FILTHY FOUR DAILY with Tom Lawlor and Bryan Alvarez is back today with tons to talk about! We’ll kick it off with a not-so-serious review of TNA Bound for Glory, which Tom inexplicably loved, then it’s a very serious discussion of the Ronda Rousey commercial that Tom decided he didn’t like, UFC’s need to create new stars and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer and Filthy Tom Lawlor returns today to talk UFC 192 Cormier vs. Gustaffson, all the fights up and down the card, WWE in Madison Square Garden on the WWE Network (56:00), plus all the news in pro-wrestling including a preview of TNA Bound for Glory on Sunday night. A fun show as always so check it out~!
You still have time to catch a preview of tonight’s UFC 192 with yours truly and SI.com and the Washington Post’s Jeff Wagenheim with this week’s Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, free this week for non-subscribers!
*****
I gotta say it: Rashad Evans is one of the most underrated and underappreciated fighters in UFC history.
When he was more active, Evans was one of those guys who got more boos than cheers and didn’t carry the fanbase that many other top fighters at the time did. I never understood that. He dresses well, is a great talker, knocks people out, and generally has that NFL quarterback swagger that we love in our athletes.
He fought the best of the best in Chuck Liddell, Michael Bisping, Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin, the infamous rivalry with both Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson, and more. And he’s won. A lot, only losing three times over a span over an 18-fight UFC career that started 10 years ago. He’s won a UFC light heavyweight title, lost the title, and fought for it again.
Maybe him being overlooked is because he’s also been part of a few stinkers in recent years, notably a dreadful loss against Lil’ Nogueira, and a blah affair against Dan Henderson. It could be because he was so aggressively KO’d by Machida and never got that immediate validation rematch in a time when the belt was trading waists quite frequently. Unfortunately, it also could be because of Evans’ skin color. Maybe it’s a combination of all of the above.
He returns tonight after a two year absence due to multiple knee injuries, and we don’t know exactly where the 36-year-old fits in the grand scheme of things. Even with a win, he may be waiting in line for a title shot depending on when Jones is ready to return. The age is a concern. The knee is a concern. The excitement level in his fights is a concern.
But what shouldn’t be a concern is Evans’ place in history. His accomplishments deserve a lot more recognition than what they’re getting. Hopefully Saturday night is the beginning of a few more sweet ones for ‘Suga’.
*****
Our panel:
– Jack Encarnacao (87-35 | .713): Sherdog Rewind host, The Lapsed Fan podcast co-chair
– Steve Juon (82-40 | .672): AngryMarks founder, MMA Mania writer
– John Pollock (79-43 | .647): Fight Network personality, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, The MMA Report host
– Mike Sempervive (79-43 | .647): Wrestling Observer Live & Big Audio Nightmare co-host
– Front Row Brian (77-45 | .631): MMA newsbreaker, Twitter personality, podcast host
– David Bixenspan (77-45 | .631): Figure Four Weekly writer, Observer Daily Update writer, podcast host
– Dave Meltzer (74-48 | .606): Wrestling Observer founder & writer
– Mike Sawyer (72-50 | .590): Tough Talk MMA, 2014 picks panel champion
– Josh Nason (72-50 | .590): Wrestling Observer digital media and content guy, WON Twitter enabler
*****
Note that because Tyron Woodley vs. Johny Hendricks was canceled due to Hendricks’ unfortunate weight cut issues, we’re doing just four picks on the main card tonight. Joe Benavidez is a fairly big favorite, so it didn’t seem that interesting to throw that in there for everyone to pick Benavidez.
*****
> UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Champion Daniel Cormier (16-1) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (16-3)
We talk a lot about this fight on the JNPO show with Jeff, but this fight is a lot closer than even myself originally gave it credit for. Gustafsson’s takedown defense is great (86.67% takedowns defended) and if Cormier can’t get this to the ground and the big Swede finds his range, we could have a new champion. I’m assuming this is going to be our most competitive 205-pound title fight since Jon Jones vs. Gus.
DC (favorite): Nason, Juon, FRB, Sawyer, Encarnacao, Pollock, Sempervive, Meltzer
Gustafsson: Bix
> Ryan Bader (19-4) vs. Rashad Evans (19-3-1)
Light Heavyweights
With four straight wins, the 32-year-old Bader earned a title shot but his fighting style (all straight decisions) puts him in the co-main event slot instead. Evans returns for the first time in two years after several knee injuries kept him on the shelf, and there’s a lot of questions about who we’ll see on Saturday. There’s a really good chance this is a 15-minute grinder that have the fans booing.
