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Category: UFC News

  • UFC 188 preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds and predictions

    By Ryan Frederick, WrestlingObserver.com

    The Octagon returns to Mexico City for the second time on Saturday night for their next pay-per-view offering, UFC 188, and the unification of the UFC Heavyweight Championship. The main card action comes at 10 PM eastern time, with a full preliminary slate beginning at 6:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before moving over to FX at 8 PM eastern time.

    UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez makes his return after almost twenty months out of action when he takes on Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum to unify the championships. The two have been jawing back-and-forth during fight week, and the fans in Mexico City are in hot anticipation of the bout as both are very popular in the country. In the co-main event, it will be a much anticipated lightweight bout between Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez. Let’s dive deeper into the fight card and find five storylines to keep an eye out for on Saturday night.

    1. Who walks away as the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion?

    UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon in Mexico City to face the Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum in the main event of UFC 188 to unify the championships. Velasquez hasn’t fought since his one-sided beating of Junior Dos Santos at UFC 166 in October 2013, a beating so bad that Dos Santos has only been able to fight once himself since then. Velasquez has had a myriad of injury issues over his career, and he came close to being stripped of the championship, and would have with one more injury, so an interim championship was made.

    That is where Werdum came in, and he defeated Mark Hunt at UFC 180 in November to become the interim champion. Werdum has two wins since Velasquez last fought, winning a number one contenders bout over Travis Browne in April 2014 before his win over Hunt. Werdum has won five straight fights and eight of his last nine. Velasquez has just one loss in his career, a flash knockout at the hands of Dos Santos, but he avenged that loss twice already. Werdum also has a loss at the hands of Dos Santos, who may be next in line depending on the outcome of this bout.

    Velasquez and Werdum were supposed to fight in November after coaching TUF: Latin America, but Velasquez’ injury prevented that. He comes in with a lot of potential ring rust, and the last time he had a layoff this long, he suffered his only career defeat. If he is injury free, he might be the best fighter on the planet, and he is a machine inside the Octagon. On paper, its a tough match-up for Werdum, but Werdum is too big of an underdog to be doubted. Werdum has submission skills unlike anyone Velasquez has ever fought, but at the same time, Velasquez is a different kind of fighter than anyone Werdum has fought. This fight favors Velasquez to walk away as the undisputed champion, and should make for an entertaining main event.

    2. Who wins the long-awaited bout between Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez? 
    Former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez and former Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez will finally square off in a long-awaited bout that has been years in the making when they meet in the co-main event on Saturday night. Back when there was talk of them fighting while they were in different promotions, no one knew when and where they would or could fight, and no one expected it to be years down the road and inside the Octagon. Both men are looking to get themselves back in the hunt for gold at 155 pounds, and a win gets the victor on the right path, and the loser may never get themselves back on track.

    Melendez has fought twice for the UFC Lightweight Championship, which is astonishing since he has had just 3 UFC bouts. He lost a close decision to Benson Henderson, a fight that many thought he won, but came back and defeated Diego Sanchez before being submitted by then-champion Anthony Pettis in December, the only time Melendez has been finished in his career. Alvarez would’ve fought for the title had he beaten Donald Cerrone in his UFC debut, but he came up just short, and now looks to make a fresh run as he got any Octagon jitters he may have had out of the way.

    They should have an excellent fight. Both men bring it all and are known for exciting bouts. They both have power, good wrestling and good submissions, and both men can easily go the full distance, even in the higher altitude of Mexico City. It is a close fight on both paper and in the odds. Both men might not be as great as they were when they were once rumored to fight, but they may also be better than their last performances indicate. I favor Alvarez just a little bit, I think he’s long been a slightly better fighter, and with his first UFC performance done with, I expect him to bounce back and win here.

    3. How will Kelvin Gastelum fare as a middleweight? 
    Kelvin Gastelum will be making his return to 185 pounds when he takes on Nate Marquardt on the main card. Gastelum won TUF 17 as a middleweight, but he went to what was thought to be his natural class of 170 pounds following his victory over Uriah Hall. He then ran into some issues making weight, but it seemed to happen when he wasn’t working with nutritionist Mike Dolce. He had trouble making weight for a fight against Rick Story, but ultimately made it. He then missed weight for his bout against Nico Musoke, but came back to make weight easy for his fight against Jake Ellenberger the last time the UFC was in Mexico City, and it was the best performance of his career when he won by submission.

    Then came UFC 183 in January. It was a chance for Gastelum to possibly get a title contenders’ bout as he took on Tyron Woodley. Gatselum missed weight by nine pounds, prompting UFC President Dana White to announce he was being forced to move up for his next fight. He also lost for the first time in his career to Woodley as he dropped a split decision. Gastelum has talked about his desire to move back down to welterweight following this fight, but he is likely going have to earn the trust of the UFC brass again in order to move back down to 170 pounds.

    He gets a match-up against UFC veteran Nate Marquardt on the main card on Saturday night. Marquardt is someone who spent a little time fighting at 170 pounds, but moved back up to 185 pounds as he felt more comfortable there. Marquardt is just 1-4 in his last five fights and is entering the backend of his career. Gastelum should be able to get the win here, but Marquardt is a tough veteran who will be fighting for the 50th time in his career. Gastelum is younger, faster and has good power, and Marquardt’s chin is going by the day. This is Gastelum’s fight to lose.

    4. Can Henry Cejudo fight his way into a title fight?

    Olympic medalist Henry Cejudo makes his third Octagon appearance on Saturday night in the featured preliminary bout when he takes on Chico Camus. Cejudo is being built up for a title fight, and if he were to notch his first UFC finish, he may pass John Dodson in the pecking order and get the next title fight. That should be plenty of motivation for Cejduo, not to mention fighting in front of the Mexican crowd, as he comes from a Mexican heritage. Cejduo fights for the second time at 125 pounds in the UFC, and it is his second chance to show he can make that weight cut down to flyweight.

    He has a tough opponent in Camus, who fights for the second time at 125 pounds as well, and is coming off an impressive victory over Brad Pickett in November. Camus has had mixed success in the Octagon and Cejudo is the toughest challenge he has had to date. Cejudo hasn’t shown his wrestling skills, preferring to keep the fight standing and throwing punches. Camus will be a game opponent and Cejudo will probably need to mix in his wrestling. If Cejudo can get the takedowns and score a stoppage win, he might just cement himself as the next challenger for Demetrious Johnson.

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

    This is a solid card shaping up in Mexico City with a lot of Mexican stars looking for good performances. TUF Latin America winner Yair Rodriguez will meet Charles Rosa in a solid featherweight bout on the main card. Both men are solid prospects and each have just one loss in their career. Opening the main card on pay-per-view is a women’s strawweight bout between undefeated fighters Tecia Torres and Angela Hill. Both are young in their careers, but as the 115-pound division expands, both will be looking to move up the rankings, and someone will be leaving with their first career loss.

