MMA Fighting: All Posts by Dave Doylehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52789/mma_minimal_navy..jpg2019-03-16T19:23:42-04:00https://www.mmafighting.com/authors/dave-doyle/rss2019-03-16T19:23:42-04:002019-03-16T19:23:42-04:00UFC London results: Jorge Masvidal knocks out Darren Till in second round
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<img alt="UFC Fight Night Till v Masvidal" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9hjdZ_EtJZc29f6hRyWY2cWejOU=/36x0:5049x3342/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63250597/1136262597.jpg.1552778624.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by James Chance/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="mxBEZq">This was the sort of thing we all pictured <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/520/jorge-masvidal">Jorge Masvidal</a> was capable of achieving, through all those split decisions and runs near the top which didn’t quite get there.</p>
<p id="rQtLOw">The American Top Team competitor nicknamed “Gamebred” let his hands go on Saturday night and earned the biggest victory of his career in the process.</p>
<p id="fAfNLM">Masvidal switched over to southpaw and knocked <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3278/darren-till">Darren Till</a> cold with a pair of left hands in the main event of UFC London on Saturday night. The time of the finish was 3:05 of the second round. </p>
<p id="Fu1oi0">“I don't throw it often, I think he’d never seen me throw that and didn’t practice for it,” Masvidal said of the winning lefts. </p>
<p id="eDyABg">Masvidal came out a bit too exuberant in the early going, as he rushed right out and landed an accidental kick to the groin. After the restart, though, Till came out with bad intentions and dropped Masvidal with a huge straight left to the chin. For a brief moment, it appeared Till might get the finish, but Masvidal cleared the cobwebs and got back into the fight.</p>
<p id="6ovZPX">“Props to Darren he hit me early and I didn’t know what he it me with,” Masvidal said. “I wanted to kill him after that.”</p>
<p id="Dtdu0v">From there, a cat-and-mouse game developed, as the aggressive Till tried to hunt down Masvidal well also respecting his world-class counterstriking skills.</p>
<p id="KAZays">This back-and-forth pace continued into the second, but Masvidal noticeably got comfortable and started turning up the heat. That’s when he switched stances and drilled Till with two straight nasty left hands which ended the fight. </p>
<p id="qyK4jM">The 34-year-old Masvidal snapped a two-fight losing streak and improved to 33-13 with his 14th career knockout. Till, who was coming off an unsuccessful challenge of then-champion <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/221/tyron-woodley">Tyron Woodley</a> in his last bout, is now 17-2-1.</p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/3/16/18269025/ufc-london-results-jorge-masvidal-knocks-out-darren-till-in-second-roundDave Doyle2019-03-16T18:48:29-04:002019-03-16T18:48:29-04:00UFC London results: Leon Edwards earns impressive victory over Gunnar Nelson
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<img alt="UFC 204 Ceremonial Weigh-in Photos" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Tb2ufaO1i6MV09e06jUR0Cva5zY=/0x0:1920x1280/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63250510/312_Leon_Edwards.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Esther Lin, MMA Fighting</figcaption>
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<p id="UfKceW">The idea <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3026/leon-edwards">Leon Edwards</a> could defeat <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/295/gunnar-nelson">Gunnar Nelson</a> didn’t seem far-fetched. </p>
<p id="hl5Z0p">But beating one of the welterweight division’s great grapplers at his own game? Now that was unexpected.</p>
<p id="Uq0I5W">Edwards continued his slow-but-steady climb up the UFC welterweight ranks with his biggest win to date in Saturday’s co-feature bout at UFC London.</p>
<p id="dtC24Z">Edwards thoroughly outwrestled his Icelandic foe en route to victory. The official tally was a split decision at 02 Arena, as Edwards got 29-27 and 29-28 scores to a bizarre 29-28 Nelson score.</p>
<p id="A0bAjX">“I’m on a seven-fight win streak now in the hardest division in the sport,” Edwards said. “Put some respect on my name.”</p>
<p id="MOJzRU">Edwards set the tone early on by getting the better of Nelson, who never quite seemed himself, in both the standup, the clinch, and on the floor.</p>
