Tag: Mike Easton

UFC on FUEL 9: Mousasi vs. Latifi — Live Results and Commentary


(Well I hope you’re happy, Wanderlei.)

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to our liveblog for UFC on FUEL TV 9 — or as we like to call it, “The event that Alexander Gustafsson’s eyebrow murdered.” Luckily it’s free, and there are still enough decent scraps on the card to make up for the utter randomness of the headliner, including Ross Pearson vs. Ryan Couture, Matt Mitrione vs. Philip De Fries, and Diego Brandao vs. Pablo Garza.

Heading up today’s play-by-play is George Shunick, who will be sticking live results from the “Mousasi vs. Latifi” main card broadcast after the jump beginning at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT. Refresh the page for all the latest, and please throw down your own thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for being here. We definitely owe you one.


(Well I hope you’re happy, Wanderlei.)

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to our liveblog for UFC on FUEL TV 9 — or as we like to call it, “The event that Alexander Gustafsson’s eyebrow murdered.” Luckily it’s free, and there are still enough decent scraps on the card to make up for the utter randomness of the headliner, including Ross Pearson vs. Ryan Couture, Matt Mitrione vs. Philip De Fries, and Diego Brandao vs. Pablo Garza.

Heading up today’s play-by-play is George Shunick, who will be sticking live results from the “Mousasi vs. Latifi” main card broadcast after the jump beginning at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT. Refresh the page for all the latest, and please throw down your own thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for being here. We definitely owe you one.

Thanks to some technical difficulties, you’ve all be spared from an unnecessary snarky introduction paragraph. You lucky bastards. On that note, let’s get right into the action…

Akira Corassani vs. Robbie Peralta

Round 1

Both fighters come out tenatively. Corassani using feints and head movement, and lands a nice counter right. Corassani constantly moving, and lands a low kick. He evads a combo from Peralta. Low kick Corassani. Peralta rushes in and lands. As Goldie and Kenny Florian note, Corassani’s clearly benefited from training with Frankie Edgar. They exchange on the fence, and Peralta closes the distance. Lands a nice a uppercut and they clinch against the fence. They separate and Corassani lands a nice one-two. Peralta catches a kick and throws a nice knee. Big overhand right from Corassani. He looks for another, but it merely clips Peralta. Nice left from Peralta. Both land with strong punches. Corassani remains active with kicks. Now he rushes in for a takedown, but eats a knee for his efforts. They clinch along the fence. Peralta lands a solid knee and gains dominant position against the cage. They break and the round ends. 10-9 Corassani.

Round 2

Corassani circles, catches a kick and counters with a right hand. Peralta going for leg kicks now, and Corassani counters with his own. Corassani catches another kick and follows with the same counter. He defends a takedown from Peralta and grabs a Thai clinch. He lands a knee and they break. Corassani looks for an overhand right that grazes Peralta. Corassani lands a big left hook counter, but Peralta lands his own shortly after. He lands a HUGE left hook immediately after, and Corassani slowly drops.  He returns to his feet, but Peralta clinches and lands some serious knees to the body. Corassani turns the tables, as he reverses position against the fence and works for a single leg. He almost lands a trip, but Peralta stands. Peralta lands a nice elbow in the clinch and begins to work the body. BIG SHOT from Corassani that leaves him out on his feet. It was the overhand right. They clinch, separate and Peralta lands a jab. Nice left hand from Corassani. Peralta lands a low kick at the bell. 10-9 Corassani in a close round.

Round 3

Corassani rushes forward and eats a counter left. He’s headhunting with that overhand now, and his movement has suffered. Peralta lands a leg kick. Then a right hand from Peralta followed by a big shot to the body. Corassani doesn’t like where this is heading and opts for the takedown. Peralta works for a kimura, to no avail. He manages to stand, but is immediately taken down via a trip. However, he stands, and they alternate position against the fence with nothing significant landing for either fighter. Corassani is cut, and works for a takedown, switching from double to single to double. It fails, but as Peralta tries to grab a Thai clinch and land a knee, he loses his balance and Corassani capitalizes with a takedown. He passes to half-guard and the round ends. 10-9 Corassani, who should take this unanimously.

30-27 on two scorecards and 29-28 on one for Akira Corassani. No surprise there, Corassani held an edge throughout most of the fight. What the hell is going on with Kenny Florian’s hair? It’s as if the front of his hair became self-aware and attempted to escape his scalp, only to be met with the cruel reality that it was unable to do so, though too stubborn to relinquish the hope of freedom. Which is a rather long-winded way of saying it looks really weird.

