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Tag: UFC Fight Night 77

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

    Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 77: Belfort vs. Henderson 3 from the Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The event is headlined by a trilogy bout as former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort takes on former PRIDE and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson. In the night’s co-main event, it will be a light heavyweight bout between Glover Teixeira and Patrick Cummins. The action kicks off with preliminary card fights at 6:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass. The action moves over to FS1 at 8 PM eastern time with additional preliminary fights before the main card kicks off at 10 PM eastern time.

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

    Coverage provided by Dave Meltzer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Scores:  30-27 across the board for Magomedov

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • UFC Fight Night 77 DFS Playbook: value picks, who to avoid

    After a two-week break from UFC action, business picks up with the beginning of four straight weekends of fighting inside the Octagon. It kicks off on Saturday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil with UFC Fight Night 77. That also means it is time for fans who play in Draft Kings MMA to get really involved for the next few months with a strong amount of events. Let’s get this party started with this weekend’s event and take a look at some studs, some value fighters, and some fighters to avoid when setting your line-ups for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 77 event.

    STUDS

    Glover Teixeira ($11,000)

    Glover Teixeira will have the second-highest salary of any fighter on the UFC Fight Night 77 card, and with good reason as he comes into the event as a huge favorite according to the bettors. At 36, time is running out for Teixeira to win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, but he is still a strong contender with big finishing power. 20 of his 23 wins have come by knockout or submission, and he is coming off a strong third-round submission over Ovince Saint-Preux in August. He fights an opponent in Patrick Cummins who has been finished in both of his losses, and both have come due to first-round knockouts. Teixeira packs the power to finish Cummins, and he has solid enough takedown defense that he should be able to negate Cummins’ strength in the wrestling department. I like Teixeira to score a finish and net you a lot of points.

    Thomas Almeida ($10,900)

    Thomas Almeida is the definition of stud, and he is one of the brightest prospects in the sport, and this is another big chance for him to shine in the spotlight. He is a violent fighter and a nasty finisher. He has scored 19 of his 20 wins in his perfect career by stoppage, a whopping 95% finishing rate. He lands a high amount of strikes as well, and he has averaged 95.2 points in his two fights that have come during the Draft Kings era. Both of those fights were finishes, and Almeida lands over seven significant strikes per minute. Face it, he scores a lot of points. He has an opponent in Anthony Birchak who will stand-and-trade with him, but Birchak has been finished in the first round in both of his losses. Almeida poses the all-around skillset to give Birchak a lot of trouble, and I sense a big finish in this bout by Almeida.

    VALUE PICKS

    Jimmie Rivera ($9,000)

    Jimmie Rivera enters UFC Fight Night 77 riding an impressive 16-fight win streak and is coming off of two straight first-round finishes, including in his UFC debut against Marcus Brimage in July. He has a tough fight against Pedro Munhoz, but Munhoz is coming off a year-long suspension for a questionable drug test in his last bout. Rivera likely has the striking edge between the two, but Munhoz is tough to finish and has a durable chin. Rivera will want to keep this fight on the feet but keeping it upright against Munhoz will be tough. Luckily, Rivera has good takedown defense. Rivera is a solid play at the price tag he has, and he does have a chance for the upset win.

    Fabio Maldonado ($8,300)

    I’m going to start this off by saying I don’t think Fabio Maldonado will win against Corey Anderson. Anderson has been knocked out in his career and Maldonado is a very hard hitter, so there is always the chance of a finish, and Maldonado has a great price tag. Maldonado connects on a lot of his strikes. He has landed the most significant strikes in light heavyweight history, and by a wide margin. You will get a lot of points from him if the fight stays on the feet. Anderson connects with a lot of strikes as well, and Anderson can take the fight down at will. Maldonado is going to connect a lot, and who knows, maybe one will sneak in and really hurt Anderson, who took the fight on short notice. His price tag is one worth exploring using.

    AVOID

    Clay Guida ($10,200)

    I’m staying away from Clay Guida on this fight card. He has a tough opponent in Thiago Tavares, and Guida is not much of a finisher these days. Yes, he generally puts on entertaining fights, but entertaining fights do not get you any extra points. Guida may score on some takedowns and grind the fight out, but not a lot of significant strikes will be landed. With this fight likely going the distance, there are some better options if you are looking to maximize your points potential. Even though I see Guida winning, it’ll only be by decision, and I’m taking my risk on fighters I think will win by finish.

    Abel Trujillo ($9,600)

    Abel Trujillo fights Gleison Tibau in the featured preliminary bout, and Tibau holds the record for most takedowns in UFC history. Trujillo holds the distinction of being the fighter who was taken down the most in a UFC fight. Trujillo is a very hard striker, but he fades fast, and if he can’t get the finish in the first round, the second and third rounds become trouble for him. Tibau is a very durable opponent and is a big grinder. He will probably grind Trujillo to defeat. Trujillo may get lucky with an early knockdown, and he could potentially finish Tibau, but I am avoiding putting Trujillo on my team.

