Bantamweight Championship (135)
[#1] T.J. Dillashaw (11-2-0, -217) vs. [#2] Renan Barao (33-2-0, +177)
T.J. Dillashaw is the All-Time #10 ranked Bantamweight fighter.
Renan Barao is the All-Time #1 ranked Bantamweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: T.J. Dillashaw (3-0-0)
2014-08-30: W vs. [#73BW] Joe Soto (15-4-0) via KO (Head Kick and Punches) in 2:20 of round 5
2014-05-24: W vs. [#2BW] Renan Barao (33-2-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 2:26 of round 5
2014-01-15: W vs. [#225BW] Mike Easton (13-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Renan Barao (2-1-0)
2014-12-20: W vs. [#28BW] Mitch Gagnon (12-3-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 3:53 of round 3
2014-05-24: L vs. [#1BW] T.J. Dillashaw (11-2-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 2:26 of round 5
2014-02-01: W vs. [#3BW] Urijah Faber (32-8-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:42 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: T.J. Dillashaw 329, Renan Barao 217
Previous Match-up Record: T.J. Dillashaw leads 1-0-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Women Bantamweight (135)
[#3/#10DD/#8P4P] Miesha Tate (16-5-0, -196) vs. [#5/#10P4P] Jessica Eye (11-2-0, +163)
Miesha Tate is the All-Time #9 ranked Women’s fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Miesha Tate (3-0-0)
2015-01-31: W vs. [#7BW] Sara McMann (8-2-0) via MD (29-27, 29-28, 28-28)
2014-09-20: W vs. [#19BW] Rin Nakai (16-1-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
2014-04-19: W vs. [#11BW] Liz Carmouche (10-5-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Jessica Eye (1-1-0, 1 NC)
2014-11-15: W vs. [#16BW] Leslie Smith (7-6-1) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 1:30 of round 2
2014-02-22: L vs. [#2BW/#7DD/#6P4P] Alexis Davis (17-6-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2013-10-19: NC vs. [#10BW] Sarah Kaufman (17-3-0)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Miesha Tate 175, Jessica Eye 252
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Lightweight (155)
[#15] Edson Barboza (15-3-0, -130) vs. [#41] Paul Felder (9-0-0, +108)

Last 3 Fights: Edson Barboza (2-1-0)
2015-02-22: L vs. [#7LW] Michael Johnson (16-8-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-11-22: W vs. [#18LW] Bobby Green (23-6-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-07-16: W vs. [#23LW] Evan Dunham (16-6-0) via TKO (Kick to the Body and Punches) in 3:06 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Paul Felder (3-0-0)
2015-01-03: W vs. [#57LW] Danny Castillo (17-8-0) via KO (Spinning Back Fist) in 2:09 of round 2
2014-10-04: W vs. [#141LW] Jason Saggo (10-2-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2014-08-09: W vs. [#713WW] Craig Johnson (7-4-0) via KO (Spinning Back Heel) in 3:44 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Edson Barboza 153, Paul Felder 203
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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It’s time for another Saturday morning Fight Night!  Or should I say Fight Morning/Afternoon?  UFC Fight Night 72 will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, and due to the time difference will be broadcast at 10 AM US Eastern Time (main card starting at 1 PM).  This is also the fourth UFC event in 8 days, and while the last three had line-ups ranging from passable to stellar, the floor was bound to fall out at some point when you hold so many events so close together… that vague sound you’re hearing is Joe Silva scraping the bottom of the barrel, and so we end up with fights most of which hold very little interest to an average MMA fan.  This one should have been on Fight Pass.

Main Event: [#9 MW] Thales Leites vs [#11 MW] Michael Bisping

Worth: $15

Why: I never thought I’d say this about a Bisping fight, but the main event is the only saving grace of this card. Thales Leites’ evolution as a fighter has been very fun to watch: he is 5-0 with 3 finishes in his latest UFC stint. His submission victory over Tim Boetsch showed that there are still some holes in his game, but also showcased his ability to overcome adversity in a fight.

His opponent Michael Bisping has never been one of my favorite fighters to watch even at his best, and he is showing obvious signs of decline. Bisping has traded wins and losses over his past 8 fights, and generally looked progressively worse in his losses. If Leites can put on a good showing here and pull off a victory, he may be knocking on the door of another title shot – something I would have never thought possible just a few years back.

