KCON NY 2019 Day 2 Preview

PHOTO: KCON NY Day 1 at Madison Square Garden. Credit: Andrew from Truly Daebak Podcast.

After KCON took centre stage at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, the convention returns for it’s second night. The evening will see six groups perform to conclude 2019’s KCON.

Last night we saw NU’EST, TXT, ATEEZ, IZ*ONE and The Boyz perform. There was songs, missions and surprises throughout the evening. Tonight SF9, (G)I-DLE, AB6IX, VERIVERY, SEVENTEEN and fromis_9 will perform.

It’s been an eventful weekend for AB6IX, who was performing in Hong Kong yesterday. Yes, yesterday. They took an airplane to New York and touched down in time to appear at the convention this afternoon. The rookie group debuted earlier in 2019 with the mini-album B Complete. The album featured title track “Breathe” which currently sits at 7 million Youtube views. The group has been one of the numerous successful boy groups that have debuted in 2019.

The night before showcased many rookies and newly former rookie groups. Tonight seems to be different, with older groups in SEVENTEEN and SF9 performing. SEVENTEEN have been around since 2015, making their discography one of the deepest on the lineup. Earlier this year they put out the single “Home” which has 32 million views on Youtube. SEVENTEEN performed at KCON NY in 2016 and have done KCONs in other areas as well since.

SF9 will be making their second KCON NY appearance on Sunday. Since the last time the group touched down in New York, the group has seen many comebacks. Their most recent one featured the title track “RPM.” A year ago they put out the song “MAMMA MIA” which neared 10 million views on Youtube.

Fromis_9 is the only group who will be playing their second consecutive KCON NY. Last year they performed songs like “To Heart” and “DKDK,” but this year come back with many new hits like “Love Bomb” and “FUN!” The recent mini-album from the group titled Fun Factory has seen consistent sales late after it’s release, being the best project from the group so far.

VERIVERY is definitely the smallest group that is making an appearance at this year’s KCON. Still in their rookie year, the seven-member group has put out two singles out of their two mini-albums. “Ring Ring Ring” and “딱 잘라서 말해 (From Now)” are the titles of those songs. “Super Special” is another song which was put out in 2018 and has a music video for it.

The sudden departure of EVERGLOW left the Saturday concert with a bigger boy group versus girl group disparity than before. The ratio for this concert is still 2-to-1 for boy groups, but it’s an improvement from the night before. (G)I-DLE will be the second and final girl group of the evening on Sunday. The group sprung on the scene in 2018 with “LATATA” and “HANN (Alone).” The former “monster rookies’ continued their success into 2019 with the songs “Senorita” and “Uh-Oh,” their latest single which came out a week ago.

Similar to the night before, KCON will be livestreamed on their website. For countries who may have the event geo-locked in their area, the performances will eventually air on tape delay through the TV series M! Countdown.

After tonight, KCON New York 2019 will have concluded. The next convention will be KCON LA, which takes place on a whopping four-day stretch, from August 15th to 18th at the Staples Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center. The already confirmed acts for the event are Stray Kids, MAMAMOO, MOMOLAND, ONEUS, ATEEZ, Chungha, NU’EST, AB6IX, EVERGLOW, VERIVERY and IZ*ONE.

7/7/19 9:15 PM EST Correction: Error in venue name.

UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos Full Report

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

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

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

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Kianzad99927
Avila10101030

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

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

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Rencountre101010
Naurdiev989

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

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

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Marshman



Shahbazyan



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

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

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Perez



Song



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

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

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Gadelha10101030
Markos99927

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

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

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Vera9


Hernandez10


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

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

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Allen10101030
Melendez99927

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

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

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Chiesa10101030
Sanchez98825

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

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

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Rockhold9


Blachowicz10


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

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

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Askren



Masvidal



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

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

My Scorecard:

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





Nunes





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

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

My Scorecard:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KCON NY 2019 Day One Preview

The international K-pop convention KCON makes it’s fifth appearance in New York this year with two days of festivities. For those who don’t know, KCON is a convention at day, and concert at night. The second night of music is at the Javits Center, with tonight taking place at Madison Square Garden.

