The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale: Esparza vs. Namajunas — Live Results & Commentary


(Shaking is customary, but wiggling is also acceptable. / Photo via Getty)

The UFC will crown its first-ever women’s strawweight champion tonight in Las Vegas, as Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas meet in the main event of the TUF 20 Finale. Also on the lineup: A featherweight(-ish) bout between Charles Oliveira and Jeremy Stephens, a lightweight slugfest between KJ Noons and Daron Cruickshank, and Jessica Penne and Randa Markos battle it out for the TUF 20 bronze-medal.

Live results from the FOX Sports 1 main card will be after the jump beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, courtesy of Matt Saccaro. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and shoot us your own thoughts on twitter @cagepotatomma. Thanks for being here.


(Shaking is customary, but wiggling is also acceptable. / Photo via Getty)

The UFC will crown its first-ever women’s strawweight champion tonight in Las Vegas, as Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas meet in the main event of the TUF 20 Finale. Also on the lineup: A featherweight(-ish) bout between Charles Oliveira and Jeremy Stephens, a lightweight slugfest between KJ Noons and Daron Cruickshank, and Jessica Penne and Randa Markos battle it out for the TUF 20 bronze-medal.

Live results from the FOX Sports 1 main card will be after the jump beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, courtesy of Matt Saccaro. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and shoot us your own thoughts on twitter @cagepotatomma. Thanks for being here.

PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS
– Felice Herrig vs. Lisa Ellis
– Heather Jo Clark def. Bec Rawlings via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
– Joanne Calderwood def. Seo Hee Ham via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26).
– Tecia Torres def. Angela Magana via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
– Aisling Daly def. Alex Chambers via submission (arm bar), 4:53 of round 1.
– Angela Hill def. Emily Kagan via unanimous decisio (30-27, 30-26, 30-27).

Please stand by…

Jessica Penne vs. Randa Markos

Joe Proctor vs. Yancy Medeiros

K.J. Noons vs. Daron Cruickshank

Jeremy Stephens vs. Charles Oliveira

Carla Esparza vs. Rose Namajunas

Charles Oliveira Pulled Off UFC Fight Night 50 Card Due to Illness


(When we get around to writing that list of “Top Ten Sort of Decent Rematches That Never Happened,” this one will definitely land around #8. / Photo via MMAJunkie)

After UFC featherweight Charles Oliveira missed weight by five pounds yesterday due to a week-long illness, we at CagePotato expressed our sympathy by calling our bookie ASAP and betting against him. Sadly, Oliveira’s scheduled UFC Fight Night 50 match against Nik Lentz has been canceled altogether, as Oliveira was declared medically ineligible to fight. UFC.com confirms it:

Oliveira, who was getting over a viral infection he contracted in Brazil, had a relapse earlier this week and missed weight for the bout Thursday, coming in at 150 pounds. He did not attempt to weigh in again. This morning, the Brazilian fell ill, and after being seen by a doctor he was pulled from the bout. The UFC Fight Night event at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, Connecticut will proceed as scheduled with nine bouts.

According to Ariel Helwani, Lentz will be paid his show and win money, but Oliveira won’t be paid a dime, because Dana White is a rotten, heartless person.


(When we get around to writing that list of “Top Ten Sort of Decent Rematches That Never Happened,” this one will definitely land around #8. / Photo via MMAJunkie)

After UFC featherweight Charles Oliveira missed weight by five pounds yesterday due to a week-long illness, we at CagePotato expressed our sympathy by calling our bookie ASAP and betting against him. Sadly, Oliveira’s scheduled UFC Fight Night 50 match against Nik Lentz has been canceled altogether, as Oliveira was declared medically ineligible to fight. UFC.com confirms it:

Oliveira, who was getting over a viral infection he contracted in Brazil, had a relapse earlier this week and missed weight for the bout Thursday, coming in at 150 pounds. He did not attempt to weigh in again. This morning, the Brazilian fell ill, and after being seen by a doctor he was pulled from the bout. The UFC Fight Night event at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, Connecticut will proceed as scheduled with nine bouts.

According to Ariel Helwani, Lentz will be paid his show and win money, but Oliveira won’t be paid a dime, because Dana White is a rotten, heartless person.

