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

The September 2019 MMA P4P List

Here is the very first pound-for-pound MMA ranking list on the site. This will be updated monthly as fights change the list. Let’s start:

Men’s P4P Top 15:

1. Khabib Numagomedov (27-0)

Khabib Nurmagomedov has been a flawless fighter in his whole professional career. After getting a round four victory over Conor McGregor, Numagomedov not only became the best fighter in his weight class, but became the best in the world. In days he will be tested once again when he faces interim champion Dustin Poirier.

2. Jon Jones (25-1)

While Jon Jones has been a highly ranked fighter for quite some time, his recent nail-biting performance against Thiago Santos has knocked him down a spot on the list. On paper, Jones continues to reign terror over the light heavyweight division.
3. Henry Cejudo (15-2)

If 2019 has been a breakout year for anyone, it was for Henry Cejudo. After pulling off an upset last summer against Demetrious Johnson, Cejudo has successfully defended his belt while also climbing up to bantamweight, claiming that championship over Marlon Moraes. While being the only male double champ is a valid case to take the #1 spot, Cejudo’s championship reign has been short thus far. Nonetheless, his success in 2019 can’t be emphasized enough.

4. Robert Whittaker (20-4)

Since it’s been a year and some change before Robert Whittaker last fought, his skillset isn’t necessarily fresh in our minds. But, looking at the stats, it’s there, and nobody has proven superior to it yet. Carrying a win streak that dates back to 2014, “Bobby Knuckles” won a title fight over Yoel Romero back in 2018 to earn Middleweight gold. In October, Whittaker will face Israel Adesanya in his home country of Australia.

5. Stipe Miocic (19-3)

After a year’s absence from the MMA, Stipe Miocic came back last weekend to reclaim his Heavyweight Championship, taking Daniel Cormier four rounds deep before finishing him with punches. After having three defenses before, Miocic showed that his chapter with the championship isn’t done as he started his second reign as the champ in July.

6. Max Holloway (21-4)

If this list was created months ago, Max Holloway would be in the conversation of being one of the top fighters. Although after his loss to Dustin Poirier in April, losing his interim Lightweight belt, he lost some value. In a bounce-back bout back in July, beating Frankie Edgar and retaining his Featherweight Championship, Holloway showed that he is still a very valuable fighter in the division.

7. Kamaru Usman (15-1)

Kamaru Usman earned his long-deserving Welterweight Championship shot back in March, defeating Tyron Woodley via decision. With a fifteen win record with only one blemish, Usman has been nearly perfect in his career. People are awaiting the announcement of his next fight.

8. Israel Adesanya (17-0)

Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker’s time on the bench has given Israel Adesanya a chance to fight up the division’s rankings. Only joining the UFC in 2018, Adesanya has went 6-0 since then, defeating big names like Derek Brunson, Anderson Silva and most recently, Kelvin Gastelum. His recent win pushed him to the front of the divisions line, as Gastelum was aimed to be the next person to fight Whittaker.

9. Dustin Poirier (25-5)

“Diamond” Dustin Poirier dethroned Max Holloway back in April, and now awaits his championship fight in September against Khabib Nurmagomedov, unifying the interim and Lightweight UFC Championship. His impressive recent wins have put him on this list, but his next particular fight give him a chance to shoot even higher up the rankings.

10. Daniel Cormier (22-2)

While Daniel Cormier lost to Stipe Miocic on Saturday, the loss ended a year long stretch of high level wins. Cormier had a strong 2018, continuing to defend the light heavyweight championship and claiming the heavyweight championship. Now, despite only losing once, Cormier is now beltless. And while politics could describe the end of his light heavyweight reign, Miocic beat “DC” fair and square. Since Cormier has been public about contemplating ending his MMA career lately. So, his next move, whether it’s in or out of the octagon is yet to be seen.

11. Colby Covington (15-1)

For a year or so now, Colby Covington has been the odd man out of the Welterweight title picture. In 2018, he beat Rafael dos Anjos in an interim title match. After getting his belt taken away from him, he came back in early August to beat Robbie Lawler in a five round clash. Likely being the next person to face Usman, Covington is one of the biggest names to watch.

12. Paulo Costa (13-0)

In July, Paulo Costa defeated Yoel Romero in a three-round war, moving to the front of the Middleweight lineup. The jacked Brazilian fighter has been undefeated since his entrance into the UFC in 2017. His more notable wins came over Uriah Hall and Johny Hendricks.

13. Demetrious Johnson (29-3-1)

Easily the best Flyweight outside of the UFC, Demetrious Johnson has had a graceful transition into ONE Championship, after being traded there in early 2019. Heading into the Flyweight GP finals in October, “DJ” has defeated Yuya Wakamatsu and Tatsumitsu Wada before. His exit in the UFC came after taking his first loss in a long time against Henry Cejudo via split decision.

