Category: MMA

Max Holloway Defeats Frankie Edgar Via Decision, Retains Featherweight Belt

Max Holloway made the third defence of his UFC Featherweight Championship on Saturday, defeating Frankie Edgar in a five round decision victory. From the Rogers Place, Holloway had a clean sweep on two judges cards, with two rounds lost on the third scorecard (50-45, 50-45 & 48-47). The fight headlined “UFC 240” at the Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Despite it being a title defense, the fight was a bounce back for Holloway after losing his Interim Lightweight Championship in April to Dustin Poirier. That fight was another five round decision, although it didn’t go in Holloway’s favour. His previous featherweight defense was against Brian Ortega in December, winning via doctor’s stoppage in-between rounds four and five.

The co-main saw Cris Cyborg finish the last fight on her UFC contract against undefeated Canadian prospect Felicia Spencer. Cyborg won via decision. The card featured six Canadian fighters, with the win/loss record for the country being 3-4 by the end of the night.

UFC’s next event is a fight night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA. Robbie Lawler and Colby Covington are set to compete in a five round main event.

RIZIN 17 Live Coverage

Just as UFC 240 ended, over at Saitama Super Arena RIZIN 17 was kicking off. The large card featured three fights at the top of the card that aim to have Japan’s biggest fighters going up against each other. In the main event was Mikuru Asakura versus Yusuke Yachi. Let’s go through the debut card from RIZIN’s 2019 debut at Saitama Super Arena.

Bout 1: Daiki Watabe (22-23-2) vs. Hideki (15-5-2) (Kickboxing Rules) (148 lbs)

After the promotion’s usual epic intro, we had our first bout. The first bout of the evening was a kickboxing contest Daiki Watabe and Hideki. It was both fighter’s debuts within the promotion. This time around there is no banners hung up of RIZIN’s partnered promotions. Watabe comes from Tenshin Nasukawa’s gym TEAM TEPPEN. As a matter of fact, Tenshin was in his corner for this fight. After a few minutes of close fighting, Hideki let his hands go and landed enough to give Watabe a standing 10 count. After that, Hideki continued to pepper on punches, but Watabe survived the round. The second round was closer, with Watabe landing lots of low kicks. Hideki did have a good opening, where he backed Watabe into a corner and teed off. It felt like Hideki glided through this round, just defending what Watabe threw. Hideki showboated throughout the bout. It went the distance with the fight going to Hideki via majority decision.

Bout 2: KING Reina (11-2) vs. Stephanie Egger (3-1) (MMA Rules) (139 lbs)

In the next bout we had KING Reina versus Stephanie Egger. Reina had a very epic entrance, keeping a real serious face. Early on it was Egger who threw Reina on the ground and took her back. Reina got up and avoided a rear naked choke. Egger landed a trip takedown in the second round. Egger tried for the rear naked choke again but couldn’t get it fully in. In stand-up, Egger had a significant height and reach advantage. In the third round, Egger tried for a rear anked choke for the third time. She escaped once again, with both fighters going to their feet for the final minute. Reina started coming forward aggressively with punches, but Egger stopped it by clinching up. The crowd started chanting Reina’s name. The fight went the distance, with Reina dropping to the ground as the fight ended. All three judges gave the fight to Stephanie Egger.

Bout 3: Seo Hee Ham (20-8) vs. Tomo Maesawa (12-9) (MMA Rules) (108 lbs)

In the next bout, we had a champion versus champion bout, with DEEP Jewels champion Tomo Maesawa facing Road FC Champion Seo Hee Ham. It was made clear at RIZIN 16 that Seo Hee Ham wants to face Ayake Hamasaki later on. They had close striking for a few minutes. Maesawa was dropped by knees to the body then Hamderlei capitalized by landing knees while Maesawa was down in the corner. Referee Jason Herzog stepped in and ended the bout. She called out Miyuu Yamamoto after the bout, saying she wants that fight before a title shot. Yamamoto entered the ring and accepted the challenge and did a face off.

Bout 4: Jake Heun (13-9) vs. Vitaly Shemetov (23-9) (MMA Rules) (205 lbs)

In the next bout, viral sensation Vitaly Shemetov faced Jake Heun. Sadly I can’t tell you why, but the song that Shemetov walked out to got a big pop. Also, Shemetov himself got a pretty loud reaction for when he walked out. Coming out in all white, Heun did a creative walkout dancing to “Stayin Alive” by Bee Gees. Someone delivered flowers to each fighter before the bout and got a huge crowd pop. As the referee was giving instructions, Shemetov gave a heart to the camera. So, safe to say he looked comfortable. Early on it was obvious that both of these guys were throwing some real power. Heun went for a takedown halfway through the first round. Shemetov got up after getting hit with some elbows on the ground. Shemetov got a takedown with a minute left, but Heun quickly took control. In the second round there was a pause when Shemetov was hit in the groin. Heun had a great string of strikes in the corner but it was interrupted by yet another hit to the groin. Shemetov was on the ground for quite some time this time. He eventually was able to continue. Heun was given a yellow card. Heun landed a slam, taking the fight to the ground. Heun attempted a hammerlock but couldn’t get it. He landed punches as the second round concluded. Early in the third round Shemetov had a good combination of punches. Going back to where he was finding success, Heun landed yet another takedown. Shemetov was cut open badly with a cut on the ground from an elbow, ending the fight abruptly.

Bout 5: Roberto Satoshi Souza (8-0) vs. Mizuto Hirota (18-10-2) (MMA Rules) (157 lbs)

The next contest had undefeated BJJ fighter Roberto Satoshi Souza face JMMA veteran Mizuto Hirota. Souza got a vicious takedown in the first minute of the bout. From top position, Souza landed strikes to the side of the head. They stood up after a few minutes on the ground. Souza tried another takedown but it was blocked. Souza landed an overhead right which rocked Hirota. He did another which dropped him, and then landed a few more strikes to close out the fight.

Bout 6: Tatsuya Kawajiri (36-13-2) vs. Ali Abdulkhalikov (7-0) (157 lbs)

Undefeated fighter Ali Abdulkhalikov challenged experienced fighter Tatsuya Kawajiri. Seconds into the bout Kawajiri missed a takedown and was hit with a hook to the head because of it. Abdulkhalikov’s strikes were looking fast. Kawajiri ducked a spinning backfist and tried for a takedown but couldn’t get it. Abdulkhalikov reversed a takedown then went back to the feet. Kawajiri caught a leg and brought Abdulkhalikov to his knees, but never fully secured the takedown. Upon another attempt, Kawajiri finally got a takedown. Kawajiri tried for a kimura but couldn’t as the round concluded. In the second round, Kawajiri tried for the kimura once again. He tried for a guillotine as well, but Abdulkhalikov’s head popped out. Kawajiri tried for the kimura a third time in the final round. He couldn’t get it, but transitioned into top position and tried for a choke. Kawajiri did elbows and punches until the fight ran out of time. All three judges gave the bout to Tatsuya Kawajiri.

