Saturday 30 December 2017

UFC 219 Preview



DISCLAIMER: This article is previewing four of the main card fights ONLY.

(C) indicates the current champion.

2017 has been an interesting year for the UFC.

From the returns of Jon Jones and Georges Saint-Pierre to their biggest star, Conor McGregor, boxing Floyd Mayweather Jr, it's been a strange but good year for the leading Mixed Martial Arts organisation.

The final Pay-Per-View card of the year will take place on 30th December and it's one hell of a card that sees the return of two of the most well-rounded fighters on the planet, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Cris Cyborg.




Carlos Condit vs Neil Magny (Welterweight Bout)

The return of Carlos Condit (30-10 MMA, 7-6 UFC) is weird.

Good but weird.

'The Natural Born Killer' last fought in August 2016 against Demian Maia, were he lost via first-round rear-naked choke.

Now, he's back to fight Neil Magny (19-6 MMA, 12-5 UFC), who recently lost to Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 215. 

A few months ago, Condit said to MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani “That feeling never really left honestly, man.

 “I’m a fighter, this is what I love to do, there’s obviously a lot of different factors that go into making decisions. And as important as what I’m doing with my life and career and all that stuff. I think I wanted to fight, I’ll probably want to fight until the day I’m dead.”





 Whilst it might be worrying to read that Condit wants to fight until the day he dies, the former UFC Welterweight challenger has a steady coffee business that he looks to be putting his money into.

For Magny, he'll no doubt be up for giving Condit his third loss in a row.
PREDICTION: Condit wins via second-round knockout.







 Cynthia Calvillo vs Carla Esparza (Women's Strawweight Bout)

Undefeated Cynthia Calvillo (6-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) takes on Carla Esparza (12-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) in what is a potential Strawweight Championship eliminator.

 Esparza is the favourite, despite not having the best record in the Octagon, but she has the experience over Calvillo but this'll no doubt be a good stand-up fight.


PREDICTION: Esparza wins via unanimous decision.


Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Edson Barboza (Lightweight Bout)

The return of Khabib Nurmagomedov (24-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the co-main event against Edson Barboza (19-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) is one hell of a match up.

Khabib last fought on the historic UFC 205, were he dominated Michael Johnson, but was meant to fight Tony Ferguson at UFC 209 on 4th March and unfortunately pulled out due to a botched weight cut.

Now though, the former World Sambo Champion is back to earn a title shot by going through the Brazilian.

However, Barboza is a stunning striker who holds the record for being the only fighter to win twice via leg kicks and isn't there just to give 'The Eagle' another win.

There is concern over Khabib making weight, but he looks set to make it as his head coach Javier Mendez updated the MMA community on Instagram:


A post shared by Javier Mendez (@akajav) on



If Khabib wins, he'll either have to wait to fight the winner of Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson or he'll fight the aforementioned Ferguson for the interim Championship.

For Barboza, it's a golden opportunity to not only hand Khabib his first ever loss but to shoot up the lightweight division.


PREDICTION: Khabib wins via unanimous decision.




Cris Cyborg (C) vs Holly Holm (For the Women's Featherweight Championship)

In the main event, the monstrous Cris Cyborg (18-1 (1 No Contest) MMA, 3-0 UFC) takes on 'The Preacher's Daughter' Holly Holm (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) for the Women's Featherweight Championship.

Many have backed Holm due to her knocking out the other seeming unstoppable woman of MMA (Ronda Rousey) and they may be on to something, as Conor McGregor's head coach Jon Kavanagh details.





Holly recovered from three losses by hitting a stunning headkick KO on Bethe Correia back in July at UFC Fight Night Singapore and showed that she's still a world class fighter.

Cyborg is notorious for dominating her opponent with vicious and frequent strikes that lead to the stoppage but Holm is a former Kickboxing Champion and won't be taken out early by the former StrikeForce Women's Featherweight Championship.

This fight is certainly the biggest Women's MMA fight since Rousey v Holm, arguably the biggest ever, and it'll hopefully end the year in style for the UFC.

PREDICTION: Holm wins via third-round knockout.










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Sunday 12 November 2017

UFC 217 Review




DISCLAIMER: This article is reviewing one fight from the Fox Sports 1 prelims and all the main card fights ONLY.

UFC 217 is in the books and even a week later, it's still being discussed and reviewed to how the results of it have influenced the MMA world.

With three new champions, and one of them being a returning legend, UFC 217 may well have a case for being the greatest MMA event ever.











