The October 2019 MMA P4P List

Here’s the website’s October 2019 Pound for Pound rankings. There was only two changes between both lists, although there is lots of announced fights to discuss.

Men’s Rankings:

1. Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0)

Last month, Khabib Nurmagomedov added a 28th win to his undefeated record, defeating “Diamond” Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi. The Russian fighter out-wrestled Poirier for two whole rounds before slipping in a rear naked choke in the third round to close out the show. The mostly dominant performance reminded viewers that nobody has come close to defeating Nurmagomedov yet.

2. Jon Jones (25-1)

While Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has for a long time been one of the best fighters, his most recent win was a close one. Unexpectedly, Jones went five rounds with Thiago Santos at UFC 239, scraping by on the scorecards. The high profile fighter hasn’t lost since 2009, hence his high ranking. Jones isn’t ranked for another fight, despite teasing the matter in September.

3. Henry Cejudo (15-2)

UFC’s only male double-champ Henry Cejudo sprung to relevance in 2019. After defeating Demetrious Johnson in the summer of 2018 to win the Flyweight Championship, Cejudo has went on defend it once and defeat Marlon Moraes to win the Bantamweight belt. While it’s a feat to be a double champ, Cejudo’s reign is still young. The 32-year-old fighter is not currently booked for a fight.

4. Robert Whittaker (20-4)

Robert Whittaker has been out of the octagon for more than a year, but that will hopefully change this weekend. On a nine-fight losing streak, “Bobby Knuckles” will match up against Interim Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya this Saturday at UFC 243. After a long absence, all eyes will be on Whittaker to perform against Adesanya, who has fought four times within the same timeframe.

5. Stipe Miocic (19-3)

Stipe Miocic reigned terror over the Heavyweight division for two years, but all that came to an end in the summer of 2018, with Daniel Cormier finishing him within one round. After a year without fighting, Miocic avenged the loss, getting a fourth round TKO victory to reclaim his belt. The win showed not only that Miocic could learn from his loss, but also that he is still relevant within the division.

6. Max Holloway (21-4)

Despite a loss earlier this year, Max Holloway is still one of the most established names within the UFC. While currently holding the UFC Featherweight Championship, defending it three times, Holloway was too ambitious when challenging for the Interim Lightweight Championship in April, losing to Dustin Poirier. He bounced back three months later with a win over Frankie Edgar. His next challenge is Alexander Volkanovski, who will aim to dethrone him in December at UFC 240.

7. Kamaru Usman (15-1)

For the longest time, Tyron Woodley was the established UFC Welterweight Champion. That was, until he ran into Kamaru Usman. The Nigerian fighter ended Woodley’s three-year reign in March of 2019, taking him to the scorecards to get the win. His next challenge comes against Colby Covington, who is currently riding an impressive seven-fight winning streak.

8. Israel Adesanya (17-0)

Interim UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya has become a big name in a short amount of time. Still undefeated as a pro, Adesanya came into the UFC in early 2018, going 6-0 in the promotion since. His most recent victory gave him the “Interim Champion” title, taking Kelvin Gastelum to the decision in a fight of the year contender. Adesanya will have his biggest test yet when he faces Robert Whittaker at UFC 243.

9. Daniel Cormier (22-2)

While his future within the sport is still somewhat unknown, Daniel Cormier comes in high on this list. “DC” has stayed a big name in the light heavyweight division, even during the absences that Jon Jones would take due to suspensions. His most recent fight saw him lose his UFC Heavyweight Championship to Stipe Miocic via fourth round stoppage. Cormier is the first non-champion on the men’s list this month.

10. Colby Covington (15-1)

Colby Covington has proven more than enough that he is a relevant UFC Welterweight challenger. His work will come to fruition in December at UFC 245 when he gets a title shot against champion Kamaru Usman. The most recent win in Covington’s ongoing seven-fight winning streak was against Robbie Lawler. The frustrating and grinding wrestling style of Covington tired out Lawler and allowed the now challenger to earn a scorecard victory.

11. Paulo Costa (13-0)

While fans of the middleweight division currently have their sights set on Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya, they can’t forget who’s arguably next in line: Paulo Costa. Costa’s short stint within the UFC has shown that he is a dangerous contender. This was proven more than ever in his recent bout with Yoel Romero, which could purely be described as violence.

12. Demetrious Johnson (29-3-1)

Demetrious Johnson crashes the UFC party on the men’s P4P rankings at #12, representing ONE Championship. “Mighty Mouse” has been 2-0 since his loss to Henry Cejudo in 2018. Later this month, Johnson will see the culmination of a tournament he entered back in March when he first joined the promotion. Danny Kingad will aim to spoil Johnson’s undefeated promotional run on the 13th.

13. Tony Ferguson (25-3)

It could be argued that Tony Ferguson is the most cheated fighter in the UFC. Currently on a 12-fight winning streak, the lightweight is undoubtedly the next in line to face Khabib Nurmagomedov. Ferguson’s dangerous style makes for entertaining fights, and makes him a scary opponent. His most recent wins came against high level opponents in Anthony Pettis and “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone.

14. Kai Asakura (12-1)

Before August, nobody would have expected that Kai Asakura would be on a pound-for-pound list. But after his sudden win over Kyoji Horiguchi at RIZIN 18, Asakura has established himself as a big name. Will that last? We don’t know yet. While undoubtedly eligible to face Horiguchi for his belt, his next fight is booked against Ulka Sasaki at RIZIN 19.

