UFC on Fox 9 | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

UFC on Fox 9: What We Learned from Chad Mendes vs. Nik Lentz

Chad “Money” Mendes went into the Octagon at UFC on Fox 9, and he took care of business to potentially earn another shot at the UFC Featherweight Championship.
Mendes hurt Lentz in the first round but was unable to finish on Saturday. From …

Chad “Money” Mendes went into the Octagon at UFC on Fox 9, and he took care of business to potentially earn another shot at the UFC Featherweight Championship.

Mendes hurt Lentz in the first round but was unable to finish on Saturday. From that point on, he picked his shots, took what was open and coasted to a unanimous-decision victory.

It wasn’t the most exciting fight on the card from Sacramento, Calif., but Mendes had a lot on the line and no reason to take unnecessary risks.

What did we learn from this featherweight tilt?

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

Mendes slowing down.

Sure, we can focus on the first round. Or we could talk about how he controlled and dominated Lentz. However, we saw a bigger Mendes in this fight who slowed down as the fight went on. In a 25-minute bout against Jose Aldo or Ricardo Lamas, how would that play out?

Mendes has shown better cardio in the past, but he never looked this big before. That may be a concern moving forward toward a title shot. Aldo has also slowed in five-round fights, and he is a big featherweight too. Lamas, on the other hand, seems to have a deep gas tank that could create problems for Mendes.

What We Learned About Chad Mendes

We learned that his striking is still evolving.

The KO and TKO performances following the loss to Aldo were a combination of his growth as a striker, big power and lesser competition. Against a gritty fighter like Lentz, he was unable to replicate that success.

He also started to telegraph some of his shots and abandoned combinations.

His lead coach Duane Ludwig will take a look at the film and make adjustments before a title fight, but it is worth noting that Mendes still isn’t a striking phenom.

What We Learned About Nik Lentz

We knew Lentz was a tough, gritty fighter, but we learned he has the tools to compete against the elite of the division. That was a big question entering the night.

He still has a lot of work to do to defeat these fighters, but he can hang with them. That is important. Mendes didn’t blow him out of the water.

Lentz isn’t the most athletically gifted fighter, but if he can turn fights ugly, he can pick up key victories in this division.

What’s Next for Mendes?

The winner of Aldo vs. Lamas.

Mendes entered as the top-ranked contender, and nothing has changed. The UFC only skipped over him for a title shot because of how he lost to Aldo the first time. After five straight wins, Mendes will get another title fight for certain.

He’ll have to wait to see who is the champion for his next crack at gold.

What’s Next for Lentz?

A borderline Top 10 featherweight.

I would love to give a specific name, but many featherweights are already booked. A potential candidate would be Clay Guida. He has not fought since losing to Mendes at UFC 164.

There will be a fighter hovering around the Top 10 who makes sense for Lentz. The best matchup would be someone who primarily strikes. It would force both men to tighten up their weaknesses and show their strengths in the cage.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fox 9: What We Learned from Joe Lauzon vs. Mac Danzig

Kicking things off at UFC on Fox 9 was an exciting matchup between scrappy lightweights with a penchant for violence. Joe Lauzon and Mac Danzig met up in Sacramento to welcome the national audience to the airwaves, with Lauzon coming out on top in typi…

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

Both guys come to fight as a rule, and they did on Saturday. If you don’t remember that they fought five years from now, and someone brings it up, you’ll probably say: “They fought? That was probably pretty good.”

And you’d be right. It was.

Danzig looked better when the fight was standing, while Lauzon was better on the ground. The fight was contested down more than up, and Lauzon took it as a result.

What We Learned About Joe Lauzon

He’s a relentless wild man who is willing to take chances to win without involving the judges. If he sees something, particularly on the ground, he’s going all in and worrying about the consequences later.

It costs him on some nights, but on other nights, it secures him a bunch of glory and Uncle Dana’s money. At UFC of Fox 9, he got the glory.

We already knew that, you say? Hmm. I probably could have saved my fingers a bit of work then.

