After sitting on the sidelines since January of 2015 and losing two summer bouts through no fault of his own, it would be understandable if Ian McCall didn’t have the same feeling about prizefighting that he did when he started.
But when asked if the line on his UFC bio that said he began on this journey “Because fighting is cool,” is still accurate, he laughs, then answers immediately.
“Yeah, it’s gotten cooler, but it’s cool in a different way,” McCall said. “It’s a lot more cool because we have the respect and the admiration of kids and parents and whole communities. People look up to you, and it’s a better look now.”
Is this Ian McCall, the longtime wild man of the Southern California fight scene? Has “Uncle Creepy” gone and matured on us?
“Yeah, sadly I have,” he said. “I had a good run in the other form, but there was no money in that form. That well dried up. It had to change. It’s better for the sport and it gives it more legitimacy.”
Forget the sport. It’s better for McCall and his family, especially his five-year-old daughter London, who is the primary reason why the 32-year-old is approaching life a lot differently than he did when he was first making his name in the sport. Back then, there was no daughter to raise and a career to cultivate. He was living a reckless existence and he knew it. Looking back now, he can appreciate some of those good times. But the past is just that – the past.
“I’m getting older, and as you get older, you always romanticize about the past and the good ol’ days,” he said. “And it was a lot of fun back then. It was a really good time, and I had a front row seat for the greatest part of it. I was the kid brother to the guys like Chuck (Liddell) and I had so much fun as a young man who wasn’t even 21 years old.”
Now he’s a father. And a damn good one in his eyes.
“I still get to act like a child and be silly and have fun, but I’ve realized that it takes too much energy to be an immature punk and act like an asshole, and I have to be a good example for my kid,” McCall said. “I see kids who are bad and annoying, but it’s not their fault. Ninety nine percent of the time, it’s bad parenting, and I take pride in the fact that the one thing I’m good at on this planet is being a dad. I’m always trying to teach my kid life lessons and do all this positive stuff, and I have to. I don’t have a choice. I have to make sure this little person doesn’t grow into someone I don’t like. I would like to spend the rest of my days with this little version of me and have her be someone I enjoy being around. So I had to reevaluate a lot of things.”
In theory, the change that has taken place over the last few years should make this version of Ian McCall the most dangerous version we’ve seen yet. But that’s the rub – we haven’t had the chance to see it since his January 2015 loss to John Lineker. Injuries were the first culprit, but then a July bout with Justin Scoggins was scrapped when Scoggins wasn’t going to make weight, and in September, Ray Borg was pulled from their bout days before fight night.
“It’s frustrating to a point, but I just kind of laugh it off,” he said. “With everything that’s happened, I just laugh. I’ve got a job to do, I’ve got to train, I’m getting another chance at making my career what it should be, and that’s cool. That makes me happy. I never thought this was gonna happen again, so I’m just grateful to be here.”
This Saturday, “here” is Belfast, where McCall hopes to play spoiler for the final fight of Neil Seery’s career. If he succeeds, it will be his first victory since July of 2014 and the beginning of his road back to the top of the flyweight division. He’s still ranked fifth in the world at 125 pounds, and he gave champion Demetrious Johnson two of his toughest fights. And yes, despite his status as a fan favorite who his followers would line up to see battle anybody, McCall’s goal is still the gold held by “Mighty Mouse.”
“I need a title,” he said. “I know people are starting to stray away from that and get into these Superfights, but my Superfight is with Demetrious. If Demetrious wants a seven figure payday, then let me run through a few people and then we’ll get that payday. I’ll be Conor McGregor to your Jose Aldo or Chael Sonnen to your Anderson Silva. I’ll make us money. Let me handle it.”
Conor McGregor’s historic win at UFC 205 has lifted the Irish superstar to the top of the world sports stage, and other top athletes are taking notice of the two-weight world champion.
After hitting the game-winning 3-pointer Wednesday for his Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol strutted back up court doing the “McGregor walk” in celebration.
Gasol took to Twitter after the game to quote McGregor as he shared the replay of his big-time moment against the Los Angeles Clippers. “I want to apologize…. TO ABSOLUTELY NOBODY! #GrindCity,” Gasol tweeted.
McGregor has dominated headlines in recent days after his iconic UFC 205 victory at the biggest show in company history. “The Notorious” became the first fighter to win a world title in a second weight class while still holding a title in a different division.
When Antonio Rogerio Nogueira steps into the Octagon on Saturday night, it will mark the first time since 2011 that the Brazilian light heavyweight has competed twice in the same year.
Even during his early years, Nogueira was never one to employ the “Cerrone Method” when it came to his career, logging more than three fights between January 1 and December 31 of a given year just once (2002). But for the better part of a decade, you could count on Noguiera to make two or three appearances without fail.
But that has changed over the last several years.
Injuries kept Nogueira out of the cage completely in 2012 and limited him to just a single appearance in the three years that followed. He managed a 1-2 record during that time, beating former champion Rashad Evans before dropping back-to-back contests against Anthony Johnson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
“I had a lot of injuries in the last four years,” Nogueira said, reflecting on the slow pace of his career in the cage. “I didn’t fight in 2012 and since then, I haven’t fought two times in a year (until now). I had a big problem with my lower back since 2013 and I had surgery on my knee in 2012 and that’s the reason I didn’t fight as much as I wanted.
