Tag: Max Holloway

Fight Night 74 Highlights/Results: Oliveira Tears His Esophagus, Perez Retires, Cote & Burkman Go to War + More

Fight Night 74 was a night full of surprises, and that’s not just referring to the fact that seven underdogs came out victorious on Sunday night, or the fact that the highly-anticipated main event ended before it ever got started. No, the biggest shock of the night came in the form of 26-year old Frankie Perez, who followed up an impressive (if not necessarily surprising) KO of Sam Stout by retiring in the ring. Check out the video above.

“I train with the best team on the planet” said Perez, “I have the utmost confidence to beat anybody in this division. (But) me being 26, this is my first win in the UFC and my last. I’m done after this. I’ve brought my dreams to come true and I’m on to the next chapter in my life. I’m done putting my family and my body through all this.”

It was an incredibly honorable moment for Perez, which could only mean that one of the UFC’s analysts for the evening, Michael Bisping, could only lob insults aimed Perez’s “cajones” when discussing it with Dominick Cruz in the studio afterward. Thankfully, Cruz set the record straight by both lauding Perez’s discipline and shitting on Bisping’s gatekeeper status/lack of two functional eyes.

Check out the complete list of Fight Night 74 results (with highlights) after the jump. 

The post Fight Night 74 Highlights/Results: Oliveira Tears His Esophagus, Perez Retires, Cote & Burkman Go to War + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

Fight Night 74 was a night full of surprises, and that’s not just referring to the fact that seven underdogs came out victorious on Sunday night, or the fact that the highly-anticipated main event ended before it ever got started. No, the biggest shock of the night came in the form of 26-year old Frankie Perez, who followed up an impressive (if not necessarily surprising) KO of Sam Stout by retiring in the ring. Check out the video above.

“I train with the best team on the planet” said Perez, “I have the utmost confidence to beat anybody in this division. (But) me being 26, this is my first win in the UFC and my last. I’m done after this. I’ve brought my dreams to come true and I’m on to the next chapter in my life. I’m done putting my family and my body through all this.”

It was an incredibly honorable moment for Perez, which could only mean that one of the UFC’s analysts for the evening, Michael Bisping, could only lob insults aimed Perez’s “cajones” when discussing it with Dominick Cruz in the studio afterward. Thankfully, Cruz set the record straight by both lauding Perez’s discipline and shitting on Bisping’s gatekeeper status/lack of two functional eyes.

Check out the complete list of Fight Night 74 results (with highlights) after the jump. 

Speaking of surprises, Fight Night 74′s main event ended not with a surprise finish or controversial decision, but with an injury that I have legitimately never seen before. After failing to secure his first takedown, Charles Oliveira clutched his neck and surrendered almost instantly. He was then stretchered out of the arena, leading many of us to speculate that something very, very serious might have been wrong with Oliveira heading into the matchup. As it turns out, were were right: Oliveira had previously injured his neck in training, then tore his goddamn esophagus in the opening minute of the fight. “Do Bronx” explained what went wrong during today’s MMA Hour:

I injured my neck in training, but did physical therapy and thought everything was fine, but when I fell against the cage everything went numb, I couldn’t feel my body.”

Oliveira also stated his hopes for a rematch with Holloway, who rallied for a fight against Frankie Edgar during the evening’s post-fight press conference. To which I say, book that fight, UFC. Book that fight as quickly as you sons a bitches can.

Most of us could have predicted that Josh Burkman vs. Patrick Cote would’ve been a banger, but I’ll be damned if these two vets didn’t surpass all our expectations and then some. Cote’s legendary chin was put to the test early and often by Burkman, who himself had never been TKO’d until he ate a hellacious counter right from Cote in the third round. Some 20 or so follow-up punches later, Cote had scored his first TKO win since dropping to

The highlights from Chad Laprise vs. Francisco Trinaldo and Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Tony Sims are below.

Laprise vs. Trinaldo

OAB vs. Sims

Main card
Max Holloway def. Charles Oliveira via first-round TKO (1:39)
Neil Magny def. Erick Silva via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Patrick Cote def. Josh Burkman via third-round TKO (1:26)
Francisco Trinaldo def. Chad Laprise via first-round TKO (2:43)
Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Tony Sims via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Valerie Letourneau def. Maryna Munoz via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27)

Undercard
Frankie Perez def. Sam Stout via TKO (punches) at :54 of R1
Felipe Arantes def. Yves Jabouin via submission (armbar) at 4:21 of R1
Nikita Krylov def. Marcos Rogerio de Lima via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:29 of R1
Chris Kelades def. Chris Beal via unanimous decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
Shane Campbell def. Elias Silverio via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Misha Cirkunov def. Daniel Jolly via KO (ground and pound) at 4:45 of R1

The post Fight Night 74 Highlights/Results: Oliveira Tears His Esophagus, Perez Retires, Cote & Burkman Go to War + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

Here Comes A New Challenger: Matches to Make – UFC on FOX 15


(Quick Felice, the spinach! Go for the spinach!!” via Getty.)

