Fight Matrix

Bang for Your Buck: UFC Fight Night 62

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Oleg

The UFC has been having a blockbuster year so far, with the Pay-Per-View buy rates and TV ratings showing a marked increase from 2014. And even the events that didn’t look so hot on paper, like UFC 184, turned out to be entertaining. Lets see if the trend continues this Saturday, as UFC will broadcast another mediocre-looking Fight Night card from Brazil, live on Fox Sports 1.

Main Event: [#10 WW] Demian Maia vs [#20 WW] Ryan LaFlare

Worth: $5

Why: Most of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Demian Maia’s 19 UFC fights have followed one of two MOs. Opponents who are willing to grapple with Maia or unable to stop his takedowns, face either a brutal submission or an extended domination on the mat. Those who are not willing to engage Maia on the ground, and able to keep the fight standing, usually end up winning a decision due to Demian’s serviceable but not elite striking. Of course there are a couple of exceptions to this rule – e.g. the one-punch KO Maia suffered at the hands of Nate Marquardt, or running into someone like Jake Shields who is able to stifle Maia’s grappling with a strong top game. But for the most part, we either get to see Maia the grappler or Maia the kickboxer; as he has not been able to smoothly transition between the stand-up and ground phases of a fight.

Which version of Maia we see depends largely on his opponent. Enter Ryan LaFlare – an undefeated welterweight prospect who came into the UFC at 7-0, with 100% finish rate. While LaFlare was able to keep his record unblemished in the Octagon, he didn’t have as much luck finishing his opponents, winning all four of his UFC fights by decision. His wins include solid mid-level names like Court McGee and John Howard, but he is taking a big step up in competition here with Maia as his first top-10 opponent.

How exciting this fight will be depends largely on Ryan’s ability to keep the fight standing. If he can, then he is likely to win another dull decision and continue his rise in the ranks. Otherwise, he will fall victim to Maia’s ground game, which usually makes for a fun fight (unless you’re Maia’s opponent). Based on Demian’s recent performances and LaFlare’s potential, I am leaning towards the first outcome.

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UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. LaFlaire (03-21-2013)

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Jason

Welterweight (170)
[#10] Demian Maia (19-6-0) vs. [#20] Ryan LaFlare (11-0-0)

Last 3 Fights: Demian Maia (1-2-0)
2014-05-31: W vs. [#66WW] Alexander Yakovlev (21-6-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-02-22: L vs. [#3WW] Rory MacDonald (18-2-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2013-10-09: L vs. [#8WW] Jake Shields (31-7-1) via SD (47-48, 48-47, 47-48)

Last 3 Fights: Ryan LaFlare (3-0-0)
2014-04-11: W vs. [#55WW] John Howard (22-11-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2013-12-14: W vs. [*] Court McGee (16-4-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2013-11-09: W vs. [#36WW] Santiago Ponzinibbio (20-2-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Demian Maia 294, Ryan LaFlare 344
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)
[#25] Erick Silva (17-5-0) vs. [#93] Josh Koscheck (17-9-0)
Josh Koscheck is the All-Time #15 ranked Welterweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Erick Silva (2-1-0)
2014-12-20: W vs. [#207WW] Mike Rhodes (5-4-0) via Technical Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 1:15 of round 1
2014-05-10: L vs. [#11WW] Matt Brown (19-13-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:11 of round 3
2014-02-15: W vs. [#223WW] Takenori Sato (17-10-7) via KO (Punches) in 0:52 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Josh Koscheck (0-3-0)
2015-02-28: L vs. [#17WW] Jake Ellenberger (30-9-0) via Submission (North South Choke) in 4:20 of round 2
2013-11-16: L vs. [#4WW] Tyron Woodley (15-3-0) via KO (Punches) in 4:38 of round 1
2013-02-23: L vs. [#1WW/#7DD/#8P4P] Robbie Lawler (25-10-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:57 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Erick Silva 91, Josh Koscheck 21
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)
[#45] Leonardo Santos (13-3-1) vs. [#107] Tony Martin (9-2-0)

