Barnburner Alert: Donald Cerrone vs. Edson Barboza Added to UFC on FOX 11


(Bitches be like “#nomakeup #nofilter” / Photo via @cowboycerrone)

Fresh off his latest Knockout of the Night performance against Adriano Martins at UFC on FOX 10, Donald Cerrone will be back on network television two months from now when he faces Edson Barboza at UFC on FOX 11: Browne vs. Werdum (April 19th, Orlando). The lightweight bout was confirmed by FOX Sports yesterday.

Known for his savage kicks — of both the leg and wheel varieties — Barboza went on a 3-0 run in 2013, culminating with a comeback decision win against Danny Castillo at UFC on FOX 9, which won him Fight of the Night honors. Cerrone and Barboza are unquestionably two of the most entertaining fighters in the lightweight division, but aren’t currently “in the mix” when it comes to title shot consideration. An impressive win for either fighter could change that. Your predictions, please.

In a related story, Khabib Nurmagomedov has tweeted out a frowny face.


(Bitches be like “#nomakeup #nofilter” / Photo via @cowboycerrone)

Fresh off his latest Knockout of the Night performance against Adriano Martins at UFC on FOX 10, Donald Cerrone will be back on network television two months from now when he faces Edson Barboza at UFC on FOX 11: Browne vs. Werdum (April 19th, Orlando). The lightweight bout was confirmed by FOX Sports yesterday.

Known for his savage kicks — of both the leg and wheel varieties — Barboza went on a 3-0 run in 2013, culminating with a comeback decision win against Danny Castillo at UFC on FOX 9, which won him Fight of the Night honors. Cerrone and Barboza are unquestionably two of the most entertaining fighters in the lightweight division, but aren’t currently “in the mix” when it comes to title shot consideration. An impressive win for either fighter could change that. Your predictions, please.

In a related story, Khabib Nurmagomedov has tweeted out a frowny face.

Watch: Highlights from UFC on FOX 9?s Fight of the Night—Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo [VIDEO]

(Video via MSN)

Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo was the best fight in a pretty decent night of fights overall. What made it so special? Well, with the above highlights, you’ll be able to see for yourself.

First of all, it was a fantastic mixed martial arts contest. MMA fights turn into C-level kickboxing or 15-minute bouts of clinching too often these days. Barboza-Castillo reminded us what the sport is capable of in terms of excitement. There were near KOs, there were takedowns, there wear submission attempts. Their match represented the full range of fighting.

Second, the fight represented a comeback—not a Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami level comeback—but a comeback nonetheless. Castillo brutalized Barboza in the first round; it appeared the Brazilian striking phenom was out of his depth. Barboza manged to reverse fortunes in the second round with leg kicks; his shins were meat tenderizers.

The third round was close, but it was ultimately Barboza that got the nod from the judges, winning via majority decision.

For their efforts, both men took home an extra $50,000 as part of the “Fight of the Night” bonus.


(Video via MSN)

Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo was the best fight in a pretty decent night of fights overall. What made it so special? Well, with the above highlights, you’ll be able to see for yourself.

First of all, it was a fantastic mixed martial arts contest. MMA fights turn into C-level kickboxing or 15-minute bouts of clinching too often these days. Barboza-Castillo reminded us what the sport is capable of in terms of excitement. There were near KOs, there were takedowns, there were submission attempts. The match represented the full range of fighting.

Second, the fight represented a comeback—not a Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami level comeback—but a comeback nonetheless. Castillo brutalized Barboza in the first round; it appeared the Brazilian striking phenom was out of his depth. Barboza manged to reverse fortunes in the second round with leg and body kicks; his shins were meat tenderizers.

The third round was close, but it was ultimately Barboza that got the nod from the judges, winning via majority decision.

For their efforts, both men took home an extra $50,000 as part of the “Fight of the Night” bonus.

UFC on FOX 9 Results: Johnson Devastates Benavidez via Brutal KO, Faber Dominates and Submits McDonald


(And that’s the end of that chapter. Photo via Getty)

For an event that was initially much better on paper and seemed certain to disappoint, UFC on FOX 9 came through. The card was entertaining and ended in one of the best knockouts in recent memory.

The notable happenings on the prelims.

Sam Stout out-pointed Cody McKenzie, tenderizing the grappler’s liver and body throughout the 15-minute contest. The bashing of McKenzie’s body wasn’t the most interesting part though. No, the most interesting highlight from the fight was McKenzie wearing sponsor-less shorts with the price tag still hanging off them. Apparently, he showed up without shorts or even a mouthpiece. Pretty sad.

