It’s a whole new season and Conor McGregor is the reason, as he and Urijah Faber go toe to toe as coaching foes on The Ultimate Fighter. They won’t duke it out after the season is done, but there’s still pride on the line, not to mention Conor’s reputation as the newest badass on the block.
Join us each episode for “The Notorious Quote of the Week” as Conor puts his mouth where UFC’s money is! There will be no “Fighters to Watch” this week though as it’s a two fight episode.
The Notorious Quote of the Week: “Dana recognized that these fighters were getting frustrated, and brought a lot of nice friendly women in to have fun with them.” Hmmmm.
Team McGregor finished the first round 6-3. Chris Gruetzemacher was eliminated because he had the weakest performance, but one of the quarter finalists may be out. Dana White comes out to make an announcement. “Martin (Svensson) has a broken elbow – he’s out.” He brings Gruetzemacher up to the front and has him face off with Artem Lobov. Conor McGregor predicts Lobov will finish him in the first round.
For those not keeping track the rest of the quarterfinals are Saul Rogers (McGregor) vs. Ryan Hall (Faber), Marcin Wrzosek (McGregor) vs. David Teymur (McGregor) and Julian Erosa (Faber) vs. Abner Lloveras (McGregor). Dana White holds a pool party for the fighters at the house, complete with girls in bikinis and alcohol flowing freely.
Faber: “This little reminder about what’s on the outside is going to help them perform and do the things they want.” McGregor: “Dana recognized that these fighters were getting frustrated, and brought a lot of nice friendly women in to have fun with them. And that’s what happened – we had fun today.” The first quarterfinal is five days away, and the camera immediately cuts to “five days later” and the warm-ups.
Lightweight: Artem Lobov (Europe) vs. Chris Gruetzemacher (USA)
Lobov is in the gray trunks and Gruetzemacher the blue. “Gritz” is the aggressor early, pushing the pace and throwing kicks. Of course we know Lobov throws strikes from unorthodox angles and with a ton of power, and we see him land a really nice combo at 1:35. Moments later John McCarthy calls for time due to a knee to Lobov’s cup. McGregor tells Lobov to be a “little more flow-y” but the blood is already flow-ing from Gruetzemacher’s face. Gritz tries to clinch him on the fence for elbows. McGregor: “What’s he got? NOTHIN’.” His blood winds up all over Lobov’s left shoulder. Gruetzemacher is still attacking though, throwing body kicks and leg kicks and getting right in Lobov’s face. Gritz lands a clean hard elbow at 4:20. For the last two minutes of R1 he was the dominant striker, despite what McGregor is saying.
Gritz goes right back to the leg kicks and body kicks to open R2. Lobov is still ripping off power shots but has yet to stun or drop Gritz with any of them. A frustrated Lobov is now throwing kicks of his own. Gritz has started to open up Lobov’s face with his strikes 1:45 in. Lobov is slowing down and not just because his legs hurt – he’s spent all his time swinging for the fences hoping to put Gritz away. He finally drops Gritz with one at 2:46 but Gritz gets back up. McGregor: “Play with him he’s badly hurt!” A left hook drops Gritz at 3:15 and McGregor runs and jumps the fence to hug him and celebrate. LOBOV ADVANCES TO THE SEMIS VIA KNOCKOUT.
Ryan Hall vs. Saul Rogers is up after the commercial break.
Lightweight: Saul Rogers (Europe) vs. Ryan Hall (USA)
Rogers is in the gray trunks and Hall the blue. Rogers opens up with his hands right away. Hall is doing his best to stay at range and he throws a couple of good head kicks, though he gets dumped on his back on one. Rogers doesn’t go to the ground with him. Rogers dumps him again on a body kick at 1:22. The fighters are warned to keep the fingers out of the eyes at 3:10. Rogers goes for a takedown at 3:40 and doesn’t get it. Hall dives for a takedown at 4:05 and doesn’t get it. Hall looks like his right eye may be swelling up from the strikes of Rogers. On to round two!
There are only ten minutes left so this one isn’t going to a sudden death round. They touch gloves and Rogers quickly pops him with a right hand. Faber is calling for Hall to pressure Rogers. Hall goes for a takedown but Rogers ends up on top in full guard. Hall is warned to watch shots to the back of the head. Hall scoots to the fence. Rogers backs off and lets Hall stand at 1:30. Hall shoots and misses, Rogers tags him for a flash knockdown, Hall fails to pull guard and Rogers takes him down at 2:10. He pops his head out of a possible triangle but Hall is still fishing for a submission. Rogers backs out at 2:38. His right hand is landing all day. Hall dives for a leg lock to no avail. Hall pulls guard at3:39. Rogers can run out the clock on top if he wants. He’s warned to get his fingers out of Hall’s eyes. They stand with under 15 seconds left. Rogers should take this. He lands one last uppercut at the bell.
19-19, 20-18 and 20-18 for ROGERS BY MAJORITY DECISION. Two of the four semifinalists are now from Team McGregor. Hall has a big hematoma on his head in the post fight interview. We move on from this week to see if “Mystic Mac” can run the table and have an all Team McGregor finals. Join us next week!
The UFC returns for the fourth straight Saturday for their final event in the month of November. The Octagon heads to Seoul, South Korea for the first time for UFC Fight Night 79, headlined by a five-round welterweight bout between Benson Henderson and Jorge Masvidal. Let’s take a look at some fighters to target for your fantasy line-ups for the event.
STUDS
Dong Hyun Kim ($11,100)
Dong Hyun Kim is the biggest betting favorite and the highest-salaried fighter on the UFC Fight Night 79 card. He fights a short-notice opponent who has yet to taste victory in the UFC. Kim hasn’t scored a lot of points, fantasy-wise, in his recent UFC bouts, but he is coming off of a submission win over Josh Burkman in May. He is a much-higher class fighter than his opponent, Dominic Waters, and he should be able to use his judo skills and striking to get the win. I expect him to finish Waters, and probably early, and he is a very good bet to score you a great amount of points on Saturday.