15. Ryan Bader (27-5)

Bellator’s Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader has been undefeated since 2016, stretching back to his UFC career. His most recent fight wasn’t a satisfying one, as an eye poke to Cheick Kongo in the first round made the fight end. Nonetheless, his stubborn winning streak over big-time Bellator names makes him eligible for the always unknown #15 spot on the pound for pound list.

Women’s Rankings:

1. Amanda Nunes (18-4)

It’s nothing short of an uphill battle to convince most people that Amanda Nunes isn’t the best female fighter in the world. Being one of the two current “Champ Champs” in the UFC, Nunes has stayed undefeated since 2015, putting on dominant performances against high level fighters. Nunes has been the Bantamweight Champion since 2016, defending it four times since then. She’s also taken the Featherweight Championship, running over Cris Cyborg in under a minute. Her next defense is set to be against Germaine de Randamie.

2. Valentina Shevchenko (18-3)

Valentina Shevchenko has had a great past 12 months, winning the UFC Flyweight Championship and defending it twice. Her most recent win was a lopsided victory over Liz Carmouche, going all five rounds. Her most memorable title fight in this run was against Jessica Eye, closing out the fight with an explosive head kick.

3. Weili Zhang (20-1)

UFC’s newest Champion, Weili Zhang, shocked some when defeating Jessica Andrade in under a minute to claim the UFC Strawweight Championship. The win was her 20th in a row, and her fourth straight within the UFC. Having a quick rise to relevance, it’s fair to argue that Zhang has more to prove before being put above other Champions on a pound for pound list. Zhang’s next matchup is yet to be known.

4. Cris Cyborg (21-2)

This month, news broke that Cris Cyborg’s new home would be Bellator MMA. Weeks afterwards, her first fight within the promotion was announced. Wasting no time, Cyborg will go against the promotion’s Featherweight Champion Julia Budd. Cyborg left the UFC on a sour note, despite being a high-level fighter. Cyborg lost to Nunes in December, but picked up a victory over Canadian prospect Felicia Spencer before her contract expired. Cyborg will have her eyes set on gold yet again as the new year kicks off.

5. Jessica Andrade (20-7)

While Jessica Andrade is no longer Champion, there is fair justification to give her another shot. After defeating Rose Namajunas via a second round slam, Andrade became the Strawweight Champion. Then, as already mentioned, she was swarmed and crushed by Weili Zhang to lose her belt. Similar to Namajunas, Andrade is still very much in the fold and shouldn’t be counted out as a top contender.

6. Germaine de Randamie (9-3)

Throughout her career, Germaine de Randamie hasn’t been a very active fighter. Since her debut in 2008, she hasn’t once fought more than twice in a year. Although she lacks the frequency that most fighters have, she has a success rate that others don’t. Currently riding a five fight winning streak, de Randamie will face Amanda Nunes at UFC 245, attempting to claim the Bantamweight Championship. De Randamie has been champion before, having a brief stint with the Featherweight Championship before it being stripped due to her refusal to fight Cris Cyborg.

7. Rose Namajunas (8-4)

“Thug” Rose Namajunas hasn’t been booked for a fight since her loss to Jessica Andrade. There isn’t anything wrong with that since it was such a brutal loss, but it makes it easy for some to forget her relevance in the strawweight division. One loss doesn’t define Namajunas. We can’t forget her dominant fights against Joanna Jedrzejczyk in 2017 and 2018 which did a whole lot to legitimize her talent. The strawweight division has lots of contenders, so Namajunas might have to fight someone else before getting a title shot, but she isn’t far from getting a competition for gold.

8. Tatiana Suarez (8-0)

Up-and-coming Tatiana Suarez isn’t at title level just yet – but she’s definitely on her way. Still undefeated as a professional, Suarez has put on successful fights against other mid-level Strawweights with nobody being able to best her yet.

9. Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (10-0)

Bellator’s Flyweight Champion Ilima-Lei MacFarlane has remained flawless throughout her professional career. She earned the belt in late 2018 by defeating Valerie Letourneau in a homecoming bout, and has since defended it against Veta Arteaga. News broke recently that her next challenge will be against Kate Jackson, headlining a December card.

10. Julia Budd (13-2)

Julia Budd has now held the Bellator Featherweight Championship for three fights. While undeniably dominant within the promotion’s biggest female division, Budd’s skill will be tested more than ever when facing newcomer Cris Cyborg in January.

11. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (15-3)

Joanna Jedrzejczyk is in the #11 spot but should see either a climb or a drop this month after she faces Michelle Waterson. The fight is likely going to set up the next challenger for Weili Zhang’s Strawweight Championship. Jedrzejczyk recently lost to Valentina Shevchenko, failing to win the Flyweight Championship in the process. She’s been 1-3 in her last four, all against high profile opponents.

12. Michelle Waterson (17-6)

Michelle Waterson didn’t have an optimal entrance into the UFC. She went 2-2 in her first four fights. In recent times however she’s strung together three straight wins, with her most prominent win over Karolina Kowalkiewicz. She’s moved up the strawweight rankings, and could do it yet again when she faces Joanna Jedrzejczyk this month.

13. Ayaka Hamasaki (19-2)

The niche division of Super Atomweight is one which Ayaka Hamasaki currently reigns over. Being the RIZIN Super Atomweight Champion, Hamasaki has had a flawless 2019. On New Year’s Eve she captured the belt in a dominant performance over Kanna Asakura. She has since went on to avenge a loss over Jinh Yu Frey, and defeat up and coming Thai fighter AMP The Rocket. Hamasaki’s next clear opponent should be Ham Seo Hee, who had a dominant RIZIN debut over Tomo Maesawa. “Hamderlei” is booked to face Miyuu Yamamoto this month. Should she win that fight, a superfight for New Year’s Eve is the likely next step.

