Fight week rolls on with UFC 191 Embedded leading into Saturday night’s UFC 191 event from Las Vegas. In this episode, flyweight title challenger John Dodson rushes home from Las Vegas to Albuquerque for the birth of his daughter. The fighters competing on the card then take care of their usual fight week obligations including signing posters and participating in photo shoots. Dodson makes his return to Las Vegas for fight week and shows off some baby pictures to teammate and top lightweight contender, Donald Cerrone. All of that and more, so check out episode three of UFC 191 Embedded above.
Tag: ufc
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UFC 191 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions
By Ryan Frederick, WrestlingObserver.com
Labor Day Weekend is upon us, and the UFC returns to Las Vegas this weekend for their next pay-per-view offering as UFC 191 comes to us on Saturday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. While the MGM Grand will be hosting what is being billed as Floyd Mayweather’s final fight next weekend, the September fight action gets started with a solid card featuring UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson defending the championship against his top rival and top contender, John Dodson, in a rematch of a January 2013 bout won by Johnson. The action takes place on pay-per-view with a main card start time of 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 7 PM eastern time before moving to FOX Sports 1 at 8 PM eastern time.
In addition to the headline bout between Johnson and Dodson, the UFC 191 card will feature a heavyweight co-main event that could have title shot ramifications as former UFC Heavyweight Champions Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir do battle in a fight that has been ten years in the making. Also on the card is the return of UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Johnson, coming off of his title fight loss in May, and the pay-per-view debut of rising women’s strawweight star, Paige VanZant. Let’s dive deeper into the action and find five storylines to keep our eye on as we take a closer look at Saturday’s UFC 191 event.
1. Will the rematch between Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson go any differently?
UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson makes his seventh title defense in the main event of UFC 191, and this time it will be in another rematch, against the man he made his first title defense against, John Dodson. Johnson and Dodson fought at UFC On FOX 6 in January 2013, going the full 25-minute distance in the main event that night in Chicago. It was a hotly-contested battle, and a close fight at times, but Johnson won the fight by unanimous decision on scorecards of 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47. It was Johnson’s toughest challenge since winning the championship in the inaugural title bout against Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152 in September 2012, and Johnson has gone on to make tremendous strides in becoming arguably the best fighter in the world since then.
Johnson hasn’t lost a round since that fight, dominating his string of opponents. He has scored finishes of John Moraga, Benavidez in a rematch, Chris Cariaso and Kyoji Horiguchi, and a dominant decision win over Ali Bagautinov in his five fights since the first Dodson fight. Dodson has had injuries limit him to just three fights since then, but he has won all three, scoring knockout wins over Darrell Montague and Moraga, and a decision win over Zach Makovsky in his most recent bout, at UFC 187 in May. While Dodson’s win over Makovsky was uninspiring to some, it came after he was out of action for close to a year due to major knee surgery, and he still showcased the speed and power he has against a tough opponent.
Dodson has proved he is ready for a rematch with Johnson, and it is the best fight the division can make as young prospects like Henry Cejudo, Dustin Ortiz and Ray Borg get more experience in their climbs up the rankings. Both men are extremely fast fighters, but Johnson has stepped up his game since the first fight with Dodson. Both have shown power, and Johnson has excellent takedowns, but Dodson has good takedown defense and was able to get up every time he was taken down in their first bout. Johnson is more technical and versatile on the feet, but Dodson has more power. This will be two men showcasing their speed and technique at the highest level, but I see Johnson’s strides in his all-around game being the difference in this fight. It will likely go the distance again, but I don’t see it being as close as it was the last time. Johnson takes this by decision.
2. Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir are enjoying career resurgences. Who keeps it going on Saturday?
When you think of title contenders in the UFC’s heavyweight division in the year 2015, former UFC Heavyweight Champions Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir are the two names you would find to be most surprising. That is what makes the sport fun at times in that you can see fighters like Arlovski and Mir (and current champions Fabricio Werdum, Robbie Lawler and Rafael Dos Anjos) have early success, suffer through a down period, make a few adjustments, and then with a bit of skill and luck, they are right back in the hunt. It comes to a head on Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC 191 as Arlovski puts his five-fight win streak on the line against Mir’s two-fight win streak.
