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Cristiane Justino Booked For Title Fight at UFC 214

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The world leader in MMA in the UFC has confirmed that women’s featherweight (145-pound) contender Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (17-1, 1 No Contest, 2-0 in the UFC,) considered by many to be the best fighter at that weight of all time, has been booked to fight for the division’s title at the upcoming UFC 214 pay-per-view event. She will not be facing the now former champion, “The Iron Lady” Germaine de Randamie.

Randamie Won’t Fight

De Randamie initially won the championship at UFC 208 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York in a move up from bantamweight (135 pounds) with former women’s bantamweight champion Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm. However, after winning the title said that she needed to take time off to deal with a long-time hand injury to determine whether or not the injury required surgery.

Regarding the Brazilian striker specifically, de Randamie’s management said:

“Germaine and her team have talked, and the position is that she will not fight Cyborg because Cyborg is a known and proven cheater. Even after so much scrutiny has been put on Cyborg, she still managed to pop for something and will always be a person of suspicion who is trying to beat the system rather than just conforming to the rules. For that reason, Germaine and her team don’t believe that Cyborg should be allowed to compete in the UFC at all. If that is the only fight the UFC wants, then Germaine is willing to wait and see if the UFC will strip her belt before making her next move.”

Cyborg the Cheater?

Justino failed a 2011 drug test for performance-enhancing drugs (PED) but has since expressed immense regret and passed every test since that time. She was provisionally suspended in late 2016 due to a diuretic known as spironolactone, which is banned in and out of competition. Due to a medical paperwork snafu, the provisional suspension was lifted, Justino no longer faced a one-year ban, and she was granted a retroactive therapeutic use exemption (TUE.)

De Randamie has shared her own thoughts on the stripping with MMAFighting.com.

The move to give Justino a title fight may also be viewed as controversial by some after she was cited for misdemeanor battery after punching fellow UFC fighter Angela “Your Majesty” Magana (11-8 in MMA overall, 0-2 in the UFC.) The incident resulted in a lot of social media support for Justino from fans after Magana taunted her on Twitter, using a photo of Justino visiting children hospitalized with cancer in her native country to do so.

The strawweight (115-pound) fighter did later challenge Justino to a grappling match due to their weight difference, which has not yet come to fruition. She revealed to TMZ in late May that she will be suing Justino.

Anderson Vies For Title

Stepping in as challenger against Justino will be Australia’s Megan Anderson (8-2 in MMA overall with six finishes,) the now former featherweight champion for the all-female Invicta FC, which is mostly considered a feeder league to the UFC. She initially won an interim title in January, scoring a TKO win over Charmaine Tweet at Invicta FC 21.

Anderson was promoted to being a full-fledged champion after Justino vacated the promotion’s featherweight strap to focus on the UFC. The Aussie had been eying a UFC debut but wasn’t sure why she had yet to be signed (along with any other fighters to fill out the new division.) There were rumors that the division might be scrapped, but the UFC has put an end to that.

Anderson had previously been announced as the main event for July’s Invicta FC 24 opposite the debuting Helena Kolesnyk (5-0 in MMA overall with all five wins being finishes.) She has replaced by bantamweight champion Tanya Evinger (19-5-0, 1 No Contest in MMA overall, 7-0-0, 1 No Contest in Invicta FC) although the bout will still take place at 145 pounds.

“We’d obviously been campaigning for that fight, probably for three weeks, but the UFC had told us it wasn’t happening,” Anderson told ESPN this morning (June 19.) So, we went to Invicta and said, ‘Get us an opponent.’ We signed that bout agreement, and not more than six hours later, the UFC called and said, ‘Hey, let’s look at that Justino matchup. I don’t know what was going on in their head. They knew we wanted the fight this whole time. We finally said, ‘OK, fine’ and we sign another fight. Then all of a sudden they’re like, ‘Oh wait, we’re back.’ At least it all seems to have worked out.”

