UFC on Fuel TV 9 went down Saturday from the Ericsson Globe Arena in The City That Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, Stockholm, Sweden.The main event originally featured light heavyweight contender and wildly popular Swede Alexander Gustafsson, who was suppose…
UFC on Fuel TV 9 went down Saturday from the Ericsson Globe Arena in The City That Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, Stockholm, Sweden.
The main event originally featured light heavyweight contender and wildly popular Swede Alexander Gustafsson, who was supposed to fight in front of his home crowd against Gegard Mousasi, a young but experienced stud making his UFC debut after years of tantalizing and sometimes disappointing fans in other MMA promotions.
But then came The Cut. Goodbye, Gus. Hello, Ilir Latifi, an accomplished grappler but relatively unexceptional mixed martial artist.
So what happened in the main event? What happened across the card, including the Facebook prelims, which began at like four in the morning on the West Coast? Ws and Ls are only two of the letters one can employ when concocting an analysis. To identify the real winners and losers from Stockholm, we used all 26.
The UFC takes another trip abroad and has more tough calls to make when it comes to the future of its fighters. With several intriguing matchups and a slew of fan favorites appearing on the card, there is a lot to talk about here. For now, though, we’l…
The UFC takes another trip abroad and has more tough calls to make when it comes to the future of its fighters.
With several intriguing matchups and a slew of fan favorites appearing on the card, there is a lot to talk about here. For now, though, we’ll just take a look at what’s next for the winners from UFC on Fuel TV 9.
UFC on Fuel 9 is in the books, kicking off four consecutive weekends filled with UFC cards. The worker in me has been dreading April for a long time, but the fan in me loves this schedule—especially when they’re international events that begin ea…
UFC on Fuel 9 is in the books, kicking off four consecutive weekends filled with UFC cards. The worker in me has been dreading April for a long time, but the fan in me loves this schedule—especially when they’re international events that begin early on a Saturday. That’s nice.
The UFC’s return to Sweden was a snakebitten card from the moment that main event fighter Alexander Gustafsson was forced to pull out earlier this week. Luckily, IlirLatifi—an unknown training partner of Gustafsson—volunteered to step in, and the world still got to see the debut of GegardMousasi.
Would Mousasi give them a reason to care?
GegardMousasi vs. Dan Henderson/Rashad Evans Winner
Going into this fight, I wanted to slot Mousasi in against LyotoMachida or perhaps even Alexander Gustafsson upon his return.
But after seeing Mousasi dominant yet unable to put a true hurting on extreme late replacement IlirLatifi, I’m not sure “The Dreamcatcher” is ready or deserving of a top contender. Instead of perhaps needing one win to jump into contention, Mousasi needs two. In my mind, anyway.
Mousasi said he wants to take a long vacation after his trip to Sweden, so I’d give him what he wants and have him wait for the winner of the June bout between Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans. If he wins that fight, then he’s deserving of a fight with Machida or Gustafsson, if the Swede stays on his current course.
This is not to say that Mousasi was terrible. He was never in danger, unless you consider the end of the fight with Latifi on top of him to be true “danger.” But this was a chance for Mousasi to show what he could do against an inferior opponent, and he didn’t live up to his billing. I still think he will in the future, however, and I’m interested to see what the UFC does with him next.
Ross Pearson vs. Danny Castillo
For a little while, it looked like Ryan Couture was going to befuddle Ross Pearson and score a major upset victory. But then Pearson finally caught up to the elusive Natural the Younger and put him away.
Pearson likely struggled with pursuing Couture due to what he believed was a broken foot, suffered when he threw his first kick during warmups backstage. But he got the job done regardless.
For his next bout, I’d like to see Pearson face Danny Castillo, who rebounded from a loss by beating Paul Sass in his last fight. Pearson is a bigger star than Castillo, but both are in similar places in their careers. And it’s an interesting stylistic matchup, with Castillo the wrestler against Pearson the striker. I’d watch it.
Matt Mitrione vs. Todd Duffee
Matt Mitrione won the award for best UFC on Fuel 9 post-fight interview with his clever “use Chris Lytle as translator” ruse and his call for everyone in the arena to punch his “fat friend” in the face.