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Middleweight (185)
[#9] Thales Leites (25-4-0) vs. [#11] Michael Bisping (26-7-0)
Michael Bisping is the All-Time #24 ranked Middleweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Thales Leites (3-0-0)
2015-01-31: W vs. [#19MW] Tim Boetsch (18-9-0) via Technical Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 3:45 of round 2
2014-08-23: W vs. [#19LHW] Francis Carmont (23-10-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:20 of round 2
2014-04-11: W vs. [#71MW] Trevor Smith (13-6-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:45 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Michael Bisping (2-1-0)
2015-04-25: W vs. [#16MW] C.B. Dollaway (15-7-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-11-07: L vs. [#2MW] Luke Rockhold (14-2-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 0:57 of round 2
2014-08-23: W vs. [*] Cung Le (9-3-0) via TKO (Knee and Punches) in 0:57 of round 4

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Thales Leites 168, Michael Bisping 84
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Lightweight (155)
[#27] Ross Pearson (17-8-0) vs. [#44] Evan Dunham (15-6-0)

Last 3 Fights: Ross Pearson (2-1-0)
2015-03-14: W vs. [#143LW] Sam Stout (20-11-1) via KO (Punch) in 1:33 of round 2
2014-11-07: L vs. [#10LW] Al Iaquinta (13-3-1) via TKO (Punches) in 1:39 of round 2
2014-08-16: W vs. [#148LW] Gray Maynard (11-5-1) via TKO (Punches) in 1:35 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Evan Dunham (1-2-0)
2015-01-03: W vs. [*] Rodrigo Damm (12-9-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-07-16: L vs. [#15LW] Edson Barboza (15-3-0) via TKO (Kick to the Body and Punches) in 3:06 of round 1
2013-11-16: L vs. [#2LW/#10P4P] Donald Cerrone (28-6-0) via Submission (Triangle Choke) in 3:49 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ross Pearson 126, Evan Dunham 196
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Women Strawweight (115)
[#14] Joanne Calderwood (9-1-0) vs. [#28] Cortney Casey (4-1-0)

Last 3 Fights: Joanne Calderwood (2-1-0)
2015-04-11: L vs. [#6SW] Maryna Moroz (6-0-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 1:30 of round 1
2014-12-12: W vs. [#25SW] Seo Hee Ham (15-6-0) via UD (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-12-07: W vs. [#17SW] Katja Kankaanpaa (10-2-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Cortney Casey (3-0-0)
2015-03-13: W vs. [#73SW] Helen Harper (4-1-0) via TKO in ? of round 1
2014-11-15: W vs. [#20AW] Gina Iniong (3-2-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:30 of round 1
2014-06-27: W vs. [#19AW] Tomo Maesawa (5-5-0) via TKO (Corner Stoppage) in 0:39 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Joanne Calderwood 98, Cortney Casey 127
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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UFC Fight Night 71: Mir vs Duffee will take place in San Diego, California, and features a very solid line-up.  Which is a bit surprising considering that it  is the third UFC event in 5 days, but I can’t complain.  With two very good fights topping the bill, and a few decent bouts scattered through the undercard, I am looking forward to this mid-week event.

Main Event: [#10 HW] Frank Mir vs [#32 HW] Todd Duffee

Worth: $15

Why: After four consecutive losses, most MMA fans including myself thought that Frank Mir’s storied UFC career was pretty much over.  But a recent TKO over Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva gave Mir his first win since 2011, a spot in the heavyweight top 10 among several of his contemporaries, and a matchup with one of the very few UFC heavyweights under 30.  Todd Duffee was considered a top prospect when he made his UFC debut in 2009, but his career has been hampered by injuries, as he’s fought only 5 times since then.  Duffee is 2-0 in his current UFC stint, though nearly two years have passed in between those two bouts.  I really don’t know what to expect from this fight, other than a violent finish of some sort.
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Heavyweight (265)
[#10] Frank Mir (17-9-0) vs. [#32] Todd Duffee (9-2-0)
Frank Mir is the All-Time #14 ranked Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Frank Mir (1-2-0)
2015-02-22: W vs. [#11HW+] Antonio Silva (18-7-1) via KO (Elbows) in 1:40 of round 1
2014-02-01: L vs. [#8HW+] Alistair Overeem (39-14-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-08-31: L vs. [*] Josh Barnett (33-7-0) via TKO (Knee) in 1:56 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Todd Duffee (3-0-0)
2014-12-06: W vs. [#47HW+] Anthony Hamilton (14-4-0) via KO (Punch) in 0:33 of round 1
2012-12-29: W vs. [#83HW+] Philip De Fries (11-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:04 of round 1
2012-04-07: W vs. [*] Neil Grove (12-7-1) via TKO (Punches) in 0:34 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Frank Mir 143, Todd Duffee 221
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Lightweight (155)
[#11] Tony Ferguson (18-3-0) vs. [#12] Josh Thomson (20-7-0)

