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  • UFC On FOX 18 Newark live results: Anthony Johnson vs. Ryan Bader

    Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 18: Johnson vs. Bader from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The event is headlined by a title elminator bout in the UFC’s light heavyweight division as former title challenger Anthony Johnson takes on Ryan Bader, winner of five straight fights. In the co-main event, it will be former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett taking on Ben Rothwell. Also on the main card is the FOX network debut of rising lightweight star Sage Northcutt. Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 3:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.

    We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s show, so send whether you think the show was a thumbs up, a thumbs down, or a thumb in the middle as well as a best fight and a worst fight to dave@wrestlingobserver.com”>Dave Meltzer.

    UFC On FOX 18 Weigh-In Results
    UFC On FOX 18 DFS Playbook
    UFC On FOX 18 Observer Picks & Preview

    Coverage provided by Ryan Frederick

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT)

    LIGHTWEIGHTS- TONY MARTIN (9-3, 1-3 UFC) VS. FELIPE OLIVIERI (14-4 1 NC, 0-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Olivieri starts off with a leg kick. Another big kicks from Olivieri drops Martin for a second. Big leg kick from Olivieri and Martin clinches them up against the fence. Martin lifts him up and takes him down but Olivieri back to his feet. Martin takes him back down. Olivieri gets to the fence and wall walks up to his feet. Olivieri with an elbow as Martin looks for another takedown. Olivieri defends and lands another elbow and a couple more. They are broken up by the ref. Olivieri lands a leg kick that hurts Martin and Martin grabs the leg. Olivieri with some hard elbows. Martin working for the takedown against the fence. Olivieri with some knees to the body. Olivieri with another series of leg kicks. Back fist from Olivieri. 10-9 Olivieri.

    ROUND 2- Olivieri with another leg kick to start. Olivieri with an overhand right and a high kick. More leg kicks from Olivieri and Martin isn’t checking them. Martin lands a leg kick of his own. Leg kicks from Olivieri but Martin lands a straight right hand. Martin lands a combo. Olivieri lands another leg kick. Martin lands a right. They trade punches and Olivieri lands a high kick. Martin lands a nice combo. They trade right hands. They trade punches and Martin stuns him with a right hand. Martin with a nice combo that hurts Olivieri. Olivieri looks for a desperate takedown but Martin defends as the round ends. 10-9 Martin, 19-19.

    ROUND 3- Olivieri lands a combo and ends with a leg kick. Martin with a nice combo. Olivieri lands a right hand. Olivieri lands a body kick. Martin shoots for a takedown and pushes Olivieri against the fence. Martin gets a trip and takes Olivieri down to the mat. Martin looking for control on the ground. Olivieri gives up his back and Martin looks to get the hooks in. Martin looking for the choke and has it locked in. Olivieri is out cold and Martin wins by submission!

    Official Result- Tony Martin def. Felipe Olivieri by technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:02 of Round 3

    FEATHERWEIGHTS- DAMON JACKSON (9-1 1 NC, 0-1 1 NC UFC) VS. LEVAN MAKASHVILI (7-2, 1-1 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Jackson comes out swinging. Jackson lands a right hand. Makashvili lands a right hand. They clinch against the fence. They battle for position. They trade knees against the fence. They are broken up by the referee. Makashvili lands a nice combo. Jackson shoots for a takedown but it is defended. They battle for underhooks against the fence. Jackson is cut. Makashvili with some left hands in the clinch. Jackson works hard for the takedown. It is defended. 10-9 Makashvili.

    ROUND 2- Jackson with the jab. They trade strikes. Jackson lands a right hand. They trade kicks. Makashvili lands a left hook. They trade punches. Jackson lands a combo. Jackson lands a knee but eats some punches in the clinch. They clinch and Makashvili lands a knee. They battle in the clinch against the fence. They are broken up by the ref. They trade punches. Makashvili grabs the right leg off a kick and lands some punches. Jackson goes back for a takedown. They clinch against the fence again. Jackson lands an elbow on the break and they clinch up again. 10-9 Makashvili, 20-18 Makashvili.