14. Tony Ferguson (25-3)

Tony Ferguson has been chasing the Lightweight Championship for a long time. Despite his resume, Ferguson isn’t the next person to get a shot, something he’s heard before. In the meantime, he’s beat high profile names like Kevin Lee, Anthony Pettis and most recently, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Showcasing his “SnapJitsu” on the big stage, “El Cucuy” is one of the many big names within the stacked 155-pound division.

15. Kai Asakura (13-1)

At RIZIN 18, Kai Asakura went from prospect to title contender, defeating Kyoji Horiguchi in over a minute, causing a huge upset in Japanese promotion RIZIN. The win makes it so that Asakura will likely get another fight with Horiguchi, but that time in a championship setting. Becoming the best in the bantamweight division overnight, Asakura is someone to watch.

Women’s P4P Top 15:

1. Amanda Nunes (18-4)

There’s no doubt, Amanda Nunes is the best female fighter on the planet. Being the Bantamweight Champion for three years, and winning the Featherweight Championship from Cris Cyborg in December, Nunes is one of the two double-champs in the UFC. Attempting to make her fifth bantamweight title defence, Nunes will face Germaine de Randamie in December.

2. Valentina Shevchenko (18-3)

Claiming the Flyweight Championship back in December, Valentina Shevchenko has kept a close hold onto her belt. After defeating Joanna Jedrzejczyk in a five round decision, she has beat Jessica Eye with a rude head kick and Liz Carmouche in a heavily dominant bout. The Flyweight division’s biggest struggle is finding someone who can actually give the Kyrgyzstan fighter a run for her money.

3. Weili Zhang (20-1)

For all of 2019 so far, the UFC Strawweight Championship has been a hot potato. From Rose Namajunas, to Jessica Andrade, and now to Weili Zhang, the belt hasn’t had any real home. Zhang claimed the belt last weekend, steamrolling Andrade in a fight that could fit within an Instagram video. Being China’s first Champion, Zhang could open business doors for the UFC with her reign.

4. Cris Cyborg (21-2)

Cris Cyborg’s short run in the UFC seemingly ended back in June, when she went three rounds with featherweight prospect Felicia Spencer, getting the nod via the judges. But, although that is the case, Cyborg is still a very high level fighter. Despite a sudden loss to Amanda Nunes in 2018, Cyborg has had a nearly flawless career. Wherever she goes next in her career, she will be expected to continue her dominance.

5. Jessica Andrade (20-7)

Jessica Andrade suffered a loss to Weili Zhang last weekend via strikes. Before then, she wrapped up her four-fight winning streak with a slam KO over Rose Namajunas. Andrade’s sudden loss is one that likely won’t make her fall too far away from the title picture. While she might have to fight someone else before another title shot as many people are high level contenders currently, Andrade getting another shot in the future is not a wild prediction.

6. Germaine de Randamie (9-3)

Germaine de Randamie has been a dominant fighter in her UFC career, although she hasn’t always been in the spotlight. Many could remember her controversial win over Holly Holm back in 2017, making her the first Featherweight Champion. Since then she has only fought twice, bettering Raquel Pennington and most recently Aspen Ladd. In December, de Randamie will have the biggest challenge of her career ahead of her, facing Amanda Nunes for the UFC Bantamweight Championship.

7. Rose Namajunas (8-4)

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how fights went when the finish stealed the show. Rose Namajunas lost to Jessica Andrade back in May via a second round slam KO. While the knockout was absolutely brutal, it’s worth remembering that Namajunas was putting up a good battle before then. While seemingly being prone to takedowns, Namajunas didn’t disappoint in the striking department. It’s clear that Namajunas is a high level strawweight, and now no longer being a champion, is clearly a high level prospect.

8. Tatiana Suarez (8-0)

Despite having a short MMA career, Tatiana Suarez can say something about herself that many other fighters can’t: she’s undefeated. While the strawweight division is easily the most stacked women’s division, Suarez’s track record shows that she is likely a win or so away from a title shot. However, it looks like that can’t come immediately as the top dogs of the division have to hash out their fights.

9. Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (10-0)

Bellator were either really lucky or had a great eye for talent when they signed the 1-0 Ilima-Lei MacFarlane. The Hawaiian born fighter is approaching her second full year as their flyweight champion, with three title defenses since being crowned. While all opponents have been fair matchups, her biggest win was over UFC alumni Valerie Letourneau, which took place in Honolulu.