Bader: Juon, FRB
Evans (slight favorite): Nason, Sawyer, Bix, Encarnacao, Pollock, Sempervive, Meltzer
> Shawn Jordan (18-6) vs. Ruslan Magomedov (13-1)
Heavyweights
The 30-year-old Jordan is back on a roll, and has picked up three straight wins — all by T/KO. He’s coming off a June 2nd round beatdown of Derrick Lewis, and is doing just fine beating up the dregs of the division. Magomedov is riding an eight-fight win streak, and is 2-0 in the UFC with a pair of forgettable decisions.
Jordan: Nason, Juon, FRB, Sawyer, Pollock
Magomedov (favorite): Bix, Encarnacao, Sempervive, Meltzer
> Julianna Pena (6-2) vs. Jessica Eye (11-3-0-1)
Bantamweights
For the love of God, I hope they don’t rush Pena into a Ronda Rousey buzzsaw title match if she wins. Pena is talented, but needs a few more wins before getting into the Rousey conversation. She returned after a near two-year absence and dusted Milana Dudieva in four minutes. She faces Eye, a loser in two of her last three. She’s coming off a decision loss to Miesha Tate in July, and I think people believe she could get a title shot with a win.
Pena (favorite): Nason, Juon, Sawyer, Bix, Encarnacao, Pollock, Sempervive, Meltzer
Eye: FRB
Ryan Frederick is scouting around the scene in Houston, and will have your live coverage Saturday night.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive returns today to talk all the news in wrestling and MMA including the latest on John Cena’s WWE departure, UFC 192s semi-main event being off, and more, plus AK47 Allysin Kay joins us to talk SHINE and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
UFC 192 is upon us and there are already major changes to the card! Lucky for you that Josh Nason’s Punch-Out has returned with special guest Jeff Wagenheim of SI.com to help preview the show and to talk about the issues of the week.
On episode 14, Josh and Jeff waxed poetic about the following:
– A look at UFC 192 and why Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson is a little closer than we might think
– What the Jon Jones court ruling means for him, his UFC future, the light heavyweight division, and more
– A look at Johny Hendricks’ title aspirations or lack thereof
– Ryan Bader’s unfortunate luck
– Why Jones might not be down to his last strike
– Where Jeff will be writing for this weekend and perhaps more for in the future
– The origin story of his Hawaiian shirts
– How Jeff got into writing about MMA
– His time at the Boston Globe and how the Internet generation is missing out on newsrooms
– You also get Josh’s Opening Round on Rashad Evans, some notes on Friday’s news about Hendricks, and plenty more!
Show Notes:
– Here’s Jeff’s UFC 192 preview.
– Here’s my beer of the week.
– Here’s the TV show of the week.
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC 192: Cormier vs. Gustafsson weigh-ins from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas kicking off at 5 PM eastern time. The event airs on Saturday on PPV at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 6:15 PM eastern time before moving over to FOX Sports 1 at 8 PM eastern time. This is the UFC’s fourth overall visit to Houston, and the first since UFC 166 in October 2013.
The event is headlined by UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier making his first title defense against the challenger, Alexander Gustafsson, who is looking to win the championship in his second attempt to do so. Also on the card are a pair of former champions looking to get another title shot as former UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks takes on Tyron Woodley in the co-main event, and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans takes on Ryan Bader, who is looking to extend his four-fight win streak.
MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT):
Daniel Cormier (205) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (204) – UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Johny Hendricks () vs. Tyron Woodley () – FIGHT CANCELED
Ryan Bader (206) vs. Rashad Evans (205)
Shawn Jordan (265) vs. Ruslan Magomedov (236)
Jessica Eye (136) vs. Julianna Pena (135)
Joseph Benavidez (126) vs. Ali Bagautinov (125) – This fight was moved to the main card due to the Hendricks-Woodley fight being canceled.
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):
Yair Rodriguez (145) vs. Dan Hooker (146)
Alan Jouban (170) vs. Albert Tumenov (170)
Rose Namajunas (115) vs. Angela Hill (115)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:15 PM ET/3:15 PM PT):
Adriano Martins (156) vs. Islam Makhachev (156)
Francisco Trevino (160) vs. Sage Northcutt (156) – Obviously, Trevino was WAY over.
