On September 15, 2016 (after over two years out via suspension from the Nevada State Atletic Commission), Chael Sonnen announced he had signed with Bellator MMA on a six-fight contract.
The former UFC Lightweight and Middleweight contender said it was his mission to teach those in the Sport a lesson that didn't put in the work that they claim to do and that it was going to start with Tito Ortiz.
Meanwhile, Ortiz is set to retire following his Light Heavyweight fight with Sonnen on January 21st at the Forum in Inglewood, California.
The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has fought three previous times in Bellator, winning two and losing his last fight against then Light Heavyweight champ Liam McGeary, but will look to shut up Sonnen, who he recently called a punk at the Bellator 170 pre-fight press conference, before hanging up his gloves.
Sonnen: We’re gonna be on Spike TV half naked fighting for a drunken audience. We don’t need any more motivation.
You see, these two have a history that is partly down to Sonnen's obsession with Ortiz and the fact that Ortiz doesn't respect the 'American Gangster' for his skills inside the cage.
It all dates back to a when Sonnen beat Ortiz in a college wrestling match back on January 23rd 1997. Ortiz then dropped the whole college wrestling thing like it was a scolding potato and went to compete in the UFC. As Sonnen himself said "Six months later he drops out of college and wins the UFC Championship."
You might think that this fight wouldn't really mean much other than a paycheck to Sonnen but this fight means a heck of a lot to him, as revealed on Bellator's In Focus wereit was shown that Sonnen and his father were huge Ortiz fans and would often debate his tactics in the Octagon.
That feeling of what could have been has eaten away at Sonnen and he promised his father that he would ethier win the World Championship and beat Tito Ortiz.
Sonnen may have failed to win a World Championship in the UFC, being defeated by then Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva at UFC 148 and by then Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones at UFC 159, but he has the chance to cap off his first Bellator appearance by keeping his promise to his father and beating Tito Ortiz.
PREDICTION: The obvious difference between these two is that the fact that in the time that Sonnen has been out of action, 38 months, Ortiz has fought three times.
With this in mind, it's difficult to know exactly what Sonnen will bring to the cage on Saturday due to the sheer amount of time he's had off.
Although I think Sonnen is a great asset for Bellator, I think Ortiz will go in with a plan to deconstruct Sonnen's striking and give the 'Bad Guy' no time what so ever to get back into the swing of things.
Therefore, I think Ortiz will win via third-round technical knockout. capping off his 20 year career in style.
Oritz and Sonnen having a staredown after the Bellator 170 pre-fight press conference.
2016 was a good year for the UFC (aside from various suspensions by the United States Anti-Doping Agency).
The company was bought for $4.2 billion dollars by WME-IMG, UFC 202 broke the Pay-Per-View buy-rate record (with 1.65 million buys) and Conor McGregor gained even more mainstream attention after becoming the first-ever man to hold two UFC titles simultaneously (Featherweight and Lightweight).
However, there are some things that fans want to see happen in the World's biggest MMA promotion and I'm here to detail the 10 things they, myself included, expect to happen in the Octagon (in no particular order) at sometime this coming year.
1, Cormier vs Jones II
The original main event of UFC 200, the rematch between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones from UFC 182 (this time for the Undisputed UFC Light Heavyweight Championship), looked to really draw for Dana White and co ahead of their '200'th PPV event.
However three days before the event, July 6th, Jones was removed from the card after USADA flagged him for a potential-out-of-competition failed doping test.
After it was found to a failed test, Jones was suspended for one year by USADA (on November 7th) and was stripped of his interim Light Heavyweight Championship two days later.
He also suspended by NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission) on December 15th for one year.
A rematch between these two has long been called for by UFC fans, as many believe that the second fight would be even closer than their slug-fest in January 2015 at UFC 182 in Vegas.
Once Jones returns from his suspension in mid-July, the first match he should be put in is the fight that should have happened July 9th 2016 but will hopefully happen a little over a year later.
Press Conference Highlights announcing Jones vs Cormier 2 is cancelled as the Main Event of UFC 200.
2, Max Holloway vs Jose Aldo (For the Undisputed Featherweight Championship)
Ever since Conor McGregor destroyed Jose Aldo in 13 seconds at UFC 194 to win the undisputed UFC Featherweight Championship, the Featherweight division has been in a bit of disarray.
True, Aldo won the interim title at UFC 200, beating Frankie Edgar via unanimous decision but there was always McGregor holding the 'real' title over the division as he pursued a second UFC title.
This would all change when the UFC stripped McGregor of his Featherweight title in the build-up to UFC 206 in Toronto on December 10th.
When the original Main Event between Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson, for the Light Heavyweight Championship, was cancelled after Cormier withdrew with a foot injury, the UFC organised the Max Holloway vs Anthony Pettis fight to not only be the Main Event but to be for the interim featherweight title (after Aldo had been promoted to undisputed Champion following McGregor being stripped).
