UFC on ESPN+ 24: Blaydes vs. dos Santos Preview

Going head-to-head with Bellator this weekend, UFC will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, USA for a card on ESPN+. Headlining the show will be heavyweights Junior dos Santos and Curtis Blaydes. Both high ranked, the winner of this fight could move themself ahead in the line to challenge for Stipe Miocic’s UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Click here to skip to the main card preview

Prelims

Bout 1: Nate Landwehr (13-2) vs. Herbert Burns (9-2) (Featherweight)

Kicking off the preliminary card on ESPN+ at 5PM EST will be a featherweight battle between Nate Landwehr and Herbert Burns. The matchup is a double debut, with Burns getting a contract from Dana White’s Contender Series back in August. Burns had a 5-2 record in ONE FC and a 2-0 run in Titan FC prior ot the signing. Landwehr is on a seven-fight winning streak, with most of those wins from Russian MMA promotion M-1 Challenge.

Bout 2: Brett Johns (15-2) vs. Tony Gravely (19-5) (Bantamweight)

Another debuting Contender Series fighter is on this card in Tony Gravely, being put up against Brett Johns. Gravely stopped Ray Rodriguez in the third round on the show to earn his UFC contract and extend his winning streak to seven. Johns could be fighting for his future in the UFC on Saturday, as he is currently on a two-fight losing streak, his only two losses as a pro. He made his UFC debut in 2016, picking up three wins before losing to Aljamain Sterling and Pedro Munhoz.

Bout 3: Sara McMann (11-5) vs. Lina Lansberg (10-4) (Bantamweight)

Making her return after maternity leave, Sara McMann will challenge Lina Lansberg on the prelims. McMann’s last fight was in early 2018, losing to Marion Renau via triangle choke. After a late 2018 loss to Yana Kunitskaya, Lansberg has bounced back by getting scorecard wins over Tonya Evinger and Macy Chiasson. It’s safe to say that McMann will have a challenge in her comeback bout.

Bout 4: Montel Jackson (8-1) vs. Felipe Corales (9-1) (Bantamweight)

The next preliminary fight will see two more bantamweights compete. Montel Jackson and Felipe Corales, who are both coming off of wins in their short UFC careers thus far will be put against each other. Despite having similar records, Vegas heavily favours Jackson as a -600 favourite. Jackson was picked up via the Contender Series, going 2-1 since then. Corales is 1-1 in the UFC, recently going the distance for a unanimous decision win against Domingo Pilarte.

Bout 5: Justine Kish (6-2) vs. Lucie Pudilova (8-5) (Flyweight)

Justine Kish and Lucie Pudilova will both attempt to break their losing streaks on Saturday, but only one will prevail. Kish hasn’t been super active, with her last two fights taking place over the last two years, being losses to Felice Herrig and Ji Yeon Kim. Pudilova has been more active, with her last three fights, all losses, within the last year and a half. Most recently, Pudilova was stopped in the second round via rear naked choke against Antonina Shevchenko.

Bout 6: Arnold Allen (15-1) vs. Nik Lentz (30-10-2) (Featherweight)

The seemingly unstoppable Arnold Allen will be put against the much more experienced Nik Lentz in what should be an interesting matchup on Saturday. Allen has been undefeated since 2014, currently with six wins in his UFC run. His most recent win was easily his biggest challenge, being a decision win over Gilbert Melendez. Lentz is coming off of a loss to Charles Oliveira, however, there’s no doubt his advantage in this fight is having more octagon time, over doubling the number of professional fights that Allen has.

Bout 7: Bevon Lewis (6-2) vs. Dequan Townsend (21-9) (Middleweight)

The preliminary part of the card will be headlined be Bevon Lewis and Dequan Townsend. Lewis was signed to the UFC through the Contender Series but has yet to get a win in the octagon, falling to Uriah Hall and Darren Stewart before. Townsend made his UFC debut in 2019, having an unsuccessful outing against Dalcha Lungiambula.

Bout 8: Jamahal Hill (6-0) vs. Darko Stosic (13-3) (Light Heavyweight)

The main card will kick off with the sole undefeated fighter on the card, Jamahal Hill, fighting Darko Stosic. Hill impressed UFC brass in the fifth episode of the 2019 Contender Series season, stopping Alexander Poppeck in the second round with elbows. This fight will be his debut on the big stage. Stosic has something to prove as well, currently chasing the feeling he had when he had his one and only UFC win, back in July of 2018. He has since failed to prevail over Devin Clark and Kennedy Nzechukwu.

Bout 9: Hannah Cifers (10-3) vs. Angela Hill (10-7) (Strawweight)

Angela Hill was a busy fighter in 2019. After a run of taking four fights in seven months, Hill took an understandable break for the final quarter of 2019. She returns to the octagon on Saturday, fighting Hannah Cifers. Cifers is riding a two-fight winning streak, last winning over Jodie Esquibel at UFC 241.

Bout 10: Jordan Espinosa (14-6) vs. Alex Perez (22-5) (Flyweight)

In late 2018, Alex Perez tasted defeat in the UFC for the first time, taking many unanswered shots by Joseph Benavidez before the referee fully stepped in. That didn’t stop his momentum however, as he bounced back by beating Mark De La Rosa. Riding that momentum, Perez will fight Jordan Espinosa high up on this card. Espinosa sees himself in Perez’s position, attempting to come off his first loss in the UFC, which was also a first-round stoppage. On Saturday, another fighter will likely see their second loss in the big leagues.

Bout 11: Rafael dos Anjos (29-12) vs. Michael Chiesa (15-4) (Welterweight)

Michael Chiesa has been undefeated since making the switch from lightweight to welterweight back in 2018. He has defeated Carlos Condit and Diego Sanchez, and now eyes to beat Rafael dos Anjos in the co-main event slot of this card. “RDA” has lost quite a bit recently, however it’s worth noting his losses have come to notable names in the division. He lost an interim Welterweight Championship fight to Colby Covington in 2018 at UFC 225. He then lost to current champion Kamaru Usman, going to decision. He has most recently lost to Leon Edwards, defeating Kevin Lee before then. While Chiesa is being pitted against someone who has lost more than they have won recently, dos Anjos is the biggest welterweight challenge he has gotten so far.

Bout 12: Curtis Blaydes (12-2) vs. Junior dos Santos (21-6) (Heavyweight)

Main eventing in Raleigh will be Curtis Blaydes and Junior dos Santos. The battle is one between one of the division’s rising stars and a more experienced veteran. Of course the star is Blaydes, with the more experienced being Santos. Blaydes holds an impressive 12-2 record, with the two defeats coming via fights against Francis Ngannou. He is on a two-fight winning streak, going through Justin Willis and Shamil Abdurakhimov.

Santos’ last win gives him a way to relate to Blaydes, as he lost to Ngannou back in June. He failed to fight Alexander Volkov in November, falling victim to a bacterial infection. Santos is most known for his 2011 UFC Heavyweight Championship run, which saw him dethrone Cain Velasquez. After a defence against Frank Mir, Santos lost the belt in a rematch against Velasquez. Both Blaydes and Santos are highly ranked in the division, and a win could put them in closer reach to Stipe Miocic’s Heavyweight belt. With that being said, there are a lot of bidders for that title shot at the moment.

UFC will take next weekend off, returning on the 8th with UFC 247 in Houston, Texas, USA. Headlining that card will be Jon Jones putting his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on the line against undefeated Dominick Reyes.

Bellator 238: Budd vs. Cyborg Preview

Bellator will kick off it’s 2020 schedule on Saturday with the promotion debut of Cris Cyborg. Fighting for the first time outside of the UFC since 2016, she will challenge for Julio Budd’s Featherweight Championship in a five-round fight. The stacked card features many returning Bellator names, many other former-UFC fighters debuting and the continuation of the Featherweight Grand Prix. In the promotion’s return to The Forum in Inglewood, California, USA, this is Bellator 238.