Last 3 Fights: Tony Ferguson (3-0-0)
2015-02-28: W vs. [#30LW] Gleison Tibau (32-11-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:37 of round 1
2014-12-06: W vs. [#66LW] Abel Trujillo (12-6-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:19 of round 2
2014-08-30: W vs. [#57LW] Danny Castillo (17-8-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Josh Thomson (1-2-0)
2014-07-26: L vs. [#19LW] Bobby Green (23-6-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-01-25: L vs. [#4LW] Ben Henderson (22-5-0) via SD (49-46, 47-48, 48-47)
2013-04-20: W vs. [#18LW] Nate Diaz (17-10-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 3:44 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Tony Ferguson 137, Josh Thomson 354
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Tony Ferguson leads 1-0
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Women Bantamweight (135)
[#11] Holly Holm (8-0-0) vs. [#13] Marion Reneau (6-1-0)

Last 3 Fights: Holly Holm (3-0-0)
2015-02-28: W vs. [#17BW] Raquel Pennington (5-5-0) via SD ()
2014-04-04: W vs. [#27FLY] Juliana Werner (8-5-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 1:50 of round 5
2013-12-06: W vs. [#111FLY] Angela Hayes (6-8-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Marion Reneau (3-0-0)
2015-02-22: W vs. [#18BW] Jessica Andrade (12-4-0) via Submission (Triangle Choke) in 1:54 of round 1
2015-01-03: W vs. [#97BW] Alexis Dufresne (5-2-0) via UD (30-25, 30-26, 30-26)
2014-07-25: W vs. [NA] Maureen Riordon (0-2-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:15 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Holly Holm 137, Marion Reneau 143
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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If you’ve been hiding out under a 145-lbs rock for a few weeks, it might come as a surprise that UFC 189 is not the only MMA event taking place in an eight-sided cage this weekend.  For some odd reason, UFC decided to follow the biggest Pay-Per-View event of the year with a rather bland and pedestrian Ultimate Fighter Season 21 finale the very next day.  To be fair, this is actually a decent card by TUF Finale standards.  There are no titles or even title shots on the line here, and I’ve stopped watching ‘TUF’ many seasons ago, so I don’t care much about the finals per se.  Still, there is a handful of fights worth catching here, and if you’re a gambler, perhaps recoup some of your losses from the Mendes-McGregor fight on one of MMA betting sites.

Main Event: [#15 WW] Jake Ellenberger vs [#29 WW] Stephen Thompson

Worth: $10

Why: A seasoned veteran taking on a young prospect: a story as old as combat sports.  But it’s always unusual when the veteran is actually younger than the prospect, despite having a huge advantage in fight experience (or disadvantage in the mileage/wear and tear that comes with the fight experience, depending on how you look at it).  Such is the case in this fight:  30 year old Ellenberger has been fighting for over 10 years, with 39 recorded professional bouts under his belt, while his 32 year old opponent has only been in the sport for 5 years and competed in just 11 fights.

Ellenberger is a fairly well-rounded fighter, who tends to overly rely on his punching power, yet often hesitates to pull the trigger in striking exchanges.  This has prevented him from ever getting  a shot at the welterweight gold, and cost him 3 consecutive losses.  On the verge of losing his spot on the UFC roster, ‘The Juggernaut’ made a nice comeback with a second round submission of Josh Koscheck, and will now look to build another win streak.  Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson is primarily a striker,  with the only loss of his career coming via a decision courtesy of Matt Brown.  Although Thompson’s last fight with Patrick Cote was a very boring affair, the karate expert has knocked out 3 of his 6 UFC opponents, so Ellenberger would be wise to take this fight to the ground.  However Jake has never demonstrated a great fight IQ, so I expect him to attempt slugging it out with Thompson.  This fight could really be anything from a quick and brutal KO by either opponent, to a 5-round dance competition.  Of course I am hoping it doesn’t turn into the latter.