<p id="fTN6vN">It was more of the same in the second, but this time, Edwards punctuated his performance with a hellacious standing elbow which immediately caused a hematoma underneath Nelson’s right eye. The elbow dropped Nelson, and Edwards pounced in the round’s closing seconds, but Nelson survived.</p>
<p id="DBdbFy">Nelson showed signs of life in the final round and final got a takedown and into top position in the final minute, but it was too little, too late. </p>
<p id="NHIFlZ">With his seventh straight win and fourth decision victory in his past five, Edwards is now 17-3. Nelson (17-4-1) has now dropped two of his past three. </p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/3/16/18268993/ufc-london-results-leon-edwards-earns-impressive-victory-over-gunnar-nelsonDave Doyle2019-03-16T18:18:44-04:002019-03-16T18:18:44-04:00UFC London results: Dominick Reyes grinds out split decision over Volkan Oezdemir
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<img alt="MMA: UFC 229-Saint Preux vs Reyes" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hYvcQM9xEF9n5L9vhDLNam75ROs=/0x0:4954x3303/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63250423/usa_today_11393397.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="jAVNYg">An undefeated light heavyweight has another notch on his belt as he climbs the ranks.</p>
<p id="iHmVV2"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4111/dominick-reyes">Dominick Reyes</a> took on former title challenger <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2557/volkan-oezdemir">Volkan Oezdemir</a> on the main card of Saturday’s UFC London card. The bout was a hard-hitting battle of attrition which could have gone either way. That’s attested to by the judges’ scores at O2 Arena: Three 29-28 cards, two of which went Reyes’ way for a split decision victory.</p>
<p id="nGbJ5s">With the win, Reyes is now 11-0 overall and 5-0 in the UFC. </p>
<p id="CfYOan">“It as a tough fight, he was a hell of an opponent,” Reyes said after his third career decision victory. “I took some shots but I gave more but I deserve the one.”</p>
<p id="GETtaa">Oezdemir had his best round in the first, despite eating an accidental kick to the groin. He landed well from range but was also proactive about initiating the clinch and got the best of grappling exchanges.</p>
<p id="Ivf61g">But the pace slowed in the second, which resulted in the tightest stanza in the fight, with cases to be made for either fighter.</p>
<p id="nPq5Rg">Reyes, however, shows the most urgency in the final round, landing nice shots over the final two minutes, which likely sealed the fight in his favor. </p>
<p id="gH86Z7">Oezdemir (15-4) has now dropped three in a row, dating back to an unsuccessful challenge of then-champion <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/373/daniel-cormier">Daniel Cormier</a> at <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/923/ufc-220">UFC 220</a>. </p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/3/16/18268970/ufc-london-results-dominick-reyes-grinds-out-split-decision-over-volkan-oezdemirDave Doyle2019-03-16T17:37:17-04:002019-03-16T17:37:17-04:00UFC London results: Nathaniel Wood submits Jose Quinonez in second round
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<figcaption>Esther Lin, MMA Fighting</figcaption>
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<p id="TMplym">At the rate is going, we’re going to have to change <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3738/nathaniel-wood">Nathaniel Wood</a>’s nickname from “The Prospect” to “The Contender.”</p>
<p id="EWFyRN">The 25-year-old Englishman had his third submission win in as many UFC fights over just nine months on Saturday, as he fought on his home turf and earned a victory over <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3076/jose-quinonez">Jose Quinonez</a> on the main card at UFC London.</p>
<p id="gRu5F8">The time of the stoppage via rear-naked choke submission was 2:46 of the second round in the bantamweight matchup.</p>
<p id="Pay4Fd">“This means so much to me,” Wood, draped in England’s flag, said after the fight. </p>
<p id="1868bO">Tijuana’s Quinonez was game and came ready to scrap. But while he landed his shots here and there, Wood simply had too much for him, a relentless, forward-moving mix of grappling and striking.</p>
<p id="T1vwUG">It seemed a mere matter of time in the second after Wood got his opponent to the ground, and indeed, once he got the rear-naked choke in tight, Quinonez had little choice left but to tap.</p>
<p id="XrfzGX">Wood (16-3) now has 14 career wins via finish, while Quinonez (7-2) had a four-fight win streak snapped. </p>
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https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/3/16/18268938/ufc-london-results-nathaniel-wood-submits-jose-quinonez-in-second-roundDave Doyle2019-03-16T17:20:24-04:002019-03-16T17:20:24-04:00UFC London results: Claudio Silva edges ‘gutted’ Danny Roberts