Click here to jump to the main card.

Prelims

Bout 1: Tony Bartovich (0-0) vs. Jarett Conner (0-0) (Featherweight)

The preliminary portion of the card features a matchup between two debuting featherweights. Conner had a 2-4 record in amateur MMA, with Bartovich going 2-1. It’s worth noting that some of the preliminary fights could be bumped to the postlim spot, depending on how they go about scheduling the card.

Bout 2: Miguel Jacob (3-0) vs. David Pacheco (1-0) (Welterweight)

Undefeated welterweights Miguel Jacob and David Pacheco will be put against each other in the next prelim fight. Pacheco’s pro debut was in Bellator nearly a year ago, stopping Jorge Juarez. Jacob will be making his Bellator debut, picking up all three of his previous wins in the regional MMA promotion Fight Club OC.

Bout 3: Anthony Taylor (6-5) vs. Chris Avila (7-8) (Lightweight)

Anthony Taylor will see his return to Bellator this weekend, after fighting elsewhere for seven fights. Taylor made his debut in Bellator, going on a 1-3 run before going to other promotions. All three losses came via rear naked choke, with notable losses over James Gallagher and Adam Borics (who fights later on this card). He has since fought in high-level regionals like BAMMA and Combate Americas, currently riding a four-fight winning streak. His opponent, Chris Avila, will try to break even on his MMA record with this fight. He is 1-1 in Bellator, most recently losing to Brandon Faumui in April.

Bout 4: Brandon Bender (12-1) vs. Joshua Jones (9-5) (Featherweight)

After disappearing from the MMA scene for nearly six years, Brandon Bender will make his return against Joshua Jones on this undercard. Bender has an impressive 12-1 record, with his most recent (if you want to say recent) fight being a win over Mario Navarro at Bellator 116 in 2014, bouncing back from his sole loss. Around the same time, Jones debuted as a pro. He is 2-2 in his Bellator career so far, having two fights outside of the promotion within that timespan.

Bout 5: Curtis Millender (17-5) vs. Moses Murrietta (8-3) (Catchweight 175 lbs.)

Similar to Cris Cyborg’s fight, Curtis Millender will be having his first fight after his UFC run. Millender’s UFC career ended at 3-2, after losing to Belal Muhammad in April. He faces Moses Murrietta, who will also be debuting in Bellator. Murrietta has fought in LFA recently, although his last two fights were losses, including a 24 second stoppage.

Bout 6: AJ Agazarm (2-1) vs. Adel Altamimi (8-6) (Featherweight)

California-based Bellator fighters AJ Agazarm and Adel Altamimi are booked against eachother for the next preliminary matchup. Agazarm has had his short pro career fully in Bellator, going 2-1. Altamimi made his Bellator debut in 2019, defeating Brandon McMahan with an armbar. He recently lost a scorecard battle against Salim Mukhidinov, and will attempt to bounce back from that loss on Saturday.

Bout 7: Aaron Pico (4-3) vs. Daniel Carey (7-3) (Featherweight)

In 2018, Aaron Pico was known as one of Bellator’s biggest rising stars. However, back-to-back losses in 2019 have made people skeptical if Pico was actually worth what he was made out to be. He will be put against Daniel Carey on Saturday, with a loss extending the longest losing streak of his short career. All of Pico’s fights, win or loss, have all ended via stoppage. His last two losses came to Henry Corales and Adam Borics. Carey is 3-2, recently winning over Gaston Bolanos in September with a guillotine choke.

Bout 8: Ricardo Seixas Filho (8-2) vs. Dominic Clark (14-9) (Lightweight)

Also on the preliminary card, Cali fighters Ricardo Seixas Filho and Dominic Clark will battle. Both are coming off of losses, with Clark’s in Bellator against Joshua Jones. Filho’s last two fights were losses in LFA in 2018.

Bout 9: Jay Jay Wilson (4-0) vs. Mario Navarro (4-5) (Featherweight)

Undefeated Bellator fighter Jay Jay Wilson will bring Mario Navarro back to the cage in the next fight. Wilson had an explosive 2019, getting three wins, two of them in Bellator. Navarro has fought in Bellator before, but his last match was over three years ago, being a loss to Chinzo Machida.

Main Card

Bout 10: Ava Knight (1-0) vs. Emilee Gettys (3-3) (Strawweight)

The main card begins with former boxer Ava Knight had a successful MMA debut three months ago, stopping Shannon Goughardy with body strikes on a Bellator card. In her second match, Knight will be paired against Emilee Gettys. Knight has a 19-2-5 record as a professional boxer, with her career spanning from 2007 to 2019. Gettys is on a three-fight winning streak, taking her career from a 0-3 record to an even record. The fight will be the debut of Gettys in Bellator.

Bout 11: Raymond Daniels (1-1) vs. Jason King (8-5) (Welterweight)

Experienced kickboxer Raymond Daniels will return to MMA in a fight with Jason King on the main card. Daniels has 35-3 kickboxing record, fighting in Bellator Kickboxing and GLORY in the past few years. His most recent MMA fight was a knockout of Wilker Barros with a flash right hook which made the rounds online. King is seemingly a good matchup for Daniels, having most of his wins and losses from striking battles. King has fought quite a bit in Valor FC, getting a first-round stoppage over Brian Jackson in November.

Bout 12: Juan Archuleta (23-2) vs. Henry Corrales (17-4) (Featherweight)

The next main card fight sees two eliminated fighters from the featherweight grand prix fight. Juan Archuleta, who lost to Patricio Pitbull, will fight Henry Corrales, who lost to Darrion Caldwell. The loss for Archuleta broke his impressive 18-fight winning streak. Corrales was riding a five-fight streak, not being favoured on the scorecards when fighting Caldwell.

Bout 13: Sergio Pettis (18-5) vs. Alfred Khashakyan (11-4) (Bantamweight)

As part of the trio of debuting former-UFC fighters on this card, Sergio Pettis will fight Alfre Khashakyan. Pettis fought in UFC 14 times, going back to 2013. While not having fought in the UFC in the past, Khashakyan will also be making his Bellator. In 2019, he on three in a row in 2019 in newly formed regional promotion LXF. Khashakyan’s most well-known fight is a loss to Sean O’Malley, on the series premiere episode of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Bout 14: Darrion Caldwell (13-3) vs. Adam Borics (14-0) (Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix Quarter-Finals)

The co-main event of the evening sees Darrion Caldwell and Adam Borics battle in the quarter-finals of the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix. Borics debuted in Bellator in 2017, going 5-0 since then, all via stoppage. He stopped Pat Curran with ground and pound in September to advance through the first round of the tournament. Caldwell’s round-of-16 win over Henry Corrales was his first win in a year, losing twice to Kyoji Horiguchi before. The second of the two losses saw Caldwell lose his Bellator Bantamweight Championship. Caldwell has fought all but three of his pro bouts in Bellator (including a fight in RIZIN which was co-promoted by Bellator).

Bout 15: Julia Budd (13-2) vs. Cris Cyborg (21-2) (Bellator Featherweight Championship)

The main event of the evening will is Cris Cyborg taking a shot at the Bellator Featherweight Championship against the current champion Julia Budd. Cyborg’s last UFC fight was a win over Canadian prospect Felicia Spencer. Before that, she lost her UFC Featherweight Championship to Amanda Nunes in under a minute via strikes. The matchup was one which many argued deserved a rematch, but was not made as Cyborg’s departure from the UFC was one that was not on good terms.

