During an appearance with Hannah Storm on ESPN SportsCenter Thursday, UFC strawweight and Dancing With The Stars runner-up Paige VanZant alluded to the fact she’s not going to be appearing at WWE SummerSlam this year.
She said that she loves WWE and would love to work with them, but that she’s focused on her training for a fight that she announced during the interview. The 22-year-old also said that she declined to be in the Kickboxer reboot because filming would have got in the way of training.
VanZant said she’ll be fighting on August 27th against Bec Rawlings in Vancouver, Canada. There was a lot of speculation that Hollywood would come calling for PVZ and that perhaps her fighting career would be behind her, especially considering the beating she had laid on her last year by Rose Namajunas.
Given that SummerSlam is on August 21st, it’s highly doubtful she’ll do an appearance just six days before her return to action.
When asked about what she missed about fighting, she said “the violence” and how it was tough to sit cageside watching other people fight over the past few months. She also talked about the much-publicized incident about Ronda Rousey and that there’s really no relationship there. She wants to move forward from it, and speculated she may have just caught her on a bad day.
UFC strawweight Paige VanZant may not have a UFC title in her immediate future, but on Tuesday night, she came justthisclose to a different kind of championship: a Dancing With The Stars title.
After scoring a perfect 30 in her final dance with partner Mark Ballas, combined with a 59 from Monday’s show and fan voting, she and Ballas lost to overall winner Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd and third place finishers Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy. DiMarco was lauded for competing at a high level despite being deaf. They didn’t reveal the fan voting, but PVZ and Ballas were slightly in the lead before that was taken into the equation.
Despite a dancing background, PVZ wasn’t seen as an immediate favorite when the latest season of the ABC hit kicked off several months ago. But week by week, she continued to score big and finished consistently near the top of the weekly competitions.
Just 22 years old and coming off a devastating loss to Rose Namajunas in December, she was announced as joining the Kickboxer cast this week and seems closer to Hollywood and non-fighting opportunities than an impending UFC return.
Featherweight contender and teammate Chad Mendes was shown several times in the audience.
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 80: Namajunas vs. VanZant from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is headlined by a five-round women’s strawweight bout as former title challenger Rose Namajunas steps in on short notice to take on rising star Paige VanZant in the first-ever womens’ non-title bout to headline a UFC event. In the co-main event, it will be a lightweight contest as 14th-ranked UFC veteran Jim Miller takes on former “TUF” winner Michael Chiesa. Also on the card is the next UFC appearance of 19-year-old budding star Sage Northcutt as he takes on Cody Pfister. The entire event airs on the UFC’s digital network, UFC Fight Pass, with preliminary card action kicking off at 6:45 PM eastern time before heading into the main card at 10 PM eastern time.
ROUND 1- Both ladies throwing lots of punches right at the start. Kagan has underhooks against the fence but Curran scrambles out. Kagan clinches but Curran with a judo throw but they get right back up as Curran went for mount. Kagan with a knee against the fence. Kagan gets the back on a brief takedown. Kagan unable to get Curran down to the mat. Kagan with a brief takedown but they get right back up. Kagan trying real hard for the takedown but Curran lands knees to the body and a head kick followed by some punches. Kagan clinches back up against the fence. Kagan gets a takedown with just seconds left and ends the round in the guard as Curran went for a triangle. 10-9 Kagan.
ROUND 2- Curran tries to land a knee as Kagan punches her way back to the clinch. They separate and Curran lands a jab. Kagan with a left hand and a head kick. Curran with a knee in the clinch. Curran with a knee to the head in the clinch and they break. Kagan with a combo but not much lands. Kagan lands a left hand. Curran lands a right hand but Kagan counters with a left. Kagan is breathing heavily. They clinch and Curran lands a knee. Kagan gets the fight down but Curran reverses into half-guard. Curran switches to the back and has a hook in. Curran looking for a choke and she submits Kagan! Curran gets her first UFC win with a submission.
