UFC on Fox 6 Main Card Recap

Lamas landing a vicious elbow on Koch.
Photo via Sherdog.com

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas: I don’t believe people are going to doubt Lamas anymore. He has been the underdog in his last two fights, but this time, Lamas was out to really prove a point. The first round wasn’t particularly exciting with Lamas clinching against the fence for a majority of the first five minutes. The second round was a different story though. Lamas slipped about a minute in and when Koch attempted to get on top, Lamas somehow slipped under for a takedown. When on top, Lamas landed some of more brutal elbows that I have ever seen. It ripped Koch’s eyebrow open letting blood poor out. Lamas absolutely demolished Koch, showing he is the number one contender.

Possible matchups for Lamas: I’m pretty sure that this win puts Lamas up for the winner of Aldo and Edgar. How can you deny him the title shot?

Possible matchups for Koch: Even though he may be coming off of a huge loss like this, he is still one of the best fighters at 145 pounds. Dennis Siver and Dustin Poirier are fighting in a few weeks in Japan, looking to move up the featherweight ladder. The loser of that fight should face off with Koch.

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis: It’s funny how the two fights I had the most trouble in picking were two of the more one sided bouts the whole night. Pettis was using excellent angles, moving in and out with jabs and hooks, not letting Cerrone get anything off. He even threw a little “Showtime” flair, throwing a knee off of the cage in close quarters. And he landed it. Right after that, Pettis landed a hard kick to the body, flattening Cerrone and getting the first round TKO victory.

Possible matchups for Pettis: I’m pretty sure that Pettis should get title shot after this win. Ben Henderson and Gilbert Melendez will be fighting for the lightweight belt at UFC on Fox 7, Pettis deserves the winner.

Possible matchups for Cerrone: So far his two title eliminator fights in the UFC have gone horribly wrong. He has been completely dominated in both those fights and both of those fights were grudge matches. If he ever gets into another title eliminator, he needs it to be against someone he doesn’t hate. I would like to see him fight Jim Lauzon, who is coming off of a fight of the night decision loss to Jim Miller.

Rampage Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira: Rampage has had an amazing career, but this is Teixeira’s time. Rampage showed fantastic head movement and landed a lot of amazing combinations. But while he landed good combinations, Teixeira nearly finished Rampage on multiple occasions with big hooks that would put a majority of the fighters in the UFC unconscious. Rampage visibly gassed out in the second and Teixeira easily beat him to a easy unanimous decision win.

Possible matchups for Teixeira: With this huge win for Teixeira, he has emerged as a very dangerous contender. It’s hard to say who he should fight next but I would like to see him fight Phil Davis if he really wants to prove himself as a top contender.

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson: When you put a title fight on the Fox network, you want to have an exciting back and forth affair that is exciting everywhere that the fight goes. That is exactly what this fight was. Johnson showed that he did have the slight speed advantage but Dodson instantly imposed his power. With a fast paced feeling out process in the first round, the second was all Dodson. He dropped Johnson about three times, nearly finishing him on the third occasion. Johnson showed amazing heart, the heart of a champion, as he persevered and came back even stronger than he did in the first. Johnson began to batter Dodson with knees and punches throughout the fourth and fifth rounds. It was fantastic show of heart from both fighters. Dodson will get a rematch in the near future.

Possible matchups for Johnson: The flyweight title picture is a tad precarious at the moment following this fight. Will Johnson fight John Moraga next? Or will he fight the winner of Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall? Maybe even a fight with Darrel Montague if the UFC signs him. All of these fights make sense for Johnson and they all have the chance to be a fight of the year.

Possible matchups for Dodson: There is no doubt in my mind that Dodson will get another title shot in the near future. The fight was so close and he showed so much heart that the UFC will grant him another title shot with another win or two. Chris Cariaso is coming off of a third round submission loss to John Moraga and he would make a great matchup for Dodson.

UFC on Fox 6: Johnson vs. Dodson Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson: Speed; the one word that is surrounding this whole title fight. Who will be the faster one? Who will have the advantage on the ground? These are two most important factors entering the fight. And the man to have the advantage in both is the champion, Demetrious Johnson. He has the better footwork, wrestling, and submissions. Dodson has the power to knock anyone at featherweight and under on their butt, but overall, Johnson is the more well-rounded fighter. Keeping distance away and moving in and out of Dodson’s power punches with some takedowns mixed in should be Johnson’s gameplan. It will be an extremely close fight, but Johnson’s superior skills will earn him the nod = Johnson via unanimous decision (48-47). My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Rampage Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira: I really try not to fall into hype trains, and mostly fail, but I don’t think that Teixeira is a hype train. He is a legitimate contender and can defeat almost anybody at 205. A year ago, I would have picked Rampage hands down, but his lack of motivation is a turn off. He said he was motivated heading into his fight with Bader, but he was dominated. His heart just isn’t in it anymore, and Teixeira is just heading into his prime = Teixeira via unanimous decision (30-26).

