I know what you’re thinking: Does this mean that Ilir Latifi vs. Cyrille Diabate gets bumped up to the UFC Fight Night 37 co-main event? LOL, of course not. Luckily, the UFC has already found a replacement for Pearson — Michael Johnson, who’s coming off an impressive knockout of Gleison Tibau at UFC 168, and has been calling out Nate Diaz and Khabib Nurmagomedov since then in an attempt to land a big fight. And while those call-outs may have been slightly premature, a decisive win against Guillard could go a long way in making Johnson’s case as a contender worthy of top competition.
Johnson vs. Guillard has a personal hook to it as well. The two hard-hitting 155’ers were Blackzilian training partners for a while, until Guillard left the crew. A few months later, Guillard took some shots at Johnson on Twitter for no apparent reason. Your predictions for this one, please.
I know what you’re thinking: Does this mean that Ilir Latifi vs. Cyrille Diabate gets bumped up to the UFC Fight Night 37 co-main event? LOL, of course not. Luckily, the UFC has already found a replacement for Pearson — Michael Johnson, who’s coming off an impressive knockout of Gleison Tibau at UFC 168, and has been calling out Nate Diaz and Khabib Nurmagomedov since then in an attempt to land a big fight. And while those call-outs may have been slightly premature, a decisive win against Guillard could go a long way in making Johnson’s case as a contender worthy of top competition.
Johnson vs. Guillard has a personal hook to it as well. The two hard-hitting 155′ers were Blackzilian training partners for a while, until Guillard left the crew. A few months later, Guillard took some shots at Johnson on Twitter for no apparent reason. Your predictions for this one, please.
Both fights will take place at a “Fight Night” event on March 8th when the UFC returns to London. Gustafsson, of course, is coming off of a very close decision loss to Jon Jones, while Nogueira is on a two fight win-streak, including his decision win over Rashad Evans earlier this year, and his TKO of Tito Ortiz way back in December 2011. Bones will face Glover Teixeira in his next bout, for some reason.
After Jones beats Teixeira and Gustafsson dispatches of Lil’ Nog (at least that’s what the UFC is betting on), Jones and his Swede challenger will once more lock horns. No word yet on who Daniel Cormier will get in his light heavyweight debut, yet.
Both fights will take place at a “Fight Night” event on March 8th when the UFC returns to London. Gustafsson, of course, is coming off of a very close decision loss to Jon Jones, while Nogueira is on a two fight win-streak, including his decision win over Rashad Evans earlier this year, and his TKO of Tito Ortiz way back in December 2011. Bones will face Glover Teixeira in his next bout, for some reason.
After Jones beats Teixeira and Gustafsson dispatches of Lil’ Nog (at least that’s what the UFC is betting on), Jones and his Swede challenger will once more lock horns. No word yet on who Daniel Cormier will get in his light heavyweight debut, yet.
How do you feel about all of this, nation? Would you rather just see Gustafsson fight Jones again in an immediate rematch than have another potentially epic fight jeopardized by a fight no one outside of the Teixeira household is particularly excited about? And if Jones and Gustafsson are not fighting each other next, isn’t it just a little bit awkward that their actual next opponents are being dismissed so easily?
What’s the point of doing a fight where we’re the winner is pretty much assumed and plans for them are already being made for afterwards? Sounds a lil boxing-esque in our book.
(An elusive striker who throws punches like they cost him money vs. a former All-American wrestler. Yeah, baby. This is the matchup the Brits have been *begging* for. / Photo via Getty)
Handling the play-by-play for us today will be George Shunick, who will be stacking results from the FOX Sports 2 main card broadcast after the jump beginning at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and fire off your own observational witticisms in the comments section.
(An elusive striker who throws punches like they cost him money vs. a former All-American wrestler. Yeah, baby. This is the matchup the Brits have been *begging* for. / Photo via Getty)
Handling the play-by-play for us today will be George Shunick, who will be stacking results from the FOX Sports 2 main card broadcast after the jump beginning at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and fire off your own observational witticisms in the comments section.