UFC Fight Night 50 Weigh-In Results: Alistair Overeem Continues to Shrink, Charles Oliveira Too Sick to Cut Weight

(‘Jacare vs. Mousasi’ weigh-in highlights via YouTube.com/UFC)

Weigh-ins for tonight’s UFC Fight Night 50 card went down yesterday at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut, and they were noteworthy for two reasons:

Charles Oliveira tipped the scales at 150 pounds for his featherweight prelim contest against Nik Lentz, and was fined 20% of his purse. (He also earned a spot on the leaderboard.) Oliveira’s excuse didn’t exactly put our minds at ease: “I was sick for the past week in Brazil, and I was pretty bad when I got to the United States,” Oliveira told MMAFighting.com after the weigh-ins. “I couldn’t cut weight, and I’m not feeling well to cut weight, so that’s why I missed weight. I had high fever, headache. I think it was a viral infection. But I was the one who asked for this fight, so I couldn’t withdraw.”

When asked if the illness would affect his performance tomorrow, Oliveira said “I don’t know, let’s wait until tomorrow.” Yeesh, good luck dude. By the way, Lentz is still a +160 underdog in this match, so get in while the getting’s good. Oliveira previously missed weight for his UFC 152 fight against Cub Swanson, coming in just over at 146.4 pounds, but that fight was made a catchweight bout and Oliveira wasn’t fined.

– Also, heavyweight co-main eventer Alistair Overeem weighed-in at a lean and mean 248 pounds, continuing the shrinkage he’s undergone in his UFC career: Overeem was up in the 260’s for his first two bouts in the UFC (263 against Brock Lesnar, 264 against Bigfoot), then dropped to the 250’s for his next two (255.5 against Travis Browne, 257 against Frank Mir). Somehow, he’s misplaced nine pounds since his last fight. The Demolition Man is steadily returning to his old beanpole days — but at least he looks better than Rothwell.

Check out the full UFC Fight Night 50 weigh-in results after the jump (via B/R), and be sure to come back tonight at 10 p.m. ET for our liveblog of the main card!


(‘Jacare vs. Mousasi’ weigh-in highlights via YouTube.com/UFC)

Weigh-ins for tonight’s UFC Fight Night 50 card went down yesterday at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut, and they were noteworthy for two reasons:

Charles Oliveira tipped the scales at 150 pounds for his featherweight prelim contest against Nik Lentz, and was fined 20% of his purse. (He also earned a spot on the leaderboard.) Oliveira’s excuse didn’t exactly put our minds at ease: “I was sick for the past week in Brazil, and I was pretty bad when I got to the United States,” Oliveira told MMAFighting.com after the weigh-ins. “I couldn’t cut weight, and I’m not feeling well to cut weight, so that’s why I missed weight. I had high fever, headache. I think it was a viral infection. But I was the one who asked for this fight, so I couldn’t withdraw.”

When asked if the illness would affect his performance tomorrow, Oliveira said “I don’t know, let’s wait until tomorrow.” Yeesh, good luck dude. By the way, Lentz is still a +160 underdog in this match, so get in while the getting’s good. Oliveira previously missed weight for his UFC 152 fight against Cub Swanson, coming in just over at 146.4 pounds, but that fight was made a catchweight bout and Oliveira wasn’t fined.

– Also, heavyweight co-main eventer Alistair Overeem weighed-in at a lean and mean 248 pounds, continuing the shrinkage he’s undergone in his UFC career: Overeem was up in the 260′s for his first two bouts in the UFC (263 against Brock Lesnar, 264 against Bigfoot), then dropped to the 250′s for his next two (255.5 against Travis Browne, 257 against Frank Mir). Somehow, he’s misplaced nine pounds since his last fight. The Demolition Man is steadily returning to his old beanpole days — but at least he looks better than Rothwell.

Check out the full UFC Fight Night 50 weigh-in results after the jump (via B/R), and be sure to come back tonight at 10 p.m. ET for our liveblog of the main card!

MAIN CARD (10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT)
Jacare Souza (185) vs. Gegard Mousasi (186)
Alistair Overeem (248) vs. Ben Rothwell (264)
Matt Mitrione (255) vs. Derrick Lewis (264)
Joe Lauzon (155) vs. Michael Chiesa (155)

PRELIMINARY CARD (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)
Nik Lentz (146) vs. Charles Oliveira (150)
John Moraga (126) vs. Justin Scoggins (126)
Al Iaquinta (155) vs. Rodrigo Damm (156)
Rafael Natal (185) vs. Chris Camozzi (186)
Chris Beal (135) vs. Tateki Matsuda (135)
Sean Soriano (145) vs. Chas Skelly (145)


(Full weigh-in video.)

