Tag: Cat Zingano

Power-Ranking the Four Latest Stoppages of UFC 184


(Mark, are you giving up?! I need a sign Mark! Literally *any* sign! No? Well, fight on then!” via Getty.)

By CP Reader Steve Hand

It’s hard to believe that a night which saw five fighters finished inside of three minutes could feature so many late stoppages, but such is the incompetency of the modern MMA referee (second only to that of, you guessed it, Frank Stallone the MMA judge). Without using too much hyperbole, I feel comfortable saying that UFC 184 was the biggest reffing travesty since the 2007 NBA Betting Scandal, and maybe of all time. And with that, let’s take a look at just how bad the ball was dropped over the course of the night.


(Mark, are you giving up?! I need a sign Mark! Literally *any* sign! No? Well, fight on then!” via Getty.)

By CP Reader Steve Hand

It’s hard to believe that a night which saw five fighters finished inside of three minutes could feature so many late stoppages, but such is the incompetency of the modern MMA referee (second only to that of, you guessed it, Frank Stallone the MMA judge). Without using too much hyperbole, I feel comfortable saying that UFC 184 was the biggest reffing travesty since the 2007 NBA Betting Scandal, and maybe of all time. And with that, let’s take a look at just how bad the ball was dropped over the course of the night.

4. Derrick Lewis TKO’s Ruan Potts

Ruan Potts might be the worst heavyweight to fight in the UFC since that guy Gabriel Gonzaga superman punched back in 06′ (and don’t even get me started on his nickname), yet even he almost managed to pull off a leglock of some sort in the early-going of his fight with “The Black Beast.” Once Lewis escaped, however, Potts had no answer for the bigger man’s striking, and even tried to quit in between rounds. His corner wouldn’t have it, and referee Jarin Valel, having apparently never been to an MMA fight before, stood by watching with almost giddy anticipation.

“I can’t wait to see my first murder up close,” he thought to himself. “You should have never slept with my wife, Ruan, you son of a bitch.”

A minute and a half after Joe Rogan verbally threw in the towel for Potts, Valel crouched down for an even closer look. Or maybe he lost a contact, because he definitely wasn’t watching what I was watching. Lewis continued to reign down shots on a clearly broken Potts while Valel did a J nearby, then passed out in a weed-induced haze. It wasn’t until the crunching sound of the South African’s face woke him up that the fight was finally called off.

3. Jake Ellenberger North-South Chokes Josh Koscheck

LOOK AT IT. LOOK AT THE HORROR.

For those of you who might’ve missed it: Jake Ellenberger locked in a modified north-south choke on Koscheck in the final minute of the second round. Roughly 25 seconds after Kos’ body began to twitch and squirm in an attempt for air, the legend JARIN VALEL decided to step in. Did you see the foam spewing from Koscheck’s face? The look in his eyes says it all: “It’s an honor to have my unconscious pleas ignored by you, the GREATEST REF working today.”

Let me be clear: Jarin Valel should never be allowed to referee another MMA fight again. He’s going to get someone killed, and then the NSAC will be up shit creek without a paddle.

2. Roan Carneiro’s “Submission” of Mark Munoz

This was actually an even fight for the 45 seconds it was on the feet. When it got to the ground however, Carneiro took Munoz’s back and tightened up a super deep RNC. Referee Jarin Valel, THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS, proceeded to tie his shoes as Munoz began to go towards the light. Even from such an up-close perspective, Valel simply could not see Munoz’s soul escaping his body, so Roan, the nice guy that he is, tells him the fight is over. Yup, the guy doing the choking had to submit for his opponent.

This was the real-life equivalent of the guy in South Park who declared “All right boys, break it up” following a five-minute cripple fight. Note to Valel: When the guy doing the strangling tells you he’s done, YOU’RE NOT DOING YOUR JOB!