Last 3 Fights: Leonardo Santos (2-0-1)
2014-09-13: W vs. [#83LW] Efrain Escudero (23-9-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-03-23: D vs. [#53LW] Norman Parke (20-3-1) via Draw (Majority) in 5:00 of round 3
2013-06-08: W vs. [#189WW] William Macario (7-3-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 4:43 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Tony Martin (1-2-0)
2014-10-25: W vs. [#413LW] Fabricio Camoes (14-9-1) via Submission (Kimura) in 4:16 of round 1
2014-08-23: L vs. [#20LW] Beneil Dariush (10-1-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 3:38 of round 2
2014-02-01: L vs. [#18LW] Rashid Magomedov (18-1-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Leonardo Santos 189, Tony Martin 147
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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Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)

Saturday, December 13th 2025: PFL Europe 4: 2025 Finals

[#1 W145] Cristiane Justino

[#3 W145] Sara Collins

Last Fight Date: 10/19/2024 [PFL]
Last Opponent: [#2 W145] Larissa Pacheco
Last 5: W W W W W

Last Fight Date: 9/14/2024 [BellatorFC]
Last Opponent: [#6 W145] Leah McCourt
Last 5: W W W W W

Sunday, December 14th 2025: Deep - Tokyo Impact 2025 6th Round

[#2 SW] Haruo Ochi

[#9 SW] Sora Sugiyama

Last Fight Date: 3/30/2025 [Rizin Fighting Federation]
Last Opponent: [#41 SW] Nobuyoshi Nakatsukasa
Last 5: W W W W W

Last Fight Date: 9/15/2025 [DEEP]
Last Opponent: [#41 SW] Nobuyoshi Nakatsukasa
Last 5: - - - W W

Saturday, December 13th 2025: PFL Europe 4: 2025 Finals

[#8 HW] Vadim Nemkov

[#10 HW] Renan Ferreira

Last Fight Date: 1/25/2025 [PFL]
Last Opponent: [#29 HW] Tim Johnson
Last 5: NC W W W W

Last Fight Date: 10/19/2024 [PFL]
Last Opponent: [#3 HW] Francis Ngannou
Last 5: W W W W L

Featured Fighters

[#1 LW]	Islam Makhachev	[#1 WW]	Jack Della Maddalena
[#15 WW]	Gabriel Bonfim	[#28 WW]	Uros Medic
[#2 LW]	Ilia Topuria	[#145 LW]	Ismael Bonfim
[#1 MW]	Khamzat Chimaev	[#3 LW]	Charles Oliveira
[NR]	Khabib Nurmagomedov	[#31 WW]	Randy Brown

Current MMA Rankings Updated (03-15-2015)

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Jason

Notable Info

Minor modification which slightly increases penalty in select cases for fighters who move into a new division and lose.

Bang for Your Buck: UFC 185

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Oleg

With two title fights topping the Pay-Per-View card, UFC 185 is off to a strong start. Add a fairly solid undercard, and you get an event that might actually be worth the asking price. This is what all PPV cards should look like. Unfortunately, I have very little interest in the women’s strawweight title bout – in fact it may be the least interest I have in a UFC title fight since Andrei Arlovski vs late Justin Eilers back at UFC 53. Nonetheless, this is a very good card, at least on paper.

Main Event: (C) [#1 LW] Anthony Pettis vs [#3 LW] Rafael dos Anjos for the UFC Lightweight Title

Worth: $22.50

Why: After submitting Ben Henderson to win the LW title, Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis suffered an injury and was forced to take a long layoff. Meanwhile, the division came to a rolling boil, with no shortage of contenders lined up for a crack at the champion. Pettis made a triumphant return and defended his title with another submission win against Gilbert Melendez. His next defense should have been against the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov, however Khabib’s own injuries and inactivity allowed a man he defeated – Rafael dos Anjos – to jump in front of the line.

For a guy with 17 fights in UFC, dos Anjos has flew under the radar for a while, stuck in the middle of the pack and losing fights to gatekeepers like Clay Guida and Gleison Tibau. In the past few years, Rafael evolved into an elite fighter. He is 8-1 since 2011, his sole loss a decision to Nurmagomedov. And in his last two fights, dos Anjos has shown just how dangerous he has become, stopping former champ Henderson and brutally dominating Nate Diaz. He is not as flashy as ‘Showtime’, but probably just as well rounded. With two top fighters in their prime, who both have all the tools of MMA in their arsenal, this should be a great fight. It’s not quite a Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier, long awaited #1 vs #2 type of fight, but this is almost as good as it gets.

