On Wednesday afternoon, UFC President Dana White announced on Fox Sports’ Garbage Time (via Damon Martin of FoxSports.com) that Luke Rockhold will defend his middleweight title against Chris Weidman at UFC 199 in June.
It will be a…
On Wednesday afternoon, UFC President Dana White announced on Fox Sports’ Garbage Time (via Damon Martin of FoxSports.com) that Luke Rockhold will defend his middleweight title against Chris Weidman at UFC 199 in June.
It will be a rematch of the middleweight title bout that saw Rockhold take away Weidman’s title in a fourth-round TKO.
Here is a review of their previous bout in which Rockhold handed Weidman his first-ever loss:
Rumors have been swirling over the past few weeks that there would be a rematch after Rockhold hinted at one to Martin in January.
We’ve talked and from what I see there’s a couple of fights on the table — there’s Yoel Romero and there’s Chris Weidman. I think Chris Weidman, he’s been the longtime reigning champion, I know he’s begging for a shot. He’s been harassing Dana (White) from what I understand since the day after the fight and I’m not opposed to giving him what he wants if he really likes it.
Weidman, who was a three-time defending middleweight champion before meeting Rockhold at UFC 194, is getting his opportunity to snatch back the title.
Here’s how the two stack up:
Weidman, whose strengths revolve around his ability to wrestle his opponents in the process of taking them down, will have to make sure he isn’t too aggressive when he meets Rockhold. The current champion’s kickboxing and jiu-jitsu style of fighting is able to keep Weidman at bay.
The farther Weidman stays away from him, the more it favors Rockhold. Having seen each other already inside the Octagon, though, they will certainly make tweaks in their approach to UFC 199. But with two of the best in the business going at it again for the title, June can’t come soon enough for many UFC fans.
Paul “Semtex” Daley made quick work of Andy Uhrich in the main event at Bellator 148 in Fresno, California, on Friday night. The powerful British welterweight stalked his overmatched opponent and ultimately landed a right uppercut on Uhrich’s jaw.
The …
Paul “Semtex” Daley made quick work of Andy Uhrich in the main event at Bellator 148 in Fresno, California, on Friday night. The powerful British welterweight stalked his overmatched opponent and ultimately landed a right uppercut on Uhrich’s jaw.
The latter face planted, and referee John McCarthy stepped in to waive off the rest of the fight. This one wasn’t competitive at all, and it topped off a night filled with knockouts at the Save Mart Center. Zombie Prophet has the KO:
Here’s a look at all of the results from the card:
Prelim Results
Justin Smitley defeats Art Arciniega by unanimous decision (30-27 x3).
Ilima MacFarlane defeats Amber Tackett by submission (armbar) in first round.
Carl Seumanutafa defeats Javy Ayala by TKO (punches) in second round.
Main Card Results
Tony Johnson defeats Raphael Butler by TKO (punches) in third round.
Patricky Pitbull defeats Ryan Couture by KO (left hook) in first round.
Paul Bradley defeats Chris Honeycutt by TKO (punches) in first round.
Paul Daley defeats Andy Uhrich by KO (right uppercutt) in first round.
Chasing Koscheck
Daley and Uhrich weren’t supposed to be the main event matchup. Daley’s longtime rival Josh Koscheck was supposed to make his Bellator debut against Matt Secor, but the former had to bow out due to injury. He was on hand for Daley’s win, and there were plenty of words exchanged between the two veteran welterweights.
MMA Fighting and Fox Sports’ Ariel Helwani noted some of the trash talk from Daley’s brief, but in-your-face post-fight interview:
Back in 2010, when Daley and Koscheck were fighting in the UFC, the two faced off at UFC 113. Koscheck won a unanimous decision. Moments after the final bell, a frustrated Daley sucker-punched Koscheck. The infraction got him banned from the UFC and ignited a bitter feud between him and Koscheck.
Bellator’s promotional team has been attempting to align the two men on a collision course for the ultimate grudge match. They were both supposed to fight on Friday’s card to set up the rematch, but Koscheck’s injury derailed the plans.
Chances are, the shouting match after Daley’s win was enough to keep the flame burning and some fans interested in seeing the rematch.
Quite honestly, Koscheck looked like a shopworn and whooped fighter in his last four UFC fights. At this point, he may just be a recognizable name headed for a beatdown in Bellator. Only time will tell.
Bradley Smokes Honeycutt
The first meeting between Paul Bradley and Chris Honeycutt ended in a no-contest after an accidental headbutt back in July 2015. Bradley made sure the judges wouldn’t be a factor in the rematch.
Early in the first round, Bradley landed a right hand that was more of a forearm, but it dazed Honeycutt. A follow-up right hand sent him falling backward. Sensing the finish, Bradley pounced and pumped right hands to the side of Honeycutt’s head until the fight was stopped.
It was Honeycutt’s first loss as a pro. To add insult to injury, the bout took place in his hometown. He still has a bright future, but he’ll have to pick up the pieces after this one.
Johnson’s Wrestling Is Too Much for Butler
Raphael Butler hoped to use his boxing prowess to pick Tony Johnson apart with jabs and power punches, but that didn’t happen. Johnson used his wide body, low center of gravity and wrestling expertise to dominate Butler.
