UFC announced Thursday that lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos vs. Donald Cerrone would headline their Saturday, 12/19 show in Orlando, FL, on ‘big’ Fox.
Dos Anjos won the title from Anthony Pettis in March, and came in with a knee injury that delayed his first title defense. Cerrone comes into the title match with eight consecutive wins.
– On UFC Tonight Wednesday, it was announced that the annual December big FOX show (originally set for 12/12) has been moved back one week to 12/19 at the Amway Arena in Orlando, FL. The reason for the change was the booking of the Conor McGregor/Jose Aldo featherweight unification fight for Saturday, 12/12 in Las Vegas.
– Ariel Helwani reported on the show that Fabricio Werdum’s first heavyweight title defense will be against former champion Cain Velasquez. The date of the fight has not been confirmed.
Ariel Helwani reported on today’s UFC Tonight that Fabricio Werdum’s first heavyweight title defense will be against former champion Cain Velasquez.
The date of the fight has not been confirmed.
The Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor match has been announced for 12/12 in Las Vegas, so they moved the PPV back a week. Originally 12/12 was a FOX date.
By Dave Meltzer, WrestlingObserver.com
UFC President Dana White announced Monday that UFC 194 will feature featherweight champion Jose Aldo vs. interim featherweight champion Conor McGregor for Saturday, December 12th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV, and not AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX.
The company had wanted the show in Las Vegas on 12/5, but the MGM Grand had an Andrea Bocelli concert already booked on that date. It appears the talk of the stadium was more leverage to get them the deal they wanted one week later.
This will be the organization’s second show in two months there as they also plan on running on January 2nd at the venue.
White told Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole that women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate III will not be on the McGregor/Aldo undercard now that the Dallas show won’t be happening, but didn’t announce a date. He also again denied that ‘Cyborg’ Justino was being considered to fight Rousey on the show.
By Ryan Frederick, WrestlingObserver.com
Glover Teixeira snapped a two-fight losing streak in the main event of UFC Fight Night 73 from Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday night, scoring a big third-round submission win over Ovince Saint Preux. It was a chance to for a fresh contender to be made in the light heavyweight division, but Teixeira let it be known he is still a threat at 205 pounds, looking solid in the process.
It was a night with some solid finishes, solid action, upset winners and a big controversial decision. With UFC Fight Night 73 now in the past, it is time to look into the future and play the role of Joe Silva and Sean Shelby and come up with some fights to make next for some of the competitors from Saturday night’s event.
Glover Teixeira vs. Anthony Johnson-Jimi Manuwa winner
Glover Teixeira got back into the win column with a solid victory over Ovince Saint Preux in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night 73 event. It snapped a two-fight losing skid for Teixeira and showed he can still contend in the light heavyweight division. He looked as good as he did before his title loss to Jon Jones in April 2014, and with Daniel Cormier now the king of the division while Jones is away, there will need to be new challenges for him whether or not contenders have fought for the title in the past. Teixeira should look to fight again before the end of the year, and a title eliminator contest between the winner of the fight between Anthony Johnson and Jimi Manuwa at UFC 191 next month seems like a logical next step for Teixeira.
Beneil Dariush vs. Tony Ferguson
Beneil Dariush got a controversial decision win in the co-main event over Michael Johnson, extending his win streak to five straight. While it was a close fight, many thought Johnson had done more to win the fight, and the result was very surprising. Dariush even thought he might have lost the fight, but nonetheless, he was the one who had his hand raised. He has quietly rised the rankings in the lightweight division, and another win puts him on the step to knocking on the title shot door. He is going to get another high-ranked opponent for his next fight, and I thought Al Iaquinta may be a good opponent, but he is out for a while due to knee surgery, and Dariush likely gets back into action quickly. A fight against Tony Ferguson, who has won six straight, makes some good sense.