14. Viviane Araujo (8-1)

Viviane Araujo’s UFC tenure hasn’t lasted long, but she’s already made an impact. The Brazilian fighter came from JMMA promotion Pancrase, having two stoppage wins in the promotion. Since joining the UFC, Araujo has gotten two wins, one via a nasty overhand right, another through decision. Araujo isn’t a name most are familiar with right now, but if the case is the same in a year’s time, I’ll feel like a fool.

15. Joanne Calderwood (14-4)

Joanne Calderwood is the only female fighter to crash the rankings this month after defeating Andrea Lee at UFC 242. Calderwood bumped Lee out of her ranking which borders exclusion. While Calderwood had lost her fight before, she is clearly one of the rising stars of her division.

Fight Radar:

This is the section that shows upcoming fights from fighters on the P4P lists.

10/5/19 UFC 243: Robert Whittaker (#4) vs. Israel Adesanya (#8)

10/12/19 ONE Championship: Century: Demetrious Johnson (#12) vs. Danny Kingad

10/12/19 UFC on ESPN+ 19: Joanna Jedrzejczyk (#11) vs. Michelle Waterson (#11)

10/12/19 RIZIN 19: Kai Asakura (#14) vs. Ulka Sasaki

12/14/19 UFC 245: Viviane Araujo (#14) vs. Jessica Eye

12/14/19 UFC 245: Amanda Nunes (#1) vs. Germaine de Randamie (#6)

12/14/19 UFC 245: Max Holloway (#6) vs. Alexander Volkanovski

12/14/19 UFC 245: Kamaru Usman (#7) vs. Colby Covington (#10)

12/21/19 Bellator: Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (#9) vs. Kate Jackson

1/25/20 Bellator: Cris Cyborg (#4) vs. Julia Budd (#10)

List Entrants:

Ryan Bader (#15)

Joanne Calderwood (#15)

List Exits:

Dustin Poirier

Andrea Lee

UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier Full Report

Last weekend, the UFC headed to the United Arab Emirates for a special pay-per-view. The evening had 13 fights, including a main event involving Russian Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim Lightweight Champion Dustin “Diamond” Poirier. In a building that was built specifically for the event, UFC 242 started with eight preliminary fights.

Bout 1: Fares Ziam (10-2) vs. Don Madge (8-3-1) (Lightweight)

The evening kicked off with Fares Ziam and Don Madge in a lightweight bout. Madge tried for a takedown in the opening moments of the bout. They stayed clinched up against the cage for a while as no takedown was landed. Ziam gave Madge tons of knees to the thighs while in the clinch. With just under two minutes left in the round, the referee put them back in stand-up due to inactivity. Madge clinched up again, trying for a takedown which Ziam avoided. Madge did another body lock early in the second round. As the second round was closing out, Madge finally scored his first takedown. The final round was a dominant one for Madge, doing pretty much what he did in the two rounds before. The judges all had Don Madge getting the win (30-27, 30-27 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ziam	9	9	9	27
Madge	10	10	10	30

Bout 2: Zak Cummings (23-6) vs. Omari Akhmedov (18-4-1) (Middleweight)

The next fight had two much more experienced MMA fighters in Zak Cummings and Omari Akhmedov face off. There was a pause very early on as Akhmedov was hit in the groin. Halfway through the first round, Cummings dropped Akhmedov with a left hook. He was able to get back up and continue in the fight. Akhmedov got a double leg takedown with two minutes left in the first round. Akhmedov had a good second round, out-striking Cummings on the feet, and then getting in some ground and pound in with less than a minute left. Akhmedov got another takedown near the end of the final round. Similar to the round before, Akhmedov ended the round with some ground strikes. Omari Akhmedov got the unanimous decision win when they turned to the judges (30-27, 30-27 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Cummings	9	9	9	27
Akhmedov	10	10	10	30

Bout 3: Muslim Salikhov (14-2) vs. Nordine Taleb (15-6) (Welterweight)

Tristar Gym’s Nordine Taleb was pitted against Muslim Salikhov in the next fight. The fight started off somewhat slow with both fighters being weary of each other’s power. Salikhov landed a good spinning kick which got Taleb in the mid-section. A pause came shortly after as a kick hit Salikhov in the groin. In the final minute of the first round, Salikhov floored Taleb with a right hook, immediately earning the victory via walk-off KO.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Salikhov
Taleb

Bout 4: Takashi Sato (15-2) vs. Belal Muhammad (15-3) (Welterweight)

After his impressive UFC debut, Takashi Sato was put against Belal Muhammad on this card. Muhammad’s striking was looking sharp early on. Muhammad got a takedown, but Sato got up shortly after. In the final minute of the first round, Muhammad got a slam takedown and took the back of Sato, looking for a rear naked choke. Muhammad had another good round, although Sato had a decent moment near the end, landing a takedown and staying in control on the ground. Muhammad failed to score a takedown early in the third round. When he tried again he succeeded. Muhammad took Sato’s back quite easily and applied a rear naked choke which eventually made him tap out. Getting his first career win via submission, Belal Muhammad got his second victory in a row.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Sato	9	9
Muhammad	10	10

Bout 5: Teemu Packalen (8-2) vs. Ottman Azaitar (11-0) (Lightweight)