But for all of Valel’s life-threatening guffaws, the worst stoppage of the night by far goes to…

1. Joe Rogan Interviews Cat Zingano Following Her Quick Loss to Ronda Rousey

18 months of anticipation lead to 14 seconds she’ll regret forever. There’s a sex joke to made somewhere in there, but I’m simply not prepared to make it in light of this interviewing travesty.

You can see Cat trying to make sense of her greatest opportunity slipping through her fingers when Joe Rogan tries to have a chat. He inquires a visibly uncomfortable Zingano about her strategy, and she’s got nothing but F bombs to drop. It’s ugly. There is no eye contact and no coherent sentences coming from the former challenger, and yet, Rogan lets it go on. Zingano is crushed, obviously, and all Joe wants is a sound bite and a handshake. Thanks Joe Rogan, for making her relive her greatest regret at a time when she shouldn’t be talking.

Ugh, I need a shower to wash off this filth. Better luck next time, MMA.

UFC 184 Highlights/Results: Ronda Rousey’s Lightning Quick Armbar, Josh Koscheck’s Face of Death + More

(via UFC on FOX)

As Michael Bisping might say, Cat Zingano didn’t last as long as a virgin on prom night in her long-awaited title bid against Ronda Rousey last weekend, succumbing to an armbar in just 14 seconds of their UFC 184 main event tilt. “Alpha” let her emotions get the best of her, both in the fight itself and in her post-fight interview, and it cost her big time. My heart breaks for the poor woman.

Aside from it’s lightning-quick main event, UFC 184 also saw Josh Koscheck and Mark Munoz get choked within an inch of their lives, Holly Holm pick apart Raquel Pennington (sort of), and Alan Jouban announce his arrival to the welterweight division with a vicious standing hellbow. Join us after the jump for all the highlights from UFC 184, most of which totally aren’t in the form of illegal gifs. (*removes sunglasses*) (*winks*)


(via UFC on FOX)

As Michael Bisping might say, Cat Zingano didn’t last as long as a virgin on prom night in her long-awaited title bid against Ronda Rousey last weekend, succumbing to an armbar in just 14 seconds of their UFC 184 main event tilt. “Alpha” let her emotions get the best of her, both in the fight itself and in her post-fight interview, and it cost her big time. My heart breaks for the poor woman.

Aside from it’s lightning-quick main event, UFC 184 also saw Josh Koscheck and Mark Munoz get choked within an inch of their lives, Holly Holm pick apart Raquel Pennington (sort of), and Alan Jouban announce his arrival to the welterweight division with a vicious standing hellbow. Join us after the jump for all the highlights from UFC 184, most of which totally aren’t in the form of illegal gifs. (*removes sunglasses*) (*winks*)


(Here’s a full video of Rousey vs. Zingano that definitely won’t be taken down within the hour.)

There’s not much to take away from Rousey’s win, really, other than that she might actually be the most dangerous unarmed person on the planet. In less octagon time than Georges St. Pierre normally spends per fight, Rousey has managed to secure 11 professional wins and two promotional titles, with her past three title fights lasting a combined minute and thirty six seconds. My God. While Jessica Eye and Bethe Correia are chomping at the bit for their shot against Rousey, it’s become more obvious than ever that Cris Cyborg is the only woman left for the champ, and even the 175-pound Brazilian might be in over her head at this point (not that we’ll ever find out, because 175 pounds).

Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington

While not being nearly as dominant a victory as the hype she was riding would have predicted, Holly Holm no less managed to stay busy and outwork Raquel Pennington for the first two rounds of the co-main event, only getting briefly dropped in the third. This could only mean, of course, that one of the judges would inexplicably score the fight for Pennington. Honestly, we’re becoming convinced that MMA judges are under the impression that the losing fighter winning one round always equals a split decision.

