“You shall not pass!” shouted Gandalf, spiking his scepter into the ground and stunning Balrog, a flaming demon hot on his trail. The wizard stood as keeper of a bridge, refusing access in the midst of a hurried chase and protecting his pals in the pro…
“You shall not pass!” shouted Gandalf, spiking his scepter into the ground and stunning Balrog, a flaming demon hot on his trail. The wizard stood as keeper of a bridge, refusing access in the midst of a hurried chase and protecting his pals in the process.
Later, comically so, Jason Segel did it as well. This time there were sweatpants involved, no demons of any kind (save for perhaps those of a man who was avoiding productivity at all costs) and nothing to keep beyond his own living room.
On Saturday night in Orlando, Florida, Miesha Tate spiked her own scepter into the ground. She spiked it into the center of the Octagon live on Fox, declaring herself keeper of the top of the women’s bantamweight division in a world where Ronda Rousey is the runaway champion and everyone else is fighting for second place.
Hey, someone has to be the gatekeeper.
That’s not meant to be an insult. Not even a little bit, actually. Tate was among the greatest challengers to Rousey, enduring a 10-minute brawl before being stopped in their second meeting at UFC 168.
It’s clear that, as far as the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division goes, Tate is among the best. The other side of that coin though—the one that comes with being a recycled challenger—is that even with a win, her value may be in creating new stars instead of earning another crack at gold.
The division—despite how exciting it is and how closely clustered everyone is outside of Rousey—is shallow. Not shallow in terms of talent—shallow in terms of actual size. The promotion only has 20 women under contract.
That means everyone in every role gets clumped together more, and those roles that would go to lower-ranked men in deeper divisions are held by higher-ranked individuals in the women’s class.
It’s conceivable that fighters could be “in the mix” as Dana White likes to say, but that they’re just as much a gatekeeper based on what they’ve done in the past and what others around them are doing.
That’s Tate’s situation: She’s a highly ranked fighter with some name recognition and an actual fanbase but one with two prominent losses to Rousey when the whole world was paying attention.
Sure, in theory and based on ranking, she’s still close to a rematch, but past history outweighs that theory and ranking, and her value comes more in separating the wheat from the chaff.
For example, what is Jessica Eye? She’s close to breaking into the top of the division, and a fight with Tate might provide an answer one way or another.
What about Amanda Nunes? People in the know have been saying she was coming for a while now, so is she here yet? It’s hard to imagine Tate wouldn’t be a way to find that out.
How about scrappy upstart Jessica Andrade, a young brawler with a pair of UFC wins already who might be sellable to her home market in Brazil? You don’t think Tate, both in name and in style, would be a good test for her?
While every fighter is always looking up and ahead, nipping at the heels of those ranked higher or holding a title, Tate needs to be conscious of those who are coming behind her. Sure, the possibility of a title fight isn’t totally remote, but she’s had her chances, and it may be time for others to jump the queue.
With her win on Saturday night, she secured the right to keep the gate to the upper echelon of the women’s bantamweight division. Considering the formidable foe she is, from here on out she will indeed decide who shall pass and who shall not.
“You shall not pass!” shouted Gandalf, spiking his scepter into the ground and stunning Balrog, a flaming demon hot on his trail. The wizard stood as keeper of a bridge, refusing access in the midst of a hurried chase and protecting his pals in the pro…
“You shall not pass!” shouted Gandalf, spiking his scepter into the ground and stunning Balrog, a flaming demon hot on his trail. The wizard stood as keeper of a bridge, refusing access in the midst of a hurried chase and protecting his pals in the process.
Later, comically so, Jason Segel did it as well. This time there were sweatpants involved, no demons of any kind (save for perhaps those of a man who was avoiding productivity at all costs) and nothing to keep beyond his own living room.
On Saturday night in Orlando, Florida, Miesha Tate spiked her own scepter into the ground. She spiked it into the center of the Octagon live on Fox, declaring herself keeper of the top of the women’s bantamweight division in a world where Ronda Rousey is the runaway champion and everyone else is fighting for second place.
Hey, someone has to be the gatekeeper.
That’s not meant to be an insult. Not even a little bit, actually. Tate was among the greatest challengers to Rousey, enduring a 10-minute brawl before being stopped in their second meeting at UFC 168.
