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Category: UFC News

  • UFC Fight Night 76 DFS Playbook: value picks, who to avoid

    UFC Fight Night 76 comes your way on Saturday afternoon here in the United States as the Octagon makes its’ third appearance in Dublin, Ireland. The event has undergone some late changes, losing the original main event and co-main event. We still have some interesting bouts and some chances to make money if you are playing daily fantasy this weekend on DraftKings. Let’s take some look at some studs, some values, and some fighters to avoid this weekend when setting your roster for UFC Fight Night 76.

    STUDS

    Stevie Ray ($11,000)

    Stevie Ray has the highest salary of all the fighters competing on the UFC Fight Night 76 card, and for good reason. He has been impressive in his two bouts in the UFC, scoring knockout wins early in those bouts. He has averaged 101.5 DFS points in those two fights, and he is the biggest betting favorite on the card in his bout against Mickael Lebout. Ray has a lot of power in his fists, and some solid submission skills too if the fight hits the mat. Lebout has some submission skills as well, having won six fights that way, and Ray has lost four fights that way. Lebout is more of a point fighter, though, and Ray likes to get that finish. With his 14 stoppage wins and the power he displays, he is the best bet to score a big finish on this card.

    Scott Askham ($9,700)

    I like Scott Askham in his fight against Krzysztof Jotko. Askham scored a big finish over Antonio Carlos Junior in his last bout, and he is a tall middleweight. The best thing is he knows how to use his length to his advantage. He is a knockout artist, having won eight of his 13 fights by knockout, and finishes are where you are going to maximize your points. Askham also has underrated submission skills. Jotko has only lost once in his career, but he is not much of a finisher. His only loss also came by stoppage. Both men share the same salary, and it is a toss-up on the betting lines. However, I like Askham’s chances of scoring a win by stoppage, and I like him to win the fight in general.

    VALUES

    Darren Till ($9,300)

    Darren Till is a young, undefeated prospect making his second appearance in the Octagon. At just 22-years-old, he is 13-0 with eleven wins by stoppage. He fights another undefeated fighter in Nicolas Dalby, who comes in with a 14-0 record. Till has a lot of knockout power and some brutal ground-and-pound, and he is still evolving. Dalby has likely peaked in his career, and he has good skills, but is not much of a finisher. Till is a solid value play because of his ability, his progression, and his power. I see him getting a stoppage win.

    Robert Whiteford ($9,200)

    Robert Whiteford fights the most experienced UFC veteran on the card in Darren Elkins. Whiteford has won his last two fights, showing off his solid judo skills. Elkins is a strong wrestlers so Whiteford will be needing to use those judo skills. He scored a big knockout win in his last fight, but Elkins is a tough fighter to finish. Elkins has struggled putting his wrestling and kickboxing together and that is where Whiteford is going to have to take advantage of. It could be tough for Whiteford to score points, but he has some solid value with his knockout power in his hands.

    AVOID

    Norman Parke ($10,800)

    Norman Parke has the second-highest salary of all of the UFC Fight Night 76 participants. He has scored just one finish in his UFC career, and it was against a lesser fighter. He is fighting Reza Madadi, who despite coming off a 30-month layoff, is still a stout opponent who will be hard to finish. Parke is more of a points fighter and this fight will likely go the distance. With his high salary, I would stay away from Parke as I don’t see him getting enough points to get you high in the cash. I do expect him to win, though, so the risk is there if you choose to go that way.

    Cathal Pendred ($8,800)

    I can’t tell you to avoid Cathal Pendred enough. He just hasn’t shown the skills to be a finisher on a consistent basis in the UFC. He has won four of his five UFC bouts, but only one has been a finish, and the rest have been boring decisions, and some were controversial decisions. He is awkward in his strikes and he telegraphs his takedowns. He has been given a tough opponent in Tom Breese, one that could send Pendred right out of the UFC. Breese may actually finish Pendred, so his $10,600 salary could be enticing if you have room on your roster. However, stay away from Pendred at all costs.

    OUR LINEUPS

    RYAN FREDERICK- Stevie Ray ($11,000), Tom Breese ($10,600), Scott Askham ($9,700), Darren Till ($9,300), Robert Whiteford ($9,200)

    Every one of the fighters I’m using have been listed in some form above. I like all of my roster to actually score finish wins. Ray has the knockout power and is facing a fighter he can finish quickly. Breese, I see him finishing Cathal Pendred, but that may be tough. Askham and Till have such solid power and they’re in fights that should be showcase bouts for them. Whiteford is the toughest one to predict since he has such a tough opponent in Darren Elkins. I think Elkins has almost peaked as a fighter and Whiteford is developing quite nicely.