What We Learned About Mac Danzig

When he’s appropriately inspired, there’s still evidence that he can be something. Even at 33 years old and with a plethora of UFC experience behind him, he shows new wrinkles in each fight. In that sense, he’s one of the purer martial artists in the sport.

On Saturday night, his stand-up looked tight and crisp when the fight was on the feet. Interestingly, Lauzon’s striking looked good in the early going as well, although he had trouble with Danzig’s aggression and technique.

Unfortunately, the fight wasn’t on the feet enough for Danzig to steal a win. He had too much difficulty with Lauzon’s overwhelming ground attack to get the W.

What’s Next for Lauzon?

It’s hard to know what to do with him. He’s better than a gatekeeper and young enough that he might have time to develop and improve. But he has trouble beating the upper echelon at lightweight.

Coming off this win, it may make sense to book him against Nate Diaz. They have similar go-for-broke approaches to the game and are at similar places in their careers. The fight guarantees fireworks.

What’s Next for Danzig?

The days of him being a hot prospect are long over, and precisely just one of his UFC wins is over a guy still on the roster. Throw in losing three in a row for the second time in his promotional run, and he’s likely looking at a pink slip.

If he somehow avoids the ax, he would have to fight the bottom of the barrel at 155 or try a new weight class. I’ll say he fights Hatsu Hioki at 145 because the UFC has invested in Danzig for so long, but he should be released, given the premium on roster spots these days.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fox 9: What We Learned from the Prelims

The UFC’s ninth installment on Fox came to the masses with great anticipation as the card was stacked from top to bottom with talent. From the opening bout to the main event, a number of contenders and future stars took to the Octagon looking to move c…

The card, headlined by flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez, isn’t just top heavy on the main card but in the prelims as well. Names such as Pat Healy, Court McGee and Edson Barboza graced the prelims, giving fans a full night of great entertainment.

Now that the prelims are over, let’s take a look at what we learned from the prelim fights.

The UFC has a Good Hand in Alp Ozkilic

On short notice against a high-level grappler, Alp Ozkilic made a lasting impression on UFC fans with a good performance against Darren Uyenoyama.

The Turkish Greco-Roman wrestling champ used sturdy takedown defense, superior striking and great control to outpoint Uyenoyama on the judges’ scorecards. In the process, he showed that the flyweight division has a solid hand going forward, as he pads an increasingly crowded division.

What’s next for him is unclear. However, he should have some options. Perhaps a showdown with recent winner Justin Scoggins would be a good matchup for him, and it could be in the near future, as both are coming off performances where they didn’t take a lot of damage.

Abel Trujillo Is a Beast, and Roger Bowling Is Tough as Nails

The rematch between Abel Trujillo and Roger Bowling was supposed to be an exciting back-and-forth bout like their first fight. It was anything but competitive, though.

Abel Trujillo landed knockout blow after knockout blow, but Bowling’s chin did not fail him. What ensued was a one-sided beating that finally saw referee John McCarthy call an end to the bout after a string of punishment by Trujillo.

Bowling’s UFC career is likely in jeopardy, but the same can’t be said about Trujillo’s. A great fight for him to take next would be against fellow power brawler Yancy Medeiros.

Cody McKenzie Bought His Shorts Before the Fight

If you noticed, Cody McKenzie was wearing a pair of basketball shorts that still had the tag on them. That was somewhat interesting.

What was more interesting was that he was moving back up to lightweight for this fight after a decent showing in his last featherweight bout. He took on an all-around superior fighter in Sam Stout, who after some adjustments, completely outstruck McKenzie for the better part of 15 minutes.

McKenzie and Stout represent the lower tier and middle tier, respectively. This was known before the fight, so not much was learned from the fight.

From here, I think McKenzie should take another stab at featherweight. As for Stout, I like a matchup against KJ Noons, who has a similar game to the Canadian.

Bellator Was Foolish to Let Go of Zach Makovsky

Zach Makovsky was the Bellator bantamweight champion not long ago. After he lost his title and suffered another defeat, he had to look for other employment opportunities.

That cut has been a blessing in disguise for him and another boneheaded move by Bellator. Makovsky dropped to 125 pounds, won two fights and got a shot to fight with the UFC.

