Tag: Luke Rockhold

CagePotato Presents: The Top 10 Fights to Watch For the Rest of 2015


(via Getty.)

By Chris Huntemann

Summer is winding down, which means we’re in the latter stages of 2015. It also means football season is finally here. But do you know what else it means? There’s still a whole slew of mixed martial arts fights that we have to look forward to, so with that in mind, here are the top 10 fights that you, Potato Nation, should check out or – at the very least – set your DVR to as we wind down the year:

10. Andrei Arlovski vs. Frank Mir (UFC 191 – Sept. 5)

The post CagePotato Presents: The Top 10 Fights to Watch For the Rest of 2015 appeared first on Cagepotato.


(via Getty.)

By Chris Huntemann

Summer is winding down, which means we’re in the latter stages of 2015. It also means football season is finally here. But do you know what else it means? There’s still a whole slew of mixed martial arts fights that we have to look forward to, so with that in mind, here are the top 10 fights that you, Potato Nation, should check out or – at the very least – set your DVR to as we wind down the year:

10. Andrei Arlovski vs. Frank Mir (UFC 191 – Sept. 5)


(Countdown to UFC 191: Andrei Arlovski vs Frank Mir, via the UFC.)

Both of these guys are in the midst of a career resurgence – and probably the second or third such resurgence for Mir. Both are also riding multiple-fight win streaks, and the winner of this fight has to be considered the top contender in UFC’s heavyweight division. But given what we’ve seen lately with title shots in the UFC, who knows?

9. Eduardo Dantas vs. Marcos Galvao II (Bellator 144 – Oct. 23)


(Highlights from Dantas vs. Galvao 1, via Bellator.)

Galvao memorably made Joe Warren scream in pain at Bellator 135 earlier this year, securing the bantamweight title in the process. Dantas succumbed to Warren in a previous title fight, but secured another shot after besting Mike Richman at Bellator 137. Oh yeah, Dantas also happens to hold a vicious knockout victory over, you guessed it, Marcos Galvao. Both of these guys can finish their opponent by either knockout or submission, so don’t expect this fight to go to a decision.

8. Daniel Straus vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire III (Bellator 145: Vengeance – Nov. 6)


(Straus v. Freire 1, via DailyMotion)

Freire has been a thorn in Straus’ side, already getting the better of him on two separate occasions. Besides his losses to Freire, Straus has been on an absolute tear in Bellator, winning all but one fight. Straus is chomping at the bit for redemption against Freire, and I expect this fight to be teeming with animosity and fireworks.

7. David Branch vs. Teddy Holder (World Series of Fighting 23 – Sept. 18)


(Holder vs. Thiago Silva, WSOF 19.)

Holder emphatically made his presence known in WSOF, stepping in as a last-minute replacement against Thiago Silva and needing all but two minutes to knockout Silva in both men’s organizational debut. Knocking out a dangerous (literally) fighter like Silva in two minutes? I’d say that warrants a title shot. Holder and Branch are squaring off for WSOF’s inaugual light heavyweight title, with Branch boasting an undefeated record in WSOF and getting the best of fighters like Paulo Filho and Yushin Okami. Both guys like to stand and bang, so I don’t think it’s a stretch to say this fight probably won’t go the distance.

6. Vitor Belfort vs. Dan Henderson III (UFC Fight Night – Nov. 7)

Putting this fight here is more or less a sentimental pick, given the stature of the two guys involved. Hendo showed the world he’s not quite finished yet by brutally knocking out Tim Boetsch in the first round earlier this summer. Belfort was demolished by UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in his last fight, but had a highlight-reel knockout of Hendo in their previous meeting. These guys are surefire hall of famers and at the latter end of their careers, so you want to catch them while you can. Especially when they’re facing each other.

