Tag: Shamar Bailey

Falling Action: Best and Worst of UFC 139

Filed under: UFCWhat a weekend. If you were one of the people who decided that you’d had enough MMA lately and it was time to get out of the house on Saturday night and go see the new Twilight movie, let’s just say you got what you deserved.

The rest …

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What a weekend. If you were one of the people who decided that you’d had enough MMA lately and it was time to get out of the house on Saturday night and go see the new Twilight movie, let’s just say you got what you deserved.

The rest of us were treated to an amazing UFC event (not to mention a great lightweight battle between Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez in Bellator), we didn’t even have to fight through a crowd of pre-teen girls to get a good seat.

Now that it’s all over and we’ve had a chance to clear our heads and think rationally again, it’s time to look at the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.

Biggest Winner: (tie) Dan Henderson and “Shogun” Rua
Centuries from now, when future generations attempt to learn about our culture by digging through the ruins of our athletic commission offices, the records they discover will only tell them that Hendo won a unanimous decision over Rua at UFC 139. What it won’t tell them is that, honestly, no one really lost that fight. Rua helped make it a classic by battling back from the brink of unconsciousness in almost every round. Hendo just couldn’t put the Brazilian away, and after twenty minutes of trying he barely had enough gas left to sputter across the finish line in the fifth. Personally, I gave Rua a 10-8 in that final round, which would have resulted in a draw. I know, I know — a tie is like making out with your sister while eating non-fat ice cream. Still, I think it would have been a fitting end, not that you can really be upset about any outcome after a scrap like that. Together, Henderson and Rua pushed each other to a new level of greatness. It was a collaborative effort that required both man’s mix of skill, toughness, and almost self-destructive resolve. Neither could have reached this height without the other forcing him to it, and for that the MMA world will forever remember both of them as equal partners in one of the greatest fights the sport has ever known.

Biggest Loser: Brian Bowles
This was his big chance to get back into a title shot, and he was simply outclassed by Faber. You can’t question his toughness. The sound of that uppercut he took was enough to make me reach up and make sure that my own teeth were still there, so I can’t even imagine how he battled through that. But when it came to launching an offense of his own, it was clear very early on that he just didn’t have much to threaten Faber with. It’s not a catastrophic end for the 10-2 Bowles, but it does knock him down the bantamweight ladder, making you wonder if he’ll ever get a meaningful title around his waist again. He’s probably still better than about 90 percent of the guys in the division, but the gap between Bowles and the top two men in the weight class is a chasm of talent that I’m not sure he’ll ever be able to find his way across.

Best, Slightly Troubling Redemption Story: Wanderlei Silva
There were definitely flashes of the old Wand in his TKO win over Cung Le. He took a few hard shots and stayed upright. He attacked with a ferocious, though measured aggression. In general, he proved that he’s not quite ready to be hauled off to the scrap yard just yet, which is a little bit worrisome, to be honest. It’s not that the win wasn’t a great one, or one that he needed in a bad, bad way. And not to get all double-rainbow on you, but what does it mean? Le’s never been known as an especially powerful striker, so it’s tough to tell if Silva’s ability to withstand his blows is necessarily proof that his chin is solid again. It’s not hard to imagine a situation where he interprets this victory as a sign that he’s back in the saddle and ready to brawl again, with the end result being several more bad knockouts before he once again faces the same difficult decisions. In a perfect world, maybe this would be the win that lets him go out on a high note. In the real world, he probably won’t be happy he takes a few more thumps on the skull.

Best Case for a Rubber Match: Urijah Faber
“The California Kid” did all the right things this weekend. Not only did he dispatch Bowles in impressive fashion, he also talked up his rivalry with champion Dominick Cruz. Before their second fight he was content to play the cool kid and let Cruz look like the one driving the animosity. After losing the decision, Faber now seems genuinely irked and hungry for a decisive showdown, which is exactly what the 135-pound division needs right now. Faber likes to make Cruz out to be a point-fighter who’s learned how to game the judges, but that’s a little too dismissive. The champ has real skills, and Faber knows it. What’s still unclear is if he has an answer for those skills, but we should find out soon enough. Faber better make the most of this shot. If he loses, it’s likely the last one he’ll get.

Least Likely to Complete His Full UFC Contract: Cung Le
He told us a few days before the fight that he signed a six-fight deal with the UFC and planned to make the most of it, but I have a hard time imagining that after his performance this weekend. It’s not that he looked bad, but his style and his age are both working against him. Le is 39 years old and this was only his third fight in the last two years. Most of his prior MMA career has been spent out-kicking overmatched opponents, but he won’t get such cozy treatment in the UFC. After showing up on the scales with a physique that’s starting to show its age, then getting his face smashed in by Silva, it’s very possible that he might soon decide he’s better off making his money on the movie set than the Octagon.

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Most Deserving of a Step Up: Michael McDonald
The 20-year-old bantamweight looked flawless in a quick destruction of late fill-in Alex Soto. His striking is crisp, his poise is impressive (especially considering his youth), and the UFC obviously sees the potential in him. I know Dana White probably doesn’t want to rush his development and get him crushed, but at 14-1 and with three UFC bouts under his belt, he’s ready to move up to the next level of competition and take his spot on the main card.

