The lineup for UFC 189 is currently under fire, and John Hathaway is the latest confirmed fighter to fall victim to injury.
While a fractured rib (h/t Globo/Brazil) suffered by featherweight king Jose Aldo has his highly anticipated bout with Cono…
The lineup for UFC 189 is currently under fire, and John Hathaway is the latest confirmed fighter to fall victim to injury.
While a fractured rib (h/t Globo/Brazil) suffered by featherweight king Jose Aldo has his highly anticipated bout with Conor McGregor in serious jeopardy, the British welterweight was forced to withdraw from his upcoming bout with Gunnar Nelson due to an undisclosed injury suffered in training as confirmed by UFC officials on Tuesday.
The news was originally reported by MMA Junkie and is the latest setback in a string of rough turns for the once-touted prospect.
The 27-year-old London Shootfighters representative won seven of his first eight showings inside the Octagon, but the past three years have seen his momentum stall dramatically. The Hitman was sidelined for 17 months while he recovered from illness and injury, only to have his comeback bout against Dong Hyun Kim soured via a vicious spinning back elbow in the third round of their main event tilt at The Ultimate Fighter: China Finalein March 2014.
Furthermore, Hathaway’s continued battle with Chron’s Disease has kept him on the shelf in the 16 months since his bout with Stun Gun. While there has been no official replacement named as of yet, according to MMA Junkie the promotion is seeking to fill the slot opposite Nelson for UFC 189.
Where Hathaway would have been looking to turn things around on July 11 in Las Vegas, the Iceland native shares the same objective. The grappling ace suffered the first loss of his professional career at the hands of Rick Story at Fight Night 53 as he was edged out by the Washington State-born powerhouse via split decision on the judges’ scorecards.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
The UFC’s first TUF season in China is over. Zhang Lipeng defeated Wang Sai to become the first-ever Chinese Ultimate Fighter winner.
But I’m sure most of you don’t really care too much about that. After all, TUF china was a show with a recruitment policy so lax that an 0-0 yoga instructor somehow made it into the cast.
Despite the questionable levels of talent present, there were a few important fights on the card—relevant matches and interesting clashes of styles. Which fights were those? We’re gonna recap them for you.
(Photo via Getty)
The UFC’s first TUF season in China is over. Zhang Lipeng defeated Wang Sai to become the first-ever Chinese Ultimate Fighter winner.
But I’m sure most of you don’t really care too much about that. After all, TUF china was a show with a recruitment policy so lax that an 0-0 yoga instructor somehow made it into the cast.
Despite the questionable levels of talent present, there were a few important fights on the card—relevant matches and interesting clashes of styles. Which fights were those? We’re gonna recap them for you.
Vaughan Lee decisioned Nam Phan. It was a fight in which Lee never lost control. His striking was too accurate and too quick for Phan to counter. Lee was able to shrug off Phan’s takedown attempts as well.
Kazuki Tokudome was on the wrong side of a split decision against Yui Chul Nam in what was a barn-burner. Nam nearly finished Tokudome in the first round, but punched himself out. This enabled a stunning comeback from Tokudome in the second round, where he returned the favor and nearly finished Nam. The match was decided in the third round, where Nam wobbled Tokudome with a right hand and landed two takedowns.
Hatsu Hioki vs. Ivan Menjivar kicked off the four-fight main card. This fight was pretty straightforward. Hioki was the superior grappler, and he let Menjivar know it throughout the first two rounds, taking him down and working for a variety of submissions. Menjivar had a glimmer of hope in the third round when he landed a right hand that had Hioki hurt, but Menjivar couldn’t capitalize on it. Hioki took home a unanimous decision win for his efforts.
The heavyweights came in for the next fight. Matt Mitrione and Shawn Jordan met in the center of the cage and threw leather. Mitrione managed to throw a bit more, however, and ultimately knocked out Jordan at the 4:59 mark of the first round. Here’s the GIF (via @ZProphet_MMA).
The co-main event featured TUF: China welterweight finalists Zhang Lipeng and Wang Sai. In a closely contested fight, Lipeng managed to edge past Sai by less than a hair’s width.
The night’s main event (or morning’s main event since the card began at around 6:30 am EST) was worth the price of UFC Fight Pass admission. John Hathaway and Dong Hyun Kim put on a show. Kim decided to abandon his grappling in favor of brawling. Hathaway was happy to oblige, which for him was a poor decision—a gorgeous spinning back elbow from Kim left him staring at the ceiling. Kim won the fight via KO at 1:02 of round 3. Check out the GIF (again via @ZProphet_MMA).