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Fight Matrix Program: UFC 185 (03-14-2015)

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Jason

Lightweight Championship (155)
[#1/#5DD/#5P4P] Anthony Pettis (18-2-0, -433) vs. [#3] Rafael dos Anjos (23-7-0, +331)
Anthony Pettis is the All-Time #6 ranked Lightweight fighter.
Rafael dos Anjos is the All-Time #20 ranked Lightweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Anthony Pettis (3-0-0)
2014-12-06: W vs. [#6LW] Gilbert Melendez (22-4-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 1:53 of round 2
2013-08-31: W vs. [#7WW] Ben Henderson (22-5-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:31 of round 1
2013-01-26: W vs. [#2LW/#9DD/#9P4P] Donald Cerrone (27-6-0) via KO (Kick to the Body) in 2:35 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Rafael dos Anjos (3-0-0)
2014-12-13: W vs. [#13LW] Nate Diaz (17-10-0) via UD (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
2014-08-23: W vs. [#7WW] Ben Henderson (22-5-0) via KO (Punch) in 2:31 of round 1
2014-06-07: W vs. [#79LW] Jason High (18-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:36 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Anthony Pettis 98, Rafael dos Anjos 91
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Anthony Pettis leads 4-2
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Women Strawweight Championship (115)
[#2/#9DD/#5P4P] Carla Esparza (10-2-0, -163) vs. [#3] Joanna Jedrzejczyk (8-0-0, +136)

Last 3 Fights: Carla Esparza (3-0-0)
2014-12-12: W vs. [#12SW] Rose Namajunas (2-2-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:26 of round 3
2013-01-05: W vs. [#94SW] Bec Rawlings (5-4-0) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
2012-10-06: W vs. [#34SW] Lynn Alvarez (6-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:53 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Joanna Jedrzejczyk (3-0-0)
2014-12-13: W vs. [#5SW] Claudia Gadelha (12-1-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-07-26: W vs. [#25SW] Juliana de Lima Carneiro (7-2-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
2014-06-07: W vs. [*] Rosi Sexton (13-5-0) via KO (Punch) in 2:36 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Carla Esparza 92, Joanna Jedrzejczyk 91
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)
[#3] Johny Hendricks (16-3-0, -345) vs. [#11] Matt Brown (19-12-0, +267)
Johny Hendricks is the All-Time #3 ranked Welterweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Johny Hendricks (1-2-0)
2014-12-06: L vs. [#1WW/#7DD/#8P4P] Robbie Lawler (25-10-0) via SD (47-48, 48-47, 49-46)
2014-03-15: W vs. [#1WW/#7DD/#8P4P] Robbie Lawler (25-10-0) via UD (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
2013-11-16: L vs. [*] Georges St. Pierre (25-2-0) via SD (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)

Last 3 Fights: Matt Brown (2-1-0)
2014-07-26: L vs. [#1WW/#7DD/#8P4P] Robbie Lawler (25-10-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
2014-05-10: W vs. [#25WW] Erick Silva (17-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:11 of round 3
2013-08-17: W vs. [#33WW] Mike Pyle (26-10-1) via KO (Punches) in 0:29 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Johny Hendricks 98, Matt Brown 231
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Johny Hendricks leads 1-0
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Current MMA Rankings Updated (03-08-2015)

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Jason

Spinanga

Sherdog’s Inaugural Women’s P4P List Isn’t Bad…

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Jason

	Sherdog	FM P4P	FM DD	Diff
Ronda Rousey	1	1	1	=
Cris Cyborg	2	2	3	-0.5
Jessica Aguilar	3	3	4	-0.5
Cat Zingano	4	11	13	-8.0
Miesha Tate	5	8	7	-2.5
Barb Honchak	6	4	2	+3.0
Carla Esparza	7	5	9	=
Joanna Jedrzejczyk	8	13	14	-5.5
Claudia Gadelha	9	14	19	-7.5
Herica Tiburcio	10	7	5	+4.0

The “FM P4P” column reflects our “Pound-for-Pound” list, which is a relatively new system that works side-by-side the standard system, with the P4P thought in mind. The “FM DD” reflects our “Divisional Dominance” list and is a post-ranking equation that is based solely on the current rankings. The “Diff” is the Sherdog rank subtracted by the average of the two Fight Matrix rankings. Essentially, a positive “Diff” suggests Sherdog is overrating, while a negative “Diff” suggests the latter.

You expect to see a larger absolute “Diff” as you travel downward, but in this case, there is heavy consensus with the exception of 3: Zingano, Jedrzejcyk and Gadelha. In these 3 cases, the absolute “Diff” value surpasses one-half of the Sherdog ranking, which I deem as fairly substantial.

