Video: Crazy Fight Ends With Incredible Knockout In Vegas

It’s finally UFC 198 fight day, as we await what could easily be the best pay-per-view card of the year, and that’s quite a statement considering UFC 200 is just around the corner. That bold statement is backed up by a huge line up of some of the promotion’s biggest stars, including a stacked line up

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It’s finally UFC 198 fight day, as we await what could easily be the best pay-per-view card of the year, and that’s quite a statement considering UFC 200 is just around the corner. That bold statement is backed up by a huge line up of some of the promotion’s biggest stars, including a stacked line up of Brazilian MMA legends. Fabricio Wedum defends the heavyweight strap in the main event, Vitor Belfort battles Jacare Souza in the co-main event and, among many other great fights, Cris Cyborg debuts against Leslie Smith.

One young Brazilian prospect who hopes to one day get mentioned in the elite few to go down as all time Brazilian greats is Thomas Almeida.

Almeida 1

‘Thominhas’ is an undefeated UFC bantamweight who trains in the renowned Chute Boxe Academy, and he’s been making mincemeat of the competition so far. With a stellar 21-0 record, Almeida fights with destruction of his opponents in the forefront of his gameplan. Some of his knockouts are instant classics, such as his most recent finish of Anthony Birchak in late 2015.

During his four fight UFC streak, the former Legacy FC bantamweight champion has won fight night bonuses in every appearance, with three wins coming by way of stoppage. He’s being pegged for a very bright future in the UFC, and it’s no surprise.

Almeida Knee

The free fight video we’ll be looking at today is the thoroughly exciting showdown with Brad Pickett at UFC 189. For obvious reasons this fight flew under the radar to an extent, although Almeida did win a performance bonus for the brutal flying knee KO.

The scrap was a back-and-forth exciting war that provided one of the most memorable knockouts of the year, but was a little overshadowed by the co-main and main event that featured a crazy battle between Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler, and Conor McGregor’s interim title win against Chad Mendes.

Watch the awesome Thomas Almeida vs. Brad Pickett video and get in the mood for tonight’s UFC 198 madness!

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UFC Fight Night 89’s 12-Bout Lineup All Set For Memorial Day Weekend

The fight card for UFC Fight Night 89 has been set, with the action beginning on UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. ET.

Set for Sunday, May 29 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, the card is headlined by Cody Garbrandt meeting Thomas Almeida, al…

cody-garbrandt

The fight card for UFC Fight Night 89 has been set, with the action beginning on UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. ET.

Set for Sunday, May 29 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, the card is headlined by Cody Garbrandt meeting Thomas Almeida, along with Renan Barao facing off against Jeremy Stephens.

Those two fights, along with Tarec Saffiedine-Rick Story, Chris Camozzi-Vitor Miranda, Lorenz Larkin-Jorge Masvidal and Josh Burkman-Paul Felder anchor the FOX Sports 1 main card that begins at 9 p.m. ET.

Starting at 7 p.m. ET will be four FS1 prelims, as Jessica Eye takes on Sara McMann, Diego Ferreira meets Abel Trujillo, Jake Collier battles Alberto Uda and Shane Champbell faces Erik Koch. Aljamain Sterling-Bryan Caraway and Chris De La Rocha-Adam Milstead begin the night on UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. ET.

UFC Fight Night 88 To Be Headlined By Cody Garbrandt vs. Thomas Almeida

The UFC is expected to soon announce a main event between Cody Garbrandt and Thomas Almeida for their UFC Fight Night event scheduled to take place in May.

Garbrandt, who is undefeated in the UFC with three victories, is coming off of a first round …

cody-garbrandt

The UFC is expected to soon announce a main event between Cody Garbrandt and Thomas Almeida for their UFC Fight Night event scheduled to take place in May.

Garbrandt, who is undefeated in the UFC with three victories, is coming off of a first round knockout in his last fight against Augusto Mendes back on February 21st at UFC Fight Night 83 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Almeida, who is undefeated inside the Octagon with four wins, is also coming off of an impressive knockout in his last fight, as he took out Anthony Birchak in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 77 bout on November 7th.