Budd has been the promotion’s featherweight champ since 2017, capturing the belt by defeating Marloes Coenen. Since then she has made three defences, most recently against Olga Rubin. Budd’s two career losses come to the prolific Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey, although those losses were in 2011. Vegas currently has Cyborg as a heavy favourite, sitting at -450 currently.

Bellator’s next event after this one will be on February 21st, presenting Bellator 239 from the Winstar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, USA. Headlining the card currently is Ed Rush and Yaroslav Amosov.

Maycee Barber Suffers Torn ACL After UFC 246 Bout

It was found out Sunday that Maycee Barber suffered a torn ACL in her left knee during her fight against Roxanne Modafferi on the UFC 246 undercard on Saturday, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN.

Barber’s leg was examined in-between rounds two and three during her fight on Saturday, with the doctor at the time claiming it was a “partial ACL tear.” Barber went on to lose the fight via unanimous decision.

The fight on Saturday was the first pro MMA loss for Barber, racking up eight wins prior to the defeat. She came in as a heavy favourite for the fight based off of Vegas odds.

Read the full report of UFC 246 here.

Laying Down Leather #8: UFC 246

Good morning and welcome to another edition of Laying Down Leather, the casual blog post discussing my thoughts on events throughout the past week. Happy Martin Luther King day.

MMA

I watched three MMA events this weekend, those being Future MMA 11, LFA 80 and of course UFC 246. I’ll get to UFC in a second.

Future MMA was a fun card with some real exciting fights. Honestly, LFA wasn’t worth watching, mostly because of the horrible reffing throughout.

UFC was a weak card on paper, but in general was fun to watch. Maybe I am giving it more credit cause I haven’t watched a UFC show in quite a while. It’s possible.

Three Stars

Star 1: Conor McGregor

Many people were confident that Conor McGregor would come back and beat Donald Cerrone. With that being said, not many predicted that he would win in 40 seconds. Actually, Straight Blast Gym member James Gallagher got it perfectly right a few months back, but besides him not many saw it ending that way. Without a scratch on him, McGregor should be seen again in 2020

Star 2: Drew Dober

Drew Dober was the most discussed name from the UFC 246 undercard, stopping Nasrat Haqparast in the first round. The impressive win deservedly gave him some press. Unfortunately, the referee gave Haqparast one too many chances at the end, letting him eat more than 10 unanswered shots.

Star 3: Alexey Oleinik

The gassed and slow moving Alexey Oleinik had some trouble against Maurice Greene, but nonetheless got it done within two rounds. I can’t put it any better, so I’ll borrow the words of Mike Bohn by saying he’s the “Vince Carter of MMA.”

Fight of the Night: Roxanne Modafferi vs. Maycee Barber

The classic veteran versus up-and-comer booking for Roxanne Modafferi versus Maycee Barber proved to be entertaining. Upsetting the Vegas odds which put her at +550, Roxanne Modafferi beat Maycee Barber in a bloody and dominant fashion. Also, props to Barber, who endured a torn ACL and becoming a mess, showing pure toughness. With that being said, a case could be made that her corner or Barber herself should have thrown in the towel. For the many possible first losses a fighter could experience, Barber went through a pretty good one.

This week, I’ll have some articles leading up to Bellator 238 and UFC on ESPN+ 4, which take place this weekend. And of course expect coverage of those events afterwards as well. Sadly, not live due to work.

A little side note. No more cryptic stuff, folks. Next week on Laying Down Leather, I’ll announce the next big project I’ll be undertaking, which starts in February. Stay tuned.

Have a great week.

UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cerrone Full Coverage

UFC held it’s first event of 2020 on Saturday, featuring easily their biggest star of the past decade: Conor McGregor. In his returning fight, “The Notorious” returned to face fan-favourite fighter “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone. The show included 11 fights in total, with six preliminary bouts. Here’s the full report of the show.

Quick Results:

Bout 1: Sabina Mazo def. JJ Aldrich via Decision, Split

Bout 2: Aleksa Camur def. Justin Ledet via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 3: Drew Dober def. Nasrat Haqparast via TKO, Punches (RD 1, 1:10)

Bout 4: Askar Askarov def. Tim Elliott via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 5: Sodiq Yusuff def. Andre Fili via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 6: Roxanne Modafferi def. Maycee Barber via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 7: Diego Ferreira def. Anthony Pettis via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 1:46)

Bout 8: Brian Kelleher def. Ode Osbourne via Submission, Guillotine (RD 1, 2:49)

Bout 9: Alexey Oleinik def. Maurice Greene via Submission, Armbar (RD 2, 4:38)

Bout 10: Holly Holm def. Raquel Pennington via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 11: Conor McGregor def. Donald Cerrone via TKO, Punches (RD 1, 0:40)

Full Coverage

Bout 1: JJ Aldrich (8-3) vs. Sabina Mazo (7-1) (Flyweight)

The UFC Fight Pass Early Prelims started with a flyweight fight between JJ Aldrich and Sabina Mazo. It was clear when seeing the fighters that Mazo had the height advantage. The fighters had a close stand-up battle to start the fight. Aldrich was coming in with small combinations of punches. Mazo was consistently backing up, but overall she was landing the better shots.

Mazo picked up the pace a little with her punches at the start of the second round. This round looked way better for Mazo, as not only was she constantly advancing but also landing more. Aldrich still had her moments with punches. Mazo started to bleed around her nose. Mazo landed a good knee in the clinch in the final minute of the fight, as well as a head kick in the closing seconds.

Mazo opened the final round with a clinch up against the cage. When they returned to stand-up, it was clear that Mazo was working a faster pace that Aldrich. Initiating another clinch, Mazo got a lot of strikes in. Aldrich had blood on her face, but it was hard to see if the blood was from her or Mazo. The referee separated them and brought them back to stand-up with just over a minute to go. The fighters survived all three rounds, going to the decision. When they went to the scorecards, Sabina Mazo won with a split decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Aldrich	10	9	9	28
Mazo	9	10	10	29

Bout 2: Justin Ledet (9-2) vs. Aleksa Camur (5-0) (Light Heavyweight)

Making his UFC debut after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Aleksa Camur faced Justin Ledet in the next fight. Camur tried for a spinning kick right off the bat. He did not connect with it. Ledet landed a combination of punches in the second minute which rocked Camur a little. The round was very back-and-forth.

Camur was seemingly having cardio issues early on in the fight. He landed good one or two-piece shots in this round. Ledet had his shots as well. With Ledet against the cage in the final minute, Camur had a good combination of punches.

The final round was a slow paced one as both fighters were clearly tired. Camur got a takedown as the round ended, doing some very exhausted ground and pound. When going to decision, Aleksa Camur got the unanimous decision win (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ledet	9	9	10	29
Camur	10	10	9	28

Bout 3: Nasrat Haqparast (11-2) vs. Drew Dober (21-9) (Lightweight)

Kicking off the ESPN preliminary card was a lightweight battle between Nasrat Haqparast and UFC veteran Drew Dober. Dober landed a good jab to start the fight. Haqparast landed a good combination of strikes, but slipped at the end. Dober landed an overhand punch which dropped Haqparast. Dober followed up with numerous punches on the ground until the referee stepped in. The stoppage was way late, but nonetheless a great performance by Drew Dober.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Haqparast
Dober

Bout 4: Askar Askarov (10-0-1) (#12) vs. Tim Elliott (15-9) (#7) (Flyweight)

In the first fight of the evening that featured ranked fighters, undefeated Askar Askarov fought Tim Elliott. Elliott’s outside of the box movement made him hard to hit, but Askarov landed a shot which rocked him hard in the second minute. Askarov took top position on the ground after the knockdown. Elliott tried for a guillotine choke from the bottom position. Askarov did some ground and pound from top position. They stayed on the ground until the round ended.