10. Julia Budd (13-2)

Julia Budd is also an example of talent that was early in their career when Bellator discovered them. Julia Budd fought in Strikeforce and Invicta before her 2015 Bellator debut. It’s worth noting that her two losses were in Strikeforce and came to Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey. Similar to the promotion’s Flyweight Champion, Budd is riding a three-fight winning streak and is undefeated within the promotion. While not at the highest tier of MMA, Budd’s skill level is undoubtedly at a high tier.

11. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (15-3)

For a large portion of her career now, Joanna Jedrzejczyk has competed at a high level of MMA. The Polish fighter has a record of 2-3 in her last three fights, recently losing a title fight to Valentina Shevchenko in December. She has a chance to bounce back into title contender status when she faces Michelle Waterson in October.

12. Michelle Waterson (17-6)

Michelle Waterson has been a real up-and-comer in the strawweight division recently. On a three fight winning streak, Waterson has defeated big names in Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Felice Herrig recently. Wanting to become the first “Mom Champ,” undoubtedly the biggest test for the Jackson Wink fighter will come in a five round fight against Joanna Jedrzejczyk in October on ESPN+.

13. Ayaka Hamasaki (19-2)

The atomweight divison has long been a (no pun intended) small division in MMA. It’s not represented in many large organizations like UFC or Bellator. But in Japan, the weight class has it’s niche, and it definately has it’s #1 fighter in Ayaka Hamasaki. The experienced fighter is on a five-fight winning streak. She punched in her title fight ticket by defeating DEEP Jewels Champion Mine Kuroba. On New Year’s Eve, she dethroned Kanna Asakura, and has won in a rematch against Jing Yu Frey and defeated Thailand prospect Suwanan Boonsorn A.K.A AMP The Rocket. Many people predict a superfight between her and Road FC Champion Seo Hee Ham on the horizon. The fight would be the biggest in the division in years.
14. Viviane Araujo (8-1)

Viviane Araujo has quickly made a name for herself in the UFC. Taking a short notice fight against Talita Bernardo in May was what got her foot through the door. She won the fight with an overhand right, which was working for her in the three rounds she competed. She has since defeated Alexis Davis via decision and landed a December fight against Jessica Eye. The fight would spring her up the rankings even more, as currently she is still not on the radar of some MMA viewers.

15. Andrea Lee (11-2)

Andrea Lee’s short UFC career has made her one to watch. Coming from Invicta FC including a couple fights within LFA, Lee has went to the scorecards three times in the UFC, all earning herself a win. In a week’s time, Lee will face arguably a similar-level fighter in Joanne Calderwood, who fell to Katlyn Chookagian in June.

Radar Fights:

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

9/7/19: Khabib Nurmagomedov (#1) vs. Dustin Poirier (#9) – UFC 242

8/7/19: Andrea Lee (#15) vs. Joanne Calderwood – UFC 242

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

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

10/13/19: Demetrious Johnson (#13) vs. Danny Kingad – ONE Championship: Century Show 1

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

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

UFC on ESPN+ 14: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2 Full Report

In a rare fight night that includes a championship fight, UFC went to Montevideo, Uruguay for a ESPN+ card. In the main event, Liz Carmouche challenged Valentina Shevchenko, in an attempt to take Shevchenko’s flyweight championship.

Bout 1: Polyana Viana (10-3) vs. Veronica Macedo (5-3-1) (Flyweight)

Before the flyweight championship fight, the night started with a normal three round flyweight bout. Polyana Viana and Veronica Macedo kicked off the card. Right off the bat, Viana landed a trip takedown and took top position on the ground. Macedo was able to get an armbar after a minute, getting a win in quick fashion.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Viana
Macedo

Bout 2: Alex da Silva (20-2) vs. Kazula Vargas (10-2) (Lightweight)

Moving to the flyweight division, Alex da Silva fought Kazula Vargas. Early on, Vargas came out aggressively. Silva took him down to stop his momentum. Silva got on his back and was starting to fight for a rear naked choke. Silva was in the better position until the final 30 seconds where Vargas flipped over and stood up, landing strikes from above. Silva got in the top position once again early in the second. He didn’t do much on the ground, but stayed in the dominant position. The final round had two minutes of stand-up before the fight went to the ground yet again. Just like the rounds before, not much happened on the ground. The fight went the distance with the judges giving the fight to Alex da Silva unanimously (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Da Silva	10	10	10	30
Vargas	9	9	9	27

Bout 3: Chris Gutierrez (13-3-1) vs. Geraldo de Freitas (12-4) (Bantamweight)

