The second of three straight nights of UFC action takes place on Friday with The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale in Las Vegas. If you didn’t have any luck at UFC Fight Night 80, tonight is your chance to bounce back. Below are out studs, value plays and fighters to avoid when setting your line-up for tonight’s event.
STUDS
Tatsuya Kawajiri ($10,800)
Tatsuya Kawajiri is the biggest favorite on the card and has the highest salary, and I see him as the fighter most likely to score a win on tonight’s card. He has an opponent coming in on short notice in Jason Knight, who, despite being 15-1, hasn’t fought the level of competition that Kawajiri brings. Kawajiri is a finisher and has scored some good points during his UFC bouts. I expect him to get an early finish and he is my top play on the night.
Frankie Edgar ($9,900)
I normally pick fighters with five-figure salaries for the studs spot, but I love Frankie Edgar at his price. It is a closely matched fight against Chad Mendes with Mendes being a $9,500 salary, and he wouldn’t be a bad play either. Where Edgar has the edge is he is going to land a lot of strikes, and that begins to add up over the course of 25 minutes. I fully expect the fight to go the distance, which gives you more scoring opportunities with significant strikes, which Edgar lands a lot of, and a decision win counts the same whether it is three rounds or five rounds. You can’t go wrong with Edgar (or even Mendes) at their prices.
VALUE PLAYS
Joe Lauzon ($8,900)
Joe Lauzon has a tough fight against Evan Dunham and is the underdog despite having more wins inside the Octagon. Both men have been around for a long time and fought tough competition. Lauzon is a bonus hunter and an aggressive fighter who hunts for submissions. His bout with Dunham will likely hit the ground and allow Lauzon to go to work. With his salary and penchant for always searching for submissions, he makes a good value play due to being able to end a fight at any moment by submission.
Ryan Hall ($8,800)
Ryan Hall is a big underdog against Artem Lobov, and that is quite surprising to me. Hall has a slick grappling game and will be hunting for the submission finish. Lobov has an awful record in MMA, but he does have a huge experience edge. Hall doesn’t have the resume that Lobov does, but I think he’s a better fighter. With his ability to finish a fight at any moment by submission, Hall at his salary is an excellent play.
AVOID
Ryan LaFlare ($10,700)
Ryan LaFlare has the second-highest salary of the fighters on the card. I do think he will defeat Mike Pierce. I do think it will go to a decision. Both men are takedown artists, and that will likely negate each other and turn into a boring, prodding match on the feet. LaFlare may score some decent points, but I don’t see his salary justifying a spot on your roster. It’s just too high, so I’m avoiding him.
Gabriel Gonzaga ($9,600)
Gabriel Gonzaga has been around the UFC for a long time as he makes his 21st appearance inside the Octagon. He has struggled mightily recently, having dropped three straight fights. In his 26 fights, he has only been to a decision twice. All of his wins are by stoppage, but eight of his ten losses are by knockout, including his last two. His chin doesn’t seem to be able to hold up these days, and he has a big knockout artist across from him on Friday in Konstantin Erokhin. I see another knockout loss coming.
OUR LINE-UPS
RYAN FREDERICK: Tatsuya Kawajiri ($10,800), Tony Ferguson ($10,300), Frankie Edgar ($9,900), Konstantin Erokhin ($9,800), Ryan Hall ($8,800)
I like Kawajiri to get a quick finish over Jason Knight. I see Edgar scoring a lot of points on his way to a decision win over Chad Mendes. Tony Ferguson is interesting to me as he scores a lot of points and I see him winning a decision over Edson Barboza and landing some takedowns and lots of strikes on his way. Erokhin has a lot of power and is fighting Gabriel Gonzaga, who no longer has a chin. Hall has way too low of a salary and I like him to get a submission win over Artem Lobov.
PAUL FONTAINE: Ryan LaFlare ($10,700), Tony Ferguson ($10,300), Joe Lauzon ($8,900), Ryan Hall ($8,800), Jason Knight ($8,600)
I like Ferguson a lot. He’s got massive power for the division and I feel like Barboza is way overmatched here. Lauzon is very underrated and all but one of his UFC wins has come by finish and I think he does it again Friday. I’m going with Hall as I think his opponent is a terrible fighter who managed to suck opponents into his game on the TUF show. Hall is too smart for that and will submit him quickly. LaFlare is unbeaten in UFC, except for a five round main event against Demian Maia. He has too many tools for Mike Pierce, coming off a 2 ½ yr layoff. Knight is my wildcard. I saw him fight on a Titan show earlier this year and was very impressed. He should be the more hungry fighter and I think Kawajiri is way past his prime.
PEACH MACHINE: Julian Erosa ($10,200), Frankie Edgar ($9,900), Edson Barboza ($9,100), Joe Lauzon ($8,900), Ryan Hall ($8,800)
I got a ton of cash left over! Can I put that in my IRA? Anyway, I like Edgar because he’s made of IRON (Fe)! I think that sadly, he and Aldo will win and we will see the rematch of their first fight, with the exact same outcome. I’d love Edgar to win a title. I like Hall. Even though WE only found out one day ago that he’s fighting, HE knew he was fighting for at least a month. I train with guys who train with him and I’ve heard he’s a beast on the mat. Duh. Let’s hope he doesn’t decide to stand and trade. Barboza is always a tough out and I expect him to continue his winning ways into title contention. I’m taking Erosa because I hate Marcin Wrzosek. Seriously, I’ll be in Vegas and if I bump into him, we may throw down. And in that match, I predict Wrzosek because I’m all talk. The real J-Lo and Dunham are both past their primes but I expect J-Lo to win the battle with his reach.
As you can see, we are all expecting Ryan Hall to score a big outcome. Enjoy the fights and good luck!
It is night number two of UFC action in the biggest UFC fight week in history in Las Vegas. Friday night brings the next edition of the finals of “The Ultimate Fighter”. It will be The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale taking place at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. The entire card will air on FS1 as preliminary card action takes place at 8 PM eastern time leading into the main card at 10 PM eastern time.
The event will be headlined by a five-round bout in the featherweight division in what could be the fight of the weekend as former UFC Lightweight Champion and former featherweight title challenger Frankie Edgar takes on former title challenger Chad Mendes. In the finals of TUF 22, it will be Team McGregor’s Artem Lobov taking on Team Faber’s Ryan Hall. Also on the card is an elite lightweight bout as Edson Barboza looks for his second straight win when he takes on Tony Ferguson, winner of six straight fights. Let’s take a closer look at the action and bring you five storylines to keep an eye on during The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale on Friday night.
1. Will Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes have the best fight of the week?
The main event of The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale is a featherweight bout that could end up being the best fight of the weekend when former featherweight title challengers Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes meet in a high-level contest that could produce the next title challenger. Edgar is a former champion at 155 pounds who has moved down to 145 pounds. He has fought for the title once at featherweight, dropping a decision to Jose Aldo, but he has since won four straight fights. Mendes has fought for the gold three times, coming up short each time. He has two losses to Aldo, one by knockout and one by decision in one of the best fights of 2014, and a loss in an interim title fight to Conor McGregor at UFC 189 in July. These two are clearly two of the top four fighters in the division alongside Aldo and McGregor, and this is a fight that fans have been looking forward to happening ever since Edgar made the move down.
We have two very similar fighters as both have excellent wrestling credentials and solid striking abilities. Mendes is a better pure wrestler though Edgar may have the better wrestling MMA-wise. Both men are explosive with takedowns. When it comes to the striking, Edgar has some of the best pure boxing in the sport. Mendes is a power puncher and his striking got better while Duane Ludwig was coaching Team Alpha Male. He has better movement on his feet than in the past, but Edgar’s footwork is elite. Edgar has underrated power in his hands, and his kicks are fast and clean. The biggest thing Edgar does is he can leave himself open just enough to get hit, and if Mendes lands a clean right hand, we could see Edgar go into retreat mode like he did in his fights against Gray Maynard.
The thing about those bouts with Maynard was that it showed Edgar come overcome adversity in a fight. Mendes may be the featherweight Maynard to Edgar. Mendes will likely be the one to initiate the takedowns but getting Edgar down will be challenging, and keeping him there will be tougher. Both men have the conditioning to go 25 minutes and have, but Edgar’s gas tank is on another level in MMA. He is arguably the best conditioned fighter in the sport. That may be the key in this bout. Mendes has solid conditioning, barring taking the McGregor fight on short notice, but he likely won’t be able to match Edgar’s pace. That will be the difference maker in a fight that likely goes the distance. I see Edgar winning a very close decision based on winning the latter rounds.
2. Who takes the crown of this season’s “The Ultimate Fighter”?
The most recent season of “The Ultimate Fighter” had a good dynamic between the coaches, Conor McGregor and Urijah Faber, that carried out through the season. The fights on the show were solid battles, and it led to an interesting final. It will be Artem Lobov and Ryan Hall squaring off for the six-figure contract, and it will be the first time that two fighters who were eliminated at one point during the show meet in the finals. Lobov was eliminated in the fights to get into the house, but was selected by McGregor to return to the show in a new wrinkle put forth by Dana White this year. Hall replaces Saul Rogers, the man who eliminated him from the show en route to the finals. Rogers was unable to secure a visa to come to the US to compete in the finals.
