UFC 196: Holly Holm - Ready to Defend Championship
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Fight: Conor McGregor vs. Nate DiazThe Real Fight: Nate Diaz vs. The UFC"s Best Interest
The Stakes
A massive fight between UFC lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos and UFC featherweight champ Conor McGregor fell apart when Dos Anjos pulled out due to a foot injury. Now, all involved parties are rolling the dice by putting McGregor opposite the always-dangerous Nate Diaz. If McGregor stays the course, the UFC, Dos Anjos and McGregor are poised for a huge payday. If Diaz wins, though, the UFC"s 2016 would suddenly become much less profitable.
The Question
Can the McGregor train keep a"rollin"?
Analysis
McGregor"s drawing power is second to none right now, and it"s approaching the point where he could, potentially, start breaking UFC gate and pay-per-view records. That, of course, is contingent on him winning.
If McGregor drops this fight to Diaz, the big super title fight is taken off the table. The potential welterweight title fight with Robbie Lawler after that? Gone. Add to that the fact that McGregor is seemingly done at 145 pounds, and this fight with Diaz, suddenly, becomes a high-stakes affair instead of a "fun fight for the fans."
Of course, fans should just kick back and enjoy the ride. UFC brass, however, are probably going to have at least one or two sleepless nights this week.
LONDON The last time UFC lightweight Rustam Khabilov walked out of the octagon, he was on a two-fight skid. Then he sat out for one year.
The threat of unemployment motivated Khabilov (18-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) to get back in the UFCs good graces. Thankfully for him, he was able to do so by outpointing Norman Parke (21-5-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) on the UFC Fight Pass-streamed prelims of UFC Fight Night 84 at TheO2in London.
After two losses, if you lose the third fight, everybody knows what can happen, he said through atranslator backstage. So Im very happy, and Im ready to start my new road to the top of the lightweight division.
Khabilov, part of a wave of Dagestan-born fighters competing in the UFC, earned three straight wins in the octagon before losses to ex-champ Benson Henderson and Adriano Martins. A win over Parke, another prospect who fell on hard times after a turn on The Ultimate Fighter: Smashes, brings his first win since a decision over Jorge Masvidal in November 2013.
Check out the above video to get Khabilovs thoughts on his fight and whats next for his career.
For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 84, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
Rustam Khabilov, UFC Fight Night 84, Featured Videos, News, UFC, Videos
Oops. Turns out walking backwards in front of a UFC fighter as he makes his entrance to the cage isn"t always easy.
Alex Cacares took a unanimous decision win overMasio Fullen last night to open the Fox Sports 1 preliminaries of UFC on Fox 18: Johnson vs. Bader. Cacares aka "Bruce LeRoy" dominated Fullen with his flashy "real-life Tekken" approach and took every round on all three judges cards. At one point Cacares landed a flying 360 degree spinning kick that actually hurt Fullen.
There was also a notable moment before the fight as a Fox cameraman fell down while taping Cacares" walk to the cage from the lockerrooms at New Jersey"s Prudential Center. Apparently walking backwards in front of a fighter while operating a camera is not always as easy as they usually make it look.
The snafu went out live as you can see in the video above but a backup cameraman was very close by and the production barely missed a beat.
EA SPORTS UFC 2 | Ultimate Team CHAMPIONSHIP Gameplay
NEWARK, N.J. Keep doubting Ben Rothwell, and he will keep surprising you. And maybe one day, youll be forced to give him a title shot.
Rothwell (36-9 MMA, 6-3 UFC) became the first fighter to legitimately submit former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett (34-8 MMA, 6-3 UFC), tapping him with the same choke he used to make his previous opponent quit.
The heavyweight bout co-headlined todays UFC on FOX 18 main card at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It aired on FOX following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
After getting outstruck in the first round, a b****y Rothwell made Barnett quit at 3:48 of round two with a modified guillotine he calls the gogo choke.
Rothwell might have cut another colorful piece of promotion material in his post-fight speech, as he did after Mitrione. But instead, he kept it respectful, saying he was sending a message to other heavyweights whove gotten opportunities before him namely Stipe Miocic, who was promoted to an ill-fated title fight at UFC 196.
Barnett hoped to end Rothwells improbable late-career surge, and early on did so using the sound techniques of a seasoned veteran. He drew Rothwell into a straight right hand and followed up with power punches that drew blood. Rothwell was more aggressive than accurate early on.