Finishing off the early prelims was Chris “El Guapo” Gutierrez versus Geraldo de Freitas. Both fighters had some close striking in the first few minutes of the fight. De Freitas tried for a takedown but couldn’t really get it. In the closing seconds of the first round, de Freitas landed a trip takedown after being clinched against the cage. De Freitas got another takedown in the second round. Gutierrez was able to flip around the position and get off the ground. Gutierrez had an explosive start to the final round, stopping takedowns and throwing tons of kicks and punches. Both fighters got cut on the face. Gutierrez was targeting the legs of Freitas, who seemingly was hurting from it. On replay, we saw a cut came from both fighters clashing heads. In the second half of the closing round, de Freitas started to connect with hard punches. The fight went all three rounds, with the final one being the most fast-paced one. The judges had a split decision, with two of the three favouring Chris Gutierrez (29-28 Gutierrez, 30-27 Freitas & 29-28 Gutierrez).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Gutierrez	10	9	9	28
Freitas	9	10	10	29

Bout 4: Raulian Paiva (18-2) (#14) vs. Rogerio Bontorin (15-1 1 NC) (#8) (Flyweight)

The next fight showcased two success stories from the Brazilian edition of The Dana White Contender Series. Flyweights Raulian Paiva and Rogerio Bontorin faced off as the prelims continued. Bontorin got a cut below the left eye early in the first round, causing the doctors to check on him. They went back to fighting, and despite being on the ground before, resumed in stand-up. A second later, they went back to the ground through the ref’s decision. Bontorin was blowing his nose, which sometimes can inflate the bruises on your face. When they stood back up, Bontorin was landing good punches. After Bontorin score a takedown, a dcotor came in to check a cut again, this time on Paiva’s face. It was a brutal cut, which was opened through a knee that landed during Bontorin’s flurry of strikes. The fight was ended due to the cut, with Rogerio Bontorin being the winner.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Paiva
Bontorin

Bout 5: Marina Rodriguez (11-0-1) vs. Tecia Torres (10-4) (#8) (Strawweight)

In the lightest weight fight of the evening, strawweight fighters Marina Rodriguez and Tecia Torres fought. The first few minutes of the fight was some pretty close striking. Torres tried for a takedown but it didn’t work. While neither fighter was really landing well with their strikes, Rodriguez looked like she had more success. Torres caught a kick and put Rodriguez up against the cage as the round was closing out. They exited clinch, where Rodriguez landed a few good punches. Back in clinch, she got good knees in. The second round was purely close stand-up. Rodriguez continued to have the edge in the fight through the third round. The judges all gave the win to Marina Rodriguez (30-27, 30-27 & 30-26). Rodriguez continues to be undefeated.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Rodriguez	10	10	10	30
Torres	9	9	9	27

Bout 6: Raphael Pessoa (9-0) vs. Ciryl Gane (3-0) (Heavyweight)

In the next fight, we had two heavyweights put their undefeated streaks on the record. Pessoa did a trip takedown but it was Gane in the top position. Gane put in an arm triangle choke which made Pessoa tap out quickly.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Pessoa
Gane

Bout 7: Aleksei Kunchenko (20-0) vs. Gilbert Burns (15-3) (Welterweight)

Closing out the prelims was undefeated Aleksei Kunchenko facing Gilbert Burns. In the first round, Burns had a great start. After showcasing great striking, he took Kunchenko to the ground. Burns kept Kunchenko up against the cage for the whole round, not really doing much. Burns dove for a takedown after three minutes of stand-up in the second round. Early in the final round, Burns had Kunchenko against the cage. Burns kept trying for the takedown but couldn’t get it. Nonetheless, Kunchenko was on the defence the whole time. The fight went the distance, with Kunchenko never really having a dominant moment in the fight. The judges all decided on Gilbert Burns is the winner, breaking the 20-0 undefeated record of Aleksei Kunchenko (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Kunchenko	9	9	9	27
Burns	10	10	10	30

Bout 8: Bobby Moffett (14-4) vs. Enrique Barzola (16-4-1) (Featherweight)

Starting off the main card was a featherweight showdown between Bobby Moffett and Enrique Barzola. The first round had a consistently fast-pace of striking from both fighters. The first takedown of the fight came from Barzola in the final seconds of the round. Barzola tried for takedowns early in the second round but couldn’t land them. Moffett tried for one as well, but Barzola defended it. Barzola started to come forward with good combinations. There was a pause with 90 seconds left in the second round because Moffett kicked Barzola in the groin. After another fast-paced round, the striking from both fighters even sped up near the end. Barzola got another takedown as the second round ended. The final round was continued slugging from both fighters. The fight went the distance, with a split decision going in favour of Enrique Barzola (29-28 Moffett, 30-27 Barzola & 29-28 Barzola).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Moffett	10	10	9	29
Barzola	9	9	10	28

