The Ultimate Fighter 25 finale has a potential slugfest on tap, as former hockey enforcer Steve Bosse will face off against Dallas native Jared Cannonier at the event. French-Canadian sports network RDS first reported the news. Bosse (12-2), who laced up the skates and bloodied his knuckles in Quebec’s semi-pro LNAH league, is coming off […]
The Ultimate Fighter 25 finale has a potential slugfest on tap, as former hockey enforcer Steve Bosse will face off against Dallas native Jared Cannonier at the event. French-Canadian sports network RDS first reported the news. Bosse (12-2), who laced up the skates and bloodied his knuckles in Quebec’s semi-pro LNAH league, is coming off […]
With another year coming to a close, everyone embarks on their annual year-end traditions. Many gather with family and friends at this festive time of year, exchanging gifts and holiday cheer. Some concoct a new strategy for keeping their New Year’s resolution, for real this time. Others overindulge in delicious food and drink too much
With another year coming to a close, everyone embarks on their annual year-end traditions. Many gather with family and friends at this festive time of year, exchanging gifts and holiday cheer. Some concoct a new strategy for keeping their New Year’s resolution, for real this time. Others overindulge in delicious food and drink too much egg nog.
But fight fans are different. Now is the time to look back and reflect on the past 12 months, and then argue about who had the best knockout, submission, or fight of the year. In this installment of the annual year-end awards from LowKickMMA, we pick and rank the ten best scraps of 2016.
From title shots and super fights with sky-high stakes to undercard tussles that unexpectedly turned into thrilling wars, these were the all-time classics of 2016. Read on for the must-see list of brawls to show that uninitiated family member this holiday season.
10. Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson
UFC 204 on October 8, 2016 – Manchester, England:
“The Count” began his unlikely title reign with a most unlikely defense, and it turned into one of the best fights of the year. Many fans and pundits – and other top contenders – maligned Henderson getting a title shot after going 3-6 in his previous nine fights. But the story was too good to pass up.
Bisping sought revenge on the man to hand him his most devastating loss, the infamous, brutal knockout at UFC 100. “Hendo” had been hinting at retirement for some time, and when the fight was announced, he claimed that it would be his swan song. The narratives were set: would Bisping redeem himself or suffer another humiliating loss to his greatest rival? Would Hendo finally capture the UFC belt that had eluded him during his hall of fame career and go out on top?
The bout was extremely tense from the outset. The stakes could not be any higher, a loss for either man a crushing blow. As many expected, the champion had success with his diverse and high-volume kickboxing, while the challenger had his bazooka right hand cocked. Toward the end of the first round, Henderson detonated his famed “H-Bomb” on Bisping’s chin, but the Brit hung on, clinging to consciousness as his American counterpart hammered him relentlessly.
The pattern repeated in round two. Bisping got out to a lead before being felled by another massive right hand. Again, he refused to go away. Henderson failed to connect with a third “H-Bomb” and thus saw his lead slip away over the final three rounds. Observers were split as to who should emerge with the victory, many even scoring the fight a draw. When the judges’ scores were announced, it was Bisping who escaped with his title reign intact.
In Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson vs. Rory “I Refuse to Write His Nickname” MacDonald, we were expecting one of the more technical battles you’ll ever see in the octagon; one was a kickboxing and karate master with a wealth of experience behind him, the other an archetype of the modern MMA fighter whose only losses had come to the top 1% of his division. Suffice it to say, a sloppy haymaker-fest it would not end up being (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
Our predictions, as it turns out, were mostly spot-on. What we might not have expected, however, is that Thompson would almost completely shut down MacDonald’s attack over the the course of five rounds and reduce his face to the mashed-up pile of blood and gore that only Robbie Lawler before him was able to do.
It was quite possibly Thompson’s best performance to date, and one that cemented his name as the next title contender (after Tyron Woodley, for whatever reason). As for the “Red King” (dammit, I said it!), well, it looks like it’s back to the drawing board, by which I mean that he may very well have to hire a team of scientists and graphic artists to draw him up a new nose, because he won’t have much of a fighting future left with the one he’s got.
Head after the jump for a complete recap of Fight Night 89.
In Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson vs. Rory “I Refuse to Write His Nickname” MacDonald, we were expecting one of the more technical battles you’ll ever see in the octagon; one was a kickboxing and karate master with a wealth of experience behind him, the other an archetype of the modern MMA fighter whose only losses had come to the top 1% of his division. Suffice it to say, a sloppy haymaker-fest it would not end up being (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
Our predictions, as it turns out, were mostly spot-on. What we might not have expected, however, is that Thompson would almost completely shut down MacDonald’s attack over the the course of five rounds and reduce his face to the mashed-up pile of blood and gore that only Robbie Lawler before him was able to do.
