ONE Championship: Dawn of Heroes Full Report

On Friday morning, ONE Championship hosted one of it’s bigger cards of the year. Besides it’s two championship bouts, the card also featured former UFC fighters Eddie Alvarez and Demetrious Johnson in their second ONE Championship fights. Since the card took place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, the show also had its fair share of Filippino fighters. Let’s look at the stacked 14 fight card, beginning with the prelims.

Bout 1: Sunoto vs. Muhammad Aiman (Bantamweight)

Starting off the evening in Manila was a MMA bout between Sunoto and Muhammad Aiman. Aiman had the youth advantage, being a whole decade younger than Sunoto. The first two minutes had evenly matched striking. Sunoto got a takedown in the third minute. Aiman was able to stand up and take it back to striking. Throughout the bout it was Aiman who was frequently coming forward. With two minutes left in the second round, the referee asked them for more action. Aiman landed a good overhand right shortly after. Sunoto got a takedown stuffed. Aiman tried for a guillotine in the final round. The fight went all three rounds with Aiman having a good finish, putting Sunoto in a corner and landing punches. Muhammad Aiman got the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 2: Ayaka Miura vs. Samara Santos (Strawweight)

In the next bout we had Japan’s Ayaka Miura face Brazil’s Samara Santos. Miura swarmed Santos right off the bat and scored a takedown. Miura landed knees to the head from top position while in the hold. Miura was in the hold for a few minutes, only escaping in the closing seconds of the round. Miura did the same thing at the start of the second round, getting another takedown. She put in an americana from side position, which gave her the win.

Bout 3: Miao Li Tao vs. Pongsiri Misatit (Catchweight 125 lbs)

In a catchweight bout, Miao Li Tao fought Pongsiri Misatit. Misatit comes from the Tiger Muay Thai gym. Tao landed a takedown in the first minute, eventually going into top position and throwing elbows and punches. He took Misatit’s back and tried for a rear naked choke. At the start of the second round, Tao threw Misatit to the ground. Tao stayed dominant until there was a minute and half to go, where Misatit got up. He was able to take Tao’s back for a few moments before he lost it. As the round as concluding, Tao put in a rear naked choke but couldn’t hold it for long enough. By the time the third round came around it was obvious that Tao was in complete control. It was easily his best round. The fight went it’s allotted time, with all three judges giving the fight to Miao Li Tao.

Bout 4: Xie Bin vs. Edward Kelly (Featherweight)

The next fight had the first Filippino fighter on the card. Of course he got a warm welcome from the crowd. Both fighters landed some hard shots early on. Bin landed a takedown in the first minute. They stood up in clinch up against a corner. Exiting clinch, Bin landed a clean right cross punch. Bin scored another takedown over halfway through the round. He tried for a d’arce choke which looked pretty secure. Kelly stayed in this position for a long time before Bin let it go. Kelly took top position, postured up and landed some strikes. He stood up and dove down onto Bin with more strikes. In the first minute of the second round, Bin caught a kick and turned it into a takedown. He was in control for the minute that they were on the ground. Halfway through the round he scored a trip takedown. In top position, Bin focused more on punches this time. The referee stepped in due to punches to the back of the head. He was given the designated five minutes for injury time. The fight ended during the break, with the judges deciding who won the bout. With Edward Kelly out of the ring, it was announced that all three judges gave it to Xie Bin.

Bout 5: Yushin Okami vs. James Nakashima (Welterweight)

The fifth preliminary bout included Yushin Okami from Japan and James Nakashima from the United States. Nakashima, who trains in the MMA Lab, was putting his undefeated streak of 11 wins on the line. Okami tried for a single leg takedown early on, getting Nakashima to the ground for maybe a second. He held Nakashima’s torso from behind until Nakashima spun around and grabbed his neck. Nakashima went to the ground in an attempt for a guillotine choke. Still trying for the choke, Nakashima transitioned from being on his back into top position. Nakashima let the hold go eventually. The first rounded ended with both fighters in a standing clinch. In the second round, Okami had a takedown blocked quickly. Nakashima landed a right jab which dropped Okami. He landed a few more shots from top position, but Okami recovered and stopped the flurry. Nakashima had many more takedowns stopped in the third round. The fight went the distance with all three judges giving it to James Nakashima. He seemed injured afterwards, having trouble walking around.

Bout 6: Daichi Takenaka vs. Leandro Issa (Bantamweight)

In the second bantamweight bout of the night, Daichi Takenaka fought Leandro Issa. Takenaka demonstrated good striking from the start, stringing together fast combinations. Issa caught Takenaka, but Takenaka was the one who got the better of a takedown. While on the ground, a cut on Issa’s forehead became visible. Issa was able to take top position in a half guard after Takenaka was on his back for a while. During the stand-up trading in the second round, Issa landed a powerful overhand right, although it didn’t seem to both Takenaka. What seemed like another cut was opened on Issa’s face. While Issa was responding with strikes of his own, Takenaka had a higher volume of punches. With a minute left in the round, Takenaka tried for a guillotine. The stream cut out before round three started, with it coming back when Daichi Takenaka was announced as the winner via TKO. I guess that’s one of the downsides of covering an event online instead of in person.