Bout 9: Oskar Piechota (11-1-1) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (5-0) (Middleweight)

In the next fight, Oskar Piechota, who has more MMA experience, faced Rodolfo Vieira, who has been perfect in his career thus far. Vieira got a takedown halfway through the first round. Vieira was dominant on the ground for a long time, although Piechota was able to get up against the cage and land elbows to the head. After a minute in the second round, Vieira got another takedown. Later on in the final minute of the second round, Vieira put in a head and arm choke which made Piechota tap out. His dominant ground game was more than showcased in this bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Piechota	9
Vieira	10

Bout 10: Ilir Latifi (15-6 1 NC) (#9) vs. Volkan Oezdemir (15-4) (#7) (Light Heavyweight)

In the next fight, we had a clash of two ranked fighters in Ilir Latifi and Volkan Oezdemir. Latifi had a great slam takedown after a minute of the first round, almost dumping Oezdemir on his head. Oezdemir was back up moments later. Apart from that, it was mostly Oezdemir doing the work in this fight, out-striking Latifi in the first round. Both fighters were trading stand-up, with a knee to the head dropping Latifi. They got back up, with Oezdemir trying to close out the fight. Oezdemir landed a left hook that took down Latifi once again, with the fight ending after a few more strikes. Oezdemir showed composure and patience, chasing a finish but not rushing it.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Latifi	9
Oezdemir	10

Bout 11: Humberto Bandernay (14-6 1 NC) vs. Eduardo Garagorri (12-0) (Featherweight)

The next fight featured the only fighter from Uruguay on this card, in Eduardo Garagorri. The crowd was completely behind Garagorri. Also, he went into this fight with an undefeated record. Bandenay got a double leg takedown after a minute of uneventful stand-up. Garagorri got up quite quickly. Garagorri got a takedown off his own with a trip. Garagorri got up, but Bandenay wanted to stay on the ground. Jokingly, Garagorri offered his hand to help him up. The referee stood up Bandernay. Garagorri strung together some great punches, but Badenay landed a takedown to stop the momentum. Early in the second round, Bandenay had a stand-out combination of punches and knees. Bandenay got a takedown as the second round ended. The last round was an intense one, with both fighters swinging as it closed out. The fight went the distance with Eduardo Garagorri getting the unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27). The crowd was overwhelmingly loud for Garagorri.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Bandernay	9	10	10	29
Garagorri	10	9	9	28

Bout 12: Mike Perry (13-4) vs. Vicente Luque (16-6-1) (Welterweight)

In the co-main event, we had the fan-friendly fighter “Platinum” Mike Perry face Vicente Luque. The first round of stand-up gave Perry a cut around his left eye. He had a good charge of punches near the end of the first. Perry seemed to be the more aggressive fighter in the second round. The tempo of the second round was much quicker than the first. Perry was showing the damage much more at the end of the second round. Heading into the final round, Perry’s corner told him he was up 2-0. Luque landed a good knee and then tried for a rear naked choke on the ground with 90 seconds left. Perry was bleeding profusely on the ground. After fighting for a while he finally escaped the hold. They stayed on the ground as the fight ended. Perry’s nose was all sorts of messed up by the time the fight was over. Hard to even describe it really. In a split decision, Vicente Luque walked away with the win from this fight (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Perry	9	10	9	28
Luque	10	9	10	29

Bout 13: Liz Carmouche (13-6) (#3) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (17-3) (C) (UFC Flyweight Championship)

In the main event of the evening, Valentina Shevchenko attempted to defend her Flyweight Championship against #3 ranked Liz Carmouche. The first round didn’t have much action from either fighter. In the third round, Shevchenko dropped Carmouche after a combination, with Carmouche standing up shortly after. With over a minute left in the third round, Shevchenko landed a trip takedown. Shevchenko took advantage of a takedown attempt by Carmouche in the fourth round, getting top position. The referee eventually stood them up as not much was happening on the ground. Shevchenko blocked another takedown before the fourth round ended. The final round had Shevchenko in top position for most of the round. The crowd had a pretty lukewarm reaction to the final horn sounding. All three judges were in agreement for the fight, with Valentina Shevchenko getting a clean sweep (50-45, 50-45 & 50-45). This became Shevchenko’s second defence of the belt.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Carmouche	9	9	9	9	9	45
Shevchenko	10	10	10	10	10	50

UFC returns next week with a PPV featuring Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic in the main event. The fight will be a rematch, as Cormier won the championship from Miocic a year ago with a first round KO. Also on the card is the return of Nate Diaz. A preview of the full card will be put on the site later this week.

