The Octagon heads to Hidalgo, Texas, on Saturday with a fun show on Fox Sports 1. Name value isn’t the card’s strong suit, but it should produce action from top to bottom.
In the main event, Dustin Poirier takes on Michael Johnson in a barnburner …
The Octagon heads to Hidalgo, Texas, on Saturday with a fun show on Fox Sports 1. Name value isn’t the card’s strong suit, but it should produce action from top to bottom.
In the main event, Dustin Poirier takes on Michael Johnson in a barnburner of a fight between lightweight contenders on the cusp of the elite in MMA‘s most stacked division. On paper, the matchup between skilled, powerful and quick-paced strikers looks like a potential Fight of the Year contender.
Similarly well-matched bouts adorn the rest of the card. The co-main event between Uriah Hall and Derek Brunson matches up-and-comers in a stagnant middleweight division and could turn into a grinding affair, but the fight between Evan Dunham and late replacement Rick Glenn will be all action. The main card opener features blue-chip prospect Islam Makhachev and Chris Wade in a strong lightweight scrap.
There are no well-known names on the preliminary segment, but as with the main card, action fights should abound.
UFC Fight Night 94 is headlined by a top-10 ranked lightweight battle between No. 7-ranked contender Dustin Poirier (20-4) and No. 10-ranked Michael Johnson (16-10). Poirier is 4-0 since returning to the lightweight division and a win over Johnson…
UFC Fight Night 94 is headlined by a top-10 ranked lightweight battle between No. 7-ranked contender Dustin Poirier (20-4) and No. 10-ranked Michael Johnson (16-10). Poirier is 4-0 since returning to the lightweight division and a win over Johnson should elevate him into the title hunt, while Johnson looks to end a two-fight skid. This is a high-level, high-octane matchup that showcases the depth of the 155-pound division.
Which lightweight contender will walk out of Texas with eyes toward title contention?
The Cleveland crowd was rocking and rolling all night long and got to turn the volume up to 11 when hometown hero Stipe Miocic retained his UFC heavyweight championship.
Miocic and Alistair Overeem had a phenomenal one-round showcase. Each heavyweight …
The Cleveland crowd was rocking and rolling all night long and got to turn the volume up to 11 when hometown hero Stipe Miocic retained his UFC heavyweight championship.
Miocic and Alistair Overeem had a phenomenal one-round showcase. Each heavyweight had his moments, but it was the champion who won the day. Brutal ground-and-pound knocked out Overeem cold.
Also in action, CM Punk made his long-awaited MMA debut. It was as expected: quick and painful. Mickey Gall took him down, landed heavy ground-and-pound and got the choke. The great experiment could be over, but don’t be surprised if Punk returns for another contest in the Octagon.
In the co-main event, Fabricio Werdum defeated Travis Browne by decision to reassert himself as the top contender in the division. But does he get the next title tilt?
Also, where does strawweight contender Jessica Andrade go from here after another impressive win? Or Bethe Correia? And where does Urijah Faber try to pick up the pieces after a loss?
These beg the question: Who should the winners and losers of UFC 203 face next?
If there isn’t a ton of action at UFC 203 on Saturday, that will be the upset of the night.
The main card isn’t loaded to the extent of UFC 202, but it does feature a range of high-quality and intriguing bouts that will be well worth the price of…
If there isn’t a ton of action at UFC 203 on Saturday, that will be the upset of the night.
The main card isn’t loaded to the extent of UFC 202, but it does feature a range of high-quality and intriguing bouts that will be well worth the price of admission.
The pay-per-view card kicks off with an important women’s strawweight bout between Joanne Calderwood and Jessica Andrade, features the debut of former professional wrestler CM Punk and ends with a heavyweight championship fight where someone is likely going down to close out the night.
Here’s a look at the complete pay-per-view schedule along with the latest odds from Odds Shark and predictions for each main card fight:
CM Punk vs. Mickey Gall
After nearly two years of waiting, the world will finally see if former WWE Superstar Punk can actually fight. The UFC signed the now-37-year-old back in December 2014, but injuries and the need to train in the basic skills of MMA have delayed his debut until now.
Standing across from Punk will be an unknown commodity in 24-year-old Mickey Gall. The New Jersey native is just 2-0 professionally, and both of his previous opponents have winless records.
Still, Gall has more experience than Punk, who says he will lean on his training from Duke Roufus and the quality fighters he works with.
