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  • UFC Fight Night 77 Sao Paulo live results: Vitor Belfort vs. Dan Henderson 3

    Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 77: Belfort vs. Henderson 3 from the Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The event is headlined by a trilogy bout as former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort takes on former PRIDE and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson. In the night’s co-main event, it will be a light heavyweight bout between Glover Teixeira and Patrick Cummins. 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.

    UFC Fight Night 77 Weigh-In Results
    UFC Fight Night 77 5 Storylines To Watch
    UFC Fight Night 77 DFS Playbook
    UFC Fight Night 77 By The Numbers

    Coverage provided by Dave Meltzer

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

    BANTAMWEIGHTS- BRUNO KOREA (4-0, 0-0 UFC) VS. MATHEUS NICOLAU (10-1-1, 0-0 UFC)

    First round: These two came from the recent season of TUF Brazil.  The building is empty.  These two are friends.  Nicolau dropped him with a left.  Nicolau with ground and pound Korea back up.  Now they’re in a clinch.  Takedown by Nicolau, but Korea right back to his feet.  Nicolau with a spinning elbow.  Korea tried a spin kick but Nicolau caught him and took him down again.  10-9 Nicolau.

    Second round: Takedown by Nicolau timing the kick to get the takedown.  Korea used an illegal up kick.  It was a heel right to the face when Nicolau was down.  Korea was apologetic.  Korea back to his feet.  Nicolau landing left hooks. He landed again.  Spin kick by Korea.  Left by Nicolau.  Spin kick by Korea knocked Nicolau down.  Nicolau working for an ambar.  Korea escaped.  Now Korea on top.  Korea stayed on top the rest of the round.  Korea’s round so 19-19.

    Third round: Korea with a kick to the chest.  Knee by Korea.  Korea moved in and got nailed with a right by Nicolau that dropped him.  Korea was going for a flying knee when he got punched.   Nicolau moved to mount.  Korea is now bleeding from the left eye.  Nicolau has a reverse choke and Korea tapped.

    BANTAMWEIGHTS- PEDRO MUNHOZ (11-1 1 NC, 1-1 1 NC UFC) VS. JIMMIE RIVERA (17-1, 1-0 UFC)

    First round: Rivera got kicked low so they called for a time out.  Spin kick by Munhoz.  Rivera landing punches.   Rivera anding a flurry.  Munhoz hurt Rivera with an elbow.  Munhoz with a knee and tried a guillotine but Rivera got away.  10-9 Rivera.

    Second round: Rivera hurting him with punches and now now Rivera landing big punches. Munhoz landed a right that hurt him back.  Rivera having trouble with his right eye.  Munhoz tried a takedown but Rivera right back up.  Munhoz hurt him with a right and Munhoz with a guillotine but Rivera out and he went for a guillotine.  Great mound.   Spin kick by Munhoz missed.  Munhoz kicked the body.  Nice left by Munhoz.   20-18 Munhoz.

    Third round: Munhoz with a knee.  Munhoz took him down.  Rivera right back up.  Munhoz with a right.  Spin kick by Rivera.  Rivera now landing punches including two left hooks.  Another left hook hurt Munhoz.  Left by Munhoz.  Rivera shot in and landed a punch.  Both swinging in the closing seconds.  Rivera 29-28

    Scores: 29-28 Rivera 29-28 Munhoz.  29-28 Rivera Crowd booed but the decision was sound

    WELTERWEIGHTS- VISCARDI ANDRADE (17-6, 1-1 UFC) VS. GASAN UMALATOV (15-4-1, 1-2 UFC)

    First round: Knee by Andrade.  Boyd kick by Andrade.  Elbow by Andrade.  Andrade had most of the offense this round.  Body shot and a knee to the body.  Andrade 10-9.

    Second round: Andrade’s corner told him to stop playing to the crowd and stop brawling Low kick by Andrade.  Left by Andrade.  He landed more punches.  Andrade with more punches and a body kick.  Andrade landing another flurry.  Andrade with punches.  Andrade landing several knees to the body at the end of the round.  20-18 Andrade.

    Third round: Spin kick by Umalatov landed and hurt Andrade.  Nice punches by Andrade and a knee to the body and another knee to the body.  Knee and punches by Andrade.  Right, left and a high kick by Andrade.  Now a low kick by Andrade.  Spin kick by Umalatov.   Good body shot by Andrade.  Body kick by Andrade.  Hard right by Umalatov. Umalatov did a cartwheel guard pass.  Umalatov almost won the round with that late right, but I don’t think it was enough.  30-27 Andrade.

    Scores: 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 Andrade

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

    FEATHERWEIGHTS- KEVIN SOUZA (16-3, 3-0 UFC) VS. CHAS SKELLY (14-1, 3-1 UFC)

    First round:   Skelly working for a takedown.  Souza defending well.  Skelly  finally got him down.   Crowd booing for the first time.  The Brazilians aren’t  fans of Brazilians being outwrestled.  Skelly in side control.  He’s looking for a D’Arce choke.  Souza broke the choke to a big pop.  Souza bleeding from the left eye.  Souza then knocked him down with a left hook.  Fans chanting you’re gonna die at Skelly.  Skelly  back up with a knee.  Big right by Souza.  Close round 10-9 Souza.

    Second round:   Shelly went for a takedown but Souza wound up on top throwing punches.  Skelly got the takedown and has his back.  Skelly working for a choke.  Skelly won via submission with the choke. 

