Former lightweight title challenger and fan favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone recently moved up in weight, scoring a submission victory over Alex Oliveira in a welterweight scrap last month. It appears as if “Cowboy” may be sticking around 170-pounds for the time being, as MMAFighting.com has reported that Cerrone will take on Patrick Cote at a
Former lightweight title challenger and fan favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone recently moved up in weight, scoring a submission victory over Alex Oliveira in a welterweight scrap last month.
It appears as if “Cowboy” may be sticking around 170-pounds for the time being, as MMAFighting.com has reported that Cerrone will take on Patrick Cote at a UFC Fight Night card on June 18, 2016 in Ottawa, Canada.
Prior to his bout with Oliveira, Cerrone had dropped a disappointing loss to 155-pound king Rafael dos Anjos last December. However, “Cowboy” usually tends to remain extremely active, and has won nine of his last 10 fights.
Cote, on the other hand, has been riding a hot streak as of late, winning three consecutive showings. A decision victory over Joe Riggs at April 2015’s UFC 186 started his current winning streak, and “The Predator” has followed that up with back to back finishes over Josh Burkman at UFC Fight Fight Night 74 last August, and Ben Saunders at UFC Fight Night 81 in January.
The UFC’s card in Ottawa is expected to be headlined by a crucial welterweight title eliminator between No. 1-ranked Rory MacDonald and No. 2-ranked Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
No. 2-ranked UFC welterweight Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is coming off of the biggest win of his career, a first round demolition of former champion Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks last month. Now, “Wonderboy” will attempt to continue his rise to glory, as he’s set to face off with No. 1-ranked former title challenger Rory “Red King”
No. 2-ranked UFC welterweight Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is coming off of the biggest win of his career, a first round demolition of former champion Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks last month.
Now, “Wonderboy” will attempt to continue his rise to glory, as he’s set to face off with No. 1-ranked former title challenger Rory “Red King” MacDonald.
UFC President Dana White announced the news at today’s (March 4, 2016) UFC: Unstoppable press conference, confirming that the two would be headlining a Fight Night card on June 18, 2016 in Ottawa, Canada.
Prior to his win over Hendricks, Thompson had won five straight including three by way of finish, quickly becoming a fan favorite due to his dazzling striking style.
MacDonald, on the other hand, is coming off a five round war with reigning welterweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler at last July’s UFC 189, a fight many consider to be amongst the best of all-time.
Prior to his second loss to Lawler, the “Red King” had won three straight over Demian Maia, Tyron Woodley, and Tarec Saffiedine.
A battle between a long-time contender, and a rising phenom, this fight will likely present the next title challenger at 170-pounds.
(Remember, this “schedule” is for entertainment purposes only.)
We’re just 12 days into 2015, and the UFC is already learning that announcing an entire year’s event schedule in advance is easier said than done. MMAJunkie passes along the word that the UFC Fight Night event slated for March 7th will not be taking place. The now-deceased card was expected to air on Fight Pass, and was rumored to be held in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. No fights had been officially tied to the event. According to an official statement issued to MMAJunkie:
“While rumors of an event in Windsor had been circulating, this event was never officially confirmed or announced by UFC. UFC did consider holding a Canadian Fight Night event in March. However, the organization always strives to put on first-class events in every city, and this was proving to be a challenge within the required timeframe.”
If you look up there at the schedule, you’ll see that the March 7th date was the fifth in a string of back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back UFC events from February 14th to March 21st. Good Lord. I can’t imagine what the UFC matchmakers are going through trying to fill all these spots. However, our buddy Adam Martin suggests that there’s more to this story than simply an overloaded event schedule collapsing under its own weight:
(Remember, this “schedule” is for entertainment purposes only.)
We’re just 12 days into 2015, and the UFC is already learning that announcing an entire year’s event schedule in advance is easier said than done. MMAJunkie passes along the word that the UFC Fight Night event slated for March 7th will not be taking place. The now-deceased card was expected to air on Fight Pass, and was rumored to be held in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. No fights had been officially tied to the event. According to an official statement issued to MMAJunkie:
“While rumors of an event in Windsor had been circulating, this event was never officially confirmed or announced by UFC. UFC did consider holding a Canadian Fight Night event in March. However, the organization always strives to put on first-class events in every city, and this was proving to be a challenge within the required timeframe.”
If you look up there at the schedule, you’ll see that the March 7th date was the fifth in a string of back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back UFC events from February 14th to March 21st. Good Lord. I can’t imagine what the UFC matchmakers are going through trying to fill all these spots. However, our buddy Adam Martin suggests that there’s more to this story than simply an overloaded event schedule collapsing under its own weight:
(“What was your question? Are we looking to buy the entire Internet? I mean, yeah, we’ll see what happens.”/Photo via Getty)
UFC’s digital subscription service, Fight Pass, has its fair share of pros and cons. The cost isn’t all that damaging to the wallet, but it’s not exactly the game-changer promotion officials thought it would be.