As far as the fight itself, well, I’m not sure what to say. He knocked out Phil De Fries, but I’m not sure how. It looked as though De Fries hit the back of his head on the canvas while falling after colliding with Mitrione, which gave Mitrione enough of an opening to unleash some hellacious ground-and-pound to score the win.
Diego Brandao vs. AkiraCorassani
AkiraCorassani didn’t have the UFC on Fuel 9 impact of former The Ultimate Fighter teammate Diego Brandao—he didn’t finish his fight, while Brando scored an arm triangle over Pablo Garza—but he won just the same. And it was a tough win, considering that Corassani was considered a 3-to-1 underdog by the time the bell rang.
All told, it was a good night for both Corassani and Brandao. And that—the timing and the fact that both of them won on the same night—is one reason I’d pair them up in their next fight.
It’s not the only reason, obviously. The backstory of Brandao and Corassani serving as teammates under TUFcoach Michael Bisping makes things even more interesting. And, let’s face it: Neither guy is any position to rush up the card. Pitting them against each other makes the kind of matchmaking sense that Joe Silva likes.
Brad Pickett vs. T.J. Dillashaw
Brad Pickett’s fight with Mike Easton was everything I thought it would be. Actually, it was a lot better than I thought it’d be, if I’m telling the truth. When it was over and Pickett had been declared the winner, I filed it away in my list of potential Fight of the Year (as well as Round of the Year for that exhilarating second round) candidates.
It was technical and fun, and Pickett displayed a much more well-rounded game than we’re used to seeing from him. It worked against a flat-footed and plodding Easton, but I’ll be even more intrigued to see how he fares against competition that doesn’t make things so easy on him (in terms of style) when he next steps into the cage.
That’s why I like a bout with T.J. Dillashaw next, provided that Dillashaw gets past Hugo Viana at UFC on Fox in two weeks. Dillashaw lost his initial UFC bout to John Dodson, but he’s been on a tear ever since. With a win over Viana, he’ll be ready to face someone with a bigger name who presents a bigger challenge.
Pickett fits the bill perfectly. He’ll be a good litmus test to find out where Dillashaw is at in his career arc. And if Pickett can beat Dillashaw, he will also be deserving of bigger and better competition.
The Ultimate Fighter winner Ross Pearson welcomed Ryan Couture, the son of MMA legend Randy Couture, to the Octagon as part of the UFC on Fuel 9 main card.Though the younger Couture got off to a quick start and looked like he might just pull off t…
The Ultimate Fighter winner Ross Pearson welcomed Ryan Couture, the son of MMA legend Randy Couture, to the Octagon as part of the UFC on Fuel 9 main card.
Though the younger Couture got off to a quick start and looked like he might just pull off the upset to carry on the winning tradition of his family name, Pearson found his rhythm midway through the second round and scored a TKO stoppage for the win.
What we’ll remember about this fight
It was the first time we’ve heard Bruce Buffer scream “Couture” for a while. It may not resonate the way it once did, but it’s enough to get the nostalgia flowing.
Couture looked good for the majority of the match, but Pearson finished him off quickly once he hurt him.
All told, we’ll probably remember this bout as Couture’s unsuccessful UFC debut.
What we learned about Ross Pearson
It wasn’t the best he has ever looked, but Pearson exhibited some patience throughout the fight and waited for his moment to jump in for the kill. That methodical approach is something he’s been going to more and more of late, which bodes well for his latest lightweight run.
After the fight, Pearson explained to Kenny Florian that he thinks he broke his foot kicking pads during warm-up. If that’s the case, then we learned that Pearson is one tough fellow.
What we learned about Ryan Couture
Couture did a bit better than most people probably thought he would, controlling the action for nearly the entire first round. But while he may have exceeded expectations in one way, we also learned that he enters the UFC nowhere near the top of the lightweight ladder.
He has plenty of time for growth, but next time out, Couture will be fighting for his job, not a chance to compete against a contender.
What’s next for Pearson
Mark Bocek would be a good option. He and Pearson are both on the fringe of 155-pound relevance, so a win would go a long way on either side.
What’s next for Couture
Michael Chiesa might be a nice matchup. It gives both guys a chance to get a signature win and would help the victor slowly scale the lightweight heights.
