UFC 161’s co-main event, a heavyweight tilt between fan favorite and on-again, off-again title contender Roy Nelson and striker Stipe Miocic, is a matchup nobody wanted, really.Nelson is in desperate need of a fight that advances him toward a title sho…
UFC 161‘s co-main event, a heavyweight tilt between fan favorite and on-again, off-again title contender Roy Nelson and striker StipeMiocic, is a matchup nobody wanted, really.
Nelson is in desperate need of a fight that advances him toward a title shot, as he is the proud owner of the UFC heavyweight division’s longest active winning streak. Miocic, meanwhile, is a legitimately skilled prospect, but he is still reeling from the loss to Stefan Struve last year.
Regardless, the fight is upon us, and we’re here to bring you all the details.
So, how is this heavyweight tilt playing out? Find out right here!
There were no smiley faces or clever one-liners from Dana White after watching Jon Fitch get choked unconscious by Josh Burkman at World Series of Fighting 3.Instead, the UFC President went after referee Steve Mazzagatti for his questionable officiatin…
There were no smiley faces or clever one-liners from Dana White after watching Jon Fitch get choked unconscious by Josh Burkman at World Series of Fighting 3.
Instead, the UFC President went after referee Steve Mazzagatti for his questionable officiating in a couple of posts on Twitter.
Fitch came out aggressive on the feet early on in the bout, but Burkman stood his ground and dropped the former UFC contender with a pair of hooks. While scrambling for his senses, Fitch made a desperate attempt at a takedown, but the telegraphed shot played right into the hands of Burkman, who immediately countered with an airtight guillotine choke.
After Fitch went limp, Burkman released the hold and began to celebrate before Mazzagatti even realized the fight was over. The official time of the stoppage was 41 seconds into the first round.
White has gone on record several times in expressing his dissatisfaction with the Nevada State Athletic Commission for allowing Mazzagatti to continue officiating fights. The frustration for White goes all the way back to a 2009 appearance on the Opie & Anthony Show, via MMAFighting.com, where he called Mazzagatti the “worst ref in the history of any fight business.”
It’s tough to argue with White after watching the Fitch and Burkman bout. Thankfully, Burkman showed tremendous class and great sportsmanship in releasing the hold as soon as Fitch went unconscious.
This was Fitch’s first fight back since being cut from the UFC back in February. In the rearview, the UFC’s decision to part ways with Fitch doesn’t look nearly as bad considering he is 1-3-1 in his last five fights, but the initial reaction to the release was shock and disappointment that the promotion would be so eager to sever ties with the perennial welterweight contender.
White swears there are no hard feelings for Fitch, but recently the two sides have remained locked in a bitter public debate over fighter pay.
Unfortunately for Fitch, any hope of a pay raise was likely left plastered on the canvas Friday night.
Jon Fitch was looking to bounce back in his first fight since being released by the UFC at World Series of Fighting 3; instead, he suffered one of the worst losses of his career Friday night in Las Vegas.Fitch was choked unconscious by Josh Burkman via…
Jon Fitch was looking to bounce back in his first fight since being released by the UFC at World Series of Fighting 3; instead, he suffered one of the worst losses of his career Friday night in Las Vegas.
Fitch was choked unconscious by Josh Burkman via guillotine choke at the 41-second mark of the opening round of the main event.
The AKA fighter got knocked down after getting clipped by a right hand. From there, Burkman landed a couple of left hands during the scramble and then stood up and secured the guillotine choke. Fitch grabbed a single and both fighters went to the mat.
Fitch was then choked unconscious inside of Burkman’s half-guard. Burkman had to release the choke and roll the unconscious Fitch over on his back and stand over him triumphantly, before referee Steve Mazzagatti called a halt to the action.
“I went for the lift instead of fighting the choke,” Fitch said to Joey Varner in the post-fight interview.
“I got a little over confident with my choke defense,” he admitted. “I was going to try and slam him but he locked it in too tight. Mistake on my part, I should’ve fought the choke right away.”
A devastating loss for Fitch, and the first time he has ever lost back-to-back fights in his career. He is now 1-3 in his last three fights.
He made a push to get a rubber match against Burkman. “Let’s do it again,” Fitch said. “Let’s do it for five, and let’s do it for that belt.”
If the 35-year-old welterweight thinks he is getting a title shot after that performance, he is sadly mistaken.
The WSOF currently has no belts. However, Fitch will have to go back to the drawing board if he wants to compete for one.