Narrowest Escape: Martin Kampmann
Not that he didn’t deserve to win — he did. But if I’d just been screwed by the judges at least once, maybe even twice in my last two fights, I might have been a little worried about letting them decide my fate a third time. Fortunately for Kampmann, they got it right this time (Dana White claimed that the judge who scored the fight with Story had actually meant to score it for Kampmann) and he’s finally back in the win column. It’s about time.

Worst Display of Professionalism: (tie) Shamar Bailey and Nick Pace
They both came in over the mark at Friday’s weigh-ins, then both ended up on the losing end in Saturday’s fights. As strategies for ensuring some degree of job security in the UFC go, that’s about as bad as it gets. Bailey came in at 158 pounds for a 155-pound fight, while Pace clocked in at 141 for a fight at 135. That smacks of disrespect for your opponent and yourself, and it also costs you a significant chunk of your purse. Making weight is part of being a professional, and it should be a given at this level. If you can’t do it — and if you make things worse by following it up with a loss afterward — then you won’t be at this level for long.

Most Surprising: Stephan Bonnar
It’s not that he dominated Kyle Kingsbury on the mat for most their fight. That was something many people saw coming. But his public apology to Josh Koscheck in his post-fight interview? Now that was a shock. If you don’t know, Koscheck and Bonnar got into it over Bonnar’s decision to use a very Koscheck-like image and design for his Trash Talkin’ Kids t-shirt line. Koscheck didn’t approve, Bonnar didn’t much care, and Koscheck sued him when he went ahead with the plan. Despite the disparity in weight, a feud seemed to be simmering there, but Bonnar squashed it by apologizing in the cage and admitting that Koscheck was right all along. That was the right way to play it, and it proves once again that Bonnar is one of the genuine good guys in this sport. Koscheck? He’s not winning any awards for congeniality, but he’s okay too, I guess.

 

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UFC 139 Undercard Live Blog: Lawlor vs. Weidman, Dos Anjos vs. Tibau, More

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Tom Lawlor faces Chris Weidman at UFC 139.SAN JOSE, Calif. — This is the UFC 139 live blog for all the Facebook preliminary bouts on tonight’s event at the HP Pavilion.

The five bouts on the undercard are Tom Lawlor vs. Chris Weidman, Rafael dos Anjos vs. Gleison Tibau, Miguel Torres vs. Nick Pace, Seth Baczynski vs. Matt Brown and Shamar Bailey vs. Danny Castillo.

The live blog for all five bouts is below.


Tom Lawlor vs. Chris Weidman

Round 1:

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Gleison Tibau

Round 1:

Miguel Torres vs. Nick Pace

Round 1: Referee Josh Rosenthal gives the signal and we’re underway. Pace looks to land a looping hook when Torres comes in, and he finally sticks it after several attempts. “You got his attention, Nick,” says his corner. Torres jabs him back and lands a nice straight right. Leg kick by Torres buckles Pace. Torres lands the straight right again, and Pace comes in swinging before looking for the takedown. Torres defends well with his back on the fence, working short elbows and punches. Pace seems to be holding and hoping here. Torres uses a kimura to flip Pace onto his back, then they scramble up. Pace is bleeding out of his mouth. They trade right hands in the final seconds of the round. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Torres.

Seth Baczynski vs. Matt Brown

Round 1: Brown paws his way forward behind a jab and Baczynski comes over the top with a right. That gave him something to think about. Baczynski looks for a takedown, but settles for a clinch against the fence. Nice elbow by Baczynski in close. Baczynski steps back and launches a punch combo, but Brown does a pretty decent job of bobbing and weaving. Baczynski closes the distance again and scoops Brown up for a takedown. Baczynski looks to strike from the top, but Brown pulls off a nifty little sweep and gets to his feet. He lets Baczynski up shortly thereafter, and they exchange blows on the feet with Baczynski landing a pretty left hook counter before looking for the clinch again. Knee to the body by Baczynski, and Brown makes the ‘that was my testicles’ face. The ref encourages Baczynski to not do that anymore. They end the round with Baczynski tentatively looking for a standing guillotine. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Baczynski.

Round 2: Brown looks to start faster in the second frame. He gets busy with strikes right off the bat, then shoots and secures a takedown of his own. Baczynski grabs for a guillotine on the way down, and Brown seems perhaps not as concerned with defending against it as he should be. Baczynski adjusts and squeezes with everything he’s got, and Brown is forced to tap.