Bout 7: Dae Sung Park vs. Honorio Banario (Lightweight)

Dae Sung Park was on the non-favoured end of the pro-Phillipines crowd, with Honorio Banario having the crowd on his side. Both fighters were in a clinch at the start, but the referee split them due to inactivity. The split seemingly favoured Park, as he exploded with punches and kicks, dropping Banario. In the closing seconds of the first, Banario landed a couple of punches that shook Park, and then got a takedown. The second round was a break for both fighters, with no takedowns or hard shots. Park landed a good body kick halfway through the final round. Park threw down Banario for a takedown in the closing seconds of the fight.

Bout 8: Yuya Wakamatsu (10-4) vs. Geje Esta (Flyweight World Grand Prix Reserve Bout)

In the final preliminary bout we had the reserve bout for the flyweight grand prix. While still in the feeling out process of the fight, Yuya Wakamatsu landed a two-punch combo which dropped Geje Esta and ended the bout. The win was a good bounce back from his loss against Demetrious Johnson back in March.

Bout 9: Andrew Miller vs. Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym (Muay Thai) (Bantamweight)

After ONE did the introduction of all main card fighters, we had our first muay thai bout of the evening. Worth noting that the muay thai bouts on this card were done with MMA gloves. While both fighters threw punches in the first round, it felt like Rodlek threw the harder punches. Miller slipped in the final seconds of the round. Rodlek had another good round. In the final round, Rodlek landed a right cross which dropped Miller. He got up, although the referee had seen enough and ended it.

Bout 10: Reece McLaren vs. Danny Kingad (Flyweight World Grand Prix Semi-Final)

We got the first of two semi-final Flyweight GP fights next. Reece McLaren fought Danny Kingad. McLaren got a takedown in the first minute of the bout. Kingad tried for an armbar but lost it immediately. The crowd erupted when he almost put in the move. McLaren was on Kingad’s back for a long time, but then Kingad took top position as the round was ending. It was overwhelming how loud the crowd was cheering. McLaren took the fight back to the ground in the second round after Kingad missed a kick. When they went back to stand-up, Kingad threw good strikes. McLaren scored another takedown and kept in control for the second half of the round. At the start of the final round, Kingad was able to reverse a takedown. When they stood back up, he defended a take as well. McLaren stopped Kingad’s momentum with a takedown. Kingad had lots of ground control in the second half of the round. He had a strong round. In a split decision, Danny Kingad walked away with a victory. I doubt that score would be the same in a 10 point must system fight.

Bout 11: Demetrious Johnson vs. Tatsumitsu Wada (Flyweight World Grand Prix Semi-Final)

To see who would face Danny Kingad in the finals, Demetrious Johnson battled Tatsumitsu Wada. During the fight, Wada looked way bigger than Johnson. In the first round, both fighters battled in the clinch for a minute or so before Wada took Johnson’s back and landed on the canvas. Johnson flipped himself around for a moment, until Wada brought him back to the position before. While he didn’t do much, Wada was in control for most of the first round. A large amount of the second round was contested in a standing clinch. Both fighters threw knees to the mid-section and legs during the clinch. Johnson eventually got a double leg takedown. He was in top position for the rest of the round. In the first minute of the third round, Johnson caught a leg and got a single leg takedown. Wada was hit with an elbow on the ground which cut him open. The referee stopped halfway through the round for the cut to be checked on. The fight resumed, with Wada getting up from the ground with a minute left in the fight. With 20 seconds left in the fight, Wada took Johnson’s back. Just like the other semi-final fight, the bout went all three rounds. While it was a challenging bout for Demetrious Johnson, he won the fight via unanimous decision.

Bout 12: Eduard Folayang vs. Eddie Alvarez (Lightweight World Grand Prix Semi-Final)

Another familiar face for people who don’t frequent ONE was in the next fight. In his second ONE Championship fight, Eddie Alvarez fought Eduard Folayang in the semi-finals of the lightweight GP. Folayang was throwing explosive kicks throughout. Alvarez seemingly got dropped by a leg kick. Folayang did ground and pound, attempting to close out the fight, but Alvarez was able to take top position. Folayang gave up his back and was put in a rear naked choke which ended the bout. In what could have been another tragic stoppage for Alvarez, he was able to out-wrestle Folayang to win.

