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  • UFC Fight Night 79 Seoul live results: Benson Henderson vs. Jorge Masvidal

    Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal from the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, South Korea. The event is headlined by a five-round welterweight bout as former UFC and WEC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson takes on Jorge Masvidal. Also on the card, in the co-main event, is South Korea’s own, Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim, ranked seventh at 170 pounds, taking on Dominic Waters, plus the return to action of Yoshihiro Akiyama, who takes on the undefeated Alberto Mina. The action kicks off with preliminary card fights at 5 AM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass. The action remains on UFC Fight Pass for the main card at 8 AM eastern time.

    UFC Fight Night 79 Weigh-In Results
    UFC Fight Night 79 5 Storylines To Watch
    UFC Fight Night 79 DFS Playbook

    Coverage provided by Ryan Frederick

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 5 AM ET/2 AM PT)

    WELTERWEIGHTS- DOMINIQUE STEELE (13-6, 0-1 UFC) VS. “MAESTRO” DONG HYUN KIM (13-6-3, 0-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- We have the first of our two Dong Hyun Kim’s fighting on the card. Steele drops Kim with a left hook early and gets on the top but they get to their feet. The crowd is loud early. KIm has Steele against the fence. KIm lands a head kick. Steele lands a left hook and they trade in the clinch. Steele with some foot stomps and then lands a big elbow. They trade in the clinch and they are throwing a lot of punches. Kim grabs the neck and pulls guard but Steele is in the full guard against the fence. They battle to their feet. Kim with a spinning elbow as they break the clinch. Steele lands a right hand and Kim counters with a combo and a head kick. Flying knee to the body from Kim. Good first round. 10-9 Steele.

    ROUND 2- Kim with a jumping head kick to start the round off. Steele lands a right hand right as Kim goes for a low kick and Kim goes down and Steele follows into the guard. Steele with punches from the top and Kim is cut under the eye but they get to their feet. Steele picks Kim up and lands a takedown. Steele with an elbow from the top. Steele with more elbows from the top. Steele with a couple more big elbows from inside the guard. Steele with punches from the top as Kim is unable to work to his feet. More big strikes from the top by Steele. 10-9 Steele, 20-18 Steele.

    ROUND 3- Kim lands a big right hand and Steele counters with a big takedown and some elbows from the top and Kim is out! Big slam and Kim was out there and ate the elbows as he was out.

    Official Result- Dominique Steele def. “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim by knockout (slam) at 0:27 of Round 3

    BANTAMWEIGHTS- NING GUANGYOU (5-2-1, 2-0 UFC) VS. MARCO BELTRAN (6-3, 1-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- They are each missing kicks early. Beltran with a body kick and lands a knee instead and then a right hand. Guangyou with a low kick that went a little too low. Beltran misses a spin kick. Not a lot of action and the crowd is letting them hear it. Beltran with a body kick and Guangyou lands one. Neither man is doing anything. A round full of circling and movement and missed strikes. Beltran with a late takedown. 10-9 Beltran.

    ROUND 2- Guangyou lands some punches and goes for a takedown. Beltran slips as he tries to land a knee and Guangyou goes into the guard. Guangyou lands a punch from the top. They are trading punches from the guard and then are stood up. Beltran with a leg kick. Guangyou with a leg kick. Not a lot of action when they’re on their feet. Beltran just misses a head kick. Guangyou with a leg kick. 10-9 Guangyou, 19-19.

    ROUND 3- Guangyou with a leg kick. Beltran lands a combination. They trade leg kicks. Guangyou fighting very timid in this fight. Beltran lands a head kick. Beltran lands a right hand. Beltran with a front kick but Guangyou grabs the leg and forces the fight against the fence. Guangyou with an elbow on the break and then a left hand. Beltran with a big knee to the body on the break and then a big combo and lands in the clinch with some knees. Beltran with another big knee. They clinch and Beltran lands some knees as Guangyou lands some body punches. Dirty boxing by both to end the fight. Fight could really go either way. 10-9 Beltran, 29-28 Beltran.

    Official Result- Marco Beltran def. Ning Guangyou by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

    FLYWEIGHTS- YAO ZHIKUI (2-2, 1-1 UFC) VS. FREDY SERRANO (2-0, 1-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Serrano is a big-time prospect, even at age 36, and a 2008 Olympian in wrestling. They trade punches and Serrano lands a takedown and some punches from the side and the fight is stopped. Zhikui hurt his arm on the takedown as he posted on his right arm and he dislocated his arm. Serrano gets the win though.

    Official Result- Fredy Serrano def. Yao Zhikui by TKO (arm injury) at 0:44 of Round 1

    WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS- SEO HEE HAM (15-6, 0-1 UFC) VS. CORTNEY CASEY (4-2, 0-1 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Ham got a big reaction walking out. They trade punches. They trade again. Casey lands a right hand. They trade in an exchange with Casey getting the better of it. Ham lands a left hand. Casey with a big head kick and looks for the finish with some punches. Ham survives and fires back with a combo. Casey with some punches. They trade punches as Casey lands a leg kick. Casey with an aggressive attack and they end the round in a wild exchange. Good round. 10-9 Casey.