It was quite possibly Thompson’s best performance to date, and one that cemented his name as the next title contender (after Tyron Woodley, for whatever reason). As for the “Red King” (dammit, I said it!), well, it looks like it’s back to the drawing board, by which I mean that he may very well have to hire a team of scientists and graphic artists to draw him up a new nose, because he won’t have much of a fighting future left with the one he’s got.
Head after the jump for a complete recap of Fight Night 89.
In the evening’s co-main event, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone improved to 2-0 as a welterweight with a surprisingly dominant performance over Patrick “Look Into My Eyes and See The Wellspring of All Creation” Cote. Known the world across for his notoriously tough chin — which has stood up to the likes of Anderson Silva, Stephen Thompson, and Tito Ortiz — the Canadian “Predator” was dropped on numerous occasions by Cerrone, finally succumbing to a flourish of strikes in the third round. The sky appears to be the limit for Cerrone at 170 for now, which begs the question: With USADA’s recently-implemented weight-cutting rules now in place, are we about to enter the era of fighters going *up* a weight-class to save their careers? Details at 11.
You know that thing I said early about haymaker-fests? Well that’s more or less what the light heavyweight battle between Steve “The Boss” Bosse and Sean “The New Tom Lawler of Weigh-Ins” O’Connell was (are these nickname jokes working for you at all?), and it was fantastic. After nearly getting slept in the first round — well, actually getting slept, then somehow recovering — Bosse managed to rally in the second and third to deliver some brutal punishment of his own. How either guy had the stamina or strength left to engage in that final exchange is beyond impressive, and the UFC should probably do the sensible thing and book them in a rematch on every other card for the rest of eternity.
But it wouldn’t be a night of MMA without some horrific judging and/or refereeing, amiright Nation? On Saturday, that came in the form of referee Jerin Valel, who you might remember as the guy who nearly got Ruan Potts, Josh Koscheck *and* Mark Munoz killed back at UFC 184, who all but forced Valerie Letourneau to go out on her shield against Joanna Calderwood after she had clearly given up. You’d think that a fighter turning her back on his/her opponent and fleeing would be enough of a sign that they were unable to fight back, but not for Jerin Valel. Because Jerin Valel does not operate under the assumptions that you or I do. No, when he sees a man being choked within an inch of his life, he makes sure that he sees his soul dip its toes into the Netherrealm before bringing him back to life. He’s basically the Red Priestess of MMA in that regard.
The full results for Fight night 89 are below.
Main card
Stephen Thompson def. Rory MacDonald via unanimous decision (50-45 x2, 48-47)
Donald Cerrone def. Patrick Cote via third-round TKO (2:35)
Steve Bosse def. Sean O’Connell via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Thibault Gouti via submission (rear-naked choke) (R3, 2:28)
Joanne Calderwood def. Valerie Letourneau via third-round TKO (2:51)
Undercard
Jason Saggo def. Leandro Silva via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Misha Cirkunov def. Ion Cutelaba via submission (arm triangle) (R3, 1:22)
Krzysztof Jotko def. Tamdan McCrory via first-round TKO (0:59)
Joe Soto def. Chris Beal via submission (rear-naked choke) (R3, 3:39)
Elias Theodorou def. Sam Alvey via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)
Randa Markos def. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger via UD (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Colby Covington def. Jonathan Meunier via submission (rear-naked choke) (R3, :54)
Ali Bagautinov def. Geane Herrera via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Most of the hype may have been centered on the Stephen Thompson vs. Rory MacDonald main event at last night’s (Sat., June 18, 2016) UFC Fight Night 89 from the TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, but it was the light heavyweight bout between Canadian home favorite Steve Bosse and Sean O’Connell that stole the
Most of the hype may have been centered on the Stephen Thompson vs. Rory MacDonald main event at last night’s (Sat., June 18, 2016) UFC Fight Night 89 from the TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, but it was the light heavyweight bout between Canadian home favorite Steve Bosse and Sean O’Connell that stole the show.
The action-packed fight deservedly took home “Fight of the Night” honors in the UFC’s Ottawa debut after Bosse and O’Connell threw down in an absolute war. First it was O’Connell who smelled blood, as he floored an over-aggressive Bosse with a flurry of powerful left hooks early, appearing to nearly have the former professional hockey player knocked out.
