Team Penn)
  4. Mike King (Team Penn)
  5. Tim Williams (Team Penn)
  6. Roger Zapata (Team Penn)
  7. Ian Stephens (Team Edgar)
  8. Hector Urbina (Team Edgar)

The fights this season have been uninspiring, no doubt. That being said, there really is some solid talent here that has yet to really blossom.

The top dog based on explosiveness, size and well-roundedness has to be Eddie Gordon. The Chris Weidman teammate beat another top contender on the season, Mike King, which is impressive enough to throw him in the top spot.

A pair of welterweights in Dhiego Lima and Cathal Pendred follow Gordon in the rankings. Lima was the only man in the middleweight bracket to finish his opponent, which came as a result of resilience, patience and skill. Pendred, who didn’t even look his best, managed to win using craftiness and endurance.

Despite losses, Mike King and Tim Williams come up next. Their reputations and toughness carried them into this competition. King had one of the best fights of the season against Nordine Taleb in the elimination round, and Williams has high praise from coach BJ Penn.

Roger Zapata comes in at the sixth position, despite the fact he is in the semifinals. He won a controversial decision over Ian Stephens where he was constantly taken down and couldn’t do much about it. His ceiling doesn’t appear to be high.

Leading up the rear is Hector Urbina. He showed some promise against Pendred, but his gas tank and sloppiness lead to his overall downfall.

In looking at the field, who is left and the matchups we have, my prediction for the finale is Eddie Gordon of Team Edgar vs. Dhiego Lima, his teammate.

 

Light Heavyweight

  1. Corey Anderson (Team Edgar)
  2. Dan Spohn (Team Penn)
  3. Patrick Walsh (Team Edgar)
  4. Anton Berzin (Team Penn)
  5. Matt van Buren (Team Edgar)
  6. Josh Clark (Team Penn)
  7. Chris Fields (Team Penn)
  8. Todd Monaghan (Team Edgar)

Whereas I think that the middleweight portion of this competition has some very good talent that could grace the UFC easily, the light heavyweights are a little more suspect. There are definitely some solid fighters though.

The two best are easily Corey Anderson and Dan Spohn. Anderson is more of a wrestler, albeit extremely explosive and athletic, while Spohn can do it all. That includes explosive knockout power, as seen against Tyler King in his elimination fight.

The next best two are guys who faced each other in Patrick Walsh and Anton Berzin. They had a very close match, with Walsh’s wrestling getting the better of a well-rounded Berzin.

Matt van Buren is solid as well, but the talent level really drifts off after him. Josh Clark looked very lackluster in his bout, while Fields was lucky to get in the house (Josh Stansbury blew out his knee in their elimination bout) and Monaghan‘s only bright spot in three rounds of action was a desperation armbar.

In looking at the field, who is left and the matchups we have, my prediction for the finale is Corey Anderson of Team Edgar vs. Dan Spohn of Team Penn.

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Grading the Top-10 Non-UFC Promotions

Now that MMA has picked up in the mainstream world, we have seen numerous promotions on the rise. With the addition of MMA on Fox, CBS, NBC and other channels, the sport is gaining more widespread exposure.
The UFC is the outright No. 1 promotion in th…

Now that MMA has picked up in the mainstream world, we have seen numerous promotions on the rise. With the addition of MMA on Fox, CBS, NBC and other channels, the sport is gaining more widespread exposure.

The UFC is the outright No. 1 promotion in the world. It dominates the pay-per-view market has the best TV deal and boasts the strongest roster in the world.

But what about the best of the rest? Let’s take a look at the 10 best non-UFC promotions and grade them based on roster, presentation, TV deal and other intangibles.

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UFC 174: Preliminary Card Predictions

The UFC is back this weekend, heading back to its roots of the pay-per-view model. UFC 174, which is headlined by a flyweight title bout between Demetrious Johnson and Ali Bagautinov, comes live from Vancouver, Canada on Saturday night.
The card is sta…

The UFC is back this weekend, heading back to its roots of the pay-per-view model. UFC 174, which is headlined by a flyweight title bout between Demetrious Johnson and Ali Bagautinov, comes live from Vancouver, Canada on Saturday night.

