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Rampage vs. Maldonado: Latest News Surrounding Rampage’s Return at UFC 186

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is making his highly anticipated return to the UFC, as he’s slated to square off with Fabio Maldonado at UFC 186 in Montreal’s Bell Centre on Saturday.
At age 36, Jackson may not have much left to offer in the Octagon. He’s lo…

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is making his highly anticipated return to the UFC, as he’s slated to square off with Fabio Maldonado at UFC 186 in Montreal’s Bell Centre on Saturday.

At age 36, Jackson may not have much left to offer in the Octagon. He’s lost his past three UFC appearances but did rattle off three consecutive victories in Bellator MMA to at least provide a foundation of recent, positive results as he returns to top-flight competition.

Bellator MMA had filed a court injunction that took Jackson off the UFC 186 card until this last Tuesday, so the bout appeared to be in doubt until the last minute.

UFC.com’s Nancy Gay reported on the news and also included UFC President Dana White‘s comments about the legal decision to let Jackson fight, along with thoughts on Rampage’s enduring popularity:

We are happy with the decision from the New Jersey Court allowing Rampage to fight in Montreal this Saturday night. I am looking forward to seeing Rampage back in the Octagon. […] Rampage isn’t always the most personable person when you meet him, but he comes to fight. At the end of the day, if you’re a fight fan and you love guys who love to stand up, who love to trade, Rampage is fun to watch.

In case something goes awry and Bellator MMA upends Jackson’s bid to fight for the UFC and neglect his Bellator contract, it’s important to keep tabs on the latest happenings. For now, it appears Rampage is ready to roll for UFC 186 and may well carry on with the company due to his apparent burning of the Bellator bridge.

At Thursday’s press conference, which featured a staredown between the marquee competitors, Maldonado explained how eager he’s been to take on Rampage, per Fox Sports: UFC:

Maldonado has reason to be confident ahead of his showdown with Jackson. The Brazilian veteran registered a TKO in the second round of his outing at UFC 179 against Hans Stringer.

Although few know exactly what to expect from Rampage, his own punching power has knocked out the likes of Chuck Liddell in the past. Jackson and Maldonado are known for having strong chins, which adds to the excitement of their matchup.

Breaking MMA Odds noted how Jackson opened as the clear-cut favorite, and the latest numbers from Odds Shark haven’t done much to drastically alter the perceived fight forecast:

It should be a fascinating, hard-hitting catchweight affair between Jackson and Maldonado—a nicely juxtaposed co-main event along with the flyweight championship clash between Demetrious Johnson and challenger Kyoji Horiguchi.

With regard to how the fight will ultimately play out, there’s reason to believe Rampage should be on upset alert. He likely won’t be in peak physical condition, and Maldonado has plenty of motivational fuel as the underdog against his dream-scenario adversary.

Rampage has never truly realized his full potential, which isn’t to take away from the accolades he has achieved in the past as a former UFC light heavyweight champion. Even with the Bellator MMA legal battle serving as a distraction and a lot of lingering uncertainty as to whether Saturday’s fight would actually happen, Jackson has the tools necessary to get past Maldonado by a decision at the very least.

The fans in Montreal will be rallying behind Rampage and cheering him on in his first UFC fight since January 2013. That should be enough to rally the supremely gifted fighter and see Rampage put on a show en route to a victory, improving his UFC mark to 8-5 overall.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 186: Start Time, Prelim Live Stream Info and Full Fight Card Predictions

UFC 186 could make history Saturday night in Montreal, as a win by Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson would make him the fifth man in UFC history to successfully defend his title six consecutive times.
That would put him in elite company,…

That would put him in elite company, as Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones and Jose Aldo are the others to have accomplished the feat.

Johnson will go toe-to-toe with Kyoji Horiguchi, a 24-year-old with an undefeated UFC record. He hopes to become the first flyweight to beat Johnson.

Johnson and Horiguchi aren’t the only fighters doing business in the Octagon on Saturday. There’s a deep fight card, including preliminary fights, that should also be exciting for fans to watch as a lead-in to the main event.

You’ll find predictions for all 12 matches of the night below, as well as the start time and live stream information for UFC 186.