Seth Baczynski def. Matt Brown via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:42 of round two

Shamar Bailey vs. Danny Castillo

Round 1: Castillo goes to work with kicks to the legs and body early, but promptly slips and ends up on his butt. Bailey rushes in and gets himself taken down, though he’s back up quickly. Castillo lifts him up and slams him back down, then does it again when Bailey rises again a few seconds later. Castillo working from half-guard, but he’s hesitant to give Bailey the space to escape and so his striking from the top is limited. Castillo sits back and gets a few consecutive blows in. The crowd digs it, sparse though it is this early on. He pounds away at Bailey with hammer fists, and Bailey seems to be losing steam. Castill takes mount briefly, but can’t stay there. Castillo goes back to the hammer fists from half-guard and Bailey seems to be folding up. Less than ten seconds left in the round, but Bailey is just covering up and hoping to be saved by the bell. The ref isn’t going to let him do that for long, and this one is over.

Danny Castillo def. Shamar Bailey via TKO (punches) at 4:52 of round one

In his post-fight interview, Castillo tells Joe Rogan he felt “disrespected” by Bailey showing up at 138 for Friday’s weigh-ins. Bailey paid for that oversight with 20 percent of his purse, and now he has a loss on top of it.

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Tom Lawlor faces Chris Weidman at UFC 139.SAN JOSE, Calif. — This is the UFC 139 live blog for all the Facebook preliminary bouts on tonight’s event at the HP Pavilion.

The five bouts on the undercard are Tom Lawlor vs. Chris Weidman, Rafael dos Anjos vs. Gleison Tibau, Miguel Torres vs. Nick Pace, Seth Baczynski vs. Matt Brown and Shamar Bailey vs. Danny Castillo.

The live blog for all five bouts is below.


Tom Lawlor vs. Chris Weidman

Round 1:

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Gleison Tibau

Round 1:

Miguel Torres vs. Nick Pace

Round 1: Referee Josh Rosenthal gives the signal and we’re underway. Pace looks to land a looping hook when Torres comes in, and he finally sticks it after several attempts. “You got his attention, Nick,” says his corner. Torres jabs him back and lands a nice straight right. Leg kick by Torres buckles Pace. Torres lands the straight right again, and Pace comes in swinging before looking for the takedown. Torres defends well with his back on the fence, working short elbows and punches. Pace seems to be holding and hoping here. Torres uses a kimura to flip Pace onto his back, then they scramble up. Pace is bleeding out of his mouth. They trade right hands in the final seconds of the round. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Torres.

Seth Baczynski vs. Matt Brown

Round 1: Brown paws his way forward behind a jab and Baczynski comes over the top with a right. That gave him something to think about. Baczynski looks for a takedown, but settles for a clinch against the fence. Nice elbow by Baczynski in close. Baczynski steps back and launches a punch combo, but Brown does a pretty decent job of bobbing and weaving. Baczynski closes the distance again and scoops Brown up for a takedown. Baczynski looks to strike from the top, but Brown pulls off a nifty little sweep and gets to his feet. He lets Baczynski up shortly thereafter, and they exchange blows on the feet with Baczynski landing a pretty left hook counter before looking for the clinch again. Knee to the body by Baczynski, and Brown makes the ‘that was my testicles’ face. The ref encourages Baczynski to not do that anymore. They end the round with Baczynski tentatively looking for a standing guillotine. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Baczynski.

Round 2: Brown looks to start faster in the second frame. He gets busy with strikes right off the bat, then shoots and secures a takedown of his own. Baczynski grabs for a guillotine on the way down, and Brown seems perhaps not as concerned with defending against it as he should be. Baczynski adjusts and squeezes with everything he’s got, and Brown is forced to tap.

Seth Baczynski def. Matt Brown via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:42 of round two

Shamar Bailey vs. Danny Castillo

Round 1: Castillo goes to work with kicks to the legs and body early, but promptly slips and ends up on his butt. Bailey rushes in and gets himself taken down, though he’s back up quickly. Castillo lifts him up and slams him back down, then does it again when Bailey rises again a few seconds later. Castillo working from half-guard, but he’s hesitant to give Bailey the space to escape and so his striking from the top is limited. Castillo sits back and gets a few consecutive blows in. The crowd digs it, sparse though it is this early on. He pounds away at Bailey with hammer fists, and Bailey seems to be losing steam. Castill takes mount briefly, but can’t stay there. Castillo goes back to the hammer fists from half-guard and Bailey seems to be folding up. Less than ten seconds left in the round, but Bailey is just covering up and hoping to be saved by the bell. The ref isn’t going to let him do that for long, and this one is over.

Danny Castillo def. Shamar Bailey via TKO (punches) at 4:52 of round one

In his post-fight interview, Castillo tells Joe Rogan he felt “disrespected” by Bailey showing up at 138 for Friday’s weigh-ins. Bailey paid for that oversight with 20 percent of his purse, and now he has a loss on top of it.

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UFC 139 Weigh-In Results: Time to Dust Off the Weigh-In Failure Leaderboard

(Video: Zombie Prophet)

Though both events took place under the purview of the California State Athletic Commission, the no-nonsense, military precision of last week’s UFC on FOX weigh-ins was nowhere to be seen last night’s event. That’s not necessarily a good thing for the fighters , but it’s certainly more entertaining for the rest of us.