    ROUND 2- Ham with a leg kick as she looks to get inside of Casey’s range. Casey drops Ham with a right hand but Ham gets right back to her feet and lands a left hand. Break in the action as Casey is poked in the eye. Casey lands a leg kick as we get back to action. Casey just misses a head kick. They trade body kicks. They trade in an exchange and clinch against the fence. Ham with a body kick that went a little low. They trade as we get back to action and Ham lands a left hand. Casey lands a big right hand and they have another wild exchange to end the round. Another good round. 10-9 Ham, 19-19.

    ROUND 3- Casey misses a head kick but lands a side kick. Ham lands a big left hand and then a nice combo. Ham with a spin kick to the body but Casey lands a right hand. Ham with a right hand as she looks for a finish. Casey has slowed down as Ham as picked up the pressure. Casey with a knee in close. Ham with a barrage of strikes and a spinning back fist. Ham with a body kick. They trade punches and clinch against the fence. Ham with a big combo. They trade an exchange. They battle for a takedown with 40 seconds left. Wild exchange to end the fight. Really good fight that comes down to how the second was scored. 10-9 Ham, 29-28 Ham.

    Official Result- Seo Hee Ham def. Cortney Casey by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

    LIGHTWEIGHTS- TAE HYUN BANG (17-9, 1-2 UFC) VS. LEO KUNTZ (17-2-1, 0-1 UFC)

    ROUND 1- They trade punches to start the fight and Bang drops Kuntz with a left hand and looks for the finish. Bang grabs the guillotine and is looking to finish. Kuntz escapes. They get to their feet. Kuntz with a low knee. Bang’s eye is cut open and is looking bad. Kuntz lands a combo and Bang counters with a spinning back fist. Bang with some nice punches. Kuntz looks for the takedown but eats some knees before he gets it. They break on the feet. Bang with a right hand. They trade punches. Good round. 10-9 Bang.

    ROUND 2- They trade right hands and Kuntz landed a big one but ate a big one. Bang with a big right hand and both looking for a knockout. Kuntz goes for a takedown but Bang defends. They break as Kuntz can’t finish the takedown. Bang looks gassed. Bang with a solid combo that lands. Bang with a left hook. Kuntz gets a double-leg takedown straight into side control. Kuntz with punches from the top as he takes the back. Kuntz with punches from the back as he looks for a choke. Bang not defending the choke but somehow scrambles out. Bang on top and lands some punches but Kuntz rolls out from the bottom to the feet. Both men are gassed. Good fight though. 10-9 Kuntz, 19-19.

    ROUND 3- Kuntz a little fresher to start the final round. Bang with his hands down. Kuntz goes for a takedown against the fence. Bang with some elbows. Bang has the neck and drops down for the guillotine choke. Bang squeezing tight. Kuntz escapes and Bang looks dejected and extremely tired. Kuntz with some soft hammerfists from the top. Bang tries to work to his feet and they are stood up. I’m not sure about that one. Kuntz misses a takedown. Bang scores a takedown of his own against the fence and goes for the back. Kuntz scrambles to his feet and spins out. Bang with a right hand and they trade punches. Bang with a big right hand. Sloppy fight, but a good one. 10-9 Bang, 29-28 Bang.

    Official Result- Tae Hyun Bang def. Leo Kuntz by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

    FEATHERWEIGHTS- YUI CHUL NAM (18-5-1, 1-1 UFC) VS. MIKE DE LA TORRE (13-5 1 NC, 1-2 1 NC UFC)

    ROUND 1- They trade quickly and Nam goes in for a takedown. Torre with some huge right hands and these guys are swinging for the fences. That was a wild brawl as they clinch against the fence. Nam is cut above his left eye. Nam with some knees in the clinch. Another wild brawl as both throw and land punches. They break away from a clinch. Nam misses on a takedown but has the back. Nam really wincing his eye. They are battling hard for position in the clinch. Torre with some heel strikes in the clinch and they are broken apart. Another wild exchange from both men and they clinch again. Good round. 10-9 de la Torre.

    ROUND 2- Torre lands a left hook as Nam shoots in for a takedown against the fence. Torre with some knees in the clinch as Nam works for that takedown. They battle for position with a bunch of switches. They break. Another wild exchange. Nam misses a takedown attempt. They break after not much happens in a clinch. Nam lands a nice right hand. Nam whiffs a takedown and Torre makes him eat a left hand. Nam lands a right hand but can’t score a takedown. de la Torre with some short elbows in the sprawl. They are still throwing big punches with one hoping to land the ender. 10-9 de la Torre, 20-18 de la Torre.

    ROUND 3- Nam lands a right hand. de la Torre lands a kick but eats another right hand from Nam. Nam misses a takedown. de la Torre with a kick but Nam catches the leg and finally gets a takedown. de la Torre gets right back up. Nam misses another takedown. His gameplan is really obvious right now. They are clinched again. This fight feels on repeat. Broken up by the referee again. Nam misses a big left hand. Nam with two body kicks and his face is showing the counters he has eaten. Nam misses a takedown. He misses another. Torre lands a left hook. 10-9 de la Torre, 30-27 de la Torre.

