Tag: Francis Carmont

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 Fight Night 36: 4 Fighters with the Most to Lose

Like most free cards, UFC Fight Night 36 isn’t stacked with marquee fighters and title shots. Plenty of the participants could suffer more damage than a cracked orbital socket, however. 
In particular, two fighters need to perform well to preserve…

Like most free cards, UFC Fight Night 36 isn’t stacked with marquee fighters and title shots. Plenty of the participants could suffer more damage than a cracked orbital socket, however. 

In particular, two fighters need to perform well to preserve their reputations and championship chases, while two others need to perform well to stay in the game at all.

Lyoto Machida has a chance to clean up a sticky career at UFC Fight Night 36. He dropped from light heavyweight to middleweight with an authoritative head-kick knockout of Mark Munoz at UFC Fight Night 30. This will be far from his last chance to re-energize his career, but losing now would destroy good momentum and an exploitable power vacuum. 

Machida‘s career has a long string of almosts and not quites due in part to his sometimes-exciting, sometimes-boring counter-offensive style. UFC president Dana White denied the Brazilian a rematch against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, who won a controversial split decision against “The Dragon” at UFC 123. White also skipped over Machida as a title contender after his impressive KO of Randy Couture at UFC 129. 

He dropped out of a potential UFC 151 rematch against Jon Jones after Dan Henderson got injured, which resulted in one more title-shot denial. A matchup against Phil Davis at UFC 163 gave Machida another hotly contested decision loss.

Now a middleweight, he has busted out of a tough 205-pound division into one that is littered with opportunity. Machida has enough clout, history, style and personality to make a powerful champion; now he can make a title run without the history of awkward decisions and unexciting performances. We can see him as the precision knockout artist—the Bruce Lee-esque assassin we thought he was in 2009.

Or he can lose and fall into the same cycle of inconsistency and boredom—but in a lighter class. 

After Georges St-Pierre’s departure, it’s doubtful UFC fans will flock to a cautious fighter. Francis Carmont, a Tristar Gym pupil, exemplifies that style in the middleweight division and faces a borderline lose-lose situation. 

To beat Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, a fearsome striker and Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist, Carmont needs to fight carefully. The Frenchman has yet to demonstrate the kind of power or resilience that would carry him through a UFC-level brawl. 

If he fails, he will lose to a more exciting fighter in a stacked division, hurting his chances at succession as well as damaging his skillful reputation. If he wins, he’ll probably do it with another boring wrestling show or split decision, taking casual fans back to St-Pierre’s biannual insults. 

Before losses to Jon Fitch and Dong Hyun Kim, Erick Silva gave us plenty to chat about in the welterweight division. Now he’s 3-3 in the UFC.

The UFC is bringing in King of Pancrase welterweight champion Takenori Sato to replace an injured, recently re-signed Nate Loughran. Housekeeping matches bode ill for at least one of the fighters involved—in this case Silva.

The UFC isn’t bringing in the Japanese welterweight to make a debut loss to a former prospect; he’s here to shake up the leaderless welterweight division. If Silva can beat Sato, he’ll prove he still belongs in the division. If not, he’ll end up with a losing record and probably a pink slip. 

Similarly, Charles Oliveira‘s 4-4 UFC record puts him one loss away from being a bad investment. Like Silva, Oliveira is coming off two consecutive losses—a KO from Cub Swanson and a unanimous decision to Frankie Edgar. 

He looked sharp against Edgar, but his losses to contenders Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone say a lot about UFC Fight Night 36. He’s fighting Andy Ogle for the right to stick around and ascend to the inner circle of the featherweight division. Only a decisive win will convince the promotion that he’s worth keeping around.

We might not get to see the next king being crowned on Saturday, but we might see some careers fizzle out. The flip side of the fight coin is important too.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Catch the ‘Fight Night 36: Machida vs. Mousasi’ Weigh-Ins LIVE Right Here Starting at 1 p.m. EST [UPDATED w/RESULTS]


(Uh-oh. Grizzled, unkempt Machida is easily the most dangerous of all Machidas. Photo via Getty.)

Lyoto Machida, Gegard Mousasi, and all 24 fighters competing on tomorrow’s ‘Fight Night 36’ card are set to hit the scales from the Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil starting at 1 p.m. EST. Although Fight Night 36 is eerily similar in quality to next weekend’s UFC 170 pay-per-view, it features neither Ronda Rousey nor the year’s biggest squash match and therefore will be free. No, I do not understand it either.