    In preliminary action, the other TUF Latin America winner, Alejandro Perez, will meet Patrick Williams in a bantamweight bout. Undefeated lightweight Francisco Trevino looks to avoid his first loss when he meets Johnny Case, who has won ten straight fights. And, inexplicably put on the UFC Fight Pass portion of the card, welterweights Augusto Montano and Cathal Pendred meet. Montano had a big win in the Mexico City debut to improve to 15-1 in his career, and Pendred is unbeaten in his past eleven fights.

    Full UFC 188 Fight Card, Betting Odds & Predictions

    MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)

    UFC Heavyweight Championship Unification: Cain Velasquez(c) vs. Fabricio Werdum(ic)
    Betting Odds: Velasquez (-525), Werdum (+415)
    Prediction: Velasquez by knockout in round 2

    Lightweights: Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez
    Betting Odds: Melendez (-175), Alvarez (+155)
    Prediction: Alvarez by decision

    Middleweights: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nate Marquardt
    Betting Odds: Gastelum (-500), Marquardt (+400)
    Prediction: Gastelum by knockout in round 1

    Featherweights: Yair Rodriguez vs. Charles Rosa
    Betting Odds: Rodriguez (+190), Rosa (-230)
    Prediction: Rosa by decision

    Women’s Strawweights: Tecia Torres vs. Angela Hill
    Betting Odds: Torres (-300), Hill (+250)
    Prediction: Torres by decision

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FX- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

    Flyweights: Henry Cejudo vs. Chico Camus
    Betting Odds: Cejudo (-1100), Camus (+700)
    Prediction: Cejudo by decision

    Lightweights: Efrain Escudero vs. Drew Dober
    Betting Odds: Escudero (+135), Dober (-155)
    Prediction: Dober by submission in round 3

    Bantamweights: Alejandro Perez vs. Patrick Williams
    Betting Odds: Perez (-165), Williams (+145)
    Prediction: Perez by knockout in round 2

    Lightweights: Francisco Trevino vs. Johnny Case
    Betting Odds: Trevino (+335), Case (-420)
    Prediction: Case by decision

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT)

    Welterweights: Augusto Montano vs. Cathal Pendred
    Betting Odds: Montano (-160), Pendred (+140)
    Prediction: Montano by decision

    Featherweights: Gabriel Benitez vs. Clay Collard
    Betting Odds: Benitez (+215), Collard (-255)
    Prediction: Collard by decision

    Welterweights: Albert Tumenov vs. Andrew Todhunter
    Betting Odds: Tumenov (-450), Todhunter (+360)
    Prediction: Tumenov by knockout in round 1

  • UFC ‘Ultimate Fighter’ June 10 TV results & recap: Hayder Hassan vs. Felipe Portela

    By Steve Juon, Wrestling Observer

    Previously on TUF: The Blackzilians are now up 200-50 after Vicente Luque submitted Nathan Coy in the third round.

    The Blackzilians choose Felipe Portela for the eighth fight and final bout of the second round that’s worth 50 points. Glenn Robinson: “We wanted to finish with the guy with the biggest mustache.” Portela talks about how he left everything behind in Brazil, and how his wife has been supporting his dream, “but now it’s my time.”

    American Top Team’s Michael Graves believes they can still win. Nathan Coy thinks it’s in poor taste that the Blackzilians keep goofing off after their wins. Tyrone Spong comes to the house to give his ‘Zilians a pep talk. Luque: “It’s great that I could bring another win, and we gotta keep that up.”

    Kamaru Usman: “Coy is a seasoned veteran. Luque executed his strategy to a tee.” Carrington Banks: “They want to catch us with a match-up and we don’t care who we get.” Spong: “Keep snatching their souls one by one just like that.”

    Dan Lambert and American Top Team are trying to figure out how to get back on track. Dana White: “He has to pick the most f*cking ferocious animal he has in the gym.” White says they’re in danger of being mathematically eliminated before the show even ends. Therefore they’re going back to the well and using Hayder Hassan to get a second W for the team.

    Hassan: “I told them put me back in there for every single fight.” Lambert: “He walked the walk when he got his opportunity.” Hassan: “I’m too skilled to go out there and not represent my team. I don’t care if you think we’re broken. Put me in the cage and I’ll knock everyone out. I’ll knock the confidence out of your brains.” Commercial.

    Weigh ins: 170.25 for Hassan. Portela is 170 even. Here’s the interesting thing – these two have ALREADY fought. Hassan beat him back at Titan FC 31 with a first round TKO. Matt Mitrione gives the Blackzilians motivation and says if you stomp this one out, they can’t possibly come back from it. UFC pads the show with a bunch of filler so the fight doesn’t start until 10:35 ET.

    * Felipe Portela (Blackzilians) vs. Hayder Hassan (American Top Team)

    Hassan is in the blue trunks and Portela the back. Portela gets a takedown in the first five seconds but Hassan gets right up. Portela clings to his back and Hassan complains about a low blow knee. The ref gives Portela a warning but also tells Hassan to let go of the cage. Hassan finally pushes free at 1:05. He’s throwing lots of lefts. Portela gets a single leg but can’t keep Hassan down. Hassan is bobbing and weaving and firing combos with confidence.

    Portela is covering up a lot but some strikes are getting through. Hassan keeps backing him up. Portela tries to keep him at distance with kicks. Portela is begging Hassan to bring it with 55 seconds left. That’s a bad idea. Hassan unloads on him with 28 seconds left. Portela is backing up eating shots until the horn. 10-9 round for Hassan.

    Portela’s corner is pouring water over his head and telling him not to back up any more. “Mix it up!” Hassan’s corner is telling him it’s time to land a big combo and get the knockout. Portela didn’t take their advice – he’s still backing up. Hassan connects with three straight lefts. Portela finally throws a good right hook and a few kicks. Hassan is undeterred. Portela’s hands and arms have to be sore from all the strikes he’s tried to block.

    His left eye is getting swollen up. For every one shot Portela gets, Hassan gets three. Hassan lands a big combo at 3:27. ATT is chanting louder than the Blackzilians in their own gym. Hassan isn’t slowing down. 40 seconds left in R2 and he’s pouring it on. Portela gets a takedown with 10 seconds left but Hassan jumps up IMMEDIATELY. I suspect after the break Hassan gets a unanimous decision.

    With six minutes of TV time left there’s not going to be a third round. The judges have scored it 20-18, 19-19, 20-18 for Hassan by majority decision. American Top Team narrows the lead by 50 points and regains control of the home gym.

    It will be 200-100 next week and the final round of fights are worth 100 points each so it’s all new again. See you then!

  • UFC Column: Why Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson exposes the UFC’s greed and laziness

    Image: UFC.com

    By Will Cooling for WrestlingObserver.com

    With the announcement that Daniel Cormier next defends his ‘world title’ against Alexander Gustafsson, there’s one question above all others that needs answering – why does the UFC need to keep giving title shots to people who lost their last fight?

    It’s not as if this was always the case. In the first five years of their TUF-fueled boom, the UFC gave title shots to three men who were coming off losses, but by my count since the start of 2010, they have announced fourteen title matches involving someone who had not won their last match.