    PAUL FONTAINE- Stevie Ray ($11,000), Aisling Daly ($9,900), Paddy Holohan ($9,600), Darren Till ($9,300), Cathal Pendred ($8,800)

    The crowd has been such a factor in previous shows in Dublin so I’m going with all fighters from that area. I like Aisling Daly who I believe it better than she’s shown herself to be in previous UFC fights. She has a long history of fighting the best at both 115 and 125 and she should grind out a decision win or perhaps a late submission. Paddy Holohan will be fighting the biggest fight of his life and I’m predicting his main event bout with Louis Smolka to be a potential fight of the year candidate. The crowd will will Paddy to a win. Cathal Pendred had a 4 fight win streak snapped at UFC 189 but they’ve given him a winnable fight here Pendred will do what he always does and grind out  a decision win. As the lower priced fighter, he’s a must for my team. Stevie Ray is a finisher and I think the Scottish fighter is going to blitz Mickael Lebout and score a dynamic KO win. My last pick is Darren Till. Unbeaten, fighting close to home and he’s an underdog. Great value pick in my opinion. Someone’s zero has got to go and I think it will Nicolas Dalby’s.

    PEACH MACHINE- Norman Parke ($10,800), Nicolas Dalby ($10,100), Scott Askham ($9,700), Paddy Holohan ($9,600), Jon Delos Reyes ($9,400)

    I was taking Dustin Poirier, but switched to Paddy Holohan when Poirier’s fight was cancelled.  I’m also taking Jon Delos, my Guam homie.  I trained with him in Guam and was always impressed by his grit.  He’s tough as hell, and had a great fight last time out in Manila.  It was a blood bath.  I expect him to finish.  Norman Parke I believe is underrated.  He’s dang good but has lost his last two by split decisions.  He’s got a ton of potential and a lot to prove here in his home country.  I expect a good showing with Parke scoring a lot of points off of strikes.  Scott Askham I chose more as a pick against Jotko.  I don’t think Jotko will last any longer and I expect him to get KO’d and then cut.  Finally, I went with Nicolas Dalby because his nickname is Sharpshooter and I’m a huge fan of Bret Hart and Tyson Kidd.  That’s the sort of in depth analysis you get with the PeachMachine…  I’m actually pretty interested in this show but there are a lot of guys that the average fan won’t recognize.  This card does have potential to be fun, and it’s airing in the middle of the afternoon, so you know what that means… Day drinking!

    NOTE: Due to an error with Draft Kings, UFC 192 events did not take place, therefore we have no scores from that event to compare how we did. We hope that doesn’t happen this time.

  • UFC reinstates Jon Jones, Rematch with Daniel Cormier inevitable

    The Ultimate Fighting Championship today announced the reinstatement of former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

    Jones had been suspended since an April hit-and-run case, coming a few months after a cocaine test positive a well as a late night car crash.

    Dana White had said previously that if Jones was reinstated, he could immediately challenge for the championship that he never lost.  The title is currently held by Daniel Cormier, who Jones defeated via decision on Jan. 3 in one of UFC’s biggest pay-per-view shows of recent years.  A Cormier vs. Jones title match would be expected next on the agenda.   

    Jones pleaded guilty to one felony charge and was given 18 months probation and 72 appearances for either charity of speaking with children, which was meant to be one per week during his probation period.

    The UFC released this statement this morning.

    “Following a review of the plea agreement reached by Jon Jones and officials in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the judge’s decision, UFC announced today the formal reinstatement of Jones to the UFC roster.  Effective immediately, Jones is eligible to return to competition.  As such, UFC expects Jones to meet all the terms of his plea agreement, including mandatory community service, as a condition of his reinstatement.

    UFC is currently discussing with Jones a potential date for his return to the Octagon.

    `We’ve made it clear to Jon that this new opportunity to compete in UFC is a privilege and not a right, and that there are significant expectations we have regarding his conduct moving forward,’ said UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta.  `We’re happy to read and see reports that he has embraced the terms of his plea agreement and is using this experience to grow and develop as a person.’

    `I am thankful to be able to do what I love once again and I look forward to proving myself as a champion in and outside of the Octagon,’ Jones said.”

    Jones also said on Facebook:  “It took me losing almost everything I had worked for to realize how much I had.”

    Jones, who has a 21-1 record, is generally considered the most talented fighter in the history of the sport. In his 22 pro fights, he won every one of them handily with the exception of a close decision win over Alexander Gustafsson.  His lone loss, to Matt Hamill, was via disqualification in a one-sided fight where he had destroyed Hamill the entire fight.

    At 24, he was the youngest champion in UFC history when he defeated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to win the title.  With eight title defenses, he was on the verge of Anderson Silva’s record of ten when the title was stripped from him due to his suspension.

