(Something tells me they won’t be using this as Lytle’s profile photo, but I want them to anyway.)
Ever since Chael Sonnen’s untimely departure from FOX, MMA fans have been waiting on baited breath to see who would be hired as the next Guy Who Awkwardly Shouts Things At Us Between Fights (I believe the official title they use is “UFC Analyst”). Would it be the recently fired Brandon Vera, who holds a wealth of UFC experience and knowledge of home invasion defense techniques? Or maybe MMA legend BJ Penn (when he finishes crying)? Dear God, could it be BAS RUTTEN?!
Well as it turns out, FOX’s newest analyst is…beloved UFC veteran, legendary bonus-hunter and one-time Indiana State Senate hopeful Chris Lytle! According to a press release sent out earlier today, “Lights Out” will join Daniel Cormier, Kenny Florian and host Karyn Bryant in the FS1 studios starting with next week’s Fight Night 45: Cerrone vs. Miller:
UFC on FOX analysts Kenny Florian, Daniel Cormier and host Karyn Bryant welcome former UFC welterweight contender Chris Lytle to the analyst desk as he makes his debut at the UFC FIGHT NIGHT WEIGH-IN on Tuesday, July 15 and works the PREFIGHT and POSTFIGHT coverage on FOX Sports 1 as well. Jon Anik and Brian Stann call the fights on FOX Sports 1 live from the Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, while Victor Dávila and Fabricio Werdum call the action for FOX Deportes.
Wednesday night coverage begins with the UFC FIGHT NIGHT PREFIGHT SHOW at 6:00 PM ET, with Bryant, Cormier, Florian and Lytle previewing the evening’s action. Heidi Androl interviews fighters in Atlantic City. The two-hour UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS begin on FOX Sports 1 (7:00 PM ET) and feature four exciting bouts. FOX SPORTS LIVE offers extended postfight coverage immediately following the conclusion of UFC FIGHT NIGHT, with interviews of the fighters.
(Something tells me they won’t be using this as Lytle’s profile photo, but I want them to anyway.)
Ever since Chael Sonnen’s untimely departure from FOX, MMA fans have been waiting on baited breath to see who would be hired as the next Guy Who Awkwardly Shouts Things At Us Between Fights (I believe the official title they use is “UFC Analyst”). Would it be the recently fired Brandon Vera, who holds a wealth of UFC experience and knowledge of home invasion defense techniques? Or maybe MMA legend BJ Penn (when he finishes crying)? Dear God, could it be BAS RUTTEN?!
Well as it turns out, FOX’s newest analyst is…beloved UFC veteran, legendary bonus-hunter and one-time Indiana State Senate hopeful Chris Lytle! According to a press release sent out earlier today, “Lights Out” will join Daniel Cormier, Kenny Florian and host Karyn Bryant in the FS1 studios starting with next week’s Fight Night 45: Cerrone vs. Miller:
UFC on FOX analysts Kenny Florian, Daniel Cormier and host Karyn Bryant welcome former UFC welterweight contender Chris Lytle to the analyst desk as he makes his debut at the UFC FIGHT NIGHT WEIGH-IN on Tuesday, July 15 and works the PREFIGHT and POSTFIGHT coverage on FOX Sports 1 as well. Jon Anik and Brian Stann call the fights on FOX Sports 1 live from the Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, while Victor Dávila and Fabricio Werdum call the action for FOX Deportes.
Wednesday night coverage begins with the UFC FIGHT NIGHT PREFIGHT SHOW at 6:00 PM ET, with Bryant, Cormier, Florian and Lytle previewing the evening’s action. Heidi Androl interviews fighters in Atlantic City. The two-hour UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS begin on FOX Sports 1 (7:00 PM ET) and feature four exciting bouts. FOX SPORTS LIVE offers extended postfight coverage immediately following the conclusion of UFC FIGHT NIGHT, with interviews of the fighters.
Excuse me while I whip this out…
While typically, I couldn’t care less what the FS1 team has to say about how so-and-so looked on the scale or they keys to victory for whatshisface, the addition of Lytle to the booth has me intrigued to say the least, and not just because I’ve been hugging the dude’s nuts since back in the day.
Most fighter-analysts on FS1 serve little other purpose than bringing the momentum of a fight card to a grinding halt with the same rote advice and friendship-based predictions we have heard a thousand times over. Lytle, on the other hand, possesses a unique understanding of the game — with his professional boxing background, ridiculously underrated submission skills, and knowledge of how to turn every fight into an epic brawl — and could become a valuable member of the FS1 team if properly utilized. I say slap a “Fight of the Night Analyst” title on him and have Lytle dole out advice on what each fighter could do to make their fight not suck so much, for starters.
DC: “After a rocky first round against Thales Leites, Francis Carmont evened things up in the second with some solid takedowns and top control. What should he do heading into the third, Chris?”
CL: “Well, if I was him, I’d abandon this whole takedown bullshit and just start heaving right hands at Leites like my fists were baseballs, you know what I’m saying?”
……..
DC: “Back to Mike and Joe, who are calling the action.”
(Saffiedine! Lim! Eleven fighters we’re so confident you won’t know that we aren’t even going to bother showing you their faces! Props toMichael Sempervive for the image.)
With all of the coverage that UFC Fight Pass has been receiving, it’s hard to believe that it has only been two weeks since the launch of the network. So far, opinions have ranged from “pathetic cash grab” to “everything a fight fan could possibly want.” In an effort to evaluate Fight Pass up to this point, here are ten ways of looking at the network, arranged in no particular order.
1.) Should You Buy Fight Pass? Well, Should You Buy Netflix?
“Netflix for Fight Fans” is how Lorenzo Fertitta summed up the service, and honestly, that sounds about right. Fight Pass offers exclusive content in the form of international events and preliminary fights – just like how Netflix offers Orange is the New Black – but its selling point is its archives. If you already own all of your favorite fight cards on DVD and are only interested in watching the UFC’s pay-per-views, then Fight Pass has nothing to offer you. For the rest of us, it’s a matter of whether archives and international cards are worth $9.99 per month.
2.) It Isn’t Nearly the Bargain that Supporters Claim It Is.