Zach Makovsky defeated Scott Jorgensen via decision. Interestingly enough, Makovsky—a former Bellator champ—didn’t have to prove himself in WSOF to get a shot in the UFC. Funny how things work out like that, isn’t it?

Pat Healy dropped a unanimous decision to Bobby Green. The crowd booed the announcement (or maybe they were saying boo-urns). The decision wasn’t horrible although it was pretty clear Green didn’t win all three rounds (but somehow 2/3 judges thought he did).

Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo elevated the card’s energy level. In the first round, Castillo ran over Barboza like a freight train. He floored the Brazilian striker, unleashed vicious ground-and-pound, and nearly choked him out. Somehow, Barboza survived the torrent of offense and even managed to reverse his fortunes in the second round. In that frame, Barboza made use of leg and body kicks to stymie Castillo and nearly finish him. The third round was a little closer and slower-paced. Barboza walked away with a majority decision.

In the last preliminary fight, rising star and late replacement Ryan LaFlare carved up Court McGee‘s face with pinpoint striking. The Long Islander outworked McGee until the third round, where he started to gas a little bit. But LaFlare’s work in the first two rounds was enough to secure a unanimous decision.

Get the main card recap after the jump.


(And that’s the end of that chapter. / Photo via Getty)

For an event that was initially much better on paper and seemed certain to disappoint, UFC on FOX 9 came through. The card was entertaining and ended in one of the best knockouts in recent memory.

The notable happenings on the prelims:

Sam Stout out-pointed Cody McKenzie, tenderizing the grappler’s liver and body throughout the 15-minute contest. The bashing of McKenzie’s body wasn’t the most interesting part though. No, the most interesting highlight from the fight was McKenzie wearing sponsor-less shorts with the price tag still hanging off them. Apparently, he showed up without shorts or even a mouthpiece. Pretty sad.

Zach Makovsky defeated Scott Jorgensen via decision. Interestingly enough, Makovsky—a former Bellator champ—didn’t have to prove himself in WSOF to get a shot in the UFC. Funny how things work out like that, isn’t it?

Pat Healy dropped a unanimous decision to Bobby Green. The crowd booed the announcement (or maybe they were saying boo-urns). The decision wasn’t horrible although it was pretty clear Green didn’t win all three rounds (but somehow 2/3 judges thought he did).

Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo elevated the card’s energy level. In the first round, Castillo ran over Barboza like a freight train. He floored the Brazilian striker, unleashed vicious ground-and-pound, and nearly choked him out. Somehow, Barboza survived the torrent of offense and even managed to reverse his fortunes in the second round. In that frame, Barboza made use of leg and body kicks to stymie Castillo and nearly finish him. The third round was a little closer and slower-paced. Barboza walked away with a majority decision.

In the last preliminary fight, rising star and late replacement Ryan LaFlare carved up Court McGee‘s face with pinpoint striking. The Long Islander outworked McGee until the third round, where he started to gas a little bit. But LaFlare’s work in the first two rounds was enough to secure a unanimous decision.

The once-much-better main card began with a mismatch (though it was fun to watch). Joe Lauzon brutalized the hopelessly outmatched Mac Danzig for 15 minutes en route to a unanimous decision victory. It was a bloody affair. Lauzon tempered his intensity with caution, not over-pursuing any finishes. Instead, he remained content with control and moderate amounts of damage that snowballed into the end result: Danzig’s face looking like it had gone through a wood chipper.

Chad Mendes and Nik Lentz faced off next. Mendes was his normal studly self early on, but succumbed to the fight’s pace. He won the fight via UD. It wasn’t the prettiest performance though. During a post-fight news blurb on FOX, Ariel Helwani claimed Mendes had a sinus infection (I think that’s the first time we’ve heard that excuse), so maybe that explains it.

The co-main event of the evening pitted Urijah Faber vs. Michael McDonald. The 22-year-old McDonald was out of his depth. Faber took the first round easily enough. In the second, “The California Kid” stunned McDonald and swarmed him. After a few punches against the staggered McDonald, Faber scored a guillotine finish. It was an excellent display of killer instinct. Faber became an animal when he saw McDonald was hurt.