UFC on ESPN+ 14: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2 Preview

It’s not often that we get a Championship bout on a UFC Fight Night show. As a matter of fact, it has only happened once before in 2019, that being Henry Cejudo versus TJ Dillashaw for the UFC Flyweight Championship, and that was UFC’s debut on the ESPN+ platform. A championship fight on TV will happen for the second time in 2019 and the ESPN era on Saturday, when Valentina Shevchenko attempts to retain her Flyweight Championship against Liz Carmouche. It will main event a 13 fight card from Montevideo, Uruguay, with the show kicking off at 5 PM Eastern Time. Let’s look at the whole card, starting with the prelims.

Bout 1: Polyana Viana (10-3) vs. Veronica Macedo (5-3-1) (Flyweight)

Long before the Flyweight Championship will be on the line, the evening will kick off with another flyweight fight. Polyana Viana and Veronica Macedo both haven’t won in a while. Vaina hasn’t seen a win in over a year, losing her last two fights. It’s much worse for Macedo, as she hasn’t won in over three years, with a record of 0-3-1 since then. While both not long into their careers, a loss for either fighter could call an end to their UFC stint. It’s a potential do or die fight to start off the show on Saturday. Worth noting that Viana took the fight on short notice, as the original opponent for Macedo, Rachel Ostovich, pulled out due to injury.

Bout 2: Alex da Silva (20-2) vs. Rodrigo Vargas (11-2) (Lightweight)

The third fight of the evening will be between two fighters who haven’t seen success in the UFC yet. Alex da Silva came into the UFC with a 20-1 record, and took a loss to Alexander Yakolev three months ago ago in his debut. He will look to turn around his tough first impression in the UFC when he faes Rodrigo Vargas, who has yet to make an impression within the promotion. He fought a few times in the Hispanic MMA promotion Combate Americas prior to his fight on Saturday.

Bout 3: Geraldo de Freitas (12-4) vs. Chris Gutierrez (13-3-1) (Bantamweight)

In the fourth fight of the show, two similar fighters in Geraldo de Freitas and Chris Gutierrez will compete. Both have similar amounts of fights and are still getting used to being in the UFC. Six months ago, de Freitas lost his promotional debut against undefeated Felipe Colares. Gutierrez is 1-1 in the UFC, with his stint in the promotion beginning under a year ago.

Bout 4: Raulian Paiva (18-2) vs. Rogerio Bontorin (15-1) (Flyweight)

In an all Brazilian matchup, rookie UFC flyweights Raulian Paiva and Rogerio Bontorin will face off. Both coming from the Brazilian spinoff of Dana White’s Contender Series, each fighter has fought once in the UFC before this meeting. Both going to decision, Paiva won his fight while Bontorin lost his. With finishes coming frequently from both fighters in the past, they’ll try to do so for the first time in the UFC on Saturday.

Bout 5: Tecia Torres (10-4) vs. Marina Rodriguez (11-0-1) (Strawweight)

Tecia Torres has had a rough year and a half. Losing three times in a row, all via decision, Torres will look to snap her losing streak against undefeated Marina Rodriguez. The Brazilian earned her stay in the UFC via the Contender Series, and has since picked up a win and a rare draw. While experience in the promotion weighs in favour of Torres, Rodriguez has yet to be bested by an opponent.

Bout 6: Ciryl Gane (3-0) vs. Raphael Pessoa (9-0) (Heavyweight)

In the next bout of the evening, it will be a classic “two O’s, one’s got to go” situation. Undefeated heavyweights in Ciryl Gane and Raphael Pessoa will face off, putting their flawless records on the line. Gane will be making his UFC debut, with his three pro wins coming from the French-Canadian MMA promotion TKO. Pessoa has never had loyalties to a promotion, but he has definitely been dominant everywhere he’s went, whether it’s LFA, Shooto Brazil or other places.

Bout 7: Gilbert Burns (15-3) vs. Alexey Kunchenko (20-0) (Welterweight)

Alexey Kunchenko has gotten big tests in his UFC run so far, yet he has stayed undefeated. In what should be yet another test for the Russian fighter, Kunchenko will face Gilbert Burns. The original bout for Kunchenko was against Laureano Staropoli, who has a less experienced record of 9-1 compared to Burns.

Bout 8: Enrique Barzola (15-4-1) vs. Bobby Moffett (14-4) (Featherweight)

Starting off the main card will be a featherweight clash between Enrique Barzola and Bobby Moffett. Training out of American Top Team, Barzola has had an extensive career in the UFC, despite holding a similar record to Moffett, who will be entering his third UFC fight. In his seventh UFC fight back in March, Barzola suffered his loss since his 2015 entrance into the promotion. Bobby Moffett was scouted through the Contender Series, and has since had a 1-1 record in the UFC. Back in March, he lost to Kevin Aguilar via decision. On Saturday, one fighter will come back from a loss, while the other will likely continue to struggle.

