UFC on FUEL TV 9: Mousasi vs. Latifi results

Despite a lacklustre main event, the UFC’s return to Sweden was refreshingly entertaining. Fights that had me shifting in my seat were few and far between, and the occasion brought some pretty impressive performances out of some fighters that I had not expected

Gegard Mousasi def. Ilir Latifi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

As previously mentioned, this was a bit of a let down. It was apparent before the fight began that Latifi, and unranked, late replacement had no business being in the cage with the former Dream and Strikeforce champion, and that was confirmed in pretty short order once things got under way.

Latifi threw some heavy strikes that hit fresh air pretty much every time, while he was slowly jabbed to death. Mousasi didn’t show his usual killer instinct, although that could be down to the multitude of injuries and illnesses that have been reported ever since the klaxon to signal the end of the third round sounded. It’s probably for the best that he didn’t end up fighting Gustaffson after all.

This whole affair should probably just be forgotten, and we can all look forward to a healthy Mousasi putting himself to the test against the best the UFC has to offer very soon.

Ross Pearson def. Ryan Couture via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:45

Rather unwisely, I though Ross Pearson was throwing this fight away for a round and a half. I thought that he was competitive, and Ryan Couture was doing nothing to make a statement, but knowing these MMA judges, I feared if this went the distance we could have been looking at a nightmare scenario for the TUF 9 winner.

I need not have worried though, as ‘The Real Deal’ was really just taking all the time he needed to find his range and rhythm, because as soon as he pulled the trigger the fight ended in spectacular fashion.

Ryan Couture is a decent fighter, and could probably carve out a niche fighting on undercards in entertaining back-and-forth battles, but he is no match for the kind of skills that  fighter like Pearsin brings. Once again his striking was precise, economic and powerful. As soon as he landed clean for the first time, you knew the end was in sight for Randy’s son.

Matt Mitrione def. Philip De Fries via KO (punches) – Round 1, 0:19

Not much to say for this one, De Fries ran straight into a big punch from Mitrione, which clipped him in the dreaded spot behind the ear, opening him up for a swift and devastating ground and pound finish. Unfortunately for the big Brit, I fear that may be the last chance he gets in the UFC, while ‘Meathead’ gets back on track after two straight defeats.

Brad Pickett def. Mike Easton via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)

Another fight which went as expected. Pickett attacked with a variety of strikes, takedowns and grappling to win at least two rounds and take home a decision.

Once again, Mike Easton simply did not attack enough. You can’t win fights by being passive.

Diego Brandao def. Pablo Garza via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:27

I think this may have been the most underrated performance of the night. Pablo Garza is no slouch, but Diego Brandao came out, went straight for the jugular (almost literally) and forced him to tap quickly in the first frame. The speed in which Brandao transitioned into the arm-triangle position was so fast that Garza hardly seemed to realise how much trouble he was in until it was too late. He tried to fight the submission off, but his efforts we futile, as the Brazilian had that locked up tight.

There is a plethora of interesting and exciting match-ups to make for Brandao, and so long as he has taken care of some of thee cardio issues that blighted him for his octagon losses, his aggression and dynamism should make him a match for almost anyone in the division

Akira Corassani def. Robbie Peralta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

This took me by surprise.

After a less than convincing performance in the TUF house, and against Andy Ogle last year in Birmingham, I had pretty much written Akira Corassani off. However, whether he has stepped up his training or the Swedish crowd really pushed him on to reach new heights, he raised his game to take out a highly touted prospect in Robbie Peralta.

He won’t be frightening the UFC’s 145 elite any time soon, but it was nice to see such a big improvement and gutsy performance from a fighter, which led to a great fight to kick off the main card

Prelim highlights

Only one place to start here, Conor McGregor’s beautiful series of uppercuts to take out Marcus Brimage.

Brimage came out aggressively and looked like he didn;t know what had hit him when the first uppercut landed. He couldn’t adjust, and they just kept coming.

McGregor looks set to be a star for the UFC now. Dana White has already committed to adding him to the Boston card later this year, and he got the Ko of the night bonus in his first octagon appearance. Exciting stuff.

The best fight of the night was Reza Madadi’s submission victory over Michael Johnson. Johnson hurt Madadi bad in the first round, and the horn for the end of the frame could not have come quickly enough for the Swede. He had composed himself 60 seconds later though, and took over the fight in the next round, increasing his dominance in the third and locking up the choke.

A fantastic performance (another good one form a Swede on the night), and a richly deserved fight of the night bonus.

Prelim results

Reza Madadi def. Michael Johnson via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 1:33
Tor Troeng def. Adam Cella via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:11
Adlan Amagov def. Chris Spang via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Conor McGregor def. Marcus Brimage via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:07
Ryan LaFlare def. Ben Alloway via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Tom Lawlor def. Michael Kuiper via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 1:05
Papy Abedi def. Besam Yousef via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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UFC on FUEL TV 9: Mousasi VS Latifi preview

A truncated prevview for tonight’s UFC on FUEL TV card, which is in the unusual position of being less appealing than the same week’s Bellator card. It certainly has a lot to live up to after such a rousing showing from the main-card fighters at Bellator 95.