“I’m going to do what I do, what my coaches have trained me to do,” Punk said, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports. “I train with Anthony Pettis, Eric Koch, Gerald Meerschaert, Mike ‘Biggie’ Rhodes, a litany of guys that are way better me, so they have been sharpening my skills for months and months and months so I’m ready for Mickey.”
Punk may have received great training in Milwaukee, but he’s still against the odds here.
Professional wrestling leads to plenty of wear and tear, and Punk has been through the wringer. The chance that he’s able to cobble together the requisite skills to win in the UFC is a long shot, and Gall is actually a talented fighter, albeit an unproven one.
It might take the younger fighter a while to get started. Losing to Punk would be embarrassing for him, but once Gall gets loose, it could get ugly quickly.
Prediction: Gall via second-round submission
Fabricio Werdum vs. Travis Browne
The first time Fabricio Werdum and Travis Browne met, they were both on hot streaks and looking to contend for the title.
Browne seemed to be the next big thing in the heavyweight division, posting three straight knockout wins over Gabriel Gonzaga, Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett. Werdum was in the midst of a three-fight win streak that turned into a title run.
Things have changed since then.
Werdum’s title reign turned out to be short-lived. StipeMiocic put a counterpunch right on the chin of VaiCavalo to dethrone the champion.
Meanwhile, Browne is just 2-2 in four fights since losing to Werdum. That’s a far cry from the man who once looked like the future heavyweight champion.
Browne is hoping that a difference in circumstances also leads to a different result. The first fight was not pretty for him, as Werdum cruised to an easy decision and taunted Browne numerous times.
Browne hasn’t forgotten that.
“Things happened in that fight that just never sat well with me,” Browne said, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com. “He came up to me afterward and tried saying, ‘Oh, it’s all part of putting on a fight.’ All that stuff he did, that kind of stuff doesn’t sit well with me. But that’s the great thing about this fight, is I get to have my redemption.”
Picking Browne in this case isn’t necessarily about believing that he is markedly improved of late. Cain Velasquez demolished him his last time out in July.
Instead, it is about questioning just how much Werdum has left. The former champion is now 39, and the drop-off for a fighter at that age can happen rapidly. He made a severe mental mistake against Miocic last time out, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him do it again.
Prediction: Browne via third-round TKO
StipeMiocic vs. Alistair Overeem
Whether Punk can actually fight might be the most interesting question of the night, but finding out just how long Miocic can hold onto his heavyweight belt is the most important one.
Miocic was an unlikely UFC champion. Coming off wins over Mark Hunt and Velasquez, Werdum seemed destined to hold onto the strap for a while. Instead, Miocic came through as an underdog to capture the title.
Now Miocic goes from an underdog to a favorite in front of his hometown Cleveland crowd. That’s a lot of pressure. Overeem, who just fought in front of a hometown crowd in Rotterdam, Netherlands, even acknowledged that fighting at home is a double-edged sword, per TristenCritchfield of Sherdog:
Did I have an advantage in Holland? My last fight was in my country, in Rotterdam. It did give a little extra boost. I can’t deny that. It does give you a little bit more shivers. On the other hand there’s the extra appearances that you have to do. Everybody wants a piece of you. It’s kind of a little bit of a drag on you as well. It depends on how you handle it. I think with my 86 fights and 22 years of competing and training, I’ve been able to handle it very well
It’s been hard for champions to rule the heavyweight division. No one has made more than two title defenses consecutively, and even getting that first one can be a challenge.
Overeem’s confidence has to be at an all-time high. With knockout wins over Junior dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski included in his four-fight win streak, the Dutch kickboxer’s stock has never been higher.
By the same token, Miocic‘s confidence is also sky-high. Fighting in front of his home crowd with the belt around his waist can have that kind of effect.
The difference could be the fact that Miocic has been difficult to knock out in the past. He hasn’t been finished since 2012 and should be able to eat Overeem’s strikes long enough to land some of his own and put away the challenger.
It’s somewhat rare for a championship fight in the UFC to be as evenly matched as Stipe Miocic vs. Alistair Overeem figures to be at UFC 203.
Both fighters are roughly the same size. Both are on the best streaks of their careers. Both have the re…
It’s somewhat rare for a championship fight in the UFC to be as evenly matched as Stipe Miocic vs. Alistair Overeem figures to be at UFC 203.
Both fighters are roughly the same size. Both are on the best streaks of their careers. Both have the requisite power to end a fight with one strike.