Official Result- Kailin Curran def. Emily Kagan by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:13 of Round 2
ROUND 1- Nover starts off with a high kick. Nover with another head kick. Tukhugov just misses a big right hand, and then misses another. Nover has a head kick checked. Both men missing on kicks. Tukhugov lands a head kick. Nover with a body kick. Tukhogov lands a right hand. Tukhogov with a spinning back kick. Nover with a head kick but Tukhugov grabs it and kicks the leg out from Nover to the mat. They scramble back to their feet. Tukhugov misses a spinning back fist but lands a left hook. Tukhugov with a right hand. 10-9 Tukhugov.
ROUND 2- Tukhugov starts with some kicks. Nover has a head kick checked. Tukhugov clips Nover with a left hook as he rushed in. Nover circles away. Tukhugov with a right hand. Nover with a leg kick and misses a takedown attempt. Tukhugov lands a left hand. Tukhugov with a head kick. Nover with a body kick but Tukhugov comes back with a combo. Tukhugov with a spin kick that barely lands. Tukhugov lands a big right hand and has Nover in trouble. Nover on the mat and eats a right hand but gets back to his feet. Nover with a body kick. Nover with another body kick and Tukhugov rushes in with a combo. Nover with another body kick. Tukhugov lands a left hand and stuffs a takedown. 10-9 Tukhugov, 20-18 Tukhugov.
ROUND 3- Tukhugov with some kicks and punches to start. Nover lands a body kick. Tukhugov lands a right hand. Tukhugov with a head kick. Nover lands a head kick and Tukhugov shakes it off and takes the fight down. Tukhugov in the guard and looking to pass. Nover with another high kick. Tukhugov breathing a little heavy. Nover with another head kick but Tukhugov fires back with a combo. Nover with a deep shot and misses but has the clinch against the fence. They break and Nover lands a left hand. Nover with a body kick. Tukhugov with a nice combo and Nover misses a takedown. Tukhugov with another kick. 10-9 Tukhugov, 30-27 Tukhugov.
Official Result- Zubaira Tukhugov def. Phillipe Nover by split decision (28-29, 30-27 , 30-27)
WELTERWEIGHTS- DANNY ROBERTS (11-1, 0-0 UFC) VS. NATHAN COY (14-5, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- This is the UFC debut for both men and Roberts is a solid prospect. They trade leg kicks. They trade and Roberts lands a big left hand. Roberts with a head kick. Roberts with a leg kick. They trade punches. Roberts with a head kick attempt and Coy eats it and takes Roberts down and is in the guard. Roberts with strikes from the bottom and looking for a triangle. Roberts with the armbar and Coy taps out! Roberts gets the submission win in his UFC debut.
Official Result- Danny Roberts def. Nathan Coy by technical submission (triangle choke) at 2:46 of Round 1
WELTERWEIGHTS- SANTIAGO PONZINIBBIO (20-3, 2-2 UFC) VS. ANDREAS STAHL (9-1, 0-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Stahl with a leg kick. Stahl with a combo and gets a big takedown and they scramble to their feet. Ponzinibbio with a leg kick and then a body kick. He lands a big combo against the fence and Stahl is covering up. Stahl with another takedown but Ponzinibbio back to his feet. Ponzinibbio with a leg kick and then a combo. Stahl lands a right hand. Ponzinibbio lands a nice combo. Ponzinibbio with another big combo against the fence. Stahl with a head kick but eats some punches from Ponzinibbio. Ponzinibbio drops Stahl with a big right hand and one more punch and this fight is over. Herb Dean stops the fight and Ponzinibbio gets the win by knockout.
Official Result- Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Andreas Stahl by TKO (punches) at 4:25 of Round 1
BANTAMWEIGHTS- (#5) ALJAMAIN STERLING (11-0, 3-0 UFC) VS. (#10) JOHNNY EDUARDO (27-9, 2-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Sterling is a big-time prospect at 135 pounds, but is in the last fight of his contract. They trade kicks. Sterling with a high kick but the leg is grabbed by Eduardo. Eduardo with a big leg kick. Both missing high kicks but Sterling gets the takedown and pushes Eduardo against the fence. Sterling in the half-guard of Eduardo. Sterling landing some punches from the top as Eduardo is unable to escape from the bottom. Left hands from the top by Sterling. More punches from Sterling as the round ends. 10-9 Sterling.