Certainly, you could argue we are being hard on Zingano, but it seems there are better options than Jedrzejcyk and Gadelha, both of whom were hardly noticed before they fought each other to a stalemate.

If you’re a fan of our WMMA rankings, you’ll notice the obvious omission here is Alexis Davis (FM #6/#6), who the ranking system has loved for quite a long time. Another candidate for Sherdog’s list is Ayaka Hamasaki (FM #15/8), who gets her shot at Tiburcio in July for the 105 pound crown. One more is Vanessa Porto (FM #17/#10), who is in a division that is ignored almost as much as the 145 division in WMMA.

One more for the record books

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Oleg

A year ago, UFC made some changes to their bonus system: instead of awarding submission and knockout of the night bonuses, they replaced them with ‘Performance of the Night’. Since then, 15 fighters racked up multiple ‘POTN’ awards. Last Saturday at UFC 184, Ronda Rousey became the first fighter to earn her third POTN. To commemorate this achievement, we are adding a new page to our UFC records section. Check it out and check back often, as this list will surely fluctuate a lot – in the two most recent events, four fighters snatched a POTN each, in lieu of a ‘Fight of the Night‘ award.

Most UFC ‘Performance of the Night’ bonuses

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The Rowdy Cyborg Superfight

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Ked Becker

It’s always taken for granted that the heavier fighters are the more dangerous fighters. Every champion is the best in his or her division, he or she may be the best pound for pound fighter in the world, but only one fighter is “The Baddest Fighter on the Planet”, and that’s the Heavyweight champion. He is the only fighter who would probably beat everybody else if there were no weight limits, and that stands to reason. We implemented the weight system because we know size matters.

For some reason this does not apply to Ronda Rousey. She is considered a lot of times as the most dangerous woman fighter in the world, who supposedly can beat 50% of men fighters and beat Floyd Mayweather in an MMA fight. While all this time there is a whole division of women fighters who are heavier than her, which nobody says any of these things about. We don’t really know how Rousey would fare against those women since she never fought any of them or at that weight – yet she is the one talked about as the most formidable woman fighter.

This situation is even more ridiculous considering that this heavier division has its own undefeated undisputed champion who smashes everyone she is facing and in fact has been doing so for a very long time, since before Rousey has even started MMA. Cristiane Justino has been considered the undisputed woman champion for a long time before Ronda Rousey got to be, and rightfully so. Ronda Rousey has taken her spot because she is American, more beautiful, more marketable and, most importantly, fights in the UFC.

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Current MMA Rankings Updated (03-01-2015)

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Jason

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Bang for Your Buck: UFC 184

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Oleg

I’ll start off this blog by stating a brutally honest though likely unpopular opinion: I am still not totally sold on WMMA. I’ll admit that it is starting to slowly grow on me, and perhaps a day will come when I can value women in the UFC as much I appreciate as their male colleagues. That day is not likely to come soon – not until there is much more depth to the talent pool, and certainly not for as long as ‘UFC`s Womens Divisions’ is synonymous with ‘The Ronda Rousey Show’.

Needless to say, when the middleweight title fight between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort which was slated to headline UFC 184 was cancelled for an umpteenth time, my interest in this event plummeted faster than ‘Bigfoot’ Silva hitting the canvas after eating a hook from Frank Mir. A PPV headlined by two women’s bouts is the start of a very weak card in my opinion, and it’s further weakened by the fact that in both of those fights one of the opponents is around a 10-1 favorite. It doesn’t help that the rest of the card is mostly filled with fighters way past their competitive primes, guys on losing streaks, and various nondescript non-contenders. All in all, this event just might receive the lowest valuation of any UFC PPV in 2015 (and I really hope I didn’t just jinx myself with that statement). Anyway, let’s get on with it:

Main Event: (C) [#1 W135] Ronda Rousey vs [#4 W135] Cat Zingano for UFC Women’s Bantamweight title

Worth: $10

Why: You have to give credit where it’s due. Not only is Ronda Rousey by far the best fighter in her division (and likely the best female MMA fighter in any weight class), her combination of skill, charisma, and looks single-handedly convinced Dana White to change his mind on women fighting in the UFC. Rousey’s performances in the Octagon are a work of art. Unfortunately she is an artist who only has a very small canvas to work with. Of course I am not talking about the literal canvas covering the cage floor, but rather the limited pool of competition available to challenge her.

