All posts by Chris Blain

Gegard Mousasi Finally Gets Vitor Belfort for UFC 204

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After years of chasing the Phenom, Gegard Mousasi finally gets a crack at the UFC legend.

While the UFC has yet to officially announce the match-up, Combate broke the news on Wednesday and it was reported by several media outlets already:

As reported, the two will square off at UFC 204 which is expected to take place in Manchester, England.

Brazilian Hunting

7th ranked middleweight Mousasi is coming off a pair of victories against Brazilians in Thales Leites and Thiago Santos. He is expected to continue his Brazilian hunting against the 4th ranked Belfort who is coming off a defeat to Jacare Souza at UFC 198.

Mousasi is a decorated veteran with a record of 39-6-2 with 20 knockouts and 12 submissions. He is 5-1 in his last six bouts with his only loss coming at the hands of Uriah Hall. Mousasi is a former Strikeforce, Cage Warriors and Dream Middleweight champion. He won a 4th title by capturing the Dream Light Heavyweight title in 2010. Mousasi owns notable wins over Jacare Souza, Melvin Manhoef, Ilir Latifi, Ovince Saint Preux  and even heavyweights Mark Hunt and Gary Goodridge.

No Longer The Phenom

Belfort himself is not stranger to fighting bigger men. Known as the Phenom for his explosive style of fighting when he started out as a teenager in 1997, Belfort won the UFC 12 Heavyweight title finals by by knocking out Scott Ferrozzo. Belfort is also known knocking out the legendary Tank Abbott at UFC 13 and stopping Wanderlei Silva in his Light Heavyweight debut in 1998. B

elfort won the UFC Light Heavyweight title at UFC 46 with a one round KO of another legend in Randy Couture. Belfort is 7-3 in his last 3 fights with all wins by either knockout or submission. However, since the ban on the Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) he has looked anything but the Phenom. Belfort was medically allowed to do TRT but with its ban in the UFC starting 2014, he is just 1-2 in his last three fights, losing to Chris Weidman last year and Souza last May.

Mousasi turned down an opportunity to fight Anderson Silva at UFC 198 and instead offered to fight the Spider at UFC 200. Silva later underwent gall bladder surgery and missed UFC 198. Mousasi then called out then champion Luke Rockhold and Belfort. He didn’t get the call to fight Rockhold but now he will finally get his hands on Vitor Belfort.

A rematch between current UFC Middleweight champion Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson is expected to headline UFC 204.

Daniel Jacobs vs. Sergio Mora II Odds and Prediction

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Sergio Mora gets another crack at Daniel Jacobs when the two fight again on September 9th for the WBA Regular Middleweight title at the Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania:

Ended in Injury

Jacobs fought Mora last August at the Barclays Center in New York in what was Jacobs’ second defense of the WBA title he won in 2014 by knocking out Jarrod Fletcher. Jacobs won that fight by second round knockout but on a strange note. Both fighters came out firing in round one and exchanged knockdowns before Mora slipped on the canvass and broke his ankle. With Mora unable to continue, Jacobs was awarded the victory.

Since then, Jacobs went on to shock Peter Quillin in the Battle of New York last December 5. In a battle between two popular New York natives, Jacobs outgunned Quillin in a fast start and knocked out Kid Chocolate in the first round. Since then, Jacobs has been inactive and unable to secure a good fight. Many were expecting Jacobs to choose a better quality foe with his next fight. In the end though, the Miracle Man has decided to finally beat Mora with his punches not with an injury.

Contender Winner

Sergio Mora is the former winner of the boxing reality show “The Contender”. The Latin Snake defeated Peter Manfredo via decision to become the show’s inaugural winner. Mora would go on to beat Vernon Forrest by majority decision to become the WBC Light Heavyweight champion in 2008. Mora lost the title to Forrest in his next fight and went 2-3-1 in his next six bouts. Mora then found his second wind by winning 5 bouts in a row to return to the title picture.

It was unfortunate that his last title shot ended in an injury. After Jacobs dropped him in the first round, Mora returned the favor by knocking down Jacobs moments later. If you looked at the replays, Jacobs looked more hurt than Mora was when he got knocked down. His legs were wobbly until the round ended. Jacobs was doing well in the second round when the injury happened. But had Mora not been hurt, who knows how that bout would have ended.

Taking a Step Back

Jacobs is red hot with 11 straight victories since getting knocked out by Dmitry Pirog in 2011. All of those 11 wins were by KO and experts feel he should be building up on his big win over Quillin.

