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Tag: UFC on FOX 17

  • UFC on Fox 17 and late NXT feedback

    Dave,

    Great free UFC show. I ordered the PPV last weekend since I only pay for Weidman cards at home these days. The free show card overall was much better, but the top two fights last weekend were worth the purchase. It’s interesting to see that the next PPV is followed by a Fight Night and Fox show that both have way more depth and appeal. They should rethink how they book these shows.

    Anyway, thumbs up for the show. 
    Best fight: I would probably go Diaz vs Johnson followed by McCroy vs Samman.
    Worst Fight: Jury vs Olivera.

    Thanks,
    Matt Wright

    Gave the show a thumbs up.  Especially since it was free.

    Best Fight: Nate Diaz vs Michael Johnson

    Worst Fight: Alistair Overeem vs Junior Dos Santos on main card, Sarah Kaufman vs Valentina Shevchenko on undercard

    Best Performances; Rafael Dos Anjos, Nate Diaz, Charles Oliveira

    Really loved the first round of Nick Lentz vs Danny Castillo. Some great mat work by both.

    Thought Nate Marquardt KO’ing CB Dollaway was a huge upset. Nothing against Marquardt but I can’t see him hanging with the top middleweights at this point of his career.

    I really loved Karolina Kowalkiewicz in her fight vs Randa Markos. She had some great movement the whole fight and never tired. She could be someone to watch out for in the future if she keeps progressing. Markos was not a pushover opponent for her but I question her strategy of trying to stand with her and not trying to get her to the ground earlier.

    Nate Diaz vs Michael Johnson was a great fight. Nothing like those Diaz bad boys to keep your interest in a fight. Diaz looked great and his posturing during the fight was fun to watch. Too bad they bleeped out his whole promo. I would love to see the build up for a Diaz vs McGregor fight! Could you imagine the shenanigans that would ensure with that one! Make that fight happen!

    Dos Santos vs Overeem was a huge let down and didn’t really make either look great or want to make you see either in title contention. They were both fighting not to lose. Winning a boring fight doesn’t make you want to put money into a PPV buy to see you in a title fight. The heavyweight division is in trouble. After Velasquez vs Werdum who do you want to see fight?

    Disappointing that Cowboy couldn’t get out of the gates against Dos Anjos. Big fan of Cowboy. Dos Anjos looked great though.

    Everyone up and down the card wants the big payday against McGregor.

    Grant Zwarych

    Thumbs up. Good card to end the year. Some changing of the guard evident.

    Best fight: McCrory vs. Samman

    Worst fight: Miller vs. Alers (for a ‘contest’, Overeem vs. JDS until the KO)

    Best performance: RDA, Oliveira

    Worst performance: Johnson

    KO: Marquardt

    Sub: Oliveira

    Scary debut for 6’4″, 254, 83″ reach, action figure looking HW Francis Ngannou, outcardioing 23-y-o skilled wrestler Luiz Henrique and knocking him silly with a left shovel hook in the 2nd. Vincente Luque avenges a debatable SD loss from TUF, rocking Haydar Hassan and putting him out with a Rolling Anaconda that has him doing the chicken on the mat and with no clue what happened when he wakes up. Kamaru Usman survives some early headsup work from Leon Edwards and wears him out for a UD.

    Cole Miller vs. Jim Alers off to a decent start when Alers sinks a finger deep into Miller’s eye in the 2nd and it’s a NC. Nik Lentz coming up in weight takes a SD over Danny Castillo (3rd straight SD loss) in a fight that starts out great but both gas quickly. Lentz sounds seriously physically ill on his promo. Tamdan McCrory and Josh Samman stage a rare entertaining 99%-grappling match that’s back and forth for a round and a half then McCrory gets on top and stays there until Samman reverses him late in the 3rd which just allows McCrory to snag and constrict a triangle till Samman is forced to tap. McCrory then leaps the fence to high five Rogan. Muay Thai fighter Valentina Shevchenko comes in as a 1 week sub and completely dominates a much more MMA-experienced Sarah Kaufman at all ranges for 2 rounds until fading in the 3rd (with a 1 week camp this is not puzzling) and takes a ridiculously split decision. ‘Punchcount’, apparently based on Bizarro World planet along with the one judge, comes up with a 162-65 strike advantage for Kaufman. After a shaky 1st, Nate Marquardt saves his career catching CB Dollaway coming with a 1 punch right hand KO at the beginning of the 2nd. Note to Rogan and whoever else, it’s not a ‘counter’ unless the other guy punches first. Miles Jury drops a division (and looks emaciated) and changes camps but Charles Oliveira despite missing weight by 5lb manhandles him down, takes his back when Jury misses an arm bar, and sinks jumping standing Guillotine the instant Jury regains his feet, and it’s over.

    UFC-debuting Karolina Kowalkiewicz is either better than she looks technically or Randa Markos has gone way backward training with Farah Salami. Close first, Markos edges the 2nd, and KK wins the 3rd way big, maybe 10-8. 29-28 either way, 28-28, or 29-27 Kowalkiewicz all possible decisions. But Markos’ worst performance IMO. 29-28 x 2, 30-27 Kowalkiewicz. We’re starting to see the level rise in the women’s divisions.

    Nate Diaz shows up in actually suspiciously muscular good shape and feeling like fighting for a change and paintjobs Michael Johnson, who fights an increasingly stupid fight, for a 29-28 UD. MJ was effective with low kicks in the 1st then abandoned them, and left his footwork in the dressing room.

    Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem stage an almost action-free display until Overeem, looking by far the smaller of the two, catches him with an awkward left hook in the 2nd that sends him crashing to mat and finishes with 3 hammerfists. Reem trained with some cold weather guru for his S&C. Junior went to ATT but apparently too late. He’s done. Really both looked awful till the KO but Reem is suddenly in pole position for first shot at the Werdum-Cain 2 winner.