UFC Fight Night 88: Garbrandt vs. Almeida is scheduled to take place on May 29, 2016 from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Five Fights To Make For Resurgent Bantamweight Division

The dust has now settled on UFC Fight Night 81 which went down last Sunday (January 17, 2016) night from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts presented live on FOX Sports 1. The main event featured a long awaited and highly anticipated bantamweight title fight between TJ Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz. In a very close

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The dust has now settled on UFC Fight Night 81 which went down last Sunday (January 17, 2016) night from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts presented live on FOX Sports 1.

The main event featured a long awaited and highly anticipated bantamweight title fight between TJ Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz. In a very close fought split-decision, “The Dominator” was able to reclaim the title he had never technically lost.

With Cruz now back at the helm, one of mixed martial arts’ (MMA) previously most lacking divisions has all of a sudden become resurgent with intriguing and exciting possibilities.

With the possibility of trilogy bouts, rematches, and the emergence of multiple rising contenders, let’s take a look at five potential fights for the new and improved 135-pound division:

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Here Comes a New Challenger: Matches to Make — UFC 186


(We’re really, really, *really* missing that Xbox sponsorship right now. via Getty.)

By Sam Stilson

Aside from escaping a fire, it’s never a good thing when the audience starts leaving halfway through the main event of a card. It’s an even worse thing when you’ve already had to close off half the arena just to fill the building. No, UFC  186 was not a successful PPV for the world’s premier MMA organization, but despite its many, many failings, it wasn’t a half-bad display of mixed martial arts…for Bellator, or WSOF, of even a Fight Pass show.

Still the fights went on, winners were crowned and with this trainwreck behind us, we must now wonder where do they go from here?

The post Here Comes a New Challenger: Matches to Make — UFC 186 appeared first on Cagepotato.


(We’re really, really, *really* missing that Xbox sponsorship right now. via Getty.)

By Sam Stilson

Aside from escaping a fire, it’s never a good thing when the audience starts leaving halfway through the main event of a card. It’s an even worse thing when you’ve already had to close off half the arena just to fill the building. No, UFC  186 was not a successful PPV for the world’s premier MMA organization, but despite its many, many failings, it wasn’t a half-bad display of mixed martial arts…for Bellator, or WSOF, of even a Fight Pass show.

Still the fights went on, winners were crowned and with this trainwreck behind us, we must now wonder where do they go from here?

Demetrious Johnson – Should fight: Dodson/Makovsky winner

DJ…blah blah…greatest fighter alive…blah…shut-out performance…flyweights don’t sell…history won’t boo him…blah blah.

Johnson is unfortunately so good that until age catches up to him, this is how every one of his fights is going to go. He has maybe two matches left in the division before the inevitable move back to bantamweight. Dodson is the only flyweight to really give him a challenge and Makovsky is fresh meat, the winner of that  bout in May should be DJ’s next opponent.

Kyoji Horiguchi – Should fight: Chris Cariaso

Horiguchi should take solace in that fact that he’s young and has plenty of time to build his way back up into contention. The first place he should start is with former title challenger and fellow also-ran Chris Cariaso. It’s a good rebound fight for Horiguchi that adds a solid name to his resume, and if Cariaso could pull off the upset it’d solidify his spot in the top 10.

Quinton Jackson – Should fight: Rua/Nogueira winner

A lot of people seem to be unfairly criticizing Rampage’s performance at UFC 186. No, he didn’t get the knockout, but who does against Maldonaldo? Jackson looked fit and focused and unleashed a varied Muay Thai attack we haven’t seen from him in years. He stated post-fight that he’s on a revenge/legends tour and what better place to start than with the winner of Shogun and Lil Nog? Pride never die.

Fabio Maldonaldo – Should fight: Jan Blachowicz

This is a winnable fight for both men, likely a stand-up affair and would fill up a prelims spot nicely.

Michael Bisping – Should fight: Thales Leites

Love him or hate him you have to admire Bisping’s tenacity. At 36 and barely clinging to a top 10 ranking he still believes he can be champ. Why dash his dreams again so quickly Joe Silva? Pair him up with a ranked grappler like Thales Leites and see if he can build up another win streak.

