Cody Garbrandt | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

Fight Night 88 Highlights/Results: Garbrandt Sleeps Almeida, Stephens Upsets Barao + More

(via UFC on FOX)

With last weekend’s Fight Night 88 main event matchup between Cody Garbrandt and Thomas Almeida, we were being promised a glimpse at the future of the bantamweight division regardless of who won. More of us may have been banking on the latter to emerge as that future champion, sure, but it would be hard to discredit either fighter as anything but a top contender following an impressive win.

Given Almeida’s tendency to get rocked at least once in every one of his UFC fights thus far, one would assume that his camp would have placed an emphasis on head movement and staying off the line against a similarly devastating puncher like Garbrandt. Then again, this is Chute Box we’re talking about after all, so it’s likely that their gameplan for the fight never stretched beyond “swing for the goddamn fences and hope you land first.” As such, Almeida’s first round KO loss to the Team Alpha Male up-and-comer demonstrated that, as dynamic as the young Brazilian may be offensively, he still has a bit of work to do defensively. Live and learn.

Full results and highlights for Fight Night 88 are after the jump.

The post Fight Night 88 Highlights/Results: Garbrandt Sleeps Almeida, Stephens Upsets Barao + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

(via UFC on FOX)

What a fall from grace it’s been for Renan Barao. The former bantamweight kingpin was pummeled right out of his division in back-to-back appearances against TJ Dillashaw, and his featherweight debut against Jeremy Stephens in the co-main event of Fight Night 88 didn’t exactly sell him as a future champion of that division either. Despite a strong showing in the opening round, Barao seemed almost insistent on gassing himself out in the second and third with failed takedown attempts, and in doing so, allowed the veteran Stephens to find his rhythm in the exchanges and bust the Brazilian open on multiple occasions. Like Florian said, Barao may not be a broken fighter, but he’s definitely a defeated one at this point.

There wasn’t really much else to write home about on Fight Night 88, however, and the UFC on FOX channel has likewise opted against uploading any more highlight videos. With that in mind, let’s just touch on a few other noteworthy moments:

– Even in victory, Rick Story was left with a gruesome reminder of Tarec Saffiedine’s kicking abilities.

– After all that trash he talked, Aljamain Sterling just couldn’t get it done against “Mr. Tate” Bryan Caraway. The only thing worse than his performance? The absolute garbage takes on Twitter that came in the aftermath.

–Erik Koch looked like a goddamn man possessed against Shane Campbell and showed next to no signs of the ring rust you’d expect from a guy coming off his *second* two year injury. His post-fight mean mug = absolute savagery.

The full results for Fight Night 88 are below.

Main card (FOX Sports 1 at 9 p.m. ET)
Cody Garbrandt def. Thomas Almeida via KO (punches) at 2:53 of round 1
Jeremy Stephens def. Renan Barao via unanimous decision
Rick Story def. Tarec Saffiedine via unanimous decision
Chris Camozzi vs. Vitor Miranda via unanimous decision
Lorenz Larkin def. Jorge Masvidal via split decision
Paul Felder def. Josh Burkman via unanimous decision

Undercard (FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET)
Sara McMann def. Jessica Eye via unanimous decision
Abel Trujillo def. Jordan Rinaldi via unanimous decision
Jake Collier def. Alberto Uda via TKO (spinning back kick) at 1:06 of round 2
Erik Koch def. Shane Campbell via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:02 of round 2

Undercard (UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. ET)
Bryan Caraway def. Aljamain Sterling via split decision
Adam Milstead def. Chris De La Rocha via TKO (punches) at 4:01 of round 2

The post Fight Night 88 Highlights/Results: Garbrandt Sleeps Almeida, Stephens Upsets Barao + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC Fight Night 88 Salaries: Jeremy Stephens Tops List With $100,000 Payday

Following a successful UFC Fight Night 88 event this past Sunday night in Las Vegas, Nevada, the fighter salaries have surfaced online.