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<img alt="MMA: UFC Fight Night-Liverpool: Silvia vs Taleb" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/j7EqOy0fsHMKJfvcJMrJBQ2_e4o=/0x0:6192x4128/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63250297/usa_today_10863423.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="S014G8">It seemed inevitable Claudio Silva was going to get a submission at some point in his welterweight fight with <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/171/daniel-roberts">Danny Roberts</a>.</p>
<p id="dWSS6Y">Silva spent what seemed to be the bulk of their UFC London main card bout working for submissions, while the best his British foe had to offer was that he had the pluck to avoid tapping out.</p>
<p id="PBzpEj">Then, late in the third round, it happened: Silva trapped Roberts in an armbar, and it was waved off for a verbal submission with Roberts vigorously disputed. The time of the stoppage was 3:31.</p>
<p id="Wb2EuS">“I felt he stopped it straightaway,” Silva said. “I wanted to submit him as smart as possible, as fast as possible, but he was a battler.”</p>
<p id="tzStZ8">The finishing sequence came after a back and forth ground scrap. Silva applied the armbar; Roberts twice slammed his foe to the mat, but Silva cinched it in again when they hit the mat and the bout was then waved off.</p>
<p id="TGDTcy">Roberts, for his part, swore he was okay.</p>
<p id="bL8Q2e">“The ref stopped it at the time when I escaped,” Roberts said. “I’m just gutted. I was already out of the armbar. I might have grunted, it hurt. But I wasn’t done.”</p>
<p id="CGb4m1">Regardless, Silva (13-1) was well on his way to an easy decision barring a Roberts miracle. He’s now 4-0 in the UFC after his 10th career finish and has won 13 straight bouts since dropping his pro debut. Roberts (16-4) had a two-fight win streak snapped. </p>
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https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/3/16/18268910/ufc-london-results-claudio-silva-edges-gutted-danny-robertsDave Doyle2019-03-16T16:41:53-04:002019-03-16T16:41:53-04:00UFC London results: Jack Marshman ekes out decision over John Phillips
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<img alt="Jack Marshman will compete at 170 pounds in his upcoming fight." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FenShvUSGB45YbaUwkRXEw0uWuM=/0x0:1920x1280/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63250224/129_Jack_Marshman.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Esther Lin, MMA Fighting</figcaption>
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<p id="9tIsQN">Finally, we have the long-awaited answer to the much-debated question: Who is the best middleweight in Wales?</p>
<p id="s7Sjqq">But not by much.</p>
<p id="WZvCDq">A pair of Welshmen squared off in the main-card opener of UFC London on Saturday, as <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1251/jack-marshman">Jack Marshman</a> met <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/917/john-phillips">John Phillips</a>. It was a tightly contested affair, tight enough that it went down to a split decision.</p>
<p id="IQ5oKI">Marshman got the better end of two out of 29-28 scorelines at O2 Arena to get the split-decision nod. </p>
<p id="dYswGr">“My 31st fight and I’ve never stuck to a game plan once,” Marshman, who missed weight for what turned into a 188-pound catchweight bout, said after the fight.</p>
<p id="5BZdbR">Phillips had his best round in the first, as he dropped Marshman with a looping left hook. He then made the debatable decision to let Marshman back to his feet rather than follow up, and Marshman wasted little time getting back into the fight.</p>
<p id="vSqRBO">The rest of the way, Marshman by and large dictated the flow, as he effectively parried his slugging foe and was smart with his counters as Phillips never again could get quite untracked.</p>
<p id="tosFlJ">“I felt in the second and third round I didn’t really get hit,” Marshman said. “You stand there with John Phillips you’ll get your head knocked off.”</p>
<p id="tyJ9kB">Marshman (23-8) is now 3-3 in his UFC run after his fifth career decision win. Phillips (21-9, 1 NC) has now lost all three of his UFC fights.</p>
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https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/3/16/18268870/ufc-london-results-jack-marshman-ekes-out-decision-over-john-phillipsDave Doyle2019-03-16T16:02:59-04:002019-03-16T16:02:59-04:00 UFC London results: Arnold Allen earns clear-cut decision over Jordan Rinaldi