It’s clear that, as far as the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division goes, Tate is among the best. The other side of that coin though—the one that comes with being a recycled challenger—is that even with a win, her value may be in creating new stars instead of earning another crack at gold.
The division—despite how exciting it is and how closely clustered everyone is outside of Rousey—is shallow. Not shallow in terms of talent—shallow in terms of actual size. The promotion only has 20 women under contract.
That means everyone in every role gets clumped together more, and those roles that would go to lower-ranked men in deeper divisions are held by higher-ranked individuals in the women’s class.
It’s conceivable that fighters could be “in the mix” as Dana White likes to say, but that they’re just as much a gatekeeper based on what they’ve done in the past and what others around them are doing.
That’s Tate’s situation: She’s a highly ranked fighter with some name recognition and an actual fanbase but one with two prominent losses to Rousey when the whole world was paying attention.
Sure, in theory and based on ranking, she’s still close to a rematch, but past history outweighs that theory and ranking, and her value comes more in separating the wheat from the chaff.
For example, what is Jessica Eye? She’s close to breaking into the top of the division, and a fight with Tate might provide an answer one way or another.
What about Amanda Nunes? People in the know have been saying she was coming for a while now, so is she here yet? It’s hard to imagine Tate wouldn’t be a way to find that out.
How about scrappy upstart Jessica Andrade, a young brawler with a pair of UFC wins already who might be sellable to her home market in Brazil? You don’t think Tate, both in name and in style, would be a good test for her?
While every fighter is always looking up and ahead, nipping at the heels of those ranked higher or holding a title, Tate needs to be conscious of those who are coming behind her. Sure, the possibility of a title fight isn’t totally remote, but she’s had her chances, and it may be time for others to jump the queue.
With her win on Saturday night, she secured the right to keep the gate to the upper echelon of the women’s bantamweight division. Considering the formidable foe she is, from here on out she will indeed decide who shall pass and who shall not.
Miesha Tate battled Liz Carmouche in a big women’s bantamweight bout at UFC on Fox 11. The co-main event saw Tate get her hand raised at the end of the bout by way of decision.
It was not a barn-burner, but the third round provided a healthy amount of …
Miesha Tate battled Liz Carmouche in a big women’s bantamweight bout at UFC on Fox 11. The co-main event saw Tate get her hand raised at the end of the bout by way of decision.
It was not a barn-burner, but the third round provided a healthy amount of drama. Tate had a rear-naked choke, and Carmouche gutted it out. The decisive round was enough to give Tate the fight.
The world of social media was active as it is on every fight night. This is how Twitter reacted to the fight.
Pre-Fight
Round 1
Carmouche took the round on virtually every card. Tate was slow out of the gate. There was a lack of fire from the former Strikeforce champion, and she just could not get it going. Carmouche used her wrestling and strength to win the round.
Round 2
Tate started to get things going in the second frame. It was not an action-packed round, but she seemingly did enough to even the fight at a round apiece.
Round 3
The most decisive round of the fight saw Tate nearly finish. She showed why she was a former champion, and why Carmouche has routinely come up short against the elite of the division. It was the clincher for Tate.
Post-Fight
On the post-fight show Tate was asked about potential next opponents, and she named Sarah Kaufman and Holly Holm. Both would be big fights within the division.
The UFC has typically put together solid cards for their showings on Fox, but their lineup for the UFC on Fox 11 event in Orlando was their biggest effort yet.
The card was filled from top to bottom with important divisional matchups and bouts that hel…
The UFC has typically put together solid cards for their showings on Fox, but their lineup for the UFC on Fox 11 event in Orlando was their biggest effort yet.
The card was filled from top to bottom with important divisional matchups and bouts that held crucial sway in title pictures across several different weight classes. The biggest of which, both figuratively and literally, came in the heavyweight division in a clash between hard-charging prospect turned contender Travis Browne as he squared off with fellow potential title challenger Fabricio Werdum.
A matchup between Browne and Werdum would be a high profile affair by any standard, but with a future bout against Cain Velasquez for the heavyweight title hanging in the balance, created a situation where the stakes where high heading into the main event on Saturday night.
Many figured Browne’s striking would prove to be too much for the Brazilian submission artist to handle, but Werdum silenced the naysayers by putting on a striking clinic in Orlando.