Leading the payroll for this past Sunday’s event, which UFC President Dana White called the “sleeper card of the …

Following a successful UFC Fight Night 88 event this past Sunday night in Las Vegas, Nevada, the fighter salaries have surfaced online.

Leading the payroll for this past Sunday’s event, which UFC President Dana White called the “sleeper card of the year,” was Jeremy Stephens. “Lil Heathen” Stephens earned a reported $100,000 payday for his victory over former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barao in Barao’s featherweight debut.

Below are the complete UFN 88 fighter salaries, according to figures released by the Nevada Athletic Commission:

Main Card (FOX Sports 1):

Cody Garbrandt ($24,000 + $24,000 = $48,000) def. Thomas Almeida ($25,000)
Jeremy Stephens ($50,000 + $50,000 = $100,000) def. Renan Barao ($50,000)
Rick Story ($38,000 + $38,000 = $76,000) def. Tarec Saffiedine ($37,000)
Chris Camozzi ($36,000 + $36,000 = $72,000) vs. Vitor Miranda ($18,000)
Lorenz Larkin ($36,000 + $36,000 = $72,000) def. Jorge Masvidal ($57,000)
Paul Felder ($21,000 + $21,000 = $42,000) def. Josh Burkman ($48,000)

Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1):

Sara McMann ($25,000 + $25,000 = $50,000) def. Jessica Eye ($25,000)
Abel Trujillo ($26,000 + $26,000 = $52,000) def. Jordan Rinaldi ($10,000)
Jake Collier ($15,000 + $15,000 = $30,000) def. Alberto Uda ($10,000)
Erik Koch ($21,000 + $21,000 = $42,000) def. Shane Campbell ($15,000)

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass):

Bryan Caraway ($18,000 + $18,000 = $36,000) def. Aljamain Sterling ($30,000)
Adam Milstead ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Chris De La Rocha ($10,000)

Cody Garbrandt: First Off, I Deserve Some Respect

It’s a vast understatement to say that Cody Garbrandt merely made a big impact on the UFC bantamweight landscape by knocking out Thomas Almeida in the main event of last night’s (Sun., May 29, 2016) UFC Fight Night 88 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Garbrandt not only beat the previously No. 7-ranked

The post Cody Garbrandt: First Off, I Deserve Some Respect appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Garbrandt not only beat the previously No. 7-ranked Almeida, but he dominated him in the first round, needing only 2:53 to end the main event bout with a perfectly-placed and devastating right hook to the jaw. The win ranked as the biggest of his only four-fight UFC career, and he’ll most certainly rise up to a bout with an even higher-ranked opponent next.

With fight-ending power and a stifling lethal boxing offense, Garbrandt will notch his biggest win ever with each victory moving forward, because the word is out and he’ll no doubt crack the bantamweight Top 10 when the rankings debut soon, if not higher. But “No Love” was unranked going into his fight with Almeida, and now that he’s settled that score impressively, he stated he wants his rightful spot on the rankings at the post-fight presser last night (quotes transcribed via MMA Fighting):

“First off, I deserve some respect, that’s going out there, we’re talking about a 21-0 guy who just ran through everybody, and I knocked him out in under three minutes, so let me get at least in the top 10. Let me get these guys that I want to fight, these guys that are high-caliber. The higher the opponent for me, the more that I shine.”

It’s tough to argue with that statement, as Garbrandt clearly rose to meet the test that Almeida presented with his finest performance. Now that he’s on the short list of future title contenders in the suddenly booming bantamweight division, Garbrandt already has a date picked out for his next high-profile opponent, and it’s not surprisingly at UFC 203 this September in his native Ohio:

“UFC 203, Stipe Miocic is defending his belt in Cleveland, Ohio, that’s where I spent a lot of my amateur career and boxing, it’s an hour and 20 minutes from my hometown,” Garbrandt said. “I would like to dance with someone there in the Quicken Loans Arena. Whoever it is, [whoever] the UFC wants to give me, I’m more than ready for them.”