    Rafael Dos Anjos wastes no time repeating his previous win over Donald (maybe his nickname should be ‘Chokeboy’ instesd of ‘Cowboy’) Cerrone, this time ripping into him with knees and kicks to the body from the bell, a barrage of punches, stuffing a desperation TD and pounding him out. Cerrone once again chokes in the big fight but it may not have mattered, as RDA has somewhat obscurely developed into a top 5 P4P fighter and him vs. Conor suddenly looks like a superfight.

    Crimson Mask

    Thumbs up show

    Best Fight: Rafael dos Anjos vs  Donald Cerrone

    Worst Fight: Alistair Overeem vs Junior dos Santos

    Even though everyone said dos Anjos looked smaller because he could be off the PEDs I think he probably came in lighter for camp due to the IV ban.

    I guess they could pair up Overeem vs Rothwell and maybe dos Santos vs Travis Browne. If they did dos Santos vs Gonzaga, then Dave is right, no one is doing him any favours.

    Thanks,

    Eric Poon

    Thumbs in the middle due to overall fight quality,

    The only moments that stand out are the Diaz promo, Overeem’s KO after a dull fight vs. JDS, and RDA thrashing Cerrone in record time for a 155 title fight. The prelims were dull with no stakes making them completely forgettable.

    Best fight: RDA over Cerrone as it created another very clear next potential opponent for McGregor who looked very strong while beating Cerrone.

    Worst fight: Markos/Kowalkiewicz, bad selection to open the FOX card after almost an hour break between fights. Not a fan of strawweight fights as openers as finish rates are low and an opener needs to be more action oriented.

    Thanks,

    Urooj Islam

    Good evening (early morning here in Ireland).

    Tonight’s UFC on Fox was an excellent end to an excellent year of fights, particularly the second half of the year which provided some incredible matchups including Lawler V McDonald 2, McGregor V Mendes, McGregor V Aldo and Weidman V Rockhold. From the fights tonight, it was amazing to see a motivated and prepared Nate Diaz. He was a 4/1 underdog due to one fight in two years (not to mention a stinking attitude at times) but he displayed everything that makes fans love the Diaz brothers. I, myself, am not a fan of his persona but his fighting abilities cannot be denied and he entertains like very few fighters.

    The co main event started out in the fashion of the Gonzaga fight from last weekend but once JDS and Overeem woke up, it improved immeasurably. JDS needs to retire. The damage he has taken from the fights with Cain and Stipe have left him very vulnerable and considering he is a very affable man, it would be really disappointing to see him continue and for his mental well being (as well as his physical) to diminish.

    It is very interesting to see how the UFC proceed with Overeem, however, given his big win and his contract being expired. For the first time, the UFC could potentially be on the back foot with some of their fighters. McGregor is negotiating ludicrous contracts and fighters like Overeem and Benson Henderson are surely too good and important to their respective divisions to allow them to fight elsewhere.

    The main event was a massive disappointment simply because, like most fans of MMA, I love Cowboy. To see him completely dominated and pummelled viciously was difficult to watch, although it is testament to the ever improving talents of RDA. His finish tonight could have potentially set up a monster fight with Conor with the angle available of RDA seeking vengeance for his fellow countryman. Whereas for Conor, it is an opportunity to solidify his belief that he is the greatest MMA fighter on the planet.

    Hopefully some of these musings help.

    Kind Regards,

    David.Walker

    UFC on FOX
    Thumbs up
    Best: Diaz vs Thompson
    Worst: Overeem vs Dos Santos

    NXT Takeover London
    Thumbs up
    Best: Emma vs Asuka
    Worst: Corbin vs Crews

    I think Asuka could have a match of the year level match with Seth Rollins.  She’s unbelievable.  Tough to not give Balor/Joe the nod for match of the night, but I was more entertained by the opener so that was the tiebreaker for me.  Plus the main event is always expected to reach a certain level, so when an unexpected match delivers so well, I feel it gets the benefit of the doubt.  Corbin has become a better worker, but I’m just not into his matches.  Same problem now with Crews.  He needs to take the next step before he can be in the main event picture.  I was surprised Dawson and Wilder retained the tag belts, but it may just be so they can drop it to the white hot Jordan/Gable combo. It still boggles my mind that WWE needed 3 hours of gimmicks on Sunday to have great matches, while NXT continues to do it in a normal, one on one match all the time.  And when there are stips in NXT, it means something — in WWE, it’s just December so that’s what they do.

    – Chris

  • UFC On FOX 17 Orlando live results: Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Donald Cerrone

    Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 17: Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The UFC’s final event of 2015 airs on FOX with UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos making his first title defense against top contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, winner of eight straight fights. They fought once before in 2013, a bout won by Dos Anjos. In the co-main event, it will be a long-awaited heavyweight bout as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos takes on Alistair Overeem. Follow along with our live coverage beginning at 3:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action.

    We’re looking for your thoughts on these three shows this weekend, with a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer

    NXT on Wednesday

    ROH from last night

    UFC tonight 

    UFC On FOX 17 Weigh-In Results
    UFC On FOX 17 5 Storylines To Watch
    UFC On FOX 17 DFS Playbook
    UFC On FOX 17 Observer Picks & Preview

    Coverage provided by Dave Meltzer

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

    HEAVYWEIGHTS- FRANCIS NGANNOU (5-1, 0-0 UFC) VS. LUIZ HENRIQUE (8-1, 0-0 UFC)

    First round: Ngannou has an 83 inch reach.  Low kick by Ngannou and Henrique, a Brazilian wrestling champion, got the takedown.  Henrique keeping busy from the top.  The ref ordered a standup even though he was busy.  Henrique going for a takedown but Ngannou defending.   Trading punches and Ngannou landing and got a nice punch.  Close round.  Henrique got the takedown and top control but Ngannou had the best punch late.  Ngannou 10-9.

    Second round:   Ngannou landing punches.  Knee by Ngannou.  Henrique moving in trying for a takedown.  Crowd booing as they are in a clinch.  The ref separated them.  Henrique moved him into the cage.  Nganou landing punches. He dropped him with a hard left uppercut in a flurry and it’s over.