Randy Brown defeats Mickey Gall via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 and 29-27)

Randy Brown (now 10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) won the Dana White Lookin' For a Fight title (not actually a title, Mickey Gall (now 4-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) joked about it before his fight against Sage Northcutt)  by defeating Mickey Gall via unanimous decision in Gall's worst performance in the Octagon.
Paulo Costa defeats Johny Hendricks via second-round knockout (1:23)

Paulo Costa (now 11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) defeated former Welterweight championship challenger Johny Hendricks (now 18-8 MMA, 13-8 UFC) in convincing fashion.

Going into the fight, Hendricks thought he'd missed weight, but did make it, and although this shouldn't be an excuse for Hendricks, who was dominated by his Brazilian opponent, it's quite clear that he's not where he was back in 2013 when he came close to winning the Welterweight title.




Stephen Thompson defeats Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27 and 30-27)

Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson (now 14-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) defeated Jorge Masvidal (now 32-13 MMA, 9-6 UFC) in a good striking fight that saw Thompson regain his momentum after his majority draw and loss fights to Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley. 

Whether he'll get another title shot is up in the air, although there is a young up-and-comer called Darren Till who would love to get into the Octagon with 'Wonderboy'.





Rose Namajunas defeats Joanna Jedrzejczyk via first-round knockout (3:03) to become the new Women's Strawweight Champion
Rose Namajunas (now 14-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) shocked the world by dethroning Joanna Jedrzejczyk (now 7-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) for the Women's Strawweight Championship in just over three minutes.

In the build-up to the fight, Joanna showed her brilliant mental warfare by getting into Rose's face and whispering insults, some of them quite crude, in Polish.

However, Rose stayed calm and collected and went into the fight with a clear plan to shock the world.

A potential rematch could happen but whether Joanna needs to bounce back with a win before getting her rematch.















T.J. Dillashaw defeats Cody Garbrandt via second-round knockout (2:41) to become the new Bantamweight Champion

In a blockbuster co-main event, former team-mates T.J Dillashaw (now 15-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and Cody Garbrandt (now 11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) went to war over Garbrandt's Bantamweight Championship.

 Many thought Garbrandt would pick up the win, and maybe put the rivalry to bed, but T.J rocked Cody with a left hook and continued to punch him before he was crowned champion.

In his post-fight interview, T.J called out UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson for a super-fight at 125 pounds. If that comes off or not, it looks as if Cody might not be next in line for a title shot.












Georges Saint-Pierre defeats Michael Bisping via third-round rear-naked choke (4:23) to become the new Middleweight Champion

After nearly four years, Georges Saint-Pierre (now 26-2 MMA, 20-2 UFC) returned to the Octagon to beat Michael Bisping (now 30-8 MMA, 20-8 UFC) for the UFC Middleweight Championship and put himself as the greatest martial of all-time, in my opinion at least.

To step away for four years and not only step up a weight class, but to beat the champion in a very good performance is remarkable and could've only been done by a small number of fighters (Anderson Silva, Demetrious Johnson are some names I think could do it).

It also came out after the fight that 'Rush' had an injured neck during his scrap with Bisping, saying on a Thursday media conference call:  'During the fight, I got a very bad inflammation in my neck and I couldn't really move my head much, especially at the end when I cooled down after the fight.

It was terrible. I couldn't even tie up my shoes. It was very bad.'

For Bisping, he's right back into the Octagon against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Fight Night Shanghai on 25th November.

For Saint-Pierre, it's in his contract that he'll defend the title against interim UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker, although GSP didn't confirm on the MMAHour that he would in fact face the Australian.

Whoever he faces next, it'll no doubt be the biggest fight possible, with McGregor not around.








 



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Saturday 4 November 2017

UFC 217 Preview



DISCLAIMER: This article is previewing one fight from the Fox Sports 1 Prelims and all the main card fights ONLY.

(C) indicates current champion.

Almost exactly a year since the UFC held it's first-event in New York, UFC 205, Dana White and co return to Madison Square Garden with another outstanding card.

With three title fights, one featuring the return of former UFC Welterweight champion Georges Saint-Pierre, and brilliant match ups from top to bottom, let's preview the UFC's biggest PPV event of 2017.



Randy Brown vs Mickey Gall (Welterweight Bout)

Randy Brown (9-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) will take on Mickey Gall (4-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) on the Fox Sports 1 prelims.

Gall is back 11 months after his last fight, second-round submission victory over Sage Northcutt at UFC ON Fox 22, and has already said he has a name prepared for when he defeats Brown.

Brown will be looking to avoid his second loss in a row but is no doubt aware of Gall's impressive submission skills.


PREDICTION: Gall wins via first-round submission.









Johny Hendricks vs Paulo Borrachinha (Welterweight Bout)
Johny Hendricks ( MMA, UFC) either didn't care or was just horrible at making the 170 pounds mark for Welterweight.