The main event ended in unbelievable fashion. Demetrious Johnson landed a right hook that lawnchair’d Joseph Benavidez in the first round. It’s undoubtedly the most incredible KO in flyweight history and will likely stay that way for quite some time.

TL;DR – UFC on FOX 9 was supposed to be an incredible free card that demanded our attention. It was still fun due to the performances on the main card, but it could’ve been so much more had the plague of injuries never happened.

Complete Results:

Main Card

Demetrious Johnson def. Joseph Benavidez via KO (punch), 2:08 of Round 1
Urijah Faber def. Michael McDonald via submission (guillotine), 3:22 of Round 2
Chad Mendes def. Nik Lentz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Joe Lauzon def. Mac Danzig via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Preliminary Card

Ryan LaFlare def. Court McGee via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Edson Barboza def. Danny Castillo via majority decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Bobby Green def. Pat Healy via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Zach Makovsky def. Scott Jorgensen via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Sam Stout def. Cody McKenzie via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Abel Trujillo def. Roger Bowling via TKO (strikes), 1:35 of Round 2
Alptekin Ozkilic def. Daren Uyenoyama via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

20 Years, 20 Head Kicks: A UFC Anniversary Tribute


(Gerard Gordeau delivers the first head-kick TKO in UFC history against Teila Tuli back at UFC 1, which took place exactly 20 years today on November 12th, 1993.)

By Adam Martin

There are literally thousands of ways a mixed martial arts match can end, but one of the most thrilling methods is the head kick knockout.

Over the course of two decades of fights in the UFC Octagon, there have been a number of memorable knockout blows delivered via head kick, and in honor of the UFC’s 20th anniversary, I’ve put together a list of what I believe are the top 20 head kick knockouts in UFC history.

20 years, 20 head kicks. Here we go.

20. Uriah Hall vs. Adam Cella, TUF 17 episode 3 (aired 2/5/13)

I wanted to keep the list strictly to knockouts that happened during live UFC events, but I’m going to bend the rules a bit and kick off the list with one that happened on TUF.

Of course I’m talking about Uriah Hall’s spinning hook kick KO of Adam Cella, which took place earlier this year during TUF 17. It was a devastating knockout that made UFC president Dana White’s hyperbole raise to a whole new level as he declared Hall the nastiest fighter to ever step into the TUF house (the same house that produced Rashad Evans and Forrest Griffin – you know, former UFC champs), and thus the UFC embarked on a social media campaign to play the clip non-stop on every medium in existence.

It was a brutal knockout, and I literally felt sick watching it. Even though Hall never lived up to the massive expectations that were placed on him, his most well-known career highlight deserves a place at #20.

19. Pat Miletich vs. Shonie Carter, UFC 32 (6/29/01)


(Gerard Gordeau delivers the first head-kick TKO in UFC history against Teila Tuli back at UFC 1, which took place exactly 20 years today on November 12th, 1993.)

By Adam Martin

There are literally thousands of ways a mixed martial arts match can end, but one of the most thrilling methods is the head kick knockout.

Over the course of two decades of fights in the UFC Octagon, there have been a number of memorable knockout blows delivered via head kick, and in honor of the UFC’s 20th anniversary, I’ve put together a list of what I believe are the top 20 head kick knockouts in UFC history.

20 years, 20 head kicks. Here we go.

20. Uriah Hall vs. Adam Cella, TUF 17 episode 3 (aired 2/5/13)

I wanted to keep the list strictly to knockouts that happened during live UFC events, but I’m going to bend the rules a bit and kick off the list with one that happened on TUF.

Of course I’m talking about Uriah Hall’s spinning hook kick KO of Adam Cella, which took place earlier this year during TUF 17. It was a devastating knockout that made UFC president Dana White’s hyperbole raise to a whole new level as he declared Hall the nastiest fighter to ever step into the TUF house (the same house that produced Rashad Evans and Forrest Griffin – you know, former UFC champs), and thus the UFC embarked on a social media campaign to play the clip non-stop on every medium in existence.

It was a brutal knockout, and I literally felt sick watching it. Even though Hall never lived up to the massive expectations that were placed on him, his most well-known career highlight deserves a place at #20.

19. Pat Miletich vs. Shonie Carter, UFC 32 (6/29/01)

I couldn’t do a best-of MMA list without sneaking Pat Miletich and Shonie Carter in it, and thankfully they were both involved in the same fight so I get to kill two birds with one stone here.

