Author: Steven Cook

UFC 180 Start Time: Full Preview for Fabricio Werdum vs. Mark Hunt Showdown

Friday weigh-ins for the UFC 180 main event will soon be a thing of the past, which means the interim heavyweight title bout between Fabricio Werdum and Mark Hunt is just hours away from taking place.
It’s not the showdown that was expected for so long…

Friday weigh-ins for the UFC 180 main event will soon be a thing of the past, which means the interim heavyweight title bout between Fabricio Werdum and Mark Hunt is just hours away from taking place.

It’s not the showdown that was expected for so long, with current title holder Cain Velasquez pulling out of the card that would have been his third consecutive title defense attempt due to injury. That allowed Hunt to slide into Saturday’s fight, but it will only mean the winner will be crowned “interim” title winner and will still have to go through Velasquez later to fully win the title. 

But with Dana White suggesting the title could be stripped from Velasquez if he can’t fight by March, according to MMAFighting.com, this bout very well could prove decisive regarding the hierarchy of the heavyweight division.

Werdum possesses a fantastic all-around game that got him his first-ever title shot and has him as a -420 favorite, according to Odds Shark. But don’t sleep on Hunt, who is an overwhelming +432 underdog. 

Here’s everything you need to know for Saturday’s fight.

 

When: Saturday, November 15, 2014

Where: Arena Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico City

Start Time: 10 p.m. ET

Watch: UFC.tv pay-per-view

 

UFC 180 Main Event: Can Hunt Thwart Werdum’s Fate?

Respecting your opponent is one of the first traits to a successful fighter, but even Werdum has to be feeling the least bit disheartened after seeing Velasquez—the opponent he had been working toward for many years—have to drop out of their fight less than a month before.

But the date is still on, and Werdum will still have his chance to win the heavyweight title. He more than likely will still have to go through Velasquez, but first things first—a fight Saturday for a chance to face Velasquez.

It may be an interim heavyweight title fight, but both fighters are pretty new to this huge stage. Taking Velasquez out of this Mexico City fight undoubtedly hurts the overall pull of the card, but the high stakes on the line should make for a memorable fight.

As Velasquez has stepped out of the spotlight, Werdum has seemed to generate a bevy of interest as he emerges as the new crowd favorite, per Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com:

But for all of the hype and talking points, Werdum is still going to have to go out and walk the walk against Hunt—a fighter who may not have completely earned a title chance but has gone up against many of the big boys. 

He’s had success against some of them, defeating Stefan Struve and Cheick Kongo through technical knockouts and fighting to a whirlwind draw with Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva some 11 months ago—Silva later failed a post-fight drug test. 

However, Hunt has faced a tough battle entering Saturday to shed the more than 30 pounds necessary to fight Werdum—not insurmountable for a fighter until you take into account the three weeks Hunt has had to prepare under short notice. 

The 40-year-old Hunt isn’t lost on the implications for this fight, knowing the winner will still have to take things up with Velasquez. But he’s ready to take his opportunity by the horns, per MMAFighting.com’s Shaun Al-Shatti:

[This is for] the No. 1 spot. [Werdum] already had this. He was fighting Cain for this spot. He was fighting Cain for the world title until a couple days ago. This is my time to take his spot.

(But) it’s not a title. The only belt I want to put around this waist is the UFC champion’s belt, and that’s the one that Cain’s got. So if I win on Saturday night, that won’t be going around my waist. I’ll be holding it (on my shoulder). The only belt I want around this waist is the championship belt, and Cain’s got that belt.

Hunt is going up against a number of strong forces—a battle to make weight and a peaking Werdum with fate on his side only being a few. But the experienced heavyweight fighter has been an overwhelming underdog before. If he wins on Saturday, it won’t be the first time, either, that he has overcome the odds.

But with a title—at least an interim one—on the line, it will be uncharted territory for both Hunt and Werdum. Whoever can respond by playing their game will earn a fight with Velasquez when he returns to health.

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Aldo vs. Mendes 2: Latest Comments and Predictions for UFC 179

Jose Aldo will have his hands full and then some defending his featherweight title against Chad Mendes at UFC 179.
The Brazilian will once again aim to defend his title on home soil after topping Mendes there in 2012, but this promises to be a ver…

Jose Aldo will have his hands full and then some defending his featherweight title against Chad Mendes at UFC 179.