It leads to an interesting fight between Lobov and Hall. Hall has excellent grappling credentials and is 4-1 since making the transition to MMA in 2012. Lobov has a spotty record at 11-10-1 with 1 no contest, and he is the main training partner to McGregor. He won his three bouts by knockout after returning to the competition, so he did earn his spot here. He has knockout power and underrated submissions. Hall is a legitmate prospect coming off the show whereas Lobov may not have much to offer in the UFC outside of being someone to put on a card in Ireland. We know Hall will be looking to take the fight down to the mat so it is up to Lobov to show he can keep the fight upright. Lobov has to try to land the big punches, but I see Hall’s grappling being too much for him.
3. Can Tony Ferguson make it seven straight wins against Edson Barboza?
Tony Ferguson is flying under the radar in the UFC’s lightweight division, but he has amassed a six-fight win streak heading into Friday night’s bout against Edson Barboza. Ferguson was originally scheduled to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov at this event, but another injury kept Nurmagomedov from returning to action. Barboza is a high-level replacement who is creeping up on top five status himself. Ferguson is right behind him and looking to leap frog Barboza with a win. Ferguson has posted wins over the likes of Josh Thomson, Gleison Tibau, Abel Trujillo and Danny Castillo during his win streak, and four of those six wins have come by stoppage. Ferguson may be the most underrated “TUF” winner of all-time as he has gone 9-1 in his UFC career. Barboza is 10-3 in his UFC career but remains just on the cusp of title contention after an impressive win over Paul Felder in his last bout.
For all of the great fights going on this weekend, this match-up is one of the best. Barboza has amazing kickboxing skills and great takedown defense. Ferguson is very creative on his feet and is a pressure fighter. He is the type of opponent that Barboza has had trouble with in the past. He also outputs a lot of volume and isn’t afraid to get inside the range of an opponent. Barboza is flashy and will come out with spinning kicks and he doesn’t get hit a lot. Ferguson may look to utilize a clinch and wrestling game to keep Barboza from unleashing his striking. Ferguson can be suffocating and is solid with his submission game. Ferguson is also a pace setter and that is going to make the difference in this fight. Barboza isn’t neccessarily a fighter who will push the pace, and that will allow Ferguson to control the action in the fight. It should be a great fight, but Ferguson has the tools to take home a decisive decision win.
4. Will Joe Lauzon add another bonus to his UFC record?
Joe Lauzon is the UFC bonus king as he has won thirteen post-fight bonus awards during his UFC career, with six “Fight Of The Night”, six “Submission Of The Night” and one “Knockout Of The Night” awards. He will be looking to add to that on Friday night when he takes on Evan Dunham, a man who is also familiar with post-fight bonus awards, having won four during his career. They enter the fight in an interesting position in their careers as both have been firmly established as lightweight gatekeepers. Each were on the cusp of entering the title picture before setbacks have knocked them out of the rankings, but they both will be employed for a long time due to their ability to put on the best fight on any card they are featured on. Both men can still deliver great winning performances as well.
Lauzon is an aggressive fighter who looks to put his opponent on the mat so he can start showing off his high-level submission game. Dunham is an excellent wrestler and he is difficult to put on the mat. Dunham has high-level striking with a lot of output and he is a grinding fighter in the clinch. Lauzon will likely have trouble taking Dunham to the ground, but if it goes down, Lauzon has excellent transitions on the mat. He has some vicious ground-and-pound that he uses to set up the submissions as 17 of his 25 wins have come by submission. Dunham showed real improvement in his recent win over Ross Pearson with his striking and overall game. If he continues to show that, he has the clear path to winning on the feet. It will likely be a close fight but one that should lead to Dunham winning. With this match-up, win or lose, Lauzon has a very good chance at adding to his bonus record.
5. What else is there to look out for on the card?
Outside of three solid match-ups, this middle event of the three-fight week is likely the weakest of the three events. It’s main event keeps this event from being dismissed and there are some showcase bouts to keep an eye on. Tatsuya Kawajiri looks to add another win to his record when he takes on Jason Knight. Knight is a late replacement for Mirsad Bektic, and while he sports a 15-1 record, he has never fought a fighter like Kawajiri. This is Kawajiri’s fight to lose. Another fight that was changed on short notice is a flyweight bout between Joby Sanchez and Geane Herrera. Herrera is a replacement for Justin Scoggins. Neither man may be truly UFC ready at this stage, but Sanchez is more ready than Herrera and should take the win here.
In a welterweight bout, Ryan LaFlare will be looking to rebound from his first career loss when he takes on Mike Pierce. Pierce has been out of action since a submission loss to Rousimar Palhares in October 2013. It was that fight that led to Palhares getting cut from the UFC as he kept holding onto Pierce’s leg for too long after Pierce tapped, and the UFC had enough with his antics. Pierce suffered knee and ankle injuries due to that, but a broken hand was what has kept him out of action for 26 months. He had won four straight prior to the loss to Palhares. Also on the preliminary card is a heavyweight bout between former title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga and Konstantin Erokhin. Gonzaga has lost three straight fights and could be fighting for his UFC career while Erokhin is looking to rebound from a loss in his UFC debut.
Full The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions
MAIN CARD (FS1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
Featherweights: (#2) Frankie Edgar vs. (#3) Chad Mendes Betting Odds: Edgar (-130), Mendes (+110) Prediction: Edgar by decision
TUF 22 Lightweight Finals: Artem Lobov vs. Ryan Hall Betting Odds: Lobov (-175), Hall (+145) Prediction: Hall by submission in round 2
Lightweights: (#6) Edson Barboza vs. (#7) Tony Ferguson Betting Odds: Barboza (+175), Ferguson (-190) Prediction: Ferguson by decision
Lightweights: Joe Lauzon vs. Evan Dunham Betting Odds: Lauzon (+170), Dunham (-200) Prediction: Dunham by decision
Featherweights: (#13) Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Jason Knight Betting Odds: Kawajiri (-240), Knight (+220) Prediction: Kawajiri by submission in round 1
Lightweights: Julian Erosa vs. Marcin Wrzosek Betting Odds: Erosa (-140), Wrzosek (+110) Prediction: Erosa by decision
PRELIMINARY CARD (8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
Heavyweights: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Konstantin Erokhin Betting Odds: Gonzaga (-105), Erokhin (-105) Prediction: Erokhin by knockout in round 1
Welterweights: Ryan LaFlare vs. Mike Pierce Betting Odds: LaFlare (-225), Pierce (+205) Prediction: LaFlare by decision
Flyweights: Joby Sanchez vs. Geane Herrera Betting Odds: Sanchez (-110), Herrera (-110) Prediction: Sanchez by decision
Lightweights: Chris Gruetzemacher vs. Abner Lloveras Betting Odds: Gruetzemacher (-185), Lloveras (+155) Prediction: Gruetzemacher by decision
Three nights, 34 UFC fights, lots of coffee, some alcohol, and a lot of holiday cheer. MMA grumps? Step off to the side until next week. We got some celebrating to do for the next three days and a lot to talk about after it’s all said and done. The sport will change over the next 72 hours in ways we would never expect. Sunday’s in the horizon, but let’s stay in Vegas for as long as we can.
This is the first of three UFC picks posts you’ll get, kicking off with a fun little show you can legally stream on the Internet if you pay for it. Subscribers can get a 15-minute preview right here.
Our panel:
– Jack Encarnacao (101-41 | .711): Sherdog Rewind host, The Lapsed Fan podcast co-chair
– Josh Nason (83-59 | .585): JNPO host, Wrestling Observer digital media and content guy, WON Twitter enabler
*****
Paige VanZant (6-1) vs. Rose Namajunas (3-2) Strawweights
Ohhhh, man. This is going to be good.
PVZ has proven that she isn’t just a pretty face as she’s looked dominant in all three of her UFC wins. After beating up Felice Herrig for three rounds in April, she followed that up in September with a third round submission win over Alex Chambers. I remember nothing about that fight, but that she held up just fine in her main card PPV debut.
Namajunas is an injury replacement for Joanne Calderwood, and is an apt challenger for PVZ. The 23-year-old returned after a year’s absence to dust strawweight jobber Angela Hill in October, snapping a two-fight losing streak that included a title loss to forgotten memory Carla Esparza in the first ever UFC women’s strawweight title fight.
I said this on my 15-minute show preview, but I’ll say it again: these two are going to fight a few more times in their career.
Jim Miller (25-6-0-1) vs. Michael Chiesa (12-2) Lightweights
Past JNPO guest Chiesa is now ready to kick his career in drive after fighting just twice in 2014 and once this year. He’s coming off a decision win over Mitch Clarke in April and is 5-2 in his UFC career. At just 28 years old, a win here puts him further up the lightweight ladder which is ever shifting.