The main event of Gergard Mousasi vs. Some Guy Ilir Latifi is quite a downgrade from what was original scheduled, as we have gone from a match between two top-10 light heavyweights that had title-shot implications, to a match between a veteran and an unknown.

I must admit I have no idea about Latifi’s abilities, but the fact that he had not made it to the UFC until no in a division lacking depth does not say an awful lot for his skills.

From what I have heard, expect Latifi to come charging out from the opening bell, winging punches and trying to overwhelm Mousasi. The Dutchman/Armenian should be able to take over in short order and put on a clinic by the second round at the latest, giving him an opportunity to shine in his promotional debut that he may not have had against the infinitely tougher Alexander Gustaffson.

There are a couple of fun lighter weight fights involving British fighters taking on tough Americans elsewhere on the main card.

Ross Pearson should be too good in every department for Ryan Couture, and walk away with a TKO or decision victory. Couture is by no means bad, bur Pearson has established himself as a good mid-upper level UFC fighter by now, and has the experience and constantly-improving skillset to make sure he is not upset.

Brad Pickett’s all-action attack should be kryptonite for Mike Easton, who, skilled as he is, seems to fail to put together any kind of consistent offence, costing him his two previous fights. Easton is difficult to finish, but a relentless attack from all angles from ‘One-Punch’ should be too much for him.

Elsewhere, I’m most interested by featherweight fights. Former TUF winner, and tightly-wound ball of violence Diego Brandao will tackle the 145lb division’s lankiest fighter. BOth of these guys have been involved in nothing but entertaining fights, win or lose, during their Zuffa tenure, and there should be no reason why that should change. I think the most likely course this fight will take is a stand up battle, leading to some heavy leather being thrown.

After a less than impressive showing on TUF, Marcus Brimage has surprised almost everyone by building a three-fight winning streak in the UFC. He will welcome highly-touted, two division Cage Warriors champion Conor McGregor to the promotion. THe Irishman has won his last eight fights by stoppage in the British promotion, but he should have a considerably tougher task in the world’s premier MMA organisation. If he can prevail however, the UFC could have a lively prospect on its hands, who could finally herald its return to the Emerald Isle.

Main Card lineup

Light Heavyweight – Gegard Mousasi vs. Ilir Latifi
Lightweight – Ross Pearson vs. Ryan Couture
Heavyweight – Matt Mitrione vs. Phil De Fries
Bantamweight – Brad Pickett vs. Mike Easton
Featherweight – Diego Brandao vs. Pablo Garza
Featherweight – Akira Corassani vs. Robbie Peralta

Prelims

Lightweight – Reza Madadi vs. Michael Johnson
Middleweight – Tor Troéng vs. Adam Cella
Welterweight – Chris Spång vs. Adlan Amagov
Featherweight – Marcus Brimage vs. Conor McGregor
Welterweight – Ben Alloway vs. Ryan LaFlare
Middleweight – Michael Kuiper vs. Tom Lawlor
Welterweight – Papy Abedi vs. Besam Yousef

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UFC on FUEL TV 9: Mousasi vs Latifi Weigh-In results and video

Everything was made official for UFC on FUEL TV 9 earlier this afternoon, as all fighters made weight.

Nothing much else to report apart from a little bit of aggro between Marcus Brimage and Conor McGregor, as well as Michael Johnson and Reza Madadi.

One thing to make note of though. Just because the various analysts from FUEL TV kept saying Gegard Mousasi used to be considered the best light heavyweight in the world, that doesn’t mean that is actually the case. He was more highly ranked, yes, but the best, certainly not.

Main Card

Light Heavyweight – Ilir Latifi (206) vs. Gegard Mousasi (204)
Lightweight – Ryan Couture (154) vs. Ross Pearson (155)
Heavyweight – Philip De Fries (248) vs. Matt Mitrione (259)
Bantamweight – Mike Easton (135) vs. Brad Pickett (135)
Featherweight – Diego Brandao (145) vs. Pablo Garza (146)
Featherweight – Akira Corassani (145) vs. Robert Peralta (146)

Prelims

Lightweight – Michael Johnson (155) vs. Reza Madadi (155)
Middleweight – Adam Cella (184) vs. Tor Troeng (185)
Welterweight – Adlan Amagov (170) vs. Chris Spang (170)
Featherweight – Marcus Brimage (145) vs. Conor McGregor (145)
Welterweight – Ben Alloway (170) vs. Ryan LaFlare (171)
Middleweight – Michael Kuiper (186) vs. Tom Lawlor (185)
Welterweight- Papy Abedi (170) vs. Besam Yousef (168)

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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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