UFC on Fuel TV 5 Main Card Recap

Stefan Struve finishing Stipe Miocic

The UFC continues to deliver on their smallest scale of fight nights on the obscure Fuel TV. This event had brutal knockouts, slick submissions, big upsets, and the emergence of some extremely promising fighters. Fuel TV continues to deliver exciting UFC events, which is sad because no one is really watching these fights. Anyway, let’s head into this event and look at some possible matchups for winners and losers of this event.

Che Mills vs. Duane Ludwig: This fight was rather confusing. I thought it would be an awesome standup war, but Mills instantly went in for a takedown. He softened Ludwig up a little bit with some ground and pound but Duane got up soon after that. Then, all of a sudden, Duane fell to the ground waving off the fight. Apparently his knee gave out. Honestly, this is the perfect sign that Duane should retire. I love the guy but his time in this sport is done.

Possible matchups for Mills: Despite this weird "win", Mills is still a very promising fighter with a well rounded MMA game. Another fighter who is very exciting and looked great on Saturday was Dan Hardy. A fight between these two guys would fun and would show how far Mills can go in his UFC career.

John Hathaway vs. John Maguire: Horrible is the only word to sum up this fight. It was like watching a sparring match between two aspiring MMA fighters. Hathaway took a decision and we all went "meh".

Possible matchups for Maguire: Despite this boring and embarrassing loss, Maguire is still one of the most promising welterweights in the UFC. He needs a rebound fight but if you want to stay promising, fight another prospect. Kyle Noke is coming off of a huge TKO win over Charlie Brenneman that instantly made him one of the most promising 170ers in the UFC. This could be a fun grappling match.

Paul Sass vs. Matt Wiman: Paul Sass came into this fight as one of the biggest prospects in MMA today. There was a monster hype train that was submitting people left and right with triangles and heel hooks. He came into this fight as a favorite to win and was fighting one of the most underrated fighters in MMA today, Matt Wiman. We at CR were very confident that Wiman would win this fight, and win dominantly. But we had no idea that it was really going to go the way it did. No one expected Wiman to win this fight by way of submission. He further proved why he is so under appreciated. The first round armbar was beautiful.

Possible matchups for Wiman: With this fight, Wiman has finally cemented himself as a top guy at 155 pounds. Even though it may not be a fight he would want, another undefeated fighter that holds unlimited potential is Khabib Nurmagomedov. Khabib is coming off of a really close decision win over Gleison Tibau that made him a top-20 lightweight himself. The winner of this fight should most likely face a top-10 guy afterwards.

Possible matchups for Sass: Despite this loss, Paul Sass is still one of the most promising fighters in the UFC. If he wants to continue to seem like he has the future we all want him to have, then he needs to fight another good fighter. Jamie Varner is coming off of a triangle loss in one of the best fights this year and I'm sure Sass saw a lot of opportunities for some triangles himself. Jamie Varner would be a huge test for him and if Sass could win, that would be a huge feather in his cap as Varner has a lot of name value.

Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin: Everyone expected this fight to be one of the best on the card, and it delivered exactly what we expected, plus a little extra. Jabouin was looking solid in the beginning of the fight, getting the better of the favorite to win, Brad Pickett. I was starting to become really impressed with how well Yves was utilizing his unorthodox striking to get the better of the Brit. But then, out of nowhere, Pickett lands a monstrous uppercut that put Jabouin out cold. Brad Pickett finally lived up to his nickname of "One Punch".

Possible matchups for Pickett: With this huge win, Pickett should be put in a number one contenders match. Michael McDonald is most likely still healing his broken hand, but once it heals, those two should fight in what could very possibly be one of the best fights of the year.

Possible matchups for Jabouin: Yves was looking awesome up until he got caught with a monstrous uppercut. I think he should still fight a good fighter, like Takeya Mizugaki. Mizugaki is fighting Jeff Hougland next, and win or lose, he should fight Jabouin in what would also be an awesome fight.

Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah: This fight wasn't exactly the fight that we hoped it would be, but it did have one pleasant surprise, it showed a new and improved version of Dan Hardy. I felt that Hardy would have the advantage on the feet and Amir would have the advantage on the ground, but it was quite the opposite. Amir was winning that standup, so Dan took it to the ground almost every round. Weird, right? Dan looked great on the ground and I look forward to how he is going to use his new arsenal in the future.

Possible matchups for Amir: After two very lackluster performances in a row, Amir is starting to lose my interest. If he wants to continue to show everyone why he was a TUF winner, then he needs to beat someone with at least a little name value. Pascal Krauss is coming off of a decision loss to John Hathaway and needs a rebound win.

Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic: So many people were doubting Struve in this fight. Everyone was saying that Stipe would knock out Struve and become a top guy in the heavyweight division. But Dave and I felt that Struve would be the more composed fighter and wouldn’t wilt under pressure. We felt that he would submit him. Although we were partially right, we were also partially wrong. Stipe won the first round but Struve came out strong in the second. He started to catch Miocic with some solid jabs and straights that wobbled Stipe badly. Struve followed that up with some nasty uppercuts and the fight was finally stopped. Struve is now undeniably a top-10 heavyweight.

Possible matchups for Struve: With this win, Struve is possibly just one or two wins away from a title shot. He called out Fabricio Werdum after this win, and I love that fight. That would be a great number one contenders match.

Possible matchups for Miocic: Stipe is still one of the most promising heavyweights in the UFC. He has crazy athleticism that is unmatched by most other heavyweights. One other fighter that is also coming off of a loss who is also both promising and extremely athletic is Shawn Jordan. This would be a great fight.

Prelim recap here.

UFC on Fuel TV 5 Prelim Recap

Gunnar Nelson finishing DaMarques Johnson

The UFC continues to deliver on their smallest scale of fight nights on the obscure Fuel TV. This event had brutal knockouts, slick submissions, big upsets, and the emergence of some extremely promising fighters. Fuel TV continues to deliver exciting UFC events, which is sad because no one is really watching these fights. Anyway, let’s head into this event and take a look at some possible matchups for the winners and losers of this event.

Robbie Peralta vs. Jason Young: There isn’t much to say about this fight. It only lasted 23 brutal seconds. Peralta went out there and put his hands on him instantly. He landed a huge right hand and dropped “Shotgun”. A few punches followed and Young was as unconscious as unconscious gets. Peralta has emerged as a highly underrated contender at 145 pounds. And with this, Young is now 1-3 in the UFC, leading to the inevitable pink slip.

Possible matchups for Peralta: Peralta showed on Saturday that he has some of the best power for 145-pounds. He has a solid ground game that is overlooked as well. Another fighter who has similar skills, with technical boxing and a solid ground game, Nam Phan is coming off of a huge win over Cole Miller, a fight in which he easily outpointed the much larger Cole. This fight would show who is ready for that big step up in competition.

DaMarques Johnson vs. Gunnar Nelson: Gunnar Nelson’s UFC debut was one of the most anticipated UFC debuts in years. Many consider him to be the future of MMA as he sports a highly refined all around mixed martial arts arsenal. His first round submission win over DaMarques Johnson showed exactly why he is such a hyped fighter. He started out with an unorthodox karate stance, much to that of Lyoto Machida, and landed a nice headkick in the opening seconds. He then took him down and slowly worked his way to the back of Johnson and into a rear naked choke. It was a flawless performance and the sky is truly the limit of the 24-year-old Iceland native. And sadly, with this being the third loss in a row in which he was finished, DaMarques Johnson has to be done.