    WELTERWEIGHTS- HAYDER HASSAN (6-2, 0-1 UFC) VS. VICENTE LUQUE (7-5-1, 0-1 UFC)

    First round: This a rematch of a fight Hassan won on TUF.  Both throwing and missing.  Luque landed a left.  Luque landed a big right, Hassan shot in for a takedown and Luque immediately grabbed his neck, working for an Anaconda choke and Hassan passed out.  Hassan had no idea what happened. 

    WELTERWEIGHTS- KAMARU USMAN (6-1, 1-0 UFC) VS. LEON EDWARDS (10-2, 2-1 UFC)

    First round: Usman working for a takedown but doesn’t have it Edwards landed a head kick Edwards with more punches.  Usman again working for a takedown and got it.  Edwards is working for a triangle.  Usman landing punches from the top now Edwards back up.  Close round.  Usman 10-9.

    Second round: Usman with a body kick.  Nice left by Umasman.  Usman working for a takedown and got him down.  Usman working the body from the top.  Edwards go back up.  Edwards trying for a takedown but can’t get it.  The ref separated them.  Trading punches.  Nice right by Usman.  Edwards kneed him low.   Usman with a takedown.  Usman 20-18.

    Third round: Usman with another takedown.  Edwards back up.  Edwards went for a guillotine but Usman took him down into side control Usman landing a lot of punches from back postion now.  Lots of knees to the butt by Usman.  Usman dominated the round, should win 30-27, could be 30-26 or 29-28 or 29-27.

    Scores: 29-28, 30-27 and 29-28 for Usman.  

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

    FEATHERWEIGHTS- COLE MILLER (21-9) VS. JIM ALERS (13-2)

    First round:  Both guys trading punches and kicks from distance early. Miller with a huge reach advantage. Alers landing slightly more through 2:00.  Miller with a nice punch combo at 2:15.  Nice punch exchange at 3:15. Miller with a nice punch combo at 4:00.  Alers answers back with a combo at 4:15.  10-9 Miller but really close.

    Second Round:  Alers staggers Miller with an early punch and also landing leg kicks.  Alers with some damage around his right eye from the first round.  Nice combo at 1:00.  Total strikes are 29-26 Alers. Miller hit with an eye poke.  The poke was really bad and Miller can’t open his eye so the fight is called off.  No Contest.

    NIK LENTZ VS. DANNY CASTILLO, LIGHTWEIGHTS

    First round:  Castillo tried for a takedown.  Nice right by Castillo and left hook by Lenz.  Lentz with an awesome looking hip toss into side control.  Lentz going for  a guillotine.  Castillo out and on top.  Lentz again going for a guillotine.  Castillo with a head and arm choke attempt.  Nice punches by Lentz and knee from a Thai plumb.  Big right by Lentz.  Knee and punches by Casillo.  Great round.  Right by Castillo.  Lentz 10-9.

    Second round:  Head kick and punch by Castillo.  Right by Lentz.  Good body kick by Lentz.  Punches moving in by Lentz.  Lentz with punches and a body kick plus a takedown.  Knee by Lentz but Castillo avoided it.  Lentz with a body kick.  Castillo looks tired.  Castillo failed on a takedown.  Lentz  landing knees.  Lentz tried for a guillotine but lost it as Castillo got on top in side control.  Lentz gained guard and Lentz got back up. Left by Lentz.  Castillo landing punches.  Lentz 20-18.

    Third round:  Lentz with a hip toss but Castilo back up.  Right by Lentz.  Lentz with punches and a knee.  Castillo took him down.  Knee by  Castillo.  Castillo poked his eye.  Castillo with a kick to the jaw.  Takedown by Castillo.  Lentz back up.  Lentz wanted a takedown but Castillo on top.  Lentz moving.in.  Body kick by Lentz.  Close round but I’ve got Lentz 30-27, could be 29-28.

    Scores:  29-28 Castillo, 29-28 Lentz 30-27 Lentz

    Lentz said he’s had a lot of medical problems stemming from  cutting to 145 in the past.  He also said he’s had trouble and even had problems making 155, said he hyperextended his knee in the fight.

    MIDDLEWEIGHTS- JOSH SAMMAN (12-2, 3-0 UFC) VS. TAMDAN MCCRORY (13-3, 3-3 UFC)

    First round:  McCrory pressing him against the fence.  Samann took him down.  McCrory working for a triangle.  NowMcCrory is working for an ambar.  Now he’s back to attempting a triangle.  McCrory scrambled to the top.  Escape and reverse by Samann.  McCrory reversed and got his back working for a choke.  McCrory working for an armbar now.   Samann out and on top. Samann landing some punches from back position.  Very close round.  McCrory 10-9.

    Second round:   Samann is working for a takedown.  He powered McCrory down.   McCrory used a headlock to reverse to the top, and got Samann’s back and is working for a choke.  McCrory keeping back control.  McCrory landing punches and elbows.  McCrory with hard elbows.  McCrory keeping hin down.   McCrory 20-18.

    Third round:   McCrory with a head kick.  Samann back with McCrory with a head kick and Samann back with a head kick.  McCroty took him down, landing punches and now working for a choke.  McCrory staying on top.    McCrory remaining on top and landing punches.  McCrory working for an uma plata.  Now McCrory is working for a triangle.  McCrory holding the triangle and throwing elbows.  Samann finally tapped.

    WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS- (#5) SARAH KAUFMAN (17-3 1 NC, 1-1 1 NC UFC) VS. VALENTINA SHEVCHENKO (9-1, 0-0 UFC)

    First round:  Shevchenko landed several shots.  Now they’re in a clinch.  Takedown by Shevchenko.  Kaufman back to her feet.  Kaufman went for a takedown and Shevchenko blocked it and ended up on top in the mount.  Kaufman regained guard.  Kaufman back up.  Kaufamn went for  a heel hook.  Shevchenko escaped and has Kaufman’s back.  Elbow from close range by Shevchenko.  10-9 Shevchenko.