Fredy Serrano ($10,400)
Fredy Serrano enters just his third official professional MMA bout on Saturday, but he already has a good bit of hype being a member of the Colombian wrestling team in the 2008 Olympics. He has been impressive in his short career, with two wins by finish, and with his wrestling background and power in his hands, he has a very good chance at scoring a lot of points on Saturday. His opponent, Yao Zhikui, is just 2-2 in his career and hasn’t been overly impressive. Serrano is a fighter I like a lot on this card to do some damage.
VALUE PICKS
Alberto Mina ($9,200)
Alberto Mina is a perfect 11-0 in his professional career. All eleven wins have come by finish, and he has been out of the first round just twice in his career. He has power in his hands, feet and knees, and he has a slick submission game. With all of that said, he has a low salary on Saturday. A lot of it has to do with his inactivity having fought just twice in the last four years, and more to do with his opponent, Yoshihiro Akiyama. Akiyama is a good wrestler who tends to rely too much on his striking, and that costs him fights. This is also a reminder that Akiyama is just 1-4 in his last five fights. Mina is a very solid value pick on this card.
Sam Sicilia ($8,900)
Sam Sicilia is looking to score his third straight win as he comes into UFC Fight Night 79. He is a live underdog play at a low salary as he takes on the tough Doo Ho Choi, who has won ten straight bouts. Sicilia has more experience inside the Octagon and these two have been scheduled to fight twice before, with Choi pulling out of the fight both times. Perhaps that will give Sicilia some extra motivation to finish Choi. Choi is a young and rising fighter, but Sicilia has that grittiness to get the job done. He is worth a shot if you are looking for a low-risk, low-salary, high-reward fighter.
AVOID
Jake Collier ($10,000)
Jake Collier has a decent salary as he looks to score his second straight win when he takes on Dongi Yang, who makes his UFC return in his home country of South Korea. Collier hasn’t been overly impressive in the UFC, with a 1-1 record, and his lone win coming by a close split decision. He faces a tough wrestler in Yang, and one who can avoid being hit. Yang will look to land the takedowns on Collier and be the aggressor on the feet. At his salary point, Collier is someone who I will look to avoid rostering.
Seo Hee Ham ($9,100)
Seo Hee Ham is one of the more experienced fighters in the UFC’s strawweight division as she sports a respectable 15-6 record. She lost her UFC debut to Joanne Calderwood, but it was a bout she took on short notice. However, when looking at her 15 wins, 13 have come by decision, and in fights where she didn’t inflict a lot of damage. She fights a tough opponent in Cortney Casey, who has been training with the Power MMA camp in Arizona. She doesn’t have a ton of experience with just six professional fights, but her four wins have all come by stoppage in the first round. It is not a favorable match-up for Ham, so we also recommend to avoid her on your roster.
OUR LINE-UPS
RYAN FREDERICK: Dong Hyun Kim ($11,100), Doo Ho Choi ($10,500), Fredy Serrano ($10,400), Alberto Mina ($9,200), Jorge Masvidal ($8,600)
I like Dong Hyun Kim and Fredy Serrano for the reasons stated above. I see them at a much higher level than their opponents, and I think a finish is likely for both of them, and both of them to win early. I like Doo Ho Choi over Sam Sicilia. Sicilia definitely has the chance to finish Choi, but Choi is a rising prospect with a good bit of hype, and he has some good power and good submissions. Alberto Mina has a chance at scoring the upset over Yoshihiro Akiyama. Mina hasn’t fought anyone really, but he is 11-0 with 11 finishes, and that is something to be accounted for. His salary made it easier to spend up on some bigger fighters. The same goes with Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal is cheap and is an excellent fighter. He has a tough fight against Benson Henderson, but he lands a lot of strikes, has good takedowns and can pull off the upset if Henderson isn’t careful enough.
PAUL FONTAINE: Dong Hyun Kim ($11,100), Mike de la Torre ($9,600), “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim ($9,500), Dongi Yang ($9,400), Alberto Mina ($9,200)
I’m picking both Dong Hyun Kim’s on my team cause it was just too juicy a prospect not to. But seriously, the one we’re all familiar with is a top contender who’s only lost once in his last 7 fights and that was to highly ranked Tyron Woodley. The second one, who will be making his debut, is a bit of an unknown but looking at his record, he’s won 7 of his last 8 fights, all by KO or submission. His opponent, Dominique Steele, lost his one and only UFC fight by KO so that seems like a likely outcome. Both guys will be hometown heroes in their native country so that should help. De La Torre came into UFC with a great reputation and I keep expecting him to finally put it all together so I’m putting him in my lineup with the hope that it happens here. Dongi Yang is returning to UFC after an impressive run outside the company, including a KO of former UFC title challenger Dennis Hallman in his last fight. His opponent Jake Collier has had a loss and a split decision win in his two UFC fights so he’s not exactly setting the world on fire. My final pick is Alberto Mina, the unbeaten Brazilian who has won all of his fights by finish including his one and only UFC fight. His opponent Akiyama is one of the more overrated fighters on the roster with just one win in the last 6 1/2 years.
PEACH MACHINE: Benson Henderson ($10,800), Doo Ho Choi ($10,500), Mike de la Torre ($9,600), Leo Kuntz ($9,300), Alberto Mina ($9,200)
I’m a big fan of Masvidal, but he’s out of his league with Bendo, who looked great his first time out at 170. Bendo has fought in Asia and is part Korean, so he’s got the home field advantage. That’s my only real pick. I selected four other guys I liked, then picked the opposite, because my recent picks have been terrible. It could be a bad night out for me, but couldn’t possibly be any worse. I do like de la Torre to finish but other than that, I’m really picking guys who I think will lose. We will see.