By Sam Stilson

UFC on FOX: Machida vs. Rockhold always looked incredible on paper, but few would have expected its impact on three separate divisions. Yes, three out of the four favourites on the main card won, but the manner in which they dominated their opponents was completely unexpected. There’s a new pecking order laid out and more entries in Dana White’s proverbial mix than a Girl Talk setlist (Is he still cool? No? OK, that’s what I thought).

With so much fresh blood in the water, let’s take a look at the most logical next fights for our main card competitors.

The post Here Comes A New Challenger: Matches to Make – UFC on FOX 15 appeared first on Cagepotato.


(Quick Felice, the spinach! Go for the spinach!!” via Getty.)

By Sam Stilson

UFC on FOX: Machida vs. Rockhold always looked incredible on paper, but few would have expected its impact on three separate divisions. Yes, three out of the four favourites on the main card won, but the manner in which they dominated their opponents was completely unexpected. There’s a new pecking order laid out and more entries in Dana White’s proverbial mix than a Girl Talk setlist (Is he still cool? No? OK, that’s what I thought).

With so much fresh blood in the water, let’s take a look at the most logical next fights for our main card competitors.

Luke Rockhold – Should fight: Weidman-Belfort winner

Does “Jacare” deserve a title shot? Absolutely. But when you stack up his last 4 wins (Camozzi, Mousasi, Carmont, Okami) against Rockhold’s (Machida, Bisping, Boetsch, Philippou) it’s obvious who is more deserving. Even beyond strength of record, no one has crushed Machida like that other than Jon Jones. Not even Weidman. Luke Rockhold against either Weidman or Belfort is a compelling matchup and one that will have fight fans frothing.

Lyoto Machida – Should Fight: Tim Kennedy or Michael Bisping (if he loses to Dollaway)

Machida had a terrible night. Maybe age has finally caught up to him, or perhaps Rockhold is just that good. Either way Lyoto deserves another reset fight similar to his bout against Dollaway. Tim Kennedy might be tempted out of his self-imposed exile for a bout against a former champ and if Bisping knocks himself out somehow and loses to Dollaway, that matchup could still headline an event despite the losing streaks.

Ronaldo Souza – Should Fight: Yoel Romero

Souza is a deserving contender with a lengthy win streak, but he still needs another marquee name to really make his case. A fight against the #6 ranked Yoel Romero isn’t dangerous enough to risk his spot in line but a win would put the cherry on top of an assured title shot. Third times the charm right?

Chris Camozzi – Should Fight: Tom Watson

You have to admit, the guy’s got balls. What he doesn’t have, is much of a chance against anybody but the lower tier of the middleweight division. Tom Watson is in a similar place with a 3-3 UFC record and shaky standing in the weight class. A loser leaves town fight should bring the best out of both of them.

Max Holloway – Should Fight: Winner of Lentz-Oliveira

Perhaps the most surprising performance of UFC on FOX 15 came from the young Hawaiian Holloway. Not only did he upset the #5 ranked Swanson, but he destroyed him. Max has always been a developing prospect, but appears to have turned the corner towards contention. A bout against Mendes seems rushed, but he should definitely be fighting top 10 opponents from here on out. Lentz and Oliveira are expected to fight at the end of May. The winner should face Holloway.

Cub Swanson – Should Fight: No one. (broken jaw/hand)

Not only did Cub leave Jersey with a broken jaw and hand, but he may have shattered his fighting spirit too. Two lop-sided drubbings in a row can really mess with your psyche. Some time off to heal and grow would be beneficial.

Paige VanZant – Should Fight: Maryna Moroz

It wasn’t long ago that pundits were calling Rose Namajunas the ‘strawweight Ronda Rousey’, perhaps they picked the wrong young, attractive woman. Van Zant isn’t the next Rousey, but what she does have in common with the bantamweight champ is a ferocious intensity that has carried her into the top ten in just two UFC fights. A bout against the 23 year-old Maryna Moroz, who just upset Joanne Calderwood would be a hell of a lot of fun and create an instant contender.