“I want to fight two times a year, but I couldn’t because I had those problems,” added the former PRIDE standout, who holds victories over luminaries like Kazushi Sakuraba, Dan Henderson and Tito Ortiz over the course of his storied 15-year career. “This is a very good time for me. I’m in better condition and I don’t have any injuries. I’ve been doing a lot of physical therapy – one hour, two hours a day – and I think now I’m 100 percent.”
Three fights prior to stepping into the cage with Rua at UFC 190, Nogueira’s twin brother, legendary heavyweight “Minotauro” Nogueira, graced the Octagon for a final time, dropping a unanimous decision to Stefan Struve. Many questioned whether “Little Nog” would join his brother in retirement.
He didn’t, proving he’s still a dangerous threat in the 205-pound ranks with a first-round stoppage win over Patrick Cummins earlier this year at UFC 198, and he has no intention of leaving just yet.
“I don’t think I have to retire now,” Nogueira said, laughing when asked if his brother is attempting to lure him out of the cage. “No, he sees my training every day and knows I’ve been training very well this year, so he thinks I have a chance to beat the best guys in my division.”
The 40-year-old veteran gets the opportunity to do just that this weekend when he takes on Ryan Bader in the main event of the UFC’s return to Sao Paulo. It’s a bout that carries big stakes for “Little Nog,” who sits at No. 9 in the light heavyweight rankings, five spots behind Bader, as a victory would not only return him to the fringes of title contention in the turbulent division, but bring him a measure of revenge as well.
Nogueira and Bader shared the cage at UFC 119 a little over six years ago, while the Brazilian was in the midst of a seven-fight winning streak and the former TUF winner was transitioning from prospect to contender. Bader won the bout by unanimous decision, propelling him into a showdown with Jon Jones, while Nogueira was forced to take a step back.
This weekend, they’ll do it again and the proud Brazilian would like nothing more than to avenge his earlier defeat in front of the partisan fans in Brazil’s most populous city.
“This fight means a lot to me because I have a chance to fight against Ryan Bader – he’s a Top 5 fighter in the UFC,” said Nogueira, who makes his third consecutive Octagon appearance in his home country after having previously logged just a single bout in Brazil over his previous 27 fights.
“This fight is a rematch – we fought in 2010 and he beat me. It was a very close fight and this time I’m going to try to do better than 2010, so I get to win in my country. Sao Paulo is a big city, so it means a lot for me.”
UFC Middleweight contender Uriah Hall calls in ahead of his rematch with Gegard Mousasi in Belfast, Northern Ireland and talks about the Derek Brunson loss, „Houdini“ training, his relationship with Chael Sonnen, getting comfortable with the uncomfortable, loving fighting in Japan, and more. Later, rising UFC Women’s Bantamweight Raquel Pennington calls in to talk about her big win over Miesha Tate at UFC 205, going on a revenge tour, and how she matches up against Ronda and Amanda. Plus, Jim and Matt talk about the idea of a fighters union, possibilities for Conor’s next fight, and more.
Some of the highlights from Episode 44 of UFC Unfiltered include:
Uriah on motivating Gegard Mousasi
Uriah on Houdini training
Uriah on the Derek Brunson loss
Uriah talks about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable in the Octagon
Rocky wants to finish her revenge tour
Rocky on business in the Octagon versus outside friendships
Rocky sees herself as the quiet storm in the 135 division
+2.08 Significant strikes landed differential per minute rate in favor of Mousasi, 2nd best among active UFC middleweights behind Luke Rockhold’s +2.26 (min. 5 fights)
21 Career knockouts by former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion
82.5 Finishing rate percentage by The Dreamcatcher across his 40 career wins
1.34 Significant strikes absorbed per minute rate by Mousasi, best rate among active UFC middleweights and 3rd best in UFC middleweight history (min. 5 fights)
65.2 Significant striking defense percentage by Mousasi, 3rd best among active UFC middleweights and 4th best in UFC middleweight history (min. 5 fights and 350 opp. att.)
4 UFC post-fight bonuses by The Dreamcatcher including 3x Performance of the Night and 1x Fight of the Night
8 Different countries that Mousasi has fought in across his 11 UFC appearances – Brazil, England, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Philippines, Sweden and United States of America
0 Times that The Dreamcatcher has fought in back-to-back fights in the same country across his 11 UFC appearances
419 Days between Gegard Mousasi and Uriah Hall’s rematch and their first meeting, which Hall won by a spectacular second round knockout at UFC Fight Night: Barnett vs. Nelson – the only striking stoppage loss across Mousasi’s 48 professional fights
10 Current ranking of Uriah Hall as a UFC middleweight
4 KO/TKOs by “Prime Time” inside the Octagon including three first round knockouts
83.33 Career finishing rate percentage by Hall earning 10 stoppage victories across 12 career wins (8 KO/TKOs, 2 sub)
52.9 Significant striking accuracy percentage by Prime Time, 5th best in UFC middleweight history (min. 5 fights and 350 sig. att.)