    FEATHERWEIGHTS- (#11) CLAY GUIDA (32-15, 12-9 UFC) VS. THIAGO TAVARES (19-6-1, 9-6-1 UFC)

    First round:  Takedown by Guida.  Tavares going for a guillotine.  Guida tapped out.  That took seconds.

    LIGHTWEIGHTS- YAN CABRAL (12-1, 2-1 UFC) VS. JOHNNY CASE (21-4, 3-0 UFC)

    First round:  Cabral went for a takedown but Case landed on top.  Case let him back up.  Cabral got the takedown.   Case reversed to the top.   Cabral reversed back to the top.  Cabral working for a Kimura.  Cabral 10-9.

    Second round:  Case with a spinning elbow.  Body kick by Case.  Case landing punches.  He hurt Cabral.  Case throwing kicks.  Kicks and punches by Case.  Another body kick by Case.  Cabral complained of being poked in the eye and Herb Dean told him to continue to fight.   Case’s round 19-19.

    Third round:  Cabral took him down and has his back.  Cabral with a body triangle.  Case reversed to the top.  Case blocked an armbar attempt.  Case got Cabral’s back and throwing punches late.  Case battered him bloody in the waning seconds.   Very close round but I think Case pulled it out in the waning seconds so 29-28 Case.

    Scores:  All three had it 29-28 for Case.

    LIGHTWEIGHTS- GLEISON TIBAU (33-11, 16-9 UFC) VS. ABEL TRUJILLO (12-6 1 NC, 3-2 1 NC UFC)

    First round:  Tibau took him right down.  Trujillo right back up.  Trujillo has a guillotine but Tibau out and on top.  Tibau has his back.  Tibau working for a choke.  Trujillo went out and ref Keith Peterson stopped the fight.  Trujillo wasn’t happy about that stoppage.  Brian Stann said it was a bad stoppage, he should have checked his arms.   

    MAIN CARD (FS1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)

    LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS- (#12) FABIO MALDONADO (22-8, 5-5 UFC) VS. (#14) COREY ANDERSON (6-1, 3-1 UFC)

    First round:  Anderson took him down.  Fans booing with the Brazilian on his back right away.  Anderson with some elbows.  Maldonado back up.  Anderson landed a lot of punches, a  knee and more punches.  Another takedown by Anderson.   10-9 Anderson.

    Second round:  Anderson landing punches. Maldonado started landing punches.  Anderson working for a takedown.  Anderson took him down again.  Another takedown by Anderson.  Anderson landed an elbow from the top.  Maldonado got back up.  Knee by Anderson.  Anderson 20-18.

    Third round:  High kick by Anderson missed.  Another takedown by Anderson into side control.  Anderson got his back.  Maldonado back up.  Knee and a lot of punches by Anderson.  Knee by Anderson.  Punches by Anderson.  Maldonado landed a nice punch.  Anderson landing several more punches.  Another takedown by Anderson.  Anderson easy 30-27 win, any other score is a travesty.

    Scores:  All three have it 30-27 for Anderson.

    LIGHTWEIGHTS- GILBERT BURNS (10-0, 3-0 UFC) VS. RASHID MAGOMEDOV (19-1, 3-0 UFC)

    First round:  Right by Magomedov.  Takedown by Burns.   Great uranage like slam by Burns.  Magomedov landing kicks to the body.   Body kick by Magomedov.  Punch and body kick by Magomedov.  Magomedov landing punches and a body kick.  Magomedov 10-9.

    Second round:  Burns landed a few punches.  The crowd is super loud.  Burns in for a takedown but Magomedov stopped it.  In a clinch.  Magomedov with an elbow.  Magomedov took him down and let him up.  Magomedov landed a right.  Punches and a head kick, Burns is in trouble.  Hard body kick by Magomedov and dropped him with a right.  Magomedov with punches on te ground.  Magomedov let him up.  Head kick and more punches by Magomedov.  Big right sent Burns flying.  Burns’ legs  are shot.  Head kick by Magomedov.  Spin kick by Magomedov.  Magomedov’s round easy 20-18.

    Third round:  Burns grabbed him and trying for a takedown.  Magomedov blocking it.  Magomedov took him down and then backed off and let him up.  Hard body kick by Burns.  Close round, little happened.  Magomedov 30-27.

    Scores:  30-27 across the board for Magomedov

    LIGHTWEIGHTS- ALEX OLIVEIRA (13-2-1 1 NC, 2-1 UFC) VS. PIOTR HALLMANN (15-4, 2-3 UFC)

    First round:   Oliveira landed punches.  Oliveira landing more punches.  Hallman bleeding badly already.   Oliveira had him against the fence.  Oliveira with low kicks and an uppercut.  Oliveira’s round easily 10-9.

    Second round:   Oliveira landing more punches from close range.  Hallman caught a kick and took him down.  Hallman landing punches from the top.  Ref Mario Yamasaki ordered a standup.  Bad call as Hallman was landing.  Oliveira landed a low kick that put Hallman down.  Hallman reversed to the top on the ground.  Hallman landing punches and elbows.  Hallman’s round so 19-19.

    Third round:  Oliveira with a knee to the head.   Oliveira knocked him out with a right to the jaw.  Oliveira struggled in the second round but he’s got those quick reflexes and some star power.