“Vai Cavalo” peppered the rangy Hawaiian early and often throughout the bout en route to a lopsided unanimous-decision victory. In the process of picking up his fourth consecutive win inside the Octagon, Werdum also earned the opportunity to challenge heavyweight king Cain Velasquez in his next outing.
While the big boys at the top of the card drew the lion’s share of attention, there was a plethora of tilts on the docket that lived up to the hype and expectation that hovered around them in the promotional lead-up. A “Cowboy” derailed a rising prospect, while a Dagestani “Eagle” continued his impressive run toward title contention.
The action was fast and furious at the Amway Center on Saturday night. Let’s take a look at the good, bad and strange from UFC on Fox 11.
The Good
Heading into Werdum’s main-event bout with Browne on Saturday night, there were plenty of questions looming. Could he handle Browne’s striking onslaught? Would his series of lengthy layoffs have an affect on his performance in the bout? Yet, in spite of all the hovering circumstance, Werdum showed up and put on what is arguably the best performance of his career.
In what could be a star-making turn, “Vai Cavalo” weathered an early storm and beat the brakes off Browne for the next four rounds.
Where the Brazilian was supposedly at a disadvantage when the fight was standing, he flipped that particular script and pinged “Hapa” with big shots on a consistent basis over the course of the 25-minute affair. Werdum even went as far as to taunt Browne several times throughout the fight before unloading with a flurry of shots to back up his trash-talk.
With the victory, Werdum has officially earned the title shot he’s been chasing since joining the UFC back in 2012. The 36-year-old Brazilian has handily defeated all four opponents he’s faced inside the Octagon, but the next task on his list is an entirely different animal. He will mix it up with champion Velasquez later this year and will finally have the opportunity to fight for he’s been hunting for over the past two years.
There is no question Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is one of the surliest fighters on the UFC roster, and he needed every ounce of grit and moxie in his bout with Edson Barboza. Historically a slow starter, Cerrone was on the receiving end of a plethora of heavy shots from the Brazilian striker as Barboza had his way with the Albuquerque transplant in the early goings.
That said, if Cerrone has proven anything during his time inside the cage, it’s that he has to be put away to be stopped, and Barboza learned that lesson on Saturday night. While the Renzo Gracie-trained fighter certainly had the edge throughout the first round, Cerrone stuck and dropped him with a left jab, then jumped on Barboza’s back and secured the rear-naked choke for the win.
The Jackson/Winkeljohn-trained fighter is certainly no stranger to putting together winning streaks, and his victory over Barboza makes it three in a row for Cerrone. He’s been a perennial contender in the ranks of the UFC’s lightweight division since coming over from the WEC in 2012, and his performance at UFC on Fox 11 will certainly put him right back in the hunt for championship gold.
Since his emergence on the sport’s biggest stage, Yoel Romero has looked like a monster. The former Olympic silver medalist had finished all three of his previous opponents coming into his bout with Brad Tavares and was looking to claim his fourth consecutive victim.
While the “Soldier of God” didn’t put the scrappy young Hawaiian away, he showed marked improvements in several areas of his game.
The 36-year-old used his outstanding wrestling pedigree to the fullest as he repeatedly put Tavares on his back throughout the fight….sometimes in highlight-reel fashion. Romero also showed more patience in his striking attack where he remained loose and effective throughout the 15-minute affair as he cruised to a unanimous-decision victory.
With the win on Saturday night, Romero will certainly be knocking on the door of the middleweight top 10. With his age and rapidly improving skill set, the Cuban will most likely be on the fast track toward the top going forward. Tavares was a big test for the American Top Team fighter, and he handled the challenge in dominant fashion.
No fighter in the women’s bantamweight division needed a win bigger than Miesha Tate. Since her time as the Strikeforce champion, “Cupcake” had failed to pick up a victory in her two showings inside the Octagon.
Granted, one of those losses came in her rematch with Ronda Rousey, but Tate holds one of the highest profiles in women’s MMA, and a third loss under the UFC banner would have been devastating.
She certainly appeared to be on her way to doing just that as Liz Carmouche jumped out to an early lead by imposing her will in the grappling department. Yet, Tate has never been short on heart, and she battled back to steal the second round and dominate Carmouche in the final frame.