Chris Cariaso (126) vs. Sergio Pettis (126)
Derrick Lewis (265) vs. Viktor Pesta (237)
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer returns today with breaking audio on both John Cena’s decision to take time off for personal reasons and a big change to UFC 192 with Johny Hendricks off the show due to what appears to be weight-cutting issues.
Additional reporting by Dave Meltzer
The welterweight co-main event between former UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks and top contender Tyron Woodley has been cancelled for Saturday UFC 192 due to weight cut issues for Hendricks, announced by UFC president Dana White on Twitter Friday morning. However, some additional details have been revealed.
Ariel Helwani reported Friday that Hendricks suffered an intestinal blockage Thursday night as well as a kidney stone which caused the cancellation. Ted Ehardt, Hendricks’ manager said the former two-time NCAA champion was rushed to the emergency room and had to be given an IV.
Doing interviews Friday, Hendricks said that he weighed 183 pounds. He needed to get to 171 today, which under normal circumstances would not be much of an issue. Ryan Bader vs. former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans now moves into the co-main event slot, while Joseph Benavidez vs. Ali Bagautinov has been moved from the preliminary card to the main card.
On Friday afternoon, the story got two new twists as White told Yahoo’s Kevin Iole that Woodley will be getting a welterweight title shot vs. the winner of Robbie Lawler (c) vs. Carlos Condit on January 2nd. Additionally, White said that he now considers Hendricks to be a middleweight.
Hendricks vs Woodley is off the card due to Hendricks weight cut issues.
Your new main card is as follows:
– UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson
– Rashad Evans vs. Ryan Bader
– Shawn Jordan vs. Ruslan Magomedov
– Jessica Eye vs. Julianna Pena
– Joseph Benavidez vs. Ali Bagautinov
We’ll have live fight coverage all weekend from Houston, TX.
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer returns tonight to talk all the news in wrestling and MMA including Brock Lesnar getting more TV dates, Raw ratings, more on this weekend’s MSG card, Bound for Glory, Smackdown tapings and more, plus MMA news on UFC 192, BJ Penn chomping at the bit and Michael Bisping getting hurt (25:00), and finally, tons of questions (35:00)! A fun show as always so check it out~!
The UFC returns to pay-per-view on Saturday night with another stop in Houston, Texas for UFC 192. They bring a deep card to the Lone Star State for the first event in Houston since UFC 166 in October 2013, with a title fight and other fights with title implications making up the card. The main card airs on pay-per-view at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary bout action can be seen kicking off at 6:15 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FS1 at 8 PM eastern time.
The UFC Light Heavyweight Championship is on the line in the main event as UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier makes his first title defense against the challenger, Alexander Gustafsson. In the co-main event bout, it will be a title eliminator bout in the welterweight division as former UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks takes on Tyron Woodley. Also on the card is a light heavyweight bout between contenders as former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans takes on Ryan Bader. Let’s take a deeper look into the action on the card and bring you five storylines to keep an eye on at UFC 192 on Saturday night.
1. Can Alexander Gustafsson unseat Daniel Cormier as the current top of the light heavyweight division?
Alexander Gustafsson is getting a second chance to become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion in the main event of UFC 192 on Saturday night when he challenges current champion Daniel Cormier. Gustafsson’s title opportunity was met with a lot of criticism as he is coming off of a loss to Anthony Johnson in his last fight, and many thought Ryan Bader and his four-fight win streak should have been the man fighting Cormier. Regardless of that, Gustafsson will be looking to do something he was unable to do in his first title shot, and that is walk away with the belt around his waist. The last time he got this opportunity, he came up just short in losing to Jon Jones in perhaps the greatest title fight in UFC history, at UFC 165 in September 2013. Two years later, he gets a fresh champion in Cormier, who won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship when he submitted Johnson at UFC 187 in May, which followed the title being stripped from Jones.
Cormier provides Gustafsson with a completely different challenge from Jones, but just an equally as hard fight. Cormier is a world-class wrestler with knockout power in his hands. Gustafsson is going to have a huge height and reach advantage that he will want to exploit. He has to watch out for the dangerous right hand from Cormier, though, something that he ate at the hands of Johnson. Gustafsson had talked about how he considered retiring following the loss to Johnson, and any time that happens to a fighter, you have to question their mental state heading into their next fight. Cormier has also been using his mouth and excellent speaking ability to attempt to get into the head of Gustafsson. Gustafsson has been shaking it off, but it could play into the hands of both men on Saturday night.
