If you get a second chance in life, you have to make the most of the opportunity. According to UFC president Dana White, that"s exactly what UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger did on Saturday at UFC 201.
Ellenberger, 31, went into Saturday"s fight with Matt Brown not merely as the betting underdog, but having lost five of his last six fights. The UFC never stated Ellenberger"s job was on the line, but as it turned out, it may have been.
Speaking to FS1 after UFC 201, White revealed the UFC briefly parted ways with Ellenberger after his last loss to Tarec Saffiedine in January.
"I didn"t know what to expect from him," White said. "I said in the standup with [UFC commentator Joe] Rogan before the fights started, if he comes out and does what he"s capable of doing, then this is going to be a very fun fight.
"With the UFC, we had cut him," White added. "He flew out to Las Vegas and he met with me and said, "Don"t cut me, please." He said, "Give me one more shot. I promise I will come out and deliver.""
Brown was ranked ninth in the division with Ellenberger not even in the top 15. While it"s unclear how the outcome will precisely affect their rankings, the win gives "The Juggernaut" his first victory since February 2015. It brings his professional record to 31-11.
"We put him against Matt Brown and he came out and delivered," White said.
UFC 201 takes place tonight (Sat., July 30, 2016) inside Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. It features Welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, who will attempt to defend his 170-pound belt for the third consecutive time against No. 4-ranked contender Tyron Woodley in the pay-per-view (PPV) main event of the evening. Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson was supposed to fight Wilson Reis in the co-main event; however, "Mighty Mouse" was forced to withdraw from the show after suffering an undisclosed injury in training. As a result, the women"s Strawweight scrap betweenRose Namajunas vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz was promoted to second billing.
UFC 201"s PPV main card, which will start promptly at 10 p.m. ET, will feature three other match ups.Hard-hitting Welterweight standouts Matt Brown and Jake Ellenberger will hook "em up in what should be a ferocious fire fight, while Bantamweight brawlers Erik Perez and Francisco Rivera will go toe-to-toe at 135 pounds. And kicking off the PPV action is a 125-pound clash between up-and-coming prospects Ryan Benoit and Fredy Serrano.
To check out the complete UFC 201: "Lawler vs. Woodley" fight card and line up, clickhere.
As is always the case, UFC will also deliver a complete "Prelims" undercard that features six bouts, four of which will air on FOX Sports 2, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The remaining two will stream on its subscription-only online digital network, "Fight Pass," starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Below are the numerous ways in which you can watch UFC 201: "Lawler vs. Woodley" later tonight (all times ET):
More UFC 201 coverage from SB NationOnline:
Fight Pass (Early "Prelims), starting at 7 p.m. (Exclusions: Brazil, Libya, Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Somalia.)UFC.TV (PPV main card), starting at 10 p.m.YouTube (PPV main card), starting at 10 p.m. (United States, Canada, Australia, Philippines, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, Russia, Argentina and Mexico only.)
Cable/Satellite:
FOX Sports 2 ("Prelims"), starting at 8 p.m. (Channel Finder)DirecTV and Dish (PPV main card), starting at 10 p.m.On your television (PPV main card), starting at 10 p.m. (contact your local cable provider)
Tablet/Mobile:
Android MarketApp Store
Local Area:
Bar / Restaurant (Check your area here)
You can also watch UFC 201 through your television or set-top box, including Apple TV and Roku, as well as through a video game console such as PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.
More UFC 201 coverage from SB Nation
SB Nation combat sites will also cover the entire event in our live UFC 201: "Lawler vs. Woodley" threads here,here andhere. Updates will begin with the first fight at 7 p.m., and run right through the main event that will likely start sometime around midnight.
In the meantime, get up to speed on all things UFC 201, including previews, predictions, interviews, breakdowns, videos, analysis and so much more. Be sure to check out the most comprehensive collection of stories available anywhere for "Lawler vs. Woodley" righthere.
