Sep 302012
 

Stefan Struve (red gloves) used his reach to come up in a big way against Stipe Miocic (blue gloves) at UFC on Fuel TV 5. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The UFC put out another high quality showing last night as UFC on Fuel TV 5 hit the airwaves with several extremely exciting bouts from the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England. The night opened with what started as a stand-out performance by “Beautiful” Che Mills (15-5-1) and ended in a bizarre knee injury that resulted in “Bang” Duane Ludwig (21-14) losing his third straight fight. What followed was a three-round tilt that saw “Hitman” John Hathaway (17-1) outpoint John Maguire (18-4), though the entertainment value was so lacking that Maguire himself admitted to falling asleep while watching the tape. “Handsome” Matt Wiman (15-6) shocked no small number of MMA pundits in the anchor bout when he locked in an Armbar against submission machine “Sassangle” Paul Sass (13-1) to hand the Brit his first defeat. Next out, hometown hero “The Outlaw” Dan Hardy (25-10-1) literally walked across the street from his house to arrive at the arena where he put on one of his absolute best performances to shut down TUF winner Amir Sadollah (6-4). “One Punch” Brad Pickett (22-6) lived up to his namesake when he landed an uppercut that ended an exciting stand-up affair with “Tiger” Yves Jabouin (18-8), and in the main event, Stipe Miocic (9-1) fell short for the first time in his career when “Skyscraper” Stefan Struve (25-5) survived an early deficit to score a TKO after finding his range in the second. MMA Gospel is here with a breakdown of the night’s action. Continue reading »

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Sep 292012
 

(Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC. and Fuel TV)

—MAIN CARD (on Fuel TV @ 4:00pm ET)—

Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic: Struve via TKO (Punches), Round 2, 3:50

Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah: Hardy via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27), Round 3, 5:00

Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin: Pickett via KO (Punches), Round 1, 3:40

Paul Sass vs. Matt Wiman: Wiman via Submission (Armbar), Round 1, 3:48

John Hathaway vs. John Maguire: Hathaway via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), Round 3, 5:00

Che Mills vs. Duane Ludwig: Mills via TKO (Knee Injury), Round 1, 2:38 Continue reading »

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Sep 282012
 

(Video courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

—MAIN CARD (on Fuel TV)—

Stefan Struve (251) vs. Stipe Miocic (239)

Dan Hardy (169) vs. Amir Sadollah (169)

Brad Pickett (135) vs. Yves Jabouin (136)

Paul Sass (156) vs. Matt Wiman (156)

John Hathaway (169) vs. John Maguire (169)

Che Mills (170) vs. Duane Ludwig (169) Continue reading »

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Sep 262012
 

Just three fights into his UFC career, Stipe Miocic (top) has blazed through his heavyweight opponents and shows no signs of slowing down – not even for Stefan Struve at UFC on Fuel TV 5. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

It is another tour of destruction when the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to follow up UFC 152 with its latest installment of UFC on Fuel TV: Struve vs. Miocic live from Nottingham, England. Welterweight bangers set the main card’s pace with “Beautiful” Che Mills (14-5) taking on “Bang” Duane Ludwig (21-13).  It all goes bedlam when native countrymen “The Hitman” John Hathaway (15-1) and “The One” John Maguire (18-3) collide. Paul Sass (13-0) will look to lock his signature triangle offensive when he tangles with the ever-grinding pressure of “Handsome” Matt Wiman (14-6). For all the WEC aficionados, fight promoters heard their cries and lined up “One Punch” Brad Pickett (21-6) and “Tiger” Yves Jabouin (18-7) in the card’s anchor. “The Outlaw” Dan Hardy (24-10) will look to prove England belongs to him when he stands across fellow striker Amir Sadollah (6-3). “Skyscraper” Stefan Struve (24-5) and Stipe Miocic (9-0) are two heavyweight freight trains and will look to derail one another in the card’s main event. Here in the second segment of the Fuel TV breakdown, we’ll take a deeper look into the latter half of the night’s proceedings: Struve versus Miocic, Hardy against Sadollah, and Pickett with Jabouin. Anything can happen once that cage door closes, but here a few keys to victory are brought to light and give better insight on who could come out on top. Continue reading »