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<img alt="UFC Fight Night 84 Photos" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/r9nvt1dk3v6M48MAsXEprh40ark=/0x0:1920x1280/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63250167/036_Arnold_Allen_vs_Yaotzin_Meza.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Esther Lin, MMA Fighting file photo</figcaption>
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<p id="h03ECj">Lest there was any doubt remaining, there should be no more: <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3289/arnold-allen">Arnold Allen</a> is a legit up-and-comer in the UFC featherweight division.</p>
<p id="ByXben">The 25-year-old from Suffolk, England competed on his home turf Saturday and was victorious at UFC London. Allen was rarely threatened as he cruised to a unanimous-decision victory over <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1481/jordan-rinaldi">Jordan Rinaldi</a> in the featured prelim bout at 02 Arena. The judges scores were 30-26, 30-27, and 29-28.</p>
<p id="rzMdIR">With the victory, Allen (14-1) has now won seven straight bouts, including all five in the UFC.</p>
<p id="zb3aZc">The path of this fight was straightforward for the better part of 15 minutes: Allen pushed the pace, parried Rinaldi’s attempts as implementing his wrestling game, and while he never came close to finishing the fight, his offensive flurries were more than enough to convince the judges. Allen made a point to turn up the heat toward the end of each round to leave a strong impression with the judges. </p>
<p id="81Rfz5">“I know how good I am, but I get excited and throw my arms about. So I wanted to prove a point and prove I could stay calm against an opponent like this.”</p>
<p id="uetVsg">Rinaldi (14-7) has now dropped two of his past three fights and the Las Vegas-based competitor is 2-3 in the UFC. </p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/3/16/18268786/ufc-london-results-arnold-allen-earns-clear-cut-decision-over-jordan-rinaldiDave Doyle2019-03-16T14:17:58-04:002019-03-16T14:17:58-04:00UFC London results: Molly McCann ignores nasty orbital injury, defeats Priscila Cachoeira
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<figcaption>Cage Warriors file photo</figcaption>
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<p id="kbjajn"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4457/molly-mccann">Molly McCann</a> wasn’t about to let her home-court advantage go to waste.</p>
<p id="s0VeyQ">The Liverpool-based flyweight was clearly pumped to be fighting in the U.K. on Saturday, and that was bad news for opponent <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4327/priscila-cachoeira">Priscila Cachoeira</a>. </p>
<p id="L61aVI">McCann held her own against a striker, dominated when the fight hit the ground, and then gutted her way through a possible orbital fracture in the third round en route to a unanimous decision. The judges’ scores at UFC London were 29-28 across the board.</p>
<p id="q6gdyw">“Honestly I’ve been through hell and back since the last fight,” McCann said after becoming the first English woman to win a UFC fight. “I wanted to give a performance you’d be proud of.”</p>
<p id="TrSjdf">In the opening round, both competitors came out swinging, as Cachoeira landed but McCann answered with solid counters. Later in the round, McCann scored a takedown and then went to work hunting for submissions. After a choke attempt wasn’t quite positioned right, McCann transitioned to a triangle and then an armbar attempt.</p>
<p id="m5M24j">The second round saw McCann pick up the pace and get the better end of the striking. In the third, Cachoeira landed a right which appeared to cause an orbital bone injury as McCann’s left eye swelled nearly shut.</p>
<p id="nCeqt8">Cachoeira poured things on, and in the final minute, the referee called timeout so the doctor could check McCann out. The doctor took a look at an eye completely swollen shut and judged McCann fit to continue, as the fight went the distance. </p>
<p id="LJrFzC">With the victory, McCann (8-3) shook off a loss in her UFC debut and won for the seventh time in her past eight fights. Cachoeira, whose UFC debut last year was a horrifically one-sided loss to current flyweight champ <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3494/valentina-shevchenko">Valentina Shevchenko</a>, dropped to 8-2. </p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/3/16/18268744/ufc-london-results-molly-mccann-ignores-nasty-orbital-injury-defeats-priscila-cachoeiraDave Doyle2019-03-16T11:00:00-04:002019-03-16T11:00:00-04:00Fightweets: Why do MMA’s superstars burn out?