C.B. Dollaway – Should fight: Tavares/Whittaker loser

I don’t think anyone truly believed C.B. was a top 10 fighter but at least he got his chance to fight the cream of the crop. A step back to the TUF alumni circle would do him well and the loser of Tavares/Whittaker would fit the bill nicely.

John Makdessi – Should fight: At featherweight

‘The Bull’ has always been an undersized lightweight, but he looked tiny against Shane Campbell . Sure he won, but against the behemoths that populate the upper ranks of lightweight, the size disparity will eventually become insurmountable.  Featherweight is wide open and a win against someone like Diego Brandao or Darren Elkins would instantly make him a ranked fighter, something unlikely to ever happen at 155.

Shane Campbell – Should fight: Tony Martin

A vaunted kickboxer, Campbell looked good for the first few minutes of his bout against Makdessi, but eventually succumbed to his power. A good rebound fight would be against Tony Martin who also recently lost a main card bout. It’d be a fun grappler vs. striker battle and would give both men a chance to redeem their high-profile failures.

Thomas Almeida – Should fight: Frankie Saenz

The hype is strong in this one. At just 23, Almeida is now 19-0 and a top 15 UFC bantamweight. While he looked incredible knocking out a solid veteran in Yves Jabouin, he shouldn’t be rushed too far up the ladder. Frankie Saenz who just upset Iuri Alcantara would make a great next dance partner. He’s ranked 13th, and his smothering, wrestling-based attack would either expose Almeida or allow him show another facet to his game.

 Yves Jabouin – Should fight: Marcus Brimage

Now 35 and with a 2-3 record in his past five fights, Jabouin’s chances at the top 15 appear to have come and gone.  Rather than feed him to another young buck, he should face another fighter on a downward trend. Marcus Brimage has a bit of name value left, and this bout would make for an entertaining striking battle.

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UFC 186 Highlights/Results: Johnson Subs Horiguchi at the Bell, Rampage Underwhelms in Return, + More

(All clips via UFC on FOX.)

Not that you care right now, what with Jon Jones’ hit-and-run currently capturing your attention, but there was a UFC event over the weekend that on paper looked pretty crappy but in reality turned out to be pretty fun affair (and not just because I went 10-2 on my fight picks for the second time in the past three events).

UFC 186: Johnson vs. Horiguchi, it was called, and true to form, it was a card absolutely ravaged by injuries. Dillashaw, Barao, Rory Mac, Lombard, Trujillo — all were expected to fight on Saturday, but the MMA Gods had other plans. Instead, we were treated to the (underwhelming) return of Rampage Jackson thanks to a last-minute appeal of the injunction that originally forced him off the card, the arrival of Thomas Almeida, and the continued dominance of Mighty Mouse.

In the main event of the evening, Demetrious Johnson had his way with #7 ranked (and +1000 underdog) Kyoji Horiguchi for five straight rounds. It was very much a typical Johnson performance in many regards, in that it was damn near flawless, capped off by a late submission (the latest ever, actually), and all but ignored by the fans in the Belle Center. Little guys just don’t get no respect, nawmsayin?

Check out the highlights from the entire UFC 186 main card and a full list of results after the jump. 

The post UFC 186 Highlights/Results: Johnson Subs Horiguchi at the Bell, Rampage Underwhelms in Return, + More appeared first on Cagepotato.


(All clips via UFC on FOX.)

Not that you care right now, what with Jon Jones’ hit-and-run currently capturing your attention, but there was a UFC event over the weekend that on paper looked pretty crappy but in reality turned out to be pretty fun affair (and not just because I went 10-2 on my fight picks for the second time in the past three events).

UFC 186: Johnson vs. Horiguchi, it was called, and true to form, it was a card absolutely ravaged by injuries. Dillashaw, Barao, Rory Mac, Lombard, Trujillo — all were expected to fight on Saturday, but the MMA Gods had other plans. Instead, we were treated to the (underwhelming) return of Rampage Jackson thanks to a last-minute appeal of the injunction that originally forced him off the card, the arrival of Thomas Almeida, and the continued dominance of Mighty Mouse.