The Cyborg-Anderson title bout will serve as the UFC 214 co-main event. Headlining the card, which will take place at the Honda Center on July 29, is the rematch between light heavyweight (205-pound) Daniel “DC” Cormier and former champion Jon “Bones” Jones.  Yoel Romero faces Robert Whittaker for an interim middleweight (185-pound) title as well.

UFC 206 Preview: Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson Odds and Pick

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With Jon Jones at bay because of a recent drug suspension, the UFC’s next best Light Heavyweights will dispute the 205-pound title at the main event of UFC 206 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Rematch

Current champion Daniel Cormier was supposed to fight Jones for the undisputed title at UFC 200 but in his latest brush with the law, Jones got pulled from the bout and is currently facing a one-year suspension for a drug violation. Instead, Cormier will be facing the red hot Anthony Johnson, who has been knocking out one contender after the other.

This will not be the first time Cormier and Johnson face each other. DC won his current title by defeating Johnson at UFC 187. The two fought for the title which was vacated when Jones was first suspended by the UFC in 2015.

Roles Reversed

DC is -135 in many books while Rumble is popular at +115. This is opposite the numbers they had when they first faced each other at UFC 187 where Rumble closed at -120 and DC at +100. Rumble Johnson was on a nine fight winning streak ( 6 by knockout ) coming to UFC 187. But after Cormier humbled him with a punishing wrestling game, the tides have been turned.

Cormier has fought twice since beating Johnson. He defeated Alexander Gustafsson by split decision and then dominated Anderson Silva in a catchweight bout at UFC 200. Rumble’s coming off knockout wins over Jimi Manuwa, Ryan Bader and Glover Teixeira. His last two wins have been by first round KO. In 27 fights, Johnson has never gone past round three.

Grounding Rumble

Cormier has said in interviews that he is going to stand and trade with Rumble Johnson this time around. You bet Cormier didn’t mean those words because obliging Rumble in a slugfest would be a death wish. Daniel Cormier has proven to have a good chin. But it’s never wise to have it tested against Rumble Johnson. For Sure DC will go back to his wrestling base in this bout. Just like how he dominated Rumble at UFC 187.

Although he landed only three takedowns in their first bout, DC attempted eight times, meaning he really tried to put the fight on the ground. Those takedowns and attempts took its toll on Rumble and negated his strengths. He became a lame duck on the ground and that led to the rear naked choke finish by Cormier in round three. Rumble Johnson will either have to knock out DC first or take him down first. The latter seems likely. Cormier’s wrestling will be the key here once again. He’s going to grind Rumble to the finish. We expect another late submission victory or a close but clear 3-2 win on the scorecards for Daniel Cormier.

UFC Fight Night Melbourne: Robert Whitaker vs. Derek Brunson Odds and Pick

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With Luke Rockhold pulling out, UFC Fight Night Melbourne got a new main event. And good for the fans, one of their own will be fighting in the headliner of this November 26th event.

7th ranked Robert Whitaker faces #8 Derek Brunson in a battle of middleweight dark horses. With the likes of Rockhold, Yoel Romero and Jacare Souza getting more attention, these two fighters are probably the sleepers in Michael Bisping’s weight class. While not much attention given to them, these two have slowly built serious reputation in one of the UFC’s most talent laden division. The winner of this bout is definitely headed for bigger fights while the loser goes back to scratch.

Too Close To Call?

Derek Brunson is the favorite at -150. Robert Whitaker is pegged at +125, so this is basically a pick’em bout. Both fighters are riding high on a five-fight winning streak, but Brunson has been more impressive with four consecutive first round knockout victories.

After being known as a grinding wrestler early in his career, Derek Brunson has developed his striking skills. In fact, he’s evolved into a serious knockout artist and his current winning run is proof of that. Whitaker also possesses heavy hands, but in terms of genuine, one-punch knockout ability, it’s Brunson who has the edge.