Bout 13: Jonathan Haggerty vs. Rodtang Jitmuangnon (ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship)

The co-main event of the evening was a muay thai bout for the promotion’s flyweight muay thai championship. Jonathan Haggerty attempted to defend his belt. It was schedule for five rounds of three minutes. Haggerty did a good job of utilizing push kicks in the first round. In the second round Rodtang landed an elbow after the referee shouted to stop a break. Rodtang woke up in the third round, letting his fists go a little more. This was a really exciting round to watch. Rodtang was obviously confident in his third-round performance, jumping on the ropes and egging on the crowd when the round ended. Rodtang’s performance peaked in the fourth round when he scored a knockdown via punches. The fight went all five rounds. By unanimous decision, Rodtang Jitmuangnon was crowned the new ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion.

Bout 14: Martin Nguyen (12-3) vs. Koyomi Matsushima (11-3) (ONE Lightweight Championship)

In the main event of the evening, Martin Nguyen attempted to defend his ONE Lightweight Championship against Koyomi Matsushima. After some quiet stand-up, Matsushima scored a takedown. Many more times Matsushima would score takedowns and out-wrestle Nguyen. In an attempt to defend, Nguyen would put some of his body outside of the ring, which Matsushima was fed up with by the time the round was ending. In the final moments of the first round Nguyen landed a knee exiting a takedown attempt by Matsushima. Early in the second round Nguyen was able to stuff a takedown. Nguyen kept it in stand-up in the second and started to lay down hard strikes. Matsushima was getting pelted with punches on the ground until the referee stepped in and ended the bout.

UFC on ESPN 5: Covington vs. Lawler Preview

UFC will ditch their usual start time on Saturday when UFC Newark takes place. With prelims starting at Noon Eastern Time and the main card three hours after, the sun will not go down before all winning arms are raised in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA. Along with 11 other fighters, ranked Welterweights Colby Covington and Robbie Lawler will face off in the main event of the card which will air on ESPN. Let’s look at the card from start to finish.

Bout 1: Hannah Goldy (5-0) vs. Miranda Granger (6-0) (Flyweight)

The night will kick off with a bout with high stakes involved. Both in their UFC debut, Hannah Goldy and Miranda Granger will put up their undefeated streaks. Goldy fought three times before being scouted on the ongoing season of the Tuesday Night Contender Series, earning her contract. Granger didn’t come through UFC’s star-finding show but recently fought in CFFC, a promotion which broadcasts on UFC Fight Pass. In her professional career, Granger has never gone into the final round, with numerous submission victories.

Bout 2: Claudio Silva (13-1) vs. Cole Williams (11-1) (Welterweight)

Heading into his fifth UFC fight, Claudio Silva has seen success so far, racking up four straight wins. As a matter of fact, if it wasn’t for his slip up in his pro debut, Silva would still be an undefeated fighter. But, most people eventually lose the big O on their record. He will be stacked up against Cole Williams, who similarily, has only taken one pro loss early in his campaign. Williams established himself in Iowa, fighting frequently in the Pinnacle Combat promotion. It was reported a few weeks back that Williams would replace Ramazan Emeev on this card after visa issues stopped the original pairing. On Friday, Williams failed to make weight, weighing 176 pounds over the 170 limit.

Bout 3: Mara Romero Borella (12-5) vs. Lauren Murphy (10-4) (Flyweight)

In the second flyweight matchup of the afternoon, Mara Romero Borella and Lauren Murphy will battle each other. Borella holds a 2-1 record within the UFC, while Murphy has had a less lucky 2-4 record (with an exhibition loss against Nicco Montano on The Ultimate Fighter). Murphy was pulled out of a fight against Ashlee Evans-Smith earlier in 2018 after she suffered an injury. Nearly six months later, Murphy will see her first matchup in 14 months.

Bout 4: Matt Schnell (13-4) vs. Jordan Espinosa (14-5) (Flyweight)

In another flyweight bout, two fighters on a hot-streak will collide. Matt Schnell, who is on a three-fight winning streak in the UFC, will face Jordan Espinosa, who has won five times in a row including one UFC victory. Schnell turned around his unsuccessful UFC career, not winning The Ultimate Fighter Season 24, and taking two pro losses. Since then, he has gotten three wins over Marco Antonio Beltran, Naoki Inoue and Louis Smolka. Espinosa is on a longer win streak, however, most of them have come outside of the UFC. Winning twice in 2017 and in 2018, Espinosa came in hot in his UFC debut, getting a decision victory over Eric Shelton. Someone’s momentum may come to a halt on Saturday.