    BANTAMWEIGHTS- (#8) THOMAS ALMEIDA (20-0, 3-0 UFC) VS. ANTHONY BIRCHAK (12-2, 1-1 UFC)

    First round:  Almeida landed some nice punches. Bichak landed  a lot punches back.  Elbow by Almeida.  Almeida hurt him with a right.  Birchak tried a takedown, Almeida landed on top but Birchak reversed to the top.  Almeida back up.  Almeida hurt him with punches.  Almeida landed a series of punches, finishing with a right to the jaw and Birchak was knocked silly.

    LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS- (#4) GLOVER TEIXEIRA (23-4, 6-2 UFC) VS. (#9) PATRICK CUMMINS (8-2, 4-2 UFC)

    First round:  Cummins took him down.  Teixeira back up.  Second takedown  by Cummins.  Teixeira back up.  Knee by Cummins.  Teixeira land a right.  Cummins with some uppercus.  Nice left hook by Teixeira.  Nice slam by Cummins and he‘s got his back but Teixeira out of trouble.  Teixeira hurt him with punches.  Knee by Cummins.  Hard lefts by Teixeira.  Another takedown by Cummins.  A lot of uppercuts by Cummins.  Knee by  Cummins.  Head kick by Teixeira.  Teixeira unloaded with killer punches as the round ended.  Cummins was just about done.  10-9 Teixeira.

    Second round:  Cummins is rocked.  Head kick by Teixeira.  Cummins tried for a takedown but couldn’t complete it.  Big left and right and more punches by  Teixeira.  Teixeira was landing hard punches and Herb Dean stopped it.    

    MIDDLEWEIGHTS- (#4) VITOR BELFORT (24-11, 13-6 UFC) VS. (#12) DAN HENDERSON (31-13, 8-7 UFC)

    First round:  Nothing happened for 90 seconds,  Belfort landed a head kick and Henderson went down and it was stopped.  Henderson wasn’t happy about the stoppage.  Head kick, two lefts and Henderson went down and it was stopped after a few punches on the ground.

    Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez have a full recap of this show plus all of the weekend news up in the newest Wrestling Observer Radio available now for subscribers!

  • UFC Fight Night 77 Henderson vs. Belfort 3: Our Picks & Preview

    I try not to swear in posts, because I was once taught that if you can’t say something without swearing, you probably shouldn’t be saying it. However, there are plenty of times to break that rule so I’ll say this now: stop trying to start shit on the Internet!

    I’m not talking about you Twitter trolls out there, but I’m mainly talking about those that try to make stories out of something that’s not there just so they can say “Gotcha!” in today’s look-at-me social media environment. This week’s case in point was the UFC stick figure t-shirts that emerged outta nowhere this week, featuring a slew of different stick figures engaged in jiujitsu, judo, kickboxing, and other martial arts.

    Yes, the shirts look stupid, and don’t make any sense, but that’s a lot of sports merchandise today. My main issue was that everyone tried to blame Reebok for the shirts, tossing more logs onto the narrative fire that is Reebok and UFC’s relationship is a disaster. It hasn’t been good, we all know that, but here’s the thing: they weren’t Reebok t-shirts.

    And here’s the other thing: it took less than five minutes for yours truly to figure it out. I went to UFC.com, went to the shop area, searched around on shirts, saw a slew with Reebok logos on them, and then found the offending Terrance and Philip esque shirts sans Reebok logos. I put 2 and 2 together and voila: I debunked the myth.

    I understand everyone wants to be Internet famous and be the next person who is the go-to for blistering #hottakes, but let’s not forget that just a little bit of research is the key for rounding out the most important part of the equation: being right.

    Hear that and more on this week’s Punch-Out featuring MMA Fighting’s Shaheen Al-Shatti right now. Because there’s a lot of interesting fights on this show, I picked six for this week. Honestly, I could have added a few more. 

    *****

    Our panel:

    – Jack Encarnacao (90-36 | .714): Sherdog Rewind host, The Lapsed Fan podcast co-chair

    – Steve Juon (85-41 | .674): AngryMarks founder, MMA Mania writer

    – Mike Sempervive (82-44 | .650): Wrestling Observer Live & Big Audio Nightmare co-host

    – John Pollock (81-45 | .642): Fight Network personality, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, The MMA Report host

    – Front Row Brian (79-47 | .626): MMA newsbreaker, Twitter personality, podcast host

    – David Bixenspan (79-47 | .626): Figure Four Weekly writer, Observer Daily Update writer, podcast host

    – Dave Meltzer (77-49 | .611): Wrestling Observer founder & writer

    – Mike Sawyer (74-52 | .587): Tough Talk MMA, 2014 picks panel champion

    – Josh Nason (74-52 | .587): Wrestling Observer digital media and content guy, WON Twitter enabler

    *****

    – Vitor Belfort (24-11) vs. Dan Henderson (31-13) III
    Light Heavyweights

    Hey, it’s the fight you never asked to see for a third time, but you’re getting anyway! In the unofficial UFC Legends division, these two are top contenders. Belfort was last seen getting crushed by Chris Weidman in a middleweight title fight he never should have been involved in in the first place. His last fight before then? A 2013 first round head kick knockout of Henderson when his body looked…a bit different.

    The 45-year-old Hendo showed us in June that he can still bang, flooring Tim Boetsch in just 28 seconds, snapping a two-fight losing streak. He’s 2-5 in his last seven, but is still a name you can main event a late-night Fox Sports One card with. At this stage of the game, that’s saying something.

