The UFC gave Rashad Evans the best possible opponent for his middleweight debut in Dan Kelly to see what was left in the gas tank.
And the upset occurred. Kelly squeaked by with a split decision.
UFC provided footage of the end of the fight and also re…
The UFC gave Rashad Evans the best possible opponent for his middleweight debut in Dan Kelly to see what was left in the gas tank.
And the upset occurred. Kelly squeaked by with a split decision.
UFC provided footage of the end of the fight and also reminded everyone that appearances can be deceiving:
Evans looked sharp coming out to the center, but it was a feeling-out process against the unorthodox Kelly. Evans’ speed advantage was noticeable early. Kelly offered up a few moments of offense in the opening half of the round.
Evans changed levels for a takedown, but Kelly was quick to work his way back to his feet to avoid being placed on his back. Kelly showed he was game, and Evans got a round under his belt at his new weight.
Bloody Elbow’s Anton Tabuena commented on Evans’ reaction time:
Kelly began the second round by keeping Evans on the outside. Kelly tagged Evans with a left hand that caught the attention of the former light heavyweight champion. Evans looked more gun-shy in the second round. Meanwhile, Kelly’s output stayed consistent as he grew in confidence.
Evans finally began mixing things up with his wrestling, but the world-class judo background of Kelly allowed him to spring back to his feet. It was a close fight heading into the third and final round.
Kelly continued to defy expectations by matching Evans in the third. If Evans landed, Kelly was not far behind with offense of his own. Kelly also was coming forward more consistently, which looks good for the judges. Evans started to put together combinations in the final 30 seconds, but it was far, far too late.
Where does Evans go from here? That is such a difficult question, especially considering this factoid from SiriusXM’s RJ Clifford:
His output has dropped in recent years, and he didn’t put it to a lesser-known mid-tier middleweight. It may be the end of the road for Evans as a relevant fighter in the UFC. His name will still carry a bit of weight, and he exited the cage without injury. His next fight will be very telling.
As for Kelly, welcome to relevancy at 185 pounds.
His win over Evans should garner him a fight against a top-15 middleweight, and Derek Brunson would be a good opponent for the former Olympian. It’s a big test for Kelly and will give Brunson a good fight to rebound from following a contentious loss to Anderson Silva.
Kelly did what he does best. Win ugly. It wasn’t fancy, but consistency from the Australian proved to take the day.
The UFC gave Rashad Evans the best possible opponent for his middleweight debut in Dan Kelly to see what was left in the gas tank.
And the upset occurred. Kelly squeaked by with a split decision.
UFC provided footage of the end of the fight and also re…
The UFC gave Rashad Evans the best possible opponent for his middleweight debut in Dan Kelly to see what was left in the gas tank.
And the upset occurred. Kelly squeaked by with a split decision.
UFC provided footage of the end of the fight and also reminded everyone that appearances can be deceiving:
Evans looked sharp coming out to the center, but it was a feeling-out process against the unorthodox Kelly. Evans’ speed advantage was noticeable early. Kelly offered up a few moments of offense in the opening half of the round.
Evans changed levels for a takedown, but Kelly was quick to work his way back to his feet to avoid being placed on his back. Kelly showed he was game, and Evans got a round under his belt at his new weight.
Bloody Elbow’s Anton Tabuena commented on Evans’ reaction time:
Kelly began the second round by keeping Evans on the outside. Kelly tagged Evans with a left hand that caught the attention of the former light heavyweight champion. Evans looked more gun-shy in the second round. Meanwhile, Kelly’s output stayed consistent as he grew in confidence.
Evans finally began mixing things up with his wrestling, but the world-class judo background of Kelly allowed him to spring back to his feet. It was a close fight heading into the third and final round.
Kelly continued to defy expectations by matching Evans in the third. If Evans landed, Kelly was not far behind with offense of his own. Kelly also was coming forward more consistently, which looks good for the judges. Evans started to put together combinations in the final 30 seconds, but it was far, far too late.
Where does Evans go from here? That is such a difficult question, especially considering this factoid from SiriusXM’s RJ Clifford:
His output has dropped in recent years, and he didn’t put it to a lesser-known mid-tier middleweight. It may be the end of the road for Evans as a relevant fighter in the UFC. His name will still carry a bit of weight, and he exited the cage without injury. His next fight will be very telling.
As for Kelly, welcome to relevancy at 185 pounds.