Jake Ellenberger vs. Josh Koscheck

In what was arguably a loser-leaves-town match for the struggling veterans, Jake Ellenberger pulled a rabbit out of his hat and scored the first submission win of his career over Josh Koscheck via a modified bulldog/north-south choke that literally left Kos foaming at the mouth. The slo-mo replay of Koscheck’s “Help Me God” face will almost certainly give you nightmares. Speaking of which…

Roan Carneiro vs. Mark Munoz

It was not a great night at the office for referee Jerin Valel, who not only allowed Derrick Lewis to continue beating on Ruan Potts for approximately 90 seconds after he had given up, but who watched on in silent awe as Roan Carneiro choked the soul out of Mark Munoz. How the fans in attendance, Kenny Florian in the booth, and everyone watching at home was able to see that Munoz was out before Valel did was truly the most mind-boggling takeaway from the night, and one that he will definitely not be held accountable for in this joke of a sport.

Meanwhile, Mark Munoz has been finished in three straight fights without landing a single significant strike. That is an actual statistic.

Alan Jouban vs. Richard Walsh

One referee who actually appeared to know what he was doing over the weekend was Herb Dean, who gracefully called an end to Alan Jouban’s standing elbow massacre of Richard Walsh before the latter took too much unnecessary damage. Walsh was clearly out on his feet at the time of the stoppage, which is why fans were of course complaining that the fight was called too early. Referees, man. They can’t win.

You won’t see the actual finish from the fight here, because the folks at UFC on FOX apparently believe that you will buy the UFC 184 pay-per-view after the fact to check out a sweet finish from the bottom half of the main card, but you can probably find a gif of it somewhere out there.

UFC 184 Results

Main card
Ronda Rousey def. Cat Zingano via submission (straight armlock)
Holly Holm def. Raquel Pennington via split decision
Jake Ellenberger def. Josh Koscheck via submission (north-south choke)
Alan Jouban def. Richard Walsh via first-round KO
Tony Ferguson def. Gleison Tibau via submission (rear-naked choke)

Undercard
Roan Carneiro def. Mark Munoz via submission (rear-naked choke)
Roman Salazar vs. Norifumi Yamamoto declared no-contest (doctor’s advice)
Tim Means def. Dhiego Lima via first-round TKO
Derrick Lewis def. Ruan Potts via second-round TKO
Valmir Lazaro def. James Krause via split decision
Masio Fullen def. Alexander Torres via split decision

Gambling Addiction Enabler: ‘UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano’ Edition


(Easy there, Dave. One second it’s doing your job, the next it’s a lawsuit. via Getty)

By Sam Stilson

Well if we learned anything from UFC Fight Night 61, it’s that MMA is perhaps the most unpredictable sport in the world. That, and Bigfoot Silva is slowing shrinking and will soon be nothing but an Easter Island statue made of glass.

The fact that 10 of 11 underdogs won last week has surely given some hope to the massive long shots featured in both the main and co-main events of this weekend’s UFC 184 card. But confidence is hardly enough when facing the best of the best in the women’s division (though this guy might disagree).

Let’s take a look at who the money-makers are for UFC 184.


(Easy there, Dave. One second it’s doing your job, the next it’s a lawsuit. via Getty)

By Sam Stilson

Well if we learned anything from UFC Fight Night 61, it’s that MMA is perhaps the most unpredictable sport in the world. That, and Bigfoot Silva is slowing shrinking and will soon be nothing but an Easter Island statue made of glass.

The fact that 10 of 11 underdogs won last week has surely given some hope to the massive long shots featured in both the main and co-main events of this weekend’s UFC 184 card. But confidence is hardly enough when facing the best of the best in the women’s division (though this guy might disagree).

Let’s take a look at who the money-makers are for UFC 184.

The Sure Bets

Jake Ellenberger over Josh Koscheck at -210

Both men have not looked particularly dangerous as of late and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the loser get cut. That being said, this fight can be summed up like so: Koscheck no longer has a chin + Ellenberger hits really hard = Easy money.