    Official Result- Mike de la Torre def. Yui Chul Nam by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

    I don’t see how you can score that fight for Nam, but the right guy got the decision in the end.

    MIDDLEWEIGHTS- DONGI YANG (12-3, 1-3 UFC) VS. JAKE COLLIER (9-2, 1-1 UFC)

    ROUND 1- This is Yang’s second stint in the UFC. Yang with a big body kick early. They exchange and Yang lands some nice left hands. Collier with a body kick. Collier drops Yang with a right hand and goes into the half-guard. Yang scrambles to his feet. Collier with a leg kick. Yang with a nice combo. Yang with a left hand and then gets poked right in the eye. Yang lands a left hand and they exchange punches. Yang with a takedown and landing from the top. Collier to his feet but eats strikes from Yang. Collier reverses a takedown and goes into half-guard. Yang scrambles to his feet. Collier with another takedown but Yang reverses and lands punches. Back to their feet. Yang with a late takedown. Close round. 10-9 Yang.

    ROUND 2- They exchange and Collier grabs the neck looking for a guillotine choke. Yang defends and lands body punches. Yang escapes and lands big punches from the top and looking to finish. Collier rolls for a leg lock but Yang landing big punches. Collier has a leg and looking to extend it. Yang gets out and lands more punches and Collier is eating them and not fighting back and Herb Dean stops it. TKO win for Yang in his UFC return.

    Official Result- Dongi Yang def. Jake Collier by TKO (punches) at 1:50 of Round 2

    MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 8 AM ET/5 AM PT)

    FEATHERWEIGHTS- DOO HO CHOI (12-1, 1-0 UFC) VS. SAM SICILIA (15-5, 5-4 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Choi is a solid prospect at 145 pounds. Choi lands a combo to start. Choi rocks Sicilia and drops him. Sicilia gets up but is on wobbly legs. Sicilia lands a big right hand. Choi with another big punch. Sicilia goes for a trip but it is defended. Cjoi with a flying knee. Both men landing punches. Choi drops Sicilia with a left hand and some more punches on the ground and this fight is stopped. Choi extends his win streak to 11. Excellent fight while it lasted.

    Official Result- Doo Ho Choi def. Sam Sicilia by TKO (punches) at 1:33 of Round 1

    Choi called for a fight against Tatsuya Kawajiri next. Coincidence, Kawajiri fights in 13 days in Las Vegas, and doesn’t have an opponent as his opponent, Mirsad Bektic, pulled out due to a torn ACL yesterday.

    WELTERWEIGHTS- YOSHIHIRO AKIYAMA (14-5 2 NC, 2-4 UFC) VS. ALBERTO MINA (11-0, 1-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Akiyama is returning to action after 14 months off, still as shredded and as sexy as ever. Huge pop from the crowd when he took his shirt off. Mina with a right hand. Akiyama and Mina trade leg kicks. Akiyama with another big leg kick. Akiyama with a spinning back fist as the crowd chants for him. Mina with a leg kick. Mina lands a right hand. Mina with a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Mina misses a takedown and a flying knee. They trade right hands. Mina with a late takedown. Close round. 10-9 Akiyama.

    ROUND 2- Mina with a leg kick. Akiyama with a leg kick and then a big right hand. Akiyama with a leg kick. Mina misses a takedown. Mina with a front kick. Big uppercut lands from Akiyama. Mina then attacks the legs with kicks. Akiyama with a leg kick. Mina misses another takedown as he telegraphs them. Akiyama with another leg kick. They trade leg kicks and Akiyama stuffs a takedown attempt from Mina. Mina with a combo rocks Akiyama for a moment and they clinch against the fence but break. Mina with a too low kick and we have a timeout. We get back to action and Mina rocks Akiyama with a left hand. Mina goes for a takedown but it is stuffed. Mina with another right hand rocks Akiyama and drops him. Mina going for the finish and Mina rocking Akiyama big time but he is saved by the bell. Mina stole that round. 10-9 Mina, 19-19.

    ROUND 3- This fight could be up for grabs. Mina misses a big left hook. Akiyama with a leg kick. Mina whiffing on his punches. Akiyama lands an uppercut. Mina misses a spinning elbow. Akiyama with a left hook as Mina drops for a takedown. Akiyama landing some punches as Mina looks gassed trying for a takedown. Crowd chanting big for Akiyama. Mina misses a takedown and tries to pull guard but Akiyama has none of it. Mina’s leg is badly bruised from the leg kicks. Akiyama with a right hand and then a combo. Mina just getting desperate for takedowns and it could cost him the fight. Mina lands a combo though. Akiyama with a solid combo and both are landing punches. Mina catches a leg kick from Akiyama and gets a takedown but Akiyama reverses. Akiyama in the guard and landing punches. They get up. Akiyama landing the left. Mina gassed out badly with the leg hurting. Akiyama with a left hook. Mina misses a takedown and is laying on the mat and Akiyama capitalizes and nearly finishes him. Akiyama finishes the round with strikes from the top. Good fight, comes down to how the first was scored. 10-9 Akiyama, 29-28 Akiyama.

    Official Result- Alberto Mina def. Yoshihiro Akiyama by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

    Crowd booed the decision as Akiyama is the big crowd favorite, but nothing wrong with it at all.