Felice Herrig – Should Fight: Joanne Calderwood

Speaking of Calderwood, Jo-Jo would make a great next opponent for Felice Herrig. Both women suffered bad losses to young rookies and desperately need a win to stay in the elite class. They haven’t fought before (either on TUF or in competition), which is a rarity in this division, and it’s a great stylistic matchup and easy main card fight.

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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.

Fight Night 60 & Bellator 133 Highlights: Hendo Submits Thatch Toothpick-in-Mouth, Shlemenko Crushes Manhoef + More

Last weekend’s Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch was something of a mixed bag. On one hand, it featured a main event that was both thrilling from start to finish and a solid reminder that Ben Henderson is a badass, toothpicking-chewing sumbitch in any weight class. On the other, it featured more than its share of underwhelming, glacially-paced sparring matches that stretched its six fight main card to the brink of watchability. (We’re looking at you, Dan Kelly vs. Patrick Walsh. Your fight was bad and you should feel bad.)

Frontrunners for “Worst Fight of the Year” aside, Fight Night 60 also saw Max Holloway tie Conor McGregor‘s featherweight win streak and Tim Elliott hit a Samoan Drop on Zach Makovsky (en route to a unanimous decision loss). So join us after the jump to check out all the Fight Night 60 highlights that the UFC will allow us to have, and what the hell, we’ll even throw some Bellator 133 highlights in there for ya.

Last weekend’s Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch was something of a mixed bag. On one hand, it featured a main event that was both thrilling from start to finish and a solid reminder that Ben Henderson is a badass, toothpicking-chewing sumbitch in any weight class. On the other, it featured more than its share of underwhelming, glacially-paced sparring matches that stretched its six fight main card to the brink of watchability. (We’re looking at you, Dan Kelly vs. Patrick Walsh. Your fight was bad and you should feel bad.)

Frontrunners for “Worst Fight of the Year” aside, Fight Night 60 also saw Max Holloway tie Conor McGregor‘s featherweight win streak and Tim Elliott hit a Samoan Drop on Zach Makovsky (en route to a unanimous decision loss). So join us after the jump to check out all the Fight Night 60 highlights that the UFC will allow us to have, and what the hell, we’ll even throw some Bellator 133 highlights in there for ya.

Holloway vs. Miller

Makovsky vs. Elliot

On the Bellator side of things, Melvin Manhoef once again made the case for him to just stop already by eating a spinning elbow from the king of spinning shit, Alexander Shlemenko, in the second round of their main event scrap. This was the third time in 7 months that Melvin has tasted such a violent defeat, and while we would normally hop on our soapbox and beg for Manhoef to retire about now, we’re going to refrain from doing so. MMA has taught us nothing if not that our opinions are useless, so we say fight on, Melvin! Pay no mind to those increasingly noticeable tremors, memory loss, and inability to pronounce words. That’s just weakness leaving the body! HYEAHH!!!

Oh right, the highlights.


UFC Fight Night 49 Results: Live Blogging the Fights You Care About


(Photo via Getty)

It’s round two of today’s UFC double-header! Earlier this morning we got to see Michael Bisping batter Cung Le and Tyron Woodley knock out Dong Hyun Kim in just a minute.

But like with that card, tonight’s event only has a handful of fights worth spending money to live blog. Those fights are: 1. UFC Fight Night 49’s main event, Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Benson Henderson. 2. The co-main event, Mike Pyle vs. Jordan Mein and 3. Francis Carmont vs. Thales Leites.

If you want to know the full results of the card, we’ll have them after the jump:


(Photo via Getty)

It’s round two of today’s UFC double-header! Earlier this morning we got to see Michael Bisping batter Cung Le and Tyron Woodley knock out Dong Hyun Kim in just a minute.

But like with that card, tonight’s event only has a handful of fights worth spending money to live blog. Those fights are: 1. UFC Fight Night 49′s main event, Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Benson Henderson. 2. The co-main event, Mike Pyle vs. Jordan Mein and 3. Francis Carmont vs. Thales Leites.

If you want to know the full results of the card, we’ll have them right here:

Preliminary Card

Neil Magny vs. Alex Garcia
Beneil Dariush vs. Tony Martin
Matt Hobar def. Aaron Phillips via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ben Saunders def. Chris Heatherly via submission (omoplata) at 2:18 of round one.
Wilson Reis def. Joby Sanchez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Main Card

James Vick vs. Walmir Lazaro
Chas Skelly vs. Tom Niinimaki
Max Holloway vs. Mirsad Bektic

Please wait for the live blogging to commence…

Francis Carmont vs. Thales Leites

Mike Pyle vs. Jordan Mein

Benson Henderson vs. Rafel Dos Anjos