Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night 71: Mir vs. Duffee weigh-ins from the Valley View Casino Arena in San Diego, California kicking off at 7 PM eastern time. The event airs on Wednesday on FOX Sports 1 at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 7 PM eastern time before moving over to FOX Sports 1 at 8 PM eastern time. This marks the UFC’s third event in less than a week and their first event in San Diego since UFC Live 2 in August 2010.
The event will be headlined by a five-round heavyweight bout as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir goes for his second straight win when he takes on Todd Duffee, winner of three straight fights. The co-main event is a lightweight contest between top-ten ranked fighters as Josh Thomson battles Tony Ferguson. Also on the main card is a pivotal bout in the women’s bantamweight division as undefeated Holly Holm takes on Marion Reneau.
MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT):
Frank Mir (262) vs. Todd Duffee (241) Josh Thomson (155.5) vs. Tony Ferguson (156) Holly Holm (135) vs. Marion Reneau (134.5) Scott Jorgensen (135) vs. Manvel Gamburyan (135) Kevin Lee (156) vs. James Moontasri (155) Alan Jouban (170.5) vs. Matt Dwyer (169)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):
Sam Sicilia (146) vs. Yaotzin Meza (145.5) Jessica Andrade (134.5) vs. Sarah Moras (135.5) Rani Yahya (135.5) vs. Masanori Kanehara (136) Igor Araujo (171) vs. Sean Strickland (171)
Interim UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor and Urijah Faber were announced as the coaches for season 22 of The Ultimate Fighter. UFC President Dana White made the announcement during tonight’s The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale event in Las Vegas. The season begins filming this month with a debut date of September 9 on FOX Sports 1.
The season will feature lightweights from two countries. McGregor will coach eight lightweights from Europe and Faber will coach eight lightweights from the United States. White clarified that McGregor and Faber will not fight following the season.
The following is the press release:
Las Vegas – The next season of The Ultimate Fighter ® will feature no shortage of star power as interim UFC® featherweight champion “The Notorious” Conor McGregor coaches opposite Team Alpha Male’s Urijah Faber on the 22nd edition of the UFC’s storied reality television series.
The Ultimate Fighter®: Team McGregor vs. Team Faberwill feature 16 competitors in the lightweight division and, in addition to a UFC contract; national pride will be on the line as McGregor leads eight European hopefuls against the Faber-led American squad. The sixth season to air on FOX Sports 1 will kick-off on Wednesday, September 9 with a two-hour season premiere airing at 10 p.m. ET. The season will continue with 11 one-hour shows Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET. The series is the highest rated and most watched original program since the network’s inception in August 2013.
Since bursting onto the scene in 2013, McGregor (18-2) has taken the MMA world by storm. Declaring in July 2014 “we’re not here to take part; we’re here to take over” when referring to the Irish presence in MMA, the Irish sensation has done exactly that. Originally scheduled to fight Jose Aldo at UFC® 189, McGregor defeated Faber’s friend and training partner Chad Mendes to claim the interim UFC featherweight title last night by second-round TKO. Now he awaits his next fight, a highly anticipated title unification bout with the Aldo in the coming months.
The former WEC featherweight champion, Faber (32-8) has been vocal in his disdain for McGregor. Long considered a pioneer for the lighter weight classes, Faber has assembled one of the top gyms in the sport, Team Alpha Male, featuring UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw, No. 2 flyweight Joseph Benavidez and Mendes. Now, he’ll bring his high-powered team to Las Vegas in hopes of leading the Americans past the Europeans.
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale: Ellenberger vs. Thompson from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event, headlined by a five-round welterweight bout between Jake Ellenberger and Stephen Thompson, plus the finals of this season of The Ultimate Fighter, airs on FOX Sports 1 at 9 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off at 6:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before moving over to FOX Sports 1 at 7 PM eastern time.
Good luck to everyone today trying to follow last night.
ROUND 1- They trade punches to begin. Gates with a series of kicks and Montague lands a body kick. Neither man able to connect on some strikes. Gates lands a right hand. Montague with a leg kick and Gates counters with one of his own. Gates lands a right hand that stuns Montague. Gates sends Montague down and Montague grabs a leg. Gates with a body punch and then knees to the body on the ground. Some more ground and pound from Gates and it is stopped. Gates with the TKO win in the opening round.
Official Result: Willie Gates def. Darrell Montague by TKO (strikes) at 1:36 of Round 1
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 7 PM ET/4 PM PT):
WELTERWEIGHTS: GEORGE SULLIVAN VS. DOMINIC WATERS
ROUND 1- Sullivan with a series of leg kicks. They trade an exchange. Waters with a combo. Waters lands another combo. Sullivan counters with his own combo. They trade left hands. Waters lands a left hook. Sullivan with a leg kick. Waters with a body kick. Sullivan lands a solid right hand. Waters rocks Sullivan with a combo against the fence and then transitions with a takedown and goes to the back. They get to their feet. Sullivan with some knees to the body before they break and trade punches. They trade again. Sullivan lands an uppercut and Waters was in trouble and lands a takedown. Sullivan with body punches as they get to their feet and he lands a knee. Sullivan with more knees to the body and lands a big right hand. Waters grabs the back. Waters is cut and Sullivan scores a takedown. Sullivan with elbows from the top. Sullivan ends the round big with ground and pound. 10-9 Sullivan.
ROUND 2- Waters comes out with a spin kick. Sullivan with a leg kick and Waters catches the leg and pushes the fight to the mat and Waters goes into the guard. Sullivan gets to the fence and works to his feet. Sullivan with some knees to the body as they battle for underhooks. Waters pulls guard and Sullivan has him pinned against the cage. Sullivan grabs the arm and is looking for the kimura. Waters escapes. Sullivan moves to mount and lands some big punches. Sullivan goes for the arm again but nothing. Waters is able to escape from being mounted and they get to their feet. Sullivan gets a takedown. Sullivan with a series of punches from the top. Sullivan goes for the arm again. Waters escapes the kimura. Sullivan with more body punches as the round ends. 10-9 Sullivan, 20-18 Sullivan.
ROUND 3- Waters’ corner told him it is 1-1. Yeah, right. Waters gets the takedown and takes the back and is looking for the choke. Sullivan escapes. Waters goes for it again as he gets the hooks in. Waters with some body punches as he has the back mount. Waters still is looking for the choke as Sullivan is cut open. Sullivan with backwards punches. Sullivan looks to reverse and has the arm and is looking for an armbar. Waters loses position and Sullivan is now in the guard of Waters. Sullivan with some elbows and punches from the top. Sullivan with more punches to the body from the top as this fight is going to the judges. 10-9 Sullivan, 30-27 Sullivan.