    OUR LINEUPS

    RYAN FREDERICK- Glover Teixeira ($11,000), Thomas Almeida ($10,900), Johnny Case ($10,600), Dan Henderson ($8,600), Fabio Maldonado ($8,300)

    I like Glover Teixeira and Thomas Almeida to score big finish wins in their fights for the reasons stated above. I’m taking the chance with Fabio Maldonado based on his price tag, striking output, and the chance he could find an opening and score a finish on Corey Anderson. I like Johnny Case as well as he has shown solid finishing ability. His opponent, Yan Cabral, is coming off a long layoff and is a very tough opponent, but Case is a finisher. The biggest test for Case will be avoiding being on his back as Cabral has very good takedowns. The last fighter on my team is Dan Henderson. He still has that power in his right hand as he showed off against Tim Boetsch. He has a solid underdog price tag which allows for some bigger salaries. If the Vitor Belfort who fought Chris Weidman shows up against Henderson, I predict a tough night for Belfort. I’m going with Henderson to land that big right hand and finish Belfort.

    PAUL FONTAINE- Thomas Almeida ($10,900), Johnny Case ($10,600), Alex Oliveira ($10,500), Gilbert Burns ($9,400), Dan Henderson ($8,600)

    I’m taking Dan Henderson for value. I really think that the Hendo/Belfort matchup is a tossup but it’s going to be quick regardless. Henderson retains more of his power at 185 and I’m hoping for another quick KO from him. Gilbert Burns is unbeaten in his pro career and has submitted each of his last two UFC opponents. This fight is likely to go the ground at some point with Magomedov having a solid wrestling base and that’s where Burns should take over and secure a sub. Thomas Almeida is also unbeaten, at 20-0, and has finished all but one of his pro opponents including early knockouts in each of his last two UFC fights. Both of Birchak’s career losses have been by submission, making him a prime candidate to be finished here. Johnny Case is on an 11 fight win streak in which he’s finished 8 of his opponents. Despite being 6 years younger, he’s also got a significant experience edge over his opponent Yan Cabral. My last pick is the Brazilian Cowboy Alex Oliveira. His fight with Piotr Hallman should be an exciting slugfest with a lot of strikes thrown. All but 2 of his career wins have been finishes, including a first round submission of KJ Noons. In his lone UFC loss he was dominating Gilbert Burns before being caught in a 3rd round submission.

    PEACH MACHINE- Glover Teixeira ($11,000), Thomas Almeida ($10,900), Viscardi Andrade ($9,500), Gilbert Burns ($9,400), Dan Henderson ($8,600)

    I’m taking Hendo because I think Vitor has lost his chin and confidence since being humbled by Weidman, and Hendo just needs to connect once.  Dan has been off TRT longer than Vitor so he’s used to fighting without the sauce.  Hendo isn’t going to let Belfort repeat what happened in their last match. I really like Teixeira, as he handled OSP really well last time out, and I’m expecting much the same fight against Cummins.  Plus, Teixeira’s entrance music is terrifying. Almeida is someone to keep an eye on in the bantamweight division, and I expect him to have a dominating performance.  He’s a big favorite and fighting in his home country. I expect a submission from Burns, and I’m not expecting many finishes on this card. Andrade is my sleeper pick.  He hasn’t fought in 20 months but I think he’ll be motivated to come out and have a strong showing against the Russian in his home country.

    LAST EVENT’S RESULTS

    For our teams at the last event, UFC Fight Night 76, none of the three of us had much success, and none of us cashed in the basic $3 entry fee game on Draft Kings. Ryan had the most points for the second straight time, scoring 217.50 points with his line-up. Paul scored 163.50 points and Peach scored 153 points with their line-ups. We are all hoping for much better success this weekend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • UFC Fight Night 77- By The Numbers

    728
    Days since Vitor Belfort’s last win, which came over Dan Henderson, his opponent on Saturday night, at UFC Fight Night 32 on November 9, 2013.

    5
    Number of wins by Belfort in his native Brazil. He is a perfect 5-0 in the country.

    70.8%
    Percentage of Belfort’s wins that have come by knockout. He has scored 17 of his 24 wins by knockout.