His win over Scott Jorgensen in his UFC debut, especially on short notice, was great. He outwrestled and outstruck the former WEC championship contender, clearly taking the fight on the judges’ scorecards.

Like Ozkilic, he adds depth to the flyweight division. A bout against Jussier “Formiga” da Silva or Josh Sampo would be ideal for his next outing.

The Strikeforce Guys Are Still Going Strong

The fight between Bobby Green and Pat Healy was a lot closer than the scorecards let on. In fact, it was a great back-and-forth battle that was close right until the final bell.

Despite fighting for the second month in a row and on short notice, Green took the decision against a former Strikeforce title challenger. He showed remarkable speed, athleticism, grappling and striking in earning the decision.

This win skyrockets his stock. Going forward, I’d love to see the now-undefeated Green take on the winner of Gleison Tibau vs. Michael Johnson, which happens at UFC 168.

The Judges May Have Scored a Draw Incorrectly

I’m not a judge. However, I think I can score fights correctly on a consistent basis, and I believe that the Danny Castillo vs. Edson Barboza fight may have been a draw.

In my eyes, the first round was 10-8 for Castillo. Then, Barboza won 10-9 in the final two rounds. That would put the score at 28-28.

If I had to choose a winner, I would have given it to Barboza. And maybe he was the winner, but I personally think it was a draw.

Barboza showed he can fight a wrestler and is ready for a top-15 opponent. In my eyes, a bout against Nate Diaz could be interesting as well as a Fight of the Night.

Ryan LaFlare Is the Dark Horse at 170

Not long ago, fans were unaware of Ryan LaFlare. Now at 3-0, the New York product is making a run under the radar in the welterweight division.

Not only is he 3-0 in the UFC, but 3-0 against The Ultimate Fighter vets. He dominated Ben Alloway, Santiago Ponzinibbio and Court McGee in his tenure with the company.

He is well-rounded and geared for success in the Octagon. Moving forward, a bout against fellow prospect Brandon Thatch would be a look into the future at 170.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FOX 9: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2 — Live Results & Commentary

(It was then that Demetrious realized his own head was chilly, and the envy built up inside him, poisonous and overwhelming. / Photo via MMAJunkie)

The UFC is setting up shop at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento this evening, and while injuries have hacked this card down to a hobbling shell of its former self, we’ll still happily tune in to watch the Team Alpha Male crew defend its home turf on network television. On the docket for this evening: Joseph Benavidez takes another crack at reigning flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson, local legend Urijah Faber takes on 22-year-old bantamweight phenom Michael McDonald, and Chad Mendes looks for his fifth-straight KO/TKO in the featherweight division against Nik Lentz. Plus, Joe Lauzon and Mac Danzig kick off the broadcast in a battle between a guy who collects a lot of bonus money and a guy with no sponsors.

Handling our liveblog for this evening is Aaron Mandel, who will be banging out round-by-round results from the UFC on FOX 9 main card after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let us know how you’re feeling in the comments section.

(It was then that Demetrious realized his own head was chilly, and the envy built up inside him, poisonous and overwhelming. / Photo via MMAJunkie)

Preliminary card results
– Ryan LaFlare def. Court McGee via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Edson Barboza def. Danny Castillo via majority decision (29-28 x2, 28-28)
– Bobby Green def. Pat Healy via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
– Zach Makovsky def. Scott Jorgensen via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Sam Stout def. Cody McKenzie via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Abel Trujillo def. Roger Bowling via TKO, 1:35 of round 2
– Alptekin Ozkilic def. Darren Uyenoyama via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)

Main Card

We’ve got FOX robots, very small men and 3 guys trying to do it on home turf. Refresh early and often for round-by-round action and leave your comments below.

Joe Lauzon vs. Mac Danzig

Both these lightweights are coming of losses so it’s an important fight for both of their UFC careers.