He missed weight for his welterweight fights against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 200, Neil Magny at UFC 207, both of which he lost.

Hendricks then moved up to Middleweight to face Tim Boetsch at UFC Fight Night 112... but he AGAIN missed weight.

He now faces Paulo Borrachinha (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and will be looking to getting his career back on track.


 PREDICTION: Borrachinha via unanimous decision.








Stephenson Thompson vs Jorge Masvidal (Welterweight Bout)

This fight promises to be a striking slug-fest, with Stephen Thompson (13-2-1 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) looking to bounce back from his majority decision loss to UFC Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 209.

His opponent, Jorge Masvidal (32-12 MMA, 9-5 UFC), is also looking to bounce back from his split decision loss to Demain Maia at UFC 211 and will be out in dispatch Thompson via a stunning knockout or submission.

However, 'Wonderboy' has shown that he's extremely tough to put away, adding to this blockbuster welterweight encounter.


PREDICTION: Thompson wins via third-round knockout.



Joanna Jedrzejczyk (C) vs Rose Namajunas (For the Women's Strawweight Championship)

Joanna Jedrzejcyk (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is looking to make history and tie former UFC's Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey's title defences (6) when she faces Rose Namajunas (6-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) in the first of the three title fights on the main card.

The build-up to this fight has seen Joanna impose her mental warfare on Rose, whilst the latter has just soaked it up and let the champion try to get into her head.

The odds aren't in Rose's favour, as Joanna has ran through all her opponents with ease, but there's something about Rose's cold persona that many think that a huge upset is on the cards if Rose is at the top of her game.


PREDICTION: Joanna wins via fourth-round knockout.


Cody Garbrandt (C) vs T.J Dillashaw (For the Bantamweight Championship)

As UFC Light Heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier said in his preview for Fox Sports, this is a true grudge match.

Former UFC Bantamweight champion T.J Dillashaw (14-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) left UFC Hall of Famer Urjah Faber's Team Alpha Male to, in his view, advance his skills as an MMA fighter.

Former team-mate and current UFC Bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt (11-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) still has issue with T.J over his exit from Alpha Male and how he always lies.
This boiled over on this year's Ultimate Fighter.




Garbrandt then added to the already boiling bad blood when he released an Instagram video on Wednesday of him knocking T.J out in training.



It promises to be a hell of a fight with both very much looking forward to knocking seven bells out of each other.
PREDICTION: Garbrandt via unanimous decision.


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Michael Bisping (C) vs Georges Saint-Pierre (For the Middleweight Championship)

After nearly four years since he stepped away from the octagon and vacated his Welterweight Championship, which he had defended nine times, Georges Saint-Pierre (25-2 MMA, 19-2 UFC) will face Michael Bisping (30-7 MMA, 20-7 UFC) for the Middleweight Championship.




GSP has the opportunity to become only the fourth man in UFC history to win titles in two different weight divisions (after BJ Penn, Randy Courte and UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor) but will face a tough fight in not only stepping up a weight class, but facing Michael Bisping, who himself is out to solidify himself as one of the greatest MMA fighters ever.

All eyes will no doubt be on GSP after four years, to see how he copes with being back in the octagon and wheter he can keep with the sport he left at his peak.

For Bisping, this is the chance to silence all critics by adding to his list of defeating legends such as Luke Rockhold, Anderson Silva and Dan Henderson.

Whatever happens, it'll no doubt be a fight that will go down in UFC history for many reasons.


PREDICTION: Bisping wins via third-round knockout.






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Monday 23 October 2017

Everton: So Far Away From Being The Almost Club



At the end of the 2013/14 season, then Everton manager Roberto Martinez guided the Toffees to fifth in the Premier League, their highest finish since 2005.



Since then it's been a slow fall from being the 'almost club' of England's top flight, the team that came close to breaking the lauded top four (a.k.a Champions League qualification places).

The Blues only stayed up the following season due to a resurgence of form, mainly down to then record signing Romelu Lukaku, that saw them beat Newcastle, Southampton, Burnley and Manchester United in a thrilling 3-0 win at Goodison Park.




Roberto Martinez was then sacked in May 2016 after a poor campaign that saw him pick up just one win in 10 matches in all competitions.




Ronald Koeman was then chosen to get Everton back in the quest for European Football, specifically the Champions League.

Despite finishing seventh, Europa League Football was secured via the play-offs and Koeman was set to have a summer of splashing the cash, thanks to British investor Farhad Moshiri buying a 49.9% stake in the club for £200 million.





