UFC Fight Night 26 Results: Chael Sonnen submits Shogun

Some people are hailing last night’s UFC event as one of the cards of the year. It’s difficult to argue.

It had all the elements of a great event including flashy KOs, comebacks, wild brawls and some sneaky submissions.

Chael Sonnen def. Mauricio Rua via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 4:47

Poor Shogun. This is his second defeat in a row that has carried an air of sadness about it and it effectively ends his career as a legitimate contender in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.

The former PRIDE grand prix champion looked in good shape when he turned the fight around after Sonnen struck first with a powerful double-leg takedown, but he wasn’t able to offer much offence, or make much of a meaningful threat to take the fight on to the feet.

He defended one Sonnen guillotine attempt, but he was not ready for the second, and his army of fans were left to digest the uncomfortable reality that he was forced to tap out with a few seconds to go in round number one.

Sonnen doesn’t really flex his submission game too often. In fact, he’s famous for allowing his opponents to flex theirs. However, he has some decent chokes in his arsenal for anyone who’s slack on their submission defence, and it was a surprise for Shogun last night.

On a final note: Sonnen’s call out of Wanderlei Silva was wonderful. The absence of a Sonnen victory in the recent past led me to forget about his mic work, but he proved once again that he’s the best in the business in immediately setting the scene for his next encounter.

Travis Browne def. Alistair Overeem via KO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:08

Alistair Overeem really can’t take a shot, and that is bad news for him in the heavyweight division.

To his credit, he came out from the opening bell like a man with a point to prove and bludgeoned Travis Browne with knees to the body and punches, which would have killed any normal person, never mind knock them out.

Browne hung in there and deserves credit for intelligently defending himself (yes, covering up is good defence if your arms block all punches) and getting back to his feet. When the two giants were back on their feet, Overeem was giving it the ol’ crouch-and-drop-hands and was a sitting duck for a nice front kick that floored him. Browne’s reaction and coffin-nail hammerfists were also worthy of applause, as the Dutchman had no chance to recover and survive.

Browne should be paired up with another heavyweight coming off a win in his next fight. Overeem? Who knows.

Urijah Faber def. Yuri Alcantara via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)

These scorecards were absurd. Not because Faber didn’t win but because Alcantara definitively took the first round. It was a surprise to me and I think a surprise to The California Kid that his opponent was able to drop him so easily and take very dangerous dominant positions from the word go and maintain them for the majority of the first five minute period.

The following 10 minutes showed just how great of a fighter Faber is though, as he won the grappling battle and got in position to throw powerful elbows from the top and staying out of danger.

Not the most thrilling, blood and guts fight involving Urijah Faber ever, but an exciting affair that should have sent grappling heads spinning.

Matt Brown def. Mike Pyle via KO (punches) – Round 1, 0:29

I think Matt Brown’s handiwork speaks for itself, because pretty much nothing else happened in this fight.

Is he a title contender now? No

Is Mike Pyle practically a champion? Absolutely not.

But is Matt Brown deserving of a high quality fighter for his next contest, where a win could propel him legitimately towards that belt? Oh yes. A six fight win streak is not to be scoffed at, especially at welterweight and it deserves just that kind of reward.

John Howard def. Uriah Hall via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

Last night’s one real low point, and best forgotten. Uriah Hall has shat the bed in two UFC fights now, meaning he should probably be cut despite his stylish TUF heroics.

The fact that John Howard was a serviceable fighter, but a late replacement best suited to 170lbs is not going to help matters. Credit to Doomsday though. He got the job done and his foot back in the UFC door. Hopefully he’ll make thee trip back down to welterweight and put on some more entertaining fights.

Michael Johnson def. Joe Lauzon via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-25)

For my money, the award for most impressive performance on the main card goes to Michael Johnson. Joe Lauzon was heavily favoured in this fight but he had no answer to Johnson’s forward pressure, punches and kicks in combinations, accuracy and power.

Johnson was unlucky not to stop the fight in the first round and can be forgiven for fading slightly in the second. He was still up against a legitimate, established top-20 lightweight.

Prelims

The award for most impressive performance of the night has to got to young Michael McDonald. Simply put, he kicked Brad Pickett’s ass all over the octagon for five minutes and only the Brit’s otherworldly chin saved him from a referee’s stoppage or even a trip out of the cage on a stretcher.