3.13 Significant strikes landed per minute rate by Hall, UFC average is 2.83
74.2 Takedown defense percentage by Hall, 7th best among active UFC middleweights (min. 5 fights and 20 att.)
60 Percentage of Hall’s five UFC losses are by split-decision
128-109 Significant strikes landed to absorbed by Hall across his three split-decision losses inside the Octagon against Kelvin Gastelum, John Howard and Rafael Natal
17 The Ultimate Fighter season Hall was a finalist after earning three KO/TKOs and one unanimous decision to get there
8 Seconds it took for Hall to score a knockout of Bubba McDaniel in the TUF 17 quarterfinals
3:27:37 Total Octagon time by Ross Pearson as a UFC lightweight, 7th most in UFC lightweight history
39:14 Additional Octagon time by “The Real Deal” as Pearson has fought two bouts at featherweight and, most recently, fought at welterweight
6 Knockdowns by The Real Deal, tied for 8th most knockdowns in UFC lightweight history
5 KO/TKOs by Pearson inside the Octagon
747 Significant strikes landed by The Real Deal, 7th most in UFC lightweight history
932 Total strikes landed by Pearson, 9th most among active UFC lightweights
67.1 Significant striking defense percentage by Pearson, 8th best among active UFC lightweights (min. 5 fights and 350 opp. att.)
9 The Ultimate Fighter season Pearson won as a lightweight
3 Post-fight bonuses won by The Real Deal – 2x Fight of the Night, 1x Performance of the Night
21 UFC bouts for Pearson and Stevie Ray will be Pearson’s first opponent who was also born in the United Kingdom
24 Days notice for “The Braveheart” Stevie Ray as he stepped up to replace an injured James Krause
3-1 UFC record by Ray
6 Career KO/TKOs by The Braveheart including back-to-back knockouts in his first two UFC bouts
8 Career submissions by Ray
6 Different submissions have been used by Ray to win a pro bout – (3x) rear naked choke, armbar, triangle armbar, arm-triangle choke, D’Arce choke and heel hook
0 Times that The Braveheart has lost via KO/TKO across his 25 pro bouts
30-27, 30-27, 30-27 The judges’ scorecards as Bader landed 42 significant strikes to Nogueira’s 28 as well as „Darth“ scored 5 takedowns on 16 attempts
4 Current ranking of Ryan Bader as a UFC light-heavyweight
14 Wins by “Darth” inside the Octagon, 2nd most in modern UFC light heavyweight history behind Jon Jones’ 16
3:10:50 Total Octagon time by Bader, 4th most in UFC light-heavyweight history
7 Knockdowns by Bader, tied for most in UFC light-heavyweight history
4 KO/TKOs by Darth inside the Octagon including his most recent second round knockout of Ilir Latifi by knee at UFC Fight Night: Arlovski vs. Barnett, which earned Bader a Performance of the Night bonus
50 Seconds it took for Bader to secure a guillotine choke on Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Dodson, fastest submission in modern UFC light-heavyweight history
41 Takedowns by Darth, 2nd most takedowns in UFC light-heavyweight history behind Rashad Evans’ 50
2004, 2006 Years that Bader earned NCAA Division I All-American honors wrestling for Arizona State University
8 The Ultimate Fighter season Bader won as a light-heavyweight as a member of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s team, which is Bader’s opponent’s twin brother
9 Current ranking of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira as a UFC light-heavyweight
3 KO/TKOs by “Minotouro” inside the Octagon including his most recent first round knockout of Patrick Cummins at UFC 198
2007 Year the Nogueira won the bronze medal in boxing at the Pan American Games in the super heavyweight division
61.4 Significant striking defense percentage by Nogueira, 4th best among active UFC light-heavyweights (min. 5 fights and 350 opp. att.)
2.44 Significant strikes absorbed per minute rate by Nogueira, 5th best among active UFC light-heavyweights (min. 5 fights)
71.7 Takedown defense percentage by Nogueira, 5th best among active UFC light-heavyweights (min. 5 fights and 20 opp. att.)