The Netflix analogy doesn’t quite hold up though. I use my Netflix account every day, and regardless of who I’m watching it with, I can find something on there that everyone will enjoy. I’m not about to sit down and watch old fights on a daily basis, and unless the original documentaries that the UFC is promising us are downright spectacular, I doubt that my non-fight fan friends are going to want to watch Fight Pass with me. This doesn’t mean that Fight Pass is a waste of money, but let’s not pretend that paying $119.88 per year to watch old fights and Facebook preliminaries is the best thing to ever happen to MMA fans, either.
3.) It Isn’t Nearly the Insult That Detractors Claim It Is.
(Saffiedine! Lim! Eleven fighters we’re so confident you won’t know that we aren’t even going to bother showing you their faces! Props toMichael Sempervive for the image.)
With all of the coverage that UFC Fight Pass has been receiving, it’s hard to believe that it has only been two weeks since the launch of the network. So far, opinions have ranged from “pathetic cash grab” to “everything a fight fan could possibly want.” In an effort to evaluate Fight Pass up to this point, here are ten ways of looking at the network, arranged in no particular order.
1.) Should You Buy Fight Pass? Well, Should You Buy Netflix?
“Netflix for Fight Fans” is how Lorenzo Fertitta summed up the service, and honestly, that sounds about right. Fight Pass offers exclusive content in the form of international events and preliminary fights – just like how Netflix offers Orange is the New Black – but its selling point is its archives. If you already own all of your favorite fight cards on DVD and are only interested in watching the UFC’s pay-per-views, then Fight Pass has nothing to offer you. For the rest of us, it’s a matter of whether archives and international cards are worth $9.99 per month.
2.) It Isn’t Nearly the Bargain that Supporters Claim It Is.
The Netflix analogy doesn’t quite hold up though. I use my Netflix account every day, and regardless of who I’m watching it with, I can find something on there that everyone will enjoy. I’m not about to sit down and watch old fights on a daily basis, and unless the original documentaries that the UFC is promising us are downright spectacular, I doubt that my non-fight fan friends are going to want to watch Fight Pass with me. This doesn’t mean that Fight Pass is a waste of money, but let’s not pretend that paying $119.88 per year to watch old fights and Facebook preliminaries is the best thing to ever happen to MMA fans, either.
3.) It Isn’t Nearly the Insult That Detractors Claim It Is.
You mean to tell me that the UFC isn’t giving away fights for $9.99 that over 500,000 people are willing to pay $60 for? You mean my credit card information may be stolen over the previously secure and trustworthy Internet? You mean that Fight Pass uses the same binding, horrific terms of use that other streaming services use? We’re really grabbing at straws to put down the UFC this time, aren’t we?
4.) It’s a Work in Progress (That We May Be Paying to Test).
6.) UFC Fight Pass and the WWE Network Really Aren’t That Different.
The WWE Network is offering pay-per-view events for the same price that UFC Fight Pass is offering international events with mostly unknown prospects. Believe it or not, from a business standpoint, both products are actually more similar than they appear to be. The WWE business model isn’t build around the success of its pay-per-view events the way that the UFC business model is. Given both the rise of the UFC and the storyline-driven cable product that the WWE produces (this makes it necessary to recap what happened at each PPV on cable so that fans who didn’t buy the card can still follow the story), the WWE’s move away from pay-per-view has been long overdue; most WWE PPVs don’t break 300,000 buys. In that sense, both companies are essentially offering original programming that only their most hardcore fans were previously willing to pay for – as well as their archives – on their digital networks.
7.) Come on, There Isn’t a Fair Way to Compare the UFC Product to the WWE Product.
Did point #6 really just compare the WWE Royal Rumble to a UFC Fight Pass card full of unknown Turkish prospects? Oh man, that’s adorable. In our attempts to determine whether UFC Fight Pass is worth the asking price, we’re pretty much comparing an NBA game to an AND1 mixtape. “The mixtape gave away the coolest stuff they’ve seen this year, while last night’s NBA game was just another regular season contest between two teams I don’t care about. And there was only one 360 windmill dunk! NBA hates its fans! Will boycott until they fix!” Doesn’t that sound stupid? Well, now you know how you sound when you go on your “The WWE books PPV events to be more important to the WWE Universe storylines than minor league sports!” rants.
8.) Is This the Beginning of the End for “Free” Fights?
Cable costs money – that’s why the word “free” is in quotations – but is there a chance that the days of fans not directly paying the UFC to watch fights are numbered? We’ve already lost our one true form of legal free UFC fights – Facebook preliminaries – to Fight Pass. How many times is the UFC going to have its minor league Fox Sports 1 cards be outdrawn by actual minor league MMA organizations before those cards are moved to Fight Pass as well? If that happens, how long before the UFC decides to use the flyweight title fights and the other divisions’ contendership bouts on Fox to beef up their pay-per-views, and move strictly to Fight Pass and PPV? If Fight Pass is successful enough to make cable programming an afterthought, don’t be surprised if the UFC slowly begins to drift away from it, the same way that the WWE has pulled the plug on pay-per-view.
9.) Forget The UFC, Is This the Future of Cable?
How many of you only watch a few TV shows, and couldn’t be bothered keeping up with television unless you’re extremely bored? How many of you only own cable so you can watch sports? For that matter, how many of you only watch MMA? Anyone here only watch the UFC?
Since we’re already thinking about a world where UFC fights only exist on Fight Pass and pay-per-view, why not one where people who only watch a few things on TV cancel their cable packages and purchase their favorite digital networks? For far less money than the premium cable package that I currently pay for, I could own several digital networks that give me access to basically anything I could possibly want to watch regarding my interests. And I could access it all anywhere that I have an Internet connection. If Fight Pass and the WWE Network are both successful enough, don’t be surprised to see other companies follow their footsteps.
10.) The Way That You, The Reader, Look At UFC Fight Pass.
Which is obviously the correct way, and anyone who thinks that numbers one through nine are even remotely relevant is a complete idiot. Of course, the correct way to look at UFC Fight Pass is….
Don’t be shy. Let us know how you view UFC Fight Pass in the comments section.
(That awkward moment when you realize you jumped ship way, way too soon.)