Bout 7: Satoru Kitaoka (42-19-9) vs. Johnny Case (25-6-1) (MMA Rules) (157 lbs)

It wasn’t shown on the English broadcast, but the mayor of Saitama spoke in the ring before the next bout. The final bout before intermission was Satoru Kitaoka versus Johnny Case. Like many 157 pound bouts tonight, winners will have a chance at being in RIZIN’s Lightweight GP. Kitaoka tried for a takedown in the first minute and was given elbows to the head for his troubles. He refused to let go of Case’s leg, but kept getting hit. Case got a trip takedown. Kitaoka tried to a leg lock. Case escaped and started to rain down strikes. Kawajiri survived the first round. Kawajiri had to be carried by his team to the corner, and was laying on the ground before they got there. In-between rounds, Kitaoka’s corner surrendered the bout. Kitaoka was carried away on a gurney. Case told the crowd to say a prayer for Kitaoka.

Bout 8: Hikaru Machida (35-17-3) vs. Taiga (19-9-1) (Kickboxing Rules) (137 lbs)

Coming back from intermission, RIZIN had their second and final kickboxing bout of the evening. Shoot Boxing fighter Hikaru Machida fought Taiga. Machida is known for making the motion of pulling out a sword before throwing his sunday punches. He made the motion once in the first round but didn’t land a punch. Both fighters had their moments in the first round. Throughout the fight it was Machida that was advancing. Taiga had a good flurry at the end of the second round.  Taiga landed a takedown in the final seconds of the bout, securing his victory. All three judges gave the fight to Taiga.

Bout 9: Ivan Shtyrkov (16-0-1) vs. Hoon Kim (10-15-2) (MMA Rules) (205 lbs)

In the second light heavyweight bout of the evening, Ivan Shtyrkov battled Hoon Kim. The difference in records between the two is quite drastic. They clinched early in the bout, but the referee separated them eventually. The fight went to the ground with Shtyrkov in top position. A standing clinch was broken yet again in the second round. Shtyrkov landed a takedown and landed very short strikes. He landed enough punches that the referee eventually stepped in and ended the bout. The crowd didn’t seem to interested in the bout by that point.

Bout 10: Yuki Motoya (23-6) vs. Hiromasa Ogikubo (18-4-2) (MMA Rules) (134 lbs)

Before the next bout a promo aired for RIZIN 18, which will take place on August 18th. Kyoji Horiguchi was introduced. He had his RIZIN and Bellator belts with him. He talked about his bout with Kai Asakura which will happen at the next event. The next match was the first of three Japan versus Japan matchups. Also, it was a Shooto versus DEEP matchup, with Motoya representing Shooto and Ogikubo representing DEEP. Ogikubo landed a takedown in the first minute of the contest. Motoya tried to counter with a guillotine, although he let go of it eventually. They got back up after Ogikubo tried for a rear naked choke. He landed another takedown. Ogikubo landed more takedowns in the second. There was more stand-up in the second round compared to the first. The final round had a crazy fist fight from both fighters. It was ended when Ogikubo scored a takedown. They stood back up shortly after and continued their chaotic exchange. Motoya was connecting with the better punches. Ogikubo landed another takedown after looking like he was in trouble on the feet. Ogikubo tried for a headlock as the fight ended. While Ogikubo was good on the ground throughout, Motoya’s campaign in the third round was very effective. The judges had it as a split decision, with Hiromasa Ogikubo winning it.

Bout 11: Shintaro Ishiwatari (25-7-4) vs. Ulka Sasaki (22-6-2) (MMA Rules) (134 lbs)

The co-main event was Shintaro Ishiwatari versus Ulka Sasaki. Sasaki had quite a grand entrance, conducting numerous people before walking down to the ring in a cape. Aljamain Sterling cornered Sasaki for this bout. Sasaki tried for a flying knee the second the fight started. He did not land it. They clinched up against the ropes in the second minute, with the referee eventually growing impatient and breaking them up. When they went to the ground later in the round there was a collision of heads. Ishiwatari had top position on the ground. Sasaki did a good job at getting top position before the round concluded. In the first minute of the second round, Sasaki tried for a takedown. Both fighters early got out of the ring during the attempt. Ishiwatari landed a takedown after trying to stop one from Sasaki for a minute or so. Near the end of the second round, Sasaki was dropped by Ishiwatari. He landed knees to the head and then put in a north south choke which made Sasaki tap out.

Bout 12: Yusuke Yachi (20-8) vs. Mikuru Asakura (10-1) (MMA Rules) (154 lbs)

Finally, the main event of the evening was Yusuke Yachi facing Mikuru Asakura in a complete grudge match. In the first minute Yachi was dropped with a kick, although it could have been also considered a slip as he threw a kick at the same time. Asakura was throwing strong punches in the first round. At the start of the second round Yachi tried for a takedown but was blocked. Later on, Yachi had a better look at a takedown but Asakura avoided it with help from the ropes. Throughout the second, Asakura was warned for holding onto the ropes to resist takedowns. Even in the third round Yachi continued to struggle with his takedown attempts. Crowd got louder when the two minute announcement was said. Asakura scored a takedown with two minutes left. They stood back up with a minute left and started to swing. Asakura egged on Yachi to continue as the fight entered final 10 seconds. Asakura dropped Yachi and didn’t go to finish but instead showed off as the bell rang. All three judges gave Mikuru Asakura the nod.

UFC 240: Holloway vs. Edgar Live Coverage

On Saturday night, UFC held their pay-per-view “UFC 240.” The event included Max Holloway’s third title fight in eight months, facing Frankie Edgar in a Featherweight Championship bout. Holloway’s last fight was a loss to Dustin Poirier, dropping his Interim Lightweight Championship. Holloway’s last defense of the Featherweight Championship was back in December against Brian Ortega. Despite his Hawaiian background, Holloway claims he has “home court advantage” in this Canadian event. His bout will be the fifth time he’s headlined a Canadian card, tying himself with Georges St-Pierre.

In the co-main event was Cris Cyborg in what some predict will be her farewell fight in the UFC, as the bout was the last on her contract. She faced Canadian Felicia Spencer, an undefeated prospect who is only in her second fight in the UFC after running through Invicta FC. Nine other bouts opened the evening, so let’s start the coverage by breaking down the preliminary bouts.


