The Complete Guide to UFC Fight Night 90 and TUF 23 Finale

International Fight Week begins with a pair of stacked cards in the lead-up to UFC 200.

On Thursday, July 7, the UFC's Fight Pass platform plays host to a fun Fight Night event headlined by a lightweight title fight between champion Rafael Dos Anjos and well-traveled challenger Eddie Alvarez.

On Friday, July 8, Fox Sports 1 features The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale. In its main event, strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk takes on Claudia Gadelha in a rematch of their contentious December 2014 meeting that launched Jedrzejczyk into a title shot and something close to stardom.

These two main events are among the best fights that can be made in their respective divisions, and in the case of Jedrzejczyk-Gadelha, one of the best possible fights in the entire promotion.

Neither event is big on name value outside the main events, but they're both stacked with fantastic matchmaking. The Fight Night co-main event features a heavyweight slobberknocker between Roy Nelson and the rising Derrick Lewis, while Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks—a top-five fighter by any measure—makes his UFC debut against Ross Pearson at the TUF finale.

Blue-chip Korean prospect Doo Ho Choi returns to action against Thiago Tavares after yet another first-round knockout win, Ireland's Joe Duffy takes on Mitch Clarke and action fighter Alan Jouban takes on exciting newcomer Belal Muhammad.

Even the preliminary cards have fun fights to look forward to. Thursday's bantamweight scrap between Dileno Lopes and Anthony Birchak should be fiery, while Jake Matthews and Kevin Lee meet in a fantastic lightweight fight on Friday.

These are two fun cards topped with outstanding title fights. Let's take a look at each matchup.

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UFC 200 Primer: Cain Velasquez vs. Travis Browne Head-to-Toe Breakdown

When the loaded UFC 200 pay-per-view gets underway it will be two of the best heavyweights in the world kicking off the show.

No. 3-ranked* Cain Velasquez (13-2), according Bleacher Report's June MMA rankings, steps back inside the Octagon for the first time since losing the UFC heavyweight championship against No. 7-ranked Travis Browne (18-3-1).

Velasquez was once the undisputed kingpin of the division, but injuries have kept him away from the cage. His return last June removed any luster that was left with a tiring performance against Fabricio Werdum. Browne has not been lighting up the scene either, and is coming off a victory mired in controversy.

In January, Browne squared off against Matt Mitrione. He got the TKO win in the third round, but only after several fouls without a single point deduction. The eye pokes altered the course of the fight and gave Browne a clear advantage.

Now Browne is meeting the former champion with the hopes to establish himself as a title contender. Will he be able to stop the former champion? Can Velasquez return to former glory with a vintage nonstop performance? There is only one way to know, and how they match up is paramount. Here is the head-to-toe breakdown for UFC 200's main card kick-starter.

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UFC 200 Primer: Cat Zingano vs. Julianna Pena Head-to-Toe Breakdown

The focus at UFC 200 on July 9 may be on the women's bantamweight championship fight between Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes, but another bout at 135 pounds is worth keeping an eye on as well.

The featured prelim of the night features No. 4-ranked* Cat Zingano (9-1) vs. No. 8-ranked Julianna Pena (7-2).

Zingano has not been in action since her 14-second defeat at the hands of then-champion Ronda Rousey in February 2015. The former title challenger would have another strong claim at a title shot with a victory and Tate retaining her gold.

Pena, the season 18 winner of The Ultimate Fighter, has developed from prospect to contender. She is 3-0 inside the Octagon, and a win over Zingano would also give her a claim at a title shot. Unfortunately, nothing is guaranteed with Rousey's return looming over the division.

Zingano and Pena will do their best to state their case as the next challenger in a matchup between two of the most aggressive fighters in the division. Who will walk away victorious at UFC 200 in Las Vegas? Let's break down the action for the featured preliminary contest of the UFC's biggest card to date.

 

*Bleacher Report MMA's June rankings

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CM Punk Discusses UFC Debut vs. Mickey Gall, Possible Title Fight and More

Phil “CM Punk” Brooks thinks he has what it takes to silence plenty of doubters when he makes his UFC debut later this year and is already eyeing a possible title shot. 

After it was announced in December 2014 the former WWE man would be joining the company, a date has finally been set for Punk’s debut; he will fight Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in Cleveland, Ohio on September 10. And speaking with Colin Cowherd on The Herd radio show (h/t Luke Thomas of MMA Fighting), Punk revealed he thinks he can progress rapidly.

“I know people think this is a publicity stunt, I'm never going to set foot in the Octagon," he said. "I look forward to proving them wrong, but to me, it's not super far-fetched to be like, 'You know what? What if I put three or four wins together? Who's to say I don't get a title shot?”

Fans have been left frustrated by the delays to Punk’s maiden outing in the sport. Per Thomas, the former wrestler has suffered with a shoulder injury and also had to undergo back surgery, meaning he’s been unable to compete.