UFC Booking Roundup: Alistair Overeem vs. Ben Rothwell, Andrei Arlovski vs. Bigfoot Silva 2 Added to September Cards


(You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”)

Dana White might insist that he’s not trying to compete with Bellator on September 5th — but the UFC is making damn well sure that its Connecticut card will be worth watching. In addition to Gegard Mousasi vs. Ronaldo Souza 2 being confirmed as UFC Fight Night 50’s main event, the following matches have also been added to the FOX Sports 1 card…

Alistair Overeem vs. Ben Rothwell: Coming off a redemptive win against Frank Mir in February and a layoff for elbow surgery, Overeem will take on fellow heavyweight Ben Rothwell, who will be competing for the first time since his August 2013 TKO of Brandon Vera and subsequent nine-month suspension for elevated testosterone. (Again, UFC Fight Night 50 is taking place on an Indian reservation, so Overeem and Rothwell probably won’t have to deal with any inconvenient random drug tests before the match.)

Matt Mitrione vs. Derrick Lewis: Mitrione was supposed to compete at last weekend’s UFC 175 event until his opponent Stefan Struve collapsed in the locker room and was pulled at the last minute. “Meathead” has now been re-scheduled against Derrick Lewis — better known as “The Black Beast” — who has gone 2-0 in the Octagon so far, with both wins by first-round TKO. Lewis most recently finished Guto Inocente at the TUF 19 Finale. I smell a slugfest.


(You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”)

Dana White might insist that he’s not trying to compete with Bellator on September 5th — but the UFC is making damn well sure that its Connecticut card will be worth watching. In addition to Gegard Mousasi vs. Ronaldo Souza 2 being confirmed as UFC Fight Night 50′s main event, the following matches have also been added to the FOX Sports 1 card…

Alistair Overeem vs. Ben Rothwell: Coming off a redemptive win against Frank Mir in February and a layoff for elbow surgery, Overeem will take on fellow heavyweight Ben Rothwell, who will be competing for the first time since his August 2013 TKO of Brandon Vera and subsequent nine-month suspension for elevated testosterone. (Again, UFC Fight Night 50 is taking place on an Indian reservation, so Overeem and Rothwell probably won’t have to deal with any inconvenient random drug tests before the match.)

Matt Mitrione vs. Derrick Lewis: Mitrione was supposed to compete at last weekend’s UFC 175 event until his opponent Stefan Struve collapsed in the locker room and was pulled at the last minute. “Meathead” has now been re-scheduled against Derrick Lewis — better known as “The Black Beast” — who has gone 2-0 in the Octagon so far, with both wins by first-round TKO. Lewis most recently finished Guto Inocente at the TUF 19 Finale. I smell a slugfest.

Charles Oliveira vs. Nik Lentz 2: According to Fox Sports’ Damon Martin, the two featherweights have been booked for a rematch of their UFC on Versus 4 fight from June 2011, which was chuggin’ along pretty well until Oliveira KO’d Lentz with an illegal knee. The fight was declared a no contest, but still won Fight of the Night. Oliveira remains one of the most exciting young talents at 145 pounds, and won Performance of the Night bonuses in his last two appearances, for his submissions of Andy Ogle and Hatsu Hioki. Lentz is coming off a decision win against Manny Gamburyan at UFC Fight Night 40: Brown vs. Silva in May.

In a related story, a heavyweight rematch between Andrei Arlovski and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva has been booked as the main event of UFC Fight Night 51, September 13th at the Ginásio Nilson Nelson in Brasília, Brazil. It’ll be Silva’s first appearance since his Fight of the Year candidate against Mark Hunt last December, and subsequent nine-month suspension for elevated testosterone. (Damn, is there an echo in here?)