Holloway beat Pettis by third-round technical knockout at UFC 206 and called out Jose Aldo in his post-fight interview.
From this, fans have been wanting a Aldo vs Holloway fight to tie up the division and with rumours of it happening on February 11th at UFC 208 at the Barclays Center in New York, the fans look to be getting the fight they want.
Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis' UFC 206 post-fight interviews.
3, Woodley vs Thompson II At UFC 205, at Madison Square Garden, the co-main event saw Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley make his first title defence against Stephen Thompson.
The fight was tremendous and both men gave it everything they had. Clearly this translated to the judges' score cards after the fight went to decision as the contest was scored as a majority draw (with the scores being 47-47, 47-47 and 48-47 in Woodley's favour) meaning Woodley retained his Championship.
Despite it being a great fight, with both Woodley and Thompson both earning Fight of the Night bonus cheques, fans want to see a rematch and they won't have that long to wait with the UFC announcing that the rematch with headline UFC 209 on March 4th in the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada.
Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson's UFC 205 post-fight interviews.
4, Cody Garbrandt vs T.J. Dillashaw (For the Bantamweight Championship) UFC 207 featured two male Bantamweight fights, one between T.J. Dillashaw and John Lineker, and the other between Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz and Cody Garbrandt.
Garbrandt, the protegee of legendary MMA fighter Urijah Faber (who hated Dominick Cruz), shocked the MMA World when he beat Cruz via unanimous decision, handing the San Diego native his first loss in just under 10 years.
The fight before saw Dillashaw beating Lineker via the same result. Despite Dillashaw being the number 1 contender from his victory over Lineker, Garbrandt wants to give Cruz his immediate rematch that he deserves as a former Champion.
However, fans want to see Dillashaw vs Garbrandt for the title as they feel that Dillashaw should have been the one to face Cruz at UFC 207 (being higher ranked than Garbrandt at the time). So naturally, fans want to see Dillashaw vs Garbrandt at some point in the next year.
Cody Garbrandt's UFC 207 post-fight interview.
5, A decision made on CM Punk
On September 10th at UFC 203 in Cleveland, Ohio, former Professional Wrestler CM Punk (a.k.a. Phil Brooks) made his MMA debut against Mickey Gall, 21 months after signing with the UFC.
Punk lost to Gall in 2 minutes and 14 seconds of the first round via rear-naked choke.
After the fight, Dana White said that if Punk wanted to fight again, which he does, it probably shouldn't be in the UFC.
However, Punk then said on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani that him and Dana had been working on an idea for Punk's second fight. Punk also added that he wanted to fight in January or February.
Either way, fans want to see Punk fight again soon and prove he's got something to offer the UFC or see him move to another promotion.
CM Punk on the MMA Hour.
6, Diaz vs McGregor III When then UFC Lightweight Champion Raquael Dos Anjos pulled out of a title defence 11 days before a title defence at UFC 196 against then Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor, the UFC panicked.
McGregor had all the momentum in the World after knocking out Jose Aldo in 13 seconds and the UFC needed a blockbuster replacement.
Enter Nate Diaz.
After beating Michael Johnson on a December 2015 FOX card, Diaz called out McGregor, stating "you're taking everything I've ever worked for mother*******." So naturally the UFC slotted Diaz into the Main Event at UFC 196.
Then Diaz shocked the World and beat McGregor by second-round rear naked choke,
McGregor, like any normal fighter, bugged the UFC for a rematch and he got it at UFC 202 (although it was originally scheduled to be the Main Event of UFC 200 before McGregor refused to fulfill some media obligations in the initial build-up).
The build-up was unlike anything MMA had seen before, with the duo having a big clash of personalities.
It escalated to the point were McGregor and Diaz were throwing water bottles at each other, for which the Irishman was fined $150,000 and made to do 50 hours of community service.
McGregor won the rematch at UFC 202 via unanimous decision and ever since fans have called for a conclusion to the trilogy.
Whether it be at welterweight, like their previous two fights, or at lightweight is up for debate but what surely isn't is seeing a third fight between these two.
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz's UFC 202 post-fight interviews.
7, Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov (For the Lightweight Championship) Khabib Nurmagomedov has been a force to be reckoned with in the UFC. With an undefeated record of 24-0, with eight of those coming inside the Octagon, Nurmagomedov has risen to contention for the UFC Lightweight Championship when Conor McGregor returns after the birth of his first child.
This was helped by Nurmagomedov's comments after his fight with Michael Johnson (the same night that McGregor won the Lightweight belt from Eddie Alvarez in the Main Event.)
It's been announced that Nurmagomedov will fight Tony Ferguson at UFC 209 for the interim title and, failing a massive upset, Nurmagomedov win the interim title and will (along with fans) call for an Undisputed Lightweight title fight with McGregor, soon rather than later.