Miller is now a gatekeeper who has always come justthisclose to getting that elusive title shot. He needs to win here to stay relevant in the division as he’s lost two of his last three and is 32 years old. He is coming off a split decision victory over Danny Castillo earlier this year, and tonight marks his third 2015 fight. Originally scheduled to be the main event on this show, these two bring a combined 21 submissions into what should be a hellacious affair.
Sage Northcutt (6-0) vs. Cody Pfister (12-4) Lightweights
At 19, the undefeated Northcutt is GOD DAMN TEEN SENSATION. Did you ever think you’d see a UFC fighter in Tiger Beat? Well, you will. He notably made his UFC debut in October by blitzkrieging now-former Octagoner Francisco Trevino in less than a minute. Trevino missed weight and got busted for smoking pot, so it was like a real-life instructional video for kids. His opponent doesn’t have a Wikipedia page which explains the huge odds that are in Northcutt’s favor.
Elias Theodorou (11-0) vs. Thiago Santos (11-3) Welterweights
The 27-year-old “Spartan” is looking to remain undefeated and run his UFC record to 4-0 in the process. The TUF Nations winner finished two of his last three by second round TKO and is a decent size favorite against Santos. The 31-year-old Santos was last seen knocking the bejesus out of former hockey enforcer Steve Bosse this summer, extending his win streak to two for the first time in his UFC career. The Canadian Theodorou has to avenge the Bosse defeat for all of Canada, doesn’t he?
Tim Means (24-7-1) vs. John Howard (23-11) Welterweights
Means is coming off that awesome one round July fight with Matt Brown that has managed to get lost in the MMA tapestry of 2015. That loss snapped a four-fight win streak for the 31-year-old, a highlight of his second run in the Octagon. He faces the always puzzling Howard who has the potential to knock people out, but always seems hesitant to let himself go. He’s coming off a dull split decision win over the now-retired Cathal Pendred, a win that snapped a four-fight losing streak. With a loss, Howard could find himself out of the UFC for the second time as roster space is at a premium.
Means (favorite): Nason, Meltzer, Bix, Juon, FRB, Encarnacao, Sawyer, Means Howard: Pollock
The biggest show of the year ends the UFC’s biggest year on pay-per-view and marks the end of three straight nights of action in Las Vegas, Nevada, home of the UFC. UFC 194 takes place on Saturday night with two title fights headlining one of the deepest cards in company history. The main card comes your way on pay-per-view at 10 PM eastern time following preliminary card action starting at 6:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading to FS1 at 8 PM eastern time.
The most-anticipated fight in UFC featherweight history finally takes place in the main event as long-time UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo takes on his rival, Interim UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor, in a fight that has been over a year in the making. In the co-main event, we have a second title fight as UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman puts his undefeated record on the line in his title defense against the rightful top contender, former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold. Also on the card are numerous ranked fighters including Urijah Faber, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Max Holloway, Gunnar Nelson, Demian Maia, Jeremy Stephens and Yoel Romero. Let’s take a deeper look into this amazing card as we bring you five storylines to keep your eye on at UFC 194 on Saturday night.
1. Can Conor McGregor dethrone Jose Aldo’s reign as the king of the featherweight division?
The fight that has been over a year in the making is finally here after a big false start. The one that all of the fans have been talking about, waiting for, clamoring for. You can argue all you want about whether this is the biggest fight in UFC history, and while it may not be at the very top, it certainly is among the biggest fights in UFC history. It is definitely the biggest fight in the history of the featherweight division, a division that has been dominated since 2009 by UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo. Many have challenged Aldo, some have taken him to the limit, but 18 straight men have fallen victim to him one way or another. Nine straight of those fallen men have come in challenging him for the gold. Through it all, there has been one man wanting, willing, needing to take that championship away from Aldo for good, and he has gotten there by putting down 14 straight men who have been put in his path for gold. That man is Irish superstar Conor McGregor.
After over a year of hype, these two men will finally step foot inside the Octagon across from each other on Saturday night in the UFC 194 main event. When Herb Dean says “let’s fight”, it will finally be on. They were supposed to meet at UFC 189 in July, but Aldo pulled out of the fight two weeks before due to a rib injury. It wasn’t the rib injury that kept him from actually fighting, but it would have likely prevented Aldo from making weight, thus forcing him to pull out. McGregor used this for more ammunition against Aldo, but he was still put with one final task laid out in front of him in the form of Chad Mendes on that July 11 night. No matter the circumstances surrounding how little preparation Mendes had, he still came to fight and controlled the first eight minutes of the fight. McGregor was in positions he had never been in, but he maintained his composure and still did fine work. Mendes gassed out in the second round, and McGregor felt that and finished him in the second round to win the Interim UFC Featherweight Championship.
McGregor is going to have the size advantage over Aldo, with two inches in height and four inches in reach. Aldo is one of the absolute best fighters in the world and has been for a long, long time. He does only have three wins by finish since winning the championship, and one was due to his opponent blowing out his shoulder. He lands a lot of kicks, and he will look to exploit that against McGregor. McGregor will likely let him kick, allowing Aldo some confidence, all while trying to land a counterpunch. Aldo can get hit with counters, and McGregor has some of the best striking in the division. McGregor lands a lot of punches, but he does tend to eat a lot of punches as well. He has shown he has a chin, eating some big right hands from Mendes. Aldo’s ability to vary his strikes between his hands, kicks and knees will play a big factor. Aldo may also go for a takedown, and McGregor can be taken down. Both are effective on the ground.
There is going to be a lot of emotion in this battle. It has been building for a long time. No matter what each may say, they are in the head of each other. Aldo may shrug it off, but he clearly gets more affected by things than McGregor does. There have been rumors that Aldo may be done after this fight, but he has denied that, though any time those talks creep in, you have to worry about mindset. If we are talking about what is best for business, obviously a McGregor win would be huge. He is a superstar whether you like him or not. Everyone has a differing opinion, but the people react to him like he is somebody. His antics, the mouth, the way he is has gotten him the attention, but his fighting has backed it up. It is his chance to put that gold around his waist for good. To do it, he is going to have to beat the best. As they say, to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.
2. Is this just the first fight in what could be a heated rivalry between Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold?
UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman is undefeated in his career, and he did something that Conor McGregor is attempting to do, and that is beat the long-time king of his division. Weidman scored a stunning knockout over Anderson Silva at UFC 162 in July 2013 to become the champion at 185 pounds. He defended the title over Silva in a rematch five months later, had a classic battle in winning a decision over Lyoto Machida in July 2014, and, most recently, scored a convincing stoppage of Vitor Belfort at UFC 187 in May. Injuries have slowed Weidman from being an active champion as this is only his seventh fight since the calendar turned to the year 2012. At 13-0, Weidman is on the way to being an all-time great, and all-time greats often have a defined career rival. Weidman may have found his in Luke Rockhold.
Rockhold has earned his title opportunity on the heels of four straight stoppage wins, scoring wins over Machida, Michael Bisping, Tim Boetsch and Costas Philippou. He is a former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and has won 13 of his last 14 fights, with the lone blemish being to a TRT-ridden Belfort. He is the second best fighter at 185 pounds behind Weidman, and may be the man that can turn Weidman’s loss column from zero to one. These two are closely matched and extremely well-rounded. Weidman has a lot of power and can end a fight with one punch, and he has strong wrestling to back it up, with good top position and underrated submissions. Rockhold is a pressure fighter and moves well on his feet, has good takedown defense, and can fight on the ground and off of his back as well. Rockhold has better conditioning of the two.
When it comes to that conditioning, Rockhold is a fighter that cuts a lot of weight. He is a huge middleweight. Weidman is a huge middleweight as well, but he approached this fight differently in being the lightest of his career. He weighed 192 pounds weeks away from the fight, and doesn’t have to do that huge cut he normally does. It should help his conditioning, and that is something that will be needed. Rockhold is going to push the pace with his aggressiveness, and it will be Weidman’s toughest fight to date. It will also be Rockhold’s toughest fight to date. These two men are so evenly matched that if they fought 20 times, they’d probably each win ten. Both have very few weaknesses. In what will likely be the first of many battles, I see Rockhold’s footwork and defense being the key difference in this one. It may get the best of Weidman this time, but they are on their way to being career rivals, and this likely won’t be the last time they fight.
3. Who finds themselves as the next contender at 185 pounds when Ronaldo Souza and Yoel Romero square off?
In a fight that has been brewing for quite some time, middleweights Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Yoel Romero will finally fight after seeing prior bookings between the two being cancelled twice due to injuries to both men. Since the two were originally scheduled to meet in February at UFC 184, they have each fought once. Souza scored a submission win over Chris Camozzi in April after Camozzi replaced Romero, who pulled out due to injury. Romero had the bigger win in scoring a super impressive knockout win over Lyoto Machida in June. Both have firmly established themselves as the top two men at 185 pounds behind Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold, and UFC 194 on Saturday night is being set up as a mini-tournament at middleweight, with the winner of both fights likely to square off next barring the need for a rematch between the Weidman and Rockhold winner.