Start Times to Note

Early Prelims: 6:30 p.m. ET
Pre-fight show: 7 p.m. ET
Prelims: 8 p.m. ET
Main event: 10 p.m. ET

Live Stream Info

Early Prelims: UFC Fight Pass
Pre-fight show: Fox Sports GO
Prelims: Fox Sports GO
Main Event: Pay-per-view only

Early Prelim Predictions

Of the three early prelim bouts, one to keep an eye on is Nordine Taleb vs. Chris “The Menace” Clements.

Taleb, a former Bellator competitor, has great physical tools and has picked up UFC wins over Vik Grujic and Jingliang Li. Clements is aging (39) but still packs a punch that could knock most fighters to their knees. If Taleb runs into just one well-placed smash, the fight will be over in a hurry.

That’s why Taleb needs to focus on getting Clements to the mat. The contrast in these two fighters is so unique that this bout has the potential to be one of the top prelims of the night. Taleb’s skills on the mat far outweigh Clements’, so that needs to be the Frenchman’s strategy right from the opening bell.

Prediction: Taleb wins via second-round technical knockout.

Prelim Predictions

The big fight to tune in to during the prelims is Alexis Davis vs. Sarah Kaufman, if only for the implications.

Davis and Kaufman, both bantamweights, are ranked No. 3 and No. 5, respectively. Davis is coming off a 16-second train wreck of a defeat at the hands of Ronda Rousey, while Kaufman’s last outing was a win against Leslie Smith.

Kaufman can leapfrog Davis in the rankings and become a contender with a win on Saturday. A win would put her on the short list to fight Rousey in the future, and while defeating Davis for a third time might not improve her resume all that much, it only reinforces the fact that she’s ready for a higher-profile opponent.

This is by far the best women’s fight on the card; don’t miss out on a bout that has enormous stakes.

Prediction: Kaufman wins via third-round submission.

Main Card Predictions

The best fight of the night (outside of Johnson vs. Horiguchi, of course) is Quinton “Rampage” Jackson against Fabio Maldonado, if only for the fact that it’s going to be a bloody slugfest.

Maldonado is known solely as a boxer who blatantly disregards defense in an effort to take every opportunity available to pound the snot out of his opponents. Jackson, one of the hardest hitters in the UFC, will look to take advantage of this neglect.

Jackson understands that Maldonado’s “best technique is taking a lot of punishment,” via the Instagram post linked to the following tweet:

The possible repercussions of this fight are different for each fighter. Whether Maldonado wins or loses doesn’t necessarily matter. He’s an entertaining fighter with a simple approach whom fans can rally behind. Jackson, however, is in somewhat of a must-win situation. He’s not moving up the ranks anytime soon, so a loss might make him plummet into the depths of UFC matchups.

Prediction: Maldonado wins via third-round knockout.

Johnson vs. Horiguchi

This might be the main event of the night, but don’t expect Johnson vs. Horiguchi to be the most exciting fight of the evening. Sure, these two men are arguably the most skilled fighters on the card, but Johnson outmatches Horiguchi so much that this shouldn’t be a difficult bout at all.

Johnson doesn’t exactly have the personality of some of the other top-notch fighters in the UFC, but Bleacher Report’s Scott Harris thinks that shouldn’t stop you from getting in his corner:

Enough about Johnson’s low-key personality and his inability to move the needle of public interest. He’s an amazing fighter, with lightning quickness in his limbs and his brain and the ability to shift effortlessly between a full array of expert skill sets. Horiguchi is young and fun, but he’s going to fall, just like the rest of them.

And while Harris’ analysis is simple, it is completely spot on. Johnson’s personality takes a backseat to his incredible fighting ability. Horiguchi is nowhere near quick enough to keep up with Mighty Mouse, who’s both light and quick on his feet. That’s a lethal combination for someone with the talent level of Johnson.

Horiguchi likely won’t win Saturday, but he can impress many analysts and fans just by giving Johnson a run into Round 4 or 5.

Prediction: Johnson wins via third-round submission.

Kenny DeJohn is a Breaking News Team Featured Columnist. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Johnson vs. Horiguchi Fight Card Predictions and Projected Bonus Winners

UFC 186 has gone through some notable changes since it was originally announced, but we seem to have settled on a lineup of fights. The card isn’t exactly packed with superstars, but it still rates a cut above a normal Fight Night event.
The long-…

The long-awaited rematch between UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw and Renan Barao was supposed to take place as the main event. Unfortunately, for the second time, that fight was postponed. The rematch was called off once before at UFC 177 due to Barao falling ill during his weight cut.