ROUND 2- Eduardo misses a leg kick. Sterling with a leg kick and follows with a right hand. Eduardo with a body kick. They trade kicks. Sterling misses a spinning back fist. Eduardo with a body kick and Sterling misses a head kick. Sterling with a leg kick. Eduardo with a head kick that is checked. They start trading punches and kicks. Sterling with a high kick. Sterling gets a takedown and some big punches from the top. Dominant from the top with elbows and punches. More big punches and Sterling goes for a choke. He’s got it! Sterling submits Eduardo with a guillotine choke and gets the big win.
Official Result- Aljamain Sterling def. Johnny Eduardo by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:18 of Round 2
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- ANTONIO CARLOS JUNIOR (5-1, 2-1 UFC) VS. KEVIN CASEY (9-3 1 NC, 1-1 1 NC UFC)
ROUND 1- Casey poked right in the eye as this fight begins. And it is stopped. That was weird. Fight stopped due to the eye poke. 11 seconds into the fight.
Official Result- Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Kevin Casey declared a no contest due to an eye poke at 0:11 of Round 1
ROUND 1- Both men missing on kicks but Akhmedov lands a spinning back fist. Moraes misses a high kick. Akhmedov with a big head kick but Moraes shakes it off. Moraes just misses a flying knee. Big left hook from Moraes stuns Akhmedov. Akhmedov with an uppercut. Akhmedov lands an overhand right and then lands a body kick. Akhmedov drops Moraes with a right hand and lands a big punch from the top and a couple of leg kicks. Akhmedov wants him up. Moraes goes for a takedown but it is defended. They trade right hands. 10-9 Akhmedov.
ROUND 2- Akhmedov misses a leg kick and a right hand. Body kick from Akhmedov. Big right hand from Moraes lands. Akhmedov misses some body kicks. Left hook by Akhmedov. Moraes misses a flying knee and may have a hand injury. Pace has slowed in this round. Akhmedov with a body kick. Moraes misses a big right hand. Leg kick by Akhmedov and Moraes counters with his own. Moraes misses a right hand and Akhmedov counters with some punches. Akhmedov with a takedown but Moraes grabs the neck and has a guillotine locked in but the clock runs out. Close round. 10-9 Akhmedov, 20-18 Akhmedov.
ROUND 3- This fight is close and up for grabs. They trade punches and Akhmedov taunts Moraes to come on. Moraes goes for a takedown but it is defended. They are each missing punches. Out of nowhere Moraes lands a big right hand and stuns Akhmedov and after a bunch of punches Akhmedov crumbles to the ground and the fight is stopped. Moraes with the comeback TKO win.
Official Result- Sergio Moraes def. Omari Akhmedov by TKO (punches) at 2:18 of Round 3
WELTERWEIGHTS- TIM MEANS (24-7-1, 6-4 UFC) VS. JOHN HOWARD (23-11, 7-6 UFC)
ROUND 1- Means lands a big left hand and rocks Howard. Howard grabs the fence and takes Means down. They get back up. They trade and Howard lands a big overhand right. They are throwing punches. Each man landing punches. Both men land combos. Howard with a nice combo. They are both still landing hard punches and Howard explodes with a takedown. Howard pulls Means away from the fence but Means gets to his feet. Howard gets another takedown but Means right back up and they break. Means with a knee to the body. Head kick misses from Means. Howard’s right eye is closed a little. Means lands a head kick. Close round. 10-9 Means.
ROUND 2- Means comes out and lands a big left hook and Howard goes out cold. Massive left hand and Means gets the knockout win.
Official Result- Tim Means def. John Howard by knockout (punch) at 0:21 of Round 2
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- ELIAS THEODOROU (11-0, 3-0 UFC) VS. THIAGO SANTOS (11-3, 3-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Theodorou is a solid middleweight prospect with an undefeated record. Theodorou with a nice head kick but Santos fires back a leg kick. Theodorou looking for that head kick. Theodorou with a combo and high kick. Santos with a leg kick. Theodorou with a leg kick. Santos with a front kick. Theodorou with a big leg kick and a body kick. Theodorou with another series of body kicks. More body kicks from Theodorou. He just misses a head kick. Spinning heel kick from Santos lands. Front kick from Theodorou trips up Santos. They trade kicks again. They clinch against the fence for a moment. Strong round from Theodorou. 10-9 Theodorou.
