Tag: UFC on Fuel 9

UFC on Fuel 9: Which Fighter Has the Most to Lose?

With most events, it is easy to pick out which fighter has the most to lose. Such is not the case with UFC on Fuel 9. Sure, you may scream at me that it is Gegard Mousasi. And in a world where he actually loses this fight you may be right, but he is a …

With most events, it is easy to pick out which fighter has the most to lose. Such is not the case with UFC on Fuel 9.

Sure, you may scream at me that it is Gegard Mousasi. And in a world where he actually loses this fight you may be right, but he is a heavy favorite for a reason. I cannot even envision a way in which he loses this bout. So, I immediately disqualified him from contention.

The undercard is filled with fun fights, but nothing of real importance. This increases the difficulty to choosing just who has their back against the wall the most.

After much deliberating, it came down to four individuals: Brad Pickett, Mike Easton, Matt Mitrione and Ross Pearson.

The bantamweights, I decided, wouldn’t lose everything with a loss. Surely, a loss would send them further down the rankings, but losing to another top bantamweight in a rather shallow division isn’t the worst thing that could happen to them. Not only that, but they are both exciting fighters who shouldn’t be in danger of being cut.

Pearson is in one of the deepest divisions, but he is an exciting fighter coming off of a win. Losing to Ryan Couture would not do much to alter his current standing as a serviceable lightweight who can be plugged in to create an entertaining bout at 155 pounds.

That leaves us with the heavyweight. Honestly, he is the only logical choice on this card.

Mitrione was once thought to be a legitimate prospect in the division. He was a big, athletic guy with KO power. He started his career with five straight wins in the UFC. Impressive. In the heavyweight division, that is good enough to start having your name tossed around for some bigger bouts.

He proved he wasn’t ready for that against Cheick Kongo. Then, Roy Nelson put him away in under three minutes.

Now, with two consecutive losses, he goes against Phil de Fries.

De Fries is outmatched in this fight, but he is a tough competitor. That could keep him in the fight for a little while. And if Mitrione were to drop a fight to De Fries, it would almost certainly spell doom for his UFC career.

Mitrione is not just fighting to get back on the winning track. He is fighting for his job. He is fighting to not be embarrassed.

The former prospect can use this fight to springboard himself back in to better fights in the division. He can regain some confidence and continue his development as a well-rounded mixed martial artist. A loss, on the other hand, would hand him his pink slip.

Mitrione is the favorite, but with four-ounce gloves anything can happen. He just better make sure it doesn’t happen in this fight.

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UFC on Fuel TV 9: Predicting Most Impressive Performances in Sweden

The UFC on Fuel TV 9 card will see a few fighters take a big step forward in their careers.The free event being broadcast from Stockholm may not be the most talked-about event in UFC history, but winning only leads to bigger and better things. Placemen…

The UFC on Fuel TV 9 card will see a few fighters take a big step forward in their careers.

The free event being broadcast from Stockholm may not be the most talked-about event in UFC history, but winning only leads to bigger and better things. Placement on bigger and better cards is all about making the most of your opportunities, and that’s just what the fighters on this card will look to do. 

From well-known veterans looking to rise to new heights to relative unknowns making their UFC debut, this card features a ton of fighters with a lot to gain on Saturday. 

Here’s a look at three fighters that should make big statements in Stockholm.

 

Robbie Peralta

Poor Peralta has been buried on the Facebook prelims in every one of his three UFC fights. He’s also gone 2-0 with one no-contest in those three fights. 

His last fight, a win over Jason Young, lasted just 23 seconds, as Peralta’s devastating power was on full display. This time around Peralta finally gets the main card treatment against an opponent that fans are at least a little familiar with. He’ll take on former The Ultimate Fighter contestant Akira Corassani.

Corassani won his UFC debut at UFC on Fuel TV 5 against Andy Ogle, but he didn’t look nearly as dominant as Peralta has. 

Expect Peralta to make a case to remain on the televised portion of cards with an impressive finish. 

