There are a few different claimants to the throne of woman’s MMA GOAT. Amanda Nunes is right there. Ditto Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Ronda Rousey, if you must. But the front-runner now—and probably for a good long time before—is Cristian…
There are a few different claimants to the throne of woman’s MMA GOAT. Amanda Nunes is right there. Ditto Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Ronda Rousey, if you must. But the front-runner now—and probably for a good long time before—is Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino.
In May 2016, following protracted and well-documented acrimony with UFC brass and others like them, Cyborg finally tore open the door to the Octagon and laid waste to the only three ladies with the courage to face her. Cyborg stayed in character with a first-round TKO, a second-round TKO and a third-round TKO, the last of which rendered her the first UFC women’s featherweight champion.
The 32-year-old is now 18-1-1, her only defeat coming in her 2005 debut. Throughout her decade-plus career, though, she’s had trouble finding willing opponents.
Outside the obvious ducking issue, one problem is her natural fighting weight, between 140-145 pounds, where there is an acute shortage of able bodies.
Saturday at UFC 219, Cyborg will face her most able challenger in years, and certainly of her UFC era.
Holly Holm is a former UFC and boxing champ with a penchant for felling giants—everyone remembers her head kick on Rousey. Her 1-3 record since, though, touched off a slide down the rankings and an arguably undeserved Buster Douglas complex.
Does she find magic again, or does Cyborg take on more the shape of a GOAT?
Meanwhile, the co-main event sees lightweight sensation Khabib Nurmagomedov continue a halting ascent to title contention against one of the UFC’s best strikers in Edson Barboza.
This is a good card, and it’s just what fight fan need to shake off the holiday doldrums. Get up to speed with the complete guide to UFC 219.
Betting odds accurate as of Wednesday night and courtesy of OddsShark.
Holly Holm has the chance to become a two-weight champion at UFC 219 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, although she must end the 12-year unbeaten streak of women’s featherweight title-holder Cris Cyborg in order to do so.
It was in Nevada that Holm, 3…
Holly Holm has the chance to become a two-weight champion at UFC 219 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, although she must end the 12-year unbeaten streak of women’s featherweight title-holder Cris Cyborg in order to do so.
It was in Nevada that Holm, 36, lost the women’s bantamweight strap to Miesha Tate at UFC 196, but she’s hoping for better fortune this Saturday in what will be her first bout back in the Silver State since that submission loss.
A brawl between two strikers is expected this time around. Cyborg is three wins into her UFC career and enters this fight having beaten her last 12 opponents (including a 2011 Strikeforce win over HirokoYamanaka, later ruled a no contest for a positive steroid test, per MMA Mania’s Geno Mrosko).
Justin Hartling of OddsShark recently had Cyborg, 32, as the clear -360 (bet $360 to win $100) favourite for Saturday’s duel, while Holm (+270) could struggle to find the same space she’s enjoyed against previous opponents:
Theweigh-in will take place on Friday at the T-Mobile Arena at 7 p.m. ET (12 a.m. GMT, Sat. Dec. 30), and we provide all the hype leading up to that event, complete with a fight prediction and preview.
Tickets for UFC 219 can be purchased via StubHub.com.
Holly Holm Upsets For Another Title Win
Rarely has a women’s UFC matchup held such devastating potential for on-the-feet entertainment, as neither woman has shown much preference for groundwork previously.
As such, it was little surprise to hear UFC pundit Kenny Florian point to the counterstrike being of particular importance, while former UFC middleweight champ Michael Bisping noted Holm‘s need for space in order to win:
The main issue for “The Preacher’s Daughter” is that Cyborg isn’t likely to grant such comforts. Her pace is relentless, evidenced by the fact four of her last six wins came via first-round knockout or TKO.
Her current game plan remains largely the same:
Prior to her days as a mixed martial artist and gaining fame as the first woman to defeat Ronda Rousey, Holm was a boxer, earning world titles in multiple federations.
Her class as a kickboxer could also be important in establishing a border between her and Cyborg—if she’s able to do so.