ROUND 2- They trade kicks. Lots of punches thrown. Santos with a big elbow. Theodorou goes for a takedown but Santos blatantly grabs the fence. Theodorou gets him down. Big knee from Theodorou as they get to their feet. Theodorou working for the takedown but Santos lands a series of elbows. Theodorou still working to take Santos to the mat. Santos landing lots of elbows. They are broken from their clinch. Theodorou goes for another takedown but Santos lands some knees and elbows and landing a lot of strikes. They are clinched against the fence. Santos reverses and gets a takedown and takes the back and lands a knee and some punches. Theodorou ends the round with a takedown. Close round. 10-9 Santos, 19-19.
ROUND 3- They clinch as Theodorou looks for a high-crotch takedown. Theodorou working hard for the takedown. They are broken up by referee Marc Goddard. Santos lands a knee as Theodorou goes for a shot. Theodorou pushes Santos up against the fence. Timeout as Theodorou has a massive cut over his eye. The doctor lets it go. Theodorou goes for the takedown again but Santos making him eat knees. Santos has Theodorou in trouble and lands a big kick and a big knee. Santos looking for the finish but Theodorou surviving and goes back for the takedown. Santos with some elbows. More big shots from Santos but Theodorou is surviving. Timeout as we have an eye poke. Back to action and Santos lands some big shots as the fight ends. Big round for Santos. Good fight. 10-9 Santos, 29-28 Santos.
Official Result- Thiago Santos def. Elias Theodorou by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
ROUND 1- Northcutt is one of the future stars UFC is banking on. Pfister gets an early takedown. Pfister in the guard of Northcutt. Pfister with some elbows and punches from the top. Northcutt having trouble getting out from the bottom. They are stood up by the referee. The crowd boos as that was bad. Northcutt immediately gets the takedown. Northcutt working in the half-guard. Northcutt with some elbows and is looking for a choke. Pfister survives with punches from the bottom. We are going to the second after Northcutt lands elbows to end the round. 10-9 Northcutt.
ROUND 2- Northcutt with a takedown and he grabs the neck. Guillotine choke locked in and Pfister taps! Northcutt gets the win by submission.
Official Result- Sage Northcutt def. Cody Pfister by submission (guillotine choke) at 0:41 of Round 2
LIGHTWEIGHTS- (#14) JIM MILLER (25-6 1 NC, 14-5 1 NC UFC) VS. MICHAEL CHIESA (12-2, 5-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- High-level lightweight fight here. They trade combinations. Miller with a big left hand. Miller with a body kick. They clinch and Chiesa gets a takedown. Chiesa in the half-guard. Chiesa with some elbows from the top. Chiesa with top control as Miller looks to grab the leg. Miller reverses to the top. Chiesa looking for the triangle. Miller transitions to the back of Chiesa. Miller looking for a choke and has the body locked. Miller with punches from the back. Miller has the body locked still as he maintains position. Punches from the back as he can’t find the choke. Good round. 10-9 Miller.
ROUND 2- Miller with a leg kick. Miller with a nice left hand. They both land punches and Chiesa ducks under and scores a takedown. Chiesa with punches from the top as Miller looks to roll out from the bottom. Miller is cut open but he looks for a leg lock. Nice defense from Chiesa as he lands punches. Chiesa gets into the mount and is landing a lot of punches. Chiesa has the rear-naked choke locked in. Miller taps! Chiesa with the big win in impressive fashion.
Official Result- Michael Chiesa def. Jim Miller by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:57 of Round 2
WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS- (#3) ROSE NAMAJUNAS (3-2, 1-1 UFC) VS. (#7) PAIGE VANZANT (6-0, 3-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- VanZant is the other future young fighter they are banking on to be a star. VanZant with a leg kick and Namajunas with some quick combos. Namajunas gets a takedown and is in half-guard. Big elbows from Namajunas and VanZant is cut on her cheek. VanZant rolls out to her feet. Namajunas with a nice right hand. They clinch and VanZant goes for a takedown but Namajunas takes the back and looks for a choke. Namjunas gets in the mount and lands some elbows and goes to the back and looks for a choke again. VanZant is bleeding badly. VanZant gets to her feet. Namajunas gets the fight back down and is in the guard. Namajunas with more big shots from the top. VanZant somehow survives the round. Big round for Rose. 10-8 Namajunas.