8, A decision from Ronda Rousey On December 30th, at UFC 207 in Las Vegas, Ronda Rousey made her return to the Octagon after 13 months away from the cage following her first career loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November 2015. She faced Amanda Nunes for the Women's Bantamweight Championship in the Main Event.
Then lost in 48 seconds.
Rousey clearly hadn't worked on her striking in her preparation for the 'Lion-ness' and this showed when she barely landed a punch on the Brazilian.
Adding to the fact that Rousey did no media what so ever during Fight Week, UFC fans don't really know how to feel about the inaugural Bantamweight Women's Champion.
She later released a statement saying that she would take some time to consider her future. Regardless of what she does, UFC fans want to see Rousey made a decision soon (i.e. under a year) or retire from MMA all together.
Ronda Rousey's Instagram post that has sparked further debate over her MMA future.
9, The return of GSP Georges Saint-Pierre, or just GSP, is widely considered as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all-time (along with Anderson Silva, Chris Weidman, Jose Aldo, Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen among many).
However, the former two-time Welterweight Champion hasn't fought since November 2013 against Johnny Hendricks at UFC 167, after which he voluntarily vacated the Welterweight Championship. Now around six months, it was rumoured that various fighters were going to face GSP at UFC 206. These included UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping, UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn, Nick Diaz and UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley.
However, on October 16th 2016, GSP's lawyer said that talks between his client and the UFC had broken down and that he would be signing for another promotion as GSP was no longer under contract.
Dana White has threatened to sue GSP if he signs with another promotion, as the UFC President says that GSP is still under contract.
Regardless of this whole situation, fans just want to see GSP return to the Octagon in 2017 for a big-money fight (possibly against Nick Diaz?), even if it is his last-ever fight.
GSP thanking Chael Sonnen for inviting him to train at Bellator.
10, A Change to Contracts
At UFC 200, Mark Hunt took on a returning Brock Lesnar in a blockbuster of a co-Main Event that saw Lesnar win via unanimous decision.
However, it was uncovered shortly after by USADA that Lesnar had failed two drugs tests (one on June 28th and on fight night, July 9th) for the anti-estrogenic agent Hydroxy-clomiphene. The NAC (Nevada Athletic Commission) suspeneded Lesnar for a year following this and also fined him 10% of his UFC 200 fight purse ($250,000). USADA also issued a one-year suspension. Mark Hunt feels that enough isn't done to erase cheats from the Sport, Lesnar in this case, and has subsequently sued UFC President Dana White, Brock Lesnar and the UFC's parent company Zuffa LLC for $2.5 million. Some of the allegations include racketeering, fraud, negligence, and breach of contract. Speaking to ESPN, Hunt said "I want the UFC to understand it's not OK to keep doing what they're doing," "They're allowing guys to do this. They had a chance to take all the money from this guy, because he's a cheater, and they didn't. He added "What message is that sending to the boys and girls who want to be a fighter someday? The message is, 'You just have to cheat like this and it's OK.' In society, if you commit a crime, you pay. Why is it different in MMA? It's hurt the business, so it's even worse. They need to be held accountable for this." This is the third time Hunt has had his opponent test positive for performance enhancing drugs (Antonio Silva, Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar). It's good what USADA do in catching those who cheat in the UFC but there should be more done to protect the fighters that see their fight turned into a no-contest.
Alot of this may depend on the outcome of the Hunt/UFC-Lesnar lawsuit but fans, myself very much included, are sick of seeing fighters' careers, like Hunt, suffer because of the cheats in the Sport.
There should be a change in contracts were a fighter would get an agreed percentage of the others purse if they are found guilty of doping by USADA.
As I say, a lot depends on the outcome of the Hunt vs UFC-Lesnar lawsuit so this may take some time to come to fruition.
A photo posted by The Super Samoan (@markhuntfighter) on
Mark Hunt asking Alistair Overeem for a fight at UFC 209 and making a joke about his lawsuit against the UFC and Brock Lesnar.
11, A unified Women's Champion
The inaugural UFC Women's Featherweight Champion will be crowned at the Barclays Center, New York, on February 11th at UFC 208 as former Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie face off in the promotion's first-ever Women's featherweight fight.
Aside from this interesting match-up, fans want to see a unified Women's title fight, with the winner of the UFC 208 Main Event facing off against the UFC Bantamweight Champion Amanada Nunes.
Nunes herself has stated this via Twitter and she could very well become the first-ever two-weight Women's champion.
Speaking to MMAJunkie, the Brazilian said "“Conor McGregor did it,” “Why can’t I? “Everybody got so excited when Conor did it. I think, with me, I think they’ll be excited too.” She also mentioned her stunning win over Rousey “I defended (the belt) already, with the most dominant athlete on the planet,” she said. “Forty-eight seconds? I think deserve it if I ask for it for the next fight.