Arlovski, of course, last stunk up the joint against Brendan Schaub at UFC 174, winning a split-decision in a fight that nobody really won. When asked why he would book Arlovski for a main event after such a flat performance, Dana White explained:

I was disappointed in both of their performances. It doesn’t mean the guys are never going to fight again. I just let them know how I felt. The fight sucked. I’ve got Schaub hitting me up telling me that he got robbed. I’m like, ‘No, we got robbed’…Guys have bad nights. It’s not like I hate Brendan Schaub or Andrei Arlovski because of it. I just hated that fight.”

To put it another way: It’s a Fight Pass card in Brazil, against a Brazilian — so let’s not pretend that Arlovski is being rewarded for his efforts.

Arlovski and Silva previously met at Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery in May 2010, with Bigfoot winning a unanimous decision.

UFC Fight Night 36 Results: Machida Outpoints Mousasi, Jacare Edges Carmont


(If you squint and look at Machida’s torso, you will see the face of the old wizard who taught his dad karate. / Photo via MMAJunkie)

I’m a glutton for punishment. After being stranded in North Carolina for most of this week due to snowstorms, I finally got back to Michigan yesterday, exhausted and displaying possible flu-like symptoms. I feel jet-lagged even though I never left the Eastern time-zone. That’s what four straight meals at a Marriott bar will do to you.

So it’s Saturday night and I figured, instead of catching up on sleep, why don’t I liveblog a low-level international UFC show with a main card that could drag on well past 1 a.m. ET? I don’t know, man. In another time, I’d probably be self-flagellating.

At least the headliner is a good one; we’ve got Lyoto Machida fighting for a possible middleweight title shot against Gegard Mousasi. Also on the card: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Erick Silva, and Charles Oliveira, all fighting guys you probably don’t care much about. Plus, a fight between Viscardi Andrade and Nicholas Musoke that I won’t even be liveblogging because seriously, who the hell are those guys?

I, BG, will be putting live results from the FOX Sports 1 main card after the jump beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and shoot us your own thoughts in the comments section or via twitter.


(If you squint and look at Machida’s torso, you will see the face of the old wizard who taught his dad karate. / Photo via MMAJunkie)

I’m a glutton for punishment. After being stranded in North Carolina for most of this week due to snowstorms, I finally got back to Michigan yesterday, exhausted and displaying possible flu-like symptoms. I feel jet-lagged even though I never left the Eastern time-zone. That’s what four straight meals at a Marriott bar will do to you.

So it’s Saturday night and I figured, instead of catching up on sleep, why don’t I liveblog a low-level international UFC show with a main card that could drag on well past 1 a.m. ET? I don’t know, man. In another time, I’d probably be self-flagellating.

At least the headliner is a good one; we’ve got Lyoto Machida fighting for a possible middleweight title shot against Gegard Mousasi. Also on the card: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Erick Silva, and Charles Oliveira, all fighting guys you probably don’t care much about. Plus, a fight between Viscardi Andrade and Nicholas Musoke that I won’t even be liveblogging because seriously, who the hell are those guys?

I, BG, will be putting live results from the FOX Sports 1 main card after the jump beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and shoot us your own thoughts in the comments section or via twitter.

Preliminary card results:
– Joe Proctor def. Cristiano Marcello via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27)
– Rodrigo Damm def. Ivan Jorge via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Francisco Trinaldo def. Jesse Ronson via split-decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
– Yuri Alcantara def. Wilson Reis via split-decision (30-27 x 2, 28-29)
– Felipe Arantes def. Maximo Blanco via unanimous decision (29-27 x 3. Blanco was docked a point in round 3 for a groin-kick)
– Ildemar Alcantara def. Albert Tumenov via split-decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
– Zubaira Tukhugov def. Douglas Silva De Andrade via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)

I’m praying for a night of first-round knockouts. There’s no way I’ll last to the end, if the broadcast is loaded with video game commercials and the main event goes five rounds. I’m giving myself a hard out at 1:30 a.m. Seriously, even if we’re in the middle of the last round of Machida/Mousasi, I’m going to bed.

Fun fact: The last 14 UFC prelim matches have gone to decision.

Charles Oliveira vs. Andy Ogle

Oliveira is a -650 favorite in this fight? Thank God, we might actually see a stoppage here.