5. Bellator: Dynamite (Sept. 19)

This is an entire card you should check out, not just one fight. Bellator is partnering with GLORY kickboxing to put on a joint card on the same night. The arena will house both the Bellator cage and GLORY’s kickboxing ring, right next to each other. Simply put, this is a combat sports fan’s wet dream. The Bellator portion of the card will feature a light heavyweight tournament with fighters like Phil Davis and Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal. Liam McGeary will defend his light heavyweight title against Tito Ortiz, and Bellator’s Paul Daley will actually compete in a GLORY kickboxing match against Fernando Gonzalez. If you love combat sports, you do not want to miss this event.

4. Justin Gaethje vs. Luis Palomino II (World Series of Fighting 23 – Sept. 18)


(Gaethje vs Palomino 1 highlights, via Youtube)

These two engaged in an absolute war earlier this year. They traded bomb after bomb after bomb and pummeled each other mercilessly. Gaethje scored a third-round TKO victory, but Palomino’s tremendous heart and aggression against Gaethje secured him another chance at the gold. Their first meeting has been one of the less-heralded fights of 2015. But after this sequel, both of these guys should be household names.

3. Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold (UFC 194 – Dec. 12)


(Fan-made trailer for UFC 194, via BrattMamley)

These two are probably the two best middleweight fighters in the world right now. They’ve been circling each other for a while now and after Weidman’s demolition of Belfort and Rockhold running through Lyoto Machida in their previous bouts, the time is now for Weidman and Rockhold to go toe-to-toe for UFC’s middleweight title. These guys are sharing the UFC 194 with Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor. While that fight will likely get the lion’s share of the promotion, Weidman/Rockhold has all the making of a classic. Neither man gives an inch and will bring everything they have to the table. This will be a terrific fight to watch.

2. Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit (UFC 193 – Nov. 14 TBD)

It may have suffered a slight setback thanks to an unfortunate thumb injury, but simply put, if you like violence, you will enjoy this fight. Both Lawler and Condit enjoy rearranging their opponent’s faces – Lawler with Rory MacDonald, and Condit with Thiago Alves. Expect nothing less than a brutal, bloody, punishing affair with this one. There will be no strategy, no gameplan. If any fight encompasses the saying “Two men enter, one man leaves,” it’s this one. Just sit back, relax and enjoy violence in its purest form with this one.

1. Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor (UFC 194 – Dec. 12)


(Aldo vs. McGregor promo, once again via BrattMamley)

The fight EVERYONE’S talked about. This was supposed to happen at UFC 189 in July, and even had a world tour to go with it. Unfortunately, Aldo had to pull out right before the fight with an injury. McGregor defeated Chad Mendes for the interim featherweight title, and will now face Aldo to determine UFC’s true featherweight champion. The hype surrounding this fight will be off the charts, and it will be almost a full calendar year before the anticipation for this fight really kicked into gear. Aldo and McGregor are the two best featherweights in the world. It is long past time for these two to square off, and it can’t come at a better time than just before the holidays. Merry Christmas to all of us.

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also opines on various topics within UFC, Bellator and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, and follow him on Twitter: @mmamaryland.

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UFC on FOX 15 Highlights/Results: Rockhold Dominates Machida, Holloway Batters Swanson + More

(via UFC on FOX.)

Heading into last weekend’s stacked UFC on FOX 15 card, headliners Lyoto Machida and Luke Rockhold were being given little more than a coin flip’s chance against one another in their middleweight #1 contender match. But once the cage door closed, it was another story entirely. Rockhold dominated Machida — a guy who had looked nearly untouchable himself since dropping to 185 lbs — in every aspect of the game (but especially on the ground) en route to a second round submission. Physically, Rockhold appeared as if he was fighting down a weight class, a facet made all the more confounding when you consider that he was facing a former light-heavyweight champion.

UFC on FOX 15 was a “changing of the guard” card in many respects, with the biggest prospects (Sterling, Holloway, VanZant) going a perfect 3-0 over veterans of the game. It was also a night that finally closed the book on whether or not we should permanently erase TUF 19 from our memories. (Hint: Yes, yes we should.). So join us after the jump for all the highlights and a full list of results.