Both men have some age on them, with Souza being 36 and Romero being 38, and this may be the last time either man has the chance to secure a title shot. They both have decorated backgrounds from where they came from. Souza is a world champion in jiu-jitsu, and Romero is an Olympic medalist in wrestling. Both men have muscular frames, though recent pictures have shown Souza has lost a little bit of size, whether it be due to drug testing or to the elimination of IV’s. When it comes to the fight, Romero is more explosive and has better movement on the feet. The grappling battle will probably be negated as both have strengths, but in the event it goes down, the submission game belongs to Souza. This is a big toss-up but I do see Romero’s power, his ability to pressure a fight and win in the clinch, where Souza struggles, being the different in edging a close decision.
4. Demian Maia and Gunnar Nelson have an interesting battle in front of them. Who takes it?
A big way to tell how stacked this card is the placement of a welterweight bout between Demian Maia and Gunnar Nelson. This could main event a lot of Fight Night cards but is finding itself on the biggest card of the year in what should be a very competitive grappling battle. Maia’s grappling credentials are well-known and he has won three straight fights heading into UFC 194 on Saturday. Nelson is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with a 14-1-1 record, and 13 wins by stoppage, with ten coming by submission. He is an excellent striker with a background in karate and is very adept at closing the distance. Training alongside Conor McGregor has him fully prepared for a striking battle, and his grappling experience has him primed for a ground battle.
This is going to be an interesting battle between two grappling wizards. Maia is the better wrestler of the two, and Nelson is the better striker of the two. Maia works excellently from the top and Nelson works well both on top and bottom. Nelson has better ground-and-pound and is more aggressive than Maia when he has opponents on their backs. Nelson closes well on his feet and has some big power in his hands, but he does leave his hands down and opens himself up for counterstrikes. Maia is not someone who will knockout Nelson, but he will use his boxing to set up the trips and takedowns. This is a tough fight to call and an interesting one to boot. It could turn into a boring and methodical affair, though, and if one makes a mistake, the other will exploit it. I lean toward favoring Nelson due to his striking in what will be a close contest.
5. Is this the best card of all time?
UFC 194 is the card of the year, and it may very well be the best card of all time. All ten of the main card competitors are ranked inside the top 12 of their respective divisions, and we have a handful of ranked fighters competing on the preliminary card. Rounding out the main card is an excellent featherweight bout between Max Holloway and Jeremy Stephens. Holloway has been on quite the rise at 145 pounds, having won seven straight fights to make himself a legitmate title contender. He gets another tough opponent in Stephens, who has vicious knockout power and is coming off a knockout win over Dennis Bermudez in one of the best fights of 2015 at UFC 189 in July.
Urijah Faber headlines the preliminary card, moving back down to 135 pounds and taking on Frankie Saenz, winner of seven straight fights. While not the highest-profile bout for Faber, he has two straight wins at 135 pounds, and finds himself on a collision course for a fight against former teammate T.J. Dillashaw. If Faber and Dillashaw both win their fights, that is expected to be the next title fight at 135 pounds. In women’s strawweight action, undefeated Tecia Torres takes on RFA champion Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger, making her UFC debut on short notice as an injury replacement for Michelle Waterson. The card also features three former “TUF” winners. Warlley Alves puts his undefeated record on the line against another undefeated fighter, Colby Covington. Leonardo Santos takes on rising lightweight Kevin Lee, who has won four straight fights. Finally, Court McGee returns from a two-year layoff to take on Marcio Alexandre Jr. This is a deep card with a lot of fun fights on Saturday night.
Full UFC 194 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions
MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
UFC Featherweight Championship: (C) Jose Aldo vs. (IC) Conor McGregor Betting Odds: Aldo (-105), McGregor (-115) Prediction: McGregor by knockout in round 3
UFC Middleweight Championship: (C) Chris Weidman vs. (#1) Luke Rockhold Betting Odds: Weidman (-135), Rockhold (+115) Prediction: Rockhold by decision
Middleweights: (#2) Ronaldo Souza vs. (#3) Yoel Romero Betting Odds: Souza (-150), Romero (+130) Prediction: Romero by decision
Welterweights: (#6) Demian Maia vs. (#12) Gunnar Nelson Betting Odds: Maia (-115), Nelson (-105) Prediction: Nelson by decision
Featherweights: (#5) Max Holloway vs. (#8) Jeremy Stephens Betting Odds: Holloway (-550), Stephens (+425) Prediction: Holloway by decision
PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
Bantamweights: (#4) Urijah Faber vs. (#13) Frankie Saenz Betting Odds: Faber (-750), Saena (+525) Prediction: Faber by submission in round 2
Women’s Strawweights: (#5) Tecia Torres vs. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger Betting Odds: Torres (-300), Jones-Lybarger (+250) Prediction: Torres by decision
Welterweights: Warlley Alves vs. Colby Covington Betting Odds: Alves (+100), Covington (-120) Prediction: Alves by decision
Lightweights: Leonardo Santos vs. Kevin Lee Betting Odds: Santos (+500), Lee (-700) Prediction: Lee by knockout in round 3
UFC Fight Night 80 kicks off the biggest fight week in UFC history on Thursday night in Las Vegas. The event is headlined by a five-round women’s strawweight bout between Rose Namajunas and Paige VanZant. Below is our playbook for your daily fantasy line-ups, with our studs, value plays, and fighters to avoid.
STUDS
Sage Northcutt ($11,300)
He is the biggest favorite on the card. He has the highest salary of the 24 fighters competing on the card. He has a ton of hype. He is only 19-years-old. He also happens to be our top play on this fight card. Sage Northcutt is looking for his seventh career win, and seventh win by stoppage. He put up massive points in his UFC debut at UFC 192. He has a soft opponent in Cody Pfister that looks to be a showcase for Northcutt. He is being put in a position to score an impressive win. Pfister has a lot of confidence and is showing a nothing to lose attitude, and that can be dangerous for Northcutt. However, Northcutt is primed to defeat the caliber of fighter that Pfister is. He will eventually have trouble, but, for now, you will want Northcutt in your line-ups.
Elias Theodorou ($10,700)
Elias Theodorou is another undefeated fighter looking to score an impressive win at UFC Fight Night 80. He has the fifth-highest salary, so using him will allow you to spend more on some good value. Theodorou has averaged 87.8 fantasy points in his UFC bouts, the second-highest of the 22 fighters who have had UFC bouts scored for fantasy. He has a tough opponent in Thiago Santos, but one that is primed for a win for Theodorou. Santos has been finished twice in his career and eats a lot of punches. Theodorou is going to be a very solid play in your line-ups.
VALUE PLAYS
Rose Namajunas ($9,200)
Rose Namajunas is interesting on this card. She is an underdog and has a reasonable salary. The discrepancy in salaries between her and Paige VanZant is very interesting, and it makes Namajunas a solid value play allowing you to spend up in your line-ups. She has slick submissions and a very solid striking game, but she won’t be able to match the pressure and takedowns of VanZant. Her best bet is to catch VanZant on a takedown for a submission. It can happen, and honestly, the longer the fight goes, the more it may favor Namajunas. She is definitely worth a look at her salary.
John Howard ($8,500)
John Howard is also interesting on this card. He has a very low salary, especially for someone who has the power in his hands to end a fight at any moment. A lot of it has to do with having lost three straight fights prior to winning his last bout, and his opponent, Tim Means, being 6-2 in his last eight fights. Means is lanky and has good striking, but he can be rocked and finished. Howard has 15 stoppage wins, and when looking for some value, he is a fighter to really look at for your line-ups.
AVOID
Santiago Ponzinibbio ($10,500)
Santiago Ponzinibbio is 20-3 in his MMA career and has scored eleven wins by knockout and six wins by submission. He has a decently high salary for UFC Fight Night 80, and most metrics point to him being someone you should use on your roster. However, I am avoiding him as I don’t think he has been overly impressive in his UFC career. He is just 2-2 inside the Octagon, and he was dominated and finished in his last bout by Lorenz Larkin. His opponent, Andreas Stahl, is 9-1 in his career, but is coming off a very long layoff. Stahl has yet to be finished, and both men haven’t shown the fire in the UFC. I’m avoiding both, but especially Ponzinibbio at his price.
Phillipe Nover ($9,000)
Phillipe Nover is in his second stint with the UFC, and he is coming off of his first UFC win in May in a split decision. He has won four straight fights, but he hasn’t been overly impressive in doing so. He goes to a decision whether he wins or loses more often than not, and he has a tough opponent in Zubaira Tukhugov. Tukhugov hasn’t fought in over 14 months, but he would actually be worth adding to your roster with his potential starting to show. Tough match-up, being one he is likely to be on the losing end of, means I’m keeping Nover away from my line-up.
