#Michael Cannetti

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WIZARDS The Podcast Guide To Comics | Mini-Episode 95.5

Original WIZARDS co-host, Michael Cannetti returns to announce his new So You Want To Be A Geek show on Geekster, joining Adam to discuss hilarious Pokemon/Superhero Amalgams, a Mutant X Casting Call, groan his way through a Wizard Top 10 list and so much more! Get more out of your WIZARDS experience by joining our Patreon for just $5/mo at Patreon.com/WIZARDSCOMICS to get PDF scans of the…

[thesportssoundoff]

“What’s At Stake In St. Louis ?” The UFC Division Breakdown

(Gonna try this for a month or so. See how it goes)

Joey

Jan 11th

Middleweight Fights Booked: 1 (Vitor Belfort vs Uriah Hall) Fights This Year: N/A

What's At Stake? A torch passing.

Vitor Belfort has spent plenty of time in the UFC and while his value has dipped from being a potential title contender and bonafide numbers maker to being a guy who makes his bread as a dude who fights frequently and more often than not puts over the next generation of talent at the 185 lb division. Vitor is planning his retirement which is a big deal until you realize that he's basically retired about eight times now. Vitor is more than likely "retiring" to head elsewhere but in his place, he potentially could pass the torch to a new Vitor Belfort. If one truly wishes to think about it, Uriah Hall is basically what Vitor Belfort is. He's the ultra fast athletic striker who looks awesome in a highlight reel but has all of those dead spots in between Point A and Point B. Hall's best value to the UFC is what Vitor's value is; he fights frequently and is a name who more than not drags in viewers because of what MIGHT happen. There really isn't anything pertaining to relevance inside the division but there's a good shot that Uriah Hall is basically taking a good glimpse into his future when he faces Vitor.

Welterweight Fights This Week: 2 (Emil Meek/Kamaru Usman, Thiago Alves/Zak Cummings) Fights This Year: N/A

What's At Stake? Keeping Pace

There's something to be said for keeping pace with your cohorts as opposed to waiting for the perfect opportunity. For Thiago Alves, he's taking a serious step down in name value from the likes of Patrick Cote, Carlos Condit and Jordan Mein but at this point, he was losing steam compared to the other veterans in the division. After two straight losses, the popular Alves probably needed to get back in there ASAP or run the risk of being forgotten for good as this WW division develops and matures. This though is mostly about Kamaru Usman. The one major component to Usman's game that's prevented him from really having top 5 potential in my opinion were his hands. He took a big step forward in that regard vs Sergio Moraes en route to a decisive violent finish. Since then, Mike Perry has fought twice (once on Fox), Darren Till ruined Donald Cerrone, Yancy Medeiros had a war for the ages which has vaulted HIM into a main event spot, Stephen Thompson made Jorge Masvidal look as bad as he's ever looked in the UFC, Colby Covington has set the world on fire with his words and Tyron Woodley has flirted with big fights. I would probably pick Usman to beat most of those guys if not all of them but he sort of needs to force the issue and make this happen because otherwise he's not going to be getting many call to arms when it comes to getting those fights.

Lightweight Fight This Week: 2 (Matt Frevola/Marco Polo Reyes, James Krause/Alex White) Fights This Year: N/A

What's At Stake: Staying On The Track

If 2018 is anything like 2017 then at least once a month we're all going to have a brand new lightweight prospect to go crazy over. MMA's gone from being big and bulky to where 135 to 155 lbs produces prospects by the bushel and so chances are, these four guys are all competing just to stay in the conversation. James Krause is a local guy who has been in the UFC a good spell while Alex White is a top prospect from yesteryear who has sort of lost his way. He's from "the area" so it's basically Missouri vs Missouri for the fans. Matt Frevola vs Marco Polo Reyes is the battle between two dudes pitted through some UFC gimmickery. Frevola was  the final DWTCS signing and he's an ultra exciting prospect out of Serra-Longo while Marco Polo Reyes is a TUF LAM brawler who will forever have a gig in the UFC by virtue of the fact that dude throws hands consistently.  The likelihood is none of these guys have big money futures in the UFC as major stars but the key is to stay on the track the entire time.

Featherweight Fights This Week: 3 (Doo Ho Choi/Jeremy Stephens, Darren Elkins/Michael Johnson and Mike Santiago/Mads Burnell) Fights This Year: N/A

What's At Stake: The potential for a shake up.