    ROUND 3- Jackson comes out swinging. Jackson with a knee to the body. Makashvili goes for a takedown but Jackson reverses the clinch against the fence. They trade knees against the fence. They are broken up again by the ref. Makashvili with a head kick and gets a takedown. Jackson grabs the neck looking for a choke. They scramble to their feet. Makashvili with a high kick. They clinch against the fence. Makashvili gets a takedown. Jackson looks to scramble out. They get to their feet and Makashvili lands an illegal knee and we have a timeout. Back to action with no point taken away. No we have an eye poke by Makashvili and another timeout. Makashvili has a point taken away due to the two fouls in five seconds. That could play a big difference in the outcome. Jackson misses a head kick as we get back to action. Both come out swinging as the fight ends. 9-9 Makashvili with the deduction, 29-27 Makashvili.

    Official Result- Damon Jackson vs. Levan Makashvili declared a majority draw (29-27 Jackson, 28-28, 28-28)

    WELTERWEIGHTS- MATT DWYER (8-3, 1-2 UFC) VS. RANDY BROWN (6-0, 0-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Brown is from Dana White’s new television show. Dwyer with a leg kick. Brown lands a left hand. Dwyer with a leg kick. Dwyer with another. Dwyer lands a big right hand. Brown with a high body kick. Dwyer lands another right hand. Brown with a front side kick. Brown with a front body kick. Dwyer lands a punch but eats a jab from Brown. Brown misses a spinning kick. Dwyer with a leg kick. Brown with a leg kick. 10-9 Dwyer.

    ROUND 2- Dwyer with two leg kicks. They clinch and switch around. Not much happens and they are broken up. Brown with a right hand. Dwyer lands a right hand. They each land right hands. Brown with a big throw takedown and he is looking for a choke. Brown had it deep but lets go and they get to their feet. Dwyer pushing for a takedown. Brown defends but Dwyer is able to score the takedown. They get back to their feet and Brown lands a series of big elbows. Brown with a knee. 10-9 Brown, 19-19.

    ROUND 3- Brown may have poked the eye but he is landing punches as Dwyer is backing up. The fight goes down and Dwyer takes the back of Brown and they get to their feet. Brown transitions and takes the back of Dwyer. Brown with an elbow and Dwyer lands a right hand. They are trading and Brown lands a low knee and we have a break in action. They go back to the mat and Brown has the neck but lets go. They get to their feet and Dwyer looking for another takedown. Dwyer tries to drag it down but Brown ends on top and they scramble to their feet. Brown with some elbows and a knee. Close fight. 10-9 Brown, 29-28 Brown.

    Official Result- Randy Brown def. Matt Dwyer by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT)

    FEATHERWEIGHTS- ALEX CACERES (10-8 1 NC, 5-6 1 NC UFC) VS. MASIO FULLEN (10-5, 1-1 UFC)

    ROUND 1- They trade kicks. Caceres with a leg kick and then one to the body. Fullen lands a short right hand. Caceres with a jumping head kick and misses a spin kick. They trade punches. Caceres with a head kick and then lands a left hand. They trade punches and Caceres lands a 360 roundhouse kick. Fullen is rocked and Caceres clinches them up against the fence and lands a knee. They battle for position and Caceres trips Fullen to the mat. They get back up. Caceres with a high knee. Knee to the body on the break by Caceres. Fullen with a right hand. 10-9 Caceres.

    ROUND 2- Caceres with some kicks but Fullen lands a right hand. Fullen with a spin kick to the body of Caceres and then lands a right hand. They clinch against the fence. Caceres lands a left hand. Each lands a combo and Caceres lands a nice body kick. Caceres with a leg kick and then one to the head and then another. Caceres keeps going high then low then back high again. They each land a punch. Caceres with a flying knee. Some nice combos landed by Caceres. 10-9 Caceres, 20-18 Caceres.

    ROUND 3- Fullen may need a finish and he comes out swinging. Each lands a leg kick. Short uppercut by Caceres and then a left hand. Fullen with a side kick to the body. Caceres with some more combos. Fullen with a leg kick. Fullen lands a left hand as Caceres lands a leg kick. Caceres with a leg kick. Caceres with a left hand and a knee to the body and then a high kick. Caceres looks good with his footwork and combos. Caceres with two left hands but Fullen catches him with a left hook. Caceres tags Fullen with an uppercut and lands some punches. Caceres goes to the body and back to the head. Fullen with a spin kick. Caceres with a combo to end. 10-9 Caceres, 30-27 Caceres.