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Welterweight (170)
[#15] Jake Ellenberger (30-9-0) vs. [#29] Stephen Thompson (10-1-0)
Jake Ellenberger is the All-Time #20 ranked Welterweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Jake Ellenberger (1-2-0)
2015-02-28: W vs. [#113WW] Josh Koscheck (17-10-0) via Submission (North South Choke) in 4:20 of round 2
2014-11-15: L vs. [#12MW] Kelvin Gastelum (11-1-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:46 of round 1
2014-05-24: L vs. [#1WW/#9DD/#8P4P] Robbie Lawler (25-10-0) via TKO (Knee and Punches) in 3:06 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Stephen Thompson (3-0-0)
2014-09-27: W vs. [#44WW] Patrick Cote (21-9-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2014-02-22: W vs. [#19MW] Robert Whittaker (14-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:43 of round 1
2013-09-21: W vs. [#202WW] Chris Clements (12-6-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:27 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Jake Ellenberger 134, Stephen Thompson 288
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#39] Kamaru Usman (5-1-0) vs. [#231] Hayder Hassan (6-1-0)

Last 3 Fights: Kamaru Usman (3-0-0)
2014-07-18: W vs. [#724WW] Marcus Hicks (10-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 5:00 of round 2
2014-04-04: W vs. [#986MW] Lenny Lovato (8-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:04 of round 3
2014-01-31: W vs. [NA] Steven Rodriguez (2-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:31 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Hayder Hassan (3-0-0)
2014-10-31: W vs. [#615WW] Felipe Portela (8-2-0) via TKO (Punch) in 3:23 of round 1
2013-10-12: W vs. [#249LW] Jason Jackson (4-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:32 of round 3
2010-04-30: W vs. [NA] Robert Thompson (11-18-0) via UD ()

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Kamaru Usman 359, Hayder Hassan 254
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#118MW] Vicente Luque (7-4-1) vs. [#151] Mike Graves (4-0-0)

Last 3 Fights: Vicente Luque (2-1-0)
2014-06-21: W vs. [#713WW] Paulistenio Rocha (7-3-1) via UD ()
2013-07-13: L vs. [#115MW] Carlos Alexandre Pereira (31-10-1) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 0:44 of round 3
2013-05-10: W vs. [*] Marcelo Lisboa (6-2-0) via TKO in 0:00 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Mike Graves (3-0-0)
2014-10-31: W vs. [#1111WW] Rafael Souza (7-3-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:37 of round 2
2014-04-03: W vs. [#974WW] Rico Farrington (3-2-0) via in of round 1
2013-06-21: W vs. [NA] Danny Finz (0-2-0) via TKO in 1:26 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Vicente Luque 386, Mike Graves 254
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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UFC 189 is one of the most anticipated, and definitely the most hyped, Pay-Per-View event of the year thus far. The hype was mainly centered around Conor McGregor challenging Jose Aldo for the featherweight championship. Of course, no UFC event is left untouched by the injury curse, and a couple of weeks before the event Aldo suffered a rib injury in training.  After much hemming and hawing regarding the severity of his injury and whether he will be able to compete, it was finally announced that Jose’s rib is broken, and Chad Mendes will step up on short notice to face McGregor for an interim belt.

Despite the main event going down the crapper, this still remains of the most stacked cards in recent memory, and one of the few that will meet and even exceed the price of a UFC PPV. I usually wait until a day or two before the event to publish these blogs, as to account for last minute injuries and other unexpected changes in the line up; however with 4 UFC events in an 8-day span I’ll have to get started early, and keep it short.  Let’s just hope the rest of this card remains intact till Saturday.

Main Card (Pay-Per-View)

Main Event: [#4 FW] Chad Mendes vs [#6 FW] Conor McGregor  for the Interim UFC Featherweight Championship

Worth: $20

Why: Though I was looking forward to Aldo – McGregor, I am really not that upset about this fight falling through.  The UFC hype machine fast-tracked Conor to a title shot without him having to face any of the other top contenders in the division, or an opponent with legitimate wrestling/grappling credentials. The match-up with Mendes addresses both of the above critiques, and will answer a few questions about whether McGregor is just hype or the real deal.  Creating an interim title for a rib injury is silly but understandable:  it allows UFC to keep McGregor in the main event, and it’s obvious that they want to put some kind of gold around the waist of one of their biggest draws at the moment – even if it’s a meaningless paper belt.  Let’s just ignore the whole interim title thing, and consider it a #1 contender match: if Conor wins, the ‘title unification’ fight with Aldo will be even more anticipated than UFC 189.  Conor McGregor is a very polarizing figure, and the odds have him as a slight favorite, so if you don’t buy into the hype and enjoy MMA betting, here’s your chance to put your money where your mouse is. As for me, I won’t make any predictions on this fight… not even touching it with Mauro Ranallo’s 25-centimeter pole.