Everton then went on to spend the most money you'd spent in one transfer window, spending £158.5 million on the following players:

- Michael Keane (£30 million)

- Jordan Pickford (£30 million)

- Wayne Rooney (£10 million)

- Sandro Ramirez (£5.5 million)

- Davy Klaassen (£24 million)

- Nikola Vlasic (£7 million)

- Henry Onyekuru (£7 million)

- Gylfi Sigurdsson (£45 million)

- Cuco Martina (Free)


They also notably sold Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United for £75 million plus add-ons.




By this notion, you'd have thought Koeman would have replaced his best player.

Yes, he'd signed Wayne Rooney in a great nostalgia moment for the club, as the boy had finally come home after years of winning trophies elsewhere, but Rooney hadn't played as a striker for a number of seasons at United so surely Koeman knew he had to get a striker that could easily play 90 minutes.

However, this didn't happen.




Forward fast to now and Everton are currently 18th in the Premier League, having played nine games of which they've win two, drew four and lost five.

They're also bottom of their Europa League group after playing three games, losing away to Atlanta, drawing at home to Apollo Limassol and losing to Lyon on Thursday.

On Monday, the day after losing to Arsenal 5-2 at Goodison Park, Everton then announced that they had sacked Koeman after 16 months in charge.





So, aside from not buying a striker, has lead to this awful form?

Firstly, Koeman doesn't start players with pace, such as Kevin Mirallas and Ademola Lookman. Instead, midfielders such as Sigurdsson and Tom Davies are expected to not only win the ball on the wing but run towards goal with the pace of a winger.

Secondly, Leighton Baines has slowed down significantly in the last two seasons and his replacement, Luke Garbutt, has been assigned to the reserves and not included in the first team.

Third and finally, Rooney has been a burden for the team.

Yes, it's nice to see Rooney back at Goodison, especially for myself having never seen him play in his two years before leaving for Old Trafford, but as mentioned above Rooney is a throwback that has unfortunately come back at a time when Everton needed someone coming into their prime, not a player who is coming to the end of his career.








For Everton, the priority is to steady the ship, whether that be Under-23s coach David Unsworth or another manager.

Fans can argue till the cows come home at how and why Koeman didn't buy a striker, weather he was held back by Director of Football Steve Walsh or the fact that they weren't in the Champions League, but the main focus should be getting the club has far away from the relegation zone as possible.
 




As the Koeman era ends, it's painfully obviously for the Everton faithful that they're nowhere near where they thought they'd be at this point of the season (knocking on the door of the top four).

With the right personnel up front and in the dugout, the season could be turned around, which it drastically needs, and Everton will start again.

That is if the current rut stops.







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Sunday 8 October 2017

UFC 216 Review



DISCLAIMER: This article is reviewing two of the main card fights ONLY.


UFC 216 is over and it was an interesting card.

From Fabricio Werdum vs Derrick Lewis being cancelled due to the latter not being able to move from his bed to Demetrious Johnson making history, and a new interim Lightweight champion being crowned in the main event, the first major event in Las Vegas since the shooting last Sunday was certainly a great night all around.

Demetrious Johnson defeats Ray Borg via fifth-round armbar (3:15) to retain the Flyweight Champion

Demetrious Johnson (now 27-2-1 MMA, 15-1-1 UFC) defeated Ray Borg (now 11-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) with a spectacular armbar to break Anderson Silva's record and become the man with the most UFC title defences in history (11).


With this submission, many have changed their opinion on 'Mighty Mouse' from fighting nobodies to controlling every fight he's in.








Ray Borg deserves for lasting so long with Johnson but it was ultimately too much for Borg as his post fight tweet shows.


Whether Johnson will move up or defend his title again is up to the man himself but whatever he decides, he deserves to be in the conversation of the greatest MMA fighter of all time.



Tony Ferguson defeats Kevin Lee via third-round triangle choke (4:02) to become the new Interim Lightweight Champion

 Tony Ferguson (now 23-3 MMA, 13-1 UFC) defeated Kevin Lee (now 16-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) with a wicked triangle choke to become the new, and first-ever interim Lightweight champion.

 Like with Ray Borg, it seemed that Lee wasn't on the level on his opponent and whilst he did hold his own for a while, Ferguson was too sharp for Lee, who did a brutal weight cut from 174 pounds to 154.5 in just over 22 hours.

After the fight, Ferguson called out Lightweight champion Conor McGregor and repeated a statement he has stuck to since the Irishman won the belt last November at UFC 205: defend or vacate.

No doubt McGregor will be looking at a unification bout with Ferguson for his next fight, especially as he still has the Diaz trilogy fight in his back pocket.








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UFC 216 Preview



DISCLAIMER: This article is covering three fights from the main card ONLY.

(C) indicates current champion.


UFC 216 is coming from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on the 7th of October and is set to be a night of explosive action.

