In the last episode, Team Faber took home both of the semi-final bouts: Al Iaquinta earning a unanimous decision against Vinc Pichel, and Mike Chiesa stopping James Vick with ground-and-pound.
The final win tally is Team Faber 9, Team Cruz 5 in team-vs-team matchups.
Here’s the final ranking breakdown. This has been the season of upsets, with a middle-of-the pack fighter going to the finals against one of the lowest “seeds” in the tournament:
Heavyweight Championship (265)
[#1/#5DD] Junior dos Santos (14-1-0) vs. [#5] Frank Mir (16-5-0)
Junior dos Santos is the All-Time #8 ranked Heavyweight fighter.
Frank Mir is the All-Time #7 ranked Heavyweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Junior dos Santos (3-0-0)
2011-11-12: W vs. [#3HW+] Cain Velasquez (9-1-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:04 of round 1
2011-06-11: W vs. [#8HW+] Shane Carwin (12-2-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
2010-08-07: W vs. [#17HW+] Roy Nelson (16-7-0) via UD (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Frank Mir (3-0-0)
2011-12-10: W vs. [#9HW+] Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-7-1) via Technical Submission (Kimura) in 3:38 of round 1
2011-05-28: W vs. [#17HW+] Roy Nelson (16-7-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
2010-09-25: W vs. [#41HW+] Mirko Filipovic (27-10-2) via KO (Knee) in 4:02 of round 3
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Junior dos Santos 196, Frank Mir 168
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Junior dos Santos leads 3-2
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Heavyweight (265)
[#3] Cain Velasquez (9-1-0) vs. [#7] Antonio Silva (16-3-0)
Cain Velasquez is the All-Time #10 ranked Heavyweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Cain Velasquez (2-1-0)
2011-11-12: L vs. [#1HW+/#5DD] Junior dos Santos (14-1-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:04 of round 1
2010-10-23: W vs. [#7HW+] Brock Lesnar (5-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:12 of round 1
2010-02-20: W vs. [#9HW+] Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-7-1) via KO (Punches) in 2:20 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Antonio Silva (2-1-0)
2011-09-10: L vs. [#4HW+] Daniel Cormier (10-0-0) via KO (Punches) in 3:56 of round 1
2011-02-12: W vs. [#11HW+] Fedor Emelianenko (33-4-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 2
2010-12-04: W vs. [#32LHW] Mike Kyle (19-9-1) via TKO (Punches) in 2:49 of round 2
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Cain Velasquez 196, Antonio Silva 259
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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Heavyweight (265)
[#23] Stipe Miocic (8-0-0) vs. [*] Shane del Rosario (11-0-0)
Last 3 Fights: Stipe Miocic (3-0-0)
2012-02-15: W vs. [#71HW+] Philip De Fries (8-1-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:43 of round 1
2011-10-08: W vs. [#50LHW] Joey Beltran (14-7-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2011-06-04: W vs. [#67HW+] Bobby Brents (12-3-0) via Submission (Leg Kick) in 4:27 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: Shane del Rosario (3-0-0)
2011-02-12: W vs. [#31HW+] Lavar Johnson (17-5-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:31 of round 1
2010-07-23: W vs. [#299HW+] Lolohea Mahe (5-2-1) via TKO (Knees and Punches) in 3:48 of round 1
2009-11-06: W vs. [*] Brandon Cash (5-3-0) via Submission (Omoplata) in 2:57 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Stipe Miocic 101, Shane del Rosario 469
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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| Thursday, December 31st 2026: Rizin FF Super Rizin 6: Shiwasu no Owarinagoya Gekokujo Matsuri | |||
 [#1 W105] Natalia Kuziutina |  [#4 W105] Saori Oshima | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 9/10/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#18 W105] Rena Kubota Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 7/18/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#13 W105] Ye Ji Lee Last 5: L W L W W | ||
| Sunday, December 13th 2026: Deep - 135 Impact | |||
| [#3 SW] Sukai China | [#4 SW] Jo Arai | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 5/04/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#6 SW] Sora Sugiyama Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 9/13/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#23 SW] Daichi Kitakata Last 5: L L W L W | ||
| Sunday, December 13th 2026: Deep Tokyo Impact 2026 6th Round | |||
| [#6 SW] Sora Sugiyama | [#10 SW] Goal Makino | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 9/20/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [NR] Musashi Musashi Last 5: W W W L W | Last Fight Date: 9/06/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#42 SW] Toshiya Takashima Last 5: W W W W W | ||
| [#18 W125] |  Lucia Szabova | [#1 WW] | Islam Makhachev | |
| [#18 LW] |  Renato Carneiro | [#1 FW] |  Alexander Volkanovski | |
| [#13 LW] | Tom Nolan | [#26 WW] |  Jacobe Smith | |
| [#102 W125] | Tainara Lisboa | [#2 LW] |  Ilia Topuria | |
| [#1 LW] | Justin Gaethje | [#23 LHW] | Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev |
[poll id=”5″]
Below are Japanese fighters with the highest “division point dominance” ratings who have never fought in the USA, have at least 10 fights, and compete within weight divisions that the UFC/StrikeForce currently utilize (Men, Women 135-145).