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Featherweight Championship (145)
[#4] Chad Mendes (17-2-0, +129) vs. [#6] Conor McGregor (17-2-0, -153)
Chad Mendes is the All-Time #6 ranked Featherweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Chad Mendes (2-1-0)
2015-04-04: W vs. [#8FW] Ricardo Lamas (15-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:45 of round 1
2014-10-25: L vs. [#1FW/#4DD/#3P4P] Jose Aldo (25-1-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
2013-12-14: W vs. [#15FW] Nik Lentz (25-7-2) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Conor McGregor (3-0-0)
2015-01-18: W vs. [#31FW] Dennis Siver (22-11-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:54 of round 2
2014-09-27: W vs. [#24LW] Dustin Poirier (18-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:46 of round 1
2014-07-19: W vs. [#41FW] Diego Brandao (19-10-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:05 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Chad Mendes 98, Conor McGregor 174
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight Championship (170)
[#1/#9DD/#8P4P] Robbie Lawler (25-10-0, +156) vs. [#3/#10P4P] Rory MacDonald (18-2-0, -186)
Robbie Lawler is the All-Time #6 ranked Welterweight fighter.
Rory MacDonald is the All-Time #15 ranked Welterweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Robbie Lawler (3-0-0)
2014-12-06: W vs. [#2WW/#9P4P] Johny Hendricks (17-3-0) via SD (47-48, 48-47, 49-46)
2014-07-26: W vs. [#11WW] Matt Brown (19-13-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
2014-05-24: W vs. [#15WW] Jake Ellenberger (30-9-0) via TKO (Knee and Punches) in 3:06 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Rory MacDonald (3-0-0)
2014-10-04: W vs. [#19WW] Tarec Saffiedine (15-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:28 of round 3
2014-06-14: W vs. [#4WW] Tyron Woodley (15-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-02-22: W vs. [#8WW] Demian Maia (20-6-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Robbie Lawler 217, Rory MacDonald 280
Previous Match-up Record: Robbie Lawler leads 1-0-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Featherweight (145)
[#14] Dennis Bermudez (14-4-0, -208) vs. [#17] Jeremy Stephens (23-11-0, +171)

Last 3 Fights: Dennis Bermudez (2-1-0)
2014-11-15: L vs. [#8FW] Ricardo Lamas (15-4-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 3:18 of round 1
2014-07-26: W vs. [#10FW] Clay Guida (32-15-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:57 of round 2
2014-03-15: W vs. [#142FW] Jim Hettes (11-3-0) via TKO (Punches and Knee) in 2:57 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Jeremy Stephens (1-2-0)
2014-12-12: L vs. [#7FW] Charles Oliveira (20-4-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2014-06-28: L vs. [#9FW] Cub Swanson (21-7-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
2014-01-25: W vs. [#24FW] Darren Elkins (18-5-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Dennis Bermudez 238, Jeremy Stephens 211
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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UFC Fight Night 70: Machida vs Romero was originally supposed to take place in Brazil, as the finale of ‘The Ultimate Fighter Brazil’ Season 4.  For reasons unknown to me, the event was moved to US some weeks back, and a number of Brazilian fighters scheduled to fight were not able to secure their travel visas in time.   This really played havoc on the fight card – besides losing the ‘TUF’ finalists, the scheduled co-main event between Rick Story and Eric Silva has also been postponed, among with some other changes to the line up.  Fortunately, the main event of Lyoto Machida vs Yoel Romero remained intact, saving the card from being a total dud.

Main Card (Fox Sports 1)

Main Event: [#4 MW] Lyoto Machida  vs  [#9 MW] Yoel Romero

Worth: $20

Why: This is a great fight, with significant implications for both opponents as well as the divisional picture.  The 38-year-old former Olympian, Yoel ‘Soldier of God’ Romero rose quickly through the middleweight rankings after his UFC debut.  He has won all five of his UFC bouts, most recent being a somewhat controversial TKO victory over Tim Kennedy.  Besides his world-class wrestling credentials, Romero has very fluid striking and immense stopping power and generally prefers to keep the fight standing, which resulted in all but one of his wins ending in a T/KO.  Romero was twice slated to face off with Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, but the fight fell through both times due to injuries.  He now takes on a very different breed of beast in Lyoto Machida, and a win here will put him very close to a shot at the title.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, though a year younger than his opponent, has had a much longer MMA career, and the wear and tear of it may be starting to take a toll on his body. Though he’s been fairly successful since dropping down to 185 lbs, Machida is 6-6 overall since suffering the first loss of his career in a rematch for the 205 lbs with Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua.  In his latest fight, Machida was absolutely decimated by Luke Rockhold; I was very surprised by how one-side the fight was, considering that Lyoto went the distance with the champion Chris Weidman, and was even somewhat competitive against former light heavyweight champ Jon Jones.  Perhaps he just had an off night, or a bad weight cut, or was suffering from an undisclosed injury.  Or maybe Rockhold is just that good.  However there’s always the possibility that Machida is nearing the end of his run as an elite fighter.  This is the quickest turn-around between fights in Lyoto’s UFC career – he is obviously in a rush to put the Rockhold loss behind him and get back on the winning track.