Cyborg’s boxing coach, Jason Parillo, recently told MMAJunkie (h/t Women’s MMA Rankings) that he expects his charge to “go in there and dominate,” whether that be on the feet or by utilising her brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
If Holm can keep the fight upright, she stands arguably the best chance of defeating the current featherweight champ of any Cyborg opponent to date, as she boasts the weapons in her arsenal to end this fight in an instant.
For a select class of MMA fighters, their name is enough to make fans come running. The opponent doesn’t matter. Undercard doesn’t matter. If this guy or gal is in the building, everything else is gravy.
Robbie Lawler is one of these fighters.
The snar…
For a select class of MMA fighters, their name is enough to make fans come running. The opponent doesn’t matter. Undercard doesn’t matter. If this guy or gal is in the building, everything else is gravy.
The snarling violence savant returns to action for his second fight of 2017. He’s taking on a difficult opponent in Rafael dos Anjos, who has dominated both his opponents since moving up to welterweight.
This is must-see TV for anyone with an interest in MMA. Nevertheless, UFC brass decided to build a full card for its 26th Fox special. Following the recent trend, this big TV card is fairly spicy. Let’s find the gems of UFC on Fox 26, going down Saturday in frosty Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Welterweight
Robbie Lawler (28-11) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (27-9)
Odds (according toOddsShark): Lawler -105, Dos Anjos -115
Airs on: Fox
It’s a bit of a no-brainer, but it would be remiss to not include the main event. This is the only bout you have to watch Saturday. And you have to watch it.
The former welterweight champ is welcoming the former lightweight champ to the top ring of contenders at 170 pounds. Dos Anjos brings incredible pressure against any opponent, and it’s hard to take. It may not work Saturday, but Lawler isn’t going to go into a defensive stasis. He’s a pressure fighter too, and he will hit back with some of the most fearsome power punching in MMA history.
Yet Lawler tends to rely on his chin as a first and last line of defense under most circumstances. Tyron Woodley reminded everyone with his knockout of Lawler that this is not a an open-ended strategy. Dos Anjos doesn’t have Woodley’s crushing power but still could serve up another reminder.
With striking coach Henri Hooft in the fold, Lawler looked rejuvenated in his most recent fight, a bruising but convincing decision win over Donald Cerrone. But dos Anjos has a weapon Cerrone doesn’t: a ground game. According to stat keeper FightMetric, Lawler’s takedown defense is a respectable, but not impregnable, 69 percent.
Dos Anjos isn’t an Arizona State wrestler, but he has a nice double-leg that he blends well with his standup, not to mention the elite jiu-jitsu that would pose a clear threat to Lawler if the match should go horizontal.
This is a close fight and should be a doozy. Lawler is 35 and has been through a lot of wars. He won’t be able to bully dos Anjos and will be at an open disadvantage if the fight hits the ground. The Brazilian strengthens his case for a welterweight title shot, notching one or two near-finishes on Lawler before earning the decision.
Dos Anjos, unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Santiago Ponzinibbio (25-3) vs. Mike Perry (11-1)
Odds: Ponzinibbio -190, Perry +165
Airs on: Fox
Mike Perry has earned a following among hardcore fans for his aggression inside the fight and relentless brodogging outside of it. He’s also garnered attention for some racially insensitive remarks.
But results are results, and he’s 4-1 since joining the UFC in 2016, winning his two most recent fights. The guy is a banger, pure and simple, looking to swing from the center of the cage or inflict damage from the clinch.
Perry’s the underdog here, but who knows? If he wins, he may get the matchup he’s previously requested—a booking with one Mr. Lawler.
Santiago Ponzinibbio is not nearly as renowned, but he deserves to be. All he did in his most recent fight was knock out Gunnar Nelson in 82 seconds. Like the main event, this matchup is iron versus iron. The Argentine will trade with Perry but has better footwork and a better arsenal of strikes, particularly kicks. He’ll want to work from the outside a little more than Perry, who will want to get in close, decipher movement and launch a massive torpedo down the chute.
The longer this goes, the more it could favor Perry, whose game has fewer moving parts. Here’s guessing Ponzinibbio defuses that as an issue, using Perry’s aggression against him.