    WELTERWEIGHTS- (#7) DONG HYUN KIM (20-3-1 1 NC, 11-3 1 NC UFC) VS. DOMINIC WATERS (9-3, 0-1 UFC)

    ROUND 1- We have the more well-known Dong Hyun Kim up now. Kim with a cartwheel kick and Waters takes advantage and grabs the back. Kim with a kneeto the body in the clinch. Kim with a judo throw and is in side control and the crucifix. Kim with a lot of punches from this position. Kim looking for a shoulder lock. Kim with more punches from the top. Kim with more and more punches. Waters in a lot of trouble as he fights to escape. Kim looking to finish and it is over. Kim has finished Waters and gets the big win.

    Official Result- Dong Hyun Kim def. Dominic Waters by TKO (punches) at 3:11 of Round 1

    WELTERWEIGHTS- (#7 LW) BENSON HENDERSON (22-5, 10-3 UFC) VS. JORGE MASVIDAL (29-9, 6-2 UFC)

    ROUND 1- This is interesting for Henderson as it is the last fight on his current contract. Henderson with a leg kick. Henderson with a nice combo and a leg kick. Masvidal with a body kick. They trade punches. Masvidal with a body kick. They trade punches. Masvidal with a body kick but gets dropped for a moment by a right hand counter from Henderson. He gets back up and they clinch and Masvidal lands a liver punch on the break. Masvidal with a series of body kicks and then a head kick. Henderson with a leg kick. Henderson with a body kick and Masvidal lands his own and a right hand. Masvidal with a flying knee attempt and Henderson tries a takedown but it is defended. Good and close round. 10-9 Henderson.

    ROUND 2- Both missing head kicks to start but Masvidal lands a glancing one to the arms of Henderson, who counters with a combo. Masvidal misses on two kicks. Masvidal with a punch and Henderson goes to the mat and Masvidal chases him down. Henderson has the leg but Masvidal defends. They get back up and both land punches in a nice exchange. They clinch and land knees. They break and Masvidal with a high kick. Lots of output from both men, especially Masvidal. Big head kick from Henderson but it is checked. Henderson shoots in for a single-leg but Masvidal has the neck. Masvidal goes for a guillotine but Henderson rolls out and Henderson looks for one of his own. Henderson with knees as the round ends. Another good and close round. 10-9 Masvidal, 19-19.

    ROUND 3- Front kick to the face from Henderson. Body kick and then leg kick from Masvidal. They trade punches. Henderson with a body kick. They trade punches and Henderson sets up for a takedown but Masvidal defends against the fence. Henderson landing in the clinch but Masvidal has his tounge sticking out. Masvidal drags Henderson down for a moment and has the back but Henderson spins around. Masvidal has the neck but lets go. Henderson with a knee to the legs. They break and Masvidal got hit in the groin on the break. Masvidal with a body kick. He lands another. Masvidal with a head kick that just misses but lands a right hand. Henderson with a nice right hand and a leg kick. They trade in close range. Big body kick by Masvidal. 3 rounds down, 3 close rounds. 10-9 Henderson, 29-28 Henderson.

    ROUND 4- Henderson with an outside leg kick. They trade some punches. Masvidal with a high kick. Henderson goes in for a takedown but Masvidal defends against the fence. They remain clinched against the fence. They break. They trade punches. Masvidal with a wild combo and Henderson grabs the clinch and pushes the fight against the fence. Henderson with a quick takedown but Masvidal slips out and grabs the neck. Masvidal with some elbows off the break. Henderson ducks under a right hand from Masvidal and gets the takedown but Masvidal gets right back up and grabs the back and looks to take Henderson down. Masvidal gets in the guard of Henderson and Henderson looks to set up a triangle. Masvidal gets out and grabs the neck. Masvidal with a combo as Henderson gets off the fence. Henderson lands a flying knee as the round ends. Another close round. 10-9 Henderson, 39-37 Henderson.

    ROUND 5- No telling how the scores are in this close fight. Henderson with a left hand to the body. Masvidal misses a big right hand. Henderson misses a flying knee but looks to set up a takedown. Henderson gets Masvidal down for a second but right back up. Masvidal grabs the neck and goes for a choke and Henderson is in trouble as this is tight. Henderson goes to his back to defend but Masvidal still going for it. Henderson defending well. They get back to their feet. Masvidal with a knee in the clinch. Masvidal with a right hand over the top. Masvidal with a body kick and Henderson goes for a takedown but it is stuffed by Masvidal. Henderson with knees to the thighs. Masvidal with a roll and Henderson gets into mount but Masvidal escapes. Nice scramble and Henderson lands a knee. They scramble and go back down to the mat. They get to their feet and Henderson has the back. Henderson trips Masvidal down and looks for the back. Masvidal escapes with 30 seconds left. Masvidal trying a late takedown. Masvidal goes for the neck but the fight ends. Excellent fight, one of the better fights of the year. Every round is close. 10-9 Henderson, 49-46 Henderson.