Gustafsson is going to have to use his length to keep Cormier away from him. If Cormier is able to get inside the pocket and use his excellent dirty boxing skills in the clinch, it is going to be a tough night in the Octagon for Gustafsson. Gustafsson excels at footwork and circling away from the opponent after his attacks. He isn’t going to out-wrestle Cormier, and he has a hard time eating a good punch. Gustafsson’s three losses have come to Jones, Johnson and Phil Davis, three strong wrestlers with solid punching power. Cormier is another in that line of opponent. This is Cormier’s fight to lose, and I see him being able to finish Gustafsson and continue his quest to goad Jon Jones back into the Octagon.
2. Who stakes their claim to the next title shot at 170 pounds when Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley meet?
Former UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks will meet Tyron Woodley in the co-main event of UFC 192 in a fight that has been many years in the making. It is a battle that goes back to when both men were wrestlers in college. They met in the Big 12 Finals, and it ended in a lot of controversy. It was a close match, but at one point during the match, Hendricks’ fingers ended up in the mouth of Woodley, and there were claims of Woodley biting Hendricks. Woodley was penalized a point, which made the difference in Hendricks winning and then going on to becoming an NCAA Champion twice. Woodley has been wanting another shot at Hendricks since both entered the sport. Woodley has been calling out Hendricks for months, and the fight finally goes down on Saturday night.
It is a pivotal bout in the welterweight division as it will likely determine who fights the winner of the January bout between Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit. Hendricks lost the championship to Lawler, but he holds wins over both men. Woodley holds a win over Condit. High stakes are on the line when Hendricks and Woodley step inside the Octagon, and it will be interesting how the fight turns out. It could be explosive on the feet, but it also has the chance to be a battle of attrition with battles in the clinch and with the wrestling. Hendricks has been a better overall performer, but recently has lacked that killer instinct that made him the most dangerous fighter at 170 pounds. Woodley has some power as well, but Hendricks has never been finished. Woodley has back in Strikeforce by Nate Marquardt. I give the edge in this bout to Hendricks and pick him to win on Saturday night.
3. Will Rashad Evans be able to shake off the knee injuries when he meets Ryan Bader?
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans makes his long-awaited return on Saturday night when he meets Ryan Bader, holder of a four-fight win streak. This fight could also have title implications on the line at 205 pounds, as Evans is riding a two-fight win streak himself. Evans has been out of action since a November 2013 win over Chael Sonnen as he has had multiple knee surgeries, in similar vein to Dominick Cruz, but he is finally able to return to action. Bader was chomping at the bits to fight Daniel Cormier for the title, but was passed over in favor of Alexander Gustafsson, and an impressive win over Evans could make a statement that he should be next. Of course, there is Jon Jones laying in wait, which could impact what happens for the winner.
At his best, Evans is one of the best light heavyweights in UFC history, with several big wins and being a former champion. If he is truly 100%, he is a top-five fighter, maybe even top-three alongside Jones, Cormier and Anthony Johnson. A win would almost assuredly mean he will get the next opportunity at the main event winner, even if Jones is getting closer to a return. Cage rust could play a huge factor, but Evans has gone through some periods of time where he has missed an extended amount of action, though the two years is the longest layoff of his career. It will be interesting to see if the knee injuries affect his wrestling skill, which is his best aspect of his skills, but he also has a ton of power. Bader is a good wrestler and has solid striking, but he doesn’t match up well against Evans. This has the potential to be a boring battle as well as Evans may fight cautiously and Bader isn’t the most aggressive fighter. I see Evans taking the win, though, and Bader just not being able to get over the hump.
4. Sage Northcutt makes his UFC debut with a lot of hype. Will he live up to it?
Sage Northcutt is 19-years-old, the youngest fighter on the UFC roster, and he makes his UFC debut on Saturday night. He is getting a lot of hype coming into his debut, especially for someone fight on the Fight Pass portion of the preliminary card. He is from Katy, Texas, a suburb of Houston, and he was featured on Dana White’s new Fight Pass show, “Looking For A Fight”. He is 5-0 in his professional career, one that started less than a year ago. He does have one loss as an amateur, but that came in his very first fight. All five of his wins have come by stoppage, and he has only been out of the first round once.