Switching over to ESPN for the rest of the preliminary card, Teemu Packalen versus Ottman Azaitar was up next. Both fighters were landing hard shorts early on. While Packalen was having his moments, it was Azaitar who was getting more action in. Packalen shot for a single leg takedown but had it denied. With over a minute left in the first round, Azaitar landed an overhand right which dropped Packalen. Extending his undefeated streak, Ottman Azaitar impressed in his UFC debut.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Packalen
Azaitar

Bout 6: Sarah Moras (5-6) vs. Liana Jojua (7-2) (Bantamweight)

The first of two female fights of the evening featured Sarah Moras and Liana Jojua. Moras aimed to even her record with this fight. Moras had Jojua up against the cage for a large amount of the first round until the referee separated them. Moras was pushing the pace of the fight, consistently coming forward. In the second round, Jojua was able to get the top position on the ground. Moras was able to reverse the position after a minute or so. Jojua had top position for a decent amount of time in the start of the thirds round. Moras was able to get top position and start getting strikes off. After tons of unanswered strikes, the referee eventually stepped in, giving Sarah Moras a win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Moras	10	10
Jojua	9	9

Bout 7: Lerone Murphy (8-0) vs. Zubaira Tukhugov (18-4) (Featherweight)

The next preliminary fight had English fighter Lerone Murphy attempt to extend his undefeated streak against Zubaira Tukhugov. In the second minute of the fight, Tukhugov dropped Murphy with strikes. He got back up, but at tons of strikes in the process. Tukhugov swarmed Murphy on the ground, staying on him and throwing him back down when he would get back up. Murphy’s only real offense was an upkick at the end of the round. Murphy got more striking in at the start of the second round. Tukhugov landed a strong double leg takedown, but on the ground Murphy nearly got a guillotine choke in. When standing up, Murphy put in another guillotine that Tukhugov had to fight out of. While Murphy got some good punches in later, Tukhugov scored another takedown before the round ended. Murphy’s takedown defence got stronger in the final round, finally stuffing a takedown. Tukhugov’s grappling overwhelmed Murphy for most of the final round, making it so that he was defending and never really getting to attack. The scorecards added up to a rare split draw (29-28, 29-28 & 28-28). Lerone Murphy stayed undefeated, but added a “1” to the third column of his record.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Murphy	8	10	9	27
Tukhugov	10	9	10	28

Bout 8: Andrea Lee (11-2) (#6) vs. Joanne Calderwood (13-4) (#5) (Flyweight)

The final preliminary bout on the card was flyweight prospects Andrea Lee and Joanne Calderwood facing off. It was the first fight on the card that included ranked fighters. With over a minute left in the first round, Lee caught a kick, and used it to take the fight to the ground. Lee scored a solid takedown early in the second round. Calderwood got a takedown of her own in the closing seconds of the second round. Calderwood had a more busy final round, out-striking Lee. Going to the scorecards, the judges had a split decision, with the win ultimately going to Joanne Calderwood (29-28 Lee, 30-27 Calderwood & 29-28 Calderwood).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Lee	9	10	9	28
Calderwood	10	9	10	29

Bout 9: Diego Ferreira (15-2) vs. Mairbek Taisumov (27-5) (Lightweight)

The main card kicked off with Diego Ferreira and Mairbek Taisumov. In the first round, Taisumov stayed on the outside of the octagon, circling around Ferreira. Taisumov rocked Ferreira with a punch halfway through the round. Ferreira had a good closing moments of the round, landing a few good strikes. Taisumov scored a good judo throw early in the second round. Ferreira was much more generous with strikes in the second round. Taisumov was getting tagged much more. Ferreira applied the pressure from the very start of the third round. The third round was the best one for Ferriera, who landed tons of combos while not getting anything in response. Diego Ferreira walked away with the victory (29-28, 29-27 & 29-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ferreira	9	10	10	29
Taisumov	10	9	9	28

Bout 10: Shamil Abdurakhimov (20-4) (#9) vs. Curtis Blaydes (11-2 1 NC) (#4) (Heavyweight)

In the next fight, the show went to the big boys as ranked heavyweights Shamil Abdurakhimov and Curtis Blaydes competed. Blaydes shot for a takedown early, taking the back of Abdurakhimov. They got back up after Blaydes was dominant on the ground for a couple of minutes. Blaydes got another takedown and continued to smother Abdurakhimov. Blaydes finally started to unload some strikes on the ground in the final seconds of the first round. As expected, Blaydes got another takedown early in the second round. Blaydes started with the ground and pound again, with the referee ending the fight after a cut was opened on Shamil Abdurakhimov’s face.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Abdurakhimov	8
Blaydes	10

Bout 11: Davi Ramos (10-2) vs. Islam Makhachev (17-1) (#15) (Lightweight)

Before the main event, we got two lightweight bouts between high level fighters in the division. The first of two fights was Davi Ramos versus Islam Makhachev. Early in the fight, Ramos stopped a takedown attempt by Makhachev. The striking was pretty quiet from both fighters in the first round. Ramos tried to score a takedown early in the second round after a combination of punches, but Makhachev stopped it. Halfway through the round Ramos landed a jab which wobbled Makhachev. In the final round there was a scary moment for Ramos, where he was dropped by a knee and hit with more strikes on the ground. He was able to recover but gave Makhachev the top position on the ground. The fight went all fifteen minutes with all three judges handing it to Islam Makhachev (29-27, 30-26 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ramos	9	9	9	27
Makhachev	10	10	10	30

Bout 12: Paul Felder (16-4) (#10) vs. Edson Barboza (20-7) (#7) (Lightweight)