This time, the champion had to bow out due to injury.

The UFC flyweight title fight between champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Kyoji Horiguchi replaces Dillashaw vs. Barao as the main event. Johnson is one of the best fighters in the world, but he doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Size bias and ignorance are the best explanations for the lack of appreciation for one of the best fighters in the world.

Nonetheless, Johnson keeps fighting and winning.

The co-feature between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Fabio Maldonado almost didn’t happen. A lawsuit filed by Bellator FC, Jackson’s previous promotion, initially blocked his participation in the event. However, on April 21, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports, the injunction was lifted, and Rampage was cleared to take on Maldonado.

Needless to say, UFC President Dana White was pleased with the news. Per a press release (h/t Martin) White said: “We are happy with the decision from the New Jersey Court allowing Rampage to fight in Montreal this Saturday night. I am looking forward to seeing Rampage back in the Octagon.”

Now that almost everything is intact, here’s a look at the viewing information and my predictions for every fight on the card. Let’s focus on the bouts that I predict will result in Fight Night bonuses. Those bouts are highlighted in the table below and further analyzed in the text that follows.

Fight of the Night: Makdessi vs. Campbell

Both John “The Bull” Makdessi and “Shaolin” Shane Campbell enjoy standing and striking. Makdessi’s boxing is above-average, and Campbell’s background as a kickboxer makes him a live underdog in the bout. Per Odds Shark, Campbell’s odds of 151-100 are likely enticing to bettors.

He’s a bit of an unknown commodity considering this is his UFC debut, but he is a good striker who can handle himself off his back. He’s also good at scrambling to his feet, as you can see in his TKO win over Jerrid Burke via AXS TV Fights.

Campbell will also enjoy a four-inch height advantage against Makdessi. This is a battle between two proud Canadians who are fighting in front of their countrymen. Makdessi is looking to make a significant move in the lightweight division, while Campbell wants to make an impact with the promotion overall.

While Makdessi has the edge in experience, Campbell has the physical advantages.

Style agreement, potential career advancement and the elements of pride make this my pick for Fight of the Night.

Performance of the Night No. 1: Thomas Almeida

At just 23 years old, Thomas Almeida is 18-0 with 17 wins by stoppage. The only opponent he’s faced as a professional who has gone the distance with him is Tim Gorman in Almeida’s last bout. That fight was the Brazilian’s UFC debut.

While he dominated Gorman en route to a unanimous-decision victory, he’ll undoubtedly want to finish the job in his second bout with the promotion.

Yves Jabouin is a good candidate to be stopped. The 35-year-old has lost by knockout (four) or submission (three) in seven of his nine defeats. He’s a good athlete, but the Haitian veteran won’t be any match for Almeida’s surgical and powerful striking.

Bet on Almeida securing an impressive victory via strikes or submission after a hard shot drops Jabouin and makes him vulnerable to a choke. It should be impressive enough to garner one of the Performance of the Night bonuses.

Performance of the Night No. 2: Demetrious Johnson

As Bleacher Report’s Jordy McElroy surmises in his article about Mighty Mouse’s lack of appeal to UFC fans, Johnson’s bout might not be the most watched fight of the card.

Despite his lack of popularity, the champion is still a demon in the Octagon. He has a new challenge ahead of him in Horiguchi, but truth be told, Jackson is a little too fast on his feet and vastly superior as a grappler compared to his opponent.

This fight should turn out to be a showcase for Johnson amidst talk that he isn’t a draw. He could elect to take a few more chances to satisfy the crowd, but his fight IQ is too good to allow himself to fall victim to such insecurities.

He’ll dominate a good opponent and finish him in the second round via submission. Whether the crowd is halfway to their cars or looking at their cellphones when it happens is another story.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Kyoji Horiguchi: Actions Will Speak Louder Than Words at UFC 186

Lofty expectations are nothing new to Kyoji Horiguchi.
As the protege of Japanese MMA superstar Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, the 24-year-old flyweight hit the UFC with plenty of momentum when he made his official promotional debut in October 2013. After te…

Lofty expectations are nothing new to Kyoji Horiguchi.

