Deontay Wilder KOs Dominic Breazeale In One Round

The “Bronze Bomber” Deontay Wilder made his return to the win column on Saturday, getting a first round KO victory over Dominic Breazeale, retaining his WBC Heavyweight Championship in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. The win came after the Heavyweight Champion’s draw against Tyson Fury back in December, the first time Wilder saw a result that wasn’t a victory, and only the second time he finished a fight without a stoppage.

The victory came in the third minute of the initial round. After the referee separated the two fighters from a clinch, Wilder stuck out his left arm and then came around with a right hook that dropped Breazeale. He did not answer to the 10 count, making the referee end the contest.

People wonder what’s next for Wilder as the Heavyweight division is still divided. Anthony Joshua, the WBO, IBF, WBA and IBO Heavyweight Champion is set to take on Andy Ruiz Jr. on June 1st, putting all four belts on the line in his American debut at Madison Square Garden. Lineal champion Tyson Fury will have to defeat Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas on June 15th before he can try for a rematch. The heavyweight division has the potential for a superfight on the horizon, but whether that may actually happen won’t be found out for a little more time.

UFC 237 Full Report: Andrade Becomes New Strawweight Champion

UFC returned on Saturday with another one of their pay-per-view hallmark events. UFC 237 included a Strawweight Championship bout between defending champ Rose Namajunas and challenger Jessica Andrade. Andrade, like many names on this card, were fighting in the comfort of their passionate home country of Brazil. The card was booked accordingly, with 14 Brazilian fighters on the 12 bout card. Among them were Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva, two big names not only in Brazilian MMA but MMA in general. Let’s go through the whole evening of festivities, starting with the preliminary fights.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Talita Bernardo (#15) (5-3) vs. Viviane Araujo (6-1) (Bantamweight)

Kicking off the evening was a Brazilian versus Brazilian matchup, with Viviane Araujo debuting against Talita Bernardo. Araujo had a successful run in the Japanese promotion Pancrase in recent years. In this fight Araujo was constantly bouncing on her toes, coming in for combos or strikes and then backing out. In the final minute of the first round, Bernardo shot for a takedown which Araujo took control of, taking the top position. Araujo tries for a rear naked choke as the round concluded. Bernardo started to land more strikes at the start of the second. Araujo started to land her overhand right with great power. Another takedown was defended by Araujo. Araujo landed a takedown with roughly a minute left in the second round.  Bernardo landed a great combo as the round ended. In the first minute of round three, Araujo dropped Bernardo with a right hand. No extra strikes were needed to conclude the bout. She had previously fought at Strawweight in her career, and said after the bout that she plans to go back to that division.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Bernardo1010

Araujo99

Bout 2: Raoni Barcelos (13-1) vs. Carlos Huachin (10-3-2) (Bantamweight)

The next bout was Brazilian Raoni Barcelos versus Carlos Huachin. Both fighters were throwing some heavy hands in the first round. The tempo of strikes thrown in the first was very fast. Barcelos tried for a takedown at the start of the second round but take up unsuccessful. Huachin was dropped by a right jab. Barcelos attempted to finish the fight on the ground, landing tons of punches. Huachin made himself vulnerable to many holds, with Barcelos trying things from many angles. In the final moments of the second round, Barcelos started to land elbows which made the referee step in and end the bout.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Barcelos9


Huachin10


Bout 3: Priscila Cachoeira (8-2) vs. Luana Carolina (5-1) (Flyweight)

The Fight Pass Early Prelims finished with Priscila Cachoeira and Luana Carolina facing each other. Throughout the first round, Carolina was using a thai clinch to slow down offense or land strikes. Cachoeira was the fighter consistently walking down her opponent. Carolina got a cut under her eye. Cachoeira caught a kick at one point and then made Carolina fall by kicking the other leg off balance. Both fighters had great moments in the first round. After Cachoeira was eating strikes for quite some time, she was floored by a kick to the head. Carolina tried for a submission the ground afterwards, putting in an armbar that did not put away the fight. As they were about to go to their feet, Carolina landed a knee to a still grounded Cachoeira. There was a pause in the fight, but a point was not taken away. They went back to the ground for a little of the final minute of the second round. Carolina continued to outstrike a very fatigued Cachoeira in the final round. The judges gave Luana Carolina the win unanimously (30-26, 30-26 & 29-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Cachoeira98926
Carolina10101030

Bout 4: Clay Guida (34-18) vs. BJ Penn (16-13-2) (Lightweight)

Kicking off the prelims on ESPN was veterans Clay Guida and BJ Penn facing each other. Guida went into this bout as a -700 favourite. In the first round Penn was much more composed while Guida was doing his usual all around the place fight style. Guida shot for a takedown in the second round but wasn’t successful. Penn was getting hit consistently with punches in the final round. The judges gave Clay Guida a unanimous victory (29-28, 29-28 & 29-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Guida9101029
Penn109928

Bout 5: Warlley Alves (12-3) vs. Sergio Moraes (14-4-1) (Welterweight)

Continuing on with the prelims, Warlley Alves fought Sergio Moraes in a Welterweight bout. In the first round, Moraes was landing good combos. Alves threw tons of kicks. There was a pause after Moraes said he got poked in the eyes. The kicks continued to be effective for Alves in the second round. In the final round he started to tee off with punches. After a very dominant performance throughout, Alves finally ended the fight in it’s final scheduled minute. A knee and an uppercut is what put away Moraes.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Alves1010

Moraes99

Bout 6: Thiago Moises (11-3) vs. Kurt Holobaugh (17-6) (Lightweight)

It was a battle between two Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series fighters in the next bout. As many people will/have tonight, Holobaugh got boos from the crowd. Both fighters were hot out the gates, with Holobaugh shooting for a takedown up against the cage. He didn’t get it, with Moises keeping it was stand-up. He tried again a minute later but didn’t get a different result. Moises landed a takedown shortly after. He landed elbows while in half guard. At the start of round two, Holobaugh got hit with some hard punches but shook them off. He landed a double leg takedown and stayed on the ground for a short amount of time. Holobaugh started to string together some good combinations in the second half of the round. Holobaugh slipped in the third round after a kick to the leg, letting Moises take top position on the ground. Shortly after they got back up, Moises landed a single leg takedown. Moises put in a rear naked choke but couldn’t finish the bout with it. Holobaugh was on top for a minute or so on the ground. Moises landed a hard slam for a takedown, landing strikes on the ground until the final round ended. The judges all gave Thiago Moises the victory (30-26, 30-26 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Moises10101030
Holobaugh99927

Bout 7: Rogerio Nogueira (23-8) vs. Ryan Spann (15-5) (Light Heavyweight)

Finishing off the preliminary card for UFC 237 was Rogerio Nogueira facing Ryan Spann. Spann landed a takedown within the first minute, putting in an arm triangle that Nogueira escaped. Spann tried for another takedown but couldn’t land it. Spann dropped Nogueira with a left uppercut that ended the bout.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Nogueira



Spann



Main Card

Bout 8: Irene Aldana (#11) (9-4) vs. Bethe Correia (#13) (10-3-1) (Bantamweight)

The main card started with Irene Aldana facing Bethe Correira. Corriera weighed in at 141 for this 135-pound bout, but Aldana agreed to continue on with the bout. She lost 40% of her fight purse due to not making weight in time. The first round was a slow one with Aldana finding success by using her reach advantage. Correira found ways to close the distance in the second round and land more of her own strikes. In the final round, Correira started to string together good combinations, consistently being the one who was advancing in the octagon. When the fight went to the ground with a takedown from Corriera, but Aldana showed good defence and put in an armbar and got a submission victory. Correira was bleeding heavily afterwards.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Aldana109

Correia910

Bout 9: Thiago Alves (23-13) vs. Laureano Staropoli (8-1) (Welterweight)

The next fight on the card was Thiago Alves versus Laureano Staropoli. The fight was mostly a close striking battle. The final round started with very aggressive swinging by both guys. Alves landed a takedown, but Staropoli got up moments later. They both had great pacing, still throwing with speed and power in the third round. Alves tried for a second takedown but was stopped. The fight went the distance with the judges gave Staropoli the win (30-27, 30-27 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Alves99927
Staropoli10101030

Bout 10: Jose Aldo (#1) (28-4) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (#4) (19-1) (Featherweight)

Jose Aldo fought in his home country against Alexander Volkanovski in the next matchup. The first round was a striking battle, with both fighters being very methodical. Volkanovski seemingly landed more, but every time Aldo did anything the crowd would become unglued. Aldo was poked in the eye in the second, making a warning get issued to Volkanovski. The final round was the continuation of the dominant performance that Volkanovski was already putting on. All three judges gave Alexander Volkanovski the victory (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Aldo99927
Volkanovski10101030

Bout 11: Jared Cannonier (#10) (11-4) vs. Anderson Silva (34-9) (#14) (Middleweight)