Not only will Demetrious Johnson have the chance to make history and break the record for UFC title defenses, currently tied with Anderson Silva on 10, but the card also features a battle between two of the lightweight's hardest hitters, Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee, for the chance to become the interim lightweight champion and a potential fight with lightweight champion Conor McGregor in the future.
Demetrious Johnson (C) vs Roy Borg (For the Flyweight Championship)

Demetrious Johnson (26-2-1 MMA, 14-1-1 UFC) is on the verge of history.

The flyweight champion will be looking to be beat Anderson Silva's 10 title defences (Middleweight) when he meets Ray Borg (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 216.

Originally booked for UFC 215, and cancelled after Borg missed weight, these two finally square in a fight that will define both men's careers.

Borg seems to be the underdog going into the contest, due to the quality of opponents he's faced and the fact he's not got a finish since February 2015, but he'll give Johnson a tough fight, especially on the ground, but I'm confident that Johnson will win and go on to have the most title defences in UFC history.
PREDICTION: Johnson wins via third round knockout.











Tony Ferguson vs Kevin Lee (For the Interim Lightweight Championship)

In the main event of UFC 216, top Lightweights Tony Ferguson ( MMA, UFC) and Kevin Lee ( MMA, UFC) will fight for the interim Lightweight title.

This fight has come around as the UFC Lightweight champion, Conor McGregor. took time off to prepare for his first professional Boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr and thus Dana and co needed to book an interim title fight.

One was booked at UFC 209 between Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov but was cancelled when Khabib was rushed to hospital in the morning of the weigh-in.

Khabib wasn't ready to come back so the UFC booked up-and-coming Kevin Lee to face Ferguson.

Lee has had problems leading up to this fight, with controversy surrounding his rear-naked choke win over Michael Chiesa, but also with his weigh cut in which he attempted to cut 19 pounds in just 21 hours.
He then weighed in an hour later weighing 154.5 pounds.


Whether Lee deserves to be in the interim title fight is up for discussion but for me this is Ferguson's time to win the title his current nine fight win streak seems to demand and potentially put himself in contention to face Conor McGregor.


PREDICTION: Ferguson wins via second-round submission.






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Sunday 10 September 2017

UFC 215 Review



DISCLAIMER: This article is reviewing two fights from the main card ONLY.

UFC 215 is in the history books and it was underwhelming.

Being the first PPV after Mayweather vs McGregor, it was always going to suffer but the fact that the original main event, Demetrious Johnson vs Ray Borg for the flyweight championship, was cancelled further damaged the card.

Anyway, without further ado, here's my UFC 215 review.


Rafael dos Anjos defeats Neil Magny via first-round arm-triangle choke (3:43)

 Former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos (now 27-9 MMA, 16-7 UFC) finished Neil Magny (now 19-6 MMA, 12-5 UFC) with a stunning arm-triangle choke.

Heading into the fight, many thought it would be tighter than it was but the newest addition to the 170 pound division made short work of his opponent and subsequently calling for a title shot.

Amanda Nunes defeats Valentina Shevchenko via spilt decision to retain the Women's Bantamweight Championship (47-48, 48-47 and 48-47)

Amanda Nunes (now 15-4 MMA, 8-1 UFC) defeated Valentina Shevchenko (now 14-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in a stellar 25 minute bout that saw the challenger heavily question the decision.




The extra two rounds certainly worked in Shevchenko's favour as she landed signifcant strikes on the Brazilian in her quest for a knockout.

However, the champion landed a takedown late in the fifth round that seemed to swing the fight in her favour.

Will the Russian get a rematch and set up a third fight with Nunes? Well the intensity and hatred is there to take into a final Pay-Per-View encounter.










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Friday 8 September 2017

UFC 215 Preview



DISCLAIMER: This article is previewing two fights from the main card ONLY.

(C) indicates current champion.

Even before the Octagon has been set up in Edmoton, Alberta, Canada, UFC 215 is a card that has taken several blows.

Former UFC Heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos was pulled by USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) from his scheduled fight with Francis Ngannou after he tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide.

The huge $100 price tag for the blockbuster Boxing fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Conor McGregor has significantly reduced the number of the US audience, that makes up the majority of the PPV number, that'll pay out for it.

Finally, UFC Flyweight challenger Ray Borg was pulled from his main event fight with champion Demetrious Johnson after UFC doctors deemed him unfit to fight.


Anyway, here's my UFC 215 preview.

Neil Magny vs Rafael dos Anjos (Welterweight Bout)

Rafael dos Anjos (26-9 MMA, 15-7 UFC) is on a new venture at 170 pounds.

After beating Tarec Saffiedine via unanimous decision in his welterweight debut back in June, Dos Anjos has clearly found his feet since his move up from lightweight.