In the second round Pickett tried to turn the tables on the matt, but McDonald responded with a remarkably fast triangle attempt, which I wouldn’t have expected a fighter with the grappling ability of Pickett to be caught in. Then despite a decent effort to escape, the tap followed.

McDonald doesn;t even train at a renowned gym, yet he’s already beaten several top contenders and given Renan Barao his toughest test in the UFC to date. He’s got power like no-one else in the lighter weight classes and a ferocious appetite for violence. He’s also still a baby in the sport. Sean Shelby. Please get this man back on our screens soon and as often as possible.

Also worth a mention are Conor McGregor’s unremarkable, but impressive (especially considering an apparent knee injury) win against tough as they come Hawaiian youngster Max Holloway, and Steve Siler’s KO of former featherweight champ Mike Brown. Siler was promised a bit of Uncle Dana’s backroom bonus action for this KO, and I certainly won’t begrudge him it.

Michael McDonald def. Brad Pickett via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:43
Conor McGregor def. Max Holloway via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Steven Siler def. Mike Brown via KO (punches) – Round 1, 0:50
Diego Brandao def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Manny Gamburyan def. Cole Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Ovince St. Preux def. Cody Donovan via KO (punches) – Round 1, 2:07
James Vick def. Ramsey Nijem via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 0:58

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Dana White post-fight UFC on FOX Sports 1 media scrum

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UFC on FOX Sports 1: Shogun vs. Sonnen post-fight press conference

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UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen Preview

UFC Fight Night (26), UFC on FOX Sports 1, whatever. There’s a potentially excellent UFC event tonight to launch a new sports channel in the US.

Some commentators have been fairly down on the main card and the headliner in particular because of the recent losses on the records of its competitors.

Even if you’re not enthused by a five-round scrap between two exciting, high-level fighters, there’s plenty of other fights to whet your appetite including a clash of heavyweight behemoths, some top-10 bantamweight action and the presence of several renowned bonus machines.

Light Heavyweight – Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua vs. Chael Sonnen

Eight years ago, Shogun was ranked on top of the light heavyweight pile after a stunning victory in the PRIDE middleweight grand prix. Chael Sonnen was busy washing out of the UFC with submission losses and preparing to rebuild his career with stints in Bodog and the WEC. How times have changed.

Shogun is now being written off after Alexander Gustafsson beat him in Decembe, which was just the latest in a series of brutal wars he has been involved in since he joined the UFC. Sonnen remains highly regarded and is favourite in this fight, despite dropping his last two – although those fights were arguably against the two best fighters of all time.

How this fight will go is a mystery to me. Shogun should not be written off because he still packs some mind-blowing power and a fantastic, underrated sweeping ground game. On the other hand, he’s liable to tire, while Chael will keep pushing the pace for 25 full minutes. I’d lean towards Shogun if he was was more inclined to throw submissions from guard, but gun to my head, I think Sonnen will tough it out through some heavy fire, and take a decision victory.

Heavyweight – Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne

The UFC’s most impressive physical specimen returns, and looks to prove he’s not all hype after a devastating knockout loss in his last fight.

Alistair Overeem should get the better of Travis Browne using his excellent striking defence (while he’s not exhausted and cocky), picking off the Hawaiian with heavy counter punches and kicks and knees to the body. furthermore, if Overeem wants to take the fight to the mat he has overlooked takedowns and top control.

One thing he’ll have to watch out for is Browne’s power. If anything creeps through that defence then it could be game over. Even if The Reem’s guard is nearly impenetrable, his chin is suspect, and Browne packs the power to change a fight in a flash against even the most granite jaw.

Bantamweight – Urijah Faber vs. Yuri Alcantara

The former #1 featherweight in the world should continue his march up the bantamweight ladder after this fight. He should, but he’s pretty much at the top and the only men ahead of him won’t be fighting him any time soon.

Either way The California Kid should keep his skills fresh in everyone’s minds via the usual channels if he’s able to avoid eating too many leg kicks.  Lightning-quick scrambles and a dominant choke series are enough to put almost every single bantamweight in the world away, and as  skilled as Alcantara is, he’s not one of them.

Welterweight – Matt Brown vs. Mike Pyle

This contest should be a sure-fire winner from the UFC’s go-to action fighter and Muay Thai wrecking machine Matt Brown, and Mike Pyle, who fights in a that should make him perfect foil for his style.

In his last few fights, Brown has been stepping out from the opening bell, going forward and locking horns with his opponents with the same aggression as a stag in heat. His momentum has taken him into the clinch, where he has developed into an outstanding practitioner of hard knees and elbows.