    10
    Total number of knockdowns recorded by Belfort in UFC competition, 4 of which have come as a middleweight, which is tied for fourth most in UFC middleweight history (min. 5 fights)

    3:40
    Average fight time in UFC middleweight bouts for Belfort, the lowest in UFC middleweight division history (min. 5 fights)

    28
    Length of time, in seconds, of Dan Henderson’s last fight, a knockout win over Tim Boetsch at UFC Fight Night 68 in June

    5
    Number of UFC bonus awards won by Henderson

    45
    Age of Henderson, making him the oldest member of the UFC roster

    6
    Number of title fights in the career of Henderson, spanning roster stints in the UFC, PRIDE and Strikeforce

    15
    Number of knockout wins in the career of Henderson

    4
    Current ranking of Glover Teixeira in the UFC’s light heavyweight division

    16
    Number of first-round wins recorded by Teixeira in his career

    11
    Number of guard passes Teixeira recorded in his most recent bout, a win over Ovince Saint Preux in August

    26
    Takedowns landed by Patrick Cummins, third-most in UFC light heavyweight history (min. 5 fights)

    4.37
    Strikes landed per minute by Cummins in his UFC career

    30
    Age of Cummins when he made his professional MMA debut

    20
    Career wins and win streak by Thomas Almeida. He is a perfect 20-0 in his career.

    95
    Finishing rate percentage by Almeida earning 19 of his 20 wins by stoppage

    175
    Significant strikes landed in just 3 UFC bouts by Almeida

    7.45
    Significant strikes landed per minute by Anthony Birchak in UFC competition

    91
    Percentage of strikes defended by Birchak

    83
    Career finishing rate percentage by Birchak as he has earned 10 of his 12 wins by stoppage

    4
    Number of fights Alex Oliveira has competed in during the year 2015

    3
    Number of short notice fights taken by Oliveira, who will be fighting with a full camp for the first time during his UFC career on Saturday

    8
    Number of takedowns landed by Oliveira in his two UFC wins

    2
    Consecutive losses by Piotr Hallmann, who is 2-3 in his UFC career

    93.3
    Career finishing rate percentage by Hallmann, who has scored 14 of his 15 wins by stoppage

    44
    Takedown percentage rate by Hallmann, ninth-best in UFC lightweight history (min. 5 fights)

    10
    Straight wins to start his career by Gilbert Burns

    4
    Gold medals won by Burns in various jiu-jitsu competitions

    2
    Performance bonuses won by Burns in just three UFC bouts

    11
    Consecutive wins by Rashid Magomedov

    0
    Number of fights in 2015 by Magomedov, who fought 3 times in 2014

    91
    Percentage rate of takedowns defended by Magomedov

    622
    Significant strikes landed by Fabio Maldonado, most in UFC light heavyweight history (min. 5 fights)

    62
    Boxing wins, both professional and amateur, by Maldonado in his career

    5.93
    Significant strikes per minute landed by Maldonado, most in UFC light heavyweight history (min. 5 fights)

    63
    Days between fights for Corey Anderson, who has the quickest turnaround of every fighter on the UFC Fight Night 77 card

    13
    Takedowns landed by Anderson during his four UFC fights

    264
    Significant strikes landed by Anderson during his four UFC fights

    25
    Number of fights in the UFC by Gleison Tibau

    82
    Takedowns landed by Tibau, most in UFC history (min. 5 fights)

    4:51:15
    Total Octagon fight time by Tibau, third-most in UFC history (min. 5 fights)

    21
    Number of times Abel Trujillo was taken down by Khabib Nurmagomedov, the UFC record for one fight

    66.6
    Career finishing rate percentage by Trujillo, who has scored 8 of his 12 wins by finish

    378
    Days since Yan Cabral’s last fight, which came at UFC 179 in October 2014

    91.6
    Career finish by submission rate percentage for Cabral, who has won 11 of his 12 fights by submission

    11
    Straight wins by Johnny Case heading into UFC Fight Night 77

    47
    Number of professional fights for Clay Guida, most of the fighters on the UFC Fight Night 77 card

    4:30:32
    Total Octagon fight time by Guida, fifth-most in UFC history (min. 5 fights)

    40
    Takedowns landed by Thiago Tavares, tenth-most in UFC history (min. 5 fights)

    10
    Straight wins by Kevin Souza heading into UFC Fight Night 77

    13
    Number of days between wins for Chas Skelly when he fought Tom Niinimaki and Sean Soriano in UFC bouts in 2014

    630
    Days since Viscardi Andrade’s last fight, which came at UFC Fight Night 36 in February 2014

    89.3
    Takedowns defended percentage rate by Gasan Umalatov in his UFC career

    75
    Finishing rate percentage by Pedro Munhoz, who has scored nine of his 12 wins by stoppage (2 KO/TKO, 7 submissions)

    16
    Straight wins by Jimmie Rivera, the second-longest win streak of the fighters on the UFC Fight Night 77 card

    4
    Career bouts for Bruno Korea, who makes his UFC debut on Saturday

    22
    Age of Matheus Nicolau, making him the youngest fighter on the UFC Fight Night 77 card