    Official Result- Benson Henderson def. Jorge Masvidal by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 49-46)

  • UFC Fight Night 79 DFS Playbook: value picks, who to avoid

    The UFC returns for the fourth straight Saturday for their final event in the month of November. The Octagon heads to Seoul, South Korea for the first time for UFC Fight Night 79, headlined by a five-round welterweight bout between Benson Henderson and Jorge Masvidal. Let’s take a look at some fighters to target for your fantasy line-ups for the event.

    STUDS

    Dong Hyun Kim ($11,100)

    Dong Hyun Kim is the biggest betting favorite and the highest-salaried fighter on the UFC Fight Night 79 card. He fights a short-notice opponent who has yet to taste victory in the UFC. Kim hasn’t scored a lot of points, fantasy-wise, in his recent UFC bouts, but he is coming off of a submission win over Josh Burkman in May. He is a much-higher class fighter than his opponent, Dominic Waters, and he should be able to use his judo skills and striking to get the win. I expect him to finish Waters, and probably early, and he is a very good bet to score you a great amount of points on Saturday.

    Fredy Serrano ($10,400)

    Fredy Serrano enters just his third official professional MMA bout on Saturday, but he already has a good bit of hype being a member of the Colombian wrestling team in the 2008 Olympics. He has been impressive in his short career, with two wins by finish, and with his wrestling background and power in his hands, he has a very good chance at scoring a lot of points on Saturday. His opponent, Yao Zhikui, is just 2-2 in his career and hasn’t been overly impressive. Serrano is a fighter I like a lot on this card to do some damage.

    VALUE PICKS

    Alberto Mina ($9,200)

    Alberto Mina is a perfect 11-0 in his professional career. All eleven wins have come by finish, and he has been out of the first round just twice in his career. He has power in his hands, feet and knees, and he has a slick submission game. With all of that said, he has a low salary on Saturday. A lot of it has to do with his inactivity having fought just twice in the last four years, and more to do with his opponent, Yoshihiro Akiyama. Akiyama is a good wrestler who tends to rely too much on his striking, and that costs him fights. This is also a reminder that Akiyama is just 1-4 in his last five fights. Mina is a very solid value pick on this card.

    Sam Sicilia ($8,900)

    Sam Sicilia is looking to score his third straight win as he comes into UFC Fight Night 79. He is a live underdog play at a low salary as he takes on the tough Doo Ho Choi, who has won ten straight bouts. Sicilia has more experience inside the Octagon and these two have been scheduled to fight twice before, with Choi pulling out of the fight both times. Perhaps that will give Sicilia some extra motivation to finish Choi. Choi is a young and rising fighter, but Sicilia has that grittiness to get the job done. He is worth a shot if you are looking for a low-risk, low-salary, high-reward fighter.

    AVOID

    Jake Collier ($10,000)

    Jake Collier has a decent salary as he looks to score his second straight win when he takes on Dongi Yang, who makes his UFC return in his home country of South Korea. Collier hasn’t been overly impressive in the UFC, with a 1-1 record, and his lone win coming by a close split decision. He faces a tough wrestler in Yang, and one who can avoid being hit. Yang will look to land the takedowns on Collier and be the aggressor on the feet. At his salary point, Collier is someone who I will look to avoid rostering.

    Seo Hee Ham ($9,100)

    Seo Hee Ham is one of the more experienced fighters in the UFC’s strawweight division as she sports a respectable 15-6 record. She lost her UFC debut to Joanne Calderwood, but it was a bout she took on short notice. However, when looking at her 15 wins, 13 have come by decision, and in fights where she didn’t inflict a lot of damage. She fights a tough opponent in Cortney Casey, who has been training with the Power MMA camp in Arizona. She doesn’t have a ton of experience with just six professional fights, but her four wins have all come by stoppage in the first round. It is not a favorable match-up for Ham, so we also recommend to avoid her on your roster.

    OUR LINE-UPS

    RYAN FREDERICK: Dong Hyun Kim ($11,100), Doo Ho Choi ($10,500), Fredy Serrano ($10,400), Alberto Mina ($9,200), Jorge Masvidal ($8,600)

    I like Dong Hyun Kim and Fredy Serrano for the reasons stated above. I see them at a much higher level than their opponents, and I think a finish is likely for both of them, and both of them to win early. I like Doo Ho Choi over Sam Sicilia. Sicilia definitely has the chance to finish Choi, but Choi is a rising prospect with a good bit of hype, and he has some good power and good submissions. Alberto Mina has a chance at scoring the upset over Yoshihiro Akiyama. Mina hasn’t fought anyone really, but he is 11-0 with 11 finishes, and that is something to be accounted for. His salary made it easier to spend up on some bigger fighters. The same goes with Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal is cheap and is an excellent fighter. He has a tough fight against Benson Henderson, but he lands a lot of strikes, has good takedowns and can pull off the upset if Henderson isn’t careful enough.