Brunson’s Advantages

Whitaker is the busier striker with a 4.95 significant strikes landed per minute average as compared to Brunson’s 2.94. But he also absorbs more strikes per minute at 4.07 versus Brunson’s 2.24. Both are nearly as accurate with their striking with Brunson having a 44% to 40% advantage. But the key in this fight should be Brunson’s length. The American has a significant 4-inch reach advantage over his opponent.

Derek Brunson’s Division II NCAA wrestling background gives him another edge over Whitaker. He averages 3.58 takedowns landed per 15 minutes while Whitaker only lands 0.61 over the same period. Whitaker though has significantly improved his takedown defense in recent years. He’s given up only one takedown in his last five bouts. But if this fight goes to the ground, it’s definitely the more experienced Brunson who has the edge.

Whitaker vs. Brunson Prediction

What’s going for Whitaker though is the fact that this fight is in Australia. Fighting in front of his home crowd has brought out the best of Whitaker. In his UFC career, Whitaker is 4-0 in Australia and that includes his The Ultimate Fighter Smashes victory in 2012. Both fighters have significantly improved from the first time we saw them compete inside the Octagon. But at this stage of their careers, Derek Brunson is the more complete fighter. Whitaker is going to make this a good fight. But Brunson’s power is going to win this for him.

UFC 207 Rumors: Dominick Cruz vs. Cody Garbrandt to Fight For Title?

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Cody Garbrandt may have leapfrogged ahead of the Top 5 bantamweights all the way to a title fight with Dominick Cruz.

That’s because according to the latest MMA news, Garbrandt is the front runner to get the next crack at the Dominator. The bout was first reported by Ariel Helwani:

What Rankings?

Ranked 6th in the UFC’s bantamweight title following his win over Thomas Almeida last May, Garbrandt may have talked his way to a title shot. There is no doubt that Garbrandt’s had an impressive 2016 with three wins and three first round knockouts. But more than his fight resume, it was his back and forth trash talk with Cruz that’s made this bout a story.

Aside from Garbrandt, top ranked bantamweights like T.J. Dillashaw, Jon Lineker and Bryan Caraway all deserve a shot at the bantamweight gold. But in the tradition of Bisping-Hendo 2 at UFC 204 and McGregor vs Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, the fight that made the most financial sense got the nod.

Dominator Once More

After a long struggle with injuries, Dominick Cruz returned earlier this year to capture the title he never lost inside the Octagon. Cruz bested erstwhile champion T.J. Dillashaw in a surgical five rounder. The Dominator then followed that up with a win over rival Urijah Faber at UFC 199.

Before those two victories, Cruz fought just once from 2012 to 2014 because of different and recurring injuries. But Cruz set his sights on regaining his old title and did so in what experts call the Greatest Comeback story in MMA history.

Garbrandt is an immaculate 5-0 with 5 KOs in the UFC. Without doubt, his biggest win came against  the highly touted Thomas Almeida in the main event of UFC Fight Night 88. Garbrandt is one of the division’s hardest hitters but the question is if he can find his target.  Dominick Cruz’s hit and run style may not be a good fit for Garbrandt, who loves to brawl.

Year End Extravaganza

The bout is reportedly being worked out for UFC 207 on December 3th0, 2015 UFC 207 will be headlined by the women’s bantamweight title bout between champion Amanda Nunes and the comebacking Ronda Rousey. It will mark Rousey’s first octagon appearance since losing by knockout to Holly Holm at UFC 193.

The UFC typically ends the year big with an explosive final event. Rousey’s return will be big enough to do that. Adding Cruz vs. Garbrandt would be icing on the cake for they UFC’s year ender.

UFC 207 Odds: Ronda Rousey vs. Amanda Nunes Odds and Preview

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She’s back.

After spending one year away from MMA, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey returns to the octagon on December 30th to face current champion Amanda “Lioness” Nunes in the main event of UFC 207 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC President Dana White made the ‘major announcment’ at The Herd on Wednesday:

Major Announcement

White’s ‘major announcement’ really didn’t come as a surprise. The signs were leading to it.