By doing so, Tate picked up the unanimous-decision victory and will remain a major player in the upper tier of the women’s bantamweight division.
*** It may not have been the prettiest fight of his career, but Khabib Nurmagomedov did what he needed to defeat Rafael dos Anjos to wrap up the preliminary portion of the card. The “Eagle” put forth a workman-like effort to smother the Brazilian en route to his sixth victory inside the Octagon and the 22nd of his career.
On the strength of this run, the Dagestani has transitioned from prospect to legitimate title contender and is within striking distance of a title opportunity. That said, with Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez slated to fight at the end of the year, the Russian grappler could very well face the winner of Benson Henderson vs. Rustam Khabilov later in the year.
*** After two years away from the cage, there were more than a few questions surrounding Thiago Alves’ return at UFC on Fox 11. Where “The Pitbull” was once a major player in the welterweight division, a consistent string of injuries put not only his status at 170 pounds in jeopardy but also his fighting career in general at risk.
Nevertheless, the American Top Team product showed no ring rust as he battled a very game Seth Baczynski to a unanimous-decision victory. Alves looked sharp in the fight, and if he can remain healthy, he could return to elite-level status in the welterweight hierarchy.
*** First impressions are always important, and Alex White made his in impressive fashion by dusting Estevan Payan. White dropped Payan with a big left hand, then swarmed in for the finish, which he logged well south of the two-minute mark. With the featherweight division picking up steam as of late, White and his unbeaten record could serve as a solid prospect in the weight class.
*** Caio Magalhaes’ nickname is “Hellboy,” and he certainly looked the part in his first drubbing of Luke Zachrich. The Brazilian stormed across the cage, throwing heat from the opening bell and overwhelmed the Ohio native with a flurry of power shots in the clinch.
While the knee that started the flurry for Magalhaes could have landed below Zachrich’s belt, his finishing prowess was impressive nevertheless. With the win, the Brazilian has now been successful in three of his four outings inside the Octagon.
*** Jordan Mein has shown a willingness to scrap when he’s inside the cage, and he stayed true to form against Hernani Perpetuo on the preliminary portion of the card.
“Young Gun” did his best work when he kept the action either at distance or on the ground, but there were some touchy moments when Perpetuo stuck the young Canadian with some big shots in the latter portion of the bout. Nevertheless, Mein walked away victorious and picked up his fourth win in his last five outings.
*** The flyweight division is in desperate need of prospects to round out the weight class, and Dustin Ortiz has the potential to be a bright star in that mix. Despite a loss to John Moraga in his last outing, the judges’ decision was a questionable one, and his stock didn’t suffer too much damage.
That said, he needed to get things back on track against Ray Borg. The Roufusport fighter edged out “The TazMexican Devil” via split decision to pick up his fifth win in his last six showings.
The Bad
It’s hard to believe I’m about to write this, but there were truly no “bad” moments at UFC on Fox 11. Granted, Carmouche losing her third fight in her last four could have warranted mention, but the judges’ decision was a questionable one, and the Team Hurricane Awesome fighter certainly gave a good fight.
Another possible entry could have come from Browne being out-struck by Werdum in the main event. Yet, it was Werdum’s stellar performance more than it was Browne’s lack of effort that caused “Hapa” to take the loss in the fight. Another angle that could have been mentioned in this column is how Browne once again failed to get over the big hurdle between him and a title shot.
Nevertheless, I personally have zero doubt of Browne’s status as one of the elite heavyweights on the UFC roster, and he’ll be back inside the cage slinging bombs in no time.
All in all, it was a great night of fights, and nothing that warranted a concrete mention in this particular category. That said, there were several strange moments, and let’s go ahead and get into those.
The Strange
Throughout the brief history of this great series, I’ve stated time and time again that complaining about MMA judging is a pointless exercise. There is rarely any type of consistency shown, and judges’ scorecards are typically all over the map in a close fight.
That said, the battle between Tate and Carmouche in the co-main event was a closely fought affair. The “Girl-Rilla” had the momentum early, and Tate weathered the storm to take the advantage late. While I personally had the fight scored for Carmouche 2-1, I could see where the judges saw it going the other way.
Carmouche, on the other hand, wanted a few other opinions after the fight.