2011 Most recent calendar year, besides the current one, where Nogueira competed in two UFC fights
11 Current ranking of Thomas Almeida as a UFC bantamweight
21-1 Almeida’s pro record including four wins inside the Octagon
95.2 Career finishing rate percentage by “Thominhas” as he has finished all but one of his opponents – his UFC debut unanimous decision win over Tim Gorman in November 2014
3 Consecutive knockouts by Almeida inside the Octagon
6.52 Significant strikes landed per minute rate by Thominhas, UFC average is 2.83
49 Significant striking accuracy percentage by Almeida, UFC average is 42%
83.3 Takedown defense percentage by Thominhas as he has stuffed 15 of 18 attempts, UFC average is 60.5%
100 Percentage of Almeida’s first four UFC bouts that have earned bonuses – 3x Performance of the Night and 1x Fight of the Night, only UFC fighter thus far to start their career with four straight bonuses
6-0-1 Pro record of Albert “The Warrior” Morales
28-28, 28-28, 29-27 The judges’ scorecards of Morales’ Octagon debut against The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America winner Alejandro Perez making it a “majority draw” decision
3 Career submission wins by Morales including two in the first round both by triangle choke
2 Career KO/TKOs by The Warrior including a first round knockout only 20 seconds into the bout
1 Current ranking of Claudia Gadelha as a UFC women’s strawweight
13-2 Pro record by “Claudinha” including two wins inside the Octagon and one win in Invicta FC, both losses by decision to current UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk
51 Takedown accuracy percentage by Gadelha, UFC average is 39.5%
4.29 Takedowns per 15 minutes rate by Gadelha, UFC average is 1.75
4+ Takedowns by Claudinha in all four of her UFC appearances
111 Significant strikes landed by Gadelha en route to her most recent unanimous decision win over Jessica Aguilar, 7th most in UFC women’s strawweight history
100 Percentage of Cortney “Cast Iron” Casey’s six professional wins occur in the first round
2 Of those finishes by Cast Iron occurred inside the Octagon in back-to-back bouts as Casey scored a knockout of Cristina Stanciu and, most recently, submitted Randa Markos via armbar at UFC 202
2 Fight of the Night bonuses by Casey in her first two UFC bouts against Joanne Calderwood and Seo Hee Ham
4.71 Significant strikes landed per minute rate by Cast Iron, UFC average is 2.83
45 Significant striking accuracy percentage by Casey, UFC average is 42%
The semifinals are set after two more bouts unfolded on the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter, as Ronaldo Candido took on Eric Shelton while Tim Elliott faced off with Matt „Danger“ Schnell.
Candido and Shelton kicked things off this week in a battle of Team Benavidez training partners trying to make it one step closer to earning that coveted title shot against flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. With two of his fighters squaring off against each other this week, coach Joseph Benavidez largely bowed out of getting them ready and instead brought in his teammate and good friend TJ Dillashaw to help out.
Dillashaw had plenty of past experience on The Ultimate Fighter after fighting on season 14 and then serving as a guest coach back in season 22 as well. He was a valuable resource for both Candido and Shelton as they prepared to battle it out for a spot in the semifinals.
RONALDO CANDIDO VS. ERIC SHELTON
Candido teased before the fight started that he was going to show off more than just his world-class jiu-jitsu game, but he wasted little time getting inside on Shelton in an attempt to take this bout to the ground. Candido did a good job avoiding a big, spinning back fist from Shelton early and he grabbed on to a body lock before dragging the fight to the ground. Candido was relentless with his attacks as he used every ounce of energy to get Shelton to the mat, where he unleashed his full grappling arsenal to keep him there.
Candido did a great job advancing his position and trying to lock on to Shelton’s back, but he couldn’t quite wrap up a submission before he got reversed on the ground. Shelton found just the right moment to explode and turn into Candido’s guard to escape the dangerous position. From there, Shelton was patient in escaping Candido’s guard before getting back to the feet. Once the fight returned to striking, Shelton took over with a strong arsenal of punches while Candido was breathing heavy after putting everything he had into getting that submission on the ground. The round ended with Shelton landing a hard right hand that popped Candido and left him reeling as the horn sounded.
The second round saw a lot more of the same, with Shelton using a dynamic striking game to keep Candido guessing while the Brazilian was clearly running on fumes as he desperately tried to get the fight to the ground. With each shot getting sloppier and sloppier, Candido just came up short while Shelton was quick and reactive to make sure he always got back to the center to reset. While Shelton was clearly in control, he wasn’t exactly firing off impressive combinations on the feet, although he was certainly doing more than Candido. The second round didn’t exactly impress anybody, with Shelton playing it a little safe while Candido just had nothing left in his gas tank, but when the fight was over there was no doubt who came away with the victory.
The judges all returned 20-18 scores in favor of Eric Shelton, who continues to be the upset king of The Ultimate Fighter this season.
„I told people from the beginning I wasn’t the 15th seed,“ Shelton said after his win.
With Shelton punching his ticket into the semifinals, it was time to find out who would be his opponent as Tim Elliott prepared for his showdown with Matt Schnell. With a wealth of experience under his belt, Elliott was ready for whatever Schnell had to throw at him. Add to that, Elliott knows he has such an unorthodox style that finding anybody to emulate him would be a near impossibility for Schnell and his coaches on Team Cejudo.
„I can bring in 100 guys that fight like Matt Schnell. He can’t find one Tim Elliott,“ Elliott said.
Still, Schnell believed that he had what it would take to upset Elliott and move into the next round. Schnell also needed to get a win to ensure that Team Cejudo would be represented by two fighters in the semifinals or only Alexandre Pantoja would be left standing for the next round of the tournament.
TIM ELLIOTT VS. MATT SCHNELL
As soon as the fight started, Elliott went for a spinning strike and Schnell countered with an inside leg kick but accidentally landed with a hard shot to the groin. Elliott fell to the ground in pain as everyone watching cageside cringed in pain after a very nasty kick downstairs. Thankfully, Elliott quickly recovered and he was able to restart the fight.
