Tag: Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Twitter Reacts To Blowouts At UFC 212

UFC 212 popped off tonight (Saturday, June 3, 2017) from Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The headliner was an absolutely incredible matchup between the undisputed featherweight champion Jose Aldo and interim titleholder Max “Blessed” Holloway, two of the very best strikers in MMA. Holloway shocked the world. A competitive first two rounds changed up […]

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UFC 212 popped off tonight (Saturday, June 3, 2017) from Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The headliner was an absolutely incredible matchup between the undisputed featherweight champion Jose Aldo and interim titleholder Max “Blessed” Holloway, two of the very best strikers in MMA.

Holloway shocked the world. A competitive first two rounds changed up in round three: Holloway started taking over. A 1-2-1-2 combination dropped Aldo and Holloway pounced. The punches and elbows came fast and furious until referee Big John McCarthy was forced to step in to save the Brazilian. The unexpected beating silenced the pro-Aldo crowd.

The co-headliner pit two of the very best strawweights in the world against each other, as Claudia Gadelha welcomed Pole Karolina Kowalkiewicz to Brazil. It was not much of a competition, though. Gadelha took Kowalkiewicz’s back in round one and cinched up the rear-naked choke finish to reestablish herself as the number-one contender to Joanna Champion’s throne.

See how Twitter reacted to these fantastic scraps below:

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Claudia Gadelha vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz Full Fight Video Highlights

No. 1 and No. 2-ranked women’s strawweights Claudia Gadelha and Karolina Kowalkiewicz battled to keep a spot right below dominant champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk when they fought in the co-main event of tonight’s (June 3, 2017) UFC 212 from Rio. With the full pressure of fighting in her homeland heaped upon her shoulders, the general opinion […]

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No. 1 and No. 2-ranked women’s strawweights Claudia Gadelha and Karolina Kowalkiewicz battled to keep a spot right below dominant champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk when they fought in the co-main event of tonight’s (June 3, 2017) UFC 212 from Rio.

With the full pressure of fighting in her homeland heaped upon her shoulders, the general opinion was that Gadelha would look to use her grappling and submission skills while Kowalkiewicz would look to keep it standing with her pinpoint Muay Thai skill.

The former proved true in jaw-dropping fashion in the end when Gadelha used a grinding takedown to ground Kowalkiewicz and immediately transition to her the Polish fighter’s back for a fight-ending rear-naked choke.

It was a dominant win that solidified Gadelha’s rank as the top 115-pound female other than ‘Joanna Champion,’ whom she will most likely face a third time some point down the road. For now, watch the full fight video highlights of Gadelha’s successful homecoming right here:

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Gadelha vs. Kowalkiewicz Results: Winner and Reaction from UFC 212

Claudia Gadelha and Karolina Kowalkiewicz entered as the top two contenders in the strawweight division, and their three combined losses all came at the hands of its champion—Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
3:03 would all it take for Gadelha to put a second …

Claudia Gadelha and Karolina Kowalkiewicz entered as the top two contenders in the strawweight division, and their three combined losses all came at the hands of its champion—Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

3:03 would all it take for Gadelha to put a second loss on Kowalkiewicz’s career.

Kowalkiewicz and Gadelha had early exchanges, and Kowalkiewicz’s length allowed her to score more early. Gadelha had to get Kowalkiewicz’s respect, and she did that with elbows from the clinch. Gadelha was able to get the double-underhooks and put Kowalkiewicz on her back.

Gadelha got to the back and sunk in a rear-naked choke for the easy win.

Kowalkiewicz was in tears after tapping, and Gadelha came over to console her opponent. The two embraced as they enter new paths in the strawweight division.

Gadelha had changed camps and moved to the United States to continually improve as she marches back toward a title shot. Saturday’s performance in her home of Rio de Janeiro showed those improvements. Gadelha walked through a true top contender as if she were an unranked foe.

The win for Gadelha should almost assure that Rose Namajunas is next in line for a title shot. Gadelha, having suffered two losses to Jedrzejczyk, will still need another fight or two before she gets her call. In the post-fight interview, Gadelha made no callout, saying only that she plans on moving full-time to Albuquerque, buying a new car and a fancy dog. Fair enough.