Some rules in MMA fall into a somewhat of a “gray area,” and there is perhaps none more questionable than the “three points on the mat” rule. Where throwing a knee to a downed opponent is clearly illegal when fighting inside the cage, some fighters have tip-toed the line on that rule by putting their hand on the mat, pulling it up, then putting it back in order to avoid catching a knee to the dome.
On Saturday, this game of cat and mouse came under the microscope as Mirsad Bektic jockeyed his hand position while in the grasp of Chas Skelly. Bektic went to the well one too many times and caught a knee flush in the face from Skelly, one that cost the Fort Worth-based fighter a point. The deduction ultimately proved to be a critical hit, as Skelly lost the fight on the judges’ scorecards.
While that action was the most dubious point of the Fight Pass prelims, UFC President Dana White‘s tweet during the fight added a bit of flavor to the situation. It is clear White is no fan of the “three-point” rule and had no problem voicing his feelings over social media.
Jorge Masvidal has built a reputation over the course of his career as being as game as they come inside the cage. He’s always been willing to stand toe-to-toe with the opposition and has always shown a particular brand of killer instinct.
That said, “Gamebred” was in a different gear in his fight against Pat Healy. While he worked an efficient game plan to earn the unanimous-decision victory, the nonchalance he showed throughout the fight certainly registered on the curious side of things. Make no mistake about it, winning is what matters inside the Octagon, but Masvidal just appeared to be a different fighter on Saturday night.
Another addition to this category from UFC on Fox 11 was the appearance of Joe Rogan’s suit jacket. The comedian/commentator extraordinaire has historically kept things loose in the fashion department for UFC broadcasts, but Saturday’s visit to Orlando witnessed the first time Rogan has donned finer threads for a fight card.
If that doesn’t warrant mention in this section of the column, I’m not sure what does.
Finally, where did K-1 level Fabricio Werdum come from? In addition to his striking being sharper than ever, he threw some flare in the mix by taunting an always dangerous Travis Browne before lighting him up with combinations.
There were several ways I imagined this fight playing out, and Werdum battering Browne on the feet certainly wasn’t one of them.
Duane Finley is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
Liz Carmouche vs. Miesha Tate was a very important fight. Carmouche and Tate represent two of the most marketable and best-known female fighters in the UFC…and also the two most in need of a win. Both were coming off losses (Tate was coming off two, …
Liz Carmouche vs. Miesha Tate was a very important fight. Carmouche and Tate represent two of the most marketable and best-known female fighters in the UFC…and also the two most in need of a win. Both were coming off losses (Tate was coming off two, in fact) and quite possibly had their jobs on the line.
That translated to their in-cage performances. Tate looked downright scared in the early goings of the fight while Carmouche showed a less-than-impressive grinding attack. It wasn’t until the third round that the “YOLO” Miesha Tate that won the Strikeforce belt showed up in the cage, dominating Carmouche with scary submissions.
That strong third allowed Tate to steal a unanimous 29-28 decision. So what did we learn?
Miesha Tate has Unlearned How to Fight
At her best, Miesha Tate is a female Diego Sanchez. She has a wrestling base that shows up when it needs to, but most of the time she is Rambo-ing on whoever happens to be against her at the time. It’s not the most technically impressive, and it likely won’t ever net her a UFC belt, but it can get her wins more often than not.
That gunslingingMiesha Tate was nowhere to be found for the first ten minutes of this fight. Instead, we got a crappy, methodical grinder who didn’t actually seem to know how to grapple. It got her into an early hole that many allege was insurmountable entering the third.
She remembered how to scrap by the third round, but she was very lucky to have not wound up dropping a 29-28 decision against a fighter that, theoretically, was completely overmatched against her. She has the tools to remain competitive near the top of the division, but she needs to find them if she wants to stay in the top five.
Liz Carmouche Isn’t a Top Female Fighter
Sarah Kaufman, Ronda Rousey, Alexis Davis, MarloesCoenen and Miesha Tate, arguably, are the top five fighters of the women’s 135-pound division. Liz Carmouche has lost to all of them. What’s worse is that the list of fighters Carmouche has beaten is not nearly as star-studded.
That’s not a good thing for somebody who was hoping to make a title run.