Ponzinibbio, TKO, Rd. 1
Welterweight
Danny Roberts (14-2) vs. Nordine Taleb (13-4)
Odds: Taleb -150, Roberts +130
Airs on: UFC Fight Pass
Frankly, most of the intrigue is on the Fox portion of the card. But let’s reach down the undercard for a Fight Pass deep cut.
There are a lot of connections between this fight and another one mentioned. Nordine Taleb put on a good show before losing to Ponzinibbio in February, while Danny Roberts’ lone loss in six years came via a 20-second knockout from Perry in 2016.
So call this a consolation fight of sorts. They may not be at that level, but both are competitive and entertaining. Taleb can do a bit of everything, even if his base is kickboxing. Roberts is known as a knockout artist but can pull off submissions too. This fight could go anywhere, and while Taleb probably has a skill edge, Roberts’ power striking wins the day and notches a mild upset.
For a select class of MMA fighters, their name is enough to make fans come running. The opponent doesn’t matter. Undercard doesn’t matter. If this guy or gal is in the building, everything else is gravy.
Robbie Lawler is one of these fighters.
The snar…
For a select class of MMA fighters, their name is enough to make fans come running. The opponent doesn’t matter. Undercard doesn’t matter. If this guy or gal is in the building, everything else is gravy.
The snarling violence savant returns to action for his second fight of 2017. He’s taking on a difficult opponent in Rafael dos Anjos, who has dominated both his opponents since moving up to welterweight.
This is must-see TV for anyone with an interest in MMA. Nevertheless, UFC brass decided to build a full card for its 26th Fox special. Following the recent trend, this big TV card is fairly spicy. Let’s find the gems of UFC on Fox 26, going down Saturday in frosty Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Welterweight
Robbie Lawler (28-11) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (27-9)
Odds (according toOddsShark): Lawler -105, Dos Anjos -115
Airs on: Fox
It’s a bit of a no-brainer, but it would be remiss to not include the main event. This is the only bout you have to watch Saturday. And you have to watch it.
The former welterweight champ is welcoming the former lightweight champ to the top ring of contenders at 170 pounds. Dos Anjos brings incredible pressure against any opponent, and it’s hard to take. It may not work Saturday, but Lawler isn’t going to go into a defensive stasis. He’s a pressure fighter too, and he will hit back with some of the most fearsome power punching in MMA history.
Yet Lawler tends to rely on his chin as a first and last line of defense under most circumstances. Tyron Woodley reminded everyone with his knockout of Lawler that this is not a an open-ended strategy. Dos Anjos doesn’t have Woodley’s crushing power but still could serve up another reminder.
With striking coach Henri Hooft in the fold, Lawler looked rejuvenated in his most recent fight, a bruising but convincing decision win over Donald Cerrone. But dos Anjos has a weapon Cerrone doesn’t: a ground game. According to stat keeper FightMetric, Lawler’s takedown defense is a respectable, but not impregnable, 69 percent.
Dos Anjos isn’t an Arizona State wrestler, but he has a nice double-leg that he blends well with his standup, not to mention the elite jiu-jitsu that would pose a clear threat to Lawler if the match should go horizontal.
This is a close fight and should be a doozy. Lawler is 35 and has been through a lot of wars. He won’t be able to bully dos Anjos and will be at an open disadvantage if the fight hits the ground. The Brazilian strengthens his case for a welterweight title shot, notching one or two near-finishes on Lawler before earning the decision.
Dos Anjos, unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Santiago Ponzinibbio (25-3) vs. Mike Perry (11-1)
Odds: Ponzinibbio -190, Perry +165
Airs on: Fox
Mike Perry has earned a following among hardcore fans for his aggression inside the fight and relentless brodogging outside of it. He’s also garnered attention for some racially insensitive remarks.
But results are results, and he’s 4-1 since joining the UFC in 2016, winning his two most recent fights. The guy is a banger, pure and simple, looking to swing from the center of the cage or inflict damage from the clinch.
Perry’s the underdog here, but who knows? If he wins, he may get the matchup he’s previously requested—a booking with one Mr. Lawler.
Santiago Ponzinibbio is not nearly as renowned, but he deserves to be. All he did in his most recent fight was knock out Gunnar Nelson in 82 seconds. Like the main event, this matchup is iron versus iron. The Argentine will trade with Perry but has better footwork and a better arsenal of strikes, particularly kicks. He’ll want to work from the outside a little more than Perry, who will want to get in close, decipher movement and launch a massive torpedo down the chute.