Bout 9: Oskar Piechota (11-1-1) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (5-0) (Middleweight)

One of the many undefeated fighters on the card is Rodolfo Vieira, who will make his UFC debut with a record of 5-0. A few of those fights were in the Russian MMA promotion ACB. His recent win was a first round rear naked choke, which ended the undefeated 10-0 pro run of Vitaliy Nemchinov. “The Black Belt Hunter” will see a challenge in his matchup with Oskar Piechota, who has a 2-1 record in the UFC. Piechota’s wins come from both striking and submissions, which differs himself from the BJJ focused Vieira. His first career loss came to Gerald Meerschaert in his last bout.

Bout 10: Volkan Oezdemir (15-4) (#7) vs. Ilir Latifi (14-6) (#9) (Light Heavyweight)

With three fights left on the card, names that are familiar to most UFC fans start to appear. The next bout is Volkan Oezdemir versus Ilir Latifi. Oezdemir came into the UFC with three straight wins, two of those via first round, sorry, first minute punches. But since then, the Swiss fighter has found himself in a losing streak, dropping to big names in Dominick Reyes, Anthony Smith and Daniel Cormier. He will try to turn around his misfortunes on Saturday, facing Ilir Latifi, who has had a consistent amount of wins with intermittent losses. He took a decision loss on the last 2018 show for UFC, losing to Corey Anderson. A win for either individual will advance them up the light heavyweight rankings, which they have already established themselves in.

Bout 11: Humberto Bandenay (14-6) vs. Luiz Eduardo Garagorri (12-0) (Featherweight)

Luiz Eduardo Garagorri will attempt to extend his undefeated record to 13-0 on Saturday when he faces Humberto Bandenay. Being the only fighter on the card from Uruguay, Garagorri will have the crowd behind him when he makes his UFC debut. His opponent, Humberto Bandenay is on a two fight losing streak. He won in his UFC debut against Martin Bravo with a head kick, but since then he has lost twice.

Bout 12: Vicente Luque (16-6-1) vs. Mike Perry (13-4) (Welterweight)

In the co-main event of the show, Vicente Luque will face fellow welterweight Mike Perry. Despite being on a five-fight winning streak, with all of those wins coming via stoppage, Luque is an unranked welterweight. On the absolute edge of the rankings, another victory could put him into the list. “Platinum” Mike Perry hasn’t had as flawless of a record as of late (8-4 since Luque started his winning streak, 6-4 in the UFC), his personality and fighting style has made him a fan favourite. His face-off with Luque earlier in the week included his significant other who is referred to as the “Platinum Princess” in the crowd taunting Luque with comments like “He lookin’ nervous” and “He not ready” And, like many Perry incidents before, he let out a loud shriek to express intensity before he left the stage. His radiating energy as a person, and his explosive style as a fighter is what has put him so high on cards as of late, despite being 2-3 in his last five. Similar to Luque, if he wins this bout, chances are he will crash the welterweight rankings.

The main event of the card is Valentina Shevchenko attempting to defend her UFC Flyweight Championship against #3 ranked flyweight Liz Carmouche. Both fighters have faced off before, with that fight taking place back in 2010 before either fighter stepped foot in the UFC. Carmouche came out of the fight as the winner, breaking Shevchenko’s 10-0 undefeated record at the time. A lot of things have changed since then. Carmouche went through Strikeforce and Invicta, and made her UFC debut in a title fight against Ronda Rousey, where Rousey came out as the victor in one of her biggest fights of her career. Shevchenko entered the UFC in 2015, going undefeated besides her two losses to Amanda Nunes, who currently holds the bantamweight and featherweight championships.

“Bullet” Valentina Shevchenko won her belt back in December at UFC 231, defeating Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the co-main event of the evening. Just two months ago she made her first defense of the title, stopping Jessica Eye in the second round with a head kick. Carmouche’s last two wins have come against Jennifer Maia and Lucie Pudilova, both via decision. A win for Shevchenko would let her overtake Nicco Montano for longest time to hold the flyweight belt. Montano had it for 280 days in total, with Shevchenko marking the 245th day tomorrow.

Next week, UFC will hold UFC 241, including another rematch in the main event slot. Heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier will face Stipe Miocic after defeating him via KO back in July of last year. Miocic will aim to reclaim his heavyweight belt, which he defended three times prior to losing. The co-main will see the long awaited return of Nate Diaz, as he faces Anthony Pettis.

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

Valentina Shevchenko Retains Flyweight Championship With KO Win

Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko earned her first UFC Flyweight Championship defence on Saturday, defeating Jessica Eye in the second round via head kick. From the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, USA, Shevchenko landed a head kick in just under a minute of the second round, not needing any extra strikes to close out the contest.