    Official Result- Alex Caceres def. Masio Fullen by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

    WELTERWEIGHTS- GEORGE SULLIVAN (17-4 1 NC, 3-1 UFC) VS. ALEXANDER YAKOVLEV (22-6-1, 1-2 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Sullivan starts off with a couple of leg kicks. Yakovlev comes back with some leg kicks of his own and then scores a takedown. Sullivan gets back to his feet. Sullivan with a leg kick and Yakovlev is able to counter with a takedown. Yakovlev gets full mount and Sullivan gives up his back. Sullivan gets to his feet but Yakovlev still has the back and lands a knee to the head. Sullivan with a body kick. They trade kicks. Yakovlev drops Sullivan with a right hand and three more punches on the ground and the fight is stopped. Yakovlev with the big knockout.

    Official Result- Alexander Yakovlev def. George Sullivan by knockout (punch) at 3:59 of Round 1

    FLYWEIGHTS- (#9) DUSTIN ORTIZ (15-4, 4-2 UFC) VS. (#12) WILSON REIS (19-6, 3-2 UFC)

    ROUND 1- They trade some punches. Ortiz lands a right hand. Reis with an inside leg kick and Ortiz counters with a combo. They clinch up and each lands a punch on the break. They trade punches. Reis with a leg kick. Reis goes for a takedown and they go to the mat but Ortiz lands some elbows. Reis still has the body locked and gets Ortiz down and takes the back. Ortiz shakes him off and they get to their feet and Reis lands a right hand. Reis lands a solid left hand. Reis with a body kick and Ortiz returns a head kick. Ortiz with a knee to the body as he defends a takedown. Reis has Ortiz pushed against the fence. Reis defends a takedown attempt from Ortiz and grabs the back. Ortiz was a back elbow. Ortiz with a right hand and Reis gets a takedown as the round ends. 10-9 Reis.

    ROUND 2- They exchange and Reis lands a left hand. Ortiz with a body kick. Ortiz goes for a takedown but Reis scrambles. Ortiz with a Superman Punch and Reis counters with a right hand. Reis shoots for a takedown and has Ortiz against the cage. They break and Ortiz lands a body kick. They trade kicks. Reis with a leg kick. Ortiz lands a solid right hand. Ortiz goes for a takedown but it is defended. Reis with a brief takedown. Ortiz with a deep shot but Reis sprawls. Reis lands a left hand after they break a clinch. Reis gets a takedown and takes the back and has full back mount. Reis looks for a choke but Ortiz is defending. Reis looks to switch to an armbar and works for it but the round ends. 10-9 Reis, 20-18 Reis.

    ROUND 3- Ortiz with a head kick attempt but Reis checks it. They trade punches and Reis goes for a takedown but it is defended. Reis gets the fight down and takes the back of Ortiz. They get to their feet and Reis gets a trip takedown. Reis gets the back and looks for the choke. They get back to their feet. They trade punches. Ortiz lands a left hand. Reis grabs the body and looks for the back. Reis trips Ortiz down and has the back. Ortiz with a back elbow. They get up and Reis with a solid takedown. Reis with some knees to the body. Ortiz gets a quick takedown but they get up. Ortiz with a short elbow and some punches but Reis is able to get a takedown and goes into full mount. Reis is landing big punches from the back as Ortiz tries to scramble up. They get to their feet. Reis has the back and lands some punches. 10-9 Reis, 30-27 Reis.

    Official Result- Wilson Reis def. Dustin Ortiz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

    MIDDLEWEIGHTS- (#15) RAFAEL NATAL (20-6-1, 8-4-1 UFC) VS. KEVIN CASEY (9-3 2 NC, 1-1 2 NC UFC)

    ROUND 1- They trade punches and Casey lands a head kick. Natal with a leg kick. They clinch against the fence as both battle for underhooks. Natal lands a punch on the break. Natal with a right hand. Casey with a left hand and uppercut. Natal gets a takedown and is in the full guard of Casey. Natal with some punches from the top. They scramble to their feet. Natal goes for a takedown but Casey reverses and grabs the back. They get to their feet. Casey lands a left hand on the break. Casey lands a good combo and Natal drops Casey right as the round ends. 10-9 Casey.