In the co-main event slot of the PPV, Anderson Silva fought Jared Cannonier. The first round was somewhat close until Silva was dropped by a leg kick. He fell down and obviously injured his right leg. The fight was ended by referee Herb Dean. Cannonier was getting booed after the fight, and said that he didn’t respect the crowd since they aren’t respecting him.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Cannonier



Silva



Bout 12: Rose Namajunas © (8-3) vs. Jessica Andrade (19-6) (#1) (Strawweight Championship)

In the main event of the evening, “Thug” Rose Namajunas put her Strawweight Championship on the line against Jessica Andrade. In the first round, Namajunas was consistently hitting Andrade with jabs. Very early on Andrade had a cut around an eye. Andrade got ahold of Namajunas and slammed her down, but couldn’t get anything done before Namajunas brought it back to the feet. Namajunas landed a takedown as well, but both of them getting up almost right after. After Namajunas landed a knee, Andrade went to the ground in full defensive mode. The first round ended with Namajunas defending a takedown. Andrade showed more life in the second by throwing combinations. Near the end of the second round, Andrade slammed Namajunas on her head for a takedown, knocking her out and ending the bout. Jessica Andrade is the new UFC Strawweight Champion. Andrade and her corner were all very emotional afterwards.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Total
Namajunas10




Andrade9




UFC returns next weekend with “UFC ON ESPN+ 10” in Rochester, New York, with Rafael Dos Anjos and Kevin Lee main eventing. The next pay-per-view that the promotion is running is just under a month away, with Henry Cejudo and Marlon Moraes fighting for the Bantamweight Championship. Also on the card, Valentina Shevchenko will defend her Flyweight Championship against Jessica Eye.

Nate Diaz set to face Anthony Pettis at UFC 241

Nearly two years after his last MMA fight, Nate Diaz will compete against Anthony Pettis at UFC 241. Reported by Ariel Helwani at ESPN, the news of the matchup came Saturday evening. The fight is scheduled to take place on August 17th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, USA.

“Showtime” Anthony Pettis is coming off a main event victory over Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, getting his second round victory from a superman punch. Before that he lost to Tony Ferguson after a hand injury made his corner call the bout in-between rounds.

Nate Diaz last fought in 2016 against Conor McGregor, with McGregor tying the rivalry between them after a five round decision victory. The bout before that was his first meeting against “Mystic Mac,” getting a second round rear naked choke victory as a +350 underdog. Diaz originally set to make his return back in November at Madison Square Garden facing Dustin Poirier. The fight was cancelled after Poirier pulled out with an injury.

The August show is scheduled to include Daniel Cormier defending his Heavyweight Championship in a rematch against Stipe Miocic. Their first fight was in July of last year, with Cormier getting a KO victory to become champion. Since then he has defended the belt once, defeating Derrick Lewis in the aforementioned November event at Madison Square Garden, UFC 230. Yoel Romero versus Paulo Costa is also currently scheduled to be on the card.

UFC on ESPN+ 9: Iaquinta vs. Cowboy Full Report

On Saturday, UFC headed to Ottawa for a card crammed full of Canadians. Besides the home country fighters competing, the show also featured a ranked Lightweight clash between “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone and “Ragin’” Al Iaquinta. Let’s look through the whole evening of fights.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Mitch Gagnon (12-4) vs. Cole Smith (6-0) (Bantamweight)

Ottawa’s evening of fights started with Mitch Gagnon facing Cole Smith in a Canadian versus Canadian matchup. Early in the first round, Gagnon found himself threatened by a standing kimura attempt. Smith landed a takedown after they were against the cage for a couple of minutes. They got back up moments later and went back against the cage. When they returned to striking, Smith was trying for kicks frequently. Smith was able to bring the fight to the ground in the second and try for a rear naked choke. Gagnon stayed defensive for the rest of the round but didn’t get finished by submission. Gagnon opened the third round very aggressively, advancing on Smith quite a bit. Smith was dropped by some strikes, giving Gagnon an opening. Gagnon tried for an armbar but it didn’t work. They stood back up and then went back down when Gagnon put in a guillotine. Smith got out of the move and took back mount. Smith put in a rear naked choke in the final minute. Gagnon’s mouthpiece also came out during this. The fight went the distance, relying on the judges to choose the fate of the fighters. The judges gave Cole Smith the win unanimously (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Gagnon991028
Smith1010929

Bout 2: Arjan Bhullar (8-1) vs. Juan Adams (5-0) (Heavyweight)

Two up-and-coming Heavyweights in Arjan Bhullar and Juan Adams faced each other in the next bout. The first round was purely stand-up, with Adams throwing way more punches. Adams came out very aggressively in the second round. Bhullar landed a single leg takedown after a minute. Adam’s had his mouthpiece knocked out, which Bhullar’s corner noticed and repeatedly told him about. They got up shortly after, with not much happening on the ground. Bhullar landed a takedown late in the final round. Both fighters slowed their pace significantly in the third round. The judges all gave Arjan Bhullar the victory (29-28 29-28 & 30-27). Bhullar called out Andrei Arlovski after the fight.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Bhullar991028
Adams1010929

Bout 3: Kyle Nelson (12-2) vs. Matt Sayles (7-2) (Featherweight)

The next prelim bout was Kyle Nelson versus Matt Sayles. The first round opened with an aggressive stand-up battle between the two. Nelson was shoved down at one point and was given numerous hammer fist and normal strikes on the ground. Nelson survived the large volume of strikes, and then put Sayles in position for a leg lock. Sayles escaped the move and got into top mount where he landed even more strikes. Nelson was denied a takedown attempt early in the second. Later on however he landed more takedowns. Nelson tried for a rear naked choke for a while, and even had it in at one point but lost control. Nelson shot for tons of takedowns in the final round, not having much success. He did land one takedown but fell into a trap where Sayles took control and put in a head and arm choke to win the bout.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Nelson910
Sayles109

Bout 4: Nordine Taleb (14-6) vs. Kyle Prepolec (12-5) (Welterweight)

In the next fight, Nordine Taleb fought UFC newcomer Kyle Prepolec. The first round had very cautious striking from both fighters. The second round was similar but had Taleb landing some harder hitting combos. Prepolec was seemingly hurt by a kick in the final seconds of round three, as he sort of stopped and grabbed his leg. The fight went the distance with the judges giving Nordine Taleb the unanimous victory (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Taleb10101030
Prepolec99927

Bout 5: Vince Morales (8-3) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (7-1) (Bantamweight)

Aiemann Zahabi, a brother of Firas Zahabi fought Vince Morales next. The first round was a slow one with Morales being the aggressor. The second was much of the same, although Zahabi did land a takedown in the final two minutes. The two fighters went all fifteen moments, not having many defining moments. The scorecards read a unanimous decision for Vince Morales (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Morales1091029
Zahabi910928

Bout 6: Sarah Moras (5-4) vs. Macy Chiasson (#14) (4-0) (Bantamweight)

Finishing off the preliminary part of the card was Sarah Moras and Macy Chiasson. In the fist five seconds of the bout, Moras scored a takedown. Chiasson got into a top position and started to land strikes. Moras tried for a takedown at the start of the second, but Chiasson was able to gain control on the ground. Chiasson landed a flurry of strikes from above, making referee Yves Lavigne stop the bout.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Moras9
Chiasson10

Main Card

Bout 7: Andrew Sanchez (10-4) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (11-1) (Middleweight)

Starting the main card was Andrew Sanchez and Marc-Andre Barriault. A story was told on commentary before the fight, explaining how these two fighters sparred the day before they were offered a fight against each other. Funny coincidence. Sanchez is a Tristar Fighter but got boos when being introduced. Sanchez landed a takedown in the first minute of the bout. They traded strikes while on the ground. In the final minute of the round Sanchez landed another takedown but Barriault got up immediately. Barrialt had dominant striking in the second round, making Sanchez clinch up. Sanchez kept getting it hard but never got dropped. Barriault defended a takedown for a while but eventually got tripped and went down. Sanchez had control on the ground for a good chunk of the round. The fight went all three rounds. The judges gave Sanchez the win via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28). The crowd did not approve of this.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Sanchez1081028
Barriault910928

Bout 8: Walt Harris (12-7) vs. Sergey Spivak (9-0) (Heavyweight)

We saw a Heavyweight battle in the next bout on the card. Walt Harris fought Sergey Spivak. Early on, Harris was landing strong punches and knees. Spivak completely covered up and fell, getting hit more and more until the referee intervened.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Harris
Spivak

Bout 9: Brad Katona (8-0) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (8-4) (Bantamweight)