Any division with the headliner on a card is in line for something big to change but this could be a much different scenario. Doo Ho Choi had the FOTY (and maybe top 10 fights ever) vs Cub Swanson, was booked for Renan Barao and pulled out due to injury. He spent the entire year rehabbing and recovering but he's back----just in time for his mandated military service to creep into the scene. It's worth pointing out that Choi's rising star power once rivaled the likes of the Korean Zombie and Brian Ortega prior to dipping out. Now we'll see if the fans still love him the way they did before he lost and took a year off. If Choi beats Stephens then it wouldn't surprise me to see him fast tracked just behind the likes of Ortega and Emmett as a potential title challenger. I don't think he'd GET a title shot but he'd at least have some weight to challenge for it. Another potential shake up? The arrival of Michael Johnson to 145 lbs. If he can make the weight and if his power carries then Johnson has the ability to really stick at the weight. With 145 losing some talent to surrounding weight classes then Johnson might be a bit of a mid level cure in the division. One last shake up could be Mads Burnell as an arrival at 145 lbs. Burnell is moving to his more natural weight class after pinch hitting at 155 lbs on short notice. The Dane is just 23 years old and is flush with athletic potential so you'd imagine he's got a great chance to stick if he can pick up some wins.

Bantamweight Fights This Week: 1 (Kyung Ho Kang vs Guido Cannetti) Fights This Year: N/A

What's At Stake: A dark horse returns at 135 lbs.

Kyung Ho Kang has a 2-1-1 UFC record which isn't overly impressive but it's not about the record its about how we get there. Kang took on Alex Caceres and give him fits en route to a split decision turned no contest. He gave Chico Camus fits in a frustrated/infuriating fight he lost by razor thin decision. From there, Kyung Ho Kang subbed  Shunichi Shimizu in Singapore and then beat Michinori Tanaka in a fantastic fight in Japan. From there? He also got hit with the mandatory military commitment. He's been gone for OVER three years now but he's still just 30, he's a frenetic grappler and he's got some upside as a pesky gnat at 135 lbs. Guido Cannetti is a TUF LAM-er who hits really hard.

Women's Bantamweight Fights Booked: 1 (Talita Bernado vs Irene Aldana) Fights  This Year: N/A

What's At Stake: "The Future Of WMMA"

That ill fated photo of Irene Aldana, Dana White and Alexa Grasso paints a picture of being a bit too overenthusiastic with some insanely talented women. Alexa Grasso for the most part has lived up to the hype with a 2-1 record in the UFC that could've/should've been 3-1 had she ramped up the tempo vs Felice Herrig. It's Irene Aldana who stumbled hard. She was overwhelmed by Tanya Evinger in Invicta and then eventually got to the UFC where she's amassed an 0-2 record. She's been game and put on great efforts in those losses BUT in both losses, she's either not done enough offensively or been too lax defensively. She's got a third shot against Talita Bernardo in what is, in my estimation, a more favorable matchup for her. A loss here and I don't think they'll be any rope left for her.

Women's Flyweight Fights Booked: 2 (Paige Van Zant/Jessica Rose Clark, Jessica Eye/Kalinda Faria) Fights This Year: N/A

What's At Stake: A Title Shot?

So this MAY burn a few asses but here's an inconvenient truth; this division probably benefits more from PVZ fighting for the title ASAP. She brings notoriety and attention to this division that the likes of Valentina Shevchenko or even Joanna Champion couldn't bring to the discussion. It makes sense for the UFC to want to see Paige win and yes, as much as it might burn our collective asses, the division is better off with Paige fighting for the belt on free TV than it is with a more accomplished 125er or a bigger named 135er popping up to handle business. The problem is getting there and Paige Van Zant is no lock to win this fight. Jessica Rose Clark is the sort of fighter that Paige CVan Zant normally beats comfortably----but we haven't seen Paige in a year. She's changed camps during that time period and undergone shoulder surgery. She has squabbled with the battle to balance her entertainment career with her fighting career and at times squabbled with the UFC itself. Who knows where her head is at, if she's made any improvements and if she's just here to kill time until something better comes along.

Women's Strawweight Fights Booked: 1 (JJ Aldrich vs Danielle Taylor) Fights This Year: N/A

What's At Stake?  A streaker.

115 lbs is in a weird spot. The division seems to be a somewhat morphed version of the 135 lb division where there's a ton of fighters who can all beat one another but no definite dominant person to reign above all. Joanna may not be long for this division and even so, the problems she's suggesting about the weight class leave me no comfort in believing she can come back and beat Rose Namajunas in a rematch. As such, it's a collection of fighters who can all beat one another on any given week which in turn paints the picture where instability and chaos will reign until one rises to rule them all. That means that accumulation of wins is probably as important as the quality of competition. JJ Aldrich is coming off a win over Chin Mi Jeon while Danielle Taylor is living well after decision wins over Jessica Penne and Seo Hee Ham. In a division where I think a grand total of three women are on winning streaks, you'd assume Taylor going to three in a row could open up her up for potential big fight opportunities.