    Second round:  Spin kick b Shevchenko.  Knee by Shevchenko.  Shevchenko with an elbow.  Hip toss by Shevchenko.  Kaufman throwing elbows off her back.  Kaufman back up and they’re in a clinch.  Both trying to throw the other.  Shevchenko 20-18.

    Third round:  Shevchenko with another takedown.  Kaufman back up.  Knee by Kaufman.  Another bodylock takedown by Shevchenko.  Kaufman with a takedown into side control.  Kaufman throwing elbows to the head.  Kaufman landing elbows.  Now she’s throwing elbows to the body.  Kaufman throwing elbows to the body.  Kaufman has the mount and pounding on her.  Kaufman went for an armbar in the last seconds but Shevchenko slipped out.  Kaufman’s round but Shevchenko should win 29-28.

    Scores:  29-28 Kaufman 29-28 Shevchenko 29-28 Shevchenko.  The judge scoring for Kaufman, man, I don’t know about him. 

    MIDDLEWEIGHTS- (#12) C.B. DOLLAWAY (15-7, 9-7 UFC) VS. NATE MARQUARDT (33-15-2, 11-8 UFC)

    First round:  Body kick by Dollaway and low kick by Dollaway.  Dolloway missed a punch and Marquardt with a hard body kick.  Low kick by Marquardt.   Dollaway rocked him with punches.  Low kick by Marquardt.  Knee by Marquardt.  Head kick by Dolloaway.  Dollaway 10-9.

    Second round:  Trading punches and Marquardt knocked him out on a counter right.  It was a right to the jaw.  

    FEATHERWEIGHTS- (#7) CHARLES OLIVEIRA (20-5 1 NC, 8-5 1 NC UFC) VS. (#9 LW) MYLES JURY (15-1, 6-1 UFC)

    First round:  Oliveira missed weight by 4.5 pounds.   Oliveira took him down.  Jury went for an armbar and Oliveira got his back.  Olivera now with a  guillotine and he tapped out  Great ground work by Oliveira.

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

    WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS- (#7) RANDA MARKOS (5-2, 1-1 UFC) VS. KAROLINA KOWALKIEWICZ (7-0, 0-0 UFC)

    First round:  Both out swinging.  Karolina landed a few punches.  Markos with a  right.  Crowd going crazy all night with Whoos.  Flair is not in the building.  Karolina cracked her with a right.  Marko s with a right.  Markos pushed her into the cage.  Karolina with punches .  Markos with a right.  Right by Markos.  Markos with low kicks and punches.  She landed a lot of shots but Karolina nailed her with a right. Close round.  Karolina 10-9.

    Second round:  Karolina thowing low kicks now.  Nice right by Karolina.  Left and right by Karolina.  Low kicks  by Karolina. Markos with a takedown.  Markos in piggy back position.  Markos is also holding a body triangle.  Markos stayed behind her the entire round.  Markos so 19-19.

    Third round:  Markos landed rights.  Markos with a takedown but Karolina rolled through and on top.  She’s in full mount.  Punches and elbows by Karolina.  Knees to the body by Karolina.  Markos back up.  Time running out.  Karolina’s round so she should win 29-28.

    Scores:  29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 Karolina. 

    They just announced Sage Northcutt vs. Andrew Holbook to the main card on the 1/30 FOX card from Newark. 

    LIGHTWEIGHTS- (#6) MICHAEL JOHNSON (16-9, 8-5 UFC) VS. (#15) NATE DIAZ (17-10, 12-8 UFC)

    First round:  Johnson landing low kicks.  Johnson continues to land low kicks.  Left by Diaz.  Diaz starting to land.  Diaz starring to land and laughing at him.  Diaz chants.  Hard body  kick by Johnson.  Johnson missing punches short.  Competitive  fight.  Close round 10-9 Diaz.

    Second round:   Johnson with body kicks.  Diaz switching stance.  Diaz landing jabs.  Diaz landing more.  Diaz staring to land regularly.   Left by Diaz..    Johnson with a left.  Johnson with a right and Diaz with a left.  Body kick by Johnson.  Johnson big left.  Diaz chants.  Another left by Johnson.  Diaz with lefts.  Great round.  Johnson with a right.  Diaz landed.  Diaz landing and making fun of him and landed a left and another left.  Johnson back with a right.  Left by Diaz.  Another left by Diaz.  Johnson with a left. Another left and another by Johnson.  Body kick by Johnson.  Diaz with two lefts. Diaz continues to land.  High kick by Diaz.  Diaz continues to land now.  Diaz’s round 20-18.

    Third round:  Johnson with a body kick.  Both throwing.  Nice left by Johnson.  Diaz with a left.  Head kick by Diaz.  Diaz landing punches.  Knees by Diaz.  Diaz landing more punches.  Jabs and a left by Diaz.  Johnson back landing and Diaz back.  Johnson landing all kinds of punches.  Johnson with a right.  Johnson took him down, which made no sense.  Diaz 30-27.

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

    So Nate Diaz did an interview where it was all bleeped out but he wanted Conor McGregor saying he already punked out Cerrone and Dos Anjos at the press conference.  

    HEAVYWEIGHTS- (#2) JUNIOR DOS SANTOS (17-3, 11-2 UFC) VS. (#9) ALISTAIR OVEREEM (39-14 1 NC, 4-3 UFC)

    First round:   Brazilians chanting “You’re gonna die” at Overeem.  Nobody touched for nearly two minutes.  Body kick by Overeem.  High kick by Dos Santos blocked.  Low kick by Overem.  Overeem short on a left.  Knee to the body by Overeem.  Left by Overeem.  Left by Overeem.  Low kick by Overeem.  Crowd booing.  Dos Santos bleeding from the nose.  Overeem with a body kick.  Dos Santos missed a spin kick.  Overeem 10-9.