    “Congrats to Jon `Bones’ Jones on his reinstatement to the UFC,” wrote Cormier on Facebook.  “For MMA fans, this is a good day.  A guy that has shown to be one of the greatest fighters of all-time is back.  As a competitor, there could be no other outcome and this is the best news I’ve heard in a long time.  Jon has said the right things and his actions are backing his words up.  We all hope this is the last time we have to deal with anything like that.  And lastly, as a fan, you get to see two of the best fighters compete against each other.  With that being said, I can’t wait to compete against him again.”  

  • UFC Fight Night 76: Holohan vs. Smolka weigh-in results and live video

    Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night 76: Holohan vs. Smolka weigh-ins from the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland kicking off at 11 AM eastern time. The event airs on Saturday on UFC Fight Pass at 4 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 1:15 PM eastern time. This is the UFC’s third trip to Dublin, selling out this event in just under five minutes.

    This event has undergone some big changes in the weeks leading up to the event. The main event was originally scheduled to be Dustin Poirier taking on Joseph Duffy, but Duffy was not medically cleared to compete earlier this week after suffering a concussion late in his training camp. That followed the previous cancellation of the original co-main event, which was to be a heavyweight bout between Stipe Miocic and Ben Rothwell. With all of these changes, the main event is now a three-round flyweight bout as Paddy Holohan takes on Louis Smolka. It marks the first time a flyweight bout not including Demetrious Johnson has been featured in a main event.

    Everyone made weight with no issues. There was a heated confrontation between Norman Parke and Reza Madadi. Parke threw a purse at Madadi and they had to be separated by Dana White and other security members. Madadi is returning from being out of action for 30 months, and spent 14 months in jail for aggravated burglary- for stealing purses.

    MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 4 PM ET/1 PM PT):

    Paddy Holohan (126) vs. Louis Smolka (125)
    Norman Parke (156) vs. Reza Madadi (156)
    Nicolas Dalby (170) vs. Darren Till (171)
    Neil Seery (125) vs. Jon Delos Reyes (125)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 1:15 PM ET/10:15 AM PT):

    Stevie Ray (155) vs. Mickael Lebout (155)
    Aisling Daly (115) vs. Ericka Almeida (115)
    Scott Askham (184) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (185)
    Cathal Pendred (169) vs. Tom Breese (171)
    Darren Elkins (145) vs. Robert Whiteford (145)
    Bubba Bush (185) vs. Garreth McLellan (185)

  • UFC Fight Night 76 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

    The UFC returns to Ireland this Saturday for UFC Fight Night 76 at the 3Arena in Dublin, the third time the UFC has visited the venue. The last time the Octagon graced Dublin, it was one of the most memorable shows not just of 2014, but in company history, with a rabid crowd chanting all night long ending with Conor McGregor scoring a big win in front of his country on his way to winning the Interim UFC Featherweight Championship. UFC Fight Pass will provide exclusive coverage of the event with a main card start time of 4 PM eastern time, and preliminary card action kicking off at 1 PM eastern time on Saturday.

    The event will be headlined by a five-round bout in the UFC’s lightweight division as former featherweight contender Dustin Poirier looks to continue to climb the 155-pound rankings when he takes on Irish standout Joseph Duffy, who looks to improve on his 14-1 MMA record and score his third straight UFC win. Poirier had some trouble when he last fought an Irish fighter, when he took on McGregor at UFC 178 in September 2014, and the Irish crowd certainly won’t let him forget about it. Other Irish standouts will be on the card, including Paddy Holohan, Aisling Daly and Cathal Pendred. Let’s take a deeper look into the card and find five storylines to keep an eye on when UFC Fight Night 76 takes place on Saturday.

    1. Can Dustin Poirier score the win in front of the rabid Irish crowd?

    There can be one thing said about the fans in Ireland- they are loud and they cheer their home country fighters with a lot of passion. Dustin Poirier is coming into hostile territory in the headline bout when he takes on Joseph Duffy in a five-round bout. Poirier has fought in front of a hostile, dominant Irish crowd before when he took on Conor McGregor at UFC 178 in Las Vegas. Duffy isn’t the type of personality that McGregor is, and doesn’t talk trash like McGregor, and isn’t going to get into the head of Poirier like McGregor did. However, the Irish fans will likely make Poirier remember the fight against McGregor, and they will look up the noise level in favor of Duffy when the two men step inside the Octagon.

    Poirier is fighting for the third time since moving up to the lightweight division following his loss to McGregor. He has scored first-round knockout wins over Carlos Diego Ferreira and Yancy Medeiros since moving up, and Duffy is his biggest test since the transition. Poirier was a legitimate contender at 145 pounds, with his only losses coming to McGregor, Cub Swanson and Chan Sung Jung, fighters who have either fought for the title or been on the cusp of fighting for it. He has a chance to be a title contender at 155 pounds as he gets more adjusted, and not making the big weight cut down to 145 pounds has to make life easier. He is ranked at #13 in the lightweight rankings, but he comes in as the underdog for this fight. He has the overall skillset to score the win over Duffy, and it would be a big victory if he is able to do so.