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Sep 252012
 

Both Duane Ludwig (red trunks) and Amir Sadollah (grey trunks) will have big career implications riding on their performances at UFC on Fuel TV: Struve vs. Miocic. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The UFC reloads and delivers again a week after the highly successful UFC 152 event by putting burgeoning heavyweight striker Stipe Miocic (9-0) in the cage with young UFC standout “Skyscraper” Stefan Struve (24-5). Leading the heavyweights to the cage is a welterweight battle between two men who have fallen on hard times, but who have the hearts of the fans and thus continued employment in the UFC, “The Outlaw” Dan Hardy (24-10) and Amir Sadollah (6-3). Anchoring things is “One-Punch” Brad Pickett (21-6) against “Tiger” Yves Jabouin (18-7).  Of special interest to those looking for the next big thing are the three opening bouts of the evening. “Beautiful” Che Mills (14-5) looks to keep his UFC dream alive against a long-time UFC staple, “Bang” Duane Ludwig (21-13) who himself is struggling for an identity in the division. Undefeated “Sassangle” Paul Sass (13-0) looks to continue his rash of brutal submission wins against TUF 5 alum and UFC mainstay “Handsome” Matt Wiman (14-6), and “The Hitman” John Hathaway (15-1) looks to continue rebuilding from his first career loss against “The One” John Maguire (18-3). Continue reading »

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Jun 052012
 

"The Dentist" Josh Neer (red gloves) will look to win three UFC fights in row for the first time in his career by defeating fellow veteran Mike Pyle at UFC on FX 3. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns with its third installment of “UFC on FX” this Friday at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida. “Young Guns” Scott Jorgensen (13-5) prepares to clash with the always game Eddie Wineland (18-8-1) within the bantamweight division. “The Spaniard” Charlie Brenneman (15-3) and dangerous Brazilian Erick Silva (13-2) see each other in the co-main event in the classic “striker versus grappler” formula.  In the main event, “Mighty Mouse” Demetrious Johnson (14-2-1) and “Uncle Creepy” Ian McCall (11-2-1) will meet again in a rematch of the UFC’s inaugural flyweight tournament. In the midst of all the action, “Quicksand” Mike Pyle (22-8-1) and “The Dentist” Josh Neer (33-10-1) meet in a welterweight exhibition. Neer has never been one to pull punches and Pyle is one that can always find a way to implement his will. Come fight night, one fighter’s approach will pay off in dividends. Continue reading »

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May 272012
 

"Big Country" Roy Nelson (left) about knocked Dave Herman (right) into next week with a brutal right hand that earned him one of the two "Knockout of the Night" bonuses. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The following fight bonuses were awarded for UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir

Submission of the Night:

Stefan Struve (over Lavar Johnson) receives $70,000

Paul Sass (over Jacob Volkmann) receives $70,000

Knockout of the Night:

Roy Nelson (over Dave Herman) receives $70,000

Dan Hardy (over Duane Ludwig) receives $70,000

Fight of the Night:

No “FOTN” bonuses were awarded this time.

Click here for the full list of UFC 146 results.

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May 262012
 

(Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

—MAIN CARD (on Pay-Per-View)—

Junior Dos Santos vs. Frank Mir: Dos Santos via TKO (Punches), Round 2, 3:04

Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva: Velasquez via TKO (Elbows), Round 1, 3:36

Roy Nelson vs. Dave Herman: Nelson via KO (Punch), Round 1, 0:51

Shane Del Rosario vs. Stipe Miocic: Miocic via TKO (Strikes), Round 2, 3:14

Lavar Johnson vs. Stefan Struve: Struve via Submission (Armbar), Round 1, 1:05

Continue reading »

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May 252012
 


Weigh-ins start at about 19:30 mark. (Video courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

—MAIN CARD (on Pay-Per-View)—

Junior Dos Santos: 239lbs.
Frank Mir: 261lbs.

Cain Velasquez: 240lbs.
Antonio Silva: 264lbs.

Roy Nelson: 254lbs.
Dave Herman: 233lbs.

Shane Del Rosario: 246lbs.
Stipe Miocic: 245lbs.