I imagine that after receiving the ratings numbers for Fight Night 26: Shogun vs. Sonnen this morning, Dana White calmly asked everyone to get the fuck out of his office, closed the door, threw on some Rage and did the following…
It would be hard to blame him if he did, because early figures for the UFC’s debut on the FOX Sports 1 network are nothing short of astounding. According to a press release sent out this morning, Saturday’s main card at the TD Garden averaged over 1.7 million viewers, shattering the UFC’s previous FUEL ratings like they were Corey Hill’s leg:
FOX Sports 1, driven by UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SHOGUN VS. SONNEN, posted an average audience of 1.71 million viewers in prime time (8:00-11:00 PM ET), a more than 10-fold increase compared to that which SPEED, FOX Soccer and FUEL TV combined to deliver on the comparable night a year ago (141,000). Among younger demographics the comparisons are even more significant. FOX Sports 1 viewership was over 25 times greater than SPEED/FOX Soccer/FUEL TV among both Adults 18-49 and Men 18-49, and 40 times greater among Adults 18-34 and M18-34.
(That awkward moment when you realize you jumped ship way, way too soon.)
I imagine that after receiving the ratings numbers for Fight Night 26: Shogun vs. Sonnen this morning, Dana White calmly asked everyone to get the fuck out of his office, closed the door, threw on some Rage and did the following…
It would be hard to blame him if he did, because early figures for the UFC’s debut on the FOX Sports 1 network are nothing short of astounding. According to a press release sent out this morning, Saturday’s main card at the TD Garden averaged over 1.7 million viewers, shattering the UFC’s previous FUEL ratings like they were Corey Hill’s leg:
FOX Sports 1, driven by UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SHOGUN VS. SONNEN, posted an average audience of 1.71 million viewers in prime time (8:00-11:00 PM ET), a more than 10-fold increase compared to that which SPEED, FOX Soccer and FUEL TV combined to deliver on the comparable night a year ago (141,000). Among younger demographics the comparisons are even more significant. FOX Sports 1 viewership was over 25 times greater than SPEED/FOX Soccer/FUEL TV among both Adults 18-49 and Men 18-49, and 40 times greater among Adults 18-34 and M18-34.
40 TIMES GREATER?! On a network I still can’t find with a remote, a TV guide and a homeless guy I dragged off the streets to watch the fights with me?
But wait, MORE NUMBERS:
FOX Sports 1 averaged a 1.33 household rating last night in prime time, and ratings were particularly strong among younger demographics. Remarkably, FOX Sports 1 out-rated all four major broadcast networks among Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34, Men 18-49, and Men 18-34 based on impressions within each demo.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SHOGUN VS. SONNEN was the most socially-active English-language show in all of television yesterday, with 46,520 commenters, producing 124,635 Tweets, based on the number of commenters not Tweets. For the entire day, FOX Sports 1 was the third-most socially active English-language network (52,209), as ranked by number of unique commenters after NFL Network (116,253 unique commenters) and FOX Broadcast (104,365).
So you’re saying that if you actually put a decent fight card together, fans will tune into said card even if it’s on a previously unheard of channel? QUICK, SOMEONE ALERT LORENZO OF THIS DISCOVERY FORTHWITH.
It’s safe to say that the UFC knocked this one out of the park and is off to a great start on the FS1 network. Perhaps most telling of all was this email sent from White to Dave “The Doom and Gloom F*ckstick” Meltzer that we obtained (hacked in and stole) from his Blackberry:
Dearest Dave,
1.71 MILLION. 1.33 RATING.
F*ck you, you no-longer-working-at-Yahoo piece of sh*t. – DW
Lets hope the UFC can boast similar numbers with their second event, Condit vs. Kampmann II, which goes down from Indianapolis, Indiana on the 28th. Based on the card alone, we’re going to make the wild prediction that they won’t.
On paper, UFC Fight Night 26 – or UFC on Fox Sports 1 1, or UFC Fight Night: Sonnen vs. Shogun, or whatever else people were calling this card – looked to be one of the strongest of the year. Usually those cards tend to be solid, but still fall a little short of the hype. This wasn’t one of those cards. All but one or two fights delivered in some form, often with jarring, violent finishes. It was all the UFC could have hoped for to cap off its run on Fox Sports’ new network.
Let’s start at the top; Chael Sonnen managed to control Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the majority of the first round before shocking everyone by finishing Shogun with a guillotine choke. For Sonnen, this was a big win; it legitimizes his jump to 205, and he managed to submit an opponent with very high level submission grappling ability. It also netted him an extra $50,000 for one of the UFC’s Submission of the Night bonuses. Now everyone from Lyoto Machida to Vitor Belfort is chomping at the bit to get a shot at him. He’ll probably move on to fight either one of them, or Wanderlei Silva in a gimme matchup. As for Shogun, he was eulogized elsewhere before the fight. The hard truth is he hasn’t been the fighter he was since his third knee surgery after the second Machida fight, and getting hammered by Jon Jones and Dan Henderson probably didn’t help matters. Getting finished by Sonnen in the first round is evidence of that. It’s not quite time to hang up the gloves, but that day is drawing ever nearer for the 31 year-old.
On a slightly more enjoyable note was the shocking ending to the Travis Browne-Alistair Overeem co-main event. Overeem held the edge in power and technique, and it showed from the beginning. Overeem hammered Browne with shots from all angles, but particularly knees to the midsection. Browne was dropped a number of times but was never out of it, always maintaining an intelligent, if not necessarily effective, defense. But Overeem, as he is wont to do, began to tire. As he plodded forward, Browne unleashed a front kick that, while lacking the snap found in Anderson Silva’s or Lyoto Machida’s, was still sufficient to drop Ubereem. Browne followed with hammerfists and Mario Yamasaki stepped in. It was slightly premature, though Overeem had no complaints.
On paper, UFC Fight Night 26 – or UFC on Fox Sports 1 1, or UFC Fight Night: Sonnen vs. Shogun, or whatever else people were calling this card – looked to be one of the strongest of the year. Usually those cards tend to be solid, but still fall a little short of the hype. This wasn’t one of those cards. All but one or two fights delivered in some form, often with jarring, violent finishes. It was all the UFC could have hoped for to cap off its run on Fox Sports’ new network.