Kowalkiewicz will have to go back into the pack as she falls off the pace for her title chance. Meeting Viviane Pereira, who won on the UFC 212 undercard, would be an appropriate fight.

Gadelha will no doubt fight another contender. Of those top contenders, only Tecia Torres is coming off a win. That makes her the logical choice.

Gadelha’s move to Albuquerque paid off in a massive way with one of her most impressive performances to date. No matter who the UFC chooses for both women in their next outings, we can expect both to be perennial contenders for the foreseeable future.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 212 Fight Card: PPV Schedule, Odds and Predictions for Aldo vs. Holloway

UFC 212 is not about Conor McGregor. It is about the real undisputed, UFC featherweight championship of the world between Max Holloway vs. Jose Aldo.
The storyline that McGregor is still the 145-pound champion needs to be thrown out the windo…

UFC 212 is not about Conor McGregor. It is about the real undisputed, UFC featherweight championship of the world between Max Holloway vs. Jose Aldo.

The storyline that McGregor is still the 145-pound champion needs to be thrown out the window at this point. Aldo is unfairly being called a fake champion, while Holloway has been waiting with incredible patience for his shot at the top of the totem poll after sweeping through the featherweight division on an incredible 10-fight win streak.

Tonight’s main event is bound to be an instant classic. How could it not be? Two diverse, athletic and fearless strikers going at each other for five rounds? That’s how you sell pay-per-views, ladies and gentlemen. 

Speaking of PPVs, let’s take a quick look at UFC 212’s main card that will be seen live on PPV from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as the night’s preliminary bouts that can be seen on Fox Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass. 

 

UFC 212 Fight Card and Odds

 

PPV at 10 p.m. ET

  • Jose Aldo -150 vs. Max Holloway -125
  • Claudia Gadelha -350 vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz +265
  • Vitor Belfort -160 vs. Nate Marquardt +130
  • Paulo Borrachinha -300 vs. Oluwale Bamgbose +230
  • Erick Silva +110 vs. Yancy Medeiros -140

 

Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET

  • Marlon Moraes -175 vs. Raphael Assuncao +145
  • Antonio Carlos Junior -235 vs. Eric Spicely +185
  • Matthew Lopez -210 vs. Johnny Eduardo +170
  • Iuri Alcantara -315 vs. Brian Kelleher +245

 

Fight Pass at 6:30 p.m. ET

  • Viviane Pereira -130 vs. Jamie Moyle -110
  • Luan Chagas -250 vs. Jim Wallhead +195
  • Marco Beltran +120 vs. Deiveson Figueiredo -150

 

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark. 

 

Co-main event: Claudia Gadelha vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Rose Namajunas may believe that she is in line for the next title shot, but the reality is that UFC 212’s co-main event is the title eliminator between the two best 115-pound fighters in the world not named Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

Both Gadelha and Kowalkiewicz have gone toe-to-toe with the champion and at times looked to be the better fighter. Gadelha has had two wars with Jedrzejczyk, and it can be argued that in a three-round fight, Gadelha would’ve won the rematch handily.

Unfortunately for her, fighting the champion puts you in deep waters with five rounds, which left Gadelha gassed. As for Kowalkiewicz, she came alive in rounds four and five against the champion last November and hurt Jedrzejczyk in a way we haven’t seen before. Both fighters have only lost to the champion, but this fight favors Gadelha because it’s three rounds, meaning she won’t be gassed when it matters most.

Furthermore, Gadelha is in a new camp where she feels she unstoppable, per Fox Sports: 

“I didn’t want to go anywhere where I would change my game completely. That’s why I was studying all the possibilities, to find the best coach to add new tools to my game without changing me. Chris Luttrell is somebody that works perfect for what I do in MMA, plus I get to train at Jackson’s with all the amazing fighters and trainers and I think that’s the best thing I did.

“I feel different. I feel great. It’s kind hard to explain because it’s so new to me. I have to challenge myself and go somewhere that’s different. I’m trying different things 24/7. I’m excited to perform. I’m excited to see how I’m going to perform. I feel like I became a better athlete, I have more mobility, everything is in the right place. I feel much better than I used to.”

Gadelha 2.0? That’s a scary thought.