But in the second round, Rothwell seemed to calm down and began picking his shots. He also forced a reaction from Barnett, who pushed him to the cage and came in on a single-leg takedown in hopes of starting a ground fight. Instead, Rothwell trapped his neck and quickly cranked it, giving him no choice but to submit.
Barnett, whod tapped twice earlier in his career due to injuries (one which prompted him to tap to strikes), goes back to the loss column after a decision over Roy Nelson. Rothwell now has won four straight and put another notable name on his resume.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on FOX 18 results include:
Ben Rothwell def. Josh Barnett via submission (guillotine choke) Round 2, 3:48
NEWARK, N.J. Anthony Johnson, Ben Rothwell, Jimmie Rivera and Iuri Alcantara each earned $50,000 fight-night bonuses at Saturdays UFC on FOX 18 event.
Johnson and Rothwell picked up Performance of the Night awards, and Rivera and Alcantara picked up Fight of the Night honors.
UFC exec Dave Sholler announced the winners at the post-event press conference, which MMAjunkie attended.
UFC on FOX 18 took place at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The main card aired on FOX following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Johnson (21-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC), fighting for a potential slot in a future UFC light heavyweight title bout, made quick work of fellow top contender Ryan Bader. Defending an early takedown, Johnson eventually took mount and unleashed big punches that halted the fight in just 86 seconds.
Fighting in the co-feature, Rothwell (36-9 MMA, 6-3 UFC)proved hes a legitimate title contender in the heavyweight division, earning his fourth consecutive victory with an impressive second-round submission, his second consecutive victory via a now-patented gogo choke.
Bantamweights Rivera (19-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and Alcantara (33-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) clashed on the main card, with the New Jersey crowd in full support of local fighter Rivera. He responded in fine fashion, going toe-to-toe with Brazilian Alcantara but getting the best of the exchanges and cruising to a unanimous decision win.
For more on UFC on FOX 18, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.
Anthony Johnson, Ben Rothwell, Iuri Alcantara, Jimmie Rivera, UFC on FOX 18, News, UFC
After several previous failed attempts to make flyweight, Henry Cejudosuccessfully made the 125-pound limit for his UFC 185 bout with Chris Cariaso.
Things went well in his first bout inthe UFCs lightest weight classas the 2008 Olympic gold medalist controlled the fight from bell to bell, using his wrestling to dictate where the fight took place and sticking Cariasos(17-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) back to either the cage or canvas. Cejudo (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) tookall three judgesscorecards, 30-27, for the unanimous-decision victory.
Cejudo wasnt entirely happy with his performance, however, andsaid he wanted to score a knockout. That disappointment was still present to a degree as Cejudo was asked about itat the post-fight press conference.
Absolutely, Cejudo said. I come from Mexican descent. Were known to fight smart, or at least to showcase some type of standup like I did my last fight. I felt a little tight in my arms and my chest. It was from the weighcut. I mean, it wasnt bad. I was a pound under Friday night, so whoever bet against me, you get this one. Ill be back. Im only going to get better. I would love to fight in Mexico City. Im fluent in Spanish. My parents are from Mexico City.
UFC President Dana White was very supportive of the idea of Cejudo getting a slot on the next card inMexico City, UFC 188, which is slated for June 13.
Oh, hes good, White said. Hes going to Mexico for sure.
Cejudo weighed in for the bout, which took place on the pay-per-view main cardatAmerican Airlines Center in Dallas, at 125 pounds despite a one-pound allowance (126 pounds) fornon-title fights.
He explained what led to the one-pound cushion despite several previous bad weight cuts, including having to cancel his UFC 177 bout with Scott Jorgensen due to medical difficulties during the cut.
I hired a good nutritionist, Cejudo said. He really pretty much held my hand along the way. I just kept sweating and sweating and losing weight without even really trying. I only used the sauna for like 15 minutes. I literally went back to the prison lifestyle when I was training for the Olympics. I had no life for these last three months. I was kind of scared to be honest with you. When youve got Vegas odds going against you for betting, that kind of sucks for me. So like I said, you get one of these.
As a little kid, I used to fight for ice cream in the ghettos of Phoneix. Im a 20-year-old kid now, and now I get a chance to fight for UFC gold. It means a lot to me.Dream big, sacrifice all, and you will enjoy victory.
For complete coverage of UFC 185, check out the UFC Events section of the site. And for complete coverage more on UFC 188, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