Let’s start at the top; Chael Sonnen managed to control Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the majority of the first round before shocking everyone by finishing Shogun with a guillotine choke. For Sonnen, this was a big win; it legitimizes his jump to 205, and he managed to submit an opponent with very high level submission grappling ability. It also netted him an extra $50,000 for one of the UFC’s Submission of the Night bonuses. Now everyone from Lyoto Machida to Vitor Belfort is chomping at the bit to get a shot at him. He’ll probably move on to fight either one of them, or Wanderlei Silva in a gimme matchup. As for Shogun, he was eulogized elsewhere before the fight. The hard truth is he hasn’t been the fighter he was since his third knee surgery after the second Machida fight, and getting hammered by Jon Jones and Dan Henderson probably didn’t help matters. Getting finished by Sonnen in the first round is evidence of that. It’s not quite time to hang up the gloves, but that day is drawing ever nearer for the 31 year-old.
On a slightly more enjoyable note was the shocking ending to the Travis Browne-Alistair Overeem co-main event. Overeem held the edge in power and technique, and it showed from the beginning. Overeem hammered Browne with shots from all angles, but particularly knees to the midsection. Browne was dropped a number of times but was never out of it, always maintaining an intelligent, if not necessarily effective, defense. But Overeem, as he is wont to do, began to tire. As he plodded forward, Browne unleashed a front kick that, while lacking the snap found in Anderson Silva’s or Lyoto Machida’s, was still sufficient to drop Ubereem. Browne followed with hammerfists and Mario Yamasaki stepped in. It was slightly premature, though Overeem had no complaints.
There have been people who said Overeem paid for disrespecting his opponent again. That’s not true; Overeem has a history of gassing himself out and being unable to handle getting hit[Ed. Note, Part 1: I’m not saying…]. This is merely the latest manifestation of those flaws, which are exacerbated by fighting well above his natural weight [Ed. Note, Part 2: …I’m just saying – SF]. At this point, he’s one of the UFC’s most spectacular busts (but not the only one on this card!) with a drug bust and two consecutive KO losses. He’ll get one more chance to redeem himself, but I wouldn’t hold out hope for a title run in his tenure. As for Browne, the man can take a beating. That said, Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos won’t be so likely to let him off the hook should he face them. He’s got work to do as well. But I bet those ribs of his feel better after winning one of the UFC’s two KO of the Night bonuses.
Urijah Faber proved yet again why he’s one of the best fighters in history – perhaps the best – to never hold UFC gold. Despite getting mounted by Iuri Alcantara within ten seconds of the first round, Faber maintained his poise and battle through submission attempts and back mount before gaining top position and raining elbows from the guard. From there on, it was all Faber. Alcanatara was a very legitimate opponent, but he simply couldn’t match Faber’s pace, wrestling and scrambling abilities. There are few who can. Another Faber title shot is probably as inevitable as the sun rising.
In what promised to be the Battle of the Gritty White Dudes, Matt Brown ended Mike Pyle’s night in under a minute. After dropping Pyle with a right to the temple, Brown unloaded on his adversary with brutal rights as he stood over him, separating Pyle from his senses and winning the other KO of the Night bonus. Brown, on a six-fight win streak with virtually every fight being eminently watchable, called out GSP after the fight. He’s not quite there yet, but give him the winner of Condit-Kampmann and we’ll see how he handles himself there. Pyle, on the other hand, has never quite managed to translate his fearsome gym reputation into the octagon. It’s unfortunate, and at 37, it’s unlikely to change at this point. Still, he’s talented enough to hang around for a while longer.
I mentioned Overeem wasn’t the only bust on this card. Well, the other honor belongs to TUF 17 sensation – and, as many people seem to forget, runner up – Uriah Hall. After a decent first round against late replacement John Howard, who is a natural welterweight, Hall seemed to fade. Not as a byproduct of conditioning so much as dismay stemming from the fact that his opponent simply wasn’t going to be intimidated. As a result, Hall simply seemed to withdraw into himself. There were rare moments of brilliance, such as when he almost took Howard’s back in the second round, but by and large he allowed Howard to push the pace and land shots. As a result, he deservedly lost a split decision in a relatively dull fight – perhaps the only one on the card – and will undoubtedly face the ire of the UFC should he lose again. His back’s against the wall, and if his fights are any indication, he might not respond too well to that
Finally, Michael Johnson showed improved striking in dispatching a sluggish Joe Lauzon. Lauzon was dropped twice in the first round and never seemed to figure out Johnson. Faced with a superior striker, he made no real effort to drag the fight to the ground, even as Johnson began to tire later in the fight. It wasn’t his best performance to say the least, but it was just the opposite for the mercurial Johnson. Johnson’s always been inconsistent as a fighter, but the overall trend of his fights show that he’s been improving. If he can maintain the level he showed last night – and avoid the ground at all costs – he’s got the ability to go places.
Just to touch on the preliminary card, Michael McDonald and Brad Pickett won fight of the night for their brutal two round scrap. McDonald scored a 10-8 first round, dropping Pickett multiple times. It’s a testament to Pickett’s toughness that he made it to the second, and a testament to McDonald’s mental toughness that he didn’t let that dissuade him. A bit fatigued, though, he found himself losing the second round to Pickett, on his back. In the blink of an eye, the tables turned as McDonald snatched a triangle choke from nowhere and, after some maneuvering, secured the tap and one Submission of the Night bonus as well. He’s a thought; have him go toe-to-toe with Uriah Faber.
Other than that, Conor McGregor had an excellent showing against Max Holloway, but possibly blew out his knee in the process. Hopefully not; the hype behind the man is, by all appearances, justified. Steven Siler scored a brutal knockout of former WEC Champion Mike Brown. And Diego Brandao managed to win an entertaining but progressively slow fight, living up to his reputation as someone who tends to gas after round one.
From top to bottom, almost every fight on this card delivered in some fashion. The decisions were exciting, the finishes were violent and shocking. The production was, by and large, professional and streamlined. Granted, we didn’t have Goldberg bellowing “IT IS ALLLLLL OVER!”, but maybe that’s something you need to ease a network audience into over time. All in all, this was the card the UFC wanted to have for its debut on Fox Sports 1, and it could not have gone better.