Pyle is solid, but unable to stand up to that kind of punishment and he doesn’t possess the sort of offence that Brown can’t find a way out of.

Middleweight – Uriah Hall vs. John Howard

Touted as the next Anderson Silva after a flashy tun on TUF, Uriah Hall did not live up to the hype when he lost in the finalé. His UFC career is at risk, but he should be able to get past John Howard. Howard had a decent run in the UFC before he bounced out of the promotion after three straight losses, but his success was generally based in his kickboxing. Anyone who saw Hall on TUF should know that striking is his forté, and his size advantage over the long-time welterweight should be another asset to see him to victory.

Lightweight – Joe Lauzon vs. Michael Johnson 

Bonus machine Joe Lauzon gets a bounce back fight, probably as a reward for his awesome tilt with Jim Miller in his last outing. With the roar of the Boston crowd behind him he should be far too much for Michael Johnson.

Johnson is fighting on borrowed time after two straight losses, and the only thing likely to save his job is a fight of the night bonus-worthy performance. Luckily, he’s fighting the best man to help him achieve that.

Prelims

If you want anything to look out for here, pick any of the lighter-weight fights on the undercard.

The pic of the bunch is Brad Pickett vs. Michael McDonald, which should be features on a main card sue to the top 10 status of the competitors.

The other fight to watch out for is Conor McGregor’s sophomore appearance in the UFC. I’m not quite ready to jump on board the Irish hype train just yey, but McGregor sure looked impressive in his debut in Sweden against Marcus Brimage, and exciting to boot. Max Holloway is a good second opponent, an exciting fighter and most importantly, well chosen. McGregor should secure another win and stride on towards a prominent spot upon the UFC’s return to Ireland next year.

Bantamweight – Brad Pickett vs. Michael McDonald
Featherweight – Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway
Featherweight – Mike Brown vs. Steven Siler
Featherweight – Diego Brandao vs. Daniel Pineda
Featherweight – Manvel Gamburyan vs. Cole Miller
Light Heavyweight – Cody Donovan vs. Ovince St. Preux
Lightweight – Ramsey Nijem vs. James Vick

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UFC on Fox Sports 1: Shogun vs. Sonnen weigh in video and results

All fighters were on weight for the UFC’s UFC on FOX Sports 1 curtain raiser tonight.

Without any cases of missed weight there’s not an awful lot of analysis I can really do, but I will say that Alistair Overeem looked in considerably better condition than he did before his last, ill-fated trip into the octagon. He doesn’t look quite the same beast who stepped in to crush Brock Lesnar or any of his Strikeforce opponents (draw your own conclusions as to why that is) but he looks in shape and ready to take on a very dangerous opponent in Travis Browne.

Whether or not that’s enough we’ll have to wait until tonight to find out.

Main Card

Mauricio Rua (205) vs. Chael Sonnen (205)
Travis Browne (236) vs. Alistair Overeem (255.5)
Yuri Alcantara (136) vs. Urijah Faber (135.5)
Matt Brown (171) vs. Mike Pyle (170)
Uriah Hall (184) vs. John Howard (185)
Michael Johnson (156) vs. Joe Lauzon (156)

Prelims

Michael McDonald (135.5) vs. Brad Pickett (135.5)
Max Holloway (145) vs. Conor McGregor (146)
Mike Brown (145.5) vs. Steven Siler (145.5)
Diego Brandao (146) vs. Daniel Pineda (144.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 4:30 p.m. ET)
Manny Gamburyan (145.5) vs. Cole Miller (146)
Cody Donovan (204) vs. Ovince St. Preux (205.5)
Ramsey Nijem (156) vs. James Vick (155)

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The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale results, gifs

Urijah Faber def. Scott Jorgensen via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 4, 3:16

‘The California Kid’ should have finally made it apparent by now that he is going to beat all but the absolute best in the bantamweight division.

Scott Jorgensen is a very good fighter, and worthy of his top-10 status, but despite being able to stay fairly competitive with Faber, he ended up falling victim to Faber’s outstanding offensive grappling in the fourth round.

Faber is probably going to occupy a similar position at 135lbs that Jon Fitch occupied at welterweight until recently. However, Faber is probably not as far away as Fitch was from actually being able to win a title, and there will certainly be an appetite to see Faber challenge for the belt in a few victories time, especially if it is against Dominick Cruz.