    PAUL FONTAINE: Dong Hyun Kim ($11,100), Mike de la Torre ($9,600), “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim ($9,500), Dongi Yang ($9,400), Alberto Mina ($9,200)

    I’m picking both Dong Hyun Kim’s on my team cause it was just too juicy a prospect not to. But seriously, the one we’re all familiar with is a top contender who’s only lost once in his last 7 fights and that was to highly ranked Tyron Woodley. The second one, who will be making his debut, is a bit of an unknown but looking at his record, he’s won 7 of his last 8 fights, all by KO or submission. His opponent, Dominique Steele, lost his one and only UFC fight by KO so that seems like a likely outcome. Both guys will be hometown heroes in their native country so that should help. De La Torre came into UFC with a great reputation and I keep expecting him to finally put it all together so I’m putting him in my lineup with the hope that it happens here. Dongi Yang is returning to UFC after an impressive run outside the company, including a KO of former UFC title challenger Dennis Hallman in his last fight. His opponent Jake Collier has  had a loss and a split decision win in his two UFC fights so he’s not exactly setting the world on fire. My final pick is Alberto Mina, the unbeaten Brazilian who has won all of his fights by finish including his one and only UFC fight. His opponent Akiyama is one of the more overrated fighters on the roster with just one win in the last 6 1/2 years.

    PEACH MACHINE: Benson Henderson ($10,800), Doo Ho Choi ($10,500), Mike de la Torre ($9,600), Leo Kuntz ($9,300), Alberto Mina ($9,200)

    I’m a big fan of Masvidal, but he’s out of his league with Bendo, who looked great his first time out at 170.  Bendo has fought in Asia and is part Korean, so he’s got the home field advantage.  That’s my only real pick.  I selected four other guys I liked, then picked the opposite, because my recent picks have been terrible.  It could be a bad night out for me, but couldn’t possibly be any worse.  I do like de la Torre to finish but other than that, I’m really picking guys who I think will lose.  We will see.

  • UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal weigh-in results and live video

    Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal weigh-ins from the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, South Korea kicking off at 2 AM eastern time. The event airs on Saturday on UFC Fight Pass at 8 AM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 5 AM eastern time. This will be the debut of the UFC in Seoul, South Korea.

    The event is headlined by a five-round welterweight bout as former UFC and WEC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson takes on former Strikeforce title challenger Jorge Masvidal, who took the headline position on short notice as an injury replacement for Thiago Alves. In the co-main event, it will be South Korea’s own Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim taking on Dominic Waters. Also on the card is the return after 14 months off for Yoshihiro Akiyama, who takes on the undefeated Alberto Mina.

    MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 8 AM ET/5 AM PT):
    Benson Henderson (170) vs. Jorge Masvidal (170)
    Dong Hyun Kim (171) vs. Dominic Waters (170)
    Yoshihiro Akiyama (170) vs. Alberto Mina (171)
    Doo Ho Choi (146) vs. Sam Sicilia (146)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 5 AM ET/2 AM PT):
    Dongi Yang (186) vs. Jake Collier (185)
    Yui Chul Nam (146) vs. Mike de la Torre (146)
    Tae Hyun Bang (156) vs. Leo Kuntz (156)
    Seo Hee Ham (115) vs. Cortney Casey (116)
    Yao Zhikui (126) vs. Fredy Serrano (125)
    Ning Guangyou (134) vs. Marco Beltran (136)
    Dominique Steele (171) vs. “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim (170)

    NOTES:
    *Benson Henderson needed the towel to make weight, but he made it at 170 pounds.
    *Dong Hyun Kim and Yoshihiro Akiyama got the big reactions from the crowd. Akiyama looked every bit as muscular as in the past. He is being billed to the local crowd as Choo Sung-hoon, which is his Korean name.
    *Yui Chul Nam and Mike de la Torre had an intense staredown with neither man shaking the others’ hand afterwards.
    *Dominique Steele needed a towel, but he made the welterweight limit of 171 pounds.

  • UFC Fight Night 79 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

    The UFC spends Thanksgiving weekend bringing the Octagon to South Korea for the first time for UFC Fight Night 79 on Saturday. The event will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass with an early morning start time, or late-night start time depending on which coast you live in, with an eleven-fight card in Seoul, South Korea. The action kicks off with preliminary card action at 5 AM eastern time heading into the main card kicking off at 8 AM eastern time.

    The event will be headlined by a five-round bout in the welterweight division as former UFC and WEC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson fights at 170 pounds for the second time when he takes on Jorge Masvidal, who replaced Thiago Alves in the headline bout. In the co-main event, it will be South Korea’s own Dong Hyun Kim, looking to score his second straight win, taking on Dominic Waters, who stepped in to replace Masvidal. Also on the card is the return of “Sexyama” as Yoshihiro Akiyama takes on Alberto Mina. Let’s take a deeper look into the action and give you five storylines to keep your eye on for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 79 event.

    1. Will this be Benson Henderson’s last fight in the UFC?

    Benson Henderson enters the main event of UFC Fight Night 79 at a pivotal point in his career. This will be the final fight on Henderson’s contract with the UFC, and he will be testing the free agent market following Saturday’s event. Henderson is a former UFC and WEC lightweight champion with a 22-5 record in his career. If you were to rank all of the 500-plus UFC fighters in order, odds are Henderson would be ranked in the top 25. He has been a top-five lightweight in the world for the last six years, and as he has moved up to welterweight for the time being, he has shown he has the chance to be a threat there as well. He has just three losses inside the Octagon- losing the championship to Anthony Pettis, who just has Henderson’s number, a flash knockout to current champion Rafael Dos Anjos, and a close split decision loss to Donald Cerrone in January, the man getting the next title shot.