    Belfort (big favorite): Sempervive, Bix, Encarnacao, Juon, Pollock, Meltzer
    Hendo: Nason, Sawyer, FRB

    – Glover Teixeira (23-4) vs. Patrick Cummins (8-2)
    Light Heavyweights

    Assumingly not a relative of New York Yankees’ first baseman Mark Teixeira, past title challenger Glover snapped a two-fight losing streak by submitting Ovince Saint Preux in the third round of their August tilt. At 36, he may have one last run left in him but he’s running out of time to do so.

    Give it to the 34-year-old Cummins who went from obscure last minute fill-in to current light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier to current light heavyweight prospect. Since the Cormier fight in February 2014, Cummings has fought five times with a record of 4-1. He last was seen decimating former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael Cavalcante at August’s UFC 190, but Teixeira is his toughest test since D.C.

    Teixeira (big favorite): Nason, Sempervive, Bix, Encarnacao, Sawyer, FRB, Juon, Pollock, Meltzer

    – Fabio Maldonado (22-8) vs. Corey Anderson (6-1)
    Light Heavyweights

    Originally slated to be Maldonado vs. this very site’s Tom Lawlor, Anderson steps in for the biggest test of his developing career. The 35-year-old Maldonado may evoke memories of Candy Maldonado for some still-recovering Toronto Blue Jays fans, but this guy is a fighter who was last seen in a blah decision loss to “Rampage” Jackson earlier this year.

    It’s a quick turnaround for TUF 19 winner Anderson, looking for his fourth UFC win and second in a row. We last saw him win a lopsided decision against Jan Blachowicz in September. Technically, he’s a prospect but hasn’t done anything yet to garner buzz among the casual fan.

    Anderson (big favorite): Nason, Sempervive, Bix, Encarnacao, Sawyer, FRB, Juon, Pollock, Meltzer

    – Gilbert Burns (10-0) vs. Rashid Magomedov (19-1)
    Lightweights

    The undefeated 29-year-old Burns has acclimated himself to Octagon life quite nicely with three wins, the last two by armbar submission. The Brazilian jiujitsu ace has two straight Performance Of The Night bonuses, and is looking for three straight Saturday night.

    The 31-year-old Dagestan native has also been running wild and free in the UFC with three victories over the shallow end of the lightweight pool. He rides an 11-fight win streak into Saturday night, making this an exciting battle of 155-pound prospects that will help determine two distinctive paths in 2016.

    Magomedov (favorite): Nason, Sempervive, Bix, Encarnacao, Sawyer, FRB, Juon, Pollock, Meltzer

    – Gleison Tibau (33-11) vs. Abel Trujillo (12-6-0-1)
    Lightweights

    Did you know Tibau’s middle name was Herculano? The name of my first-born is now carved in stone. Tibau just keeps plugging away, fighting his three fights a year and maintaining his corner in the UFC’s lightweight division. He last was seen getting submitted by Tony Ferguson, snapping a three-fight win streak. However, he hasn’t lost two in a row since 2008 (Tyson Griffin, Joe Stevenson).

    The 32-year-old Trujillo hasn’t been in the cage since December 2014, a victim of injuries and inactivity. All of his three Octagon wins have come over guys who are no longer in the UFC with both losses coming against guys who most definitely are (Ferguson, Khabib Nurmagomedov). Both guys physically look great, so will this be a 15-minute exercise in exhaustion?

    Tibau (favorite): Nason, Bix, Encarnacao, Sawyer, Juon, Meltzer
    Trujillo: Sempervive, FRB, Pollock

    – Clay Guida (32-15) vs. Thiago Tavares (19-6-1)
    Featherweights

    Two longtime UFC vets (Guida since 2006 and Tavares since 2007) finally hook it up.

    The 33-year-old Guida has turned into a .500 fighter before our eyes, and he’s looking for his first two fight win streak since 2011. Since dropping to 145, he’s 3-2 with wins over the dregs of the division and losses to Chad Mendes and Dennis Bermudez. He battles Tavares who is coming off a loss to super prospect Brian Ortega. The longtime lightweight is 1-1 since dropping to 145, but has only fought twice in the last two years.

    Guida (favorite): Nason, Sempervive, Encarnacao, FRB, Juon, Meltzer
    Tavares: Bix, Sawyer, Pollock

  • UFC Fight Night 77: Belfort vs. Henderson 3 weigh-in results and live video

    Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night 77: Belfort vs. Henderson weigh-ins from the Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil kicking off at 4 PM eastern time. The event airs on Saturday on FS1 at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 6:30 PM eastern time before moving over to FS1 at 8 PM eastern time. This is the UFC’s fourth overall trip to Sao Paulo, and first since May 2014.

    The event will be headlined by a trilogy bout as former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort takes on former PRIDE and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson in the five-round affair. Henderson defeated Belfort by decision in PRIDE in October 2006, while Belfort scored a knockout win over Henderson in UFC competition in November 2013, which was Belfort’s most recent win. The co-main event is a light heavyweight bout between former title challenger Glover Teixeira and Patrick Cummins. Also on the card is fast-rising bantamweight prospect Thomas Almeida, who puts his perfect 20-0 record on the line against Anthony Birchak.

