Tag: Joanne Calderwood

Fight Night 89 Results/Highlights: Thompson Outguns MacDonald, Cerrone Batters Cote + More

(via UFC on FOX)

In Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson vs. Rory “I Refuse to Write His Nickname” MacDonald, we were expecting one of the more technical battles you’ll ever see in the octagon; one was a kickboxing and karate master with a wealth of experience behind him, the other an archetype of the modern MMA fighter whose only losses had come to the top 1% of his division. Suffice it to say, a sloppy haymaker-fest it would not end up being (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Our predictions, as it turns out, were mostly spot-on. What we might not have expected, however, is that Thompson would almost completely shut down MacDonald’s attack over the the course of five rounds and reduce his face to the mashed-up pile of blood and gore that only Robbie Lawler before him was able to do.

It was quite possibly Thompson’s best performance to date, and one that cemented his name as the next title contender (after Tyron Woodley, for whatever reason). As for the “Red King” (dammit, I said it!), well, it looks like it’s back to the drawing board, by which I mean that he may very well have to hire a team of scientists and graphic artists to draw him up a new nose, because he won’t have much of a fighting future left with the one he’s got.

Head after the jump for a complete recap of Fight Night 89.

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(via UFC on FOX)

In Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson vs. Rory “I Refuse to Write His Nickname” MacDonald, we were expecting one of the more technical battles you’ll ever see in the octagon; one was a kickboxing and karate master with a wealth of experience behind him, the other an archetype of the modern MMA fighter whose only losses had come to the top 1% of his division. Suffice it to say, a sloppy haymaker-fest it would not end up being (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Our predictions, as it turns out, were mostly spot-on. What we might not have expected, however, is that Thompson would almost completely shut down MacDonald’s attack over the the course of five rounds and reduce his face to the mashed-up pile of blood and gore that only Robbie Lawler before him was able to do.

It was quite possibly Thompson’s best performance to date, and one that cemented his name as the next title contender (after Tyron Woodley, for whatever reason). As for the “Red King” (dammit, I said it!), well, it looks like it’s back to the drawing board, by which I mean that he may very well have to hire a team of scientists and graphic artists to draw him up a new nose, because he won’t have much of a fighting future left with the one he’s got.

Head after the jump for a complete recap of Fight Night 89.

In the evening’s co-main event, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone improved to 2-0 as a welterweight with a surprisingly dominant performance over Patrick “Look Into My Eyes and See The Wellspring of All Creation” Cote. Known the world across for his notoriously tough chin — which has stood up to the likes of Anderson Silva, Stephen Thompson, and Tito Ortiz — the Canadian “Predator” was dropped on numerous occasions by Cerrone, finally succumbing to a flourish of strikes in the third round. The sky appears to be the limit for Cerrone at 170 for now, which begs the question: With USADA’s recently-implemented weight-cutting rules now in place, are we about to enter the era of fighters going *up* a weight-class to save their careers? Details at 11.

You know that thing I said early about haymaker-fests? Well that’s more or less what the light heavyweight battle between Steve “The Boss” Bosse and Sean “The New Tom Lawler of Weigh-Ins” O’Connell was (are these nickname jokes working for you at all?), and it was fantastic. After nearly getting slept in the first round — well, actually getting slept, then somehow recovering — Bosse managed to rally in the second and third to deliver some brutal punishment of his own. How either guy had the stamina or strength left to engage in that final exchange is beyond impressive, and the UFC should probably do the sensible thing and book them in a rematch on every other card for the rest of eternity.

But it wouldn’t be a night of MMA without some horrific judging and/or refereeing, amiright Nation? On Saturday, that came in the form of referee Jerin Valel, who you might remember as the guy who nearly got Ruan Potts, Josh Koscheck *and* Mark Munoz killed back at UFC 184, who all but forced Valerie Letourneau to go out on her shield against Joanna Calderwood after she had clearly given up. You’d think that a fighter turning her back on his/her opponent and fleeing would be enough of a sign that they were unable to fight back, but not for Jerin Valel. Because Jerin Valel does not operate under the assumptions that you or I do. No, when he sees a man being choked within an inch of his life, he makes sure that he sees his soul dip its toes into the Netherrealm before bringing him back to life. He’s basically the Red Priestess of MMA in that regard.

The full results for Fight night 89 are below.