Join us after the jump for a live feed of the weigh-ins, which are sure to feature no shortage of graceful bows and vacant, serial killer-esque stares into the distance. Should be a good one.


(Uh-oh. Grizzled, unkempt Machida is easily the most dangerous of all Machidas. Photo via Getty.)

Lyoto Machida, Gegard Mousasi, and all 24 fighters competing on tomorrow’s ‘Fight Night 36′ card are set to hit the scales from the Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil starting at 1 p.m. EST. Although Fight Night 36 is eerily similar in quality to next weekend’s UFC 170 pay-per-view, it features neither Ronda Rousey nor the year’s biggest squash match and therefore will be free. No, I do not understand it either.

Join us after the jump for a live feed of the weigh-ins, which are sure to feature no shortage of graceful bows and vacant, serial killer-esque stares into the distance. Should be a good one.

Main Card (10:30 p.m. EST, Fox Sports 1)
Lyoto Machida (185) vs. Gegard Mousasi (186)
Francis Carmont (185) vs. Ronaldo Souza (185)
Takenori Sato (170) vs. Erick Silva (170)
Viscardi Andrade (170) vs. Nicholas Musoke (170)
Andy Ogle (146) vs. Charles Oliveira (143)

Preliminary Card  (7:30 p.m EST, UFC Fight Pass)
Cristiano Marcello (156) vs. Joe Proctor (155)
Rodrigo Damm (156) vs. Ivan Jorge (156)
Jesse Ronson (156) vs. Francisco Trinaldo (155)
Yuri Alcantara (136) vs. Wilson Reis (135)
Felipe Arantes (146) vs. Maximo Blanco (147.9*)
Ildemar Alcantara (171) vs. Albert Tumenov (170)
Douglas de Andrade (145) vs. Zubair Tuhugov (146)

*Blanco has an hour to drop the weight

‘Jacare’ Souza vs. Francis Carmont Booked as UFC Fight Night 36 Co-Main Event


(He used to be one of the greatest middleweights in the world. Now he’s just another statistic. / Fan art via @UFCONFOX)

Already headlined by Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi, UFC Fight Night 36 will feature a second high-profile middleweight matchup in its co-main event. The UFC announced yesterday that Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Francis Carmont will also meet at the February 15th show in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil.

Souza’s recent TKO of Yushin Okami, gave him his second win in the UFC and his fifth-straight win overall; his last four fights have all ended by first-round stoppage. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion is quickly becoming a top UFC contender at 185 pounds, but to stay “in the mix,” he’ll have to find a way to beat Carmont, the French veteran who has gone 6-0 in the UFC since making his Octagon debut two years ago. Carmont most recently cruised to a unanimous decision win over Costa Philippou at UFC 165, using a takedown-heavy gameplan that Philippou clearly wasn’t expecting.

Though UFC Fight Night 36 was originally reported to take place on February 8th with a live broadcast on FOX Sports 2, the UFC decided to bump it back a week, and the event is now slated to air on FOX Sports 1.


(He used to be one of the greatest middleweights in the world. Now he’s just another statistic. / Fan art via @UFCONFOX)

Already headlined by Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi, UFC Fight Night 36 will feature a second high-profile middleweight matchup in its co-main event. The UFC announced yesterday that Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Francis Carmont will also meet at the February 15th show in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil.

Souza’s recent TKO of Yushin Okami, gave him his second win in the UFC and his fifth-straight win overall; his last four fights have all ended by first-round stoppage. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion is quickly becoming a top UFC contender at 185 pounds, but to stay “in the mix,” he’ll have to find a way to beat Carmont, the French veteran who has gone 6-0 in the UFC since making his Octagon debut two years ago. Carmont most recently cruised to a unanimous decision win over Costa Philippou at UFC 165, using a takedown-heavy gameplan that Philippou clearly wasn’t expecting.

Though UFC Fight Night 36 was originally reported to take place on February 8th with a live broadcast on FOX Sports 2, the UFC decided to bump it back a week, and the event is now slated to air on FOX Sports 1.

Armchair Matchmaker: ‘UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson’ Edition


(Photo of the Year. Hands Down. Via Esther Lin/MMAFighting.) 