Things kicked off with a healthy dose of confusion. Several prelim fighters tipped the scales well over the allotted limit, which Joe Rogan attributed to a discrepancy between the scales backstage and the official one upfront. While there may be some truth to that, other fighters managed to hit the target on the dot. It was painfully clear that the chick running the show for the CSAC had no clue what she was doing. You know you’re in for a wild ride when someone seeks mathematical and scientific guidance from this guy.

(Video: Zombie Prophet)

Though both events took place under the purview of the California State Athletic Commission, the no-nonsense, military precision of last week’s UFC on FOX weigh-ins was nowhere to be seen at last night’s event. That’s not necessarily a good thing for the fighters , but it’s certainly more entertaining for the rest of us.

Things kicked off with a healthy dose of confusion. Several prelim fighters tipped the scales well over the allotted limit, which Joe Rogan attributed to a discrepancy between the scales backstage and the official one upfront. While there may be some truth to that, most fighters managed to hit their targets on the dot. It was painfully clear that the chick running the show for the CSAC had no clue what she was doing. You know you’re in for a wild ride when someone seeks mathematical and scientific guidance from this guy.

Miguel Torres initially weighed-in at 137 lbs, but was able to drop the extra pound later in the evening. Two other fighters were not so fortunate. Almost-lightweight fighter Shamar Bailey tipped the scales at 158 lbs, but was unsuccessful in his attempts to drop the additional weight in the afforded time. Nick Pace, on the other hand, had conceded defeat and notified the commission of his weight before even making his way to the stage. He weighed-in at 141 lbs, an incredible six pounds over the limit. Both Bailey and Pace will be fined 20% of their purse, and look for Pace to join the ranks of ignoble weigh-in failures.

Though Danny Castillo is likely pleased to be receiving a few more dollars courtesy of Shamar Bailey’s extra mass, he certainly wasn’t dressed like a man hurting for cash. Castillo added a touch of class to the affair with a break-away tuxedo. La-de-da.

Never one to be upstaged in the wardrobe department, Tom Lawlor continued his impressive series of weigh-in homages to MMA figures past and present with a tip of the hat to your favorite trainer/coach/spiritual advisor Steven Seagal, complete with a crane kick to his training partner.

After failing to connect with fans on four consecutive shirt-tosses, Rick Story made a little too much contact with Martin Kampmann. “The Hitman” let him know as much with a quick shove-off before the pair was separated by Dana White.

Full Results: (via MMAJunkie.com)

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

  • Dan Henderson (203) vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (205)
  • Cung Le (185) vs. Wanderlei Silva (185)
  • Brian Bowles (136) vs. Urijah Faber (136)
  • Martin Kampmann (170.5) vs. Rick Story (170.5)
  • Stephan Bonnar (205) vs. Kyle Kingsbury (205)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

  • Ryan Bader (205) vs. Jason Brilz (204)
  • Michael McDonald (136) vs. Alex Soto (135)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

  • Tom Lawlor (185) vs. Chris Weidman (185.5)
  • Rafael dos Anjos (155.5) vs. Gleison Tibau (155)
  • Nick Pace (141)+ vs. Miguel Torres (136)
  • Seth Baczynski (171) vs. Matt Brown (171)
  • Shamar Bailey (158)+ vs. Danny Castillo (155)

+ – Forfeits 20 percent of his purse for missing weight

 

The Cut List: Who’s in Desperate Need of a Win at UFC 139?

Filed under: UFCFresh off the UFC’s big network debut on FOX, the world’s premier MMA organization is back to doing what it knows best: pay-per-views.

On paper, UFC 139 looks like one of the better cards in recent months, but there’s no shortage of fi…

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Wanderlei SilvaFresh off the UFC’s big network debut on FOX, the world’s premier MMA organization is back to doing what it knows best: pay-per-views.

On paper, UFC 139 looks like one of the better cards in recent months, but there’s no shortage of fighters who need a win in a bad, bad way. Who are they, what are their chances, and what’s likely to become of them if they can’t pull out a W in San Jose on Saturday night? For answers, we turn to the Cut List.


Wanderlei Silva (33-11-1 1 NC, 3-6 UFC)
Who he’s facing: Cung Le
Why he’s in danger: UFC president Dana White has made it clear that he thinks Silva would be better off in retirement, and, you have to admit, the boss makes a compelling case. Silva’s 35 (but an old 35, in fighting years), he’s lost six of his last eight (and been knocked out in four of those six), and he really has nothing left to prove in this sport. What, is he going to become UFC middleweight champion? Not unless about 10 other UFC 185ers suddenly decide to go live in a monastery and live quiet, non-violent lives somewhere in Belgium. As great as Silva was, and as beloved as he still is by fans, there’s no reason for him to keep getting knocked out at this stage of his life. He doesn’t need the money or the prestige, and he’s too big a name to put in against lesser competition. That puts him in a tough spot, career-wise. If he can’t beat Le and show that his fists are still full of fury and his jaw is not made of glass, it might be time for White to sit him down and give him the Chuck Liddell speech.
Outlook: Grim. I’ll be honest, I don’t like his chances against Le. At least, not unless Le comes to this fight straight from a movie set. Silva still has the one-punch power, but Le has the ability to keep him at a distance and beat him up over several rounds. Once it’s over, I’d love to see Silva take his legacy and go home. He’s one of the all-time greats. There’s nothing left to prove.