Main card
Stephen Thompson def. Rory MacDonald via unanimous decision (50-45 x2, 48-47)
Donald Cerrone def. Patrick Cote via third-round TKO (2:35)
Steve Bosse def. Sean O’Connell via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Thibault Gouti via submission (rear-naked choke) (R3, 2:28)
Joanne Calderwood def. Valerie Letourneau via third-round TKO (2:51)

Undercard
Jason Saggo def. Leandro Silva via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Misha Cirkunov def. Ion Cutelaba via submission (arm triangle) (R3, 1:22)
Krzysztof Jotko def. Tamdan McCrory via first-round TKO (0:59)
Joe Soto def. Chris Beal via submission (rear-naked choke) (R3, 3:39)
Elias Theodorou def. Sam Alvey via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)
Randa Markos def. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger via UD (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Colby Covington def. Jonathan Meunier via submission (rear-naked choke) (R3, :54)
Ali Bagautinov def. Geane Herrera via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

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Joanne Calderwood ‘Broke As Hell’ After Vicious Win Over Valerie Letourneau

Joanne Calderwood scored her biggest-ever UFC win when she finished former title contender Valerie Letourneau with a brutal body kick and spinning backfist in the first-ever UFC women’s flyweight bout at last weekend’s (Sat., June 18, 2016) UFC Fight Night 89 from the TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, but that doesn’t mean she’s automatically

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Joanne Calderwood scored her biggest-ever UFC win when she finished former title contender Valerie Letourneau with a brutal body kick and spinning backfist in the first-ever UFC women’s flyweight bout at last weekend’s (Sat., June 18, 2016) UFC Fight Night 89 from the TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, but that doesn’t mean she’s automatically headed for a lucrative career in MMA.

Fighter pay is an increasingly sensitive subject in the sport of MMA, and it appears that Calderwood’s case is a especially telling example. Despite sitting at No. 12 in the strawweight ranks and sure to move up significantly after defeating previously No. 5-ranked Letourneau, Calderwood posted that she was ‘broke as hell’ after the win and would have to return to another job in order to continue training:

“Badmofo JoJo” failed to win a post-fight bonus for her thrilling main card stoppage of Letourneau, which was mired in controversy after it appeared that the referee was extremely late in stopping the fight, allowing Letourneau to get blasted with an unnecessary spinning backfist after it was clear she had turned away from the action following a vicious third-round body shot.

It was an entertaining and thrilling start to a main card that turned out to be nothing but exciting, but the light heavyweight brawl between Steve Bosse and Sean O’Connell may have prevented Calderwood and Letourneau from sharing “Fight of the Night.”

Regardless, the growing sentiment is that fighters shouldn’t have to depend on bonuses to continue fighting, especially those ranked in the Top 15 of their divisions, so the UFC will continue to be under the heat to pay fighters better, especially after the highly criticized Reebok deal has sapped their endorsement income.

With profits high and a pending sale in the neighborhood of $4.1 billion on the table, it might be tough to get them to care, however.

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Joanne Calderwood vs Valerie Letourneau Full Fight Highlights

The first women’s flyweight bout in UFC history took place at Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night 89 (June 18, 2016) between No. 5-ranked women’s strawweight Valerie Letourneau and No. 12-ranked Joanne Calderwood. Letourneau (8-5) was coming off of a unanimous decision loss to Joanna Jędrzejczyk in their title bout clash, back at UFC 193 in November

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The first women’s flyweight bout in UFC history took place at Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night 89 (June 18, 2016) between No. 5-ranked women’s strawweight Valerie Letourneau and No. 12-ranked Joanne Calderwood.

Letourneau (8-5) was coming off of a unanimous decision loss to Joanna J?drzejczyk in their title bout clash, back at UFC 193 in November of last year.

Calderwood (11-1) came off a unanimous decision victory over Cortney Casey at UFC Fight Night 72 in July of last year.

Letourneau and Calderwood put on one of the most entertaining bouts of the night, as the two women embroiled in an incredible stand-up battle utilizing their amazing respective striking arsenals.

Ultimately Letourneau would circum to the plethora of body shots Calderwood had used to decimate her body throughout the majority of the bout, and would be finished off by a barrage of punches on the ground.

You can see the full fight highlights here:

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UFC Fight Night 89 Main Card Breakdown & Preview

The UFC is back in Canada tomorrow night (June 18, 2016) for UFC Fight Night 89, and the huge night of fights is headlined by hometown hero, and No. 1-ranked welterweight in the world, Rory MacDonald and No. 2-ranked Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. The card is also co-main evented by Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone and Patrick Cote

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The UFC is back in Canada tomorrow night (June 18, 2016) for UFC Fight Night 89, and the huge night of fights is headlined by hometown hero, and No. 1-ranked welterweight in the world, Rory MacDonald and No. 2-ranked Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.

The card is also co-main evented by Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone and Patrick Cote in a welterweight bout, granted Cerrone typically competes in the 155-pound division.

Aside from the two colossal bouts set to headline the night of fights in Ottawa, theres plenty of more action fight fans seem to be overlooking that we’re going to look into today. Here is an in-depth look at the UFC Fight Night 89 main card:

LetourneouFight 1: Valerie Letourneau vs Joanne Calderwood (Women’s Flyweight Bout)

Set to kick off the night is the first ever women’s flyweight bout in UFC history, when No. 5-ranked women’s starawweight Valerie Letourneau takes on No. 12-ranked Joanne Calderwood.