Sure, Jacobs has unfinished business with Mora and wanting this fight was understandable. However, fighting Mora is like taking a step back. Not only is the Latin Snake coming off an injury but he’s no longer the same fighter who beat Vernon Forrest. Mora has had his moments, but has never had consistency throughout his career.

Mora was a +775 underdog against the -1200 favorite Jacobs during their first bout. The odds for the rematch haven’t been set yet, although it’s likely not to deviate much from that of their first bout.

Manny Pacquiao Set to Come Out of Retirement in November

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Manny Pacquiao will be returning to the boxing ring on November 5th; at least that’s what his promoter is saying.

Top Rank boss  Bob Arum told ESPN that the Filipino ring icon will fight again on November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada against an opponent to be announced later.

Crawford As Front Runner?

That announcement is expected to be in the weeks following Saturday’s Terence Crawford-Viktor Postol Junior Welterweight title unification bout because the winner of that bout  is reportedly the front-runner in the hunt for Pacman’s next foe.

When rumors of Pacquiao’s return first came out, Adrien Broner’s name was next to it. Arum later confirmed the initial talks but said Broner priced himself out of the bout. Aside from Crawford, the names of welterweight champions Jessie Vargas (WBO)  and Danny Garcia (WBC) are also being linked to Pacquiao. Earlier, IBF Welterweight Keith Thurman threw his hat in the Pacman lottery by telling the Filipino fighter “Let’s give the fans a prize fight.”

Conflict With Politics

Arum said Pacquiao’s return was initially targeted for October 5 but was moved to November because of conflicts with Pacquiao’s schedule as a lawmaker in his native country.

Pacquiao was elected to a six year senatorial term in the May of 2016 Philippine National Elections. He previously said he was retiring from the sport so that he could give 100% of his time in serving his countrymen. According to Arum, the Philippine Senate will be in recess in the weeks prior to November 5th. So without a conflict of schedule, Pacquiao can return to the ring without sacrificing his duty for his country.

Pacquiao announced his retirement after beating Timothy Bradley during their 3rd bout last April 9th. However, not many were convinced that Pacquiao would be out for too long not only because of his reason to quit ( Politics) but also because he still showed impressive form in easily beating Bradley who was then considered to be in the best form of his career.

Pacman’s retirement followed the departure of rival Floyd Mayweather who also retired in September of 2015. Mayweather has also shown interest in fighting again, even to the point of a rumor pitting him against MMA star Conor McGregor in a multi-million crossover boxing match. Arum has likewise been baiting Mayweather to come out of retirement and fight a 100% healthy Pacquiao. But Money hasn’t obliged. Perhaps after a Pacquiao victory over Crawford or Postol, Mayweather will change his mind.

Brock Lesnar Could Face 2-Year Ban Due to Failed Drug Tests

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Brock Lesnar’s USADA woes have doubled.

After being flagged last week by the USADA for a potential drug violation during an out of competition testing conducted on June 28, the WWE star was informed the the drug agency on Tuesday that he also failed his in competition drug testing done on fight night at UFC 200. According to the report, Lesnar tested positive for the same substance that came out in the June 28 results:

Same As Bones

The substance that Lesnar tested positive for has not been publicly disclosed but sources are saying that Lesnar was flagged for Clomiphene, the same Estrogen blocker that Jon Jones was earlier tested positive for. Jones was supposed to fight Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 200 but was pulled out two days before the event when his out of competition drug test results arrived. In the case of Lesnar, the results of his June 28 tests came after July 9, hence he was allowed to fight at UFC 200.

Staring At A Two Year Ban

Lesnar ended a five year retirement to return at UFC 200. He defeated Mark Hunt convincingly in a three round affair. But even before experts could link him to a title shot with whoever wins at UFC 203, Lesnar’s hopes were dashed when news of his failed drug test came to light last week. With the violation, Lesnar stands to be suspended for to years, making it difficult for the 38 year old to make another run at the title. Lesnar is expected to return to the WWE next month, where he is scheduled to face Randy Orton is the organization’s annual Summer Slam Event. In his only official comments since the test results came out, Lesnar said “he will get to the bottom of this.”

UFC’s Biggest Draw Ever

Considered as the UFC’s biggest PPV Draw ever, Lesnar’s appearance at UFC 200 was a shot in the arm even though it was supposed to be just a one fight deal. UFC 200 lost its main event when the company pulled out Conor Mcgregor after the Irishman failed to attend a press conference. The main event was changed to Jones-Cormier but that too was shelved. Finally, the womens’ bantamweight title bout was elevated to headliner status while Lesnar’s bout with Hunt was the co-main event. Lesnar made an all-time high $2.5M in guaranteed purse for that bout.

Roman Gonzalez vs. Carlos Cuadras Odds and Prediction

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Chocolatito is rolling. And he’s eyeing another weight class.