Amanda Nunes vs. Alexis Davis
Amanda Nunes scored her biggest win inside the Octagon to date when she finished former title challenger Sara McMann in the first round. McMann showed good striking but was knocked down from a right hand by Nunes, who then jumped to the back of McMann and locked in a fight-ending rear-naked choke. It was the second straight win for Nunes and showed she will be a threat in the women’s bantamweight division. She should get a top-ranked opponent next, and Alexis Davis fits the bill there. Davis has won six of her last seven and is coming off an impressive win and doesn’t have a fight lined up. There is history there too- Davis defeated Nunes in a bout in Strikeforce in 2011.
Derek Brunson vs. Rafael Natal
Derek Brunson scored a very good win over Sam Alvey on Saturday night in a fight that produced a lot of striking. It may have been dangerous for Brunson to slug on the feet with Alvey as Brunson is a solid wrestler, but his power was shown when he scored the TKO win in the first against a tough Alvey. Brunson broke into the rankings after a win in his last fight and now has won three straight fights. The middleweight division is tough and there are a lot of solid fights that could be made with guys ranked ahead of him. I prefer to match Brunson with another fighter on a three-fight win streak in Rafael Natal, who, while he is below Brunson in the rankings, he would give him a solid opponent.
Ray Borg vs. Ali Bagautinov
Ray Borg showed why he is a rising prospect in the UFC’s flyweight division when he scored an impressive win over Geane Herrera on Saturday night. His stock continues to rise, and he gave a warning to UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson that he is making his way towards him. While Borg is on a three-fight win streak, he has yet to fight a ranked opponent. That should be what is coming to him next, and I like him to fight a former title challenger in Ali Bagautinov next. Bagautinov should be ready to return from a suspension any time now, and while he is coming off a loss to Johnson, he would be someone that Borg would need to defeat to show he is ready to contend. It is time to throw Borg to the wolves.
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Fabio Maldonado
Ovince Saint Preux went into the headline bout of UFC Fight Night 73 on Saturday as the favorite, both in the betting odds and in front of his home state crowd. There was a lot of pressure on him, and he admitted it got to him, and he was unable to stop the takedowns of Glover Teixeira and ended up being choked out in the third round. It was disappointing for Saint Preux, who was looking for his third straight win and a top-five position in the rankings. It’s time to go back to the drawing board for Saint Preux, and a bounce back fight against Fabio Maldonado may be the perfect chance for him to get back in the win column.
Michael Johnson vs. Anthony Pettis
Michael Johnson lost a close decision in the co-main event on Saturday night, a bout most thought he won over Beneil Dariush. It ended the four-fight win streak for Johnson and knocked him out of the title hunt for the time being. While it was controversial and a fight he probably should have won, it will leave a sour taste in the mouth for a while for Johnson. He is still a top fighter in the lightweight division and still has the chance to bounce back into contention. He still deserves a big fight in his next bout, and a fight against the former UFC Lightweight Champion, Anthony Pettis, seems like it would be a good direction. A lot of fighters want to fight Pettis, but he is coming off a loss and an opponent also coming off a loss seems likely. Johnson now fits that bill.
These were the scorecards for the Michael Johnson vs. Beneil Dariush fight which it appears almost nobody except judges Richard Bertrand and Douglas Crosby thought Dariush won.
Judge Richard Bertrand gave Dariush the second and third rounds.
Judge Sal D’Amato gave Dariush only the third round.
Judge Douglas Crosby gave Dariush the second and third rounds.
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 73: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The event is headlined by a five-round light heavyweight bout as former title challenger Glover Teixeira looks to get back in the win column when he takes on Ovince Saint Preux. The action kicks off with preliminary card fights at 6:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass. The action moves over to FOX Sports 2 at 8 PM eastern time with additional preliminary fights before the main card kicks off on FOX Sports 1 at 10 PM eastern time.
Coverage provided by Dave Meltzer
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT)
LIGHTWEIGHTS- ANTHONY CHRISTODOULOU VS. SCOTT HOLTZMAN
First round: Low kick by Holtzman. Hard low kick by Holtzman. Hard left by Holtzman. They are in a clinch and Holtzman with an elbow. Hard elbow by Holtzman as Christodoulou separated from the clinch. Back in a clinch and an elbow by Holtzman. Holtzman with a hard punch, elbow, knee and more elbows from close range. Another elbow by Holtzman. Nice uppercut by Holtzman. Left and right by Holtzman. Uppercut by Holtzman. 10-9 Holtzman.