James Krause over Valmir Lazaro at -185

Krause is a tall, long fighter with decent kickboxing who has only really lost to top-shelf competition (lately anyway). Lazaro hits hard and certainly isn’t an easy opponent, but he just lost a fight to James Vick,  who is cut from the same cloth as Krause. This bout will likely go down the same way.

The Live Dogs

Gleison Tibau over Tony Ferguson at +170

Don’t get me wrong, “El Cucuy” has looked awesome lately; his striking is getting really crisp and he’s continuing to develop his natural power. But Tibau as an underdog is hard to turn down. Gleison only loses to top 10 fighters, so this bout will say a lot about Ferguson’s potential. A slow grinding win for Gleison is enough of a possibility to lay some coin down on this one.

Roman Salazar over Norifumi Yamamoto at +250

Salazar is probably going to take this one. Not because he’s some blue-chip prospect, but because Kid Yamamoto is a shot fighter. He’s 37, he hasn’t looked good in six years and is coming off a three-year layoff plus a slew of injuries. The guy lost to Vaughan Lee, so a Salazar upset isn’t just a good bet. At this point it’s expected.

The Toss-Up

Dhiego Lima (EVEN) vs. Tim Means (-130)

This should be a barnburner, and with the odds this close a bet on either man is a good idea. Means is the more ruthless aggressive fighter whereas Lima takes a bit more of a calculated approach. Both have impressive Muay Thai games, but with Lima getting bombed out early by Eddie Gordon, the odds leaning in Means favour is accurate.

All odds provided by Bodog.

“Gone In 16 Seconds” — An Animated Short by Chris Rini

By Chris Rini

I am dead tired.

My arm hurts, and my brain is nearly empty. After six months of thinking about nothing but a 16 second fight, it’s hard to envision tackling a new project. So instead of making more artwork, Cage Potato has given me the opportunity to tell you a bit about how I made this one.

By Chris Rini

I am dead tired.

My arm hurts, and my brain is nearly empty. After six months of thinking about nothing but a 16 second fight, it’s hard to envision tackling a new project. So instead of making more artwork, Cage Potato has given me the opportunity to tell you a bit about how I made this one.

Most of August was spent visualizing. While that may sound a bit new agey, if I can see something in my mind, it’s very likely that I’ll be able to create it.

The idea became real in September, when I visited a Chinatown lumber yard and had sheets of 1/2″ birch wood cut into multiple sizes to accommodate the frame sizes:

-Big 13 x 24″ panels that held 4 frames each created the opening shot of Ronda bouncing on her toes waiting for Yves Lavigne’s signal.

-More workable pieces of 11 x 17″ took up most of the animation, they were divided into grids of 9 frames to do the camera zoom, and later divided to only 4 frames per panel to provide more detail during the striking exchange where Rousey really hurts Davis and sets in motion the fight’s ending sequence.

After they landed on the ground, I started going broke and instead of getting new birch cut, I cobbled together all the off-cut pieces and castoffs in my studio and laid out the entire Kesa Gatame punching & ref stoppage sequence.

Drawing and burning the wood blocks is simultaneously the best and worst part of my artwork. It’s one of the more unique aspects but also physically grueling (I have an acupuncturist whose future children I will one day put through college due to our doctor / patient relationship). Midway through the process I consulted twitter as to whether Ronda should have the dual hair buns in the animation even though that isn’t exactly what happened at 175. The answer was a resounding yes, and even though I’d started the animation, I edited in the hairstyle midway through the project. That explains why she doesn’t have them in the intro shot. It took four months and three assistants to draw and burn in everything.

Once the actual frames were done, I worked with my editor to craft a narrative. That’s where the idea of ‘elite fighters blend together various martial arts to form the sport as we know it today’ took form. With the help of striking & technical analysts Patrick Wyman and Lawrence Kenshin, we deduced that Ronda Rousey transitions from boxing to muay thai to judo not only in seconds, but finishes the fight in that micro sequence.