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal weigh-ins from the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, South Korea kicking off at 2 AM eastern time. The event airs on Saturday on UFC Fight Pass at 8 AM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 5 AM eastern time. This will be the debut of the UFC in Seoul, South Korea.
The event is headlined by a five-round welterweight bout as former UFC and WEC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson takes on former Strikeforce title challenger Jorge Masvidal, who took the headline position on short notice as an injury replacement for Thiago Alves. In the co-main event, it will be South Korea’s own Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim taking on Dominic Waters. Also on the card is the return after 14 months off for Yoshihiro Akiyama, who takes on the undefeated Alberto Mina.
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 8 AM ET/5 AM PT): Benson Henderson (170) vs. Jorge Masvidal (170) Dong Hyun Kim (171) vs. Dominic Waters (170) Yoshihiro Akiyama (170) vs. Alberto Mina (171) Doo Ho Choi (146) vs. Sam Sicilia (146)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 5 AM ET/2 AM PT): Dongi Yang (186) vs. Jake Collier (185) Yui Chul Nam (146) vs. Mike de la Torre (146) Tae Hyun Bang (156) vs. Leo Kuntz (156) Seo Hee Ham (115) vs. Cortney Casey (116) Yao Zhikui (126) vs. Fredy Serrano (125) Ning Guangyou (134) vs. Marco Beltran (136) Dominique Steele (171) vs. “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim (170)
NOTES: *Benson Henderson needed the towel to make weight, but he made it at 170 pounds. *Dong Hyun Kim and Yoshihiro Akiyama got the big reactions from the crowd. Akiyama looked every bit as muscular as in the past. He is being billed to the local crowd as Choo Sung-hoon, which is his Korean name. *Yui Chul Nam and Mike de la Torre had an intense staredown with neither man shaking the others’ hand afterwards. *Dominique Steele needed a towel, but he made the welterweight limit of 171 pounds.
The UFC spends Thanksgiving weekend bringing the Octagon to South Korea for the first time for UFC Fight Night 79 on Saturday. The event will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass with an early morning start time, or late-night start time depending on which coast you live in, with an eleven-fight card in Seoul, South Korea. The action kicks off with preliminary card action at 5 AM eastern time heading into the main card kicking off at 8 AM eastern time.
The event will be headlined by a five-round bout in the welterweight division as former UFC and WEC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson fights at 170 pounds for the second time when he takes on Jorge Masvidal, who replaced Thiago Alves in the headline bout. In the co-main event, it will be South Korea’s own Dong Hyun Kim, looking to score his second straight win, taking on Dominic Waters, who stepped in to replace Masvidal. Also on the card is the return of “Sexyama” as Yoshihiro Akiyama takes on Alberto Mina. Let’s take a deeper look into the action and give you five storylines to keep your eye on for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 79 event.
1. Will this be Benson Henderson’s last fight in the UFC?
Benson Henderson enters the main event of UFC Fight Night 79 at a pivotal point in his career. This will be the final fight on Henderson’s contract with the UFC, and he will be testing the free agent market following Saturday’s event. Henderson is a former UFC and WEC lightweight champion with a 22-5 record in his career. If you were to rank all of the 500-plus UFC fighters in order, odds are Henderson would be ranked in the top 25. He has been a top-five lightweight in the world for the last six years, and as he has moved up to welterweight for the time being, he has shown he has the chance to be a threat there as well. He has just three losses inside the Octagon- losing the championship to Anthony Pettis, who just has Henderson’s number, a flash knockout to current champion Rafael Dos Anjos, and a close split decision loss to Donald Cerrone in January, the man getting the next title shot.
It all comes down to how Henderson wants to test the market. Times are different these days with the Reebok deal and the opportunities to promote sponsors in the UFC being slim. Bellator has shown that they will go after high-profile fighters, and while the sponsorship issue doesn’t exist there, the exposure there hasn’t been the best, and their top fighters are getting pushed down the card in lieu of the likes of Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice. Henderson is a bonafide main event fighter, and he is one of the best in the world. He will command a solid contract, but he belongs in the UFC. The competition is the best there, and if he wants to truly show he is the best, he re-signs when all is said and done. Henderson is the biggest name to find himself in this position since the Reebok deal was fully implemented in July, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Win or lose, I see him being back in the UFC, but his position makes for an interesting question heading into Saturday night’s event, when he takes on Jorge Masvidal in the headline bout.
2. Will Jorge Masvidal spoil Benson Henderson’s night on Saturday?
Jorge Masvidal gets his first UFC main event on Saturday night, taking on Benson Henderson in the five-round welterweight headliner, and it is a fight Masvidal is taking on short notice. He was scheduled for the card against Dong Hyun Kim, but it was a three-round bout. He now takes a five-round bout against a much different opponent, and one that he was scheduled to fight in April when both were competing at 155 pounds. Both are now at 170 pounds and looking to establish themselves as contenders. Masvidal has won four of his last five fights, with the lone loss coming in a close split decision to Al Iaquinta, a fight more remembered for Iaquinta’s post-fight tirade. Masvidal moved up to welterweight following that fight, and he had a strong knockout of Cezar Ferreira in July in his UFC welterweight debut.
Henderson will come in as the big crowd favorite being of Korean descent, and with him being in his current position as noted above, Masvidal will be looking to spoil the party in the main event. Masvidal has the tools to be a threat in whichever division he competes in, and he seems more comfortable at 170 pounds as he doesn’t have to make the huge weight cut or worry too much about missing weight, though there were slight issues in his first drop back down. Henderson is one of the best in the world and Masvidal will have his opportunity to prove he belongs in the discussion. Masvidal has very good boxing and power, and Henderson is the better grappler and one who excels in bringing pressure. Henderson is an experienced five-round fighter while Masvidal has had just one over the years, a title fight loss to Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce. Henderson is the favorite, and for good reason, but Masvidal a solid chance to score the upset.