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/p3dXD4I5S3Yr78-pG8QVVvxZpnA=/0x0:1920x1280/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63248577/336_Khabib_Nurmagomedov_vs_Conor_McGregor.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Esther Lin, MMA Fighting</figcaption>
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<p id="XM6IZn">You’re probably reading this as UFC London is ongoing on Saturday. We’re no longer in the FOX era, where you’d have enough time to read everything that’s been published in the history of the site in between fights, so let’s get right into things in the latest edition of Fightweets:</p>
<h3 id="g3zcHG"><strong>Is being an MMA superstar a curse?</strong></h3>
<p id="RJuEwj"><em>@chjobin: Rousey saying it’s a privilege to hear her speak. McGregor smashing cell phones. Is it a curse to be a big PPV star or they just are stupid folks?</em></p>
<p id="dKbbiq"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1859/conor-mcgregor">Conor McGregor</a> and <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/871/ronda-rousey">Ronda Rousey</a> are far from stupid. You don’t shatter the glass ceiling and help redefine women’s role in athletics the way Rousey did if you don't have a brain in your head. And with McGregor, I mean, this is a guy who lured <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4155/floyd-mayweather-jr">Floyd Mayweather</a> into his orbit to make a gigantic paycheck, and then had the sense to strike while his brand was hot and launch his own whiskey. You don’t will deez tings into existence without a preponderance of functioning grey matter.</p>
<p id="K43Rt5">The problem, as we’ve found over and over again in combat sports since well before mixed martial arts was ever a thing, is that a superstar reaches a certain peak and the hype machine is so great that you either start to believe in your own hype, or you start to think you’re untouchable, and that’s where the downfall starts.</p>
<p id="X78sjd">In the case of Rousey, unquestionably she bought into her own hype. Why wouldn’t she? Not only was she making it look easy in the cage, but she was being sized up for leading roles in Hollywood, and people were seriously debating if she’d beat Mayweather in a fight, and the hysteria reached the infamous “Once in a lifetime does not apply to Ronda Rousey” levels.</p>
<p id="ZEi41r">Get subjected to that type of talk for long enough, and that’s when you start to believe you can step in the cage with a three-weight-class world boxing champion in <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2173/holly-holm">Holly Holm</a> and beat her at her own game. Surround yourself with the type of people who allow you to buy into your hype, and that’s how you get yourself into a situation in which you tune out the outside world after Holm hands you your ass, turn off your fan base, and then return and look like the game has completely passed you by, barely a year after it seemed like the world was yours.</p>
<p id="XMaNeQ">That was Ronda’s deal. McGregor has never come off like he bought his hype. But, I mean, since the Mayweather fight, we’ve seen one little hint after another of someone who believes the rules don’t apply to him, from his speeding incident in Dublin to his in-the-cage Bellator incident all leading up to the infamous <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/935/ufc-223">UFC 223</a> fight week.</p>
<p id="aF9aAT">And what came out of the Brooklyn incident? He got the sort of slap on the wrist from the legal system we’ve come to expect from a society in which the wealthy can con their idiot kids into elite colleges, and then the UFC went and used the footage from the incident to make for the biggest grossing pay-per-view in company history.</p>
<p id="8hDpFO">Of course McGregor’s going to feel untouchable at this point. Every signal he’s gotten is that he can do no wrong. As long as his drawing power holds up, that won’t change.</p>
<p id="Vihh0F">That said, I’m not sure I’m willing to <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/3/14/18266355/conor-mcgregor-being-sued-by-alleged-victim-in-miami-phone-smash-case">put this week’s issues</a> involving a fan and his phone into this narrative. Have you seen how obnoxious some fans can be. Not just in MMA, but in all forms of sports and entertainment? Part of me is kind of surprised these sort of incidents don’t happen more often.</p>
<p id="lT93PL">Still, there’s a bigger picture here. If McGregor has a downfall, it won’t be a Rousey-esque spectacular implosion, but rather the classic piece-by-piece breakdown. Maybe we’re in the middle of watching a future documentary unfold right before our eyes. Time will tell.</p>
<h3 id="iC37dz"><strong>All-women’s UFC event?</strong></h3>
<p id="BhKUq3"><em>@craigmoore02: Do you think there will ever be an all-female UFC fight card?</em></p>
