Tag: John Moraga

UFC 216 Notable Bouts – Moraga vs. Bibulatov, Leites vs. Tavares

UFC 216 – John Moraga Vs. Magomed Bibulatov Magomed Bibulatov had his sheer existence among the ranks of the UFC and its roster in itself has proven to be a bit of a hassle for the UFC. This fighter from Russia, has managed to stay on the UFC against all odds and has done so […]

UFC 216 – John Moraga Vs. Magomed Bibulatov

Magomed Bibulatov had his sheer existence among the ranks of the UFC and its roster in itself has proven to be a bit of a hassle for the UFC. This fighter from Russia, has managed to stay on the UFC against all odds and has done so pretty comfortably so far.

He has looked a solid, well rounded fighter so far in his career and the UFC have now stepped up his challenges. Bibulatov will now face experienced flyweight John Moraga.

While Moraga’s prime may be behind him, there is no denying that he is still a serious challenger and will most certainly put Bibulatov through his paces come UFC 216.

Can Bibulatov come out on top in this test? The odds seem to suggest he can! If he does, the UFC are going to have to scratch their heads about how they will promote him and what they plan for his future.

Thales Leites Vs. Brad Tavares

If there is one fight on the card for UFC 216 wherein both fighters are high on confidence, then it has to be Thales Leites Vs. Brad Tavares. Both fighters are coming into this fight on the back of strong winning streaks that have boosted their confidences sky high. In his last outing, Leites beat Sam Alveyand Tavares’ most recent fight was a convincing victory against Elias Theodorou.

If there is one thing we know about the UFC, they are not fans of letting fighters from the middle ranks break into the top 5s and so on. So, what are they going to do about it? Simple, they will pit them against each other. Ergo, Thales Leities Vs. Brad Tavares is scheduled for October 7th and someone will have to be on the losing end.

This is a difficult one to call. In terms of morale, both fighters are close to 100%, but Leites has the upper hand in terms of experience. However, this is going to make for a very technical, highly competitive and interesting fight given that both fighters are excellent grapplers.

John Moraga Says His UFC Fight Night 110 Win Was Bittersweet

John Moraga didn’t get the finish he wanted last night (June 10), but he’s not gonna cry over a much needed victory. Moraga took on Ashkan Mokhtarian inside the Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. It was a grappling clinic in favor of the former flyweight title challenger. After the fight, Moraga told the media how […]

John Moraga didn’t get the finish he wanted last night (June 10), but he’s not gonna cry over a much needed victory. Moraga took on Ashkan Mokhtarian inside the Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. It was a grappling clinic in favor of the former flyweight title challenger. After the fight, Moraga told the media how […]

John Moraga Admits he Was Concerned Over UFC Future

John Moraga knows he’s fighting for his job in 2017. Moraga was once considered one of the best flyweights in the world, even getting a title opportunity against pound-for-pound great Demetrious Johnson. Moraga is now on a three-fight skid and a fourth loss could find himself out of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Speaking with […]

John Moraga knows he’s fighting for his job in 2017. Moraga was once considered one of the best flyweights in the world, even getting a title opportunity against pound-for-pound great Demetrious Johnson. Moraga is now on a three-fight skid and a fourth loss could find himself out of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Speaking with […]

UFC Fight Night 110 – John Moraga Vs. Ashkan Mokhtarian

Ashkan Mokhtarian will be making his debut in Fight Night Auckland on June 10th. For his very first fight, he is really going to have an uphill battle when he comes up against John Moraga. Moraga was once a title challenger, and has plenty of experience in the octagon unlike Ashkan Mokhtarian. Even though he […]

Ashkan Mokhtarian will be making his debut in Fight Night Auckland on June 10th. For his very first fight, he is really going to have an uphill battle when he comes up against John Moraga. Moraga was once a title challenger, and has plenty of experience in the octagon unlike Ashkan Mokhtarian.

Even though he is a newcomer who is completely unproven, Ashkan Mokhtarian does have a lot of potential. This might be his very first UFC bout, but he has been fighting competitively for a while now and is coming off the back of  a pretty impressive six-fight win streak which includes three knockouts and two submissions. Ashkan Mokhtarian has a background in both Brazilian Jiu Jiutsu and conventional kick boxing. However, his wrestling game certainly needs a lot of work and it will be his weakness when he comes up face to face against John Moraga on June 10th.