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis: BARNBURNER ALERT: When having two of the most entertaining guys in MMA facing off, it typically leads to an amazing fight. When you add in the fact that they really dislike each other and that there’s a title shot on the line, you have yourselves a fight of the year in the works. That is exactly what this fight is. Possibly the most interesting variable heading into this fight is the fact that both of these guys are really good off their back. They love the triangle and are very good at sweeps. One of Cerrone’s last outings against Jeremy Stephens was arguably the most impressive Donald Cerrone that we have ever seen, and he fought with a horrific intestinal problem. If you compare the difference in both Pettis’ and Cerrone’s last fights with Jeremy Stephens, it’s completely different. Pettis arguably lost to Jeremy and Cerrone absolutely destroyed him. Though this is MMA and anything can happen, but Cerrone is just too hard to bet against = Cerrone via split decision. My 1st pick for FOTN!

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas: I really, really hope that this is a number one contender’s bout. Lamas derailed Hioki’s title hopes with a shocking (though not to me) decision win over him. Koch is one of the more promising fighters in MMA today, possessing rare finishing ability for a featherweight. Koch’s one blemish to his record comes at the hands of Chad Mendes, a very strong wrestler. Guess what Lamas is. Yep, a very strong wrestler, and arguably stronger than Mendes. Lamas could possibly be the strongest featherweight in the UFC. Lamas’ last three wins are much more impressive than Koch’s. Koch has beaten Francisco Rivera by 1st round TKO (a bantamweight), Raphael Assuncao by 1st round KO (also a bantamweight), and a debatable win over Jonathan Brookins (who is semi-retired at the moment). Lamas murdered Matt Grice by 1st round TKO (a decent wrestler, nothing insane), demolished Cub Swanson by second round arm triangle (who is on a three fight win streak all by (T)KO) and an upset over former number 1 contender in Hatsu Hioki. Also, Koch hasn’t fought in 15 months = Lamas via unanimous decision.

Prelims

TJ Grant vs. Matt Wiman: I’m having a lot trouble picking between these two guys. Both have looked fantastic lately against very solid competition. It’s fun to see two of the more underrated guys in the UFC fight to finally become someone relevant in the title picture. When breaking down the aspects of MMA, Grant has the advantage overall. His striking is improving rapidly and looked great against Evan Dunham, his wrestling is better and his submission game is very dangerous. Wiman is a bit of a wild card though; he takes everyone by surprise, he certainly did against Paul Sass in his last outing. With them being such similar fighters talent-wise, I’m leaning towards the stronger fighter = Grant via split decision. My 2nd pick for FOTN!

Hatsu Hioki vs. Clay Guida: I don’t really see as to why people are having so much trouble predicting this fight. The last person that Hioki fought was Ricardo Lamas, a strong and powerful wrestler with solid striking. Guida is a strong and powerful wrestler with fantastic striking. Hioki has looked terrible in the UFC thus far (minus his fight with Palaszewski, he looked fantastic) and Guida is almost a better version of Lamas = Guida via unanimous decision.

Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko: I love Matyushenko but his days are quickly coming to an end. He can’t hang with solid fighters anymore. Bader is still a contender and he will rebound from his last loss to Machida with a violent KO, or a grinding decision = Bader via 1st round KO. MY pick for KOOTN!

Mike Russow vs. Shawn Jordan: Even though Jordan’s last fight with Kongo was truly one of the worst fights that my eyes have ever beheld, he is still an exciting prospect. He is crazy athletic for a heavyweight, which is always a plus in MMA. Russow is a very different fighter though. He isn’t particularly athletic, but he knows how to get the job done. His superior grappling will grind Jordan out to a decision win. I just hope the UFC keeps Jordan around to show his potential = Russow via unanimous decision.

Pascal Krauss vs. Mike Stumpf = Krauss via 1st round submission (armbar). My pick for FOTN!

Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer = Natal via 3rd round submission.

David Mitchell vs. Simeon Thoresen = Thoresen via unanimous decision.

Dave's Picks

Main Card

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson: This will be the fastest fight any of us will ever see. These guys might be the fastest fighters in MMA, but I think this fight will be pretty similar to Johnson vs. Benavidez. I see Johnson outwrestling Dodson due to being the faster fighter and having the better wrestling. I do think Dodson will be stronger and have more punching power but other than that I think Johnson has every advantage. This will be close, just like every Johnson fight, but the champ will take it due to superior wrestling and speed. = Johnson by unanimous decision.

Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira: This fight should be a brawl. Glover is going to kill Rampage and it’s going to be awesome. Rampage has been easily handled in his last two fights and hasn’t fought in 11 months. Glover hasn’t lost since 2005…and is coming off of two huge wins in the UFC. Be prepared to see a legend of the sport get totally outclassed on the feet and on the ground. This will be brutal and if you are a Rampage fan, this is the fight for you to go to the kitchen and grab another slice of pizza until you hear Goldy say “It’s all over!” = Glover by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis: Definitely my pick for Fight of the Night! These guys are elite kick boxers and good on the ground. This fight will be incredibly fun to watch but very hard to predict. Pettis has shown a weakness to strikers and wrestlers who are aggressive and have good submission defense. (Stephens, Guida, Ben Henderson, Palaszewski). Cerrone can struggle against strikers who are diverse in their attacks (like Ben Henderson, Nate Diaz) and Pettis is incredibly diverse in his attack. Pettis hasn’t fought in almost a year and Cerrone’s camp (Jackson) has been studying Pettis for some time now. This is so hard to pick but I’m going with the Jackson camp. = Cerrone by split decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas: This is another possible Fight of the Night candidate. Sam and I were the only people picking Lamas against Hioki and he ended up beating him handily. Koch has his work cut out for him due to the fact that Lamas is one hell of a wrestler. Koch’s only loss is to a wrestler (Chad Mendes). My only concern in picking Lamas is that his two loses have been by KO. Koch has the ability to KO anyone at 145 pounds. I think the safer bet is to always go with the fighter most likely to control the fight then it is to pick the fighter that might have a chance at a KO = Lamas by unanimous decision.

Prelims

T.J. Grant vs. Matt Wiman: This fight should be an awesome one as well. Grant should have the better wrestling and striking but Wiman definitely has the better submissions and fight IQ. I think Grant can use his superior size advantage to bully Wiman for 3 rounds but I wouldn’t be shocked if Wiman found a way to win. Both of these guys are highly underrated and I can’t wait to see this one. = Grant by unanimous decision.

Clay Guida vs. Hatsu Hioki: This fight depends solely on Hioki’s takedown defense and submission offense. I see Guida pushing the pace and roughing Hioki up against the fence while Hioki tries to find a submission. This is a very hard fight to pick but I just have not been impressed with Hioki at all since he joined the UFC = Guida by split decision.

Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko: This fight should be exciting. I am a huge fan of both guys. I think Bader will just be too big and strong for Vlad. I think that Vlad has the chance to KO Bader but I believe Bader will out wrestle Vlad for a decision win = Bader by unanimous decision.

Shawn Jordan vs. Mike Russow = Jordan by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Pascal Krauss vs. Mike Stumpf = Krauss by unanimous decision.

Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer = Natal by split decision.

David Mitchell vs. Simeon Thoresen = Thoresen by unanimous decision.

MMA Lightweight Rankings: September Edition

As we at CR continue our rankings, we now head into the most stacked division in MMA, and possibly combat sports, history: lightweight.

There are so many fighters that you could argue to be top-10 guys like Joe Lauzon, Eddie Alvarez, or even guys like Rick Hawn. The division is so unbelievably stacked that there are UFC cards that have 3 or even more fights that either feature lightweights, or former lightweight fighters. Fortunately, they are also extremely entertaining so there is no shortage of Fight of the Night performances.

Let’s try and sort out the standings of this chaotic division:

10. Michael Chandler – Many people wouldn’t exactly consider Chandler a prospect considering he is the champion in the 3^rd largest MMA promotion, but Michael arguably has the promising future out of everyone on this list. At only 26 years old, he already has wins over some of Bellator’s biggest names like Lloyd Woodard, Patricky Freire, Akihiro Gono, and Eddie Alvarez. The biggest fight of note is the win over Alvarez. That fight was a back-and-forth brawl that ended with a Chandler win via 4^th round RNC. With powerful wrestling and striking, the sky is the limit.