Roman Gonzalez, the Pound for Pound best boxer in the planet, will be moving up a couple of pounds for his next world title fight. As announced by K2 Promotions last Wednesday, Chocolatito will be challenging 115-pound champion Carlos Cuadras on September 10th at the Forum in Inglewood, California:

Chasing A Fourth Weight Class

Aside from being the Ring’s #1 Pound for Pound fighter, Gonzalez is currently the WBC, Lineal and Ring Flyweight champion.

Previously, Chocolatito held world titles in the minimum weight and light flyweight division. But having almost cleaned house in those three weight divisions, Gonzalez has decided to chase a fourth weight class and enhance his status as the best fighter in the planet.

Gonzalez is only the second boxing world champion from Nicaragua, with his mentor and idol Alexis Arguello as the other. He is unbeaten in 45 bouts and has an 84% KO ratio or a total of 38 wins by way of knockout.

After fighting mostly in Nicaragua, Mexico and Japan, Gonzalez made his first U.S. mainstream appearance in May of 2015, defeating former champion Edgar Sosa in two rounds at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Since then, Gonzalez has defended his flyweight titles two more times against former world champions Brian Viloria and McWilliams Arroyo, beating both ex-champs in dominating fashion.

First US TV Fight

Like Gonzalez, his opponent is a newcomer in the US market. Carlos Quadras will be making his second US appearance but this will be the first time that he will be fighting on a televised card and a big HBO event at that.

The 27-year old Mexican won the WBC Super Flyweight title by defeating Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2014. He has since defended the belt a total of six times.

Like Gonzazes, Cuadras in unbeaten  at 35-0 with 27 KOs but has one draw in his record. That solitary blemish happened during his first title defense against Jose Salgado. The bout ended in a technical draw after Cuadras was unable to continue following an accidental clash of heads in Round 4. Otherwise, Cuadras has been just as destructive as Chocolatito.

A former 2007 Pan American Games gold medalist, Cuadras is coming off an emphatic 8th round stoppage of FIlipino challenger Richie Mepranum last April 23rd. Gonzalez opened as a solid -600 favorite to dethrone his Mexican opponent who came at +400 in most sportsbooks.

Michael Bisping To Defend Title Against Dan Henderson

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Michael Bisping got his wish granted.

After weeks of speculation, UFC President Dana White announced that Michael Bisping will be defending his UFC middleweight title against veteran fighter Dan Henderson, possibly in Manchester, England later this year.

White made the announcement during UFC 200’s post fight show of Fox Sports last Saturday:

No date or event for the bout was mentioned by White.

Personal Reasons

Bisping was a late replacement for the injured Chris Weidman. He took the title fight on two weeks notice and upset Luke Rockhold with a stunning first round KO in the main event of UFC 199. Following the win, Bisping expressed his desire to defend the title against the 45-year old Henderson, stating personal reasons.

Henderson and Bisping fought each other at UFC 100. Henderson dropped his H-Bomb on Bisping and delivered one of the greatest knockout wins in UFC history. With his name on the wrong end of an all-time highlight reel, Bisping wanted to erase that seemingly lasting memory from the history books.

After Dan Henderson’s win over Hector Lombard on the same UFC 199 event last month, Bisping wasted no time in calling out his UFC 100 tormentor and pleaded his case.

Met With Criticism

Bisping’s move was met with criticism from the top UFC’s middleweights. On top of the list was Chris Weidman, who was supposed to fight Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 but pulled out because of injury. Weidman said that Bisping was taking the easy way out in picking the oldest active fighter in the UFC’s roster.

Then there was Jacare Souza, who told the media that Henderson belonged to the Hall of Fame more than the next Middleweight title bout. Currently, Weidman is ranked #2 and Souza #3, with the erstwhile champion Rockhold at #1. Curiously, Henderson is ranked just 13th. But obviously, those aren’t the numbers Dana White is looking at when he booked this fight.

While Henderson may seem undeserving of the title shot based on rankings, he is one of the more popular fighters in the UFC’s current roster with a big following. His popularity and history with Bisping will make the fight an easy sell, especially in Bisping’s hometown.

Having said that, the Bisping-Henderson rematch will be an easy sell for the UFC. In fact, many fans are already looking forward to watching the rematch between two of the UFC’s most charismatic fighters.

Gennady Golovkin vs. Kell Brook Odds and Prediction

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Gennady Golovkin couldn’t  book a fight with Canelo Alvarez in September. So, he instead surprised us by doing a “Canelo”.