Preliminary Card Results
– Al Iaquinta def. Piotr Hallmann via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
– Luke Barnatt def. Andrew Craig via submission (rear-naked choke), 2:12 of round 2
– Jessica Andrade def. Rosi Sexton via unanimous decision (30-26 x 2, 30-27)
– Cole Miller def. Andy Ogle via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Jimy Hettes def. Robert Whiteford via technical submission (triangle choke), 2:17 of round 2
– Brad Scott def. Michael Kuiper via submission (front choke), 4:17 of round 1
Welcome Potato Nation, to this Saturday presentation of the prestigious UFC liveblog. I know plenty of you are probably surfing between watching the fights and college football – not that any of you went to college, you degenerates – so this should keep you up-to-date on today’s happenings while you attempt to filter the sheer amount of sanctioned violence you will bear witness to. The main event today will be Lyoto Machida making his debut in the middleweight division against wrestler and power striker Mark Muñoz. I’m taking Machida, but don’t discount Muñoz’ knockout power or the judges’ ability to utterly fail to understand the most basic precepts of MMA. With that said, on to the fights!
Phil Harris vs. John Lineker
Like Lineker here; dude packs serious power and manages to be an exceptionally exciting fighter in an exciting division to begin with. Harris will be a test, but one he should pass.
Round 1
Harris misses an overhand. Lineker lands a low kick that spins Harris around. Overhand from Harris grazes Lineker. Low kick from Lineker spins Harris around again. Another lands. Harris’ leg is already reddened. Harris lands a 1-2 combo. Another right from Harris. Linker drops him with a right, but it’s as much a slip as the power. Body shot from Lineker. Left hook rocks Harris! He’s wobbly but fires back. Right hand drops Harris. Harris stands but he’s wobbly and eating shots. Body shots followed by a left hook to the head. Harris is in big trouble. Left hook the liver drops Harris, Lineker swarms and it’s all over. Beautiful liver shot from Lineker ends the fight. John Lineker def. Phil Harris via TKO, 2:51 of round 1.
Replay shows the punch landed on Harris’ solar plexus. As Rogan notes, Lineker didn’t make weight for the fight; still, it’s an impressive win. Lineker is still relatively raw and isn’t remotely ready to hang with John Dodson or Demetrious Johnson, but it will be interesting to see him develop over the next year or two.
Alessio Sakara vs. Nicholas Musoke
Musoke is from Sweden. Sakara is from Italy. Ummmm… that’s the extent of my analysis here.
Round 1
Musoke moving forward, but Sakara hurts him and tosses him to the ground. Sakara lands a left inside Musoke’s guard. Sakara gets caught! Musoke lands knees from the clinch! Both men are swinging in the middle of the octagon now! Musoke clinches against the fence and takes Sakara down. Sakara went for a triangle, but Musoke uses this to pass to half-guard. Now side control. Knee to the body from Musoke. Sakara regains half-guard. Sakara explodes from the bottom and starts throwing bombs from the top! Now in Musoke’s guard. WHOA! Musoke with an armbar out of nowhere wins it for the Swede! Nicholas Musoke def. Alessio Sakara via verbal submission (armbar), 3:07 of round 1.
If you blinked, you missed that armbar. Damn. Excellent debut for Musoke. Gustafsson, in the crowd, applauds his countryman’s accomplishments. In the polite, reserved Swedish manner, of course.
Norman Parke vs. Jon Tuck
Norman Parke is a TUF Smashes winner. Jon Tuck is a former competitor on TUF Live. In other words, none of you know who either fighter is.
Round 1
Jon Tuck’s nickname is “The Super Saiyan.” Well I know who I’m rooting for. Tuck opens with a headkick. He lands a low kick. Body kick from Tuck. Parke answers with one of his own. Right lands from Tuck. Parke lands a low kick. High kick from Tuck blocked. Nice left hand from Parke. Tuck unloads with three straight rights. They exchange crosses. Parke wiffs on a 1-2. Parke says he got poked but Tuck goes after him anyway; the ref doesn’t intervene. Rogan claims there was no eye poke according to replays. Both exchange crosses again; Tuck’s right against Parke’s left. Teep from Tuck. Low kick Tuck. Tuck barely misses a high kick. Parke lands a nice counter left. Right to the body from Tuck. Parke goes for a takedown at the end of the round and gets it just as time expires. Close round. 10-10.
Round 2
Left to the body from Parke, who’s gaining the momentum. Now he works the jab.Tuck is slowing down but lands a nice body kick. Parke lands a counter left, the a shot to the body. Nice right from Tuck. Uppercut from Parke. Right hook, left cross from Parke. Parke is putting the pressure on now. He’s beginning to land more and more. Left to the body followed by a kick from Parke. Uppercut Parke. Three punch combo for Parke. Nice body shot from Tuck, but immediately countered with a cross. Another cross lands for Parke. Parke isn’t letting Tuck breathe. He’s continuing to land combinations at will. Tuck is tired, and it’s really showing right now. He tries for a flying knee, but it’s blocked. Uppercut-cross combo from Parke. Tuck misses a superman punch off the cage. Parke lands another left. Round ends, 10-9 Parke.