    Some of these didn’t happen but most did. What explanation is there for this trebling of such instances? The promotion has more fighters than ever before so a lack of fighter depth shouldn’t be an issue, and with increased television rights fees and greater live ticket sales, they’re less dependent on pay per view than ever before.

    The only explanation: something has gone wrong with their booking.

    Look back at those three instances between 2005 and 2009. Two of them were due to the UFC reintegrating fighters who had been fighting in Japan. Dan Henderson’s status as a double-weight world champion led to him being booked in back-to-back unification matches with the then-UFC champions. Meanwhile, BJ Penn substituting for an injured Georges St. Pierre after losing to GSP in his previous fight was karmic as it was only Penn’s odd demand to first face St. Pierre upon his return that stopped the UFC booking the rematch with Matt Hughes that everyone else wanted to see.

    There were no such promotional politics surrounding Randy Couture challenging Tim Sylvia for the UFC heavyweight title. Couture was brought out of retirement simply due to Sylvia bombing on top as champion and the division as a whole lacking credible challengers. It was unquestionably the right match to make at the time but equally there’s no escaping it was also a damning testament to the complete failure of both the fighters and the promotion to make fans care about the division.

    It’s clear that today’s light heavyweight division is a similar disaster zone.

    When Ryan Bader is the contender with the longest winning streak, there’s no denying the division has problems. But to match a champion who’s best known for being completely outclassed by the man whose belt he’s wearing against someone who last time out got knocked out in three minutes is to invite ridicule. And if a title is seen as ridiculous then it may as well not exist. Rather than praise the UFC booking team for making Cormier/Gustafsson, we should condemn them for the mess they’ve made of what was once their marquee division.

    The UFC finds itself in a corner due to not thinking through the consequences of the matches it books. By booking Gustafsson vs. Johnson back in January, the UFC ensured that a challenger both marketable and credible would receive a damaging loss. They did this because they prioritised eking out the highest viewing figures possible for FOX. Now imagine if they had kept one eye on their medium-term interests. They could have kept the two hottest challengers to Jones away from each other by putting Gustafsson against Bader. Yes, this may have secured a marginally less impressive rating but it would have kept both Gustafsson and Johnson on the road to a title shot. By greedily sacrificing a legitimate contender for one night’s ratings, they hurt their pay per view business for the rest of the year.

    Their handling of Alexander Gustafsson also shows the promotion’s laziness.

    If you remember last year, many people were annoyed that the Swede was to be quickly rematched against Jones due to believing that Cormier was the more worthwhile challenger. The argument from those who defended the move was that the legend of his fight with Jones was so great that even though Cormier had a long, impressive winning streak that it was Gustafsson who would do the better business. This argument for running with a pat-hand was exposed as the unthinking conservatism it was by how effectively Cormier promoted the fight after Gustafsson withdrew due to injury.

    This should not have been a surprise considering that Cormier is easily the most charismatic fighter in the division and had long been cutting great promos on Jones. Of course, we’re meant to forget that the same arguments being used for not giving Bader a chance are exactly the same that were used against booking the biggest money fight of the year so far.

    Like Cormier back in 2014, Bader isn’t a bigger star than Gustafsson. But whereas Gustafsson has never shown any aptitude or interest in hyping his fights, Bader has been pushing himself into the limelight like never before. He spectacularly built on his grudge with Cormier by gatecrashing the new ‘champion’s’ post-victory press conference, something that has now been seen by more than a million people on YouTube. It’s the type of platform that back in 2009 the UFC would have tried to use to build a superstar.

    Combat sports matchmaking is an art not a science. So, of course, there will always be odd situations that necessitate instant rematches or letting the more marketable fighter jump the queue despite them having lost their last fight. But Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson is neither of these. It’s the logical result of a company too greedy to book matches with the slightest consideration for anything other than its short-term interests and too lazy to put the extra work in to maximise the potential of fighters that have yet to be given the chance to headline. This is not admirable matchmaking but in fact the same toxic mix of hotshotting and conservativism that we all condemn when we see it in the WWE.

    Will Cooling is a regular contributor to Fighting Spirit Magazine, the UK’s biggest and best pro-wrestling monthly, available worldwide through its Apple and Android App. In this month’s issue, he reviewed Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao and recent UFC Events. FSM is available in all good British newsagents and internationally. He also blogs on politics and sports at It Could Be Said.

  • How to see the replay of UFC New Orleans

    Last night’s UFC show from New Orleans, headlined by Dan Henderson vs. Tim Boetsch, which was one of the most explosive and exciting shows in company history, will be replayed today from noon to 5 p.m. Eastern time/9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific on Fox Sports 2.

  • UFC Fight Night 68: Boetsch vs. Henderson live results and coverage

    By Ryan Frederick, WrestlingObserver.com

    Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 68: Boetsch vs. Henderson. We are live cageside at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The event, headlined by a five-round middleweight bout between Tim Boetsch and Dan Henderson, airs on FOX Sports 1, with preliminary action beginning on UFC Fight Pass before moving over to FOX Sports 1. While you wait on the action to begin, check out our preview of the event HERE and coverage of the weigh-ins HERE.

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 7 PM ET/4 PM PT):

    BANTAMWEIGHTS: JOSE QUINONEZ VS. LEONARDO MORALES

    ROUND 1: Morales missed weight for this bout by a pound. Morales with a series of kicks as they come out swinging. They connect and clinch against the fence. Quinonez looking for a takedown off a body lock. Good defense by Morales. Quinonez gets the takedown and into side control. Quinonez moves into the half-guard and looks to pass and goes back to side control. Quinonez spins and takes the back of Morales and looks for the choke. He has it locked in but lets go and Morales is out. Quinonez gets it locked back in and is looking to finish and he gets the tap! Quinonez with the submission win.

    Official Result: Jose Quinonez def. Leonardo Morales by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:34 of Round 1

    MIDDLEWEIGHTS: RICARDO ABREU VS. JAKE COLLIER

    ROUND 1: Collier with a jab to start. They trade a flurry against the fence and Collier lands a big leg kick and a front kick. Collier with the jab. Abreu lands a nice combo and Collier misses an uppercut. They exchange against the fence and Abreu lands a big kick and knee before a break. Collier with a leg kick. Abreu lands a big right hand and they tie up. They break. Collier with a combo and they trade punches against the fence. They trade leg kicks. Abreu with a nice combination. They trade punches and Abreu with a leg kick. Collier with a leg kick and a high kick. Collier with a body kick and they clinch and he lands a knee. Abreu ducks a punch and ties up but misses a big right hand on the break. Abreu with a leg kick. They trade punches and Collier lands a head kick. Collier with a left hook to the body and then two body kicks. They trade punches. Abreu with a high kick and Collier lands a leg kick and stumbles to a clinch to end the round. 10-9 Collier.