Every round looked like a carbon copy of the one before it. Johnson would shoot for the takedown, secure it on the first attempt and maintain top position. In the third round, referee Mike Beltran grew tired of the one-way traffic, and he stopped the bout due to unanswered strikes.
It was a questionable decision by Beltran, but Butler had no chance to win. There was only 30 seconds remaining in the fight, and Butler was making no moves to change the momentum. Here’s a look at the finish from Zombie Prophet:
Bellator congratulated Johnson on his win:
With the victory, Johnson has positioned himself for a title shot whenever heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov returns to the cage. He hasn’t fought in over two years, but somehow he’s been allowed to remain champion. Johnson is applying the heat that figures to force Minakov’s hand.
Bang
Ryan Couture tried to trade with Patricky Pitbull, and things didn’t end well for the son of the MMA legend. A smashing left hook from the Brazilian sent Couture crashing to the mat just three minutes into the fight. It was sudden, nasty and devastating.
Zombie Prophet has the punch:
When it was over, the MMA community had immediate reaction. Sherdog.com tabbed it as an early candidate for KO of the Year:
Thankfully, Bellator cutman Matt Marsden tweeted good news about Couture after the scary KO:
You could see the wickedness on its way in the early seconds of the fight. Couture seemed to be trying to prove he could strike with Pitbull. That was a surprising strategy considering Couture is known for his grappling and submission skills, while Pitbull boasts explosive punching power.
Before he turned Couture’s lights out with the left hook, he dazed him with a fierce straight right hand. It would have been smart for Couture to try and take the fight to the ground at that point, but he didn’t. Unfortunately for him, Pitbull’s left hand took him to the ground instead.
What’s Next?
On February 19, two MMA fossils will battle for something, we’re just not sure what it is. The legendary Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock will fight for the third time in their seemingly never-ending careers.
Also on the card is a matchup between Kimbo Slice and Dada 5000. Yeah, this one isn’t exactly targeted for the MMA purists, but it’s a fight that many people are likely going to be interested in seeing.
While snow covered the East Coast, Winter Storm Jonas could not halt one of the most anticipated episodes of Saturday Night Live in recent memory as host Ronda Rousey made her first appearance on national television since losin…
While snow covered the East Coast, Winter Storm Jonas could not halt one of the most anticipated episodes of Saturday Night Live in recent memory as host Ronda Rousey made her first appearance on national television since losing to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November.
The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion hosted the longstanding NBC show for the first time in her career Saturday night. It got off to a weird start because this was the closest you’ll see Rousey and Justin Bieber together in the same room, per SNL:
Rousey has seemingly gone rogue since losing for the first time in her MMA career Nov. 14 in Australia. During her opening monologue, she addressed the loss, per Dana Loesch of Radio America:
But the general reaction on Twitter was not pleasant. Rousey isn’t an actress, so it’s not fair to critique her as harshly as someone with years of experience.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden put her performance into perspective, though:
One aspect of Rousey’s life that she wants to keep to herself is her relationships. So this was a perfect segment for her, per SNL:
If anyone didn’t feel Rousey did a great job with her performance, hopefully he or she wasn’t disappointed by the show’s opening skit. Tina Fey returned as Sarah Palin, and it went how you’d expect it to, per SNL:
This line needs no context, just laughs, per Philip Rucker of the Washington Post:
But throughout the show, it seemed like Rousey did not have as big of a role as other celebrity hosts. ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell was quick to note that in the first hour:
There was this skit, however, which showed Rousey playing the role of a superhero, per CJ Fogler of the Cauldron:
Overall, it was a fair show. Nothing swayed it in one direction or another. There could have been more live skits that favored Rousey, but it was her first time hosting—and she’s not a full-time actress.
She’ll probably get more chances to host and become more comfortable in this type of role. For her first time hosting, Rousey did well. It’s more important that she’s finally appearing on national television again.
UFC Hall of Famer and former two-division champion BJ Penn officially announced his return to the Octagon on Tuesday.
Per an interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani (via MMAFighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti), the 37-year-old plans to take another …
UFC Hall of Famer and former two-division champion BJ Penn officially announced his return to the Octagon on Tuesday.
Per an interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani (via MMAFighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti), the 37-year-old plans to take another shot at the 145-pound title belt and will work with trainer Greg Jackson.
Penn’s last outing in the Octagon was a disappointing loss against Frankie Edgar. His last win came in 2010, when he knocked out Matt Hughes.
Welcome back, Dominick Cruz.
The challenger in the headlining bantamweight title bout at UFC Fight Night 81 at TD Garden in Boston shocked TJ Dillashaw by split decision in an incredible back-and-forth battle. Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports shar…
Welcome back, Dominick Cruz.
The challenger in the headlining bantamweight title bout at UFC Fight Night 81 at TD Garden in Boston shocked TJ Dillashaw by split decision in an incredible back-and-forth battle. Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports shared the judges’ scorecards:
Dillashaw was the champion coming into the fight with a handful of knockouts under his belt, but he won his title as Cruz dealt with a number of leg injuries. On Sunday, Cruz announced to the UFC world that he is back and one of the best fighters in the Octagon in just his second fight since 2011.