His win over Evans should garner him a fight against a top-15 middleweight, and Derek Brunson would be a good opponent for the former Olympian. It’s a big test for Kelly and will give Brunson a good fight to rebound from following a contentious loss to Anderson Silva.
Kelly did what he does best. Win ugly. It wasn’t fancy, but consistency from the Australian proved to take the day.
Alistair Overeem kicked off the main card of UFC 209 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a third-round TKO victory over Mark Hunt in heavyweight action.
Fox Sports had the official result:
Both fighters lived up to their reputations as K-1…
Alistair Overeem kicked off the main card of UFC 209 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a third-round TKO victory over Mark Hunt in heavyweight action.
Fox Sports had the official result:
Both fighters lived up to their reputations as K-1 kickboxers in the first round. Overeem opened up a nasty cut on Hunt’s leg with an oblique kick, while Hunt peppered his opponent’s body with some powerful leg kicks.
Overeem’s ability to control the range of the fight was evident in the opening round, and it was the reason MMA Fighting scored the round for the Demolition Man:
The second round was a much more aggressive stanza for The Reem. Rather than remain outside, he pushed Hunt to the fence and landed some vicious knees to the head and body.
However, closing the distance against Hunt is always a dangerous proposition. The Super Samoan landed a big elbow that stumbled Overeem, but he was able to survive. The UFC passed along the highlight of the elbow:
Overeem was able to ride out the storm and come back to regain control of the round. Josh Gross of Bleacher Report questioned Hunt’s choice to slow play the damage from the elbow:
The damage that Overeem did in the clinch would prove to be a harbinger of hurt to come for Hunt. In the third, he once again pinned Hunt against the fence, where he nailed his opponent with a left elbow followed by a right knee to the head.
A badly hurt Hunt crumbled to the mat, and the fight was over. Brett Okamoto of ESPN summed up the night for Overeem:
UFC Canada provided the highlight of the knee that ended Hunt’s night:
The win is key for The Reem in terms of keeping his status as a relevant contender in the heavyweight division. The last time the Dutchman was in the cage, he rocked heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic in the first round before Miocic came back to finish Overeem in the same round.
This fight was crucial for Overeem to maintain his top-five status in the division. He entered the bout at No. 3 in the UFC rankings. Defeating the No. 8 fighter in the division will ensure that spot stays the same.
But a rematch against the current champion isn’t the one Overeem has his eye on.
Miocic will defend his belt against Junior dos Santos at UFC 211 in May, and the UFC 209 winner would love to see the Brazilian take the belt and set up a rematch with Overeem.
“May the best man win, but Junior’s fighting style is very compatible with Stipe, and then, of course, I’ve got to do my thing against Mark,” Overeem said, per Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie. “But logically, that would be very good for my title attempts if Junior would win, because the rematch could be there. So I’m definitely rooting for Junior in this one, for a change.”
Overeem won the first bout with JDS back in December 2015, but it’s obviously a rivalry that he’s interested in revisiting.
Of course, that all depends on dos Santos taking care of business against the current champion, and that’s far from a guarantee.
If dos Santos isn’t able to come through, Overeem finds himself looking for a title shot against a guy who just beat him in the first round. However, the 265-pound class doesn’t have much in the way of title contenders, and Overeem re-established his position with just one win after losing his last bid for the title.
Bellator crowned its inaugural women’s featherweight champion Friday night at Bellator 174 as Julia Budd knocked out former Strikeforce titleholder Marloes Coenen in the fourth round in the company’s first main event headlined by two women.
The …
Bellator crowned its inaugural women’s featherweight champion Friday night at Bellator 174 as Julia Budd knocked out former Strikeforce titleholder MarloesCoenen in the fourth round in the company’s first main event headlined by two women.
The 35-year-old Coenen is one of the sport’s pioneers, but she just didn’t have enough in the tank heading into the championship rounds.
She’s fought some of the best female fighters on the planet, including Miesha Tate and Cris Cyborg, but this was the end of the road for her in what will be remembered as a storied career.
As for Budd, it was a huge notch on her belt to take out one of the sport’s all-time female fighters. Having only lost to the likes of Ronda Rousey and current UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes, Budd now has the Bellator 145-pound belt to call her own.