    ROUND 2: They trade punches. Collier with a big head kick. Collier misses a left hand. Abreu with a front kick to the face. Collier fires back some kicks. They trade punches and Abreu with a body kick. They trade again. Collier with a combo ending with a body kick. They trade punches. They trade again and Abreu misses a big right hand. Both firing away with shots. They trade again. Abreu looks for a takedown but it is defended as they move against the fence. Big knee from Abreu. They each land body shots. They break. Collier with a combo but Abreu fires back a big right hand. Collier lands a flush right hand. Abreu with a big head kick. Abreu with a combo and then scores a takedown. Abreu works from the guard and lands punches from the top. Abreu with body punches from the top. Abreu works from top to end the round. 10-9 Abreu, 19-19.

    ROUND 3: They come out swinging quickly. Collier pushes Abreu back with a teet kick. Collier misses a combo. Collier lands a high kick. Abreu lands a big right hand and a leg kick and then scores a takedown. Abreu moves to the back and has the body lock. Collier works to his feet. They break. They battle with an exchange and Abreu lands a big head kick. Collier with a combo. They trade punches. Collier misses a leg kick. Abreu is bleeding. Abreu misses a takedown but scores on one right after. Collier with punches around the head as Abreu has the body locked. Collier gets to his feet and they are tied up against the fence. They break. Collier with a combo ending with a body kick. Abreu with a big left hand. Abreu with a leg kick and they trade punches. Collier with a big body kick. Collier with an uppercut but Abreu fires back a combo. They trade numerous punches to end the fight and get a big reaction from the crowd. 10-9 Abreu, 29-28 Abreu.

    Official Result: Jake Collier def. Ricardo Abreu by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):

    LIGHTWEIGHTS: JOE PROCTOR VS. JUSTIN EDWARDS

    ROUND 1: Proctor with a leg kick to start. He lands another. They trade and Edwards lands some big punches and a knee in the clinch. They trade knees. Edwards working for the takedown. Edwards with some elbows and they break. Proctor lands a big right hand. They trade and Edwards lands a head kick and drops for the takedown and gets it. Edwards on top but they get up and Edwards lands a knee. Proctor with a front kick. Edwards with a right hand. They trade punches. Edwards with a body kick. Proctor with a leg kick and then a combo. They trade punches. Proctor with a big leg kick and then a head kick. They trade punches. They trade again. Proctor with a big leg kick. They trade and Edwards lands a spinning kick to the body. Proctor with a leg kick and then one to the body. They trade punches. Proctor with a leg kick. They trade to end the round as Edwards misses a spin kick. 10-9 Proctor.

    ROUND 2: Proctor with a head kick and then a body punch. They trade punches. Proctor with a front kick to the body. Edwards backs him up with a combo. They each miss big punches. They clinch and Edwards lands some knees. More knees from Edwards but Proctor escapes. Proctor with a combo and then a leg kick. Proctor with a head kick. They trade punches. They each land a left hand. Proctor with a body kick. Proctor with a jumping head kick. Edwards lands a big combo. Proctor fires back with a leg kick. Proctor with another but Edwards lands a right hand and then scores a takedown. They get up but Edwards lands against the fence before the circle to the center. Proctor lands a combo ending with a head kick. They trade. Proctor with a spin kick but Edwards fires a combo and lands a jumping front kick. They trade to end the round. Close round. 10-9 Edwards, 19-19.

    ROUND 3: Proctor with a leg kick to start. They trade big punches and Proctor lands a solid right hand. Proctor with a combo. They continue to trade punches a minute in with no one landing big. They trade against the fence and Edwards goes for a takedown. Proctor defending against the fence. Proctor lands a head kick as they break. Edwards with a body kick. Proctor with a right hand and then a combo. Proctor with a jab. Proctor lands a left flush as Edwards misses a spin kick. Edwards with a left hand. They trade in close range. Each man lands some punches and Edwards goes for a takedown. Proctor grabs the neck and drops down but Edwards escapes and they get back up clinched against the fence before breaking.Edwards with a right hand. They trade against the fence and Proctor lands a big knee and a flurry and grabs the neck looking for the choke. Wow. Proctor chokes Edwards out cold with just seconds left! Submission win for Joe Proctor.

    Official Result: Joe Proctor def. Justin Edwards by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:58 of Round 3

    LIGHTWEIGHTS: CHRIS WADE VS. CRISTOS GIAGOS

    ROUND 1: Giagos tries a quick takedown but Wade defends against the fence and they break. Wade with an inside leg kick. They trade punches. They trade again and Giagos backs Wade up to the fence. They clinch against the fence and Wade has control. Giagos reverses and they break. Wade ducks under a punch and gets the takedown but Giagos rolls to his feet and they clinch against the fence. They break. Giagos with a big body kick and goes for a takedown. Wade grabs the neck but Giagos pops out. They battle against the fence but break. Giagos drops Wade for a second and they battle against the fence. Wade with a big judo throw and gets right into mount. Giagos rolls out but Wade has the neck. They break. Wade with a head kick. They trade. Wade with a standing elbow. They break and then clinch again to end the round. 10-9 Wade.

    ROUND 2: They trade punches and Wade goes high with a kick. They scramble for a moment. Giagos with a body kick. Giagos grabs the body lock and lands an overhand right. Wade with a leg kick. Giagos with a high kick. Wade drops down but Giagos sprawls the takedown attempt. Giagos looks to spin to the back. Wade reverses to the top but Giagos has the neck of Wade. Wade pops out and is in half-guard. Giagos gets out but Wade has the neck. Wade looking for the choke. Giagos plants him more on the mat but Wade still has the neck. Giagos is oit and in side control. Wade reverses to the top and looks to extend Giagos on the mat. Wade grabs the neck again. Wade looks to go to the back and lands a knee. Wade works for the takedown as the round ends. 10-9 Wade, 20-18 Wade.

    ROUND 3: Giagos lands a big left hook but Wade comes back with punches. Wade with some body kicks but Giagos lands a left hook. Wade goes for the takedown but Giagos defends. Wade on top looking to extend Giagos on the mat. Wade in the half-guard. Wade gets in the full guard of Giagos. Wade with body punches from the top. Wade with more from the top and Giagos rolls out and they get to their feet. Giagos with a standing knee. Giagos is bleeding pretty good. Wade with a leg kick and then a side kick. Wade gets the takedown but they get to their feet. They break. Wade goes for another takedown but they push up against the fence. They break. Giagos with a combo. Wade with a high kick. Giagos with a body punch. Giagos with some knees as Wade has a hold of his arms. They battle against the fence as the fight ends with both tired. 10-9 Wade, 30-27 Wade.

    Official Result: Chris Wade def. Cristos Giagos by unanimous decision (29=28, 29-28, 30-27)

    WELTERWEIGHTS: BRIAN EBERSOLE VS. OMARI AKHMEDOV

    ROUND 1: Ebersole has his famous arrow in his chest hair. Akhmedov with a big body kick to start. Akhmedov with a leg kick. They trade in a sloppy attempt at a clinch. Akhmedov with another big body kick. Ebersole slips on a kick attempt. Akhmedov with some leg kicks. Akhmedov with a big right hand. Ebersole has a takedown attempt stuffed and eats a right hand from Akhmedov. Akhmedov with another series of leg kicks. Not a lot of action going on. Akhmedov with a right hand and then a combo on Ebersole. Akhmedov with another combo. Ebersole lands a body kick. Akhmedov with another combo and big body kick. 10-9 Akhmedov.

