Countdown To UFC 198: Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic

A blockbuster lineup of fights is set to go down at this weekend’s (Sat., May 14, 2016) UFC 198 from the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil, and none may be more pivotal than the heavyweight title bout between Fabricio Werdum and Stipe Miocic in the main event. While it’s true that the anticipated clashes of

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A blockbuster lineup of fights is set to go down at this weekend’s (Sat., May 14, 2016) UFC 198 from the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil, and none may be more pivotal than the heavyweight title bout between Fabricio Werdum and Stipe Miocic in the main event.

While it’s true that the anticipated clashes of Anderson Silva vs. Uriah Hall, Cris “Cyborg’s” UFC debut against Leslie Smith, and the middleweight co-main event between Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Vitor Belfort are no doubt anticipated bouts, Werdum vs. Miocic will be contested for the UFC’s biggest title, one that we simply haven’t see contested nearly enough in recent years.

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The UFC heavyweight throne will be defended in the first time in nearly a year when Werdum returns for his first defense after submitting longtime former champion Cain Velasquez in the main event of last year’s UFC 188. The decorated “Vai Cavalo,” a longtime veteran known for possessing one of the most dangerous Brazilian Jiu-jitsu pedigrees in MMA history, has won nine out of his last 10 fights, including six in a row on his way to winning the UFC title since he returned to the octagon in early 2012.

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Miocic, on the other hand, brings a much more modest win streak into UFC 198, having beaten Andrei Arlovski and Mark Hunt by TKO in his most recent bouts. Overall, he’s won five out of his last six with his only loss a controversial decision against Junior dos Santos, running his record to an impressive 14-2. But the Cleveland native may have gotten his title shot by default nonetheless, as Velasquez pulled out of his scheduled rematch with Werdum at February’s UFC 196, allowing Miocic to replace him.

Werdum pulled out of that fight citing a desire to not fight a short notice opponent with nagging injuries of his own, and Miocic was re-booked for UFC 198 in “Vai Cavalo’s” home country of Brazil.

That makes him dangerous, but it also heaps a ton of pressure on the dominant firefighter’s shoulders, as well.

Get hyped up for what could be an unpredictable and exciting heavyweight title showdown with the official Countdown to UFC 198: Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic video right here:

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Breaking: Cris Cyborg Will Make Octagon Debut At UFC 198

After weeks of speculation that Invicta FC featherweight champion Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino would make her long-awaited Octagon debut at May 14’s UFC 198 from Curitiba in her home country of Brazil, the news has finally been made official. The UFC just announced on their website that ‘Cyborg’ will take on women’s bantamweight Leslie Smith, who

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After weeks of speculation that Invicta FC featherweight champion Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino would make her long-awaited Octagon debut at May 14’s UFC 198 from Curitiba in her home country of Brazil, the news has finally been made official.

The UFC just announced on their website that ‘Cyborg’ will take on women’s bantamweight Leslie Smith, who recently beat Rin Nakai via controversial decision at UFC Fight Night 85 on March 19, in a 140-pound women’s catchweight bout.

The dominant ‘Cyborg’ has gone undefeated since her only MMA loss in the first bout of career back in 2005, with the only major blemish on her record in that time a no contest for her prior TKO win over Hiroko Yamanaka in Strikeforce after Justino tested positive for steroids.

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Justino rebounded and won five straight bouts by knockout in Invicta, adding the Invicta FC featherweight title to her Strikeforce championship by defeating Marloes Coenen in 2013. Cyborg most recently defended the belt against Daria Ibragimova with a vicious knockout at Invicta FC 15.

She’ll look to make a splash in her home country when she takes on bantamweight Smith, a fellow Invicta veteran who has a much less glaring overall MMA record of 8-6. Prior to her win over Nakai, Smith had been out of action for over 16 months since Jessica Eye grotesquely exploded her cauliflower ear to win by TKO at UFC 180 in 2014.

Smith is no doubt a tough competitor who never gives up, but she also fought at 125 pounds in Invicta, losing to flyweight champion Barb Honchak in her last fight with the promotion. All told, she’s lost three of her last five fights and will be discussed as the latest undersized and over-matched combatant to step into a cage with ‘Cyborg.’

Cyborg vs. Smith will join an already packed main card in Brazil that includes Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight championship, Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza vs. Vitor Belfort, and Anderson Silva vs. Uriah Hall.

With the addition of arguably the most lethal female fighter on the planet, UFC 198 is definitely in the running for the most packed pay-per-view (PPV) of the year thus far.

Are you excited to watch her debut, even if many will be calling it a glorified squash match?

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Shogun Rua vs. Corey Anderson Scheduled For UFC 198 In Brazil

Fan favorite MMA legend ‘Shogun’ Rua may have withdrawn from his anticipated light heavyweight showdown with Rashad Evans at April 16’s UFC on FOX 19 due to a lingering knee injury from wars past, but it appears that the former UFC and Pride champ will return to the Octagon sooner than expected. This evening a

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Fan favorite MMA legend ‘Shogun’ Rua may have withdrawn from his anticipated light heavyweight showdown with Rashad Evans at April 16’s UFC on FOX 19 due to a lingering knee injury from wars past, but it appears that the former UFC and Pride champ will return to the Octagon sooner than expected.

This evening a report surfaced from MMA Fighting stating that Rua would take on rising 26-year-old prospect Corey Anderson at May 14’s UFC 198 from his hometown of Curitiba, Brazil. The bout has since been confirmed, and will join an already stacked main card featuring the awaited heavyweight title bout between Fabricio Werdum and Stipe Miocic.

‘Shogun’ is understandably regarded as one of the finest 205-pound fighters in MMA history, but has fallen on mixed results lately following endless slugfests against the elite fighters in the world. Rua most recently got back into the win column with a decision victory over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in UFC 190’s “Fight of the Night” last August, but before that win he had dropped four out of five contests with three stoppage losses.

Rua returns to his hometown, where he won his two first MMA contests several years ago.

He’s still ranked in the Top 10 of the extremely shallow UFC light heavyweight division, however, and he’ll look to regain momentum against a very tough challenge in one of the division’s few young prospects in Anderson. ‘Beastin’ 25/8′ has won three straight fights after getting knocked out by Gian Villante in April 2015, most recently outlasting veteran Tom Lawlor by unanimous decision at UFC 196 after doing the same to Fabio Maldonado and Jan Blachowicz.

The TUF 19 light heavyweight winner will seek what would rank as by far his highest profile win over ‘Shogun.’

In other action, at UFC 198, top Brazilian fighters Ronaldo Souza and Vitor Belfort will face off in the co-main event, top-ranked Brazilian welterweight Demian Maia will face the gritty Matt Brown, and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will meet Patrick Cummins.

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