The UFC reacted to the victory:
Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com commented on the action:
The drama started before the fight even began, when the two fighters did not touch gloves. During the fight, they exchanged blows in the opening minutes, and Mike Bohn of USA Today summarized the feeling in the arena: “This is already crazy.”
Dillashaw, known as a devastating kickboxer coming into the fight, repeatedly went for the head kick in the first round. However, he failed to land any crushing blows, and Cruz, who consistently darts in and out with speed and the ability to throw strikes in rapid succession, landed an early hit, per the UFC:
Iole analyzed the first round: “Cruz 10-9, but very close. I could be convinced TJ won that quite easily.”
Helwani put Cruz’s efforts into perspective:
Dillashaw bounced back in the second round with some leg attacks, as the UFC shared:
However, Cruz returned some of the aggression and registered some momentum-shifting takedowns. After the second round, Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMAFighting.com called the score 20-18 in Cruz’s advantage.
Cruz continued to pace around in the third round, unleashing his constant-motion strategy as he looked for openings to attack. He added to his takedown total and earned some praise from Iole:
Cruz’s performance was particularly impressive because no opponent had ever taken Dillashaw down before Sunday, according to Helwani.
Cruz established more momentum in the opening minutes of the fourth round with another takedown, but Dillashaw struck back with a body blow and a high kick before securing a takedown of his own. Dillashaw also pinned Cruz against the cage and seemed to build some momentum heading into the final round, although Helwani said Cruz won three of the first four rounds on his card.
The fight looked primed to go the distance, but Dillashaw finally landed a jarring head kick in the early stages of the fifth round. Both fighters appeared to have more urgency in the final minutes, as though they didn’t want to put the fight into the judges’ hands, especially given how close it was throughout.
Dillashaw went after Cruz’s leg (which has been surgically repaired a handful of times), but the challenger continued to dart in and out.
The crowd came to its feet for the final 30 seconds as both fighters exchanged a flurry of punches and went the distance. Fox Sports UFC weighed in on the final round:
Jeremy Botter of Bleacher Report described how close the decision was after the fight:
With the title hanging in the balance, the judges ruled in Cruz’s favor: 48-47, 46-49, 49-46. Just like that, there was a new bantamweight champion.
Sunday’s lightweight showdown between Anthony Pettis and Eddie Alvarez wasn’t a title fight, but it felt like one.
Alvarez captured the victory by split decision in a back-and-forth affair at UFC Fight Night 81 at TD Garden in Boston. Fox Sports U…
Sunday’s lightweight showdown between Anthony Pettis and Eddie Alvarez wasn’t a title fight, but it felt like one.
Alvarez captured the victory by split decision in a back-and-forth affair at UFC Fight Night 81 at TD Garden in Boston. Fox Sports UFC passed along the judges’ decisions:
The loss marked the second straight defeat for Pettis, who was coming off a loss to Rafael dos Anjos in his last bout. As for Alvarez, he announced that he is back and a force to be reckoned with in dramatic fashion, considering this was only his second fight since a 2014 loss to Donald Cerrone.
Mike Bohn of USA Today called the result the “biggest win of Alvarez’s career,” while Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMAFighting.com shared the victor’s quote in the aftermath: “I want the champion next. Give me the champion.”
Alvarez, known for his impressive boxing skills, wasted little time establishing momentum with a takedown, as Al-Shatti pointed out:
However, Pettis, known as a lethal kicker, bounced back with a handful of solid body blows, and Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports believed it was enough to capture the first round. MMAFighting.com also weighed in on the early action:
The UFC shared some highlights:
Pettis again launched some kicks in the second round, but Alvarez looked to pressure him and pin his opponent’s back against the cage in the first few minutes. Alvarez was more active with his kicks during the second round and looked to match the strong Pettis in his own area of expertise.
It didn’t work, though, and MMAFighting.com noted that Pettis was “finding his rhythm” during the second round. MMAFighting.com offered more analysis heading into the decisive round:
Alvarez recognized the stakes in the third round and knew he had to counter the close start with a strong finish. He knocked Pettis on his back in the middle of the third round, as the UFC passed along:
Fox Sports UFC discussed the takedowns as well as the fight neared the finish: “Four takedowns so far for Eddie Alvarez. Will be curious how much that weighs on the judges.”
The two exchanged blows in the final seconds, although Alvarez grinded on Pettis and took the fight to his opponent. Ultimately, the fight went the distance and fell into the judges’ hands. Iole put the small margin into context:
Naturally, the close fight was a split decision. Two judges scored it 29-28 for Alvarez, while the other gave Pettis the 29-28 edge, which gave the victory to Alvarez. Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com summarized the proceedings: “Wasn’t pretty but Alvarez did exactly what he had to do to get that W. Credit to him for sticking to the game plan.”
On Wednesday afternoon, UFC President Dana White announced on Fox Sports’ Garbage Time (via Damon Martin of FoxSports.com) that Luke Rockhold will defend his middleweight title against Chris Weidman at UFC 199 in June. 