“I think the fans want to see it – a female fighter go to another weight class and take the two belts.”
With Nunes' drawing power skyrocketing after her destruction of Rousey, it seems inevitable that Dana and co will book this mega fight sooner rather than later.
RESULT: Amanda Nunes beat Ronda Rousey via first-round technical knockout and retained the Women's Bantamweight Championship.
Nunes' record is now 14-4, whilst Rousey suffered her second career loss with her record now being 12-2.
Ronda Rousey's return to the Octagon was short-lived as she was mulled by Amanda Nunes. The pioneer of Women's UFC suffered her second career loss at the hands of the 'Lioness' as she looked to match her in striking.
Obviously this didn't work well, as Nunes rocked the inaugural Women's Bantamweight Champion with 47 punches (landing half of them) in those 48 seconds.
After the fight, Nunes said "Before I walk out, I knew, this moment is my moment, she had her time and she did her thing for the sport," "Thank you Ronda Rousey, but this is my time now. I am Amanda Nunes, I am the lion." She also added "Now she’s going to retire and go to movies and make a lot of money now,” Nunes said. “You have lots of talent in this division. Forget about Ronda Rousey." Rousey, who didn't do any media during Fight Week, left the Octagon before commentator Joe Rogan could get a word with her about the loss and what the future holds for her. It was left up to UFC President Dana White to fill in that gap. Speaking on Fox Sports 1's post-fight show, White said “I’ve been with her the whole time,” White said on FS1’s post-fight show. “Obviously, she’s so competitive. She’s devastated. She’s a competitor.” Rousey's future in MMA will be surrounded in even more mystery following this dramatic loss and despite having various avenues to go down, such as WWE, Hollywood etc, it seems it will be a while before Rousey resurfaces and makes her choice clear. Ultimately, heading away from the last UFC event of 2016, it's clear that Dana White and co may have lost one star in Rousey but what they certainly gained one in Nunes.
Amanda Nunes celebrates as the official decision is read, confirming her 48 second first-round technical knockout win over Ronda Rousey.
On 30th December, at UFC 207 in Las Vegas, Ronda Rousey will return to the Octagon for the first time since UFC 193 (where she lost her Bantamweight championship to Holly Holm in a devastating second-round high kick knockout) to fight Bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes in the main event.
This bout is not only highly anticipated because of Rousey's return since her first career loss but is also due to the fact that the California native has stated that this fight will be one of her last.
With champion Nunes stating that she's been preparing for a fight against Rousey since 2013, let's preview what could be Rousey's last-ever MMA fight.
Nunes not there to lie down
The result of the fight could massively influence Rousey's decision to carry on in the UFC and a factor that will pressure Rousey in her preparation is her opponent's determination.
Winning the Bantamweight championship at UFC 200 via first-round rear-naked choke against Miesha Tate, Nunes (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) broke through into the upper-tier of the Women's division and established herself as the woman to try and stop Rousey (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) having a successful return.
The Brazilian is confident heading into her first title defense against the first-ever woman to be signed by the UFC and said to TMZ that she was 200 percent sure she would beat Rousey, also commenting that she knows Rousey is a tough opponent but that she's the best in the World.
Rousey's Mental and Physical Strength must be on Point
To say that Rousey's loss to Holly Holm damaged the former StrikeForce fighter mentally and physically is an understatement.
She said in a recent interview with Ellen "Honestly, my thought in the medical room, I was sitting in the corner and was like, 'What am I anymore if I'm not this?'" "Literally sitting there thinking about killing myself. In that exact second, I'm like, 'I'm nothing. What do I do anymore? No one gives a shit about me anymore without this.'" It's worrying yet inspiring that Rousey has come out and said this. Aside from explaining why she took over a year out, this should be a catalyst for other fighters to talk about their mental health after a big loss. In relation to this fight, Rousey must be 100% in avenging the most devastating moment of her career. In terms of physical strength, Rousey said that she's trained twice a day since the start of August. Whether they'll be any rust and nerves that will affect her performance is up in the air, especially when looking at the ludicrous amount of submission victories she has via armbar. It's very interesting to see the UFC's second biggest money draw be in a position were there are a lot of question surrounding her and I'm sure to be one of my tuning in to see how she bounces back. What's Next?
So say Rousey loses in convincing fashion, i.e. by KO and submission, and Nunes solidifies herself as a dominate Women's Bantamweight Champion. What's next for Rousey? Retirement is a real possibility, as she has stated herself, but the two ventures that Rousey could do if she loses in Las Vegas on December 30th are making films and wrestling in the WWE. Rousey has already been in a good number of films, including a chance to choreograph her fighting skills in Fast and Furious 7, and with appearances in Mile 22 and Road Housecoming up, Rousey's path to Hollywood is there for her to have a huge career. In terms of going to the WWE, which Stephanie McMahon has said would be a fantastic accomplishment for WWE, Rousey could even just make several appearances before a handful of matches (and a massive payday). She's already experienced being in the squared circle at WrestleMania 31, in a segment with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon so again the opportunity is there. On the flip-side, if Rousey wins, I think she'll continue to fight until she either loses the belt or retires following a big defence. Whatever happens, it's sure to be an awesome main event Women's Bantamweight Championship fight. PREDICTION: Amanda Nunes wins via second-round TKO (technical knockout). Rousey announces retirement in post-fight interview.
Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey face-off at the end of the UFC 205 weigh-in in November.
Sometimes even when everything seems to be going well, there's often one blip on what would have been perfection. Not even WrestleMania is immune to this.
Recently, I did a post detailing the best matches from bad WrestleManias. It seems only fair that I should switch it around to give the top 10 worst matches from good WrestleManias. 10, Undertaker vs Bray Wyatt (WrestleMania 31)
Although WrestleMania 31 could be seen as one of the best WrestleManias of the last decade, this match did let it down slightly. A mix of Taker and Bray working at a slow pace (due to Wyatt suffering an ankle injury) and the Undertaker's infamous WrestleMania streak being ended last year by Brock Lesnar resulted in an underwhelming 15 minute match.
9, Tazz and the APA vs The GodFather, Val Venis and Bull Buchanan (WrestleMania X-Seven)
WrestleMania X-Seven is widely considered not only the best WrestleMania of all-time, but the best PPV of all-time. However, this tag match went under four minutes and was clearly set up to kill time and warm the crowd into the latter matches of the card. 8, Red Rooster vs Bobby Hennan (WrestleMania V)
Rooster Irish-whipped Hennan, but had it reversed. Hennan missed a charge in the corner and Rooster pinned him. 31 seconds in total. Moving on. 7, Chris Jericho vs Triple H (For the Undisputed WWF Championship) (WrestleMania X8)
Now this is more of a mistake in terms of card replacement rather than an actual bad match. In Toronto at WrestleMania X8, Chris Jericho and Triple H had a very muted main event battle for Y2J's Undisputed Championship after the crowd was exhausted from a genuine dream match between The Rock and Hulk Hogan.
The build-up to the main event didn't have a hype package, was focused more around Triple H vs Stephanie McMahon (Jericho's manager at the time) and ultimately was slow and underwhelming, as often happens in a Triple H WrestleMania main event, and robbed The Rock and Hogan of a deserved main event slot. 6, Torrie Wilson and Sable vs Stacey Keibler and Miss Jackie (PlayBoy Evening Gown Match) (WrestleMania XX)
Looking at WWE's past treatment of Women's wrestling, it's amazing to see how far the company has come in legitimatising the athletic ability of Women rather than solely focusing on their physical appearances. However it's still slightly cringey to look back at this absolute mess from WrestleMania XX. I'm not even going to say go and watch it because it's a joke of a WrestleMania match.
5, Earthquake vs Adam Bomb (WrestleMania X)
35 seconds. Earthquake performed one move on Adam Bomb (the Powerbomb). Moving on (again!). 4, Akebono vs Big Show (Sumo Match) (WrestleMania 21) The Big Show has had to do some real crappy things during his time in WWE but the fact that he had to compete in a sumo match (yes a SUMO match) on the biggest night in the history of Professional Wrestling has got to be one of the worst. The former WCW man had this 'match' for 62 seconds and ended with him being thrown out of the ring. 3, Butterbean vs Bart Gunn (Brawl For All Match) (WrestleMania XV) The Brawl for All tournament of 1998 was a very, very dumb idea that saw Wrestlers fight for real (I know, what a ludicrous idea) and it resulted in a 35 second 'shoot', i.e. real, match were Bart Gunn was legit knocked out, as well as an appearance by the San Diego Chicken. 2, Kane vs Chavo Guerrero (ECW Championship) (WrestleMania XXIV)
From 2006 to 2010, WWE really did devalue the return of the ECW Championship, a belt that had been held by hardcore leaders such as Tommy Dreamer, Shane Douglas, The Sandman and Sabu.
An example of this devalue and neglect was at WrestleMania XXIV when Kane, who had earlier in the night won a battle royal to become Number 1 contender for the ECW title, beat one of the most underrated Wrestlers of all-time, Chavo Guerrero Jr, in 11 seconds. 11 SECONDS.
This was done by Kane coming behind Chavo and hitting him with a chokeslam. The reason this match ranks so highly is that Chavo deserved to wrestle a decent match as he was in the mists of a good heel champion run (something which many thought he wouldn't get in WWE). But no, they had to give it to Kane in 'dominating' fashion. 1, Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania XX)
The hype for Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XX at Madison Square Garden, New York, was spectacular. When Goldberg debuted the day after WrestleMania XIX, fans knew that a clash between the WCW legend and WWE's newest star was inevitable.