Round 3
jab lands from Parke. Parke misses a capoeira kick. Body shot from Parke. Tuck needs to get the fight to the ground, but he’s not making any effort to do so. They exchange in the center of the ring, smiling at each other. Tuck’s mouthpiece is knocked out, and he’s hit with a barrage as he picks it up and pops it back in his mouth. now he’s getting tagged repeatedly by Parke. Tuck is simply exhausted. Tuck lands a body shot and a knee from the clinch. Parke with a big combo, though. Uppercut from Parke. Then an overhand. Park with a body kick. Tuck is on fumes as the last minute approaches. Left over the top from Parke. 3 punch combo lands from Parke. Two big overhands from Park. They’re exchanging until the end of the round, with Parke almost landing that capoeira kick. He should win this fight handily though.
Norman Parke def. Jon Tuck via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27). Tuck should’ve eaten a senzu bean between rounds. That’s just poor planning on his part.
Jimi Manuwa vs. Ryan Jimmo
On one hand, Jimi Manuwa is a terrifying striker. On the other, he’s got a terrible ground game. He last beat Cyrille Diabate when the latter injured his calf. In other words, I’m not sold on the hype. Jimmo by submission or decision.
Round 1
Jimmo comes forward. Manuwa lands a left. Jimmo with a low kick. He reutns with a kick that Manuwa catches. Jimmo uses this to initiate a clinch and bring the fight to the fence. Manuwa lands a knee. Jimmo focusing on positioning. The ref separates them, and Manuwa lands two knees and pushes Jimmo into the fence. Jimmo lands a knee to the face, but it lacks the impact of Manuwa’s. Manuwa landing knees to the thighs of Jimmo. Jimmo winces and turns them around against the cage. Manuwa switches now, but the ref separates them. Jimmo’s in obvious pain, and Manuwa accentuates his point with a low kick. Body kick from Jimmo. Low kick from Manuwa. Hook kick almost lands from Manuwa. Jimmo answers a low kick with a body kick. Manuwa seems like he’s beginning to slow.Jimmo has more energy, but he’s currently refusing to engage. Manuwa tries to chase him down. Jimmo lands a counter right on a hard kick from Manuwa. 10-9 Manuwa.
Round 2
Manuwa rushes in and lands a right, only to get turned around and put against the cage. Jimmo can’t land anything from this position, though. Nice knee to the face, though. The ref breaks them. BIG body kick from Manuwa. Jimmo lands a low kick. High kicked from Manuwa blocked, but vicious low kick lands. Another lands. Manuwa rushes Jimmo into the fence, and begins to land short knees until he’s quickly reversed. Still, Jimmo can’t manage to do much with this position. Jimmo is hit with a low blow, and the fight is briefly stopped. Low kick from Manuwa. Jimmo almost lands a takedown, but they’re back against the fence, neither man doing anything. They’re separated again. Manuwa pushes Jimmo into the fence. They separate and Manuwa lands a big knee! Suddenly Jimmo goes down; it doesn’t appear to have been caused by the knee. The fight is over. The Curse of Manuwa strikes again. Jimi Manuwa def. Ryan Jimmo via TKO (injury), 4:41 of round 2.
Rogan asks Manuwa what sorcerer he trained with prior to this fight. Or he would if he was a responsible broadcaster! Alas, we will never know what dark magics played a role in his triumph. In the meantime, we get a shot of Michael Bisping firing up the crowd with something other than vitriol. Only in Britain.
Ross Pearson vs. Melvin Guillard
This fight isn’t as one-sided as some of you might think. Yes, Guillard has the speed and power, but on the other hand… he’s Melvin Guillard. He can be dominating the fight, but the instant something goes wrong he loses. His misfortunes metastasize as a single slipping rock may set off an avalanche. Should he win? Yes. Will he? I’m not so sure.