Bout 5: Antonina Shevchenko (7-1) vs. Lucie Pudilova (8-4) (Flyweight)

In the Shevchenko family, it’s “Bullet” Valentina Shevchenko who is more well known. While this is the case, nowadays chances are that people might be talking about Antonina Shevchenko as well. Debuting in the UFC in late 2018, Shevchenko has defeated Ji Yeon Kim and lost to Roxanne Modafferi, handing “The Panther” her first pro loss. She will face Lucie Pudilova on Saturday, who is on a two-fight losing streak, albeit against formidable opponents in Irene Aldana (bantamweight bout) and Liz Carmouche. Pudilova has had a longer stint within the UFC, debuting in 2017 and having an overall 2-3 record.

Bout 6: Mickey Gall (5-2) vs. Salim Touahri (10-3) (Welterweight)

While young in his career, Mickey Gall is a name that most MMA fans will remember. His decisive win over former WWE wrestler CM Punk back in 2016 put many eyes on the then 24-year-old MMA fighter with a 2-0 record prior to the competition. He has since fought four more times, overall having a 4-2 record within the promotion. His recent loss came against UFC veteran Diego Sanchez, who got his first stoppage win in over a decade. In his next fight, Gall will be replacing Zelim Imadaev due to injury. Like some of his recent fights, Gall will be facing a more experienced fighter in Salim Touahri on Saturday. Touahri will attempt to snap his two-fight losing streak, which has been in place since his UFC debut.

Bout 7: Darko Stosic (13-2) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (6-1) (Light Heavyweight)

Starting off the main card, the show will have it’s heaviest bout on the card. Darko Stosic and Kennedy Nzechukwu will compete in a Light Heavyweight bout, as the broadcast flips to ESPN at 3 PM Eastern Time. Stosic and Nzechukwu haven’t started their UFC career in the way they necessarily wanted, with Stosic having a 1-1 record and Nzechukwu holding a 0-1 record. Although, one will likely see success on Saturday, turning the tide for their career.

Bout 8: Scott Holtzman (12-3) vs. Dong Hyun Ma (16-9-3) (Lightweight)

In the first of three lightweight bouts of the afternoon, two experienced UFC fighters in Scott Holtzman and “Maestro” Dong Hyun Ma will compete. Holtzman has fought eight times before in the UFC, currently with a 5-3 record in the promotion. Hyun Ma has fought six times, with an even record of 3-3. They have both lost recently, breaking their three-fight win streaks before. If Hyun Ma were to win on Saturday, it would be a real indictment for the UFC to not book him on the UFC Fight Night in Busan, South Korea set for December 21, 2019. Dong Hyun Ma weighed in at 158, going three pounds above the lightweight limit.

Bout 9: Gerald Meerschaert (29-11) vs. Trevin Giles (11-1) (Middleweight)

Gerald Meerschaert and Trevin Giles will compete in the next bout. The experience differential is large, with Giles having the same number of wins as Meerschaert has losses. Giles took his first pro loss in May, losing to Zak Cummings in his third UFC bout. Meerschaert is on a two-fight losing streak, making his current record in the UFC 4-3.

Bout 10: Joaquim Silva (11-1) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (10-2) (Lightweight)

Joaquim Silva and Nasrat Haqparast have the same amount of MMA bouts each, but a win for Haqparast on Saturday will make their wins and losses equal. Heading into his fourth UFC bout, Haqparast is 2-1 in the UFC, coming back after an eight-month layoff, defeating Thibault Gouti in a 2018 bout. Joaquim Silva is also coming back after a similar time of absence, beating Jared Gordon in December. Silva currently has a 4-1 record in the UFC.

Bout 11: Clay Guida (35-18) vs. Jim Miller (30-13) (Lightweight)

In the co-main event will be a battle between two very experienced UFC fighters. Clay Guida and Jim Miller have fought in the UFC since 2006 and 2008 respectively, making them some of the longest standing active UFC fighters. Both fighters have won already in 2019. Miller had a quick first-round rear naked choke win over Jason Gonzalez in April. Guida fought fellow veteran BJ Penn for three rounds in May, taking all three scorecards to get his victory.

Bout 12: Colby Covington (14-1) vs. Robbie Lawler (28-13) (Welterweight)

Back in June of 2018, Colby Covington seemingly sealed his fate as the next in line for a UFC Welterweight title shot, defeating Rafael dos Anjos and becoming the interim champion. That was the plan at least, until a nasal injury sidelined him from a bout, and also took away his expected title shot. He now finds himself scheduled to face fellow ranked fighter Robbie Lawler in a main event, but no belts are involved.

Robbie Lawler attempted to spoil Ben Askren’s UFC debut in March, but lost in a controversial stoppage due to a bulldog choke. Before then, he lost to Rafael dos Anjos in a decision. Before he beat Donald Cerrone in 2017, his last win, he lost in just over two minutes to Tyron Woodley, former Welterweight Champion. Whilst a much more experienced UFC fighter than Covington, he’s lost to people Covington has beat, and more importantly, has been losing much more lately.