3. Will Dong Hyun Kim score the win in his home country?
There are actually two fighters named Dong Hyun Kim on the fight card, a first in the UFC, but it is the veteran welterweight, otherwise known as “Stun Gun”, who comes into Saturday’s event as the biggest favorite on the fight card. He competes in the co-main event, and it will be his first fight in his native country of South Korea since 2004. This will be the 16th fight in the UFC career of Kim, who holds an 11-3 with 1 no contest record inside the Octagon, and he remains a top-ten ranked fighter. However, he has always had trouble getting inside the top five, and every top opponent he has fought has ended with him on the losing side. Kim hopes to reverse that curse, and while he doesn’t have a top-level opponent in this bout, the hope for Kim is that a big win in his home country will give him that extra boost towards title contention.
He fights Dominic Waters, a man who took the fight on short notice looking to score the huge upset and get his first UFC win. Waters is an opponent to not take lightly as he comes from a good camp and has solid skills, but Kim is a tough opponent to fight no matter if you take the fight on two weeks’ notice like Waters did, or if you get the full eight weeks of a training camp to prepare for. Kim is an excellent judoka and has been improving his striking. Despite being 34-years-old, Kim doesn’t feel like a finished product, but has some hurdles to still overcome, one being his tendency to start off slow. It would be in Waters’ best interest to come out aggressive and try and catch Kim early, but Kim’s striking and overall suffocating top game will begin to take over the fight in the early stages of the opening round. This is a fight Kim is made to win, and he will get the job done.
4. How much does Yoshihiro Akiyama have left?
Yoshihiro Akiyama is a popular fighter who hasn’t quite lived up to the high expectations given to him when he signed with the UFC in 2009. He has had a tough road, and injuries haven’t helped him at all as he has missed a lot of action over the six years, having fought an average of just once a year during his UFC tenure. He was out of action for nearly 31 months following a February 2012 loss to Jake Shields, but he returned in September 2014 to score a decision win over Amir Sadollah, which ended a four-fight losing streak. He hasn’t fought since that win, having done some acting work since then, but he returns in South Korea, where he has a big following being a Korean descent.
He will be taking on Alberto Mina, who is undefeated with an 11-0 record in his career, but he also has been out of action for a while. He hasn’t fought since a TKO win in his UFC debut over Shinsho Anzai in August 2014, and he actually has the same amount of fights in the last four years as Akiyama has. Mina is heavy-handed and has a solid submission game, so Akiyama will need to establish his wrestling to take Mina down and establish some ground-and-pound from the top. Akiyama looked good in his win over Sadollah, but he still has a tendency to wanna rely on his striking to win fights. Mina will make him pay with a slew of various attacks, from kicks to knees, and Akiyama’s chin has been battered before. Akiyama should use constant pressure and keep Mina out of range with his wrestling. This is a toss-up fight and one that will show if Akiyama has anything left in his tank.
5. What else is there to look out for on the card?
Filling out the main card is a featherweight bout between prospect Doo Ho Choi and “TUF” veteran Sam Sicilia. This is a fight that has been attempted to be made on two separate occasions, but injuries to Choi have caused the delay of the fight both times. They were set to fight at UFC 173 in May and again at UFC Fight Night 71 in July, and Sicilia wound up competing on both cards, winning fights over Aaron Phillips and Yaotzin Meza. Choi has one fight in the UFC, an 18-second TKO win over Juan Puig last November, and he has won ten straight fights and 12 of his 13 professional bouts. He is a knockout artist, much like Sicilia, and this fight has fireworks written all over it and a very good chance at winning “Fight Of The Night”.
Another fighter to keep an eye on, this time in the preiminary card, is Fredy Serrano. Serrano is a former Olympian in wrestling for Colombia, competing in the same weight class that was won by current flyweight contender Henry Cejudo in the 2008 Olympics. Serrano retired from wrestling in 2013 and moved to MMA. He was on the first season of “TUF: Latin America” but lost to eventual winner Alejandro Perez. He made his UFC debut in March, scoring a third-round knockout win over Bentley Syler. Serrano has just a 2-0 record during his professional career, but also wins in two unsanctioned fights. He has the wrestling pedigree and has shown some great knockout power, and is a definite prospect in the growing flyweight division.
Full UFC Fight Night 79 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictios
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 8 AM ET/5 AM PT)
Welterweights: (#7 LW) Benson Henderson vs. Jorge Masvidal Betting Odds: Henderson (-260), Masvidal (+220) Prediction: Henderson by decision
Welterweights: (#7) Dong Hyun Kim vs. Dominic Waters Betting Odds: Kim (-750), Waters (+525) Prediction: Kim by submission in round 1
Welterweights: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alberto Mina Betting Odds: Akiyama (-150), Mina (+130) Prediction: Akiyama by decision
Featherweights: Doo Ho Choi vs. Sam Sicilia Betting Odds: Choi (-240), Sicilia (+200) Prediction: Choi by knockout in round 2
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 5 AM ET/2 AM PT)
Middleweights: Dongi Yang vs. Jake Collier Betting Odds: Yang (+115), Collier (-135) Prediction: Yang by decision
Featherweights: Yui Chul Nam vs. Mike de la Torre Betting Odds: Nam (-120), Torre (+100) Prediction: Nam by decision
Lightweights: Tae Hyun Bang vs. Leo Kuntz Betting Odds: Bang (-135), Kuntz (+115) Prediction: Bang by submission in round 2
Women’s Strawweights: Seo Hee Ham vs. Cortney Casey Betting Odds: Ham (+145), Casey (-165) Prediction: Casey by decision
Flyweights: Yao Zhikui vs. Fredy Serrano Betting Odds: Zhikui (+155), Serrano (-175) Prediction: Serrano by knockout in round 2
Bantamweights: Ning Guangyou vs. Marco Beltran Betting Odds: Guangyou (-185), Beltran (+160) Prediction: Guangyou by decision
Welterweights: Dominique Steele vs. “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim Betting Odds: Steele (-130), Kim (+110) Prediction: Kim by decision
This past weekend saw televised shows from the big three MMA organizations in North America with differering results.