    ROUND 2- Natal with a kick that hits the groin and we have a timeout. We get back to action. Natal lands a big right hand and then gets a takedown and is in the full guard of Casey. Natal with some punches from the top. Natal goes into the half-guard and lands some hard punches. They get to their feet but Natal grabs the body and lands a knee. Natal with some hard knees to the body against the fence. They break and Natal lands a big leg kick. Natal ducks under a punch and gets a takedown into the guard of Casey. Natal with a big hammerfist. More hammerfists from Natal. Natal with more control and punches from the top. Natal with big hammerfists as he looks to finish the fight late. Casey able to sweep Natal away as the round ends. 10-9 Natal, 19-19.

    ROUND 3- Natal with a big leg kick and lands a hard right hand. Natal with a leg kick. Natal with the jab. Casey lands a right hand but Natal comes back with a takedown. Natal passes to half-guard. Natal with punches from the top. Natal looking to set up a choke as Natal moves to full mount. Natal has an arm-triangle attempt but lost it. Natal just smothering. Natal landing big punches from the top and Casey is bleeding. This fight is close to being finished and it is. TKO win by Natal.

    Official Result- Rafael Natal def. Kevin Casey by TKO (punches) at 3:37 of Round 3

    LIGHTWEIGHTS- OLIVIER AUBIN-MERCIER (7-1, 3-1 UFC) VS. CARLOS DIEGO FERREIRA (11-2, 2-2 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Ferreira had to shave his head to make weight. Aubin-Mercier with two nice body kicks. Ferreira with a right hand. They trade punches. They trade kicks. Aubin-Mercier with a head kick but Ferreira tags him with a big punch. Ferreira with a kick and Aubin-Mercier catches it and lands some punches and then a body kick. Aubin-Mercier with a head kick. They clinch and move up against the fence. Ferreira lands a punch on the break. Aubin-Mercier with a body kick. Ferreira just misses a head kick. 10-9 Ferreira.

    ROUND 2- Ferreira with a body kick. They trade punches and Aubin-Mercier lands an uppercut. Aubin-Mercier with a high kick and Ferreira pushes him down but they get back to their feet. Aubin-Mercier pins him against the fence but they break and Ferreira sprints away. Aubin-Mercier with a solid combo. They trade punches and Ferreira lands a flush head kick. They clinch for a moment but break. Ferreira with a body kick. They trade some solid punches. Aubin-Mercier with a short uppercut. Ferreira with a quick takedown and lands a knee on the way up. Aubin-Mercier with a body kick and then a head kick. Short uppercut lands by Aubin-Mercier and then a body kick and then a head kick. Ferreira with a head kick. 10-9 Aubin-Mercier, 19-19.

    ROUND 3-Ferreira with an inside leg kick. Aubin-Mercier with a body kick followed by a head kick and lands an uppercut. They scramble to the mat but get right back up. Aubin-Mercier gets a takedown but Ferreira scrambles to the top in the half-guard. Ferreira transitions and takes the back and has the hooks in. Ferreira with some punches from the back. Ferreira looking for the choke. Ferreira had it over the chin but Aubin-Mercier escapes and scrambles to half-guard. Ferreira with some elbows. Ferreira has the back again and looking for the choke. Ferreira with big punches and elbows from the back. Aubin-Mercier survives but clear round for Ferreira. 10-9 Ferreira, 29-28 Ferreira.

    Official Result- Carlos Diego Ferreira def. Olivier Aubin-Mercier by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

    WELTERWEIGHTS- (#11) TAREC SAFFIEDINE (15-4, 1-1 UFC) VS. JAKE ELLENBERGER (30-10, 9-6 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Saffiedine with a leg kick. Ellenberger with some dirty boxing. They trade leg kicks. Ellenberger connects with some punches. Saffiedine with a front kick to the face. Saffiedine with a leg kick and then a high kick. Ellenberger lands a big right hand that stuns Saffiedine. Saffiedine recovered and missed a head kick. Saffiedine with a high kick. Saffiedine with a high kick again and then lands a left hand. 10-9 Ellenberger.

    ROUND 2- They trade punches as both look for the slightest opening. Both miss on punches. Saffiedine with a high kick. Ellenberger lands a left hand. Saffiedine with a high kick and then lands a leg kick. Saffiedine looks for a takedown but Ellenberger defends. Saffiedine lands a knee to the groin and we have a timeout. Saffiedine with two high kicks that land to the forearms of Ellenberger. Saffiedine lands a left jab. Ellenberger lands a late takedown but Saffiedine gets right back up. 10-9 Saffiedine, 19-19.