<p id="rMZ5HB">You do know there’s this all-women’s fight promotion called Invicta FC which has been around for seven years, helped open people’s eyes to the depth of talent on the women’s side of the sport, and is still doing their thing well after the UFC got into the WMMA game, right?</p>
<p id="jRn4Jk">Seriously though, at this stage of the game, the idea of an all-women’s PPV main card or linear ESPN sounds worth a try. Why not? Themed MMA events don’t come along that often, in large part due to timing in terms of who is available to fight on any given date, but we’ve had them work.</p>
<p id="r69T86">The all-heavyweight <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/414/ufc-146-dos-santos-vs-mir">UFC 146</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_146">main card</a>, for example, helped set up the rematch between <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/22/junior-dos-santos">Junior dos Santos</a> and <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/37/cain-velasquez">Cain Velasquez</a> and also marked <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/775/stipe-miocic">Stipe Miocic</a> as a rising star. It was a well-received and well-executed event.</p>
<p id="TspNBt">Granted, this isn’t 100 percent apples-and-orange comparison, but if you want to showcase how far things have come along, why not? A main card with two title fights, a couple clear-cut contender’s bouts, and maybe a showcase matchup featuring an up-and-comer, sounds like an event worth your time and mine.</p>
<h3 id="DnG3KR"><strong>‘Bones’ and heavyweight</strong></h3>
<p id="jlO0LI"><em>@AgentTylerScarn: Does </em><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/47/jon-jones"><em>Jon Jones</em></a><em> move up and fight DC right away for HW title or does he get a tune up fight at HW first?</em></p>
<p id="6t4DwC">I mean, at the moment, Jones seems content to simply fight whatever warm 205-pound body the UFC can dredge up, and ride that out for as long as that lasts. And to be fair, given that Jones’ <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1009/ufc-235">UFC 235</a> bout with <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1091/anthony-smith">Anthony Smith</a> reportedly did a shockingly high buy rate, I can’t fault him for not wanting to push out of his comfort zone. So we’ll keep getting game-but-unheralded challengers (If <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/938/thiago-santos">Thiago Santos</a> is indeed next, he at least has a legit puncher’s chance of keeping things interesting the way he hits) until that inevitable jump to 265 occurs.</p>
<p id="vJTGjV">Whether or not it’s an immediate title fight would seem to depend on timing and circumstances. It’s not like we’re talking about DC, who was a natural heavyweight who damn near starved himself to get to 205. Jones will be giving up size to many of the top heavyweights. Maybe an <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/101/anderson-silva">Anderson Silva</a>-like approach to moving up in class would be the best way for Jones to go.</p>
<p id="mKrzJP">Unless Cormier is still the champ, in which case, how can you not go straight to a title fight? Jones has already proven he can beat DC at 205 and this is the only wrinkle left which would sell a trilogy. I know all the reasons why this fight might not happen, but if I’m the only one banging this drum, I’ll do it until someone comes and rips the drumsticks out of my hands.</p>
<h3 id="iJ5FxT"><strong>UFC London upset special</strong></h3>
<p id="m0y5dL"><em>@knewri: Bigger chance to upset this weekend, Volkan or Masvidal?</em></p>
<p id="oo2DGk">Is “neither fighter winning sounds like a huge upset to me” an option? I mean, with <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/520/jorge-masvidal">Jorge Masvidal</a>, sure, he’s going over to England and fighting <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3278/darren-till">Darren Till</a> on Till’s home turf in Saturday’s UFC London main event. But Masvidal’s record, littered with so many split decisions, is one of the most deceptive in the sport. And when you examine Till’s record, he lost in bad fashion to <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/221/tyron-woodley">Tyron Woodley</a>; his win over <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1559/stephen-thompson">Stephen Thompson</a> was a questionable call; and he drew with <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3236/nicolas-dalby">Nicolas Dalby</a>.</p>
<p id="yY7XnR">And in the case of <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight/8852/volkan-oezdemir-vs-dominick-reyes">Volkan Oezdemir vs. Dominick Reyes</a> ... are we really writing <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2557/volkan-oezdemir">Oezdemir</a> off this soon? Yeah, he hasn’t looked great, but losses to DC and Anthony Smith aren’t exactly bad defeats. If Reyes wins, that would seem more down to the latter proving he’s the real deal than the former being a fraud.</p>