The co-main event of the evening was a lightweight rematch between Paul Felder and Edson Barboza. There was a pause in the first round after a clash of heads caused a cut on Felder’s head. Luckily, the fight was able to continue. Felder was the one coming forward throughout the first round. While Felder opened the second round with clean striking, Barboza scored a takedown in the second minute of the round. An elbow cut open Barboza in this position. Felder tried for an armbar from bottom position but couldn’t get it. Both fighters were swinging away in the final minutes of the fight. Barboza scored one last takedown as the fight was about to end. The scorecards were split, with Paul Felder being favoured (30-27 Barboza, 29-28 Felder & 30-27 Felder). He was quite emotional afterwards. The win for Felder makes the rivalry 1-1 between the two.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Felder	10	10	10	30
Barboza	9	9	9	27

Bout 13: Dustin Poirier (25-5 1 NC) (IC) vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov (27-0) (UFC Lightweight Championship)

Finally, the main event of the evening was the clash between the Interim UFC Lightweight Champion, Dustin Poirier, and the Lightweight Champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov. The crowd was very pro-Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov shot for his first takedown a minute and a half into the fight. Poirier was initially able to prevent it, but Nurmagomedov’s pressure made it so that they eventually went to the ground. Nurmagomedov got on the back of Poirier and tried for a rear naked choke. Poirier escaped, and was also able to get back up, albeit in a standing clinch against the cage. Nurmagomedov took it back to the ground again before the round ended. In top position, Nurmagomedov let some punches go at the end of the first round. More stand-up was showcased in the second round, with Nurmagomedov retreating at one point because Poirier was landing some solid shots. Nurmagomedov got his fourth takedown, smothering Poirier for a few minutes. Poirier got a guillotine when standing against the cage with a minute left in the second round, but Nurmagomedov popped out of it eventually. Nurmagomedov got a takedown in the third round, with Poirier trying for a guillotine again. Nurmagomedov stayed in it for some time but stayed composed and eventually worked his way out of it. Nurmagomedov took the back of Poirier, eventually putting in a rear naked choke which made Poirier tap out. Khabib Nurmagomedov earned his 28th professional win, putting on an amazing performance against Dustin Poirier.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Poirier	8	9
Nurmagomedov	10	10

This weekend, UFC heads to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for UFC on ESPN+ 16. The main event of the card features “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone facing Justin Gaethje.

UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier Full Preview

Under a year ago, Khabib Nurmagomedov put on a dominant performance over Conor McGregor. The fight was stopped after four rounds, with McGregor tapping out to a rear naked choke. It was set to be a triumphant moment at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA for the Russian fighter who had just made his first Lightweight Championship defense, but that’s only the first half of the story. Right after his win, Nurmagomedov jumped out of the cage and lunged at McGregor’s corner. Despite the phenomenal performance, it was the fight after the fight that made headlines across the world. That was the last time Nurmagomedov competed in the octagon, as many people from his camp, including him, were handed suspensions and fines.

The lightweight landscape has changed since then, and while many names could arguably get a title shot, the man who’s next in line is Dustin Poirier. The fight will take place on Saturday, with the special location giving the event an early start time. Live from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, UFC 242 has the Lightweight Championship will be on the line as the current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will face the interim champion Dustin Poirer. The show also includes 12 other fights, with the prelims starting at 10:15 AM Eastern, and the main card beginning at 2 PM EST.

Bout 1: Don Madge (8-3-1) vs. Fares Ziam (10-2) (Lightweight)

The evening will begin in a contest between two lightweight prospects in Don Madge and Fares Ziam. Madge came into the UFC earlier this year, earning a victory against Te Edwards. The South African fighter has an 8-3-1 record, although is on a hot five fight winning streak. His opponent, Fares Ziam will be fighting in the UFC for the first time ever, also currently on a five fight victory streak. Ziam has been around the European scene for most of his career.

Bout 2: Zak Cummings (23-6) vs. Omari Akhmedov (18-4-1) (Middleweight)

In the first fight of many more on the card featuring Russian fighters, middleweight Omari Akhmedov faces Zak Cummings. Holding a 6-3-1 recording within the UFC, Akhmedov recently went to the scorecard against Tim Boetsch, getting back in the win column after going to a scorecard draw against Marvin Vettori. With an 8-3 win-loss record within the promotion, Zak Cummings has had a good past year, defeating Trevor Smith and Trevin Giles. Neither fighter is currently ranked, but chances are a win for either one could put them on the list.

Bout 3: Nordine Taleb (15-6) vs. Muslim Salikhov (14-2) (Welterweight)

Coming off over a year of a layoff, Muslim Salikhov will return to face Nordine Taleb. Salikhov has only fought twice in the UFC, experiencing victory and defeat. With much more experience in the UFC, Nordine Taleb is returning after a May loss to Kyle Prepolec. The Tristar Gym fighter holds a 7-4 promotional record, although half of the losses came in his last three fights.

Bout 4: Belal Muhammad (15-3) vs. Takashi Sato (15-2) (Welterweight)

Finishing off the UFC Fight Pass Early Prelims will be a prospect fight in the welterweight division. Takashi Sato made his UFC debut back in April, getting a TKO victory over Ben Saunders. Previous to then, he had made a name for himself within the Japanese MMA promotion Pancrase, being a consistent finished in his fights. Belal Muhammad has only been in the UFC since 2016, although he has already attained a record of 6-3. While not being much of a finisher, Muhammad has been favoured frequently on scorecards. His recent win was in April against Curtis Millender.