Off This Week

Heavyweight Fights Booked: N/A Fights This Year: N/A

Light Heavyweight Fights Booked: N/A Fights This Year: N/A

Flyweight Fights Booked: N/A Fights This Year: N/A

Women's Featherweight Fights Booked: N/A Fights This Year: N/A

[indicajapao]

Confronto entre pesos-pesados será luta principal do evento, e marcará retorno do brasileiro após infecção bacteriana nas pernas que causou sua retirada do UFC Moscou

Após se recuperar de um susto causado por uma infecção bacteriana, Junior Cigano já tem data para retornar ao octógono. O ex-campeão mundial do peso-pesado vai enfrentar o americano Curtis Blaydes na luta principal do UFC Raleigh.

UFC Raleigh

25 de janeiro de 2020, na Carolina do Norte (EUA) CARD PRINCIPAL (10h, de Tokyo): Peso-pesado: Curtis Blaydes x Junior Cigano Peso-meio-médio: Rafael dos Anjos x Michael Chiesa Peso-pena: Arnold Allen x Adversário a ser anunciado Peso-mosca: Jordan Espinosa x Alex Perez Peso-palha: Hannah Cifers x Angela Hill Peso-meio-pesado: Jamahal Hill x Darko Stosic CARD PRELIMINAR (19h, de Brasília): Peso-mosca: Justine Kish x Lucie Pudilova Peso-médio: Bevon Lewis x Dequan Townsend Peso-galo: Montel Jackson x Felipe Cabocão Peso-galo: Sara McMann x Lina Lansberg Peso-galo: Brett Johns x Tony Gravely Peso-pena: Herbert Burns x Nate Landwehr Peso-pena: Nik Lentz x Nad Narimani

Lutas futuras

UFC 247

8 de fevereiro de 2020, em Houston (EUA) CARD PRINCIPAL (12h, de Tokyo): Peso-meio-pesado: Jon Jones x Dominick Reyes Peso-mosca: Valentina Shevchenko x Katlyn Chookagian Peso-pesado: Juan Adams x Justin Tafa Peso-pena: Mirsad Bektic x Dan Ige Peso-pesado: Derrick Lewis x Ilir Latifi CARD PRELIMINAR (20h15, de Brasília): Peso-galo: Jimmie Rivera x Marlon Vera Peso-médio: Trevin Giles x Antônio Arroyo Peso-meio-médio: Alex Morono x Dhiego Lima Peso-mosca: Lauren Murphy x Andrea Lee Peso-galo: Miles Johns x Mario Bautista Peso-galo: Domingo Pilarte x Journey Newson Peso-galo: Andre Ewell x Jonathan Martinez

UFC Rio Rancho

15 de fevereiro de 2020, no Novo México (EUA) CARD DO EVENTO (até o momento): Peso-meio-pesado: Corey Anderson x Jan Blachowicz Peso-meio-médio: Diego Sanchez x Michel Pereira Peso-mosca: Montana de la Rosa x Mara Romero Borella Peso-mosca: Ray Borg x Rogério Bontorin Peso-galo: Macy Chiasson x Nicco Montaño Peso-meio-pesado: Devin Clark x Gadzimurad Antigulov Peso-mosca: Mark de la Rosa x Raulian Paiva Peso-galo: John Dodson x Nathaniel Wood Peso-galo: Casey Kenney x Merab Dvalishvili Peso-leve: Yancy Medeiros x Lando Vannata Peso-leve: Brok Weaver x Rodrigo Vargas Peso-meio-médio: Tim Means x Ramazan Emeev

UFC Auckland

22 de fevereiro de 2020, na Nova Zelândia CARD DO EVENTO (até o momento): Peso-leve: Paul Felder x Dan Hooker Peso-leve: Magomed Mustafaev x Brad Riddell Peso-meio-médio: Jake Matthews x Emil Meek Peso-meio-pesado: Marcos Pezão x Ben Sosoli Peso-meio-pesado: Vinicius Mamute x Adversário a ser anunciado Peso-palha: Karolina Kowalkiewicz x Yan Xiaonan Peso-mosca: Rachael Ostovich x Shana Dobson Peso-pena: Zubaira Tukhugov x Kevin Aguilar Peso-mosca: Kai Kara France x Tyson Nam Peso-leve: Callan Potter x Kenan Song Peso-leve: Jalin Turner x Jamie Mullarkey Peso-meio-médio: Maki Pitolo x Takashi Sato Peso-palha: Loma Lookboonmee x Hannah Goldy