OUR LINE-UPS
RYAN FREDERICK: Sage Northcutt ($11,300), Aljamain Sterling ($11,000), Paige VanZant ($10,200), Andreas Stahl ($8,900), John Howard ($8,500)
I like Sage Northcutt the most to score a decisive first-round finish and maximize the most points on the card. He is a special fighter right now, and the match-up is perfect. Aljamain Sterling is also as close to a slam dunk win as there will be on the card, but he does have a tough fight against Johnny Eduardo. I think he gets a finish. While I have Rose Namajunas as a value play, I still see Paige VanZant scoring a lot of takedowns and significant strikes en route to a finish. Andreas Stahl and John Howard are sneaky plays at their prices with solid chances of scoring upsets, and they allowed me to spend big on the other three, hoping to score big.
PAUL FONTAINE: Sage Northcutt ($11,300), Aljamain Sterling ($11,000), Paige VanZant ($10,200), Kevin Casey ($8,800), Thiago Santos ($8,700)
It’s the Paige and Sage show so no way I’m having a team without the two darlings of MMA. Seriously though Paige probably lands more strikes than anyone in any division and this could be a five round fight. She also should have a size advantage so as long her cardio doesn’t become a problem, she could pepper Rose with punches for 25 minutes, perhaps scoring a late finish. Sage is a bulldozer and nothing about what I’ve seen thus far from Cody Pfister makes me think it will stop here. Should be a quick finish for Zack Morris 2.0. I’m taking chances with Santos and Casey but I like the chances. Santos has devastating KO power and will likely either get a quick win or be finished quickly, which could blow up in my face. I don’t think that Theodorou has the power to stand with him so all he needs is one good shot and to avoid the takedown or cage clinch. Casey hasn’t lost since his UFC debut (although he did have a result overturned). Carlos Junior is kind of a sloppy fighter and will likely either lose a decision or get knocked out. My final pick is an unbeaten fighter who I can’t believe is buried in the prelims in Aljamain Sterling. 3-0 in the UFC and 11-0 overall, he’s a virtual lock in my opinion and should score his 3rd straight finish here.
PEACH MACHINE: Aljamain Sterling ($11,000), Tim Means ($10,900), Jim Miller ($9,700), Rose Namajunas ($9,200), Phillipe Nover ($9,000)
I like Rose. I think Paige is going to crack under the pressure and Rose is more experienced. Miller is a bulldog and I’ve never been impressed with Chiesa. I expect Miller to get inside and make it a war, and Chiesa has experience being finished. Means did not look good in his last time out, but I expect him to rebound and use his reach to destroy the over matched Howard. Aljamain Sterling is primed for a big win and hopefully this fight gets on the PPV portion of the show. Nover is a grinder and while I personally don’t like him, I think he’ll win since he looked pretty good in UFC re-debut.
As you can tell, we all like Aljamain Sterling, and Sage Northcutt and Paige VanZant get a good amount of play. Good luck to all playing!
Here’s five things you should know about the week in British pro wrestling.
1) PROGRESS hits the north.
After three and a half years of sold out shows in London, PROGRESS promoted their first card outside the capital on Sunday, making the two-hundred mile journey to England’s third city, Manchester, for Hit The North. Headlined by a successful title defence by PROGRESS champion Will Ospreay (over Origin scoundrel Zack Gibson and 2015 Natural Progression Series winner Flash Morgan Webster), the show at the 650-capacity Ritz also featured a match of the year candidate between Zack Sabre Jr and Tomasso Ciampa, who has become a regular visitor to the UK this year. The show sold out, and the promotion has already announced a further half-dozen shows for 2016 at the same venue. England’s north west is one of the most hotly-concentrated areas of the country for wrestling action but PROGRESS just proved there’s always room for more if there’s a great show in the offing.
2) There’s always something different going on.
Also in the north west, a little further north and west in Hindley, on the outskirts of Wigan, is Grand Pro-Wrestling. Starting out in 2003, as Garage Pro-Wrestling, at the grandly-titled Monaco Ballroom in Wigan, the promotion evolved into Grand-Pro by 2010 and has presented its own brand of weirdness ever since, with their latest show – Double Jeopardy – taking place last Friday. Amongst the storylines spinning out of Hindley this year have been the purchase of the promotion by a wealthy Arab Sheikh, and a unique spin on a loser-leaves-town match between Martin Kirby and Ashton Smith, where Kirby had to sell his house if he lost, and Smith would be banned from his local supermarket if Kirby won (Smith got the win and a homeless Kirby was found living under the ring at the next show).
Last week’s show – one of their regular outings at the Rose Club – was headlined by a four-man, double-championship match, with Bubblegum winning the GPW British title from T-Bone in the first fall, and T-Bone returning the favour in the second to win the GPW Heavyweight title. Also on the show, the wealthy Arab Sheikh teamed with Martin Kirby against the Midnight Bin Collection, a tag-team of a garbage man and a party animal, and suspiciously-Caucasian Pacific Islander Tabu was reunited with his estranged brother, and former tag-team partner, Rio. The UK is dotted with promotions that occupy their own little worlds, and is all the stranger (and better) for it.
3) Girls wanted to have fun, and did.
Women’s wrestling can often be little more than an add-on, a titillating sideshow whose competitors are seldom booked for their athletic ability. Thankfully, though, the UK has a strong women’s wrestling scene, with the distaff sections of PROGRESS and Lucha Britannia – to name just two of the promotions who take it very seriously – putting on matches the equal of anything presented by their penis-endowed colleagues. In addition to the matches on male-dominated cards, the UK also has two female-only promotions – Empress Pro-Wrestling and Bellatrix, and the latter ran their latest show last weekend.
An offshoot of WAW, which has been run by WWE-star Paige’s dad, Ricky Knight, since the late 1990s, Bellatrix is obviously centered around Paige’s mum, Saraya, but has built a roster of British girls and European and American imports, with a talent exchange arrangement with both Shimmer and Shine. On their latest show, Bellatrix 16, champion Sammi Baynz was unable to defend her title through injury and Saraya installed Lady Lory in her place, making the main event against Destiny (a thirteen-year veteran trained by Saraya, as was Baynz) a non-title match. Earlier in the show, Saraya lost to Liberty, and Queen Maya retained her RQW European title over Erin Angel.
4) A good hand hung up his boots….somewhat.
Greg Burridge – also known as Darren Burridge and Baxter Burridge – had his last match on Saturday. Kind of. At Future Pro-Wrestling’s Jingle Bell Brawl, in Sutton, south London, Burridge faced Rob Cage in his farewell match, and won. Two hours later, however, at Lucha Britannia’s Season’s Greetings, Season’s Beatings (part 1), Metallico (who very much resembles Burridge) took on Steakley Bakewell (who has never been seen in the same room as Rob Cage), as part of a lucha three-way with Marduk Malik, and thus proved that Terry Funk doesn’t have the monopoly on odd retirements. The RetroFutureVerse aside, though, Burridge is very much retired, and can look back on a career blemished by injuries and poor timing.
With good genetics, height, and great natural ability, if he’d stayed fit – and started five years earlier, or five years later – he’d have had the opportunities that the likes of Sheamus O’Shaugnessy, Drew Galloway, and Stu Sanders got but sometimes things don’t go your way. As it is, Burridge was a big part of 1PW, and has appeared for just about every UK company worth noting in the last decade and a half. With an acting career, which also included stunts for the Harry Potter movies, taking off, and still being very much involved in the London School of Lucha Libre and the Lucha Britannia promotion, he’ll not be short of things to occupy his time.
5) There’s still so much going on!
If Burridge and Cage did make it through to the weird alternate universe occupied by Lucha Britannia, they might have been dragged there by Lucha Britannia champion Fug, who definitely did do double-duty on Saturday night, defending his title against Lagarto de Plata at the Resistance Gallery just hours after competing as part of Team Windsor for Future-Pro in Sutton. Also on that show were PROGRESS regulars Paul Robinson and Pastor William Eaver. North of the border, ICW held a TV taping for their OnDemand channel and British Championship Wrestling pulled a double shot, in Kilmarnock and East Kilbride, and brought in Carlito & MVP, but the real attractions were Will Ospreay and Marty Scurll, making rare visits to Scotland. Scurll put over local guys both nights, while Ospreay beat BT Gunn but lost in a mouth-watering three-way against Noam Dar and BCW Openweight champion Kenny Williams.
Chikara-Pro affiliate, Fight Club: Pro staged their Infinity 2015 tournament, which featured Zack Sabre Jr alongside the regulars. Pete Dunne, who competed in this year’s King of Trios tournament, emerged victorious from a field which also included Tyler Bate and Trent Seven. Dave Mastiff successfully defended his FCP title against MK McKinnan on the same show. As well served as the north west, Scotland, and London are for professional wrestling, so too is Bristol, the UK’s tenth largest city. At least four promotions regularly run shows there, and one of those, Chaos Pro-Wrestling, drew almost 500 to Yate Leisure Centre for Rhynos, Boars, Birds & Beards. Alongside Rhyno, Wild Boar, Mike Bird, and the bearded Big Grizzly were Mark Andrews, Flash Morgan Webster, Mikey Whiplash, and Martin Kirby pretending to be a woman. Well, it is pantomime season.
