The UFC returns to pay-per-view this weekend with UFC 171. Headlined by a welterweight showdown for the vacant title, this show should provide a ton of fireworks and much importance in several UFC weight classes.
The headliners are Johny Hendricks and …
The UFC returns to pay-per-view this weekend with UFC 171. Headlined by a welterweight showdown for the vacant title, this show should provide a ton of fireworks and much importance in several UFC weight classes.
The headliners are Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler, but they will be supported by another key welterweight bout between Carlos Condit and TyronWoodley. Major title implications will play a part on the co-main event between “The Natural Born Killer” and Woodley.
Here are five reasons to watch UFC 171 on Saturday.
The UFC continued its Fight Pass series with UFC Fight Night 37 from London. As expected, the card did not disappoint with good action and fun finishes.
The main event saw Alexander Gustafsson jump back into the win column with a knockout of Jimi Manuw…
The UFC continued its Fight Pass series with UFC Fight Night 37 from London. As expected, the card did not disappoint with good action and fun finishes.
The main event saw Alexander Gustafsson jump back into the win column with a knockout of JimiManuwa. That victory puts him in the UFC title hunt—something that could materialize in a title shot soon.
This fight card featured the usual ups and downs. Here is the post-fight stock report.
UFC Fight Night 37 marked the return of the company to the United Kingdom, as the Octagon touched down in London. The card was headlined by British striker Jimi Manuwa and Swedish superstar Alexander Gustafsson.
The fight went into the second round, as…
UFC Fight Night 37 marked the return of the company to the United Kingdom, as the Octagon touched down in London. The card was headlined by British striker Jimi Manuwa and Swedish superstar Alexander Gustafsson.
The fight went into the second round, as Gustafsson controlled much of the action. Then, midway through the second, he finished Manuwa with a nice flurry of strikes to put himself back into top contention.
For Manuwa, it marks his first career loss. That being said, it was against a top-tier light heavyweight with vast big-show experience.
Where does Manuwa go from here? Here are three fights he can take on the rebound.
Anthony Perosh
Sometimes, striker vs. grappler matchups are interesting—especially when each man’s glaring weakness is the other man’s strength.
That’s what we would get in Anthony Perosh vs. Jimi Manuwa: a ground ace with decent-at-best striking in Perosh against a power striker with subpar ground skills in Manuwa.
It would come down to who lands the first punch or secures the first takedown. It would also show if Manuwa can recover from his first loss or struggle against another scrappy vet in the Aussie.
Loser of Gian Villante vs. Fabio Maldonado
In the near future, Gian Villante and Fabio Maldonado are set to square off in Brazil. Whoever should fall in that bout could be a potential dance partner for Manuwa.
Both men are strikers, as Villante represents more of a kickboxer to Maldonado’s technical boxing style. Either man would give Manuwa a fun fight on the feet.
This bout could be a featured prelim that leads into a pay-per-view. Either man combined with Manuwa would put on a barnburner for sure.
Loser of Ovince St. Preux vs. Nikita Krylov
What was said about Villante and Maldonado can be said about Ovince St. Preux and Nikita Krylov. Both men have styles that would contrast well against Manuwa.
St. Preux and Krylov are set to fight at UFC 171. The winner will ascend the ladder, while the loser will be looking to get back on his feet.
That’s why the loser of that bout should meet Manuwa. It would give one fighter a chance to stand back up, while the other would have to return to the drawing board to get his career back on track.
Former teammates met in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 37 in London, as longtime UFC vet Melvin Guillard took on Michael Johnson. It was a fight between two men who were on the fringe of the Top 10, and the winner could boost his stock with an im…
Former teammates met in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 37 in London, as longtime UFC vet Melvin Guillard took on Michael Johnson. It was a fight between two men who were on the fringe of the Top 10, and the winner could boost his stock with an impressive victory.
The fight had a pace that was the direct opposite of the rest of the card. Whereas the other bouts were fast-paced and exciting for the most part, Johnson and Guillard cautiously engaged each other and were not exactly the busiest fighters.
When it was all said and done, Johnson won a unanimous decision in a largely forgettable bout.
So, what did we learn from this bout between Guillard and Johnson? Let’s take a look.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
This fight was the exact opposite of what we all expected. That’s what we’ll remember about this fight.
This bout was drawn out, with Johnson chasing Guillard down and neither man landing too many strikes. Their lack of total engagement was tough to deal with, especially for the crowd in England.
We all anticipated a much better fight than we got. This was slow and uninspiring.
What We Learned About Guillard
This isn’t very common of Guillard, but he just didn’t look like a great fighter out there. He was not aggressive, didn’t do much of note and was outbanged by a guy who should not have had the striking advantage.
We always knew Guillard was inconsistent in the UFC, but this was one of his least impressive performances as part of the company.