Second round: Body kick by Holtzman. Right by Holtzman. Right and left by Holtzman. Spinning elbow by Holtzman. Head kick by Holtzman. Uppercut by Holtzman. Holtzman continues to land punches. Christodoulou working for a leglock. High knee by Holtzman. 20-18 Holtzman.
Third round: Knee to the body from close range by Holtzman. Holtzman landed a right and an elbow. Big right by Holtzman. Holtzman with a takedown. Holtzman has his back. He’s working for a choke and has it now. Christodoulou tapped out. Totally one-sided.
BANTAMWEIGHTS- MARLON VERA VS. ROMAN SALAZAR
First round: Knee by Vera. Takedown by Salazar but Vera moved to the top. Vera tried an armbar which gave Salazar top position. Salazar remaining on top. He landed some elbows from the top. A stand-up was ordered. Salazar was busy on the ground. Vera landing kicks now. Salazar working for a takedown. Salazar in with a punch. Vera shoved him and went for a punch after the round. Salazar 10-9.
Second round: Takedown by Salazar and has his back. Now Vera has regained guard. A few elbows by Salazar. Vera with a triangle from the bottom and throwing elbows. Vera added the armbar and Salazar got the tap with the armbar.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS- CHRIS DEMPSEY VS. JONATHAN WILSON
First round: Wilson dropped him with a left and it was over. :50
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 2- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
BANTAMWEIGHTS- FRANKIE SAENZ VS. SIRWAN KAKAI
First round: Saenz with a kick to the body. Kakai with a low kick. Body kick by Saenz. Knees by Saenz. Kakai picked him up and slammed Saenz down. Saenz back up. Saenz landed a good right. Both trading knees. Low kick by Kakai. Saenz worked for a takedown late but time ran out and he didn’t get it. Kakai 10-9.
Second round: Saenz working for a takedown. Didn’t get it. Kakai landed a kick to the liver and punch. Saenz with a takedown and got his back. Kakai back up immediately. Elbow and knee by Saenz. Kakai got a takedown. Saenz back up and landed an elbow. Kakai landed two jabs. Body kick by Saenz. Saenz landed another punch. Close round for Saenz, so 19-19 after two.
Third round: Takedown by Saenz. Saenz got his back and worked for a choke but Kakai out. Elbow by Saenz. Elbows standing by Saenz but Kakai mostly blocked them. Kakai landed a knee. Low kick by Kakai. Body shot by Kakai. Saenz round 29-28.
Scores: 29-28 Kakai 30-27 Saenz 30-27 Saenz.
FLYWEIGHTS- DUSTIN ORTIZ VS. WILLIE GATES
First round: Ortiz took him down. Gates back up. Ortiz with a takedown. Ortiz with another takedown and moved to mount. Ortiz working for an arm triangle. Ortiz gave it up. Ortiz landing body punches. Ortiz landing punches from the top. Ortiz dominated the round but not enough for a 10-8, so 10-9.
Second round: Ortiz with an elbow. Gates tried for a guillotine. They are in a clinch and Ortiz has kept him agianst the cage. Ortiz took him down again. Ortiz landed in mount. Ortiz landing elbows from the top. Ortiz pounded him until Gates gave up his back. Ortiz is working for a choke. Now Ortiz landing a lot of punches. It was about to be stopped when time ran out, a 10-8 round for Ortiz so 20-17 after two.
Third round: Ortiz with a body kick. Ortiz took him down again. Ortiz with a knee to the body and now dropping a lot of punches. Ortiz dropping elbow after elbow. Ortiz landing a ton of punches. This is probably time to stop it. Gates held on. Ortiz dropping more punches and elbows and finally it was stopped by ref Mario Yamasaki.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- CHRIS CAMOZZI VS. TOM WATSON
First round: Camozzi landing punches. Camozzi had a guillotine but Watson out. Both in a clinch. Left by Camozzi. Camozzi continues to land punches. Knee by Camozzi. Camozzi took him down and got his back. Camozzi trying to get a choke. Camozzi has his back again. He’s again working for a choke. Watson escaped. Body kick by Watson. Right by Watson. Elbow by Watson. Camozzi 10-9.