    Second round:   Body kick by Junior  Body kick by Overeem.   Another body kick by Overeem.  Dos Santos missed a spin kick.  This fight sucks by the way.  Knee by Dos Santos  First  thing he’s done the whole fight.  Low kick by Dos Santos.  Another low kick by Overeem.  Overeem with a kick to the body.  Low kick by Overeem.  Nice left by Overeem.  Dos Santos bleeding from the right eye.  Dos Santos finally started punching late in the round.  Overeem dropped him with a left and finished him with a punch on the ground.  The left hook knocked Dos Santos flying.  Dos Santos was really mad at the stoppage.  4:43

    UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP- (C) RAFAEL DOS ANJOS (24-7, 13-5 UFC) VS. (#2) DONALD CERRONE (28-6 1 NC, 15-3 UFC)

    First round:  Loud USA chant.  Dos Anjos landed early.  Low kick by Cerrone.  Knee by Dos Anjos and now he’s taking him apart, a kick to the body and Dos Anjos throwing a ton of punches and Cerrone is in a lot of trouble.  He’s taking a ton of punches.  Cerrone survived.  Dos Anjos had his back and kept throwing punches until Herb Dean stopped it.  1:06

    Dos Anjos said he was happy.  Dos Anjos said he’d face McGregor in Brazil or in Ireland.

  • Late news updates from Friday 12/18: Taven injury, weight issues, Tokyo-Dome, NXT

    Some evening news notes:

    *We don’t have an update on Matt Taven past the injury to his right knee was legit.  Taven came off the middle rope to do a spike piledriver on Ray Rowe before the tag team title match on tonight’s ROH show started. Taven started limping badly.  They only did a three minute match with War Machine winning the titles.  Bennett & Taven are no longer under contract to ROH and it is possible this was their last match with the promotion.

    *Charles Oliveira failed to make weight and was fined 20 percent of his purse for his fight with Myles Jury.  He looked confused as to why he didn’t make weight even though he was 4.5 pounds over. 

    *Danny Castillo, who was two pounds over, came back about 20 minutes later and made weight. 

    *C.B. Dollaway somehow lost 1.5 pounds just by taking off his underwear and he also made weight.

    *Yoshitatsu was announced as part of the English language broadcast team for the 1/4 Tokyo Dome show.  He will be working with Kevin Kelly and Matt Striker filling in the holes needed to translate Japanese.  He’s very excited for getting this shot.  This was a decision made some time back but New Japan just announced it tonight.

    *Every NXT non-Florida house show in the month of January is sold out except for the 1/15 show in Green Bay, and that has a strong advance.

    *There are tickets remaining for the 4/1 NXT show in Dallas before WrestleMania which is the next Takeover special.  They’ll be available to the public at 10 a.m. Central time tomorrow.  They’ll be gone very quickly so if you have interest in tickets I suggest logging in right away.

  • UFC On FOX 17 DFS Playbook: value picks, who to avoid

    The UFC ends 2015 with an event in Orlando, Florida on FOX, headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship bout between champion Rafael Dos Anjos and challenger Donald Cerrone. It is one last time to make some money playing daily fantasy for MMA in 2015, and below are our studs, value plays and fighters to avoid as well as our own line-ups for Saturday’s event.

    STUDS

    C.B. Dollaway ($10,800)

    C.B. Dollaway is looking to end a two-fight losing skid when he takes on Nate Marquardt. Marquardt is on quite the skid himself, losing five of his last six fights. Marquardt’s chin has also seemingly seen better days, and he has trouble taking a punch these days. Dollaway has never been known as a knockout artist, but he has some power. Dollaway is still a top-ten caliber talent while Marquardt’s days challenging for titles are long gone. Dollaway should get a win and has a very good chance for a finish.

    Kamaru Usman ($10,200)

    Kamaru Usman won season 21 of “TUF” for the Blackzilians camp and looked impressive in doing so. He has been very impressive in his short MMA career as well, with all six of his career wins coming by stoppage. He has good power in his hands and some solid submission skills, and he trains with one of the top camps in the sport. He has a tough challenge in Leon Edwards ahead of him, but I like Usman to continue his impressive career start.

    VALUE PLAYS

    Valentina Shevchenko ($8,800)

    Valentina Shevchenko is making her UFC debut on short notice against a tough challenge in Sarah Kaufman, but she has the skills to score a big upset. Shevchenko is better on the feet than Kaufman and has a ton of kickboxing experience, with a 60-2 record to go with her 9-1 MMA record. The biggest key for her is to keep the fight upright, but she has good takedown defense. She has the biggest shot to score an upset, and at her salary, that makes her a good play to where you can spend up on your line-up.

    Nate Diaz ($8,300)

    Nate Diaz has the lowest salary of all of the fighters on the card, and with someone of his popularity and skills, that almost seems like an insult. He does have a tough opponent in Michael Johnson, but Johnson’s struggles in his MMA career have been against fighters like Diaz. Diaz is a volume striker with dangerous submissions, and he can suck opponents into his game. He does look in excellent condition and has something to prove. At his salary, he definitely can upset Johnson, and is worth a look for your line-up.

    AVOID

    Nik Lentz ($9,700)

    Nik Lentz is moving back up to lightweight on Saturday for a bout with Danny Castillo, but he is still small for the division. He is a good wrestler, but he isn’t overly impressive with all of his aspects. He does enough to score wins, but that may not be enough against Castillo, who definitely has his back against the wall. Lentz just isn’t enough of a difference maker to make me wanna use him, so I suggest avoiding him.

    Nate Marquardt ($8,600)

    His opponent, C.B. Dollaway, is listed above as a stud, and Marquardt is the one fighter I would avoid on the card whether I was making just one line-up or a hundred. I don’t like his chances against Dollaway, and I think he gets finished. Even if the fight goes the distance, Marquardt just hasn’t shown enough in recent years to make you think he has what it takes to score a lot of fantasy points. It just doesn’t seem like it will be his night.