<h3 id="UGBfE7"><strong>Improbable title runs</strong></h3>
<p id="pD82Rd"><em>@MattBrownM2: Do you think BJ Penn has a shot at making another run at the title?</em></p>
<p id="fCgudB">Are we talking about the “Fighter who is tarnishing his legacy worst by insisting on continuing” title? Because there’s almost nothing I think I want to see less in MMA right now than <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/73/b-j-penn">B.J. Penn</a> fighting again. </p>
<h3 id="Tj1sUR"><strong>Bad decisions</strong></h3>
<p id="j1AlKB"><em>@chinmaybhogle: How would you rank these potential decisions (worst - best)</em></p>
<p id="1vrmRg"><em>1) </em><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3131/cm-punk"><em>CM Punk</em></a><em> fighting again in the UFC</em></p>
<p id="eMTY3C"><em>2) </em><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/27/brock-lesnar"><em>Brock Lesnar</em></a><em> actually getting that title shot </em></p>
<p id="Pfl5t5"><em>3) Penn getting another fight after losing badly to </em><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/354/clay-guida"><em>Clay Guida</em></a></p>
<p id="yeYQ06"><em>4) </em><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/83/vitor-belfort"><em>Vitor Belfort</em></a><em> fighting </em><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1133/roy-jones"><em>Roy Jones</em></a><em> Jr</em></p>
<p id="3cUOmC">Well, there you have it. I thought there was nothing I wanted to see less in mixed martial arts in 2019 than Penn continuing his fighting career, and then this guy drops “CM Punk fighting again in the UFC.” I think my work here is done.</p>
<div id="jzxXOe"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75.171%;"><iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/upg0i1m4DLe5q" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media"></iframe></div></div>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/3/16/18268072/fightweets-why-do-mmas-superstars-burn-outDave Doyle2019-03-12T20:00:00-04:002019-03-12T20:00:00-04:00Joe Schilling vs. Keith Berry set for Bellator 219
<figure>
<img alt="Joe Schilling" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QuZE08E0GYGdDQFvp6ytaQl0WsQ=/0x0:1600x1067/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63227798/schilling-entrance.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Joe Schilling walks to the cage</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="vmyNJe">A crossover kickboxer returns to the Bellator MMA cage on March 29.</p>
<p id="nI2Abh">Former Glory standout <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3032/joe-schilling">Joe Schilling</a> will meet <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/990/keith-berry">Keith Berry</a> in a middleweight matchup at <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1018/bellator-219-koreshkov-vs-larkin">Bellator 219</a> in Temecula, Calif., the company announced Tuesday.</p>
<p id="4EyYgG">Schilling has found mixed results in MMA, compiling a 3-5 record. But he’s also coming off a win in his most recent bout, a corner stoppage TKO over <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4517/will-morris">Will Morris</a> at <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1017/bellator-218-sanchez-vs-grimshaw">Bellator 218</a>, which was Schilling’s first MMA fight in two-and-a-half years.</p>
<p id="eSyJcE">Berry (15-14-1, 1 NC) will be fighting inside the Bellator cage for the first time in two years and seeking his first win since 2013. He won his first two Bellator fights, but has since had three losses, a no-contest, and a majority draw against <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2078/kevin-casey">Kevin Casey</a> in at <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/847/bellator-170">Bellator 170</a>. His most recent outing, a fight against <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1974/joe-henle">Joseph Henle</a> at the <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1002/golden-boy-mma-liddell-vs-ortiz-3">Golden Boy MMA</a> show last November, ended in Berry losing by first-round submission. When Berry is on, though, he’s a finisher, with nine knockouts and four submissions among his 15 wins. </p>
<p id="axDc9c">Bellator 219 will be headlined with a lightweight bout pitting <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/731/saad-awad">Saad Awad</a> against <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1994/brandon-girtz">Brandon Girtz</a>.</p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/3/12/18262590/joe-schilling-vs-keith-berry-set-for-bellator-219Dave Doyle