    2. Can Joseph Duffy break into the lightweight rankings with a win over Dustin Poirier?

    Joseph Duffy will be stepping into the Octagon for the third time on Saturday night, and he is already in a main event spot when he takes on Dustin Poirier. Duffy is from Donegal, Ireland, and he will have the support of the crowd behind him. Duffy puts his four-fight win streak on the line, and he is 14-1 in his career. He also holds the distinction of being the last man to defeat Conor McGregor, and many think a rematch between the two could be the biggest fight they could put on in the country of Ireland. Duffy is by no means looking towards that, partly because they are fighting in different divisions (though that could change), but mostly because Duffy has higher aspirations- winning the UFC Lightweight Championship.

    Duffy has scored two first-round stoppage wins in his two UFC fights, wins over Jake Lindsey and Ivan Jorge. Poirier is obviously a huge step up in competition, but Duffy is ready for it. Out of his 14 wins, 13 have come by stoppage, and he trains with one of the best camps in the sport- the Tristar camp in Montreal. Duffy is also undefeated in his professional boxing and kickboxing careers, and he has excellent ground skills as well. He has yet to go 25 minutes in a fight, and he had to weather some early trouble in his fight with Jorge. Poirier is one of the best finishers in the sport when he has his opponent in trouble, so Duffy will need to be on the offensive early. It is a big spot for Duffy to prove he is a contender, and a win would certainly send the Irish crowd home happy.

    3. Who wins the co-main event between Paddy Holohan and Louis Smolka?

    The night’s co-main event was originally scheduled to be a heavyweight bout between Stipe Miocic and Ben Rothwell that had big title shot implications on the line. However, Miocic was forced out of the bout due to injury, and Rothwell was pulled from the card in response, and this fight card ended up with a flyweight bout between Patrick Holohan and Louis Smolka being bumped up to the co-main event slot. It’s far from being the highest-profile co-main event fight, but it is one that has the potential to be the best fight on the card as Holohan and Smolka bring it inside the Octagon every time they step in it.

    Holohan has just one loss in his professional career, and has won two straight fights. Smolka is also on a two-fight win streak and has just one loss in his professional career as well. Both men are exciting fighters who come to finish, and Holohan will have the Irish crowd solidly in his corner. Smolka will draw some vitrol from the crowd as he is coming off a win over another Irish flyweight in Neil Seery at UFC 189 in July. Smolka has excellent striking skills and some solid submission prowess. Holohan is a finisher by submission, with 67% of his wins coming by submission, but his last two wins have come by decision. Both are tall flyweights and have the same reach. They are evenly-matched, but I like Smolka to score the win in this one.

    4. Will Norman Parke snap his two-fight losing skid when he takes on Reza Madadi?

    Norman Parke is a former winner of The Ultimate Fighter, winning the lightweight tournament on TUF: The Smashes. He went unbeaten in his first five UFC bouts, and if it weren’t for a point deduction for grabbing the shorts of Leonardo Santos when they fought, he would’ve been five-for-five in his first five fights. However, he has seen a recent string of tough luck come his way as he enters Saturday night having lost his previous two bouts. Both were split decision losses, coming to Gleison Tibau and Francisco Trinaldo, and both were close enough fights that a few swings in the action during the bouts and Parke could still be unbeaten in the UFC. Regardless, he finds his back against the wall coming into Saturday night’s bout against a tough opponent in Reza Madadi.

    Madadi is fighting for the first time since April 2013, when he scored a submission win over Michael Johnson, who is now a top-five ranked fighter at 155 pounds. Madadi has spent the past two years in lots of legal trouble, and spent 14 months in jail for aggravated burglary. He has claimed his innocence, and the UFC decided to re-sign him after he was released. With 30 months out of action, there is no question he will suffer from some cage rust. He is 8-1 in his last nine fights, but with missing that time and being 37-years-old, who knows what he brings to the table these days. It seems controversial that the UFC re-signed him after the arrest, but they must have faith that he was innocent despite the conviction. It will be a tough fight for Parke, but I see him scoring the win on Saturday.

    5. What else is there to look out for on Saturday?

    With this being an event airing exclusively on UFC Fight Pass and being in Ireland, it isn’t exactly loaded with star power, but there are a lot of promising fighters on the card. Nine fighters on the card have one loss or less in their careers, and some will be fighting for their spot on the UFC roster. The final main card bout is an interesting battle of unbeatens as Nicolas Dalby takes on Darren Till. Both men fight inside the Octagon for the second time, and Till is an interesting prospect at 22-years-old, and with eleven finish wins in his 13 career bouts.