Martin Kampmann (17-5, 8-4 UFC)
Who he’s facing: Rick Story
Why he’s in danger: On paper, he’s one defeat away from the dreaded three-fight losing streak. In reality, he’s probably the best losing welterweight the UFC has had over the last year. His current skid started when he lost a questionable decision to Jake Shields in October of 2010. Though you could make a case that Shields deserved to win that wrestling match, it’s harder to make an argument for Diego Sanchez, who looked like he’d gotten his face stuck in a ceiling fan by the end of his three-round battle with Kampmann. I’m still not sure how Sanchez got that decision, and I suspect Kampmann is equally baffled. That was in March of this year and this is Kampmann’s first trip back into the cage since then, so it would be nice if he could get his hand raised for the first time in a year and a half. Against Rick Story, however, he faces another opponent who’s not afraid to go out there and get his wrestle on. Can Story do to him what he did to Thiago Alves? If so, then a somewhat comically unfortunate losing streak could turn into a seriously concerning one.
Outlook: Optimistic. Even if Kampmann does drop a decision here, the UFC sees his talent and it isn’t going to cast him out so easily. I like his chances to stuff Story’s takedowns and force him into a kickboxing match, which Kampmann should win every time.

Jason Brilz (18-4-1, 3-3 UFC)
Who he’s facing: Ryan Bader
Why he’s in danger: Brilz has also lost two straight, but like Kampmann his is a losing skid with an asterisk. It started with a controversial decision loss against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in a bout that many thought he deserved to win, and which Dana White held up as proof that the UFC knows what it’s doing when it puts together these fight cards, so maybe we shouldn’t judge them until they’re over. Despite the L on his record, the UFC could not have been more pleased with that Fight of the Night performance from Brilz. Unfortunately, he followed it up with a quick KO loss to Vladimir Matyushenko in April, so in the span of just 20 seconds some of that good will likely evaporated. But hey, anybody can catch one on the chin, right? That doesn’t mean he’s suddenly garbage. Trouble is, Brilz is facing fellow wrestler and fellow losing streak-owner Ryan Bader. It could easily turn into a snoozer of a wrestling match, and if it does the loser might feel the brunt of the UFC’s anguish over it. Then again, it could be the kind of fight where two wrestlers end up brawling for 15 minutes, and Brilz could, even in defeat, once again be White’s hero at the post-fight presser.
Outlook: Decent. Brilz is clearly a talented athlete, but he does not give one the impression that fighting is his life, probably because it isn’t. He’s got a job and a family, and this is more an interesting side gig for him. That might make the UFC reluctant to keep bringing him back if he gets knocked out here, and it also might make him less likely to get fired up about getting back on top.

Matt Brown (12-10, 5-4 UFC)
Who he’s facing: Seth Baczynski
Why he’s in danger: Look at his record. He pulled himself up from the brink with a decision win over John Howard, and he looked pretty good doing it, too. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s lost three of his last four in the UFC, and most of the guys he has beaten in the Octagon have since been encouraged to seek their employment elsewhere. The win, in conjunction with his fighting style, give him a little breathing room, but not much. Baczynski’s already been cut from the UFC once, but came back and got a win in September to shore up his spot. If Brown can’t beat a guy on the cusp, the UFC might take a look at the numbers and decide it’s time to make room for some new blood at welterweight.
Outlook: Pessimistic. Brown has shown flashes of real talent followed by long stretches of mediocrity. What he needs right now is consistency. What he needs is a win followed by a bunch more wins. But my guess is that whether it happens now or a year from now, the UFC will soon decide that he’s had enough chances.

Shamar Bailey (12-4, 1-1 UFC)
Who he’s facing: Danny Castillo
Why he’s in danger: If your lone loss in the UFC is to Evan Dunham, you aren’t doing so badly. But if your lone win is over Ryan McGillivray, well, it kind of evens out. Bailey had a short, fairly undistinguished stay in Strikeforce and then started out hot in his run on TUF 13, but things didn’t go his way in reality TV-land. Still, he got a shot on the finale, won a decision, then lost a decision against his first real UFC opponent in Dunham. Now he faces Castillo in what could be a fight that sways the UFC one way or the other on him, and it’s a bout in which oddsmakers favor Castillo by a 3-1 margin.
Outlook: Grim. If he gets beat here — and chances are he will — the UFC has no shortage of hungry young lightweights out there just itching to get his spot. He’ll need to show them something memorable, or else prove the oddsmakers wrong with a win.

 

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UFC Fight Night 25 Undercard Live Blog: McKenzie-Rocha, Dunham-Bailey, More

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NEW ORLEANS – This is the UFC Fight Night 25 live blog for all the preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC fights from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

The prelims, which will stream live on the UFC’s Facebook page, include a pair of lightweight bouts between TUF 12 competitor Cody McKenzie and Vagner Rocha and TUF 12 fighter Shamar Bailey and Evan Dunham.