Undefeated Brad Katona fought Merab Dvalishvili in the next bout. After a close striking battle for the first couple of minutes, Dvalishvili scored a takedown. They both stood back up shortly after. Katona tried for a takedown too but found himself in a clinch that ended with Dvalishvili landing a trip and getting a takedown himself. At the start of the second round, Dvalishvili got another takedown. Dvalishvili was dominant throughout the round, landing a good trip takedown at the end as well. In the final round, Dvalishvili out-wrestled Katona. The scorecards were all in agreement, giving Dvalishvili the win (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Katona99927
Dvalishvili10101030

Bout 10: Cub Swanson (#10) (25-10) vs. Shane Burgos (11-1) (Featherweight)

UFC veteran Cub Swanson faced younger fighter Shane Burgos in the next fight. The first round was kickboxing only from both fighters. The second round was very much the same. Swanson came out much more aggressively in the third round. Swanson tried for a takedown, but didn’t fully get it, being stuck against the cage for a while. Burgos had his moments in the second half of the round. The judges were split on the decision, but the majority selected Burgos as the winner (30-27 Swanson, 30-27 Burgos & 29-28 Burgos).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Swanson910928
Burgos1091029

Bout 11: Derek Brunson (#9) (18-7) vs. Elias Theodorou (#13) (16-2) (Middleweight)

In the co-main event slot was a battle between ranked Middleweight fighters Derek Brunson and Elias Theodorou. Brunson scored a takedown within the first minute of the fight. He took the back and put in a rear naked choke, but Theodorou escaped. Brunson kept trying for it but stopped being able to once Theodorou stood up. Both fighters, but especially Theodorou were throwing lots of kicks. While neither fighter had an amazing second round, and the crowd voiced their opinion on this, Theodorou out-struck Brunson. Brunson had an amazing takedown in the third, picking up and carrying Theodorou, then slamming him on is back. The final round ended with the crowd booing the two fighters. Derek Brunson won the fight unanimously (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Brunson1091029
Theodorou910928

Bout 12: Al Iaquinta (#4) (14-4-1) vs. Donald Cerrone (#8) (35-11) (Lightweight)

Finally, it was time for the main event. In the main event, Al Iaquinta faced Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. The first round was a feeling out process, with Cerrone landing a solid knee when Iaquinta tried for a takedown at one point. The second round was similar, with both fighters landing some good strikes periodically. In the third round Iaquinta started to bleed from his nose quite a bit. They started to really open up with strikes at the end of the third round. Iaquinta was dropped with a punch in the final seconds of the third. Cerrone landed strikes on the ground until the round ended. Iaquinta was dropped yet again in the fourth with a front kick. He got up shortly after. Cerrone strung together a good combination of punches in the final minute of the fourth. Iaquinta had a takedown blocked in the final seconds of the round. The fight went all 25 minutes with the final round being another methodical striking battle between the two. The fight was stand-up with periodic moments of fighting on the ground due to a knockdown. The judges gave “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone the win Unanimously (49-45, 49-45 & 49-46). Cerrone celebrated with his son.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Total
Iaquinta91099946
Cerrone10910101049

UFC returns next week with the PPV event UFC 237. In the main event, Rose Namajunas will attempt to defend her Strawweight Championship against Jessica Andrade. The show will take place in Brazil, and feature home country talent like Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo on the main card.

UFC on ESPN+ 9: Iaquinta vs. Cowboy Preview

UFC’s last appearance in Canada was back in December when Toronto played host to UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega. This time around it’s Ottawa holding the event, with the event being much smaller scale than the pay-per-view event before. The card had an obvious Canada versus The World theme to it, with eight bouts being a Canadian versus someone from a different country. In the main event, Al Iaquinta is set to face Donald Cerrone. It’s an interesting matchup because, while it’s a high profile fight, the line for Lightweight contenders is long already. While the future of the winner of this bout is hard to call, an easier bet is that it will be a fun fight to watch. Cerrone and Iaquinta both have a past of putting on “fan friendly” fights, no matter win or loss. Before we go further into that bout, let’s go through the whole card.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Mitch Gagnon (12-4) vs. Cole Smith (6-0) (Bantamweight)

The opening fight of the show will pit one Canadian against another, as Mitch Gagnon will face Cole Smith. Gagnon has a 4-3 UFC record dating back to 2012 and hasn’t fought since 2016 when he lost to Matthew Lopez. Cole Smith will be making his UFC debut, currently holding an undefeated 6-0 record. He has mainly fought in the Canadian promotion BFL, being the promotion’s Bantamweight Champion for some time.

Bout 2: Arjan Bhullar (8-1) vs. Juan Adams (5-0) (Heavyweight)

In the first of two Heavyweight clashes in the evening, Arjan Bhullar will face Juan Adams. Bhullar is a Canadian fighter who currently has a 2-1 record in the UFC. Bhullar was the first Indo-Canadian to sign with the promotion. He fought in Alberta and British Columbia before making it to the big leagues. His only career win is to Adam Wieczorek, who caught him with an omoplata. Juan Adams will be putting his undefeated streak on the line in his second appearance in the UFC. He earned a contract through Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series and got a win in December against Chris De La Rocha as well.

Bout 3: Kyle Nelson (12-2) vs. Matt Sayles (7-2) (Featherweight)

Kyle Nelson faces Matt Sayles in the next bout. Nelson, like many Canadians on this card, fought at UFC 231 in Toronto back in December. He came out of the event unsuccessful, losing to Diego Ferreira. Sayles is also coming off a loss, falling to Sheymon Moraes at the UFC 227 prelims.

Bout 4: Nordine Taleb (14-6) vs. Kyle Prepolec (12-5) (Welterweight)

Canadian fighter Kyle Prepolec will make his UFC debut against French fighter Nordine Taleb, who fights out of Tristar in Quebec. Taleb lost recently to Sean Strickland in the second round. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak. Prepolec is the flipside, as his last two fights were wins in the regional promotion “BTC.”

Bout 5: Vince Morales (8-3) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (7-1) (Bantamweight)

IN another Canada versus The World matchup, Canadian Aiemann Zahabi will face Vince Morales. Aiemann is the younger brother of Firas Zahabi, a well-known trainer from Tristar Gym. He is coming off an 18-month break from competition, losing to Ricardo Ramos at UFC 217 (which also featured fellow Tristar talent Georges St-Pierres. Morales lost his UFC debut in November but plans to bounce back from the loss.

Bout 6: Sarah Moras (5-4) vs. Macy Chiasson (4-0) (Bantamweight)

Ending off the prelims for the show will be Sarah Moras and Macy Chiasson. Moras, a Canadian, has been in the UFC since 2014 but has had a shaky record of 2-3 since then. She will face Macy Chiasson, who won The Ultimate Fighter Season 28 in late 2018. She fought back in March as well, getting a first-round stoppage over Gina Mazany.

Main Card

Bout 7: Andrew Sanchez (10-4) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (11-1) (Middleweight)

Starting the ESPN+ main card will be Canadian Marc-Andre Barriault and Andrew Sanchez. Barriault will be making his UFC debut, coming from the Canadian promotion TKO. His record shows that he has powerful striking, picking up many early stoppage wins. Sanchez won season 23 of The Ultimate Fighter, defeating Khalil Rountree. He has won and lost twice since then, recently getting the nod over Markus Perez.

Bout 8: Walt Harris (12-7) vs. Sergey Spivak (9-0) (Heavyweight)

“The Big Ticket” Walt Harris will be Sergey Spivak’s first challenge under the bright lights of the UFC. Spivak currently has a 9-0 record, fighting most of them in WWFC, a Ukranian promotion. He has numerous recorded first-round finishes. His first UFC bout won’t be an easy one as his opponent, Harris, recently beat veteran Andrei Arlovski in December.

Bout 9: Brad Katona (8-0) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (8-4) (Bantamweight)

Brad Katona has had a great past 12 months. Back in July, he defeated Jay Cucciniello to win season 27 of The Ultimate Fighter. After that, he beat Matthew Lopez at UFC 231. Attempting to keep his undefeated streak intact, he will compete against Merab Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili had a rough start to his UFC career with two losses but defeated Terrion Ware in September via decision. It will be a clash between an untouchable fighter and a more experience one on the main card.

Bout 10: Cub Swanson (25-10) vs. Shane Burgos (11-1) (Featherweight)

Cub Swanson is an experienced UFC fighter but has gotten into a three-fight slump recently. Hoping to bounce back from the losses, he is scheduled to face Shane Burgos. Burgos will be competing in his sixth UFC bout, currently having 11 pro wins with only one blemish on his record.

Bout 11: Derek Brunson (18-7) vs. Elias Theodorou (16-2) (Middleweight)

Ontario’s own Elias Theodorou will face Derek Brunson in the co-main event of the show. Theodorou’s last performance was a decision victory over Eryk Anders at UFC 231. On a three-fight win streak, his last seven fights have ended via decision. Brunson is coming off a late 2018 loss to now-interim Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya. The fight didn’t leave the first round, with Adesanya getting a stoppage victory.