Round 1
They touch gloves. Guillard moving on the outside. Pearson with an inside leg kick. Guillard lands a left. Kick checked by Pearson. Inside kick from Pearson. Guillard misses an uppercut. Guillard lands a right to Pearson’s temple. And another. Guillard is loose now. Pearson still pushing forward. Knee from the clinch by Guillard. Flying knee from Pearson, who lands on the canvas! As he tries to return to his feet, Guillard knees him in the temple. The fight is stopped; the first knee is barely legal. However, the second knee is technically illegal — Pearson’s hand was on the ground. All in all, an unsatisfying conclusion to this business.
The fight is declared a no-contest due to an accidental illegal knee (1:57 of round 1). The audio keeps cutting out, presumably due to audience profanity, as Rogan tries to interview Pearson. Pearson has a nasty cut on his forehead; even if the fight wasn’t stopped for an illegal blow, it wouldn’t have lasted much longer. That cut would’ve been a fight-ender.
Lyoto Machida vs. Mark Muñoz
Machida’s movement, striking and takedown defense should prove too much here. Most people forget that Muñoz’ takedowns aren’t that exceptional; he was an accomplished collegiate wrestler largely on the strength of his scrambling and positional abilities. However, should Muñoz succeed in taking Machida down, he’s more than capable of finishing him. His ground and pound is extraordinarily powerful, and possesses more power from the guard than anyone since Fedor. But I suspect it won’t factor into this fight. Machida via decision.
Round 1
They touch gloves. Lots of distance between the two fighters so far. Machida looking for oblique kicks. Machida showing some weird movement right now. Over a minute in, no strikes landed. Muñoz misses a kick. Then he misses a takedown. Body kick from Machida lands! That’s our first strike, two minutes in. Hard body kick from Machida. Low kick Machida. HEAD KICK KNOCKOUT FOR MACHIDA! WOW! Fight’s over, ladies and gentlemen. Lyoto Machida def. Mark Munoz via KO, 3:10 of round 1.
So, Machida just won KO of the Night with that. He leaped on Muñoz when he fell, but restrained himself from following through, seeing Muñoz was out. Then they embraced when Muñoz came to. Lyoto Machida is that dude who will take you out and give you a hug after. Like a hyper-violent teddy bear. Nothing special in the post-fight interview. That’s all for today, heathens!
When a fighter finds his groove, it can be a beautiful thing to watch, and Ross Pearson believes he’s firing on all cylinders heading into Fight Night 30.
While the journey has certainly come with a fair share of adversity, the former TUF winner is con…
When a fighter finds his groove, it can be a beautiful thing to watch, and Ross Pearson believes he’s firing on all cylinders heading into Fight Night 30.
While the journey has certainly come with a fair share of adversity, the former TUF winner is confident everything is falling into place at precisely the right time. The 29-year-old Englishman has endured setbacks and false-starts, as he’s tried to find his footing inside the Octagon and make good on the potential he showed during his red-hot start under the UFC banner back in 2009.
After defeating Andre Winner to become the ninth man to raise The Ultimate Fighter plaque, the Team Alliance fighter would build further momentum when he bested veterans Aaron Riley and Dennis Siver in his next two showings. With quick success Pearson appeared to be on the fast track to establishing his name in the highly competitive lightweight ranks until fellow TUF alum Cole Miller brought that progress to an abrupt halt via knockout in September of 2010.
The Sunderland native would bounce back in his next outing against Spencer Fisher at UFC 127 the following February, but when he was edged out on the judge’s scorecards by EdsonBarboza at UFC 134 six months later, Pearson suddenly found himself drifting into limbo in the 155-pound fold.
Looking for a jump start, he decided to drop a weight class and test his skills in the featherweight division, but that move ultimately provided mixed results. Despite defeating Junior Assuncao at UFC 141 in December of 2011, he suffered a punishing knockout at the hands of Cub Swanson six months later at UFC on FX 4 in Atlantic City.
In the aftermath of his loss to Swanson, the former bricklayer turned mixed martial artist decided the best move would be a return to 155 pounds and make a full commitment to getting his career back on track. After defeating George Sotiropoulos and Ryan Couture, respectively, the decision appears to have been the right one, and Pearson’s status in the lightweight fold is once again on the rise.
“I tried 145 pounds and it didn’t work out for me,” Pearson told Bleacher Report. “It didn’t feel healthy for me. I wasn’t comfortable and I didn’t enjoy it. Lightweight is my home and is where I feel the best. My time at 145 was a learning experience and it will help me out in the long run, but fighting at 155 is so much more enjoyable for me. This is my home and where I can bring my best.”