Official Result: George Sullivan def. Dominic Waters by unanimous decision (29-27, 30-25, 29-28)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS: DAN MILLER VS. TREVOR SMITH
ROUND 1- Dan Miller is back for the first time since UFC 158 in March 2013. They trade punches to start. Miller lands a solid combination. They trade punches. Miller lands a combo and they clinch and each land uppercuts. Miller with a knee to the body against the fence. They trade knees to the body. They battle for position against the fence. They break. Miller lands a left hand. Smith lands a flush right hand. Miller with a huge leg kick. Miller lands an uppercut and grabs the neck. Miller drops for the guillotine but Smith scrambles out. Smith with punches on the ground. Smith with an elbow. Smith with some hammerfists from the top. Smith lands an elbow to close out the round. 10-9 Smith.
ROUND 2- Miller lands a leg kick. Smith lands a right hand. Smith lands another. They clinch and Smith lands a knee to the body. They trade knees to the body. Miller drops to his back and Smith is on top. Miller looking to throw his legs up. Smith postures up and is landing from the top. Smith with more punches from the top. Miller looks for a leg lock but Smith gets back into half-guard. He is controlling Miller on the ground well. Miller tries to create a scramble but fails at it. Smith lands a big right hand but ate an upkick from Miller. Miller still working for a submission but Smith is able to block and ride the round out on top. 10-9 Smith, 20-18 Smith.
ROUND 3- They trade punches. Smith lands a right hand and a knee to the body. Miller grabs the neck and goes for a choke but Smith easily escapes. Smith with some punches from the top as he tries to transition to side control. Smith gets back into the full guard of Miller. Smith with body punches from the top. More punches from the top. Smith with more punches from the top as he is unable to pass the guard of Miller, but still dominant. Smith with more control from the top as Miller is exhausted. Elbows from the top by Smith. Smith gets to his feet but goes back to half-guard. Smith with elbows from the top and the fight is going to go to the judges. Boring fight. 10-9 Smith, 30-27 Smith.
Official Result: Trevor Smith def. Dan Miller by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)
BANTAMWEIGHTS: RUSSELL DOANE VS. JERROD SANDERS
ROUND 1- Sanders with a high kick that was checked. Roane misses a right hand as Sanders drops for a takedown. They scramble down on the mat. Sanders gets the back of Doane. Sanders looking for the choke. Sanders still has the back and the body locked. They get to their feet and clinch against the fence. Doane drags the fight to the mat and they still battle for position. Doane looks to transition to the back. Doane looks to grab the arm. Doane with some punches from the back. Doane transitions to back control and looks for a choke. Doane triangles the body from the back. They are going to end the round on the mat. 10-9 Doane.
ROUND 2- Doane with a body kick and quick combo. Sanders tries for a takedown but it is defended. Doane looks for the neck but Sanders moves to the back as they fall to the mat. Sanders looking for a choke as he has Doane’s back. Doane reverses and has top position. Doane with punches from the back. Doane lets go and then lands a big knee and big combination. Sanders goes for a takedown but Doane stuffs it and is teeing off on Sanders. Sanders goes for a single leg but Doane defends and lands some punches. Doane grabs the neck but can’t get a choke as Sanders escapes. Sanders takes the back of Doane. Sanders looks for a choke as he has the back. Sanders still has the back as the round ends. 10-9 Sanders, 19-19 after two.
ROUND 3- Sanders comes out with a series of punches. Then, Doane lands a series of punches as Sanders went for a takedown. Doane ends up on top. Doane with more punches from the top. Doane switches to the back and looks to get his arm under the neck. Sanders escapes and spins into the guard of Doane. Sanders transitions to the mount. Doane spins out and scrambles out and they get to their feet and break. Sanders with some kicks. Doane misses a flying knee and Sanders is able to counter with a takedown. Doane grabs the neck and reverses out and they are on the feet. Sanders grabs the neck as they go to the mat and spins to the back. Sanders looks for the choke. Sanders with the back and some under the arm back punches. Sanders still has back control and dominant position. Doane with a back elbow but Sanders lands punches to end the fight. 10-9 Sanders, 29-28 Sanders.
Official Result: Jerrod Sanders def. Russell Doane by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS: JOSH SAMMAN VS. CAIO MAGALAHES
ROUND 1- Samman with some kicks to start. Samman with two more leg kicks. Samman with a front kick. Magalhaes lands a big left hook. Samman comes back with a heavy leg kick. Magalhaes lands a right hand. Samman opens up with a body kick and some punches. Samman drops Magalahes to the mat with a leg kick and Samman goes to half-guard. Samman in the full guard. Samman with body punches. Samman pushes Magalhaes to the fence. Magalhaes is bleeding heavily. Samman moves to the back and has the hooks in and the choke. It is in deep and Magalhaes taps out! Samman with the big submission win with the rear-naked choke. Samman tried to shake hands after the fight but Magalhaes spit blood on him and had to be restrained by referee John McCarthy.
Official Result: Josh Samman def. Caio Magalhaes by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:52 of Round 1
MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 9 PM ET/6 PM PT):
FEATHERWEIGHTS: MAXIMO BLANCO VS. MIKE DE LA TORRE
ROUND 1- Blanco missed weight for this bout. Blanco with a big head kick and then drops De La Torre with a big right hand. Yves Lavigne quickly steps in to stop the fight as De La Torre was grabbing the leg of Blanco. This fight is over and the crowd is booing and De La Torre is not happy about the apparent quick stoppage. It was an early stoppage but will go down as a win for Blanco.
Official Result: Maximo Blanco def. Mike De La Torre by TKO (punches) at :16 of Round 1
WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS: ANGELA MAGANA VS. MICHELLE WATERSON
ROUND 1- This is the much-anticipated UFC debut of Waterson. They quickly trade. They clinch against the fence. Waterson with a knee to the body. They trade short knees. Waterson with a judo throw to the ground and into the half-guard of Magana. Waterson into the full guard. Magana works for an armbar. Waterson defends. Magana has the armbar locked in as Waterson is trying to escape. Magana is not letting go. Waterson escapes and continues with punches to the body. They get to the feet and Waterson lands a big knee. Waterson with another judo toss. Waterson easily moves to the mount. Waterson with a big right hand from the top. Waterson moves for an armbar but can’t get it in as the round ends with a big punch from Waterson. 10-9 Waterson.
ROUND 2- Waterson with a leg kick and then a right hand. Waterson lands a body kick. Waterson throws Magana down and lets her back up. Waterson lands a right hand. Magana lands a left hand but Waterson lands a right hand back. Waterson with a head kick then some knees to the body. Waterson with a leg kick and Magana catches the leg and they go to the mat with Magana on top. Waterson goes for the armbar and has it stretched out. Magana gets out but Waterson ends up in the mount. Waterson with a big punch from the top. Magana is unable to escape from the bottom. Waterson with a big elbow. Waterson tried to move to side control but gave up her leg to Magana. Waterson scrambles to her feet and then moves to side control and then to mount. Waterson goes for the arm but the round will end. 10-9 Waterson, 20-18 Waterson.