However, as noted by CNET's Daniel van Boom, there’s a certain significance about the venue that’ll host the 37-year-old’s UFC bow:

Punk did hint to Cowherd that MMA world may not be a long-term endeavour for him. “What's wrong with doing it just two or three fights?” he said. “That's a lot of money.” However, the fighter did explain the reasons behind this outlook, citing his time in the WWE.

“I was the guy in wrestling that always had an exit strategy,” he acknowledged. “I was always saying, 'I gotta get out of here.’ … I was surrounded by a lot of old timers on the independent scene before I went to WWE. They were always like, 'You gotta get out.' You gotta get in, you get out.”

Gall is a rising star that will be hoping to quickly put an end to Punk’s time in the Octagon. The man from New Jersey has won both of his professional bouts so far, including an impressive 45-second submission win for the 24-year-old against Mike Jackson in February.

For a lot of fans, the excitement over the acquisition of Punk has worn off due to the setbacks. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden thinks the UFC missed a trick in the manner in which they've handled Punk’s integration into the sport:

Still, it’s clear that while the former WWE star may not be around for long, given his age, he intends to make a big impression. As a result of the problems he’s had since the announcement the Chicago-born star could have easily scrapped any plans of fighting, but it's evident he's serious about the UFC.

As the fight edges closer, there will be a huge sense of intrigue about how Punk will fare. Plenty will speculate about how he transitions from the ring to the Octagon, but he enters the sport as a huge unknown quantity. That, coupled with his stature and charisma, will be enough to kindle excitement.

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UFC Entices Carlos Condit to Return with Risky Match Versus Demian Maia

Carlos Condit will return to the cage after all.

After losing a thin decision to champion Robbie Lawler in January, the popular welterweight wondered aloud about his future in fighting.

“I’ve been at this for a long time; over 40 professional MMA fights,” Condit said after the fight, per Tristen Critchfield of Sherdog. “I came up short tonight. I don’t know. Tonight was kind of a do-or-die moment for my career. I was all in. If I got that strap I was gonna keep fighting. If I didn’t, like I didn’t, I have to see if I can continue to do this. ... I have to evaluate, but there’s a possibility that might be my last one. We’ll see.”

He never actually retired, but speculation arose over what, exactly, it might take to lure Condit (30-9) back to action. On Tuesday afternoon, per a report from MMA Junkie, fans got their answer when UFC officials announced Condit would face streaking jiu-jitsu hero Demian Maia (23-6). The two contenders will fight August 20 at UFC 202 in Las Vegas.

Condit hinted on his social media accounts Monday that an announcement might be coming.

 

Might have some news regarding my next fight soon... Stay tuned 👊 https://t.co/ni7L12cZhz

— Carlos Condit (@CarlosCondit) June 28, 2016

 

Per usual, financial terms were not disclosed, but it's a smart guess that the UFC showed Condit the proverbial money. The 32-year-old former interim welterweight champ is one of the most liked and respected MMA fighters in any weight class, thanks to a high-octane striking style, a proven track record of success and his relative ease in front of the lens or microphone.

More than that, though, you have to think they backed up the Brink's truck to the Condit house because Maia is one heck of a risky matchup.

The 38-year-old Brazilian has won five consecutive matches over standouts like Matt Brown and Gunnar Nelson. While The Natural Born Killer appears to be on the outside looking into the current welterweight title picture—January's fight, while epic, was his second loss to Lawler—Maia would almost certainly receive a title shot if he can get past Condit.

What's more, Maia's world-class jiu-jitsu—he is a fourth-degree black belt and boasts several international accolades—presents Condit with a stiff stylistic challenge. Although Condit is a strong and polished grappler, very few people in the world are on Maia's level. Over the bout's three scheduled rounds, it's possible Maia could smother Condit for a decision.

This is not to say Condit has no shot; far from it. He will have a clear striking edge and is dangerous in all phases. And Condit certainly doesn't appear to be the type to shy away from a challenge; quite the opposite.

But given his desire for big-time bouts, coupled with the implication that he can see the end of the line somewhere on the horizon, this date with Maia—occurring on a big pay-per-view but not in the main event—may pose more risk than reward.

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UFC 200 Primer: Johny Hendricks vs. Kelvin Gastelum Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 200 is an extraordinarily deep fight card featuring two upper-echelon welterweights as a preliminary contest.

Johny Hendricks (17-4), ranked No. 6 according to Bleacher Report, takes on Kelvin Gastelum (11-2) as part of the Fox Sports 1 prelims.

Both welterweights are coming off losses. Hendricks was promptly ousted by Stephen Thompson in their February meeting, and Gastelum was edged out by Neil Magny last November. A loss for either man would be devastating to their title hopes.