    MAIN CARD (FS1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT):
    Vitor Belfort (185) vs. Dan Henderson (186)
    Glover Teixeira (206) vs. Patrick Cummins (206)
    Thomas Almeida (135) vs. Anthony Birchak (136)
    Alex Oliveira (156) vs. Piotr Hallmann (155)
    Gilbert Burns (156) vs. Rashid Magomedov (155)
    Fabio Maldonado (205) vs. Corey Anderson (205)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):
    Gleison Tibau (155) vs. Abel Trujillo (156)
    Yan Cabral (156) vs. Johnny Case (156)
    Clay Guida (146) vs. Thiago Tavares (146)
    Kevin Souza (146) vs. Chas Skelly (146)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT):
    Viscardi Andrade (170) vs. Gasan Umalatov (170)
    Pedro Munhoz (135) vs. Jimmie Rivera (136)
    Bruno Korea (134) vs. Matheus Nicolau (135)

  • Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: MMA Fighting’s Shaheen Al-Shatti previews UFC & Bellator’s weekend events

    Rejoice, MMA fans! With Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, Will Brooks, and more burning up our TV screens this weekend, #JNPO 19 needed a full hour plus to contain all of that and some of the news of the week. Helping host Josh Nason navigate the fightin’ seas this week is MMA Fighting rising star Shaheen Al-Shatti!

    Here’s a look at what Josh and Shaheen delved into:

    – How Shaheen found his way to MMA Fighting and his abrupt first interaction with Luke Thomas

    – How the Real Pro Wrestling feature came together

    – Whether the guys want to see Georges St. Pierre come back and if so, who against

    – A look at Bellator’s Friday night main card

    – Why Josh likes Will Brooks despite him hating on pro wrestling

    – Josh lamenting about the amount of Bellator shows and the “B” show Bjorn Rebney feel

    – A look at UFC’s Saturday night card in Brazil

    – Shaheen’s dark horse pick for the fight he’s most excited for

    – Some Clay Guida conversation and a look back at the infamous Revel fight against Gray Maynard

    – What Josh and Shaheen want Vitor Belfort to just go away

    – Josh’s Opening Round chiding the Internet masses…and more!

    Observer subscribers can stream or download via the link below:

    Right click save

  • UFC books top light heavyweight fight for January FOX event

    On Wednesday’s UFC Tonight, it was announced that the main event for the first FOX special of 2016 will be Anthony “Rumble” Johnson vs. Ryan Bader in a battle of top light heavyweight contenders.

    The show will be held on January 30th at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

    Given the current state of the light heavyweight division, the winner of the bout has the best shot at facing the winner of the impending Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones light heavyweight title rematch. And because of promotion that will be done during the NFL playoffs on Fox, this is also the show with the best shot at drawing the promotion’s biggest Fox rating of the year.

    Other matches announced for the show thus far are Jake Ellenberger vs. the returning Tarec Saffiedine at welterweight (expect that on the main card), local fighter George Sullivan vs. Alexander Yakolev, Olivier Aubin-Mercier against Joaquim Silva, and Felipe Oliveri vs Tony Martin.

    This marks the promotion’s third UFC offering of January with their January 2nd UFC 195 ppv headlined by welterweight champion Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit, and the January 17th Fox Sports One show headlined by bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz and Eddie Alvarez vs. Anthony Pettis.

  • UFC Fight Night 77 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

    A trilogy going back to the days of PRIDE in 2006 comes to a conclusion Saturday night as the Octagon returns to Brazil for the first time since August for UFC Fight Night 77 from Sao Paulo, Brazil. The event kicks off four straight Saturdays of UFC action in November, and is the first of eight fight cards between November 7 and December 19. The action kicks off with preliminary card action on UFC Fight Pass at 6:30 PM eastern time before moving over to FS1 for more preliminary fights at 8 PM eastern time, all leading into the main card on FS1 at 10 PM eastern time.

    The headline bout is the third fight between former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort and former PRIDE and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson as each man looks to be the one with two wins against the other. The UFC brings a very solid card down to Brazil as the co-main event is a light heavyweight bout between contenders Glover Teixeira and Patrick Cummins. Also on the card is fast-rising bantamweight prospect Thomas Almeida and UFC veterans including Clay Guida, Gleison Tibau, Fabio Maldonado and Thiago Tavares. Let’s dive deeper into the fight card and give you five storylines to keep an eye on Saturday night during UFC Fight Night 77.

    1. Who wins the rubber match between Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson?

    Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson will meet in a trilogy bout in the headliner of UFC Fight Night 77, and if they were ever going to fight for a third time, now seems to be the best time for both men as they continue to enter the twilight of their careers. Both of their prior bouts came when they competed as light heavyweights. Henderson won a decision over Belfort in PRIDE in October 2006, but Belfort avenged that defeat when he knocked out Henderson in the Octagon in November 2013. Belfort’s knockout win over Henderson came in Brazil, where they will compete on Saturday night, but also came at the height of Belfort being under the suspension of bending the rules while competing with an exemption for using testosterone replacement therapy. Henderson also used TRT, but he didn’t have the obvious transformation or killing instinct that Belfort seemed to gain from it.