The live blog is below.

Justin Edwards vs. Jorge Lopez

Round 1: Wanderlei Silva protege Lopez is making his UFC debut and is a pretty sizable favorite in this one. He’s got “The Axe Murderer” in his corner, naturally. Bruce Buffer runs the intros, and we’re ready to roll with Kevin Mulhall the third man in the Octagon. They trade in tight early, and Edwards looks for a throw, but settles for a clinch against the cage. But Lopez lifts him for a nice slam – right into a guillotine. Edwards cranks on it, but Lopez rolls out and eventually pops back to his feet. He throws a nice right kick that Edwards counters with some more clinch work. In tight, Edwards lands a couple nice hooks, then a soft slam. But again Lopez pops up. And again Edwards softly takes him down. He looks for a guillotine again, but settles for keeping position on the mat, trying to work ground and pound. The fight moves back to the feet halfway through the round. Jabs are traded, with each fighter landing a nice one in close. A nice knee from Lopez briefly has Edwards on the canvas with Lopez looking for some quick short strikes. But back on the feet, Edwards ties things up again with his back on the fence. Another nice knee from Lopez lands, but Edwards chases him down with a flurry and they trade position along the fence. Lopez landed some decent shots in the round, but MMA Fighting will score the round 10-9 for Edwards.

Round 2: Edwards opens with a left jab, then eats a high right kick. But he comes back with a spinning back kick right to Lopez’s gut. Back along the fence, Edwards again lands a little takedown and has good position in side control. He works to sink in a guillotine and gets it. It looks tight, but Lopez barely pops out and briefly has top position until they go back to their feet. After several Edwards near-chokes so far, Lopez might believe he needs to keep this standing. Edwards again works for a little takedown and works to take Lopez’s back. Lopez looks absolutely exhausted as Edwards starts laying on the ground and pound. It’s getting close as Mulhall looks in, but Lopez gives one burst of energy and reverses to pop out. After a short stall in the clinch, Mulhall splits them up with 30 seconds left in the round. Edwards lands a couple nice kicks as we get to the end. We’ll give another 10-9 round to Edwards heading to the last.

Round 3: They touch gloves for the last. Lopez has probably been told he’ll need to finish, and he lands a nice right hand early. Lopez ties Edwards up, and Edwards throws knees. Then Lopez lifts him for a nice slam. Edwards is looking for an armbar from his side. But Lopez finally gets out of it, gets mount, then takes Edwards’ back and starts looking for ground and pound. Edwards is squirming to try and get out, and Lopez gives up the back. He keeps dominant position on the ground, moving from side control to north-south briefly, then back to side control. He lands some short right elbows as Edwards looks for a way out. And finally, Edwards gets back to his feet. With 1:20 left, Lopez again gets a short takedown, but Edwards falls into guard. Edwards gets an armbar with 20 seconds left, but he can’t hold it. We’ll give the third to Lopez, 10-9, but the fight should go to Edwards 29-28 in a fairly major upset.

Result: Justin Edwards def. Jorge Lopez, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Mike Lullo vs. Robert Peralta

Round 1: High kick from Lullo to open. Then he eats one to the outside. They trade a few kicks, then Peralta ties up and lands some knees. He uses them to get a soft taekdown before letting Lullo back up. They trade jabs. Then several kicks each. After his UFC debut loss against Edson Barboza last November, you’d think Lullo would be pretty fed up with eating kicks by now. But he’s throwing plenty himself. Peralta checks a kick, then comes with a nice combo. Then again. Lullo’s left thigh is blistering red from kicks already. Nice right hand from Peralta lands, and he comes back with two more huge kicks to Lullo’s lead leg. Peralta then again lands some big kicks that take Lullo off his feet – it’s literally like watching a replay of the Lullo-Barboza fight. It’s a 10-9 round for Peralta.

Round 2: More kicks from Peralta. And Lullo has a large hematoma on the left side of his head. Peralta goes right after it. More kicks from Peralta force Lullo to shoot, and he ties things up along the fence. Things stall out for a minute as Lullo keeps Peralta tied up – at least he’s not eating kicks. They break at 1:30 and trade leg kicks. Again Lullo shoots, but it’s not there. A nice kick from Lullo closes the round. It’s definitely a closer round, but we’re going to give it to Peralta again, 10-9.

Round 3:

Mike Stumpf vs. T.J. Waldburger

Round 1:

Seth Baczynski vs. Clay Harvison

Round 1:

Ken Stone vs. Donny Walker

Round 1:

Lance Benoist vs. Matt Riddle

Round 1:

Shamar Bailey vs. Evan Dunham

Round 1:

Cody McKenzie vs. Vagner Rocha

Round 1:

 

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NEW ORLEANS – This is the UFC Fight Night 25 live blog for all the preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC fights from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

The prelims, which will stream live on the UFC’s Facebook page, include a pair of lightweight bouts between TUF 12 competitor Cody McKenzie and Vagner Rocha and TUF 12 fighter Shamar Bailey and Evan Dunham.