The long-awaited NXT tour rolls into the UK next week, and most of the bigger promotions are (understandably) laying quiet, but there’s still lots going on. Join me next week for all the happenings!
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs, and STAIRS… Oh My! Part 6
By: PeachMachine (@hendosfoodblog)
This week…
TLC 6: December 15, 2014; Cleveland, Ohio, Quicken Loans Arena
(39,000 PPV Buys, lowest number since the network)
An excellent video package opens the PPV comparing the TLC show to a demolition derby. It was pretty rad.
Pre Show Match: The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) (with Xavier Woods) defeated Gold and Star Dust.
JBL, Cole, and King on the cans.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper (c) in a Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship
In TLC 4, Dolph was in the main event against Cena. In TLC 5 he was in the pre show match jobbing to Fandango, and tonight he’s in the opener for the Kiss of Death belt.
Something like 20 ladders had been set up at one point.
Harper had about 90 seconds alone in the ring and just sort of didn’t do anything. I feel like I personally could put up a ladder and climb it and grab the title in no more than 15 seconds.
Luke pushed Dolph off the ladder twice.
Dolph took a Power Bomb on a ladder suspended on the second rope.
Dolph countered the Power Bomb and gave Harper a face buster on a ladder.
Harper has a gash on his arm.
Ziggs tosses a ladder into Harper’s face who then took a bump across another ladder set up off the apron to the announce desk.
“This is awesome chants,” and I agree.
Dolph super kicks Harper off the ladder and wins the belt.
The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) vs. The Miz and Damien Mizdow (c) in a Tag Team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
Has anyone made more out less than The Miz? He was a reality TV dork. Then a reality TV star. Then a pretend reality wrestler. He’s been WWE Champ, Headlined WrestleMania, Made a bunch of movies. Made millions of dollars, and is married to Maryse. Unbelievable!
Everyone wants Mizdow to tag in. How can they possibly get any heat?
Double Rikishi ass spots by Jimmy Uso.
An interesting parade of finishers leading to Jimmy Uso hooking up a Tequila Sunrise.
Miz and Mizdow grab their belts and leave, and in doing so, Miz lays out one of the Usos for the DQ. So the Usos win by DQ, but no title change.
Mr. Money in the Bank Seth Rollins (with J and J Security (Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble)) talks about Sting, and then how he’s going to make John Cena pay tonight. This is the storyline where Cena has the ability to bring back The Authority.
We’re getting an anatomy cut away view of the Steel Stairs. They weigh 288, and can withstand an impact of 22,000 lb.
Big Show vs. Erick Rowan in a Stairs match
A loss for Rowan could really hurt his wine sales this season.
This was a bad idea on paper, and an even worse idea in execution.
Big Show Speared Rowan through a stack of chairs.
Big Show Choke-Slammed him on the stairs and then gave him the Knock Out Punch, and then pinned him with the stairs.
Mediocre at best.
We get an awesome video package explaining the stips of the next match, which are if Cena loses; he also loses his number one contendership to the WWE Championship.
John Cena vs. Mr. Money in the Bank Seth Rollins with (J and J Security (Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury)) in a Tables match
Paul Heyman came to the announce booth, but is just standing near it.
J and J jump in and just start putting the boots to Cena. It turns out no DQ applies to others entering the ring as well.
Cena goes and gets a piece of guardrail and lays out the baddies.
Noble takes the Suplex from Cena on the guardrail.
Seth sets up two tables on the outside.
Now Cena tosses in some more tables.
Rollins brings in the MITB case and starts whacking Johnny.
Ref bump and it gets crazy leading to Cena giving Seth the AA off the top through table.
J and J run in and clean the crime scene and pay for it with a Double AA.
Cena and Seth fall through a table together and Chiota comes back just in time to see it. They take a long time to debate the results. Chiota restarts the match. Let’s start the 90 second clock… The announce table did NOT break but it was supposed to and that was like at 45 seconds.
Cena tosses another table in the ring. It is all improv at this point.
Out comes Big Show and he starts punching Cena and sets up a Choke Slam, just as Roman Reigns’ music hits. Reigns gets in and delivers a Spear to Big Show through a table. Cena jumps in and hits an AA on Rollins for the win.
Heyman and Cena make goo goo eyes at each other.
Nikki Bella (c) (with Brie Bella) vs. AJ Lee for the Divas Championship
This is pre revolution, so it’s pretty boring. That’s sarcasm.
Nikki did a surfboard with AJ’s spine around the post.
A nice tornado DDT by AJ.
AJ hits a pop up bulldog for a two count, and follows it up with the Shining Wizard, but Brie saves Nikki by putting her foot on the rope. Then Brie gets booted for interfering.
Nikki sprayed something in AJ’s face then hits the Rack Attack for the win. They actually send a fake doctor down to check on AJ’s eyesight, because like I said, doctors don’t mess around with life, limb, or eyesight.
Roman Reigns cuts a promo about doing something awesome at the Royal Rumble. Did that ever happen?
Ryback vs. Corporate Kane in a Chairs match
Ryback’s outfit makes him look like a guy grilling meat.
Kane is in control and drops Ryback’s face on a chair.
This match is garbage. Just really rough spots and nothing going on.
Kane gave a seated Ryback the Big Boot.
Ryback with a step out spining belly to belly, a la the great Scott Steiner.
Kane throws 15 chairs in the ring.
Kane took half a Spine Buster through half a chair, and then Ryback started whipping him with chairs.
Kane throws a fastball with a chair right at Ryback’s face then hits him with the Chokeslam, but Ryback kicked out.
Ryback wins with the Shell Shock
Rusev (c) (with Lana) vs. Jack Swagger
Rusev hooked on the Accolade, right in the middle. The ref checks Swagger to see if he’s conscious. A lot of times I type conscience when I mean conscious. Swagger makes a crazy comeback and grabs the Ankle Lock.
Rusev fights it off and hooks on the Accolade again, and the ref calls for the bell.
Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match with nothing on the line, so it’s basically a weapons match
Ambrose section shown in the crowd.
It’s just bad booking to not give them a reason to climb for something even if it’s just a box that contains Scott Hall’s 8×10.
Ambrose starts it off with a ladder launch at Bray. Immediately they start crowd brawling.
Ambrose in control after tossing in Kendo sticks.
Bray comes back with a big punch that knocks Dean off the corner through a table.
Wyatt rams Dean’s eye into the point of the kendo stick.
Just a lot of wild brawling and some junk spots. It’s a watered down hardcore match.
They did one of the weakest table spots ever, where Dean dropped an elbow on Wyatt on a table, from the 3rd rung of a ladder.
Well, now he’s making up for it by doing it again from farther away on a higher ladder. Is it farther or further?
Dean goes and gets a twenty-foot ladder and lays Bray on the Spanish Announce team’s desk. He hits a third elbow from really high up.
This got weird. Ambrose had uncovered a TV from under the ring that was plugged in and showing the PPV for some reason. He tried to use the TV on Wyatt but the chord got caught, so he yanked at it and as he yanked, it exploded, like an electrical burst or fuse blowing. This gave Bray the opportunity to hit Sister Abigail on Dean for the pin.
Yes, a pin ended a TLC match.
In summary, this was a good show but not the best of the TLC’s. It was near the top. My TLC picks would go in this order 4, 5, 6, 3, 1, 2. Let’s hope this Sunday we get something that tops the first 6. The bar is set fairly low, but with the current match line-up, it doesn’t look good. However, I will still be reviewing this year’s offering.
The biggest UFC Fight Week in company history is finally here, with three straight nights of fights coming from the fight capital of the world- Las Vegas, Nevada. It all kicks off with UFC Fight Night 80 on Thursday night at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, an exclusive event airing on UFC Fight Pass. The action kicks off at 6:45 PM eastern time with the preliminary card heading into a 10 PM eastern time start for the main card.
The main event will be the first time a female non-title bout has headlined a UFC event as former strawweight title challenger Rose Namajunas takes on budding star Paige VanZant in VanZant’s first showcase in a main event slot. The card as been billed as “Paige & Sage” as 19-year-old Sage Northcutt also competes on the card, taking on Cody Pfister in a lightweight bout. The UFC is banking on VanZant and Northcutt to carry the company into the future, and they get their chance to shine in the beginning of the biggest week in UFC history. There is more action on the card, so let us take a deeper look and give you five storylines to keep an eye on for UFC Fight Night 80 on Thursday.
1. Who wins the main event between Rose Namajunas and Paige VanZant?
Two rising contenders in the UFC’s women’s strawweight division square off in the main event of the first of three straight nights of UFC action. Paige VanZant, a 115-pound fighter being groomed for big things in the future at just 21 years of age, makes her first headline appearance against Rose Namajunas, an injury replacement for Joanne Calderwood, who was originally scheduled to fight VanZant. There is an argument to be made whether this is a stiffer test for VanZant as Namjunas and Calderwood have a different approach to a fight, but either way, it will be the toughest test for VanZant, winner of her first three UFC bouts, as she looks to knock on the door to a title shot. Namajunas has already fought once for the title, in the inaugural fight for the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship, but came up short in her quest as she was submitted by Carla Esparza. Esparza has since lost the title to the dominant champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, while Namjunas has fought just once since then, a submission win over Angela Hill in October.