    Belfort looked completely different when he took on Chris Weidman at UFC 187 in May, which was the first time he fought since the November 2013 win over Henderson. He was much smaller and didn’t have the same explosiveness and ended up losing by TKO in the first round. Meanwhile, Henderson is coming off a 28-second knockout win over Tim Boetsch in June, showing he still has some fight left. Prior to that win, Henderson had lost five of his last six fights, and many were wondering if it was time for Henderson to hang up the gloves. Henderson still has the big power in his right hand, and he has gone to strictly relying on that in fights, going away from the power wrestling game. It makes sense as he has gotten older, but trading fists in a fight these days aren’t as easy as they used to be as Henderson’s chin has faded.

    If the Belfort that showed up against Weidman shows up once again, he might not be around much longer. That version of Belfort is going to have a tough time competing in the middleweight division. Henderson still has the big right hand that can end a fight at any moment, but his chin is no longer what it once was. He has slowed down as well. Belfort is looking better visually than he did leading up to the Weidman fight, and he still has the better overall striking. Henderson would be wise to use his wrestling, but that probably won’t happen as his gameplans have become very specific in the latter days of his career. Belfort is going to strike and has a full arsenal at his disposal. It remains to be seen if he still has his knockout power from a few years ago, and he will certainly have confidence after knocking out Henderson in their last bout. It’s a rubber match and one that is tough to call. I like Henderson to score a knockout win.

    2. Will Glover Teixeira continue his climb back into the 205-pound title picture?

    Glover Teixeira has fought once for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, coming up short against Jon Jones at UFC 172 in April 2014 after scoring 20 consecutive wins to earn his title opportunity. While Jones simply outclassed Teixeira, with his impressive record before the title shot, and the depth of the light heavyweight title picture being shallow, a few rebound wins could’ve landed Teixeira another opportunity at winning the title. However, Teixeira dropped his next fight when he was dominated by Phil Davis at UFC 179 in October 2014. With two straight losses and Jones dominating the competition, it was looking like Teixeira was out of the title picture all together.

    Flash forward to today where Daniel Cormier is the current champion at 205 pounds, and Teixeira is coming off an impressive submission win over Ovince Saint Preux in August. There is new life in the division, though Jones has recently been reinstated from suspension, but Teixeira is back up to fourth in the light heavyweight rankings, and knocking on the door of getting back into title contention. He fights Patrick Cummins in the co-main event on Saturday night, and it is a big opportunity for Cummins to establish himself as a threat in the division. It is a dangerous fight for Teixeira against a strong wrestler, but Teixeira has the big experience edge and will have the crowd behind him. Teixeira has some of the best striking in the division, and if he can block the takedown attempts from Cummins, this fight is set up for him to take the win.

    3. Will Thomas Almeida extend his perfect record to 21-0?

    Thomas Almeida is one of the brightest prospects in the UFC, and perhaps the top prospect in the tough bantamweight division, one that also includes skilled prospects in Aljamain Sterling and Cody Garbrandt. His record currently stands at a perfect 20-0, and he just turned 24-years-old. Not only has he won all 20 of his professional bouts, an astonishing 19 of those wins have come by stoppage, with 15 coming by knockout and four coming by submission. His lone decision win came over Tim Gorman in his UFC debut, and he has backed that up with knockout wins over Yves Jabouin and Brad Pickett. The Pickett win was impressive as Almeida came close to being on the brink of defeat in the first round, only to come back and knockout Pickett out with a spectacular flying knee. Also, he has earned performance bonuses in all three of his UFC bouts.

    Needless to say, Almeida has proven himself to be a legitmate threat and prospect at 135 pounds. It has been said that even Urijah Faber has once turned down a fight against Almeida. He has yet to fight a true top-flight bantamweight contender, but he does get a tough opponent on Saturday night in Anthony Birchak. Birchak is just 1-1 in his short UFC career, but he is coming off an impressive knockout win over Joe Soto in June. Birchak is 12-2 in his career and a promising prospect in the bantamweight division, and he is a heavy-handed striker. While Birchak doesn’t have the experience that Almeida’s last two opponents had, at this point, Birchak is the toughest test to date for Almeida. It is an interesting battle between two bright prospects, and one is going to prove they belong in the upper-tier of the division. I see Almeida expanding his record to 21-0 in impressive fashion.

    4. With a fairly stacked card, what fight is flying under the radar?

    The UFC Fight Night 77 card is a fairly stacked card, especially for a free-televised event taking place in Brazil. All six of the main card fights are solid bouts with promising fighters working their way up their respective divisions, and the preliminary card has a solid mix of UFC veterans and more promising prospects, with some on very solid win streaks. One fight on the main card I wanna keep an eye on is the lightweight bout between Gilbert Burns and Rashid Magomedov. Burns is a perfect 10-0 in his MMA career and is one of the most decorated jiu-jitsu fighters in the sport, and has won nine of his ten fights by stoppage. Magomedov will be appearing in his 21st career fight and is looking to extend an 11-fight win streak. He has yet to fight in 2015 after making his first three appearances inside the Octagon in 2014.

    The big fight to watch in the preliminary card, and really the one flying under the radar, is the featherweight bout between long-time UFC veterans Clay Guida and Thiago Tavares. Guida made his UFC debut in 2006, and Tavares made his in 2007, and both have been in the promotion since then. This will be Guida’s 22nd UFC appearance while it will be the 17th UFC fight for Tavares. Both men fought for a long time as lightweights, and despite both being around for so long, they surprisingly have never been booked for a fight against each other. Both have been the recepients of numerous post-fight bonus awards- Guida has won nine and Tavares has won six. And, both have dropped to 145 pounds looking for a new start at title contention. Both have had mixed success as Guida is 3-2 at featherweight, and Tavares is 1-1. A bout between these two could have easily been a co-main event of a fight night card in the Spike TV days, but is buried down on the prelims on this fight card. It definitely is a fight that needs to be watched as it has the makings of some fun action.