On paper, this is a fairly close match-up. Both women are undefeated in professional bouts, and while Rousey has a perfect 100% finish rate in her 10 victories, Zingano stopped 8 out of 9 opponents. However there is a reason that Cat is a 10-to-1 underdog in this fight: she just hasn’t shown her athleticism or skillset to be on Ronda’s level. And while both women are finishers, the main difference is that all but one of Rousey’s fights were finished in the first round, while most of Zingano’s finishes came in the latter rounds. In this instance, I don’t think she will make it past round one. I love upsets and hope to be pleasantly surprised, but realistically it seems unlikely that Zingano will be able to pose a serious challenge, let alone dethrone Rousey.

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Fight Matrix Program – UFC 184 (02-28-2015)

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Jason

Women Bantamweight Championship (135)
[#1/#1DD/#1P4P] Ronda Rousey (10-0-0, -1038) vs. [#4/#6DD/#8P4P] Cat Zingano (9-0-0, +601)
Ronda Rousey is the All-Time #1 ranked Women’s fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Ronda Rousey (3-0-0)
2014-07-05: W vs. [#2BW/#5P4P] Alexis Davis (16-6-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:16 of round 1
2014-02-22: W vs. [#7BW] Sara McMann (8-2-0) via TKO (Knee to the Body) in 1:06 of round 1
2013-12-28: W vs. [#3BW/#5DD/#7P4P] Miesha Tate (16-5-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 0:58 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Cat Zingano (3-0-0)
2014-09-27: W vs. [#19BW] Amanda Nunes (9-4-0) via TKO (Elbows and Punches) in 1:21 of round 3
2013-04-13: W vs. [#3BW/#5DD/#7P4P] Miesha Tate (16-5-0) via TKO (Knees and Elbow) in 2:55 of round 3
2012-10-06: W vs. [#13BW] Raquel Pennington (5-4-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:32 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ronda Rousey 238, Cat Zingano 154
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Ronda Rousey leads 2-1
.

Women Bantamweight (135)
[#13] Raquel Pennington (5-4-0, +577) vs. [#14] Holly Holm (7-0-0, -926)

Last 3 Fights: Raquel Pennington (2-1-0)
2014-12-06: W vs. [#37BW] Ashlee Evans-Smith (3-1-0) via Technical Submission (Bulldog Choke) in 4:59 of round 1
2014-03-15: L vs. [#16BW] Jessica Andrade (12-4-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
2013-11-30: W vs. [#6FLY] Roxanne Modafferi (17-11-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Holly Holm (3-0-0)
2014-04-04: W vs. [#8FLY] Juliana Werner (8-4-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 1:50 of round 5
2013-12-06: W vs. [#99FLY] Angela Hayes (6-8-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-10-11: W vs. [NA] Nikki Knudsen (2-2-0) via TKO (Kick to the Body and Knees) in 1:18 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Raquel Pennington 84, Holly Holm 330
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.

Welterweight (170)
[#19] Jake Ellenberger (29-9-0, -211) vs. [*] Josh Koscheck (17-8-0, +170)
Jake Ellenberger is the All-Time #19 ranked Welterweight fighter.
Josh Koscheck is the All-Time #13 ranked Welterweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Jake Ellenberger (0-3-0)
2014-11-15: L vs. [#11MW] Kelvin Gastelum (10-1-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:46 of round 1
2014-05-24: L vs. [#1WW/#7DD/#8P4P] Robbie Lawler (25-10-0) via TKO (Knee and Punches) in 3:06 of round 3
2013-07-27: L vs. [#2WW/#10DD/#10P4P] Rory MacDonald (18-2-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Josh Koscheck (0-3-0)
2013-11-16: L vs. [#4WW] Tyron Woodley (15-3-0) via KO (Punches) in 4:38 of round 1
2013-02-23: L vs. [#1WW/#7DD/#8P4P] Robbie Lawler (25-10-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:57 of round 1
2012-05-05: L vs. [#3WW] Johny Hendricks (16-3-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Jake Ellenberger 105, Josh Koscheck 469
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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Current MMA Rankings Updated (02-22-2015)

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Jason

Bang for Your Buck: UFC Fight Night 61

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Oleg

So you thought last week’s Fight Night 60 was a weak card? Coming up this Sunday live from Brazil, is another abomination of an UFC card, also known as Fight Night 61: Bigfoot vs Mir. I really don’t remember what the original line-up for this event was supposed to look like before the injuries got throught with it… and I can’t even be bothered to look it up. Whatever it was, the final line-up only has two fights that I am even remotely interested in.