Hendricks and Gastelum will be watched closely from the time they arrive in Las Vegas. Both men have struggled making the 171-pound weight limit in the past. It will be a point of discussion until they officially stand on the scale during fight week.

The heavy-handed grapplers matchup well against one another, and should make for a very intriguing contest.

Which welterweight can claim victory and move back into title contention? To assist you in the lead-up to the important welterweight clash, here is the head-to-toe breakdown for Hendricks vs. Gastelum at UFC 200.

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Anderson Silva Calls for Michael Bisping Rematch, Suggests Manchester UFC Fight

Legendary fighter Anderson Silva thinks UFC Middleweight champion Michael Bisping is “afraid” to face him in a rematch. 

The Brazilian lost to Bisping narrowly in London earlier this year in a pulsating contest, with the latter going on to dethrone Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 to become champion for the first time in his 10 years in the company; he did so after stepping in as a late replacement for Chris Weidman.

Silva, who successfully defended the middleweight title 10 times, wants another shot at the new champion and proposed a possible bout in Manchester on Instagram:

I have proved why I am the best in world in this sport and I humbly say that none of my adversaries who supposedly defeated me have achieved or will my actions into the organization. 

Undoubtedly, I believe this rematch will be the best step for UFC and [boss Dana White] is aware of it, because numbers does tell and as we always have to stand by the group let it be from both sides. If I could help him to feel more confident and less afraid I would agree to fight him in his hometown, Manchester.

Here is the social media post from Silva in full:

Bisping was able to beat Silva via unanimous decision earlier in the year, but the result was a controversial one.

The Spider delivered a thunderous flying knee to his opponent, with Bisping having hesitated and pointed out to the referee that his mouthguard had fallen out. With the Englishman downed, Silva celebrated thinking he had won the bout before he was advised the fight had not finished.

From there Bisping recovered well, forced the issue in the latter stages and secured the biggest win of his career. Here is a reminder of what was a spectacular event:

For the Englishman, who always looked set to fall short of the absolute elite in the UFC, 2016 has been a remarkable year. The win over Silva gave him confidence heading into UFC 199 and the shock style in which he knocked out Rockhold was a stunning moment.

Bleacher Report’s Chad Dundas put the accomplishments of the Manchester-born fighter into perspective recently:

While he’s 37, the future could still be bright for Bisping. A bout with Silva, considered to be the greatest competitor the sport has ever seen by many, for the championship in his home town would surely be an enticing proposition. But there are other exciting avenues he could explore, too.

As noted by Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting, there are other names in the frame for a shot at the middleweight title, including veteran Dan Henderson, who, like Bisping up until recently, has never been able to get his hands on the gold in his long career. Jacare Souza, Weidman and a rematch with Rockhold are also noted as options.

Bisping himself also recently told BT Sport the great Georges St-Pierre could also be an opponent for him should he return from retirement, per UFC Europe:

Now Silva has made his case for a shot at the title he famously held for a record 2,457 days. The 41-year-old Brazilian has not been in action since losing to Bisping, and given his win over Nick Diaz was ruled a no contest in January 2015, it’s approaching four years since he last won inside the Octagon.

Winning over the greatest of all time in Manchester and hoisting the title belt high would be a moment to cherish for Bisping. However, with so many options and not too much time left in his career, he’ll surely crave new challenges as a champion. There will be plenty of those for the Englishman.

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Brock Lesnar Returns to UFC: The Defining Moments of His MMA Career to Date

Brock Lesnar is a large man, in multiple ways.

Granted, none of his other largenesses happen without his physical largeness, but even so he looms over both pro wrestling and MMA as a bona fide superstar. 

In the case of the latter, you can see how big of a deal he is by the way the UFC scrambled to clear a spot for him on their capstone UFC 200 card like a restaurant manager faced with Leonardo DiCaprio strolling in off the street. 

By all accounts, the July 9 clash with Mark Hunt is a one-off situation. Lesnar remains under contract with WWE and doesn't appear poised, at age 38, to make a full-blown return to MMA, which he left in 2011 after two straight losses and a serious intestinal disease.

It doesn't matter, though. The big guy with the big sword tattoo is returning, and that's big. To help you prepare for the big moment, here's a look back at the defining moments of his MMA career to date.

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BJ Penn Suspended 6 Months by USADA for Anti-Doping Policy Violation

BJ Penn has received a six-month ban from the United States Anti-Doping Agency after he admitted to using a prohibited "intravenous infusion." 

In a statement released on Monday, the USADA revealed the UFC Hall of Famer's "period of ineligibility began on March 25, 2016," the same day as he disclosed the violation.

More to follow.

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UFC 200 Primer: Ranking the 200 Biggest Moments in UFC History

UFC 200 on Saturday, July 9 is poised to be a landmark fight card in several different ways.