Doing A Canelo

On Friday, Organizers caught the boxing world surprised when they announced that IBF Welterweight champion Kell Brook would be moving up in weight to challenge Golovkin for his middleweight titles on September 10th at the O2 Arena in London:

In effect, Golovkin will be doing what Canelo did in his Cinco de Mayo weekend bout: fighting an opponent who is moving up two weight classes.

It can be recalled that Alvarez fought former Junior Welterweight champion Amir Khan in an intriguing May 2nd bout. Canelo knocked out Khan brutally in the sixth round of that fight which was supposed to be the prelude to a Canelo-GGG bout this fall. However, negotiations fell off and Alvarez has decided to fight Billy Joe Saunders on September 17th.

Came As A Surprise

The announcement came as a surprise to the boxing community as Golovkin was negotiating a title defense against another Briton, Chris Eubank Jr. It had been reported that Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions, who represents Golovkin, and Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, who manages Eubank, were close to finalizing a deal when news broke out early Friday.

Similarly, Hearn was negotiating with Top Rank for a welterweight title unification bout between Brook and WBO champion Jessie Vargas. Like the rumored GGG-Eubank deal, Brook-Vargas was said to be in the final stages of negotiations when this sudden twist was revealed.

With the cat out of the bag, Hearn says pitting the two champions is the true big fight that boxing fans deserve. And that was the reason why they had no hesitation in taking this fight.

Champion vs. Champion

As it is now, GGG-Brook will be a battle of the best welterweight versus the best middleweight boxers on the planet.

Both have a combined unbeaten record of 71-0 with 57 total KOs. It will feature the phenomenon in Golovkin who has recorded 22 consecutive KO wins and who owns the best knockout ration in boxing’s middleweight history at 91.4%. Brook traveled to the United States in 2013 to dethrone Shawn Porter and has since defended his title thrice. The Sheffield native has been asking for a big fight for years and how he’s got the biggest bout he could find.

Odds and Prediction

Brook will be fighting at 160 pounds for the first time in his career. But the jump from 147 to 160 and the fact that Golovkin is a KO machine has made Kell Brook a big underdog in this bout. Immediately after the fight was announced, Golovkin opened as a -700 favorite against Brook’s +450. Despite the odds, Hearn says Brook is ready to shock the world.

While both fighters are perfect by record and could win this fight, Vegas probably has ti right: GGG should get the win and stay focused for his showdown with Canelo next year.

Jon Jones Faces 2-Year Ban, Could Be Done in UFC

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Just when we all thought that Jon Jones had gotten it all together, we were wrong. The worst was yet to come.

A Shocking Twist

In a shocking twist, Jon Jones was removed from the UFC 200 main event two days before the fight after he failed an out of competition drug test conducted last June 16th, 2016. Here’s how Ariel Helwani broke the shock:

Jones’ removal from UFC 200 forced the UFC to hastily book a replacement bout between Jones’ original opponent Daniel Cormier and former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

An inconsolable Cormier refused to be removed from UFC 200 and instead asked the UFC for another opponent. He was willing to fight as high as 220 pounds to stay on the biggest card in UFC History. Offers to step in from fighters like Alexander Gustafsson, Gegard Mousasi, Tom Lawlor and Ilir Latifi were received by UFC President Dana White surprisingly announced Silva as Cormier’s replacement foe on Thursday.

A Rough 2015

Prior to the incident, Jones had successfully returned to the Octagon with a unanimous decision win over Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 197. Incidentally, Jones was supposed to fight Cormier at that event but DC pulled out of the bout with an injury.

With that win, Jones was named as interim UFC Light Heavyweight champion. When the original UFC 200 main event between McGregor and Diaz was removed, the Jones-Cormier rematch was re-booked as the main event of UFC 200.

UFC 200 was supposed to be Jones’ redeeming moment. In 2015, he was stripped of his title following a hit and run incident which left  pregnant woman injured. Jones had a couple more brushes with the law last year and overall, 2015 was considered a rough year for Jones. However, this latest controversy is perhaps the most significant because with the UFC’s strict drug testing program, Jones could end up being suspended for two years.

B Samples

After his ouster from UFC 200, Jones and his team sent B samples to the same USADA laboratory in Utah for testing. On Friday, the results came out and the samples also turned out positive for a banned substance. As of press time, the substance has not been revealed although the USADA said it already notified Jones and his camp about it.

Jones vehemently denied doping in a press conference on Thursday. He said he was unfamiliar with the substance in the report and had no explanation why such would appear in his system. Per USADA policy, A PED violation usually carries a two year ban from the sport.

UFC 202 Preview: Carlos Condit vs. Demian Maia Odds and Prediction

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At least Carlos Condit isn’t retiring.