Round 1- Touch of the gloves to start. Lauzon throwing a few strikes early. Lauzon clinches Danzig and drags him to the ground into half guard. Lauzon working some ground and pound from half guard. Moves to mount and rains down strikes. Lauzon rolls for armbar and goes belly down but Danzig escapes and lands on top in Lauzon’s guard. Butterfly guard from Lauzon working for a sweep, Danzig not doing much. Lauzon throws his legs up for an armbar that is not there but he switches to omoplata and then triangle, well defended by Danzig and they rise to the feet. Good knees and elbows from Danzig in the Thai clinch. Lauzon muscles Danzig down from the clinch and lands in guard. Round ends with Lauzon on top and probably 10-9 Lauzon.

Round 2- Danzig winning the standup in the early going with punches and kicks. They clinch and exchange strikes but not much action. Good body shot and jab from Danzig. Right hand lands for Danzig. Danzig works strikes again from the clinch, some knees from Lauzon. A trip attempt fails for Danzig and Lauzon ends up on top in guard. Large cut on Danzig with blood getting in the eyes from a Lauzon elbow. Lauzon working strikes from on top in guard, being patient. Danzig’s face is entirely covered in blood. Lauzon moves to half guard and works knees into Danzig’s body. Danzig recovers butterfly guard and Lauzon postures up and rains down a large strike and falls into side control and then mount. With ten seconds left he spins for an armbar but Danzig defends. 10-9 Lauzon.

Round 3- Danzig comes out with a flurry of strikes but nothing major lands. Head collision briefly stops the fight, I did not realize that was a thing. Danzig initiating clinches more than I’ve ever seen, they separate and throw strikes, Danzig throwing heavier and landing more. Big elbow and knee from Lauzon and he trips Danzig to the ground. Lauzon in full guard working ground and pound as he moves to half guard. Side control for Lauzon with a crucifix on Danzig’s right arm. Heavy strikes from Lauzon and Danzig is bleeding bad. Elbows from Lauzon as he mounts. Huge elbows from mount for Lauzon as he spins for an arm. He pauses on the arm to rip elbows into Danzig’s body. Lauzon spins too soon and Danzig ends up on top. Lauzon turtles, stands and drives Danzig back down. Lauzon moves to half guard and works knees into side control, some top level top game grappling from Lauzon with big elbows as the fight ends. 10-9 Lauzon and should be his fight.

Joe Lauzon defeats Mac Danzig via unanimous decision, 30-27 x 3

Nik Lentz vs. Chad Mendes

Big cheers for hometowner Mendes, apparently Lentz is huge at 145…

Round 1- Lentz throws first but Mendes blocks. Mendes cracks Lentz with a right that rocks Lentz but he survives the flurry and they get back to striking range. Lentz may have hurt Mendes with a body kick. Lentz gets wobbled again and his knows is bloodied. Lentz whiffs on an uppercut and Mendes takes him down. Lentz escapes back to the feet. Speed of Mendes is apparent as he keeps landing. Lentz comes forward with strikes but Mendes perfectly times a takedown. Lentz successfully defending on the bottom and they are back on the feet. Mendes with another takedown but he has not been able to work any ground and pound. 10-9 Mendes.

Round 2- A few leg kicks from Mendes and Lentz answers. Good jab from Mendes. Right hook and leg kick from Mendes. Rogan thinks Mendes is tired or maybe hurt from round 1 body kick and he is only one strike at a time. Takedown from Mendes again but it is short lived and Lentz works back to the feet. Jab and hook land from Lentz. Takedown from Mendes yet again but Mendes is not doing much much. Lentz elevates and they are back to the feet. Lentz stuffs a takedown but Mendes comes back and hits another one, back on top in guard doing nothing. 10-9 Mendes.

Round 3- Kicks from both fighters to start, nice to the body from Lentz. Lentz clips Mendes and he either slipped or briefly goes down but back to the feet. Mendes shoots in but is stuffed and momentum building for Lentz. Headkick blocked from Mendes and Lentz flurries. Eye poke on Lentz with only a brief pause in the action. Good right hand from Lentz. Mendes briefly gets a takedown but Lentz comes right back up and drills a kick into the body of Mendes. Two more takedowns from Mendes but they are shortlived. Left hand lands from Lentz. Flying knee from Mendes clips Lentz and he goes down and Mendes dives in for a guillotine on top but Lentz is defending. They rise to the feet and the round ends. 10-9 Lentz?