Round 1: Ogle marches forward throwing punches right away. Oliveira clinches and stuffs a knee into Ogle’s ribs, stopping his momentum. Oliveira scores a takedown without much difficulty. Oliveira looks for a head-and-arm choke, but can’t get it. Oliveira takes Ogle’s back. Ogle stands up while backpacked. Oliveira secures a body triangle and works hard for the rear-naked choke. Ogle flips backwards and they’re back on the mat. Oliveira with some punches to Ogle’s temple. Ogle sits up, trying to twist out of the position. Oliveira is undeterred. Oliveira stays active looking for the choke. Ogle has had to play defense for the majority of this round. Ogle tries to escape, Oliveira drags him right back down. Oliveira with an elbow to Ogle’s ribs as the round ends. Easy 10-9 for Oliveira.

Round 2: Ogle strikes first once again, the crowd boos because it seems like Oliveira was trying to touch gloves. Oliveira shoots and misses, shoots again and Ogle winds up in top position after a reversal. Oliveira stands up and gets punched on the way out. Oliveira dashes in and takes Ogle down as the Brit tries to throw leather. Now Ogle stands up. Ogle defends a takedown but Oliveira snatches a guillotine and drops to the mat. Ogle gets out and briefly threatens with a guillotine of his own before Oliveira gets to his feet. The crowd boos a brief stalemate against the cage. Ogle responds by body-slamming Oliveira. Ogle gets on top and fires down an elbow. Oliveira looking for a triangle off his back. Ogle moves to side control, Oliveira stands up, fires a knee to Ogle’s head and takes his back, falling to the mat. There’s the bell. Much closer round. I don’t know, 10-10? Maybe a slight edge to Ogle?

Round 3: Ogle comes in swinging as usual, but Oliveira is ready this time, knocking Ogle down with a punch and following him down to try to finish with a choke. Ogle gets up, and takes Oliveira down from a clinch. Oliveira gets up and they trade punches. Ogle scores with a solid leg kick. Oliveira tries for a takedown but botches it and Ogle gets on top. Oliveira throws some upkicks that seem rather illegal, but there’s no call. Then, he snatches a triangle with Ogle’s arm trapped and Ogle taps immediately. Boom. The no-finish streak is over.

Charles Oliveira def. Andy Ogle via submission (triangle choke), 2:40 of round 3. No time for a post-fight interview — we have a Cormier vs. Cummins hype-segment to get through.

Viscardi Andrade vs. Nicholas “Nico” Musoke

Yeah, this is the fight I’m not liveblogging. I will post the result as soon as it’s over, and if there’s a finish, I’ll link to the GIF or something.

It’s actually not a bad fight. Andrade dropped Musoke in round one, then tried to walk off in a boneheaded display of premature celebration. Musoke almost caught him in a submission like ten seconds later. Oh man, if Musoke pulled it off, the 2014 Fail of the Year Potato Award would have gone to Andrade, guaranteed. The fight had decent moments of brawliness in rounds 2 and 3, but obviously, it went to decision.

Niko Musoke def. Viscardi Andrade via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3).

Erick Silva vs. Takenori Sato

Round 1: Silva apparently has the shortest active fight time among active UFC fighters. Silva lands a hard body kick right away that makes Sato wince. Sato shoots and grabs Silva’s leg in apparent desperation/agony, and Silva slugs him in the head, then jumps up and kicks Sato behind his back with his heel, like a soccer ball. It’s hard to explain, hopefully I’ll find a GIF. Anyway, Sato drags him down, but Silva gets up and jackhammers Sato in the head with punches until Sato goes limp. Silva’s shortest-fight stat is definitely intact.

Erick Silva def. Takenori Sato via KO, 0:52 of round 1.

Oh, and here’s the GIF of Silva’s “hackey-sack” heel-kicks.

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Francis Carmont

Round 1: Carmont throws out a very fast front-leg roundhouse. He tries it again and whiffs. Jacare trying hard to get inside. He fires a big overhand right, then lands a spinning back kick. Jacare storms forward and takes Carmont down, then takes his back. Jacare sinks the body-triangle. Jacare working to set up the rear-naked choke, but Carmont defends well. Jacare whips his left arm under Carmont’s neck. Carmont is in huge trouble but he grits it out and escapes. Jacare tries to isolate a wrist. Carmont fires punches behind his head, Jacare’s double-slaps Carmont in the ears. The round ends, 10-9 Souza.