It is clear after the past few performances that Fitch is clearly on the down side of his career. It remains to be seen if he has any good fights left to offer.
He will have to take some time to regroup after the embarrassing defeat. As to who the WSOF matches him up against, it’s anybody’s guess.
A matchup against Aaron Simpson or Tyson Steele makes sense.
Michael Stets is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report
At the UFC 161 weigh-in, Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson had one last chance to measure each other up before they compete against one another on Saturday.Though looking lean, Evans tipped the scales at the 206-pound limit for his light heavyweight non-t…
At the UFC 161 weigh-in, Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson had one last chance to measure each other up before they compete against one another on Saturday.
Though looking lean, Evans tipped the scales at the 206-pound limit for his light heavyweight non-title bout with Henderson. A former middleweight title challenger, Henderson came in a tad lighter at 204 pounds on Friday.
Evans has lost two straight fights since earning a chance to regain the UFC light heavyweight title. After being out-struck by former teammate and 205-pound champion Jon Jones, Evans appeared unmotivated in a decision defeat at the hands of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Henderson also had a lackluster performance in his most recent outing. Coming back from a knee injury that cost him a shot at Jones, Henderson was unable to close the distance and mount much offense against the defensive LyotoMachida.
With a win, either fighter could find themselves back in the hunt for the light heavyweight championship. However, the loser of this pivotal matchup could be looking at retirement or a move to the middleweight division.
In addition to the light heavyweight main event, UFC 161 features a number of competitive matches despite the loss of its original main event featuring interim bantamweight champion RenanBarao and Eddie Wineland.
Sean Smith is a Featured MMA Columnist for Bleacher Report who has also had work promoted on UFC.com and TheMMACorner.com. Follow on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.
On Saturday June 15, the MTS Centre in Winnipeg will play host to UFC 161. Or what’s left of it, anyway. Ravaged by injuries, the card has ended up with a main event to be contested by light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson, a…
On Saturday June 15, the MTS Centre in Winnipeg will play host to UFC 161. Or what’s left of it, anyway.
Ravaged by injuries, the card has ended up with a main event to be contested by light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson, and will feature a total of 11 bouts spanning Facebook, FX and pay-per-view.
Here you will find event results from the card’s opening bell to its closing one, the updates coming live as the action happens.
Jon Jones opening on BestFightOdds.com as a -800 favorite in his title bout against Alexander Gustafsson is likely to surprise few. Gustafsson opened at +500 (5-to-1 underdog) for the bout. Back in October, MMAJunkie.com reported Chael Sonnen’s initial…
Jon Jones opening on BestFightOdds.com as a -800 favorite in his title bout against Alexander Gustafsson is likely to surprise few.
Gustafsson opened at +500 (5-to-1 underdog) for the bout. Back in October, MMAJunkie.com reported Chael Sonnen’s initial odds at 4-to-1 for his bout with Jones. Coming in late as a replacement to face Jones, VitorBelfort opened at just over 6-to-1, according to MMAWeekly.com.
Gustafsson‘s odds could have been worse. Still, the odds do not exhibit a vote of confidence from the bookies.
In the past, Gustafsson had been labeled one of the few challenges left for Jones in the division. That sentiment seems to have softened in recent months.
While Gustafsson has a solid fanbase, the majority of MMA enthusiasts are likely to side with the early odds. A short list of key factors work against Gustafsson and are the cause of his perceived slim chances.
“Mauler” has yet to push five rounds in his career. He has reached the final bell in three-round bouts only twice. A majority of his fights have finished within the opening round. Quick stoppages usually work in a fighter’s favor when it comes to odds, but Gustafsson‘s ability to keep up with Jones for 25 minutes is in question.
Fans and bookies alike are cooling on Gustafsson in part due to his most recent decision victories. His wins over Thiago Silva and Mauricio Rua were solid, but not spectacular.
It is no secret that it will take something more than a solid performance to beat Jones.
Finally, Gustafsson‘s one loss is hard to ignore. Phil Davis came into his bout with Gus possessing many of the same advantages Jones will have at UFC 165. Davis utilized his long reach to control the stand-up before easily controlling Gustafsson on the canvas. It is hard to imagine Jones will not use the same attributes and skills to snatch another victory.
There is plenty of time to see the odds change for Gustafsson. For now, he will have to swallow any pride he had coming into the bout and simply look to shock a majority of the MMA world as a solid long shot.
There were no smiley faces or clever one-liners from