It was set up for WrestleMania XX, with Lesnar effectively costing Goldberg his chance of winning the Royal Rumble and Goldberg costing Lesnar the WWE Championship against Eddie Guerrero at No Way Out.
Oh but then... but then.
It was leaked that both men would be leaving the company after WrestleMania, with Goldberg not renewing his contract (due to backstage politics killing his World Heavyweight title run) and Lesnar wanting to move to the NFL. The crowd rejected the match, chanting "You Sold Out!."
Whether through sheer laziness or pure nervousness, the duo didn't lock up for moments and generally worked a sloppy match.
Goldberg beat Lesnar but no-one cared and the only pop from the crowd was when special referee Stone Cold Steve Austin stunned both men before they both parted ways with Vince and co.
A historic day is to come for the UFC, and the MMA community as a whole, as on November 12th 2016, as the first-ever UFC event will take place in New York at Madison Square Garden. UFC President Dana White has stated that the event has already broken the gate record for Madison Square Garden, set by Lennox Lewis vs Evander Holyfield in 1999 which made a gate number of $13.5 million from a sell-out crowd of 21,284.
There was until recently a ban on Professional Mixed Martial Arts events in New York (UFC 7 being the only event that has taken place in the state, in September 1993 in Buffalo).
However, heading into this event, it's clear that one man has overshadowed the majority of the intinal build-up: Conor McGregor. In his quest to make UFC history by coming the first man to hold two titles in two different weight divisions simultaneously, 'The Notorious' has been as vocal and charismatic as he's ever been but in this article, my focus is to look at UFC 205 fight-by-fight and give my thoughts on how this historic night will go down. DISCLAIMER: This article is for the Main Card ONLY. (C) indicates current Champion.
Miesha Tate vs Raquel Pennington (Women's Bantamweight)
Coming off the back of her first-round UFC 200 loss to Amanda Nunes, in which she lost the UFC Bantamweight Championship, Miesha Tate (18-6) will be looking to bounce back against Raquel Pennington in the first fight of the PPV.
Tate will need to win this fight in order to re-establish herself among the top Women in the UFC as the return of Ronda Rousey at UFC 207 against Amanda Nunes will take the spotlight off Tate's potential return as the standout contender for the belt she lost.
As for Pennington (8-5), she will similarly be looking to boost her chances of a tile shot after a three fight win streak, including a decision win at UFC 202 over Elizabeth Phillips.
With a convincing win over Tate, Pennington could shock the division and put the pressure on Dana White to make sure the challenger for the aftermath of Rousey vs Nunes. PREDICTION: Tate wins via Majority Decision. Kelvin Gastelum vs Donald Cerrone (Welterweight) Gastelum (12-2) comes into this fight against Donald Cerrone (31-7) as a replacement for Robbie Lawler. Lawler was originally announced for the welterweight bout against Cerrone but pulled out due to wanting to take more time off after losing the Welterweight belt to Tyron Woodley at UFC 201.
This could been as a battle to become number one contender to the Welterweight belt but with Lawler surely waiting in the wings after UFC 205 is done, Both fighters will have to treat it like just another step up the rankings.
PREDICTION: Cerrone wins by TKO in the Third Round. Chris Weidman vs Yoel Romero (Middleweight)
Going into this fight, this could very well be seen as the battle for the #1 Contendership to Michael Bisping's Middleweight title. Weidman (13-1) will have the crowd firmly behind him, being a New York native from Baldwin, and will look to defeat Romero (12-1), with the Cuban holding a solid 12-1 MMA record but last fought at UFC 194 (where McGregor KO'd Jose Aldo in 13 seconds).
At that same event, Weidman lost the Middleweight title to recent champ Luke Rockhold and was supposed to get his rematch against Rockhold at UFC 199 but pulled out on May 17 with a cervical disc herniation. Both need to win this fight in order to gain the opportunity to not only call out Bisping, but to show the UFC brass that they deserve to be the second challenger to the Briton's title.
PREDICTION: Weidman wins by unanimous Decision. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (C) vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz(For the Women's Straw-weight Championship)
The first of the trio of title fights at UFC 205 and it looks to be a blockbuster. Two Polish ladies, both undefeated (Joanna, 12-0) (Karolina 10-0) and both wanting to top the Women's Straw-weight division.
They have fought at amateur level in 2012, at Amatorska Liga MMA Tournament Final, where Joanna submitted Karolina.
Joanna seems to have captured the headlines heading into the fight with her impressive kickboxing record and collective nature as champion.
Karolina has quite admittedly been in the shadow of Joanna and will certainly be looking to establish herself in the division after requesting this fight on many post-fight Joe Rogan interviews.
PREDICTION: Joanna wins by TKO in the Fourth Round. Tyron Woodley (C) vs Stephen Thompson (For the Welterweight Championship)
The co main event of the evening will see newly crowned Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley (16-3) make his first title defence against five-time kickboxing champion Stephen Thompson (13-1).