As the protege of Japanese MMA superstar Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, the 24-year-old flyweight hit the UFC with plenty of momentum when he made his official promotional debut in October 2013. After tearing his way through multiple organizations overseas, The Supernova finally hit American soil at UFC 166 and needed fewer than two rounds of work to cement a successful debut inside the Octagon. The former Shooto bantamweight champion salted Dustin Pague via TKO in the second frame and marked his arrival in impressive fashion.

While the overall lack of depth in the flyweight ranks put Horiguchi on the championship radar from the jump, he would go on to pick up three more victories before getting tapped for title contention. This Saturday night at UFC 186 in Montreal he will attempt to dethrone the only man to ever wear the flyweight title under the UFC banner as he faces dominant champion Demetrious Johnson in the card’s main event.

Although he will come into the bout as a heavy underdog, Horiguchi believes he has what it takes to end Johnson’s run as the 125-pound king. Furthermore, the rising young talent wants to be an example that achieving the ultimate goal is possible.

“This is my time and it’s been coming for a while,” Horiguchi told Bleacher Report with the assistance of a translator. “This is my time and I’m ready. [Johnson] is a very good fighter, but I have a lot of weapons as well. I’m going to use my karate base to control the fight and take advantage in the stand-up game. I will be looking for the knockout at all times.

“The most important thing for me will be winning the championship because it will show my true appreciation for all of my supporters. I also want to show the next generation of kids coming up in martial arts, sports or any other career that dreams do come true. I want to show everyone it’s possible to make a successful career if you work hard enough.”

With a growing profile in MMA’s biggest promotion, and the opportunity to become a champion hovering in the balance this Saturday night in Montreal, it would be easy for mounting pressure to have an impact on a young fighter like Horiguchi. Nevertheless, he has managed to keep everything in check from an emotional standpoint and has kept his focus locked on being the first man to hand Mighty Mouse a loss as a flyweight.

While Horiguchi admits there are several methods he uses to harness his inner-peace, his most prominent hobby couldn’t be more of a contrast to his current career in perfectly timed violence. When Horiguchi isn’t preparing his mind and body for hand-to-hand combat, he prefers to test his skills against some of the most elusive creatures on the planet.

And while he’s currently a certified title challenger in the UFC, someday he may also make a championship run of another kind.

“I love fishing,” Horiguchi said. “I love bass fishing. I went fishing a week ago and caught a huge black bass fish. It was a really big fish and it was great. I have been fishing since I was a young child, and I really enjoy it.”

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Friday Link Dump: OneFC 26 Results, UFC 186?s Glum Ticket Sales, Gomi vs. Lauzon @ UFC on FOX 16 + More

(Askren vs. Santos in its entirety, via Youtuber Fancy M.)

ONE Championship 26 Results: Ben Askren vs. Luis Santos Ruled No Contest After Bizarre Scene in Manila (MMAFighting)

Joe Rogan And Mike Goldberg React To The ‘Star Wars’ Trailer In This Brilliant Mashup (Uproxx)

Gegard Mousasi’s camp reveals lawsuit against John Makdessi, Fear the Fighter (MMAJunkie)

Joe Lauzon vs. Takanori Gomi Set for UFC on FOX 16 (BloodyElbow)

UFC 186: Bell Centre Closes Part of Venue, Ticket Sales Looking Glum (Bleacher Report)

Georges St. Pierre Talks Career Regrets and Possible WWE Future (Fox Sports)

Paramount’s Rolling Out A TV Adaptation Of ‘Galaxy Quest’ (Screen Junkies)

University Censorship and the Risk to Free Speech (EveryJoe)

Kelly Brook is So Sexy it Isn’t Fair (32 Photos) (Radass)

The 20 Worst Moments in Selfie Stick History (World Wide Interweb)

8 RPGs that Let You Talk Your Way Through Danger (The Escapist)

The post Friday Link Dump: OneFC 26 Results, UFC 186′s Glum Ticket Sales, Gomi vs. Lauzon @ UFC on FOX 16 + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

(Askren vs. Santos in its entirety, via Youtuber Fancy M.)