    It all comes down to how Henderson wants to test the market. Times are different these days with the Reebok deal and the opportunities to promote sponsors in the UFC being slim. Bellator has shown that they will go after high-profile fighters, and while the sponsorship issue doesn’t exist there, the exposure there hasn’t been the best, and their top fighters are getting pushed down the card in lieu of the likes of Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice. Henderson is a bonafide main event fighter, and he is one of the best in the world. He will command a solid contract, but he belongs in the UFC. The competition is the best there, and if he wants to truly show he is the best, he re-signs when all is said and done. Henderson is the biggest name to find himself in this position since the Reebok deal was fully implemented in July, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Win or lose, I see him being back in the UFC, but his position makes for an interesting question heading into Saturday night’s event, when he takes on Jorge Masvidal in the headline bout.

    2. Will Jorge Masvidal spoil Benson Henderson’s night on Saturday?

    Jorge Masvidal gets his first UFC main event on Saturday night, taking on Benson Henderson in the five-round welterweight headliner, and it is a fight Masvidal is taking on short notice. He was scheduled for the card against Dong Hyun Kim, but it was a three-round bout. He now takes a five-round bout against a much different opponent, and one that he was scheduled to fight in April when both were competing at 155 pounds. Both are now at 170 pounds and looking to establish themselves as contenders. Masvidal has won four of his last five fights, with the lone loss coming in a close split decision to Al Iaquinta, a fight more remembered for Iaquinta’s post-fight tirade. Masvidal moved up to welterweight following that fight, and he had a strong knockout of Cezar Ferreira in July in his UFC welterweight debut.

    Henderson will come in as the big crowd favorite being of Korean descent, and with him being in his current position as noted above, Masvidal will be looking to spoil the party in the main event. Masvidal has the tools to be a threat in whichever division he competes in, and he seems more comfortable at 170 pounds as he doesn’t have to make the huge weight cut or worry too much about missing weight, though there were slight issues in his first drop back down. Henderson is one of the best in the world and Masvidal will have his opportunity to prove he belongs in the discussion. Masvidal has very good boxing and power, and Henderson is the better grappler and one who excels in bringing pressure. Henderson is an experienced five-round fighter while Masvidal has had just one over the years, a title fight loss to Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce. Henderson is the favorite, and for good reason, but Masvidal a solid chance to score the upset.

    3. Will Dong Hyun Kim score the win in his home country?

    There are actually two fighters named Dong Hyun Kim on the fight card, a first in the UFC, but it is the veteran welterweight, otherwise known as “Stun Gun”, who comes into Saturday’s event as the biggest favorite on the fight card. He competes in the co-main event, and it will be his first fight in his native country of South Korea since 2004. This will be the 16th fight in the UFC career of Kim, who holds an 11-3 with 1 no contest record inside the Octagon, and he remains a top-ten ranked fighter. However, he has always had trouble getting inside the top five, and every top opponent he has fought has ended with him on the losing side. Kim hopes to reverse that curse, and while he doesn’t have a top-level opponent in this bout, the hope for Kim is that a big win in his home country will give him that extra boost towards title contention.

    He fights Dominic Waters, a man who took the fight on short notice looking to score the huge upset and get his first UFC win. Waters is an opponent to not take lightly as he comes from a good camp and has solid skills, but Kim is a tough opponent to fight no matter if you take the fight on two weeks’ notice like Waters did, or if you get the full eight weeks of a training camp to prepare for. Kim is an excellent judoka and has been improving his striking. Despite being 34-years-old, Kim doesn’t feel like a finished product, but has some hurdles to still overcome, one being his tendency to start off slow. It would be in Waters’ best interest to come out aggressive and try and catch Kim early, but Kim’s striking and overall suffocating top game will begin to take over the fight in the early stages of the opening round. This is a fight Kim is made to win, and he will get the job done.

    4. How much does Yoshihiro Akiyama have left?

    Yoshihiro Akiyama is a popular fighter who hasn’t quite lived up to the high expectations given to him when he signed with the UFC in 2009. He has had a tough road, and injuries haven’t helped him at all as he has missed a lot of action over the six years, having fought an average of just once a year during his UFC tenure. He was out of action for nearly 31 months following a February 2012 loss to Jake Shields, but he returned in September 2014 to score a decision win over Amir Sadollah, which ended a four-fight losing streak. He hasn’t fought since that win, having done some acting work since then, but he returns in South Korea, where he has a big following being a Korean descent.

    He will be taking on Alberto Mina, who is undefeated with an 11-0 record in his career, but he also has been out of action for a while. He hasn’t fought since a TKO win in his UFC debut over Shinsho Anzai in August 2014, and he actually has the same amount of fights in the last four years as Akiyama has. Mina is heavy-handed and has a solid submission game, so Akiyama will need to establish his wrestling to take Mina down and establish some ground-and-pound from the top. Akiyama looked good in his win over Sadollah, but he still has a tendency to wanna rely on his striking to win fights. Mina will make him pay with a slew of various attacks, from kicks to knees, and Akiyama’s chin has been battered before. Akiyama should use constant pressure and keep Mina out of range with his wrestling. This is a toss-up fight and one that will show if Akiyama has anything left in his tank.