Diego Brandao vs. Pablo Garza

Not really sure what to think about this one. Brandao has the capability to finish, but he’s inconsistent. Garza’s getting on in mileage, but he’s got cardio, reach and skill on the ground. I suppose I’ll favor him.

Round 1

Brandao lands a solid low kick to start. Garza returns with a head kick, which is blocked. Brandao tries to close the distance with a leaping left hook, but it misses. He lands a solid left hook to right cross combo, though. Garza lands a solid low kick followed by a one-two. Brandao swarms, and eats a knee. Brandao grabs Garza and slams him to the ground with authority. Garza works from half-guard, but does not secure a sweep. Brandao passes to side control, landing short shots from the top. He sinks an arm triangle and Garza almost taps… and he does! Brandao secures the submission in arguably the most impressive performance of his career.

Brandao tells Kenny Florian’s Hair something about “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the blood.” Didn’t really understand anything beyond that. Moving on, we get to see Marcus Brimage get his ass handed to him by Irish phenom Connor McGregor via brutal uppercuts.

Brad Pickett vs. Mike Easton

Mike Easton can an extraordinarily frustrating fighter to watch. He over-utilizes head movement and throws punches too far away to connect and rarely initiates any serious action. Fortunately, Brad Pickett will handle that last part. The man is dynamite personified. Should be a barnburner, with Easton perhaps playing the role of the barn.

Round 1

Picket lands a low kick. They both exchange low kicks. Picket lands a nice counter left hook. Pickett pushing the pace so far. Easton lands a nice kick to the mid section, but gets tossed down. He grabs and leg and works for a takedown, and they end up against the fence. Easton lands a nice knee, and then lands a trip against the fence. Pickett manages to stand on one hand, though, and stands. He lands two solid elbows and reverses position. They separate. Nice low kick from Pickett, then a jab. Nice left hook from Easton, misses with a high kick. Now Pickett looks for a takedown. Easton stops it and lands a high kick. They exchange jabs. Easton lands a combo, but Pickett answers. Easton lands a takedown under a punch from Pickett, but Pickett quickly stands. Both men land. Now Pickett works for a takedown and lands it. The round ends, and it was competitive. Not entirely sure who I’d give that to, so I’ll say 10-10.

Round 2

Easton lands a left hook followed by a right hand. He shoots for a takedown, but Pickett counters with uppercuts. Nice high kick from Easton, followed by a takedown attempt. He grabs a Thai clinch and lands some knees. Pickett with a nice body shot. They constantly exchange in the center of the ring. Pickett has really brought out the best in Easton. Uppercut-hook from Pickett. Pickett lands a double, but Easton pops right back up. They’re against the fence, and Pickett is working for another takedown and lands it. Before this fight, no one had managed to take Easton down. Still, Easton just pops back up and lands a nice knee. Pickett answers with a powerful combination against the fence. Easton shoots for another takedown and lands it. He passes to half-guard and works for a kimura. Pickett manages to stand, though. Pickett attempts another takedown but it’s stuffed. They exchange in the middle of the Octagon, but Pickett, tiring, backs into the fence and Easton follows. Big spinning elbow from Easton, but Pickett answers with BIG punches. They swing against the fence, both men landing heavily but Pickett gets the best shots in. Another close round. I’m really not sure who’s winning this right now, but I’ll lean Pickett slightly.

Round 3

Both man land left hooks following slips Spinning back kick from Easton. Pickett remainging active with punches, while Easton lands a solid knee to the midsection. Easton now seems to be tiring as well. Overhand right from Pickett. Easton lands a takedown, but Pickett reverses and ends up in Easton’s guard. Huge moment in this fight. It’s the first time Pickett’s managed to keep Easton down. Easton is not terribly active from the bottom, and Pickett manages to pass to half-guard. Works short punches from the top, and begins to posture up. As Easton turns, Pickett gains a body lock and SLAMS him once Easton stands. Pickett working a front headlock now, as Easton turtles, waiting for an opportunity to stand. Easton stands and lands a solid left hook. Uppercut from Pickett. He pumps his jab again and lands a big right. Pickett lands a solid knee. They exchange for the final twenty seconds, each man landing big shots. Excellent fight. 10-9 Pickett in the final round, and I believe that will be enough to win him the fight. Still, let’s see what the judges have to say…

29-28 for Easton, 30-27 for Pickett and 30-27 Brad Pickett’s Hat tells Kenny Florian’s Hair that his coaches probably weren’t pleased with his hyper-aggressive style and shouts out to his fellow English pub regulars. Good on him. Weird scores, but in a way they’re understandable. Still, the right guy won.