Like our esteemed colleague George Shunick, I have never been happier to admit that I was completely wrong in all but writing off Alexander Gustafsson in the weeks leading up to his battle with Jon Jones at UFC 165. And like most of you, I’m still reeling from what was one of the greatest light heavyweight title fights in MMA History and quite possibly the fight of the year, which makes this Armchair Matchmaker piece all the more difficult to construct.

Did Gustafsson get screwed, like Phil Davis would have you believe? Should an immediate rematch be booked between the Swede and the champ? Follow us below to find out what lies in store for Jon Jones and the rest of UFC 165’s biggest winners.

Jon Jones: I might be in the minority here, but I’m going to suggest that the UFC should hold off on booking an immediate Jones/Gustafsson rematch. Here’s why:


(Photo of the Year. Hands Down. Via Esther Lin/MMAFighting.) 

Like our esteemed colleague George Shunick, I have never been happier to admit that I was completely wrong in all but writing off Alexander Gustafsson in the weeks leading up to his battle with Jon Jones at UFC 165. And like most of you, I’m still reeling from what was one of the greatest light heavyweight title fights in MMA History and quite possibly the fight of the year, which makes this Armchair Matchmaker piece all the more difficult to construct.

Did Gustafsson get screwed, like Phil Davis would have you believe? Should an immediate rematch be booked between the Swede and the champ? Follow us below to find out what lies in store for Jon Jones and the rest of UFC 165′s biggest winners.

Jon Jones: I might be in the minority here, but I’m going to suggest that the UFC should hold off on booking an immediate Jones/Gustafsson rematch.

Was Jones vs. Gustafsson an unexpectedly close fight with a razor-thin, controversial decision? It’s an opinion largely dependent on how you scored round 2 and whether or not you thought Bones’ spinning elbow in round 4 completely nullified the 4 minute ass-whooping Gustafsson was dishing out until that point.

In either case, we can’t have the UFC going all Frankie Edgar everytime there’s an arguably close title fight. For one, it clogs up a division where there is at least one other contender lying in wait. Secondly, it doesn’t give the UFC a ton of time to emphasize/promote just how great the first fight was and reel in casual audiences for the rematch. There’s a reason Sonnen vs. Silva 2 was the biggest UFC pay-per-view of all time, and it’s not just because Chael talks some good trash. Our ADD-riddled culture may resent the idea of being treated to a good old fashioned slow burn at first, but giving this potential rematch some time to stew will most certainly pay off in the long run.

As for the champ? Feed him Glover Teixeira next like we were promised. The Brazilian’s slow, plodding offensive style plays in direct contrast with that of the Swede’s and should make for an arguably easier fight for Bones to control. Arguably. Jones gets another victory under his belt and some added footage for his highlight reel, the UFC gets some more time to hype up the rematch and us fans get the opportunity to pass along (stolen) videos of Jones/Gustafsson 1 to everyone on our contact lists. To steal a catchphrase from what feels like decades ago: Winning.

Alexander Gustafsson: Obviously, the above scenario we just presented would not be complete without including what’s next for “The Mauler,” whose Twitter account has likely imploded with new follower requests by now. But with Jones taking on Teixeira next (in our falsely-constructed reality), what’s left for the Swede? The answer is simple: A tune-up fight of sorts against a highly-ranked competitor whom Gustafsson should be able to best without too much trouble. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira immediately comes to mind.

After suffering back-to-back defeats in 2010-11, the Brazilian has had a minor surge as of late, defeating former champions Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans in consecutive bouts. Lil’ Nog will be coming off an injury but is skilled enough, well known enough and dangerous enough to keep this fight from entering squash match territory. That being said, Gustafsson’s size, speed and newly-showcased grappling prowess should prove too much for Nogueira. As with Jones, Gustafsson would secure another victory and some potential highlight footage over a solid opponent, as well as solidify his status as the top challenger to Bones’ crown.

Renan Barao: We don’t care if Barao has to show up to one of Dominick Cruz‘s physical therapy sessions and kick “The Dominator’s” cane out from under him; make this fight happen or strip Cruz’s title. Simple.

Brendan Schaub: What can be said about Schaub at this point, really? The man simply doesn’t have the chin to stand with top-level strikers and is clearly afraid to roll with top-level Jitz guys, so who do we place him with? Todd Duffee? Shawn Jordan (should he best Gabriel Gonzaga next month)? The Soa Palelei/Pat Barry winner?