This main card had plenty of great fights on it, as all but one bout was finished inside the cage. Here are the results from Bellator 174’s main card:
BELLATOR 174 MAIN CARD RESULTS
MarloesCoenen vs. Julia Budd — Budd TKO 2:42 R4. Brandon Girtz vs. Fernando Gonzalez — Gonzalez UD 29-28, 29-27, 30-26. Justin Wren vs. Roman Pizzolato — Wren sub (arm triangle) 2:35 R1. Rafael Lovato Jr. vs. Charles Hackmann — Lovato, TKO, 0:13 R1.
Lovato smokes Hackmann
There isn’t much to say about Rafael Lovato Jr.’s fight against Charles Hackman. It was not a bad fight by any means, but it just didn’t last long enough to have many talking points.
The fight was the sixth-shortest bout in Bellator history as Lovato was able to finish Hackmann within 13 seconds.
Not bad for his Bellator debut.
It was a big finish for Lovato to put his name on the radar for bigger fights, especially seeing as he’s known primarily for his extensive background in jiu-jitsu. One of the world’s most respected black belt practitioners on the mat, the thought of Lovato being able to put together a stand-up game to go alongside his dominance on the ground is truly terrifying.
The win was Lovato‘s first in the organization, and he will surely look for bigger fights in the 185-pound division. As for Hackmann, he couldn’t have predicted a worse debut. It’s back to the drawing board for the American, who now drops to 4-5 overall in his MMA career.
The Big Pygmy impresses once again
Is there a better nickname in MMA than Justin Wren’s?
Wren, also known as The Big Pygmy, was not messing around once he entered the cage Friday night. Within 15 seconds, he had his grip around Roman Pizzolato and threw him to the ground in a manner that is usually reserved for WWE wrestlers, not cage fighters.
Not only was this sequence pretty on the eye, it’s what Wren did once he got Pizzolato on the ground. For such a large man, Wren showed some pretty nifty maneuvers to get Pizzolato in a tough position on the canvas. At first, it looked like Wren was looking for a rear-naked choke once he Pizzolato gave up his back, but then once The Big Pygmy got full mount, that was basically game over.
He eventually got the arm triangle for the finish, but more so than the victory, Wren made a statement tonight and increased his following. It will be interesting to see who he fights next.
Gonzalez wins the war
Unlike the other fights on the main card, this fight went the distance. While there wasn’t an exciting finish, there was plenty of action in the fight to keep the fans entertained.
It was close, but Fernando Gonzalez showed the will of a true warrior in the cage tonight with a great display of durability and boxing to keep Brandon Girtz at bay.
The second round was the deciding factor in this fight as it looked like Girtz won the first round by an inch while Gonzalez put on a show in the third and final round.
Gonzalez, deservedly so, came out on top 29-28, 29-27 and 30-26, but the 30-26 scorecard from one of the judges is a bit of a head-scratcher. It doesn’t make sense that one judge gave the fight to Gonzalez at 29-28 while it seems like one judge gave Gonzalez every round, including a 10-8.
But alas, this is the exact reason why you don’t leave a fight in the hands of the judges.
There’s a curiosity in changing weight classes. Guys do it all the time hoping to reinvigorate a stagnant career, and as soon as there are more weight classes available to them in the UFC you can bet that women will be doing it too.
On Sunday nig…
There’s a curiosity in changing weight classes. Guys do it all the time hoping to reinvigorate a stagnant career, and as soon as there are more weight classes available to them in the UFC you can bet that women will be doing it too.
On Sunday night in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Johny Hendricks took to the cage with an eye on doing exactly that. A loser of three straight welterweight fights and four out of five in the class, Hendricks attempted to tackle the 15-pound chasm northward in a venture to middleweight.
The results were steady, if unspectacular.
He was paired with Hector Lombard, a four-fight welterweight himself who has never been a large middleweight and only hit 182 pounds for their Fight Night 105 scrap.
Hendricks came out with a modest paunch and started a little slow, working his way into a groove.
He looked mystified by Lombard at certain points, attempting to solve the puzzle of an Olympic caliber judoka and doing it to mixed results until he began to score with knees up the middle and lively clinch work.
He slowly figured it out, and as he did, he actually came on in a way he hadn’t for quite some time. Hendricks ended up securing a unanimous decision win, his first success in two years.
“I was beating him on the feet so I didn’t have to wrestle. I used my wrestling to setting up knees, my hands,” he said after the fight.
There’s reason to doubt that this is some sort of resurgence for the 33-year-old, who has been fighting the very best 170-pounders on Earth for years and is still badly undersized for a middleweight, but there were positives in the lead-up and in the cage itself.