Second round: Watson with a knee to the groin. He’d been warned about this before. He docked a point from Watson. Left by Watson. Camozzi bleeding from the cheek. Camozzi starting to land the jabs. Left by Watson. Watson went for a takedown. Camozzi easily sprawled and is working for a guillotine. Watson escaped. Knee by Watson. Knee and elbow by Watson. Watson got the takedown. Watson’s round, but with the penalty it’s a 9-9 round so 19-18 for Camozzi after two.
Third round: Camozzi landing jabs. Watson with a elbow from up close. Elbow by Camozzi and he followed with a takedown. Watson looks exhausted. Watson up and throwing uppercuts. Another takedown by Camozzi after a knee. Camozzi up and throwing . Knee by Camozzi and an elbow. Camozzi’s round so 29-27 for Camozzi.
Scores: 29-27, 30-26 and 29-27 for Camozzi
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- URIAH HALL VS. OLUWALE BAMGBOSE
First round: Bamgbose threw a kick and Hall used it to take him down. Hall pounded him out on the ground.
MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
FLYWEIGHTS- RAY BORG VS. GEANE HERRERA
First round: Borg missed weight. Borg picked him up and slammed him down. Herrera worked for a heel hook. Borg on top throwing punches. Borg now tried a heel hook but let go. Herrera tried for a triangle. Fun round reminiscent of the style of the old Hero’s promotion smaller guys bouts. Borg 10-9.
Second round: Borg with a left and a takedown. Borg working for a guillotine. Herrera out of trouble. Crowd popped for that. Borg stayed on top with some ground and pound. Borg 20-18.
Third round: Takedown by Borg. Herrera landed an elbow from the bottom and Borg is bleeding badly. Borg is throwing punches. The ref stopped it. Borg is not happy because his left eye is bleeding badly and he’s got to be well ahead in the scores. The doctor allowed it to continue. Borg working for a guillotine. Herrera reversed into mount but Borg up. Herrera tried a guillotine but Borg out. Herrera went for a reverse triangle. Herrera tried it a second time. Borg escaped. Borg got his back as time ran out. Borg 30-27.
Scores: All three have it 30-27 for Borg.
WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS- SARA MCMANN VS. AMANDA NUNES
First round: McMann trying to thrwo her but Nunes blocked it. McMann took her down but Nunes right back up. Nunes dropped her with punches. Nunes working for a choke. Nunes landing a lot of punches from back position. She’s working for a choke. McMann tapped out. This pretty much ends McMann as a contender and Nunes put herself into position to get a title shot.
HEAVYWEIGHTS- JARED ROSHOLT VS. TIMOTHY JOHNSON
First round: They are in a clinch. Johnson took him down. Rosholt back up. Fans booing the lack of action. Herb Dean separated them. Takedown by Rosholt. Rosholt has full mount. Rosholt 10-9.
Second round: Long clinch. Johnson took him down and got his back. Rosholt reversed to the top. Rosholt working for a top wristlock. Rosholt 20-18.
Third round: Johnson landed a left and several rights. Rosholt got the takedown. Rosholt is tired. Crowd booing. Johnson hurt him with punches. Johnson almost has him out Takedown by Johnson. He shouldn’t have taken him down, he should have kept punching as time ran out because I think his only way to win was via knockout. Johnson’s round so 29-28 Rosholt.
Scores: All three have it 29-28 for Rosholt.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- DEREK BRUNSON VS. SAM ALVEY
First round: Brunson clinched and throwing punches. Brunson landing big shots. Alvey landed good counter shots but Brunson landing more hard punches. Alvey is in trouble and and keeps eating big lefts. Alvey went down. Brunson finished him with punches on the ground. Alvey is furious. Alvey was in trouble but he’s got a granite chin and wasn’t done.