To create the flying through the air effect during the Harai Goshi throw, we photographed his kitchen table which had a cheap wood veneer and panned it across the background of the fight image. Ronda is a fan of Pokemon and I wanted there to be some type of anime (or in my 36 year old mind, Voltron) or Japanese animation visual quality.

I’ve written more than a visual artist should be allowed to write so at this point, I’ll thank you for taking the time to watch Gone In 16 Seconds, and encourage you to visit my home page at https://www.patreon.com/chrisrini to get a look inside my art studio as I create new MMA artworks, animations and Hall of Fame plaques.

I hope this is the beginning of a new friendship with Cage Potato.

UFC 184: The Unstoppable Force Meets the Immovable Object

This Saturday at UFC 184, the most captivating and dominant WMMA champion steps into the Octagon to smash another challenger. The Vegas odds tell us that this will almost certainly happen. The analysts cannot envision a scenario where Zingano’s hand is raised in the end, but there is one clue that all is not lost for Cat.

I’m not hearing or reading a prediction about how the fight will end. No one is saying ‘armbar’ or ‘TKO’ quite as freely as they’ve done in past Rousey title defenses. It’s as though they’re sure Ronda will win, but the path is not crystal clear. One thing is certain, the deeper the fight goes the further the pendulum will swing towards a certain Colorado native. The more this becomes a dogfight, the more murky the crystal ball becomes.

Cat Zingano is more of a force than a fighter. There is a ferocity with which she dispatches opponents that while not as surgical as Rousey, is far more vicious. Her two UFC victories are Lauzonesque affairs. While Ronda has the ‘it’ factor, Zingano has the ‘X’ factor. You cannot count her out. She will not be stopped by conventional means and I’ll be glued to the screen as the fight unfolds.

Screengrab of the Day: Mickey Rourke Is Slowly Turning Into Your Aunt


(Looks like Andy Serkis just found himself out of a job for the Lord of the Rings reboot. Props: r/MMA)

If you’ve been watching the excellent UFC 184 Embedded series thus far, chances are that you’ve been thoroughly entertained by the-GOOD GOD WHAT IS THAT THING BEFORE ME.

Captured by r/MMA user lrkr486, the Gollum-esque looking creature pictured above is apparently Expendables star Mickey Rourke, who we can assure you definitely isn’t, as one commenter suggested, “on the heels of a three week crack binge.” It’s more like an eight to ten week binge for sure.

Rourke told the cameras in episode 2 of Embedded that he met Ellenberger while training for a fight in Russia (which, LOL) around the same time Jake was training for a fight of his own, and the two have become buddies in the time since. That being the case, perhaps now’s the time for Ellenberger to gather Rourke’s other closest friends around and hold an intervention for whatever the Hell is happening to

After the Jump:  The first 3 episodes of UFC Embedded, via the UFC’s Youtube channel.


(Looks like Andy Serkis just found himself out of a job for the Lord of the Rings reboot. Props: r/MMA)

If you’ve been watching the excellent UFC 184 Embedded series thus far, chances are that you’ve been thoroughly entertained by the-GOOD GOD WHAT IS THAT THING BEFORE ME.

Captured by r/MMA user lrkr486, the Gollum-esque looking creature pictured above is apparently Expendables star Mickey Rourke, who we can assure you definitely isn’t, as one commenter suggested, “on the heels of a three week crack binge.” It’s more like an eight to ten week binge for sure.

Rourke told the cameras in episode 2 of Embedded that he met Ellenberger while training for a fight in Russia (which, LOL) around the same time Jake was training for a fight of his own, and the two have become buddies in the time since. That being the case, perhaps now’s the time for Ellenberger to gather Rourke’s other closest friends around and hold an intervention for whatever the Hell is happening to

After the Jump:  The first 3 episodes of UFC Embedded, via the UFC’s Youtube channel.