Bout 12: Al Iaquinta (14-4-1) vs. Donald Cerrone (35-11) (Lightweight)

“Cowboy” Donald Cerrone will face Al Iaquinta in the main event of Fight Night Ottawa. Cerrone, who is nothing short of a UFC veteran will be trying to improve off of his two-fight win streak. He recently defeated Mike Perry and Alex Hernandez. His win over Hernandez came after extensive trash talk from the 26-year-old fighter. Iaquinta is coming off a dominant five-round performance against Kevin Lee. It was his first fight since going to a five round decision loss against current Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Next week, UFC will head to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for UFC 237. The show will be headlined by Rose Namajunas, who will be defending her Strawweight Championship against Jessica Andrade. The show will also feature well known Brazilian talent Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo.

UFC on ESPN+ 8: Jacare vs. Hermansson Full Report

Last Saturday, Jacare Souza faced Jack Hermansson in a Middleweight clash in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Along with that matchup was 12 other bouts. Here’s a recap of what went down that evening at the BB&T Center last week.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Court McGee (19-7) vs. Dhiego Lima (13-7) (Welterweight)

Kicking off the evening was Court McGee versus Dhiego Lima. In the first round, Lima was circling the outside, trading blows with McGee. McGee would be the one advancing but would get hit when he would come too close. A takedown attempt was blocked by Lima with under two minutes left. Another takedown attempt by McGee was reversed by Lima. McGee did a judo throw, but Lima got back up, putting them both back against the cage. Lima continued out-striking in the second round, landing a good overhand right at one point. Lima was dominant for most of the final round as well. There was a moment with less than ten seconds left, where Lima actually got dropped by a shot but might have been saved by the bell. The judges gave Lima a split decision victory (30-27 Lima, 29-28 McGee & 29-28 Lima).

My Scorecard:

FightersRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Lima10101030
McGee99927

Bout 2: Angela Hill (8-6) vs. Jodie Esquibel (6-4) (Strawweight)

Angela Hill took a short notice fight against Jodie Esquibel in the second bout. Hill had a big height and reach advantage over Esquibel. The first round had Hill showcasing her striking throughout. Hill had a good trip after catching Esquibel’s leg after a kick. Hills successful kickboxing continued in the second round. She finished strong at the end of the round. Early in the final round, Esquibel dropped Hill with a right. The fight had some exciting closing minutes, including a knee to the head that landed perfectly by Hill. The judges gave Hill a  Unanimous decision victory (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FightersRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Esquibel99927
Hill10101030

Bout 3: Jim Miller (29-13) vs. Jason Gonzalez (11-4) (Lightweight)

Jim Miller had his children at octagon-side for this bout. Miller landed a good left jab early on. Miller landed a takedown after a minute of competition. Miller put in a rear naked choke shortly after, which made Gonzalez tap out.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Gonzalez
Miller

Bout 4: Gilbert Burns (14-3) vs. Mike Davis (7-1) (Lightweight)

The preliminary section of the show started with Gilbert Burns and Mike Davis in a Lightweight matchup. Burns was utilizing his strong kicks in the first round. Davis did a good job blocking a takedown attempt. Upon the second attempt, Burns landed a takedown. Davis landed a good strike after getting back up that made Burns back up. Burns landed a second takedown in the final minute. Very early in the second round, Burns landed yet another takedown. He did lots of strikes and elbows while in top mount. Among some of the many strikes that Burns landed on the ground was palm strikes. With under a minute left in the second round, Burns locked in a rear naked choke that ended the contest. He was trying for the move for a while and was able to do so for good after some grinding.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Davis9
Burns10

Bout 5: Carla Esparza (13-6) vs. Vima Jandiroba (14-0) (Strawweight)

In the next bout, Carla Esparza faced UFC newcomer Vina Jandiroba. Esparza landed a takedown very early in the first round. They stood up a minute and some change later, but Esparza landed another successful takedown shortly after. They had a good battle during this exchange. Jandiroba landed a takedown in round two. Esparza did a good job at escaping the bottom position and moving back to stand-up. Esparza landed a takedown but found herself in a guillotine. Jandiroba let the move go eventually. Esparza got another takedown at the start of the third round. In the second half of the final round, Esparza connected with a kick to the head after a failed takedown attempt. The fight went all 15 minutes. This contest was a great grappling battle where both fighters had their moments. The judges gave Carla Esparza the Unanimous victory (30-27, 39-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Esparza1091029
Jandiroba910928

Bout 6: Andrei Arlovski (#15) (27-18) vs. Augusto Sakai (12-1-1) (Heavyweight)

In a Heavyweight clash, Andrei Arlovski fought Augusto Sakai. Arlovski got a decent reaction from the crowd when he was introduced by Bruce Buffer. The first round had both guys fight very conservatively in stand-up only. The second round was very much the same. There was a pause in the final minute of the second round as Sakai took a groin kick. The fight went the full distance and never made it’s way to the ground. The judges gave Sakai the win via Split Decision (29-28 Sakai, 29-28 Arlovski & 29-28 Sakai).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Arlovski9101029
Sakai109928

Bout 7: Ben Saunders (22-11-2) vs. Takashi Sato (14-2) (Welterweight)

Ben Saunders challenged former Pancrase fighter Takashi Sato in the next bout. Sato found himself backtracking after he was hit with a right hook in the first. It was clear that both fighters were interested in keeping this fight in stand-up. After a minute of the second round, Sato dropped Saunders with a left jab. He landed elbows on the ground that made the referee stop the bout. Saunders looked ugly with a cut on his head afterwards.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Saunders10
Sato9

Main Card

Bout 8: Roosevelt Roberts (7-0) vs. Thomas Gifford (17-7) (Lightweight)

The main card kicked off with Roosevelt Roberts facing Thomas Gifford. After a few minutes of stand-up, Roberts scored a takedown. Gifford tried a guillotine from the bottom position. When in top position, Roberts landed a few elbows. Roberts put together a good combo of punches at the start of round two. While Gifford was up against the cage he put in a guillotine but Roberts escaped. The two fighters found themselves in an interesting north-south position whilst being up against the cage. Roberts landed a good combo in the third and then went into a clinch, which ended benefitting Gifford as he got a takedown from it. Gifford was in a top position for a while, but they did eventually get back to stand-up. Roberts got a takedown and stayed in a top position for the rest of the final round. All judges gave Roosevelt Roberts the win (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Roberts10101030
Gifford99927

Bout 9: John Lineker (#8) (31-8) vs. Cory Sandhagen (10-1) (Bantamweight)

#8 ranked Bantamweight John Lineker fought Cory Sandhagen in the next bout. Sandhagen had a clear size advantage over Lineker. Lineker was landing very powerful punches in the first round. Both guys were doing some good trading, staying completely stand-up in the first round. Sandhagen landed a takedown halfway through the second but couldn’t get any work done on the ground. The second round included more close stand-up. It felt like in the final round these guys heated up even more than before. After Lineker hit Sandhagen with a great combo, Sandhagen went for a desperation takedown. Lineker put in a guillotine and held onto it until the round ended. This was a great performance from both fighters, with Sandhagen getting the split decision win (29-28 Sandhagen, 29-28 Lineker & 29-28 Sandhagen). The crowd booed after hearing this.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Lineker1091029
Sandhagen910928

Bout 10: Glover Teixeira (28-7) vs. Ion Cutelaba (14-3) (Light Heavyweight)

The next main card contest was Glover Teixeira versus Ion Cutelaba. Cutelaba got in Teixeira’s face during the introductions. Cutelaba landed a good head kick early on. Even though Cutelaba did most of the work in the first round, he was given a cut beside his right eye. Cutelaba did a spinning back fist which dropped Teixeira. While he was hit with more strikes, Teixeira recovered and then tried for a standing guillotine. There were a couple of times in the fight where Cutelaba almost connected with an illegal kick. Teixeira’s strikes started to heat up more in the second round. He failed to land takedowns during the round but got Cutelaba down by shoving him. Teixeira put in a rear naked choke on the ground after a great sequence on the ground.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Teixeira9
Cutelaba10

Bout 11: Mike Perry (12-4) vs. Alex Oliveira (20-6-1) (Welterweight)

The next bout was Mike Perry versus Alex Oliveira. Both fighters showed off their dance moves during the walkouts. At the start of the first round, Oliveira was trying many types of kicks. He tried his spinning back kick many times. Oliveira landed some heavy fists and then went into a clinch against the cage. Perry landed a good combo in the final seconds of the first round which had Oliveira shelling up. Oliveira found himself on the ground after a minute of the second round, whether that was due to a strike or a shove isn’t clear. Perry slammed Oliveira, but he got up right after. Perry landed some good strikes on the ground as the second round had a minute left. Oliveira dislocated a toe at the end of the second round but got it “popped back in” in-between rounds, per Joe Anik. After a slow first half of the final round, Perry started to tg Oliveira with strikes. Perry started to pepper on right hooks as Oliveira was shelled up against the cage. The fight went the distance, with the judges giving Mike Perry the unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Perry910
Oliveira109