    ROUND 3- Saffiedine with a high kick. He lands another but hits the forearms. Ellenberger clinches up against the fence. They break. Neither are initiating that much and the crowd is booing. Saffiedine lands a right hand and a leg kick. Ellenberger misses a big right hand. Saffiedine lands two leg kicks. Saffiedine lands another left hand and Ellenberger is bleeding. They clinch and Saffiedine with a knee to the body. Saffiedine lands another and Ellenberger lands one as well. Ellenberger goes for a desperate takedown and Saffiedine grabs the back and looks for the choke. Ellenberger defending and is out. They get up in the final seconds. Ellenberger lands a combo as the fight ends. Not much of a fight. 10-9 Saffiedine, 29-28 Saffiedine.

    Official Result- Tarec Saffiedine def. Jake Ellenberger by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

    MAIN CARD (FOX- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

    WELTERWEIGHTS- SAGE NORTHCUTT (7-0, 2-0 UFC) VS. BRYAN BARBERENA (10-3, 1-1 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Northcutt with some right hands and clinches but they break. They kick each other at the same time and Barberena slips. Northcutt drops Barberena with a right but they get right back up and clinch. Northcutt with a takedown and takes the back. Barberena on his feet but Northcutt on his back. Northcutt lets go and they clinch along the cage. They trade punches on the break. Northcutt with some big right hands and Barberena nailed him with a right. Northcutt with a takedown and looks for the back. Barberena is cut. Northcutt with a body kick. Barberena gets a takedown and is on top. They get up. They trade. Barberena lands a nice right hand. They trade again. 10-9 Northcutt.

    ROUND 2- Northcutt with a leg kick. Northcutt misses a punch and Barberena is able to get in his guard on the ground. Barberena with some punches and elbows from the top. Barberena steps over looking to go to side control from half-guard. Barberena with short elbows and still looking to pass to side control and lands another hard elbow. Barberena looking for an arm-triangle. Northcutt taps out! It didn’t even look that deep but Barberena taps Northcutt out with the arm-triangle from half-guard.

    Official Result- Bryan Barberena def. Sage Northcutt by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:06 of Round 2

    BANTAMWEIGHTS- (#14) IURI ALCANTARA (33-6 1 NC, 7-3 1 NC UFC) VS. JIMMIE RIVERA (18-1, 2-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Rivera has won 17 straight fights and is another good prospect at 135 pounds. They come out swinging. Alcantara with a knee to the body. Rivera counters with a right hand. Big chants for Rivera, who is from New Jersey. Alcantara lands a left hand and Rivera counters with a big right hand. Rivera with a nice combo on Alcantara up against the fence. Rivera lands to the body and goes to the head. Alcantara looking to counter and lands a body kick and left hand. Alcantara pokes Rivera in the eye and quick timeout. Back to action. They trade punches. Rivera gets a big takedown slam right at the end of the round. 10-9 Rivera.

    ROUND 2- Alcantara with a body kick and Rivera lands a crisp combination. Alcantara faked a jumping knee and Rivera tagged him with a left hand. Alcantara with a body kick. Rivera with a right hand. Rivera with a side kick. Rivera with a combo and initates a clinch against the fence. Rivera with a knee to the body and then to the legs. Rivera with some short left hands. They break. Alcantara lands a body kick and stuffs a takedown attempt from Rivera. Alcantara with a straight left and Rivera goes down for a moment. Rivera gets up and scores a takedown. Rivera takes the back but they get up. 10-9 Rivera, 20-18 Rivera.

    ROUND 3- Alcantara comes out with a head kick. They trade punches. Alcantara with a leg kick and then a body kick. Rivera gets Alcantara down to the mat for a moment but they get right back up. Alcantara with a body kick and Rivera fires back a body kick. Alcantara with a leg kick and then a front kick to the body. Rivera with a big leg kick. Alcantara lands a left hand and Rivera drops for a moment. Rivera gets up and lands a takedown but they get right back up. Alcantara with a front kick to the body. Rivera grabs the leg and pushes up against the fence. They trade punches as the fight ends. 10-9 Rivera, 30-27 Rivera.