Elliott got a judo throw at the start of the second round and tried for a guillotine on the ground, but Askarov slipped out and stood back up. Askarov put Elliott against the cage, failing to get a takedown before they went back to stand-up. Elliott landed another throw takedown. Askarov tried for an armbar for a moment but didn’t commit to it. Elliott went into side control, escaping a possible triangle choke. Despite Elliott putting them on the ground, it felt like he was fully playing defence in the position. They went back to stand-up in the final minute. Elliott shot for another takedown but did not get it.

Askarov was connecting with some punches early in the final round. Elliott was egging on Askarov, telling him to do more and putting his hands down. Elliott was landing, but getting hit just as much by a backpedalling Askarov. They were in a clinch for a bit of the final minute, with Elliott getting them to the ground for a moment. They went the distance, clearly both tired at the end. When going to the scorecard, Askar Askarov saw the victory (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Askarov	10	9	10	29
Elliott	9	10	9	28

Bout 5: Sodiq Yusuff (10-1) vs. Andre Fili (20-6) (Featherweight)

Continuing into the second hour of the prelims, Sodiq Yusuff fought Andre Fili. Both fighters were swinging hard punches right from the jump. Yusuff was connecting good with a jab. Fili tried for a takedown in the second minute of the fight, failing to take the fight to the ground. He tried again a minute later, getting the takedown this time. Yusuff was quick to get back to his feet. Fili’s face was starting to turn red from strikes. Fili got another takedown, although Yusuff got back up in a clinch. Fili landed his best shot of the round in the fourth minute, almost dropping Yusuff with a shot. He got a takedown on the rocked Yusuff, although they got back to their feet. They went back down as Yusuff put in a kimura. It looked good, but Fili escaped eventually. Fili tried for an armbar from bottom position but let go as Yusuff lifted him up and possibly tried to slam him.

Yusuff caught a leg kick by Fili, sweeping him to the ground in the first minute of the second round. Yusuff was in control on the ground, landing some knees to the body while in side control. When Yusuff got up, Fili threw some upkicks. Yusuff went back down to the ground into full mount. They got back up with a minute left in the round. Fili got a double leg takedown, but Yusuff stood back up again. They went into a standing clinch up against the cage.

In the third round, Yusuff was connecting with powerful singular shots again. Fili got a good counter-punch in the round. The whole round was slower pace striking, with nobody ever landing anything that showed particular damage. The fight went to the scorecards with Sodiq Yusuff earning the unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Yusuff	10	10	10	30
Fili	9	9	9	27

Bout 6: Roxanne Modafferi (23-16) (#7) vs. Maycee Barber (8-0) (#9) (Flyweight)

Finishing off the preliminary card, undefeated prospect Maycee Barber was pitted against MMA veteran Roxanne Modafferi. Ben Askren was in the corner of Barber. After landing a few punches, Modafferi got a takedown from a clinch. Modafferi did short little punches from half guard. From bottom position, Barber tried for a guillotine choke, but Modafferi’s head popped out eventually. Modafferi got on Barber’s back for a moment, but ended on her back on the ground as the round ended.

Modafferi dropped Barber with a leg jab at the start of the second round. Modafferi went to the ground and took side control. She went into full mount, and started to do some ground and pound. Modafferi started to throw some elbows. Barber was able flip the position, taking control on the ground. It was clear that the elbows cut Barber open. Modafferi was able to get back in top position, focusing on strikes. She took Barber’s back, trying for a rear naked choke for a moment. Barber flipped around again, with Modaffering in half guard. Barber was really bleeding at this point. When Barber got up at the end of the round, it was clear her left leg was injured, limping badly.

A timeout was called at the start of the final round, letting a doctor check out her left leg. The doctor said she has an ACL tear, but she’s fine. When the third round started, Barber was having tons of trouble moving around. Modafferi was landing some good punches, knocking Barber back quite a bit. Modafferi got another takedown, where Barber tried for a guillotine at the bottom. Barber flipped into top position, trying for an americana. They eventually got out of the position. Modafferi went back into top position for the rest of the round. Barber didn’t bleed as much this round, but did start to bleed more near the end of the round. Upsetting the Vegas oddsmakers, Roxanne Modafferi went on to get a unanimous decision win (30-27, 30-27 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Modafferi	10	10	10	30
Barber	9	9	9	27

Bout 7: Diego Ferreira (16-2) vs. Anthony Pettis (22-9) (#11) (Lightweight)

Kicking off the main card, ranked fighter Anthony Pettis fought Diego Ferreira in a lightweight fight. Ferreira shot for a takedown in the first minute but did not get it. He tried again halfway through the round, getting it to the ground on the back of Pettis. They returned to stand-up a minute later. Ferreira got a second takedown in the final 30 seconds of the first round. From side control he landed a couple of short elbows.

Ferreira caught a kick at the start of the second round, getting a takedown and hopping on the back of Pettis on the ground. Pettis moved around, but Ferreira got back on the back of Pettis. After throwing lots of punches, Ferreira committed to the rear naked choke, which made Pettis tap out. Diego Ferreira should expect to crash the rankings, stopping Anthony Pettis in the second round and extending his winning streak to six in a row.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ferreira	10
Pettis	9

Bout 8: Ode Osbourne (8-2) vs. Brian Kelleher (19-10) (Bantamweight)

Contender Series success story Ode Osbourne debuted against Brian Kelleher in the next fight. This matchup was originally meant for the preliminary card, but after some changes, found itself pushed up two slots. Right at the start, Osbourne landed an odd jumping punch. Kelleher’s stance seemed very shelled up, while Osbourne had his arms out quite often. Kelleher got a takedown in the first minute. He did some ground and pound from top position. Kellher put in a guillotine choke which made Osbourne tap out eventually. Bouncing back from a two-fight losing streak, Brian Kelleher got a fast win against the still learning Ode Osbourne.

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Osbourne
Kelleher

Bout 9: Alexey Oleinik (57-13-1) (#12) vs. Maurice Greene (8-3) (Heavyweight)

In the next fight, MMA veteran Alexey Oleinik fought Maurice Greene. Oleinik got dropped right off the bat from a kick. He got back up immediately. Dodging a kick, Oleinik clinched up and took him down. He took side control on the ground. Green tried for a triangle from bottom position, but Oleinik escaped quickly. The crowd was booing the whole time they were on the ground. They got up for a second but went back down where Oleinik was in full mount. He went into side control and tried for a head and arm choke. Greene endured for a while, eventually throwing some hammerfist punches too. He survived the choke until the round ended.

At the start of the second round, Oleinik seemed fatigued. He was eating lots of strikes from Greene, including a head kick. Oleinik walked down Green, starting another clinch. Greene got out, throwing more punches. Oleinik tried for a takedown, eventually getting it. Oleinik tried for a choke from top position again. The crowd went back to booing. Greene tried for a kimura from the bottom position. Oleinik, who was now bleeding a bit on his forehead, tried for an armbar in the final minute. He was really huffing and puffing while trying for this hold. Eventually, Greene tapped out, giving Alexey Oleinik another win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Oleinik	10
Greene	9

Bout 10: Raquel Pennington (10-7) (#5) vs. Holly Holm (12-5) (#3) (Bantamweight)

In the co-main event of the evening, high ranked bantamweights Raquel Pennington and Holly Holm collided. The first two minutes of the fight were slow. Holm charged in and put Pennington put against the cage in the third minute. Holm landed many strikes in the clinch. Holm was controlling up against the cage until the end of the round, trying for a guillotine as it closed out.

Holm put Pennington up against the cage early in the second round. They went back to stand-up with two minutes left. The crowd cheered for that. Holm put Pennington back up against the cage moments later, to the crowd’s displeasure.