Matt Mitrione vs. Philip De Fries

Can we take a minute to talk about how terrible Kid Rock’s Harley commercial is? “I can’t hear you over the rumble of my freedom”? Expect that to be the campaign slogan for a fringe Tea Party Republican Presidential candidate in 2016. You heard it here first. Anyway, heavyweights…

Round 1

De Fries shoots for a takedown, but it’s stuffed. De Fries inexplicably crumples on another takedown attempt and Mitrione swarms brutally. Fight’s over, but I have no idea what happened. Heavyweights, bro.

Philip De Fries appears to have KO’d himself by running into Matt Mitrione’s hipbone. Hopefully there won’t be a post-fight interview with Kenny Florian’s Hair after this one. Although it would be hilarious if this somehow won KO of the Night. (Connor McGregor would not find this nearly as amusing.)

They do an interview. Matt Mitrione pretends to speak through his translator, Chris Lytle. Groan. Then he says he almost got arrested last night. And he speaks really fast. Well, that’s that. Now we get treated to a solid fight between Michael Johnson and Reza Madadi to pass the time.

[CONSPIRACY INTERMISSION]

Vadim Finkelstein at a UFC event? Fedor vs. Anderson Silva at MSG in 2013. It’s happening. After all, it’s impossible that a wealthy Russian MMA promoter would be unable to obtain his own tickets to an MMA event on his own, just because he enjoys the sport.

Ross Pearson vs. Ryan Couture

Gotta feel bad for Ryan Couture. Has a legacy he can’t possibly live up to, and he’s probably going to get lamped by Ross Pearson. Hey, at least he’s in the co-main event!

Round 1

Couruew shoots for a takedown and gets a body lock. He pushes Pearson into the fence, and works some short knees. Pearson reverses position, but only momentarily. He is unable to extricate himself from the cage, as Couture continues to throw knees. Couture works for a double leg, but to no avail. Couture lands a nice elbow and some more knees, then switches for a single. He lands it, but Pearson stands immediately. They’re back on the fence, but finally separate. Right from Pearson is blocked. A high kick from Pearson is blocked. Couture answers with a front kick. A spinning back kick from Couture. (Never thought I’d type that.) Still, most of Couture’s stanup is ineffective. Pearson lands a flying knee, but as a result is back with his back on the fence. Big knee from Pearson from Pearson, though, causes a separation. He follows with a big left hook. He did the most damage, but I’d still favor Couture in that round. 10-9 Couture, but Pearson has the momentum.

Round 2

Pearson immediately takes the center of the Octagon and lands a jab. Nice right hand from Pearson. And another. Pearson is clearly more comfortable this round. Nice left hook from Pearson, but Couture lands a solid knee then initiates a clinch. They’re against the fence, and Couture lands a solid knee. Both men work to the body and Couture lands a solid combination punctuated by a left hook. Pearson uses an excellent slip land a body shot, then a strong right cross. Another body shot from Pearson. Couture shoots for a takedown, but it’s stuffed. Nice right from Couture. Nice left hook from Pearson. Right to the body from Pearson. Pearson catches a Couture kick and takes him down. As Couture stands, Pearson catches him with a right straight, and he rocks Couture! Pearson is unrelenting and brutalizes Couture, who drops, turtles and the referee steps in. Ross Pearson wins in emphatic fashion.

Pearson tells KFH he broke his foot prior to the fight when he kicked his coaches elbow. Which is a pretty miserable injury to have. Kudos to him. And now time for the main event…

Gegard Mousasi vs. Ilir Latifi

Personally, I favored Mousasi over Gustafsson when that fight was announced. Needless to say, the late minute replacement hasn’t done much to shake my confidence in “The Dreamcatcher.” (But that nickname… ugh.) Still, imagine if Latifi – a 20-1 underdog – could pull off the upset. Latifi enters to the “Rocky” theme, winning the Most Obvious Entrance of the Evening Award. KFH says Latifi could come out of nowhere, “like Daniel Cormier” before he beat Antonio Silva. I’m sorry, people knew who Daniel Cormier was before he beat “Bigfoot.” Let’s not pretend otherwise. Mousasi enters with the countenance of a man who just really, really wouldn’t mind if you would just let him grab 10 more minutes of sleep before he has to go about his day.