Sadly, there is not much to look forward to, as far as proven experienced fighters go.
1. Masakazu Imanari (#18 Bantamweight, 25-10-2)
Imanari is ranked #1 on his list, based on the possibility of him making the Flyweight limit (of which I have no idea if he can or not) and for his exceptional ledger. It is quite surprising Imanari has only left Japan in his last two fights, but has still not left eastern Asia. He holds a rare distinction of being listed in two of the Top 10 FightMatrix All-Time Ranking lists, being the #6 Featherweight and #8 Bantamweight of All-Time, spending considerable time in both divisions. He has even competed at Lightweight. Now 36, the door is closing on Imanari. He is battle-tested against foreign fighters, with wins over Jorge Gurgel, Mike Thomas Brown and Abel Cullum. Though, he is very inconsistent. Here’s hoping we see him get one chance in the UFC.
2. Rin Nakai (#6 Women 135lb, 11-0-1)
The musclebound 5’1″ Nakai may be more famous for her risque photos (just Google search) than her undefeated record, but if Rousey runs out of American challengers, Nakai may be an interesting opponent for the minute or two that the fight lasts.
3. Mitsuhisa Sunabe (#7 Flyweight, 16-7-4)
Fresh off of a win this Sunday against a lesser opponent, Sunabe might be the best Flyweight in Japan right now. Even though, he competes at 120lb, at 5’8″, he could be an interesting match-up for the typical Flyweight fighter. The losses are starting to add up though.
4. Haruo Ochi (#9 Flyweight, 9-2-1)
After moving down from 132lb to 123lb, Ochi is undefeated at 5-0 with his last three wins coming against three fighters in the Top 20 Flyweight All-Time list. Entering his physical prime at age 28, the book on this guy is too thin to make any conclusions, but with another solid win, he quickly becomes a worthy contender for at least a one-off UFC Flyweight opportunity.
5. Akira Kibe (#16 Flyweight, 16-10-2)
A late bloomer, Kibe finally gets into the rankings by entering the weak Flyweight division after spending the first 10 years of his career as an undersized Bantamweight and Featherweight. Despite having gone 6-0 in his last six, Kibe’s ledger suggests he’d probably be fodder for America’s top Flyweights.
Yasuhiro Urushitani is not listed. Although he never fought in the USA, he did participate in a UFC show in Australia.
We hit another home run with the GP Final pick. Missed the outcome prop, but Cormier ended up being a great pick as he easily dispatched Barnett, as we expected.
For a reference, here are the details for our past “gambling analysis” article picks:
If you had bet $100 on each one of the winners at the odds listed above, you would have made a profit of: $355.95. The listed odds are either approximations, or provided by our sponsors, so with a little work on your part, you could increase this total a bit as we don’t go out of our way to find the absolute best odds. Furthermore, if you heeded our advice on going “big” for certain match-ups (Machida/Couture), you’d likely have even more profit. We’re also doing pretty good on the specific outcome plays, but availability of these are not as prominent as they are in boxing betting.
Keep in mind that the above is for “entertainment purposes only”.
In Episode 11, Team Cruz’s Vinc Pichel defeated Chris Saunders by majority decision. The remaining two Team Faber fighters were left to face each other, with Al Iaquinta stopping Andy Ogle with a TKO in the first round.
The semi-finals will be taking place in the next week’s episode:
Team Faber’s Al Iaquinta vs Team Cruz’s Vinc Pichel
Team Faber’s Mike Chiesa vs Team Cruz’s James Vick
Current win tally is Team Cruz 5, Team Faber 7 in team-vs-team matchups.