 

Ryan Couture

Ryan Couture is going to have to put together a pretty nice career to get out of his father’s (Randy Couture) shadow. A win in his debut against Ross Pearson would be a good start.

Couture enters the fight as a sizable underdog (plus-300, according to Bovada), but he has the tools to win the fight. 

Pearson is a grizzled veteran in the organization. He’s fought in the UFC since 2009 and is coming off of a great performance against George Sotiropoulos. However, he’s struggled to put things together in back-to-back fights. He’s alternated wins and losses in his past six bouts.

That isn’t to say that Couture is going to win just because that’s been the pattern. But it’s worth pointing out that Pearson has a penchant for being a little inconsistent and Couture went 6-1 in his time at Strikeforce. 

If Couture pulls off the upset of the night, there’s no doubt the UFC will be ready to capitalize on his name. 

 

Marcus Brimage

Brimage takes on UFC newcomer Conor McGregor in the best matchup of the Facebook prelims. 

If Brimage has shown anything in his brief UFC career, it’s that he knows how to stop a hype train. McGregor has an impressive track record in Europe. He’s earned 11 of his 12 wins by knockout and comes into the fight with an eight-fight win streak. There’s a fair amount of buzz over his debut.

That buzz won’t bother Brimage. He took on lauded international prospect Maximo Blanco in his last fight and came out victorious. Before that, he ruined the momentum that Jimy Hettes had after upsetting Nam Phan. 

If Brimage can beat another dangerous opponent in impressive fashion, it’ll be time for him to step up in competition. 

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UFC on Fuel 9 Start Time: When and Where to Watch UFC on Fuel 9

This Saturday, April 5, Sweden warmly welcomes the Octagon back to the Ericsson Globe Arena for the UFC’s ninth installment of its Fuel TV series. UFC on Fuel TV 9 will feature a light heavyweight contest between Gegard Mousasi and Ilir Latif…

This Saturday, April 5, Sweden warmly welcomes the Octagon back to the Ericsson Globe Arena for the UFC’s ninth installment of its Fuel TV series. 

UFC on Fuel TV 9 will feature a light heavyweight contest between Gegard Mousasi and Ilir Latifi in the evening’s main event.

This scrap is a late replacement for a matchup between Mousasi and No. 2 contender Alexander Gustafsson, the latter of which was removed from the fight due to a cut over his left eye.

In the evening’s co-main event, Ultimate Fighter winner Ross Pearson welcomes Ryan Couture, son of Randy, into the Octagon.

The action promises to be electric, but if you don’t know how to tune in, seeing the fights could prove to be quite tricky. Due to the time difference between Stockholm and the U.S.A., there is a substantial time difference between this card and most other UFC offerings.

 

Facebook Prelims:

Fans who do not have FUEL TV will still have a healthy serving of UFC at their disposal, as the official UFC Facebook page will be streaming seven fights from the preliminary card.

  • Reza Medadi vs. Michael Johnson
  • Tor Troeng vs. Adam Cella
  • Chris Spang vs. Adlan Amagov
  • Marcus Brimage vs. Conor McGregor
  • Ben Alloway vs. Ryan LaFlare
  • Michael Kuiper vs. Tom Lawlor
  • Papy Abedi vs. Besam Yousef

The Facebook fights are scheduled to begin at 10:50 a.m. EST.

Main Card:

Once the main card rolls around, it’s time to put down the laptop and turn on your big screen. At 2:00 p.m. the FUEL TV portion will begin. There, you’ll see the following matchups:

  • Gegard Mousasi vs. Ilir Latifi
  • Ross Pearson vs. Ryan Couture
  • Matt Mitrione vs. Phil De Fries
  • Brad Pickett vs. Mike Easton
  • Diego Brandao vs. Pablo Garza
  • Akira Corassani vs. Robbie Peralta

Don’t forget to stay close to Bleacher Report MMA for live event coverage and post-fight analysis on all things UFC on FUEL 9. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fuel 9: Which Fighter Has the Most to Gain?