Elliott wasted no time coming after Schnell with everything he had as he backed up the Team Cejudo fighter, and he just started winging huge, heavy punches. Schnell did a masterful job weathering the storm before returning fire and nearly landing a takedown on Elliott with a whizzer, but he couldn’t quite maintain the position on the way to the ground. Elliott reversed and landed on top, where he started looking for punches and elbows. Schnell got into his full guard and immediately started working his way up Elliott’s back as he looked for the same triangle choke that got him into the second round.
Elliott defended but Schnell quickly transitioned into an armbar and it looked like he might get the submission finish. Schnell kicked out his hips and Elliott’s arm was fully extended, but the wily veteran refused to give up and instead started slamming his opponent on the ground while systematically working free from the submission. Once Elliot wiggled free from the armbar, he saw an opening with Schnell leaving his head up and neck exposed. Elliott capitalized and grabbed on to a guillotine choke before landing on top of Schnell on the mat. With the pressure mounting, Schnell had no choice but to tap out, giving Elliott the submission victory.
With Elliott’s win, the semifinals are now set and both fights will take place on the next episode. The first fight will see No. 1 overall seed Alexandre Pantoja – and the last man standing from Team Cejudo – take on Hiromasa Ogikubo while Team Benavidez fighters will face off when Tim Elliott meets Eric Shelton in the second bout.
Who will meet in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions? Tune in to the next episode to find out.
Due to injury, New York middleweight Oluwale Bamgbose has been forced to withdraw from his bout against Joe Gigliotti, opening the door for veteran Gerald Meerschaert to enter the Octagon for the first time to face Gigliotti on December 9 in Albany.
The UFC Fight Night event, which airs live on UFC FIGHT PASS from Times Union Center, is headlined by the heavyweight battle between Derrick Lewis and Shamil Abdurakhimov.
One of the most seasoned MMA fighters who hasn’t yet competed in the Octagon, Wisconsin’s Gerald “The Machine” Meerschaert is a 32-fight veteran who gets his shot at glory in December. A pro since 2007 who has 17 submission wins, including one over current UFC middleweight standout Sam Alvey, Meerschaert punched his ticket to the UFC with a five-fight winning streak that saw him finish each victory.
The second half of the UFC doubleheader on Saturday features a huge card in Sao Paolo, Brazil capped off with a light heavyweight showdown between Ryan Bader and Rogerio Nogueira.
Nogueira will be looking for a measure of revenge as he battles Bader for the second time after first facing off in 2010. On that night, Bader outwrestled Nogueira for 15 minutes en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Now the Brazilian wants to earn back a victory over Bader while competing in front of his home country fans.
Also on the card, top bantamweight prospect Thomas Almeida is back in action while looking to bounce back from a disappointing outing in his last fight with Cody Garbrandt. He takes on undefeated Albert Morales, who looks to make a huge impact in his second fight for the promotion against the ultra dangerous Almeida.
In today’s fantasy preview, we’re going to examine some of these key fights happening in Brazil to find out who has the edge in some of the close matchups as well as any potential upsets brewing at UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Nogueira.
SPLIT DECISION
These are the fights that are just too close to call, but a few minor differences between favorite and underdog could lead one fighter to victory and the other to defeat.
It’s been six years since Bader and Nogueira first met, so obviously it’s tough to judge whether or not that matchup will be any sort of indication about how this fight will play out. What we know for sure is that Bader has gotten much better since 2010, adding plenty of new layers to his overall mixed martial arts game.
At his core, Bader is still a phenomenal wrestler with some of the best takedowns in the sport. He’s routinely outwrestled other fighters with similar backgrounds and Nogueira definitely doesn’t have the kind of takedown defense that will likely deter Bader from putting this fight on the mat if that’s what he wants. Still, Bader has also vastly improved his striking from the last meeting while adding a lot of weapons to his arsenal, including crisper, more technical boxing. He’s even managed to add some explosive moves, like the one he used in his last fight to knock out Ilir Latifi.
As for Nogueira, he’s still largely the same fighter he was in 2010, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Nogueira has always been an incredibly tough and durable fighter with some of the best boxing the light heavyweight division has ever seen. Nogueira also gained a lot of confidence with his last win over Pat Cummins, and fighting in front of his home crowd will certainly be a boost on Saturday night.
On paper, Bader certainly has an easier path to victory if he chooses to put Nogueira on the ground and keep him there for 25 minutes. It probably wouldn’t bring the crowd to its feet in Brazil, but the result would still put another win on his resume. Bader also has knockout power in his fists and more speed than Nogueira. Of course, the Brazilian is a veteran with better technical boxing than his opponent, so Bader has to be careful not to make any dumb mistakes that would leave him open for the counter.
It’s just hard to imagine Bader losing after already beating Nogueira in 2010 while still largely a novice in the sport and considering that now he’s a much more experienced and dynamic fighter than he was in those days.
The oddsmakers have made Claudia Gadelha one of the heaviest favorites on the upcoming care in Brazil, but don’t underestimate Cortney Casey’s ability to turn this into a serious dogfight.