With Miocic recently earning the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 198 to finally bring a championship home to Cleveland, there’s not better a storybook ending than having another one of Ohio’s native sons in compliment him on the main card. Dominick Curz will defend the title against Urijah Faber in the co-main event of next Saturday’s UFC 199, so a quick turnaround from the winner to face Garbrandt is unlikely.

Caraway could be ready to take on his next hyped opponent, however. If he’s not, then a fight against No. 10-ranked former flyweight contender John Dodson, who recently returned to the 135-pound fray and owns a knockout win over Dillashaw, would make for a highly exciting match-up with Garbrandt along the lines of his bout versus Almeida.

The post Cody Garbrandt: First Off, I Deserve Some Respect appeared first on LowKick MMA.

The Unexpected: How UFC Fight Night 88 Shook The 135-Pound Division

As fight fans, we often feel as if we have everything figured out – or if we can confidently predict who’s going to win this fight or who’s going to win that fight, but we are also continuously reminded that anything can happen when two warriors are locked inside of a cage. This was quite

The post The Unexpected: How UFC Fight Night 88 Shook The 135-Pound Division appeared first on LowKick MMA.

This was quite evident at last night’s (May 29, 2016) UFC Fight Night 88 card from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card featured a plethora of intriguing fights from top to bottom, but all eyes seemed to be on the suddenly rejuvenated bantamweight division.

The featured Fight Pass preliminary bout as well as the evening’s main event featured pivotal scraps in the 135-pound division, and the masses appeared to be confident in how they would play out. Early on, previously surging prospect and No. 4-ranked contender Aljamain “Funkmaster” Sterling squared off with the ultra-experienced, but under-credited veteran Bryan “Kid Lightning” Caraway.

Sterling had been riding a hot wave as of late, and had begun to grow as a star with his unique fighting style and charismatic personality. Making his first walk to the octagon since signing a new contract with the promotion, many expected the 26-year-old New Yorker to continue his trek towards a title shot.

Later on in the night, the main event played host to a highly intriguing clash between two previously undefeated young rising contenders in Brazilian Thomas Almeida and Cody “No Love” Garbrandt.

Heading into the bout, Almeida packed an impressive 21-0 professional record with 16 finishes, and held the No. 7 spot in the 135-pound rankings. Garbrandt, on the other hand, while looking strong as of late, was unranked and held a perfect record of 8-0.

Needless to say, many predicted that Almeida would continue his brutal streak, and keep his momentum rolling. Once again, however, the fight game proved to be unpredictable – throwing a curveball to the fans and leaving us with a night of unexpected, yet exciting results.

Caraway would end up controlling and out-grappling Sterling in the later rounds of their bout to earn a decisive decision victory. With the victory, “Kid Lightning” derailed Sterling’s momentum and title hopes for now, and possibly launched himself into the title discussion, although it still appears as if he’s received a lack of attention and a lack of credit.

In the main event, it’s safe to say that the underdog stole the show. Garbrandt came out firing and floored Almeida with a devastating right hand in the first round. The Brazilian simply had nothing to offer the American knockout artist. In a night where we had expected a future title contender in Sterling to shine and a young contender in Almeida to continue his rise, we were left with the opposite: a crafty veteran showing us the value of experience, and a young American establishing himself as a true threat.

So where does the 135-pound division go from here? It’s hard to say. Sterling and Almeida will likely bounce back as they both represent young talents.

Should Caraway be awarded the next shot at gold? Could “No Love” shoot up the rankings into title contention after one massive win? Only time will tell, but UFC Fight Night 88 undoubtedly taught us a lot us about the future of the 135-pound fray.

Perhaps we should accept the fact that mixed martial arts is highly unpredictable, although that may very well be what makes this sport as breathtaking as it is.

And at the end of the day, if we, as fight fans, are going to expect anything of the fight game, it should be the unexpected. Last night showed us that more than once.

The post The Unexpected: How UFC Fight Night 88 Shook The 135-Pound Division appeared first on LowKick MMA.