Bout 12: Greg Hardy (3-1) vs. Dmitry Smoliakov (9-2) (Heavyweight)

In the co-main event slot, Greg Hardy faced Dmitry Smoliakov, someone who’s been sent into the promotion to obviously take the fall. Hardy dropped Smoliakov with over three minutes left in the first. He landed a few more strikes before the referee stepped in to end the fight.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Hardy
Smoliakov

Bout 13: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (#4) (26-6) vs. Jack Hermansson (#10) (19-4) (Middleweight)

The main event of the card was Jacare Souza versus Jack Hermansson. Hermansson took the fight on short notice. The first couple of minutes in this fight was a feeling out process. Hermansson landed a combo of strikes that dropped Jacare, and then he tried for a guillotine on the ground. Jacare did a good job at escaping the submission move and then got back to his feet. After a minute if striking in the second round, Hermansson scored a takedown. From top position, Hermansson landed strikes frequently. The crowd started to lose their patience with the groundwork. At the start of round three, Hermansson tried for a takedown but was unsuccessful. Souza started to land more strikes in this round. Souza blocked a couple more takedowns in this round. Souza blocked yet another takedown attempt as round four started. Hermansson strung together some good punch combos at the start of this round. Souza showed some good head movement when he wasn’t getting hit. In the final round, Hermansson was aggressive from the start, landing a takedown after some strikes. Both guys started to connect with strikes in the final minute of the fight. Hermansson landed a takedown as the fight came to a close. The judges unanimously gave Jack Hermansson a victory (49-46, 48-47 & 48-47).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Total
Souza99109946
Hermansson10109101049

UFC on ESPN+ 8: Jacare vs. Hermansson Preview

Two weeks before UFC holds it’s next PPV event in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, they are set to hold a smaller event in Sunrise, Florida. Live from the BB&T Center, the 13 fight card is main evented by Jacare Souza and Jack Hermansson. The main event underwent numerous changes, and now finds itself in a situation of a younger fighter facing a gatekeeper of the Middleweight division. But before we get more into that, let’s break down the preliminary card.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Court McGee (19-7) vs. Dhiego Lima (13-7) (Welterweight)

Kicking off the show will be Court McGee versus Dhiego Lima. Since he won season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2010, McGee hasn’t had an easy run in the promotion. Although this is true, he is heading into this fight after a decision win against Alex Garcia from October. Lima was a part of a season of The Ultimate Fighter as well, but found himself on the losing end of the finale on two occasions. His last fight was his most significant one in the promotion thus far, defeating Chad Laprise in one round at UFC 231. He still has room to prove himself after his entrance, exit and the return to the UFC.

Bout 2: Angela Hill (8-6) vs. Jodie Esquibel (6-4) (Strawweight)

After he round one armbar loss in March, Angela Hill took a short notice fight against Jodie Esquibel for this card. The spot which was originally being held by Jessica Penne was vacated after she suffered an injury. Both fighters will be looking to recover from recent losses. Penne has lost to notable fighters in her last few bouts, those being Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Jessica Aguilar. Hill is also on a losing streak, but to smaller names like Randa Markos and Cortney Casey.

Bout 3: Jim Miller (29-13) vs. Jason Gonzalez (11-4) (Lightweight)

Jim Miller has been with the UFC since 2008, but a recent series of losses has booted him to a low spot on the prelims for this show. He has lost to the likes of Dustin Poirier, Anthony Pettis, Dan Hooker and Charles Oliveria in recent fight. He’ll be facing Jason Gonzalez, a fighter who has had a much shorter career within the promotion. Gonzalez has been absent from MMA since 2017, with his last loss being against Gregor Gillespie.

Bout 4: Gilbert Burns (14-3) vs. Mike Davis (7-1) (Lightweight)

Mike Davis won’t have an easy entrance into the UFC, as his first bout will be against Gilbert Burns. He competed in Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series in mid-2018, but has since fought twice more in the Island Fights promotion. He’s never won a fight via decision, which might make it a quick bout against Burns, who has gotten 12 of his 14 wins via stoppage. Like many people on this card, Burns had a different opponent originally, that being Eric Wisely.

Bout 5: Carla Esparza (13-6) vs. Vima Jandiroba (14-0) (Strawweight)

Now long-time UFC Strawweight fighter Carla Esparza will be welcoming newcomer Vima Jandiroba on Saturday, having the potential to take away her undefeated streak. Jandiroba got her most recent wins from the Missouri based promotion Invicta FC, fighting twice in 2018. Esparza has recently lost to Claudia Gadelha and Tatiana Suarez, two notable fighters in the division. Her original opponent for this weekend was Livia Renata Souza, but she pulled out due to injury.

Bout 6: Andrei Arlovski (27-18) vs. Augusto Sakai (12-1-1) (Heavyweight)

All of Andrei Arlovski’s recent bouts have followed a specific trend. They were against young talent, they went to decision, and they were all losses. He’ll be fighting young talent again on Saturday when he faces Augusto Sakai, but the finish and the winner is still to be found out. Sakai has fought for Bellator in the past, and had a win on the Contender Series which gave him a contract. He looks to continue his winning streak against a veteran Heavyweight.

Bout 7: Ben Saunders (22-11-2) vs. Takashi Sato (14-2) (Welterweight)

Finishing off the prelims will be Ben Saunders and Takashi Sato fighting in the Welterweight division. Sato is making his UFC debut in this fight. He came from Pancrase, getting a 14-2 record with his last fight being the main event of Pancrase 300. Saunders will be attempting to bounce back from a slump he’s been in, losing four of his last five bouts.

Main Card

Bout 8: Roosevelt Roberts (7-0) vs. Thomas Gifford (17-7) (Lightweight)

Starting off the main card portion of the show will be Roosevelt Roberts versus Thomas Gifford. Roberts will be putting his undefeated 7-0 record on the line in his second appearance after being scouted from Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. Thomas Gifford will be making his UFC debut. His last six fights include five wins and one no-contest bout.

Bout 9: John Lineker (31-8) vs. Cory Sandhagen (10-1) (Bantamweight)

Cory Sandhagen’s 16-month career in the UFC has been nothing short of successful, racking up three stoppage wins since his debut. He has never entered the third round whilst on the big stage. What could be his hardest fight is when he faces veteran John Lineker. Out of Lineker’s 15 UFC fights he’s only lost three. Lineker will try to prevent a fourth loss on Saturday.

Bout 10: Glover Teixeira (28-7) vs. Ion Cutelaba (14-3) (Light Heavyweight)

Since 2014, Glover Teixeira has been losing nearly just as much as he’s been winning. After his win against Karl Roberson in January, Teixeira hopes to break his multi-year pattern when he faces Ion Cutelaba. This was a matchup that was originally planned for January, but due to Cutebala being injured was thrown out. Cutebala, A.K.A “The Hulk” has won both of his last two fights via first-round stoppage.

Bout 11: Mike Perry (12-4) vs. Alex Oliveira (20-6-1) (Welterweight)

Both coming off a loss, Mike Perry and Alex Oliveira will have a main card clash in the Welterweight divison. With four career losses, Perry had received three of those losses in his last four fights. Oliveira, who was originally supposed to face Jingliang Li, is coming off a late 2018 loss to Gunnar Nelson, having a 2-2 record in his last four fights. Win or loss, Oliveria hasn’t seen a decision finish since 2016. Perry was originally scheduled to face

Bout 12: Greg Hardy (3-1) vs. Dmitrii Smolyakov (9-2) (Heavyweight)

Greg Hardy has been a fighter that the UFC has backed from the start. A former NFL player, Hardy made his pro debut on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. After two first round wins and one regional fight, Hardy made his official UFC debut in January versus Allen Crowder. His dominant performance was lost due to an illegal knee strike in the second round. This didn’t do any favours for his already controversial past, being involved in a domestic violence case in 2014, with charges being dropped when the victim didn’t attend an appealing of the court ruling. He will face Dmitrii Smolyakov, who will be making his UFC debut.

Bout 13: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (26-6) vs. Jack Hermansson (19-4) (Middleweight)

In the main event, Jack Hermansson will get the biggest challenge of his career so far when he faces Middleweight gatekeeper Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. He’s currently on a three-fight winning streak, with his last wins all coming via stoppage. His last win came just under a month ago when he choked out David Branch in under a minute. While Souza is coming off a win against Chris Weidman in November, he’s been 50/50 in his last four fights. Besides experience, another distinct difference between these two is a nine-year age gap.

The 39-year-old fighter Souza would have actually been the younger fighter if his original opponent, 41-year-old Yoel Romero didn’t pull out due to illness. The initial matchup would have been a rematch between the two Strikeforce alumni, with Romero getting the nod via decision in their first meeting. The main event underwent numerous changes, with the originally planned matchup between Romero and Paulo Costa falling through. Romero then fell ill when Souza stepped up, allowing Hermansson to step up.