Casey has proven through her first four fights in the UFC that she’s as tough as nails and quite the finisher. After dropping two bouts in a row to begin her UFC career, Casey has bounced back with a TKO finish over Cristina Stanciu as well as a submission over highly touted strawweight Randa Markos in her last fight. Casey only seems to be getting better with each fight in the UFC, and that could bode well for her as she prepares to meet arguably the second best fighter in her division behind champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Gadelha is fresh off a five round battle with the champ back in July, and while the result didn’t go her way, there’s no doubt the Brazilian knows she was within inches of bringing that belt back home with her. Now Gadelha will look to restart her win streak by beating Casey on Saturday night. Gadelha’s biggest advantage in this fight will come from her wrestling and groundwork, where she’s virtually unmatched in this division. Gadelha averages over four takedowns per fight with over 50 percent accuracy, both of which are very high compared to the majority of the UFC roster.
Gadelha definitely remains the pick in this fight just based on her experience and the tremendous groundwork that could stifle and eventually frustrate Casey into making a mistake. Gadelha could also win on the feet, but that’s a much more dangerous prospect against a high volume striker like Casey. Look for Gadelha to engage on the feet early and then swoop for the takedown, where she will look to stay in control for all three rounds.
A very intriguing middleweight bout unfolds on Saturday night as veteran fighter Thales Leites takes on Krzysztof Jotko in Brazil. Leites will look to pick up his second straight win after submitting Chris Camozzi back in August, while Jotko has quietly put together four straight victories while cracking the top 15 at 185 pounds.
Jotko most recently dispatched Tamdan McCrory with a devastating first round knockout, but the Polish-born middleweight is more than capable of grinding out a decision to get a win as well. Jotko uses a good mix of striking and wrestling to keep his opponents guessing, although against a world-class grappler like Leites, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be looking to take this one to the ground.
The submission skills possessed by Leites could allow him to control where this fight takes place, as Jotko will probably avoid throwing too many kicks out of fear that he might end up planted on his back with an elite grappler on top of him. Couple that with Leites’ ever improving striking game and it’s hard to gamble against the Brazilian getting a win in his home country and stopping Jotko’s recent streak at the same time.
Coming off two impressive wins, Cezar Ferreira will look to make it three in a row as he faces Swedish powerhouse Jack „The Joker“ Hermansson this weekend. This fight truly is the definition of „striker versus grappler,“ as Ferreira will undoubtedly look to take this one to the mat while Hermansson wants to keep it standing.
Ferreira has shown incredible takedown skills since joining the UFC, with over 68 percent accuracy when looking to put his opponents on the ground. That will be a huge weapon against Hermansson, who is a knockout artist that loves to work from the clinch. If Hermansson gets locked in the clinch with Ferreira in this bout, he might find himself planted on the mat, looking for air.
That being said, Hermansson is a serious power striker with dynamite in both hands and dynamic takedown defense. Hermansson only needs to stave off a couple of those attempts from Ferreira to hopefully figure out his timing and then start teeing off with punches. Ferreira has struggled defensively on the feet before, and if he does that Saturday night, Hermansson may leave Brazil with a knockout and a bonus at the end of the night.
Prediction: Jack Hermansson by TKO, Round 2
KNOCKOUT PICKS
These are the fights that appear to be a little more one-sided, but remember that this is MMA where anything can and usually does happen.
Thomas Almeida (-320 favorite) vs. Albert Morales (+260 underdog)
Second-time UFC fighter Albert Morales might be a solid prospect one day, but he’s stepping into the lion’s den against Thomas Almeida. Morales fought to a majority draw in his UFC debut, but he’s taking a big step up in competition this weekend.
Morales is undefeated with a mix of knockouts and submissions on his record, but it’s a whole different world facing someone like Almeida, who is coming off a loss in his last fight with something to prove on Saturday night. Almeida is an explosive stand up fighter with some of the nastiest strikes in the bantamweight division. Almeida is also extremely active – landing over six and a half significant strikes per minute with nearly 50 percent accuracy.
That kind of striking onslaught doesn’t bode well for Morales, who could undoubtedly deal with jitters while facing a legitimate top 10 opponent, not to mention fighting Almeida on home soil in Brazil. Look for Almeida to come out and try to overwhelm Morales as soon as this bout begins and, considering his long list of finishes, it would be hard to see Morales making it all three rounds, much less making it out of the first.
It’s been almost a year since Johnny Eduardo last stepped foot in the Octagon, but with the memories of a disappointing fight against Aljamain Sterling still bouncing around his head, there’s no doubt he will be looking to make a statement against Manny Gamburyan. At his best, Eduardo is a nasty striker with huge knockout power in his hands who will enjoy a four-inch reach advantage over Gamburyan.
Gamburyan is a veteran, so he’s never going to just fade away without putting up a fight, but he needs to get this fight into the clinch or to the ground if he has hopes of winning. Gamburyan is no slouch on the feet, but he’s going to be giving up a lot of height and reach against an experienced striker like Eduardo. If Gamburyan can put Eduardo down early, that’s going to be a huge confidence boost to him.