The post UFC on FOX 15 Highlights/Results: Rockhold Dominates Machida, Holloway Batters Swanson + More appeared first on Cagepotato.


(via UFC on FOX.)

Heading into last weekend’s stacked UFC on FOX 15 card, headliners Lyoto Machida and Luke Rockhold were being given little more than a coin flip’s chance against one another in their middleweight #1 contender match. But once the cage door closed, it was another story entirely. Rockhold dominated Machida — a guy who had looked nearly untouchable himself since dropping to 185 lbs — in every aspect of the game (but especially on the ground) en route to a second round submission. Physically, Rockhold appeared as if he was fighting down a weight class, a facet made all the more confounding when you consider that he was facing a former light-heavyweight champion.

UFC on FOX 15 was a “changing of the guard” card in many respects, with the biggest prospects (Sterling, Holloway, VanZant) going a perfect 3-0 over veterans of the game. It was also a night that finally closed the book on whether or not we should permanently erase TUF 19 from our memories. (Hint: Yes, yes we should.). So join us after the jump for all the highlights and a full list of results.

Souza vs. Camozzi

If you were a fan of Souza vs. Camozzi 1, then boy would you have loved the second! Why? IT WAS THE EXACT SAME THING. “Jacare” peppered Camozzi on the feet, took him down, and submitted with an armbar in a minute less than it took him the first time. It was…upsetting to watch — like seeing a turtle struggling to flip itself over in the Nevada sun. Though hearing Dana White go from “Camozzi is a warrior!” to “K bro I’m out” in under 3 minutes almost made this slaughter worth watching.

Holloway vs. Swanson

Perhaps the most surprising performance of the night went to Max Holloway, a gifted prospect who many thought was just a year or so behind being able to hang with a veteran like Cub Swanson. They were wrong. Holloway appeared to be at least 2 steps ahead of Swanson from the very start, battering the former WEC star with a diverse offensive attack that Swanson simply could not compare with. After punishing Swanson with a series of body shots in the third, Holloway snatched onto a lightning quick mounted guillotine that forced Swanson to tap. The beauty of Holloway’s performance was only overshadowed by Swanson’s litany of injuries.

VanZant vs. Herrig

Speaking of dominant showings, Paige VanZant, everybody. At 21 years old, “12 Gauge” has already been dubbed as the future of the women’s strawweight division by some, and Saturday night’s performance proved that it isn’t only because of her looks. After an early misstep (WHY WITH THE HEAD & ARM THROW, LADIES. WHY?!!!), Van Zant looked damn near flawless against the always tough Felice Herrig, brutalizing her in the clinch and on the ground from bell to bell. VanZant has the world in her hands, it seems, but let’s hope the UFC doesn’t drink too much of the Kool-Aid for now. As good as she is, it’ll be awhile before Van Zant will be able to handle the likes of Joanna Champion.

Check out the full UFC on FOX 15 results below.

Main card
Luke Rockhold def. Lyoto Machida via submission (rear-naked choke)
Jacare Souza def. Chris Camozzi via submission (armbar)
Max Holloway def. Cub Swanson via submission (guillotine)
Paige VanZant def. Felice Herrig via unanimous decision

Undercard
Beneil Dariush def. Jim Miller via unanimous decision
Ovince St. Preux def. Patrick Cummins via first-round TKO
Gian Villante def. Corey Anderson via third-round TKO
Aljamain Sterling def. Takeya Mizugaki via submission (arm triangle)
Tim Means def. George Sullivan via submission (arm triangle)
Diego Brandao def. Jimy Hettes via first-round TKO (doctor’s stoppage)
Chris Dempsey def. Eddie Gordon via split decision

The post UFC on FOX 15 Highlights/Results: Rockhold Dominates Machida, Holloway Batters Swanson + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC on FOX 15 Highlights/Results: Rockhold Dominates Machida, Holloway Batters Swanson + More

(via UFC on FOX.)