The Brazilian will once again aim to defend his title on home soil after topping Mendes there in 2012, but this promises to be a very different fight. Mendes has won five straight bouts since that defeat, and he’s set on avenging the only loss of his career.

These are quite clearly the best two fighters in the featherweight division—the stats back that up, per UFC:

Ever since an altercation between the two during the August UFC 179 media day, tensions have been very high entering the rematch. On Saturday, the two will finally get the chance to put the talking to one side and prove themselves.

Here’s a preview and prediction for the UFC 179 main event.

 

UFC 179 Preview

Much of the talk heading into Saturday night—as tends to be the case in rematches—is revolving around the first bout between these two fighters. But rather than answering a lot of questions, that result has left many wondering what might have been.

It was 2012, and after not really being tested in his previous few fights, Aldo had his hands full in Round 1. He fought feverishly to avoid being taken down by the aggressive Mendes.

The rest is history, with the underdog coming extremely close to taking Aldo to the ground before he slipped away and landed a brutal knee in the final second of Round 1 to end the fight.

We’re closing in on three years since that January 2012 fight, and Mendes has learned plenty from it, per Sporting News‘ Steven Muehlhausen:

I think there’s some stuff I can take from it. I learned from that fight. But there’s a lot of stuff that’s going to be done different as well. I think, all-in-all, I definitely keep that fight in my back pocket. I learned from it. I take things that went well, study them and do them. Things that didn’t go good, stop doing them (laughs) and change it up.

Ever since that loss, Mendes has been on a collision course with Aldo for an inevitable rematch. He has knocked out four of the five opponents he has faced since then and enters Saturday with a head full of confidence, per UFC:

Mendes is confident of his abilities, and rightfully so. His takedown ability is the best in the weight class, and he has improved his striking game considerably.

But that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be a match for Aldo, an elite striker with even better takedown defense. While he has coasted to victories since that 2012 fight, he doesn’t see much improvement in his opponent. Speaking to MMAJunkie.com’s Steven Marrocco, he said:

Everyone’s always looking to evolve, but I haven’t been able to see it. We haven’t seen him face a striker, so I haven’t been able to see where he got better. I do think his confidence has gotten a lot better; he’s gotten four wins, but the evolution part and getting better, I haven’t been able to see it.

The talk has been exciting and juicy heading into this one, and there’s no doubt that it sells. But both fighters will admit that talk is cheap and all that matters is what happens inside the Octagon come Saturday night.

 

Prediction

Aldo was the superior fighter in 2012, and he’ll be the superior fighter on Saturday. But Mendes has improved considerably since their first meeting, and his improvements will come to the surface early.

As good as Aldo’s takedown defense is, he won’t be able to avoid going down early on. But with Mendes spending all of his energy getting momentum in the opening rounds, he’ll be gassed late as Aldo goes for the kill.

Prediction: Aldo wins via fifth-round TKO

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Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes 2: Latest Predictions Before Anticipated Rematch

The featherweight title rematch that so many were clamoring for is coming to fruition at UFC 179, with Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes facing off in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to headline an exciting main card.
The goodness will start early with five main-card …

The featherweight title rematch that so many were clamoring for is coming to fruition at UFC 179, with Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes facing off in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to headline an exciting main card.

The goodness will start early with five main-card bouts, and a battle between Glover Teixeira and Phil Davis should whet folks’ MMA appetites for the main event. And boy, will those appetites need whetting.

In the first fight between Aldo and Mendes back in 2012, it looked as back-and-forth as it could be before Aldo broke free from a Mendes takedown attempt and landed a crushing knee to knock him out one second before the end of Round 1.

Mendes is fired up about his chance at redemption.

“It’s not just about the title,” Mendes told Mirror‘s Alex Watt. “It’s about redemption and payback and about bringing another belt back to Sacramento where it belongs. This fight, I’ve replayed it over and over in my head and, obviously, in a perfect world, I’d get in there and knock him out, but I’m expecting a war.”