RIZIN 15 Full Report

RIZIN made their second appearance in Yokohama this Sunday. The card had tons of action, so let’s look at how it went down.

Bout 1: Thalison Ferreira (14-2) vs. Taiga (19-7-1) (134 lbs) (Kickboxing Rules)

After RIZIN’s traditional show opening where every fighter was introduced, we had our first fight. The first bout on the card was a kickboxing battle between Thalison Ferreira and Taiga. Taiga has fought in RIZIN before, fighting to a draw at RIZIN 13. Thalison Ferreira had a very intense and long walkout. Both guys were fighting at a fast tempo throughout the first round. Ferreira kept trying for a spinning back fist. With under 20 seconds left in the round, Ferreira was hit with a knee to the body, causing a knockdown. He barely escaped the round. His team was very late for leaving the ring after the first round. Taiga was dropped at the start of round two from an overhand right but recovered. Another overhand that was landed maybe a minute later took Taiga down once again. Ferreira saw red at this point and was fully on the offense. Taiga went down after a jab with under 30 seconds left, causing the referee to end the bout.

Bout 2: Kanako Murata (8-1) vs. Saray Orozco (4-2) (126 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

The second bout was Kanako Murata filling in for Shinju Nozawa-Auclair, facing Saray Orozco. Early in the fight Murata took it to the ground, landing a takedown. They got back up after Murata landed some strikes on the ground. Murata did another takedown and started trying for a guillotine. In general, Murata had the upper hand on the ground, but wasn’t completely dominant. After Murata picked up Orozco and put her down, she put in a von flue choke, which made the fight end via referee stoppage. As usual for Murata, she threw around her cornermen and cornerwomen after the bout.

Bout 3: Seiichiro Ito (12-2-2) vs. Manel Kape (12-4) (128 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

In the next fight, longtime ZST fighter Seiichiro Ito fought Manel Kape. Kape had a new look, wearing long pants and shoes in the ring. Within the first minute of the bout, Ito was hit in the groin with a shoe. Kape landed a good takedown in the second minute. Ito had a takedown attempt denied near the end of the round. Kape started to amp up his striking in the second round. There we many moments where Ito was in full defensive mode. From punches to spinning back fists, to grounded knees, Kape was hitting all of his spots in the second round. With a minute left, the referee stepped in to end the fight, giving Kape the stoppage victory. After the fight he dedicated the fight to his mother.

Bout 4: Koji Takeda (8-0) vs. Damien Brown (18-12) (157 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

After his successful performance at New Year’s Eve, Damien Brown returned to face Koji Takeda. The first round was only stand-up, with Damien Brown having a great round. In-between rounds, Yusuke Yachi was spotted in the crowd. Takeda held onto Brown’s back for a portion of the second round. After an amazing scramble, they went back to kickboxing. Brown seemed to be more dominant in the striking. Takanori Gomi was spotted in the crowd during the second break. Early in the final round, there was a pause due to Brown getting poked in the eye. Takeda was completely defensive in the closing minutes of the fight. This became the first fight of the night to go it’s scheduled distance, with Brown winning via unanimous decision.

Bout 5: Kana Watanabe (6-0-1) vs. Justyna Zofia Haba (1-0) (126 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

It was a battle of undefeated fighters in the next match when Kana Watanabe battled Justyna Zofia Haba. After a few minutes of stand-up, Watanabe did a trip to take it to the ground. Watanabe landed some forearms on the ground before the round ended. Kana Asakura and KING Reina were shown on the broadcast in-between rounds. In the second round there was a stoppage for Watanabe’s nose to be checked by a doctor. Miyuu Yamamoto and AI Shimizu were seen in the crowd before the third round started. From the ground, Watanabe was landing tons of strikes in the final round. Her nose was bleeding quite a bit during this. The fight went the distance, with the final round being the most dominant for Watanabe. The judges gave Watanabe the nod via unanimous decision.

Bout 6: Mikuru Asakura (9-1) vs. Luiz Gustavo (9-0) (150 lbs) (No Elbows Allowed)

In what is a great fight to have before intermission, Luiz Gustavo fought Mikuru Asakura. Gustavo landed a hard kick to the head early into the fight. Asakura landed a takedown shortly after. They were stood up after nothing happened on the ground. The referee stopped the fight after Asakura claimed an eye poke. After a doctor extensively checked him out the fight resumed. Back on the ground, Gustavo put in a guillotine but was broken as they almost fully got out of the ring. At the start of the second round, Asakura did a good kick to the ribs. Gustavo jumped into a takedown after trying to do a kick. When back on their feet, Asakura and Gustavo got into a swinging battle. Gustavo got dropped from a right hand but recovered and was taken down moments later. Gustavo got fully out of the ring while Asakura was on top, forcing a break. This caused Gustavo to be given a yellow card. The final minute was more powerful strikes from both fighters. In the third round Gustavo started to bleed from the left eye. The final round was the most intense as both guys were swinging for the fences. Asakura did a takedown with over a minute left, but Gustavo backed out of the ring again. Both fighters survived all three rounds. The judges gave Mikuru Asakura the unanimous win.

Bout 7: RENA (7-2) vs. Samantha Jean-Francois (4-5) (112 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

After the first intermission ended, RENA faced Samantha Jean-Francois in a match that was originally scheduled for New Year’s Eve. This time around RENA was able to survive the weight cut, so the fight went through. Francois was wearing wrestling shoes for this match. After clinching for a little in the first, RENA threw Francois onto the ground, but got immediately reversed. Francois did a trip shortly after, with RENA attempting an armbar from the bottom position. Francois escaped the armbar, going back into a standing clinch in the corner. RENA tried for a judo throw, but Francois sort of collapsed on her and assumed top position on the ground. Francois tried for a rear naked choke but couldn’t find it as the round ended. RENA landed some good stand-up shots at the start of the second, but was taken down shortly after. RENA tried for an armbar and got slammed by Francois but kept ahold of the move. They found themselves in a stalemate as RENA stood up and Francois stayed on the ground. RENA dove down for a punch, but stood back up shortly after. The referee stood Francois up this time. Francois landed another takedown but RENA reversed it using momentum. From top mount, RENA started to land strikes. After some hammer fist strikes, RENA tried for more submission moves. The round ended in this position. In RENA’s corner, she got her coach to slap her in the face with both hands before the final round started. In the final round, Francois landed a takedown but RENA fought her way into the top position. They got stood up after being in that position for a few minutes. RENA defended a takedown successfully in the final minute, taking top position once again from it. In a north south position, RENA landed some knee strikes to the head. The fight went the full distance. All three judges gave RENA the victory.

Bout 8: Karl Albrektsson (8-2) vs. Christiano Frolich (10-4) (205 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

In a Light Heavyweight bout, Karl Albrektsson fought Christiano Frolich next. Albrektsson had a huge height advantage over Frolich. In the first minute, Albrektsson landed a left kick to the body that dropped Frohlich and echoed throughout the building. That exchange brought the fight to the ground. Albrektsson was dominant with strikes on the ground. Albrektsson was dropped by punches in the final ten seconds, possibly being saved by the bell. The second round had an emphasis on kickboxing. In the first minute of the final round, Albrektsson landed a takedown that almost made Frohlich fall out of the ring. Despite landing this, since they went out of the ring he lost the position. Albrektsson got a top position on the ground and landed tons of strikes. The fight went the distance, with Albrektsson winning via scorecards.

Bout 9: Satoru Kitaoka (42-18-9) vs. Roberto Satoshi Souza (7-0) (156 lbs) (No Elbows Allowed)

Veteran JMMA fighter Satoru Kitaoka faced BJJ ace Roberto Satoshi Souza in the next bout. This was Kitaoka’s 70th pro MMA fight. After some striking, Kitaoka had a guillotine on that Souza rolled out of. Souza got a large cut on his head which cause a break in the bout. After a somewhat contained battle, both guys let their hands fly for a few seconds in the final minute. Kitaoka got a takedown early in the second. The fight was stopped once again, this time to look at a cut on Kitaoka’s head. The fight continued, with Souza landing some good combos of punches before Kitaoka shot for another takedown. Kitaoka tried for a leg lock on the ground (a move that got him put to sleep against Diego Brandao). Souza reversed the move into a rear naked choke and then a triangle choke. Kitaoka was able to escape the predicament. They were stood up after a bit of inactivity on the ground. They started to trade strikes, with Kitaoka being dropped after numerous strikes, and was hit a few more times before the referee dove in. Souza had an emotional speech after the fight, talking about how he watched PRIDE as a kid, and how this was a dream come true.

