Tag: UFC 174

Demetrious Johnson vs. Ali Bagautinov to Headline UFC 174 June 14

Interesting news has come out that UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will headline UFC 174 opposite surging Russian Ali Bagautinov.
The news was first broken by Canadian sports network SportsNet, and is being confirmed by various…

Interesting news has come out that UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will headline UFC 174 opposite surging Russian Ali Bagautinov.

The news was first broken by Canadian sports network SportsNet, and is being confirmed by various other sources. Via Twitter:

This will be the first time a flyweight bout will headline a UFC pay-per-view card.

Johnson has been on an absolute tear as champion, notching an impressive come-from-behind victory by defeating John Dodson, utterly dominating John Moraga before setting a UFC record for latest stoppage victory. Most recently, he scored a shocking, emphatic first-round knockout over Joseph Benavidez.

While Johnson has been nothing but electric as champion, his drawing power has always been a serious question mark. He initially won the belt as a co-headliner behind a light heavyweight championship bout between Jon Jones and Vitor Belfort. From there, he fought twice in the main event on UFC on Fox.

However, his UFC on Fox 9 bout with Benavidez was actually originally slated to be the main event to the finale of The Ultimate Fighter season 18 on Fox Sports 1. It wound up on Fox when a lightweight tilt between Anthony Pettis and Josh Thomson was scrapped.

It seems, though, that Johnson has earned himself a shot at headlining a pay-per-view main event. 

His opponent, Ali Bagautinov, has been similarly dominant. He owns a 3-0 record in the UFC (13-2 in the MMA) and has handily defeated two fighters that were potential contenders in Tim Elliott and John Lineker.

UFC 174 takes place June 14 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Stick with Bleacher Report for more details as they become available.

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Tyron Woodley vs. Rory MacDonald Booked for UFC 174, June 14th in Vancouver


(Truly explosive is his penmanship, Joe. / Props: @twooodley)

As first reported by BloodyElbow, UFC welterweight contenders Tyron Woodley and Rory MacDonald will face off at UFC 174 (June 14th, Vancouver), in a bout that is expected to serve as the night’s co-main event. Both fighters are coming off high-profile victories — Woodley defeated Carlos Condit via injury-TKO at UFC 171, while MacDonald outpointed Demian Maia at UFC 170 — and the winner of their matchup could potentially find himself as the next welterweight title challenger, after Johny Hendricks returns from his surgery layoff.

Woodly has signed a new eight-fight contract with the UFC in advance of his fight against the Canadian Psycho. Here’s what T-Wood had to say about it in a statement released to BE:

You know, I think this is a great time for me as the future champion of the welterweight division. I’m showing my commitment with this new 8 fight contract I just signed and sent back to the UFC, as well as the commitment to fight this young whippersnapper in his own back yard…


(Truly explosive is his penmanship, Joe. / Props: @twooodley)

As first reported by BloodyElbow, UFC welterweight contenders Tyron Woodley and Rory MacDonald will face off at UFC 174 (June 14th, Vancouver), in a bout that is expected to serve as the night’s co-main event. Both fighters are coming off high-profile victories — Woodley defeated Carlos Condit via injury-TKO at UFC 171, while MacDonald outpointed Demian Maia at UFC 170 — and the winner of their matchup could potentially find himself as the next welterweight title challenger, after Johny Hendricks returns from his surgery layoff.

Woodly has signed a new eight-fight contract with the UFC in advance of his fight against the Canadian Psycho. Here’s what T-Wood had to say about it in a statement released to BE:

You know, I think this is a great time for me as the future champion of the welterweight division. I’m showing my commitment with this new 8 fight contract I just signed and sent back to the UFC, as well as the commitment to fight this young whippersnapper in his own back yard.

It’s going to be on his turf, so I’ve got to go up there, and I’ve really got to whoop him. If there was ever any doubt, it should be resolved by me taking this fight. I want people to see that I’m the guy that doesn’t say no. I could’ve done what others would do and wait around on Johny to heal up, but that’s not me.

I feel it’s important for me to send the message that I’m here to fight anyone standing in my way. I’m here again in a Number 1 contender fight, and I plan to finish him so there’s really no doubt for the fans or any other welterweights out there.

An official main event for UFC 174 hasn’t been announced yet; we’ll update you when that changes.

Tyron Woodley vs. Rory MacDonald Official for UFC 174 in June

A welterweight bout between Rory MacDonald and Tyron Woodley is official for UFC 174, and it will serve as the co-main event.
The news was announced by the UFC’s Canadian Twitter account:

UFC 174 takes place June 14 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver. D…

A welterweight bout between Rory MacDonald and Tyron Woodley is official for UFC 174, and it will serve as the co-main event.

The news was announced by the UFC’s Canadian Twitter account:

UFC 174 takes place June 14 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Due to regulatory issues, it will be the UFC’s first visit to the city since UFC 131 in 2011. The event currently has no announced main event.

The bout has been in the works for several weeks, but only became official when Woodley signed a new eight-fight contract with the UFC on Tuesday.