Kelvin Gastelum def. Uriah Hall via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Hall was the overwhelming favourite going into this fight, but after Gastelum’s performances in the TUF house, particularly in the semi final  it would have been foolish to completely write him off.

As it turned out, Hall made his life much easier by deciding against mounting much effective offence in the first round, allowing his opponent a head start that two of the three judges decided he could not make up.

Cat Zingano def. Miesha Tate via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 2:55

This fight was sloppy as hell at times, and it seemed that the clearly bigger and stronger Cat Zingano allowed herself to give up position against the more experienced and disciplined former Strikeforce champion, Miesha Tate.

Tate was 20-18 up on the scorecards going into the final round, but Zingano took over in the final stanza, doing some serious damage from the top, and then finishing things off with a barrage of knees and a final elbow.

As violent as this assault was, I think Tate should have been afforded a little more time to recover. Kim Wilmslow is a notoriously terrible referee, and stepping in as soon as Tate hit the floor seemed a little over eager to me.

However, with her exciting fights and history with Ronda Rousey, Tate should be a fixture in the UFC women’s 135lb division for some time to come.

Travis Browne def. Gabriel Gonzaga via knockout (elbows) – Round 1, 1:11

Gabriel Gonzaga is not very durable, and he seems to have finally twigged that sticking to his grappling is the recipe for success for his MMA career.

Unfortunately for him Travis Brown was still able to hail down elbows and put him out after just 61 seconds.

There have been plenty of observers that have decided that Gonzaga was out before any elbows started getting buried into the back of his head, but I beg to difffer. I actually think ‘Napao’ has a case in appealing against this loss.

Robert McDaniel def. Gilbert Smith via submission (triangle choke) – Round 3, 2:49

This fight did not belong on the main card and it was pretty painful to watch. Thankfully McDaniel was able to finish the fight with a nice triangle/armbar to save viewers from two more minutes of frustration.

UFC on FOX 4 Results – Shogun stops Vera, Machida earns title shot

Shogun and Brandon Vera engage during their 4 round war…

… while Lyoto Machida stands over Ryan Bader after knocking him unconscious

As its’ been a couple of days since this event I’ll just give a few brief thoughts on a fantastic evening of combat from Los Angeles. There was not a single fight on the card that disappointed.

Mauricio Rua def. Brandon Vera via TKO at 4:09 of Round 4.

After being counted out by almost everyone, Brandon Vera put on one of the performances of his career to take Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua into the deep waters of the 4th round, but it still wasn’t enough to best the former UFC champion. shogun looked dangerous early on, and one couldn’t help but think that the Shogun of a few years ago would have had ‘The Truth’ out of there within 2 rounds after he connected with several good punches.

Vera battled back in the 2nd and into the 3rd, keeping Shogun on his back, as well as landing to some crisp combinations beginning with some clean straight punches followed up by some nasty leg kicks. Both fighters were exhausted well before the 4th round, leading many observers to criticise their condition. While it is true that these guys may have been fresher in years gone by, the fact that they were pushing a pretty relentless pace contributed enormously to their fatigue.

At the end of the 4th round, the combination of this fatigue and Shogun landing a few lethal shots in a row resulted in Vera falling face down on the mat. Despite the complimentary barrage of ground and pound, no further shots were needed, vera was out.

Lyoto Machida def. Ryan Bader via KO at 1:32 of Round 2.

The co-main event was a much simpler affair, as Lyoto Machida fought pretty much the perfect fight, avoiding the attacks of his opponent, hitting him with kicks and delivering counter punches. Throughout the 1st round, Bader was swinging at air as Machida circled away, and in the 2nd he finally got sloppy enough throwing a right hand that ‘The Dragon’ was able to stop him in his tracks with a counter-right that separated the former TUF winner from his senses.

To the business of title shots. I would certainly agree that Machida is deserving of the shot at Jon Jones as his performance was flawless and I think that he still ha the best chance of beating the seemingly invincible UFC champ. However, I still would expect Jones to beat Machida again (he is probably better suited to a drop to middleweight, but more on that another time), and if Dan Henderson can somehow find a way to take the title, the decision to pull the trigger on giving Machida the title shot, and not leaving room to line up a Hendo/Shogun remautch could cost the UFC millions of dollars

Joe Lauzon def. Jamie Varner via submission (triangle choke) at 2:44 of Round 3 – wins $50,000 sub-of-the-night bonus, both fighters win $50,000 fight-of-the-night bonus.