ROUND 3- Waterson with a front kick to the body. Waterson lands a short left and then a head kick. Waterson with a leg kick and then lands a combo. Waterson with a front kick to the face. Waterson with a right hand and then grabs the back and suplexes Magana to the ground. Waterson has the back mount and has Magana flattened out. Waterson with punches from the back. Waterson looks to grab the neck and is looking for the choke. She has it locked in and Magana taps out. Waterson with a win in her debut with the rear-naked choke.
Official Result: Michelle Waterson def. Angela Magana by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:38 of Round 3
WELTERWEIGHTS: JORGE MASVIDAL VS. CEZAR FERREIRA
ROUND 1- Masvidal originally missed weight but later made it. Ferreira with a body kick. Ferreira lands a straight left and then another body kick. Masvidal with a right hand. Ferreira drops down and scores a takedown. Ferreira moves to the half-guard. Masvidal scrambles out and they’re back on the feet. Ferreria with a body kick and they trade punches. Masvidal lands a right hand. Ferreira with a combo and then goes for a takedown. Ferreira with an elbow on the break. They trade strikes and Ferreira pushes Masvidal against the fence looking for a takedown. Masvidal drops Ferreira with a big elbow and then finishes it off with some punches on the ground! Masvidal with the knockout win over Ferreira.
Official Result: Jorge Masvidal def. Cezar Ferreira by TKO (strikes) at 4:22 of Round 1
WELTERWEIGHTS: MICHAEL GRAVES VS. VICENTE LUQUE
ROUND 1- Graves represents ATT and Luque represents the Blackzilians but this isn’t the finals. Graves lands a quick combo and gets a takedown into side control. Luque gets to his feet against the fence and Graves has the neck. Graves lands a big elbow on the break. They battle against the fence but break. Luque lands a nice combo and a leg kick. Graves drops down and gets a takedown. Graves gets Luque next to the fence and looks to posture up. Graves grabs the neck and lands body punches. Graves lands a knee and then a right hand and a leg kick. Luque lands a combo and then a knee to the body. Graves gets another big takedown as he powers Luque up against the cage. Graves rides the round out on top. 10-9 Graves.
ROUND 2- They quickly go to the mat and Graves scrambles to the top. They get to their feet and Graves lands an illegal knee to the head as Luque had his fingers down on the mat. Graves lands a spin kick. Luque lands a nice combo and stuffs a takedown but they clinch against the fence. Graves lands a knee on the break. Graves grabs the single leg and powers the fight to the mat. They get to their feet but Graves gets another takedown. Graves with big punches from the half-guard. They scramble to the feet and Graves has the front headlock. Graves with more knees and they trade as the round ends. 10-9 Graves, 20-18 Graves.
ROUND 3- They clinch quickly and push against the fence but break. Luque lands a left hand and defends a takedown. Luque has a front headlock and lands some punches. Luque looks to set up a D’arce choke. Graves defends it. Luque lands some knees to the body. Graves trying to escape. Graves tries to scramble but Luque keeps position. They scramble and Graves ends up on top against the fence. They battle against the fence as the fight ends. Nothing round. 10-9 Luque, 29-28 Graves.
Official Result: Michael Graves def. Vicente Luque by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
WELTERWEIGHTS: KAMARU USMAN VS. HAYDER HASSAN
ROUND 1- This determines which team wins TUF. Usman represents the Blackzilians and Hassan represents ATT. They clinch up quickly. They scramble around and break the clinch. They clinch and Usman lands some knees to the body of Hassan. Usman gets a takedown and into the half-guard. Hassan gives up his back. Usman looks for the hooks. Usman with punches from the back. Usman gets the fight back to the mat. Usman with punches from the top. Usman gets the hooks on the back. Hassan gets out but Usman still has his back. Usman gets the fight back down. Usman looks to set up an arm-triangle. Round ends with Usman landing some elbows. 10-9 Usman.
ROUND 2- They come out swinging and Hassan hurts Usman with an uppercut. Usman recovers and lands a big slam takedown and gets into the mount. Usman looks to set up an arm-triangle choke. He is in a bad position as he can’t get perpendicular due to the cage. Usman gets it in tighter and Hassan taps! Usman with the submission win and the Blackzilians take the $300,000 top prize for the season.
Official Result: Kamaru Usman def. Hayder Hassan by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 1:19 of Round 2
WELTERWEIGHTS: JAKE ELLENBERGER VS. STEPHEN THOMPSON
ROUND 1- Thompson with a head kick. Thompson with a leg kick. Thompson then lands a straight left hand. Ellenberger drops Thompson with a right hand but Thompson gets back up and they clinch. Thompson pushes the fight against the fence. They trade elbows. They break after trading punches. Thompson with a front side kick right to the face. Ellenberger trips Thompson down but Thompson takes the back and is landing punches from the back. They get up but Thompson slams Ellenberger down. Ellenberger tried to grab the fence. They scramble to the feet. Thompson lands a nice combo that hurts Ellenberger. Thompson drops Ellenberger with a spinning back kick to the face. Thompson then takes side control and Ellenberger scrambles to his feet but is on dazed legs. Thompson then drops Ellenberger with another spin kick to the face and this is over! Ellenberger is out. Thompson with the big knockout win over Ellenberger.
Official Result: Stephen Thompson def. Jake Ellenberger by knockout (strikes) at 4:29 of Round 1
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event, headlined by an Interim UFC Featherweight Championship bout between Chad Mendes and Conor McGregor, airs on pay-per-view at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off at 7 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before moving over to FOX Sports 1 at 8 PM eastern time. We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s show, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst fight to dave@wrestlingobserver.com”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com.
First round: Hard low and high kick by Cedeno. Cedeno with a low kick. Pfister landed some punches. Another hard low kick by Cedeno. Nice counter right by Cedeno but he couldn’t take him down. Scramble, but nobody got the edge and they were back to their feet. Body shot by Cedeno. Pfister landing some punches. Cedeno landing kicks. Low kick by Cedeno. Cedeno with cool kicks. Cedeno is killing Pfister’s left leg. Cedeno 10-9
Second round: Low kick by Cedeno and overhand right. Pfister missing punches. Pfister took him down. Pfister’s left leg was all red. Pfister has his back now. Cedeno reversed to the top. Fans are screaming to stand them up right away. The ref listened. Nothing was happenig at the time. Pfister with an ankle pick takedown. Pfister landed a few puches. Pfister got his back again. Now he’s on top throwing short punches. Knee by Pfister and another as Cedeno got up. Pfister’s round so 19-19 after two.
Third round: Pfister with a takedown. The ref stood them up quickly. Pfister with a second takedown. Pfister punching the body on the ground. Pfister has his back again. Cedeno out of trouble. Pfister took him down again. He’s just holding him down now. Cedeno revered tothe top and threw two punches. Pfister’s round so he should win 29-28.
Scores: All three had it 29-28 Pfister.