Heading into last weekend’s stacked UFC on FOX 15 card, headliners Lyoto Machida and Luke Rockhold were being given little more than a coin flip’s chance against one another in their middleweight #1 contender match. But once the cage door closed, it was another story entirely. Rockhold dominated Machida — a guy who had looked nearly untouchable himself since dropping to 185 lbs — in every aspect of the game (but especially on the ground) en route to a second round submission. Physically, Rockhold appeared as if he was fighting down a weight class, a facet made all the more confounding when you consider that he was facing a former light-heavyweight champion.

UFC on FOX 15 was a “changing of the guard” card in many respects, with the biggest prospects (Sterling, Holloway, VanZant) going a perfect 3-0 over veterans of the game. It was also a night that finally closed the book on whether or not we should permanently erase TUF 19 from our memories. (Hint: Yes, yes we should.). So join us after the jump for all the highlights and a full list of results.

The post UFC on FOX 15 Highlights/Results: Rockhold Dominates Machida, Holloway Batters Swanson + More appeared first on Cagepotato.


(via UFC on FOX.)

Heading into last weekend’s stacked UFC on FOX 15 card, headliners Lyoto Machida and Luke Rockhold were being given little more than a coin flip’s chance against one another in their middleweight #1 contender match. But once the cage door closed, it was another story entirely. Rockhold dominated Machida — a guy who had looked nearly untouchable himself since dropping to 185 lbs — in every aspect of the game (but especially on the ground) en route to a second round submission. Physically, Rockhold appeared as if he was fighting down a weight class, a facet made all the more confounding when you consider that he was facing a former light-heavyweight champion.

UFC on FOX 15 was a “changing of the guard” card in many respects, with the biggest prospects (Sterling, Holloway, VanZant) going a perfect 3-0 over veterans of the game. It was also a night that finally closed the book on whether or not we should permanently erase TUF 19 from our memories. (Hint: Yes, yes we should.). So join us after the jump for all the highlights and a full list of results.

Souza vs. Camozzi

If you were a fan of Souza vs. Camozzi 1, then boy would you have loved the second! Why? IT WAS THE EXACT SAME THING. “Jacare” peppered Camozzi on the feet, took him down, and submitted with an armbar in a minute less than it took him the first time. It was…upsetting to watch — like seeing a turtle struggling to flip itself over in the Nevada sun. Though hearing Dana White go from “Camozzi is a warrior!” to “K bro I’m out” in under 3 minutes almost made this slaughter worth watching.

Holloway vs. Swanson

Perhaps the most surprising performance of the night went to Max Holloway, a gifted prospect who many thought was just a year or so behind being able to hang with a veteran like Cub Swanson. They were wrong. Holloway appeared to be at least 2 steps ahead of Swanson from the very start, battering the former WEC star with a diverse offensive attack that Swanson simply could not compare with. After punishing Swanson with a series of body shots in the third, Holloway snatched onto a lightning quick mounted guillotine that forced Swanson to tap. The beauty of Holloway’s performance was only overshadowed by Swanson’s litany of injuries.

VanZant vs. Herrig

Speaking of dominant showings, Paige VanZant, everybody. At 21 years old, “12 Gauge” has already been dubbed as the future of the women’s strawweight division by some, and Saturday night’s performance proved that it isn’t only because of her looks. After an early misstep (WHY WITH THE HEAD & ARM THROW, LADIES. WHY?!!!), Van Zant looked damn near flawless against the always tough Felice Herrig, brutalizing her in the clinch and on the ground from bell to bell. VanZant has the world in her hands, it seems, but let’s hope the UFC doesn’t drink too much of the Kool-Aid for now. As good as she is, it’ll be awhile before Van Zant will be able to handle the likes of Joanna Champion.