    Official Result- Jimmie Rivera def. Iuri Alcantara by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

    HEAVYWEIGHTS- (#8) JOSH BARNETT (34-7, 6-2 UFC) VS. (#7) BEN ROTHWELL (35-9, 5-3 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Rothwell with a low kick. Barnett with a right hand. Rothwell with a leg kick. Barnett with a leg kick and then a punch to the body. Rothwell with a leg kick. Barnett lands a stiff jab. Barnett with a short elbow. They clinch and Rothwell pushes against the fence but they break. Rothwell bleeding from the nose. Barnett connects with a left hand. Barnett with a stiff jab. Rothwell lands a right hand. Barnett with a punch and elbow and Rothwell counters with a leg kick. Barnett with a straight left hand. 10-9 Barnett.

    ROUND 2- They clinch against the fence. Rothwell lands some uppercuts. They break. Rothwell with an uppercut. They trade punches. Not a lot of action going on. Rothwell misses a head kick. Barnett with a body kick. They trade punches. Barnett looking for a takedown. Rothwell has the neck as he drops to the mat. Rothwell has the guillotine choke and Barnett taps! That was a completely unexpected result.

    Official Result- Ben Rothwell def. Josh Barnett by submission (guillotine choke) at 3:48 of Round 2

    LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS- (#2) ANTHONY JOHNSON (20-5, 11-5 UFC) VS. (#4) RYAN BADER (20-4, 13-4 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Bader goes for a quick takedown but Johnson stuffs and takes the back. Bader looking for a kimura from the bottom. Johnson is able to mount Bader. Bader lets go of the arm and is stuck against the cage. Johnson dropping punches from the top and it is already over! Johnson knocked Bader out cold from the back mount.

    Official Result- Anthony Johnson def. Ryan Bader by knockout (punches) at 1:26 of Round 1

  • UFC on FOX 18 Observer Panel Picks Anthony Johnson vs Ryan Bader

    UFC on FOX 18 airs Saturday evening, or afternoon depending on where you are. The first big FOX show of 2016 brings us a #1 contender’s bout at Light Heavyweight between former title challenger Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and perennial contender Ryan Bader. Two interesting bouts in the Heavyweight and Bantamweight division involving fighters just outside of title contention are also featured. In the opener of the main card, it should be the coming out party for “Super” Sage Northcutt, as he has his first fight on TV in the UFC after his first two aired on Fight Pass.

    It should be fun card with title implications  both in the near and distant future. The show kicks off on Fight Pass at 3:30 pm eastern with 3 fights. The action moves over to FS 1 at 5 with that portion of the prelims and the main card kicks off on FOX at 8.  

    Here’s our panel with the 2016 records in parenthesis. We’ve also added a running tally of the records of the favorites going into the fights and the panel consensus picks:

    • John Pollock (8-2; .800) – Fight Network analyst, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, MMA Report co-host
    • Mike Sawyer (7-3; .700) – Tough Talk MMA
    • Josh Nason (6-4; .600) – Host of Josh Nason’s Punch Out; writer/editor WrestlingObserver.com , WON Twitter guy
    • Steve Juon (6-4; .600) – MMA Mania/Wrestling Observer writer. Angry Marks founder
    • Mike Sempervive (6-4; .600) – Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
    • Ryan Frederick (6-4; .600) – WrestlingObserver.com UFC reporter, WON Twitter guy
    • Consensus picks (5-4; .556)
    • Front Row Brian (5-5; .500) – MMA newsbreaker, Beloved internet personality, Podcast host
    • Paul Fontaine (5-5; .500) – MMADraws.com founder, WrestlingObserver.com writer
    • Favorites (5-5; .500)
    • Dave Meltzer (4-6; .400)– Wrestling Observer founder
    • David Bixenspan (4-6; .400) – Figure Four Weekly writer, podcast host

    Light Heavyweights Anthony Johnson (20-5) vs Ryan Bader (20-4)

    Ryan Bader has been on a tear, running up 5 straight wins as he works his way toward the title shot that’s eluded him his entire career. He hasn’t looked terribly impressive in doing so, however. Should he get past Rumble, there’s no way he can be denied that shot though. Johnson has perhaps the best power of anyone in all of MMA and has competed in every weight class from Welterweight all the way up to Heavyweight. He’s found his sweet spot at 205 and while making weight has been an issue in the past, he weight in yesterday with his jeans on so he obviously felt confident he’d make it with no issues.