My God, there aren’t enough Cat Zingano stretching videos in the world to erase the image of Rourke that has been permanently seared into of my brain. I know Rourke had to drop a bit of weight for his aforementioned boxing match, but he looks like Christian Bale in The Machinist right now. There can only be three possible explanations:

1) Rourke is preparing for a career-defining role in a Holocaust movie.

2) The aforementioned crack binge

3)

The redditor who posted this subscribes to a different theory — that Rourke is slowly turning into our aunt — but even that seems like a stretch to me. My aunt is in *much* better shape than Rourke, and she spends the majority of her days swatting punk ass middle schoolers over her shoulder while driving a school bus.

UFC 184: A Complete A-to-Z Preview

By Nasir Jabbar

The original lineup of UFC 184 had fans and media members alike spewing the usual hype terminology (“incredible”, “awesome”, “more stacked than your mom”, and so on) until a plethora of injuries left the card in tatters. Still, UFC 184 features a pretty solid main event and a handful of at least watchable fights, so what are you complaining about, you buncha nerds? IF THE UFC THROWS YOU A BONE, THEY DON’T WANT TO KNOW IF IT TASTES GOOD OR NOT.

Sorry about that; I guess those Dana White negotiating tapes are really starting to pay off. The point is, an event this…lukewarm doesn’t really require one to write huge blocks of tedious text recapping each fighter’s recent matches and predicting how they will win this weekend. So instead, I’ve decided to try out something new and compile an A-to-Z list previewing each and every aspect of UFC 184. Join me?

By Nasir Jabbar

The original lineup of UFC 184 had fans and media members alike spewing the usual hype terminology (“incredible”, “awesome”, “more stacked than your mom”, and so on) until a plethora of injuries left the card in tatters. Still, UFC 184 features a pretty solid main event and a handful of at least watchable fights, so what are you complaining about, you buncha nerds? IF THE UFC THROWS YOU A BONE, THEY DON’T WANT TO KNOW IF IT TASTES GOOD OR NOT.

Sorry about that; I guess those Dana White negotiating tapes are really starting to pay off. The point is, an event this…lukewarm doesn’t really require one to write huge blocks of tedious text recapping each fighter’s recent matches and predicting how they will win this weekend. So instead, I’ve decided to try out something new and compile an A-to-Z list previewing each and every aspect of UFC 184. Join me?

A is for Anti-Doping
It isn’t all doom and gloom. Both main-eventers passed their random out-of-competition drug tests, which is a cause for celebration in an of itself these days. Hallelujah.

B is for Business
The bulk of the business will be severely hampered due to the injury-hit card, from a PPV hit to refunded tickets. Most critics are expecting UFC 184 to do in the sub-250k buys range, which leads to the next point.

C is for “Card Subject To Change”
Yeah, you can say that again.

In addition to their legal woes, the UFC has had something of a weight cutting issue this year, with TJ Waldburger being the most recent fighter to pass out just a day prior to his scheduled bout. With UFC 184 as weak as it already is, the UFC better pray that it doesn’t lose another fight in such a fashion.

D is for Declined
After the withdrawal of middleweight champion Chris Weidman from the event, UFC offered both Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi to #1 contender, Vitor Belfort, but the Brazilian declined them. The Weidman-Belfort title fight has since been rescheduled for UFC 187, which looks magnificent.

E is for Ellenberger
Once a budding prospect in the welterweight division, Jake Ellenberger is now riding a three fight losing skid into his bout with the similarly struggling veteran Josh Koscheck. The Nebraska-native has shipped up to Los Angeles to team up with Edmond Tarverdyan, though with little luck thus far. Will he finally get back on the win column on Saturday night?

F is for Ferguson
Since suffering his first UFC loss back in 2012 to Michael Johnson, TUF 14 winner Tony Ferguson has won four on the bounce heading into his bout with Gleison Tibau, who has notched three straight wins since getting torched by, you guessed it, Michael Johnson in 2013.