Bout 1: Kyle Stewart (11-2) vs. Erik Koch (15-6) (Welterweight)

Starting on UFC Fight Pass was the early prelims of the show. Kyle Stewart and Erik Koch battled in the welterweight division. Early on, Koch was coming forward with powerful strikes. They clinched up against the cage for a minute or so. Stewart shot for a takedown but Koch turned it into another clinch against the cage. He tried once more but wasn’t successful as the round was winding down. Stewart was walking down Koch more at the start of the second, landing a hard right hook. They clinched up against the cage again. Koch brought the fight to the ground a few times. They stood up shortly after the first two times, but the third time Koch was very dominant on the ground for a minute or so. Both fighters were quite tired as the round concluded. Stewart had some good knees in clinch at the start of the third round. Koch landed a takedown in the second minute. Koch was on top once again as the round ended. He ended the round strong with strikes and choke attempts. The judges unanimously gave the fight to Erik Koch (30-27, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Stewart99927
Koch10101030

Bout 2: Gillian Robertson (6-3) vs. Sarah Frota (9-1) (Flyweight)

In the first flyweight bout of the evening, Gillian Robertson fought Sarah Frota. Robertson was the first of many Canadians to fight on the card. Moments into the bout, Robertson landed a takedown. Frota was in bottom position but was the dominant fighter, putting Robertson in a submission hold at one point. Robertson escaped and landed hard strikes which cut open Frota’s head. Robertson scored another takedown at the start of the second round. Robertson landed enough elbows on the ground in top position that the referee intervened, giving her the win.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Robertson10


Frota9


Bout 3: Alexandre Pantoja (21-3) (#3) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (15-1) (#4) (Flyweight)

The ESPN prelims kicked off with a high profile flyweight bout between Alexandre Pantoja and Deiveson Figueiredo. After looking sharp in stand-up for the first minute, Figueiredo landed a takedown. When they stood up, both were swinging hard. Pantoja’s punches came through more in the second round. There was many exchanges where both fighters got their strikes in. Pantoja got a takedown but Figueiredo got up quickly after. They continued to swing for the fences until the round ended. Pantoja got a cut near his left eye during the round. Pantoja’s face was a mess in the third round. The final round was mostly stand-up, with Figueiredo being the fresher fighter. The fight went the distance with the judges giving the win the Deiveson Figueiredo (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Pantoja910928
Figueiredo1091029

Bout 4: Gavin Tucker (10-1) vs. Seung Woo Choi (7-2) (Featherweight)

In the second of six Canadian fighter bouts of the evening, Gavin Tucker fought Seung Woo Choi. Tucker scored a takedown in the second minute of the bout. Tucker stayed on him after he got up. Tucker got on Choi’s back early in the second round. While Tucker had Choi’s back on the ground, he landed a knee to the head of Choi, who was clearly grounded. A point was deducted due to this. He also lost position, as the fight resumed in stand-up. Choi landed a trip in the final round when Tucker had him up against the fence. In the final two minutes, Tucker took Choi’s back and put in a rear naked choke which made Choi tap out. In what could have been a scorecard nightmare for Tucker, the crisis was avoided as he got a stoppage.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Tucker109

Woo Choi99

Bout 5: Hakeem Dawodu (9-1-1) vs. Yoshinori Horie (8-1) (Featherweight)

In the next bout, Canadian fighter Hakeem Dawodu fought Japanese fighter Yoshinori Horie. Horie was a Pancrase fighter before, with this bout being his debut in the UFC. Horie circled the perimeter throughout the first round. He wasn’t consistently landing, but had strong punches every once in a while. His style of striking was very wild and hard to control while Dawodu was very textbook. The second round was more of the same except Horie wasn’t getting his shots in. So instead, it was Dawodu constantly advancing and periodically landing strikes. In the third round Dawodu started to string together combinations of punches. It was by far his best round yet. In the final minute, Dawodu landed a head kick which ended the bout.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Dawodu910

Horie109

Bout 6: Alexis Davis (19-9) (#7) vs. Viviane Araujo (7-1) (Flyweight)

Finishing off the prelims was Alexis Davis facing Viviane Araujo. Two real prospects in the flyweight division. The first round had Araujo out-striking Davis. Davis was mostly in top position through the second round. In the third round they stayed in stand-up, where Araujo went back to being dominant. Davis looked quite roughed up by the time the fight ended while Araujo seemed fresh. Viviane Araujo won via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Davis910928
Araujo1091029

Bout 7: Krzysztof Jotko (20-4) vs. Marc-Andre Barriualt (11-2)

The first fight on the PPV portion of the card was Krzysztof Jotko versus Marc-Andre Barriualt. In the first round Jotko had Barriault up against the cage in a clinch for a significant amount of time. Jotko landed good knees in the clinch as well. The second round felt like an inactive and closer round than the first. Both fighters had their moments in the second. The fight went the distance after another slow paced round. With a split decision, Krzysztof Jotko got the victory (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Jotko1010929
Barriault991028

Bout 8: Olivier Aubin-Mercier (11-4) vs. Arman Tsarukyan (13-2) (Lightweight)

In the second last bout that featured a Canadian, Olivier Aubin-Mercier faced Arman Tsarukyan. For most of the first round, Tsarukyan out-wrested Aubin-Mercier. The crowd voiced their displeasure as the first round concluded. The second round was mostly stand-up, with Aubin-Mercier having a good strikes. Tsarukyan had a dominant final round, staying in top position on the ground for most of the round. Arman Tsarukyan got the unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28 & 29-29).