With three titles on the line, the return of Brock Lesnar and another monster pay-per-view buyrate expected, the UFC's bicentennial may end up going down in company history right alongside its gala predecessor, UFC 100.

There's no telling yet where exactly it will fall among the greatest events of all time, but if UFC 200 is meant as a celebration of the 23 years since MMA landed on American shores in 1993, it seems apt. From Royce Gracie winning UFC 1 to Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier headlining UFC 200, the evolution has been staggering.

There have been innumerable memorable moments along the way. Here, seven members of the Bleacher Report MMA staff set out to determine and rank the 200 biggest, best, wildest and wackiest happenings in UFC history.

It was mission: impossible, but in the end we hope the list is a fun one—and remember it's here for entertainment purposes only.

Did we include your favorite moment? If not, let us know in the comments.

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BJ Penn Calls for Unnecessary 3rd Fight with GSP at UFC 205 in NYC

It’s 2016 and BJ Penn is calling out Georges St-Pierre for a third fight. GSP announced on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani that he is ready to return to the cage, and that has the Hawaiian’s wheels spinning.

The former lightweight and welterweight champion took to Twitter late on Sunday to call out GSP (h/t Damon Martin of Fox Sports). Penn is lobbying for the fight to happen at 155 pounds at UFC 205 in New York City.

Penn dropped both previous meetings against GSP. They originally met in a title eliminator at UFC 58 in March 2006, when GSP edged Penn on the scorecards. The two UFC legends ran it back at UFC 94 in January 2009 in a champion vs. champion tilt; Penn quit on the stool after the fourth round.

There is no reason this fight should happen, and no one—other than Penn—is calling for it. The tweet did not elicit the response Penn was hoping for on social media:

Penn is on a three-fight losing skid and looked horrendous in his 2014 return against Frankie Edgar. Perhaps even more crucial to this callout, GSP has not expressed an interest in fighting at lightweight. There is no heat behind this proposed fight from Penn.

In fact, GSP has his eyes on going in the opposite direction in terms of weight. In the interview with Helwani (h/t Shaun Al-Shatti of MMAFighting.com), GSP stated his interest in fighting Michael Bisping for the UFC middleweight crown. That one makes a lot more sense than a third fight with Penn that virtually nobody is craving.

Penn will likely have to look elsewhere for a marquee matchup, as there is no juice to a third encounter with GSP.

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UFC 200 Primer: T.J. Dillashaw vs. Raphael Assuncao Head-to-Toe Breakdown

T.J. Dillashaw (12-3) and Raphael Assuncao (23-4) are set for another three-round affair inside the Octagon.

No. 2-ranked Dillashaw and No. 3-ranked Assuncao, per Bleacher Report's June MMA rankings, first met in 2013 at UFC Fight Night 29. Assuncao would capture a controversial split decision. According to MMADecisions.com, the majority of the media scored the fight for Dillashaw.

Less than year later, Assuncao was slated to fight Renan Barao for the bantamweight championship. The Brazilian cited a rib injury as reason to pull out, Dillashaw replaced him and the American won the belt. So much has changed since that evening in 2013. Where does that take us at UFC 200?

Undoubtedly, the winner of this elite-level matchup will put their name at the top of the list for a title shot. A lot is riding on how they perform at the UFC's biggest event to date. Will Dillashaw get his rematch with Dominick Cruz, or will Assuncao finally claim his title shot?

This is your head-to-toe breakdown for Dillashaw vs. Assuncao II.

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Ryan Jimmo, Former UFC Fighter, Dies at Age 34

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship star Ryan Jimmo was killed in Edmonton, Canada, in a hit-and-run incident on Sunday, aged 34.

The ex-UFC fighter's aunt, Sharon Jimmo, spoke to CBC News and confirmed the news her nephew had died, saying it "doesn't seem possible":

He was a people person, he loved everyone. He was so kind. He was a fighter but personally he was a great guy.

Ryan would help anyone would need it, he was just that kind of guy. He lived his life the way he wanted, he was happy-go-lucky. It's terrible, it's hard to wrap your head around, it just doesn't seem possible. 

His aunt, per Mack Lamoureux of CBC News, said Jimmo was preparing to move back to the Alberta city and was "only in town for a couple of days" before Sunday's incident.

UFC President Dana White paid his respects to the fighter, who last represented the promotion just over a year ago, boasting a mixed martial arts record of 19-5:

Jimmo last fought for the UFC at a UFC Fight Night event in May 2015, when he lost to light heavyweight opponent Francimar Barroso via unanimous decision.

White wasn't alone in sending his respects to Jimmo, either, as former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman joined those mourning his death:

Jimmo found his UFC start on the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter, the show that also gave fellow heavyweight Roy Nelson his first chance with the promotion:

Simmo's most famous moment in the UFC was his seven-second knockout of Anthony Perosh at UFC 149, and lightweight Michael Chiesa provided a timely reminder of the veteran at his comedic best:

CBC News said police reported the car that struck Jimmo "was occupied by at least two Caucasian males" at the time of the incident, which occurred in the car park of the H2O Lounge on Whyte Avenue and 101st Street.

