Undefeated Movsar Evloev to face Mike Grundy At UFC Shenzen

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

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

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

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

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

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

MMA

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

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

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

You can see the full report of UFC 240 here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boxing

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

You can see the report for this fight here.

This Week On The Site And Beyond!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Gervonta Davis Retains WBA Super Super Featherweight Title Within Two

Gervonta Davis had a brief and impressive performance in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, USA, on Saturday, defeating Ricardo Nunez within two rounds. Davis retained his WBA Super Featherweight Championship in front of a sold-out crowd at the Royal Farms Arena.

The first round was a slow one for both fighters, with Davis likely getting the round on scorecards. Davis capitalized off no guard in clinch in the second round, landing a left hook to the head clean. With Nunez up against the ropes at this point, he landed a few more shots to the head before the referee stepped in. The Showtime broadcast interviewed the referee after the fight because some people disputed the stoppage.

After the fight he called out Tevin Farmer, who currently holds an IBF belt. Floyd Mayweather was also present at the event and praised Davis in an interview afterwards.

The co-main event mirrored the main event as super featherweight Yuriorkis Gamboa stopped his respective opponent, Roman Martinez, within two rounds.

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

Boxer Maxim Dadashev, 28, Passes Away Due To Brain Injuries

Russian boxer Maxim Dadashev has passed away from injuries suffered in his boxing match on Friday night. Originally reported by Tass and later confirmed by ESPN, Dadashev previously was put in a medically induced coma and was given a brain surgery due to a subdural hematoma at the UM Prince George’s Hospital Center. News broke of his passing on Monday morning.

Dadashev fought on Friday evening at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, USA, with his corner stopping the super lightweight bout in-between rounds 11 and 12. He was carried out of the ring with support but was put on a gurney after his legs kept giving out on him. It was reported that evening that Dadashev lost consciousness while in the ambulance, and reported the next day that he was put in a medically induced coma.

Dadashev was 28 years old and had a 13-1 pro-boxing record.

Manny Pacquiao Captures Championship In Decision Over Keith Thurman

Manny Pacquiao claimed the WBA Super World Welterweight Championship in a split decision victory over Keith Thurman on Saturday night. Thurman took his first professional loss after two of the three judges gave Pacquiao the nod at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada (114-113 Thurman, 115-112 Pacquiao and 115-112 Pacquiao). 

In the opening minutes, Thurman was holding his own. It was near the end of the first round that Pacquiao landed the sole knockdown of the fight. Thurman was floored by a right hook, but got up quickly and didn’t take any more severe damage. The 10th round was the only other time that Thurman looked to be in trouble, showing a sour reaction to a punch to the body.

While Pacquiao had a good start, it was clear that Thurman continued to improve as the fight went on. Tides turned around halfway through the fight when Pacquiao’s combinations became less frequent and Thurman walked him down more. 

After the fight, Pacquiao talked about his interest in facing the winner of Errol Spence Jr. versus Shawn Porter. He leaned more towards fighting again in 2020 as opposed to a third 2019 bout.

The co-main event of the evening was a 12 round WBC Welterweight Title Eliminator bout, with Yordenis Ugas defeating Omar Figueroa Jr. via unanimous decision (119-107, 119-107 & 119-107).

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.