“When was the last time you saw me putting things together? It’s been what, two years? I’m going to take what I got. I’m looking at the fight and playing it through my mind. The first thing I told my coaches was that I actually flowed out there.”
Still, it wasn’t perfect, and Hendricks wants to make some changes going forward.
“We didn’t get a strength and conditioning coach. It was a quick turnaround. The next fight, I’m going to be better. I’m going to have better cardio. Those are things that sort of even scare me a little bit, and excite me at the same time. How much better could it be if I knew my third round was going be as good as it was today? I could have pushed harder in the second round. I could have pushed harder in the third.”
Now with some excitement about how he looked in Halifax and what the future might hold, for the first time in a long time he appears content. In fact, he’s open about the idea that he should have moved up sooner.
“You make such a good mark at 170, it’s hard to give that up. Now that I look back I’m like [I’m] an idiot for not doing it sooner. But who’s to say [now’s] not the right time for me to move up? [I missed] by a quarter of a pound, and then [I missed] by two-and-a-half. Then [my] kidneys fail for five, I think six days and then they rebooted and I came back. Everything lines up. I believe there’s a purpose for everything.”
It’s too early to say he’s back for sure, but he hasn’t gone anywhere just yet. Based on how people have been talking about him over the past while, that’s a positive step for a man who was once one of the best in the business.
He’s even got an idea for a future opponent at 185 pounds.
“I love Canada. I’m 4-0 in Canada. Georges [St-Pierre] might be coming back. I just say sorry for the Canadians. I’m going to have to beat his face in, definitely if he comes to 185. That’s a fight I’ve been really looking for.”
All quotes were obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report unless otherwise noted. Some have been edited for concision.
Derrick Lewis went ahead and turned UFC Fight Night 105 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, into his personal stage to announce he’s a serious heavyweight contender against Travis Browne with a second-round technical knockout victory in the main event Sunday nig…
Derrick Lewis went ahead and turned UFC Fight Night 105 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, into his personal stage to announce he’s a serious heavyweight contender against Travis Browne with a second-round technical knockout victory in the main event Sunday night.
MMAjunkie provided the official result:
The battle of the heavies delivered with the action early on. The taller Browne came out attacking with aggressive leg and body kicks—and one nearly doubled Lewis over—but Hapa was unable to take advantage of the momentum shift.
Bloody Elbow noted the obvious reaction from Lewis:
Still, even in a losing effort Lewis is dangerous, and he was able to do some damage despite losing the round. Connor Ruebusch of Bloody Elbow noted the early blows from Lewis:
Browne would realize his inability to take advantage of the early pain for Lewis was a mistake in the second frame. The Black Beast landed a massive left hand that shelled Browne early in the round, and the UFC posted the ensuing swarm:
Browne would find a way to survive that onslaught, but not many who are touched up by Lewis are able to ultimately weather the storm. The 32-year-old just kept coming and scored a knockdown. From there, Lewis rained down ground-and-pound until he drew the finish and made an emphatic statement about his status as a contender in the heavyweight division.
Fox Sports 1 posted the finish to the bout:
Brett Okamoto of ESPN summed up the win for The Black Beast quite nicely:
The heavyweight tilt wasn’t the only notable action that took place in Halifax on Sunday night, though. A former UFC champion found a new weight class, a potential Canadian star got off to a great UFC start and a women’s contender did her best to make a case for a title shot.
Here’s a look at the quick results from UFC Fight Night 105 and a closer look at each of the main card bouts.
UFC Fight Night 105 Quick Results
Main Card
Derrick Lewis def. Travis Browne, knockout (Round 2, 3:12)
Thiago Santos def. Jack Marshman, TKO (Round 2, 2:21)
Hector Lombard vs. Johny Hendricks
The reincarnation of Johny Hendricks as a middleweight was one of the most intriguing storylines heading into UFC Halifax, and it didn’t disappoint.
Bigg Rigg’s foray into a heavier weight class after continued struggles to make the 170-pound limit in his old weight class resulted in a different-looking fighter. The welterweight version of Hendrick’s continually looked to land the one big shot that could end the fight.
Hendricks still threw some heavy leather, but he looked much more like a true kickboxer at the heavier weight, utilizing movement to score against an equally powerful Lombard.