To be fair, she put forward a good effort that many thought should have won her the fight. The thing is, her almost edging out the choker version of Miesha Tate wouldn’t make her a top female fighter either way.
Liz Carmouche is Still UFC-Caliber
I don’t want to be too gloomy when it comes to Liz Carmouche‘s skill level. She remains one of the most physically powerful ladies in the UFC, and her demolition of Jessica Andrade at UFC on Fox 8 attests to that.
Carmouche, right now, fits comfortably into a gatekeeper role in the women’s division. That’s not a bad place to be, frankly, even if “gatekeeper” is a label that few fighters are happy to take on.
Carmouche is ranked as the No. 7 female in the division and, honestly, there are only one or two ladies underneath her that I would pick to beat her.
Florida Judges are Terrible
Ayup.
Before the decisions were read, I figured that this was a sure-fire split decision. Hell, it very easily could have been a draw, given how Round 3 could’ve easily been scored 10-8 Tate. A unanimous 29-28 in either direction, though? That’s not something I can get behind.
It was (probably) the latest example of spotty judging in a night that saw a lot of it early on. While Florida isn’t Wyoming-caliber, they made Nevada seem great.
UFC on FOX 11 is underway at the Amway Center in Orlando, headlined by a heavyweight bout between crafty Brazilian veteran Fabricio Werdum and bearded knockout machine Travis Browne. (Winner gets a free trip to Mexico!) Plus: Donald Cerrone vs. Edson Barboza in a guaranteed barnburner at lightweight, and a compelling middeweight matchup between the streaking Brad Tavares and cannonball-like Cuban wrestler Yoel Romero. It’s stacked, free, and arranged for maximum entertainment value.*
After a long hiatus, liveblogger-supreme Anthony Gannon has returned to handle round-by-round results for the FOX main card of “Werdum vs. Browne,” which you can find after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and shoot us your thoughts in the comments section or on twitter @cagepotatomma.
UFC on FOX 11 is underway at the Amway Center in Orlando, headlined by a heavyweight bout between crafty Brazilian veteran Fabricio Werdum and bearded knockout machine Travis Browne. (Winner gets a free trip to Mexico!) Plus: Donald Cerrone vs. Edson Barboza in a guaranteed barnburner at lightweight, and a compelling middeweight matchup between the streaking Brad Tavares and cannonball-like Cuban wrestler Yoel Romero. It’s stacked, free, and arranged for maximum entertainment value.*
Matt Saccaro has returned to handle round-by-round results for the FOX main card of “Werdum vs. Browne,” which you can find after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and shoot us your thoughts in the comments section or on twitter @cagepotatomma.
UFC on FOX 11 Preliminary Card Results:
– Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Rafael dos Anjos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
– Thiago Alves def. Seth Baczynski via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
– Jorge Masvidal def. Pat Healy via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
– Alex White def. Estevan Payan via TKO (punches)
– Caio Magalhaes def. Luke Zachrich via TKO (punches), 0:44 of round 1
– Jordan Mein def, Hernani Perpetuo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
– Dustin Ortiz def. Ray Borg via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
– Mirsad Bektic def. Chas Skelly via majority decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)
– Derrick Lewis def. Jack May via TKO (punches), 4:24 of round 1
Brad Tavares vs. Yoel Romero
Round 1: Tavares opens with a 1-2. The right hand connected. He misses two round kicks. Tavares attempts a hook and Romero ducks under. Both throw round kicks and collide legs. Romero feints a shot and misses a right hand. Romero throws the most inaccurate flying knee but follows it up with a huge flurry of punches which stun Tavares. Romero takes him down off the striking success. Tavares manages to get back to his feet though, but both guys are clinched. From the clinch, Romero hits a gorgeous throw and lands on top of Tavares in side control. Taveres gets up after a minute but Romero gets his back, and rides it for several minutes, all the while peppering Tavares’ thighs with knees. The two separate with a minute to go, and Taveres lands a good knee. Romero gets a late takedown. Tavares attempts a reversal and Romero tried to counter with a kimura, which amounted to nothing.