Colby Covington’s personality, specifically online, has made him a polarizing figure. Through his Instagram videos and sponsored content, he often flaunts his lifestyle and mocks his viewers with terms like “snowflakes” and “nerds.” Despite his stripping of the interim belt, Covington has continued to carry a championship in his photos and videos.

Covington has also never been afraid to share his political values, being a vocal endorser of current President of The United States Donald Trump. He often wears Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hats in posts and visited the White House shortly after his Interim Championship victory. It was announced earlier in the week that two sons of the President, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. would be present for the main event on Saturday.

All antics will be put aside on Saturday when Colby Covington and Robbie Lawler face off in the main event. Covington currently sits in #2 in the Welterweight rankings, with Lawler at #11. A win for Covington could mean a now long-awaited title shot, with Lawler also being put in the conversation if he comes out victorious.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 3 Episode 6 Full Report

On Tuesday, ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass aired the sixth of nine episodes of Dana White’s Contender Series. The show showcased five fights, ranging from the promotion’s heaviest to lightest weight class. Let’s start with the first bout where the heavyweights showcased their talent.

Bout 1: Michal Martinek (7-0) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (6-0) (Heavyweight)

The first fight was a clash of two undefeated heavyweights. From the Czech Republic, Michal Martinek faced Brazilian Rodrigo Nascimento. Early in the fight Martinek had Nascimento up against the cage. He tried for a takedown but Nascimento ended up on top. After landing some strikes, Nascimento put in a arm and head choke which made Martinek tap out.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Martinek
Nascimento

Bout 2: Rico Farrington (7-2) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (8-1) (Welterweight)

The next bout was a welterweight bout. Despite being fight win-loss records, the two fighters in this bout made up one-half of the losses from all fighters records tonight. The first round of the fight had close striking, even though Farrington had the reach advantage. Rodriguez landed many leg kicks. He also landed a takedown in the final moments of the first round. They continued to keep it mostly stand-up through all three rounds. Rodriguez rocked Farrington with punches early in the third round. Farrington found a home for his left cross in this round. At the end of the third Rodriguez took the fight to the ground and nearly ended it due to strikes. The judges gave Daniel Rodriguez the fight unanimously (30-27, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Farrington	9
Rodriguez	10

Bout 3: Mariya Agapova (6-0) vs. Tracy Cortez (5-1) (Flyweight)

The next fight was a flyweight battle between Mariya Agapova and Tracy Cortez. Cortez landed a trip in the clinch in the third minute after evenly matched stand-up. She took the back of Agapova and landed some punches. Agapova flipped around and took top position. They stood back up, still in clinch. Cortez landed knees in clinch and then got a takedown as the round winded down. Cortez scored another takedown only seconds into the second round. Agapova got up and grabbed a leg of Cortez, although she was brought back to the ground. Cortez showed off amazing wrestling. Cortez was on Agapova’s back for the rest of the round but never fully got in a rear naked choke. In the final round, Cortez came in with a takedown but Agapova nearly got the better of it, putting in a headlock. Cortez was able to push out of it and take Agapova’s back once again. They stood back up near the end, with the fight going all three rounds. Tracy Cortez got her victory in quite decisive fashion (30-26, 30-26 & 29-27). She was emotional after the fight, as she fights her brother and mother who have passed away.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Agapova	9	9	9	27
Cortez	10	10	10	30

Bout 4: Aalon Cruz (7-2) vs. Steven Nguyen (6-0) (Featherweight)

In the co-main event fight, Aalon Cruz fought undefeated Steven Nguyen. The first round of the fight was strictly punches and kicks. Cruz was the one who threw more kicks throughout. Both fighters were in a close battle, until the final minute when Cruz landed a flying knee which ended the bout. Dana White, who was octagon-side motioned to Cruz that he had eanred his contract.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Cruz
Nguyen

Bout 5: Fabio Cherant (4-0) vs. Aleksa Camur (4-0) (Light Heavyweight)

In the main event of this episode, two undefeated light heavyweights in Fabio Cherant and Aleksa Camur competed. Camur made his way out of the first round for the first time in his career. In the second round Cherant landed a good punch but Camur responded with a flying knee which dropped Cherant. Cherant was still in it, but Camur kept hitting him with hammerfist punches. The referee eventually called off the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Cherant	10
Camur	9

After some time, Dana White decided to sign Rodrigo Nascimento, Tracy Cortez, Aalon Cruz and Aleksa Camur.

Gilbert Burns To Take Short Notice Bout Against Alexey Kunchenko At UFC Montevideo

Yesterday, news broke that Alexey Kunchenko wouldn’t see Laureano Staropoli at UFC Montevideo due to a broken nose. In a days time, Kunchenko has gotten a replacement in Gilbert Burns.