FLYWEIGHTS: NEIL SEERY VS. LOUIS SMOLKA
First round: Smolka poked him in the eye. Seery dropped him with two punches and is pounding on him. Smolka reversed to the top. Seery again working for a guillotine. Seery bleeding badly from the left eye. Smolka trying a guillotine. Smolka trying for other submissions. Smolka is in full mount. Smolka working for a sub. He gave it up and Smolka pounding on him from back position. 10-9 Smolka
Second round: Smolka working for a takedown. Smolka took him down with a bodylock. Fans chanting USA and Irish fans booing the chant. Seery tried an armbar from the bottom. Smolka has his back. Smolka working for a choke. Seery is in trouble this time. But he couldn’t lock it in. Smolka continues to work for a choke. Smolka’s round 20-18
Third round: Takedown by Smolka. Seery used an uma plata to get to his feet. Seery landed punches and Smolka back. Seery with a knee. Smolka with a fireman’s carry takedown. Seery went for a guillotine. The place is going insane but Smolka escaped. Smolka is in side control. Smolka going for a head and arm choke. Seery escaped but Smolka has his back and working for another choke. Smokla with atkedown. Seery back up and grabbed a guillotine and took hidown almost like a DDT. If you’re into all kinds of near submissions, this is the match for you. Smolka escaped and back to the top. Takedown by Smolka. Another takedown by Smolka and he’s working for another head and arm choke. Smolka 30-27
Scores: All have it 30-27 for Smolka.
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):
BANTAMWEIGHTS: CODY GARBRANDT VS. HENRY BRIONES
First round: Garbrandt landed more and go a few takedowns to win the first round. Not too exciting. Garbrandt 10-9
Second round: Garbrandt with a high kick. Briones with a body kick. Body kick and punch by Garbrandt. Garbrandt dropped him with a right, landed hard punches on the ground but Briones back up. Left by Briones. Briones hurt him with a left and tried a jumping kick but missed. Briones bleeding from the nose. . Head kick by Garbrandt. Garbrandt went for the takedown but didn’t get it. Hard left by Briones. Left by Garbrandt. Another combo by Garbrandt. Briones landed a right. Gardbrant’s round 20-18.
Third round: Slow open to the round. Garbrandt swinging and landing. Jumping knee by Garbrandt. Left by Garbrandt. Briones moving forward. Takedown by Garbrandt with 1:00 left. Jumping knee by Garbrandt. Right by Briones and left by Garbrandt. Both trading hard punches Great slugfest at the end. Garbrandt 30-27.
Scores: All have it 30-27 for Garbrandt
WELTERWEIGHTS: CATHAL PENDRED VS. JOHN HOWARD
First round: Pendred got a main eventer reaction from the Irish contingent. Pendred has him against the fence and throwing knees. Knee by Pendred. Howard wth a left. They were trading punches until Pendred pushed him into the fence. Pendred 10-9. Really this was a 10-10 by all rights because nobody ever had an advantage.
Second round: Howard landed an off balance left. The crowd is making a lot of noise. Howard landing a number of punches. Now the audience is turning on the fight. Actually they’re turning on the USA chant. Howard with more close range punches. Pedred throwing knees from close range. Howard with more short range punches. Howard landed a good flurry late. Howard’s round so 19-19 after two.
Third round: They tied up. Pendred landed some knees. Howard took him down and Pendred holding a guillotine. Howard escaped and on top. Pendred up. Howard with a right. Howard landed punches right at the end and probably stole the round. 29-28 Howard, but all three rounds were close.
Scores: 29-28 Howard 29-28 Pendred 29-28 Howard
WELTERWEIGHTS: MIKE SWICK VS. ALEX GARCIA
First round: Garcia took him down. Swick back up. Hard low kick by Swick. Garcia landed a nice right. Crowd dead here. Garcia 10-9.
Second round: Takedown by Garcia. Swick up. Garcia landed. Garcia throwing and landing some. Fans turning on the right. They were patient about it. Garcia took Swick down again. Garcia’s round 20-18.
Third round: Garcia with a right. Garcia took him down with a slam even though Swick momentarily grabbed the cage. Garcia in full mount. He tried an armbar at the finish but didn’t come close. But it was his round and should be an easy 30-27 score for Garcia.
Scores: 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 Garcia
WELTERWEIGHTS: MATT BROWN VS. TIM MEANS
First round: Means landed two lefts and another left. Brown tried a takedown but didn’t get it. Right by Brown. Eye poke by Brown. Brown dropped him with a right but Means back up. Brown with a left. Brown pushed him into the fence. Brown landed a few punches. Head kick by Brown. Brown landing more punches. Means went for a takedown and got stuffed. Brown took him down. Hard knee to the back by Brown. Means back up. Hard right by Brown. Means with punches and a high kick. Means nailed him with a left. Brown bleeding. Brown with two elbows. Means went for a takedown and Brown got the submission with a guillotine. Best action of the night.
MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT):
BANTAMWEIGHTS: BRAD PICKETT VS. THOMAS ALMEIDA
First round: Pickett landed some shots. Fans are singing. Nice body shot by Almeida but Pickett decked him on the counter. Pickett took him down. Pickett hurt him wiht a knee. Almeida tried an ankle lock. Pickett with a hard right. Almeida bleeding from the nose. This would be a huge upset (9-to1) if Pickett wins. Pickett landing some more. Almeida dropped Pickett and Pickett scrambled for a takedown. Almeida back up. Crowd going crazy here. Spinning elbow by Almeida. Pickett landed the left. Fans were chanting “Where the fuck is Aldo” really loud. Almeida has several cuts all over his face Almeida landed some shots as the round ended. Standing ovation, huge reaction as the round ended. Pickett 10-9.
Second round: Pickett short on a jumping knee. Almeida knocked him cold with a flying left knee to the face. That one is getting him $50,000 because it was a sick knockout.
WELTERWEIGHTS: GUNNAR NELSON VS. BRANDON THATCH
First round: Nelson landed several shots. Knees back and forth from close range. Low kick by Thatch. Nelson tried a takedown but was thrown off. Nelson clocked him with a left and right combination, the left was about to knock him down and the right caught him on the way down, got the mount and Thatch is in a world of trouble on the ground with this guy. Nelson in side control. Nelson back to full mount. He’s got 2:50 left. The crowd is singing as Nelson has his back. Nelson punching from that position. Nelson got the choke and Thatch had to tap out. 2:54
FEATHERWEIGHTS: DENNIS BERMUDEZ VS. JEREMY STEPHENS
First round: Stephens landed an uppercut and some follow ups that stumbled Bermudez. Bermudez back with a front kick. Bermudez landing punches Bermudez with a takedown. Blood is just streaming out of Stephens’ forehead like a faucet. Stephens escaped and got Bermudez’s back. Bermudez with a low kick and front kick. Both trading punches. Stephens bad cut is over the right eye. Stephens is a 7 on the Muta scale. Bermudez 10-9.