Chad Mendes defeats Nik Lentz via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)

Apparently Mendes had the cold/flu according to a Dana White tweet which might explain his slightly flat performance. I wouldn’t take much away from Lentz though, he was a game opponent.

Michael McDonald vs. Urijah Faber

This is a good battle between a young stud in McDonald who has already had great early-career success and a fighter in Faber who is into the second half of his career. It should prove a lot about where the bantamweight division is headed, if McDonald is ready for another climb to the top or whether Faber will make a final run.

Round 1- Crowd is seriously pumped for Faber and boos McDonald who has one punch power at 135. Touch of gloves to start. Headkick from Faber into a takedown in first 15 seconds. Faber working strikes while Rogan salivates over McDonald’s guard. McDonald working rubber guard with Faber’s left arm stuck, Faber still working strikes. Good shots from the top from Faber. McDonald tying Faber up and searching for submissions with his legs. Some body shots from Faber and Herb Dean stands them up. Faber dancing around with kicks and shrugs of a clinch takedown from McDonald. Head kick misses from Faber. Big knee from McDonald to the body of Faber. Faber misses with a big windmill right. Good right hand from Faber lands as the round ends followed by a left. 10-9 Faber.

Round 2- Faber dances and fakes but can’t get an early takedown. Left hooks land from both fighters. Faber hits McDonald with a low blow and the action stops. Restart and Faber nails McDonald with a right hand that has him wobbled. McDonald fires back off a Faber head kick and hits Faber pretty hard which makes him reconsider his frenzy. McDonald still unsteady but firing back and lands a good low kick. Headkick grazes Faber but he cracks McDonald with a right and has him in trouble stumbling all over the Octagon. Faber pursues like a wild hyena smelling blood and drops McDonald with more strikes, throws a guillotine on and McDonald taps out. The crowd goes nuts, Rogan goes nuts and McDonald raises the hometown boy’s hand.

Urijah Faber defeats Michael McDonald via guillotine choke, round 2

Champion Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez

It’s time for the rematch of the first flyweight title fight in UFC history which Johnson eeked out in a decision. Benavidez has been on a tear and is fighting at home, should be a great fight and a great test of my touch typing speed skills.

Round 1- Leg kick from Benavidez, and yep, they are both fast as shit! Johnson goes down for a quick breakdancing move and then fails on a takedown attempt. Punches and headkick miss from Benavidez who is more active early with punches and a high amount of kicks. Johnson darting in and out quickly and loads up on a right hand that catches Benavidez flush and puts him out cold. Johnson holds onto his title with his most dominant performance yet.

Champion Demetrious Johnson defeats Joseph Benavidez via KO, round 1

Good nights of fights, capped by the main and co-main events, as it should be. Good night PotatoHeads.

UFC on Fox 9 Live Streaming Post-Fight Press Conference

At UFC on Fox 9, Demetrious Johnson will attempt to earn a third straight title defense on network television.
Having prevented John Dodson and John Moraga from stealing his strap, “Mighty Mouse” will now rematch Joseph Be…

At UFC on Fox 9, Demetrious Johnson will attempt to earn a third straight title defense on network television.

Having prevented John Dodson and John Moraga from stealing his strap, “Mighty Mouse” will now rematch Joseph Benavidez, whom he defeated in the inaugural flyweight championship matchup. Since losing to Johnson by split decision in their original meeting, Benavidez has picked up three straight victories.

In addition to the 125-pound main event, UFC on Fox 9 will feature a potential bantamweight title shot eliminator between Urijah Faber and Michael McDonald. Both men have had fairly recent shots at the 135-pound championship, but they have established themselves as the best in the division behind Dominick Cruz and interim champion Renan Barao.

At the conclusion of UFC on Fox 9, several fighters will join UFC president Dana White or another UFC official for a post-fight press conference that can be viewed live on the above video player.

Below is the entire UFC on Fox 9 fight card.