Gilbert Burns is taking the fight on short notice, as the event takes place on August 10th. Normally a lightweight fighter, Burns will be making the move up to welterweight for this bout. He is currently on a two-fight winning streak, recently defeating Mike Davis on an April Fight Night card. Kunchenko will be the first undefeated opponent that Burns has faced since his UFC debut against Andreas Stahl in 2014.

Alexey Kunchenko will have his trilogy fight in the UFC on the 10th, picking up wins against Yushin Okami and Thiago Alves back in 2018. Prior to joining the promotion, he saw success in the Russian MMA promotions M-1.

While 13 fights are currently scheduled for UFC Montevideo, a replacement opponent for Ariane Carnelossi is yet to be seen. The card is headlined by Valentina Shevchenko and Liz Carmouche, with Shevchenko attempting to defend her UFC Flyweight Championship in a rematch. Here’s the current status of the card:

Valentina Shevchenko (17-3) vs. Liz Carmouche (13-6) (UFC Flyweight Championship)
Volkan Oezdemir (15-4) vs. Ilir Latifi (14-6) (Light Heavyweight)
Vicente Luque (16-6-1) vs. Mike Perry (13-4) (Welterweight)
Humberto Bandenay (14-6) vs. Luiz Eduardo Garagorri (12-0) (Featherweight)
Oskar Piechota (11-1-1) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (5-0) (Middleweight)
Cyril Gane (3-0) vs. Raphael Pessoa (9-0) (Heavyweight)
Enrique Barzola (15-4-1) vs. Bobby Moffett (14-4) (Featherweight)
Tecia Torres (10-4) vs. Marina Rodriguez (11-0-1) (Strawweight)
Raulian Paiva (18-2) vs. Rogerio Bontorin (15-1) (Flyweight)
Alex da Silva (20-2) vs. Rodrigo Vargas (11-2) (Lightweight)
Gilbert Burns (15-3) vs. Alexey Kunchenko (20-0) (Welterweight)
Polyana Viana (10-3) vs. Veronica Macedo (5-3-1) (Flyweight)
Geraldo de Freitas (12-4) vs. Chris Gutierrez (13-3-1) (Bantamweight)

Luana Carolina Off UFC Shenzen Card Due To Fractured Spine

Yanan Wu has been left without an opponent for UFC Shenzen after an injury to Luana Carolina. Monday night the news was broken by MMA Fighting that Carolina suffered a fractured spine, taking her off the late August card.

With just over a month before the card, UFC will have to find someone quickly if they plan on finding a replacement opponent. Wu was scheduled to be one of the five Chinese fighters on the card.

Jessica Andrade will attempt to make her first defence of the UFC Strawweight Championship against China’s own Weili Zhang. Here’s the card after the recent scratch:

Jessica Andrade (20-6) vs. Weili Zhang (19-1) (UFC Strawweight Championship)
Elizeu Zaleski (21-5) vs. Jingliang Li (16-5) (Welterweight)
Saparbeg Safarov (9-2) vs. Da Un Jung (11-2) (Light Heavyweight)
Anthony Hernandez (6-1) vs. Jun Yong Park (10-3) (Middleweight)
Mark De La Rosa (11-2) vs. Kai Kara-France (19-7) (Flyweight)
Karol Rosa (11-3) vs. Lara Procopio (6-0) (Bantamweight)
Movsar Evloev (11-0) vs. Mike Grundy (12-1) (Featherweight)
Andre Soukhamthath (13-7) vs. Su Mudaerji (11-4) (Bantamweight)
Damir Ismagulov (18-1) vs. Thiago Moises (12-3) (Lightweight)
Kenan Song (14-5) vs. Derrick Krantz (24-11) (Welterweight)

Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas Set For UFC San Francisco

After a 14-month layoff, Mackenzie Dern will make her UFC return against Amanda Ribas on October 12th. Originally reported by ESPN, the news of the fight announcement broke on Monday night that Dern would return after taking a leave of absence to give birth to her daughter.

Amanda Ribas made her UFC debut last month, defeating Emily Whitmire via rear naked choke in the second round. She currently has a professional record of 7-1.

Mackenzie Dern continued her undefeated streak as a professional through her first two fights for the UFC. Debuting in 2016, Dern currently holds a record of 6-0.

The October 12th card is set to take place in San Francisco, with two big fights already announced for it. In the headlining spot, Joanna Jedrzejczyk will face Michelle Waterson in a strawweight bout. Jedrzejczyk recently lost to Valentina Shevchenko, with Waterson currently riding a three-fight win streak with a recent victory over Karolina Kowalkeiwicz.

In the co-main event slot is featherweight fighter Cub Swanson facing Kron Gracie. Swanson is a veteran of MMA, while Gracie is only five fights into his professional career.