Otherwise, expect Eduardo to set the pace with long, straight punches, and if he’s able to shrug off a few takedown attempts from Gamburyan, he could put together the right combination to get a finish. If Eduardo doesn’t put Gamburyan away, he’ll look to slice and dice the former Ultimate Fighter finalist for three straight rounds until he earns a victory.
Ever since Gegard Mousasi suffered a TKO loss to Uriah Hall, he’s been gunning for a rematch, and now he’ll get his chance, as the two middleweight contenders face off for a second time in the UFC’s return to Belfast, Northern Ireland this weekend.
Mousasi got the fight with Hall after a dominant performance over former champion Vitor Belfort at UFC 204. The fight will serve as a chance for Hall to get another win over a top ranked opponent following a disappointing outing in his last bout against Derek Brunson.
In today’s fantasy preview, we’re going to examine some of the key fights coming up on Saturday for UFC Fight Night: Mousasi vs. Hall 2.
SPLIT DECISION
These are the fights that are just too close to call, but a few minor differences between favorite and underdog could lead one fighter to victory and the other to defeat.
Gegard Mousasi vs. Uriah Hall
There may not be a more regrettable loss on Gegard Mousasi’s record than falling to Uriah Hall the way he did when they first met in 2015. After a dominant first round, Mousasi made the mistake of walking into a spinning back kick from Hall that landed flush on his jaw. The flashy strike ultimately led to the end of the fight as Hall picked up the biggest win of his career in the UFC. It was definitely an upset back then, but can Hall make lightning strike twice?
Hall certainly has a path to victory, which includes a strong counter striking game and never allowing Mousasi to bully him around the Octagon. Hall is the quicker fighter on the feet and he certainly has a huge arsenal of strikes, but his problem has often been not letting go and unleashing those weapons on his opponents. If Hall can avoid being gun shy, he can certainly put together the kind of combinations on the feet that could frustrate Mousasi and eventually hurt him. Hall has shown good footwork in the past, so he needs to stick and move while peppering Mousasi with strikes any time he gets overly aggressive.
That being said, Mousasi has looked better than ever since dropping the bout to Hall. He mauled Vitor Belfort in his last fight and that came after he absolutely destroyed Thiago Santos, who might be one of the most underrated strikers in the middleweight division. Mousasi has knockout power in both hands and he’s put together punishing performances recently that could give Hall nightmares by the time this fight reaches the second or third round. Of course, Hall still has that ultimate equalizer if he can land a surprise kick like the last time, but otherwise, this is Mousasi’s fight to lose.
Look for Mousasi to come out and go after Hall as soon as the referee says go and it’s hard to imagine him letting up on the pressure until he finally lands a TKO, earning redemption from his last fight with the former Ultimate Fighter finalist.
Prediction: Gegard Mousasi by TKO, Round 3
Ross Pearson vs. Stevie Ray
Expect a fun striking battle in this battle of lightweights, as Ross Pearson looks to bounce back from two consecutive losses while taking on Scottish slugger Stevie Ray in the co-main event. Throughout his UFC career, Pearson has faced nothing but the best of the best, and while he’s suffered through a couple losses recently, he remains one of the grittiest and toughest matchups for anyone in the lightweight division.
Pearson is best known for his boxing, which is exactly what Ray typically does in his fights as well. Pearson actually lands with a slightly better volume while Ray counters with his accuracy percentage points better than his British opponent. Based on recent performances, Ray has shown better stopping power with his punches, but that could potentially get him into trouble with someone as dangerous as Pearson is over three rounds.
Ray has looked very solid thus far in his UFC career, but this is a big step up in competition considering the resume Pearson has put together over the years. Pearson is a very active fighter with technically sound boxing skills, good conditioning and the ability to punish his opponents for 15 straight minutes without ever really slowing down. Ray won’t go away easy by any means, but he may be eating two strikes for every one he lands on Pearson during their exchanges. Pearson’s clean combinations should land more effectively throughout and ultimately lead him to victory on the judges’ scorecards.
Prediction: Ross Pearson by unanimous decision
Tim Johnson vs. Alexander Volkov
When you get two heavyweights together for a fight like this, anything can happen, and that’s a pretty accurate prediction for what should unfold when Tim Johnson meets UFC newcomer Alexander Volkov. Johnson has been a pleasant surprise ever since he arrived in the promotion and he’s just recently cracked the top 15 in an ever expanding division.
Volkov is a tall, powerful heavyweight with explosive hands and a very slick ground game to match. He is also a prolific finisher, but he has gone to some very close decisions in the past as well, so he’s got a gas tank to go all three rounds if necessary. Volkov will enjoy a four-inch height advantage over Johnson, so using that reach and size will be paramount for the Russian UFC rookie to land combinations and keep the American on the end of his punches.
Meanwhile, Johnson is a slugger with a ton of knockout power and unbelievable will inside the Octagon. Johnson is tough as nails and he won’t go away easy, no matter what Volkov hits him with. That kind of durability is a huge plus in a heavyweight division where one punch often changes the entire course of a fight. Johnson will also mix in takedowns to round out his strategy, so he certainly has enough weapons to keep Volkov guessing.