Woodley won the title at UFC 201 where he surprised many by knocking out who he called 'the fighter of the year', Robbie Lawler. 'Wonder Boy' Thompson earned the title shot after an impressive seven fight win streak, since he loss at UFC 145 to Matt Brown, including a first-round TKO of Jack Ellenberger due to a stunning spinning hook kick.
It's very much a clash of styles as Woodley has a wrestling background and Thompson has a unique Karate style that he has credited to his success so far in MMA. The biggest factor in this fight for me is how Woodley will set up against Thompson's slow but effective karate style.
Woodley commented on the different areas that the pair will fight in, saying "He's not going to beat me in a Muay Thai fight, he's not going to beat me in a Boxing fight and he's defenitely not going to beat me in a Wrestling match in his life ever." Thompson said on the Media Conference call that he was going to 'Muhammad Ali' Woodley when they meet at the Garden.
Regardless of which area of MMA they chose to display in the Octagon, this is sure to be a belter of a Welterweight title fight. PREDICTION: Woodley wins by TKO in the Second Round.
Eddie Alvarez (C) vs Conor McGregor (For the Lightweight Championship)
The main event and of course it features the biggest money draw in UFC history, Conor McGregor (20-3). The UFC Featherweight champion is seeking the Lightweight championship for the second time in his UFC career, after being originally scheduled to face ex-champion Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 196 before the Brazilian pulled out with a broken foot.
Fast forward past two Nate Diaz fights and the Notorious is on the brink of history were if he wins in the most famous Sports arena in the World, he will become the first man to hold two belts in different weight divisions simultaneously.
Then there's Eddie Alvarez (28-4). Fresh off winning the Lightweight title against Dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night on July 7th 2016, Alvarez has verbally matched his opponent in the build-up to UFC 205 and here are some of my favourite quotes from Alvarez and McGregor:
"Belt-less, you'll be belt-less November 12th. You're gonna have to give up the little boy belt and you ain't getting the big boy belt." - Alvarez.
"$4.2 Billion. $4.2 Billion that's how much I'm worth to this company." - McGregor.
"This guy's easy. Easy money." - Alvarez.
"I run New York I run this whole s*** and Mystic Mac predicts I'm going to KO you inside one round." - McGregor.
"You ain't got a shot. Your coach knows you ain't got a shot and anyone who knows anything knows you got a f****** shot!" - Alvarez.
It's healthy to see someone match McGregor in the build-up to a fight and whilst the former Bellator Lightweight champion has admitted himself that he's not the greatest promoter, it's clear that Alvarez has provoked McGregor in holding his own.
In terms of the two being in the Octagon, it's strange how many haven't broken down the clash between the two division champions. Although this is the biggest MMA event of all-time it seems a shame to a degree that the build has drawn away from the action to come.
Ultimately, it comes down to Alvarez's strong Wrestling style vs McGregor's rapid striking game that has seen him earn many Performance of the Night bonuses. The majority will say that McGregor will win, in order to see history fulfilled in the Garden, but Alavarez didn't get to this point by 'getting lucky.'
Whatever happens, the UFC's first-ever event in New York City is sure to be nothing short of entertaining.
WrestleMania is the highlight of WWE's year. It's when Vince and co sit down to enjoy their firework, short and intense storyline filled spectacle. However, sometimes WrestleMania has been rather disappointing but often there have been a few good matches that have been featured at what are, without being too expressive, bad WrestleManias and lucky for you I've found nine of them.
9, The Ultimate Warrior vs "Macho Man" Randy Savage (Retirement Match) (WrestleMania VII)
Maybe not the masterclass of in-ring action from the off but this match was reasonably good, given it's 20 minute run-time, but Savage is on the Golden Generation's greatest Wrestlers and lead to great ring psychology with the Ultimate Warrior. Add the reuning of Miss Elizabeth with her real-life husband Savage after he lost to the Warrior, this match is firmly the best match of WrestleMania VII when you see that The Mountie beat Tito Santana in 90 seconds, the Intercontineal match ended in DQ when it featured the awesome Mr Perfect and that Hulk Hogan yet again won the WWF title in the WrestleMania main event again... *yawns uncontrollably*.
8, The Ultimate Warrior vs Hulk Hogan (For the WWE and Intercontinental Championships) (WrestleMania VI)
So WrestleMania VI was poor. A double countout between Roddy Piper and Bad News Brown, The Hart Foundation won in 19 seconds and Big Boss Man basically squashed Akeem. However, the main event between Hogan and Warrior lead to critics claiming that it was a good show. Well not really, as listed above, but the intensity shown between Warrior and Hogan captured the 1990's crowd like they had absolutely no shame whats so ever. Through the context of a Sporting event, it's fairly poor but the entertainment and novelty factor, which is quite noticeable when Warrior surprisingly pins Hogan clean, leads it onto this list at number eight.