The card is stacked on the pay-per-view portion. However, the prelims are also full of great prospects and established vets who should entertain.

UFC Fight Night 42 was good for 2014’s record, as we continue to push further beyond the .500 mark. UFC 174 should be tougher to pick, but hopefully we can continue this upward trend.

Without further ado, let’s make some prelim predictions for UFC 174.

 

2014 Riley’s Record: 77-50

Last Event: UFC Fight Night 42 (4-1)

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TUF 19 Episode 9 Results: Final Fighter Advances to Next Round

‘The 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter continued Wednesday night, and the light heavyweights were again front and center. This time around, it was Team Penn’s last pick, Chris Fields, taking on the trash-talking, highly entertaining mouthpiece of Tea…

‘The 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter continued Wednesday night, and the light heavyweights were again front and center. This time around, it was Team Penn’s last pick, Chris Fields, taking on the trash-talking, highly entertaining mouthpiece of Team Edgar’s Matt Van Buren.

The episode showed a brief tour/advertisement of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, as the winning coach and fighters will take one home. UFC fighter and former TUF champ Michael Chiesa gave them a tour and acted as the host of the event.

When it came fight time, the cycle of lackluster fights this season continued. After two rounds of hugging, takedowns and not much else, Van Buren took a majority decision on a bout built upon animosity between the two fighters.

After the fight, we were set with our semifinalists. They all went in to talk to Dana White and the coaches, which was supposed to be the fighters talking about who they wanted to fight. It turned into White panning all the fighters and more or less motivating them to show him something in the semifinals. When that was over, White told the coaches there would be no deliberation and that he would be picking the semis.

When it was all said and done, White pulled the men into the gym and matched them up. For the middleweight selections, he had Eddie Gordon and Dhiego Lima of Team Edgar vs. Cathal Pendred and Roger Zapata of Team Penn, respectively. For the light heavyweights, Team Edgar teammates Corey Anderson and Patrick Walsh were matched up, while Team Penn’s Dan Spohn was put up against Team Edgar’s Van Buren.

The Pendred-Gordon fight will be next week. It will be interesting, as Pendred is normally a welterweight and Gordon has fought up at light heavyweight in the past.

 

Teams

Team Edgar 185 Team Penn 185 Team Edgar 205 Team Penn 205
Ian Stephens Mike King Corey Anderson Anton Berzin
Dhiego Lima Tim Williams Patrick Walsh Josh Clark
Eddie Gordon Cathal Pendred Matt van Buren Dan Spohn
Hector Urbina Roger Zapata Todd Monaghan Chris Fields

 

Notes and Observations

  • Van Buren talked about his background, which included drug abuse at a young age and the death of his friends from that abuse. He took up MMA to find new friends and pick up a new scene. It’s really sad to see young people abusing such hardcore things as heroin, especially because that should be really tough to get their hands on. For as much as Van Buren has been a big mouth and arrogant throughout the season, this was a different side to him.
  • If you watched the commercials for this season, it stated that this season was “critically acclaimed.” That either means they are liars, as this season’s fights have been boring, or the semifinal fights are utterly amazing. My guess is the former. White would probably agree, the way he has been trashing this fights.
  • It’s sad that it has taken a White pep talk to get these fighter’s heads in the game. Just being there should be the motivation to kick ass and take names. Hopefully, that translates into some rock-solid semifinals to save this season.
  • The only finish in the semifinals came via Lima, who choked out Tim Williams. Most of the other fights went three rounds. Seven of the eight quarterfinals went to a decision, most of which were lackluster.
  • The matchups that were made were Gordon-Pendred, Lima-Zapata, Anderson-Walsh and Spohn–Van Buren. My predicted winners are Gordon by decision, Lima by submission, Anderson by decision and Spohn by TKO. That has my predicted finale as Gordon vs. Lima and Anderson vs. Spohn.
  • Next week is the long-awaited drunk episode where fighters get wasted and do crazy stuff. Will they be playful like when Dave Kaplan let Tom Lawlor knock him out, or will they pull a Julian Lane and try to “bang, bro.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com