Look at the latest odds from Odds Sharks, it tells the same story. Stipe Miocic comes in at 37-50 (minus-135), while Overeem is just a slight underdog at 21-20 (plus-105).
In a matchup this close, who walks away with the belt is going to come down to who executes their game plan better. Both fighters have a path to victory, it’s going to be the one who forces the fight down that path that has the better night.
Here’s a look at how the two stack up and some keys for each fighter to come out on top.
Keys for Overeem
For Overeem, this is a fight that’s all about range.
The Reem is lethal from the Muay Thai clinch and can make use of both knees and elbows to quickly damage an opponent if they allow him to get to the position.
His kickboxing background also makes him dangerous from long distance, as he can break down a fighter with body- and leg-kicks. The thing that makes him especially dangerous, though, is the creativity that he’s added to his striking game at Jackson-Winklejohn in Albuquerque.
Overeem has always been strong with his kicks, but the leaping front kick that he put Andrei Arlovski down with is a perfect example of some of the creative flair that changing gyms has added to his game. Throw in the fact that he’s the most accurate striker from distance on the card, per Reed Kuhn of Fightnomics, and it’s a definite advantage for him:
So Overeem likely holds the advantage in kicking range and in the clinch, but there’s a lot of distance to cover between those two positions.
Closing that gap without receiving too much damage will be a matter of footwork. Overeem wants to cut angles against Miocic that will put him against the fence where Overeem can go to work in the clinch and do damage.
Essentially, Overeem needs to avoid the pocket and either be in or out.
Once in the clinch, Overeem might want to consider working a takedown at some point. While he’s regarded for his kickboxing skills, people often forget that he has 19 submission victories in his career while Miocic has just one submission victory that came in the form of leg kicks.
Miocic’s ground game has largely gone untested. According to FightMetric, the champion has only been taken down three times in his career and never more than once in a fight.
With so much power for both fighters, a knockout at some point is likely, but earning some points in the ground game could prolong the fight and take it a decision.
Keys for Miocic
In addition to neutralizing the strengths of Overeem’s game listed above, Miocic needs this fight to take place at boxing range. The champion has one of the best jabs in the sport and needs to utilize it early and often to establish where he wants the fight to take place and set things up as the fight goes on.
In terms of wrestling, Miocic is a tireless grappler. He averages 2.09 takedowns per 15 minutes, but only does so with 34 percent accuracy. That means if he’s fixated on getting an opponent to the ground, he’s coming at his opponent until they don’t defend it.
Against Overeem, that might be a situation to avoid. The Reem’s submission game is a real threat, so if Miocic does get it to the ground it would be ideal to get his opponent’s back to the cage to limit his submission opportunities.
With both fighters having so much success on the feet recently, it’s unlikely this one goes to the ground, though.
Miocic and Overeem would most likely both spend their time in the striking department, and that means that the champion—much like his opponent—will need to try to force Overeem’s back to the cage.
The clinch might be inadvisable once Miocic gets him there, but it’s a place where he can get into boxing range and do some damage. It’s an area where Arlovski was able to do some damage against Overeem before the kickboxer got the fight back to the middle of the Octagon in the second round.
If Miocic is able to keep Overeem on the end of his jab and work him into a corner, he’s going to continue to have opportunities to land a big right or counter Overeem’s counters.
That’s been a recipe for success for him so far and should continue to be in front of his hometown crowd.
Prediction
In such an even matchup, it’s likely both fighters see success. Execution will be important, but when making the final call between these two, it could come down to some intangibles.
As Connor Ruebusch of Bloody Elbow notes, Overeem’s fight mentality can play a massive role in his fights:
Overeem is what fight fans call a “bully.”. Like your mother told you when you were young, bullies only pick on you if you don’t stand up for yourself. Fighters like Overeem are particularly dangerous when they control the pace and location of a fight–and just as weak when the tide begins to turn. Two of Overeem’s first three UFC fights ended disappointingly, with the Demolition Man having his way only to fold mentally and physically when his opponent mustered the strength to fight back.
There’s a chance that Overeem lands a big shot early and this whole thing is over before Miocic can even put a game plan out there. That’s how he even got the belt in the first place against Fabricio Werdum.
If that’s the case, Overeem will be the bully on Saturday night.
That’s why it is crucial to both fighters to get off to a strong start. When fighting a front-runner like Overeem, the first wave of momentum is crucial. Take it, and Miocic takes the fight. Fight tentatively and be forced to ride out a storm that you don’t want to see.
Either way, the heavyweight title fight at UFC 203 is going to be one well worth watching.