ROUND 2- Namajunas with a nice combination. Namajunas grabs the back of VanZant. Namajunas takes her down and is in side control. Namajunas gets the back and is looking for the choke. VanZant escapes and Namajunas back in side control. Namajunas into the half-guard. They get to their feet. Namajunas with a knee. VanZant gets a brief takedown but Namajunas is able to get to side control. Namajunas has the back of VanZant. They get to their feet and break. VanZant still bleeding badly. VanZant pulls guard and Namajunas in the half-guard. Namajunas with more short elbows from the top. 10-9 Namajunas, 20-17 Namajunas.
ROUND 3- They got back to the mat and Namajunas in the half-guard. They scramble and get to their feet. VanZant with a knee. They both land punches. VanZant misses a spinning back fist and Namajunas grabs the back. They break. They trade kicks. Namajunas with a left hand and then a head kick. They clinch and VanZant lands some knees. Namajunas with a takedown and looking for the back. VanZant rolls and has Namajunas in her half-guard. Namajunas takes the back and locks in a rear-naked choke. She has it in deep but VanZant isn’t tapping. VanZant escapes. VanZant survives the round. 10-9 Namajunas, 30-26 Namajunas.
ROUND 4- VanZant with a kick and they clinch. Namajunas with another takedown, her sixth of the fight. Namajunas in the full guard and postures up. Namajunas grabs the arm and goes for the armbar. VanZant escapes. Namajunas with some elbows and moves to the back. Namajunas locks in another armbar. This one is in deeper. VanZant manages to escape again. No idea how she got out of that one as her arm was all twisted. They get to their feet and Namajunas has VanZant against the fence. Namajunas with a front kick. Namajunas with a takedown. 10-8 Namajunas, 40-34 Namajunas.
ROUND 5- VanZant hanging in there. They trade punches. Namajunas with another takedown and into the half-guard. Namajunas in side control. Namajunas gets the back of VanZant and locks in the rear-naked choke. VanZant taps! Namajunas gets the submission win in a dominant performance and a gutsy performance by VanZant.
Official Result- Rose Namajunas def. Paige VanZant by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:25 of Round 5
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night 80: Namajunas vs. VanZant weigh-ins from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada kicking off at 7 PM eastern time. The event airs on Thursday on UFC Fight Pass at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 6:45 PM eastern time. This kicks off the biggest fight week in UFC history with the first of three straight nights of fights in Las Vegas.
The event will be headlined by a five-round bout in the women’s strawweight division as Rose Namajunas takes on rising star Paige VanZant in VanZant’s first headline spot. It will also mark the first non-title womens’ bout to headline a UFC event. In the co-main event, it will be a lightweight bout as UFC veteran Jim Miller takes on former “TUF” winner Michael Chiesa. Also on the card is 19-year-old Sage Northcutt taking on Cody Pfister.
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT): Rose Namajunas (115.5) vs. Paige VanZant (115.5) Jim Miller (155.5) vs. Michael Chiesa (156) Sage Northcutt (155.5) vs. Cody Pfister (156) Elias Theodorou (185) vs. Thiago Santos (185)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:45 PM ET/3:45 PM PT): Tim Means (170) vs. John Howard (170) Omari Akhmedov (170) vs. Sergio Moraes (171) Antonio Carlos Junior (185) vs. Kevin Casey (185) Aljamain Sterling (135.5) vs. Johnny Eduardo (135) Santiago Ponzinibbio (170) vs. Andreas Stahl (171) Danny Roberts (169.5) vs. Nathan Coy (170) Zubaira Tukhugov (145) vs. Phillipe Nover (145) Kailin Curran (115) vs. Emily Kagan (115)
*Everyone made weight with no issues, and everything was cordial when it came to the staredowns.
The biggest UFC Fight Week in company history is finally here, with three straight nights of fights coming from the fight capital of the world- Las Vegas, Nevada. It all kicks off with UFC Fight Night 80 on Thursday night at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, an exclusive event airing on UFC Fight Pass. The action kicks off at 6:45 PM eastern time with the preliminary card heading into a 10 PM eastern time start for the main card.