(Personally, I’d stay away from any mortgage service that advertises on Chael Sonnen’s butt-cheeks, but hey, that’s just me. / Photo via MMAFighting.com)
Handling the main card play-by-play for the UFC’s return to Boston is our man Oliver Chan (aka “O Chan”), who will be hand-delivering “UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen” live results after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and keep the conversation poppin’ in the comments section. Thanks for being here.
(Personally, I’d stay away from any mortgage service that advertises on Chael Sonnen’s butt-cheeks, but hey, that’s just me. / Photo via MMAFighting.com)
Handling the main card play-by-play for the UFC’s return to Boston is our man Oliver Chan (aka “O Chan”), who will be hand-delivering “UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen” live results after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and keep the conversation poppin’ in the comments section. Thanks for being here.
Please stand by…
Ladies and Gentlemen, Worcester Mass’s very own Oliver “Double Bacon Cheese” Chan returns to his hometown for FS1′s UFC Debut. And by return home, I mean on my buddy’s couch watching it in Brooklyn. But I digress… Already we’ve seen some great fights on the prelims, some sick camera angles, Vegas odds, new real-time fight stats, and a :50 second knockout that made me feel dizzy… I don’t know about you, but I’m giddy.
Here’s what we’ve seen thus far:
James Vick def. Ramsey Njem (guillotine, Rd 1 at 0:58)
Ovince St. Preux def. Cody Donovan (KO, Rd 1 at 2:07)
Manvel Gamburyan def. Cole Miller (UD, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Diego Brandao def. Daniel Pineda (UD, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Steven Siler def. Mike Brown (KO, Rd 1 0:50)
Conor McGregor def. Max Holloway (UD, 30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Michael McDonald def. Brad Pickett (Triangle Choke, Rd 2 3:43)
Now let’s get to the good stuff shall we? Leading off the main card is Joe Lauzon (who has a striking resemblance to Nick Stahl from Sin City) taking on TUF alumnus, Michael Johnson.
My prediction: Lauzon 3rd round submission arm-bar
My buddy’s: Lauzon 2rd round submission Rear-Naked
Joe Lauzon vs. Michael Johnson
Rd. 1
Johnson and Lauzon square off trading jabs and low kicks. Both guys circle around the enter of the Octagon.
Johnson lands a hard left to Lauzon. He goes down, but gets up. He’s still dazed, a bit wobbly and looking to take Johnson to the ground. Johnson is aggressive with his follow-up, but Lauzon recovers. Stat tracker shows Lauzon is just being picked apart by Johnson on the striking department.
Johnson’s combos is just too much for Lauzon. Johnson knocks Lauzon down again! Lauzon wants Johnson in the guard, but Johnson doesn’t want that. Johnson continues to t-off on Lauzon knocking him down again and J-Lau is saved by the bell.
My call: 10-9 Johnson
Rd. 2 More circling and squaring off. J-Lau works Johnson against the cage. Johnson gets away and the two continue circling. J-Lau controls the center of the Octagon. J-Lau looks to have Johnson on the run, but Johnson quickly counters with some tight combinations. Johnson gets J-Lau against the cage and grinds it out. J-Lau pushes it off. Johnson is starting to look a bit gassed out. The two trade a few more on the center of the ring. MJ takes down J-Lau and gets some GnP against the cage. He might have sealed up that round with the take-down.
My call: 10-9 Johnson
Rd. 3 Third round starts with MJ circling around J-Lau in the center of the cage. Johnson throws some combos and leg-kicks. MJ is starting to pick apart J-Lau with the combos. Failed take-down attempt by J-Lau. MJ is just picking J-Lau apart with quick jabs. J-Lau really needs to step it and get the finish if he wants the win. Johnson has almost doubled J-Lau’s strikes. With 30 seconds left, Johnson gets J-Lau on his back and gets some more GnP from J-Lau’s guard.
My call: MJ 10-9
Official Decision coming up…
Official Decision
30-27, 30-27 and 30-25 in favor of Michael Johnson
Buddy’s quote of the night: “Howard is so hood, you got to wonder how he started Muay-Thai? He got no tooth!!”
John Howard vs. Uriah Hall
Howard has an excellent beard. I want one. Well, I want the ability to grow a beard, but I want that too. Our ref is Mario Yamasaki
My call: Doomsday by UD
My buddy’s: Hall First Round KO
Rd. 1
Uriah hall immediately goes for the take-down. Interesting move from a fight we thought would be stand-up. Uriah hall lets Howard stand. Hall is noticeably taller than Howard. Howard throws a nice leg-kick. Hall answers with some tight jabs. Uriah with a spinning round-house that Howard ducks. Howard tries to get inside, but Hall holds pushes him back.
The two square off a bit more and circle each other. Howard gets Hall with a nice shot and pins Hall against the cage. Hall reverses and goes for a take-down. Doomsday throws some punches while against the cage. The two engage in some dirty boxing.
They separate and Doomsday throws another powerful leg-kick and Hall answers with a knee. Hall goes for a take-down, Howard defends and goes for a single. Hall is pinned against the cage. Hall throws a knee and escapes. Hall goes for a spinning heel-kick and wiffs. Round ends.
Hall 10-9, but it was close.
Rd. 2
They touch gloves and we’re on. Hall throws some nice left-kick combos. Hall is doing a great job managing the distance. Hall goes for the take-down and Doomsday gets Hall in a guillotine. Hall gets out and Howard throws a nice combo. Doomsday has taken control of the pace and now has Hall pinned against the cage and works the take-down.
Hall reverses and now has Doomsday against the cage. Mario separates them and they square away. Doomsday catches Hall’s knee and works the single leg with Hall against the cage.
Hall goes for the Kimura and is the two scramble up. Hall has control of Doomsday’s back. Howard is now looking for the kimura and now Doomsday has Hall on the run. Howard gets the take-down away from the cage and starts work some rabbit punches and now strong body-shots. Howard looks to pass the guard and really lands some hard shots.
Round ends, Howard took that one 10-9.
Rd. 3 The two touch gloves and here we go! Hall goes for a take-down, but Doomsday shrugs it of. Howard wifs on a leg-kick and Hall goes for a fancy spinning kick, but doesn’t really connect. Doomsday goes for the overhand left, but Hall blocks. Doomsday goes for a take-down, but Hall shrugs it of. Hall connects with a nice knee. Hall goes for a take-down and has Doomsday against the cage. Doomsday throws some light punches against Hall while against the cage. Mario separates them.