The UFC clearly think the same as the former lightweight champion revealed on the MMA Hour that he was a back-up to face welterweight champion Tryon Woodley at UFC 214.
Whilst he might be fighting for the title yet, the Brazilian has a tough opponent in front of him in the form of Neil Magny (19-5 MMA, 12-4 UFC).

 The Illonis native is coming off a comfortable unanimous decision victory himself, having defeated Johny Hendricks back in December 2016.

Both will be looking to get a finish in order to jump up the rankings and earn a future title shot but I think that the pair will match each other for the 15 minutes.
PREDICTION: Dos Anjos via unanimous decision.


Amanda Nunes (C) vs Valentina Shevchenko (For the Women's Bantamweight Championship) 

 Back in March 2016, at UFC 196, Amanda Nunes (14-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Valetina Shevchenko (14-2 MMA, 11-1 UFC) fought in a solid three round fight.

Nunes won the bout via unanimous decision and went on to capture the Women's Bantamweight championship from Miesha Tate in the main event of UFC 200.

She then followed this up by defeating Ronda Rousey in 48 seconds back at UFC 207.

Shevchenko bounced back from her loss to Nunes by defeating Holly Holm via unanimous decision and then won the chance to face the champion as she submitted Julianna Pena via a vicious armbar.

This fight was supposed to happen at UFC 213 but was cancelled after Nunes said she wasn't well enough to defend her title.

Now here we are with 25 minutes scheduled between the two.

Interestingly, as Dan Hardy pointed out when doing Inside the Octagon, Shevchenko was coming on strong at the end of the third round and when you factor in two more rounds, she'll be looking to get a boost in the latter rounds (if it gets that far).
PREDICTION: Shevchenko wins via third-round knockout.










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Monday 31 July 2017

UFC 214 Review



DISCLAIMER: This article is reviewing the main card ONLY.


Well, UFC 214 is over and it sure was memorable.

From two new champions, a surprise knockout, a conversational welterweight title bout and a wonderful dream fight, UFC 214 was a great night for not only the UFC but for all the fans that was invested in the best card of the year.

Volkan Oezdemir beats Jimi Manuwa via first-round (0:42) knockout

Volkan Oezdemir (now 15-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) knocked out Jimi Manuwa (now 18-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in just forty-two second and to be fair to Oezdemir, he predicted it.

Manuwa was talking about facing Daniel Cormier or even David Haye in a Boxing match and this may have taken his focus away from Oezdemir, who is now on a three fight win streak.



Robbie Lawler beats Donald Cerrone via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 and 29-28)

In an absolute dream fight between two of the UFC's best brawlers, Robbie Lawler (now 28-11 (1 No Contest) MMA, 9-2 UFC) and Donald Cerrone (now 32-9 (1 No Contest) MMA, 19-6 UFC) traded shots like the slugfest it was predicted to be.

The decision was correct, with myself having Lawler winning the first and last rounds but this fight wasn't there for titles or a grudge match to settle a rivalry, it was there for the fans' enjoyment.


Cristiane Justino beats Tonya Evinger via third-round (1:56) knockout to win the vacant Women's Featherweight Championship

Cris Cyborg (now 18-1 (1 No Contest) MMA, 3-0 UFC) is the new Women's Featherweight champion after knocking out Invicta Bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger (now 19-7 (1 No Contest) MMA, 0-1 UFC) with a series of brutal knees.

Cyborg didn't go out there all wild and crazy but calm and measured to get the one thing that was missing from her fighting CV: UFC gold. It's not like Evinger was just there to get beat by Cyborg, she held her own for a long time but ultimately the Brazilian was the superior.



Tyron Woodley beats Demain Maia via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46 and 49-46) to retain the Welterweight Championship

Tyron Woodley (now 18-3-1 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) defeated Demain Maia (now 25-7 MMA, 19-7 UFC) in a conversational fight that saw fans split between praising Woodley for stopping all of Maia's takedown attempts, 24 in total, and critising the champion for being too defensive and thus breaking the record of latest punches thrown in a championship fight (60).

Whilst both sides have interesting points on Woodley's approach, there can be no denying that no one would pay to see Woodley face Georges Saint-Pierre (thus why Dana White has said that GSP will fight Middleweight champion Michael Bisping).







Jon Jones beats Daniel Cormier via third-round knockout (3:01) to win the Light Heavyweight Championship

At last we got to see the rematch between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones and it saw Jones (now 23-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) knockout Cormier (now 19-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in the third round with a stunning legkick to the head.

Jones is now, in my opinoin at least, the greatest MMA fighter but massive respect should be given to Cormier as he destroyed every opponent that was put in front of him in Jones' absence.