But the tough Montreal-based fighter somehow persevered, and he put on a show for his Canadian fans in the second round, dropping O’Connell and pouring on an endless barrage of ground strikes. The third round continued to deliver hard-hitting, pulse-pounding action despite both fighters being exhausted, and both men had their moments.
It was capped off by O’Connell beckoning Bosse to stand toe-to-toe with him and slug out the final 10 seconds. Not surprisingly, Bosse happily obliged, and he ultimately took home a big decision win close to home. Check out the full fight video highlights of one of the best fights of the year right here:
Two light heavyweights with a combined 22 finishes did battle at UFC Fight Night 89 at the TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The two 205-pound sluggers were Steve Bosse (12-2) and Sean O’Connell (17-8). “The Boss” survived an early knockdown to decision “The Real OC” in an action-packed bout. The two wasted little
Two light heavyweights with a combined 22 finishes did battle at UFC Fight Night 89 at the TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The two 205-pound sluggers were Steve Bosse (12-2) and Sean O’Connell (17-8).
“The Boss” survived an early knockdown to decision “The Real OC” in an action-packed bout.
The two wasted little time throwing leather. Bosse was tagged with a couple of punches and was dropped with a left hand. O’Connell rained down leather, but “The Boss” returned to his feet. “The Real OC” kneed his opponent in the body. Bosse landed a right hand and got his back off the fence. O’Connell landed a right hand with Bosse’s back against the cage. Bosse landed a left hook. A spinning backfist attempt caught air for Bosse. The round ended shortly after “The Boss” went for a takedown.
Immediately in the second round, the two bruisers threw heavy punches. “The Real OC” pressed Bosse against the fence and landed a knee to the body. Bosse got out and O’Connell looked a bit winded. “The Boss” ate a left hook, but stunned his opponent with a right hand. O’Connell went for a kick, but he was off balance and fell on his back. Bosse earned top control and landed some ground and pound. Hammerfists landed for Bosse. The round ended with both men in a clinch position.
Bosse threw some big shots including a spinning backfist. O’Connell connected with a left hook. Blood poured out of the nose of “The Real OC.” Another left hook from O’Connell had Bosse halt his offense momentarily. O’Connell kept finding a home for his left hook. Bosse connected with a right hand. He kept looking for his spinning backfist. O’Connell and Bosse agreed to exchange punches at the end of the fight much to the delight of the crowd.
The score totals were read and all three judges gave the fight to Bosse.
Final Result: Sean O’Connell def. Steve Bosse via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
The UFC is back in Canada tomorrow night (June 18, 2016) for UFC Fight Night 89, and the huge night of fights is headlined by hometown hero, and No. 1-ranked welterweight in the world, Rory MacDonald and No. 2-ranked Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. The card is also co-main evented by Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone and Patrick Cote
The UFC is back in Canada tomorrow night (June 18, 2016) for UFC Fight Night 89, and the huge night of fights is headlined by hometown hero, and No. 1-ranked welterweight in the world, Rory MacDonald and No. 2-ranked Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.
The card is also co-main evented by Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone and Patrick Cote in a welterweight bout, granted Cerrone typically competes in the 155-pound division.
Aside from the two colossal bouts set to headline the night of fights in Ottawa, theres plenty of more action fight fans seem to be overlooking that we’re going to look into today. Here is an in-depth look at the UFC Fight Night 89 main card:
Fight 1: Valerie Letourneau vs Joanne Calderwood (Women’s Flyweight Bout)
Set to kick off the night is the first ever women’s flyweight bout in UFC history, when No. 5-ranked women’s starawweight Valerie Letourneau takes on No. 12-ranked Joanne Calderwood.
Letourneau (8-4) is coming off of a 115-pound title bout defeat to current champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 193, via unanimous decision in the night’s co-main event.
The American Top Team (ATT) product is a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Bruno Fernandes, and also possesses some of the best striking in the women’s 115-pound division.
Calderwood (10-1) is an impressive prospect out of Scotland, being the country’s first female mixed martial artist, who is also alumni from The Ultimate Fighter 20 (TUF 20) in which she made it as far as the quarterfinals of the tournament.
‘JoJo’ has only lost one bout in her professional career, and is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Cortney Casey at UFC Fight Night 72 nearly a year ago in July. Calderwood holds a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and is a Muay Thai specialist having held four titles in the sport.
Both women possess incredible standup skills and have proven to be fairly even on the ground, however, Letourneau is ranked as high as a -190 favorite to win the bout and has faced far greater competition throughout her career. Expect a standup brawl from these two women when they step inside the Octagon.