ONE Championship 26 Results: Ben Askren vs. Luis Santos Ruled No Contest After Bizarre Scene in Manila (MMAFighting)

Joe Rogan And Mike Goldberg React To The ‘Star Wars’ Trailer In This Brilliant Mashup (Uproxx)

Gegard Mousasi’s camp reveals lawsuit against John Makdessi, Fear the Fighter (MMAJunkie)

Joe Lauzon vs. Takanori Gomi Set for UFC on FOX 16 (BloodyElbow)

UFC 186: Bell Centre Closes Part of Venue, Ticket Sales Looking Glum (Bleacher Report)

Georges St. Pierre Talks Career Regrets and Possible WWE Future (Fox Sports)

Paramount’s Rolling Out A TV Adaptation Of ‘Galaxy Quest’ (Screen Junkies)

University Censorship and the Risk to Free Speech (EveryJoe)

Kelly Brook is So Sexy it Isn’t Fair (32 Photos) (Radass)

The 20 Worst Moments in Selfie Stick History (World Wide Interweb)

8 RPGs that Let You Talk Your Way Through Danger (The Escapist)

The post Friday Link Dump: OneFC 26 Results, UFC 186′s Glum Ticket Sales, Gomi vs. Lauzon @ UFC on FOX 16 + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC 186 Predictions and Preview for Johnson vs. Horiguchi

Sometimes, the underrated cards turn out the best. Saturday’s UFC 186 may epitomize this thought when UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson puts his title on the line against Kyoji Horiguchi.
The main event is far from the …

The main event is far from the only attraction of the night, though, not with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson back in the fold. Michael Bisping vs. CB Dollaway will turn some heads, as well, if not sort out some questions in the middleweight division.

Let’s take an early look at the full card, with an emphasis on the night’s top two encounters.

UFC 186 Card

Predicting Card’s Biggest Bouts

Quinton Jackson vs. No. 12 Fabio Maldonado

Jackson is back with UFC after a stint with Bellator, where he beat the likes of Christian M’Pumbu and Joey Beltran.

On one hand, it would be hard to see UFC hitting Rampage with an opponent he cannot handle in his big return bout, but on the other, Fabio Maldonado is perhaps better than any fighter Jackson faced at the other promotion.

Regardless, Jackson took to Twitter to celebrate the fight coming to fruition:

Expect a mess of an encounter, which may end pretty early.

Maldonado is no pushover, touting nearly 61 percent accuracy and 5.92 significant strikes landed per minute, according to UFC.com. Those are better numbers than Jackson in both regards, but the major red flag is his 4.03 significant strikes absorbed per minute.

So while a Round 2 TKO victory against Hans Stringer last year looks great, think back a bit further to a bout lasting just 35 seconds last May when Maldonado suffered a TKO loss at the hands of Stipe Miocic.

Jackson has the power to take advantage of Maldonado’s erratic chin. Look for Rampage to end it before time runs out in the first round.

Demetrious Johnson vs. No. 7 Kyoji Horiguchi

Horiguchi is far from the biggest name in the world. On the other side of the Octagon on Saturday is Johnson, who is comparable to Ronda Rousey in how dominant he is over an entire division.

The champion seems to know better than to enter Saturday cocky, though.

Johnson made it clear to FoxSports.com’s Elias Cepeda he won’t underestimate the opposition:

It is what you say – ‘Oh, I can improve, I could do to have a few more fights.’ He’s a humble guy. I think he’s real hungry for this opportunity, though. And, he’s been beating a lot of people and has a long winning streak. He believes he’s ready.

It’s a smart move by the champ.

Horiguchi might be just 24 years old, but he’s a loser in just one fight of 16 attempts, the loss coming way back in 2012. He enters Saturday on a nine-fight tear, four of those wins coming in the UFC.

In the face of Johnson, though, the problems for Horiguchi seem bountiful. As the numbers to the side show, he’s at a severe disadvantage if things hit the mat, which seems likely because of Johnson’s world-class speed.

There’s a bright future ahead for Horiguchi, so remember the name. For Saturday, though, he’s encountering the best of the best, and his skill set isn’t robust enough just yet to survive.

Look for Johnson to secure a submission in the second round.

Stats and info via UFC.com, unless otherwise specified.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com