Round 2: Romero lands a takedown as soon as the round starts. Taveres powers out of the bottom in side control though. When the two return to their feet, Tavares lands a head kick and a right hand. Romero might be gassed here. Romero landed an elbow that opened a massive cut on Tavares’ temple. He’s pouring blood now. Thankfully, it’s on the side of his head and isn’t obscuring his vision. More inactivity. Romero throws another embarrassing flying knee. He clinches and goes for a double leg while he has Tavares against the cage. Tavares blocks the takedown and then attempts one of his own, which fails. They’re back on their feet, Romero tries a single leg but abandons it. They reset. Tavares rushes in and eats a right hand. They clinch again. 30 seconds to go in the round and lots of stalling against the cage. And the round is over.
Round 3: Tavares throws a right. Romero blocks it. Romero has some pretty severe butt sweat going on (or he crapped himself again). The two clinch briefly but separate and reset after less than a minute. The pace has slowed significantly. A few spurts of ineffective striking litter the rest of the round; not a whole lot to report. With 20 seconds left, Romero hits a beautiful throw. He’ll likely get the decision win.
Barboza lands a right hand and a hurt Cerrone attempts a takedown. Barboza manages to separate and throws a massive left hook that missed. Barboza throws another huge right hand and misses by a hair. Cerrone throws a jab and eats a counter right. Barboza lands a leg kick. Barboza lands a good combo, ending with a left hook. He tries another leg kick but misses. Cerrone counters with his own, and then another. Barboza hits Cerrone with some big punches–a right hand, a hook, and then barely misses the uppercut. He throws a spinning back kick to Cerrone’s body but it doesn’t connect. Cerrone tries a head kick but it gets blocked. Barboza hits a stuff hook to the body and a leg kick. Cerrone hits Barboza with a jab that floors him. He takes his back and sinks in a rear naked choke, getting the tap. The fight was over that quick. Kind of a bummer.
Donald Cerrone def. Edson Barboza via submission (rear naked choke), 3:16 of round 1.
Miesha Tate vs. Liz Carmouche
Round 1:
Carmouche misses a leg kick. Tate paws a jab. Carmouche lands a leg kick, and then a front kick. Tate counters another leg kick with an overhand right. Tate inches forwards with a knee and Carmouche clinches. She gets Tate’s legs and pulls her to the mat. Tate looks frustrated as Carmouche just sits on her legs, preventing her from wall-walking. Tate half-asses a guillotine but nothing comes of it. Not a whole lot of action here. Tate gets to her feet but Carmouche takes the back while standing. She lands a few knees to the thighs. Carmouche lands another double-leg and now they’re back in the exact same position as they were earlier. They return to their feet sooner now, but Carmouche stays on her back. This isn’t terribly exciting. Tate tries escaping with elbows to the forearm, then tries a kimura but gets thrown on her ass. A poor first round for her.
Round 2:
Tate hits a right hand, Carmouche lands a counter hook. Carmouche grabs a body lock on Tate and presses her against the fence. The rest of the round will probably stay here…and they do for the next few minutes. This round is looking like a clone of the first. Carmouche controlling Tate with wrestling, tying her legs up while she tries to wall walk. Some action emerges when Carmouche gets a little lazy and doesn’t guard her neck. Tate went for a guillotine. Rogan screamed “IT’S TIGHT” but Carmouche escaped and they literally reset to the position they were in for most of the round. Not terribly entertaining and not a good fight for Fox.
Round 3:
Tate comes out way more aggressive, landing several punches and scoring a takedown. She’s in side control, but Carmouche gets back to half guard without much of an issue. Tate gets Carmouche’s back as she attempts to escape. A rear naked choke attempt meets with failure. She tries a neck crank which also comes up short. Tate is landing some light ground and pound now. She starts to pour on ground and pound, Carmouche tries to stand but Tate flattens her out. Looks like she’s got the choke sunk in DEEP now, but by some miracle of toughness, Carmouche escapes. Fucking incredible. Tate goes for an arm, but abandons it and instead goes to side control. She gets up to her feet to land some ground and pound and the fight ends. Tate was given a decision win.