At UFC 32 in 2001, Miletich fought Carter in a matchup between two of my personal old-school fan favorites. Miletich was coming off a defeat to Carlos Newton where he lost the UFC welterweight championship, while Carter was coming off an amazing spinning backfist KO of Matt Serra, meaning this fight had serious title implications at the time.

But while many predicted a close matchup on paper, the outcome belonged to “The Croatian Sensation” as he hit  “Mr. International” with a head kick so hard it knocked Carter out cold, one of the very rare head kick KOs that took place in the first decade of the Octagon’s existence.

I saw this one on a tape I borrowed from a friend a long time ago and I’ve always wanted to see it again but haven’t had the opportunity to. Fortunately I’ve found a GIF for all of us to enjoy, but if you can track down the entire fight I highly recommend it.

18. Paul Taylor vs. Gabe Ruediger, UFC 126 (2/5/11)

One of the most awesome head kick knockouts in UFC history took place at UFC 126, and no, I’m not talking about the one you’re already thinking of (that will come later). I’m actually talking about the head kick KO that Brit Paul Taylor delivered on Gabe Ruediger, one of the most underrated finishes in UFC history in my opinion and one that I don’t think enough people have seen.

On any other night, Taylor would have claimed a nice $50,000 bonus check for KOTN, but as we all know there was another very good head kick KO that same night. Still, we can give him some props for scoring a classic knockout in what turned out to be his final appearance in the Octagon; Taylor recently announced his retirement from the sport due to a variety of nagging injuries. At least we have this sweet finish to remember him by. (Watch the GIF here.)

17. Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes, UFC 65 (11/18/06)

Back in 2006, Georges St-Pierre was seen as the future of the UFC welterweight division and at UFC 65 he was able to get his revenge on Matt Hughes (who had earlier submitted St-Pierre with an armbar at UFC 50) when he kicked the Miletich Fighting Systems product in the head and then followed it up with a series of punches on the ground to capture the UFC welterweight title for the fist time in his career.

This head kick is the only part of the fight I really remembered, and I was going to place it higher on the list originally, but since St-Pierre needed the follow-up punches to finish off the job I decided to stick it at #17. Either way, a job well-done by St-Pierre in this fight, and arguably the best finish of his storied career to date. (Watch the GIF here.)

16. Andrew Craig vs. Rafael Natal, UFC on FUEL TV 4 (7/11/12)

One of my favorite fights of all time took place at UFC FUEL TV 4, an unheralded middleweight bout between Andrew Craig and Rafael Natal. I was actually the reporter who first broke news of this fight back when I worked for theScore.com, and so it always holds a special place in my heart for that. But I’ve broken other fight announcements before, and rarely do the final products turn out to be as good as Craig vs. Natal ended up being.

In the fight, Natal was absolutely beating the crap out of Craig and looking like he was going to cruise to a stoppage win, but at the end of the second round, Craig – who was down big on points – threw a booming head kick out of desperation and caught Natal square on the chin, knocking him out cold.

An absolutely insane fight, and an even crazier knockout. Wow. (Watch the GIF here.)

15. Chuck Liddell vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral, UFC 40 (11/22/02)

Back in his prime, Chuck Liddell was an absolute killer, and at UFC 40 he showed that he wasn’t just a power puncher as he head-kicked Renato “Babalu” Sobral into oblivion to earn a shot at the light heavyweight title.

Despite coming from a karate background, this remains one of only two head kick knockouts in Liddell’s storied MMA career (and his only one in the UFC), so let’s savor it since we’ll never get another one of these from “The Iceman” now that he’s happily retired. (Watch the GIF here.)

14. Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt, UFC 160 (5/25/13)

Mark Hunt is considered by many to have one of the best chins in the history of combat sports, but at UFC 160 Junior dos Santos showed that Hunt is a human being like the rest of us when Cigano spinning wheel kicked Hunt in the temple to knock him to the ground, and then followed it up with a massive punch to put “The Super Samoan” completely out cold.

It was a beautiful, dominant performance by Dos Santos up until the KO, and the finish was just a cherry on top. I still can’t believe that Hunt was finished in this fashion, but then again dos Santos is one of the most powerful punchers the Octagon has ever seen – and, one of the hardest kickers as well, clearly. (Watch the GIF here.)

13. Rory Markham vs. Brodie Farber, UFC Fight Night 14 (7/19/08)

Another knockout that doesn’t get as much love as it should was Rory Markham’s massive head kick KO of Brodie Farber at UFC Fight Night 14. Just watch the GIF and tell me how awesome this is.