What We Learned About Johnson
He is not a flash in the pan. Johnson is a guy to watch in the UFC lightweight division.
He has now beaten three top guys in a row. This success is coming from someone whom people did not expect much from after The Ultimate Fighter 12, but he has proved them wrong.
What’s Next for Guillard?
Guillard is an enigma. He mows down everybody who is outside of the upper echelon in the UFC. It’s now or never for him, and he shouldn’t take a huge step down in competition.
His original opponent was Ross Pearson, and I would still love to see that fight. Perhaps the stars will align, and they will fight next.
What’s Next for Johnson?
Johnson has proved he can hang with top talent. At this point, somebody in the Top 10 would make sense for him.
Nate Diaz is without a dance partner right now and could be a good opponent for Johnson. The winner would take one step closer to the title picture.
Bellator continued its 10th season with Bellator 111, live from Oklahoma. The card had a title fight, as well as four heavyweight tournament fights.
In two rounds of action, Eduardo Dantas was able to defend his bantamweight title against Anthony Leone…
Bellator continued its 10th season with Bellator 111, live from Oklahoma. The card had a title fight, as well as four heavyweight tournament fights.
In two rounds of action, Eduardo Dantas was able to defend his bantamweight title against Anthony Leone with an early candidate for Submission of the Year.
After spending most of the first round on his back, Dantas was able to open up with his hands more in the second. He started to score more and turn the tide of the fight.
Then it happened. During a crazy scramble, Dantas used his quickness and flexibility to turn a potential Leone takedown into a back mount with one of Leone’s arms trapped. He quickly sunk in a rear-naked choke, earning the tap and effectively keeping his belt.
For Leone, this fight was on short notice for Rafael Silva, so it doesn’t completely hurt his stock. However, he is now on a two-fight skid.
As for Dantas, this win solidified him as one of the best bantamweights not in the UFC, along with Marlon Moraes and Bibiano Fernandes. It also represents his second defense of the bantamweight title.
Outside the main event, four men advanced in the Bellator heavyweight tournament.
In the co-main event, Lavar Johnson overcame a rough start against Ryan Martinez to score a late knockout in the first round. Martinez secured the takedown early and dropped heavy punches, but Johnson got back upright and uncorked some haymakers. He eventually caught Martinez and finished him on the ground.
Johnson will now fight Blagoi Ivanov in the semifinals, who worked his way past Rich Hale on the prelims. Ivanov used a combination of power punches and heavy top control to earn a judges’ decision.
On the other side of the bracket, former Bellator heavyweight champion Alexander Volkov took a step back toward the title picture with a knockout of Mark Holata. The bout lasted under one round, as Volkov caught Holata in the clinch with a punch and finished him on the ground.
Volkov will now meet Mighty Mo, who earned a surprising submission win against fellow striker Peter Graham. The win was a comeback for Mo, who was thoroughly outstruck for two rounds before scoring the unlikely head-and-arm choke.
Here are the full-card results.
Full-Card Results
Main Card
Eduardo Dantas def. Anthony Leone via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:04 of Round 2
Lavar Johnson def. Ryan Martinez via TKO (punches) at 4:22 of Round 1
Mighty Mo def. Peter Graham via submission (head-and-arm choke) at 2:31 of Round 3
Alexander Volkov def. Mark Holata via TKO (punches) at 1:21 of Round 1
Preliminary Card
Blagoi Ivanov def. Rich Hale via unanimous decision
Cortez Coleman def. Daniel Miller via submission (verbal tap to strikes) at 4:49 of Round 2
Javy Ayala def. Eric Prindle via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 2:05 of Round 3
Abdul Razak def. Matt Jones via TKO (punches) at 1:23 of Round 1
Brent Primus def. Chris Jones via TKO (punches) at 1:45 of Round 1
Chris Gutierrez def. Justin McNally via TKO (knee and punches) at 2:50 of Round 1
UFC Fight Night 37 marks the return of the UFC to London this weekend, a week after its return to China. Like that card, this event also takes place exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.
In the main event, Swedish No. 1 contender Alexander Gustafsson takes on…
UFC Fight Night 37 marks the return of the UFC to London this weekend, a week after its return to China. Like that card, this event also takes place exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.
In the main event, Swedish No. 1 contender Alexander Gustafsson takes on British banger JimiManuwa. The winner of this bout positions himself nicely in the crowded light heavyweight division with a title shot within grasp.
UFC Fight Night 37 means another call to arms by the famous Bleacher Report predictions team. As usual, our insightful team consists of James “William Wallace” MacDonald, Sean “Just Another” Smith, Craig “Not So Famous” Amos, Scott “Scotty Hairs” Harris and me, Riley “Girly Wrists” Kontek.
Bellator continued its 10th season with Bellator 111, live from Oklahoma. The card had a title fight, as well as four heavyweight tournament fights.