Many thought Arlovski was headed for the next title shot against Werdum, but when the UFC needed a co-main event for this card, he was called upon to fight Mir, who is coming off a first-round knockout win over Todd Duffee just over seven weeks ago. This is a fight that has been a long-time in the making as they were expected to fight in 2005 when Arlovski and Mir both held versions of the heavyweight crown, but Mir’s recovery from a motorcycle accident took longer than expected. Arlovski was king of the division for a short while, but his career eventually saw him leave the UFC and have mixed success, but he has had tremendous success in his return. His win over Travis Browne in May at UFC 187 could be the fight of the year for 2015, and it was one of the best one-round fights in UFC history. Mir’s two straight knockout wins have broken a stretch where he lost four straight fights, so he is enjoying the best success of his career in almost four years.
Both men have power and suspect chins. Arlovski survived some big punches from Browne, coming back from close to being finished, to finish Browne with punches. Mir survived big shots from Duffee to score the one-punch knockout. Arlovski’s footwork will make the difference on the feet, and he is still a good counterstriker. Mir may want to take this fight to the ground, but recent history has shown he wants to stand with his opponents. That will be a mistake here. Arlovski has good takedown defense if Mir tries to take this fight to the mat. I don’t expect the fight to go out of the first round, though, and it will come down to who lands the bigger punch. Arlovski mixes his striking attack better, and it will probably throw Mir for a loop, as Mir is just someone who looks for one big punch. That one big punch can finish Arlovski, but I don’t see it happening this time.
3. Can Anthony Johnson overcome the outside of the Octagon controversy to get back into the win column?
Anthony Johnson has been in the news leading up to UFC 191, but for all of the wrong reasons. He recently got into a heated confrontation with a woman at his gym, detailing all of it via social media. For a man with a history of domestic abuse allegations, it came at a bad time and caused the UFC to investigate. There was the possibility that Johnson could have been pulled from the card, but after agreeing to some conditions, Johnson remains on the card in a fight against Jimi Manuwa. It will be interesting to see if Johnson lost some focus due to the incident, and he has always had some issues with the mental side of fighting, but he is coming into Saturday night a big favorite against Manuwa, who will be fighting for the first time in the United States, and for the first time on pay-per-view.
Johnson is looking to bounce back from a loss to Daniel Cormier in his chance to become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and Manuwa is a perfect opponent for a bounce back fight. Manuwa is a very good striker and is dangerous on his feet, much like Johnson is. Johnson has been very aggressive in the past, but over recent bouts has shown some good counter striking. Manuwa likes to mix his combinations and has good movement, but he will need to be careful for counters from Johnson. Johnson has gigantic power and could probably knockout anyone if the right punch lands, but if you can get him out of sync, his mind begins to wander around. Manuwa should remain calm, but doing that will leave him open. This will probably end up being short with a lot of punches getting thrown, and one strike landing to end it all. I like Johnson being the one to end it all, but Manuwa will put up a great fight.
4. Will Paige VanZant continue to impress in her pay-per-view debut?
Paige VanZant makes her pay-per-view debut on Saturday night in the main card opener, and a lot of eyes will be on her. She is being groomed to be the next big star in the sport, and she is being brought a long slowly. She just turned 21 and still has only just six fights in her career. She steps inside the Octagon for the third time, and has been impressive in each of her two prior showings. While her rise and push towards the fanbase has been met with some backlash by some, she is very talented and has a lot of skills. Being that she is just 21, and with the level of talent she has shown, it is easy to see why she could be a future champion. She is pretty and marketable, and her fights have shown she is capable of dealing with pressure. She scored a solid win over Kailin Curran in her debut and followed it up with a dominant win over Felice Herrig in a showcase on FOX in front of a large audience.She gets the pay-per-view treatment on Saturday night when she takes on Alex Chambers. Chambers is much older but has only fought one more time than VanZant has in her career. When it comes to experience, this is the perfect match-up for VanZant. Chambers is coming off a come-from-behind win over Curran in May. Chambers trained for this fight with American Top Team, which has produced a lot of recent success. Chambers struggled with the pressure of Curran, and pressure is what VanZant brings. VanZant comes forward, walking through strikes, and likes to clinch and take the fight to the mat. She is excellent at scrambles and good at establishing top position and keeping it. VanZant is the biggest favorite on the card, and for good reason. This is the continuation of her coming out party, and she will get the job done on Saturday night.