The longer this goes, the more it could favor Perry, whose game has fewer moving parts. Here’s guessing Ponzinibbio defuses that as an issue, using Perry’s aggression against him.
Ponzinibbio, TKO, Rd. 1
Welterweight
Danny Roberts (14-2) vs. Nordine Taleb (13-4)
Odds: Taleb -150, Roberts +130
Airs on: UFC Fight Pass
Frankly, most of the intrigue is on the Fox portion of the card. But let’s reach down the undercard for a Fight Pass deep cut.
There are a lot of connections between this fight and another one mentioned. Nordine Taleb put on a good show before losing to Ponzinibbio in February, while Danny Roberts’ lone loss in six years came via a 20-second knockout from Perry in 2016.
So call this a consolation fight of sorts. They may not be at that level, but both are competitive and entertaining. Taleb can do a bit of everything, even if his base is kickboxing. Roberts is known as a knockout artist but can pull off submissions too. This fight could go anywhere, and while Taleb probably has a skill edge, Roberts’ power striking wins the day and notches a mild upset.
The UFC is barreling toward the finish line of 2017 with its ninth card in eight weeks. If you’re feeling a bit woozy in light of this schedule (and last weekend’s blockbuster UFC 218), that’s understandable. But if you’re still game for face-punching,…
The UFC is barreling toward the finish line of 2017 with its ninth card in eight weeks. If you’re feeling a bit woozy in light of this schedule (and last weekend’s blockbuster UFC 218), that’s understandable. But if you’re still game for face-punching, you can do a lot worse than UFC Fight Night 123.
Saturday’s main event is a pretty sure thing. Featherweight violence master Cub Swanson takes on exciting and harrowing youngster Brian Ortega. The winner will be the proud owner of a five-fight win streak and a solid case to be the first non-Frankie Edgar individual to challenge Max Holloway after the champ’s UFC 218 masterwork over Jose Aldo.
That’s a can’t-miss fight for certain, but where are some hidden gems on the card? Here are three bouts to look for in Fresno, California.
Featherweight
Cub Swanson (25-7) vs. Brian Ortega (12-0)
Odds (courtesy of OddsShark): Swanson +100 (bet $100 to win $100), Ortega -120 (bet $120 to win $100)
Airs on: Fox Sports 1
They took it easy on Swanson. For one fight. After outstriking an overmatched Artem Lobov, Swanson is now back in the fire against the hottest new contender in the division.
People think of Cub as a banger and Ortega as a grappler, but both are capable strikers and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts.
The odds are nearly a push because of this evenness. To put a finer point on that, each man is good at hunting and finding submissions (13 between them), and both excel in the scramble. Each man is capable of finding the knockout, even if Swanson is the more technical kickboxer.
T-City earned lots of attention for four—count them, four—consecutive stoppages earned in the third and final round. It leads to admiration and questions. Is he outlasting these opponents with cardio? Outfoxing them with last-minute surges? Does he have a horseshoe stashed in a dark region that allows him to connect on Hail Mary after Hail Mary?
This bout will separate truth from reality. These are two action fighters. Each has a certain advantage, if not a huge advantage, over the other. Each is willing to pressure an opponent to force them to break. Swanson is the best opponent Ortega has ever faced and has a lot more experience. With feints and deception to cover his shots, he’s hard to decipher. On the other hand, he takes risks in the ground game, as evidenced by the fact that five of his seven pro losses have come by submission.
Give the nod to Swanson, who should expose a game Ortega on the feet and keep out of danger if the action hits the ground.
Swanson, unanimous decision
Bantamweight
Aljamain Sterling (14-2) vs. Marlon Moraes (19-5-1)
Odds: Moraes -150, Sterling +130
Airs on: Fox Sports 1
Fans and pundits hailed Michael Bisping for his warrior spirit or whatever when he took a bout less than a month after a choke-out loss to Georges St-Pierre. Then they tsk-tskd the decision when Kelvin Gastelum knocked him out.