They touch gloves and square off again. Head-kicked blocked by Doomsday. Hall gets taken down and has Doomsday in the halfguard. Hall gets to his knees. They get to the feet, Doomsday has control of Howard’s back. He’s got the right hook in, but Hall gets Doomsday against the cage and takes him down. Doomday gets up and Hall has his back. They separate and Doomsday starts riling up the crowd and now they both agree to just stand-up (I’m guessing). Hall gets for some weird spin kicking thing, Doomsday does that Hendo diving punch on Bisping thing… and now the two start bro-ing out.
Another close round, I’m going with my home-town guy, 10-9, but I’m thinking either way, we’re looking at a split-decision.
Official Decision 30-27 Howard, 29-28 Hall, 29-28 Howard
I called it. Welcome back Doomsday.
Next up, we got a guy with a mullet and a guy who will F-you up if you screw with his dip. We got Mike Pyle vs. Matt Brown. This is so red-neck I feel the need for some Skoal, Skynard, and ‘Shine… Moonshine.
Quick observation, this “World’s End Movie”… Is this the same thing as “Shaun of the Dead”, but with aliens instead of zombies.
Brown chases Pyle with some strong strikes and knocks Pyle down. He gets one shot in and Pyle is OUT. A few extra shots and it’s all over. Hell of a KO by Brown.
Well then, hope you didn’t blink.
Official Decision Matt Brown, 1st Round KO at 0:29. And Brown says Pyle is better tan GSP… Interesting. Rogan doesn’t buy it. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, but you don’t knock a dude out in :30 and say he’s better than the current Welterweight champ… That’s just my opinion.
And there’s Shawn Thorton. He’s a Boston Bruin. He’s awesome.
Shameless plug by Oscar De La Hoya where I think he’s really trying hard to think boxing and cardio-boxing can co-exist.
My prediction Yuri by 3rd Rd RNC
Buddy’s Prediction: Faber by UD
Rd. 1
They touch gloves and we’re on. Faber charges and Yuri counters with a nice judo toss. Gets the mount and works the arm-bar . Faber loos for the leg-lock Yuri takes Faber’s back, both hooks in and throwing some nice effective strikes. Faber canot escape the back. Yuri is just working Faber. Faber throwing punches while watching himself on the screen (Patrick Batemen reference). Faber cannot escape from the back control. Yuri tries to attack Fabers arm.
Faber gets up and slams Yuri down. Yuri working the triangle. Faber passes tinto the third guard. Staples Yuri’s right leg and works some GnP. Yuri tries to sweep, but Faber maintains the position and drops bombs. Yuri recovers the full-guard. More GnP by Faber. Here is the U-S-A Chants… Yep, it’s Boston. I got nothing.
Yuri looks to control Faber from the guard, but Faber is still able to land some strong shots.
Faber stole that round in the end, 10-9
Rd. 2
The two go right at it. Interesting back-roll by Faber, he recovers and Faber is able to take down Yuri and is in Yuri’s guard against the cage.
Faber looks to pass the guard. Yuri eats a knee to the chest. Faber in the half-guard looks for the guillotine. Yuri replaces the guard. Faber grinding into Yuri. Faber gets some elbows in. This is text-book ground and pound, folks. Faber stands up and passes the guard. He starts working guillotine again. Thus far Faber has out-strucken (is that a word) Yuri 37-1.
While in the half-guard Faber is throwing some strong elbows and stronger punches. Yuri gets up, but Faber is looking for a Judo takedown. Faber has Yuri against the cage, they move away, Faber takes him down. Faber in the guard and continues with the GnP.
If this isn’t a 10-8 round Faber, then we need new judges.
Rd. 3 Faber fakes (?) a take down. He fakes another take-down and lands an overhand right. Little scramble, the two continue to square off. Faber doing some very Guida-esque dancing. He charges in but Yuri is able to defend. Yuri with a high kick and Faber blocks. Faber shoots for the take-down and Yuri sprawls out. The two continue to circle around.
Faber takes down Yuri. Yuri sweeps, but Faber maintains control and grinds Yuri against the cage while in the guard. Faber continues his GnP assault on Yuri. Yuri looks to control Faber’s left arm. Faber is able to stand up in Yuri’s open guard. Faber back in Yuri’s closed guard and continues to grind it out.
Yuri looking for the Oomaplata and Faber defends. Yuri transitions to the triangle and is back into the oomaplata hold. Faber steps over and butter-flies Yuri’s arms, he is able to escape and takes control of Yuri’s back and holds him down to end the round.
Solid attempt by Yuri to score a late-minute submission, but Faber has this one 10-9.
Official Decision Faber gets the UD (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
Faber says he might have some jaw damage. But I’m sure the ladies still love him.
There’s Bob Kraft… Bob, let’s get another Super Bowl, it’s been a while.
My prediction: Overeem by 2 RD KO
Buddy’s prediction: Overeem by way of “horse-meat”
If Overeem loses, specifically gets KO’d, I think it’s safe to say we’ll probably see him fighting Anthony “Welterweight” Johnson at the WSOF
Rd. 1 Touch gloves and here we go. Overeem stalks and gets Brown against the cage with some knees to the body. Overeem controls Brown, but Brown is able to get Overeem back to the center.
Flying knee by Browne. Overeem goes for a guillotine attempt. Overem is getting some hard shots to Browne against the cage. Strong knee to the Browne. It looks like Overem got a knee to the the head with Browne’s knee down. They are both on the feet and Overeem works from the clinch getting solid knees to the body. Travis Brown is taking some devastating blows by Overeem.
Overeem gets a pretty sloppy take-down but Brown gets up. Browne goes for a couple front-kicks to the face. Overeem takes control of Browne against the cage. Another front-head kick by Browne. Browne goes for the spinning round-house, but misses. Browne has Overeem in the clinch, but is against the cage … Another front-kick and Overeem goes DOWN. Browne gets a couple shots in from the guard, but it is all over!!!!
For those of you who not watching… It looked like this. For those of you not with me right now, here’s our reaction.
Official Decision
Travis Brown 1st Round KO (4:08)
Browne shows much love to Boston.