It's a shame we won't see a third fight between the two greatest light heavyweights ever but what a rivalry it has been!

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Saturday 29 July 2017

UFC 214 Preview



DISCLAIMER: This article is previewing the main card ONLY.

(C) indicates current champion.

Here we are at the biggest UFC card of the year, headlined by arguably the most anticipated rematch in UFC history, as Daniel Cormier defended his Light Heavyweight title against the only man to beat him, former champion Jon Jones.

There are also two other title fights and a dream fight between two of the most hard hitting Welterweights.

So without further ado, let's preview the best card of the year.






 Jimi Manuwa vs Volkan Oezdemir (Light Heavyweight Bout)

Jimi Manuwa (17-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is fast climbing the Light Heavyweight rankings after back-to-back knockout wins over Ovince Saint Preux and Corey Anderson, that saw him earn perfromance of the night awards.

He faces Volkan Oezdemir (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the first fight on the main card but there were was some speculation that he could have been placed in the main event if either fighter had had to drop out.

However, this won't happen as both fighters got through fight week without a starch.


PREDICTION: Manuwa wins via second-round knockout.





Robbie Lawler vs Donald Cerrone (Welterweight Bout)

Now this is truly is a dream fight.

Ever since Robbie Lawler (27-11 (1 No Contest) MMA, 8-2 UFC) dropped back down to 170 at UFC 153, the former Welterweight champion was always tipped for a fight with Donald Cerrone (32-8 (1 No Contest) MMA, 19-5 UFC) that could headline any UFC card.

Lawler's camp has said that they don't know what their man gets out of this fight but if he wins, he'll no doubt be in the conversation for the next title shot against the winner of Tyron Woodley vs Demain Maia.
PREDICTION: Lawler wins via third-round knockout.






Cristiane Justino vs Tonya Evinger (For the Vacant Women's Featherweight Championship)

Cristiane 'Cyborg' Justino (17-1 (1 No Contest) MMA, 2-0 UFC) is one of, if not the, baddest woman on the planet.

The former Invicta Featherweight champion was originally set to challenge former UFC Featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie for her title but de Randamie was stripped when she refused to face Cyborg over the Brazilian's trouble with PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs).

Cyborg was then scheduled to face current Invicta Featherweight champion Megan Anderson but Anderson pulled out due to personal issues.

After all this, Cyborg will now face Invicta Bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger for the vacant 145 pound title. With this win, Cyborg could claim to be one of the greatest Women MMA fighters of all-time but Evinger will no doubt be looking for the upset in her Octagon debut.


PREDICTION: Cyborg wins via first-round knockout.

Tyron Woodley (C) vs Demain Maia (For the Welterweight Championship)

This fight for the Welterweight title between Tyron Woodley (17-3-1 MMA, 7-2-1 UFC) and Demain Maia (25-6 MMA, 19-6 UFC) is a match-up that sees the pair represent two areas of martial arts: Woodley with powerful striking and Maia with ju-jujitsu.

True, Woodley does have brilliant wrestling skills but he is now more known for his fierce knockout power, which lead him to winning the title from Robbie Lawler at UFC 201.

People, such as UFC commentators/analysts Dan Hardy and John Gooden, have said that this isn't an ideal match up for Maia due to Woodley's striking and whilst this argument is relevant, Maia will be looking to skip over this area of the fight and get it to the ground (if he can that is).

Regardless of the result, this fight will no doubt be a contender for fight of the night.
PREDICTION: Maia wins via third-round submission.






Daniel Cormier (C) vs Jon Jones (For the Light Heavyweight Championship)

 Finally it's here.

The biggest rematch in UFC history.

In the main event of one of the biggest UFC cards of all-time, bitter rivals Daniel Cormier (19-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) and Jon Jones (22-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) will face off for the Light Heavyweight Championship, the title that Jones never lost.

The two faced off at UFC 182 back in January 2015, with Jones picking up the unanimous decision victory and subsequently handed Cormier his first-ever loss.


Afterwards, Jones was stripped of the title after a hit-and-run incident and Cormier won the vacant title by defeating Anthony Johnson at UFC 187.

The rematch was set up for UFC 197 but Cormier pulled out due to injury and Jones went on to get a unanimous decision victory over Cormier's replacement Ovince Saint Preux.

The rematch was again set for the main event of UFC 200 but was cancelled after Jones was pulled by USADA (United States Anti Doping Agency) for an out-of-competition drugs test coming back positive. Jones was then suspended for a year.

After a non-title fight victory over Anderson Silva at UFC 200, Cormier went on to defend the title against Anthony Jonson at UFC 210 but was always looking ahead to facing Jones.