Per Lamoureux, Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning.

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Conor McGregor Promises to 'Toy With' Nate Diaz in UFC 202 Rematch

If people thought Conor McGregor would change after just one slice of humble pie, they were wrong. With McGregor slated to face Nate Diaz at UFC 202 in a rematch, the UFC featherweight champion proved to be his usual self while on media rounds Saturday.

Speaking at a promotional event for coach John Kavanagh's new book, McGregor told reporters his next fight with Diaz wouldn't pan out like the first.

"I'm feeling very confident in myself that I'll go in and I'll toy with this man," said McGregor, per MMAFighting.com's Marc Raimondi. "Eight minutes of the fight, I was toying with him. That fadeaway left hand that he caught me with, my senses were still there. It was almost like a fatigue thing that my balance was gone." 

McGregor was on the bad end of one of MMA's craziest upsets at UFC 196, when he took on Diaz in a short-notice welterweight fight. After a back-and-forth first round, Diaz tagged McGregor with a big left hand and kicked off an offensive that culminated in a deal-sealing rear-naked choke.

The loss spawned a number of questions regarding McGregor's future in MMA and his approach to fight promotion. Answers to the former won't come until UFC 202 on August 20 in Las Vegas. As for the latter? McGregor is of the "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" persuasion.

So what does he have to say about the loss? And how will he adjust for the rematch?

He told reporters Saturday:

I didn't actually bring in any southpaws. Not one. I didn't spar with any southpaws, because the reason we don't really care what the opponent is doing is because they always pull out, every damn time. But this time I know Nate is gonna show up...now I have brought in tall, lanky southpaws with a solid lead hand, guys with solid jiu-jitsu credentials and John is overlooking every session, managing every session.

While the bout could break any number of ways, there is one guarantee: The build to fight night should be entertaining.

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Watch: Michael Chandler Scores One-Punch Knockout at Bellator Dynamite 2

Bellator 157 was a bit of a slog for a while there. Sure, there were some fireworks in Matt Mitrione's debut opposite Carl Seumanutafa, but the middle of the card was ho-hum at best.

Enter Michael Chandler. The former champion had a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove in his fight for the vacant Bellator lightweight title opposite Patricky Freire and, boy, did that result in a great performance. 

After some pensive pawing and feints, Chandler exploded into a massive right hand that drew a rare one-punch knockout. Check out the video here:

Savage stuff. 

Chandler now assumes the role of lightweight champion following the departure of Will Brooks, who was released and promptly signed by the UFC. While Brooks' departure hurts the division's credibility, there are still numerous interesting matchups for the new champ in former UFC champion Benson Henderson and former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson. The Bellator lightweight division remains fairly deep, and if Chandler can hold onto the belt for any length of time, he can restore the title's credibility.

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Bellator 157 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Dynamite 2 Card

Well, that was boring.

In a less-than-entertaining main event at Bellator 157 in St. Louis, a fleshy Quinton "Rampage" Jackson took a split decision over Satoshi Ishii. The bout drew boos from the Scottrade Center crowd and was the worst fight of the night on a card that featured mixed martial arts and kickboxing.

The judges scored it 30-27, 29-28, 28-29.

In the first round, Ishii's background as an Olympic gold medalist shined through. He took Rampage down twice, but he couldn't keep him there. Ishii also didn't do any damage when he was in top position.

Still, it appeared as though the Japanese fighter deserved to take the opening round.

Rampage found a bit of a rhythm in the second. He landed some knees and elbows inside the clinch, but Ishii was able to secure two more takedowns in that frame. Like in the first round, he did nothing with the position, and Rampage worked his way back to his feet with little issue.

The third round was all Rampage.

He landed knees and elbows and thwarted a takedown attempt from Ishii. In the minor scramble, he landed in top position and remained there for most of the final round.

It was close, but the decision to award Rampage the win was plausible. After the bout, the 38-year-old dropped the Captain Obvious line of the night: "This is the oldest I've ever been in the cage." 

Well, all right, then. We'll give him a break because he was tired.

This fight was contested at heavyweight, and Rampage didn't carry the extra pounds well. His midriff had a mind of its own, which makes you wonder how physically prepared he was for the fight.

Ishii's takedown skills are undeniable, but he has a lot to work on if he's going to become a true mixed martial artist. He had no other weapons to threaten Rampage with, and that's why he lost.

Rampage gave us a hint about his future, per MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani:

Hopefully, whatever he does next will be more exciting than this fight.

Thankfully, the rest of the card was, indeed, dynamite.