This is an interesting bit of match making as both women could be built up for a fight for the championship. Granted that Namajunas is an injury replacement, but this is a tough match-up for VanZant, who the UFC is banking on as a potential challenger. Even though Claudia Gadelha is waiting in the wings, it would be easy to envision a scenario where VanZant gets a title shot with a win. She isn’t ready, but a win puts her at 4-0 in the UFC, a record only matched by Jedrzejczyk at 115 pounds. VanZant is a grinding wrestler with excellent conditioning and a solid top game and submission game. Namajunas has submissions for days, but she can break mentally when pushed into a tough fight. We haven’t seen VanZant tested too much as she has won her three UFC bouts with relative ease. This one won’t be as easy. It really is a tough fight to predict, but I do see VanZant getting the win in the later rounds.
2. Will Sage Northcutt continue to live up to the hype?
This event is being billed as the “Paige and Sage” show as, along with Paige VanZant, the UFC is banking on 19-year-old Sage Northcutt to be a future star in the sport. He has been impressive in his young career with six wins by stoppage, and five coming in the first round. He may be young, but he is clearly ready for the UFC with his skills, and he brings in a lot of hype. It may not be as warranted, but he has the marketability that the UFC looks for when grooming a future star, and he has shown the skills to back it up, albeit against lesser competition. He had an impressive UFC debut, destroying Francisco Trevino in just 57 seconds at UFC 192 in October. Trevino made it easy for him, though, as he came in four pounds overweight, didn’t look like he cared too much, didn’t put up much of a fight, complained when the fight was stopped, and, to top it all off, failed a drug test and was later released from the UFC.
Northcutt is going to be built up the right way by taking on lesser competition until you can no longer avoid giving him top-flight opponents. He is taking on Cody Pfister on Thursday night, a solid fighter, but one that doesn’t have the look of being a future contender. Pfister is 12-4-1 in his career and has just one loss in his last ten fights after starting his career 4-3, and he does train with a solid camp in the Team Takedown camp. He is just 1-1 in his UFC tenure and is coming off a decision win over Yosdenis Cedeno at UFC 189 in July. He is the perfect opponent for Northcutt at this point. The question is whether Northcutt is too overhyped. He has gotten a lot of attention in the last two months since his UFC debut, and he has gone and trained at other camps in the meantime. Whether how all of this fame, hype and change in fight status will affect him remains to be seen, but he gets the bigger stage to show if he will continue to live up to the hype, or if he just isn’t ready for the limelight yet. Pfister, despite being groomed as someone who is being fed, isn’t taking this lightly, but I see Northcutt getting the job done and continuing his path.
3. Who wins in a solid co-main event scrap when Jim Miller and Michael Chiesa do battle?
Lost in the shuffle of the hype behind Paige VanZant and Sage Northcutt is an excellent co-main event scrap in the lightweight division as UFC veteran Jim Miller makes his 21st appearance inside the Octagon to take on former “Ultimate Fighter” winner Michael Chiesa, winner of five of seven in the UFC. It will be the biggest fight to date for Chiesa, who is coming off a dominant decision win over Mitch Clarke in April. Chiesa’s only losses in the UFC have come to Jorge Masvidal and Joe Lauzon, a fight that was controversially stopped due to a cut. In Miller, he has an opponent who has scored 14 wins during his UFC career, but he has also scored just five wins in his last ten bouts after being very close to scoring a chance at earning a title shot at 155 pounds. Miller got back on track with a close split decision win over Danny Castillo in July.
These two men have similar fighting styles with wrestling and takedowns as their primary strengths to go along with solid submission skills. Both men grind their opponents, and it is an interesting clash of styles. Both men fight as southpaws, but land roughly the same amount of strikes with the same type of accuracy. Chiesa’s takedown game may be a little stronger as he averages more over the course of a fight, and he has shown better defense. Chiesa will also have a five-inch height advantage and a four-inch reach advantage, and he will want to exploit his length over Miller. Miller hits a little harder and mixes his kicks and knees in well. This is a tough fight to predict as the betting odds have it as pretty much a pick ’em. It will be Miller’s Octagon experience against the gritty nature of Chiesa in what should be an excellent fight. I like Miller just a little bit more to score the win due to his experience, but Chiesa is going to make it a battle.
4. Why is Aljamain Sterling in the prelims?
No offense to any other fighter competing on this card, but the best fighter fighting on the UFC Fight Night 80 card is buried way down in the preliminary card, and that is rising bantamweight prospect Aljamain Sterling. A product of the Serra-Longo fight team in New York, Sterling is a perfect 11-0 in his career, with his last three wins coming after signing with the UFC as an injury replacement in early 2014. He has scored wins over Cody Gibson, Hugo Viana and Takeya Mizugaki in his UFC career, and he has been dominant in all of his fights. He has scored seven of his eleven wins by stoppage, and alongside Thomas Almeida, he is looked at to be the future of the UFC bantamweight division. He has been inactive for a while, whether it be due to injury or the UFC matchmakers having trouble finding him an opponent and spot on a card.
Sterling deserves to be showcased on the main card. He is extremely talented and will likely fight for the title within the next two years. He had to campaign hard to get on a fight card, and his fight was the last fight put together for this card. The UFC realized they were making a mistake in not featuring him prominently, and made him a late addition to the open workouts for this event. He has an extremely tough opponent in Johnny Eduardo, who has 36 professional bouts in his career. Eduardo has scored wins in 13 of his last 14 fights, but injuries have limited him to just three fights in the last four years. Eduardo hasn’t fought since a May 2014 knockout win over Eddie Wineland, but it was his most impressive performance to date inside the Octagon. This is one fight that has been flying under the radar for this crazy fight week. Sterling deserved to be on the main card, and really, this fight did as well. He will show why when he steps into the Octagon on Thursday night.
5. What else on the card is there to keep an eye on?
Rounding out the main card for this UFC Fight Pass exclusive event is a former “TUF” winner, as “TUF: Nations” middleweight winner Elias Theodorou puts his perfect 11-0 record on the line against Thiago Santos. Theodorou is coming off a big TKO win over Roger Narvaez at UFC 185 in March, and he is a solid prospect at 185 pounds. He gets a big test in Santos, who has won three of his last four fights, and is coming off one of the best knockouts of the year, a head kick knockout of Steve Bosse at UFC Fight Night 70 in June. Headlining the preliminary portion of the card is a solid welterweight bout as Tim Means looks to get back into the win column following a loss to Matt Brown when he takes on John Howard, who got back into the win column after ending his three-fight losing skid when he scored a split decision win over Cathal Pendred at UFC 189 in July.
Three other fighters to keep an eye on during the preliminary card are Antonio Carlos Junior, Danny Roberts and Kailin Curran. Carlos Junior is a former “TUF: Brazil” winner as a heavyweight, and has since moved down to 185 pounds, where he has a huge size advantage. However, he utilized IV’s, and this will be his first fight without them, so it will be interesting to see how that effects him. Roberts is making his UFC debut with an 11-1 record and on the heels of five straight wins. He has an excellent mix of skills and has scored nine of his wins by stoppage. Curran is still in search of her first UFC win, having dropped both of her prior UFC bouts. She was in a heated battle with Paige VanZant in her UFC debut, and was dominating her fight with Alex Chambers before being submitted late in the fight. She has a lot of potential and just five career bouts, but gets a favorable match-up taking on Emily Kagan in the opening bout.