Woodley told MMAjunkie’s Steven Marrocco that he’s ready for the bout:

I just finished an eight-fight deal with the UFC. I’m ready for the killer MacDonald, because the conservative person is going to get hurt bad.

Woodley, ranked No. 4 in the welterweight division, is coming off the most important win of his career. He defeated Carlos Condit at UFC 171 in March. It was his third win since moving to the UFC from Strikeforce a year ago, and vaulted him into contender status. Many believed Woodley deserved the next shot at new champion Johny Hendricks, but Hendricks will be out of action until fall at the earliest.

MacDonald defeated Demian Maia in his last Octagon outing at UFC 170 in February. The win pushed his career record to 16-2, and he is currently ranked No. 2 in the division behind champion Hendricks and Robbie Lawler.

The winner of MacDonald vs. Woodley will likely be given serious consideration as the next challenger for Hendricks’ championship belt when he returns.

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Rory MacDonald vs. Tyron Woodley in the Works for UFC 174

While the UFC’s welterweight division remains an utter pileup behind champion Johny Hendricks, it seems like a potential top contender bout is being lined up for June. According to Ariel Helwani, speaking on Fox Sports 1’s UFC Tonight, a bout betw…

While the UFC’s welterweight division remains an utter pileup behind champion Johny Hendricks, it seems like a potential top contender bout is being lined up for June. According to Ariel Helwani, speaking on Fox Sports 1’s UFC Tonight, a bout between Canadian welterweight sensation Rory MacDonald and heavy-hitting Tyron Woodley is in the works for UFC 174.

Via Twitter:

Both fighters, along with Nick Diaz and Hector Lombard, could be in contention for Johny Hendricks’ first welterweight title defense. The matchup, while not promised to be a top contender bout, has all the makings of one.

Rory MacDonald was a long-hyped potential opponent for long-time champion (and possible greatest mixed martial artist of all time) Georges St-Pierre. While the bout was always something of a pipe dream due to the two fighters being close friends and training partners at the Tristar Gym in Quebec, St-Pierre’s semi-retirement opened the doors for a MacDonald title run. 

Tyron Woodley, meanwhile, became one of the more enticing fighters in the UFC when he demolished Jay Hieron in his UFC debut. While he dropped his second UFC bout to Jake Shields via a close split decision, he has bounced back with impressive performances over Josh Koscheck and, more recently, Carlos Condit.

While neither fighter, at this time, is logically the top contender (that honor belongs to Hector Lombard), both are undeniable talents. With Johny Hendricks currently shelved due to an arm injury until this fall, it’s hard to imagine that the winner of this fight won’t be given a shot at the belt…assuming it isn’t a dud, of course.

UFC 174 goes down in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 14. Stay tuned with Bleacher Report for more details on the card as they become available.

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Rory MacDonald vs. Tyron Woodley Reportedly Being Targeted for UFC 174

With Johny Hendricks now holding the UFC welterweight title, the race for the next shot at gold is underway.
While the road to title contention in the welterweight ranks isn’t necessarily clear cut at the present time, several major players in the divi…

With Johny Hendricks now holding the UFC welterweight title, the race for the next shot at gold is underway.

While the road to title contention in the welterweight ranks isn’t necessarily clear cut at the present time, several major players in the divisional upper tier are all within striking distance of earning a championship opportunity. Of the pack at the top of the 170-pound collective, both Rory MacDonald and Tyron Woodley have made their respective plays with the UFC to get the next shot at “Bigg Rigg’s” strap.

Yet, with the newly crowned champion on the mend after having a torn bicep repaired, it is going to take several months before the title will come back into play, and it appears the UFC may have other plans for two of the welterweight division’s top contenders.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie’s Steven Marrocco reported the promotion is targeting a matchup between the talented young Canadian and the former University of Missouri wrestling standout for UFC 174, which is slated for June 14 in Vancouver. The event will mark the UFC’s return to the Canadian province, where they’ve not been since June 2011, when Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin squared-off in the main event at UFC 131.

While there is yet to be any official word on the bout between MacDonald and Woodley, the bout would make solid sense due to the current landscape of the title picture at 170 pounds.

“Ares” is coming off of an impressive showing where he earned the unanimous-decision victory over Demian Maia at UFC 170 back in February, which put him back into the win column after dropping a split decision to Robbie Lawler several months prior.

His win over the Brazilian submission ace made MacDonald successful in seven of his nine showings under the UFC banner since debuting with the organization back in 2010, and it put him back into the realm of potential title contenders in the welterweight mix.

Where MacDonald returned to form against the former middleweight title challenger, Woodley’s role as a championship contender is the latest chapter in what has been an impressive rise through the welterweight ranks. “The Chosen One” has notched back-to-back victories, with his most recent showing resulting in a win over former WEC and UFC interim champion Carlos Condit at UFC 171 in Dallas.

The St. Louis native has found victory in three of his four showings since coming over from Strikeforce, with his only setback coming in a razor-thin split-decision loss to Jake Shields at UFC 161 last June.

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.

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