The live blog is below.

Justin Edwards vs. Jorge Lopez

Round 1: Wanderlei Silva protege Lopez is making his UFC debut and is a pretty sizable favorite in this one. He’s got “The Axe Murderer” in his corner, naturally. Bruce Buffer runs the intros, and we’re ready to roll with Kevin Mulhall the third man in the Octagon. They trade in tight early, and Edwards looks for a throw, but settles for a clinch against the cage. But Lopez lifts him for a nice slam – right into a guillotine. Edwards cranks on it, but Lopez rolls out and eventually pops back to his feet. He throws a nice right kick that Edwards counters with some more clinch work. In tight, Edwards lands a couple nice hooks, then a soft slam. But again Lopez pops up. And again Edwards softly takes him down. He looks for a guillotine again, but settles for keeping position on the mat, trying to work ground and pound. The fight moves back to the feet halfway through the round. Jabs are traded, with each fighter landing a nice one in close. A nice knee from Lopez briefly has Edwards on the canvas with Lopez looking for some quick short strikes. But back on the feet, Edwards ties things up again with his back on the fence. Another nice knee from Lopez lands, but Edwards chases him down with a flurry and they trade position along the fence. Lopez landed some decent shots in the round, but MMA Fighting will score the round 10-9 for Edwards.

Round 2: Edwards opens with a left jab, then eats a high right kick. But he comes back with a spinning back kick right to Lopez’s gut. Back along the fence, Edwards again lands a little takedown and has good position in side control. He works to sink in a guillotine and gets it. It looks tight, but Lopez barely pops out and briefly has top position until they go back to their feet. After several Edwards near-chokes so far, Lopez might believe he needs to keep this standing. Edwards again works for a little takedown and works to take Lopez’s back. Lopez looks absolutely exhausted as Edwards starts laying on the ground and pound. It’s getting close as Mulhall looks in, but Lopez gives one burst of energy and reverses to pop out. After a short stall in the clinch, Mulhall splits them up with 30 seconds left in the round. Edwards lands a couple nice kicks as we get to the end. We’ll give another 10-9 round to Edwards heading to the last.

Round 3: They touch gloves for the last. Lopez has probably been told he’ll need to finish, and he lands a nice right hand early. Lopez ties Edwards up, and Edwards throws knees. Then Lopez lifts him for a nice slam. Edwards is looking for an armbar from his side. But Lopez finally gets out of it, gets mount, then takes Edwards’ back and starts looking for ground and pound. Edwards is squirming to try and get out, and Lopez gives up the back. He keeps dominant position on the ground, moving from side control to north-south briefly, then back to side control. He lands some short right elbows as Edwards looks for a way out. And finally, Edwards gets back to his feet. With 1:20 left, Lopez again gets a short takedown, but Edwards falls into guard. Edwards gets an armbar with 20 seconds left, but he can’t hold it. We’ll give the third to Lopez, 10-9, but the fight should go to Edwards 29-28 in a fairly major upset.

Result: Justin Edwards def. Jorge Lopez, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Mike Lullo vs. Robert Peralta

Round 1: High kick from Lullo to open. Then he eats one to the outside. They trade a few kicks, then Peralta ties up and lands some knees. He uses them to get a soft taekdown before letting Lullo back up. They trade jabs. Then several kicks each. After his UFC debut loss against Edson Barboza last November, you’d think Lullo would be pretty fed up with eating kicks by now. But he’s throwing plenty himself. Peralta checks a kick, then comes with a nice combo. Then again. Lullo’s left thigh is blistering red from kicks already. Nice right hand from Peralta lands, and he comes back with two more huge kicks to Lullo’s lead leg. Peralta then again lands some big kicks that take Lullo off his feet – it’s literally like watching a replay of the Lullo-Barboza fight. It’s a 10-9 round for Peralta.

Round 2: More kicks from Peralta. And Lullo has a large hematoma on the left side of his head. Peralta goes right after it. More kicks from Peralta force Lullo to shoot, and he ties things up along the fence. Things stall out for a minute as Lullo keeps Peralta tied up – at least he’s not eating kicks. They break at 1:30 and trade leg kicks. Again Lullo shoots, but it’s not there. A nice kick from Lullo closes the round. It’s definitely a closer round, but we’re going to give it to Peralta again, 10-9.

Round 3:

Mike Stumpf vs. T.J. Waldburger

Round 1:

Seth Baczynski vs. Clay Harvison

Round 1:

Ken Stone vs. Donny Walker

Round 1:

Lance Benoist vs. Matt Riddle

Round 1:

Shamar Bailey vs. Evan Dunham

Round 1:

Cody McKenzie vs. Vagner Rocha

Round 1:

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Five Reasons to Watch ‘UFC Fight Night 25: Shields vs. Ellenberger’

UFC Fight Night 25 battle on the bayou jake ellenberger jake shields
(McGee vs. Yang, the middleweight showdown that UFC fans have been…wait a minute, remind me again who Yang is?)