A debuting fighter who garnered his fame in a professional wrestling ring is the biggest attraction for Saturday night’s top mixed martial arts event from Cleveland, Ohio.
That bout supersedes the main event, which features a hometown hero making the f…
A debuting fighter who garnered his fame in a professional wrestling ring is the biggest attraction for Saturday night’s top mixed martial arts event from Cleveland, Ohio.
That bout supersedes the main event, which features a hometown hero making the first defense of his heavyweight title—and no, this isn’t a Bellator card.
CM Punk will make his first-ever appearance in the UFC’s Octagon when he squares off with Mickey Gall in a main card bout at UFC 203. The WWE community and the MMA faithful will be watching to see if Punk falls flat on his face, or if he can pull off an improbable win.
By the way, there’s a pretty significant main event on tap. Cleveland native StipeMiocic will attempt to successfully defend his UFC heavyweight title against Alistair Overeem.
In the video below from the UFC on YouTube, the prime participants discuss their upcoming bouts
Don’t count on this one lasting the full five rounds. Here’s a look at the viewing information, card and predictions for the night’s biggest fights.
The predicted winner’s names are in bold.
Main Card (on Pay-Per-View) – 10 p.m. ET
StipeMiocic (c) (15-2) vs. Alistair Overeem (41-14, 1 NC)
Fabricio Werdum (20-5-1) vs. Travis Browne (18-4-1)
CM Punk (0-0) vs. Mickey Gall (2-0)
Urijah Faber (33-9) vs. Jimmie Rivera (19-1)
Jessica Andrade (14-5) vs. Joanne Calderwood (11-1)
Prelims (on FS1) – 8 p.m. ET
Jessica Eye (11-5, 1 NC) vs. Bethe Correia (9-2)
Brad Tavares (13-4) vs. CaioMagalhaes (9-2)
NikLentz (26-7-2, 1NC) vs. Michael McBride (8-1)
C.B. Dolloway (15-8) vs. FrancimarBarroso (18-5)
Prelims (on UFC Fight Pass) – 7 p.m. ET
Yancy Medeiros (12-4) vs. Sean Spencer (12-5)
Drew Dober (16-7) vs. Jason Gonzalez (10-2)
Gall Will Batter Punk
Rarely will you see a 37-year-old fighter lose to a 24-year-old because of a lack of experience, but that will be the specifics of Punk’s undoing.
Gall has had only two pro fights, but he’s trained in MMA for much longer and more exclusively than Punk.
To the contrary, Punk’s trainer Duke Roufus believes his fighter has turned a corner in his preparation. Per Chuck Mindenhall of SB Nation, Roufos said:
“You come in with a peace of mind knowing that you’re ready. You know that you put the work in, and you know you put in the dedication. And the enthusiasm. I think the turning point was when he finally booked the fight, because it’s where we saw him grow.”
The crash course Punk has received over the past 12-16 months is simply not enough to win a professional MMA bout against a respectable opponent.
It would be silly to expect him to win a fight against a man 13 years his junior, who is also more heavily invested in the sport.
A Punk win would be best for business, but that tagline only matters with his previous employer. Gall will win and it won’t even be close.
Expect to see Punk bloodied, battered and fielding questions about whether he plans to keep fighting after suffering a defeat.
Werdum Is Still Superior To Browne
Fabricio Werdum has already faced Travis Browne once. The former champion dismantled his opponent in their first bout, and there’s no reason to believe we’ll see anything different in the rematch.
Werdum’s game has more layers, and Browne has looked like a shell of himself over the past two years.
Bet on Werdum putting on a show in what will be a statement-making performance as he attempts to earn a chance to regain the title he lost to Miocic in his last fight.
Overeem Will Be The New Champion
Overeem is the best heavyweight in the world today, and he’ll prove that emphatically when he knocks out Miocic in front of his home crowd.
Alistair has always had the physical tools to be dominant, but he hasn’t always fought smart and been mentally plugged in.
That doesn’t appear to be the case in his last four fights. He’s been destroying top-notch heavyweights, and that includes Junior dos Santos, Andrei Arlovski and Roy Nelson.
Miocic is next.
The champion is a solid fighter with proven power, but Overeem has demonstrated the ability to stick to a game plan while harvesting fight-ending power shots.
The combination of patience and power has brought Overeem to this opportunity, and he’s going to take control of it with both hands.
If there isn’t a ton of action at UFC 203 on Saturday, that will be the upset of the night.