My Scorecard:

My ScorecardRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Aubin-Mercier910928
Tsarukyan1091029

Bout 9: Geoff Neal (11-2) vs. Niko Price (13-2) (Welterweight)

Geoff Neal and Niko Price fought in the next bout. Neal landed a slam takedown early in the round. Later on, Neal was dropped by a left hook and a clash of heads. Neal landed another takedown as the round was winding down. In the second round there was a strong exchange of punches from both fighters. Price took Neal to the ground and tried for a guillotine but wasn’t successful. Neal landed punches and elbows from top position until the referee stepped in.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Neal10


Price9


Bout 10: Cris Cyborg (20-2) vs. Felicia Spencer (7-0) (Featherweight)

In the co-main event was Cris Cyborg versus Felicia Spencer. Cyborg swarming Spencer early on with punches. Cyborg was cut open from elbows to the head. The crowd chanting “Let’s go Spencer” in the second round. The second round saw the fight go to the ground, with Cyborg being in top position twice. The second time she landed good shots. They stood back up and continued to strike. Spencer continued to show off her chin. The third round was Cyborg’s best, with a continuation and increased intensity of punches and kicks. While Spencer lost, her toughness was tested, and she certainly passed that test. All three judges gave Cyborg the win (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Cyborg10101030
Spencer99927

Bout 11: Max Holloway (20-4) vs. Frankie Edgar (23-6-1) (UFC Featherweight Championship)

Finally, the main event of the evening was Max Holloway attempting to defend his UFC Featherweight Championship against Frankie Edgar. The first round was purely stand-up with both fighters having their moments. Edgar had a takedown attempt defended in the second minute of the round. The second round was quite similar. Holloway defended two more takedown attempts. The final moments of the round were good for Holloway, with him landing a spinning back kick to the body. In the final minutes of the third round, Holloway came forward with good combos that seemingly hurt Edgar. While recovering, Edgar landed his first takedown of the fight. Numerous attempts in the third were blocked before. Edgar started to get a bloody nose in the fourth round. After a final close striking round, the fight went the distance. The judges gave the fight to Max Holloway unanimously (50-45, 50-45 & 48-47).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Total
Holloway91010101049
Edgar10999946

UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards Preview

While UFC has made numerous appearances on ESPN’s internet streaming service “ESPN+,” on Saturday the promotion will be making only it’s fourth appearance on the network’s flagship channel. Main eventing UFC on ESPN 4 will be Rafael dos Anjos and Leon Edwards. Dos Anjos will arguably play gatekeeper against Edwards, who is on a seven-fight winning streak. Before the main event is a dozen other MMA bouts.

Bout 1: Domingo Pilarte (8-1) vs. Felipe Colares (8-1) (Bantamweight)

Starting off the evening will be a string of three bantamweight bouts. With equal records, Domingo Pilarte and Felipe Colares will open the night. Pilarte impressed Dana White on the second season of the Contender Series, earning a contract which will begin off this weekend. Colares is hoping to bounce back from his debut in February when he lost via decision, giving him his first career loss.

Bout 2: Mario Bautista (6-1) vs. Jin Soo Son (9-3) (Bantamweight)

The second bout will be a battle of two fighters hoping to come back from a debut loss in the UFC. Mario Bautista got his first professional L back in January, losing to Cory Sandhagen. Jin Soo Son lost to Petr Yan in his respective debut. Soo Son trains out of Korean Zombie MMA, who’s top talent is of course “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. Mario Bautista trains at The MMA Lab. Prior to his UFC career, Soo Son was a veteran fighter in the JMMA promotion “DEEP.”

Bout 3: Ray Borg (11-3) vs. Gabriel Silva (7-0) (Bantamweight)

In the final men’s bantamweight fight of the night, Ray Borg will face the undefeated Gabriel Silva. Borg lost in March against Casey Kenney after struggling to find a fight throughout 2018. Kenney was actually the second replacement fighter for the bout, with Pingyuan Liu and Kyler Phillips being injured and pulled from the bout previously. Before then, Borg’s last fight was a championship loss to Demetrious Johnson. Gabriel Silva will defend his undefeated streak in his UFC debut. He got a quick round one win in his last fight in the LFA promotion.

Bout 4: Roxanne Modafferi (23-15) vs. Jennifer Maia (16-5-1) (Flyweight)

Roxanne Modafferi, one of women’s MMA’s biggest names, faces Jennifer Maia, who started her UFC run around this time last year. While Modafferi has fought since 2003, he UFC career started in only 2017, having a 2-2 record since. Similarily, Maia has a 50/50 win rate in the UFC, only fighting twice though. They’re both coming off of wins, both via decision.

Bout 5: Sam Alvey (33-12) vs. Klidson Abreu (14-3) (Light Heavyweight)

Entering his 18th UFC bout, Sam Alvey will face Klidson Abreu, who will only be experiencing his second walk to the octagon. Alvey will aim to break his two-fight losing streak, getting finished via punches two times in a row. Abreu will try to get his first victory in the UFC, losing to Magomed Ankalaev via decision in his first outing.

Bout 6: Raquel Pennington (9-7) vs. Irene Aldana (10-4) (Bantamweight)

Veteran UFC fighter Raquel Pennington will fight Irene Aldana in the next matchup. Pennington hasn’t won since 2016, losing to two high profile fighters in Amanda Nunes and Germain de Randamie, who have both main evented their last bouts. Meanwhile, Aldana sees herself attempting to improve to four wins in a row, turning her UFC career around after starting it off with two losses.

Bout 7: Alex Caceres (14-12) vs. Steven Peterson (17-8) (Featherweight)

The preliminary portion of the card will conclude with Alex Caceres and Steven Peterson. Throughout Caceres’ near decade long UFC career he has had a shaky record. He hopes to break even in his UFC career with a win, currently being 9-10 in the promotion. Peterson will also aim to break even, but with a much smaller record of 1-2 in the UFC so far.

Bout 8: Andrei Arlovski (27-18) vs. Ben Rothwell (36-11) (Heavyweight)

Both experienced fighters in the UFC, Andrei Arlovski and Ben Rothwell find themselves in similar positions, attempting to snap losing streaks. Arlovski’s record has been 2-8 & 1 NC since the start of 2016. Arlovski hasn’t seen a victory in his last four fights, and has went to decision in his last seven. Rothwell is only on a two-fight losing streak, which ended his 2013-2016 run of victories, defeating names like Alistair Overeem, Matt Mitrione and Josh Barnett, all via stoppage.

Bout 9: Francisco Trinaldo (23-6) vs. Alexander Hernandez (10-2) (Lightweight)

Six months ago, Alexander Hernandez had a lot of eyes on him heading into a fight with Donald Cerrone. He was a big talker against “The Cowboy,” confident that he would win. The outcome ended up being anything but that, as Cerrone finished him in the second round with strikes. Hernandez makes his return after suffering his first UFC loss, facing Francisco Trinaldo. It’s another matchup of a younger Hernandez versus a veteran, although Cerrone was much more of a veteran than Trinaldo is. So far in 2019, Francisco Trinaldo has struggled to get a fight. He’s missed out on two different events so far due to opponents pulling out of getting injured. He hasn’t fought in just under 10 months, but his last fight was a victory over Evan Dunham.

Bout 10: James Vick (13-3) vs. Daniel Hooker (17-8) (Lightweight)

It has been seven months since Dan “The Hangman” Hooker has fought, and rightfully so. His recent loss to Edson Barboza was a beating of brutal proportions, even by MMA standards. He hung in the fight, but only by the smallest extent until it was ended. James Vick is on a two-fight losing streak. He lost a main event against Justin Gaethje last year, and wasn’t favoured in a decision against Paul Felder back in February. 