Werdum lands a hook while Browne lands a leg kick. Browne throws a really big leg kick but misses bad. Browne grabs Werdum in a Muay Thai clinch and lands some nasty knees to the body. Browne nails Werdum with an overhand right that hurt him. Browne floors him with a right hand and is now landing loads of ground and pound. Werdum regains composure and sweeps Browne. He’s on top of him in half guard now. He briefly passes but Browne just shrugs him off and rises to his feet. The striking has slowed down a bit now, but it’s still plenty powerful. Each guy is just throwing one shot. Werdum lands a nice body kick. He rushes forwards and hits a hook to the body. Then he hits a 1-2 and atwo leg kicks. Browne grabs the second one but doesn’t capitalize on it. Browne hits a crazy back hook kick to the face but Werdum stays tall and lands some counter punches. They reset and Werdum hits a big upper cut that snaps Browne’s head back, then hits a spinning back kick to teh body. Werdum comes forwards and lands some a left, a right, and another left that has Browne stunned as the round ends.
Round 2:
Werdum throws a body kick but it hits the nuts, Browne elects to continue without the 5 minute recovery period. Werdum appears to be the fresher fighter. He’s landing leg kicks and body kicks. Then he lands an uppercut. He lands a takedown on Browne and is on his back but only has one hook in. Browne escape but is now on bottom in half guard. Werdum is putting loads of shoulder pressure on Browne as he attempts to pass, which he does. Browne has no answer for Werdum’s side control right now. Werdum is landing some light ground and pound. He’s targeting Browne’s arm now, he went for the Kimura but Browne escaped to his feet. Browne is exhausted, as indicated by some really lazy strikes; he’s super-wobbly and breathing heavy. Werdum nails a stiff jab with about 30 seconds left. Browne lands a hook, then a cross. Werdum misses a back kick but then clinches and hitsa knee to the body as the round ends.
Round 3:
Browne breathing very heavy. Werdum unleashes a nice combo on Browne that hurt him. Browne tries to rush forward but misses horribly. Werdum works his jab; he has much more energy in his strikes. Browne misses big with a right hand. Werdum lands a spinning back fist and then rushes forwards with some wild punches. He lands a 1-2 which Browne has no answer for. Werdum butt-scoots but then does a crazy jump thing back to his feet. This is too awesome. After that stunt he hits Browne with a round kick to the body and a flurry of punches. Browne rushes forwards after that, throwing wildly but connecting. Werdum Thai clinches but separates, and now starts landing loads of body punches followed up by a knee to the head. Werdum is pulling away by miles. He hits another knee. Werdum scores with another spinning back fist. Browne has absolutely nothing left in the tank at this point. Werdum hits another knee to the head and a left hand. He lands another kick to the body. This fight is very one-sided at this point. With ten seconds left Werdum lands an UNREAL combo–leg kick, hook to the head, and head kick all in a split second. Holy crap.
Round 4:
A double jab from Werdum snaps Browne’s head back. He’s pouring on leg kicks now too. Browne throws a labored jab that misses by a mile. Werdum counters with his own that land. After a lull that lasted a few minutes, Werdum comes forward with a double jab and a left hook that all find homes on Browne’s head. Browne lands a right hand and a kick to the balls. There’s a brief pause in the action. Werdum tries for a single leg but Browne pulls out of it. Werdum landed some follow-up punches off the failed single leg. A 1-2 from Werdum lands cleanly on Browne’s face. Browne keeps spamming right hands and head kicks which all don’t even come close to landing. The round ends without much else happening.
Round 5:
Werdum takes Browne down but he springs back to his feet immediately. Browne throws two front kicks. Werdum lands a millionth right hand; his striking is just so much more accurate and energetic. Werdum attempts another takedown but Browne manages to stuff this one. The fight is slowing down, but Werdum is landing intermittent jabs and crosses without much resistance from Browne. He lands a great body kick too. A double-jab, right hand combo lands huge for Werdum. Wow. Less than a minute now, and Browne has nothing while Werdum is zipping around like it’s still round 1. Incredible performance from Werdum, but Browne goes ape-shit with the last ten seconds and lands some nice strikes–an uppercut, a knee, and some others. Still, it’s too little, too late.
That’s the event, Potato Nation. It was fun! Carmouche-Tate wasn’t terribly exciting for the first two rounds, but overall the event was definitely solid.
“You shall not pass!” shouted Gandalf, spiking his scepter into the ground and stunning Balrog, a flaming demon hot on his trail. The wizard stood as keeper of a bridge, refusing access in the midst of a hurried chase and protecting his pals in the process.