The main event will be the first time a female non-title bout has headlined a UFC event as former strawweight title challenger Rose Namajunas takes on budding star Paige VanZant in VanZant’s first showcase in a main event slot. The card as been billed as “Paige & Sage” as 19-year-old Sage Northcutt also competes on the card, taking on Cody Pfister in a lightweight bout. The UFC is banking on VanZant and Northcutt to carry the company into the future, and they get their chance to shine in the beginning of the biggest week in UFC history. There is more action on the card, so let us take a deeper look and give you five storylines to keep an eye on for UFC Fight Night 80 on Thursday.
1. Who wins the main event between Rose Namajunas and Paige VanZant?
Two rising contenders in the UFC’s women’s strawweight division square off in the main event of the first of three straight nights of UFC action. Paige VanZant, a 115-pound fighter being groomed for big things in the future at just 21 years of age, makes her first headline appearance against Rose Namajunas, an injury replacement for Joanne Calderwood, who was originally scheduled to fight VanZant. There is an argument to be made whether this is a stiffer test for VanZant as Namjunas and Calderwood have a different approach to a fight, but either way, it will be the toughest test for VanZant, winner of her first three UFC bouts, as she looks to knock on the door to a title shot. Namajunas has already fought once for the title, in the inaugural fight for the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship, but came up short in her quest as she was submitted by Carla Esparza. Esparza has since lost the title to the dominant champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, while Namjunas has fought just once since then, a submission win over Angela Hill in October.
This is an interesting bit of match making as both women could be built up for a fight for the championship. Granted that Namajunas is an injury replacement, but this is a tough match-up for VanZant, who the UFC is banking on as a potential challenger. Even though Claudia Gadelha is waiting in the wings, it would be easy to envision a scenario where VanZant gets a title shot with a win. She isn’t ready, but a win puts her at 4-0 in the UFC, a record only matched by Jedrzejczyk at 115 pounds. VanZant is a grinding wrestler with excellent conditioning and a solid top game and submission game. Namajunas has submissions for days, but she can break mentally when pushed into a tough fight. We haven’t seen VanZant tested too much as she has won her three UFC bouts with relative ease. This one won’t be as easy. It really is a tough fight to predict, but I do see VanZant getting the win in the later rounds.
2. Will Sage Northcutt continue to live up to the hype?
This event is being billed as the “Paige and Sage” show as, along with Paige VanZant, the UFC is banking on 19-year-old Sage Northcutt to be a future star in the sport. He has been impressive in his young career with six wins by stoppage, and five coming in the first round. He may be young, but he is clearly ready for the UFC with his skills, and he brings in a lot of hype. It may not be as warranted, but he has the marketability that the UFC looks for when grooming a future star, and he has shown the skills to back it up, albeit against lesser competition. He had an impressive UFC debut, destroying Francisco Trevino in just 57 seconds at UFC 192 in October. Trevino made it easy for him, though, as he came in four pounds overweight, didn’t look like he cared too much, didn’t put up much of a fight, complained when the fight was stopped, and, to top it all off, failed a drug test and was later released from the UFC.
Northcutt is going to be built up the right way by taking on lesser competition until you can no longer avoid giving him top-flight opponents. He is taking on Cody Pfister on Thursday night, a solid fighter, but one that doesn’t have the look of being a future contender. Pfister is 12-4-1 in his career and has just one loss in his last ten fights after starting his career 4-3, and he does train with a solid camp in the Team Takedown camp. He is just 1-1 in his UFC tenure and is coming off a decision win over Yosdenis Cedeno at UFC 189 in July. He is the perfect opponent for Northcutt at this point. The question is whether Northcutt is too overhyped. He has gotten a lot of attention in the last two months since his UFC debut, and he has gone and trained at other camps in the meantime. Whether how all of this fame, hype and change in fight status will affect him remains to be seen, but he gets the bigger stage to show if he will continue to live up to the hype, or if he just isn’t ready for the limelight yet. Pfister, despite being groomed as someone who is being fed, isn’t taking this lightly, but I see Northcutt getting the job done and continuing his path.