Stylistically, this is a interesting bout.  Romero’s striking based game plan and often porous defense could leave him susceptible to counter strikes, which are Machida’s bread and butter.  Yoel tends to be a slow starter and we’ve seen him get rocked early in several fights, only to be saved by his concrete chin and deep gas tank.  Machida has a clear advantage in striking technique, whereas Romero  has significantly greater power in his hands.  Romero has a wrestling advantage, but mainly uses the threat of takedowns to keep his opponents guessing and as an opportunity to land a fight-ending blow.  When he does score a takedown, he rarely keeps his opponent on the mat for an extended period of time, so I don’t expect the ground game to play a significant role in this fight.  I tend to avoid making predictions, but I’ll go out on a limb here and pick Romero by a late TKO, propelling him into the Top 5 and keeping his win streak alive.

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Middleweight (185)
[#4] Lyoto Machida (22-6-0, 186.0lb, -187) vs. [#9] Yoel Romero (9-1-0, 186.0lb, +158)
Lyoto Machida is the All-Time #13 ranked Absolute fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Lyoto Machida (1-2-0)
2015-04-18: L vs. [#2MW] Luke Rockhold (14-2-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:31 of round 2
2014-12-20: W vs. [#15MW] C.B. Dollaway (15-7-0) via TKO (Kick to the Body and Punches) in 1:02 of round 1
2014-07-05: L vs. [#1MW/#1DD/#2P4P] Chris Weidman (13-0-0) via UD (49-45, 48-47, 49-46)

Last 3 Fights: Yoel Romero (3-0-0)
2014-09-27: W vs. [#13MW] Tim Kennedy (18-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:58 of round 3
2014-04-19: W vs. [#27MW] Brad Tavares (13-4-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-01-15: W vs. [#21MW] Derek Brunson (13-3-0) via TKO (Punches and Elbows) in 3:23 of round 3

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Lyoto Machida 70, Yoel Romero 273
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#26] Lorenz Larkin (15-4-0, 170.5lb, -219) vs. [#36] Santiago Ponzinibbio (20-2-0, 170.5lb, +180)

Last 3 Fights: Lorenz Larkin (1-2-0)
2015-01-18: W vs. [#54WW] John Howard (22-11-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:17 of round 1
2014-08-30: L vs. [#21MW] Derek Brunson (13-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-05-10: L vs. [#17MW] Costas Philippou (13-5-0) via KO (Punches) in 3:47 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Santiago Ponzinibbio (2-1-0)
2015-02-22: W vs. [#96WW] Sean Strickland (15-1-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-09-13: W vs. [#245WW] Wendell de Oliveira Marqu (24-9-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:20 of round 1
2013-11-09: L vs. [#25WW] Ryan LaFlare (11-1-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Lorenz Larkin 160, Santiago Ponzinibbio 125
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Middleweight (185)
[#55] Eddie Gordon (7-3-0, 184.5lb, +158) vs. [#104LHW] Antonio Carlos Jr. (4-1-0, 185.0lb, -188)

Last 3 Fights: Eddie Gordon (1-2-0)
2015-04-18: L vs. [#53MW] Chris Dempsey (11-2-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2014-12-06: L vs. [#30MW] Josh Samman (11-2-0) via KO (Head Kick) in 3:08 of round 2
2014-07-06: W vs. [#152WW] Dhiego Lima (10-4-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:11 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Antonio Carlos Jr. (2-1-0)
2014-12-20: L vs. [#44LHW] Patrick Cummins (7-2-0) via UD ()
2014-05-31: W vs. [#103MW] Vitor Miranda (10-4-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-10-26: W vs. [NA] Edinaldo Novaes (2-6-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:16 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Eddie Gordon 70, Antonio Carlos Jr. 189
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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It’s been a very busy month for UFC, and so far the fights have delivered.  Fight Night 67 had a mix of exciting and boring fights, 68 was outstanding from start to finish, and last weekend’s UFC 188 Pay-Per-View, despite a very weak line-up for a PPV card, had a few fun fights in addition to the amazing main event.  Looks like all this momentum may come to a screeching halt with UFC Fight Night 69: Jedrzejczyk vs Penne.