The third round was slow paced with more clinch work. It felt like this was Pennington’s best round, throwing lots of shots when they did stand-up. The referee separated a clinch near the end of the round. The fight went the distance, with Holly Holm getting the unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27)

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Pennington	9	9	10	28
Holm	10	10	9	29

Bout 11: Conor McGregor (21-4) vs. Donald Cerrone (36-13) (Welterweight)

The main event saw the return of “The Notorious” Conor McGregor against fan-friendly fighter Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. The welterweight fight was not for a championship but was for five rounds. The crowd was heavily in favour of McGregor, although there wasn’t much hostility towards Cerrone. McGregor came charing at Cerrone right off the bat, throwing strikes in the clinch. When they left the clinch, it was clear damage was done to Cerrone’s nose. He threw a leg kick which had Cerrone retreating. He then got dropped by punches. McGregor kept with punches until referee Herb Dean stepped in and ended the fight. Winning in under a minute, Conor McGregor had a successful return to MMA.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
McGregor
Cerrone

LFA 80 Full Coverage

LFA kicked off it’s 2020 calendar with a it’s second appearance in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Headlining the card was Steve Garcia Jr., returning from Dana White’s Contender Series to face Jose Mariscal. Live from Friday, let’s look at LFA 80.

Quick Results:

Bout 1: Sean Cerveny def. Edwin Cooper Jr. via Submission, Armbar (RD 1, 4:25)

Bout 2: Tyler Ray def. Josh Streacker via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 3:01)

Bout 3: Jordan Wright def. Gabriel Checco via Gabriel Checco via TKO, Punches (RD 2, 0:48)

Bout 4: Luis Gavinho def. Josh Marsh via Decision, Split

Bout 5: Carrington Banks def. Chris Brown via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 6: Jerome Rivera def. Kendrick Latchman via Submission, Triangle Choke (RD 2, 4:12)

Bout 7: Steve Garcia Jr. def. Jose Mariscal via TKO, Elbows (RD 2, 2:27)

Full Coverage:

Bout 1: Sean Cerveny (4-0) vs. Edwin Cooper Jr. (2-0) (Featherweight)

The evening started with two undefeated featherweights Sean Cerveny and Edwin Cooper Jr. facing off. Cooper was a fighter coming out of Jackson Wink MMA. Cooper dropped Cerveny with a head kick early on. He tried on the ground with ground and pound. Cerveny almost had an armbar, but Cooper escaped and continued with the punches. Cerveny then tried for an ankle lock, but Cooper escaped that as well. Cerveny got a cut on his head. In side control, Cooper threw more punches and elbows. The striking on the ground continued for minutes, although Cerveny kept moving in bottom position. Cerveny tried for another armbar, with the fight ending as the referee saying Cooper Jr. tapped out. Cooper disputed this, but the referee made his decision. The ruling could not be overturned, giving Sean Cerveny the win, extending his undefeated streak. Cooper Jr. refused to stand beside the referee for the official ruling. Cerveny said after the fight that he felt a tap.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Cerveny
Cooper Jr.

Bout 2: Tyler Ray (5-1) vs. Josh Streacker (6-5) (Welterweight)

After that controversy ended, the show continued with more fights. The next fight was a welterweight battle between Tyler Ray and Josh Streacker. Ray got a double leg takedown in the first minute of the fight. He got on Streacker’s back quite seamlessly. He tried for a rear naked choke, but never fully got it in. Ray landed some knees to the body when he went into side control. Despite being very active on the ground, the referee became impatient, standing up the fighters.

Ray threw some good leg kicks at the start of the second round. They both landed some good one or two punches. Ray got a takedown in the third round, getting on Streacker’s back and trying again for the rear naked choke. He locked it in, which made Streacker tap in quick time. Showcasing his ground game skills Tyler Ray put on a one-sided performance.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ray	10
Streacker	9

Bout 3: Gabriel Checco (11-4) vs. Jordan Wright (9-0) (Middleweight)

Undefeated Jordan Wright put his record on the line in the next fight, fighting the more experienced middleweight Gabriel Checco. Wright dropped Checco flat on his back in the first minute of the fight. Wright didn’t go to the ground, allowing Checco to stand back up. He got hurt in the second minute with a right hook. Checco got the fight to the ground, having a hold of one of Wright’s legs for a second. They stayed on the ground with Wright in top position. A pause came in the final minute of the first round as Checco was hit in the groin. Checco shot for a single leg takedown in the final moments of the round. Wright got top position as the round concluded.

Wright was coming forward with hard strikes early on. Wright landed a knee to the head which dropped Checco. He continued with ground and pound until the referee stopped the fight. Advancing to double digits of undefeated wins, Jordan Wright showed his undeniable striking skill. Wright showed remorse after his win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Checco	9
Wright	10

Bout 4: Josh Marsh (5-2) vs. Luis Gavinho (9-4) (Featherweight)

Moving back to the featherweight division, Josh Marsh and Luis Gavinho fought next. In the second minute, they exchanged punches, with Marsh putting in a standing clinch against the cage. They escaped that position shortly after. Marsh was landing the better punches in the first round.

Marsh had Gavinho backing up for the first few minutes of the round with punches. Gavinho had his own charge, coming forward and connecting with punches. The momentum seemingly took turns in this fight. Marsh threw a flying knee in the final minute of the round. He got a takedown as the round ended.

Marsh shot in for a takedown at the start of the final round. He might have gotten hit with a spinning back elbow in the process. Gavinho was pretty quick to get back up. Marsh slung together a great combination in the second minute, going to the body and the head. He was on the attack for almost all of the round. He got another takedown with over a minute to go. Just like the takedowns before, it didn’t keep Gavinho down for long. Marsh got another one in the final minute. They stayed on the ground until the final second of the fight where they both got back up. Consulting the scorecards we had a split decision, with Luis Gavinho getting the win (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28). He left through the crowd after his win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Marsh	10	10	10	30
Gavinho	9	9	9	27

Bout 5: Carrington Banks (8-2) vs. Chris Brown (5-1) (Lightweight)

Before the next fight, Jon Jones did an interview on the broadcast. In the next fight, fellow gym-member of Jones, Chris Brown fought Carrington Banks. The crowd was very rowdy for this fight, lots of boos and cheers during the introductions. Banks shot for a takedown right off the bat, although Brown stopped it. He kept trying for the takedown until the referee separated them. Upon second attempt, Banks did get a takedown. Brown got back to his feet, but Banks kept ahold of him. Brown was able to sneak into top position on the ground, but Banks reversed it. Brown got back up, but Banks latched back onto him. Very dominant round for Banks, he had it where he wanted it.

Banks got another takedown to open the second round. The fight stayed on the ground, with Banks landing strikes periodically. With over a minute left in the round, the referee decided to stand them up. This happened despite lots of movement on the ground. Banks tried for another takedown but couldn’t get it before the round ended.

Banks, of course, tried for a takedown again in the third round. Brown was able to fend off the first two attempts, but didn’t too much else in the process. Brown scored some elbows to the body while in the clinch. The referee split them up after being against the cage for a while. Banks got a takedown with a minute and a half to go. The fight went the all three rounds, with Carrington Banks getting the unanimous decision win (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Banks	10	10
Brown	9	9

Bout 6: Jerome Rivera (8-2) vs. Kendrick Latchman (8-5) (Flyweight)

In the co-main event, flyweights Jerome River and Kendrick Latchman fought. Rivera tried for a takedown early on but didn’t get it. They clinched up for a lot more of the round. Rivera landed some shots in clinch. Rivera got on Latchman’s back near the end of the round.