It’s always tough to predict how a heavyweight fight will play out, but given Johnson’s experience and power coupled with it being Volkov’s first time in the UFC, and the edge goes to the American to find an opening and put this one away before the final bell.
It’s been a long time coming for Ian McCall to finally get a fight after his last two opponents have dropped off a card just days away from stepping into the Octagon. Due to those late notice changes, McCall has been forced out of action without any fights since early 2015. This time around he gets Irishman Neil Seery, who is a remarkably tough competitor with good hands and a never say die attitude.
On paper, McCall should be a solid favorite in this matchup, considering his hands are very good and he’s always got the takedown to fall back on if things get dicey on the feet. Seery is best known for his striking, so McCall’s ability to mix it up and put him on the ground could be a great way to keep his opponent guessing over three rounds. McCall is typically a fast starter as well, so that should help him knock off the ring rust early and put Seery on the defensive immediately.
What McCall needs more than anything is patience over this 15-minute battle because no matter what he does, it’s not likely Seery will go away. It’s been nearly five years since Seery was finished in a fight and he’s never truly been put away by strikes throughout his entire career. The Irish crowd will certainly add to Seery’s excitement, but McCall still has more weapons and more ways to win over three rounds.
Prediction: Ian McCall by unanimous decision.
KNOCKOUT PICKS
These are the fights that appear to be a little more one-sided, but remember that this is MMA, where anything can – and usually does – happen.
Teruto Ishihara has become one of the most enjoyable fighters to watch in recent months and he’ll look for another show stopping performance in Belfast. Training out of Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Ishihara works alongside some of the best fighters in the world and he’s also got a wealth of personal experience under his belt as well. Ishihara is a highly unorthodox fighter with a ton of power in all of his strikes.
Now Lobov is certainly no pushover, but he hasn’t shown anything overly tremendous since joining the UFC by way of The Ultimate Fighter. On the reality show, Lobov was a finishing machine, but since venturing into the UFC, he’s had far less success. It probably won’t get much better for Lobov in this fight with Ishihara.
Look for Ishihara to try and frustrate Lobov with his movement early before uncorking big combination after big combination until he either gets the finish by TKO or beats up the Russian-born featherweight for all three rounds.
There’s no shame in Anna Elmose making her UFC debut and losing a lopsided fight to someone as good as Germaine de Randamie. After that fight was finished, Elmose dropped two weight classes for her upcoming fight in Ireland against former Ultimate Fighter competitor Amanda Cooper. Prior to that loss, Elmose was 3-0 with all three fights being finished by knockout or TKO. It’s an impressive showing, but that might get her into trouble with someone like Cooper in this matchup.
Cooper didn’t get to show much in her trip to The Ultimate Fighter finale when she ran into a human buzzsaw named Tatiana Suarez. Still, Cooper is much better than what she showed in that performance. Cooper is a very strong boxer with incredible tenacity on the feet or on the ground. Cooper seems like a solid prospect to watch for the future at 115 pounds and this could be the perfect showcase for her to prove it.
While both of them have just a handful of professional fights, Cooper has simply faced better competition, especially when adding her time on The Ultimate Fighter to her resume as well. Cooper has also been spending a lot of time alongside top-ranked women’s bantamweight star Julianna Pena to get ready for this fight, and she should be able to earn her first UFC win while handing Elmose her second straight loss inside the Octagon.
If there’s one fighter on the card to keep a close eye on, it’s Dagestani prospect Magomed Mustafaev, as he takes on American Kevin Lee. Lee is certainly a tough customer with a very heavy top game if he can get this fight to the mat, and underrated boxing skills on the feet as well. Lee seems like the kind of fighter who could be knocking on the door of the top 15 at any point in the near future, but Mustafaev might just take his spot with a win this weekend.
Mustafaev is not only a former freestyle wrestler out of Russia, but he’s also a knockout striker with a world-class team helping him to get better and better. Working alongside some of the best fighters in the world at American Top Team, Mustafaev continues to add more weapons to his already deadly arsenal and he’ll look to unleash them against Lee this weekend.
Make no mistake, Lee is a serious threat to take Mustafaev to his first decision while also handing him only the second loss of his career. Lee is a rangy power puncher with great wrestling to compliment his overall game. That being said, Mustafaev has the grappling to match Lee move for move on the ground, and his striking on the feet is absolutely nasty. If Mustfaev can catch Lee coming forward with an aggressive combination, he might just earn his 15th professional stoppage.
After sitting on the sidelines since January of 2015 and losing two summer bouts through no fault of his own, it would be understandable if Ian McCall didn’t have the same feeling about prizefighting that he did when he started.
Gasol took to Twitter after the game to quote McGregor as he shared the replay of his big-time moment against the Los Angeles Clippers. “I want to apologize…. TO ABSOLUTELY NOBODY! #GrindCity,” Gasol tweeted.
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grabbed on to a guillotine choke before landing on top of Schnell on the mat. With the pressure mounting, Schnell had no choice but to tap out, giving Elliott the submission victory.
dropping two bouts in a row to begin her UFC career, Casey has bounced back with a TKO finish over 