In the main event of the evening, Demetrious Johnson had his way with #7 ranked (and +1000 underdog) Kyoji Horiguchi for five straight rounds. It was very much a typical Johnson performance in many regards, in that it was damn near flawless, capped off by a late submission (the latest ever, actually), and all but ignored by the fans in the Belle Center. Little guys just don’t get no respect, nawmsayin?

Check out the highlights from the entire UFC 186 main card and a full list of results after the jump. 

Jackson vs. Maldonado

In the co-main event of the evening, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson took on Fabio Maldonado in what was an equally parts surprising and routine scrap. I say surprising because it may have been the first fight in Jackson’s history that was highlighted by the former champions use of kicks and knees from the Thai clinch. Say what you want about Jackson, but his performance showcased that even an old dog can learn some new tricks.

Of course, the latter rounds were punctuated by Jackson’s trademark lack of killer instinct, as well as Maldonado’s lack of anything resembling urgency, which left the crowd restless heading into the main event. Why Maldonado did not once attempt to mix things up on the feet beyond plodding forward remains a mystery. Kind of like the current whereabouts of Jon Jones. HI-OH!!

Bisping vs. Dollaway

Speaking of raised expectations, the middleweight “meh”fest between Michael Bisping and CB Dollaway turned out to be one of the more thrilling fights of the night. Who woulda thunk? Those expecting a typical jab-and-jog performance from “The Count” (ie. most of us) were instead treated to a back-and-forth banger that saw Bisping dropped early before rallying in the latter rounds thanks to his world-renowned cardio. Dollaway was able to land with his check left hook seemingly at will, but simply couldn’t keep up with Bisping nor take him down long enough to secure the judge’s nod.

I’ll tell you a guy who knows a lot about raised expectations, and that’s Jon Jones. His last DUI-induced car wreck left fans and critics alike wondering how he could ever outshine himself behind the wheel of a two-ton death machine, so what’s he do? Hits *two* cars and while high as a kite, then flees the scene carrying handfuls of cash. Ever the innovator, that Bones.

Makdessi vs. Campbell

Shane Campbell may have been the more seasoned striker heading into his short notice fight with Makdessi on Saturday, but it was the Canadian “Bull” who put a beating on him early and often. After blistering Campbell with a right hand early, Makdessi chose his spots and continued to haul off on the UFC rookie until referee Philippe Chatrier was forced to wave the fight off with just 7 seconds left in the first round. The win marked Makdessi fourth in his past five fights and proved that he’s still got a ton of gas in the tank and is never to be taken lightly — come to think of it, he’s essentially the “Jon Jones behind the wheel” of the UFC’s lightweight division.

Jabouin vs. Almeida

WEC vet Yves Jabouin wasn’t being given much of a chance against the undefeated prospect, and to his credit, managed not to get overwhelmed right out of the gate. Almeida’s relentless pressure and diverse striking attack proved to be too much in time, however, resulting in a clean and decisive first round TKO that this absolutely horrible highlight managed to capture none of.

Check out the full results for UFC 186 below.

Main Card 
Demetrious Johnson def. Kyoji Horiguchi by way of Submission (Armbar) 4:59 of Round 5
Quinton Jackson def. Fabio Maldonado by way of Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Michael Bisping def. CB Dollaway by way of Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
John Makdessi def. Shane Campbell by way of TKO (Strikes) 4:53 of Round 1
Thomas Almeida def. Yves Jabouin by way of TKO (Strikes) 4:18 of Round 1

Preliminary Card
Patrick Cote def. Joe Riggs by way of Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Alexis Davis def. Sarah Kaufman by way of Submission (Armbar) 1:52 of Round 2
Chad Laprise def. Bryan Barberena by way of Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. David Michaud by way of Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 3:24 of Round 3

Preliminary Card 
Nordine Taleb def. Chris Clements by way of Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Valerie Letourneau def. Jessica Rakoczy by way of Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Randa Markos def. Aisling Daly by way of Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

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