Bout 5: Teemu Packalen (8-2) vs. Ottman Azaitar (11-0) (Lightweight)

Starting off the preliminary card on FXX and ESPN+, Teemu Packalen will return to the UFC after a large absence to face a debuting Ottman Azaitar. Packalen lost to Marc Diakiese in 2017, and currently has a 1-2 UFC record. Azaitar is an undefeated MMA fighter, being experienced in regional promotions, frequently finishing his fights via strikes. Both fighters still have to prove themselves to the UFC fanbase.

Bout 6: Sarah Moras (5-5) vs. Liana Jojua (7-2) (Bantamweight()

Recently, Canadian fighter Sarah Moras evened her win and loss column, getting her third loss in a row in May. In a real must-win situation, Moras will face Liana Jojua, who will be looking to impress in her UFC debut. Jojua has fought all around the world, including notable promotions like Kunlun Fight League and Fight Nights Global, currently on a five-win run. The fight is the first of two female fights on the card.

Bout 7: Zubaira Tukhugov (18-4) vs. Lerone Murphy (8-0) (Featherweight)

On Saturday, Khabib Nurmagomedov won’t be the only America Kickboxing Academy fighter on the card. Holding a record of 3-1 in the UFC, Tukhugov will look to bounce back from his first big-league loss, which was against Renato Moicano. He will also attempt to make it a hard promotional debut for Lerone Murphy, who has attained an undefeated 8-0 record through the British MMA scene. Only debuting as a professional in 2017, Murphy has attained numerous first round stoppages.

Bout 8: Joanne Calderwood (13-4) vs. Andrea Lee (11-2) (Flyweight)=

Concluding the preliminary portion of the card, Joanne Calderwood will fight Andrea Lee in a women’s flyweight contenders match. Joanne Calderwood recently lost to Katlyn Chookagian, with wins over Ariane Lipski and Kalindra Faria before then. Andrea Lee has had a much better recent track record, being undefeated since her UFC debut. On a 7-0 run, with three of those fights in the UFC, it’s safe to safe the Lee is on a run. Both fighters are highly ranked in the division, and chances are the winner of this fight will be discussed as one of the next in line for a title shot.

Bout 9: Mairbek Taisumov (27-5) vs. Diego Ferreira (15-2) (Lightweight)

The pay-per-view section of the night will begin with experienced fighters in Mairbek Taisumov and Diego Ferreira. Ferreira will be attempting to extend his four-fight winning streak, recently going to the scorecards against Rustam Khabilov. While that recent tear is impressive, Taisumov’s six-fight winning streak blows it out of the water. While the record is impressive, Taisumov has been absent for a year, with his last win coming from September 2018 against Des Green.

Bout 10: Curtis Blaydes (11-2) vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov (20-4) (Heavyweight)

In the only heavyweight fight of the evening, Curtis Blaydes will face Russian talent Shamil Abdurakhimov. Both fighters have been at a high level of the heavyweight division for some time now. Blaydes recently came back from a loss, defeating Justin Willis via decision. Shamil Abdurakhimov is on a three-fight streak of wins, although it’s worth noting that the first win in that series came in late 2017, so Abdurakhimov isn’t fighting as frequent as others.

Bout 11: Islam Makhachev (17-1) vs. Davi Ramos (10-2) (Lightweight)

For the rest of the night, it will be lightweights taking the stage. In the first fight of three lightweight fights, ranked fighter Islam Makhachev will face up-and-coming Davi Ramos. Ramos has picked up four wins recently, with three of them via rear naked choke. A win over Makhachev would likely put Ramos in the top 15 lightweights. Makhachev hasn’t lost since 2016, recently beating Arman Tsarukyan in April.

Bout 12: Paul Felder (16-4) vs. Edson Barboza (20-7) (Lightweight)

In a rematch, Paul Felder will face Edson Barboza in the co-main event of the show. Their last meeting was in 2015, with Barboza getting the better of the matchup. Going to decision, Barboza won, ending Felder’s undefeated record at the time. Felder has been 6-3 since then, with Barboza having a record of 4-4 within the same period of time. Felder is ranked #10 in the lightweight division, with Barboza currently holding the #7 spot.

Bout 13: Khabib Nurmagomedov (27-0) vs. Dustin Poirier (25-5) (UFC Lightweight Championship)

In the main event of the card, UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will seek to take the interim belt off of Dustin Poirier’s shoulders. While Nurmagomedov has won the belt and defended it once, he’s never had a real crowning moment with the belt being placed around him inside the octagon. He will strive for that this weekend when facing Dustin Poirier. His last win came against Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in a complete dismantlement of the MMA icon. It was clear in the fight that while McGregor was struggling to compete in stand-up, that Nurmagomedov was clearly the better fighter on the ground. This was proven definitely when McGregor tapped to a rear naked choke in the fourth round. Not only will Nurmagomedov’s Championship be put on the line, but just like every fight in his life, it will be putting his undefeated record on the line as well.

While there’s many names in the lightweight division that could give Khabib Nurmagomedov a good fighter, with Tony Ferguson being a prominent name on that list, Dustin Poirier earned this fight. Defeating Max Holloway in a decisive five round battle in April, Poirier was crowned the interim Lightweight Champion. “The Diamond” will be in the biggest fight of his career on Saturday.

After UFC holds their PPV in The United Arab Emirates, a week afterwards the promotion will head to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for UFC on ESPN+ 16. Live from the Rogers Arena, the show is currently scheduled to be headlined by Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Justin Gaethje.