UFC Norfolk

29 de fevereiro de 2020, na Virginia (EUA) CARD PRINCIPAL: Peso-mosca: Joseph Benavidez x Deiveson Figueiredo Peso-pena: Felicia Spencer x Zarah Fairn dos Santos Peso-meio-pesado: Ion Cutelaba x Magomed Ankalaev Peso-pena: Megan Anderson x Norma Dumont Peso-pesado: Marcin Tybura x Serghei Spivac Peso-galo: Gabriel Silva x Kyler Phillips CARD PRELIMINAR: Peso-pena: Mike Davis x Giga Chikadze Peso-médio: Brendan Allen x Tom Breese Peso-leve: Luis Peña x Alex Muñoz Peso-pena: Jordan Griffin x TJ Brown Peso-pena: Steven Peterson x Aalon Cruz Peso-meio-médio: Sean Brady x Ismail Naurdiev

UFC 248

7 de março de 2020, em Las Vegas (EUA) CARD DO EVENTO (até o momento): Peso-médio: Israel Adesanya x Yoel Romero * Peso-palha: Weili Zhang x Joanna Jedrzejczyk Peso-médio: Robert Whittaker x Jared Cannonier Peso-meio-médio: Neil Magny x Li Jingliang Peso-leve: Beneil Dariush x Drakkar Klose Peso-palha: Emily Whitmire x Polyana Viana Peso-galo: Guido Cannetti x Danaa Batgerel Peso-galo: José Quiñonez x Sean O’Malley Peso-pena: Jeremy Stephens x Calvin Kattar Peso-médio: Rodolfo Veira x Saparbek Safarov Peso-meio-médio: Alex Cowboy x Max Griffin Peso-meio-médio: Mark Madsen x Austin Hubbard

UFC Brasília

14 de março de 2020, no Distrito Federal CARD DO EVENTO (até o momento): Peso-leve: Kevin Lee x Charles do Bronx Peso-meio-médio: Demian Maia x Gilbert Durinho Peso-meio-pesado: Johnny Walker x Nikita Krylov Peso-palha: Amanda Ribas x Paige VanZant Peso-mosca: Maryna Moroz x Mayra Sheetara Peso-meio-médio: Elizeu Capoeira x Alexey Kunchenko Peso-galo: Rani Yahya x Enrique Barzola Peso-galo: Veronica Macedo x Bea Malecki Peso-mosca: Jussier Formiga x Brandon Moreno Peso-leve: Francisco Massaranduba x John Makdessi

UFC Londres

21 de março de 2020, na Inglaterra CARD DO EVENTO (até o momento): Peso-meio-médio: Tyron Woodley x Leon Edwards Peso-médio: Jack Hermansson x Darren Till * Peso-mosca: Molly McCann x Ashlee Evans-Smith Peso-médio: John Phillips x Dusko Todorovic Peso-pesado: Raphael Bebezão x Tom Aspinall Peso-médio: Darren Stewart x Marvin Vettori Peso-leve: Marc Diakiese x Stevie Ray Peso-meio-pesado: Paul Craig x Ryan Spann Peso-meio-médio: Danny Roberts x Nicolas Dalby Peso-pena: Lerone Murphy x Gabriel Benítez Peso-pena: Mike Grundy x Makwan Amirkhani

UFC Columbus

28 de março de 2020, em Ohio (EUA) CARD DO EVENTO (até o momento): Peso-pesado: Francis Ngannou x Jairzinho Rozenstruik Peso-galo: Raphael Assunção x Cody Garbrandt Peso-pesado: Carlos Boi x Jeff Hughes Peso-pesado: Yorgan de Castro x Greg Hardy Peso-meio-pesado: Khalil Rountree x Sam Alvey Peso-galo: Davey Grant x Louis Smolka Peso-palha: Tecia Torres x Mizuki Inoue Peso-galo: Randy Costa x Martin Day Peso-galo: Julianna Peña x Aspen Ladd Peso-médio: Punahele Soriano x Eric Spicely

UFC Fight Night

11 de abril de 2020, local a definir CARD DO EVENTO (até o momento): Peso-galo: Karol Rosa x Julia Avila Peso-médio: Alessio di Chirico x Abu Azaitar UFC 249 18 de abril de 2020, no Brooklyn (EUA) CARD DO EVENTO (até o momento): Peso-leve: Khabib Nurmagomedov x Tony Ferguson Peso-palha: Jéssica Bate-Estaca x Rose Namajunas Peso-médio: Ronaldo Jacaré x Uriah Hall Peso-pesado: Ben Rothwell x Gian Villante Peso-pena: Ryan Hall x Pedro Munhoz * UFC Fight Night 9 de maio de 2020, em São Paulo

* Eventos ou lutas não confirmados oficialmente pelo UFC

O post UFC Raleigh, Curtis Blaydes x Junior Cigano, 25/02/2020 apareceu primeiro em Indica Japão.

