Face-Punching Weekend: Forgettable Bellator, Stoppages at UFC, OneFC Realness

A lot to unpack this weekend. Despite the early start time, I managed to fall asleep mid UFC. Le sigh. That being said, it was a solid night of stoppages and fights overall.
I didn't watch the Bellator card because other than Rickels and Strauss I wasn't enticed.

Yusuff with creepin' Master Lloyd Irvin laying low in his corner (hoping #metoo doesn't come to JiuJitsu, along with some other problematic famous guys doing things like sliding up in women's DMs despite their squeaky clean family/honor/respect/loyalty IGram image.....).....I digress. Yusuff wobbled Sheymon in the 3rd round in a largely uneventaul and tactical stand-up affair with some clinching. Yusuff talks a big game about his work rate and the like, but doesn't really fight with any urgency even if/when he hurts an opponent in the 2 UFC fights I've seen. He called out Kron whom I think he figures he can stuff the takedown and pick Kron apart at range and pick up a decision.

Craig picked up a 3rd round submission after some atrocious wrestling that his opponent couldn't stop despite multiple fence grabs and eye pokes. For F*ck's sake Craig, I like watching your JiuJitsu for MMA but hire a F*CKING wrestling coach.

Waterson as I predicted had too much variety in her toolbox for Kowalkiewicz.

Emmett slept Johnson in a fight he was probably losing on scorecards to show that he really is capable of sleeping folks even late in the fight.

Hermannson pulled off what was in my opinion an upset with a quick guillotine of David Branch.

Gaethje prevented a prolonged fight with a single punch that put Barboza away, all the more impressive having seen some of the gritty fights of which Barboza has been a part in his career. There were already throwing heavy punches, knees, and kicks by the time the stoppage came as Gaethje lept into a hook and Barboza pulled away to circle out and away from the cage.

Mixed results for the American contingent over in OneFC. Alvarez was stopped in pretty devastating fashion, Mighty Mouse won and Tonon won as well in a decisive takedown/leg kick catch to head outside single leg to finish via TKO/strikes. Aoki got Folayang a step or two/shuffle from the cage and shot in to get his hands locked/body lock then hip lifted him over and down and from there advanced position to finish with a head+arm triangle choke. Mighty Mouse hit a slick high elbow grip guillotine against a scrappy opponent. 

Bellator Women’s Division signs Sambo Royalty

BJJ Scout's BJJ Digest #85 - Barber Wants Dern, Ryan Wants Werdum, Royce and Son have story time with Ariel

Werdum vs Hulk was an abomination (see the comic book reference?)

Dern I don't think ever fights for the belt. She's too busy looking like she's walking around at my walking weight to fight and make weight again or challenge for a belt down the road.

I'm doing Advanced Adult division this weekend @ Grappling Industries. Anyone in NYC who's there, hit me up. Busy weekend with a Naga and the NY Open & Grappling Industries all in the same weekend and a UFC with Magny vs Ponzinibbio down south of the border et cetera. Darren Elkins returns to action, and Bellator brings a card to us tomorrow night. What a time to be a combat sports fan...

Busy MMA August Fights Left: PFL, Bellator, & UFC

August 16th - PFL brings another installment of it's pre-season/season MMA format with player vying to reach the playoffs. Much like a bracketed tournament, I'll bite for the added flair of how guys win fights can figure into them making it past the alotted fights.

Next Thursday we've got Kayla Harrison's 2nd MMA fight on tap, Jake Shields, Joao Zeferino, John Howard and Yuri Villefort all on a cable TV channel. Having actually rolled with Jake and Zeferino in the blue basement at Renzo's, it's always awesome seeing them fight. True professionals, man. They come in early for Danaher's class and put in grappling work aside from fight specific stuff they're doing in camp et cetera. Tonon is the same. Neiman Gracie. Professionals.

August 17th - Next Friday night we get a Bellator card with Caldwell defending his newly crowned title, and James Gallagher in another builder fight to bring him along, look impressive, and build the hype train. I'll bite. I love seeing the grooming process come along for a prospect.

Not a bad weekend to hold us over until a new spate of UFC cards come along, the first of which brings us Gaethje vs Vick on Saturday, August 25th, and the remainder of the card featuring the likes of Fili vs Michael Johnson, Antonio Braga Neto, Eryk Anders, Yahya, Alcantara, Moraga, et al.

August will wrap up nicely for a month of combat sports as it featured the unthinkable upset of Mighty Mouse and the Dillashaw/Garbrandt rematch. 

Blast from the Past Wednesday: Alessio Sakara Fighting for MW Belt in Bellator

This Weekend: Bellator Friday, UFC Sunday

I've been singing this tune for awhile, but as of late, for several reasons I find myself plodding thru UFC events and really enjoying Bellator events. This past weeks TUF and 213 were similar.

The TUF Finale ( which lost Dillashaw vs Garbrandt due to injury would have been quite the addition to the card) really only picked up with Taylor vs Lima and Gaethje Vs Johnson. 

UFC 213 had some good scraps with Font, Oleinik, and a thrilling main event, that was fine on its own after Nunes got sick or wussed out depending on who you ask. 