5. There are two solid fights highlighting the preliminary card. Who wins each?
While not a major card on star power, the UFC 191 card has a lot of solid fights, including two preliminary bouts that could have easily been main card bouts on a lot of fight cards. Headlining the preliminary action is a lightweight bout between Ross Pearson and Paul Felder. Both men are making quick turnarounds coming off losses. Pearson dropped a decision to Evan Dunham on July 18 in Scotland, and Felder lost a decision to Edson Barboza on July 25 in Chicago. It was the first career loss for Felder and he is looking to get back in the win column in a big way. He is very talented, and Pearson will be a tough foe, though Pearson’s best days are likely behind him. Both men are very good strikers, but Felder is quicker and more versatile on the feet. He should take the win in what should be an action-packed bout.
In another featured prelim bout, John Lineker makes his bantamweight debut when he takes on slugger Francisco Rivera. It will be interesting to see how Lineker fares in the move up in weight as he will no longer be draining himself attempting to make 125 pounds, which he missed making more often than making it. He has won six of his last seven fights, and with a win over Rivera, he could become an instant contender at 135 pounds. Rivera is a tough test for Lineker’s bantamweight debut as he is a more well-rounded striker with his attacks. Lineker punishes the body, though, and a boxing match would likely go Lineker’s way while an overall striking fight likely goes to Rivera. It will probably remain on the feet and be an exciting slugfest. I do like Lineker to get an impressive win in his bantamweight debut.
Full UFC 191 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions
MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
UFC Flyweight Championship: (C) Demetrious Johnson vs. (#1) John Dodson)
Betting Odds: Johnson (-550), Dodson (+425)
Prediction: Johnson by decisionHeavyweights: (#4) Andrei Arlovski vs. (#10) Frank Mir
Betting Odds: Arlovski (-155), Mir (+135)
Prediction: Arlovski by knockout in round 1Light Heavyweights: (#1) Anthony Johnson vs. (#7) Jimi Manuwa
Betting Odds: Johnson (-650), Manuwa (+475)
Prediction: Johnson by knockout in round 1Light Heavyweights: (#12) Jan Blachowicz vs. Corey Anderson
Betting Odds: Blachowicz (-150), Anderson (+130)
Prediction: Anderson by decisionWomen’s Strawweights: (#7) Paige VanZant vs. Alex Chambers
Betting Odds: VanZant (-1450), Chambers (+950)
Prediction: VanZant by knockout in round 3PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
Lightweights: Ross Pearson vs. Paul Felder
Betting Odds: Pearson (+350), Felder (-440)
Prediction: Felder by knockout in round 2Bantamweights: (#12) Francisco Rivera vs. (#8 FLY) John Lineker
Betting Odds: Rivera (+115), Lineker (-135)
Prediction: Lineker by decisionWomen’s Bantamweights: (#13) Jessica Andrade vs. Raquel Pennington
Betting Odds: Andrade (-210), Pennington (+175)
Prediction: Andrade by decisionFeatherweights: Clay Collard vs. Tiago Trator
Betting Odds: Collard (-135), Trator (+115)
Prediction: Trator by decisionPRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 7 PM ET/4 PM PT)
Middleweights: Joe Riggs vs. Ron Stallings
Betting Odds: Riggs (+140), Stallings (-160)
Prediction: Stallings by decisionLightweights: Joaquim Silva vs. Nazareno Malegarie
Betting Odds: Silva (+120), Malegarie (-140)
Prediction: Malegarie by submission in round 2 -
UFC News: Antonio “Big Nog” Nogueira retires, joins front office
The UFC announced Tuesday at a press conference in Brazil that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has retired as a fighter and has taken an Athlete Relations Ambassador position in UFC Brazil.
Nogueira, the first holder of the Pride world heavyweight championship and who also held the UFC interim heavyweight title, will serve as a liaison for the promotion between athletes, sponsors, media and governing bodies, as well as act as a mentor in developing young athletes. He will also serve as a scout for UFC in looking for new fighters in Brazil.