Here are the complete results:
Main Card
Dong Hyun Kim def. John Hathaway via knockout (elbow) – Round 3, 1:02
Zhang Lipeng def. Wang Sai via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Matt Mitrione def. Shawn Jordan via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 4:59
Hatsu Hioki def. Ivan Menjivar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Preliminary Card
Yui Chul Nam def. Kazuki Tokudome via split decision (29-27, 27-28, 29-28)
Vaughan Lee def. Nam Phan via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Anying Wang def. Albert Cheng via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 1, 5:00
Mark Eddiva def. Jumabieke Tuerxun via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
The Ultimate Fighter China Finale hit UFC Fight Pass early Saturday morning with an eight-fight card.
Dong Hyun Kim defeated John Hathaway with a spinning back elbow KO that will hit the top of the Knockout of the Year lists. It capped off an entertain…
The Ultimate Fighter China Finale hit UFC Fight Pass early Saturday morning with an eight-fight card.
Dong Hyun Kim defeated John Hathaway with a spinning back elbow KO that will hit the top of the Knockout of the Year lists. It capped off an entertaining card of bouts that should have plenty of fans forking over the $9.99 for UFC Fight Pass.
Bleacher Report had full coverage of the event from beginning to end.
The Ultimate Fighter China Finale Results
Dong Hyun Kim defeats John Hathaway by KO at 1:02 of the third round.
TUF China Welterweight Final: Zhang Lipeng defeats Wang Sai by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Matt Mitrione defeats Shawn Jordan by KO at 4:59 of the first round
Hatsu Hioki defeats Ivan Menjivar by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-82, 29-28)
Yui Chul Nam defeats Kazuki Tokudome by split decision (29-27, 28-27, 29-28)
Vaughn Lee defeats Nam Phan by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Anying Wang defeats Albert Cheng by TKO at 5:00 of the first round
Mark Eddiva defeats Jumabieke Tuerxun by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
The Ultimate Fighter: China will get its first finale out of the way on Saturday morning in Macao.
Headlining the card will be a welterweight clash between Dong Hyun Kim and John Hathaway.
There were supposed to be two TUF finale bouts prior to the mai…
The Ultimate Fighter: China will get its first finale out of the way on Saturday morning in Macao.
Headlining the card will be a welterweight clash between Dong Hyun Kim and John Hathaway.
There were supposed to be two TUF finale bouts prior to the main event, but the featherweight final between GuangyouNing and Jianping Yang has been called off due to injury. That puts the welterweight final between Sai Wang and LipengZhang as the co-main event.
Zak Cummings vs. Alberto Mina was also pulled from the card. Cummings was eight pounds overweight, and Mina did not agree to a catchweight. Mina will be paid his show & win money.
Bleacher Report will have full coverage of the event. The first bout gets underway on UFC Fight Pass at 5:45 a.m. ET on Saturday morning.
By its very nature, the prospect label isn’t designed to have a long shelf life in combat sports. A fighter who garners attention and shows potential for bigger things gets the description, which sparks the process of the make-or-break moment where he …
By its very nature, the prospect label isn’t designed to have a long shelf life in combat sports. A fighter who garners attention and shows potential for bigger things gets the description, which sparks the process of the make-or-break moment where he either lives up to the hype or fades away.
The ever-shifting landscape in MMA can result in this transformation either happening or crumbling in the span of a few fights. Regardless of how things play out inside the cage, a fighter never wears the prospect label all too long at the highest level of competition—where he is consistently faced with the best talent in the sport.
By these standards, John Hathaway may be the longest standing prospect to ever come along in the UFC. The Englishman thundered onto the biggest stage in 2009—at just 22 years old—and dismantled Tom Egan in the first round at UFC 93.
While “The Hitman” made a proper introduction in Dublin, victories in his next three showings—the most notable being a lopsided drubbing of scrappy veteran Diego Sanchez—put the talented young Brighton native on the radar as a fighter to watch in the stacked welterweight division.
Yet, while a fighter can pick up heat quickly by stringing together solid showings, all it takes is one tough night under the lights for things to cool off considerably. The London Shootfighters product experienced this reality when he came out on the business end of a hard-fought tussle with Mike Pyle at UFC 120 in 2010.
While his loss to the savvy veteran was only the first of his professional career, the expectations surrounding Hathaway began to shift. The 24-year-old went on to notch victories in his next three bouts, but those performances seemed to lack the fire of his initial UFC run.
Unfortunately, an injury sidelined him for an extended amount of time, and that mixture of circumstances pushed him into a quiet corner in the relevant portion of the 170-pound collective.
Nevertheless, a return to full health and a main event showcase against surging contender Dong Hyun Kim at UFC Fight Night: Macao have set the table for the hard-nosed Brit to make a triumphant return to the welterweight ranks. He knows a victory over the “Stun Gun” on Saturday would not only serve as a proper re-introduction but allow him to pass into the next tier of the division.
With a win, he could leave the prospect label in the dust and gain some much-needed momentum.