As good as Kowalkiewicz is, she won’t be able to execute her game plan in a three-round fight against a mauler like Gadelha. Expect Gadelha to bring Kowalkiewicz to the canvas with regularity en route to a unanimous-decision win, setting up a third fight with “Joanna Champion.”  

 

Main event: Jose Aldo vs. Max Holloway

Finally, the UFC’s featherweight division will crown its undisputed champion without any interim or default belts. This is going to be a great fight, no matter who wins. Holloway is as fearless as they come, and he won’t be intimidated once he steps inside the Octagon.

Let’s not forget how much courage he showed against Ricardo Lamas at the end of a fight he had already one. The Waianae boy just likes to scrap.

Holloway is a very well-rounded fighter and has shown an ability to finish fights via submission, TKO or by decision. One of his most impressive victories came against Cub Swanson when he submitted him with a guillotine choke, solidifying his status as one of the sport’s rising stars.

But make no mistake about it: Holloway will come forward and put Aldo on the back foot and test out his chin. And he’s not intimidated by fighting in Aldo’s backyard, per MMA Fighting:

He may not have one-punch knockout power, but Holloway has the endurance to throw combinations of five-plus strikes at a time without wearing down. Aldo is in for a tough fight against the Hawaiian, even if he is a legend.

The general consensus is that Aldo will come out looking to take out Holloway’s legs with his lethal kicks, but that’s going to be difficult if Aldo is constantly on the back foot. Holloway hasn’t been walked down by an opponent since he fought McGregor as a young prospect, and he’s improved with every fight he’s had inside of the Octagon.

Aldo’s legacy won’t be defined by 13 seconds against McGregor, but his legacy as the world’s most dominant 145-pound fighter ends tonight as the new age of the featherweight division takes hold.

Holloway is the future of the division, and he will put on a show tonight, leaving no doubt that he is the best featherweight in the world in a scintillating five-round war that Holloway walks away from with the belt, via unanimous decision. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Claudia Gadelha, Karolina Kowalkiewicz Will Steal the Show at UFC 212

With all due respect to Jose Aldo and Max Holloway, who are likely to burn down the building from Brazil, the fight that might be the most entertaining will come right before them. Claudia Gadelha and Karolina Kowalkiewicz both know what it takes to compete for UFC gold. That means they are as hungry as […]

With all due respect to Jose Aldo and Max Holloway, who are likely to burn down the building from Brazil, the fight that might be the most entertaining will come right before them. Claudia Gadelha and Karolina Kowalkiewicz both know what it takes to compete for UFC gold. That means they are as hungry as […]

UFC 212 Predictions: Will Holloway Dethrone Aldo In Brazil?

Tomorrow night (Sat., June 3, 2017) the UFC will get their jam-packed summer schedule rolling with UFC 212 from the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The card features the long-awaited featherweight title unification bout between champion Jose Aldo and surging interim champion Max Holloway. Aldo was last seen winning the interim 145-pound belt, […]

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Tomorrow night (Sat., June 3, 2017) the UFC will get their jam-packed summer schedule rolling with UFC 212 from the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The card features the long-awaited featherweight title unification bout between champion Jose Aldo and surging interim champion Max Holloway.

Aldo was last seen winning the interim 145-pound belt, which eventually became the official 145-pound he held since 2011, when Conor McGregor was stripped of the title after not defending it for a year after winning it by knocking out “Junior” in the main event of 2015’s UFC 194. He’ll be faced with an under-the-radar challenge in “Blessed” (who should be anything but), who’s won an incredible 10 straight bouts over some of the best featherweights the sport has ever seen.

In the co-main event, top-ranked women’s strawweight Claudia Gadelha will look to battle her way back to a 115-pound title shot against No. 2 Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Both have recently lost to dominant champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, but with the champ having almost cleaned out the division aside from expected next contender Rose Namajunas, the winner of this pivotal match-up will find themselves dangerously close to yet another title shot.

Legendary knockout artist and controversial Brazilian MMA pioneer Vitor Belfort will also make his final walk to the octagon when he meets fellow longtime veteran Nate Marquardt in what should be an emotional, hard-hitting affair.

Rounding out the main card, Paulo Barrochinha will meet Oluwale Bamgbose at middleweight while Erick Silva will get the main card rolling against Yancy Medeiros. Find out whom we picked to win at UFC 212 below.