    On the preliminary card, Stevie Ray looks to go 3-0 inside the Octagon after two stoppage wins in his first two UFC bouts. Scott Askham and Krzysztof Jotko will each be looking to score their second straight UFC win when they square off. Cathal Pendred looks to get back into the win column after his first UFC loss when he takes on the undefeated Tom Breese. This is a big spot for Pendred as if he loses in yet another boring fight, he could be on his way out of the organization as roster cuts are being made. Also on the prelims is veteran Darren Elkins, who will be fighting in the UFC for the 13th time. He worked with the Team Alpha Male camp for this fight and he takes on Robert Whiteford, coming out of the American Top Team camp and is looking to build on his two-fight win streak.

    Full UFC Fight Night 76 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions

    MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 4 PM ET/1 PM PT)

    Lightweights: (#13) Dustin Poirier vs. Joseph Duffy
    Betting Odds:     Poirier (+200), Duffy (-240)
    Prediction: Poirier by knockout in round 3

    Flyweights: Patrick Holohan vs. Louis Smolka
    Betting Odds:     Holohan (+100), Smolka (-120)
    Prediction: Smolka by decision

    Lightweights: Norman Parke vs. Reza Madadi
    Betting Odds:     Parke (-280), Madadi (+240)
    Prediction: Parke by decision

    Welterweights: Nicolas Dalby vs. Darren Till
    Betting Odds:     Dalby (-135), Till (+115)
    Prediction: Till by knockout in round 2

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 1 PM ET/10 AM PT)

    Lightweights: Stevie Ray vs. Mickael Lebout
    Betting Odds:     Ray (-550), Lebout (+425)
    Prediction: Ray by knockout in round 2

    Flyweights: Neil Seery vs. Jon Delos Reyes
    Betting Odds:     Seery (-155), Reyes (+135)
    Prediction: Seery by decision

    Middleweights: Scott Askham vs. Krzysztof Jotko
    Betting Odds:     Askham (-135), Jotko (+115)
    Prediction: Askham by knockout in round 2

    Women’s Strawweights: (#15) Aisling Daly vs. Ericka Almeida
    Betting Odds:     Daly (-135), Almeida (+115)
    Prediction: Daly by decision

    Welterweights: Cathal Pendred vs. Tom Breese
    Betting Odds:     Pendred (+220), Breese (-260)
    Prediction: Breese by submission in round 2

    Featherweights: (#14) Darren Elkins vs. Robert Whiteford
    Betting Odds:     Elkins (-145), Whiteford (+125)
    Prediction: Elkins by decision

    Middleweights: Bubba Bush vs. Garreth McLellan
    Betting Odds:     Bush (-260), McLellan (+220)
    Prediction: Bush by submission in round 3

  • UFC TUF 22 ep. 6 recap: Cody Garbrandt mixes it up with Conor McGregor

    It’s a whole new season and Conor McGregor is the reason, as he and Urijah Faber go toe to toe as coaching foes on The Ultimate Fighter. They won’t duke it out after the season is done, but there’s still pride on the line, not to mention Conor’s reputation as the newest badass on the block.

    Join us each episode for “The Notorious Quote of the Week” as Conor puts his mouth where UFC’s money is! We’ll also spice things up with some predictions for week two about who could go all the way this season – two “Fighters to Watch” for each recap.

    The Notorious Quote of the Week is about TJ Dillashaw: “Where’s the little snake? Where’s the little weasel? That’s how people do – they just run over you.”

    Saul Rogers won the second fight in a row for Team Europe on last week’s show. Conor McGregor picked ‘The Sultan’ Mehdi Baghdad to face Julian Erosa this week – we’ll see if Baghdad can make it three in a row.

    Erosa is not taking it well that Baghdad promised to beat him up in the face off last week – and Faber is telling him to feed off those “fighting words” and get more pumped. Baghdad is ALREADY pumped. He talks about his K-1 kickboxing credentials, and brags he’ll “cut him like I cut my filet mignon” with his elbows. McGregor says the only thing Baghdad can do to get better is improve his footwork.

    T.J. Dillashaw is here to help out the U.S. team train following his most recent title fight. Faber talks about Duane Ludwig leaving after being with Team Alpha Male for a year getting Dillashaw to the world title, and Dillashaw following him to Colorado. Except at this point in the filming he hasn’t QUITE left. He and Faber are chummy and all Dillashaw will say is “Faber and Ludwig don’t see eye to eye” and that he has a close bond with Ludwig.

    Weigh-in time! Baghdad is 155.5 and Erosa is 156. Ryan Hall says Erosa is one of the toughest guys on their team. Dana White says his style is “unorthodox and weird” but says Baghdad is a world class muay thai striker. Both teams are sitting around waiting for a photo shoot and Conor McGregor starts talking smack about Dillashaw again. “Little snake in the grass he is. He’s a little snake in the grass.” Faber: “I think you just don’t want to fight either of us.” He accuses Faber of cutting down Chad Mendes in the process when Faber says he wouldn’t get tired fight McGregor. Faber immediately corrects him “on TWO WEEKS notice” but McGregor is having none of it. “Maybe you’re all snakes!” Then things get HOSTILE right before the commercial.