They went into a clinch at the start of the second round again. Rivera kept trying for a takedown but couldn’t get it. When they finally left clinch, Rivera started to unleash with strikes. Latchman caught a head kick into a takedown. From bottom position, Rivera tried for a triangle choke. He turned it into a mounted triangle choke, throwing strikes while in the position. When he stopped throwing strikes and really put it on, Latchman tapped out. Showing his skill in striking and ground game, Jerome Rivera added another W to his record.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Rivera	10
Latchman	9

Bout 7: Jose Mariscal (10-4) vs. Steve Garcia Jr. (10-3) (Featherweight)

Finally, the main event of the evening saw Steve Garcia Jr. make his return to regional MMA after last fighting on Dana White’s Contender Series. He fought Jose Mariscal. Mariscal got dropped in the opening seconds of the fight. He was rocked, seemingly falling a second time as well. In possible damage control, Mariscal clinched up against the cage. Garcia landed a spinning back kick. Mariscal tried for a leg lock but couldn’t get it, putting Garcia on his back in the process. When they got back up, Mariscal was backing up but did land his own shots as well. With that being said, it was clear he was taking more damage. After clinching for a while, Mariscal did a great judo throw to get Garcia to the ground. After the first round ended, it felt like a whole lifetime between the start of the fight.

Garcia had some good punches early in the second round. Mariscal missed a spinning back fist. Mariscal wasn’t slowing his pace, but you could see he was taking damage. Garcia got hit hard by a spinning back fist. Garcia swept Mariscal with a leg kick. On the way down, it looked almost like Garcia’s knee hit is head? He did some ground and pound on the ground. Mariscal got up and was hit with a knee and two strikes. Mariscal threw a punch, and then the referee stepped in, giving Garcia Jr. the win. As you’d expect, Mariscal protested the stoppage. Proving himself to be prospect, Steve Garcia Jr. won after a chaotic fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Mariscal	9
Garcia Jr.	10

LFA returns on the 31st with LFA 81, from Costa Mesa, California, USA. Headlining the card will be Jamall Emmers and Rafael Barbosa.

Watch The UFC 246 Post-Fight Press Conference

In the main event of UFC 246, Conor McGregor defeated Donald Cerrone in under a minute. With the event in the books, see reactions from Dana White and various fighters with the UFC 246 Post-Fight Press Conference.

The live-stream is scheduled to go live at 1:15 AM EST.

As the live-stream progresses, bullet-points of what people say will be put on this post.

Dana White

Gate for the event was $11.1 million
Attendance was 19,040
Drew Dober, Diego Sanchez, Brian Kelleher, Alexey Oleinik Conor McGregor all got bonuses
Maycee Barber, Tim Elliott and Donald Cerrone were transported to the hospital
Talking about McGregor: “I was blown away, he looked unbelievable”
On pay-per-view sales: “Killed it”
On ESPN’s promotion work: “The job that ESPN did promoting this fight, I have never seen anything like it.”
On McGregor’s next fight: “Khabib’s the fight to make”
White did not like the reffing for Holm vs. Pennington
On Maycee Barber’s fight: “Roxanne is a tough test”
White said he doesn’t want to give Claudia Gadelha a quick turnaround.
He was against how late the stoppage was for Drew Dober vs. Nasrat Haqparast
“Floyd and I have been talking tonight”
Said he called Conor McGregor immediately to tell him about Usman’s twitter getting hacked earlier today (for context, Usman’s Twitter was hacked, then tweeted at McGregor’s wife)
Said 187 members of the media were present

Holly Holm

On her fighting style against Raquel Pennington: “I always want it to be more exciting … With that being said, she’s kind of one of those scrappy fighters.”
Said she wasn’t bothered by the boos in the crowds
Said she was happy that UFC is heading to Alberquerque
Revealed her father had a stroke in the weeks leading up to the fight.
“135, I feel, is maybe more my home.”

Conor McGregor

On Cerrone’s grandmother: “She’s just a phenomenal woman … Great to finally meet her.”
“I’ll have a celebration tonight, I’ll spend time with my kids tomorrow … Then it’s back to training.”
On his past fights: “I wasn’t committed”
On facing Jorge Masvidal, and challenging for his BMF Belt: “That’s not a great belt, but I’ll still take it.”

Conor McGregor Has Successful Return, Stopping Donald Cerrone In Under A Minute

In quick fashion, Conor McGregor defeated Donald Cerrone via strikes in the first minute of the UFC 246 main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

McGregor was aggressive from start to finish, winning in under a minute. He charged at Cerrone at the start, landing a knee to the head after missing a punch. McGregor threw strikes in the clinch, including elbows.

What put Cerrone down was a head kick, and following strikes by McGregor made referee Herb Dean step in and end the fight.

“I like this weight division it’s really good … I don’t believe I’m there yet though, I still have to do to get back to where I was.”

The win was McGregor’s return to welterweight, last fighting at the class when he fought Nate Diaz twice in 2016. McGregor is a former champion in the lightweight and featherweight class.

Many high ranked welterweight names like Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal were present at the event.

In the co-main event of UFC 246, Holly Holm glided to a safe scorecard victory win over Raquel Pennington.

Future MMA 11 Full Report

Future FC kicked off their 2020 calendar with “Future MMA 11,” featuring nine televised fights. In the main event, undefeated Loibe Neto and Gabriel Braga faced off. The card has a good mix of experienced fighters and up-and-coming undefeated fighters.

Quick Results:

Bout 1: Pedro Machado def. Maicon Pitbull via Submission, Ankle Lock (RD 1)

Bout 2: Elvis Caicara def. Christiano Billy via Decision

Bout 3: Marcos Sorriso def. Robson Punk via KO, Punches (RD 3)

Bout 4: Leonardo Leleco def. Flavio Magon via Submission, Ezekiel Choke (RD 1)

Bout 5: Luann Panterinha def. Fabio Nascimento via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2)

Bout 6: Thiago Manchinha def. Alireza Noei via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 3)

Bout 7: Rodrigo Jones def. Alexandre Silva via Decision

Bout 8: Jailton Malhadinho def. Leonardo Black via TKO, Punches (RD 1)

Bout 9: Gabriel Braga def. Loibe Neto via Decision

Full Report

Bout 1: Maicon Pitbull (0-0) vs. Pedro Machado (2-0) (Welterweight)

Welterweights kicked off the night, with Maicon Pitbull debuting against undefeated Pedro Machado. Machado went into a standing clinch early, getting a takedown eventually. Pitbull threw some elbows from the ground. Pitbull was able to flip into top position eventually. Machado tried for an ankle lock, locking it in and making Pitbull tap out. Extending his undefeated record, Pedro Machado got a quick win on the ground.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Pitbull
Machado

Bout 2: Cristiano Billy (3-1) vs. Elvis Caicara (5-1) (Lightweight)

The next fight saw Elvis Caicara and Christiano Billy face off. Billy came in slightly over the lightweight limit for this fight. The fighters traded leg kicks in the first minute. They both threw some punches early on, but nothing connected. Billy circled the outside of the decagon while Caicara stayed in the centre. Halfway through the round, Caicara threw a combination of hooks then put Billy up against the cage. He eventually scored a takedown. They stood back up shortly after. Caircara shot for another takedown in the final minute but didn’t get it this time. Billy landed some good punches exiting the clinch at the end of the round, which seemingly rocked Caircara.

Caicara was coming forward with punches early in the second round. Billy connected with good punch combinations. Caicara clinched up, but Billy escaped again. Caicara had his own good combo of punches in the second minute. It turned into a real striking battle in this round. Caicara went into another clinch up against the cage until the round ended.