G is for Good Thing Rousey Was Co-Main
The promotion could of had another UFC 176 on their hands if they hadn’t had Ronda as co-feature. Good thing she was on the card, otherwise we’d have another “postponement.”

H is for Holly Holm
The “greatest female boxer in history” (– Dana White or Joe Rogan, probably) makes her hotly-anticipated octagon debut this weekend against TUF 18 competitor Raquel Pennington. “H” might as well stand for “hype” in Holm’s case, as she is already being hailed as the next/final challenger to Rousey’s throne.

I is for Injuries
The god-damn injury bug of 2012 has reared its ugly head taking out a myriad of delightful matchmaking. A brief list of fighters once attached to this event: Neil Magny, Frank Mir, Ronaldo Souza, Yoel Romero, and Yancy Medeiros. (Ed note: YAAAANCYYYYY!!!)

J is for Jitters
On a scale of Rolles Gracie to Junior Dos Santos, how will the debuting Holly Holm react to the notorious octagon jitters?

K is for Kazakhstan
Some of the more hyperbolic MMA media members have compared Rousey to Mike Tyson, although, if we’re going to compare her to a male boxer (!!) lets at least keep the comparisons contemporary. Rousey is the Gennady Golovkin of MMA.

L is for Ladies
Not only will the PPV main-card feature two women’s bouts, but they are the featured attractions: The main event and co-main.

M is for Mother
Cat Zingano was the first mother to compete inside the octagon, and you best believe that she runs her local PTA meetings with an iron fist.

N is for Needle-Mover
Dana White has stated on numerous occasions that Rousey is “the biggest star [the UFC] has ever had.” This weekend should truly serve as a barometer for that audacious statement, as Rousey has been tasked with carrying this lackluster card on her own. UFC 184′s buy-rate will really show how much of a ‘needle-mover’ the women’s bantamweight champion is.

O is for Outrage
James Krause expressed his outrage on Twitter about his positioning on the card. Does he have a point? (Answer: Of course he does. Some of the fights above him are garbage.)

P is for Philippines
Filipino-American Mark Munoz fights this weekend, having dropped two in a row and three of his past four overall. With the “super-fight” main event in place for the promotion’s first venture into Philippines, will “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” get a slot on the card regardless of how he performs against the returning Roan Carneiro?

Q is for Quick Turnaround
Just a little over a month out from his last win, Gleison Tibau makes a quick turnaround when he takes surging lightweight Tony Ferguson.

R is for Retirement
If defeated, is retirement looming for Josh Koscheck?

S is for Staples Centre
UFC returns to the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, CA for the first time since August 2012, after their initial return was “postponed.”

T is for Turbulent
Zingano has had a turbulent spell in her MMA career and personal life; first the knee-injury which forced her off TUF and a fight against Rousey and then the passing of her husband. Finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel with this title shot.

U is for Unconscious
I’m almost certain that Derrick Lewis will leave Ruan Potts unconscious inside of 5 minutes.

V is for Vitor Belfort
Let’s all take a moment to laugh at the serious proposition Vitor Belfort made about fighting Mark Munoz for an interim title. Moving on…

W is for Who Will Test Positive?
The last three PPV shows have featured high-profile positive drug tests. With the MMA ongoing drug epidemic and CSAC sussing fighters out, it begs the question: Who’s gonna flunk their test?

X is for X-rated
It may not be as X-rated as past Rousey photoshoots, yet her recent Sports Illustrated pictorial edition was quite flattering to say the very least. In Rousey’s own words, however, “If they can’t see your cash & prizes, then I’m fine with it.”

Y is for Yamamoto
Having gone 1-5 in his last six MMA appearances, the Japanese legend finds himself in a do or die situation.

Z is for Zingano
After brutalising Miesha Tate and doing the same to Amanda Nunes after a long layoff, the undefeated-challenger has the opportunity to do the unthinkable and beat UFC’s poster-girl.