    The extended cut after the commercial break has a lot of four letter words and a lot of pull-aparts and a lot of words bleeped out as coach Cody Garbrandt from Faber’s camp finally got ticked off and one of them walked over and shoved McGregor in the chest! Good thing it was a coach and not a fighter because a fighter would have been kicked off the show for it. Dillashaw was off getting coffee when the whole thing went down. McGregor can’t resist stirring the pot some more even after everybody gets settled down and tries to create some hostility between Dillashaw and Faber. Dillashaw stays cool as a cucumber: “I don’t need your fake ass belt.”

    I know he’s only a coach and not one of the competitors but I’m designating Garbrandt as a Fighter to Watch this week. He’s currently undefeated at 7-0, having won his first six fights by KO or TKO, and he racked up a lot of those wins BEFORE coming to Team Alpha Male. This is a bantamweight who could end up fighting T.J. Dillashaw somewhere down the line.

    After the break Baghdad puts on his headdress and says he’s representing all Arabic people as well as his country of France. He’s my other Fighter to Watch as a former RFA Lightweight Champion and K-1 France Champion. Faber is reminding Erosa to be the guy to strike first and control every position the fight goes to. Baghdad is 11-3 and Erosa is 14-2, so we’ve got two very experienced guys going into this fight.

    Lightweight: Mehdi Baghdad (Europe) vs. Julian Erosa (USA)

    Erosa is in the blue and Baghdad the gray. Baghdad is trying to pressure and Erosa has no problem with it, popping Baghdad with jabs. Baghdad does catch him with a good right hook though. You can really see where the “unorthodox” comes from with Erosa – he’ll lean his body one way and then strike from the opposite side. It would be really confusing to stand in front of him and figure out where the shots were coming from. He’s not just a power puncher too – he’s also got some crisp leg and head kicks, and he lands a sneaky knee when Baghdad tries to clinch. It’s a fairly even fight through the first three minutes, but slowly leaning toward Baghdad due to him being the aggressor. Baghdad lands really hard shots when he does close the distance and pin Erosa against the cage, but he just can’t keep him there for long.

    As in the first round Baghdad is trying to be the man who comes forward early and wins Octagon control, but it still seems like Erosa is giving as good as he’s getting from my vantage point. McGregor is screaming at Baghdad to let his hands go two minutes in. If anything it seems like Erosa’s striking is getting better the longer the fight goes, but Baghdad’s right hook is really nasty. Erosa lands a nice kick to the face in the last minute and Baghdad responds with one in kind. It’s a shame there won’t be a third round with only 8 minutes left. Dana says Julian probably landed more but Baghdad probably hit harder – and this is why you don’t leave it to the judges in a fight. Faber gives McGregor a pair of American sandals.

    20-18, 19-19, 20-18 for the winner by majority decision – Julian Erosa.

    Faber announces his picks for next week’s fight is Thanh Le (USA) vs. Martin Svensson (Europe). Come back to see what happens next week and if McGregor can stir the pot up a little bit more!

  • Stipe Miocic vs. Andrei Arlovski co-headlines UFC 195

    A heavyweight bout with title shot ramifications has been added to UFC 195. Contenders and top-five ranked fighters Stipe Miocic (13-2, 7-2 UFC) and Andrei Arlovski (25-10 1 NC, 14-4 UFC) will meet in the co-main event of the January 2 event from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC confirmed the news on Wednesday following an initial report by the Los Angeles Times.

    Miocic was scheduled to fight on this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 76 event from Dublin, Ireland, against Ben Rothwell, but was forced out of the bout due to injury. Miocic said he wouldn’t be out of action for long, and was quickly booked for a different fight against Arlovski. Rothwell campaigned for the fight with Arlovski, but ultimately didn’t get it, and he is rumored to be on stand-by in the event Junior Dos Santos or Alistair Overeem are forced out of their scheduled bout on December 19.

    Miocic is coming off a dominant fifth-round TKO win over Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night 65 in May. He is 4-1 in his last five fights, with the lone loss coming to Junior Dos Santos in a close fight that won “Fight Of The Night” honors at UFC On FOX 13 in December.

    Arlovski will go into the bout riding a six-fight win streak, one that was thought to have secured him the next potential title shot. However, after his lackluster win over Frank Mir at UFC 191 in September, he will be looking to solidify his title shot opportunity with a win over Miocic. Arlovski is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion who found himself out of the promotion for years, but he has won four straight fights since returning to the company in 2014.

    UFC 195 will air on pay-per-view and be headlined by UFC Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler making his second title defense, this time against former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit.