Bout 11: Greg Hardy (4-1) vs. Juan Adams (5-1) (Heavyweight)

Two very fresh heavyweights in Greg Hardy and Juan Adams battle on the main card. Controversy continues to follow Hardy through his UFC career, as many object to him fighting in the UFC due to his domestic violence case in 2014. He was found guilty of assault and communicating threats, with 18-months of probation and 60-days of jail. However, the sentence was dropped after the victim in the case didn’t appear in court during the appeal. Hardy avoided any punishment over the case. He has since come through the UFC series “Dana White’s Contender Series,” and has a 1-1 record in the promotion. Adams comes into the fight after facing his first career defeat to Arjan Bhullar. Before then he defeated Chris De La Rocha in his UFC debut. 

Bout 12: Alexey Oleinik (57-12-1) vs. Walt Harris (12-7) (Heavyweight)

In the co-main event slot is a heavyweight clash between Alexey Oleinik and Walt Harris. Harris is coming off his quickest victory ever, finishing Sergey Spivak in under a minute. He will face a much more experienced Oleinik, who is returning after a one round loss to Alistair Overeem. If you’re looking for a fight that will finish, it should be this one, as Oleinik has only went to decision eight times in his 70 fight career. Similarily, Edwards has only went to decision three times in his 20 fight career.

Bout 13: Rafael dos Anjos (29-11) vs. Leon Edwards (17-3) (Welterweight)

The main event of the show will be Rafael dos Anjos and Leon Edwards. Anjos has had double the amount of professional bouts as Edwards, but his matchup with dos Anjos can be justified by his seven-fight winning streak. Dos Anjos defeated Kevin Lee in a four round battle back in May, which was a bounce back from two five round decision losses, losing to Kumaru Usman and Colby Covington. Edwards defeating dos Anjos would make it the highest profile victory of his career yet, with the biggest one besides that being a win against Donald Cerrone. Continued success in the welterweight division could lead Edwards to a bout with the Champion Kumaru Usman. If the fight were to be made, it would not only be a title shot, but also a chance for Edwards to avenge a loss from 2015.

Similar to many of UFC’s recent fight nights, the show will start at an earlier time than the usual PPV time (10PM E/7PM P). The main card will begin at 9 PM Eastern Time, with the preliminary card starting three hours prior to that. 

UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos Full Report

UFC’s annual “International Fight Week” was headlined by two title fights this year. As usual, live from Las Vegas, the 12 fight card saw Champions Jon Jones and Amanda Nunes face their respective challengers, Thiago Santos and Holly Holm. The card also had big names like Jorge Masvidal, Ben Askren, Luke Rockhold and more. With knockouts, records broken and more, let’s look at UFC 239.

Bout 1: Pannie Kianzad (11-4) vs. Julia Avila (6-1) (Bantamweight)

The first fight of the evening was the debut of Julia Avila and the return to the UFC for Pannie Kianzad. Very early in the bout Kianzad had Avila pinned up against the cage. Avila turned it around, putting Kianzad up against the cage. She landed elbows and knees. They broke free for more stand-up, but Kianzad clinched up against the cage once again. Leaving clinch she landed a good two punch combo. Avila landed more strikes which backed Kianzad up against the cage. Early in the second round it was Avila who engaged in a clinch. Avila landed a takedown later on but got up shortly after. Kianzad landed a good flurry of strikes in the fourth minute which cut Avila. Avila had a flash of greatness seconds after, putting together punches which had Kianzad panicking. Avila landed a hard front kick in the final seconds of the round. Avila defended a takedown and took control on the ground as the round closed out. Kianzad was dropped with strikes a minute or so into the final round. Avila went into top position on the ground. She took her back after Kianzad rolled around. Avila tried for a rear naked choke but Kianzad got out of it. Avila stayed on control on the ground until the round concluded. Julia Avila was given the victory via the judges (30-27, 30-26 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Kianzad99927
Avila10101030

Bout 2: Chance Rencountre (13-3) vs. Ismail Naurdiev (18-2) (Welterweight)

The next bout was a welterweight battle between Chance Rencountre and Ismail Naurdiev. Early on both fighters were landing good shots. Rencountre had Naurdiev on the ground up against the cage for a while. The round ended in this position. At the start of the second round Rencountre got control on the ground again. He was on Naurdiev’s back this time. He started to throw punches. Naurdiev flipped over, but Rencountre still had half guard. They stayed in this position until the round concluded. Rencountre shot for another takedown twice in the third round but Naurdiev defended it. Both fighters had strong punches despite being visibly fatigued. Halfway through the round, Rencountre got on Naurdiev’s back once again. He flattened out Naurdiev and started to land punches. Naurdiev landed a takedown in the final seconds. Chance Rencountre was victorious, winning via scorecards (29-27, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Rencountre101010
Naurdiev989

Bout 3: Jack Marshman (23-8) vs. Edmen Shahbazyan (9-0) (Middleweight)

In the final early prelim bout, Jack Marshman faced a young and undefeated Edmen Shahbazyan. Joe Rogan pointed out that Shahbazyan was born the year he started to call UFC fights. In the first minute of the bout Shahbazyan landed a takedown. From above he landed hard punches. He put in a rear naked choke which made Marshman tap out in no time. Edmen Shahbazyan extended his undefeated record into double digits in a short bout.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Marshman



Shahbazyan



Bout 4: Alejandro Perez (21-7-1) (#13) vs. Yadong Song (14-4) (Bantamweight)

Starting off the preliminary card on ESPN was Alejandro Perez versus Yadong Song. The fight had close striking until Song dropped Perez cold with a right hook to end the fight.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Perez



Song



Bout 5: Claudia Gadelha (16-4) (#5) vs. Randa Markos (9-6-1) (#14) (Strawweight)

In the first matchup that had two ranked fighters, Claudia Gadelha faced Randa Markos. Throughout the first round both fighters kept a hunched over stance and were somewhat inactive. The second round was much like the first except Gadelha shot for a takedown in the final seconds which wasn’t successful. The fight went the distance to the displeasure of the audience. The judges gave the fight to Claudia Gadelha (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27). 