The deserved winners of the fotn bonus, Varner and Lauzon engaged in a back and forth war for the better part of 3 rounds. Jamie Varner looked to be hitting top form once again as he battered ‘JLau’ with a barrage of thunderous body punches and hooks to the head, though Lauzon seemed relatively unfazed by the attack, and he was able to survive until Varner apparently broke his hand at some point in the 2nd round.

After unfortunate turn, Varner’s punches were probably lacking a bit of the fizz that they previously had, and Lauzon was able to capitalise by firing back, putting the former WEC champ on his arse, and taking his back. The submission (in the gif below) was particularly impressive from Lauzon because it didn’t come from a sustained spell of dominance like he had in round 2. He initiated a scrable after being taken down, and was able to work his right leg over the shoulder during the process of a second take down to secure triangle position. A superb submission attack while he was essentially in mid-air.

Mike Swick def. DaMarques Johnson via KO at 1:20 of Round 2 -wins $50,000 KO-of-the-night-bonus.

What a return for Mike Swick, 30 months out and he wins the KO bonus after coming back from adversity against a tough opponent. DaMarques Johnson threatened in the 1st round, and kept Swick on his back for much of the 2nd half of the round. It seeemed as though he was really feeling the effects of having such a long time out of the cage. But then..

..Swick hit a nice knee-tap as a counter to a kick, and threw a punch mid-takedown that connected as Johnson’s head bounced back off the mat, making him go limp instantly.

And now for a few quick thoughts on the prelims

Nam Phan def. Cole Miller via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

A great little war that lived up to my loft expectations. Phan really deserved the win because of hus superior striking, with his left hooks to the head and body particularly effective weapons

Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado was declared a no decision (doctor’s stoppage due to unintentional eyepoke).

An ugly finish to a fight which was a shame really. Fortunately they are scheduled to rematch at UFC on FX 5 in October

Rani Yahya def. Josh Grispi via submission (North-south choke) at 3:15 of Round 1.

Once on tap to contend for the UFc featherweight title, Grispi looks set to be bounced out of the promotion after entering into the ground game of one of the most talented grapplers at 145lbs. A risky move, and one that Rani Yahya took full advantage of.

Phil De Fries def. Oli Thompson via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:16 of Round 2.

A much needed win for BJJ specialist DeFries who was able to hurt Thompson on the feet before submitting him. Thompson will probably be bounced from the promotion after this, while the big man from Sunderland improves his UFC record to 2-1.

Manny Gamburyan def. Michihiro Omigawa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).

‘Th Anvil secures himself another chance in the UFC, while Omigawa will probably get his walking papers. Not a bad fight, but probably the least explosive of the night.

John Moraga def. Ulysses Gomez via KO at 3:46 of Round 1.

Moraga showed that rare quality in the lighter weight divisions, heavy hands and legitimate KO power. Gomez didn’t get the chance to flex his grappling muscles as he was dispatched in brutal fashion inside the 1st frame. The fledgeling UFC 125 lb class has another prospect to watch out for.

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UFC on FOX 4 Preview

Brandon Vera, Mauricio Rua, Lyoto Machida and Ryan Bader will all be looking for a rematch with Jon Jones by winning on Saturday night

Not that it makes any difference over here because it’ll be on ESPN as usual, but the the UFC returns to network TV inthe U.S. with UFC on FOX: Shogun vs. Vera this Saturday night. with a 4 fight main card, with 2 of those fights carrying potential title contendership implications. So, without further ado (and ignoring the absurdity of some of the potential opponents for Jon Jones), let’s have a look at these 4 contests that will be providing us with violent entertainment.

Light heavyweight (5 rounds) – Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Brandon Vera

Ah the much maligned main event. After allegedly ducking Glover Texieria, Shogun settled on a fight with Brandon Vera, who he viewed as a much more recognisable name with UFC fans. I’m sure he also regarded him as less of a test, as Vera should be defeated fairly easily by the former UFC champion and PRIDE grand-prix champion (he probably would have dealt with Glover pretty handily too, but never mind).

Vera has never really put it together at light heavyweight, and most people thought he only deserved a draw in his victorious return against Elliot Marshall. I still think he is capable of winning fights in the division, but certainly not a fight like this that could supposedly lead to a title fight against one of MMA’s all-time greats.