Bout 10: Kyoji Horiguchi (26-2) vs. Ben Nguyen (16-8) (132 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

The first of three huge fights on the card was RIZIN’s star Kyoji Horiguchi facing Ben Nguyen. The crowd was very electric for this fight. Nguyen was wearing shoes in the ring. Right off the bat, Nguyen was the aggressor. He got onto Horiguchi’s back while he was standing, but was taken out of the position after Horiguchi spun. They clinched up against the ropes for a while. Horiguchi started to land some good hooks. Nguyen stopped being the fight who was pushing the pace as he stated getting tagged. Nguyen was dropped twice, and after being hit in the corner many times, the referee stepped in and concluded the bout. After the fight, Nobuyuki Sakakibara got in the ring and asked Horiguchi if he wants to fight on Bellator’s Madison Square Garden card. The implication was that Horiguchi would face Darrion Caldwell for his Bellator Championship.

Bout 11: Tenshin Nasukawa (29-0) vs. Fritz Biagtan (12-3) (130 lbs) (Kickboxing Rules)

After the second intermission ended, Manny Pacquiao came to the ring and thanked everyone for the opportunity to be here, and for his kickboxer Fritz Biagtan to fight Tenshin Nasukawa. He took a seat at ringside for the fight. The first round was very methodical, with both guys having a feeling out process. There was a pause due to Nasukawa getting un-intentionally hit in the groin. Biagtan was landing strikes in the second round, but it felt like Nasukawa was controlling the bout. In the final minute of the second round, there was a moment where Biagtan was spun into a corner and then hit a few times clean on the chin. In the final round, Nasukawa started to really egg on with strikes. He landed a knockdown after a knee to the body. With another knee only second laster, Nasukawa got a second knockdown and a victory. He did the Street Fighter “Hadouken” pose after winning.

Bout 12: King Mo (21-8) vs. Jiri Prochazka (23-3-1) (Light Heavyweight Title Match) (Elbows Allowed)

In the main event of RIZIN 15, Jiri Prochazka and King Mo fought to become the first ever RIZIN Light Heavyweight Champion. Like many people tonight, King Mo fought in shoes. Before the main event happened, the Czech Republic and United States National Anthems were played. Despite being a championship bout, it was only scheduled for three rounds. The first round of the fight felt very slow, and while Prochazka landed some, it wasn’t a huge round for him. There was a pause in the action when a doctor had to check on a cut around Prochazka’s left eye. Prochazka was more aggressive than King Mo in this round. With two minutes left in the final round, Prochazka started to land head strikes, dropping King Mo and eventually closing out the fight. Jiri Prochazka is RIZIN’s first Light Heavyweight Champion.

With RIZIN’s evening of fights concluded, we look to the future. RIZIN is scheduled to have their next event on June 2nd in Kobe, Japan, making it the promotion’s debut in the city. It will be in World Memorial Hall, a venue that has 8,000 seats in it. No fights are booked for the event yet, but once we edge closer to the date some bouts are eventually going to be announced.

UFC on ESPN+ 7: Overeem vs. Oleinik Full Report

UFC made its second appearance in Russia this weekend, showcasing the power of veteran Heavyweights Aleksei Oleinik and Alistair Overeem. The card was very much a Russia versus The World theme but also had a newcomer spin to it, as six fighters on the card were making their UFC debut.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Rafael Fiziev (6-0) vs. Magomed Mustafaev (13-2) (Lightweight)

The first bout to open the show was in the Lightweight division, with Rafael Fiziev facing Magomed Mustafaev. In the first minute of the fight, Mustafaev landed a spinning back kick that looked like it hit him but could have gotten him much harder. A minute later he landed another spinning back kick, except this time it dropped Fiziev. After some more punches on the ground the referee intervened to end it.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Fiziev
Mustafaev

Bout 2: Michal Oleksiejczuk (13-2-1) vs. Gadzhimurad Antigulov (20-5) (Light Heavyweight)

After one fight that didn’t make it through the first round, we saw another one like that. Antigulov landed punches in the first 10 seconds, fighting very aggressively. While advancing he was hit with a left hook that dropped him. He landed an uppercut that dropped him a second time. Another uppercut made the light heavyweight fall again, and the fight ended.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Oleksiejczuk
Antigulov

Bout 3: Shamil Abdurakhimov (19-4) (#13) vs. Marcin Tybura (17-4) (#10) (Heavyweight)

Moving up a weight class from the previous bout, we saw a Heavyweight clash between Shamil Abdurakhimov and Marcin Tybura. The first round was purely kickboxing, with Abdurakhimov out-striking Tybura. The second round was much of the same, with Abdurakhimov landing a spinning back fist at one point. With under two minutes left, Tybura was hit with a left hook that made is legs nearly collapse under him. Retreating, he got hit a few more times up against the cage before referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop it.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Abdurakhimov (#13)10
Tybura (#10)9

Bout 4: Alex Da Silva (20-1) vs. Alexander Yakovlev (23-8-1) (Lightweight)

The next fight had Brazilian Alex Da Silva face Russia’s Alexander Yakovlev. Da Silva showcased good wrestling in the first round, slamming Yakovlev after holding him up against the cage. At the start of round two the fight went to the ground after Yakovlev slipped while throwing a kick. After clinching for a while, Yakovlev landed a hard slam of his own.  On the ground, Yakovlev put in a guillotine that made Da Silva tap out.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Da Silva10
Yakovlev9

Bout 5: Keita Nakamura (34-9-2) vs. Sultan Aliev (14-3) (Welterweight)

In the final hour of prelims, Keita Nakamura faced Sultan Aliev in a Welterweight fight. Nakamura’s mouthpiece fell off in the first few seconds, and he put it right back in, no wash needed. Both fighters were landing punches in the first round. Although Aliev was landing more than Nakamura. In the second half of the second round, Aliev landed a takedown. In the final round, Aliev was trying for a rear naked choke but couldn’t find it. Aliev continued his dominant striking throughout the fight. The contest went it’s scheduled three rounds. The scorecards were all in favour of Sultan Aliev (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Nakamura99927
Aliev10101030

Bout 6: Seungwoo Choi (7-1) vs. Movsar Evloev (10-0) (Featherweight)

In a double debut fight, Seungwoo Choi and Movsar Evloev ended off the preliminary part of the card. Evloev landed a hard sounding uppercut in the first round. Shortly after landing a nice overhead strike, Evloev brought the fight to the ground. He landed shots on the ground more than he tried to do submission moves. Evloev landed an illegal knee in the second round, which made the referee take away a point. Right out the gates of the final round, Evloev landed a takedown. He was successful in wrestling for the whole round. The fight went the distance, with the judges giving Movsar Evloev the victory (29-27, 29-27 & 29-26).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Choi99928
Evloev1091029

Main Card

Bout 7: Krzysztof Jotko (19-4) vs. Alen Amedovski (8-0) (Middleweight)

The first fight on the main card was a Middleweight battle between Krzysztof Jotko versus Alen Amedovski. Amedovski wagered his undefeated streak in this fight, which was also his UFC debut. The first two minutes of the fight had close striking. After a trip, the fight went to the ground. Jotko tried for a rear naked choke, but Amedovski escaped and landed some strikes before going back to stand-up. Jokto landed a spinning elbow that brought Amedovski onto one knee for a moment. He landed a takedown and stayed in top position for the rest of the round.

Early in the second round, Jotko landed another takedown. Jotko was dominant on the ground, landing punches and elbows near the end. While Amedovski resisted more in the next takedown, Jotko still landed it. Jokto continued his dominant ground performance until the final round ended. The judges gave Krzysztof Jotko the win unanimously (30-25, 30-26 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Jotko10101030
Amedovski98825

Bout 8: Antonina Shevchenko (7-0) vs. Roxanne Modafferi (22-15) (Flyweight)

Antonina Shevchenko, the sister of Valentina Shevchenko fought against Roxanne Modafferi in the next bout. In the first round, Modafferi was aggressive, consistently being the fighter that was advancing. Modafferi was successful when wrestling. In the second round, Shevchenko’s kickboxing skills started to really show. Modafferi was able to land a takedown against the cage around halfway through the round. On the ground, Shevchenko landed some hammer strikes on the ground. Similar to the second round, in the third Shevchenko had great striking in stand-up. She also seemed to be less useless on the ground, bringing the fight back to stand-up at the end. The fight went the distance, with the judges favouring Roxanne Modafferi via split decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Shevchenko991028
Modafferi1010929

Bout 9: Sergey Pavlovich (12-1) vs. Marcelo Golm (6-2) (Heavyweight)

Heading up to the Heavyweight division, Sergey Pavlovich fought Marcelo Golm. From the very start of the fight, both guys were swinging. Pavlovich landed a flurry a minute into the bout ending with an uppercut that put Golm to sleep.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Pavlovich
Golm

Bout 10: Islam Makhachev (16-1) vs. Arman Tsarukyan (13-1) (Lightweight)

In the co-main event slot this evening was Islam Makhachev versus Arman Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan was taken to the cage in the first minute after tripping. Makhachev landed a great takedown after being in a standing clinch. Tsarukyan had a standing guillotine on Makhachev after he found himself in the move seconds before. This round was some real high-level wrestling from both fighters. The crowd was behind Makhachev, cheering on all of his moves. Makhachev was controlling with the wrestling throughout the second. Tsarukyan broke out more kickboxing at the start of the third. The fight went all 15 minutes, with Islam Makhachev winning unanimously (30-27, 30-27 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Total
Makhachev10101030
Tsarukyan99927

Bout 11: Aleksei Oleinik (57-11-1) (#9) vs. Alistair Overeem (44-17) (#7) (Heavyweight)

The main event in St. Petersburg was Aleksei Oleinik and Alistair Overeem. Oleinik took the fight to the ground immediately. When back on their feet, Oleinik clipped Overeem with an overhand. He was hit more when shelled up against the cage, but made it out of the exchange. For the first few minutes of the fight, Overeem landed knees but Oleinik was dominating overall with his fists. In the final minute, Oleinik was dropped from knees and covered up. Overeem landed more punches until the referee came in and stopped it.