    Johnson (big favorite) – Sempervive, Nason, Sawyer, Juon, Frederick, Pollock, Meltzer

    Bader – Front Row Brian, Fontaine, Bixenspan

    Heavyweights Josh Barnett (34-7) vs Ben Rothwell (35-9)

    Barnett is a former UFC champion who is coming off a very impressive win over top 10 fighter Roy Nelson. It would’ve seemed unlikely that Barnett would ever get back into title contention but with the combination of a weak heavyweight division and the impressive wins he’s had, he could get there with a win over Rothwell. Rothwell has 3 straight wins over top competition and got a lot of attention with his post-fight promo last time out. He’s been very vocal about wanting a title shot and, like Barnett, he’s only one or two wins away from getting there. This is a big fight for both guys.

    Barnett (slight favorite) – Sempervive, Sawyer, Juon, Frederick, Fontaine, Bixenspan

    Rothwell – Nason, Front Row Brian, Pollock, Meltzer

    Bantamweights Iuri Alcantara (33-6) vs Jimmie Rivera (18-1)

    These two got some screen time in the “Road to the Octagon” special that aired online as well as on FOX last weekend. Rivera in particular came off extremely likeable. He’s kind of come out of nowhere with that impressive record but he’s a tough veteran who should have the support of the locals in New Jersey. Alcantara’s been a title contender since moving over from WEC in 2011 but a couple of key losses have kept him away from the elite in the division. The title picture at 135 seems pretty tied up with the Dillashaw/Cruz/Faber trio but the winner here could end up right at that next level of contenders once all  of that shakes out.

    Rivera (moderate favorite) – Sempervive, Nason, Sawyer, Front Row Brian, Juon, Frederick, Fontaine, Meltzer, Bixenspan

    Alcantara – Pollock

    Welterweights Sage Northcutt (7-0) vs Bryan Barberena (10-3)

    Northcutt, aka Zack Morris 2.0, is a future star in case you didn’t know. He’s finished every one of his pro opponents, including both of his UFC fights. He’s starting to get some negative backlash from fans who feel he’s overpushed and also that his squeaky clean image, including quoting bible verses in his promos, may be a little fake. All that aside, he’s relentless in the Octagon and this should be a showcase fight for him. Barbarena took the fight on two weeks notice and as a result, it’s being contested at 170, rather than at 155 where these two normally fight. Barbarena has looked okay in his two previous UFC fights but anything but a stoppage win for Northcutt would be a big surprise and a blow  to the UFC’s future plans.

    Northcutt (big favorite) – Sempervive, Nason, Sawyer, Front Row Brian, Juon, Frederick, Pollock, Fontaine, Meltzer

    Barberena – Bixenspan

    Welterweights Tarec Saffiedine (15-4) vs Jake Ellenberger (30-10)

    A battle of veteran Welterweights headlines the FS 1 prelims and rounds out our panel picks. Saffiedine is back after nearly 16 months away. He was last seen getting KO’d by Rory McDonald at UFC Halifax and will be in his first non-Main event for UFC here. The former Strikeforce Champion is still just 29 and could be a future title challenger should he rack up a few big wins. Ellenberger is probably fighting for his job tonight. He suffered a brutal first round KO at the hands of Wonderboy Thompson last time out and that was his 4th loss in his last 5  fights. That said, the guys he lost to were all top names in the division in Robbie Lawler, Rory McDonald, Kelvin Gastelum and Thompson. Ellenberger may have lost a step but can he dip into the well and pull out a win here? We’ll have to see, although odds are certainly against it.

    Saffiedine (big favorite) – Sempervive, Nason, Sawyer, Juon, Frederick, Pollock, Meltzer, Bixenspan

    Ellenberger – Front Row Brian, Fontaine

    Ryan Frederick will be providing live coverage of the show starting with the Fight Pass prelims. In the meantime, check out the following content relating to this show:

    UFC on FOX 18 Draft Kings Playbook

    UFC on FOX 18 weigh-ins results and video

  • UFC On FOX 18: Johnson vs. Bader weigh-in results and live video

    Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of the UFC On FOX 18: Johnson vs. Bader weigh-ins from the Prudential Center at the MGM Grand in Newark, New Jersey. The fighters will hit the scale at 4 PM eastern time. The card airs on Saturday with the main card on FOX at 8 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off at 3:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FOX Sports 1 at 5 PM eastern time with additional preliminary bouts. This will be the Octagon’s seventh visit to Newark.