Round 1

Low kick from Mousasi. Jab from Mousasi. Another low kick. Latifi fires back, though, even if he doesn’t connect. Latifi goes for a takedown, but it’s stuffed and he finds himself against the fence. They break. not mch action, just Mousasi stalking Latifi. Low kick from Mousasi, followed by a one-two. Another jab snaps Latifi’s head back. Latifi looks for a huge overhand, but misses by a mile. He lands a nice counter left hook, though. Right hand from Mousasi, who’s beginning to loosen up. Another right lands. Left kick lands to Latifi’s leg. Mousasi doubles on his jab. He continues to push Latifi back. Another jab. Latifi goads him on, but Mousasi doesn’t care. He continues to jab away as the bell sounds. 10-9 Mousasi.

Round 2

Mousasi just goes back to throwing his jabs. And they’re still landing. Latifi lands a left, but it doesn’t faze Mousasi. Another jab from mousasi. It’s the story of the fight so far. Goes to the body with it now. Big right from Latifi. Again, Mousasi is unfazed. Mousasi lands a nice left hook, and Latifi thinks better of exchanging. Mousasi lands a right straight and sprawls on Latifi’s takedown attempt. Latifi’s face is getting bloodied now from these jabs. He is relentless. Nice low kick from Mousasi. More jabs. Unending jabs. Infinite jabs. Latifi may have injured his right hand somehow. 10-9 Mousasi.

Round 3

Jab. Low kick from Latifi. Jab.  Right cross from Mousasi followed by a low kick. High kick misses from Latifi. Jab. Jab. Jab-cross. Low kick from Latifi. Jab. Jab to the body. Jab. Jab. Jab-cross. Jab. Low kick from Mousasi. And another. Jab. Latifi throws a nice right hand. Jab. Jab from Latifi! Jab. Jab. Jab. Jab. Jab. Low kick, Latifi. Jab. Mousasi walking aroun with his hands at his waist. Jab-cross. Jab. Jab. Cross. Jab. Latifi’s face is horrendous. Mousasi went for a low kick, Latifi catches it, and Mousasi just decidees to fall down. He has a conversation with his corner, but Latifi doesn’t take too kindly to that. He lands some solid shots, stands and eats a major upkick for his trouble. The round ends, 10-9 Mousasi. Apparently, this is only three rounds, so to the judges we go…

Mousasi wins 30-27 on all cards. He tells KFH he was injured and had a cold. He mentions he may have been guilty of the standup equivalent of lay-and-pray. Ilir Latifi’s face begs to differ. Anyway, that’s it for tonight today! Enjoy your evenings, Potato Nation.

CagePotato Databomb #6: Breaking Down the UFC Bantamweights by Striking Performance


(Click chart for full-size version. For previous Databombs, click here.)

By Reed Kuhn, @Fightnomics

It’s almost time for the interim bantamweight championship fight between Renan Barao and Michael McDonald. But first, let’s examine the whole UFC bantamweight division in several key striking metrics. As one of the youngest divisions with quite a few newcomers, there were several chart busters who have performed either really well in a certain metric, or in Mike Easton’s case, really poorly, so those outliers are noted. Usually those fighters will regress towards the mean, but they’re worth keeping an eye on. A full explanation of the chart and variables is included at the end of this post.

As a group, the 135’ers are the hardest to hit, as illustrated by their lowest power head striking accuracy of any UFC division. But they manage to maintain a high pace of action, with the second-highest significant strike attempts per minute average. (Flyweights have the highest.) So which fighters get the awards in this frenzied group?

The Winners

Sniper Award: Rangy southpaw Alex Caceres leads the division with 48% power head striking accuracy. Though he has yet to score a knockdown in the UFC, the Bruce Lee superfan has definitely put on entertaining fights including sharp striking, rapid pace, and some very retro body suits.

Energizer Bunny Award: Johnny Bedford has been outstriking his UFC opponents more than 2:1 on his way to two finishes. Bedford’s size has been an advantage for him in one of the smallest weight classes, and we’ll see if he can continue his streak.

Biggest Ball(s) Award: In addition to outworking his opponents, double award winner Johnny Bedford is 2-0 in the UFC with two knockout finishes. But an honorable mention also goes to knockout machine Michael “Mayday” McDonald, who has landed four knockdowns during his 5-0 streak with Zuffa. McDonald gets his biggest test yet against higher volume striker and interim champ Renan Barao, in an interesting contrast of power and finesse.

The Losers


(Click chart for full-size version. For previous Databombs, click here.)