UFC —
UFC Fight Night 78 from Mexico featuring Kelvin Gastelum vs. Neil Magny in the main event did a below average 750,000 viewers for Fox Sports One for the main card, but a well above average 732,000 viewers for the four fight prelims show that was also on FS1.
The show wouldn’t have been expected to do a great rating with the main event, especially with Magny replacing the popular Matt Brown who was injured in the lead-in to the event. Additionally, the TUF Latin American 2 final matches were on the main card featuring 4 completely unknown fighters to the US audience since that series only aired on UFC Fight Pass in the US.
The year to date average for UFC Fight Nights on FS 1 now stands at just under 908,000 viewers, so Saturday’s show was 17% below that average. However, that number is still 9.5% higher than the 2014 average of just under 829,000 viewers.
Better news for UFC was the continued trend of the FS 1 prelims doing well above average. The 732,000 viewers for that show were 23% higher than the year-to-date average of 595,000 viewers. That number is also up 9.3% from the 2014 average of 544,000. The prelims bouts had an unofficial “Mexico vs the World” theme with the biggest name on that portion of the show being longtime UFC/WEC fighter Scott Jorgensen, a loser to Alejandro Perez.
This week’s numbers was down significantly from the 903,000 viewers for UFC Fight Night 57 one year ago this weekend. That show had a much bigger main event with Frankie Edgar vs Cub Swanson. The prelims for that show were also slightly higher at 777,000 viewers with veteran Yves Edwards being the biggest name.
Bellator —
Bellator 146 on Spike TV was right at its year to date average for regular Friday night shows with 650,000 viewers. Headlined by Melvin Manhoef vs Hisako Kato, the show was virtually identical to the year to date average of 656,000 viewers. It was also up 19% from the most recent non-“tentpole” show in October which did 555,000 viewers. The year to date average is down 3.5% from last year’s 676,000 viewers. There is no similar show from last year to compare to as Bellator took an extended break after the Bellator 131 show with Tito Ortiz vs. Stephan Bonnar.
WSOF —
WSOF on NBC Sports Network did a disappointing 148,000 viewers for an event featuring a one night lightweight tournament for a title shot in 2016. The 25th show in company history had its lowest viewership total since 96,000 viewers watched WSOF Canada on Feb 21, 2014. It was their third lowest total in their run on NBC Sports Network.
Although the show was advertised around the lightweight tourney, there was only one fight actually announced ahead of time featuring former Strikeforce fighter Jason High vs Estevan Payan. The 148,000 viewers for the show is 23% lower than the year-to-date average of 192,000. The 2015 average is down 11% from the 2014 average of 216,000 viewers.
Despite the steady numbers for Bellator and the gradually rising UFC numbers, there has been a steady decline for World Series of Fighting that traces back to their high water point when almost a million viewers tuned in to their one and only live card on the main NBC network in July of 2014.
Figure Four Daily with Bryan Alvarez and Filthy Tom Lawlor returns today with tons to discuss including Sheamus, the WWE Survivor Series PPV, our WWE 2K16 Twitter promo contest including some video entries, the brand new Filthy Tom Mailbag Gimmick, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 78: Magny vs. Gastelum from Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. The event is headlined by a five-round welterweight bout as 13th-ranked Neil Magny takes on 15th-ranked and former “TUF” winner Kelvin Gastelum. Also on the card, in the co-main event, it is a featherweight bout as former title challenger Ricardo Lamas welcomes original “TUF” winner, Diego Sanchez, back to the Octagon in another new weight class, and flyweights Jussier Formiga and Henry Cejudo square off in a potential title eliminator bout. The action kicks off with preliminary card fights at 6:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass. The action moves over to FS1 at 8 PM eastern time with additional preliminary fights before the main card kicks off at 10 PM eastern time.
LIGHTWEIGHTS- VALMIR LAZARO (13-3, 1-1 UFC) VS. MICHEL PRAZERES (18-2, 2-2 UFC)
First round: Mini-Brock Gary Copeland as referee tonight. Lazaro with a low kick. Low kick back by Prezeres. Now Lazaro with a low kick. Left by Prezeres. Good low kick by Lazaro. Lazaro landing jabs. Another jab by Lazaro. Lazaro continues to jab. Right by Prezeres. Good right by Prezeres. He tried to follow with a takedown and got him down. . But Lazaro right back up. No damage was done on the ground. Prezeres went for another takedown and Lazaro easily evaded it. Prezeres with a right and left. Low kick by Lazaro. Lazaro 10-9 good round.
Second round: Body kick by Prezeres. Prezeres went for a takedown but Lazaro landed on top. Copeland ordered a standup. Prezeres landed a right. He shot for a takedown but and got him down but Lazaro was right back up. Lazaro landing jabs again. Prezeres took him down but Lazaro right back up. Close round, 20-18 Lazaro.
Third round: Lazaro’s corner told him it was 1-1, which is probably a good thing to tell him because it could be and he can’t think he’s got it won. They hugged before the round started. Low kick by Lazaro. Nice left by Prezeres. Missed on a huge right. Prezeres missing punches. Left by Prezeres. Prezers moving in for a takedown. Prezeres got him down but Lazaro right back up. Lazaro ended up blocking a takedown and landing on top. The ref ordered a standup with 37 seconds left. Prezeres missed another takedown. Lazaro’s round I’ve got 30-27.
Scores: 29-28 Prezeres 29-28 Lazaro 29-28 Prezeres. Prezeres very lucky. Bad call.