7, The Undertaker vs Triple H (No Holds Barred Match) (WrestleMania XXVII)
WrestleMania XXVII is by far the worst WrestleMania that I've seen. There was a six-person mixed tag team match that lasted just under four minutes, Michael Cole faced Jerry Lawler (for God sake...) and finally, the Miz main evented the show with John Cena and won via interference by The Rock after a double countout. Anyway, to every cloud there is a sliver lining and from WrestleMania XXVII that match is The Undertaker vs Triple H in a savage No Holds Barred match. Despite hitting three Pedigrees, several chairshots and a tombstone piledriver, Trips couldn't beat Taker in a match that put the Deadman's undefeated WrestleMania streak even more over with the fans.
6, Edge and Christian vs The Dudley Boyz vs The Hardy Boyz (Triangle TLC Match for the WWF Tag Team Championships) (WrestleMania 2000)
No way near the classic that is TLC II from WrestleMania the following year but a spot-filled match never-the-less. Tables did get introduced though, as expected when the Dudley Boyz are in a no DQ match, and ultimately through a few major spots, such as Matt Hardy getting pushed from the top of a ladder into a set of tables, Edge and Christian won their first tag team championship. What makes this match higher than Taker vs Triple H at WM27 on this list is that WrestleMania 2000 featured only one singles match (between The Kat and Terri), a tag team between Rikishi and Kane versus D-Generation X and a fatal-four way elimation match for the WWF Championship... that had a McMahon in every corner... and they wonder why everyone was happy when Austin returned at Backlash.
5, Zack Ryder vs Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens vs StarDust vs The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler vs Sin Cara (Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship) (WrestleMania 32)
A match from the most recent WrestleMania that was largely disappointing, especially with Roman Reigns winning the WWE World Heavyweight title in the main event. However, this match is a huge contender for the best WrestleMania opener ever with ridiculous ladder spots from the various high-fliers such as Zayn, Sin Cara and StarDust (a.k.a Cody Rhodes). The biggest moment from this match was Zack Ryder winning the championship in the opening match of WrestleMania. I mean Zack Ryder is the definition of a joke in WWE yet they decided to have him win the second biggest singles title at that point, April 2016, which still baffles me beyond belief.
4, CM Punk vs The Undertaker (WrestleMania 29)
Punk's last WrestleMania match, potentially ever, and it was arguably his best. Being shoved out of the main event for the Rock v Cena rematch from the previous year, Punk went on a mission to prove to everyone behind the corner that he deserves the WrestleMania main event slot. From Punk stealing Taker's Old-School move, Heyman getting involved with the urn and Punk mocking the Undertaker throughout, it was by far the best match from WM29, especially when you compare it to the rest of the card, such as Fandango facing Chris Jerchio, Triple H in a slow no Holds Barred match against Brock Lesnar and the Rock vs Cena being an exact replica of their WM28 match, except it was painfully obvious that Cena was going to win.
3, The Rock vs Hollywood Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania X8)
Many think that this match can convert non-Wrestling fans into Wrestling fans and if I had to pick one, this would be highly considered. Despite Hogan being the heel as part of the nWo, the crowd in Toronto got lost in nostalgia as they cheered on the former WrestleMania headliner against the People's Champion. The Rock won in a genuine dream match and subsequently overshadowing the main event of the evening, which was the first undisputed champion Chris Jericho against Triple H, and well as the rest of the WrestleMania X8 card, especially Stone Cold vs Scott Hall.
2, The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 25)
Look, I rant and rave about this classic match between Taker and Shawn Michaels and many Wrestling fans consider it one of the very best matches of all-time. Contrasted with the rest of WrestleMania 25, such as Santina Marella winning the "Miss WrestleMania" battle-royal, JBL losing in 21 seconds to Rey Mysterio for the Intercontinental title and the unification of the WWE and World Tag Team championships was scheduled as a dark match (a match that doesn't air on television), it's an genuine masterclass at the event that was marketed as the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania.
1, Bret Hart vs Stone Cold Steve Austin (Submission Match) (WrestleMania 13)
With WrestleMania 13 being widely-regarded as the worst WrestleMania of all-time, this match is not only the sliver lining of WM13 but also the match that solidified Steve Austin as the most popular Wrestler of all-time. Austin and Hart battle in a bloody submission match, were the no DQ stipulation was heavily played on, and infamously the roles were switched with Hart leaving a heel and Austin as a face after he refused to tap out to the Sharpshooter. WM13 had Triple H vs Goldust and Sycho Sid, as champion for God sake, against the Undertaker as the main event and this match was a five-star classic, that Dave Meltzer quite rightly awarded, and also voted 1997 Match of the Year in Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter and is the best match from a bad WrestleMania.
Stone Cold refuses to tap out to the Sharpshooter against Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13.