Nogueira and his brother, current UFC fighter Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, own a chain of Team Nogueira gyms that have 33 locations worldwide with more than 10,000 total students.
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UFC News: Cast announced for next season of Ultimate Fighter
Las Vegas – Competitors from 11 different countries have been cast for the next season of The Ultimate Fighter® led by UFC® interim featherweight champion and proud Irishman Conor McGregor, opposite former WEC® featherweight champion Urijah “The California Kid” Faber. The premiere episode, debuting on September 9 at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, will showcase 32 fighters competing for one of 16 spots featuring eight Europeans and eight Americans and the opportunity to be coached by two of the sport’s best athletes.
The Europeans will be led by Dublin’s own McGregor (18-2, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland), while the American squad will be under the tutelage of Faber (32-8, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.). The fighters from around the globe will descend upon the Las Vegas desert for a chance at a UFC contract and the ability to be coached by two of the sports’ best. Given the history between McGregor and Faber’s Team Alpha Male gym, paired with national pride on the line, the teams’ rivalry will be fierce and competition intense.
McGregor took the MMA world by storm when he burst onto the UFC scene in 2013, quickly amassing a 6-0 record inside the Octagon® en route to becoming the interim featherweight champion. Currently riding a 14-fight winning streak, “The Notorious” is set to unify his title with pound-for-pound king Jose Aldo at UFC 194 on December 12 in Las Vegas.
This will be Faber’s second stint as coach, having served as head coach for season 15 against rival Dominick Cruz in 2012. Widely considered a pioneer amongst fighters in the lighter weight classes, Faber is one of the most recognized and respected competitors in mixed martial arts history.
Below is a full list of competitors by team and in alphabetical order (name, professional record, age, hometown):
United States
Europe
Andreas Quintana, 8-1, 24, Albuquerque, N.M.
Artem Lobov, 11-10-1-1, 28, Dublin, Ireland
Austin Springer, 8-0, 27, Portland, Ore.
Abner Lloveras, 19-7-1, 32, Barcelona, Spain
Billy Quarantillo, 6-1, 26, Tampa, Fla.
David Teymur, 3-1, 25, Stockholm, Sweden
Brandon Ricetti, 7-1, 28, Chico, Calif.
Djamil Chan, 19-2, 24, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Brennan Sevin, 7-1, 29, Chauvin, La.
Frantz Frank Slioa, 4-0, 24, Stockholm, Sweden
Chris Gruetzemacher, 12-1, 29, Peoria, Ariz.
Marcin Wrzosek, 10-2, 27, Bydgoszcz, Poland
Jason Soares, 8-0, 25, Miami, Fla.
Martin Delaney, 10-1, 36, Bathgate, Scotland
Johnny Nunez, 5-1, 29, Las Vegas, Nev.
Martin Svensson, 14-5, 30, Malmo, Sweden
James Jenkins, 8-1, 29, Long Island, N.Y.
Mehdi Baghdad, 11-3, 29, Toulon, France
Jason Gonzalez, 9-2, 25, Colton, Calif.
Mohamed Grabinski, 10-1, 23, Dusseldorf, Germany
Julian Erosa, 14-2, 25, Yakima, Wash.
Paulo Boer, 10-1-1, 29, Holland
Mike Flach, 7-1, 27, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Sascha Sharma, 8-2, 27, Stuttgart, Germany
Ryan Hall, 4-1, 30, Falls Church, Va.
Saul Rogers, 10-1, 25, Bolton, England
Thanh Le, 4-1, 29, New Orleans, La.
Sean Carter, 10-1, 30, Essex, England
Tim Welch, 12-5, 25, Glendale, Ariz.
Thibault Gouti, 10-0, 28, Avignon, France
Tom Gallicchio, 19-8, 28, Perth Amboy, N.J.
Vladimir Sikic, 10-0, 25, Frankfurt, Germany
The show will feature 12 episodes airing Wednesdays on FOX Sports 1. Each episode’s winner will advance in the single-elimination tournament, leading to the season finale card on December 11 in Las Vegas. The finale will be headlined by former lightweight champion and current second-ranked featherweight Frankie Edgar taking on Faber teammate, No. 3 Chad Mendes.