So is this the last we’ll see of Overeem?
Ladies and gents, we’re coming up to our main-event of the evening.
My Prediction: Shogun 2nd round TKO
Buddy’s Prediction: Shogun 2nd round mounted guillotine
Chael Sonnen has a pink-ribbon on his shirt. If you Google Chael Sonnen and Cancer, you get a lot of articles about Lance Armstrong. Just a random fact I’ll put there.
Buffer is on FIRE tonight.
RD. 1 Herb Dean is our ref for the main-event.
No touch of gloves, Chael goes for the take-down and gets in Shogun’s half-guard. Shogun gets to the feet and gets Chael down and is in Chael’s butterfly guard. Chael has one butter fly-hook in and Shogun transitions into the half-guard. Chael goes for the guillotine. Shogun gets to his feet and the two clinch up.
Chael gets the take-down and works the GnP from the half-guard. Shogun is looking to sweep from the half. Chael flattens out Shoguns shoulders. Shogun works to get on his side. Chael continues to work some strikes. Shogun gets the butterfly hooks in. The Boo-birds are coming out… As always let’s see you guys do this.
Chael stands up Shogun goes for an upkick. Chael back in the half-guard and working the strikes. Chael continues to smother Shogun. Shogun works to his feet and Chael has a DEEP GUILLOTINE. Shogun is working the escape… HE TAPS!!! SHOGUN THE BJJ BLACKBELT TAPS!!!!!
Shogun is devastated that he tapped.
Quick observation, Chael has a Mortgage lender website as a sponsor… Do they really know who they are pairing their brand with?
Official Decision
Chael Sonnen wins by tapout via Guillotine (4:46)
Chael shows support for those fighting cancer (since Chael won via BJJ I only feel it appropriate to plug Nick Newell’s favorite charity TapCancerOut)… Shows some of his poetry skills… And as classic Chael does, calls out Wanderlie Silva in his classic fashion.
Despite what Deadspin says, this was a great night of fights. You go to Boston, you’re guaranteed a good show. My picks were pretty bad, but I still had fun doing this and hope you all did too.
Don’t forget to check back here for Condit vs. Kampman.
(Daht royt dere iz wun fookin’ eksaited yong mahn. / Photo via MMAFighting.com)
Irish up-and-comer Conor McGregor may be the poster-boy for tonight’s undercard, but the UFC Fight Night 26 prelims will also feature a sure-to-entertain bantamweight brawl between Michael McDonald and Brad Pickett, as well as separate fights featuring former WEC 145-pound champ Mike Brown and TUF‘s first featherweight trophy-winner Diego Brandao. It’ll be a fast ‘n’ furious appetizer to tonight’s main card, so DON’T BLINK. (SERIOUSLY, BLINKING IS FOR PUSSIES.)
Handling the play-by-play for the FOX Sports 1 prelim broadcast is Aaron Mandel, who will be stackin’ up live results after the jump beginning at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and please voice your opinions in the super easy-to-use Facebook commenting system at the end of the post.
(Daht royt dere iz wun fookin’ eksaited yong mahn. / Photo via MMAFighting.com)
Irish up-and-comer Conor McGregor may be the poster-boy for tonight’s undercard, but the UFC Fight Night 26 prelims will also feature a sure-to-entertain bantamweight brawl between Michael McDonald and Brad Pickett, as well as separate fights featuring former WEC 145-pound champ Mike Brown and TUF‘s first featherweight trophy-winner Diego Brandao. It’ll be a fast ‘n’ furious appetizer to tonight’s main card, so DON’T BLINK. (SERIOUSLY, BLINKING IS FOR PUSSIES.)
Handling the play-by-play for the FOX Sports 1 prelim broadcast is Aaron Mandel, who will be stackin’ up live results after the jump beginning at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and please voice your opinions in the super easy-to-use Facebook commenting system at the end of the post.
Facebook prelim results
– Manny Gamburyan def. Cole Miller by unanimous decision
– Ovince St. Preux def. Cody Donovan via KO, 2:07 of round 1
– James Vick def. Ramsey Nijem via submission (guillotine choke), 0:58 of round 1
Alright it’s time for the prelims of an incredibly stacked card!
Diego Brandao vs. Daniel Pineda
Getting us started is TUF winner Brandao who is looking to move up in the featherweight division with his fourth victory in five fights against Pineda who probably needs to win to keep his job.
Round 1- Big leg kick from Brandao to start. Pineda shoots but Brandao shrugs him off. Brandao changing stances and wings a big right. Big kick to the body from Brandao. Brandao catches Pineda and rocks him with a punch. Brandao goes after Pineda with everything and hits him with some big kicks and punches but Pineda survives and seems to have his bearings back. Big body punch from Brandao who might have blown a lot of gas trying for the finish. Three punches hit Pineda clean and Brandao dives in as Pineda falls but they are back to the feet. Flying knee from Brandao and now Brandao goes for a takedown and scores a trip against the cage. Brandao in half guard, Pineda escapes up the cage and they are back to standing with a minute left. Good elbow from Pineda followed by a body punch. Round ends a clear 10-9 for Brandao, but how much gas did he burn?
Round 2- Haymakers from both fighters to start the round. Takedown from Brandao who lands in full guard. Pineda throws his legs up for a submission but Brandao shrugs off and works into half guard. Pineda recovers and throws on a nice looking triangle and transitions for an omoplata but Brandao pops out and they go back to standing. Pineda fakes being hurt from a body shot and throws a punch while offering a shit eating grin. Brandao with another takedown and working in Pineda’s full guard. Pineda hits a beautiful sweep and is mounted on Brandao, raining down strikes. Huge elbows and punches from Pineda and Brandao is getting tagged and can’t get out from under the mount. Pineda windmilling strikes from full mount into Brandao’s temples. Ref takes a close look but Brandao rolls and puts Pineda into half and full guard. Brandao spins for a heel hook but Pineda pops out into guard on top of Brandao again. Pineda lands some good ground and pound as the round ends. 10-9 Pineda and it all comes down to the third round.