9. Jim Miller – Jim Miller is, in a nutshell, a tough SOB. “Jimmy Redbeard” is the type of fighter that I love. He always puts on a good fight and always figures out a way to win. His ground game is very solid, one of the best at 155, and it shows in his wins over Charles Oliveira, Melvin Guillard, and Duane Ludwig. His only “glaring” weakness is his standup. It’s good, but not good enough to hang with guys like Nate Diaz and Ben Henderson. If he can get his standup up to par with his ground game, or at least closely up to par, then he can be right back in there in the title picture.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

8. Anthony Pettis – Anthony Pettis is one of the most dynamic strikers in the UFC today. His kicks are absolutely nuts. And I’m not just talking about his wild crazy spinning kicks, I’m talking about simply his technique. Watch his wins over Danny Castillo and Joe Lauzon. He is a master at the KO (head kick and punches) finish. The main reason that he is this low though is because his loss to Guida and lackluster win over Jeremy Stephens didn’t do him any favors. But if he can beat Cerrone in his next fight, he will undeniably be top-5.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

7. Clay Guida – Say all you want about his last fight with Gray Maynard, but Guida is still one of the most entertaining fighters in UFC history. Go back and watch his fights with Benson Henderson, Rafael dos Anjos, Diego Sanchez, and Roger Huerta and tell me he’s not. He even arguably beat Gray Maynard, which most likely would have earned him a title shot. I see his next fight possibly being with Jim Miller.

6. Donald Cerrone – Cowboy is a badass. Seriously, he fought Jeremy Stephens, dominated him, and then came out saying that he had some horrible intestinal issue going into the fight (and during) that felt like he was being stabbed in the gut. My lord. I would be incapacitated and he fights in the UFC against a solid fights and destroyed him for 3 rounds. And he is one of the only people who could win Fight of the Night with a fight that only lasted 76 seconds. His Muay Thai is one of the best in the lightweight division. I cannot wait for his fight with Pettis.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

5. Gilbert Melendez – I have always personally felt that Melendez is overrated. His last two wins over Jorge Masvidal and Josh Thomson are further proving my point. Now how can wins prove something negatively? Watch the fights and think about what I said. They are both guys that he should have not only beaten but finished. Especially Jorge Masvidal, it almost seemed like he wasn’t motivated for the fight. You’re the champion; you should be motivated for every fight. With that being said, I still can’t wait to see him come to the UFC and finally fight the best in the world.

4. Gray Maynard – Gray Maynard was just a few punches away from being a UFC champion, twice. How much more heartbreaking can you get? He had Frankie Edgar down and this close to out. He has been one of the best fighters at 155 for some time now in the UFC and now that there is a new champion in the UFC at lightweight, he may receive another title shot against the winner of Henderson and Diaz if he can beat Joe Lauzon.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

3. Nate Diaz – The younger of the Diaz brothers has become one of my personal favorite fighters lately. His wins over Gomi and Miller really made me realize that he truly has what it takes to become the next champion at 155. His standup is crisp and accurate and his ground game is slick. You can’t get much more well rounded then Nate Diaz. His title fight with Ben Henderson has what it takes to be a Fight of the Century.

2. Frankie Edgar – Despite having lost two in-a-row, Frankie Edgar is still undeniably the second best lightweight in the game in my book. He beat BJ Penn twice when Penn was considered unbeatable. He went to a draw and beat Gray Maynard when he was knocked silly in the 1^st round of both fights. He has more heart than any fighter in MMA. I personally believe that he should be champ still but perhaps a move to featherweight is the best thing for his career.

This picture shows just how apt his nickname is.

1. Ben Henderson – Henderson just absolutely loves to go to war. His last three fights are all stable mates for Fight of the Year. Say all you want about how he shouldn’t be champion and about how Frankie beat him both times. He is the champion of the UFC! He deserves the appreciation, no matter how close the fights were; the fact that he is the champion means that he is the champion. I love Henderson because he fights with all his heart every time. Let’s give him the appreciation he deserves.

So what do you guys think? Let us know in the comments on what you either greed on or disagreed on.

Prospect Spotlight: Sergio Pettis

Anthony Pettis (left), Sergio Pettis (right)

The younger brother of one of the top UFC lightweights, Anthony Pettis, is quickly making a name for himself at 125 pounds. At only 18 years old, “The Phenom” already boasts an undefeated record of 5-0, with 2 TKO wins and 2 submissions, showing a well-rounded game.

There is also one very important trait of Pettis; maturity. In an interview with Sherdog.com following his 4th win, he said that he realized that he has a lot of time to improve and that he does not need to rush to the UFC. He knows he needs to grow and he knows he’s not ready for the UFC just yet. At 18 years old, most guys think they are ready to take on anything. Sergio, on the other hand, is perfectly okay with taking his career slow.

Personally, I think Pettis is only a few wins away from a UFC contract. He could very well be able to break Jon Jones record of youngest UFC champion if he can tap into his potential.

Remember his name.