Tag: Cat Zingano

UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya Odds, Tickets, Predictions and Pre-Weigh-in Hype

A women’s featherweight title fight between Cris “Cyborg” Justino and Yana Kunitskaya isn’t exactly the main event that UFC brass envisioned for UFC 222, but it’s the one that’s going to have to do. 
When a title fight between Max Holloway and Fra…

A women’s featherweight title fight between Cris “Cyborg” Justino and Yana Kunitskaya isn’t exactly the main event that UFC brass envisioned for UFC 222, but it’s the one that’s going to have to do. 

When a title fight between Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar fell through due to an injury to Holloway, the UFC was left to put together a short-notice main event that would attract viewers. 

Fortunately, Cyborg, as her nickname might suggest, is usually prepared to offer up more violence when called upon, so viewers will get another title defense against Invicta FC featherweight champion Kunitskaya. 

Edgar is still on the card despite the loss of Holloway. He’s one-half of the co-main event. Undefeated Brian Ortega will meet him in a high-profile featherweight bout that could determine who next challenges Holloway for his title. 

Here’s a look at the entire card along with odds and predictions for the biggest fights. 

        

Tickets: StubHub

Odds via OddsShark 

Main Card (PPV at 10 p.m. ET)

  • Cris Cyborg (-1600) vs. Yana Kunitskaya (+800) – women’s featherweight championship
  • Frankie Edgar (-175) vs. Brian Ortega (+145) – featherweight
  • Sean O’Malley (+115) vs. Andre Soukhamthath (-150) – bantamweight
  • Andrei Arlovski (+155) vs. Stefan Struve (-190) – heavyweight
  • Ketlen Vieira (-160) vs. Cat Zingano (+130) – women’s bantamweight

       

Prelims (Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET)

  • Mackenzie Dern (-450) vs. Ashley Yoder (+325) – women’s strawweight
  • Beneil Dariush (-375) vs. Alexander Hernandez (+285) – lightweight
  • John Dodson (-170) vs. Pedro Munhoz (+140) – bantamweight
  • CB Dolloway (+120) vs. Hector Lombard (-150) – middleweight

       

Prelims (Fight Pass at 6:30 p.m. ET)

  • Zak Ottow (-280) vs. Mike Pyle (+220) – welterweight
  • Bryan Caraway (+130) vs. Cody Stamann (-160) – bantamweight
  • Jordan Johnson (-305) vs. Adam Milstead (+235) – light heavyweight

      

Cris Cyborg vs. Yana Kunitskaya

Kunitskaya is trying to sell this fight. 

“I know that she’s strong, but I don’t think she has that strong of knockout power,” Kunitskaya said, per Mike Bohn and John Morgan of MMAjunkie. “She has no clean knockouts where girls go down, like Holly (Holm) have. But yes, she’s very tough. She finishes all the fights by technical knockout. I think I’m strong, too, strong enough to compare with her.”

To say Cyborg doesn’t have “that strong of knockout power” is akin to saying Tom Brady doesn’t throw “that good of a spiral.” 

It’s difficult to find fighters that can challenge Cyborg in any real way. Her combination of power, speed and technical skill is too much for most fighters in the division to handle. 

Holly Holm was the most recent to try, and she prevailed in surviving the fight, but she couldn’t topple the Brazilian. 

Kunitskaya isn’t on the same level of Holm, though. Holm is one of the best out-fighters in her division, with the ability to stick and move without engaging on her opponent’s terms. Kunitskaya is the kind of fighter who is going to look to close the distance and get Cyborg to the mat. 

That’s generally a recipe to find some devastating strikes and see a shortened night. 

Prediction: Cyborg via first-round TKO

      

Frankie Edgar vs. Brian Ortega

The crown jewel of this fight card is the co-main event.

Edgar could have waited around for Holloway to heal up, but he chose to take a fight with Ortega, and the fans should be grateful—it is the most intriguing high-profile fight on the card, and it isn’t particularly close. 

Edgar is one of the known quantities in the division. The former lightweight champion has fought for the featherweight crown twice and lost both times to Jose Aldo. The Brazilian is still the only man to beat him at 145 pounds. 

Ortega is a strong threat to be the second man on that list, though. The 27-year-old is on a tear with his 13-0 career record, highlighted by five straight finishes. 

T-City is an especially strong grappler, though he will come into the bout at a striking disadvantage with Edgar. 