UFC Fight Night 88 Reebok Salaries: Prelim Fighter Earns Four Times As Much As Garbrandt

With UFC Fight Night 88 officially in the books, it’s time to find out how much money fighters who competed on Sunday’s fight card earned via UFC’s mandatory Reebok sponsorship deals.

Below are the payouts that the fighters earned strictly from the …

With UFC Fight Night 88 officially in the books, it’s time to find out how much money fighters who competed on Sunday’s fight card earned via UFC’s mandatory Reebok sponsorship deals.

Below are the payouts that the fighters earned strictly from the UFC/Reebok outfitting deal for the fights from Las Vegas, Nevada this past Sunday, May 29, 2016.

Due to the unique nature of the Reebok sponsorship payout system, Erik Koch, who won the opening bout on the FS1 preliminary card, earned four times as much for his victory over Shane Campbell as Cody Garbrandt did for his first-round knockout of undefeated Thomas Almeida in the main event.

With that said, let’s take a look at what each fighter who competed on Sunday’s card earned from their mandatory Reebok sponsorship deals. Figures are courtesy of MMAJunkie.com.

Note: These are not the usual fighter salaries we post after each event, but instead the amount of money fighters earned strictly from the new Reebok sponsorship deal.

UFC Fight Night 88 Main Card:

Cody Garbrandt: $2,500 def. Thomas Almeida: $2,500
Jeremy Stephens: $20,000 def. Renan Barao: $10,000
Rick Story: $15,000 def. Tarec Saffiedine: $10,000
Chris Camozzi: $15,000 def. Vitor Miranda: $2,500
Lorenz Larkin: $10,000 def. Jorge Masvidal: $15,000
Paul Felder: $5,000 def. Josh Burkman: $10,000

UFC Fight Night 88 FS1 Preliminary Card:

Sara McMann: $5,000 def. Jessica Eye: $2,500
Abel Trujillo: $5,000 def. Jordan Rinaldi: $2,500
Jake Collier: $2,500 def. Alberto Uda: $2,500
Erik Koch: $10,000 def. Shane Campbell: $2,500

UFC Fight Night 88 Fight Pass Preliminary Card:

Bryan Caraway: $5,000 def. Aljamain Sterling: $2,500
Adam Milstead: $2,500 def. Chris de la Rocha: $2,500

TOTAL: $162,500

How do Reebok and the UFC decide how much fighters earn through the new Reebok sponsorship deal? How do they reach the figures that will be paid out to the fighters? Click ahead to page two for a full breakdown that explains what it takes to make a certain amount of money through this new, mandatory sponsorship deal between UFC and Reebok.

Poll: Does Cody Garbrandt Already Deserve A UFC Title Shot?

Rising bantamweight sensation Cody Garbrandt shocked the MMA world when he knocked out touted prospect Thomas Almeida in the main event of last night’s (Sun., May 29, 2016) UFC Fight Night 88 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although he was unranked coming into the bout, Garbrandt capitalized on his bold predictions

The post Poll: Does Cody Garbrandt Already Deserve A UFC Title Shot? appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Although he was unranked coming into the bout, Garbrandt capitalized on his bold predictions and statement that boxing beats Muay Thai everyday, stalking Almeida down effortlessly to rock him with a varied offense of power punches.

The win will certainly vaunt Garbrandt into the Top 10 where he wants to be, but there could be a strong argument made that he already deserves a 135-pound title shot after knocking out the No. 7-ranked competitor so easily. Taking precious little damage last night, it’s highly understandable that “No Love” wants to return at September’s UFC 203 from his home state of Ohio.

Logic may state that he’s in for a high-profile bout with someone like Bryan Caraway (who wants his own title shot after beating previous No. 4 Aljamain Sterling last night).

While that may transpire with the next rightful title shot perhaps going to the winner of July’s match-up between TJ Dillashaw and Raphael Assuncao, do you believe that Garbrandt is already ready to fight for a title?

The post Poll: Does Cody Garbrandt Already Deserve A UFC Title Shot? appeared first on LowKick MMA.