Round 2: Carmont tries a low kick. Souza returns one, then fires a kick high and shoots to clinch. Carmont defends. Jacare slugging now, landing hard to the body and head, and he follows it up with a another spinning heel-kick. Jacare fires his big overhand right. Carmont returns fire and Jacare slips to the mat but pops back up. Carmont with a front kick to the body. Jacare shoots from long range, Carmont defends. They trade punches. Carmont lands a punch combo. Jacare misses a high kick. Carmont lands a jab, a follow-up straight, another jab. Souza lands twice to the body. Carmont throws his arms up, Diaz style.They clinch, Souza gets in a knee and a hook, Carmont lands on the way out. There’s the bell.

Round 3: Nice leg kick from Carmont. Switch kick to the body from Carmont. Jacare fires a right and a left to the body. Carmont swings, Jacare slips under and takes him down. Jacare takes his back and fires down some shots to the side of Carmont’s head. Jacare threatens with a choke, Carmont rolls away. Jacare is smothering Carmont against the fence. Jacare looks for the choke again, can’t find it. Carmont fires punches behind him at Jacare. Jacare is on Carmont’s back and he isn’t going anywhere. Jacare trying once again to finish with a choke, but Carmont defends. They scramble to a sitting position. Carmont still throwing those punches behind his head. Jacare stays on his back to the bell.

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza def. Francis Carmont via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27)

Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi

Round 1: Mousasi makes first contact with an outside leg kick. Machida gives an inside leg kick back. Machida tries it again and whiffs. Machida lands a solid body kick as Mousasi stalks toward him. Mousasi lands a leg kick, Machida fires some punches in return but doesn’t land. Mousasi tags the leg again. Machida sticks and moves with a left straight. Mousasi dashes in to land a leg kick. Machida nails a counter-punch. Machida throws punches that don’t hand but scores with a body kick. The bell rings. As with most Machida fights, there wasn’t a ton of action in round 1 and it was kind of hard to score.

Round 2: Machida throws a reverse kick. Mousasi with a leg kick. Sharp inside leg kick from Machida. Mousasi with a leg kick. Body kick from Machida. They both fire punches in close. Outside leg kick from Mousasi. Head kick Machida, but Mousasi shrugs it off. Both guys land in a flurry. Mousasi swings and misses. Mousasi lands a body kick. Machida with a quick turning side kick. Mousasi lands a very solid right during a striking exchange. Leg kick Mousasi. Inside leg kick Machida. Mousasi with one more leg kick at the bell.

Round 3: Mousasi lands a left hook. Mousasi shoots, Machida defends and they clinch. Mousasi with a knee to the body. Machida lands a big left straight, and follows it up with a front kick to the body. Machida with that turning side kick again. Machida throws the high left kick again with Mousasi takes on his glove. Machida lands it again. Machida finding his momentum here. Step-in knee from Machida. Mousasi fires punches that mostly miss. Counterpunch from Machida. Machida tries a right elbow. He tries a takedown and is rebuffed. There’s the bell. 10-9 Machida…the clearest round of the fight, so far.

Round 4: Mousasi ducks under a front kick from Machida and takes him down. Machida pops back up immediately. Machida pops in a left hand and dodges the big counter from Mousasi. Machida tries a foot-sweep. Machida trips Mousasi to the mat with authority. Mousasi on top in side control but Mousasi works back into full guard. Mousasi sweeps, and winds up on top in Machida’s guard. Machida tries to set up an omoplata, Mousasi shakes out and fires down an elbow. Machida stands up and Mousasi throws some upkicks, the second of which lands while Machida clearly had his knee down. Mario Yamasaki lets Mousasi off with a warning. The round ends.

Round 5: Inside leg kick Mousasi. Machida storms forward with jabs and a left high kick. Mousasi pops Machida in the face but Machida does a little handstand Capoeira kick that lands to the body. Hard step-in knee from Machida. Mousasi walking forward and swinging. Machida tries a foot-sweep while Mousasi shoots, Machida defends the shot and wins up on top. Machida in guard. Machida jumps to Mousasi’s back. Mousasi rolls out and Machida jumps to his feet then slugs Mousasi in the grill as the round ends.

Lyoto Machida def. Gegard Mousasi via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45 x 2)

By the way, that’s two UFC events in a row featuring 10 decisions.