While the daytime festivities have already begun, that’s not the focus for most people. The KCON concerts have long been the main attraction for those live in attendance and the many who aren’t even in the area. The evening not only sees performances from some of the industries top artists, but sometimes has suprises like last year’s debut of Red Velvet’s English version of “Bad Boy.” KCON will stream the evening’s events, making it an event that attracts those who can’t even make it to “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”

A Preview of KCON NY 2019 Day One Concert

In Comparison To Last Year

In 2018, New York saw Heize, Pentagon, Red Velvet, Super Junior and Stray Kids on the first day. The second day saw EXID, fromis_9, Wanna One, NCT 127 and Golden Child. While this year is still a good lineup, it is clearly not as big as the year before, which artists from top three labels.

The first night sees NU’EST, TXT, ATEEZ, IZ*ONE and The Boyz take the stage. IZ*ONE is the lone girl group on the first night, although this wasn’t initially the plan. Rookie group EVERGLOW was scheduled to perform at KCON but pulled out earlier this week due to visa issues.

The Lineup

IZ*ONE are a 12 member girl group which came from survival show “PRODUCE 48.” They have released four singles, with the two biggest ones being their debut track “La Vie en Rose” and “Violeta.” Their most recent release is “Buenos Aires.”

TXT is easily the biggest group to perform on the first night of KCON. Signed to BigHit Entertainment, TXT are the brother group of BTS. More cute and lighthearted than BTS, the group has put out hits like “CROWN” and “Cat & Dog.” I predict that we’ll see “Cat & Dog” being performed on the big stage at MSG, as it’s a pretty catchy song. Also, there’s an English version.

NU’EST are the oldest group performing on the first night by a longshot. While most groups performing on the first night didn’t exist more than 18 months ago, NU’EST has been established since 2012. While the group has 14 singles, their most recent one “Bet Bet” has gotten quite some traction. Whether they will pull out an older song will be seen.

The Boyz have had a somewhat relaxed 2019 releasing three mini-albums and four singles in 2018. The group released “Bloom Bloom” in 2019 with their new mini-album in April. The group won the “Best New Male Artist Award” at the Melon Music Awards, but their biggest award so far is winning the “lwos.life Male Rookie Group of the Year” (just kidding).

ATEEZ is a frontrunner for rookie boy group of the year. Dating back to October the group has put out three mini-albums, with five singles from them. While not being a top group in Korea the eight members have seen consistent success on the Billboard US World chart. The group will most likely perform “WAVE,” the song which was released just under a month ago.

The Convention and Other Details

There are tons of talks and meetups at KCON throughout the day, ending at around 5PM. The full schedule can be seen on their website. As someone who is not attending, the most anticipated part of KCON besides the music will be a random dance challenge recording. For reference, here’s last year’s. Door open at Madison Square Garden at 7PM, with the concert fully starting an hour afterwards. Head to the KCON website around that time to watch live.

Israel Adesanya Set To Face Robert Whittaker In Middleweight Unificaton Bout

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pancrase 306 Full Report

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

Preliminary Card

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Main Card

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Demetrius Andrade Retains WBO Middleweight Championship In A Clean Sweep

Demetrius Andrade saw a perfect score on the judges scorecards on Saturday, going over Maciej Sulecki and retaining his WBO Middleweight Championship. Despite it being the 27th victory in his professional career, it was the first time Andrade had fought in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, USA. The middleweight went all twelve rounds at the Dunkin Donuts Center, with all three judges giving him the win with a score of 120-107.

Andrade got off to a hot start in the fight, knocking down Sulecki in the first round. No more knockdowns came in the bout but every round that followed was a clinic being put on by Andrade. In most rounds he had a low stance keeping his head typically below Sulecki’s, despite the similar height. He even showboated in some rounds by flailing arms, lowering guard and having fancy footwork.

With the victory on Saturday, Demetrius Andrade stays on the current Mount Rushmore of the middleweight division along with Jermall Charlo, Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin.

Another championship bout went down in the co-main slot, with Khalid Yafai having a unanimous victory of Norbelto Jimenez (117-109, 119-107 & 118-108) to retain his WBA Super Flyweight Championship.

Francis Ngannou Defeats Junios dos Santos in Heavyweight Eliminator Bout

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

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

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

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

UFC on ESPN 3: N’Gannou vs. Dos Santos Full Report

A week before UFC’s next PPV, Minneapolis, Minnesota hosted a heavyweight clash between Francis Ngannou and Junior Dos Santos. Along with the main event was 11 other fights, including six on the prelims. Let’s first look at how the preliminary card went down.