[frontproofmedia]

Combate Americas Copa Combate Fight Card

By Edward Carbajal

Follow @Carbazel

12/4/2018

Copa Combate, the one night, eight-man tournament airs this Friday in its entirety in English in the U.S. and Canada on DAZN (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), and live on television in Spanish in the U.S. on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT).

In a press release, Combate Americas stated the tournament format that will be airing on the streaming service that has been featuring a lot of boxing and MMA since they announced their expansion to the United States last June.

On one side of the draw, or “Group A,” Requeijo will square off with Pablo “El Gallo” Villaseca (13-4) of Santiago, Chile, while Alejandro “Gallito” Flores (13-1) of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico will battle undefeated John “Ronin” Bedoya (6-0) of Bogota, Colombia.

On the other side of the draw, or “Group B,” Ruquet will collide with Bruno “Aquiles” Cannetti (7-5) of Buenos Aires, Argentina, while Andres “The Bullet” Quintana (15-2) of Roswell, N.M., USA will face fellow prolific star Marlon “Deriko Siete”  Gonzales (13-3-2, 1 NC) of Lima, Peru.

The winners of each quarterfinal stage bout in Group A will meet in semifinal stage action, while the winners of each quarterfinal stage bout in Group B will do likewise.  

The two semifinal stage fight winners will face off in the championship showdown with the $100,000 grand prize at stake. -Combate Americas

See the full card below:

PRELIMINARY BOUT CARD:   Flyweight: Paul Elizondo vs. Nathan Napolitano Welterweight: Evan Solorio vs. Jimmy Molina Middleweight: Albert Gonzales vs. James Porter   FEATURED FLYWEIGHT BOUT:   Corina Herrera vs. Maria Paula Buzaglo   “COPA COMBATE” FEATHERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT ALTERNATE BOUTS: Pablo Sabori vs. Michael Irizarry Rudy Morales vs. Vicente Marquez Enriquez   “COPA COMBATE” FEATHERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT QUARTERNAL STAGE BOUTS:   Group A:    Daniel Requeijo vs. Pablo Villaseca Joey Ruquet vs. Bruno Cannetti   Group B   Alejandro Flores vs. John Bedoya Andres Quintana vs. Marlon Gonzales

[thrandythefabulous]

Hall-Belfort fight off UFC News

Sunday's UFC Fight Night co-main event between Uriah Hall and Vitor Belfort has been called off after Hall was unable to make weight for the bout at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.The card, which airs on FS1, will proceed with 11 bouts. Moving to the main card is the featherweight bout between Darren Elkins and Michael Johnson, while the bantamweight clash between Kyung Ho Kang and Guido Cannetti moves to the FS1 prelims. Read the Full Article Here from UFC News http://www.ufc.com/news/Hall-Belfort-fight-off

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WIZARDS The Podcast Guide To Comics | Episode 85

A monumental episode of WIZARDS is upon us as Michael Cannetti makes his departure from the main episodes of the podcast and reveal the identity of our new co-host. But before the passing of the mic, we explore a fantastic issue of Wizard featuring interviews with Chris Claremont and Joe Casey, the 25 Most Memorable Moments In Comics list, a Danger Girl Casting Call, Last Man Standing: Spawn vs.…

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WIZARDS The Podcast Guide To Comics | Mini-Episode 31.5

WIZARDS The Podcast Guide To Comics | Mini-Episode 31.5

In this edition of WIZARDS 1/2 Michael deals with the fallout from his disregard for ElfQuest during “Cannetti’s Revenge” and goes through the inaugural Top 10 Heroes & Villains list with Steven. Adam reviews Gen 13 1/2 and issue #0, then debuts an original song inspired by “Fairchild”. Plus Homemade Heroes, Hunk & Babe of the Month, Top 10 comics and more! Get one of our NEW WIZARDS designs…

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WIZARDS The Podcast Guide To Comics | Episode 31 - Cannetti's Revenge!