While he isn’t getting the Robbie Lawler rematch which he once said was the only logical fight for him to make to stop him from retiring from MMA, Carlos Condit is getting an opponent ranked higher than him and who may lead him to another crack at welterweight gold very soon.

Last Tuesday, the UFC announced that 4th ranked Condit will take on the red hot 3rd ranked Demia Maia at UFC 202 on August 20th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada:

Threatened To Retire

It can be recalled that Condit engaged Lawler in a Fight of The Year Candidate war last January. Lawler retained the title by split decision but some observers believe that Condit was robbed of victory.

Following the loss, the 32-year old “Natural Born Killer” revealed that he was contemplating retirement. He then said the only fight that would motivate him to fight again would be a rematch with Lawler. After much speculation, the UFC ultimately booked Lawler to a UFC 203 bout with Tyron Woodley on July 30th. There were fears that Condit would make good on his retirement threat.

But Condit has since reconsidered, and now is booked to a fight where a win would most probably earn him a title shot. It’s widely considered that #1 ranked Stephen Thompson would be getting the winner of Lawler-Woodley after Thompson’s masterful victory over the erstwhile top ranked contender Rory MacDonald last month. But after Thompson, the winner between Condit-Maia should be next in line, making this fight very important to both aging fighters.

Unlikely Success

Maia himself is no longer in his younger years at 38. But he’s found his best career run at this unlikely stage. Considered as perhaps the best grappler in the sport today, Maia has racked up five consecutive wins since losing to Rory MacDonald at UFC 170.

His last three victories have come against impressive foes in Neil Magny, Gunnar Nelson and Matt Brown. Maia has only fought once for the UFC title and that was for the middleweight title at UFC 112 against Anderson Silva in 2010. A victory over Condit will most definitely cement a first crack at the welterweight title, perhaps in the early part of next year.

UFC 202 will be headlined by the welterweight rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz.

Surprise Favorite

Surprisingly, the streaking Maia opened as a slight -175 favorite against Condit who was at +142 when the lines were established. However, those numbers could change as the bets come in. Condit is a deceiving 2-4 in his last six bouts and sat out one year between 2014 and 2015 due to a knee injury so that could perhaps be the reason why he was installed as underdog. Maia, meanwhile, hasn’t lost since UFC 170 and has defeated world beaters in his last three fights.

Antonio Margarito Fights Ramon Alvarez on August 13th

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Antonio Margarito would have loved to fight Mexican boxing superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Unfortunately, he will have to settle for Canelo’s brother – at least for now.

Zanfer Promotions promoter Fernando Beltran announced on Friday that the Tijuana Tornado will be making the second fight of his comeback on August 13th against fellow Mexican Ramon Alvarez. The bout will be held at the Rosarito Convention Center in Rosarito, Mexico:

Canelo’s Brother

The 29-year old Alvarez may not sound all too familiar to boxing fans. But he is the older brother of current lineal middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. The elder Alvarez has a professional record of 23-4-2 with 15 knockouts. But he’s been on a mean streak as of late, going undefeated in his last 10 bouts with 9 wins and one no-contest. The no-contest was a result of an accidental headbutt. Alvarez is the current IBF North America Light Middleweight champion and is a former WBO NABO Super Welterweight title holder. Although he isn’t considered an equal of his more popular little brother, “Inocente” is neither a walk in the park for Margarito

Comeback Continues

For Antonio Margarito, the comeback continues and the long journey back to the top of the sport resumes. The 38 year old Tijuana Tornado held a world title from 2002-2007 had not fought since 2011 when he made a comeback last March. Rusty and obviously much slower than before, Margarito battled Jorge Paez Jr. to a 10 round slugfest in front on 10,000 fans in Mexico City last March 5. Although Paez knocked Margarito down in the 6th round of that bout, Margarito survived the slugfest and won the bout by unanimous decision. Following the win, Margarito has chosen a quick turnaround fight perhaps sensing that his window of opportunity is slowly closing at his advanced age.

Handwraps Controversy

Margarito retired in 2011 when his surgically repaired right eye was battered during a 10 round loss to then champion Miguel Cotto during their highly anticipated rematch. Margarito beat Cotto in 2008 to win the welterweight titles but that signature win was tainted following Margarito’s 16 month suspension during his next bout against Shane Mosley. Cotto stopped Margarito in their second meeting and re-injured the right eye whose orbital bone was dislocated during Margarito’s loss to Manny Pacquiao in 2010.

Margarito and Alvarez will fight in a 10-round Junior Middleweight contest that will be televised on beIN Sports Espanol which airs Zanfer Promotions’ local fights in the United States.