Letourneau (8-4) is coming off of a 115-pound title bout defeat to current champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 193, via unanimous decision in the night’s co-main event.

The American Top Team (ATT) product is a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Bruno Fernandes, and also possesses some of the best striking in the women’s 115-pound division.

Calderwood (10-1) is an impressive prospect out of Scotland, being the country’s first female mixed martial artist, who is also alumni from The Ultimate Fighter 20 (TUF 20) in which she made it as far as the quarterfinals of the tournament.

‘JoJo’ has only lost one bout in her professional career, and is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Cortney Casey at UFC Fight Night 72 nearly a year ago in July. Calderwood holds a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and is a Muay Thai specialist having held four titles in the sport.

Both women possess incredible standup skills and have proven to be fairly even on the ground, however, Letourneau is ranked as high as a -190 favorite to win the bout and has faced far greater competition throughout her career. Expect a standup brawl from these two women when they step inside the Octagon.

ThibaultFight 2: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs Thibault Gouti (Lightweight)

Next up is a lightweight bout between young UFC veteran Olivier Aubin-Mercier, and a man who comes off his first career loss in Thibault Gouti.

Mercier (7-2) has won three of his last five career UFC bouts, however, his last Octagon appearance in January saw him dropping a unanimous decision bout to Carlos Diego Ferreira at UFC on FOX 18.

‘The Quebec Kid’ is extremely talented on the ground as he holds a black belt in Judo to go along with a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Seven of Mercier’s eight career victories have come via submission, giving him the clear edge in the ground game department.

Gouti (11-1) comes off of the first loss of his professional mixed martial arts career, when he was defeated by Teemu Packalen via rear-naked choke at UFC Fight Night 84 in the first round.

The 29-year-old Frenchman is no slouch on the ground himself, however, as six of his eleven career victories have come via submission.

Mercier is a highly skilled ground practitioner and could dictate the majority of the fight should it go to the ground, which is most likely why he is ranked as much as a -450 favorite to win the bout.

O'ConnellFight 3: Steve Bosse vs Sean O’Connell (Light Heavyweight)

The third bout slated for the main card is set to go down in the 205-pound division, when Steve ‘The Boss’ Bosse takes on Sean ‘The Real OC’ O’Connell.

Bosse (11-2) comes off of a first round knockout victory over James Te-Huna at UFC Fight Night 85 in his second UFC bout, once again utilizing his vicious striking power.

‘The Boss’ possesses game changing power in his hands, holding nine knockout wins of his eleven career victories.

O’Connell (17-7) has won two of his last four bouts inside the Octagon, including most recently a devastating knockout loss to the heavy handed Illir Latifi at UFC Fight Night 81 this past January.

‘The Real OC’ is an exciting fighter who isn’t afraid to stand and bang with any man in the 205-divison, and has even taken home Fight of the Night honors two times in his two-year UFC career.

Bosse is as much as a -160 favorite to walk away with the win Saturday night, and it’s most likely due in large part to the Canadian’s vicious knockout power.

CowboyFight 4: Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone vs Patrick Cote (Welterweight) 

Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone is making his second appearance in the UFC’s 170-pound division, to take on former middleweight title-challenger Patrick Cote in the evenings co-main event.

Cerrone (29-7-1) has only lost once in his last three years inside the Octagon, with his last bout resulting in a first round submission victory over Alex Oliveira in his welterweight debut.

‘Cowboy’ is an excellent striker due in large part to his extensive kickboxing and Muay Thai background, and also holds a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Cote (23-9) is on a three-fight win streak as his only loss in four years came in a unanimous decision loss to Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. ‘The Predator’ is an extremely well rounded fighter as well, as he holds black belts in Muay Thai, Judo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

These two men are pretty evenly matched up and will most likely put on a very exciting contest, however, ‘Cowboy’ is as much as a -175 favorite to emerge victorious.

MacDonaldRory MacDonald vs Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson (Welterweight)

The main of event of the evening is headlined by No. 1-ranked Rory MacDonald and No. 2-ranked Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson for a possible shot at the 170-pound title.

MacDonald (18-3) is coming off a one-year-layoff from the sport after engaging in a bloody title bout brawl with Robbie Lawler back at UFC 189 last July.

The Tristar Gym product is an extremely well rounded mixed martial artist who shows some incredibly technical striking, and possessing a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under David Lea.

Thompson (12-1) is currently on a six-fight win streak since suffering his first career loss to Matt Brown in 2012, with his most recent victory saw ‘Wonderboy’ finishing former 170-pound champion Johnny Hendricks in their bout at UFC Fight Night 82.