The question is when we’ll see a decline in Edgar’s athleticism. Ortega is by no means a dynamo, but he will aggressively pursue takedowns and isn’t afraid to exchange to set them up. If Edgar isn’t his usual hard-to-hold-down self, it could be bad news for him. 

At 36 years old, the time might be coming soon. Ortega has been steadily taking on increasingly difficult challenges. He’s up to the task and should be the No. 1 contender coming out of UFC 222. 

Prediction: Ortega via third-round submission

      

Ketlen Vieira vs. Cat Zingano

On a relatively light main card, the opening bout featuring Cat Zingano and Ketlen Vieira does at least provide some intrigue. 

It features the return of a former women’s bantamweight challenger in Zingano and an undeniable fast-riser in the division in Vieira. 

For Zingano, it’s a chance to return to relevance. She’s ranked No. 6 in the division, but that’s largely on reputation at this point. She was obviously a top contender in the Ronda Rousey era of the division, but it’s a weight class that is changing, and it’ll be her chance to prove she still belongs. 

Still, despite the inactivity and injuries, Zingano believes she’s still the best fighter in the division.

“I 100 percent think I’m the best 135-pound girl in the world, I always have,” Zingano said, per MMA Fighting‘s Eugene Leydon. “You know, I haven’t lost that, and I do realize that there are circumstances that go into proving it. The point is proving it is what matters.”

Vieira, at 26 years old, represents the new guard. With a relentless approach and a strong grappling game, she’s shown a penchant for wearing opponents down until they lose a decision or fall into a submission. 

If Zingano is to prove that she is still really one of the elite fighters in the division, it’s going to be a hard night. 

It’s more likely that Vieira picks up an important win in her quest to break into the top of the division. 

Prediction: Vieira via decision  

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Five Ways The UFC Is Becoming More Like WWE

When UFC 1 took place on a cold November night back in 1993 from McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado, it ignited the beginning of the world’s foremost mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, fueled by the concept of the best fighting the best to call themselves champion. It may have been extremely rough around the edges in […]

The post Five Ways The UFC Is Becoming More Like WWE appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

When UFC 1 took place on a cold November night back in 1993 from McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado, it ignited the beginning of the world’s foremost mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, fueled by the concept of the best fighting the best to call themselves champion.

It may have been extremely rough around the edges in those ‘dark’ days where the sport having few rules and regulation had it on the precipice of doom, but the opposite is very much true today. After the Fertitta brothers along with Dana White purchased the UFC for a paltry sum and turned it into a legitimately regulated competition watched on pay-per-view the world over, the UFC exploded into a global brand that put shows on nearly every weekend.

When its popularity peaked in 2016 on the heels of the Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz rivalry, the Fertitta brothers saw an opportunity to cash in, and cash in they did. Selling the UFC to Hollywood talent giant WME-IMG (now Endeavor) for a then-record $4.2 billion, one of the biggest franchise sales in sports (of any kind) history was complete. But all was not rosy. This year has seen the advent of some truly horrific pay-per-view and television ratings, with UFC 213, UFC 215, and UFC 216 ranking as three of the lowest-watched PPVs ever, while December’s TUF 26 Finale was the least-watched UFC live event of all-time.

So while it was undoubtedly rough around the edges in its infancy, the UFC is dealing with a whole different set of problems heading into 2018, and many would argue that the UFC owners don’t exactly know what they’re doing. A growing sense is that the Hollywood agency is now trying to book the more mainstream, over-the-top spectacle fights rather than those that clearly have a more legitimate meaning based on meritocracy.

It’s lead to a steady stream of criticism that the UFC is becoming more like pro-wrestling and their WWE counterpart, obviously not the most endearing of words from fight fans. The argument, unfortunately, cannot be totally denied. Let’s take a look at the reasons why:

Jason Silva/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire

5.) Titles Mean Next To Nothing:

Endeavor has to be commended for finally getting the middleweight division moving in the right direction by booking Robert Whittaker vs. Luke Rockhold for UFC 221, but there is one weight class that is an absolute mess in the UFC.

It’s obviously Conor McGregor’s held-hostage lightweight division, where “The Notorious” fought once and won the belt way back at UFC 205 in November 2016 before leaving to box – and lose – to Floyd Mayweather for the entirety of 2017. McGregor made the record-setting payday he was always looking for and can’t be blamed for doing it, but the fact remains the 155-pound landscape, which is still one of the most talented in MMA, has no clarity whatsoever at the current moment.