UFC on Fox 9 Main Card (8 p.m. ET on Fox)

Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez
Urijah Faber vs. Michael McDonald
Chad Mendes vs. Nik Lentz
Joe Lauzon vs. Mac Danzig

UFC on Fox 9 Prelims (5 p.m ET on Fox Sports 1)

Court McGee vs. Ryan LaFlare
Danny Castillo vs. Edson Barboza
Bobby Green vs. Pat Healy
Scott Jorgensen vs. Zach Makovsky
Sam Stout vs. Cody McKenzie
Abel Trujillo vs. Roger Bowling

UFC on Fox 9 Online Prelims (4:30 p.m ET on UFC.com)

Darren Uyenoyama vs. Alptekin Ozkilic

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fox 9: Keys to Victory for Urijah Faber

On Saturday, December 14, 2013, mixed martial arts veteran Urijah Faber will face off against a game opponent in Michael McDonald. Although McDonald is considerably younger and sports a 16-2 record, Faber is a seasoned and technical fighter who has grinded out many of his opponents on his way to becoming a two-year World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champion and a UFC pioneer.

According to UFC.com, Faber is the No. 2 ranked bantamweight in the world. A win over McDonald (No. 3) at UFC on Fox 9 will most likely earn the California native another title shot. Faber lost to the current bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz, and the interim champion, Renan Barao, via unanimous decision at UFC 132 and UFC 149, respectively.

However, Faber has put together a three-fight win streak and is confident in his ability to secure the victory over McDonald. In an interview with USA Today Sports (via MMA Junkie), he stated:

….he’s gone to a decision before with guys. There’s guys he hasn’t knocked out. There’s guys that he’s lost to – guys that I’ve fought that he’s lost to….

I’m going to put my will on him. That’s what I’m going to do.

Regarding his opponent at UFC on Fox 9, Faber’s high-level grappling and profound in-Octagon experience should guide him to victory, and to yet another title shot in 2014.

Grappling

Faber is a former NCAA Division I wrestler and has consistently used his superior grappling and takedowns to stifle his opponents. The latter, combined with his advanced Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills, has garnered him 16 career submission wins. In fact, Faber’s list of high-profile submission victims includes Scott Jorgensen, Brian Bowles, Jens Pulver, Jeff Curran and Cruz.

Therefore, on December 14, it would benefit the “California Kid” to utilize his high-level wrestling and out-grapple McDonald. Submitting and/or grinding out his opponent to a decision victory at UFC on Fox 9 will solidify Faber’s position at the top of his weight class and most likely grant him another shot at the bantamweight title.

Experience

Bringing a wealth of experience to the Octagon, Faber has amassed an MMA record of 29-6, having fought professionally 35 times in all. He has been competing in MMA for a little over 10 years, capturing the King of the Cage (KOTC) Bantamweight title in 2004. Under the KOTC banner, Faber remained undefeated and vacated his title as champion.

Then, Faber went on to win the WEC Featherweight Championship in 2006. During his four-year stint with the WEC, the California native only lost to two competitors—Mike Brown and the current UFC featherweight champion, Jose Aldo.

Regarding Faber’s opponent on December 14, nine out of 16 of McDonald’s wins have come by way of knockout. He hits hard and has knocked out the likes of former WEC champion Miguel Torres and a formidable Manny Tapia. However, Faber’s ability to put together combinations and utilize a wide array of his arsenal makes him a dangerous opponent. His experience in longer bouts and against more talented opponents will assist in his victory at UFC on Fox 9.

Urijah Faber’s Dubious Future

Despite his current three-fight win streak, Faber’s last five defeats have come in UFC or WEC championship matchups—losing to Barao, Cruz, Aldo and Brown (twice). Although a trailblazer in the sport of MMA, at 34 years old, time is not on the California Kid’s side. His age, accompanied by Faber’s last four failed attempts to secure a championship title, leaves him on the verge of gatekeeper status.

Therefore, Faber should have no problem being motivated for this fight. He will still have his eyes on the title, much like any fighter with his history in the sport would. A win on Saturday night keeps him in the conversation for the belt.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com