    Ebersole threw in the towel between rounds due to a knee injury, so it’ll be a TKO win for Akhmedov.

    Official Result: Omari Akhmedov def. Brian Ebersole by TKO (knee injury) at 5:00 of Round 1

    HEAVYWEIGHTS: SHAWN JORDAN VS. DERRICK LEWIS

    ROUND 1: Lewis just misses a head kick and they start swinging. They clinch against the fence. Jordan gets a takedown and is in side control. Lewis gets to his feet and they are clinched against the fence. They break and start swinging. Lewis misses a spin kick. Lewis with a head kick. They each miss a punch Jordan goes for a takedown and gets it but not without eating some back elbows. Jordan looking for the mount. Jordan in side control but Lewis gets to his feet. Jordan with the body lock and looking for the takedown. Jordan with some short knees in the clinch. They break and Lewis slips. They trade big punches back and forth and Lewis grabs the body. Jordan grabs the body and gets a takedown into side control. Jordan with some punches from the side to end the round. 10-9 Jordan.

    ROUND 2: Lewis with a jump kick but then gets dropped with a head kick. Jordan swarms on him and looking to finish. Jordan gets the mount and Lewis rolls to his back. More punches from Jordan as Lewis looks to survive. It is over. Jordan gets the win by TKO as the ref stops the fight.

    Official Result: Shawn Jordan def. Derrick Lewis by TKO (strikes) at :48 of Round 2

    MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT):

    BANTAMWEIGHTS: FRANCISCO RIVERA VS. ALEX CACERES

    ROUND 1: Caceres comes out on the attack and lands a body kick. Rivera drops Caceres with a left hand and it is all over after a few more punches. The ref stops the fight. Caceres is protesting but he was dropped clean. Rivera gets the win.

    Official Result: Francisco Rivera def. Alex Caceres by knockout (punches) at :21 of Round 1

    BANTAMWEIGHTS: JOE SOTO VS. ANTHONY BIRCHAK

    ROUND 1: Birchak with a leg kick. They trade punches. Birchak with another leg kick. Birchak with a combination that lands. Birchak with a big body kick. They trade punches and Birchak drops Soto with a knee to the body. Birchak with some punches but Soto gets up. Birchak with a big flurry and he knocks Soto out cold! Big knockout win for Anthony Birchak over Joe Soto.

    Official Result: Anthony Birchak def. Joe Soto by knockout (punches) at 1:37 of Round 1

    FEATHERWEIGHTS: THIAGO TAVARES VS. BRIAN ORTEGA

    ROUND 1: They come out swinging. Tavares with a right hand and then gets a takedown. Tavares gets on top but Ortega throws up his legs looking for an armbar. Tavares escapes and is pounding from the top. Tavares with more punches from the top as he avoids a triangle choke attempt. Tavares with more work from the top as he avoids Ortgea throwing his legs up. Ortega goes for another armbar and rolls Tavares over and is on top. Ortega lets go but goes into full mount. Ortega with elbows from the top. Ortgea with big elbows. Tavares reverses and they get to their feet. They scramble back to the mat and Tavares goes into the guard of Ortega. Ortega tries to scarmble out but Tavares stops him. They get to their feet and break. Tavares is cut open. They trade punches. Tavares with a combo and Ortgea gets a body lock. Tavares with a judo throw into top position as he rides out the round. 10-9 Tavares.

    ROUND 2: They trade punches. Ortega with a spinning back elbow that drops Tavares. Tavares up quickly and backing away and comes back with a takedown. Tavares on top and landing with some shots. Ortega scrambles and tries to get up but Tavares keeps him on the mat. Ortega working to get to his feet and does and he has the neck of Tavares. Tavares drags him back to the mat. Ortega looks for another triangle attempt but gives up his back. Tavares starts throwing big ground-and-pound from the top. Ortega grabs a leg and looks for a leg lock and they get to the feet before Tavares takes it back down. Tavares with body punches from the top. Ortega with an elbow from the bottom. Tavares with more punches from the top and he is bleeding. Tavares eats some upkicks from Ortega before going back to the guard. Ortega almost has a triangle but Tavares gets out. Tavares with short punches from the top as the round ends. 10-9 Tavares, 20-18 Tavares.

    ROUND 3: Tavares has a big cut but fights on. Tavares drops down but the takedown is defended. They trade punches and leg kicks. Tavares with a big right hand. Ortega misses an uppercut and eats a big right hand. Combo from Tavares then he shoots in for a takedown but Ortega spins out. They trade punches and then Tavares lands a low knee and we have a break in the action. Back to action and Tavares lands a big head kick. Ortega with a combo that backs Tavares up. They are trading wildly. Ortega with a connecting spinning head kick. Ortega is coming after Tavares. Tavares has a takedown stuffed but drags it down. They are brought back to their feet. They start throwing wildly and both are looking to finish. Ortega landing big punches and has Tavares in trouble. Tavares tries to take it down. Ortega drops Tavares and is swarming on him. Full mount from Ortega and he is dropping bombs and this fight is over! The ref stops the fight and Ortega with a big win in an awesome fight.

    Official Result: Brian Ortega def. Thiago Tavares by TKO (punches) at 4:10 of Round 3

    LIGHTWEIGHTS: DUSTIN POIRIER VS. YANCY MEDEIROS

    ROUND 1: Medeiros missed weight for this bout. Poirier the big crowd favorite. Poirier with a big left hand. Poirier with a leg kick. Poirier drops Medieros twice and is swarming on him. Big punches from Poirier but Medeiros is surviving. Poirier with a takedown and has the back and looking for the choke. Looking to get an arm under the neck. Poirier has the body locked with his legs. They get back to their feet. Poirier with a big left hand and a big body kick and Medeiros is in trouble. Poirier swarming on him looking for the finish and he gets it! Big finish by Poirier who had Medeiros in all sorts of trouble from the beginning and he gets the TKO win!

    Official Result: Dustin Poirier def. Yancy Medeiros by TKO (punches) at 2:38 of Round 1

    HEAVYWEIGHTS: BEN ROTHWELL VS. MATT MITRIONE

    ROUND 1: Mitrione with a left hand. Rothwell with a leg kick. Mitrione lands a left hand. They trade punches. They trade again and clinch for a moment. Rothwell and Mitrione trade leg kicks. Body kick from Mitrione. Mitrione with a combo and then gets a quick takedown. Rothwell grabs the neck for a guillotine and Mitrione quickly taps! Rothwell with the submission win out of nowhere. Mitrione tapped really quick there.

    Official Result: Ben Rothwell def. Matt Mitrione by submission (gogo choke) at 1:54 of Round 1

    Rothwell did a promo that I can’t even put into words. This has been one of the best fight cards in history, fight card of the year quality.