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

    Filling out the main card is a featherweight bout between prospect Doo Ho Choi and “TUF” veteran Sam Sicilia. This is a fight that has been attempted to be made on two separate occasions, but injuries to Choi have caused the delay of the fight both times. They were set to fight at UFC 173 in May and again at UFC Fight Night 71 in July, and Sicilia wound up competing on both cards, winning fights over Aaron Phillips and Yaotzin Meza. Choi has one fight in the UFC, an 18-second TKO win over Juan Puig last November, and he has won ten straight fights and 12 of his 13 professional bouts. He is a knockout artist, much like Sicilia, and this fight has fireworks written all over it and a very good chance at winning “Fight Of The Night”.

    Another fighter to keep an eye on, this time in the preiminary card, is Fredy Serrano. Serrano is a former Olympian in wrestling for Colombia, competing in the same weight class that was won by current flyweight contender Henry Cejudo in the 2008 Olympics. Serrano retired from wrestling in 2013 and moved to MMA. He was on the first season of “TUF: Latin America” but lost to eventual winner Alejandro Perez. He made his UFC debut in March, scoring a third-round knockout win over Bentley Syler. Serrano has just a 2-0 record during his professional career, but also wins in two unsanctioned fights. He has the wrestling pedigree and has shown some great knockout power, and is a definite prospect in the growing flyweight division.

    Full UFC Fight Night 79 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictios

    MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 8 AM ET/5 AM PT)

    Welterweights: (#7 LW) Benson Henderson vs. Jorge Masvidal
    Betting Odds:     Henderson (-260), Masvidal (+220)
    Prediction: Henderson by decision

    Welterweights: (#7) Dong Hyun Kim vs. Dominic Waters
    Betting Odds:     Kim (-750), Waters (+525)
    Prediction: Kim by submission in round 1

    Welterweights: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alberto Mina
    Betting Odds:     Akiyama (-150), Mina (+130)
    Prediction: Akiyama by decision

    Featherweights: Doo Ho Choi vs. Sam Sicilia
    Betting Odds:     Choi (-240), Sicilia (+200)
    Prediction: Choi by knockout in round 2

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 5 AM ET/2 AM PT)

    Middleweights: Dongi Yang vs. Jake Collier
    Betting Odds:     Yang (+115), Collier (-135)
    Prediction: Yang by decision

    Featherweights: Yui Chul Nam vs. Mike de la Torre
    Betting Odds:     Nam (-120), Torre (+100)
    Prediction: Nam by decision

    Lightweights: Tae Hyun Bang vs. Leo Kuntz
    Betting Odds:     Bang (-135), Kuntz (+115)
    Prediction: Bang by submission in round 2

    Women’s Strawweights: Seo Hee Ham vs. Cortney Casey
    Betting Odds:     Ham (+145), Casey (-165)
    Prediction: Casey by decision

    Flyweights: Yao Zhikui vs. Fredy Serrano
    Betting Odds:     Zhikui (+155), Serrano (-175)
    Prediction: Serrano by knockout in round 2

    Bantamweights: Ning Guangyou vs. Marco Beltran
    Betting Odds:     Guangyou (-185), Beltran (+160)
    Prediction: Guangyou by decision

    Welterweights: Dominique Steele vs. “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim
    Betting Odds:     Steele (-130), Kim (+110)
    Prediction: Kim by decision

  • Jorge Masvidal replaces injured Thiago Alves vs. Benson Henderson in UFC Fight Night 79 main event

    An injury has forced another change to the UFC’s upcoming debut in South Korea, this time affecting the headline bout.

    A rib injury has forced former welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves (21-10, 13-7 UFC) out of his scheduled five-round main event bout against Benson Henderson (22-5, 10-3 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 79 in Seoul. Henderson, the former UFC Lightweight Champion, will now take on Jorge Masvidal (29-9, 6-2 UFC) in the new headliner. MMAFighting.com first reported Masvidal as the replacement after Twitter user @TalkMMA reported the injury to Alves.

    The change in the main event comes just days following the cancellation of the co-main event between Mirko Cro Cop and Anthony Hamilton. That bout was scrapped after Cro Cop was pulled from the fight due to a potential drug test failure and subsequent retirement. Masvidal was originally slated to meet Dong Hyun Kim in the new co-main event, but was selected as the replacement for Alves. There has yet to be an announcement on Kim’s status for the event.

    Henderson and Masvidal were scheduled to meet earlier this year at UFC Fight Night 63 in April when both were competing in the lightweight division. Henderson then took a short-notice bout at welterweight against Brandon Thatch at UFC Fight Night 60 in February, which he won by fourth-round submission. Henderson hasn’t fought since then. Masvidal went on to fight Al Iaqunta at the April event, but lost by close split decision. However, he is coming off a win over Cezar Ferreira at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale in July, his welterweight debut in the UFC.

    UFC Fight Night 79 will air on UFC Fight Pass on November 28, with a main card start time of 8 AM eastern time, and a preliminary card start time of 4:45 AM eastern time. Also on the card is the return of Yoshihiro Akiyama, who takes on Alberto Mina.