‘Wonderboy’ is one of the UFC’s most dynamic and feared strikers due to his impressive kickboxing career, that included fifty-seven wins in route to an undefeated record.

Due to the undeniably elite striking level of both men, oddsmakers results have revealed to be scattered on who they believe will emerge victorious in the night’s main event.

UFC Fight Night 89 is live on FS1 tomorrow (June 18, 2016) and is headlined by a welterweight clash between Rory MacDonald and Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass, 6:45 p.m. ET)

Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 2, 8:30 p.m. ET)

Main Card (FOX Sports 1, 10:30 p.m. ET)

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First-Ever UFC Female Flyweight Bout Set For UFC Fight Night 89

History will be made at UFC Fight Night 89, as Joanne Calderwood takes on Valerie Letourneau in the first-ever female flyweight contest.

Set for June 18 from The Arena at TD Place in Ottawa, the card features a main event between Rory MacDonald and …

valerie-letourneau-press-conference

History will be made at UFC Fight Night 89, as Joanne Calderwood takes on Valerie Letourneau in the first-ever female flyweight contest.

Set for June 18 from The Arena at TD Place in Ottawa, the card features a main event between Rory MacDonald and Stephen Thompson.

Calderwood (10-1) has been fighting in the strawweight division, going 2-1 since signing with the UFC. She scored a recent victory over Cortney Casey and has also topped Seo Hee Ham.

Letourneau (8-4) won three of four, but was unsuccessful in her bout with UFC champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. She owns UFC wins over Elizabeth Phillips, Jessica Rakoczy and Maryna Moroz – who defeated Calderwood.

The UFC is still looking into plans to possibly create a female flyweight division.

Valerie Letourneau to Meet Joanne Calderwood in UFC’s First Ever Women’s Flyweight Bout


(No joke, this is the first Google image result you’ll get when you search “Valerie Letourneau marketable.”)

As much as the UFC has done for women in MMA in general, it’s kind of a shame that their stage to shine has been limited to just two weight classes for close to three years now. Invicta does a great job showcasing a few other divisions, sure, and their brand will (hopefully) only continue to grow now that they’re broadcasting all their events on Fight Pass, but the UFC could always stand to fill in the gap between strawweight and bantamweight. There’s a lot separating a Joanna Jedrzejczyk from a Ronda Rousey, after all, and I say that with the utmost respect and with no negative connotation whatsoever.

Luckily, it looks likes the promotion will be doing just that, or testing the waters at least, as it booked the first ever female flyweight fight in UFC history this afternoon.

Details after the jump.

The post Valerie Letourneau to Meet Joanne Calderwood in UFC’s First Ever Women’s Flyweight Bout appeared first on Cagepotato.


(No joke, this is the first Google image result you’ll get when you search “Valerie Letourneau marketable.”)

As much as the UFC has done for women in MMA in general, it’s kind of a shame that their stage to shine has been limited to just two weight classes for close to three years now. Invicta does a great job showcasing a few other divisions, sure, and their brand will (hopefully) only continue to grow now that they’re broadcasting all their events on Fight Pass, but the UFC could always stand to fill in the gap between strawweight and bantamweight. There’s a lot separating a Joanna Jedrzejczyk from a Ronda Rousey, after all, and I say that with the utmost respect and with no negative connotation whatsoever.

Luckily, it looks likes the promotion will be doing just that, or testing the waters at least, as it booked the first ever female flyweight fight in UFC history this afternoon.

Details after the jump.

Fox Sport’s Damon Martin passes along the word that former strawweight title challenger Valerie Letourneau is set to lock horns with fellow strawweight and TUF 20 contestant Joanne Calderwood at Fight Night 89 in June. While the promotion has not yet stated an intention to explore the weight class any further as of now, it is at least showing a willingness to try it out (likely before devoting the next season of TUF to it).

Currently 3-1 as a strawweight, Letourneau will be stepping into the octagon for the first time since suffering a unanimous decision loss to Jedrzejczyk back in November, the hematoma of which she suffered as a result easily ranks among the most gruesome in the sport’s history. (Seriously, click that link at your own caution.) Calderwood, on the other hand, will be looking to make it 2 straight and 3-1 overall following her recent win over Courtney Casey last July. The Scottish muay Thai champ was expected to face Paige Van Zant in December of last year until an injury saw her replaced by fellow TUF 20 alum (and friend of the Potato!) Rose Namajunas. Again, examine the end results of that fight with the contents of your stomach in mind.

Who do like for this first ever women’s flyweight fight, Nation? And how long before we’re demanding the winner to face Mighty Mouse Johnson next?

Fight Night 89: MacDonald vs. Thompson goes down on June 18th in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

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