“It is something I’m going to get back,” Hathaway told Bleacher Report. “People were excited about me after my fights with Rick Story and Diego Sanchez, and I feel like this is the year where I get that back. This is the year I get back to the spot where I want to be.
“This division is great, and it’s super-exciting right now. Georges [St-Pierre] has stepped down, and there are a lot of great competitors all trying to get to the title. Robbie Lawler and Johny Hendricks are about to fight for the belt next month. Carlos Condit and Tyron Woodley are fighting on that same card. Demian Maia just lost, and Thiago Alves is coming back soon. It’s a very exciting time to be in the UFC and be competing in the welterweight division.”
While Hathaway has helped carry the torch for the next wave of potential contenders at 170 pounds, his opponent also has some experience in that department as well. The 32-year-old South Korean has amassed an impressive 10-2 (1 no-contest) record throughout his six-year run in the UFC.
That said, his two losses have come at crucial steps on his climb up the ladder. Those setbacks have kept him from staking claim to a seat at the table of title contention.
Hathaway realizes both he and Kim have a lot on the line and believes he will have the answer to the Korean’s pressure-filled attack.
“It is a great feeling to be fighting in Macao and to be competing against someone like Kim,” he said. “It feels amazing, and I just can’t wait for Saturday. This is going to be my first headlining fight, my first five-rounder, and I’m just excited to get back out there and perform. It’s going to be an exciting fight. I think we are both going to bring it and prove we deserve to be in the upper echelon of this division.
“It’s definitely going to be speed and quick movement that will keep me out of the clinch with him. He always puts a lot of pressure on the guys he fights. In his last fight with Erick [Silva], he chased him down and ended up getting the knockout as well. You definitely have to be cautious of his hands in addition to the grappling skills he possesses. But speed is going to be what wins this fight.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
I have a feeling that most of you degenerate gamblers are going to take this weekend off. And hey, that’s a very logical decision. The TUF: China Finale is packed to the brim with squash matches and unknown prospects, and if you’re the type of person who doesn’t normally watch Bellator or Titan FC, it would be an incredibly stupid risk to throw money down on fighters you barely recognize.
Which is exactly what makes a “Gambling Addiction Enabler” for this weekend’s fights so appropriate. With the UFC hosting an obscure Fight Pass card — and Bellator and Titan FC featuring guys you’ve heard of but aren’t necessarily invested in — only the most hardcore MMA fans and the most hopeless gambling addicts are going to be risking their money on this weekend’s fights. If you fall into either category, we’d be letting you down if we decided not to share our rock-solid (*tries to stop laughing*) gambling advice with you.
It’s hard to disagree with the odds here. Kim has not only faced tougher competition, but he also has the advantage of fighting on his home continent; not exactly a frivolous observation, as Kim himself would be quick to point out. A straight bet on Kim won’t yield an impressive return, but it does make for a low-risk parlay addition.
I have a feeling that most of you degenerate gamblers are going to take this weekend off. And hey, that’s a very logical decision. The TUF: China Finale is packed to the brim with squash matches and unknown prospects, and if you’re the type of person who doesn’t normally watch Bellator or Titan FC, it would be an incredibly stupid risk to throw money down on fighters you barely recognize.
Which is exactly what makes a “Gambling Addiction Enabler” for this weekend’s fights so appropriate. With the UFC hosting an obscure Fight Pass card — and Bellator and Titan FC featuring guys you’ve heard of but aren’t necessarily invested in — only the most hardcore MMA fans and the most hopeless gambling addicts are going to be risking their money on this weekend’s fights. If you fall into either category, we’d be letting you down if we decided not to share our rock-solid (*tries to stop laughing*) gambling advice with you.
It’s hard to disagree with the odds here. Kim has not only faced tougher competition, but he also has the advantage of fighting on his home continent; not exactly a frivolous observation, as Kim himself would be quick to point out. A straight bet on Kim won’t yield an impressive return, but it does make for a low-risk parlay addition.
On paper, Christian M’Pumbu is exactly the type of fighter who Rampage Jackson should have zero problems with — he’s as pure of a kickboxer as you’ll find in a major MMA promotion, who would rather stand and trade haymakers than clinch against the cage. Yet after watching Jackson’s promotional debut against Joey Beltran, Rampage at -450 is not even remotely worth the risk of an upset. Especially when you consider that Bellator is sort-of hoping for Rampage vs. King Mo in the next round of this tournament, which obviously means that at least one of them is destined to lose on Friday night. M’Pumbu at anything over +450 would be worth a $5 for shiggles, but at +360? Move along, people; this fight is in Stay the Hell Away From territory.