LIGHTWEIGHTS- CESAR ARZAMENDIA (7-1, 0-0 UFC) VS. POLO REYES (3-1, 0-0 UFC)
First round: Arzamendia from Paraguay, Reyes from Mexico. They are both of TUF Latin America. Both swinging. Low kick by Arzamendia. Knees by Arzamendia. Arzamendia claimed there was a low blow. Armzamendia took him down but Reyes right back up. Another takedown by Arzamendia. Another takedown by Arzamendia. Reyes back up. Spin kick to the body by Reyes. Crowd pretty hot for this with a Mexican in the match. A double leg takedown by Arzamendia. Left by Reyes knocked him out. He broke a clinch and landed a left to the jaw for the knockout. 3:42
WELTERWEIGHTS- VERNON RAMOS (3-0, 0-0 UFC) VS. ALVARO HERRERA (8-3, 0-0 UFC)
First round: Ramos from Panama, Herrera from Guadalajara. Both off TUF Latin America. Herrera landed punches right away and it was over. Left, a right uppercut and another right behind the ear and it’s over as Ramos face planted. :30
PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
FEATHERWEIGHTS- GABRIEL BENITEZ (18-4, 2-0 UFC) VS. ANDRE FILI (14-3, 2-2 UFC)
First round: Benitez the crowd favorite from Tijuana. Benitez known for ridiculous kicks. Benitez landing low kicks. Left by Benitez. Fili with a body kick. Fili with a low kick. High kick by Fili. Fili with a takedown. Head kick by Fili and he finished him with a flurry of punches to the chagrin of the crowd. It was pair of right high kicks and a series of punches before Benitez could recover, he went down and it was stopped.
BANTAMWEIGHTS- SCOTT JORGENSEN (15-11, 4-7 UFC) VS. ALEJANDRO PEREZ (15-6, 1-1 UFC)
First round: Perez with a low kick. Perez with another low kick. Jorgensen tried for a akedown but Perez threw him off. Jorgensen landed a right. Jorgensen took him down. Perez back up. Another takedown by Jorgensen. Perez back up again. Right by Jorgensen. High kick by Jorgensen missed. Jorgensen with a right. Low kick by Perez. Low kick by Jorgensen. Good low kick by Perez. Jorgensn is hurt and may not be able to continue. Perez 10-9.
Second round: Jorgensen came out but can barely walk. He fell down, this fight needs to be stopped. He got up. Low kick by Perez. Perez kicking the right leg, which is the good leg. Perez continues to kick the right leg. Jorgensen’s calf has a huge bruise. Perez with a body kick. Perez with more kicks to the right leg. Right and left by Jorgensen. Perez with a body shot. Perez swept his leg but Jorgensen got back up. Body kick by Perez. It’s kind of amazing the fight is still going. Jorgensen just collapsed, his leg gave out and he tapped.
First round: Fabinski took him right down. Fabinski with punches and elbows from the top. Mario Yamasaki stood them up. I have no idea why since Fabinski was busy from the top. Fabinski then took him right down again. Fabinski landing elbows. Urbina tred a triangle but Fabinski out of it easily. 10-9 Fabinski
Second round: Urbina with a knee and Fabinski took him down. Another takedown by Fabinski. He’s moved to side control. Urbina reversed and throwing punches but Fabinski back up. Both trading punches. Urbina missed a high kick. Urbina bleeding from the left eye. They stopped the fight for the doctor to check the cut. The cut is on the eye lid. The doctor allowed it to continue. Another takedown by Fabinski. Fabinski ‘s round 20-18.
Third round: The cut was caused by a head–butt. Urbina throwing punches and went for a guillotine. Fabinski took him down again. Urbina trying to use the guillotine to sweep. Urbina has his legs tied up as well. Fabinski escaped and on top. Fabinski with some punches. Now Urbina trying for a Kimura. Boring round. Urbina tried to sweep but Fabinski blocked it and remained on top. Fabinski has his back. Urbina landing elbows as Fabinski tried for takedown. Urbina throwing punches. Urbina’s round so 29-28 FAbinski.
Scores: 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 for Fabinski
BANTAMWEIGHTS- ERIK PEREZ (14-6, 4-2 UFC) VS. TAYLOR LAPILUS (10-1, 2-0 UFC)
First round: Perez is a big favorite since he’s from Monterrey. Crowd going crazy for him. Lapilus with a body kick. Nice left by Lapilus. Knee to the body by Lapilus. Low kick by Lapilus. Body kick by Lapilus. Fans were booing. Low kick by Lapilus. Lapilus with a body kick. Low kick by Lapilus. Perez landed a right. Perez had a leg but couldn’t take him down. Perez landed a series of punches late. Perez landed another combo. Perez picked him up at the buzzer, so the slam didn’t count. Lapilus 10-9
Second round: Lapilus landed some punches and Perez back with a right. Lapilus working for a guillotine. Perez escaped and on top. Crowd popped big for that. Perez is landing shots to the body from the top. Perez with lots of body shots. Perez with body shots and elbows. Perez’s round so 19-19 after two.
Third round: Crowd real hot knowing it’s even. Loud “Mexico” chants. Head kick by Perez. Lapilus went for a takedown. Perez defending well. Perez has him against the fence. Perez took him down. Both scrambling and Perez standing . Left and knee by Lapilus. Perez in with a right. Left by Lapilus. Perez with another takedown. Perez not doing much but staying on top. Perez with body shots now. Perez elbowing the thigh. Perez is mostly holding him down. Perez with some elbows. Perez with body shots. Perez should win 29-28, really that’s the only score possible.
Scores: Perez is wearing a mask. All three have is 29-28 Perez.