Fight 2: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs Thibault Gouti (Lightweight)
Next up is a lightweight bout between young UFC veteran Olivier Aubin-Mercier, and a man who comes off his first career loss in Thibault Gouti.
Mercier (7-2) has won three of his last five career UFC bouts, however, his last Octagon appearance in January saw him dropping a unanimous decision bout to Carlos Diego Ferreira at UFC on FOX 18.
‘The Quebec Kid’ is extremely talented on the ground as he holds a black belt in Judo to go along with a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Seven of Mercier’s eight career victories have come via submission, giving him the clear edge in the ground game department.
Gouti (11-1) comes off of the first loss of his professional mixed martial arts career, when he was defeated by Teemu Packalen via rear-naked choke at UFC Fight Night 84 in the first round.
The 29-year-old Frenchman is no slouch on the ground himself, however, as six of his eleven career victories have come via submission.
Mercier is a highly skilled ground practitioner and could dictate the majority of the fight should it go to the ground, which is most likely why he is ranked as much as a -450 favorite to win the bout.
Fight 3: Steve Bosse vs Sean O’Connell (Light Heavyweight)
The third bout slated for the main card is set to go down in the 205-pound division, when Steve ‘The Boss’ Bosse takes on Sean ‘The Real OC’ O’Connell.
Bosse (11-2) comes off of a first round knockout victory over James Te-Huna at UFC Fight Night 85 in his second UFC bout, once again utilizing his vicious striking power.
‘The Boss’ possesses game changing power in his hands, holding nine knockout wins of his eleven career victories.
O’Connell (17-7) has won two of his last four bouts inside the Octagon, including most recently a devastating knockout loss to the heavy handed Illir Latifi at UFC Fight Night 81 this past January.
‘The Real OC’ is an exciting fighter who isn’t afraid to stand and bang with any man in the 205-divison, and has even taken home Fight of the Night honors two times in his two-year UFC career.
Bosse is as much as a -160 favorite to walk away with the win Saturday night, and it’s most likely due in large part to the Canadian’s vicious knockout power.
Fight 4: Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone vs Patrick Cote (Welterweight)
Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone is making his second appearance in the UFC’s 170-pound division, to take on former middleweight title-challenger Patrick Cote in the evenings co-main event.
Cerrone (29-7-1) has only lost once in his last three years inside the Octagon, with his last bout resulting in a first round submission victory over Alex Oliveira in his welterweight debut.
‘Cowboy’ is an excellent striker due in large part to his extensive kickboxing and Muay Thai background, and also holds a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Cote (23-9) is on a three-fight win streak as his only loss in four years came in a unanimous decision loss to Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. ‘The Predator’ is an extremely well rounded fighter as well, as he holds black belts in Muay Thai, Judo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
These two men are pretty evenly matched up and will most likely put on a very exciting contest, however, ‘Cowboy’ is as much as a -175 favorite to emerge victorious.
Rory MacDonald vs Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson (Welterweight)
The main of event of the evening is headlined by No. 1-ranked Rory MacDonald and No. 2-ranked Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson for a possible shot at the 170-pound title.
MacDonald (18-3) is coming off a one-year-layoff from the sport after engaging in a bloody title bout brawl with Robbie Lawler back at UFC 189 last July.
The Tristar Gym product is an extremely well rounded mixed martial artist who shows some incredibly technical striking, and possessing a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under David Lea.
Thompson (12-1) is currently on a six-fight win streak since suffering his first career loss to Matt Brown in 2012, with his most recent victory saw ‘Wonderboy’ finishing former 170-pound champion Johnny Hendricks in their bout at UFC Fight Night 82.
‘Wonderboy’ is one of the UFC’s most dynamic and feared strikers due to his impressive kickboxing career, that included fifty-seven wins in route to an undefeated record.
Due to the undeniably elite striking level of both men, oddsmakers results have revealed to be scattered on who they believe will emerge victorious in the night’s main event.
UFC Fight Night 89 is live on FS1 tomorrow (June 18, 2016) and is headlined by a welterweight clash between Rory MacDonald and Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.
Fight 1: Valerie Letourneau vs Joanne Calderwood (Women’s Flyweight Bout)
Fight 2: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs Thibault Gouti (Lightweight)
Fight 3: Steve Bosse vs Sean O’Connell (Light Heavyweight)
Fight 4: Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone vs Patrick Cote (Welterweight) 
Rory MacDonald vs Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson (Welterweight)