This is the third Fight Pass exclusive event this year, and the first ever Fight Pass event to feature a title fight.  This historical event will take place in Berlin, Germany and the live broadcast will start at noon (Eastern Time) in US.  Despite featuring a title fight, this is undoubtedly the worst card that the UFC has put on this year so far, even by Fight Pass standards.   In fact it may very well be the weakest UFC card ever, or at least in the Zuffa era. So this write up is going to be quite short, as there are only 2 fights on this card that I’m even moderately interested in.  Beyond the main event and the co-main, there are very few recognizable names or meaningful fights.  Of course all the fights could turn out to be barn-burners, but based on the matchups alone, there’s nothing I would pay to watch besides the two top billed bouts.

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Heavyweight (232)
[*] Kimbo Slice (4-2-0, 232.0lb, -285) vs. [*] Ken Shamrock (28-15-2, 204.4lb, +227)
Ken Shamrock is the All-Time #16 ranked Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Kimbo Slice (1-2-0)
2010-05-08: L vs. [#16HW+] Matt Mitrione (9-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:24 of round 2
2009-12-05: W vs. [#78LHW] Houston Alexander (16-11-1) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
2008-10-04: L vs. [*] Seth Petruzelli (14-8-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:14 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Ken Shamrock (1-2-0)
2010-11-25: L vs. [*] Mike Bourke (10-16-1) via TKO (Punches) in 2:00 of round 1
2010-10-16: W vs. [NA] Johnathan Ivey (31-54-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2010-07-18: L vs. [*] Pedro Rizzo (19-11-0) via TKO (Leg Kicks and Punches) in 3:33 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Kimbo Slice 1868, Ken Shamrock 1667
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Featherweight (145)
[#4] Patricio Freire (23-2-0, 145.2lb, -281) vs. [#9] Daniel Weichel (35-8-0, 144.5lb, +227)
Patricio Freire is the All-Time #11 ranked Featherweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Patricio Freire (3-0-0)
2015-01-16: W vs. [#13FW] Daniel Straus (22-6-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:49 of round 4
2014-09-05: W vs. [#11FW] Pat Curran (20-7-0) via UD (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)
2013-11-15: W vs. [#39FW] Justin Wilcox (14-7-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:23 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Daniel Weichel (3-0-0)
2015-02-13: W vs. [#11FW] Pat Curran (20-7-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-05-09: W vs. [#35FW] Desmond Green (14-4-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:07 of round 2
2014-03-28: W vs. [#56FW] Matt Bessette (15-6-0) via UD ()

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Patricio Freire 154, Daniel Weichel 126
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Lightweight (155)
[#23] Michael Chandler (12-3-0, 155.6lb, -560) vs. [#115] Derek Campos (15-4-0, 152.5lb, +405)
Michael Chandler is the All-Time #21 ranked Lightweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Michael Chandler (0-3-0)
2014-11-15: L vs. [#5LW] Will Brooks (16-1-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:48 of round 4
2014-05-17: L vs. [#5LW] Will Brooks (16-1-0) via SD (48-46, 48-47, 47-48)
2013-11-02: L vs. [#8LW] Eddie Alvarez (26-4-0) via SD (48-47, 48-47, 47-48)

Last 3 Fights: Derek Campos (2-1-0)
2014-09-26: W vs. [#329FW] Estevan Payan (15-8-0) via TKO (Punch) in 0:31 of round 1
2014-04-18: L vs. [#53LW] Patricky Freire (13-6-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:52 of round 2
2014-03-21: W vs. [#286LW] Tim Welch (13-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Michael Chandler 216, Derek Campos 266
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Michael Chandler leads 1-0
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Women Strawweight Championship (115)
[#2/#6DD/#6P4P] Joanna Jedrzejczyk (9-0-0, 114.0lb, -760) vs. [#8] Jessica Penne (12-2-0, 114.0lb, +526)