Shogun is a more powerful striker than Vera, he is stronger in the clinch, and his submissions are more dangerous. The only area where Vera probably has an advantage is with wrestling thanks to his greco-Roman background, but that should be negated by all of the above. ‘the Truth’ can take a licking, so he could stick around for a little while, but it is hard not to imagine Shogun getting some sort of stoppage victory in a 5 round fight.

Light Heavyweight – Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader

Badre looked very competent against a faded Rampage during his last outing in Japan, but he will have his work cut out for him against a dynamic and elusive striker like Machida. I can only imagine ‘The Dragon’s’ evasive in-and-out selcction of straight punches and kicks to be kryptonite for Bader’s rudimentary striking. The TUF 8 champion has the power to hurt anyone, but he will be too slow to catch his opponent, and he is not particularly quick to get out of the way of incoming shots, particularly shot of the kind of velocity that will be thrown by Machida.

Bader’s best chance to win would be to secure a takedown and control his smaller foe, but even then I would have thought that the karate expert will be able to return to his feet, and eventually land some sort of missile on on the American’s chin and clam a T/KO win.

Lightweight – Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner 

This is a tough one to pick. Joe Lauzon tends to annihilate lesser fighters with an aggressive submission attack set up by some competent striking, though he struggles with fighters that are approaching his level. I would have put Jamie Varner in the former category until a couple of months ago when he revived his career with the upset of the year, crushing Edson Barboza, knocking him out in the first round after having a rough time in fights after losing his WEC belt.

This should be competitive, and is a bit of a pick ’em, though I would expect whoever takes the upper hand early will cruise to victory. Both guys like to start quickly and are difficult to finish, but they’re both kind of flaky too. I’ll back Varner to ward off some early heat from Lauzon and start to control the fight, and cruise to a UD win.

Welterweight – Mike Swick vs. DaMarques Johnson

So Mike Swick returns to action for the first time since February 2010 when he lost to Paulo Thiago at UFC 109. just to put that into perspective, back then Jon Jones was coming off a controversial loss to Matt Hammil, BJ Penn had just dispatched Diego Sanchez and was considered unbeatable and the best lightweight ever and Kimbo Slice was undefeated in the UFC.

Really, who knows what is going to happen after such a long period of time off with such serious illness AND injury. If Swick was fighting a few months after his last fight, I would have no hesitation picking him for this fight. He was quick, strong, and came forward with a dangerous attack of boxing and submissions. DaMarques Johnson is the kind of fighter that loses to the kinds of fighters of Swick’s level. However, who know’s how Mike Swick is going to look. He could come out with a fire lit under his backside and blitz the TUF UK vs. USA runner-up inside the first round, he could play it safe and grind out a terrible decision, or he could be completely overwhelmed and be soundly beaten. It’s hard not to root for Swick given his troubles, and I would like to see him capture his form of old, though if pressed I’d imagine he’ll get a boring win.

Prelims

Definately a set of fights to pay attention to, particularly those taking place at 145lbs or below where pairings of fighters will be engaging in some all-out barnburners. Phil Davis might also provide some entertainment as he takes on the undefeated Brazilian Wagner Prado, but the British heavyweights will most probably fight like British heavyweights and provide the least skilled mixed martial arts of the evening. I suppose there’s always the potential for an explosive/appauling finish though, so there’s always a silver lining (of sorts) to even the least appetising of contests.

Featherweight – Cole Miller vs. Nam Phan

Light heavyweight – Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado

Featherweight – Josh Grispi vs. Rani Yahya

Heavyweight – Phil De Fries vs. Oli Thompson

Featherweight – Manny Gamburyan vs. Michihiro Omigawa

Flyweight – Ulysses Gomez vs. John Moraga

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5 Fights to watch – August Edition

Even if it’s just Henderson/Edgar II that lives up to the hype in August, we’re in for an amazing month of MMA

It’s that time again, as I take a look at what should tickle your fancy across 2 UFC events, the 3rd of Bellator’s 2012 Summer Series shows and the surprisingly prompt return of Strikeforce during the month of August. Once again I’ll be highlighting 5 fights to watch out for, whilst trying to stay away from major headlining fights, because you’ll be hearing enough about them (although there is another exception this month, because it’s awesome).

Ulysses Gomez vs. John Moraga – UFC on FOX 4, August 4th

This Saturday’s UFC event is pretty great, with a lot of potentially fantastic fights on tap. On the other hand many of those fights could end up being absolutely terrible. Fighters may be conservative, not tun up in the best shape, and British heavyweights could simply live up to realistic expectations. One bout that I am certain will be exciting involves the debut of Ulysses Gomez.