The top two featherweight fighters, as ranked by UFC, should put on a battle on Saturday night. Let’s make some early predictions as to how the fight will unfold.

 

Predictions

2012 Fight Will Be Exposed As a Fluke

Let’s get this straight—Aldo’s victory in 2012 over Mendes was definitely not a misleading result. The way in which it ended, however, was.

For four-plus minutes of the opening round in their first matchup, Mendes wasn’t backing down. He furiously attempted to land his masterful takedown move, only for Aldo to surprisingly slip out and land a surprise knee that ended the fight.

In one more second, Mendes would’ve headed to his corner and gotten another five minutes to do what he does best—take his opponent to the canvas and keep him there.

Mendes’ takedown prowess hasn’t changed since 2012, but his ability to stand and strike has improved drastically following wins over Nik Lentz and Clay Guida. He put himself in a great position early in their first fight before letting his guard down for a quick moment, and he won’t let that happen again.

 

Mendes Will Hush Brazil Crowd with Strong Start 

As if taking the featherweight title belt from its only owner isn’t a tall enough task, Mendes will try to knock off Aldo in his native Brazil once again.

That, along with the realization that he got knocked out in Round 1 last time, is all the more reason for Mendes to try desperately to sway the momentum early.

Mendes has been building himself up for this chance at redemption for nearly two years, and he’s ready to take advantage, per UFC:

Mendes also explained how he could alter the crowd’s impact Saturday night.

“The crowd swaying judges is huge,” Mendes told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. “Obviously, in a fight like this, if it goes the distance, any time I hit him, the crowd is silent. Any time he hits me, there’s an uproar. Of course, that’s going to weigh on judges, but it’s not something new. I just have to brush it off and do what I’ve got to do.”

Losing to a fighter twice isn’t an ideal way to climb to the top of the sport, and that’s certainly where Mendes looks set on getting to. Even getting a rematch in a title fight is easier said than done, and Mendes won’t be banking on giving up that chance without a considerable effort.

It took potentially illegal antics on the fence for Aldo to avoid a Round 1 takedown back in 2012, and Mendes should get him to the canvas a few times early to take the momentum.

 

Resilient Aldo Will Settle in, Defend Title with Late-Round KO

Mendes will enter Saturday’s fight with more than enough in his arsenal to pull off the upset, but even his best won’t eliminate the gap in tactical skill between these two.

Mendes has made serious improvements to his striking game. But all of those improvements matter little when going up against Aldo—especially in Aldo’s backyard. Not only is he a much superior striker, but his takedown defense is the best at featherweight.

Aldo is keeping his sights set on another early knockout, but he isn’t putting the entire fight out of focus.

“If I see the opportunity to finish the fight again, I will,” Aldo told MMAJunkie.com’s Steven Marrocco. “It doesn’t matter that I’ve knocked him out before. That’s my mindset. But if not, I can fight five rounds. It’s not a problem.”

Aldo will prove a bit too ambitious early, as Mendes should execute his game plan in the first few rounds. But with such a magnificent takedown defense, Aldo will stay on his feet late and wear down Mendes with brutal hooks and effective jabs.

And when the opportunity comes late for Aldo to finish off his opponent, he will do just that.

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Aldo vs. Mendes 2: Early Predictions for UFC 179 Main Event

Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes are set for a Saturday night rematch for the featherweight title at UFC 179. It will be the main event of a card welcoming back the UFC with a bang.
The premier MMA organization has been on somewhat of a hiatus with no events …

Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes are set for a Saturday night rematch for the featherweight title at UFC 179. It will be the main event of a card welcoming back the UFC with a bang.

The premier MMA organization has been on somewhat of a hiatus with no events since the Oct. 4 Fight Night in Sweden, but five strong main card bouts will get things started once again. It’s highlighted, of course, by a rematch of a 2012 fight in which Aldo knocked out Mendes in the first round.

But Mendes has gone a perfect 5-0 since that—the only defeat of his career—and he’ll have his shot at avenging that defeat Saturday.

The main event is inching nearer and nearer, so let’s make some early predictions as to how Aldo-Mendes II will go down.