WIZARDS The Podcast Guide To Comics | Episode 31 – Cannetti’s Revenge!

What exactly is Cannetti’s Revenge? With Adam returning next episode, he gave Michael free reign to do whatever he wanted for the coverage of issue 31. The Result? This is the most OUT OF CONTROL edition of WIZARDS ever! Michael is cussing up a storm while hopped up on Caffeinated Booze and ends up more lost than usual as Steven tries to get him to talk about John Byrne and the crew launching…

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SequelQuest | SQ Crew Reboots the DCEU | EP128

SequelQuest | SQ Crew Reboots the DCEU | EP128

For ComicCon month on The Retro Network, the podcast multiverse is being pulled together for a crossover between SequelQuest and WIZARDS The Podcast Guide To Comics as Michael Cannetti returns to the show in order to reboot the DC Comics Extended Universe of films. Join the SQ Crew as they pitch new versions of Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, The Flash and Aquaman, then bring these heroes…

[thesportssoundoff]

“Meet 2018, Lookin’ A Lot Like 2017“ UFC Fight Night From St. Louis

Joey

Jan 7th, 2017

The UFC ended 2017 on a bit of a hot streak as every event in December was at the very least enjoyable and in a perfect world, that's your springboard as we head into 2018. It's only fitting I suppose that 2018 begins with a continuation of the very ills that haunted 2017. The first show of 2018 is a tremendous eclectic mix of well put together fights on short-ish notice with no real big headliner to tie it all together. It's the best the UFC could do on short-ish notice while also filling up their schedule; a common refrain for 2017 that has seeped into 2018. Now don't mistake that for this card not being good; it is a very, very solid show on paper and with an NFL playoff lead in (the UFC will air on FS1 basically right as the Vikings vs Panthers/Saints game ends) it's going to do one of the bigger numbers of the year. It's just a bummer there's no big main event to launch the career of a star or build a big momentum leading title fight. Jeremy Stephens vs Doo Ho Choi is a fantastic fight and a great headliner for however long it lasts while popular fighters like Uriah Hall, Vitor Belfort, Paige Van Zant, Jessica Eye, Thiago Alves and Michael Johnson are all filtered throughout the show. Throw in some fine matchmaking on short notice and another step in Kamaru Usman's potential title fight picture and we're on our way, fellas!

Fights: 13

Debuts: 1 (Matt Frevola)

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations: 0

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC):  9 (Uriah Hall, Vitor Belfort, Paige Van Zant, Thiago Alves, Jessica Eye, Jessica Rose Clark, Michael Johnson, Darren Elkins, Zak Cummings)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC:  3 (Irene Aldana, Jessica Eye, Michael Johnson)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC:  5 (Darren Elkins, Zak Cummings, Kamaru Usman, Danielle Taylor, Kyung Ho Kang)

Main Card Record Since Jan 1st 2016 (in the UFC): 12-8-1

Jeremy Stephens- 2-2 Doo Ho Choi- 1-1   Uriah Hall- 1-2 Vitor Belfort- 1-2-1 Jessica Rose Clark- 1-0 Paige Van Zant- 1-1 Kamaru Usman- 4-0 Emil Meek- 1-0

Too High Up- Matt Frevola vs Marco Polo Reyes

Matt Frevola's debut fight off of the DWTCS settles him in as apart of the FS! prelim slate. I get why he's there; Frevola's a fun  exciting LW newbie who probably has a bright future with the Serra-Longo team behind him. Marco Polo Reyes hits REALLY hard and tends to be in exciting fights for however long they last. Having said that, this is a showcase fight for Frevola and really isn't even the best LW fight on the prelim slate. This could've been a lot lower.

Down Too Low- Danielle Taylor vs JJ Aldrich

Neither fighter is big on the action fight category so I get it. Having said that, it's a fight that should probably be on the FS1 prelims if only because the winner will be one of the rare ladies on a winning streak at 115 lbs. Aldrich showcased skills in her first two fights and is a training partner for current champ Rose Namajunas whereas Danielle Taylor is on a two fight winning streak with one of those wins being vs former contender Jessica Penne. This isn't even the Fight Pass headliner for cripes sake, man.