Possible matchups for Nelson: As I just mentioned above, Gunnar Nelson is one of the most promising fighters in the UFC today. Sporting a perfect 10-0-1 record, with the one draw being his MMA debut, Nelson is ready for a huge step up. Another winner on this card whom has a very bright future in the UFC is John Hathaway. Hathaway won a highly lackluster bout against John Maguire in a fight that I have no interest in recapping. Both these guys should fight and depending on how the fight goes, it will be quite telling on the future of the welterweight division.

Brad Tavares vs. Tom Watson: This fight was screwed out of the “Fight of the Night” in my opinion. This was a back and forth brawl between two highly touted middleweight prospects, including the long awaited debut of Tom “Kong” Watson. I really felt that going into this fight that Tom Watson was going to win the standup in this fight and stop any takedowns that Tavares went for. I, including many others, was wrong and underestimated the skills of the 24-year-old Tavares. Tavares out struck Watson, using pinpoint accurate jabs and solid combinations with leg kicks and takedowns mixed in. He used a much more versatile attack that ultimately won him the split decision, although it should have been a easy unanimous decision, as I scored every round for Tavares.

Possible matchups for Tavares: I truly believe that we have found a new contender at 185. Tavares has looked better in every one of his performances. Now that he is sporting a 4-1 record with the UFC, he could even be 5-0, he is now ready for the next level of competition. Chris Leben and Karlos Vemola are fighting at UFC 155 and the winner of that should fight the ever-improving Brad Tavares.

Possible matchups for Watson: Although he gave a spirited effort, Watson thoroughly disappointed many hardcore MMA fans around the world. He had one of the most anticipated MMA debuts, and he fell flat. If he wants to stay with the UFC, he has to impress in his next fight. One fighter that has yet to have his next fight set up is Clifford Starks, who is extremely athletic. Watson would have to win that fight to stay with the UFC.

Andy Ogle vs. Akira Corassani: Before this fight, I really disliked Akira. After this fight, I vehemently dislike him. He is an extremely dirty fighter, like a seriously grimy person. Not only that, but Goddard didn't even warn him on anything. It was enraging. Corassani lands a groin shot, head butt, highly illegal soccer kick that no one is talking about, and a huge haymaker that dropped Ogle that was thrown way after the bell. The guy is gross. And on top of all this, I scored the fight an easy 29-28 for Ogle. Akira ended up winning by split decision. Enraging is the perfect word to sum up this fight. Akira didn't deserve this win; Andy Ogle did. 

Possible matchups for Corassani: I have no interest in to where Akira goes. Cool, he has powerful standup, but his ground game and cardio sucks. Milton Vieira is coming off of a draw to Felipe Arantes. I want Vieira to go and submit him instantly.

Possible matchups for Ogle: I really hope that the UFC doesn't release Andy. He really got screwed with this loss. I thought he easily won. I think a fight with Cole Miller would be really fun.

Kyle Kingsbury vs. Jimi Manuwa: Jimi Manuwa was one of the many fighters making their UFC debut under a ton of hype. He both highly impressed and didn't. Although the first round was most likely a 10-8 for "The Posterboy", he was easily out grappled in the beginning of the opening frame. But once Manuwa made it to his feet, he lit up Kyle Kingsbury so bad that Kyle looked like Sloth from "The Goonies". It was both disgusting and hilarious. Manuwa seemed to have gassed out midway through the second round, so it was probably a lucky break that the fight was stopped after the second round. Kingsbury's eye was completely closed shut. This is now the third decisive loss in a row for Kingsbury, it's a shame but he will most likely receive his walking papers from the UFC.

Possible matchups for Manuwa: It's always a good thing to start off with an impressive debut over a solid veteran in the UFC. Although Jimi Manuwa gave us the formula for which you defeat him, take him down and smother, he still showed some of the best power in the light heavyweight division. He seems to be he perfect fighter to set up exciting matchups. Igor Pokrajac is coming off of a submission loss to Vinny Magalhaes and a fight with Manuwa would be an absolute slugfest.

Main card recap here.