We’ve already seen the flyweight guys light up a few events this year, and it should be a regular occurrence for the rest of the year and into 2013 as the weight class grows. Gomez is the former Tachi Palace Fights flyweight champion (the U.S. promotion with the first real legitimate 125 lb division, and he always brings it, even when he loses. He’s a sick grappler, and not afraid of throwing some leather either. I don’t know all too much about John Moraga, but as a flyweight, I’m sure he will be a an excellent opponent for a compelling fighter.

Cole Miller vs. Nam Phan – UFC on FOX 4, August 4th

Shock. Lighter-weight fight looks like it will be fun. While this may not be the most relevant fight in the world (both fighters are coming off losses), both guys enjoy a good brawl, even when it is not in their best interests. Cole Miller is a tall featherweight, with excellent BJJ, but he likes to trade punches and he has lost fights because of that particular penchant. However, it makes for entertaining brawls. Nam Phan would love the chance to stand up with Miller, taking advantage of his long frame by ripping punches into the body.

If the fight remains on the feet, the fans will definitely win, and probably so will Phan, though I would still expect a enthralling battle if Miller works for the takedown and tries to implement his grappling.

Donald Cerrone vs. Melvin Guillard –  UFC 150: Henderson vs. Edgar II, August 11th

Donald Cerrone has been featured on this list before, and he probably will be every time he has a fight scheduled because he is so very rarely in a boring fight. Hast fight with with Jeremy Stevens was not the barnburner that many had expected, but it was entertaining as Cerrone utilised his technical superiority to out-strike and outclass ‘L’il Heathen’. Melvin Guillard will provide a similarly explosive foil in this match, and he can really ruin any lightweight’s day with his ferocious striking and remarkable athletic defensive wrestling. He is also a flake, and could just as easily get lit up by ‘Cowboy’. Either way, this will be fun.

Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar II – UFC 150: Henderson vs. Edgar II, August 11th

The main event that I had to include this month. Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar have been involved in the fight-of-the-year in each of the last 3 years. Their fight earlier this year is one of the frontrunners for this year’s fight of the year. Lightweights. 5 rounds. Rematch. Mark your calendar, this will be spectacular.

Pat Curran vs. Patricio Freire – Bellator 73, August 24th

Patricio Pitbull has been sitting on the sidelines for ages. He won Bellator’s Season 5 featherweight tournament, but had to wait until Pat Curran beat Joe Warren to have an opponent for his shot at the title. Pat Curran has looked monstrous at featherweight, and is now ranked as the #2 fighter in the division behind José Aldo by Sherdog.com, and that’s all the indication you need to know just how good this guy is. However, just for fun, let’s remind ourselves what he’s capable of with some highlight videos.

Freeire is no slouch mind, scoring 3 finishes in his 5 Bellator wins. He should also really be undefeated after being robbed against Joe Warren in the Season 2 featherweight final. Let’s remind ourselves of this man’s cababilities too shall we?

So there you have it, 5 fights. All at lightweight or lower. When will everyone finally throwing down PPV money for these guys? Surely by now it’s obvious that they provide the best action.

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UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann recap

So its been a little while since I’ve posted here thanks to the excesses of a derby day weekend in the North East, and there’s been plenty of goings on in the last few days in the world of mixed martial arts. However, first of all I would be remiss not to discuss the events of the weekend just gone, where there were several good fights on the UFC and Strikeforce cards.

First up, the UFC.

Martin Kampmann defeated Thiago Alves via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:12 of round 3 – wins $50,000 submission of the night bonus.

Many reporters described how Kampmann snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, but it would be equally as appropriate to describe Thiago Alves snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Alves had put on what was possibly the most mature performance of his career, completely overwhelming Kampmann for almost the entire the fight. The only noteworthy offence from Kampmann that affected Alves in the opening 14 minutes was save a front kick that had ‘The Pitbull’ wobbled, though he recovered quickly. Alves had made weight, and then bulked up to at least 197 pounds leading up to the fight, giving himself a massive size advantage. He used this effectively as I thought he might, and was able to keep the fight standing, and convincingly outstrike the Dane, hurting him and marking up his face.

In the closing stages, Alves shot for a takedown to seal the fight in his favour, but did not commit to it enough, with his technique possibly lacking due to fatigue. Kampmann caught him, and as the two men scrambled, knocked against the cage which knocked Alves’ balance and allowed Kampmann to slip into full mount and finish the submission. A spectacular end to a good fight.