That being said I feel like this weekend's UFC offering other than the Gunnar Nelson bout and Felder vs Stevie Ray. I don't even know the rest of the names on the card. It's a card over in Europe and I guess it's building the brand there, but with two bouts and I guess the ranks of fading stars and names used on that insanely anemic Brazil card that had Holm Vs Correia headlining, it's a lackadaisical effort no matter how you slice it. 

Bellator is giving me Campos, Joe Warren and Kendall Grove and it's on Cable TV. Overall, FightPass is a legitimate bargain for the sheer dearth of combat sports and grappling events on it. I'm curious to see how the UFC and a FOX talk brass tacks when their broadcast deal expires. Does the ownership of the new congomerate make them seem a viable continued commodity? Does Fox continue with the UFC simply so that another network doesn't buy that hunk of sports programming? Bellator is in the rear view mirror with a new deal and backers, and an interesting combo of legit fights, freak show bouts, faded UFC talent, able to put on faded legends.....I'm curious what the next year or two holds for the sport professionally and commercially. 

Combat Sports Weekend: Bellator, WSOF, & a UFC Fight Pass Card Picks

I don't even care that I'm going to miss the UFC Fight Pass Poland non-card that's this weekend. If I had a friend who had fight pass and time to kill I might watch it.
I've posted my pics for the fights I know enough to wager on but the rest of the card is chock full of guys I simply do not know and cannot find much if any information regarding their record and that of their former opponents. Wager at your own risk. 


IN reality, I'm super excited about this Friday night Bellator card.

IT features:

"main CARD

Spike TV, 9 p.m. ET

Will Brooks vs. Dave Jansen
for lightweight title

Rafael Carvalho vs. Joe Schilling

Marcin Held vs. Alexander Sarnavskiy

Tony Johnson vs. Alexander Volko"

 

Brooks vs Jansen will be a great fight. Joe Schilling looks to follow up his KO of Manhoef with another one. Marcin Held vs Sarnavskiy will also likely be a great fight.
It's hard to complain to Bellator for booking this card. I've got Jansen by split decision but honestly this fight is a toss up, Schilling by KO, Held by toe hold in the 3rd round and Volko by TKO.

I'm less enthused about the WSOF card but I'll ask whatever establishment I'm at to put it on another TV during Bellator. I don't know why the only two non-UFC promotions are counter-programming one another on a weekend with NO UFC on Saturday night but people with way more money and TV experience I guess make those decisions.  

Credit where credit is due: Tito Ortiz actually fought, and actually won

I have to eat crow on this one. I didn't think Ortiz would even show up for this fight. Literally. I thought he would pull out at the last minute.

He didn't. And he won
By stoppage/submission.

Oh Yeah, there was a Bellator Friday Night

Given the length of my weekend, working at my other job, competing, reading ADCC updates on facebook (thanks Dirty While Belt and Grappling Weekly), then *ahem* watching the UFC on replay yesterday, I totally forgot I watched the Bellator Friday night before heading home to rest then help set up for US Grappling/Pendergrass Classic.

Reading over the write-up on MMAJunkie.com, it sounds like you may have missed a good card. Perhaps the undercard was amazing or something. Perhaps I was tired from traveling to the Maryland Judo tournament then training through to get ready for Saturday's Jiu-Jitsu tournament.

I actually left before the main event (Hawn vs Weedman) wrapped up. I headed home to sleep.
The heavyweights in Bellator are passable at best.
War Machine didn't address the guy hanging around his neck/on his back.
Rick Hawn fought a repeat fight of his win over Brent Weedman. Hawn has not had the killer instinct he once had in his fights. I don't know if it's his age, 37, and he's just slowing down, or if the grind of the tournament means he's saving himself for the final to avoid injury. Or perhaps, he's just tired of making a living fighting.

Kendall Grove shows flashes of greatness, but then has holes in his game where he ends up on bottom and potentially gives away rounds. He looks for the finish which is great, but he looked like a Bellator level fighter on Friday, not a guy on his way back to the UFC.

At any rate, I try to stay grateful that I can watch MMA on my Friday night, and typically the Bellator cards deliver, but this one was just....meh. The Patricky Freire main/event fight the week prior did not help as Pitbull never really tried to put his opponent away, but rather, seemed to be working his Jiu-Jitsu/Wrestling as parts of his game to improve with some cage time.
I dunno, maybe I'm over thinking this. Perhaps, Bellator just tends to have exciting fights and finishes and this card lacked that, so it's a good problem to have that this main card was exceptional only in that it lacked what I like about MMA which is the propensity to finish.

"
Main Card
Rick Hawn def. Brent Weedman via Unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ron Keslar def. War Machine via technical submission (rear naked choke), 3:31 of Round 1
Kendall Grove def. Joe Vedepo via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Peter Graham def. Eric Prindle via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary Card
Paul Bradley def. Karl Amoussou via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Paul Sass def. Rod Montoya via submission (toe hold), 2:01 of Round 1
Robert Emerson def. Jared Downing via submission (heel hook), 1:44 of Round 1
Brandon Girtz def. Mike Estus via submission (armbar), 4:25 of Round 1
Cliff Wright def. Derek Loffer via submission (armbar), 4:28 of Round 2
Andre Tieva def. Chris Lane via TKO (punches), 2:14 of Round 1"