LIGHTWEIGHTS- MICHAEL JOHNSON VS. BENEIL DARIUSH
First round: Not much happened until the last minute. Johnson stumbled him with a left. Now Johnson landing punches. Johnson with more clean shots. Johnson 10-9
Second round: Knee by Dariush. Another knee by Dariush. Good left by Johnson. Johnson landed more punches. Both landed good punches. Dariush with a left. Dariush landed a left. Left uppercut by Dariush. Dariush went for a takedown but Johnson sprawled. This is turing into a good fight. Dariush went for the takedown and didn’t get it. Johnson 20-18.
Third round: Both standing. Knee by Dariush. Johnson with a left. Nice left by Johnson. Johnson landed a good right. Nice jab by Dariush. Close round. Dariush, so Johnson 29-28.
Scores: 29-28 Dariush 29-28 Johnson 29-28 Dariush. That was a bad decision.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS- GLOVER TEIXEIRA VS. OVINCE SAINT PREUX
First round: Teixeira took him down but OSP back up. Teixeira took him down again. OSP back up. Accidental low knee by OSP. OSP hurt him with a body kick. Texieira going for a takedown. OSP with punches. OSP hurt him but Teixeira fired back. Takedown by Teixeira. Teixeira moved to full mount. Teixeira working for a choke. . Now Teixeira in full mount. Teixeira firing punches. Teixeira has his back working for a choke. OSP back up. Teixeira took him down again. Teixeira had his back. OSP reversed to the top. OSP working for a choke himself. Teixeira back up. OSP landing punches. Teixiera 10-9.
Second round: Body kick by OSP. Another body kick. Takedown by Teixeira but OSP out and landed a left. High kick by OSP. Right and left by Teixeira. Teixeira with a body shot. OSP looks tired. Teixeira picked him up and took him down. Teixeira landing elbows. Teixeira dropping elbows. Now he’s landing punches. Teixeira pounding on him. Knee to the body by Teixeira. OSP up and landing punches late. Teixeira 20-18.
Third round: OSP is tired now. Teixeira took him down again. Teixeira has full mount and punching. He’s got OSP’s back and working for a choke. The choke is in. OSP went out from the choke. 3:10
Teixeira said, “Cormier, I’m coming for you.”
By Josh Nason, WrestlingObserver.com
Like many, I could use a free weekend away from combat sports and this show closes a hellacious stretch of UFC events this summer. While there’s the usual flotsam and jetsam on the show, the top three fights should send the fans home happy and give us some interesting next bouts for the winners.
Get a quick preview and so much more in this week’s Josh Nason’s Punch-Out featuring special guest and UFC light heavyweight “Filthy” Tom Lawlor.
Our Panel:
– Jack Encarnacao (76-26 | .745) Sherdog Rewind host, The Lapsed Fan podcast co-chair, Steve Austin impersonator
– Steve Juon (69-33 | .676) AngryMarks founder, MMA Mania writer
– John Pollock (67-35 | .656) Fight Network personality, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, The MMA Report host
– David Bixenspan (66-36 | .647) Figure Four Weekly writer, Observer Daily Update writer, podcast host
– Mike Sempervive (65-37 | .637) Wrestling Observer Live co-host | Big Audio Nightmare
– Front Row Brian (63-39 | .617) MMA newsbreaker, Twitter personality, podcast host
– Dave Meltzer (62-40 | .607) Wrestling Observer founder & writer, occasional cougher
– Josh Nason (61-41 | .598) Wrestling Observer digital media and content guy, WON Twitter enabler
– Mike Sawyer (59-43 | .578) Tough Talk MMA, 2014 picks panel champion
*****
> Glover Teixeira (22-4) vs. Ovince St. Preux
Light Heavyweights
After finally making it to the UFC, Teixeira arrived with a lot of buzz and won his first five with four finishes to earn a title shot against then-champion Jon Jones. Then, Jones dominated him for five rounds and he looked listless in a decision loss to current Bellator fighter Phil Davis. Fights against Rashad Evans and Alex Gustafsson fell through and he now gets a crack at the fast-rising OSP.