An interim belt was given to Tony Ferguson at October’s UFC 216, but without a path to a unification bout with McGregor, he opted to have elbow surgery, leaving not one but two champions on the sidelines with no real news about a return. Take into account the middleweight situation as well, where Michael Bisping was allowed to avoid the top 10 contenders by facing a retiring No. 14 Dan Henderson and an unretiring Georges St-Pierre, who had never even fought in the division. St-Pierre won and vacated the belt hardly a month later.

Interim titles are also created around much more frequently, making them seem more like the WWE titles that are handed over and won back on a never-ending cycle.

Because of these occurrences, UFC titles seem like little more than gold belts to be flaunted after a win rather than symbols of true MMA supremacy to be defended with pride.

The post Five Ways The UFC Is Becoming More Like WWE appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Five Ways The UFC Is Becoming More Like WWE

When UFC 1 took place on a cold November night back in 1993 from McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado, it ignited the beginning of the world’s foremost mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, fueled by the concept of the best fighting the best to call themselves champion. It may have been extremely rough around the edges in […]

The post Five Ways The UFC Is Becoming More Like WWE appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

When UFC 1 took place on a cold November night back in 1993 from McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado, it ignited the beginning of the world’s foremost mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, fueled by the concept of the best fighting the best to call themselves champion.

It may have been extremely rough around the edges in those ‘dark’ days where the sport having few rules and regulation had it on the precipice of doom, but the opposite is very much true today. After the Fertitta brothers along with Dana White purchased the UFC for a paltry sum and turned it into a legitimately regulated competition watched on pay-per-view the world over, the UFC exploded into a global brand that put shows on nearly every weekend.

When its popularity peaked in 2016 on the heels of the Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz rivalry, the Fertitta brothers saw an opportunity to cash in, and cash in they did. Selling the UFC to Hollywood talent giant WME-IMG (now Endeavor) for a then-record $4.2 billion, one of the biggest franchise sales in sports (of any kind) history was complete. But all was not rosy. This year has seen the advent of some truly horrific pay-per-view and television ratings, with UFC 213, UFC 215, and UFC 216 ranking as three of the lowest-watched PPVs ever, while December’s TUF 26 Finale was the least-watched UFC live event of all-time.

So while it was undoubtedly rough around the edges in its infancy, the UFC is dealing with a whole different set of problems heading into 2018, and many would argue that the UFC owners don’t exactly know what they’re doing. A growing sense is that the Hollywood agency is now trying to book the more mainstream, over-the-top spectacle fights rather than those that clearly have a more legitimate meaning based on meritocracy.

It’s lead to a steady stream of criticism that the UFC is becoming more like pro-wrestling and their WWE counterpart, obviously not the most endearing of words from fight fans. The argument, unfortunately, cannot be totally denied. Let’s take a look at the reasons why:

Jason Silva/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire

5.) Titles Mean Next To Nothing:

Endeavor has to be commended for finally getting the middleweight division moving in the right direction by booking Robert Whittaker vs. Luke Rockhold for UFC 221, but there is one weight class that is an absolute mess in the UFC.

It’s obviously Conor McGregor’s held-hostage lightweight division, where “The Notorious” fought once and won the belt way back at UFC 205 in November 2016 before leaving to box – and lose – to Floyd Mayweather for the entirety of 2017. McGregor made the record-setting payday he was always looking for and can’t be blamed for doing it, but the fact remains the 155-pound landscape, which is still one of the most talented in MMA, has no clarity whatsoever at the current moment.

An interim belt was given to Tony Ferguson at October’s UFC 216, but without a path to a unification bout with McGregor, he opted to have elbow surgery, leaving not one but two champions on the sidelines with no real news about a return. Take into account the middleweight situation as well, where Michael Bisping was allowed to avoid the top 10 contenders by facing a retiring No. 14 Dan Henderson and an unretiring Georges St-Pierre, who had never even fought in the division. St-Pierre won and vacated the belt hardly a month later.

Interim titles are also created around much more frequently, making them seem more like the WWE titles that are handed over and won back on a never-ending cycle.

Because of these occurrences, UFC titles seem like little more than gold belts to be flaunted after a win rather than symbols of true MMA supremacy to be defended with pride.

The post Five Ways The UFC Is Becoming More Like WWE appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Cat Zingano Finally Set For UFC Return

No. 6 UFC women’s bantamweight contender Cat Zingano is finally set for her UFC return. A report confirmed by MMA Fighting and initially reported by MMA Brasil revealed the former title challenger, who has been out of action since a decision loss to Julianna Pena at 2016’s UFC 200, will meet undefeated up-and-coming contender Ketlen […]

The post Cat Zingano Finally Set For UFC Return appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

No. 6 UFC women’s bantamweight contender Cat Zingano is finally set for her UFC return.