It’s too bad that Markham has had so many issues out side of the cage, because when he was in the Octagon he was an absolute killer. But at least he was able to give us this beauty before he rode off into the sunset, and for that we have to give him props.

12. Tim Sylvia vs. Tra Telligman, UFC 54 (8/20/05)

I know Tim Sylvia gets a bad rap from fans these days, but don’t forget that he gave us one of the best head kick knockouts ever witnessed inside the Octagon.

It took place at UFC 54, when Sylvia took on Tracy “Tra” Telligman. Sylvia was coming off a loss to Andrei Arlovski at UFC 51 that cost him a chance to capture the UFC heavyweight title, but after taking Telligman’s head off, Sylvia gained the confidence to make a run up the ladder and eventually capture the belt.

Sylvia has had an underappreciated career and this finish of Telligman is my favorite moment from it. It’s also one of the very few knockouts in UFC history that’s occurred at the 4:59 mark of round one, making it extra special.

11. Alan Belcher vs. Jorge Santiago, UFC Fight Night 7 (12/13/06)

One of my favorite all-time knockouts of any kind took place at UFC Fight Night 7, when a young Alan Belcher took on Jorge Santiago and delivered one of the most damaging head kick finishes in the history of the sport.

I don’t think Santiago was ever the same after this KO, which is a shame because he is a skilled fighter — although he was never able to prove that in the Octagon. As for Belcher, he has had a solid career but there’s no doubt in my mind this is his ultimate career highlight, and it’s for good reason. (Watch the GIF here.)

Ready for the Top 10? Hit that “next page” link and read on…

TUF Winners Kelvin Gastelum and Court McGee Collide at UFC on FOX 9 in December


(Gastelum celebrates after beating the brakes off Brian Melancon at Fight Night 27. Photo via Getty Images) 

Earlier today, UFC officials announced that TUF winners Kelvin Gastelum (season 17) and Court McGee (season 11) have been booked to face one another at UFC on FOX 9: Pettis vs. Thomson. Featuring a pair of guaranteed barnburners in Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown and Ian McCall vs. Scott Jorgensen, as well as Joe Lauzon vs. Mac Danzig and Chad Mendes vs. Nik Lentz, UFC on FOX 9 transpires at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento on December 14th.

The matchup is the latest in the long history of TUF winners fighting one another — the inaugural fight being Rashad Evans and Michael Bisping‘s headlining scrap at UFC 78: Validation. Did you forget about that fight? Because you are not alone, brother. Another fun fact: Of the 8 fights to take place between The Ultimate Fighter winners, just three of those fights have ended inside the distance (Danzig KO’d Joe Stevenson at UFC 124, Evans KO’d Griffin at UFC 92 and Robert Whittaker TKO’d Colton Smith at UFC 160).

What does this all mean? That McGee vs. Gastelum will likely go the distance. Unless Gastelum comes out like he did against Brian Melancon, in which case McGee is a dead man. Again.

Also recently booked for UFC on FOX 9…


(Gastelum celebrates after beating the brakes off Brian Melancon at Fight Night 27. Photo via Getty Images) 

Earlier today, UFC officials announced that TUF winners Kelvin Gastelum (season 17) and Court McGee (season 11) have been booked to face one another at UFC on FOX 9: Pettis vs. Thomson. Featuring a pair of guaranteed barnburners in Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown and Ian McCall vs. Scott Jorgensen, as well as Joe Lauzon vs. Mac Danzig and Chad Mendes vs. Nik Lentz, UFC on FOX 9 transpires at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento on December 14th.

The matchup is the latest in the long history of TUF winners fighting one another — the inaugural fight being Rashad Evans and Michael Bisping‘s headlining scrap at UFC 78: Validation. Did you forget about that fight? Because you are not alone, brother. Another fun fact: Of the 8 fights to take place between The Ultimate Fighter winners, just three of those fights have ended inside the distance (Danzig KO’d Joe Stevenson at UFC 124, Evans KO’d Griffin at UFC 92 and Robert Whittaker TKO’d Colton Smith at UFC 160).

What does this all mean? That McGee vs. Gastelum will likely go the distance. Unless Gastelum comes out like he did against Brian Melancon, in which case McGee is a dead man. Again.