Main Event: [#6 HW] Antonio Silva vs [#55 HW] Frank Mir

Worth: $5

Why: This fight is kind of like a horrific car crash. You know you should just keep driving and keep your eyes on the road, but you can’t help rubber-necking to catch a glimpse of the carnage. Mir is a shot fighter, who hasn’t fought in over a year and hasn’t won a fight in 3 years. Not only did he lose his last four fights, he presented zero threat to any of those opponents. There was a point in time when I would have been excited to see Frank getting his face bashed in, but at this point I am more concerned about his health. Mir’s pre-fight statements that his future in the sport depends not on whether he wins or loses this fight but rather on his overall performance does not inspire any confidence either – it’s as if he is already resigned to lose. His opponent ‘Bigfoot’ Silva has been hot-or-cold through most of his career, and may also be a bit chinny; but while Mir has decent KO power, his robotic striking is unlikely to present a serious threat to Silva. Frank’s only hope to finish up his career on a win is if Bigfoot decides to test his grappling mettle and takes the fight it to the ground. More likely, this will end with fifth consecutive loss and forced retirement for Mir.

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Fight Matrix Program: UFC Fight Night – Bigfoot vs. Mir (02-22-2015)

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Jason

Heavyweight (265)
[#6] Antonio Silva (18-6-1, -216) vs. [#55] Frank Mir (16-9-0, +167)
Antonio Silva is the All-Time #20 ranked Heavyweight fighter.
Frank Mir is the All-Time #11 ranked Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Antonio Silva (0-2-1)
2014-09-13: L vs. [#3HW+] Andrei Arlovski (23-10-0) via KO (Punches) in 2:59 of round 1
2013-12-07: D vs. [#5HW+] Mark Hunt (10-9-1) via Draw (Majority) in 5:00 of round 5
2013-05-25: L vs. [*] Cain Velasquez (13-1-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:21 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Frank Mir (0-3-0)
2014-02-01: L vs. [#8HW+] Alistair Overeem (38-14-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-08-31: L vs. [#11HW+] Josh Barnett (33-7-0) via TKO (Knee) in 1:56 of round 1
2013-04-20: L vs. [#3LHW] Daniel Cormier (15-1-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Antonio Silva 162, Frank Mir 386
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Antonio Silva leads 1-0
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Lightweight (155)
[#9] Edson Barboza (15-2-0) vs. [#13] Michael Johnson (15-8-0)

Last 3 Fights: Edson Barboza (2-1-0)
2014-11-22: W vs. [#16LW] Bobby Green (23-6-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-07-16: W vs. [#46LW] Evan Dunham (15-6-0) via TKO (Kick to the Body and Punches) in 3:06 of round 1
2014-04-19: L vs. [#2LW/#9DD/#9P4P] Donald Cerrone (27-6-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:15 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Michael Johnson (3-0-0)
2014-03-08: W vs. [#29LW] Melvin Guillard (32-14-2) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
2013-12-28: W vs. [#21LW] Gleison Tibau (32-10-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:32 of round 2
2013-08-17: W vs. [#27LW] Joe Lauzon (24-10-0) via UD (30-25, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Edson Barboza 92, Michael Johnson 351
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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Welterweight (170)
[#117] William Macario (7-2-0) vs. [#271] Matt Dwyer (7-2-0)

Last 3 Fights: William Macario (1-2-0)
2014-10-25: L vs. [#26WW] Neil Magny (14-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:40 of round 3
2013-12-28: W vs. [#218WW] Bobby Voelker (25-12-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-06-08: L vs. [#45LW] Leonardo Santos (13-3-1) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 4:43 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Matt Dwyer (2-1-0)
2014-10-04: L vs. [#30WW] Albert Tumenov (15-2-0) via KO (Head Kick and Punches) in 1:03 of round 1
2014-05-23: W vs. [#312MW] DaMarques Johnson (16-14-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:39 of round 2
2014-01-18: W vs. [#617MW] Shonie Carter (51-30-7) via TKO (Retirement) in 5:00 of round 3

Days Since Last Pro Fight: William Macario 120, Matt Dwyer 141
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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