3. Who wins in a solid co-main event scrap when Jim Miller and Michael Chiesa do battle?
Lost in the shuffle of the hype behind Paige VanZant and Sage Northcutt is an excellent co-main event scrap in the lightweight division as UFC veteran Jim Miller makes his 21st appearance inside the Octagon to take on former “Ultimate Fighter” winner Michael Chiesa, winner of five of seven in the UFC. It will be the biggest fight to date for Chiesa, who is coming off a dominant decision win over Mitch Clarke in April. Chiesa’s only losses in the UFC have come to Jorge Masvidal and Joe Lauzon, a fight that was controversially stopped due to a cut. In Miller, he has an opponent who has scored 14 wins during his UFC career, but he has also scored just five wins in his last ten bouts after being very close to scoring a chance at earning a title shot at 155 pounds. Miller got back on track with a close split decision win over Danny Castillo in July.
These two men have similar fighting styles with wrestling and takedowns as their primary strengths to go along with solid submission skills. Both men grind their opponents, and it is an interesting clash of styles. Both men fight as southpaws, but land roughly the same amount of strikes with the same type of accuracy. Chiesa’s takedown game may be a little stronger as he averages more over the course of a fight, and he has shown better defense. Chiesa will also have a five-inch height advantage and a four-inch reach advantage, and he will want to exploit his length over Miller. Miller hits a little harder and mixes his kicks and knees in well. This is a tough fight to predict as the betting odds have it as pretty much a pick ’em. It will be Miller’s Octagon experience against the gritty nature of Chiesa in what should be an excellent fight. I like Miller just a little bit more to score the win due to his experience, but Chiesa is going to make it a battle.
4. Why is Aljamain Sterling in the prelims?
No offense to any other fighter competing on this card, but the best fighter fighting on the UFC Fight Night 80 card is buried way down in the preliminary card, and that is rising bantamweight prospect Aljamain Sterling. A product of the Serra-Longo fight team in New York, Sterling is a perfect 11-0 in his career, with his last three wins coming after signing with the UFC as an injury replacement in early 2014. He has scored wins over Cody Gibson, Hugo Viana and Takeya Mizugaki in his UFC career, and he has been dominant in all of his fights. He has scored seven of his eleven wins by stoppage, and alongside Thomas Almeida, he is looked at to be the future of the UFC bantamweight division. He has been inactive for a while, whether it be due to injury or the UFC matchmakers having trouble finding him an opponent and spot on a card.
Sterling deserves to be showcased on the main card. He is extremely talented and will likely fight for the title within the next two years. He had to campaign hard to get on a fight card, and his fight was the last fight put together for this card. The UFC realized they were making a mistake in not featuring him prominently, and made him a late addition to the open workouts for this event. He has an extremely tough opponent in Johnny Eduardo, who has 36 professional bouts in his career. Eduardo has scored wins in 13 of his last 14 fights, but injuries have limited him to just three fights in the last four years. Eduardo hasn’t fought since a May 2014 knockout win over Eddie Wineland, but it was his most impressive performance to date inside the Octagon. This is one fight that has been flying under the radar for this crazy fight week. Sterling deserved to be on the main card, and really, this fight did as well. He will show why when he steps into the Octagon on Thursday night.
5. What else on the card is there to keep an eye on?
Rounding out the main card for this UFC Fight Pass exclusive event is a former “TUF” winner, as “TUF: Nations” middleweight winner Elias Theodorou puts his perfect 11-0 record on the line against Thiago Santos. Theodorou is coming off a big TKO win over Roger Narvaez at UFC 185 in March, and he is a solid prospect at 185 pounds. He gets a big test in Santos, who has won three of his last four fights, and is coming off one of the best knockouts of the year, a head kick knockout of Steve Bosse at UFC Fight Night 70 in June. Headlining the preliminary portion of the card is a solid welterweight bout as Tim Means looks to get back into the win column following a loss to Matt Brown when he takes on John Howard, who got back into the win column after ending his three-fight losing skid when he scored a split decision win over Cathal Pendred at UFC 189 in July.