    The event is headlined by a title eliminator bout in the UFC’s light heavyweight division as #2 ranked Anthony “Rumble” Johnson takes on #4 ranked Ryan Bader, winner of five straight fights. In the co-main event, it will be a pivotal bout in the heavyweight division as former UFC Heavyweight Champion and #8 ranked Josh Barnett takes on #7 ranked Ben Rothwell. Also on the main card is the FOX network debut of rising 19-year-old prospect Sage Northcutt, who meets Bryan Barberena in a welterweight bout.

    MAIN CARD (FOX- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):
    Anthony Johnson (205.25) vs. Ryan Bader (205)
    Josh Barnett (241) vs. Ben Rothwell (265)
    Iuri Alcantara (135.25) vs. Jimmie Rivera (135)
    Sage Northcutt (170) vs. Bryan Barberena (170)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT):
    Tarec Saffiedine (169.75) vs. Jake Ellenberger (170)
    Olivier Aubin-Mercier (155) vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira (156)
    Rafael Natal (185) vs. Kevin Casey (185.25)
    Dustin Ortiz (125) vs. Wilson Reis (126)
    George Sullivan (171) vs. Alexander Yakovlev (171)
    Alex Caceres (145) vs. Masio Fullen (145)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT):
    Matt Dwyer (169) vs. Randy Brown (171)
    Damon Jackson (145) vs. Levan Makashvili (145)
    Tony Martin (155) vs. Felipe Olivieri (155)

  • Sage Northcutt vs. Andrew Holbrook added to UFC On FOX 18

    A lightweight bout between rising prospect Sage Northcutt (7-0, 2-0 UFC) and fellow undefeated fighter Andrew Holbrook (11-0, 1-0 UFC) has been added to the next UFC on FOX event, which takes place next month in Newark, New Jersey. Ariel Helwani reported the bout on tonight’s UFC On FOX 17 broadcast. It will be on the main card of the event.

    It is a quick turnaround for Northcutt, who is coming off a second-round submission win over Cody Pfister at last week’s UFC Fight Night 80 event in Las Vegas. It will be his third UFC bout in just under four months after he scored a quick first-round TKO win over Francisco Trevino in his UFC debut at UFC 192 in October. It will be his first fight televised on the FOX network as the UFC continues the big push of the rising 19-year-old prospect out of Katy, Texas.

    Holbrook will fight in the UFC for the second time after scoring a split decision win over Ramsey Nijem at UFC On FOX 16 in July. It was the first time Holbrook had gone the distance in a fight as his prior ten wins all came by stoppage, with nine wins in the first round. While still young in his career, he represents another small step up in competition for Northcutt.

    UFC On FOX 18 takes place on January 30 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It will be headlined by a five-round light heavyweight bout as Anthony Johnson takes on Ryan Bader.

  • UFC Fight Night 80 Las Vegas live results: Rose Namajunas vs. Paige VanZant

    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.

    UFC Fight Night 80 Weigh-In Results
    UFC Fight Night 80 5 Storylines To Watch
    UFC Fight Night 80 DFS Playbook
    UFC Fight Night 80 Observer Picks

    Coverage provided by Ryan Frederick

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:45 PM ET/3:45 PM PT)

    WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS- KAILIN CURRAN (3-2, 0-2 UFC) VS. EMILY KAGAN (3-2, 0-1 UFC)

    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

    FEATHERWEIGHTS- ZUBAIRA TUKHUGOV (17-3, 2-0 UFC) VS. PHILLIPE NOVER (11-5-1, 1-3 UFC)

    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

    WELTERWEIGHTS- OMARI AKHMEDOV (15-2, 3-1 UFC) VS. SERGIO MORAES (9-2, 3-1 UFC)

    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)

    LIGHTWEIGHTS- SAGE NORTHCUTT (6-0, 1-0 UFC) VS. CODY PFISTER (12-4-1, 1-1 UFC)

    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

  • UFC Fight Night 80: Namajunas vs. VanZant weigh-in results and live video

    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.

  • UFC Fight Night 80 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

    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

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:45 PM ET/3:45 PM PT)

    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