    OUR LINE-UPS

    RYAN FREDERICK: Junior Dos Santos ($10,900), C.B. Dollaway ($10,800), Josh Samman ($10,300), Donald Cerrone ($8,900), Nate Diaz ($8,300)

    I like Junior Dos Santos to score a knockout win over Alistair Overeem. Dos Santos has taken some beatings but perhaps the time off has freshened him up. He looks good right now and Overeem seems to have lost something coming in for various reasons. Dos Santos still has big power. I like Dollaway to finish Nate Marquardt. I like Josh Samman at his salary. He has three UFC wins, all by finish, and is very good. He has a tough fight against Tamdan McCrory, but is a finishable fight. I like Nate Diaz to score an upset over Michael Johnson, and to win by submission. Finally, I’m going with Donald Cerrone. I think he wins, and he wins by decision. With the thinking it will go five rounds, that is two extra rounds to score more points, and a decision win scores the same whether it goes three or five rounds. The two extra rounds benefits you in scoring more points, and I always try to take a fighter in a five-round fight.

    PAUL FONATINE: Junior Dos Santos ($10,900), Josh Samman ($10,300), Kamaru Usman ($10,200), Cole Miller ($9,600), Donald Cerrone ($8,900)

    Dos Santos is at least a level above Overeem, maybe 2. After a five round war with the very tough Stipe Miocic, this will be like a walk in the park for the former champ. One good shot and Overeem should go down, likely very early in the first. Samman has been a steamroller since losing on TUF to Kelvin Gastelum. McCrory is a nice story but he’s not going to be enough to stop Samman. Usman won the final match in the TUF 21 show to win the competition for his team. That was his fifth straight stoppage win and he should make it 6 over the overmatched Edwards. It seems like destiny that Donald Cerrone will win the lightweight title and then go on to face Conor McGregor in his first title defense. I see this going a lot like the Aldo/McGregor fight actually as the PED crackdown has had a noticeable effect on the physique of the current champion. I’m going with the veteran Cole Miller for my last pick. He’s usually good for a stoppage win and his opponent Alers was lucky not to have lost both of his UFC fights to date, taking a split decision in the opener before losing his second fight earlier this year. 

    PEACH MACHINE: Junior Dos Santos ($10,900), Myles Jury ($10,000), Danny Castillo ($9,700), Karolina Kowalkiewicz ($9,000), Donald Cerrone ($8,900)

    I love Cerrone and I think RDA got lucky against Pettis.  Cerrone is gonna knock him out eventually.  It may take four and a half rounds but that head kick is coming.  JDS is still a monster and Overeem is done.  This is an easy pick for a KO.  Myles Jury hasn’t fought in a year and finds himself against a formidable opponent, but Jury has only lost once and that was to Cerrone.  More importantly, Oliveira is coming off a freak injury loss.  It wouldn’t surprise me to see him come out a little gun shy.  I’m taking Castillo because Nik Lentz sucks and I hate how he spells his name.  Plus, Castillo has lost three in a row and will be motivated to win.  Kowalkiewicz is undefeated an I don’t think Markos is much of a fighter. As always, you’d probably be better just picking the opposite of me.  In a side note, I hope Dolloway and Marquardt both get cut.  I can’t believe we’re still watching these two clowns.  

    As you can see, we are all big fans of Junior Dos Santos and Donald Cerrone scoring wins on Saturday. Good luck to all of those playing!

  • UFC On FOX 17: Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 weigh-in results and live video

    Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC On FOX 17: Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 weigh-ins from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The fighters will hit the scale at 4 PM eastern time. The card airs on Saturday with the main card on FOX at 8 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off at 3:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FOX Sports 1 at 5 PM eastern time with additional preliminary bouts. This is the second time the Octagon has appeared in Orlando and it marks the 41st and final UFC event of 2015.

    The event is headlined by UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos making his first title defense against challenger Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, who enters his first UFC title fight riding an eight-fight win streak. They have met once before, at UFC Fight Night 27 in August 2013, a bout won by Dos Anjos. The co-main event will be a heavyweight battle years in the making as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos takes on Alistair Overeem. The card also features the return of Nate Diaz after a year out of action as he takes on Michael Johnson.

    MAIN CARD (FOX- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):
    Rafael Dos Anjos (154.5) vs. Donald Cerrone (154.5) – UFC Lightweight Championship
    Junior Dos Santos (239) vs. Alistair Overeem (243)
    Michael Johnson (155.5) vs. Nate Diaz (156)
    Randa Markos (116) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (114.5)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT):
    Charles Oliveira (150.5) vs. Myles Jury (146)
    C.B. Dollaway (185.5) vs. Nate Marquardt (186)
    Sarah Kaufman (136) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (134)
    Josh Samman (186) vs. Tamdan McCrory (185)
    Nik Lentz (156) vs. Danny Castillo (156)
    Cole Miller (146) vs. Jim Alers (145)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT):
    Kamaru Usman (171) vs. Leon Edwards (171)
    Hayder Hassan (170) vs. Vicente Luque (171)
    Francis Ngannou (254) vs. Luiz Henrique (248)

    *Danny Castillo missed the lightweight limit by two pounds. He later came back and made weight at 156 pounds.

    *C.B. Dollaway missed on his initial attempt but made weight after the towel was brought in.

    *Charles Oliveira missed weight badly, once again. He weighed in 4.5 pounds over the featherweight limit.

    *Many fighters looked confused at the scale.

  • UFC On FOX 17 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

    The 41st and final UFC event of 2015 comes fight fans’ way on Saturday as the Octagon returns to Orlando, Florida and the FOX network with a title fight closing out a big year of fights. UFC On FOX 17 comes from the Amway Center in Orlando and airs on FOX with a main card start time of 8 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 3:30 PM eastern time before heading over to FS1 at 5 PM eastern time.