Last month, White told Brazilian sports outlet O Globo that a Rousey-Nunes bout was possible before the end of the year. White also said earlier this month that Rousey’s comeback fight would be the biggest PPV the UFC has done. If that wasn’t at UFC 205, where else would that be but at the company’s year end show.

In September, Rousey’s coach Edmond Tarverdyan told reporters that a Rousey vs. Nunes bout was being discussed and that the main issue was Ronda working her way back into form after a minor knee injury in the summer. Apparently, Rousey is better now.

A Better Rousey

After a dominant run as the UFC’s inaugural women’s bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey suffered a shocking knockout defeat to Holly Holm at UFC 193 last November. Prior to that defeat, Rousey won her first twelve bouts, all by stoppage including 9 by armbar stoppage.

She became a star, both inside and outside the octagon but things came falling down when she was knocked out cold by Holm. The seemingly invincible woman broke down and shunned the limelight. The longer she stayed outside the Octagon, the more people thought she would never fight again. But after a year off, Rousey is back and presumably better not just as a fighter, but also as a person.

The Lioness

Ronda’s opponent couldn’t have been tougher. With Rousey wanting to get her old belt back, she will have to fight the current champion, Amanda Nunes.

The Lioness won the title with a dominant first round KO of Rousey nemesis Miesha Tate at UFC 200. Nunes has a 13-4 MMA record but is an impressive 6-1 in the UFC. Five of those win were by stoppage and Nunes has beaten Shayna Baszler, Sara McMann, Valentina Schevhenko and Tate in succession. She is considered one of the best strikers in the sport and one with genuine KO power.

It can be recalled that Rousey lost to Holm, a former boxing world champion, because the latter had the better striking game. It will be extremely interesting to see how Rousey will deal with an equally versatile striker like Nunes.

Opening as Favorite

Despite her long absence, Ronda Rousey opened as a -200 favorite against Nunes’ +160. Oddsmakers point to Rousey’s popularity as the main reason for these numbers. Nunes has the better striking but the real question is whether she can keep the fight standing up.

Rousey’s power throws and judo are superb and once Rowdy takes the fight to the ground, we know what’s going to happen next. No opponent has ever matched Ronda’s skill on the ground, as she submitted one challenger after another before a much improved striking game saw her self-destruct against Holly Holm.

If Ronda keeps the striking exchanges at a minimal and focuses on grappling and wrestling, she is seen as having the advantage over Nunes. Nunes, meanwhile, must avoid getting her arm exposed on the ground because that’s almost a bait for Rousey.

UFC 205: Miesha Tate Returns to Take on Raquel Pennington

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The women are also coming to New York.

As the fight card for the UFC’s maiden appearance in New York slowly unfolds, two high profile women’s bouts have been added to the Madison Square Garden affair as UFC women’s flyweight queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk will defend her title against compatriot Karolina Kowalkiewicz and former UFC womens bantamweight champion Miesha Tate will face Raquel Pennington in a three round affair.

An All Polish Affair

The title bout between Jedrzejczyk and Kowalkiewicz will be the first ever all european bout inside the UFC Octagon. It will also be the biggest MMA match in Poland’s history as both undefeated combatants are Polish. Jedrzejczyk ( 12-0 ) is coming off a thrilling fight of the year candidate against Claudia Gadelha last July.

She is the undisputed queen of the UFC’s 115 women’s division, having won all of her 6 bouts inside the Octagon including four title bouts and three successful title defenses. Former KSW champion Kowalkiewicz (10-0 ) herself is unbeaten in 3 UFC bouts and is coming off an impressive win over Rose Namajunas at UFC 201 to earn this title bout. The two have fought before as amateurs in 2012 and it was Jedrzejczyk who won that bout by submission.