First round: Body kick by Silva. Escuedero with a body kick. Left by Silva. Body kick by Escudero and one back by Silva Silva land a series of punches. Head kick by Sivla. Escudero worked for a takedown but didn’t get it. Escudero in with a punch. Nice right by Escudero and moved in for a takedown attempt. Silva landed a nice left at the end of the round. 10-9 Sivla
Second round: Nice hook kick by Silva but didn’t land solid. Front kick by Silva. Body kick by Silva. Escudero got the takedown. Escudero took him down again. Silva got to his feet. Escudero’s round so 19-19 after two.
Third round: Body kick by Silva. Escudero land some punches. Left by Silva. Silva landed jabs. Escudero trying for a takedown but Silva defended well. Silva landing punches. Escuerdo tried a takedown but didn’t get it. Sivla again blocking the takedown. Right and left by Silva. Silva got his back on the ground. Silva 29-28.
Scores: All three have it 29-28 Silva. Really the only score possible. Some boos since Escudero was the crowd favorite.
TUF: LATIN AMERICA 2 LIGHTWEIGHT FINALS- HORACIO GUTIERREZ (2-1, 0-0 UFC) VS. ENRIQUE BARZOLA (10-2-1, 0-0 UFC)
First round: Gutierrez is from Guadalajara so that makes him the favorite. This is the final of the current TUF Latin America season. Low kick by Gutierrez. Another low kick by Gutierrez. Low kick by Gutierrez. Beautiful back suplex by Barzola. Barzola has his back. Another takedown by Barzola. Gutierrez up and Barzola tripped him back down. Barzola with a hard punch on the ground. 10-9 Barzola.
Second round: Takedown right away by Barzola. Gutierrez bleeding. Barzola bleeding as well. Barzola with some elbows. Some elbows to the body and head. 10-8 round, 20-17 Barzola.
Third round: Barzola with another takedown. Barzola with elbows to the head and punches to the body. More elbows by Barzola. Another 10-8 round for Barzola, 30-25.
Scores: 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26 for Barzola.
TUF: LATIN AMERICA 2 WELTERWEIGHT FINALS- ERICK MONTANO (6-3, 0-0 UFC) VS. ENRIQUE MARIN (8-2, 0-0 UFC)
First round: This is the TUF Latin America finals in the welterweight division. Montano is from Mexico City, so he’s the crowd favorite. Montano with a body kick and Marin back with some punches. Nice left by Marin. Montano took him down and Marin reversed to the top. Side kick by Montano. Montano went for a takedown but blocked. Marin moved in and landed. Marin 10-9.
Second round: Both swinging. Nice takedown by Marin. Marin moved to side control. Body kick by Montano. Montano throwing kicks. Marin went for a takedown but Montano blocked it. Montano landing punches and kicks. Close round but I’ve got 20-18 Marin.
Third round: They hugged before the third round. These two were best friends on the show. Montano with a high kick. Montano landed a right and a side kick. Montano with a body kick. Marin pushed him against the fence. He’s just holding him against the cage but doing nothing. Body kick by Montano. Right by Montano. Marin with punches and body kick. Bodykick by Montano. Montano took him down. Crowd booed both guys. Montano’s round so I’ve got 29-28 Marin. Could go the other way. Pretty uneventful fight.
Scores: 29-28 Marin 29-28 Montano 29-28 Montano
FLYWEIGHTS- (#3) JUSSIER FORMIGA (18-3, 4-2 UFC) VS. (#5) HENRY CEJUDO (9-0, 3-0 UFC)
First round: Cejudo landing punches. Left and right by Cejudo. Left by Formiga. Formiga landed a right. Trading knees. Trading more knees from the clinch. Formiga landed a right. Hard right by Cejudo. Cejudo took him down late. 10-9 Cejudo
Second round: Right by Cejudo. Both traded knees from the clinch. Nice right by Cejudo. Formiga with a right. Good low kick by Formiga. Knee by Cejudo. Left by Formiga. Nice elbow and uppercut by Cejudo. They traded knees. Formiga with a jab. Body kick by Cejudo. Very close round, Cejudo 20-18.
Third round: High kick by Cejudo. High slam by Cejudo. Formiga back up. Knee and elbow by Cejudo. Low kick by Formiga. Cejudo pushed him against the fence. Elbow from the clinch by Cejudo and a right. Cejudo 30-27. Fans booed a little. Not a good fight at all, Cejudo did nothing to make you excited about a fight with Demetrious Johnson.
Scores: 30-27 Cejudo 29-28 Formiga 30-27 Cejudo. Formiga winning would have been a robbery.
FEATHERWEIGHTS- (#4) RICARDO LAMAS (15-4, 6-2 UFC) VS. DIEGO SANCHEZ (25-7, 14-7 UFC)
First round: Sanchez in with punches. Nice spin kick by Lamas. Hard body kick by Lamas. Sanchez started punching back. Hard body kick by Sanchez. Lamas missed a spin kick. Side kick by Lamas. Sanchez missed a punh. Lamas with takedown and got his back. Lamas got his back and throwing knees. Lamas has his back and Sanchez escaped and is up. Elbow by Sanchdz. 10-9 Lamas.
Second round: Nice left hook by Sanchez. Lamas took him down. Lamas hurt him with a low kick. Lamas landing big punches and low kicks. Sanchez is in trouble. Another low kick. Lamas with a punch. Lamas with a takedown. Nice switch by Sanchez. Lamas reversed and got his back. Nice reverse by Sanchez. Really good wrestling here. Sanchez bleeding for the right eye. Lamas got his back. Sanchez escaped and up. Low kick and punches by Lamas. Left by Lamas. Lamas 20-18.
Third round: Sanchez with a knee. Low kick by Lamas. Spin kick by Lamas and Lamas lost his balance. Low kick by Lamas . Sanchez is hurt. Fans chanting for Sanchez. Spinning elbow by Lamas busted Sanchez up. Lamas slipped but got up. Sanchez bleeding badly from the right eye. Left jab by Lamas. Left jab by Lamas. Lamas with a head kick but didn’t really land. Sanchez with a left hook. Spin kick by Sanchez missed. Good fight. 30-27 Lamas.