Lavar Johnson: 248lbs.
Stefan Struve: 255lbs. Continue reading »

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May 242012
 

Paul Sass (bottom) has flown under the radar in the UFC so far, but his top-notch submission game and double-digit undefeated record certainly deserve a closer look. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

With the stacked UFC 146 heavyweight card on the horizon for this Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas being possibly the best card in recent memory, MMA Gospel once again looks to the preliminary card in search of the most promising prospects. Typically it isn’t a difficult task to find a fighter on the undercard that offers something special and is lesser known among MMA fans, however, when an undercard offers the high caliber talents usually reserved for Pay-Per-Views, including a bout destined to be a war between “The Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-10) and “Bang” Duane Ludwig (29-12), it was no easy feat. While the world is focused on the main event between “Cigano” Junior Dos Santos (14-1) and Frank Mir (16-5) for the UFC Heavyweight Title, many may miss out on the undefeated British submission artist “Sassangle” Paul Sass (12-0). The  Liverpool, England native does offer something special, and it’s more than just an undefeated record.

Continue reading »

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Jan 212012
 
Jim Miller (blue gloves) ushered in the UFC on FOX era by earning himself a potential shot at lightweight gold with a come-from-behind first-round submission of Melvin Guillard (red gloves). (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The Ultimate Fighting Championship ushered in the UFC on FOX era with its first free offering of the year as UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller hit the airwaves following live prelims on FUEL TV. The card was memorable in several ways. Aside from being the inaugural event in MMA’s first long-term network TV deal, it also featured a host of entertaining and fast paced bouts with everything from title contention to jobs on the line. “HD” Pat Barry (6-5) opened the night with a career-saving KO victory over Christian Morecraft (7-3). “The Hulk” Mike Easton (9-0) continued to impress with a Majority Decision win over newcomer Jared Papazian (13-7-1). UFC mainstays “Bang” Duane Ludwig (21-12) and “The Dentist” Josh Neer (33-10-1) met in a slugfest that saw Ludwig land several solid blows only to fall victim to a Guillotine Choke. In the main event, “The Young Assassin” Melvin Guillard (27-10-2) fell short yet again with potential title contention on the line as “The Mongoose” Jim Miller (21-3) weathered an early storm to end the bout with a Rear Naked Choke. Every fight impressed both the fans and the UFC brass, but for some fighters, the night did end as well as they would have liked and for others, it ended in utter disaster. Continue reading »

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Jan 202012
 

"The Young Assassin" Melvin Guillard (left) and "The Mongoose" Jim Miller (right) are set to face off in tonight's UFC on FX main event. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

—MAIN CARD (on FX)—

Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller: Miller via Submission (Rear Naked Choke), Round 1, 2:04

Duane Ludwig vs. Josh Neer: Neer via Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke), Round 1, 3:04

Mike Easton vs. Jared Papazian: Easton via Majority Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-29), Round 3, 5:00

Pat Barry vs. Christian Morecraft: Barry via KO (Punches), Round 1, 3:38

Continue reading »

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Jan 202012
 

On the heels of a disappointing loss, tonight Melvin Guillard (black trunks) will likely come out guns blazing and seeking an early KO in an effort to jump back into contender talks. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The UFC returns to the States after a phenomenal showing last weekend in Rio De Janiero, Brazil to present its inaugural “UFC on FX” card tonight from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The card kicks off with Mike Easton (8-0) welcoming Jared Papazian (13-6-1) to the Octagon in the bantamweight division. Hard-hitting heavyweights are set to collide when “HD” Pat Barry (5-5) meets Christian Morecraft (7-2). It is a battle of veterans in the co-main event when“Bang” Duane Ludwig (21-11) will hope to showcase his stand-up skills against the well-rounded “The Dentist” Josh Neer (32-10-1). The main event is one to remember as top lightweights  “The Young Assassin” Melvin Guillard (27-9-1) and “The Mongoose” Jim Miller (20-3)  prepare to engage with one another. Guillard and Miller were once on the verge of challenging for “The Answer” Frankie Edgar’s championship belt but after facing major setbacks, they will like nothing more to get back into the runnings even at the other’s expense. Continue reading »

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