Jose Aldo vs. Max Holloway:

This is one of the more interesting featherweight title bouts we’ve had outside of McGregor vs. Aldo, and a lot of that has to do with how dominant Holloway has looked running through many of the best 145-athletes in the world during his unprecedented win streak.

The Hawaiian “Blessed” has clearly hit his prime as a mixed martial artist after losing to McGregor as a green prospect, an now he’s finally gotten his chance against the best featherweight of all-time, in his native fight-crazed home of Rio. The champ has looked excellent against the more stout wrestling-type fighters he’s made his money against, evident in his two wins over Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes. Holloway presents an entirely different challenge altogether, as he’s a lanky striker who likes to push the pace with both accurate and powerful punches in volume. Aldo will always have his vaunted leg kicks and hand speed here, and a win over the young upstart would further cement his already decorated legacy.

But I just think that now is Holloway’s time, and he’s ready to come in and throw down with Aldo for a full five rounds by using his length and reach to come out on top.

Prediction: Holloway by fourth-round TKO

PHoto: Jason da Silva for USA TODAY Sports

Claudia Gadelha vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz:

This match-up of the two top women’s strawweight fighters in the UFC other than Joanna Jedrzejczyk should be a closely-contested co-main event at UFC 212, and Gadelha should be motivated by the support of her home fans.

It’s hard to predict if she’ll look to implement a grappling-centered gameplan to neutralize the world-class Muay Thai skills of Kowalkiewicz, because she did tire a bit after resorting to takedown attempts in her failed title rematch against “Joanna Champion” last July. Gadelha appeared to be holding her own in the striking department against one of the best in the game until she gassed, meaning we could see an entertaining battle of talented 115-pound women.

I still think Gadelha should look to use her grappling and jiu-jitsu edge, however, as meeting the Polish whirlwind in the center of the octagon to throw down in a technical striking contest just isn’t the best gameplan here. Gadelha will have a decided size and strength advantage, and the fight should turn in her favor if she can hold Kowalkiewicz on the mat for any extended period of time – especially in the early rounds. Kowalkiewicz will most likely have her moments on the feet as well, but Gadelha’s toughness should see her edge a gritty victory.

Prediction: Gadelha by unanimous decision

Vitor Belfort vs. Nate Marquardt:

Belfort’s final fight – maybe – is a solid match-up for him here, as he’s finally facing another fading power striker/submission artist in longtime veteran Marquardt. Both may have a little knockout power left in their hands and feet, as that’s usually the last thing to go on fading fighters. If this is indeed “The Phenom’s” last fight (he’s hinted at fighting for Bellator more than once recently), then I expect him to come out guns blazing with nothing to lose. His career has been both decorated and controversial, but why not, I saw he gets one last knockout for the Brazilian faithful in his last UFC bout.

Prediction: Belfort by first-round TKO

Photo: Jason Silva for USA TODAY Sports

Paulo Borrachinha vs. Oluwale Bamgbose:

Borrachinha appears to be a vastly promising 9-0 Brazilian prospect after winning his UFC debut by stoppage in March. He brings an exciting mixture of speed, strength, youth, and athleticism, and Bamgbose is a perfect all-out striker to test his abilities against. He’s lost two out of his last three in the UFC and will need to throw caution to the wind to keep his job. He isn’t likely to attempt to ground Borrachinha to do it, meaning this fight could have “Fight of the Night” written all over it. I think Borrachinha is the more polished and measured striker, so I think he’ll score an impressive early KO.

Prediction: Borrachinha by first-round TKO

Photo Credit: Jason Silva for USA TODAY Sports

Erick Silva vs. Yancy Medeiros:

Silva has no doubt faded after surging into the UFC as one of the hottest welterweights up-and-comers roughly five years ago, but I still think he’ll have the size advantage over lightweight Medeiros in the second Brazilian vs. Hawaiian main card bout at UFC 212. Silva holds a noted edge in the jiu-jitsu department, and will also have the full support of the crowd. Medeiros is tough and can throw down with the best of them, but I think Silva takes this one home for his Brazilian fans.

Prediction: Silva by unanimous decision

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