Stat Monitor for 2017:

Debuting Fighters (Current number: 0-0): Matt Frevola

Short Notice Fighters (Current number: 0-0): N/A

Second Fight (Current number: 0-0): Mads Burnell, Mike Santiago, Jessica Rose Clark, Emil Meek, Talita Bernardo, Kalindra Faria

Cage Corrosion (0-0): Emil Meek, Paige Van Zant, Kyung Ho Kang, Guido Cannetti, Jessica Eye,  Marco Polo Reyes, Doo Ho Choi

Twelve Precarious Ponderings

1- The main event is going to be a very serious test for what a prospect can learn from a loss and what is or isn't a fatal flaw. Its okay if Doo Ho Choi can't fight as good going backwards as he can going forwards. It would be a flaw but one that's non fatal in nature. If he simply CAN'T fight going backwards then THAT is a fatal flaw and the sort of flaw that cuts a prospects upside off at the knees. Choi looked awesome fighting going forwards vs Cub Swanson but when Cub (and Jackson-Wink) realized that Choi could only handle one way traffic, things went bad and in a hurry. Choi also gassed something serious which isn't surprising given his come forward nature and the power he puts behind his shots---but this fight is five rounds vs a dude who has been historically durable beyond measure. We're going to learn a lot here.

2- Food for thought for those who like to eat ideas; Choi has zero wins who remain in the UFC. Jeremy Stephens isn't as versatile or adept as Cub Swanson but he's probably as durable if not more so, he hits REALLY hard and has a style which will trouble Doo Ho Choi from the jump. That;s not to say that Choi can't win but if he does, I feel like that'll almost speak as loudly as a win over Cub Swanson would've.

3- Is there a single doubt that this card peaks viewership wise during PVZ vs Jessica Rose Clark?

4- Uriah Hall's biggest ability is neither his striking nor his cardio but his availability. Another MW would've been cut after three straight losses but Hall's "fight anybody anywhere anytime" style keeps him employed and it rewarded him with a awesome come from behind KO over Kryzstof Jotko his last time out. Hall's reward for that win is Vitor Belfort in the co-main event of a show that should do a happy, healthy viewership number. Good for Hall who genuinely seems like one of MMA's good guys in the sport.

5- Would Stephens vs Aldo be a good fight if Stephens wins?

6- Kamaru Usman's path to nowhere in the UFC's WW division raises what I think it is an interesting question going forward; should a fighter be removed from the top 10 if they refuse a fight for reasons other than injury? It really doesn't make sense that the UFC can't find a single guy in the top 10 willing to take a fight with Kamaru Usman and it hurts Usman and the UFC over the long haul that a division could have an artery clog as high as #7 or 8 in the rankings. So would that provision be in the best interest of the UFC? Could we modify it to anybody OUTSIDE of the top 5?

7- Staying with that thought, Emil Meek is the epitome of high risk, low reward for Usman. Meek is long, hits hard, attacks from awkward angles and on the feet will represent a collection of stylistic challenges for Usman. On the ground, I mean I got no idea. I know he's ridiculously strong but I doubt that'll help much if Usman is able to get him down as he's want to do.

8- Whomever thinks it's a good idea for Michael Johnson, he of suspect cardio and of a massive frame, to drop to 145 lbs probably doesn't care much about Michael Johnson.

9- James Krause has not beaten anybody who remains in the UFC. On the other hand, his losses are legitimate with L's vs Bobby Green, Jorge Masvidal and Valmir Lazaro. In many ways, he and Alex White are similar in that they lose to who they're expected to lose to and beat who they're expected to beat with an exception here or there. Krause seems to be transitioning into a coaching capacity going forward so this could be his final chance to really make a run in the UFC.

10- We've got four WMMA fights across three weight classes. Feel like that's the highest that number has ever been outside of femme TUF finales. We've sort of poked around on PVZ/Jessica Rose Clark and Taylor/Aldrich but let's touch on two other fights. Talita Bernando vs Irene Aldana is a battle of fighters who lost to Leslie Smith. Bernado fell off the map after the loss whereas Aldana lost to Kaitlyn Chookagian via very close disputed split decision. I personally thought she won. At 0-2, this could be her last chance to do anything of note. Kalindra Faria is better than she showed vss Mara Romero Borella at UFC 216 and she faces Jessica Eye who HAS to be on her last legs, right? Right? I mean seriously.

11- Let's talk briefly about Zak Cummings. If you had told me that Cummings would go from being a dude who pinch hit at 205 lbs to competing successfully at 170 lbs, I would've been pretty much stunned out of my mind. To his credit, Cummings has made good on that drop down with two losses at 170 lbs; one to the very good Santiago Ponzinibbio and the other a total stylistic booboo vs Gunnar Nelson. He faces Thiago Alves in what has the potential to be a career altering win for him assuming he can pick it up.

12- Dana White's Tuesday Night Contenders Series has had a great return on its investment but can Matt Frevola be the next guy to follow in behind those dudes?