Without knowing too much about subscriber info and profits, the network allows you to watch free UFC cards, including FOX Sports 1 events, preliminary fights, and exclusive Fight Pass broadcasts that usually take place outside of North America. It also has an extensive UFC library, containing an abundance of full main cards from UFC, Pride, WEC, EliteXC, and those two Affliction MMA cards that were surprisingly fun.
(“What was your question? Are we looking to buy the entire Internet? I mean, yeah, we’ll see what happens.”/ Photo via Getty)
UFC’s digital subscription service, Fight Pass, has its fair share of pros and cons. The cost isn’t all that damaging to the wallet, but it’s not exactly the game-changer that promotion officials thought it would be.
The network allows you to watch free UFC cards, including FOX Sports 1 events, preliminary fights, and exclusive Fight Pass broadcasts that usually take place outside of North America. It also carries an extensive UFC library, containing an abundance of full main cards from UFC, as well as Pride, WEC, EliteXC, and those two Affliction MMA cards that were surprisingly fun, among others.
UFC Chief Content Officer Marshall Zelaznik announced the news in a press conference on Saturday, revealing that over 13,000 individual bouts are slated to be added to Fight Pass this upcoming spring. The content comes from the brain of UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, who apparently made his own list of what promotions he wanted to see on the digital service (according to MMA Fighting).
After news broke that hackers stole login info and credit card numbers from tens of thousands of subscribers a few days ago (which really speaks volumes about the lack of security), fight fans were met with a better announcement, as Zuffa announced hours before UFC 182 it has acquired eight fight libraries from renown and regional promotions, including legendary Japanese promotion Pancrase (complete library), King of The Cage, HookNShoot, TKO, Cage Rage, Extreme Challenge, Ultimate Challenge MMA (UCMMA), and XFO.
But there’s still a lot to complain about, after the jump:
(“What was your question? Are we looking to buy the entire Internet? I mean, yeah, we’ll see what happens.”/ Photo via Getty)
UFC’s digital subscription service, Fight Pass, has its fair share of pros and cons. The cost isn’t all that damaging to the wallet, but it’s not exactly the game-changer that promotion officials thought it would be.
The network allows you to watch free UFC cards, including FOX Sports 1 events, preliminary fights, and exclusive Fight Pass broadcasts that usually take place outside of North America. It also carries an extensive UFC library, containing an abundance of full main cards from UFC, as well as Pride, WEC, EliteXC, and those two Affliction MMA cards that were surprisingly fun, among others.
UFC Chief Content Officer Marshall Zelaznik announced the news in a press conference on Saturday, revealing that over 13,000 individual bouts are slated to be added to Fight Pass this upcoming spring. The content comes from the brain of UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, who apparently made his own list of what promotions he wanted to see on the digital service (according to MMA Fighting).
Now, the Pancrase library certainly gets us giddy, seeing that their current events are pretty difficult to find, without the availability to download those events after they take place. The rest is a nice treat, yet we’re still holding out for Yamma and Rhode Island Vale Tudo. With that said, Fight Pass is starting to shape up as definitive library of MMA fights from the most important promotions, and it’s apparently still growing.
This comes not too long after UFC’s inclusion of Invicta FC events, providing streaming of live events and past showcases from the leading all-female MMA promotion. We could really do without exclusive shows like The Ultimate Fighter: Whatever Country We’re In and MMA Mindset, but variety is never a bad thing.
On the other hand, this also means a boatload of free content will likely be pulled from YouTube and other free streaming sites. Zuffa legal teams will be out in full force and prohibiting fans from watching some old Bas Rutten and Frank Shamrock Pancrase fights because they now own that material.
In spite of that, it still feels like Fight Pass is “under construction,” since the search tool is fairly problematic; you’d think the service could at least rank the bouts you’re looking for in chronological order. It’s also incredibly glitchy, with a lot of complaints about getting bounced out of a live broadcast, only to have to sign back in. There are rewind functions, but it’s kind of annoying to be asked to log in again after the site freezes and have to reenter your password during the critical moments of a fight.
Also, for those that think pro wrestling isn’t direct competition to MMA, think again. Fight Pass was overshadowed by the WWE Network days after its launch, which isn’t doing so good itself, according to pundits. The reason WWE stole the glory was their inclusion of the 12 PPV events they put on a year (including WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and Survivor Series), not to mention countless hours of WCW and ECW footage. By comparison, the UFC didn’t even have their complete fight library posted at first (nor did they have as much Pride material, which is sort of a deal-breaker if you’re going to monopolize the online MMA world). For what it’s worth, Japan’s top wrestling promotion, New Japan Pro Wrestling, launched its own digital network a few weeks ago, called NJPW World. The cost is similar, and since Puroresu is rising in North America, it’s a lot more compelling to watch old Antonio Inoki contests from decades ago, instead of an Ultimate Bigfoot Silva collection.