On Saturday, the UFC returns to Sweden for a card that is certainly lacking star power, but makes up for it with fights that promise to deliver thrills.With very few notables on the UFC on FUEL 9 card, there aren’t many fighters in a position to launch…

On Saturday, the UFC returns to Sweden for a card that is certainly lacking star power, but makes up for it with fights that promise to deliver thrills.

With very few notables on the UFC on FUEL 9 card, there aren’t many fighters in a position to launch their careers with a Stockholm win. After all, how much can you gain by stomping an unheralded opponent who is nowhere near title contention?

However, of the handful of fighters who are in featured matchups, only one man has the ability to stand tall and authoritatively plant his flag in the UFC.

So who has the most to gain on Saturday night?

Certainly not Gegard Mousasi, who once had the opportunity to take down the No. 2 ranked Alexander Gustafsson. That opportunity fell to the wayside when Gustafsson was removed from the fight due to a cut over his left eye. 

Instead, the Armenian faces a debuting Ilir Latifi, a man who only the most hardcore of fight fans had heard of before this week.

It is Latifi, however, who can quickly make an ascent towards the top of the light heavyweight division were he to pull off the upset.

If this absolute nobody (no offense intended) can make his UFC debut on less than one week’s notice and knock off a ranked fighter like Gegard Mousasi, his tale will forever live in MMA lore as the greatest underdog tale this side of Matt Serra. 

In terms of what one man can gain from a single fight, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Then again, scoring that upset is easier said than done. Mousasi is one of the most talented light heavyweights on the planet and is as much as a 15-to-1 favorite on some sites.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Friday Link Dump: The Blackzilians Hire New Coaches, The Weirdest Japanese Video Games Ever, How to Annoy Your Ex on Facebook + More


(Fortunately, Michael Jackson was able to shake his “hard-partying ladies man” image. / Check out even more WTF-worthy celebrity photos at WorldWideInterweb)

Chris Weidman Training with Uriah Hall to Prepare for Anderson Silva (BleacherReport)

Alexander Gustafsson Injury Put UFC in Bad Position, But Situation Could’ve Been Handled Better (MMAFighting)

UFC on Fuel TV 9: Everything You Need to Know (FightDay)

After Rough Stretch, Blackzillians Hire High-Profile Coaches (CageWriter)

Amir Sadollah Injured, Nah-Shon Burrell Now Meets Stephen Thompson at UFC 160 (MMAJunkie)

UFC 158 Drug Tests Come Back Clean, But Not Without Some Controversy (MMAWeekly)

The 10 Weirdest Japanese Video Games Ever Made (Complex)

10 Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Workouts (MensFitness)

Sesame Street: Evil, Awful, and Terrible for Kids (EgoTV)

Sinkholes Are In Style: 3 Most Amazing Holes Around the Planet (DoubleViking)

Ryan Gosling Is Acting Quiet And Killing Guys Again In ‘Only God Forgives’ Trailer (ScreenJunkies)

The People’s Critic: Remembering Roger Ebert (Grantland)

How to Annoy Your Ex on Facebook (Break.com)


(Fortunately, Michael Jackson was able to shake his “hard-partying ladies man” image. / Check out even more WTF-worthy celebrity photos at WorldWideInterweb)

Chris Weidman Training with Uriah Hall to Prepare for Anderson Silva (BleacherReport)

Alexander Gustafsson Injury Put UFC in Bad Position, But Situation Could’ve Been Handled Better (MMAFighting)

UFC on Fuel TV 9: Everything You Need to Know (FightDay)

After Rough Stretch, Blackzillians Hire High-Profile Coaches (CageWriter)

Amir Sadollah Injured, Nah-Shon Burrell Now Meets Stephen Thompson at UFC 160 (MMAJunkie)

UFC 158 Drug Tests Come Back Clean, But Not Without Some Controversy (MMAWeekly)

The 10 Weirdest Japanese Video Games Ever Made (Complex)