OSP will fight in front of his hometown crowd (well, Knoxville anyway) and will be looking to extend a two-fight win streak. After a horrendously boring decision loss to Ryan Bader a year ago, he earned back to back first round TKO wins over Shogun Rua and Patrick Cummins. He’s 6-1 in the UFC and has shown a propensity to finish guys on the ground or via the fists. Do we have the next top title contender on our hands?
Teixeira: FRB, Sawyer, Encarnacao, Sempervive
OSP (slight favorite): Nason, Pollock, Juon, Bix, Meltzer
> Michael Johnson (16-8) vs. Beneil Dariush (11-1)
Lightweights
Johnson is fast rising up the ranks of interesting lightweights amid a four-fight win streak that features victories over Edson Barboza, Joe Lauzon, Gleison Tibau, and Melvin Guillard. He’s looked completely different since a two fight losing streak a few years back, and with a win here, he has earned an opportunity against a top 5 opponent.
The 26-year-old Dariush is 5-1 in his UFC career and is riding a four fight win streak of his own. After submitting Daron Cruickshank, Dariush came back on a month’s notice to beat former lightweight contender Jim Miller by decision in April. He could make a case for a top 5 opponent with a win here as well.
The Iranian has looked great, Johnson has looked great, and this fight will tell us a lot about what’s next for both guys.
Johnson (slight favorite): Nason, FRB, Pollock, Encarnacao, Juon, Sempervive, Meltzer
Dariush: Sawyer, Bix
> Derek Brunson (13-3) vs. Sam Alvey (26-6-0-1)
Middleweights
The 31-year-old Brunson has looked great since coming to the UFC in the Strikeforce merger, going 4-1. Since getting TKO’d by Yoel Romero, Brunson has beat Lorenz Larkin and took just 36 seconds to dispatch Ed Herman by TKO in January. He also shares a birthday with yours truly.
Since losing to Tom Watson by bland decision, Alvey has won three straight by first round T/KO which makes this a very fun fight. All three of those Alvey victories were abroad, so in this U.S.-based tilt, we’ll see if the passport punching makes the difference.
Brunson (favorite): Nason, FRB, Sawyer, Pollock, Encarnacao, Juon, Sempervive, Meltzer
Alvey: Bix
> Chris Camozzi (21-10) vs. Tom Watson (17-8)
Middleweights
After being cut by the UFC, the 28-year-old Camozzi was a last second replacement/sacrifice to Jacare Souza in April. Despite winning two outside the Octagon, Camozzi has lost his last five in the UFC. Ugh. Watson is just 2-4 in the UFC, and was last seen being decisioned by Rafael Natal earlier this year. Man, this loser leaves the UFC fight is hot garbage, isn’t it?
Camozzi (slight favorite): FRB, Sawyer, Pollock, Encarnacao, Juon, Sempervive, Bix, Meltzer
Watson: Nason
> Sara McMann (8-2) vs. Amanda Nunes (10-4)
Bantamweights
In McMann’s two flights closest to the UFC sun, she lasted 66 seconds with Ronda Rousey and got roundly defeated by Miesha Tate. In the middle of that, she edged Lauren Murphy in a split decision. At age 34, we may have seen the best of her in the UFC. She fights Nunes who is 3-1 in the UFC with her last win coming over former Zuffa employee Shayna Baszler with her lone defeat coming against Cat Zingano.
McMann (favorite): Nason, FRB, Sawyer, Pollock, Encarnacao, Juon, Sempervive, Bix, Meltzer
Tito Ortiz, as a guest on Inside MMA, claimed that he was told by Cris Cyborg Justino that she had been offered a fight with Ronda Rousey provided she can make 135 pounds, on a show at “Cowboy’s arena.”
“I’ve heard from Cris, actually that the fight that’s supposed to be happening at the Cowboys’s arena. . . they offered the fight to Cris. I know her management said yes and I’ve told her, `”let’s do it.’ So I guess the ball’s all i Ronds’s corner and Ronda wants to do it. Dana said if Cris came down to 135 they’ll make the fight happen, so let’s see if Ronda accepts the fight.”