Machida didn’t have enough time to find the kill shot tonight, but he could find himself with the next middleweight title shot anyway. Do you like his chances against the winner of Weidman vs. Belfort?

G’night Potato Nation, we’ll talk tomorrow…

UFC on FOX 10 Results: Sergio Pettis Is a Victim of His Last Name


(A crestfallen Sergio Pettis. / Photo via Getty)

By Matt Saccaro

Sergio Pettis isn’t ready for the UFC.

This opinion might be unpopular, but it’s true. UFC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis‘ younger brother just isn’t ready.

Sergio Pettis is talented, of that there is no doubt. While most 20-somethings were complaining about trivial social justice issues on Thought Catalog or watching Girls, Sergio Pettis was kicking ass en route to the UFC, showing that he has ample technique and a bright future. The hype wanted us to believe Pettis’ future was now. Fuck the Super Mario Brothers, it was time for the Super Pettis Brothers.

Alas, like with nearly every young, buzzworthy prospect, Pettis faltered. The hype train managed to steamroll over his pedestrian UFC debut, but not so for his follow-up fight against Alex Caceres at UFC on FOX 10. Pettis lost via submission in the third round. Even though the fight was close and well-fought up until the submission, a loss is still a loss.

“He’s just not as good as his brother,” some will say. Others will be harsher, citing Alexander Emelianenko syndrome. “If it wasn’t for his last name, you’d have never heard him; he’s nothing special.”

They’ll be right, but only about the “if it wasn’t for his last name” part.


(A crestfallen Sergio Pettis. / Photo via Getty)

By Matt Saccaro

Sergio Pettis isn’t ready for the UFC.

This opinion might be unpopular, but it’s true. UFC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis‘ younger brother just isn’t ready.

Sergio Pettis is talented, of that there is no doubt. While most 20-somethings were complaining about trivial social justice issues on Thought Catalog or watching Girls, Sergio Pettis was kicking ass en route to the UFC, showing that he has ample technique and a bright future. The hype wanted us to believe Pettis’ future was now. Fuck the Super Mario Brothers, it was time for the Super Pettis Brothers.

Alas, like with nearly every young, buzzworthy prospect, Pettis faltered. The hype train managed to steamroll over his pedestrian UFC debut, but not so for his follow-up fight against Alex Caceres at UFC on FOX 10. Pettis lost via submission in the third round. Even though the fight was close and well-fought up until the submission, a loss is still a loss.

“He’s just not as good as his brother,” some will say. Others will be harsher, citing Alexander Emelianenko syndrome. “If it wasn’t for his last name, you’d have never heard him; he’s nothing special.”

They’ll be right, but only about the “if it wasn’t for his last name” part.

If Sergio Pettis was just a highly skilled 20-year-old without the baggage of a notable surname, he might not have been brought into the UFC so quickly. And even if the UFC had hired him, the negative, hateful fallout from a loss—or even from a lackluster victory—wouldn’t be so great.

The UFC has a history of throwing still-developing prospects into the fire nuclear reactor a little too soon. They fed a 20-year-old, 4-0 Max Holloway to Dustin Poirier back at UFC 143. Charles Oliveira‘s career was rushed as well. He went from fighting the likes of Efrain Escudero straight to top-flight talent like Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone. The young Brazilian wasn’t ready for this dramatic uptick in competition, and his career suffered. It still hasn’t rebounded.

But you don’t hear about these fighters quite so much because they don’t have famous older brothers. The MMA twitterverse isn’t rife with activity when these fighters lose. It was when Sergio Pettis lost.

In MMA, the drawbacks of a famous last name often outnumber the benefits; exposure is a double-edged sword that slays the lesser brother, leaving their career as one of many corpses the message board vultures pick clean.

2014 is not Pettis’ time. He’s quite a talent for his age, but he’s still green. At 20, and with a skill set that’s not quite there yet (but still growing tremendously with loads of potential), he’s not a world-beater. He might be one day, but not today. He’d benefit from more time on the regional circuit. But since he’s got a famous last name, the UFC might not heed this advice and let Pettis go develop his skills more. They’ll keep pushing Sergio Pettis before he’s ready just because he’s Sergio Pettis, the champ’s brother. And if he fails, he’ll forever become the Luigi to Anthony’s Mario—the perennial understudy—all because of his last name.