10 Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Workouts (MensFitness)

Sesame Street: Evil, Awful, and Terrible for Kids (EgoTV)

Sinkholes Are In Style: 3 Most Amazing Holes Around the Planet (DoubleViking)

Ryan Gosling Is Acting Quiet And Killing Guys Again In ‘Only God Forgives’ Trailer (ScreenJunkies)

The People’s Critic: Remembering Roger Ebert (Grantland)

How to Annoy Your Ex on Facebook (Break.com)

UFC on Fuel 9: 3 Things to Watch for at Mousasi vs. Latifi

The chance of a lifetime for Ilir LatifiNever before has there been a fighter with so much to gain and so little to lose as Ilir Latifi. Well, that’s not entirely true, is it? Liz Carmouche had the same opportunity in February when she faced Ronda…

The chance of a lifetime for Ilir Latifi

Never before has there been a fighter with so much to gain and so little to lose as Ilir Latifi. 

Well, that’s not entirely true, is it? Liz Carmouche had the same opportunity in February when she faced Ronda Rousey: everything to gain with a win and absolutely nothing to lose with a loss.

But Latifi may have even less to lose than Carmouche. He did agree to replace Alexander Gustafsson on just four day’s notice, after all, and that’s gotta count for something even if he goes into the cage and gets smoked by Gegard Mousasi. 

And make no mistake about it: everyone expects Latifi to go his tail handed to him on Saturday in Sweden. As of this moment, he’s a +750 underdog to Mousasi, which means he’s a 7 and a half to one underdog. Yes, that’s significant.

But who cares what the odds say? He’s not expected to win, and so he can go in the cage and let it all hang out. Even a losing effort in less than 30 seconds likely won’t see him expelled from the promotion, because he saved the company and gave them a main event when they were looking down the barrel of a gun loaded with Ryan Couture vs. Ross Pearson.

Not only does Latifi‘s volunteering for the fight give him an instant UFC contract—when, let’s face if, they weren’t exactly quick to attempt to sign him before he agreed to step in on late notice—but it likely earns him at least two fights. The UFC can sometimes be grateful to those who help them out in their time of need, and that’ll be to Latifi‘s benefit no matter what happens on Saturday.

And besides: he’s got a better chance of winning than most people believe he does. He’s a good wrestler, and we’ve seen Mousasi exploited by wrestlers in the past. I don’t think it’ll be pretty, but he has a chance to win the fight and derail Mousasi‘s hype train before it ever gets started on UFC tracks.

 

Ryan Couture, first second-generation UFC fighter

It’s fitting that Ryan Couture is the first-ever second generation UFC fighter. Fitting because father Randy is one of the cornerstones of the UFC’s history—even though he’ll likely be whitewashed from that history now that he and Dana White don’t get along once more—and fitting because the name Couture reverberates with MMA fans more so than just about any other name. It’s true. Just ask them.

I have no loft expectations that the younger Couture will achieve anything remotely close to what his father pulled off in the Octagon. He got a late start and looked super rough during his early Strikeforce bouts, but we’ve seen him improve by leaps and bounds over the past year or so. And sure, he probably didn’t deserve to beat K.J. Noons in his last fight, but he kept it close enough to allow the judges to execute the kind of bad decision they’re mostly known for these days.

But still, even if Couture the Younger doesn’t go on to fame and fortune, he’s still the first-ever second generation fighter in the UFC. The son of a UFC Hall of Famer. That’s a pretty cool moment for the sport.

 

Conor MacGregor vs. Marcus Brimage

 I don’t have much to say about this on, other than this: watch this fight, because it’s likely going to be your fight of the night, or at least a top contender for the award.

If you haven’t caught MacGregor‘s act on the UK-based Cage Warriors promotion, well, let’s just say you’re in for a treat and then some. And you know Brimage is always good for a good time.

Watch this one. Tune into Facebook. You won’t regret it. And, if you do, just forget I ever wrote this.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com