    New UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos makes his first title defense when he defends against one of the most popular fighters in the sport, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, in the headline bout as Cerrone looks to capture the championship gold on the heels of eight straight wins. Dos Anjos and Cerrone have fought before, in August 2013, a fight won by Dos Anjos. In the co-main event, it will be a heavyweight slugfest that has been years in the making as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos takes on former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem. Also on the card is the return of former “TUF” winner Nathan Diaz as he takes on Michael Johnson. Let’s take a deeper look into the fight card and give you five storylines to keep an eye on at UFC On FOX 17 on Saturday.

    1. Can Donald Cerrone finally win that elusive UFC gold in his first chance?

    Donald Cerrone has been chomping at the bits for years in an attempt to get a chance to become the UFC Lightweight Champion. Every time he has come close to a title shot, a setback has come in the way. Finally, on Saturday night, he gets that elusive title fight in the main event on the heels of an eight fight win streak. He is 15-3 since moving over from the WEC to the UFC in 2011, and has made a name for himself for his fight anytime, anywhere, against anyone frame of mind. There have been times where he has only had two weeks between fights, but, uncharacteristically, it has been since May that Cerrone has fought. It’s not like he didn’t want, or tried, to fight, but he had the title shot sewn up and didn’t wanna lose it. Eight straight wins over the likes of Benson Henderson, Myles Jury, Eddie Alvarez, Jim Miller and Edson Barboza to name a few have led him to the man who last defeated him.

    That man is UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos. Dos Anjos defeated Cerrone in August 2013 by unanimous decision. Even though he is now the champion, Dos Anjos actually lost his next fight, to Khabib Nurmagomedov, but three straight impressive performances following that loss, coupled with injuries to key fighters, opened the door for Dos Anjos to earn a title shot. He fought Anthony Pettis for the title at UFC 185 in March, and thoroughly dominated Pettis to post a five-round shutout and win the championship. Dos Anjos underwent a skill and physical transformation after being a gatekeeper in the division, and there have been questions about his physique. There are many who say that Dos Anjos looks completely different in the new era of drug testing, way different than the man who is 9-1 in his last ten fights, different than the man that won the championship in March, and different than the man that defeated Cerrone over two years ago. Those questions certainly open the door for Cerrone, who has even questioned Dos Anjos himself.

    Dos Anjos and Cerrone both competed on the card the last time the UFC was in Orlando. That is when Dos Anjos lost his bout with Nurmagomedov that propelled him to the championship. Cerrone submitted Edson Barboza in the third of his eight straight wins. They descend back to Orlando with both looking to leave with championship gold around their waist. Cerrone has the excellent kickboxing with good takedowns and submissions. Dos Anjos has become a more well-rounded fighter over the last few years but it still remains to be seen what has changed for him. Cerrone will need to avoid being taken down, which likely cost them their first fight. Cerrone came on strong while Dos Anjos faded late in their bout, and a five-round bout last time may have seen a different outcome. They have five rounds this time. Interestingly, Dos Anjos is more than a two-to-one favorite, and that may be too long of odds. I see Cerrone finally reaching the top of the lightweight mountain.

    2. Who wins the long-awaited heavyweight battle between Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem?

    A heavyweight bout between Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem has been almost four years in the making. It was nearly four years ago that Overeem made his UFC debut at UFC 141 and defeated Brock Lesnar. After that, Overeem was scheduled to next fight for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, which was held at the time by Dos Santos, who had just come off of knocking out Cain Velasquez to win the title. They were set to meet at UFC 146 in May 2012, but issues with taking a drug test forced Overeem out of the bout. Dos Santos would eventually lose the championship in December 2012 back to Velasquez. Overeem didn’t fight again until February 2013, when he lost to Antonio Silva. They were again set to meet at UFC 160 in May 2013, but Overeem pulled out due to injury. After those false starts, they weren’t booked to fight again until they were scheduled to meet on Saturday. Since their initial booking in early 2012, Dos Santos has gone 3-2 and Overeem has gone 3-3.

    They will finally step inside the Octagon on Saturday across from each other. Dos Santos hasn’t fought in over a year since earning a hard-fought decision win over Stipe Miocic. In fact, that is Dos Santos’ only fight in the last two years as injuries and beatings at the hands of both Velasquez and Miocic have taken their toll on him. Meanwhile, Overeem is riding a two-fight win streak that has him talking again of title shot aspirations. A win over a former champion in Dos Santos could put him just one fight away, but defeating Dos Santos, one of the hardest hitters in the sport, will be a tough task. Dos Santos has moved his training to American Top Team while Overeem continues to work on his skills with Greg Jackson. It will be interesting to see how each man fights the other as both have strong knockout power. Overeem showed a different approach in his last two fights, and has slimmed down a little. It is tough to say how much fight Dos Santos has left after his tough fights. It may be four years after they were first set to fight, and the championship gold may not be at stake, but it is still an interesting heavyweight bout between two big men, and it will finally go down on Saturday night.

    3. Is Nate Diaz ready to make another run at 155 pounds?

    One of the Stockton bad boys makes his long-awaited return on Saturday when Nate Diaz fights for the first time in over a year. After talk of moving, again, to 170 pounds, Diaz will come back at 155 pounds, and he looks to be in the best shape of his career. He will need to be as he takes on a tough opponent in Michael Johnson, a top-six ranked lightweight. Johnson should be on a five-fight win streak, but he lost a split decision to Beneil Dariush in August in a big controversial decision. Every media outlet scored the fight for Johnson, as did most observers, including UFC brass. They even paid Johnson his win bonus because they thought he won. Regardless of that, it still remains a loss on Johnson’s record, and he will be looking for a more impactful win when he takes on Diaz.

    Diaz is coming off a loss to Rafael Dos Anjos last December, a bout he missed weight for, blaming it on a training injury. That is the only time Diaz has fought in the last two years, but when he is at his best, he remains one of the most complete boxers in the division, and a dangerous submission artist. Johnson is a solid striker who mixes everything well, uses a lot of volume, and has good takedowns. Diaz could suck Johnson into a striking battle, and if Diaz starts landing the punches, they may not do a ton of damage, but they will be very effective. The biggest question is whether the time away benefits Diaz, and if the last we saw of him is a true representation of where he is today, or if he is still the guy who blasted Gray Maynard in his bout prior to Dos Anjos. If Johnson lets Diaz hit him, it could be a field day for Diaz. Johnson is ever improving, but it is still hard to count out a Diaz brother. If he wants to make another run at a title shot, he has to get by a very tough Johnson.