Three other fighters to keep an eye on during the preliminary card are Antonio Carlos Junior, Danny Roberts and Kailin Curran. Carlos Junior is a former “TUF: Brazil” winner as a heavyweight, and has since moved down to 185 pounds, where he has a huge size advantage. However, he utilized IV’s, and this will be his first fight without them, so it will be interesting to see how that effects him. Roberts is making his UFC debut with an 11-1 record and on the heels of five straight wins. He has an excellent mix of skills and has scored nine of his wins by stoppage. Curran is still in search of her first UFC win, having dropped both of her prior UFC bouts. She was in a heated battle with Paige VanZant in her UFC debut, and was dominating her fight with Alex Chambers before being submitted late in the fight. She has a lot of potential and just five career bouts, but gets a favorable match-up taking on Emily Kagan in the opening bout.
Full UFC Fight Night 80 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
Women’s Strawweights: (#3) Rose Namajunas vs. (#7) Paige VanZant Betting Odds: Namajunas (+160), VanZant (-185) Prediction: VanZant by submission in round 4
Lightweights: (#14) Jim Miller vs. Michael Chiesa Betting Odds: Miller (+105), Chiesa (-125) Prediction: Miller by decision
Lightweights: Sage Northcutt vs. Cody Pfister Betting Odds: Northcutt (-1250), Pfister (+800) Prediction: Northcutt by knockout in round 1
Middleweights: Elias Theodorou vs. Thiago Santos Betting Odds: Theodorou (-250), Santos (+210) Prediction: Theodorou by knockout in round 2
Welterweights: Tim Means vs. John Howard Betting Odds: Means (-335), Howard (+275) Prediction: Howard by decision
Welterweights: Omari Akhmedov vs. Sergio Moraes Betting Odds: Akhmedov (-140), Moraes (+120) Prediction: Akhmedov by knockout in round 2
Middleweights: Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Kevin Casey Betting Odds: Carlos Junior (-290), Casey (+245) Prediction: Carlos Junior by submission in round 3
Bantamweights: (#5) Aljamain Sterling vs. (#10) Johnny Eduardo Betting Odds: Sterling (-700), Eduardo (+500) Prediction: Sterling by submission in round 2
Welterweights: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Andreas Stahl Betting Odds: Ponzinibbio (-190), Stahl (+165) Prediction: Ponzinibbio by decision
Welterweights: Danny Roberts vs. Nathan Coy Betting Odds: Roberts (-155), Coy (+135) Prediction: Roberts by knockout in round 1
Featherweights: Zubaira Tukhugov vs. Phillipe Nover Betting Odds: Tukhugov (-330), Nover (+270) Prediction: Tukhugov by decision
Women’s Strawweights: Kailin Curran vs. Emily Kagan Betting Odds: Curran (-350), Kagan (+290) Prediction: Curran by submission in round 2
UFC Fight Night 80 has undergone a big change in the headline bout. Paige VanZant (6-1, 3-0 UFC) will make her first main event appearance, but her opponent, Joanne Calderwood (10-1, 2-1 UFC), has been forced out and will be replaced by Rose Namajunas (3-2, 1-1 UFC). The change was first reported on the Team Alpha Male radio show, Stud Show Radio, and was confirmed today by UFC President Dana White.
An official reason wasn’t given for the change in the main event, though it is said that Calderwood was forced out due to injury.
VanZant will be looking to remain undefeated inside the Octagon in her first headline bout as she is coming off a win over Alex Chambers at UFC 191 in September. She also holds wins over Felice Herrig and Kailin Curran during her UFC career. She is currently ranked sixth in the UFC’s official rankings in the women’s strawweight division.
Namajunas, currently ranked third in the UFC’s official rankings, will be looking to score her second straight win after submitting Angela Hill at UFC 192 earlier this month. It was her first appearance since being submitted by Carla Esparza in the inaugural UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship bout in December. Despite already having fought for the championship, she actually has less overall experience than her opponent, VanZant.
VanZant and Namajunas are two of the youngest fighters in the division with VanZant having just turned 21-years-old and Namajunas being 23-years-old.
UFC Fight Night 80 takes place on December 10 from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the entire event will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass. The event kicks off three straight nights of UFC events in the fight capital of the world, capped off with UFC 194 headlined by Jose Aldo against Conor McGregor.