UFC Montevideo Sees Four Card Changes

The UFC Uruguay event was thrown for a spin on Monday, with four different fights on the card being changed. In a day’s time, Rachael Ostovich, Laureano Staropoli, Rafael Fiziev and Taila Santos have all been pulled from the card, with replacements found for only some of the bouts.

The news started on Monday morning when the story that Taila Santos was pulled from her bout with Ariane Carnelossi due a wrist injury. A replacement fighter for that bout has yet to be found.

Combate reported the change of two more bout. It was reported that Rafael Fiziev would be replaced by Rodrigo Vargas to face Alex da Silva and that Laureano Staropoli would not face Alexey Kunchenko due to a broken nose.

The other change was that Rachael Ostovich would not face Veronica Macedo, but instead, Polyana Viana would.

UFC Uruguay is set to happen in under two weeks time, with the headlining about a championship bout between Valentina Shevchenko and Liz Carmouche. With 14 fights currently scheduled, here’s the card with all of it’s complete fights:

Valentina Shevchenko (17-3) vs. Liz Carmouche (13-6) (UFC Flyweight Championship)
Volkan Oezdemir (15-4) vs. Ilir Latifi (14-6) (Light Heavyweight)
Vicente Luque (16-6-1) vs. Mike Perry (13-4) (Welterweight)
Humberto Bandenay (14-6) vs. Luiz Eduardo Garagorri (12-0) (Featherweight)
Oskar Piechota (11-1-1) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (5-0) (Middleweight)
Cyril Gane (3-0) vs. Raphael Pessoa (9-0) (Heavyweight)
Enrique Barzola (15-4-1) vs. Bobby Moffett (14-4) (Featherweight)
Tecia Torres (10-4) vs. Marina Rodriguez (11-0-1) (Strawweight)
Raulian Paiva (18-2) vs. Rogerio Bontorin (15-1) (Flyweight)
Alex da Silva (20-2) vs. Rodrigo Vargas (11-2) (Lightweight)
Polyana Viana (10-3) vs. Veronica Macedo (5-3-1) (Flyweight)
Geraldo de Freitas (12-4) vs. Chris Gutierrez (13-3-1) (Bantamweight)

Undefeated Movsar Evloev to face Mike Grundy At UFC Shenzen

The late August Fight Night card set to take place in Shenzen, China, had it’s 11th bout added on Monday. Confirmed by the fighters and promotion, it was announced that Movsar Evloev and Mike Grundy would compete in a Featherweight bout.

Both fighters will only be having their second bout within the UFC. Mike Grundy holds a 12-1 MMA record at the age of 32. His first UFC fight was a round two stoppage victory over Nad Narimani. Movsar Evloev is still undefeated with a record of 11-0, defeating Seung Woo Choi in his respective promotional debut. Before then he had an extensive run in Russian MMA promotion M-1.

In a rare case for a Fight Night card, a championship is in the headlining bout. In a UFC Strawweight Championship bout, Jessica Andrade will attempt to defend her newly won bout against China’s own Weili Zhang. Andrade won the belt from Rose Namajunas back in May in her home country of Brazil. She will walk a mile in “Thug Rose’s” shoes when she goes into the home territory of Zhang.

The card features four other Chinese fighters among the 11 scheduled bouts. Here’s the complete card as of right now:

Jessica Andrade (20-6) vs. Weili Zhang (19-1) (UFC Strawweight Championship)
Elizeu Zaleski (21-5) vs. Jingliang Li (16-5) (Welterweight)
Yanan Wu (10-2) vs. Luana Carolina (6-1) (Flyweight)
Saparbeg Safarov (9-2) vs. Da Un Jung (11-2) (Light Heavyweight)
Anthony Hernandez (6-1) vs. Jun Yong Park (10-3) (Middleweight)
Mark De La Rosa (11-2) vs. Kai Kara-France (19-7) (Flyweight)
Karol Rosa (11-3) vs. Lara Procopio (6-0) (Bantamweight)
Movsar Evloev (11-0) vs. Mike Grundy (12-1) (Featherweight)
Andre Soukhamthath (13-7) vs. Su Mudaerji (11-4) (Bantamweight)
Damir Ismagulov (18-1) vs. Thiago Moises (12-3) (Lightweight)
Kenan Song (14-5) vs. Derrick Krantz (24-11) (Welterweight)

Laying Down Leather #6: UFC 240, RIZIN 17 & Gervonta Davis!

MMA

On Saturday I watched UFC 240 and RIZIN 17 back-to-back. It was quite an experience. I had never watched a RIZIN show start to finish live, and I would say I enjoyed it. Of course, I can’t do it for every show, but it was fun to do it for this one.