That said, he will face a stern challenge Saturday night when he faces Melvin Guillard at Fight Night 30 in Manchester, England. “The Young Assassin” is one of the 155-pound division’s most dangerous strikers and Pearson is looking forward to scrapping it out with the heavy handed knockout artist.
“When I saw the contract to fight Melvin I got excited straight away,” Pearson said. “We both come to fight and we both come to entertain. I was definitely excited about this fight from the very beginning. It’s going to be a great fight for the fans and I’m not going to disappoint. I’m looking forward to going out there and showcasing my skills.
“Where we are in our careers at this time, I believe the winner of this fight will go on to possibly face a top-five fighter in the next fight and start to climb the ladder toward title contention. The winner will push their way into the upper echelon of the division and I’m looking forward to it. I can’t wait to test myself. I just want to keep pushing forward, believe in my own skills and show what I can do out there.
“I feel amazing,” he added. “Camp went really well and everything is coming together perfectly. I had great training partners and all of my coaches put a great game plan together. I’m really excited to go out there on Saturday and put on an exciting performance. All the hard work is done and now I’m ready to go out there and fight.”
When Pearson steps into the Octagon on Saturday night, it will be the first time in nearly four years he’s been able to compete on his native soil. The past seven years have brought a tremendous increase in popularity for MMA in the U.K. and the formerTUFwinner has played a solid role in that movement. Fellow TUFwinner Michael Bisping may have kicked off the UFC’s version of the “British invasion,” but he’s certainly had some assistance over the years, and Pearson is happy to do his part.
His bout against Guillard at Fight Night 30 will come at a crucial time in his career and he’s well aware of the circumstances involved. A victory will move him into the next tier of the lightweight division and a loss would once again push his status towards limbo. Nevertheless, Pearson has triumphed over adversity in the past and credits his support system for his ability to do so. Without them, none of his success would have been possible and he wants to give them a show on Saturday night.
“I’m honored to be a part of the UFC and I’m honored to fly the flag for the U.K. in this event,” Pearson said. “Michael Bisping had to pull out of his fight because of an eye injury and now it kind of feels like I’m the one flying the flag for the U.K. and I’m honored to do so.
“The fans are going to see the best Ross Pearson. My camp was amazing and I’m ready to go out there and perform. This fight is for the fans and my friends and family who have supported me. I have received a lot of support as I’ve been traveling to fight overseas and now I’m fighting in England and this fight is for them.
“They supported me before I was in the UFC—before I was anyone—and I want to show them how much I’ve improved. I want to show them what kind of level I’m fighting at now and what kind of fighter I’ve become.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Hot off the heels of one of the greatest lightweight fights ever between Gilbert Melendez and Diego Sanchez, Melvin Guillard will be stepping into the cage to face Ross Pearson on the UFC Fight Night 30 card in the co-main event slot.
One would imagine…
Hot off the heels of one of the greatest lightweight fights ever between Gilbert Melendez and Diego Sanchez, Melvin Guillard will be stepping into the cage to face Ross Pearson on the UFC Fight Night 30 card in the co-main event slot.
One would imagine trying to follow that fight would be a great deal of pressure for any two lightweights; but if it is, Melvin Guillard isn’t feeling it. In fact, while not dismissive of either Melendez or Sanchez, he was “optimistic” about his chances against either man (h/t Mike Bohn and Matt Erickson at MMAJunkie.com).
“I would have dropped either one of them,” Guillard said. “I used to drop Diego Sanchez in practice all the time. When I hit people, I hurt people. That’s just what I do.”
While this might sound like hubris, Guillard does have proven KO power. The problem he has always seemed to have is that he never follows any kind of game plan and on the ground he’s highly susceptible to submissions; of his 12 losses, nine have come via submission.
Guillard has been an up and down fighter in the UFC. He’s incredibly experienced, with a record of 32-12-2, and he’s had 20 fights in the UFC; he’s just never managed to remain consistent enough to earn a title shot.
And in spite of all of that, Guillard’s enthusiasm for himself remains unabated as he heads into hostile territory against a gritty fighter in Pearson, who is on a two-fight win streak.
“Ross better worry about my hands,” Guillard said. “I am the hardest hitting ‘55er at 155. I’ve watched him bang with guys, I’ve watched him connect on good shots and not even drop people. Everybody I hit, I drop. Everybody I hit, I f**k them up.”
When a fighter finds his groove, it can be a beautiful thing to watch, and Ross Pearson believes he’s firing on all cylinders heading into Fight Night 30.