  • UFC: Tom Lawlor out of his next fight, update on his future

    By “Filthy” Tom Lawlor

    Due to unfortunate circumstances, I have decided not to fight on November 7th against Fabio Maldonado in Sao Paulo, Brasil, as part of a UFC Fight Night event. During a training session Saturday, I suffered a small cut over my left eye after a head-to-head clash after a takedown. The cut suffered was deep, though not deep enough to jeopardize my ability to fight in November. I returned home to spend time with my newborn son and watch some of my teammates compete in a World Series of Fighting event later that night. 

    While watching the fights and a Boston College football game, it became increasingly harder to focus on what was in front of me. I have very good eyesight. However, it was taking longer for the blurs and lights to go away as I watched on TV. As time passed, I became more mindful of the vision problems I was experiencing and I began to think about the fortunes of a fighter I share the same initials with: TJ (Thomas Joseph) Grant. Once a former top lightweight contender, TJ now works in potash mines in Saskatchewan, Canada. While working a “real” job is a fine way to make a living, I long ago decided that I have no desire to go back to that world.

    I grew up as a fervent professional wrestling fan, and my UFC introduction was as a 10-year-old watching UFC 2 on a VHS tape at a friend’s house. As I grew older, I was more than an avid fan. I was in high school and my spare time was filled with activities that no teenage male likes to admit in public: playing wrestling video games and competing in E-feds. But it wasn’t just the easily accessible WWE, WCW, and ECW stuff I was watching. At the time, UFC was hardly a household name. Not easily found on PPV and relegated to tape trading, the UFC had a future that was uncertain at best.

    But in Japan, the stakes were just raising and I was ordering events like RINGS Kings of Kings ’99 and Pride 8 through Internet websites. As if that wasn’t enough, I would even go to such great lengths as staying up until 4 AM to read people type results in ICQ chat rooms as they watched the events live!

    I’ve had what some would say is a successful career in the UFC. As of today, I hold a UFC record of 6-4. Two of those losses are somewhat controversial split decisions, I lost to a grizzled veteran in his home country, and I was soundly defeated by the current 185-pound champion in minutes. But to me, I am both a success and a failure. The young boy that I once was, the onne that still resides in me, is happy and ecstatic for me every time I get to drive to the gym to twist, wrench, and wreck my body for the next two hours.

    But the adult who has just watched the birth of his first child can’t help but feel as if there isn’t enough money for the future. 

    Fortunately (and I truly do thank them for this), the UFC has been generous to me with performance bonus money which has allowed me to continue living this dream for the past seven years. Like most dream sequences that seem too good to be true, now is not the time that I want to wake up and live in the “real” world. Unfortunately for now, there is a constant headache that has woken me up long enough to be advised not to compete due to a concussion suffered from the previously-mentioned head crash.

    There is no doubt in my mind that three weeks ago, whoever votes in the UFC rankings finally had it right, and I was listed amongst the top fighters in the world. I also realize that by fighting in this state, I risk my future ability to continue climbing those ranks, which would finally serve both masters (my young and adult selves) adequately. With more wins comes greater compensation, and the birth of my son has finally given my adult self the motivation that was needed to turn that sense of failure into one of success.

    I just traveled a long two years off to come back, score a win over a top 15 fighter, and earn a Performance of the Night award on July 25th in Chicago, IL. But that was never the goal; the goal was always to keep living that young boy’s dream. To raise my hands, hear the roar of the crowd, and become intoxicated in the moment. It is a moment that it is unforgettable, surpassed only by the unexplainable joy that seeing your son or daughter for the first time can provide. It seems as if now my life revolves around the dreams about this sport that I had as a young boy and the dreams that I possess for one’s future. And that is absolutely okay with me. 

    Next year will mark another return for me on the way to a longer and more productive career because of this decision. My motivation for fighting will continue to grow, as will my skillset and understanding of life. It has to. I’d hate for my son to grow up and dare to live a dream because I set an example that resulted in having to stop living mine.

    So in 2016, look for me to be back in the Top 15, beating Top 10 opponents, and proving to every young boy who has to watch the UFC behind his parent’s back and every adult that worries about their family that dreams can and do come true.

  • UFC “Black Friday” sees former TUF winner among those looking for work

    In a weekend somewhat reminiscent of the old WWE “Black Fridays”, UFC did a massive housecleaning of contracted fighters over the last several days as news started to leak out Friday as Marcus Brimage, Matt Van Buren, and Cristos Giagos announced their own cuts via Twitter.

    Eddie Gordon, a castmate of Van Buren on season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter, also announced his own release from the company via Facebook earlier in the day. Chris Clements and Roger Narvaez subsequently announced their releases as well. More names, rumoured to be as many as 50, are expected to become public by Tuesday.

    Some notes on the released fighters:

    – Gordon won the TUF 19 middleweight tournament, knocking out Dhiego Lima in the finals. He also beat Cathal Pendred in the previous round. He went on to lose his next three fights, including two by finish. Gordon is 32 and will have to be really impressive on the regional circuit to earn his way back.