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Gadelha10101030
Markos99927

Bout 6: Marlon Vera (15-5-1) vs. Nohelin Hernandez (10-2) (Bantamweight)

In another bantamweight bout, Marlon Vera fought Nohelin Hernandez. Vera took Hernandez’s back early in the first round. He tried for a rear naked choke for many minutes before transitioning into an armbar. Hernandez landed punches which got him out of the armbar predicament. Hernandez put in a d’arce choke as the round concluded. In the second round Hernandez got top position on the ground. He landed some punches before leaving the position, letting Vera stand up as well. Vera connected with a knee in stand-up which put Hernandez on the ground. Vera put in a rear naked choke which made Hernandez tap out.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Vera9


Hernandez10


Bout 7: Arnold Allen (14-1) vs. Gilbert Melendez (22-7) (Featherweight)

After a near two year break, Gilbert Melendez returned in this next fight to face Arnold Allen. This match concluded the preliminary card. The first round had Allen out-striking Melendez. The second round felt like more of the same. Allen landed a takedown in the first minute of the third round. They went back to their feet shortly after. All three judges gave the fight to Arnold Allen (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Allen10101030
Melendez99927

Bout 8: Michael Chiesa (14-4) vs. Diego Sanchez (29-11) (Welterweight)

Moving to the main card, Michael Chiesa fought Diego Sanchez in a welterweight bout. A lot of the talk this weekend is from Diego Sanchez having one cornerman for this fight who doesn’t have much experience in MMA. Besides the absurdity, there is a possible health risk as a corner is supposed to look out for the health of their fighter. He sprinted out with a towel over his head during the walkout. In the first ten seconds of the fight Sanchez shot for a takedown. Chiesa was controlling on the ground, trying for a few submission holds. They stood back up where Chiesa landed some good knees. After being in a clinch for a while Chiesa threw Sanchez back to the ground. Chiesa took his back and put in a rear naked choke, but Sanchez escaped. He landed some elbows to the head and tried for it again but Sanchez escaped. They stood back up into clinch. Sanchez brought it back to the ground but Chiesa took the dominant position once again. The first round was a one-sided affair. Chiesa was the one to shoot for a takedown early in the second. He landed some punches to the head before they stood up once again. At one point Chiesa flattened out Sanchez and started to throw unanswered strikes. He put in a rear naked choke up Sanchez got out. Chiesa tried for a kimura until the second round concluded. The third round was another dominant one where Chiesa was always in control on the ground. The judges all had it in favour of Michael Chiesa (30-26, 30-26 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Chiesa10101030
Sanchez98825

Bout 9: Luke Rockhold (16-4) vs. Jan Blachowicz (23-8) (#6) (Light Heavyweight)

In-between fights news broke that Khabib Nurmagomedov and Nate Diaz got into an incident in the crowd at the event. Security separated them before things got out of control. The next bout was Luke Rockhold versus Jan Blachowicz. After landing many kicks, Rockhold shot for a takedown. He tried for a few minutes but never secured it. As the horn went at the end of the round, Blachowicz fired off a fury of strikes including a kick after the horn which dropped Rockhold. Rockhold stepped towards Blachowicz after the bell as if he was either angry or not sure if the round ended. In the second round Rockhold was hit with punches that made him fall like a tree. Referee Herb Dean stepped in shortly after to end the bout.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Rockhold9


Blachowicz10


Bout 10: Ben Askren (19-0) (#5)  vs. Jorge Masvidal (33-13) (#4) (Welterweight)

In the next bout, two high ranked welterweights in Ben Askren and Jorge Masvidal faced off in a grudge match. In the first few seconds of the bout, Masvidal landed a flying knee which immediately knocked out Askren cold. Masvidal was in his face right after the fight ended. Ending at five seconds, it was the quickest fight in UFC history. Askren was guided out of the octagon before the decision was made. 

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Askren



Masvidal



Bout 11: Holly Holm (12-4) (#2) vs. Amanda Nunes (17-4) (UFC Bantamweight Championship)

In the co-main event slot of the evening, we had Holly Holm challenge Amanda Nunes for her UFC Bantamweight Championship. The first round was close until Nunes landed a kick to the head right her right leg which ended it.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Total
Holm





Nunes





Bout 12: Thiago Santos (21-6) (#2) vs. Jon Jones (24-1) (UFC Light Heavyweight Championship)

The main event of the evening was Thiago Santos challenging Jon Jones for his Light Heavyweight Championship. Jones had a huge reach advantage in this fight. Santos circled the outside while Jones stayed in the inside of the octagon. Jones caught a leg kick from Santos and tried a spinning back elbow when exiting the hold. Santos threw a few kicks to the leg in the opening minutes. After a combination of punches were thrown, Jones’ mouthpiece fell out. He put it back in and they continued. At the start of the second round the commentators claimed Santos hurt himself after throwing a kick. Santos fell and then was hit with a kick to the mid-section around halfway through the round. Santos landed some good combinations of kicks and punches as the round wound down. Santos kept exploding with punches in the third. Jones threw a flying knee but it either didn’t phase Santos or didn’t land. Santos slipped after throwing a leg kick, and was hit with an elbow when getting up. The elbow cut open Santos along the hairline. Jones landed a good head kick with 90 seconds in the third round. The crowd started to boo in the fourth round. Both fighters slowed their already slow pace, although Santos still exploded with punches a couple of times. Jones was often the one coming forward. Near the end of the round Santos’ injury became more apparent as he seemed to get the worst out of a kick that he threw. Santos continued with combinations in the fifth round, but it never seemed to hurt Jones. Jones threw more low kicks in this round to take advantage of the injury. The fight went all five rounds. Jon Jones got the victory via split decision (48-47, 48-47 & 48-47).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Total
Santos101099947
Jones9910101048

UFC returns next week with a fight night from Sacramento, California. Germaine de Randamie and Aspen Ladd headline the 13 fight card. UFC veteran and Hall of Famer Urijah Faber returns in the co-main event, facing Ricky Simon. The next PPV is on July 27th, with Max Holloway defending his Featherweight Championship against Frankie Edgar.

Jon Jones Retains Light Heavyweight Belt In Split Decision Against Thiago Santos

Jon Jones had a close five-round battle with Thiago Santos on Saturday, with Jones edging the victory via split decision to win the fight and retain his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. From UFC 239 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Jones lost at least two rounds on all three judges scorecards, with the score being 49-48, 49-48 and 49-48, with one of the scorecards going towards Santos.

A turning point in the fight was early when Santos injured a leg. He continued to throw kicks but would stumble and fall down numerous times in the bout. Santos had flurries of punches throughout the fight, as both fighters didn’t engage as much as possible. 

“Boy he is tough,” Jon Jones said after the fight. He apologized to fans and supporters in the interview as well. He claimed that Santos’ best chance of winning as via KO, hence why he didn’t engage so much.