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Condit talks Lawler’s thumb injury and Legacy Fights results,, Inside MMA TV report
LOS ANGELES – Aug. 28, 2015 – With the news of his title fight against UFC Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler being cancelled tonight due to a Lawler thumb injury, Carlos Condit gave AXS TV’s INSIDE MMA his reaction to the news in an interview with series hosts Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten. A video clip of the interview is available here: http://bit.ly/IMMACondit
UFC women’s bantamweight contender Holly Holm sat down with correspondent Ron Kruck on AXS TV’s INSIDE MMA tonight for an in-depth interview about her upcoming fight with UFC champion Ronda Rousey. During the interview, Holm discussed how her boxing experience transfers to the octagon, how comfortable she is facing Rousey on the ground, and if she thinks Rousey is beatable: http://bit.ly/IMMAHolmAug28
Also on tonight’s show, UFC featherweight Chad Mendes discussed how he matches up with upcoming opponent Frankie Edgar and how he would adjust his game plan if fought UFC Interim Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor again: http://bit.ly/IMMAMendes
Highlights from tonight’s broadcast of AXS TV FIGHTS: LEGACY FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP 44 are available here, presented by AXS TV FIGHTS commentators Pat Miletich and “The Voice†Michael Schiavello: http://bit.ly/Legacy44
Official results from Legacy 44 are as follows:
Main Event – Welterweight Fight – Alex Morono (11-3) defeated Valdir Araujo (14-6) via knockout at 2:18 in round three.
Lightweight Fight – Carrington Banks (4-0) defeated Justin Reiswerg (9-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Catchweight Fight (165 pounds) – Sage Northcutt (5-0) defeated Rocky Long (21-34-1) via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:30 in round two.
Lightweight Fight – Jonathan Harris (10-5) defeated Rey Trujillo (18-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Welterweight Fight – Charlie Ontiveros (6-3) defeated Bilal Williams (3-2) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
Bantamweight Fight – Colin Wright (4-2) defeated Ryan Hollis (9-7) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
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UFC Fight Night Saskatoon: The Velten Scoring System
Submitted by Dan Velten
This week, part 3 of this 10 part series, I will continue to examine the current scoring system and also make comparisons to alternative scoring systems. Since this is an attempt to create a more viable and fair system, I am already making some adjustments based on the first two shows, as well as taking into account some helpful feedback from the readers. This is not a hard and fast experiment looking only at data. It is an evolving work in progress, and I want to implement any necessary changes ASAP.
“10-Point Open” Renamed
The previously named “10-Point Open,” in which more of the allotted 10 points are used, will now be called the “True 10-Point” or simply, “True 10.” While this seems like merely nomenclature, it is not. It was brought to my attention that the “open” scoring system is actually already in play in some other fighting organizations, but it means something different than what I was intending.
Apparently, a scoring system can be called “open” when the fighters can see the score in between rounds. I have never seen this before, but I suppose that after the round, the judges’ scores are somehow made public, by either an announcement or scoreboard. If anyone has further insight into how this works, I would love to hear more. Obviously, knowing the score changes the game, and I am curious as to whether or not this leads to more fair outcomes, more exciting fights, or perhaps more boring fights. Clearly, it kills the excitement of the judges’ decision at the end.
Point Allocation Wording in “True 10 Point” System Adjusted
It will now be as follows:
– 10-10: No clear round winner; if the case can be made for either fighter, then this is the appropriate round score
– 10-9: Winner of the round is clear, but the loser did not take much damage
– 10-8: Winner of the round is clear, but the round loser took damage
– 10-7: Winner significantly won the round, and the round loser took a lot of damage
– 10-6: Winner did tremendous damage and it could have been stopped
– 10-5: Winner dominated the entire round and it should have been stopped, possibly repeatedly
Weighted Rounds for Main Events and Championship Rounds
A reader asked me why I weighted the rounds as 1,2, and 3 points. My answer was that I did not like when one fighter wins the first two rounds and the loser basically has to finish in the third because judges rarely give 10-8’s, so a decision really only has one possible outcome. Admittedly, it is a pretty weak argument, but I got sick of seeing guys coast because they knew they had already won a decision. The sport of Mixed Martial Arts, as I see it, is about somewhat safely replicating a fight to the death in the streets, and thus the fighter should always be trying to finish since there is no time limit to a real fight.