UFC 240 was pretty good. While the main card was mostly dull, the co-main and main event were fun to watch. Max Holloway put on a good performance, as did Cris Cyborg and her prospect opponent Felicia Spencer. The prelims had some really fun fights, with Canadians Gillian Robertson, Hakeem Dawodu and Gavin Tucker having great bouts.

I was disappointed how long on the card Deiveson Figueiredo versus Alexandre Pantoja was, as it was two high ranked flyweights facing off. Also, it was an exciting bout. The show lacked star power apart from it’s final acts, but it still put on a good show.

You can see the full report of UFC 240 here.

I have quite a lot of thoughts on RIZIN so bare with me here. Let’s start with the two women’s fights first. I was disappointed in KING Reina’s performance. Not that I expect her to be an amazing fighter, but her bizarre gimmick makes her someone you want to see go to the top. Seo Hee Ham’s performance was amazing, with her finish taking full advantage of the PRIDE rules that RIZIN allows. Also, it was cool to see her wear the outfit she used to wear in DEEP Jewels as opposed to what she wears in Road FC.

I wanted Jake Heun and Vitaly Shemetov to win, so I was pretty split on that fight. Obviously, the cut stoppage bummed me out. Roberto de Souza, Ali Abdulkhalikov and Johnny Case had good performances, but their opponents are too old to be in there, man. I don’t know the status of Satoru Kitaoka, but I am worried for him after the finish to his bout where he was carried off in a gurney.

I usually love the kickboxing on the RIZIN cards, but there wasn’t much to see in the two bouts tonight. Ivan Shtyrkov looks terrifying, but his highlight reel didn’t show in his performance.

While I like Ulka Sasaki, I have to give credit to how good the finishing sequence from Shintaro Ishiwatari was. The other bantamweight match was the best fight that went the distance, as Yuki Motoya and Hiromasa Ogikubo were very evenly matched. Motoya’s final round was electric.

The bad blood main event between Mikuru Asakura and Yusuke Yachi wasn’t as good as we expected, but still not bad. The finishing exchange was cool on Asakura’s behalf. This was Yachi’s fight to lose, and now makes it his third loss in a row.

You can see the full report for RIZIN 17 here.‘

Boxing

Gervonta Davis’ victory over Ricardo Nunes was an expected and quick one. I don’t have much more to say about it since it was just a showcase bout.

You can see the report for this fight here.

This Week On The Site And Beyond!

This week I’ll be able to cover the UFC Fight Night. Along with that will be my usual music writing at lwos.life. Have a good week.

Yair Rodriguez vs. Jeremy Stephens Among Fights Announced For UFC Fight Night: Mexico City

UFC’s Fight Night event from Mexico City has gotten a big wave of fights announced, lead by Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens. Along with six other bouts, the contest between the two featherweights was announced during UFC 240 on Saturday night.

Yair Rodriguez’s last fight was back in November, getting a buzzer beater finish over the “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung, landing an elbow. Jeremy Stephens has fought more recently, losing to Zabit Magomedsharipov at UFC 235 in April. He attempts to snap a two-fight losing streak, as his previous loss was to Jose Aldo. Rodriguez is currently rank #7 in the featherweight division, while Stephens is #8.

Three high profile women’s fights were also announced, with one in the strawweight division and two other in the bantamweight class. #9 rank strawweight Carla Esparza will face #10 seeded Alexa Grasso. Unranked bantamweight Bethe Correia will face #14 ranked Sijara Eubanks. The other bantamweight bout announced was #9 Marion Renau versus #10 Irene Aldana.

The other fight that has two ranked fighters is a flyweight contest between #5 ranked Sergio Pettis and #10 ranked Alex Perez. Similarly, #7 Brandon Moreno and Askar Askarov will compete in a flyweight bout. Also announced was a light heavyweight clash between Vinicius Moreira and Paul Craig.

In no specific order, this is the announced fights for UFC Mexico City:

Yair Rodriguez (11-2) vs. Jeremy Stephens (26-16) (Featherweight)
Carla Esparza (14-6) vs. Alexa Grasso (11-2) (Strawweight)
Sijara Eubanks (4-3) vs. Bethe Correia (10-4-1) (Bantamweight)
Sergio Pettis (17-5) vs. Alex Perez (22-5) (Flyweight)
Morion Reneau (9-5-1) vs. Irene Aldana (10-5) (Bantamweight)
Vinicius Moreira (9-3) vs. Paul Craig (11-4) (Light Heavyweight)
Askar Askarov (10-0) vs. Brandon Moreno (15-5) (Flyweight)
Angela Hill (9-7) vs. Istela Nunes (7-1) (Strawweight)
Jose Alberto Quinones (7-3) vs. Carlos Huachin (10-4-2) (Bantamweight)

The card currently has five Mexican fighters scheduled to compete. The event is scheduled for September 21st, with the prelims at 5pm EST and the main card at 8pm EST.