Finally, the rematch between the two greatest Light Heavyweights will happen at UFC 214 in Anaheim, California.



For Cormier, it means the chance to avenge his only ever loss and become the first man to ever legimately beat Jon Jones.

For Jones, it not only means the chance to regain the title he never lost but also the chance to defeat Cormier twice and become, in my eyes at least, the greatest Mixed Martial Artist of all time.
PREDICTION: Jones wins via unanimous decision.














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Tuesday 11 July 2017

Wayne Rooney: Once A Blue, Always A Blue



On Sunday 9th July 2017, Everton Football Club announced that they had signed Wayne Rooney on a free from Manchester United.



Rooney, now 31, left Everton for United for £27 million back in 2004 and went on to become their highest-ever goalscorer, with 253 goals, and won every available trophy to him at Old Trafford, including five Premier League trophies and the Champions League.


He is a legend of English Football and will undoubtedly by missed by United fans for all the spectacular goals that he's scored for them over the years.



He's decided to return to Everton, on a significant pay-cut to £150,000, and said:

 "It's a great feeling to be back. I cannot wait to meet the lads, get on the training pitch and then get on the pitch to play. I'm not just coming back because it's the team I support, the team I grew up playing for - I'm coming back because I feel the club can move forward and be successful."

The transfer has come in the aftermath of Everton's biggest ever summer transfer spending, after buying Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Sandro Ramirez and Davy Klaassen.


Whilst the nostalgia factor has captured the media and the fans' attention, one thing that has been noted about this transfer is how Everton are supposed to benefit from signing the former England captain.

In 2013, Sir Alex Ferguson wrote:

 "Wayne had a gift for producing great moments in games. In my final year, when he was left out a few times, and replaced in games, I felt he was struggling to get by people and had lost some of his old thrust. But he was capable of making extraordinary contributions. 

 That pass to Van Persie in the win over Aston Villa that secured the title for us was marvellous, as was his overhead kick against Man City. Those flashes guaranteed his profile. But as time wore on, I felt he struggled more and more to do it for 90 minutes, and he seemed to tire in games."




The counter argument to this is that unless you're in the top five players in the world, you're not going to be able to play at the same level you were four or five years ago.

Rooney definitely isn't as fast as he used to be and nor does he complete ninety minutes.

In typical Internet fashion, people are looking at what he can't do anymore instead of what he can do. Rooney can still play quality passes, score from anywhere and be a leader in the dressing room not only for the new young players but for the experinced players who may need that confidence boost in tough in-game situations.


Of course Rooney isn't going to finish top goalscorer. He's not going to be in the running for the PFA (Professional Football Association) Player of the Year award or be competing with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the Ballon d'Or next January.

He will however be an important part of Everton's chase for Champions League Football and whether you see his move back to Goodison as unfinished business or a step back for the Merseyside club, you can't deny that the Croxteth native has always been a blue.







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Sunday 9 July 2017

UFC 213 Review



After the main event between Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko was cancelled, due to Nunes being cleared by doctors and not 'feeling well', UFC 213 felt slightly wobbly as an overall card.


Quite fittingly, all but one of the main card fights ended in a decision but somewhat fortunately the new main event of Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker delivered.




Anthony Pettis defeats Jim Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 and 30-27)

In his first fight lightweight fight since April 2016, Anthony Pettis (now 20-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) defeated Jim Miller (now 28-10 (1 No Contest) MMA, 17-9 (1 No Contest) UFC) in a fight which he dominated but couldn't get the knockout.

Pettis clearly wanted to go back to his old 'ShowTime' roots and subsequently gave the lightweight division a boost.




Alistair Overeem defeats Fabricio Werdum via majority decision (28-28, 29-28 and 29-28)

Alistair Overeem (now 43-15 (1 No Contest) MMA, 8-4 (1 No Contest) UFC) defeated old rival Fabricio Werdum (now 21-7-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) to win their trilogy of fights.

The fight wasn't particularly the most thrilling, as UFC President Dana White himself suggested when he downplayed it in the post-fight press conference, and it also doesn't seem likely that Overeem will receive a rematch against the heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic (17-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC).






Robert Whittaker defeats Yoel Romero via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47 and 48-47) to become the Interim Middleweight Champion

 Robert Whittaker (now 19-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) defeated Yoel Romero (now 13-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in what was later awarded the fight of the night to become the Interim Middleweight champion.

For the majority of the fight, Whittaker had to fight with practically one leg after Romero stamped on the Australian in the opening minute but despite this physical bother, Whittaker fought back via relentless strikes and clever takedown defences to edge the Cuban and set up a blockbuster fight with undisputed champion Michael Bisping (30-7 MMA, 20-7 UFC).
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