It’s not that Schaub’s toe-twitching D’arce of Matt Mitrione wasn’t impressive…it was. It’s that Schaub has already fought a decent percentage of the UFC’s heavyweight division and has either failed spectacularly against the upper echelon or triumphed spectacularly against the mid-to-low level guys. There was also his “cerebral” win over Lavar Johnson, but let’s just do like everyone else and forget that that fight ever happened. Of the options we’ve presented, the Palelei/Barry winner probably makes the most sense.

Francis Carmont: It’s a good thing that Ben Askren hasn’t been defeated yet (WAIT), because the day he is will be the day that Francis Carmont secures the #1 spot on the “Most Unimpressive Win Streak in MMA” list. His decision victory over Costa Philippou sucked and was rightfully panned by fans and UFC presidents alike — it might have been the first fight in MMA history to feature more battle cries than actual shots landed. Putting aside the fact that Carmont’s previous two victories were controversial snoozefests at best and outright screwjobs at worst, we say Carmont should face Thales Leites next. Both men are ground-fighting aficionados with styles that are anything but fan-friendly, so bury these two on an undercard somewhere and give fans an opportunity to refresh their drinks.

Khabib Nurmagomedov: In direct contrast to Carmont, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s impressive win streak was only validated by his dominant victory on Saturday night. Khabib was given the ultimate grinder in Pat Healy, yet he managed to outgrind (phrasing), outgrapple, outgun and out-Hughes Healy for three straight rounds. A title shot may still be a bit presumptuous for the Russian badass given Josh Thomson and T.J. Grant‘s places in the pecking order, but a fight with fellow top contender Rafael Dos Anjos?!

In case you didn’t get the message, we like that idea. A lot.

Are any of these matchups intriguing you in the slightest, Potato Nation? And who do you think Saturday night’s other winners (Jury, Thomson, Makdessi) should face next?

–J. Jones

UFC 165: Matchups That Would Make Sense After Saturday’s Card

Glover Teixeira is next in line for a shot at the light heavyweight title, but if things happen as they should, he should be made to wait at least one more fight for his opportunity. Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson’s epic battle for Jones’ UFC light…

Glover Teixeira is next in line for a shot at the light heavyweight title, but if things happen as they should, he should be made to wait at least one more fight for his opportunity. Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson‘s epic battle for Jones’ UFC light heavyweight title should spawn an immediate rematch.

Gustafsson pushed the champion in a way that no one outside of his camp expected. Because we’re talking about the first serious challenge to the pound-for-pound champion, the UFC owes it to the fans to put both men back in the Octagon to maximize on what could be a great rivalry.

If Jones or Gustafsson are allowed to fight another opponent, there is no telling what could happen to either man. If Jones or Gustafsson take any damage that changes them as a fighter, it could hurt the best product the division has.

Of all the potential fights that could come from the action at UFC 165, a Jones-Gustafsson rematch makes the most sense. What other bouts should we see in light of the results from Saturday?

 

Renan Barao vs. Dominick Cruz

It is time to remove the interim tag from Barao‘s UFC bantamweight title one way or another. His impressive TKO win over Eddie Wineland on Saturday ran his record to 31-1. He hasn’t lost a fight in eight years. Current UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has been on the shelf for two years after suffering a torn ACL.

Derrick Rose has nothing on this guy.

Barao should either be named the official champion at 135 pounds, or Cruz should face him to settle things. Per Mike Whitman of Sherdog, plans to have the two stars meet are in the works. Cruz is apparently targeting “early 2014” for his long-awaited return.

Barao will be waiting for him.

 

Francis Carmont vs. Ronaldo Souza

Prior to his manhandling of Costa Philippou on Saturday, Carmont wasn’t listed as a top-10 middleweight. Because of the complete and utter domination he displayed over the man who was ranked seventh, it seems fair to say Carmont deserves a spot in the top 10.

Souza is one of the hottest names in the UFC. He’s looked increasingly impressive in his two fights in the promotion. Matching these two streaking 185-pounders against one another could very well determine the next serious challenger for the middleweight crown.

Anderson Silva will attempt to regain his title from Chris Weidman at UFC 168 in December. If Carmont-Souza is made, the winner would be a stiff challenge for the man holding the title after Silva-Weidman 2.

 

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