He’s not as well known, but Marlon Moraes is walking a similar line. A month after taking a close split decision from John Dodson, the Brazilian replaces Rani Yahya on short notice against the dangerous Aljamain Sterling.
We’ll see if Moraes fares better than the Brit. To do so, he’ll need to use his signature muay thai, most notably the leg kicks that will take the starch out of Sterling’s takedown attempts. Moraes is a good grappler, but collegiate wrestler Sterling is on another level. If Dodson can take Moraes down, so can Sterling. The New Yorker has stifling top control and python-like submissions, so if he gets you horizontal, you’re going to have a bad time.
Sterling’s striking is getting better, though, so he’s no one-trick pony. He lost some stream with two close losses, but one of those losses came to divisional elite Raphael Assuncao and probably shouldn’t count too heavily against him.
Moraes didn’t take as much punishment against Dodson as Bisping did against St-Pierre, but there’s still a cautionary tale there. Moraes gives up one inch of height and 4.5 inches of reach to Sterling, so the size differential that existed against Dodson won’t be present here. Add in Sterling’s punishing power-submission game and this short turnaround may wind up as another mistake.
Sterling, unanimous decision
Middleweight
Eryk Anders (9-0) vs. Markus Perez (9-0)
Odds: Anders -280, Perez +240
Airs on: Fox Sports 1
This is a surefire rock ’em, sock ’em matchup between two new additions to the UFC middleweight division.
Last month Perez sprang up from Legacy Fighting Alliance, where he was middleweight champion, to this, his UFC debut. He has UFC talent on his victims list in Ildemar Alcantara and Paulo Thiago.
He can hold his own in any phase, with creative, high-octane stand-up and a ground game that values scrambles and submission-hunting.
Anders is a little more methodical, but he’s no less dangerous. Ask Rafael Natal, the man Anders flattened in his UFC debut in July. The national champion linebacker from Alabama can crack with anyone and can bring it to bear on the feet or on the ground. He has good takedowns and will almost certainly be seeking to test Perez on that front.
These two will want to hurt each other throughout, whether the action is up or down. Anders should take this with ground-and-pound after a fun scrap.
Former featherweight champion Jose Aldo (26-3) lost the title belt in his home country of Brazil back on June 3, and he will now try to reclaim it in a rematch against new champ Max Holloway (18-3) at UFC 218 this Saturday in Detroit.
Holloway closed a…
Former featherweight champion Jose Aldo (26-3) lost the title belt in his home country of Brazil back on June 3, and he will now try to reclaim it in a rematch against new champ Max Holloway (18-3) at UFC 218 this Saturday in Detroit.
Holloway closed as a small underdog in the first meeting at UFC 212 and scored a third-round TKO of Aldo, but this time around the tables have turned, as he is listed as a -300 favorite (bet $300 to win $100) at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.
Aldo is a +230 underdog (bet $100 to win $230) and had won the interim championship after ConorMcGregor vacated the belt, earning a unanimous-decision win over top 145-pound contender Frankie Edgar before losing it to Holloway. Edgar was scheduled to have the next title shot in the main event here before pulling out a few weeks ago due to injury.
That gave Aldo a second chance to beat Holloway, who has won 11 in a row.
Holloway has finished three of his past five opponents, including his last two, heading into his first title defense. The 25-year-old Hawaiian is definitely the bigger fighter in this matchup, with a four-inch height advantage, and he has used that noticeable size edge to climb up the ranks of the division over the years. His last loss inside the Octagon came against McGregor more than four years ago when he was just 21 years old.
The co-main event at UFC 218 will feature a pair of heavyweights who are on opposite ends of their respective careers. Francis Ngannou (10-1) is riding a nine-bout winning streak and is viewed as a potential future champ. Meanwhile, opponent Alistair Overeem (43-15, one no-contest) recently got a title shot and has won two straight since getting knocked out in the first round by current champ StipeMiocic.
The 31-year-old Ngannou is a -235 favorite on the UFC 218 odds versus the 43-year-old Overeem (+185), who will try to use his experience at this stage of his career to overcome a physical disadvantage.
All 10 of Ngannou’s wins have come via stoppage (six knockouts and four submissions), and Overeem has totaled 19 of each among his victories.