Second round: Trading punches and Stephens dropped him. Stephens with a knee and Bermudez back up. Stephens swinging hard. Bermduez landed a left to the jaw. Stephens took him off his feet with a low kick. Bermudez landed a wild right. Stephens dropped him with a left. Bermudez dropped him with a front kick. Bermudez in with puches. Left and knee by Stephens. Bermudez dropped him with a right but Stephens back up. This is the fight of the night. Knee by Stephens. They are just swinging away. Fantastic round. Everyone is standing. Hard round to score. Stephens 19-19
Third round: They showed Mike Tyson and the place went bananas. Traded kicks. Jumping right knee to the jaw by Stephens knocked him out. This was a match of the year caliber fight, great finish and can’t ask for a move dynamc finish.
They just did a new graphic before the two main events. It was a really cool deal. A lot of changes tonight, new style video and a remix of the UFC music. There are a few Canadian flags for MacDonald but maybe ten in all. Nothing like GSP, but MacDonald did get a real big reaction.
UFC WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: ROBBIE LAWLER(C) VS. RORY MACDONALD
First round: MacDonald with front kicks and a punch. USA chant. Lawler with a left and right. Body kick by MacDonald. Rory chant. Right by Rory. Another right by Rory. Body kick by MacDonakd. Head kick by Rory. Right by Rory. Body kick by Rory and right. Lawler threw but didn’t land. Slow round. Crowd starting to boo. Rory went for a takedown. Lawler sprawled and threw a knee. Body kick by Rory. Lawler threw a right that barely grazed him. Left by Lawler. MacDonald 10-9. Crowd booing the round.
Second round: Crowd booed Johny Hendricks on the screen. Both trading. No advantage. Body kick by Rory. Body shot by Rory. Good head kick by Rory. Best blow of the fight so far. Lawler landed a left which was his best blow. Right by Rory. Left and right by Lawler and Rory is bleeding Left and right by Lawler. Rory back. Rory with a right and left. Left by Lawler. This is getting good now. Rory’s face is a crimson mask. Both landing big shots. Lawler’s round 19-19. Crowd giving hem a big hand now.
Third round: Rory kick blocked by Lawler. USA chant. Both throwing, Lawler got the best shot Both trading again. Body kick by Lawler. Blood coming out of Rory’s mouth. He went for a takedown, almost had it but Lawler blocked and throwing punches and Lawler landed a punch as he got up. Head kick by Rory and body kick. Another head kick by Rory. Lawler short on his punches. Right by Rory. Another head kick by Rory. Lawler is hurt. Both throwing. Another head kick by Rory. Flying knee by Rory. Rory taking him apart with 15 seconds left. Uppercut by Rory. Rory’s round. The bell may have saved Lawler 29-28 Rory.
Fourth round: Crowd going nuts now. Head kick and punches by Rory. Body kick. Head kicks and elbows by Rory. More head kicks and elbows by Rory. Slowing down now. Another head kick by Rory. These blows were partially blocked. Right by Lawler. Body kick by Lawler and he threw a right. Lawler bleeding from the mouth. Head kick. Traded big punches. Rory with two punches, Rory went for a takedown, couldn’t get it and Lawler blasted him. Both guys are covered in blood now. Rory with a right. Blood is flying everywhere. This is a killer fight for drama at this point. Head kick by Rory. Rory’s round 39-37.
Fifth round: Lawler landed a few shots. Trading punches. Rory with a head kick and body kick. Lalwer hurt him with a punch. Lawler landed a left to the nose and Rory couldn’t see and he went down. Lawler landed punches on the ground and it was stopped. Fantastic fight. Match of the year candidate. 1:00
Lawler did an interview, it wasn’t smooth but he showed a ton of passion and heart and the place went nuts for him. An incredible performance by Lawler coming back from near defeat in the third.
INTERIM UFC FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: CHAD MENDES VS. CONOR MCGREGOR
First round: Jeez, I’m nervous for these guys that’s how much pressure there is in this place. This is one of the biggest pops in UFC history. Mendes booed out of the place. The Americas can’t compete with the Irish tonight. There is intensity in the crowd like few fights in history. McGregor threw a knee and was taken down. Mendes blasted him but couldn’t get the second takedown. Mendes mssed on a wild punch. Spin kick to the body by Conor. Left by Conor. Right by Chad. Left by Conor. Spin kick by Conor. Traded punches. Head kick by Conor. Head kick by Conor. Head kick by Mendes and a right and a left. Conor took his best shots. Spin kick by Conor but Mendes back with punches. Takedown by Mendes. Hard punches by Mendes and Conor is bleeding. Conor up. Mendes with a right. Body kick by Conor. Body shot by Conor. Hard left by Conor and a right by Chad. Uppercut by Chad. Body kick by Conor and a right. Another takedown by Chad. .He moved to side control as the round ended. Mendes 10-9
Second round; Loud Conor chant. They traded punches. Body kick by Conor. Takedown by Mendes. Mendes on top. Hard elbow by Chad. Punch by Chad. Crowd still going crazy for Conor. Another elbow. Another elbow. Crowd starting to boo as Conor is being held down. . Conor throwing hard elbows from the bottom. Another punch by Chad. Another punch by Chad. More punches by Chad. Hard punches by Chad. Crowd booing at this point because Conor isn’t getting up. Chad went for a guillotine and Conor scrambled and got to his feet. Conor up and landing punches and kicks. Chad fired back with hard shots but Conor took all of them. Conor started hurting Mendes with punches and Mendes is in trouble. A left put Mendes down and and finished him right before the end of the round it was over. 4:57
The scene was amazing. In more ways than one this was a landmark night in UFC history. It was an incredible last six fights and the production of the show was at a level they’ve never approached before. And they may have the biggest star in their history and you can no longer argue that he’s not the real deal.
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale: Ellenberger vs. Thompson weigh-ins from the UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada kicking off at 4 PM eastern time. The event airs on Saturday on FOX Sports 1 at 9 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 6:30 PM eastern time before moving over to FOX Sports 1 at 7 PM eastern time. This marks the conclusion of the 21st American edition of The Ultimate Fighter and the end of International Fight Week in Las Vegas.
The event will be headlined by a five-round welterweight bout as #9 ranked fighter Jake Ellenberger looks for his second straight win when he takes on Stephen Thompson, who puts his four-fight win streak on the line in the biggest test of his career in his first main event. The finals of TUF 21, which featured American Top Team against the Blackzilians, is in the co-main event of the night as American Top Team representative Hayder Hassan takes on Blackzilian representative Kamaru Usman. Also on the card is a welterweight contest between Jorge Masvidal and Cezar Ferreira, and the UFC debut of Michelle Waterson.
Jorge Masvidal missed weight, coming in at 172.5, 1.5 pounds over the welterweight limit. That was interesting as Masvidal was moving up to the welterweight division after years of competing as a lightweight, and he openly talked about how he had to cut such little weight to make 171 pounds, even being at just 173 pounds over a week ago. Maximo Blanco also missed weight, weighing in at 148.5, 2.5 pounds over the featherweight limit.
MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 9 PM ET/6 PM PT):
Jake Ellenberger (170.5) vs. Stephen Thompson (170.5) Kamaru Usman (170.5) vs. Hayder Hassan (170.5) Michael Graves (170.5) vs. Vicente Luque (171) Jorge Masvidal (172.5) vs. Cezar Ferreira (171) Angela Magana (115.5) vs. Michelle Waterson (115) Maximo Blanco (148.5) vs. Mike De La Torre (145.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 7 PM ET/4 PM PT):
Josh Samman (186) vs. Caio Maglahaes (185) Russell Doane (135.5) vs. Jerrod Sanders (136) Dan Miller (184) vs. Trevor Smith (185.5) George Sullivan (170.5) vs. Dominic Waters (171)
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor weigh-ins from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada kicking off at 7 PM eastern time. The event airs on Saturday on pay-per-view at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 7 PM eastern time before moving over to FOX Sports 1 at 8 PM eastern time. International Fight Week is upon us with the biggest UFC event of the year and first of two events this weekend.
The event will be headlined by two title fights. The Interim UFC Featherweight Championship is up for grabs in the main event as longtime contender Chad Mendes steps in for the injured champion, Jose Aldo, to take on Irish superstar Conor McGregor, who is looking to grab the gold and the fight against Aldo in front of a record-setting crowd for an event in Las Vegas. The co-main event features the UFC Welterweight Championship on the line as Robbie Lawler makes his first title defense against Rory MacDonald in a rematch from UFC 167 in November 2013, a bout won by Lawler.
MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT):
Chad Mendes (144.5) vs. Conor McGregor (145) Robbie Lawler (169.5) vs. Rory MacDonald (170) Dennis Bermudez (146) vs. Jeremy Stephens (149.5) Gunnar Nelson (169.5) vs. Brandon Thatch (170.5) Brad Pickett (136) vs. Thomas Almeida (136 with sunglasses)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):
Matt Brown (171) vs. Tim Means (171) Mike Swick (170.5) vs. Alex Garcia (171) Cathal Pendred (171) vs. John Howard (170.5) Cody Garbrandt (136) vs. Henry Briones (136)
Neil Seery (125.5) vs. Louis Smolka (126) Yosdenis Cedeno (155) vs. Cody Pfister (156)
NOTES FROM BRYAN:
They had a legit turnaway crowd of 10,000. People were being turned away at least 20 minutes before the weigh-ins began. Dave Meltzer said he’s never seen anything at a weigh-in like the atmosphere this evening.
Great moment where the biggest weigh-ins of all time for UFC began and nobody was there to weigh the guys in. Took him a good 60 seconds to be found.
Pfister looked 16 years old or so.
Seery, an Irishman, was super over. Rogan said it felt more like we were in Dublin than Las Vegas.
The weigh-in guy was loudly yelling at everyone to keep their arms down, no posing, nothing. I guess when you lift your arms, you weigh less.
The new video wall is pretty awesome.
Mike Swick is, in fact, back in the UFC.
Conor was super over since everyone in Ireland flew over for this show. Mendes was booed a lot.
Rogan pushed Tim Means vs. Matt Brown as potentially Fight of the Night. It’s the FS1 main event.
Gunnar Nelson stood on the scale looking like he was on his way to a funeral. Then he made weight with plenty to spare.
Stephens also looked like he was heading to a funeral and then he missed weight by 3.5 pounds. OOPS.
Kind of amazing to think that Rory MacDonald, GSP’s protege, is once again attempting to win the UFC Welterweight Title, and there was hardly a peep about it going into this show because it was all Conor all the time. I suppose after his last performance against Robbie it’s hard to get that excited.
Rory did a promo and said he really felt like this would be his moment. Lawler said was the man, he was gonna knock his ass out, and thanks for coming.
Conor called him an “overblown midget” and said tomorrow he was going to raise gold for his country. Mendes was in quite the jovial mood. “THIS IS FUCKING AWESOME MAN, LOOK AT THIS SHIT, WHOO! IT’S TIME TO TAKE WHAT’S MINE, BABY!”
We will have two shows coming for subscribers in the next 12 hours — a Wrestling Observer Radio live from our website convention party, and a Dave Meltzer Q&A from after our banquet. Sign up now, and then join us later for two huge shows, and then for UFC 189 tomorrow!
Dana White announced today at the UFC Fan Expo that UFC 200 will take place on July 2, 2016 at the new 20,000-seat MGM Arena that will be located across the street from the current MGM Grand Garden Arena. It will be the first UFC show at the new arena.
So for those making plans the 2016 web site convention will be from June 30, 2016 to July 3, 2016,
UFC launches a transformed visual identity, from its signature logo
mark to its broadcast package, ahead of UFC 189: MENDES vs. MCGREGOR
Las Vegas – As the doors swing open on the 2015 UFC Fan Expo®, UFC® will unveil a completely transformed visual identity – the first since the mixed martial arts (MMA) organization was purchased by Zuffa, LLC in 2001. The biggest transformation will be experienced by fans watching UFC® 189: MENDES vs. MCGREGOR this Saturday, with the launch of a completely redesigned graphics package.
UFC’s new visual identity, designed in partnership with Hollywood-based branding and marketing agency Troika, celebrates the UFC position as an undeniable force in the world of sport. It further brings to life the UFC brand attributes: premium, electric and lionhearted, while also elevating UFC athletes as larger-than-life heroes.
The broadcast will feature innovations throughout the on-screen information system, enabling depth of storytelling while enhancing the viewing experience with a low profile footprint that does not distract from the action in the famed Octagon®. UFC also moves to center clock in broadcast – a first in combat sports.
“UFC has and always will be true to its DNA,” UFC Chief Global Brand Officer Garry Cook said. “We didn’t set out to reinvent ourselves, we looked at ways to build on our solid foundation and better deliver on a broad range of storytelling components, providing more context and meaning, and further enhancing the viewing experience for our fans.”
With an increasing slate of content available across a wide range of platforms, design elements where heavily focused on providing navigational clarity and product differentiation for fans. The newly designed logo architecture and brand signatures, which include an ownable tab system utilized across all UFC properties, will be especially prominent in marketing and promotional materials serving to distinguish Pay-Per-View (PPV) events from broadcast and those exclusive to UFCFIGHTPASS.com.
For a full look at the transformed UFC broadcast identity tune-in on Saturday, July 11 as UFC 189: MENDES vs. MCGREGOR goes live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
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Welcome to our live coverage of Invicta from the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas with three title fights, headlined by Cris Cyborg Justino.