Round 3- Touch of the gloves to start and Pineda looks to be the fresher fighter. Brandao shoots for a takedown and drives Pineda to the mat. Brandao working strikes from the top and then stands up for no apparent reason and they’re back on the feet. Brandao throws a right hook, slips a punch and lands another takedown. Pineda stands up against the cage and escapes. Good right from Brandao, Pineda shoots but misses on a takedown. Brandao with his third takedown of the round and working elbows. Rogan clowns on Brandao’s conditioning but he’s winning this round so far. Brandao takes Pineda’s back standing but Pineda fires elbows. Brandao drags him down but Pineda rolls and is back to the feet. Good right superman punch from Pineda. Brandao with another takedown and is on top in half guard working for an arm triangle. Quick stand up from Mario Yamasaki and there’s one minute left. They are comically tired as Pineda throws two wheel kicks, wtf?! Pineda lands a few punches and shoots for a takedown, Brandao sprawls against the cage and they clinch it up and throw a few punches and kicks as it ends. 10-9 Brandao, I think he takes it. Judges decision coming up…
Diego Brandao wins 29-28 on all cards for a unanimous decision victory.
Brandao gives an interview where he says his conditioning is fine in between gasps of air.
Mike Brown vs. Steven Siler
37 year-old Mike Brown enters the Octagon on a two fight win streak but having not fought in over a year after considering retirement. His opponent, Steven Siler is 11 years younger and has won four of his five UFC fights.
Round 1- Leg kicks from both fighters to start. Brown gets clipped with a short right hand and Siler jumps in and lands some vicious shots that puts Brown out quickly and violently.
Steven Siler wins by KO, 0:50 of round 1.
Max Holloway vs. Conor McGregor
McGregor comes into this fight with a remarkable amount of hype for a guy with less than 90 seconds of UFC experience. Holloway is one of the youngest guys in the UFC but already has much more Octagon experience than McGregor and has proven himself to be a well rounded fighter.
They show the full walk-outs for both fighters, Boston goes nuts for the Irish McGregor.
Round 1- Lots of kicks from McGregor to start, high and low. Straight left from McGregor lands. Leg kick from Holloway and McGregor gives the “Diaz hands” to taunt Holloway. Leg kicks continue from Holloway. Jumping switch kick and heel kicks from McGregor to go along with wild punches but Holloway is taking it well. Remarkable amount of kicks from both fighters, but especially McGregor so far, who is taunting Holloway in between his strikes. Crescent kick and wheel kick to legs from McGregor. Spinning high kick almost hits for Holloway, who is landing a few punches here and there but getting outworked by McGregor in general so far. McGregor somersaults into a takedown attempt as the round ends. 10-9 McGregor, a pretty round but no major damage either way.
Round 2- Good straight left by McGregor and more kicks. Apparently his weakness is on the ground but Holloway is showing no interest in taking it there. McGregor looks very relaxed and is measuring distance well. Pretty even exchanges between the two in the middle of the round, slightly higher work rate and harder punches from McGregor. Holloway catches McGregor with a left as McGregor hops in for a kick. McGregor catches a Holloway kick and cracks him with a left and simultaneously takes him down. McGregor on top in Holloway’s full guard. Holloway holds tight to McGregor but he postures up and tries to rain down strikes. Holloway clamps down again from the bottom. McGregor postures up and lands a good strike diving in and moves to side control. 10-9 McGregor.
Round 3- Side kick from McGregor and Holloway lands a good clean right hand. McGregor shoots for a takedown and Holloway is down against the fence, holding McGregor in full guard. McGregor with a nice pass to side control and briefly into mount before going back to side control. McGregor goes for the mount again but Holloway escapes only to be dragged down again with McGregor on top in half guard, McGregor moves into mount. McGregor open hand claps both of Holloway’s ears. Holloway rolls and gives up his back, McGregor rains down some big shots as he maintains mount and back mount as Holloway squirms. Holloway escapes as McGregor got too high on his back. Head kick from Holloway as he tries to go for broke, only to be taken down again by McGregor. Rounds ends with McGregor on top and in control. 10-9 McGregor and he should take the fight comfortably on the judges scorecards and give an interview in his awesome Irish accent.
Conor McGregor wins 30-27 x2 and 30-26 for a unanimous decision victory
McGregor says his knee popped out midway in the second round which is why he took it to the ground. He’s mad about not standing and getting the finish but he wraps Rogan in an Ireland flag and is all smiles.
Michael McDonald vs. Brad Pickett
Our last prelim of the night is bantamweight action with Michael McDonald making his return after losing a title fight earlier this year and going against Brad Pickett who is looking to string together some high level wins and get a title shot of his own.
McDonald is only 22! Lots of experience (and already that one title shot) for such a young guy. Pickett is 34.
Round 1- Good body punch from Pickett early. Body kick from McDonald. Left hand catches Pickett and an insane 3am style bar brawl ensues with McDonald throwing everything at Pickett trying to finish him but Pickett fires back, gets dropped multiple times, wobbled but somehow survives. McDonald lays off and they reset, wow, incredible survival instincts by Pickett and McDonald may have exhausted himself and probably has no idea how the fight isn’t already over. A kick and a punch thud into Pickett’s head and he drops. McDonald gets on top and Pickett holds onto him and tries again to clear the cobwebs. McDonald backs off and stands Pickett up. McDonald is noticeably bigger and faster than Pickett. Pickett loading up on huge bombs but nothing landing clean. Fast flurry as the round ends with McDonald getting the better of it, great round of action. 10-9 McDonald.
Round 2- Even standup for the first minute of the round between the two fighters. Pickett shoots for a takedown and gets it, Pickett on top in full guard. Pickett trying to soften McDonald up with body shots but McDonald controlling well from the bottom. Good elbow from Pickett as he temporarily separates. McDonald lightly searching for submissions on the bottom as Pickett continues to strike the body. McDonald throws his legs up and tightens up a triangle/armbar position. McDonald works the arm and as Pickett defends, McDonald switches 100% to the triangle and gets the tap! Beautiful bottom game patience and killer instinct from McDonald.
Michael McDonald wins via triangle choke, 3:43 of round 2.
Pickett’s nose is all kinds of broken, probably from the assault in the first round. McDonald bounces back like a champion-caliber fighter should from his recent defeat and pumps the crowd up by name dropping the American Revolution over the British, maybe 200 years too late, but hey, he got some cheers…