    4. Will Randa Markos keep making her climb up the 115-pound division ladder?

    Randa Markos ended up being one of the big surprises during the strawweight season of “The Ultimate Fighter”. She came into the show with a 4-1 record, a solid record, but unlike the rest of the competitors, hadn’t had the exposure from fighting for Invicta, and she was one of the unknowns. She showed strong skills in making it all the way to the semifinals after defeating Tecia Torres and Felice Herrig as the 14-seed before losing to Rose Namajunas. Markos hasn’t had an easy road post-TUF as she has gotten tough opponents in Jessica Penne and Aisling Daly. She lost a close split decision to Penne before scoring a unanimous decision over Daly in convincing fashion at UFC 186 in April. Since then, she has quit working her full-time job and moved to Montreal to train at the Tristar camp, and Saturday represents her first time fighting since the move.

    She gets the main card treatment as she takes on Karolina Kowalkiewicz, who makes her UFC debut sporting a solid, and perfect, 7-0 record. Both women are skilled and will get attention due to looks, but they can fight. They are very similar, with good skills on their feet, but neither are overwhelming with power, and both are patient fighters. Both tend to have close fights when they go to the judges, but Markos has the better finishing ability. She is also a better wrestler, and that was before going to Tristar, one of the best camps in the world. That is going to be a key factor, and also having one of the best coaches in the sport in Firas Zahabi in her corner will as well. Markos has a very solid shot at becoming a real title challenger as her skills evolve, and much like her nickname, she is looking at making a quiet storm brew in the strawweight division.

    5. What is there to watch for on a solid preliminary card?

    The preliminary card on Saturday features a lot of solid fights that could easily be main card bouts on a lot of fight cards. In the featured prelim bout, Myles Jury makes the move down to featherweight to take on Charles Oliveira. Jury started his career a perfect 15-0 before losing his last fight to Donald Cerrone. He made the switch to the Power MMA team in Arizona and decided to try his hand at 145 pounds. He gets a tough first test in Oliveira, a very skilled submission specialist looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss in August. Another Power MMA fighter, C.B. Dollaway, will be taking on Nate Marquardt in a pivotal bout that could determine the UFC future for both. Dollaway is looking to rebound from two straight losses while Marquardt has also lost two straight, but, more importantly, has lost five of his last six fights.

    Also on the prelims, Sarah Kaufman welcomes Valentina Shevchenko to the UFC. Shevchenko makes her debut on short notice, but she is a seriously skilled kickboxer with a 9-1 MMA record to go along with her 60-2 kickboxing record. Middleweight Josh Samman looks to remain perfect in the UFC as he welcomes Tamdan McCrory back to the UFC. Samman has four straight wins and has won all three of his UFC fights by stoppage. McCrory went 3-3 during a UFC stint from 2007 to 2009, but after being cut after a boring decision loss, he retired from the sport for four years. He made his comeback in Bellator in 2014, scoring two wins in a combined 1:27, and was then re-signed by the UFC. Another bout is a lightweight contest between Nik Lentz and Danny Castillo. Lentz is moving back up to 155 pounds following a loss to Charles Oliveira while Castillo is looking to avoid the chopping block as he has lost three straight and four of his last five.

    Full UFC On FOX 17 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions

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

    UFC Lightweight Championship: (C) Rafael Dos Anjos vs. (#2) Donald Cerrone
    Betting Odds:     Dos Anjos (-200), Cerrone (+170)
    Prediction: Cerrone by decision

    Heavyweights: (#2) Junior Dos Santos vs. (#9) Alistair Overeem
    Betting Odds:     Dos Santos (-350), Overeem (+290)
    Prediction: Dos Santos by knockout in round 2

    Lightweights: (#6) Michael Johnson vs. (#15) Nate Diaz
    Betting Odds:     Johnson (-500), Diaz (+400)
    Prediction: Diaz by submission in round 2

    Women’s Strawweights: (#7) Randa Markos vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
    Betting Odds:     Markos (-185), Kowalkiewicz (+160)
    Prediction: Markos by decision

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT)

    Featherweights: (#7) Charles Oliveira vs. (#9 LW) Myles Jury
    Betting Odds:     Oliveira (+130), Jury (-150)
    Prediction: Jury by decision

    Middleweights: (#12) C.B. Dollaway vs. Nate Marquardt
    Betting Odds:     Dollaway (-400), Marquardt (+325)
    Prediction: Dollaway by knockout in round 2

    Women’s Bantamweights: (#5) Sarah Kaufman vs. Valentina Shevchenko
    Betting Odds:     Kaufman (-225), Shevchenko (+185)
    Prediction: Shevchenko by decision

    Middleweights: Josh Samman vs. Tamdan McCrory
    Betting Odds:     Samman (-175), McCrory (+155)
    Prediction: Samman by knockout in round 2

    Lightweights: (#10 FW) Nik Lentz vs. Danny Castillo
    Betting Odds:     Lentz (-105), Castillo (-115)
    Prediction: Castillo by decision

    Featherweights: Cole Miller vs. Jim Alers
    Betting Odds:     Miller (+105), Alers (-125)
    Prediction: Miller by submission in round 3

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

    Welterweights: Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards
    Betting Odds:     Usman (-250), Edwards (+210)
    Prediction: Usman by submission in round 1

    Welterweights: Hayder Hassan vs. Vicente Luque
    Betting Odds:     Hassan (-120), Luque (+100)
    Prediction: Luque by decision

    Heavyweights: Francis Ngannou vs. Luiz Henrique
    Betting Odds:     Ngannou (-110), Henrique (-110)
    Prediction: Ngannou by knockout in round 1