UFC 238 Full Report: Henry Cejudo Becomes Double Champ

On Saturday, UFC came back with their PPV event “UFC 238.” The stacked card included two championship bouts, with Valentina Shevchenko battling Jessica Eye and Henry Cejudo chasing his second belt against Marlon Moraes. Before we get to those bouts lets look at the prelims.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Katlyn Chookagian (#2) (11-2) vs. Joanne Calderwood (#6) (13-3) (Flyweight)

The evening started with the first of five women’s fights on the card. Katlyn Chookagian faced Joanne Calderwood. Early on in the bout Calderwood was utilizing her leg kicks quite frequently. Chookagian was more focused on throwing punches and knees. She seemingly was trying for a takedown but never really committed to it. Calderwood landed a takedown in the first minute of the second, with both fighters standing up shortly after. Chookagian started to land strong combos of punches in the second. Calderwood shot for a takedown but was denied by Chookagian. She did land a slam after catching a kick a minute later though. The round ended with Calderwood in a top position while Chookagian was an armbar. A very large hematoma started to form on Chookagian’s forehead as the round concluded. In the third around another kick was caught and turned into a takedown by Calderwood. Once they got back up, Chookagian landed another hard two punch combination. Calderwood taunted Chookagian in the final minute of the fight. The fight went the distance with Katlyn Chookagian winning the fight unanimously (30-27, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Chookagian	9	10	9	28
Calderwood	10	9	10	29

Bout 2: Eddie Wineland (23-13-1) vs. Grigorii Popov (14-2) (Bantamweight)

Despite a close age range between these two fighters, veteran UFC fighter Eddie Wineland fought newcomer Grigorii Popov in the next bout. Wineland was stalking down Popov right off the bat. He started to land good right hands that were shaking Popov. Popov got a cut around his left eye which was bleeding quite a bit. He landed a few good knees to the head in the round, although Wineland’s punches seemed to be more effective. Wineland tried for a takedown at the start of the second round although Popov denied it. Wineland got a takedown with two minutes left but was flipped back up in only seconds. With under a minute in the second round, Wineland dropped Popov with strikes. He tried for a guillotine but eventually gave up. With 30 seconds left in the round Popov was retreating. He took a knee after being dropped by more punches, making the referee step in and end the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Wineland	10
Popov	9

Bout 3: Bevon Lewis (6-1) vs. Darren Stewart (9-4) (Middleweight)

The third early prelim bout was Bevon Lewis versus Darren Stewart. Early on in the bout Lewis was falling over when getting hit with leg kicks. He clinched up against the cage for a while afterwards. At the end of the first round both fighters landed quite a few punches after the horn. Lewis landed a knee mid-way through the second that looked good. The second round was a more inactive one from both fighters. The fight went the distance,w with the crowd booing them afterwards. The judges gave Darren Stewart the win (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Lewis	9	10	9	28
Stewart	10	9	10	29

Bout 4: Yan Xiaonan (10-1) vs. Angela Hill (9-6) (Strawweight)

The final early prelim fight was Angela Hill facing Yan Xiaonan. In the first round Xiaonan was in top position but got caught in a triangle choke. Xiaonan survived the round, possibly being saved by the bell. The second round had some great striking from both figthers on display. Xiaonan landed a takedown in the finale minute of the round as well. The aggressive striking from both competitors continued through the third round. After the three roubnds, Yan Xiaonan won via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Xionan	9	10	9	28
Hill	10	9	10	29

Bout 5: Ricardo Lamas (#10) (19-7) vs. Calvin Kattar (#15) (19-3) (Featherweight)

The first prelim on ESPN fight was Ricardo Lamas versus Calvin Kattar. Halfway through the first round, Lamas was hurt by a left jab. Before then, they both had some close striking, with not much landing. Kattar landed a two strike combo in the final minute of the first that folded Lamas.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Lamas
Kattar

Bout 6: Karolina Kowalkiewicz (#10) (13-4) vs. Alexa Grasso (#13) (10-2) (Strawweight)

Heading back to the strawweight division, Karolina Kowalkiewicz faced Alexa Grasso in the next bout. Early on it seemed like Grasso’s punches was landing consistently. Not only that, Grasso had a higher amount of punches thrown. At the end of the round Grasso clinched up against the cage. While Kowalkiewicz landed more in the second, Grasso’s success continued. In the final round, Grasso did a good combo of knees to the head while clinching Kowalkiewicz. Both fighters were swinging like crazy in the final seconds. Grasso put in a standing rear naked choke until the round ended. The crowd was very loud for the end of this bout. The judges gave Alexa Grasso the win unanimously (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Kowalkiewicz	9	9
Grasso	10	10

Bout 7: Aljamain Sterling (#3) (17-3) vs. Pedro Munhoz (#4) (18-3) (Bantamweight)

Aljamain Sterling and Pedro Munhoz fought in an eliminator bout to continue the prelims. For most of the round Sterling had the more dominant striking, keeping a distance and coming in when he had something to throw. At the end of the round Munhoz landed a good knee that possibly shook Sterling. The second round was much closer, with Munhoz finding success with leg kicks. In the second half of the round Sterling was dropped by a kick. Munhoz tried for a guillotine from that position but let it go almost right after. Both fighters kept a fast tempo of strikes through to the end of the third round. Sterling was getting fired up at the end, shouting at Munhoz in-between strikes. The fight went the full three rounds with the judges giving it to Aljamain Sterling unanimously (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Sterling	10	9	10	29
Munhoz	9	10	9	28