Bout 1: Junior Albini (14-5) vs. Maurice Greene (7-3) (Heavyweight)

Fittingly, the evening started with a heavyweight fight. Junior Albini faced Maurice Greene, who was fighting in his home state. Early in the first round, Greene landed a combination of punches which shook Albini. Halfway into the round, Albini was dropped by punches. When they got back up Albini had Greene retreating with some punches. Albini was taken down by punches once again with a minute and a half left in the round, with Greene landing a few more punches before referee Jason Herzog called an end to the bout.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Albini



Greene



Bout 2: Amanda Ribas (6-1) vs. Emily Whitmire (4-2) (Strawweight)

In the next bout, we had a fight between two Strawweights who have small MMA records. This was also Ribas’ UFC debut. In the first round, Ribas got on Whitmire’s back while she was standing. She tried for a rear naked choke for over a minute. They eventually went to the ground where Ribas’ control continued. Whitmire was able to turn herself over and take top position on Ribas. After battling up against the cage in the second round Ribas took down Whitmire again. In top position, she landed some punches and then tried for the rear naked choke again. Whitmire tapped out shortly after. She gave a very grateful in the interview afterwards.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Ribas10


Whitmire9


Bout 3: Dequan Townsend (21-8) vs. Dalcha Lungiambula (9-1)  (Light Heavyweight)

Continuing with the prelims, Dequan Townsend fought Dalcha Lungiambula in a light heavyweight contest. There was a clear height difference between the fighters with Townsend having the advantage. Both fighters showcased their fast and powerful punches early on. They clinched up against the cage after an exchange of punches. Lumbiambula tried to throw Townsend on the ground but they got back up shortly. They stayed on the ground for longer when Lungiambula tripped Townsend. He landed another takedown when they got back up. Lunbiambula landed another takedown within the first minute of the second round. The fight stayed on the ground until the final 10 seconds of the round when the referee stood them up. In the first 30 seconds of the final round, Lungiambula dropped Townsend with punches. He landed a few more on the ground before it was ended.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Townsend99

Lunbiambula1010

Bout 4: Dan Moret (13-5) vs. Jared Gordon (14-3) (Lightweight)

In the next bout Dan Moret battled Jared Gordon. In the second minute of the fight Gordon landed a takedown on Moret after taking a head kick. Moret fought his way back to his feet eventually. He landed knees in a clinch which woke up the crowd. Moret started to string together punches on the feet. Moret got a takedown but they stood back up against the cage right after. Gordon tried for a takedown early in the second, but Moret reversed it into a leg sweep which gave him a takedown instead. Moret tried for a rear naked choke and an armbar. Gordon landed some strikes by standing up and punching Moret who was on the ground. Moret put in a rear naked choke early in the third round after Gordon slipped from a kick. Gordon got out of it and went back to hitting Moret from top position. Moret escaped being smothered by Gordon with a minute and a half left in the round. Gordon shot for a takedown but Moret turned it into a scenario where he could take his back. Gordon was on his back but was just able to turn around and take top position yet again. The fight became the first one of the night to go the distance, with the judges giving it to Jared Gordon (30-27, 30-27 29-28).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Moret109928
Gordon9101029

Bout 5: Vinicius Moreira (9-2) vs. Eryk Anders (11-4) (Light Heavyweight)

In the next fight we had Vinicius Moriera and Eryk Anders squared off. In the opening seconds of the fight Moreira tried to land a takedown but instead found himself on bottom position. They stood back up quickly, with Moreira trying for a single leg takedown. Anders got out of the predicament and caught Moreira in an awkward position, being able to land punches on him. Anders landed tons of strikes until the referee ended the fight. Afterwards the commentators were scrutinizing the referee for stopping the fight so late.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Moreira



Anders



Bout 6: Journey Newson (9-1) vs. Ricardo Ramos (12-2) (Bantamweight)