I’m surprised that Shawn Jordan isn’t a bigger favorite. Jordan has the better record, the more impressive resume, and better wrestling; he should have zero problems with Matt Mitrione. Honestly, the only advantage that I’m giving to Mitrione is that his body isn’t covered in blatant scratch worthy of a spot on our ugliest tattoos in MMA list. Seriously, person who drew Jordan’s chest/shoulder piece, what the hell?
TUF: China Finale: Hatsu Hioki (-400) vs. Ivan Menjivar (+280) Bellator 110: Mike Richman (-250) vs. Des Green (+190) Bellator 110: Will Martinez (+280) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (-370)
Titan FC 27: Bryan Goldsby (+240) vs. Kevin Croom (-300)
And now we’re entering the squash match portion of the upcoming bouts. Don’t be fooled by Hatsu Hioki’s three-fight losing streak — he has looked unstoppable on Asian soil. Add on that this fight is a must-win for him, and there’s no way that his hand isn’t getting raised on Friday. Over in Bellator, Mike Richman should prove too experienced and well-rounded for Team Bombsquad product Des Green. Goiti Yamauchi is a twenty-one year old grappling ace with thirteen of his sixteen career victories coming via submission — eleven of which coming in the first round — fighting an 8-2 curtain-jerker. The prop that this fight will last less than 1.5 rounds is definitely worth exploring here. Meanwhile, in Titan FC, Kevin “The Hard-Hitting Hillbilly” [Author Note: Not sure if nickname is awesome or terrible] Croom is not only also a fantastic grappler, but he also benefits from fighting a 17-15 journeyman with seven career submission losses. Easy call.
Both Phan and Lee are coming off of losses, but Phan is favored here because he’s an Asian (sort-of) fighting in Asia, I guess. Except, you know, Phan grew up in California, so there is no “fighting on his home continent” advantage here, and Lee has proven that he can win in Asia at this level with his victory over Kid Yamamoto at UFC 144. At +145, a straight bet won’t provide a ton of bang for your buck, but Lee makes for a relatively low risk parlay addition.
“Hey, I’ve actually heard of this guy, so he will win” isn’t exactly a smart betting strategy. This is especially true with Mikhail Zayats; he has won eight of his last ten fights — including a first-round TKO over Babalu — and those two losses come to Emanuel Newton and Vinny Magalhaes. Bessette’s resume is slightly less impressive, but he’s an attractive pick simply due to how inconsistent Diego Nunes has looked recently. Nunes has lost three of his last four fights, and is coming off of a quick, nasty knockout loss to Patricio Pitbull at Bellator 99. Bessette isn’t worth a spot in your parlay, but a straight bet on him is far from the worst way you could spend $5 this weekend.
Stay the Hell Away From
Titan FC 27: Matt Riddle (-180) vs. Michael Kuiper (+150)
Remember our “Who Is the Biggest Waste of Potential in MMA History” roundtable? You can pretty much copy and paste what ReX13 wrote about BJ Penn here for my analysis of this fight. On paper, yes, this is Riddle’s fight to lose. But after a year that has consisted of retirement, unretirement, pulling out of fights, and getting fired from Bellator for Riddle, betting on “Deep Waters” this Friday is just as risky as betting on a post-Sonnen Paulo Filho: He may fight like the elite fighter he is, or he may put in the bare minimum effort needed to collect his paycheck, or he may decide to pull out of the fight at the last minute because, you know, whatever. The bottom line here is that this fight is a crap shoot, and neither fighter offers an attractive enough return on your investment to justify the risk. Just say no.
Suggested Stakes for a $50 Wager
The Ultra-Conservative Approach:
$25 on Kim+Hioki+Ricci parlay (returns $20.44) $20 on Richman+Yamauchi parlay (returns $15.57) $5 on Shawn Jordan (returns $3.70)
In the likely event that all three bets pay off, you’ll earn a total of $39.71 for your efforts.
The Live Dangerously Approach:
$20 on Richman+Yamauchi+Jordan parlay (returns $41.91) $20 on Kim+Zayats parlay (returns $53.29) $5 on Matt Bessette (returns $14.25) $5 on Croom+Lee parlay (returns $11.33)
I once read that the biggest mistake that novice gamblers make is betting not to lose; whether that’s a quote from a book about Nick the Greek or something I read off of the bathroom wall at a gas station casino is irrelevant. With a little luck, this parlay returns $120.78.
The “Whatever, It’s Mardi Gras #YOLO” Approach:
$25 on Hathaway+Bessette+Gurgel (returns $2,169.50) $20 on Lee+Zayats (returns $119.65) $5 on Matt Riddle (returns $2.78)
Semi-Related: It’s common for gambling addicts to find the rush of losing and trying to win back their losses more addictive than actually winning. I figured that was an appropriate disclaimer to use before casually pointing out that this strategy will return $2,291.93. Have a nice day.
The lineup for UFC 189 is currently under fire, and John Hathaway is the latest confirmed fighter to fall victim to injury.