    MIDDLEWEIGHTS: TIM BOETSCH VS. DAN HENDERSON

    ROUND 1: Boetsch with a right hand to start They trade punches and Henderson rocks Boetsch and drops him with a right hand and then starts swarming him with punches on the ground and this is stopped quickly! TKO win for Dan Henderson in under a minute.

    Official Result: Dan Henderson def. Tim Boetsch by knockout (punches) at :28 of Round 1

    Gonna be hard to top this show this year. One of the better UFC events of all-time. 

  • Invicita News: Cris Cyborg and International Fight Week

    Invicta Fighting Championships will be asking for approval this week from the Nevada Athletic Commission to run a Thursday, July 9, event at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas during International Fight Week, headlined by Cris Cyborg Justino.

    Originally, the show was announced for July 10, but because there are both boxing and kickboxing shows that night in Vegas, the decision was made to go a day earlier. On a side note, the WO/FFO convention banquet will now no longer go head-to-head with Invicta. 

    Assuming the show is approved, it will be a UFC Fight Pass event. 

  • UFC Fight Night 68 Picks From The Secret Psychic Spy~!

    By the Secret Psychic Spy (secretpsychicspy@yahoo.com)

    Starting Bankroll: $1,500

    Current Bankroll: $544.99

    Last week: 2/5 Overall 51/90 (57%)

    Slightly better last week but still in the red, it’s time to turn things around. Although I have to admit that if I were you the reader, I’d be tailing these picks at this point. I do think there’s a lot of value on this card even if it is mostly in the betting favorites. There are no real longshots on this card so it is worth betting on some of the surer things. Fight Night 68 marks the UFC’s return to the Cajun State and features a battle of two hard-hitting Middleweight veterans in the main event and in fact I will be picking a winner in that main event.

    Pick 1 – Dan Henderson (30-13) +175 over Tim Boetsch (18-8) I’m betting $100 to win $175

    A lot of people are thinking that Hendo is done after a glorious MMA career that has seen him at or near the top since his debut almost 20 years ago. His career has certainly seen better times. But his opponent hasn’t been much better of late. I think Henderson’s got one more big fight left in him and we see the return of Decision Dan on Saturday as he grinds out a win over the Barbarian.

    Pick 2 – Joe Soto (15-3) -175 over Anthony Birchak (11-2) I’m betting $100 to win $57.14

    You might remember Soto from his impromptu title challenge against TJ Dillashaw last summer. Or maybe you don’t because you’re one of the many MMA fans that chose to skip that show. In any event, Soto gave the champion everything he could handle for five rounds and proved he belongs. He’s a former Bellator champion as well. Birchak didn’t put up much of a fight in his UFC debut earlier this year against Ian Entwhistle and I think he goes 0-2 here.

    Pick 3 – Thiago Tavares (19-5-1) over Brian Ortega (8-0) I’m betting $100 to win $58.82

    Ortega looked great in his UFC debut and then we found out why as he was popped for PEDs in his post-fight drug test. Even with the use of PEDs, he’d be in tough against the veteran Tavares, who was a real contender at Lightweight and looked great in his Featherweight debut. Pretty sure this fight’s going to end in a submission and also fairly confident that Tavares will hand Ortega his first career loss.

    Pick 4 – Joe Proctor (10-3) -210 over Justin Edwards (8-4) I’m betting $100 to win $47.62

    Edwards has been out for well over a year and didn’t look particularly when we last saw him, including a loss in his Lightweight debut against Ramsey Nijem. Proctor is 2-1 since Edwards last fought and I think that the cage rust is going to get the better of Edwards and Proctor scores a knockout win.

    Pick 5 – Dustin Poirier (17-4) -185 over Yancy Medeiros (11-2) I’m betting $100 to win $54.05

    I’m most confident of all in this bet. From literally the second his last fight ended, Poirier has been looking forward to climbing into the Octagon in his home state. Poirier has looked like an absolute destroyer in his last 3 wins, with the only blemish in that time being the first round KO against Conor McGregor that helped make the decision to move up in weight classes for him. Poirier didn’t lose any power or speed in the higher class by all accounts and I think he takes this one quick and decisively and then celebrates Cajun style.

    All told, I’m betting $500 with a chance to win $392.64

    On with the betting game.

    2015 Betting Game: Secret Psychic Spy vs Ryan Frederick

    Current Standings:

    Ryan Frederick: $176.92 (Picked Noons, Browne, Magny, Matthews)

    Secret Psychic Spy: $152.63 (Picked Breese, Pyle, Wee, Andrews)

    I won and Freddy lost last week (get used to that one) and we’re in a virtual dead heat. I’m picking the underdog to try and take the lead here and going with my main man Hendo. I usually put Freddy’s picks over but he’s dead wrong this week and making this pretty easy for me.

    Freddy’s pick and analysis:

    Brian Ortega +150 over Thiago Tavares

    I’m going with a bit of an upset here as Ortega is undefeated but the underdog to the UFC veteran Tavares. Tavares has looked impressive in his two fights at featherweight, but injuries have hampered him over the past few years. Yes, Ortega is coming off a drug suspension, something Tavares is familiar with, but both have been out of action since roughly the same time. Ortega is very skilled and I think he will be a solid contender who will rise up the featherweight rankings, and I like him in a close fight on Saturday night.

    Good luck, enjoy the fights and above all else remember, Freddy’s going down!

    –

  • UFC Fight Night 68: Boetsch vs. Henderson weigh-in results & live video

    Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night 68: Boetsch vs. Henderson weigh-ins from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana kicking off at 5 PM eastern time. The event airs on Saturday night on FOX Sports 1 with a main card start time of 10 PM eastern time. A full slate of preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 7 PM eastern time before moving over the FOX Sports 1 at 8 PM eastern time. This marks the UFC’s first visit to New Orleans since September 2011.

    The event will be headlined by a five-round middleweight bout between Tim Boetsch and former PRIDE and Strikeforce Champion Dan Henderson. The co-main event on the card is a heavyweight bout between rising contenders Ben Rothwell and Matt Mitrione. Also on the main card is a lightweight bout between Louisiana native Dustin Poirier and winner of two straight “Performance Of The Night” bonuses, Yancy Medeiros.

    Leonardo Morales missed weight for his bout, coming in at 140 pounds, four pounds over the bantamweight limit. Joe Proctor made the lightweight limit with the use of a towel. Alex Caceres needed the towel to make the bantamweight limit at 136 pounds. Yancy Medeiros also missed weight for his bout, coming in 3.5 pounds over the lightweight limit of 156 pounds. Other than that, all was cordial at the weigh-ins.

    UPDATE: Morales later came back to attempt to re-weigh but ultimately ended up weighing in at 137 pounds, one pound over the limit. Medeiros never re-weighed as Poirier knew ahead of time he would be missing weight. Both men will forfeit 20 percent of their purses.

    MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT):

    Tim Boetsch (185.5) vs. Dan Henderson (186)
    Ben Rothwell (265) vs. Matt Mitrione (255)
    Dustin Poirier (156) vs. Yancy Medeiros (159.5)
    Thiago Tavares (146) vs. Brian Ortega (146)
    Joe Soto (136) vs. Anthony Birchak (136)
    Francisco Rivera (136) vs. Alex Caceres (136)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):

    Shawn Jordan (263.5) vs. Derrick Lewis (264.5)
    Brian Ebersole (170.5) vs. Omari Akhmedov (171)
    Chris Wade (155.5) vs. Cristos Giagos (155.5)
    Joe Proctor (156) vs. Justin Edwards (156)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 7 PM ET/4 PM PT):

    Ricardo Abreu (183) vs. Jake Collier (185.5)
    Jose Quinonez (135) vs. Leonardo Morales (137)

  • UFC Fight Night 68 preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

    By Ryan Frederick, WrestlingObserver.com

    The UFC heads back to New Orleans for the first time since 2011 on Saturday night for UFC Fight Night 68 from the Smoothie King Center. The event airs on FOX Sports 1 with a main card start time of 10 PM eastern time, with a full preliminary card slate beginning at 7 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before moving to FOX Sports 1 at 8 PM eastern time.

    The event will be headlined by a five-round middleweight bout as Tim Boetsch takes on MMA legend and former PRIDE and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson. A pivotal heavyweight bout serves as the co-headliner as ranked contenders Ben Rothwell and Matt Mitrione square off to decide who could emerge as a contender in the title picture. Also on the card, lightweights Dustin Poirier and Yancy Medeiros meet in a bout that is flying under the radar but could end up as one of the best fights of the year. Let’s take a closer look at the action on Saturday night and look at five storylines to keep our eye on for UFC Fight Night 68.

    1. Will Dan Henderson show if he has anything left?

    That is pretty much the story of Dan Henderson ever since the first encounter he had with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139 in November 2011. That fight seemed to take years off of whatever career either man had left. Henderson suffered a bad knee injury after that bout and was out of action for 15 months, and he hasn’t looked the same since coming back, and he isn’t getting any younger with his 45th birthday getting closer. The fact that he is unable to use testosterone replacement therapy as he has in the past just seems to speed up the process that we are nearing the end of the career of one of the all-time great fighters.

    The big question is can Henderson pull out the Hendo of old against Tim Boetsch in the main event on Saturday night. These two were put in the headline position when the original main event between Daniel Cormier and Ryan Bader was pulled due to the shake-up of the 205-pound division. These men are just a combined 3-9 in their last twelve combined fights, yet they are the most recognizable fighters on Saturday’s night card, especially Henderson, a former champion in both PRIDE and Strikeforce. They also have the chance of having a solid fight ending with a big knockout.

    Henderson still swings for the fences but he does get tired easily. He is fighting at 185 pounds, which is more natural for him, but he will be giving up some size to Boetsch, who is one of the bigger middleweights in the division. Henderson has that big right hand that he still throws, but he doesn’t connect as much. It can still finish opponents if it connects, though, and Boetsch has a durable chin, but he can be finished. Boetsch also gets tired easily and fades late in fights. This could get sloppy and ugly if it goes into the deeper rounds. This fight won’t make a dent in the rankings and won’t have title shot implications, but it will show us what Henderson has left, and at his age, any fight could be the last fight for the MMA legend.

    2. Who will emerge as a title contender between Ben Rothwell and Matt Mitrione?

    The co-main event heavyweight bout between Ben Rothwell and Matt Mitrione could have arguably been named the main event of this card, and it would have a good reason. Both men are on win streaks, and in a shallow heavyweight division where contenders are becoming hard to find, the winner will put themselves in a good position to where they are in the conversation. Rothwell has won two straight fights over Alistair Overeem and Brandon Vera, both by knockout. However, those are his only two fights in the past 28 months as he had to take a year off after failing a drug test for elevated testosterone levels following the Vera fight.

    Mitrione has been more impressive lately, winning three straight fights over Gabriel Gonzaga, Derrick Lewis and Shawn Jordan. What is more impressive is that all three of those wins have come by knockout in the first round, and Mitrione has been looking better on his feet. He still has trouble defending against the submission game and has had trouble as the competition has gotten better. Rothwell is the best fighter he has fought in recent times, but Rothwell is also an opponent who will want to keep the fight on the feet as he likes to finish opponents by knockout, as evidenced by his twenty wins by knockout.

    Which one will emerge as a legitimate title contender on Saturday night? I do like Mitrione slightly in this fight, and it is a close bout as evidenced by the betting odds. Mitrione being more active lately and showing his true potential and getting better every time he steps in the Octagon is a big difference. Rothwell has probably reached his peak at 43 career fights, but he has the chance to show he can be a true challenger. The winner of this fight could be next for a bout with either Andrei Arlovski or Stipe Miocic, which would determine a true top contender, so the winner awaits some big fights.

    3. Will Dustin Poirier and Yancy Medeiros deliver the fight of the night?

    Dustin Poirier is a Louisiana native and was eager to get on this card after he won his lightweight debut over Carlos Diego Ferreira in April. Yancy Medeiros is a fighter coming off two straight submission wins in which he won “Performance Of The Night” on both occasions. They were paired up to square off on Saturday night in a lightweight bout that has all sorts of potential and could end up not being just the best fight of the night, but one of the better fights of the year.

    Both men are willing to trade on their feet and both have good submission skills, and both are exciting fighters who have been in exciting fights. They have just a combined six losses in a combined 35 professional fights. Poirier has won 14 of his 17 fights by stoppage while Medeiros has won nine of his eleven fights by stoppage. Both men are on the outside of the top-15 of the lightweight rankings, and this is a big chance for the winner to break into that upper echelon of the lightweight division. They will come out fighting hard, and expect a finish in an all-out brawl in this fight. They have a very good chance of delivering the fight of the night.

    4. Which remaining fight on the main card has the chance of delivering the best action?

    This is a fairly stacked card for a free show despite the loss of the original main event, and the rest of the main card features a featherweight bout between Thiago Tavares and Brian Ortega, and bantamweight bouts pitting former title challenger Joe Soto against Anthony Birchak, and Francisco Rivera taking on Alex Caceres. Tavares has won two straight fights since moving down to 145 pounds, with both wins coming by submission in the first round. Ortega is undefeated in his career, but is coming off a blemish of failing a drug test following a win in his UFC debut. This fight has the chance to be a solid action-packed bout.

    The two bantamweight bouts are solid match-ups as well. Soto is coming off the title fight against UFC Bantamweight Champion T.J. Dillashaw, a fight he took on just a day’s notice. He gave Dillashaw his all before being finished in the last round, but now he takes on the man he was supposed to fight that night in Sacramento in Birchak. Both men are evenly skilled and this is a toss-up bout. Rivera and Caceres are both coming off two straight losses and looking to avoid getting cut from the roster as there is trimming going of right now. Both men have .500 records in the Octagon and both have trouble when they face stiffer competition. They need a good showing if they want to remain on the UFC roster.