Caicara was landing singular shots throughout the final round. They were doing only striking until the final minute, where Ciacara put Billy against the cage again. The fight went the distance, with Elvis Caicara getting the win via decision.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Billy	10	9	9	28
Caicara	9	10	10	29

Bout 3: Robson Punk (12-7) vs. Marcos Sorriso (12-3) (Catchweight 150 lbs)

The third fight of the evening saw Robson Punk fight Marcos Sorriso. Punk was extremely ripped for this fight and did not look like he weighed 150 pounds. But he did. Punk shot in for a takedown early. He slipped a little while coming in, but threw Sorriso down. Sorriso stood up almost immediately but was pinned against the cage. Punk picked up Sorriso, carried him across the cage and then threw him down. When he got back up, Sorriso found Punk on his back, throwing him around. When they left clinch, Sorriso got some good punches in. Punk retreated across the cage, getting chased down with punches. Punk was throwing punches in return, but was eating more shots.

After a minute of both fighters throwing shots in the second round, Punk shot in for another takedown. He held onto it for more than a minute, but never finished his takedown. There was clear fatigue showing at this point. While they were both working a slow pace, Sorriso threw some good punches, targeting the legs, body and head of Punk.

In the first minute of the final round, Punk landed a punch that dropped Sorriso. He got back up, where Punk then shot again for a takedown. He didn’t get the takedown and they returned to stand-up. Punk shook Sorriso with more punches. Punk got a takedown, getting on the back of Sorriso, who got back to his feet eventually. Punk stayed pinned to Sorriso, failing to score another takedown before the referee separated them. With a minute and a half left in the round, Punk made Sorriso wobble again due to a shot. In the final minute of the fight, Sorriso threw a flying knee which knocked Punk out cold. A rough final round for Marcos Sorriso didn’t matter, after a knockout stoppage gave him the win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Punk	9	9
Sorriso	10	10

Bout 4: Flavio Magon (20-11) vs. Leonardo Leleco (12-6-1) (Heavyweight)

The next fight saw former-UFC fighter Leonardo Leleco face Flavio Magon in a heavyweight tilt. Leleco was the more active fighter early on, shooting for a takedown in the first mintue. Magon grabbed the cage to avoid a takedown, which made the referee pause the fight and deduct a point from him. They resumed up against the cage. They separated and returned to stand-up after being there for a while. Leleco tried for another takedown, not getting it again. Upon another attempt, Leleco was actually able to trip Magon and get him to the ground. Leleco transitioned into a side position where he put in the rare Ezekiel choke to make Magon tap out.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Magon
Lelecon

Bout 5: Luann Panterinha (4-0) vs. Fabio Nascimento (14-0) (Featherweight)

The next fight was a classic undefeated versus undefeated matchup. Featherweights Luann Panterinha and Fabio Nascimento fought. Paterinha came forward aggressively at the start, charging towards Nascimento. Nascimento dumped Paterinha to the ground in the third minute of the fight, scoring a takedown. When they got back up, Panterinha tried for a guillotine choke. Panterinha threw Nascimento to the ground, then landed some good strikes in the closing seconds. Panterinha seemingly slipped and fell, causing Nascimento to get on his back as the round ended. Very back and forth round.

Both fighters were connecting with good fists in the second round. Nascimento tried for a single leg takedown, although Panterinha avoided it and put in a guillotine choke while standing up. They went to the ground while Panterinha still held onto the choke. Nascimento eventually escaped. Panterinha was dominant on the ground, throwing punches for the rest of the time he was there. Panterinha tried for a rear naked choke, with Nascimento tapping out in the final few seconds of the round. Ending the long undefeated record of Fabio Nascimento, Luann Panterinha advanced himself to five-straight wins.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Panterinha	10
Nascimento	9

Bout 6: Thiago Manchinha (16-8) vs. Alireza Noei (6-1) (Catchweight 149 lbs)

Continuing with the show, Thiago Manchinha fought Alireza Noei in a catchweight fight. Noei was the sole fighter on this card that was not from Brazil, fighting out of Iran. Manchinha was the more controlling striker at the start. Noei shot for a takedown in the second minute, although Manchinha didn’t allow it. With two minutes left in the round, Noei landed a left hook which dropped Manchinha. Noei kept with ground and pound, although could not finish the fight. He eventually slowed down his pace, keeping top position on the ground. Noei shot for another takedown as the round ended.

Noei got a takedown in the first minute of the second round. When they got back up, Manchinha landed a head kick which cut Noei open. Noei tried for a takedown on Manchinha but was bleeding a lot on the canvas. They got back up after not being on the ground for too long. The left eye of Noei was swelling up. He shot in for another takedown. They never went to the ground, going back to stand-up. Manchinha went into a standing clinch, breaking up moments after.

Manchinha was head hunting with strikes at the start of the final round. Manchinha scored a leg kick which had Noei panicking. Noei ran way, but was taken down by Manchinha and hit with strikes. When they stood back up, Manchinha scored more punches. Noei shot for a takedown, but when they went to the ground Manchinha had a rear naked choke in. He kept with the choke until Noei went out cold, ending the fight. After an absolute war of a battle, Thiago Manchinha got a win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Manchinha	8	10
Noei	10	9

Bout 7: Rodrigo Jones (8-1) vs. Alexandre Silva (6-1) (Middleweight)

In the seventh fight of the evening, Rodrigo Jones and Alexandre Silva fought in a middleweight bout. For some reason, Jones was wearing the older design of Future FC MMA gloves. Jones got a takedown in the first minute of the fight. Jones was dominant on the ground, although didn’t do much, causing the referee to stand them up. After landing some punches, Jones tried for another takedown. They stayed on the ground until the round ended.

Silva was more active at the start of the second round, throwing lots of strikes. Jones tried for another takedown, although Silva was able to stay on his feet this time. Before Jones tried for another takedown, Silva threw some more good punches.

Jones put Silva up against the cage again to start the third round. The referee brought them back to the centre of the cage. Jones threw some punches then put Silva against the cage again. He got a takedown this time. Silva got up in the final 10 seconds of the fight. The fight lasted all 15 minutes, with the judges handing the win to Rodrigo Jones.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Jones	10	10	10	30
Silva	9	9	9	27

Bout 8: Leonardo Black (5-2) vs. Jailton Malhadinho (10-2) (Light Heavyweight)

The sole light heavyweight bout of the card saw Leonardo Black faced Jailton Malhadinho. Malhadinho got a takedown in the first 15 seconds of the fight. After a while, Malhadinho started to throw punches from top position. He didn’t stop until the referee stepped in, ending the bout. With a dominant and quick win, Jailton Malhadinho racked another win to his record.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Black
Malhadinho

Bout 9: Loibe Neto (4-0) vs. Gabriel Braga (4-0) (Featherweight)

Finally, the main event of the evening saw undefeated featherweights Loibe Neto and Gabriel Braga face off. As the main event kicked off, most of the venue was still empty. Like many fighters on this card, Braga came from the Curitiba gym Evolucao Thai MMA. Neto tried for a takedown in the second minute of the fight, but it didn’t work out for him. Braga kept Neto to the ground, getting on his back. He flipped over and got top position in half guard. He stood up and started to throw some punches to the grounded Neto. He was dominant on the ground until the round ended.

In the second round, Braga had the better stand-up. There was a short pause as Neto was poked in the eye. While Braga was out-striking, Neto had his moments too. Braga landed a very good right-cross with a minute to go in the round.

Neto had a good start to the final round, landing punches and a knee to the body. Braga landed an elbow to the head in the clinch. Neto was landing lots of combinations, often ending with that knee. Braga scored another hard right hand to Neto. A right-cross moments after had Neto backpedalling. Braga kept the pressure, walking down Neto and keeping him against the cage. Neto came forward a little, bringing Braga to the centre of the cage, although went back to being against the cage shortly after. They were seemingly throwing everything at each other in the final minute of the fight. After an action packed final round, the fight went to the judges. When going to decision, Gabriel Braga won, retaining his undefeated record.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Neto	9	9	10	28
Braga	10	10	9	29

UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy Preview

UFC prefers to have the main events of their high-tier cards with a championship belt attached. You see that nearly every time there’s a pay-per-view. But, sometimes, they make exceptions. Sometimes due to the main event being scrapped last minute, and other times due to large star power. This was seem in November, with Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz fighting in Madison Square Garden for an imaginary belt, “The Baddest M*****F*****” belt. Masvidal’s explosive mainstream rise in 2019 allowed him to pair himself with Diaz, and draw a fair amount of viewers.