 

Don’t Expect Another One-Round Affair

Aldo took care of Mendes with a brutal knee before the final buzzer for Round 1 sounded, but it seemed like a fight that could go the distance before that ending.

The then-undefeated Mendes—primarily renowned for his wrestling and takedown dominance—was holding his own for the majority of the round and nearly pulled off a couple of takedowns. Aldo’s winning knee didn’t come until 4:59 (the last second) of Round 1.

Aldo possesses such a strong takedown defense that it’s hard to see even Mendes‘ best frustrating him too much. But as Mendes has shown throughout his last five fights, he has improved considerably and can even grind out long fights like his three-round wins over Nik Lentz and Clay Guida.

Mendes has been on a mission to get back to this moment, and he won’t let those efforts be derailed in the first five minutes.

 

Mendes Will Push Aldo Like Never Before

Ever since a 2005 defeat (the only one of his career), Aldo has been unstoppable. But Saturday could prove to be his toughest fight since then.

Aldo is the only featherweight champion the UFC has ever seen, winning the inaugural title after dominating the now-defunct WEC. He hasn’t been seriously tested since topping Mendes, but his opponent has made huge strides since their 2012 meeting.

But despite his own improvements, Mendes doesn’t see too many on Aldo’s side of things, per MMAJunkie.com’s Steven Marrocco.

He seems to be a guy that’s in his comfort zone, because it’s been working. But I think it takes a guy like me with my style to get in there and push a guy like Jose out of his comfort zone, to really test his skill level. Those type of fights always make it entertaining for the fans. I’m going to go out there and test his will, and I’m going to put a hurting on him.

Confident words only mean so much, but in this case, they could really hold some weight. Mendes has knockouts in four of his five matches since facing Aldo, while his opponent only has one in three fights.

It took spectacular defense from Aldo to keep from going to the ground early in their 2012 fight, and he won’t be able to keep from hitting the canvas a few times early in Saturday’s rematch. Although he’ll eventually bounce back, Aldo will be on the ropes early.

 

Aldo Will Defend Title with Late KO

Mendes may be a much better striker than he was when these two faced off in 2012, but it will take more than that to top a fighter of Aldo’s caliber.

When it comes down to it, there’s no fighter in this weight class that can punish an opponent standing and striking quite like Aldo. Few can boast his takedown defense, which will be beyond key in thwarting Mendes‘ efforts.

He’ll be taken off-guard early, but Aldo will make the adjustments after a few rounds just like the greats do. From then on, he’ll make sure to stay on his feet and wear down Mendes for a late knockout.

Mendes has the skill set to frustrate Aldo, but the talent gap between these two fighters is simply too large. 

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Bellator 129 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Bradley vs. Neer Fight Card

No titles were on the line in Friday night’s Bellator 129 fight card, but that didn’t make the action any less intense.
The card was headlined by Paul Bradley’s bout with Josh Neer, and the two former training buddies underwent a three-round bloodbath….

No titles were on the line in Friday night’s Bellator 129 fight card, but that didn’t make the action any less intense.

The card was headlined by Paul Bradley’s bout with Josh Neer, and the two former training buddies underwent a three-round bloodbath. It ended with Bradley sporting his second ever Bellator victory, improving to 22-6 for his career. 

The rest of the card didn’t disappoint, with Houston Alexander and Virgil Zwicker fighting to a brutal majority draw in one of the three other fights.

Here’s a look at complete results from the Bellator 129 main card.

 

 

Paul Bradley def. Josh Neer

Albeit familiar foes on the training grounds, Friday night’s fight was the first ever meeting for Bradley and Neer and it culminated with Bradley sporting a convincing unanimous decision victory.

Coming off three exciting main-card bouts, Bradley and Neer largely failed to live up to the hype. Much of the fight featured Bradley getting an early round takedown, and holding off Neer who was obviously exhausted having to fight the majority of the three rounds on his back.

It may have lacked a flair for the dramatic, but there was really no doubt as Round 3 wore on that Bradley had wrapped things up. And unsurprisingly, his style drew ire from Neer, per AXS.com’s Eric Holden:

The critics hating on Bradley’s style were out in droves, but Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden jumped to point out Neer could have done more:

It certainly wasn’t ideal for the viewing public, but the result was just what Bradley hoped for. The 31-year-old shook off his Bellator 112 loss to Nathan Coy with the victory, and improved to 2-1 in the organization.