Last 3 Fights: Joanna Jedrzejczyk (3-0-0)
2015-03-14: W vs. [#4SW] Carla Esparza (10-3-0) via KO (Punches) in 4:17 of round 2
2014-12-13: W vs. [#5SW] Claudia Gadelha (12-1-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-07-26: W vs. [#15SW] Juliana de Lima Carneiro (8-2-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Jessica Penne (2-1-0)
2014-12-12: W vs. [#12SW] Randa Markos (5-2-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
2013-07-13: W vs. [#32AW] Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc (8-8-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:57 of round 1
2013-04-05: L vs. [#3AW] Michelle Waterson (12-4-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 2:31 of round 4

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Joanna Jedrzejczyk 98, Jessica Penne 190
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Featherweight (145)
[#26] Dennis Siver (22-10-0, 145.0lb, -176) vs. [#38] Tatsuya Kawajiri (33-8-2, 146.0lb, +149)

Last 3 Fights: Dennis Siver (1-1-0, 1 NC)
2015-01-18: L vs. [#6FW] Conor McGregor (17-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:54 of round 2
2014-10-04: W vs. [#119FW] Charles Rosa (10-2-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-12-28: NC vs. [#10BW] Manny Gamburyan (14-8-0)

Last 3 Fights: Tatsuya Kawajiri (2-1-0)
2014-04-11: L vs. [#12FW] Clay Guida (32-15-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-01-04: W vs. [#311FW] Sean Soriano (8-3-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 0:50 of round 2
2012-12-31: W vs. [#330FW] Michihiro Omigawa (14-14-1) via UD ()

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Dennis Siver 153, Tatsuya Kawajiri 435
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#92] Steven Kennedy (22-6-0, 170.0lb, +223) vs. [#161] Peter Sobotta (14-4-1, 171.0lb, -274)

Last 3 Fights: Steven Kennedy (3-0-0)
2015-03-14: W vs. [#482WW] Callan Potter (8-4-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:15 of round 1
2014-12-06: W vs. [#679MW] Ran Weathers (17-18-0) via UD ()
2014-05-31: W vs. [#1596WW] Dominic McConnell (7-10-0) via Submission (Triangle Choke) in ? of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Peter Sobotta (3-0-0)
2014-05-31: W vs. [#175WW] Pawel Pawlak (11-1-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2012-11-10: W vs. [#323LW] Tamirlan Dadaev (13-5-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:10 of round 1
2012-11-10: W vs. [NA] Mustafa Asmaoui (1-2-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:36 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Steven Kennedy 98, Peter Sobotta 385
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Last week, UFC delivered a great event in Fight Night 68.  With almost every fight on the card ending with a spectacular finish, this is a tough act to follow.  Especially when it’s followed by a very weak Pay-Per-View that, save for the headliner, would be much better suited for a free Fight Night or even a Fight Pass event.

Main Card (Pay-Per-View)

Main Event: (C) [NR] Cain Velasquez vs (IC) [#1 HW] Fabricio Werdum for undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Worth: $25

Why: Almost six months and countless UFC events into the year, this is only the second fight to receive my maximum single fight valuation of $25 (the first was Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier at UFC 182).   The reigning UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will fight for the first time in nearly two years, and this will be his first fight since 2010 against an opponent not named Junior dos Santos or Antonio Silva.  This time he will be facing Fabricio Werdum, who has been on a tear: 5-0 in his current UFC stint, and capturing the interim title that UFC created due to Cain’s extended absence in his most recent fight with Mark Hunt.

This is a great title unification fight between #4 and #5 ranked heavyweights of all time.  And the winner is likely to further climb the all time ranking, besides cementing his #1 spot on the current rankings.  Fabricio Werdum has shown amazing improvement in his recent career, and I won’t be surprised to see him defeat Velasquez, especially since ring rust is a very likely factor (last time Velasquez returned to action after an extended layoff, he was knocked out in the first round by dos Santos).  On the other hand, Werdum is a notorious slow starter who tends to absorb some punishment early on, but weathers the storm and takes over later in the fight when his opponent gets tired.  This could be very bad news against a fighter like Velasquez, who goes all out from the opening bell to the end of the last round, and has the cardio to keep the same insane pace in a five round fight.

But I have no horse in this race – there are great matchups in store for the man who walks away with the unified title.  If Cain retains, he will most likely face Stipe Miocic next, with Andrei Arlovski and Ben Rothwell as viable backup options.  If Werdum overcomes, he will probably get an opportunity to avenge the only stoppage loss of his career against JDS.  The heavyweight division is becoming very fun to watch after years of stagnation, even if there is not a single fighter in the Top 10 under 30 and most of the contenders are familiar faces.  Great fight… and it’s all downhill from here.

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