My Scorecard:

FighterRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Total
Oleinik (#9)
Overeem (#7)

UFC will be back on ESPN+ next week, live from Sunrise, Florida when Jacare Souza faces Jack Hermansson. The next PPV from the promotion is under a month away, with Rose Namajunas facing Jessica Andrade on May 11 from Jeunesse Arena in Brazil.

RIZIN 15 Preview

On Sunday RIZIN will return with their first event of 2019. Their last event was the classic New Year’s Eve MMA event being held in Saitama Super Arena. The show saw kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa lose within a round of boxing to the 50-0 Floyd Mayweather. The loss went viral, as did Mayweather’s reported nine million dollar paycheck did. The show also saw the crowing of Kyoji Horiguchi and Ayaka Hamasaki as champions. Horiguchi defeated Bellator star Darrion Caldwell via submission to become a Bantamweight Champion, and Hamasaki beat Kanna Asakura with a second-round armbar to become a Super Atomweight Champion.

This weekend’s show will be headlined by Jiri Prochazka and Bellator’s King Mo, as they compete for the inagural RIZIN Heavyweight Championship. Below them on the card will also be RIZIN regulars Kyoji Horiguchi and Tenshin Nasukawa.

RIZIN 15 will see inaugural promotion’s return to Yokohama, with their last appearance being in April of 2017. With the order of this weekend’s card being unveiled this week, let’s preview the card in order.

Taiga vs. Thalisson Gomes Ferreira (Kickboxing Bout)

The first fight of the evening is contested under kickboxing rules, as Taiga returns to face RIZIN newcomer Thailisson Gomes Ferreria. Taiga competed at RIZIN 13, where he fought to a draw against Kento Haraguchi. Both fighters are coming off of losses from the RISE kickboxing promotion.

Kanako Murata vs. Saray Orozco

The matchup of Kanako Murata and Saray Orozco only became official this week when Orozco’s original opponent, Shinju Nozawa-Auclair backed out of the bout due to injury. Nozawa-Auclair noted on Instagram that she fought through an injury before, and it forced her to be sidelined for a year after the fight because of the severity of the injury afterwards. Kanako Murata is no newcomer to RIZIN as she has an established 4-1 record within the fighting federation. Saray Orozco has a 4-2 professional MMA record and is on a three-fight win streak heading into her battle in Yokohama.

Seiichiro Ito vs. Manel Kape

Manel Kape is an example of someone who RIZIN has really built up. Prior to his career within RIZIN, he didn’t compete in any major promotions. Although RIZIN has made him into a huge star, he hasn’t had an easy run. Out of his last four career losses, he has been given three of them in his last four fights. He lost to Ulka Sasaki on New Year’s Eve back when he was coming off a win against Yusaku Nakamura. He’ll be facing Seiichiro Ito in his next fight. Ito will be making his second RIZIN appearance, getting a win at the last Yokohama show. He’s a veteran within the ZST promotion in Japan and is coming off his first MMA loss in over five years.

Koji Takeda vs. Damien Brown

Damien Brown had a strong debut with RIZIN at New Year’s Eve after wrapping up his 2-4 UFC career. He defeated RIZIN veteran Daron Cruickshank via guillotine in just one round. He faces Koji Takeda, a DEEP promotion fighter who, despite only debuting in 2017, has racked up eight victories. His last win came against Satoru Kitaoka, who also fights on this card.

Kana Watanabe vs. Justyna Zofia Haba

Justyna Zofia Haba and Kana Watanabe are two success stories that came from the New Year’s Eve shows. Watanabe defeated Shizuka Sugiyama in 11 seconds after a knockdown (which Sugiyama protested about after the match) in their sequel fight, and Haba handed Shinju Nozawa-Auclair her first pro loss via submission. Watanabe’s fight came from RIZIN’s afternoon show “RIZIN Heisei’s Last Yarennoka!” Since then she has also gotten her either pro victory at DEEP JEWELS 23, defeating Soo Min Kang. While Watanabe isn’t a veteran by any means, her 8-0-1 record is many more minutes in the sport than what Haba has experienced in her 1-0 pro MMA career.

Mikuru Asakura vs. Luis Gustavo

This weekend’s show was set to be a showcase of both of the Asakura brothers, but couldn’t happen after Kai Asakura’s fight fell through. After Ulka Sasaki and Justin Scoggins both pulled out due to injury, RIZIN decided to bench Kai for the event. Mikuru’s bout is still set to happen, as he faces Luis Gustavo. The undefeated Brazilian left an impact in his debut in RIZIN when he dropped Yusuke Yachi in the main event of RIZIN 12. Mikuru defeated Shooto veteran Takeshi Inoue at the “Heisei’s Last Yarennoka” show on NYE.

RENA vs. Samantha Jean-Francois

A bout that was set to go down at RIZIN 14 will be tried for again at this event. Samantha Jean-Francois didn’t have an opponent last minute in December due to RENA suffering from anemia and dehydration during her weight cut. The last fight took place at 49 kg, and this fight will be held at 51 kg.

Karl Albrektsson vs. Christiano Frolich

Karl Albrektsson will make his return to RIZIN, facing Christiano Frolich, who will make his debut in the promotion. Albrektsson’s last fight in RIZIN was against Jiri Prochazka, losing in the first round via punches. Since then he has gotten two more wins in the Swedish promotion “Superior Challenge,” making his record 8-2. Frolich comes into RIZIN with a 10-4 record, with his last fight being a win in July against Eduardo Rufino.

Roberto de Souza vs. Satoru Kitaoka

Nearly two decades into his MMA career, Satoru Kitaoka is still fighting frequently. After defeating Tatsuya Kawajiri on New Year’s Eve, Kitaoka will face Roberto de Souza in his next battle. Souza is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu based MMA fighter, having presence in Japan through his participation in QUINTET events.

Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Ben Nguyen

RIZIN’s top MMA dog Kyoji Horiguchi will face former UFC fighter Ben Nguyen in his next fight. Horiguchi is coming off a championship victory in December. Nguyen will be making his first appearance outside the UFC after he first fought for them in 2015. At the end of his stint with the promotion, he lost two fights, finishing with a UFC record of 4-3. This fight won’t be for a title, and will only be three rounds.

Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Fritz Aldin Biagtan

Tenshin Nasukawa’s recent fights seemingly follow a theme of being involved with people who don’t have much to do with kickboxing. At RIZIN 13, he fought Kyoji Horiguchi in a kickboxing match. At RIZIN 14, he lost to Floyd Mayweather in boxing after being knocked down three times. And now at RIZIN 15, Nasukawa will face a kickboxer that has been brought in through famous boxer Manny Pacquiao. Fritz Aldin Biagtan was the fighter that “Pac-Man” assigned for the event. The Filipino fighter is a current WBC Muay Thai Featherweight Champion and will be facing Nasukawa in Kickboxing rules. Nasukawa’s last fight was last month at RISE, competing in the first round of the promotion’s 58kg tournament.

King Mo vs. Jiri Prochazka (RIZIN Heavyweight Championship Match)

RIZIN will have their first Heavyweight Championship match in the main event of the show. Muhammed Lawal, also known as King Mo will come into the promotion from Bellator to face Jiri Prochazka. Prochazka is currently on a seven-fight win streak, defeating Brandon Halsey in December. He has fought for RIZIN since their inaugural event. This won’t be the first time he’s squared off against Mo, as he took his third and most recent loss to him back in 2015 via punches. King Mo has lost his last two fights, both being via strikes. In RIZIN he has a record of 3-1.

After RIZIN makes it’s long-awaited return to Yokohama, the promotion will make their debut in Kobe afterwards. On the 2nd of June, RIZIN will go to the World Memorial Hall for RIZIN 16. But until then, there are 12 bouts that have the potential to be very entertaining.