Friday night was Neer’s Bellator debut after a failed UFC stint, and it’s safe to say it didn’t get off to the start he hoped for.

 

Houston Alexander draws Virgil Zwicker

Houston Alexander and Virgil Zwicker went back and forth throughout their three-round slugfest, and it was only fitting for the bout to end with a majority draw.

Alexander wasted no time using his strength advantage, taking Zwicker to the ground multiple times in the first round and laying the better blows between the two. While hanging tough, Zwicker was undoubtedly losing the momentum.

That didn’t really change in Round 2, with Alexander notching another takedown and keeping his opponent down for a few minutes. However, Zwicker was landing quality blows and a massive welt formed over Alexander’s right eye.

He left no chance for Zwicker to attack his face in Round 3, taking him down early and keeping Zwicker pinned down—although he was landing elbows on the ground—to keep control. But one poor decision in the final round led to Alexander losing his lead, per TheMMAReport.com’s Jason Floyd:

That lost point ended up proving detrimental, as it would have given Alexander a majority-decision victory instead of the draw. 

Both fighters remain with identical records in Bellator, going to 1-1-1. Although, it’s likely that Alexander feels as if he missed out on a big chance to give Zwicker his fifth ever loss.

 

Andre Santos def. James Terry 

Andre Santos wasn’t dominant by any means and failed to make his win convincing, but it was a win regardless as he defeated James Terry via unanimous decision.

Terry wasn’t able to land anything early on other than one connection to Santos’ chin, but his opponent found much more early success. By the end of the first round, Santos had opened up a big cut over Terry’s right eye. 

Santos looked like he was threatening to end the fight early, but Terry responded strong in Round 2 by upping his intensity and attacking Santos like never before. Though in hindsight, none of the judges saw it as enough to win the round for Terry.

Sensing a much closer fight, Santos came out furiously in Round 3 and was obviously looking for the knockout. Although he didn’t get it, he had Terry on the ropes and a late takedown didn’t do anything to change that.

Santos improves his career record to 38-9 with Friday night’s win in his Bellator debut, while Terry falls to 14-9.

 

Joe Vedepo def. Davin Clark

All of the fights in Friday night’s Bellator main card went the full three rounds, but Joe Vedepo was set on making sure there was at least one knockout.

In a three-round bout that he controlled from the onset, Vedepo defeated Davin Clark via a Round 3 technical knockout as the referee called the fight after seeing enough.

Vedepo took his opponent to the ground early, notching a Round 1 takedown and landing enough blows to secure an easy opening-round win. Nearly the same thing unfolded in Round 2, with Vedepo notching an early takedown and doing most of the damage.

When the fighters came out for Round 3, Vedepo could have cruised to a win but decided rather to finish Clark off.

Vedepo is quickly reasserting himself as one of the top fighters in Bellator. After losing two of his first three fights in the organization, he has now won three straight with Friday night’s victory—which was also Clark’s Bellator debut. 

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Bellator 128 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Dantas vs. Warren Fight Card

Bellator 128 promised to bring one of the year’s best fight cards, and it didn’t disappoint.The WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. was rocking on Friday night for a jam-packed main card featuring four exciting fights. Joe Warren ups…

Bellator 128 promised to bring one of the year’s best fight cards, and it didn’t disappoint.

The WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. was rocking on Friday night for a jam-packed main card featuring four exciting fights. Joe Warren upset Eduardo Dantas to win the Bellator bantamweight title in a five-round slugfest for the main event via unanimous decision.

The early bouts in the main card indicated that it could be a short night, with Alexander Sarnavskiy and Emiliano Sordi both winning in the opening round. But Michael Page went the distance in his bout with NahShon Burrell, and Warren followed suit in his five-round win.

Let’s break down all of the results from Bellator 128, and recap the main card bouts.

 

 

Joe Warren def. Eduardo Dantas

After a main card chock-full of favorites cruising to victory, it was only fitting to see the main event take an unexpected turn.