MMA Heavyweight Rankings: September Edition

The heavyweights! The weight class that was once a bunch of tough guys is now filled with talent. Let’s take a look

Antonio Silva (photo by MMAjunkie.com)

10. Antonio Silva – Silva is on a two fight losing streak. But those losses were HUGE. His last fight against #2 Cain Velasques was a devastating loss that left Silva a bloody mess. But Silva still has a lot of potential to crack the top 5 at some point. And defeating Travis Brown in October will help him get there.

Mark Hunt (photo by MMAjunkie.com)

9. Mark Hunt – How did Mark Hunt make the top 10 in 2012? By defeating big names like Ben Rothwell and Cheick Kongo. It is some crazy stuff and I hope he keeps on rolling. He is 38 and his days are winding down so I hope he keeps getting fights and can end his career on a high note.

Big Nog (photo by MMAjunkie.com)

8. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira – Big Nog has been relevant for so many years that it is starting to get ridiculous. He is coming off of a loss to #6 Frank Mir but before he was caught in a fight ending kimura he was on his way to actually knocking Frank Mir out cold. Big Nog has a fight in October against Dave Herman which will likely be highly entertaining.

Josh Barnett (photo by MMAjunkie.com)

7. Josh Barnett – Barnett’s last appearance in the cage had him on the wrong end of an absolute beat down from #5 Daniel Cormier. There is no news on his next fight but it will most likely be a big name and a lot of fun.

Frank Mir (photo by MMAjunkie.com)

6. Frank Mir – in May Mir got to become another victim of champ Junior dos Santos. Mir was scheduled to fight #5 Daniel Cormier by going over to Strikeforce to fight Cormier. However, Mir was injured. Now we have to wait and see who is next for Mir.

Daniel Cormier (MMAjunkie.com)

5. Daniel Cormier – Cormier is one of the most exciting heavyweights today. He is currently 10-0 with big wins over #10 Antonio Silva and #7 Josh Barnett. There does not seem to be a ceiling for this guy and I believe that he could drop to 205 and give #1 Light Heavyweight Jon Jones the toughest test of his career. 

Fabricio Werdum (MMAjunkie.com)

4. Fabricio Werdum – Werdum has had a flawless return to the UFC by absolutely man-handling Roy Nelson and then brutally KO’ing Mike Russow. Werdum is about 1 fight away from a title shot but whoever he fights they better watch out for Werdum’s improved standup. 

Alistair Overeem (MMAjunkie.com)

3. Alistair Overeem – Overeem has been on an absolute destructive tear since the end of 2007. His last fight was a brutal win over former champ Brock Lesnar. Overeem later tested positive for PEDs and cannot reapply for a fighting license until December of this year.

Cain Velasquez (photo by MMAjunkie.com)

2. Cain Velasquez – Cain may be the best overall heavyweight alive. His standup striking is good but not on the level of #1 Junior dos Santos’ striking but he has amazing wrestling that dos Santos has not had to go up against just yet. Cain lost to dos Santos by KO before he had a chance to even try to take him down. When they fight again and if Cain fights smart he could win.

Junior dos Santos (photo by mmaweekly.com)

1. Junior dos Santos – Junior might be the best pure boxer in MMA and he has left a path of destruction in his wake on his way to being one of the most fearsome champs alive. If he beats Cain, I am not sure who can beat him.

Let us know what you think!

UFC on Fuel 5 Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic: The betting lines for this fight are really surprising me. Everyone is thinking that Miocic is going to absolutely destroy Struve and basically knock him out in the first round. I really don't see that happening. Struve, as I said before (Dark Horse article here), is one of the most underrated fighters in the UFC. Because he has lost a few fights by KO, people are instantly saying he has a horrible chin. Although he doesn't have a good chin, it isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Now, Miocic is amazingly well rounded. Being a well established collegiate wrestler and a gold gloves boxing champion. That's impressive to say the least. But Struve has been fighting extremely smart as of late, bringing it to the ground when he needs to, which is clearly his strong suit. One huge weakness that I have seen in Miocic is his conditioning; it's subpar. In the Joey Beltran fight, he started to drastically slow down in the later rounds. If he does that, Struve will take him down and submit him. But I even see Struve doing that earlier, rather than later = Struve via 2nd round submission (armbar). My pick for SOTN!

Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah: Dan Hardy finally gets to fight in front of his hometown of Nottingham, England. I'm looking forward to this fight more than I thought I would. Dan Hardy looked awesome in his last fight in his vicious KO win over Duane Ludwig. And Amir Sadollah looked horrible in his last fight with Jorge Lopez. Dan should easily win this fight = Hardy via 1st round TKO.

John Hathaway vs. John Maguire: This is an interesting fight to me. Two young, promising British welterweights looking to establish themselves as title contenders. Hathaway has a clear advantage in the standup, but Maguire has a slight advantage in the ground game, specifically with submissions. Maguire has sweet submissions but Hathaway has a solid top game. This is pretty hard to pick but I'm going with what makes more sense = Hathaway via unanimous decision.

Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin: BARNBURNER ALERT - Before I start talking about this fight itself, I just want to say that I love the way that Pickett fights. He puts everything on the line every time he goes out there. He seems to always be in the FOTN every time he's out there. Anyway, I think this is a very easy fight to pick. Jabouin may have a slight advantage in the technical aspect of striking but everywhere else, Pickett has the advantage. Especially in the submissions = Picket via 3rd round submission (guillotine). My 1st pick for FOTN!

Paul Sass vs. Matt Wiman: I am really looking forward to what Paul Sass can do in the future. He has looked unstoppable since being signed to the UFC. I'm also a fan of people who pull guard, and finish the fight. But Matt Wiman may be way too big of a step up. Wiman is a legitimate title contender and Sass' biggest win has been over Jacob Volkmann, who isn't anywhere near Wiman's level. I see Wiman winning everywhere the fight goes = Wiman via unanimous decision.

Che Mills vs. Duane Ludwig: Mills is one of the most promising welterweights in the UFC. He holds some insane power. I mean, like crazy power. That is what is going to win him the fight. I love Ludwig, but his career is starting to close in on him fast = Mills via 1st round KO. My pick for KOOTN!

Prelims

Kyle Kingsbury vs. Jimi Manuwa = Manuwa via 1st round TKO.

Andy Ogle vs. Akira Corassani = Ogle via 3rd round submission (RNC). My 3rd pick for FOTN! (Interview here)

Tom Watson vs. Brad Tavares = Watson via unanimous decision. My 2nd pick for FOTN!

DaMarques Johnson vs. Gunnar Nelson = Nelson via 1st round submission (arm).

Robbie Peralta vs. Jason Young = Young via split decision.

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic: Oh man I can’t wait for this one. Struve has never had a boring fight and Stipe is a bruiser. Everyone knows I am a huge Struve fan and when he fights smart and puts all of his tools together, he can beat anyone in the world. He is still super young and his height and reach advantage are huge. Stipe is also another very exciting young fighter with decent wrestling and striking power. I see Struve playing it smart and trying to keep his distance using his sizable reach advantage and eventually taking it to the ground and finishing Stipe. = Struve by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah: Hardy is coming off of a huge, and much needed, win and is fighting at home for the first time in years. Sadollah has never impressed me at all for one second. He is super funny and I like reading his tweets but Hardy is going to hand him his pink slip. = Hardy by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

John Hathaway vs. John Maguire: This fight will show us a lot about their futures in the UFC. Both of them are talented young guys with the possibility of doing some big things. I think this one will be a stinker though. I see Hathaway controlling a long boring fight and ending up with the W. = Hathaway by unanimous decision.

Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin: Awesome fight! This fight will be sick and filled with tons of striking. I think Pickett will out-point Jabouin and maybe even finish him after landing a huge combo. Look for this one to set Pickett up for another huge contender match. = Pickett by unanimous decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Paul Sass vs. Matt Wiman: I agree with Sam that Sass is great but not ready for Wiman. If Wiman fights smart and safe he will easily win this one. However, if Sass wins, especially by submission, he will be ready for the big names. This fight should be fun. = Wiman by unanimous decision.

Che Mills vs. Duane Ludwig: Che Mills hits with a ton of force and Ludwig’s chin is gone. I’m a huge “Bang” fan but Mills is going to light him up. = Mills by KO in round 1.

Prelims

Kyle Kingsbury vs. Jimi Manuwa = Manuwa by TKO in round 3.

Andy Ogle vs. Akira Corassani = Ogle by unanimous decision. (Interview here)

Tom Watson vs. Brad Tavares = Watson by split decision.

DaMarques Johnson vs. Gunnar Nelson = Nelson by split decision.

Robbie Peralta vs. Jason Young = Peralta by unanimous decision.

Bellator 74 Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Lyman Good vs. Jim Wallhead = Good via unanimous decision.

Andrey Koreshkov vs. Jordan Smith = Koreshkov via 1st round TKO.

Michail Tsarev vs. Tim Welch = Tsarev via 3rd round submission (choke).

Nordine Taleb vs. Marius Zaromskis = Zaromskis via split decision.

Alexandre Bezerra vs. Jeff Smith = Bezerra via unanimous decision.

Derek Kennington vs. Phillipe Nover = Nover via 1st round submission.

Brylan van Artsdalen vs. Jay Haas: van Artadalen via split decision.

Kelvin Tiller vs. Plinio Cruz = Tiller via 1st round TKO.

Munah Holland vs. Michelle Ould = Holland via 3rd round KO. (Our interview here)

Claudio Ledesma vs. Kenny Foster = Foster via split decision.

Dave’s Picks

Lyman Good vs. Jim Wallhead = Good via unanimous decision.

Andrey Koreshkov vs. Jordan Smith = Koreshkov via 3rd round TKO.

Michail Tsarev vs. Tim Welch = Tsarev via 1st round submission.

Nordine Taleb vs. Marius Zaromskis = Zaromskis via unanimous decision.

Alexandre Bezerra vs. Jeff Smith = Bezerra via unanimous decision.

Derek Kennington vs. Phillipe Nover = Nover via unanimous decision.

Brylan van Artsdalen vs. Jay Haas: van Artadalen via split decision.

Kelvin Tiller vs. Plinio Cruz = Tiller via 2nd round TKO.

Munah Holland vs. Michelle Ould = Holland via 1st round KO. (Our interview here)

Claudio Ledesma vs. Kenny Foster = Foster via unanimous decision.

XFC 20 Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Eric Reynolds vs. Lorenzo Borgomeo = Lorenzo via unanimous decision.

Chris Coggins vs. Scott Holtzman = Coggins via 1st round submission.

Sarah Maloy vs. Sofia Bagherdai: Sofia via split decision.

Chris Dunn vs. Joby Sanchez = Sanchez via split decision.

Shah Bobonis vs. Cornelius Godfrey = Bobonis via unanimous decision.

Anthony Lemon vs. Drew Kennedy = Kennedy via 2nd round submission (choke).

Nate Landwehr vs. Chris Wright = Wright via unanimous decision.

Dave’s Picks

Eric Reynolds vs. Lorenzo Borgomeo = Lorenzo via unanimous decision.

Chris Coggins vs. Scott Holtzman = Coggins via 2nd round submission.

Sarah Maloy vs. Sofia Bagherdai: Sofia via unanimous decision.

Chris Dunn vs. Joby Sanchez = Sanchez via unanimous decision.

Shah Bobonis vs. Cornelius Godfrey = Bobonis via split decision.

Anthony Lemon vs. Drew Kennedy = Kennedy via 3rd round submission.

Nate Landwehr vs. Chris Wright = Wright via split decision.