Here’s who remains:
Heavyweight (265)
[#6] Daniel Cormier (9-0-0, 238.0lb) vs. [#7] Josh Barnett (31-5-0, 248.0lb)
Josh Barnett is the All-Time #3 ranked Heavyweight and #19 ranked Absolute fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Daniel Cormier (3-0-0)
2011-09-10: W vs. [#8HW+] Antonio Silva (16-3-0) via KO (Punches) in 3:56 of round 1
2011-06-18: W vs. [#37HW+] Jeff Monson (45-13-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2011-01-07: W vs. [#50HW+] Devin Cole (20-9-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Josh Barnett (3-0-0)
2011-09-10: W vs. [#21HW+] Sergei Kharitonov (18-6-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 4:28 of round 1
2011-06-18: W vs. [#25HW+] Brett Rogers (11-4-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 1:17 of round 2
2010-07-10: W vs. [#90HW+] Geronimo dos Santos (30-14-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:35 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Daniel Cormier 252, Josh Barnett 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)
[#3] Gilbert Melendez (20-2-0, 153.0lb) vs. [#24] Josh Thomson (19-4-0, 153.0lb)
Gilbert Melendez is the All-Time #5 ranked Lightweight and #17 ranked Absolute fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Gilbert Melendez (3-0-0)
2011-12-17: W vs. [#20LW] Jorge Masvidal (22-7-0) via UD (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)
2011-04-09: W vs. [#3FW] Tatsuya Kawajiri (31-7-2) via TKO (Elbows) in 3:14 of round 1
2010-04-17: W vs. [#19LW] Shinya Aoki (30-6-0) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Last 3 Fights: Josh Thomson (2-1-0)
2012-03-03: W vs. [#46LW] KJ Noons (11-5-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2010-12-31: L vs. [#3FW] Tatsuya Kawajiri (31-7-2) via UD ()
2010-10-09: W vs. [#43LW] Gesias Cavalcante (16-4-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Gilbert Melendez 154, Josh Thomson 77
Previous Match-up Record: Even: 1-1-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: Gilbert Melendez leads 4-1
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Light Heavyweight (205)
[#15] Rafael Cavalcante (11-3-0, 206.0lb) vs. [#22] Mike Kyle (19-8-1, 203.0lb)
Last 3 Fights: Rafael Cavalcante (2-1-0)
2011-09-10: W vs. [#130LHW] Yoel Romero Palacio (4-1-0) via KO (Punches) in 4:51 of round 2
2011-03-05: L vs. [#2LHW] Dan Henderson (29-8-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:50 of round 3
2010-08-21: W vs. [#11LHW] Muhammed Lawal (8-1-0) via TKO (Punches and Elbows) in 1:14 of round 3
Last 3 Fights: Mike Kyle (2-1-0)
2011-09-10: W vs. [#53LHW] Marcos Rogerio de Lima (8-2-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2010-12-04: L vs. [#8HW+] Antonio Silva (16-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:49 of round 2
2010-11-05: W vs. [NA] Stephen Oliver (0-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in ? of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Rafael Cavalcante 252, Mike Kyle 252
Previous Match-up Record: Mike Kyle leads 1-0-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: Rafael Cavalcante leads 2-0
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Middleweight (186)
[#37] Maiquel Jose Falcao Goncalves (30-4-0, 186.0lb) vs. [#60] Andreas Spang (8-1-0, 185.8lb)
Last 3 Fights: Maiquel Jose Falcao Goncalves (3-0-0)
2012-04-20: W vs. [#74MW] Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (16-2-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2012-03-16: W vs. [#92MW] Norman Paraisy (10-2-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2011-10-08: W vs. [#1165MW] Douglas del Rio (5-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:15 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Andreas Spang (3-0-0)
2012-04-20: W vs. [#78MW] Brian Rogers (9-4-0) via KO (Punch) in 3:34 of round 2
2011-11-18: W vs. [#280WW] Willie Parks (5-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:10 of round 1
2011-06-10: W vs. [#405WW] Cody Krahn (11-4-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 1:18 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Maiquel Jose Falcao Goncalves 28, Andreas Spang 28
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)
[#47] Karl Amoussou (14-5-1, 170.0lb) vs. [#81] David Rickels (10-0-0, 170.6lb)
Last 3 Fights: Karl Amoussou (2-1-0)
2012-03-30: W vs. [#76WW] Chris Lozano (9-3-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:05 of round 1
2011-11-26: W vs. [#512MW] Jesus Martinez (6-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:20 of round 1
2011-05-21: L vs. [#88MW] Sam Alvey (18-4-0) via SD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: David Rickels (3-0-0)
2012-03-30: W vs. [#131WW] Jordan Smith (17-3-1) via KO (Punches) in 0:22 of round 1
2011-10-08: W vs. [#579WW] Levi Avera (17-10-0) via Submission (Triangle Choke) in 1:06 of round 2
2011-07-16: W vs. [#1147WW] Kody Frank (4-4-0) via UD ()
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Karl Amoussou 49, David Rickels 49
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 Flyweight (116)
[#1/#7DD] Megumi Fujii (25-1-0, 116.0lb) vs. [#4] Jessica Aguilar (13-4-0, 115.6lb)
Megumi Fujii is the All-Time #1 ranked Women’s fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Megumi Fujii (3-0-0)
2011-12-31: W vs. [#21FLY] Karla Benitez (6-2-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 1:15 of round 1
2011-07-09: W vs. [#17FLY] Mika Nagano (8-7-0) via UD ()
2010-12-30: W vs. [#15FLY] Emi Fujino (11-5-0) via UD (30-29, 30-28, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Jessica Aguilar (3-0-0)
2012-02-17: W vs. [#18FLY] Patricia Vidonic (5-3-0) via UD ()
2011-11-19: W vs. [#5SW] Lisa Ellis (14-8-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2011-06-25: W vs. [#9FLY] Carla Esparza (6-2-0) via SD (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Megumi Fujii 139, Jessica Aguilar 91
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Megumi Fujii leads 3-2
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Notable Info