Heading into UFC on Fuel 9, Conor McGregor had the weight of a nation on his back, as it seemed the entire country of Ireland was behind the young featherweight making his Octagon debut. That kind of pressure usually results in one of two ways—ei…
Heading into UFC on Fuel 9, Conor McGregor had the weight of a nation on his back, as it seemed the entire country of Ireland was behind the young featherweight making his Octagon debut.
That kind of pressure usually results in one of two ways—either the coal turns into a diamond or it crumbles into dust. After Saturday in Sweden, it’s safe to say McGregor is shining bright after crushing Marcus Brimage in the first round of their showdown at UFC on Fuel 9.
Heading into the fight, Brimage was very vocal about the attacks he endured on social networks from a legion of Irish fans who were supporting McGregor. The heat boiled over during the weigh-ins on Friday, when Brimage and McGregor came nose-to-nose and had to be separated on the stage.
McGregor says there was never any actual bad blood with Brimage, and in reality, the Alabama native probably let the emotion of the situation cost him in the fight.
“I just think he was getting emotionally attached and saying the Irish people are going on his Facebook, and that’s crazy to me,” McGregor said in a post-fight interview with reporters in Sweden. “Everyone of you here could stand here and spit at me and throw bricks at me and do what you want to me. It makes no difference to me. It’s emotion-free in there. You can’t carry emotions in there.
“Outside of it, it’s a game. At the weigh-ins, you feel like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. I just thought it was a game and he was emotionally attached to it.”
Emotion wasn’t involved in McGregor’s game, however, as he wasted no time setting the pace. Like a shotgun blast, he landed several uppercuts that rocked the former Ultimate Fighter hopeful. A few seconds later, the fight was over, with McGregor standing tall and asking in his post-fight interview for a little bonus from the UFC for “Knockout of the Night.”
The “Knockout of the Night” bonus is key for McGregor because he has no interest in ever earning a “Fight of the Night” bonus. To hear him tell it, “Fight of the Night” means a war of attrition, and McGregor wants to leave no doubt when he walks out of the Octagon as to who just won the battle.
“I always feel like when guys will be saying, ‘Let’s go get Fight of the Night,’ and they get up and say, ‘Let’s get Fight of the Night.’ I don’t understand that. To me that’s a loss, Fight of the Night’s a loss. Because that means the contest has to be close, and I’m not looking for close. I want to dominate and get the win,” said McGregor. “I think guys that say that—’Let’s get fight of the night’—I think that’s selling themselves short. You can tell where their career is going just by that comment alone.”
Where McGregor’s career is going is pretty evident judging by the amount of attention he received before, during and after his UFC debut. McGregor is definitely a star on the rise, and the UFC will likely promote him as such as he moves forward in his career.
The proud Irishman wore his country’s flag on his back all night, and with his first UFC win under his belt, he can celebrate in proper fashion as everyone at home continues to root him on.
“It’s a proud moment for me and it’s a proud moment for my country and I’m representing them,” McGregor said about Ireland. “It’s the stuff dreams are made of. This is only the beginning for me.”
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
Although he suffered a hard loss to Josh Samman on Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter, Swedish star Tor Troeng made a successful UFC debut in Stockholm.Facing off against fellow TUF 17 alumnus Adam Cella, Troeng sealed a first-round victory by…
Although he suffered a hard loss to Josh Samman on Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter, Swedish star Tor Troeng made a successful UFC debut in Stockholm.
Facing off against fellow TUF 17 alumnus Adam Cella, Troeng sealed a first-round victory by rear-naked choke in just over three minutes.
“The Hammer” had little trouble with Cella in their UFC on Fuel 9 bout, firmly closing the distance and dragging his opponent to the mat before dishing out some heavy ground-and-pound striking.
Cella eventually wilted from the pressure, giving Troeng just enough space to grab underneath his neck and force him to tap out.
This marks Troeng’s 16th victory as a professional fighter, improving his overall record to 16-4-1.
(Since bouts on The Ultimate Fighter are usually considered exhibition fights by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Troeng is technically on a five-fight winning streak since April 2011.)
Things are more uncertain for Cella, who falls to 4-1 as a professional.
Although Troeng entered TUF 17 with some hype behind him, the Swede was selected as a No. 4 pick by Chael Sonnen after the season’s qualifying rounds.
Troeng would eventually lose to Samman via KO during Episode 6, getting caught looking at a monster hook with his hands down.