Unless you’re one of those Bud Light ‘Battle on the Bayou’ contest winners, you’re probably not overly excited about Saturday’s “Shields vs. Ellenberger” UFC event on Spike. Boxing already has Saturday night locked up, with Floyd Mayweather‘s ring-return against 24-year-old WBC Welterweight champ Victor Ortiz, and it feels like UFC Fight Night 25 will be an overlooked prelude to next week’s Jones vs. Rampage card.

But let’s not admit defeat so soon. We’ll be liveblogging the Shields vs. Ellenberger main card on CagePotato.com starting at 9 p.m. ET, and it would be nice if a few of you showed up to keep us company. Could it be one of those “crap on paper, bonkers in reality” events? Who knows, but consider the following…

All Eyes on Jake: So far, Jake Shields‘s UFC career has consisted of an underwhelming (and razor-thin) split-decision victory over Martin Kampmann, and a rout at the hands of Georges St. Pierre. His dominant stretch of eight-straight stoppage victories in 2006-2009 are a distant memory in the minds of MMA fans, and he needs a dramatic win here, badly. Shields’s dance partner, Jake Ellenberger, has been spent years fighting for recognition, and with four straight Octagon wins over serious competition, he’s starting to get it. Stylistically, the fight might not be a barn-burner, but it could have career-altering implications for the headliners.

UFC Fight Night 25 battle on the bayou jake ellenberger jake shields
(McGee vs. Yang, the middleweight showdown that UFC fans have been…wait a minute, remind me again who Yang is?)

Unless you’re one of those Bud Light ‘Battle on the Bayou’ contest winners, you’re probably not overly excited about Saturday’s “Shields vs. Ellenberger” UFC event on Spike. Boxing already has Saturday night locked up, with Floyd Mayweather‘s ring-return against 24-year-old WBC Welterweight champ Victor Ortiz, and it feels like UFC Fight Night 25 will be an overlooked prelude to next week’s Jones vs. Rampage card.

But let’s not admit defeat so soon. We’ll be liveblogging the Shields vs. Ellenberger main card on CagePotato.com starting at 9 p.m. ET, and it would be nice if a few of you showed up to keep us company. Could it be one of those “crap on paper, bonkers in reality” events? Who knows, but consider the following…

All Eyes on Jake: So far, Jake Shields‘s UFC career has consisted of an underwhelming (and razor-thin) split-decision victory over Martin Kampmann, and a rout at the hands of Georges St. Pierre. His dominant stretch of eight-straight stoppage victories in 2006-2009 are a distant memory in the minds of MMA fans, and he needs a dramatic win here, badly. Shields’s dance partner, Jake Ellenberger, has been spent years fighting for recognition, and with four straight Octagon wins over serious competition, he’s starting to get it. Stylistically, the fight might not be a barn-burner, but it could have career-altering implications for the headliners.

TUF Winners Return: Due to poorly-timed injuries, Court McGee and Jonathan Brookins — the winners of TUF 11 and TUF 12, respectively — haven’t competed since last year. Nevertheless, McGee is still a solid favorite over Dongi Yang, the South Korean fight-finisher who has split a pair of Octagon appearances, most recently TKO’ing Rob Kimmons in March. I’m much more concerned for Brookins, whose first post-TUF bout will be against Erik Koch, the Roufusport-trained killer who has won Knockout of the Night bonuses in his last two fights. My money’s on Koch here, especially considering the way Brookins was gobbling punches against Michael Johnson — and I’d also call this bout an early front-runner for Fight of the Night.

The Crowd-Pleaser: The UFC knew what they were doing in booking middleweights Alan Belcher and Jason MacDonald to kick off the main card. Both guys go for broke in every fight, and have eight combined performance bonuses to show for it. With back-to-back stoppage wins over Wilson Gouveia and Patrick Cote in his pocket, Belcher returns to the cage after the eye-ailment that nearly ended his career. And speaking of miraculous comebacks, MacDonald is coming off his first-round submission win against Ryan Jensen, which followed his gnarly leg-snap against John Salter.

Do or Die for Dunham: Once an undefeated blue-chip prospect in the lightweight division, Evan Dunham now has his back against the wall following two straight losses — one a bullshit decision against Sean Sherk, the other an ugly TKO against Melvin Guillard. His next opponent, Strikeforce/TUF 13 veteran Shamar Bailey, is a hefty underdog, but he’s got the wrestling skills and power to make it a contest. Can Dunham get his head back in the game and take care of business? Because if he doesn’t, he’ll very likely be out of a job.

Don’t Sleep On the Prelims: The entire “Shields vs. Ellenberger” preliminary card will be streamed on Facebook.com/UFC, and Dunham vs. Bailey isn’t the only match to keep an eye on. Following his Fight of the Night-worthy loss to Yves Edwards in January, Cody McKenzie — and his dreaded “McKenzietine” choke — will return against Vagner Rocha. Plus, Saturday night will kick off with the debut of Jorge Lopez, a 22-year-old welterweight who took a break from high-school at the age of 14 to train with Wanderlei Silva — which sounds a hell of a lot cooler than what I was doing at 14.

(BG)