By Reed Kuhn, @Fightnomics

It’s almost time for the interim bantamweight championship fight between Renan Barao and Michael McDonald. But first, let’s examine the whole UFC bantamweight division in several key striking metrics. As one of the youngest divisions with quite a few newcomers, there were several chart busters who have performed either really well in a certain metric, or in Mike Easton’s case, really poorly, so those outliers are noted. Usually those fighters will regress towards the mean, but they’re worth keeping an eye on. A full explanation of the chart and variables is included at the end of this post.

As a group, the 135’ers are the hardest to hit, as illustrated by their lowest power head striking accuracy of any UFC division. But they manage to maintain a high pace of action, with the second-highest significant strike attempts per minute average. (Flyweights have the highest.) So which fighters get the awards in this frenzied group?

The Winners

Sniper Award: Rangy southpaw Alex Caceres leads the division with 48% power head striking accuracy. Though he has yet to score a knockdown in the UFC, the Bruce Lee superfan has definitely put on entertaining fights including sharp striking, rapid pace, and some very retro body suits.

Energizer Bunny Award: Johnny Bedford has been outstriking his UFC opponents more than 2:1 on his way to two finishes. Bedford’s size has been an advantage for him in one of the smallest weight classes, and we’ll see if he can continue his streak.

Biggest Ball(s) Award: In addition to outworking his opponents, double award winner Johnny Bedford is 2-0 in the UFC with two knockout finishes. But an honorable mention also goes to knockout machine Michael “Mayday” McDonald, who has landed four knockdowns during his 5-0 streak with Zuffa. McDonald gets his biggest test yet against higher volume striker and interim champ Renan Barao, in an interesting contrast of power and finesse.

The Losers

Swing and a Miss Award: Mike Easton has only landed 9% of his power head strikes, and would appear as the lowest on the graph…if we went that far down. However, (dis)honorable mention also goes to newcomer Motonobu Tezuka who missed all 20 of his power head strike attempts in his UFC debut against Alex Caceres. Tezuka faces Vaughan Lee next.

Smallest Ball(s): Eight of the 27 bantamweight fighters graphed have yet to score a knockdown in their Zuffa appearances, not an unusual number for a lower weight division. But sidelined champion Dominick Cruz has not yet done so despite 170 minutes of fight time in the WEC and UFC.

Starnes Award for Inaction: Vaughan Lee has been getting outpaced through his first three UFC appearances, despite solid accuracy and power. He’ll have a chance to turn things around on his home turf in England against the inaccurate Tezuka.

Also Noteworthy

Champions Dominick Cruz and Renan Barao have similar performance profiles, suggesting that in smaller weight classes keeping a high pace is more important than landing bombs. Barao matches up favorably with Cruz, which should give the incumbent champ some problems when he returns from his injury hiatus.

Two accurate strikers, Urijah Faber and Ivan Menjivar, will face off at UFC 157. Faber will be more likely to counter, but also has the heavier hands.

How the Analysis Works:

In order to understand standup striking performance, which is more multifaceted in MMA than it is in boxing, I need to boil down a few of the most important variables that determine success as a striker. These are fairly uncomplicated variables in isolation, but together they can summarize a fighter’s overall capabilities. Here, I’ve focused on three fundamental, offensive metrics:

Accuracy: I’ve used power head striking accuracy (as opposed to body or leg strikes, or jabs to the head), where the average for UFC Bantamweights is about 20%. Certainly, great strikers can attack the body and legs, but the most likely way to end a fight by strikes is by aiming at the head. And in order to keep this comparison apples-to-apples, we can’t have a guy that throws a lot of high accuracy leg kicks skewing his accuracy stat. The accuracy of the power head strike is a great indicator of a fighter’s striking prowess, and there’s a wide range within a single division as we’ll see. This is the vertical axis, so more accurate fighters are higher in the graph.

Standup Striking Pace: Prior analysis reveals that outpacing your opponent is a key predictor of success, and certainly correlates with winning decisions as it reflects which fighter is dictating the pace of the fight. Here, I’ve used the total number of standup strikes thrown as a ratio to the same output from a fighter’s opponents. All strikes attempted from a standup position are counted, including body shots and leg kicks. This is the horizontal axis in the graph, and the average for the whole division must be 1, so fighters with superior pace appear further to the right.

Knockdown Rate: The objective of every strike thrown is to hurt your opponent, and knockdowns reflect a fighter that has connected with a powerful strike. I’ve used the total number of knockdowns a fighter landed divided by the number of landed power head strikes to see who does the most damage per strike landed. The size of the bubble for a fighter indicates their relative knockdown rate; the bigger the bubble, the higher their knockdown rate. The very small bubbles indicate fighters who have yet to score a knockdown in their Zuffa fights.