Check out the full UFC on FOX 15 results below.

Main card
Luke Rockhold def. Lyoto Machida via submission (rear-naked choke)
Jacare Souza def. Chris Camozzi via submission (armbar)
Max Holloway def. Cub Swanson via submission (guillotine)
Paige VanZant def. Felice Herrig via unanimous decision

Undercard
Beneil Dariush def. Jim Miller via unanimous decision
Ovince St. Preux def. Patrick Cummins via first-round TKO
Gian Villante def. Corey Anderson via third-round TKO
Aljamain Sterling def. Takeya Mizugaki via submission (arm triangle)
Tim Means def. George Sullivan via submission (arm triangle)
Diego Brandao def. Jimy Hettes via first-round TKO (doctor’s stoppage)
Chris Dempsey def. Eddie Gordon via split decision

The post UFC on FOX 15 Highlights/Results: Rockhold Dominates Machida, Holloway Batters Swanson + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

Lyoto Machida vs. Luke Rockhold to Headline UFC on FOX 15, April 18th in Newark


(Fun fact: “Lyoto” is Japanese-Brazilian for “Luke.” Crazy, right? And not at all accurate! / Props: FOX Sports/Getty)

A match between top-five ranked middleweight contenders Lyoto Machida and Luke Rockhold will serve as the main event of UFC on FOX 15, April 18th at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. MMAFighting.com first reported the booking, which was confirmed by Rockhold himself on Instagram.

Machida is fresh off his 62-second squashing of CB Dollaway at UFC Fight Night 58 in December, which was the Dragon’s first Octagon appearance since his unsuccessful (but fantastic) title challenge against Chris Weidman last July. Rockhold is coming off a 3-0 run in 2014, where he scored stoppage wins over Costa Philippou, Tim Boetsch, and Michael Bisping.

After months of politely suggesting the matchup, Lyoto Machida finally has the opponent he wants, and we’re psyched about it. No other bouts have been reported for UFC on FOX 15 yet; we’ll let you know when that changes.


(Fun fact: “Lyoto” is Japanese-Brazilian for “Luke.” Crazy, right? And not at all accurate! / Props: FOX Sports/Getty)

A match between top-five ranked middleweight contenders Lyoto Machida and Luke Rockhold will serve as the main event of UFC on FOX 15, April 18th at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. MMAFighting.com first reported the booking, which was confirmed by Rockhold himself on Instagram.

Machida is fresh off his 62-second squashing of CB Dollaway at UFC Fight Night 58 in December, which was the Dragon’s first Octagon appearance since his unsuccessful (but fantastic) title challenge against Chris Weidman last July. Rockhold is coming off a 3-0 run in 2014, where he scored stoppage wins over Costa Philippou, Tim Boetsch, and Michael Bisping.

After months of politely suggesting the matchup, Lyoto Machida finally has the opponent he wants, and we’re psyched about it. No other bouts have been reported for UFC on FOX 15 yet; we’ll let you know when that changes.

UFC Fight Night 55: Rockhold vs. Bisping — Main Card Liveblog


(Michael Bisping does his best Stephan Bonnar impression at yesterday’s weigh-ins. Needs more blood. / Photo via Getty)

UFC Fight Night 55 is underway at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia, headlined by Michael Bisping‘s latest grudge match against fellow middleweight Luke Rockhold. Plus, lightweight Ross Pearson slugs it out with Al Iaquinta, and Aussie fighters Robert Whittaker and Soa Palelei fight Clint Hester and Walt Harris, respectively.

For those of you poor souls without Fight Pass, our tireless liveblogger Bear Siragusa will be sticking live results and commentary after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and leave us your thoughts in the comments section or on twitter @cagepotatomma.