In the co-main event of UFC 239, Amanda Nunes defeated Holly Holm in a one round TKO victory. Nunes retained her Bantamweight Championship for the fourth time in her career.

Amanda Nunes Stops Holly Holm In One Round To Defend Bantamweight Championship

Amanda Nunes made another defense of her Bantamweight Championship, picking up her second first round finish in a row, defeating Holly Holm. At UFC 239 in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Nunes landed a head kick which dropped Holm and concluded the bout in just under five minutes. 

“I told my coach I wanna knock her out the same way she knocks people out,” said Nunes in the post-fight interview. 

This became the fourth defence of the UFC Bantamweight Championship by Nunes. In between those wins was another fight where she claimed the UFC Featherweight Championship, defeating Cris Cyborg back in December.

The fight took place in the co-main event slot of UFC 239, with the main event being Jon Jones versus Thiago Santos for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.

Israel Adesanya Set To Face Robert Whittaker In Middleweight Unificaton Bout

The UFC Middleweight and Interim Middleweight Championship will be unified on October 5th, when Robert Whittaker takes on Israel Adesanya at UFC 243. Set to take place in Australia, it will be the third time within a year that the promotion held an event within the country.

The fight was formally announced on Friday at one of UFC’s quarterly press conferences, previewing many of the big upcoming fights. The press conference was hosted by Dana White and was in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“He’s fought twice in the last maybe three years. I’ve been busy,” said Adesanya when comparing himself to Whittaker. The Aussie defended himself, saying “It’s just one of those things, I got sick and you can’t help that.” Adesanya responded to that by claiming he fought through a knee injury in his last appearance.

Israel Adesanya has had an electric year and a half, defeating top contenders in Derek Brunson, Anderson Silva and Kelvin Gastelum. Robert Whittaker’s last fight was at UFC 225, where he got his first Championship defence over Yoel Romero.

The press conference featured other big names in the UFC like Daniel Cormeir, Stipe Miocic, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar.

7/7/19 8:01 PM EST Correction: Venue removed as it is not confirmed yet.

Pancrase 306 Full Report

Finishing off June was a 17 fight card from Pancrase. Pancrase 306 included the crowning of an interim Welterweight Champion, a clash of veterans and some fun prelim fights. Let’s start with the first bout of the evening.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Takashi Araya vs. Tatsuki Ozaki (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Semifinal Strawweight) (3×3)

Starting off the evening of fights was a Neo Blood Strawweight Semifinal matchup. In the first 30 seconds, Araya landed a takedown. Ozaki got up and put in a guillotine choke, which made Araya tap out.

Bout 2: Yota Tatsunari vs. Yohei Nada (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Semifinal Featherweight) (3×3)

The next Neo Blood fight was a featherweight semifinal. Nada landed a punch which dropped Nada. When he got up he was hit with knees up against the cage. Nada jumped and put in a guillotine which made Tatsunari tap out. The first and second fight felt like deja vu.

Bout 3: Real King Date vs. Masayoshi Watanabe (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Final Welterweight) (3×3)

In the finale of the Welterweight Neo Blood Tournament, Real King DATE fought Masayoshi Watanabe. In the first round both fighters were frequently throwing kicks. It became apparently in the first round that this would be a pure striking matchup despite DATE’s submission experience. Watanabe made DATE slip due to a kick to the chest. This became the first fight for DATE that went into the third round. Neither fighters ever really threw combinations, but instead just threw signular punches and kicks. The final round ended with DATE in top position. In a split decision, Masayoshi Watanabe won the fight.

Bout 4: Kento Mizutani vs. Naoki Arikawa (Flyweight) (3×3)

In the first bout between fighters not involved in a Neo Blood Tournament, Kento Mizutani faced Naoki Arikawa. Arikawa landed a good combination of punches at the start of the round. Mizutani circled the outside of the cage for all of the first round. Mizutani tried for a takedown in the opening moments of the second round although Arikawa got in top position. Arikawa kept the dominant position but didn’t get much done. Arikawa got the top position on the ground in round three as well. The fight went the distance with Naoki Arikawa getting the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 5: Toru Fujii vs. Yuki Tashiro (Bantamweight) (3×3)

The next bout was a bantamweight battle between Toru Fujii and Yuki Tashiro. Over a minute into the first round, Tashiro landed a left hook which knocked out Fujii. The referee ended the fight shortly after.

Bout 6: Ippei Takase vs. Ryo Iseki (Bantamweight) (3×3)

In another bantamweight matchup we saw Ippei Takase versus Ryo Iseki. Iseki shot for a takedown early in the bout. On the ground he took Takase’s back, but didn’t get anything done. They stood up in clinch against the cage. Takase threw down Iseki and took top position. They got back up with 30 seconds left in the first round. The second round started with decent striking from both fighters. Iseki tripped Takase to the ground and kept him there with a takedown moments after. In the final round they went into clinch up against the cage. Iseki landed elbows in the clinch. He took it off the cage and landed a takedown. The fight went the full three rounds, with Ryo Iseki getting the nod.

Bout 7: Juan Lizama vs. Mitsuhiro Taki (Bantamweight) (3×3)

Ending off the prelims of Pancrase 306 was Juan Lizama versus Mitsuhiro Taki in a bantamweight bout. Lizama had the better striking and movement in the first round. Taki landed a takedown in the final minute of the second round. The final round was somewhat close until Lizama dropped Taki with a punch with a minute left. Taki recovered and took the fight to the ground. Lizama got out of the ground position as the fight concluded. Throughout it looked like Lizama was pushing the pace of the fight. Juan Lizama was given the split decision win.

Main Card

Bout 8: Kyohei Wakimoto (3-3) vs. Toshikazu Suzuki (8-7-1) (Welterweight) (3×3)

Starting off the main card was a battle between two fights with shaky records. Toshikazu Suzuki had a significant height and reach advantage over Kyohei Wakimoto. Early on in the fight Wakimoto put Suzuki up against the fence. Suzuki flipped the script, putting Wakimoto against the cage. They broke the clinch and went to striking. Halfway through the round Suzuki got dropped by punches but recovered. Wakimoto put Suzuki up against the cage once again. The round ended in this position. Wakimoto got a takedown early in the second round. Suzuki gave up his back. Wakimoto stayed on his back until the round concluded. Suzuki was knocked down yet again in the third round, with Wakimoto taking top position on the ground afterwards. Wakimoto did some strikes while in the position. The fight went the distance with Kyohei Wakimoto undoubtedly getting the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 9: Ukyo Abe (9-5-1) vs. Genpei Hayashi (8-8-1) (Lightweight) (3×3)

The next bout was a lightweight battle between Ukyo Abe and Genpei Hayashi. Moments into the first round, Abe landed a takedown. Abe tried to a rear naked choke on Hayashi’s back. He then flipped around and started landing strikes. The elbows he landed were strong. Hayashi tried for an armbar after getting hit quite a bit. Abe escaped the armbar and gets landing strikes. The referee finally stepped in and ended the bout.