A report confirmed by MMA Fighting and initially reported by MMA Brasil revealed the former title challenger, who has been out of action since a decision loss to Julianna Pena at 2016’s UFC 200, will meet undefeated up-and-coming contender Ketlen Vieira at March 3’s UFC 222 pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

Zingano has had an incredibly unique, mercurial, and taxing UFC run that began with her scoring an emphatic third-round finish of former champion Miesha Tate in her Octagon debut at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 17 Finale in 2013, which earned her a title shot at dominant then-champion Ronda Rousey. A torn ACL suffered in training delayed that fight for almost two years, however, as Zingano instead returned to face and defeat current champion Amanda Nunes at September 2014’s UFC 178, her last win in MMA.

She faced Rousey for the belt at UFC 184 in February 2015, but lost to a strikingly quick armbar in 14 seconds. Varied injuries gave kept the otherwise decorated ‘Alpha’ out of consistent action.

Zingano will have no easy return match-up in the 9-0, No. 8-ranked Vieira. The surging Brazilian has won her three bouts in the UFC, with by far her biggest win coming in her latest fight, a shocking arm-triangle submission over former title challenger Sara McMann at September’s UFC 215.

The post Cat Zingano Finally Set For UFC Return appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Cat Zingano: ‘I Have Who, I Know When’ for Next Fight

Former UFC female bantamweight title contender Cat Zingano has had a rough 2017. She hasn’t fought since 2016 due to injuries and other issues, when Julianna Pena scored a decision victory over her at UFC 200. But that appears ready to change. I have who. I have where. I know when. It’s time. #teamalphacat #alphacatzingano […]

Former UFC female bantamweight title contender Cat Zingano has had a rough 2017. She hasn’t fought since 2016 due to injuries and other issues, when Julianna Pena scored a decision victory over her at UFC 200. But that appears ready to change. I have who. I have where. I know when. It's time. #teamalphacat #alphacatzingano […]

Cris Cyborg Blasts UFC For Offering Pay Downgrade

The UFC just can’t seem to find a happy medium with women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg. And there could be a distinct reason for that. After finally winning a UFC title against Invicta bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger at July’s UFC 214, Cyborg repeatedly called out for a title fight against former UFC women’s bantamweight champion […]

The post Cris Cyborg Blasts UFC For Offering Pay Downgrade appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

The UFC just can’t seem to find a happy medium with women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg.

And there could be a distinct reason for that.

After finally winning a UFC title against Invicta bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger at July’s UFC 214, Cyborg repeatedly called out for a title fight against former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm, who fought Germaine de Randamie in the inaugural UFC women’s featherweight title fight, at December 30’s UFC 219.

However, according to Cyborg, that booking is seeming more and more unlikely due to the payday the UFC is offering her. She tweeted last night that a scheduled meeting with the UFC had been called off because they were offering her a downgrade in pay to fight Holm:

The issue is merely the latest in a long string of back-and-forth troubles between the UFC and Cyborg, which were seemingly remedied after she was hit with a potential USADA violation last year, of which she was exonerated yet still did not fight in the first UFC women’s 145-pound title bout in the main event of February’s UFC 208.

It seemed getting Cyborg to the octagon was becoming tougher by the day, but the two sides hashed things out enough to get her inside the Octagon at UFC 214, where she dominated a tough Evinger en route to a third-round TKO stoppage. The stage was certainly set for Cyborg to realize her potential as one of MMA’s biggest stars (and most controversial draws) against Holm, who is quite possibly the only woman ready and willing to fight, other than Cyborg, at featherweight right now.

But with fighter pay and treatment one of the most heated topics in MMA in the year following WME-IMG’s then-record $4.2 billion UFC purchase, a champion probably won’t take a pay cut to fight a bigger name than she did for her previous bout, especially considering she’s finally champion. We’ve only gotten Cyborg’s side of the story for now, and UFC 219, at least of this writing, isn’t shaping up to be quite as impactful a card as UFC 214, which featured the long-awaited return of Jon Jones, was.

That could all change, of course, but Cyborg’s accusation at her employer, if true, would seem like just another unnecessary hold-up in an era where the UFC is trying to nickel and dime their fighters to death – even their champions.

The post Cris Cyborg Blasts UFC For Offering Pay Downgrade appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.