 

MMA: Chandler Muzzles Pitbull to Take Title

Will Brooks left Bellator and vacated the lightweight title. On Friday night, and in his hometown, Iron Michael Chandler reclaimed the title in a demonstrative way.

With one sickening right hand, he knocked out Patricky "Pitbull" Freire to again become the Bellator lightweight champion. 

Pitbull was out before he hit the canvas. Bellator came through quickly with congratulations for the new champion:

Chandler and the Scottrade Center went to pieces.

Patricky's brother, Patricio, seemed to take exception with Chandler's double-backflip celebration—or he was just salty that his brother got starched. In either case, he and Chandler got into a shouting match as the new champion sat perched on top of the cage.

Could Patricio come up from 145 pounds to avenge his brother? Stay tuned.

After the fight, Chandler talked about his next challenge. Benson Henderson called out the champion in an earlier interview on the Spike broadcast, but while Chandler didn't downplay a fight with Smooth, he seemed more interested in a fight with Josh Thomson.

Chandler and Thomson both talked about the fans wanting to see them clash. Who are these fans? They surely don't speak for the entire MMA community.

We'll see what happens down the road, but Henderson vs. Chandler is a more intriguing fight. 

 

MMA Results

• Matt Mitrione defeats Carl Seumanutafa by KO in first round.
• Ilima-Lei Macfarlane defeats Rebecca Ruth by submission (rear-naked choke) in first round.
• Michael Chandler defeats Patricky "Pitbull" Freire by KO in first round.

 

Kickboxing Results

• Gloria Peritore def. Denise Kielholtz by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
• Kevin Ross def. Justin Houghton by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 30-26).

 

MMA: Mitrione Gets a Break

Within the first 20 seconds of the first round, Carl Seumanutafa decked Matt Mitrione with a clean right hand on the nose. 

Most who were watching had to be thinking, "Oh man, Mitrione is going to get stopped in his Bellator debut."

However, referee John McCarthy was generous and didn't stop the bout.

Seumanutafa didn't help his cause. Instead of pounding on Mitrione, he tried to take his opponent's back.

Seumanutafa is no submission artist, so the strategy was perplexing. Mitrione recovered, and minutes later, he stopped Seumanutafa with a downward punch on the chin.

McCarthy stepped in relatively quickly to stop the bout as Seumanutafa partially rolled over in pain, though Seumanutafa was in no worse shape than Mitrione was after he got clipped.

During the post-fight interview, Mitrione was still rocked. He didn't even remember being hit. There's no question that he is fortunate to be 1-0 with his new organization.

Bellator quickly announced that Mitrione will face Oli Thompson in his next fight, but many, including Dr. Patrick Wyman of Bleacher Report, feel the organization should pump its breaks:

Let's hope we hear an amendment on that next bout.

 

Kickboxing: Peritore Edges Kielholtz

Despite a great performance in the second round from Denise Kielholtz, a listless display in the first and third rounds cost her the fight against Gloria Peritore in the first kickboxing bout of the evening.

In her best moments, Peritore kept finding a home for her kicks. Peritore was more active, and her movement gave Kielholtz a problem that she seemed to solve in the second.

The resolution was temporary, though, and Peritore regained control to take the final round and the fight.

 

MMA: Ruth Is Not Human, but She Lost

Rebecca Ruth is an alien, and I mean that in the most complimentary way. In more than 20 years of following MMA, I've never seen a fighter escape two rear-naked chokes as deep as the ones Ilima-Lei Macfarlane had sunk in on Ruth.

How deep were the chokes?

We're talking under-the-chin, mouthpiece-hanging-out-of-the-mouth deep. Not only did Ruth get out of two of the choke attempts, but she also stood to her feet with Macfarlane pasted to her back—with both hooks in—like a Marvel character.

Ultimately, she was forced to submit, but her stock didn't take a hit with the loss. Macfarlane executed a superb game plan. She knew she was no match for the powerful Ruth in stand-up, and thus she looked to take her opponent down at every chance until she picked up the hard-earned victory.

 

Kickboxing: Ross Smokes Houghton

In a wipeout, Kevin Ross destroyed Justin Houghton over three rounds. Punches, kicks and well-placed knees smashed the game but overmatched Houghton.

One of those aforementioned knees found Houghton's solar plexus. Houghton tried to play it off as though the shot was low, but it wasn't. The referee stepped in and gave Houghton a brief break.

No matter, Ross put Houghton down with a straight right hand to the body seconds later. Houghton made it through, but Ross earned the decision with a dominant performance.

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Rampage Jackson vs. Satoshi Ishii Results: Winner and Reaction from Bellator 157

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson improved his Bellator record to 4-0 with a split-decision win over Satoshi Ishii in the main event at Bellator 157 on Friday.