The data includes all UFC, WEC, and Strikeforce fights through 2012, including UFC 155. Some of these fighters competed in other weight classes or at catchweight, but for the purposes of this analysis, that data was still included and analyzed. Fighters with only one fight were not included in the graph.

For more on the science and stats of MMA, follow @Fightnomics on Twitter and on Facebook. See more MMA analytical research at www.fightnomics.com.

Booking Roundup: Jorge Masvidal Gets a Slippery Debut Opponent, Pickett vs. Easton Set for ‘UFC on FUEL 9?


(Just like his mentor Kimbo Slice, Ray would find himself done in by the much smaller man when all was said and done.) 

When the list of Strikeforce fighters headed to the UFC was first made available to the public, the most glaring omission fans noticed from the get-go was easily that of Jorge Masvidal, the former lightweight title challenger who was set to face Pat Healy at Strikeforce’s final event before he was forced to withdraw due to injury. While a couple of fighters had been left off the list because they had already booked fights in the UFC (most notably Tyron Woodley and Bobby Green), fans were left scratching their heads in regards to Masvidal, who had both an open calendar and the kind of skills that could make a big impact in the sport’s highest promotion despite their apparent decision to pass him over.

Well you’ll be happy to know that “Gamebred” has in fact been brought over to the UFC and will be making his promotional debut at the lightweight-heavy UFC on FOX 7 card set for April 20th. Across the cage from Masvidal will be Tim Means, the 18-3 powerhouse who basically summed up the injury curse of 2012 when he was pulled from his UFC on FOX 5 fight with Abel Trujillo at the very last second for being KO’d by a sauna floor (Author’s note: By now, you’re likely attempting to compliment me on the clever wordplay displayed in this article’s title. I can only ask that you hold your applause for a time when my brilliance is less obvious.) Currently 2-0 in the octagon, we last saw Means at UFC on FX 3: Johnson vs. McCall, where he delivered the most painful one minute beating in recent memory to opponent Justin Salas. Expect fireworks in this one, Taters.

Masvidal vs. Means is just one of many intriguing fights that have been booked today. Join us after the jump to check out the full list…


(Just like his mentor Kimbo Slice, Ray would find himself  done in by the much smaller man when all was said and done.) 

When the list of Strikeforce fighters headed to the UFC was first made available to the public, the most glaring omission fans noticed from the get-go was easily that of Jorge Masvidal, the former lightweight title challenger who was set to face Pat Healy at Strikeforce’s final event before he was forced to withdraw due to injury. While a couple of fighters had been left off the list because they had already booked fights in the UFC (most notably Tyron Woodley and Bobby Green), fans were left scratching their heads in regards to Masvidal, who had both an open calendar and the kind of skills that could make a big impact in the sport’s highest promotion despite their apparent decision to pass him over.

Well you’ll be happy to know that “Gamebred” has in fact been brought over to the UFC and will be making his promotional debut at the lightweight-heavy UFC on FOX 7 card set for April 20th. Across the cage from Masvidal will be Tim Means, the 18-3 powerhouse who basically summed up the injury curse of 2012 when he was pulled from his UFC on FOX 5 fight with Abel Trujillo at the very last second for being KO’d by a sauna floor (Author’s note: By now, you’re likely attempting to compliment me on the clever wordplay displayed in this article’s title. I can only ask that you hold your applause for a time when my brilliance is less obvious.) Currently 2-0 in the octagon, we last saw Means at UFC on FX 3: Johnson vs. McCall, where he delivered the most painful one minute beating in recent memory to opponent Justin Salas. Expect fireworks in this one, Taters.

Masvidal vs. Means is just one of many intriguing fights that have been booked today. The full list is below.

-Bantamweights Brad Pickett and Mike Easton have agreed to face off in a sure-to-be-slugfest set for the UFC’s return to Sweden. Both men are coming off losses; Easton dropped his first UFC contest via unanimous decision to Raphael Assuncao at UFC on FOX 5 and Pickett a split decision to Eddie Wineland at UFC 155. Featuring a headlining #1 contender fight (or so they say) at light heavyweight between Alexander Gustafsson and promotional newcomer Gegard Mousasi, UFC on FUEL 9 goes down on April 6th from the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

-Also set for UFC on FOX 7 are a trio of lightweight fights featuring a slew of TUF alums. First on the list is a battle between TUF 13 runner-up Ramsey Nijem — who has scored three straight in the UFC since being knocked out in his season’s finale by Tony Ferguson — and TUF 15′s Myles Jury, who is 2-0 in the octagon and most recently scored an upset UD victory over Michael Johnson at UFC 155. Elsewhere on the card, Roger Bowling, a.k.a the guy who made sure that noted Nazi pedophile Brandon Sailing left Strikeforce on a loss, is set to square off against devastating Nigerian striker Anthony Njokuani. The “Assassin” is in danger of being cut with a loss here, as he is coming off a loss to Rafael Dos Anjos that dropped his record to just 2-3 in the octagon.