He’s going to get a lot of attention for his looks as he looks more like a model than a fighter. He has been practicing martial arts all of his life, and he does have an attitude about him. That is why the UFC is drawn to him, the personality, and all indications show that he can become a popular, and hated, fighter, if he can back up his skills. It might be early for a 19-year-old, but it is his chance to show that he is for real. He fights Francisco Trevino, who is coming off of his first career loss that ended his perfect 12-0 record. It will be the first time that Northcutt cuts to 155 pounds, and he gets a tough opponent. He’s being thrown to the wolves right away, but many expect him to live up to the hype. If he does, the UFC has a potential new star on their hands.
5. What else is there to look for on the card?
The UFC 192 card is loaded with 13 fights, and many solid fights. Also on the main card is a heavyweight battle between former LSU football player Shawn Jordan and Ruslan Magomedov. Opening the main card is a pivotal bout in the women’s bantamweight division as Jessica Eye meets former TUF winner Julianna Pena. Eye is coming off a tough loss to Miesha Tate in a title eliminator bout in July, and she is eager to step back in the Octagon and get back into the win column and erase the disappointing memory of the Tate fight. Pena is getting a huge step up in competition in the form of Eye, but she has the potential to compete for the title in the future, and fights aren’t getting easier when climbing the ladder.
Headlining the preliminary card is a flyweight battle between former title challengers as Joseph Benavidez takes on Ali Bagautinov. Also on the card is a featherweight bout between former TUF winner Yair Rodriguez and Dan Hooker, an exciting welterweight clash between Alan Jouban and Albert Tumenov, and Rose Namajunas finally makes her long-awaited return when she takes on Angela Hill. Among the fights that will be airing on Fight Pass is a flyweight battle between former title challenger Chris Cariaso and prospect Sergio Pettis, the younger brother of former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. The UFC 192 card is truly a deep card for fight fans.
Full UFC 192 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions
MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: (C) Daniel Cormier vs. (#2) Alexander Gustafsson
Betting Odds: Cormier (-340), Gustafsson (+280)
Prediction: Cormier by knockout in round 3
Welterweights: (#1) Johny Hendricks vs. (#3) Tyron Woodley
Betting Odds: Hendricks (-350), Woodley (+290)
Prediction: Hendricks by decision
Light Heavyweights: (#4) Ryan Bader vs. (#5) Rashad Evans
Betting Odds: Bader (+150), Evans (-170)
Prediction: Evans by decision
Heavyweights: Shawn Jordan vs. Ruslan Magomedov
Betting Odds: Jordan (+140), Magomedov (-160)
Prediction: Jordan by knockout in round 2
Women’s Bantamweights: (#6) Jessica Eye vs. (#12) Julianna Pena
Betting Odds: Eye (+205), Pena (-245)
Prediction: Eye by decision
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
Flyweights: (#1) Joseph Benavidez vs. (#14) Ali Bagautinov
Betting Odds: Benavidez (-340), Bagautinov (+280)
Prediction: Benavidez by decision
Featherweights: Yair Rodriguez vs. Dan Hooker
Betting Odds: Rodriguez (-300), Hooker (+250)
Prediction: Rodriguez by submission in round 3
Welterweights: Alan Jouban vs. Albert Tumenov
Betting Odds: Jouban (+220), Tumenov (-260)
Prediction: Jouban by knockout in round 2
Women’s Strawweights: (#4) Rose Namajunas vs. Angela Hill
Betting Odds: Namajunas (-260), Hill (+220)
Prediction: Namajunas by submission in round 2
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:15 PM ET/3:15 PM PT)
Lightweights: Adriano Martins vs. Islam Makhachev
Betting Odds: Martins (-105), Makhachev (-115)
Prediction: Makhachev by decision
Lightweights: Francisco Trevino vs. Sage Northcutt
Betting Odds: Trevino (+375), Northcutt (-470)
Prediction: Northcutt by knockout in round 2
Flyweights: (#10) Chris Cariaso vs. Sergio Pettis
Betting Odds: Cariaso (+155), Pettis (-175)
Prediction: Pettis by decision
Heavyweights: Derrick Lewis vs. Viktor Pesta
Betting Odds: Lewis (+140), Pesta (-160)
Prediction: Lewis by knockout in round 1