If that’s not enough, there’s no indication the new additions will help generate more subscribers. It’s a nice bonus for the MMA diehards who are already staying up all night to watch international UFC cards on the Internet, but is it a true selling point for those who are still on the fence? If the UFC was willing to take a little bit of a pay cut to include a couple of PPV events on the network, then the service would be a must for your typical UFC enthusiast. But apparently, PPV isn’t dead, despite more and more people cancelling their cable subscriptions in favor of laptops and HDMI wires.
LAS VEGAS — The Ultimate Fighting Championship has acquired the complete video libraries of eight of the most famous and respected mixed martial arts promotions in the history of the sport. The libraries of Pancrase, Extreme Challenge, Cage Rage, Hook and Shoot, TKO Canada, King of the Cage, UCMMA and XFO are in the process […]
LAS VEGAS — The Ultimate Fighting Championship has acquired the complete video libraries of eight of the most famous and respected mixed martial arts promotions in the history of the sport. The libraries of Pancrase, Extreme Challenge, Cage Rage, Hook and Shoot, TKO Canada, King of the Cage, UCMMA and XFO are in the process […]
WSOF 14: “Shields vs. Ford” came and went last night from Edmonton’s Expo Centre in Alberta, Canada, with the majority of the focus on a former UFC and Strikeforce combatant looking to regain his flair.
In a card billed as USA vs. Canada (borrowed from pro wrestling, of course), a welterweight title shot was on the line, as Jake Shields took on Ryan Ford in the main event. The co-main event featured the inaugural heavyweight championship bout between Derrick Mehmen and Smealinho Rama, and also on the main card, Canadian MMA veteran Chris Horodecki battled Luis Huete and Jared Hamman took on Luke Harris.
Check out the GIF highlights and the complete results below (all via Zombie Prophet):
WSOF 14: “Shields vs. Ford” came and went last night from Edmonton’s Expo Centre in Alberta, Canada, with the majority of the focus on a former UFC and Strikeforce combatant looking to regain his flair.
In a card billed as USA vs. Canada (borrowed from pro wrestling, of course), a welterweight title shot was on the line, as Jake Shields took on Ryan Ford in the main event. The co-main event featured the inaugural heavyweight championship bout between Derrick Mehmen and Smealinho Rama, and also on the main card, Canadian MMA veteran Chris Horodecki battled Luis Huete and Jared Hamman took on Luke Harris.
Check out the GIF highlights and the complete results below (all via Zombie Prophet):
Hakeem Dawodu vs. Mike Malott
The prelims were nothing to boast about, but we got this highlight of Hakeem Dawodu blasting Mike Malott, just because.
Jared Hamman vs. Luke Harris
The main card opened up with UFC veteran Jared Hamman against TUF:Nations alumnus Luke Harris, and it’s safe to say the former was a tad too much to handle. Hamman was treating Harris like a punching bag until his eventual death, but thank God the official stepped in when the Albertan’s knees his the mat.
Chris Horodecki vs. Luis Huete
This one was by far the card’s snoozer of the night, as the “Polish Hammer” used his wrestling abilities to best his opponent. He took Huete down at will, sometimes inactive and forced to stand up through the course of their bout.
Derrick Mehmen vs. Smealinho Rama
This fight would crown the promotion’s first heavyweight champion, with the 22-year-old prospect seizing the opportunity and finishing Mehmen in brutal fashion. It only took him 51 seconds to capture the gold, rocking and dropping “Caveman” multiple times.
Jake Shields vs. Ryan Ford
The Skrap Pack member acquired his first stoppage victory since 2009 (!), submitting Ryan Ford in the first round. The former Strikeforce champ hit the ground after Ford threw his first punch (a jab), but Shields recovered and eventually brought the “Real Deal” to the mat and sunk in a rear-naked choke. Successful in his first fight since his UFC release, Shields will take on the winner of Rousimar Palhares vs. Jon Fitch for the WSOF welterweight strap. Call me a masochist, but I’ve been waiting years for Shields vs. Fitch, and goodness gracious, I hope it happens.
Here are the complete WSOF 14 results:
Main Card
Jake Shields def. Ryan Ford via submission (rear naked choke), 4:29 of round 1.
Smealinho Rama def. Derrick Mehmen via TKO (punches), 0:51 of round 1.
Chris Horodecki def. Luis Huete via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
Jared Hamman def. Luke Harris via TKO (punches), 2:27 of round 1.
Preliminary Card
Tim Hague def. Craig Hudson via TKO (punches), 2:55 of round 3.
Hakeem Dawodu def. Mike Malott via TKO (punches and elbows), 4:13 of round 1.
Matt Baker def. Cody Krahn via submission (armbar), 2:28 of round 1.
Roger Alves def. David Swanson via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
(Photo via Getty)