And finally, TUF:Smashes lightweight winner Norman Parke will be facing a big test in his sophomore octagon appearance when he takes on undefeated Guamanian Jon Tuck, who is fresh off a debut victory over Tiequan Zhang at the UFC’s inaugural trip to China.

Predictions, please.

–J. Jones

Booking Roundup: Jorge Masvidal Gets a Slippery Debut Opponent, Pickett vs. Easton Set for ‘UFC on FUEL 9?


(Just like his mentor Kimbo Slice, Ray would find himself knocked out by the much smaller man when all was said and done.) 

When the list of Strikeforce fighters headed to the UFC was first made available to the public, the most glaring omission fans noticed from the get-go was easily that of Jorge Masvidal, the former lightweight title challenger who was set to face Pat Healy at Strikeforce’s final event before he was forced to withdraw due to injury. While a couple of fighters had been left off the list because they had already booked fights in the UFC (most notably Tyron Woodley and Bobby Green), fans were left scratching their heads in regards to Masvidal, who had both an open calendar and the kind of skills that could make a big impact in the sport’s highest promotion despite their apparent decision to pass him over.

Well you’ll be happy to know that “Gamebred” has in fact been brought over to the UFC and will be making his promotional debut at the lightweight-heavy UFC on FOX 7 card set for April 20th. Across the cage from Masvidal will be Tim Means, the 18-3 powerhouse who basically summed up the injury curse of 2012 when he was pulled from his UFC on FOX 5 fight with Abel Trujillo at the very last second for being KO’d by a sauna floor (Author’s note: By now, you’re likely attempting to compliment me on the clever wordplay displayed in this article’s title. I can only ask that you hold your applause for a time when my brilliance is less obvious.) Currently 2-0 in the octagon, we last saw Means at UFC on FX 3: Johnson vs. McCall, where he delivered the most painful one minute beating in recent memory to opponent Justin Salas. Expect fireworks in this one, Taters.

Masvidal vs. Means is just one of many intriguing fights that have been booked today. Join us after the jump to check out the full list…


(Just like his mentor Kimbo Slice, Ray would find himself knocked out by the much smaller man when all was said and done.) 

When the list of Strikeforce fighters headed to the UFC was first made available to the public, the most glaring omission fans noticed from the get-go was easily that of Jorge Masvidal, the former lightweight title challenger who was set to face Pat Healy at Strikeforce’s final event before he was forced to withdraw due to injury. While a couple of fighters had been left off the list because they had already booked fights in the UFC (most notably Tyron Woodley and Bobby Green), fans were left scratching their heads in regards to Masvidal, who had both an open calendar and the kind of skills that could make a big impact in the sport’s highest promotion despite their apparent decision to pass him over.

Well you’ll be happy to know that “Gamebred” has in fact been brought over to the UFC and will be making his promotional debut at the lightweight-heavy UFC on FOX 7 card set for April 20th. Across the cage from Masvidal will be Tim Means, the 18-3 powerhouse who basically summed up the injury curse of 2012 when he was pulled from his UFC on FOX 5 fight with Abel Trujillo at the very last second for being KO’d by a sauna floor (Author’s note: By now, you’re likely attempting to compliment me on the clever wordplay displayed in this article’s title. I can only ask that you hold your applause for a time when my brilliance is less obvious.) Currently 2-0 in the octagon, we last saw Means at UFC on FX 3: Johnson vs. McCall, where he delivered the most painful one minute beating in recent memory to opponent Justin Salas. Expect fireworks in this one, Taters.

Masvidal vs. Means is just one of many intriguing fights that have been booked today. The full list is below.