Also recently booked for UFC on FOX 9…

Edson Barboza, the man who secretly underwent a procedure to have his original legs replaced by metal ones back in 2006 (it was a risky operation, but totally worth it), will face Danny Castillo in a classic striker vs. grappler match up. Since seeing his unblemished record tarnished by Jamie Varner at UFC 146, Barboza has scored back-to-back stoppage victories over Lucas Martins (submission due to strikes*) and Rafaello Oliveira (leg kicks of Death).

Castillo is also riding a two-fight win streak at the moment, having collected a pair of upset decision victories over Paul Sass and Tim Means at UFC on FUEL 7 and UFC on FOX 8, respectively. Methinks Castillo’s strategy of holding a motherfucker down and pitter-pattering the piss out of him will once again be on full display here. Unless Barboza can stop the takedown, in which case Castillo is a dead man.

*For some reason, Sherdog currently lists Barboza’s win over Martins as coming via TKO (retirement). You can watch a video of the fight here, but Martins clearly taps to strikes, in any case. 

J. Jones

Rustam Khabilov Faces Jorge Masvidal at ‘Fight for the Troops 3? as Brazilians Continue to Turn Down Fights


(When you see it, you’ll shit bricks. Photo via JiuJitsuMania.) 

It’s one thing when Vitor Belfort turns down an opponent — he’s a former champ, a legend in the game and the only guy who was willing to dive on the grenade against Jon Jones at UFC 152. He’s earned the right to turn down a fight every now and again, is what we’re saying. But Edson Barboza? We don’t care if had the greatest knockout of 2012; who the hell does this guy think he is, Vitor Belfort?!

What are we on about? We’re on about the fact that Barboza recently turned down a fight with Russian suplex machine Rustam Khabilov despite the fact that, you know, he shouldn’t really be in the position to do that. While head matchmaker Joe Silva would have ordered Barboza lashed to the breaking wheel for such insolence, lightweight & under matchmaker Sean Shelby is apparently more forgiving. As such, Khabilov will now face Jorge Masvidal — who is fresh off a 2nd round, buzzer-beater submission of the previously undefeated TUF 15 winner Michael Chiesa at UFC on FOX 8 — at “Fight for the Troops 3” on November 6th. The matchup was announced last night on UFC Tonight. 

It’s understandable that Barboza would turn down a fight with a grappling powerhouse like Khabilov, however. As we all know to be 100% true with zero exceptions, strong wrestlers are kryptonite to Brazilians. Khabilov has finished both his UFC opponents in under three minutes via vicious takedowns and slams (Yancy Medeiros was lucky to walk away from that fight with just a thumb injury. Lucky.). And given how notorious Fight for the Troops cards are for somehow delivering even more carnage than the average card, let’s do a little MMA Math, shall we?

Scared Brazilian + Russian Suplex Machine + “Fight for the Troops” card >….


(When you see it, you’ll shit bricks. Photo via JiuJitsuMania.) 

It’s one thing when Vitor Belfort turns down an opponent — he’s a former champ, a legend in the game and the only guy who was willing to dive on the grenade against Jon Jones at UFC 152. He’s earned the right to turn down a fight every now and again, is what we’re saying. But Edson Barboza? We don’t care if had the greatest knockout of 2012; who the hell does this guy think he is, Vitor Belfort?!

What are we on about? We’re on about the fact that Barboza recently turned down a fight with Russian suplex machine Rustam Khabilov despite the fact that, you know, he shouldn’t really be in the position to do that. While head matchmaker Joe Silva would have ordered Barboza lashed to the breaking wheel for such insolence, lightweight & under matchmaker Sean Shelby is apparently more forgiving. As such, Khabilov will now face Jorge Masvidal — who is fresh off a 2nd round, buzzer-beater submission of the previously undefeated TUF 15 winner Michael Chiesa at UFC on FOX 8 — at “Fight for the Troops 3″ on November 6th. The matchup was announced last night on UFC Tonight. 

It’s understandable that Barboza would turn down a fight with a grappling powerhouse like Khabilov, however. As we all know to be 100% true with zero exceptions, strong wrestlers are kryptonite to Brazilians. Khabilov has finished both his UFC opponents in under three minutes via vicious takedowns and slams (Yancy Medeiros was lucky to walk away from that fight with just a thumb injury. Lucky.). And given how notorious Fight for the Troops cards are for somehow delivering even more carnage than the average card, let’s do a little MMA Math, shall we?

Scared Brazilian + Russian Suplex Machine + “Fight for the Troops” card >

J. Jones