Scores: All three have it 30-27 for Lamas.
WELTERWEIGHTS- (#13) NEIL MAGNY (16-4, 9-3 UFC) VS. (#15) KELVIN GASTELUM (11-1, 6-1 UFC)
First round: Low kick by Gastelum. Low kick by Gastelum. Nice high kick and punches by Gastelum. Nice takedown by Magny and has his back. Gastelum back up. Nice throw but Magny reversed to the top. Magny has his back and working for a choke. Gastelum out of trouble. Magny with elbows to the body. Gastelum up. Right by Gastelum Magny 10-9.
Second round: Magny landing punches and a front kick. Body kick by Gastelum Front kicks by Magny. Body kick by Gastelum. Magny back with punches moving in. Low kick by Gastelum Gastelum landed several punches . Magny now back with punches. This is a good fight. Magny got him down. Gasteljum tried to reverse it but got blocked. Magny threw him down and got his back. Another takedown by Magny. Magny 20-18.
Third round: Magnyu landed a right and moved in. Magny with more punches moving in. Magny took him down. Magny tried for a takedown but it was blocked. Magny got him down again. Gastelum right back up. Gastelum got his back. Magny took him down. Gastelum rolled to the top. Magny 30-27.
Fourth round: Magny with punches. Gastelum decked him with a right, landed punches , has his back. Gastelum in side control. Gasetlum with an elbow. Gastelum back to side control. Gastelum got his back. Gastelum dropped him a second time with a left hook. Magny tried a triangle but Gastelum cleared it. Magny back up. Magny looked at the clock. Magny with a takedown. Gastelum up. Magny has his back. Gastelum 10-8, 38-37 for MAgny
Fifth round: Magny landed a right and hurt him. Big takedown by Gastelum into side control. Magny back up. Magny landing punches. Magny tried a takedown but it was blocked. Gastelum landing punches. Gastelum landing more punches. Body kick by Gastelum Another body kick by Gastelum. Magny with a right. Magny took him down and has his back Gastelum reversed to the top. Gastelum landing punches from the top. Great fight. Gastelum’s round. I have it a 47-47 draw.
After the events of last week’s UFC 193, it’s hard to think anything on this show will top what we saw in the main event. The TUF Latin America finals show does feature some interesting names and, on paper at least, has “fun card!’ potential, especially the top three fights.
Our panel:
– Jack Encarnacao (98-39 | .715): Sherdog Rewind host, The Lapsed Fan podcast co-chair
– Josh Nason (81-56 | .591): Wrestling Observer digital media and content guy, WON Twitter enabler
*****
> Neil Magny (16-4) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (11-1) Welterweights
This is a much-different fight than the one we originally had with Gastelum and Matt Brown, out to due to an injury. However, while Magny doesn’t have marquee value, he is a surprise story at 170 pounds, having won eight of his last nine. After a Demien Maia loss derailed a seven-fight win streak, he looked great in beating Erick Silva via decision earlier this year. He’s a solid fighter and a live dog in this one.
The big story here is Gastelum who did make weight (hooray!) and could be the next big force at welterweight if he can keep making weight and keep winning. The good news is the 24-year-old has youth on his side, and has plenty of time to work things out. This is his first true fight at 170 in a year as he missed weight against Tyron Woodley (loss) and fought at 185 against Nate Marquardt (win).
> Ricardo Lamas (15-4) vs. Diego Sanchez (25-7) Featherweights
The 33-year-old Lamas is coming off a first-round TKO defeat at the hands of Chad Mendes, snapping a two-fight win streak. He’s caught in a tough position — not good enough to beat the top stars but good enough to beat the rest of the top 10. A winner of six of his last eight, he is a big favorite going into this interesting co-main event.
Also 33, Sanchez’s fight mileage has taken more of a toll on his body than it has for Lamas. About to fight in his fourth weight class in a UFC career that started more than 10 years ago, he’s fought sparingly in the last five years with just six fights. This is the first time we’ve seen him this year due to recovery from a broken collarbone. Every fight could be his last, so enjoy him while you can.
> Jussier Formiga (18-3) vs. Henry Cejudo (9-0) Flyweights
Many people, including Caplan, believe this is THE fight to see on this show and it’s hard to disagree. Cejudo is the anointed next great challenger for Demetrious Johnson which, unfortunately, should be something we see in 2017 as opposed to 2016 as Cejudo is still baking as a UFC fighter. The undefeated double-Olympic gold medalist is 3-0 in the Octagon with three decision wins, but hasn’t had that singular UFC standout moment…yet.
The 30-year-old Formiga is a formidable test, a battle-tested veteran who has found his footing with three straight wins after a 1-2 start. Those three wins: Scott Jorgenson, Zach Makovsky, and Wilson Reis. If there’s anyone that can derail Cejudo on his way to the title, it’s Formiga, and it’s hard not to imagine him getting a title shot if he does.
> Efrain Escudero (24-9) vs. Leandro Silva (18-2-1-1) Lightweights
Now in his third Octagon stint, the past TUF winner has picked up two straight wins in 2015 and was last seen submitting Drew Dober in just 54 seconds. The 30-year-old Silva is in his second UFC stint is 2-1-1 in his last four — one of those who controversially “submitted” Dober earlier this year.
> Erik Perez (14-6) vs. Taylor Lapilus (10-1) Bantamweights
After three straight wins, Perez was once the rising prospect UFC was trying to push as a Mexican star. A loser of two of his last three, he finds himself in the middle of the division trying to find his place. The 23-year-old French Lapilus has won five straight, and will likely have emotion on his side as a Paris native. He’s 2-0 in the Octagon after making his UFC debut this year.