The fight was in the co-main event slot of UFC 238, with Henry Cejudo versus Marlon Moraes for the Bantamweight Championship in the main event of the show.

The first round was a dominant one for Shevchenko as well, as she scored a takedown after landing some decent striking, notably body kicks. She stayed in control on the ground until the round ended. The finish of the fight had people worried as Jessica Eye was on the ground for quite some time before getting up.

Valentina Shevchenko earned her championship back in December, defeating Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 231 in Toronto.

For full UFC 238 coverage, head to the website’s MMA frontpage.

UFC 231 Report: Holloway Retains via Doctors Stoppage

Brian Ortega’s undefeated streak was broken at the Scotiabank Centre on Saturday, allowing his opponent, Max Holloway to retain his Featherweight Championship. The finish came via doctor’s stoppage in-between rounds four and five, with Ortega having substantial damage around his left eye. The fight was an absolute brawl with Holloway pushing the pace most of the time. Holloway was landing more often, but Ortega was responding and doing significant damage as well. Going into round five people were under the assumption that Ortega would have to get a finish in the final round to become the new champion. Once Holloway saw the fight get waved off he jumped the octagon to pick up his son to celebrate.

Promoter Dana White said that the gate for the show was 3.28 million, and that it was a sell out with no single seats available. The main event was given fight of the night, with Holloway receiving performance of the night along with Thiago Santos, who kicked off the main card.

In the co-main event spot for the show was another championship bout, with top contenders Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Valentina Shevchenko battling for the vacant Flyweight championship. The fight went all five rounds with Shevchenko having dominant striking and ground game for the majority of the time. All three judges scored the bout 49-46 in favour for Valentina.

The main card had two bouts held in the heavier of weight classes, both having dramatic finishes. The previously mentioned Santos battled Jimi Manuwa in a slugger bout that did not leave the second round. Santos finished Manuwa with punches after being ahead in the first. In the 11th bout of the night Gunnar Nelson put Alex Oliveira in a Rear Naked Choke after making him bleed heavily with strikes from the ground. On the replay it seemed like the referee came in to stop the fight because of the bleeding instead of the submission.

Canadian fighters went 3-3 for the night, with the biggest name of them all, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, being handed a loss. Up and coming Manitoban fighter Brad Katona and veteran UFC fighter Elias Theodorou both got wins by scorecards favouring them. The slowest bout on the main card included Alberta-born Hakeem Dawodu battling to a decision against Kyle Bochniak. This fight made the Canadians break even for the night.

UFC has their final PPV of the year on the 29th, with formerly suspended Jon Jones fighting Alexander Gustafsson in a rematch. Before then UFC heads to Milwaukee on the 15th for their final UFC on FOX card before making the move to ESPN.

Luke Rockhold Off UFC 230 Due To Injury

UFC 230 lost it’s co-main event again. This time the fight between Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman has been scrapped. Earlier this evening ESPN’s Brett Okamoto broke the story that Rockhold had withdrawn from his bout due to injury. In the tweet that reported the story he also added that UFC is currently “shuffling things around” because of this.

What was one of the first bouts announced for the show, Nate Diaz versus Dustin Poirier, was also thrown away due to an injury to Poirier. Injuries aside, this card has seen its fair share of shuffling around. Valentina Shevchenko and Sijara Eubanks were set to fight for UFC’s vacant flyweight championship, but Eubanks has been re-booked to fight Roxanne Modafferi on the prelims, with Shevchenko fighting for the belt against Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 231.

People have become wary of undisclosed injuries lately due to the USADA’s new policy. In September it was announced that USADA will no longer announce drug test violations until the case is closed. Fighters now only have to notify the public about their violation if they want to. Recently Sean O’Malley did this once he was taken off of the UFC 229 prelims. While Rockhold’s injury may very well be legitimate, people won’t hesitate to speculate on the situation (and they haven’t).

UFC’s last two appearances at Madison Square Garden came with fewer bumps in the road, with each being supercards in their own right. The promotion’s debut at “The World’s Most Famous Arena” in 2016 consisted of three title fights, with Conor McGregor defeating Eddie Alvarez in the main event. The next year the venue would see another three title event, with George St. Pierre returning to MMA for the first time in four years in the main event.

Currently the main event of 230 is Heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier versus Derrick Lewis, who received a huge boost in popularity after UFC 229. On that show he performed a last minute knockout in a bout he would have otherwise lost. Alongside that performance he was praised online for his comedic post-fight interview. As a result, he shot up from around 300 thousand Instagram followers to over a million before the weekend was over.