Finishing off the preliminary portion of the card was Journey Newson and Ricardo Ramos. The reach and height differential significantly benefitted Ramos. The first round had evenly matched striking until Newson tried for a takedown but he found Ramos on his back. Ramos tried for a rear naked choke but Newson escaped. Newson tried for a guillotine but wasn’t successful either. They went back to stand-up as the round wound down. The second round was purely stand-up with neither fighter having a shining moment. In the final round Ramos landed a takedown but was immediately put in a guillotine. Ramos escaped and slammed down Newson when they were standing up against the cage. With a minute left in the final round, Ramos landed a spinning elbow which dropped Newson. Newson got back on his feet quickly and endured the rest of the round. The two fighters went the three scheduled rounds. All three judges had Ricardo Ramos winning all of the rounds (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Newson910928
Ramos1091029

Bout 7: Paul Craig (11-3) vs. Alonzo Menifield (8-0) (Light Heavyweight)

Starting off the main card was yet another light heavyweight bout, with Alonzo Menifield putting his undefeated record on the line against Paul Craig. After Craig was up against the cage for a minute or so, he failed to land a takedown. Craig kept trying to take the fight to the ground but couldn’t. Menifield wasn’t landing anything hard on stand-up but was consistently walking down Craig. After Craig failed to do a spinning kick, Menifield caught Craig with punches which dropped him and ended the fight.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Craig



Menifield



Bout 8: Polo Reyes (8-6) vs. Drew Dober (20-9) (Lightweight)

In the next bout, Polo Reyes fought Drew Dober in a lightweight bout. Early on Dober was landing good strikes. Reyes was dropped but recovered and got back to his feet. When Reyes was knocked down a second time, referee Jason Herzog stepped in to end the bout.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Reyes



Dober



Bout 9: Vinc Pichel (11-2) vs. Roosevelt Roberts (8-0) (Lightweight)

Making it two lightweight bouts in a row, Vinc Pichel fought Roosevelt Roberts. Roberts looked to be the second person on this card to extend their undefeated record. The first round had some pretty close striking between both fighters. Roberts slammed Pichel on his head in the final minute of the first. The second round had more close striking. On the ground Pichel took top position as the round came to a close. Pichel landed a takedown a minute into the final round. Pichel put in a standing guillotine but eventually let it go. When the fight went back to the ground, Pichel was dominant on the ground. He took Roberts’ back, and then went into top position when Roberts rolled over. The fight went all three rounds with the fighters being respectful towards each other afterwards. All three judges gave the fight to Vinc Pichel (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Pichel9101029
Roberts109928

Bout 10: Anthony Rocco Martin (16-4) vs. Demain Maia (26-9) (#12) (Welterweight)

In the next fight, we saw a Minnesota fighter in Anthony Rocco Martin versus veteran fighter Demian Maia. Maia went after a takedown in the first round and landed it. He was dominant on the ground for the majority of the round. In the second round Maia failed for a takedown early. He landed it upon second attempt. With the final 30 seconds left in the round, the referee stood them up. The final round had Martin showcase his successful stand-up. The fight came to a close while Martin was hitting a grounded Maia. The judges gave the fight to Demain Maia (29-28, 29-28 & 28-28).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Martin991028
Maia1010929

Bout 11: Joseph Benavidez (27-5) (#2) vs. Jussier Formiga (23-5) (#1) (Flyweight)

In the co-main event of the show, the top two ranked Flyweights in Joseph Benavidez and Jussier Formiga faced each other. The first round had some back and forth striking. Benavidez got a cut near his left eye in the first round. Formiga landed a good takedown in the second round. As the second round was coming to a close, Benavidez started to string together punches that made Formiga fall. The referee intervened, ending the bout.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Benavidez10


Formiga9


Bout 12: Junior Dos Santos (21-5) (#3) vs. Francis Ngannou (13-3) (#2) (Heavyweight)

In the main event of the evening, #2 ranked heavyweight Francis Ngannou fought #3 ranked Junior Dos Santos. Early on, Dos Santos made Ngannou slip with a leg kick. Ngannou threw a right hook which landed well. Dos Santos turned his back to Ngannou after throwing a hook, which allowed Ngannou to punch him many times. He got dropped and was hit a few more times before Herb Dean stepped in to end it. In just over a minute, Francis Ngannou got the victory. After the fight he said he wants to face the winner between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier.

My Scorecard:

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





Dos Santos





As previously mentio ned, UFC will be holding a PPV event next weekend. In the main event of UFC 239, Jon Jones will attempt to defend his light heavyweight championship against Thiago Santos. In the co-main, Amanda Nunes will defend the bantamweight championship against Holly Holm.