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

    Other solid action on the card includes two other main card bouts- a lightweight bout between Alex Oliveira and Piotr Hallmann, and a light heavyweight bout between Fabio Maldonado and former “TUF” winner Corey Anderson. Oliveira fights for the fourth time in the UFC in 2015, but will be fighting for the first time with a full training camp. Hallmann is looking to end a two-fight losing skid. Maldonado is looking to rebound from a loss to Quinton Jackson at UFC 186 in April, and at the same time, is looking to add to his UFC light heavyweight record for most significant strikes landed. Anderson replaced our own MMA contributor to the site, Tom Lawlor, who was forced out due to a concussion, and he is looking to score a second straight win after defeating Jan Blachowicz at UFC 191 in September.

    In other preliminary card action, Gleison Tibau will fight for the 26th time inside the Octagon, tying Matt Hughes and Frank Mir for second-most all time. He takes on Abel Trujillo, who looks to get back into the win column. Both men lost to Tony Ferguson in their last bouts. Yan Cabral looks to improve on his 12-1 record when he takes on Johnny Case, who has won eleven straight fights. Kevin Souza looks to remain undefeated in the UFC when he puts his ten-fight win streak on the line against Chas Skelly, who has a 14-1 career record and the distinction of having the record of fewest days between UFC wins, as he won two fights in 13 days in 2014. In a solid match-up during the UFC Fight Pass portion of the preliminary card, Pedro Munhoz, who has one career loss, will take on Jimmie Rivera, who comes into Saturday night on a 16-fight win streak. Both men are other solid prospects in the bantamweight division.

    Full UFC Fight Night 77 Fight Card, Betting Odds & Predictions

    MAIN CARD (FS1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)

    Middleweights: (#4) Vitor Belfort vs. (#12) Dan Henderson
    Betting Odds:     Belfort (-360), Henderson (+300)
    Prediction: Henderson by knockout in round 2

    Light Heavyweights: (#4) Glover Teixeira vs. (#9) Patrick Cummins
    Betting Odds:     Teixeira (-440), Cummins (+350)
    Prediction: Teixeira by knockout in round 2

    Bantamweights: (#8) Thomas Almeida vs. Anthony Birchak
    Betting Odds:     Almeida (-440), Birchak (+350)
    Prediction: Almeida by knockout in round 1

    Lightweights: Alex Oliveira vs. Piotr Hallmann
    Betting Odds:     Oliveira (-200), Hallmann (+170)
    Prediction: Oliveira by decision

    Lightweights: Gilbert Burns vs. Rashid Magomedov
    Betting Odds:     Burns (+140), Magomedov (-160)
    Prediction: Burns by submission in round 2

    Light Heavyweights: (#12) Fabio Maldonado vs. (#14) Corey Anderson
    Betting Odds:     Maldonado (+400), Anderson (-500)
    Prediction: Anderson by decision

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

    Lightweights: Gleison Tibau vs. Abel Trujillo
    Betting Odds:     Tibau (-125), Trujillo (+105)
    Prediction: Tibau by decision

    Lightweights: Yan Cabral vs. Johnny Case
    Betting Odds:     Cabral (+205), Case (-245)
    Prediction: Case by knockout in round 3

    Featherweights: (#11) Clay Guida vs. Thiago Tavares
    Betting Odds:     Guida (-165), Tavares (+145)
    Prediction: Guida by decision

    Featherweights: Kevin Souza vs. Chas Skelly
    Betting Odds:     Souza (+140), Skelly (-160)
    Prediction: Skelly by decision

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

    Welterweights: Viscardi Andrade vs. Gasan Umalatov
    Betting Odds:     Andrade (+105), Umalatov (-125)
    Prediction: Umalatov by decision

    Bantamweights: Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera
    Betting Odds:     Munhoz (-175), Rivera (+155)
    Prediction: Rivera by decision

    Flyweights: Bruno Korea vs. Matheus Nicolau
    Betting Odds:     Korea (+155), Nicolau (-175)
    Prediction: Korea by submission in round 2

  • Neil Magny in to fight Kelvin Gastelum in UFC Fight Night 78 main event

    For the past two years in the UFC’s welterweight division, when the company has needed a fighter to step in on short notice, there has been one man to call- Neil Magny. He is doing it again in just over two weeks.

    Magny (16-4, 9-3 UFC) will step up again on short notice for his first main event bout as he replaces the injured Matt Brown to take on Kelvin Gastelum (11-1, 6-1 UFC) in the headline bout of UFC Fight Night 78 in Monterrey, Mexico. The event also serves at the finale for The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2, which Gastelum serves as a coach on. The UFC announced the news on their website on Tuesday evening. Brown was forced out of the bout on Monday due to an ankle injury.