MMAjunkie.com tweeted out the scorecards from the controversial decision:

The fight got off to an inauspicious start, with Rampage taking the center of the cage and looking for Ishii to engage. When his Japanese opponent finally did, he was able to pin Jackson against the cage, secure a takedown and begin asserting his will from top position. 

Jackson didn't look like he was in great shape, as Josh Nason of Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted:

The second round started more promising for Jackson, but a miscalculation allowed Ishii to control the fight from the clinch. Nathan McCarter of Bleacher Report highlighted Jackson's questionable decision-making against an Olympic-level judoka:

Still, Ishii wasn't able to amount much offense in the clinch, while Jackson didn't do much to improve his position, leading to a difficult round to judge. MMAFighting.com gave it to Rampage but highlighted the ambiguous nature of the round:

The third round was the easiest to score for Jackson. He scored a surprise takedown and was able to land some ground-and-pound blows on Ishii, but he didn't have the energy to come close to ending the bout.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion returned to Bellator MMA after legal disputes led to a one-fight comeback in the UFC. Before returning to Dana White and Co., Jackson won the Bellator light heavyweight tournament with victories over Christian M'Pumbu and Muhammed Lawal. 

Jackson's win doesn't mean he'll be returning to the organization as a light heavyweight contender. This fight was contested at a catchweight of 225 pounds, and if Jackson has his way, that might be a common occurrence. 

"I've been thinking about going to heavyweight for a while," Jackson said, per Eric Tamiso of ESPN.com. "I think I'm too small to go against the bigger heavyweights, but I'm too big to be at the 205 weight class; 215 to 220 would be perfect for me."

A move to heavyweight might have more to do with the fact that he's 38 years old and well past his prime, but he could be an interesting main event attraction for the organization. The fact that he's capable of taking on both light heavyweights and heavyweights gives the company more options going forward. 

One such option is Matt Mitrione. The two became well-acquainted on The Ultimate Fighter 10, when Jackson was a coach and Mitrione was a contestant. Now, Meathead said he would like a fight with Jackson if he's down for it, per Tristen Critchfield of Sherdog.com:

If Rampage really thinks that he wants to fight me and have the last fight of his career, I would happily try to punch a hole in his face. But I don’t know, for as far as I’m concerned, Rampage is a 205er. I don’t know what he wants to do and how he wants to do it, but if [he’s down, I’m down]. I’m just trying to get paid.

Mitrione is slated to take on Oli Thompson after picking up a first-round knockout in his promotional debut at Bellator 157. However, that's only if the heavyweight is cleared to fight just one month after his last fight, per Matt Erickson of MMAjunkie.com:

Of course, there's also the option that Rampage retires. At 38, he could put away his gloves for the pursuit of an Oscar or the big paychecks that come with doing action movies. Jackson recently turned down a role in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, per Andreas Hale of Yahoo Sports. 

Regardless, fans are going to tune in to whatever he does. That's why he's still a headliner 15 years after his debut in Pride.

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Jessica Eye vs. Bethe Correia Added to UFC 203 Fight Card in Cleveland

UFC 203 will take place in Cleveland on September 10 with Stipe Miocic leading the charge, and another hometown fighter has joined the fray.

Cleveland’s Jessica Eye (11-5, 1 NC) will battle Bethe Correia (9-2) as part of the undercard. Eye confirmed the fight on Friday via Twitter (h/t Damon Martin of Fox Sports):

Eye, the No. 10-ranked women's bantamweight contender, has suffered three consecutive losses inside the Octagon. Each of the three bouts has gone the distance, though. She has not been stopped inside the distance since a 2011 submission defeat to Aisling Daly.

No. 11-ranked contender Correia has also been on the losing end in recent fights. She lost her title bid to Ronda Rousey in 34 seconds by knockout and returned in a losing effort against Raquel Pennington in April.

Neither has had her hand raised in the UFC since 2014. Both women will have their backs against the wall when the cage door shuts at Quicken Loans Arena.

Stylistically, Eye vs. Correia offers fans the exact type of fight they want to see: two strikers who will meet in the center of the cage and let leather fly. They are two of the most intense and exciting fighters in the division, and with the possibility of their UFC careers hanging in the balance, they will leave it all in the cage.

The UFC 203 main event features Miocic defending the heavyweight title for the first time against Alistair Overeem. CM Punk also makes his UFC debut against Mickey Gall. Cleveland is getting the event it earned, and Eye vs. Correia adds to the depth of a stellar fight card.

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Patricky "Pitbull" Freire Finally Ready to Sit the Bellator Lightweight Throne

After five years of settling for "almost," Bellator lightweight Patricky "Pitbull" Freire (16-7) is finally fighting for the promotion's top prize. Twice Freire advanced to the finals of a tournament to decide the top contender. Twice he fell short. But in the sixteenth bout of his Bellator tenure, the ferocious 30-year-old Brazilian will fight Michael Chandler (14-3) for the belt Friday night in St. Louis, Missouri.