    – Brimage was a TUF 14 cast member, losing in the 2nd round of that tournament to Bryan Caraway. He went on to win his first three UFC official UFC fights before being Conor McGregor’s first UFC victim in April 2013. That kicked off a 1-4 stretch with three of the losses being by KO that led to his release. The American Top Team product is 30 and should get back at some point as he has a lot of personality and a fun fighting style.

    – Van Buren made it to the finals of TUF 19 before being KO’d in the first round by Corey Anderson. The former Bellator fighter lost his follow-up fight, also by KO, to Sean O’Connell. Despite being just 29, Van Buren would be a longshot to make it back to UFC. He was even a longshot to get as far as he did in the TUF tourney.

    – Giagos was a veteran of the California regional scene when he got a call as a late replacement for a fight against the tough Gilbert Burns in October 2014. He was submitted in the first round but won his follow-up fight in March before losing via decision to Chris Wade in June. At just 25, he’s almost a lock to get back to UFC at some point if he puts a few wins together.

    – Clements is a Canadian fighter who opened eyes in 2011 with a win on the Score Fighter Series over Rich Clementi. He made his UFC debut the following year against Matt Riddle, being submitted in the 2nd round. The result was later overturned due to a drug test failure by Riddle. Clements went 1-2 in his next 3 fights, losing by decision to Nordine Taleb at UFC 186 in his last fight. Clements is 39 and this could be it for him.

    – Narvaez was an undefeated prospect when he made his UFC debut last year against Patrick Cummins. He went 1-2 in UFC with both losses coming by KO. His last fight was on the UFC 185 prelims against Elias Theodorou. He’s 32, but only started in the sport in 2011 so it’s a young 32. Expect him back at some point.

  • UFC News: CM Punk talks about his shoulder injury, career evaluation and the movies

    On Monday’s “The MMA Hour”, UFC hopeful CM Punk said that he dodged a bullet by avoiding shoulder surgery, and will re-evaluate when his UFC career will begin in January.

    During his interview with Ariel Helwani, Punk said he suffered the injury at the end of August doing some grappling training as he was adjusting his position, put all of his weight on his elbow, and it popped, causing everyone to stop as they thought something serious had happened. He said he still finished the workout and mopped the mats like he always does, but knew it wasn’t good. He thought he tore his labrum or rotator cuff, but the MRI was inconclusive. 

    Neither Dana White nor Lorenzo Fertitta knew about the injury, finding out the same time everyone else did. Punk said he assumed the doctors had talked and everyone was in the know, but that White and Fertitta called him to check in and make sure everything was ok.

    Punk said he is going to start some light striking on a heavy bag this week to test the injury, but that he is paranoid about injuring it grappling. He is biking about 20-30 miles a day, is jumping rope to help stay in shape, and that the strength is coming back. He said the most frustrating part about the injury was that he felt he had turned the corner on certain aspects of his training. However, the injury didn’t prevent an announcement on his first UFC fight as head coach Duke Roufus was pretty strict about him training for a year before even considering a potential date, hence the evaluation this January.

    He admitted wishing the news of the injury hadn’t come out, and said he had talked to Roufus about it. He definitely came off as frustrated and angry with Internet coverage of his injury and how he’s being covered and fan interaction in general. “I don’t know why people are so concerned about what the f*ck I’m doing…If you don’t want to watch me fight, don’t watch me fight.”

    Back in Chicago while he’s been recovering, Punk said he spent three days filming a post-apocalyptic horror movie with his wife A.J. and took issue with those fighters, fans, and media that gave him grief for doing so. He said he’s been “paid a ridiculous amount of money” to do the movie and didn’t feel like it would hurt his career. He stressed the importance of not getting paid until he fights, so he needs to make money while he waits.

    Even with all of this, Punk said he will still fight in the UFC.

    “I know I’ll get my day in the Octagon and will have fun doing it.” 

  • UFC on Fox 17: Myles Jury to face Charles Oliveira, plus one more

    On Wednesday, the UFC announced two fights for their 12/19 big FOX show in Orlando, headlined by UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos against Donald Cerrone.

    The first is the featherweight debut of Myles Jury as he drops down a weight class to face Charles Oliveira. Jury comes into his new division having gone 15-1 as a lightweight, his only loss coming at the hands of Cerrone in January. Oliveira was last seen awkwardly losing a first round affair against Max Holloway in Saskatoon, Canada, due to a freak torn esophagus injury that stopped the fight early.

    Also announced was the UFC debut of Karolina Kowalkiewicz, a 7-0 fighter from Poland, against Randa Markos. Markos went to the semifinals in the TUF women’s strawweight title tournament, losing to eventual title challenger Jessica Penne. Markos last won a decision over Aisling Daly at UFC 186.