    Magny will be fighting for the fifth time in 2015, which will be the second straight year he fights five times in a year. Last year, he tied the UFC record for most wins in a calendar year, going a perfect 5-0. While he won’t match that due to an August loss to Demian Maia, he has the chance to close out the year with four wins in five fights against Gastelum. Magny is coming off a split decision win over Erick Silva at UFC Fight Night 74 in August, another bout he took on just about two weeks’ notice. Magny has gone 8-1 in his nine fights since the start of 2014. He was scheduled to fight Stephen Thompson at UFC 195 in January before stepping in for Brown, who Magny is a training partner of.

    Gastelum will also be competing in his first main event bout at the event. Gastelum is a coach on the current season of TUF: Latin America alongside Efrain Escudero, who will also be on the card. Gastelum will be returning to the welterweight division after being forced up to the middleweight division for one fight, which was a TKO win over Nate Marquardt at UFC 188 in June. Gastelum, who won season 17 of “The Ultimate Fighter”, has won six of his seven bouts inside the Octagon, but has famously had trouble making weight at 170 pounds, which has hurt his standing in the division despite being one of the brightest prospects at 170 pounds.

    UFC Fight Night 78 takes place on November 21. The main card will air on FOX Sports 1, with preliminary bout action airing on UFC Fight Pass before moving over to FOX Sports 1. Also on the card is a featherweight bout between Ricardo Lamas and Diego Sanchez, and a pivotal bout in the flyweight division as Henry Cejudo takes on Jussier Formiga.

  • Matt Brown injured, drops out of fight against Kelvin Gastelum

    UFC lost yet another main event today when Matt Brown said that he suffered an ankle injury and had to pull out of his fight with Kelvin Gastelum that was scheduled to headline UFC’s debut on 11/21 at Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico.

    Brown vs. Gastelum was to headline an FS 1 show at welterweight.

    At this point no replacement has been announced for the show.  Gastelum was considered the main event draw on the show for the Mexican market and Brown was considered his opponent.

    The show includes the finals of the current season of TUF Latin America, as well as a Henry Cejudo vs. Jussier Formiga fight that could determine the next flyweight title challenger for Demetrious Johnson.

  • Conor McGregor creates Irish uproar with controversial image

    Conor McGregor has found himself in some hot water recently, regarding some questionable comments the UFC fighter made on Facebook. 

    McGregor’s allegiance was called into question after he was seen wearing a British Army poppy pin on his vest, as he sat cage side at the UFC’s most recent show in Ireland.  Since the show, McGregor has been the target of the Sean Heuston Dublin 1916 Society, for wearing this red colored tiny lapel pin, which is supposedly a symbol of support for the British Army’s deceased. 

    Using the hashtag, “#CroppiesDontWearPoppies,” The 1916 society stated, “(McGregor) Comes out to 1916 song, ‘The Foggy Dew’ then wears a Poppy remembering the men who fought to kill and suppress them and the ideals they fought for.”

    As a vocal Irishman, McGregor has created quite the uproar from his fans, some of who say they have lost respect for their countryman. 

    McGregor’s response was also quite controversial as he stated on Facebook, “I know where my allegiance lies and what I do for my country.  I don’t need a stupid little flower with a 100 different meanings to tell me if I do or do not represent my country.  Check the facts of its original meaning.  ALL soldiers.  ALL wars.  I have the blood of many nations on my gloves.  Fought and beat on the world stage.  You have a pint in your hand and a Celtic jersey on in your local.  F*** you and the Queen.”

    The 1916 Society responded, “The poppy in a modern context is produced exclusively by the Royal British Legion, and a brief glance at their website illuminates clearly its purpose in present times…  it is to honor ALL current and past British Army servicemen and women…”

    It appears that while McGregor’s purpose of wearing the poppy may have been as support of his country and not intended to offend, but he certainly may have hurt his cause with his response. 

  • Conor McGregor’s move to lightweight inevitable says Gunnar Nelson

    UFC Welterweight Gunnar Nelson was a guest on Submission Radio yesterday. The subject of weight cutting came up. Nelson is a training partner of interim Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor and had this to say as it relates to McGregor’s tough cut:

    “Yea, he does a big cut,” said Nelson. “He doesn’t like it and I don’t think he’s going to do it much longer. I think he’s going to move up. I think he wants to move up. I don’t blame it. I wouldn’t be able to this cut too many times. It definitely takes it out of you. There’s no doubt.

    “He has a lot of energy and he’ll toughen through it and fight really well even though he does that cut. I just think, looking ahead, this isn’t good for your health. I don’t think he should do it many more times and I’ve told him that. That’s my opinion.”

    McGregor himself has said that he would likely defend the belt one time after beating Aldo and then move up to 155 lbs, where he has already got ready made money fights with both current champion Rafael Dos Anjos and Donald Cerrone, who challenges Dos Anjos for the belt in December.

    McGregor faces Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo in a unification bout on December 12th at UFC 194. Aldo has a tough weight cut as well and in fact has been outspoken in the past about new regulations regarding the ban of IV rehydration that went into effect in October of this year.

    McGregor has actually fought 12 of his 20 career fights at Lightweight and only had two fights at 145 prior to making his UFC debut in 2013.

    Nelson went on to say “It’s definitely not good for the athletes in this sport. It’s not good for your health. It’s not good for your brain. It’s just not good and I don’t see why we should be doing this. I think we should get rid of it quickly.”

    Nelson will also compete at UFC 194 on the FS 1 prelim portion of the show against Demian Maia. Coincidentally, Maia also fought most of his career at a higher weight class before dropping to 170 lbs in 2012. Nelson has fought his entire career at Welterweight.