Marina Shafir (1-1) vs. Amber Leibrock (0-0), featherweights
First round: Both trading punches. Leibrock decked her and pounded her out on the gorund in less than a minute. This MMA thing isn’t going well for Marina. She was probably the second biggest name in the company except for Cyborg. :37
Jamie Moyle (2-0) vs. Amy Montengero (6-1), strawweights
First round: Moyle pushed her against the fence. Both throwing knee in the clinch. Moyle landed punches and a front kick. Now both throwing knees. Moyle took her down and has her back. She’s working for a choke. Montenegro got to the top when Moyle failed opusn a submission attempt. Moyle went for an armbar and Montenegro with a short power bomb to get out of it. Montenegro with some elbows. Takedown by Moyle and she got back to the top with an ankle pick. Moyle with punches. Knee by Moyle. Moyle 10-9. Good round.
Second round: Moyle landed a right. Both throwing. Motegegro landing more. Montenegro keeps landing. Moyle with low kicks. Nice right by Moyle. Body kick by Moyle. In a clinch. Knee by Moyle. Knees by Montenegro from the clinch. Takedown by Moyle. Moyle with good punches on the ground but Montenegro up. Hard elbows by Montenegro. Montenegro’s round so 19-19.
Third round: Montenegro pushed her against the fence. Ref Kim Winslow broke the clinch. Lots of knees by Montengero. They are back in a clinch and more knees. Moyle now coming back but Montenegro grabbed a clinch and pushed her against the fence. Montengro with punches. Montenegro 29-28.
Scores: 29-28 Moyle 29-28 Montenegro 29-28 Moyle. Second and third rounds were close.
Amber Brown (4-1) vs. Catherine Costigan (5-0), atomweights
First round: Brown took her down into mount. Brown with punches and elbows. Brown landing more punches and elbows. Now Brown has her back. Brown throwing a lot of punches from the back position. She locked in the choke and it was over. Total one-sided fight. 3:34
Jessica-Rose Clark (5-1) vs Pannie Kianzad (7-0), bantamweights
First round: Kianzad got behind her. Now they are clinched. Kianzad landing well. Takedown by Kianzad. Kianzad 10-9.
Second round: Both throwing but Kianzad is crisper and landing strong. Body shot and a knee by Kianzad. Now Kianzad has her pushed against the fence and took her down. Kianzad now in side control. Kianzad tried a triangle, lost it and Clark got on top. Kianzad reversed back to the top immediately. Now Clark working for a triangle. Clark working for an armbar but Kianzad out. Kianzad sat on her and threw punches. Kianzad 20-18.
Third round: Kianzad landing strong punches early. Kianzad landing solid punches. Nice body shot by Kianzad. Hard right by Kianzad. Kianzad landing good punches. Clark wth a knee tot he body but keeps getting tagged coming in. Kianzad 30-27.
Scores: 30-27 across the board for Kianzad
Herica Tiburcio (9-2) vs. Ayaka Hamasaki (11-1) for the atomweight title
First round: Hamasaki much bigger. She moved in with punches. Tiburcio hurt her with punches and grabbed a guillotine from the top. She’s now in full mount. Tiburcio 10-9
Second round: Takedown by Hamasaki. Nothing much happening and Kim Winslow ordered a standup. Right by Hamasaki. Tiburcio went for a takedown but Hamasaki ended up on top. Winslow ordered another standup. Tiburcio grabbed a guillotine just as the round ended. Hamasaki’s round so 19-19.
Third round: Hamasaki with a takedown to start the round. Tiburcio working for a gogoplata from the bottom but not close. Hamasaki got another takedown. But Tiburcio turned Hamasaki over and had her back, with a body triangle. Hamasaki’s round 29-28.
Fourth round: Hamasaki with a takedown. Hamasaki throwing elbows to the ribs. Tiburcio working for a triangle from the bottom. Kim Winslow ordered another standup. Another takedown by Hamasaki. Hamasaki’s round 39-37.
Fifth round: Another takedown by Hamasaki. This is quite the boring fight. Hamasaki has her back. Hamasaki is more active throwing punches. Tiburcio up as Hamasaki slipped off. Hamasaki with a few punches and another takedown. Hamasaki 49-46, should win the title
Scores: 48-47 Tiburcio, 48-47 Hamasaki 49-46 Hamasaki to win the title
Irene Aldana (5-1) vs. Tonya Evinger (15-5) for the vacant bantamweight title
First round: Evinger with takedown. She threw some elbows to the face. Evinger has full mount. She’s throwing punches. Elbow by Evinger. Evinger has an armbar. Aldana squirming like a Japanese pro wrestling spot. The place went nuts when she escaped. Elbow by Evinger. Mexico chants for Aldana. Evinger pounding on her. Aldana reversed to the top in the closing seconds. Aldana bleeding. Crowd went pretty wild at the end of the round. 10-8 Evinger.
Second round: Right by Evinger. Evinger pushed her against the fence. Takedown by Evinger. Evinger just holding her down. Evinger’s round should be up 20-17.
Third round: Evinger slowing down. Evinger tried a hiptoss but didn’t get it. Takedown by Evinger. Evinger moved to full mount. Evinger with punches and elbows, More punches and elbows. Evinger went for an armbar as time ran out. Almost a 10-8 but not quite 30-26 for Evinger. Evinger threw up in her corner after the round.
Fourth round: Aldana with low kicks. Body kick by Aldana. Right by Evinger. Evinger tried a takedown and got behind Aldana on the ground dragging her down. Evinger now in full mount. Evinger landing punches. More punches and elbows from the mount. The ref stopped the first chance he really had to do so as it was a constant one-sided beating but never enough for a stoppage until that point. 4:38
Cris Cyborg Justino (13-1) vs. Faith Van Duin (5-1) for the featherweight title
First round: Cyborg clocked her off a clinch. She’s lighting her up, took her down, was pounding her on the ground and it was stopped. This was a slaughter. :45
The most-recent edition of The Ultimate Fighter wraps up this weekend with the finale live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, capping off International Fight Week. The 21st edition saw a change in format to a team-versus-team format with Florida bragging rights on the line as American Top Team and the Blackzilians squared off. We will see the finals close out this season on Sunday night as FOX Sports 1 airs the main card at 9 PM eastern time. Preliminary action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 6:30 PM eastern time before moving over to FOX Sports 1 at 7 PM eastern time.
The main event of the card will be a five-round welterweight bout between long-time contender Jake Ellenberger and rising contender Stephen Thompson, who will be looking to notch the biggest win of his career. In the finals of TUF 21, it will be Hayder Hassan representing American Top Team against Kamaru Usman, representing the Blackzilians. Also on the card is the UFC debut of “The Karate Hottie”, Michelle Waterson. Let’s dive deeper into the fight card and look at five storylines to watch for at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale.
1. Can Stephen Thompson score the biggest win of his career?
The headline bout for The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale will be a welterweight contest between perennial top-ten ranked 170-pounder Jake Ellenberger and rising contender Stephen Thompson, who will be looking to break into the rankings with a big win in the main event. Thompson is the winner of four straight bouts, and he has won ten of eleven fights in his career. His only career loss came to another perennial top-ten ranked welterweight in Matt Brown back at UFC 145 in April 2012. Thompson has been limited to just four fights in the three-plus years since then, but he has been impressive in those four wins.