This exception will be made yet again this weekend, with arguably the biggest UFC star in the last decade, Conor McGregor, making his octagon return against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. The fight is easily the lowest-caliber one McGrgeor has seen in a long time, although a good test for a star who has lost more than he has won in recent years.

With those losses lies a question of when the diamond that is McGregor will lose his value. Can McGregor afford to lose again, better-yet to a fighter who is a gatekeeper to the division? Well, to answer that question would be getting ahead of ourselves, because it’s not a relevant question unless he actually loses. And that will be found out this weekend in the main event of UFC 246.

As it is a pay-per-view event, the card features many recognizable names to UFC fans throughout. Live this Saturday from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, let’s preview this weekend’s UFC 246 card.

Bout 1: Sabina Mazo (7-1) vs. JJ Aldrich (8-3) (Flyweight)

The evening will begin at 6:30PM EST with three fights on the UFC Fight Pass early prelims. The first of the trio is between flyweights Sabina Mazo and JJ Aldrich. Two fights into her UFC career, Mazo has a 1-1 record, recently winning over Shana Dobson via decision. Aldrich has much more experience in the big leagues, with a 4-2 record since joining the UFC in 2016.

Bout 2: Ode Osbourne (8-2) vs. Brian Kelleher (19-10) (Bantamweight)

Dana White’s Contender Series winner Ode Osbourne will see his UFC debut in a fight against Brian Kelleher, who will try to break his two-fight losing streak. Osbourne finished Armando Villarreal with an armbar within a round on the Contender Series to earn his contract. Kelleher last lost to Montel Jackson in late 2018. He was absent throughout 2019, as a scheduled fight in May against Mitch Gagnon was cancelled due to an injury.

Bout 3: Aleksa Camur (5-0) vs. Justin Ledet (9-2) (Light Heavyweight)

The fight following Osbourne versus Kelleher is one that feels like the exact same scenario. Aleksa Camur, who got a UFC contract through the Contender Series will face Justin Ledet, who is on a two-fight losing streak. Camur has won all five of his pro fights via strikes, being undefeated as a pro and amateur. Ledet’s last fight saw him fall victim to the unpredictable striking of Johnny Walker, back in February.

Bout 4: Nasrat Haqparast (11-2) vs. Drew Dober (21-9) (Lightweight)

At 8PM EST, the preliminary card will switch to ESPN (TSN 3 in Canada) for four more bouts. The first of the group is a lightweight bout between Nasrat Haqparast and Drew Dober. After a road bump UFC debut against Marcin Held, Haqparast has won three in a row, most recently over Joaquim Silva. Dober has much more experience in the UFC, fighting for the promotion since 2013. His most recent win saw him stop Polo Reyes in just over a minute.

Bout 5: Tim Elliott (15-9-1) vs. Askar Askarov (10-0-1) (Flyweight)

In September, Askar Askarov made his UFC debut, wagering his undefeated record. And while he remained undefeated, he did not see the satisfaction of a win, going to a draw against Brandon Moreno. This time around he will face Tim Elliott, who has a 2-3 record in the UFC, recently losing to Deiveson Figueiredo. In a thin division like the flyweight one, a win could bring either fighter into higher relevance.

Bout 6: Andre Fili (20-6) vs. Sodiq Yusuff (10-1) (Featherweight)

Since winning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Sodiq Yusuff has been flawless in the UFC at 3-0. Now, he will see the biggest challenge of his career so far, facing Andre Fili. The now-UFC veteran has a 7-5 record within the promotion.

Bout 7: Maycee Barber (8-0) vs. Roxanne Modafferi (23-16) (Flyweight)

Still undefeated three fights into her UFC career, Maycee Barber could easily be the top flyweight prospect. However, her next matchup should be a good text, as she will face Roxanne Modafferi. “The Happy Warrior” has been fighting since 2003, with a current 2-3 record in the UFC. There’s no doubt that Modafferi’s advantage in this matchup is experience. However, experience means nothing until it’s used in competition. Many have written off Modafferi, with Vegas odds having her as a heavy underdog.

Bout 8: Anthony Pettis (22-9) vs. Diego Ferreira (16-2) (Lightweight)

Kicking off the pay-per-view portion of the card at 10PM EST will be Anthony Pettis and Diego Ferreira. Brazil’s Ferreira has been on fire lately, on a five-fight winning streak. Pettis is coming off a loss, going to decision against Nate Diaz. In the fight before that, Pettis became the first fighter to knock out Stephen Thompson, landing a superman punch in the first round.

Claudia Gadelha versus Alexa Grasso was meant to also be on the main card, but was cancelled due to the fighters not being within a three pounds of eachother. Grasso couldn’t make the 116-pound strawweight limit, coming in at 121 pounds.

Bout 10: Alexey Oleinik (57-13-1) vs. Maurice Greene (8-3) (Heavyweight)

With a 3-1 record so far in the UFC, Maurice Greene could be described as a prospect for the heavyweight division. However, similar to the Barber/Modafferi matchup earlier in the card, he will face the extremely experienced Alexey Oleinik in his next fight. Oleinik has been finished in his last two fights, those being losses to Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris. After a three-fight winning streak, Greene saw his first UFC setback in October when he lost to Sergey Pavlovich.

Bout 11: Holly Holm (12-5) vs. Raquel Pennington (10-7) (Bantamweight)

The co-main event of the evening will see Holly Holm and Raquel Pennington compete. The fight is Holm’s return after losing to Amanda Nunes in July, failing to take the UFC Bantamweight Championship. Pennington got a split decision in the same month over Irene Aldana, snapping her losing streak. Like most of this card, this fight hasn’t gotten much attention in the media. That could be because there’s no real angle or explicit implications for whoever wins this.

Bout 12: Conor McGregor (21-4) vs. Donald Cerrone (36-13) (Welterweight)

Finally, the main event will be between “The Notorious” Conor McGregor and “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone. Like mentioned before, this fight is one for McGregor that skill-wise is the lowest quality opponent he’s gotten in a while. However, it’s not sure where his skill lies too, so this bout could be a good litmus test for him.

McGregor’s last fight was a failed attempt to win the UFC Lightweight Championship in October of 2018, tapping out to a rear naked choke in the fourth round. His last mixed-martial-arts fight before then was in fall of 2016, winning over Eddie Alvarez. Since his last fight, McGregor has found himself entrenched in controversy outside of the octagon. In August, McGregor plead guilty to assault, following an incident where he punched a man in a Dublin bar. He was given a 1,000 euro fine for the incident.

Also during the layoff, the New York Times reported that two investigations for sexual assault were launched on McGregor. When the allegations were brought up at a press conference on Wednesday, the crowd and panelists reacted negatively.

Cerrone has fought five times since McGregor last fought. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak, dropping to Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. Before then however, Cerrone won three in a row, notably going five rounds with Al Iaquinta.

The fight is held at welterweight, which is uncommon for McGregor. Cerrone has fought in welterweight before, but not in recent bouts.

Following UFC 246, the next UFC event will be on January 25th, in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, going head-to-head with Bellator’s show in California. The next pay-per-view event by the UFC is on February 8th, with Jon Jones attempting to defend his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship against Dominic Reyes.