-Bantamweights Brad Pickett and Mike Easton have agreed to face off in a sure-to-be-slugfest set for the UFC’s return to Sweden. Both men are coming off losses; Easton dropped his first UFC contest via unanimous decision to Raphael Assuncao at UFC on FOX 5 and Pickett a split decision to Eddie Wineland at UFC 155. Featuring a headlining #1 contender fight (or so they say) at light heavyweight between Alexander Gustafsson and promotional newcomer Gegard Mousasi, UFC on FUEL 9 goes down on April 6th from the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

-Also set for UFC on FOX 7 are a trio of lightweight fights featuring a slew of TUF alums. First on the list is a battle between TUF 13 runner-up Ramsey Nijem — who has scored three straight in the UFC since being knocked out in his season’s finale by Tony Ferguson — and TUF 15′s Myles Jury, who is 2-0 in the octagon and most recently scored an upset UD victory over Michael Johnson at UFC 155. Elsewhere on the card, Roger Bowling, a.k.a the guy who made sure that noted Nazi pedophile Brandon Sailing left Strikeforce on a loss, is set to square off against devastating Nigerian striker Anthony Njokuani. The “Assassin” is in danger of being cut with a loss here, as he is coming off a loss to Rafael Dos Anjos that dropped his record to just 2-3 in the octagon.

And finally, TUF:Smashes lightweight winner Norman Parke will be facing a big test in his sophomore octagon appearance when he takes on undefeated Guamanian Jon Tuck, who is fresh off a debut victory over Tiequan Zhang at the UFC’s inaugural trip to China.

Predictions, please.

–J. Jones

UFC on FOX 5 Injury Update: Raphael Assuncao Beat Mike Easton With a Fractured Arm

Although the undercard of UFC on FOX: Henderson vs. Diaz was punctuated with walk-off head kick KO’s and last second submissions, the evening’s greatest display of game planning arguably took place before the main card as well, during the bantamweight preliminary fight between Raphael Assuncao and Mike Easton. Using a Machida-esque strategy of evasion and counter-striking, Assuncao was able to not only frustrate Easton, but completely limit his normally hyper-aggressive offensive output en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Impressive to say the least, but even more impressive when you consider the fact that Assuncao was able to do so with a fractured arm he suffered in the first round. Assuncao tweeted the photo yesterday along with the following tweets:

If November is the month of the hairy-lipped mountain man, then December is officially the month of the one-armed warrior.

Although the undercard of UFC on FOX: Henderson vs. Diaz was punctuated with walk-off head kick KO’s and last second submissions, the evening’s greatest display of game planning arguably took place before the main card as well, during the bantamweight preliminary fight between Raphael Assuncao and Mike Easton. Using a Machida-esque strategy of evasion and counter-striking, Assuncao was able to not only frustrate Easton, but completely limit his normally hyper-aggressive offensive output en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Impressive to say the least, but even more impressive when you consider the fact that Assuncao was able to do so with a fractured arm he suffered in the first round. Assuncao tweeted the photo yesterday along with the following tweets:

If November is the month of the hairy-lipped mountain man, then December is officially the month of the one-armed warrior.

With the victory, Assuncao improved to 18-4 overall 3-0 as a bantamweight. Easton, on the other hand, saw an eight fight win streak (three of which came in the UFC) that dated back to 2007 snapped on Saturday night. The question is, who would you guys like to see Assuncao face when he heals up, and where do you think he stands amongst the division’s elite?

–J. Jones

UFC 148 Results: Is Mike Easton a Threat at Bantamweight?

Mike “The Hulk” Easton may not be a giant, green superhero, but he is certainly garnering plenty of attention in the ever-growing UFC bantamweight division.At UFC 148, he extended his win streak to eight with a unanimous decision victory over wily vete…

Mike “The Hulk” Easton may not be a giant, green superhero, but he is certainly garnering plenty of attention in the ever-growing UFC bantamweight division.

At UFC 148, he extended his win streak to eight with a unanimous decision victory over wily veteran Ivan Menjivar.

With the emergence of Renan Barao and Michael McDonald, the UFC bantamweight division is quickly loading up with talent. At 28 years of age, Easton is a legitimate bantamweight, who could one day crack into the upper-echelon portion of the division.

Unfortunately, he is still an unfinished body of work. Menjivar is undoubtedly a tough opponent, but Easton showed serious struggles in his ability to close the distance and cut off the cage.

Upper-echelon bantamweights such as champion Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber and Barao are masters at utilizing range to their advantage. Cruz is especially a matchup nightmare for most fighters due to his ability to move in and out of the pocket so easily on opponents.

Easton is certainly a threat at bantamweight. He boasts rare knockout power for a 135-pounder combined with a strong grappling base. The Maryland native is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under world-renowned BJJ practitioner Lloyd Irvin.

It will be interesting to see how his wrestling stacks up against some of the tougher guys in the division. Future bouts against Brian Bowles or Scott Jorgensen would go a long way in forecasting Easton’s UFC future.

Will “The Hulk” continue to smash his way to the top, or is he bound to hit a wall when he faces stiffer opposition?

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