Bout 10: Ryosuke Kano (7-5) vs. Kohei Sugiyama (7-4) (Flyweight) (3×3)

Ryosuke Kano faced Kohei Sugiyama in the final three minute round fight of the evening. Kano tried for a takedown early on but Sugiyama stayed standing. Kano was often walking down Sugiyama. With a minute left in the round Kano landed a takedown. Sugiyama tried for his own takedown in the second round and took the back of Kano. He put in a tight rear naked choke which Kano survived until the bell. In the third round Kano got a takedown. There was a pause in the third round to check out an eye of Kano. Sugiyama threw two punches then went for another takedown. He landed strikes from above as the round ended. In a split decision, Kohei Sugiyama won the fight.

Bout 11: Toshiya Takashima (4-3-1) (#10) vs. Suguru Hayasaka (18-13-5) (#9) (Strawweight) (3×5)

Toshiya Takashima and Suguru Hayasaki faced off against each other next in a five minute round fight. Early on Takashima landed a good right hook which dropped Hayasaka. He couldn’t capitalize off it as Hayasaka got up and pinned Takashima against the cage. When they went to the ground it was Takashima in control. Hayasaka was able to transition onto Takashima’s back. In the second round Hayasaka got a takedown. He stayed on the ground but didn’t do much. On the open scoring Takashima was ahead. Takashima brought Hayasaka to the ground. He landed some strikes as the round closed out. Toshiya Takashima took the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 12: Adam Antolin (13-5) vs. Teppei Maeyama (4-6) (#11) (Strawweight) (3×5)

In the next fight, American fighter Adam Antolin fought Teppei Maeyama. Antolin seemed to be the more composed and controlling fighter in the first round. Antolin kept landing harder strikes in the second. On the ground, he landed strikes as the round ended. Antolin’s dominance only continued in the third. He started to throw knees. In top position, Antolin landed hammerfist strikes and elbows until the referee stepped in and ended it.

Bout 13: J.J. Ambrose (31-8-2) vs. Akihiro Murayama (20-9-9) (#5) (Welterweight) (3×5)

In a fight between two fighters with experienced records, J.J. Ambrose fought Akihiro Murayama. Right off the bat in the fight Murayama put Ambrose up against the cage. They eventually separated and went back to stand-up. Ambrose landed numerous punches that dropped Murayama. He survived but was dropped three times and became very shaky afterwards. Murayama had a better second round, landing significant punches. Early in the final round Ambrose was in control in grappling. After Ambrose was in control for quite some time, Murayama flipped around and took top position. With a few seconds left, Murayama tried for an armbar but couldn’t finish the fight with it. In a unanimous decision, J.J. Ambrose got the victory.

Bout 14: Manabu Inoue (19-9-4) vs. Ryuichi Miki (19-12-4) (Flyweight) (3×5)

In the next bout Manabu Inoue faced Ryuichi Miki. Miki landed a takedown in the first minute. They got back up in no time. Miki landed a couple more takedowns in the round. Inoue kept trying for takedowns in the second round. In the final few seconds of the second round, Ryuichi Miki landed a walk-off knee KO. Afterwards, he claimed this was his comeback fight.

Bout 15: Kim Young Ji (1-3) vs. Yoko Higashi (3-1) (Featherweight) (3×5)

The next bout was the only women’s fight of the evening. Pancrase fighter Yoko Higashi fought Kim Young Ji, from Road FC. This was Higashi’s return to the featherweight division after fighting a few times in the bantamweight class. From the jump Higashi was throwing hard punches. Both fighters seemed to throw combos of punches with no guard. In the second round Higashi tried for a takedown. Heading into the final round it was apparent that Young Ji was behind. The whole fight stayed on the feet, with Higashi out-striking Young Ji. The fight went the distance with Yoko Higashi getting the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 16: Eiji Ishikawa (30-24-3) vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (65-42-8) (Middleweight) (3×3)

In the co-main event we had a bout that was nothing short of a veteran matchup. We went back to three minute rounds for this one. Ishikawa landed a takedown in the first minute. The round ended in this position. Ishikawa brought it back to the ground again in the second, after landing a couple of punches. He landed strikes from above as the round came and went. Ishikawa shot for a single leg takedown and got it in the final round. The final round was much like the ones before, with Ishikawa in top position. The fight went all three rounds. Eiji Ishikawa won the fight via decision.

Bout 17: Kenta Takagi (17-16) (#4) vs. Hiroyuki Tetsuka (6-3) (#1) (Interim Welterweight Championship) (5×5)

The main event of the evening was Kenta Takagi facing Hiroyuki Tetsuka for the Interim King of Pancrase Welterweight Championship. Tetsuka landed a left hook which caught Takagi in the first minute. Tetsuka landed a takedown after two minutes. Tetsuka put in a strong rear naked choke with a minute and a half left which made Takagi tap out. He celebrated with a backflip afterwards.

At the end of July, Pancrase will hold their 307 show. There is a special “Pancrase Osaka” show mid-way through the month, but coverage can’t be guaranteed as it is not listed on UFC Fight Pass.

Francis Ngannou Defeats Junios dos Santos in Heavyweight Eliminator Bout

On Saturday, Francis Ngannou made himself next in line for a shot at the UFC Heavyweight Championship, defeating Junior dos Santos in quick fashion. Just over a minute into the first of five rounds, Ngannou caught dos Santos with punches, dropping him and making referee Herb Dean end the fight. Ngannou’s victory happened at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, in front of 10 thousand fans live in attendance.

Defeating the #3 seed in the heavyweight division, he is lined up to face the winner of Daniel Cormier versus Stipe Miocic, which goes down on August 17th. He made it clear that this fight is what he wants, touching on it in the post-fight interview.

The co-main event of the show had another eliminator bout, as #2 seeded flyweight Joseph Benavidez defeated #3 seed Jussier Formiga in the second round with punches. The current flyweight champion is Henry Cejudo, who recently defeated Marlon Moraes to become a two-division champion.

UFC holds a flagship event next week, with a two championship event happening as part of their “International Fight Week.” Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones will face Thiago Santos with Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes fighting Holly Holm in the fight before.