Must Wins

1- Paige Van Zant

The UFC needs to 1) get back on the same page as PVZ and 2) Paige to carry this 125 lb weight class. If she can do the latter, the former will come into focus in theory. PVZ vs Jessica Rose Clark is giving Paige someone she's historically aced; fighters who aren't overpowering in nature and who are way below her on the athletic totem pole. A loss to Jessica Rose Clark, a competent opponent designed to make her look good, would be soul crushing for her stock.

2- Uriah Hall

URiah's walked his way up back into relevancy with a big comeback win vs Kryzstof Jotko and now he gets Vitor Belfort in his UFC retirement fight. This is the sort of fight that Hall has continuously struggled with during his time in the UFC; a guy who has power and fights tentative enough to where Hall overthinks it because he's afraid of getting clocked, dropped and finished.

3- Danielle Taylor

Taylor is probably not somebody the UFC sees a whole lot of value in. She's a somewhat dull fighter who is woefully undersized for 115 lbs and always seems to be left hoping for some mercy from the judges. She's on a two fight winning streak at 115 lbs and might be two wins away from serious top 10 level contention. Gotta beat a very tough game JJ Aldrich to get there though.

Five Can't Miss Fights

1- Jeremy Stephens vs Doo Ho Choi

2- Zak Cummings vs Thiago Alves

3- Marco Polo Reyes vs Matt Frevola

4- Kamaru Usman vs Emil Meek

5- Uriah Hall vs Vitor Belfort

Predict The Post Fight Talking Points:

1- Michael Johnson’s failed move to 145 lbs.

2- Is Paige Van Zant going to fight for a title now?

3- Was Doo Ho Choi rushed or this the natural course for him?

[frontproofmedia]

UFC Fight Night 124: Stephens vs. Choi Results

By Joel Croichy

1/16/2018

Sunday, UFC returned to action with UFC Fight Night: “Stephens vs. Choi” inside Scottrade Center in St. Louis. In the headliner, Jeremy Stephens (27–14) stopped Doo Ho Choi (14–3) via TKO in the second round.

Once again, Stephens displayed on Sunday his incredible knockout ability after dismantling prospect Choi inside the second round. It was a feeling out process in round one with both competitors staying in the pocket and exchanging strikes. The power Stephens possesses in his hands gave him the clear advantage, and he landed huge shots that rattled his opponent. In round two, while Choi was moving back toward the cage, Stephens landed a monstrous right that dropped him. With Choi laying on his back, Stephens then delivered a series of ground strikes which led to the TKO win.

In the co-main event, Jessica-Rose Clark (9–4–1) extended her winning streak to three after scoring a decision win over Paige VanZant (7–4). For the most part, both competitors seemed matched up evenly in the wrestling department. With Clark having the size advantage, she successfully secured and maintained dominant positions over her opponent. VanZant was down on the cards heading into the final round, but she showed ton of heart and relied mostly on kicks while on the feet. In the end, all three judges favored Clark as the winner.

Impressively Kamaru Usman (12–1) extended his winning streak to 11 after picking up a unanimous decision win over Emil Meek (9–3–1). Usman relied heavily on his phenomenal ground game to out-wrestled his opponent for majority of the fight. Kicking off the main card, Darren Elkins (25–5) secured a comeback win over featherweight newcomer and heavy striker, Michael Johnson (17–13). In the first round, Johnson was getting the best out of Elkins by displaying his sharp striking skills. Elkins kept his composure in the second round, took the bout to the ground, and then delivered strikes to his opponent. Eventually, Elkins found an opening, locked his arms under Johnson’s neck, and captured a submission win.

With this win, Stephens now has earned his second consecutive win and captured his 27th victory in his career. With a featherweight division filled with elite competitors in the top ten, it’s going to be exciting to see who the UFC matchmakers will pair Stephens up next. See the full results below:

Jeremy Stephens def. Doo Ho Choi via TKO (punches) at 2:36 of R2 Jessica-Rose Clark def. Paige VanZant via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) Kamaru Usman def. Emil Meek via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Darren Elkins def. Michael Johnson via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:22 of R2 James Krause def. Alex White via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Polo Reyes def. Matt Frevola via KO (punch) at 1:00 of R1 Irene Aldana def. Talita Bernardo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Kyung Ho Kang def. Guido Cannetti via submission (triangle choke) at 4:53 of R1 Jessica Eye def. Kalindra Faria via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) JJ Aldrich def. Danielle Taylor via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Mads Burnell def. MIke Santiago via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)