Moraga has a pretty strong advantage being well trained in wrestling. He was very successful in collegiate wrestling in his home state of Arizona. Needless to say, his grappling game is in a different league when compared to Ashkan Mokhtarian and this might be where he will excel this weekend in Auckland.

Moraga will be undoubtedly trying to hit Ashkan Mokhtarian with a takedown and get the fight to the floor. If the fight does hit the mat, then it may not be long before we see Ashkan Mokhtarian tapping out from an inescapable submission.

In conclusion, unless Ashkan Mokhtarian has some real good tricks up his sleeve, the experience, power and skill of Moraga should suffice to secure the victory in this fight.

Prediction – fight to go to judges, John Moraga to win by unanimous decision.

 

UFC 211 Predictions: Henry Cejudo Vs. Sergio Pettis

This UFC 211 bout is kind of a make or break fight for both fighters! Henry Cejudo has matched expectations thus far, but is now in a sticky spot courtesy of a defeat at the hands of Joseph Benavidez. On the other end of the octagon is going to be Sergio Pettis who started off weak […]

This UFC 211 bout is kind of a make or break fight for both fighters! Henry Cejudo has matched expectations thus far, but is now in a sticky spot courtesy of a defeat at the hands of Joseph Benavidez. On the other end of the octagon is going to be Sergio Pettis who started off weak but has really turned the tables around thanks to his victory against the very reputable Chris Cariaso and not to mention a formidable win against John Moraga, both former contenders to the title.

While Cejudo will be keen to get back to winning ways, Pettis will do everything in his power to keep his winning run going. This is precisely what will make this match highly interesting. However, we believe Cejudo has the upper hand is the favorite here, he simply has a tad too much quality and experience for Pettis to deal with. If Pettis wants to stand a chance of actually causing an upset result, he will have to bring his A game for sure, or maybe even more.

For our prediction, while Pettis is certainly a fighter with good potential, we simply cannot see him outdoing the brute strength, technicality and agility of Henry Cejudo. Having said that, over confidence could prove to be the demise of Cejudo here. We will have to go with Henry Cejudo for the win by unanimous decision.

Sergio Pettis Spoils John Moraga’s Hometown Return In Decision Win

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) got the main card of its first event of 2017 underway with a flyweight clash in Phoenix, Arizona. Hometown favorite John Moraga (16-5) stepped inside the Octagon to do battle with Sergio Pettis (14-2). Moraga had lost two in a row coming into the bout and was possibly on the

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) got the main card of its first event of 2017 underway with a flyweight clash in Phoenix, Arizona. Hometown favorite John Moraga (16-5) stepped inside the Octagon to do battle with Sergio Pettis (14-2).

Moraga had lost two in a row coming into the bout and was possibly on the chopping block with a loss. Pettis was in search of his third straight victory.

“The Phenom’s” streak is growing.

At the start, Moraga went for leg kicks. Pettis kept throwing out his jab and landed a left hand. They engaged in a clinch and Moraga threw a knee to the body. He pushed “The Phenom” against the fence, but Pettis got out.

Pettis kept his distance and constantly landed the jab. A cut under Moraga’s left eye formed. A hard combination landed for Moraga. Pettis took Moraga down, but he got back up.

Moraga’s back was against the fence briefly. A high kick from Moraga was blocked. They exchanged shots, but Moraga was the one on wobbly legs. Pettis dropped his opponent near the end of the round.

The second round began and a straight left hand connected for Pettis. An inside leg kick landed for Moraga. Pettis’ combination found the mark.

Moraga avoided a guillotine and took Pettis down. The fight returned standing shortly after. Moraga landed a jab followed by a right hand. He blocked a high kick. Moraga went for a single leg takedown and pushed “The Phenom” against the fence.

They separated with Pettis landed on the break. Moraga moved in for another takedown attempt. Pettis avoided it and got his back off the fence. A jumping switch kick from Pettis was blocked and the round ended soon after.

The final round was underway and Moraga went for a straight punch to the body. He landed a clean left hook. A spinning wheel kick from Pettis couldn’t find the target. Pettis got in a left hand.

He landed a jab and went for a head kick. Moraga pushed Pettis against the cage. Moraga lifted Pettis up and took him down to the mat. He threw out an elbow. Moraga went for a heel hook, but Pettis wound up in top control.

The two returned to their feet. This time, Pettis had Moraga against the fence. They broke free and Pettis popped away with his jab. A short right hand landed for “The Phenom.” He scored a takedown at the end of the fight.

All three judges scored the fight for Pettis.

Final Result: Sergio Pettis def. John Moraga via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

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