    5. What is something to watch out for on the preliminary card?

    The preliminary card is a full slate of solid action capped off with a heavyweight bout between sluggers Shawn Jordan and Derrick Lewis. That fight has knockout written all over it, but who will be on the losing end of those fists? Jordan has won two straight fights and 13 of his 17 wins have come by knockout. He has also suffered four of his six losses by knockout. Lewis has won 11 of his 12 fights by knockout, but one of his three losses have come by knockout. They have fought once before, coincidentally also in Louisiana, a bout won by Jordan in a fight that actually went 15 minutes, the only time Jordan has won by decision. I don’t expect it to go that far this time.

    Veteran of 69 fights Brian Ebersole will be looking for his second straight win when he takes on Omari Akhmedov, winner of 12 of his last 13 fights. Ebersole is entertaining and known more for his chest hair than his fighting, but it should be a solid bout nonetheless. A big prospect to keep an eye on is lightweight Chris Wade, who is 9-1 in his career and winner of four straight fights. He has solid wrestling acumen and submission skills, but he gets a tough opponent in Christos Giagos, who is a solid striker looking to score his second straight win. They both have a shot of making waves at 155 pounds, and they get to showcase themselves on Saturday night.

    Full UFC Fight Night 68 Fight Card, Betting Odds & Predictions

    MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)

    Middleweights: Tim Boetsch vs. Dan Henderson
    Betting Odds: Boetsch (-210), Henderson (+175)
    Prediction: Henderson by knockout in round 3

    Heavyweights: Ben Rothwell vs. Matt Mitrione
    Betting Odds: Rothwell (+165), Mitrione (-190)
    Prediction: Mitrione by knockout in round 2

    Lightweights: Dustin Poirier vs. Yancy Medeiros
    Betting Odds: Poirier (-185), Medeiros (+160)
    Prediction: Poirier by submission in round 2

    Featherweights: Thiago Tavares vs. Brian Ortega
    Betting Odds: Tavares (-170), Ortega (+150)
    Prediction: Ortega by decision

    Bantamweights: Joe Soto vs. Anthony Birchak
    Betting Odds: Soto (-170), Birchak (+150)
    Prediction: Soto by decision

    Bantamweights: Francisco Rivera vs. Alex Caceres
    Betting Odds: Rivera (-120), Caceres (+100)
    Prediction: Rivera by knockout in round 2

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

    Heavyweights: Shawn Jordan vs. Derrick Lewis
    Betting Odds: Jordan (-105), Lewis (-115)
    Prediction: Lewis by knockout in round 1

    Welterweights: Brian Ebersole vs. Omari Akhmedov
    Betting Odds: Ebersole (+120), Akhmedov (-140)
    Prediction: Akhmedov by decision

    Lightweights: Chris Wade vs. Christos Giagos
    Betting Odds: Wade (-170), Giagos (+150)
    Prediction: Wade by decision

    Lightweights: Joe Proctor vs. Justin Edwards
    Betting Odds: Proctor (-210), Edwards (+175)
    Prediction: Proctor by submission in round 3

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 7 PM ET/4 PM PT)

    Middleweights: Ricardo Abreu vs. Jake Collier
    Betting Odds: Abreu (-190), Collier (+165)
    Prediction: Abreu by decision

    Bantamweights: Jose Quinonez vs. Leonardo Morales
    Betting Odds: Quinonez (+160), Morales (-185)
    Prediction: Morales by decision

  • UFC TUF 21 episode 7 results & recap: Coy vs. Luque, ATT tries to stop the slide

    By Steve Juon, Wrestling Observer

    Quick summary: The Blackzilians are now up 150-50 after Marcelo Alfaya lost a majority decision to Jason Jackson.

    The American Top Team coaches and Dan Lambert give an impassioned speech to the fighters telling them to start over from scratch and fight like they WANT to win. Dana White tells the viewers that because it’s the halfway point of the show the coaches can drop two fighters and replace two. Meanwhile for the Blackzilian team Andrews Nakahara has a 30 day suspension from the state athletic commission following his knockout loss to Hayder Hassan which makes him an easy choice to be replaced.

    Alexandre “Pulga” Pimentel is chosen to take Nakahara’s place. “This is my opportunity. Nobody can stop me now.”

    Cristiano “Soldado” Souza is chosen to take Steve Montgomery’s place on ATT, who was disqualified from the show due to having a seizure in the TUF house. Dana White is disappointed he didn’t make two swaps and only went with the one where his hand was forced by UFC and the athletic commission. “That’s his personality though. Those are his guys.”

    Dan Lambert wants Nathan Coy to take the next fight. Coy: “I’m gonna give these (expletive) hell. Nothing’s gonna stop me.” Coy talks about how he’s wanted this opportunity for a long time. “I have a beautiful wife. I have two great kids. I’m a go-getter. I bust my ass. I lay it on the line every day.” Lambert: “He commands respect and if he doesn’t get it he’s gonna take it.”

    Meanwhile the Blackzilians are debating about putting Vicente Luque in there next. They actually come to the TUF house to tell him the good news. Luque: “I’m going to show in those ten minutes what I have. I was born in New Jersey but I grew up in Brazil. My father has played rugby all his life, my mother is a black belt in karate. I’ve been fighting since I was 17. My dream is to be a champion. I’m here to be one of the greatest of all time.”

    Weigh-in day has arrived for this season’s seventh fight. Coy is 170.25, Luque is 170 even. Coy tries to get into his head a little bit during the staredown. Luque says nothing.

    * Vicente Luque (Blackzilians) vs. Nathan Coy (American Top Team)

    Luque is in the black trunks, Coy the blue. There’s a half hour left so the odds are this fight is going to sudden victory. Coy shoots for a single leg almost immediately but doesn’t get it and gets his right eye busted open in the process. The ref calls for work as Coy puts Luque on the fence and drops levels. Once again Luque is able to fend it off and land shots to Coy’s face. Glenn Robinson is screaming “FINISH HIM” over and over again. Coy makes yet another takedown attempt but Luque’s wide stance is hard to beat, at least while he’s still fresh. Coy finally manages to throw him to the ground, but Luque lands on his knees and pops up immediately. First round to Luque 10-9.

    Coy is fighting like he’s a round in the hole. Instead of going for the takedowns he’s standing, jabbing, and ducking Luque’s strikes. He catches a kick two minutes in and uses Luque being off balance to dump him on his butt, then take him down again. Luque stands up at 2:30 and the fighters are given a warning about grabbing the shorts. They spin back and forth as the ref calls for more work. It’s clear Luque is expanding a lot of energy trying to stop these takedowns, and Coy gets another at 3:48. Coy is landing some good strikes as they grind but nearly gives up his back going for another takedown. Luque tries to push off the fence with his feet for a dominant position but can’t get it. 10-9 Coy.

    Sudden victory round begins with 12 minutes left in the show. It’s all about who has more gas left now. Luque lands a couple of good kicks and Coy responds… by going for a takedown. He gets it though at 1:18. Luque gets back up quick. Ref calls for work again. They throw knees and Coy slips to the ground. Luque is going for a choke off it and gets it – Coy taps at 2:26.

    The Blackzilians go up 200-50, 6 wins to 1. That’s all for TUF this week!