More importantly, it took the onus off the judge to do anything other than pick a round winner; the points would take care of themselves. That said I did not consider the point differential for 5 round fights, so I decided it would be scored with rounds at 1,1,2,2, and 3 points respectively. Initially, when creating this method, I thought that since it is a fight, it gets harder the longer it lasts so the third round should be weighted heavier, but the more I think about it, the less that makes sense from a fighter’s perspective.
As a fan, I want excitement all the way to the end, but maybe more needs to be considered. However, I’m not giving up just yet. The one good thing about this scoring is that it makes the judges just pick a round winner, and not have to pick a score as well. So I’m giving this system one more week of fights, as I’m not sure it is valid. If I do not find it worthy after this card, I may drop the weighted points and simplify it to “Select a Round Winner”
Having addressed the updates, it is now time to introduce a new segment:
Questioning the Decision: Michael Johnson vs. Beneil Dariush
OFFICIAL RESULT: 29-28 Dariush, 29-28 Johnson, and 29-28 Dariush
RESULT: Dariush by Split Decision“In My Book…”
Traditional Scoring:
Rd 1) 10-9 Johnson Rd 2) 10-9 Johnson Rd 3) 10-9 Dariush
RESULT: 29-28 JohnsonTrue 10:
Rd 1) 10-9 Johnson Rd 2) 10-10 Rd 3) 10-10
RESULT: 30-29 JohnsonWeighted:
I screwed up in my original scoring article because I was writing from cage side and my battery was dying so I rushed it and scored it 4-2 Johnson, but it should have been a 3-3 Draw because I actually had round one being 1 point for Johnson, round two should have been 2 points for Johnson, and round three was 3 points for Dariush.
RESULT: 3-3 Draw
Pride:
RESULT: Johnson
Analysis:
This fight was the perfect example of a match that should have been a draw. Johnson connected more times statistically, and stuffed takedowns, but did he WIN A FIGHT? Not “in my book,” (see what I did there) but then again, neither did Dariush. These guys were equally matched and there would have been no harm in declaring the fight a draw. Instead, we get a borderline robbery as the guy who should have at best received a draw, wins. This highlights the primary problem with the current system. The loser should never be able to win, no matter how one cherry picks the data.
There is more to scoring than just connecting punches. MMA is far more complex than boxing. If we want to just score on stats, then we will quickly turn the sport into a terrible kickboxing league. There has to be something that takes into account the feeling that 94% of the fans felt when watching that fight, and the majority of people felt Dariush DID NOT WIN.
Two problems arise from these types of decisions. The first is that now Johnson has to start over. He will not get that high profile fight next he wanted. One could argue that he does not deserve it since he did not do enough. Valid point. However, Dariush MAY get that fight, and he does not deserver it either. Why not just rematch the two?
The second and bigger problem is for the viewer. We feel ripped off. We watched 15 minutes of a pretty good fight, and then did not get the payoff. In fact, we got the screw job. Just like in pro wrestling, too many screw job finishes sour the viewer on the product. This turns fans off because they think the sport is fundamentally broken, or ironically, fixed. Can you imagine if you were watching the Yankees outscore the Orioles 5-4 and then the Umpires just told the fans after 9 innings that the Orioles won? This scenario is what the “10-Point Must” system allows to happen. It must be changed.
UFC Fight Night Saskatoon —
Maryna Moroz vs. Valerie Letourneau
Official Result: Letourneau by Unanimous Decision, 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27
True Ten: Rd 1) 10-9 Letourneau Rd 2) 10-9 Moroz Rd 3) 10-9 Letourneau
Result: 29-28 LetourneauWeighted: Rd 1) Letourneau + 1 Rd 2) Moroz + 2 Rd 3) Letourneau + 3
Result: 4-2 LetourneauPride: Letourneau
Analysis:
This was a fine decision. I agree. This was a fight where one girl won for sure in an even match and the scoring was valid and necessary.
Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Tony Sims
Official Result: Aubin-Mercier by Unanimous Decision, 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28
True Ten: Rd 1) 10-7 A-M Rd 2) 10-8 A-M Rd 3) 10-8 A-M
Result: 30-23 Aubin-MercierWeighted: Rd 1) A-M + 1 Rd 2) A-M + 2 Rd 3) A-M + 3
Result: 6-0 Aubin-MercierPride: Aubin-Mercier
Analysis:
When a guy has your back, he is always a half second from a finish with the rear naked. When a guy has your back for all five minutes of a round, you should have lost in that round, which is why I scored round 1 a 10-7 advantage for A-M. He did not allow Sims a second of offense. A lot of people argue that being on top should not necessarily score because you are not necessarily doing anything, but given that the guy on the bottom does not want to be there, I think you have to score top position even if not much damage is being done.
Neil Magny vs. Erick Silva
Official Result: Magny by Split Decision, on scorecards of 29-28 Magny, 29-28 Silva, and 30-27 Magny
– True Ten: Rd 1) 10-8 Magny Rd 2) 10-8 Magny Rd 3) 10-9 Magny
– Result: 30-25 Magny– Weighted: Rd 1) Magny + 1 Rd 2) Magny + 2 Rd 3) Magny + 3
– Result: 6-0 MagnyPride: Magny
Analysis:
I cannot see how anyone would score a round, much less the fight for Silva. I’ll give you that maybe round 3 were even, but Silva did not win that fight. However, that is a bad judging call, and not a problem with the system. In this case, the system worked. The right man won the fight because the majority of the judges (2) got it right, which corrected for the one idiot judge.
Overall Analysis:
It is still super hard for me to score without reverting back to the traditional mindset. This show had a few close rounds but nothing that I would vehemently argue, and the decisions all came in correct, which is the important part. However, I do think there needs to be a massive judging symposium where the criteria for scoring is discussed, and then each judge has to grapple for five minutes and just get grappled to death so they can better understand why ground control should be scored more. Everyone knows that punches and kicks hurt, but it is tough to explain the punishment of grappling without it being experienced.
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UFC: Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm to headline UFC 193 in Melbourne
On Friday, UFC President Dana White announced on ESPN SportsCenter that women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm will now headline UFC 193 on November 15 — the UFC’s debut in Melbourne, Australia.
The main reason for the change was that welterweight champion Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit had to be postponed due to a non-serious injury to the champion. No makeup date has been announced yet.
The other reason: the event is at Etihad Stadium, a 50,000 seat venue that they wanted to come close to filling up.
Rousey vs. Holm was originally set for UFC 195 on January 2nd in Las Vegas. Rousey (12-0) will be looking for the eighth straight defense of her UFC/Strikeforce belt, while Holm (9-0) will be looking for her third UFC victory and first major MMA title.
Strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk will remain on the January 2nd show, which still needs a main event. Double J is expected to face Valerie Letourneau as Claudia Gadelha won’t be ready in time to compete due to injury. White had wanted to move Double J up to November as well, but that is too soon for Letourneau.
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Josh Nason’s Punch-Out episode 11: Bellator MMA’s Jimmy Smith
With Bellator 141 on our doorstep, Bellator MMA color commentator and all-around good guy Jimmy Smith was our guest on the 11th episode of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out!
On the docket, Josh and Jimmy talked for an hour on nearly 141 topics. (Not really, but it was a lot). Here’s a preview:
– The experience of co-hosting Fight Quest and his favorite discipline he trained in
– How often he gets asked about competing against Joe Rogan in a cage or on the mats
– His time competing in MMA and whether he misses it
– Whether Bellator has ever asked him about competing
– Getting asked to commentate for Premier Boxing Championships and how it came together.
– The one nuance that the average fan can watch for when watching both boxing and MMA
– Working with new Bellator play-by-play man Sean Grande and the advice he gave him
– The most interesting storyline going into Bellator 141
– Thoughts on Melvin Guillard, Justin Wren, and Marloes Coenen
– His opinions on drug testing, uniforms, IVs, and Ronda Rousey vs. Floyd Mayweather
You also get Josh’s Opening Round focused on the latest grenades thrown toward MMA media, and Josh’s TV pick of the week. Your hour of power awaits!