In some ways it's a long time coming. In other ways, his brother and grappling coach Patricio Freire says the timing couldn't be better.

"Patricky is a new fighter," Freire told Bleacher Report through a translator.

He evolved a lot. For this fight, theoretically, we won't be surprised by anything. We defined the strategy really well and had a deep analysis of Michael Chandler. There isn't a single hole we could find that wasn't worked on, either offensively or defensively. If God permits we'll be bringing the belt home. Everything has been carefully planned and executed and I believe in our work.

For (Patricky) Freire the key has been the addition of Felipe Lima, a mental coach who helped him get through a rigorous training camp. In the past Freire had been sensitive to criticisms, and camps would sometimes devolve into acrimony. With the help of Lima, who sat down separately with both the fighter and his coaches, those conflicts were a thing of the past. 

"I raised my confidence level, I learned of who I am, what I'm capable of doing," Freire said through a translator. "It's a great psychological work, I've been remembering things, opening my mind to new things and realizing that I can do a lot of things. I've done a lot of impressive things before and I can do much more than that. That's what he's been working with me.

"He's always strengthening me, always lifting my spirit and showing how much I can do and who I am. I can never forget who I am, what I did and what I'm still gonna do. It's a very important job that I found wonderful."

Freire's confidence level and approach were so different, he even sparred with his brother, himself a former Bellator champion, for the first time in years. This time out, Patricio was his main opponent during camp, doing a wicked Chandler impersonation and pushing his younger brother to the limit.

"Patricio is a extraordinary guy, highly strategic, he knows how to work the right time to brawl and the right time to use strategy," (Patricky) Freire said. "Spar with him was awesome. The simple fact of having him as a sparring, but also that we didn't have any conflicts like we had in the past, we didn't get emotional, he was always pressuring me, correcting me and forcing me to do everything I have to do in the fight. It was great. He was with me in every sparring session, two or three rounds."

The difference, those close to him say, is obvious.

"It seems to have lit a fire inside him," Freire's longtime friend and manager Matheus Aquino said. "He's showing us he wants it. He's facing his demons. He's letting the monster inside him free to fight. He's not content to just let things happen anymore. He's making them happen."

Freire agrees. Although the physical tools have always been there, he's never combined them with the mental and strategic realms quite as well as he's done in the lead up to his title dreams. And, while his team has found much to admire in Chandler, a fighter they respect for his toughness and athleticism, they've found plenty to exploit as well, particularly his refusal to abandon a bad situation when challenged.

On the eve of his first chance to write his name in history, Freire tells Bleacher Report he's more ready for this than any fight in his long career.

"I'm feeling more confident, more focused, my head is better, my strategies are working." Freire said. "I see that I'm capable of doing more. I'm feeling a constant evolution, both physically and mentally. That's why I know this is my moment."

 

Jonathan Snowden covers combat sports for Bleacher Report.

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Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Briefly Considered Transitioning to MMA

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is an A-list celebrity, transitioning brilliantly from WWE professional wrestler to Hollywood action star, but that transition wasn't instantaneous. After he officially ended his days as a regular performer in the WWE in 2004, his acting career hit a bit of a rut shortly thereafter. With an uncertain future, Johnson began considering another career...mixed martial artist. 

Speaking with former UFC champ Matt Serra and comedian Jim Norton on the UFC Unfiltered podcast, Johnson spoke how he once mulled over starting an MMA career.

"There was a time there where I thought, man, I achieved everything I wanted to achieve in WWE, my movie career is floundering a little bit, what do I do," said Johnson (h/t MMAFighting.com for the transcription and warning, some NSFW language). "I was relatively still young, I think I was 34. I thought, oh well maybe UFC. Maybe I should do something like that."

Needless to say, it didn't pan out.

"In my head, I felt like it was at least a two-year process for me to even get in the [cage], let alone the UFC," he continued. "I wasn't quite too sure what to do...so the idea kind of fizzled out and I continued to stay on the path of movie making."

Obviously, that proved to be the right call. After hitting the skids following a ho-hum performance in 2004's Walking Tall, Johnson rebounded with lead roles in Gridiron Gang and Southland Tales before becoming a top action star with films like Faster and Fast Five. Since then, he has starred in a number of major motion pictures and has become an action icon unto himself. 

Despite his success, he still maintains close ties to both WWE (most recently appearing at WrestleMania 32 in April) and the UFC. Though things didn't quite pan out with Johnson's MMA career, WWE fans can look forward to UFC fights involving former world heavyweight champions Brock Lesnar (who returns to the cage at UFC 200) and CM Punk (who debuts at UFC 203), both of whom Johnson has high praise for. 

"Anybody, by the way, who is successful in one area and then commits to MMA, I just feel like it's the toughest f--king sport in the world," Johnson said. "I always take my hat off to those guys."

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