His Cuban opponent certainly made a run at it. This was a close fight that could have gone either way. The UFC passed along a highlight of Lombard landing a heavy left against Hendricks, and it certainly wasn’t hard to find highlights for the loser of the fight:
Bleacher Report’s Patrick Wyman gave Hendricks credit for looking savvy in his new weight class:
After the fight, Hendricks’ expressed how good he felt not having to cut to 170. “I have energy! I couldn’t do that in my last weight class,” he said, per MMA Fighting.
Just how far this middleweight version of Hendricks can go will be interesting. The former welterweight champion had lost three straight heading into this fight.
Gavin Tucker vs. Sam Sicilia
Debuting in the UFC with an undefeated record in a fighter’s hometown might be the most pressure-packed way to start off a career in the organization, but you couldn‘t tell from watching Gavin Tucker outpoint Sam Sicilia to a decision victory.
The 30-year-old advanced his career record to 10-0, but the 10th win was a lot different from his previous nine. The Newfoundland native had only fought in Canada’s regional scene. That created a big jump in competition taking on a guy in Sicilia with 11 UFC fights to his name before Sunday night.
Ultimately, Tucker’s quickness, athleticism and striking forgave any lack of experience for Tucker. His quickness allowed him to outhustleSicilia from the outside and stick his opponent on the end of his kicks and punches:
Tucker glided through the three rounds without necessarily putting Sicilia in danger but making it known he was clearly the better fighter. Tucker said in his post-fight interview that he was cautious not to get too crazy against someone like Sicilia:
Tucker’s movement and striking earned him comparisons to some pretty elite company:
Tucker has a long way to go before he’s heralded as a star, but this performance certainly won’t do anything to prevent a hype train from leaving the station. He’s definitely a name to keep an eye on. Especially on any cards set to go on in Canada.
Elias Theodorou vs. CezarFerreira
Elias Theodorou vs. CezarFerreira was one of the most even-matched fights on the card, and that bared out when the two middleweights squared off.
The fight got off to an inauspicious start with both fighters feeling each other out, yet the Canadian led the dance in those phases, which could have ultimately helped swing the fight.
The second frame saw Theodorou open up a bit more in the standup game but found himself grappling with Ferreira where he gave up his back a few times. Ferreira continued to get some of the better parts of the grappling exchanges, but overall it was a round the judges saw for the hometown fighter.
The third frame appeared to be close once again. Ferreira scored a takedown late in the round that appeared would tip the scales in favor of the Brazilian:
A little bit of home-field advantage might have been at play, though, as the Theodorou even won all three rounds on one of the scorecards.
That’s back-to-back wins for the fan favorite Theodorou. Given Ferreira‘s three-fight win streak heading into this bout, it’s safe to say Spartan might be in line for an even bigger step up in competition after this win.
Sara McMann vs. Gina Mazany
Sara McMann was the biggest favorite on the card at 2-11 odds, per OddsShark.
It didn’t take long to figure out why.
The former Olympic wrestler punched her way into the clinch, took down her overwhelmed opponent and went right to work on an arm-triangle choke that ended the fight. The whole process took 1:14 of the first round for McMann to make good on her favored status.
After the bout, McMann used her platform to call for a title shot.
This is hardly the bout that should set her up for a title shot, though. McMann has three wins in a row, but this was a late-notice replacement fight for Mazany. According to TSN, Liz Carmouche—who was scheduled to fight McMann—had to pull out due to an injury.
McMann is certainly one of the best grapplers in women’s MMA, but first-round losses to Ronda Rousey and current champion Amanda Nunes mean she probably has to do a little more than beat Mazany to earn another crack at the championship.
Alessandro Ricci vs. Paul Felder
When Paul Felder fights, it tends to be a spectacular knockout from the Irish Dragon or bust.
At UFC Halifax, it was the spectacular knockout variety of performance. The lightweight put together crisp combinations against the 34-year-old Alessandro Ricci, who was making his second appearance in the UFC Octagon.
However, it was a beautiful step-in elbow that put the fight to rest late in the first round. It was one of those moments when Felder put forth the full potential of his masterful striking.
Connor Ruebusch of Bloody Elbow noted the excellent timing of Felder on the elbow:
Felder also provided one of the more emotional moments of the evening, revealing he left his father, who is battling cancer, to train for this bout and gave him a shoutout in his post-fight interview:
It was a perfect way to start a card that had its fair share of good moments for those who tuned in.
The UFC gave Rashad Evans the best possible opponent for his middleweight debut in Dan Kelly to see what was left in the gas tank.