Bout 8: Tatiana Suarez (#2) (8-0) vs. Nina Ansaroff (#3) (10-5) (Strawweight)

Finishing off the prelims was a top contender bout for the strawweights. Not only 30 seconds into the first round, Suarez shot for a takedown on Ansaroff. She got the takedown, with the fighters standing up against the cage with three minutes left in the round. Suarez brought the fight right back down to the ground. Suarez stayed dominant throughout the first round. There was a pause in the second round as Ansaroff was hit win the groin. Suarez failed a takedown attempt in the third round. The final round was Ansaroff’s wheelhouse as it stayed stand-up the whole time. Ansaroff fired off a great combo of strikes at the end of the round. The judges all gave the fight to Tatiana Suarez (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Suarez	10	10
Ansaroff	9	9

Main Card

Bout 9: Tai Tuivasa #11 (10-1) vs. Blagoy Ivanov (#13) (17-2) (Heavyweight)

Starting off the PPV was a heavyweight clash between Tai Tuivasa and Blagoy Ivanov. Halfway through the first round, Tuivasa was tagged by Ivanov. Ivanov tried for a guillotine standing against the cage but Tuivasa escaped. Tuivasa got shook by some punches in the final seconds of the first round as well. Ivanov was the one retreating in the opening minutes of the second round. Ivanov put in a guillotine at the end of the round. Tuivasa tapped, but it was a second after the bell, whether it was to submit or to just tell him to get off of him. Ivanov tried for the guillotine once again but lost control of it. When he tried for the standing guillotine again, he landed knees to the head while doing so. The fighters were tremendously tired by the final round. The fight went the distance. Blagoy Ivanov was given the victory unanimously (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Tuivasa	9	9	9	27
Ivanov	10	10	10	30

Bout 10: Jimmie Rivera (#7) (22-3) vs. Petr Yan (#9) (12-1) (Bantamweight)

The next bout was Jimmie Rivera versus Petr Yan. In the final seconds of the first round Rivera was dropped be a strike. He survived until the horn went. Rivera was knocked down at the end of the second after a close competition. Yan was dominating the fight. Yan did a great spinning move to escape a single leg takedown attempt in the third. A pause happened in the third round after Yan was eye poked. The fight went all the rounds, with the judges giving Petr Yan the win (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

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

Bout 11: Donald Cerrone (36-11) (#4) vs. Tony Ferguson (25-3) (#2) (Lightweight)

In the final fight before title bouts, two people who don’t need an introduction, Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson, fought. Both fighters had their moments in the first round although Cerrone was landing better shots. Cerrone’s nose started to bleed heavily in the second round. Cerrone landed a takedown with two minutes to go in the second. They went back to stand-up right after they went down. In the second round Ferguson landed tons of head strikes, making it a dominant round for him. Ferguson landed a right hand a second after the second round horn went. The crowd booed quite heavily for this. There was a pause before the final round was set to start because Cerrone’s right eye had completely swollen up. The doctors did not allow him to fight, ending the bout in-between rounds. They checked a replay and made sure the shot after the bell to make sure the strike wasn’t what caused the eye swelling. The fight ended due to a doctors stoppage and Tony Ferguson was given the victory. After the fight Ferguson told Joe Rogan to talk to Cerrone.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Cerrone	10	9
Ferguson	9	10

Bout 12: Valentina Shevchenko (Champion) (16-3) vs. Jessica Eye (#1) (14-6) (Flyweight Championship)

In the first of two championship belts of the evening, Valentina Shevchenko fought Jessica Eye for the Flyweight Championship. Shevchenko was landing body kicks early on. She landed a body lock takedown in the first minute of the bout. Shevchenko was dominant on top for the rest of the round, putting Eye in trouble a few times. At the start of the second round, Valentina Shevchenko landed a kick to the head that floored Eye and ended the bout. There was a lot of worry about Eye afterwards as she was on the ground for a long time.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Shevchenko	10
Eye	9

Bout 13: Henry Cejudo (14-2) (C) vs. Marlon Moraes (#1) (22-5-1) (Bantamweight Championship)

In the main event of the show, Henry Cejudo faced Marlon Moraes for the Bantamweight Championship. Moraes had quite striking at the start of the first round. Cejudo shot for a takedown after a minute or so but didn’t secure it. Moraes continued to have dominant striking through the first. Near the end of the second round Cejudo started to land some punches that looked to be damaging Moraes. Cejudo got much more aggressive. In clinch he landed knees to the head. Moraes shot for a takedown which was blocked. Both fighters were teeing off as the horn went. A timeout was called in the third round as Moraes was eye poked. Cejudo continued to see success with knees in a clinch in the third round. Cejudo put Moraes in a guillotine on the ground which looked pretty snug. He leg go of it, and did a knee to the body. Moraes tried for a submission hold that didn’t work either. Cejudo landed elbows from above in increments. He stood up and landed hammer fist strikes which made the referee end the bout. Henry Cejudo became one of the only people who have been a UFC double champion (Flyweight and Bantamweight). After the fight he called out Dominick Cruz, Cody Garbrandt and Uriah Faber, and said he wants to move up to 145 pounds sometime.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Cejudo	9	10
Moraes	10	9

As UFC concluded tonight, Henry Cejudo and Valentina Shevchenko continued to reign supreme. UFC’s next event is on the 22nd, with Renato Moicano facing Chan Sung Jung AKA “Korean Zombie” in Greenville, South Carolina. Two events after that, UFC 239 will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas during International Fight Week.

Full coverage of UFC 238 can be found here