Joe Warren returned to stardom in Bellator on Friday night, toppling belt holder Eduardo Dantes in a five-round slugfest that ended in a unanimous-decision win. 

The fight was as close as could be, with all three judges agreeing on a 48-47 score line. It was the 37-year-old underdog setting the pace early on, however, taking Round 1 convincingly.

Warren tried endlessly for a Round 2 takedown, which he needed after Dantas evening the score in the round. But in Round 3, Warren returned to his bread-and-butter—the ground and pound, as he seemed to win his second round of the fight.

In Round 5, it was looking more and more like Warren’s victory was inevitable—that is, until an illegal kick to Dantas had the referee stopping the fight for nearly a minute. He gave a stern warning to Warren rather than dock a point, which in hindsight would have proven detrimental for the eventual winner.

But that didn’t happen, and there was little doubt to Warren as he pranced and celebrated his victory before the result was even announced. 

Bleacher Report’s Scott Harris noted just how big of an underdog Warren was:

Welterweight fighter Ben Askren noted Warren’s post-fight comments:

Friday night marked the first time Dantas has suffered a defeat in Bellator. He won his previous six appearances there, including two title defenses.

But the third proved unsuccessful thanks to Warren’s grit and determination. At the age of 37, Warren may not be on top for long but at least he has a second go-around as the top dog before his career winds to a close.

 

Michael Page def. NahShon Burrell

One of the most exciting and emerging names in Bellator continued his undefeated start Friday night when Michael Page toppled NahShon Burrell in a unanimous decision victory.

After the first two main-card bouts failed to make it out of the first round, Burrell made it clear in Round 1 that he wouldn’t be the third straight victim. Despite coming in off a defeat, Burrell threatened to be a serious contender early on by seeming to win the first round.

But Page turned it around and got his legs underneath him, and once that happened, it was game over. His high-octane approach started to take over, and Burrell couldn’t keep up.

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto noted that although it wasn’t easy, it could be the right result for Page:

Burell suffered his second straight defeat with the loss, dropping his career record to 11-4 and 1-2 in Bellator. As for Page, he improves to a perfect 7-0 with the potential of contending for the title.

 

Alexander Sarnavskiy def. Dakota Cochrane

Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy validated his status as a big favorite in Friday night’s second main card bout, easily routing Dakota Cochrane in an opening-round submission.

Cochrane opened up the fight with a good pace, but it was quickly thwarted by Sarnavskiy’s powerful and unpredictable moves. First it was a knee, then a spinning fist that took Cochrane off his game. 

When he followed that up with a powerful jab that rocked Cochrane and connected with another brutal knee, Cochrane fell to the canvas and made for an easy over-the-back submission for Sarnavskiy.

The lightweight contender is just 25 years old, so his game is developing as he improves his Bellator record to 5-2. CagePotato.com noticed a big difference in his striking:

Jason Floyd of TheMMAreport.com noted the historical significance in his win:

Tiger’s record improves to an impressive 29-2 with Friday’s win, but it was his first Bellator win in almost a year. A chance at a title bout could be in his near future if he can rattle off a few straight victories in competition.

 

Emiliano Sordi def. Bubba McDaniel

The first bout on the main card Friday night was over almost before it began, as Emiliano Sordi topped Bubba McDaniel early in Round 1 with a submission.

There were hardly any blows that connected in the contest, but they came early and largely from Sordi. He opened up with a hard-hitting low kick and a right hook that left McDaniel scouring for a takedown unsuccessfully. 

Some 30 seconds in, the guillotine attempts came from Sordi. The first one didn’t come through, but he reset with McDaniel still under wraps and finished him off with a strong guillotine move.

Bleacher Report’s Scott Harris summed up McDaniel’s night:

McDaniel went a little too aggressive in the opening minute, leading to his demise as Luke Thomas of SB Nation noticed:

At just 23 years of age, Sordi—an Argentina native—simply continued his promising start to his career. He’s now 13-4 for his career.

Friday night was Sordi’s Bellator debut, but it’s safe to say after beating an established Bellator name like McDaniel so convincingly, he’ll be getting another main card bout sooner rather than later.

 

All information courtesy of Bellator.com unless otherwise noted.

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