The UFC initially thought of taking this title bout to Poland but with the big event in New York on November 12th and UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes reportedly being eyed for UFC 207, this all Poland title bout was booked to New York instead to give the women a strong representation in the event.

The Jedrzejczyk vs. Kowalkiewicz bout is the second title bout booked to the event. Earlier, the men’s welterweight title will be on the line when Tyron Woodley faces top contender Stephen Thompson.

Return of Cupcake

In the second announced women’s bout, former UFC bantamweight Miesha Tate ( 18-6 ) will make  a quick turnaround following her stunning UFC 200 defeat to Amanda Nunes. Prior to her defeat, Tate won accolades in her come from behind title winning performance against Holly Holm at UFC 196.

The return of Cupcake will be against veteran Raquel “Rocky” Pennington ( 8-5 ) who has won three fights in a row. Pennington was last seen at UFC 202 where she beat Elizabeth Phillips. Coincidentally, Pennington was a member of Team Tate during the Ultimate Fighter 18 in 2013. Now Rocky goes up against her former coach as both fighters look to move up in the women’s bantamweight standings with a big win in Madison Square Garden.

UFC 205 will be on November 12th at the Madison Square Garden in New York. Several bouts have been confirmed for the event although no headliner has been booked yet.

UFC 205: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Donald Cerrone Odds and Preview

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Kelvin Gastelum will be stepping in to face Donald Cerrone at UFC 205 after Cerrone’s original bout with Robbie Lawler fell off:

 

A Sudden Twist

After beating Johny Hendicks at UFC 200, Kelvin Gastelum wanted to fight either Robbie Lawler or Donald Cerrone. Unfortunately, he was booked to a fight against Jorge Masvidal for UFC Mexico. Lawler and Cerrone would later be booked to a UFC 205 date. But in a sudden twist of fate, Robbie Lawler pulled out of the bout, leaving Cerrone without an opponent for the UFC’s New York Debut. With the UFC intent on keeping Cerrone at the event, they scrambled to find an opponent. And Kelvin Gastelum was the perfect choice.

Fresh off beating former champion Hendricks, Gastelum is the former The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 winner. He has a record of 12-2 with 4 knockouts and 4 submissions. Although he is only 2-2 in his last 4 bouts, his victory over Hendricks pushed him up to #5 in the current UFC welterweight rankings.

After winning his first 10 bouts, Gastelum suffered a split decision loss against current welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 183. Two fights later, Gastelum again lost by split decision to Neil Magny before rebounding with a resounding win over Hendricks last July. Dubbed as Mini Cain for his resemblance to former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez, Gastelum owns notable victories over Uriah Hall, RIck Story, Jake Ellenberger, Nate Marquardt and Hendricks.

Riding High

Gastelum will be facing a red hot Donald Cerrone at UFC 205. Since moving up to welterweight, Cowboy has been riding high up in his saddle. Cerrone’s won three in a row all by stoppage. In his last two victories, Cowboy became the first fighter to stop both Patrick Cote and Rick Story on strikes. Cerrone’s success jumped him to #7 in the UFC welterweight rankings and he was looking to challenge Lawler to get a shortcut to the top.

Although there hasn’t been any official statement on Lawler’s withdrawal, rumors are saying Robbie wanted to take more time off from his 1st round KO loss to Woodley. If that is the case then it’s a little ironic because it was Lawler himself who was literally begging UFC President Dana White a quick turnaround fight after UFC 203.

Odds on Favorite

Cerrone opened as a -175 favorite against Gastelum’s +135. That may sound surprising given Cerrone has only fought thrice as a welterweight and the 5th ranked Gastelum has been fighting at that weight class much longer. However, Cerrone has looked very impressive as of late and has shown little or no weakness during his welterweight run.

Of the four matches officially booked for UFC 205, The Cerrone-Gastelum bout has the closest odds. Inside the Octagon, it is also likely to be a back and forth bout as well.