(Michael Bisping does his best Stephan Bonnar impression at yesterday’s weigh-ins. Needs more blood. / Photo via Getty)

UFC Fight Night 55 is underway at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia, headlined by Michael Bisping‘s latest grudge match against fellow middleweight Luke Rockhold. Plus, lightweight Ross Pearson slugs it out with Al Iaquinta, and Aussie fighters Robert Whittaker and Soa Palelei fight Clint Hester and Walt Harris, respectively.

For those of you poor souls without Fight Pass, our tireless liveblogger Bear Siragusa will be sticking live results and commentary after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and leave us your thoughts in the comments section or on twitter @cagepotatomma.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT 55 PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS
– Jake Matthews def. Vagner Rocha via Submission (Rear-naked choke) at 1:52 of round 2.
– Anthony Perosh def. Guto Inocente via Submission (Rear-naked choke) at 3:46 of round 1.
– Sam Alvey def. Dylan Andrews via KO (Punches) at 2:16 of round 1.
– Louis Smolka def. Richie Vaculik via TKO (Head kick and punches) at 0:18 of round 3.
– Chris Clements def. Vik Grujic via TKO (punches) at 4:06 of round 1.
– Daniel Kelly def. Luke Zachrich via Submission (kimura) at 4:27 of round 1.
– Marcus Brimage def. Jumabieke Tuerxun via KO (Head kick) at 2:58 of round 1.

Good morning folks. The prelims have been a gas. Not a single decision! I can’t remember the last card I covered where that happened. Probably because it has never happened in a card I covered. Louis Smolka’s headkick knockout of Richie Vaculik was glorious, and Jake Matthews continues to destroy whoever they put in front of him. That kid is going places… Like bed. It’s past his bedtime.

Which means it’s time for the main events.

First up:

Soa Palelie vs. Walt Harris:

 

 

Video: Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold Exchange Pleasantries at the Fight Night 55 Pre-Fight Press Conference [LOL JK]

 

(*channeling Jay Leno*)

So apparently, UFC middleweight contenders Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold are not the biggest fans of each other. Have you seen this? Have you heard about this? Turns out they have something of a long-running feud dating back to when Bisping broke gym code and declared himself the “unofficial Strikeforce champion” following a sparring session with Rockhold. And now the two will ehhhh…fight this weekend at Fight Night 55 in Sydney, Australia. You know what seems odd to me about all this? That Vitor Belfort hasn’t declared himself the “unofficial Strikeforce G.O.A.T” yet!

At the pre-fight press conference in Sydney yesterday afternoon, Bisping and Rockhold continued to trade barbs — Rockhold mocked the fresh cut above Bisping’s eye he recently suffered in training, while the Brit calmly reminded Rockhold that he had “no f*cking idea” what he was getting himself into. Even Chris Weidman, who was in attendance with his trusty sidekick Ray Longo, got in on the action when asked how he thought the fight would play out. Check out some highlights from the conference above, then make sure to catch the weigh-ins tonight starting at 9 p.m. EST.

–J. Jones

 

(*channeling Jay Leno*)

So apparently, UFC middleweight contenders Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold are not the biggest fans of each other. Have you seen this? Have you heard about this? Turns out they have something of a long-running feud dating back to when Bisping broke gym code and declared himself the “unofficial Strikeforce champion” following a sparring session with Rockhold. And now the two will ehhhh…fight this weekend at Fight Night 55 in Sydney, Australia. You know what seems odd to me about all this? That Vitor Belfort hasn’t declared himself the “unofficial Strikeforce G.O.A.T” yet!

At the pre-fight press conference in Sydney yesterday afternoon, Bisping and Rockhold continued to trade barbs — Rockhold mocked the fresh cut above Bisping’s eye he recently suffered in training, while the Brit calmly reminded Rockhold that he had “no f*cking idea” what he was getting himself into. Even Chris Weidman, who was in attendance with his trusty sidekick Ray Longo, got in on the action when asked how he thought the fight would play out. Check out some highlights from the conference above, then make sure to catch the weigh-ins tonight starting at 9 p.m. EST.

–J. Jones