Joseph Benavidez defeated Yashuhiro Urushitani via TKO (punches) at 0:11 of round 2. – wins $50,000 KO of the night bonus 

No surprises in this fight. Benavidez overwhelmed Urshitani in the first round, and finished the job quickly in the second. Simply, Benavidez’s dynamic and relentless attack was too much for the Japanese fighter, as it would be for almost every fighter in either the 125 or 135 pound divisions.

I expect Benavidez will have a much tougher time in the flyweight tournament final, though I would still imagine that he will prevail over whoever he fights. Speaking of which…

Demitrious Johnson and Ian McCall fought to a majority draw (29–28, 29–29, 28–28). The fight was initially incorrectly scored as a majority decision win (29–28, 29–29, 29–28) for Johnson. – Both fighters win $50,000 fight of the night bonus.

First of all, I’ll comment on the actual fight. This was a display of exactly what we should expect from the future of the flyweight division, and why we should be so thankful it has been added to the UFC’s selection of weight classes. Both fighters went toe-to-toe for 15 minutes, and did not stop coming at each other thanks to their incredible resilience. As far as I can recall I think I had the first round scored a 10-10 draw, the second 10-9 for Johnson, and the third a decisive 10-9 for McCall (though not a 10-8 round like some correspondents) after he established full-mount and hit Johnson with the most effective punches of the fight.

If the fight was to continue, I would have favoured McCall. After that last dominant round I would have fancied him to continue to take Johnson down, and hit him with some more ground and pound. Indeed, that was what we were set for with a 4th, sudden death round scheduled for either of the flyweight tournament fights if they ended in a draw. However, thanks to some outrageous incompetence from the New South Wales athletic commission, the scores were calculated incorrectly and Johnson was given the decision, much to the ire of the Sydney crowd.

If there is a silver lining to this turn of events, at least we will be able to see another, presumably equally exciting fight between these men, and within the next 2 months as well UFC 145 headlined by Jon Jones and Rashad Evans seems most likely. After the first fight, my money will be on Ian McCall to book a place in the tournament final with Joseph Benavidez in the summer.

Constantinous Philippou defeated Court McGee via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28).

A ho-hum sort of fight that was won by PPhilippou thanks to McGee’s inability to take himn down. Philippou was superior with his striking for the first 2 rounds, and that was enough for the victory

Undercard

James Te Huna defeated Aaron Rosa via TKO (punches) at 2:08 of round 1. – What a mess! Te Huna just unloaded on Rosa. He bloodied him up and knocked him out despite his usually iron chin. I doubt Te Huna will go too far in the lhw division, but he’ll be exciting to watch brutalize people for as long as he is winning. What frightening power!

Anthony Perosh defeated Nick Penner via TKO (punches) at 4:59 of round 1. – Another win, the third straight for Perosh, who used his grappling prowess once again, gaining dominate position and pounding out Penner. I would imagine his next fight will be the end of his streak as he faces a serious step up in competition

Steven Siler defeated Cole Miller via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28). –  in one of the upsets of the weekend, Siler improved to 2-0 against the Miller brothers by doing what every fighter should do, coming in with a perfect game plan that is tailor made for your opponent and sticking to it. He pushed forward against Miller for 2 rounds,a nd got a well deserved victory.

Andrew Craig defeated Kyle Noke via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28). – Another upset, after starting strongly, Noke faded, apparently batlling illness and a knee injury, and was overpowered by Craig, who picked up a debut UFC win

TJ Waldburger defeated Jake Hecht via submission (armbar) at 0:55 of round 1. – This fight should have received the sub of the night bonus. A spectacular armbar reminiscent of Dustin Hazelett’s sub-of-the-year effort from a few years ago, and surely an early contender for sub-of-the-year this year.

Daniel Pineda defeated Mackens Semerzier via submission (triangle/armbar) at 2:05 of round 1. – Another impressive early submission

Shawn Jordan defeated Oli Thompson via TKO (knee and punches) at 3:53 of round 2. – A win that took Jordan longer than I had expected, though that led to a surprisingly exciting heavyweight fight. The KO was impressive, but not nearly as much as the backflip that Jordan pulled off in celebration. I think that’s better than anything I’ve seen GSP or Ivan Menjivar do, and this guy is 245 pounds!