Ellenberger rebounded from a tough stretch of three straight losses with a second-round submission win over Josh Koscheck at UFC 184 in February. Ellenberger was close to title contention before a July 2013 loss to Rory MacDonald, and back-to-back stoppage losses to Robbie Lawler and Kelvin Gastelum put him in a position to possibly be fighting for his Octagon future. Ellenberger has to beat Thompson if he has any hopes of getting back into that title picture.
Thompson is a gifted striker on his feet with excellent kickboxing skills. He has solid power and showing a good skillset in his win over Patrick Cote at UFC 178 in September, his highest-profile victory to date. He trains alongside Chris Weidman, so he will be at the top of his game. Ellenberger has strong hands and power, and he showed good submission skills to go with his stout wrestling. He is a tough match-up for Thompson and this has the potential to be a fireworks-filled fight, and is a solid five-round headliner. I like Thompson to take the victory in this fight.
2. Which team wins the finals of The Ultimate Fighter?
This 21st season of The Ultimate Fighter brought a new concept in that as opposed to coaches squaring off and up-and-coming fighters competing for a six-figure contract, it was a team against team battle as the Blackzilians and American Top Team squared off for bragging rights. It offered TUF something new and fresh, and there was a different quality to the show with the new format. It may have not garnered the highest ratings to date for the show, but it was something new-and-different that had some decent execution. Many of the fights may have left much to be desired, but it all comes to a head on Sunday night in the Octagon.
The finals will be contested between Kamaru Usman, representing the Blackzilians, and Hayder Hassan, representing American Top Team. Usman fought twice on the show, scoring two decision wins. Hassan fought three times, scoring one knockout win and two decision wins, and he got the win in the final episode to get ATT the $200,000 top prize as they had the most points. These two will be battling for a $300,000 prize, a Harley Davidson motorcycle and the TUF trophy. I like Usman in this fight as he has solid wrestling and good conditioning, and Hassan is someone who can take a beating but wears down easily.
3. Speaking of Blackzilians vs. American Top Team, who wins between Jorge Masvidal and Cezar Ferreira?
Jorge Masvidal represents American Top Team and Cezar Ferreira represents the Blackzilians, and they will give a little prelude to the ultimate team battle beforehand when they square off. This is an interesting match-up as Masvidal is moving up from the lightweight division and Ferreira is moving down from the middleweight division as they meet at 170 pounds. It is an interesting move for both as Masvidal was wearing himself down in trying to make 155 pounds, even coming close to missing weight in his last fight. Ferreira was huge at 185 pounds, and it will be interesting to see if he can even make weight on Saturday for Sunday’s bout.
Masvidal is coming off a closely contested split decision loss to Al Iaquinta in April that is more remembered now for Iaquinta’s post-fight tirade. Masvidal was unhappy about the loss, and it ended his three-fight win streak and his quest for title contention. Ferreira won the first TUF: Brazil, but has gone just 3-2 in his five fights since then, including losing two of his last three by first-round knockouts. Perhaps the change in divisions will benefit both men, but Masvidal should have the speed edge being the lighter fighter. Ferreira will have the power edge. I like Masvidal in this bout.
4. Can Michelle Waterson establish herself as a contender at 115 pounds?
“The Karate Hottie” Michelle Waterson is making her UFC debut on the main card as the former Invicta Atomweight Champion transitions over to the UFC and moves up to 115 pounds in the process. She won the Invicta Atomweight Championship when she defeated Jessica Penne, the most recent challenger for the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship, at Invicta FC 5 in April 2013, and she made one successful title defense before losing the title in December to Herica Tiburcio. That ended Waterson’s six-fight win streak and opened the door for her to move over to compete in the Octagon.
She gets a fight designed to build her up as she takes on Angela Magana. Magana has lost three straight fights and many thought she wouldn’t get another UFC fight after her loss to Tecia Torres in December, especially considering her brash Twitter personality. She seemingly was kept around to give Waterson a showcase win. Waterson might be a little undersized to compete at 115 pounds, but she should be able to make that up with her excellent skills. She trains at one of the best gyms in the world, the Greg Jackson team, and she is well-rounded and has scored ten of her twelve wins by stoppage. She should take care of Magana impressively.
5. What is there to keep an eye on in the preliminary card?
This is a short slate of preliminary action as the main card has six fights but the prelims feature just five fights. Darrell Montague and Willie Gates meet in a flyweight bout where both men could be fighting for their spot on the UFC roster. Montague has lost two straight and Gates is coming off a loss in his UFC debut. Maximo Blanco and Mike De La Torre meet in a featherweight bout as both look to keep win streaks alive. Trevor Smith looks to end a losing skid when he takes on Dan Miller, who returns to the Octagon after being out of action since March 2013. George Sullivan takes on the debuting Dominic Waters, who comes in on short notice for his UFC debut.
The highest-profile preliminary bout is a middleweight bout between Caio Magalhaes and Josh Samman. It is really surprising that this fight didn’t get put on the main card as both men are on win streaks heading into this fight. Magalhaes has won four straight fights, three of them by stoppage. Samman has won three straight, all by stoppage, and is coming in off an incredible head kick knockout of Eddie Gordon at UFC 181 in December that nabbed him a post-fight bonus. These two were scheduled to meet once before, and now they finally will and one man’s win streak will come to an end.
Full The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions
MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 9 PM ET/6 PM PT)
Welterweights: Jake Ellenberger vs. Stephen Thompson Betting Odds: Ellenberger (+180), Thompson (-220) Prediction: Thompson by knockout in round 3
Welterweights: Hayder Hassan vs. Kamaru Usman Betting Odds: Hassan (+145), Usman (-185) Prediction: Usman by decision
Welterweights: Michael Graves vs. Vicente Luque Betting Odds: Graves (-105), Luque (-135) Prediction: Graves by decision
Welterweights: Jorge Masvidal vs. Cezar Ferreira Betting Odds: Masvidal (-260), Ferreira (+220) Prediction: Masvidal by decision
Women’s Strawweights: Michelle Waterson vs. Angela Magana Betting Odds: Waterson (-600), Magana (+450) Prediction: Waterson by submission in round 2
Bantamweights: Russell Doane vs. Jerrod Sanders Betting Odds: Doane (-380), Sanders (+315) Prediction: Doane by knockout in round 1
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 7 PM ET/4 PM PT)
Flyweights: Darrell Montague vs. Willie Gates Betting Odds: Montague (-130), Gates (+110) Prediction: Montague by decision
Featherweights: Maximo Blanco vs. Mike De La Torre Betting Odds: Blanco (-145), De La Torre (+125) Prediction: Blanco by knockout in round 2
Middleweights: Caio Magalhaes vs. Josh Samman Betting Odds: Magalhaes (-145), Samman (+125) Prediction: Samman by knockout in round 2
Middleweights: Trevor Smith vs. Dan Miller Betting Odds: Smith (+110), Miller (-130) Prediction: Miller by submission in round 3