Full UFC Fight Night 80 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
Women’s Strawweights: (#3) Rose Namajunas vs. (#7) Paige VanZant Betting Odds: Namajunas (+160), VanZant (-185) Prediction: VanZant by submission in round 4
Lightweights: (#14) Jim Miller vs. Michael Chiesa Betting Odds: Miller (+105), Chiesa (-125) Prediction: Miller by decision
Lightweights: Sage Northcutt vs. Cody Pfister Betting Odds: Northcutt (-1250), Pfister (+800) Prediction: Northcutt by knockout in round 1
Middleweights: Elias Theodorou vs. Thiago Santos Betting Odds: Theodorou (-250), Santos (+210) Prediction: Theodorou by knockout in round 2
Welterweights: Tim Means vs. John Howard Betting Odds: Means (-335), Howard (+275) Prediction: Howard by decision
Welterweights: Omari Akhmedov vs. Sergio Moraes Betting Odds: Akhmedov (-140), Moraes (+120) Prediction: Akhmedov by knockout in round 2
Middleweights: Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Kevin Casey Betting Odds: Carlos Junior (-290), Casey (+245) Prediction: Carlos Junior by submission in round 3
Bantamweights: (#5) Aljamain Sterling vs. (#10) Johnny Eduardo Betting Odds: Sterling (-700), Eduardo (+500) Prediction: Sterling by submission in round 2
Welterweights: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Andreas Stahl Betting Odds: Ponzinibbio (-190), Stahl (+165) Prediction: Ponzinibbio by decision
Welterweights: Danny Roberts vs. Nathan Coy Betting Odds: Roberts (-155), Coy (+135) Prediction: Roberts by knockout in round 1
Featherweights: Zubaira Tukhugov vs. Phillipe Nover Betting Odds: Tukhugov (-330), Nover (+270) Prediction: Tukhugov by decision
Women’s Strawweights: Kailin Curran vs. Emily Kagan Betting Odds: Curran (-350), Kagan (+290) Prediction: Curran by submission in round 2
You better watch out, you better not cry. Better not pout, I’m telling you why… UFC is coming to town! I’ve made a list and checked it twice, and I’m going to tell you what five fights are shaping up to be pretty nice…
This Thursday, we start down possibly the biggest stretch in terms of both business and quality of fights that the UFC has ever made. Kicking off the fun is a Fight Pass exclusive show on Thursday, Dec 10th, aka the “Paige and Sage” show. Friday night brings the TUF 22 Finale with a killer main event of Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes. The next night is of course UFC 194 featuring a double main event of Weidman vs. Rockhold in a middleweight championship bout, and Aldo vs. McGregor in a featherweight championship unification bout. Finally, a week after that, UFC returns to FOX with a lightweight championship bout between Rafael Dos Anjos and Donald Cerrone.
Everyone knows about these fights and every UFC and MMA fan out there has been eagerly anticipating them for months. However, after examining these cards a little closer, I’ve found five fights that have flown under the radar, which should be also be awesome.
Fight Night 80 on Thursday —
This show is a Fight Pass exclusive and if seeing the new darlings of MMA isn’t enough for you, maybe you need to check out what should be a war at 155 with perennial contender Jim Miller going up against TUF 15 winner Michael Chiesa. Miller is a bulldog who always has exciting fights as evidenced by his seven post-fight performance bonuses. Chiesa is trying to break into the top 15 and will have to go through gatekeeper Miller to do it. With all the attention on the young guns, look for these two veterans to steal the show.
TUF 22 Finale on Friday —
Maybe you’ve been following the show all season and are going to be looking forward to the tournament finale. Obviously if you’re reading this, you are well aware of the main event of former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar going up against three time featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes, in an attempt to find the next contender at 145. Well, you may want to pay attention to another lightweight fight between Tony Ferguson and Edson Barboza.
Ferguson is another TUF winner, having won season 13 of the UFC reality show. He is on a six fight win streak in the ultra-tough 155 lb division, including four stoppages. In fact, he’s only lost once in his UFC career, a decision loss against Michael Johnson. Barboza was once thought to be the future of the division and burst onto the scene with his highlight reel headkick KO of Terry Etim that has been replayed thousands of times. He is still just 29 and a top 10 fighter who has won three of his last four. The winner here is probably just one fight away from challenging the Cerrone-Dos Anjos winner.
UFC 194 on Saturday — As if the two big title fights on the top of the card weren’t enough to make you part with your $60 and buy the PPV (or pay 10 times that to see it in person) how about the middleweight bout between Yoel Romero and Jacare Souza? Yes, the #1 and #2 in the world are fighting for the title and the #3 and #4 fighters square off just underneath, likely to determine the next contender. Romero has scary power and was an Olympic level wrestler, a combination that has helped him tear through the division. Souza is a submission specialist who can trap anyone at any time. This fight was originally scheduled for February of this year on the undercard of UFC 184, but fight fans will finally get to see it here.
Also on Saturday’s PPV broadcast is another awesome featherweight bout. Max Holloway vs. Jeremy Stephens should kick off the card in dynamic fashion. Holloway is the only fighter that Conor McGregor has not finished in his UFC run, losing by decision. He is coming off his first UFC main event where he beat Charles Oliveira by TKO in August. Jeremy Stephens was last seen scoring a stunning KO of Dennis Bermudez at UFC 189. The long time UFC vet has been entering the Octagon since 2007 and has been in many fights of the night. If history is any indication, this fight should kick off the card with a bang.
UFC on FOX 17 on Dec 19th —
The big one on this card is the lightweight title fight between Cerrone and Dos Anjos. It is rare that we get a free title fight on TV. Most fans are also looking forward to the return of former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos going up against former Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem. Somewhat lost in the shuffle is the lightweight fight between Nate Diaz and Michael Johnson. Diaz is always worth checking out because you never know what he is going to say or do. He never gives up so going against a steamroller like Michael Johnson will be quite the test. Johnson had a four fight win streak snapped with a split decision loss to Beneil Dariush, and will need a win here if he ever wants a title shot.
UFC is giving fight fans an early Christmas present in 2015, maybe as a thank you for their biggest business year in history. Anything can happen in MMA, but what is a virtual guarantee is that the four cards over the next two weeks have a little something for everyone, so be good for goodness sake!
The UFC is in the business of selling fights, number one. Anything earned elsewhere is gravy, but too much gravy smothers the turkey. UFC has made a variety of branding decisions that will earn them a ton of money in the short term, but it may hurt the product in the long run. I’m not the first person to point any of these things out, but it begs repeating. Choosing the Reebok brand is bad for business.
Reebok is a weak brand. The Reebok Company is most closely associated with basketball. Their famous Reebok Pump sneaker put them on the map in the 80’s, but it’s a basketball shoe. If UFC couldn’t sign Nike or Adidas, they shouldn’t have bothered with branding. It’s third tier sports apparel at best. Sure, Reebok paid the most, but Nike is number one, and so is UFC. They sold themselves short. Kids don’t want to buy Reebok stuff. It’s not cool.
Reebok created the most boring fighter wear ever. This most recent TUF episode showcased exactly why the Reebok deal is making the product lame duck. The first fight of this show featured two average looking men, both from Team Europe, both sporting crew cuts, both wearing gray trunks, and both executing some pretty average fighting skills. Not to harp on the fight, because fights can be boring, and TUF is essentially a training camp, but the fight was in no way helped by the drab gray trunks. We all know personalities sell fights. How are these guys supposed to display any uniqueness when dressed exactly the same? Not only did the UFC upset almost everyone by eliminating their ability to get sponsors, but they also took away any individuality that a fighter may have displayed via their trunks.
Reebok chose some horrible colors. Black with white, or white with black are your only uniform options as a UFC fighter. These things seriously look like the original “biker” short of the 80s. They are unflattering and worse, the same for everyone. I’m assuming they will start to expand with colors, but so far, six months into the rebranding, it’s terrible. The fighters are generic and hard to tell apart for a casual fan. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of the NASCAR style trunks prior to Reebok, but a fighter’s colors are important. It’s part of the individual fighter’s brand. Fans remember colors. I loved Bret Hart because he wore pink and I thought that made him tough. I hated Cheick Kongo because he wore blue Muay Thai trunks with the silly drawstring. The point is that I remember the fighter because of the specificity of the outfit. I couldn’t pick Marcin Wrzosek out of a line-up and I’ve watched every episode of TUF 22.
The corner men are now wearing pajamas. Have you seen these outfits up close? They’re paper-thin. Remember when Lulu Lemon made those see-through yoga pants? I guess Reebok bought the template. The corner men look like they’re getting ready to go to sleep in the 20’s. All they need is one of those starched up long pointy hats.
Finally, the Reebok emblem looks like a vagina. Am I the only person who has pointed this out? I can’t be. Maybe it’s because I live with a doctor that specializes in women’s health, and thus I have a model of a vagina in my house of which to compare, but it looks exactly like one of those models I’ve seen on my kitchen table. For those of you who don’t know anatomy, it looks specifically like the uterus. The vagina is technically the canal from the external to the internal reproductive organs.
Bonus Bad Branding: NOS Energy Drink. NOS is terrible. The term “nos” was first brought into the nomenclature of Americana with the prestigious Fast and Furious movies. Paul Walker and Vin Diesel spoke the word “nos” a combined total of 457 times in that first movie. It is the energy drink most closely associated with supercharged douche bags. A few episodes ago on TUF, we saw Team USA dousing each other with NOS drinks after a victory, like the KC Royals after winning the World Series. NOS cans are displayed at every opportunity in the UFC. Yes, the UFC and the Fast and Furious franchise have a lot of crossover audience, but again NOS is a bottom of the barrel energy drink behind Monster, Rock Star, and Red Bull (probably not in that order). Not only does NOS taste terrible, but also the only people who actually drink NOS are guys who wear Axe Body Spray, and Danny Bonaduce.
UFC is trying to be the NFL with branding and selling its rights to everything. The replays are brought to you by Harley Davidson, the round is brought to you buy Bud Light, etc. Eventually, the UFC will lose its identity and instead of the NFL it will just be “football.” That’s bad.
The fight industry is based on creating stars with personality. Dressing these guys all the same is counterproductive. Even if the UFC is making big bucks on the fees, it’s not worth it. Selling the naming rights to everything is literally the definition of selling out, and that’s bad for business.
